There is no happiness actually, expanding selfishness. Just like a national leader like Mahatma Gandhi in our country. He planned that "Let the Britishers go away. My countrymen will be happy. My countrymen will be happy." But when the Britishers went away, giving the responsibility of Indian empire to the Indian people, Gandhi was thinking in the morning, "Oh, I am so unhappy. Now only death will please me." And the next, the same evening, he was killed. He was so unhappy. Because everything was topsy-turvied. He wanted Hindu-Muslim unity. Now the country was divided. The Muslims became separated. The whole program was changed. There were so many things. He wanted that the government should be very simplified. But he saw that his disciples, his followers, were after office, simply for office. So nimittāni. He saw that "I shall be happy, my countrymen will be happy," but at the end he saw viparītāni, all opposite. Everyone will experience that. So long he will be materially attached, he will find viparītāni. "I wanted to be..." Sukhera lāgiyā, e ghara bandhinu, aguṇe puriyā gelā (?): "I constructed this nice house for living happily, but there was fire and everything finished." This is the way. You construct everything for happiness, but there will be something which will put you into the most miserable condition. This is called material world. They do not know. Therefore one who is intelligent, he thinks that "If I have to work so hard for so-called happiness, and here is Kṛṣṇa is canvassing, asking me, that 'You work for Me,' so why not work for Kṛṣṇa? Here I see viparītāni, everything is opposite. There is no happiness." So that is intelligence.
Countrymen (Lectures)
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
He wanted Hindu-Muslim unity. Now the country was divided. The Muslims became separated. The whole program was changed. There were so many things. He wanted that the government should be very simplified. But he saw that his disciples, his followers, were after office, simply for office. So nimittāni. He saw that "I shall be happy, my countrymen will be happy," but at the end he saw viparītāni, all opposite. Everyone will experience that. So long he will be materially attached, he will find viparītāni. "I wanted to be..." Sukhera lāgiyā, e ghara bandhinu, aguṇe puriyā gelā (?): "I constructed this nice house for living happily, but there was fire and everything finished." This is the way. You construct everything for happiness, but there will be something which will put you into the most miserable condition. This is called material world. They do not know. Therefore one who is intelligent, he thinks that "If I have to work so hard for so-called happiness, and here is Kṛṣṇa is canvassing, asking me, that 'You work for Me,' so why not work for Kṛṣṇa? Here I see viparītāni, everything is opposite. There is no happiness." So that is intelligence.
This is study, study the psychological condition. When I become servant of māyā, even I do not wish to do something which is not very good, still I am obliged to do it. But the result is that nobody is satisfied. The same example. Just like Gandhi served his country so much, so nicely, so voluntarily. Still, the result was he was killed by his countryman. Just see. Result was, the reward was that he served his country so much. It is undoubtedly, nobody can serve so sincerely. Everybody knows. But the result was even a person like Mahatma Gandhi was killed by his countrymen. Just this morning Mrs. Sharma was telling that she has worked so much for the family, but still, the sons and daughters, they want, "No, no, you cannot go. You serve us, serve us. We are not satisfied yet." They will never be satisfied. You serve māyā. The māyā will never be satisfied. Teṣāṁ na karuṇā jāta na trapā nopaśānti. (?)
The intelligent man is speaking, "My dear Lord, I have served my senses, lust, anger, greediness, so much so. Still, they are not kind upon me.
Just become a devotee of Kṛṣṇa. Offer your respects..." You have to offer your respect to anyone. You are not supreme. You have to flatter somebody to get some service. That is an... Even if you get nice position, you have to flatter. Even if you get a president, become president of the country, you have to flatter your countrymen: "Please give me vote. Please... I shall give you so many facilities." So you have to flatter. That is a fact. You may be very big man. But you have to flatter somebody. You have to accept some master. Why not accept Kṛṣṇa, the supreme master? Where is the difficulty? "No. I shall accept thousands of masters except Kṛṣṇa." This is our philosophy. "I shall accept thousands of teachers except Kṛṣṇa. This is my determination." Then how you can be happy? The happiness can be achieved only by accepting Kṛṣṇa.
So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is an attempt to bring all these sanātanas together. The living entity, sanātana; God, Kṛṣṇa, sanātana; and the place, sanātana. Just like here we are trying to live together, our family—father, mother, children, friends, countrymen, communitymen. We are trying to make a permanent settlement here. Making very nice building, spending millions of dollars, making it very strong so that it may not, may not be destroyed. So everyone is trying to keep himself permanent. A old man is trying to make himself young man. Nobody wants to become old man. Nobody wants to be destroyed. But the difficulty is that here everything is destroyed. Asanātana. But we have got a tendency to become sanātana. We want permanent life. We want permanent place. We want permanent relationship. But that is not possible. That is not possible. Therefore śāstra says, andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ (SB 7.5.31). The andhas—means blind, blind leaders—they are giving us false hope that we shall make here permanent settlement.
And that is misdistributed. The whole thing was to be targeted to the Supreme Lord. I was to love God, but instead of loving God, my love is distributed in so many things. And that is a misdirected civilization.
How it is misdirected? Suppose if I do not love God, if I love my wife, my children, my countrymen, what is the wrong there? Oh, there is great wrong. That you do not know. That is most unscientific. Without loving God, if I want to love my wife, that love is not perfect. Therefore so-called love is disrupted by divorce and so many things because that is not perfect love. We do not know what is perfect love and how to conduct it. That is the defect of our civilization. Which we are accepting as love, that is simply a desire for sense gratification. That is not love. Love is different thing. So because... Why the love is defective in the material world? Because it is not properly discharged. We have to understand that thing.
How it is not properly discharged? Just like you love your body. Nobody can deny. Everyone loves his body. All right, what do you want to do?
Any leader, if the leader of the people, they are ideal, he is ideal... A leader of the man, if he is ideal, the followers also become ideal. And if the leader of the society or country is not an ideal man, then the followers or the countrymen or the members of the society, they are also of the same type.
Now, Kṛṣṇa says,
- na me pārthāsti kartavyaṁ
- triṣu lokeṣu kiñcana
- nānavāptam avāptavyaṁ
- varta eva ca karmaṇi
- (BG 3.22)
"Now see, Arjuna. I am the Supreme Personality of Godhead. I have nothing to do in this world for gaining something." Everyone does something with the purpose of some gain. Without gain nobody works—either spiritual gain or material gain. Somebody works for material gain, and somebody works for spiritual gain. There must be some gain. But Lord Kṛṣṇa, He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Supreme Personality of Godhead means He is full with opulence, all opulence. Now, what are the things we, generally, people aspire after? People, generally they want wealth. They want riches. They want to be very highly rich man, accumulate wealth, millions and millions of rupees. Then somebody wants to become very strong man. Somebody wants to become very beautiful man. Somebody wants to become very learned man. Somebody wants to be very famous man, so on. There are six opulences. I have discussed in this hall many times.
Dehāntara-prāptiḥ (means) you'll have to accept another body. And there are 8,400,000 species of forms of bodies. Any of them you'll have to accept. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). You are wasted your time as the family member or as the national or this or that, but there is no guarantee that next life will be same countryman or same family. No, there is no such guarantee. Dehāntara-prāptiḥ. You'll have to accept one body, and that body means... Any, out of these four... According to my karma... Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa jantur dehopapatti (SB 3.31.1).
So these are the instructions of the śāstras. And this is very scientific and very important thing. But unfortunately, we are not taking care of these things. We are very busy with the temporary problems. Temporary problems are not problems. That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: āgama apāyinaḥ anityāḥ tāṁs titikṣasva bhārata. Mātrā-sparśās tu kaunteya śītoṣṇa-sukha-duḥkha-dāḥ (BG 2.14). "Your temporary problems, so-called happiness and distress, these are āgamāpāyinaḥ. They come and go."
I'll cite one story, interesting story, that one person, he was out of home for ten years, and he went to the Himalayas to find out some yogi to get some perfection. Now, after ten years, that particular man came back to his village. That is quite natural, that any person who achieves some success, he wants to show it before his friends and relatives and countrymen. That is quite natural. So he came back to his village, and all the villagers, they assembled, and they were very much anxious to know: "Oh, my dear friend, you have been ten years to learn yoga perfections. So what you have learned, please let us know." So he said that "I am finished the laghimā-siddhi perfection. That means I have learned how to become the lightest." And what is the result? He said, "Oh, I can walk over the river." So everyone was very anxious because people are very inquisitive and curious. So all of them requested him, "All right, let us have some demonstration. Please show that you'll walk over the river." So there were, all the villagers came and requested him. "All right, I shall show tomorrow morning."
We are just trying to be philanthropic, altruistic. And we are trying to become friend of my countrymen, of my society, of my family, but that is a wrong conception. Real friend is Kṛṣṇa. I can work on His behalf. How I can work? You try. If you actually want to do something good to your family, then you try to make all the members of your family Kṛṣṇa conscious. Then your life will be successful. If you want to make them otherwise, without Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then you will be serving, not serving, you will be rendering them disservice. Because any knowledge will not help your wife or children. Any knowledge, any amount of knowledge, will not help his real problem. What is his real problem we do not know. The real problem is... That we do not know. The real problem is janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9).
So when one becomes free from this lusty desire, kāma-saṅkalpa-varjitāḥ, that is spiritual life. That is spiritual life. Very simple thing. The material life means the basic principle is lusty desire. Everyone is working so hard because the basic principle is lusty desire. "I shall enjoy like this. My wife shall enjoy. My children shall enjoy. My grandchildren shall enjoy. My countrymen will enjoy. My society will enjoy." This is the basic principle of whole modern civilization—expanding the selfish interest. Selfish interest means "my sense gratification." And expand more, "My family's sense gratification." Expand it more: "My society's, my nation's..." This way.
But this is material life. When one becomes this kāma-saṅkalpa-varjitāḥ, that is spiritual life. That is spiritual life. Therefore it is described here: yasya sarve samārambhāḥ. The samā... Any attempt.
How these Americans and European boys, they have developed their attraction for Kṛṣṇa? There is a process. If you adopt this process... They are with me for the last two, three or four years. Now they are... You detach them from Kṛṣṇa consciousness if you have got any power. You cannot do that. Even you bribe them or, no, what you can do? Their father, mother, their countrymen can give you enough. They are all rich men's sons. But they cannot give up Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Even the Christian priests, they regret that "These are our boys, and they never came to church. They never liked to understand what is the idea of God. Now these same boys, they are after, mad after God. What is this movement?" They are surprised.
So there is a process. If we adopt that process, then everyone can become mayy āsakta-manāḥ, Kṛṣṇa āsakta-manāḥ. We have to accept the process. That process is called yogaṁ yuñjan mad-āśrayaḥ. You have to accept the yoga system under the protection of Kṛṣṇa personally or His bona fide devotees, representative. Then you will be... Then what will be the result? The result will be asaṁśayam, without any doubt.
Similarly, Bhagavad-gītā, if you taste as it is, oh, then you'll relish what is that Vedic knowledge, what is that essence of brahma-saukhyam. You can understand. So, many people in America, since I came here they asked me to recommend an edition of Bhagavad-gītā in English. There are so many editions of Bhagavad-gītā in your country. Some of them are compiled by your countrymen, some of them compiled by Indians, but all of them—different interpretation. Different interpretation. But we should accept Bhagavad-gītā as it is. Then we can relish.
So we shall very shortly present our Bhagavad-gītā As It Is. It has been taken by Messrs. MacMillan and Company to publish it. Most probably in the month of October it will be published. So I shall request you to read Bhagavad-gītā as it is, without any interpretation. Just like I'll give you some examples.
And because it is very easy, because we are recommending that "Simply chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. You'll get the greatest perfection," they cannot believe it. If I would have prescribed some gymnastic process and if I would have charged fifty dollars for some secret mantra, then your countrymen would have followed me. Because it is presented very simply, although it is very sublime, we don't get any followers.
Anyway, whatever... In a... There is a proverb in Bengal that "It is better to keep the cowshed vacant than to have a troublesome cow." Cow... Of course, in your country there is no system of cow-keeping. In India at least every householder, at least in the villages, they have got a cow, and not one, but at least one dozen, half a dozen. So it is said that "Instead of keeping a troublesome cow who will not deliver any milk, it is better to keep the cowshed vacant." So we shall be satisfied... (break) ...followers.
Even Mahatma Gandhi, the great servant of India He served India so nicely. Still, the master was not satisfied, and the master killed him. He wanted to serve his country, but the result was that his countrymen killed him.
So this service is frustration. If you go on serving the material world, you'll be frustrated, in this way or that way. But if you serve Kṛṣṇa, the same service applied to Kṛṣṇa, your life will be successful. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, that ser..., you cannot avoid service, but service other than Kṛṣṇa will be frustration. But you serve Kṛṣṇa, you'll be satisfied, the Supreme Lord will be satisfied, and your life will be successful.
So we are trying to impart this philosophy in your country. So we invite your cooperation. As Lord Kṛṣṇa says, it is very nice thing. Susukhaṁ kartum avyayam (BG 9.2). And vijñānam. Vijñānam means it is scientific. It is not a sentiment or fanaticism. It is scientific. So try to understand this philosophy of Kṛṣṇa consciousness from Bhagavad-gītā and help yourself, help your countrymen, help the world. There will be peace and prosperity.
"I am the origin of everything." Everything means universe also. Whatever you can imagine, that comes within the category of everything. So if Kṛṣṇa is the source of everything, then if you love Kṛṣṇa, then you love universe. Actually that is so. If you love your father, then you love your brother. If you love your country, then you love your countrymen. Suppose we are in foreign country, and here is one gentleman from India. I am from India. So naturally we ask, "Oh, you come from India? Which part of India you come?" Why attraction for that person? Because I love India. And because he happens to be Indian, therefore I love him. So the love begins from the origin. If you love your body, then you love your finger. If you are careless of your body, your health, you don't care for your finger.
There are so many doctrines of universal love, universal friendship, fraternity, but they are fighting, and they are killing simply, because there is no God consciousness. If you are universal, if you are after universal love, then how you can maintain regular slaughterhouse? How you can think that an American gentleman or lady is your countryman and not a cow, and not a goat, not a serpent? Where is your universal idea?
So unless there is development of God consciousness, this universal ideas, oh, these are nonsense. There cannot be. It is all false, jugglery of words. So first business is to understand your identity, identity of God, your relationship, and your action reformed in that way. Then there is question of universal, brotherhood, universal... Otherwise it is simply jugglery of words.
If you are thinking of universal way, how you can give protection to a human being born in America, and send a cow to the slaughterhouse. What is your reason?
"How can I kill my nephew, my brother, my grandfather," and so on so on. So Kṛṣṇa was instructing him that "It is your duty. As a kṣatriya, when there is battle, you should fight. You should not deviate from your duty." That was... The conversation was going on. But Arjuna was thinking only in terms of this body. "He is my grandfather. He is my brother. He is my countryman. He is my this." Why? Because they have got some bodily relation.
You are thinking one boy here, because he is Australian, you are thinking more intimate relationship with him, and because I am Indian, you may not think more, in such intimacy. Because the bodily connection is there. But Kṛṣṇa said that "This is not very intelligent knowledge." Gatāsūn agatāsūṁś ca. A person who does not lament for this body, he is actually learned. Gatāsūn agatāsūṁś ca nānuśocanti paṇḍitāḥ (BG 2.11). Paṇḍita means learned scholar. So either this body is in living condition or it is in dead condition, a paṇḍita, a learned scholar, one who knows things as they are, he does not take care of this body.
So we are very sure, although we are not getting very good response in India. In India they have become so advanced: "Oh, Kṛṣṇa consciousness? We know everything about Kṛṣṇa. This is old story. Kṛṣṇa is our countryman, and we know everything of Kṛṣṇa. And what these people, Europeans and Americans, they can teach us?" This is their... So bui para(?) paṇḍita. In Bengal it is called bui para(?) paṇḍita, "self-advertised paṇḍita."
Actually India should have taken very serious care of this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement for the glory of their country because this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement originally originated from India. Kṛṣṇa personally presented this Bhagavad-gītā, He's speaking, and it is the duty of every Indian to carry this message. As Caitanya Mahāprabhu has advised,
- bhārata bhumite manuṣya janma haila yāra
- janma sārthaka kari' kara para-upakāra
- (CC Adi 9.41)
Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that anyone who has taken birth in India, he is fortunate. He can make his life perfect by reading at least this Bhagavad-gītā and distribute the knowledge all over the world. So Kṛṣṇa says, brahma-sūtra padaiś caiva hetumadbhir viniścitaṁ. You take Vedānta-sūtra; you study from the authoritative sources. Then your life becomes perfect. And take the..., carry this message all over the world.
"I had been servant of kāma, krodha, lobha, moha, mātsarya, like that. So I have served them, but nobody is satisfied. Nobody is satisfied. (break) ...teṣāṁ na trapā na karuṇā jātā... They are not satisfied. You go on serving. Even Mahatma Gandhi. He was serving his country, but he was killed by his countrymen. It is a fact. So you cannot satisfy. Who can give more service than Mahatma Gandhi. But the, what was the return? The return was that his countrymen killed him. This is the return. You go on serving your senses in the name of your country, society, family... They'll never be satisfied. And as soon as there is possibility, they'll kill you. So why should you be so much serious about serving other than Kṛṣṇa? That is sense. Better serve Kṛṣṇa. Then you'll learn. What is the result?
We are rendering service not rightly, but wrongly. Therefore you are no satisfied. There are many examples.
Just like in our country, Mahatma Gandhi, he also, he was here. He gave so much service. He gave service in India. But what was the return? The return was he was killed by his countrymen. This is the return, practical. The return was that he wanted to establish nonviolence, and his countrymen proved that nonviolence cannot go on—"You must die by violence." This is material world, that however you may render service to your family, to your country, to your friend, to anyone, you will never be satisfied. Rather, when he is dissatisfied he will kill you. This is material world. So my occupational duty is to render service to somebody, but I cannot satisfy that somebody. This is material world. You go on giving service, but you will never be able to satisfy to the person to whom you are giving service. This is material world.
This is called tapasya.
So śamo damaḥ, brahminical first qualification, can be practiced provided you agree to undergo tapasya, tapaḥ. And it is not very difficult. Not that because these boys, European, American boys, have given up these bad habit, they are dying for it. No. Rather, their parents, their countrymen, say they are bright-faced. When they chant on the street, they become surprised, their fathers. And some of the fathers, they come to thank me, "Swamiji, it is our great fortune that you have come to our country," because they know that how their sons are being rectified from the LSD habit. Professor Judah has written a book, very nice book, appreciating that "How these LSD men could become Kṛṣṇa conscious servant of Kṛṣṇa?" So it is... Everything is possible provided you agree, tapasya. Śamo damas tapaḥ.
Then śaucam: very clean. Everyone must take bath thrice daily and wash the cloth. This is śaucam, external, śaucam. So they are doing that.
"As many forms are there, living entities." Why not of Christ? What do you say? Is that all right? Thank you. (break)
So I shall request you, all respectable gentlemen present here, that there is very good prospect of preaching this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement all over the world. That is my experience after working for the last four or five years. So our countrymen also, those who are leaders, those who are thoughtful, philosophers, scientists, they should try to understand this Kṛṣṇa philosophy. That is my request. It is very clear to understand the science of God. Why you should neglect and by, mislead ourself by understanding some misleading interpretation? That is my mission. I want to establish throughout the world that kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). Here is Bhagavān. Why you are searching after Bhagavān? Here is Bhagavān. I give the name and address of Bhagavān. His father's name and everything. Why you are being misled? Where is the scope for searching out where is Bhagavān? Here is Bhagavān. Śrī-bhagavān uvāca.
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
That is knowledge. We are after seeing people, that he has got knowledge of God. It is not a question of Bible or Bhagavad-gītā. We want that you become God conscious. That is our movement. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam there is no such mention as Christian religion, Hindu religion, Muslim religion or Buddha religion. There are so many... No. Bhāgavata says, sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje: (SB 1.2.6) "That is first-class religion which helps one to love God." So we are propagating teaching people how to love God. That is our mission. We don't say that you become Christian or Hindu or Muslim or..., no. You become a lover of God. So comparatively, the process which we are recommending, that is the easiest process. That is admitted by one priest in Boston. He said that "These boys and girls are our countrymen or our boys. Before this movement, they did not come to the church, and now how they are mad after God?" So therefore this is the easiest process, to become pure and go back to home, back to Godhead. Thank you very much.
So in a renounced... This vairāgya, vairāgya. Political vairāgya is different. The political vairāgya is that "I don't want things, anything, anything for me, but for my son, for my grandson, for my countrymen, for my this, that." Not like that. This vairāgya means vāsudeve: "I don't want anything personally for me, but I want everything for Vāsudeva." This is the difference between political mendicant and the spiritual mendicant. So these Gosvāmīs were spiritual mendicants, vairāgya. That vairāgya... Tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīṁ sadā tuccha-vat bhūtvā dīna-gaṇeśakau karuṇayā. Dīna. Dīna means this poor mass of people. They are very poor. Because they have no knowledge what is the aim of life, therefore poor in knowledge. Poor means one who is poor in knowledge. Material poverty, that is no consideration. That is coming and going. Tāṁs titikṣasva bhārata.
We are so much foolish, influenced by the illusory energy, that by automatically we cannot understand Kṛṣṇa. Because we are influenced. Therefore this propaganda required. Not that automatically they will come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. There is need of spreading, unless... If you want to save..., if you are actually benevolent to your countrymen, to your society, to the human society, you must preach this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Otherwise they are going away, they are carried away by the influence of māyā. That is... Therefore the most welfare activities, the most valuable welfare activity is to spread this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement all over the world. Otherwise they are being carried away by māyā. Anādi-bahirmukha jīvera svataḥ kṛ..., ataeva kṛṣṇa kailā veda-purāṇa.
Now we have to accept knowledge from Vedas, Vedic knowledge, not this rascal's knowledge. Rascal knowledge is that "Yes," as soon as he comes to the imperfect point, "yes, we are trying." You are trying. What is this trying?
So today is Baladeva āvirbhāva. Baladeva, in the strength. Nāyam ātmā bala-hīnena labhyaḥ. You cannot understand, realize yourself without the help of Baladeva. Therefore in the Vedic literatures: nāyam ātmā bala-hīnena labhyaḥ. You cannot become self-realized without the help of, without the mercy of Baladeva. Now, our Vivekananda Swami, he interpreted that "Unless you become stout and strong like the bulls and the buffalo, you cannot realize self." He interpreted like that. So he engaged people to make gymnastics, exercise. "You become very stout and strong, eat meat, and..." This is going on. This philosophy is going on. Bala-hīnena... "Unless you become as strong as a tiger, you cannot realize yourself." This interpretation is going on. Bala-hīnena labhyaḥ. Therefore they are... Always they put this argument, that "Our countrymen is suffering. There is no food. First of all we must give them food, make them strong, stout. Then we shall talk about Kṛṣṇa consciousness." Do they not say like that?
He is not a poor man, he is not uneducated, the topmost man, elected President of USA, but there is cheating even there, just see. And what to speak of others? Yad yad ācarati śreṣṭhaḥ (BG 3.21), in the Bhagavad-gītā it is, tat tad eva itaraḥ janaḥ, sa yat pramāṇaṁ kurute lokas tad anuvartate. If a person, president, cheats his countrymen somehow or other, and why not others? They will also do that. "Oh, president does it. What I am? What can I know?" In this way, the more we are inclined to sense gratification, the more we are becoming sinful. And more we are becoming sinful, the more we must suffer. That is the law of nature. Āmayo yaś ca bhūtānāṁ jāyate yena suvrata.
So by this karma... vikarma rather. Karma means when you act according to the śāstra, that is called karma. Lawful activities. The lawful activities is very good. But unlawful activities, you are punishable. So the business of sense gratification is unlawful activities. You cannot gratify your senses more than necessity. Everywhere that is the stringent laws of nature.
That's a fact. Nobody can deny. You compare with other boys and girls and the boys and girls here. Anyone... In your country, they have given you the name "bright-faced." Do you know? The newspapers... Yes. In Philadelphia, one lady was inquiring that "Are you Americans?" Perhaps you know all these things. So actually your countrymen, those who are sober, they are seeing that "How these boys and girls are becoming so nice and jolly, beautiful." Because at the present moment in your country all young generation mostly they are confused, hopeless. We see every day-morose, black-faced. Why? Because they're missing the point. There is no aim of life. But these devotees, Krsnized, they look so beautiful. Why? Because Kṛṣṇa is there. That's all. It is a fact. Any sane man will admit.
So what is fact now, what is, what was fact before, during five thousand years ago when Pāṇḍavas were there, that Kṛṣṇa in the center, everything becomes beautiful—that can be done at any time. Kṛṣṇa is always there. Simply you have to invite Him, "My Lord, please come and be in the center." That's all.
The same Sanātana Gosvāmī approached Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, asking Him the question: "What I am? Why I am put into these threefold miserable condition of life?"
So this is our position. We may be very great man in the estimation of our friends and countrymen, but everyone is subjected to the miserable condition of life. They cannot make any solution. That is not possible. They have made a solution, big, big learned scholars, just that Mr. Kotovsky said, "Swamiji, after death, there is no life. Everything is finished." Unless they think like that, then life becomes more horrible, full of anxieties. If they think of that there is another life and there is punishment and reward, according to our karma, then their life is very horrible. So just like the animals, poor animal, sometimes facing enemy, close the eyes, as if there is no enemy, so they do like that, close the eyes. Children, when there is danger, they close the eyes. They have no other means to escape. So these people, they close the eyes. "There is no life after death." Otherwise they cannot accommodate.
Then I decorate with ornaments. Then I give Him for eating." You can simply think of this. This is meditation. Svāntaḥ-sthena gadābhṛtā. It is so nice thing. Anywhere you can sit down and think that Kṛṣṇa is sitting in your heart and you are receiving in so nice way. They are not false. They are also fact. It is so easy.
So here is the... If you simply carry Kṛṣṇa within your heart always in a very devotional service, exalted devotional service, and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, and think of Kṛṣṇa, wherever you will go, you will purify the whole place. Svāntaḥ-sthena gadābhṛtā. It is fact. It is confirmed in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Try to remain in your position as devotee, and as far as possible teach these rascals who are simply attracted by the glaring material stones and woods, and let them have some knowledge and do benefit to your countrymen, to your society, to your family.
Then I decorate with ornaments. Then I give Him for eating." You can simply think of this. This is meditation. Svāntaḥ-sthena gadābhṛtā. It is so nice thing. Anywhere you can sit down and think that Kṛṣṇa is sitting in your heart and you are receiving in so nice way. They are not false. They are also fact. It is so easy.
So here is the... If you simply carry Kṛṣṇa within your heart always in a very devotional service, exalted devotional service, and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, and think of Kṛṣṇa, wherever you will go, you will purify the whole place. Svāntaḥ-sthena gadābhṛtā. It is fact. It is confirmed in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Try to remain in your position as devotee, and as far as possible teach these rascals who are simply attracted by the glaring material stones and woods, and let them have some knowledge and do benefit to your countrymen, to your society, to your family.
So jñānī, the mahātmās are to be found not amongst the karmīs, but of the jñānīs, jñānī field. Just like in India, we manufacture some mahātmā. But according to śāstra, he is not mahātmā because he was-Mahatma Gandhi, I mean to say—he was not on the platform of knowledge. He was on the platform of karma, karmī. He wanted to deliver his countrymen from the clutches of the British, Britishers. That was his aim. But because he was not jñānī, he could not understand that "Why I am trying to drive away some people for the benefit of another?" That is a great subject matter.
So anyone who is on the karmī field, he is not jñānī. He is not jñānī or mahātmā. Then who is mahātmā? That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante (BG 7.19). After working uselessly for many, many lives like cats and dogs, trees and plants and like that, evolution, when one works for understanding the ultimate goal of life, jñānī... So jñānīs also cannot understand immediately that Kṛṣṇa is the ultimate goal of life.
Formerly..., just like Parīkṣit Mahārāja. He was the emperor of the world. So these things, paśyann api na paśyati, they see that "They cannot give me protection. When I shall be called for death..." Just like Parīkṣit Mahārāja is preparing. "At that time, all these, my soldiers, my bank balance, my good wife, my good children, my good countrymen—no. Nobody can give me any protection." Just like when you have to fly in the sky, you have to protect yourself. No other can... Take it for the birds or for the airplanes. If you are being crushed in the airplane, no other airplane can protect you. You'll have to come down from the sky. (laughter) Similarly, when death will come, none of you will be able to give me protection. Either my good state or good family or good bank balance or good this, that. No. That's all, finished. You see?
So Śukadeva Gosvāmī giving right instructions to Parīkṣit Mahārāja. Then what should be the subject matter?
And we are changing, from this place to that place. Suppose I have come from India. From Bombay, I have come to Paris. This is all within the home, within the universe, or within this planet. So we see people are very busy. Seventy miles speed, they're driving car. But within the Paris, within the Paris, they may go seventy miles, eighty miles, but they cannot go beyond. That, our one countryman, Rabindranath Tagore... So perhaps you heard his name. He was a big poet. So when he was in London, so he saw that people are very, walking very fast. So he remarked that "These people are walking very fast. But there is a very small country. They'll fall down on the sea." You see?
So this is going on. (laughs) A dog in the park is jumping very fast, walking. But as soon as the master, "Come one. Come one," immediately, "Yes, sir." "Give me your neck." "Yes, sir." Chain. Chain. He's thinking that he's very free, but as soon as the master calls, immediately he has to submit. This is our position.
Although he is sufficiently experienced in the matter by dint of past experience and previous examples of the diseased predecessors, he does not see that the countrymen are all fallible in the great struggle. One should examine the fact that the father or father's father has already died, and therefore he himself is also sure to die. And similarly his children, who are the would-be fathers of their children, will also die in due course. No one will survive in the struggle with material nature. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14).
So our real problem is how to revive our original, eternal life. That is struggle. The modern people, scientists, philosophers, they even do not know what is our original constitutional position, and... Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). I do not die, even after the destruction of this body. These things are unknown. And still, they are posing themselves as leader of the society.
This is the point. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Śraddadhāno mahā-manāḥ. So one who has fixed up his goal of life in this way, that "I am rendering service. That's a fact. But I am not satisfied. Why? I am rendering so much service."... Just like in our country, Mahatma Gandhi rendered so much service to his country that at the end he was killed by his countrymen. Just see. This is the return. Your country also. President Kennedy, he was a nice president, but he was killed. So here in this material world, or māyā, if you render service to māyā, illusion, you'll never be satisfied. Neither the person to whom you are giving service, he'll be satisfied. There is no satisfaction, either to the so-called master or to the servant. Because Kṛṣṇa is missing. That's all. One should understand this.
This is the actually fact. Here the service is going on, but the master and the servant, both are not satisfied. But there is another platform, spiritual world, where service rendered, both the master and the servant become satisfied, immediately. Tasmin tuṣṭe jagat tuṣṭaḥ. The same example.
I may be transferred to dog society. And I may transfer, I may be transferred to god society. That will depend on my work.
So we like society, friendship. Oh, I do not know how many intimate friendship I had, but those are now just like dream, everything finished. Now I am making new friendships with your countrymen, with you younger boys of this country, and I have forgotten the friendship which I made the whole life in India. So this friendship, this love, this society, this country—everything illusion. Just like dream. At night we dream, "Oh, I have been made a king," and in the morning I see everything finished. So we should not be attached to these temporary attractions. We admit these are temporary attractions, but we are still... Just like children. They are attracted to the..., but the parents, they're guiding, "Oh, you must go to school." Niḥśreyasāya. That is śreyaḥ. The boy, the child, does not like it, but the parents, they are anxious, "Oh, my child is not going to school; he is being spoiled." So dragging him.
Dehāpatya. Apatya means children, family, and deha means this body. Deha apatya. Kalatra, kalatra means wife. Dehāpatya-kalatrādiṣu ātma-sainyeṣu. He is struggling for existence and thinking that "My wife, my children, my relative, my friend, my countrymen—they are my soldiers. They will give me protection whenever I am in danger." Dehāpatya-kalatrādiṣu ātma-sainyeṣu asatsu api. But he knows also that they will not stay. Asatsu api. But still, they are depending on them. So teṣāṁ pramatto nidhanaṁ paśyann api na paśyati. This is our position.
So this position is going on, beginning from one date of creation, millennium, and goes up to the end, kalpānta. The asuric determination is kalpānta. Up to the end of the creation they have no sense that "Again I am going to in the oblivion. Again I am to remain for millions of years in darkness. Then again there will be creation. And again I shall get body." And in one millennium we are changing so many bodies. This is our problem. But there is no education; there is no knowledge.
So similarly, we have got obligation to the devatās, the demigods, the ṛṣis, the saintly sages, because we are receiving knowledge from them. Just like Vyāsadeva. He has given us this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. We are reading. We are getting knowledge, perfect knowledge. Then we are obliged to our surrounding living entities, neighbors, countrymen, and others. Devarṣi-bhūtāpta, the animals also. We are taking service from the animals. The cow is giving milk. The camel is carrying our load. The ass is carrying our load. So many animals... Devarṣi-bhūtāpta-nṛṇām, general, people in general, we are obliged. So obligations, there are so many. Devarṣi-bhūtāpta-nṛṇāṁ pitṟṇām (SB 11.5.41). Pitṛs, our forefathers, the dynasty or the family in which we have taken birth.
So Vedic injunction is that we are obliged to so many living entities, and we have to satisfy them. Just like you are obliged to the government for supplying so many amenities, and you have to pay tax just to fulfill your obligation. If you don't pay tax, then you are liable to criminality.
Because we are falsely thinking that "I am the proprietor. I am the enjoyer. I am the leader. I am the friend of my family, my society, my nation," so many ways, you have to convert these things. Suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānām (BG 5.29). Kṛṣṇa says that "I am the friend of everyone." But we are taking the place of Kṛṣṇa, leadership. I am declaring to my countrymen, to my follower, that "I am your friend." So actually, I cannot be friend because I do not know what is the goal of life. I cannot lead them properly. Some immediate convenience we can offer, and people, being less intelligent, they are after immediate profit. It is called preyas. Just like if you say to a small child, "Don't go to school. Please come and play with me," he would like to play with his friend. That is immediate profit. But if you ask him to go to the school, that is remote profit. That is called śreyas. And preyas. Preyas me ans immediate profit. Two young men, if one friend says to the other friend, "Oh, let us go to the cinema," that is very palatable. And if he says, "Let us go to this meeting in Hare Kṛṣṇa Land," that is not very palatable. This is the distinction between śreyas and preyas.
This is the disease. He cannot give it up. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). The māyā is so strong that even an old man advertising to be very pious man, he cannot give up politics. Because māyā is so strong, he's thinking, "If I leave political field, my countrymen will suffer, and so many disaster will happen." He's thinking like that.
But actually, things will go on. Many politicians came and gone. In your country there were many, many great politicians; they came and gone. But your country people are still living and they are going on. In Germany also, many Hitlers came and gone. Similarly, in India also many Gandhis came and gone. But things are going on.
"Why you are working so hard? What is the aim?" The aim, he has nothing to say except sense gratification, that's all. He has no more aim. He may think that "I have got a big family, I have to maintain them," or "I have got so much responsibility." But what is that? That is simply sense gratification. Even we manufacture so many "isms", philanthropism, humanitarianism, nationalism, socialism, so many. But what are these "isms"? That is also sense gratification. I satisfy my senses. I want to see that the senses of my brothers, senses of my sisters, senses of my friends, or senses of my society people, or my nation, countrymen, they are satisfied. The business is sense gratification. Just like in our country we got Mahātmā Gandhi. So he started, he is supposed to be father of the nation. There are many leaders in different countries. But if we, I mean to, take account of their business, it is sense gratification, that's all. Extended sense gratification. These are just like Marx, what is his name, full name?
That is very nutritious, full of protein. And you can make rasagullā, sandeśa, so many other preparations from the casein of the cheese. But they do not know. Crude civilization, and take a lump of flesh and boil it and give little salt and black pepper and eat like animal. This is civilization. This is civilization. Just try to understand. You have to convince your countrymen that what is this civilization, nonsense civilization? Stop this kind of civilization. Learn how to become civilized. Don't claim yourself as civilized man and eating like tigers and dogs and cats. Is that civilization? But they are doing. That is stated here. It is not new. Always, there is a certain class of men, demons, who are not civilized, but declaring themselves as civilized. Otherwise, how it has come into Bhāgavata? There were also in that time. Now the number has increased on account of this age. But these two classes of men are always there.
As soon as I change my body, even in this country... We are very much fond of our country, janani janma-bhūmiś ca svargād api gariyasi, but the country is so ungrateful. Suppose there are many vivid examples. Mahatma Gandhi, he worked so much for his country. The result was that he was killed by his countrymen. So, just see the example. So, in this material life, you will never be able to make anyone happy by your activities. That is not possible. Neither you will be happy.
Kāmādīnāṁ kati na katidhā pālitā durnideśās teṣāṁ mayi na karuṇā jātā na trapā nopaśāntiḥ. That is the intelligent, that I have served the so-called society, friendship and love just to serve my own lusty desires, that's all. Kāmādīnāṁ kati na katidhā pālitā durnideśās. Everyone is serving the so-called societies, and for his own satisfaction, sense gratification. Nobody wants to serve anyone. He wants to serve himself. That is the position, real position. So in this way, if we spoil, spoil our life We are serving, but serving our senses, lusty desires.
For that reason you cannot kill. It is not that Kṛṣṇa was encouraging killing. No. Duty. When there is fight, there is killing. You cannot avoid it. Just like the soldier. What is the duty of the soldier? Kill as many as possible the enemies. But the same soldier, if he comes back home and kills some of his men or countrymen and he is arrested and in the court, he is ordered to be hanged, and if he pleads that "I am a soldier. In the battlefield I have killed so many persons, and now I have killed one man. Why you are ordering me to be hanged?" What will be the answer of the court? The answer that "You cannot kill on principle. But you can kill on the superior order. You cannot kill by your whims." In the battlefield the commander-in-chief orders, "Yes, you kill and get gold medal." But if you think the, "I have killed so many persons in the battlefield. Here is my enemy. I kill him." No. That you cannot do. That you cannot do. This is the principle. When there is duty, that is another thing. But not whimsically. We cannot kill. Therefore Lord Jesus Christ ordered, "Thou shall not kill." This is the order. "Thou shall not kill."
That is recommended: mahat-sevāṁ dvāram āhur vimukteḥ (SB 5.5.2). Mahat-sevā. This human life is meant for rectification. We are serving somebody, and we are not happy. We have got very good example in our country, in many other countries. Just like our Mahātmā Gandhi, he served his country very well, but the result was that his countrymen killed him. This is the result of our service. Nobody will appreciate. We are serving our family. The wife is not satisfied; (s)he divorces the husband. The son is not satisfied; he goes out of home. So just analyze that we are serving to our best capacity, but nobody is satisfied. This is our position. Kāmādīnāṁ katidhā na katidhā pālitā durnideśā. Actually we are serving our senses. I love my wife because she satisfies my senses. I love my husband because he satisfies my senses. Actually, we are servant of our senses. As soon as the sense gratification is disturbed, then "No, no, I am not going to serve you." Or "I am not satisfied with your service. You go away. I go away." This is our position.
So you are misled. Therefore you are facing this crisis, that "Crimes, and Why and What to Do?" So unless you take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, how to create first-class man, you are doomed. You must know this. Therefore, those who have taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, it is my request that you help your countrymen how to become... At least, there must be a section of men first-class so that people will see. They are appreciating. I know that. When I was going from Los Angeles to Hawaii, one priest in plain dress came to see me. He came to..., "Oh, Swamiji, can I speak with you?" "Yes, come here." So his first question was that "How your disciples look so bright?" They are appreciating that "Here is a first-class man." So I replied, "The process is so nice. Face is the index of mind. If you become purified within, then your faces will be bright. If you dirty within his heart, how you can be brightened? No, that is not possible. Face is the index of mind."
So this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra means to purify inside. Purify inside.
So this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra means to purify inside. Purify inside. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇam (CC Antya 20.12). So, of course, we are trying our best. Now, you American boys and girls, try to understand more and more and help your countrymen how to become first-class men. That I have requested every time, that from material point of view, you are already first class because you are not poverty-stricken. You have got enough everything. But in spite of materially first class, bigger or stronger than other nations, because there is no training spiritual, therefore there is crime. Therefore there is crime. And it is very difficult to solve. So this is the problem. I am talking since yesterday when as soon as I saw the Times magazine and the heading, "Crime: Why and What to Do?" Yes, this is a problem. It is a problem. But the solution is here, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Solution is here. And it is very easy to become first-class men. You know by practical experience: simply by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. That's all. It is not difficult.
"Why there is crime, and why, what is the remedy?" They are think in the material way. They are thinking that "We have got enough everything. Why there should be crime?" But they do not know that unless you make first-class men by training, the fourth-class man will degrade more and more. Just like a child, if you don't send him to school to get education, he will be street boy and degrade more and more. So this is the problem. So how to train first-class man, that method is here, Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. And take it seriously, and if you actually love your countrymen, raise them to the standard of first-class man.
Thank you very much. (break) Not in this way. This is not the process. The process is you must be free. Don't manufacture something. That is the way of dancing. You have seen all the Pañca-tattva. They are dancing like this. So you should follow them.
Everyone is thinking like that. "Now I am in a good family. I've got my family members very nice. I've got this strong body. Oh, what do I care, God is dead?" That's all.
So this is our misconception. We are thinking that this paraphernalia—my country, my community, my countrymen or my family, my wife, my children and so many things, mine, mine, mine—so I'm thinking that they will give me all protection. No. Therefore, in the Bhāgavata it is said, dehāpatya-kalatrādiṣu asatsv api. He knows that "They will be finished. They cannot give protection to themselves. What protection they'll give to me?" This is knowledge. This is knowledge. Dehāpatya-kalatrādiṣu ātma-sainyeṣv asatsv api pramatta teṣāṁ nidhanam (SB 2.1.4). He knows that they will be finished, paśyann api na paśyati. He has practical experience, yet still he does not see. This is called māyā. Māyā means thing is one and he's thinking otherwise. His soldier, the so-called soldier, the protector, will be finished, but still he's depending on him. Suppose a bird is flying with his family in the sky.
His soldier, the so-called soldier, the protector, will be finished, but still he's depending on him. Suppose a bird is flying with his family in the sky. But if there is some danger, then no other bird can help him. You have to help yourself. Just like aeroplane. If dozens of aeroplane is flying, but if one aeroplane is in danger, no other plane can give him any help. It will fall down and crash. Finished.
So we have to take care of ourself. Daily, we are thinking, "My country, my community"—they're all busy in this way—"they'll save me." No. When death will come, nobody will save you. He'll remember that. You are challenging, "God is dead." When God will come and make you killed, nobody can save you. So we are so foolish for thinking that "God is dead, and I shall continue my life, and my wife, my children, my countrymen, my nation will save me." That is not possible.
They were very much satisfied by seeing the Viṣṇudūtas. Just like in your country they are very much satisfied by seeing your face. They have named you "bright-faced." Why? You are naturally very beautiful, but they understand, your countrymen, that you have become more beautiful by Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That's a fact. (aside): You can sit down there. This is disturbing. So Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so nice that naturally it will make you beautiful, not black-faced, not morose—beautiful face. That is the sign of spiritual advancement. By the face you'll understand that "Here is a man who is spiritually advanced." Pratyakṣam avagamaṁ dharmyam. This process of spiritual consciousness can be directly perceived. It is not theoretical: "Oh, I am a very great devotee." No. Simply theoretical understanding, "I am a great devotee..." From the very face it will be understood. Face is the index of mind, how you are thinking. If you are thinking of Kṛṣṇa always, then your face will be beautiful. Therefore it is called pratyakṣam avagamaṁ dharmyam, direct perception.
The first thing is they are very tolerant, titikṣavaḥ; kāruṇikāḥ, compassionate; and suhṛdaḥ, friend of all living entities. They are not like that... Just like politicians, they are friends only to the countrymen or to the party. But still, they are so much eulogized: "Oh, he is our leader." But this sort of leader cannot be compared with a sādhu because a sādhu is leader for all living entities. They are thinking of the ant also, how it will be helped. Not only human society or own society, family members. There cannot be broader-minded than a sādhu. That is real sādhu. Suhṛdaḥ sarva-dehinām. Friend of all living entities. Never mind whether it is an ant or whether he is Brahmā—he's friend of everyone. Ajāta-śatravaḥ. And because a sādhu is friend of everyone, there cannot be any conceivable enemy. But still, there are enemies. That is the nature of the world.
As soon as you go, and fall down. Prahlāda Mahārāja recommended that one should give up this blind well and go to the open forest. So here also it is said, gṛhe niraya-vartmani baddha-tṛṣṇān. And why they are staying in that blind well? Baddha-tṛṣṇān, conditioned by material desires. That's all. Thinking that "I am in family. My..., they are friends, they are countrymen, they are my children, and they'll give me protection. What this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement will give us protection? They have no money. They are begging. So how they can?" No. That is their idea, that "This, my family affairs, a nice situation, that will give me protection." But that is wrong. Teṣāṁ pramatto nidhanaṁ paśyann api na paśyati.
Not that, "Oh, my brother is good and I am good, and my father is good or my countrymen is good, my society, and all are bad." This is not communism. So the arrangement is there by God's grace. There is ample food. There is no economic problem. We have created our economic problem by so-called social arrangement. So Bhāgavata says that there is no economic problem. Tal labhyate duḥkhavad anyataḥ sukham. "How do you say that there is no economic problem?" The Bhāgavata gives... Bhāgavata means... Any authoritative literature, they must give evidence. So here Bhāgavata gives evidence that tal labhyate duḥkhavad anyataḥ sukham. Now, you never try to invite calamities, but sometimes calamities come upon you unexpected. There is some great loss. There is some calamity, distress, but you do not want it. How do they come? Similarly, even if you do not endeavor for your happiness, whatever happiness is destined to you, it will come. Don't bother about it. Simply bother for how you can make advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is being instructed by Prahlāda Mahārāja, that kaumāra ācaret prājñaḥ. From the beginning of life.
This is the only meaning. If we become pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa, then my love will be extended to 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 beings, but even animals also. That is sneha. It is not that "I am safe, and let the animals be killed in the slaughterhouse." No, that is not love. Love means for everyone. Samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu. Equality to all living entities. That is real love. That is real concern, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. A lover of Kṛṣṇa will hesitate to kill even one ant. You know the story, Mrgrari. That is love. Because one has got... Just like this child. If I like I can kill him, there is no difficulty. But does it mean that I shall kill him? No. Similarly, a small ant, anyone can kill. No. Here is a living entity, part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Samaḥ sarveṣu—he should not be unnecessarily killed. We should be careful, not that "Trample over the ants and let them be killed."
That's all. Therefore it is not at all difficult. Nācyutaṁ prīṇayato. You have to simply approach Kṛṣṇa, "My Lord, I am servant, but I could not please anyone. Neither anyone is pleased upon me." This is material service. You serve the whole life your so-called friends, family, countrymen... We have got the experience that Mahatma Gandhi, he served whole life. Still, he was killed by his countrymen. So you may go on giving service in the material world, but nobody will be satisfied. Nobody will be satisfied. So this service is useless. Turn to the service of Kṛṣṇa immediately. It is not very difficult. Servant, we are practiced to serve. We are not master. We have been practiced. By nature, we are servant. So turn this service to Kṛṣṇa. It is not difficult. If I am trained up to become a faithful servant, just become a faithful servant of Kṛṣṇa, then your business is complete. Na hi acyutaṁ prīṇayato bahu-āyāsaḥ. Much endeavor. There is no question of learning, much endeavor. We are already accustomed to give service. Simply turn it towards Kṛṣṇa and your life is successful.
Nectar of Devotion Lectures
Pradyumna: "Driven by affection for his wife and children, a family man works day and night. A philanthropist works in the same way for love of the greater family, and the nationalists for the cause of his country and countrymen. That force which drives the philanthropist, the householder and the nationalists is called rasa, or a kind of..."
Prabhupāda: That attractiveness is called rasa, mellow, taste. Go on.
Pradyumna: "...or a kind of mellow, or relationship whose taste is very sweet. Bhakti-rasa is a mellow different from the ordinary rasa enjoyed by mundane workers. Mundane workers labor very hard, day and night, in order to relish a certain kind of rasa which is understood as sense gratification. The relish or taste of the mundane rasa does not long endure, and therefore mundane workers are always apt to change their position of enjoyment. A business man is not satisfied by working the whole week; therefore wanting a change for the weekend, he goes to a place where he tries to forget his business activities. Then, after the weekend is spent in forgetfulness, he again changes his position and resumes his actual business activities. Material engagement means accepting a particular status for some time and then changing it. This position of changing back and forth is technically known as bhoga-tyāga, which means..."
Pradyumna: (break) "...devotional service. Every service has some attractive feature which drives the servitor progressively on and on. Everyone of us within this world is perpetually engaged in some sort of service and the impetus for such service is the pleasure we derive from it. Driven by affection for his wife and children, a family man works day and night. A philanthropist works in the same way for love of the greater family and a nationalist for the cause of his country and countrymen. That force which drives the philanthropist, the householder and the nationalist is called rasa, or..."
Prabhupāda: So bhakti is explained, "Bhakti is some active service." It is not a sentiment. And service means work. Not like the karmīs. Karmī or anyone who is working, he is working with some taste. Just like the example is given here: A householder is working day and night. Unless he has got some taste... Suppose one has got wife and children. So to maintain them he has to work very hard. But there is some pleasure in serving the wife and children. This is crude example. Similarly, bhakti means service with some taste. Svādu svādu pade pade. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is said, svādu svādu pade pade. The more you serve, the more you relish taste. Without relishing taste, nobody can render devotional service. It is practical. Svādu svādu pade pade. In every step... Just like Rūpa Gosvāmī. He was minister in the government of Nawab Hussain Shah. So materially, he was getting honor, money, and therefore he was attached.
They're, this secret, they do not know. But factually that is the fact. Just like we are in this old age, we are wandering all over the world to see that "Let everyone become happy by Kṛṣṇa consciousness." It is not that we love only our countrymen, only Hindus, or Bengalis, or Madrasis, or... No. We love everyone, even the animals. But because human beings can understand the Kṛṣṇa philosophy, therefore we hold meetings of the human beings. But still, whenever we get opportunity, we give protection to the animals. We give them prasādam. We do not prohibit even some animal comes to hear. They also hear some, sometimes. The hear, hearing is there. Everyone can hear. Even they do not understand what is Hare Kṛṣṇa, if you chant loudly Hare Kṛṣṇa, even the ants and insect who is hearing, he'll be delivered, because it is spiritual vibration. It will act for everyone. We... Just like fire. The fire will act, either you are human being or insect. If you touch fire, it will do its work. Similarly, Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra is transcendental vibration. When we chant loudly, anyone who hears—it doesn't matter whether he's man, animal, tree, insect—anyone who will hear, he'll get profit. This is transcendental vibration. Just like when there is... Not to speak of this transcendental vibration, even the vibration of cloud, that is also Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā: śabdaḥ khe pauruṣaṁ nṛṇām.
So when he met, there was discussion of life's..., value of life between Caitanya Mahāprabhu and Sanātana Gosvāmī. So Sanātana Gosvāmī first of all questioned this, that grāmya-vyavahāre kahe paṇḍita satya kari māni. "Now the ordinary few friends, my countrymen, they consider me, I am very learned scholar." He was very learned scholar actually. He was great scholar in Sanskrit and in Arabi, Arabic language and Persian language. Because in those days there were Muhammadan kingdom. So actually they were very learned scholars, from... Because we understand from their writings, later on, after becoming disciples of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Vande rūpa-sanātanau raghu-yugau śrī-jīva-gopālakau. So actually they were paṇḍita, learned scholars, brāhmaṇa, and learned scholar. But he was asking that grāmya-vyavahāre kahe paṇḍita satya kari māni: "These people, my neighboring friends, they call me as learned scholar. And actually I accept that I am scholar, I am learned paṇḍita. But I do not know what I am. This is my position. I am paṇḍita. They call me paṇḍita, learned scholar, and I accept it.
Our, in our country, Mahatma Gandhi is supposed to be the father of nationality. Not only in our country, in many other countries. But what is that nationality? Mahatma Gandhi wanted that "The Britishers must go away. My countrymen shall enjoy." So this is extended selfishness. In the beginning, I want to enjoy. Then if I, I extend my enjoyment, family-wise, community-wise or nation-wise, that does not change the quality of selfishness. People are going on in the name of nationality, big leaders, but from our point of view, that neither as nation or community or person you are the proprietor of things. Kṛṣṇa is the proprietor of... So if you expand your selfishness in the name of nationality—"I possess this land"—we do not approve. We say, īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (ISO 1). Everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa. Why you are claiming yourself, as nation or individual or community? That's not proper. Just like pickpocket and a gang, gangsters, organized rogues, thieves.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures
We see practical examples, there are many examples. In our country, Mahatma Gandhi, he dedicated his life for the service of the country. Nobody can doubt about his service, but what is the result? His master killed him. He worked for his country, he took country as his master, and he worked so hard, and his countrymen killed him. We should take lesson from this that you cannot satisfy in this material world by becoming servant of your family or community, society, nation. No. It is not possible. You can satisfy very easily Kṛṣṇa by little service. By little service. Svalpam apy asya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt.
So this is intelligence, how to become a servant of Kṛṣṇa. That is the perfection of life. That means mukti. Mukti does not mean you'll get four hands and eight heads. No. Mukti means, as it is defined in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, muktir hitvānyathā rūpaṁ sva-rūpeṇa vyavasthitiḥ. That is mukti. Sva-rūpeṇa, legally, constitutionally, I am servant of God, or Kṛṣṇa. Now I have become servant of dog and māyā
That is the qualification. In this way, if we study Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and... Of course, Caitanya-caritāmṛta is the higher study. Still we have got all these books, very exalted, authorized books, Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Nectar of Devotion. So we request, especially... Of course, I am pleased that these countrymen of this American country, they are taking our books, reading. So gradually they will understand. But take real knowledge. Don't be misled by bluffers who have no authority to speak. And to cheat you... Because you are wanting, hankering after something, so so many bluffers, cheaters, they come and cheat you. Don't be cheated. Here is authorized literature.
Read them, be enlightened, and make your life successful.
At every step we are being frustrated; still, we do not leave that path. Punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām (SB 7.5.30). We are repeating the same mistake, same mistake, in every step.
Now, even a love extended, so-called love extended, that nationalism, loving the countrymen, loving the humanity, that is also not perfect. We have got practical experience. In our country, in India, Mahatma Gandhi, he loved his country very nicely. He sacrificed everything, and for thirty-five years he simply struggled for the, I mean to say, independence of his country, of his countrymen. But the result was, at the ultimate end, he was killed by his countrymen. After loving so much his country, the result was that he was killed by his country. So in this material world the love is like that. It is never perfect. It cannot be perfect. So Lord Caitanya, taking compassion on these poor fellows, He taught love of Godhead. If you love Kṛṣṇa, then you will feel pleasure. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). In the Vedānta-sūtra it is said that "Every living creature is searching after pleasure, pleasure.
Sri Brahma-samhita Lectures
If you don't love Kṛṣṇa, and if you love the whole universe, it is still imperfect. Imperfect. And, because we are not loving Kṛṣṇa, therefore we are sectarian. Just like, take for example your country, or any country, it doesn't matter. I am giving example, I am not attacking anybody, I am giving example. You love your countrymen. That's very nice, but why don't you love the cows of your country? As it... It is also living entity. They are also born in this country. Have they not right to live? Oh, you know in argument, in logic, you will accept, "Yes." But because we do not love Kṛṣṇa, therefore there is partiality, that one section of the living entities should be loved, and the another section of the living entities should be sent to the slaughterhouse. Why this defect? This defect is due to your lack of loving affairs with Kṛṣṇa. And as soon as you try to love Kṛṣṇa, then you will see, "Oh, the cows are my brothers, oh, the black people are my brothers, the white people are my brothers, the ants are my brothers, the dogs are my brothers, the trees are my brother, everyone my brother." That is universal brotherhood.
So see practically. Simply talking will not help. Practically see how this system is perfect. Thousands and thousands, not only one, two. If you travel all over the world and see our temples, you'll find in each and every temple, two hundred, hundred and fifty, fifty—all devotees. All these boys and girls, nice. They, their countrymen, astonished. They ask them, "Are you American?" They ask them. How this transformation has come into existence?
- nāma cintāmaṇiḥ kṛṣṇaś
- caitanya-rasa-vigrahaḥ
- pūrṇaḥ śuddho nitya-mukto
- 'bhinnatvān nāma-nāminoḥ
- (CC Madhya 17.133)
It is nondifferent from Kṛṣṇa. So by chanting Kṛṣṇa means they are associating Kṛṣṇa directly. There is no question of śata cakra, or this cakra. No. It is direct contact with Kṛṣṇa. And if one is in direct contact with Kṛṣṇa, what other method does he require? Everything is... Ārādhito yadi haris tapasā tathā kim. If you are in direct touch with Kṛṣṇa, then where is the necessity of other tapasya? Everything is finished. Your ultimate goal is obtained. And nārādhito yadi haris tapasā tathā kim. And if you could not touch Kṛṣṇa, then where is this nonsense, yoga and jñāna? They're useless. You could not touch Kṛṣṇa. These things are... Ārādhito yadi haris tapasā tathā kim, nārādhito yadi haris tapasā tathā kim.
Festival Lectures
We are searching after peace, but we won't accept anything which is actually giving us peace. This is our disease. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is trying to awaken the dormant Kṛṣṇa consciousness in everyone's heart. Otherwise, how these Europeans and Americans and other countrymen, they never heard of Kṛṣṇa four or five years ago, how they are taking Kṛṣṇa consciousness so seriously? Kṛṣṇa consciousness is there in everyone's heart. It has to be awakened only. That is described in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta
- nitya-siddha kṛṣṇa-bhakti 'sādhya' kabhu naya
- śravaṇādi-śuddha-citte karaye udaya
It is awakened. Love for Kṛṣṇa, devotion for Kṛṣṇa, is there within everyone's heart, but he has forgotten. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is simply meant for awakening that Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is the process. Just like when you are sleeping, your, I have to call you loudly—"Mr. such and such, such and such, get up. You have got this business." No other senses will act when you are sleeping.
So just like pendulum, the clock pendulum, tock, tock, tock—sometimes he's renouncer and sometimes he's enjoyer. Sometimes he's accepting... For example... Don't take it otherwise. Just like our national father, he renounced everything. But renounced for what? Greater enjoyment, that his countrymen will be happy. "The Britishers will go away, and we shall get independence, and we shall be enjoyer." You see? So this renouncement or that... Again, renouncement for enjoyment. The Māyāvādī philosophers, they say "Renounce this whole..." Brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā. Jagan mithyā. "But I want to be one with that Supreme." That is for greater enjoyment. "I have failed to enjoy this world even after becoming prime minister or big man. Now I'll become God."
So this kind of philosophy will not make you happy. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya (BG 18.66). We have created dharma in two categories: one for enjoyment and one for renouncement. Both these things have to be given up.
Arrival Addresses and Talks
Well, a boy who is in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he is giving the best service to his parents, families, countrymen, society. Without being Kṛṣṇa conscious, what service they are giving to their parents? Mostly they are separated. But, as Prahlāda Mahārāja was a great devotee and his father was a great nondevotee, so much so that his father was killed by Nṛsiṁha-deva, but Prahlāda Mahārāja, when he was ordered by the Lord to take some benediction, he said that "I am not a merchant, Sir, that by giving You some service I'll take some return. Please excuse me." Nṛsiṁha-deva was very much satisfied: "Here is a pure devotee." But the same pure devotee requested the Lord, "My Lord, my father was atheist, and he has committed so many offenses, so I beg that my father may be liberated." And Nṛsiṁha-deva said, "Your father is already liberated because you are the, his son. In spite of all his offenses, he is liberated, because you are his son. Not only your father, but your father's father, his father up to seven generations, they are all liberated." So if Vaiṣṇava appears in a family, he liberates not only his father, but his father, his father, his father, his father, in that way. But that is the best service to the family, to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. Actually, it has happened. One of my students, Kārttikeya, his mother was so much fond of society that usually when he wanted to see his mother, mother says "Sit down.
Everyone is serving society, friendship, love, family, country, but none of them are satisfied. None of them sat... Even your President, he could not satisfy you. You had to drag him down. Neither he could satisfy himself. Even Gandhi could not satisfy his countrymen. Although he gave so much service, he was shot dead. So this is the material world. You cannot satisfy anyone, neither you become satisfied, materially engaged. This is called material world. We may show some artificial satisfaction, but there cannot be satisfaction in the material world. First of all, you have to take it as axiomatic truth that there is no happiness and there cannot be any satisfaction in this material world. Then you'll make, spiritually advance. If you have got little faith still that "I can be satisfied; I can be happy materially," then that is māyā's influence. That is māyā's influence. There is no possibility.
Initiation Lectures
Just like in your country, in our country, President Kennedy, he wanted to give service to the country, but the people were not satisfied. Somebody killed him. Gandhi, whole life he engaged himself to the service of the country, but he was killed by his countrymen. This is called māyā, that you offer service somebody—he is not satisfied; you are not satisfied. Nobody is satisfied. Therefore one should be intelligent, that "What kind of service I am rendering?" The man who I am... In the family, suppose a gentleman—throughout his life he has served the family—asked his wife, "Are you satisfied?" "Oh, what you have done for me?" Asked the son. Oh, he is not satisfied. So this is called māyā.
So one should be intelligent that "Why I am wasting my time in this way, where there is no satisfaction? Therefore I must render service to Kṛṣṇa. If I render service to Kṛṣṇa, then Kṛṣṇa will be satisfied and everyone will be satisfied. And I shall be satisfied because I am also part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa." The same example: If you supply foodstuff to the stomach, then stomach is Kṛṣṇa. Then you are satisfied. Suppose you means individual parts. This hand is supplying sweetballs to the stomach.
The tax is distributed—the education department, municipal department, this department, that department. Therefore the people are missing the center. They are trying to satisfy one another, but nobody is satisfied. And by illusion they cannot understand this mistake. Everyone is very much proud: "Oh, I am serving my country." And he does not know what somebody, his countrymen, will come and kill him. You see? He does not know that. This is māyā. So one should be intelligent to serve Kṛṣṇa. This prayer Hare Kṛṣṇa means "Kṛṣṇa, I am so much harassed by this service of this māyā. Now please engage me in Your service." This is our prayer. And as soon as I am engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service, then I will be satisfied, Kṛṣṇa will be satisfied, and the whole world will be satisfied. So nobody should interpret any other way. This is direct meaning. Nāmna artha-vādaḥ. Or to imagine some meaning. No imagination. It is all direct interpretation or direct meaning.
Then, nāmno balād yasya hi pāpa-buddhiḥ. One should not commit sin. The four principle sins, we have several times repeated.
General Lectures
Lord Caitanya instructed this verse. He gave us eight verses, known as Śikṣāṣṭaka. Śikṣa means "instructions"; aṣṭaka, "eight." This Śikṣāṣṭaka poetry, containing eight verses, are very valuable, and they were given by Lord Caitanya for understanding of the whole human society. It was not meant for any particular country or particular society, but it was meant for the whole human race. Lord Caitanya entrusted His countrymen, who are known as Bhāratīyas, to distribute this message througho ut the whole world, in every village and every town. There is a nice Bengali verse in Caitanya-caritāmṛta:
- pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi grāma
- sarvatra pracāra haibe mora nāma
- (CB Antya-khaṇḍa 4.126)
The Lord predicted that "As many towns and villages are there on the surface of the world, everywhere this message will be known." And He also said,
- bhārata-bhūmite manuṣya-janma haila yāra
- janma sārthaka kari' kara para-upakāra
- (CC Adi 9.41)
He entrusted his countrymen—means any Indians. Not that because He appeared in Bengal it was entrusted to the Bengalis, but He said that bhārata-bhūmite manuṣya-janma haila yāra: "on the land of Bhārata-varṣa."
The central point is father. This is crude example. Similarly, if you love Kṛṣṇa, then your love will be expanded everywhere. Another example, just like if you love a tree, the leaves, the flowers, the branches, the trunks, the twigs, everything. You simply pour water on the root, then your loving affairs for the tree will automatically serve. If you love your countrymen, if you want to see that your countryman becomes educated, advanced economically and mentally, physically, then what you'll do? You pay tax to the government. You don't hide your income tax. You simply pay tax to the central government and it will be distributed to the educational department, to the defense department, to the hygienic department, everywhere. Therefore... These are crude examples, but actually, if you want to love everything, then you try to love Kṛṣṇa. You'll not be frustrated because that is complete. When your love is complete, then you will not be frustrated. Just like you have got complete feeding. If you are satisfied with food completely, then you say, "I am satisfied. I don't want any more."
If one man is with eyes, open eyes, he can lead hundreds and thousands of men behind him. But if the leader and the led, both of them are blind, then the result will be that all of them will fall into the ditch. So, andhā yathāndair upanīyamānā te 'pīśa-tantryām uru-dāmni baddhāḥ. They're promising, "My dear citizens, my dear countrymen, if you give me vote, because the country needs me at the present moment, then I shall give you all comforts, all solutions." But he is īśa-tantryām uru-dāmni baddhāḥ. By the laws of God, by the laws of nature, he is tightly packed up. You see? If your hands are tightly knotted, if your legs are tightly, then how you can work? So these leaders, they do not know that they are under the control of the stringent laws of nature. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). Suppose if there is a heavy earthquake. Suppose the Atlantic Ocean... And there is some suggestion like that, some years they will mix together, by the scientists. Suppose the Atlantic Ocean and Pacific Ocean mix together. Then how you can check? Your hands and legs are tightly packed up.
Why artificial spending so much money? We are united not only in the human society, but we are united in all living societies, all living entities. Why we should treat the animals as different? Because there is no Kṛṣṇa consciousness. I have got my consciousness that "The human beings in America are my brothers, or my countrymen. They should be given all protection." And why not cows? They are also born in America. Why they are being sent to slaughterhouse? Because there is no Kṛṣṇa consciousness. There is no Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Therefore this partiality, that "Only human being is my brother, and the cows and the other animals, they are not my brother," this is lack of knowledge. But if we become Kṛṣṇa conscious, if we take teachings of Bhagavad-gītā, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya sambhavanti mūrtayo yāḥ: (BG 14.4) "In all species of life, in all forms of life, as many creatures are there, they are all My sons." So how can you treat others as not your brother? They are also your brother. Even the ant is also your brother. He is in a different class of imprisonment, that's all. A different body.
That's all. Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke (SB 10.84.13). And with bodily relation we make our identification. "Because my body is born in this land, England, therefore I am Englishman. Therefore all Englishmen are my countrymen." Or my family: "Because I have got this bodily relationship, they are my kinsmen, they are my sons, they are my wife, they are my father, they are my mother, they are my societymen." In this way, all our conception of life is on the bodily concept of life. But we are not body; we are ātmā. This is self-realization. This is self-realization. Self-realization does not mean that for a few minutes I think that "I am not this body. I am something extra." But what is that extra? That should be clearly understood, that "I am spirit soul," ahaṁ brahmāsmi. "I am Brahman." Then? Is that finish? Simply by understanding that I am Brahman? No. That is not finish. You have many other steps to go forward.
That national feeling, that is called national feeling. You feel for your countrymen. You sacrifice your life for your country. But there is defect. What is that defect? If this is the definition—that a living entity or a person born in that country, he is a national—then why not the animals? They are also born in that country. But we are not expanding our feelings beyond this human society. We don't think animals are national assets. Animals are sent to the slaughterhouse. So this is because the center of national feeling or international feeling is losing. The center is not fixed up. If the center is right, then you can make circle from that center, any number of circles, they'll never overlap. They'll be growing, growing, growing. They'll not interact with one another if the center is all right.
So everyone is feeling nationally or internationally, but the center is missing. Therefore your feeling, your international feeling, my international feeling, your national feeling, my national feeling, they are overlapping. So we have to find out the center. Then you expand your circle, it will not, I mean to say, overlap or counteract. It will go on. That center is Kṛṣṇa. Our society, International Society for Kṛṣṇa Consciousness, is teaching to the people of all countries that the center is Kṛṣṇa. You try to think from the central point of Kṛṣṇa.
He is not responsible for the body of the letter. The reaction... After reading one letter the addressee may feel something, but that responsibility is not for the peon. Similarly, my responsibility is, what I have received from disciplic succession, from my spiritual master, I am just presenting the same thing, but without any adulteration. That is my business. That is my responsibility. I must present things exactly in the same way as it was presented by Kṛṣṇa, as it was presented by Arjuna, as it was presented by our ācāryas, Lord Caitanya, and at last my spiritual master, Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Mahārāja. So, similarly, if you take up the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement in the same spirit, and if you distribute to other people, to your other countrymen, surely it will be effective, because there is no adulteration. There is no bluff. There is no cheating. It is pure spiritual consciousness. Just practice it and distribute it. Your life will be glorious.
We shall show the pictures how we are giving protection to the cows and how we are trying to revive this brahminical culture all over the world. And they are accepting. It is not that they are rejecting. You can see the presence of so many European and American devotees here. And they are very sincere. They are not superficial. They are very sincere. Their countrymen, the priests, the Christian priests, the Jewish priests, priests, they become surprised that "These young boys, they never cared for any religion or they never cared to come to the church or the synagogue. How they have become so much interested in understanding God as to become a devotee?"
So my request is that India, especially South India... South India is the place for all the ācāryas. South India is the place of Rāmānujācārya, Śaṅkarācārya, Madhvācārya, Viṣṇu Svāmī. And we Gauḍīya, Mādhva-Gauḍīya sampradāya... Caitanya Mahāprabhu belongs to the Mādhavendra Purī sampradāya. Mādhavendra Purī belonged to the Madhva sampradāya; therefore our sampradāya is known as Brahmā Madhva-Gauḍīya sampradāya. So the purpose of this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to establish this brahminical culture. Namo brahmaṇya-devāya go-brāhmaṇa-hitāya ca.
Purports to Songs
That is the first-class." That is the recommendation of Vedic śāstra. Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6). First-class religion Religion means to understand God. That is the sum and substance.
The process may be different according to country, men. Just like we worship the Deity in the temple. This is also bhakti. And the Christians go to the church and offers prayer to God. That is also bhakti. That is also bhakti. Nine items of bhakti. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam, arcanaṁ vandanaṁ dāsyam (SB 7.5.23). Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam, arcanam vandanam. Vandanam is offering prayer. So they go to the church or go to the mosque, they offer prayers to the Supreme. That is also bhakti. So there is no question of what type of religion you are following. That doesn't matter. You follow anything, whatever suits you. But the result should be that. You worship with the result. The result is how to love God.
| Page Title: | Countrymen (Lectures) |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, RupaManjari, Mayapur |
| Created: | 17 of Aug, 2011 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=84, Con=0, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 84 |