Lecture on Bhagavad-gita 9.29-32 — New York, December 20, 1966:
“And one may say that,
‘Yes, because he is devotee of God, devotee of Krishna, we may call him sadhu, but not cent percent.’
But Krishna says,
‘No, cent percent sadhu. In spite of his bad character, he is cent percent sadhu.’
So, this is the recommendation. Why? Why is Krishna stressing on this point,
‘that whatever he may be, still he is honest, he is sadhu, he is religious, he is pious’?
Why? That is to be understood in the next… So, this su-duracarah… Su-duracarah means that according to time, according to circumstances, according to so many… There are influences.”
Lecture on Bhagavad-gita 16.7 — Hawaii, February 3, 1975:
“So, Krishna says… This is called theism, believing in the sastra. Any sastra. It doesn’t mean that simply… All sastras, according to time, circumstances, people, there’re different sastras. The Bible is also sastra. Koran is also sastra as much as… They are spoken according to the time, according to the circumstances.”
Lecture on Bhagavad-gita 16.11-12 — Hawaii, February 7, 1975:
“So, Krishna spoke all these words five thousand years ago. Apart from taking account of millions of years, because nature’s law is the same, so even in those days, five thousand years ago, you’ll find the demonic people as they are now. These words about the demons… There were demons like Ravana and Hiranyakasipu, Kamsa. So many demons there were, historical demons. But their process of life was the same as the modern demons. There is no change. Therefore, sastra means it is for all the time, not that sastra was meant in the past for something else, and now something else. That is not the fact. That is, means, sastra, that it does not change. The time, place and atmosphere, according to that, everything is the same.”
Lecture on Bhagavad-gita 17.1-3 — Honolulu, July 4, 1974:
“Just like Jaya-Vijaya. Jaya and Vijaya became asuras. They fell down from Vaikunṭha. But they became asuras under the circumstances. That is mentioned we were reading Bhagavata the Kasyapa Rsi, his wife… Diti? What is the name of? Anyway, she was very lusty during the sandhya, just at the point of evening, the day’s passing. So, she wanted sex with her husband. He said,
‘No, this is not the time. This is not the time.’
But she was so lusty she obliged the husband to have sex life with her, and the result was two asuras were born. We have to take so much care. You see? According to the time, according to circumstances... Therefore, the Vedic principle has got garbhadhana-samskara. To beget a child, it requires also reformation-time, mentality, situation.”
Lecture on Srimad-bhagavatam 1.1.9 — Auckland, February 20, 1973:
“Now if in this age I advise you that you also live underneath a tree, then it will be difficult to preach. You see? Nobody is accustomed in that way, such severe type of austerity. They must be given, as far as possible, comfortable accommodation otherwise they will not come. They will not take. Now this…. This is adjustment. The acarya knows how to adjust things. The real purpose is how one will take to spiritual consciousness, or Krishna consciousness. Keeping one’s aim to that point some concession may be given. As far as possible, keeping pace with the time, circumstances.”
We have created so many faiths within this world, according to time, circumstances, country, atmosphere, everything, we have got different faiths.
Lecture on Srimad-bhagavatam 1.2.5 — Montreal, August 2, 1968:
“Religion is a faith, but dharma is the original characteristic of the living entity. And here Krishna says that, ‘You give up all types of faiths,’ because we have created so many faiths within this world, according to time, circumstances, country, atmosphere, everything, we have got different faiths. But Krishna says it is not the question of faith; it is the question of actual relationship. Because every living entity is part and parcel of Krishna, and the duty of part and parcel is to render service to the whole, therefore Krishna came to establish this type of religion, this first-class religion.”
Lecture on Srimad-bhagavatam 1.2.6 — Delhi, November 12, 1973:
“Religious means to become devotee of God. That is religion, very simple thing. Religion does not mean the ritualistic ceremonies, that,
‘My religion, the ritualistic is this. In your religion the ritualistic is this.’
That may be different according to time, according to the men, according to the country, climate. That may be little different.”