If we are really Kṛṣṇa conscious, then our business is to repeat the words of Kṛṣṇa. That's all. What is the difference between a Kṛṣṇa's representative and non-representative? The representative of Kṛṣṇa will simply repeat what Kṛṣṇa says. That's all. He becomes representative. It doesn't require much qualification. You simply repeat with firm conviction.
What is the difference between? (Lectures)
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
Lecture on BG 1.21-22 -- London, July 18, 1973:
So sādhu is suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānām. Why he should allow animal killing? They are also living entities, but for their benefit, the so-called sādhu says, "The animal has no soul." What is this nonsense? Animal has no soul? Why? What is the difference between animal and man? What are the symptoms of possessing the soul? They are all equal. The man also eats, the animal also eats. The man also sleeps, the animal also sleeps, the man also have sex life, the animals also have sex life. The man also defends, the animals also defends. So where is the deficiency that you say that the animal has no soul?
Lecture on BG 1.30 -- London, July 23, 1973:
Kṛṣṇa says that "You surrender unto Me." He does not force, that "You must surrender. I am God. You are My part and parcel." No, He'll never say that. Because He has given you little independence, He will not touch it. Otherwise what is the difference between a stone and a living entity? A living entity must have independence, although it is very little, minute. That Kṛṣṇa does not touch. He'll never touch. You'll have to agree, "Yes, Kṛṣṇa, I shall surrender unto You. Yes. That is for my benefit." This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Lecture on BG 1.36 -- London, July 26, 1973:
Even so-called religious priests, they support killing, condone it. Killing is impious, sinful activity, but in the name of religion, killing is also going on. If someone says, "It is my religion to cut throat," will it be accepted very nice thing? Sometimes... Just like here is the war. This is also religious war. But still, discrimination. Arjuna, because he is a Vaiṣṇava, a Vaiṣṇava means devatā, demigod. Viṣṇu-bhakto bhaved daiva āsuras tad viparyayaḥ. What is the difference between deva and asura? Who is called a devata, and who is called an asura? There are two kinds of men. One class is called deva, devata. The other class is called asura.
Lecture on BG 1.43 -- London, July 30, 1973:
If you say publicly in a meeting that "Queen is a prostitute." Then what will be? Immediately you will be arrested and punished. In your private house you can say. Nobody will hear. But if you say such thing nonsense in public, immediately you will be criminal. Therefore your duty is to respect the queen, to abide by the orders of the government. That is your aim of good citizenship. What is the difference between good citizen and outlaws? The difference is a good citizen is always trying to satisfy the government by abiding the laws given by the government. So therefore our ultimate goal is to satisfy the supreme government, Kṛṣṇa. Because Kṛṣṇa is the supreme. These universes, they are Kṛṣṇa's kingdom.
Lecture on BG 1.44 -- London, July 31, 1973:
Devotional service and ordinary work, they look almost equal. Just like we are living in this house. The neighbors, they may think that "Some people are living here, chanting, dancing. We also dance. We also sometimes sing. And eating, they are also eating. Then what is the difference?" They may think that "What is the difference between devotional service and ordinary work?" It looks almost equal. Therefore people misunderstand that Bhagavad-gītā is ordinary warfare, violence. But it is not that. It is arranged by Kṛṣṇa because, to fulfill His mission. His mission is paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtam (BG 4.8). That is His satisfaction, not Arjuna's satisfaction, not anyone's satisfaction. It is His plan.
Lecture on BG 2.11 -- Mauritius, October 1, 1975:
Actually it is spiritual, and when it is not used for spiritual purpose or Kṛṣṇa's purpose, it is material, the same thing. What is the difference between material and spiritual? That is, a picture is there. There are so many pictures. People may say that "Here is the same picture. Why these people are worshiping and offering ārati and chanting?" But this picture is spiritual because it enhances or enthuses a spiritual consciousness. Therefore it is spiritual.
Lecture on BG 2.12 -- London, August 18, 1973:
As Kṛṣṇa is nitya. He is singular number we are plural number. That is the difference. We are many; Kṛṣṇa is one. There cannot be many Kṛṣṇas. But there are many living entities. So what is the difference between the singular number? That is also stated here: eko bahūnāṁ yo vidadhāti kāmān. This one singular number is supplying all the necessities of this plural number. Is it not fact? We are very much disturbed over population. That is all nonsense.
Lecture on BG 2.13 -- Pittsburgh, September 8, 1972:
We do not know what is the numerical strength of the living entities. They are described as asaṅkhya. Asaṅkhya means without any counting capacity. Millions and trillions. Then what is the difference between this singular number and the plural number? The plural number is dependent on the singular number. Eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. The singular number eternal is giving all the necessities of life to the plural number, we living entities. That's a fact, we can examine by our intelligence. Out of 8,400,000 different forms of life, we civilized human beings are very few. But others, their number is very great. Just like in the water.
Lecture on BG 2.13 -- Hyderabad, November 18, 1972:
Śyāmasundara: He wanted to know what is the difference between Paramātmā and ātmā.
Prabhupāda: Paramātmā and ātmā, it is not very difficult to know. Just like you are father and you have got many children at home. So they, because they are children, they are, I mean to say, as ingredients, you and your children are the same, but still, you are superior, and the children are dependent. Your children are not different from you, but still, you are superior and they are inferior or junior. So qualitatively one, but quantitatively different.
Lecture on BG 2.16 -- Mexico City, February 16, 1975:
Hṛdayānanda: (translating) What is the difference between God and ourselves and what is the relationship?
Prabhupāda: God is great; we are small. Otherwise, we the same. God is also living entity; you are also living entity. God is eternal; you are also eternal. God is full of bliss; you are also full of bliss. So quality, there is no difference. Only difference in quantity. Just like a drop of sea water. It is salty. So this means in the drop there is salt.
Lecture on BG 2.16 -- Mexico City, February 16, 1975:
We may take as a small god, that's all. But the power is different. God can create a planet like the sun, which is floating in the air, and you can create a small airplane floating in the air. God can create a mosquito which has got the same construction like the aeroplane, but you cannot do it. That is the difference between God and you. You can create; He can create. But His creation and your creation is not equal. Who put this question, "What is the difference between God and us?" You put? What did you...?
Girl: Well, I think that since there is..., that what is the relation between you...
Prabhupāda: That you can understand. What is the relation between big and small? The big is the master, and the small is the servant, that's all. If somebody is big, big merchant, big factory owner, you go to serve him. So that relation is very clear, that the master..., the big is the master, and the small is the servant. Therefore our business is to serve God.
Lecture on BG 2.17 -- London, August 23, 1973:
What is the difference between Supersoul and soul? Soul, consciousness, is spread all over this body. You are soul, your consciousness spread all over your body. I am soul, my consciousness spread all over the body. But my consciousness not spread all over your body, neither your consciousness spread all over my body. But God's, Kṛṣṇa's, consciousness is spread over your body and my body, His body and everyone.
Lecture on BG 2.30 -- London, August 31, 1973:
Everything is emanating from Him. Still, there is inferior nature and superior nature. What is the difference between inferior and superior? In the inferior nature or the material nature, God consciousness is almost nil. Those who are in the modes of goodness, they have little God consciousness. And those who are in the modes of passion, they have got less degree; and those who are in the modes of ignorance, there is no God consciousness. Completely absent. Degrees.
Lecture on BG 2.58-59 -- New York, April 27, 1966:
One should know "When I shall properly use the senses." That is the sign of a person who is situated in pure consciousness. He knows properly, "How to use my senses." That is the difference by the instruction of Bhagavad-gītā, we'll find, that in the beginning Arjuna did not know how to use his senses, and after hearing Bhagavad-gītā, he learned it. He became a learned man, how to use his senses. And when he did not know how to use his senses, he said, "I shall not fight." And when he learned how to use senses, he said, "Yes, I'll fight." Now, what is the difference between "yes" and "no"? That means when our senses are engaged in the service of the supreme consciousness, then we are in pure consciousness situation. And when our senses are used to our whims, to our whims. Just like in the previous śloka it has been explained, prajahāti yadā kāmān sarvān pārtha mano-gatān. We manufacture plans by our mental concoction. That should be given up. Yadā prajahāti kāmān sarvān. All kinds of mental concoction, mental speculation, should be given up. That is the science. That is the beginning of our spiritual life, that "I shall not use my mind for my activities. I shall wait for the direction from the higher authority, supreme consciousness. Then I shall act."
Lecture on BG 3.1-5 -- Los Angeles, December 20, 1968:
One has to be judged by the result. You have worked very hard and supposed to be very rich man, but if I see that you have no nice apartment, neither any car, neither any opulence, so what kind of businessman you have earned? That can be understood immediately. So if one by practice of meditation is actually advancing in spiritual life, why he's materially affected? What is the difference between a person materially affected and spiritually advanced?
Lecture on BG 3.11-19 -- Los Angeles, December 27, 1968:
What is the purpose of eating? To live. If you can live very peacefully, very nicely, with good health, by eating so many varieties of foodstuff given by Kṛṣṇa, why should I kill an animal? This is humanity. Why should I imitate an animal? Then what is the difference between animal and human being? If you have no discretion, if you have no consciousness.
Lecture on BG 3.31-43 -- Los Angeles, January 1, 1969:
That is explained in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta: lust and love, what is the difference between lust and love. In the material world there is no love. Because everyone is directed by lust. The so-called love... A young boy is trying to love a young girl, or young girl is trying to love a young..., but the background is lust. There is no love. It is simply a show of love. Therefore, after satisfying lust, there is divorce, there is separation. So in the material world there is no possibility of love. It is all lust. Love is only possible when you love God. There is no lust. There is no question of sense gratification. Simply for love: "Kṛṣṇa is my lover. Kṛṣṇa is my master. Kṛṣṇa is my friend."
Lecture on BG 3.31-43 -- Los Angeles, January 1, 1969:
Just like these boys in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. People may say, "What they are doing? They are also eating, they are also cooking, and offering Kṛṣṇa, and they say it is Kṛṣṇa conscious. What is the difference between this foodstuff with the hotel foodstuff?" In this way they may think. "Oh, they are also typewriting, they are also using dictaphone and this tape recorder and all this material." But they do not know that everything is being used for Kṛṣṇa. Therefore there is far different. There is no lust. So you can utilize everything if it is in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, not for satisfaction of your lust. Then your life is sublime.
Lecture on BG 4.1 -- Delhi, November 10, 1971:
What is the difference between Supersoul and individual soul? One is very small, minute, and the other is very big. God is great. Aṇor aṇīyān mahato mahīyān, God is greater than the greatest. You can conceive in your idea, the greatness of something, but God is still greater. And you can conceive the smallest—just like the atom—yet God is smaller than the atom. That is God. Not that He's only the great, but He is the smallest also. Aṇor aṇīyān mahato mahīyān. Mahato mahīyān means greater than the greatest, and aṇor aṇīyān, and smaller than the smallest.
Lecture on BG 4.1-2 -- Columbus, May 9, 1969:
What is the difference between this, the unlimited number, or plural number, and one singular number? That is also answered. Eko bahūnāṁ yo vidadhāti kāmān: "That singular number one entity is supplying the, all the necessities of all the plural number living entities." We are plural number entities. The living entities, we are plural number. Nityo nityānām. This nityānām is plural number, possessive case, in Sanskrit. And He is nitya. He is one, singular number. Eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān: "That one is supplying the necessities of all living entities."
Lecture on BG 4.1-6 -- Los Angeles, January 3, 1969:
Now, here try to understand what is the difference between God and dog. A dog forgets. A dog comes to your place to eat something. You give it a slap. He goes away, again comes. He forgets that slapping. You see? That is the dog's nature. And God's nature is different.
Lecture on BG 4.2 -- Bombay, March 22, 1974:
We are aspiring after rāma-rājya. Why rāma-rājya? What is the difference between rāma-rājya and this rājya? There is difference. Rāma-rājya means responsible government. Even during the time of Lord Rāmacandra, one brāhmaṇa's son died. So he went to the king to challenge that "What kind of king you are that in the presence of the father the son is dying?" This is responsible government. Responsible government means that a son cannot die before the presence of father. In the Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira's time also, there was no anxiety, adhibhautika, adhidaivika, adhyātmika. These are stated in the śāstra. They were so free, so, I mean to say, carefree. There was no care, no anxiety. Everyone was happy.
Lecture on BG 4.7-9 -- New York, July 22, 1966:
The animals have also got these problems, eating, sleeping, defending and, what is called? Sense gratification. We have got also those problems. So they are also trying to solve these problems and if we are also engaged in simply solving these problems, then what is the difference between the animals and the human being? The human being... The next line says dharmo hi teṣām adhiko viśeṣaḥ. The human being has got a special qualification by which he can develop the transcendental Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and if he does not do that, then he's in the category of the animals.
Lecture on BG 4.8 -- Bombay, March 28, 1974:
We should study Bhagavad-gītā very nicely. We can understand. But mad-yājino 'pi yānti mām (BG 9.25). If you prepare your life to become a perfect pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa, then you go to Kṛṣṇa. What is the difference between going to the Brahmaloka and Kṛṣṇaloka? If you go to Kṛṣṇaloka, yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama (BG 15.6), then you haven't got to return again to accept another material body. You go to Kṛṣṇa means you go with your spiritual body. No more material body. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9).
Lecture on BG 4.11-12 -- New York, July 28, 1966:
Janārdana: What is the difference between spiritual body and spiritual atoms?
Prabhupāda: Yes. Matter is not eternal, and spirit is eternal. Matter is full of ignorance, and spirit is full of knowledge. Matter is full of unpleasantness, and spirit is full of pleasure, sac-cid-ānanda. That is the difference between matter and spirit.
Janārdana: And what is the difference between spiritual atoms and spiritual bodies? Or are they the same thing?
Prabhupāda: No. Spiritual atom... Just like from the spiritual body, you have developed this material body, similarly, from the spiritual atom, you can develop your spiritual body. Tyaktvā deham. Tyaktvā deham means that giving up this material body, he develops his spiritual body and then goes to the kingdom of God, or Kṛṣṇa. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti (BG 4.9). So when he goes to Kṛṣṇa, he goes in spiritual body. So there is potency of every living being.
Lecture on BG 4.13 -- Johannesburg, October 19, 1975:
What is the difference between the chief and ourselves? Now, the difference is eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. There are two chiefs, two eternal... One is... Two eternal and two... Cetana means living being, two living quality. So the singular number is maintaining the plural numbers. Eko yo bahūnām. We, we living entities, we are plural number, many. Jīva-bhāgaḥ sa vijñeyaḥ sa anantyāya kalpate (CC Madhya 19.140).
Lecture on BG 4.20 -- Bombay, April 9, 1974:
Pradyumna: Pravṛttiṁ ca nivṛttiṁ ca janā na vidur āsurāḥ, na śaucam...
Prabhupāda: What is the page number?
Pradyumna: Seven-hundred-thirty-one.
Prabhupāda: So in the Sixteenth Chapter it has been explained that what is the difference between atheist and theist, or persons with God consciousness and persons without God consciousness. So it is said,
- dvau bhūta-sargau loke 'smin
- daiva āsura eva ca
- daivo vistaraśaḥ prokta
- āsuraṁ pārtha me śṛṇu
- (BG 16.6)
Kṛṣṇa is explaining that there are two classes of men, loke, in every place or every planet. Some planets are full of asuras. They are called asura-loka. And another place it is said that "Who are the asuras and who are the devas?" Viṣṇu-bhakto bhaved daiva āsuras tad-viparyayaḥ.
Lecture on BG 4.20 -- Bombay, April 9, 1974:
Just like the communist country. The communist country, they are engaging people to work, but you cannot take the result. The government will take. And therefore they are not very enthusiastic. I have been in your communist country. They are not very enthusiastic. That is, unless one can enjoy personally, he is not interested in any business. "Why shall I work so hard?" This is natural. But here it is said, tyaktvā karma-phala. What is the difference between the communist philosophy and Vaiṣṇava philosophy? The communist also says that everyone should work without expecting the result. The result will go to the government.
Lecture on BG 4.39-5.3 -- New York, August 24, 1966:
There is another instance in a Bengali poetry, gṛhe vā vanete thāke, sadā gaurāṅga bole ḍāke, that "A man may be situated as a householder or a man may be situated as a renounced order in life. That doesn't matter. If he is attached with Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he is the perfect man." So here is the indication. "So Arjuna, you are asking what is the difference between the karma-yoga and sannyāsa. Oh. So there is no such difference. Better if you become a karma-yogī." Karma-yoga, meaning "You simply work for Kṛṣṇa." "Then you are better than a sannyāsa." Because a sannyāsī is living at the expense of the society, but a man who is fully alert that "Whatever I am earning and whatever I am doing, oh, it is all meant for Kṛṣṇa," oh, he is the practical man. He's a practical man.
Lecture on BG 5.3-7 -- New York, August 26, 1966:
Suppose I am in the renounced order of life. What I have renounced? Oh, you are, you have got clothing. I have got also clothing. It may be less costly. Or you are living in some room. Oh, I am also living in some room. So what is the difference between you and me? Renunciation. Suppose a mendicant becomes..., he has renounced everything. In India you'll find, simply a loincloth he's wearing, even naked body. Sometimes, they are naked. So Rūpa Gosvāmī says that the monkey, monkey is completely naked, and he eats fruit.
Lecture on BG 6.1 -- Los Angeles, February 13, 1969:
So if this world is become full in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, nobody is working for sense gratification, only for satisfaction of Kṛṣṇa, this world becomes spiritual world immediately. This requires little time to understand. Anything used for Kṛṣṇa, simply for Kṛṣṇa's satisfaction, it is spiritual. Just like we are using this microphone for talking about Kṛṣṇa, then it is spiritual. Otherwise what is the difference between this prasādam and ordinary food? We are distributing prasādam, people will say, "Why is prasādam? The same fruit we eat, and you have simply cut into pieces it has become prasādam?" They can say that. How it is prasādam? But it is prasādam. You go on eating this prasādam, you become spiritualized. Actually it is prasādam.
Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Los Angeles, December 2, 1968:
Madhudviṣa: Prabhupāda, what is the difference between an incarnation and an avatāra?
Prabhupāda: Avatāra is incarnation. Avatāra means incarnation. Incarnation, in your dictionary, is "accepting some body"? Is that...? But avatāra... Of course, there are different grades of avatāra. Avatāra means one who comes... The real world is avataraṇa descending. Avatāra means who comes from a higher sphere, higher planet. They are not living entities of this world, this material world. They come from spiritual world. They are called avatāra. So these avatāra grades are different.
Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Melbourne, June 29, 1974 :
All material desires made into zero. Then sannyāsa. Sannyāsī, anāsakta. That is described in the Bhagavad-gītā, anāśritaḥ karma-phalaṁ kāryaṁ karma karoti yaḥ sa sannyāsī... Who is a sannyāsī? Anāsakta. Anāsakta means he is working day and night, but no attachment for the result. Karmīs... What is the difference between karmī and sannyāsa? Karmī is working so hard, day and night; he is expecting that "I shall get some money out of it and I shall enjoy." That is karmī.
Lecture on BG 7.3 -- Montreal, June 3, 1968:
In the Bhagavad-gītā you'll find, mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ: (BG 9.13) "One who is mahātmā, he is not under the control of this material nature. He is under the protection of the spiritual nature." Daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ. And what is the difference between a person under the spell of this material nature and one person under the protection of spiritual nature? That is also stated there, that mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ, bhajanti mām ananya-manaso (BG 9.13). The test whether a man is under the protection or under the punishment of this material nature or he is under the protection of spiritual nature is tested in this line.
Lecture on BG 7.3 -- Vrndavana, October 31, 1973:
Therefore Bhāgavata says that "Although they got up to the platform, āruhya, after much penance and austerities, they fall down." Otherwise a common man, he is also opening hospital. And if a sannyāsī who has rejected this world as mithyā, and if he also wants to open hospital and school and college, then what is the difference between the common man and this learned scholar or learned self-realized brahma-jñānī? That means he has not realized what is actually siddhi, what is brahma-jñāna. Otherwise why he is coming? Paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate (BG 9.59). You can cease yourself from all material activities when you actually realize the Supreme Brahman
Lecture on BG 7.3 -- London, March 11, 1975:
Kṛṣṇa, the most superior authority, He says, and it is accepted by all the ācāryas and all persons who have attained perfection. So we should learn it, that "What is my next life?" And if I prepare for the next life, that is called siddhi. That is called siddhi. If we don't prepare for the next life, if we remain just like cats and dogs... The cats and dogs, they do not know what is next life because they are animal. And if I do not know what is next life, then what is the difference between the cats and dogs? Where is the difference between? Sa eva go-kharaḥ (SB 10.84.13), śāstra says. "One who does not know what is the next life, he is no better than go-kharaḥ." Go means cows, and kharaḥ means ass. Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke sva-dhīḥ kalatrādiṣu bhauma ijya-dhīḥ, sa eva go-kharaḥ. These men are no better than these cats and dogs and animals.
Lecture on BG 7.3 -- London, March 11, 1975:
So what is the difference between going to the higher planetary system and what is the difference, going to back to home, back to...? Everything is explained there. If you go to the higher planetary systems, suppose to the planets of the demigod, Kṛṣṇa says, "Then you will have to again come back." Ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna (BG 8.16). Even if you go to the topmost planet, then from there also, after... Kṣīṇe puṇye martya-lokaṁ viśanti (BG 9.21). After your resultant action of pious activities is finished, then you have to come back again here. Yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama (BG 15.6). But there is another planet, which is called Goloka Vṛndāvana.
Lecture on BG 7.3 -- Nairobi, October 29, 1975:
So to understand Kṛṣṇa is not very easy thing. Kṛṣṇa says that manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu, "Out of many millions of millions' person, one tries to become perfect." Who is going to become perfect, especially in this age? Everyone is working like cats and dogs. That's all. Whole day working for eating, sleeping, sex and defense, that's all. They are not manuṣyas. Āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunaṁ ca sāmānyam etat paśubhiḥ narāṇām. Eating... I eat; dog eat. So what is the difference between eating between the dog and me? He is eating according to his taste, I am eating also. The eating business is there in the dog also. Don't think that because you are eating on table, chair, plates, nice preparation... It is eating. People are taking that "Because I am eating on table, chair and nice dish and nice preparation, therefore I am civilized." The śāstra says that it may be different types of taking the eatables, but it is eating. That is even in dog. It does not make any difference. You are not civilized. Similarly sleeping. The dog can sleep on the street without caring for anything. We cannot sleep without nice apartment. So eating, sleeping, mating... Similarly, sex intercourse. Dog has no shame. It can enjoy sex on the street, but we have got some restriction, but the sex is there. Similarly, defense also, bhaya. Bhaya means to take care of fearfulness. That is there in the dog and in you also. It does not make any difference. Because you have got, discovered atomic bomb for defense, it does not mean that you are better than a dog. This is shastric injunction. Because he has to defend himself according to his intelligence and you are defending yourself according to your intelligence.
Lecture on BG 7.3 -- Nairobi, October 29, 1975:
My main business is how to become perfect." There are many animals within the skyscraper building. There are human being, there are dogs, there are cats, there are worms, rats, so many things. So to live in the skyscraper building, that facility is there even to the worms, cats, rats, everyone. That... Then what is the difference between these animals and me? The difference is how to become perfect, siddhi, svarūpa-siddhi. "What I am? Am I this body?" This should be the question.
Lecture on BG 7.8 -- Bombay, February 23, 1974:
While drinking water, while seeing the sunshine, while seeing the moonshine, while chanting Vedic mantras, or even hearing some sound in the khe. Sound is produced by the ether. So many sounds we are hearing. If you simply remember this śloka of Bhāgavata, that śabda, any sound... Hare Kṛṣṇa sound is transcendental. That's all right. But if you don't like Hare Kṛṣṇa sound, you take any sound, any sound is also... That is coming from the original sound. Simply it is covered by māyā. What is the difference between spiritual and material? Everything is spiritual. Sarvaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma. But when it is covered by māyā, it is material. That's all.
Lecture on BG 9.2 -- Melbourne, April 20, 1976:
So we have to take knowledge from the perfect person. So what is the difference between this material world and the spiritual world? In the material world we are conditioned, and in the spiritual world we are liberated. This is the difference. In material... What is conditioned life? Conditioned life means subjected to the rules and regulation of the material nature. That is conditioned life.
Lecture on BG 9.11 -- Calcutta, June 30, 1973:
Just try to find out a person... God is also a person, but He is the most superior person. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). He is the chief amongst the living beings. Nityo nityānām. He is the wisest of all wise men. Cetanaś cetanānām. What is the difference between God and us? The difference is that He is the maintainer and we are not maintainer. This is the difference.
Lecture on BG 9.24-26 -- New York, December 12, 1966:
Now, what is the difference between going to other planets and to the planet where Kṛṣṇa is? That will be explained. The... That is explained in a different place that yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama: (BG 15.6) "The supreme platform, supreme planet is that, where going, nobody returns to this material world." Yad gatvā na nivartante. Nivartante means..., na nivartante, "does not return." Ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna (BG 8.16). That we... Already we have discussed, that gata-gatim. Within this material world, even if you go (to) the higher planets, the planet of the moon, planet of the sun planet or heavenly planet, the Indraloka, Candraloka, so many there are, then, after finishing your result of pious activities, you have to come back again. Punar āvartinaḥ. So we are sometimes going up, sometimes coming back again in this material world, sometimes going down.
Lecture on BG 9.34 -- New York, December 26, 1966, 'Who is Crazy?':
So bhakti minus respect, that is not bhakti. With love, with respect, with designated duties, if you be engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then your life will be successful. Not identifying falsely with this material body and engage yourself with all sorts of nonsense. That will never make you happy. The same thing, that...Therefore what is the difference between materialism and spiritualism? The same typewriter is there. The same dictaphone is there. The same mimeograph machine is there. The same paper is there. Same, I mean, ink is there. The same hand is there. Everything is same, but everything is done for Kṛṣṇa's account. That's all, Kṛṣṇa's account. This is spiritualism. Don't think spiritualism something uncommon. You can turn the whole material world into spiritualism, if you simply become Kṛṣṇa conscious. This is spiritualism.
Lecture on BG 10.2-3 -- New York, January 1, 1967:
San-mukharitām means just try to hear about the glories of the Supreme Lord from the mouth of realized souls. Don't go to the unauthorized persons. Now, how you can know what is the difference between unauthorized and authorized? That you can know also. There is description. That, in Bhagavad-gītā you'll see, who is authorized, who is not authorized. The Lord says, evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). This authority is handed over by disciplic succession.
Lecture on BG 13.1-3 -- Durban, October 13, 1975:
So God is witness. He is along with us always. Whatever we are desiring, whatever we are working, He is witness and He is giving the result. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, kṣetra-jñaṁ cāpi māṁ viddhi: (BG 13.3) "I am also one of the occupant of this body. But what is the difference between you and Me? You know simply about your body. I know everything of everyone's body." That is the difference." Kṣetra-jñaṁ cāpi māṁ viddhi sarva-kṣetreṣu. God knows what are the desires and activities of a little ant, and He knows what are the desires and activities of Lord Brahmā, the biggest of the biggest living entity within this universe, and the smallest—everywhere God. It is said, īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati: (BG 18.61) "He is situated in everyone's heart." It does not mean that He lives in the brāhmaṇa's heart and not in the ant's heart. Everyone's heart.
Lecture on BG 13.2 -- Melbourne, April 4, 1972:
I think, last night there was a question, "So what is the difference between God and myself" I replied that on this verse, that... Just like you are the proprietor of your body. I am the proprietor of my body. I know the business and affairs of my body. You know the business and affairs of your body. You do not know the business and affairs of my body. I do not know the business and affairs of your body. This is living entity. But God, He knows your business, your affairs of the body, and he knows my business and affairs of the body. That is God. That is the difference between. That will be explained in the next verse. So God is omnipotent in this way. I do not know what is pains and pleasure is going on within your body. That is not possible for me to understand. Neither you can understand what pains and pleasure I am feeling. But God knows. God knows the pains and pleasure of your body. He knows pains and pleasure of my body. That is the difference between God and ourself.
Lecture on BG 13.3 -- Paris, August 11, 1973:
Real thinking is that I am also individual soul. Kṛṣṇa is also individual, but He is Supersoul, Supreme. I am also person, He is also person, but the Supreme Person. What is the difference between me and Him? I am also person, that's all right, but He is Supreme Person. That is explained in the Vedas, that eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. For providing myself, my body and soul together, I have to, work so much. But Kṛṣṇa, He is providing millions and trillions of living entities without any endeavor.
Lecture on BG 13.15 -- Bombay, October 9, 1973:
The Māyāvādī philosophers, they say that "God, when He comes in this material world, He accepts a material body." That is rascaldom. He never accepts material body. That is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā. Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam (BG 9.11). If God also accepts a material body, then what is the difference between God and ourself? He has nothing material. Everything spiritual. Everything spiritual. Even if He accepts material body, He can act spiritually. That is His power. Because material body, material energy is also His energy.
Lecture on BG 13.17 -- Bombay, October 11, 1973:
Just like we are living entity, we have got our senses, similarly, God has also senses, but his senses are not limited. Our senses are limited. That is the difference. So nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām. And what is the difference between this singular and plural number? The eka, singular number, yo vidadhāti kāmān, bahūnām.
Lecture on BG 13.26 -- Bombay, October 25, 1973:
If you instruct a dog, "My dear dog, please surrender to Kṛṣṇa," will he do that? So similarly, human being who does not surrender, he is no better than the dog. What is the difference between dog and this human being, go-kharas? The cats, the dogs, they cannot do it. And if you human beings, they cannot do also, then what is the difference? Āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunaṁ ca sāmānyam etat paśubhir narāṇām. Simply eating, sleeping, sex life and defending. These are common things of the cats and dogs and the human beings. The human being is specially benefited when he surrenders to Kṛṣṇa. Otherwise he is cat and dog.
Lecture on BG 13.26 -- Delhi, September 22, 1974:
Generally, people, they cook for themselves nice, palatable foodstuffs for eating and enjoying. But they do not know that they are eating all sinful reactions. Bhuñjate te tv aghaṁ pāpā ye pacanty ātma-kāraṇāt. What is the difference between this house and the next house? Here we cook for Kṛṣṇa, not for ourselves. Therefore we are being saved. Otherwise, if you don't cook for Kṛṣṇa, if you cook for yourself, then it is, in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, bhuñjate te tv aghaṁ pāpā ye pacanty ātma-kāraṇāt.
Lecture on BG 16.5 -- Calcutta, February 23, 1972:
So those who are devotees of Viṣṇu, they are devatā. Not that the asuras, just like Rāvaṇa. Rāvaṇa was a great devotee of Lord Siva and Hiraṇyakaśipu was great devotee of Brahma, but both of them have been described as asura and rākṣasa. They are great devotee. Therefore the conclusion is there two classes of men, asura and devatā. The viṣṇu bhaktaḥ bhaved daivaḥ, those who are devotees of Lord Viṣṇu, they are deva, devatā, or demigods, and asuras tad-viparyayaḥ. What is the difference between devatā and asura? The, that is explained by Kṛṣṇa, that daivī sampad vimokṣāya (BG 16.5). If you develop your divine qualities, as they're described, ahiṁsā, sattva-saṁśuddhiḥ... Sattva-saṁśuddhiḥ, sattva-saṁśuddhiḥ means existentional purification.
Lecture on BG 16.7 -- Tokyo, January 27, 1975:
One may not know what mode of life we should reject, but in the śāstra, in the teachings of great men, learned scholars, things are there. We have to accept. We may not know, but we should accept. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is for this purpose, to change the pravṛtti nivṛtti. Just like there is pravṛtti for meat-eating. We are advising, "Please do not eat meat." This is nivṛtti. Before that, they do not know what is the difference between meat-eating and not meat-eating. But now they are understanding.
Lecture on BG 16.10 -- Hawaii, February 6, 1975:
Similarly, our position is dog. We must understand it. We cannot live independently. It is not possible. Every living being. Therefore, in the Vedic injunction is nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). God and the living entities, they're... Both of them are living entities, being. But what is the difference between God and living entities? The living entities are maintained by God, and God is the maintainer. That is the difference. Eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. We cannot maintain ourself. God maintains. Therefore, according to the Christian principle, they go to the church to beg bread from God.
Lecture on BG 18.45 -- Durban, October 11, 1975:
Marriage. So, according to Bhagavad-gītā, married life is required. Sex under marriage rules is permitted. Dharma-viruddhaḥ kāmo 'smi. Sex life... Āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithuna. These are bodily necessities-eating, sleeping, sex, and defense. Āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunaṁ ca. So that, these four kinds of necessities are there in the animals also. The dog also eats, sleep, sex life and defend. Then what is the difference between the dog's life and man's life? The difference is the dog's life is not regulated under religious principle. The man's life is regulated under religious principle. So under religious principle if you arrange for sex life, then it is good. Otherwise it is dog's life. That's all.
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
Lecture on SB 1.1.2 -- Caracas, February 23, 1975:
In the Vedic literature we get information, nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām, eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). God, the description of God, is given there that "He is also living entity like us. He is also eternal like us." Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām. But what is the difference between Him and us? That is described, eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān: "That one God is supplying all the necessities of these many." So we should not approach God for economic satisfaction or for bread or for wood or for anything necessary for our life. God has arranged food for everyone, the aquatics, the birds, the beasts, the trees, the elephants or the other, four-legged animals, and why not for human being? Human being also, those who are uncivilized, still living in the forest, they have no arrangement for economic development, or they do not know, but they have got also food.
Lecture on SB 1.1.3 -- London, August 19, 1971:
The bodily necessities of life, the animals, they have also bodily necessities of life. Āhāra, eating; nidrā, sleeping; and bhaya, fearing or defending; and maithuna, sexual intercourse. So the cats and dogs, they have got all these functions, and the human being has also the same functions. It may be little polished, but the function is the same. Then what is the extra business of this human form of life? If you are simply engaged in these four principles of life—eating, sleeping, sex life, and defending or fearing—then what is the difference between a man and a dog? There is no difference. The only difference is athāto brahma jijñāsā. A man can come here in this temple and he can inquire about Kṛṣṇa or the Absolute Truth. That is the difference.
Lecture on SB 1.1.3 -- London, August 20, 1971:
Just like for example one wants to enjoy sex life. "Yes," Vedic knowledge, Vedic scripture, says, "Yes, just enjoy in married life, not like cats and dogs." This is the difference. So without Vedic injunction, if one wants to enjoy by his whims, then he'll be more and more entangled. But if he follows the Vedic injunction... Just like what is the difference between sex life as married man and woman and without? So far sex life is concerned, there is no difference. But the restriction and the rules and regulation will not make him mad after sex life. That is the... Just like if anyone wants to eat meat... These are natural tendencies. So Veda says, "Yes, you can eat meat, but by offering sacrifice, or just offer a sacrifice before the goddess Kālī." In this way... Actually, it wants to restrict, but one who is obstinate, he wants to enjoy, he's given some Vedic direction, "You enjoy like this."
Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Calcutta, February 26, 1974:
So here it is said sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmaḥ. Dharma... You have to execute your occupational duty, but, as Kṛṣṇa said, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). That is real dharma. "I am this. I am following this dharma, that dharma"—that is not dharma. Dharma means the natural instinct. The natural instinct is to obey the superior person. Every one of us, we are meant for obeying the Supreme. Is anyone... Who can say that "I haven't got to obey any superior person"? Is there anyone? That cannot be. You have to obey. That was the subject matter of my topics in Moscow, with Professor Kotovsky. I challenged him that "What is the difference between your philosophy and our philosophy? You have to obey some person, and I have to obey some person. So you are obeying Lenin, and I am obeying Kṛṣṇa. So where is the difference between you and me in philosophy? Now, the things remain to be judged, whether by following Kṛṣṇa I shall be happy or by following Lenin you shall be happy.
Lecture on SB 1.2.8 -- Hyderabad, April 22, 1974:
Actually dharma is one, the occupational duty, the characteristic. The characteristic means that God is great and we are subordinate. That is the injunction of the Vedas. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). We have to understand that singular number. God is singular, nitya, eternal, cetana, living. He is also nitya and living entity, but the chief, nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām. And we are plural number, nityānām, cetanānām. So the... We are plural number, living entities. But He is singular number. Why? What is the difference between these two nityas and two cetanas? God is not dead stone. God is like you and me. He is a living entity, but the chief living entity, singular number. Just like we have got leader. There are many hundreds and thousands of followers, but there must be one leader. You follow any cult, you have to accept one leader. Either you follow this philosophy, that philosophy, it doesn't matter. But you have to follow a leader. But Kṛṣṇa is the supreme leader, leader of the leaders.
Lecture on SB 1.2.8 -- Hyderabad, April 22, 1974:
Therefore it is said that you may go on with your so-called occupational duties, but if you do not come to the platform of spiritual understanding, then it is śrama eve hi kevalam—it is simply waste of time. Simply waste of time. Because you do not catch up the ideal of your mission. Simply work like the animals and die. The bodily concept of li... Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke (SB 10.84.13). Simply thinking that "I am this body, and my only business is to satisfy the senses of the body. Not only my body, but my son's body, my grandson's body, my relative's body." This is going on under different names, Socialism, this "ism," that "ism"—expanded bodily concept of life. This is animal civilization. Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke (SB 10.84.13). Because the animal is also doing that. A cat is thinking that "I am this body. I must secure my food anyway. A mouse, anywhere." A dog is also thinking like that. If human being also thinks like that, then what is the difference between cats and dogs? He may be very much proud that "I am discharging my duties very faithfully," but here Bhāgavata says, dharmaḥ svanuṣṭhitaḥ puṁsāṁ viṣvaksena kathāsu yaḥ, notpādayet: "If you do not develop your Kṛṣṇa consciousness, you are simply wasting your time." This is the verdict.
Lecture on SB 1.2.9 -- Detroit, August 3, 1975, University Lecture:
So here it is, says, dharmasya hy āpavargyasya na artha arthāyopakalpate. There are four principles in the material world: dharma, artha, kāma, mokṣa (SB 4.8.41, Cc. Ādi 1.90). Human life begins from religious life, because in the animal life there is no religion. Animal life—cats' life, dogs' life, tigers' life, or any other less than human being... Especially civilized human being all over the world, there is some type of religion, either it may be Hindu religion or Christian religion or Muhammadan religion or Buddhist religion. That is the sign of civilized human society. Dharmeṇa hīnaḥ paśubhiḥ samānaḥ. Āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunaṁ ca sāmānyam etat paśubhiḥ narāṇām. Eating, sleeping, sex life and defense, they are common either to the human being or to the animals. So what is the difference between animal and human being? The difference is that a human being, civilized being, has some sort of religious understanding. The cats and dogs, they have no such thing. That is the difference. Therefore, when human being becomes irreligious, without any religion, then it is no better than the cats and dogs. Dharmeṇa hīnaḥ paśubhiḥ samāṇaḥ.
Lecture on SB 1.2.9-10 -- Delhi, November 14, 1973:
This is the distinction between bhakti and karma. Karma is sense gratification, and bhakti is satisfying the Lord. The same thing. Therefore people cannot understand what is the difference between a bhakta and a karmī. Karmī is satisfying his own senses, and the bhakta is satisfying Kṛṣṇa's senses. There must be some sense gratification. But when you satisfy Kṛṣṇa, that is called bhakti. Hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate (CC Madhya 19.170). Hṛṣīka means senses, purified senses. That I explained the other day, that
- sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ
- tat-paratvena nirmalam
- hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-
- sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate
- (CC Madhya 19.170)
Bhakti does not mean stop your work. Bhakti does not mean sentimental fanaticism. That is not bhakti. Bhakti means to engage all your senses for the satisfaction of the proprietor of the senses. That is called bhakti.
Lecture on SB 1.2.18 -- Calcutta, September 26, 1974:
So the, the Vaiṣṇava philosophy begins from surrender. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). That is the order of Kṛṣṇa. And what is the difference between Kṛṣṇa and His representative? The representative says that "You surrender to Kṛṣṇa." He never says that "You surrender to me. I have become Kṛṣṇa." That is a nonsense, rascal. He will say the same thing. Therefore he's Kṛṣṇa's representative. Kṛṣṇa is personally asking that "You surrender to Me," and it is the duty of the bona fide spiritual master, guru, to say to his disciple that "You surrender to Kṛṣṇa." He'll never say that "You surrender to Me. I have become Kṛṣṇa. Now I have realized soul. I have become Bhagavān." He's a rascal.
Lecture on SB 1.2.30 -- Vrndavana, November 9, 1972:
So we are also controller of something. A business man is controller of his business; I am controller of my disciples. There are so many controllers. So in that sense, everyone is īśvara, in the sense of controller. But Lord Brahmā says, īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1): "The supreme controller, the supreme controller is Kṛṣṇa." What is the difference between supreme controller and ordinary controller? Ordinary controller means that he controls and he is controlled, both. We are controller, but nobody can say that "I am not controlled." We are controlled. But Kṛṣṇa, He's controller, but not controlled. That is the difference between Kṛṣṇa and ourself. So we cannot be equal with Kṛṣṇa. We are controlled. I think in Glasgow, one boy, he was presenting himself as God. So I asked him, "Whether you are controlled or not controlled?" He admitted, "Yes, I am controlled." "Then how you can be God?" God is never controlled. God is controller, but He's not controlled. So if we take ourself as so many samples of God, that is all right, but we are controlled God, not controller God.
Lecture on SB 1.3.1 -- Vrndavana, November 14, 1972:
So if you send it to the heaven, then what he'll do? The same business. It does not mean the ḍheṅki, while it is promoted in the heaven, he can become soul or anything else. No. Similarly, we living entities, we have desire to enjoy this material world, but our position is servant. We have not changed our position. We revolted to serve Kṛṣṇa. That is all right. But what is your position here in the material world? That is also servant. Just like I told Professor Kotovsky that "Your Communism, what is the difference between your Communism and our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement? You have selected Lenin as your leader, or master, and we have selected Kṛṣṇa as our leader, master. So on the principle, where is difference?" The professor could not answer.
Lecture on SB 1.3.25 -- Los Angeles, September 30, 1972:
So similarly, when people will be so much degraded that they will not be able to understand anything about God... That time is coming gradually. Already the time is there. People are not at all interested in God's business. In your Western world all the churches are vacant. Nobody is interested now in church. Especially in Europe, we have seen... In your country also. So people are being degraded, godlessness. Because godless means animal. What is the difference between animal and man? The animal cannot be instructed anything about God. It is not possible for them to understand. But a man, however degraded he may be, if he is trained up, he can understand about God. Just like five years ago, you did not know about Kṛṣṇa. But because you are being trained up, because you are human being, therefore you are taking to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Which was unknown to you five years ago, now you are taking it to very seriously. Why? Because you are being trained up.
Lecture on SB 1.4.25 -- Montreal, June 20, 1968:
Just like record, tape record. Just see. Even some hundred years before, the memory was so sharp. Just like tape recorder, it is recorded. This is mechanical. But by nature we have got such nice brain. Just like we remember so many things of our past life. That is recorded. Actually it is recorded. Everything is recorded. How you are getting this television? Because it is recorded in the atmosphere. It is being simply transferred. Everything is recorded. But we have deteriorated in our even physical condition that we cannot produce the recorded version. So we are making ourself dull, duller, dullest. Just like Sir George Bernard Shaw, he also stated that "You are what you eat." So by eating process, we are making our brain dull. So there is need of nice eating, nice talking, nice thinking, nice behavior. The our brain is sharp. It requires training. It is not that you can do whatever you like and all nonsense, and your brain will be sharp. What is the difference between crazy and sane man? They keep nice behavior. Therefore they are sane man. And if you put to you nonsense behavior, then you become crazy. This is a fact. All right.
Lecture on SB 1.5.4 -- Los Angeles, January 12, 1968:
Now, in other words, Vyāsadeva agrees or accepts that he knows Brahman, the Absolute Truth, but he does not know the Absolute Truth's ultimate feature, the Personality of Godhead. That he admits. Absolute Truth in the beginning is impersonal. Just like the example, the sun. The sun, the first experience of sun is the sunshine. Every one of us has got the experience how sunshine is overcast all over the universe. It comes within your room, in your apartment, or when you come out you see sunshine, everything. So just like in the night there is no sunshine, but in the morning, as soon as there is sunshine, you experience what is sunshine. Similarly, at a certain stage of our life we may understand what is Brahman. Brahman is compared with the sunshine, light. Sunshine is light, and Brahman is light. How? Light, what is the difference between light and darkness? Light, the difference of light and darkness is... Just like at the present moment it is darkness. We cannot see things rightly. Although we have got very lightening arrangement, artificial electricity, still, we do not see things as they are. Suppose you go up to your roof, and if you want to see, find out some friend's house, you cannot see. This is darkness. Darkness means you do not understand things as it is. But in the sunlight you can see everything.
Lecture on SB 1.5.13 -- New Vrindaban, June 16, 1969:
There are two classes of men all over the world. One class of men is called deva, devatā, or demigods, and one class of men are called demons. And what is the difference between demons and the demigods? The difference is, viṣṇu-bhakto bhaved daiva āsuras tad-viparyayaḥ: "Those who are devotees of the Supreme Lord Viṣṇu, they are demigods." Demigod does not mean that you have got a bigger head or so many legs or so... No. Simply this is the qualification: viṣṇu-bhakto bhaved daiva. Only viṣṇu-bhakta, not other, demigod's devotee. No. Viṣṇu-bhakto bhaved daiva āsuras tad-viparyayaḥ. Just like Rāvaṇa. Rāvaṇa is designated as asura. Hiraṇyakaśipu is designated as asura. Rāvaṇa is designated as rākṣasa. He was very civilized. He was materially very well-to-do. His kingdom was described as made..., "golden kingdom." Everything was there, but he's described as rākṣasa. Why? He was against Rāma. That was his disqualification. (aside:) Don't bother now. That was his disqualification.
Lecture on SB 1.7.30-31 -- Vrndavana, September 26, 1976:
So I, as spirit soul, I am individual, existing. I shall continue to exist as individual in this material world either as human being or as an animal or as demigod, or a tree, plants, fish, aquatics—so many. Jalajā nava-lakṣāṇi sthāvarā lakṣa-viṁśati. So this is going on. This is material world. And if you go to the spiritual world, yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama (BG 15.6). The difference... What is the difference between the spiritual world and the material world? The difference is that if you go to the spiritual world, then you will not return again in this material world. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9). Spiritual life means punar janma naiti. Punar janma means this material world. Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). One janma, then death, again janma, again death. And between the death and birth or birth and death there is disease and old age. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha (BG 13.9). This is our real problem.
Lecture on SB 1.8.36 -- Mayapura, October 16, 1974:
So intelligent persons, they should be aware that "Simply for sense gratification if we are working so hard, then this is being done by the animals also. Then what is the difference between us and the animal?" But they are so mad after sense gratification... Nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vi... They are prepared to work for something which one should... Just like stealing or black-marketing and... There are so many things. They are working hard. Even a, a thief, he is risking his life not to work hard, but he's risking his life. Especially in the Western countries, the burglars, they risk their life because there the law is that anyone trespassing within your house, even ordinarily, you can kill him. Is it not? The law is so hard that even if you, if you enter anyone's gate, anyone's property, without permission, he can kill you. Is it not I am right? Yes. Here in India we don't take it so seriously. So many people are passing here and there. But in your country... I know that one of our boy went to pick up some flowers in Los Angeles, and he was fired. Of course he did not like to kill him, but the firing was there. So just see. For sense gratification the thief taking the risk of his life... The working... Not only working hard. Those who are not thief, they are working very hard to get some money, honestly or dishonestly, and those who are not very honest, to steal they make so many plans, so many devices to steal at the risk of life.
Lecture on SB 1.8.50 -- Los Angeles, May 12, 1973:
The battlefield... It is therefore called dharma-kṣetra. Dharma-kṣetre kuru-kṣetre (BG 1.1). That fight was right. And especially when Kṛṣṇa was present, it is already dharma-kṣetra. Wherever... Just like this is temple. Similar houses are there, many. Why it is temple? Because Kṛṣṇa is there. Therefore it is called dharma-kṣetra, temple. What is the difference between temple? In other houses there may be big hall like this. There may be many men eating, sleeping. That is not temple. Where actually God is there, that is called temple. Similarly, although battle of Kurukṣetra was a fighting place, because Kṛṣṇa was there, therefore it is dharma-kṣetra. Wherever Kṛṣṇa is there, that is dharma-kṣetra. Tatra tiṣṭhāmi nārada yatra gāyanti mad-bhaktāḥ. So those who are bhaktas, they can make every place a pilgrimage, because they can sing the glories of the Lord and they can bring the Lord in that place. So it doesn't matter whether if he is here or there, in America or India. Wherever Kṛṣṇa is there, that is dharma-kṣetra. Dharma-kṣetre kuru-kṣetre samavetā yuyutsavaḥ (BG 1.1).
Lecture on SB 1.10.5 -- London, August 28, 1973:
What is the difference between us and God, or Kṛṣṇa? He is also living entity. Just like we see Kṛṣṇa is playing on flute and He is enjoying the company of Rādhārāṇī. So you can do also. You can also create one Rādhārāṇī and get a flute and imitate Kṛṣṇa. But that does not mean you are Kṛṣṇa. If you play rascaldom, simply if you imitate Kṛṣṇa, and you think that you have become Kṛṣṇa, that is rascaldom. Because there is another business of Kṛṣṇa. What is that? Eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. Kṛṣṇa can supply the necessities of life to every one of you. You cannot. You cannot provide even your wife. That is the difference. Those who are less intelligent, they cannot understand what is the difference. Kṛṣṇa can lift the Govardhana mountain on His finger. So you cannot do it.
Lecture on SB 1.10.20 -- London, May 24, 1973:
Anyway, human life is meant for knowledge. That's a fact. Therefore athāto brahma jijñāsā. And what knowledge? Knowledge does not mean how to eat, how to sleep, how to have sex life, and how to defend. That is not knowledge. These things are there in the animals. The animals also know very well how to eat, how to sleep, how to have sex life and how to defend. No. That is not... Human life is meant for different business, and that is brahma-jijñāsā. So brahma-jijñāsā, if one begins the life of brahma-jijñāsā, brahma-jñāna, and when it ends in understanding Kṛṣṇa, that is perfection of life. That is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate (BG 7.19). The, the one who is actually jñānavān, in knowledge, such person... Not so-called. There are two classes of men. One class of men is called jñānavān, and another class of men is called māyayā apahṛta-jñāna. All these words you'll find in the Bhagavad-gītā. This is not my manufacture. So māyayā apahṛta-jñāna means he's rascal number one, but he's thinking that he's vastly learned. He has advanced his knowledge so much. Simply he is puffed up falsely. That is called māyayā apahṛta-jñāna. Or jñānavān means one who has actually knowledge. So what is the difference between the two, one how has got actually the knowledge, and one who's simply falsely puffed up that he has got knowledge? What is the...? How you'll find difference, that here is a man who has got real knowledge, and here is a man, rascal, but he's very much puffed up?
Lecture on SB 1.14.43 -- New York, April 7, 1973 :
That is the difference between God and ourself. We are also person, God is also person. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām. He is also living entity, we are also living entity. So what is the difference between God and ourself? That ekaḥ, that one living entity, nityaḥ, singular number. So, bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. He supplies the necessities of life to all these plural number, bahūnām. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām. Those who know Sanskrit, this nityaḥ means singular number person, and the nityānām, that is plural number. Both of them are persons, both of them are living entities, but why that singular number is considered to the supreme? Because He supplies foodstuff to all the plural.
Lecture on SB 1.15.34 -- Los Angeles, December 12, 1973:
This Yadu-vaṁśa, they were Kṛṣṇa's descendants. Just like when a king comes, he comes with his associates. So when Kṛṣṇa appeared, He had to marry so many wives because it was a stage to show Kṛṣṇa's supreme authority, supremacy. So the demigods came down also from different planets to help Kṛṣṇa. So these demigods became Kṛṣṇa's family. Some of the woman denizens, they became Kṛṣṇa's wife, and some of them became their sons. In this way, a huge family of Kṛṣṇa, Yadu dynasty. One crore, very big family, 16,108 wives. Each wife had sons, ten sons, and each son had ten sons. In this way children, grandchildren, and the whole family, big dynasty, Yadu family. It is estimated 100,000 hundred times. So many. Now, Kṛṣṇa wanted to leave this planet. So what will happen there? If they remain... Although Kṛṣṇa knew that they have come from different planets, but they knew that "We are sons and grandsons and grandchildren of Kṛṣṇa." They were very much puffed up. So what is the difference between a demon and devotee? A demon is puffed up.
Lecture on SB 1.15.34 -- Los Angeles, December 12, 1973:
All of them are sons. They, whether one is demon or demigod, both of them are sons of God. But what is the difference between them? Just like a father has got two sons or more sons. One son is very obedient to the father, and the other son is not. That is the difference here. God has not made anyone demon or demigod. For God, everyone is equal. Samo 'haṁ sarva-bhūteṣu na me dveṣyo 'sti na priyaḥ (BG 9.29). Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, "I am equal to everyone." Otherwise, how He is God? He is equal to everyone. But they are creating their own situation and becoming god or demon. So in the human form of life, advanced consciousness, instead of becoming demon, we should become demigod. That is the fulfillment of human life. And if we remain demon, then this opportunity is missed. This human form of life is missed.
Lecture on SB 1.15.38 -- Los Angeles, December 16, 1973:
We have seen it. You have also seen. Sometimes in season, there is so much mango supply that they rot on the ground. Nobody cares to take it. So supply is not in your hands. You cannot supply by factory. You can manufacture bolts and nuts, not rice or ḍāl or ghee or mango or fruits. So supply is... Eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. What is the difference between God and ourself? We are also living entities, God is also living entity. Nityo nityānām. I have several times explained this. Just like Kṛṣṇa, what is the difference of Kṛṣṇa? You have got two hands; He has got two hands. He has got two legs; you have got two legs. So the appearance, Kṛṣṇa is equal or in quality. But the difference is that He maintains everyone, and you are maintained. You are now maintainer. You cannot maintain even your family, what to speak of maintain everyone. But God maintains everyone. Eko yo bahūnām, bahūnām. Bahūnām means many, unlimited.
Lecture on SB 1.15.39 -- Los Angeles, December 17, 1973:
This varṇāśrama-dharma we have already explained. So any civilized man must be within this category of varṇāśrama-dharma. Otherwise he is animal. Unless you accept some institution of making progress in spiritual life, you are animal. That is the difference between animal and man. Man has got some institution, some social structure, religious structure, political structure. Otherwise what is the difference between animals? The animals, they haven't got any president or senate house or parliament or church. That is the difference.
Lecture on SB 1.15.42 -- Los Angeles, December 20, 1973:
So that means the body is different. According to the body... The rascal says that the animals have no soul. Why? Then the child has no soul? What is the difference between the child's behavior and an animal's behavior? Anyone who has got a dog in the family, the dog is also one of the children. He also behaves... The children also behave like the dog. And the children do not find any difference, that a dog is different, he is different. Simple. So if the dog has no soul and if the behavior are the same, as of the dog of the child, so does it mean the child has no soul? How foolish they are. Just see. And they say the animal has no soul. Why? You can say, "The intelligence is not developed." As the child's intelligence is not developed, it will develop with the chance of the body, similarly, the dog also will have developed sense when he will change his dog's body to human body. That is called evolution. He will get the chance. Nature will give the chance.
So after getting the chance, if we do not utilize the chance as human being, then I remain a dog. This is the philosophy. Therefore these books are meant for sober human being, not for the so-called human being: he is a dog, but he has got two hands and two legs. That's all.
Lecture on SB 1.15.44 -- Los Angeles, December 22, 1973:
Therefore it is said, ajo 'pi sann avyayātmā bhūtānām īśvaro 'pi san. Although He has no birth and death, still, He appears just like He has taken birth from Devakī's womb. It is just like the sun is rising from the eastern side. It does not mean that the eastern side has given birth to the sun. No. Sun is very big than the eastern side. But it appears like that. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, janma karma me divyam (BG 4.9). Because there are many theologists. They say, "Why God shall take birth?" That is their argument. So our answer is, "Why God shall not take birth? If He is omnipotent, so why you are minimizing His power that He cannot take birth? He must take birth if He likes." And īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānām hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). Īśvara, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is staying within the heart of everyone. So within the heart for everyone, if He can come out, so what is the difficulty for Him, from within the womb of somebody He can come? What is the difference between heart and womb? And Kṛṣṇa entered within the womb of Mahārāja Parīkṣit's mother to save Mahārāja Parīkṣit. So Kṛṣṇa can do anything. Therefore Kuntī said that antar bahiḥ: "Kṛṣṇa is within and without. Still, we cannot see." Kṛṣṇa is within and without, both ways, but we cannot see either within or without. This is called māyā. This is called māyā.
Lecture on SB 1.15.45 -- Los Angeles, December 23, 1973:
Unless Kṛṣṇa is perfectly right, why should we accept Kṛṣṇa? If He is ordinary rascal, then why, what is the use of reading His book, Bhagavad-gītā? No. All the ācāryas, all the saintly scholars, they have accepted. Therefore we have accepted. Because He is beyond all, I mean to say, faults. What is the difference between ordinary man and a liberated man? Liberated means not under the conditions of material nature. He is called liberated. Liberated means who is not conditioned by the laws of nature. He is called liberated. So Kṛṣṇa is the liberated Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore He has no defects. And those who are... Just like we are..., we are not liberated. Therefore we have got four defects.
Lecture on SB 1.16.17 -- Los Angeles, January 12, 1974:
You know the story of Alexander the Great and the thief. Alexander the Great arrested one thief, and he was going to punish him. The thief pleaded, "Sir, you are going to punish me, but what is the difference between you and me? I am a small thief, you are a great thief. That's all. (laughter) You are by force occupying other's kingdom, and you have no right. But because you are strong, or some way or other, you have got the opportunity, and you are conquering country after country, country after... So I am also doing the same thing. So what is the difference between you and me?" So Alexander considered that "Yes, I am nothing but a big thief, that's all." So he released him, "Yes, I am no better than you." Just like dacoits.
Lecture on SB 1.16.21 -- Hawaii, January 17, 1974:
So similarly, the Veda says, nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām. There are two sets of living entities. One... Both of them are nitya. Nitya means eternal. And cetana means living entity. So nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām. This is the description of God, that God is also a living entity like you and me. He's also living entity. Just like you see Kṛṣṇa. What is the difference between Kṛṣṇa? He has got two hands; you have got two hands. He has got one head; you have got one head. You have got... He has got two legs; you have got two legs. You can also keep some cows and play with them; Kṛṣṇa also. But the difference is there. What is that difference? Eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. That one Kṛṣṇa, although He's similar in so many ways with you, similarity, but one difference is there—He is maintaining every one of us, and we are being maintained. He's the leader.
Lecture on SB 2.1.1 -- Vrndavana, March 16, 1974:
Now many persons come here in Vṛndāvana, tīrtha, but what do they think? They think, "Let me take bathing in the Yamunā River. Then my business is finished." But no. Śāstra says that you should approach to a bhāgavata, a devotee who is living in Vṛndāvana, pure devotee, and surrender unto him. That is tīrtha-yātrā. Not that coming here and taking bathing in the Ganges or... They are going to dūre vāry-ayanaṁ tīrtham. General people think, in this Kali-yuga, at least, that if you go thousand miles away from your home, then your tīrtha is finished. Just like in Calcutta there is Ganges, but people come to Hardwar to take bathing in the Ganges. Now, what is the difference between the Hardwar Ganges and Calcutta Ganges? But he thinks, "If I go three thousand miles and take bathing there, that is real Ganges." So dūre vāry-ayanaṁ tīrtham. These are the symptoms of the Kali-yuga.
Lecture on SB 2.1.6 -- Paris, June 14, 1974:
So if we do not take the privilege of accepting the second father and mother, then what is the difference between your birth and dog's birth? That is stated: janma-lābhaḥ paraḥ puṁsām. You have got this human form of body, the best body. That is the instruction of all Vedic literature, simply stressing. But what is this material civilization? Simply working like cats and dogs. The same eating, sleeping, sex intercourse and defending. There are so many buildings in your city, Paris. Where is the culture to make the human life perfect? You have got very nice building. There is intelligence. So many nice buildings. People come to see the building. But that is not all. Simply if you utilize your intelligence... Certainly there is intelligence. But if you use your intelligence for the simply material activities, then you are not intelligent. You are a fool.
Lecture on SB 2.2.5 -- Los Angeles, December 2, 1968:
So there is no problem for executing devotional service to the Lord. And that is the highest perfection of all religious principles. But we have to practice. And that is not possible in this age. This age is called Kali. It is very difficult age. People are not very much interested to the most important problem of life. They are alpāyuṣa. Prāyeṇālpāyuṣaḥ sabhya kalāv asmin yuge janāḥ. People are short-living and manda. Manda means very slow for ultimate goal of life. The ultimate goal of life is to search out or is to reestablish your lost relationship with God. That is the mission of human life. Otherwise what is the difference between animal life and human life? The animal life, they are also busy for eating, sleeping, mating and defending. So if we human beings, we are also similarly busy, then what is the difference? So this sort of civilization, simply making nice arrangement for eating and sleeping and mating and defending, that is not practically human civilization. The human civilization is meant for searching out God. Na te viduḥ. They do not know, unfortunately. They have forgotten. But by good association, they can remember. Therefore this meeting of Kṛṣṇa Consciousness Society's meeting is just to give people chance to associate with the Society and invoke their lost relationship with God. That is the missionary activities of this Society.
Lecture on SB 2.3.14-15 -- Los Angeles, May 31, 1972:
One gentleman told me a story that one Christian priest went to preach Christian religion in Sheffield. Sheffield, where is it? In England? So the workers, laborers, he was preaching amongst them that "Lord Jesus Christ will save you. If you don't take shelter of Lord Jesus Christ, then you'll go to hell." So first of all he, "Who is Jesus Christ? What is his number?" That means he, they thought, "Jesus Christ must be one of the workers, and every worker has a number, so what is his number?" So "No, Jesus Christ, he's son of God. So he has no number. He's not worker." Then "What is hell?" Then described, "Hell is very damp, very dark," and so on, so on. So they were silent. Because they are working in the mines. It is always dark and damp. (laughter) (Prabhupāda laughs) So what is the difference between hell and this, what is called, mine? They were silent. But when the priest said, "There is no newspaper," "Oh, horrible!" (laughter) There is no newspaper.
Lecture on SB 2.3.20 -- Bombay, March 24, 1977, At Cross Maidan Pandal:
Indian man (4): What is the difference between mind and soul?
Prabhupāda: Mind is material; soul is spiritual. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā: bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca, apareyaṁ bhinnā me prakṛtir aṣṭadhā (BG 7.4). They are also elements, but bhinnā means material, separated from Kṛṣṇa. Apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parām: "These material elements, they are inferior quality, and beyond this, there is another, superior quality. That is soul." Jīva-bhūtāṁ mahā-bāho yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat (BG 7.5). So you have to know from the books. That you now understand?
Indian man (5): Swamiji, they read a lot that Bhāgavata says that our body is a temple for the soul, and the soul is a temple for the spirit. Would you kindly enlighten us on this point?
Prabhupāda: That is already explained, that you are soul within this body, the body superficially covered with the senses. Indriyāṇi parāṇy āhur indriyebhyaḥ paraṁ manaḥ manasas tu parā buddhiḥ (BG 3.42). You have to analyze that "First of all, I am prominent by my senses. My body means my senses. But the senses are useless unless there is mind." Indriyebhyaḥ paraṁ manaḥ. If your mind is not in order, your senses cannot act. Therefore mind is superior than the senses, and the mind cannot act if you have no intelligence. So manasas tu parā buddhiḥ. And if you can go beyond the intelligence, then you can find out what is soul. So it requires study. It requires education. The education is there. The books are there. The teachers are there. Unfortunately you are not interested to take the spiritual education. You are now interested in technology, how to hammer, that's all.
Lecture on SB 2.3.22 -- Los Angeles, June 19, 1972:
If you cannot read, then sit down and simply see the Deity's form. That will also give you. Anything, anything done. Little dancing, little, a little ringing the cymbals or singing Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra... Anything you do. These children... Just like they are dancing. They are also being spiritual profited. It will never go in vain. Somehow or other he has shown some jubilation in front of the Lord, it is noted immediately. Therefore this verse is there, pādau nṛṇāṁ tau druma-janma-bhājau. If you do not move to the temples, then what is the difference between your legs and the trees which are standing without legs? They have legs, but they cannot move. Tree's another name is pādapa. They drink water with their legs. Just like we drink water in our mouth... So it is not that all animals act in the same way. No. Just like there is a bird (which) is called bat. They pass stool through the mouth. You know? Yes. So there are different processes. The fishes in the water, they touch with the wings.
Lecture on SB 2.9.9 -- Tokyo, April 25, 1972, Informal Class in Room:
So after hearing all these mantras, if one takes the risk of eating meat, let him do that. But who is that sane man who will take this risk? This is the meaning of sacrifice. Not that it is a slaughterhouse substitute. No. They will understand that what kind of risk they are going to take by killing the animal under the name of sacrifice. Another thing is that to sacrifice the goat before the demigod Kālī means it is restricted. Because the prescription is that one can sacrifice a goat before Goddess Kālī on the dark moon night, amāvasyā. That is once in a month. So even the śāstra gives him the facility, the facility is restricted. As much as marriage. What is the difference between married sex and without wife? Restricted. You restrict to one woman. You don't spoil many women and get syphilis disease. You see? This is restricted. Restricted to one man, restricted to one woman, restricted once in a month.
Lecture on SB 3.25.9 -- Bombay, November 9, 1974:
So we are eternal, and God is also eternal. In that way we are the same quality. God is eternal; we are also eternal. God is cognizant, cetana, abhijña; we are also cetana. We are not dull matter. So what is the difference between God and me? The difference: He is great, we are small. He is vibhu, we are aṇu. He's all-pervading, we are very small. He is infinite, we are infinitesimal. That is the difference. So nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). That is the Vedic information. So you apply your reason, arguments. As you find here, you are more intelligent than me, somebody else more intelligent than you, other is more intelligent than he... In this way, if you analyze, there is not, all of us not on the same level. One is more intelligent, one is less intelligent. Similarly, you go on analyzing, one after another, one after another, throughout the whole universe.
Lecture on SB 3.25.32 -- Bombay, December 2, 1974:
There was a story, Alexander and the thief. The Alexander arrested one thief, big dacoit, plunderer. So when he explained, "My dear sir, Alexander, so what is the difference between you and me? I am also plunderer; you are also plunderer. I am a small plunderer; you are a big plunderer. So where is the difference in quality?" So Alexander the Great, he was very sensible. He released him: "Yes, there is no difference." So to become a big thief, big plunderer, does not mean that he is advanced. Similarly, our sense, for personal sense gratification or my family's sense gratification or for my nation's sense gratification—that is sense gratification. That is not spiritual activity. That is material activity.
Lecture on SB 3.25.39-40 -- Bombay, December 8, 1974:
That is our problem. Here... We have discussed many times that we, as spirit soul, we are not this body. I am not this body. You are not this body. I am Brahman, ahaṁ brahmāsmi. You are also Brahman, or spirit soul. But I am not Para-brahman. That is mistake. Neither you are Para-brahman. There are two words in the scriptures: Brahman and Para-brahman, ātmā and Paramātmā, īśvara and Parameśvara. The Māyāvādīs, they think there is no difference. No, there is difference. Otherwise why the word is used, "parama"? So I may be īśvara, you may be īśvara, but you are not Parameśvara. You are ātmā; I am ātmā. But I am not Paramātmā; you are not Paramātmā. So in this way the Paramātmā, Parameśvara, that is Kṛṣṇa. Therefore it is said, visṛjya sarvān anyāṁś ca mām (sic:) eva. Bhagavān says, Kapiladeva... Kapiladeva is also Kṛṣṇa. He says, mam eva, "Only unto Me. And what is the difference between you and Me? No, I am viśvato-mukham. I am all-pervading. You are not all-pervading." That is the difference. You are sitting here. You are not at your home. But Kṛṣṇa is here, being worshiped in this temple, but He is present in many, many millions of temples. Viśvato-mukham. He is accepting devotional services from the devotee in many thousands of temples. Not only that. As Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā that, what is that? I forget now. Now I am becoming old, I am forgetting.
Lecture on SB 3.26.41 -- Bombay, January 16, 1975:
Prahlāda Mahārāja therefore says, kaumāra ācaret prājño dharmān bhāgavatān iha (SB 7.6.1). "Why? Why bhāgavata-dharma so important that I have to learn from the beginning of my life?" Now, durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma tad apy adhruvam arthadam: "This human life is very rarely obtained, durlabham." Dur means "very difficult." After many, many births, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante (BG 7.19), this human form, after evolution, we have got. Durlabham, with great difficulty we have got it. That, why it is important? Now it is arthadam. Arthadam. Artha means meaningful or riches or something wealth. Arthadam, you can achieve arthadam. So that arthadam, although adhruvam... You can say, "What is the difference between human life and dog's life? They are all temporary. Why you are giving so much stress on human life, the same business: eating, sleeping, sex life, and defense? So why you are giving more importance to the human life?" Now, arthadam. Yad apy adhruvam, nonpermanent, it is arthadam. Arthadam means to achieve the goal of your life. So we should not misuse it. We should teach our children to become bhāgavatam, person bhāgavatam, by reading Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
Lecture on SB 3.28.17 -- Nairobi, October 26, 1975:
When he first saw Caitanya Mahāprabhu he offered his respect in this way, namo mahā-vadānyāya: "the most munificent, charitably disposed incarnation." Why? Kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te: "People cannot understand Kṛṣṇa, but You are so merciful, You are giving direct love of Kṛṣṇa." When there is question of love? Unless I understand you fully—what kind of man you are, what is your position—you also understand, when we find of the same category or same..., then there is question of love. So people do not understand what is Kṛṣṇa. How they will love Kṛṣṇa? It is not possible. Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye (BG 7.3). Out of many, many millions of persons, somebody may try to become perfect. They do not know how to become perfect. They remain cats and dogs, simply engaged in eating, sleeping, mating and defending. That's all. They are cats and dogs. They are not human being. What is the difference between cats and dogs and human being? Human being is also interested. So long this body is there, we are interested in eating, sleeping, mating or de... But that is not our main business. Our main business is how to understand God and love Him. That is our main business.
Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- Johannesburg, October 20, 1975:
So the problem of life is discussed here by Ṛṣabhadeva. He says, "My dear boys," nāyaṁ deha deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke kaṣṭān kāmān arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye (SB 5.5.1). Ayam. Ayam means "this," this body, this human form of body. It is also a body, and the dog's body is also a body, material body. It is also made of blood and bone and urine and stool and so many other things. The dog's body is also made the same ingredients. But what is the difference between dog's body and this human body? He advises, ayam deha: "This human form of body..." Deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke. And where this body is obtained? It is obtained in the human society. This intelligent brain and good form of body, it is to be found in the human society. In the human society you will find from this body, big, big professors, big, big philosophers, scientists, mathematicians and..., they are coming, not from the dog society. That is not possible.
Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Boston, April 28, 1969:
So bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān. Purification means full knowledge. What is the difference between dog and me? How I am purified? Because my knowledge is different than the dog. So purification means knowledge. Therefore the very word is used, jñānavān. Jñānavān, one who has advanced in knowledge, he is purified. Just like an ordinary man, he does not know how to keep hygienic principles, ignorant. But a person who knows the hygienic laws, how to keep the body, his body is purified due to knowledge. A man who does not know that "By eating this such and such kind of food I'll be diseased," he has no knowledge. Why so much, so much disease in the society? Due to ignorance. Due to ignorance, a dor... He goes to a man, a physician, who knows, who has the knowledge. Why do you go to the physician? Because you know that he has knowledge. He can give you direction how to keep body healthy. So nonpurification, impure body, means want of knowledge. Want of knowledge. So Bhagavad-gītā says, mahātmānas tu, mahātmā. How one can become mahātmā? When he has got full knowledge. Then he has got purified body. Mahātmānas tu, this very word is used, mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ (BG 9.13). One who has developed purified knowledge, purified body, he's no more under the control of this material world.
Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Boston, April 28, 1969:
Prabhupāda: There is no question of repression. We don't stop sense gratification. But we regulate. That is human life. Regulative principle is human life. What is the difference between animal and you? Because a man can follow the regulative principles. Just like in your streets there is regulative principle that "Keep to the right." That is not meant for the animals. They cannot keep it. But if you do not keep, then you are criminal. Why this? Because you are human being. You are expected. If a dog goes to the left, he's not prosecuted. But you will be prosecuted.
Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Hyderabad, April 12, 1975:
Similarly, you should read Bhagavad-gītā as it is prescribed by the physician, Kṛṣṇa. Then you will benefit. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Kṛṣṇa says personally that imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam (BG 4.1). This yoga system is avyaya, eternal. Kṛṣṇa is eternal, and Kṛṣṇa's words are eternal, and you are also eternal. This is our position. Kṛṣṇa is eternal and we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore we are eternal. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20), Kṛṣṇa says. Na jāyate na mriyate va kadācit, you are never born, never die. Kṛṣṇa also nityo nityānām. We are all nityas, eternal, but He's the supreme nitya, nityo nityānām. We are plural nitya; He is singular nitya. So what is the difference between this plural and singular? The singular maintains all these plural, eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. He is the maintainer and we are maintained.
Lecture on SB 5.5.4 -- Vrndavana, October 26, 1976:
So it is recommended that mahat-sevāṁ dvāram āhur vimuktes (SB 5.5.2). Mahat-sevā, we have described the symptoms of mahātmā. The sum and substance of mahātmā is mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ (BG 9.13). That is mahātmā. Otherwise durātmā. Simply putting on a saffron dress and having a big beard, he's not mahātmā. Mahātmā is he who is cent percent engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service. Mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim (BG 9.13). He's not in the control of this material nature. He's completely under the direction of spiritual nature. Daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ. And what is the sign? What is the difference between a person under material nature and spiritual nature? The difference is that one who is under spiritual nature, he is cent percent engaged in the service of the Lord. This is the sign.
Lecture on SB 5.5.5 -- London, September 3, 1971:
We have to take shelter of another energy. Therefore our position is marginal. We can take shelter of the material energy or the spiritual energy, as we like. If we take the shelter of material energy, then we become entangled. Therefore it is called daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). Without knowledge, without identification, if we take the shelter of material energy, then we become in darkness. Tṛtīya karma-saṅga anya śaktir iṣyate. This third energy, material, I mean to say, human being, or living entity... Therefore at the present moment... There are different atmosphere. Just like here, in this house, in this temple, the spiritual energy is acting. Outside this house the material energy's acting. What is the difference between this house and the next house? Here the material energy is not working. The spiritual energy is working. The other house, the same pattern, no difference between this house and that house. The only difference is the other house, they are interested in material energy, and here, in this house, the inhabitants interested in spiritual energy. So that is explained here, that if we work under material energy, then there will be problems of life. And if we work under spiritual energy there will be no... All problems will be solved. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Lecture on SB 5.5.7 -- Vrndavana, October 29, 1976:
So, one has to be vipaścit, learned, to understand the interest of life, self-interest. Everyone is working, especially the karmīs, the jñānīs, the yogis, and mixed devotees, they are working for self-interest. The devotees also, so long there is self, there is self-interest also. So there is little difference, that the devotees, they work for Super-self-interest. There is self, but it is Super-self-interest. And the karmīs, jñānīs, yogis they work for individual self-interest. Self-interest there must be. That is the difference between lust and prema, or love. It has been defined in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta, what is the difference between lust and love. It appears almost the same but Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī has given a definition very clear, ātmendriya-prīti-vāñchā-tāre bali 'kāma' (CC Adi 4.165). When one is interested for his personal sense gratification, that is called kāma or lust, and kṛṣṇendriya-prīti-icchā dhare 'prema' nāma, and when one is interested for satisfying the senses of Kṛṣṇa, that is prema. And the concrete example is there in the Bhagavad-gītā, that in the beginning Arjuna was thinking of interest of the family. How can I kill my brother, my nephews, my master, teacher, my grandfather, in terms of his family interest.
Lecture on SB 5.5.8 -- Vrndavana, October 30, 1976:
So that is regulated, that you must have wife. Not must have, but if you cannot avoid, take one wife and remain as a gṛhastha. And there are so many rules and regulations of gṛhastha life. Gṛhastha life is not that "Whenever I like, we have sex." No, that is not. There is regulated. Once in a month. When there is menstruation, and if the wife is pregnant—then no more sex life. There are so many rules and regulations. Gṛhastha means one who follows the rules and regulation of sex life. That is gṛhastha. Not that simply united, man and woman, and live like animals. No, that is not gṛhastha. That is called gṛhamedhi. Gṛhamedhi and gṛhastha, there are two words. Gṛhamedhi means he does not know the rules and regulation. He thinks that this family, this husband and wife, children and home, that is everything. That is called gṛhamedhi. But gṛhastha means he is as good as a sannyāsī. Gṛhe tiṣṭhati 'pi gṛhastha (?). He is suitable..., he is not suitable to become a brahmacārī, because every facility is there, but regulated. And one who follows the regulative principles, he is āśrama. Either it is gṛhastha āśrama or sannyāsa āśrama, the same thing. Āśrama means—very easily understood in India, there is discussion—the place where the spiritual culture is cultivated, that is called āśrama. What is the difference between the āśrama and ordinary home? Ordinary home means the..., without any regulative principles, and āśrama means real purpose is self-realization, development of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. But if one is unable to accept sannyāsa āśrama or brahmacārī āśrama, that is gṛhastha āśrama. Not that animal āśrama.
Lecture on SB 5.5.18 -- Vrndavana, November 6, 1976:
We have got individuality, but for a certain purpose we are sitting together very peacefully, and the real purpose is to learn how to serve Kṛṣṇa. So when we agree to serve Kṛṣṇa, then that is mixing up of the devotees. Tāṅdera caraṇa-sevi-bhakta-sane vāsa, that is mixing up. When you assemble together with the same purpose... That's why we can understand nation. What is that nation? Everyone is individual, but the purpose is how to improve the condition of the politics, or the combination of men. Similarly when you agree... Here in the material world we are individual, and in spiritual world we are also individual, but what is the difference between material world and spiritual world? In the material world we are individual to serve my own senses. Therefore there is fight. Everyone is trying to satisfy his own senses. I am trying to satisfy my senses, you are trying... So there is clash. That is material world. And the spiritual world: when all of them agree to satisfy the senses of Kṛṣṇa. There is like Vṛndāvana.
Lecture on SB 5.5.31 -- Vrndavana, November 18, 1976:
So we cannot conceive in our present stage what is the difference between prākṛta and aprākṛta. The description in the śāstras we have to accept. Just like practically Kṛṣṇa, when He was in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra, He was great-grandfather. His grandchildren also had sons. It is said that the whole family of Kṛṣṇa consisted of about one crore of living entities, Yadu-vaṁśa, very big family. So grandchildren, their children, their children, like that... But still, Kṛṣṇa was looking just like a boy of sixteen to twenty years. That is aprākṛta. Advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam ādyaṁ purāṇa-puruṣaṁ nava-yauvanaṁ ca (Bs. 5.33). This is the description. He is the oldest person because... Kṛṣṇa says, aham ādir hi devānām (Bg 10.2). Even Brahma, Lord Śiva, they also are born of Him.
Lecture on SB 5.5.32 -- Vrndavana, November 19, 1976:
So there is no anxiety for maintenance of the body. There is no anxiety. Śāstra therefore says that "Don't spoil your energy for the matter of maintenance of the body. That is already settled up." Eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. That is the Vedic injunction. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). The Supreme Lord is nitya as we are nitya. Nitya means there is no birth and death. Na jāyate na mriyate vā, nityaḥ śāśvato 'yam, na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). This is our constitutional position. And what is the difference between the two nityas? One is plural number and the other is singular number. The singular number nitya, or Kṛṣṇa, He supplies food to everyone. Oh, whatever we require, that is already settled up.
Lecture on SB 5.5.33 -- Vrndavana, November 20, 1976:
But paraṁ bhāvam ajānantaḥ. They do not know it, what is transcendental body, aprakṛta, sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha (Bs. 5.1), and what is the difference between this body and that body. Muḍḥa, they do not know. Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam (BG 9.11). Therefore they consider that "The Kṛṣṇa's body and my body is the same. If He has become God, so why shall not I become God?" But that is not possible. His body is transcendental; your body is not transcendental. Your body is this rotten earth, water, fire, pañnca-bhautika.
Lecture on SB 5.5.34 -- Vrndavana, November 21, 1976:
So these activities, devotional activities, are not material activities. Material activities means sense gratification, and spiritual activities means to carry out the orders of Kṛṣṇa. This is the difference. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170). Nirmalam means purified senses must be there. We are living entities. There must be senses. There must be desires. That is not possible because we are living entities. If our senses do not work, if we do not desire, then what is the difference between the stone and myself? The stone does not move, the stone does not act, the stone does not desire. So if I become like stone, then what is the benefit? No. The nirviśeṣavādi, śūnyavādi, they want to make oneself like stone. That is not curing. They give up everything. Brahmā satyaṁ jagan mithyā. They That is not mithyā but temporary. Anyway, they simply give up.
Lecture on SB 5.6.5 -- Vrndavana, November 27, 1976:
Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura has advised that kāma and the desire will be transformed how to serve Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇārthe akhila-ceṣṭa, the same thing. Kāma means fruitive activities for sense gratification, but this kāma can be utilized in Kṛṣṇa's service. Just like we have constructed this temple with the enthusiasm, there must be a very nice temple for Kṛṣṇa-Balarāma. The same desire, as somebody is willing that "I must have a very big skyscraper building," so the same desire. People may ask, "What is the difference between these two desires? Somebody is desiring to possess a very big house and another body is desiring to possess a very nice temple, expensive temple. So what is the difference?" Difference is one is kāma and the other is prema. That is difference. As soon as we desire, that is natural. We cannot be desireless.
Lecture on SB 6.1.1-4 -- Melbourne, May 20, 1975:
In California I have seen one tree, they say it is seven thousand years old. So just imagine. If the teacher punishes a boy to stand up for few minutes, how much troublesome it is, and if one is ordered to stand up for seven thousand years, so just imagine what is the punishment. So that is punishment. These trees and plants, because they committed very sinful activities, they... Naked, to become naked, is also another criminal activity. Therefore, by nature's law, the trees, the, they are standing up naked. They do not dress. Similarly, if a human being does not dress, does not cover, then what is the difference between the trees and the human being? It is the human being who requires to be properly dressed. That is the law of nature. If we violate, then the punishment is: "All right, you become tree and stand up naked for ten thousand years." This is the nature's law. You cannot violate the nature's law. And we are completely under the laws of nature. You cannot say that "I don't care for." No. You may say, foolishly, but you are, you are. Just like nature's law is that you must die. Can you say, "No, I shall not die"? Can you say boldly, "No, no, I shall not die. I am now scientific. I have got my science, I shall not die." The nature's law is: you must die.
Lecture on SB 6.1.1-4 -- Melbourne, May 20, 1975:
So anyway, we have to act according to the superior order. And so far the spirit soul is concerned, that is the first lesson of spiritual knowledge. Unless you understand what is spirit... We are present here. The body is there and the spirit is there. Now we must analyze according to the direction given in authoritative books. That is very easy. Kṛṣṇa says that within this body there is the spirit soul. And we can experience that unless the spirit soul is there, the body does not change, and as soon as the spirit soul goes away, the body is a dead lump of matter. That's all. Very easy to understand. So we have to first understand this, then spiritual progress. If we remain like asses and dogs and cats, that "I am this body," there is no question of spiritual understanding. Therefore we are presenting Bhagavad-gītā As It Is. Read it and you will understand what is the difference between spirit and matter. In so many ways they have been described.
Lecture on SB 6.1.3 -- Melbourne, May 22, 1975:
So the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, as I have repeatedly said, it is that culture. Athāto brahma jijñāsā: "What is the ultimate aim of life, ultimate goal of life?" Because I am eternal. I am simply changing body. Na jāyate na mriyate va kadācit. Kadācit means at any time the ātmā, the soul, is never born, na jāyate, the living soul. Na jāyate. Na jāyate means never born. "But I see. My child is born." No, that you see, the body of the child, not the child as soul. That is knowledge. That is called brahma-jñāna, that "This body... I am not this body; I am spirit soul." Then the inquiry will be "Then wherefrom the spirit soul has come?" That should be the inquiry. "And why, if I am eternal, then why I am put to this condition of repetition of birth and death?" These are inquiries. This is called brahma-jijñāsā. Brahma-jijñāsā means inquiry about the spirit soul. That is brahma-jijñāsā. So in this way we should utilize our intelligence, life, not simply for these bodily comforts of life, no. That bodily comforts of life even the dogs and hogs they are also seeking. They are also seeking. Then what is the difference between dogs, hogs, and myself? Therefore śāstra says, nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke kaṣṭān kāmān arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye (SB 5.5.1). This is the warning given by Mahārāja Ṛṣabhadeva to His sons. "My dear sons, don't spoil your life working very hard like the dogs and hogs just to satisfy your senses." This is the instruction.
Lecture on SB 6.1.9 -- Nellore, January 7, 1976:
In this connection I shall recite one historical incident from the Purāṇas. There was a hunter in Prayāg. Prayāg you know, in Allahabad. So he was hunting in the forest indiscriminately. So Nārada Muni was passing through the jungle and he was very compassionate to see the animals being half-dead and half-killed by the hunter. Nārada Muni, being Vaiṣṇava, he was very kind to all living entities, so he went to the hunter whose name was Mṛgāri. So the Mṛgāri thought that "This saintly person is coming to me for some deerskin," so he said, "Sir, don't disturb in my business. If you want deerskin I shall give you. Please get out of my activities for the present." Nārada Muni said that "I have not come here to ask for deerskin, but I simply ask you that if you want to kill the animals, you kill them total. Why you are killing half?" The hunter said, "What is the difference between killing whole and killing half?"
Lecture on SB 6.1.13-14 -- Los Angeles, June 26, 1975:
So that is stated in the Vedas, that God is also a living entity like us, as we are living entities, nityo nityānām. We are plural number; He is singular number. Then why He is singular number? Why not plural number? And what is the difference between singular number or plural number? That is also Eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān: "That eko, that singular number is supplying all the necessities of life of all this plural number—that is God." He is maintainer, maintainer. Eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhā... We have got different types of demands on account of our different types of body. And who is supplying these necessities? That is God. That is God. Very simple definition: eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. Find out somebody who can supply the necessities of everyone—He is God. Is it very difficult to find out who is God? This is simple formula: eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. We become charitable persons, but have we got any means that "Anyone who comes, I can give charity"? No. That is not possible.
Lecture on SB 6.1.14 -- Bombay, November 10, 1970:
Prabhupāda: This is easier process. "This child belongs to Kṛṣṇa. He has kindly given me prasādam." This is not easier? Which is easier?
Guest: That is a particular kind of approach of...
Prabhupāda: Eh? It is not a fact?
Guest: It's a fact.
Prabhupāda: But it is not easier? If you teach one child that "If you meditate upon Kṛṣṇa within," that is easier? Or if you say that "The fire which you are cooking on, this is Kṛṣṇa's"? Which is easier? So why you become more than child? You should remain always child, then you will get knowledge, real knowledge. That is the mistake. "I am now grown up. I cannot accept as child." What is the difference between child? A child also learns ABCD and a grown up man also uses ABCD. In what sense he is grown up? The ABCD is there. But when you are grown up can you give up ABCD? Can you give up ABCD when you are grown up? What do you mean by grown up? What is the difference between child and you? You also use ABCD, he also uses ABCD. But his knowledge of ABCD is not so perfect as yours.
Lecture on SB 6.1.22 -- Indore, December 13, 1970:
So although he was very old, still he was enjoying the child's play, pastimes, the same thing. Just like Mahārāja Nanda and Yaśodā were enjoying the childish pastimes of Lord Kṛṣṇa, the same thing is pervertedly reflected in this material world. Father's affection, child's activities. Because we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, the same thing you'll find in the transcendental world. The Māyāvādī philosophers, they cannot adjust. They think that if the same things are there in the spiritual world, then what is the difference between the spiritual and the material? That is the defect of Māyāvāda philosophy. But if they are seriously students of Vedānta-sūtra... It is stated clearly in the very beginning, janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). The Supreme Absolute Truth is that from which everything emanates. So this affection between the child and the father or mother, if it is not there in the original Absolute Truth, wherefrom it comes? Do you follow? If the Absolute Truth is the source of everything, then whatever you will see here in this material world, they are simply reflection of the original. How you can defy(?)? How the Absolute Truth can be nirākāra, nirviśeṣa, without any variety, if the Absolute Truth is the source of everything.
Lecture on SB 6.1.24 -- Honolulu, May 24, 1976:
Therefore people have lost faith in religion. This is the reason. Because those who are in charge of the religious department, the brāhmaṇas, those who are in charge of religion, the priestly order or the maulanis (?) or the brāhmaṇas, they're the same order, their duty is to keep people enlightened in the real mission of life. That is their duty. But if they're also doing the same thing, sense gratification, how long they can cheat others? Therefore people have lost faith in religion. This is the reason. But that is not good. Because the system of religion has become polluted, we should not give up religion. That is our prime duty. Karamayi tasya eka bhūṣesya (?). What is the difference between animal and man? The animal has no religion. They have no religion. Eating, sleeping, sex and defense. Āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunaṁ ca, sāmānyam etat. This is very easy to understand. The dog is eating; I am eating. Dog is sleeping; I am sleeping. Dog is enjoying sex; I am also enjoying sex. Dog is also afraid; I am also afraid. So what is the difference between dog and me? The only difference is that dog has no religion; I've got religion. So if I give up religion, life of religiosity, then I am equal to dharmeṇa hīnāḥ paśubhiḥ samānāḥ.
Lecture on SB 6.1.25 -- Chicago, July 9, 1975:
The whole world is going on in a way which is animal civilization. So if you want to be happy, you have to come to the spiritual platform, reality. That is wanted, thorough overhauling. They should know perfectly well that "We are after false enjoyment. We have to come to the platform of real enjoyment." Somebody is mistaking that "Real enjoyment, there cannot be any varieties. If there are varieties, then what is the difference between this and that?" So these varieties are different in quality. This is material quality, and that is spiritual quality. They have no distinction between matter and spirit. They cannot understand this exactly like cats and dogs.
Lecture on SB 6.1.25 -- Honolulu, May 25, 1976:
So this is very important things to understand. You are thinking very free but no, there is: prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). Exactly. Kāraṇaṁ guṇa saṅgo 'sya (BG 13.22). Just like if you contaminate some disease, you must suffer from it. That is natural law. You cannot avoid. There is no escape. So similarly, this spiritual life, this human life is a chance that you learn how to purify yourself. That is human life. And if you don't purify yourself, you remain impure without any endeavor, then what is the difference between you and cats and dogs? There's no difference.
Lecture on SB 6.1.26 -- Honolulu, May 26, 1976:
So bhuñjānaḥ prapiban khādan bālakaṁ sneha-yantritaḥ. The father and mother takes care of the children, how to give them foodstuffs. We have seen Mother Yaśodā is feeding Kṛṣṇa. Same thing. This is the difference. We are feeding ordinary child, which is done by cats and dogs also, but Mother Yaśodā is feeding Kṛṣṇa. The same process. The process there is no difference, but one is the Kṛṣṇa center and other is whimsical center. That is the difference. When it is Kṛṣṇa-centered, then it is spiritual, and when it is whimsical centered, then it is material. There is no difference between material... This is the difference. There is... Just like lusty desires and love, pure love. What is the difference between lusty desires and pure love? Here we are mixing, man and woman, mixing with lusty desires, and Kṛṣṇa is also mixing with the gopīs. Superficially they look the same thing. Yet what is the difference? So this difference has been explained by the author of Caitanya-caritāmṛta, that what is the difference between lusty desires and love? That has been explained. He has said, ātmendriya-prīti-vāñchā-tāre bali 'kāma' (CC Adi 4.165), "When I want to satisfy my senses, that is kāma." But kṛṣṇendriya-prīti-icchā dhare 'prema' nāma, "And when we want to satisfy the senses of Kṛṣṇa, then it is love, prema." That is the difference.
Lecture on SB 6.1.30 -- Philadelphia, July 14, 1975:
This human form of life is made according to the form of Lord. It is imitation; that is real. Sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ, īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1). But we are thinking that God has no form. Why? Wherefrom you got your form? You are daily praying, "O God, O Father, give us our daily bread," and we accept God as the supreme father. So if I have got form, the father must have got form. It is reasonable. How you say, "There is no form"? This is all not very reasonable argument. God is also a living entity, but what is the difference between God and all these living entities? They are all dependent on God. That's all. God is great; we are small. Just like father maintains all the children, so we are all children, and the supreme father maintains. So if the children have got forms, so it is naturally concluded the father has got, even though you have not seen the father. Suppose a posthumous child, a child is born after the death or disappearance of the father. So that does not mean because he has not seen the father, he will conclude that "My father had no form." This is not conclusion. He should know from the mother that "Yes, my child, your father had form." So this is intelligence.
Lecture on SB 6.1.32 -- Surat, December 16, 1970:
Devotee (1): You were talking about Ajāmila, and I would like to know what is the difference between the planetary systems that the earth here, or the universe. Is the planetary system the universe, or is there something beyond the planetary system which it is situated in? I do not not understand the difference between planetary system and the universe.
Prabhupāda: Universe is a covering just like a football, and within that, there are planetary system. And these football-like universes, they are floating in the Virajā water, where Mahā-Viṣṇu is lying. So each universe is covered.
Revatīnandana: Like a coconut?
Prabhupāda: Eh? Yes.
Lecture on SB 6.1.41 -- Los Angeles, June 7, 1976:
Suppose I am eating vegetables, you are eating meat. But meat you cannot manufacture, a vegetable also I may not manufacture. That is supplied by God. Eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. Whatever our necessities are there, it is supplied by God, Kṛṣṇa. So He advises... This world, although Kṛṣṇa supplies everything, but still, you have to work. You have to work. This material world means karma-samjñaḥ. Without working, you cannot live. You have to work. There is a verse in the Bhagavad-gītā: śarīra-yātrāpi ca te na prasiddhyed akarmaṇaḥ. Do not stop working. Some foolish people say that we are not working. We are working for Kṛṣṇa. It is not that we are not working. Working is necessary here. But the difference is a bhakta is working under the direction of Kṛṣṇa, and nondevotees are working under the direction of māyā. That is the difference. Therefore bhakti and ordinary work, karmīs, it looks similar, similar, that these men, they are also working, they're also cooking, they're also going to the Press, they're also typing. They're this... So what is the difference between bhakti and karma? The difference is that we are working for Kṛṣṇa and others are working for māyā. That is difference.
Lecture on SB 6.1.44 -- Los Angeles, July 25, 1975:
We have discussed many times. This bodily concept of life should be first of all removed. We must be enlightened. Otherwise, if we act on the bodily concept of life, then—not bhadrāṇi, not auspicious—everything is inauspicious, viparītāni. Sambhavanti hi bhadrāṇi viparītāni cānaghaḥ, kāriṇām. Kāriṇām means one who is working. Nobody is... Because dead stone, that is sitting idly, but any..., even a small ant, it is also working. That is the difference between matter and the spirit. So we cannot understand this difference, that what is the difference between matter and spirit.
Lecture on SB 6.1.45 -- Laguna Beach, July 26, 1975:
So in the previous verse we have discussed, dehavān na hy akarma-kṛt. Anyone who has got this material body, he has to work. Everyone has to work. In the spiritual body also you have to work. In the material body also you have to work. Because the working principle is the soul—soul is living force—so he is busy. Living body means there is movement. There is work. He cannot sit idly. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, "Not even for a moment one can be idle." That is the symptom of living being. So this working is going on according to the particular body. The dog is also running, and a man is also running. But a man thinks he is very much civilized because he is running on motorcar. Both of them are running, but a man has got a particular type of body by which he can prepare a vehicle or cycle, and he can run on. He is thinking that "I am running in greater speed than the dog; therefore I am civilized. This is the modern mentality. He does not know that what is the difference between running on fifty miles speed or five miles speed or five thousand miles speed or five millions miles of speed. The space is unlimited. Whatever speed you discover, it is still insufficient. Still insufficient.
Lecture on SB 6.1.45 -- Laguna Beach, July 26, 1975:
So what is the difference between going to the heavenly planet and going to Kṛṣṇa? The difference is ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokān punar āvartino 'rjuna: "My dear Arjuna, if you go even to the highest planetary system, Brahmaloka, you will again fall down." Then? Mad-gatvā na nivartante: "If you come to Me, you will have not..." So why not select this, that "I have to work for the next life. Why not devote this life for Kṛṣṇa? I shall go back to home, back to Kṛṣṇa"? This is intelligence. I am suffering so many lives, accepting this fish life or the tree life, the plant life, the moth life, the insect life, the serpent life, the bird's life. And not only bird's life—there are so many varieties of birds, beginning from the eagle. There is a big eagle bird. We have no information.
Lecture on SB 6.1.55 -- London, August 13, 1975:
Therefore, sometimes the Māyāvādīs, they think, "Now we have understood that I am not this body. I have nothing to do with the material world. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi: I am Brahman," but they do not understand the Supreme Brahman, Para-brahman, Kṛṣṇa. They do not understand. Therefore śāstra says, ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninaḥ. Because they have understood what is the difference between spirit and matter, that knowledge is not perfect. He aravindākṣa. Anye. They are thinking, "Now we have understood what is spirit and what... Therefore we are liberated. We are the... Aham. So 'ham: I have become the same." So for them the śāstra says, ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninas tvayy asta-bhāvād (SB 10.2.32). Tvayy means "unto You, Kṛṣṇa." They have not understood yet what is Kṛṣṇa, the Puruṣa, the Supreme Puruṣa. Tvayy asta-bhāvād aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ. Therefore their intelligence is not yet clear. Simply understanding that "I am not this material body; I am spirit soul," is not sufficient because unless you come to the point to understand Kṛṣṇa, this will not stand.
Lecture on SB 6.3.25-26 -- Gorakhpur, February 18, 1971:
Devotee (2): What is the difference between bhakti-yoga and bhāva-yoga?
Prabhupāda: Bhāva-yoga... Bhāva-yoga and bhakti-yoga, the same thing, as Śrīdhara Svāmī has explained. Bhāva. Bhāva means the previous state of pure love for God. Tato bhāvas tataḥ... After bhāva, when we are always absorbed in thought of Kṛṣṇa in ecstasy, that is the immediate previous stage of love of Godhead, love of Kṛṣṇa. And bhakti-yoga means to invoke our dormant love for God, the same thing. Therefore bhāva-yoga and bhakti-yoga—the same thing. And another name of bhakti-yoga is buddhi-yoga. Actually yoga means bhakti, but because yoga system has been used in so many other ways, therefore buddhi-yoga, bhāva-yoga, and bhakti-yoga, these terms are used. Budhā bhāva-samanvitāḥ. Without bhāva-yoga, nobody can worship Kṛṣṇa.
Lecture on SB 7.5.30 -- Mauritius, October 2, 1975:
Those who are too much attached for materialistic way of life—means sense gratification... Materialistic way of life means sense gratification. What is the difference between spiritual life and material life? These boys, these boys from Europe and America, they have adopted this spiritual life means they have stopped the process of sense gratification—no illicit sex, no meat-eating, no gambling, no intoxication. This is materialistic way of life. Otherwise where is the difference between this life and that life?
Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- Montreal, June 12, 1968:
As soon as there is less salary, oh, there is strike. Not that kind of love. They are considered that government servant and very faithful to the country's service, but as soon as a country or government does not pay, everything is rejected. So Kṛṣṇa service does not mean like that, that as soon as Kṛṣṇa Practically, Kṛṣṇa gives everything. One who knows, one who is intelligent, he knows that Kṛṣṇa is supplying him everything. Actually, Kṛṣṇa is supplying, either you give service or not service. Kṛṣṇa is so kind. Even those who are not serving Kṛṣṇa directly Everyone is serving Kṛṣṇa but not directly. What is the difference between ordinary man and this Kṛṣṇa consciousness man? The difference is that Kṛṣṇa consciousness man knows that "I am eternal servant of God. Therefore let me willingly serve Kṛṣṇa." And others, they are also serving Kṛṣṇa, but by force, by māyā, by the qualities of nature.
Lecture on SB 7.6.1 Excerpt -- Toronto, June 17, 1976:
There are 8,400,000 different types of body and the life begins from the grass, from the ground. We have seen so many grass. And gradually the grass is eaten by some animals or insects, and then there is semina. Then the same semina becomes insect. From insect to bird, bird to beast, from beast to animals. It takes millions and millions of years to come to the form of human being. This is evolution. They do not know it. But that is the process. Therefore Prahlāda Mahārāja says durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma. You must understand that this human form of body you have got after many millions of years. Don't waste it like animals. If we utilize this human form of body just like cats and dogs, what is the difference between my life and dog's life? Therefore he says: durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ tad apy adhruvam arthadam.
So anyone can say "This material body is there, even to the dogs and the cats, and what is the difference? Let us enjoy." No. Arthadam, in this life, in this human form of life, you can fulfill your mission. Arthadam. You can understand what is the value of life. So don't waste it.
Lecture on SB 7.6.3 -- Montreal, June 16, 1968:
People are being taught in this way, that "Work very hard day and night, earn money, and enjoy senses, nothing more." So this sort of civilization is condemned. The real civilization is that one has to control. Control. What is the difference between a man and an animal? Now, suppose there is very nice foodstuff. In your country it is not seen. In our India, the foodstuff, I mean to say, confectioners, they very nicely decorate in the street for selling. So one cow is... Here, of course, in the street, cow is also not visible. In India, in the street, there are many cows. They are allowed to move free. And sometimes the foodstuff is there, and the cow immediately grabs the foodstuff and eats half of it. You see? (laughter)
Lecture on SB 7.6.3 -- Vrndavana, December 4, 1975:
Therefore here it is said sukham aindriyakam: "Happiness derived from the sources which is not related with Kṛṣṇa..." That is sukham aindriyakam. Actually you do that. When we enjoy sense pleasure, that is not for Kṛṣṇa. That is material sense perception. So Prahlāda Mahārāja says that this kind of pleasure, happiness... Sukham aindriyakaṁ daityā. He is particularly addressing his friend, daityā, because they are sons of daityā, demons. Just like at the present moment ninety-nine per cent of the population, they are daityās, demons. What is the difference between a demon and a demigod? Daityā means the sons of the Diti. So daitya. And deva. Deva means devotees or those who accept the supremacy of the Lord. They are called deva. Viṣṇu-bhakto bhaved daiva āsuras tad-viparyayaḥ. Anyone who is viṣṇu-bhakta, accepting God as the supreme controller, they are called demigods. And āsuras tad-viparyayaḥ, and just the opposite number... What is that opposite number? "What is God? Why shall I accept God? God is dead. There is no God. God is impersonal." They are daityās or demons.
Lecture on SB 7.9.10 -- Montreal, July 12, 1968:
What is the difference between Kṛṣṇa and your body? That is said in the Bhagavad-gītā also. When Arjuna inquired from Kṛṣṇa, "Kṛṣṇa, You say that You spoke this yoga system of Bhagavad-gītā to sun-god, but I know that You are born just like me. Your age and my age is similar. You are my friend. How can I believe that You spoke this philosophy to sun-god, which means some millions of years ago?" So what was the reply of Kṛṣṇa? The reply was that "Your birth and My birth, there are many, many times. But I remember them all and you forget. That is the difference." Why we forget? Because we get a different body. Just like you remember you had been a child. Just like here is a small baby, he has got a small body. But when she'll be grown up girl she'll forget, because the body has changed. Forget. So because we change our body, therefore we forget. This is a fact.
Lecture on SB 7.9.46 -- Vrndavana, April 1, 1976:
So that is a kind of vrata, vow. But our process is different: sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayor vacāṁsi vaikuṇṭha-guṇānuvarṇane (SB 9.4.18). We do not stop talking, but we talk for preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is wanted. So there are many, you'll find, they take credit by not talking. Sometimes you go to them and ask some question, they'll write in pencil on the paper, "We will not talk." And what is the meaning of his silence? If I put some questions and you write in paper, what is the difference between talking and writing? I am using the senses. For talking I am using the senses, tongue. Instead of using the sense, tongue, active senses, I am using my hand. So this is also sense gratification. The real fact is that you cannot stop the tongue working. Engage the tongue in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is wanted.
Lecture on SB 7.9.51 -- Vrndavana, April 6, 1976:
We should understand what is the difference between material and spiritual. Here in the material world, everything is polluted. What is this material pollution? Qualities, sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. Out of these three guṇas, sattva-guṇa is the best. If one is situated in sattva-guṇa, then there is chance of being promoted to the stage of nirguṇa. The sattva-guṇa is the (indistinct) and ignorance (indistinct) can be found in animals.
Nectar of Devotion Lectures
The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, October 28, 1972:
That is described in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta. What is the difference between kāma and... Kāma means lust; and love. Kāma and prema. Prema is love, and kāma is lust. It appears similar. In the material world, lust is going on in the name of love. A boy loves a girl, a girl loves a boy, but actually the boy also wants sense gratification and the girls also want sense gratification. That is not love. As soon as there is any difficulty in sense gratification, immediately there is divorce. So there is no love. There is only lust. In the material world there is no love. Therefore Caitanya-caritāmṛta Kaja, the author of Caitanya-caritāmṛta, he has distinguished between love and lust. He says, ātmendriya-prīti-vāñchā tāre nāma kāma (CC Adi 4.165). When you want to satisfy your senses, that is called lust. Kṛṣṇendriya-prīti vāñchā dhare prema nāma. When you want to satisfy the senses of Kṛṣṇa, that is love.
The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 2, 1972:
If I don't do it, that is my option. That option is always there. Kṛṣṇa does not oblige me. Otherwise, what is the difference between me and the stone? The stone has no independence. But I am a living entity; I have got my independence. So do you... Kṛṣṇa does not interfere with my independence. Voluntarily, if we surrender to Kṛṣṇa, voluntarily if we serve Him, then our life is successful. Voluntarily. Hitvā anyathā-rūpaṁ svarūpeṇa vyavasthitiḥ (SB 2.10.6). We can become immediately liberated if we give up our designated post. If we simply come to the platform of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then immediately we become liberated. So many sages and saintly persons are trying to become liberated, mukta, to merge into the existence of impersonal Brahman. But because they have no information of Kṛṣṇa, or they do not like to surrender to Kṛṣṇa, they fall down. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adhaḥ (SB 10.2.32).
The Nectar of Devotion -- Calcutta, January 25, 1973:
Just like in the temple. Here, every business is in connection with Kṛṣṇa. Otherwise what is the difference between this house and the next door? There, Kṛṣṇa is not there. And this, just in this door, everything is Kṛṣṇa. That is the difference between ordinary house and temple. Ordinary house, they're also busy in purchasing things from the market, cooking them and eating very nicely, sufficiently. But according to śāstras, they're eating all sins. Ye pacanty ātma-kāraṇāt (BG 3.13). Bhuñjate te aghaṁ pāpam. The... In a temple, same business is going on—same marketing, same cooking, same eating, everything is going on—but in relationship with Kṛṣṇa. Where this relationship is there, always, Kṛṣṇa, then every house becomes a temple. That is required. We are simply setting example that how we can execute our daily affairs in connection with Kṛṣṇa. That is our propaganda.
The Nectar of Devotion -- Calcutta, January 30, 1973:
So why the pure devotee will ask for anything else? Adurlabham ātma-bhaktau. For a devotee, Kṛṣṇa is within the palms of a devotee. Ajita, jito 'py asau. Although Kṛṣṇa is not conquerable, but He likes to be conquered by His devotee. That is the position. Just like He willingly placed Himself to be conquered by Mother Yaśodā, to be conquered by Rādhārāṇī, to be conquered by His friends. Kṛṣṇa became defeated and He has to take His friend on the shoulder. Practically sometimes we see that a king keeps a joker amongst his associates, and sometimes the joker insults the king, and the king enjoys. The joker sometimes... Just like there is a famous joker, Gopāla Bon, in Bengal. So one day the king asked him, "Gopāla, what is the difference between you and an ass?" So he immediately measured the distance from the king. He said, "It is three feet only, sir. The difference is only three feet." So everyone began to laugh. And the king enjoyed that insult. Because sometimes it is required.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures
Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.1 -- Atlanta, March 1, 1975:
Just like you may go to jail or to somewhere else. When your visa or time is finished, then you are free from such life. Similarly, even if we go to the heavenly planet, when the resultant action of our pious activities are finished, then again we are turned down here. So in this way sometimes higher planetary, sometimes lower planetary, we are traveling. Therefore our best business is: "Why not go back to home, back to Godhead?" Kṛṣṇa says, mad-yājino 'pi yānti mam: (BG 9.25) "Anyone who is Kṛṣṇa conscious, he comes to Me." So why not go to Kṛṣṇa? Then the question will be: "What is the benefit of going to Kṛṣṇaloka? What is the difference between going to heavenly planet or any other planet and going to Kṛṣṇa?" The difference is, any planet go, you are under the four material regulation, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi: (BG 13.9) birth, death, old age and disease. But if you go to Kṛṣṇa... Yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama (BG 15.6). If you go to Kṛṣṇa, then you don't get any more chance to come down and take a material body. You can live there eternally blissful life of knowledge. That is the difference.
Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.7 -- Mayapur, March 9, 1974:
So that is the Vedic statement, nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). There must be one leader, the leader of the same quality, nitya. I am nitya, Kṛṣṇa is nitya. Kṛṣṇa is also living entity; I am also living entity. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām. So what is the difference between Kṛṣṇa and me? The difference is that there are two nityas or two cetanaś. One is described as singular number, and the other is described as plural number. Nityo nityānām. This nityānām is plural number, and nitya is singular number. So God is nitya, one, singular number, and we, we are being ruled. We are plural number. This is the difference.
Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.106-107 -- San Francisco, February 13, 1967:
If you cannot change the laws of your state, how you can change the laws of God? That means the more you violate the laws of God, the more you become sinful. This is called sin. As you violate the laws of the state and become a criminal, similarly, as you violate the laws of God, you become sinful. You become sinful. This is the definition on sin and piety. If you follow the rules of God, then you are pious. Now, in the Bhagavad-gītā, it is said that "Sex intercourse for begetting children is I am." That means this is pious. But if sex intercourse for sense gratification, that is sin. That is sin. Now fools may inquire, "Oh, what is the difference between married sex life and non-married sex life?" That is the fool's question. But if we follow the rules, the rule is that like that, you require sex life, so you just become gentleman: you marry. You get yourself married and peacefully live. That is nice. That is righteous. So why should you not accept? Similarly, there are so many things. In everything, there is God's law. And that is perfect. That is perfect. And Kṛṣṇa consciousness means always to be conscious, in contact with God. That is called Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 6.151-154 -- Gorakhpur, February 14, 1971:
Similarly, this material energy is not different from God. There is another example. The same electricity, energy, one apparatus is heater and another apparatus is refrigerator, cooler. The energy is the same. The eater is also creation of the electric energy, and the cooler is also creation of the electric energy, but they are working differently, for under different..., for different purposes. Another example can be given that the civil department and the criminal department of the government, the energy of government is there. The government is maintaining both the departments by the finance of the government. It is not that government is not financing the criminal department. The criminal department is also financed by the government. Similarly, this material world is the criminal department. It is also God's energy, but it is covered. Here... Just like what is the difference between criminal department and civil department? In the criminal department there is disobedience of the law of the government.
Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.101-104 -- Bombay, November 3, 1975:
Similarly, there are other parties, political parties, and business parties. Everywhere there is a leader. You cannot avoid the leader. That is not possible. You may... I put this question to Professor Kotovsky, that "What is the difference between your philosophy and our philosophy? You are Leninist; you are following the leader Lenin, and we are following the leader Kṛṣṇa. So where is the difference in philosophy?" You have to follow one leader. That you cannot avoid. Without leader you cannot be guided, you cannot form a party. Everywhere you go... Just like in our country we followed the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi, so we became a nation. So everywhere you will find: there must be a leader. Without leader you cannot become a community or a nation. Similarly, who is the supreme leader? That is God, or Kṛṣṇa. Therefore He is described in the Vedas, nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānāmv. He is the leader.
So what is the difference between the plural number nityas and singular number? Now, eka. Eka-vacana, singular number leader, God... Eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. That is the difference, that we are living entity and Kṛṣṇa, or God, is living entity, but Kṛṣṇa maintains all other living entities; we cannot maintain even ourself.
Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.110 -- New York, July 17, 1976:
So this whole cosmic manifestation is nothing but expansion of the potency or energy of Kṛṣṇa. This is the conclusion. This expansion of the energy, that is impersonal. Kṛṣṇa is not impersonal: the original source, brahmaṇo 'haṁ pratiṣṭhā. The sunshine is coming from the sun globe, but the sun globe is more important than the sunshine. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa's personality is more important than His impersonal feature, expansion of His energy. In this way, if we understand, then it is very easy, what is the difference between impersonal and personal understanding of the Absolute Truth.
Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.294-298 -- New York, December 19, 1966:
Now, He is the maintainer of... Whatever we are enjoying, it is due to His mercy. In the Kaṭhopaniṣad, er, Māṇḍūkyopaniṣad, it is stated, nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām, eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). Now, He is the supplier whatever we want. So as pālana-kartā, as the maintainer, as the Supersoul, He is supplying. He is supplying whatever you want: "All right." So we should not approach God as supplying agent. That is the lowest stage. He is supplying even to the cats and dogs. Then what is the difference between human being and the cats and dogs? Just like a small child, he is supplied all necessities by the father, but when the child is grown, he wants to serve the father, similarly, to make God as order-supplier, "O God, give us this. Give us that..." God is giving. You ask or not ask, He will give you because, after all, you are all children. So He takes care of His children.
Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.358-359 -- New York, December 29, 1966:
Prabhupāda: Oh, we have not discussed just now karma-yoga. Anyway, karma-yoga and bhakti-yoga. Karma-yoga is meant... Yoga, first thing, yoga. Yoga means linking, connecting. So any yoga, there are many different kinds of yoga, any yoga means linking oneself with the Supreme. So those who are too much addicted to karma... Karma means work. Just like we see in your New York City. Everyone is busy with karma. Karma means you do something, there is some result and you enjoy or suffer. That is called karma. They are doing business, they are doing so many things. There is result. So karma has an effect. So it may be good or bad. So one has to enjoy or suffer. So those who are too much addicted to this karma, activities, when those activities are done with yoga... Yoga means linking with the Supreme. That is called karma-yoga.
Disciple: Bhakti-yoga, is...?
Prabhupāda: Bhakti-yoga. Karma-yoga is almost the same bhakti-yoga. And bhakti-yoga is direct. Bhakti-yoga is... That, bhaktas, they are not addicted to karma, but they are simply addicted to the service of the Lord. That service of the Lord and ordinary work sometimes appears one and the same. Just like we are also typewriting. They, your mother was asking the other day, "Oh, you have got dictaphone?" "Yes." "Oh, why do you say that materialism bad?" "And we are spiritualizing this. You have produced these material things. We eve spiritualizing." So sometimes ordinary karma and bhakti appears to be the same. But they are not the same. They are not the same. Because everything, the source of emanation; we have nothing to hate from materialism because materialism is the energy of God. Why shall we hate? We have nothing to hate. We don't hate materialism. The materialism... They do not understand what is materialism. Materialism means to forget the source of all this. That is materialism. One who knows the source of everything is God, for him, there is no materialism. Because he utilizes everything for that source. So for a advanced devotee, there is nothing materialism. There is nothing material. Everything is spiritualism.
Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 22.11-15 -- New York, January 9, 1967:
We are eternally conditioned. Eternally conditioned means we do not know when we have been conditioned like this. It is not possible to trace out the history. Because living entity, by nature, he is not conditioned. But actually we see that we are conditioned, and there is no possibility to trace out the history. Many, many Brahmā's life... Not only one Brahmā's, there are so many Brahmās changed, and we are conditioned. So therefore we are called eternally conditioned.
Now this... What is the difference between the two? Those who are eternally free, liberated, they are godly. They are always ready to render transcendental loving service to the Lord. They are satisfied in that way. Just like mother is satisfied simply by loving child, or friend is satisfied simply by loving. Of course, that sort of love is not possible in this material world, but there are some rare instances. At least we can get an idea that... Similarly, the eternal liberated souls, they are satisfied simply by loving Kṛṣṇa. That is their satisfaction. Everyone wants to love. That is natural propensity.
Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 22.21-28 -- New York, January 11, 1967:
So Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā that nāhaṁ prakāśaḥ sarvasya yoga-māyā-samāvṛtaḥ: (BG 7.25) "I do not reveal Myself to everyone, one and all. No. I cover Myself." So these impersonalists, due to their, I mean to say, less intelligence, or misfortune, they cannot see Kṛṣṇa. So therefore, for them this remark is here that śreyaḥ-sṛtim, that "Actually what is auspicious, devotional service, if somebody gives that path away and takes to simply dry speculation, simply to understand..." Because jñāna means to understand what is the difference between matter and spirit. So they, of course, indulge in that process of knowledge. But simply by that speculation the result is that teṣām asau kleśala eva śiṣyate. The trouble which they accept for discriminating matter from spirit... There is trouble. You have to see so many Vedic literatures, and you have to understand the instruction of Upaniṣads and logic, and so many things there are to, I mean to say, back your understanding.
Sri Isopanisad Lectures
Sri Isopanisad, Mantra 1 -- Los Angeles, April 30, 1970:
Now our duty is to invoke their Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that "You are superior." That's all right. But you are subordinate to Kṛṣṇa. You cannot enjoy, but you can... Just like we have decorated this temple not for our sense gratification. What is the difference between our students and ordinary man? They are also decorating their apartment very nicely. We are also doing the same. But the purpose is different. We are doing the same, but the purpose is different. We are doing it for Kṛṣṇa, and they are doing their for their... So our superiority is that either I am trying for decorating my personal apartment, I am trying to decorate this temple—my superiority is there because I am utilizing matter for my purpose. But when it is utilized, his intelligence is applied to utilized this matter for Kṛṣṇa, then his life is successful. The superior intelligence should be utilized for the benefit of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇārthe akhila-ceṣṭā. Then your life is successful. Then the same superior energy, if you apply it for your sense gratification, you'll be entangled and anxiety. And then you'll have to change your body, one after another. That is going on.
Festival Lectures
Lecture-Day after Sri Gaura-Purnima -- Hawaii, March 5, 1969:
So the people of modern civilization, they have no information about this, how this body is being created. They are simply busy with the present problem. That's all. Present problem is not problem. We are eternal. Our problem is eternal. Therefore the modern age, the people are not very intelligent. They are advertising themselves that they are very much advanced. Actually, they are fools. And "It is folly to be wise where ignorance is bliss." The whole world is full of ignorant. Therefore we are trying to preach this Kṛṣṇa consciousness—it is our folly. You see? It is our folly, "the cry in the wilderness." But we cannot stop this business. You see? They may think that "Why you are nonsense people? You have given up everything. You are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. You are fools. You are not enjoying life." They may say like that, but our, because we have nothing to do with them, our business is to satisfy the Supreme. That is my real sense gratification. I have got my senses. As soon as I use it for my satisfaction, it is material. And as soon as I use them for Kṛṣṇa's satisfaction, it is spiritual. That's all. Try to understand the distinction between material and spiritual. Material means I have to act. Acting means I have to act with my senses, with my desires, with my thinking, feeling, willing, so many things, because that is original. You cannot stop your thinking, feeling, willing, working, because that is your original nature. You are living entities. If you have no thinking, feeling, willing, desire or working, then what is the difference between you and the stone? You are not stone. Some philosopher are trying to make you stone, but that is not possible. You cannot become stone.
Ratha-yatra -- Philadelphia, July 12, 1975:
Now make your selection. If you want to go to the higher planetary system, you can go. If you want to remain here, in the middle planetary system, you can do so. And if you want to go to the lower planetary system, that you can do. And if you want to go to God, Kṛṣṇa, that also you can do. It is up to your option. Therefore, what is the difference between this material world, maybe in the higher planetary system or in the lower planetary system, and what is the spiritual world? The spiritual world means there is no material consumption. Everything is spirit, as I told you. The trees, the flowers, the fruits, the water, the animals—everything is spiritual. So there is no annihilation. It is eternal. So if you want to go to that spiritual world, then you can have this opportunity now in this human form of life, and if you want to remain in this material world, you can do so.
His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada's Disappearance Day, Lecture -- Los Angeles, December 13, 1973:
Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura passed away from this material world on 31st December, 1936. So almost forty years past. So there are two phases, prakaṭa and aprakaṭa, appearance and disappearance. So we have nothing to lament on account of disappearance because Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's devotee... Not only devotees, even the nondevotees, nobody disappears. Nobody disappears because every living entity... As Kṛṣṇa is eternal... It is confirmed in the Vedic literature, nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). The description of the Supreme Lord is that He is also nitya, eternal, and the living entities are also eternal. But He is the chief eternal. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām. So qualitatively, there is no difference between Kṛṣṇa and the living entities. And quantitatively, there is difference. What is the difference between nitya, the singular number nitya, and the plural number nitya? The plural number nitya is subordinate, eternal servants of the singular number nitya. Just like if you want to serve somebody, so the master is also exactly like you. He has got two hands, two legs, or the same sentiments. He also eats. Everything is same there. But the difference is the master and the servant. That's all. Otherwise, equal in every respect.
His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada's Disappearance Day, Lecture -- Bombay, December 22, 1975:
So, Kṛṣṇa has described everything, in the Bhagavad-gītā, and today, this night, we are trying to explain the mission of Kṛṣṇa, because the same mission is being carried out by us beginning from Brahmā, and today is a special day, the disappearance day of my Guru Mahārāja, Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Goswami. So these ācāryas, they come and they go, that is not like ordinary birth and death. It is called prakaṭa, aprakaṭa, āvirbhāva, tirobhāva. So even ordinarily nobody takes birth and nobody dies, na jāyate na mrīyate vā kadācit, so what to speak of the ācāryas, or Bhagavān. Nobody, a living entity, a living being... God is the supreme living being, and we are subordinate living beings. Both of us, we are living beings, so what is the difference between the two kinds of living beings? The difference is that the one, God, or Kṛṣṇa, He maintains all the other living beings. And we are being maintained. This is the difference. Eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. The plural number living entities, we are plural number, in different species of life, but we are maintained by the Supreme Being.
Arrival Addresses and Talks
Arrival Address -- Paris, August 11, 1975:
So this understanding is the first understanding for spiritual life, that "I am not this body." That is the beginning of spiritual life. And when we nicely understand this fact, that is called brahma-bhūtaḥ, or self-realization stage. So what is the difference between self-realized stage and doggish stage means bodily concept of life. The difference is that as soon as you become self-realized, you become jolly. This self-realization is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā,
- brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā
- na śocati na kāṅkṣati
- samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu
- mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām
- (BG 18.54)
This self-realization means as soon as we understand that you or I am not this body, I am spirit soul, then immediately we become jolly. And what is jolliness? Na śocati na kāṅkṣati. A jolly person never lament nor desire. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Arrival Address -- Mauritius, October 1, 1975:
Anyone can experience. The body is active so long the soul is there. It doesn't require much intelligence. Simply one can understand what is the difference between the dead body and the living body. Living body means there is the soul, and dead body means there is no more soul. Father dies; the son is crying, "Oh, my father has gone." "Oh, where your father has gone? He is lying on the bed. Don't you see?" "No, no, he is gone. He is now..." So that means I never saw my father, I saw his body only. Now I realize, "My father has gone." That is my ignorance. I do not know who is my father; I do not know who is my son. But on this false understanding we are going on. When the father dies or the son dies, we cry, "Oh, my son is gone," "My father is gone." "And where is your father gone? He is lying on the bed." "No, no, he is gone." And then we realize. It is very difficult to understand? Simple thing.
Arrival Address -- New York, July 9, 1976:
So the intelligent person should know what are the different situation, different life. They do not know. The other day our Dr. Svarūpa Dāmodara was speaking that whatever scientific improvement or educational improvement they have made, two things are wanting. They do not know what are these different planets in the sky. They do not know. They're simply imagining. They are trying to go to the moon planet, Mars planet. That is also not possible. Even if you go (to) one or two planets, there are millions of planets; what do you know about them? There is no knowledge. And another knowledge: they do not know what is the problems of life. Two things they are lacking. And we are dealing with these two things. The problem of life is that we are bereft, we are away from Kṛṣṇa consciousness; therefore we are suffering. If you take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then the whole problem is solved. And so far planetary system is considered, so Kṛṣṇa is giving you opportunity, wherever you like you can go. But the intelligent person will select, mad-yājino 'pi yānti mām (BG 9.25). "Those who are Kṛṣṇa conscious, they come to Me." So what is the difference between these two? Even if I go to the moon planet or Mars planet or Brahmaloka, Kṛṣṇa says, ā-brahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna (BG 8.16). You can go to the Brahmaloka, but kṣīṇe puṇye puṇyo martya-lokaṁ viśanti: "You'll have to come back again." And Kṛṣṇa also says, yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama (BG 15.6). Mad-yājino 'pi yānti mām.
Initiation Lectures
Initiation of Rukmini Dasi -- Montreal, August 15, 1968:
So you may be called Rukmiṇī devī. And some day you may be kidnapped by Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa kidnapped Rukmiṇī. Rukmiṇī was very beautiful, qualified, Lakṣmī. So his (her) father liked that Rukmiṇī should be given to Kṛṣṇa. And his (her) brother liked that she should be handed over to another boy. So Rukmiṇī sent one letter to Kṛṣṇa, that "Although I've not seen You, but I've heard of Your activities. So I am attached to You. Now some nonsense is coming to marry me." (break) Just see, how nice it is (laughs). And we eat Kṛṣṇa prasāda, we enjoy the Kṛṣṇa. What is this nonsense, ahaṁ brahman, Brahman? "I am stone." What is the difference? If somebody thinks, "I am stone," and if somebody says, "I am Brahman. I am void," so what is the difference between stone and void? The same thing. Why should we become stone and wood? We shall, we should reciprocate loving affairs with Kṛṣṇa. Mādhavī-latā? How many pictures you have done? You have seen Mādhavī-latā's picture? That picture is painted by Mādhavī-latā. Yes, she is good painter. You chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Why you have stopped? Yes, always chant. Chant loudly. (fire sacrifice continues) All bow down. (devotees offer obeisances) Now chant. "Govinda Jaya Jaya." Chant. Chant and dance.
Sannyasa Initiation -- Mayapur, March 16, 1976:
The śānti... Everyone is trying to have peace-peace of the mind, peace of the society, peace of the nation. Very good. But you do not know how to get this peace. That is described in every Vedic literatures. Therefore Vedic knowledge is so important. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). The Supreme Lord is the leader. He's also a living being like us. He's not a dead stone. He is... Just like Kṛṣṇa. When He comes, He lives like us, just like human being. So similarly the... No, not similarly. Kṛṣṇa is a living being like us. He has got also two hands, two legs, one head, as you have got. But what is the difference between you and Him? The difference is that eka, that singular number living being, vidadhāti kāmān bahūnām, He maintains everyone, and we are maintained. That is the difference.
Initiation Lecture -- Toronto, June 17, 1976:
So human life is meant for tapasya. Tapo-divyaṁ putrakā yena śuddhyed sattvam (SB 5.5.1). Don't be carried away by the general, menial, abominable tendencies. Therefore tapasya required. Tapa, we prescribe for tapasya no illicit sex, no meat-eating, no intoxication and no gambling. This is tapasya. This is tapasya. We have to accept if we want superior position of life. Tapo divyam. Tapasya, the aim of tapasya is to be situated on the transcendental platform of knowledge. Tapo divyam. So this life, this human form of life, is meant for tapasya and transcendental knowledge. This is the purport. Not to waste this life, this human form of life, ayaṁ deha. The cats and dogs also have deha, body. The... Analyze the body of a dog and analyze your body, what is the difference? No difference. There is blood, there is flesh, there is vein, there is so many things, all common things. Then what is the difference between the cat's body and dog's body and your body? The advancement of knowledge and consciousness.
General Lectures
Lecture on Teachings of Lord Caitanya -- Seattle, September 25, 1968:
Now here is another question, that when... Our inquiries should be how to get out of the threefold miseries. In the conditioned state... Just like an animal. Animal is always suffering. That is a fact. Everyone knows. In the lower grade of life than human being, every animal is always under very strict condition. Why? What is the difference between civilization and not civilization? The difference is that their life is most conditional life. In the civilized life there is a pinch of liberation. So what is that statement? Yes. Threefold miseries. Threefold miseries are there in every living condition, but when a man is enhanced or advanced in knowledge he can understand that "I am under always threefold miseries." What are those threefold miseries? Miseries, that I explained the other day. The threefold miseries means first, pertaining to the body and mind, and second, miseries inflicted by other living entities, and miseries by nature or higher authorities. Just like severe cold or severe heat or famine or earthquake. They are also miseries. This is beyond our control. So miseries which are beyond our control.
Lecture -- Seattle, October 11, 1968:
Similarly, sarvaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma. There is... Without exception, everything is spirit. But the portion of spirit which is covered by ignorance, the cloud of ignorance, that is matter. Just like what is material civilization? All activities minus God. This is material. And as soon as all activities plus God, it is spiritual. So all activities minus God means trouble, and all activities plus God is wholesome, is pleasing. So Kṛṣṇa consciousness means all activities plus God. That's all. We are also doing the same thing. The candle is burned here, you also have candles at your home. You have got your apartment; this is also apartment. What is the difference between this apartment, your apartment? Because here is relationship of Kṛṣṇa. So you make everything in relationship with Kṛṣṇa, it is spiritual. That is the technique you have to learn in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Actually, there is nothing but Kṛṣṇa consciousness, but artificially we have covered Kṛṣṇa consciousness with something else, which is called māyā. So you have to get out of this māyā consciousness and stand in your original Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then your life is perfect. That is being taught. There is nothing artificial, neither extraordinary, neither a very difficult thing. It is very plain and simple.
Lecture -- Seattle, October 18, 1968:
Jaya-gopāla: What is the difference between bhava and prema?
Prabhupāda: Prema is mature condition of bhava. Just like a ripe mango and green mango. Green mango is the cause of ripe mango. But to taste ripe mango is better than unripe mango. Similarly, before attaining love of Godhead, you have got different stages. Just like the same mango, it passes through different stages, then one day it comes nice yellow color, fully ripened, and taste is so nice. The same mango. The mango does not change, but it comes to the mature stage. So this... As this example, the mango is in the beginning a flower, then gradually a little fruit. Then gradually it grows. Then it becomes very tight, green, and then, gradually, it becomes little, little yellowish, and it becomes fully ripe. This is the process of everything. In material world also, there are six processes, and the last process is vanquish.
Lecture -- Los Angeles, December 4, 1968:
One has to become freed from all designations. Freed from all designation. What is the designation? "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am brāhmaṇa," "I am kṣatriya," "I am this," "I am that." These are all designations. Actually, I am spirit soul. I have got this designation on account of my accepting this material body, but I am not this body. This is the first instruction in the Bhagavad-gītā. Spiritual instruction begins from this platform, that "I am not this body." Because bodily concept of life is animal life. The dog thinks that "I am this body"; the cat thinks, "I am this body." But if a human being thinks that "I am this body," then what is the difference between cats and dogs? Human being must try to understand, "What I am?" This is called knowledge. And when he comes to the understanding ahaṁ brahmāsmi, "I am spirit soul, oh, I am spirit soul..." Just like Socrates, he realized. When he was asked by the judge, "Mr. Socrates, how you want to be entombed?" he answered, "First of all, capture me; then you entomb me. You are seeing my body. You have no vision that I am soul." This is right vision.
Lecture -- Los Angeles, December 4, 1968:
Somebody may be very high, or somebody may be very, very low, or animal, or... But paṇḍitāḥ, one who is learned, he sees the spirit soul. Paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ (BG 5.18). He knows that this is only dress. Suppose a gentleman has come in this meeting. If he is not properly dressed, that does not mean he should be hated. Similarly, one who is paṇḍita, learned, he does not discriminate between man and animal because they have got different dress. No. The animal life and human life, so far maintenance of the body is concerned, it is equal. The animal eats, the man eats. The animal sleeps, the man sleeps. The animal mates, the man also mates. The quality or degree of mating or eating may be different, but the eating is there, sleeping is there, mating is there, and defending is there. But what is the difference between man and animal? Man knows, at least, he should try to know, "What I am? What is God? What is this world? What is our interrelation?" This is man's business. This is called athāto brahma jijñāsā. In the Vedānta-sūtra, the first sūtra, aphorism, is atha ataḥ brahma-jijñāsā: "This human form of life is meant for inquiry about the spirit, Supreme Spirit, Brahman." That is the beginning of spiritual education.
Lecture -- Hawaii, March 23, 1969:
Yes, temple is already there. Here is a temple. Unfortunately, nobody coming. What can I do? We are prepared to give this nice philosophy to everyone. There is no necessity of creating a very huge building as temple. We can sit anywhere and carry this Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa and keep there and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. That is a temple. We don't require any huge building. You see? Temple means wherever there is God, that is temple. What is the difference between temple, church, and ordinary house? Temple means where there is God. Or church, where there is God. God means where there is God's name. Because in this condition we cannot see God, but God is not different from His name. So wherever the chanting is there, that is temple. And if other rules and regulations are followed, then it is temple. Tatra tiṣṭhāmi nārada yatra gāyanti mad-bhaktāḥ. It is said, Lord says, that "I stay there. Wherever My pure devotees are glorifying Me, I stay there." God is everywhere, but particularly He is there. So temple, there is no necessity. But if somebody has got money and if he wants to spend it for Kṛṣṇa, then we can give plan, a very nice temple, you see, spending millions of dollars. We have got such ideas and such plans. But that does not mean that we are depending on a temple. We can create temple anywhere and everywhere simply by sitting, chanting.
Srila Prabhupada and Disciples Speak -- New York, April 9, 1969:
So this process of getting out is noncooperation. That is called vairāgya-vidyā. So Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī says that "I was unwilling to accept this vairāgya-vidyā, but He forced me to take it." And... Apāyayan mām anabhīpsum andham: "Because I was blind, I thought that this material world is everything. Therefore I was blind. And therefore I was unwilling also." People are unwilling to accept the Kṛṣṇa consciousness because they are blind. They do not see actual position of their life. That is the position (of) conditioned soul. They are busy simply for sense gratification. So vairāgya-vidyā means not sense gratification, but to satisfy Kṛṣṇa. Hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanam: (CC Madhya 19.170) to satisfy the senses of Kṛṣṇa. Material life means satisfying our own senses, and vairāgya-vidyā, or devotional service, means satisfying Kṛṣṇa's senses. That's all. What is the difference between material so-called love and Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa love? The difference is, in the material world, both the parties, they are trying to satisfy their own senses.
Lecture -- New York, April 16, 1969:
So we should be very careful about our time. Don't spoil time. That is our request. Don't spoil time like animals. They have no responsibility because there is gradation. After this life, they get another life. After this life, they get another life. From aquatics they are promoted to the plant life. From plant life they are promoted to the insect life. From insect life they are promoted to the birds' life. Gradual evolution. They are coming by nature's way. Nature is helping. And nature has helped you to come to this life, to civilized form of life, where you can have education, where you can have nice compartment, apartment, nice food, nice association, nice car, nice city. Because... What is the difference between this nice and, I mean to say, not nice? Because you have got nice intelligence. In this land of America, when the Europeans did not come here to colonize, the Red Indians were there. They could not develop this American land so nicely, nice cities, because they were less intelligent. Now you are intelligent, you have developed it. That means if you have got nice intelligence, you can live nicely.
Lecture -- London, September 26, 1969:
Therefore the Absolute Truth are realized in three phases: Brahman, Paramātmā, and Bhagavān. Brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate (SB 1.2.11). Śabdyate means we receive from the Vedic literatures. Śabda-brahma, śabdyate. By sound vibration, by transcendental sound transmission, we understand that the Absolute Truth is realized in three phases. What is that? Brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate. So what is the difference between Brahman, Paramātmā, and Bhagavān? That difference is just like the same. If you study, if you become satisfied, "Now I am in the light, sunshine; finished my business," that is Brahman realization. But that is not final. By Brahman realization, you are in the light, that's a fact.
Lecture 'Nobody Wants to Die' -- Boston, May 7, 1968:
So don't falsely claim that you are God. You are everything. You are moving this world. Why? Actually are you doing that? Then why do you falsely claim like that? What is your answer? If I... You meditate that "I am moving the sun. I am moving the moon. I am moving everything." Are you dong that? You do..., cannot move yourself. You are so much dependent on the laws of nature. Why you are falsely claiming like that? What is your answer? Give me your answer, those who are thinking that "I am God." Do you think thinking, by thinking one will be God? Where is your power? Yes? You want to ask? No? So actually it is not the position. I am God in that sense, I have already analyzed, that I have got the, in minute quantity... As I am minute quantity, fragmental portion of God, so similarly, I have got all the qualities of God in fragment. For example, this consciousness take. That is practical. We are preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Now, it is not that Kṛṣṇa has got consciousness and you haven't got consciousness. You have got also consciousness. That's a practical experience. Every one of us are conscious as God is conscious. So you are also conscious. Now, what is the difference between God's consciousness and your consciousness? That you have to find out. Can you say me? You should know all these things.
Pandal Lecture at Cross Maidan -- Bombay, March 26, 1971:
That is the responsibility given to the human society of Bhārata-varṣa at least. Because we followers of the footsteps of Lord Caitanya, beginning from Rūpa Gosvāmī, who is giving us direction that nirbandhe kṛṣṇa-sambandhe yukta-vairāgyam ucyate. Prāpañcikatayā... Anāsaktasya viṣayān. There are two use, two kinds of uses of everything. Just like this microphone is being used for spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the same microphone can be used for singing a cinema song. So microphone is not bad, but as you use it for different purposes it is bad or good. Similarly, this world, or things which we accept for our maintenance of the soul, body and soul together, they are called viṣaya. Viṣaya means eating, sleeping, mating, and defending. That is viṣaya. So anāsaktasya viṣayān. We should not be attached to the viṣayas. Just like eating. Everyone is eating. You are eating, I am also eating. So what is the difference between you and me? The difference is that we who are engaged in the service of the Lord, we are eating for maintaining the body just to keep ourselves fit for working for the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Another person, he is also eating. He is eating to satisfy his palate or with the aim simply to make the body stout and strong.
Pandal Lecture at Cross Maidan -- Bombay, March 26, 1971:
Next, to understand what is jīva, or the living entity. Then, what is this material nature, or what is that spiritual nature. Īśvara, jīva, prakṛti. And then time—what is the time factor, past, present, and future. And then there is karma, activities. These five things, primary principles of philosophical speculation or philosophical understanding, are very clearly stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: īśvara, jīva, prakṛti, kāla, and activities. So out of these five, īśvara, the Lord, the jīva, the living entities, the nature, prakṛti, and the time factor, as well as the..., they are eternal. They are not temporary. But the material energy is temporary. Actually, what is the difference between material energy and spiritual energy? The difference is material energy, the consciousness is different, and in the spiritual energy, the consciousness is Kṛṣṇa. That is the difference. Just like the sky. The sky is one, but when there is cloud, it is called clouded sky. The sky is the same.
Pandal Lecture at Cross Maidan -- Bombay, March 26, 1971:
Sometimes I am questioned in European countries that "What is the difference between patraṁ puṣpam? That is also eatables. They are also vegetables. They have got life. Why do you ask us not to eat meat because they are living beings?" So answer is that it is not the question of living being. Every living being has to eat another living being. That is the law of nature. Jīvo jīvasya jīvanam. Those who have got hands, they are eating the legless. Just like the vegetables. Just like cows, goats, or other animals, they are eating grass. The grass is also a living entity, but it has no legs. It is being eaten up by another animal which has got legs.
Pandal Lecture -- Bombay, April 11, 1971:
Similarly, the order or the principle given by God is called religion. Religion without God is nonsense. Religion... Because religion means the codes of God. So if one does not accept the existence of God, naturally he has no religion. And according to Vedic principle, a man without religion is an animal. Dharmeṇa hīna paśubhiḥ samānāḥ. Because in every civilized form of human society, you will find some sort of religion. It may be Christian religion, it may be Hindu religion, it may be Buddhist religion, or it may be Muhammadan religion, Jewish religion—it doesn't matter. Any civilized form of human society must have a sort of religion. Otherwise it is animal society. What is the difference between animal and human being? The animals, they are engaged with the bodily necessities of life, āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunam: eating, sleeping, āhāra nidrā, and defending, and sex life. These are the bodily necessities.
Lecture -- Detroit, July 16, 1971:
That is natural. If a child, even of an Indian, if a child is born in your country he gets immediately the citizenship. That is the law. So the conclusion is that anyone who is born in this land, he gets nationality. But why we should refuse nationality to the poor animals? This is called ignorance. He is also... But we have made concoction, law, that "Animal has no soul." Why it is, it has no soul? What is the difference between you and animal? You eat; the animal eats. You sleep; the animal sleeps. You have sex life; the animal has sex life. You also try to defend yourself and the animal also tries to defend himself. So āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunaṁ ca, eating, sleeping, mating, and defending, these four principles, bodily demand, are similar to the animal and to the man. So why the animals should be denied nationality? It is not that because they are less intelligent they should be denied nationality. No. Just like a father has got four boys. Not that everyone is of the same intelligence. But does the father give less protection to the less intelligent son? No. The protection, the family protection, is equal for everyone.
Lecture -- Los Angeles, July 20, 1971:
A man becomes dead. Something is losing. Where is that technology to replace it? Why do they not try for it? But because it is very difficult subject, they set aside. They are busy for technology, for eating, sleeping, mating and defending, that's all. Animal technology. The animals also trying their best, how to eat nice, how to have nice sex life, how to sleep and how to defend. So what is the difference between man's knowledge and animals' knowledge. The man's knowledge should be developed to find out this technology, what is the difference between a living man and a dead man, a living body and dead body. That is spiritual knowledge. That is... That was taught by Kṛṣṇa in the beginning of Bhagavad-gītā. Arjuna was talking as a friend, replying Him as a friend. Of course, he was... Whatever he was talking, that was right, but that was right to a certain point. Beyond that point, there are other subject matter of knowledge, which is called adhokṣaja, where our direct perception of material knowledge fails to approach. Just like we cannot see. There are so many microscopes, powerful microscopes. Then find out within this body where is the soul. No, there is no microscope. But soul is there. Soul is there.
Pandal Lecture -- November 14, 1971, Delhi:
This Bhāgavata-dharma should be taught to our children. There is no use of calling ourself that we are secular. What does it mean? Dharmeṇa hīnāḥ paśubhiḥ samānāḥ. If you have no dharma, then what is the difference between you and the animal? You must have. That is the advice of Prahlāda Mahārāja also. Prahlāda Mahārāja appeared some millions of years ago, and he was a five-years-old boy, Vaiṣṇava. He says, kaumāra ācaret prājñaḥ. Prājñaḥ means one who knows very perfectly things, prājñaḥ. Kaumāra ācaret prājño dharmān bhāgavatān iha (SB 7.6.1). There are different types of dharma, but he specifically mentioned dharmān bhāgavatān iha. Iha means in this life, in his human form of life. Why in this life? Durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma. This life, this human form of life, is very difficult to obtain again. You do not know what life you are going to accept next. There is no certainty, because when you die, then you cannot be puffed up that "I don't care for God, I am God." Then you are under the grip of the material nature.
Pandal Lecture -- Delhi, November 20, 1971:
So you try to understand what is God and try to understand what sort of religion he has given. So that you can receive by bhaktyā śruta-gṛhītayā. Śruti-smṛti-purāṇādi-pañcarātra-vidhi (Brs. 1.2.101). Vidhi, a regulative principle. Just like Kṛṣṇa says that yeṣām anta-gataṁ pāpam, that what are the pāpas, sinful life? The śāstra says, striyaḥ sūnā pāna dyūta yatra pāpaś catur-vidhaḥ (SB 1.17.38). These four things are the four pillars of sinful life. What are these? Avaida stri-saṅga: womanly connection which is illegitimate. You cannot have any connection with woman without being married. That is Vedic instruction. Otherwise, what is the difference between animal and man? There is no marriage in the animal kingdom. But in the human society, never mind whether it is in India or Russia or China, there is marriage system in the human society, maybe methods may be different.
Lecture -- Bombay, March 19, 1972:
The Brahma, Viṣṇu, Maheśvara are called guṇa-avatāras of Kṛṣṇa, incarnation of the material qualities. Brahma is incarnation of the material quality passion, rajo-guṇa, and Viṣṇu is incarnation of the quality sattva-guṇa, and Lord Siva is the incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead in tama-guṇa. So the example is explained in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam also, what is the difference between Lord Siva, Lord Brahma and Lord Viṣṇu. The difference is they are one but they are different manifestations. Just like firewood. In the wood there is fire. So in the beginning there is no fire, but when there is little fire, there is smoke, then there is ignition, flame. But we are concerned with the flame, neither with the wood nor with the smoke. Similarly, although Lord Siva, Lord Viṣṇu and Lord Brahma are different manifestations of the same thing, Absolute Truth, still we are concerned with the fire of Viṣṇu, not with the wood, nor with the smoke. This is the conclusion of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
Rotary Club Lecture -- Hyderabad, November 29, 1972:
So therefore... In the Bhagavad-gītā also, it is said that, when Kṛṣṇa was advising Arjuna in the Battlefield, He said, "My dear Arjuna, all these persons, you and Me, and all these persons, it is not that we did not exist in the past. Neither it is so that we shall not exist in the future." This is... So these three things are pointed out: "You, Me and all these soldiers and kings." So all of them are individual. All of them are individual persons. And Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Person, He's also individual person. But what is the difference between Kṛṣṇa and ourself? That Kṛṣṇa, as it is stated in the Vedas, eka, that one singular number person. Vidadhāti kāmān. Eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. He's supplying the necessities of life to all these plural number living entities. So therefore He's the supreme controller.
Lecture at Indo-American Society 'East and West' -- Calcutta, January 31, 1973:
So I request all you ladies and gentlemen to take this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. It is not a sentimental movement. It is a very authorized, scientific movement. You are all educated, advanced ladies and gentlemen. I'll request you to understand this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. The American boys, it is already we are combining East and West socially, politically, religiously, philosophically, economically, everything. There is solution. But if you take it seriously. If you think this is a movement, sentimental move... It is not sentimental movement. It is a most scientific movement. Any scientist come to me. I can convince him that it is a scientific movement. I asked similarly to Professor Kotovsky in Moscow that "My dear Professor, what is the difference between your movement, communist movement, and my movement? You, you have selected Lenin as God. I have selected Kṛṣṇa as God. Where is the difference of principle? You cannot live without a leader or God. I cannot live without a leader or God. That's a fact. Then where is the difference? Now it is to be judged whether Lenin is good or Kṛṣṇa is good. That is another thing. But your position is that you have to accept one leader, either Lenin or Jawaharlal Nehru or Hitler or this or Lord (?) Churchill. You have to accept. You cannot work independently. Therefore you have got so many parties. So here is also one party, Kṛṣṇa party. So where is the difference in philosophy? There is no difference in philosophy. Now let us study whether Kṛṣṇa party is good or Lenin party is good. Then whole solution is there."
Lecture at Upsala University Faculty -- Stockholm, September 7, 1973:
He is person. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. In the Second Chapter He says, "My dear Arjuna, I, you, and all these persons who assembled, it is not that we were not existing in the past, it is not that that we shall not exist in the future." When He says "I, you and all these persons," they are all persons. God is also person, Arjuna is also person, and the all other who assembled in the battlefield, they are also persons. So Kṛṣṇa says, "All these persons, they were existing in the past, now they are existing, and in future they will exist." So there is past, present, future. In no time, God is impersonal, neither we are impersonal. We are also personal. And that is also confirmed, nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān, Kaṭha Upaniṣad (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13), that He is the chief person amongst other persons. We living entities, we are many persons, and God is the chief person. And what is the difference between this person and that person, the singular number person, one, and the plural number person, many? That is explained: eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. That one singular number person is supplying all the necessities of these different plural persons. That is the distinction. These things are expressed in Upaniṣad, Vedānta-sūtra. So ultimately, God is person.
Lecture on Gurvastakam at Upsala University -- Stockholm, September 9, 1973:
So what is the difference between this material world and the spiritual world? The difference is that in the material world you have to change your body, although you are eternal. Nityaḥ śāśvato na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). You are not destroyed after the annihilation of this body, material body, but you transmigrate to another body. And that body may be one of the 8,400,000's of forms. There are 8,400,000's of forms. Jalajā nava-lakṣāṇi. There are 900,000 forms in the water, two millions forms of trees and plants, eleven hundred thousand forms of the insect, and then one million forms of the birds. And then three million forms of the beasts. And then we come to this human form of life.
Lecture at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan -- Bombay, October 18, 1973:
Nandajī has invented a very nice word, mānava-dharma. So mānava-dharma means what is the distinction between mānava and paśu. That distinction is that a man eats, an animal eats; a man sleeps, an animal sleeps; a man has got sexual intercourse, animal has got sexual intercourse; a man also tries to defend, an animal also tries to defend. So these four principles of dharma, bodily necessities of life, is equal to the man and the animal. If you manufacture very nice palatable dishes for eating, that does not mean you are advanced in civilization. No. It is eating. So what is the difference between mānava-dharma and paśu-dharma? Mānava-dharma means what Kṛṣṇa teaches—sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). This is mānava-dharma. Except this, anything, that is paśu-dharma. That is paśu-dharma. Therefore Bhāgavata says, dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo atra: (SB 1.1.2) "All cheating type of dharma is kicked out from this bhāgavata-dharma."
Lecture -- Hong Kong, January 31, 1974:
If you want to stay there, then yānti deva-vratā devān. You have to prepare yourself by worshiping that particular deva or deity, demigod; then you will be admitted. Just like if you want to go to a foreign country you have to take the permission of the immigration department, visa, then you can go. If that law is there in this planet, why not for other planet? How you can go abruptly, by force? That is not possible. Yānti deva-vratā devān. You have to prepare yourself to go. You can go there. But after this life, if you are sufficiently prepared to enter that particular type of planet, you can go there. Similarly, you can go to the planet where Kṛṣṇa lives. Mad-yājino 'pi yānti mām (BG 9.25). So what is the difference between going to the higher planetary systems, heavenly planet, and going to the planet where Kṛṣṇa lives? The difference is, yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama (BG 15.6). If you go to the planet where Kṛṣṇa lives, then you haven't got to come back again.
Lecture at World Health Organization -- Geneva, June 6, 1974:
This is the instruction of Ṛṣabhadeva to his sons. "My dear sons, this human form of body, ayaṁ deha, this body, na, not..." Na ayaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke. Everyone has got a body. The cats and dogs, they are also possessing a body, and the human being also possessing a body. So what is the difference between the cats and dogs and human society? So Ṛṣabhadeva says, ayaṁ deha-bhājāṁ nṛlo..., kaṣṭān kāmān na arhati yad viḍ-bhujām. To accept too much labor for the necessities of life, kāmān... Kāmān means the necessities of life. This life, this human form of life, is not meant for that. It is meant for viḍ-bhujām, the hogs and dogs. They are... The hog is whole day working to find out "Where is stool? Where is stool?" The human life should not be like that. Human life should be very peaceful and prosperous and save time for spiritual culture.
La Trobe University Lecture -- Melbourne, July 1, 1974:
So we are preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement on the platform of the spirit soul, which we do not see with these material eyes. This is great ignorance. After death we cry that "My father is gone," "My son is gone." But where he has gone? He is lying on the bed. Now, even still, we do not come to the understanding what is the difference between the living body and the dead body. There are so many theories, but as I have already told you that we receive knowledge from the perfect person, Kṛṣṇa. He says that within this body the owner of the body is there, and on account of the owner of the body presence, the body is changing. The owner of the body is sometimes in the childhood body; the owner of the body sometimes in a different boyhood body; the owner of the body is sometimes in the youthhood body. Similarly, as he is changing different types of body during this duration of life, similarly, after this annihilation of this body, when it is old... Just like old garment or old coat, old shirt cannot be used—it is thrown away; another new shirt, new coat is taken—similarly, this body, being annihilated, the soul accepts another body. This is a real knowledge.
La Trobe University Lecture -- Melbourne, July 1, 1974:
So long we are not on this platform of spiritual understanding, we are equal to the animals. Animals, they do not know what is the difference between body and the soul. A dog is always thinking that "I am this body." Similarly, if a man thinks that "I am this body," he is no better than the dog because he has no realization of the self. Therefore the Vedic literature says, yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape sva-dhīḥ kalatrādiṣu bhauma ijya-dhīḥ. Actually we are standing on a false platform, understanding this body as the self, and in relationship with the body we are considering, "This country is my country. This man is my family man" or "my national man." So all these bodily concepts of life is based on ignorance, because we do not know soul. Actually the human life is meant for being educated that he is not this body; he is soul. That is the Vedānta-sūtra philosophy, to inquire about the spirit soul. That is our main business.
Sunday Feast Lecture -- Atlanta, March 2, 1975:
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: She is asking, "What is the difference between killing a plant and eating it and killing an animal and eating it?"
Prabhupāda: The same fault. Either you kill animal or plant, the same sin is there just like if you kill an uncivilized and if you kill a big man, the punishment is the same, hanging. You cannot say that "I have killed one uncivilized man." No. That you cannot do. Similarly, you cannot kill even plant. But we have to live. Therefore we can kill plant under the order of the Supreme. Just like I have already explained. Kṛṣṇa said, patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati (BG 9.26). Patraṁ means plant. So Kṛṣṇa wants it. So for Kṛṣṇa's sake we can do that. Just like Arjuna did. Arjuna did not like to kill his brothers, but Kṛṣṇa said that "This is My desire." "All right, I shall kill." This is Kṛṣṇa-bhakti.
Evening Lecture -- Bhuvanesvara, January 23, 1977:
Guest (5) (Indian man): Sir, what is the difference between renunciation and surrender?
Prabhupāda: Yes. Renunciation is the beginning of this material world. You cannot take, you cannot surrender to Kṛṣṇa, unless you renounce this ma.... If you have got material necessities... Sarva-dharmān parityajva. Kṛṣṇa says, "Absolute surrender." And if you want material necessities, then you have got so many dharmas—this dharma, that dharma, social dharma, family dharma, national dharma, community dharma, and so on, so on. But Kṛṣṇa demands, sarva-dharmān parityajya (BG 18.66). So it is not very easy thing. Therefore renunciation and surrender. Surrender means full renunciation, no reservation. And renunciation means you renounce something and keep something. That is difference.
Philosophy Discussions
Philosophy Discussion on Hegel:
Prabhupāda: So, that means he wants to arrive at the absolute, that there is no duality. That is Kṛṣṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa. Because Kṛṣṇa says that His mission is to protect the devotees, paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām (BG 4.8). And killing the demons. Kṛṣṇa actually did it. Just like He killed the Pūtanā, the great giant Pūtanā. Superficially he killed, but she got salvation exactly like His mother. Kṛṣṇa gave Pūtanā a position like His Mother Yaśodā. Then, what is the difference between loving Yaśodā and killing Pūtanā? Because He is absolute, whatever He does, it is good. God is good. So superficially you may see, "Now God is doing bad," but it is not bad, it is good. Therefore two opposing, viruddhatta samanvaya(?), the Sanskrit word is viruddhata samanvaya(?). Coinciding two opposing elements, and that He can do. Therefore if he comes to Kṛṣṇa, he becomes Kṛṣṇa conscious, he surrenders to Kṛṣṇa, then his philosophical aim will be fulfilled.
Philosophy Discussion on Hegel:
Prabhupāda: That we can understand from our personal self, that I am the soul, I am existing, and the bodily features changes, changes. Then it is changing, therefore it is material. And the spirit soul, it is existing in all conditions. That is the difference between spirit and matter. Hm.
Pradyumna: I wanted to ask you if the difference between the realisation of what... Everything is spiritual in that sense, but some things have more of an effect when we can see everything spiritually. What is the difference between the Ganges water and the ordinary water to someone who doesn't know that the Ganges water is spiritual? He doesn't have the realisation of it but still he gets spiritual benefit.
Prabhupāda: Yes, one who does not know... Kṛṣṇa, He makes the difference between Ganges water and ordinary water. Because we are giving Ganges water important, but because it is coming out, flowing from the toe of Kṛṣṇa. So, as soon as the other water, it is offered to Kṛṣṇa's lotus feet, then how it becomes other water? It becomes Ganges water. The one who hasn't got to see, by touching to the lotus feet, this Ganges water will form. So any water when it is touched in Kṛṣṇa's feet, it is Ganges water.
Philosophy Discussion on Hegel:
Prabhupāda: That's all right but that means he has no clear knowledge. That's all. So therefore we can say they are rascals. And one who does not know God, he is rascal. Following, that is our philosophy(?). But because knowledge means to understand God. The animals, they do not understand God. Therefore they are called animal. Similarly, any man, any so-called (indistinct) does not know God, he is animal. He may be nicely dressed, that is another thing, but factually he is an animal, because he does not know God. That is the position of animals. What is the difference between man and animal? That is the difference, the animal cannot know what is God, the man can know. That is fundamental. It may be... There are difference of animals but no animal is able to understand God.
Philosophy Discussion on Charles Darwin:
Prabhupāda: The future... Any fool can say "In future I shall prove." Then what is the difference between scientists and the fool? "Trust no future, however pleasant."
Śyāmasundara: But Darwin is the one who introduced this whole concept that we are evolving towards something better.
Prabhupāda: That we accept. That we accept. Just like we are now in human form of life. Now we can go, can make our position better. Either we go in so many higher planetary systems or we go to Vaikuṇṭha.
Śyāmasundara: In terms of species actually living on this planet, he thinks that we have come up from apes, now we may go up to higher forms of men or species.
Prabhupāda: That is already... The apes are already there. You are also there.
Philosophy Discussion on John Dewey:
Prabhupāda: What is the difference between desire and highest desire?
Śyāmasundara: Well, someone may desire more broadness.
Prabhupāda: Who will judge who is highest? Everyone will say, "My desire is the highest."
Śyāmasundara: The utilitarians might say that "People desire more brothels, so let us build more brothels.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Modern world, that is the highest desire. How can you refute that if there is no standard? Everyone says, "This is my law." Unless you go to the court, who will judge?
Revatīnandana: Now he wants to make his desire the highest desire. He's got a theory now that "This is the highest thing I can think of, so this is God." That means I have the highest.
Śyāmasundara: He says that...
Prabhupāda: Our formula is perfect.
Philosophy Discussion on John Dewey:
Prabhupāda: Humanity is not worship. Every, every... According to God conscious person, everything is worshipable, even an ant, but supreme worshipable is God. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1). So that is wanted. Nature, these persons, they are taking as nature as the Supreme. But those who are actually in awareness of God, they know that God is the controller of nature also. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, māyadhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10). Nature is matter. Matter cannot act independently. In the Bhagavad-gītā, as (indistinct), the difference, what is the difference between matter and the living being. The difference is the matter is being handled, controlled by the living being. Therefore living being is the superior nature, and matter is inferior nature. Bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca (BG 7.4). This earth, water, air, fire, etc., everything, these are inferior nature. Just try to understand nature. And above this inferior nature there is superior nature.
Philosophy Discussion on Soren Aabye Kierkegaard:
Prabhupāda: So this choice, when you know yourself, so how you can know yourself unless you go to somebody who knows things as they are? Just like people know that "I am this body." But this kind of knowing is animal knowing. This kind of knowing, that "I am this body," yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke (SB 10.84.13). If one understands that "I am this body," then he is no better than an ass. The animals, the ass, the ass also thinks, "I am this body," and you also think that you are body, then what is the difference between you and the ass? And what is the value of the philosophy of an ass if you are in the bodily concept of life?
Śyāmasundara: This particular philosophy puts emphasis on the act of deciding, that whatever is decided doesn't matter, but...
Prabhupāda: But you cannot decide without your aim. What is the aim of life?
Śyāmasundara: Well, he says that because we cannot know the aim or...
Prabhupāda: Then how we can make decision?
Śyāmasundara: Then we must make a choice, either this or that.
Prabhupāda: That is childish. That is childish. Just like a child, he does not know. He sometimes plays with these things, sometimes plays with these things, sometimes plays with that. That's all. That is child.
Philosophy Discussion on Karl Marx:
Prabhupāda: That is his ignorance, because this body is dead. That what is the difference between the dead body and the... The same Marx and same Lenin was lying, but because there is no spirit sould it was considered as dead. This is imperfect understanding of the man, of the body. Otherwise, I mean to say, man of sense studies there must be a spiritualism and materialism. Spiritualism..., spirit means the force behind the matter. It can be understood very easily that matter as it is, it is inactive. A machine may be very well made, but without a person, a living being, the machine is useless. So that is the difference between spirit and matter. Matter can be active only in touch with the spirit. Similarly, the body is active when there is soul within the body. This can be easily understood, unless one is very dull. Spirit cannot be denied.
Philosophy Discussion on Socrates:
Prabhupāda: So this is real knowledge, that na śocati na kāṅkṣati, he has no more hankering. The karmīs, jñānīs, yogis, they have got hankering. The karmīs, they are hankering after how to get material wealth, how to get material position, how to get nice woman, how to get nice position. That is karmī. Their business—simply hankering, hankering. bankruptcy (?). And if they have lost, they cry, "Oh, I have lost it, I have lost it, I have lost." Two business. So when one becomes self-realized, these two things are conspicuous by absence: no more hankering, no more lamenting. The karmīs are hankering; the jñānīs, they are also expecting to become one with God, to merge into the existence of God. That is also hankering. The yogis, they are hankering after some magic power so they can befool others that he has become God, "I can manufacture gold, I can fly in the sky," and foolish people after them. Intelligent person will see, "What is this perfection? Even if he can fly in the sky, there are so many birds are flying. What is the difference between this flying and that flying?" So he doesn't care.
Philosophy Discussion on Thomas Henry Huxley:
Prabhupāda: That is also not. He is not separated. He is, brahman and ātmān, they are existing, co-existing, and that is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā in the chapter "Kṣetra and Kṣetrajña." The body is the field, and the ātmā, individual soul, is the owner of the field or the worker in the field. So it is also said there is another owner, kṣetra-jñaṁ cāpi māṁ vidhi. As the individual is working in the body, similarly, there is another soul working in the body. So what is the difference between the two? The two is different that the individual soul knows only about his own body, but the other soul, Supersoul, He knows everything of every body. That is the difference. I know the pains and pleasure of my body. I do not know the pains and pleasure of your body. But this Supersoul, He knows the pains and pleasure of this body, of that body, of millions and millions of bodies. That is the difference between the two souls. But the two souls are there. One is called Supersoul, paramātmā, and the individual soul is called ātmā. So ātmā and paramātmā are there. The difference between them is that ātmā knows about his own body and the paramātmā knows everything of all bodies. That is the difference.
Philosophy Discussion on B. F. Skinner and Henry David Thoreau:
Prabhupāda: So without religion, without spiritual ideas, then what is the difference between dogs and man? There is no difference. Dharmeṇa hīna paśubhiḥ samānāḥ. That is the verdict of Vedic civilization. If you do not know what is the spiritual necessity of life, and for awakening his spiritual interest of life the religious system is introduced in the human society... But in that, of course so-called religion system will not help. Therefore we repeatedly say religion means the execution of the order of God. So if you have no conception of God, no conception, no idea what is God's order, then there is no religion also. That is not religion. So that kind of religion is also, can be neglected, but religion must be there. Otherwise the human society becomes another edition of the animal society.
| Page Title: | What is the difference between? (Lectures) |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, Gopinath, Mayapur |
| Created: | 26 of Nov, 2010 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=206, Con=0, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 206 |