View source for Alexander and the thief

<div id="compilation"><div id="facts">
{{terms|"alexander"|"thief"}}
{{notes|Vedabase query: alexander thief}}
{{compiler|Labangalatika}}
{{complete|ALL}}
{{first|16Jul09}}
{{last|16Jul09}}
{{totals_by_section|BG=0|SB=0|CC=0|OB=0|Lec=2|Con=4|Let=0}}
{{total|6}}
{{toc right}}
[[Category:Alexander the Great]]
[[Category:Thief]]
[[Category:Prabhupada's Stories]]</div>
<div id="Lectures" class="section" sec_index="4" parent="compilation"><h2>Lectures</h2></div>
<div id="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" class="sub_section" sec_index="1" parent="Lectures"><h3>Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures</h3></div>
<div id="LectureonSB11617LosAngelesJanuary121974_0" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="331" link="Lecture on SB 1.16.17 -- Los Angeles, January 12, 1974" link_text="Lecture on SB 1.16.17 -- Los Angeles, January 12, 1974">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 1.16.17 -- Los Angeles, January 12, 1974|Lecture on SB 1.16.17 -- Los Angeles, January 12, 1974]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text">So the kṣatriyas, they are supposed to be in the mode of passion, a desire for controlling, ruling. That is kṣatriya's spirit, ruling. Therefore one kṣatriya king used to attack another kṣatriya king. The idea is not to take possession of other's property. The idea was that "This king is not ruling nicely." Just like in your country, you want to change the president, but forcibly he is sitting in his position, so as you want good government or good man as president, similarly, formerly, although there was fight between the two kings, the objective was different, not to occupy one's property, not to become a big thief.<br>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. Nowadays there are many thieves who steal scientifically, legally. There are many lawyers, many scientists. They do harm, but legally. Legal murderer, legal cheaters, so many things. We have got experience, every one of us. If you can protect yourself under the cover of law and you cheat others, then it is nice. But you cannot cheat the supervision of the Supreme. That you cannot do. A thief may steal secretly, but there is no secret. There is no secrecy for God. It is said in the Bhagavad-gītā, sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭaḥ: ([[Vanisource:BG 15.15|BG 15.15]]) "I am sitting in everyone's heart." So suppose you are planning to do something, mischievous activity. You can cheat the man-made law or the man-made police, but how you can cheat Kṛṣṇa? He is sitting within your heart. Sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭaḥ: "I am sitting in everyone's heart." So whatever you're thinking, feeling, and willing, it is immediately being observed and noted, "This rascal wants to do this." Besides that... This is inside. Then outside, there is sun, there is moon, there is day, there is night. Everyone, there are eight kinds of witnesses, whatever you are doing. And karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa ([[Vanisource:SB 3.31.1|SB 3.31.1]]). Just like a man is punished according to his gravity of criminality, similarly, whatever you are doing... Here everything is criminal, in this material world. Everything is criminal.</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureonSB32532BombayDecember21974_1" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="453" link="Lecture on SB 3.25.32 -- Bombay, December 2, 1974" link_text="Lecture on SB 3.25.32 -- Bombay, December 2, 1974">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 3.25.32 -- Bombay, December 2, 1974|Lecture on SB 3.25.32 -- Bombay, December 2, 1974]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text">Here all activities are done for some material profit. Nobody is... Even the so-called political leaders sacrifice everything. That's all right. But everything is for material benefit. Even in our country a big man like Mahatma Gandhi, he sacrificed everything—his family, his profession. And many other leaders... But what for they were working? They were working for some material benefits, that's all, not for any spiritual benefit. So that is not transcendental activities. That is material activities, expanded material thoughts. Somebody is working for his family or somebody is working for himself, like animals, the cats and dogs. They work for himself. And human being, they're little advanced. They work for family, for wife, children, or, further extended, for society, for community, for nation. You can expand. Even international. They are all material activities, nimittā, simply expanded, expanded. Suppose if you steal for yourself and if you steal for your family or if you steal for your community, that stealing is there. Because you are stealing for greater family, that does not mean that you are not a thief.<br>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.</div>
</div>
<div id="Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" class="section" sec_index="5" parent="compilation"><h2>Conversations and Morning Walks</h2></div>
<div id="1974_Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" class="sub_section" sec_index="7" parent="Conversations_and_Morning_Walks"><h3>1974 Conversations and Morning Walks</h3></div>
<div id="MorningWalkMay281974Rome_0" class="quote" parent="1974_Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" book="Con" index="88" link="Morning Walk -- May 28, 1974, Rome" link_text="Morning Walk -- May 28, 1974, Rome">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Morning Walk -- May 28, 1974, Rome|Morning Walk -- May 28, 1974, Rome]]: </span><div class="text">Satsvarūpa: "You are calling us animals?"<br>Prabhupāda: Yes, they are animals. Yes. If they are sensible, they can understand, now, what is the difference. A dog is thinking, "I am very stout and strong dog." He has, on the basis of his body. And another man, a big American, thinks, "We are very big nation, powerful nation." So what is the difference between these? The basic principle is there, the bodily consciousness. Therefore it is animalism. Is it not? The basic principle has not changed. Suppose a pickpocket... The same story, Alexander the Great and the thief. He was arrested, and when he convinced him that "What is the difference between you and me? You have got good military strength. You are conquering. And I have got my knife and another thing. I am just going and plundering. So you are also plundering, I am plundering. Why you have caught me? What right you have got to punish me? Because we are the same. You are doing in a larger scale, I am doing in a small scale. That is the difference." So he was set free, "Yes." Alexander the Great, he was sensible man, "Yes, what I am doing? The same thing in a bigger scale that's all." So these rascal, actually, they are animals, but they are declaring advancement. What advancement? The same thing: eating, sleeping, sex and defending. That is animal... The dogs also do like that. They also eat, they also sleep, they have sex life. Now they are coming to the dog's life. A dog, just like street, they have sex life. They are coming, advance. This is advancement, that "We have become now pure dog. So long it was hidden, now we are open." This is the civilization, animal civilization.</div>
</div>
<div id="1975_Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" class="sub_section" sec_index="8" parent="Conversations_and_Morning_Walks"><h3>1975 Conversations and Morning Walks</h3></div>
<div id="RoomConversationwithTwoLawyersandGuestMay221975Melbourne_0" class="quote" parent="1975_Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" book="Con" index="88" link="Room Conversation with Two Lawyers and Guest -- May 22, 1975, Melbourne" link_text="Room Conversation with Two Lawyers and Guest -- May 22, 1975, Melbourne">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Room Conversation with Two Lawyers and Guest -- May 22, 1975, Melbourne|Room Conversation with Two Lawyers and Guest -- May 22, 1975, Melbourne]]: </span><div class="text">Amogha: "Heroism, power, determination, resourcefulness, courage in battle, generosity, and leadership..."<br>Prabhupāda: Generosity.<br>Guest 2: So he hasn't got generosity.<br>Guest 3: No, he's got another one, insanity. (laughter)<br>Prabhupāda: Not insanity.<br>Guest 1: You can't substitute.<br>Prabhupāda: Yes. Everything is there. He must be at the same time... Although he is hero, he must be generous. Just like Alexander the Great. Perhaps you know the story. He arrested one thief. So when he was arrested and he was being judged by Alexander, the thief pleaded that "What is the difference between you and me? You are a great thief. I am a small thief." (laughter) So Alexander understood it and got him released, "Yes." (laughter) This is generosity. He must agree to the principle.</div>
</div>
<div id="1976_Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" class="sub_section" sec_index="9" parent="Conversations_and_Morning_Walks"><h3>1976 Conversations and Morning Walks</h3></div>
<div id="MorningWalkApril241976Melbourne_0" class="quote" parent="1976_Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" book="Con" index="86" link="Morning Walk -- April 24, 1976, Melbourne" link_text="Morning Walk -- April 24, 1976, Melbourne">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Morning Walk -- April 24, 1976, Melbourne|Morning Walk -- April 24, 1976, Melbourne]]: </span><div class="text">Prabhupāda: Not karma. You are working sincerely, that's all.<br>Guru-kṛpā: We are expert cheaters also. That's how we get the money.<br>Prabhupāda: Yes. You are big cheaters. You don't cheat two rupees, three rupees. Two millions. (laughs) That is accusation, Alexander and the thief. The thief accused Alexander the Great that "What is the difference between you and me? I am a small thief; you are a big thief. That's all. Why you are punishing me? You are a big thief. You are doing same thing." Then he was let loose. "Yes, what is difference? (laughs) I am a big thief." (break) ...means Alexander the Great, actually he was great. Otherwise he is the emperor, and ordinary thief is accusing him and he said, "Yes, I am thief." He admitted. That is greatness. That is greatness. If he was not great, then he would have hanged him or punished him: "Oh, you are so.... You are accusing me?" But no, he accepted. That is greatness. Mistake is one fault, but to accept that "I have done mistake," that is greatness.</div>
</div>
<div id="RoomConversationDecember311976Bombay_1" class="quote" parent="1976_Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" book="Con" index="365" link="Room Conversation -- December 31, 1976, Bombay" link_text="Room Conversation -- December 31, 1976, Bombay">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Room Conversation -- December 31, 1976, Bombay|Room Conversation -- December 31, 1976, Bombay]]: </span><div class="text">Prabhupāda: He has expanded his āsakti from family to the whole nation. Expanded āsakti is not anāsakti. I'm thinking only of my family, and if I think of the whole nation, that does not mean anāsakti. That means āsakti expanded. I am a pickpocket. If I become a great plunderer, that does not mean I am not a thief. You cannot say pickpocket is thief and a great plunderer is a hero. The quality is there.<br>Hari-śauri: There's that story about Alexander and the thief.<br>Prabhupāda: Ah, Alexander and the thief. The thief convinced him, "Alexander, what is the difference between you and me? I'm a small thief, you are a big thief, that's all."</div>
</div></div>