While you are in cold country, you think that "India is very warm. They are very happy." (laughs) And in India they are thinking, "In England they are very happy." This is the way. This is illusion. Nobody thinks that there is no happiness within these three worlds, beginning from Brahmaloka down to the Pātālaloka. Ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna (BG 8.16). There is no happiness, even if you go to the Brahmaloka and get the opportunity of living like Brahmā, millions of years, and thousand times better standard of life. Still it is not happiness. They do not know it.
Standard of life (Lectures)
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
Lecture on BG 2.13 -- Public Lecture With German Translation Throughout -- Hamburg, September 10, 1969:
Specifically, there is one planet within this universe, that is called Siddhaloka. There is other planet also, heavenly planet, Brahmaloka planet. And in different planets there are different species of life, different standard of comforts. But in the higher planetary system, the standard of comfort is more and more, thousand times more, thousand times more, in this way. Just like in this planet we have got different standard of life. In your Western countries, your standard of life is, at least, it is to be understood more comfortable than other standard of life. In this way, if you promote yourself to the topmost planetary system, which is called Brahmaloka, then you get your duration of life many millions of years. It is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā that sahasra-yuga-paryantam ahar yad brahmaṇo viduḥ (BG 8.17). In the Brahmaloka planet, the residents, they have got their one day.
Lecture on BG 2.13 -- Public Lecture With German Translation Throughout -- Hamburg, September 10, 1969:
So, if we like, we can go to the higher planetary system, heavenly planetary system. Just like we are trying to go to the moon planet, but we have not been successful. In this way we cannot go there. Each planet, each and every planet, has got different atmosphere. So unless your body is completely competent to live in such planet, you cannot go there. Just like the scientists say that in the moon planet the temperature is two hundred degrees below zero. Similarly, in the sun planet the temperature is very, very high, hundred and thousand times degrees above the normal. So in this way, every planet has got different atmosphere, different temperature, different standard of life, different duration of life.
Lecture on BG 2.14 -- London, August 20, 1973:
Otherwise why all living entities are not of the same merit, same feature of the body, same position, same edu...? Why there are difference? This is common sense. Varieties of body, varieties of position, is due... Just like the same example: The poor man has got only rickshaw, and the rich man has got a Rolls Royce car because he has paid more. Similarly, if your work is nice, then you are promoted, promoted to higher standard of life, just like in the heaven—ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ—or in the Brahma-loka. But your, if your work is sinful and abominable, then you are degraded to cats and dogs. Ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthāḥ (BG 14.18). Those who are advanced in the... Because here everything is quality, everything. You go to purchase anything in the market; you will see the quality—first quality, second quality, third quality.
Lecture on BG 2.16 -- London, August 22, 1973:
Sat-saṅga because here there is no other business, talking all nonsense, some material things. Here only we talk about the spirit soul, about Kṛṣṇa, about relationship with Kṛṣṇa, how to act to satisfy Kṛṣṇa. This is the business here. That is the reference. (?) Formerly, this place, Manor, was known as Piggot's Manor. Now we have named Bhaktivedanta Manor. What is the difference? Formerly, it was for sense gratification. Now it is meant for elevating one to the spiritual standard of life. So anything can be changed like that for sat-saṅga. Sat-saṅgāt mukta duḥsaṅga. If you continue sat, as it is said, sat-saṅga, then you advance in spiritual life. And if you associate with asat, then you become degraded.
Lecture on BG 2.17 -- (with Spanish translator) -- Mexico, February 17, 1975:
Bhava-roga. Bhava means to become, and roga means disease. What is that bhava-roga? We are appearing, taking birth in the material world. This is called bhava: "You become." And after sometimes you become finished, means death. This is called disease. Bhava-roga. Yes. We have to cure this disease and come to our healthy standard of life. That opportunity is here in this human form of life. If you want to cure this material disease and revive your healthy condition of eternal spiritual life, the opportunity is here. Therefore our only business in this human form of life is to cure this material disease, not to aggravate it. Disease should be cured, not to increase it. But at the present moment we are mad after increasing the disease.
Lecture on BG 2.27-38 -- Los Angeles, December 11, 1968:
Lord Śiva is a demigod, but he is higher than all other demigods. He's higher than Lord Brahmā also. But he's not the Supreme Lord. Just like there are different gradations. That is not difficult to understand. In society also, there are different gradations. Similarly, the living entities, there are different gradations. So all the living entities, they are, some of them are situated in higher planets, some of them are situated in lower planets, some of them are situated in high-grade life, in low-grade life. So the demigods are also, they are living entities, but they are enjoying better standard of life due to their acts of piety. But Lord Śiva is not amongst the living entities. He's above the living entities but he is counted as one of the demigods. But his position is better than Lord Brahmā even. Brahmā is to be the highest living entity within the universe, and Lord Śiva's position is higher than Lord Brahmā.
Lecture on BG 2.40-45 -- Los Angeles, December 13, 1968:
In the Vedas there are many allurements for elevating oneself to higher standard of life. Just like in this life also the father says, "My dear boy, if you become highly educated, then you'll get a very nice job, you'll get good salary, and you'll have nice apartment, and nice wife, children." Just like these are allurements for enticing one in this materialistic way of life, similarly there are many allurements in the Vedic literatures. People are also, I mean to say, allured to execute such thing, that if you make such and such pious activities, then you get elevated to such and such higher planets and you get such and such high standard of life. These are explained there. But Kṛṣṇa says that don't be misled by these allurements. He will explain also later on. Ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ. Just like people are trying to go to the moon planet. They are trying to go to the moon planet by some airplane or sputnik. Similarly, in the Vedic literature the travel to moon planet is also stated, that if you act in this way, then you get promotion to get your life in the moon planet. There you shall live for ten thousands of years, and you will have soma-rasa beverages, and you'll... So many promises. But Kṛṣṇa says that "Don't be allured." They are fact. They are not false statement. Actually they are facts, that if you act in such and such way, you can enter in higher planetary system and you have higher standard of life. But this Bhagavad-gītā proposition is that don't try to live within this material world anywhere.
Lecture on BG 2.40-45 -- Los Angeles, December 13, 1968:
Yes. They cannot take. Therefore we have to voluntarily accept simple life. Simple life. Just like we are sitting here on the floor. According to your American standard of life, this is not good. Therefore no very rich class of men or high class of men, they do not come to this because we have no sitting place. But actually, what is the difference? If you sit down on the floor or if you sit on a very nice comfortable couch, after all, you are sitting.
Lecture on BG 2.40-45 -- Los Angeles, December 13, 1968:
Yes. Traiguṇya-viṣayā vedā nistraiguṇyo bhavārjuna (BG 2.45). The exact verse is like that. The whole material world is working under three modes of material nature. The modes of goodness, modes of passion, and modes of ignorance. Those who are acting in the modes of goodness, they are being elevated to higher standard of life. Those who are acting in the modes of passion, they'll remain in the same position as they are now, and those acting in the modes of ignorance, darkness, without any knowledge, they are being degraded in lower grades of life. This is material world.
Lecture on BG 2.58-59 -- New York, April 27, 1966:
He does not like to be the servant of the senses. So this, I mean to say, verse, we have already discussed. So indriyāṇīndriyārthebhyas tasya prajñā pratiṣṭhitā. One who is practiced to control his senses... Senses are not to be stopped. They are to be used at proper time, but not at the dictation of the senses. When one comes to that standard of life, that he is not dictated by the senses but he uses senses when it is properly required... Senses are not to be stopped. That is not prescribed. That is not prescribed. Somebody says that sense control means to use, to stop the action of the senses. No. Senses, action of the senses, cannot be stopped. Simply it has to be purified. The action of the senses has to be purified. That is the whole process. Because as spiritual living entity, we have got our spiritual senses. Those senses are now covered by this matter. We are not senseless. Just like your coat. Your coat is cut according to your hands. Because the coat, you will see, the coat has also got a hand. And why coat has got a hand? Because the user of the coat, he has got a hand. The coat is cut according to the hand of the user of the body. Similarly, this material body has been described in the Bhagavad-gītā as dress. So unless I have got body, wherefrom the dress comes? Dress has no meaning unless I have got body.
Lecture on BG 3.1-5 -- Los Angeles, December 20, 1968:
Karma means action, fruitive action. Everyone is working in this world to get some result. Somebody is working in business, earning millions of dollars yearly. Why he is earning? He's earning for his sense gratification. As soon as he has got money, he changes his car, he changes his apartment, changes his standard of life only for increasing. The whole world is working so hard, and the result is that increasing their objects of sense gratification. This is called karma. Karma means to enjoy the result of your activities. And when it is karma-yoga, that means the activities which is your occupation, you can engage yourself in that activity, but don't engage the result for your sense gratification, but for satisfaction of Kṛṣṇa. That is called karma-yoga. Yoga means to link up with the Supreme, and karma... You are inclined to work. All right, work. But link up your result of work with Kṛṣṇa. That is called karma-yoga. Yoga means linking up with the Supreme, and karma, when it is linked up with Kṛṣṇa, that is called karma-yoga. It will be explained. Now go on.
Lecture on BG 3.13-16 -- New York, May 23, 1966:
So karma and karma-yoga, there is gulf of difference. Karma means ordinary work. I work whole day; I get some remuneration and enjoy for my sense gratification. That is called karma, in this life or that life or next life. Somebody, they make charities and other pious acts so that in their next life they get good parentage, good education, opulence, so that they can also enjoy life. There are others also who make more advanced karma to get himself promoted in other planetary system. Just like moon planet, or Svargaloka, heavenly planet. There are many planets in which the standard of life is far, far comfortable than here. So these are not required.
Lecture on BG 3.13-16 -- New York, May 23, 1966:
To get yourself promoted in higher standard of life, from C-class prisoner to become A-class prisoner, that is not required. Bhagavad-gītā does not teach us that you improve your life in the respect that you are now C-class prisoner; you become A-class prisoner. No. You should not remain a prisoner. You should get yourself this prison life. This material life is prison life. Just like in prison house we are forced to undergo some sort of miseries.
Lecture on BG 4.1 -- Bombay, March 21, 1974:
Therefore bhagavān uvāca. Bhagavān means the most powerful, most influential, the supreme wise, most beautiful, most learned, most renouncer. Just see Bhagavān's renouncement. If we construct a building, how much attached we become to that building. But Kṛṣṇa has constructed this whole universe. Whole universe means... We have no idea what is the universe. We have no idea what is this planet. We are trying to go to the moon planet. We have no exact idea even of the moon planet. And there are innumerable planets. Vasudhā. Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi-koṭiṣu vasudhādi-vibhūti-bhinnam (Bs. 5.40). Each planet is of different type, different climate, different facilities, different standard of life. And there are ananta, innumerable planets. You cannot count even. So this is only one universe, and there are millions of universes.
Lecture on BG 4.10 Public Meeting -- Rome, May 25, 1974:
In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that if you like, you can go to the heavenly planets, higher planetary system. Yānti deva-vratā devān (BG 9.25). In the higher planetary systems, you get more, I mean to say, elevated standard of life. You can live there for millions of years, and there is better facilities for sense enjoyment. But anywhere you go within this material world, you cannot avoid the four principles, namely birth, death, old age and disease.
Lecture on BG 4.12 -- Vrndavana, August 4, 1974:
Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna (BG 8.16). Even if you, by activities, pious activities, or worshiping different demigods, you go to the Brahmaloka, where the standard of life is very, very great, life is also, duration of life is very, very great, so that is not permanent. But our problem is that we are permanent, eternal, and we are trying to be happy in the nonpermanent condition of life. This is called less brain. My problem is that I am the spirit soul... Nityaḥ śāśvataḥ. I am eternal, śāśvataḥ. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). I do not die even after the annihilation of this body. Then where is my eternal body? This question should be raised by the human form of life. Athāto brahma jijñāsā.
Lecture on BG 4.23 -- Bombay, April 12, 1974:
So those who are karma-kāṇḍīya, they are interested, next life in the heavenly planet or higher standard of life. So that is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthāḥ (BG 14.18). If you associate with the modes of goodness, then you are promoted to the higher planetary system, beyond heavenly planets. Janaloka, Tapoloka, Maharloka, Satyaloka, Siddhaloka, Brahmaloka. So that is possible. But our problem is not to promote ourself to go to the heavenly planet or higher than that, Janaloka, Satyaloka, Maharloka, or Brahmaloka. Kṛṣṇa advises ā-brahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna (BG 8.16). He does not encourage that "You go to the Brahmaloka." No. He never encourages. He says, ā-brahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna (BG 8.16). Even if you become promoted to the Brahmaloka, then again you have to come back. Kṣīṇe puṇye punar martya-lokaṁ viśanti. As soon as your puṇya, the duration of life, is finished, then you have to come back again. This is going on.
Lecture on BG 6.2-5 -- Los Angeles, February 14, 1969:
So the fruitive activities, suppose pious activities. Pious activities, according to Veda, everywhere, if you are virtuous, if you give some money in charity, it is virtuous activities. If you give some money for opening hospital, if you give some money for opening schools, free education. These are certainly virtuous activities. But they are also meant for sense gratification. Suppose if I give in charity for distributing education. Then in my next life I will be getting good facilities for education, I'll be highly educated or being educated I shall get nice post. At the end, what is the idea? If I get a good post if I get a good position, how do I utilize it? For sense gratification. Nicely, that's all. Because I do not know anything else. That is fruitive activities. If I go to heaven, a better standard of life. Suppose, in your America, a better standard of life than India. But what does this mean, "better standard of life"? The same eating, sleeping, in a better type, that's all. You are not doing anything more.
Lecture on BG 6.2-5 -- Los Angeles, February 14, 1969:
So my better standard of life does not mean any spiritual realization. A better standard of eating, sleeping, mating, that's all. So this is called fruitive activity. Fruitive activity is also another pattern of sense gratification but it is on the basis of sense gratification. And yoga means connection with the Supreme. When the Supreme is connected, as soon as, just like Dhruva Mahārāja. As soon as he saw God, Nārāyaṇa, the boy was undergoing severe austerities, penances to see God. He saw. But when he saw, then he said, svāmin kṛtārtho 'smi varaṁ na yāce (CC Madhya 22.42). "My dear Lord, I am now fully satisfied. I don't want to ask anything, any benediction from you." Because what is benediction? Benediction means you get very nice kingdom or a very nice wife or very nice foodstuff, very nice. These things we consider as benediction. But actually when one becomes connected with God, he does not want any such benediction. He's satisfied. Fully satisfied. Svāmin kṛtārtho 'smi varaṁ na yāce.
Lecture on BG 6.30-34 -- Los Angeles, February 19, 1969:
If a very rich man accepts such poor condition of life, he cannot live. I have seen it. If one is habituated to high standard of life, if you immediately lower his standard of life, he cannot live. But they lived very happily. How? That is stated.
Lecture on BG 7.2 -- London, March 10, 1975:
So this is the work of the brāhmaṇas. But nowadays the brain is not utilized for understanding Brahman, but for understanding the ways of higher standard of life, sense gratification. Anyway, that is intelligent work. Next the administrative work. Next the productive work. And next the worker, general worker. The same brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra.
Lecture on BG 7.3 -- Vrndavana, October 31, 1973:
So if you can conquer over this miserable condition of life, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi, that is siddhi. Otherwise it is not siddhi, that if I can construct a skyscraper building or even if I go to the Brahma-loka to get millions and millions of years as duration of life... Brahmā's life, it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, sahasra-yuga-paryantam ahar yad brahmaṇo viduḥ (BG 8.17). Millions of years. That is only twelve hours of Brahmā. Such twelve hours, night. Sahasra-yuga again, that is night. That is complete twenty-four hours. Then add thirty days like that. Then one year, twelve months. Such one hundred years is the duration of life of Brahmā. So you may go to the highest planetary system or in the heavenly planets. You can have better standard of life than this earthly planet or you can live for long, long years, but that is not the solution of your problems.
Lecture on BG 9.26-27 -- New York, December 16, 1966:
If you want to work, well, work day and night, but you work for Kṛṣṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If you don't work, if you are simply eating, if your father has got money and you are eating, oh, eat for Kṛṣṇa. What is that? You offer the same to Kṛṣṇa and eat palatable dishes. Kṛṣṇa will not take away your dishes. Simply offer it. Yad aśnāsi (BG 9.27). Yaj juhoṣi. Oh, you are trying to elevate yourself to higher standard of life? Just try to go back to Kṛṣṇa, God, Godhead, and try for that. Accept all kinds of austerities and penances. Yaj juhoṣi dadāsi yat. You are making some charity? All right. Make charity for Kṛṣṇa. "Well, Kṛṣṇa is God, and He is very rich. Why shall I make charity to Kṛṣṇa?" No. Kṛṣṇa says, dadāsi: "Give Me that charity. Give Me that charity." Kṛṣṇa is not poor, but you are very proud that you try to make charity with Kṛṣṇa's property.
Lecture on BG 10.8 -- July 31, 1976, New Mayapur (French farm):
So the law is that according to your work you'll get your next life. It may be higher standard of life, it may be lower standard of life. So suppose higher standard of life, if we get, that's all right, but if we get lower standard of life... Just like today I am here and next life if I get the body of a tree and stand up for five thousand years, is it very nice proposition? In this way we have to understand how the process of life is going on and what is wanted, what is not wanted. In this way, when you are situated, fixed up in your spiritual understanding, that is called anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt, all unwanted things are vanquished.
Lecture on BG 13.1-2 -- Bombay, September 24, 1973:
Here everyone is engaged in fruitive activities, karma. Karma in this life and karma in the next life also. So performing great sacrifices, giving in charity, pious activities, they are also karma. They are meant for giving opportunity in the next life, a position in the heavenly planet or similar other higher planetary system where the standard of living is very, very comfortable, thousands and thousands times better than the standard of life in this planet. But that is also karma. Kāṅkṣantaḥ karmaṇāṁ siddhim yajanta iha devatāḥ.
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.
Lecture on BG 13.17 -- Bombay, October 11, 1973:
So entanglement means today I am thinking, "I have got this body"—Indian body or American body or this body or this body or fat body, thin body—tomorrow I may not possess. As soon as I get another body, that means the chapter changes. If I get the body of a dog then I may act like a dog. If I get the body of a hog, then I act like a hog. And if I get the body of a God... God you cannot. Demigod, higher standard of life, then you can act like that. The body is the destiny.
Lecture on BG 15.1 -- Bombay, October 28, 1973:
Traiguṇya-viṣayā vedā nistraiguṇyo bhavārjuna. So Vedas also says that "If you make such and such sacrifice, then you will be elevated to such and such higher planetary system to become demigods and enjoy beautiful woman, higher standard of life." So yām imāṁ puṣpitāṁ vācam, veda-vāda-ratāḥ pārtha nānyad astīti vādinaḥ. So we must understand what is this material world, how it is working. That will be described in this Fifteenth Chapter.
Lecture on BG 16.7 -- Tokyo, January 27, 1975:
So there is no question of happy life within this material world. This is to be understood first. Very pessimistic. Those who are intelligent, they are very pessimistic. Even materially they are pessimistic. They are living some standard of life. "This is not good." There are many houses very low and cottage, so people think that "This is not very good life. Let us have very nice building." So this struggle is going on. That is human nature, that unless, until he approaches the final post or platform of happiness, he is not happy. That is called struggle for existence and survival of the fittest.
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
Lecture on SB 1.2.2 -- Rome, May 26, 1974:
Asaṁskṛtāḥ kriyā-hīnā mlecchā rājanya-rūpiṇaḥ. That is stated in the Śrīmad... Asaṁskṛta. The present government men, they did not go any saṁskāra. Formerly, the kings, they... The higher castes, never mind he is king or not, but higher caste... Therefore they claimed higher. Not claimed. Actually they were. The brāhmaṇas and the kṣatriyas especially, and also the vaiśyas, they went the saṁskāra, reformatory. Just like saṁskāra means educational process, to elevate one. Just like we send to school, college, for elevating a child to the higher standard of life, knowledge, similarly, these saṁskāras also like that. One must undergo the saṁskāras, the reformatory method, and act in life. If I have taken the saṁskāra of brāhmaṇa, if I have accepted the sacred thread, then I must act as a brāhmaṇa. It is very practical. Just like if you have passed your examination as an engineer, then you must act as an engineer. Not that simply you have got the qualification of engineer, and now you are engaged in the business of a shopkeeper. No. You must act as engineer. That is qualification.
Lecture on SB 1.2.5 -- Melbourne, April 3, 1972, Lecture at Christian Monastery:
That you cannot go. That is not possible. Therefore these people who are trying to go to the moon planet, they are now frustrated. So whatever it may be, the chance is there. We have written one small booklet in this connection: Easy Journey to Other Planets. If you like, you can read that. So there are innumerable planets, innumerable living standard, standard of living innumerable. Just like your standard of living materially is very nice or far greater than the Indian standard of life or any other standard of life, so if you go to other planets you will find still thousand times better standard of living. If you go still up, thousand times better standard of living.
Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Delhi, November 11, 1973:
We are simply mismanaging them. So how to make solution of the problems of life, that means is called dharma. Dharma means the regulative principle which is given to the human society by God. I have already explained many times. Just as the law is given by the state for regulative principles of life, similarly dharma is also regulative principle to the human society. And just to make his life successful. What is that successful life? Successful life means a human being has come to this human form of life through the evolutionary process. Now he should make such arrangement that next life he may be free from this repetition of birth and death, at least, or he may go to other planets, higher standard of life. As it is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā,
- yānti deva-vratā devān
- pitṟn yānti pitṛ-vratāḥ
- bhūtāni yānti bhūtejyā
- yānti mad-yājino 'pi mām
- (BG 9.25)
That is the human life. You prepare yourself for higher standard of life or to make a permanent solution of your miserable condition of life, namely birth, death, old age and disease. This is required. This is human business, or dharma.
Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Delhi, November 12, 1973:
So our propaganda is that do everything, but don't waste your time. Make improvement. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: yānti deva-vratā devān pitṟn yānti pitṛ-vratāḥ (BG 9.25). Just like by evolutionary process you have come to this human form of body, you can make farther improvement. You can do to other planets. There are many, many other planets where thousand times better standard of life is there. We cannot go. We are so conditioned. Although we are seeing all the planets, the sun planet, moon planet... They are trying to go to the moon planet, but that's a failure. So you cannot go in that way. There is process: yānti deva-vratā devān. If you want to go there, then deva-vrata, you have to worship that deva. Similarly, if you worship Kṛṣṇa, you can go to the Goloka Vṛndāvana planet. Mad-yājino 'pi yānti mām (BG 9.25). So if you have to prepare your next life, so why not prepare to go back to Kṛṣṇa, yad gatvā na nivartante (BG 15.6), wherefrom you haven't got to come back again to accept a material body? Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti (BG 4.9). These thing are there in the Bhagavad-gītā. Why don't you study and understand? They are very good, good scholars, but they do not know what is next life. They are so good scholar, they are reading Bhagavad-gītā three hundred times, but they do not know what is the next life. This is their study.
Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Hyderabad, April 18, 1974:
But they have forgotten this bodily concept of life. Practically you see. They have, if not fully forgotten, very large percentage, they do not think. Otherwise these Americans would not have come here to take the trouble of preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness in India, after taking so much trouble. We cannot give them actually the real comforts which they enjoy in their country. Their standard of life, living, is higher than our standard of life. So why they have joined this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement? Because they have forgotten this bodily concept of life. They are no more proud that "I am American" or "I am European." Why...? You know in the British rule, the Britishers they were always maintaining the superior complex. They were thinking because they are European... Everyone thinks. If he is in position in the material world, he thinks like that. That is not fault. That is natural.
Lecture on SB 1.2.7 -- Delhi, November 13, 1973:
So required, this education. When one understands that "I am rotting here in this nasty place..." This is a nasty place. Not only this material planet, anywhere within this material world... Ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna (BG 8.16). Even if you go to the Brahmaloka, where the duration of life you cannot calculate and the standard of life is very, very good, but still, ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartinaḥ, wherever you go, the janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9) is there. You cannot avoid it. So this information, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, is even up above Brahmaloka.
Lecture on SB 1.2.10 -- Delhi, November 16, 1973:
So tattva, the Absolute Truth, is one. Absolute Truth is not two. Ekaṁ brahma dvitīyaṁ nāsti. Absolute Truth is one, but it is realized from different angles of vision. There are transcendentalists, just like... Karmīs are not transcendentalists. Fruitive worker. Those who are simply working for betterment of life or standard of life or economic development-dharma, artha, kāma. Kāma means sense gratification. That is already explained. Kāmasya nendriya-prītiḥ. But they are thinking that indriya-prīti, sense gratification, is the highest perfection of life. But Bhāgavata says, or our Vedic authority says, kāmasya nendriya-prītiḥ. So karmīs, they are rejected. They are not fit for spiritual life, at least, so long they remain karmīs. Muḍḥa.
Lecture on SB 1.2.19 -- Calcutta, September 27, 1974:
Certainly there is thousands and thousands times more material comforts in the heavenly planets, in the Candraloka... In the Candraloka... They are trying to go into Candraloka, and according to śāstra, if one goes to Candraloka, he gets ten thousands of years his duration of life, and enjoy. So certainly there are many times more comfortable life, standard of life, very, very high, in the heaven, other planetary systems. But Kṛṣṇa says that any one of the planets you can go, but the material disease will not be relieved, the material disease, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9). We cannot understand. This is our real disease, repetition of birth, janma, and repetition of death. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi. And repetition of becoming old.
Lecture on SB 1.2.20 -- Vrndavana, October 31, 1972:
Therefore we should not be lazy and sleepy, at the same time not foolishly active. We must come to the real standard of life, goodness. Then we can begin our devotional service. That is also confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā:
- brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā
- na śocati na kāṅkṣati
- samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu
- mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām
- (BG 18.54)
After being brahma-bhūta (SB 4.30.20), after understanding clearly ahaṁ brahmāsmi, one can take to transcendental loving service of the Lord, not before. Before, if we take bhakti-yoga... Of course, we shall become gradually brahma-bhūta also... Bhakti-yoga is so nice that it does not depend on any condition. Ahaituky apratihatā. Apratihatā means not under any condition.
Lecture on SB 1.5.8-9 -- New Vrindaban, May 24, 1969:
So this is karmī, jñānī. Jñānī wants to merge, and karmī wants higher level, higher standard of life. That is karmī's business. Karmīs give in charity just to acquire pious result out of it so that after death he can be elevated to the Svargaloka, heavenly planets. So Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī says, "But by the mercy of Kṛṣṇa, by the mercy of Lord Caitanya, this ambition to be elevated in higher planetary system will appear to be as phantasmagoria." Ākāśa-puṣpāyate. And this is karmīs' ambition, the jñānīs' ambition. Then yogis. The yogis' ambition is siddhi, or eight kinds of success.
Lecture on SB 1.5.17-18 -- New Vrindaban, June 21, 1969:
So similarly, this kind of activity, sense gratificatory activities, they are not karmīs even. They are vikarmīs. Because they are preparing their ground-adānta-gobhir viśatāṁ tamisram: (SB 7.5.30) "By such activities they are going to the darkest region of hell." Adānta... Why? Now adānta-gobhiḥ. Adānta means uncontrolled. Go means senses. Such activities, impelled by uncontrolled senses, they will lead... Such activities will lead him to the darkest region of hellish condition of life. So activi..., real activity means to elevate yourself. That is, that is called karma. Karma, akarma, and vikarma. Vikarma means such activities will, which will lead him to the hellish condition of life. And karma means that activity which will promote you to the higher standard of life, in the higher planetary system, where the standard of life is far, far greater than in this planet. So that is called karma.
Lecture on SB 1.5.17-18 -- New Vrindaban, June 21, 1969:
The nature's law is acting. So you don't try for being elevated to the higher standard of life or higher planetary system. There is no need of wasting your energy in that way. So higher or lower, that will come. That will come without... Just like we try to become happy or peaceful, but by circumstances we are put into unhappiness, disturbed condition of life. Nobody asks for it, but we are sometimes obliged to accept this. 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.
Lecture on SB 1.5.17-18 -- New Vrindaban, June 21, 1969:
So Nārada Muni says that kālena sarvatra gabhīra-raṁhasā. We should try for Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Otherwise, even if we go in higher standard of life, our, sometimes our consciousness is so degraded that, that that two sons of Kuvera, although they were, they got the body of demigods, still, they had to come down to take the birth of the life of trees, Yamala-Arjuna.
Lecture on SB 1.5.17-18 -- New Vrindaban, June 21, 1969:
So there is every chance, every chance of falldown. Why there are so many species of life? Why we are thinking that "Our life is guaranteed; we shall continue like this"? This is called ignorance. Any moment this standard of life, this comfortable standard of life, may be lost. Therefore Nārada says that "Everyone should try to achieve that benefit of life which is not available within the fourteen worlds, fourteen," I mean to say, "different types of planetary system."
Lecture on SB 1.7.26 -- Vrndavana, September 2, 1976:
Here we have got many millions of different varieties of life, 8,400,000 varieties of life. Out of them, we human form of life, and above this, the demigods in the higher planetary system, their standard of living, their duration of life is many, many times higher, superior than ours. Just like our standard of life, we are human being, it is better than the uncivilized man. And the uncivilized man's standard of life is better than the animal life. Phalgūni tatra mahatāṁ jīvo jīvasya jīvanam. The uncivilized man, they cannot produce food; therefore they kill animal. In the forest they live, and they kill some animals and eat. They cannot... They have no such knowledge that the forest can be cleared and we can till the ground and we can get very nice foodstuff, foodgrains, vegetables, so many things. Kṛṣi, agriculture. So the land is there, but this uncivilized man does not know how to get the necessities of life from land. They do not know. 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.
Lecture on SB 1.7.38-39 -- Vrndavana, September 30, 1976:
So you can achieve this success of life, mad-yājino 'pi yānti mam. There are many kinds of future benefit. Yānti deva-vratā devān. You can be elevated to the higher planetary system. In the heavenly planets you get long duration of life, higher standard of life, that you can get. But that also is not śreya. That is preya. The same material happiness in higher standard. Śreya is mad-yājino 'pi yānti mām. If you practice yājinaḥ, worshiping Kṛṣṇa as Kṛṣṇa says, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī, mad-yājinaḥ (BG 18.65), the same thing. If you practice, that is your śreya. Otherwise, anything you do, considering it is very nice, you are being entangled. Yajñārthāt karmaṇo 'nyatra loko 'yaṁ karma-bandhanaḥ (BG 3.9). Svalpam apy asya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt. If you try to advance in devotional service even a little bit, it can save you from the greatest danger. And if you do not do that, if you are entangled, if you are enamored by immediate sense satisfaction, you become karma-bandhana.
Lecture on SB 1.13.10 -- Geneva, June 1, 1974:
There are three material modes of nature. If you keep yourself in touch with the material modes of nature of goodness, then you will be promoted to the higher standard of life. Ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthāḥ (BG 14.18). Therefore at least, you may enjoy material life, but you should keep yourself to the standard of brahminical culture. Then there is guarantee that you don't degrade yourself; you get higher status of life in the higher planetary system: Janaloka, Maharloka, Tapoloka, Satyaloka. Then you will get... But if you keep yourself as it is, then you will remain in this planetary system.
Lecture on SB 1.15.47-48 -- Los Angeles, December 25, 1973:
One how has decided that "This life, it is not ordinary life like the cats and dogs. It is human life. I have got advanced intelligence. And it is possible in this life to back to home, back to Godhead, athāto brahma jijñāsā, simply by cultivating spiritual knowledge. So why shall I waste my time like cats and dogs?" This determination required. "The cats and dogs are busy in eating, sleeping, sex life, and one day it dies. So why shall I waste my time in that way? I have got good intelligence. Kṛṣṇa has provided me better standard of life. I can lie in nice room, not like the cats and dogs on the street. Kṛṣṇa has provided for me so nice foodstuff which I can offer to Kṛṣṇa, patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyam (BG 9.26), so nice fruits, grains, milk. So let us utilize these things given by Kṛṣṇa."
Lecture on SB 1.16.4 -- Los Angeles, January 1, 1974:
Long, long ago, sometimes in 1930, I had a talk in Allahabad with a great scientist Dr. Shah. He said that there is no reason to disbelieve that in other planets there is no living entity. And recently one Russian scientist also said that there are many planets where very, very intelligent class of men are there. So that is our theory, that the... if you go to the higher planetary system, you will find more comfortable standard of life, the duration of life is very long, and the people are very, very intelligent. They are called demigods. So whatever it may be, we have to follow our own principles, and there is no reason to disbelieve that in other planets there are no living entities. We cannot accept it.
Lecture on SB 1.16.5 -- Los Angeles, January 2, 1974:
Tri-daśa-pūr means the higher heavenly planets where big, big demigods live. Just like people are trying to go to this planet, that planet. So tri-daśa-pūr. Tri-daśa means thirty, three daśa, ten times...aḥ, three times ten. So there are thirty millions of demigods. And they have got different planets also. So they are promised, "If you come to this demigod's planet, yānti deva-vratā devān (BG 9.25), you will get so much happiness, you will live for so many years, you will have better standard of life, thousand times more than in the... These are... They are described in the Vedas. But a devotee says that this tri-daśa-pūr, this heavenly planet, is as good as phantasmagoria. They have no value for these things.
Lecture on SB 1.16.5 -- Los Angeles, January 2, 1974:
So the..., this is the aspiration of the karmīs, to elevate life to higher standard of life. As the world is going on... The struggle is going on for having a higher standard of life. But they are becoming implicated. Now, there was bull-drawn cart or horse-drawn carriages. Now they have got nice cars also, but the problem is petrol. So the karmī world is like that. You create one kind of happiness, but side by side you create another kind of unhappiness. This is called karmī-yoga. Just like if you want to raise one big skyscraper building, then you have to dig somewhere to get the earth to make the bricks and the iron. You cannot manufacture without taking help of the nature. So if you raise here, you must dig here. This is karmī-yoga.
Lecture on SB 1.16.5 -- Los Angeles, January 2, 1974:
So the..., this is the aspiration of the karmīs, to elevate life to higher standard of life. As the world is going on... The struggle is going on for having a higher standard of life. But they are becoming implicated. Now, there was bull-drawn cart or horse-drawn carriages. Now they have got nice cars also, but the problem is petrol. So the karmī world is like that. You create one kind of happiness, but side by side you create another kind of unhappiness. This is called karmī-yoga. Just like if you want to raise one big skyscraper building, then you have to dig somewhere to get the earth to make the bricks and the iron. You cannot manufacture without taking help of the nature. So if you raise here, you must dig here. This is karmī-yoga. If you want to enjoy something extraordinarily, you must create another unhappiness extraordinarily. This is called karmī. Therefore they are mūḍhas. Mūḍhas means rascals, asses. They do not know that "By increasing every year new motorcars, I am creating another problem. If there is no petrol, then the whole business will be spoiled." That they do not know. And because they do not know, they are called asses, mūḍha. The effect they do not know. So the tri-daśa-pūr, going to the heavenly planet... Just like they are going to the moon planet, but problems after problem, contemplating how to make a platform in the sky to get petrol. The problem is there, not that very easily going. The problematic... Things are problematic.
Lecture on SB 1.16.24 -- Los Angeles, July 14, 1974:
So kālena, kālena means "by the time." In the Bhagavad-gītā there is, sa kāleneha yogo naṣṭaḥ parantapa. So time is very powerful. Time is eternal, and it is very powerful. So the inquiry is, "Vasundhare, the reservoir of all riches, whether you have been plundered or taken away of all your fortunes in due course of time?" Vasundharā, this planet... There are innumerable planets. This is one of them. And it is referred here that surārcitam. Surārcitam. Sura means the demigods, and arcitam means worshiped. So the demigods, they live in higher planetary system. Their standard of life is far, far better, thousands and thousands times better. Therefore when this planet is more opulent, even the demigods, they eulogize, surārcitaṁ saubhagam. That kind of opulence is certainly very great fortune. So all these inquiries are being made because Kṛṣṇa left this planet. "When Kṛṣṇa was present, so the opulence of this planet was so great that even the demigods in higher planetary systems, they were also envious. So that is now... Because Kṛṣṇa is not there, so that opulence is now taken away. So whether you are so much sorry for this purpose?"
Lecture on SB 2.3.17 -- Los Angeles, July 12, 1969:
They are called demigods. They are far advanced, very more and more intelligent. Their standard of living, their everything, is far, far above than all these planets, thousands and thousands of times. Just like we can discriminate here, even on this planet. Your standard of living, from materialistic point of view... Just like to get a motorcar in this country is ordinary thing, but in our country, in India, if somebody has got a motorcar, he's considered to be very rich man. Here even a worker goes on motorcar, but in India only a person who is very rich, he can have a motorcar. As there is difference of standard of living from one country to another, similarly, there is difference of standard of living, standard of duration of life, standard of intelligence, standard of developed consciousness, everything different.
Lecture on SB 2.3.18-19 -- Los Angeles, June 13, 1972:
You have no sufficient means." "No, I am not poverty-stricken. My students, they get some alms of rice. So my wife boils the rice, and here is a tamarind tree. So I take some leaves and boil it, and that's sufficient. Why I am poverty-stricken?" He's satisfied, whatever is coming automatically, that's all. He doesn't require any higher standard of life, any botheration. He is satisfied, little rice and tamarind juice. That's all. So in each and every home, formerly, this independence was very much valued. So at the modern education this independence is being killed. People are becoming unemployed, machine. Machine ... High technologist means he must find out a job where technological machines are there. Otherwise he will starve, and he will have to go round, factory to factory: "Will you give me some service?" "No vacancy." Yes. So we shall discuss further next, tomorrow. (end)
Lecture on SB 2.3.18-19 -- Bombay, March 23, 1977, At Cross Maidan Pandal:
"Men who are like dogs, hogs, camels and asses praise those men who never listen to the transcendental pastimes of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the deliverer from evils." Purport by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Śrīla Prabhupāda. The general mass of people, unless they are trained systematically for a higher standard of life in spiritual values, are no better than animals, and in this verse they have particularly been put on the level of dogs, hogs, camels and asses. Modern university education practically prepares one to acquire a doggish mentality with which to accept the service of a greater master. After finishing a so-called education, the so-called educated persons move like dogs from door to door with applications for some service, and mostly they are driven away, informed of no vacancy. As dogs are negligible animals and serve the master faithfully for bits of bread, a man serves a master faithfully without sufficient rewards.
Lecture on SB 2.3.19 -- Los Angeles, June 14, 1972:
Pradyumna: "The general mass of people, unless they are trained systematically for a higher standard of life in spiritual values, are no better than the animals, and in this verse they have particularly been put on the level of dogs, hogs, camels and asses. Modern university education practically prepares one to acquire a doggish mentality to accept the service of a greater master.
Like a dog, after finishing his so-called education, the so-called educated persons move from door to door with applications for some service, and mostly they are driven away, informed of no vacancy. As the dogs are negligible animals and serve their master faithfully for bits of bread, similarly one serves a master without sufficient rewards. Persons who have no discrimination in the matter of foodstuff and who eat all sorts of rubbish are compared with the hogs. Hogs are very much attached to eating stools. So the stool is a kind of foodstuff for a particular type of animal. And even stones are eatables..."
Prabhupāda: This is very important. Why hog has been selected? The hog has no discrimination. He is prepared to eat even stool. Therefore hog is selected. So people are now eating anything, everything. So we have heard that in Korea they eat cats, snakes, dogs. In other places also seen, anything. They have no discrimination. No discrimination. Jīvo jīvasya jīvanam. One living entity is the source of vital strength for another living entity.
Lecture on SB 2.9.9 -- Tokyo, April 25, 1972, Informal Class in Room:
Why they should come? Now, because another house is raised here, even a common man is not coming to urine here. A little less facility, so they are not occupying. So why the demigods will come to this nonsense place? You can understand. These apartments are lying vacant on account of a little less facility. So why the demigods? Their comforts and their standard of living is many millions times better than yours. You cannot imagine it even. The more you go to the higher planetary system, their standard of living is still higher, higher-duration of life, standard of living, beauty, other facilities. Why they are called higher planetary system? Here in this planet even you don't get the sunshine sufficiently. The bare necessities. Now you can experience that when you go above the cloud by airplane you see there is no more cloudy. The sunshine is free. You can imagine how in the higher planetary system the sunshine is so free. And here as soon as there is little sunshine, oh, today, "Good morning." Today is very good morning. In London, Lennon's gardener, he was meeting, I was walking. He was Mr. Johnson or something.
Lecture on SB 3.26.5 -- Bombay, December 17, 1974:
So this is going on. This is going on. Therefore it is called guṇair vicitrāḥ. All these living entities and their living condition, their mode of life, standard of life, everything, they are simply contamination of the three guṇas: tri-guṇair vicitrāḥ. Sṛjatīṁ sa-rūpāḥ prakṛtiṁ prajāḥ. Sa-rūpāḥ prakṛtim. They are getting this form according to the tendency of the mind, sa-rūpāḥ. If I contaminate tamo-guṇa, then I get lower-grade life. If I contaminate rajo-guṇa, then middle-grade life. And if we contaminate... That is also contamination, but it is better than the other two.
Lecture on SB 3.26.7 -- Bombay, December 19, 1974:
You just become like human being." Nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke kaṣṭān kāmān arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye: (SB 5.5.1) "My dear sons, don't try to get happiness like the pigs, dogs, hogs." Kaṣṭān kāmān. With hard labor, you get some food, and then you enjoy sex life. Yan maithunādi-gṛhamedhi-sukhaṁ hi tuccham (SB 7.9.45). Material life means to work very hard day and night and get some money and then eat sumptuously. Eat, drink, be merry and then enjoy sex life. That's all. So Ṛṣabhadeva said, "My dear sons, this kind of standard of life is available in the life of pigs." Kaṣṭān kāmān arhate ye viḍ-bhujām. Viḍ-bhujām means stool-eaters.
Lecture on SB 3.26.21 -- Bombay, December 30, 1974:
So generally, whatever we may possess, but the hankering is there. That is rajo-guṇa. That is rajo-guṇa, always hankering, even up to the stage of so-called perfection. Just like the karmīs. Karmīs, they think that perfection of life is very, very high standard of life, very happy, comfortable. Just like in the Western countries, they think that to have nice roads, nice motorcar, and very high skyscraper building, and facilities, modern comforts... What is called? So that is the standard of happiness. And we Eastern people, we are also imitating them. But actually, ask them, who possesses all them, that "Whether you have attained the position of no hankering?" No, that is not possible. The hankering is there. What to think of possessing these material facilities, even one goes to the heavenly planet, that is also included within the happiness of the karmīs. They want happiness in this world as well as after this world. After death also, they want to go to the heavenly planet, Svargaloka, where the duration of life is many, many thousands of years, and the standard of happiness is very, very high. There the place is very beautiful, the women are very beautiful, the gardens there... These descriptions are there. Nandana-kānana and apsarās there are. So this is also another higher standard of life, duration of life. That is the position of the karmīs.
Lecture on SB 3.26.21 -- Bombay, December 30, 1974:
Therefore Caitanya-caritāmṛta kaṛacā says, bhukti-mukti-siddhi-kāmī-sakali 'aśānta.' Kāmī. Kāmī means one who desires. So either you desire comforts of this material body in different standard of life, either in this planet or other planet... Just like they are trying to go to the moon planet for getting higher standard of life. Unfortunately, they are not allowed to stay there. They come back. So you cannot go in the higher planets in that way. You must be fit for going there. I have several times discussed this matter. Just like American standard of life is better than our Indian standard of life, but you cannot enter America or the Americans cannot enter India without required visa permission; similarly, it is not that by your whims you can enter into the higher planetary system. That is not possible. Anyway, these are the field of activities of the karmīs, those who want to become happy by their active execution. "I shall be happy in this way. I shall be happy in this way, and make my plan like that." These are karmīs. They are making simply plans to become happy, but they forget that this is duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15). This material world is the place for suffering. They forget that. The scientists, the physists, they are all trying to make this life very comfortable. They are called durāśayā. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum... (SB 7.5.31). What is that? Durāśayā. They are thinking that "By material adjustment, we can be happy." Durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ. These karmīs, they have got a hope which will never be fulfilled. That is called durāśā. Āśā means hope, and durāśā means which will never be successful.
Lecture on SB 3.26.27 -- Bombay, January 4, 1975:
Why don't you do it? Why you are aspiring after mukti, siddhi, and bhukti? These are all personal. Anyone who is executing pious activities, acquiring puṇya, what is the result? Puṇya means he will go to the heavenly planet. That is sense gratification. Heavenly planet, you go to the heavenly planet. You live for many thousands of years, many millions of years, and get the association of apsarās, very nice standard of life, and so on, so on. These are all personal comforts, bhukti, a better standard of material enjoyment. To go to the heavenly planet means a better standard of, thousand times better, millions times better than this planet. As you go up and up... This is Bhūrloka. Then Bhuvarloka, Svarloka, Janaloka, Maharloka, Tapoloka, Brahmaloka, so many lokas. Ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthāḥ (BG 14.18). If you increase your modes of goodness, then you gradually promoted more and more comfortable situation.
Lecture on SB 3.26.28 -- Bombay, January 5, 1975:
That is the bhakti stage—no more demand. The karmīs, the jñānīs, the yogis, they have got demand. They want something. The karmīs, they want promotion to the higher planets for sensual satisfaction, for higher standard of material living condition, karmīs. The more you are karmīs, you can live very high standard of life just like Europeans, Americans. They are big, big karmīs, big, big manufacture of machine, wonderful machine, and they get money-cost one dollar and they are charging five hundred dollars. You get money and good opportunity for sense gratification. So that is the idea of karmīs. They want higher standard of sense gratification, scientific method of sense gratification. They have got machine even for shaving, even for tooth brushing. So everything machine. The idea is sense gratification. This is karmī. And jñānīs, they have also demand: "I shall become one with God." Ekatvena. But the bhaktas, they don't want ekatvam. That is jñānī. And yogis, they want mystic powers. Because if they can manifest some mystic power, immediately so many foolish person will be followers, and they will get some material reputation, position. So there is demand. And when there will be no demand, that is bhakta stage. Svāmin kṛtārtho 'smi varaṁ na yāce: (CC Madhya 22.42) "No more varam, Sir. I have taken much varam."
Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- Los Angeles, January 20, 1969:
Where is that table light? Table light? (chants maṅgalācaraṇa prayers) In the last meeting we are discussing about the life of a fallen brāhmaṇa, Ajāmila. He was addicted to prostitute. Therefore his high standard of life became degraded. This morning also we were reading in the Īśopaniṣad that God is apāpa-viddham. "A" means not, and pāpa means sin, and viddham, infected. The God is never infected by sin, sinful activities. Common sense. Just like a king orders somebody to be killed, "This man should be killed." This killing is sinful for the ordinary citizen, but killing by the order of the supreme executive head, the president or the king, that is not criminal. If you say that "Killing by me is criminal. Why it is not criminal for you, you, the president or the king?" I am giving a crude example. Similarly, if you go higher and higher, when you come to God...
Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- Delhi, November 28, 1975:
You can utilize this body properly for higher standard of life. You can go to the higher planetary system. The higher planetary system begins from the sun. That is another subject matter. But so far we get information from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, there sun, then moon, according to Bhāgavatam. And I think... We were talking about these things, that whether the moon is the first planet or the sun is the first planet. So far we understand from Vedic literature, the moon is the second planet. The sun is the first planet. If we consider like that, then moon is beyond the sun planet. The estimation is there in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam: 1,600,000 miles above the sun the moon is situated. Now, if we take consideration of the sun planet situated 93,000,000 miles from earth, then add 1,600,000 miles again, it comes to 15,000,000..., 95,000,000's miles away from the earthly planet. And how you can reach there in four days, 95,000,000 miles away? If we apply our common sense, then it appears they have never gone to the moon planet. It is all bogus propaganda. It is not possible.
Lecture on SB 5.5.1-2 -- London (Tittenhurst), September 13, 1969:
And they should be automatically minimum because they are ordered to beg from door to door and live. The brahmacārī is meant for begging. Now, no beggar can live very luxuriantly. That is not possible. It is not possible. So if a beggar goes somebody's house, "Mother, give me some alms," so it is not that one is awarding some hundred thousands of rupees or dollars. So naturally, they have minimized their... Only little luxury or, I mean to say, high standard of life is allowed to the gṛhasthas, according to Vedic system, and the three other sections of the society, they should minimize. Why minimize? Because the idea is not to waste time unnecessarily. Unnecessarily.
Lecture on SB 5.5.1-2 -- London (Tittenhurst), September 13, 1969:
After all, either you live very high standard of life or low standard of life... There is no question of low standard of life. The proper upkeep of health is cleanliness. If you keep yourself clean, then your, I mean to say, problem of health is solved. Simply cleanliness. "Cleanliness is next to godliness." That is also an English proverb. And in Sanskrit literature also, bāhyābhyantara-śuciḥ: "One should be cleansed within and without." So without, you can clean yourself simply by water. By the laws of nature you have got enough water so you can cleanse yourself outside by water.
Lecture on SB 5.5.1-2 -- Stockholm, September 7, 1973:
And karma means they are not struggling hard to enjoy the fruitive result, as we see generally everywhere, they are working so hard. Big, big buildings, big, big factories, big, big roads, cities, so many things. They are trying to be happy by such advancement of material opulence. They are called karmī. Some of them are trying to be happy within this material, within this world or within this life, and there are others also, they are also performing big, big yajñas, charities, so that next life they may also take birth in very nice family or may be elevated to the higher planetary system where the standard of life is thousand times better than here. There is all arrangement. So they are trying for that. Not only to become very bodily happy in this life, but also next life. But as there is difficulty... Suppose if you want to be happy materially, then... You see how they are working very hard. They have no time. In the morning, at half past five, we go for morning walk, we see, workers are going. At night... You Europeans, you know better than me how they are working very, very hard. What is the idea? To become happy. To satisfy the senses. Similarly, there are others who know that there is life after death. So they are also preparing how "Next life also we'll be happy, we may take birth in very rich family, in higher planet, in heavenly planet."
Lecture on SB 5.5.1-2 -- Stockholm, September 7, 1973:
So this hard labor is going on. So Ṛṣabhadeva says that this hard labor should be stopped. There is no need of so much hard labor. Why you should work so hard? This such kind of hard labor is seen amongst the animals. There are animals, just like we saw one jackal was passing on the street. So they come out in the night, some of the animals, especially ferocious animals. They come out at night for their food. Everyone is working hard; they also come. So animals also, they (are) also working very hard. That is given example, the hogs and dogs. That is restricted. If you go on working for better standard of life, then you'll be attached to this work and your mind will be absorbed in such work.
Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Boston, April 28, 1969:
He has got the desire. The desire is there, but by the restriction of the physician, he does not eat. Just like for a diabetic patient, the doctor says, "You can eat so much quantity of food, not more than that," although he desires to eat more. So the desire is there, but because he wants to come to the healthy standard of life, he follows the restriction of the physician. The demand is there. A patient lying in the hospital, he wants whatever is very palatable for me, for him, he wants to eat that. But the medical practitioner has advised, "Oh, you cannot take it. You cannot take." So he's following, "All right, just to become..." But when he's healthy there is no such restriction. The doctor does not restrict the diet of a healthy person. The restriction is for the person who is suffering from certain type of disease.
Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Hyderabad, April 11, 1975:
That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā that yānti deva-vratā devān (BG 9.25). There are deva-lokas, Indraloka, Candraloka, Brahmaloka, so many, millions of years' age, a thousand times better standard of life. That also you can get. Yānti deva-vratā devān pitṟn yānti pitṛ-vratāḥ. And if you are in the karma-kāṇḍīya, then you can go to the pitṛ-loka. And bhūtejyā yānti bhūtāni: and if you remain a materialistic person, you remain here. And mad-yājino 'pi yānti mām: and if you worship Kṛṣṇa, if you become a devotee of Kṛṣṇa, then you go to Kṛṣṇaloka. So why should we waste our time? Ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna (BG 8.16). Even if you go, promoted to the Brahmaloka, still, you have to wander within these so many planets, so many bodies.
Lecture on SB 5.5.3 -- Boston, May 4, 1968:
There are two classes of persons. One is interested for developing material standard of life, and one is interested for spiritual development of life. So a householder, he can also become a mahātmā, provided he has got this tendency that he wants to develop his spiritual life. Then he is mahātmā. And not interested to increase economic development, or persons who are too much attached for enjoyment. Ye vā mayīśe kṛta-sauhṛdārthā janeṣu dehambhara-vārtikeṣu. Dehambhara-vārtikeṣu means persons here in the ordinary men, they are simply interested how to satisfy the bodily needs. That's all. They are called dehambhara-vārtikeṣu. The materialistic civilization means how to keep this body very comfortably. Not only in this life. From their thinking also they accept works of piety, just like charity, religion. How? So next life they may be elevated to the heavenly planets and they can enjoy very long duration of life, association of very beautiful girls, and drink so many beverages. Their only aim is like that, how to provide this material body with all comforts. They are called dehambhara-vārtikeṣu. Deha means this body, and bhara, just to maintain this body.
Lecture on SB 5.5.3 -- Boston, May 4, 1968:
Gṛhastha means one who lives with family but his interest is realization of self and realization of God. And gṛhamedhi means he has no more interest. He has no interest what is spiritual life, what is God, but he's simply interested in developing the family standard of life. So there are two classes of men. But one who is simply interested with spiritual life, they can also be claimed as mahātmā even in the household life. But his interest is only for God realization and his symptom is described that his only aim is God and he's not attached with material comfort or he's not attached with persons who are simply engaged for the improvement of bodily happiness.
Lecture on SB 5.5.5 -- Stockholm, September 10, 1973:
That is fortune. Yadā na paśyaty ayathā guṇehāṁ svārthe pramattaḥ. He does not know his interest. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). They do not know that "My svārtha, my interest, my goal of life, is to love, to find out God and to love Him. That is my real interest." So, so long one is not enlightened to that standard of life, then he is defeated. Then how he is defeated? Gata-smṛtir, gata-smṛtir vindati tatra tāpān āsādya maithunyam agāram ajñaḥ. He remains a ajñaḥ, foolish. And what is his happiness? His happiness is sex life. That's all. That is his happiness. Maithunyam agāram. He is in the prison house of this material nature, but he does not know that "I am in prison." He is simply enjoying the three things. Udāram varitha.(?) Udāram varitha: the tongue, the belly and the genital. That is stated here. Gata-smṛtir vindati. And to enjoy this material, he has to undergo so much tribulation. Tāpān vindati.
Lecture on SB 5.5.21-22 -- Vrndavana, November 9, 1976:
So in this way, varieties of life, beginning from the insects and the aquatics, animal, up to the point of Lord Brahmā. But they are all within this material world. It does not mean because the Gandharvas, Siddhas, they have got higher standard of life and power hundreds and thousands times more than our power, do not think that they are liberated persons. They are not liberated person. They are all conditioned soul. Ā-brahma-bhuvanāl lokān punar āvartino arjuna. All these conditioned soul, according to karma, they are getting different types of body. One has got the body of an ant, and one has got the body of Brahmā, Lord Brahmā. But that is not our aim. Our aim is how to avoid this material body. For that purpose, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Not that "I have got now the body of an ant. Let me get the body of Brahmā or Indra or in a Siddhaloka." This is not gain.
Lecture on SB 6.1.6 -- Honolulu, June 8, 1975:
So not that all living entities are going to the hell, but some of them. Some of them. Because most of the living entities, they are less than the human being—8,400,000. So eight millions they are below the human standard of life, human being. They are animals. Jalajā nava-lakṣāni sthāvarā lakṣa-viṁśati. Nine lakhs, hundred thousand in the water, different types of forms, body. Then insect... Then plants, trees, then insect, then birds, then beast, then human being. This is the evolution. So these eight million different forms of body below the human being, they are not punishable because they are animals. They have no intelligence. Then again, amongst the human being, those who are intelligent, those who are acting according to the Vedic instruction, they will not be also suffering. Those who are avoiding the instruction of the Vedas, they will be put into that hellish condition of life.
Lecture on SB 6.1.7 -- Honolulu, May 8, 1976:
In that way you can live there for ten thousands of years. And the standard of living condition is thousand times better. Therefore it is called heavenly. So if you like, you can go there. Ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthaḥ (BG 14.18). Yānti deva-vrataḥ devān. Everything is explained. Or if you can go, if you like you can go to the Pitṛloka. If you want to remain here as human being, you can also remain here, but you have to work for it to keep your position, status. Just like if you become rich man, high standard of life, you have to maintain it. Not that it will continue automatically. No, that is not possible, sir. This material world is not like that: you get one position and it will continue. No. A little discrepancy, immediately deteriorate your position. So you have to maintain it.
Lecture on SB 6.1.8 -- Los Angeles, June 21, 1975:
We are infecting. On account of this material world, we are infecting different modes of material nature. I have explained several times. There are three modes of material nature, and when you mix up, then it becomes three into three equal to nine, and again mix up, nine into nine, eighty-one, and again mix up Every minute particles, there is account. You cannot avoid. Material nature's punishment you cannot avoid. Even little, whatever you have done, it will be punished. Automatically the rules and regulations are there. Kāraṇaṁ guṇa-sangaḥ asya sad-asad-janma-yoniṣu. Why there are so different varieties of life if there is no some judgment behind it? There must be. Otherwise everyone should have been of the same bodily feature, same standard of life, same opulence. No. So many grades, because the modes of material nature are different, different mixture.
Lecture on SB 6.1.34-39 -- Surat, December 19, 1970:
Otherwise it is not possible. You may be a very great yogi. You may be very great meditator. All these things, they are very nice. They can elevate you from higher standard of life. Just like your country, USA, you have got higher standard of life than India, in one sense. But you can have thousand thousands more higher standard of life in higher planets. Thousand thousand times. As there is comparison between India and USA, or any country, similarly, in planetary system also, there is comparison. This planet is so much full of material pleasures, another planet so much, so much. But in no planet there is the guarantee that there will be no death. That is not possible. That is stated in the Bhagavad..., ā-brahma-bhuvanāl-lokān punar āvartino 'rjuna. Even if you go to the Brahmaloka where one twelve hours means thousands of four yugas, still, there is death. So you cannot avoid this. So one who is serious... So we shall begin. What is this name of this magazine? Asia?
Lecture on SB 6.1.45 -- Laguna Beach, July 26, 1975:
If you act in goodness, then you will be promoted to the higher planetary system, devān, where demigods live. They have ten thousand years of life, very high standard of life. Yānti deva-vratā devān pitṟn yānti pitṛ-vratāḥ. And if you are attached to pitṛ-loka, you can go there. Bhūtejyā yānti bhūtāni.
Lecture on SB 6.2.11 -- Allahabad, January 16, 1971:
Means they know what is the benefit of entering into heavenly kingdom. There is no benefit. Suppose I may get thousands of years' age and I enjoy very high standard of life, woman, money, wine. Just think. But what is the benefit? There is no benefit. I was very glad to read one article sent by Satsvarūpa in Boston. He has said, "What is this society, family? It is all hellish. We do not wish to live without Kṛṣṇa." Very nice statement. That is real realization. We do not like to live without Kṛṣṇa. So anyone who has realized it that "Any amount of material happiness is to be kicked out. We don't care for it. We simply care for Kṛṣṇa, how Kṛṣṇa will be happy," that is pure devotee. Ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanam (CC Madhya 19.167). Ānukūlyena means favorably. We should simply try to please Kṛṣṇa favorably, not unfavorably.
Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- San Francisco, March 6, 1967:
So Prahlāda Mahārāja advises the bhāgavata-dharma. Bhāgavata. What is the bhāgavata-dharma? Bhāgavatān dharmān ācared yata arthadam etaj janma devādi-janmani mahā-viṣaya āviśat. Now, why this life is given so much importance, this human life? There are many other lives, lower and higher. In the higher planets there are demigods. They are far more improved, they are more intelligent, they are more happy than this planet. You must know that the higher planets, the comforts of life is thousand times more. As you go in the higher planetary system, the standard of life, the conveniences, are thousand times greater than in this planet. Therefore the commentator, Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī is that "Why not bhāgavata-dharma, cultivate Kṛṣṇa consciousness, in the life of demigods? Why in this human form of life?" So the answer is that devādi-janma, devādi-janmani mahā-viṣaya āviśat. Devādi-janmani. In the lives of demigod, they are puffed up with so much material enjoyments that there is very little chance to become Kṛṣṇa conscious.
Lecture on SB 7.6.3-4 -- San Francisco, March 8, 1967:
Oh, yes, certainly. Just like a particular type of body... Just like a dog and man, there is difference of condition. A dog's living is more conditional than a man's living. Animal and human being, there is difference of condition. Similarly, there is difference of condition between human being and demigods. There are different other living entities in the higher planets, their condition of life, or standard of life, is different. Just like your American, your standard of life, in other poor countries, their standard of life is different. So the same principle: according to the body you have got, the standard of so-called happiness and distress and everything is different. So this age, Kali-yuga, as it will increase, the distress of the people will increase. I shall, next day, I shall describe how the distress of the Kali-yuga will increase. You just remind me next meeting. Yes?
Lecture on SB 7.6.5 -- Vrndavana, December 7, 1975:
Simply they have got a long duration of life, a high standard of life, but the same struggle. Just like here you see in India and Europe, America. They have got the high standard of life, they have got skyscraper building, very big, big roads, motorcar. But what is that? Simply struggling. Are they happy? We are poor country. Of course, we have no such opulence. But the standard, the janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9), is there, not that they are sitting idly and food is coming automatically. No. They have to struggle. So either you be in the heavenly planet or in the lowest planet, the struggle is there. Manaḥ-ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi prakṛti-sthāni karṣati (BG 15.7). So long we'll be in the material world, you have to... Ā-brahma-bhuvanāl lokān punar āvartino 'rjuna. Even you go to the Brahmaloka or Indraloka, Candraloka... They are trying to go to the Candraloka.
Lecture on SB 7.7.30-31 -- Mombassa, September 12, 1971:
That is the function. Human body is meant for that intelligence, that what kind of body I shall have in my next life? Just like a student educates himself with an ambition that "When I am grown up I shall have this standard of life. I shall become a high-court judge, I shall become a military man, I shall become a very good businessman." As there are different ambitions, similarly, for your next life also you can maintain different ambitions. That is in your hands. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, yānti deva-vratā devān (BG 9.25), if you are ambitious to elevate yourself... Just like people are trying to go to the moon planet, that is an ambition. But they are trying to fulfill the ambition wrongly.
Lecture on SB 7.9.12 -- Montreal, August 18, 1968:
So the prayer... For offering prayer to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, you do not require any high qualification. It doesn't matter. You can offer your prayer from any standard of life. Not that you have to become a very learned man, very scholarly man, and you have to present your prayers in a very nicely selected words so that poetry, rhetoric, prosody, everything is there, metaphor. Nothing required. Simply you have to express your feelings.
Lecture on SB 7.9.43 -- Visakhapatnam, February 22, 1972:
That is also the statement of Prahlāda Mahārāja, sukham aindriyakaṁ daityā deha-yogena dehinām, we get a standard of happiness or distress. Take for example only happiness, forget about distress. So Prahlāda Mahārāja says, sukham aindriyakaṁ daityā deha-yogena dehinām. One who has got his body in the Khatau's family or any nice family, so his standard of happiness is already fixed up according to the body. He has got a body in such family or in such species of life, so his standard of life is also fixed up according to his karma-yogena. Jantur dehopapattaye. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa jantur deha upapattaye (SB 3.31.1). Karmaṇā, by our act. Janmaiśvarya-śruta-śrī (SB 1.8.26). By pious activities, one can get these four things: birth in high family, rich family, brāhmaṇa family, cultured family, janma; aiśvarya—riches, opulence; śruta—education; and śrī—beauty.
Lecture on SB 7th Canto -- Calcutta, March 7, 1972:
That means we have to come to that position when we don't identify with this body. This varṇāśrama-dharma is identification with this body: "I am a brāhmaṇa." "I am a brāhmaṇa," what does it mean? This is bodily qualification, but I have got little more knowledge than others. I know what is Brahman. But still, I am not a Vaiṣṇava. Unless I become a Vaiṣṇava, I come to the position of a brāhmaṇa and then I engage himself in the Brahman's service, that is Vaiṣṇava. That is required. Simply... But in order to raise oneself to the highest standard of life, these principles of varṇāśrama-dharma should be followed. You cannot become M.A. without becoming a student in the school and college. But if there is any special service... Just like Dr. Rabindranath Tagore, he was given doctor title from the Oxford University.
Nectar of Devotion Lectures
The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, October 19, 1972:
Māyā creates a car for you, a carrying conveyance, this body. So that conveyance is according to karma. So if you act piously in this life, then next life you get good body. Ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthā (BG 14.18). Sattva-sthā. If you are in goodness, then, in the modes of goodness, then you are promoted to higher standard of life. Ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthā madhye tiṣṭhanti rājasāḥ. And if you are in passion, then you remain here. And adho gacchanti tāmasāḥ. And if you are ignorant, then you go to animal life or lower grade of life. This is the law of karma. But instead of improving your karma, karma-kāṇḍīya-vicāra, fruitive activities, if you take to devotional service and simply try to understand what is Kṛṣṇa, then you are no longer within the influence of this good work or bad work. You are transcendental. Immediately after death, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9), you are no more subjected to this gross body... (break)
The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, October 20, 1972:
Kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgaḥ asya. He is contacting a particular type of the modes of material nature. There are three modes of material nature: sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. So if I am associating with sattva-guṇa, then next life, I'll get a sattva-guṇa body. Ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthā. (BG 14.18) Sattva-guṇa body means higher standard of life. So similarly, if I am associating with the modes of passion, then I'll get a body, next life, passionate. If I am associating with ignorance, tamo-guṇa, jaghanya-guṇa-vṛtti-sthā adho gacchanti tāmasāḥ. Tāmasāḥ. Tama-vṛtti. The jaghanya, the lowest. There are so many varieties of life. So those who are associating with tamo-guṇa, drinking, flesh eating, smoking, illicit sex, gambling... These are the association of tamo-guṇa. Yatra pāpāś catur-vidhā. Where there are four kinds of sinful activities. So intoxication is sinful activities. That is tamo-guṇa. Associating with tamo-guṇa. So jaghanya-guṇa-vṛtti-sthā adho gacchanti tāmasāḥ. Those who are associating with tamo-guṇa, their vṛtti, their habits, are very abominable. Jaghanya. Therefore adho gacchanti. They go downwards.
The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, October 20, 1972:
There is no question of enjoyment. But it sometimes taken, enjoyment. The fruitive action, the result of fruitive action. So a devotee does not enjoy anything or suffer anything. Because a devotee does everything for Kṛṣṇa. So therefore for his personal self, there is no question of karma-phala. That is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā: yajñārthe karma anyatra karma-bandhanaḥ. If you act for Kṛṣṇa, that is nice. If you act otherwise, then it is karma-bandhana. Yajñārthe karma anytra. Anyatra. Anyatra means except Kṛṣṇa consciousness activities, the activities of the karmīs and the jñānīs and the yogis, they are all karma-bandhana, bound up. Suppose karmīs, they are going to the heavenly planet or higher planetary system for getting higher standard of life, to take birth by pious activities in nice family, to become rich. But that is bandhana. That is bondage.
Festival Lectures
Ratha-yatra and Press Conference -- San Francisco, July 4, 1970:
So Lord Caitanya, five hundred years ago, He wanted to give the spiritual knowledge of Kṛṣṇa consciousness throughout the whole world, and He has ordered to every Indian that anyone who has taken birth as a human being in India should preach this transcendental knowledge throughout the whole world. So perhaps previously..., means somebody have preached this Kṛṣṇa consciousness knowledge, but since 1965 or '66, since I started this movement from New York, generally all the boys and girls, younger section, they are very much kind upon me, and they are coming to me. And I am very glad to have them. I am just training them to the right spiritual standard of life and I am happy they are abiding by them.
General Lectures
Speech to Indian Audience -- Montreal, July 28, 1968:
Because one birth is made by father and mother and the next birth is made by Vedic knowledge and spiritual master. This is the system. So nobody is born brāhmaṇa or intelligent class of men, but by cultivation of knowledge, by practice, by good association, one can come to the higher standard of life. And when one is on the platform of goodness, then one has to transcend that platform of goodness and come to the platform of pure goodness. In the material world, even a man is supposed to be very good man, there is possibility of his being affected by the modes of passion and ignorance. But in the transcendental platform, which is called viśuddha-sattva, pure goodness, there is no possibility of interaction of these three qualities of material nature, namely goodness, passion, and ignorance.
Lecture -- Seattle, October 4, 1968:
Now we are, everyone, searching after some standard of life where we will have no anxiety. That is the aim of everyone. Why we are struggling? We are trying to approach a certain point. Just like two parties playing on football, they are, each one of them, trying to approach the goal. That is victory. So everyone is trying to gain something, according to different position, according to different idea. Not everyone is searching after the same thing. Somebody searching after material pleasure, somebody searching after intoxication, somebody is searching after sex, somebody is searching after money, somebody is searching after knowledge, somebody is searching after so many things. But there is one thing. If we can get that, attain to that perfection, then we shall be satisfied and we shall say that "We do not want anything." Svāmin kṛtārtho 'smi varaṁ na yāce (CC Madhya 22.42).
Lecture -- New York, April 16, 1969:
So this is an opportunity. This life, this human form of life, is an opportunity to make further progress. It is not that after this human body is finished, then there is no life. This misconception, this misleading philosophy, that after death there is nothing, void, is killing the human civilization. Is killing practically. They do not know "What is my next life?" The next life is there. As there are, you can see so many varieties of planets, so there are lives also, different grades of lives, different standard of life. Take for example the moon planet. What do they know about moon? They are trying to reach there by some mechanical means. That is not possible. Anyway, even if it is possible, one should know what is the standard of life there. That you can get from Vedic literature. There is very vivid description. They are not ordinary human being like us.
Engagement Lecture -- Buffalo, April 23, 1969:
Similarly, these conditioned souls within this material world, they are only fractional portion of the whole living enti..., number of living entities in the creation of God, and because they have disobeyed or declined to obey or abide by the orders of Kṛṣṇa, or God, they have been put into this material world. Now, the problem is: if one is sensible, if one is inquisitive and serious, he should try to understand that "Why I am put into this material conditional life?" That should be the inquiry. This is called brahma-jijñāsā. In the Vedānta-sūtra this is the first inquiry, that people should be educated to that standard of life when he will be inquisitive to know, "Why I am put into this conditional life? What is the condition? I do not wish to suffer."
Lecture at International Student Society -- Boston, May 3, 1969:
As you can see, the difference of body and mind between animal and human being. Is there no difference? Do you think animal body and human body and human consciousness and animal consciousness is the same? So you have to elevate yourself. As you have elevated yourself from animal consciousness, animal body, to this beautiful human body, similarly, you have to still more elevate yourself to higher standard of life. They are called demigods. But the final stage is to get a body which is called spiritual body in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or God consciousness. That is the perfection of... This evolutionary process is going on. As you have come up so much to this civilized form of life from animal status, similarly, you can still make progress. But in the Bhagavad-gītā it is recommended that by progressing, you may go to the topmost planet of this universe. Ā-brahma-bhuvanāl-lokāḥ (BG 8.16). That is called Brahmaloka or Satyaloka. But everywhere the four problems of birth, death, old age, and disease are there. But if you come to the spiritual sky and the planets there, then there is no more death, birth, old age, and disease. Life eternal, full of knowledge, and blissful life. That should be attained, that should be endeavored in this human form of life, setting aside all others. That should be the business of human life.
Lecture Excerpt -- Boston, May 5, 1969:
But when he saw God, he says, "My dear Lord, I do not want anything. Now I am fully satisfied." Svāmin kṛtārtho 'smi varaṁ na yāce: (CC Madhya 22.42) "I came here for something which is just like broken pieces of glass, but I have got the diamond. So therefore I have nothing to ask for." Similarly, when one finds out his eternal relationship with God, loving spirit, then he becomes, say, "Oh, I do not..." Yaṁ labdhvā cāparaṁ lābhaṁ manyate nādhikaṁ tataḥ. In the Bhagavad-gītā you will find. If you, I mean to say, go that standard of life, then you will feel, "I have no more want. Finished. All want finished." That is the best gift, that is the best service, when a man will feel that "I have no more want. I am fully satisfied."
University Lecture -- Calcutta, January 29, 1973:
So your anxiety for food, that is not humanly. Even the cats and dogs, they are not anxious for their food. Even the birds, they rise early in the morning, they are also not anxious for the food. God has arranged for food, everyone. Tal labhyate duḥkhavad anyataḥ sukham. As you do not try for getting distress, it comes upon you according to your karma, similarly the so-called happiness also will come upon you without any endeavor. But because you have no faith in God, you are thinking that you will die out of hunger. That is not the position. Tasyaiva hetoḥ prayateto kovido. Our only business is how to become advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. There is no other problem in human life. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. This is the human life. But you have been deviated from that high standard of life. You are now questioning in this way. That is my reply. Thank you very much. (end)
Lecture at Upsala University Faculty -- Stockholm, September 7, 1973:
So here, Arjuna is also a saintly person. He's not ordinary man, because he's talking Kṛṣṇa personally. If Arjuna has got the chance of making friendship with God and talking with Him personally, everyone has got the same capacity, provided we elevate ourself to that standard of life, bhakti, bhakti-yoga. It is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, "If anyone wants to understand Me, then the process is bhakti, devotional service." The process means how to love God, that process. And in the Bhāgavatam it is said... What is first-class religion? Sai vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje. That religion is first class which makes the follower a lover of God. This is simple definition of religion, first-class religion. If we do not awaken our dormant love for God, then śrama eva hi kevalam (SB 1.2.8). Then you follow any type of religion, you simply wasting your time. That's all.
Lecture at World Health Organization -- Geneva, June 6, 1974:
We get all information from the śāstra. Each and every planet has got a predominating personality. Just like we have got on this planet, a few presidents. But in other planets, there are also presidents, and their name is also... Because the duration of other planet is very, very great. The topmost planet, which is known as Brahmaloka, that is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, sahasra-yuga-paryantam ahar yad brahmaṇo viduḥ (BG 8.17). Many millions of years, sahasra-yuga. One yuga means forty-three hundred thousands of solar years, and multiply it by one thousand. That becomes the duration of one day in the Brahmaloka. So in different planets, there are different duration of life, different standard of life.
Public Speech -- Bad Homburg, Germany, June 22, 1974:
So we are living in this planet, but in other planets also there are different forms of life. So there is one planet... There are many millions of planet. Specifically, there is one planet within this universe that is called Siddha-loka. There is other planet also, heavenly planet, Brahmaloka planet, and in different planets there are different species of life, different standard of comforts, but in the higher planetary system, the standard of comfort is more and more, thousand times more, thousand times more, in this way. Just like in this planet we have got different standard of life. In your Western countries your standard of life is... At least, it is to be understood more comfortable than other standard of life. In this way, if you promote yourself to the topmost planetary system, which is called Brahmaloka, then you get your duration of life, many millions of years. It is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā that sahasra-yuga-paryantam ahar yad brahmaṇo viduḥ (BG 8.17). In the Brahmaloka planet, the residents, they have got their one day.
Public Speech -- Bad Homburg, Germany, June 22, 1974:
So if we like, we can go to the higher planetary system, heavenly planetary system. Just like we are trying to go to the moon planet, but we have not been successful. In this way we can go there. Each planet, each and every planet, has got different atmosphere. So unless your body is completely competent to live in such planet, you cannot go there. Just like the scientists say that in the moon planet the temperature is two hundred degrees below zero. Similarly, in the sun planet, the temperature is very, very high, hundred and thousand times degrees above the normal. So in this way every planet has got different atmosphere, different temperature, different standard of life, different duration of life. So one has to become competent to transfer himself in a particular type of planet. So we, as spirit soul, dehi, the possessor of this body... Dehi means one who possesses this body or the occupier of the body, the spirit soul. That is eternal, changing body only, but eternal. Therefore we should not be interested to these different types of temporary body.
Philosophy Discussions
Philosophy Discussion on Gottfried Wilhelm von Leibnitz:
Prabhupāda: This planet is not a very good planet. There are many other planets thousands of times better. The more you go higher planetary systems, the comforts and amenities are a thousand times better, one after another. The next planetary system is a thousand times better than this planetary system, and the next planetary system a thousand times better than that. Similarly, the standard of life, duration of life, they are bigger. Therefore at the end, Brahmaloka, it is stated that twelve hours of the day of Brahmā is incalculable by us. Immediately in the higher planets, suppose if one goes to the moon planet, he gets immediately ten thousand years duration of life, and their year, our six months is equal to their one day. Such years. So there are better, more comfortable situations than here in the higher planetary systems.
Philosophy Discussion on John Dewey:
Prabhupāda: We have got history of this world, some thousands of years, but Brahmā is greater than the human being. His history is different. Here everything is relative. My history is different from an ant's history. Similarly a man's history is different from Brahmā's history. So historical does not mean whatever you have calculated, that is history. History is relative according to the person. So these people, they have no information of the greater personalities than us, but we have got information from Vedic literature. In the higher planetary system, there the duration of life, standard of life is different from here.
Philosophy Discussion on The Evolutionists Thomas Huxley, Henri Bergson, and Samuel Alexander:
Prabhupāda: Yes. Yes. That I have already explained. Because all living entities have come into this material world, their propensity is to enjoy. Enjoy. So he is enjoying one standard of life in one stage of life. But he wants more, better standard. Better standard. The spirit is enjoyment. That is the disease of material science.
Philosophy Discussion on The Evolutionists Thomas Huxley, Henri Bergson, and Samuel Alexander:
Prabhupāda: Yes. Therefore... Everything is determined; therefore we should not try for improving our economic condition because already it is decided. This sort of... Otherwise why you see so many varieties of standard of life? One is born rich and one born, he is working so hard, he cannot get even two morsel of bread. So everything is determined. Therefore Bhāgavata says that "For this material happiness, you don't try. That will come automatically as distress comes automatically." You don't try for distress, but it comes upon you. Similarly, whatever happiness is due to you, it will also come to you. You try for developing your Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is your business. Tasyaiva hetoḥ prayeteta kovidaḥ. That is intelligence.
Philosophy Discussion on Auguste Comte:
Prabhupāda: That standard of material improvement, that is not fixed up. One person in the material existence, he is satisfied in certain condition of life. Other man is not satisfied in that position; he wants a different standard of life. Then the question will be, "What is the standard of material life?" So far our Vedic civilization is concerned, this, the material necessities are there—eating, sleeping, mating, and defending. These are material necessities, so they are equally visible in animal kingdom or human kingdom—everywhere. It is simply mental improvement of standard, but the standard are different. So what will be the actual standard of materialistic way of life? That is the question.
| Page Title: | Standard of life (Lectures) |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, Partha-sarathi |
| Created: | 06 of Oct, 2010 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=109, Con=0, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 109 |