Telephone (Lectures)

Expressions researched:
"phone" |"telephone"

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 2.1-10 and Talk -- Los Angeles, November 25, 1968:

Prabhupāda: (laughs) You see? How practical. Yes. This is practical. One of my Godbrothers, he narrated his life history, that he was distilling wine for drinking. And he said that all kinds of intoxicants he has passed. He is graduate of all kinds of intoxication. (laughs) But when he came to Guru Mahārāja, he left everything. He has not even smoking a biḍi, cigarette. Pāpī tāpī yata chilo, hari-nāme uddhārilo, tāra sākṣī jagāi mādhāi. The witness is Jagāi and Mādhāi. So you accept it.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He'll have to call me. He said he would call tomorrow.

Prabhupāda: Very good.

Dayānanda: Well, did he donate it?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No. We'll have a phone by tomorrow.

Dayānanda: You said he came to the other temple.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Remember the Indian people came that night? I'll tell you who he is.

Dayānanda: With the twelve-year-old boy?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No. He came with his wife that night.

Prabhupāda: He's Indian?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No. No. There was another Indian people there that night, but he was separately with his wife. We had a kīrtana. That was that very rich man, Indian man who came, and then there was another couple there.

Prabhupāda: So he's also rich man?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I don't think so. But he has a wife and he says many things have been changing since he chanted. He says he doesn't know whether he should attribute it to the chant, but he's going to keep chanting. And he looks very, ah, he looks much happier.

Prabhupāda: That's all right. So, chant. (end)

Lecture on BG 3.8-13 -- New York, May 20, 1966:

Because we are drinking milk from the cows, so we are indebted. But instead of paying our indebtedness, we are killing. You see? These are all reactions. We are creating reactions. If you don't pay bill for the electricity for a many long time, your electricity will be cut off. Your telephone will be cut off. But we must be conscious of our indebtedness to so many things.

Devarṣi-bhūtāpta-nṛṇāṁ pitṟṇām (SB 11.5.41). Pitṟṇām means the family in which you have taken your birth. You are indebted to the forefathers. Therefore, according to Vedic rites, in certain time you have to offer respects to your forefathers. Śrāddha ceremony. During the month of October there is a general śrāddha ceremony in India. So we are indebted to the forefathers.

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

I am very glad to inform you that one of our students is put into some difficulty, but he is very happy simply thinking of this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Practical. He is... Not very long he is practiced the Kṛṣṇa consciousness, but within a few days he has learned the art. Just now I received telephone that he said that "I am quite happy." So this is such a thing. Kṛṣṇa consciousness can get us even in the greatest... Yasmin sthite guruṇāpi duḥkhena na vicalyate (Bg. 6.20-23). Even one is situated in a very great dangerous point, still, he is not disturbed. This is such a thing, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. He does not become disturbed.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- San Francisco, March 17, 1968:

If electricity current is everywhere, so wherever you touch current you'll feel, "Here is current." Similarly, the Kṛṣṇa current in impersonal form is everywhere. It is the technician who knows how to use that current. That's all. So... Just like we get telephone connection. We simply inform the person, deposit our money. They come immediately. They find out where the connection can be done and he does his work. We do not know. He knows the technique, how to join telephone wire. Within a few seconds he joins and he, oh, "kling, kling," you are ready.

Lecture on BG 7.3 -- Bombay, February 18, 1974:

Yes. Mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha yogaṁ yuñjan mad-āśrayaḥ. That is the beginning. Mad-āśrayaḥ. One has to take shelter of Kṛṣṇa. But Kṛṣṇa, directly you cannot take shelter. But Kṛṣṇa is not present. Kṛṣṇa is present, but we do not know how to capture Kṛṣṇa. That is another thing. Kṛṣṇa is... Just like electricity is everywhere, but one who knows the science, he can capture electricity. Telephone wire is everywhere, but still, you have to bring some expert to connect your telephone. The telephone wire is everywhere. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa is everywhere. Aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu (aside:) Why you are standing? Then stand.

Lecture on BG 7.7 -- Bombay, April 1, 1971:

Why do you say that "I have not seen Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is not present before Me"? But you follow Kṛṣṇa's instruction, and He will be present. He is present; simply we have to purify our eyes and senses to understand Him. That is required. Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu (Bs. 5.38). Suppose you have a beloved friend. As soon as you hear telephone call, "Who is it?" "I am this." "Oh." You immediately see him. Does it not? Immediately, by the sound. Why? Because you are known to him, you are in love with him. Similarly, in this way, if you develop your dormant love of Kṛṣṇa, you'll see Kṛṣṇa in every moment. Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti (Bs. 5.38).

It is not at all difficult to see Kṛṣṇa. Why do you say, "Can you show me God?"

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Delhi, November 12, 1973:

And we say, "Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa." Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma... If you chant somebody's name, your friend's name or your relative's, immediately you remember the person. It is not very difficult. If you hear in the telephone somebody speaking, as soon as you hear the voice, you can understand, the other side, the person is there. So the chanting process means to always think of Kṛṣṇa, twenty-four hours. Caitanya Mahāprabhu advises kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ (CC Adi 17.31). And what is the benefit? The benefit is, because Kṛṣṇa is the supreme pure, you become purified. Just like if you remain with the fire, you become warm, warmer, warmer, warmer. Just like in the fire you put one iron rod. It becomes warmer, warmer. At the end the iron rod becomes red-hot. And when it is red-hot, it is no more iron rod; it is fire.

Lecture on SB 1.3.10 -- Los Angeles, September 16, 1972:

So we are advancing in science, but at the same time, the so-called science, at the same time we are creating many disadvantages. Many disadvantages. From practical experience I say that when I came to your country... In India it is very difficult to get a telephone. You have to wait in the waiting list at least for two years or you have to bribe the authorities, say, five thousand, two thousand, like that. So when I got this facility of telephone... Because as soon as I deposited forty dollars... Forty dollars? The next day the telephone was in my room. So I was very glad. But after getting my telephone, I was disturbed always. (laughter) Some of my students asking, phoning me, (telephone sound) cling, cling, and "Swamiji, how you are feeling?" At twelve o'clock at night. (laughter). Yes. So I asked him, it is the time to inquire? I am very sorry. Not only one, I become so much disturbed. Then I asked them, get out this telephone. Yes.

Lecture on SB 2.4.3-4 -- Los Angeles, June 27, 1972:

Otherwise... you'll see, one man is working so hard, day and night, and he could hardly maintain himself or his family. And another man, he's going to the market, sits down for one hour, and earns 100,000 dollars, immediately. You can see. Simply by touching the phone, he simply asks, "What is the rate of this? What is the rate of that?" and he makes one transaction, and immediately he gets one thousand dollars. And this man is working hard, day and night, he could not get even two sufficient meals.

So that means the, according to the body, the material happiness and... Just like you are. You have got this American body. So automatically your country's facilities... You are more comfortable than other countries because you have no scarcity, enough production. Everything is enough.

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

I think the scientists also agree, the materialistic scientists, that from sound everything emanates. So similarly, the same sound, you can enter into the spiritual world by taking shelter of sound. That sound vibration is Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra. If you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, by chanting this transcendental, eternal sound, you can approach. Just like by telephone... That is also sound: "Kring, kring, kring." Immediately you in touch with your friend thousands and thousands miles away. So sound is so important thing. So by spiritual sound, you can become immediately in touch with the spiritual world, and gradually you become in touch with the Supreme Lord. Kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya (SB 12.3.51).

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

Lecture on SB 6.1.28-29 -- Honolulu, May 28, 1976:

There are so many, 8,400,000. So subtle body's working. Nature's work is so fine that everything... Just like this Yamadūta, immediately there, "Yes, we have come to take." Now if you become a criminal, if he comes attack, one has to phone to the police that "Here is a thief who has come." He does not... Nature's work is going on so nicely there is no necessity of phoning Yamadūtas. They will come. (laughter) But this rascal civilization do not know this, how things are going on.

So this is going... Our whole Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is that try to understand how the laws of God is working. That is religion. Don't remain fool rascal. There are three stages: the stage of ignorance, the stage of passion, the stage of goodness, and the stage of transcendence. There are different stages.

Lecture on SB 6.1.40 -- Surat, December 22, 1970:

Haṁsadūta: Telephone.

Prabhupāda: Oh, telephone. Oh. That's all right. So Śrīdhara Svāmī says that vedena praṇihita vihita dharmaḥ sa ca veda-pramāṇaka ity arthaḥ.(?) Unless it is verified by the words of the Vedas, that cannot be accepted as authoritative. Anena yo veda-pramakaḥ sa dharmaḥ. Now, it is concluded that "Anything which is supported by the Vedic injunction, that is dharma." Sa dharma yo 'dharmo na veda pramāṇakaḥ: "And any dharma which is not corroborated by the Vedas, that is not dharma. That is not accepted as religion." Iti svarūpaḥ pramāṇaṁ ca ity uktam.(?)

Lecture on SB 6.1.42 -- Los Angeles, July 23, 1975:

Just like if you go to the street, you may see the sun in the sky, but when you are within the room, you may not see the sun in the sky directly. But because it is daytime, therefore we can understand there is sun on the sky. Similarly, we do not require to see God directly. We can see Him through His energy. Just like in a telephone hanger, as soon as somebody speaks, immediately see him. How it is possible? By his word, immediately see him. You are in a closed room, somebody knocking, and you say, "Who is it?" He says, "I am." So immediately by his voice, you can see him. So why do you want to see directly? We can see anything by his energy. Just like if you feel heat here, then immediately you becomes alert, "Oh, there must be some fire." If there is some smoke, immediately you can understand that there is fire. So by intelligence and by the energy of God, you can see God.

Lecture on SB 7.6.6 -- New Vrindaban, June 22, 1976:

Just like these small children, they are being trained up in this bhāgavata-dharma, śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ (SB 7.5.23). Bhāgavata-dharma means hearing, chanting of the Supreme, glories of the Supreme Lord. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ. Not for others. If somebody says, "Yes, I am hearing always in the telephone. I am doing business." No, not that kind of hearing. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ. If you can contact Viṣṇu or His devotee, Vaiṣṇava, that is all right. Otherwise, you are simply wasting time. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam. Always, constantly thinking of Him. These are the bhakti ways. There are nine different processes prescribed in the śāstra: śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇam pāda-sevanam arcanam... (SB 7.5.23).

Lecture on SB 7.9.30 -- Mayapur, March 8, 1976:

We have got so many examples. A big man, he is sitting at his home. With family he's enjoying. But he is managing many, many hundreds of factories sitting there. We have got practical experience. Big, big business magnate, they do not come to the office, neither he goes to the factory. Simply by his order, telephone, "You do this," that's all. Things are going on. So if it is possible materially that one ordinary man, he can manage hundreds of factories and offices without going there, simply by his order, so how much powerful is Kṛṣṇa, we have to imagine. Ṣaḍ-aiśvarya-pūrṇaḥ. Still, even a man or even a demigod... Just like demigod Indra: he's managing the affairs of rains, how to collect the clouds, how to disperse them, how... And there are management, so many managements. But all these managements are going on on the supreme management, Kṛṣṇa. Therefore He says in the Bhagavad-gītā that mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10).

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, October 18, 1972:

Just like you are reading some portion of a book. As soon as there is some reference, immediately you see the person. Suppose you are phoning, talking on telephone with somebody. As soon as hear the body, as soon as hear his sound, immediately you see your friend. It is not very difficult to understand. Simply one has to know the person or one has, must have the knowledge. So one who has got knowledge, perfect knowledge of the constitution of this material body, he does not see the body. He sees Kṛṣṇa. So anything, sthāvara jaṅgama... Sthāvara means moving, and jaṅgama... Sthāvara means "not moving," and jaṅgama means "moving".

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, October 21, 1972:

Divā cārthehayā rājan. In the daytime, simply walking or running by cars. We have seen in your country. there are flyways and always cars, hundreds and thousands of cars. Sometimes I think that so many cars are going this way, and so many cars are going this way. Why they not settle up their business by telephone, that "I do here your business", "I do here,"? (laughter) But that is not possible. Because it is karmī, all of them running this way, whoosh-whoosh, and there is accident. Yes. So many thousands. How many thousands, they die every year? There is statistic. Yes.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

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

Kṛṣṇa is absolute. He can be present in His various potencies. He can be present by His name only. Just like we chant Hare Kṛṣṇa—He is present, because His name is not different from Him. That is the absolute sense. In relative sense... Suppose somebody calling me in my apartment, "Swamijī." Swamijī is here. The response cannot be. Just like in telephone. Yesterday Raymond was calling us by phone three thousand miles away. As soon as we took the, I mean to say, hanger, we could immediately hear him. If by material ways we can be touch in so swiftly, just see how much spiritual potency has Kṛṣṇa. Although He's not present before us, He can be present in so many ways. He can be present by His name. Otherwise, all these great ācāryas, Caitanya Mahāprabhu, would not have bothered themselves simply by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare. There is actually presence of Kṛṣṇa. If you take any material thing... Suppose a very nice thing, a rose flower.

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

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

Festival Lectures

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

"Therefore it is our duty. Because he supplies us water, so it is our duty to show him respect by this sacrifice." This is the Vedic injunction. Just like we pay departmental tax. We pay to the Con Edison bills for the supply of electricity and gas. Similarly, we pay the bills of the telephone. But we have no program to pay the bills of the sun who is supplying us so much light. (aside:) What is that?

General Lectures

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

Dayānanda: Prabhupāda? That was the realtor on the phone. He said he'll have the lease ready Monday.

Prabhupāda: Oh, that's all right.

Baby: Jaya. (cries)

Mother: Jaya.

Prabhupāda: Jaya. Jaya. Jaya. Very nice. The first vibration is jaya. (laughs) (aside:) Your article is out. You have seen it?

Upendra: No, I have not seen it. I heard that it is out.

Lecture 'Nobody Wants to Die' -- Boston, May 7, 1968:

This is liberation from one point. Two points. Second point. When he's cent percent liberated from these material demands, then he's perfect, as good as God. But I've seen that so many, I mean to..., students of yoga class, they cannot give up their these habits. I have seen. Neither they ask them to give up this habit. Then nobody will go. These are practical. (pause, phone rings, devotee answers and gives temple address—95 Glenville, Allston)

Any question? If you have any doubts you can make question. We shall try to clear it.

Lecture -- London, August 11, 1971:

Just like if the electric power is running on, from anywhere you can take electricity, energy. Similarly, his energy is running on everywhere, and you can take the facility of His energy from anywhere, provided you know how to take it. Electric, where insulation is there, but one who knows... I have seen in your country. The telephone man immediately comes and joins telephone. But he knows how to do it. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa can be manifested from anywhere, everywhere, from anything, provided you know how to do it.

So that is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. We are teaching people how to see Kṛṣṇa everywhere.