There is no question (Lectures, SB canto 1 ch 1 - 5)

Lectures

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

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

So the ultimate goal being liberation, we have to adjust things, targeting to that point. That is real human civilization. The Vedic civilization is based on this view, that all the conditioned souls, they have... Why they have become conditioned? The reason is they revolted against Kṛṣṇa. They wanted to imitate Kṛṣṇa. That is the mentality everywhere. You know, everyone says, "Oh, I don't care for God. I don't care for anything. I am at liberty to do anything." Just the hippies, they say, "We don't care for anything, state laws or convention or police or anything." The idea is that everyone is wanting liberation, "be high." Because that is our constitutional position. Liberation.

So everyone is trying to be liberated. So in the bodies lower than the human being, there is no question of liberation. There is no question. Out of the 8,400,000's of species of life, 8,000,000 and at least 300 species, aḥ, 3,000 species of life, there is no question of liberation. They must live under the conditions of material nature. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). You have accepted this material body voluntarily for enjoying this material world. You enjoy it to the fullest extent under the condition of stringent laws of material nature. Now, in the human form of life, civilized human form of life, your consciousness is now developed. There is a chance to understand why you are conditioned. You don't want condition; you want liberation. This question arises in the human form of life, not in the cat's life, dog's life. No. So we should remember this is the difference between other bodies and this body.

Lecture on SB 1.1.2 -- London, August 17, 1971:

So dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo 'tra (SB 1.1.2). Dharma, religiosity; kaitava, pretension or cheating. Dharma artha kāma mokṣa (SB 4.8.41, Cc. Ādi 1.90). These four things are supposed to be meant for spiritually or advanced people, advanced in civilization. Not spiritually, but advanced in civilization. So the first thing is dharma. Dharma is the basic principle of civilization. Dharmeṇa hīnāḥ paśubhiḥ samānāḥ. If there is no dharma, then it is the society of the animals. That is the distinction between human society and animal society. There are eight million different species of life below the human society, but there is no question of God consciousness. In the human society, either they execute religious principles rightly or not, at least there is a symbol, in the civilized society. There are Hindus, there are Muslims, there are Christians, there are Buddhists and so many others also. Because it is in human society, there must be some idea or some principle of understanding God. That is called religion. But in the name of religion, there are..., so many things are going on. That is called kaitava, cheating. We don't want to discuss, but more or less, at the present moment in whichever category of religion one may belong to, nobody is following strictly the religious principles. That's a fact. That is called kaitava.

Lecture on SB 1.1.2 -- London, August 18, 1971:

So He has provided everyone's food. There is no problem. It is mistake to accept it that "Because there is overpopulation in the world, there is problem." Just now like we were walking on the St. James Park, the swan, ducks, they are producing one dozen children at a time. And that is also twice, thrice in a year. So they have no problem. Where is the problem of overpopulation? They are not starving. Unless you go and capture them and kill them, they are not dying. You see from the birds, animals—nobody dies of starvation. Eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. Kṛṣṇa is there. He is supplying food for everyone. So where...? There is no question of starvation. Then why rivalry? Rivalry means "I want to enjoy more sense gratification" That is rivalry. Otherwise, there is no question of rivalry. Everything is there, complete. Pūrṇam adaḥ pūrṇam idaṁ pūrṇāt pūrṇam udacyate (Īśopaniṣad, Invocation). God's creation is perfect. There cannot be any imperfectness. Even there is overpopulation, God will supply food. Don't bother. But because we have no faith in God, because we have forgotten God, we do not know what is God, therefore we have created the economic problem. Otherwise there is no problem. You can see how they are jolly, they are walking. So by nature's study we have to learn. If we don't go to the Vedic knowledge, we can see that "Where is the problem in the lower animals?" There is no problem. They are confident. The problems for lower animal is there when they are in the city, but if they live natural life, there is no problem.

Lecture on SB 1.1.2 -- Caracas, February 23, 1975:

Therefore every sense now we are possessing, they are not perfect. So we acquire knowledge by using our different senses. Therefore, because they are imperfect, whatever knowledge we gather by speculation, that is imperfect. So if we take knowledge from such personalities who are liberated, then that knowledge is perfect. This is the process of acquiring knowledge in Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement—that we receive knowledge from the perfect person. Now, here it is said that because it is given by the perfect person Vyāsadeva, we should take knowledge from this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. And the proof is that we have now become Godless, we have no information of God, but if you read Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, then immediately you will realize God. Just like you can see in reality that these boys, these girls who have joined this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, because they are reading Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Bhagavad-gītā, they are now gradually realizing what is God and what is his relationship with God. So unless we realize God and our position, and we become lover of God, there is no question of peace in the mind. Therefore it is recommended here that if you want real peace in the mind, try to understand what is God, what is your relationship with God, and act accordingly. You will be immediately peaceful. As soon as you become peaceful, your life is successful. Thank you very much.

Lecture on SB 1.1.3 -- London, August 20, 1971:

So this is called pravṛtti and nivṛtti. Pravṛtti means the living entity has come here to enjoy this material world. This is called pravṛtti. And the other side is nivṛtti. Nivṛtti means become detached to material life. So long he'll be attached to the materialistic way of life, there is no question of liberation. He will be more and more entangled. According to his mind, he will get a particular type of body, material body. And there are 8,400,000 species of body. So as soon as one gets the body, he becomes under the laws of the material nature, and the material nature means under the laws, stringent laws, threefold miserable condition, that will continue. Therefore the Vedic literature they gives us opportunity to gradually renounce. Pravṛttir eṣā bhūtānāṁ nivṛttis tu mahā-phalām. That is a pravṛtti, inclination. But a Vedic student is trained up in such a way that ultimately he becomes renounced or detached from this material entanglement. Go on.

Lecture on SB 1.1.5-6 -- London, August 23, 1971:

Mahābhārata. Now we see... Practically, this Mahābhārata was... Mahābhārata, or Bhagavad-gītā is included there. This high literature was meant for the less intelligent class of men, and at the present moment the highest intelligent class of men cannot understand it. So how much you have degraded, just try to understand. Which was written five thousand years ago for the less intelligent class of men, that literature is not understandable even by the highest and elevated, educated persons at the present moment. Try to understand this point. How much you have degraded! Formerly this Vedic literature was not in written pages. As soon as one will hear from... Just like Sūta Gosvāmī. There is no question of taking notes. As soon as they will hear, they'll immediately get it in the memory, and they will never forget. So memory was so sharp. At the present moment, our memory is so low-graded we cannot remember even what I have done two hours past.

So this is Kali-yuga. We are in so many degraded positions; still, falsely we are proud that we are advancing. No that. It is false prestige. Actually, we are very, very much degraded. So the only means of our being elevated to the highest position is this means: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare.

Lecture on SB 1.2.3 -- Rome, May 27, 1974:

They make a business. Therefore there are many, many very artistic Bhāgavata reciters, but they could not turn even one man to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Because they are not self-realized, svānubhāvam. Of course, we have tried our best; so in few years there are so many Kṛṣṇa conscious persons come out. This is the secret. Unless one is svānubhāvam, self-realized, life is bhāgavata, he cannot preach Bhāgavata. That is not... That will not be effective. A gramophone will not help. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu's secretary, Svarūpa Dāmodara, recommended, bhāgavata pora giyā bhāgavata-sthāne, that "If you want to read Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, you must approach a person who is life living Bhāgavata." Bhāgavata pora giyā bhāgavata-sthāne. Otherwise, there is no question of Bhāgavata realization.

So Śukadeva Gosvāmī learned from his father, Vyāsadeva, mahā-bhāgavata, and he realized it, svānubhāvam. What is this book? Akhila-śruti-sāram ekam. Akhila means "all, universal." There are many scriptures, many religious scriptures, especially the Vedas. Śruti means Veda. Śruti is learned by hearing, not by reading. You can understand Vedic principle even though you are illiterate, provided you hear them, aural reception. God has given you the ear.

Lecture on SB 1.2.5 -- Vrndavana, October 16, 1972:

This is religion. Religion means the order given by God. That's all. This is the simple definition of religion. If you, anyone asks "What do you mean by religion?" Religion means to abide by the orders of God. That's all. Just like good citizen means who abides by the order of the government. That's all. There is no difficulty to understand what is good citizen. Whatever the government gives you law, and if you follow, then you are a good citizen. Similarly, there is order by God, and anyone who follows that order, he's religious. Religious does not mean a kind of faith. That English translation of the word religion is not sufficient. Faith—"I believe in this, I may not believe in this"—that is different thing. But law means you must. There is no question of you believe or not believe. You believe or not believe, it doesn't matter. Law is law.

Suppose there is fire. I believe that "I'll touch the fire; it will not burn." That is not law. It must burn. Even a child catches the fire, it will burn. There is no excuse. Similarly, dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19). (aside:) (Hindi) Let him come and sit down. No, no... (Hindi) So you cannot violate the laws of God. Any one of us, we know. Just like we, we eat... (Hindi) Eating is the law of God. Everyone should eat. But if you eat more, if you violate the law... You can eat whatever you require, little. But if you eat more, if you violate this law, then you'll be diseased, immediately. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). As soon as you violate the laws of God, you'll be punished.

Lecture on SB 1.2.5 -- Vrndavana, October 16, 1972:

There must be some upakāra. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission is not tigerism, but welfare activities. People are very much so-called philanthropists. They open hospitals, schools, and other things, but actually, they do not know what is the real disease of the human being. The real disease is that he has forgotten Kṛṣṇa. That's all. Otherwise, there is no scarcity in the world.

As I have repeatedly told you, that... Especially I have seen practically in America, in Africa, in Australia, there are so much immense scope for producing food that ten times of the whole population of the world could be fed simply by utilizing the open land still available. So there is no question of scarcity. We have simply mismanaged. Due to lack of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, we have mismanaged things. Kṛṣṇa says,

bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ

sarva-loka-maheśvaram

suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ

jñātvā māṁ śāntim ṛcchati

(BG 5.29)

If you want peace, then you try to understand these three principles of life. What is that? That Kṛṣṇa is the supreme enjoyer. No one else. All servants. Ekale īśvara kṛṣṇa āra saba bhṛtya (CC Adi 5.142). Everyone is servant. Not that "Oh, everyone is equal to Kṛṣṇa." That has become a cheap business. So many kṛṣṇa-avatāras and so many demigods, they are counted as good as Kṛṣṇa. But Kṛṣṇa says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7), "There is no more superior authority than Me."

Lecture on SB 1.2.5 -- Vrndavana, October 16, 1972:

Prabhupāda: You must have your neck, neck beads tight.

Gurudāsa: Right around the neck?

Prabhupāda: Yes. So what is your question? There is no question... Preaching..., preaching is... Preaching... Haridāsa Ṭhākura was inquired by Caitanya Mahāprabhu that, that "You are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. Is it for everyone?" Haridāsa Ṭhākura replied: "Yes, it is for every... Even the trees, the birds, the beasts, they'll be benefited." So what is the question of human society? Here or there, it doesn't matter.

Gurudāsa: We've developed...

Indian: If hearing is more important than chanting, then from whom a man should hear about Kṛṣṇa? It is from anyone?

Prabhupāda: What is that question?

Devotee: He says hearing, hearing is more important...

Prabhupāda: Everything is more important, but hearing is especially given.

Indian: From whom one should hear about Kṛṣṇa?

Prabhupāda: From Kṛṣṇa devotee, not a professional man.

Indian: How one can tell that he is a devotee of Kṛṣṇa?

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Delhi, November 11, 1973:

Yes. This is called ajñāta-sukṛti. Those who are coming here, taking part in this ārātrika ceremony, dancing or offering some respect, everything goes to your credit. Everything will go to your credit. In this way... Just like if you make bank balance, one rupee, one rupee, one rupee, sometimes you will see, "It is now 100,000 rupees." Similarly, we are giving chance all over the world, opening this Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa temple, giving them chance to chant the glories of the Lord. That means it is going to their credit. If they take it immediately, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66), that is very nice. But if he cannot, this chance will never go in vain. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje, ahaitukī (SB 1.2.6). And anyone can join. There is no question. Kṛṣṇa is not meant for the Hindus or Indians. This is a mistake. Now, the Westerners, the Europeans, Americans, they understand. They do not say that "Why should we accept Kṛṣṇa? He is Indian. He was Hindu." No. Kṛṣṇa is for everyone. Just like the sun. The same sun, it rises, first of all rises in India, then gradually goes to Europe. Does it mean the European sun and the Indian sun, they are different? No, the one sun. Similarly, God is one for everyone. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya. Sarva-yoniṣu means 8,400,000 species of forms. Sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya sambhavanti mūrtayo yāḥ (BG 14.4). There are as many forms. Tāsāṁ mahad yonir brahma ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā. He says aham, "I am. I am the seed-giving father." Mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ (BG 15.7). "Every living entity, they are My part and parcel, as the sons, daughters, they are part and parcel of the father." Therefore in some religion God is addressed as the supreme father. Actually, He is supreme father.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Montreal, August 3, 1968:

Similarly, when people become too much atheistic, so, in order to bring them back to the understanding of God, there is sometimes necessity like this.

Now, those who follow the Buddha philosophy, they say that "There is no soul. There is no God." But there are thousands and thousands of temples of Lord Buddha, and they worship. Especially in the countries like Japan and China and Burma there are thousands of temples, and they exactly worship in the same way as we are worshiping Jagannātha. The lamp is given, the candle is burned, they offer very respectfully, and there are brahmacārīs, sannyāsīs. The whole principles is there. But officially, there is no question of God. So this is mentioned in the Bhāgavata. Similarly, Lord Caitanya. Lord Caitanya is also mentioned in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam,

kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣākṛṣṇaṁ

sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam

yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair

yajanti hi su-medhasaḥ

(SB 11.5.32)

Now, Kṛṣṇa will appear in the Kali-yuga. His symptoms are this. Just like Lord Buddha's symptoms were described, similarly, Lord Caitanya's symptoms are also described. What is that? That kṛṣṇa-varṇam: "He belongs to the category of Kṛṣṇa Himself," or, in other words, "He is always chanting 'Kṛṣṇa.' " Kṛṣṇaṁ varṇayati, kṛṣṇa-varṇam. Kṛṣṇa... His business is simply to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Montreal, August 3, 1968:

Doctor: Cerebrum.

Devotee: Cerebrum cortex.

Prabhupāda: Yes. So psychology... I was student of psychology in my college life. Dr. Urquhart said, I remember still, that the brain substance has been found up to 64 ounce, while brain substance of woman has been found, highest, 34 ounce. Therefore woman class (laughs) is not so intelligent as man. There is no question of competition. It is actual, scientific fact.

Anyway, the word su-medhasaḥ... Su-medhasaḥ means one who has got good brain substance. But one thing I must explain here. So far spiritual life is concerned, it does not depend on the material brain substance. It is different thing. It is spiritual platform. It has nothing to do with this bodily construction. You must remember. We don't make any distinction that a man can be better Kṛṣṇa consciousness than woman. No. A woman can be better Kṛṣṇa consciousness because they are very simple. They can accept any religious system. Generally the women, they accept it because they are very simple. They have no crooked mind. Sometimes they are exploited therefore. So in the spiritual platform there is no such distinction, although in the material... Just like the bodily construction of man is different from woman, similarly, the brain substance may be also different, but that does not disqualify any woman for spiritual advancement in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is clearly defined in the Bhagavad-gītā.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Montreal, August 3, 1968:

Ram means enjoy. We want enjoyment, but we do not know how we can have permanent enjoyment. When you have got permanent enjoyment by reciprocation of transaction with the Supreme, then that particular accepter of our reciprocation is called Rāma. That means by... We enjoy the loving exchange between God and ourselves. That position is called rama. But if you have no idea what is God, how we can exchange our feelings, then there is no question of rama. Rama means when we are in position of exchanging our loving attachment to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Then He's known as Rāma. The capacity in which He accepts our service, loving service, is called Rāma, ramante.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- London, August 27, 1971:

They are thinking that "I am now no more going to temple, no more going to church. I have come something, Communist or something like that." We don't care for these... That means you have got... This is the certificate that you have become animal. The animal never says that "I belong to this dharma or that dharma." No.

Therefore, distinction between animal and human being, that he must have some dharma. Dharma. And on religious principles, artha, economic development. Actually, if people become religious, then the economic development... Economic... You require some money to maintain yourself. So they will never be dishonest. Dishonest. In India still there are merchants, they would not take profit more than twenty-five percent, highest. There is no question of black market. "Now, I purchased this for one dollar. Oh, I am getting demand. I must charge five hundred times." No. That is irreligious. There are... Everything there is prescribed, that you cannot take more than this profit. So there was no black market, because people were religious.

Therefore if civilization is based on religious life, it doesn't matter what religion he belongs to, he is elevated. Any religion. And therefore I ask the Christians that Lord Christ says that "Thou shall not kill," why you are killing? They give some vague explanation. But actually a real Christian is as good as a real Hindu, as a real Muslim—if he follows. No religion is bad. We don't say. But the first-class religion is that... That is explained here: sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6). Every religion teaches how to love God more or less. Why more or less? That is the only aim. How to learn how to love God. But they are rejecting God, what to speak of love. Rejecting. "What is God, this nonsense? I am God. God is dead. Finished."

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Hyderabad, November 26, 1972:

And those who are followers of Vedas, they accept both. When they touch the stool of another animal they take bathing, but the stool of cow is taken to the Deity worship room. Similarly, śaṅkha, conchshell. Conchshell is the bone of an animal. It is said that if you touch the bone of a dead animal you have to, you become impure. But conchshell is also the bone of an animal, it is taken to the Deity room for vibrating. Therefore, there are so many things which is beyond our perception, knowledge, we have to take shelter of the Vedic injunctions. That is called Vedic. Therefore our method, Vedic method, is as soon as we speak something, we immediately give evidence from the Vedas. Then it is perfect. There is no question of arguing. Just like in the law court the lawyer pleading something, but if he gives quotation from previous judgement and section of law, it is accepted. So the forms of the ātma, there are three kinds of forms—one you can see directly, this bodily form, another you can simply perceive, and another you can accept only on the Vedic injunctions. But there are forms. So is that right? Thank you. Hare Kṛṣṇa.

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

Everything is there. How important this Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means we are not manufacturing anything by our fertile brain. No. We don't create anything. We simply repeat, but we try to explain for modern understanding. That's all. Otherwise there is no question of manufacturing. Because nobody can manufacture the perfect knowledge, because we are all imperfect. Our senses are imperfect. However we may be learned, but the senses are imperfect. Therefore we cannot give perfect knowledge. Perfect knowledge can be received from higher authorities. Therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā (it is) said,

evaṁ paramparā-prāptam

imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ

sa kāleneha mahatā

yogo naṣṭaḥ parantapa

(BG 4.2)

As soon as the process of receiving perfect knowledge is lost, then the original purpose is lost.

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

A stone must be solid. This is the dharma. You cannot say "liquid stone." No. That is not dharma. As soon as you say "stone," it must be solid. As soon as you say "water," it must be liquid. So this liquidity and water, the liquidity is the dharma of water. The solidity, or dharma... Similarly, we have got a dharma. We are forgotten now what is our dharma. The dharma is... Here it is stated, dharmaḥ svanuṣṭhitaḥ puṁsāṁ viṣ... (SB 1.2.8). How to awaken our consciousness to understand Kṛṣṇa, that is real dharma. Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6). This is the description of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

So there is no question of the created dharma. Therefore Bhāgavata says, dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavaḥ atra: "Cheating type of dharma is completely rejected." Real dharma is to know our relationship with God. Our relationship with God is that He is the Supreme Prabhu, the Supreme, and we are aṇu.

nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām

eko bahūnāṁ yo vidadhāti kāmān

(Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13)

That is our relationship. God is also a person like us. We are also persons. Nityānām, cetanānām. We are also living entities, and God is also a living entity, a person. But what is the difference? The difference is God is maintaining everyone, and we are being maintained. That is the difference. We are all persons. Just like father in the family. Father is also a person, and the children, they are also persons. But what is the difference? The father maintains. Similarly, we are all children of God, children of Kṛṣṇa. He is the maintainer.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Calcutta, February 26, 1974:

Pāpa-yonayaḥ. Striyo vaiśyās tathā śūdrās te 'pi yānti parāṁ gatim.

So Kṛṣṇa is open for everyone. And He is father of all forms of life. Sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya (BG 14.4). He is neither Indian nor Hindu nor Muslim. He is Kṛṣṇa. He is Supreme Person. So our only request is that you try to love Kṛṣṇa. Then your religious life will be perfect. Yato bhaktir adhokṣaje. Adhokṣaje, He is beyond the sense perception, akṣaja. Akṣaja-jñāna means sensual perception. He is beyond that, transcendental. But you have to love. So this loving process is the devotional service. First of all... (break) ...try to hear about Kṛṣṇa from Bhagavad-gītā as it is. Don't mal-interpret by your whimsical way. Then you will lose the opportunity. Don't follow these rascals who interpret Bhagavad-gītā. There is no question of interpretation. Take Bhagavad-gītā as it is. Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). Accept that. And the Caitanya-caritāmṛta kaṛacā says, kṛṣṇe bhakti kaile sarva-karma kṛta haya: "Simply by serving Kṛṣṇa you do all of your other duties." So such a nice thing, Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Take it very seriously and do the needful.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Rome, May 24, 1974:

Now, you cannot argue, "It is stool of an animal. In one place you have condemned that if you touch the stool of an animal, you have to take bath thrice, and now you say cow dung, which is also stool of an animal, it is pure. Where is your argument?" You have to accept. That is called theism. Because the Vedas says, without any argument, you accept it. That is called theism. You cannot change. You cannot comment. That is called theism. Āstikyam. Brahma-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.42). And unless you have got such faith in the Vedic knowledge, you cannot make any progress. That is not possible. If you, with your poor fund of knowledge, you want to interpret, from the very beginning there is no question of progress.

Therefore you'll find in the Bhagavad-gītā, when Arjuna heard from Kṛṣṇa the principles of Bhagavad-gītā, he said, sarvam etad ṛtaṁ manye yad vadasi me (sic:) pāṇḍava: (BG 10.14) "My dear Kṛṣṇa, whatever You have spoken in this instruction, I accept them as perfectly true." You'll find. First of all he said, śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ prapannam (BG 2.7). Of course, sad-dharma-pṛcchat, there must be, but whatever the spiritual master said, he accepted in toto. Sarvam etad ṛtaṁ manye yad vadasi me keśava (BG 10.14). This is the principle. That is called āstikyam, theism. First of all, before accepting the spiritual master, you must find out whether Kṛṣṇa or Kṛṣṇa's representative is there. Arjuna surrendered to Kṛṣṇa. Śiṣyas te 'ham: "I am Your disciple." Similarly, everyone should surrender to Kṛṣṇa or Kṛṣṇa's representative. That is spiritual master. If one does not know what is Kṛṣṇa, neither he speaks, just vibrate the Kṛṣṇa's word, he is not spiritual master. He cannot be spiritual master. Spiritual master does not manufacture his own ideas. That is not spiritual master. Spiritual master is he who speaks exactly the words which is spoken by Kṛṣṇa. That is the secret. You cannot change.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Rome, May 24, 1974:

I do not want any amount of money," na dhanam, "or any number of disciples or followers," na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sun..., "neither any beautiful wife."

So, so many so-called incarnation of God, they come for money, for beautiful wife, and many followers. So that is not wanted. That is not religion. Religion means without wanting all these things. Na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye. Not for any material... Ahaituky apratihatā. "Oh, I am a poor man, I cannot love God. I cannot enhance my devotional service." No. Devotional service is so nice, apratihatā, it cannot be checked by any material condition. That is dharma. Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6). This is re... This is test how much I am religious, how much I am devotee. This is the test.

So we should be always alert to test our advancement, how we are making advancement. Because unless we become first-class devotee, there is no question of our being relieved from this material condition of life. That is not possible. That is not possible. Ahaituky apratihatā yayātmā suprasīdati.

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

At that time it is possible to see that everyone is equal because he can see. He does not see "Here is American." He does not see "Here is Indian." He does not see "Here is a brāhmaṇa." He does not see "Here is a dog." He sees all living being part and parcel of God. That is called samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu. That equality is possible when you are brahma-bhūtaḥ. Samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu. Artificially you have opened this United Nation, but your conception is, "I am Indian," "I am American," "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim." So how it can be, there can be unity? It is not possible. That is not brahma-bhūtaḥ stage. That is prakṛta stage, identifying with this body. So long you identify with this body when you are in the material conception of life, there is no question of spiritual understanding, there is no question of joyfulness, there is no question of freedom from lamentation and hankering and there is no question of equality. It is all false show.

So therefore here is the explanation, sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmaḥ. Paro dharmaḥ. Here it does not say that "Hindu religion is the best" or "Christian religion is the best" or "Muhammadan religion is the best." No. That religion is best which teaches the follower how to love God. Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharma yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6). If one is lover of God, then he is lover of everyone because he knows everyone is part and parcel of God. If you love your father, then you love your brother. But if you do not know who is your father, then how you can say "universal brotherhood"? This is all hypocrisy. You first of all know. You must first of all know what you are, what is God, what is your relationship with God. And when it is perfectly understood, then there is the possibility of samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu, paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ (BG 5.18).

Lecture on SB 1.2.7 -- New Vrindaban, September 5, 1972:

Ordinary man, if you work for him, he gives you salary, good salary. And we are working for God, we don't all get salary? How is that? (laughter) We must get. If you are really lover of God, worker for God, don't think of your economic condition, it will be supported. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, yoga-kṣemaṁ vahāmy aham (BG 9.22). He personally supplies whatever necessities are there. Just like a father, (indistinct) child who is completely dependent on the parents, the parents look after the comfort. The child does not ask the parent, because he cannot speak also. So he is simply depending on God, simply depending on parent. Simply, if you simply depend on God, there is no question of your economic problem. Be sure. This is common sense.

So there is scarcity of devotees of God at the present moment. People have rejected God. Somebody is saying, "God is dead." Somebody is accepting a rascal as God. Somebody is declaring himself as God. No, try to understand God scientifically and become a devotee, a lover of God, your life will be successful. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. It is not that "My God," "Your God," "This religion," "That religion." God is one and religion is one. What is that religion? Love of God. That's all. There is no other second religion. This is the religion. Therefore God comes and says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). This is religion. Don't be after so-called religion. You become a lover of God, you are first-class religionist. That's all. That is taught by God, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ... (BG 18.66) This is religion. And if you don't love God, if you simply love dog, and how you can be religious?

Lecture on SB 1.2.7 -- Vrndavana, October 18, 1972:

So in the previous verse it has been discussed, what is first-class religion. Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6). In the lower animal life, lower species of life, there is no question of religion. We have discussed many times that there is a gradual process of evolution from low..., lower animal life to the human life. Aśītiṁ caturaś caiva. Aśīti means eighty, catura means four, lakṣām, eighty-four lakhs, 8,400,000. Non... To tell...(?) Janma paryayāt. This is the evolution. From lower animals, from fish to plants, trees, insects, reptiles, birds, beasts. In this way, we come to the human form of life, and this human form of life is meant for dharma. Practically also, we see that the state laws, state laws are meant for the human beings. State laws are not for the animals. Animals, they do not require to observe the state laws. Neither they are able to do so. That is the difference between animal and human being.

So therefore dharma begins from human life. Dharma is the law given by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Just like laws are given by the state, similarly the dharma is given by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And it is meant for the human beings, not for the animals. But at the present moment, they are trying to go back to the animal life. Therefore dharma is neglected. Or practically there is no dharma. Just yesterday, the chief minister also came. He was speaking that "It has become a fashion of the modern age that to become irreligious is religious." Yes. That is fact.

Lecture on SB 1.2.7 -- Vrndavana, October 18, 1972:

They are aspiring after so many material opulences. So because they are demanding something, aspiring something for sense gratification, therefore that is cheating. That is not religion. Bhukti-mukti-siddhi-kāmī sakali aśānta. Aśānta. If you have, if you have got some intention to cheat others, then you will be restless, aśānta. But if you are simple, plain, then there is no aśānta. There is śānti.

But we are after śānti. We are not for aśānti. Therefore in the previous verse it has been explained, yayātmā suprasīdati, yenātmā suprasīdati. What is that? Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6). Unless you come to the platform of bhakti, devotional service, there is no question of śānti. That is not possible. After all, everyone is hankering after śānti. So if for achieving śānti we follow some path which is full of aśānti, how we can get śānti? Therefore Bhāgavata says, dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo 'tra (SB 1.1.2). I am searching after śānti, but I am accepting, say, for karma... Karma, ordinary karma, a person is working hard, day and night, going here and there. Where is śānti? But because he's a fool, therefore working very hard, when he gets some money, he thinks it is śānti. He thinks it is śānti. But it is not śānti, because to get that money he has to undergo so much aśānti. But because they are flatterers, they, the modern civilization, they want śānti, and if somebody is chanting or is engaged in bhakti-yoga, they do not like it. They say, "They're escaping."

Lecture on SB 1.2.7 -- Vrndavana, October 18, 1972:

Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, na dhanaṁ na janam. Dhanam, riches; janam means men, manpower; na kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye. Kavitām, nice wife. So this means that it is not karma and jñāna. In the next line He says, mama janmani janmani. Jñānīs' process is to stop birth and merge into the existence of the Absolute Truth. So for jñānīs, there is no question of janma. "Finish this." Of course, the bhaktas, they also do not take birth again. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9). But they get their birth in the spiritual world. But the jñānīs, they finish their any kind of birth, either material or spiritual. That is the difference.

So this definition, śuddha-bhakti, avyabhicāriṇī-bhakti, jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam (CC Madhya 19.167), that is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's philosophy. And Rūpa Gosvāmī is following Caitanya Mahāprabhu's footprints. Therefore śuddha-bhakti. śuddha-bhakti, avyabhicāriṇī-bhakti is defined here. What is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā,

māṁ ca yo 'vyabhicāreṇa

bhakti-yogena sevate

sa guṇān samatītyaitān

brahma-bhūyāya kalpate

(BG 14.26)

Anyone who is engaged in pure devotional service, under the lotus feet of Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṇa, he's already liberated. He doesn't require liberation; he's already liberated. "How he can become, become liberated? He has not studied Vedānta. He has no sufficient knowledge. We see that he's illiterate, and he cannot read, write.

Lecture on SB 1.2.7 -- Vrndavana, October 18, 1972:

This is the test of bhakti. Janayaty āśu vairāgyam. A man is tested how much he has advanced in bhakti-yoga by his detachment from material enjoyment. If you, if one is attached to sense enjoyment, at the same time, he poses himself as a great devotee, that cannot work. Just like if you are eating something, then there will be no hunger. A man is hungry so long he does not eat something. So if, if he, if you say, "Yes, I have eaten so much, and still, I am feeling hungry," that cannot be. Actually if you have eaten, then you must not feel hungry. Similarly, if you have actually tasted bhakti-yoga, then there will be no more material attachment. This is the test. Not that artificially keeping a big tilaka on forehead and thinking within always "How to get money, how to get woman?" That kind of is not... They, there..., there will be no more hunger for these material things, especially woman and money. That is the test of bhakti.

Therefore that pure bhakti-yoga can be attained only by executing devotional service to Vāsudeva. Otherwise it is not possible. Vāsudeve bhagavati bhakti-yogaḥ prayojitaḥ, janayaty āśu vairāgyam (SB 1.2.7). Without vairāgya, there is no question of liberation. Of course, a devotee's not hankering after liberation. Why he should hanker after? As soon as he's a pure devotee of Vāsudeva, he's already liberated. Already liberated.

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

Therefore we should know the ultimate sanction depends on Kṛṣṇa. I have got practical experience, because I was dealing in medicine. So the attending physician of my pharmacy, he came back from a call and told me that "I saw one patient lying in a very precarious condition, suffering from pneumonia. So according to our science, he could not live. I do not know how he is living." There are so many cases. I had dealings with medical men. One big medical man in Gayā, he told me that "Mr. De," that "we give very first class medicine to a patient, to my best knowledge. He dies. And I try one small medicine, and he is saved. That is my practical experience." He was Muhammadan doctor. He told me.

So actually unless one is saved by the supreme authority, there is no question of saving him by so many philanthropic work. Actual saving is this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Because if one is raised to his Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the whole problems of his life will be solved. That is real welfare activity. Other things you cannot change. If one is destined to suffer by some agency, you cannot stop. Therefore Bhāgavata says, tasyaiva hetoḥ prayateta kovido na labhyate yad bhramatām upary adhaḥ (SB 1.5.18). You simply try to awaken your Kṛṣṇa consciousness, which was impossible in other living conditions. Either going to the heaven planet or going to the hell planet or becoming Brahmā or ant... Do not try for all these elevations. Simply try for awakening your Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Lecture on SB 1.2.8 -- Bombay, December 26, 1972:

We should not earn money for sense gratification.

Then kāmasya na indriya-prītiḥ lābhaḥ jīveta yāvatā. You must have sense gratification, eating, sleeping, mating—but as far as you can maintain your body very nicely. Not that voluntarily you shall starve. No. Just like these boys, these girls, are we..., we are not starving, but our eating kṛṣṇa-prasādam means just to live nicely for executing Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We are not meant for going to the cinema or for other sense gratification purposes, but because we have got this body, there is no question that we shall stop eating. We eat prasādam, kṛṣṇa-prasādam, and that is very palatable. Kṛṣṇa-prasādam..., Kṛṣṇa should be offered all first class preparation because Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Lord. But if we haven't money to supply Him nice thing, the Kṛṣṇa will be satisfied, as Kṛṣṇa says, patraṁ pusaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati. Kṛṣṇa wants that you offer Him something with devotional love, that's all. Kṛṣṇa is not hungry. Kṛṣṇa is ātmārāma. He is self-sufficient. He does not require. He is producing food for us. That's a fact. We get so many fruits and flower. We don't manufacture it in the factory; neither it is possible. It is Kṛṣṇa's manufacture. It is Kṛṣṇa. Raso 'ham apsu kaunteya prabhāsmi śaśi-sūrayoḥ (BG 7.8). By His action of different energies these things are produced. Why? These things are produced for whom? For Kṛṣṇa? No. For us. Eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān, He is maintaining us. So is it not our duty to offer Him first, "Sir, You have supplied so many nice things. You take first, then we shall..."?

Lecture on SB 1.2.9 -- Detroit, August 3, 1975, University Lecture:

Dharma, generally it is understood "religion." Religion means a kind of faith. So that is not the proper meaning of dharma, "faith." Faith one may have, one may not have. But actually dharma means compulsory. It must be. Just like sugar. Sugar must be sweet. There is no question of sometimes becoming sweet and sometimes becoming bitter. That is not sugar. Sugar must be sweet. Similarly, dharma is also a "must be." It cannot be option or a kind of faith which you can change at your whims. That is not dharma. Dharma means "must be." The same example: A particular thing has a particular characteristic. The sugar characteristic is sweetness. Chili is hot. Similarly, everything has got its characteristic. Just like microphone. I am speaking; it must resound. That is the characteristic. That is dharma, which cannot be separated. If sweetness is separated from sugar, it is no longer sugar. Similarly, dharma means that. Dharma means, real meaning is, characteristic. The characteristic of the living being is to serve. Caitanya Mahāprabhu gave this instruction. Jīvera svarūpa haya nitya kṛṣṇa dāsa (Cc. Madhya 20.108-109). That is the characteristic of all living entities, to become servant, to become servant of Kṛṣṇa. But when we do not serve Kṛṣṇa, then, because my constitutional position is to serve, I have to serve māyā. If you don't serve Kṛṣṇa, then you will have to serve māyā. Because you have no other business than to serve. Just like a servant class. If he gives up one master, he must accept another master. May be better master, but master he has to accept. Just like dog. Without accepting a master, it is street dog. It has no position. So dharma means that, the characteristic of the living being.

Lecture on SB 1.2.9-10 -- Delhi, November 14, 1973:

You must have some sense gratification. You must protect yourself from attack of others. That is all right. But don't do all these things for sense gratification. This is the injunction of the śāstra.

Just like Arjuna fought. Arjuna fought not for sense gratification. He fought for satisfying Kṛṣṇa. Because Arjuna, first of all, he was trying to satisfy his senses. He said to Kṛṣṇa, "My dear Kṛṣṇa, they are all my relatives. The other side: my grandfather, my brothers, my nephews, my son-in-laws. Oh, how can I fight with them?" This consideration was for sense gratification. He was thinking that "In this way I shall be satisfied." Personally. But there was no question of satisfying Kṛṣṇa. But when he understood that his business was to satisfy Kṛṣṇa, then he agreed. Kṛṣṇa inquired, "Whether you have now decided to fight or not?" He said, "Yes." Naṣṭo mohaḥ smṛtir labdhā: "I have now got back my memory, and my moha, illusion, is now lost." Kariṣye vacanaṁ tava (BG 18.73). "I shall fight." So this fighting was service to Kṛṣṇa. It is not sense gratification. Rather, when he was trying to become nonviolent, very good man, not to fight, sacrifice for the other party, that was sense gratification.

This is the distinction between bhakti and karma. Karma is sense gratification, and bhakti is satisfying the Lord. The same thing. Therefore people cannot understand what is the difference between a bhakta and a karmī. Karmī is satisfying his own senses, and the bhakta is satisfying Kṛṣṇa's senses. There must be some sense gratification. But when you satisfy Kṛṣṇa, that is called bhakti. Hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate (CC Madhya 19.170). Hṛṣīka means senses, purified senses.

Lecture on SB 1.2.10 -- Vrndavana, October 21, 1972:

Caitanya Mahāprabhu therefore advises, yāre dekha tāre kaha kṛṣṇa-upadeśa (CC Madhya 7.128). Kṛṣṇa-upadeśa, kṛṣṇa-kathā, this should be spread all over the world. My Guru Mahārāja used to say that "I don't find any scarcity within this world, except Kṛṣṇa consciousness." Exc... Actually, that is the fact. There is no scarcity all over the world. In India there may be scarcity, but outside India still there are so much vacant places, especially in Africa, in America, in Australia, in New Zealand, that ten times of the population of the whole world can be fed. Still. There is so much potency of producing food grains, milk, and other things. Profusely. In America, they throw away so many grains and vegetables daily. It is simply mismanagement. Otherwise, there is no question of scarcity or poverty. There is no question. It is simply propaganda. Because they cannot manage, the foolish people, they present the population has increased and the foodstuff is not properly supplied. Foodstuff is always sufficient. But when there are demons, the supply is restricted by nature.

Lecture on SB 1.2.10 -- Vrndavana, October 21, 1972:

That is, that is the only business of the human form of life and not working hard like asses and cows. Sa eva go-karaḥ. These examples are there in the... I was giving the example while coming. Who was there? That this ass... Ass, one ass was going. So the ass, he can eat grass anywhere. There are so many grasses. But he's thinking that "Unless I work very hard, the washerman will not give me grass." You see? This is ass intelligence. Everything is there. Why ass? There are elephants. In Africa there are millions of elephants. They're eating at the, at one time, at least eighty-two pounds, but they are supplied food.

So there is no question of... This is all political propaganda: "There is no food. There is increase of population." Nothing. Everything, Kṛṣṇa can provided. Eko bahūnāṁ yo vidadhāti kāmān nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). The Supreme Lord is the supreme nitya, eternal, and we are all dependent upon Him. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām. And that one singular number of nitya, Kṛṣṇa, bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. So Kṛṣṇa has provided everyone's food. There is no necessity, necessity of becoming anxious, "Where is food? Where is food?" Every arrangement is there. Our only business is how to develop Kṛṣṇa consciousness, how to know Kṛṣṇa. And if you simply in truth, if we try to understand Kṛṣṇa, our all problems are solved. Especially this problem, this repetition of birth and death. This is solved. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9). And that is the main problem.

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

This śraddhā means... I have already explained many times. It is explained in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta, śraddhā-śabde viśvāsa kahe sudṛḍha niścaya (Cc. Madhya 22.62). This is called śraddhā, when you firmly believe. Śraddhā-śabde viśvāsa kahe sudṛḍha. Without any shaking. Not shaking platform. Firmly. What is that? Kṛṣṇe bhakti kaile sarva-karma kṛta haya. If you become a devotee of Kṛṣṇa, then all perfection is there. This is called śraddhā. Because Kṛṣṇa says at the last stage of His instruction in the Bhagavad-gītā, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). Śaraṇaṁ vraja: "Voluntarily you surrender unto Me. Then I take charge of you." Ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ. "There is no question of considering. Do it immediately." That Kṛṣṇa says.

So if one accepts this principle, then that is called śraddhā. Here it is said... Because after Bhagavad-gītā, Bhāgavata was written... So one who accepts Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead by understanding Bhagavad-gītā as it is, not by malinterpretations, as it is, then that is called śraddhā. Śraddadhānā munayaḥ. As soon as you become a surrendered soul, then you become one of the munis, great-minded, wide-minded, muni, mahātmā. Munayaḥ. And why kind of śraddhā? Now, jñāna-vairāgya-yuktayā. Two things must be there—jñāna and vairāgya. I have already explained that actually our aim of life, human life, is to acquire knowledge and vairāgya. Simply talking of knowledge is useless. There must be vairāgya also. Therefore Śrīpāda Śaṅkarācārya, he never liked simply talking. "First of all become a sannyāsī." That was his propaganda. "Then you talk." So jñāna-vairāgya. One who is actually jñānī, he must be vairāgī. Vairāgī means vigata-rāga. We are not rāgī. Rāga means attachment. We are materially attached, and when you become actually jñānī, then you should be materially detached. That is called jñāna-vairāgya-yuktayā. Tac chraddadhānā munayo jñāna-vairāgya-yuktayā, paśyanty ātmani cātmānam (SB 1.2.12). Ātmani, within his mind and within his self, he sees the Paramātmā. Dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena manasā paśyanti yaṁ yoginaḥ (SB 12.13.1). Perfect yogi always sees the Supreme Personality of Godhead within himself.

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

That is real knowledge. That knowledge is not sentiment. Because bahūnāṁ janmanām ante (BG 7.19). After experiencing many, many births that "I am the master, I am God, I am this, I am that," so when he actually jñānavān, māṁ prapadyate, vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti.. (BG 7.19). When he understands, "Oh, Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṇa, is the origin or everything," that is real jñāna. That is real jñāna.

Therefore it has said, jñāna-vairāgya-yuktayā. Then you have to become vairāgī to your puffed up consciousness that "I am master, I am God, I am this, I am that." No. That is called jñāna and vairāgya. Jñāna-vairāgya-yuktayā. And again it is confirmed, bhaktyā. As soon as the bhakti word is used, there is no question of becoming master. Bhakti is used via media between Bhagavān and bhakta. The dealings of Bhagavān and bhakta is called bhakti. Bhakti, bhaja-dhātu. Bhaja-dhātu sevāyām. Sevāyām. Sevā mean there is a sevaka and there is a master, sevya, one who is worshiped and one who serves. Then the process is called bhakti. Here it is also said, bhaktyā. What kind of bhakti? Bhaktyā śruta-gṛhītayā. Śruta, by hearing śruti, or Vedas. Completely on the basis of Vedic knowledge, that bhakti, not sentimental. Sentimental bhakti is also there, because the acceptance of Kṛṣṇa is there. Therefore there is some value. But real bhakti, Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī has commented that bhakti based on understanding of Vedānta-sūtra is perfect, on the basis of jñāna, knowledge, and vairāgya. That is... And Kṛṣṇa has also said, brahma-sūtra-padaiś caiva hetumadbhir viniścitaiḥ (BG 13.5). Brahma-sūtra means Vedānta-sūtra.

Lecture on SB 1.2.17 -- Vrndavana, October 28, 1972:

So this Manila, Philippines, they eat dogs. But still they gave very patient hearing to kṛṣṇa-kathā. My last meeting was in a big hotel. Our Sudāmā Vipra Gosvāmī Mahārāja arranged it, and it was very successful meeting. All full of young men. And they came to hear about Kṛṣṇa. And they responded very nicely. They purchased books, they danced, they chanted. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is progressing only on this basis: śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (SB 1.2.17). Just give them chance to hear about Kṛṣṇa. We are not bribing them. I have not bribed all these American and European boys to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. I have no money. I, when I went to America, I had only seven dollars. One hour's expenditure in New York. You see. So there is no question of bribing them. But they heard about Kṛṣṇa. I was reading Bhagavad-gītā on the street, on the store, in the park, and chanting. They heard, and they came to me. They became attracted. Why? Because it is said here, hṛdy antaḥ-sthaḥ. Within the heart, hy abhadrāṇi...

People are suffering because they have got so many dirty things within the heart. The most important dirty thing are the modes of material nature. Sattva-guṇa, tamo-guṇa... Sattva-guṇa is also not dirty, but it is mixed with dirty things. And rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa is purely dirty. Rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa is purely dirty. Here, our intelligence is also dirty, because it is mixed up with these modes of material nature. In the material life, the int..., we are using our intelligence... Everyone is using, or..., his intelligence, how to become happy. The whole world is going on, working so hard. There is intelligence, certainly. But that is dirty intelligence. That is dirty intelligence. Dirty intelli...

Lecture on SB 1.2.19 -- Calcutta, September 27, 1974:

One can understand Kṛṣṇa by being constantly engaged in His service. Teṣāṁ satata-yuktānām. Not that weekly once go to the church. No. Twenty-four hours, satata-yuktānām, engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. We are teaching people how to become twenty-four hours engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service. This is our business. We don't allow karma, jñāna, yoga. No. Simply. And that is kṛṣṇa-bhakti. Jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam (CC Madhya 19.167). There is no question of jñāna and karma. That is not pure bhakti. Pure bhakti means anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam, ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanam (Brs. 1.1.11), simply to serve Kṛṣṇa favorably, as Kṛṣṇa becomes pleased. This is bhakti. This is pure devotion.

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, therefore, teaching pure devotional service to Kṛṣṇa. That will solve all problems. So how one can come to that stage? That is being explained in this portion of the Bhāgavata, that śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ (SB 1.2.17). Just hear. You haven't got to do anything more. Just hear about Kṛṣṇa. Śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ... Then everything will be cleared, gradually. This is our purpose. This center is giving chance that you come here and hear about... We, we don't make any flattery to satisfy the whims of the ordinary... We speak from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, we speak from Bhagavad-gītā, and present them as it is, without any adulteration. This is our position. If you like, then you make progress. If you don't like, that is your option. But we cannot make any compromise. We must present the śāstra as it is.

Lecture on SB 1.2.19 -- Calcutta, September 27, 1974:

So as soon as you come to the platform of devotional service, the two inferior qualities, namely rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa, they become finished. Simply sattva-guṇa remains. Because there are three guṇas. If two guṇas are finished, no more useful, then the other one is there. Tadā rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ (SB 1.2.19). What are the symptoms of rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ? Now, kāma and lobha. Those who are infected with this rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ, they are very lusty, greedy, lobhī. They are not satisfied. The modern civilization is based on rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ. Nobody is satisfied. Everyone is greedy. And lusty. Kāma-lobhādayaś ca ye. Kāma. So long you are lusty, so long you are greedy, there is no question of devotional service. There is no question of advancement to spiritual life. So therefore you have (to) come to the platform of sattva-guṇa, where simply knowledge... There is no other thing, ignorance or greediness, only knowledge.

So at that time, it is said, ceta etair anāviddham. Because everything is within the heart. We become greedy, we become lusty on account of distortion of the heart disease, kāma. Tadā hṛdi lobha-kāmau apahinoti(?). That is a heart disease. This kāma and lobha is a heart disease. Actually, you don't require this, but it is a kind of disease. "More and more and more and more and more." Never satisfied. So we have to cure this disease. And this process, simple process, Caitanya Mahāprabhu has given: ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12). To cure the heart disease of lusty desires and greediness is chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra. Paraṁ vijayate śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtanam. These are the shastric injunction, and spoken by personalities like Lord Caitanya and other ācāryas.

Lecture on SB 1.2.20 -- Los Angeles, August 23, 1972:

So bhagavat-tattva-vijñānam. Vijñāna means science. It is not concoction, speculation. It is a science. Just like mathematics is a science: "Two plus two equal to four." You cannot make two plus two equal to five according to your whims. No. Anywhere you go, it doesn't matter. Because it is science, so either in America or in India or in England, everyone will accept "Two plus two equal to four." That is science. Science is true everywhere. Not that "I can imagine my God according to my whims; you can imagine your God..." That is going on. No, how you can imagine? There is no question of imagine. This bhagavat-tattva-vijñānam, this truth, this science, can be understood by a person who is mukta-saṅga. Mukta-saṅga, freed from material association. He can understand. Mukta-saṅgasya jāyate. And the condition is evaṁ prasanna-manasaḥ. When you are enlightened, engladdened... Because so long we are in the jurisdiction of ignorance and passion, there cannot be any jubilant. There cannot be any enlightenment. Therefore you have to come to the platform of goodness.

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

So there is no question that a devotee will remain in darkness. Sometimes it is argued that mostly devotees are not very much educated. It doesn't matter. This external, academic education has no value for spiritual advancement. So here it is said, ahaṁ nāśayāmy ātma-bhāvasthaḥ. Kṛṣṇa is within everyone, and if every, anyone is purified, Kṛṣṇa takes charge and He instructs. And who can be greater instructor than Kṛṣṇa? Therefore it is wrong theory that devotees are ignorant. They're full of knowledge. If one is actually a devotee, there is no lack of knowledge. That's a fact. Go on.

Lecture on SB 1.2.23 -- Los Angeles, August 26, 1972:

Now the original person is Kṛṣṇa. Now, to maintain this creation, He expands Himself into three: hari, viriñci, hara. Hari means Viṣṇu, viriñci means Brahmā, and hara means Lord Śiva. Hari-viriñci-hareti saṁjñāḥ. But, just like the Māyāvādī philosopher says that "Then, if Kṛṣṇa has become Hari, Viriñci and Hara, three, so I can worship anyone." No. That is hinted here: śreyāṁsi tatra khalu sattva-tanor nṛṇāṁ syuḥ. But if you want your ultimate goal, then you take shelter of Viṣṇu—sattva-tanoḥ—not Śiva, not Brahmā. Here, clearly says. If you want... Because your conditioned life is due to your disobedience to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So unless you surrender unto Him, you again become obedient, there is no question of your goodness or your good or fortune. That is not possible. That is explained here. Śreyāṁsi, if you want... Śreyāṁsi means if you want really ultimate benefit of your life, then sattva-tanoḥ. Sattva-tanoḥ means Viṣṇu. You have to take shelter of the form of the Lord who is representing sattva-guṇa, goodness. Not the rajo-guṇa not the tamo-guṇa. If you take to rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa, then tadā rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ kāma-lobhādayaś ca ye (SB 1.2.19), then you will be influenced by two qualities, namely greediness and lust. That's all. You'll never come to your senses. You'll be carried away by these two modes of material nature. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura therefore said, māyār bośe, jāccho bhese' Khāccho hābuḍubu bhāi. "My dear brother, you are being carried away by the waves of this material nature, two modes of material nature, and you are being harassed. Sometimes you are drowned, sometimes you are up."

So, jīv kṛṣṇa-dās, e biśvās, korle to' ār duḥkho nāi. If you simply believe that you are eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa, then there is no more carrying out, no more carried away by these two things, lusty, lust and greediness. Therefore it is advised here that śreyāṁsi tatra khalu sattva-tanor nṛṇāṁ syuḥ. Our ultimate benefit rests when you take shelter of the sattva-tanoḥ.

Lecture on SB 1.2.24 -- Los Angeles, August 27, 1972:

There are goats, so many animals, and no discrimination. The human being, there must be discrimination. Everything is eatable? So why don't you eat stool? No. Your eatable is different. It must be different from the animal eatables. Your teeth is different, your nature is different. A child, a child, you cannot give anything. She wants, he wants to drink milk only. Natural food. Artificially, the child is taught to eat something else. If you, if the child simply drinks mother's milk for six months, it becomes stout and strong for whole life. Because that is natural food. But there is no milk in the mother's breast. Artificial. So how the child will be healthy? This is modern civilization. Otherwise, if we get our natural food, there is no question of disease, there is no question of doctor's bill.

So that is science; that is human civilization. One who knows how to eat, how to sleep, how to have sex life, how to defend, that is human civilization. Without knowing, in the modes of ignorance—simply animal life. They are simply like animals. They, that is not civilization. Therefore, we have come to the platform of goodness, to see brahma-darśanam. That is civilization.

Lecture on SB 1.2.24 -- Vrndavana, November 4, 1972:

The government is thinking that Indian people, being too much religiously inclined, they have fallen down economically; therefore these religious sentiments should be stopped completely. It is not encouraged. Here in Vṛndāvana so many pilgrims, they come from all parts of India; now all parts of world, they're coming. But it is kept in such unclean state to discourage people not to come here. That is the idea, so that people, educated people, modernized people may not come here. They do not want. That is the policy, I am seeing. They are introducing in the Vṛndāvana area so many industrial things so that the spiritual atmosphere is to be killed. That is the policy is going on. Nobody... The chur..., I mean to say, the temples are neglected. No question of improvement. The whole idea is not to come here: "Please do not come." They cannot say directly, but this is the idea going on.

But this is due to wrong direction of civilization. They do not know what is the aim of civilization. The aim of civilization is to understand Viṣṇu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. But they're missing the point. They're thinking motor tire civilization, very nice road and running motorcar in seventy, eighty miles speed, that is civilization. Not to understand Viṣṇu. That is the difference between materialism and spiritualism.

Lecture on SB 1.2.28-29 -- Vrndavana, November 8, 1972:

Everyone is śūdra. Janmanā jāyate śūdraḥ. By birth, everyone is śūdra. Saṁskārād bhaved dvijaḥ. By training, one becomes vaiśya, one becomes kṣatriya, one becomes brāhmaṇa. Where is that training? All śūdras. And how can you expect good government, śūdra government? All the śūdras are taking vote by hook and crook. And they are occupying government post. Therefore their only business is..., Kali, in this age especially, mlecchā rājanya-rūpiṇaḥ, eating and drinking, eating flesh, drinking wine. Mlecchas, yavanas, they are accepting government post. What good government you can expect? Forget, forget good government for millions of years, unless you establish this varṇāśrama-dharma. There is no question of good government. There must be first-class kṣatriya who can take charge of the government. Just like Parīkṣit Mahārāja. He was on his tour, and as soon as he saw that one black man was trying to kill a cow, immediately he took his sword: "Who are you, rascal, here?" That is kṣatriya. That is vaiśya, who can give protection to the cows. Kṛṣi-go-rakṣya-vāṇijyaṁ vaiśya-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.44). Everything is there clearly. Where is the culture?

Lecture on SB 1.2.30 -- Vrndavana, November 9, 1972:

I am eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, jīvera svarūpa haya nitya-kṛṣṇa-dāsa (Cc. Madhya 20.108-109). That is the eternal identification of the living entity, to remain servant of Kṛṣṇa. As soon as we forget this, that is māyā. As soon as I think that "I am Kṛṣṇa," that is māyā. That māyā means this māyā, illusion, can be rejected by advancement of knowledge. That is jñānī. Jñānī means this is real knowledge, to understand his real position. This is not knowledge, that "I am equal to God. I am God." This is not knowledge. I am God, but I am sample of God. But the Supreme God is Kṛṣṇa. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1). Arjuna accepted Kṛṣṇa like that: paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). Paraṁ brahma. We may become Brahman... We are Brahman. There is no question of becoming. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi. This is not very difficult to understand. Because I am spirit soul, so I am Brahman. That's all right. But I am not Paraṁ Brahman. That is ignorance. I am not Paraṁ Brahman. If one, anyone thinks that he is Paraṁ Brahman, then it must be understood that he's under the clutches of māyā. That is the last snare of māyā. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says that when one actually becomes knowledgeable, cognizant, he surrenders. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate (BG 7.19). That is real knowledge.

Lecture on SB 1.2.33 -- Vrndavana, November 12, 1972:

So we have to begin from this uttamā-bhakti. Uttama means nirguṇa, or transcendental. Uttama. Uttama, udgata-tamaḥ. Ut means transcendental, when you surpass. Tama. Tama means this material world. So ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanaṁ bhaktir uttamā (CC Madhya 19.167). That is uttamā-bhakti. That is transcendental bhakti.

So if we execute devotional service with some material purpose, that purpose may be served, but you cannot rise to the transcendental platform. So we should be very careful that we may not take to devotional service... Even though we take it, still, it is recommended that you prosecute, you go on with the devotional service by the regulative principles. Then you'll come to the uttama platform. There is no question of disappointment, but we must know that if we remain on the material platform, then we have to take so much time. From the material platform, we have to go to the spiritual platform. That means we require to follow the regulative principles very strictly and sincerely. Then we'll be promoted to the nirguṇa platform. Without performing the regulative principles, one cannot come immediately, all of a sudden... Maybe, by the grace of Kṛṣṇa, one can come, but the regular way is first of all let us follow the regulative principles strictly. Then gradually we shall be purified and come to the spiritual platform. And that will be successful, a success of our life.

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

Prabhupāda: "Because I have entered into this universe by My plenary portion, therefore it is existing." It is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā.

So without spiritual touch, there is no question of matter working or expanding or growing. That is not possible. So in the seed of any tree, because there is that living entity, therefore it grows into a big tree. Every tree, they are also living entities, in a different form. So here also, in the creation, without the supreme living entity entering within the mahat-tattva, there is no possibility of creation. Go on.

Pradyumna: "And in each one of the universes the Lord enters as Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is also mentioned that the material world is created at certain intervals and then again destroyed. This creation and destruction is done by the supreme will because of the conditioned souls, or the nitya-baddha living entities. Nitya-baddha, or the eternally conditioned souls, have the sense of individuality or..."

Prabhupāda: (Hindi) Hmm? Yes.

Lecture on SB 1.3.13 -- Los Angeles, September 18, 1972:

Just like our these children are being taught chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. They are chanting. They cannot forget throughout life. Similarly, if a brahmacārī is taught from childhood, from boyhood address all woman as "mother," he cannot see otherwise. "S(he) is my mother." I remember, it is an example. Long ago, say, in 1925, long ago, so we were in a cinema house. So my eldest son, as soon as he would see one woman in the picture, "Here is another mother! Here is another mother!" (laughter) he would cry. Because a small child, he does not know any woman except mother. He knows everyone as "my mother." So if we train from the childhood that "You should treat all woman as mother," then where is the question of anomalies? No. There is no question.

So one should be trained from the very beginning how to become gentle. From the very beginning if one is taught to become ungentle, uncontrolled of senses, how at the end he can become gentle? And if the people are not gentle, how you can expect peace and prosperity? Therefore we see in your country, every house: "Beware of dog. Don't come here." Because... What is that? Because they cannot trust anybody. Anybody.

Lecture on SB 1.3.14 -- Los Angeles, September 19, 1972:

So he proved himself as a great king on this earth. He produced foodstuff, foodgrains, profusely.

That from the life of King Pṛthu we can understand. We are discussing that in the Fourth Canto, the life of Mahārāja Pṛthu, how good government can be maintained. Pṛthu Mahārāja is the ideal king. He produced, he made arrangement. The earth was not producing sufficient foodgrains, so he attacked the earth that "Why you are not producing?" The mother earth said that "Because the people have become demon and they are simply eating, but they are not doing their duty. Therefore I have minimized producing grain." This is to be very important, that the earth can produce any amount of foodgrains. There is no question of overpopulation. There is no question of overpopulation, because everyone is being fed by the mercy of God. Eko bahūnāṁ yo vidadhāti kāmān. God is giving everyone the foodstuff.

I have several times explained in this class that nobody has got any food problem. Simply the so-called civilized, advanced in science, these people have got problems of foodgrains. Otherwise, there are millions of elephants, they are eating very nicely. There are ants, there are elephants, there are tigers, there are monkeys, there are trees... So many, 8,400,000 forms of body. How they are eating? Unless they are eating... We kill animals, but the animals do not come to the..., to us, that "We are starving. Give us food." Never. By nature, there is arrangement, foodstuff. The cows, the other animals, they are eating grass. There is profuse growth of grass.

Lecture on SB 1.3.14 -- Los Angeles, September 19, 1972:

So this point is that if the population of the world becomes sinful, demonic, then nature will not supply you sufficient food. She will diminish. We have got experience. In India we have seen, some years there is overproduction of mango. People... Very cheap. Everyone can purchase. And sometimes there is no supply, some year. Similarly, foodgrains also. Some year there is oversupply of foodgrain and sometimes there is scanty supply. Now, this supply of foodgrains, fruits, and everything, even milk... In our New Vrindaban, because the cows feel very safe, they give us sufficient milk. That is our experience. So you keep things in order according to the Vedic injunction, you get sufficient food. There is no question of scarcity. But if you become sinful, demons, then the nature's food supply will be ultimately stopped. You can produce your food in the factory... You cannot do that. You can produce motorcars to consume all the petroleum within the earth, and then you become no petrol. Then throw all these motorcars. Unless you find out some other energy That you can do. You can make things topsy-turvied. But by your so-called scientific advancement, you cannot increase or, I mean to say, stop nonproduction. That you cannot.

Lecture on SB 1.3.24 -- Los Angeles, September 29, 1972:

This body, this gross body, or the subtle body, is made of physical matters: earth, water, air, fire, and ether, and mind, intelligence, ego. These are gross and subtle matters. So Buddha philosophy is that "Due to the combination of this matter, we are feeling pains and pleasure. So everyone is trying to eradicate all kinds of pains. That is the struggle for existence. So these pains will be automatically mitigated if you break this combination." That is Buddha... Nirvāṇa. That is called nirvāṇa. Break. Just like this house is combination of several material thing. Now, when it is broken... You have seen, so many houses have been dismantled. There is no more house. And as soon as there is no more house, there is no question of living or feeling pains or pleasure. That is Buddha philosophy.

The Śaṅkara philosophy is "No, simply breaking is not the solution. There is soul within this." Dehino 'smi yathā dehe. Śaṅkara gives him that "Wherefrom this living cognizance come? There is soul." That is Śaṅkara philosophy. But he is nirviśeṣa-vādī, nirākāra. That consciousness has no form, he says. Then farther development is this Vaiṣṇava philosophy, that as soon as there is consciousness, that is a person. These are the gradual development. Actually, they are not contradictory. But according to the time, circumstances, different types of philosophies are there. Just like Jesus Christ. He is advising, "Thou shalt not killing." That means the people were so much accustomed to kill. Very first-class gentlemen. Simply wanted to kill. So what advice can be given there? First is that "Thou shalt not kill."

Lecture on SB 1.3.28 -- Los Angeles, October 3, 1972:

"Oh, the things are going high price." But why? Because the demons are levying taxes. The... It is not the scarcity of goods. There is sufficient commodity, sufficient. But they have made a economic plan. Just like in your country, the government said that "You don't produce more." Why? If one can produce... Kṛṣṇa has given food. You have to simply little work and produce your food. But in order to keep the balance of price, they say, "Don't produce." Why not produce? So many people are, they are... If actually we produce foodstuff in the ordinary way, then we can produce foodstuff so much that ten times of the whole population of the world can be fed. Ten times. There is no question of scarcity or poverty. There is no question. We create. These demons, they create.

You have no experience. I have got experience. Or some of the Indians who are present... In 1942, the government created artificial famine, artificial famine. The government began to purchase. The poli... That time, the war was going on. So Mr. Churchill's policy was that "Keep the people in scarcity, and they will, they'll voluntarily come and become soldiers." That was the policy. "You have no money. So..., and the another venue is opened. Yes, you become a soldier. You get so much money." People, out of poverty, would go there. That was the policy. So this policy was executed that government began to purchase rice and, I mean to say, commodities which are daily necessities. And... Any price, any price they can offer. Because the currency in their hand. They can print the so-called papers, hundred dollars, and pay you. And you becomes satisfied: "Oh, I have got hundred dollars." But it is a piece of paper. The cheating is from the government. Why the people will not learn how to cheat?

Lecture on SB 1.5.1-4 -- New Vrindaban, May 22, 1969:

And in the beginning he was a military man for acquiring some kingdom for sense gratification. So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is simply to change the consciousness, to change the account. The activities may be the same, but when the account is changed, then you'll get the highest profit.

So when Vyāsadeva was morose, his spiritual master is addressing Vyāsadeva as pārāśarya mahā-bhāga. Mahā-bhāga. Pārāśarya means Vyāsadeva is the son of Parāśara Muni, who was a great sage. His mother was Satyavatī. Actually Vyāsadeva was born... His mother was a fishergirl, fisherwoman. In Bengali we call māchaoyālī. So, but because the father was very great, Parāśara Muni, so there is no question of father and mother. Everyone comes in his own ability according to karma. Nobody is responsible for his birth. Everyone is responsible for his work. So Vyāsadeva became a great personality although he was son of a fisherwoman. Pārāśarya. He's addressing, "My dear son of Parāśara, mahā-bhāga." Mahā-bhāga means "You are very fortunate." Bhāga means fortune. Bhāgya. Mahā-bhāga. Pārāśarya mahā-bhāga bhavataḥ kaccid ātmanā parituṣyati. "Do you think that you'll be satisfied identifying yourself with this material body or mind? That is not possible." Parituṣyati śārīra ātmā mānasa eva vā. Śārīraḥ śarīrābhimāny ātmā, ātmanā tena śarīreṇa kaccit kiṁ parituṣyati(?). One who is... "You have compiled so many books on this concept of life, that the living entities are, some of them are considering that 'I am this body,' and some of them are considering 'I am this mind,' and some of them are considering 'I am this intelligence,' but he is none of them. He's above this. He's transcendental." Unless he comes to that position, there is no question of paritoṣa, or satisfaction.

Lecture on SB 1.5.1-8 -- New Vrindaban, May 23, 1969:

"Please give me this, give me that"? Because they don't believe in God. Therefore they are duṣkṛtina, atheist. In comparison to such person, those who go to the temple or church, ask something from God, they are better. Because they are accepting. They have at least come to God. Now, gradually, they will be purified, and at a time they will say, svāmin kṛtārtho 'smi varaṁ na yāce (CC Madhya 22.42), "No. No more. I have no demand." What demand? If one gets Kṛṣṇa, then what is the question of demand? He gets everything. Everything. There is no question of demand. So that stage is perfect. So, (reads commentary) Anudita-prāyam anukta-prāyaṁ vimalaṁ bhagavad-yaśo vinā yenaiva dharmādi jñānenāsau bhagavān na tuṣyati(?) Śrīdhara Svāmī gives note that if you become a rigid religious person, that does not mean (chuckling) God will be satisfied with you. That is preliminary stage. Dharmārtha-kāma-mokṣa (SB 4.8.41). If one religious man... But that is not the qualification. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu, when He was talking with Rāmānanda Rāya, He, Caitanya Mahāprabhu, inquired what is the aim of life and what is the procedure of achieving that aim. He prescribed this varṇāśrama-dharma. Because that is the beginning of actual human life, accepting four varṇas and four āśramas. Caitanya Mahāprabhu immediately rejected, eho bāhya āge kaha āra. These are not very important things. Just see. The whole Vedic civilization is resting on the varṇāśrama-dharma.

Lecture on SB 1.5.2 -- Los Angeles, January 10, 1968:

That's all. The intelligent class of the society... Just like my head is the most important part of my body. Why? Because from the head all intelligence is coming. If you cut my hand, I will exist. If you cut my leg, I will exist. But if you cut my head, oh, there is no existence. Therefore, as there is the important part of this body, the head, similarly, those who are giving intelligence to the society, they are called brāhmaṇas. That's all. Brāhmaṇa is not a thing which is born by, I mean to say, familywise. No. That is not... In the Bhagavad-gītā you'll find, cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). There is no question of birthright. Anyone, anyone. Just like in our ordinary life, anyone can become your president. It is not that a particular family has to become. One who is intelligent enough, if people like, he will be voted, he'll be elected. Similarly, according to the quality and work, the section of the society is imagined. Not imagined, practically designated.

Lecture on SB 1.5.2 -- Los Angeles, January 10, 1968:

Because he was spiritual master, Nārada, he knows how he was inquisitive. So, "You have inquired about the Supreme Absolute Truth." Jijñāsitam adhītaṁ ca yat tat sanātanam. Absolute Truth, sanātana means eternal. Absolute Truth is not relative. Here in this world everything we see relative. This world, material world, is called relative world. And therefore it is not sanātanam. Sanātanam means eternal. As soon as we are in the relative world, there is no eternal life. Relative world means that one thing has to be understood by another thing. Just like what is the meaning of "son"? The son is the son of a father. So unless there is father, there is no question of son. Unless there is husband, there is no question of wife. Unless there is black, there is no question of white. Similarly, whatever you try to understand, there must be the opposite number. That is called duality, or dvaita-jagat, or the duality. But in the absolute world there is no such distinction. One. The same father and the same son. Therefore, if I do not mistake, sometimes Jesus Christ is accepted as the father and sometimes as son. Because in the material world there is such distinction, master and servant, father and son, lower or higher. But in the spiritual world, although there are varieties, but there is no distinction. There is no distinction.

Lecture on SB 1.5.2 -- Los Angeles, January 10, 1968:

We have to go to that stage.

We have to give up this imitation, brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā. Śaṅkarācārya placed this theory before all the world, but that is not explained properly because people at that time could not understand more than that. Brahma satyam: "The Absolute is truth." And jagan mithyā, "And this world, the manifested world, is false." How it is false? That is not explained by Śaṅkarācārya. That is explained by Caitanya Mahāprabhu, that reality, real father... If you accept Kṛṣṇa as your father, oh, He'll give you all protection. If you accept Kṛṣṇa as your husband, oh, there is no question of divorce. If you accept Kṛṣṇa as your friend, oh, Kṛṣṇa will give you everything.

So so many relationships. All these relationships in the relative world, they are all shadow or temporary. But the same thing is there in the spiritual world. And if we come to that platform, then there will be happiness.

Thank you very much. Any questions? No questions. All right. You have question? No. Of course, I am trying to explain as far as possible understandable by you. But still, if there is any doubt, you can question. You can put.

Lecture on SB 1.5.4 -- Los Angeles, January 12, 1968:

That goal of life is to search out God and your relationship with God. Because you are part and parcel of God, and somehow or other, you have been entrapped by this material atmosphere, and you are not happy. Nobody is happy. If one says that "I am happy," he must be a crazy man or he must be speaking lie. Nobody is happy. How you can be happy? Because we are always full of anxiety. That is our condition. Even if you are sitting here in the classroom of Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, still, I am thinking, "What will happen tomorrow? This business I have got to do." Some anxiety.

So, so long we have got anxiety, there is no question of happiness. And other things... Just like threefold miseries. Miseries means we have got three kinds of miseries: miseries pertaining to the body, pertaining to the mind, and pertaining to other people with whom we have got connection, and pertaining to the nature's disturbance. So there are so many miseries, threefold miseries. Adhyātmika adhibhautika adhidaivika. And besides that, we have got birth, death, old age and disease. So in this... So long we have got this body, there is no question of happiness. If somebody is satisfied that "I am happy," he is cheating himself. Happiness has to be found out. The Bhagavad-gītā says that sukham ātyantikaṁ yat (BG 6.21). If you want supreme happiness, then you have to search out beyond the sense happiness. We are entrapped here in this material world in sense happiness. If our senses are satisfied, we think we are happy. But Bhagavad-gītā says that real happiness is to be searched out beyond the senses, transcendental.

Lecture on SB 1.5.8-9 -- New Vrindaban, May 24, 1969:

It is, as soon as it touches, there is some danger. Sense gratification means you are creating some danger, some future danger. That's all. We should always remember. All our troubles and miseries are due to sense gratification. They are always troublesome. The yoga system means yoga indriya-saṁyama. Yoga means controlling the senses. That is the first principle. Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī said that "Yes, it is admitted that the senses are just like snakes. But if you break the poisonous teeth, then there is no danger. There is no... They have no more fears." A snake without poison, a child may be afraid of, "There is a snake." But if a man knows that this snake is here but there is no poisonous teeth, it is broken, then there is no question of fearfulness. Otherwise, it is ordinary, insignificant... Just like reptile, something, or worm, or microbes. So he said... So that means he answers to the jñānīs, to the yogis, to the karmīs: durdānta indriya-kāla-sarpa-paṭalī protkhāta. Protkhāta, extracted. The teeth is extracted. Protkhāta. Protkhāta. Daṁṣṭrāyate. Daṁṣṭra means teeth. Taken away. So there is no cause of... Durdānta indriya-kāla-sarpa-paṭalī protkhāta-daṁṣṭrāyate viśvaṁ pūrṇa-sukhāyate.

Lecture on SB 1.5.8-9 -- New Vrindaban, May 24, 1969:

Why you are troubling me?" (laughter) Bhagavad-gītā says anyone who does not surrender to Kṛṣṇa... Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ mām... Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ. He's not only rascal, he's the lowest of the mankind. And if you say, "Oh, he is very learned scholar." Oh, māyayāpahṛta-jñānāḥ (BG 7.15). His knowledge has been taken away by māyā. Āsuraṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ. Simply he's defying God. Kṛṣṇa means God. "I am God," that is asuric.

So for a devotee, there is no need of controlling senses. It automatically becomes controlled. Just like we have taken the vow we are not going to eat anything except kṛṣṇa-prasāda. Oh, the sense is already controlled. There is no question of asking a devotee, "You don't drink, don't this, don't this, don't this." So many don'ts. Simply by accepting kṛṣṇa-prasādam, all don'ts there, already there. And it becomes very easier. Others, if one is requested that "You don't smoke," it will be very difficult job for him. For a devotee, he can give up at any moment. He has no problem. Therefore the same example, that these senses are very strong undoubtedly, as strong as the snake. But if you break the poison teeth, the poison teeth, then it is no more fierceful. Similarly, if you engage your senses in Kṛṣṇa, no more controlling. It is already controlled. Protkhāta-daṁṣṭrāyate viśvaṁ pūrṇa-sukhāyate.

Lecture on SB 1.5.9-11 -- New Vrindaban, June 6, 1969:

Nobody required to be taught how he has to make sexual intercourse. Nobody has to be taken, I mean, given lesson how he can become intoxicated. Don't you see that the intoxicants, intoxicated person, they have become automatically? There is no university. There is no educational system that "You become... Take LSD like this." No. That is a natural tendency. To become intoxicated, to take liquor, LSD, gāñjā, pān, oh, very easily you can learn. To use sex life...

Loke vyavāya... These, they are natural instincts. They can be... Automatically they will be done. There is no question of... Then what is the use of book? Book is for restricting. That they do not know. When Vyāsadeva recommends that you must have sex life by marriage, that means restriction. That means restriction. You cannot have sex life here and there unrestrictedly. You have got one wife or one husband, and that is also restricted: only for begetting child you can have sex life. So many things. The whole idea is restriction. Not that "Because I have got a wife it is a machine for sex life." No, no. A marriage mean, that does not mean. Marriage does not mean like that. It is restriction. The whole Vedic civilization is to bring men to the transcendental platform by restricting all his nonsense habits to nil. But not all of a sudden. Gradually, according to the quality. Similarly, those who are addicted to flesh eating, meat-eating: "All right." Vedic literature says, "All right. You can eat meat. But sacrifice an animal before the Deity, goddess Kālī, and you can eat." So that the man who is eating meat, he'll not revolt. If I say... Just like if I say... Just like many men revolts already. That girl? What is called?

Lecture on SB 1.5.9-11 -- New Vrindaban, June 6, 1969:

When he comes to the understanding that "I have given up my home. Why shall I take help from my home? I am considering that home is my place. Why not everyone my friends? Vasudhaiva kuṭumbhakaḥ.(?) Everyone is my family, everyone," that is next stage. So he can go to everyone, "Will you kindly give me one cāpāṭi?" Who will not give a sannyāsī? Anyone will give. They are trained also like that, that any gṛhastha, householder, if a sannyāsī comes, immediately he should be received and respected. That is also Vedic culture. A sannyāsī should be treated as the children of the society. Everyone. Still there is. If in a village a sannyāsī goes, he will get hundreds of invitation: "Swamiji, please come. Take your bhikṣā at my place." So he has no question of eating and living. So many people will give him shelter. He'll not be in the wilderness. If actually a sannyāsī, he travels all over the country, he has no problem. Village to village, everyone will receive him. It is called bahūdaka. And then parivrājakācārya. Then, when he still further elevated, then he gives instruction. Why he should eat only without giving something to them? He'll feel like that. "Why for nothing I shall except food from others? I must give something. So whatever knowledge I have got I must distribute." This is parivrājakācārya.

Lecture on SB 1.5.9-11 -- New Vrindaban, June 6, 1969:

On the contrary, this is a kind of literature very nicely written, metaphorical, and poetry, everything. But there is no question of glorifying the Lord. That is compared with, just like the same place, where the crows will take pleasure. On the other hand, other kind of literature, what is that? Tad-vāg-visargo janatāgha-viplavo yasmin prati-ślokam abaddhavaty api (SB 1.5.11). A literature presented to the people, to the public for reading, which are even grammatically incorrect, but because there is glorification of the Lord, it can produce revolution. It can purify the whole human society. My Guru Mahārāja, when he was selecting articles to be published in The Harmonist, if he sees simply that there is, several times the writer has written "Kṛṣṇa," "Lord Caitanya," like that, he passes immediately: "All right. It's all right. (laughter) It is all right." That so many times he has uttered "Kṛṣṇa" and "Caitanya," so it is all right. (chuckles)

Lecture on SB 1.5.11 -- London, September 12, 1973:

While preparing this commentation on this particular stanza of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam we have a crisis before us. Our neighboring friend China has attacked the border of India with a militaristic spirit. We have practically no business in the political field, yet we see that previously there were both China and India, and they both lived peacefully for centuries without ill feeling. The reason is that they lived those days in an atmosphere of God consciousness, and every country, over the surface of the world, was God-fearing, pure-hearted and simple, and there was no question of political diplomacy. There is no cause of quarrel between the two countries China and India over land which is not very suitable for habitation, and certainly there is no cause for fighting on this issue. But due to the age of quarrel, Kali, which we have discussed, there is always a chance of quarrel on slight provocation. This is due not to the issue in question, but to the polluted atmosphere of this age: systematically there is propaganda by a section of people to stop glorification of the name and fame of the Supreme Lord. Therefore, there is a great need for disseminating the message of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam all over the world. It is the duty of every responsible Indian to broadcast the transcendental message of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam throughout the world to do all the supermost good as well as to bring about the desired peace in the world. Because India has failed in her duty by neglecting this responsible work, there is so much quarrel and trouble all over the world. We are confident that if the transcendental message of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is received only by the leading men of the world, certainly there will be a change of heart, and naturally the people in general will follow them. The mass of people in general are tools in the hands of the modern politicians and leaders of the people. If there is a change of heart of the leaders only, certainly there will be a radical change in the atmosphere of the world.

Lecture on SB 1.5.14 -- New Vrindaban, June 18, 1969:

Vyavāya means sex life, and āmiṣa means meat-eating. Āmiṣa, meat-eating. Sex life, meat-eating, and madya-sevā. Madhya-sevā means intoxication, drinking liquor. It is not unnatural. To drink wine or liquor or to eat meat and to have free sex life, that is the desire of all conditioned souls. Therefore, sva-bhāva-raktasya, "by nature." Nobody is taught in the educational institution how to drink, or how to eat meat or how to enjoy sex life. Natural. That is natural. Sva-bhāva-raktasya. "And if these things you describe as dharma, as religious principles, then they are doomed."

Just like a man is addicted to commit theft. He has got a habit of stealing. And if I say, "Stealing is very nice art. You can go on with you, with it," then where is the reformation? There is no question of... He, he's already addicted. So it is encouragement. So similarly, in the dharma-śāstra... Just like in Mahābhārata there is... (aside:) Where is that "cut cut" noise? Don't make that sound. Just like in marriage ceremony. Marriage ceremony... Of course, in your country, the marriage ceremony is different. In India still, the people spend as much as possible in the marriage ceremony, millions of dollars. If one man is rich, he'll spend for his son's marriage or daughter's marriage. That is a great credit. "Oh, this man is very rich man. He's spending so much money." So there are so many religious performances, ritualistic performances. You have to spend money. So you must find out so many performances. So they have all these in the śāstras.

Lecture on SB 1.5.15 -- New Vrindaban, June 19, 1969:

I mean to say, manifestation of viṣṇu-tattva—"they're all subordinate to Kṛṣṇa." Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1).

So here the point is that just direct people to Kṛṣṇa, or the Supreme Lord. Don't misguide them that "Here is another god, here is another god, here is another..." The Bhagavad-gītā also, in the last instruction, Bhagavān says, mām ekam. Ekam means one. "Only surrender to Me." So this is the verdict of all Vedic literatures. But if somebody thinks that "I can worship Brahmā, I can worship Kālī, I can worship Śiva, or many other demigods, and still the same thing," this is impersonalist view. It is not a fact. Because according to them, "The Absolute Truth is impersonal. There is no question of personality. But because we cannot concentrate our devotional energy or attention in the impersonal feature, therefore let us imagine some form of God." This is the, I mean to say, principle of the impersonalists. They imagine some form of God, and they get perfection. And ultimately they become impersonal, merge into the effulgence, brahma-jyotir. That is their philosophy. The Māyāvāda philosophy and Vaiṣṇava philosophy differs here. Our Bhāgavata says that ultimate truth, Absolute Truth, is a person. Brahman, Paramātmā, and Bhagavān. Brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti (SB 1.2.11). Vyāsadeva says that "You direct people, attention, to the Supreme Personality of Godhead."

Now, the question may be that one may take to the service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead without understanding the truth, by sentiment. Just like sometimes... It is mostly in this country. Some of the disciples, some of the students, they are coming, not that one has understood this philosophy very nicely and he is convinced. Some of them are coming by sentiment: "All right, let me join this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement." So in that case what happens? Suppose one does not understand the philosophy, but he comes to join this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, then what is the effect?

Lecture on SB 1.5.17-18 -- New Vrindaban, June 21, 1969:

Just like Kṛṣṇa was advising Arjuna that "You are kṣatriya. So if you die in this fight, then your heavenly door is open." Because, according to śāstra, if a kṣatriya dies while fighting, then automatically he gets promotion in the heavenly planet. And if he goes away, giving up the fighting, then he goes to hell. So similarly, if one does not discharge his duties, prescribed duties, then he falls down. Nārada Muni says, "Even if he falls down, still, there is no loss. Even if he falls down, there is no loss." Sva-dharma tyāgena anartha syād asam kara tato bhajanam pated katancid vrasyed mriyate vā yadi tathāpi bhaktir asikasya karmaṇy adhikarad na.(?) Even there is such chance, that I may fall down or I may not be mature, still, Nārada Muni gives: "There is no question of hesitation. Accept it. Even if you think that you'll not be able to prosecute Kṛṣṇa consciousness in full, still, you accept it."

Na sāṅkhya. Ami krte apy aha va śabda kathake.(?) Śrīdhara Svāmī says that this word, here... Bhajann apakvo 'tha patet tato yadi vā. Vā means "What is there, even if he falls down?" Yatra kva vā nica-yony apy amuṣya bhaktir eka sya abhūt kim.(?) Now, now suppose a brāhmaṇa, a brāhmaṇa, he is, he has got so many duties. As a brahminical, he has to perform so many sacrifices, nitya... There are different... Satya, śamo damas titikṣā. Satya means truthfulness. Śama means controlling the senses. Dama means... Dama means controlling senses. Śama means controlling the mind. Satya, śama, dama, titikṣā, tolerance (BG 18.42) There are so many nice qualification. So if a brāhmaṇa does not discharge his duties, it is said that he becomes a śūdra, or falls down. Sthānād bhraṣṭaḥ patanty adhaḥ. So Nārada Muni says that "Suppose next life a brāhmaṇa falls down. He takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Neither he executes the brahminical duties, nor he could prosecute Kṛṣṇa consciousness to perfection, still," Nārada Muni says, "there is no loss. There is no loss."

Lecture on SB 1.5.17-18 -- New Vrindaban, June 21, 1969:

This example is given in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta by Lord Caitanya to Rūpa Gosvāmī, bhakti-latā, the plant of bhakti, growing. Simply we have to water it. Those who have taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they should not be satisfied that whatever they have done, it is nice—"Even I fall down, there is no..." No, you have to execute as far as possible. But this is spoken. If by chance there is falldown, there is no loss. But we should not take that... We should not be careless. Śravaṇa-kīrtana-jale karaye secana (CC Madhya 19.152). Just like our program in this New Vrindaban, very nice program. From four-thirty in the morning till ten o'clock, there is nice program. So this program should be continued. Then there is no question of falling down. Simply executing this program.

Next verse: bhakti-vāsanā sad-bhāva iti bhava avayad vistu kevalam sva dharma pakvo 'tha

vayaptya abhajatam(?) Now, once this Kṛṣṇa consciousness awakens, it is so nice that it will not let the person fall down. No. The... Rest assured. Fall down. It will go simply. If it is checked for the time being, but that checking is for temporary checking. It will again come out. So don't lose this opportunity. Go on with Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the simple method. So there is no question of falldown. Bhakti-vāsanā sad-bhāvāt.(?) Bhakti-vāsanā, this desire, that "I'll serve Kṛṣṇa," this desire is sufficient to keep him, I mean to say, intact. This very desire, bhakti-sad-bhāvāt. This desire will never die.

Lecture on SB 1.5.18 -- New Vrindaban, June 22, 1969:

The material nature is the same. Similarly, our feelings of happiness and distress is just like feeling the warmth and, I mean to say, chilly cold. Due to the skin, due to this body. Actually, there is no happiness in the material world. Kṛṣṇa says, duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam: (BG 8.15) "This place is full of misery, full of misery." Now, how you can make it happy? Caitanya-caritāmṛta also says that dvaite bhadrābhadra sakali samāna. In this material world it is our mental creation: "This is happiness. This is distress." Actually, it is all distress. After all, we have to die. After all, we have to finish this business. So what is happiness or distress? Bhāgavata also says that "Don't bother yourself to make yourself happy by working day and night without trying for Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is simply waste of time." There is no question of happiness in this material world. If you actually want to be happy, ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12), if you want to be placed in real happiness, that is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Tasyaiva hetoḥ prayateta kovido na labhyate (SB 1.5.18).

So this chance we have got in this human form of life. I can execute the business of Kṛṣṇa consciousness very nicely. In other form of life I cannot do that. Even if I try, it is not possible. That the dog cannot because it is not a human being. But we can because we are... So why should we lose this chance? Tasyaiva hetoḥ prayateta.

Lecture on SB 1.5.18 -- New Vrindaban, June 22, 1969:

Similarly, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so nice that if somebody, being..., becomes attracted by some kinds of māyā's, I mean to say, influence, still, he does not like to give up this Kṛṣṇa consciousness like others.

This is the specific qualification of a Kṛṣṇa conscious person. Smaran mukundāṅghry-upagūhanaṁ punaḥ. One who has chanted Hare Kṛṣṇa, he cannot give it up. Cannot give it up. He has to come again. This life or next life, Kṛṣṇa will not leave him. Kṛṣṇa... Once surrender sincerely, "Kṛṣṇa, I am Yours," Kṛṣṇa will never leave him. He will protect you. But if he had become little stronger, then there is no question of falling down. Rasagra rasena grhyate vaśi kriyate.(?) Kṛṣṇa vaśi kriyate. Vaśi kriyate means hypnotized. It is so nice that one becomes hypnotized. Otherwise, why the boys are working so hard? They are... (laughter) They're all qualified. They can earn money outside. In your country sufficient money is paid for work, but they are hypnotized here. (laughter)

So Kṛṣṇa is so nice. Yes. He's the all-attractive. He hypnotizes His devotee in spite of... Just like the Pāṇḍavas. The Pāṇḍavas, they were Kṛṣṇa's friends. Arjuna was friend. All the brother... Arjuna was very intimate friend, but other brothers, four brothers, they were also Kṛṣṇa's friend. And Kuntī, the Pāṇḍavas' mother, she happened to be the aunt of Kṛṣṇa. So they were well, mean, established in relation with Kṛṣṇa. But as a result, they were banished for twelve years. They lost the game, so they were banished. And their wife, Draupadī, was insulted. Not... They could not insult her, but they tried to insult her. They tried to make her naked in the assembly. And they lost their kingdom, and they were banished for twelve years. So Nārada met Kṛṣṇa. His devotee, he could speak Kṛṣṇa with little criticism, "My dear Sir, Kṛṣṇa, by becoming Your devotee the Pāṇḍavas are very happy. They have lost their kingdom.

Lecture on SB 1.5.22 -- Vrndavana, August 3, 1974:

We get it from Vedic knowledge. Jalajā nava-lakṣāṇi. Now, the biologists, let them confirm it. Or deny it. Because... They cannot confirm it because their knowledge is experimental. Unless they find it actually, by actual experience, that there are so many living forms within the water, they cannot say yes. Neither they are able to find it out. Is it not the position? First of all, if we say to the biologists that "There are 900,000 different forms of life or species within the water," they will say, "How it is you are affirming in, so positively, without experiment, without research?" They'll say. Then we'll ask, "Then you say." That they cannot say. This is their position. They'll say, "In future..." Future, there is no question. You do not know now. Admit this. So this is their position. Therefore this experimental knowledge is always imperfect. Always imperfect. It cannot be perfect. Because our experience, our power of perception, advancement of knowledge, they are imperfect. They are deficiency.

Therefore, for perfect knowledge, you have to approach the perfect. We accept Lord Kṛṣṇa as the perfect, and His bona fide representative is also perfect. How he is perfect? Kṛṣṇa may be perfect, one may admit, but how his bona fide representative is also perfect? So the answer is the bona fide representative of Kṛṣṇa, he does not say anything beyond Kṛṣṇa. That is perfect. He may be imperfect. It doesn't matter. But he is receiving knowledge from the perfect, and he's simply repeating that knowledge. That is the instruction of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Yāre dekha tāre kaha, kaha kṛṣṇa-kathā. Yāre dekha tāre kaha kṛṣṇa-kathā.

Lecture on SB 1.5.22 -- Vrndavana, August 3, 1974:

We have heard from authorities. There is no question of inquiring. What is the... Even if you don't quote, you can assert firmly that everyone is a śūdra. How? Now, guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). Bhagavad-gītā says this classification is made, guṇa-karma. So what is the karma at the present moment? They're seeking service. The so-called education means seeking service, master. Paricaryātmakaṁ karma śūdrasyāpi svabhāva-jam (BG 18.44). This is śāstra. Anyone who is attached to give service to others or, without giving service to others, he cannot live, that is, he's śūdra. He has no independent existence. Just like I was showing, the dog. Unemployed. Lean and thin and... Because he has no master. The same dog, when he has got a master, he'll be stout and strong, and he'll, as soon as you... "Owf! Owf! Bow! (laughter) I have got my master." So this is śūdra. Śūdra is compared with the dog. A dog is never happy without a master. Then it is a street dog. That is the difference between household dog and a street dog. So in this age practically you see, unless there is employment, he's a street dog. That is the proof that everyone is a śūdra. That is the proof.

Lecture on SB 1.5.22 -- Vrndavana, August 3, 1974:

Prabhupāda: No, no. Society means this combination of all these men. So if everyone is doing his duty, then it is quite all right. That is perfect society. Society means some combination of men. So if every man perfectly does his duty, then there is no question of imperfect...

Indian: (indistinct)

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is the difficulty. That is the difficulty. That I was explaining, that at the present moment mostly persons, they are śūdras. Just like in your body there are four divisions. Your head division, your arm division, your belly division, and your leg division. And if you cut off everything, simply you keep the legs, then what will be done? So at the present moment there is no brāhmaṇa, no kṣatriya. Maybe some vaiśyas only. Only śūdras. Therefore there is chaos. If the division is made, kept, as it is advised in the Bhagavad-gītā, cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13), according to guṇa and karma, then the society is maintained very nicely, properly. If your head is working nicely, if your arms are working nicely, if your stomach is working nicely, leg is working..., then you are fit. But if you have got only legs, and head, there is no head, there is no arm, then what is the...? Dead society.

Lecture on SB 1.5.23 -- Vrndavana, August 4, 1974:

Because if you get somehow or other Kṛṣṇa's favor, then there is no question of any more profit. Sufficient profit. You have got everything. Simply be sincere to the service of Kṛṣṇa. Then you have got everything. There is no need of trying for this or that. Yasmin sthito guruṇāpi duḥkhena na vicālyate (Bg. 6.20-23). If one is situated under the shelter of Kṛṣṇa's lotus feet, then guruṇāpi duḥkhena na vicālyate. If there is dangerous type of inconvenience, then he's not disturbed. He knows... Just like Ambarīṣa Mahārāja, Prahlāda Mahārāja... There are many instances. His father, Hiraṇyakaśipu, was giving him trouble, chastising. He was patient, not disturbed. So be sure that if you are, if you have actually taken shelter of the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, there is no question of danger. Kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati (BG 9.31). And Kṛṣṇa confirms it: "Kaunteya, My dear Arjuna, you declare to the world that My devotee will be never vanquished by any enemy." That is Kṛṣṇa's assurance. So why should we try to...

Of course, if Kṛṣṇa's order is there, that is another thing. Just like Arjuna. Arjuna was ordered by Kṛṣṇa, "You fight." When Kṛṣṇa says, "You fight," you must fight. Not that Kṛṣṇa says, "You fight," and you say, "No, I have taken Your shelter. Why shall I fight?" No, that is not. That is disobedience. When Kṛṣṇa says, "You fight," you must fight. When... Our life should be that whatever Kṛṣṇa says... That is full surrender. Or His representative says, that is my life. Viśvanātha Cakravartī has explained in the Bhagavad-gītā.

Lecture on SB 1.5.23 -- Vrndavana, August 4, 1974:

So this is Kṛṣṇa's concern, to reclaim all these fallen souls. Therefore these are the opportunity. The yoginīs, the yoginaḥ, they are traveling all over the world. Only during the rainy season they were resting. Not that in other seasons eating and sleeping only. No. Because in the rainy season, to travel, there is inconvenience, therefore only four months. So during the four months, wherever they stay, simply being served by somebody as, like a boy servant, they become delivered. There was no question of preaching. Simply giving the opportunity to serve, the fallen souls become delivered. But you must be competent, not to take service for nothing. Then you'll go to hell. If you are actually in spiritual position, then by giving others little opportunity to serve you, he'll be delivered. No question of understanding the philosophy. A devotee must be so perfect. The system is, therefore, as soon as one sees a devotee, he falls down and takes the..., touches the feet. This is the system. Because by touching the feet... Mahat-pāda-rajo-'bhiṣekam. If one is actually elevated to the spiritual life and he is, mean, takes, the people takes the opportunity of touching his lotus feet, then he becomes devotee. This is the process.

Lecture on SB 1.5.24 -- Vrndavana, August 5, 1975:

Therefore, sometimes those who are very, very talkative, they are ordered by their spiritual master that "You keep silence." Maunī. Maunī-bābā. Somebody, they practice to become always silent. You'll find some of the sādhus, the mendicants, they also keep silence. But they sometimes make this, that, this... And way (?) "onnnnh." That is not good. Silence means don't talk nonsense. Whenever you speak, you speak about Kṛṣṇa. That is real silence. The... "Make a vow that 'I shall not speak anything except topics of Kṛṣṇa.' " That is real silence. Not that to become silent. To become silent... Mind will work. Better chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and hear. There is no question of becoming silent.

There is a verse about Ambarīṣa Mahārāja, sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayor vacāṁsi vaikuṇṭha-guṇānuvarṇane (SB 9.4.18). Manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayoḥ. If you fix up your mind on Kṛṣṇa, naturally these things will be controlled. First of all our mind must be fixed up on the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. Always chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, and... Chant and hear. Naturally, with the chanting of the holy name of Kṛṣṇa, you will memorize the form of Kṛṣṇa, the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. In this way if we fix our mind always on the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, naturally these good qualities will come. Yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā sarvair guṇais tatra samāsate surāḥ (SB 5.18.12). Bhakti. Unless you have got bhakti... Man-manā bhava mad-bhaktaḥ. Who can fix up his mind on the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa unless he's a bhakta? Man-manā bhava mad-bhaktaḥ.

So these are the primary qualification. And alpa-bhāṣiṇi. Alpa-bhāṣiṇi. Munayaḥ alpa-bhāṣiṇi śuśrūṣamāṇe. At the same time, service must be there. And simply, "I'm chanting, but no, I'm not giving service..."

Lecture on SB 1.5.30 -- Vrndavana, August 11, 1974:

And the mahātmās, they give the knowledge that "This is not life. This is a temporary platform." Aśāśvatam, duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15). This is confidential knowledge. You are trying to be happy... Suppose Brahmā. He lives for many millions of years. Still, it is duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15). That life is also temporary. What is millions of years' duration of life in comparison to the eternal life? So beginning from Brahmā down to the small ant, whoever is within this material world, it is to be understood their understanding is very poor. And the mahātmā, being kind upon these poor souls, they deliver the same knowledge as Kṛṣṇa gives. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇam.. (BG 18.66). This is guru's business. Do not manufacture anything. There is no question of... There is no need of manufacturing anything. Simply you speak to the suffering humanity the same thing which Kṛṣṇa says. Sākṣād bhagavatā uditam. This is the business of guru. It is clearly said.

Now he'll explain further, in the next verses, how he became advanced. This verse is very important, that jñānaṁ guhyatamaṁ yat tat. Actually, perfect knowledge you can get from the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and in paramparā system you get that knowledge. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). Paramparā means they do not change the word of Kṛṣṇa. That is paramparā. Kṛṣṇa says, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65), and the paramparā system says the same thing. No change. They never said that "I have now become Kṛṣṇa and you surrender unto me, think of me." There are many so-called incarnations who are preaching like that: "You think of me." Same, repeating the same words in his own favor, not in Kṛṣṇa's favor. That is not mahātmā. That is durātmā. Mahātmā means who always speaks in Kṛṣṇa's favor. That is mahātmā. This is the purport of this verse. Jñānaṁ guhyatamaṁ yat tat sākṣād bhagava... Bhagavān says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66).

Lecture on SB 1.5.32 -- Vrndavana, August 13, 1974:

They don't want... Especially Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavas, they don't want mukti. They are happy wherever they are existing. If they get the chance of chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, that is perfection of life. They don't want anything more. Just like Haridāsa Ṭhākura. We should not imitate, but the position is like that. Just like Prahlāda Mahārāja. He was not at all afraid of this material world. He was very cautious. A spiritualist, a devotee, a Kṛṣṇa conscious person, should be very cautious. But not afraid to meet any dangerous position. But must be cautious. Cautious in this way, that he may not fall down again under the clutches of māyā. This should be, care should be taken.

If we fix up our mind... Mām eva ye prapadyante. If we fix up our śaraṇāgati, surrender to the Supreme, then there is no question of falling down. Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te (BG 7.14). Just like Haridāsa Ṭhākura was tested once by Māyā, and in another time he was tested by a prostitute to allure him... He was young man. Haridāsa Ṭhākura was very beautiful young man. So under diplomacy of Rāmacandra Khān he was to be entrapped. You know the story. That is stated in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta. But Haridāsa Ṭhākura was not entrapped, because he was strong, strong enough. Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti. Māyā could not do anything. Although Māyā came there at dead of night, very beautiful, attractive dress, attractive feature, attractive words—this is māyā—so he was not allured. The... Rather, the veśyā, or the prostitute, became converted into a Vaiṣṇavī.

Lecture on SB 1.5.32 -- Vrndavana, August 13, 1974:

Kamāt krodhād bhayāt. Some way or other, if one comes in contact with Kṛṣṇa, then he becomes purified. Tejīyasāṁ na doṣāya (SB 10.33.29). Apparently, it appears that Kṛṣṇa is dancing with the young girls at dead of night. But it is not that Kṛṣṇa is contaminated. They become purified. On the... Actually, they are eternal associates of Kṛṣṇa, the gopīs. They are not ordinary women. There are all description in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. They were dancing in their spiritual body, not in the material body. They were dancing in their spiritual body. Their material body was lying down with their husband. These are, these descriptions are there in the Bhāgavatam. So gopīs' līlā is not material. So there was no question of contamination. But materially this kind of activities, to dance at dead of night with young girl, that is not permitted. With other's wife. You can dance with your own wife, but you cannot do that. That is sinful.

So the real business is, as Nārada Muni says, māyānubhāvam, anubhāvam avidam. One should know what is māyā. Yena, after complete knowledge of māyā and Kṛṣṇa, yena gacchanti tat-padam, then one is promoted to the spiritual world. But the promotion... I have already described, there are five kinds of promotion, elevation. Out of that, the one promotion, namely to merge into the existence of the Supreme, that is very dangerous. Dangerous means that is risk of falling down. Because it is not possible to merge into the personal body of Kṛṣṇa. Or you can take the bodily effulgence or the rays of the body. Everything is absolute. (aside:) Who is talking? So merge into the Brahman effulgence, that is also Kṛṣṇa's bodily rays. Yasya prabhā (Bs. 5.40). So we are a small particle. So we, we merge into the Brahman effulgence. Brahman effulgence means collection of so many Brahmans together. That is Brahman effulgence. Unlimited number. Anantyāya kalpate. We are a small particle. Keśāgra-śata-bhāgasya śatadhā kalpitasya ca (CC Madhya 19.140).

Lecture on SB 1.5.35 -- Vrndavana, August 16, 1974:

So first of all we must know what is bhagavat, or Hari, then we may try to satisfy Him. Unfortunately, we do not know what is God. Where is the question of satisfying Him? This is the... At the present moment, vague idea, what is God; practically no idea. What is their God? "God is good." They... Sometimes they say, "God is great," but what is that God, how great He is, how He is good, nobody knows. So where is the question of hari-toṣaṇam? If I do not know... Somebody says that "You go and satisfy Mr. such and such, Mr. John." So I do not know who is Mr. John, where does he live, what does he do, then how can I satisfy him? This is the position.

So hari-toṣaṇam or bhagavat-paritoṣaṇam can be possible when we actually know what is God. Otherwise there is no question. So, so far we are concerned, Kṛṣṇa conscious devotees, we know who is God. Therefore this business is possible by us, not by others. We know what is God. We have no vague idea. We know who is God, where does He live, what does He do, His name, address, His father's name—everything we know. Therefore we can satisfy. We are competent to satisfy because we know exactly who is God. That is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). How do you know that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead? Yes, by history, by authority, by His action, everything complete. We know historical, from historical point of view, Kṛṣṇa is there in the Mahābhārata. Mahābhārata means "The history of great India." Mahā means great. So greater India. Greater India, this is history. Itihāsa. Itihāsa means history. So there is Kṛṣṇa, in the itihāsa, in the history. In the Vedas also, there is name of Kṛṣṇa. In the Yajur Veda, there is name of Kṛṣṇa and His father's name, Vasudeva. Everything is there. And besides that, Kṛṣṇa appeared as He is five thousand years ago and He acted as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So where is the difficulty to understand Kṛṣṇa?

Lecture on SB 1.5.35 -- Vrndavana, August 16, 1974:

Kṛṣṇa is very much fond of tending cows. Surabhīr abhipālayantam. Cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu. He has got His abode, Goloka Vṛndāvana, where the residential houses are made of cintāmaṇi, touchstone. Touchstone, we have heard the description. Touchstone means the stone which you touch to the iron and the iron becomes gold. So such touchstone, they're used as brick. Cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa-lakṣāvṛteṣu (Bs. 5.29).

And kalpa-vṛkṣa. This is Kṛṣṇa's abode. They are not like this. They are all spiritual. Here it is, everything is material, but there is spiritual touch. That spiritual touch we are describing in the Bhagavad-gītā, bījo 'haṁ sarva-bhūtānām (Bg 7.10). Without spiritual touch, there is no question of material manifestation. That is not possible. This body, your body, my body, this is material—everyone knows. It is made of earth, air, water, fire, like that. But how it is manifested? How the beautiful body is manifested? Because there is spiritual touch. The spirit soul is there. Dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā tathā... (BG 2.13). This external body is changing, but it is forming on account of that spiritual touch. That spiritual touch means Kṛṣṇa. Bījo 'haṁ sarva-bhūtānām. So therefore the origin of everything is Kṛṣṇa. Just like the origin of a big tree is the root. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa is the ādi-puruṣam. Govindam ādi-puruṣam, sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam (Bs. 5.1). Just like in the tree there are trunk, branches, twigs, sub-branches, leaves, flowers, so many things. But the cause is the root.

Page Title:	There is no question (Lectures, SB canto 1 ch 1 - 5)
Compiler:	Visnu Murti, RupaManjari
Created:	17 of Nov, 2012
Totals by Section:	BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=81, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:	81