Category:Animal Propensities
Theme Analysis
The concept of "animal propensities" refers to the four basic activities common to both humans and animals: eating, sleeping, mating, and defending (āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithuna). Śrīla Prabhupāda argues that modern civilization is essentially a polished form of animal life because it focuses almost exclusively on refining these activities without inquiring into the spiritual purpose of existence. The distinction between a human and an animal lies in the human's ability to practice tapasya (control) and inquire into the Absolute Truth. If a human being misuses their advanced intelligence solely for sense gratification, they are no better than a "rational animal" and risk degrading into lower species in their next life. True human civilization begins when one controls these propensities and engages in self-realization.
- The Four Propensities: Eating, sleeping, mating, and defending are natural instincts shared by all living entities, but humans engage in them in a "polished" way.
- Misuse of Intelligence: Using superior human brainpower only to improve comfortable animal living is a waste of the human form.
- The Consequence: Uncontrolled engagement in these propensities leads to rebirth in animal species (karma-granthi becomes tighter).
- The Solution: Human life is meant for tapasya (austerity) and Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Real education teaches how to control these instincts for higher spiritual goals.
- Explore the synthesized essence of this category in this Vanipedia article: Controlling Animal Propensities in Human Life.
Pages in category "Animal Propensities"
The following 44 pages are in this category, out of 44 total.
A
- A devotee travels all over the country, from door to door, preaching, "Be Krsna conscious. Be a devotee of Lord Krsna. Don't spoil your life in simply fulfilling your animal propensities
- A dog cannot be educated to understand God but a man can be. So if this human life is misused in the matter of animal propensities then it is a great loss. His propensities for understanding God should be aroused that is real education
- Although the animal propensities of the body should be minimized, those who are extravagant temporarily overflow in material enjoyment. Nonetheless, as soon as the rainy season of life is over, they become as dry as dry river beds
- Although the soul is within the body, nevertheless, because of misunderstanding and animal propensities one accepts the body as the self
- Animal propensity is to exploit others. And human propensity should be to do good to others. That is the difference between animal propensity and human propensity. So here is a nice thing, Krsna consciousness. Why should you not distribute?
- Anyone who becomes engaged in this loka-hitam, beneficial to the human society, he will be happy. But he has to control over these things: ahara-nidra-bhaya-maithunam ca. These animal propensities should be controlled
H
- Human civilization means we have got so many animal propensities, and if we can control them, that is advancement of human civilization. Just try to understand
- Human life is meant for being elevated to Krsna consciousness, if he doesn't take to that, then his higher intelligence will be simply misused for animal propensities, and it is very difficult to tame him
I
- If one does not ask, "Who am I? What is the goal of my life?" but instead follows the same animal propensities as cats and dogs, what is the use of his education?
- If we simply waste our time for the animal propensities of life, then again we glide down to the animal life. That is a great loss
- If you simply waste our time for the animal propensities of life, then again we glide down to the animal life. That is a great loss
- In the human form of life one should not be engaged simply in the animal propensities. That is simply waste of time. He must inquire of the Absolute Truth
- In the Srimad-Bhagavatam (SB 5.5.3) Lord Rsabhadeva states that one who is determined to become a pure devotee avoids associating with the general mass of people, who are simply engaged in the animal propensities of eating, sleeping, defending, & mating
O
- One who is progressing towards the perfection of life, they are called Aryans, and those who are degrading towards animal propensity, they are non-Aryans. This is the difference. Aryan culture
- Our modern activities are animal activities but in a polished way. But that does not make any difference between the animal propensity and so-called civilized life
S
- So long one will be, stay on the material platform, he will be envious of others only, animal propensity, dog. Dog does not like another dog is coming. So unless one is spiritually realized, the dog mentality will remain there
- Some tapasya is certainly required. Without it, one can not advance in spiritual life or knowledge. If we simply engage in the animal propensities of eating, sleeping, mating and defending, not accepting the tapasya process, human life is a failure
T
- The animal propensity - he is seeing his wife daily naked, and still he is going to see naked dance, and paying some fees. Because they have no engagement except this animalism. Is it not?
- The beginning of this social institution is based on education meant for purifying the animal propensities of the human being. The highest purificatory process is knowledge of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the purest of the pure
- The developed consciousness of the human being should be utilized not in the animal propensities of eating, sleeping, mating and defending but in searching out the valuable path which will help him get that life of eternity
- The human beings are understood to be the most intelligent of all living creatures, but they are misusing their intelligence. How? They are misusing their intelligence by devoting it to the animal propensities
- The king had to see that the reserved energy of humanity was properly utilized. Human energy is meant not exactly for fulfilling animal propensities, but for self-realization
- The nonregulated section, both civilized and noncivilized, educated and noneducated, strong and weak, are full of animal propensities. BG 1972 purports
- Their (the nonregulated section's) activities are never auspicious because, enjoying the animal propensities of eating, sleeping, defending and mating, they perpetually remain in material existence, which is always miserable. BG 1972 purports
- These animal propensities are eating, sleeping, mating and fearing. You can analyze the trend of modern civilization: everyone is busy with these four principles of animal life
- These people they have no aim of life. What is the aim of human..., they do not know. So their animal propensities are being adjusted this way, that way, this way, that way. Just like they go to see naked dance
- They have developed a civilization on that animal propensities, means "I am this body, and the best use of my life is to gratify senses." This is animal. "I am this body." Body means the senses. "And to satisfy the senses is the highest perfection"
- This propensity, is there not only in human body, but in the animal body also, that same propensity, sex life. So... But everyone is searching after, "Where is a male? Where is a female?" And when they are united, the karma-granthi becomes tighter
- Those who are bewildered by the external features of the material world and are engaged in the animal propensities of the eat-drink-and-be-merry type of life are simply wasting their lives by the unseen passing away of valuable years
- Those who are very much advanced in animal propensities, they cannot take part in this Krsna consciousness movement. Those are . . . those who are, to say frankly, no better than animals, they cannot take any interest in the Krsna consciousness movement
- Thus his (human being) intelligence is misused in the animal propensities - eating, sleeping, defending and mating - instead of spiritual realization
U
- Unfortunately, especially in this age, men and women unite for unrestricted sexual enjoyment. Thus they are victimized, being obliged to take rebirth in the forms of animals to fulfill their animalistic propensities
- Unintelligent persons who thirst for sense enjoyment and who worship various demigods are no better than animals in the human form of life. Because of their animalistic propensities, they fail to worship Your Lordship
W
- We are in ignorance. We do not know. We are accepting this body as "I am." So many animal propensities, animal condition. So if we remain in animal condition of life, then that is aghavan
- We have to understand that this human life is not meant for the animal propensities of life like cats and dog; it is meant for some other divine purpose. We have to get rid of this material encagement and attain our spiritual life and be happy forever
- When one misuses the gift of the human form by unnecessarily indulging in animal propensities of eating, sleeping, mating & defending he is again punished by being forced to descend to the lower species & undergo evolution according to the laws of nature