# Love vs Lust *On the difference between spiritual love and material desire* --- ### This Is Lust > This material life is simply based on lust. We want to enjoy this world. We love this material world, because I want to satisfy my senses. So this is not love—this is lust. I love a girl or a boy means I want to satisfy my senses. This is lust. — [[spoken/1966/661010bg.ny|Bhagavad-gītā 7.20, New York, 1966]] --- ### No Love in the Material World > In the material world there is no love. It is lust. We are making business under the name of love. In the material world there cannot be love because—suppose a girl loves a boy or a boy loves a girl. Both of them are actuated by sense gratification. So that is not love. When there is question of sense gratification, that is not love. — [[spoken/1968/681023sb.mon|Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 2.1.2-5, Montreal, 1968]] --- ### Real Love Asks Nothing > Love means if I love you, I don't want any return; still, I love you. You may ill treat me. You may badly treat me. You neglect me. Still, I love you. There is no question of return from you. That is real love. — [[spoken/1968/681023sb.mon|Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 2.1.2-5, Montreal, 1968]] --- ### Love Is Between Spirit and Spirit > In this material, this cheating is going on. I want to satisfy my lusty desires, but it is going on in the name of love. There cannot be any love in this material world, because love is between spirit and spirit. But if we try to love the Supreme Spirit, Kṛṣṇa, then we shall understand how our love can be spread in the spiritual world. — [[spoken/1976/760625sb.nv|Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.6.9, New Vṛndāvana, 1976]] --- ### I Spit at the Thought > "Since I have engaged my heart and soul in the supreme devotional service of the Lord, I am getting every moment a new type of transcendental pleasure. Since then, whenever I think of sex life, I spit at the thought." So why has this come to him? Because he has seen something—he has experienced something which is transcendental pleasure. — [[spoken/1966/660415bg.ny|Bhagavad-gītā 2.59, New York, 1966]] --- ### A Higher Taste > In this world our real bondage is this—either for man or woman, this is the real bondage, the sex life. So one has to become free from this bondage. Not by force, but by experiencing a higher taste. — [[spoken/1966/660415bg.ny|Bhagavad-gītā 2.59, New York, 1966]] --- ### Spiritual Knowledge > Sexual glands can be controlled only by spiritual knowledge; otherwise it is not possible. The whole Vedic civilization was based on controlling the senses, especially the sex desire. — [[spoken/1975/750616r2.hon|Room Conversation, Honolulu, 1975]] --- ### The False Platform > The platform of false love we know: today one pair is married, but because the love is on the false platform, the next day there is divorce. That is not love. That kind of love has no meaning; that kind of affection has no meaning. It is simply bondage. — [[spoken/1976/760625sb.nv|Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.6.9, New Vṛndāvana, 1976]] --- ### Counteraction > As you are more and more engaged in spiritual activities, proportionately your material activities and affection for material activities will diminish. Counteraction. When you engage in the spiritual activities, your material activities diminishes. — [[spoken/1966/660415bg.ny|Bhagavad-gītā 2.59, New York, 1966]] --- ### Through Kṛṣṇa's Love > If we can love Kṛṣṇa, then, through Kṛṣṇa's love, we can expand our love for everyone. Not only my society, but to everyone. It is not that "This is my children; that is other's children." All children. All human being. Not my countrymen—all other countrymen. Not only human being, but even animals also. That is love. — [[spoken/1976/760625sb.nv|Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.6.9, New Vṛndāvana, 1976]] --- *10 quotes from Śrīla Prabhupāda on love vs lust* [[wiki/quotes|Back to Quotes]]