There are many stories of chaste woman. Many stories. There was one disciple of Rāmānujācārya, a very poor. So Rāmānujācārya came in that poor disciple's house and he saw there was no one in the house. So he thought: "What is this? This is my disciple's house. He's family man. Why there is none?" That means he could understand that the door is not locked. Door was closed only. Then he could understand that within the door his wife is there. Therefore he knocked the door, and there was response also, knocking, but she could not come out. That means she, she was so poor that she had no garment. She was keeping herself within the room, naked. So Rāmānujācārya could understand that "There is his wife. Maybe she has no sufficient clothing." So immediately, his own cloth he gave her, within the room, and the woman came out, putting on that... And then offered obeisances. So he could understand the position. They were very, very poor. Even no clothing. So after putting on the cloth, she went to the grocer's shop. Because Rāmānujācārya is there. She must receive. Grocer shop.
Door (Lectures)
Expressions researched:
"door"
|"doors"
|"doorstep"
|"doorway"
|"doorways"
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
So we have got so many... This material world is going on. It is full of dangers. Padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadam (SB 10.14.58). Material world means step by step, simply danger. That is material world. So we have to find out pratikāram, counteraction, how to save yourself from danger. Just like when we walk, we see in so many doors, "Danger." So that you are warned. Sometimes the doors are: "Beware of the dog." So you have to take care, "No, I shall not enter." So everything there is danger, and there is pratikāram, counter, counteraction, how to save yourself from it. This is called struggle for existence. In this material world, there is only this danger and counteraction. I am unhappy; so just to become happy I have to work, I have to get money. Whatever I want... So this is going on.
So if you want to stop the danger of death, then you have to understand what is that Absolute Truth. Just like I have given already the example of sunshine. If you come to the sunshine, there is no darkness. But if you keep yourself within closed door, do not like to see the sunshine, that is your own choice. So everyone should try to come to the light. That is Vedic injunction, tamaso mā jyotir gamaya, means "Do not remain in darkness, come to the light." Light means knowledge, and darkness means ignorance. So every one of us now in the ignorance that we do not know "What I am." Everyone is in darkness in the concept of body. Ask anyone what you are. He will say, "I am this body. I am Mr. Such and such." "I am Indian." "I am American." This is all bodily description. And we have already discussed. This body is temporary, but I, the spirit soul, I am permanent. I have already experienced that I had my childhood body, I had my babyhood body, I had my boyhood body, youthhood body, I know it, but the bodies are no more existing, but I am existing. So therefore I am permanent, and the body is nonpermanent. Therefore it is said, nāsato vidyate bhāvaḥ: "Permanency is not there in the body." Nābhāvo vidyate sataḥ: "And there is no annihilation of the permanent or the eternal."
Even war is stopped, there is no question that people will live forever. No. That is not the law of nature. Duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15). This life, the problem is how to stop our contact with this material body That is the problem. Not that these general people, they are thinking, "If war, there is no war, then we shall be very happy." How you'll stop your war with māyā? Māyā has declared war with you, or you have declared war with māyā. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). The māyā, the material nature is enforcing, "Why you are closing this door?" "Oh, because it is very cold outside." Who is forcing? Immediately there will be cold, immediately there will be fog, immediately there will be excessive heat, immediately there may be earthquake. How you can stop it? So they simply think... Just like innocent child, they are concerned with the immediate problem. But sane man is concerned with the ultimate problem. So our ultimate problem is not this war. The ultimate problem is repetition of birth and death. That is ultimate problem, how to stop this. That is the problem. So Kṛṣṇa says that "This is useless lamentation, that you do not wish to fight. It is the concluded fact that even your grandfather or relatives die, they will continue as soul. You have to execute your duty. You cannot deviate from your duty." Go on.
Devotee: 32: "O Pārtha, happy are the kṣatriyas to whom such fighting opportunities come unsought, opening for them the doors of the heavenly planets (BG 2.32)." 33.
Prabhupāda: Now why the kṣatriyas... It is said in the śāstra if a kṣatriya dies in the fight, then he is promoted to the heavenly kingdom to take birth because he is fighting for the right cause so he is promoted. As in this world also, if you fight for some right cause, you are rewarded. Even after your death, your memory is commemorated. Just like in your country so many brave soldiers, leaders, they have died, but you have honored them by keeping their statues because they fought and died for right cause, whatever we think, right or wrong. So the kṣatriyas, this is the Vedic injunction, who dies for the right cause, he is promoted to the heavenly planet. Now Kṛṣṇa says "Now it is a great opportunity for you. Suppose either you or your grandfather, the opposite party, die in this fight, so your promotion to heavenly planet is sure. And if you gain, then you get the kingdom. Both ways it is profitable for you."
Pradyumna: "O Pārtha, happy are the kṣatriyas to whom such fighting opportunities come unsought, opening for them the doors of the heavenly planets."
Prabhupāda:
- yadṛcchayā copapannaṁ
- svarga-dvāram apāvṛtam
- sukhinaḥ kṣatriyāḥ pārtha
- labhante yuddham īdṛśam
- (BG 2.32)
So, it is the duty of the kṣatriya to see that everyone is executing his proper professional or occupational duty. We have discussed this point yesterday, sva-dharmam api cāvekṣya. Sva-dharma. This is very important. At the present moment there is no sva-dharma. Therefore according to Vedic injunctions, dharmeṇa hīna paśubhiḥ samāna. One who is not executing his own religious principle, he is no better than the animals. So who will see that everyone engaged in discharging his occupational duty? Sva-dharmam means occupational duty. It is the duty of the king, government. In the beginning it is the duty of the father, of the teacher, to train children to the principles of sva-dharma.
Because as a kṣatriya, if you kill these cheaters and rogues, that will be a great achievement for you. And even though you cannot kill them, if you die yourself, then the heavenly door is open for you." Because a kṣatriya who dies in the battlefield for the right cause, he goes to the heaven. If he conquers over the enemy, he enjoys the kingdom. And if he dies... But the cause must be right. Svarga-dvāram.
- yadṛcchayā copapannaṁ
- svarga-dvāram apāvṛtam
- sukhinaḥ kṣatriyāḥ pārtha
- labhante yuddham īdṛśam
Yuddham means a political fight. Nowadays. Just like in our India, Pakistan and Hindustan, they are always planning fighting. That is political. That is political. When the Pakistan's government cannot manage, nobody is managing nicely, neither Pakistan or Hindustan, but they divert their attention the religious slogan—"Hindus are our enemies." Or "the Pakistan is our enemies." The so-called national slogan. Here also, everywhere. Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke (SB 10.84.13). Here in Europe also the two wars was arranged by the German people, they were envious of the English people. So these wars are not right wars, righteous wars. No. They are play of the diplomats, politicians—they engage. When they cannot manage things very nicely, they engage people into war. That's all. Divert the attention. But war is not meant for that. War is meant for that, when people are not properly being trained up by the king of the state, the other king can attack him.
This spirit of kṣatriya was prevalent even, say, three hundred years ago in India. There was a king, Yasomanta Sena. He was the commander-in-chief of Emperor Aurangzeb. So in one fight, he was defeated and came back to his home. So his wife heard that "My husband has been defeated. He's coming back home." So she asked the caretaker to close the door of the palace. So when Yasomanta Sena came there, he saw that his palace door is closed. Then he sent message to the queen that "Why you have closed the door? I have come home." So messenger came and informed that "The king has come. So he is asking to open the door." The queen replied, "Who is king? Yasomanta Sena. No, no. Yasomanta Sena cannot come being defeated. Yasomanta Sena either he conquers the battle or he lays down his body there dead. So the man who has come, he must be somebody pretender. He is not King Yasomanta Sena." So she refused to open the door. This is the spirit of kṣatriya spirit.
People will be automatically enlightened. That is real human civilization. If the society, human society, does not at all adopt this system of social life, there cannot be any peace. Still, in India, although it is fallen so much, in the interior village you'll find the social divisions are maintained and they live very peacefully. Very peacefully. Those who have gone into the interior village, they have seen. And everyone can elevate himself to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Sva-karmaṇā tam abhyarcya (BG 18.46). It is not that because one is śūdra or one is gṛhastha, vānaprastha, he cannot. No. For Kṛṣṇa worship, for everyone the door is open. That is explained here. Even if you think that "If I take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, join this international movement, I will be deviating from my real duty." So that also you can do. What is your real duty? This is temporary duty. Suppose you are a very nice brāhmaṇa or nice kṣatriya, nice businessman, nice politician. Your career will be lost if you think, by joining this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, your career will be lost. Don't think like that. It is still profitable. Even if you give up whole career and simply join Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, then your life is success. That is being stressed. Svalpam apy asya dharmasya.
Now here, the yoga-sthaḥ kuru karmāṇi. In India there are many families still. At least in my family, when I was family man, I was also doing this, that the Deity, Lord Kṛṣṇa, the mūrti... Mūrti means Deity or the idol of Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, established in a room. That is called the God's room. The God's room. So our duty is to rise early in the morning and open the door of the God's room, offer Him some prayers and some kīrtana, and then cleanse the room and then begin our daily duty, take our breakfast and... The whole idea is that "The proprietor of this house is the Supreme Lord, and we are all workers." The whole idea is "The proprietor is the Supreme Lord, and we are all workers." Now, I am going to my office, to my work, to earn some money, because without money my household affairs cannot be run.
Prabhupāda: That door is open? People will see. The door is... Read.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Chapter Three: Karma-yoga. One: "Arjuna said: 'O Janārdana, O Keśava, why do You urge me to engage in this ghastly warfare if You think that intelligence is better than fruitive work (BG 3.1)?' "
Purport: "The Supreme Personality of Godhead Śrī Kṛṣṇa has very elaborately described the constitution of the soul in the previous chapter with a view to delivering His intimate friend Arjuna from the ocean of material grief. And the path of realization has been recommended: buddhi-yoga, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Sometimes this Kṛṣṇa consciousness is misunderstood to be inertia, and one with such a misunderstanding often withdraws to a secluded place to become fully Kṛṣṇa conscious..."
Prabhupāda: Yes. This is very important point. Sometimes it is thought that spiritual life means to retire from active life. That is general impression. People think that for cultivation of spiritual knowledge or self-realization they should go to some Himalayan caves or some secluded place. That is also recommended. But that sort of recommendation is meant for persons who are unable to engage themselves in activities of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Lord Kṛṣṇa is teaching Arjuna how one can remain in his position. Never mind whatever he is, still he can become perfectly in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the whole substance of the teachings of Lord Kṛṣṇa.
But so far this self-satisfaction stage is concerned, Śukadeva Gosvāmī is the ideal person. He was living naked, and in the early in the morning he would stand up in any householder's door. Because in India still, I think here also the system is there, those who have got private cows, they milk the cow early in the morning. Early in the morning if the cow is milked, it gives the proper quantity of milk. That is the system, before sunrise. So Śukadeva Gosvāmī and... The whole day's business was that he would go to a householder. Because in India still the system is a householder keeps at least, in the village, at least ten to twelve cows. But he hasn't got to pay anything for keeping these. The cows go to the pasturing ground and in the evening comes back. And some grass, dry grass which is by-product of the grains, that is offered to her, and instead of, in place she offers milk. So milk in the village, still it is available very easily, without any expenses.
Now Śukadeva Gosvāmī, because his whole day's business was just to stand before a householder's door because every householder milking. And people know that this swamiji or this sage has come to take some milk. "Oh Bābā, whatever you want you take." So what? Say one pound or less than one pound drinks and goes away. The whole day was finished business. So Śukadeva Gosvāmī was doing like that. He wouldn't go anywhere, and simply, early in the morning he would stand before a householder's door and take little milk and the whole day he would travel naked.
He has recommended that "Why you are anxious?" You, I mean to say, those who are in the renounced order of life, those who have left the world simply for self, spiritual realization... So Śukadeva Gosvāmī advises that "You, if you have actually left home for spiritual realization, then you haven't got any problem for maintaining your life. You have no problem." So he recommends, cīrāṇi kiṁ pathi na santi. "Well, I am naked." Of course, you do not wish to run on as naked. You require some cloth. All right, find out some cloth in the street.
It doesn't matter what it is. There is very nice example in Lord Caitanya's life, that He had His personal servitor Govinda. So after Lord Caitanya would take prasādam, then Govinda would take. So one day, Lord Caitanya, after taking prasādam, He laid down Himself on the threshold. What is called? Threshold? Door? Doorway. So Govinda crossed Him. Govinda used to massage His legs after, when He was taking rest. So Govinda crossed Lord Caitanya and massaged His legs. Then Lord Caitanya was sleeping, and, say, after half and hour, when He got, He saw, "Govinda, you have not taken your prasādam as yet?" "No, sir." "Why?" "I cannot cross You. You are lying down here." "Then how you came?" "I came across." "How you first of all came across, why not again crossing?" "That I came to serve You. And now I cannot cross You to take my prasādam. That is not my duty. That is for myself. And it is for You." So for Kṛṣṇa's pleasure you can become His enemy, you can become His friend, you can become anything. That is bhakti-yoga. Because your aim is how to please Kṛṣṇa. And as soon as the point comes, to please your senses, then you come to material world, immediately.
Transcendental knowledge. There are two kinds of knowledges: mundane knowledge and transcendental knowledge. Mundane knowledge means how to maintain this body, āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunam, to meet the demands of this body. What are the demands of this body? We require to eat something. Eating, sleeping. We require rest after working hard. After eating sumptuously, we require sleeping. Eating, sleeping, and during sleeping we sometimes dream, fearing, or without dream, fearing. So we take protection. While sleeping, we close our doors. So eating, sleeping, fearing, and mating—sense gratification. So to arrange for these necessities of life of the body, the knowledge that we require, that is called mundane knowledge.
Now, here Kṛṣṇa says that one who knows the Kṛṣṇa's transcendental birth and activities in truth, he gets free from this entanglement. He at once gets free from this entanglement. Now, here the word tattvataḥ is very important. This tattvataḥ is the science of Kṛṣṇa. Tattvataḥ, "in truth." Simply by knowing by historical facts that Kṛṣṇa is born in such and such date in such and such place in such and such family... He did such and such activities. No. One has to learn them in tattvataḥ, in truth. Then he becomes free from this bodily entanglement. (door slams) How it is closed?
The example is that the sun is equally distributing sunshine. Anyone can take advantage of it. But if somebody does not take advantage of it, if he closes his door and windows, if he wants to remain in darkness, then what sun can do? Similarly, Kṛṣṇa appears for everyone. Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). "You take shelter unto Me." But we shall not do that. Instead of Kṛṣṇa, we shall find out so many imitation Kṛṣṇa and take shelter of them. This is our fault. This is not Kṛṣṇa's partiality. Kṛṣṇa is open to everyone, but we shall go to some rascal, who will falsely declare himself, "I am incarnation of God, incarnation of Kṛṣṇa," and I'll go there. And how some magic. He does not want to see the magic of Kṛṣṇa. He wants to see some false magic of an imitation Kṛṣṇa. That is the fault.
So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, this system is being followed. We have got a very nice business. Spiritual Sky. We are making good profit, millions of dollars. Therefore our expenditure is going on. We sell our books and we sell our Spiritual Sky products. In this way, we meet not less than eight to ten lakhs of rupees expenditure per month, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. We are not idle; neither we allow anyone to become idle. It is not this business that go to the temple and ring the bell and close the door and go to smoke gāñjā. No, it is not like that. It is not like that.
Other yajñas, although they are prescribed... Because when Kṛṣṇa was speaking, He was speaking generally, but there are specific considerations. This yajña recommended in the Bhagavad-gītā, brahmārpaṇaṁ brahma, brahma havir brahmāgnau brahmaṇā hutam... Now, where is the fire and where is the clarified butter and where is the expert performer of yajña? The performer of yajña must be so much educated. There was a talk between Lord Caitanya and a Muhammadan magistrate. Because when Lord Caitanya appeared in Bengal, India was being governed by the Muhammadans, Pathans, in the fifteenth century, five hundred years before. Lord Caitanya appeared about 480 years before. So there was a talk between Lord Caitanya and the Muhammadan magistrate.
So just like... You will also learn that we are performing this kīrtana. Some tenant in this house, he has taken objection. And just to avoid misunderstanding, so I am closing this door. But it is becoming very too much discomfiture. That I can feel. People are not feeling comfortable.
Why we are putting our money in the bank? Because we have got faith. We have confidence that "This bank will not fail." Similarly, if we can keep our faith in an ordinary bank or a traveling agent, can we cannot keep our faith Kṛṣṇa, who is accepted as the Supreme Personality of Godhead by all other big authorities, even by Śaṅkarācārya, Rāmānujācārya, Lord Caitanya and all these. So we have to follow the footprints of great authorities. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186). He'll be situat... Just like we also follow others. Just like if I put some money in a bank, I see, "So many people are keeping their money. So I may also keep." So if Kṛṣṇa has been accepted as the supreme authority by so many big, big men, why should we not keep our faith in Kṛṣṇa? Or Jesus Christ? That's all right.
We must keep our faith, and faithfully we shall discharge our duties. And if you follow the principle the result is guaranteed. Thank you very much. Any questions? You can ask.
Why the door is closed? Come here. Eh?
Then Bali Mahārāja agreed, and by His two measurement of the palm, He covered the whole universe. Then He's asking, "Bali Mahārāja, now whatever you have got, you got, now it is finished by two feet, by two measurement of my palm. Now where I am going to keep My third, third one?" Then Bali Mahārāja understood that it is the favor of the Supreme Lord. He said, "My dear Lord, yes, I have now lost everything. I have no other property, but I have got my head. Please kindly keep on it." You see. So the Lord was very much pleased on him, and He offered, "Bali Mahārāja, then what do you want from Me?" "No, I never expected anything from You. I could understand You wanted from me everything; so I have offered my everything. That is finished. I don't want..." Then Lord says, "Yes, but from My side, I have got something to offer you. I shall remain as your order-carrier servant in your door." So He remained always... Just like we are sitting here, there may be some doorman, He, Lord became his doorman. So that is the return. If we offer something to Lord, oh, that is rewarded in many millions of times. So we should not expect.
So therefore it is our duty to understand Kṛṣṇa. What is the difficulty? Kṛṣṇa is personally..., God is personally explaining Himself, what He is, and if we accept that, then where is the difficulty to understand God? Why you are making so much research work to find out God? God is canvassing at your door, "Here I am. You try to understand Me. Here I am explaining Myself." "No, no, no. We shall find out God somewhere else." This is called mūḍha. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15). Narādhama means not even ordinary knowledge of a human being. Lowest of the mankind. We are searching out what is God, and God is canvassing here. We do not accept. Therefore narādhama. Why? Māyayāpahṛta-jñānāḥ, because their knowledge has been taken away by the illusory energy.
So for a devotee, there is no question of mukti. A devotee is already mukta. Why? Kṛṣṇa says ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi: (BG 18.66) "Immediately as soon as you surrender to Me, immediately I give you protection." You are awaiting some fruitive result of your past karma, that is bondage. You have to take birth and you have to serve according to that karma. Then from that position you are immediately liberated. Ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi... Then you are mukta. So if you remain in the position to serve Kṛṣṇa then you are always mukta. Muktiḥ mukulitāñjali sevate asmān. A great devotee, Bilvamaṅgala Ṭhākura, he said this muktiḥ mukulitāñjali, "With folded hands she is standing at my door, 'What can I do for you?' " Maidservant. So devotee is not after mukti, because they are already muktas. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170). He is already nirmala, without a tinge of material motive. Therefore he is able to serve Kṛṣṇa. Hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate.
Brahmānanda: The people are coming in and out of the door here. If we close the door, then...
Prabhupāda: Out of the door?
Brahmānanda: The front door is just here.
Prabhupāda: No, no. You can keep it open. Come here. There is so much place. Let them go. But children may not go. So just try to understand that I am thinking, "I am such big man," "I am minister," "I am president," "I am this," "I am Nārāyaṇa," up to the last stage, "I am Nārāyaṇa." But if we soberly think that "If I am Nārāyaṇa, then I must be the controller. I must be controller (of) everything, but why I am controlled by the toothache? As soon as there is some pain in the tooth, I voluntarily go to a dentist to be controlled by him. Then how I become Nārāyaṇa?" In this way, if one studies his life, whole, that, he'll find it that he's fully controlled by something more, fully controlled. And that control is of the material nature. Who can say that he is not controlled by the material nature? That is not possible. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). Material nature will oblige you. You are very nice, good-looking young man. Material nature will not allow you to remain as very good-looking young man. You must become old man. Your teeth must fall down. Your hairs must grow gray and you'll look ugly. Why? But he does not think. This is called ignorance, ajñāna.
Prabhupāda: That is already stated. There is no difficulty. Why do you ask this question? It is said, raso 'ham apsu kaunteya (BG 7.8), that "I am the taste of the water." So where is the difficulty? You take the taste of the water. There is taste, and Kṛṣṇa says, "I am that taste." So you understand that, that "This taste is Kṛṣṇa." Where is the difficulty? You do not know what is Kṛṣṇa, but Kṛṣṇa says "I am this taste." Why don't you accept it? Then you know Kṛṣṇa. According to your position, you understand Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says, "I am this." So take it, that taste of water... As soon as you drink water, "Oh, here is Kṛṣṇa." So you will... Smaraṇam. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇam (SB 7.5.23). Then you will at least memorize Kṛṣṇa. That will enlighten your spiritual life. Because you will say... You take... Just like I am taking water several times, and if each time I remember, "Here is the taste, Kṛṣṇa," then Hare Kṛṣṇa. Chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa, whatever you will be going.
Girl: Does Kṛṣṇa speak the Bhagavad-gītā in the hellish planets?
Prabhupāda: Hellish planet? It is hellish planet. (laughter) You are not thinking it is hellish? This is hellish planet. What do you mean by hellish planet? Especially this London, (laughter) always dark and moist, and what do you want more, hellish? (laughter) You have to close your door. You cannot go out. Then go to the mine and subway. That is hellish.
So it should be understood with all critical study. We don't request you to take it or accept it blindly. So śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇam. And pāda-sevanam. Pāda-sevanam means to rise early in the morning, open the door of temple and wipe it out, all the dust, and give some light. The pāda-sevanam. Arcanaṁ vandanam. Then there is foodstuff offered. It is cooked for Kṛṣṇa, and decorate with flower. So many things there are, arcana-vidhi. The Deity will look very nice, and you'll be pleased to see it. We, we want to see very beautiful things. When you see the beautiful Deity, the forms of Lord Kṛṣṇa, you'll forget to see anymore any other beauty. You see? These are the process, very nice, susukham. There is no trouble. Decorate with flower, with dress, with ornaments and see and hear and eat very... You offer very nice foodstuff to Kṛṣṇa and then partake it. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam arcanaṁ vandanam (SB 7.5.23). Vandanam means prayer. Of course, if you do not like, if you think, "This is Hindu system. We won't accept. We are Christian," all right, you go to church, sing there. You have got also songs of Bible. You can sing very nicely.
So materialists, they do not know where their advancement of material civilization will be perfect. They do not know that. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). That perfection will never come, but they are after that perfection, dismantling and building. And after fifty years they will dismantle this building and prepare another kind of building. That will be... At that time further material advancement will be there. So this is going on, gatāgatam. Gatāgatam means, what is called, stereotyped. Everyone is going. The exact Hindi word is variyagasan(?). They call variyagasan. Variyagasan means that the goats, the goats, the goat merchant, they are taking to the slaughterhouse, and they are going hither and thither. But if one goat enters the door, all the variyas, they will enter. You see? So because one has entered... But nobody will consider that he has entered the slaughterhouse. No. "One has entered; therefore let us enter all." This is advancement. "Oh, one has entered; therefore I must enter also. I do not care where I am entering. That I do not know." So this is going on, gatāgatam.
So he asked his disciple, "Don't promise any charity to Him. Because He is God, He will take your everything. Once you agree to offer something, then He will take yourself also." God is very intelligent. Once you engage yourself in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, there is no way out. You cannot go out. You cannot go out. He is so kind. As once you become sincerely a surrendered soul to Kṛṣṇa, then there is no way out. You have to be Kṛṣṇa conscious. You have to continue to be Kṛṣṇa conscious. You cannot do otherwise. So this guru, the so-called guru, he thought, "Oh, if Kṛṣṇa, the vāmana God, if He takes away everything from my disciple, then how I shall live? I am living at his cost, and if he becomes a beggar, then I also become beggar." So he was very cautious. He said, "Don't promise. Don't promise." "Why? He is a little boy. Let me give Him something." "No, no, He is not little boy. He is God." "Oh! He is God! Oh, then you ask me not to give Him? And you formerly taught me that everything should be given to God. Now God is at my door, and you ask me not to give? Oh, I reject you. I don't want you, a spiritual master like you." So any so-called spiritual master who is against God, he should be at once rejected just like Bali Mahārāja.
So this Bhagavad-gītā is being taught by the Supreme Personality of Godhead to Arjuna. He says again the same thing. He's repeating that yat te 'haṁ prīyamāṇāya vakṣyāmi hita-kāmyayā. "Because you are My dear friend, I desire that you become prosperous, you become happy. Therefore I am speaking to you." Do you think that Kṛṣṇa is not interested with others? To make them happy and prosperous? No. He's, He's equally disposed. He wants everyone to be happy and peaceful and prosperous. But they do not want it. That is the difficulty.
Just like the sunshine is open to everyone. Sunshine is not for any particular nation or particular country or particular person or community. It is open for everyone. But, if somebody wants to remain in darkness, closing his doors, do not come out, then what poor sunshine can do for him?
The same thing, this house. This house is a house. The next door is a karmī's house, and this house is a temple. What is the difference? The difference is: in this house everyone is engaged to fulfill Kṛṣṇa's desire, and the other house, everyone is engaged in fulfilling his own desire. Therefore it is temple, and that is house. Otherwise, from the external feature, where is the difference? The same stone, the same wood, the same plants, the same land, the same kitchen—everything is same, and the business is the same. But here the business is to satisfy Kṛṣṇa, and the other houses, the business is to satisfy one's own senses. That is the difference between kāma and prema. When you try to fulfill the desires of Kṛṣṇa, that is prema. And when you want to fulfill your own desires, that is called kāma. There is no other.
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
"He, anyone, who is engaged in pure devotional service, he is transcendental to all these three qualities of the material world, and he is situated in the Brahman platform." Liberation means to be situated on the Brahman platform. So for a bhakta, the liberation is already there. Śrīla Bilvamaṅgala Ṭhākura has said, muktiḥ svayaṁ mukulitāñjali sevate asmān: "We are devotees, so mukti, liberation, is standing on my door with folded hands, 'What can I do for you?' " So why a pure bhakta should desire after liberation? For a pure bhakta, the liberation is standing on the door as maidservant. So a devotee is not aspiring for liberation.
Just like in India, the Muhammadans, the Muhammadans who claim to be partitioned: Pakistan and Hindustan. There are number of Muhammadans, they protested that "India is going to be independent, but we do not wish to participate with the Hindus. We must be separate." Why? Because they have got a bad experience that the Hindus did not treat them very well. Did not... Even śūdra. In South India, it was the process, so bad process. If śūdra is passing on the street, he has to cry, "I am a śūdra passing on the street. Please close your door." The brāhmaṇas would close the door so that they may not even see a śūdra. Then everything will be spoiled, their food grains and everything. They will close. You see. Now the result is that South India, the Communists Communists means the so-called low-class people, śūdras and caṇḍālas, they are now in majority. They have formed a government that on principle, as soon as some brāhmaṇa comes for government service, he will reject. So the brāhmaṇas are now hiding themselves, that he is brāhmaṇa, because he cannot get any job. (laughter) This is the position.
Mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ (BG 9.13). Daivīṁ prakṛtim. Mahātmā, one who is broad-minded, or greater souls, they are under the control of daivī-prakṛti. Daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ. And what is the symptom? Bhajanty ananya-manasaḥ, they have no other motive than to render service to the Lord. That's all. This is the symptom of mahātmā. No motive. No gain, no exchange. Simply to serve the Lord. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam (Brs. 1.1.11). Any kind of desire, even liberation. No. But if one is pure devotee, liberation will be at his door. He, what he has got to ask for liberation? He's already liberated. He hasn't got to ask for liberation.
This is explained by Bilvamaṅgala Ṭhākura: muktiḥ svayaṁ mukulitāñjali sevate asmān. If one is pure devotee, then liberation is standing before the devotee with folded hands: "My dear sir, what can I do for you?" That is the position.
So then dharma—artha, money also we want. Arthasya dharmaikāntasya na kāmo lābhāya hi smṛtaḥ. We want money. That's all right. But not for satisfaction of our lusty desires. Money has got its use. Just like in our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement we get money also. But we are spending for spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Our need is very great. People will be surprised what we are expending per month. We have got more than one hundred branches all over the world, and each branch, there is expenditure... In Los Angeles, we spend twenty thousand dollars per month. In New York, we spend ten thousand per..., dollars per month. Or more than that. Similarly, on the average, we spend not less than ten thousand dollars per each branch. But we have got calculation. We, we are spending seventy thousand dollar, dollars per month. So Indian exchange means seven lakhs of rupees. So we need money. And we are getting money also. In Europe, in America, the process of getting money is not the, like here, that I go to any gentleman, "Give us some donation." That is not possible. You cannot enter even one's house without introduction. Then you are trespasser. If you enter anyone's house without permission, he can kill you. This is the law. And every door, there is signboard: "Beware of the dogs." So it is not possible to go and beg, "Sir, give us something." But fortunately, we have published books, about twenty books, four hundred pages each. And we are going on publishing. By Kṛṣṇa's grace, we are selling books, daily, twenty five thousand rupees. Therefore we are able to spend seven lakhs of rupees per month.
Devotee: Maybe next door.
Prabhupāda: Oh. So, and for others? Only the devotees entanglement of fruitive activities cut off, and what about the others? That is said, yas tv indra-gopam athavendram aho sva-karma.
Now there are living entities of different grades. There is one living entity, it is very small, microscopic bacteria. It's name is indra. Don't think that bacteria was unknown in the past. The bacteria's also were known. In the Vedic literatures they were known. So there is one... They have got different names. Not that simply they say "bacteria." So one bacteria is called indra-gopa. It is very small. It is to be seen by microscope. So Brahma-saṁhitā says that beginning from this indra, the indra-gopa bacteria, up to the Indra... Another Indra is, he is called the heavenly king. His name is also Indra. This bacteria is called indra-gopa, and the other Indra, who is king of the heaven, he is called Indra. So Brahma-saṁhitā says beginning from this Indra up to that Indra... Beginning from that bacteria up to the king of heaven, yas tv indra-gopam athavendram aho sva-karma, everyone is enjoying or suffering according to his own activities. Gopam aho sva-karma-bandhānurūpa-phala-bhājanam ātanoti (Bs. 5.54). Bandha, the same thing, nibandhanam. According to the knot of fruitive result, everyone is enjoying or suffering. Karmāṇi nirdahati kintu ca bhakti-bhājām. But one who is engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and devotional service, his karma-nibandhana is cut off. Karmāṇi chindanti.
"Feeling separation of Govinda." How? "One moment is equal to twelve years," yugāyitam. One yuga means twelve years. One moment appearing. Sometimes we have got experience, if we want to see something, it is called expectant psychology. I am expecting something, somebody, that my friend or my lover is coming. So on the door, if there is "koot," "Oh, you have come? No, no. He has not come." The one moment is twelve years. Such kind of separation, when we feel for Kṛṣṇa, that means all dirty things are over. And something for Kṛṣṇa, something for sense enjoyment, that means still the dirty things are there. But the more we engage our time, nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā, the dirty things becomes cleansed, gradually. Just like when you are hungry, you are given foodstuff, you eat. The more you eat, your hunger is satisfied. You feel strength, you feel satisfaction. Similarly, the more you advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, you feel comfortable, released from the material discomforts. In this way, naṣṭa-prāyeṣu. Gradual process.
So, on the whole, to understand the Absolute Truth, even brahma-darśanam, Absolute Truth, you have come to the light, not in the darkness. If you want to see the sun at least, then you have come to the sunshine. Not that in the dark room, closing your doors, you can see sunshine. You have to come out. Tamasi mā jyotir gama. Therefore the Vedic injunction is "Don't remain in the darkness. Come out to see the light." Just like in the morning, somebody is sleeping, closing his doors and windows tightly, and he's sleeping, snoring. Although it is ten o'clock, daytime, he thinks it is night going on. And he's enjoying sleeping. This is darkness. Rascal. And, those who are advanced, they rise early in the morning at four o'clock: "Now there will be sunshine. Prepare." That is the difference. The same human being: one is in the darkness, one is in the passion, and one is in the goodness. And if you come to the goodness, then you see, brahma-darśanam. You can understand what is Absolute Truth.
Śriyaiśvarya-prajā. (aside:) Stop that. Śrī means beauty, aiśvarya means riches, opulence, and praja means progeny, sons, grandsons, great-grandsons. In Bengal there is a proverb, nāti nāti sagye bhati(?): "If one can see grandson of the grandson, his life is successful." His door to heaven is open now. Nāti means grandson, and nāti's nāti, grandson. That means six generations. So people like this—good family and full of beautiful women and very good bank balance, motorcars—then life is successful. Śriyaiśvarya-prajepsavaḥ. But who are after this śriyaiśvarya-prajepsavaḥ? That is explained: rajas-tamaḥ-prakṛtayaḥ. Rajas-tamaḥ-prakṛtayaḥ, those who are influenced by the modes of passion and ignorance.
So sometimes in asura's family also, there are Vaiṣṇavas. By the grace of Nārada. Nārada makes... Just like Prahlāda Mahārāja became a great devotee by the grace of Nārada, although he was born of a father, atheist father, Hiraṇyakaśipu. So Nārada Muni's business is to travel all over the universe and make Vaiṣṇava. So this Bali Mahārāja, he conquered all over the universe, and the demigods were defeated. So Vāmanadeva, He also one of the considered demigods, Upendra. So He went to Bali Mahārāja by a trick. Because Bali Mahārāja... Kṛṣṇa knows that Bali Mahārāja was the grandson of Prahlāda Mahārāja and he was a great devotee at heart. He knew that. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). Lord is situated in everyone's heart. He knows everyone. So therefore, in order to return back the kingdoms taken from the demigods, He made a trick. He went there. Bali Mahārāja was performing a great sacrifice, Bali-dhare.(?) So He went there and asked Bali Mahārāja, "Bali Mahārāja, you are performing such a great sacrifice. I am at your door. I am brāhmaṇa. Will you kindly give Me some donation?" "Yes, why not? That is my... I will give you. Whatever You want, I will give You."
So the Bali Mahārāja was cheated by... But he, being cheated, he became conqueror. So this Śukrācārya said to Bali Mahārāja, "Don't promise to this Vāmana anything. He is Lord Viṣṇu. He has come to cheat you." Bali Mahārāja became more enlightened. "Oh, He is Lord Viṣṇu? But you have taught me that everything should be given to Viṣṇu. So if Viṣṇu has come at my door, why you are asking not to make any promise?" So that means Śukrācārya were playing duplicity. He taught something, and now he's saying another thing. Therefore Bali Mahārāja said that "I cannot accept. I give up your company from this day, that you are checking me to offer everything to Viṣṇu. Oh, I do not want such spiritual master"
So that means... That is the shastric injunction, that anyone who is not a Viṣṇu devotee, or Vaiṣṇava, he cannot become guru. That is the injunction of the śāstra. Ṣaṭ-karma-nipuṇo vipro mantra-tantra-viśāradaḥ. A brāhmaṇa, very learned, he knows his duties, brahminical duties very well... Just like Śukrācārya. Ṣaṭ-karma-nipuṇaḥ.
So in this age, Kali-yuga especially, demoniac, everything, demons, godless. Demon means godless. Indrāri. Demons means Indra, or indrasya ari. Ari means enemy. Indra is demigod. And his enemy, that is demon. Indrāri. Just like you are, when you go to preach Kṛṣṇa consciousness, you have got so many enemies. They do not act directly, but they are very much envious: "What these nonsense are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa?" You see? They want to disturb. Just like we have to close this door because the demons will disturb. You see? So demons means enemy of the demigods, enemy of the devotees. Those who are God conscious, those who are abiding by the orders of God, they're demigods. God. Demigods means they're also God, but subordinate to God. They don't say, "I am God. I am completely." No, a Vaiṣṇava will never say so. He knows that "I am eternal servant of God." Therefore demigod. Otherwise, their qualification is godly.
But he was not satisfied even after his presentation of the Vedānta-sūtra. He summarized all the Vedic knowledge in sūtra—Sūtra means codes—so people may take advantage. Just like there are business codes, Bentley's codes, Henry's codes. So one or two words will give impression of volumes of knowledge. Businessmen, they need it to save the expenditure on wiring, on telegraphing. Just like CIF. "Accept your offering. CIF." CIF means "cost including freight." That means goods will be delivered at your door. So similarly, there are many codes in business matter. In military arts there are so many codes. So Vedānta-sūtra means codes of all Vedic knowledge. Sūtra. Sūtra means codes.
We are devotees of Kṛṣṇa. Oh, mukti is standing on my door and just trying to, begging, 'May I serve you? May I serve you? What can I do for you? What can I do for you?" Muktiḥ mukulitāñjali means the folded hand. Mukti is serving us always in folded hands. We are not very much anxious for mukti, or liberation. Liberation is at our door. That means Kṛṣṇa... A bhakta, Kṛṣṇa devotee, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, is already liberated. Liberated is very... Just like if a person is M.A., that means he has already passed all other examinations. Muktiḥ mukulitāñjali... This Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so nice. Try to understand and preach. Just like Śrīdhara Mahārāja: varṇaya, smṛtya varṇaya ity arataḥ. Don't simply be satisfied that you are simply thinking, but try to preach. That will make your life sublime. (end)
So the godless creature means they are demons. That is described in the Bhāgavata. Āsuraṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ. Āsuri. Āsuri-bhāva means the attitude of a demon. "What is God? Oh, this is all nonsense. Who is God? I am God. Everyone is God. Oh, don't you see? So many Gods are loitering in the street. Why you are finding out another God?" These are the going on. Vivekananda said that "Why you are bothering yourself, finding out God? Don't you see, so many Gods are loitering in the street?" You see? So "God is loitering in the street, daridra-nārāyaṇa. God has become daridra, poor, and He has come to my door to beg. God is suffering. God is..." Like that. Lakṣmī-sahasra-śata-sambhrama-sevyamānam (Bs. 5.29). We read from Vedic literature that "God is being served by millions of goddesses of fortune"—and He has become daridra, poor. Wherefrom he got this language, where, how he applied, I do not know.
So suppose we are prosecuting this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Now death may come immediately. We all die. So Nārada Muni gives us encouragement that punar eva tato svedva:(?) "Either we die or sometimes we fall down..." Because māyā and Kṛṣṇa, side by side. "So it is all right. We are in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. But if we fall down." Vrase vā tadā sva-dharma tyāga nimitta narthāśraya:(?) "Then you have given up your all other duties. So for giving up your duty, there must be some punishment." I don't mean in this worldly punishment. Just like, according to Vedic system, there are brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas, for example. Just like Kṛṣṇa was advising Arjuna that "You are kṣatriya. So if you die in this fight, then your heavenly door is open." Because, according to śāstra, if a kṣatriya dies while fighting, then automatically he gets promotion in the heavenly planet. And if he goes away, giving up the fighting, then he goes to hell. So similarly, if one does not discharge his duties, prescribed duties, then he falls down. Nārada Muni says, "Even if he falls down, still, there is no loss. Even if he falls down, there is no loss." Sva-dharma tyāgena anartha syād asam kara tato bhajanam pated katancid vrasyed mriyate vā yadi tathāpi bhaktir asikasya karmaṇy adhikarad na.(?) Even there is such chance, that I may fall down or I may not be mature, still, Nārada Muni gives: "There is no question of hesitation. Accept it. Even if you think that you'll not be able to prosecute Kṛṣṇa consciousness in full, still, you accept it."
So he wanted to go there very quickly. So somehow or other he finished. And he wanted to go there. But on the road he found that it was very heavily raining and he had to cross the river. So he did everything. And he... The prostitute was... She thought that "Bilvamaṅgala is not coming today. It is very..., so much raining." So when she saw that Bilvamaṅgala is at the door, she was astonished. She said, "Bilvamaṅgala, how did you come here in this rainy, torrents of rainy...?" So he disclosed everything that how he catched one dead body in the river, then he crossed the river, then he jumped over the wall. So she was astonished, and she simply said, "Oh, this much affection if you would have with Kṛṣṇa, how you would have been... Your life would have been nice." Immediately it was... "Oh, Kṛṣṇa...?" Immediately, he left everything. Immediately he left everything and went to Vṛndāvana. He is... So Kṛṣṇa is so nice. Just at the right point He will remind. Yatate ca tataḥ. Here, in the Bhagavad-gītā, yatate ca tato bhūyaḥ saṁsiddhau kuru-nandana, pūrvābhyāsena. He was accustomed, so immediately reminded, immediately.
If anyone follows without any hesitation whatever the spiritual master says, naturally he becomes kind. Anyone will become kind. Why the spiritual master? Spiritual master is pledged to become kind, but anyone, if you follow, if you obey, then he becomes merciful: "This boy is very nice. He obeys orders. He serves very nicely." That is required. Cakruḥ kṛpāṁ yadyapi tulya-darśanāḥ. Tulya-darśanāḥ. Because saintly persons, they have no discrimination that "This man should be shown special favor." They have no such discrimination. They are merciful to everyone. Sama-darśinaḥ. Paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ (BG 5.18). So... But still, although they are equal to everyone, still, one who is very much inclined to render service, especially inclined. Therefore it is said, yadyapi tulya-darśanāḥ. It is not that saintly person is partial, showing somebody special favor and somebody no favor. No. They are open to everyone. Just like Kṛṣṇa, He's open to everyone. Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). It is not it is meant for only Arjuna. He's open to everyone. Just like sunlight. Sunlight is open to everyone. Everyone can enjoy sunlight. But if you keep your doors closed voluntarily, then what sun will do? Sun is tulya-darśanaḥ.
So this Aśvatthāmā was an aggressor. Therefore Arjuna decided to kill him. He is, although he's born in a brāhmaṇa family... Naturally a person born in a brāhmaṇa family is expected to become a brāhmaṇa by qualification. That was the training. The brahmacārī... Generally the sons of brāhmaṇa and kṣatriyas especially, these two sects, up to vaiśya, they were trained up as brahmacārīs. And śūdras were not interested. The door is open for everyone, but the lower class, except brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, they are not interested to become brahmacārī or their parents are not interested. Just like we are going to open this brahmacārī school, or āśrama, but I am doubtful whether we'll get many children. Because in this age people are interested to become śūdras. Nobody is interested to become brāhmaṇa. Technology. Technology means śūdra. Technology is not the business of a brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, or vaiśya. No. Just like blacksmith, goldsmith, carpenter, craftsman. These are technology.
So there is no impediment to approach Kṛṣṇa because you are a śūdra, or caṇḍāla or woman or vaiśya. No. Everyone can... That facility is there. Therefore our duty should be, "Never mind in whichever position I am posted. Let me satisfy Kṛṣṇa." It is not that... Suppose we are worshiping Deity. That is the duty of brāhmaṇa; but somebody is called that "You cleanse this floor." So he should not think that "I am cleansing the floor; therefore I am lower than the person directly worshiping the Deity." No. Kṛṣṇa's pleasure wanted. If Kṛṣṇa sees that by washing the floor you are doing very nicely, Kṛṣṇa is pleased: "Oh, you are nice." Similarly, one man is decorating Kṛṣṇa with garland and... If Kṛṣṇa is pleased, that is the main point. Not that because you are on the Deity room you are very elevated, and the other man who is cleansing the door, he is not elevated. No.
So the devotional service is so nice that—this example I have given many times—just like in front of your house there is small letterbox, a red letterbox, but if you put your letters within that box it will go ten thousand miles away. Therefore it is post office. It is not a box. It is post office. The post office has kindly come before your door for your convenience, so that you can put your letters there and it will go to the destination. Similarly, this arcā-vigraha, He is just like that. Although Kṛṣṇa is universal, still He has agreed to take your service. That will be accepted. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā,
- patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ
- yo me bhaktyā prayacchati
- tad ahaṁ (bhakty-upahṛtam)
- aśnāmi...
Kṛṣṇa says, "My devotee, with affection," yo me bhaktyā prayacchati. Kṛṣṇa is not hungry. Kṛṣṇa has not come to you for accepting your offering because He is hungry. No. He is not hungry. He is self-complete, and in the spiritual world He is served, lakṣmī-sahasra-śata-sambhrama-sevyamānam, He is served by hundreds and thousands of goddess of fortune. But Kṛṣṇa is so kind, because if you are seriously lover of Kṛṣṇa, He is here to accept your patraṁ puṣpam. Even you are the poorest of the poor, He will accept whatever you can collect—a little leaf, a little water, a little flower. Any part of the world, anybody can secure and offer to Kṛṣṇa. "Kṛṣṇa, I have nothing to offer You, I am very poor. Please accept this." Kṛṣṇa will accept. Kṛṣṇa says, tad aham aśnāmi, "I eat." So main thing is bhakti, affection, love.
So this liberation is open for everyone. Samaṁ carantam. Kṛṣṇa does not say that: "You come to Me. You become liberated." No. He's open for everyone. He says: sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). He speaks to everyone. Not that He's speaking to Arjuna only. He's speaking to everyone. Bhagavad-gītā is spoken not only for Arjuna. Arjuna is the, just like the target. But it is spoken for everyone, for all human beings. So one has to take advantage. Samaṁ carantam. He's not partial that: "You become..." Just like the sunshine. The sunshine is not partial that: "Here is a poor man, here is a low-class man, here is a hog. I shall not distribute my shining there." No. Sun is equal. One has to take advantage of it. The sunshine is there open, but if you close your door, if you want to keep yourself in airtight darkness, that is your business.
Yes. Therefore in the śāstra it is forbidden, that don't compare with Nārāyaṇa. Don't be on equal footing with Nārāyaṇa. It is not possible. But the rascals, big, big swamis, they are exclaiming that: daridra-nārāyaṇa. Nārāyaṇa has become daridra. Manufactured word. Where is this word daridra-nārāyaṇa in the śāstras? But they have manufactured. That Nārāyaṇa has become daridra and He has come to my door to beg. Nārāyaṇa is the master of Lakṣmī, sahasra-śata-lakṣmī, and He has now become daridra, poverty-stricken. These foolish things are going on.
This is sneha. Everyone is thinking. Even the lower animals, they are also thinking of giving protection to the children. I have got personal experience in Kanpur, I was sitting in my room, and one monkey was outside the door with his (her) kitty to take something out of my eating. But by chance the small kitty entered through the bars of the window within the room, and I saw the mother became almost mad immediately: "Oh, my son has gone inside, and it will not be allowed to come again." Anyway, I managed to push the small kitty to go away; then she was relieved. So this affection for children, for wife, for family members, increase, then to society, to country, even to the whole human society. There are so many persons. They have given their state (estate) for benefit of the whole human society. There are many, many philanthropists, charitably disposed men. They do that.
Ah, karma-samudbhavaḥ. If everyone is doing his duty nicely as a brāhmaṇa, as a kṣatriya, as a vaiśya or as a śūdra, then no..., there is no question of that you are do... Everyone has to do his work according to his capacity. Just like in ordinary life also, we do not see that everyone is able to do everything. No. There are certain class of men. If you want some help for repairing your electric wiring, you must call for an electrician, not a carpenter. But when you want to repair a door, you require a carpenter. That is Vedic division. Therefore there was caste system. Everyone... I have seen in India still. In you country also you'll find. The potters, during Diwali system, they make small dolls. So I have seen the potter's house. The children, five or ten years old, they are also making small dolls, small dolls. Because by tradition, by family, the father is making doll, the mother is making doll, and the children also learning. Similarly, the weaver, you will find. You supply the... Still there are this system. You supply. Gandhi wanted to introduce this system. You produce your thread and give to the weaver, and weaver will give you cloth. Why you are looking after this Manchester cloth? By this movement... (end)
Prabhupāda: So somebody of you can lecture on this verse. Who will do that? Anyone?
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa:
- nidrayā hriyate naktaṁ
- vyavāyena ca vā vayaḥ
- divā cārthehayā rājan
- kuṭumba-bharaṇena vā
- (SB 2.1.3)
Prabhupāda: So somebody's there? The door is closed? Somebody?
Satsvarūpa: They're sweeping.
Prabhupāda: Oh, that's all...
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: So it's described that such is the life of such envious householders. So in previous verses householders were described: gṛheṣu gṛha-medhinām. So these gṛhamedhis, they're described as being envious. And so this enviousness means that they do not accept that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Enjoyer. And because they do not accept this, they falsely think themselves to be the enjoyer. But this is not actually the position of the tiny living entities. The tiny living entities are described in Bhagavad-gītā as being parā-prakṛti.
Prabhupāda: Anyone else? Hm? You can speak.
So long you are not free... Just like the bird is kept into the cage. He's unhappy. He's unhappy. It may be golden cage. It doesn't matter. Similarly, we cannot be happy with this encagement. We must be free from the encagement. Freedom. That is called liberty, mukti. That is required. So the Māyāvādī philosophers, they do no know that "Suppose, even I get free, so where shall I go?" He thinks, "I shall be free in the sky." Just like impersonalism. Sky is impersonal. So if suppose a bird is given freedom, but he flies in the sky, will he be happy? No. That also he'll not be happy. Then he'll again think of that "It was better to remain in the cage. Now what is the value of my, this freedom? I'm not happy." And again go back to the cage. You will see in India. There is a bird, fiftil.(?) Fiftil. The man who keeps that bird in the cage, sometimes he takes it to the open field, and he opens the door, opens the door, and the bird walks, sometimes flies. He is given freedom. Then again the man: (makes coaxing sound:) ts-ts-ts-ts. He says like that, and the bird comes again within the cage. You'll see. If you have seen, those who are Indian. But he thinks that "I have been given freedom now. But where shall I go? Where shall I go? I have to eat." So he again comes back: "Better to live within this cage. Better to live within this cage."
Just like in this house, we are living. And (in) the next house, they are also living. So what is the difference? The difference is here, Kṛṣṇa is center. That's all. Therefore it is temple. And the next door, a house. That is the difference between house, ordinary house, and temple. There is no difference. It is also made of bricks and stones and wood, that is also made of bricks and stones. They are also live, they also cook, they also eat. Everything is the same, practical. But the difference is there is no Kṛṣṇa, here is Kṛṣṇa. That is the difference. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So when I walk on the street and go anywhere, I simply think how these nice bungalows, house, but still, they're not satisfied. It is "For Sale." Why? There is no Kṛṣṇa. Aprāṇasyeva dehasya maṇḍanaṁ loka-rañjanam. Just like a body, beautiful body, lying down on the street, dead. Nobody cares. Because the life is not there. The spirit soul is not there. Nobody cares. Similarly, bhagavad-bhakti-hīnasya jātiḥ śāstraṁ japas tapaḥ.
Once a person comes into contact with any one of the above-mentioned energies of the Lord through the proper channel of devotional service, the door of perfection is immediately opened. In the Bhagavad-gītā the Lord has explained such contact in the following words. 'Endeavors in devotional service are never baffled, nor is there failure. A slight beginning of such activities is sufficient even to deliver a person from the great ocean of material fears.' (BG 2.40) As a highly potent drug injected intravenously acts at once on the whole body, similarly, the transcendental topics of the Lord injected through the ear of the pure devotee of the Lord can act very efficiently. Aural realization of the transcendental messages implies total realization, just as fructification of one part of a tree implies fructification of all other parts. This realization for a moment in the association of pure devotees like Śukadeva Gosvāmī prepares one's complete life for eternity, and as such the sun fails to rob the pure devotee of his duration of life, in as much as he is constantly busy in the devotional service of the Lord, purifying his existence.
And we, being part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, we have got that independence quality. How it can be without? Then how we can be part and parcel? The same example—just like a drop of ocean water, it is also salty, the same ingredient. Similarly, we have got little independence. Just like you have taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness out of your independence. There are many other American boys and girls—they are not taking to it. It is not obligatory. But the door is open for everyone. One who is intelligent, he is taking to it. That is due to independence. And some of our boys are also falling back. After remaining few years, again he falls back, again into hodgepodge. You see, due to this misuse of independence. So because God has given us little independence, therefore there must be two departments: material and spiritual. Otherwise, there is nothing material. Everything is spiritual. Material is called māyā because those who are in poor fund of knowledge, they cannot see Kṛṣṇa's spiritual energy.
Prabhupāda: (aside:) Rotten. Gone bad.
Devotee: It's gone bad.
Pradyumna: "The four Vedas, namely Ṛk, Sāma, Yajur and Atharva, are present there personally to advise the Lord. The sixteen energies headed by Caṇḍa are all present there. Caṇḍa and Kumuda are the two first doorkeepers, and at the middle door there are the doorkeepers named Bhadra and Subhadra, and at the last door there are Jaya and Vijaya. There are other doorkeepers also, named Kumuda, Kumudākṣa, Puṇḍarīka, Vāmana, Śaṅkukarṇa, Sarvanetra, Sumukha, etc. The palace is well decorated and protected by the above-mentioned doorkeepers."
Prabhupāda: So everything in detail you'll find, the kingdom of God, the nature of that atmosphere, the devotees, the inhabitants. Everything is there clearly. So the festival today is murdered.(?) The festival? (sound of heavy rain in background?)
Sudāmā: I don't think it will take place because it is supposed to be held in a large park.
Śyāmasundara: It is very wet. Shall we go to Hawaii today?
Prabhupāda: Yes, why not? (laughter)
So this is our position. Kāmādīnāṁ kati na katidhā. And even... Just like this man who killed President Kennedy, he was also killed. So although he accepted to kill President, which he should not have done, but still, the man who paid him or engaged him, he was not satisfied. He also killed him. This is the position. Even if you do something abominable, still, the man for whom you are doing, he will not be satisfied. He can kill you. This is going on. This is the sense of service here in this world. Try to understand. Practically it is all bogus. But I give service because I am lusty; I am hungry; I want to satisfy my senses. Therefore I pose myself: "Oh, I will give you service. I will become prime minister, and I will give you so much service." He will canvass. But as soon as he goes to the post of prime minister, he will do nothing. You cannot see, if you want to see him. While taking votes he will come to your door, "Please give me vote." And when he is in the prime minister post, if you want to see him, "Oh, the prime minister is preoccupied. You cannot see him." So on the whole, simply sense gratification in the name of service.
Bhakti means spiritual activities. There is activity... It is not... The Māyāvādī philosophers, they think that "Stop material activities." Brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā. "Why you are engaged..." The Buddhist philosophy also, they say nirvāṇa, "Stop this material life." The Buddhist philosophers, they do not give more information. "We are suffering on account of this material combination." That is their philosophy. Because this body is nothing but combination of earth, water, fire, air, mind, intelligence and ego, so if you separate it, let the earth go to the earth, let water go to the water, let fire go to the fire, then you become zero. If you dismantle just like we dismantle some house, so there are so many things coming out. So let the doors be taken, somebody windows, somebody the bricks, somebody and..., rubbish somebody. Then there is no house, zero. This is called nirvāṇa theory. No more existence. We are suffering pains and pleasure... Pains. There is no pleasure. Pleasure means accepting another type of pain. I am suffering... Just like there is boil on your body. This is suffering. And to cure it, another suffering, surgical operation. So it is going on like that. Actually, there is no pleasure. There is only pain.
Nitāi: "Every learned man knows very well that attachment for the material is the greatest entanglement of the spirit soul. But that same attachment, when applied to the self-realized devotees, opens the door of liberation."
Prabhupāda:
- prasaṅgam ajaraṁ pāśam
- ātmanaḥ kavayo viduḥ
- sa eva sādhuṣu kṛto
- mokṣa-dvāram apāvṛtam
- (SB 3.25.20)
This is the definition of our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Consciousness is there. Living being means there must be consciousness. The consciousness... (sound of baby in background) (pause)
Devotee: Take away the girl.
Prabhupāda: Consciousness, when it is muddy or contaminated on account of intermingling with these modes of nature, we become more and more entangled.
Sādhu-saṅga. Here it is also recommended: sa eva sādhuṣu kṛtaḥ. Association, prasaṅga... Saṅgāt sañjāyate kāmaḥ. In the... (pause, sound of baby continuing) No... Saṅgāt sañjāyate kāmaḥ. As you associate with... Man is social animal, it is said. So according to your association, you can mold your character. If you associate with businessmen, then... They actually form so many associations to develop their business capacity. Practical. There is stock exchange association, this market association, that market association. There is club, association of the drunkards. So there are many association, and this association, different types of association, is the cause of bondage in that particular thing. Everyone knows it. Saṅgāt sañjāyate kāmaḥ. Similarly, if you transfer the association to the sādhu, then mokṣa-dvāram apāvṛtam, the door for liberation is open. If you associate with materialistic persons, then your bondage becomes more and more tightened, and if you associate with sādhu, or spiritualist, then your bondage becomes slackened, or the door of liberation becomes open. Mokṣa-dvāram apāvṛtam.
Therefore tad vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet (MU 1.2.12), if you want to learn about that then you must find out a guru. What kind of guru? Just like Kapiladeva, Kṛṣṇa, or His representative. Not a bogus guru. Then you will be cheated. Andhā yathāndair upanīyamānāḥ. The so-called rascal guru, he does not know also what is the aim of life, and if he makes some disciples then śāstra says, andhā yathāndair upanīyamānāḥ, one blind man is trying to guide many other blind men. So what is the benefit? There is no benefit. So if you want to be guided by somebody, he must have opened eyes. Tattva-darśinaḥ, upadekṣyanti tad jñānaṁ tad jñānī tattva-darśinaḥ. Darśana. Darśana means who have got eyes to see what is the absolute truth. Don't go to a blind man, who has no knowledge about the absolute truth. The absolute truth is there, Kṛṣṇa. The sun is there, everyone can see. Sun is not hiding but I am hiding. I am closing my door, how can I see sun? Come to the field, open to the sun and you will see sun. There is sun, there is light. Similarly God is there, Kṛṣṇa. You come to Kṛṣṇa. Take His lesson, Bhagavad-gītā, you will learn what is God.
This is the experience of Bilvamaṅgala Ṭhākura. He was a South Indian brāhmaṇa, very rich brāhmaṇa. But by bad association or something like that, he became a very staunch prostitute hunter. So he engaged all his income, money, everything, after one prostitute. Her name was Cintāmaṇi. So it is a very nice story. I am briefly describing. So one night... Every night he was to go to that prostitute, and one night it was very terribly raining. So the prostitute thought, "Now this night Bilvamaṅgala is not coming. It is terribly raining." But Bilvamaṅgala went there, crossing the river, and the door was closed. He jumped over the door catching a snake. In this way, very dangerously, he reached the prostitute's house. And the prostitute was astonished, that "How is this condition you could come here? Oh, you are so much attracted by this skin. If this much attraction you would have to Kṛṣṇa, how it would have been nice for you." So immediately he left the prostitute's house and went to Vṛndāvana.
But a devotee does not want any of these things, any of these things. He's not at all interested. Just like Bilvamaṅgala Ṭhākura, the other day I told you the story. He says that muktir mukulitāñjali sevate asmāt: "My Lord, if I am fixed up in devotional service, then what to speak of mukti. Mukti is just like my maidservant. She's standing on door, 'What can I do for you?' " Muktir mukulitāñjali. Añjali, just like folded hands, "Sir, what can I do for you?" That is the position. Why a devotee shall want mukti? No. He doesn't want anything. Simply he wants to serve Kṛṣṇa. That's all. He wants this facility, no other thing.
So by giving up Kṛṣṇa... We have now given up Kṛṣṇa. We are canvassing. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, we are canvassing everyone, every door, "Please come to Kṛṣṇa." This is our business. But they will not come. They have forgotten Kṛṣṇa or they have rejected Kṛṣṇa. This is the position. Therefore they are always in fearfulness position, always fearful. Bhayaṁ dvitīyābhiniveśataḥ syāt. This is certain(?). When there is fear? When one understands there is something else than Kṛṣṇa, then he is fearful. Then he is fearful. Dvitīyābhiniveśataḥ. Dvitīya means forgetfulness of Kṛṣṇa. "I am Kṛṣṇa's eternal servant. I am Kṛṣṇa's eternal part and parcel, son, or most intimate relationship." Ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā, Kṛṣṇa says. Sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya (BG 14.4), Kṛṣṇa says. There are so many forms of life, 8,400,000. But Kṛṣṇa claims ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā, "I am the seed-giving father of everyone." So where is Kṛṣṇa Hindu or Indian? Where it is stated? Why people take like that? That is not fact. Therefore they are in the fearful condition of life, always afraid, "What will happen next?" Sadā samudvigna-dhiyām asad-grahāt (SB 7.5.5). Asad-grahāt. People have taken something which is asat. The Vedic instruction is asato mā sad gama: "Don't remain in the asat, in the untruth. Come to the Truth." So at the material world we have forgotten Kṛṣṇa, and we are situated in the asat, which is not truth. Therefore there is bhaya, fearfulness. Just like a child, if he is forlorn by the father and mother, then he is always in fearful condition, crying on the street, "Where is my father? Where is my mother?" This is our position.
So this first expansion is Balarāma. And from Balarāma, then catur-vyūha, Vāsudeva, Saṅkarṣaṇa, Aniruddha... Pradyumna, Aniruddha. So the Saṅkarṣaṇa feature of the Supreme Personality of Godhead who is the controller of bhūtendriya-manomayam. These five elements, bhūta, indriya, and the ten senses, and the mind. They are, similarly... Saṅkarṣaṇa, Pradyumna, Aniruddha—they are different controlling Deities of the different functions of the mind, intelligence, ego. So saṅkarṣaṇākhyaṁ puruṣaṁ sahasra-śirasam anantam. Ananta. You will find the picture of Nārāyaṇa lying down on Ananta-śayana(?). That Ananta caturdaśī-vrata. As there is Nṛsiṁha caturdaśī... A Vaiṣṇava, they have got different functions of appearance and disappearance days of Vaiṣṇava and Viṣṇu. Āvirbhāva, tirobhāva. Just the rising sun and the setting sun. When the sun sets, it does not mean the sun is finished. Of course, some of the former theosophists and scientists, they used to think that this is..., at night the sun is dead. That is not fact. The sun is not visible to our limited eyes. Similarly, appearance and disappearance of incarnation of Godhead is like that. They are going on just like the, a horse is running in due course, but when it comes in front of your door or window, you can see. But that does not mean the running of horse is stopped when you cannot see. Similarly, these incarnation of Godhead, ananta, unlimited, they are from this sahasra-śirasam Ananta, Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu.
Now you know that in our institution there are so many European boys and girls. In their own country they are very, very much fond of newspaper. If there is no newspaper, they think life is horrible. But you won't find a piece of newspaper in our temple, because they have stopped talking all nonsense. Only this Bhagavad-gītā, Bhāgavata. This is called vacāṁsi vaikuṇṭha-guṇānuvarṇane. They are no more interested with this nonsense talking of the newspaper. Vacāṁsi vaikuṇṭha-guṇānuvarṇane. This is advancement of spiritual life. I have heard one story from a gentleman, how newspaper is important in Western country. We have seen also big, big bunch of newspaper thrown in every door. They subscribe. So one priest was preaching among the miners in Sheffield, where there are many coal mines, in England. So he was speaking that "You become devotee, followers of Jesus Christ," and in this way he's preaching Bible. So one of the miners, he never heard of Bible nor Jesus Christ. So he inquired, "What is his number?" That means he thought Christ may be one of the miners, and they have got specific number. So he said, "No, you are mistaking. Jesus Christ is Lord. He is not one of you, like worker, no. He's Lord. So if you don't appreciate him, don't worship him, then you will go to hell." Then another man asked, "What is hell?" And he described that "Hell is very dark. It is very moist," and so on. "There is no air there, no light, and..." So they are living always in the mine. There was no response, because they are habituated with this hellish life. (laughing) So the description of hell did not appeal. Then the priest was intelligent, said, "You know, there is no newspaper." Then they said, "Oh, horrible!" (laughter) "It is horrible."
You can close this door. So irresponsible government. It is not now—such things happened in long, long days ago also. That is the nature of this material world, that everything deteriorates. Whatever good thing you may prepare, in due course of time, it will deteriorate. That is the nature of material nature, that something is produced which in the beginning it goes on nicely, then gradually it deteriorates. Influence of time, and then vanish. So even in religious movement, if there is materialistic motive, then it will deteriorate. It will not stand. So beginning of religious life should be without any material motive. Pure devotion means anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ (Brs. 1.1.11), no material motive. Generally, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, people go to the temple and the churches or any religious..., synagogue, with a material motive.
So Mādhavendra Purī thought it that he was a great offender; he should not live in this temple, he should go outside. So he went outside, and underneath a tree he was chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, just to pass over the night, then proceed toward Jagannātha Purī. So at night the Deity, Gopīnātha, was asking the pūjārī, the priest, that "I have kept one pot of kṣīra behind My back garment," pitavastra(?) "So you take this pot of kṣīra, condensed milk, to Mādhavendra Purī—he is sitting underneath a tree—and offer him." So the pūjārī wake up, and actually when he opened the door of the Deity room, he found that pot of kṣīra. So he could understand that "This Mādhavendra Purī is not an ordinary devotee, he is a great devotee; otherwise how the Lord has stolen this pot for him?" Since then, that Gopīnātha is famous as Kṣīra-corā Gopīnātha. Kṣīra-corā Gopīnātha, the Gopīnātha who stole the kṣīra for His devotee.
Therefore one should be anxious to give some service to the saintly persons. Mahat-sevā dvāram. If you engage yourself how to serve a saintly person, then your door for going back to Godhead will gradually become open. Mahat-sevāṁ dvāram āhur vimuktes. This human body is a junction. You can go this way or you can go that way. This way means mahat-sevā, liberation. But people do not understand what is liberation. They are so dull. They have been... Their education system is so rubbish that they do not know what is liberation. Just like cats and dogs, they do not know what is liberation. Liberation means to get out of this false conditional life. I'm thinking I'm this body, which I'm not, and therefore I'm acting on the bodily concept of life and becoming entangled more and more so that I have to accept another body, another body, another body. This is my conditional state of life, and there is so much risk to accept another body. As it is said in the Bhagavad-gītā, tathā dehāntara-prāptir. You have to accept another body. And what kind of body I'm going to get, that I do not know. Now suppose if I get another body in the plant life, a tree. A tree can stand for thousands of years. And if we get that sort of life, how much risky it is to accept another body. It is also possible. Those who are performing big, big yajñas, charity, they can expect to be transferred to the heavenly planet. But those who are not doing anything, living like cats and dogs, oh, their life is very risky. Very risky. But they do not know. There is no such education. But here it is recommended, that, mahat-sevāṁ dvāram āhur. If you associate with saintly persons then there is possibility of your door being opened for liberation. Dvāram āhur vimuktes.
So these are all subject matter for my enjoyment, objectives. So tamo-dvāraṁ yoṣitāṁ saṅgi-saṅgam. Those who are attached only, the general public, they are attached to all these things. They are going to cinema, they are drinking wine, they are going to restaurant for satisfaction of the tongue, clubs, and talking, so many things. So those who are attached to all these things for sense gratification, if we associate with such persons, then our door for going to hell is open. Two doors. You have to make selection. Whether this door for becoming liberated from this entanglement of repetition of birth and death and go back to home, back to Godhead, this is one door. Another door, for sense gratification. Adānta-gobhir viśatāṁ tamisram (SB 7.5.30). The more we indulge in sense gratification, then more, more, more... Just like a drunkard. From the very beginning he's not a big drunkard. He takes little, then big, big bottles, big, big bottles. It is simply... Smoking, when the child learns from bad association to smoke, then he become a chain smoker, one after another, one after another, one after another.
So next point is how you can do this? How you can purify your existence? That instruction is that mahat-sevāṁ dvāram āhur vimukteḥ (SB 5.5.2). If you associate and serve mahat—mahat means the great, great personality—mahat-sevāṁ dvāram, then your door for purification will be open. Mahat-sevāṁ dvāram āhur vimuktes tamo-dvāram... And the opposite is, if you want to enter into the darkest region of ignorance, then you associate with persons who are simply meant for sense gratification. Two ways, this way or that way. If you want to approach to the perfectional point of purificatory birth, then you associate with mahat-sevā. Sevā means service. Service. Our whole process is service. This spiritual life can be attained simply by service, not by any other qualification. Therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā the last instruction is surrender. You cannot render service to a person unless you surrender. That is the first condition, mahat-sevā.
So mahat-sevāṁ dvāram, if you associate with great souls... Our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to produce some great souls. If people get opportunity to associate with great souls, then automatically his path of liberation will be open. Mahat-sevāṁ dvāram āhur vimukteḥ (SB 5.5.2). And tamo-dvāraṁ yoṣitāṁ saṅgi-saṅgam. And if you associate with persons who are simply interested in sense gratification, then you must know that your door for going into the darkest region of ignorance is open. Two doors: one door to the path of liberation, and one door to the path of darkest region of ignorance. That means material existence. You know, in the material existence... Just like we are also living entities, and the cockroaches are also living entities. Do you know where they are living? Within the commode there are many germs, many worms, they are also living entities. They're stool. There are worms in the stool. They're also living entities. So we can fall down up to that point even. Don't think that because we have got this beautiful body, nice situation, this is guarantee of any falldown. No. We can fall down any moment, in any species of life. There are 8,400,000 species of life. You should know it. And utilize this opportunity for opening the door of liberation. Mahat-sevāṁ dvāram āhur vimukteḥ (SB 5.5.2). And in order to reach to that door of liberation, you have to associate with persons who are devotees of Lord, mahat-sevā. Mahat-sevāṁ dvāram āhur vimuktes tamo-dvāraṁ yoṣitāṁ saṅgi-saṅgam. Yoṣitām. If I simply avoid, myself, the process of sense gratification, but if I associate with persons who are addicted to sense gratification, then that is also very dangerous. That is also very dangerous, because saṅgāt sañjāyate kāmaḥ—my desires and my propensities will develop according to the association I make. A man is known by his company.
So this Kṛṣṇa conscious movement, this opening of different centers, is meant for giving association to the people in general for opening the door of liberation. That is a fact. You try to understand by all your arguments, reason and logic. And inquiry. That is a fact, because we are presenting authorized thing. So my request is that you take advantage. You have got good opportunity. You take this advantage of opening the door of liberation and don't misuse your life simply for sense gratification like cats and dogs. Then the people of your country, of your society or your family, they'll be all benefited, and because other nations, they are also imitating your procedures, they'll be benefited. And at least if one percent of the whole population becomes Kṛṣṇa conscious, the whole world will be a different world. There will be..., uh... The world itself will become kingdom of God. Of course, we cannot expect that everyone will accept this philosophy, but we are trying. If some percentage of the population takes this movement seriously, the face of the world will be changed.
Now, in the next verse, how we can practice tapasya, that is recommended here. Mahat-sevām. Mahat sevāṁ dvāram āhur vimukteḥ (SB 5.5.2). Mahat, great soul. Mahat means great soul. Who is great soul? Mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ (BG 9.13). Great soul means who has taken shelter of the spiritual nature. He is great soul. There are two natures: spiritual nature and the material nature. We can understand material nature, this body, and the spiritual nature, the soul. And there are two things within our, this existence: matter and spirit. Similarly, there are two energies of God. One energy is called material energy, and the other is called spiritual energy. God is appreciated. We can understand God—there is God—by the presence of His energy, just like we can understand there is sun in the presence of the sunlight. Light is the energy of the sun. In the morning, as soon as you see through your door, open window, that there is now light, you can understand there is sunrise. So we can understand the existence of God by the presence of His energy. By the presence of His energy. Just like sun is appreciated by the presence of heat and light, similarly, whatever we see in this world There are two energies working: material energy and the spiritual energy. We can understand there is God. Otherwise wherefrom this energy is coming? As soon as we get heat and light, we understand there is the sun. Similarly, tathedam akhilaṁ jagat.
Fifty-six years they are advocating this philosophy, Comm... What they have done? Now they are going to hold conferences, how peace. Why not peace by your philosophy, this Communist philosophy? What you could not attain working fifty-seven years, now they will attain by holding another conference. Just see. Just see the rascaldom. They could not improve anything. The same fearful of other countries. I went to Moscow. There, all people are unhappy. Their economic condition is not very developed. Simply advertisement. I was talking with that Professor Kotovsky, I asked him, "Please call for a taxi." So he was sorry, he said, "Swamiji, it is Moscow. it is very difficult to get a taxi." Just see what is the condition of the country. Then he came down personally up to the door, and he showed me one short cut, "Swamiji, if you go like this, in this way, then you'll get to your hotel." Because he was disappointed to give me immediately a taxi. Now we can understand. Either there is no demand for taxi... People cannot pay for it. That is the fact. Or the government arrange such that everyone is poor man. There is no possibility of thriving in taxi business or getting taxi. This is practical, I have seen. And actually in no other city in Europe and America I have seen so many people walking on the street. We can study. Just like there is rice cooking. You take one grain of rice and press it. If it is soft, then you know that now the rice is prepared. So it is intelligence required.
Prabhupāda: But if you have got a stick they will not come. They are afraid of stick. The dogs also, they are afraid of stick. Therefore in such places one should carry in hand one stick. That is safe. After all, they are animals. They know that a man can strike with the stick very severely. They are afraid of that. In Vṛndāvana, in the beginning, I was eating, and a monkey entered very peacefully and took it, everything. (laughter) He took everything. I could not replace. I began running. Immediately caught also. They do like that. In Vṛndāvana you cannot open doors.
Haṁsadūta: Really?
Prabhupāda: Oh, yes.
Haṁsadūta: They come right in. They're so bold?
Prabhupāda: Huh? Yes.
Haṁsadūta: They're so bold?
Prabhupāda: Bold means they will come and they have no tactic. You are eating and they'll enter. Something he will take away. Therefore there are... Just like here, two sets of doors, one net, the railing door. So one door is closed, wooden; another is railing. So railing door must be closed always. Otherwise you cannot eat, you cannot live very peacefully. They may... Monkey will come.
Prabhupāda: Bold means they will come and they have no tactic. You are eating and they'll enter. Something he will take away. Therefore there are... Just like here, two sets of doors, one net, the railing door. So one door is closed, wooden; another is railing. So railing door must be closed always. Otherwise you cannot eat, you cannot live very peacefully. They may... Monkey will come.
Devotee: Acyutānanda said he was making capatis one day, and there was a little, a nail this thin especially to keep the monkeys out, holding the door closed. So he heard a sound outside and thought somebody was coming, and, sure enough, the nail was lifted to see, and a monkey popped in, got his capatis and ran.
Prabhupāda: Yes, they are very clever.
Himāvatī: But after all, they're human beings also.
Prabhupāda: Monkey is the last species of life before being promoted to the human being. There are three animals: monkey and cow, and tiger. Lion... Yes.
Haṁsadūta: When that promotion comes, Śrīla Prabhupāda, they are not immediately born into a society like American or...?
Prabhupāda: No, no. Uncivilized, just like aborigine.
So he became a dāsī-pati, Ajāmila, nāmnā, by the name. And what was the result? Naṣṭa-sadācāraḥ. Sadācāra means well behavior, gentleman's behavior. And ācāra. (sic:) Ācāryavān puruṣo veda. Ācāra. One who teaches ācāra, sadācāra, he is ācārya. Ācārya means one who teaches sadācāra. Just like in our society we teach, "No illicit sex." This is sadācāra. "No gambling. No drinking or intoxication." This is sadācāra, gentleman, how to become gentleman. If one is prostitute-hunter, drunkard, meat-eater, gambler, he's not even a gentleman, what to speak of becoming a devotee and philosopher? Impossible. Those who are addicted to these bad habits, in their hundreds and thousands of life they will never be able to understand what is God. The door is locked for them. So naṣṭa-sadācāra. As soon as you become illicit sex hunter, prostitute-hunter, addicted, then you will lose your sadācāra. All good behavior finished. Naṣṭa-sadācāra. Why? Dāsyāḥ saṁsarga-duṣitaḥ. On account of association with the prostitute, one will lose all his good qualities.
Only the rascals, they think, "We're enjoying." Everyone is suffering. This is a place for suffering. Duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15), Kṛṣṇa says, who has created this place. It is a place of suffering. Every moment you are suffering due to this body, due to the mind, due to the suffering imposed by other living entities. The mosquito will bite, the flies will disturb you, the bugs are there, and then the dogs will bark unnecessarily. You are passing, and his business is barking. Ha? "Bow! Bow! Bow!" (laughter) So this is also suffering. You don't like the next door the dog is barking. So in this way, if you are sober man, you don't want all this suffering, but it is imposed upon you. How do you think that you are living very happy? This is foolishness. It is not... This place, either ā-brahma-bhuvanāl lokān punar āvartino... Wherever you go, you read from the śāstra, the demigods, they're supposed to be very happy in the upper planetary systems—they are also not in happiness. There is fight between the demons and the demigods and so on, so on. The same politics, same (indistinct), the same..., so many things. Here in the small scale, just like two birds, they fight also. You've seen them. So their fighting you neglect. But your fighting—there is atom bomb. And similarly there is fighting in upper planets also.
Everything is said there. Teṣāṁ satata-yuktānām. Anyone who is twenty-four hours engaged in... How he is engaged? Bhajatām, simply for bhajana. Bhajana means worshiping, "How to worship Kṛṣṇa?" Satata-yuktānām, and twenty-four hours anxious, "How to serve Kṛṣṇa? How to serve Kṛṣṇa?" To become mad after Kṛṣṇa, such person... Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, śūnyāyitaṁ jagat sarvaṁ govinda-viraheṇa me: "I see everything vacant being separated from Govinda." This is called love. So, of course, it is not possible to come to that position like Caitanya Mahāprabhu. That is mahā-bhāva, mahā-bhāva. It is not for any human being to come to that stage. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu has shown how to become mad after Kṛṣṇa by His life when He was in Jagannātha Purī, Caitanya. At night He would go out and fall down on the sea or somewhere. Nobody knows. The door was closed, and still, He would get out and go, and, "Where is Kṛṣṇa? Where is Kṛṣṇa?" Then His assistants, secretaries, would go out and find out Him. So for eighteen years He was in that way in Jagannātha Purī. That is called mahā-bhāva.
This is God's pleasure. Ānanda-mayo 'bhyāsāt. Then that is God. Ānanda, that is ānanda. Here, Mother Yaśodā is going to bind Kṛṣṇa. It is not His displeasure; He is not unhappy. He is feeling happy. That is Kṛṣṇa. So in this way we have to understand Kṛṣṇa thoroughly. And if you simply understand thoroughly Kṛṣṇa, you are liberated. You are liberated. Janma karma ca me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ (BG 4.9). One may question that... They may neglect that "If Kṛṣṇa is God, why Mother Yaśodā is binding Him?" But he does not know that is a pleasure. That is a pleasure. There are many instances. I'll cite one instance that there was a big prime minister in England, Gladstone. Perhaps you have heard the name. Queen Victoria's prime minister. So somebody came to see him, and the servant informed him that "The prime minister is little busy. You wait." So he was waiting. One hour passed, and still no message. Then he opened the door. He wanted to see what the prime minister is doing. He saw that the prime minister has become a horse, and his grandchildren driving him. That is enjoyment. He is the prime minister but he has become a horse of his grandchild. (laughter).
So everywhere this is advised, ayaṁ deha: "You had many other bodies in your past lives' evolution. Now, this body," ayaṁ deha, nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke, "one who has got this human form of body," nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke kaṣṭān kāmān arhate viḍ-bhujām (SB 5.5.1), "don't engage yourself for simply for eating, sleeping, in very hard labor." Just like at the present moment huge, big, big industries, karma It is called ugra-karma. Ugra-karma means ferocious activities. Anyone who has gone into the factories, it is ferocious activities, unnecessarily economic development. So this is kaṣṭān, so much laboring. Even the animals, they do not undergo so much laboring. And a human being is engaged in so much laboring? Kaṣṭān kāmān. And what for, laboring, working? Now, kāmān, to sense gratify, that's all. This is the highest state. Whole day and night, night shift, day shift, and—who was telling? Upendra—that our next door neighbor, he wanted to sleep up to ten o'clock. So when they were, I mean to say, sweeping the floor he became disturbed because last night he had drunk and sense gratification, now, little disturbance, he cannot sleep. You are creating in this way entanglement, ajñaḥ, dehy ajñaḥ, on account of his ignorance. And this education system is keeping him more and more in ignorance. Mūḍha.
So how this man fell down, it is said, that ekadāsau... Dadarśa kāminam. Kāmina, kāminam. Kāminam means lusty. The lusty people, they do like that. They do not care for society, do not care for elderly persons, do not care that "People will not like this." In the road, in the street, in the sea beach—anywhere—in the cinema. These things are very advertised in cinema nowadays to attract people. You see? Formerly in India this was not, but they are gradually introducing all this nonsense to make people more lusty. And to become lusty means that he is going to hell. He is going to hell. Mahat-sevāṁ dvāram āhur vimuktes tamo-dvāraṁ yoṣitāṁ saṅgi-saṅgam (SB 5.5.2). If you want to open the door of your liberation, then you should engage yourself in serving the mahat, the devotees, a pure devotee. Mahat-sevāṁ dvāram āhur vimuktes tamo-dvāraṁ yoṣitāṁ saṅgi-saṅgam. Tamo-dvāram means the door for hellish condition of life. And if you want that, then you mix with yoṣitāṁ saṅgi-saṅgam. Those who are too much attached to women, you associate with them. These things are there in the śāstras. And practically it is said, dadarśa kāminaṁ kañcic chūdraṁ saha bhujiṣyayā, pītvā ca madhu maireyam. Not only he was engaged in embracing a prostitute, but the prostitute was drunk. Her eyes were moving by madhu. Wine is made from madhu, sugar, and still, all spirit is made from molasses. This is old system. This is very intoxicating. Rectified spirits, you know, doctor may know, this is made from molasses. Because we were in the chemical line we know.
Unconsciously, somebody gives poison. That is... Kṛṣṇa protects. But we should not imitate. Kṛṣṇa can eat any amount of poison. Even Kṛṣṇa's greatest devotee, Lord Śiva, he can also drink any amount of poison. But the rascals, fools, they think that "Lord Śiva smokes gāñjā and he can drink the ocean of poison. So let us also try to follow the footsteps of Lord Śiva by smoking gāñjā." They cannot follow the footsteps of Lord Śiva that he is the greatest devotee, always chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa. That is not their business, to follow. But they are very much eager to follow the footsteps of Lord Śiva for smoking gāñjā. But they do not know that Śiva, Lord Śiva, can drink an ocean of poison and he can keep it just here. He does not allow it go to the stomach. That is his power. He cannot... He does not allow the poison. Therefore His another name is Nīlakaṇṭha, Nīlakaṇṭha, Nīlakaṇṭha, because he keeps the poison here, kaṇṭha. It is called? Throat. Because he keeps the poison just on the door of the throat, he does not... That is Lord Śiva. Just like there are many fools who try to imitate Kṛṣṇa for performing the rāsa-līlā with women. But they cannot imitate Kṛṣṇa for killing Pūtanā, Aghāsura, Bakāsura, or lifting the Govardhana. That they do not follow. That is very difficult for them. The rascals, they take easily.
So for a devotee only, the door of God is open. For others, there is no possibility. Therefore, He's called durbodham. Durbodhaṁ yaṁ jñātvā. But somehow or other, if he can understand the principles of religion and God, then immediately he becomes immortal. Immortal means he's no more going to accept any material body. That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā:
- janma karma me divyaṁ
- yo jānāti tattvataḥ
- tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma
- naiti mām eti kaunteya
- (BG 4.9)
Anyone who can understand in truth, not ephemerally, substantially, if one understands what is Kṛṣṇa, how He appears, what are His activities, what is our relation—these things, when one understands, immediately he becomes liberated. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma (BG 4.9). Such person, giving up this body, no more comes into this material world. The same thing is herein: jñātvā. If one can understand what is religion and what is Kṛṣṇa, only by this understanding, jñātvā amṛtam aśnute. Amṛtam. Mṛtam means death. A means "none," "not," negation. So amṛtam aśnute: he drinks nectarine. The word nectarine, sudhā. You know there was fight between the demons and the demigods, who will drink the amṛta, the nectarine. Because by drinking nectarine one becomes immortal. So here it is said, amṛtam aśnute. As by drinking nectarine, one can become immortal, similarly, by drinking the nectarine of devotion, one becomes immortal. Therefore we have named the book Nectar of Devotion. You drink it and become immortal. That's all.
So Caitanya-caritāmṛta, the mokṣa-kāma Tara madhye mokṣa vāñchā. That is very inferior desire. And Śrīdhara Swami, he has commented on the Bhāgavata verse, atra mokṣa-vāñchā api nirasta. A devotee should not desire even for mokṣa. What is mokṣa? Mokṣa is very insignificant thing for a devotee. Bilvamaṅgala Ṭhākura has explained, muktiḥ mukulitāñjali sevate asmān. "Mukti, she is standing on my door and flattering me, 'Sir, what can I do for you?' " This is mukti. So why a devotee shall aspire about mukti? No.
- nārāyaṇa-parāḥ sarve
- na kutaścana bibhyati
- svargāpavarga-narakeṣv
- api tulyārtha-darśinaḥ
- (SB 6.17.28)
Just like Nārada Muni. He is going to the hellish planet also for preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So a devotee is not afraid of going anywhere for the service of the Lord. That is devotee. He has no personal desire, simply how to glorify. So this Prahlāda Mahārāja, he is our guru. Out of the twelve mahājanas, he is one of them. So he is advising, kaumāra ācaret prājño dharmān bhāgavatān iha (SB 7.6.1).
So this chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa is so important that you can think always that "Death is coming. Death is at my door. Let me finish my chanting. Let me finish my chanting." Always you should think like that, that "Death is already coming, so let me chant." So this is called bhāgavata-dharma, and Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means bhāgavata-dharma. So you read Prahlāda Mahārāja's instruction very nicely and utilize it in your life. Your life will be successful. Thank you very much.
Prabhupāda: When the Deity door is open?
Akṣayānanda: We are waiting, Śrīla Prabhupāda.
Prabhupāda: Why? Why you... No waiting.
Akṣayānanda: It's scheduled to open right now.
Prabhupāda: So why waiting?
Akṣayānanda: We're going to wait for your convenience.
Prabhupāda: Huh?
Akṣayānanda: For your convenience.
Prabhupāda: No, no. My convenience is not there. We can see later on.
Akṣayānanda: Very well.
Prabhupāda: But in time the Deity door must be open.
Akṣayānanda: We can keep schedule now.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Akśayānanda: She was standing at the doorway. She didn't go in.
Prabhupāda: No. So, why should we waste our time? Just see practically. We are asking people that "Don't waste your time. We are opening hundreds of centers. You come with us. Little prasādam you require. We shall supply. You chant Hare Kṛṣṇa." "No. No. I shall do the same thing, prayāsa, trying for this, trying for that, trying for something else, something else. No." Nobody is satisfied that "My life is meant for Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Here is a chance to develop Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Let me live here peacefully and let me eat the prasādam and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa." You'll will find no customer. This is māyā.
Today I shall recite before you the prayers offered by Prahlāda Mahārāja to Nṛsiṁha-deva. This Prahlāda Mahārāja was tortured by his father on account of his becoming a Kṛṣṇa conscious boy. The only fault was that... (aside:) What is that? The door may be open. The Prahlāda Mahārāja was a boy, five years old, youngest son of his father. Very affectionate son. But one day the father took the little boy on his lap and asked the boy, "My dear child, what you have learned the best from your teachers? Will you kindly explain?"
So the purpose of opening so many centers of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is to give chance to these forgotten men, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It is not a business. It is a charitable institution. It is hospital to cure the material disease. So unfortunately, people are not taking very much advantage, but those who are fortunate, ei rūpe brahmāṇḍa bhramite kono bhāgyavān jīva (CC Madhya 19.151). Bhāgyavān. So only the fortunate persons. As it is also expressed in the Bhagavad-gītā, yeṣām anta-gataṁ pāpam. One who is completely free from all sinful reaction, such person can take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. But the door is open for everyone. Everyone can come here and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. It is not difficult job. We distribute prasādam. So take advantage and be benefited in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Material mind has to be treated by spiritual medicine, then the material mind will be spiritual. Just the same example, that a man has got some bowel disturbance by drinking excessive milk, and the physician gives him another milk preparation, curd, and he is cured. Similarly, the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is just to treat the mind by Kṛṣṇa engagement. Then he becomes freed from material contamination. And actually it is happening. Those who are taking to this treatment, they are experiencing how it is happening. The door is closed? Why? Open. (kīrtana) (end)
Prahlāda Mahārāja will speak in later verses that śoce tato vimukha-cetasaḥ, māyā-suhkhāya bharam udvahato vimūḍhān. A Vaiṣṇava's concern is... He sees everything. Just like any common man can understand what kind of birth. Nānā yoni bhraman kare, kadarya bhakṣaṇa kare. Very peculiar arrangement of the māyā. We see sometimes in the airplane, even Indian, they're eating the intestine of the hog, enjoying. That is enjoying. There is a preparation called naphi in Burma. That preparation is made... Every householder has a big jug at the door, and any animal dies, he puts it in that. It is... The bad smell is so strong, if one opens, that whole neighborhood will be polluted, bad smell. So they keep it for some years, and when it is decomposed, the juice is coming, they strain the juice and keep it in bottle. That is called naphi. And when there is some festival, they give little, little, and people enjoy it. So, nānā yoni bhraman kare, kadarya bhakṣaṇa kare. When my Guru Mahārāja was alive, we had one temple, one of his, in Burma, in Rangoon. So when they were making puris with nice ghee, all the inhabitants will come, "Oh! What you are doing? What you are doing? (laughter) What you are doing? Intolerable. It is..." The flavor of ghee was intolerable, and the flavor of naphi is tolerable.
Either she becomes diseased or so many things, the husband and wife combined together for life. There was no question of divorce. There was no question of divorce, even they do not like each other, even they fight. Fight there must be, whenever there are two men or woman. That is individuality. Therefore Cāṇakya Paṇḍita says, dāmpatye kālahe caiva bambhārambhe laghu-kriya. Whenever there is fight between husband and wife, it should be neglected. The formula of Cāṇakya Paṇḍita is given like this: Aja-yuddhe. When the goats are fighting, as it is very insignificant... If you understand that in the door two goats are fighting, you don't care for it. You see, a goat fight. So aja-yuddhe muni-śraddhe. And some sages are performing śraddhā ceremony. Śraddhā ceremony means after the death of one's father and mother there is great ceremony and the son spends lots of money. The father spends lots of money during the marriage ceremony of the boy and the girl, and the boy spends lots of money after the death of the father and mother. That is the system, Hindu system. So aja-yuddhe muni-śraddhe. Muni-śraddhe means the muni is performing the śraddhā ceremony after the death of his father. Muni means he lives in the forest.
Nectar of Devotion Lectures
So this is pure bhakti. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ jñāna-karmādy... (CC Madhya 19.167). The, the, the gopīs, they're not jñānīs; they're ordinary village girls. What jñāna they have? No jñāna, no karma. They did not know what is karma, what is sacrifice. No. They did not know. (aside:) All right, you can close. Close this door. So we should, we should be prepared to sacrifice everything, without any consideration of jñāna, karma, yoga. No. We have to see whether Kṛṣṇa is satisfied. Svanuṣṭhitasya dharmasya saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam (SB 1.2.13). That is perfection. Saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam: whether Kṛṣṇa is satisfied. So people have no information what is Kṛṣṇa, and what to speak of satisfying Him. That... Who was speaking? That Girirāja. He was talking to Mr. Motta, every so-called learned scholars, they have no, I mean to say, idea what is God, what is Kṛṣṇa, and where to speak of satisfying Him? But the bhakti means that he, a bhakta, is always ready to sacrifice everything to satisfy Kṛṣṇa. But if one has no idea what is Kṛṣṇa, then where is bhakti? For the impersonalist, there cannot be any bhakti because they have no information of Kṛṣṇa. They do not know what is Kṛṣṇa. And bhakti means satisfaction of Kṛṣṇa. If I know the person, if I know what is his nature, then I can know also how to satisfy him. If you have no information of any person, then where is the question of satisfaction? Go on reading.
Devotee: Outside... Next door...
Prabhupāda: That's all right. No. Doesn't matter.
Devotee: Shut these doors.
Prabhupāda: Therefore we have to invoke our love for Kṛṣṇa. Then our loving propensities will be actually satisfied. Otherwise we'll be frustrated. Otherwise, we'll be frustrate... That is going on. We may admit or not admit, but this frustration of love affair is going on. So if we... That same thing we repose in Kṛṣṇa. If I want to love my son, if I accept Kṛṣṇa as my son... Just like Yaśodāmayī accepted. Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but by devotional service, He agrees to become a son. Just like Yaśodāmayī and Nanda Mahārāja, in their previous lives they underwent severe austerities, and their aim was that "We shall have a son like God, like Kṛṣṇa." So after their performance of austerities for many thousands of years, when Kṛṣṇa appeared before them, "What benediction you want?" so they proposed that "We want a son like You. Then we enter into family life. Otherwise not." So Kṛṣṇa said that "Why shall I get a son like Me? I shall become your son." This is the fact.
Śyāmasundara: I'm just closing it because the noise from outside is coming in.
Prabhupāda: Eh?
Śyāmasundara: Just closing the doors because the wind was blowing through them.
Prabhupāda: No, wind is coming from this side.
Others: No. No, from this side.
Prabhupāda: Oh.
Indian man: The door is half-closed.
Indian man (2): Yes, yes. Close it. One of you close it. That's better.
Prabhupāda: Hmm. So our relationship with Kṛṣṇa, or God, there are different rasas. These are the primary rasas. And there are secondary, indirect rasas. Just like Kaṁsa. Kaṁsa wants to kill Kṛṣṇa. That is also another rasa. So what are the rasas, indirect rasas? Just read.
Devotional service is not dependent on śubhāśubha-karma. It is simply dependent on the mercy of Kṛṣṇa and His devotees. Kṛṣṇa de... Sādhu. Guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpāya pāya bhakti-latā-bīja (CC Madhya 19.151). Guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpāya. Naiṣāṁ matis tāvad urukramāṅghriṁ (SB 7.5.32), mahīyasāṁ pāda-rajo-'bhiṣekam niṣkiñcanānāṁ na vṛṇīta yā... Unless we surrender to the lotus feet of a pure devotee, it is not possible to come to the platform of devotional service. That is the way. We cannot taste the honey within the bottle. The bottle must be opened by the expert. If you simply lick up the bottle, if we think, "Now we are tasting honey," that is not the proper way. We should get the bottle opened by the expert, and when we taste within the bottle, then actually... Similarly, devotional service, without being opened by the..., open, without the door being opened by the devotee, we cannot enter into the region. Guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpāya pāya bhakti-latā-bīja (CC Madhya 19.151). Therefore the process is, as recommended by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, ādau gurvāśrayam. You must select, you must accept the guru who's coming in paramparā system. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). Sampradāya. That is recommended.
Just like in the temple. Here, every business is in connection with Kṛṣṇa. Otherwise what is the difference between this house and the next door? There, Kṛṣṇa is not there. And this, just in this door, everything is Kṛṣṇa. That is the difference between ordinary house and temple. Ordinary house, they're also busy in purchasing things from the market, cooking them and eating very nicely, sufficiently. But according to śāstras, they're eating all sins. Ye pacanty ātma-kāraṇāt (BG 3.13). Bhuñjate te aghaṁ pāpam. The... In a temple, same business is going on—same marketing, same cooking, same eating, everything is going on—but in relationship with Kṛṣṇa. Where this relationship is there, always, Kṛṣṇa, then every house becomes a temple. That is required. We are simply setting example that how we can execute our daily affairs in connection with Kṛṣṇa. That is our propaganda. So every gṛhastha, every house, where is the difficulty? Everyone can install the Deity. All the family members can gather together, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, and read śāstras, as we are doing in this temple. But the present tendency is that we have..., they have got sufficient time to smoke, they have got sufficient time for playing cards, they have sufficient time for drinking, going to the cinema, going to the sports. But they have no time for developing Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is the difficulty. As soon as you talk of them, talk to them about Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they'll immediately say, "Sir, we have no time." And for other things, the paraphernalia of Kali-yuga, they have got enough time. They'll read newspapers, all full of rascal news. "One man has stolen, one man has kidnapped, one man has stabbed." These news, he'll very, with great interest he'll read. And as soon as we present Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, "Oh, this is not good." This is the position.
Prabhupāda: Now what is the argument against this? (aside:) Why don't you open this? All, open all fans.
Mādhavānanda: Just the, just...
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Maybe open the doors.
Prabhupāda: Open the doors. Open, fully open. Now we say simply by developing Kṛṣṇa consciousness every member in the society, human society, will be happy. This is our proposal. Now discuss on this point, whether actually people will be happy or unhappy. What is the counterargument? It should be understood by threadbare discussion, how Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement can make the whole society happy. This is the proposal. Now those who are not Kṛṣṇa conscious, what argument they will forward against this proposition? Yes.
Acyutānanda: Well, as you say, if everyone became Kṛṣṇa conscious, then how would the world go on?
Prabhupāda: Eh?
Acyutānanda: If everybody started chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, then how, how would we eat?
Revatīnandana: Who would run the factories?
Prabhupāda: So that means the world as it is going on, it is a necessity. Do you think like that? This world, as it is going on, fighting one another, killing one another, stealing one's property and... Do you think that this order of things must go on? Just like the..., it is a proposal when everyone becomes honest, how the prison house will go on? It will be stopped. That's a great anxiety. Do you think the prison house, there is necessity that it will go on? That answer was given by Caitanya Mahāprabhu that... Vāsudeva Datta proposed, "My dear Lord, You have come. You take all the sinful persons from this world. Let them be delivered, as You have personally come.
Bhavānanda: (reading) "The attention of a pure devotee is so much attracted to glorification of the pastimes, name, qualities, forms, and so forth of the Lord that the devotee does not care for mukti. Śrī Bilvamaṅgala Ṭhākura has said, 'If I am engaged in devotional service unto You, my dear Lord, then very easily can I perceive Your presence everywhere. And as far as liberation is concerned, I think liberation stands at my door with folded hands, waiting to serve me.' "
Prabhupāda: Yes. By chanting the mantra, Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12), gradually we become cleansed of all dirty things within our heart. Thus our mind becomes purified. And in the purified condition of the mind we can think of Kṛṣṇa rightly. In this way, Kṛṣṇa becomes practically dependent on the devotees. Kṛṣṇa is the master, controller of everything, but to the pure devotee He becomes dependent. So why the pure devotee will ask for anything else? Adurlabham ātma-bhaktau. For a devotee, Kṛṣṇa is within the palms of a devotee. Ajita, jito 'py asau. Although Kṛṣṇa is not conquerable, but He likes to be conquered by His devotee. That is the position. Just like He willingly placed Himself to be conquered by Mother Yaśodā, to be conquered by Rādhārāṇī, to be conquered by His friends. Kṛṣṇa became defeated and He has to take His friend on the shoulder. Practically sometimes we see that a king keeps a joker amongst his associates, and sometimes the joker insults the king, and the king enjoys. The joker sometimes... Just like there is a famous joker, Gopāla Bon, in Bengal. So one day the king asked him, "Gopāla, what is the difference between you and an ass?" So he immediately measured the distance from the king. He said, "It is three feet only, sir. The difference is only three feet." So everyone began to laugh. And the king enjoyed that insult. Because sometimes it is required.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures
So this life especially meant for athāto brahma jijñāsā. Simply to understand our spiritual identity, the Absolute Truth, that is the only business. But we are... We have got the intelligence more than the cats and dogs. They cannot inquire about the spiritual identity, and if we keep ourself in darkness without understanding our spiritual identity, then we are no better than the dogs and cats. Therefore he said, nīca jāti: "I have no information about the soul." Nīca jāti. Just like dogs. It is a class. So nīca. Of course, in your country dog is very pet. Now we are learning also, India, how to keep a dog and become aristocratic. (laughter) So now there is big, big dog show in New Delhi. But actually in India, although dog was not neglected, in a neighborhood, if there is a dog, people will give him food but not allow to enter into the house. He'll be not allowed. A dog is also trained up. They'll come to a door and sit down and move his tail: "Give me some food." And people will give. But he's not allowed to enter, the dog or caṇḍālas are not allowed.
So mukti is not difficult for a devotee. Bilvamaṅgala Ṭhākura has said, muktiḥ mukulitāñjali sevate asmān: "Oh, mukti? She is standing at my door with folded hands: 'What can I do for you?' " So the bhaktas, they do not care for mukti. They are already mukta. There is no need of separate endeavor for mukti. You simply accept this truth, that you are servant of Kṛṣṇa—immediately you are mukta, immediately. It doesn't require... It requires only one second to become mukta. It doesn't require... Just like Kṛṣṇa says in the Bha...,
- sarva-dharmān parityajya
- mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja
- ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo
- mokṣayiṣyāmi...
- (BG 18.66)
This is mukti. "You surrender unto Me, and immediately I save you." Sarva-pāpebhyo... Because we become entangled by our sinful activities... There are all sinful activities, that "I am independent. I can do whatever I like. I am as good as God. I am God," or "I am God. Where is the difference for me? I can do anything. There is no question of sinful activities." Some of the big, big swamis, they lecture like that, that "Why you are thinking of sinful activities? You are God. There is no sin for you." They are preaching like that, that "You have no sin." And it is very easy to think. That is māyā. Na māṁ prapadyante mūḍhāḥ (BG 7.15). Therefore these sinful persons who are thinking like that, that "I am God. I have no sinful activities. I am independent. I can do whatever I like," they have been described in the Bhagavad-gītā as duṣkṛtina, duṣkṛtina. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15).
Oh, there was no boat, and it was, river was waving. The waves were very furious. And he thought that "How can I go to the other side?" He was daily going to the other side of the river. Then, anyway, he swimmed over, crossed over by swimming. Then the prostitute thought, "Oh, it is today raining, and he may not come." So he (she) blocked the door and went to sleep. And when he came to the house he saw, "Oh, the door is blocked," and it was raining still. "So how can I go?" So he crossed over the wall by catching one snake. Just see how much intensely he was attached. And he went to the prostitute, and she was astonished: "Well, Bilvamaṅgala"—his name was Bilvamaṅgala—"how do you dare to come here like this?" Oh, he described, "Yes. I did this, I did this, I did this, I did this." Oh, the prostitute was astonished. Her name was Cintāmaṇi. So the prostitute said, "My dear Bilvamaṅgala, if you have got so intense love for me, oh, had it been for God, for Kṛṣṇa, how would have been, your life, sublime." Oh, that struck him: "Yes." He at once left and went away: "Yes, you are right."
Festival Lectures
Of course, how far it is true, that is to be judged by you, but I have read this information in a Christian book, Aquarian Gospel. So if we take this incidence that Lord Jesus Christ also went to Jagannātha temple, then from historical point of view it is two thousand years old. But it is, according to our calculation, it is more than three thousand years old. So this Indradyumna king, he asked Viśvakarma to carve the deity of Kṛṣṇa, Balarāma and Subhadra. And there was a time limit. Viśvakarma made an agreement that "Unless I finish the deity's carving very nicely, you cannot see me." So door was closed, and the king was very much anxious to see the temple is established very soon. So he forcibly opened the door, and he saw that the deities were half finished. The Deity Jagannātha as you see, it appears half finished. The king decided, "Never mind it is half finished. I shall install these deities in the temple." Since then, the three deities Jagannātha, Balarāma and Subhadra are being worshiped in India, Jagannātha Purī. Perhaps you know. And the car festival takes place every year, and millions of people go there to participate in that cart, car festival.
There is a railway station also of the name Kurukṣetra, and it is a vast field. The Battle of Kurukṣetra took place also during Lord Kṛṣṇa's time, and the Bhagavad-gītā is the product in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra. So this ceremony..., Kṛṣṇa, with His elder brother Balarāma and His younger sister Subhadrā, visited in this chariot at Kurukṣetra, and we are observing this festival. Formerly one king of the name Indradyumna, he started the temple of Jagannātha in Orissa at Purī. Perhaps some of you who have gone there, they know there is a very, very old temple, according to modern calculation, not less than two thousand years old. There is the Jagannātha Deity. The King was very much anxious to establish a temple of Kṛṣṇa, Balarāma and Subhadrā, but there was a contract between the sculptor and the King that the sculptor would go on working in closed door and the King should not disturb him. But when many days passed the King felt, "What this worker is doing?" So he forcefully opened the door, and he saw that the sculptor could not finish the Deity. So this form of Jagannātha, Kṛṣṇa, Balarāma and Subhadrā, was unfinished. They were going under construction, carving, but the King forcibly opened the door. Therefore the King said, "I shall worship this unfinished Deity. Never mind." So this Jagannātha you see in this form because King Indradyumna wanted to worship Him in that form.
So pravṛtti we have got, just like we have got tendency-cent percent person has it at the present moment—to smoke. This is pravṛtti. But we say don't smoke, nivṛtti. And if we drink, that is pravṛtti. Everyone, even the ant, he is also drunkard. They have scientifically studied, the ants are very much fond of intoxication; therefore they eat sugar. In sugar there is liquor, so the... Loke bhāvāya nisamadhya sevā nityasta yanto. Every living entity has got this tendency, bhāvāya. Bhāvāya means sex life; amīṣa, meat-eating; and mada, liquor. Natural tendency. Therefore the country where these things are indulged without any restriction, that is asura, the country of the asura. So especially in the Western countries, and now we have also learned. In India, either Hindus or Musselman, drinking was a sin. Now we have got very easily available liquor. Every door there is shop, and every door there is meat shop. So India, there was time that they were all devatās; now we are imitating the asuras. On the other hand, the boys and girls from the asuric country, they are becoming the devotee, devatā. So there is no exclusive right for a country to become devatā or demon. A demon can be turned into the devatā and devatā can be turned into demon, provided he does not follow this pravṛtti and nivṛtti, what is pravṛtti-mārga. Pravṛtti-sambhūtānāṁ nivṛtti tu mahābalam. That is life. "I want to smoke; I have got tendency to smoke," pravṛtti. This is pravṛtti; everyone has got. But if you can stop it, then your life is successful. Nivṛtti.
Yes. So somebody came to see him for an interview. So the servant informed the visitor that "The Prime Minister is now busy, you have to wait." So he was waiting. He was big man. So one hour passed. So he became inquisitive, so with little opening of the door, he wanted to see the how this man is engaged. I am waiting for one hour . So he saw that the Prime Minister has become a horse, taking his grandchild on the back, and he's playing like a horse. And the important visitor is waiting for one hour. So this is enjoyment. The Prime Minister is not the horse, but he is enjoying taking his grandchild on the back and he was playing like a horse and the grandchild was, "Hut! Hut! Hut! Hut!" This was his engagement. So similarly, because he has become the horse of his grandchild, he is not horse, he is enjoying. That is enjoyment. Similarly when keśava dhṛta-śūkara-rūpa or kesava dhṛta-varāha-rūpa does not mean that He is varāha, or He is crocodile, or He is something like... No. He's everything. But that is not by karma. When we become crocodile, that is karma, punishment. We are now human being. It may be next life I become a crocodile according to karma, be forced by the laws of nature. Just like in Honolulu, Hawaii, we see so many young boys, they are enjoying, they are surfing in the middle of the ocean, struggling. So our karma, if you are practiced to that way, then at the time of death I shall think of just, in the middle ocean, swimming and struggling, then Kṛṣṇa will give opportunity to become a aquatic. Very easily we can remain within the water. That is the laws of nature. Yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran loke tyajaty ante kalevaram (BG 8.6).
Prabhupāda: Jagannāthaḥ svāmī nayana-patha-gāmī bhavatu me. Howard, repeat this.
Hayagrīva: Jagannāthaḥ svāmī nayana-patha-gāmī bhavatu me.
Prabhupāda: Yes, this should be chanted. Jagannāthaḥ svāmī nayana-patha-gāmī bhavatu me. (pause)
Hayagrīva: Oh. Uh, "Lord of the universe, please be present before me." (pause-door opens and closes)
Prabhupāda: Oh, why he is going away? Ask him to come. (someone goes out) Please, please take prasāda. Give him first. (break) Human life is not for, I mean to say, playing, sense gratification. Very important life. So Kṛṣṇa says manuṣyāṇām. But they do not know. Foolish people, they do not know. They are simply wasting life in sense gratification. They are thinking, "By sense gratification we shall be happy." One day the cruel death will come, at once give him a slap: "Come on! Go! Finish your business. No more human life. Become a cat and dog." So these risks are there. So we should be very responsible. So we are not responsible. Kṛṣṇa says, "They are not responsible." Therefore manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu (BG 7.3). Out of many thousands of people, a person desires to utilize his human form of life very nicely. Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye. Kaścit means somebody tries to make his life perfect. And yatatām api siddhānām (BG 7.3). And among such millions of persons who are trying to make his perfect, one can understand Kṛṣṇa.
Now today this function of installing Deity, this is authorized. Just like several times I have given the example that when you put your mails in a box in the street, because it is written there U.S. Mail, you know that it is authorized box. And if you put your letters within this box, it will surely reach the destination. The post office will work. So there is no difference between the huge post office building and that small box because it is authorized. Similarly, the difference between idol worship and Deity worship is like that. Unless authorized process is accepted, it is idol worship. That is the general rule. If somebody thinks that "There is a box, red and blue, on the street. Why shall I go to that box? Let me have similar box at my door and it will be cleared by the postman because it is blue and red," that will not be so. Because the box which you put at your door, that is not authorized.
So Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so nice, it opens the door of highest perfectional platform for everyone provided he follows the rules and regulations. That's all. That is the only condition. Otherwise, if simply by imitating, if somebody thinks, "Oh, I can become a..." like that. "If such and such person can become, I can do..." No. That is warned by Rūpa Gosvāmī,
- śruti-smṛti-purāṇādi-
- pāñcarātrikī-vidhīṁ vinā
- aikāntikī harer bhaktir
- utpatayaiva kalpate
- (Brs. 1.2.101)
If we simply imitate, oh, that will not do. So do not try to imitate, follow the simple rules and regulations, it is very nice, and above all, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. You'll become purified. Without being purified you cannot touch Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. In the Vedas it is stated, "Without becoming Brahman you cannot approach Brahman." Just like without becoming fire you cannot approach fire. Because the inconsistency of temperature. It will burn.
So the Gosvāmīs, six Gosvāmīs, they picked up Lord Caitanya's eight verses and they wrote so many books. (door opens) The Gosvāmīs are coming. (laughs) Hare Kṛṣṇa. So these Gosvāmīs were chanting and dancing, kṛṣṇot-kīrtana-gāna-nartana-parau. So we are creating the descendants of Gosvāmīs here in the Western countries. You are also chanting and dancing, following the footprints of the Gosvāmīs, kṛṣṇotkīrtana-gāna-nartana-parau. And they were chanting and dancing, not dry. Premāmṛtāmbho-nidhi, dipped into the ocean of love of Kṛṣṇa. You cannot chant and dance for a long time unless you are dipped into the ocean of love of Kṛṣṇa. That is the specific qualification of the dancer and chanter. If you ask somebody to chant and dance for one hour, he'll get tired. But this chanting and dancing is so nice that these Gosvāmīs, they can go on chanting and dancing for twenty-four hours. Premāmṛtāmbho-nidhi. Because they were dipped into the ocean of love of Kṛṣṇa.
Arrival Addresses and Talks
Woman Guest: I wondered, are you sending them, or do you advocate sending them to secular schools, or have you made arrangements...?
Prabhupāda: No, no. We admit without application. There is no need of application. You'll please come and stay with us, that's all. Our door is open. We are rather appealing to the person, "Please come." In ordinary institution you have to put your application. When it is sanctioned, then you are admitted. We are canvassing, "Please come, please come, please come." Still they are not coming.
Woman Guest: That isn't exactly what I meant. I just wondered if you made arrangements with the government to...
Prabhupāda: Yes, we're trying for that.
Initiation Lectures
So let us begin our today's business. (to initiate:) So you come forward. Yes. Take little water, one glass and spoon. This is too big. All right, take it. You know how to do it? Take little water, one, two, three, then four. Do it like that. You chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (devotees chant japa) (Prabhupāda leads devotees in chanting oṁ apavitraḥ three times) Now again do that. Three times. Again chant. That door is closed? (break) The purport of this mantra is that if anyone is impure, apavitraḥ... Pavitraḥ means pure. Anyone, either he is pure or impure, it doesn't matter. Apavitraḥ pavitraḥ vā sarvāvasthām. In any condition of life, it doesn't matter. Pure or impure, there are two conditions. Someone is impure, someone is pure. So either way, namo apavitraḥ pavitro, sarvāvasthām, in any condition, yaḥ smaret puṇḍarīkākṣam. Anyone who remembers puṇḍarīkākṣam, means Viṣṇu or Kṛṣṇa... Yaḥ smaret puṇḍarīkākṣaṁ sa, that person, bahyābhyantaraṁ śuciḥ, he immediately becomes clean inside and outside. Śuciḥ, śuciḥ means clean or śuciḥ means brāhmaṇa. Brāhmaṇa means clean. You have got all threads, so you should always prove that you are always clean. Bahyābhyantaraṁ śuciḥ. Śrī viṣṇu śrī viṣṇu śrī viṣṇu. So this is remembering Viṣṇu. So simply by remembering Viṣṇu, if one becomes clean inside and outside, so by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, how much purified he is becoming in every moment or every second. It is so nice. There is no question if we always keep ourselves chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, so there is no chance of being contaminated by the influence of māyā. It is so nice.
So train the tongue. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau (Brs. 1.2.234), beginning from the tongue, you shall be able to purify all your senses. And as soon as your senses are purified, you'll see Kṛṣṇa, you'll understand what is Kṛṣṇa, what is His name, what is His form, what is His kingdom, everything will be. Svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ. You haven't got to endeavor. As soon as your senses are purified, Kṛṣṇa is present. Just like as soon as the night is over, the sun is present. You cannot search out sun in the darkness. You simply wait for the morning and the sun is at your door. Similarly, try to drive away the darkness, and Kṛṣṇa you'll see. You'll see, "Oh, Kṛṣṇa is not dead. He's so nice." So this initiation means beginning of purificatory process of the senses, and that beginning with the tongue. Very simple method. We are not asking you to show some gymnastic feats, or... No. Simply try to control your tongue. It is in your hand. And what is the means of controlling? Just engage chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa and take Kṛṣṇa prasāda. Some others will supply you nice prasādam. You see? It is very easy. Don't take anything which is not Kṛṣṇa prasādam and don't talk anything which is not Kṛṣṇa. Then you become liberated. Your path of liberation is open. Two things: don't talk anything except Kṛṣṇa, don't eat anything except Kṛṣṇa prasādam. Is it very difficult? All right.
So your spiritual name is Rāma-rañjana. Rāma-rañjana. Rāma... One who pleases Lord Rāma, Rāmarañjana. So by your activities you have to please Lord Rāmacandra. Yes. What was the business of Rāmacandra? To kill Rāvaṇas. (laughter) To kill all the atheists. That was the Rāmacandra's business, to kill Rāvaṇa. Rāvaṇa was a very powerful atheist, and he was working with the ten heads. Just like materialistic karmīs, they work very hard, and they have got good brain also for wording hard. So Rāvaṇa had ten heads. But the plan was to cheat Rāma. With all intelligence, with all brain, his only plan was how to cheat Rāma. That was his... He became a sannyāsī and he went to take some alms from Sītā. The purpose was to cheat, to enter. Because according to Vedic civilization, a sannyāsī has open door. He can even go inside. But that... He was the only sannyāsī at that time who tried to cheat. But this kind of sannyāsī or this kind of intelligent persons are killed by Rāma. They may make plan very nice to cheat Rāmacandra, but ultimately they become vanquished with all their planning commission.
Prabhupāda: Bimalā, Bimalā. Bimalā means spotless, where there is no dirty things. You know the rules and regulations? Yes. If you follow the rules and regulation, then there will be no dirt. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (devotees chant japa) Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12). Our, this process is simply to make the mind dirtyless. We are... Our mind is full of dirty things, so this chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa means ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam, cleansing the heart. And as soon as one is cleansed of the heart, that pure consciousness comes. Then he is liberated. Bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇam. All problems solved immediately. Due to misunderstanding of our position we have created so many dirty things. (doorbell rings) Hare Kṛṣṇa. Is there somebody?
Viṣṇujana: Door. (pause) Maṇḍaleśvara.
Prabhupāda: Maṇḍeleśvara. Maṇḍaleśvara means a leader, leader of a group. He is called maṇḍaleśvara. Not ordinary rogues' group but Vaiṣṇava group. Hare Kṛṣṇa. There are different kinds of groups.
Viṣṇujana: Naradevī.
Prabhupāda: Naradevī. Naradevī means queen, like Queen Victoria. Is that all right? (laughter-girl offers obeisances) Hare Kṛṣṇa. Queen Victoria was very popular in British Empire.
So any intelligent man, if he's actually has got sense, he should try for this. And especially in this human form of life, it is possible to achieve this benediction, that I can become immortal, I can become blissful, I can become full of knowledge-sac-cid-ānanda. Kṛṣṇa is sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha (Bs. 5.1), and if you become Kṛṣṇa conscious, then ultimately you also become exactly like Him, sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha. Vigraha means form, body, and sat means eternal, and cit means knowledge. Sat, cit, ānanda. Ānanda means blissfulness. So this body, however you may be... You may be American, you may be Englishman, you may be very rich man, you may be very poor man, you may be white man, you may be black man, whatever you may be, but this body is not sac-cid-ānanda. It is not eternal; it will end. It is full of ignorance. We do not know what will happen if I go just out of this door. Full of ignorance. We do not know what is happening beyond this wall. So... And always full of anxieties. Where is ānanda? There is no ānanda. So this body is not sac-cid-ānanda vigraha. But if you become Kṛṣṇa conscious and act accordingly, then you will, at the end, you'll get sac-cid-ānanda form. Your form is sac-cid-ānanda because you are part and parcel of sac-cid-ānanda, Kṛṣṇa. Mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūta (BG 15.7). "All living entities are My parts and parcels," Kṛṣṇa says.
Wedding Ceremonies
Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa. So this is very simple method: chant, dance, eat nicely, and realize God. First of all give to the audience, then... (devotees chanting japa) Why don't you collect something, door? Right side bride, left side bridegroom.
Jāhnavā: Right side bride. (wedding fire sacrifice begins)
Prabhupāda: Yes. That's all right.
Devotee: Your right side. (devotees chanting japa)
Prabhupāda: And who is going to be this grain ceremony?
Himāvatī: Dayal Nitāi?
Prabhupāda: Little, little. You have not learned your hand? Left-handed. Three times. Just see. You are old. You should learn it. One, two, three, four. That's all. One, two. You don't see? What I'll do? Come on. I'll show you again. One, two, three, four. Do it again.
General Lectures
The door is open? You can keep the door open. Yes. Īśvara... Just try to cite, recite this. (devotees repeat each word)
- īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ
- sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ
- anādir ādir govindaḥ
- sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam
- (Bs. 5.1)
(repeats twice) Now, some of you members have asked me to explain the meaning of this chanting, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. Now, this sound is transcendental sound, transcendental sound, incarnation, sound incarnation of the Absolute Truth. Just try to understand what is incarnation. Incarnation means... The Sanskrit word is avatāra, and that is translated into English as "incarnation." Of course, the root meaning of incarnation I cannot exactly explain to you, but the root meaning of the... (aside:) Somebody stop. Yes. The root meaning of avatāra is "which comes from the transcendental sky, the spiritual sky, to the material sky." That is called avatāra. Avataraṇa. Avataraṇa. Just like... Avataraṇa means "coming from up to down." That is called avatārana. And avatāra is understood that when God or His bona fide representative comes from that sky to this material plane, that is called avatāra.
So our, this sound representation of the Supreme Lord constantly will make us... Just like our association with the fire, the, I mean to say, iron rod's association with the fire makes the rod equally qualified, exactly—not equally qualified, but almost the quality of burning it gets—similarly, by our constant association with Lord... Lord is not only incarnation in a sound form. He is incarnated in many other forms, in many other forms. Just like arcā. Arcā means the form of the Lord situated, I mean to say, established in some temple and worshiped. That is also incarnation of God. That is not idol worship. People do not know that this is an authorized process of realizing God, or they have never tasted or practiced it. They cannot understand. They say it is idol worship. No. It is not idol worship. It is not idol worship. I'll give you one example. Just like in the front of your door there is a box—"U.S. Mail," it is written. And you put your letters within that box, and after few days you get reply from your friend that "I have received your letter, and this is such and such, such and such." Now, if somebody puts another box like that, exactly imitation: "Then why shall I spend postage to putting letters in this box, U.S. Mail? I require postage. But then why shall I not put up a box like that? Let me prepare a box like that so that it can go without postage. I want to save postage."
Similarly for woman, if I analyze the man's body, or woman's, what is there? Flesh and blood. But that flesh and blood is very attractive? That story, perhaps I have enunciated, that beauty was kept in a pot? Do you remember? Huh? I may repeat that story again, that one girl was very beautiful, and one boy was after him (her). But in India the boys and girls are not allowed to mix freely unless they are husband and wife. So this girl was married, but she was not very rich. But that boy was very rich and he was after her. He was always proposing her. And she became perplexed, that "He is rich man. If I don't agree, then he may do some harm to my husband, to me." So she made a plan that "All right. I agree to your proposal. You come to my house in such and such night. I'll be engaged with you." Oh, he was very... In the meantime, (s)he took some purgative pill, strong. So for six, seven days, she simply purged out all the beauty in vomiting and in passing stool. So those vomits and stools were kept in two pots. And naturally, if you pass stool for one day, your feature becomes immediately ugly. That is a fact. So she passed stool and vomiting seven days. Naturally, she became very ugly. So when the boy came, she was sitting there on the door. The boy was asking, "Where is such and such girl?" She said, "Yes, I am. I am here." "No, you are not her. Oh, she is so beautiful, and you are so ugly." "No, I am the same girl." "Why you have become so ugly?" "Because I have extracted my beauty.' "Where is that?" "Just see in these two pots." (laughter) "So if you like, you can enjoy this beauty." (laughter)
There are many nice stories... Of course, our time is very short. Still, I wish to narrate one short story, that one man, one boy, was attracted by a beautiful girl. So the girl does not agree, and the boy is persistent. So in India, of course, the girls, they keep their chastity very strict. So the girl was not agreeing. So she said, "All right, I agree. After one week you come." She appointed, "Such and such time, you come." So the boy was very glad. And the girl took some purgative throughout the seven days, and she was passing stool, day and night, and vomiting, and she kept all these vomits and stool in a nice pot. So when the appointed time came, the boy came, and the girl was sitting on the door. The boy inquired, "Where is that girl?" She said, "I am that girl." "No, no. You are not. You are so ugly. She was so beautiful. You are not that girl." "No, I am that girl, but I have now separated my beauty in a different pot." "What is that?" She showed: "This is the beauty, this stool and vomit. This is the ingredient." Actually anyone may be very robust or very beautiful—if he passes stool for three or four times, everything changes immediately.
He always feels for the sufferings of the humanity. That is their business. People think that they have taken relief from all social work. But a Vaiṣṇava is giving the best social service because he knows what is the cause of suffering, how people can be saved. Therefore he is suhṛdaḥ. Suhṛdaḥ means well-wisher friend. A Vaiṣṇava or spiritual master or a saintly person is suhṛdaḥ. Suhṛdaḥ means he is well-wisher friend. As Kṛṣṇa is suhṛdaḥ, He is the friend of all living entities... Suhṛdaḥ sarva-bhūtānām. In the Bhagavad-gītā you'll find. Similarly, a Vaiṣṇava, Kṛṣṇa's devotee, is also suhṛdaḥ. Suhṛdaḥ sarva-bhūtānām. Suhṛdaḥ. Sādhava. And sādhava means well-behaved. Sādhavaḥ. Sadācāra. His character is firm, without any spot. So these are the qualifications of sādhu, mahātmā, or spiritual master. Sama-cittāḥ, praśāntā, vimanyavaḥ, suhṛdaḥ, and sādhavaḥ.
So when one is in contact with such person, then the door of liberation is open. If one is in contact with a pure devotee of the Lord, it should be understood, if he follows his instruction, then it is sure and certain that he is going to Kṛṣṇa without any fail.
One of them was Rūpa Gosvāmī, one of them was Sanātana Gosvāmī, the chief of the Gosvāmīs. And He talked with also Rāmānanda Raya, another stalwart. He was also statesman, he was governor of Madras on behalf of the then king of Orissa, Mahārāja Pratāparudra. He was very powerful king. The Muhammadans, the Pathans, they practically conquered all over India, but they could not enter Orissa. He was very strong king and in those days Madras was under the Orissa government. So, another responsible officer.... (aside) Stop this. How it is happening? You can close these doors. So, he was another big officer, governor, he also joined Caitanya Mahāprabhu. And these two brothers, Rūpa Gosvāmī and Sanātana Gosvāmī, they were ministers in the government of Hussain Shah, they also joined. And Raghunātha dasa Gosvāmī he was also a big zamindar, landlord, so he also joined. And a big scholar, he also from Madras side, Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī. And Jīva Gosvāmī, he was also a very big scholar. He happened to be from Bengal. In this way six Gosvāmīs, they were immediate disciples of Lord Caitanya and Lord Caitanya's instruction to them..., directly gave instruction to Rūpa Gosvāmī and Sanātana Gosvāmī and Rāmānanda Raya. So one of the Gosvāmīs, Sanātana Gosvāmī, the Caitanya Mahāprabhu is instructing at Benares. So his proposition was that some people, my neighborhood people or my dependents, government officers, they call me as a learned scholar, paṇḍita.
First of all, we do not know that we are suffering in every step. Why we are using this fan? Because we are suffering. Because the excessive heat we cannot tolerate, suffering. Similarly, in the winter season this wind will be another suffering. We have closed the doors tightly so that air may not come. Now the air is counteracting suffering and in another season the same air will be suffering. So, the air is the cause of suffering and it is the so-called cause of happiness also. Actually we are simply suffering, that we do not know. But we get information from Lord Kṛṣṇa that this place is duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15). It is a place for miseries. You cannot expect any happiness. That is our foolishness. That is our foolishness. We are trying to adjust things to become happy, but we are so foolish that we do not know there cannot be any happiness. This is called ignorance. This is called ignorance. Therefore Bhāgavata says parābhavas tāvad abodha-jāta. Abodha-jāta, every one of us born foolish. And we are acting in different ways to become happy, but we do not know that every step we are being defeated. We are fighting with the stringent laws of nature, struggle, but we are happy by some complacent thoughts that we have become happy, we are advanced. We are happy. We are becoming educated, we are advanced in science. But Bhāgavata says, "No, you are not advancing, you are simply being defeated, because you do not know how to get happiness. You are not trying for real happiness."
Prabhupāda: So the window doors are open or not?
Devotee: Yes, they're open.
Prabhupāda: Then open... There are so many men. It must be... Ventilation must be there.
- ajñāna-timirāndhasya
- jñānāñjana-śalākayā
- cakṣur-unmīlitaṁ yena
- tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ
Ajñāna-timirāndhasya. Ajñāna means ignorance, darkness. Timi. Timi means darkness. So ajñāna-timirāndhasya: one who is in ignorance and in the darkness, such a person, every one of us... This material advancement of civilization is not knowledge. People may not agree with us, but actually this is the fact. This is ignorance. Suppose I have come here in your city. I have got some business. So if I forget my business and I become busy with my apartment, is that very sound knowledge? I have come here to execute some business. I have got my temple here. There are devotees. They want to see me. I want to see them. They want to take something, spiritual knowledge, from me, and my duty is to impart. This is the business.
So there, in the spiritual world, Kṛṣṇa's energy, everything there—variety, all variety. Here also, the varieties are there. That is expansion of Kṛṣṇa's material energy, and in the spiritual world the varieties are expansion of Kṛṣṇa's spiritual energy. Ānanda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhāvitābhis tābhir ya eva nija-rūpatayā kalā... Nija-rūpa, His own form, expansion. Goloka eva nivasati. Goloka Vṛndāvana. He is permanent resident there. Akhilātma-bhūto, but He is everywhere. Although situated in His own abode, Goloka Vṛndāvana, He can expand Himself. Because this material energy is also His energy, so from His energy He can manifest Himself anywhere. So here the Lord Kṛṣṇa and Rādhārāṇī, that is the same Kṛṣṇa and Rādhārāṇī who are in the Goloka Vṛndāvana. It is simply expansion to give us facility to accept our service. I think I have given many times this example. Just like in front of your door there is a mailbox. That mailbox, although it appears to be a small box, but it is post office. It is not different from post office. The practical example is that you place your letters within the box and it goes thousands and thousand miles away. Therefore it is post office. Don't think that it is different from the post office.
In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam the so-called cheating ways and cheating type of dharmas are kicked out, projjhita, thrown away. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is explaining what is real dharma as it is established by Kṛṣṇa, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). So according to dharma-śāstra, material dharma-śāstra, it is said, dharma artha kāma mokṣa (SB 4.8.41, Cc. Ādi 1.90), up to mokṣa. In this connection Śrīdhara Swami, the great commentator of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, he says, atra mokṣa-vāñchā api nirasta: "In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam there is no chance or opportunity for thinking of so-called liberation." The purpose is that if one fully surrenders to Kṛṣṇa, he immediately becomes liberated. The Bilvamaṅgala Ṭhākura, he says, muktiḥ mukulitāñjali sevate asmān. Why... For a devotee, why he should be anxious for mukti, because mukti is always standing on his door to give him service, mukulitāñjali-sevā, with folded hands. So a devotee hasn't got to endeavor separately for mukti. As soon as he is engaged in devotional service, mukti is already there. Just like if a person becomes rich man, automatically his poverty is gone away. So a rich man does not require to endeavor separately to drive away poverty. So therefore the central point is, Kṛṣṇa is advising here, "Just increase your āsakti, attachment, for Me. Then everything will come."
So if we want to go back to home, back to Godhead, then we must increase our attachment for Kṛṣṇa, and by that process we can understand Kṛṣṇa, what He is. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti (BG 18.55). Then our door to go back to home, back to Godhead is clear. The conclusion is, therefore, that we should take to the bhakti process as it is enunciated in authoritative śāstra, by Kṛṣṇa, by the ācāryas. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). That is the way, only, for our perfection of life.
Philosophy Discussions
Śyāmasundara: Your experience after you, your body finishes, your experience is passed on, so that everything that we see-doors, walls, bodies, minds—everything is made up of previous experience. So and so learned how to build a door this way, and it was passed on...
Prabhupāda: That previous experience of Kṛṣṇa. Just like I was sometimes thinking of Africa, I think. They have made their houses almost like India. I have see that this is the Indian style. I have told you that this is Indian style. So how the Africans got my Indian's experience or the Indian got the African experience? So actually, the Indians did not take experience from Africans, nor the Africans took the experience from the Indians. It is experience of the Supersoul.
Śyāmasundara: ...rather than vice versa. Also, to a certain extent the other way. If we change the environment, the consciousness changes.
Prabhupāda: It is the cause and effect. One is the cause of the other; other is the cause of the other. But actually it is the consciousness that requires to be changed—either by hearing from authority or by circumstances. There are two processes to achieve knowledge. This, in Bengali it is said, dekhe sekhara, teke sekhara. When one is actually in an awkward circumstances, that's a fact. So "This kind of way of life is not good. I have to change it." This is called tekhe sekhara. When he is actually in danger, he takes precautions of danger. But one who is intelligent, he understands by hearing that "If you do like that, then you will fall in danger." So that man is intelligent who learns by hearing from the authorities. And one who actually experienced the awkward position, and then he changes his consciousness... That is also one of the processes, but this is better. Therefore our process is to approach the bona fide teacher and learn from him everything. That is brahmacārī life. Not by practical experience. That is Vedic knowledge. The experience is already there. You simply hear and take it. Then it becomes easier. But if you expect that "First of all let me fall down into the ditch, then I shall cry..." Better man is, he takes advice, "Don't go there. You'll fall down in the ditch." Just like Kālidāsa. Kālidāsa was in the beginning he was a great fool. So he was cutting a tree, sitting on the branch. So some intelligent men was going around, "What you are doing, nonsense? You shall fall down." He didn't care, but cutting, he actually fell down. Then, "Oh, you are very intelligent! How did you say? How did you foretold?" Then they saw that he was a first-class fool. So "This boy should be taken to the king's daughter to become her husband." The girl was so intelligent that the challenge was that "Any man who will defeat me in argument, I shall marry." But she was so intelligent that nobody could defeat. So all the learned scholars, the father was asking, "Bring me an intelligent boy to marry her." So they did not find any intelligent boy. Whoever comes, he is defeated. So they decided "Now, because she is so determined to have a very nice husband, we shall make this boy her husband, this fool number one." So they took him there and instructed that "That girl..." and he will show his finger like this. "You'll show this." So he was a fool, so "All right, I'll do that." So when he was brought to the girl, the girl held up one finger and he showed two fingers, and then the all the paṇḍitas, "Oh, the answer is given him. Your girl says eka brahma, 'Brahman is one.' " And he immediately answered (indistinct), "There is no two Brahma. Brahman is one." The girl also thought, "Yes, this boy is a genius." So in this way this foolish man was made her husband, and at night, when she came to understand that he was fool number one, she kicked him and asked him, "Get out of my room." So he became very insulted: "My wife has kicked me. I am so fool. So I shall make suicide by drowning in the water." He was crying and remembering the goddess of learning, that "I am so foolish, my dear mother Sarasvatī. You did not favor me, so I shall kill myself." With great lamentation he was going to die. At that time, Sarasvatī became very kind and she appeared, "Kālidāsa, why you are drowning this way?" "My mother, this is my position. I have been insulted by my wife because I am a fool." "All right, from henceforward you shall be very learned." "Oh, but I do not know..." "No, whatever you say, it will be all right." He got this benediction from mother Sarasvatī. He came back, then he was knocking the door. The wife said, "Who are you?" He replied, hastigrati vada viśeṣaṇa (?), "Somebody who can speak very learnedly." Then whatever he was replying, he became, by the grace of Sarasvatī, he became highly learned scholarly speaking.
Śyāmasundara: That's right. A computer machine has a will also.
Prabhupāda: Will..., not will. It is so mechanically arranged, it is acting. Just like a tape is singing...
Śyāmasundara: Oh.
Prabhupāda: ...outside your door: "Prabhupāda is singing." But I am not singing.
Śyāmasundara: The computer doesn't...
Prabhupāda: I have made it to sing. The computer is not the ultimate. The real brain is the who has made it.
Śyāmasundara: The computer doesn't have a will, but it expresses the will of some man.
Prabhupāda: Yes. The mechanical arrangement is so nice by the brain of the manufacturer that is acting.
Śyāmasundara: I see. So he says that this will must continuously reincarnate...
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Hayagrīva: This is Carl Jung, Carl Gustav Jung. One interesting point is that the inscription above the door of Jung's house read, in Latin, "Summoned or not summoned, God will be there."
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Hayagrīva: And in his book, his autobiography, Memories, Dreams, Reflections, we find most of his thoughts about the, about theology and psychoanalysis. In that book he writes, "I find that all my thoughts circle around God like the planets around the sun and are as irresistibly attracted by Him. I would feel it to be the grossest sin if I were to oppose any resistance to this force." He sees all creatures as parts of God. He says, "Man cannot compare himself with any other creature. He is not a monkey, not a cow, not a tree. I am a man. But what is it to be that? Like every other being, I am a splinter of the infinite Deity."
Prabhupāda: Part and parcel. That is our theory. We are part and parcel of God. Like fire and the sparks.
Hayagrīva: He writes, "It was obedience which brought me grace. One must be utterly abandoned to God. Nothing matters but fulfilling His will. Otherwise all is folly and meaninglessness."
Prabhupāda: Very good. Surrender. Sarva-dharmān parityajya (BG 18.66). That is real life. Śaraṇāgati, to surrender to God, to accept things which is favorable to God, to reject things which are unfavorable to God, always maintaining conviction that "God will give me all protection," and remain humble and meek, and think oneself as one of the members of God's family—that is spiritual communism. As the Communist they think a member of a certain community, similarly a man's duty is to think always as member of God's family. The same idea I was speaking, that God is the supreme father, material nature is the mother, and anything, any living entity coming out of material nature, they are all sons of God. So practically we see that all living entities coming out, either from land or from water or from the air—everywhere there is living entity—so the material nature is the mother. There is no doubt about it. And we have got experience that mother cannot produce child without connection with the father. So this is absurd to think that without father a child can be born. That is foolishness. Father must be there, and that supreme father is God. This conception of a spiritual family is Kṛṣṇa consciousness, God consciousness.
Śyāmasundara: Ah, miscontrol.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Because you are responsible, as soon as you act irresponsibly something happens which you take as accident. It is miscontrol. It is not accident. The same thing, just like I am shaving with control, and as soon as I am inattentive, it may cut my cheek. But it is not accident. It is due to my inattention. Nothing is accident. I am responsible for shaving, but as soon as I become inattentive, my cheek is cut. That is not accident. That is due to my inattention. So there is nothing like accident.
Śyāmasundara: Even if I open the front door and something hits me on the head, falling on the head.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Inattention. We should be always very attentive. Therefore the military laws, first they say, "Attention!" As soon as there is no attention, you meet with so many so-called accidents.
Śyāmasundara: He says that man's nature is an indefinite state of freedom. There is no definite nature that a man has, that it is continually created as he...
Prabhupāda: That means he is eternal. He has to accept it that he is eternal.
Prabhupāda: They would be punished, but they don't care for punishment. Just like it says in the lawbook that if you steal, you'll be arrested, but they don't care for your lawbook, the thief. What can you do? That independence is already there. The lawbook says that if you commit theft you will be punished, and he is actually punished. But if he doesn't care for punishment, then what can you do? Punishment is already there.
Śyāmasundara: For instance, he gives an example that, let's say that in an institution there is lunch served for one hour between twelve and one, and at one o'clock the door is closed and locked, sharply. So automatically everyone who wants to come must come before one o'clock, otherwise they will be punished.
Prabhupāda: That's all right. If anyone prefers to starve, they may not come. That law will be not be obligatory to a person who prefers to starve.
Devotee: That isn't the point. The critics make difference. He says that free will can be essentially eliminated. He says you no longer have the choice to be agreeable or not agreeable.
Prabhupāda: No. That is not possible. That is another foolishness.
Śyāmasundara: So then he tries to describe what is this mind. The mind is emergent. It can rearrange things and create new things, arrange new things.
Prabhupāda: Mind creates some idea and again rejects it. It creates another idea. That is mind's business. He is not satisfied by creating something as final. Mind is creative. He creates something and he thinks, "Oh, this is not..." Just like you were making some doll (door?). You don't like it. Again you break it. Then again do it nicely, "Oh, it is not right." Then again break it. That is mind's business.
Śyāmasundara: Accepts and rejects.
Prabhupāda: Reject.
Śyāmasundara: He says that the mind has two functions also, but he describes them slightly different. He says that first one is contemplation, that is perceiving the qualities of an object. And this is a, it's called a neurological activity. In other words, when the nerve endings in the body react with the qualities of an object. If an object is red, my nerve ending perceives that it is red. This is the object.
Prabhupāda: Just like if there is a tamarind, immediately there is saliva in my tongue.
| Page Title: | Door (Lectures) |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, Mayapur |
| Created: | 23 of Feb, 2012 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=142, Con=0, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 142 |