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Speculators (Lectures)

Expressions researched:
"speculator" |"speculator's" |"speculators"

Notes from the compiler: VedaBase query:speculator or speculators or speculator's not "mental speculator" not "mental speculator's" not "mental speculators"

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 1.20 -- London, July 17, 1973:

Just like all the businessmen, they assemble in exchange, like stock exchange. So there is howling, great sound, talking with each other, tumultuous sound. That tumultuous sound means one businessman is talking, "What is your rate? This is my rate. What is your rate?" That's all. You cannot expect that a stock exchange, the people gathered there, they are talking something about Bhāgavata and Bhagavad-gītā. No.

Similarly, when there is talk between the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa and His devotee, so this whole talk is bhakti. It is nothing else. They derive some meaning, jñāna, jñānātmaka-vyākhyā. They describe on the understanding of the jñānīs, philosophical speculators. They are also candidate. Those who are jñānis actually, they are also interested to know what is Kṛṣṇa. Jñānī ca bharatarṣabha, jijñāsur. Ārto arthārthī jijñāsur jñānī ca bharatarṣabha (BG 7.16). These four classes of men, provided their background is pious life....

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

Tattva-darśibhiḥ saṅkhye (?) ubhayor api dṛṣṭo 'ntaḥ, conclusion. Although Kṛṣṇa is saying that this is sat and this is asat, this is permanent and this is nonpermanent, but still, He is giving evidences that tattva-darśibhiḥ, those who have seen the truth, they have concluded like that. This is, means, authority. "They have concluded like that. Don't think that I am manufacturing something. No." Tattva-darśibhiḥ. This is the way of understanding. Whether tattva-darśibhiḥ. We also give reference sometimes in the modern age that such and such professor says such and such. But they are not tattva-darśibhiḥ. They are all speculator. They are not tattva-darśibhiḥ. But we have to go to the tattva-darśī.

Lecture on BG 2.46-62 -- Los Angeles, December 16, 1968:

Prabhupāda: Mental speculators are called muni. There are so many munis. Go on.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "It is said that every muni has a different angle of vision, and unless one muni is different in view from another, he cannot be called a muni in the strict sense of the term. But a sthita-dhīr muni, the kind mentioned herein by the Lord is different from an ordinary muni. The sthita-dhīr muni is always in Kṛṣṇa consciousness for he has finished all his business with creative speculation.

Lecture on BG 3.1-5 -- Los Angeles, December 20, 1968:

And if you simply stick to your own religious ritualistic principles, don't try to understand the philosophy of everything, then you become a fanatic. So we should not become religious fanatics, nor dry mental speculators. Both these classes of men are dangerous. They cannot make any advance. The combination. You should be religious, but try to understand each and every line philosophically.

Lecture on BG 3.1-5 -- Los Angeles, December 20, 1968:

Philosophical process... You can show by jugglery of words your academic qualification, but it will not take you to the right... We have seen many such philosophical speculators. They are simply talking in the meeting. But that's all. And if we take, study their private character it is less than ordinary man. Less than ordinary man. That will not help us in this age. You see? You may take some credit in a meeting, "Oh, he is a very nice speaker." So what is that if you become a nice speaker? What will help you in your spiritual realization? This is. If you do one minute's Hare Kṛṣṇa, it will give you immediate result. One second, if you chant or hear. This is so nice. Direct method. Immediate effect. Go on.

Lecture on BG 4.1 -- Montreal, August 24, 1968:

Kṛṣṇa wanted. So he's free. So karma-yogī means he is free from the reaction of activities. He is karma-yogī. Similarly jñāna-yogī. Somebody is addicted to work very hard. Somebody is addicted to speculate philosophically. So for the speculator, Kṛṣṇa says, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate (BG 7.19). The persons who are addicted to speculative knowledge, after many, many births, he comes to the understanding: vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti (BG 7.19), "Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṇa, is everything." That means termination of knowledge. That is jñāna-yoga. If by his research work he tries to understand what is Kṛṣṇa by philosophy or by science or anything, by chemistry, by physics... That is recommended in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam:

Lecture on BG 4.9 -- Bombay, March 29, 1974:

To satisfy the senses that is sukh. That is happiness. And those who are a little disgusted with sense gratification, indriyāṇi parāṇy āhur indriyebhyaḥ paraṁ manaḥ (BG 3.42). They are mental speculators. They write poetries and utopian theories, "This philosophy, that philosophy." In this way they satisfy the mind. But that is also not happiness. Mental happiness. Mano-rathena asato dhāvato bahiḥ. If you become satisfied by mental happiness, then you'll have to come down again. Asato. Asato mā sad-gamaḥ. Real life is: "Don't stay in this temporary world but go to the real world, paras tasmāt tu bhāvo 'nyo 'vyakto 'vyaktāt sanātanaḥ (BG 8.20)

Lecture on BG 4.9 -- Bombay, March 29, 1974:

That is real meditation. So in this way, if we engage our life, that means bhakti-yoga, then Kṛṣṇa reveals, ataḥ sri-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ (CC Madhya 17.136). If you simply speculate, tax your senses to understand Kṛṣṇa by so-called scholarship, that will not help you. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau. You engage your tongue in the service of the Lord, then He'll reveal.

It is a revelation. It is not speculation. The speculators cannot understand what is Kṛṣṇa, that is not possible. Those who are actually devotees, teṣāṁ satata-yuktānām (BG 10.10). Twenty-four hours engaged in the service of the Lord.

Lecture on BG 4.11 -- Geneva, June 1, 1974:

There are three different types of transcendentalists. They are called the jñānīs, the yogis and the bhaktas. Jñānīs means those who are trying to understand the Absolute Truth in impersonal feature, brahma-jyotir. The jñānīs means those who are mental speculators, philosophers, neti neti. They are trying to understand the Absolute Truth by dint of their limited knowledge. They are called jñānīs. And the yogis, the mystics, they are trying to find out the Supreme Personality of Godhead within the heart. Because the Lord is situated in everyone's heart as Supersoul.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Calcutta, January 27, 1973:

That yoga system, kṛṣṇa-yoga system, is described in this Bhagavad-gītā, Seventh Chapter: mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha yogaṁ yuñjan mad-āśrayaḥ, asaṁśayaṁ samagraṁ mām (BG 7.1). Asaṁśayam, "without any doubt." In any other process, you cannot understand what is God in full sense. That is not possible. By speculating process... There are so many speculators, theosophist, theologist, philosopher, Māyāvādī. They are speculating about God by... But that, by that process, by speculative process, you cannot understand God. That is not possible. Panthās tu... It is stated in the Brahma-saṁhitā:

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Durban, October 9, 1975:

So it is very easy thing. Simply we have to take to this yoga system, yogaṁ yuñjan mad-āśrayaḥ, under the shelter of Kṛṣṇa or His devotee. Then we shall understand what is God in full, samagram. Samagram means full, without any doubt. Other, mental speculators, they are in doubt. They do not know whether there is God or what kind of God He is, what does He do or what is His business, so many things. But these Kṛṣṇa conscious people, they know exactly what is God and where is His address, where is His family. Everything they know, samagram, samagram and asaṁśaya, without any doubt. Not that, "Yes, I have now come to know God, where He lives, His address and His activity, but it may not be," saṁśaya.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Nairobi, October 27, 1975:

They'll never understand Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says that "If you want to know Me," asaṁśayaṁ samagram, "if you want to know Me in full, completely, without any doubt, then you have to follow this yoga system," mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha yogaṁ yuñjan mad-āśrayaḥ. Otherwise it is not possible.

So all these nonsense speculators... We use purposefully "nonsense," because they have no sense, simply speculating. God is unlimited. How you...? Your mind is limited. What you can speculate? "May be like this, may be like that," that's all. "Perhaps it is like this." All simply theoretical. It is never possible to know Kṛṣṇa, God, perfectly and completely by the speculating method. It is not possible.

Lecture on BG 7.1-3 -- Ahmedabad, December 14, 1972:

So for, by standard knowledge, by understanding Vedas, that is standard knowledge. Still, although they are siddhas, still they do not understand Kṛṣṇa. Just like karmīs, jñānīs, yogis, they have taken to standard knowledge. That's a fact. But still, they cannot understand Kṛṣṇa. The Māyāvādīs, the impersonalists, the speculators, they cannot understand. They are surprised, that "How Kṛṣṇa can be the Absolute Truth?" Even a, a great scholar, Dr. Radhakrishnan, he's also amazed. He says that "Bhagavad-gītā is mental speculation." And when Kṛṣṇa says on the Ninth Chapter... He writes commentary. Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). He says that "It is not up to Kṛṣṇa, but the fact which is within Kṛṣṇa." So he does not know what is Kṛṣṇa, and still, he dares to write commentary on Bhagavad-gītā. This is the difficulty. Kṛṣṇa has no inside or outside.

Lecture on BG 7.1-3 -- Ahmedabad, December 14, 1972:

Every living entity is described as prakṛti. No living entity is puruṣa. Puruṣa is only Kṛṣṇa. So when we are thinking, "I have become a puruṣa, enjoyer," that is māyā. That is māyā. (break) ...as woman or man, but actually, every one of us, woman, prakṛti. Every one of us. And every one of us are thinking as man. Even the woman. Man means enjoyer. So everyone is thinking enjoyer, "I am enjoyer." And this is called māyā. And about the gopīs, it is better not to speculate. The speculator's writing has no value. Gopīs, they are pleasure potency expansion of Kṛṣṇa. Ānanda-cinmaya-sad-ujjvala-vigrahasya (Bs. 5.32).

Lecture on BG 7.1-3 -- Ahmedabad, December 14, 1972:

Out of many millions of siddhas, one can understand Kṛṣṇa as He is. If we do not understand Kṛṣṇa, then how we can understand gopīs?

So this is not the subject matter of the mental speculators. Better not to read all these books. Because they are not realized souls, neither they are devotees of Kṛṣṇa. Neither do they know what is Kṛṣṇa. So what they will understand about Kṛṣṇa? So if we want to understand Kṛṣṇa, er, gopīs, then we have to learn it from the perfect devotee of Kṛṣṇa, not from the speculators, mental speculators. This is simply a waste of time. Just like Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says, rūpa-raghunātha-pade haibe ākuti, kabe hāma bujhabo se yugala-pīriti. Yugala-pīriti, the love between Kṛṣṇa and Rādhārāṇī... The gopīs are expansion of Rādhārāṇī, pleasure potency of Kṛṣṇa...

Lecture on BG 7.1-3 -- Ahmedabad, December 14, 1972:

And the parakīyā-rasa, the sense of paramourship, that is also there. But this is not this parakīyā-rasa, as we understand from this material world. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu, er Sanātana Gosvāmī has said that avaiṣṇava-mukhodgīrṇaṁ pūtaṁ hari-kathāmṛtam, śravaṇaṁ naiva kartavyam. Those, one who is not Vaiṣṇava... So it is, mental speculator, it is useless to learn from them what is the relationship between the gopīs and Kṛṣṇa. Neither it has to be practiced artificially. These things are rejected. So my request is that you should not read all these books, simply waste your time.

Lecture on BG 7.1-3 -- Stockholm, September 10, 1973:

Just like we see every day the sun with our eyes, but because our senses are imperfect, we see the sun like a disc, although it is fourteen hundred thousand times bigger than this earth. In this way, if we analyze our senses, it will be found that our senses are imperfect. By the imperfect senses speculating, that is not perfect. Therefore all the speculators, they, so-called scientists, philosophers, they put forward theories: "Perhaps," "It may be," like that. That means it is not perfect knowledge. But if we receive knowledge from the supreme perfect God, that it is actually perfect. Our process is like that.

Lecture on BG 7.1-3 -- Paris, June 13, 1974:

So those who are aware of the Absolute Truth, they say that Absolute Truth is one, but He's realized in three angle of vision, namely, Brahman, Paramātmā, and Bhagavān. Those who are trying to speculate and understand the Absolute Truth, they can realize up to impersonal Brahman. So generally, speculators means big, big philosophers. They can understand that impersonal Brahman. These impersonalists are generally known as jñānīs. Jñānīs means the wise men or persons who are very much aware of everything. So they can understand the impersonal feature of the Absolute Truth. But there are other class who are called yogis.

Lecture on BG 7.1-3 -- Paris, June 13, 1974:

The dhyāna-yogī and jñāna-yogī can also go to the Brahmaloka or brahma-jyotir, but there is chance of falling down again to this material world. But generally, jñāna-yogī remains a speculator within this material world, and dhyāna-yogī, they, as soon as they get some material miracle power, they become implicated with this power, no more going to the spiritual world. But bhakti-yogī, being perfectly the yogi, the topmost yogi, he can enter the kingdom of God, or the planet where God is there. God is everywhere, but He has got a special planet, which is called Goloka Vṛndāvana. You can enter there and mix with the Supreme Lord just like we are here, mixing one another. I can see you, you can see me, similarly, you can go directly, see God and live with Him, dance with Him, play with Him, eat with Him. That is the perfection of life.

Lecture on BG 7.3 -- Bombay, March 29, 1971:

That is Kṛṣṇa's kindness. Otherwise, by so-called mental speculation, you cannot understand Kṛṣṇa. It is not possible. Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ (CC Madhya 17.136). If a person is very expert in exercising his senses, mental speculator, it is not that he will understand Kṛṣṇa. Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi. Nāmādi means His holy name, Hare Kṛṣṇa. Because name is the first. In our, this forgetful condition, our first business is to chant the holy name. Therefore nāmādi. To understand Kṛṣṇa we have to chant His holy name first, ādi. Then gradually, Kṛṣṇa's qualities, Kṛṣṇa's form, Kṛṣṇa's pastimes, Kṛṣṇa's entourage and everything will be revealed.

Lecture on BG 9.11-14 -- New York, November 27, 1966:

Koṭi means ten million, and koṭi-śata-vatsara, similarly, millions and millions of years, with the speed of air and with the speed of mind, if you proceed to speculate, to understand the Supreme, oh, that is not possible. That is not possible. So many speculators at the present moment or in the past, speculating, speculating, speculating. They never reach the point, never reach the point. There is not a single instance that they have reached the point.

Lecture on BG 10.1 -- New York, December 30, 1966:

Satāṁ prasaṅgāt. When discussions take place between pure devotees, then the potency of spiritual knowledge, as they are depicted in the scriptures and sacred books, they become revealed. Simply armchair, I mean to say, mental speculators, discussing on Bhagavad-gītā, that is useless, futile. Here it is stated that satāṁ prasaṅgān mama vīrya-saṁvido bhavanti hṛt-karṇa-rasāyanāḥ kathāḥ (SB 3.25.25). If it is discussed in the association of pure devotees, then the potency of that spiritual language will be revealed. Will be revealed.

Lecture on BG 13.3 -- Bombay, September 26, 1973:

Caitanya Mahāprabhu also accepted this. Sthāne sthitaḥ śruti-gataṁ tanu-vāṅ-manobhiḥ. Jñāne prayāsam udapāsya namanta eva. We have to be submissive. Not a speculator, that "Now I have become Brahman." Brahman, everyone is Brahman. There is no question of becoming Brahman. We have now forgotten. We have forgotten that we are Brahman. We are misidentifying with this body. This is māyā. Otherwise...

Therefore Bhagavad-gītā says, brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54). It is not that by some process I become Brahman.

Lecture on BG 16.7 -- Hawaii, February 3, 1975:

The demonic people, they do not have the truth. Only on false theory, the Darwin's theory... We have commented upon Darwin's theory also in our book, Scientific Basis of Kṛṣṇa Consciousness. Dr. Svarūpa Dāmodara Brahmacārī, he has written a small booklet. He has criticized Darwin very strongly, that he is a speculator. A speculator cannot give you truth. That is not possible. By speculation you cannot say, "Two plus two equal to five." That is not science. "Two plus two equal to four," that is everywhere. And if you speculate, "No, two plus two equal to five," or "two plus two equal to three," that is not science. So scientific basis means it should be fact, not speculation, mano-dharma. Mano-dharma means speculation.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.1.2 -- London, August 15, 1971:

This is the chance.

Now, this liberation, there are different types of liberation, five kinds of liberation: sāyujya-mukti, sārūpya-mukti, sālokya-mukti, sārṣṭi-mukti...hmm...sāyujya, sārūpya, sālokya, sārṣṭi, sāmīpya. Mukti, liberation. There are different kinds of liberation. The first liberation, as the jñānīs or the speculators want, it is another side of voidism, to merge into the existence of the Absolute. They don't want varieties. Because they have got a very bad experience of the varieties in the material world, they, as soon as there is question of varieties, they become shuddered, "Oh, again varieties?" They do not know that there is blissful varieties in association with Kṛṣṇa. They can not accommodate in their brain on account of poor fund of knowledge. Therefore they want sāyujya-mukti, to merge into the existence of the..., to become one with the Supreme.

Lecture on SB 1.1.4 -- London, August 27, 1973:

What is that?" "A very big span of water." So he is calculating how big. He is in the three feet. He thinks, "Maybe four feet." "No, very..." "Five." "No, very big." "Six." Go on, five, four, six, seven, millions. Where is your calculation? Similarly, these speculators, they are thinking, "God? I am God. He may be like me. He and me. All right." "No, you are not God." "All right. God may be little more than me. Little more intelligent." (laughter) This is frog philosophy. And when they hear, yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya jīvanti loma-vilajā jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ (Bs. 5.48), all the universes are coming out in the breathing period of Mahā-Viṣṇu, and that Mahā-Viṣṇu is partial representation of Kṛṣṇa, "These are all stories." Even they are informed about the capacity of God, they take it as story. This is the position.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- London, August 26, 1971:

The real, literal meaning of adhokṣaja: adhaḥ—this is Sanskrit word—adhaḥ means "made down," and akṣaja, akṣaja means sense perception, knowledge acquired by sense perception. So adhokṣaja means the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who cuts down all kinds of sense perceptional activities. Just like the mental speculators, they are making research, "What is God?" Speculating. You have got experience, they are writing volumes of books simply by speculation. So to them, this word is the answer. What is that? Adhah-kṛtaṁ akṣajaṁ jñānam: "You may go on speculating for many thousands of years; still you will be cut down, you will never be able to understand what is God." Therefore this particular word is used, adhokṣaja. Adhah-kṛtaṁ akṣajaṁ jñānaṁ yatra tatram. This is the Sanskrit definition of this word.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Mauritius, October 5, 1975:

So at the present moment we are engaged in the activities of material energy. Just like we are economists, nationalists, scientists, and so on, so on. That means all our engagements are within this material energy, even psychologists, mental speculators, philosophers—all material energy. But that is not our superior engagement. The superior engagement is explained here, sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo (SB 1.2.6). Superior engage means to remain engaged in devotional service of the Supreme Lord. Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje. Bhakti.

Lecture on SB 1.2.7 -- Delhi, November 13, 1973:

Or "The governor, he has come into the prison house; therefore he is also like one of us." No. Out of his mercy, he comes.

People are searching after God. The so-called speculators, big, big scholars, they are trying to understand God. "God may be like this, may be like that." Why "may be"? You do not know God. Just admit that you do not know. Why you are cheating? "May be" means you do not know. So why don't you say, "I do not know"?

Lecture on SB 1.2.8 -- New Vrindaban, September 6, 1972:

Because there are two classes of men always within this world, atheist and theist, asura and deva, devatā. So not that atheist class men have developed at the present moment. It may be the number has increased, but atheist class of men were long, long ago also. There was Carvaka Muni, he was also called muni. Muni means mental speculator, or thoughtful. So this Carvaka Muni, he also presented his philosophy, atheism, that ṛṇāṁ kṛtvā ghṛtaṁ yāvaj jīvet sukhaṁ jīvet. So long you live, you live very joyfully by enjoying your senses. This is atheistic principle. And in India the sense enjoyment principle is based on ghee, clarified butter, because if they get butter, they prepare so many nice preparations. You have also learned how to do it.

Lecture on SB 1.2.8 -- Vrndavana, October 19, 1972:

Whatever it may be, it doesn't matter. Sthāne sthitāḥ. Don't be disturbed. Don't try to change your position. But jñāne prayāsam udapāsya namanta eva. Don't try to speculate, "God is like this, God is like that." Speculator, mental speculator. Give up this habit. Just become humble, namra. Jñāne prayāsaṁ namanta. Namanta means namra. Namra, offering obeisances. Just like we offer daṇḍavats. So similarly, namanta, to surrender. In a surrendering spirit, in a humble spirit, try to hear about the Supreme from the realized souls. This is the process. San-mukharitām. Not professional. One who has actually realized, from him, if you hear, meek and humble, without speculating mentally, then by this process only, one can realize the Supreme Lord very easily. Supreme Lord is called Ajita; nobody can conquer Him.

Lecture on SB 1.2.10 -- Bombay, December 28, 1972:

Then one must associate with sādhu, chraddadhāna munayo, must be thoughtful philosopher, munayo. Chraddadhāna munayo. Tac chraddadhāna munayo jñāna-vairāgya-yuktayā (SB 1.2.12). Simply mental speculator or philosopher will not do. He must have complete knowledge, and the effect of knowledge must be, he must be renounced, without any attachment for material world, jñāna-vairāgya-yuktayā.

Lecture on SB 1.2.12 -- Delhi, November 18, 1973:

That is also richness. So that richness I have already explained. Here in the material world the same thing is represented pervertedly, not in actual position. Therefore we are frustrated.

So there are two kinds of philosophers. The mental speculators, empiric philosophers, they therefore reject that this should be zero. Here the association of woman is so abominable that it should be rejected. But they have no information that this association of woman and man is so, I mean to say, opulent in the spiritual world. Otherwise how Kṛṣṇa is associating with the gopīs?

Lecture on SB 1.2.14-16 -- San Francisco, March 24, 1967:

You haven't got to tax your brain by meditation, by speculation. Everything is there. You have simply to place, submit, "Here is kṛṣṇa-kathā. Here is Bhagavad-gītā and here is Bhāgavata. Just please hear." That is your business. You need not become a very learned speculator. Just like there are so many books simply full of speculation. You haven't got to do that. Caitanya Mahāprabhu is giving very simple formula. Yāre dekha tāre kaha 'kṛṣṇa'-upadeśa (CC Madhya 7.128). Kṛṣṇa-upadeśa means instruction of Kṛṣṇa-instruction given by Kṛṣṇa or instructions spoken about Lord Kṛṣṇa. If you do this then you become a spiritual master.

Lecture on SB 1.2.21 -- Vrndavana, November 1, 1972:

Yes. One can speculate about the Absolute Truth to certain extent. Therefore, generally, these speculators become impersonalists. Because they cannot go beyond that. But that impersonal knowledge is not complete. As we have several times stressed on this point, one has to go further, onward: realization of Paramātmā, realization of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. But they stop only in impersonal view. That's all. Go on.

Lecture on SB 1.5.12-13 -- New Vrindaban, June 11, 1969:

"Whether I shall fight or not fight?" So you become thoughtful. That's very nice. But don't be thoughtful without accepting a spiritual master. That thoughtfulness will not help you, because you are conditioned. You are, you have got the four kinds of defects. So that defect will not... Simply by becoming philosopher, speculator, will not help you. Athāpi te deva ciraṁ vicinvan (SB 10.14.29). You cannot understand God for millions and millions of thinking. No, it is not possible.

Lecture on SB 1.5.12-13 -- New Vrindaban, June 11, 1969:

That is stated in the Brahma-saṁhitā. Muni-puṅgava. Muni-puṅgava means "the greatest of all thoughtful men." Muni means mental speculator, and puṅgava means first class, the highest, topmost. Puṅgava. So if such thoughtful speculators go on speculating about understanding God... How? Vāyor athāpi manasaḥ. In the speed of, in the velocity of air and mind. Not sputnik. A sputnik can run... Your mechanical can run, say, eighteen thousand miles per hour, but the air, that can run still more quicker. And the mind can run still more quicker.

Lecture on SB 1.5.25 -- Vrndavana, August 6, 1974:

Just like for bodily comforts, there are so many scientists, physiologists, biologists. They are trying to understand the constitution of the body. They are busy. And similarly, mental speculators, philosophers, they are also busy. Similarly, the ultimate ātma-ruciḥ if we want to know, then we should be busy with such persons who are engaged in that type of ātma-ruciḥ. That is called sādhu-saṅga (CC Madhya 22.83). Saṅgāt sañjāyate kāmaḥ. As you associate, so your desires become, I mean to say, attached.

So here it is said that dvijaiḥ..., ucchiṣṭa-lepān anumodito dvijaiḥ. Dvijaiḥ, the brāhmaṇa... And the supreme brāhmaṇa is the devotee, kṛṣṇaika-śaraṇa.

Lecture on SB 1.8.18 -- Mayapura, September 28, 1974:

Anyone who is in receipt of little favor of Kṛṣṇa, he can understand Kṛṣṇa.

So Kṛṣṇa is the original person. Another significance of this verse: Kṛṣṇa is not woman. Just like there are some so-called speculators, that "Kṛṣṇa is also... Kṛṣṇa, the Absolute Truth, or the Supreme Person, can, is also woman." But He's not woman. He can assume the role of woman if He likes, but does not mean He's woman, woman. He's man. Man means the enjoyer. Man, or puruṣa. Not man. Puruṣa. So They are puruṣāvatāra. The three Viṣṇus, They are called puruṣāvatāra.

Lecture on SB 1.8.19 -- Chicago, July 5, 1974 :

He is, actually He is already indicated in the śāstra that God is situated within your heart. So then when your eyes are clear, then you can see, hṛayeṣu, always existing. But so long you are mūḍha-dṛśa, you are mental speculator, the curtain is covered, the covering is there, you cannot see Kṛṣṇa. Māyā-javanikācchannam ajñādhokṣajam avyayam na lakṣyase, "You are not visible," mūḍha-dṛśa, "by persons who are rascal and simply believe in direct perception," mūḍha-dṛśa. How it is? In Sanskrit language you will find exact example is given, naṭo nāṭyadharo yathā. Just like you have gone to see a performance, dramatic performance, and some of your relatives, say your brother or father, is playing there, but he is dressed in such a way that you can not recognize he is your father.

Lecture on SB 1.8.20 -- New York, April 12, 1973:

So Kuntīdevī says that "You are meant for the paramahaṁsas, not for the rascals and fools. You are meant for the paramahaṁsa." Tathā paramahaṁsānāṁ munīnām (SB 1.8.20). Munīnām means those who are thoughtful. Also mental speculators, they are called also muni. Munīnām amalātmanām. Amala. There is no dirty things in their heart. Materialistic person means full of dirty things within the heart. What is that dirty things? That lust and greediness. That's all. This is the dirty things. All materialistic persons, they are lusty and greedy. Therefore their heart is full of dirty things.

Lecture on SB 1.8.20 -- Mayapura, September 30, 1974:

"You Yourself descend to propagate the transcendental science of devotional service unto the hearts of the advanced transcendentalists and mental speculators who are purified by being able to discriminate between matter and spirit. How, then, can we women know You perfectly?"

Lecture on SB 1.8.33 -- Mayapura, October 13, 1974:

And we say paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma (BG 10.12), or Kṛṣṇa, all-attractive. But the aim is to understand Kṛṣṇa, that Kṛṣṇa personally appears so that your misgivings, misunderstandings may be mitigated immediately—"Here I am." The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is for this purpose, that "You religionists, you philosophers, you scientists, you speculators, you are all... theosophists, so many, you are searching after God, and here is God, Kṛṣṇa." But they are so unfortunate, they'll not accept it. "No, why shall I accept Kṛṣṇa as God?" Then why you shall not? That is our question. If you do not accept Kṛṣṇa as God, then you must know what is God. That, if I ask him, "Do you know what is God?" "That I do not know."

Lecture on SB 1.16.17 -- Los Angeles, January 12, 1974:

So Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means to be situated above this material conception. Ahaṁ mameti (SB 5.5.8). Janasya moho' yam ahaṁ mameti. This conception, that "I am the proprietor, and everything belongs to me," this conception is called illusion. And this illusion increases by mental speculation. Ultimately, that mental speculator remains in darkness, but he thinks that he has become liberated. This is another darkness. Another darkness. That is described in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam: ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninaḥ. He Aravindākṣa.

Lecture on SB 2.1.2 -- Vrndavana, March 17, 1974:

And those who are busy in understanding the bodily concept of life, they are also materialistic. The difficulty is that these, these materialistic persons, in different forms, they are accepted as the leaders. They are accepted as leader, as politician, as sociologist, as philosopher, mental speculator, or so-called incarnation of God, and magician, yogis, so many things. They are leading the whole society at the present moment. Therefore people are in chaotic condition.

Lecture on SB 2.3.11-12 -- Los Angeles, May 29, 1972:

Only a pure devotee of the Lord can show one the right way of progressive life. Otherwise both the materialistic way of life, without any information of God or the demigods, and the life engaged in the worship of demigods, in pursuit of temporary material enjoyments, are different phases of phantasmagoria. They are nicely explained in the Bhagavad-gītā also, but the Bhagavad-gītā can be understood in the association of pure devotees only, and not by the interpretations of politicians or dry philosophical speculators.

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

Anyone who does not understand what is Kṛṣṇa and what is Kṛṣṇa's service, he may be very big man in the ordinary estimation, but we don't give him any value.

Harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇā manorathenāsati dhāvato bahiḥ (SB 5.18.12). Because they are mental speculators. They have no value. They have their value in their own way, but according to our line of thought, they have no value. So prajalpa ... In this way, prajalpa, there is tendency of talking. You talk of Kṛṣṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Just like we assembled together, few friends, (baby cries) we want to vibrate something. Just like the child is also vibrating. That is nature. A bird will vibrate, a beast will vibrate.

Lecture on SB 3.25.31 -- Bombay, December 1, 1974:

The mother was submissive because to understand the sāṅkhya-yoga, bhakti-yoga, it requires... The first condition is submission. Tad viddhi praṇipātena (BG 4.34). You cannot understand the sāṅkhya-yoga system or bhakti-yoga system by falsely being proud that you are very learned scholar or speculator. These things will not help. You have to hear about Kṛṣṇa very submissively and accepting, not challenging. Then you will be able to understand. Sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṅ-manobhiḥ. You remain in your position. It doesn't matter what you are, simply you hear about Kṛṣṇa. There are so many things about Kṛṣṇa we can hear.

Lecture on SB 3.26.29 -- Bombay, January 6, 1975:

So this is even in the material field of activities, and what to speak of the spiritual. Therefore we have to hear from the authorities of śruti. Authorities of śruti... Kṛṣṇa is the original speaker of śruti, or Veda knowledge. Therefore Vedic knowledge is called apauruṣeya. It is not manufactured or concocted by some mental speculator. It is coming from the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and it was imparted first of all to Lord Brahmā, not by personal presentation, but through the heart. Brahmā is the original person to understand Vedic knowledge. So after his birth he meditated for hundreds of years, and by meditation, through his heart the knowledge of Vedas, śruti, became revealed. Tene brahma hṛdā ādi-kavaye. Ādi-kavi means Brahmā.

Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Hyderabad, April 11, 1975:

Then, a little forward, we are interested with the mind. First of all body, this gross body made of five, earth, air, fire, water, and ether. Then we become interested with the mental speculation, psychology—thinking, feeling, willing. So indriyāṇi parāṇy āhur indriyebhyaḥ paraṁ manaḥ (BG 3.42). Mind. The mental speculators, the jñānīs, they are better than the karmīs. Karmīs means who are simply entrapped with this sensual gratification, that's all. So, jñānī, karmī, jñānī, and yogi, and then, when one is interested with the spirit soul and spirit soul's activities, then he is bhakta. That is... Actually the basic principle of activity is the soul. As soon as the soul is gone, there is no more activity, either mental activity or bodily activity. So if we want actually progress of life, then we must realize our constitutional position as the spirit soul, not as the mind, not as the body.

Lecture on SB 6.1.7 -- San Francisco, March 1, 1967:

If you go to the authorized person, he can adjust. But you cannot see. You see, you'll see contradiction. So śrutayo vibhinnāḥ. Therefore they are considered different, but actually, they are not different. Śrutayo vibhinnāḥ. Tarko 'pratiṣṭhaḥ śrutayo vibhinnā nāsau munir yasya mataṁ na bhinnam. And there are speculators, so-called philosophers, putting theories and doctrines. So one doctrine is different from another doctrine. And people are convinced that no doctrine is absolute; therefore they are going on searching doctrine after doctrine throughout the whole life, and they do not know... Just like the theosophists. They go on, simply searching.

Lecture on SB 6.1.7 -- Honolulu, May 8, 1976:

A spiritual master is considered directly as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Sākṣād. Sākṣād means directly. Why? Because he is jñāna-prada. He gives knowledge, real knowledge. That is the qualification of spiritual master. Nobody can become spiritual master if he has no knowledge. If he's a speculator, he cannot become a spiritual master. He must give the right knowledge. Then he is bona fide spiritual master. Otherwise he's a bogus. Jñāna-prada. And without real knowledge, our life is useless.

Just like this morning we were talking so many things.

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

This is very natural. If you have got a different type of philosophy, you can write. Why you should touch Bhagavad-gītā and misrepresent it? So because they are śūdras—their business is to cheat—they do that. But a brāhmaṇa will not do that. Yathānugītānām. Yathānugītānām. Brāhmaṇa means as it is, they will describe. That is brāhmaṇa. And if one has got some motive, that "Bhagavad-gītā is popular book. Let me utilize it and make my rascal philosophy popular..." This is going on. Big, big politician, big, big mental speculator... No. That is wrong. That is... A brāhmaṇa should present as it is. Yathānugītānām. This word is used.

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

The first concern means cows and brāhmaṇa. Many times He has repeated, go-rakṣya. Why He did not say "pig-rakṣya"? No. He said, go-rakṣya, because without cows' milk there is no civilization. You will not have nice brain to understand things, simply speculate. We are discussing the philosophy of so many speculators, simply talking nonsense. Simply... Why? This speculator to another, he says, "I think, I..." What you are? You can think? First of all you become brāhmaṇa; then you can think properly. Where is your education as brāhmaṇa? Where is that brain? Eating all nasty things and you become a brāhmaṇa? Therefore Kṛṣṇa's is go-brāhmaṇa-hitāya ca.

Lecture on SB 6.1.24 -- Chicago, July 8, 1975:

The so-called philosopher, theosophists, theologists, these are useless. You cannot speculate to understand the Absolute Truth. That is not possible. Therefore Brahmā recommends that one should give up this nonsense practice. It is not nonsense, but at the present moment it has no use. The so-called theolosophists and theologists or philosophers, they do not know, speculators. So this sort of practice, jñāne prayāsam, endeavoring after knowledge, udapāsya, give up this. Jñāne prayāsam udapāsya.

Lecture on SB 6.3.12-15 -- Gorakhpur, February 9, 1971:

So here it is said, yaṁ vai na gobhir manasāsubhir vā hṛdā girā vāsu-bhṛto vicakṣate. (reads commentary) Tan māyā-mohitād na jānanty ity uktam, avaśed tata tasya ityāhayam iti. Gobhir indriyair cittena na vicakṣata na paśyanti.(?) So gobhiḥ, by sensual gymnastic or mental speculation, the Supreme Personality of Godhead cannot be understood. There are many mental speculator, just like Aurobindo Ghosh. So he speculated. He understood that there are activities even after liberation, but he could not understand Kṛṣṇa, so hard it is. Others, the so-called sannyāsīs, just like Ramatirtha or Vivekananda, they could not approach even, in the modern age. And the Aurobindo, he approached up to the Brahman liberation, but he could not approach to the understanding of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is... Arjuna says also in the Bhagavad-gītā, "It is very difficult to understand Your personality." Everyone becomes...

Lecture on SB 6.3.12-15 -- Gorakhpur, February 9, 1971:

The whole world, nirviśeṣa-śūnyavādi... Nirviśeṣa... Means the impersonalists and voidists, that's all. They have no understanding what is Personality of Godhead. Gobhir indriyair hṛdā cittena na vicakṣate. One cannot, a gobhiḥ, by exercise of the senses. Gobhiḥ and indriyair hṛdā, heart also, meditation. The jñānīs, the speculators, they are speculating by sensual activities, and the yogis, they are trying to find out the Supreme within the heart, cittena. So na paśyanti: "But they cannot see." They cannot see. So jñānīs, the yogis, they cannot understand. Although they are trying for it, they cannot understand. It is clearly said, hṛdā girā vāsu-bhṛto vicakṣate. Yad vāca nābhūd dhṛtaṁ yan manaḥ manute ityādi śruteḥ.(?) And he is giving recitation from the Vedas: yad vāca nābhūd dhṛtaṁ yan manaḥ manute ityādi śruteḥ. Avann mānasa-gocaraḥ.(?) He is beyond the reception of mental speculation or philosophical topics.

Lecture on SB 7.5.22-30 -- London, September 8, 1971:

And nāsau munir yasya mataṁ na bhinnam. And if you follow philosophers, so one philosopher is differing from another philosopher. Just like our Śyāmasundara has brought one book, Ideas of Philosophers, different philosophers talking differently. So how you can take the conclusion? Even Aristotle, he is talking so many things nonsense. So mental speculators, philosophers. In this way you cannot.

Lecture on SB 7.6.1 Excerpt -- San Francisco, March 16, 1968:

Ārādhyo bhagavān vrajeśa-tanayas tad-dhāma vṛndāvanam ramyā kācid upāsanā vraja-vadhū-vargeṇā yā kalpitā. And the method of worship, the best method of worship of Kṛṣṇa was exhibited by the gopīs. Now what were the worshipable method of the gopīs? They were not very learned scholars or Vedantists. Or theosophists or mental speculators. None. They were ordinary village girls. And that also, not coming of a very high royal family or brāhmaṇa family. They were cowherdsmen. So their fathers were not very rich, but they had several cows, that's all. So the gopīs' method of Kṛṣṇa worship was that they could not forget Kṛṣṇa even for a moment. That was their qualification.

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

So come forward. Yes. Sit comfortably. So bhāgavata-dharma means it is scientific knowledge. It is not sentiment. Religion without philosophical understanding is sentiment. And philosophy without understanding of God is mental speculation. So we should not be both, neither sentimentalist nor dry mental speculator. There is a class of mental speculators, they're writing volumes of books but there is no substance. And there are some religious fanatics, but they do not know, do not understand what is religion. So these two classes of men are now very prominent at the present moment. But Śrīmad-Bhāgavata, or Bhagavad-gītā, if anyone is intelligent he'll know that it is combination of religious sentiment plus philosophy. To understand religion on the basis of philosophy and logic. Not blindly accepting. So this is called bhāgavata-dharma.

Lecture on SB 7.6.9-17 -- San Francisco, March 31, 1969:

Those who are grossly materialistic, they are working on the field of this gross body, senses. And those who are a little more advanced, the so-called philosophers, mental speculators, scientists, or many others, they are working on the mental plane. So unless you promote yourself to the platform of spiritual understanding, there cannot be any good qualification. Therefore harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇā (SB 5.18.12). One who is not in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he cannot have any good qualification because his field of activity is on the mental plane. As it is stated in the previous verse, being situated on the mental plane, even a learned man, I mean to say, transgresses the limits of law. There are so many.

Lecture on SB 7.7.29-31 -- San Francisco, March 15, 1967, (incomplete lecture):

Their mind It is a little more elevated. But still, they are on the material platform because these senses and mind and intelligence, up to intelligence, that is all matter. There is no question of spiritual understanding. Mental speculation, speculators, they are not on the spiritual platform. They are on the material platform. So here And the yogis. Yogis, still more further advanced from jñāna, from the mental speculative platform, when one comes to the platform of finding out the soul within by meditation, they are still elevated. So But the bhaktas, they are already engaged. They have not only found out the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but they are actually engaged in His service. They are called bhaktas, devotees.

Lecture on SB 7.9.6 -- Mayapur, February 26, 1977:

These materialistic persons, scientists, physicists and other speculator, they're dealing with these elements, material—earth, water, fire, air, ether, up to mind, psychology, or, little advanced, intelligence, but no more. They are dealing in their university, colleges, educational institution. They are concerned with these elements, material. They have no spiritual knowledge. Kṛṣṇa said... We get information from the Bhagavad-gītā, apareyam: "These eight elements, they are inferior." Therefore, because they are dealing with this inferior nature only, their knowledge is inferior. This is a fact. It is not that I am accusing.

Lecture on SB 7.9.8 -- Calcutta, March 5, 1972:

So they offered Nṛsiṁha-deva their prayers to pacify Him, but they could not. Therefore, Prahlāda Mahārāja says that if brahmādayaḥ sura-gaṇā siddhāḥ. Here Śrīdhara Swami says munayo manana śīla siddhyaḥ jñanino 'pi (?). Manano śīla, manano śīla means speculator, philosophers. Muni means one who can think very deeply, manano śīla. Those who can explain(expand?) by thinking, feeling, and willing and can write volumes of books. There are many you know in our country, they are called manano śīla. They take pleasure by mental speculation, manano śīla, and they are men of knowledge also, jñanino 'pi. (Sanskrit quotes from Śrīdhara Swami commentary) And what kind of...?

Lecture on SB 7.9.8 -- Calcutta, March 5, 1972:

These great sages and saintly persons, what is their qualification? They are situated in knowledge, in sattva-guṇa, in light. They are not in darkness. Although they are not in darkness, but without being in the platform of sattva-guṇa, nobody can become very intelligent person, philosopher, or mental speculator also. Their position is very high in the material calculation. So such persons, api, (Sanskrit quotes from Śrīdhara Swami commentary), they are also unable to satisfy.

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

Caitanya Mahāprabhu has recommended this chanting, and He has said that the result of chanting will be, the first installment of your gain will be, that your heart will be cleansed. The first thing, which is being tried by the so many mental speculators, how to cleanse the heart, that will be achieved in the first installment by simply chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahādāvāgni-nirvāpanaṁ (CC Antya 20.12).

Lecture on SB 7.9.18 -- Mayapur, February 25, 1976:

Therefore that gentleman has rejected even Aurobindo and Dr... Others he has rejected: "They are useless." Other commentation on Bhāgavata, he has... But he has rejected even Aurobindo and Dr. Radhakrishnan. Dr. Radhakrishnan is well known as a big philosopher, and Aurobindo, he's also known as great speculator, but he rejected. Yes, they should be rejected because it is vāyasa-tīrtha. What is the use, jugglery of words? It has no fact, all imaginary. All imaginary.

Lecture on SB 7.9.21 -- Mayapur, February 28, 1976:

These rascals, thinking like that... It will never be possible. Panthās tu koṭi-śata-vatsara-sampragamyo vāyor athāpi manaso muni-puṅgavānām (Bs. 5.34). Great, a great muni... Muni means mental speculators. They're thinking within the mind this, that, this, that, this, that. Muni-puṅgavānām. Puṅgava. Puṅgava means very expert mental speculator. Even they think like that for many, many years... Panthās tu koṭi-śata-vatsara. Koṭi means hundred lakhs, and again multiplied by sata, sata, unlimited. Panthās tu koṭi-śata-vatsara-sampragamyo (Bs. 5.34). And the speed? Vāyor athāpi manaso, speed of the air and the mind. Still, avicintya-tattve: they cannot understand what is God. Ask any scientist, any physicist, any mathematician.

Lecture on SB 7.9.21 -- Mayapur, February 28, 1976:

And the speed? Vāyor athāpi manaso, speed of the air and the mind. Still, avicintya-tattve: they cannot understand what is God. Ask any scientist, any physicist, any mathematician. Just like recently one rascal—he is doctor—he has said that "Sītā was sister of Rāma, and Rāma was this and that." So speculator. He has become bigger than the ācāryas, and because he has got little doctorate title, he's thinking that he has become very, very big. This is going on. This is called māyā manaḥ. Māyā is so strong that she is bewildering even so-called doctorates, deletes(?) and others. All rascals. Māyayāpahṛta-jñānā. Therefore Bhagavad-gītā says, māyayāpahṛta-jñānā. Although they have got these university degrees, but they are rascals. Why? Māyayapahṛta-jñānā. Their knowledge has been taken away by māyā.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 22.5 -- New York, January 7, 1967:

Just like this Caitanya-caritāmṛta. This is a book written by Kṛṣṇa dāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī, a great devotee of Lord Caitanya. It is called smṛti. Why? Everything written here is corroborating the Vedic literature. There is nothing, suggestion, "I am a philosopher. I am a speculator. I think this will be like this" Here you'll see in every step he is quoting from Vedas. Caitanya Mahāprabhu is quoting. This is the topics between Sanātana Gosvāmī... This is the Vedic way. Now that sage, a great sage, he is giving his conclusion that śrutir mātā pṛṣṭā diśati bhavad-ārādhana-vidhim: "I have inquired so many Vedic literature. Now I am in conclusion that worshiping the Supreme Lord, that is the injunction of the..., nothing more. Nothing more." The whole idea is...

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 22.27-31 -- New York, January 15, 1967:

Now, there are many speculators. After some philosophical speculation, they think, "Now I have realized that 'I am the same. I am same God. I am God.' " So this process is called jñāna system. So Lord Caitanya says that these jñānīs, they artificially think that "Now I have realized myself," but actually that is not self-realization. Self-realization is when you actually engage yourself in the service of the Lord. That is your self-realization. Because you are part and parcel, your duty is to serve the whole. If you think yourself, "I am whole," that is wrong conception. That is wrong conception. You are not whole. How you can be whole?

Initiation Lectures

Initiation and Brahma-samhita Lecture -- New York, July 26, 1971:

Therefore the ādi-puruṣa, Kṛṣṇa is ādi-puruṣa; He's a person. But because He's not a person like us, therefore ordinary person cannot understand God can be person. He thinks that "God must be a person like me." His limited knowledge, speculator, poor fund of knowledge, he thinks that "God must be like me." Therefore in some of the scriptures He's denied personality, because this rascal thinks that "God is a person like me." Therefore it is said: not person. When it is said God is not person, that means He's not a person like you. He's not a rascal like you. That is description. When it is negatively described that He's not a person, that means He's not a person like you. But He's a person, a different person. Sac-cid-ānanda vigraha. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1). His person is eternal. He does not die.

General Lectures

Brandeis University Lecture -- Boston, April 29, 1969:

So, if you chant this Hare Kṛṣṇa, then you will very easily understand that you are not this body; you are spirit soul, ahaṁ brahmāsmi: "I am Brahman." Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam. That is the first installment, you'll understand. For self-realization, there are so many different processes. There are mystic yogis. There are philosophical speculators. There are karmīs. There are jñānīs. And... But this process, immediately you will realize that you are not this body. You are not matter; you are spirit soul. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12). And, as soon as you understand that you are not this body, you are not matter, that you are spirit soul, then immediately you become joyful. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, and actually it is a fact. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati (BG 18.54). As soon as one becomes elevated to the platform of spiritual realization, self-realization, immediately he will be free from all anxieties. Material life means full of anxieties.

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

Don't be foolishly try to speculate to understand the unlimited. It is not possible. By your tiny senses you cannot understand the unlimited. It is not possible. Therefore the first recommendation is that jñāne prayāsam udapāsya. Don't try to be a dry speculator to understand the ultimate truth. Namanta. Just become meek and humble. Namanta eva san-mukharitāṁ bhavadīya-vārtām. And try to receive the message from authorized sources. Then sthane sthitaḥ śruti-gatam tanu-van-manobhiḥ: in whatever condition you are, you don't require to change. You simply hear. Then a day will come when you will be able to conquer the Supreme Lord, who is unconquerable. God is great, nobody can conquer, but if you simply follow this process, then—in whatever condition you are, simply try to hear about God from authorized sources—then one day you will be able to conquer God within your hand. This is also confirmed in the Brahma-saṁhitā:

Lecture -- London, September 26, 1969:

Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti (BG 18.55). Because without going to that stage, you cannot understand God. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti. It is not said that by meditation, by philosophical speculation, one can understand God. No. Bhaktyā. So they cannot understand anything, these meditators and speculators. No, they can, partially. But bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ (BG 18.55). "As I am, Absolute Truth, that can be understood through this devotional service." And this devotional service is attained after attainment of this brahma-bhūtaḥ stage. So the brahma-bhūtaḥ stage is not final. We should not be satisfied either living in the brahma-bhūtaḥ platform or Paramātmā realization platform. We must make farther progress and go to the platform of Bhagavān, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and engage ourselves in His loving transcendental service.

Lecture at Christian Monastery -- Melbourne, April 6, 1972:

The Absolute Truth is one, advaya-jñāna, without any duality, but according to our capacity, we realize the Absolute Truth from three different angles of vision. So one of them is realization of God in His impersonal Brahman feature, and another realization is to realize Him... Generally, the jñānīs, the philosophers, the speculators, by dint of their own knowledge, they realize the Absolute Truth in His impersonal Brahman feature. And those who are yogis, they realize this God, the Supreme Lord, as Paramātmā within the heart. And those who are devotees, they realize the Supreme Personality of Godhead as the Supreme Person. But the Paramātmā and impersonal Brahman and this person God, they are all the same thing.

Rotary Club Lecture -- Hyderabad, November 29, 1972:

Similarly, those who are trying to find out the Absolute Truth within the heart... Dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena manasā paśyanti yaṁ yoginaḥ (SB 12.13.1). They are generally called yogis. And the philosophical speculators, they are called jñānīs. So jñānī, yogi. So the jñānīs, they reach up to the impersonal Brahman effulgence, and the yogis, they reach up to the localized aspect of the Supreme Person. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe arjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). Īśvara, the Supreme Person, is within your heart, everyone's heart. Sarva-bhūtānām. Not only human beings, but also animals, trees, insects, aquatics. There are 8,400,000 forms of life. So in each and every living entity, within the heart, there is representation of God, who is known as Paramātmā. So brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate (SB 1.2.11). At last, Bhagavān.

Lecture with Translator -- Sanand, December 25, 1975:

One who has actually seen or actually realized the truth, you have to take knowledge from there. So we have to approach such person. Otherwise, if we approach some speculator, we cannot get real knowledge. So those who are speculators, they cannot understand what is God. Therefore they commit mistake that "God is like this," "God like that," "There is no God," "There is no form." All these nonsense things are proposed, because they are imperfect. Bhagavān therefore said, avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritāḥ (BG 9.11). Because He comes for our benefit in the human form, the fools and rascals consider Him as ordinary person.

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

There are many persons within this world, they are trying to understand what is God. (aside:) What is...? (break) When you want to study me by speculation, it is not perfect. But if I speak myself about my career, my position, they you can understand very easily. So the speculators, they are thinking that "God has no form. You can imagine any form of the Lord and try to worship Him." That is speculator. (break) ... Another type of atheism. The atheists, they say, Śūnyavādī, "There is no God." But these Māyāvādī, they say, "Yes there is God, but He has no head, no leg, no mouth, nothing." Means, indirectly, they are saying there is not God.

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on Immanuel Kant:

Prabhupāda: The scientist, he'll say that the father begets the child. Why it is not related? It is simply lunacy not to believe this. Where is the instance that without father some child has taken birth? Where is such instance? He himself is talking such nonsense. He is born by his father. The cause is his father. Similarly, his father is also the effect of his father. Therefore there is supreme father, father of this cosmic manifestation. How you can deny it? That is the defect of the speculators: they contradict themselves.

Śyāmasundara: This is just what he is saying, that whenever you try to speculate about the Absolute you will run into contradictions.

Philosophy Discussion on Immanuel Kant:

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is our..., that the speculator cannot reach vicinity of God. It is not possible. Athāpi te. Only one can understand by the mercy of God, and this mercy is bestowed upon a person who is devotee, who is surrendered to God. Otherwise this mercy is reserved, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, nāhaṁ prakāśaḥ sarvasya yoga-māyā-samāvṛtaḥ: (BG 7.25) "I am not revealed to everyone and anyone; rather, I am covered by yoga-māyā." Because revelation means when one becomes devotee this covering curtain is... What is called, curtain?

Devotee: Curtain.

Philosophy Discussion on Henri Bergson:

Prabhupāda: No. Otherwise the Vedas would not have asked you, tad vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12), that in order to learn that transcendental science one must approach a guru.

Atreya Ṛṣi: So when we see a speculator having some knowledge, some real knowledge...

Prabhupāda: Not real knowledge.

Atreya Ṛṣi: But some. Maybe some speculator will say, "Yes. I am convinced there is God." He heard that from either, for example, he heard it in his own culture or somewhere indirectly he heard it from God. He didn't make that up. Is that the conclusion?

Philosophy Discussion on Sigmund Freud:

Prabhupāda: No. The science or philosopher, when they are imperfect in their knowledge, they, whatever they give, that is unscientific and without any basic principle of philosophy. So the, first of all we have to learn what is the objective of knowledge, what we are searching, knowledge. The knowledge that... Vedānta. Vedānta, Veda means knowledge and anta means ultimate. Unless you come to the ultimate point of knowledge, your knowledge is imperfect, insufficient. So the ultimate knowledge is God. So if these people, they cannot define any God, they cannot believe in God, that means they have not reached to the ultimate point of knowledge. God is a fact, but we do not have any clear idea what is that God. That means our knowledge has not reached up to the point of clear understanding of God. So unless one is able to reach that point, everything, what he calls knowledge, is imperfect. God is there, that's a fact, and knowledge means to go to that point. If one has not reached to that point, his knowledge is imperfect. So how he can give us something conclusively if he has imperfect knowledge? Let him be philosopher or scientist; if he has got imperfect knowledge, what is the value of his science, scientific knowledge and that? His knowledge is imperfect. So our, our policy is we don't accept knowledge from an imperfect person. We have received knowledge from the perfect person. Kṛṣṇa is accepted the Supreme Personality of Godhead, perfect, and anyone who follows Kṛṣṇa's knowledge, he is also perfect. So our policy is to accept knowledge from the perfect person, not from the speculators. Speculators are not in perfect knowledge; therefore whatever they say, they are all imperfect. Maybe to some extents it is perfect, but it is not perfect knowledge.

Philosophy Discussion on Mao Tse Tung:

Śyāmasundara: He attacks speculators and especially empiricists, or those who draw conclusions of reality through their fragmentary sense perception.

Prabhupāda: He is also doing that. He is also one of them. Because he says that ultimately the barrel... What is that?

Śyāmasundara: That all political power grows out of the barrel of a gun.

Prabhupāda: That's all. He is one of them.

Śyāmasundara: Speculator.

Philosophy Discussion on Mao Tse Tung:

Prabhupāda: This is described in Bhāgavata: punah punaś carvita-carvaṇānām (SB 7.5.30), "chewing the chewed." Once it is chewed, it is thrown away, and then again, "Let me see if there is any juice." (laughter) Chewing the chewed. Or in plain words, mental concoction. The mind's business is acceptance and rejection. First of all, reject American capitalists; then again accept for consulting. That means they are hovering on the mental plane. They have no intelligence. In big scale, accepting and rejecting. That's all. It is the business of the mind. As in your personal mind you see, you accept something immediately and again reject, "No, no, it is not good." The same thing is going on in a bigger scale. That's all. They are not... Just like a pickpocket and a big scientific thief. Huh? They are trying to... Modern, scientifically, they want to rob the bank. They set the bomb. And pickpocket is satisfied by taking one paisa from your pocket. But the principle is stealing. Because you are very organized thief, it does not mean from the eyes of the law you are honest. You cannot say in the court that "I am organized thief. I am scientific thief, and he is a pickpocket." In the eyes of the law you are also punishable, he is also punishable. That's all. So they are, I mean to say, large-scale speculators. That's all. But it is, after all, speculation. It has no fact.

Philosophy Discussion on Johann Gottlieb Fichte:

Prabhupāda: He may reject, but God is everything. How he can reject God? The, the, these are the defects of speculators. They cannot give us tangible leading. That because they are defective themselves, so whatever interpretation they will give, all defective.

Hayagrīva: Oh, he would agree that God is everything.

Prabhupāda: That God is..., how he can reject? If God is everything, then how can he reject?

Hayagrīva: But he would not say that God is more than the creation.

Philosophy Discussion on George Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel:

Prabhupāda: He has mistaken in so many ways. (Sanskrit) Just like our... Not Pradyumna. If somebody has boils all over the body, then where it will be operated? Better kill this body. (laughing) So he has got so many boils, this Hegel and Segel, all, because they are speculators. They have no definite knowledge. Speculators cannot have definite knowledge. Therefore our Professor Dimmock has said, "Here is definite definition of Gītā." What is that? Just see. Then it is so. He has appreciated it. You cannot see, of the...

Devotee: They only put two lines of what he said in there. He says this...

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is his word.

Philosophy Discussion on Samuel Alexander:

Prabhupāda: Advanced transcendentalists, they can understand. Not these speculators with limited sense perception. Finished?

Hari-śauri: Hm.

Prabhupāda: The speculators have no knowledge. (laughs)

Hayagrīva: Yes. He says, "It is not so much that God is in everything but rather that everything is in God."

Prabhupāda: That's another foolishness.

Hayagrīva: What is this position?

Page Title:Speculators (Lectures)
Compiler:Visnu Murti, RupaManjari
Created:23 of Nov, 2011
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=88, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:88