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Source of knowledge (Lectures)

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Just like if a child asks his mother that "Who is my father?" now the mother says, "Here is your father." Now, if the child says, "I don't believe it," so he has no other source of knowledge.
Lecture on BG 2.13 -- New York, March 11, 1966:

There are five karmendriya and five sensory organs and working organs, ten, and the mind is the chief. So mind is also considered as one of the senses, the chief senses. You see? So because it is sense, it is imperfect. So by mental speculation we cannot have a into right conclusion, by mental speculation. Those are simply speculating on mind, they can make some progress to a certain extent, but they cannot reach the ultimate goal. It is not possible by mental speculation; neither it is possible by direct evidence. The only, only possible evidence is authority, authority. Just like yesterday also I gave you that example. Just like if a child asks his mother that "Who is my father?" now the mother says, "Here is your father." Now, if the child says, "I don't believe it," so he has no other source of knowledge. Except the mother's version, that "Here is your father," he has no other alternative to know who is father. It is such a thing that neither he can imagine, speculate, "Oh, he may be my father, he may be my father, he may be my father." Lots of father he can gather. That is not possible. And neither it is possible for direct perception. The only possibility is the mother's evidence. Similarly, as the mother is authority for the child, similarly, the śruti, the Vedas, they are called mother, mother of knowledge.

If you say, "No, I don't believe you, mother," then you have no other source of knowledge who is your father.
Lecture on BG 4.3-6 -- New York, July 18, 1966:

So there is one very good example. Now, if somebody wants to know, "Who is my father? Who is my father?" And how he can know? There is no possibility of direct perception to know the father. It is not possible. Then who is the authority? The mother is the authority. When the mother says, "My dear son, here is your father," we have to accept it. If you say, "No, I don't believe you, mother," then you have no other source of knowledge who is your father. You have no other alternative; excepting the authority of your mother, you cannot know who is your father. Because he was your father before your birth, so how you can have direct perception? It is not possible. So many things there are that direct perception is not possible. Therefore in the Vedic process of knowledge the authority has been accepted as the perfect source of knowledge.

But here we get from Kṛṣṇa, the authoritative source of knowledge, there are two souls: the individual soul and the Supersoul.
Lecture on BG 13.3 -- Bombay, September 26, 1973:

Sometimes the Māyāvādī philosophers, they take it for acceptance that there is one soul only, Supersoul. But here we get from Kṛṣṇa, the authoritative source of knowledge, there are two souls: the individual soul and the Supersoul. Not one soul. Ātmā and Paramātmā.

So don't believe your so-called senses as the source of knowledge.
Lecture on BG 16.7 -- Hawaii, February 3, 1975:

So don't believe your so-called senses as the source of knowledge. No. The source of knowledge should be by hearing. That is called śruti. Therefore Vedas' name is śruti.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

But people's attentions are diverted by so many nonsense literatures, and they are not interested to inquire from the real source of knowledge, real treasurehouse of knowledge.
Lecture on SB 1.2.10 -- Delhi, November 16, 1973:

In the Western countries, most of you may know, they are delivering in the morning such big lump of newspapers. And after one hour, it is thrown away. Who will read that? But people's attentions are diverted by so many nonsense literatures, and they are not interested to inquire from the real source of knowledge, real treasurehouse of knowledge. Therefore here it is said that jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā: "Your only business is to inquire about the truth."

So we should take guidance from a perfect source of knowledge, and utilize it for making our life perfect.
Lecture on SB 1.3.9 -- Los Angeles, September 15, 1972:

So penance required. This human life is not meant for enjoying senses like the dogs and hogs. That is not life. We have got advanced sense, consciousness, we can understand what is good, what is bad. At least that talent we have got, even though we are misguided. So we should take guidance from a perfect source of knowledge, and utilize it for making our life perfect.

So actually, if we want to have knowledge of everything, the source of knowledge is Vedas.
Lecture on SB 1.16.12 -- Los Angeles, January 9, 1974:

So actually, if we want to have knowledge of everything, the source of knowledge is Vedas. And the essence of Veda is called Vedānta. And the descriptive explanation of Vedānta is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam: bhāṣyaṁ brahma-sūtrāṇām **. Brahma-sūtra. Brahma-sūtra is the Vedānta philosophy.

So that should be our source of knowledge.
Lecture on SB 2.3.13-14 -- Los Angeles, May 30, 1972:

Therefore we take advice from the liberated person. Just like we are understanding all this from Vyāsadeva, from Śukadeva Gosvāmī. They are liberated. We are not reading some Mr. John R. Mead's (?) book. No. Liberated soul. So that should be our source of knowledge.

We have got enough source of knowledge, treasure house of knowledge, but we are reluctant. We are busy with the newspaper.
Lecture on SB 3.25.41 -- Bombay, December 9, 1974:

We are so foolish rascals that we have forgotten. We are suffering every moment, and still, we are thinking we are very happy. Therefore it is our misfortune that human life is meant for understanding, "What is the position of my life? Why I am suffering?" So for that understanding Kṛṣṇa has given us so many Vedic literature: four Vedas and the Purāṇas and the Upaniṣad and Vedānta-sūtra, Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Rāmāyaṇa, Mahābhārata. We have got enough source of knowledge, treasure house of knowledge, but we are reluctant. We are busy with the newspaper. We have got time to waste our time to read the newspaper, bunch of newspaper, but we have no time to read Bhagavad-gītā or Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam or Vedānta-sūtra, the books of actual knowledge. This is our misfortune.

Adhokṣaja means knowledge which beyond your perception. But there is source of knowledge, adhokṣaja. Therefore God's another name is Adhokṣaja.
Lecture on SB 3.26.1 -- Bombay, December 13, 1974:

So prākṛta means this material prakṛti, and spiritual means aprākṛta. There are different stages of knowledge: pratyakṣa, parokṣa, aparokṣa, adhokṣaja, aprākṛta. One has to go step by step. General knowledge means pratyakṣa, whatever you perceive by the senses. That is called pratyakṣa. And the knowledge which you receive from authorities, that is parokṣa. Then aparokṣa, realization. Then adhokṣaja. Adhokṣaja means knowledge which beyond your perception. But there is source of knowledge, adhokṣaja. Therefore God's another name is Adhokṣaja.

So the source of knowledge is Bhagavān. Bhagavān is the origin.
Lecture on SB 3.26.10 -- Bombay, December 22, 1974:

So śrī-bhagavān uvāca. Kapiladeva is speaking, He is Bhagavān. The word Bhagavān we have explained several times. Bhagavān is person. Uvāca. Bhagavān said... "Bhagavān said" means Bhagavān is person. Unless one is person, he cannot say, he cannot speak. So the source of knowledge is Bhagavān. Bhagavān is the origin. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is said, aham evāsam agre: "Before the creation, I was there." And when Bhagavān speaks "I was there," that means He was not alone.

That means if you are intelligent enough actually, then through any source of knowledge you come ultimately to Kṛṣṇa.
Lecture on SB 3.26.42 -- Bombay, January 17, 1975:

If you can explain the activities of Kṛṣṇa, Uttamaśloka, how He is acting, how is the chemical process is going on under His direction, if you can write a thesis on this subject matter, that ultimately Kṛṣṇa is behind that, then your this study of chemistry is perfect. Avicyutaḥ arthaḥ kavibhir nirūpitaḥ. Nirūpita means it is concluded. No more argument. That is the purpose. That means if you are intelligent enough actually, then through any source of knowledge you come ultimately to Kṛṣṇa.

So it is a different source of knowledge, but one takes one source, another takes another source. Our source of knowledge is Kṛṣṇa or Kṛṣṇa's disciples.
Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- Delhi, November 28, 1975:

So it is a different source of knowledge, but one takes one source, another takes another source. Our source of knowledge is Kṛṣṇa or Kṛṣṇa's disciples. That is our Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). This is the source of knowledge, avaroha-panthā, knowledge coming from higher authorities. Just like Ṛṣabhadeva is giving knowledge to His sons. That is natural.

So there may be different types of sources of knowledge, but the means are justified by the end.
Lecture on SB 5.5.29 -- Vrndavana, November 16, 1976:

So there may be different types of sources of knowledge, but the means are justified by the end. What is the end of life? The end of life is to understand Kṛṣṇa. If you don't like to say "Kṛṣṇa"—God. That is end of life.

But spiritual knowledge, unless you hear from the authority, there is no source of knowledge.
Lecture on SB 6.1.40 -- San Francisco, July 21, 1975:

Vedic knowledge means spiritual knowledge. Material knowledge also, the same process, any knowledge, especially spiritual knowledge. Because material things sometimes we can perceive directly because our body is material. But spiritual knowledge, unless you hear from the authority, there is no source of knowledge. You cannot understand. Because we do not see what is spirit. I am spirit, you are spirit, but I do not see your spirit soul, you do not see my spirit soul, because we have got material eyes.

The Supreme Lord, is Kṛṣṇa, sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha, anādi. He has no source of knowledge. That is called svayambhū.
Lecture on SB 6.1.40 -- San Francisco, July 21, 1975:

Similarly, anyone who becomes Kṛṣṇa's guru or Caitanya Mahāprabhu's guru, they take knowledge from him, but superficially Kṛṣṇa accepts guru. He has no guru. Svayambhū. Therefore it is called svayambhū. Svayambhū. Svayambhūr iti śuśruma. Kṛṣṇa has no cause. Sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam (Bs. 5.1). Anādir ādir govindaḥ. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ. Īśvara (Bs. 5.1), the Supreme Lord, is Kṛṣṇa, sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha, anādi. He has no source of knowledge. That is called svayambhū.

Veda, Vedānta, source of knowledge. So Vedas means knowledge, and Veda-anta... Anta means the last word.
Lecture on SB 6.1.44 -- Los Angeles, June 10, 1976:

In the society, human society, there must be a class of brāhmaṇa, intelligent class. So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is trying to create a section of the human society—real brāhmaṇa, intelligence. And the intelligence means Veda. Veda means knowledge. Knowledge... One who has got sufficient knowledge, he is intelligence, not the fool, rascal. So therefore the... There is Vedas, and there are Vedānta, Vedānta. Veda, Vedānta, source of knowledge. So Vedas means knowledge, and Veda-anta... Anta means the last word. So that anta knowledge, or the last word in knowledge, is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

Śāstra means authorized scriptures. Sādhu, śāstra and guru, and spiritual master. This is the source of knowledge.
Lecture on SB 6.1.49 -- Detroit, June 15, 1976:

So by understanding knowledge, real life from sādhu-śāstra-guru-vākya, by approaching saintly persons, sādhu... Śāstra means authorized scriptures. Sādhu, śāstra and guru, and spiritual master. This is the source of knowledge. And the Vedic injunction is tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). In order to learn that higher transcendental platform of knowledge, one should approach a guru, bona fide guru, who knows.

But that is not the only source of knowledge. There are many blind men who cannot see, but he has got full knowledge. There are other sources of knowledge.
Lecture on SB 6.1.51 -- Detroit, August 4, 1975:

We are perceiving by using our five knowledge-gathering senses, just like eyes, ear, cakṣu, karṇa, smell, nose. Cakṣu, karṇa, nāsikā, jihvā, tongue, touch, hand... In this way we get knowledge experience. Sometimes we stress on the knowledge experienced by the eyes: "I want to see." But that is not the only source of knowledge. There are many blind men who cannot see, but he has got full knowledge. There are other sources of knowledge. Just like a mango. You see the mango, but you cannot experience the full knowledge unless you use the tongue. Then you can say whether it is good mango or bad mango, not by seeing.

If you simply refer to śāstras for the right source of knowledge, then you get.
Lecture on SB 7.5.22-30 -- London, September 8, 1971:

Everything is there in the śāstra. If you simply refer to śāstras for the right source of knowledge, then you get. In the Bhagavad-gītā also it is said, yaḥ śāstra-vidhim utsṛjya. If you do things without reference to the śāstras, then Lord Kṛṣṇa says, na siddhiṁ sa avapnoti: "You will never get perfection." Na sukham: "Neither happiness."

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

So mother is the source of knowledge of the father.
Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.113 -- London, July 23, 1976:

Just like even though I do not know who is my father, but if I take information from my mother, then I can know. Mother says, "My dear child, he's your father." There's no question of research. You can immediately understand your father. Father must be there. But I do not know, that may be a problem, but when the mother says, "Here is your father," then where is the difficulty? So mother is the source of knowledge of the father. The Vedas, they are called mother. Veda-mātā. These books, Vedic knowledge, this is the mother. From mother you can take information that there is father. And here is father. Who is father? Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam.

Veda means knowledge, the source of knowledge.
Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.113 -- London, July 23, 1976:

So if you want knowledge, then you have to consult this Vedic knowledge. Veda means knowledge, the source of knowledge. That is called Veda. And the ultimate knowledge is Kṛṣṇa.

They do not get the source of knowledge from higher authorities; they manufacture their own way.
Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.125 -- New York, November 27, 1966:

Then the next stage is, above this karma, this ordinary, general people, there is a class, they are thinkers. They are thinkers: "Whether this is the solution of life?" So thinkers, some of them are dry thinkers, they have no knowledge, but they think only. They do not get the source of knowledge from higher authorities; they manufacture their own way. So apart from that, those who are bona fide thinkers, they are called jñānī.

Sri Brahma-samhita Lectures

If you study independently all the Vedas... Veda is the source of knowledge.
Lecture on Brahma-samhita, Verse 33 -- New York, July 19, 1971:

"Because Kṛṣṇa is yours, you can deliver Kṛṣṇa." Very nice song. "Kṛṣṇa is yours. By your devotional service, you have made Kṛṣṇa your property; so you can deliver Kṛṣṇa to me. Therefore I want to follow you as faithfully as a dog." Vedeṣu durlabham. This is confirmed in the Brahma-saṁhitā: vedeṣu durlabha. If you study independently all the Vedas... Veda is the source of knowledge. So vedeṣu durlabha, it will be difficult. But if we approach Kṛṣṇa's devotee, then it will be very easy.

General Lectures

From a spiritual master, from scriptures, from authoritative books, authoritative source of knowledge, that is called parataḥ.
Class in Los Angeles -- Los Angeles, November 15, 1968:

Just like many philosophers are thinking to reach the Absolute Truth beyond this limitation. That is called svataḥ, by personal speculation. Svataḥ, parataḥ. Parataḥ means from authorities. From a spiritual master, from scriptures, from authoritative books, authoritative source of knowledge, that is called parataḥ. Matir na kṛṣṇe parataḥ svato vā mitho. Mitho means by great assembly. Just like the United Nation is trying to solve the problem for the last many years, twenty to twenty-five years, all the nations.

Who is that source of knowledge? He must be abhijña. Wherefrom He got this knowledge? Svarāṭ. These things are explained.
Lecture -- Vrndavana, March 14, 1974:

"Absolute Truth is that from which or from whom everything emanates." Janmādy asya yataḥ. And Bhāgavata is explaining... That is commentary. What is that janmādy asya yataḥ? Janmādy asya yataḥ anvayād itarataś ca artheṣu abhijñaḥ sva-rāṭ. Who is that source of knowledge? He must be abhijña. Wherefrom He got this knowledge? Svarāṭ. These things are explained.

Philosophy Discussions

Therefore it is called avāṅ-manasā gocaraḥ, adhokṣaja—there are so many names.
Philosophy Discussion on David Hume:

Śyāmasundara: He says there is no other source of knowledge except the senses.

Prabhupāda: No. We don't agree. Therefore it is called avāṅ-manasā gocaraḥ, adhokṣaja—there are so many names. The senses are imperfect. They cannot reach.

Intelligence. The source of knowledge is intelligence. Intelligence acts through mind, and then some conclusion comes.
Philosophy Discussion on Immanuel Kant:

Śyāmasundara: Today we are discussing Immanuel Kant. Basically, his philosophy seeks to trace the relationship between a priori ideas, or those ideas of the mind which are independent of sense experience, and the a posteriori ideas, or sense impressions. He wants to unify these two positions. So he wrote The Critique of Pure Reason, in which he asks the fundamental question, "How are a priori synthetic judgments possible?" In other words, how can we decide anything, judge anything? Where does this facility come from? What is the source of knowledge?

Prabhupāda: Intelligence. The source of knowledge is intelligence. Intelligence acts through mind, and then some conclusion comes. Man is mortal, so here is a man, intelligence; he must be mortal. This a priori idea means "I know man is mortal; therefore here is a man, he must be mortal." A priori means before. And what is the other?

To come to some conclusion. That is the source of knowledge which is beyond my senses.
Philosophy Discussion on Immanuel Kant:

Śyāmasundara: In other words, the thought content comes from higher authorities, then you apply your senses and the two combine.

Prabhupāda: To come to some conclusion. That is the source of knowledge which is beyond my senses.

You might not have seen, you have not source of knowledge to understand, but you have to accept it, because all these species are now existing.
Philosophy Discussion on Charles Darwin:

Prabhupāda: No, no. Earlier times or modern times, when I see the all different species, 8,400,000 species of life still existing, so what is the question of development? It existed long ago also. You might not have seen, you have not source of knowledge to understand, but you have to accept it, because all these species are now existing. Similarly, millions of years ago all these species existed. You might have missed. That is a different thing.

Our source of knowledge is different. We do not depend on experimental knowledge.
Philosophy Discussion on Charles Darwin:

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

But my source of knowledge is different. Your source of knowledge is different.
Philosophy Discussion on Charles Darwin:

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

Prabhupāda: That is not the denied. Dinosaur you may not have seen, it may be existing some other... Neither I have seen the 8,400,000 different species of, different forms of life. But my source of knowledge is different. Your source of knowledge is different. You are experimenter with imperfect senses. I am taking from the perfect who has seen, who knows things. Therefore my knowledge is perfect.

How he takes the knowledge, if it comes..., does not come to the final conclusion? That kind of knowledge anyone can get.
Philosophy Discussion on Henri Bergson:

Atreya Ṛṣi: Prabhupāda, I have another question about... There are certain scientists, who through speculative knowledge, they have acquired some little bit of knowledge through speculation. My question is, Prabhupāda, that yes, maybe through speculation we can get knowledge, some knowledge, but isn't it, as Kṛṣṇa says that He is the source of all knowledge and there is no way to get to any knowledge except through His representative, that that, for example, if Bergson comes to the knowledge, even though he did not accept a spiritual master or a prophet, he acquired it because that knowledge was made available to him through some other way. In other words...

Prabhupāda: How he takes the knowledge, if it comes..., does not come to the final conclusion? That kind of knowledge anyone can get. It does not need a philosophy. To some extent.

Page Title:Source of knowledge (Lectures)
Compiler:Labangalatika, Visnu Murti, Sureshwardas
Created:19 of Jan, 2010
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=33, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:33