# Education & Knowledge *On real knowledge, the purpose of education, and understanding God* --- ### Born Ignorant > Every one of us born ignorant, and we require specific education and training for seeing things as they are. This human form of life, developed consciousness, with greater intelligence than the animals, one should inquire about his spiritual existence. That is real technology. — [[spoken/1968/680508le.cam|Lecture to M.I.T. Students, Cambridge, 1968]] --- ### No Department for Soul > There is department of teaching medical science, there is department of teaching engineering—so many other departments of knowledge. Unfortunately, there is no department for distributing knowledge in the science of the soul. But that is the important, most important thing, because the soul is the mainstay, is the background of all our movements. — [[spoken/1968/680508le.cam|Lecture to M.I.T. Students, Cambridge, 1968]] --- ### Everyone Is a Fool > So that foolishness, when it comes to light... That is stated in the *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam: parābhavas tāvad abodha-jāto yāvan na jijñāsata ātma-tattvam.* This foolishness will continue so long as he does not come to the platform of understanding self-realization. Otherwise, all these universities and institutions for imparting knowledge, they are continuation of that same ignorance and foolishness. — [[spoken/1970/700504ip.la|Īśopaniṣad Lecture, Los Angeles, 1970]] --- ### No Understanding of God > The special significance of human life is that he can understand God; the animal cannot. So if a human being is not given chance to understand God, then he remains animal. So there is no such chance in the university education—there is no department of knowledge to understand God. — [[spoken/1972/721006r1.ber|Room Conversation, Berkeley, 1972]] --- ### You Cannot Speculate > "My dear Arjuna, in order to know Me, God, *asaṁśayam,* without any doubt, and *samagraṁ,* in completeness, as you can know Me, I am personally speaking to you." That means if you want to know God, you can know Him when He explains Himself. Otherwise, you cannot speculate. God is unlimited, and your speculative power is limited. — [[spoken/1976/761017le.cha|Lecture, Chandigarh, 1976]] --- ### Real Knowledge > Real knowledge is to know the simple fact that "I am not this body." That's all. But that knowledge is very rare. Knowledge does not mean that how you can manufacture nuclear weapon. That is not knowledge. That is illusion. — [[spoken/1968/680701sb.mon|Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.9.8, Montreal, 1968]] --- ### Becoming a Master > Svāmī means master. Master means master of the senses. So we are teaching our students to become Svāmī. How? No illicit sex, no intoxication, no meat eating, no gambling. So they are being trained to become master because everyone is servant of these principles. If you can control your tongue then you can control your belly and then you control your genitals—a straight line. — [[spoken/1972/721006r1.ber|Room Conversation, Berkeley, 1972]] --- ### Lover of God > You cannot find out God by simply reading and philosophizing all the scriptures and books. No. If you want to know God, then you must be in confidence. You must be a devotee, a lover of God. Then you can understand God. Otherwise it is not possible. — [[spoken/1966/661210cc.ny|Caitanya-caritāmṛta Lecture, New York, 1966]] --- ### By Controlling the Tongue > God realization is possible when one engages his senses, especially the tongue. Now it will be surprising when you hear that by controlling the tongue we can realize God. But that is a fact. The controlling business begins from the tongue. — [[spoken/1972/721006r1.ber|Room Conversation, Berkeley, 1972]] --- ### Lowest of Mankind > Any man who does not understand what is God, he is lowest of the mankind. *Narādhamaḥ. Nara* means man and *adhamaḥ* means lowest. The mankind is supposed to know God. Not the animal kind. So any man who does not understand what is God, he is lowest of the mankind. — [[spoken/1967/670303sb.sf|Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.2.5, San Francisco, 1967]] --- *10 quotes from Śrīla Prabhupāda on education and knowledge* [[wiki/quotes|Back to Quotes]]