Category:My Given Examples (Prabhupada)
Theme Analysis
Śrīla Prabhupāda had a unique and beautiful way of speaking to our hearts. He knew that for us, the material world feels very real, while the spiritual world often feels distant or abstract. To bridge this gap, he gave us "given examples"—simple, logical analogies that act as windows into the Absolute Truth. When Śrīla Prabhupāda spoke of the iron rod in the fire or the finger on the body, he wasn't just giving a lecture; he was sharing his own realization so that we could see Kṛṣṇa everywhere. These examples are an expression of his love for us, proving that spiritual life is not a matter of blind faith, but of practical, observable logic. By reflecting on these mirrors of truth, we can feel Śrīla Prabhupāda’s presence guiding our intelligence back to its natural, spiritual home.
- The Logic of Our Identity: Using the examples of a screw in a machine or a finger on a body, Śrīla Prabhupāda helped us understand that our value and happiness depend entirely on our connection to the whole—Lord Kṛṣṇa.
- Spiritualizing the Material: He taught us how matter can be transformed through the example of an iron rod becoming fire, showing that by contact with the Divine, our very existence becomes spiritual.
- The Futility of Material Endeavor: With the sobering images of a fish out of water or the tragic end of political leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Śrīla Prabhupāda gently exposed the hopelessness of trying to find peace in a temporary world.
- The Authority of Divine Knowledge: Śrīla Prabhupāda illustrated the process of receiving truth through the simple relationship of a child asking his father, reminding us that real knowledge is a gift received through the vāṇī of the pure devotee.
- Explore the synthesized essence of this category in this Vanipedia article: Prabhupāda's Examples That Reveal the Absolute Truth.
Pages in category "My Given Examples (Prabhupada)"
The following 69 pages are in this category, out of 69 total.
2
A
- Anyone of us, serving somebody. But the result is, this material service... I have given several times the example that Mahatma Gandhi, he gave so much service. But result was he was killed
- As for the question of "fatalistic," I have often given this example: Let us say a man is condemned by a court of law to be hanged. Nobody can check it
I
- I am a sannyasi. I am forbidden to make any association with women. I cannot talk even with woman in a lonely place. That is forbidden. I give you one practical example. When my Guru Maharaja, my spiritual master, was living...
- I am giving an example. I am creating some energy by digesting the food, and that is maintaining my body. If your energy supply is not proper, then your body becomes weak or unhealthy. Your body is made out of your own energy
- I can give you one example - just a man, if he is thrown into the ocean, he may be very expert swimmer, but simply by swimming over the ocean, he cannot be happy there, because he is put in a different condition of life
- I gave this example to my students: "These animals are standing here, and if you tell them, 'Oh, my dear animals, why are you standing here? Go away! You are meant for the slaughterhouse,' they cannot go. They have no intelligence."
- I give you one example. Just like this finger is the part and parcel of your body or my body. If this finger is separated from this body, it has no value. Similarly, we being part and parcel of God, Krsna, if we're detached from God, we cannot be happy
- I have (given) many examples. Suppose you cannot eat more. Out of ignorance if you eat more, then you have to fast two days, three days, suffering, or you'll have some disease. You cannot violate any laws of the nature or any laws of the state anywhere
- I have already given, the example: the same whip, to the animal it is no suffering, but for a man, simply by seeing it is suffering. It is the question of sense. That is the difference between man and animal
- I have given already one crude example. Similarly, why Mr. Stalin could tolerate without any trouble? Because he was a leader. He was always absorbed in the thought of how he could advance the Communist cause. This is the real reason
- I have given many times example, if you take a fish out of water, you can give it a very comfortable velvet bedstead, but still the fish cannot be happy; it will die
- I have given the example many times that a screw which has fallen from a machine has no value. But when the same screw is again attached to the machine, it has value. Similarly, we are part and parcel of God. So without God, what is our value? No value
- I have given the example of the hunter: before becoming God conscious, he was a cruel hunter, and after being God conscious, he was not ready to kill even an ant. This is the result
- I have given the example that the different parts of the body, they are suffering from different diseases. But if you make good treatment, if you take the proper medicine and put it in the stomach, then immediately you will understand
- I have given the example that the Vedas say cow dung is pure. This is axiomatic truth. Now if you analyze cow dung you'll find all the antiseptic properties are there. This is axiomatic
- I have given the example that this body, this material gross body, is produced out of the soul which is put into the womb of the mother by the semina of the father. These description are there in the Third Canto of SB, very nicely, you consult
- I have given the example yesterday: just like the sun is sometimes evaporating the urine. This is not very good business. But still, sun is sun. He is never polluted
- I have given the example, that I am sitting on this floor. The floor is different identity from me. No sane man will say that, "I am this floor" or "I am this room." Nobody will say. It is my room, my floor. Similarly, this body, we say: "my," my finger
- I have given this example already - you did not hear attentively - that the sunshine, the sun disc, and within the sun
- I have given this example in many times. Just like a king and a bug is sitting on the same throne. The bug is biting and the king is ruling. It is not that because the bug is there on the throne, he is king, or the king is sitting with the bug, he is bug
- I have given this example many times in America, that if somebody wants to come to America, he has to secure the proper passport and visa. Otherwise, the immigration department will not allow him to enter
- I have given this example many times, the original candle, and you ignite another candle. That is second candle, and from the second, from the third . . . the third - from the third, the fourth
- I have given this example many times. Just like if you want to enter into certain place, then you must be adjusted with the conditions. Just like people are going to the moon planet. There it is supposed to be it is very cold
- I have given this example many times: just like stool, the upside and downside. Downside is moist and upside is dry. If somebody says, "This side is very nice," what is this nonsense? It is stool
- I have given this example of my practical experience in 1925 or '26 when my son was two years old. There was a table fan, "I would like to touch it." And I said: "No, don't touch." This is child
- I have given this example that you have got a very nice sputnik, airplane; you can go many thousands and millions miles up. But if you don't get any shelter either in the moon planet or any other planet, then you come back again
- I have given this example, that you cannot satisfy anyone by material service. The example is in our country. Mahatma Gandhi gave his . . . the best capacity as he understood. Still, he could not satisfy everyone. Somebody killed him
- I have given this example: the parts and parcel of your body. If separately the part and parcel of the body wants to satisfy itself, it will never be satisfied
- I shall give you one tangible example in the life of Mahatma Gandhi. You know he was a very great man, political leader in India. So he was also very God-fearing man, a very nice soul. But he also committed mistakes so many times
- I will give you a practical example: a man is deaf and he is calling wife
- I will give you one example. Just you put one iron rod in the fire. So the iron rod becomes warm, warmer, warmer, and then it becomes red hot. When it is red hot, it is no more iron; it is fire
- I'll give you a practical example. This is my personal experience. One boy was suffering from some typhoid disease, and he asked his younger brother, "Please give me some biscuit"
- I'll give you one practical example of how things are misinterpreted...
- I'll give you one practical example. In my householder life I was a drugstore businessman. So one Muhammadan gentleman, he was supplying me bottles
- If he (a Mayavadi) is not Krsna conscious, he may rise up to that position by endeavor. Then he will fall down. I have given this example, Nixon & Indira. This is factual. To come to take the post of prime minister, to become the president is not easy job
- If I am part and parcel of God, my duty is to serve. This example I have given you many times: Just like this finger is the part and parcel of my body. So what is the duty of this finger? The duty of the finger is to serve the whole body, that's all
- If we associate with spiritual life, then we shall develop a spiritual body. The same example I have several times given is that if you put an iron rod within fire, it will become like fire. Is it not
- If you want to stop the danger of death, then you have to understand what is that Absolute Truth. Just like I have given already the example of sunshine. If you come to the sunshine, there is no darkness
L
- Law means which is given by the government. You cannot manufacture law at home. That is not possible. I have given this example many times, that in some country the law is, "Keep to the right," in some country, "Keep to the left."
- Little deviation. Nature's law, they are so systematically set up that automatically . . . just like the same example I've given: you infect some disease, automatically you'll have to suffer from the disease
N
- Nobody is perfect in the modern civilization, not even honest. In spite of education, so much learning . . . I have given this example many times. This is tested in the airport, that everyone is examined about his dishonest. That means nobody is honest
- Now today this function of installing Deity, this is authorized. Just like several times I have given the example that when you put your mails in a box in the street, because it is written there "US Mail," you know that it is authorized box
S
- Several times I have given you this example: especially Lord Jesus Christ, he was not fearful. When he was punished to be crucified, he never cared for it
- So in our conditioned stage there will be so many doubts, so many implication. But the same thing as I gave you example, that don't be very much hasty to receive the result immediately. Simply we have to follow
- Somebody says that tomorrow the whole city will merge into the Atlantic Ocean. Would you like to construct such building? No. I am giving that one example
- Summer season, they blaze fire all round and sit down in the midst and meditate. I am giving you some of the examples, how severely they accept tapasya
T
- The Deity of the Lord and the Lord Himself are identical. Krishna can act through the Deity perfectly. As I have given several times the example, the mailbox can act perfectly as the post office because it is authorized
- The other day I explained that dharma and religion is not the exactly synonymous. Dharma means which you cannot leave. Dharma, the example I gave the other day, just like sugar cannot give up the quality of sweetness
- Theism means to have faith, full faith in the Vedic knowledge. That is called theism. That I have given you several times the example: Just like the cow dung is the stool of an animal, but the Vedic literature confirms that cow dung is pure
- There is no comparison of Krsna's opulences. I have given the example. Say, in the human society there is marriage. So Krsna married 16,800 wives. And for each wife a palace, marble palace, bedecked with jewels, and the furniture made of ivory and gold
W
- We cannot understand what is spiritual. But this ignorance can be moved by this process, chanting Hare Krsna. How it is? I'll give you example. Just like a man is sleeping. A man is sleeping. How you can awake him? By vibration of sound
- We say everything definitely. How I can say definitely? Because I have heard it from Krsna. The example I have given: The child, he asks his father, "Father, what is this?" Father says, - My dear child, it is called microphone
- What you will do? You are making arrangement for good purposes, for good standard of living, but others, they will not accept your proposal. I have given the example, hippies
- When you come to Krsna, then it is sufficient. You are satisfied. I'll give you one example, that a child is crying, & people changing laps: "Oh, you are crying." It is not stopping. But as soon as the small baby comes to the lap of his mother, he stops
Y
- You insist, so Krsna, in disgust, says: "All right, do at your own risk. You rascal. You will not hear Me." That's all. I have given this example many times, that my son wanted to touch the table fan
- You keep your intimate relationship with Krsna, it doesn't matter whether you are in family or without family. Just like I have given already example. Arjuna, he is a family man, he is not a sannyasi. But he was prepared to sacrifice everything for Krsna