So important (Lectures)

Expressions researched:
"so important" |"so much important" |"so very important"

Notes from the compiler: VedaBase query: "so important" or "so very important" or "so much important" not "not so important" not "not so very important" not "not so much important"

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 1.41-42 -- London, July 29, 1973:

Dharā means wife. Wife can help one to be elevated to the heavenly planets, and dharmārtha-kāma, to become helpful in the matter of advancement in religious and spiritual knowledge: dharma; artha, economic development; kāma, satisfying the husband for sense gratification; dharma artha kāma; and mokṣa also, also for salvation. The wife is so important. If there is chaste wife, she can help the husband in these four principles of life, dharma artha kāma mokṣa (SB 4.8.41, Cc. Ādi 1.90), dharā samprati hetutā. If we can train up nice wife, or the society trains the girls to become nice wife, she becomes a great source of energy to the husband. Dharma-artha-kāma-mokṣāḥ dharā sampra.... And if they are polluted, they become source of the saṅkara, varṇa-saṅkara.

The exact example of varṇa-saṅkara is the hippies at the present moment. All over the world, not only in the Western countries but in India also. So the population, hippie population means saṅkara population. So increase of such population means narakāyaiva, naraka, hellish, hellish condition of life in this life, also in the next life. At that time, to live, actually we have practically seen in recent years, especially in Calcutta, it has become a hellish life. The population, the younger generation, is so polluted, so contaminated, that you cannot safely walk in the street. Anywhere, the young boys they can encircle you and rob you. You cannot say on. The police cannot help, the government cannot help.

Lecture on BG 2.8-12 -- Los Angeles, November 27, 1968:

In villages especially, there is large quantity of cow dung, and they're, all over the house they have smeared to make the house antiseptic. And actually after smearing cow dung in your room, when it is dried, you'll find refreshed, everything antiseptic. It is practical experience. And one Dr. Ghosh, a great chemist, he examined cow dung, that why cow dung is so much important in the Vedic literature? He found that cow dung contains all the antiseptic properties. In Āyur-veda, cow dung dried and burned into ashes is used as toothpowder. It is very antiseptic toothpowder. Similarly, there are many things, many injunctions in the Vedas, which may apparently appear as contradiction, but they are not contradiction. They are on experience, on transcendental experience. Just like a father says to his child that "My dear child, you take this food. It is very nice." And the child takes it, believing the father, authority. The child knows that "My father..." He is confident that "My father will never give me anything which is poison."

Lecture on BG 2.11 -- Mauritius, October 1, 1975:

Simi larly, the whole material cosmic manifestation is working... Even the big sun planet, it is also working under certain direction. Yac cakṣur eṣa savitā sakala-grahāṇām. Without sunrise nobody can see, not only in this planet, in other planets also, sakala-grahāṇām. So this sun planet is so important... Day and night, year and millions of years—everything is being calculated on the solar system. So this powerful planet is described as the eyes of everyone. Without sunshine nobody can see. Yac cakṣur eṣa savitā sakala-grahāṇāṁ rājā. It is to be considered as the king of all planets, rājā, sakala-grahāṇām. All the planets, they are moving, rotating on the heat of the sun, heat and light, and they are working on the light of the sun. Sun is so important. Everything is described in the Vedic literature. So that sun also—working under somebody's direction. Yasyājñayā bhramati sambhṛta-kāla-cakraḥ. The sun is rotating in the orbit at the speed of sixteen thousand miles per second by the order of somebody. That is Govinda. Yasyājñayā bhramati sambhṛta-kāla-cakro govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **.

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

Then our life is spoiled. We should be interested with sat. That will make our life successful. Then we make progress for amṛtatva.

Unfortunately, the people at the present moment, they do not know, neither they can imagine even that there is possibility of becoming immortal. This is very important point. There is not possibility, there is fact. And kṛṣṇa-kīrtana is so important. In the śāstra, many places, it is said. Kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya mukta-saṅgaḥ paraṁ vrajet (SB 12.3.51). That param is, means spiritual. There are two kinds of, parā and aparā-prakṛti. Aparā-prakṛti, parā-prakṛti. Apareyam. I am, this material world is aparā, inferior energy. Itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parām. Besides this, there is another prakṛti, another nature, which is parā. Parā means spiritual. So we should be interested with the parā, not with the aparā. Why? Now that is real life. That is real life. Here it is said ubhayor api. Considering both this parā and aparā, the superior and inferior. Tattva-darśibhiḥ. Who will study? Tattva-darśibhiḥ. Tattva-darśī means those who have realized the truth, tattva-darśī. And we find this word tattva in various places. Tattvataḥ.

Lecture on BG 2.27-38 -- Los Angeles, December 11, 1968:

Nara-nārāyaṇa: I am yet not so clear to understand why it is so important to Arjuna that Kṛṣṇa should say to Arjuna that it is so important, the reputation. Because in Arjuna's own heart he knows that he is being kind, or that he is in confusion because of his kindness. Does this make a difference, the opinion that one's fellow kṣatriya would have of him?

Prabhupāda: Arjuna was reputed as a great warrior. So he should remain a great warrior. A warrior's business is not to stop fighting on the plea of becoming kind. If you have gone to the warfield and if you practice nonviolence there, this is useless. Why should you go? There is a Bengali proverb that naste bose guṇṭhanam(?), that... In India, the girls, they cover their head. That is the system of married girl's shyness. So it is said that one girl is on the stage for dancing. Now while she is to dance, she's covering the head. What is the use of covering the head? You have come to dance, you dance. Similarly, in the warfield, you have gone there to fight. Where is the question of becoming nonviolent? So things should be done according to the time and atmosphere. In the warfield, there is no question of nonviolence. The war is arranged for committing violence. Where is the question of preaching there nonviolence?

Lecture on BG 2.49-51 -- New York, April 5, 1966:

Similarly, to learn this art, "Whether I am acting on the spiritual platform or on the material platform," you require a spiritual master, guide. And this is called dvija, or the second birth. When you catch hold of a bona fide spiritual master just to guide you to act on the spiritual platform, then your second life begins. It is called dvija. So this life is so important that one must begin it. One must begin it. There is no alternative. If a man is intelligent enough, if at all he wants to make his life successful, this must he do. That is the injunction of the Vedas. The Vedas says, tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). This abhigacchet is the form of verb which is imperative, "You must." Abhigacchet. This, this form of verb is used when the sense is "You must." So the Vedic Upaniṣad directs that tad-vijñānārtham: "In order to be situated, or in order to learn how to act on the spiritual platform, you must seek out a bona fide spiritual master who can guide you." So Kṛṣṇa, Arjuna has selected Kṛṣṇa as the spiritual master. We have already explained that Kṛṣṇa, Arjuna surrendered unto Arjuna (Kṛṣṇa). And Nārada says that "Even after, I mean to say, neglecting..." Tyaktvā sva-dharmaṁ caraṇāmbujaṁ hareḥ (SB 1.5.17).

Lecture on BG 4.2 -- Bombay, March 22, 1974:

There is no distinction. Therefore we are giving so much importance to the... The so-called scholars may take it as ordinary book, but one who is serious about Bhagavad-gītā, he does not take Bhagavad-gītā, the words of Bhagavad-gītā or the teachings of Bhagavad-gītā, as ordinary teachings. This is confirmed. Therefore it is so important.

And it has to be received through the paramparā channel. That I was explaining, (that) as Kṛṣṇa is going to speak to Arjuna... Here it is said: sa evāyaṁ mayā te 'dya yogaḥ proktaḥ purātanaḥ (BG 4.3). Next verse, it will explain. Bhakto 'si me priyo 'si sakhā ceti rahasyam etad uttamam. Kṛṣṇa will say. Because it is so important... It is a complete spiritual. Unless one is devotee... Devotee means complete spiritual. Any other one, if he's not a devotee, he is material. Karmī, jñānī, yogi, they are all material. They're trying to utilize the material possessions. Karmīs, they are trying to utilize this body for happiness. Whole day, night, they are working like ass for some sense gratification. Māyā-sukhāya bharam udvahato vimūḍhān (SB 7.9.43). Prahlāda Mahārāja says, "These rascals, unnecessarily they are working so hard like an ass just to get a morsel of food." That's all. Unnecessarily. Everyone is eating four cāpāṭis, but he's working so hard, like an ass. Well, ass also can get his share of foodstuff anywhere. The ass is so fool that he can get grass anywhere. It is for a few pieces of grass only, he's loading on his back so much burden from the washerman.

Lecture on BG 4.13-14 -- New York, August 1, 1966:

Why? This is due to lack of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is due to lack of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. There cannot be any cooperation unless there is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So Kṛṣṇa consciousness is an essential fact for harmonizing even the present material society. That is required. Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so important thing, that cooperation...

The same example can be said here also, that the leg, the hands, and the belly and the mouth—what they are? They are cooperating. Cooperating for what? Cooperating for maintaining this body. This is the common interest. And how it is cooperated? To supply everything to the stomach. The brain is working, earning some money, the hand is fetching something and cooking, and the mouth is chewing, and the leg is going, but the whole function is targeted to fulfill the demands of the stomach. If these parts of the body non-cooperate with the stomach, they'll become feeble and weak and there will be no capacity to work.

Similarly, Kṛṣṇa consciousness means that in whatever division I may be... I may be the brāhmaṇa, I may be the kṣatriya, I may be the vaiśya, or the śūdra. That doesn't matter. But if we cooperate for Kṛṣṇa consciousness, there will be perfect peace in the world. This is a fact. So this idea of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is very important factor, although people are, I mean to say, they are unknown to this fact, although it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā.

Lecture on BG 4.13-14 -- New York, August 1, 1966:

In the world, Bhagavad-gītā is very popular book. They are reading Bhagavad-gītā. And in Dr. Radhakrishnan's book we understand that Bhagavad-gītā has been so important book throughout the whole world that there is a sect in Germany who are called Indo-German religious sect. Perhaps some of you may know. They are acting on the principle of Bhagavad-gītā. So actually, in the Bhagavad-gītā, the most important part is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. In every verse, in every chapter, in every conclusion, you'll find Kṛṣṇa, the speaker of Bhagavad-gītā is giving stress on His personal self.

Māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ... (BG 9.32). Mām, this mām. Mām means "Me," "Unto Me." Kṛṣṇa says, "Unto Me." But there are many miscreants who are interpreting this mām as "everyone," as "everyone." Just like when I say, "I want a glass of water," does it mean that you want a glass of water? No. My individuality, "I want a glass of water." But they are making, by jugglery of words, that when I say, "I want a glass of water," that means, "everyone wants a glass of water." Is it a fact? Similarly, when Kṛṣṇa says, "I," they identify with the "I" themselves. That is their interpretation. That is misinterpretation.

Lecture on BG 4.23 -- Bombay, April 12, 1974:

This is also.... They simply hear. Even in college and school, there is percentage of attendance, hearing. All of you know that unless one has attended class of the professor seventy-five percent, he is not allowed for the examination. So hearing is so important.

And that is also in the case of spiritual. You hear from.... Hear from whom? Hear from whom? That tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet: (MU 1.2.12) "Hear from guru." Who is guru? Guru. Brahma-niṣṭham. Brahma-niṣṭham. Guru means who knows God and fully engaged in His service. That is guru. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet, samit-pāṇiḥ śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham. Śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham. And he has also heard from his guru. This is both, hearing. Therefore Vedas are known as śruti. Formerly it was learned simply by hearing. There was no books. And there was no need of noting down. The merit was so perfect that simply by hearing from guru, he would understand everything.

Lecture on BG 5.22-29 -- New York, August 31, 1966:

Now we have to change the process. Instead to satisfying my senses, we have to agree to satisfy the senses of Kṛṣṇa. Unfortunately we make the Supreme Lord senseless. "God is impersonal; He has no sense. He has no hands. He has no mouth. He has no legs." Then what it is? So we are creating imaginary God in that way. But here is God present, Kṛṣṇa. He's with hands and legs and feet and speaking to Arjuna. So God is not senseless. If He is senseless, then there was no use of speaking this Bhagavad-gītā and taking it so very important book so that world is reading very carefully. He's not senseless. He is full sense. Otherwise His Bhagavad-gītā has no meaning. So He is full sense. Now, the Kṛṣṇa consciousness means that instead of satisfying my senses, we are to satisfy the sense of Kṛṣṇa. A simple process. It is not very difficult.

Lecture on BG 6.21-27 -- New York, September 9, 1966:

Taṁ vidyā. Taṁ vidyād duḥkha-saṁyoga-viyogaṁ yoga-saṁjñitam. Now, this understanding of miseries or happiness can be appreciated by the yoga process. Therefore yoga process is so important.

sa niścayena yoktavyo

yogo 'nirviṇṇa-cetasā

saṅkalpa-prabhavān kāmāṁs

tyaktvā sarvān aśeṣataḥ

manasaivendriya-grāmaṁ

viniyamya samantataḥ

(BG 6.24)

So this yoga process is... Because we are being entangled in this material world due to these uncontrolled senses. So the whole process of yoga indriya-saṁyama—we have to control the senses and turn our face toward that actual spiritual happiness. Then our life will be successful. Manasaivendriya-grāmaṁ viniyamya. Mind and the indriya-grāmam, and the whole range of the senses, that has to be controlled. Then we can gradually, if we practice, gradually we shall understand what is the real happiness and how to attain it.

Lecture on BG 6.35-45 -- Los Angeles, February 20, 1969:

Just like in business also, there are so many association, corporation. Because by becoming member of that corporation the particular type of business flourishes. They have got exchange. They can make exchange, bill of exchange, stock exchange. So association is so important. So if we become serious for developing divine consciousness, then this is the only association—we have established the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. Here simply the method how one can become divine conscious, that is taught. So this is a good chance. We invite everyone to join and the process is very simple. Simply chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and you'll feel. There is no difficult process. The children also can take part and actually they are taking part. You don't require any previous qualification. That you must have passed your master of degree examination or this or that. Whatever you are, you simply come and join this association and you become Kṛṣṇa conscious. This is the advantage of this society. It is clear. Please try to understand. Go on. Purport?

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Los Angeles, March 12, 1970:

And Kṛṣṇa is there within your heart. As soon as Kṛṣṇa sees, "Oh, this, this is very nice. He is hearing about Me," He will help you. He will cleanse your heart. (break) Because... Therefore to hear of kṛṣṇa-kīrtana is also another pious activity. So these boys, when they are going in the street chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, automatically they are giving chance to the people to become pious. Hearing is so important. They are becoming pious. They are purchasing one copy, Back to Godhead. They are nodding: "Yes, these boys are very nice." They are accumulating something spiritual. It is so nice. Śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ (SB 1.2.17). Simply by hearing, chanting, it is pious activities.

So one who is engaged in this pious activity, hṛdy antaḥ-stho hy abhadrāṇi... (child crying) That one who hears that... Kṛṣṇa, understanding that this person is hearing, He cleanses. The chanting process we have many times discussed. It is the cleansing process. And as soon as the heart is cleansed, one can understand Kṛṣṇa immediately.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Madras, February 14, 1972:

Catur varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). So actually classless society means when these brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, they work for Kṛṣṇa. That is classless. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The idea of classless society can be achieved when people become Kṛṣṇa conscious. It is so important movement. Therefore I am speaking that the matter is placed before these Justices. Just try to understand. And for the benefits of the society, for the human society, for the human being, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement must be very seriously taken up by you. That is my point. Kṛṣṇa bhuliya jīva bhoga. Here, either you become this party or that party, the real purpose of forming party is to enjoy, and they bluff the people that "I shall give you this thing, that thing." But actually I want somehow or other the post and I, bhoga vañcha... Either you become communist, socialist or capitalist or this "ist" or that "ist," the real disease is bhoga-vañcha, "How I shall enjoy this world." That is the real disease.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- San Diego, July 1, 1972:

Because the child will get the opportunity for hearing the word "Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa." Everyone has got God-gifted instrument, this ear. And if we give aural reception, we'll learn. There is no need of education, ABCD. No.

So hearing is so important. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's preaching work... Caitanya Mahāprabhu's, this propaganda of saṅkīrtana movement, He has given stress on this hearing process. Sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṅ-manobhiḥ. You can remain in your place. We don't say that you change your place. Whatever you are, you remain. If you are American, you remain American. If you are Hindu, you remain a Hindu. If you are Muslim, you remain Muslim. We don't say that first of all you become a Hindu or this or that. No. We simply request, "Please come here, sit down, and hear." That's all. This is the yoga system. Hearing yoga system. We don't say, press, that "You do this, you do that." We say the regulative principle. When one is seriously becoming our intimate friend or member, then we say that "You have to follow the rules and regulations." That he will agree. If he has actually heard our words, then immediately he will agree. It is not very difficult thing.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- San Diego, July 1, 1972:

So hearing is so important thing. Śravaṇam. Śravaṇam means hearing. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu was talking with Rāmānanda Rāya, the process of self-realization. You will have it. For those who have got Teachings of Lord Caitanya, he'll read it. When Rāmānanda Rāya and Lord Caitanya (were) speaking, so Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu asked Rāmānanda Rāya, "What is the best process for self-realization?" Because life is meant for self-realization. This human life is meant for self-realization. Ātma-tattvam. Otherwise it is animal life. The animals, they are cats and dogs; they are not interested in self-realization. But human life is meant for self-realization. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu questioned Rāmānanda Rāya that "What is the best process of self-realization?" He recommended, first of all, the varṇāśrama-dharma. Ca...

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- San Diego, July 1, 1972:

Then God realization. God says: "You surrender," sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). That process, you'll learn God. Not that "Oh, I shall know God. I have got good intelligence, speculate." No.

So this hearing... We are talking of the hearing. The hearing process is so important. All our, this institute, Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement has spread because the students who have joined us, they have given aural reception, by hearing. The hearing, everything was changed within themselves and they have joined with full, whole-heartedness, and the... Going on. So hearing is so important. We are opening so many centers just to give people chance of hearing about the transcendental message. So you take chance, you take, I mean to say, the advantage of this hearing process. Then?

Lecture on BG 7.4-5 -- Bombay, March 30, 1971:

So as prakṛti, as dependent on Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa the Supreme Puruṣa, if we accept this philosophy, then our life is successful. Otherwise it is simply struggle for existence. Kṛṣṇa personally... Jīva-bhūtāṁ mahā-bāho yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat (BG 7.5). The whole material world is moving due to the jīva-bhūta, the living entities. This Bombay city is so important because there are so many living entities. And if something happens that all the people leave, then the big, big skyscraper will not face even two hundred rupees' rent. It will be all unimportant. Similarly, the whole world, material world, is important because the jīva-bhūta, who has declared himself as bhoktā falsely... Everyone in this material world, beginning from Brahmā down to the insignificant ant, they are struggling hard. That will be explained in the Fifteenth Chapter. Manaḥ ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi prakṛti-sthāni karṣati (BG 15.7). Simply struggling to become equal to Kṛṣṇa, to be the bhoktā. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means to bring men in the same condition, that "You are not bhoktā; bhoktā is Kṛṣṇa, and you become bhogya. You become enjoyed, not the enjoyer. Then you will be happy."

Lecture on BG 7.5 -- Nairobi, November 1, 1975:

Therefore it is called parām, superior energy. This is also energy, but this so-called scientist, they are making material energy and spiritual energy the same. They have no brain to distinguish.

Here we have to understand from Kṛṣṇa; therefore Kṛṣṇa's instruction is so important. If you don't take Kṛṣṇa's instruction, then in spite of our so-called higher advancement of education, we remain simply mūḍha, rascal. Rascal. Mūḍha means rascal. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15). Those who are not aware of the spiritual energy and the material energy, they are called mūḍhas. If you understand what is spiritual energy, then you'll search out that wherefrom these...? Both of... Kṛṣṇa says, "Both of them are coming from Me." But if you understand the superior energy, spiritual energy, then it will be possible to understand what is Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on BG 9.4 -- Calcutta, March 9, 1972:

I shall think of Kṛṣṇa, meditate on Him," that is not possible. Meditation, that is also regu..., requires good qualification. Dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena manasā paśyanti yaṁ yoginaḥ (SB 12.13.1). But Kṛṣṇa, by His kindness, arca-mūrti, a child can see also Kṛṣṇa. Any innocent, any illiterate man can see, any man can see—a brāhmaṇa can see, śūdra can see. Therefore the Deity worship so important.

na ca mat-sthāni bhūtāni

paśya me yogam aiśvaram

bhūta-bhṛn na ca bhūta-stho

mamātmā bhūta-bhāvanaḥ

Mamātmā bhūta-bhāvanaḥ: "Everything is coming from Me; therefore everything is in Me. Still I am not there." This is called acintya-bhedābheda.

Lecture on BG 9.4 -- Melbourne, April 23, 1976:

No, hear means you do it in practical life. Otherwise what is the hearing? Then just like one stone, he has got ear. That is not atten... Hearing means it will react. That is hearing. The more you hear, it will react. Then you practically do it. But everything comes by hearing. So hearing is so important. Just like even in your ordinary education you go to the school, college, and hear from your professor. Hearing is so important. Then you become perfect. You take your degrees. Similarly, the science of God, you simply hear about it. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam. Then, gradually, it will purify. Hearing means purifying the dirty things within the heart. That is hearing. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12). Śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ (SB 1.2.17). Because it is spiritual, hearing has got a potency to purify you. This is not ordinary hearing. This is spiritual hearing, so it has got a potency. Śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ. Anyone who takes part in this process of hearing and chanting, he becomes pious, purified. Just like if you touch some way or other the fire, it will act, similarly, Kṛṣṇa is spiritual. You hear about Kṛṣṇa; then it will act. Then you'll be purified. So any other question?

Lecture on BG 9.15 -- New York, December 1, 1966:

That should be the first step by me(?). And receive knowledge, and try to assimilate it, and try to apply it, apply it with your body, with your mind, with your intelligence. Then the, you'll understand God so nicely that although God is unconquerable, you'll conquer Him. You'll conquer Him, by this simple process. So therefore śravaṇam, hearing, is so important. So in the devotional service the first step is hearing, hearing submissively from the authoritative source and just to assimilate it and grasp it with our body, mind and intelligence. In this way you shall be able to conquer the unconquerable. And when you are able to do such, then you can make kīrtana, kīrtana. That is, that is the... But another process is... Not another process, same process. Whatever you learn, if you describe it, then that will help you to elevate yourself in this path of knowledge. Suppose whatever you are hearing this night in this platform, if you try to repeat it amongst your friends, amongst your family members, then you'll be established in this knowledge. That is called kīrtana.

Lecture on BG 13.4 -- Paris, August 12, 1973:

Therefore, give up doggish mentality. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Train up your mind, God, godly mentality. Then you'll be transferred next life, back to home, back to Godhead. That is required. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is training the people for being promoted to the highest standard of life. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is so important. We are giving chance to the people not to become next life cats and dogs and vultures. But associate of Kṛṣṇa. To become a cowherd boy, to play with Kṛṣṇa, or gopī, to dance with Kṛṣṇa. This much facilities we are going to giving.

So everyone should consider how much welfare movement is this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement and they should follow the instruction of Kṛṣṇa and the ācāryas and make their life successful. Thank you very much.

Lecture on BG 16.7 -- Hyderabad, December 15, 1976:

And muci. Muci means cobbler. There is a class in India, cobbler. Their business is to take away the dead animals, especially cows. Other animals, they do not care. They are taken by the vultures and others. But when a cow is dead, that is very important. Cow is alive important and dead also important. It is so important. When the cow is dead the skin is valuable, the hoof is valuable, the horn is valuable, the bones are valuable. Everything is valuable. Just like elephant. Dead or alive, it is one lakh of rupees. The price is the same. That is the... Because elephant is very costly, everyone knows. You cannot... One lakh of rupees. Unless one is king or a big zamindar he cannot purchase elephant, neither he can keep. And if the elephant is dead, that is also one lakh of rupees because it contains the ivory bones, very, very costly. So there are animals; either dead or alive, the price is the same. Similarly, cow, dead or alive, the price is the same.

Lecture on BG 16.9 -- Hawaii, February 5, 1975:

Therefore Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Lord, comes at times, at interval, when many, many millions of years have turned. He has got a schedule to come upon this planet. And when He comes, He comes there in Vṛndāvana, Mathurā-Vṛndāvana. That is His headquarter within this universe. Therefore Mathurā-Vṛndāvana is so important. (aside:) You can open this. Yes. (window opens) Dhāma. Just like the governor. Governor has got his own house, government house. At the same time, when he goes on tour he has got a particular place called the circuit house. He stays there. Similarly, the whole creation is Kṛṣṇa's property. Kṛṣṇa said,

bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ

sarva-loka-maheśvaram

suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ

jñātvā māṁ śāntim ṛcchati

(BG 5.29)

We are missing that point. Kṛṣṇa said, God said, the clear idea, that "I am the enjoyer, bhoktā." Bhoktā means enjoyer. "I am the enjoyer." Bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasām. Yajña. Yajña means satisfying the Lord. This is called yajña. Just like we are chanting this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. It is yajña, sacrifice. At least we are sacrificing little time. Kali-yuga, nobody is prepared to sacrifice. Especially when there is question of sacrificing for God, nobody's interested.

Lecture on BG 18.41 -- Stockholm, September 7, 1973:

The third-class means kṛṣi-go-rakṣya-vāṇijyaṁ vaiśya-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.44). Third-class means mercantile traders. They should produce food, enough kṛṣi, agricultural products, and go-rakṣya. Now we see instead of go-rakṣya... Go-rakṣya means protection to the cows. Instead of protection to the cows, they are killing the cows. How you can have perfect society? Cows must be protected. It is so important animal. It is giving the you nectarean food milk, and from milk, you can save your children, you can save your diseased persons. And how it is that you take the cow's milk and send it for slaughterhouse. Oh, this is not, not at all human civilization. Here it is said go-rakṣya. You should give all protection to this important animal. Kṛṣṇa does not say that you should protect the pigs and hogs or other animals. He especially meant the cows because cow is very important animal to the human society. If there are meat-eaters, they can kill other animals, but they should not kill the cow. This is, if you want actually perfect society. Kṛṣi-go-rakṣya-vāṇijyam (BG 18.44). And these persons, they let them produce enough food grains, and where there is no, there is scarcity of food grain, let them supply there. That is called trade. Vāṇijyam. Vāṇijyam.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.2.7 -- New Vrindaban, September 5, 1972:

We are sparks. Qualitatively the spark and the fire the same thing. The spark is very minute small and the big fire is very great. But this... You can study, by studying yourself that because I am spirit soul, I have entered into this lump of matter, therefore this body has developed, this body is moving, the body is working, it is so important, Mr. such-and-such professor's body or scientist's body, but as soon as that spiritual spark is over, it is nothing but a lump of matter, you can kick it out. So God is everywhere, simply we have to make our these blunt eyes... Just like education. I am seeing a motor car but a advanced motor engineer, he sees also the car, the difference of seeing. If there is some defect in the car, I cannot do it. But one engineer, one who knows, a mechanic, he knows, immediately touches and the car runs. Similarly, we should know that by education, by culture, by knowledge we can understand God. Not by fictitious, by concoction, "Oh, I accept this God. I accept that God." So that education can be very quickly done. Otherwise it is very difficult to understand God.

There are so many philosophers in the world, so many scientists, they are declining. Because they could not find what is God, they are denying. Just like, my inefficiency of my eyes, I see that beyond this wall I cannot see. I say, "Oh, there is nothing beyond this wall." (indistinct) That is my lack of education.

Lecture on SB 1.2.12 -- Los Angeles, August 15, 1972:

Those who have developed that eagerness, faith, that "I must see Kṛṣṇa in this life..." This life is meant for seeing Kṛṣṇa. It is not meant for becoming dogs and hogs. Unfortunately, the whole civilization is going on, they are being trained to become dogs and hogs. It is the only institution that is teaching people how to see Kṛṣṇa. This is the only institution, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. It is so important. Tac chraddadhānā munayo jñāna-vairāgya-yuktayā (SB 1.2.12). By eagerness, automatically you will be enriched with knowledge and detachment. Knowledge does not mean, "Now we have discovered this atomic bomb." That is not knowledge. What knowledge this is? People are dying. You have discovered something which will accelerate death. But we are giving some knowledge to stop death. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is knowledge. Jñāna-vairāgya-yuktayā. And as soon as you get this knowledge, automatically you become detached to all this nonsense material happiness.

Lecture on SB 1.2.28-29 -- Vrndavana, November 8, 1972:

That is kṣatriya. That is vaiśya, who can give protection to the cows. Kṛṣi-go-rakṣya-vāṇijyaṁ vaiśya-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.44). Everything is there clearly. Where is the culture?

Therefore this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is so important. The leaders of the society, they should take very serious attention how you can improve the social condition of this world. Not only here, everywhere, sir. Simply it is going on in ignorance and illusion, everything. Vague, no clear idea. Here is clear idea: vāsudeva-parā vedāḥ. You are a... Veda, knowledge, you are educating people, but where is your education to teach people about Vāsudeva, about Kṛṣṇa? Bhagavad-gītā is prohibited. Vāsudeva speaking about Himself, but that is prohibited. And if somebody's reading, some rascal is reading, he's making minus Vāsudeva. That's all. Bhagavad-gītā minus Kṛṣṇa. This is going on. Whole nonsense. You cannot expect human civilization in a nonsense society. Here it is the real purpose of human life: vāsudeva-parā vedā vāsudeva-parā makhāḥ, vāsudeva-parā yogāḥ. There are so many yogis. I can clearly say that without Vāsudeva, yoga—simply pressing the nose. That's all. This is not yoga. They say... In Europe and America the yoga principle is very popular because they think by practice of yoga, they'll have very good health and they can use their senses very nicely. That is yoga system.

Lecture on SB 1.2.32 -- Vrndavana, November 11, 1972:

So we have to understand our position. The dirty things should be removed completely, always by hearing kṛṣṇa-kathā. That is the way of understanding. Only way. This Vṛndāvana is so important, valuable. Why? Because anywhere you go in Vṛndāvana, there is the opportunity of hearing kṛṣṇa-kathā. This whole Vṛndāvana is simply cultivation of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Unfortunately, we take to other consciousness here. Therefore we become condemned. In Vṛndāvana, if we take other consciousness, then we become condemned. Condemned means he—still, the opportunity's there—condemned to accept a body other than a human being. But he's helped. Because he's in Vṛndāvana, he's making progress. Even as animal, as hogs and dogs, he's making progress, because he's in Vṛndāvana. So Vṛndāvana is so important, because here anyone can get the opportunity of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Therefore it is so important. Vṛndāvana-dhāma. Dhāma means where Kṛṣṇa resides. That is called dhāma. Vṛndāvana-dhāma. Ārādhyo bhagavān vrajeśa-tanayas tad-dhāma. Dhāma means residence. Tad-dhāma vṛndāvanam. So Vṛndāvana is not polluted. Vṛndāvana is always helping us.

Lecture on SB 1.5.1-4 -- New Vrindaban, May 22, 1969:

So brahma-jijñāsā. This brahma-jijñāsā is answered immediately in the Vedānta-sūtra. What is Brahman or what is the greatest? Say, greatest happiness. Now you have enjoyed material happiness, but you are not satisfied. You are confused. Then you should inquire what is greatest happiness. So these codes are so important thing, Vedānta-sūtra. You can explain "therefore" in so many ways according to your knowledge. But scientifically, this "therefore" means we are trying to find out the original source of everything. We are trying to find out what is the original source of this cosmic manifestation, why we are hankering after happiness, why we are confused. So many things.

Lecture on SB 1.5.17-18 -- New Vrindaban, June 21, 1969:

Similarly, by..., without your endeavor, if you can be put into distressed condition of life, why not, without your endeavor, you may be put in the happy condition of life? So don't try to be elevated in happy condition of life or distressed condition of life. Try for Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then your energy will be properly utilized. This human form of life so important that in this life only we can try to execute Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

In the higher planetary systems... Just like Yamala-Arjuna... That story is narrated in our book, Kṛṣṇa. Yamala-Arjuna, they were two sons, Nalakūvara and Maṇigrīva, two sons of Kuvera. Kuvera is supposed to be the treasurer of the heavenly planets. So very rich man's son. So they were enjoying swimming in a very nice lake in the Śivaloka. That description is there. And with young girls and intoxicated. So they forgot that they were demigods, and they were naked. To become naked is the most uncivilized way. In the Vedic system, to..., nakedness is... Why Vedic system? Suppose if you go naked on the street, immediately you'll be punished. You cannot say that "I have got my independence. I can..." No. Against the etiquette.

Lecture on SB 1.5.23 -- Vrndavana, August 4, 1974:

They remain within the palace. So the point is that Nārada Muni in his previous life was not very recognized family, neither brāhmaṇa nor nothing of the sort. Still, he became next life the Nārada Muni. And what is the cause? What... The cause is, nirūpito bālaka eva yoginām: "I was appointed a boy servant of the devotees." The importance is that devotee is so important that if anyone renders a little service, then he becomes elevated to the spiritual life. What bālaka... Bālaka means there was a boy. "You, boy, bring me this," or "Do this. Just wash my cloth," or "Just set up my bedding." Like that. This much servant. Or "Wash this dish." So the devotional service is so powerful, by doing this... This will be described later on, that simply by doing this little service to the yoginām, he was so blessed that next life he became Nārada. This point is very important point. That is being explained.

Lecture on SB 1.7.19 -- Vrndavana, September 16, 1976:

I touch you, you touch me. I taste something... This is gross. Above this gross there is mental platform. So mantra is also on the mental, little above, intelligence. And above that there is spiritual platform. So if on the material platform, mental platform, the mantra can act so wonderfully, how much spiritually the mantra can benefit you. You have to simply imagine. So this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra is completely spiritual. If you chant it, spiritually enlightened, then surely it will act. Paraṁ vijayate śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtanam. It will act. Therefore chanting is so important.

Chanting is not... Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura said this sound vibration is not this material sound. Kṛṣṇa is not material sound. It is Kṛṣṇa, spiritual. Abhinnatvān nāma-nāminoḥ. There is no difference between Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and His holy name, Kṛṣṇa. There is no difference.

Lecture on SB 1.7.26 -- Vrndavana, September 2, 1976:

Otherwise, in the land everything is there. It is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, sarva-dughā mahī. Sarva-dughā. No. Sarva-kāma-dughā mahī. Kāma, kāma means the necessities. We can get all the necessities of our life from the land. The land is so important. But the uncivilized man, they do not know how to utilize the land. Therefore they commit sinful activities for their existence. Instead of utilizing land for the necessities of life, unnecessarily... Although they are civilized—they should not have done so—they are killing animals.

The animal killing is for the uncivilized man, one who cannot get the necessities of life by intelligence. Just like modern civilized man, they are getting, suppose, so many machines, say, motorcar, a very useful vehicle. But wherefrom it is obtained? From the land. What is the motorcar ingredients? It is a combination of matter: earth, water, air, fire. You get iron, put into the fire and melt it, and then get the wheel. Similarly so many things. Tejo-vāri-mṛdāṁ vinimayaḥ. Material civilization means tejo-vāri-mṛdāṁ vinimayaḥ—exchange of fire, water, and earth—that's all. It is just like you see nice doll. What is this nice doll? Tejo-vāri-mṛdāṁ vinimayaḥ.

Lecture on SB 1.8.22 -- Los Angeles, April 14, 1973:

Lord's feet, there are flags, lotus flowers, chariot. These are the symbolic representations. God is person, but His personality is distinct from our personality. So these specific marks are there on His lotus feet. And paṅkaja-nābhāya, another meaning, paṅkaja-nābhāya means originally a lotus stem came out from the navel of Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, and Brahmā was born in that lotus flower, the origin of creation. So Kṛṣṇa's all parts of the body, as reference to the paṅkaja. Paṅkaja means lotus flower. Paṅka means mud, and ja means generate. Paṅkaja, the lotus flower, is so important. Still, it is generated from mud. So Kṛṣṇa likes paṅkaja very much, lotus flower. So if we see lotus flower, we can immediately remember Kṛṣṇa. If... Just like if you love your child, if you see any garment, a small ship, shoes or any play things, immediately you remember your child: "Oh, this is my child's shoes. This is my child's playing things. This is my garment." So it is the custom of love.

Lecture on SB 1.8.28 -- Mayapura, October 8, 1974:

So if everyone is God conscious, that "God is everywhere," then how he can act sinfully? It is not possible. If he is God conscious, if he knows that "God is everywhere, and He will see if I do something sinful by bluffing others..."

Therefore God consciousness is so important. If Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is spread and if it is taken by all people, then so many things will be automatically reformed. There will be no need of police. There will be no need of C.I.D. Because if one is God conscious, he'll not do anything wrong. But because people are not God conscious, they are doing so many wrong things that is has been almost impossible to govern the people. Therefore Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is very essential to understand this fact, that samaṁ carantaṁ sarvatra bhūtānāṁ yan mithaḥ kaliḥ (SB 1.8.28). We have created so many religious system, so many religious system. And the Hindu is fighting with the Muslim, Muslim is fighting with the Hindu, that "My religion is better than your religion." Or any other, other countries also, the Jews fighting with the Christian; Christian, Jews; and the black fighting with the white; white fighting with the black. This Kali, that is the result of this material existence.

Lecture on SB 1.8.29 -- Mayapura, October 9, 1974:

And what will be difficulty? He's Kṛṣṇa Himself, Nārāyaṇa Himself. And there was Lakṣmī. But still, to show the example personally, āpani ācari prabhu jīvere śikhāya, He left home, He took sannyāsa, and He preached.

So preaching is so important. And Kṛṣṇa also says that,

ya idaṁ paramaṁ guhyaṁ

mad-bhakteṣv abhidhāsyati

(Bg 18.68)

na ca tasmān manuṣyeṣu

kaścin me priya-kṛttamaḥ

(BG 18.69)

So Kṛṣṇa also, He was playing the part of ordinary human being, but He was, in His own life, He was demonstrating how Kṛṣṇa comes here, what for He comes, why He took part in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra. These things are to be understood. Unless we understand these things, why Kṛṣṇa came, why He took part in the battlefield—and there are so many other things ordinarily done—then, if we simply take Kṛṣṇa as ordinary human being... Mūḍha, avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam.. (BG 9.11).. Because He's playing the part of human being, if somebody derides, mūḍha, then it is viḍambanam-he'll be cheated. That is explained here: tavehamānasya nṛṇāṁ viḍambanam. Viḍambana.

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

That means Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya comes on the level of His father. So he asked that: "You are a boy, twenty-four years old only. You have taken sannyāsa. It is very difficult to keep sannyāsa because there are so many attractions for the young man. So you hear Vedānta-sūtra." This, the hearing. So hearing. So hearing's so important. Even amongst the Māyāvādī school, they hear Vedānta-sūtra. We also hear, but we hear, hear real Vedānta-sūtra. Because they falsely interpret, their hearing is spoiled, but we don't interpret. We hear actually. Kṛṣṇa says that "I am the Supreme." We accept it. That is hearing. And if you interpret, "Oh, Kṛṣṇa means this, Kurukṣetra means this," that mean you're spoiling your time. Why this, that? As it is, hear as it is. Then the...

Lecture on SB 1.8.43 -- Los Angeles, May 5, 1973:

Because those who are meat eaters, those who are meat eaters, they have been recommended to eat the flesh of goats or other lower animals—sometimes dogs also, they eat, or the hogs—you can eat. But never the flesh of cows. So, innocent animal, the most important animal, giving service even after death... While living, giving service, so important service, giving you milk, even after death she is giving service by supplying the skin, the hoof, the horn. You utilize in so many ways. But still, the present human society is so ungrateful and rascal that they are killing cows. So Kṛṣṇa comes to punish them, these rascals. Therefore it is said that go-dvija-surārti-hara. Kṛṣṇa comes to... Therefore we worship Kṛṣṇa, namo brahmaṇya-devāya go-brāhmaṇa-hitāya ca. Brāhmaṇa.

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

Cats and dogs, they are not debtor to anyone because they have no sense, nonsense. So first of all we become debtor to the demigods—the sun, moon, the Indra, Candra and many others. So how we become debtor? Because the sun is giving sunshine. We are taking advantage of the sunshine. Unless there was sunshine, you could not live even. Sunshine is so important. It is said that little this side or that side of the orbit of the sun makes the whole world frozen or blazing. Sun is so important thing. It has got an orbit. Yasyājñayā bhramati sambhṛta-kāla-cakro govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi. Sun is very powerful planet, very important planet, of all the other planets. Rājā, it is the king of planets. Yac-cakṣur eṣa savitā sakala-grahāṇāṁ rājā: the sun is the king of all planets. Because without sun all planets will be frozen, or if the sun becomes too much bright, then everything will be ablaze. At the last stage of annihilation the whole universe will be ablaze by the scorching heat of the sun, and then there will be torrents of rain. For one hundred years the whole universe will remain ablaze. And then for one hundred years there will be heavy rain. In this way the creation will be annihilated.

Lecture on SB 1.10.5 -- London, August 28, 1973:

You keep yourself in your position. Simply go there. Where these things are discussed authoritatively, you hear. Śruti-gatām. Śruti-gatām. Śruti means the ear. You just give the aural reception of the words of realized soul. San-mukharitāṁ bhavadīya-vārtāṁ sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatām. You can keep yourself... It doesn't require that you have to change your position. Simply you have to hear from the right source.

Then what will be the result? The result is by hearing, hearing, hearing, one day you'll be able to conquer over the unconquerable, Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is unconquerable. Nobody can conquer Him. But you hear, you'll be able to conquer Him, simply by hearing about Him. Therefore this hearing process is so important from the right source. Read.

Lecture on SB 1.15.34 -- Los Angeles, December 12, 1973:

That is practical, medical science. If you eat the remnants of foodstuff of a tuberculosis patient, then you are attacked with tuberculosis. Or cholera patient.

So there are so many diseases. Therefore eating is so important thing. And the germs, they come out from the mouth very easily. Very easily. Formerly there was politics. They were called viṣa-kanyā, "poison girl." The politicians used to keep. I do not know whether nowadays the politicians keep. But we find from Vedic literature, viṣa-kanyā. Viṣa-kanyā means a girl, from the childhood, is injected poison, little by little, little, little, little, little. So when she is grown up, she, whole body is poisonous. So the politician used to engage such girl to kill his opponent politician. Very nice, beautiful girl, and (s)he will go, and as soon as the kissing will be there, he will die. Just like poisonous. Yes, it is fact. It is not story. I read in medical journal. There was one... Not medical journal. In logic class. It is called some "Typhoid Mary." "Typhoid Mary." A girl whose name was Mary, wherever she would go, all the people associating with her will be attacked with typhoid. Then the medical board examined her blood, that she is full of typhoid germs. So therefore wherever she goes, people become infected. These are medical facts.

Lecture on SB 1.15.34 -- Los Angeles, December 12, 1973:

So therefore association is so important. Saṅgāt sañjāyate kāmaḥ. According to association we infect different qualities. That they do not know. But nature's law is so particular, as soon as you infect by association a particular type of quality, you have to suffer for that. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He was asked by one devotee, gṛhastha devotee, householder, "Sir, what is the duty of a gṛhastha devotee, Vaiṣṇava?" Devotee means Vaiṣṇava. So He immediately informed him, asat-saṅga-tyāga ei vaiṣṇava-ācāra: (CC Madhya 22.87) "A Vaiṣṇava's behavior should be that he should give up the company of asat, nondevotee." That is his first business. He should give up the company of nondevotee. This is first business. Because he will be infected. Therefore we insist our students that "Don't go out." Even you are discomfortable, you should tolerate, but you should not go out of the society. Then you will surely fall down, surely fall down. So if there is inconvenience, little... That is advised in Bhagavad-gītā, mātrā-sparśās tu kaunteya śītoṣṇa-sukha-duḥkha-dāḥ (BG 2.14). These, just like extreme cold or extreme heat, they are troublesome to the body, mātrā-sparśāḥ. On account of this material body, we feel extreme cold, extreme heat. But Kṛṣṇa says, "They come and go." It is not that winter season will remain forever or the summer season also remain. They will come and go.

Lecture on SB 1.16.7 -- Los Angeles, January 4, 1974:

That is Kṛṣṇa absolutism. Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's form here, they are not different. Kṛṣṇa's form can give you the same result as He can do being personally present. That is Kṛṣṇa's absolutism. So nāmnām akāri bahudhā nija-sarva-śaktiḥ. So in the name of Kṛṣṇa, there is complete potency, as it is in Kṛṣṇa personally. Therefore it is so important. In this age, we are so fallen. It is not possible to understand Kṛṣṇa as He is. But if we associate with Kṛṣṇa's name, then that is also association with Kṛṣṇa. This is the advantage. Nāmnām akāri. So as you associate with Kṛṣṇa in His sound form, so you become purified. Śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ (SB 1.2.17). This is the advantage.

So everyone's duty is to stop this birth and death problem by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. That is the only duty. And this should be taught from the very beginning of life. Just like these pious children, those who are dancing here, taking part in this meeting. You see? And one side you can see that this is the only path of Kṛṣṇa realization that even a child can take part in it. He has no education, he has no knowledge, but the method is so nice that they can also take part. They can enjoy with their father and mother. There is no other yoga system...

Lecture on SB 1.16.19 -- Hawaii, January 15, 1974:

So in this movement, our one program is to respect the cows. We chant this mantra, namo brahmaṇya-devāya go-brāhmaṇa-hitāya ca. The brahminical culture and the cows... Why they have selected the cows? There are so many animals. Why cow protection is so important in Kṛṣṇa consciousness? Why Kṛṣṇa personally Himself became a cowherd boy and was taking the care of the cows and the calves? Oh, that is very essential.

And here also, we see that the Dharmarāja is inquiring about the comforts of the cow. Amba, kaccid bhadre, what is, anāmayam ātmanas te. Āmayam means disease. So "Whether you are quite comfortable by your health?" This is very essential to keep cows very comfortably. If they feel comfortable, then you get the most nourishing food, milk. We are practically seeing in our New Vrindaban center, because the cow are feeling secure in our custody, they're delivering milk up to the eighty pounds daily. You'll be surprised. So if you get milk products, milk, then you can prepare so many preparations full of vitamins, which will nourish your brain. Dull brain cannot understand what is spiritual knowledge. Therefore, that Mr. Bernard Shaw, he wrote a book. Perhaps you know it. You Are What You Eat. If you keep your brain dull, then how you can understand? Because without becoming very intelligent man, one cannot understand Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Lecture on SB 1.16.24 -- Los Angeles, July 14, 1974:

It is very clear. We have forgotten that this petrol belongs to Kṛṣṇa. Then it is all right. This land belongs to Kṛṣṇa. But the Arabians are thinking, "This land belongs to us." Therefore there is difficulty.

So the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is so important. If people simply learn this, that everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa... Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (ISO 1). Sarvam means "everything." Not that "This much is mine, this much is Kṛṣṇa's." No. Sarvam. Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvaṁ yat kiñca jagatyāṁ jagat, tena tyaktena bhuñjīthāḥ... Simply we shall use as much He has allotted for us. Then there is peace and prosperity, without any difficulty. Otherwise, you go on adjusting your material possessions; the time will take away everything. When you die by the..., in due course of time, then whatever possession we have got, all finished. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, mṛtyuḥ sarva-haraś ca aham: "I am death." Kṛṣṇa is everything. So death is also Kṛṣṇa. Just like here is a picture of Hiraṇyakaśipu. Such a great demon, so proud. He was thinking that "I am the proprietor of everything." He was chastising his son, doing everything, whatever he liked. But when Nṛsiṁha-deva came, within a second, everything finished. Everything finished. But Prahlāda remained the same.

Lecture on SB 1.16.25 -- Hawaii, January 21, 1974:

These are the qualifications. Not like animallike jumping all day and night. Here in Hawaii we see that children, children and elderly persons also, the whole day and night, simply jumping in the sea. Someone is swimming, somebody is doing something else, somebody is swimming. How they're wasting time. But they have taken, "This is civilization. This is civilization." Human life is so important. So many things are to be learned, neither in the school, college, educational institution, society, nothing of the sort. Just like a dog is also jumping, a man is also jumping. This is going on. But that is not civilization. Real civilization means these things are to be acquired in real life, personal life, then that is civilization. Now, these are mentioned one after another. Read.

Lecture on SB 1.16.25 -- Hawaii, January 21, 1974:

So you can realize. There was soul so he was living. Now the soul is not there, he's dead. Is there any difficulty? What is the difficulty? Why this man is dead? They may explain, these rascals, in so many ways, but actual, any simple man can understand that there was something, either you call it soul or something else, that is now missing. That soul has now gone. So one minute before, the body was so important, and now, after one minute, the passing of the soul, it is useless. Throw it away. Is it very difficult to understand? That is realization. If you don't realize... Just like a man, sleeping, but he is not sleeping. He's awakened. But a man is calling, "Mr. such-and-such, wake up, wake up." But he's as if sleeping. So people who do not want to realize, there is no realization. Otherwise, it is very simple, very simple. One minute, one can understand, there was something. And then you come to the guru, and guru teaches śāstra. From śāstra, immediately you can confirm. If you are puzzled that what is that thing that is missing so that this living body is now dead body...

Lecture on SB 2.1.1 -- Vrndavana, March 16, 1974:

His seven days was sufficient nityam. So we should not imitate that, that "I'll hear seven days." That is also a formality. Actually to understand one verse of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it requires at least seven months. Janmādy asya yataḥ anvayād itarataś ca artheṣu abhijñaḥ sva-rāṭ (SB 1.1.1). My Guru Mahārāja explained this verse in Dacca for three months. Janmādy asya. Actually, it is so important. The beginning.

So we must be very serious to understand Bhāgavatam. If we can understand even one line, one verse, our life becomes sublime. It is so nice. There is no comparison of this literature, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. That we are actually finding in the Western countries, how nicely they are receiving these granthas. We have translated into English, and they're enjoying. Actually that is the fact. Nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā (SB 1.2.18). Now, our problem, what is this problem? Problem is that we have got so many dirty things within the heart. The first dirty thing is that "I am this body." "I am Indian," "I am Englishman," "I am American," "I am brāhmaṇa," "I am kṣatriya," "I am śūdra," "I am fat," "I am thin," "I am black and white..." These conceptions, these are all dirty things. "I am not this body," that is real knowledge. Therefore Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12), to cleanse the dirty things from the heart, that is my first business.

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

"O my dear king, you are very fortunate. Your question about Kṛṣṇa is welcome." Varīyān. Varīyān eṣa te praśnaḥ: "You are inquiring about Kṛṣṇa. So this very question is very important." Varīyān eṣa te praśnaḥ kṛto loka-hitaṁ nṛpa: (SB 2.1.1) "And this is not good for you only; it is good for all the human society because you have questioned and I shall reply." So Kṛṣṇa questions and answers are so important that in future these questions and answers will be discussed in the human society. Actually it is being done so now. We are discussing the same incidents. And he said, ātmavit-sammataḥ puṁsām: "And this question is so authorized that ātmavit, those who are interested in self-realization, they have got their approval, 'Yes. This is nice question.' " Ātmavit-sammataḥ. Sammata means approved. It is not bogus question. It is approved. This sort of question should be inquired, Kṛṣṇa, about Kṛṣṇa. And if you speak about Kṛṣṇa... The whole world is full with questions and answers, so these questions and answers are approved by ātmavit, those who are self-realized, not bodily realized, ātmavit. There are two classes of men. Ninety-nine point nine percent, they are bodily realized men, always thinking of the body. And just there is another class; they are called ātmavit, self-realized, Kṛṣṇa conscious persons.

Lecture on SB 2.1.1-5 -- Melbourne, June 26, 1974:

"My dear king, your inquiry is very glorified," varīyān eṣa te praśnaḥ kṛto loka-hitam (SB 2.1.1), "because on account of this question, whatever I shall reply..." Means he knew. The reply is this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Question was about Kṛṣṇa, and the reply is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, eighteen thousand verses. And each and every verse is so important that if a serious student studies each and every verse, each verse will take at least one month to understand. And there are eighteen thousand verses. So for serious study of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, it will take eighteen thousand months. So eighteen thousand months meaning how many years? One thousand five hundred years. (laughter) It is such an important book, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Each verse is a new verse, not repetition of the same subject. And it is deeply thoughtful. And every verse is, as it is stated here, ātmavit-sammataḥ, approved by persons who are self-realized. Ātmavit. Ātmavit. Ātmā means self, and vit means one who knows, well aware of self-realization. They are called ātmavit.

Lecture on SB 2.1.2 -- Mombassa, September 13, 1971:

This is called śastra. So what is the opportunity of understanding the self? The whole night is engaged either in sleeping or in sex life, and the whole day every day you have to get money in order to purchase things, that's all. Finished, day and night. But after all, this human form of life, so important, I have to know myself but I do not get my time. They do not get time. If this meeting would have been a political leader's meeting giving all kinds of false hope, millions of billions of people would have come. But because it is a meeting for understanding ātma-tattva, self-realization, nobody is here, interested. This is our position. So our this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is being pushed in unfavorable circumstance. Nobody is (indistinct) unless he is very, very intelligent man. We cannot get immediately members of the society like the political parties get or the (indistinct) parties they get. We have to canvass from door to door, "My dear sir, why you are forgetting yourself? Kindly try to understand. Here is a book, Bhagavad-gītā, try to understand. Here is book, Teachings of Lord Caitanya." So our task is very strenuous. Sometimes they become angry, dissatisfied, "Why you are bothering me?" But we have to do it because we have dedicated our life to Kṛṣṇa. Therefore, we have to do it. Kṛṣṇa comes to do this business Himself.

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

I do not wish to die. Although I know I must have to die. Still, why do I go away? I know that... "Oh, let there be fire. I have to die today or tomorrow. Let me die." No. I do not wish to die. Therefore I go away. This is psychology. So everyone wants to live forever. That's a fact. So if you want to live forever, then you have to take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is so important and nice. Everyone wants to live. So actually, if you want to live, then you take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This verse confirms it. Āyur harati vai puṁsām udyann astaṁ ca yann asau. The sun is rising early in the morning. As it is rising, gradually it is taking your life.

That's all. That is the business. But if you want to defeat the sun... Sun is very powerful. It is very difficult to fight. But you can fight with the sun. How? Simply by reading kṛṣṇa-kathā, the words of Kṛṣṇa. Uttama-śloka-vārtayā. Vārtayā. Uttama-śloka, Kṛṣṇa. So this is the simple process. You don't waste your time by talking nonsense. Therefore Rūpa Gosvāmī has advised, atyāhāraḥ prayāsaś ca prajalpo niyamāgrahaḥ. Prajalpaḥ.

Lecture on SB 2.3.19 -- Los Angeles, June 14, 1972:

No. He is teaching us. Even the urine in cow is valuable. Stool of cow is valuable. Kṛṣṇa in His..., while He is crawling on the yard, He captures the tail of a calf and he drags him, and he is smeared with all stools and urine of the cows. Kṛṣṇa enjoys. He is showing that even the stool and urine of cow is valuable, what to speak of its milk. Cow is so important.

Personally, the Supreme Personality of Godhead is teaching us. And He is ordering in the Bhagavad-gītā, patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati (BG 9.26). He is mentioning especially vegetables, grains, fruits. But not that everyone can offer Kṛṣṇa all these things. No. He says yo me bhaktyā prayacchati. He does not accept anything from the hands of a nondevotee. Therefore the non-initiated student cannot offer Him. He doesn't accept. He says especially yo me bhaktyā prayacchati. He must be devotee. He is not hungry that He has come to your temple to eat. No. He is giving food to all the living entities. Eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. That one Kṛṣṇa is giving all the necessities of life to all the living entities. So what we can offer? We cannot offer anything. Everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 2.4.2 -- Los Angeles, June 26, 1972:

This is the civilization. Because there will be no more sense. They give importance to the senses, that this is an opportunity of sense gratification. But they do not inquire wherefrom this sense came, and it is so important, and we are taking, giving so many importance to the sense enjoyment program. That they do not know. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). Neither do they know what is living entity, what are the senses, what is the goal of life. Durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ. They are simply making plans for driving car and flyways and so on. Plan is going on, one after another, one after another. But the problems are increasing. Therefore, Parīkṣit Mahārāja's example is very nice. As soon as he understood from his spiritual master that "Kṛṣṇa is the goal of life" and he became Kṛṣṇa conscious, he immediately, oh, the mamatāṁ jahau, virūḍhāṁ mamatāṁ jahau. This is required. Read the purport.

Lecture on SB 2.9.1 -- Tokyo, April 20, 1972:

So we have to give up this nonsense thinking. Then we are liberated. There is no... Is there any difficulty to understand? Just see how important this verse. It is already there, but you are not reading. Each verse, read every day carefully. Try to assimilate, understand, and you will get more profit, every day, hundred yards forward, hundred yards forward, yes. They are so important verses. How nicely composed by Vyāsadeva. In two lines the whole thing is explained. This is called śāstra. In two lines. Then read the purport.

Lecture on SB 3.25.25 -- Bombay, November 25, 1974:

It is not difficult. Everyone can practice it, so easy thing. Everyone can practice it. Everyone drinks water, and the rasa, the taste, the nice taste, when you are thirsty, how it is palatable by drinking water. Without water, sometimes we die, and by getting little sip of water, we live. Water is so important. So water, we drink everyone, and there is rasa, that taste. That taste, if we simply think, "Here is Kṛṣṇa," very easy thing... Raso 'ham apsu kaunteya prabhāsmi śaśi-sūryayoḥ (BG 7.8). As soon as you see the sunlight in the morning, you can think. Kṛṣṇa says. Why do you say, "Can you show me God?" God is showing you Himself. Why don't you see it? If you close your eyes, how you can see God? He says, "I am this." According to our position...

Lecture on SB 3.26.10 -- Bombay, December 22, 1974:

"When I appear..." There is time. In one day of Brahmā, Kṛṣṇa appears. Everything is there in the śāstra. That means some millions of years after, once Kṛṣṇa comes within this universe. And when He comes, He comes on this planet and in Vṛndāvana. Therefore Vṛndāvana is so important. This Vṛndāvana is replica of the original Vṛndāvana. There is Kṛṣṇa's place.

goloka-nāmni nija-dhāmni tale ca tasya

devī-maheśa-hari-dhāmasu teṣu teṣu

te te prabhāva-nicayā vihitāś ca yena

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

(Bs. 5.43)

There is the topmost planet in the spiritual world which is called Goloka Vṛndāvana. So below the Goloka Vṛndāvana... Goloka-nāmni nija-dhāmni tale ca tasya (Bs. 5.43). Everything is below the Goloka Vṛndāvana planet. And all of them are called devī-maheśa-hari-dhāmasu teṣu teṣu (Bs. 5.43). Devī-dhāma, the devī-dhāma means this material world. This is controlled by Devī, Durgā.

Lecture on SB 3.26.18 -- Bombay, December 27, 1974:

If people are simply induced to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra... Just see. Even a child, he is taking part. It is natural. There is no distinction between black and white, no question of language, nothing. You see practically. There is white child, black child. They do not know how to speak, but they are dancing and chanting. So this movement is so important. Somehow or other if you can engage them in chanting and dancing, the whole world will be united. What the United Nations has failed, this movement can do—if it is not checked by the rascals. But the rascals are ready to check this movement. That is the difficulty. Otherwise, God, Kṛṣṇa, is always ready to help us. How? Here it is said, antaḥ puruṣa-rūpeṇa kāla-rūpeṇa yo bahiḥ. He is inside and outside. Antaḥ, antaryāmī. Caitya-guru. He is acting as caitya-guru.

Lecture on SB 3.26.31 -- Bombay, January 8, 1975:

There was no response, because they are habituated with this hellish life. (laughing) So the description of hell did not appeal. Then the priest was intelligent, said, "You know, there is no newspaper." Then they said, "Oh, horrible!" (laughter) "It is horrible."

So that newspaper is so important in the Western countries. Even the miners and the most fallen people, they also read newspaper. And these boys and girls who you are seeing, not only here, there also, they don't care any more for any newspaper, any magazine, except Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. This is a fact. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayor vacāṁsi vaikuṇṭha-guṇānuvarṇane (SB 9.4.18).

So this is... If we simply do these things, that vacāṁsi vaikuṇṭha-guṇānuvarṇane, this Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, description of Vaikuṇṭha, the transcendental life where there is no anxiety... That is Vaikuṇṭha. So Vaikuṇṭha... God's name is also Vaikuṇṭha. In southern India they say, Veṅkateśvara.

Lecture on SB 3.26.41 -- Bombay, January 16, 1975:

This is really, really human civilization, from the very beginning of life. Because if we want, we can learn like cats and dog, jumping and eating and sleeping and mating. No. That is not the business of the human life.

Prahlāda Mahārāja therefore says, kaumāra ācaret prājño dharmān bhāgavatān iha (SB 7.6.1). "Why? Why bhāgavata-dharma so important that I have to learn from the beginning of my life?" Now, durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma tad apy adhruvam arthadam: "This human life is very rarely obtained, durlabham." Dur means "very difficult." After many, many births, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante (BG 7.19), this human form, after evolution, we have got. Durlabham, with great difficulty we have got it. That, why it is important? Now it is arthadam. Arthadam. Artha means meaningful or riches or something wealth. Arthadam, you can achieve arthadam. So that arthadam, although adhruvam... You can say, "What is the difference between human life and dog's life?

Lecture on SB 3.26.47 -- Bombay, January 22, 1975:

That sound vibration is Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra. If you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, by chanting this transcendental, eternal sound, you can approach. Just like by telephone... That is also sound: "Kring, kring, kring." Immediately you in touch with your friend thousands and thousands miles away. So sound is so important thing. So by spiritual sound, you can become immediately in touch with the spiritual world, and gradually you become in touch with the Supreme Lord. Kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya (SB 12.3.51).

Kṛṣṇa has got so many expansions. Rāmādi-mūrtiṣu kalā-niyamena tiṣṭhan (Bs. 5.39). Rāma, Nṛsiṁha, Varāha, Kūrma, Vāmana, so many, hundreds of thousands. But Kṛṣṇa is the...

rāmādi-mūrtiṣu kalā-niyamena tiṣṭhan

nānāvatāram akarod bhuvaneṣu kintu

kṛṣṇaḥ svayaṁ samabhavat paramaḥ pumān yo

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

(Bs. 5.39)

The original person, the Supreme Lord-kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28)—He also comes. Rāmādi-mūrtiṣu, Rāma, Nṛsiṁha, Varāha, that is Kṛṣṇa's expansion, incarnation. They also come, and Kṛṣṇa also come. Kṛṣṇaḥ svayaṁ samabhavat paramaḥ pumān yaḥ. He is the Supreme Person, pumān. Pumān means the puruṣa, the enjoyer, the proprietor. That is Kṛṣṇa. So immediately you can be in touch with Kṛṣṇa by vibrating this sound, Hare Kṛṣṇa. It is so potent.

Lecture on SB 3.28.17 -- Nairobi, October 26, 1975:

Here is a practical example. How it has become possible that the white Americans, Europeans, and other colors and the black African, they have forgotten everything? When they chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and dance, do they remember that "I am African," "I am American," "I am Indian"? No. Brahma-bhūtaḥ. (devotee laughs) (aside:) Why you are laughing? It is so important thing.

So this is brahma-bhūtaḥ stage.

brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā

na śocati na kāṅkṣati

samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu

mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām

(BG 18.54)

This is brahma-bhūtaḥ stage, practical, not that "I am Brahman. I am the same God." These rascals have spoiled the whole thing. Here is brahma-bhūtaḥ stage, when you forget your material identification and you become one in connection with Kṛṣṇa, that "We are all devotees, servants of Kṛṣṇa. Let us enjoy, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and dance." This is brahma-bhūtaḥ stage, not that artificially smoking cigarette and he has become brahma-bhūtaḥ. He is cigarette-bhutaḥ. Bhuta and cigarette smoker. How he is brahma-bhūtaḥ? These rascals say like that, table talks, "I am Brahman." Brahman. Doing all nonsense and he has become Brahman.

Lecture on SB 5.5.3 -- Stockholm, September 9, 1973:

Take that philosophy. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9). If one becomes Kṛṣṇa conscious, then after leaving this body, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti, punar janma naiti, no more birth in this material world. Then were does he go? So? Finished? No: mām eti, "He comes to Me." So Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is so important. Just try to understand. Don't waste your time. Finish your business of Kṛṣṇa consciousness perfectly. Whatever little duration of life you have got... That is stated here: nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma yad indriya-prītaya āpṛṇoti na sādhu manye (SB 5.5.4). In this way, to waste time, is not at all good. Na sādhu manye. Why it is not good? Yata ātmano 'yam asann api kleśada āsa dehaḥ: Because we have got this miserable condition of life, this body... This is due to our past action. Now if you create again the same action, then you'll have to accept another body. Then your, this miserable condition of life will continue. Will continue. Just finish it.

Lecture on SB 6.1.3 -- Melbourne, May 22, 1975:

"After seven days, I will be killed," can you do the work very nicely? No. Similarly, the cows know in the Western countries that "These people giving me very nice grains and grass, but after all, they will kill me." So they are not happy. But if they are assured that "You'll not be killed," then they will give double milk, double milk. That is stated in the śāstra. During Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira's time, the cows milk bag was so filled up that in the pasturing ground they were dropping, and the whole pasturing ground became moist, muddy with milk. The land used to be muddy with milk, not with water. That was the position. Therefore cow is so important that we can get nice food, the milk. Milk is required every morning. But what is this justice, that after taking milk from the animal and kill it? Is that very good justice? So it is very, very sinful, and we have to suffer for that. And they are stated in the śāstras that "If you do this sinful act, you will go to this kind of hell." There are description in the Fifth Canto.

Lecture on SB 6.1.15 -- Nellore, January 8, 1976:

He simply follows the previous mahājana. He said, jñāne prayāsam udapāsya. One should not try to speculate to understand the Supreme Truth. So we should give up this habit of speculating to understand God. One should become submissive, jñāne prayāsam udapāsya namanta eva, that very submissive to hear from the right person. So hearing is so important. Therefore our all Vedic literature is called śruti. So the subject matter which is beyond our sense perception, avāṅ-manasā gocaraḥ, that cannot be understood by using our imperfect senses. Now the question is: from whom to hear? So in the śāstra it is said, san-mukharitām: "You have to hear from realized saintly person." It is said in the Bhagavad-gītā,

tad viddhi praṇipātena

paripraśnena sevayā

upadekṣyanti tad jñānaṁ

jñāninas tattva-darśinaḥ

(BG 4.34)

You have to hear from a person who has seen or who has understood the Absolute Truth and who is tat, sad-guru. He must be a devotee of the Lord.

Lecture on SB 6.1.21 -- Honolulu, May 21, 1976:

The proof is that the child born simply can live on milk. That is the proof. So anyone can live only on milk. If you have got the opportunity to drink one pound milk maximum, not very much—half-pound is sufficient; suppose one pound—then you don't require any other foodstuff. Only this cow's milk will help you. It is so nice. And it gives very nice brain, not pig's brain. So it is so important thing. Other..., why Kṛṣṇa says go-rakṣya? He did not say that "pig-rakṣya." No. "Dog-rakṣya." No. Now they are interested in dog-rakṣya instead of cow-rakṣya. This is the civilization. They'll spend millions of dollars for dog, not for cow.

So this kind of civilization will not bring any peace and prosperity. You have to take Kṛṣṇa's civilization if you want actually... That is human civilization. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā:

Lecture on SB 6.1.33 -- Honolulu, June 1, 1976:

Everything enjoyment. You find Kṛṣṇa always, wherever He is, He is playing on flute with company, either gopīs or cowherd boy or somebody, somebody. This is enjoyment. And He comes personally on this planet to show His enjoyment life in Vṛndāvana—that place is Vṛndāvana; therefore Vṛndāvana is so important—to invite us that "Why you are not in here? Come with Me. Enjoy with My dance." Similarly, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu also you see dancing. Śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu-nityananda śrī-advaita-gadādhara śrīvāsādi... All dancing. Saṅgo-paṅgāstra-pārṣada. So the life is this enjoyment, dancing. That is life, not meditation, "For fifteen minutes' meditation I become God. That's all." (laughter) These are all rascals. Enjoyment is real life. Enjoyment. That enjoyment, not this material world, the sex. No. Above this. Transcendental. That we find information in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Lecture on SB 6.1.50 -- Detroit, June 16, 1976:

Why, what was the necessity to come in the Western country? No. Kṛṣṇa wants, Caitanya Mahāprabhu wants. Therefore devotee goes from town to town, village to village. Pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi-grāma. (CB Antya-khaṇḍa 4.126) This is Vaiṣṇava. He is thinking for everyone. Because it is a fact, without Kṛṣṇa consciousness, everyone is suffering. That's a fact. So therefore preaching is so important—to awaken them. Jīva jago, jīva jago, gauracand... This is Gauracand, Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission, to awaken everyone from this material entanglement. That is preaching.

Actually, they are suffering. Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). We are getting these elements according to the circumstances, according to the body. The same encagement, but quality. A dog has got body, I have got body. The body is made of the same ingredients, but according to the body or quality of the body, the thinking, feeling, willing and activities are different. Because mind, mind's sphere of activities is thinking, feeling and willing, psychology. So according to the body... Just like a child. His thinking, feeling, willing is different from the child's father. Why?

Lecture on SB 6.2.3 -- Vrndavana, September 7, 1975:

So this is possible. Therefore the government, the father, the guru and the guardian—the everyone should try to make his dependent how he becomes Kṛṣṇa conscious. This is the duty. Therefore the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is so important, because the human life is meant for stopping the cycle of birth and death. Na mocayed yaḥ samupeta-mṛtyum. This is the only process. You cannot stop... But they do not know that this birth and death can be stopped. They are so rascal, they are so foolish, that they do not believe, neither they believe in the next birth, neither they have any idea how to stop death or stop next birth. No education. Throughout the whole world there is no education, there is no science. They are callous. Therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, mūḍha.

Lecture on SB 6.2.11 -- Vrndavana, September 13, 1975:

Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Then you will be gradually purified. Puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ. Puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ. Śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ (SB 1.2.17). If you hear, if you chant about Kṛṣṇa, Uttamaśloka, as it is said, tad uttamaśloka-guṇopalambhakam, so many benefits are there. So the Hare Kṛṣṇa movement is so important that everyone should take it very seriously. Kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ.

tṛṇād api sunīcena

taror api sahiṣṇunā

amāninā mānadena

kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ

(CC Adi 17.31)

This is the instruction of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Difficult... It is padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadam (SB 10.14.58). In this material world there is only vipada. There is no sampada. Foolishly we think that "Now I am very nice." What is nice? You have to die next moment. What is nice? But these foolish people say, "Yes, I am nice." You ask anybody, "How are you?" "Yes, very nice." What is that nice? You are going to die tomorrow. Still nice. That's all. This is going on. So it is padaṁ padaṁ yad vi... They are making scientific researches to become happy, but these rascals, they do not know how to stop death. So what is the nice? But they have no brain to understand. But Kṛṣṇa says, "These are the problems, my dear sir. You scientists, you are trying so many things." Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9).

Lecture on SB 6.2.13 -- Vrndavana, September 15, 1975:

Kṛṣṇa is not different from His name, from His form, either form or name or quality or paraphernalia, anything. He is Absolute. There is no duality. Anything you perceive, that is Kṛṣṇa. This Kṛṣṇa temple is also Kṛṣṇa. So we have no sufficient knowledge how to understand Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is prepared to be understood by us in so many ways. So the Kali-yuga, therefore, name is so important. Kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā. Harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam (CC Adi 17.21). This formula should be seriously taken. Kṛtāśeṣa agha-niṣkṛtam. Aśeṣa. Unlimited amount or unlimited number of sinful activities are already finished.

So the Yamadūta forbade them, that "Don't touch him. He is not fit for going to Yamaloka, but he is fit for going to Viṣṇuloka." Bhagavan-nāma mriyamāṇaḥ. The most important thing is how to become successful. At the time of death chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. This should be there. Bhagavan-nāma mriyamāṇaḥ. That will be the perfection of life.

Lecture on SB 6.2.14 -- Vrndavana, September 17, 1975:

This is tattva, truth, that Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Person, His holy name, His form, His attributes, His pastimes, His paraphernalia, His dhāma... Just like we are in Vṛndāvana-dhāma. So why Vṛndāvana-dhāma is worshiped? Because the Vṛndāvana-dhāma is not different from Kṛṣṇa. When you take little dust of Vṛndāvana-dhāma and take it, that means you are taking the dust of Kṛṣṇa's lotus feet, and you take it. Vṛndāvana-dhāma, so important.

So Vṛndāvana-dhāma, ordinary man cannot see. Therefore Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says,

rūpa-raghunātha-pade haibe ākuti

kabe hāma bujhabo śrī yugala-pīriti

viṣaya chādiyā kabe śuddha ha'be mana

kabe hāma herabo śrī-vṛndāvana

Vṛndāvana, if you come from anywhere by the train and airplane and see Vṛndāvana, that is not seeing Vṛndāvana. Vṛndāvana seeing means

viṣaya chādiyā kabe śuddha ha'be mana

kabe hāma herabo śrī-vṛndāvana

When we shall be free from viṣaya... Viṣaya means āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunam. So who can give up viṣaya unless he is a great devotee? Others cannot. Viṣaya, it is very difficult. But if one is advanced devotee—paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate (BG 2.59)—they can give up. So if you come to Vṛndāvana and arrange for a viṣaya-bhoga-āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunam—then Vṛndāvana is far away.

Lecture on SB 6.2.14 -- Vrndavana, September 17, 1975:

So sāṅketyam. Therefore in the Hindu families they keep the name of the children with the God's name. Just like this Ajamila, although he was a very, very sinful man, still, because the culture was there, he kept his son's name Nārāyaṇa. He did not lose the culture, although he was so much sinful. The culture is so important. Still in India, as there is very, very good propaganda to make the people godless atheist, still, you see, find, in Vṛndāvana thousands and lakhs of people are coming. It is their birthright. Not only in Vṛndāvana, we have seen wherever we held that Hare Kṛṣṇa festival, thousands of men were coming. Even the so-called educated. When we held that ceremony in Delhi, L.I.C. Ground, many, many secretaries, officers, they came and they were dancing with their hat-coat-pant. So it is so nice.

Lecture on SB 6.2.14 -- Vrndavana, September 17, 1975:

Actually it is happening. In your country, the Europeans and Americans, say, ten years before the beginning of this movement, you did not know Kṛṣṇa, every one of you. That's a fact. How you are now mad after Kṛṣṇa? It is simply because by association. So association is so important thing. You boys and girls in your country, you were so luxuriously living. Why you have left everything and you are after a beggar sannyāsī? It is the association. The association is so strong. Therefore Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says,

tāṅdera caraṇa-sevi-bhakta-sane vās

janame janame mor ei abhilāṣ

"Let me engage myself in the service of the Gosvāmīs and associate with the devotees. I do not want anything." Janame janame mor ei abhilāṣ. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura said that kīṭa-janma hau, jathā tuwā dās. This association. "Let me become a worm, not a devotee, even worm." Kīṭa. Kīṭa means worm, an insignificant ant, worm. Better to remain as an ant with the association of devotees than to become a Brahmā without any devotee's association.

Lecture on SB 6.2.15 -- Vrndavana, September 18, 1975:

"Viṣṇu ārādhanam is the best, but better than this best there is another ārādhanam." What is that? Tadīyānām ārādhananam: "To worship the Vaiṣṇava." Viṣṇu ārādhana is the topmost, but Vaiṣṇava ārādhana is still more. Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura therefore says, chādiyā vaiṣṇava-sevā, nistara payeche kebā. The Vaiṣṇava ārādhana is so important.

Therefore Kṛṣṇa says,

tad viddhi praṇipātena

paripraśnena sevayā

upadekṣyanti tad jñānaṁ

jñāninās tattva-darśinaḥ

(BG 4.34)

Tattva-darśi. This word tattva is very important. Unless one is tattva-darsi, there is no use to take instruction from him. Useless waste of time. Tattva-darśi means... Kṛṣṇa says in another place, manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye (BG 7.3). Siddhi means liberated, means who has no more the bodily concept of life. This is the Vedic meaning of ahaṁ brahmāsmi. Aham: "I, the spiritual spark, I am not this matter. I am a spirit soul." That is brahmāsmi. So long we are in the bodily concept of life, that is called jīva-bhūta-mamivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ—conditioned soul.

Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- San Francisco, March 15, 1968:

The thing which you cannot get back by paying millions of dollars, if that is lost for nothing, how much you are losing, just imagine.

So the same thing: Prahlāda Mahārāja says that dharmān bhāgavatan, to become Kṛṣṇa conscious, or God conscious, is so important that we should not lose even a moment's time. Immediately we shall begin. Why? Durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma. Mānuṣaṁ janma. He says that this human form of body is very rare. It is obtained after many, many births. So modern civilization, they do not understand what is the value of this human form of life. They think that this body is meant for sense enjoyment like cats and dogs. The cats and dogs, they are also enjoying life in four principles; eating, sleeping, defending, and mating. So human form of life is not meant for spoiling like cats and dogs. Human form of life is meant for something else. And that "something else" is Kṛṣṇa conscious or God consciousness because without human form of life, no other body can understand what is God, what is this world, what I am, wherefrom I have come, where I have to go. These things are meant for human life. So he says that "From very childhood..."

Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- Boston, May 8, 1968:

That is important population. Otherwise, what is the use of living? Śaṅkarācārya lived for 32 years, and Lord Jesus Christ, I think, he also lived similarly. Lord Caitanya lived for 48 years. But their philosophy and God consciousness is so important, they are still living. Kalpante sthayinā guṇāḥ. Cāṇakya Paṇḍita said, āyuṣaḥ kṣaṇa vidyanti. Āyuṣaḥ kṣaṇa vidyanti. Āyuṣaḥ means this duration of life, it can be finished at any moment, but kalpante sthayinā guṇāḥ. But if you are a qualified man then your qualities will be remembered for many, many thousands of years. Therefore live for the best qualities, to acquire the best qualities, God consciousness or Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

So Prahlāda Mahārāja recommends to the world society that from the very beginning of childhood this science should be taught. Why? Durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma tad apy adhruvam arthadam. Now this human form of life is very important. Śrīdhara Swami comments on this, (reads Sanskrit commentary) kaumāra ity ādinā, ihaiva mānuṣa-janmani dharmān ācaret. Now question may be why in this birth of human life it is so much stressed? The answer is durlabham. Durlabham means the intelligence that you have got now in this form of body, it is very rare.

Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- Vrndavana, December 2, 1975:

Therefore, before your next death, you realize Kṛṣṇa. Durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma tad apy adhruvam. But arthadam. Arthadam means even if you live for a few years and if you take the chance of chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, still, you are benefited. You are still benefited.

So this chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa is so important that you can think always that "Death is coming. Death is at my door. Let me finish my chanting. Let me finish my chanting." Always you should think like that, that "Death is already coming, so let me chant." So this is called bhāgavata-dharma, and Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means bhāgavata-dharma. So you read Prahlāda Mahārāja's instruction very nicely and utilize it in your life. Your life will be successful. Thank you very much.

Lecture on SB 7.6.4 -- Vrndavana, December 5, 1975:

So don't waste your time in that way. Āyur-vyayaḥ param. Ayur-vyayaḥ. This duration of life, human life—Prahlāda Mahārāja has begun with the words durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma—this life is very, very important, and after many, many births you have got it. So you should always remember that every moment of this life is so important. How much it is important, that is explained by Cāṇakya Paṇḍita. Anyone can understand. He says... He is not a, I mean, Kṛṣṇa conscious person but moralist. He was prime minister. He says, āyuṣaḥ kṣaṇa eko 'pi na labhyaḥ svarṇa-koṭibhiḥ. Your duration of life... You have got a certain years' duration of life. You cannot live more than that. If you have got your duration of life for fifty years, you can live up to fifty years, not hundred years. These are all destined. It is useless. So therefore it is very important. In the Bhāgavata in another place it is said, tūrṇaṁ yateta anumṛtya pateta yāvat nihśreyasāya. The same thing repeatedly. Here Prahlāda Mahārāja also says that durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma tad apy adhruvam arthadam. First of all you have to consider that we have got this human form of life after many, many hundreds and thousands, millions, 8,400,000... (break) Durlabham. So therefore it is, although temporary... Everyone knows that "I'll not live forever." But even though it is temporary, adhruvam, not eternal, it is arthadam. It is said, arthadam. Whatever little life you have got, you can attain perfection. This is the advantage. You can attain perfection.

Lecture on SB 7.7.22-26 -- San Francisco, March 10, 1967:

As I have several times discussed that the, at the time of death, the mental condition will help you to have another next body, mental condition. So if your mental condition is very nice, whatever you think, God has given you chance: you get next immediately. Similarly, if you think of Kṛṣṇa, then your next body is like Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so important. What is the advantage of Kṛṣṇa consciousness? If you acquire the body like Kṛṣṇa, sac-cid-ānanda vigraha (Bs. 5.1), eternal, blissful and full of knowledge, then your botheration of this constant change of bodies, bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19), you become relieved from this business. Nobody wants this, but because we want to enjoy this material world, so we have to accept it. So this is going on. Sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭo (BG 15.15).

Lecture on SB 7.9.9 -- Montreal, July 4, 1968:

So how much beautiful is Kṛṣṇa, just we can imagine. Just like the sunshine. The sunshine is the rays of the sun planet, and in the sun planet there is sun-god. So if sunshine is so pleasing, just imagine how the sun-god is pleasing. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa's jyoti, brahma-jyotir, is so important. Then just imagine how Kṛṣṇa's beauty is appreciated in transcendental world. Yaṁ śyāma-sundaram acintya-guṇa-svarūpaṁ. Barhāvataṁsam asitāmbudha-sundarāṅgam. Barhāvatāmsam asitāmbudha. His color is compared with the blackish cloud, asitāmbudha, sundarāṅgam, but very, very beautiful.

Lecture on SB 7.9.16 -- Mayapur, February 23, 1976:

Prahlāda Mahārāja says... Prahlāda Mahārāja was not afraid of Nṛsiṁha-mūrti, but he is very much afraid of this material existence. It is really very, very fearful. People do not know the seriousness of material existence, and they continue and waste their, the chance, human being. Human form of life is a chance to rectify, but they do not care. Therefore the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is so important. Everyone, door to door, a devotee has to go and teach them that "You are leading a very, very irresponsible life. Be responsible to your consciousness and be a devotee of Kṛṣṇa. That will save you."

Lecture on SB 7.9.35 -- Mayapur, March 13, 1976:

You become beautiful, become educated. So Brahmā is also a similar living entity, but he's very, very pious. Very very pious. And Brahmā... Brahmā's post is so exalted that when there is no living entity available, then Lord Viṣṇu Himself becomes Brahmā. The post is so important. My point is that although he's so pious, greatly exalted, still, he had to purify himself.

Here it is said, kālena tīvra-tapasā pariśuddha-bhāvaḥ. Pariśuddha-bhāvaḥ. To become purified of the material contamination is not so easy. So you should always remember that the purificatory process which has been prescribed to you, how rigidly you have to follow. If you are neglectful, then you are losing the chance because you... Try to understand. This material world is so contaminous that even Lord Brahmā had to purify himself by austerities for many hundreds of years. I'm just trying to bring this point, how Caitanya Mahāprabhu is so kind, that for purification of Brahmā's body he had to take so many years under severe austerity, and Caitanya Mahāprabhu, because we are so much fallen, not to compare with Brahmā, very, very fallen, still, He gives us a little formula:

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, January 6, 1973:

Then your life will be successful. Otherwise you are simply wasting your time. This is our message. And if you want to talk, if you want to argue, then also we are prepared. We have prepared so many books for this purpose. Now this is the fact. If you accept it, it is good. Then the next question may be that "Why the people do not take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness? If it is so important, why they do not take to it?" That is also explained by Prahlāda Mahārāja. Matir na kṛṣṇe parato svato vā mitho 'bhipadyeta gṛha-vratānām. Gṛha-vratānām. Adānta-gobhir viśatāṁ tamisraṁ punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām (SB 7.5.30). So matir na kṛṣṇe. If one sticks to this principle, that "I shall be happy with this material body, I shall be happy within this material world, within my country, within my society," in this way, if one thinks, they are called gṛha-vrata. So for such persons, gṛha-vratānām, those who want to become happy within this bodily envelopment, they are... (break) Therefore from the beginning of life one has to be educated the value of life or approach a devotee.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, October 30, 1972:

Pradyumna: "For instance, if someone says, 'Give something to eat to the man with the weapons,' the eating process is done by the man and not by the weapons. Similarly, in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, a devotee may be interested in the paraphernalia and locations—such as the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra—which are associated with Kṛṣṇa, but he is not concerned with simply any battlefield. He is concerned with Kṛṣṇa—His speech, His instructions, etc. It is because Kṛṣṇa is there that the battlefield is so important."

Prabhupāda: Go on.

Pradyumna: "This is the summary understanding of what Kṛṣṇa consciousness is. Without this understanding one is sure to misunderstand why the devotees are interested in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra."

Prabhupāda: Yes. Sometimes we are asked that "Why Kṛṣṇa induced Arjuna to become violent?" So then so many so-called scholars, they criticize Kṛṣṇa, but they do not know what is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is absolute. In whichever way He acts, it is the same thing. God is good. It does not mean when He fights in the Battlefield of Kurkṣetra He becomes bad. No. He's still good. That is the conception of God: absolute. He can do anything and anything. Still, He continues to be the Absolute Truth. That is Absolute Truth. There is no relative understanding, "This is good for God, this is bad for God," as (if) God has come before me to be judged by me. You cannot judge God, Kṛṣṇa. What He does... Just like Arjuna accepted Kṛṣṇa: sarvam etad ṛtaṁ manye yad vadasi keśava (BG 10.14).

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 13, 1972:

Inconceivable. Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī therefore explains that unless we believe (in the) inconceivable potency of the Lord, then we cannot understand that activities... Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate, svābhāvikī-jñāna-bala-kriyā ca (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport). We cannot judge how things are happening, but we have to believe. Therefore Vedic knowledge is so important. We cannot make research. We cannot judge. Simply if we take the Vedic truths... Just like we have several times explained, the Vedas accept the cow dung pure, whereas the stool of other animal is impure. So we have to accept like that. So Veda-vāṇī. Veda-vāṇī means you cannot deny it. You cannot argue on it. You have to accept as it is. Therefore learned scholar, when he speaks something, he gives evidence from the Vedas, śruti, śruti-pramāṇa. That is the best evidence. Go on.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.102 -- Baltimore, July 7, 1976:

We see a child is born, but we do not know wherefrom the life came. The lump of matter of the child is not the child. If the child takes birth dead, without life, it has no value; it is a lump of matter. You throw it immediately. But if it has a life, then we take care of it, we raise it, give him food, give him breast milk, and so much care. The life is so important. But nobody cares to know what is this life, where it begins, wherefrom it comes, what is the destiny. No question. Similarly, if we... We are seeing every night so many planets. We are making tiny attempt to go to moon planet or some other planet, but there are, we see there are so many millions and trillions of planet. What about their situation? We have made our calculation from here that they are simply decoration; there is no life. No, there is life. There is life, but we do not know it. So yesterday our scientist, Svarūpa Dāmodara, Dr. Svarūpa Dāmodara, was speaking that in the history of human society, actually these two things are ignorance: what is the beginning of life and what are these planetary systems.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.385-394 -- New York, January 1, 1967:

Prabhupāda: So that is calculation in Vedic know... Sapta-dvīpa. Sapta means seven. As the sun is coming in the orbit and crossing all the seven islands, similarly, Kṛṣṇa is also coming in this universe, that universe, that universe. When He comes into this universe, He, He is seen in that tract of land which is called Vṛndāvana. Therefore that tract of land is so sacred. Lord Caitanya describes by His mission, ārādhyo bhagavān vrajeśa-tanayas tad dhāma vṛndāvanam. Ārādhya, the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa, is worshipable Deity, and His dhāma, and His headquarters—and His dhāma means headquarters-Vṛndāvana. Therefore Vṛndāvana is so important. When Kṛṣṇa comes... Just like when the sun appears in your country there is a particular city or place... Where it is where the sun first seen? Where it is?

Devotee: Greenwich, Maine.

Prabhupāda: Greenwich.

Devotee: Uh huh.

Prabhupāda: In your country, America?

Devotee: What is that?

Prabhupāda: Where the sun is first seen?

Devotee: Anybody know?

Prabhupāda?: Oh, you cannot say?

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 22.31-33 -- New York, January 16, 1967:

So hearing is most important thing. You'll find in the Thirteenth Chapter, śruti parāyaṇa. Śruti parāyaṇa. Śruti parāyaṇa means one who is very much eager to hear about Kṛṣṇa, he's a very nice qualified man. So hearing is very important thing than seeing or touching or smelling. Hearing is very... Hearing is the, is so important. When all other senses are not acting, sleeping, no other sense is acting, as soon as telephone bell is called, you get up. No other sense will act. So hearing is so perfect. Therefore according to Vedic principle this hearing is very important thing. Hearing. And one who is very much eager to hear about Kṛṣṇa is very expert, because hearing is knowledge.

So if we hear Kṛṣṇa, about Kṛṣṇa, His name, His fame, then Kṛṣṇa is present before us. And Lord Caitanya is giving another instance:

Festival Lectures

Srila Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami's Appearance Day -- Vrndavana, October 19, 1972:

So in spite of this knowledge, broadcast of this knowledge, if a person does not take advantage of this movement, then it is to be understood that knowingly he's drinking poison. Jāniyā śuniyā viṣa khāinu.

So why it is so important? Golokera prema dhana. Because it is coming from Goloka Vṛndāvana. This transcendental sound, Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, they are coming from Goloka Vṛndāvana. Just like you receive through radio machine news from distant place, thousands and thousands of miles away. Now the instruments have improved. They are trying to get information from other planets also. That's nice. But there is another machine which can give you information of the Goloka Vṛndāvana. That machine is nothing manufactured by the material scientists. But there is a machine. What is that machine? That machine is this guru-paramparā. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayoḥ viduḥ (BG 4.2). If you receive the message by the guru-paramparā... The first guru is Kṛṣṇa. Next guru is Lord Brahma. Next guru is Nārada. Next guru is Vyāsadeva. Next guru is Madhvācārya. And so many others. And their branches. In this way, Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Then the Gosvāmīs. Then Śrīnivāsa, Śrīnivāsa Ācārya, Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura. In this way, the paramparā is coming. So this is the machine. How I can understand this machine is correct? Yes, it is correct.

Govardhana Puja Lecture -- New York, November 4, 1966:

"Now, this water is so important that it will produce grains and we shall live. And for perfection of our life we must first live. So this is very important thing, so we have to satisfy Indra."

ya evaṁ visṛjed dharmaṁ

pāraṁ paryāgataṁ naraḥ

kāmā lobhād bhayād dveṣāt

sa vai nāpnoti śobhanam

He says, "My dear boy, we should not give up this paramparā." Parampara means coming from disciplic succession or from generation. My father did it, my father's fathers did it. So every religious ceremony, and according to Vedic rituals, they are from paramparā, family or society-wise or community-wise. In every country there is. So he says that "This paramparā, this successive generation, we have been doing this, and we should not give it up." He understood the Kṛṣṇa's purpose, that "He is asking. He is very intelligent boy, so He is asking me all these questions just to forbid me." That He's just... "Like father like son." The father was also intelligent.

Arrival Addresses and Talks

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

Guru-gaurāṅga: (translating from French) In the name of the Canton of Geneva and the city, we wish to extend our heartfelt welcome to you. This republic is an independent state, part of Switzerland, and it has a reputation for being a great center of dialogue between all men of science, philosophy and religion. Geneva is the seat of the World Council of Churches, and there is a Protestant pastor who is there as representative of the Canton of Geneva. Unique among the cities of the world, Geneva has had the privilege to greet many great religious heads such as Pope Paul VI, head of the Russian Orthodox Church, and many others. As civil authorities, we are very much encouraged by religious or spiritual groups because they contribute to wake up the consciousness of the people, provided, of course, that they respect all the laws. For thousands of years, man has tried to find perfection through religious means, and for us what is so much important is that this be done with tolerance, that whatever the books, whether they be the books of India or the Toraḥ or the Koran, that they contribute to a general welfare of all men and not that they fight each other. There is the need currently for men to understand each other better and hear each other better. The modern world neither has the time nor the interest to tolerate divisions between men, especially on the spiritual platform. As a result, everyone must try to improve the fate of the individual man through these means. Should we not, then, try to find some common language with which to solve these problems, all the while respecting the dignity of the common man? And we hope finally that this trip in Europe will give Your Divine Grace new perspectives in the search for the truth.

Prabhupāda: I can speak in English?

Arrival Address -- Los Angeles, June 20, 1975:

He has admitted that "Swamijī, you have done wonderful thing because you have turned the drug-addicted hippies into devotees of Kṛṣṇa, and they are prepared for the service of humanity."

So this movement is so important. We are giving the best service to the humanity. They are plunged into ignorance. All, they are rascals, mūḍha. It is not our manufactured word. Kṛṣṇa says, na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15). So we have this test tube. If you see one has no information of Kṛṣṇa, then he is mūḍha. We haven't got to study more: whether he is Kṛṣṇa conscious, whether he has got any portion of his heart attracted, attached to Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa means attraction. So whether he has been attracted by Kṛṣṇa. That is our natural position—to become attracted by Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa means all-attractive. Just like the magnetic stone attracts the iron. It is natural. And if the iron is covered with dirt, then it does not become attracted. So this is the test, to make people prepared for being attracted by Kṛṣṇa. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. They are by nature... Nitya-siddha kṛṣṇa-bhakti. It is not unnatural. Otherwise how you European, American, you are so much attracted to Kṛṣṇa? If Kṛṣṇa is artificial and Kṛṣṇa consciousness is artificial something, so how you should be attracted?

Arrival Conversation -- Los Angeles, June 20, 1975:

Recently I have been in Kurukṣetra. You were... Yes. So I have decided to do something there. Yes. Because Kṛṣṇa personally spoke there. Our two movements—we are preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness on the basis of Bhagavad-gītā and we are holding Ratha-yātrā—all these two incidences took place at Kurukṣetra. Kurukṣetra is so important. Kṛṣṇa, Balarāma, and His sister, on some occasion of lunar eclipse, they came from Dvārakā in a chariot, ratha, two brothers and sister, and that is the occasion of Ratha-yātrā. And the Vṛndāvana inhabitants, especially Rādhārāṇī, they came from Vṛndāvana to see Kṛṣṇa after long time. And she pleaded that "Kṛṣṇa, You are the same Kṛṣṇa, I am the same Rādhārāṇī..." (Prabhupāda is coughing) Is there any water? No. "But this place is not the proper place. Let Us go to Vṛndāvana." That is Mahāprabhu's feeling.

Initiation Lectures

Sannyasa Initiation -- Mayapur, March 16, 1976:

The śānti... Everyone is trying to have peace-peace of the mind, peace of the society, peace of the nation. Very good. But you do not know how to get this peace. That is described in every Vedic literatures. Therefore Vedic knowledge is so important. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). The Supreme Lord is the leader. He's also a living being like us. He's not a dead stone. He is... Just like Kṛṣṇa. When He comes, He lives like us, just like human being. So similarly the... No, not similarly. Kṛṣṇa is a living being like us. He has got also two hands, two legs, one head, as you have got. But what is the difference between you and Him? The difference is that eka, that singular number living being, vidadhāti kāmān bahūnām, He maintains everyone, and we are maintained. That is the difference. We plural number living entities, we are maintained, and He, the Supreme Lord, being Supreme Being...

Sannyasa Initiation -- Mayapur, March 16, 1976:

And it is happening so. Now these American boys and girls who have come, spending thousands of rupees here... And they have no such distinction that "Here is Indian. He is African. He is brāhmaṇa. He's kṣatriya." Why? Because they have taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

So this movement is so important that everyone from every part of the world, they should take part in this movement, and there will be peace in the world. Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission is this. Caitanya Mahāprabhu's birthday is today. In this land, in this very spot we are sitting now, He appeared for this mission. And He said that

bhārata-bhūmite manuṣya-janma haile yāra

janma sārthaka kari' kara para-upakāra

(CC Adi 9.41)

This is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission.

General Lectures

Lecture Excerpt -- Montreal, July 20, 1968:

"My dear child, the sun is not gone. The sun is there. I cannot see now." That is the fact. Similarly, these foolish persons, because they cannot see the soul and because the body is left there and it is destroyed, he says that there is no soul. Just see how childish and how much darkness is there. It is commonsense affair. How this body...? I am taking this body so important, the body of such and such professor, such and such scientist, such and such philosopher. But as soon as I, the soul, go away, where is the importance? If the body is important, why it becomes nonsense immediately after the departure of the soul? Therefore the soul is important. One who does not know the soul, his all activities are defeat. Parābhavas tāvad abodha-jato yāvan na jijñāsata ātma-tattvam. Anyone who has not inquired about the soul, because he is born ignorant, born in darkness, he does not know what is soul, what is this body, what is this world. Therefore born in darkness. So if in that darkness and ignorance he is acting so many things, what is the profit? It is simply defeat. So a person who does not inquire into the existence of soul, his real identity, all his so-called improvement is simply waste of time. Śrama eva hi kevalam (SB 1.2.8).

Lecture -- Seattle, September 30, 1968:

There are injunctions. Proṣita bhartṛkā. There are different dresses of woman. By seeing the dress one will understand what she is. One can understand by seeing the dress that she is unmarried girl. One can see simply by the dress that she is married wife. One can see by the dress that she is widow. One can see by the dress that she is prostitute. So dress is so important. So proṣita bhartṛkā. So we are not going to discuss about the social. We are discussing about love affairs of Kṛṣṇa. So gopīs... Kṛṣṇa and gopīs, the relationship was so intimate and so unalloyed that Kṛṣṇa Himself admitted, "My dear gopīs, it is not in My power to repay you about your loving affairs." Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He became bankrupt, that "My dear gopīs, it is not possible for Me to repay your debts which you have created by loving Me." So that is the highest perfection of love. Ramyā kācid upāsanā vrajavadhū.

Lecture -- Los Angeles, November 13, 1968:

Children is the attraction of home life. So grha-kṣetra-suta āpta. Āpta means relatives or society. Sutāpta-vittaiḥ: and all these paraphernalia are to be maintained on money. Therefore money is required, vittaiḥ. In this way, one becomes entangled in this material world. Janasya moho 'yam. This is called illusion. Illusion. Why illusion? So important things, why illusion? Illusion means that this nice paraphernalia arrangement—home, life, apartment, wife, children, society, position—everything is all right, but as soon as this body is finished, everything is finished. You're in a next platform. You do not know what is next platform. The next platform may be a human being or a cat or a dog or a demigod or anything. You do not know. And as soon as you have got a next life, you forget all these things. There is no remembrance what I was, what was my home. Everything is finished. Everything is finished—flash, just like a bubble. By the thrashing of different waves in the ocean, there are so many bubbles immediately generated, and the next moment they are all finished. Finished. Toye janame punaḥ toye samat (?). In this way the life is going on. The living entity is traveling in many species of life, in many planets.

Class in Los Angeles -- Los Angeles, November 15, 1968:

That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that "I am eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa, or God." That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

So if we keep ourself within some limit, then it will be not possible to understand what is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Matir na kṛṣṇe parataḥ svato vā mitho 'bhipadyeta gṛha... These are verses... Bhāgavata verses can be explained for so many days. They are so important. Yes. Another verse is, why they are keeping themself within the limit of this sense gratificatory platform? That is answered in Bhāgavata: na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ (SB 7.5.31). This is very important. These foolish persons, they do not know what is the ultimate goal of their life. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). They do not know that their self-interest... Everyone is self-interest(ed). Everyone is eager to look after his self-interest, but they do not know what is the self-interest. Durāśayā. Because they do not know, therefore, out of ulterior motive, they are thinking that "Satisfaction in the material way of life will give me ultimate pleasure or ultimate satisfaction. That is my ultimate goal." Therefore the scientist, the politician, everyone is trying, making their own plan. And what is that plan? By manipulating this external energy, dura, bahir-artha, bahir-artha-māninaḥ. Now, we are preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Lecture at Auckland University -- Auckland, April 17, 1972:

So when we quit this gross body, the subtle body carries me to another gross body. This is the law of transmigration. It is not the question of belief. It is a fact that if we neglect to study this scientific knowledge, then we are missing the opportunity, because in this human form of life the developed knowledge can study what is there within this body which is so important, which missing, this body becomes worthless.

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is preaching the important portion of the body, about the soul. To understand what is the soul, to understand what is the need of the soul, why he is entrapped within this material body, how the soul can be liberated, and after liberation, what is the function of the soul—these things are our subject matter. And these things are very nicely explained as preliminary study in the Bhagavad-gītā, and for higher study, for graduate study, in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. So our only request is that you are all students—you do not neglect this subject matter, this science to understand what is the soul. It is a fact. No scientific professor at the present moment can explain what is that thing missing, when the thing is missing, this body is called dead. What is the distinction of this dead body and the living body? So according to Vedic instruction, according to Kṛṣṇa's instruction, the body is always dead.

Lecture Excerpt -- Los Angeles, June 7, 1972:

So, yac-cakṣur eṣa savitā sakala-grahāṇām. All the planetary systems that are existing within this universe, the sun is the eye because he is the eye of the Supreme Lord. Yac-cakṣur eṣa savitā sakala-grahāṇāṁ rājā. It is the king of all planets. Rājā samasta-sura-mūrtir aśeṣa-tejaḥ. Aśeṣa-tejaḥ, unlimited temperature. Unlimited temperature. Aśeṣa-tejaḥ. And it is so powerful and so important, but what is his position? Yasyājñayā bhramati sambhṛta-kāla-cakro. Under the direction of the Supreme, it is rotating in its own orbit. The sun has its own orbit. Just like this earth has its own orbit, similarly, sun, sambhṛta-kāla-cakro, yasyājñayā... The sun cannot go beyond that orbit. Just like we go to the sea. The order is, "My dear Pacific Ocean, you may be very great, but you cannot come beyond this." We are walking daily on the beach. Just four feet away, the water is there, but it cannot touch because the order is, "No, you cannot come. Up to this, that's all."

Speech -- Vrndavana, April 20, 1975:

These European, American boys, they are also the same type, Jagāi and Mādhāi. That is a fact. They were at least. Now they are not. So how they have become delivered? The same process. Pāpī-tāpī jata chilo, hari-nāme uddhārilo.

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is so important, and there is practical result, that you introduce this chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra offenselessly, not with offense, then the world situation will improve very much. That's a fact. And it is being actually enacted in the present position. We are sending our men from village to village in Europe and America. We have introduced. We are taking advantage of the modern facilities. We are using this microphone for chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, we are using nice buses, cars and wagons to go to village to village and distribute book and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. One of the leaders is present here, Śrīman Tamāla Kṛṣṇa Gosvāmī. He is going. He is controlling about one dozen buses. And here is Haṁsadūta also. He is doing the same in Germany. So we have introduced this as Caitanya Mahāprabhu ordered, pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi-grāma. (CB Antya-khaṇḍa 4.126) Throughout the whole world, as many villages and towns are there, this saṅkīrtana movement should be introduced.

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on Carl Gustav Jung:

Hayagrīva: He says, "This is probably why earthly life is of such great significance and why it is that what a human being brings over at the time of his death is so important. Only here in life on earth can the general level of consciousness be raised. That seems to be man's metaphysical task." So since consciousness survives death it must therefore be elevated while man is on earth.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That consciousness should be developed automatically. Paurva-dehikam in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said. What is that verse? In the Sixth Chapter, paurva-dehikam.

Hari-śauri: "The unsuccessful yogi, after many, many years of enjoyment on the planets of the pious living entities, is born into a family of righteous people or into a family of rich aristocracy."

Prabhupāda: Hm. Then?

Philosophy Discussion on Thomas Hobbes:

Prabhupāda: No. The king is also under the law. King, as we understand from Bhagavad-gītā, Kṛṣṇa instructed the law to Sun-god, and he followed the laws. Therefore he is, to the common man, he is the supreme. The king is supposed to be representative of God in the state. So "above the law" means because king is perfect by abiding the laws of Kṛṣṇa, he cannot be subjected to any subordinate laws. But his perfection is there only when he follows Kṛṣṇa's order. Therefore monarchy, the law, king's order, is final. There cannot be any... Just like king's mercy. Even one is condemned to death, but if the king's mercy is there that he should be excused, he should be free, nobody can check. So why it is? Because king is representative of Kṛṣṇa. Imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam (BG 4.1). He first of all said the laws, the Bhagavad-gītā, which is so important for the human civilization millions of years, at least forty millions of years it was spoken to the sun-god, and sun-god gave it to his son Manu, Manu, and his son Ikṣvāku inherited from Manu. This way the absolute law is coming by disciplic succession. And formerly India was governed by monarchy. They received the law of God by disciplic succession. They executed. Therefore whatever he decides, that is final. He cannot be subjected to any other law. So the king, if he is following the laws given by God, then he is above all laws, material convention.

Purports to Songs

Purport to Bhajahu Re Mana -- San Francisco, March 16, 1967:

Prabhupāda: Although the sun does not enter your room or your city or your country—he is so many millions and millions of miles away—still, he can enter everywhere by his potency, the sunshine. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa enters everywhere by His different potencies. And to receive this light from Kṛṣṇa, one has to hear. Hearing is so important. Therefore Govinda dāsa says, śravaṇa. Śravaṇa means hearing. And one who has heard nicely, his next stage will be kīrtanam. Just like our boys who have heard a little nicely, now they are very eager to chant, going from street to street. This is natural sequence. It is not that you hear, but you remain stopped. No. The next stage will be kīrtanam. Either by chanting vibration or by writing or by speaking or by preaching, the kīrtana will be there. So śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam, first hearing and then chanting. And hearing and chanting about whom? About Viṣṇu, not for any nonsense. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ (SB 7.5.23). These things are stated in the śāstra. The ordinary people, they are also engaged in hearing and chanting. They are hearing in the newspaper of some politician, and the whole day they are discussing and chanting, "Oh, this man is going to be elected. This man is going to be elected." So hearing and chanting is there everywhere. But if you want spiritual salvation, then you have to hear and chant about Viṣṇu, nobody else. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ. So the poet sings, Śravaṇa, kīrtana, smaraṇa, vandana, pāda-sevana, dāsya re. So there are different processes: hearing, chanting, remembering, worshiping in the temple, engaging oneself in the service.