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Unnecessary (Lectures)

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 2.2-6 -- Ahmedabad, December 11, 1972:

Unnecessarily, there was no need of killing animals. That is great sin. Dyūtaṁ pānaṁ striyaḥ sūnā yatrādharmaś catur-vidhaḥ (SB 1.17.38). Striya, illicit connection with woman, is sinful life. Unnecessarily killing animals, that is sinful life. Intoxication, that is sinful life. Gambling, that is also sinful life. When this Kali was excused, he surrendered himself to Mahārāja Parīkṣit that "You have asked me to go out of your kingdom, but where is out of your kingdom? The whole world is your kingdom. So kindly give me some place where I can stay." So Mahārāja Parīkṣit gave him these four places, that "You can stay where illicit sex life is going on." That mean prostitution. "And unnecessary animals are killed, slaughterhouse." Striya-sūnā-pāna-dyūta (SB 1.17.38). "Where intoxicants are indulged in or gambling. In these four places you can stay." So at that time, Kali could not find out such place, throughout the whole world. So he was disturbed. So there was conspiracy to kill Mahārāja Parīkṣit because the Kali could understand that so long Mahārāja Parīkṣit would live, it is impossible to find out a slaughterhouse or a brothel or a drinking house or gambling place. No.

So the kingdom was so nice. We have got description from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Mahārāja Parīkṣit, Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, many. The monarchy was so nice that because they were trained up, rājarṣi... They were not ordinary kings. They were as good as great sages and great saintly person. Imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). Kṛṣṇa said, imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam (BG 4.1). Kṛṣṇa said to the sun-god Vivasvān. And so He said, "The sun-god transferred the teaching to his son Manu, and Manu transferred the teaching to Mahārāja Ikṣvāku." Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam (BG 4.2). In this way, the point is that the philosophy of Bhagavad-gītā was especially taught to the royal order because they would know. They should know.

Lecture on BG 2.20-25 -- Seattle, October 14, 1968:

Prabhupāda: Then here is the solution. He's simply taking unnecessary trouble. Kṛṣṇa says that "I'll supply you everything. There is no necessity of going from here to there." No. But I'm not accepting it. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9). One who understands this, "how Kṛṣṇa is helping me, how He is my, the greatest well-wisher, friend," immediately we can stop all these problems of life and go back to Godhead, go back to home.

Viṣṇujana: "But as soon as he agrees to accept the other bird as the supreme spiritual master as Arjuna has agreed to do, by voluntary surrender unto Kṛṣṇa for instruction, the subordinate bird immediately becomes free from all lamentation."

Prabhupāda: Yes. As Arjuna has accepted. Arjuna was talking with Kṛṣṇa as friend, but he has accepted. Although he is friend, he has accepted Him as spiritual master. The significance is that as soon as you accept somebody as spiritual master, you cannot argue. You have to accept. You have to accept. Therefore the selection of spiritual (master) must be very scrutinizing. You cannot accept anyone as spiritual master. You must be very much satisfied that here is a person who can solve the problems of my life. Just like Arjuna thought. He plainly said that "The problem which is before me, I know, beyond You, besides You, nobody can make solution." That is the way of accepting spiritual master.

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

Prabhupāda: Yes. Are you doing that? Are you doing that?

Indian (2): No, I am asking... That is the doubt.

Prabhupāda: That is doubt. Why? You are creating why unnecessary arguments? If you understand that Kṛṣṇa says karmaṇy evādhikāras te mā phaleṣu kadācana, you work hard, earn lakhs of rupees, and give it to Kṛṣṇa. Then you understand. Yat karoṣi yaj juhoṣi yad aśnāsi yat tapasyasi kuruṣva tad mad-arpaṇam (BG 9.27). So are you doing that? As soon as you get money, "Oh, it is for me. I shall go to hotel."

Indian (2): No, my doubt is, Swamiji, why...?

Prabhupāda: You will be always in doubt. You have to go to a spiritual master. And don't bother and waste my time in that way. You have got so many doubts. If you want to clear your doubts, then you have to surrender somewhere. You will keep yourself as you are, and I am meant for clearing your doubts. (laughter)

Indian (2): I am trying to(?) I surrender.

Prabhupāda: That's all right. Come on. Live with him. Come on. You are welcome, very welcome.

Indian (2): I'm not talking that...

Lecture on BG 2.27-38 -- Los Angeles, December 11, 1968:

Prabhupāda: Purport. Read on.

Devotee: "According to logicians, one has to take birth according to one's activities of life. After finishing one term of activities, one has to die to take birth for the next. In this way the cycle of birth and death is revolving, one after the other, without liberation. This cycle of birth and death does not, however, support unnecessary murder, slaughter and war unnecessarily. But at the same time, violence and war are inevitable factors in human society for keeping law and order. The Battle of Kurukṣetra, being the will of the Supreme, was an inevitable event, and to fight for the right cause is the duty of a kṣatriya. Why should he be afraid of or aggrieved at the death of his relatives since he was discharging his proper duty? He did not deserve to break the law, thereby becoming subjected to the reactions of sinful acts, of which he was so afraid. By ceasing from the discharge of his proper duty, he would not be able to stop the death of his relatives, and he would be degraded on account of his selection of the wrong path of action." 28: "All created beings are unmanifest in their beginnings, manifest in their interim state, and unmanifest again when they are annihilated. So what need is there for lamentation (BG 2.28)?" 29.

Prabhupāda: This another theory, that voidism, that before our, this manifested life, there was void, and after this manifestation is over, still there will be void. Because according to voidism, everything is manifested originally void. So Kṛṣṇa puts forward this argument that before this manifested form of life there was void, and after this manifested life, there will be void, according to the void philosophy. Then where is the cause of lamentation? There is no cause of lamentation. It was void and it is going to be void. So where is the cause of lamentation? But actually that is... Originally, it was not void. That is a Bhagavad-gītā and Vaiṣṇava theory.

Lecture on BG 2.27-38 -- Los Angeles, December 11, 1968:

So urukramāṅghrim, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, cannot be understood. And if it is understood, spṛśaty anarthāpagamo yad-arthaḥ. If one understands what is urukramāṅghrim, God the great, then immediately all his ignorance, illusion, is over. Anartha-upaśama. Anartha means just like we are unnecessarily entangled in these material affairs. So if one understands the urukramāṅghrim, God, then immediately his entanglement in these unnecessary activities of the material world becomes stopped. But how it is possible? Mahīyasāṁ pāda-rajo-'bhiṣekaṁ niṣkiñcanānāṁ na vṛṇīta yāvat. Mahīyasāṁ niṣkiñcanānām.

Niṣkiñcana means a great personality who has become completely freed from all material consciousness. He is called mahīyasām. He is also great, the great soul. So unless one takes shelter of the lotus feet or the dust of the lotus feet of a great personality who has no material affection, nobody can understand what is God. Naiṣāṁ matis tāvad urukramāṅghriṁ spṛśaty anarthāpagamo yad-arthaḥ (SB 7.5.32). As soon as one understands the spirit soul and the supreme soul... That can be understood only when one is taken shelter of a great personality freed from material contamination. This is the version of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Otherwise, it is amazement. To understand about soul is amazement. To understand about God is amazement. So Vedic injunction is therefore that if you are at all serious to understand tad vijñānam, that science, transcendental science... Tad vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). The Veda says, "Then you must find out a bona fide spiritual master." Tad vijñānārtham, if you are seriously interested. Go on.

Lecture on BG 2.27-38 -- Los Angeles, December 11, 1968:

No, first of all try to understand this, that piercing the knife in the body is not always bad. Similarly, war or fighting is not always bad, provided it is done for right cause. That should be understood. So when the director is Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself, is directing, so there is no cause of stopping it. He has His plan, He knows. We cannot judge. So He's the Supreme. So that war is necessary because it is desired by the Supreme Lord. To maintain the laws of the world, as to maintain the laws and order of a state, there is violence department, the police department, the military department. Why? The government can stop it. "Oh, this is unnecessary expenditure." No. That is necessity for maintenance of the state. Similarly, war is sometimes necessary for maintenance of the order of the world. But people have misused. That is a different thing. But here, in this battlefield of Kurukṣetra, there is no question of misuse. Because it is under the direction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, there is no such question of misusing. War is necessary, but that does not mean it should be misused. There are so many instances. Just like sex life is necessary for generating for progeny. But that is being misused for sense gratification. That is another thing. In Bhagavad-gītā it is said that "sex life in religious principle." Religious principle means, according to Vedic injunction, putra te kriyate bhāryā, putra piṇḍa prayojanam. There is necessity of a bona fide son in the family, and to beget a bona fide son, there is necessity of accepting wife. So acceptance of such wife and sex life in that connection is not abominable. But to keep some friend and enjoy sex life for sense gratification, that is abominable. But the function is the same. Somebody may say, "Oh, this is also sex life, that is also sex life." But there is much difference. Similarly, apparently, a thing may appear to be the same, but it has got great significance. That is to be judged by higher authorities. That higher authority, supreme authority, is there, Kṛṣṇa Himself.

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

Here the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, this chanting, is directly offering spiritual life. Even one is not in goodness, even one is in the darkest part of the quality of ignorance, still, he can be immediately elevated to the spiritual platform, which is recommended by Kṛṣṇa, that you have come to the platform above the modes of goodness. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is directly offering the spiritual platform which is above the mode of goodness. The quality of goodness will (be) automatically there. Any person who is in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, his quality of goodness, namely, he does not indulge in illicit sex life, he does not smoke even or take tea or coffee even, he does not eat any forbidden foodstuff, neither he takes part in unnecessary gambling. So good character is immediately there. That is the test. How one is spiritually advanced will be tested how he has acquired all the good qualities. Not that a yogi talking with a cigarette in hand. There is a picture. (laughs) In our Back to Godhead somebody was talking with our representative. He cannot give up smoking even for a moment, chain smoker, and claiming, "I am God, I am spiritually advanced," (laughs) and so many nonsense thing. You see. He's being kicked up by material energy in so many ways, and still he's claiming, "Oh, everyone is God, I am God." God is so cheap thing, you see. And they are satisfied. "I am God." That's all. So this bluffing, these cheating things are going on. And because we are unable to cheat and bluff, nobody cooperates with us. They want to be cheated and bluffed. That is the business. Yes. Go on.

Lecture on BG 2.58-59 -- New York, April 27, 1966:

The whole material atmosphere is going on, but we... There is a program. There is a plan. The plan is that, as soon as the living entity is promoted by gradual evolution, promoted to the platform of human life, he has to understand his spiritual position. That is the whole program. The nature is going on on this plan of the Supreme Lord. The plan of the Supreme Lord. All the living entities here, in this, whatever we see... Sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya sambhavanti mūrtayaḥ yāḥ (BG 14.4). The Lord says, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa says, "Whatever forms of life, living entities, you are seeing before you, all of them are born of Me. They are My part and parcel. I am..." Ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā. "I am the father. I am the father." So Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, or God, He is the father of every living being. He does not like to see that His sons undergo unnecessary miseries. He does not like to see. Why? If we are sons of God, and what is the position of God? All powerful, all opulence, all wealth, all beauty, all knowledge, everything in full. That is the conception of God. Now, if we are sons of God, then we are very rich man's son. Then why should he suffer? We should not have suffered. But some way or other, by material contact, we are suffering. We are suffering. Now, this suffering, we have become so much accustomed to sufferings that we have taken it granted that these sufferings are nonmaterial. "Let us enjoy this material life. This suffering..." They don't care for suffering. You see? They want this material enjoyment, which is the cause of his bondage. It is cause of bondage. So they do not want... Just like there are some prisoners who do not like to get out of the prison life. They think it is better to remain in the prison because "I have no responsibility. If I go outside the prison, oh, I will have to search out some work. Oh, that is botheration. Let me remain here." Or even after the termination of the prison life, when he comes out, he commits again some criminal act so that he may be put again into the jail. He has been accustomed. Similarly, he does not take seriously the miseries of prison life.

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

That point we have discussed several times. That consciousness is the symptom of your existence in this body. So long that consciousness is there, this bodily function is going on very nicely.

Now, you are eating. You do not know how your foodstuff is going to the stomach, how it is being transformed into different kinds of secretion, how it is being transferred from the stomach to the heart, how that secretion becoming red, and that red blood is again circulated from the brain to the toe. These nice machinery work is going on within your body. This physiological condition is present in your body. You are taking your foodstuff. The necessary juice, vitamins, are taken by the stomach. It is distributed, and the exhaustion of your body is supplemented, and the unnecessary things evacuated by stool, urine. The nice thing is going on. Now, as soon as this consciousness is stopped, will this function go any more? No. You will find the same brain is there; the same heart is there; the same stomach is there by dissection of the body. You will see the same veins. Everything is there complete. But only thing is wanting—that consciousness. Therefore everything is stopped. This is a common factor. Everyone can know it.

Similarly, the whole cosmic manifestation which is present before you, so nicely going on, don't you think there is a consciousness behind it? How can you deny that there is no consciousness in the matter of sun rising, moon rising, seasonal changes, and so many planets floating in the air? So many wonderful things are being done in the material nature. Do you think it is without being done, consciousness? No. There is also consciousness. Just like for the management of your own body, due to the consciousness everything is being well done, similarly, everything that you see very nicely well done in the material nature, that is also being done by superior consciousness. This is human reasoning. How can you deny it? Can you deny it? I don't think any sane man can deny it.

Lecture on BG 4.12-13 -- New York, July 29, 1966:

His name was Bhaktisāraṅga Goswami. He went to London. Just as I have come to your New York, he went to London and he formed a society also there in which Lord Rolandcey(?), the Marquis of Zetland... He was formerly governor of Bengal during British period, and in our childhood, when we were college student, in boyhood, I saw him. He is very interest in India philosophy. He's a Scotsman but very interested. Lord Rolandcey. So that Lord Rolandcey, he was very kind enough to become the president of that society my Godbrother organized in London. So Lord Rolandcey and that, my Godbrother, is talking. So Lord Rolandcey asked him, "Well, Swamiji, can you make me a brāhmaṇa?" "Yes, why not? Yes, why not? You can become a brāhmaṇa." "So what are the conditions?" My Godbrother said, "The preliminary four conditions." "What are these conditions?" "Now, striya-sūnā-pāna-dyūta yatra pāpaś catur-vidhāḥ: (SB 1.17.38) You cannot have any illicit connection with woman, you cannot have any intoxication habit, you cannot indulge in gambling or unnecessary sporting, and you cannot live on animal food." Lord Rolandcey replied, "It is impossible. It is impossible." (laughs)

So these things, these four principles, preliminary, if we actually want to be a brāhmaṇa, then we have to take care of these four principles of life just to become a brāhmaṇa. Yes. Then everyone can become a brāhmaṇa. There is no bar. And whoever becomes a brāhmaṇa, he knows what is Brahman. And Kṛṣṇa is Parambrahman. Parambrahman. You'll find in the Tenth Chapter. He is addressed by Arjuna, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān: (BG 10.12) "By studying Bhagavad-gītā I now understand that Kṛṣṇa, You are Parambrahman." Paraṁ dhāma: "You are the shelter of everyone." So He is Parambrahman. So anyone who becomes a brāhmaṇa, he first of all knows what is Brahman—brahma-jijñāsā—the Supreme, the Absolute Truth. And the Absolute...

Lecture on BG 6.47 -- Ahmedabad, December 12, 1972:

These are the steps, krama. Krama means one after another. So our, this Kṛṣṇa Consciousness Movement is enacted just to create little faith. In Kṛṣṇa. Then the person whom we are trying to help, his business is to associate with sādhu. Satāṁ prasaṅgān mama vīrya-saṁvido bhavanti hṛt-karṇa-rasāyanāḥ kathāḥ (SB 3.25.25). Satāṁ prasaṅgāt. If we discuss Kṛṣṇa consciousness... Boddhayantaṁ parasparaṁ tuṣyanti ca ramanti ca. Everywhere, the same thing. So śraddhā is required. Then sādhu-saṅga (CC Madhya 22.83), then bhajana-kriyā. If anyone actually seriously associates with sādhu, the next stage will be bhajana-kriyā. How to worship. Bhajana-kriyā. Tataḥ anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt. Then anartha. Anartha means unnecessary things. We have practiced so many unnecessary things in our life. Unnecessary things, when they are too much strong, that becomes sinful life. Unnecessary. The modern civilization is simply meant for creating unnecessary necessities of life. That's all. So we are becoming deviated from God. The more we are advancing in so-called material civilization, we are more becoming far away from God. Therefore Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura has sung: jaḍa-bidyā jato, māyāra vaibhava, tomāra bhajane bādhā. Jaḍa-bidyā, the material education, they are simply paraphernalia of this illusory energy, māyāra vaibhava. And the effect of this advancement of material civilization means stopping one's relationship with God. Jaḍa-bidyā jato, māyāra vaibhava, tomāra bhajane bādhā, anitya saṁsāre. Anitya means this temporary life, this... Everyone, we are in this material world, say, for fifty years, sixty years, hundred years. That is temporary. In the unlimited time, a duration of life, say of hundred years, that is nothing. Even, not even a point. It is very temporary, but in this temporary life, we are addicted to so many unnecessary things, and we are forgetting our real business, how to go to home, back to home, back to Godhead.

Lecture on BG 6.47 -- Ahmedabad, December 12, 1972:

Even, not even a point. It is very temporary, but in this temporary life, we are addicted to so many unnecessary things, and we are forgetting our real business, how to go to home, back to home, back to Godhead.

Therefore Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura laments... He was a great, responsible government officer, magistrate, but a great devotee of the Lord, and he's one of the ācāryas, Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura. So he writes about his own experience that jaḍa-bidyā jato, māyāra vaibhava, tomāra bhajane bādhā. The more we make advancement in the temporary materialistic comforts, the more we become implicated in unnecessary things and they are all impediments for making progress in spiritual life. That is his opinion. And that's a fact. We have seen in Western countries, they are still more materially advanced, but spiritually, they are dull, block-headed, spiritually. Very difficult to convince them spiritually. So sādhu-saṅga (CC Madhya 22.83), by association of sādhus one can achieve advancement in spiritual life. And in all śāstras it is recommended that associate.

Lecture on BG 6.47 -- Ahmedabad, December 12, 1972:

Tyaja durjana-saṅga. Give up association with bad elements. What are the bad elements? That is also explained by Caitanya Mahāprabhu. A devotee asked him that what should be the behavior of a person who is spiritually inclined, or Vaiṣṇava? Spiritually inclined means Vaiṣṇava. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that: asat-saṅga-tyāga ei vaiṣṇava-ācāra (CC Madhya 22.87). Those who are interested in spiritual life, or to become a devotee, the first business is to give up the association of bad elements. Asat-saṅga-tyāga vaiṣṇava-ācāra. In one line. Then next question is then who is asat? Asat eka strī-saṅgī kṛṣṇa-abhakta āra. There... He has described who is asat. Strī-saṅgī. Strī-saṅgī means those who are unnecessary addicted to women. Unnecessary. One should be married. One must have children. That is not illicit association. But otherwise... Kṛṣṇa also says: dharmāviruddhaḥ kāmo 'smi. Kāma, lust, sex life, which is not against religious principles, that I am. That kind of lust I am. So dharma... So according to religious system, people should not be cats and dogs or hogs in the matter of sex life. They must have married wife, married husband. And only for nice children, they should unite. These are the descriptions given by the... Viṁśati prakāra dharma-śāstra manu-saṁhitā. Not otherwise.

Therefore it is called gṛhastha-āśrama. Āśrama. The sannyāsa-āśrama, gṛhastha-āśrama, vānaprastha-āśrama. Everything is āśrama. We can understand, as soon as this word is used, āśrama, it means there is some spiritual tint or spiritual life. So gṛhastha, that is also spiritual life. One may lie with wife and children, and execute spiritual life. All the associates of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, they were all gṛhasthas. Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Himself, also was gṛhastha. So to become gṛhastha is not a disqualification. But to live as a gṛhastha according to the injunction of the śāstras, that is required. That, Kṛṣṇa says: dharmāviruddhaḥ kāma, which is not against religious principle, that sort of lust I am. So when Caitanya Mahāprabhu says: asat eka strī-saṅgī, that means one who is not satisfied. His, I mean to say, religious life with wife. That, that kind... He's asādhu. He's asādhu. Kṛṣṇa... Strī-saṅgī and kṛṣṇa-abhakta. He summarizes the description of asādhu in two words. One who is too much addicted to sense enjoyment and one who not a devotee of Kṛṣṇa. He's asādhu.

Lecture on BG 6.47 -- Ahmedabad, December 12, 1972:

So this is our foolishness, that we are trying to be happy in a place which is recommended by the Creator Himself: duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15). Duḥkhālayam. This is called foolishness. Therefore Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura says: anitya saṁsāre. We are already in a distressed place, and we are increasing our distressed condition of life. That means you are becoming more and more ass. By the name of so-called advancement of education. Jaḍa-bidyā jato, māyāra vaibhava, tomāra bhajane bādhā. If, by advancement of civilization, we forget God and forget the mission of our life, that is nothing but to become like an ass. Unnecessary working. The ass... The example is given, the ass, because ass has no sense. He works very hard. The... You have got experience. The washerman's ass, it is loaded with three tons of cloth and takes it to the ghāṭa and again brings it. And what is the result? He gets little grass. That's all. But he has no sense that this grass, I can get anywhere. Why I am so working hard for this washerman? Therefore it is ass. I'll take four cāpāṭis, but I am working so hard. There is no limit of my working. And one day Kṛṣṇa comes. Please get out. Finished. So we are all asses. Therefore Kavirāja Gosvāmī says: kṛṣṇa yei bhaje se baḍa catura. Only intelligent man is he who is Kṛṣṇa conscious. Otherwise all asses.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Ahmedabad, December 13, 1972:

Every house, every householder, they must... What is the difficulty? Just like we have got in this platform, Deity of Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, everyone can install Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa Deity at home and under the instruction of spiritual master and shastric regulations. Then, if we engage ourselves in arcana-vidhi, then automatically, all the anomalies of life will stop. Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgo 'tha bhajana-kriyā (Cc. Madhya 23.14-15). This arcana-vidhi is one of the items of bhajana, bhajana-kriyā. So anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt. If every house engages in this arcana-vidhi, so many unwanted things will vanish. You'll have no more interest for seeing cinema or going to the restaurant or smoking biḍi and wasting time by unnecessary talks. So many things. And your life will be perfect. So many nonsense things will go automatically. Anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt. So therefore to become Kṛṣṇa conscious, every house, everywhere, every person, every human being should adopt this arcana-vidhi. Then at least he will save so many unnecessary... Anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt. Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgaḥ (Cc. Madhya 23.14-15).

Lecture on BG 7.8-14 -- New York, October 2, 1966:

The purport of this verse is that jñāne prayāsam udapāsya: "One should give up his unnecessary endeavor for philosophical speculation about God." One should give it up, jñāne prayāsam, because by speculation you cannot reach to the ultimate truth. How far... How can you... Just suppose we are speculating... Very great scientists are speculating about the nature of the moon from here. But they are speculating. They have not come to any conclusion. So you go on speculating, which you have no experience. You go on speculating, but the real nature of that thing will never come to you.

So jñāne prayāsam. Especially for understanding God, or God consciousness, speculation is useless. So Lord Caitanya, I mean to say the Bhāgavata, says that jñāne prayāsam udapāsya, that that sort of endeavor, speculating, should be given up. Namanta eva: "You just become submissive." Just become submissive, that "What I am? I am insignificant creature in this universe." This world, this earth, is an insignificant point in the universe. And within this earth, the America is a small spot. And within America, this New York City is another small spot. And in this New York City, I am there. So what is my importance? So we should understand that we are very insignificant in comparison to the creation of the whole cosmic situation and God. So we should be very submissive. We should understand our position. Artificially, we should not be puffed up, the frog philosophy.

Lecture on BG 7.16 -- Bombay, April 7, 1971:

"You can have sex life with your religiously married wife. Not otherwise." Actually, married sex life is not required, but it is just like license. The same thing, that there is no necessity of drinking wine, but those who are habituated, those who want to drink, for them, government opens, under so many restrictions, a liquor shop. The śāstra also gives us this license. The Gosvāmīs of Vṛndāvana, they were ideal saintly persons. About them it is said, nidrāhāra-vihārakādi-vijitau **. They conquered over the necessities of this body, which is called viṣaya. Conquering over sleeping, conquering over sex life, and conquering over eating, these things are required. Pious life means gradually decreasing the unnecessary bodily demands. That is pious life. That is the sum and substance. Because Kṛṣṇa says here that catur-vidhā bhajante māṁ sukṛtinaḥ: "Those who are living pious life." And those who are not living pious lives, they are called duṣkṛtina, sinful life.

So by indulging in sinful life it is not possible to understand Kṛṣṇa. That is, Kṛṣṇa also says in various places in the Bhagavad-gītā. I have repeatedly informed you, yeṣām anta-gataṁ pāpam. One who is completely free from all sinful life... Janānāṁ puṇya-karmaṇām. This is puṇya-karma, not to indulge in illicit sex life, not to indulge in nonvegetarian diet, not to indulge in gambling, and not to indulge in intoxicants. So catur-vidhā bhajante māṁ sukṛtino 'rjuna ārto arthārthī jñānī jijñāsuḥ. Four kinds of men who are actually leading pious life, such persons... (applause) Hare Kṛṣṇa. Such persons, when they are distressed... Ārta means distressed. We have go so many distresses in this material life: tri-tāpa, three kinds of distresses, pertaining to the body, pertaining to the mind, distresses offered by other living entities. Adhibhautika, adhyātmika, adhidaivika. We are always in distress; that is a fact. But there is a covering influence of māyā that even in distressed condition, we think that we are happy. That is covering influence of māyā.

Lecture on BG 15.15 -- August 5, 1976, New Mayapur (French farm):

Prabhupāda: So what gain we'll get? You are here in this France and... Don't be, I mean to say, subject to this unnecessary... What is the profit? Be practical man. What is the profit there. Suppose they have gone to hell or moon, but what is the profit? Why don't you study practically? What profit do we get? If after spending millions of dollars, if you have brought some sand, the sand is available so much here. So what is the profit? Just like the moon planet is there in such a vast sky. That is one corner, an insignificant corner it is occupying. So even if you go there, then what about the vast sky? What can you do? So be practical. What is the use of wasting time in that way? But as we say, that you can go to the moon planet. For that you have to prepare in a different way. Not that you get a small tricycle and go to the moon. (laughter) That is foolishness. So in our childhood also we were imagining, "I have got this tricycle, I shall go to Europe, I shall go to the West, or..." It is like that.

Devotee: You said that Kṛṣṇa speaking through intuition. Is it therefore possible to follow Kṛṣṇa by following the intuition?

Prabhupāda: There are two kinds of following. You want to do something by your whims and you could not fulfill that whim in one life. So Kṛṣṇa is so kind, He gives you opportunity to fulfill that desire in this next life and gives you, "Now you wanted like this. Here is the opportunity, do it." But that is not good for you. You wanted it, so Kṛṣṇa gives you the opportunity. The best thing would be that what Kṛṣṇa says, you do that, then you'll be happy. Otherwise, you'll have to go life after life and fulfill your whims and desires. Kṛṣṇa will give you opportunity, but that will not solve your problems.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.1.1 -- Caracas, February 20, 1975:

They have no other answer. And if you ask him, "What you will do with your money?" then he will say, "I shall live in a very nice apartment, I shall eat very nice foodstuff, I shall have to enjoy very good sex life and I will have to defend myself." But the Bhāgavata says, or the supreme authority says, "No, this is not your business. Because you are human being... This business is also there in the animal life. Therefore your business is tattva-jijñāsā, jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā. When you are developed animal... Now you are also animal because you don't enquire about the Absolute Truth. But you are developed, so now your business is to enquire about the origin of everything." Your business is not to increase the problem of the four necessities of life. By this karma or unnecessary activities you are increasing simply problems.

Just like amongst the birds and beasts there is no economic problem. The birds rise in the morning, and they chirp between themselves, and after a few hours or minutes they go away, and they get their food. Similarly, the animals also, they also go. Even in the jungle, they get their food. The birds and beasts, they have got their home. The bird lives on the top of the tree very comfortably at night without any disturbance. Similarly, the beast... Even in the jungle there are elephants, there are tigers, there are so many others. They have got their some place to rest. So far sex is concerned, that is also guaranteed. The birds, when they are in the eggs, there are two eggs, one male, one female. And you will find these birds, beasts, they are in pair. Just about two months before, when I was in Māyāpur, the two snakes, not very big, small, were found in the lavatory, and they were also two, in pair. That means this pair in birds and beasts, in animals, in snakes, they are found. The tiger, the elephant, there are two. So there is no scarcity of sex also.

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

One who has seen the Absolute Truth, or one who has known the Absolute Truth, go there and take knowledge by surrendering. Praṇipātena. Praṇipāta means surrendering. Paripraśnena. Don't make question, waste his time. After you surrender, after you render service, then make question. Otherwise, there is no need of question. Don't waste your time, don't waste his time. An outsider has no right to put any question because he is not surrendered. And a spiritual master is not obliged to answer anyone except to his disciple. This is the Vedic way. Don't waste time for unnecessary questions and answers. But we have to do something sometimes. But that is not the way, unless one surrenders fully, praṇipātena, and renders service. Service means whatever the spiritual master wants, "You do this," you must do it, just like a menial servant. Nīcavat. Nīcavat.

Of course here, in your country, there is no... In India there is a śūdra class. They are..., generally they are servant class. That is called nīcavat. So servant class... A brahmacārī living at the care of spiritual master, he is advised that "You shall carry out the orders of your spiritual master nīcavat, just like the śūdra class." Because a person coming to spiritual master, they are coming from brāhmaṇa family or kṣatriya family or high caste family. But he may say, "Oh, I am coming from a brāhmaṇa family, and my spiritual master is ordering to brush his shoes? Oh, how can I do?" Therefore it is advised, nīcavat. When you are serving spiritual master, you should always think that "I am lowest of the animals." Nīcavat. In that condition you can simply inquire. Otherwise, you have no capacity. There is no need of wasting time, because he will not understand. He will unnecessarily... Praṇipāta.

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

So as we observe fire ceremony during initiation, (break) performing functions, this ceremony was held daily in the morning. That is Vedic system. There is a section of Hindus, they are called Ārya-samājis. They do it regularly in the morning. Not exactly in the same way, but they also... (break) ...fire ceremony daily in the morning. So not only the sages... (break) ...we are also holding that ceremony. Agnir nirvāpaṇād vā.

So the system was very strict and regular. It was not strict by anyone, but people rigidly followed. Anyone can follow the regulations; there is no difficulty. But they do not like to do. While walking on the path we see so many people unnecessarily sleeping. Not only in the park, in apartment also. Might be, nice keeping for unnecessary engagement, but according to the Vedic system, everyone should rise early in the morning before four o'clock. In India there is regular seasons also. Not like this country that during summer the nights begin at half past ten and in the winter the morning begins at half past ten. Here. But in India regularly the sun rises in the morning round about five, regularly. Either in the winter season or in the summer season. Round about five. Maybe half an hour, one hour difference. Not one hour, half an hour. So the Indian public still, even they are not very educated, because the culture is there in, especially, in the villages, they rise early in the morning and take bath. They go to the field for easing themselves, and after doing that, they take bath either in the river or in the well. In the villages there is no tap water. And by nature, in the morning either the river or the well water is very warm. The... With the advance of day it becomes cooler. But early in the morning... So those who are accustomed to take bath early in the morning, and because India is tropical country it is not so cold, so that is a system. And after taking bath, in the temple there will be maṅgala-ārati and other ceremonies. One of the ceremonies is this prātar huta-hutāgnayaḥ, holding the fire ceremony.

Lecture on SB 1.2.5 -- Edinburgh, July 17, 1972:

Will you take some milk?" Oh, he was very glad. "All right, You give me a little milk." Next day He will come. Then he would ask, "Who is this boy, I cannot see. He comes and gives me milk daily." Yoga-kṣemaṁ vahāmy aham (BG 9.22). In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that "Unto the devotee who is completely dependent upon Me, I carry personally whatever he needs." Eko bahūnāṁ yo vidadhāti kāmān. That one person is supplying all the necessities of all the living entities. That is God. God is not beggar. God fulfills everyone's necessities, practically. That is... People are unhappy by so-called economic development. Everyone is competing. They have no satisfaction. Without God, godless civilization has created unnecessary competition. But if people become God conscious, he'll be satisfied. Yenātmā suprasīdati. The very basic principle of devotional service will make one happy. Then?

All right, have kīrtana. (break) (sings:) ...yenātmā suprasīdati. So the outsiders, they do not come in morning? No. Eh? (kīrtana) (end)

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

Everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa, and if in the store of Kṛṣṇa there are millions and millions of tons of fruits and flower, if you take one or two of them and offer to Kṛṣṇa, so what is Kṛṣṇa's loss? And if you offer one fruit to Kṛṣṇa, what is His gain? Kṛṣṇa is not concerned with your offering and not offering, but if you offer, it is for your interest. It is for your interest, so Kṛṣṇa will recognize, "Here is a devotee."

So this is the process. Therefore Sūta Gosvāmī said that dharmasya..., nārthasya dharmaikāntasya kāmo lābhāya hi smṛtaḥ, kāmasya na indriya prītiḥ. Kāmaḥ. We have to satisfy our tongue, our senses, but not for indriya prītiḥ. We should eat for living nicely, not for palatable dishes. So many animal killing, unnecessary. Why? Kṛṣṇa has given you so many nice thing—rice, wheat, sugar, milk, fruit, flower, vegetable, and with milk you can get ghee, and you can prepare hundreds and thousands of preparation and offer to Kṛṣṇa and take it. Why should you kill so many animals and maintain slaughterhouse for the satisfaction of the tongue? Therefore here it is said, kāmasya, we have some demand for maintaining the body, but not for sense gratification. Kāmasya nendriya prītiḥ. Na indriya prītiḥ. Indriya prītiḥ, if you cannot satisfy your tongue by so many preparation... Hundreds and thousands of preparation can be made from these ingredients-grains, vegetables, fruits, flowers and milk and sugar. Actually we still, in Hindu family, they are preparing so many nice foodstuff. Why should we go for indriya prītiḥ? For satisfaction of the tongue we shall kill so many chickens and cows and goats, why? What is the use. There is no use. It is simply sense gratification. Therefore Sūta Goswāmī recommends that you have got some demand for keeping the health properly, not..., but not, don't try to do it for indriya prītiḥ, indriya prītiḥ.

Lecture on SB 1.2.16 -- Los Angeles, August 19, 1972:

Balarāma is another wife's son. So in order to stop this rascaldom, that a human, I mean to say, man, he's allowed: "Marry them. Keep them nicely. Give them apartment. Give them nice food, nice dress, nice ornament. You enjoy." But rascaldom means "No, without responsibility I shall make phish, phish, phish" that's all.

So this rascaldom, so long the rascaldom is not gone, illicit sex, intoxication... These are called anartha. Anartha. Unnecessarily they have created this atmosphere, illicit sex, intoxication. What is the use of intoxication? There is no need. Just like in our society there is no intoxication. We don't take tea, we don't smoke. Are we dying for that want of tea or smoke? No. Therefore it is anartha; it is unnecessary. So first stage is appreciation, śraddhā. Second stage is associating with the devotees. Third stage is to be engaged in devotional service. And if one is actually executing the rules and regulations of devotional service, naturally he'll be freed from this rascaldom. Anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt. Then next stage is niṣṭhā, faith. That faith, beginning faith, becomes strong, fixed up. Then ruci this ruci, taste. Just like immediately, the person suffering from jaundice cannot taste sugar candy as sweet, but the sugar candy is the only medicine for him. He is to be given sugar candy, and in this way, as the disease is cured, he comes to this taste stage, "Oh, it is nice, it is sweet." (aside:) Don't do that.

Lecture on SB 1.2.18 -- Vrndavana, October 29, 1972:

Now they're using plastic. And still, they are proud of advancement of civilization. Actually it is anartha, anartha, unwanted things. At least, in, two hundred years ago in India, there was no industry. I think I am correct. Yes. But people were so happy. They did not have to go two hundred miles or five hundred miles away from home and for earning livelihood. In Europe and America, I see people are going for earning their livelihood by aeroplane, daily passengers. I've seen. From Vancouver, they were coming to Montreal and other places. Five hundred miles. At least fifty miles, one must go. In New York, many people are coming from distant place, Long Islands, crossing the sea, and then again bus, again... Anartha, simply unnecessary. People...

Cāṇakya Paṇḍita says that "Who is happy?" He says, "The man who does not go out of home, and who is not a debtor he is happy." Very simple thing. Who does not go out of home, and he's not a debtor, he's happy. So now we see everyone is out of home, and everyone is a great debtor. So how you can be happy? In America the bank canvasses that "You take money, you purchase motorcar, you purchase your house, and, as soon as you get your salary, you give me." That's all. Finished. You take the card... American... What is it called? Am-card? Yes.

Lecture on SB 1.2.18 -- Vrndavana, October 29, 1972:

If one is engaged in bhakti-yoga practice, devotional service, immediately the anarthas will be diminished. Just like our students. Since they have joined this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement... They were all Americans, Europeans. They knew how to increase anarthas, unwanted things. It is confirmed. Immediately they have given up the cinema bill, the club bill, the intoxication bill, the gambling bill, and so many bills. And medical bill also. We don't pay very much medical bill. That's a fact. So actually Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is so nice that if one takes to it, immediately he reduces so many rascal anarthas which is not required. Does a man die without smoking? It is anartha, un..., unnecessary. They are habituated by bad association. Saṅgāt sañjāyate kāmaḥ kāmāt krodho 'bhijāyate. By bad association, they learn how to smoke, how to gamble, how to eat... Just like, in India, so-called gentlemen, they go to hotel to taste meat, cow's flesh, how it is tasting. I know, personally, some friends.

So these are anarthas. So Sūta Gosvāmī said that if you want to reduce your anarthas, which are not wanted... Anartha upaśamaṁ sākṣād bhakti-yogam adhokṣaje. If you engage yourself in devotional service of the Lord, then immediately, directly, the anarthas will be diminished. Which is not required, unnecessary. Anartha upaśamaṁ sākṣād bhakti-yoga... Just like in America, the government is spending lots of money, millions of dollars, to stop this intoxication habit of the young men, LSD. But they do not know. How they can be stopped? The government is so rascal that they do not know. Government means full of rogues and rascals. I tell you, frankly. They do not know. Here it is the medicine given, and it is practically happening. Anyone who is coming to us, although he was habituated to so many bad habits, immediately gives up. No intoxication, immediately. But they will not come to patronize this movement.

Lecture on SB 1.2.34 -- Vrndavana, November 13, 1972:

"I shall give you relief from all difficulties." "No, why shall I?" Just see how much rascals we are. And they are going on as civilized men. All fools, rascals and rogues and thieves. That's all. This is the position. All fools and rascals and rogues. Ajānantaḥ. Ajānantaḥ means rascals, one who does not know. Ajānantaḥ.

Therefore Vyāsadeva made this śāstra, this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, ajānantaḥ, for these rascals, one who does not know the aim of life. Anartha upaśamaṁ sākṣād bhakti-yogam adhokṣaje. We are meeting with so many problems of life. These are called anarthas, unnecessary. I am spirit soul; you are spirit soul. We are as good as God. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). Our real position is ānanda. Sac-cid-ānanda. Why we are meeting so many problems? This is due to this body. This is due to this body. Therefore the real culture is, real education is, how to stop this repetition of body. But they do not know. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt. We are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. He is fully joyful. You'll see always Kṛṣṇa joyful. When He's killing an animal, he's laughing. He's joyful. You have seen Kṛṣṇa's picture. It is not that it's a problem. You have seen. Kṛṣṇa is killing that Keśī demon, a horse, big horse, just like a child's play. Kṛṣṇa is, I mean to say, fighting with that bull. What is the name of that bull?

Lecture on SB 1.5.12-13 -- New Vrindaban, June 11, 1969:

When his father inquired, "My dear boy, where you got all these ideas?" He was perfect devotee, and the father was perfect atheist. He said, "This status is..., cannot be achieved without being favored by a pure devotee."

Naiṣāṁ matis tāvad urukramāṅghrim (SB 7.5.32). Urukramāṅghrim, aṅghri. Aṅghri means lotus feet. Nobody can be interested to the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead... Because to be become interested in the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead means to become liberated. Anartha-apagamaḥ yad-arthaḥ. Anartha. Anartha means unnecessary. We are creating unnecessary necessities of life and becoming entangled. This is material life. But if one becomes Kṛṣṇa conscious, interested in Kṛṣṇa, then he becomes detestful: "What is the use?" Just like our brahmacārīs, our devotees, they can lie, lie down flat on the ground. They don't require any nice bedstead or cushion. Because the life is so molded, they think, "Well, I have to take some rest. So in this way and that way, why should I bother about that?" Yes. That is the sign of advancement in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kṛṣṇa consciousness means bhaktiḥ pareśānubhavo viraktir anyatra syāt (SB 11.2.42). Those who have no taste of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they are trying to be happy by unnecessarily increasing the material demands because they have no other information. But as soon as one is engaged in devotional service of Kṛṣṇa, pareśānubhūti, he relishes some transcendental pleasure, and, as a result of that, this nonsensical pleasure becomes insignificant.

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

Unless there was special favor, how immediately after that birth he could become Nārada Muni? Special favor. Everyone is engaged, but this is the special favor. There are many instances like that. But that we should not take, that this special favor is partiality. No. Therefore this word is used, tulya-darśanāḥ.

So if we acquire these qualities... Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ (Brs. 1.2.234). The main basic principle is śuśrūṣamāṇe, śuśrūṣa, service. So service is very important thing. So śuśrūṣamāṇe munayo 'lpa-bhāṣiṇi, very grave. One should be very grave and refrain from unnecessary engagement. These things are possible when we detach ourself from the so-called material engagements. That is illicit sex, meat-eating, and intoxication, and gambling. These are unnecessary things. There is no need of these things, but we are accustomed. We have become accustomed to, on account of bad association. So we should refrain from all these things. This is called dānte. What is the meaning of dānte? Given here?

Lecture on SB 1.7.5-6 -- Johannesburg, October 15, 1975:

When we give up other activities, anyathā, which is not spiritual... Material activities, that is not our actual business. Actual business is spiritual activity. Material activity means this body, to keep this body in comfortable position. And the body is changing. Now, today, I am Indian—I am very great Indian leader or very good philanthropist. Now, tomorrow, or the next life, I may not be Indian; I may be Chinese or I may be European. Then my whole business program changed. Again another nationality, another feeling. So in this way... And if I become cats and dogs, then another mentality. This is going on.

So I am forgetting that my identification is spiritual—ahaṁ brahmāsmi—and I am accepting all these unnecessary things, anartha. So anartha... If you want to stop this anartha, if you want to keep yourself in your original position of spiritual identity, then you have to take to bhakti-yoga. This is the conclusion of the śāstra. Anarthopaśamaṁ sākṣāt. Directly, not indirectly. Anartha. These anartha... I am not this body, but I have to change this body after hundred years or ten years or fifty years, according to the size. The dogs and cats, they change, ten years. The cows, twenty years. And human being, utmost, hundred years. And the demigods, many millions of years. But death is there. You have to change that body. When Hiraṇyakaśipu executed very severe austerity, so Lord Brahmā came to him: "So what do you want? You are executing so severe austerities. What is your desire?" "I want to become immortal." So Brahmā said, "That is not possible. Nobody is immortal within this material world. I am not immortal. How can I give you the benediction of immortality? That is not possible." So nobody... Everyone is under the laws of nature. It may be... The duration of time may be little more or less, but everyone must die. This is... And if we want to stop this business of material existence, then here is the recommendation, anarthopaśamam... Anartha. "Why we shall die?" This question does not arise. If I am immortal, as it is said in the Bhagavad-gītā...

Lecture on SB 1.7.6 -- Vrndavana, April 18, 1975:

What is that illusion? That is also here: yayā sammohito jīva ātmānaṁ tri-guṇātmakam (SB 1.7.5). Tri-guṇa, tri-guṇa means the sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. So, under the influence of māyā, we are identifying with the different guṇas or qualities of this material world. So sattva-guṇa, yes, sattva-guṇa is the brahminical qualification. So one is thinking that "I am brāhmaṇa." One is thinking, who is under the control of rajo-guṇa, "I am kṣatriya." Or in other words, this is, this identification, is all over the world. Now you may not think, "I am brāhmaṇa," but you may think, "I am American." Or I may think, "I am Indian." There is some sort of identification. And therefore the whole world is full of anarthas, unnecessary, unnecessary thing. I am not brāhmaṇa; I am not Indian; you are not American; you are not kṣatriya; or... This is all false identification. So this is the work of māyā, that all the living entities they are under certain impression that "I am this. I am this." And this "I am this. I am that," they cannot make any solution.

They have created the United Nations, but there is no solution because everyone is under the grip of the māyā, material energy, and they are simply creating problems. This is their business. Yayā sammohito jīva ātmānaṁ tri-guṇātmakam (SB 1.7.5). Ātmānam. I am spirit soul, but I do not belong to these material qualities; still, I am thinking, ātmānaṁ tri-guṇātmakam. One cannot go beyond these three guṇas, sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa, or mixed.

Lecture on SB 1.7.6 -- Vrndavana, April 18, 1975:

I am very much pleased. So constantly come here and hear about Kṛṣṇa. This is the pastimious place of Kṛṣṇa, Vṛndāvana. So make your anarthas vanquished. Anartha upaśamaṁ sākṣ... Everything we have done, simply anartha, without any meaning. But if we say, people will criticize us that "Why you are utilizing motor car ? Why you are utilizing aeroplane?" But our tactic is we can utilize any so-called anartha in the service of Kṛṣṇa. That is our tactics. That means you have created some anartha, but we can engage even this anartha in the service of Kṛṣṇa and make it meaningful. That is our business. So it requires time. But at least things unnecessarily encumbered... We are encumbered with so many unnecessary thing. So our so-called necessities of life will decrease. Anartha upaśamam . Although we are riding on motor car, we don't think it is essential. But those who are captured by the civilization, they think it is essential. That is the difference. Anāsaktasya viṣayān.

Our process is that if we have to preach, so we have to go to United States. So if there is aeroplane, why shall I waste my time? Let us accept this thing. So we don't deprecate the material advancement. But we simply warn that "Don't forget Kṛṣṇa simply for the matter of material advancement." This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We don't discourage you. We don't discourage you, but when you have invented something material, utilize it for Kṛṣṇa. Anāsaktasya viṣayān. Don't be attached to the motor car. But utilize it for going fast for preaching work, that's all. This is required. This is Rūpa Gosvāmī's advice. Don't die for want of motor car. But if you get the opportunity to go faster then walking, you should utilize it. Nirbandhaḥ kṛṣṇa-sambandhe yuktaṁ vairāgyam ucyate. This is required, that everything engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service. That is called yukta-vairāgya. Not phalgu-vairāgya. Rūpa Gosvāmī says, "Motor car is material; therefore we should not touch it"—this is phalgu-vairāgya.

Lecture on SB 1.7.6 -- Vrndavana, April 23, 1975:

Tena tyaktena bhuñjīthā (ISO 1). You should enjoy as it is allotted by the Supreme Lord. So if we transgress this law... Our constitutional position, anatomical fittings, is to eat fruit, vegetable, rice, wheat, milk or milk product. This is our constitutional position. But if we imitate the cats and dog, without any discrimination, if we eat, then my next body is ready, the hog's body or the dog's body. This is natural law. Kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya sad-asad-janma-yoniṣu (BG 13.22). As you associate with different types of material modes of nature, then you get the next body accordingly. Therefore on the whole, the body, either human body or demigod's body or cat's body or dog's body or tree's body or plant's body, it is unnecessary. Unnecessarily we have accepted this material body. Because our position is not this body. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). We are losing every time a particular type of body. But I am eternal. But people are so foolish, so rascal, they do not understand that "If I am eternal, why I have to change my body?" This is intelligence.

So that intelligence is there. Here it is said, lokasya ajānataḥ. The rascals, the fools, ajānataḥ, foolish... Ajānataḥ is another meaning of foolish. Ajānataḥ, ajñāna, without any knowledge how we can stop this perpetual... Not perpetual, but at least for the time being, why we are subjected to these anartha? This is the enquiry. This is called brahma-jijñāsā. But they do not know it. Ask anybody of this material world that "What is the cause of your suffering?" They cannot explain; they do not know it. Therefore it is particularly mentioned, ajānataḥ: "They do not know how to mitigate this suffering." Therefore vidvān. Vidvān, one who has got full knowledge, Vyāsadeva, he has made this sātvata-saṁhitām. Saṁhitā means Vedic knowledge, and sātvata means pure, completely pure, or for the Vaiṣṇavas or the perfect spiritualists. Lokasya ajānataḥ vidvāṁś cakre sātvata-saṁhitām (SB 1.7.6).

Lecture on SB 1.7.6 -- Vrndavana, September 5, 1976:

We were discussing this verse yesterday. Anartha. This anartha means this material civilization. There is no need, and still we have accepted it. That is called anartha, meaningless. So there are hundreds and thousands of anarthas, as it is stated that śrotavyādīni rājendra nṛṇāṁ santi sahasraśaḥ (SB 2.1.2). Sahasraśaḥ means thousands and thousands. Because we have created anartha, unnecessary necessities of life, therefore we have to know, we have to learn, we have to teach so many unwanted... Just like there is a problem now, especially in the Western countries, unwanted population. They do not want, but it is increasing. Similarly, unwanted necessities. This is called anartha. Simple thing. Just like we require some food. That is essential. We cannot live without taking food. That is not possible. So Kṛṣṇa is giving very simple formula, that annād bhavanti bhūtāni. If there is sufficient quantity of anna, or eatables, then people become very nice, well-satisfied, either animal or man. If he can eat sufficiently, he's satisfied. So annād bhavanti bhūtāni. Bhavanti means flourish. He becomes healthy, he becomes strong, and he can think nicely, he can work nicely. So anna is required. But simple method is given how anna is produced. That is also given, annād bhavanti bhūtāni parjanyād anna-sambhavaḥ. If there is sufficient rain, then you can easily produce food grain. Just like this year, the rain is sufficient; everywhere we go it is green. Green means sufficient food for the animals. And if the field is very soft, you can till it and you can get easily, very nicely, foodstuff. Therefore parjanya, water, rain, is required. Parjanyād anna-sambhavaḥ. And yajñād bhavati parjanyaḥ (BG 3.14). And by performing yajña there will be cloud and rain.

Lecture on SB 1.7.6 -- Vrndavana, September 5, 1976:

Yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair yajanti hi su-medhasaḥ. We have seen in many places by performing yajña, the saṅkīrtana-yajña, where it was very dry, rain has fallen. This is practical. So things are very easy. But instead of producing food grains, we are producing Goodyear tires. So how we can eat? Now when there is scarcity of foodstuff you cannot eat the Goodyear tires. But people's attention has been diverted in the industrial activities. They are given allurement, "Come here. I shall give you twenty rupees per day. You give up your agricultural activities. You come in the factory. Produce tire tube, iron stool," and so on so on. So we are violating the orders of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says that produce foodgrain. But we are producing unnecessary things. And therefore you are suffering. Kṛṣṇa is giving very good advice: annād bhavanti bhūtāni. You produce sufficient foodgrain, all over, not only here. Another anartha is this nationalism. Nationalism: "This is America," "This is India," "This is Africa," "This is Australia." Why? Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (ISO 1). Simple thing. Everything belongs to God. Īśāvāsya. There will be no scarcity. I have studied very thoroughly that there are sufficient land still without any cultivation. In Africa I have seen sufficient land. But they are utilizing it for producing coffee and tea. No food grains. So these are the anarthas. Anartha. Unnecessary. People will not die without coffee and tea. But they have made the whole world self-dependent on coffee and tea, mercantile policy. There is anartha.

Lecture on SB 1.7.6 -- Vrndavana, September 5, 1976:

Only for spiritual understanding engage your activities. And what will be other things, about my family life, worldly life? That is said that tal labhyate duḥkhavad anyataḥ sukham. Just like you don't aspire or don't wish for distressed condition. It comes upon you. Similarly, whatever happy condition in your life is expected, that will also come. You don't require... There are many places. So our endeavor, the human energy should be fully engaged in understanding Kṛṣṇa. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Nothing else. Other things we should minimize. Yāvad artha-prayojanam. Just to maintain the body and soul together you should live very nicely. You should not become weak by health; otherwise, we cannot execute. But don't eat more, don't eat unnecessary things. Atyāhāraḥ prayāsaś ca prajalpo niyamāgrahaḥ. Atyāhāra, to eat more or to collect more than is required, that is forbidden by Rūpa Gosvāmī.

atyāhāraḥ prayāsaś ca
prajalpo niyamāgrahaḥ
jana-saṅgaś ca laulyaṁ ca
ṣaḍbhir bhaktir vinaśyati
(NOI 2)

So anartha-nivṛtti, that is required because we are surrounded by so many anarthas, unwanted things. They are all impediments, stumbling blocks on our progressive journey to Kṛṣṇa realization. Here it is said anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt bhakti-yogam adhokṣaje lokasyājānataḥ. People do not know it. Therefore vidvān, Vedavyāsa, he has compiled this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Sātvata-saṁhitā. It is Vedic version, and directly to understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead and become free from all contamination of the material nature. Because we are now under the contamination of material nature.

Lecture on SB 1.7.11 -- Vrndavana, September 10, 1976:

So that madness (was) fully exhibited in Vṛndāvana by the gopīs. They were mad after Kṛṣṇa. When Kṛṣṇa left Vṛndāvana, went to Mathurā, they became so mad that they had no other business than cakṣuṣā prāvṛṣāyitam, simply crying torrents of rain. That is wanted. That is Vṛndāvana life. Not that seeking after sex in Vṛndāvana. That is... That means such person will have to take birth as monkey next life. Monkey. Because they have taken shelter of Vṛndāvana, and still they're indulging, monkey's business, so they have to... It is Kṛṣṇa's mercy. Tat te 'nukampāṁ su-samīkṣamāṇaḥ (SB 10.14.8). In Vṛndāvana the land, transcendental land, that will not go in vain. But these persons who are indulging unnecessary sex life in Vṛndāvana, they'll have to take birth as monkeys in Vṛndāvana, and then next life they'll be liberated. So otherwise, why in Vṛndāvana the monkeys? They are also devotees, but they could not proceed nicely. So animal life means stopping sinful activities, and whatever sinful reaction is there in one life finished. We should be very, very careful. Dhāma, dhāma-aparādha. In the dhāma... In other places if you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, the result of such chanting will be increased thousand times if you chant in Vṛndāvana. Similarly, in other place, the sinful activities, if you commit that sinful activity in Vṛndāvana, then it will be thousand times increased. So we have to be very careful.

Lecture on SB 1.7.27 -- Vrndavana, September 24, 1976:

Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgaḥ. And if he mixes with the devotees, gradually his bad habits, anartha... No: bhajana-kriyā. Next stage is that, "The devotees are serving Kṛṣṇa, they are also shaven-head, they have got neckbeads, and they're chanting. Why not myself?" This is called bhajana-kriyā.

Then they approach, "Sir, why not initiate me?" "No, we put some regulative principles. If you accept..." This is bhajana-kriyā. Then automatically, anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt. All nonsense habits, which are not required, anartha... Just like smoking: anartha, unnecessary. Does it mean that if one does not smoke he'll die? But you'll see in the whole world, millions and trillions of dollars' cigarette is selling. Anartha. Unnecessary. Does it mean that if I do not eat meat I shall die? I have seen in the Western countries—I observe everything—they eat meat very little. But because everyone is eating little meat, big, big slaughterhouses are being maintained. They can give up. A little piece of meat very easily he can give up. He can take this panir. But the rascal will not do that, because he's a rascal. He'll eat meat, and for this eating meat you have to maintain thousands and thousands of, what is called, organized slaughterhouse. And you have to kill. Killing means he's being implicated in sinful activities. Anartha, unnecessary. So we restrict this. Sex life is all right, required. Be a gentleman, get yourself married, live husband and wife peacefully. Have two and three children. Now they're making forcefully that you cannot have more than two children-sterilize. This is rascaldom. Teach him that he'll not have sex life more than twice or thrice in life. But no. Tṛpyanti neha kṛpaṇā bahu-duḥkha-bhājaḥ (SB 7.9.45). The sex life is so strong that one has produced one child and he has suffered... The child has to be taken at night, it is crying, and then you have to give him milk, and so on, so on, so on. He has suffered, but he has no sense, "Why again child?"

Lecture on SB 1.7.27 -- Vrndavana, September 24, 1976:

So in this way, if we do not take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness we'll be more and more implicated. You cannot avoid. That is not possible. The God's nature is working so nicely. I have given you several times the example that if you infect some disease, it must develop and you must have to suffer. There is no excuse. Similarly, if you are associating with the modes of ignorance and you are committing some sins, the effect you must have to suffer. Kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya sad-asad-janma-yoniṣu (BG 13.22). Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). Prakṛteḥ, the nature, God's machine, is working so perfectly that it will act. You cannot avoid. Therefore we should be very careful how anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt. For our spiritual advancement of life we must have the sense that "Why we should accept unnecessary things which is not at all important?" The four things are restricted. No illicit sex, no meat-eating, no gambling, no intoxication. Nobody dies. But it is a habit. It is a habit.

So in this way we have to mold our life, and the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is the best process. Therefore those who are sinful, those who are atheist, they have become a little afraid of this movement. Therefore we have got so many enemies, and now in India especially the papers are criticizing us in so many ways. In other countries also. So we have to face this danger. It is not danger. We don't care for their criticism. But if we remain sincere in our actions, there will be no obstacles. Ahaituky apratihatā. It is ascertained that Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, apratihatā. It cannot be checked provided if you remain to the principles. What is that principle? Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6). If you stick to the principle of bhakti-yogam then ahaituky apratihatā. Nobody can check you. You'll make progress.

Lecture on SB 1.7.30-31 -- Vrndavana, September 26, 1976:

Always He says. Aham ādir hi devānām (Bg 10.2). Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). Sarva-dharmān parityajya (BG 18.66). He's person.

So the Māyāvādī will always try to explain in the impersonal way. Therefore they're offender. Kṛṣṇa personally presents. Why Kṛṣṇa comes? So that the misunderstanding whether the Absolute Truth, God, is a person or imperson, to mitigate this trouble, this misunderstanding, He comes as person. He presents Himself, "Here is I am. I am person. Why do you make Me imperson?" He's person. Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati (BG 4.7). Why you are taking so much trouble? Avyaktāsakta-cetasām. Kleśaḥ adhikataras teṣām. Simply you are taking unnecessary trouble. Kleśaḥ adhikataraḥ. And if you take to bhakti, directly personal... And you cannot understand God or Kṛṣṇa by any other means except bhakti. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ (BG 18.55). If you want to know Absolute Truth, God, then you have to take to bhakti. And what does it mean bhakti? Bhakti means there must be Bhagavān. Otherwise, what is the meaning of bhakti? If I want... Bhakti means to render service. So if the master is not there, then where is the question of bhakti and service? It is all bogus. Bhakti means three things: bhakta, Bhagavān, and the service. That is bhakti. They're individual. Bhagavān is individual, bhakta is individual, and the reciprocation of dealings between two individuals, it is called bhakti. That is bhakti.

Lecture on SB 1.8.35 -- Los Angeles, April 27, 1973 :

So actually, although we have got this arrangement that one has to work, but that work is simple. If you remain Kṛṣṇa conscious... That, after all, Kṛṣṇa is supplying the foodstuffs. That's a fact. Every religion accepts that. Just like in Bible it is said, "God give us our daily bread." That's a fact. God is giving. That you are..., you cannot manufacture bread. You can, you can manufacture bread in the bakery house, but the..., who will supply you the wheat? That is supplied by Kṛṣṇa. Eko bahūnāṁ yo vidadhāti kāmān.

So we have created unnecessary problems simply by forgetting Kṛṣṇa. This is the material nature. Bhave 'smin kliśyamānānām. Therefore you have to work so hard. Kliśyanti. There is another verse in the Bhagavad-gītā, manaḥ-ṣaṣṭhānī prakṛti-sthāni karṣati. Karṣati, you will be struggling very hard, but ultimately sense gratification. Ultimately. In this material world means sense gratification, because kāma, kāma means sense gratification. Kāma, the just opposite word is love. Kāma and..., kāma means lust, and love means loving Kṛṣṇa. So that is wanted. But here in this material world they are engaged in very, very hard work. They have invented so many factories, iron factories, melting the iron, these machinery, and it is called ugra karma, asuric karma. After all, you will eat some bread and some fruit or some flower. Why you have invented so big, big factories? That is avidyā, nescience, avidyā. Suppose hundred years ago there was no factory. So all the people of the world were starving? Eh? Nobody was staring. In, in, in our Vedic literature we don't find any mention anywhere about the factory. No. There is no mention. And how opulent they were. Even in Vṛndāvana. In Vṛndāvana, as soon as Kaṁsa invited Nanda Mahārāja, immediately they took wagons of milk preparation to distribute.

Lecture on SB 1.8.46 -- Mayapura, October 26, 1974:

So the political head, executive head, of course, he should be intelligent to understand diplomacy and politics, but his only business is to see how people in general are in happiness. That is his business. Nowadays political parties, they are simply engaged how to keep up their position. All the political parties—I have seen personally—simply they are making plan how to keep their position in the government so they may not be dethroned, other party may not come. The whole time is wasted. When they will think of "No, the people are suffering for want of food. The people are suffering for unnecessary increase of price, although things are available in the black market. How to manage this?" That is the duty of the government first. But nobody is caring. Hundreds and thousands of people are starving, unemployment, but they are getting their fat salary, and they are satisfied. Bring income tax and divide amongst themselves, that's all.

So Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira was not that type of king. Therefore he is known as Dharmarāja Yudhiṣṭhira, most pious king. So he was now sorry, and prabodhito 'pi, prabodhito 'pi. He was trying to pacify Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, "Don't be sorry. It is done for the sake of good cause for establishing dharma-saṁsthāpanārthāya, so don't be sorry," but still, he could not be pacified. Śucārpitaḥ. Śucā means distress. He was so much distressed within his mind that he could not be satisfied.

So, next verse? Or you can speak... (end)

Lecture on SB 1.16.6 -- Los Angeles, January 3, 1974:

So, of course, we have to do sometime, but it is the general principle. We shall accept... Suppose you are constructing a temple. If it is..., suppose two millions of dollars required, or, say, five millions of dollars. If we cannot do that, we shall not attempt. That is prayāsa, unnecessarily endeavor. Which is within your control, you should act. Atyāhāraḥ prayāsaḥ. And prajalpa. Prajalpa means talking all nonsense. Suppose politics. "What Mr. Nixon did yesterday, or what did he say?" So what interest we have got in Mr. Nixon? We shall not waste our time talking this politics, that politics, this sociology, this cinema, this affair, no. We have nothing to do with that. That is called prajalpa, unnecessary talking. Talking means decreasing your duration of life. Talking. So why should you decrease your life unnecessarily? Every moment you have to utilize, "Whether it is used for Kṛṣṇa?" This is sādhana. This is sādhana, practice. Unnecessary talking, unnecessary making enemies. Unnecessarily, "You are my subordinate; I am your master." Who is master? Everyone is subordinate to Kṛṣṇa. Nobody is master. Why you talk unnecessarily?

So therefore it is said that kim anyair asad-ālāpaiḥ. Asat. Asat means that will not exist, and sat means which will exist. That we do not know, which will exist. But we know that this body will not exist. That everyone, we know. And what is that thing which will exist? That we do not know. The soul. That we do not know. We know what will not exist. That everyone knows.

Lecture on SB 1.16.6 -- Los Angeles, January 3, 1974:

Therefore you should not live. But at the same time, if you die, then you are going to suffer all this suffering yourself. Then you don't die also." So this is the position. And sādhu, those who are saintly person, devotees, he is advised, jīva vā māra vā: "Either you live or either you die, your business is to serve Kṛṣṇa. You are serving Kṛṣṇa now, and after death, you will serve Kṛṣṇa. So there is no question of your death, neither there is no question of your birth." So these are some moral instructions.

So here it is said that kim anyair asad-ālāpair yad. What is this? Avyayaḥ, asad-vyayaḥ. What is the meaning of vyayaḥ? Asat, "unnecessary waste of life." So unnecessary waste of life, we should be very careful. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the criterion of Kṛṣṇa conscious life. We should not waste our time. That is advised by Rūpa Gosvāmī also. Avyartha-kālatvam (Cc. Madhya 23.18-19). We should be very cautious not to waste a single moment without Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So we have got so many activities. If we have no activities, then we can polish the floor of the Temple. That is not very difficult. If I am illiterate, I have no interest in reading books, I have no interest in chanting or I cannot do it constantly, then take something and mop over the temple and cleanse the temple. That is also service. It is not that one who is engaged in the Deity worship, he is better engaged, and one who is polishing the floor, he is less engaged. No. Both of them will get equal benefit. Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so nice. So find out some business for Kṛṣṇa. Don't waste time. That is the perfection of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Lecture on SB 1.16.12 -- Los Angeles, January 9, 1974:

Especially in the Western countries, every ten years there is a war. First World War, Second World War. Before that, Hundred Years War, Seven Years War, Trafalgar's war, Waterloo war. War, war, war. There cannot be any peaceful life, because everyone is rogue and rascal, so there must be war. There must be punishment by nature. As soon as there is overpopulation...

That is Malthus's theory also, that as soon as there is overpopulation, there must be something disturbance, war, pestilence, epidemic, and finished, finished. The extra population, unnecessary. Varṇa-saṅkara. They are called varṇa-saṅkara. Varṇa-saṅkara... Because by nature there must be brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, by nature. That should be organized. Head is head, tail is tail, not that head, tail, everything is one. That is called varṇa-saṅkara. Kṛṣṇa, Arjuna has argued that if the family members... If the woman becomes widow, then there will be varṇa-saṅkara population. Varṇa-saṅkara population means a population who cannot say who is his father. That is varṇa-saṅkara. Or which caste does he belong, what is his father, what is his family. No, nothing, no information. That is called varṇa-saṅkara. So when the varṇa-saṅkara population increases, then the whole world becomes hell.

Lecture on SB 1.16.26-30 -- Hawaii, January 23, 1974:

So the devotee must be clean, inside and outside, both. Outside cleaning by taking bath, washing the body with oil or soap or soda, and inside, inside, materially, there will be no unclean things, stool, unnecessary stool. That means one must evacuate every morning and evening. If we eat more, then we have to evacuate twice. But if we eat less, then once evacuation is sufficient. It is said, yogi, bhogī, and rogī. Yogi means spiritually advanced, and bhogī means materialist, and rogī means diseased. It is a common saying. A yogi evacuates only once. That is yogi. And bhogī, because he eats more, so he evacuates twice. And one who evacuates more than twice, he's rogī, diseased. Yogi, bhogī, rogī. So everything has got routine work. śaucam. So you'll feel healthy. If you have evacuated nicely, you have washed inside and outside, taken your bath, then you'll feel always refreshed. And unless you feel refreshed, you cannot very nicely chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra or serve Kṛṣṇa. Therefore cleanliness is required. Apavitraḥ pavitro vā. But... Apavitraḥ pavitro vā sarvāvasthāṁ gato 'pi vā. If one takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness and follows the rules and regulations, then automatically he becomes clean, inside and outside. Automatically. Apavitraḥ pavitro vā. What for we are accepting initiation? In any condition, in any condition we shall be purified by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12), if we chant really.

There are three stages of chanting. One chanting is with offense, beginning. There are ten kinds of offenses. We have described many times. If we chant with offense, that is the, that is one stage. If we chant offenseless, that is one stage.

Lecture on SB 2.1.1-6 Excerpts -- Los Angeles, July 2, 1970:

Again this verse (repeats again with devotees). So we discussed which verse? Śrotavyādīni rājendra nṛṇāṁ santi sahasraśaḥ (SB 2.1.2). This verse we discussed yesterday, that "Those who are materialistic persons, they have got hundreds and thousands of topics," and, although we are in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, because we are in the material world, sometimes we have to deal with many unnecessary talks. But mind that our unnecessary talks and others' unnecessary talks are not the same, because we sometimes talk unnecessarily, but the aim is Kṛṣṇa. Just like Battlefield of Kurukṣetra. The Bhagavad-gītā begins,

dharma-kṣetre kuru-kṣetre
samavetā yuyutsavaḥ
māmakāḥ pāṇḍavāś caiva
kim akurvata sañjaya
(BG 1.1)

The topics began from the warfield, dharma-kṣetre kuru-kṣetre. But it is dharma-kṣetra. "Why dharma-kṣetra? It is battlefield." Because Kṛṣṇa is there. Kṛṣṇa is conducting the battle, therefore it is dharma-kṣetra. Dharma-kṣetra means religious... (end)

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

Prabhupāda: Why do you think like that? No. Balarāma is... Rādhā... As Kṛṣṇa has expansion, similarly, Rādhā has also expansion. So as Rādhārāṇī is directly connected with Kṛṣṇa, similarly, Rādhā's another expansion is connected with Balarāma. All Lakṣmī are connected with the..., not exactly Rādhā directly. As Kṛṣṇa expands Himself in multi-forms, similarly, Rādhā also expands Herself. That is stated in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta you will find. Yes?

Pradyumna: So in terms of spiritual potency of Kṛṣṇa, and... Rādhā was...

Prabhupāda: You put an unnecessary question. When I shall ask you to question the subject matter which I have discussed, you should put questions on this matter. If you bring so many other subject matter, there will be no end. Try to understand what we have spoken in this meeting. We have not spoken anything about Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. Why you are bringing this question? Question means the subject matter which we have discussed, if you have got any question about that thing, you should put question. Otherwise, if you make me a dictionary, that go on questioning, there will be no end. That should not be done. Now, we have not discussed here about Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa. Of course, this is also relevant question, but the public will not understand. We are discussing on general subject matter. Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa discussion is very confidential. You have to go to the platform first of all by understanding Kṛṣṇa. You see? Rādhā-kṛṣṇa-tattva is discussed in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam in the Tenth Canto. So first of all you have to go through the nine cantos very carefully. Then you will understand. In the Caitanya-caritāmṛta you'll find, rādhā kṛṣṇa-praṇaya-vikṛtir hlādinī-śaktir asmād ekātmānāv api bhuvi (CC Adi 1.5). If you want to discuss about Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, that is not in the public meeting. They are very confidential subject matter. People may misunderstand what is Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. Generally, questions should be put on the subject matter discussed in the meeting. That should be the point. Rādhā-kṛṣṇa-tattva is very confidential, for higher status of understanding. Yes?

Lecture on SB 2.1.3 -- Paris, June 12, 1974:

So therefore śāstra says that "This human life is not meant for becoming a hog." Nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke kaṣṭān kāmān arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye (SB 5.5.1). You are working so hard, day and night, very busy, going this side, that side, this side, that side, and getting money, and leading a life like hog. What is this civilization? This is not civilization. Then what is civilization? That is also said, tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena śuddhyet sattvam (SB 5.5.1). This is Ṛṣabhadeva's instruction to His sons. "My dear boys, this life, this human form of life, is not meant for wasting like hogs and dogs, but tapasya, just have little restraint. Don't become hogs and dogs." What is that restraint? Just like we are prescribing, no illicit sex. No illicit sex. Sex is not stopped. Sex is there. But no illicit sex. Illicit sex—unnecessary sex life. Sex life is meant for human beings. There is regulation. Sex life is meant for producing nice children, that's all, not for sense enjoyment. Therefore one is trained as brahmacārī from the very beginning.

The brahmacārī means no sex life. No sex life. Even the guru... Sometimes guru... Mostly in a school, the teachers, they were householders. It is restricted, "If the guru has a young wife, you should not go to carry out her order." It is restricted. This is brahmacārī life, voluntarily accepting hardship for making life successful. That is brahmacārī life. And then married life. Married life. When the... Brahmacārī is meant for the boys, not for the girls. Girls, they are to be married. A brahmacārī may remain unmarried for life, but according to Vedic civilization, a girl must be married. As soon as... Before the age of attaining puberty, it is the duty of the father, or if she has no father, it is the duty of the elder brother to get her married somehow or other. (laughter) Give her in responsibility to another young man. This is the duty. Yes. This is the duty. So therefore... Female population is always bigger than the male population. Then you can ask, "Where so many husbands?" Therefore polygamy was allowed. And the kings, the kṣatriyas who had money and who had very nice strength also, they used to marry more than one wife. You'll find all the kṣatriyas... Even Kṛṣṇa, the best kṣatriya, He married 16,108 wives. Wholesale. (laughter) Yes.

Lecture on SB 2.3.17 -- Los Angeles, June 12, 1972:

This fortune can be ruined by six things. Be careful. What is that? Atyāhāra. Atyāhāra means eating more than necessity or collecting more than necessity. Āhāra. Āhāra means collecting. We require to collect some money, but we should not collect more than necessity. That we shouldn't. Because if I get more money, then immediately māyā will pa... "Why don't you spend for me?" Yes. So don't collect more than ... What you require, you collect. Or similarly, āhāra means eating. Don't eat more than necessity. Actually, we have to come to the point of nil, eating, sleeping, mating and defending. And that is not possible because we have got this body. But minimum. So atyāhāraḥ prayāsaḥ, and too much unnecessary spoiling energy.

We should not take great risk so that we have to work for it very seriously. We must accept something which can be easily done. Atyāhāraḥ prayāsaḥ, prajalpa. And prajalpa means talking nonsense. As soon as ... This is the nature of the living entity in conditioned state. Just like as soon as the crows, they gather together, caw caw caw caw ... (Laughter) The frogs ... Any living entity, as soon as they will gather, they will talk all nonsense. Don't do that. We have got great assembly, we have got facility for mixing, but if you take advantage of this assembly and talk all nonsense—what is politics, what is this, what is that ... Prajalpa. That is called prajalpa. So atyāhāraḥ prayāsaś ca prajalpo niyamāgrahaḥ (NOI 2). Niyamāgraha means not accepting the rules and regulation. Another meaning of niyamāgraha means simply blindly following the rules and regulations, but he does not know for what he is doing that. Gardalika-pravāha (?). It is called gardalika-pravāha. Everyone is doing this, but he does not understand why he is doing it. There are many stories of this gardalika-pravāha. Sometimes I will tell you.

Lecture on SB 2.3.23 -- Los Angeles, June 20, 1972:

So... Prahlāda Mahārāja was asked by his father, "How did you develop this Kṛṣṇa consciousness?" So he replied that naiṣāṁ matis tāvad urukramāṅghrim: (SB 7.5.32) "This Kṛṣṇa consciousness cannot be developed..." Spṛśaty anarthāpagamo yad-arthaḥ. Kṛṣṇa consciousness, development of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, means anartha apagama. Anartha means things we do not require. Anartha. Artha, anartha. Artha means which is essentially required, and anartha means which is not required, artificially we have requisitioned. So when one grows his Kṛṣṇa consciousness, immediately his artificial life becomes finished. Bhaktiḥ pareśānubhavo viraktir anyatra syāt (SB 11.2.42). This is the symptom of development of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that he's not anymore interested for material, unnecessary things. This is the test. If one is increasing Kṛṣṇa consciousness, at the same time he has got full attachment for material things, that means he's not developing. Material things means āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunaṁ ca.

Eating, sleeping, mating, and defending. So sometimes the karmīs are afraid of this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement because they know that as soon as one becomes Kṛṣṇa conscious, he is no more interested in these material things. Just like we say "Don't eat meat." So actually, if all people become Kṛṣṇa conscious and give up meat-eating, then the slaughterhouse will be closed. Automatically. We say no meat-eating and no intoxication. So if all people become Kṛṣṇa conscious and give up drinking and smoking, the big business, breweries and cigarette manufacturers, will be closed. Similarly, no illicit sex. If people take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then so many brothels and clubs and nudies and everything will be closed. So they are afraid of their business; therefore they don't encourage this movement. Because ultimately, if this movement goes on, then where they stand? Everywhere we go, the advertisement is for intoxication, for sex, and for meat-eating. These are the advertisements.

Lecture on SB 2.3.23 -- Los Angeles, June 20, 1972:

Similarly, no illicit sex. If people take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then so many brothels and clubs and nudies and everything will be closed. So they are afraid of their business; therefore they don't encourage this movement. Because ultimately, if this movement goes on, then where they stand? Everywhere we go, the advertisement is for intoxication, for sex, and for meat-eating. These are the advertisements.

Business is going on very nicely. But Kṛṣṇa consciousness means viraktir anyatra syāt. If one takes Kṛṣṇa consciousness, like the dust of a pure devotee, if he takes the dust of the lotus feet of a pure devotee, immediately he becomes freed from all these unnecessary demands.

naiṣāṁ matis tāvad urukramāṅghriṁ
spṛśaty anarthāpagamo yad-arthaḥ
mahīyasāṁ pāda-rajo-'bhiṣekhaṁ
niṣkiñcanānāṁ na vṛṇīta yāvat
(SB 7.5.32)

Kṛṣṇa consciousness cannot be developed unless one takes the dust of the lotus feet of a pure devotee. This is these words, Prahlāda Mahārāja's remark. In other words, unless one comes in contact with a pure devotee, Kṛṣṇa consciousness cannot be developed. It is not possible. Therefore here it is recommended by Sūta Gosvāmī that jīvañ chavo bhāgavatāṅghri-reṇuṁ na jātu martyo 'bhilabheta yas tu. Reṇu, reṇu means dust. If one does not try to secure the dust of the lotus feet of bhāgavata... Bhāgavata means pure devotee of the Lord.

Lecture on SB 3.25.5-6 -- Bombay, November 5, 1974:

Again they come down in these material varieties. We have seen many, many sannyāsīs. They first of all give up... Brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā: "The jagat is mithyā." And ahaṁ brahmāsmi: "I have no more anything to do. I have become Nārāyaṇa." Then he comes down again to feed the daridra-nārāyaṇa. That's all. He becomes Nārāyaṇa, but he comes to take activities in feeding... But why? It is mithyā. You have already left. Why do you come here again? That means he hasn't got anything. The unnecessary labor... Āruhya kṛcchreṇa. They undergo severe penances and austerities, and they reach up to the impersonal Brahman, but because there is no pleasure... Suppose if I send you in a nice aeroplane in the sky... There is no varieties. Just like so many aeronautics. They, after flying in the impersonal sky, they become tired. And sometimes they pray to God, "Please let me go back to the land." And I have read in the paper, when the Sputnik was carrying the Russian aeronautics, he was simply seeing down, "Where is Moscow?" (laughter) "Where is Moscow?" Because this impersonal traveling was very much agitating, he was finding out, "Where is Moscow?" So this kind of realization of the Absolute Truth will not stay, will have, will have to fall down. Exactly like that. The Russian aeronautics, without getting any shelter in the sky, he was simply hankering after Moscow. That my book, that Easy Journey to Other Planets... One gentleman, he became very much enthusiastic, that "Oh, we can go to the other planet?" And "Yes, you can go. Read this book." "Then I shall come back again?" "And why you shall come back again? You shall remain there." "No, no, no. I don't want that. I don't want that. I shall go and come back."

Lecture on SB 3.25.25 -- Bombay, November 25, 1974:

So if you become Kṛṣṇa conscious, then your life is secure, guaranteed. If you make complete the Kṛṣṇa conscious life in this life, then tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti (BG 4.9). That is wanted. But don't be neglectful. Those who have taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they should be very serious. Why should you take another chance of getting birth in a very rich family or a brāhmaṇa family? That is also risky because it is not guarantee. Because generally, those who are rich, they don't care for Kṛṣṇa consciousness. "Oh, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness is meant for the poor fellow." Or if somebody is born in a brāhmaṇa family, he is also puffed up. He is thinking, "Oh, these are mlecchas, yavanas, Americans. Oh, I am brāhmaṇa. I am born in a very high family." That is a cause of falldown, yes, proud, pride, unnecessary pride. A Vaiṣṇava is very humble. Tṛṇād api sunīcena taror api sahiṣṇunā amāninā mānadena. We have already discussed. Titikṣavaḥ kāruṇikāḥ suhṛdaḥ sarva-dehinām (SB 3.25.21).

So these are the chance, human being, and there is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, there is Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa is advising personally—so many opportunities offered by this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Why don't you take it? If you don't take it, then you are committing suicide.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- London, August 30, 1971:

That is the verdict of Vedas. Tamasi mā jyotir gama. Don't try to be happy in this darkness. But real happiness is in the light, jyotir gama. Light. The spiritual world is light. The material world is dark. It is... Because this material world is dark, therefore we require sunlight, moonlight, electricity and so many things. In the spiritual world there is no need of this sunlight, moonlight or electricity. Na tad bhāsayate sūryaḥ. There is no need of sun, moon, or electricity. These are explained in the Bhagavad-gītā.

So therefore, this human form of life, as it is advised by Ṛṣabhadeva, is not meant for unnecessary sense gratification. This is not meant for. This is meant for the hogs and dogs, not for the human beings. This is division of life. The human life is to make a solution of all the problems of life. The real problem is birth, death, old age and disease. All other problems, they are secondary. So you can conquer over this birth and death and old age and disease. There is possibility. Here is a chance of human form of life. Here you take a chance. Don't lose it, don't spoil it like hogs and dogs. That is the propaganda of this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Don't take it that it is a type of sectarian religion. No. It is a culture. It is meant for every human being. Therefore we are trying to propagate this movement all over the world, without any consideration of caste, creed and nation. Because we don't see, "This is Englishman, this is European, this is American." No. We have no such vision. Paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ (BG 5.18). One who is really learned, he sees everyone on the equal level: soul, spirit soul.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1-8 -- Stockholm, September 8, 1973:

That he says: nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke kaṣṭān kāmān arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye (SB 5.5.1). Kāmān means the necessities of life. You can get your necessities of life very easily. By tilling the field, you get grains. And if there is cow, you get milk. That's all. That is sufficient. But the leaders are making plan, that if they are satisfied with their farming work, little grains and milk, then who will work in the factory? Therefore they are taxing so that you cannot live even simple life—this is the position—even if you desire. The modern leaders will not allow you. They force you to work like dogs and hogs and asses. This is the position.

But still, we have to refrain from such unnecessary hard labor. It may be that government may take action against me because I'm speaking something revolutionary. Yes. But that is the fact. Why you should work? God has made provision for the birds, beasts, animals, ants, and if I'm devotee of God, He'll not give me food? What I've done wrong? So don't be agitated in that point. You will have all your necessities of life, but you remain fixed up in your determination in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Don't be agitated by this nonsense belief.

Thank you very much. (end)

Lecture on SB 5.5.10-13 -- Vrndavana, November 1, 1976:

Formerly it was less, because this ugra-karma... These factories means ugra-karma, unnecessarily severe, hard work. Unnecessarily. We have seen in Detroit, they are manufacturing one Ford, manufacturing Ford, simply wheels of the motorcar. Huge stock wheels. And somebody is manufacturing tire, huge stock of tire, and they are giving estimate: "Up till now, so many millions of tire we have manufactured." Well, you know all this. It is in your country. And then there are so many motor parts, there are three thousand small parts. So big, big factories, they are working to manufacture the parts of the motorcar, different parts of the motorcar, day and night working. And ultimately, they are preparing one car, and people are using huge quantity of cars. This is called karmānubaddha, unnecessary, ugra-karma.

Transportation is required, but we see from Kṛṣṇa books that the inhabitants of Gokula... There was a meeting headed by Nanda Mahārāja's young brother, Upananda, and all the villagers, they assembled together. They discussed that "Our Kṛṣṇa is being repeatedly attacked by the asuras, and it has become very troublesome. So let us leave this place." They are villagers. They thought it wise that "Because we are in this village, some of the demons, they are coming and disturbing." So they are villagers... Immediately Nanda Mahārāja agreed, "All right, let us leave this place." So immediately, they transferred the whole village with their possessions, cloth or something, everything, within one hour.

Lecture on SB 5.5.23 -- Vrndavana, November 10, 1976:

There are three guṇas—sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. If you remain in the lower platforms, tamo-guṇa, rajo-guṇa... Tamo-guṇa, rajo-guṇa means, as I have already explained, greediness and lust, desires. That is tamo-guṇa, rajo-guṇa. Tato rājas-tamo-bhava kāma-lobhādayaś ca ye. What is that rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa? Now, kama, lusty desires, and greediness, not satisfied with the minimum necessities of life, want to increase more and more, more and more. That is called greediness. The Vedic civilization teaches that "Be satisfied with the minimum necessities of life. Don't increase unnecessary necessities of life, and then you have to work for it very hard like hogs and dogs." That's all. Then you have to work very... Modern world, they have increased their unnecessary necessities of life, and therefore you'll find how hard working. In European and American cities we have seen how people are working very hard, beginning from morning at five o'clock till four o'clock next night, for sense gratification. So this is not civilization. This is condemned civilization. Nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke kaṣṭān kāmān arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye (SB 5.5.1). This is not civilization. This is animal civilization, working so hard day and night for eating. That is the business of the hogs and dogs. You will find the hogs and dog, they are loitering on the street whole day and night: "Where is food? Where is sex?" That is not civilization. They must be peaceful brāhmaṇa. Of course, not that everyone can be elevated to the position of a brāhmaṇa, but at least they must have the chance to see that "Here is a class of men, brāhmaṇa." That is wanted. Otherwise the civilization is failure.

Therefore it is said, na brāhmaṇais tulaye bhūtam anyat (SB 5.5.23). Actual brāhmaṇa, not the so-called brāhmaṇa, that was the Vedic culture. Just like Kṛṣṇa Himself. He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. When He received Sudāmā Vipra, a brāhmaṇa, He immediately vacated His own seat: "My dear friend, sit down here." And Kṛṣṇa's first wife?

Lecture on SB 5.5.23 -- Vrndavana, November 10, 1976:

Rukmiṇī. He (she) took immediately the camara. He (she) said, "My husband is respecting." But he was dressed very poorly, lean and thin. Brāhmaṇa, because they refuse unnecessary necessities of life, sometimes they look very poor, poverty-stricken. They are not poverty-stricken. They are the richest. Mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtiṁ śritāḥ, bhajanty ananya-manaso (BG 9.13). Those who are engaged in bhajana never think of their poverty. No. They are not poor. Otherwise, if Sudāmā Vipra, externally he looked very poor, lean and thin, not very nice cloth... Kṛṣṇa is: "My dear friend, sit down here." He brought water, washed the feet, just respectable person, guru, brāhmaṇa. This is etiquette. Kṛṣṇa is showing personally. He is the king. He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He also respects a brāhmaṇa. When Nārada used to come to Kṛṣṇa, immediately He would get down from the seat and offer obeisances, and Nārada was smiling, "Just see Kṛṣṇa's līlā."

So this is the way, brāhmaṇa. That brāhmaṇa, the India, the brāhmaṇas, their sons later on, later ages, taking advantage of the facility offered to the brāhmaṇas, so without qualification of brāhmaṇa, they wanted the facility for nothing, very cheap. Therefore the brahminical culture is failure now. They are... They should be real brāhmaṇas, śsamo damo. But nobody is prepared to practice śamo damo titikṣa, but he wants the respect of a brāhmaṇa. This is the cause of India's culture being failure at the present moment. They... "First deserve, then desire." So without deserving, they desired.

Lecture on SB 5.5.31 -- Vrndavana, November 18, 1976:

Manuṣya janama pāiyā, rādhā-kṛṣṇa nā bhajiyā jāniyā śuniyā. This kind of activities have been described as drinking poison knowingly. So we should not do that. We must take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness and become fully Kṛṣṇa conscious. Then our life is successful.

So by trying to understand the śāstra, especially śrīmad-bhāgavatam, amalaṁ purāṇam, we get ideas of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti: (BG 18.55) we can understand Kṛṣṇa through this process of devotional service. Otherwise it is not possible. So Vyāsadeva has given us this book.

anarthopaśamaṁ sākṣād
bhakti-yogam adhokṣaje
lokasyājānato vidvāṁś
cakre sātvata-saṁhitām
(SB 1.7.6)

So you read this satvata-saṁhitā very carefully, then anartha, this unnecessary changing of body, will be stopped.

Lecture on SB 5.6.1 -- Vrndavana, November 23, 1976:

Dhruva Mahārāja also said the same thing. A devotee, for personal... Because they are ātmārāma. They have no business for personal satisfaction. They are completely satisfied, ātmārāma. But they have got another dissatisfaction: that seeing men like us engaged in sense gratification and working whole day and night like dogs and pigs, so they are very much anxious. Tato vimukha-cetasa. "Without Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they are working so hard day and night like asses and pigs and dogs." They are very much anxious for this, "How to stop this foolish person from this unnecessary trouble?" Unnecessary trouble. That Ṛṣabhādeva has already instructed us in the beginning, that "Don't spoil your life working so hard like hogs and dogs. No, this is not good." Na sādhu manye. "This is not good." But they are thinking... Now it is advertised that "Work hard. Work hard." And the people have come to the stage of pulling thela and rickshaw, and still, they have to work hard. This is the position. Because they do not know what is..., how to become ātmārāma. That is the difficulty.

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to teach people how to become ātmārāma. When one becomes ātmārāma, then yoga-samīrita-jñānam. Bhakti-yoga. Bhakti-yoga, if one takes to bhakti-yoga, then automatically the atmā-jñāna, atmā-tattva jñāna, becomes developed. Vāsudeve bhagavati bhakti-yogaḥ prayojitaḥ (SB 1.2.7). Simply if you engage yourself in the devotional service of Vāsudeva... Vāsudeva means Kṛṣṇa, the son of Vasudeva. Another meaning of Vāsudeva: "who is all-pervading." Sarvatra vasate iti vāsudevaḥ. God is everywhere. Aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu-cayāntara-stham.

Lecture on SB 6.1.6-8 -- New York, July 21, 1971:

When Gaurasundara was working to maintain our temple, he was working. Unfortunately, he had to go fifty miles off from the temple to work for it. So I was very sorry to see how this boy is going fifty miles. How Kṛṣṇa will say? But Kṛṣṇa has given us chance. Now they haven't got to work.

So Prahlāda Mahārāja says that "These vimūḍhān, these materialistic persons, these rascals..." He has exactly used this word, vimūḍhān. Mūḍha I have already explained several times in connection with Bhagavad-gītā. Mūḍha means rascals. And here Prahlāda Mahārāja uses another nice word with addition, "vi." Vimūḍhān. Vi means viśeṣa, "particularly." The vimūḍhān... Māyā-sukhāya bharam udvahataḥ: "They have created unnecessary burden on their shoulder simply for temporary happiness." Temporary happiness. Therefore, in the Vedic civilization, a sannyāsa, renounced order of life, is recommended for prosecuting spiritual life absolutely without any anxiety. If one can execute Kṛṣṇa consciousness in family life, that's very good. Just like Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura. He was a family man, magistrate. Still, he executed devotional service so nicely. Dhruva Mahārāja, Prahlāda Mahārāja, they are, they were gṛhastha, householders, but they trained themselves in such a nice way that even householder, as a householder, there was no interruption. Just like Prahlāda Mahārāja said that "I have learned the art, how to remain always in Kṛṣṇa consciousness." What is that? Tvad-vīrya-gāyana-mahāmṛta: "Simply glorifying the," I mean to, "the victorious activities, pastimes of the Lord."

Lecture on SB 6.1.15 -- New York, August 1, 1971:

So we accept it immediately from the Vedic information. Therefore our position is safe. We do not falsely declare that "I am God." Just give proof that you are God. Then claim. But some rascal claims that he's God, and other rascals, they accept that he's God. God is not so cheap. God, as we get description from Brahma-saṁhitā: yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya jīvanti loma-vilajā jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ (Bs. 5.48). Many millions of universes are coming out from the exhaling of God, and again they are disappearing by inhaling of God. That is God. By simply breathing, millions of universes are being created and millions of universes are being dissolved simply by inhaling. This is going on. So how we can claim? So our, this unnecessary, puffed-up claim is not there. Therefore we are already liberated. We don't have to seek for liberation. Liberation means to become liberated from these nonsense, false ideas. That is liberation. As soon as we think that "I am this body," I'm not liberated. And as soon as I know perfectly well that "I am not this body," I am liberated. This knowledge gives liberation. Therefore Śukadeva Gosvāmī says prāyaścittaṁ vimarśanam. To develop your knowledge, that will give you relief.

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

So it is specially mentioned, kṛṣi-go-rakṣya-vāṇijyam (BG 18.44). The vaiśyas, food production means produce food grains, agricultural. By agriculture, you can. So much land is vacant all over the world. They are producing coffee. I have seen in Africa. Vast land is engaged in producing coffee. No food grain. So this is the defect of the civilization. They do not know how to live. Will man die without drinking coffee? No. That is not the fact. But man will die if they have no real food, anna, food grains. If you think that "I eat meat. I don't require food grains," but the cows, the animal eat food grains. So without food grain, how we can live? Therefore Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, annād bhavanti bhūtāni (BG 3.14). You produce food grains. Why you are producing so much unnecessary things—television and tools, and stool also, so many thing. Why? They are not necessary. Live in the village, produce your own food, your own cloth, and drink milk sufficiently—all economic questions solved. Then you become suśīla, well behaved. And if you go on killing animals and drinking wine and gambling, when you will be suśīla? You are always bad character.

Here it is said suśīla, "well behaved," "good character." Suśīlāḥ sādhavaḥ. Sādhavaḥ, character like ideal. You have got ideal, Lord Jesus Christ. Suśīlāḥ sādhavaḥ nārāyaṇa... Why? Nārāyaṇa-parāyaṇāḥ: because they are devotee of Nārāyaṇa. If you become simply nārāyaṇa-parāyaṇa, devotee of Nārāyaṇa or Kṛṣṇa, all good qualities will come to you automatically. All good qualities. Yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā sarvair guṇais tatra samāsate surāḥ (SB 5.18.12). Take practical example. These boys, these girls, how they have become so nice? They are known as "bright-faced." Why?

Lecture on SB 6.1.19 -- Honolulu, May 19, 1976:

Five thousand years before, Parīkṣit Mahārāja gave the Kali-yuga four places. First of all he wanted to kill Kali. Then he begged pardon, "Sir, I am also your praja, a citizen in your kingdom. So it is my business to kill these animals. So why you are punishing me? So give me protection. What can I do?" So Parīkṣit Mahārāja allowed, "No, you cannot do in my kingdom. You have to go out." So Parīkṣit Mahārāja was the emperor of the whole world, so the Kali, he said, "Sir, you say go out of your kingdom, but where is not your kingdom? Everywhere, throughout the whole world, where shall I go?" Then he designated that "You stay in these four places." "What are those places?" "Now, where illicit sex, brothel, prostitutes are going on. You can live there. And where unnecessary animal killing is going on, you can stay here. And where drinking, intoxication, is encouraged, you can stay there. And where gambling is there, you can stay there." So he could not find any place throughout the whole world where these things were going on. That is the kingdom of Mahārāja Parīkṣit. There was no chance. So it is the government's duty to see that people are very nicely ruled so that they become all pious. That is the duty of the government. Imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). Because if the king, monarch, is properly instructed, and if he orders that "My subject, my citizens, should follow this order," then it will be automatically followed out. By king's order...

Lecture on SB 6.1.39 -- Los Angeles, June 5, 1976:

There are many hundred thousand in this quarter. Why they are not coming? This is the beginning. You have got some faith, śraddhā. You have come. Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgo. And if you continue... What we are doing? We are making the association to take lessons from these Vedic literatures. This is called sādhu-saṅga (CC Madhya 22.83). In the drinking shop we make one kind of association, in the restaurant we make one association, in the club we make some association, different places. So here is a place, here is also association. It is called sādhu-saṅga, association with devotees. Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgo (Cc. Madhya 23.14-15). And if one is mature, then he wants to execute devotional service, bhajana-kriyā. And as soon as there is bhajana-kriyā, the unnecessary nonsense things will disappear. No more illicit sex, no more intoxication, no more drinking, no more gambling. Finished. When anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt, all these rascal habits are gone, then niṣṭhā, then firm faith, not to be agitated. Tato niṣṭhā tataḥ rucis. Then taste. You cannot live outside this camp. Taste has changed. Tato niṣṭhā tataḥ rucis, tathāśaktis, then attraction. Then bhāva. Bhāva means ecstasy: "Oh, Kṛṣṇa." Then there is love. There are different stage.

So this... Real religion is love, how to love God. That is real religion Dharma, what is that? Yato bhaktir... Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo (SB 1.2.6). There are different kinds of dharma, or religious system. But real religious system means how we have learned to love God. That's all. Nothing more. No ritualistic ceremony, no formula, nothing. If your heart is always crying for God, that is perfect religion. That is perfect religion. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, śūnyāyitaṁ jagat sarvam: "Oh, without Kṛṣṇa, I am feeling the whole world is vacant."

Lecture on SB 6.1.49 -- New Orleans Farm, August 1, 1975:

Asaṁśayaḥ, "Without any doubt, simply following these rules and regulation," mām evaiṣyasi, "you come back to Me."

So take these words of Kṛṣṇa, guru-Kṛṣṇa. The guru will also..., the same thing, what Kṛṣṇa has said. And follow the principles. Your life is successful. Now, this place I see, although I have not seen all, is a nice place. And the gṛhasthas may come here, have some small cottage, and grow your own food grains, vegetables, and have your cow's milk. Get nice foodstuff, save time. Why should you go in the city, hundred miles in car and again hundred miles come back and take unnecessary trouble? Stick to this spot and grow your own food, your own cloth, and live peacefully, save time, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Very nice program. This is actual life. What is this nonsense life, big, big cities and always people busy? If he wants to see one friend, he has to go thirty miles. If he has to see a physician, he has to go fifty miles. If he has to go to work, another hundred miles. So what is this life? This is not life. Be satisfied. The devotee's life should be yāvad artha-prayojanam. We require material necessities as much as it is required, no artificial life. That is spiritual life. Simply increasing artificial life, even for shaving, a big machine is required. What is this? Simply wasting time. Devil's workshop. Make life very simple. And simple living, high thinking, and always conscious to go back to home, back to Kṛṣṇa. That is life. Not this life, that simply machine, machine, machine, machine. So if you show practical example that how you are living simple life and how you are advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then people will learn from you. You American people, if you show example, people will try to follow you, and they will be happy. So I am very glad to see this farm. Develop it nicely, live peacefully, and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 6.2.4 -- Vrndavana, September 8, 1975:

So he saw that a black man was trying to kill a cow. So immediately he took action: "Who is this man trying to kill cow?" So he chastised him, punished him. He was going to kill him, but he saved himself, that "This is my time. I am Kali-yuga. I am the representative. So this is my business, to kill cow. So what can I do?" Then he said that "You better get out. Otherwise I shall kill you." "So where shall I go?" "Now, out of my kingdom." "Then where is not your kingdom? The whole world is your kingdom. Where shall I go? I am also your subject. You must give me a place." Then he gave him the places—striyaḥ sūnā pānaṁ dyūtaṁ yatra pāpas catur-vidhaḥ: "You can remain in four places. Where illicit sex is indulged, prostitution, you can remain there; and sūnā," means unnecessary killing animals, slaughterhouse, "you can remain there. And brothel and liquorhouse, striyaḥ sūnā pāna, where intoxication is indulged, you can remain there. And gambling." Pāna dyūta (SB 1.17.38). Dyūta means gambling. "You can remain in these places." So it was very difficult for Kali to find out such place because Mahārāja Parīkṣit's time the kingdom was so nice that there was no brothel, no slaughterhouse, no liquor shop and no gambling club. This is rājarṣi. So you could not find. Therefore Kali made a conspiracy how to get out Mahārāja Parīkṣit so that he could spread his influence. So long Mahārāja Parīkṣit was there, there was no influence of Kali-yuga. So after all, the age has come. It is ordained. So Parīkṣit Mahārāja was cursed by a brāhmaṇa to die within seven days, and after his death the Kali-yuga spreaded its influence. And now, by the advancement of ages, you will find these four places in every home. This is Illicit sex, and intoxication, gambling and meat-eating—this is Kali-yuga.

Lecture on SB 7.5.30 -- London, September 9, 1971:

Therefore his self-interest is to seek out the Supreme Personality of Godhead and surrender unto Him. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). That will make you happy. Otherwise, if you simply try to adjust material things and become happy, that is not possible. This is the explanation of Prahlāda Mahārāja.

Now, next verse Prahlāda Mahārāja gives hint how one can seek out the path of Viṣṇu, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is also given hint by Prahlāda Mahārāja. He says, naiṣāṁ matis tāvad urukramāṅghriṁ spṛśaty anarthāpagamo yad-arthaḥ (SB 7.5.32). Anartha. We have created so many unnecessary things and become entangled. So in the beginning of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is stated, anarthopaśamaṁ sākṣād bhakti-yogam adhokṣaje (SB 1.7.6). If you want to get out of these anarthas, unnecessary trouble and problems which you have created, anarthopaśamam, if you want to cut down these unnecessary problems... This morning I was seeing one picture of Berlin sent by one of my disciples. So I had been in Moscow also. This city I have seen, very nice city. Berlin is very nice city. London is very nice city. But why they engaged in fighting and bombed each, other's city? Why this happenned? Because they have lost their interest in Viṣṇu, in God. Therefore I am thinking, "You are my enemy; I am your enemy," and we fight like cats and dogs. But as soon as we come to the Viṣṇu understanding, Kṛṣṇa understanding, these cities, these nice cities, this nice civilization, can be maintained very nicely. You be happy. Yajña-śiṣṭāśino santaḥ. You eat nicely, dance nicely, live nicely, and go back to home, back to Godhead. Enjoy this life and next life. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is so nice. Everyone should take seriously, try to understand it seriously. It is authorized on the Vedic principles. It is nothing something manufactured, unauthorized. So that is our request. So we are opening centers in different parts of the world to give opportunity to the people to understand his real interest: Viṣṇu, his real interest. That is our mission. So kindly help us and join us.

Lecture on SB 7.5.30 -- Mauritius, October 2, 1975:

So if we stick to the materialistic way of life, it will be very, very difficult to understand this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Matir na kṛṣṇe parataḥ svato vā mitho 'bhipadyeta gṛha-vratānām. Why? Now, adānta-gobhiḥ. Adānta means uncontrolled. Uncontrolled. Our senses are uncontrolled. This morning, while I was walking on the beach, we found so many things, the capsule of the Coca-cola, cigarette butts and so many other things. So what is the necessity of this Coca-cola? You don't find all these things in our society. We don't drink Coca-cola. We don't drink Pepsi-cola. We don't smoke. So many things which are selling in the market in huge quantity by advertisement, by victimizing the poor customer... But they are called unnecessary things. There is no need of such things. But adānta-gobhiḥ, because the senses cannot be controlled, they are making business. They are making business, unnecessary thing. So we have to control the senses. If we really want spiritual life, if we really want to be free from these material clutches, then we have to learn how to control the senses. That is wanted. That is the purpose of human life. Now... That is the purpose of human life. Human life is not meant for imitating the life of cats and dogs and hogs. That is not human life.

Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- Madras, January 2, 1976:

The Buddhists, they decry the authority of Vedas. He had to do that. There was no way. Jayadeva Gosvāmī offered his prayer to Lord Buddha. Nindasi yajña-vidher ahaha śruti-jātam. Śruti. In the Vedas there is recommendation of yajña, and in some of the yajñas there is recommendation of killing paśu. So Lord Buddha, he preached ahiṁsā paramo dharma, no killing of animals. So these paṇḍitas, they will give evidence that in the Vedas there is description of killing animals. How you can stop it? So therefore he said, "I don't care for your Vedas." Nindasi yajña-vidher ahaha śruti-jātam. Why? Why he did so? Sadaya-hṛdaya-darśita-paśu-ghātam. He was so much compassionate to see unnecessary killing of animals. Sadaya-hṛdaya. Therefore ahiṁsā paramo dharmaḥ. That was his... Although he is the incarnation of God... Keśava dhṛta-buddha-śarīra, jaya jagadīśa hare. So the Vaiṣṇava can understand what is Lord Buddha and why he decried the authority of... Because there was no other way. So

nindasi yajña-vidher ahaha śruti-jātaṁ
sadaya-hṛdaya darśita-paśu-ghātam
keśava dhṛta-buddha-śarīra jaya jagadīśa hare

So a Vaiṣṇava can understand what kind of part he is playing. So in this way there are different activities going on, and they have been taken as different types of dharma. But real dharma is bhāgavata-dharma. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). This is dharma.

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

One who has control over the senses, one who has control over eating, you'll find this instruction in the Nectar of Instruction: jihvā-vegam udaropastha-vegam manaso vegam etān vegān yo viṣaheta dhīraḥ pṛthivīṁ sa śiṣyāt (NOI 1). Guru should be... Guru means one who has control over the six engagements. Manaḥ, to control the urge of the mind. The mind wants to do this. "No, if it is not profitable, don't do this." Then control over the mind. Control over the senses, control the words. I am angry, I want to abuse somebody with some ill names. "No, why shall I..." Control of the... Talking unnecessary useless talk, that is control over the tongue. Vāco vegam. Krodha-vegam: "I am just going to be very angry upon you." No, we have to control. In this way when one is able to control over these things, especially jihvā-vegam udaro-vegam upastha-vegam, straight line—the urge of the tongue, the urge of the belly and the urge of the genital—then we become svāmīs, gosvāmīs. Artificially, it is not to be suppressed. Nidrāhāra-vegam, these are material things.

Lecture on SB 7.6.10 -- New Vrindaban, June 26, 1976:

Poor people, they do not know what is their self-interest, what is the aim of life. Therefore Vyāsadeva he is called vidvāṁs. Vidvāṁs means very learned. He has compiled the śāstra. Anartha, unnecessarily want. Wants we have increased. Now we, instead of wasting our time for increasing our unnecessary needs of life, we shall be satisfied with the bare necessities of life. Eating, sleeping, mating, we can minimize it. But don't, we don't say that you starve, you keep your body uncomfortably, and then fall sick, and then your Kṛṣṇa conscious business is hampered. No. Yavad-artha prayojana. Anāsaktasya viṣayān. Don't be attached to sense gratification. Satisfy senses as little as possible, which is essential, needed. It is not stopped. Nirbandhaḥ kṛṣṇa, anāsaktasya viṣayān yathārham upayuñjataḥ. Don't be attached to the sense gratification. Just like eating, it is also a kind of sense gratification, to satisfy the tongue, satisfy the belly. But eating is also necessary if we want to maintain our body, and with the body you have to execute Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Without maintaining the body, or disturbing the body, we cannot.

So everything can be adjusted. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness education. And we are trying to establish an ideal colony in New Vrindaban and other places. So I'm glad that in spite of all difficulties you are trying to... But do it nicely. Plain living, high thinking, that is required. It is not necessary that unnecessarily we increase objectives of sense gratification and be entangled. Minimize it and live peacefully, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 7.12.4 -- Bombay, April 15, 1976:

So this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is meant for guiding us. Anartha-upaśamaṁ sākṣād bhakti-yogam adhokṣaje. These rascals, they have forgotten their own culture. They have accepted so many anarthas, unwanted things. Take for example drinking wine. Is it very necessary thing? But drinking tea, is it very necessary? Drinking... Smoking bidis. These are all foolishness. At the cost of bidi smokers, many millionaires are there in India and in your country also, at the cost of the smokers, many million... At the cost of the meat-eaters, there are many, many rich men. So the society is creating unnecessarily entanglement, anartha. So this, the Bhāgavata culture, Bhāgavata-dharma, which we are trying to spread, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, it is the only remedy for curbing down this unnecessary so-called civilization. Anartha upaśamaṁ sākṣād bhakti-yogam adhokṣaje. This thing... Practically everyone can see that you Western boys and girls, so many anarthas you practice, but as soon as you come to bhakti-yoga, everything is finished. So this is a fact. Anartha-upaśamaṁ sākṣād bhakti-yogam adhokṣaje. If you take to bhakti-yoga, immediately anarthas, unwanted things, will be finished. Lokasya ajānata. They are trying to minimize the anarthas. In your country, you know, the government spending millions of dollars to stop this LSD habit. The government has admitted that "We are spending so much money, but when these boys come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, immediately they stop." Anartha-upaśamaṁ sākṣāt. It is a practical. The government has failed to stop this intoxication habit, LSD, spending million of dollars. But by the grace of Kṛṣṇa the same hippie, the same LSD man, as soon as he comes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he becomes completely clean. Upaśamaṁ sākṣād bhakti-yogam adhokṣaje.

Lecture on SB Lecture -- Melbourne, May 19, 1975:

That is the history, Mahābhārata. Mahābhārata means great India. So there was no different religion. One religion, Vedic religion. Vedic religion means to accept the Supreme Personality of Godhead as the Supreme Person Absolute Truth. This is Vedic religion. Those who have read Bhagavad-gītā, it is said there in the Fifteenth Chapter, vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyam (BG 15.15). Vedic knowledge means to understand God. This is Vedic religion.

Later on, with the progress of Kali-yuga... Kali-yuga means the dark age or the sinful age or the age for argument, unnecessary talks and fight. This is called Kali-yuga. That is going on. Since the last five thousand years, the Kali-yuga has begun, and the beginning of Kali-yuga was cow-slaughtering. When Mahārāja Parīkṣit was touring all over the world, he saw one black man was attempting to kill one cow. And Mahārāja Parīkṣit saw this and immediately... The cow was trembling for being slaughtered. And Mahārāja Parīkṣit saw, "Who is this man, trying to kill a cow in my kingdom?" So immediately he took his sword. That is kṣatriya. Kṣatriya means that... Kṣat means injury, and trāyate—it is called kṣatriya. There are persons who want to do harm to others. It has increased now. But during the time of Mahārāja Parīkṣit's time, it was not allowed. The king is responsible. The government is responsible that any one of his subject, either animal or man, he is not disturbed, he feels secure of his property, of his person. And it is the duty of kṣatriya to save him, to protect. This was the system of government. So that's a long story.

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

The Nectar of Devotion -- Los Angeles, June 23, 1970:

Rūpa Gosvāmī at Prayāga, Daśāśvamedha-ghāṭa. You have seen the picture in TLC. Caitanya Mahāprabhu was at Allahabad, Prayāga, and Rūpa Gosvāmī met Him there. He was offering obeisances flat. You have seen that picture. So at that time Caitanya Mahāprabhu personally gave him instruction what is this cult of bhakti. So for ten days. And he took note of it and later on he placed this book in the form of Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu. That is in Sanskrit. It will be difficult for you. Therefore I have presented a summary study, and the summary study has come to 407 pages. If we would have elaborately described each and every verse, then it would have come to at least thousand pages.

So the whole substance is creamed. You should take advantage of this. And don't indulge in much unnecessary talks. Time should be very properly utilized. Āyuṣaḥ kṣaṇa eko 'pi na labhyaḥ svarṇa-koṭibhiḥ. Value of time is so great that one moment of your life lost, it cannot be returned even in exchange of millions of dollars. Therefore every moment should be properly utilized. Avyartha kālatvam (Cc. Madhya 23.18-19). When one is advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness his business becomes to see, "Whether I am wasting my time?" That is one of the sign of advanced devotee. Avyartha kālatvam. Nāma-gāne sadā ruci (CC Madhya 23.32). Attachment for chanting always. Prītis tad-vasati sthale: (Cc. Madhya 23.18-19) and attraction or attachment for living in the temple, vasati, where Kṛṣṇa lives. Kṛṣṇa lives everywhere, but specifically, to give us chance to meet, He lives in the temple or in places like Vṛndāvana. So prītis tad-vasati sthale. One should be enhanced in attachment for living where Kṛṣṇa is living. Prītis tad... Nāma-gāne sadā ruci (CC Madhya 23.32). And taste for singing always the holy name. These are development. Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgaḥ (Cc. Madhya 23.14-15).

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 10, 1972:

Niṣkiñ... That is called niṣkiñcana. Caitanya Mahāprabhu also said, niṣkiñcanasya bhagavad-bhajanonmukhasya. Bhagavad-bhajanonmukha, those who are actually desiring to be entered into the path of devotional service, must be niṣkiñcana. Caitanya Mahāprabhu said. Niṣkiñcanasya bhagavad-bhajanonmukhasya pāraṁ paraṁ jigamisor bhava-sāgarasya. Bhagavad-bhajana means to go on the other side of the ocean of nescience, not in this material world. Anyone who is desiring to be promoted to the heavenly planet, Svargaloka, Janaloka, Maharloka, Tapoloka, Brahmaloka... There are so many higher planetary systems. But a bhagavad-bhakta, devotee, knows that they are unnecessary. Ā-brahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna (BG 8.16). Again we have to come back. Kṣīṇe kṣīṇe puṇye martya-lokaṁ viśanti (BG 9.21). So this botheration is not very much liked by the pure devotee. Pure devotee does not... Even if he's offered such... Of course, a pure devotee (is) never offered such material benefits. Because Kṛṣṇa says, "The pure devotee, after giving up this body..." Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9). Punar janma means to take birth in one of the planets, or in one of the species of, out of eight million four hundred thousand species of life. That is called punar janma. But the devotees who are following Caitanya Mahaprābhu's instruction, they do not mind, even there is birth again. Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, janmani janmani bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi. So even there is birth... Just like Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura says, kīṭa janma hao yathā tuyā dāsa. "My dear Lord, if You like that I shall take birth again, so kindly give my birth in a place where there is Your devotee." That is wanted. Bahir-mukha-brahma-janma nāhi mora āśa. "And if I become nondevotee and take my birth as Lord Brahmā, I don't want it. Let me become an insect in the house of a devotee." This is the aspiration... The same thing is explained here. Because without the benediction of a pure devotee, it is not possible to enter into the path of devotional service.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.107 -- New York, July 13, 1976:

Here in this material world we are trying to become happy. Just like in your country is supposed to be most advanced in material civilization. They are trying to be happy. But we can see even in this New York City, nobody wants, still, twenty-four hours there is blazing fire: "gan-gan-gan-gan-gan-gan-gan-gan-gan." Stop this. Why there is blazing fire? Nobody wants it. But there must be, because you are in the material world. However big, big skyscraper building you may have, you have to suffer. But these dull brain cannot understand, because madmen.

So this dull brain has to be cured. All rascals, mūḍha. It is a fact. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15). Duṣkṛtina means simply unnecessary wasting time adjusting things materially. This is miscreants. They do not know that "For one type of advantage, I have to create hundred times disadvantage." This is the fact. We are coming from New Vrindaban. They are living very comfortably in open space. There is no such disturbance, twenty-four hours, "dung-dung-dung-dung-kah-kah-kah-kah-kah." No. (laughter) No disturbance. But you have created some advantages to live in the skyscraper building. There are so many disadvantages also. So therefore sometimes the Indians are accused that "Believe in destiny." But that is actual fact. You cannot improve a single inch than you are destined. That is not possible. That is not possible. If you want to increase your so-called happiness, then you simply waste your time. That is Prahlāda Mahārāja's instruction. Na tat prayāsaṁ kartavyam. "I am not in a good position economically. Let me try to improve it." That you cannot. Otherwise in New York City, so opulent, so materially advanced, why we see so many men in the Central Park lying on the bench? Why? They do not belong to the poor nation or poor city. Still, because he's destined, he must lie down there. Maybe he is rich man's son or born in rich nation, but because he's destined to suffer, he must lie down there. Because he's destined to suffer, he must become a hippie.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 25.31-38 -- San Francisco, January 22, 1967:

Now, Brahmā says that "This form is bhuvana-maṅgalam maṅgalāya. This form, Kṛṣṇa, is meant for all auspicity for everyone." Bhuvana-maṅgalāya dhyāne sma daraśitaṁ ta upāsakānām. "Those who are observing You in meditation..." Meditation means to concentrate the mind only on Kṛṣṇa or Viṣṇu. This is meditation. I do not know Nowadays so many meditators are there, they have no objective. Something they try to think of impersonal, nonmanifested. And that is condemned in Bhagavad-gītā, that kleśādhikataras teṣām avyaktāsakta-cetasām. Those who are trying to meditate upon that impersonal void, they are simply, I mean to say, taking unnecessary trouble. If you want to meditate, just meditate on Kṛṣṇa or the$ Paramātmā, the catur-bhuja Viṣṇu, four-handed Viṣṇu. That is the process of meditation everywhere recommended. So why should we go to the impersonal or voidness of meditation and waste our time? Yes.

Any question? (break) ...jya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja, that "You give up all nonsensical engagement. Just surrender unto Me." This is the purpose of Vedānta-sūtra, and this is explained by Caitanya Mahāprabhu. And that astonished them; therefore they say that vedomāyā mūrti tumi sākṣād nārāyaṇa: "You are just the Supreme Personality of Godhead, it appears. And You are personified Vedānta. Therefore we criticized You formerly. Please excuse us."

Sri Isopanisad Lectures

Sri Isopanisad, Mantra 1 -- Los Angeles, October 30, 1968:

Prabhupāda: Open the page. Read.

Devotee: Page eighteen. Page eighteen. "The root of sin is deliberate disobedience to the laws of nature through not recognizing the proprietorship of the Lord; disobedience to the laws of nature, or disobedience to the order of the Lord of a human, to the human being. On the other hand, if one is sober and knows the laws of nature, without being influenced by unnecessary attachment or abhorrence, he is sure to be recognized again by the Lord and thus become eligible for going back to Godhead, back to the eternal home." (ISO 1)

Prabhupāda: Hmm. So the natural law, without being influenced by unnecessary attachment, or abhorrence. There is no need of attachment for this material world; neither there is need of abhorrence. That is īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (ISO 1). Suppose we are sitting in this temple. So, of course, for temple we should have attachment. Ordinary home, or ordinary house, temple... We must explain. The temple is transcendental. According to Vedic civilization, to live in the forest is residential quarter in goodness, to live in the forest. Therefore, formerly, great sages and saintly persons, they used to go to the forest and live there. And the government would give them protection. The king's duty was to supply them food. What sort of food? The king used to give them in charity cows, nice cows. So they would take little milk, and whatever fruits are available in the forest, that was sufficient for them. And the king would sometimes hunt ferocious animals so that they may not disturb. But actually, they do not disturb saintly persons still. So to live in the forest is in the mode of goodness, and to live in the city, or town, is..., is in the mode of passion, and to live in slaughterhouse and brothel and drunkards, these are the residential quarter in ignorance.

Festival Lectures

Janmastami Lord Sri Krsna's Appearance Day -- Montreal, August 16, 1968:

All these things are unavoidable so long as the world at large does not understand who owns everything, who owns the land, who owns the money, who owns the food. So long as they don't understand that Kṛṣṇa is the owner and enjoyer of everything, so long as they don't understand that it is the highest enjoyment for the living soul to serve Kṛṣṇa, it is the perfect harmony in this condition to serve Kṛṣṇa, so long there will be fighting due to ignorance and deluded cross purposes.

This International Society for Kṛṣṇa Consciousness movement is meant for spreading the Kṛṣṇa consciousness to the whole world so that people might realize their spiritual existence, and so that the whole atmosphere of the world can become spiritualized by chanting the names of Kṛṣṇa. So we welcome everybody who comes to this temple to inquire about how to make your life perfect by tuning in to the desires of the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa. You'll find that this is such a pleasant proposition, that all insignificant lower desires will be forgotten. There will not be any need for unnecessary fighting among the people of the world if they can only understand the spiritual plane of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The way to realize Kṛṣṇa consciousness is very simple. Simply chant

Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare
Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare

Chant this mahā-mantra under the guidance of the spiritual master and the results will be very quick. Thank you very much.

His Divine Grace Srila Sac-cid-ananda Bhaktivinoda Thakura's Appearance Day, Lecture -- London, September 3, 1971:

There was one incidence, very interesting. When he was magistrate in Jagannātha Purī... The system is... Jagannātha temple is a very big establishment. In the temple fifty-six times daily, bhoga is offered. And you'll find in the temple always at least five hundred to one thousand people gathered. And they come from outside, and prasāda is ready. If you go and ask in the Jagannātha temple that "We are one hundred men come from outside. We want prasāda," yes, immediately ready. So it is a huge temple. This is one temple, but there are many other thousands of temple in India where prasāda is distributed. Now it is minimized by our present government. They think that it is unnecessary expenditure. They are minimizing. But not unnecessary expenditure. They do not understand. Formerly, in India there was no necessity of hotel. Anyone goes anywhere, even in a village, he goes to a temple-prasāda is ready. There is no need of going to a hotel. You pay or don't pay. If you say that "I want little prasāda," "Yes, take it." That is the system still. There is the Nāthadvārā temple in Rajasthan. You pay two annas only. Two annas means one cent. You get sumptuous prasāda for two annas, all very nice prasāda, still. So prasāda distribution in temple is longstanding usage. So Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura... The Jagannātha temple is managed by a body, and it is the custom that the local magistrate of the district, he becomes the president, or manager. So Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura was manager in that sense, because he was magistrate. The managing

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

And when there is war there is no limit how much we are spending for this devastation. So why? Because we have forgotten Kṛṣṇa. This is a fact.

So these people they have made the United Nation, unnecessarily fighting like dogs. So this will not solve the problems. The problem will be solved if they pass a resolution that the whole world, not only this world... Kṛṣṇa says, sarvaloka maheśvaram. Kṛṣṇa is the proprietor, so why not accept? Actually He is the proprietor. Who has created this planet? We have created or father created? No. Kṛṣṇa has created, but we are claiming, "This portion is American, this portion is Indian, this portion is Pakistani." Unnecessary. What is the value of this claim? We may claim it for fifty or sixty or a hundred years, and after that, one kick: "Get out." Where is your claim? But they do not understand this philosophy. They are fighting. That's all, that "This is mine. This is my land. This is my land." They do not know. Kṛṣṇa said tathā dehāntara prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). "You are American today. So tomorrow, even within America if you become an American cow or American animal, nobody will care for you. Nobody will care for your politics." But this art they do not know. This science they do not know. They are under illusion. They are thinking that "I shall continue to remain American, so let waste my time for American interest," so-called interest. There cannot be any interest. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). Everything is being done by nature, and we are simply falsely thinking, ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā kartāham iti manyate. This illusion is going on. "Forgotten Kṛṣṇa, we fallen souls, pay most heavy the illusion's toll." We are paying, paying. "Darkness around, all untrace. The only hope, Your Divine Grace." This message. Simply we are in darkness. So we shall discuss later on again. Now just... What is the time now? Hm?

Arrival Addresses and Talks

Arrival Conversation -- Los Angeles, June 20, 1975:

Prabhupāda: Yes. When they will read, then they will get. Nowadays in the Sixth Canto, Fourth Chapter, the soul and how the soul is covered, that is being described wonderfully. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam amalaṁ purāṇam. Vidvāṁś cakre sātvata-saṁhitām. It is written by the most learned Vyāsadeva, vidvāṁs, and sātvata-saṁhitām. How merciful he was. He is still living, Vyāsadeva. He is still existing.

anarthopaśamaṁ sākṣād
bhakti-yogam adhokṣaje
lokasya ajānataḥ vidvāṁś
cakre sātvata...
(SB 1.7.6)

Do you remember this verse? It is in the First Canto. Anartha. The soul has been embarrassed, the unnecessary things. Just like a man is within the huge garbage. What is his position? If... You have got your garbage car, so within that, (chuckles) if a man is pushed...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Abominable.

Prabhupāda: It is like that. Twenty-four elements. Five material elements, three subtle elements, then five working senses and five all knowledge gathering senses—how many?

Jayatīrtha: Eighteen.

Prabhupāda: Eighteen? No.

Jayatīrtha: So far.

Prabhupāda: Twenty-three, I think. Five gross elements, five senses..., five knowledge gathering senses, and five working senses, fifteen,...

Arrival Address -- Paris, August 11, 1975:

So now by the grace of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, this movement has come to your country, and especially in a nice village like this, utilize it properly. It is a very ideal place. Not only this, there are many thousands of places like this. People should take advantage to live in such nice place, produce their necessities of life, and keep them fit and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and realize self. We don't say that you starve or become weak in health or weak in intelligence. No. You remain quite fit in intelligence and health, but don't be unnecessarily in need. The difficulty of the modern educated person is... Not educated, but so-called educated, they are attracted in the city for so many things unnecessary. Just like the club, the restaurant, the liquor and the cigarette, so many things. But if your attention is diverted to Kṛṣṇa, you will not feel inclined to enjoy all these unnecessary things. That is the test of spiritual life, that bhaktiḥ pareśānubhavo viraktir anyatra syāt (SB 11.2.42). Bhakti, advancement of devotional life, means no more taste for all these nonsense. That is the test.

So you will see practically these boys and girls, they are young men, young girls, they have got so many desires, but they have given up, and they are able to continue like that because they are making progress in spiritual life. So read our books, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, live very simple life, produce your own necessities. Don't go to the town. Of course, for selling books we can go. (laughter) Our policy is not that to decry material advancement of civilization, but our instruction is that do not forget your real business, self-realization. Unfortunately, material attraction is so strong that it makes us forgetting our spiritual necessities of life. So this human form of life is given by nature for fulfilling our spiritual necessities. But if we neglect, then... Read this verse from Bhagavad-gītā. Who will read? Where he has gone, Yogeśvara? Yes, read that. Yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran loke tyajaty ante kalevaram (BG 8.6). Find out this verse and read it. Eighth Chapter, I think. (Yogeśvara reads Bg. 8.6 in French)

Arrival Address -- New Zealand, April 27, 1976:

And just the opposite number is atyāhāra, eating too much or... Āhāra means eating and āhāra means collection-too much collection unnecessarily. Of course, for our preaching we require, but we shall collect as much as we require, not that keep money in the bank and spend for some other purposes. That kind of collection is dangerous. And too much eating is also dangerous. Atyāhāra. And prayāsa. Prayāsa means endeavoring too much for getting something. Our life should be very simple. We shall act so simply that we shall have to save time for Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So we should not attempt anything which is very difficult to execute. So atyāhāra prayāsaś ca prajalpa, Unnecessary talking all nonsense, politics, rascaldom, speculation, this, that. No. Be grave. Don't talk nonsense, waste time. Atyāhāra prayāsaś ca prajalpo niyamāgrahaḥ. Niyamāgraha means not to accept the regulative principle, niyama āgraha. Āgraha means not to accept, and niyamāgraha means simply I am packed up with the regulative principle but I do not see whether I am making progress. So at least one should stick to follow the regulative principle. That is good. That must be done in the lower stage. So niyamāgraha. Atyāhāra prayāsaś ca prajalpo niyamāgrahaḥ, and laulyam, greediness. And jana-saṅgaś ca, and to associate with nondevotee, unwanted person. So these six things should be avoided, and the first mentioned six things should be accepted. Then our progress is sure, without any failure. We have published this book, Nectar of Instruction. Have you seen? That is Rūpa Gosvāmī. All these instructions are there. Read it very carefully. Everything is there.

Initiation Lectures

Initiation Lecture -- Los Angeles, December 19, 1968:

The same process is here also. This initiation means that you should, everyone should remember that whatever sinful activities one might have done in his past life, that is now account closed. Debit and credit closed. Now, from this day, no more sinful activities. What are those sinful activities? That is simple. We have mentioned. You should take it note. No illicit sex life. Beyond marriage, there is no sex life. No intoxication. Even drinking tea, coffee, they are also intoxication-cigarette smoking. No intoxication. No meat-eating. Simple. Only Kṛṣṇa prasādam. Whatever... If you remain in the temple you will get Kṛṣṇa prasādam, and if not, outside you prepare your capati, dahl, offer to Kṛṣṇa and take. Don't take anything except Kṛṣṇa prasāda. The third... And no gambling or unnecessary sporting. People are wasting time. So many sportings they have invented-sporting balls, this ball, that ball. You see? Human life is very short. We do not know when we shall die. Before that, we must prepare ourself for the next life. Next life means directly going back to Kṛṣṇa, highest perfection. As you'll find in the Bhagavad-gītā, yānti deva-vratā devān pitṟn yānti pitṛ-vratāḥ (BG 9.25). There are innumerable varieties of planet. The higher planetary system, they are resided by demigods, very powerful. They are also human beings, but they are very beautiful; they are very powerful. So you can go there. The moon planet, sun planet—that is clearly stated—if you act accordingly, as they are prescribed, that "If you want to go to the moon planet, you have to do like this," then after leaving this body, you can go there. Similarly, you can go any planet.

General Lectures

Lecture -- Seattle, October 2, 1968:

"My dear lord, I interpret this passage in this way," will it be accepted? The judge will at once say, "Who are you to interpret? You have no right." Then what is the authority of this lawbook if everyone comes, "I interpret in this way"? And interpretation when required? When a thing is not understood. If I say, "It is watch," and everyone understands that "This is watch, yes," then where is the opportunity of interpreting that this is spectacle? If anyone can understand the clear passage... Just like in the Bible, "God said, 'Let there be creation,' and there was creation." Where is the question of interpretation? Yes, God created. You cannot create. Where is the opportunity of interpretation? So unnecessary interpretation is not required and that is not bona fide, and those who are interpreting unnecessarily, they should be rejected immediately. Immediately, without any consideration. God said, "Let there be creation." So there was creation. Simple thing. Where is the question of interpretation? What can be the interpretation here? Suggest that this can be interpretation. Am I right? In the beginning of the Bible it is said like that? "God said, 'Let there be creation,' and there was creation. So what is your interpretation? Tell me what is your interpretation. Is there any possibility of interpretation? Can any one of you suggest? Then where is the opportunity of interpretation? One can explain. That is different thing, but the fact that God created, that will remain. That you cannot change. Now, how that creative process took place, that is explained in Bhāgavatam: First of all, there was sky, then there was sound, then there was this, that. This is the process of creation, that is another thing. But the fact, the primary fact that God created, that will remain at any circumstances. Not the rascal scientist says, "Oh, there was a chunk and it is split up, and there was these planets. Perhaps this and likely this," all this nonsense. They'll simply interpret, "likely," "perhaps." That is not science—"likely," "perhaps." Why perhaps? Here is clear statement, "God created." That's all. Finish. Yes.

Lecture Engagement and Prasada Distribution -- Boston, April 26, 1969:

Prabhupāda: Meat-eating, and if you believe in Bhagavad-gītā, is not the..., against the, our purificatory process. You cannot kindle fire, at the same time add water on it. If you want to kindle fire, then you have to keep that place very dry and fan it. Similarly, there are rules and regulations. Out of that rules and regulation is jīva-hiṁsā. Jīva-hiṁsā means unnecessary killing of animals. Now, if you have got sufficient foodstuff—a state I see in America... You have got sufficient grains, sufficient fruits, sufficient milk, milk products. Then if you can live on these things which are meant for human beings, why should you kill animals unnecessarily? If there is no alternative, that you cannot live... Just like in the desert, Arabian Desert, there is no food, no grain, for them animal-eating may be permissible. Because after all, we have to live. That is a different thing. But when you have got very nice foodstuff, and a very nutritious, palatable, sweet, why should you indulge in this unnecessary killing of animals? That is, will go against your purification. Therefore it is prohibited.

Guest (6): Is the unnecessary killing of animals part of, say, in relation to the incarnation, evolution to manual(?) forms. The objection to doing it is...?

Satsvarūpa: Is the objection to eating meat based on transmigration from animal to man?

Prabhupāda: No, animal can eat... The tiger, he is... By nature, he does not eat food or grain. He simply eats animals. So he can do that.

Brandeis University Lecture -- Boston, April 29, 1969:

Without being pure... That pureness... This evolution means gradual process of purifying process. You are not... You are distinct from cats and dogs means your body is purified than the body of the cats and dogs. So purification required. The first principle of purification are these four regulative principles. So they have taken to this very easily. Some of them, students, they were, six months ago they were not my students, but by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa they have seriously taken to these principles of austerities. That is not... That is stated by Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, that ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12). As soon as you come to the understanding that "I am not this ma... I am not this matter; I am spirit soul," immediately this process will follow, that you will have no unnecessary material demands. Smoking is not a necessary thing, but you have learned it by society or by company. So it is not necessary. It is unnecessary. Similarly, gambling is also unnecessary. Simply... Similarly, illicit sex life is also unnecessary. Oh, all these things are unnecessary, but we have gathered by some association for company. Similarly, you can give it up also, by association. So ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nir... (CC Antya 20.12). And unless you purify yourself, you cannot understand yourself or the position of God.

Lecture to International Student Society -- Boston, December 28, 1969:

That means "I first of all spoke to the sun-god." Now if you take that duration, it will be some millions of years before it was spoken. These things are stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. So apart from that statement, from historical point of view, since the days of Mahābhārata, yes, Battle of Kurukṣetra... Bhagavad-gītā was spoken in the Battle of Kurukṣetra. From historical point of view, it is five thousand years old. So this Bhagavad-gītā teaching is coming from, at least, from five thousand, since five thousand years. So it is older than any other scripture in the world. So you try to understand as it is, without any unnecessary commentary. You do not... There is no use of commentary. The words are sufficient to give you enlightenment, but unfortunately, people take advantage of the popularity of Bhagavad-gītā, and they try to impress under the shelter of Bhagavad-gītā their own philosophy or own idea. That is useless. You try to understand Bhagavad-gītā as it is; then you will get this entitlement, enlightenment, that Kṛṣṇa is the center of all activities. And if you become Kṛṣṇa conscious, then everything will be perfect, all problems will be solved. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpanam (CC Antya 20.12). These things are there, and actually, they are happening. Our students are feeling, they are actually doing that. So we shall request you to read this Bhagavad-gītā As It Is, so your feelings of international spirit will be perfect and you'll be happy, and wherever you preach this cult, they will be also happy. And that will be very nice thing.

Lecture -- Bombay, September 25, 1973:

Eating is not stopped, but you cannot eat anything which is not accepted by Kṛṣṇa. That is called anācāra. If you eat something which is not accepted by Kṛṣṇa... Because our life, Kṛṣṇa consciousness life, means to be always eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa. As the servant eats the remnants of foodstuff left by the master, similarly, we are servants of Kṛṣṇa. We also eat, but we eat remnants of foodstuff which is left by Kṛṣṇa. That is called prasādam, mahā-prasādam.

So we have to, I mean to say, mend our life in such a way that kṛṣṇera saṁsāra kara, chāḍi anācāra. We have to give up anācāra, forbidden things, sinful things. Striyaḥ sūnā pānaṁ dyūtaṁ yatra pāpaś catur-vidhaḥ. There are four kinds of sinful activities. Basic principle of sinful life is avaidha, illicit sex life. Avaidha stri-saṅga. Striyaḥ sūnā, unnecessary animal killing. Pāna, drinking intoxicant; and gambling. We have to give up these four principles. Then our life becomes pure. If we give up these four principles and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, then we become perfect. How it is? You can see the examples. These European, Americans, they were accustomed to all these practices. That is their daily affair. But they have given up this. Now you see, how they are saintly. So the thing is not very difficult, but one has to accept the principles. Then one lifes becomes perfect. They do not know what is perfection of life. People are thinking that material advancement is perfection of life. No. That is not perfection of life. Because even if you make nice material arrangement, you cannot enjoy it. At any time you shall be kicked out. Where is your perfection? Suppose you have very nice apartment, very nice good bank balance, very nice wife, children. Everything is all right. But is there any guarantee that you can enjoy them? Is there any guarantee? At any moment you shall be out. This is not perfection. First of all make guarantee that "Whatever I am preparing for, very happy life in this material world, they will be permanent. I will not be kicked out." Then it is perfection. But there is no such guarantee.

Lecture -- Hong Kong, January 31, 1974:

Svanuṣṭhitasya dharmasya. You are acting your duty as a brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, that's all right, śūdra, but you have to see whether Kṛṣṇa, or God, is satisfied by your duty. If you see that Kṛṣṇa is satisfied by your discharging of duties in a particular position, then you should know that your life is perfect. Otherwise, śrama eva hi kevalam (SB 1.2.8). Simply undergoing unnecessary troubles.

So how you can understand whether Kṛṣṇa or God is satisfied by discharging your particular type of duty? That is Kṛṣṇa is explaining Himself: mayy āsakta-manaḥ pārtha yogaṁ yuñjan mad-āśrayaḥ. You have to increase your attachment for Kṛṣṇa. Mayy āsakta. Āsakta means attachment. You should be attached to your business not for the business' sake but for the attachment of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is to be satisfied. Generally we do business for my satisfaction, for my family satisfaction, for government satisfaction, for income tax satisfaction and so many satisfaction. But when you try to satisfy Kṛṣṇa or increase your attachment for His satisfaction, then your business is perfect. Mayy āsakta-manaḥ pārtha, svanuṣṭhitasya dharmasya saṁsiddhi.. Everyone wants perfection; otherwise what is the use of jumping like cats and dogs? That is not meant for human being, unnecessarily jumping and dancing. You must dance for satisfaction of Kṛṣṇa. Then your life is... There is tendency for dancing, for chanting, for singing. They are holding ball dances, and musical instruments. The same thing we are propagating—chant and dance Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. This is satisfaction. This is satisfaction. Our movement is not dry. We are simply asking people, "Chant, dance, eat nice foodstuffs, take prasādam and go home." It is not dry, because the same tendency is there. Everyone goes to the hotel, everyone goes to the nightclub, eats sumptuously and dances with musical instruments, enjoys the same thing—but in connection with Kṛṣṇa.

General Lecture -- (location & date unknown):

Either you become a Hindu, Muslim, or Christian, or Buddhist, or so many other religions there are, but the test is that whether your religious principle is first class or third class or second class, the test will be whether you have developed your dormant love of God. That's all. If you are lacking in that, that you have not..., instead of developing your dormant love of God, you are developing your love for so many other things...

Caitanya Mahāprabhu has instructed in Caitanya-caritāmṛta that just like when you seed some plants, there are..., some other plants also grow. So the gardener takes out the unnecessary plants in order to give impetus to the real plant to grow. So Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and Bhagavad-gītā, following the principle that dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19), that dharma means, religion means, the law enacted by the Lord... This is the law, that "You surrender unto Me." Kṛṣṇa says. Now, if you say that Kṛṣṇa is Indian God or Hindu God, oh, Kṛṣṇa, of course, does not say like that. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā that sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya sambhavanti mūrtayo yāḥ: (BG 14.4) "In any form of life, all the living entities..." It doesn't matter, even a human being or in the animal kingdom or lower than human beings, lower than animals, birds, beast, reptiles, aquatics. There are 8,400,000 species of life. Kṛṣṇa claims, sarva-yonisu: "All species of life, they are My sons." Ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā: "I am their father, supreme father."

Departure Talks

Departure Lecture -- Caracas, February 25, 1975:

And prayāsaḥ. Prayāsaḥ means too much endeavoring for a thing, mean unnecessarily taking some anxiety. Don't do that. Atyāhāraḥ prayāsas prajalpaḥ, and talking nonsense, gossiping some subject matter which has no concern with Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We are accustomed to do that. We should avoid it. Atyāhāraḥ prayāsaś ca prajalpo niyamāgrahaḥ (NOI 2). Niyamāgrahaḥ means the positive rules and regulation, simply make a show but not actually realize it. Niyamāgrahaḥ, laulyam, and to become very greedy, and jana-saṅgaś ca, and mixing with persons who are not devotee. These six things should be avoided, and the first things should be followed. Then your success in devotional service is sure. (Hṛdayānanda begins to translate and pauses) Prajalpaḥ, unnecessary gossiping. Just like people are wasting time taking one newspaper and talking for hours. These things should be avoided. And to associate with nondevotees. And greediness. These things should be avoided.

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on Henri Bergson:

Prabhupāda: Change means along with these primary necessities of the body one should understand what is God, what to do for God instead. That is change. That can be done, simply by training.

Hayagrīva: But how are they going to change in order to bring about a profound spiritual transformation?

Prabhupāda: This is spiritual following. Just like we are doing. We are also not neglecting the bodily necessities of life, but our main business is how to advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So this is not supported by the state or the leaders of the society. They think they are unnecessary because they are animals. So that is the... If the leaders, yad yad ācarati śreṣṭhas tad tad eva itaraḥ janaḥ (BG 3.21), that is, every leading man accept that this is necessary. Just like we say "No illicit sex." So if the state helps, it can stop immediately. "No meat-eating": the state can immediately do it, "No slaughterhouse." If somebody says that it is enforcement for a person who wants to eat meat and the state has stopped, no. State at least can do this, that state is not going to maintain slaughterhouse. If you want to eat meat, you can kill an animal at your own house, but state is not going to commit these sinful activities, statewise. That is changed in every respect. No more breweries. State cannot maintain the manufacturing of liquor. If anyone individual wants, he can prepare for himself, but he cannot sell, he cannot induce others to take. He can for his personal (indistinct), he can take. In that case, state is giving liberty, "If you want eating meat, so do." But that is not encouragement; that is discouragement. That is Vedic injunction. Vedic injunction is that yes, you can have sex, but get yourself married properly like gentlemen and ladies do. But sex will not be allowed unrestricted intermingling of men and women and prostitution, brothels. That state has to stop. In this way whole thing can be revolutionized, and the society will be completely in human civilization and God consciousness. That is wanted.

Philosophy Discussion on Henri Bergson:

Prabhupāda: This is false ego, that "I am this body." So it has to be changed by education, that "You are not this body." Then when he understands that he is spirit soul, then the activities of the spirit soul begin, mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām (BG 18.54). That is stated in Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā, that first of all he has to understand that he is not this material body; he is spirit soul. That is the beginning of Bhagavad-gītā. Dehino 'smin yathā dehe (BG 2.13). Within this body the soul is there, and that soul is Brahman, spiritual. People, if they do not understand this, so they are in the animal status of life. But if he understands that he is not this body, then his struggle for existence, to maintain the body, stops. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54). That it is, when he understands that he is not this body, then his unnecessary endeavor to keep the body in comfortable position without the, without executing the business of spiritual life, then he is kept in darkness. So when one understands that he is spirit soul, so how to elevate the spirit soul to the highest perfection, that will be the main business. So that is wanted. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54). Then he understands that "Not only I am spirit soul, but everyone is spirit soul," then equal, equipoised. Every spirit soul should be given the chance of perfect understanding, samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu. Then activities of devotional service. If everyone is engaged in devotional service, then he gradually comes to the state of loving God, prema. Premā pumartho mahān. So Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu has recommended perfection of human life is how to raise oneself to the platform of loving God. That is perfection. Otherwise it is not perfect society.

Philosophy Discussion on John Stuart Mill:

Prabhupāda: Yes. Therefore in the human society there is educational system. Man has to be made a right rational animal. Although he is animal, he has to be educated in nice way. That depends on education, system of education, but in that connection studying the whole world's education system, the Vedic education is perfect. Therefore every man should be educated as they are instructed in the Vedic literature and a summary of Vedic literature is Bhagavad-gītā. So every man should read it as it is without any unnecessary interpretation. That will make the man perfect educated.

Hayagrīva: Mill envisions God at war with evil, and man's role is in aiding or helping God in this war. He writes, "If providence, or God, is omnipotent, providence intends whatever happens and the fact of its happening proves that providence intended it. If so, everything which a human being can do, is predestined by providence, and is a fulfillment of its designs. But if, as is the more religious theory, providence intends not all which happens, but only what is good, then indeed man has it in his power by his voluntary actions to aid the intentions of providence."

Prabhupāda: Yes. Providence desires only good. The man, the living being, is in this material world on account of his imperfect will. God is very kind that even though he is willing imperfectly to enjoy this material world God is giving him a directed facilities. Just like a child wants to play in certain way, still the child is guided by some nurse, or some servant by, engaged by the parent. So our position is like that. We have come to this material world to enjoy, giving up the company of God. So God has allowed him, "All right, you enjoy and experience. When you will experience that this material enjoyment is not good, then you will again come back." So He is guiding the enjoyment of the living being, especially of the human being so that he may again come back to home, back to Godhead. And nature is the via media agent, under the instruction of God. So if he (is) too much addicted to misuse the freedom, then he is punished, and that is also according to his desire. It is not God's desire that a human being become a pig, but he develops such mentality to eat everything. So God allows him to do everything, to eat everything up to stool in the body of a pig. That is God's concession. But he wanted to eat all this nonsense abominable thing so God gives him the chance that, you take this body of a pig, you can eat up to steel, up to stool. You will not find any difficulty to eat stool. In this way, God is seated in everyone's heart, He is noting down his desires, and to fulfill his different types of desire, God is ordering material nature to give a particular body and his repetition of birth and death in different species...

Philosophy Discussion on William James:

Hayagrīva: James writes about religion and total surrender and involvement. He says, "In the religious life surrender and sacrifice are positively espoused. Even unnecessary givings-up are added in order that the happiness may increase. Religion thus makes easy and felicitous what in any case is necessary. It becomes an essential organ of our life, performing a function which no other portion of our life can so successfully fulfill."

Prabhupāda: Yes. Without religion the human society is animal society. So religion must be there, and religion means to understand God, to learn how to love God, how to obey His orders, and actually real religion means to accept the order of the Supreme Lord, God. Therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā this fact is taught. God is personally teaching that "You become My devotee, always think of Me," man-manā bhava mad-bhakto, "worship Me," mad-yājī, "and if you cannot do anything more, you simply offer your obeisances unto Me." Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). Without any big, I mean to say, attempt for religious system, if one has got the idea that there is God, and even without seeing Him if he follows His instruction, always think of Him... Either you think of Him as personal God or as localized or all-pervading, but God has got form. One has to think of the form of the God. That is easier. And if God is accepted as impersonal, that is very troublesome. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, kleśaḥ adhikataras teṣām avyakta āsakta cetasām. Those who are impersonalist, for them to think of God becomes very difficult job. Who is God and what to think of, so the so-called meditation is very difficult. But if you have got really conception of a God, just like we have got Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead... Although He has got different incarnations, forms, He is the Supreme, so we think of Him. That is our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.

Philosophy Discussion on Karl Marx:

Devotee: We can do it tomorrow. Then we'll do Lenin tomorrow. (break) So, today we will continue with Marx.

Prabhupāda: Marx? Not yet finished?

Śyāmasundara: No.

Prabhupāda: Go on.

Śyāmasundara: He says that since capital is unnecessary for production, that the capitalists should be overthrown violently and the workers of the world should unite and overthrow the capitalists.

Prabhupāda: But the difficulty is—that we have already discussed (indistinct), today I am (indistinct), tomorrow I am capitalist. Because my tendency is, as soon as I get some money, I shall become master. That is the tendency. That we have already discussed. Today one man is very poor man, so he is in favor of his brothers who are poor, working, but as soon as he gets a little money, immediately he becomes the capitalist. Then he is imitating the same way as the capitalist.

Śyāmasundara: Suppose there is a social system where everyone gets the same amount, no one gets excess.

Prabhupāda: That is simply theory, that is not possible.

Śyāmasundara: But that's what happens in Russia. The managers, they don't get much more than the workers, so that everyone only can have a certain income. Just like Himavati's relatives,they sent their relatives in Russia some gifts for Christmas. The relatives sold the gifts and used the money to buy wood to add a room to their house, and because of that they were greatly punished, severely punished, by the state. But they should have given that money to others, they should have distributed it equally, that was the state's theory because anything that I use for my own benefit is wrong.

Philosophy Discussion on Karl Marx:

Prabhupāda: And Lenin. So that leadership wanted. Now the question is who will be the leader—Kṛṣṇa or Lenin? That is to be understood. Without leader, either the Communist or the theist cannot work. So, so far accepting leadership, the philosophy is one. Now the question will remain, "Whose leadership is perfect?" That is to be decided. But the Communist cannot avoid leadership.

Hayagrīva: Like Comte, Marx believed that atheism was unnecessary because it was negative denial. He felt that socialism is positive assertion. He says, "Atheism no longer has any meaning, for atheism is a negation of God and postulates the existence of man through this negation. But socialism as socialism no longer stands in any need of such a mediation. It proceeds from the practically and theoretically sensuous consciousness of man and of nature the essence. Socialism is man's positive self-consciousness no longer mediated throught the annulment of religion, just as real life is man's positive reality through Communism." So that Communism really has nothing whatsoever to do with religion.

Prabhupāda: No. Our point is that religion is not sentiment. Leadership has to be accepted, either by the Communist or the theist or atheist. There is leadership. So when the leadership is selected and the direction given by the leader, you can take it as some "ism." So religion is the same thing. When we accept the leadership of God and His direction, that is religion. I don't think on principle the Communist can change this idea. The same leader is Lenin or Stalin, and he is giving his direction, and people must follow it. So where is the difference of philosophy? Similarly, Kṛṣṇa is there, His instruction is there, and we are following. So where is the difference in fact?

Hayagrīva: In either case there is authority.

Philosophy Discussion on Thomas Aquinas:

Prabhupāda: This is very good. First of all they must know what is the welfare of the human being. Unfortunately, with advancement of so-called material education, the human society is missing the aim of life. The aim of life is declared openly in the Vedānta philosophy, athāto brahma jijñāsā. This is the aim of human life. In the Bhāgavata it is said, jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā. The life is meant for understanding the Absolute Truth. That is the aim of human life. The whole Vedic civilization is based on this principle. But on account of deviating from the original Vedic civilization, they have dedicated the human form of life in so many unnecessary scientific discoveries, that discovery, which will not give him any relief to the human society. The real tribulation of life is birth, death and disease and old age. So the so-called advancement of material civilization has not solved the real problem of life, and the aim of human life is to solve the real problem of human life. The real problem of life, that we are eternal, as eternal as God, but we are subjected to birth and death. So with the poor fund of knowledge in the Kali-yuga, people being very bad, or slow for self-realization, and they create their own way of life, mandāḥ sumanda-matayo (SB 1.1.10), and they are unfortunate and, and disturbed. Disturbance is always there, but they are not mindful about the real disturbances of life. Now, on the whole in this age, practically the human being has become like animal. The animal, although always in disturbed condition, cannot understand the aim of life, what is his position. So this type of civilization is very, very dangerous to the human society, that they have no aim of life.

Philosophy Discussion on B. F. Skinner and Henry David Thoreau:

Hayagrīva: His most famous book was Walden II, which was... Thoreau lived in Walden, Henry Thoreau. He lived alone. It was a solitary experiment of plain living and high thinking. He writes, "We practice the Thoreauvian principle of avoiding unnecessary possessions." Thoreau pointed out that the average Concord laborer worked ten or fifteen hours of his..., fifteen years of his life just to have a roof over his head. We could say ten weeks and be on the safe side. Food is plentiful and healthful but not expensive." So he goes on to say that "We strike for economic freedom, we do not believe in unnecessary consumption, we consume less than the average American." So it's an attempt to construct a society somewhat similar to New Vrindaban, with the exception of no spiritual basis as such.

Prabhupāda: That is primitive life, jungle life. Monkey civilization. Of course they claim to be descendant of monkey, that they will go on like that. But that is not human civilization, to keep the monkey in the jungle. We want life, very peaceful life without any unnecessary, what is called, necessities. That is all right. But the aim should be spiritual perfection. Therefore the first thing is what is the aim of life, that should be ascertained. Without aim, if you lounge on this ocean, where you are going? That is useless attempt. We must first of all know what is the aim of life. These people, they do not know what is the aim of life. Simply, superficially they are trying to adjust, "This will be done, this will be done." No. These are all mental speculation. First of all you must know what is the aim of life, and to this, to that direction, we have to adjust things. That is perfection.

Philosophy Discussion on B. F. Skinner and Henry David Thoreau:

Prabhupāda: Hm.

Hayagrīva: He feels his society is a society of what we call "do your own thing." That is, he doesn't really condemn anything. He says, "What's wrong with love or marriage or parenthood? What's unwholesome about sex? Why make unnecessary problems, unnecessary delays?" The idea is to simplify everything and to get rid of all the impediments to an enjoyable life.

Prabhupāda: But he does not know what is that enjoyable life. He cannot define, definitely, what is that enjoyable life. He is simply hankering after it. That is natural. But he does not know definitely what is that enjoyable life.

Hayagrīva: As close as he comes to a definition of it, he says, "We simply arrange a world in which serious conflicts occur as seldom as possible, or, with a little luck, not at all."

Prabhupāda: What does it mean? Hm?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He's trying to make an ideal arrangement where no conflicts come about.

Prabhupāda: That is materially impossible.

Hayagrīva: Yes.

Page Title:Unnecessary (Lectures)
Compiler:Visnu Murti, RupaManjari
Created:15 of Nov, 2012
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=104, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:104