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Theorizing (Lectures)

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 2.1-5 -- Germany, June 16, 1974:

Modern scientists, they theorize that "It may be like this. It may be like that," but that is not perfect knowledge. So if you speculate with your imperfect senses, what is the value of that knowledge? It may be, I mean to say, partial knowledge, but that is not perfect knowledge. Therefore our process of receiving knowledge is to receive it from the perfect person. And therefore we are receiving knowledge from Kṛṣṇa, Bhagavān, the most perfect, and therefore our knowledge is perfect. Just like a child. He may be imperfect, but if his father says, "My dear child, this is called spectacle," so if the child speaks, "This is spectacle," that knowledge is perfect. Because the child does not make research to find out knowledge. He asks his father or mother, "What is this, Daddy? What is this, Mother?" And the mother says, "My dear child, this is this."

Lecture on BG 2.13 -- Mombassa, September 13, 1971:

They are simply cheating public. They have no sufficient knowledge, still they are trying to speak of some subject of which they have no sufficient knowledge. Besides that, the scientist... One scientist proposes, theorizes something today and another scientist makes this proposition, this theory, null and void and he speaks something else. That is also due to the imperfect of senses. So that is called mistake or illusion. Mistake means calculation, mathematical calculation. Two plus two equal to four, but sometimes by mistake we may put three or five. That is called mistake. And illusion, to accept something for something. Just like we are accepting. When somebody inquires, "who are you?"

Lecture on BG 2.13 -- Mombassa, September 13, 1971:

One way is ascending process, one process is descending process. Just like on the roof there is some sound. Now we are here, we are not on the roof, we may conjecture or theorize what is that sound. Somebody will say some cat must be there, somebody will say that some man must be there. In this way, we can go on speculate. This is also one process. This is called ascending process. And descending process means if there is one person on the roof, he says, "This sound is due to this," then that is also perfect knowledge. So we get knowledge from the higher authorities, that is perfect knowledge and that is easier.

Lecture on BG 2.13 -- Manila, October 12, 1972:

They are thirsty, they go to the desert to take water. Where is water in the desert? This is called illusion. So mistake, to commit mistake, to become illusioned, and to the propensity of cheating. Every man is imperfect, but he is talking just like perfect. That is called cheating. The so-called scientists, philosophers, they are theorizing, "It may be," "Perhaps." So what is this knowledge, "Perhaps," "It may be"? That is not knowledge. Say definitely. But nobody can say. They are blind.

Lecture on BG 2.18 -- London, August 24, 1973:

Not that dogmatically I am speaking, I am putting up some theory. No. It is said. It is already settled, it is already ascertained. And in the Vedic literature, by authorities it is so said. This is the way of presenting evidence. Even Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He does not theorize. He said, "It is said," authorized. Anāśino 'prameyasya. Anāśinaḥ. Nāśinaḥ means destructible, and anāśinaḥ means not destructible. Śarīriṇaḥ, the soul, anāśinaḥ, it will never be destroyed. And aprameyasya.

Lecture on BG 2.25 -- London, August 28, 1973:

His merriness is finished. Who is that philosopher has become paralyzed? So they make all these theories. Not only European philosophers, another philosopher in India, Dr. Radhakrishnan, he is now brain paralyzed.

So they do not understand that there is a controller. We may theorize and so many ways of our happy life. But you cannot be happy, sir, so long you have got this material body. That's a fact. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9).

Lecture on BG 2.26 -- Hyderabad, November 30, 1972:

"Somebody's explaining wonderfully, somebody is hearing wonderfully, but even after hearing and speaking, it remains a mystery, and less intelligent person cannot understand it." That is the fact. There are so many theories. Therefore we have to accept the reality from the authority. By theorizing, by speculating, we cannot come into any decision. I may be very good logician. You may be greater logician. So you can defeat my logic. I can defeat your logic. So what is the conclusion? This kind of talking, it is called ku-tarka, unnecessarily talking, because you'll not come to my decision, I'll not come to your decision. So everyone is mysterious.

Lecture on BG 2.28 -- London, August 30, 1973:

"This is my family, this is my country, this is my nation." Everything in bodily concept of life. And if I am not this body, then in relationship with this body, either my family or my country or my society, or my other relationships, they are also false because the body is false. Therefore Śaṅkarācārya theorized this: brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā. Brahman means the soul is actually the fact, not the material manifestation. Material manifestation, of course, he says false. We don't say false. We say temporary. So our main concern is that I am not temporary. My body is temporary. Now I am working for the body. That is illusion.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- London, March 9, 1975:

That is not possible. Similarly, if we are defective in so many ways, and if I want to become teacher or preacher to give you the truth, then how can I give? This is not possible. So we cannot hear from anyone who is defective. That is not pure knowledge, that is not perfect knowledge. If we hear from some defective, who theorize, "I think," "In my opinion," "Maybe," "Perhaps..." These are nonsense speaking. So almost everyone, the so-called scientists, philosophers, they simply theorize, "I think." Who are you, you are thinking like that? You are imperfect.

Lecture on BG 7.1-3 -- London, August 4, 1971:

"Are you Americans?" So we are creating such devotees that people are becoming surprised how this is possible. Yes, it is possible by Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It is simple method. Simply chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and take Kṛṣṇa prasāda. That's all. Don't require any education, philosophical theorizing. Simply do these two business, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and take kṛṣṇa-prasāda. And our temple is open for that. Everyone. No fee. No charge. So why do you lose this opportunity? Yes?

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

So the basic principle is illusion. And there are so many mistakes we commit. And the senses are imperfect. And although my senses are imperfect, I, still, I theorize, "It may be...," "It is like this," "It is like that." These are all imperfect things. Therefore whatever knowledge we may make progress, it is saṁśayam, it remains doubt, uncertainty.

Lecture on BG 7.4 -- Bombay, February 19, 1974:

He has written one book, Chemical Evolution, and he has got Nobel Prize. Now he's touring for lecturing on his theory. So in the California university there is our student, Dr. Svarūpa Dāmodara. He's my disciple. He's doctor in chemistry. So, when this German chemist was lecturing, theorizing that life has come from chemicals, so he put the question that "Suppose if I give you these chemicals, whether you can prepare a life?" He answered in the meeting, "That I cannot say." That means he's not certain; still, he's theorizing, that from chemical, life has come.

Lecture on BG 7.4 -- Bombay, February 19, 1974:

Similarly, we are illusioned. Illusioned means we accept something for something. Just like you are accepting this body—"I am American," "I am Indian"—but I am neither American nor Indian; I am spirit soul. This is called illusion. Bhrama, pramāda, and vipralambha. Vipralambha means the propensity for cheating others. I do not know exactly what is the cause of life; still, I am theorizing in so many ways. And when I am challenged by other person that "Can you produce, with chemical, life?" "That I cannot say." Then why you are talking nonsense? This is cheating.

Lecture on BG 7.4 -- Nairobi, October 31, 1975:

Because we have to know, so... To understand Kṛṣṇa means one must know what is this earth, what is this water, what is this fire, what is this air, what is this sky, what is this mind, what is this ego. These material things, they should know that wherefrom these things came. They only theorize that water is combination of some chemical, hydrogen, oxygen. But wherefrom the chemical came, hydrogen, oxygen? That they cannot answer. So therefore this is called acintya-śakti. Acintya-śakti. If you do not apply, if you refuse, acintya-śakti, in God, acintya-śakti, inconceivable energy, then there is no God. Acintya-śakti-sampannaḥ.

Lecture on BG 7.9-10 -- Bombay, February 24, 1974:

So there was one student, he's my disciple, Svarūpa Dāmodara. He questioned, "Sir, if I give you all these chemicals, can you produce life?" Then he said, "That I cannot say." But if you know that these chemicals composes life, so when I give you the chemicals, why don't you produce? So simply theorizing. Simply theorizing. Panthās tu koṭi-śata-vatsara-sampragamyaḥ (Bs. 5.34).

So we cannot decide by theorizing. But if we take shelter of Kṛṣṇa, here is the perfect knowledge, that aham, "I am the background."

Lecture on BG 13.8-12 -- Bombay, October 2, 1973:

We find nowadays, big, big philosophers write volumes of book, simply theorizing without any understanding of the spirit soul. Big, big philosopher. And Kṛṣṇa says that if one simply puts philosophical theories for some utopian ideas, "Now time is coming which will be like this, like that." No. Time is there already. You cannot manufacture time like this or like that. It will go on. It is eternal. It is eternal.

Lecture on BG 16.6 -- South Africa, October 18, 1975:

Therefore it is said, abhijñaḥ. Janmādy asya yataḥ anvayād itarataś cārtheṣu abhijñaḥ (SB 1.1.1). That abhijñaḥ is God, Kṛṣṇa, one who knows things, how to do it. So in this way, if we study that the asuras, their symptoms are described... So asuras are condemned. They cannot have any happiness. They'll simply go on theorizing. There is no solution, so one has to become deva. Viṣṇu-bhakto bhaved devaḥ. If we remain asuras, rascals, then our life is spoiled. Thank you very much.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.1.9 -- Auckland, February 20, 1973:

I know this Christian religion, Mohammedan religion, Buddhist religion, Jain religion, this religion, that religion, this ism, that ism, they are all history. History. It is limited, within the limit of time. But this Vedic religion has no beginning or end. Therefore, Sumanda-matayo, they will theorize, "In our religion it is said this." "Oh, whatever your religion may be, but the real purpose of religion is to understand God. How far you have understood God?" That is practically nil. But the formulas and dogmas and this and that they're full of. Sumanda-matayo. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyā (SB 1.1.10).

Lecture on SB 1.2.5 -- New Vrindaban, September 4, 1972:

You can theorize so many things. You may become a very great scientist, but when death will come, you cannot protect yourself. That is not possible. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). You may be puffed up for advancement of your scientific knowledge, but you must be under the control of birth, death, old age and disease. So this is prakṛti, nature, and nature is controlled by God.

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

Because they do not know, they have no information of the soul, they are talking about this body. Or sometimes about this mind. Philosophical speculation, concoction. One philosophy is theorizing something, another philosopher is theorizing something. Lots of literature. All nonsense, because it is mental speculation. I speculate in one way, you speculate in another way. You refute me, I refute you. So therefore, these talks of the body and talks of the mind, there are varieties. Nṛṇāṁ santi sahasraśaḥ apaśyatām ātma-tattvam (SB 2.1.2). Why they are engaged in so many talks? Because they do not know, apaśyatām. They have no vision of the soul, ātma-tattva. Gṛheṣu gṛha-medhinām. Gṛhamedhī, those interested simply to maintain this body, they are called gṛhamedhī.

Lecture on SB 1.3.1 -- Vrndavana, November 14, 1972:

Because everything is, is from the person. Jagṛhe pauruṣaṁ rūpam. Rūpam, form. It is not from imperson. Jagṛhe pauruṣaṁ rūpam. So we don't theorize. We accept the statement of the Vedas. That is our process of knowledge. Eh? Descending process. We take knowledge from the authority. Of course, the scientists also say they take from authority, but originally, as explained by our Hayagrīva Prabhu, it does not appear that the knowledge was taken from authority. It is theory. Theory, one can put theory of his own, and there are so many theories. But we don't accept theories. We want solid fact.

Lecture on SB 1.10.20 -- London, May 24, 1973:

Because everyone is in ignorance. He does not know what is the value of life. Everyone. In other words, all fools and rascals. Just like big, big scientists. They are theorizing that life is made out of matter. How much ignorance it is. All these Darwin's theory, chemical evolution. Simply they are basing that from matter life has come. But where is the... One gentleman in California University, he's Noble Prize holder. He came to lecture. So our disciple, Svarūpa Dāmodara, he's also Doctor of Chemistry.

Lecture on SB 1.10.20 -- London, May 24, 1973:

So when the professor explained that from such and such chemicals combination life starts, he said: "If I give you the chemicals, can you make life?" In that big assembly. So he has to reply: "That I cannot say." So what is the use of such knowledge? You are taking Nobel Prize, holding Nobel Prize on the basis of certain theorizing knowledge, and when you are challenged: "Now you produce with these chemicals," you say: "That I cannot say." So this is going on.

Lecture on SB 2.3.21 -- Los Angeles, June 18, 1972:

Then because we have got senses, therefore we are living. A dead stone has no senses. So there, that is the distinction between living entity and matter. But the so-called rascal philosophers, scientists, they do not know this distinction. Still, they philoso... philosophize, they theorize. They think that the dead stone and the human being or living entity is the same. That is their fault. The living entity is a different entity. It is not dead stone. Therefore it is called superior energy. It has got will. It has got little independence. Therefore he is selecting different types of bodies for enjoyment.

Lecture on SB 2.8.7 -- Los Angeles, February 10, 1975:

That is logic. And the rascal philosopher's statement, "It happened automatically. There was a chunk, and the creation came...," this is rascal's philosophy. Jagad āhur anīśvaram (BG 16.8). The rascals, they do not accept that there is a cause of this creation. That they do not understand. They do not know, and they theorize. You'll find mostly in the Western countries all these philosophers... The Darwin's theory... He cannot give any reasonable cause. Some theory: "It may be, perhaps, for millions of years there was no..." Speculate. And he admits that "Whatever I am presenting, it is all my speculation." We have seen his letter, some, from 150 years ago.

Lecture on SB 2.9.11-15 -- Tokyo, April 28, 1972:

Anyway, forty thousands of years. So who is going to live for forty thousand years to see and go and see and come back? They cannot go even to the moon planet, theorizing. How they can go? But this is fact. If you have got power, you go and see. But they cannot go a few miles, and they are proud that "We have known everything. We know everything." This is their foolishness. Our knowledge is so imperfect; still, we are proud of our knowledge: "Oh, I have known everything. I know everything. I am God. I am God."

Lecture on SB 3.26.1 -- Bombay, December 13, 1974:

Therefore He says that atha te sampravakṣyāmi. Sam means samyak. Samyak means complete. Unless one has got complete knowledge, how he can say things complete? It is not the so-called scientist: "Perhaps," "It may be." No, not that kind of knowledge, simply theorizing, "It may be like that." No. There is no question of "maybe." Exact knowledge. Exact knowledge. That is called Vedic knowledge. Just like in the Padma Purāṇa we can understand the calculation of the species of life. It is said, jalajā nava-lakṣāṇi sthāvarā lakṣa-viṁśati. There are aquatic living entities nine lakhs of.

Lecture on SB 6.1.17 -- Denver, June 30, 1975:

They want to be happy by adjusting the external energy, bahir-artha-māninaḥ. And people, leaders, andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ. Ask big big scientists, philosopher, "What is the goal of life?" They do not know. They simply theorize, that's all. The real goal of life is to understand God.

So that can be done, as it is said here, that you make association... What is the number of the verse?

Lecture on SB 6.1.30 -- Philadelphia, July 14, 1975:

Even if you study, you cannot say... I claim, "It is my body," and if somebody asks me, "How many hairs you have got in your body?" I cannot say. How I am eating something, how it is being turned into some secretion, it is going to the heart, it is becoming red and it is again distributed through the nerves and veins—I do not know anything. I can simply theorize. But the machine is not under your control. The machine is made by God or by nature. It is very subtle machine. If you are very expert, the first thing is that what is the use of simply studying the machine? You got it.

Lecture on SB 6.1.30 -- Honolulu, May 29, 1976:

There's no question of belief. Law is law. Ignorance is no excuse. If you go in the court and if you're punished, so if you say, "My lordship, I believe like this. I'll not be punished. So you're punishing me," so that is no excuse. You believe or not believe, the law is law. So, similarly, these philosophers theorizing so many "I believe." So these things will not go. These things will not go. That is useless, simply waste of time. You must know there is God. How we can deny it? There is supreme power. I am being controlled every moment. Who wants to die? And who is forcing me to die?

Lecture on SB 6.1.46 -- San Diego, July 27, 1975:

This is intelligence, human intelligence. Why you should say there is no next life or there is no life in other planet? Therefore we have to refer to the śāstras, śāstra-vidhi. Yaḥ śāstra-vidhim utsṛjya vartate kāma... (BG 16.23). If you unnecessarily becomes too much intelligent and theorize, then he is never successful, he is never sukhi. Na sukhaṁ na... Na siddhiṁ sa avāpnoti na sukhaṁ na parāṁ gatim. Such a rascal, who does not consult the śāstras and thinks whimsically according to his mad conception, such person, na siddhim avāpnoti. That is spoken by Kṛṣṇa. He will never get success. He will simply speculate. There is no, definite knowledge. Na sukham, and he is not happy.

Lecture on SB 7.6.1-2 -- Stockholm, September 6, 1973:

These matters, you have not produced this earth, water, air, fire. That's a fact. That is produced by the energy of God. So while dealing with material things, if you remember that this material thing is produced by God then you are perfect. And if you theorize that it has dropped from the sky, then you are materialistic. That is the difference between materialist and spiritualist. A spiritualist knows that wherefrom this earth has come, wherefrom the water has come, wherefrom this fire has come. Then he is spiritualist, God conscious. And one does not know, he's ignorant.

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

Sumanda. Mata. Mata means opinion. And what is that opinion? Not only mandā but sumanda, very, very bad. Sumanda-matayo. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyāḥ (SB 1.1.10), and all unfortunate or misfortunate. Why? When there is knowledge, they'll not take. They will theorize. They're unfortunate. Ready knowledge, but they will theorize, "It is like this. It is like that. It is like that. Perhaps... Maybe..." This is going on. Therefore manda-bhāgyāh. Just like here is money. One will not take that money. He'll work hard like hogs and dog to earn money. So that means unfortunate.

Lecture on SB 7.9.15 -- Mayapur, February 22, 1976:

This human life is meant for spiritual life, not for material life like cats and dogs. This is not required. This is Vedānta philosophy, athāto brahma jijñāsā. One must try to learn what is the ultimate source of everything, not that theorizing or, what is called, imagining something. Take knowledge from the right source, brahma-vidyā, the Vedic knowledge, and try to understand the situation, what is Brahman, what you are. We are also Brahman. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi. These things are to be known. And when we neglect to understand these things, that means we are going to the wrong way of life. The wrong way of life can be allowed up to the animal life.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 1.3 -- Mayapur, March 27, 1975:

That Nārāyaṇa is Kṛṣṇa." And he has clearly mentioned, "Now He has appeared as the son of Devakī and Vāsudeva," to confirm just like identification is confirmed when the father's name is there.

So Kṛṣṇa is para-tattva, accepted by all ācāryas. We are not talking of the fools and rascals who are theorizing without any knowledge. We are concerned with the authorities. So authorities... Especially in India, the whole Vedic system is being followed by the people under the authorities of the ācārya. Ācāryavān puruṣo veda.

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 1.9 -- Mayapur, April 2, 1975:

Therefore, if we want to have knowledge, you cannot do it by mental speculation. We should know that our mind is very, very limited. Simply by theorizing, it is not possible. Therefore tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet sampit-pāṇiḥ śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham (MU 1.2.12). So we have to know from the supreme authority or the Vedas. Then the knowledge will be perfect.

Sri Isopanisad Lectures

Sri Isopanisad, Mantra 11 -- Los Angeles, May 16, 1970:

And amongst the learned society, ācāryas, the śruti-pramāṇa... Evidence is śruti. Śruti means these Vedas. They are not experimental knowledge. They are not knowledge established by the research work of contaminated, conditioned soul. Contaminated, conditioned soul, their senses are imperfect. They cannot see things as they are. Simply they theorize, "It may be like that." So much they can say. So "It may be like that," that is no knowledge. Knowledge definite. There is no mistake. Conditioned souls, they commit mistake, they are illusioned, they cheat... Cheating means one who does not understand what is Bhagavad-gītā but he is writing commentary on Bhagavad-gītā. This is cheating, cheating the public.

Festival Lectures

Sri Vyasa-puja -- New Vrindaban, September 2, 1972:

Therefore we don't accept any knowledge from an imperfect personality. Because that is imperfect knowledge, what is the use of that knowledge? Theorizing. No theory. We want to know fact. That is perfect knowledge. So that perfect knowledge can come from God. And one who distributes that knowledge exactly as God has said, he is perfect. Just like a post peon comes and delivers you, say, one hundred dollars. So he is not delivering that one hundred dollars. Your friend has sent you one hundred dollars, and his business is to hand over that one hundred dollars as it is, without any change, without taking one dollar from it, no, or adding. No addition, no subtraction.

His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada's Disappearance Day, Lecture -- Hyderabad, December 10, 1976:

Actually what is their science? They talk simply something which is going on in the middle portion. Where is the beginning and where is the end of knowledge, that they do not know. They are theorizing only in the middle. They do not know janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1), where is the beginning of this science. That is... Beginning is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says, ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo (BG 10.8). He is the beginning. Bījo 'haṁ sarva-bhūtānām (Bg 7.10). That seed, you scientist, you cannot manufacture. What chemicals are there that if you put in the earth and pour some water and it will grow a big tree? These scientists, they cannot explain what is the chemical composition is there. But there is. So that is in the hand of Kṛṣṇa.

General Lectures

Pandal Lecture -- Bombay, March 31, 1971:

It is a science. It is not a mental speculation or whimsical theorizing, that "God may be like this, God may be like that," and different philosophers will differ from one another. It is not like that. It is a great science. As two plus two equal to four, nobody can make it "Two plus two equal to five" or "Two plus two equal to three." Anywhere, science is science, fact. Similarly, Bhagavad-gītā you cannot interpret differently. Just like "Two plus two equal to five"—that cannot be. You have to accept "Two plus two equal to four."

Lecture -- Los Angeles, July 20, 1971:

Never mind he is a great philosopher, great scientist, but because he is ghostly haunted by māyā, so whatever he's theorizing, whatever he's speaking, that is, more or less, nonsense.

So our this movement is to bring man to his original consciousness, which is Kṛṣṇa consciousness, clear consciousness. I have several times mentioned this. Just like water, when it falls down from the cloud, it is distilled water. You catch water before falling down to the ground, it is distilled water.

Lecture -- Los Angeles, July 20, 1971:

That is Kṛṣṇa. And Kṛṣṇa says. It is confirmed. So our process of knowledge is very easy and perfect. The scientists, they are searching out what is the ultimate cause or ultimate control of this material nature, and they are putting, theorizing different propositions. But our means of knowledge, very easy and perfect because we are hearing from the perfect person, Kṛṣṇa. And He says, mayādhyakṣeṇa (BG 9.10). So immediately we know that all this cosmic machine, which is working so nicely and wonderfully, behind this machine the driver is Kṛṣṇa. Exactly behind a machine here, there is a machine driver, similarly, behind this big machine of material nature, there is Kṛṣṇa.

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on Gottfried Wilhelm von Leibnitz:

Prabhupāda: That is Supersoul. Supersoul, although it appears many, innumerable, it is one. Ekatvam anupaśyataḥ (Iso 7). That is Īśopaniṣad. Although we find there are many Supersouls, but there is one. Yo māṁ paśyati sarvatra, in the Bhagavad-gītā, "One who sees in Me everything, and sees everything in Me, he is really seeing." That is oneness. That means they have no clear idea, but trying to theorize something. Clear idea is in the Vedic literature.

Philosophy Discussion on Hegel:

Prabhupāda: Then idea... Idea means, scientist means they see something, observation. That is called observation. So observation, in the beginning there may be hazy. Just like two scientists, Sir Jagadish Chandra Bose and Marconi were, both of them were trying to capture sound. This, I mean to say, radio. They are theorizing that sound can be captured.

Śyāmasundara: That's an idea.

Philosophy Discussion on Charles Darwin:

Prabhupāda: Practical means which is beyond your knowledge, beyond your capacity, that is impractical. So nothing is practical.

Śyāmasundara: How can I theorize there were other or higher forms...

Prabhupāda: You theorize partially, as far as. That is not perfect(?).

Śyāmasundara: If I accept your knowledge, how can I theorize that there were higher forms of life millions of years ago if I have never found any evidence and I have searched...

Philosophy Discussion on Charles Darwin:

Hayagrīva: That is to say he simply presented what material he found—that is the fossils. He investigated certain life forms on these island during this trip and theorized about evolution.

Prabhupāda: That is philosophic; that is not scientific. He found something and he based his thesis on that. He cannot find out all the bodies, because there are, at the end, some section, some sect they burn the body. So how he can get information of their body, burned? So his theory is not at all scientific. It is always defective.

Philosophy Discussion on John Dewey:

Śyāmasundara: He puts forward five steps for solving problems. (aside conversation-indistinct) The first step is, he says, to observe a problem and think of its nature. The second step is intellectualize the problem further: to analyze the total of difficulties. Three, you make hypothesis which constitutes possible solutions. Four, you analyze these hypotheses in the light of past experience. And five, you put these possible solutions into practice experimentally, and to ascertain the results in actual experience. So his method is that... So the idea is that problems are only solved when the possible solutions are put into practice and we experiment and get a result. Then we find solutions to problems. But not simply by theorizing, but by practice.

Prabhupāda: Yes. So our process of solving problems is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says, kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati (BG 9.31). So we take Kṛṣṇa's shelter and our problems are solved.

Philosophy Discussion on Ludwig Wittgenstein:

Prabhupāda: Because they're all rascals and fools, what they can discover? (laughter) They simply theorize on their rascaldom, that's all. That is their business. (indistinct) There is no fact. And those who are rascals, they believe them. That's all. So we are not such rascals, because our knowledge is received from the greatest scientist, Kṛṣṇa. I personally may be rascal, but because I follow the greatest scientist, therefore my proposition is scientific. I do not know how this dictaphone is working, but somebody has said "This is dictaphone," I accept. And it is working. That is my scientific knowledge. I may not be the mechanic, but I am working.

Philosophy Discussion on Ludwig Wittgenstein:

Prabhupāda: That is..., the mathematics is required for that purpose. You have got two rupees, I have got two rupees; when combined together it becomes four rupees. That is mathematics. This is practical proof. Why does he say that there is no practical use? And philosopher, to become philosopher is not to become a nonsense. But because he theorizes something nonsensical, he's become a philosopher—that is not philosophy. This mathematical truth is practically true.

Philosophy Discussion on Karl Marx:

Prabhupāda: (indistinct), we have seen Russia is not happy. Russia is not happy and they are simply waiting for another opportunity, another revolution. (indistinct) this boy (indistinct), he is not happy. Similarly we can study. Just like when there is rice boiling you take one grain of rice and press it in your finger. If it is soft, then you can understand the whole rice is boiled. So we can understand the position of Russia from the sample, that boy. We haven't got to study more. And we could get some idea by talking with that professor that, how much foolish he is. He says that after death everything is finished. And he is passing on as a big professor, Indian department, Indology or something. So, if his knowledge is like that, if the sample of the citizen is like that boy, then what is their position? They may theorize so many things. So far as we are concerned, foreigners, we could not get even food to our satisfaction.

Philosophy Discussion on Karl Marx:

Prabhupāda: Just see. In Russia. Yes. In the hotel. And there were some quarrels.

Śyāmasundara: Quarrels. She wanted the rights to that stove.

Prabhupāda: So how you can change it? Simply theorizing will not serve(?).

Devotee: In Russia when they find someone who is deviating like that they send them to Siberia. So their process of checking them is to punish them.

Prabhupāda: But there... Everything is going on simply on threatening. You see there is no heart to heart cooperation(?). Therefore everyone we saw, they were morose.

Philosophy Discussion on Karl Marx:

Prabhupāda: Just like he killed all the royal family. So this killing, they will say it is well-being of the (indistinct). So this is not well-being for the royal family. But they theorized, it is well-being.

Śyāmasundara: So they say the well-being for the most people. If something has to be sacrificed for that then it is all right.

Philosophy Discussion on Karl Marx:

Prabhupāda: Yasmin vijñāte sarvam evaṁ vijñātaṁ bhavanti. That is the Vedic injunction, that people are searching after knowledge, knowledge, knowledge, knowledge, knowledge, so when one understands the Absolute Truth, then he understands everything. Yasmin vijñāte sarvam evaṁ vijñātaṁ bhavanti. And Bhāgavata says, na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum: (SB 7.5.31) "They are trying to approach the objective, but they do not know the objective is Viṣṇu." Durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ: "They are simply trying to adjust by so many revolutions, these material things." But he has no knowledge that he is spiritual being. Unless he goes back to the spiritual world and associates with the supreme spirit, God, there is no question of happiness. Exactly, if you have taken a fish from the water, there is no question of happiness of this fish unless it is again thrown into the water. So we have come... We are part and parcel of the supreme spirit. We have come from the spiritual world with the mentality of enjoying this material world. So unless we divert, reverse ourself to that spiritual conclusion, we understand our spiritual position and go back to home, we go to back... Yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramam (BG 15.6). When you come to this position, that is happiness. Otherwise you go on theorizing, but one revolution will be... That is the world.

Philosophy Discussion on Karl Marx:

Prabhupāda: We don't think so because in the industry the worker are not satisfied. They are, they are observing strike. Why? If there is happiness, why there is strike?

Hayagrīva: He felt... Well this... Of course Marx wrote before Communism came into actual existence as a, as a political institution, so he's simply theorizing.

Prabhupāda: Still, his theory, he...

Hayagrīva: He's never, he's never, he never saw Communist Russia for instance, or any Communist state. He, he felt that religion has..., was the cause of antagonism between men. He says, "The most persistent form of antagonism between the Jew and the Christian is religious antagonism." How has one solved an antagonism by...

Prabhupāda: No.

Page Title:Theorizing (Lectures)
Compiler:Visnu Murti, RupaManjari
Created:23 of Nov, 2011
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=54, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:54