1. Crazy fellow

    This crazy fellow is fully under the control of material nature, and he’s still thinking that he is independent. That is craziness. Everyone is thinking like that, so everyone is a patient of psychiatrist. How we can declare independence? There is no independence. We are completely dependent on the laws of material nature. Prakrteh kriyamanani gunaih karmani sarvasah. Janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi-duhkha-dosanudarsanam [Bg. 13.9]. This is knowledge. Nobody wants to die, but nature says, You must die. Where is your independence? Nobody wants to take birth, enter into the mother’s womb. But you must enter. Nobody wants to become an old man. Nature says, You must become an old man. Nobody wants disease. The nature says, You must have disease. So where is your independence? But the crazy fellow says, I am independent. I think like this. What is the value of your thinking? You may think in your favor but the nature will not allow you. So everyone is crazy who is declaring independence. He’s a crazy. Anyone who does not believe in God, does not surrender to God, he’s a crazy fellow, that’s all.

    From Srila Prabhupada’s lecture on Bhagavad-gita 9.4 — Melbourne, April 23, 1976