ANALOGIES

FOR PREACHING

Over 175 selected analogies from Srimad Bhagavatam (Cantos 1‑4 & 9‑11), Bhagavad‑Gita As It Is, Teachings of Queen Kunti, Teachings of Lord Kapila, Life Comes from Life, and Path of Perfection.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Activities(material and spiritual) & milk preparations 1

Atheists and criminals ...................................... 1

Authorities and lawyers .................................. .. 1

Bodies and firewood .......................................... 2

Body and fortress ........................................ . . 1

Body in Krsna consciousness and iron in fire ............... 2

Body's occupant and apartment's tenant .................... .. 2

Conditioned soul and diseased man ........................... 3

Cosmic dissolution and sleep ................................ 3

Coverings of lust and smoke, fire and embryo ............. 3

Creation and goat's neck‑bags ............................... . 2

Creation and dreams ...................................... ... 2

Creation and seasons ................................... ..... 2

Creation and marriage ............................... ....... 3

Death and sleep ......................................... ... 6

Demigod worship and travel ticket ............... ............ 7

Demigods and sun ...................................... ..... 7

Demigods and prison trustees ....................... ........ 7

Demigods and tax collectors ............................ ..... 7

Detachment and avoiding water ........................... .... 9

Devotee and magnate's son .................................. . 4

Devotee of the Lord and father's child ................... ... 4

Devotee and married man ..................................... 5

Devotee and calf ............................................ 5

Devotee serving and coconut drying ........................... 5

Devotee and millionaire ..................................... . 5

Devotee and rich man's son ............................... ... 5

Devotee and cat's kitten 5

Devotee and housewife ..................................... ... 6

Devotee and schoolboy .................................... ... . 6

Devotee of the Lord, karmis, king's son 4 Devotees and King's coterie ................................ 6

Devotional service and stomach's fire ...................... .. 8

Devotional service and queen ................................. 8

Devotional service and mango ............................... .. 8

Devotional service and sea's waves ........................ ... 8

Devotionless yoga and grainless husks ........................ 7

Dharma and gold ............................................. . 9

Divine consciousness and fire ............................. ... 8

Earth and cow ................................................ 9

Energy of Lord and electricity ......................... ...... 9

Energy of the Lord and the sun's rays ........................ 9

Energy in nature and fire in wood ....................... .... 10

Envious householder and snakes .............................. 10

Family life and blind well .................................. 10

Family life and prison ..................................... . 10

Family life (wife and children) and burglars .............. 11

Family life (wife) and flower ............................... 11

Family relationship and straws'grouping .................... 11

Female association and blind well ........................ ... 10

Godless society and dead men .............................. .. 11

Hearing Srimad Bhagavatam and eating ......... ... 12

Hearing and autumnal rains ................................. 12

Heart and bedstead ........................................ .. 13

Heavenly planets and America ............................. ... 12

Higly qualified men and bees ............................. ... 12

Householder and mendicant .................................. . 13

Human body and boat ......................................... 12

Human scoiety and beehive .................................. . 13

Illusory consciousness and headless vision ................. 14

Incarnations of God and light bulbs ....................... .. 14

Indi .living force in body and resident in apartment ... 14

Initiation and trasforming bell metal ...................... 14

Intelligence of soul and earth's aroma ..................... 14

Intelligence and boat ..................................... . 14

Karma and electric fan .................................... 15

Karma impelling living entities an wind blowing dust 15

Karma‑yogi and lotus leaf............................... .. 16

Krsna‑katha and firewood ................................ .. 15

Krsna cons. disappearing and lake drying up 16

Krsna's creations and child's belogings .......... 16

Krsna conscious person and ocean .......................... 16

Krsna revealing and sun rising .......................... 17

Learned materialists and jewel‑headed serpent ……..23

Living entities and children ............. 20

Living beings from Lord and child from father .. 21

Living being and drunkard ............................. . 21

Living beings and heat ............................... 21

Living entities and fire's sparks ......................... . 22

Living entities in body and businessman in car 22

Livng entities "enjoying" and children "cooking" . ... 22

Living entity and dog ..................................... .. 22

Living entity and earth element ......................... .... 23

Living entity and air ....................................... 23

Lord and gold mine ...................................... .... 17

Lord and tree ............................................ ... 17

Lord and engineer ................................... ........ 17

Lord and engineer ................................... ........ 17

Lord and fire ........................................... .... 18

Lord and sky ............................................. ... 18

Lord and sky .......................................... ...... 18

Lord and confectioner ................................. ...... 18

Lord and electricity .................................. ...... 18

Lord and father ........................................ ..... 19

Lord and dramatic actor ..................................... 19

Lord and His creation and golden oyster shell ...... ... 19

Lord and living entity & milk and yogurt ................... 20

Lord and potter ............................................ . 20

Lord and sun's purity .................................... ... 20

Lotus feet of the Lord and home ............................. 23

Lust and fire .............................................. . 23

Lusty desires and butter fire ............................. .. 23

Mahavisnu and magistrate ................................. ... 24

Man and woman & butter and fire ............................. 27

Material conditions and bubbles .......................... ... 24

Material happiness and moon in mirror ..................... 24

Material life and fire ................................... . 25

Material world and police department ........................ 26

Material energy and criminal department .................. 26

Material activities and child's play .................... .. 26

Material desires and river's waves ...................... .. 26

Material energy and atmospheric conditions ...... . 27

Mat. solutions to life's miseries . 27

Material attachment and diseased eye ...................... 28

Material nature and shadow ................................ 28

Materialist and camel .................................... 24

Materialists and goats .................................. . 27

Maya and cloud ......................................... . 25

Mercy of the Lord and the sun's rays ................. ..... 25

Merging and green bird in tree .......................... . 25

Mind and boat .......................................... .. 27

Offense and leprosy .................................... ... 29

Paramatma and sun ..................................... ... 30

Paramahansa and swan ............................. ... 29

Part and parcel of Krsna and ocean's drop .................. 29

Pious man and child ...................................... 29

Power of Krsna and power of government ....... ....... 29

Potencies of Lord and and banyan seeds ..................... 29

Pure devotee and jewel ................................ .... 30

Purpose behind Vedas and reservoir ......................... 30

Scientists an ducks ....................................... 36

Scientists'claims and postdated check ................... .. 35

Seeing Krsna and women bearing child ..................... 35

Sense gratification and diseased eye .................. ...... 32

Sense gratification and child's mischief ........... ......... 32

Sense gratification and salt ............................. ... 33

Sense gratification and water drop .................... ...... 33

Sense gratification and fat fire ....................... ..... 33

Senses and tortoise's limbs ........................... ...... 33

Serving Krsna and decorating face ........................... 35

Soul and air ............................................... . 30

Soul in matter and moon on water ............................ 31

Soul without love and miser ............................... . 31

Soul liberated and dreamer awakened ........................ 31

Soul's covering and luminary's reflection ................ .. 32

Soul's covering and body's fever ........................ ... 35

Spiritual energy and sun .................................. . 36

Spiritual master and Ganges river ...................... ..... 34

Subtle body and police superintendent ....................... 34

Supersoul and sun ........................................ ... 34

Surrendered soul and bird ............................... .... 32

Time and tape recording .................................. ... 37

Transcendentalist and clay pot ......................... ..... 38

Transcendentalist and lotus ................................. 38

Transmigrationn and dreaming .............................. .. 36

Transmigration of soul and fire leaping ............... ... 37

Transmigration of soul and changing clothes ....... ..37

Transmigration of the soul and apartment changing.. 37

Truth (searching for) and gold (buying) ................... 38

Universal form and car .................................... .. 38

Universal form and policeman shooting ................... 38

Varnasrama system and sun .................................. . 39

Wealth of a devotee and a nonpoisonous snake ..... 39

Western countries and blind man ............................. 39

Working man and ass ....................................... .. 39

AUTHORITIES AND LAWYERS (2:10:51)

Any question that is put forward may be answered by quoting the authority, and that satisfies the saner section. That is the system even in the law court. The best lawyer gives evidence from the past judgement of the court without taking much trouble to establish his case. This is called the parampara system and learned authorities follow it without manufacturing rubbish interpretations.

ACTIVITIES (MATERIAL AND SPIRITUAL) & MILK PREPARATIONS (4:30:19)

Material activities for sense gratification are the cause of material bondage, whereas the very same activities for the satisfaction of Krsna are the cause of liberation. How the same activity can be the cause of bondage and liberation can be explained as follows. One may get indigestion due to eating too many milk preparations‑‑condensed milk, sweet rice, and so on. But even though there is indigestion or diarrhea, another milk preparation‑‑yogurt mixed with black pepper and salt‑‑will immediately cure these maladies. In other words, one milk preparation can cause indigestion and diarrhea, and anoher milk preparation can cure them.

ATHEISTS AND CRIMINALS

When there is too much lawlessness and there are too many criminals, the state becomes overburdened and disturbed, and the state administrator are puzzled about what to do. Similarly, when the world is overrun by demons and atheists, they create a burden, and the demigods, the pious administrators of the universe, become perplexed. When the people of a state abide by the laws, administration is easy, but if people are criminals they overburden the state administrators. A similar situation sometimes upsets the balance of the cosmic affairs of this material world. Both he demons and the demigods always exist, but when the demoniac power increases, the world is overburdened. It is the system that the demigods approach Lord Brahma for assistance.

BODY AND FORTRESS (3:14:20)

Of the four orders of human society, the householder is on the safe side. The bodily senses are considered plunderers of the fort of the body. The wife is supposed to be the commander of the fort, and therefore whenever there is an attack on the body by the senses, it is the wife who protects the body from being smashed. The sex demand is inevitable for everyone, but one who has a fixed wife is saved from the onslaught of the sense enemies.

BODIES AND FIREWOOD (3:28:43)

As fire is exhibited in different forms of wood, so, under diferent conditions of the modes of material nature, the pure spirit soul manifests itself in diferent bodies.

BODY'S OCCUPANT AND APARTMENT'S TENANT (TQK, P.158)

Although one may claim that the body is his, he does not even know how it is working. A tenant in an apartment may pay rent and somehow or other occupy the apartment and enjoy its utilities, although he may not actually know how the heat and tap water are working. Similarly, although we do not know the details of how the body works, we are using this body, which actually belongs not to us but to Krsna.

BODY IN KRSNA CONSCIOUSNESS AND IRON IN FIRE (POP p.4)

The spiritual body is developed through the practice of Krsna consciousness. This material body is spiritualized by this bhakti‑yoga process. If you place an iron within fire, the iron becomes so hot that it also becomes fiery. When the iron is red hot, it aquires all the qualities of fire. If you touch something with that iron, that iron will act as fire. Similarly, although this body is material, it can become spiritualized through Krsna consciousness and act as spirit.

CREATION AND GOAT'S NECK‑BAGS (1:3:2)

We should not expect milk from the fleshy bags on the neck of a goat, although they look like breastly nipples. Similarly, we should not expect any creative power from the material ingredients; we must believe in the power of the purusha who impregnates prakrti, or nature.

CREATION AND DREAMS (2:1:39)

Being an emanation from the glancing potency of Narayana, the whole material creation is nondiferent from Him. But because it is the effect of His external energy (bahiranga maya) and is aloof from the internal potency (atma‑maya), the whole material creation is different from Him at the same time. The example given in this verse very nicely is that of the dreaming man. The dreaming man creates many things in his dream, and thus he himself becomes the entangled seer of the dream and is also affected by the consequences. This material creation is also exactly a dreamlike creation of the Lord, but He, being the transcendental Supersoul, is neither entangled nor affected by the reactions of such a dreamlike creation. He is always in His transcendental position, but essentially He is everything, and nothing is apart from Him.

CREATION ANDD SEASONS (4:31:15)

During the rainy season, water is generated from the sun, and in due course of time, during the summer season, the very same water is again absorbed by he sun. Similarly, all living entities, moving and inert, are generated from the earth, and again, after some time, they all return to the earth as dust. Similarly, everything emanates from the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and in due course of time everything enters into Him again.

CREATION AND MARRIAGE (TLK p.202)

One may ask why Narayana has created us, why it is we are part and parcel of Narayana. Eko Bahu‑shyam. Why has Narayana become many? He has created us for enjoyment. Anandamayo 'bhyasat. He has created us in the same way a gentleman accepts a wife. If one takes on a wifw, he will beget children. A man takes on the responsibility of maintaining a wife and children because he thinks that through them he will enjoy life. In the material world we see that during the evening a man tries to enjoy life with his wife, children and friends. Therefore he takes on so many responsibilities. This is supposed to be ananda, bliss, but because it takes place in the material world, the ananda is converted into something distasteful. However, we can enjoy this ananda when we are with our Supreme Father, Krsna.

COSMIC DISSOLUTION AND SLEEP (3:5:24)

The cosmic manifestation gives the conditioned souls a chance to go back home, back to Godhead, and that is its main purpose. The Lord is so kind that in the absence of such a manifestation He feels something wanting, and thus the creation takes place. Although the creation of the internal potency was manifested, the other potency appeared to be sleeping, and the Lord wanted to awaken her to activity, just as a husband wants to awaken his wife from the sleeping state for enjoyment.

CONDITIONED SOUL AND DISEASED MAN (3:28:44)

After Brahman realization, one can engage in the activities of Brahman. As long as one is not self‑realized, he engages in activities based on false identification with the body. When one is situated in his real self, then the activities of Brahman realization begin. The Mayavadi philosophers say that after Brahman realization, all the activities stop, but that is not actually so. If the soul is so active in its abnormal condition, existing under the covering of matter, how one can deny its activity when free? An example may be cited here. If a man in a diseased condition is very active, how can one imagine that when he is free from the disease he will be inactive? Naturally the conclusion is that when one is free from all desease his activities are pure. It may be said that the activities of Brahman realization are different from those of ocnditional life, but that does not stop activity.

COVERINGS OF LUST AND SMOKE, FIRE AND EMBRYO (BG 3:38)

As fire is covered by smoke, as a mirror is covered by dust, or as the embryo is covered by the womb, the living entity is similarly covered by different degrees of lust.

PURPORT

Ther are three degrees of covering of the living entity by which his pure consciousness is obscured. This covering is but lust under different manifestations like smoke in the fire, dust on the mirrror, and the womb about the embryo. When lust is compared to smoke, it is understood that the fire of the living spark can be a little perceived. In others words, when the living entity exhibits his Krsna consciousness slightly, he may be likened to the fire covered by smoke. Although fire is necessary where there is smoke, there is no covert manifestation of fire in the aearly stage. This stage is like the beginning of Krsna consciousness. The dust on the mirror refers to a cleansing process of the mirrror of the mind by so many spirirtual methods. The best process is to chant the holy names of the Lord. The embryo covered by the womb is an analogy illustrating a helpless position, for the child in the womb is so helpless that he cannot even move. This stage of living condition can be comapred to that of the trees. The covered mirror is compared to the birds and beasts, and the smoke‑covered fire is compared to the human being.

DEVOTEES OF THE LORD, KARMIS, KING'S SON AND ORPHANS (1:5:19)

A karmi suffers the result of his own fruitive reactions, whereas a devotee is reformed by chastisement directed by the Lord Himself. The suffering of an orphan and the suffering of a beloved child of a king are not one and the same. An orphan is really poor because he has no one to take care of him, but a beloved son of a rich man, although he appears to be on the same level as the orphan, is always under the vigilance of his capable father.

DEVOTEE AND MAGNATE'S SON ((2:6:6)

The parts and parcels of the Lord are endowed with specific powers for rendering service unto the Lord, just as a big business magnate's son is empowered with specific powers of administration. The obedient son of the father never goes against the will of the father and therefore passes life very peacefully in concurrence with the head of the family, the father. Similarly, the Lord being the father, all living beings should fully and satisfactorily discharge the duty and will of the father, as faithful sons. This very mentality will at once bring prosperity to human society.

DEVOTEE OF THE LORD AND FATHER'S CHILD (4:20:31)

It is the duty of the son to depend upon his father without asking anything from him. The good son has faith that the father knows best how to benefit him. Similarly, a pure devotee does not ask anything for spiritual benefit. The pure devotee is fully surrendered unto the lotus feet of the Lord, and the Lord takes charge of him, as stated in Bhagavad Gita (18.66): aham tvam sarva‑papebhyo moksayisyami. The father knows the necessities of the son and supplies them, and the Supreme Lord knows the necessities of the living entities and supplies the sumptuously. Therefore the Isopanisad states that everything in this material world is complete (purnam idam). The difficulty is that due to forgetfulness the living entities create unnecessary demands and entangle themselves in material activities, life after life.

DEVOTEE AND THE MARRIED MAN (3:5:47)

The devotees derive more transcendental pleasure while engaged continously in the service of the Lord than when they have no such engagement. In the family combination of a man and a woman there is much labor and responsability for both of them, yet when they are single they feel more trouble for want of their united activities.

DEVOTEE AND THE CALF (4:9:17)

The Lord is so merciful that not only does He fulfill the desires of a devotee who is driven by ignorance and desires for material benefit, but He also gives such a devotee all protection, just as a cow gives milk to a newly born calf.

DEVOTEE SERVING AND COCONUT DRYING (4:12:18)

When a devotee completely forgets his bodily existence, he should be understood to be liberated. He is no longer encaged in the body. The example is given that when a coconut becomes completely dry, the coconut pulp within the coconut shell separates from the bondage of the shell and the outer covering is no longer attached to the shell or to the covering. Similarly, when one is fully absorbed in devotional service, he is completely disconnected from the two material coverings, the subtle and the gross bodies.

DEVOTEE AND MILLIONAIRE (9:5:27)

When one is very eager for more and more money, he is not satisfied even when he is a millionaire or a multimillonaire, but wants to earn more and more money by any means, the same mentality is present in a devotee. The devotee is never satisfied, thinking, "This is the limit of my devotional service." The more he engages in the service of the Lord, the more service he wants to give.

DEVOTEE AND RICH MAN'S SON (9:4:64)

Although the Supreme Lord is full in six opulences, He does not feel transcedental bliss without His devotees. An example that may be cited in this regard is that if a very rich man does not have sons in a family he does not feel happiness. Indeed, sometimes a rich man adopts a son to complete his happiness. The science of transcendental bliss is known to the pure devotee. Therefore the pure devotee is always engaged in increasing the transcedental happiness of the Lord.

DEVOTEE AND CAT'S KITTEN (9:13:9)

For a devotee there is no pain, pleasure or material perfection. One may argue that at the time of death a devotee also suffers because of giving up his material body. But in this connection the example may be given that a cat carries a mouse in its mouth and also carries a kitten in its mouth. Both the mouse and the kitten are carried in the same mouth, but the perception of the mouse is different from that of the kitten. When a devotee gives up his body tyaktva deham, he is ready to go back home, back to Godhead. Thus his perception is certainly different from that of a person being taken away by Yamaraja for punishment.

DEVOTEE AND KING'S COTERIE (tqk p. 151)

A king gives protection to every one of his citizens, for that is his duty, but he especially protects his own circle of men. This is not unnatural. If one directly engages in the service of the President, when one is in some difficulty he is especially protected. Although the president gives protection to all the citizens, those who personally associate with him, giving his service, receive special consideration. That is not actually partiality. that is natural. When a gentleman loves all children but has a special love for his own children, no one will say, "Oh, why are you loving your own children more than others?" No, that is natural. Similarly, Krsna says in Bhagavad‑gita, samo 'ham

sarva‑bhutesu: "I am equal to everyone." Krsna, being god, loves everyone because everyone is part of Him. Nonetheless, He takes special care of His devotees.

DEVOTEE AND HOUSEWIFE (TLK p.220)

One may engage in many activities, but in all cases, one's mind must be fully absorbed in Krsna. Although a haousewife is always busy working around the house, she always takes care that her hair is nicely combed. Regardless of her engagements, she never forgets to arrange her hair in an attractive way. Similarly, a devotee engages in many activities, but he never forgets Krsna's transcedental form. This is the meaning of perfection.

DEVOTEE AND SCHOOLBOY (TLK p.117)

Because we are not expert in approaching the Supreme Lord, we have to follow the principles of bhakti‑yoga enunciated by the acaryas. When a boy goes to school, he has to follow the rules and regulations, but after a while he becomes accustomed to them and does not have to be taught. In other words, he learns automatically to come to school at a certain time, take his seat and study nicely. Similarly, in this Krsna consciousness movement, we have certain rules and regulations. We must rise early in the morning for mangala‑arati, chant sixteen rounds of Hare Krsna daily, and execute all the functions of bhakti‑yoga. In this way we become practiced in the science. When we attain this stage, we immediately become self‑realized.

DEATH AND SLEEP (2:1:15)

After death one forgets everything about the present bodily relations; we have a little experience of this at night when we go to sleep. While sleeping, we forget everything about this body and bodily relations, although this forgetfulness is a temporary situation for only a few hours. Death is nothing but sleeping for a few months in order to develop another term of bodily encagement, which we are awarded by the law of nature according to our aspiration.

DEMIGOD WORSHIP AND TRAVEL TICKET (2:3:9)

One should not desire any sort of material enjoyment, being sensible enough to worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The leaders of nonsensical persons are still more nonsensical because they preach openly and foolishly that one can worship any form of demigod and get the same result. This sort of preaching is not only against the teachings of the Bhagavad‑gita, or those of Srimad‑Bhagavatam, but is also foolish, just as it is foolish to claim that with the purchase of any travel ticket one may reach the same destination. No one can reach Bombay from Delhi by purchasing a ticket for Baroda.

DEMIGODS AND SUN (2:10:8)

Each and every individual in the material world is controlled by the higher demigods. For example, we have our senses, but the senses are controlled by superior controlling deities. We cannot see without light, and the supreme controller of light is the sun. The sun‑god is in the sun planet, and we, the individual human beings or any other being on this earth, are all controlled by the sun‑god as far as our eyes are concerned. Similarly, all the senses we have are controller by the superior demigods, who are also as much living entities as we are, but one is empowered while the other is controlled.

DEMIGODS AND PRISON TRUSTEES (3:5:51)

The demigods are amongst the conditioned souls who have developed the pure cosciousness of service to the Lord but who at the same time continue to desire to lord it over the material energy. Such mixed consciousness puts a conditioned soul in the position of managingg the affairs of this cration. The demigods are entrusted leaders of the conditioned souls. As some of the old prisoners in government jails are entrusted with some responsible work of prison managament, so the demigods are improved conditioned souls acting as representatives of the Lord in the material creation.

DEMIGODS AND TAX COLLECTORS (4:21:34)

The demigods cannot accept sacrificial offerings for themselves, but they can accept them for the Supreme Personality of Godhead, just as a departmental tax collector of a government cannot collect taxes for his personal account but can realize them for the government.