View source for A child unknowingly touches the fire. Does it mean the fire will excuse the child? No. The nature's law is so strict, so stringent, that there is no question of excuse. In the ordinary law also, ignorance is no excuse for legal obligation

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{{terms|"A child unknowingly touches the fire. Does it mean the fire will excuse the child? No. The nature's law is so strict, so stringent, that there is no question of excuse. In the ordinary law also, ignorance is no excuse for legal obligation"}}
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{{compiler|Nabakumar}}
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[[Category:Child]]
[[Category:Unknowingly]]
[[Category:Touch]]
[[Category:Fire]]
[[Category:Does It Mean]]
[[Category:Excuse]]
[[Category:Laws of Nature]]
[[Category:Strict]]
[[Category:Stringent Laws of Material Nature]]
[[Category:There Is No Question]]
[[Category:Ordinary]]
[[Category:Ignorance Is No Excuse]]
[[Category:Legal]]
[[Category:Obligation]]
[[Category:Pages Needing Audio - NABAKUMAR]]
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<h2>Lectures</h2>
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<h3>Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures</h3>
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Knowingly, of course, you'll be . . . that's a fact. Unknowingly. Knowingly or unknowingly. Just like fire. A child unknowingly touches the fire. Does it mean the fire will excuse the child? No. The nature's law is so strict, so stringent, that there is no question of excuse. In the ordinary law also, ignorance is no excuse for legal obligation. If you go to the court, and if you say: "My lord, I did not know that the result of this action is this, criminal," that is not pleading that you will be excused.
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[[Vanisource:730501 - Lecture SB 01.08.39 - Los Angeles|730501 - Lecture SB 01.08.39 - Los Angeles]]
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Actually your countrymen, those who are sober, they are seeing that, "How these boys and girls are becoming so nice, jolly, beautiful." Because at the present moment in your country all young generation mostly they are confused, hopeless. We see every day—morose, black-faced. Why? Because they're missing the point. There is no aim of life. But these devotees, Kṛṣṇized, they look so beautiful. Why? Because Kṛṣṇa is there. That's all. It is a fact. Any sane man will admit.

So what is fact now, what is . . . what was fact before, during five thousand years ago when Pāṇḍavas were there, that Kṛṣṇa in the center, everything becomes beautiful—that can be done at any time. Kṛṣṇa is always there. Simply you have to invite Him, "My Lord, please come and be in the center." That's all. Everything will be beautiful. The same example, sometimes as I give you, that there are zero . . . zero has no value. But you bring one by the side of zero, it becomes ten times beautiful, immediately. So our point is that you do whatever you are doing. We don't stop you. We never say that "Stop everything of material . . ."

But we have to stop anything which is against Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Because we do not stop . . . it doesn't mean that we shall not stop meat-eating. We must stop. This is against advancement in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. You cannot commit sinful activities. Kṛṣṇa says, ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi ([[Vanisource:BG 18.66 (1972)|BG 18.66]]). Kṛṣṇa says that "You surrender unto Me, and I shall rescue you, make you liberated from all kinds of sinful reaction."

Every one of us, life after life, we are committing simple sinful activities, knowingly or unknowingly. Knowingly, I may kill one animal. That is sinful certainly. Even we do it unknowingly, that is also sinful. Just like while we are walking on the street, we are killing so many ants, unknowingly. So in our ordinary dealings—while cooking, while taking water, while using pestle and mortar for smashing spices—we are killing so many animals. So unless we remain Kṛṣṇa conscious, we are liable to be punished for all these unknowingly committing sinful activities.

Knowingly, of course, you'll be . . . that's a fact. Unknowingly. Knowingly or unknowingly. Just like fire. A child unknowingly touches the fire. Does it mean the fire will excuse the child? No. The nature's law is so strict, so stringent, that there is no question of excuse. In the ordinary law also, ignorance is no excuse for legal obligation. If you go to the court, and if you say: "My lord, I did not know that the result of this action is this, criminal," that is not pleading that you will be excused.

So therefore Kṛṣṇa consciousness must be there. If we actually want to be free from the reaction of sinful life that we are doing, knowingly or unknowingly, then Kṛṣṇa consciousness must be there. Kṛṣṇa says, ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi ([[Vanisource:BG 18.66 (1972)|BG 18.66]]). Therefore it is recommended, kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ ([[Vanisource:CC Adi 17.31|CC Adi 17.31]]). Always we have to be engaged in chanting: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma . . . so that Kṛṣṇa will save us. Knowingly we cannot commit any sinful activities. That is one thing. Unknowingly also we cannot do it. Then we'll be liable.
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