That is not possible (Lectures, BG chapters 3 - 4)

Expressions researched:
"that is not possible" |"this is not possible"

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

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

That process was recommended in the Satya-yuga.

And the next process is tretāyāṁ yajato makhaiḥ. The next stage, by performing great sacrifices. That is very costly affair. Nobody has money. Suppose if I prescribe performance of some sacrifice, and if I order that "You have to secure one hundred tons of butter or ghee," can you secure? Oh... You see? So therefore that is not possible. Kṛte yad dhyāyato viṣṇuṁ tretāyāṁ yajato makhaiḥ dvāpare paricaryāyām (SB 12.3.52).

Temple worship is also not possible. Temple worship, you go in India, there are some temples still. Daily, they are spending thousands of dollars for temple worship. Daily. The process... In Jagannātha temple, fifty-six times offered prasāda, and any time you go they will supply you prasāda for one thousand persons. It is all ready. Still. Although India is being advertised there is no food, but if you go to Jagannātha temple, any time, and ask the manager that "We have come, one thousand devotees. Please supply us prasāda." "Yes, ready." (laughter) So that is being done. The arrangement is there since last two thousand years.

Lecture on BG 3.13-16 -- New York, May 23, 1966:

Suppose you have misused your developed consciousness in so many ways and you are now entrapped. Suppose you have started a very complicated industry. Now, if I say that "This complicated industry is not required by you. You simply require some fruits and grains to eat. Why you are engaging yourself into this complicated and dangerous form of earning your livelihood? Stop it." No, that is not possible. That is not possible. Now you are entangled. You cannot stop. Śrī Kṛṣṇa says that "Don't stop your work, but by the result of your work, you try to make sacrifice for the cause of the Supreme. Then your entanglement will be automatically loosened." The whole energy which you apply in your industry, if the result is offered to Kṛṣṇa, that means that energy is utilized for Kṛṣṇa, not for that industry, but for Kṛṣṇa. That is the thing.

Lecture on BG 3.13-16 -- New York, May 23, 1966:

That... Now, why you should have to perform yajña? That is obligatory, not that you are very kind to prepare your foodstuff and offering to Kṛṣṇa. It is very kind. No. It is for your interest. It is for your interest. Why? Now, annād bhavanti bhūtāni. You have to eat. Can you say that "Without eating, I shall continue my life?" No. That is not possible. You have to eat.

Annād bhavanti bhūtāni. If you want to exist, if you want to maintain your body and soul together, then you have to take anna. Anna means foodstuff, or anna means grains, natural food. Generally, anna means foodstuff, and another technical meaning of anna—anna means grains, which is produced from the land for eating of the human being. For human being, so many things are produced from the land: the grains, the fruits, the vegetables, so many things. They are meant for human being. The grains are not meant for the tigers. The grains are meant for the human being. The fruits are meant for the dogs. The fruits are meant for the human being.

Lecture on BG 3.16-17 -- New York, May 25, 1966:

So this is called the age of fighting and corruption. So in this age, they...

Formerly, as the sages and great kings, they were performing yajñas, rājasūya-yajña, aśvamedha-yajña and so many big, big yajñas, and they required large fund of money, so that is not possible in this age. Lord Caitanya therefore recommended... Not only Lord Caitanya, out of His own will He has recommended.

It is prescribed in śāstra, and it is said, kṛte yad dhyāyato viṣṇum. Kṛte means in the Satya-yuga or what is generally known as golden age. So in the Satya-yuga people used to realize self or used to elevate themselves to highest perfection of life by meditation. Meditation. You have heard the name of Vālmīki Muni. Vālmīki Muni, he meditated for sixty thousands of years. His whole body was covered by, what is called, worms. And... Because at that time people used to live for one hundred thousands of years. So gradually our life is being reduced. Yes.

Lecture on BG 3.16-17 -- New York, May 25, 1966:

And now it has come down to one hundred years in this Kali-yuga. That also, one hundred years is not completed. Now we are dying within sixty or seventy and gradually it will be reduced to twenty to thirty years. That is also mentioned.

So what was possible in the Satya-yuga by meditation, that is not possible in this age. That is not possible. Therefore the methods have been made easier. Kṛte yad dhyāyato viṣṇum. What was being possible, to attain perfection of life by meditation in the Satya-yuga, that was possible in the Tretā-yuga by offering of big sacrifices. Kṛte yad dhyāyato viṣṇuṁ tretāyāṁ yajato makhaiḥ. Makhaiḥ means big sacrifices.

And dvāpare paricaryāyām. That very thing was realized in the Dvāpara-yuga by temple worship. There... From that in Dvāpara-yuga in India so many temple worship flourished, not only in India, all over the world. Church worship is also temple worship.

Lecture on BG 3.16-17 -- New York, May 25, 1966:

So, as the Bhagavad-gītā prescribes, that you have to perform yajña, now, don't be afraid that you have to perform the same kind of yajña as it was being performed in the Tretā-yuga or Dvāpara-yuga by offering thousands and thousands of mounds of clarified butter and grains. That is not possible. Nobody can secure all those ingredients at the present moment. Neither it is recommended. In the Kali-yuga it is recommended that one can perform the saṅkīrtana-yajña. That will give him the same result which was derived by meditation in Satya-yuga.

So Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu introduced this method of saṅkīrtana-yajña in this age. Five hundred years before, Lord Caitanya advented Himself in India in Bengal in the district of Navadvīpa. It is about sixty miles from Calcutta. And He... Of course, He was born in that particular place, but He, I mean to say, distributed these missionary activities all over India.

Lecture on BG 3.21-25 -- New York, May 30, 1966:

So far as a householder also, when Lord Kṛṣṇa displayed His capacity as a householder... You will be surprised. Perhaps most of you know that He married 16,108 wives. Sixteen thousand... So somebody may be surprised that "How a person can marry 16,108 wives?" Yes. A ordinary person like us or a little more strong person, that is not possible. But when the word omnipotency is applied... God is called omnipotency, so for Him nothing is impossible. So if we have to believe the history, then Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa married 16,108 wives, and He built 16,108 palaces also, well-decorated, fully equipped, all-marble palaces. And there was no need of light. The palaces were so nicely decorated with jewels that the light focused by the jewels, that will illuminate the house. And another thing—He was present in every house simultaneously. Sixteen thousand wives and sixteen thousand houses—He was present in sixteen thousand expansions by Himself. So that is called opulence. These are the opulences. So Lord Kṛṣṇa was full.

Lecture on BG 3.21-25 -- New York, May 30, 1966:

That is wrong path. Therefore the right thing is to follow the succession. Now, we have to follow the principle which Kṛṣṇa sets. Kṛṣṇa is not advocating, I mean to say, nonviolence. You cannot eradicate violence from this world. That is not possible because Kṛṣṇa Himself is on the battlefield and He is trying to induce Arjuna. Arjuna is declining and He is inducing, "No, you must fight." Yad yad ācarati śreṣṭhaḥ (BG 3.21). So we have to follow the footprints of great personalities. Dharmasya tattvaṁ nihitaṁ guhāyām. Mahājana. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam you will find that it has been advised that religious principles should be followed by taking the life examples of great personalities. Religious principles...

It has been described in the Bhāgavata that tarko 'pratiṣṭhaḥ. If you want to establish religious truth, you cannot establish it by your logic and argument. It is not possible because I may be a very perfect religious man, but I may not be a very good arguer; another strong man who can argue very strongly, who knows logic very nicely, he can defeat me. He can make my all conclusion null and void.

Lecture on BG 3.21-25 -- New York, May 30, 1966:

We are eternally related with the Supreme Lord, just like the father and the son is eternally related. That relation cannot be cut off. A father may become, a son may become rebellious to his father, but he cannot say that "he is not my father." Is it possible? No, that is not possible. How can it be possible? I may disagree with my father in so many points of view, but if somebody asks you, "Who is your father?" oh, I will have to say the same enemy, who I have taken as my enemy. Similarly, as the father and the son, the relationship cannot be cut off, similarly, our relationship with the Supreme Lord cannot be cut off. It is not possible. If we want to cut off our relationship with the Supreme Lord, or God, by artificial means, then the result will be that we shall be more and more unhappy.

Lecture on BG 3.27 -- Melbourne, June 27, 1974:

So machine is imperfect and my seeing power is also imperfect. Then how you can have perfect knowledge? The machine is created by a person who has got imperfect knowledge, and the seer is also a person; he is also imperfect. The imperfect person is seeing through the imperfect machine. Then how we can conclude perfect knowledge? This is not possible.

Therefore the method is, according to the Vedic knowledge, that if you want perfect knowledge, then you should approach the perfect person. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). This is the Vedic injunction. If you want perfect knowledge, then you must approach a perfect person, guru.

Now, at the present moment, there are so many gurus. How we will understand who is perfect? That is also another problem. So that perfection is...

Lecture on BG 3.27 -- Melbourne, June 27, 1974:

"This is Pakistan, this is Hindustan, this is this, this is that, this is..." They are not united. How they can be united? They cannot be united because prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27), everyone is under the control of the material nature, full control. So, so long we are in the material world, controlled by the external material energy, there is no possibility of unity. That is not possible.

Because prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ. In prakṛti, material nature, there are three different qualities: goodness, passion and ignorance. So all the varieties of life, they are under the control of the material nature and therefore you see varieties of life, varieties. There are three qualities. You multiply three into three. It becomes nine. And if you multiply nine into nine, you become, you see eighty-one. So therefore all these varieties of life, they are being controlled because... Not controlled. He accepts to be controlled. Prakṛti does not want. Nature does not want to control you.

Lecture on BG 3.27 -- Melbourne, June 27, 1974:

Where he can get food? Hardly chance, by chance he gets one animal and jumps over it. This is called prakṛti-jān guṇān. He thought, "By becoming tiger I shall be very much proud of enjoying," but prakṛti says, "No, sir, you cannot get even daily food. That is not possible." Therefore prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarva... (BG 3.27).

Here the so-called tiger, so-called big men... Just like in America the president is a big man. But now he is put into such a condition that he is full of anxiety. At any moment he may be kicked out. This is the position. You cannot be happy either as President Nixon or tiger or cats and dogs or human being or Lord Brahmā. That is not possible. That is not possible. You must be full of anxieties because this is unnatural life.

Lecture on BG 3.27 -- Melbourne, June 27, 1974:

That's all right. But how long you shall remain American and Australian? That question does not come to the dull brain because he does not know that he is eternal. And this is temporary dress. I... Somehow or other, I wanted this, and prakṛti, nature, has given me. But nature has not given me the right to remain as American, Australian, Indian, no. That is not possible. You wanted; you enjoyed this life for a certain time, and then again you create your desire." Now I am very powerful, very happy. Let me love dog instead of God"—that means you are preparing your next life as dog because it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā that at the time of death the mentality which you have created throughout the whole life, that will carry you to other body process. It is very scientific. Anta-kāle tu māṁ smaran.

Lecture on BG 3.27 -- Melbourne, June 27, 1974:

Just like you are the son of your father. So when you love your father, naturally you love your brothers also because you know, "My father will be pleased." So this is love. That universal love can be possible when you actually love God. Samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu. In material platform that is not possible. But a devotee, a pure lover of God, he loves everyone. Just like we are. Because we have tried to love God, therefore we are wandering, touring all over the world, and the same message, "Please try to love God." We have no other message because we have understood to some extent that without love of God, they are suffering. So they will be happy when they begin to love God. This is our mission.

Lecture on BG 3.27 -- Madras, January 1, 1976:

By force you cannot go even any other parts of the world here. If you want to go to America you have to take passport, visa, and so many things. And you'll be allowed to go to the moon planet without any visa or passport? How it is possible? It is common sense. They are so fools that some rascal will take some machine and go there? That is not possible. So we have to prepare.

So Kṛṣṇa says, yānti deva-vratā devān: (BG 9.25) "If you want to go to the heavenly planets you can go. You prepare yourself." Pitṟn yānti: "Pitṛloka you can go." Mad-yājino 'pi yānti mām: "But if you prepare yourself for coming to Me, back to home, back..., you can do so." So if we have to prepare ourself to go to other, higher planetary system...

And here within this material world, within this universe, ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna (BG 8.16). Even if you go to the highest planetary system, Brahmaloka. The Brahmaloka means you cannot calculate one day's life.

Lecture on BG 3.27 -- Madras, January 1, 1976:

So that you can have if you perform tapasya. Tapasya. Tapasā brahmacaryeṇa śamena damena ca (SB 6.1.13). That is life. Human life is meant for tapasya, a little tapasya. Little tapasya. Not very difficult. We are asking these boys, European, others, that "You simply give up these four principles of sinful life because if you remain sinful, you cannot understand God. That is not possible." Therefore Kṛṣṇa is saying, na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ (BG 7.15). One who are engaged in sinful activities, they cannot. That is not possible.

Lecture on BG 4.1 and Review -- New York, July 13, 1966:

The whole world's activity is going on under this impression that "We shall be able to conquer over the material nature." This modern scientific advancement of knowledge is aiming in that way. But it is not possible. Because we are not actually the master of the material nature. That is an ignorance. That is an ignorance. We are trying to enjoy the material resources to our best, but that is not possible. That is called illusion.

So this has been explained by Kṛṣṇa to Arjuna that "This is your... This sense of mastering over or lording over the material nature, kāma..." Kāma means to enjoy. Kāma means enjoy. "That is your formidable enemy, and that formidable enemy is sitting in three places: on your mind, on your intelligence, on your senses." Now, you have to deal with them very tactfully. How? That you have to replace the enemy with Kṛṣṇa consciousness. You have to replace. Simply, you have to replace.

Lecture on BG 4.1 and Review -- New York, July 13, 1966:

Dharmasya tattvaṁ nihitaṁ guhāyāṁ mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ. Tarko 'pratiṣṭhaḥ śrutayo vibhinnāḥ. It is said that you cannot reach to the right conclusion of the Vedic literature simply by your argument, by your force of argument or logic. That is not possible. Tarko 'pratiṣṭhaḥ. There are many things which do not come within our argument, within our sense of logic. So tarko 'pratiṣṭhaḥ. You cannot understand the Supreme Truth simply by argument. Tarko 'pratiṣṭhaḥ śrutayo vibhinnāḥ.

And there are, so far scriptures are concerned, you'll find different scriptures describing in a different way. So that also, you'll be bewildered. Nāsāv ṛṣir yasya mataṁ na bhinnam. And there are different philosophers who are always contradictory. One philosopher is deviating. He's not in agreement with another philosopher. He has got a different theory. Another has got different theory.

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

Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). They do not know what is the ultimate aim of life, what is the goal of life. They are trying to be happy with this matter, and the material happiness means sex life, and they are trying to squeeze the sex life in different ways. Yan maithunādi-gṛhamedhi-sukhaṁ hi tuccham (SB 7.9.45). That is not possible. That is not possible.

Therefore this Bhagavad-gītā yoga system, which is very old... Forty millions of years before, ago it was spoken. And before that it was also spoken. That is not stated here. Because it is eternal. Avyaya, purātanaḥ, old. So who is qualified to understand Bhagavad-gītā? You can understand. Those who are not bhaktas, they can also understand superficially. Just like one has got the bottle of honey. If one thinks that "I have got the bottle of honey. Let me lick up the bottle," so licking the bottle, what taste you will get? The bottle has to be opened and see what is there.

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

If that disciplic succession is something else than devotional service, then he cannot understand Bhagavad-gītā. There are many practical experiences, and so many scholars, books we have studied, and their commentary is all nonsense because they are not bhakta. They try to understand Bhagavad-gītā simply by their academic qualification. That is not possible. That is not possible. If somebody is trying to Bhagavad-gītā by his academic qualification... What is the value of this academic qualification? It has no value in the presence of spiritual science. It is a different thing. It is to be understood in a different process.

So we shall discuss this Bhagavad-gītā, how Arjuna understood. If... This is a clear fact mentioned here, that before Arjuna, before meeting Arjuna, the science of Bhagavad-gītā was lost. It is clearly said. Sa kāleneha yogo naṣṭaḥ parantapa. That was lost. Although it is eternal, still, because the paramparā system or the disciplic succession broke, therefore the real meaning or real purport of Bhagavad-gītā was not received. It was broken. Naṣṭa means the paramparā system broken. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is appointing Arjuna to understand because he is devotee and friend.

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

In the Bhagavad-gītā it is stated, haṭha-yoga, how it is to be performed, that you have to perform in a sacred place, alone in a secluded place, sitting like this, seeing like this, eating like this. Who is following those regulations? Nobody is following. So they are, simply it is going on under the name of "yoga," but actually, nobody is following the principles. That is difficult. That is not possible in this age. Now suppose if you have to perform haṭha-yoga in a secluded place, in a sanctified place and alone. Who is fulfilling these three conditions? Ekākī yata-cittātmā. Ekākī. Ekākī means alone. Śucau deśe. Śucau deśe means very sanctified place. Samaṁ grīvam. This body and the, I mean to say, neck, and the śiraḥ, śiraḥ means this head—they should be in a straight line. And you cannot close your eyes fully. You have to half-close and see the top of your nose. In this way, you sit down always. Never go to sleep. I have seen in my childhood yogi in Calcutta, Kālīghāṭa.

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

Śucau deśe. Śucau deśe means very sanctified place. Samaṁ grīvam. This body and the, I mean to say, neck, and the śiraḥ, śiraḥ means this head—they should be in a straight line. And you cannot close your eyes fully. You have to half-close and see the top of your nose. In this way, you sit down always. Never go to sleep. I have seen in my childhood yogi in Calcutta, Kālīghāṭa. He was twenty-four hours sitting. When he was feeling uncomfortable, he had a wooden cot,(?) like that. But he was never sleeping. That is yoga practice. Who is going to do that? It is very difficult. Therefore Arjuna said, "Kṛṣṇa, You are recommending this yoga practice, but it is impossible for me to do." Five thousand years ago, a person like Arjuna declined, "Oh, it is not possible for me." And so many rascals they are trying that yoga system. That is not possible. Yes.

Lecture on BG 4.1 -- Delhi, November 10, 1971:

So you can imagine this man is so big, so big merchant, he has got so much money. Imagination, by discussion amongst your friends, but that is not perfect knowledge. But somehow or other, if you make friendship with that big man, and if he tells you that "My position is like this," then you understand very easily. You cannot speculate. By speculating, you cannot understand God. That is not possible. He's so great, our speculating power is very poor.

In Sanskrit there is a logical conclusion, Dr. Frog. A frog within the well. You know, well, a three-feet circumference, and there is a frog. Another frog friend comes and informs the frog in the well, "My dear friend, today I have seen a very big span of water, Pacific Ocean." So the frog in the well, he considers that Pacific Ocean may be four feet. "My water is three feet, so Pacific Ocean may be four feet." So, he replied to his friend, "Is that Pacific Ocean four feet?" "No, no it is very big."

Lecture on BG 4.1 -- Delhi, November 10, 1971:

Similarly, if we do not know beyond this body, then you are no better than animal, sa eva go-kharaḥ (SB 10.84.13). So if you analyze the whole population, you will find that we are simply a crowd or assembly of so many animals, that's all. This is fact, because they not know beyond this body. So you cannot expect any peace and prosperity in the animal society. That is not possible. The animals, by nature they can not live in peace. They are always in fighting. Just like children. Although they live together, but they will fight. They will fight. So the world is trying to have peace and prosperity, but they want to keep themself as animal. So, therefore it is, conclusion is, that there cannot be any peace and prosperity in this status of social constitution.

Lecture on BG 4.1 -- Delhi, November 10, 1971:

The cats and dogs die without knowing. That is the difference. In the Garga Upaniṣad it is said, etad viditva ga prayatisa brāhmaṇa etad aviditva ga prayatisa kṛpaṇa (?). Etad, this absolute knowledge, without knowing the Absolute Truth, if somebody dies—everyone will die, you cannot check. You may be very much advanced in scientific knowledge, but you cannot stop death. That is not possible. Neither you can stop old age, neither you can stop birth. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that you may be very much advanced, you have mitigated all your sufferings, all the problems of life, but these problems of life, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi, birth, death, old age and disease, that you cannot avoid. That is not possible. So, if, but everyone has got the tendency to avoid birth, death, old age, and disease. Why?

Lecture on BG 4.1 -- Delhi, November 10, 1971:

Prabhupāda: He, you cannot learn what is there in the examination by studying A, B, C, D. That is not possible. You have to wait. You cannot say immediately, you pass me immediately. That is madness. You must learn first of all A, B, C, D. Gradually, not all of a sudden. That's all right. Any other question?

Guest (3): Yes. Your Divine Grace. I'd like to ask a very, very lowly and simple question. For some time (indistinct)

Prabhupāda: We cannot hear him.

Devotee: I can, we can hear, barely hear you.

Prabhupāda: (Ask) him to come forward. Come forward.

Lecture on BG 4.1 -- Bombay, March 21, 1974:

Fragmental, very small quantity. Any man... You can take a rich man. He may be very rich man, but, in comparison to the other persons in the material world, but nobody can claim that "I am the richest man." No. That is not possible. Nobody can claim. "I am the wisest man," nobody can claim. "I am the strongest man," that is also, nobody can claim. However one strong may be, he is under the rules and regulation and material nature. He cannot go beyond that. Therefore you cannot find Bhagavān, or the Supreme Person, possessing all these opulences. That is not possible.

But here it is said, bhagavān uvāca. That means He's the richest, He's the strongest, He's the most beautiful, the wisest, and the most renounced order of life. Kṛṣṇa. When He was present in this material world, on this globe, He proved by His actions. So far His richness is concerned,... At this age, in this age, at the present moment, if a person can provide his family nicely, nice apartment or nice house, good dress, good food, he's considered to be very successful man.

Lecture on BG 4.1 -- Bombay, March 21, 1974:

Make your life successful." That is Hare Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is not one-sided. It is all-embracing. Sarve sukhino bhavantu. Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement wants to see everyone happy. Without being happy, how you can remain peaceful? That is not possible.

Therefore bhagavān uvāca. You take lessons from Bhagavān, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, perfect, all-perfect. What he will do by hearing this rascal or that rascal? Try to hear from the Supreme Personality without any fault, without any deviation. There are four kinds of defects in conditional life: to commit mistake, to be illusioned... Bhrama, pramāda, vipra-lipsā. To cheat, propensity for cheating. And imperfection of senses. So we are all infected with these four deficiencies of life, material condition of life. Therefore mukta means one who is liberated from these defects. Those who are infected with these defects, they cannot give you perfect knowledge. That is not possible.

Lecture on BG 4.1-2 -- Columbus, May 9, 1969:

Just see here is the statement. Kṛṣṇa says that "In the beginning I explained this science of Bhagavad-gītā to the present predominating deity of sun planet, whose name is Vivasvān." Do you think that Kṛṣṇa is playing joke or speaking something lie, that he said to Vivasvān, the present presiding deity? No, that is not possible. Actually He has spoken. And Kṛṣṇa... One... Others may think of Kṛṣṇa... Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhāḥ (BG 9.11). Rascals and fools may think of Kṛṣṇa as ordinary man, but in India the great ācāryas, just like Śaṅkarācārya, Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu—practically these ācāryas are guiding the whole destiny of the Hindu world—they have all accepted Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So whatever Kṛṣṇa is speaking, that is right.

Lecture on BG 4.1-2 -- Columbus, May 9, 1969:

In your Christian Bible also it is said. You go to church: "O God, give us our daily bread." That's all right. Kṛṣṇa is supplying you bread. Otherwise wherefrom you are getting bread? You cannot manufacture bread in the factory, or wheat or rice. You can manufacture some iron tools, that's all, not eatables. But you cannot manufacture nice grains. That is not possible. It is supplied by Kṛṣṇa. Eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān.

So try to understand in this way Kṛṣṇa consciousness, God consciousness. Then your dormant relationship with God and Kṛṣṇa will be revived. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12). Lord Caitanya says, "By revival of Kṛṣṇa consciousness means the dirty things accumulated on our heart will be dissipated, immediately vanished." Then we shall see, "Oh, this is my position. I am Kṛṣṇa's, and Kṛṣṇa is mine."

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

Or even if we see this motorcar... A child sees: he sees that it is automatically going, without any horse. He's amazed. But one who can see, he knows that there is machine, there is brain. So this is our position. Even to understand material things we are not perfect. Our senses are not perfect. How we can understand God? That is not possible, because we have got defects. Our senses are not perfect: I cannot see perfectly. I cannot smell perfectly. I cannot touch perfectly. I cannot hear perfectly. So many defects. I commit mistake. I become illusioned. I accept something for something. In this way, our position is very imperfect.

But in spite of possessing imperfect senses, people are proud of their knowledge. That is mistake. We are not concerned with imperfect knowledge. We want perfect knowledge. Therefore we are going to Bhagavad-gītā. Otherwise what is the use?

Lecture on BG 4.3 -- Bombay, March 23, 1974:

So you have to become santa. If you remain always addicted to sinful activities, how you can see God? That is not possible. You have to give up these rascal, sinful activities. What are the sinful activities? Illicit sex, meat-eating, intoxication and gambling. That's all. You have to give up these. Yeṣām anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ janānāṁ puṇya-karmaṇām, te dvandva-moha-nirmuktāḥ. If you become leader, so-called leader, rascal leader, and you are addicted to illicit sex and intoxication and meat-eating, you must be si... If you are sinful, how you can lead persons? Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ (SB 7.5.31). Blind man is leading other blind men. Therefore there is no solution. Why the world is in chaos? Because the leaders are all sinful. These are the sinful definitions. Striya-sūnā-pāna-dyūta yatra pāpaś catur-vidhāḥ (SB 1.17.38).

Lecture on BG 4.3-6 -- New York, July 18, 1966:

That is the difference between Kṛṣṇa and myself.

Thank you very much. Now, if there is any question, you can ask. (break)

At that time, Kṛṣṇa gave him a special elevation, to see that form. That is not possible to see by every man. You, perhaps you know it. So at certain stage one has to be elevated to understand Kṛṣṇa. But these questions are common thing. Common thing. Just like there is a verse in Brahma-saṁhitā.

Lecture on BG 4.4 -- Bombay, March 24, 1974:

This is the defect, that we forget. They ask so many the incarnation of God, about his past life. They cannot speak.

So this is the qualification of God. He knows past, present and future. And those who are false God, they cannot say. That is not possible. This is the test. They are claiming, falsely claiming. But God means, He knows. His body does not change. Past.... He knows past, present, future means His body does not change.

Why He does not change? That is described in the śāstra. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1). Vigrahaḥ means body, form. This transcendental form is made of sac-cid-ānanda. Sac-cid-ānanda. Sat means eternal, eternity. Oṁ tat sat. So sat, cit. Cit means full of knowledge. Full of knowledge here, tāny ahaṁ veda sarvāṇi. This is called cit. He knows everything, past, present and future. Sat, cit, and ānanda. You see Kṛṣṇa's form here, ānanda. He's enjoying. This is real Kṛṣṇa's form.

Lecture on BG 4.6 -- Bombay, March 26, 1974:

Therefore He is explaining Himself. We can understand Kṛṣṇa by Kṛṣṇa's explanation. We should not make any rascal interpretation. Then we'll not be able to understand Kṛṣṇa. Because our senses are imperfect.

Athāpi te deva padāmbuja-dvaya-prasāda-leśānugṛhīta eva hi jānāti tattvam. Either you have to understand Kṛṣṇa from the Kṛṣṇa personally.... That is not possible. Or one who has got, received the favor of Kṛṣṇa, from him you can understand Kṛṣṇa. Athāpi te deva padāmbuja-dvaya-prasāda-leśānugṛhīta eva hi. One who is favored with a little mercy of the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, he can understand Kṛṣṇa. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti (BG 18.55). One who has taken shelter of Kṛṣṇa, that means he is pure devotee. From him you can understand what is Kṛṣṇa. Athāpi te deva padāmbuja-dvaya-prasāda-leśānu... Prasāda-leśa, minute quantity of mercy, one who has received from Kṛṣṇa, he can understand.

Lecture on BG 4.6-8 -- New York, July 20, 1966:

You have manufactured many wonderful machines. You have manufactured the sputnik, flying in the outer space, but do you know that, in spite of all wonderful mechanical arrangement of sputnik or any machine, can it go on without any touch of a man? No. Unless the man in the laboratory touches the switch of electronic machine, oh, the sputnik cannot fly in the space. That is not possible. Therefore however wonderful may be the sputnik machine, unless there is touch of the living force, it cannot go on. That is the distinction between superior nature and the inferior nature. You can understand.

Now, we are now in contact with inferior nature. That is our conditional life. We are also su... Actually, as spirit soul, we belong to the superior nature. Just like God is superior nature. Prakṛtiṁ svām adhiṣṭhāya. The Lord says that "I come down, I incarnate Myself in My superior nature." Svām adhiṣṭhāya. But what is our position?

Lecture on BG 4.7 -- Montreal, June 13, 1968:

Kalau tad dhari-kīrtanāt. It is not that people were not chanting in the Satya-yuga, in Satya-yuga this holy name of Kṛṣṇa. It is not that. But in this age the process adopted in the Satya-yuga, dhyāyataḥ, meditation, that is not possible. In the Satya-yuga, kṛte yad... Because people were living at that time one-hundred-thousands of years. And it is said that Mahāmuni Vālmīki, he meditated for sixty-thousands of years.

So unless you have got sufficient life, the meaning is that meditation process is difficult and you must have sufficient time to practice it and then come to the standard point of meditation. But in this age such kind of perfection in meditation is not possible. Therefore in this age especially recommended that you sit down together and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. It is very easy. Anyone and everyone can take part in it. There is no necessity of education, of pre-qualification. And because in this age people are very slow, very unfortunate, badly associated, so many (dis)qualification they have got at the present moment.

Lecture on BG 4.7 -- Bombay, March 27, 1974:

Dharma means the orders, given by the Supreme Lord, or Supreme Being, God. That is dharma. This is the shortest definition of dharma. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19).

Just like law. Law means which is given by the government. You cannot manufacture law at home. That is not possible. I have given this example many times, that in some country the law is "Keep to the right," in some country, "Keep to the left." I think, in America it is "Keep to the left." In England it is "Keep to the right." India, "Keep to the... Now which one is correct? "Keep to the left" or "Keep to the right?" No. According to the government. If the government says that "Keep to the right" is right, then you have to accept that. And the government says, "Keep to the left, that is right," then it is right. We cannot say that "In my country I keep to the left. Why shall I keep to the right?" No. That will not be accepted.

Lecture on BG 4.7-10 -- Los Angeles, January 6, 1969:

Every ten years you will find one war, killing process upon you. How you can avoid? There must be reaction. You cannot violate the laws of God. As you cannot violate the laws of the state, similarly, if you violate, you have to suffer. You cannot expect peace and you go on killing animals. That is not possible. If you want peace, then you must think for others also. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is God consciousness. How you can kill another animal? He is also as good a child of God.

A father has got some dozens of children. It may be one is useless, but that does not mean father will allow it to be killed, allow him to be killed. If the very intelligent child says, "My dear father, your this son is useless. Let me kill him." The father will sanction? No, never. Similarly, the animal may be less intelligent. They cannot make protest. They are also nationals. What do you mean by national? One who is born in America is national. Are the animals are not born in America?

Lecture on BG 4.7-10 -- Los Angeles, January 6, 1969:

They are also nationals. What do you mean by national? One who is born in America is national. Are the animals are not born in America? Are they not American nationals? But because they cannot make protest, they cannot make meeting, you are killing them. You see? Is that humanity? And you expect peace? That is not possible. Violation of God, laws of God. One has to suffer, today or tomorrow. Today or tomorrow.

Just like if you contaminate some disease germ, it may not be manifest immediately, but it will act someday. Similarly, if we contaminate sinful activities, it may not be immediately manifest, but you must wait for the reaction. So Kṛṣṇa consciousness means to understand these things. It is not a bogus propaganda that "You meditate fifteen minutes, and you become God," nonsense. This is not such a movement. You have to understand your constitutional position. You have to understand what is God, what is law of God, how it is functioning. These are there.

Lecture on BG 4.7-10 -- Los Angeles, January 6, 1969:

Yes. This is very important point. The process of understanding knowledge. The modern tendency is to understand by dint of one's sense perception. That is not possible. There are many things, especially spiritual matters; nobody can understand by simple speculation. So one has to accept the authority. So according to Vedic culture, the Vedas are the authority. If there is some information in the Vedas, you accept it, authority. That is very nice system.

Just like a child. If he wants to understand something out of his own intelligence, it is very difficult to understand, but if he asks his parents, "Mother, what is this?" mother says, "My dear child, this is this." So he understands immediately, "Oh." Because mother is the authority. Mother will not cheat the child. Similarly, those who are liberated persons... Vedas means the knowledge given by the liberated person, by God. So if you accept it, then you get the knowledge immediately. You haven't got to make research or philosophical speculation.

Lecture on BG 4.8 -- Montreal, June 14, 1968:

You have got your consciousness. Is it right? Every one of us, we have got consciousness. Is that right? Now, this consciousness is eternal. This consciousness is not a result of the combination of matter. You cannot create consciousness by mixing so many chemicals or material things in the laboratory. That is not possible. This consciousness eternal. How do we know it? Because we understand it from Bhagavad-gītā. It is stated that avināśi tu tad viddhi yena sarvam idaṁ tatam: "That thing which is spread all over your body..." And what is that thing? This consciousness. You pinch any part of your body; you feel pain because the consciousness is there. "So that thing, consciousness," Kṛṣṇa says, the teacher of Bhagavad-gītā, "that is eternal." Eternal. Now, how it is eternal? When you were a child the consciousness was there. Then you grew up to your boyhood—the consciousness was there. Then you are now young—the consciousness is there. And when you become old man like me, the consciousness will be there.

Lecture on BG 4.8 -- Bombay, March 28, 1974:

Why should we go to anyone else when Kṛṣṇa is there? When Kṛṣṇa's instruction is there in the shape of Bhagavad-gītā, why shall I read any nonsense book? That is my fault. Can anyone give better instruction than Kṛṣṇa for solving all the problems of the world? No. That is not possible. But still, we shall find out some imitation Kṛṣṇa. This is our ill luck, misfortune.

Therefore they are called duṣkṛtina. The word is used here, paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām (BG 4.8). Duṣkṛtām means miscreants. Kṛti, kṛti means.... This is explained in the Seventh Chapter more elaborately. Na māṁ prapadyante duṣkṛtino narādhamāḥ. Na māṁ prapadyante mūḍhāḥ duṣkṛtino narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15). Another place the word duṣkṛti is used. Duṣkṛti means.... Kṛti means meritorious. One who has got merit, nice merit.

Lecture on BG 4.9 -- Montreal, June 19, 1968:

Everything understanding of Lord, that is revelation. By our experimental knowledge, we cannot understand what is God. Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ (CC Madhya 17.136). Our senses are now materially contaminated; therefore we cannot understand what is God, what is His appearance, what is His disappearance. This is not possible. The whole thing is to accept the purificatory process of the senses. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170).

One has to become purified by freeing himself from all designations. This is the first step. We are now under different designations. Every one of us is thinking that "I am this body, and because I am this body and this body is produced under certain condition, in a certain family, by certain father and mother, in a certain society, certain country, certain land, therefore I have got, you have got so many designations." But we have to become first of all free from the designations.

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

Asato. Asato mā sad-gamaḥ. Real life is: "Don't stay in this temporary world but go to the real world, paras tasmāt tu bhāvo 'nyo 'vyakto 'vyaktāt sanātanaḥ (BG 8.20). You'll find all these things in Bhagavad-gītā. So either on the bodily plane or on the mental plane you cannot be happy. That is not possible. But if you want to be happy then you have to come to the spiritual platform and engage in spiritual activities, sukham ātyantikaṁ yat tad atīndriyam grāhyam (BG 6.21). Atīndriya means above the material platform of sensual and mental activities.

So spiritual activities means devotional service. Spiritual activities mean devotional service, activities in relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Bhakti-yoga. Bhakti-yoga means, as I have repeatedly explained, that you have to forget your identification with the matter, sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam (CC Madhya 19.170).

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

Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ (CC Madhya 17.136). If you simply exact your senses, your nice brain, "Kṛṣṇa is like this, Kṛṣṇa is like that," but if you are not a devotee, Kṛṣṇa will not reveal Himself. Nāhaṁ prakāśaḥ sarvasya yoga-māyā-samāvṛtaḥ (BG 7.25). The rascal's mental speculation will not help him to understand Kṛṣṇa, what He is. That is not possible. His all activities are divyam, transcendental. We cannot understand with our material blunt senses. That is not possible. Therefore, the śāstra says, ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ. These blunt senses, you cannot understand Kṛṣṇa. Or Kṛṣṇa means His name, His form, His quality, His activities, His pastimes, so many things. Janma karma.

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

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

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

Lecture on BG 4.10 -- Bombay, March 30, 1974:

"You can eat anything. You can do anything, and still you become a Vedantist." This kind of rascal Vedantists are going on. But here it is said by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, jñāna-tapasā. Jñāna-tapasā pūtā mad-bhāvam. Without knowledge, without tapasya, you cannot make any spiritual progress. Not by simple words. That is not possible. Because in the previous verse it has been said that janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9). So how one can come to Kṛṣṇa? Mām eti. That is being described. Vīta-rāga-bhaya-krodhāḥ. Vīta-rāga-bhaya-krodhā man-mayā mām upāśritāḥ (BG 4.10). Mām upāśritāḥ, to take shelter of Kṛṣṇa. To become a devotee of Kṛṣṇa, to become Kṛṣṇa conscious.

Lecture on BG 4.10 -- Bombay, March 30, 1974:

Then attachment. As soon as you get attachment for Kṛṣṇa, naturally, vīta-rāga, you give up attachment for your material life. Vīta-rāga. Unless you have got attachment for Kṛṣṇa, you cannot up attachment of this material sense gratification. That is not possible. Paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate (BG 9.59). By force, you cannot train a person that "You must be refraining from all these things." No, it is not possible. Vīta-rāga means when you increase rāga for Kṛṣṇa, then you can become vīta-rāga. Paraṁ dṛṣṭvā ni... That if you get rasagullā, you can give up gur. Gur is also sweet, and rasagullā is sweet. But if somebody says that "Why you are eating gur...?" Or something else. "Here is nice rasagullā." Similarly, unless we get better things... Better things...

Lecture on BG 4.10 -- Vrndavana, August 2, 1974:

First of all jñāna, understanding our position. This is called jñāna. And then practice tapasya. Tapasya means make these things, material necessities, zero. That is called tapasya. Tapasya. Because we are accustomed to all these things, eating, sleeping, mating and fearing. So to give up it is not possible all of a sudden. That is not possible. Because we are accustomed.

Just like the fan is rotating. You stop the switch, it will rotate. At least, for some time. Because the force is there. Similarly, even if we accept that these things should be stopped—no more eating, no more sleeping, no more sex, no more fearing, that should be... There must be determination. But it may go around because we are practiced to this. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, api cet su-durācāro bhajate mām ananya-bhāk sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ (BG 9.30). If we take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness full, even due to our past habits, we are attached to all things, Kṛṣṇa says it doesn't matter. But you keep yourself always in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Lecture on BG 4.10 -- Vrndavana, August 2, 1974:

They do not know how to become happy. Mūḍha. They do not know. The happiness is only in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is the fact. Kṛṣṇa assures that, that bahavaḥ, many, jñāna-tapasā...

First of all, one must know that the way in which you are finding out, trying to, trying to find out happiness, that is nonsense. That is not possible. We have to give up all these things. That is tapasya. Voluntarily give up all these things. The more we are advanced means more we have given up all these things. Eating, sleeping, mating and defending. This is the position. So vīta-rāga-bhaya-krodhāḥ... (BG 2.56).

So how it is possible? How to become detached? Man-mayā. "Always be absorbed in My thought." Or man-mayā means... Mat means "mine," mayā, "of Me." "Thinking of Me." That is recommended. Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). This is the process. Always think of Kṛṣṇa, man-manāḥ.

Lecture on BG 4.10 -- Vrndavana, August 2, 1974:

It is simply imagination. If you ask the meat-eater that "Don't eat meat," he'll think, "Oh, it is horrible." He'll say horrible. Yes, actually they say. Even big, big man.

The Lord Zetland, he also said, "Oh, no, no, this cannot be done. This is our life." Lord Zetland to some of our godbrothers, he said, "Can you make me brāhmaṇa?" "Yes, we can make you brāhmaṇa. You give up these..." "No, no. This is not possible. Horrible."

It appears to be horri... Because we are so much absorbed in māyā. As soon as you ask anybody that "You cannot eat meat," he'll think it, "Oh, it is horrible." As soon as you say, "You cannot drink, you cannot have any intoxication," he thinks, "This is horrible." But actually it is not... This is māyā. It is not horrible, but we are thinking horrible. We are not eating meat. Are you dying? No. We have got so many nice foodstuffs. Why shall I eat meat? So paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate (BG 9.59). So our philosophy, our Vaiṣṇava philosophy, we do not say only that "Don't eat this," but "Eat this." We do not enjoy this, but enjoy this.

Lecture on BG 4.10 -- Vrndavana, August 2, 1974:

They gave up this, but that does not mean he became zero. Zero is śūnyavādi, voidism. No, you cannot remain in zero. That is not possible. If you accept this void philosophy, to make everything zero, that is artificial. Then again you'll fall down. Because you cannot remain in zero. The Māyāvādī philosophers, they want to... Or the Buddhist philosophers, they want to make things zero. That is not possible. You cannot remain in zero. Because you are ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). You want ānanda, pleasure. Pleasure cannot be in zero. That is not possible. Is it possible? To make things zero and you'll enjoy? No, that is not possible.

Lecture on BG 4.10 -- Vrndavana, August 2, 1974:

Then things will be zero. Because you have got better engagement, you are not interested to go to the hotel. There is hotel also, cinema also in Vṛndāvana. But will you go there? So if you become attached to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, this hotel, restaurants and, and dancing, and this and that, they'll be zero. Automatically. But if you simply try to make it zero, that is not possible. That is not possible. Therefore paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate (BG 9.59). If you get better engagement, to try to engage yourself always in the better engagement, then these material activities will be zero. But zero is not our philosophy. Positive, not negative. They simply make negative. Negative will not help us. Negative, there is of requisition negativeness.

Lecture on BG 4.10 -- Calcutta, September 23, 1974:

So Kṛṣṇa is sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1). Kṛṣṇa, His body is not material body. Those who are thinking Kṛṣṇa's body as material, they are called Māyāvādīs. But actually, Kṛṣṇa's body is not material. The evidence is that Kṛṣṇa knows past, present and future. In the material body that is not possible. Just like I had my previous body in my previous birth, but I don't remember. If somebody asks me, "What you were in your previous life?" it is very difficult. Because death means forgetfulness.

We are not dying. So far we are, living entities are concerned, we are not dying. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). We do not die. This is a disease, that we accept a foreign body, material body. And the foreign body is a machine. Just like you have got a car. You can ride on, drive on the car so long the machine is working. But as soon as the machine does not work, you have to change your car. It is like that.

Lecture on BG 4.11 -- New York, July 27, 1966:

Therefore the best thing will be to get rid of this concocted position and follow the supreme leader. That is the highest perfection. Just try to understand that I cannot avoid following someone's leadership. That is not possible. Can anyone say that "we can avoid this"? No. We cannot avoid. Even if we don't accept the leadership of God, we have to accept some other leader. That is our position. We cannot avoid it.

So there is a very nice verse in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. A brāhmaṇa, he was a family man, just like worldly man, as we are. Now, brāhmaṇas are generally expected to be highly learned, and he was very learned man in Vedic literature. And when he came to his consciousness by reading all this Vedic literature, that "Although I am following the leadership, why I am not happy?

Lecture on BG 4.11 -- New York, July 27, 1966:

There are many great scholars. But we have no information of those in the western countries. You have no information of those scholars. Ordinary persons with some academic career, they think they are very learned, they can comment on Bhagavad-gītā. Oh, that is not possible. That is not possible. The other day we have already discussed that Bhagavad-gītā can be understood by a person who is Kṛṣṇa conscious, nobody else. Bhakto 'si priyo 'si me rahasyaṁ hy etad uttamam (BG 4.3). So here is a chance.

Now, Kṛṣṇa says that ye yathā māṁ prapadyante. Now the proportionately, if you agree to follow the leadership of Kṛṣṇa, proportionately as you follow, so you become perfect. If you follow one percent, then you become one percent perfect. If you follow twenty-five percent, then you become twenty-five percent perfect. And if you follow cent-percent, then you become centpercent.

Lecture on BG 4.11 -- Bombay, March 31, 1974:

This is the process. So artificially, the Buddha philosophy or Śaṅkara philosophy, they, artificially if you want to make it nirvāṇa, zero, that is not possible. Avyaktāsakta-cetasām... Te..., kleśo 'dhikataras teṣām avyaktāsakta-cetasām (BG 12.5). Avyakta means zero, impersonal. If you become attached to simply making zero, or impersonal, that is not possible. Because we are accustomed. We are... As living beings, we want varieties. Variety is the mother of enjoyment. We cannot remain in the zero position.

You have got experience. Just like when you fly on the plane, after some hours, four, five hours, you become disgusted. You want to come down. Everyone has got this experience. Because the sky is zero, we cannot remain there more than four or five hours or six hours. We must come down. In the sea also. We have got all these experience. If you remain on the ocean for three, four days... Because it runs on. When I first went to America, I went by ship. So thirty-five days.

Lecture on BG 4.11 -- Vrndavana, August 3, 1974:

Kṛṣṇa says, "Yes, you be controlled." And if you want to be controlled by Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa says, "Yes." Therefore He says, ye yathā māṁ prapadyante. It is up to you. But you'll be controlled. There is no independence, sir. There is no independence. You'll be controlled. That is your nature. You cannot be controller. That is not possible. "Either you be controlled by Me, personally, or you be controlled..."

Just like in government. A person may say, "I don't care for government. I don't like government." That you can say. But you are controlled. If you go against the government, immediately you'll be arrested and put into the jail. You'll be controlled. You can say like a madman that "I don't want to be controlled. I don't care for government." That is not possible. So if... Therefore ye yathā mām... If you want to be controlled by the prison house, then Kṛṣṇa says, "Yes, you be controlled." And if you want to be controlled by the civic laws, that also you can do.

Lecture on BG 4.11 -- Vrndavana, August 3, 1974:

That is also acceptance of being controlled.

Just like if you merge into the ocean... They give this example, generally. So they think that by merging, by dipping into the ocean, they become also ocean. That is not possible. You become controlled by the ocean. Suppose you dip, you dive into the ocean. Does it mean that you become ocean? You become controlled by the ocean. They are under the impression that "I am now a small drop. So if I merge into the ocean, the Brahman, then I'll become Brahman." Is that a very reasonable proposal? You are a drop of water. Scientifically, what is said? Suppose a drop of water is mixed in with the sea water, does it mean the drop becomes sea? What is your scientific explanation? It is also... Eh?

Lecture on BG 4.11 -- Vrndavana, August 3, 1974:

Viśuddha means perfect, and aviśuddha means not perfect. Unnecessarily he's thinking that "I have become one with the..." I remain the same part and parcel. As Kṛṣṇa says, mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ (BG 15.7).

Just like a big bag of rice, and you put one grain of rice. It remains one grain, but it appears that it has become one with the bag. That is not possible. Therefore Bhāgavata says, "They think like that, but actually it is not the fact." And if you question why they are thinking like that—aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ, means intelligence is not very sharp. Ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninas tvayy asta-bhāvād aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ, āruhya kṛcchreṇa... āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adhaḥ (SB 10.2.32).

Lecture on BG 4.11 -- Vrndavana, August 3, 1974:

You'll never be happy. You try to understand your spiritual identification." And surrender to the spiritual energy. That is required. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). Otherwise, you cannot avoid Kṛṣṇa.

Just like you cannot avoid government control. That is not possible. Either you are in jail life or you are in free life, you are always under government control. Similarly, either we remain in the material world or we remain in the spiritual world, we are controlled by Kṛṣṇa. There is no escape. You cannot do that. But if you remain controlled by the spiritual energy, by directly being controlled by Kṛṣṇa, not by His energy, or by His internal energy, then you will be happy. That is the ambition of persons who are in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Lecture on BG 4.12 -- Vrndavana, August 4, 1974:

So he said, "Sir, let me place my hand upon your head." (laughter) So Lord Śiva was in danger. You see? Then he went to Lord Viṣṇu, "Please save me. I,... This man took benediction from me, and now he wants to place his hand upon my head." So viṣṇu-māyā is very intricate. So Lord Viṣṇu saved Lord Śiva and informed the devotee, "This is not possible. Why don't you test by touching your own head?" Then as soon as he placed his hand on his own head, his head was vanished.

So here the people want to take immediate some benefit by worshiping different demigods, but he does not know what is the result. Neither the demigods know. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says... You'll find in the eighth chapter that, antavat tu phalaṁ teṣāṁ tad bhavaty alpa-medhasām (BG 7.23). Alpa-medhasa means one whose brain substance is very small. This is very true. According to brain substance,... What is called? Celebrum or something? The technical. Eh?

Lecture on BG 4.13 -- New York, April 8, 1973:

Although sometimes they falsely become proud that (indistinct) By science we shall be come immortal and so on. (indistinct) These things were tried before also by atheistic class of men like Rāvaṇa, Hiraṇyakaśipu. But it is not possible to become successful, to stop birth, death, old age and disease. That is not possible. If there is any possible process, that is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

If you become Kṛṣṇa conscious, then you can get a body. Not get... You have already got the body, spiritual body. And upon that spiritual body, this material body has developed. Just like dress. Your coat is cut according to your body. Similarly, this materially body is cut according our spiritual body. So we have got our spiritual body. This material body is covering. Vāsāṁsi jirṇāni.

Lecture on BG 4.13 -- Bombay, April 2, 1974:

And the simple reason is there is no this cātur-varṇya system is lost. Practically without any brahminical culture, kṣatriya culture, people remain śūdras, the fourth-class man. Or fifth-class men.

So unless there are first-class men, second-class men, at least third-class men, only fourth-class, fifth-class, sixth-class men, how they can conduct. That is not possible. Therefore it is enjoined that cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭam (BG 4.13). This division of the society must be observed.

Educational institution, there should be, but the education.... Just like in a university, they have different departments: medical department, engineering department, or biological and so many, psychological, chemical, physical.... They have so many departments. But there is no department, brahminical, kshatriyacal, or vaiśya, nothing. Because they do not know what is the aim of life.

Lecture on BG 4.13 -- Bombay, April 2, 1974:

If I speak something, there may be so many defects, because I am imperfect. Every one of us, imperfect. We commit mistake. To err is human. There is no human being who can say boldly that "I never committed any mistake." That is not possible. You must commit mistake. And sometimes we are illusioned, pramāda. That we are all, because we are accepting this body as "I am," which I am not. That is called pramāda, bhrama pramāda. Then vipralipsā. I have got bhrama, I commit mistake, I am bewildered, I am illusioned. Still, I am taking the position of teacher. That is cheating. If you are defective, if you have got so many defects in your life, how you can become teacher? You are a cheater. Nobody's teacher, because without being perfect, how you can become teacher? So this is going on.

And the last defect is that my senses are imperfect. I cannot see properly, I cannot smell properly, I cannot touch properly. So many defects. Just for example I am seeing the sun everyday but I am seeing just like a disk. But it is fourteen hundred thousand times bigger than the earth. So śāstra-cakṣusā.

Lecture on BG 4.13 -- Johannesburg, October 19, 1975:

So take it very seriously. Take it very seriously and...

You have to take it seriously; otherwise you are doomed. Otherwise you are doomed because you do not know how the laws of nature is working upon you. You feel that you are under the laws of nature. That you cannot avoid. That is not possible. But you do not know how the laws of nature is working. That is your ignorance.

That information you will get from Bhagavad-gītā. The beginning of Bhagavad-gītā says, tathā dehāntara-prāptir dhīras tatra na muhyati. This is the first instruction. Dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). As in this life we have seen, I was a child, I was a baby, I was a boy, I was a young man, now I am old man, so I have changed so many bodies. And... But I know that I was a child, I was a boy. But where is that body?

Lecture on BG 4.14-19 -- New York, August 3, 1966:

Fighting is not necessary. Peace, peace is necessary. But sometimes peace is disturbed. At that time, fighting is also necessary. You cannot, you cannot absolutely give up the process of fighting in this material world. That is not possible. Because there are persons who will create trouble. Just like we are experiencing. We are not going to do any harm to anybody. But sometimes they are coming and creating disturbances. So these disturbing elements are there, and this is always there. The material nature is like that. Therefore fighting cannot be abolished in the, when it is necessary, absolutely necessary. In the battle of Kurukṣetra, Lord Kṛṣṇa advocated this fighting because it was absolutely necessary.

So anything—it does not matter what it is—when it is sanctioned by Kṛṣṇa, it has no reaction. That is the real work. Other, anything which we do, which may be very good work in the estimation of this material world, but that is bound to make you entangled in this material world. This secret one should learn.

Lecture on BG 4.14-19 -- New York, August 3, 1966:

There is no excuse. The laws of nature is very stringent. Just like the fire. Fire, it burns. That is natural. This is the law of nature. So even a child touches fire, the fire does not excuse, that "Because it is child, oh, his hand may be, may not be burned." No. That is not possible. So we have to make our work very cautiously. We have to select our work very cautiously. Otherwise, the stringent laws of nature will react, and we shall be bound by the laws of material nature and suffer.

The Lord says that karmaṇo hy api boddhavyam. One should understand how to work and one should understand what is not to be done. Akarmaṇaś ca boddhavyam. Karmaṇo hy api boddhavyaṁ boddhavyaṁ ca vikarmaṇaḥ. Karma, akarma and vikarma. There are three things. Karma means prescribed duties, prescribed duties.

Lecture on BG 4.16 -- Bombay, April 5, 1974:

Therefore we should be very careful to take instruction from Bhagavad-gītā, and make our life successful, following the rules and regulation as it is prescribed there. Otherwise we are animals.

The animals, they cannot follow any rules and regulation. Animal, you ask animal, dog, that "You become a brahmacārī." That is not possible. That is not possible (laughs). It is for human being. These āśramas, the four āśramas and four varṇas, they are all meant for human society, not that it is restricted in a certain area or certain country or certain community. No. It is meant for the whole human society. Bhagavad-gītā is meant for the whole human society. When Kṛṣṇa says, cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13), he never says that "It is meant for India." Where is that? Why they came that the cātur-varṇyam should be in India only? Kṛṣṇa never said that. Kṛṣṇa said, sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya sambhavanti mūrtayaḥ yāḥ: "In every species of life, as many forms are there, all of them are My sons." Ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā (BG 14.4).

Lecture on BG 4.17 -- Bombay, April 6, 1974:

He has to suffer. You can cheat the man-made government by hiding yourself, so-called hiding. You cannot hide yourself from, any vikarma or unlawful work, from the eyes of the Supreme Lord. That is not possible. You can hide yourself from the eyes of the police, man-made law, but it is not possible to hide yourself from the eyes of the Supreme. That is not possible. Because the Supreme is sitting within your heart. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). And He is sitting as anumantā and upadraṣṭā. He is simply seeing what you are doing, and He is giving sanction also. Even a thief who is going to act something criminally, without the sanction of the Supersoul, who is sitting within everyone's heart, he cannot do that.

Lecture on BG 4.18 -- Bombay, April 7, 1974:

This is also compact. So one who is attached to this compact position, packed up in the body or within this universe, they are called gṛhamedhi. Apaśyatām ātma-tattvaṁ gṛheṣu gṛha-medhinām (SB 2.1.2). They cannot see what is ātma-tattva, self-realization. Apaśyatām ātma-tattvaṁ gṛheṣu gṛha-medhinām (SB 2.1.2).

So we are working very hard to become very happy, but that is not possible. That is not possible. We are making deliberation, "This is pious activities, this is impious." That is also good. Doing things blindly, that is another thing, but if one has this deliberation, "This is sinful activity and this is sinful activity," he is better than them.

But there is another position which is beyond this sinful activity and pious activity. That is called akarma, akarma. Akarma means there is no result, either sinful or pious. That is called akarma. And karma means there is result, either pious result or impious result. That is called karma.

Lecture on BG 4.19 -- New York, August 5, 1966:

So we have to... The whole process is that we have to attach again. Now we are detached. Now we have to attach again. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

That Kṛṣṇa consciousness is within you because you are originally, eternally the part and parcel of the Supreme. Artificially, I am trying to forget it. I am trying to live independently. That is not possible. We are not independent. If we want to live independently, that means we voluntarily become dependent on the influence of material nature. That's all. Actually, we are not independent. If I think I am independent of Kṛṣṇa, then I am dependent on the influence of material nature.

Just like, if I think that I am independent of government regulations, then I become dependent of the police force. My dependence is neither in this way or that way. So that is our mistaken. Everyone is trying to be, become independent. That is called māyā. That is called māyā, or illusion. Nobody can be independent.

Lecture on BG 4.19 -- Bombay, April 8, 1974:

So kāma-saṅkalpa-vivarjitāḥ. Yasya sarve samārambhāḥ. You can act. We must always remember, this acting has begun... Cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). First of all, the acting should begin according to guṇa and karma. Not that everything will be done by everyone. No.

Suppose if I want to do some engineering work. That is not possible for me. I must take help of an engineer. But if one wants to understand something about Bhagavad-gītā, about the spiritual movement, he may consult me. Therefore, the society must be divided into four divisions. Cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). There must be a class of men very intelligent, brahminical class. They should also work just like brāhmaṇa. The kṣatriya, they should work just like kṣatriya. Because there will be some violence. Kṣat. So one who defends or protects from injury, that person also should be there in the society, kṣatriya. So on this basis the society must be divided.

Lecture on BG 4.19 -- Bombay, April 8, 1974:

So how you become desireless? Very nice argument he gave. Our Caitya-guru gave it. I was very much pleased. It is not possible to become desireless. This is foolishness, to give up desire. You cannot give (up) desire. That is not... If you give up desire, then you are a dead man. A stone has no desire. Do you like to become a stone-like? No. Desire cannot be less. That is not possible. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam (CC Madhya 19.167). Abhilāṣitā-śūnyam, anya. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam: "Except Kṛṣṇa, any other desires should be given up." That is anyābhilāṣa. Abhilāṣitā-śūnyam, the ācārya, Rūpa Gosvāmī, does not say. That is not possible. I must have desires because I am living entity. I am not a stone. I am not a wood. So this is a false philosophy, to become desireless. That is not possible. To become desireless—other desires. Other means except Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on BG 4.20 -- Bombay, April 9, 1974:

Therefore they are Māyāvādīs. Nobody can become Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). Nobody can be equal to Kṛṣṇa; nobody can be greater than Kṛṣṇa. Then what is the meaning of God? If there are so many rascal Gods, then what is the specific personality of God? So this is the last snare of māyā, if one is trying to become God. That is not possible. That is asuric. Āsuraṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ. They never will...

Kṛṣṇa's desire is that you surrender. Sarva-dharmān... You have manufactured so many things within this material world to become happy. This is all foolishness. You will never be happy. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, because Kṛṣṇa loves, that you sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). But māyā says, "No. Why? You become Kṛṣṇa. You become God." This is going on. This is asuric, āsuraṁ bhāvam. So it is very difficult to give up the āsuraṁ bhāvam.

Lecture on BG 4.20 -- Bombay, April 9, 1974:

Therefore he is a mūḍha. That is the sign. A big mūḍha. Small mūḍhas, they are working hard only to become happy, and the big mūḍha, he wants to become God. The small mūḍha wants to become a minister or a president, and the big mūḍha wants to become God. The disease is the same: "I shall become the most powerful." But that is not possible.

Therefore these big mūḍhas who simply falsely thinking that "I have become now liberated by meditation or by some jugglery of powers," so they have been described in the Bhāgavatam as vimukta-māninaḥ. They are falsely thinking that they have become liberated, they have become Nārāyaṇa. How you can become Nārāyaṇa?

Lecture on BG 4.20-24 -- New York, August 9, 1966:

Now, from the Bhagavad-gītā we understand that two energies are working. One energy is called inferior energy, and the other energy is called superior energy. Now, take for example the inferior energy. The energy emanating from the source, is there any possibility of dividing the energy and the energetic? No. That is not possible just like you cannot divide heat from the fire or the illumination from this light. This is not possible. If there is no illumination, then the light has no meaning. If there is no heat, then fire has no meaning. Similarly, if the energy is separated from the energetic, the energetic has no meaning.

So Kṛṣṇa says that there are two kinds of nature: superior nature, or higher nature, and inferior nature. Now, even the inferior nature... We take it for granted that there is something like inferior nature.

Lecture on BG 4.20-24 -- New York, August 9, 1966:

We haven't got to search out for large quantities of butter, clarified butter or grains. That is impossible factor now. It is very difficult to secure butter for eating purposes, and who is going to sacrifice? That is not possible. Although that is mentioned in the different scriptures, that sacrifice should be performed in that way, but it is impractical. It is not possible. So such sacrifices as recommended in the scriptures by offering clarified butter and grains, or sacrificing some animal... There are so many.

Now, this sacrifice of animals was protested by Lord Buddha. He deviated from the Hindu religion. Lord Buddha was born in Hindu family. He was kṣatriya. He was a king's son. But he wanted to preach nonviolence. He wanted to preach completely, to stop completely animal killing.

Lecture on BG 4.21 -- Bombay, April 10, 1974:

And as soon as there is restriction, they do not like. Because we put so many restriction, I am called in the western world, "Swamiji, you are very conservative." So we have to become conservative, follow the rules. Not that we give liberty, that "Whatever you like, you do, and at the same time you make progress, spiritual life." That is not possible.

Because spiritual life means tapasya. Formerly great, great saintly persons, they underwent very, very severe tapasya for thousands of years, hundreds of years. Then they attained success. In the Kali-yuga it is not possible to undergo such severe tapasya. There is concession. The concession is that you live a pure life and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. This will make sufficient. A pure life: no illicit sex, no intoxication, no meat-eating, no gambling. This is pure life. These boys and girls who have joined this movement, they have given up. They are not dying.

Lecture on BG 4.21 -- Bombay, April 10, 1974:

That they do not understand. They think that Brahman, when merges into the existence of Parabrahman, then business is finished. No. Business is not finished. Because we are individuals. It is not possible to remain without any activity. That is theory, that without any activity we can remain. That is not possible. And if we have no information of the spiritual activity, then we have to come back again to this material activity. That is practical example. There are many sannyāsīs. They so-called merging into Brahman, but they come back in material activities, in politics, in sociology and so on. So therefore these instructions are very valuable. nirāśīr yata-cittātmā tyakta-sarva-parigrahaḥ śārīraṁ kevalaṁ karma. Śārīra, just to maintain your body. Be satisfied. Whatever is supplied by Kṛṣṇa, be satisfied. Don't aspire more and more. Save time for advancing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.... (break).... so that you can, with great enthusiasm, you can make progress in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Śārīraṁ kevalam. Not for sense gratification.

Lecture on BG 4.22 -- Bombay, April 11, 1974:

And this is going on. We are accepting this civilization as advanced. The more you have got facility for sense gratification, it is to be understood that you are advanced. So that advancement means to give satisfaction to the body.

So this formula, as it is given, yadṛcchā-lābha-santuṣṭaḥ, this is not possible in material civilization. Unless one is advanced in spiritual life, he cannot be yadṛcchā-lābha-santuṣṭaḥ. Because he has no material demands. Why he should make competition with others material by? Because he has got material body.... (sic:) Yuktāhāra-vihārasya yogo bhavati siddhi-daḥ. Those who are yogis, they should be satisfied just to maintain the body and soul together, not for sense gratification. That is sufficient.

Lecture on BG 4.22 -- Bombay, April 11, 1974:

Then you have to die. Then where is your happiness? If you can make such arrangement that you will not die, whatever you have created you will enjoy, then it can be said as happiness. But that is not possible. You have to die. Therefore Kṛṣṇa gives more prominence to these four kinds of miseries: janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam.

So people should be satisfied in any condition of life given by Kṛṣṇa, and he should endeavor for developing his Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. This is the real aim of life. Not to make competition to get more comfortable life than your neighbor or father or brother or like that. That is not our business. That is the business of the cats and dogs. Kaṣṭān kāmān arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye (SB 5.5.1). Then (?) What is that? Tapo divyam. This human life is for tapasya. This is tapasya. "All right, Kṛṣṇa has given me this position. That's all right. I will be satisfied." This is called tapasya. Why should I make competition? Simply by doing competition I am not going to be successful. That is the instruction of all śāstra.

Lecture on BG 4.24 -- Bombay, April 13, 1974:

So if we understand Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's energies, then we can realize the Vedic slogan, sarvaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma. But without understanding Kṛṣṇa, it is not possible. Without understanding Kṛṣṇa, there will be falldown. Therefore we see so many impersonalists. They cannot give up their attachment for this material world. That is not possible.

That is described in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninas tvayy asta-bhāvād aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ: (SB 10.2.32) "Anyone who has neglected Your personality," aravindākṣa, "O the lotus-eyed Kṛṣṇa," aravindākṣe, ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa tvayy asta-bhāvāt, "they cannot understand what You are." Aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ: "Their intelligence is still contaminated, not purified."

Lecture on BG 4.24-34 -- New York, August 12, 1966:

In Kaṭha Upaniṣad it is said tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). Abhigacchet. This is a Sanskrit grammatical injunction. Where there is the question if imperative, "you must," there vidhilin, this form of verb, is used, gacchet, gacchet. Gacchet means "You must go." You don't think that without going to a qualified, bona fide spiritual master you can have. No. That is not possible. Here also, Lord Kṛṣṇa also recommends, tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā: (BG 4.34) "If you want to learn that transcendental science, then you have to find out a transcendentalist first of all." That is also recommended in Kaṭhopaniṣad.

In Bhāgavata also, it is said, tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam: (SB 11.3.21) "One who is hankering after the highest type of question..." We have got so many questions. We can question the whole day and night "What is the rate of this commodity? What is happening in the political field? What is going on in China?"

Lecture on BG 4.26 -- Bombay, April 15, 1974:

We were present in the past, and we are now in the battlefield, and when we give up this body, we shall again remain the same, individual."

That is explained in the second chapter. This individuality continues. There is no such information that all of them become one by amalgamation. That is not possible because in the Bhagavad-gītā it..., mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ jīva-loke sanātanaḥ (BG 15.7). Aṁśaḥ, the particles of the Supreme, they are sanātanaḥ. It is not that by chance the spirit, whole spirit, has been broken into pieces. No. That is not possible. Because in the Bhagavad-gītā you will find acchedyo 'yam: "It cannot be broken into pieces."

Then how it became pieces? Therefore these piecemeal, the small particles of the original whole, they are sanātanaḥ. It is not that by circumstance it has become small pieces. No.

Lecture on BG 4.26 -- Bombay, April 15, 1974:

Purely I am spirit soul, and my business is to serve Kṛṣṇa." Then you will be able to control your senses.

Because senses want engagement. If you artificially stop, it will not stay. For the time being, it may be appearing, but it is not possible. You cannot be desireless. Sometimes we say that "We should be desireless." That is not possible. The whole process should be purifying desire, purifying desire, mind. Mind is the source of desires. Therefore the bhakti process is first of all engage the mind. Sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayoḥ (SB 9.4.18). If you engage your mind, always thinking of Kṛṣṇa, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru... (BG 18.65). This is the recommendation given by Kṛṣṇa.

So if you first of all engage your mind to the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, then Kṛṣṇa says you become first-class yogi.

Lecture on BG 4.27 -- Bombay, April 16, 1974:

People do not know it, but actually this is there. Everyone becomes a servant of the senses just beginning from the tongue. They eat anything and everything. Therefore they cannot control others senses also. This is the experience of big, big yogis. Therefore in the yoga practice, yama-niyama... In the yoga practice also, it is forbidden, not to allow the tongue to eat anything and everything, no. That is not possible. Similarly, we also ask our devotees not to allow your tongue to touch anything except kṛṣṇa-prasādam. Tongue's two business: eating, tasting something, and vibrating sound. So if we can control the tongue not to touch anything which is not offered to Kṛṣṇa, and if we do not allow the tongue to talk anything except Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, then you become the greatest yogi. The greatest yogi. Simply two things. Of course, we have to eat. That's a fact. Without eating, we cannot exist. So eat. We have got so many nice things, offered to Kṛṣṇa. We offer to Kṛṣṇa all nice things.

Lecture on BG 4.27 -- Bombay, April 16, 1974:

So this is the position. All big, big leaders, they do not want to take relief from this sense gratification business. No. This is the...

Therefore jñāna-dīpite ātma-saṁyama-yogāgnau. Because there is no knowledge, they think the sense gratification extended, expanded sense gratification, will make the world happy. No. That is not possible. Therefore jñāna-dīpite means that by this kind of sense gratification we will not solve the problems. Kāmādīnāṁ kati na katidhā pālitā durnideśās teṣāṁ jātā mayi na karuṇā. Karuṇā. "There is no mercy. Therefore I have given up them. Now I have come to You, my dear Lord. I was serving the senses so long. Now I want to serve You." This is knowledge, jñāna-dīpite. "Because my business is to satisfy the senses, either my senses or my relative's senses, but it has not made me happy, therefore I have come to You to satisfy Your senses. Kindly engage me in Your business."

Lecture on BG 4.28 -- Bombay, April 17, 1974:

That is real yajña. Because in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that those who are engaged in devotional service... To hear, devotional service... I have explained several times. To hear about Kṛṣṇa. Simply by hearing Kṛṣṇa, if we simply try to understand Kṛṣṇa, that is also better than dravyamaya-yajña, dravya, in charity. But because we cannot devote ourself... Pure devotional service means śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam (SB 7.5.23). Just like Haridāsa Ṭhākura, he was simply engaged in śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam. He was chanting three hundred thousand times Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra. We cannot imitate that. That is not possible. But pure devotional service is like that.

Lecture on BG 4.34 -- New York, August 14, 1966:

Without having the association of a musician, nobody can learn the art of music. Or any art. Suppose if you want to become an engineer. So you have to enter yourself in an engineering college or technical college and learn there. Nobody can become a medical practitioner simply by purchasing book from the market and reading at home. That is not possible. You have to admit yourself in a medical college and undergo training and practical examination, so many things. Simply by purchasing book, it is not possible.

Similarly, if you want to learn Bhagavad-gītā or any transcendental subject matter, here is the instruction by Lord Kṛṣṇa Himself. Lord Kṛṣṇa Himself, because He is the speaker of this Bhagavad-gītā, He says that tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā (BG 4.34). You must go to a person where you can surrender yourself.

Lecture on BG 4.34 -- Questions & Answers -- August 14, 1968, New York:

"The sun is on my head." Similarly, although the sun is one, as he is perceived that he is present on everyone's head, similarly, although Kṛṣṇa is one without a second, by inconceivable transcendental power He can be present in everyone's heart. Akhilātma-bhūtaḥ. Goloka eva nivasaty akhilātma-bhūtaḥ (Bs. 5.37). That is the power of Kṛṣṇa. That is the power of Supersoul. We cannot. Suppose I am sitting here, you are sitting here. You are not at your home. I am not in India, I am sitting here. I cannot see simultaneously in India and America. That is not possible, because I am not Supersoul. But the Supersoul can be present everywhere. You will find this explanation in the Thirteenth Chapter of the Bhagavad-gītā. Now we are discussing the Fourth Chapter. When you go to the Thirteenth Chapter, this point will be more clearly explained.

Lecture on BG 4.34-39 -- Los Angeles, January 12, 1969:

Gargamuni. His name is Gargamuni. Gargamuni, and there is another, Sāndīpani Muni. They are sages, Sāndīpani Muni. Kṛṣṇa is spiritual master of His spiritual master, but just to teach us, He also accepts a spiritual master. Nobody can be spiritual master of Kṛṣṇa. That is not possible, just like nobody can be Kṛṣṇa's father. He is father of everyone. God is father of everyone. But He, out of His love, He accepts some of His devotee as father, as mother, as spiritual master, as teacher, as friend, as elder brother. That is His līlā. Yes. Therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā you will see... In the Fourth Chapter you have already read, janma karma (ca) me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ (BG 4.9). The dealings of Kṛṣṇa—how Kṛṣṇa being the supreme father, how He accepts His father and appears as a child of the father—this is transcendental knowledge. So if a somebody simply understands this—how Kṛṣṇa being the supreme father, He accepts another father—then he becomes liberated; immediately he is transferred to the spiritual kingdom. This is knowledge. Yes?

Lecture on BG 4.37-40 -- New York, August 21, 1966:

That day I was reading from the Twelfth Chapter, er, Twelfth Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam—perhaps some of you who were present—that in this age the life will be reduced from twenty to thirty years. We have to wait for that time. So gradually, things will deteriorate. Therefore in the Kali-yuga, the yoga practice or the sacrifice or, I mean to say, very pompous worship of God, oh, that is not possible. People are, have got short life, they are always disturbed, they are disturbed with material disturbances, diseases, and they are unfortunate also. They are not very fortunate. So mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyā hy upadrutāḥ (SB 1.1.10). Mandāḥ. They are very slow, and also unfortunate. This very word is used in the Bhāgavata. So therefore, in the Kali-yuga, if we want to get all this advantage of knowledge, then the only way is to become Kṛṣṇa conscious, to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. That will help us.

Lecture on BG 4.37-40 -- New York, August 21, 1966:

Now, suppose there is a body, dead body. Now, if the living force was something material, then bring something material and inject in that dead body and get it up again. No, that is not possible because that spiritual thing is gone, and we have no control over the spiritual matt..., spiritual thing. The spirit soul, that is a superior nature. We have been simply informed in Bhagavad-gītā. That is a superior nature. This is inferior nature. So this inferior nature is my bondage. I am not this inferior nature.

So Kṛṣṇa says, na hi jñānena sadṛśaṁ pavitram iha... So as soon as we become, I mean to say, revived to our position, brahma-bhūtaḥ, then our first symptom will be prasannātmā, prasannātmā—we shall be joyful. Prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati (BG 18.54). There will be no lamentation and no hankering. But the difficulty is that even if we rise up to the brahma-bhūtaḥ stage and if we do not take to the service of Kṛṣṇa then there is possibility of falling down again.

Lecture on BG 4.39-42 -- Los Angeles, January 14, 1969:

What new thing is there? They died, and you will not die? What new we can give? Nothing. You have to follow by nature's law the old principles. They died; I will have to die. They ate; I am eating. They beget children; I am also begetting. So what is the difference? What is the new? Everything is going on in the old principles. It is simply our imagination that we are doing something new. There is nothing new. Āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunaṁ ca sāmānyam etat paśubhir narāṇām. We are under such stringent laws of the nature, there is no scope for inventing something new. That is not possible. We have to follow the old principles by force, by nature's law. All right. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)

Lecture on BG 4.39-5.3 -- New York, August 24, 1966:

And the whole treatment, progressive in spiritual life, is regulated. Of course, we have got senses, and the senses require some satisfaction. That is all right. There is no question of stopping the senses. It is not possible. If you want to stop the work of the senses, that is not possible. Simply we have to purify the senses.

Just like when you are diseased, your senses are under certain symptoms of the disease. Just like I am feeling the tongue. Whatever I am eating, the tongue is tasting bitter. Bitter. That is the symptom of my disease. So we haven't got to cut the tongue altogether, but we have to make treatment so that we can taste properly. There is practical example. One who is suffering from jaundice, if you give him something sweet, sugar candy, he'll taste it bitter.