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This is called illusion (Lectures)

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 1.28-29 -- London, July 22, 1973:

Suppose in your pocket there is one hundred dollars. If some pickpocket takes it and if you capture him, then you give him immediately to the police. And when you come home after hard-earned money, and when your wife takes away, oh, you laugh, "Oh you have taken all my money! Ahhhhh!" But the same pickpocket, but the same pickpocket, but because he's svajanākhya-dasyu, "pickpocket in the name of svajana," he is very much pleased: "Oh, my wife has taken, my son has taken. Never mind." That's all. And others? As soon as takes, he, "Give him to the police." The same business is being done. He is working hard day and night, and they are plundering. Still, they are thinking, "They are my svajanam, they are my kinsmen." This is called illusion.

Lecture on BG 2.1 -- Ahmedabad, December 7, 1972:

Just like sometimes our political leaders. Each and every one of them thinks that without him, the whole situation will be spoiled. Even Mahatma Gandhi, he was so attached that he would not retire from political life—unless he was killed. The attachment was so strong. But after passing away of Mahatma Gandhi or Jawaharlal Nehru or so many big, big leaders, the world is going on. There is a Bengali proverb that "When the king dies, it does not mean the kingdom stops." The kingdom goes on. But when, so long, the leader or the person in charge remains there, he thinks that "Without me, everything will be spoiled." This is called māyā. This is called illusion.

Lecture on BG 2.8-12 -- Los Angeles, November 27, 1968:

Devotee: Sañjaya said: Having spoken thus, Arjuna, chastiser of the enemy told Kṛṣṇa, Govinda, 'I shall not fight,' and fell silent (BG 2.9). O descendant of Bharata, at that time Kṛṣṇa, smiling in the midst of both the armies, spoke the following words to the grief-stricken Arjuna (BG 2.10). The Blessed Lord said..."

Prabhupāda: So when we become very serious in a dangerous position, as if we are lost, but Kṛṣṇa smiles. You see? Sometimes we think... This is called illusion. The same example, just a man in dreaming, crying, "There is tiger, there is tiger. It is eating me," and the man who is awakened, he smiles, "Where is the tiger?" (chuckles) "Where is the tiger?" And this man is crying, "Tiger, tiger, tiger."

Lecture on BG 2.11 -- Mauritius, October 1, 1975:

We have got eyes, but unless there is sunrise, what is the value of our eyes? We cannot see. We are very much proud of our eyes, we want to see everything. But we do not calculate the value of our eyes. Unless there is sunshine we cannot see. At night, unless there is electricity or moonlight or some lamp, we cannot see. And still, we are very much proud of seeing. This is called illusion. We have no power. We are put under certain condition; then we work. Otherwise we cannot work.

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

Similarly, a man is in illusion. Illusion means, just like the example of illusion is the mirage. In the desert or in very scorching heat, summer season, you can find before your car there is water, reflection. So this is called illusion. There is no water, but it appears there is vast mass of water. The animals are bewildered. They are thirsty, they go to the desert to take water. Where is water in the desert? This is called illusion.

Lecture on BG 2.13 -- Hyderabad, November 18, 1972:

Our real constitutional position is that we are eternal servant of God, Kṛṣṇa. That is our position. But in this material condition of life, every one of us is trying to become the master. That is the struggle for existence. Everyone is trying: "I shall become the master. I shall become the Supreme." But our position is servant. So this is called illusion.

Lecture on BG 2.13 -- Hyderabad, November 18, 1972:

Kṛṣṇa says that "You give up all these nonsense desires. You surrender unto Me." That is the whole purpose of Bhagavad-gītā. We are dictated by different types of desires, which is dictated by māyā, and we want to become master falsely. This is called illusion. This is called māyā.

Lecture on BG 2.14 -- Germany, June 21, 1974:

Any great man of the world, you have seen, they commit mistake. And they are illusioned. They accept something as reality which is not reality. Just like we accept this body as reality. This is called illusion. But it is not reality. "I am soul." That is reality. So this is called illusion. And then, with this illusory knowledge, imperfect knowledge, we become teacher.

Lecture on BG 2.17 -- Hyderabad, November 22, 1972:

So before my body was created, the world was there, and when my body will be finished, the world will remain there. Then how can I claim that this world belongs to me? This is called illusion. This is called ignorance.

Lecture on BG 2.22 -- Hyderabad, November 26, 1972:

I am thinking "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am African," "I am Russian," "I am brāhmaṇa," "I am kṣatriya," "I am śūdra," "I am Andhra-pradesh," "I am Bengali." These are all nonsense. But on this nonsense idea the whole world is going on. So how there can be real knowledge? The basic principle of knowledge is ignorance. Andha. The man who is leading, he is blind. How he can lead? This is the position. Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānās te 'pīśa-tantryām uru-dāmni baddhāḥ (SB 7.5.31). They are trying to make advancement of civilization, but the basic principle is wrong. They are accepting... This is called illusion, accepting something as something else. The... Just like this... If I identify myself with this coat and shirt, the basic principle of my identification is lost.

Lecture on BG 2.24 -- Hyderabad, November 28, 1972:

The andhas—means blind, blind leaders—they are giving us false hope that we shall make here permanent settlement. Therefore they are called andhas. They have no sense. You cannot make it sanātana. But the whole attempt is going on to make everything sanātana. This is called illusion. Illusion means you are accepting something which is not possible. But they do not know.

Lecture on BG 2.24 -- Hyderabad, November 28, 1972:

Even up to the end of life, one tries to become master. But that is not possible because he's not master. So when one is wise, he sees that "I am actually not master. I am serving others, but I am thinking I am master. Just like in my family. I am thinking that I am the head of the family, I am the master of the family, but actually, to satisfy my family members, I have to work hard day and night. So I have become their servant, but I am thinking I am master." This is called illusion.

Lecture on BG 2.40-45 -- Los Angeles, December 13, 1968:

They want to make permanent settlement here, but forget that "Any moment, I shall be kicked out of this situation. I shall have to accept another situation." That is the lack of education in the modern civilization. They are accepting something temporary as permanent settlement. This is called illusion.

Lecture on BG 2.51-55 -- New York, April 12, 1966:

Your birth means... A son is born. Oh, you are very glad, "I have got a son." But if you study philosophically, no, birth is not. He is not born. Death is born. Because the growing of the child means he is dying. It is dying. The dying process. The very day, the very moment the child is born, the dying process begins. So we do not know that it is not birth. It is death. This is called māyā. This is called illusion, that death is born and we are jolly that there is birth of a child. This is called māyā.

Lecture on BG 3.18-30 -- Los Angeles, December 30, 1968:

Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). These people, they do not know how much they are under the trap of māyā illusion. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā. They are thinking that they are very happy, they are making progress, but they do not know actually the position. This is called illusion.

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

This is not enjoyment. You have got a car, but you are running at 70 miles speed, going to your business, and there you are earning hundred and thousands of dollars. So you are thinking that you are enjoying. But this labor is suffering—you forget. And in order to forget this suffering, then I take to wine, take to this, take to that, to forget the suffering. So actually we are suffering, but we are accepting it as enjoying. This is called illusion.

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

And this profit is nothing but acceptance of the quality of material nature. And that is very practical. We can understand. Just like we are getting... I get, say, fifty-thousand dollars in a check. So I think that "I have got fifty thousand dollars." But what is this fifty thousand dollars? It is a piece of paper. You see? This is called illusion. In this way you study your life, you will see. If you are sober, if you are actually thoughtful, you will find that "This is not my life. This is not my life. But I am falsely thinking that I am enjoying life."

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

The second imperfection is accepting something which is not real. This is called illusion. The example of illusion is given generally: Just like in darkness, if you find some curling rope, you are afraid, "Oh, here is a snake!" Actually, that is not a snake. That means accepting the curling rope as a snake. This is the example of illusion.

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

Just like here also we can see practically, everyone is trying to become a big or small īśvara, Kṛṣṇa. Īśvara is Kṛṣṇa. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1). But here the struggle is that everyone is trying to become īśvara. Nobody wants to become servant. Although he is servant of māyā. He cannot be īśvara constitutionally. Any one of us. This is called illusion.

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

So when one becomes intelligent, then he understands that "What I am doing? I am thinking that I am master, I am proprietor, I am the head of the family, but what I am doing actually? I am acting as servant of my senses, my son's senses, my wife's senses, my daughter's senses, my servant's senses. That's all." If you speak something wrong even to your servant, the servant will resign, and you will be in trouble. Therefore you have to serve his senses so that he may not be angry. This is our position. So we are simply serving senses, but we are thinking, "I am master." This is called illusion.

Lecture on BG 6.2-5 -- Los Angeles, February 14, 1969:

And who are those conditioned? Yayā sammohito jīva ātmānaṁ tri-guṇātmakam (SB 1.7.5). Although this spirit soul is as light as Kṛṣṇa or God, although small. But he's identifying himself with this material world. Yayā sammohitaḥ, this is called illusion. When we identify ourself with this matter, yayā sammohito jīva ātmānaṁ tri-guṇātmakam, paro 'pi manute 'nartham.

Lecture on BG 6.25-29 -- Los Angeles, February 18, 1969:

We say that this mahā-mantra can save you, we are distributing publicly, no. Free, without any charge. But people are so fools, they are not prepared to take this. They'll hanker after that mantra, after Maharishi. Pay thirty-five dollars and take some private mantra, you see? So people want to be cheated. And here, Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, these people are preaching without any charge, declaring in the street, park, everywhere, "Come on, take it." "Oh, this is not good." This is māyā, this is called illusion. This is spell of māyā. And if you charge something, if you bluff, if you cheat, oh, people will follow.

Lecture on BG 6.40-42 -- New York, September 16, 1966:

Foolish people, they do not know. They are after material acquisition. They do not know this will be finished just with the finishing of the body. This is called illusion.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Los Angeles, December 2, 1968:

So mistake, "To err is human," mistake is there. Similarly, accepting something as fact which is not fact. How it is? Just like everyone in the conditioned life, they think that "This body is my self." But I'm not this. I'm not this body. So this is called illusion, pramāda. The best example is to accept a rope as a snake. Suppose in the darkness there is a rope like this, and you are..., "Oh, here is a snake." This is the best example of illusion. Accepting something which is not that.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Hong Kong, January 25, 1975:

Our form and Kṛṣṇa's form—different. Kṛṣṇa is complete spiritual, divine, and we are, at the present moment, although we have got our spiritual form within this body, but because we have no vision of the spiritual form, we are taking this body as our form. This is called illusion.

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

"I am this body." "Who are you?" "I am Mr. such and such," "I am Indian," "I am American," "I am Englishman," "I am white," "I am black," "I am fat," "I am thin." In this way we give description of our body. But we do not know what I am. This is called illusion.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Durban, October 9, 1975:

And so far illusion is concerned, everyone is illusioned because I am not this body, but everyone is thinking, "I am this body." This is called illusion. Dehātma-buddhi. "I am not this body. I am spirit soul." Ahaṁ brahmāsmi. But I am thinking, "I am Indian," "I am American," "I am South African," "I am black," "I am white," "I am fat," "I am thin." This is bodily. This is called illusion.

Lecture on BG 7.1-3 -- Paris, June 13, 1974:

We accept this body as self. This is called illusion. According to Vedic understanding, anyone who thinks of this body as the self, he's animal. Just like a dog, he thinks that he is the body, similarly, if a man thinks that he is this body, he is American or Indian or Frenchman or German or Hindu or Muslim, with this bodily concept of life, so, according to Vedic understanding, this conception is animal conception. So this is called illusion.

Lecture on BG 7.2 -- Nairobi, October 28, 1975:

Now, after death he is coming to understand that "My father is gone." Why? Your father is lyi... It is lying there—the same hand, legs, heads, coat, pant—everything is lying there. Why do you say that your father has gone away? That means the real father he has never seen. He has seen the illusion of his father. This is called illusion. Is there any doubt? I am seeing you. What I am seeing, you? I am seeing your body, your shirt, coat, pant. That's all. But as Kṛṣṇa said, that dehino 'smin yathā dehe (BG 2.13), within this body the real person is there, just like within the shirt and coat the real person is there, so but the real person we never see. We see the shirt, coat, pant, and we take the shirt, coat, pant as this man. This is called illusion, to accept something for something else. The son did not know who is father. He is going on, calling the shirt, coat, pant of the father as "father." This is called illusion.

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

Similarly, we are illusioned. Illusioned means we accept something for something. Just like you are accepting this body—"I am American," "I am Indian"—but I am neither American nor Indian; I am spirit soul. This is called illusion.

Lecture on BG 9.2-5 -- New York, November 23, 1966:

At least every day we see so many death list. If you go to the crematorium ground, you can see. So ahany ahani lokāni gacchanti yama-mandiram, śeṣaḥ sthitam icchanti. But those who are still alive, they think, "Oh, death will not take place. I'll live. I'll live." He does not think that he... You are also subjected to this principle of dying. But he does not take it seriously. This is called illusion, māyā. He thinks, oh, that "I shall live forever. Therefore let me do whatever I like. There is no question of responsibility."

Lecture on BG 9.18-19 -- New York, December 4, 1966:

People do not know what is their destination of life. The destination of life is to reestablish his lost relationship with the Supreme Lord. That is his destination. Unfortunately, people do not know what is the destination. They are simply thinking, destination of life, to have the greatest amounts of sense gratification. This is illusion. Because we are materially absorbed and materially concept of life means these senses—we have no other information—so we are trying to squeeze out all kinds of pleasure from sense. This is called illusion. They have no other information. They are earning, working very hard, and the ultimate goal is sense gratification. This is illusion.

Lecture on BG 9.18-19 -- New York, December 4, 1966:

This is called durāśayā. Durāśayā means... Duḥ means very distant, or duḥ means very difficult, and āśayā means hope. This hope is never to be fulfilled. This is a hope which will never be fulfilled. This is called illusion. We are making progress to make perfect life by this material advancement. This is our undue hope. It will never be fulfilled. Durāśayā, bahir-artha-māninaḥ.

Lecture on BG 9.23-24 -- New York, December 10, 1966:

Suppose I want to become the president. So my business will be to keep the citizens satisfied. Otherwise, next vote, I shall not get the post. So I am being predominated by the voting power. But I am thinking that "I am predominator." This is called illusion. Nobody is predominator. He's predominated by some other principle.

Lecture on BG 13.3 -- Hyderabad, April 19, 1974:

So puruṣa, these living entities, although they have dressed like puruṣa, they are not puruṣa. They are prakṛti. Jīva-bhūtāṁ mahā-bāho (BG 7.5). They are superior prakṛti, but not puruṣa. But they are trying to be puruṣa. This is called illusion.

Lecture on BG 13.5 -- Paris, August 13, 1973:

Just like people are struggling. Wherever you go, material world, either you go to London or go to Paris or to Calcutta or Bombay, anywhere you go, what is the business? Everyone is struggling: (makes sounds) whoon, shoon, shoon, shoon, shoon, shoon, shoon. Day and night the motorcar going this way and that way, this way and that way. Last night I was speaking with Śrutakīrti. Wherever, we see this nonsense thing, whoo, shoo, shoon, shoon, shoon, shoon, shoo, shoo, shoo. Any city you go, the same road, same motorcar, same "whoo, shoosh," same petrol, that's all. (laughter) What is the difference? But we say—this is called illusion—"I have come to Paris. I have come to Calcutta." But where is the difference between Calcutta and Paris and Bombay? The same thing. Punaḥ punaḥ carvita-carvaṇānām. Again and again, chewing the chewed. That's all.

Lecture on BG 13.6-7 -- Bombay, September 29, 1973:

Here is one expert engineer, he knows how to mix these three things, tejo-vāri-mṛd-vinimayam, exchange. If there was no stock of tejo-vāri-mṛd-vinimayam, you could not build such a nice city. But who is supplying the ingredients? Can you create earth? No. Can you create water? No. You cannot create. You are simply working. You are simply working hard mixing them. That's all. Tejo vāri-mṛd-vinimayam. You cannot create. That is not possible. The creator is God. The creator is God. That is stated in the seventh chapter, prakṛtir me aṣṭadhā. Me, Kṛṣṇa says, "It is mine." So this is called illusion. We are using Kṛṣṇa's property, but we are claiming "our." That is called illusion.

Lecture on BG 13.20 -- Bombay, October 14, 1973:

Just like when we are diseased, we go to the physician and we try to cure the disease, similarly, we do not know what is our main disease. That is explained by Kṛṣṇa previously. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9)—this is our real disease, to take birth, to die, to become old and to become victims of disease. But nobody knows how to cure this, and still, we are very much proud of becoming advanced in education and civilization. This is called illusion. This is called illusion. The real disease is how to stop janma-mṛtyu.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.1.1 -- London, August 6, 1971:

Just like in your country especially—in all Western countries—there are so many statues. The same thing, tejo-vāri-mṛdāṁ vinimayaḥ. But when we install Deity, actually the form, eternal form of Kṛṣṇa, nobody offers obeisances. They'll go to offer obeisances to the dead. Just like in British Museum. They are standing in queue to offer obeisances to a dead body. It has no value, but they are wasting time there. But here, if they are invited, "Oh, they are worshiping idol. Why shall I go? Why shall I go there?" This is called illusion. They are actually doing that, obeisances, but not to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

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

So if a swan is provided with all the necessities of life, why I shall not be? I am so much developed human being. Why I am so much busy in economic development? This is called illusion. But one who is advanced in knowledge, he knows that "If the swan is already provided with all the necessities of life, then I shall also be provided with all the necessities of life. There is no need of endeavoring for it." That is a fact. That is the fact.

Lecture on SB 1.1.2 -- London, August 16, 1971:

So this is called illusion. I am accepting this body as self. I am accepting my father or my son... "Here is my son." What is that? "This body." Now, when the son is dead, he is crying, "My son is gone. My son is gone. Oh, my son, were you have gone?" Well, why you are crying? Here is your son. Here is your son, lying on the floor. Why you are crying that "My son is gone, gone, gone"? "No, no, no. My son is gone." This is illusion. He was all along illusioned to accept this body as his son. But at the time of death, he can understand that "The body was not my son. The son was a different thing which was within the body."

Lecture on SB 1.2.4 -- Rome, May 28, 1974:

So you know the story, that one dog was crossing over a small rivulet, and he saw the picture of another dog in the water. And actually, there was no dog. He was carrying some food in his mouth, and he saw another dog within the water. So he thought, "Let me take his foodstuff from the mouth," and as he opened the mouth, he wanted to take the other dog's foodstuff, so whatever he had, gone. You see? This is dog philosophy, "Take away." Take other's meal; he loses his own. This is called illusion, māyā.

Lecture on SB 1.2.9 -- Hyderabad, April 23, 1974:

The people do not understand that this material body means suffering. They do not understand. They think very nice body. The cats and dogs may think like that. Just like hog. Hog is thinking, "I am very happy," and he is getting fatty. You will find. They think, "I am very happy." What is that happiness? "Now, I am eating stool." "Oh, that's very good. Then where you are living?" "Now, in the most unsanitary condition." But he is also thinking that "I am happy." So this is called māyā. This is called illusion. Everyone is thinking that "I am happy," although his body, this material body, means suffering.

Lecture on SB 1.2.25 -- Los Angeles, August 28, 1972:

Every Vedic literature declares, every authority declares. He comes Himself to declare, but still we are so rascal, we are finding out, making research work, "What is the ādi-puruṣa?" This is called rascaldom. Everything is there, but the rascal will simply spoil their own time and spoil others' time making research work. This is called illusion. Everything is there. Sun is there, brilliant, and one is searching sun with a lamp. What is the use of this lamp? The sun is self-effulgent, you can see. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa is self-effulgent. By śāstra, by authority, by action, everything. Why you are wasting your time?

Lecture on SB 1.3.19 -- Los Angeles, September 24, 1972:

Why should we foolishly say, "It is mine, it is mine?" Ahaṁ mameti (SB 5.5.8). Janasya moho 'yam. This is called illusion. Nothing belongs to me, but I think that "This is mine, this is mine, this is mine." The whole world is going on (like) that. Ahaṁ mameti (SB 5.5.8). "We are Americans," "We are Indians," "This belongs to me," "That belongs to you." We make such, I mean to say, shareholder. But shareholder for other's property. Everything belongs to God.

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

People, everyone thinks that this body, "I am this body." If I ask any gentleman, "What you are?" He'll say, "I am Mr. Such-and-such. I am born in this country," "I am American," "I am Englishman," "I am Indian." These are all bodily description. But basically I am not this body. This is called illusion. You have got practical experience. When one man's father or son or any relative dies, he cries, "Oh, my son has gone away," "My father has gone away." Then, "Your father is lying there on the bed. How do you say that 'My father has gone away'? " That means the actual father, he has never seen. He has seen the body only. And on this bodily conception of life, everything is being manipulated. This is called illusion.

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

A person who is in the bodily concept of life, and thinking a bodily designation as everything, nationalism, or ..., bhauma ijya-dhīḥ. Bhauma, "on the land," ijya-dhīḥ... The whole world is going on, worshiping the land in which he is born. But he does not know that he took birth in many lands. Not only in this land, in other planet also. But he does not know which land (is) his own land. This is called illusion, yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhā..., sva-dhīḥ kalatrādiṣu bhauma ijya-dhīḥ.

Lecture on SB 1.15.20 -- Los Angeles, November 30, 1973:

Devotion is only applicable to Kṛṣṇa. If somebody is proclaiming himself that "I am devotee, servant of my nation, of my society, of my wife, of my children"—all false. Here nobody is devotee. Everyone has got some motive. Even the intimate relationship between husband and wife, there is some motive. The husband has got some motive and the wife has got... As soon as the motive is not fulfilled, divorce: "Ah, no more now. Take another chapter." So this is going on. You see? This is going on, and therefore in the name of devotion, in the name of love, in the name of faith, they are trying to satisfy their own senses. This is called illusion. And he will never be happy so long he will try to satisfy his senses. And that is the truth. They will never be happy.

Lecture on SB 1.15.31 -- Los Angeles, December 9, 1973:

Our position is sometimes we do mistake—"two plus two equals five." But it is not fact. So two plus two must be four. But if we make "five" or "three," that means the whole background becomes wrong. That is... we are liable to do that mistake. And illusion. Illusion means two plus two equal to four; I have written "five," but I am seeing it is all right. I'm seeing it is all right: "two." Therefore one should not correct himself. Another person should take the editorial correction work, because the man who has written he sees that it is right. This is called illusion.

Lecture on SB 1.16.22 -- Hawaii, January 18, 1974:

They have no idea of the spirit soul, simply body. "So the body is born in a particular land. Therefore I am national." Bhauma ijya-dhīḥ. They're sacrificing so much their energy for the particular land because by accident, he's born in this life in that land. Everything is described in the Bhāgavata. Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke sva-dhīḥ kalatrādiṣu bhauma ijya-dhīḥ (SB 10.84.13). Bhauma means land. So this is going on. This is called illusion. He has no connection with all these things. When one realizes that "I have no connection with this body, this country, this wife, these children, this soc... They're all illusory," that is called liberation.

Lecture on SB 2.1.2-5 -- Montreal, October 23, 1968:

So our present condition is diseased. Why you are dying? Because you are diseased. Why you are becoming old? Because you are diseased. That is due to this body. But actually I am spirit soul. I am neither old nor diseased, but I have fallen into the condition of material contamination. Therefore I am thinking that I am diseased. This is called māyā. Just like in the dream I am feeling that a tiger is eating me, and I am crying, "Here is a tiger eating me, eating me. Save me." But there is no tiger. This is called illusion, or māyā. But so long we'll have this body just like so long we shall dream, we shall have to suffer the effect, even it is illusion.

Lecture on SB 2.3.1-3 -- Los Angeles, May 22, 1972:

The love is there. It is reserved for Kṛṣṇa, but due to our foolishness, we are distributing that love in so many ways, up to the dog. This is called illusion. We do not know where to apply love.

Lecture on SB 2.9.2 -- Melbourne, April 4, 1972:

So "My wife, my children, my house, my family, my society, my country, my nation." This is going on. This rascaldom is going on. It is very difficult. You see? The whole world is being pushed on with this "I" and "mine." That's it. The "I" is mistaken (aside:) Don't sit like that. You must not show your feet to the Deity. "I" and "mine." This is going on. Mamāham iti manyate. Janasya moho 'yam. This is called illusion.

Lecture on SB 3.12.19 -- Dallas, March 3, 1975:

They are living under condition, but they are falsely thinking that "We are free." Is it not? Where is that freedom? Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). This rascal civilization do not admit this. They are so fool that they are conditioned in every step, and still they are thinking they are free. This is called illusion.

Lecture on SB 3.25.41 -- Bombay, December 9, 1974:

You can get a nice body or you can get a very bad body, not comfortable, cats' and dogs' body. But in every body the living entity thinks that he is very happy. This is called illusion.

Lecture on SB 3.26.8 -- Bombay, December 20, 1974:

This prakṛti is material, but we are falsely identifying ourself as something made of this matter. The whole scientific world is going on under this misconception of life, that we belong to this material world. This is called illusion.

Lecture on SB 3.26.26 -- Bombay, January 3, 1975:

Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi (BG 3.27). Guṇaiḥ karmāṇi. I am under the influence of different guṇas, and still, falsely, I am thinking that "I am the doer. I have got the capacity of acting. And the effect, whatever I have produced, it is due to my labor." This is called illusion, moha. Mohaḥ ayam ahaṁ mameti (SB 5.5.8). This conception of life is moha. Moha, delusion or illusion, just like a person in feverish convulsion is lying unconscious, thinking something else.

Lecture on SB 3.26.27 -- Bombay, January 4, 1975:

So this mind is material because it is the product of transformation of the modes of goodness. Then, gradually, being contaminated by different kinds of material desires, it becomes degraded. Kāma eṣa krodha eṣa rajo-guṇa-samudbhavaḥ. When it is deteriorated, then, from the standard of goodness, it comes to rajo-guṇa. And rajo-guṇa means lusty desires, unending desires. And if desires are not fulfilled, then there is krodha, anger. In this way, kāma krodha lobha moha mātsarya—everything becomes very prominent, and we become servant of these propensities, kāma, krodha, moha, mātsarya, mada, lobha. This is called illusion, gradually degraded mind.

Lecture on SB 3.26.39 -- Bombay, January 14, 1975:

The eleven senses, and the twelfth is the false ego. The false ego means I am thinking, "I am this body. I am body." Then expansion of body: "I belong to this family"; "I am the husband of this body"; "I am the father of this body"; "I am the brother of this body." Or "I belong to this nation"; "I belong to this species." This is called twelfth conception. It is different consciousness according to different body. And then "It is mine." With all these eleven senses, I form an idea of "I" and then my possession, "mine." Ahaṁ mameti (SB 5.5.8). Janasya moho 'yam. This is called illusion, māyā.

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

We have all God's quality because we are part and parcel of God, but it is covered by the material modes of nature. Tri-guṇa. Manyate tri-guṇātmakam. Yayā vimohito jīva manyate tri-guṇātmakam: "Being covered by this illusory energy, the jīva, the living being, although it is transcendental, as good as Kṛṣṇa, but," manyate tri-guṇātmakam, "he is thinking that 'I am one of the products of this material world.' " This is called māyā. This is called illusion. This is called ignorance.

Lecture on SB 5.5.8 -- Vrndavana, October 30, 1976:

If one is not jijñāsu, if one is not inquisitive about the miserable condition of his life, if he remains satisfied in miserable condition of life, then he is nothing but animal. Animal cannot understand. Animal is being taken to the slaughterhouse, and they are going very easily, and one animal enters the slaughterhouse shed, every animal will enter. In Hindi it is called bheriyagasa (?). One bheri enters, then all the bheris will enter, automatically. He does not know that "Where I am entering? I am entering in this way for being slaughtered." But he has no knowledge. This is going on. This is called illusion.

Lecture on SB 6.1.1 -- Melbourne, May 21, 1975:

When one comes to the point that "I have rendered service in so many ways. So neither I am happy nor the person to whom I have served, they are happy. Then what is the remedy?" That is discussed in the Vedānta-sūtra philosophy. Athāto brahma jijñāsā: "Now inquire about your real master, Brahman, or the Supreme, the great, the Absolute Truth." That is required. So we should be prepared like that, that we have served our propensities, different propensities, lusty desire, greediness, anger, kāma, krodha, lobha, mohaḥ... Mohaḥ means illusion. I am doing something wrong, and I am thinking it is all right. This is called illusion, mohaḥ.

Lecture on SB 6.1.17 -- Honolulu, May 17, 1976:

In the material world we have lost our memory that "I am part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, and my duty is to serve Kṛṣṇa." This is our position. This is called illusion. Just like this finger is the part and parcel of my body. So what is the duty of this finger? To abide by the order of the body. I want: "Finger, you stand like this"; the finger is standing. "You come here," "Yes." That is part and parcel. That is part and parcel. So if we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, our only duty is to serve Kṛṣṇa. There is no other duty. But we have created so many duties, and that is designation.

Lecture on SB 6.1.20 -- Honolulu, May 20, 1976:

When the child sleeps very peacefully, that "I am on the lap of my mother," now the time has come when the mother is killing the child. So is it very happiness place? That you cannot trust even your mother, what to speak of others. The time has come, degraded, that... Naturally a child, he thinks, "I am safe now with my mother." But the Kali-yuga is so cruel that even with mother you are not safe. And still you say it is a place of happiness? This is called illusion. It is not place.

Lecture on SB 6.1.26-27 -- Philadelphia, July 12, 1975:

We are in this conditioned state of life because we are separated from our original person, Kṛṣṇa. Because we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, we have forgotten this. We are thinking we are part and parcel of America or India. This is called illusion.

Lecture on SB 6.1.34-39 -- Surat, December 19, 1970:

We are all serving. Ekale īśvara kṛṣṇa āra saba bhṛtyā (CC Adi 5.142). This is a fact. Only master is Kṛṣṇa, and everyone is servant. Who can challenge this statement? Is there anyone within this hall, that "I don't serve anyone"? Is there anyone? And somebody is claiming that "I am God." Just see. This is called illusion, māyā. This claim is made by the illusioned living entity. Here, this material world means everyone is trying to become the master. And there is competition between one master to another. Because nobody is master, that competition, that "I shall become master," that is illusion. So in this illusory fighting and competition, when one fails, that "I could not become the master..."

Lecture on SB 7.6.16 -- New Vrindaban, June 30, 1976:

So this is called illusion. Ahaṁ mameti (SB 5.5.8), "It is mine, it is yours." Janasya moho 'yam ahaṁ mameti (SB 5.5.8). Why they should think like that? Bhagavān, in the Bhagavad-gītā He says that sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya mūrtayaḥ sambhavanti yāḥ: (BG 14.4) "All the forms of different grades of life," sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya mūrtayaḥ sambhavanti yaḥ tāsāṁ mahad yonir, "the material world is the mother and I am the father." Very simply understanding.

Lecture on SB 7.9.10 -- Montreal, July 12, 1968:

Just like I require fan. Why? Because I have been put into the condition of warm. I cannot tolerate it, but I have to live. Similarly severe cold. I do not want it, but I have to live. I do not want set fire at home, but there is fire, and there is fire brigade. In this way, in every step of our life we are always in danger. But foolish persons, they do not understand it. They are thinking that "I am happy." They are thinking... This is called illusion, māyā. Actually, he's unhappy in every step, but the spell of māyā or illusion is so strong that even in the lowest stage of life, anyone will think that he's happy.

Lecture on SB 7.9.11 -- Montreal, August 17, 1968:

Kṛṣṇa consciousness means to be situated in the actual fact. Whenever we claim something that "This is mine," it is called moha, illusion. Ahaṁ mameti (SB 5.5.8). Janasya moho ayam. This conception of "mine" and "I" is the platform of illusion. Janasya moho 'yam. This world, whole world, is moving under this illusion that "I am this body, and everything..." "I am the monarch of all I survey." This is the philosophy. "Whatever I can acquire, that is mine." This is wrong. This is called illusion.

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, January 2, 1973:

Eternally you are servant of Kṛṣṇa. But we have accepted the service of māyā, instead of Kṛṣṇa. And we are thinking we are independent. We are being kicked out every moment by māyā, and still I am thinking I'm God, I'm independent. This is called illusion. He's being slapped always, he's being kicked by māyā; still he's thinking that he's independent, he's God, he's big, he's minister, he is something, something, something. This is called māyā.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 4, 1972:

In the material world, in the world of dualities, either we think "This is pious" or either we think "This is impious," they are practically on the same platform. We take it as pleasure. Just like several times I have explained, people here in this material world, they are working very hard all day and night. And, when they gain some material profit, after working so hard, they think that "This is profit. This is happiness." Actually, where is the happiness? If one is working very hard, where is the happiness? So this is called illusion.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 1.2 -- Mayapur, March 26, 1975:

As soon as you get material body, there is suffering. It may be a king's body or it may be a cobbler's body, it doesn't matter, the suffering is there. But because these people are māyayāpahṛta-jñānā, they are accepting suffering as pleasure. This is called māyā. He's suffering, but he is thinking it is a good pleasure. Just like the pig. He's eating stool, and he's thinking he's enjoying life. This is called ignorant. He does not know that he's suffering. Māyā has given his body to suffer, but even in the pig's body, he's thinking that is enjoying life. This is called māyā. Mohitaṁ nābhijānāti mām ebhyaḥ param avyayam (BG 7.13). This is called illusion. Illusion. Everyone in this material world, they are suffering in different grades.

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.4 -- Mayapur, March 4, 1974:

People, conditioned soul, means they have forgotten Kṛṣṇa, and they are suffering, that's a fact. Tri-tāpa yantana, adhibhautika. But because they are illusioned, they are thinking, "We are enjoying." This is called illusion. They are suffering, working day and night like an ass, and still, he's thinking that he's very happy. But he does not know that there is a life where there is no such thing as to work hard.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.97-99 -- New York, November 22, 1966:

This is blank slate, admitting that "I am fool number one, but people say I am learned, and I accept it." This is our nature. This is called illusion. He will never think that "I am fool number one." He will always think, "Oh, who can be greater than me? I can think myself. Why? What is the necessity of a spiritual master? I can become a religious leader, I can become such and such, or..." This is our mentality. So this mentality should be sacrificed first, before going to a spiritual master.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.104 -- New York, July 10, 1976:

Here in this material world we are advanced in so-called civilization, but we are very much attached to this body. This is misconception. This is called illusion. This is, the dog is also thinking like that: "I am this body." So where is the difference? If the dog thinks, "I am this body," "I am Indian..." I think, "I am Indian"; Americans thinks he is... So where is the difference between the dog and me? There is no difference.

Sri Brahma-samhita Lectures

Lecture on Brahma-samhita, Verse 35 -- New York, July 31, 1971:

Prahlāda Mahārāja said māyā-sukhāya bharam udvahato vimūḍhān (SB 7.9.43), actually they are taking so much trouble for loading these big, big cases, but because they're getting, say $40.00 a day, they say, think, "I am enjoying. I am enjoying." Actually he's working so hard, just like ass or hogs, day and night, but because getting some money and with that money because he is gratifying his senses, he thinks "I am happy." This is illusion. Illusion. He does not know what is real happiness for a second. The illusory material world happiness means sex life, that's all. How long does it stay? Say for minutes. But they're working so hard. This is called illusion. Actually he is being killed, but he thinks that "I am enjoying." This is illusion. Opposite.

Festival Lectures

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

So this is illusion because I am not this body, you are not this body. Because at the time of death we can understand the body is there, but my relative is crying, "Oh, my son is gone." "My father is gone." Where he is gone? The body is there. Where is your father gone? No. Then we can... After death we can understand that "My father or my son was not this body. He was something else." So this is called illusion.

Initiation Lectures

Initiation of Satyabhama Dasi and Gayatri Initiation of Devotees Going to London -- Montreal, July 26, 1968:

It is not possible to enjoy this material world nicely. This is called illusion. Everyone is trying to enjoy this material world very nicely. That is illusion. There is no nice enjoyment. You can rise up to a very nice post, just like the President Kennedy. Oh, with great endeavor he rose up to that post, and all of a sudden he was shot down. So this material world is like that. You cannot have, I mean to say, undeterred, without any impediment, pleasure. No.

Initiation Lecture -- London, August 22, 1971:

The death is awaiting always. You are given a chance. If you don't take, properly utilize use this chance, then another death is coming, and you are awaiting another type of body according to your karma. We are manufacturing our next body. This is our position. So this initiation means to enter into transcendental life. Why? Now, to make a solution, complete solution of this material existence. This is called illusion. Ādau gurvāśrayaṁ sad-dharma-prcchāt sādhu-mārganugamanam. You will read all these things in our book, the Nectar of Devotion, and Bhagavad-gītā also.

Cornerstone Ceremonies

Cornerstone Laying -- Bombay, January 23, 1975:

I have seen there is enough land, especially in Africa, in Australia, in America, and we can produce so much food grains that ten times of this present population can be easily maintained. Ten times. There is no scarcity of food. But the difficulty is that we have demarcated, "This is my land." Somebody says, "This is America, my land," "Australia, my land," "The Africa, my land," "India, my land." This "my" and "I." Janasya moho 'yam ahaṁ mameti (SB 5.5.8). This is called illusion, that "I" and "my." "I am this body, and this is my property." This is called illusion. And this illusion, if we stand on this platform of illusion, then we are no better than the animals.

General Lectures

Lecture at Engagement -- Boston, May 8, 1968:

Without consciousness, without the soul's being present, this body is useless. But unfortunately we take care very much for this body, but we have no knowledge of the consciousness or the spirit soul. This is called illusion, ignorance, or māyā. We are very much serious about the nonpermanent things, the body which will not exist, which will be vanquished after certain period of years, but we do not take care of the eternal consciousness, which is changing from one body to another. This is the defect of the modern civilization.

Lecture -- Los Angeles, November 13, 1968:

A home life is just like desert without children. Children is the attraction of home life. So grha-kṣetra-suta āpta. Āpta means relatives or society. Sutāpta-vittaiḥ: and all these paraphernalia are to be maintained on money. Therefore money is required, vittaiḥ. In this way, one becomes entangled in this material world. Janasya moho 'yam. This is called illusion. Illusion. Why illusion? So important things, why illusion? Illusion means that this nice paraphernalia arrangement—home, life, apartment, wife, children, society, position—everything is all right, but as soon as this body is finished, everything is finished. You're in a next platform. You do not know what is next platform. The next platform may be a human being or a cat or a dog or a demigod or anything. You do not know.

Lecture -- Los Angeles, November 13, 1968:

Bhakti, this devotional service, means when you engage your senses for the satisfaction of the master of the senses. The supreme master of the senses is Kṛṣṇa. So we are trying to apply the senses for our personal service. This is called māyā; this is called illusion. The same senses purified, when they'll be engaged in the service of Kṛṣṇa, that is perfection.

Engagement Lecture -- Buffalo, April 23, 1969:

Another imperfectness is that every man is illusioned. Illusioned means to accept something which is not, phantasmagoria. Just like every one of us in this meeting, we are under the impression that "I am this body." But actually I am not this body. This is called illusion, māyā.

Lecture with Allen Ginsberg at Ohio State University -- Columbus, May 12, 1969:

In the material existence we have got two diseases: hankering for things which we do not possess, and lamenting for things which we have lost. But actually we don't possess anything; everything belongs to God. That is the Vedic injunction. Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (ISO 1). Whatever we see, that is the property of the Supreme Lord. And this claiming that "This is my property. This is my body. This is my country. This is my home. This is my..., this is my...," this is called illusion.

Conway Hall Lecture -- London, September 15, 1969:

When I think, "I am Englishman" or "I am Indian," this is my designation. Because as soon as I change this body, I accept another body. Then all my philanthropy as Englishman or Indian—immediately finished. Just like President Kennedy's presidentship and philanthropy all finished. Now we do not know where is Mr. Kennedy and what he is doing. But he has got a body. That's a fact. That I have already explained. But neither you know, neither he knows that "I was President," or "I was this or that." Therefore this is called illusion, māyā.

Lecture (Day after Lord Rama's Appearance Day) -- Los Angeles, April 16, 1970:

One who is fortunate, he can pray to God, "Please give me relief from this condition. This time I shall try my best not to come again in this position of life." So there is severe pain of birth. Similarly, there is severe pain during death. And for disease and old age, everyone has got experience. When you are diseased, simple, if you have got some headache... So these miseries are there always. If we forget and if we think that we are living very comfortably, this is called illusion.

Pandal Lecture -- November 14, 1971, Delhi:

Similarly, when I give up this body, then I must accept another body. Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ. But that I do not know. That will be considered by higher authorities, daiva-netreṇa, exactly as I told you that the service record is checked by higher authorities and he is promoted. So how one can know where one has gone? We keep one man's statue, but we do not know where the man has gone, where the soul has gone. But we keep the statue as if he is staying there. This is called illusion.

Rotary Club Lecture -- Ahmedabad, December 5, 1972:

Actually who is in knowledge, he should know, "Where is happiness? I do not wish to die; I am dying. I do not wish to be diseased; I am diseased. I do not wish to become old; I am becoming old. So where is my happiness?" This is called māyā. There is no happiness, but still, he's thinking that he is in happiness. This is called illusion. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). So this is... Just like the animal is in illusion. A hog is eating stool, but he's thinking that "I am enjoying, very nice." He's becoming fat. This is called illusion. You are not happy. Nobody's happy in this material world.

Rotary Club Lecture -- Ahmedabad, December 8, 1972 'The Present Need of Human Society':

Just like we accept this body, material body, as self. That is the conception of the general people at the present moment, especially. "I am this body." "I am Indian," "I am American," "I am brāhmaṇa," "I am śūdra." Like that. Bodily conception of life. This is illusion. Actually, I am not this body. But because we are lacking knowledge, imperfect, insufficient knowledge, therefore we are accepting this body as self. This is called illusion.

Lecture -- Jakarta, February 28, 1973:

Suppose I become president of a certain state. What is my position? My position is to serve the country there. But I am thinking, "Now I am president." Similarly, in family life the head of the family, he's thinking that he's master, but actually he's serving his wife, his children, his servant. So our actual position is servitude. We serve. Either I become president or minister or head of the family, head of the community, society—whatever I may be, my position is servant, but I'm thinking that I have become master. This is called illusion.

Purports to Songs

Purport to Parama Koruna -- Atlanta, February 28, 1975:

Vidyā means vairāgya-vidyā. Vidyā does not mean to become more and more attached to this material world. That is not... That is avidyā, illusion, because I will not be able to save this body. This body will change. I will be annihilated. But still, I am very much anxious for this body. This is called illusion or ignorance or avidyā. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu came to teach us vairāgya-vidyā, how to become detached.

Purport to Parama Koruna -- Atlanta, February 28, 1975:

A brāhmaṇa is not interested with pounds, shilling, pence, "Get money and enjoy." That is not brāhmaṇa's business. What us enjoyment? That is illusion. You cannot enjoy because you are conditioned by the stringent laws of nature, and where is enjoyment? There is no enjoyment. But they are thinking, "I am enjoying." This is called illusion, māyā.

Page Title:This is called illusion (Lectures)
Compiler:Labangalatika
Created:07 of Jan, 2010
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=93, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:93