I am spiritual. I am spiritual, ahaṁ brahmāsmi. But because I wanted to lord it over the material nature, Kṛṣṇa has given me this body. Daiva-netreṇa (SB 3.31.1). He is giving you body. He is giving the body of Brahmā, He is giving you the body of ant. As you desire. As you desire. If you want the body of a tiger, Kṛṣṇa will give you. If you want the body of a hog, He will give you. If you want the body of Brahmā, He will give you. If you want the body of a demigod, He will give you. If you want the body of American, He will give you. Englishman, He will give you. Indian, He will give you. That is Kṛṣṇa. He is so kind. Ye yathā māṁ prapadyante tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham (BG 4.11). Kṛṣṇa is very kind. Just like a son disobedient to the father, but he wants to enjoy something. Still, father giving him, "All right, you take money, and enjoy." Father is so kind. "You become free. Whatever you like, you can do. You take some money." This is our concession.
Englishmen (Lectures)
Expressions researched:
"english man"
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|"englishman"
|"englishman's"
|"englishmen"
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Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
A devotee will never accept. Ahiṁśa. Ahiṁśa. That is the third quality. Amānitvam adambhitvaṁ ahiṁśā kṣāntir ārjavam (BG 13.8). These are... Everything is there in the Bhagavad-gītā. Amānitvam. Amānitvam means to accept this body as "I am." This is amānitvam, er, not to accept. That is amānitvam. Everyone is proud that "I am Indian," "I am American," "I am Englishman." So it is boastful, very proud of this body. So knowledge means "I am not this body. I am not this body." That is amānitvam. Adambhitvam. As soon as we become aware that "I am not this body," then my false pride immediately goes. Amānitvam adambhitvam ahiṁśā. Then ahiṁśā, nonviolence. Ārjavam, simplicity. There are eighteen qualifications of the demigods. So one who becomes a devotee of Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa conscious, these, all these good qualities develop. So here is the proof, that Arjuna, because he is a devotee of Kṛṣṇa, he is considering, "Whether I shall kill them or not?" Ahiṁsā. It is consideration, not that it is final settlement.
Just like people have insurance policy to get some money. So that money is received after death, not during life. Sometimes during life also. So my point is that so long we are living, we are in ignorance. We do not know "What is my father, what is my brother, what I am." But everyone is under the impression, "This body is my father, this body is my child, this body is my wife." This is called ignorance. If you study the whole world, during living time everyone will say that "I am Englishman," "I am Indian," "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim." But if you ask him, "Actually are you so?" That... Because this body is Hindu, Muslim, or Christian, because by accident the body is produced in a society of Hindu, Muslim, or the body is born in a particular country, therefore we say, "I am Indian, "I am European," "I am this," "I am that." But when the body is dead, at that time we say, "No, no, the person which was within the body, that is gone. It is a different thing."
Just like we had experience... I think in the First World War none of you had seen because you were all young men. And we were child. When the First World War was declared, we were all boys, schoolchildren. My age was at that time fourteen years old, in 1914, when there was fight declared between Germany and Belgium. So that was the First World War. Then Second World War was in 1939. That was also German and Englishmen, like that. But actually, this was also World War, this Battlefield of Kurukṣetra, because all the kings of the world, they joined either this party or that party. So there were a great assembly of all worldly kings. Now, Kṛṣṇa says that "Either Myself, either yourself, or these persons who have assembled here, they are individual. They were individuals in the past, they are now individuals, and they will continue to be individual even after annihilation of this body." Now, how you'll adjust? There are two theories, that after liberation all these souls, they become one. Just like all drops of water, if you put into the sea, they become one entity. There is no distinction.
So we civilized human beings—never mind American or Indian or German or Englishman, it doesn't matter—we are very few. So we have got economic problems. We are trying for developing our economic condition. What is that economic condition? Eating, sleeping, mating, and defending. We are busy always, but the animals are also busy for eating, sleeping, mating, and defending, but they have no problem. We have got problems. So just try to understand, if the major portion of the living entities have no problem... Their necessities of life are being supplied by the supreme eternal, God. Just like an elephant. There are millions of elephants in African jungle. They eat at a time fifty kilos. But they're getting their food. Similarly, a small ant, it requires a grain of sugar. So he's also getting his food. So the supreme eternal has arranged food, or the economic problems are solved by nature. They do not do any business, they do not go to school or colleges to learn technology, to earn livelihood, but they are being supplied. They are healthy. There is no disease.
Therefore I say repeatedly... I am saying again that you Western people, Western boys, Western girls, or Western people, you are given very good chance by nature. Therefore, once upon a time the whole European people were dominating all over the world because they're very intelligent. So they have got good intelligence, good resources, good, nice body, beautiful body. Everything is very good. But don't spoil it; utilize it for understanding further good. Don't spoil it simply behaving like cats and dogs. That is our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means that you are misled and simply bodily conscious of life. Therefore fight. Germany's fighting Englishman. Englishman is fighting in France. France is fighting. Why this fighting? If you know that "I am not this body. I am spirit soul. Why I am falsely identifying myself with the land?" "I am, I am, I am a German because I am born in this land of Germany." That is also false. No land is Germany or France or England. Land is land. You have falsely named it: "This is Germany." What is the Germany? Say, two hundred years or three hundred years, there was no Germany. Just like America. There was no America. The land was there, but the name was not there. So you have, some Europeans, they have colonized. They accept: "It is America. It is..." So this is all designation.
Actual, the fact is the land belongs not to you, not to the Germans, not to the Englishman, not to the American, but it belongs to God. The land was created by God. So it is God's property. Where is the difficulty to understand? You did not create anything. You did not create even your own body. That proprietor is also Kṛṣṇa. Because as soon as Kṛṣṇa asks you, "Please vacate," you must vacate immediately. Can you remain in this body? The proprietor asks you to vacate somehow or other. You have to vacate. Or the proprietor does not repair it. Then you voluntarily vacate, that "This is not to be, no more useful." This is law, going on. And that is... How nicely it is explained. Dehinaḥ asmin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā, tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). As we have changed so many different types of body even in this duration of life... Now, how this change is taking place, that you cannot imagine. Therefore we say the same body. But actually it is not the same body. The body is different. It is changing. And because the person, the soul, is there, therefore it is changing. And as soon as the person is not there... Suppose in a child's body, a born baby, a dead body, it will not grow or it will not change.
Or you are putting a red cloth or black coat, you are not that cloth. Within the coat, you are the person. Similarly, within the dress, I am the person. So at the present moment we are on the dress consciousness. "I am German dress," "I am Englishman dress," "I am Indian dress." "I am male dress," "I am female dress." So this is called conditioned life. So in this conditioned life we are accepting one type of body, and we are dying. Dying means giving up and being transmigrated, transferred to another body by the laws of material nature. It is not under my control. You cannot say that "After giving up this German body, I shall accept again another German body." That is not in your hands, sir. It is under the laws of nature. You cannot propose. You cannot force material nature. After this body I can get any other body. That is stated here. Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). Another form of body. That form of body may be any one of the 8,400,000 forms of body. Therefore, if we are actually intelligent, we should try for being awakened, or placed in our original body, the spiritual body. That will stop this constant change of body.
So long we have got this bodily concept of life—"I am Rolls Royce car," "I am rickshaw," "I am American," "I am Englishman," "I am this," "I am that"—so long we are in ignorance. The same example: The man is not rickshaw, I am not motorcar, but I am thinking like that. I am asking that poor fellow, rickshaw wala, scornfully, because I am sitting in a very nice car. This is going on. But when you become learned, then paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ (BG 5.18). Sama-darśinaḥ means one who is learned, he knows that "Although he is pulling rickshaw, poor man, he is also a human being, and I am, although sitting in a very nice, costly Rolls Royce, I am also human being. As human being, we are the same."
If it is immediately dark, we cannot see. Then what is the value of this seeing? But we are very much proud of seeing. Similarly, we have our defective senses and we accept something which is not fact. That is called illusion. And we commit mistake, every one of us. There is no man in the world who can say, "I did not commit any mistake in my life." That is not possible. "To err is human," it is said. So we have got four defects. We commit mistake, we are illusioned, bhrama-pramāda... Just like we accept this body as myself. "I am this body." "Who are you?" "I am Mr. such and such," "I am Indian," "I am American," "I am Englishman," "I am white," "I am black," "I am fat," "I am thin." In this way we give description of our body. But we do not know what I am. This is called illusion. And commit mistake, we have got experience. Many times we have committed mistake, blunder, in our life.
Now, our attachment is on account of these designation. What is that designation? "I am American," "I am Englishman," "I am Indian." These are all designation because the soul is neither Indian nor American nor this nor that. Soul is pure. Pure spirit soul. These are material designation, according to the body. So if we become purified, sarva upādhi-vinirmuktam, that is called mukti. Mukti, the definition of mukti, means hitvā anyathā rūpaṁ svarūpeṇa vyavasthitiḥ (SB 2.10.6). Because we are staying at the present moment in this material state, we have got so many material attachments. That is, we are staying in a different way. We are living in the bodily concept of life, and in relationship with this body we have got so many different attachments. So mukti means when you do not stay in the bodily concept of life, you stay in your original state of life, that is called mukti. Mukti does not means that one has to acquire so many hands, so many legs. No. It is the change of consciousness. That is mukti.
Now, first of all we have to study the material nature. Just like the scientists, physicist and chemists, they are trying to understand the material nature. So what is this material nature? The material nature is described here as eight varieties. Five varieties gross, and three varieties subtle. The five gross varieties are the bhūmi... Bhūmi means this earth. Āpaḥ, the water. Bhūmir āpaḥ anala, the fire. Bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ, the air. And bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ kham. Kham means the sky, ether. Then manaḥ, mind. Then buddhi, intelligence. Ahaṅkāra, then self-consciousness, "I," "I am." "I am American," "I am Englishmen," "I am Swedish," and... This "I" consciousness.
Just like our Bhagavān dāsa was telling me that in Paris they are levying taxes, twenty per cent, for maintaining the expenditure of atomic bomb. So we are simply creating problem. That's all. The so-called advancement of civilization means the same problem. Atomic bomb, what is that? Defensing. Āhāra-nidrā-bhaya. Bhaya means fearfulness. Because we are afraid. Either English or France or German, everyone is afraid. Just like a dog is afraid whether another dog is coming, so the so-called civilized men, they are also afraid. "Whether Englishmen are coming to attack? Whether Germany...? Therefore there must be atomic bomb. I shall throw. Therefore you must give me tax." These things are simply the trying to solve the problems of fearfulness. That's all. Defense. So this fearfulness is there in the dog, in the hog, in the small sparrow bird, everywhere.
Just like in our this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement we have got people from all different countries, all different religious system, caste, creed, colors, but they have forgotten their material designation. If these American boys or English boys would have thought that they are Englishmen, then they could not mix with us Indian in such humble way because they have their prestigious position. And actually materially they are advanced and opulent. Why they should come with me, an Indian, poor Indian? No. Because they have forgotten. Their designation they have forgotten. Similarly, we have to forget this material designation due to this body. This is bodily conception of life.
So if, practically, the world wants classless society, then one has to take this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Then there will be classless society. We have got in our society boys and girls from various parts of the world. There are Africans, there are Indians, there are Canadians, Englishmen, American, Australian, but they have forgotten that he is Englishmen or American or Australian or black or white or Indian. No. They have forgotten. They are simply interested in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is the importance of the movement. If you want classless society, actually pure, without any contamination of these material modes of nature, then this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is the prime movement. That is the definition of Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam, hṛṣīkeṇa (CC Madhya 19.170), ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanaṁ bhaktir uttamā (CC Madhya 19.167). Bhakti, devotional service, first-class devotional service can be achieved when one is freed from all designations. So long one feels designated that "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am Englishmen," "I am German," "I am black," "I am white," and, no. You have to feel yourself. Not feeling, practically, training that I am spirit soul, I am eternal part and parcel of the Supreme Lord. When you come to this position, this is called sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam (CC Madhya 19.170). Freed from all designation. These are, the bodily identification is designation.
Just like you are sitting here, so many boys and girls in different dress. Some is dressed in black coat or some in white coat or red coat. If I ask you what you are, if you say "I am black coat," or somebody says, "I am white coat," that is not your identification. Similarly, we living entities, we are neither American or Indian nor African nor Englishman. We are all spirit soul. That is our position. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi. This is perfect knowledge. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi, I am spirit soul. When you come to this understanding, ahaṁ brahmāsmi, sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam (CC Madhya 19.170), then your position will be different from this material understanding. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54). Prasannātmā means jubilant. You'll find all our boys and girls, they're always jubilant. Unless they are jubilant, they cannot dance in this way. It is not dancing dogs. They are not dancing dogs. They're feeling jubilant, and therefore they are dancing. This is the position of brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54). Prasannātmā, unless one is very satisfied he cannot be jubilant. He should be morose, he cannot dance, he cannot chant. That's a fact. So this is sign of brahma-bhūtaḥ. Without any material designation. Brahma-bhūtaḥ. Everything is there in the Bhagavad-gītā. If you study carefully you'll understand everything. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati (BG 18.54). How one is jubilant? When one is freed from all anxieties. What are these anxieties? Anxieties mean if I lose something, then I will lament, and if I haven't got anything, something, then I hanker after it.
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
Hmm. That is going on. The great two wars began from Europe simply on this basis. The German and Englishmen. The Englishmen, by their colonization, they made the whole world red in the map. Africa and Asia, India and America, Canada. And the Germans thought, "So this shopkeepers' nation..." Hitler used to say "shopkeepers' nation." "How they have occupied the whole world, and we are so intelligent? We are manufacturing so many things. We have no market to sell." That is the cause of the two great wars. This is a fact. Anyone, any politician, any gentleman knows what was the cause. The cause was Germany is always envious of England. Why this enviousness? Because England wants to lord it over, send Lord Clive to India to exploit. And the German wants that "We have got so many things manufactured. We cannot sell." That is the cause of war: lord it over. Everyone is trying to lord it over. The whole economic situation. Everyone is trying to become "the lord of all I survey." Yes. "In the lower stage of human civilization, there is always competition to lord it over the material nature..." That is the lowest stage of human civilization. But that is passing on as the highest stage of... Anyone who has developed to how to exploit the resources of nature, that nation is called to be very highly civilized or advanced. But that is the lowest stage of civilization. Everyone is trying to make economic development by exploiting the world—digging the earth, the mines, the... This is lowest stage, just like animal civilization. Next.
So in this way, later on... Because the Britishers thought that "India is going to be independent, that cannot be checked, so make them smaller, smaller, smaller." That is the European history. Yes, in... Formerly, under Roman Empire, all the Europeans were one nation. Is it not? I think it was, under Roman Empire. But when the empire dismantled, they became different nations-Germany, English, French. I see the same culture, the same civilization all over Europe. How they became Germans and Englishmen and this, I do not know. Anyway, this is the policy of the politicians.
There was a case... Of course... One Englishman chastised another Indian by calling him so many ill names, "damn rascal, fool," like that. So he complained to the court that "This man has insulted me." "So where is the witness?" So the witness... The complainer said, "There was a brāhmaṇa who was witness. He was taking bath in the Ganges." So he was summoned. The brāhmaṇa was so sharp in memory. He exactly said, just like gramophone record, tape record, whatever he said. He said, "I do not know what is the meaning of this, but these words were said." So people were so sharp in memory. That is brāhmaṇa. Once heard from the spiritual master... The spiritual master means śrotriyam: he has also nicely heard from his spiritual master. Therefore Vedic knowledge, factually, it is received simply by hearing. There was no necessity of becoming literate. Illiterate, it doesn't matter. Because it is after all received through the aural reception. Therefore it is called śruti. And śruti-sāram ekam. And of all the Vedic literature, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the essence.
Therefore Ṛṣabhadeva, the father of Mahārāja Bharata, under whose name the India is called... Not India. This whole planet is called Bhāratavarṣa. In the Vedic literature Bhāratavarṣa means this planet. And it is consisting seven islands. That is also mentioned in Vedic literature. Seven islands means Asia, Europe, Africa, North America, South America, Australia, and Oceania. These seven islands are mentioned. Description is there. So this Bhāratavarṣa... This planet is called Bhāratavarṣa. Now it is divided. Now it is divided because on account of loss of the old Vedic culture we have now divided. I am thinking, "I am Indian," you are thinking, "Australian." Another is thinking, "American" or "Englishman." These divisions have come very lately, say about three thousand, four thousand years ago. Before that, this planet was one. There was only one king. We get this information from Vedic literature. And he was ruling all over, then. The culture was one. That is Vedic culture. Still, I hear some of my student was telling that in Australia there is some Hindu temple somewhere.
So the question was that "After departure of Kṛṣṇa from this planet to His abode, dharmaḥ kaṁ śaraṇaṁ gataḥ, under whom the real occupational duty was entrusted?" Kṛṣṇa also came to give us the real occupational duty—not of the body or the mind. Bodily occupational duty changes, because as soon as the body is changed... I am now human being, and next time, if I become some animal, so my occupational duty changes. Or if I become demigod, my occupational duty changes. The body is born in India, so one is feeling that "It is my duty to serve my country." Similarly, an Englishman is thinking to serve his country. But these occupational duties are not para. Para means transcendental, supreme. This is temporary. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja: (BG 18.66) "This is your real occupation. You have got some bodily occupation, some mental occupation, some intellectual occupation, but you have to give up all these things. Simply surrender unto Me. This is your real occupation." Kṛṣṇa says. And Kṛṣṇa descends to teach us this dharma, or occupational duty. He has explained karma-yoga, jñāna-yoga, dhyāna-yoga. These are all occupational duties of the body, of the mind, of intelligence. But real occupation... Because soul is eternal. The body is not eternal. Mind also changes according to body, or according to mind the body becomes... So we are contaminating so many qualities of nature, and we are making our concoction, manufacturing our duty. A drunkard, because he has mixed with the quality of drunkards, he thinks, "Drinking is my duty." When you mix with the hippies, then you become like the hippies: "Oh, it is my duty." Unless you cannot stay in the society of the hippies.
Hṛṣīka means senses, upādhi. Just like my hand is now covered by this shirt. So when there is no more shirt, that is naked. So when you come without any designation, without any understanding, false understanding, that "I am American," "I am Englishman," "I am Indian," "I am brāhmaṇa," "I am kṣatriya." In that stage the senses, the senses remain. Suppose if I take my dress out of my body, my real senses are there. So similarly, when we become free from the designation of this material body and we come to the pure stage of original, spiritual senses, that senses when applied to the service of the supreme master of senses, God, that is called bhakti. Yato bhaktir adhokṣaje. So, if we actually want peace or happiness, yayātmā suprasīdati, without any designation, then that peace and happiness can be achieved. Otherwise it is not possible. So long we remain designated, it is not possible to come to that stage of pure, unalloyed devotion to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Any question?
But actually dharma means which you cannot change. Religion, the so-called religion, is a sentiment. Today you are Hindu; tomorrow you become Muslim. Or today you are Muslim; tomorrow you become Christian. That kind of conversion, change, is not religion. Because the man remains the same. Simply by his changing the rubber stamp, "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am Christian," that does not make any benefit. Therefore our movement is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We don't talk of any religion. The consciousness should be changed. The material consciousness should be changed into spiritual consciousness. That is our propaganda. It is meant for Hindu, Muslim, Christian, anyone. White, black, yellow, everything. Because it is the function of the soul. Soul is not black, white, yellow. Soul is spirit. So one has to realize that "I am spirit soul. I am not Indian nor American nor Englishman nor German nor white nor black. This is my bodily description. I am not this body." This is the beginning of spiritual understanding.
That is the process going on by nature's law. We have got our finer body. This is gross body. The body which you are seeing, which I am seeing, this is gross body. Just like shirt and coat. Within your coat, there is shirt, and within your shirt, there is a body. Similarly, the pure soul is covered by shirt and coat. The shirt is mind, intelligence and false ego. Mind, intelligence and false ego. False ego means that the wrong conception that "I am matter. I am something, product of this material world." This wrong conception makes me localized. Just like because I have taken my birth in America, therefore I think myself American. Because I have taken my birth in India, therefore I think myself as Indian. But as pure soul, I am neither Indian nor American. I am pure soul. Because this is designation. This American, or Indian, or German, or Englishman, or cats and dogs and this and that, black and white, all these are designations. Spiritual consciousness means to become free from all these designations.
So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement has started to distribute this literature, especially Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. We have already translated about twenty books. They are present before you, and our aim is to present to the human society sixty books. Still translation is going on. So our request to the publishers and book sellers, that "Let this literature be distributed properly. People will be benefited." Because, after all, each and every human being is a spiritual being. He is not this body. That is the mistake of the present civilization. Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke (SB 10.84.13). Ātma-buddhi, "self." People, everyone thinks that this body, "I am this body." If I ask any gentleman, "What you are?" He'll say, "I am Mr. Such-and-such. I am born in this country," "I am American," "I am Englishman," "I am Indian." These are all bodily description. But basically I am not this body. This is called illusion. You have got practical experience. When one man's father or son or any relative dies, he cries, "Oh, my son has gone away," "My father has gone away." Then, "Your father is lying there on the bed. How do you say that 'My father has gone away'? " That means the actual father, he has never seen. He has seen the body only. And on this bodily conception of life, everything is being manipulated. This is called illusion.
So now we are also imitating, because India is imitator. Since the Britishers came here, we have become first-class imitator. When the 1914, the war was going on. So it is understood that in high-court, Calcutta high-court, there is leisure hour, tiffin hour. So all the judges were sitting. So one English judge, he asked Sir Asutosh Mukherji, "Mr. Mukherji, now the Germans are coming, and if so, what you are going to do?" Mr. Mukherji, Sir Asutosh Mukherji, he replied, "Yes, as soon as the Germans will come, we shall offer our respect in this way, 'Come on sir.' " "So you'll not counteract? Why?" "You have taught us to make like this, so we shall do that. Because you have simply taught us this, how to obey your orders. So anyone who will come, we shall do this." The idea is the slave mentality... The Englishmen, in an organized way, they taught the Indians how to become servant of the Englishmen. We have seen. It is Gandhi's movement that he dismantled this idea of white prestige. Otherwise, we were taught like that. So this imitation of Englishmen... Formerly, in our childhood, it was the advancement of civilization if one could imitate the English fashion. That was. So we should not make that a fashion. Guru is not a fashion.
So you American people, you have become tiger now, Nixon tiger. But if you don't behave obligely, if you don't feel obliged, if the tiger feels obliged that "By the grace of the saintly person, I have come to the stage of becoming a tiger, I must be very much obliged to him..." But instead of becoming obliged, if you want to eat, then again become a mouse. If the saintly person has got the power to make you from mouse to tiger, then he can convert you again from tiger to mouse. You must always remember this. So by the grace of God, Kṛṣṇa, you have become so powerful nation, rich, beautiful, educated. By grace of Kṛṣṇa you have become, but if you forget Kṛṣṇa, then you are again going to be mouse. Remember that. Nobody will care for you. Just like Englishmen. Englishmen, they established the British Empire, great, powerful, most powerful nation in the world. Now they are not so. Because they misused their power. So you get power, opulence, by the grace of Lord, Kṛṣṇa. And if you misuse it, then you become again... That is happening. That is the nature's law. Nature's law.
So we are creating our situation and serving a different type of desire. That's all. Kāmādīnāṁ katidhā na... And sometimes we are doing something which we should not do. Still, we are doing. But doing so, teṣāṁ karuṇa jāta. Although we have done so much for to serve the lust, greediness, but they are not merciful. They are still dictating, "Go on doing this, go on doing this, go on doing." He is suffering; still, he is following the dictation of lust and desire. We are creating our own karma. Therefore any sane man will see that "I have served so long, so much, our desires, but I am not happy. I am not happy, neither the desire is happy." The desire is never satiated that "You have killed so many animals. Now you don't..." No, he will go on, go on killing, killing, killing, killing, killing, killing. He is never satisfied, "Now I have killed so many. No more, stop." No, there is no stoppage. That will go on. Kāmādīnāṁ kati na katidhā. The injunction is "Thou shalt not kill," but he will kill and kill and kill and kill, and still, he want to be satisfied. Just see. The Bible says, "Thou shalt not kill," and they are simply engaged in killing business, and still they want to be happy. Just see the fun. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, "Yes, you be killed by occasional world war. You must be killed. You have created this situation. You must be killed. You may be American or Englishman or German or this or that. You may be very proud of your nationality. But you must be killed." This is the position. Īśvarasya viceṣṭitam. "You have killed so many animals. Now wholesale killing, one bomb. One atom bomb. Be killed."
So this material dress... These hands and legs are there because originally we are spirit soul, we have got hands and legs. This is the proof that we are not formless. With form. Because this body has been described as dress, outward dress, different dress. Just like we are, somebody white, somebody yellow, somebody black, somebody... This is dress. But actually, we spirit soul, we are one. It is by dress we are fighting. "You are Englishman," "I am German," "I am this," "I am Indian," "I am that," "I am man," "I am woman." So many fighting on account of this dress. So when you become dressless, that is the spiritual platform. When you become dressless. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170). When we are free from all this designation dress. We are now covered by this designation dress. "I am Indian," "I am American," "I am Englishman," "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am..." So many, we have created dress. Just like innumerable quantity or quality of dresses, similarly, these are all dresses. So the spiritual platform means sarvopādhi-vinir..., when we become free from all this designation and fixed up in the understanding that "I am eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa," that is our real position. Yes?
So we must be very serious to understand Bhāgavatam. If we can understand even one line, one verse, our life becomes sublime. It is so nice. There is no comparison of this literature, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. That we are actually finding in the Western countries, how nicely they are receiving these granthas. We have translated into English, and they're enjoying. Actually that is the fact. Nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā (SB 1.2.18). Now, our problem, what is this problem? Problem is that we have got so many dirty things within the heart. The first dirty thing is that "I am this body." "I am Indian," "I am Englishman," "I am American," "I am brāhmaṇa," "I am kṣatriya," "I am śūdra," "I am fat," "I am thin," "I am black and white..." These conceptions, these are all dirty things. "I am not this body," that is real knowledge. Therefore Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12), to cleanse the dirty things from the heart, that is my first business. And what is that dirty things? To identity myself with this body. That is the dirty things. The whole world is in distressed condition on account of this dirty thing, that "I am this body." This is the conception of the ass.
So what should be our occupational duty? Sad-dharma. Sad-dharma means... Sat means eternal. Real occupational duty... Now I am working as American or others working as Indian or German or Englishmen, or this family men. Everyone has got some occupational duty. But this occupational duty... Suppose I am working as American or European or Australian. This is temporary, because this body is temporary. And I am in bodily concept of life. Therefore my duty, so-called duty, is also temporary. As soon as the body is finished, I begin another chapter of duty. Suppose this life I am human being; next life I may not be human being. This statement was not liked by the newspaper man. (laughing) He was told that next life you can become animal, so he has published in my name, "The swami can become animal." Also the swami can become also animal. The so-called swami, they will become animal. (laughter) So that is not wrong. But we devotees, we are not afraid of becoming animal. Our only ambition is that we become Kṛṣṇa conscious.
This body's nothing but combination of these things. Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke sva-dhīḥ kalatrādiṣu (SB 10.84.13). Here, just like dehāpatya-kalatrādi. Kalatra means wife, and thinking this body, "I am..., I am this body." And thinking also that "These, my soldiers, these, my wife, children, and friends and nationals, they will save me." Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke sva-dhīḥ kalatrādiṣu bhauma ijya-dhīḥ (SB 10.84.13). And the land where he has taken birth... Just like everyone is thinking, "I am Frenchman," "I am Englishman," "I am Indian," "I am this," "I am that." So, so "This is my land. I must decorate this land, this Paris City, very nicely. I shall bring something from Egypt and put it here. Then..." (laughter) These nonsense things are going on. Even big, big men like Napoleon and others. And what to speak of others. So... But śāstra says, yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke sva-dhīḥ kalatrādiṣu bhauma ijya-dhīḥ, yat-tīrtha-buddhiḥ. A little advanced than, than these fools and rascals, they are religious. What is that religion? "Let us go to the holy place."
So our, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to purify the covering, the material covering. That... What is that purification? Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam (CC Madhya 19.170). First of all, you have to purified with the sense that you are neither American nor a Frenchman nor Englishman nor Indian nor brāhmaṇa nor kṣatriya—nothing of the sort. You have to... These are all designations, outward dress. You have to become free from it. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam (CC Madhya 19.170). You'll have to forget. Actually, that is happening in Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Those who have joined, they never think that "I am American," "I am Frenchman," "I am Englishman." They are always thinking that they are servant of Kṛṣṇa. This is called purification. As soon as you learn that you are neither American, nor Indian, nor this or not that... You are eternally servant of Kṛṣṇa. This is purification. The more you are fixed up on this knowledge, the more you are purified. That's all.
So what kind of body we are going to have? What change is going to take place? There is no knowledge. So at least in India this condition should be changed, to keep people in ignorance of this bodily concept of life—"I belong to this community." "I belong to that community." "I belong to this body." "I belong to that body."—No. They should be educated to become brahma-bhūtaḥ.
- brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā
- na śocati na kāṅkṣati
- samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu
- mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām
- (BG 18.54)
Sama-sarveṣu bhūteṣu. India's education is not to distinguish that "Here is an Englishman," "Here is a German," "Here is a Christian," "Here is a Hindu," "Here is a Muslim." Samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu. Because India's realization of knowledge is brahmānubhūti, brahma-bhūtaḥ. Then, when one comes to the standard of brahma-bhūtaḥ knowledge, he'll be happy.
That anila, life. The soul is being carried by that anila, air. The yoga system is controlling the air, apāna, prāṇa, udāna. There are different kinds of air, passing. And the ātmā is within that air. The yoga system is to take the ātmā, sata-cakra(?), from down to up. That is yoga practice. So anila means life air, and the ātmā, the soul, is within the air. So by perfect yogic practice, with this air the yogi can transfer himself to any planet. That is yoga, not that showing some gymnastic without any rules and regulation, without following any principles. These are all bogus. Actual yoga practice is to control the air within this body. Then, by mechanical means, he can control, and at the perfection, the yogi can leave this body according to his will. That means unless he thinks that "I am now perfect; I can transfer to any planet," he does not leave the body. Therefore yogis... Still there are yogis who are seven hundred years old, three hundred years old, four hundred years. You see just like young man. Still in India you'll find such yogis. They can give complete history which happened two hundred years here. Simultaneously, history they can give. "This happened. This Englishman was here. He did..." like that.
Syphilis. All over Europe. When Dr. Ghosh, who is my friend, he came to see me in Allahabad? One doctor? So he is friend. He told me that when he was student, Colonel (indistinct), one big professor, medicine, he was lecturing. He was Englishman. He said that "In our country, seventy to eighty percent of the student community, they are suffering from syphilitic attack." So in our country, in India, if one is attacked with syphilis, then he is taken as very abominable. His character is not good, it is understood. So he said, "Horrible," Dr. Ghosh, because he was Indian student. So Colonel (indistinct) replied, "Why you are saying horrible? In your country ninety percent people are attacked malaria. So there, syphilis. So as a medical practitioner why you take this disease as bad or that disease as good? Your business is to see that there should be no disease. Don't consider in that way, that 'This disease is good, this disease is bad.' " That's nice explanation.
So if you love Kṛṣṇa, there will be no destruction like the material things. Either you love Him as your master... Here master, so long you are serving, the master is pleased. And the servant is pleased so long you are paying. But in the spiritual world there is no such thing. If I cannot serve under certain condition, then master is pleased. And the servant also—the master does not pay—he is also pleased. That is called oneness, Absolute. That is... This example is here. There are so many students in this institution. We are not paying anything, but they will do everything for me. This is spiritual relationship. That paṇḍita Jawaharlal Nehru, when he was in London, his father gave him, the Motilal Nehru, three hundred rupees for keeping a servant. Then once he went to London, so he saw that the servant is not there. The paṇḍita says, "Where is your servant?" He says, "What is the use of servant? I have no, nothing to do. I do it personally." "No, no. I wanted that an Englishman should be your servant." So he has to pay for it. This is an example. I have got hundreds and thousands of servants who I haven't got to pay. This is spiritual relationship. This is spiritual relationship. They are serving not for being paid. What I have got? I am poor Indian. What can I pay? But the servant is out of love, spiritual love. And I am also teaching them without any salary. This is spiritual. Pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya (Īśo Invocation). Everything is full.
We have discussed this word in Kapiladeva's Sāṅkhya philosophy: sādhu. Sādhu is suhṛdaḥ sarva-dehinām. Sarva-dehinām means all living entities in all forms of life. That is called sarva-dehinām. "I am for Indians and not for the Englishmen or Americans," or "I am for the human being. I am not for the cows and goats. They should be sent to the slaughterhouse"—these things are happening on account of no Kṛṣṇa consciousness, limited, crippled ideas. And it is going on in the name of philanthropism, nationalism, communism, this "ism" and that "ism." These "isms" will not help us unless you come to the platform of Kṛṣṇa-ism, that "Everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa." Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (ISO 1). Practically. If we accept... The United Nations, is working so hard, but they cannot make that the whole world belongs to all living being. Then immediately it will be... All questions will be solved. I was discussing this evening: there is so much land still uncultivated. And if the overpopulated people are allowed to go there and cultivate and grow their food grains, ten times of the living entities on this face of the globe can be fed without any difficulty. Annād bhavanti bhūtāni (BG 3.14).
So one man is working very nicely. He is taking the credit of becoming a scientist. Why the other man cannot do it? Another man is also working in the laboratory. Just like this airless telegram, radio. Many scientists were working, and in our childhood we have... I was present in a meeting. Sir Jagadish Candra Bose was speaking. So Marconi and Sir Jagadish Candra Bose and many other physicists, they were working to study the waves of air and how to establish wireless telegram. So actually Jagadish Candra Bose, he found out the means, and they were talking, Marconi and Jagadish Candra Bose. Marconi took the hint and immediately he published in the paper. And in those British ruling, British government, they wanted to give credit all to the Englishmen. Actually, this wireless telegram was established by Sir Jagadish Candra Bose. He spoke in a meeting. So anyway... Just like two scientists are working to find out something, to invent something, but the wireless telegram is in the credit of Mr. Marconi. Why not Jagadish Candra Bose? There is the hand of Kṛṣṇa. They are... So many people are working for inventing something, but one man takes the credit; other men cannot. Why? Why this discrimination? There must be some cause of this discrimination. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭaḥ: "I am situated in everyone's heart." Mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca (BG 15.15). Mattaḥ, "From Me, if I give you the intelligence, 'Now mix this chemical with this chemical, your product will come.' " Others, they have got the chemical, and the laboratory man also there. But one takes the credit; one cannot take the credit. That is due to Kṛṣṇa. If Kṛṣṇa gives the intelligence, then he gets the intelligence, and he takes the credit. Nimitta-mātraṁ bhava savyasācin.
So material sense gratification will not give us real happiness. Everyone is trying to get happiness; so therefore Ṛṣabhadeva said, tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena śuddhyet sattvam (SB 5.5.1). Your exis... First of all, purify your existence; then talk of happiness. Happiness, if you want to enter happiness with this covered material covering, you'll never find happiness. And that is actually experience of everyone. If you say that "Yes, I am enjoying this. I am enjoying this life very nicely. I don't require to give up this material body," no. It is foolishness. You are not enjoying. You may think so, but the real problem is there. What is that? Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). You may enjoy very nicely because you are Englishman or American, you have got money, but what about the question of death? Do you enjoy death? If a body is... Of course, one who is frustrated, one who wants to commit suicide, that is a different thing. For a sane man, does he enjoy birth, death, old age and disease? Therefore Bhagavad-gītā points out that you may feel very happy with your so-called material senses, but you should see to the real problem of life, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi: birth, death, old age and disease.
So therefore, this human form of life, as it is advised by Ṛṣabhadeva, is not meant for unnecessary sense gratification. This is not meant for. This is meant for the hogs and dogs, not for the human beings. This is division of life. The human life is to make a solution of all the problems of life. The real problem is birth, death, old age and disease. All other problems, they are secondary. So you can conquer over this birth and death and old age and disease. There is possibility. Here is a chance of human form of life. Here you take a chance. Don't lose it, don't spoil it like hogs and dogs. That is the propaganda of this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Don't take it that it is a type of sectarian religion. No. It is a culture. It is meant for every human being. Therefore we are trying to propagate this movement all over the world, without any consideration of caste, creed and nation. Because we don't see, "This is Englishman, this is European, this is American." No. We have no such vision. Paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ (BG 5.18). One who is really learned, he sees everyone on the equal level: soul, spirit soul.
One who is paṇḍita, he'll see equally a learned brāhmaṇa and a dog. Why? Because he knows, "Here is a brāhmaṇa and here is a dog. But a dog, by his karma, by his work, he has accepted this dog's body, and the brāhmaṇa has accepted by his karma the brāhmaṇa's body. The king has accepted a king's body. But these are..." Just like we are sitting here. We are not studying what kind of dress you have got. Now, you are also not studying what kind of dress I have got. We are concerned with philosophy, with knowledge. Similarly, we are not concerned whether you are American or Englishman or African or this or that, a cat or dog. We want to give you Kṛṣṇa consciousness, because everyone is conscious. So that consciousness has to be changed. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170). One has to become clear. Clear. First that clearing. So sarva-upādhi-vinirmuktam, upādhi. We have got these designations, "I am Indian," "I am American," "I am brāhmaṇa," "I am Muslim," "I am Christian," "I am Hindu." These are all designations. So we have to become free from these designations, come to the spiritual platform. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam. Nirmalam means without any... Hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate (CC Madhya 19.170). When you come to that purest form of spirit soul, you don't think that your indriyas, or senses, are lost. No. Senses are there. At that time, if you enjoy your senses in cooperation with the Supreme, that is called bhakti, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
The bodily conception of life is animal life. If I think that "I am this body. I am Indian," and you think that you are this body, you are American or Englishman—in so many ways we are designated—so, so long we think in these terms of knowledge, that "I am this body..." Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kunape tri-dhātuke. This is a bag of three elements: kapha, pitta, vayū. Or if we don't understand kapha pitta vāyu, we can understand that this body is made of flesh, bone, mucus. What you will find if we dissect this body? You'll find flesh, blood, bone, urine, stool, so many things, these material things. But if we think that "I am this body, a composition of blood, flesh, bone, and urine and stool," is that very good intelligence? No. Therefore śāstra says, "Anyone who is thinking this body combination of these elements"—combined together it is called tri-dhātuke-sa eva go-kharaḥ (SB 10.84.13), "such person is no better than the cows and the asses." Because I am not combination of this blood, bone, flesh, and urine and stool. I am not this combination. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi. I am spirit soul. This is really realization, knowledge.
So long we are in this material platform, bodily concept of life, then there will be distinction: "I am Indian," "You are American," "You are Englishman," "You are this," "...that," so many things, so many designations. Therefore, if you want to rise up to the platform of spiritual realization, then the formula is sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170). That is the beginning. That means beginning is the brahma-bhūta platform. Brahma-bhūta... (SB 4.30.20). Same thing. It is, Nārada Pañcarātra, sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam, and brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54), Bhagavad-gītā, the same thing. Wherever you find the Vedic literature, the same thing. Therefore it is authority. There is no contradiction. In the material platform you write one book, I write one book, then I disagree with you, and you disagree with me. That is material platform. But in the spiritual platform, there is self-realized platform.
So long one is not inquisitive to understand what he is, without understanding his identification, whatever he does, it is defeat. This is the condition. Nobody is interested to know his identity. This is the instruction we get from Sanātana Gosvāmī. Sanātana Gosvāmī, when he first approached Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, his question was that ke āmi kene āmāya jāre tāpa-traya. This is very nice question, that "Kindly tell me what I am, what I am, and why I am subjected to the threefold miseries of material existence. I do not want all these miserable conditions of life, but I am forced to accept them. Therefore what is my position? Why I am forced to accept?" This should be the question. This is called ātma-tattva-jijñāsā inquiry. "What I am?" Nobody knows what he is. Everyone thinks that "I am this body." Therefore he is abodha-jāta. From the very birth, he is a rascal. He does not know his identity. Somebody is thinking, "I am American," somebody is thinking, "I am Englishman," somebody is thinking, "I am an Indian." All these identifications are doggish identification. Just like a dog is thinking "I am this body," the cat is thinking "I am this body," similarly, if a human being thinks like that, that "I am this body," then he remains in ignorance, abodha-jāta. And if you remain in ignorance, whatever you are acting as your credit, but you are acting in ignorance.
Vīrarāghavācārya says therefore, deva-manusvadau paradika deva vasiṣṭha tena aha ahaṅkāra mama upādhīyamāne.(?) That "I am not American, I am not Englishman." This is ahaṅkāra, upādhīyamāne. Karma-vaśana mulaya samsitamane satyatani mana karma-vaśaṁ prayuṅkte vyaparayati puruṣam iti śeṣa, atha yāvad vāsudeve mayi prītir, prīti rūpa bhakti na syāt tāvad deha-yogena na mucyate.(?) Unless you become devotee of Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṇa... Therefore Kṛṣṇa personally comes and He says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). That is for your interest. Kṛṣṇa says that "You surrender unto Me." It is not Kṛṣṇa's interest. If you surrender, not interest, Kṛṣṇa does not lose anything. He is omnipotent. He can create millions of devotees like you by His desire. He doesn't canvass. He is not canvassing, that "You become My devotee and I shall be very rich." No. Not the purpose. It is for your interest. The same thing. If you become a devotee of Vāsudeva, then you are saved from this repetition of birth and death. It is not Kṛṣṇa's interest. It is Kṛṣṇa's interest in this way, that because you are part and parcel, you are son of Kṛṣṇa... Kṛṣṇa is the ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā... (BG 14.4). As the father, rich father, He does not like to see that His son will become a crazy, mad fellow and loiter in the street. He doesn't want it. But if you do not come back to home, there is no loss of the father. But if you back to home of a rich father, then it is your interest. It is your interest.
So there is nothing to change, nothing to give up. Simply it is clearing process. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam (CC Madhya 19.170). This clearing process is we should we free from the designations. Just like these boys, American and European or Australian, Japanese, so many... We have got all kinds of students, but they are now devoid of all designations. They are not thinking that "I am American." They are not thinking, "I am Indian." They are thinking always, "I am Kṛṣṇa's servant." This is purification. This is purification. Sarva upādhi. Upādhi. This is designation. I am not American, nor Indian. This is body. This is circumstantial. I am, ahaṁ brahmāsmi, and Kṛṣṇa is Supreme Brahman, and I am Brahman, His eternal servant. This is self-realization. This is called mukti. Muktiḥ hitvānyathā rūpaṁ sva-rūpeṇa avasthitiḥ. This is mukti. Now we are anyathā rūpam. I am thinking Even there are so many human beings here, suppose in Auckland Somebody is thinking, "I am Indian." Somebody is thinking, "I am American." Somebody is thinking, "I am Englishman." So upādhi, that is upādhi. But if we give up this upādhi, designation, that "I am not this..." Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu taught that "I am not a brāhmaṇa. I am not a kṣatriya. I am not a vaiśya. I am not a śūdra. I am not a sannyāsī. I am not a brahmacārī." These are all upādhi. Then what You are, Sir? Gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ: (CC Madhya 13.80) "I am the servant of the servant of the servant of Kṛṣṇa." This is called upādhi-less, or free from all designation. When we become free from all designation, then, in that purified state, if we engage ourself in Kṛṣṇa activities, that is our success of life.
To understand Kṛṣṇa is very difficult job. Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye (BG 7.3). Out of many millions of persons, one is endeavoring to make his life perfect. But they do not know what is perfection of life. So yatatām api siddhānām. Siddhi means to understand that "I'm not this body. I don't belong to this material world." That is siddhi. Siddhi. Everyone is under the impression that "I'm this body." "I'm Indian," "I'm American," "I'm Hindu," "I'm Muslim," "I'm Christian"—bodily upādhi, designation. He does not become free from the designation. The other day we were talking on Mr. Huxley(?) I think. He was talking of philosophy, but He was thinking, "I'm Englishman. I do this like that." So this bodily concept of life is there although he's philosopher. What kind of philosopher? Philosopher begins when there is no more bodily conception. What is that? Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170). So this kind of philosophy has no meaning, because how a dog can become philosopher? That is not possible. A human being can become philosopher. So long I'm on the bodily concept of life, I'm in the line of cats and dogs. So how we can become philosopher? There is no question of. But they're philosophizing, means bluffing, and similar men, he's thinking, "I believe." You believe or not believe, the law will go on.
Arcye viṣṇau śilā-dhīr guruṣu nara-matir vaiṣṇave jāti-buddhiḥ: Vaiṣṇava, who has become a devotee, to accept him belonging to some caste or nation or some... No. He doesn't belong to anything... Never to think that's he's American Vaiṣṇava, he's Indian Vaiṣṇava, he's brāhmaṇa Vaiṣṇava, he's kṣatriya... No. This is jāti-buddhiḥ, classification. Vaiṣṇava does not belong to any jāti. He belongs to Kṛṣṇa, kṛṣṇa dāsa. Jīvera svarūpa haya nitya kṛṣṇa dāsa (Cc. Madhya 20.108-109). Therefore practically you can see the members of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, some of them are Indians, some of them are Europeans, some of them are Englishmen, some of them are black, some of them are white, some of them are brāhmaṇas, some of them are Hindus, but they do not think anymore that "I belong to this category." No. No. Or otherwise they could not work. Every one of them completely aware that "We are all Kṛṣṇa's servants." Similarly, guru is not ordinary human being. Guruṣu nara-matir. Guru is not ordinary human being. Ordinary human being cannot preach Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is not possible. Kṛṣṇa-śakti vinā nahe kṛṣṇa nāma pracāra. So anyone who is preaching, he cannot be considered as ordinary human being. Even though Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura has explained this, that why not ordinary being? His son is calling him "father," or his relatives, they're taking him as ordinary. So Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura says still he is not ordinary human being. Why? Because he is preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So vaiṣṇave jāti-buddhiḥ, guruṣu nara-matir, and śrī viṣṇu-padatīrthau. The... Just like Ganges water, Yamunā water, to think of ordinary water, these are forbidden.
So our first business is that if we want to stop this repetition of birth and death—and sometimes we are very happy, sometimes we are very unhappy, sometimes we are in fearfulness, sometimes in so many other calamities—then our first business is that we shall stop all these material desires. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam (Brs. 1.1.11). To stop means... The desire cannot be stopped. Because we are living entities, life, we are not dead stone, that desires will be stopped. No. Desires are to be purified. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170). Desires to purified... Everyone is working under some impure consciousness, just like nationalism: "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am Englishman," "I am German." This desire is polluted, because I am spirit soul, part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. What is the benefit, my identifying with America or India or...? This is called purification of the desire. Everyone is working under national, and they are fighting with one another because the desire is impure.
Everyone can do that, provided he lives in the village, he lives in the village and produces his own food, little labor, vegetable, food grains. Anyone can produce. This is human civilization. Therefore... Not that all, everyone has to do. The third class... First-class men, they should cultivate knowledge to guide the human society, brāhmaṇa. Śama dama titikṣa... (BG 18.42). They should learn, ideal men. Under their advice... Brāhmaṇa is considered to be the guru of other sections: kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra. So anyone can live very peacefully without any hard labor. What is this civilization? For getting foodstuff one has to go hundred miles away from home, daily passengers. And some of them are going in the foreign countries also. Recently there was news that in Africa, Uganda, that, the President Amin, he asked some very respectable English gentleman to carry his palanquin just to insult them. But the Englishmen, now they are in a precarious condition. The British Empire is now finished. Now they had to carry this man. And under protest they could not go away because they have got business. So why one should go so far distance? Everyone can produce his foodstuff at home. Nature's arrangement is so nice. If not, little trade. So it is not meant for so much hard labor. Śāstra says, "This kind of laboring hard simply for satisfaction of senses is the business of the hog and pig. It is not the business of the human being." Nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke kaṣṭān kāmān arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye (SB 5.5.1).
Just to take shelter to save their life—because one's own life is first consideration. "Self-preservation is the first law of nature." So when there is danger, people will give up their wife and property and go. Just like people are going. Yes. This will happen. In European countries also, when there was war, so many refugees. I have got one... I have heard. One Mr. McPherson, Englishman, he was known to me. He was coming to my shop. He stated that in the First World War, he was in the war, service, and some Belgium refugees came to France because Marshall Fox, he was in charge of that area, and when he was informed that so many refugees, mostly women and children, they have come, so he became so much disturbed that "Where shall I give them shelter in this warfield?" His advice was that "Blow them. Finish." So they were blown up. This is a practical... In warfield such things happen. "Who is going to take responsibility of so many women and children in this war?" They were blown up. They came to take shelter but they were blown up. Such things happen in war. Yes. Just like in your country the real policy—to continue the Vietnam—means they cannot manage these hippies, and they are trying to send them to Vietnam and kill them. That's all. That is the policy. They cannot manage.
Well, the pronouncement may be little different. That doesn't matter. Just like I am speaking English. It may not be just like American or Canadian English, but I am doing my business. That's all. That does not make any difference. Nobody is asking me that "Swamiji, you are not pronouncing like an Englishman." They are concerned with the subject matter. That's all.
So this is required at the present moment, that you remain whatever you are, either brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, Englishman, Indian. It doesn't matter. You try to understand Kṛṣṇa. That's all. If you do that, then everything will be perfect. And that can be very easily done by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu has given this mantra—it is from śāstra-harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam, kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva (CC Adi 17.21). In this age, in Kali-yuga, it is very difficult to bring back the fallen population again to the standard of brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya. It is practically lost now. The best thing is that all of them combine together, brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, or even less than śūdra, kirāta-hūṇāndhra-pulinda-pulkaśā (SB 2.4.18). Take to this process of chanting and hearing of the Lord's name.
Now what kind of body he's going to get? Because I have already explained. There are 8,400,000 different forms of body. So the answer is he can get any of these forms. There is no guarantee that he will again get the American body or Englishmen body or Swiss body—not like that. That will depend on nature. That is not in your hand. As soon as you change your body, the next change will be offered by nature according to your desire. So in this life we are creating different types of desires. Therefore, we find different types of bodies. This is nature's work. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). Don't think that you are independent. None of us are independent. We may think independently that "There is no God, there is no nature's work, we are everything." That crazy statements may be there, but there is good management, beyond our conception. As you see there is good management in the natures—exactly in due course of time the sun is rising, the moon is rising, the seasons are being changed, the water is there in the ocean, it is not transgressing the limit, the Pacific Ocean, the Atlantic Ocean. There is full control of the material nature. And behind this material nature, there is God. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni (BG 3.27). Prakṛti, nature is working, but nature is working under the direction of God. That we get information from this Vedic literature.
The same example, that fishing but not touching the water. Oil, you drop some oil on the water it will float, it will not mix. When you emulsify water it changes the color, but it is there. That will be explained in the next verse. Another example is milk. The milk, pure milk, there is butter, but you cannot see the butter in the milk. But if you could... (break)
...on the same platform by the paṇḍita, by the learned, because he does not see the outward coverings, he sees the inner soul, the characteristics of the soul as described. But the demons, they cannot see the inner soul. They cannot distinguish the characteristics of the soul. Simply they see superficially and, identifying with the body, there is always trouble. "I am this nation", "I am Englishman," "I am German," "I am American," "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am brāhmaṇa", "I am this," "I am that," designation. So, one has to become free from this designation before one can understand what is spiritual life. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam (CC Madhya 19.170). Sarvopādhi... These are designations, superficial.
Just like in our country the great leader Mahatma Gandhi, he had to work very, very hard. Twenty years in Durban he spoiled his time, and thirty years in India. I shall say spoiled his time. What for? For some political purpose. What is his political purpose? "Now we are a group called by the name Indian. We must drive away the Englishmen and take the supreme authority." This is the purpose. So this is anyābhilāṣitā. What is this purpose? Today you are Indian; tomorrow you may be something else. Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). You have to change your body. So what is the next body? Are you going to be again Indian? No guarantee. Even if you have got very much affection for India, all right, according to your karma you'll get body. Even if you get the Indian body of a tree, then you will stand up for five thousand years. What is the benefit? Kṛṣṇa says tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ. He does not say that a human being is going to be again a human being. There is no guarantee. Some rascals they say that once getting this human body, he does not degrade. No. That is not the fact. The fact is that out of 8,400,000's of different species of life, according to your karma you'll get a body. That's all. No guarantee that you have And even if you get Indian body, who cares for you?
Similarly Prahlāda Mahārāja says, "My dear Lord, these demigods, they are all devotees. They are Your obedient servant. Sattva-dhāmno. And they are not like us, disturbing." Kṣemāya bhūtaya utātma-sukhāya cāsya vikrīḍitaṁ bhagavato rucirāvatāraiḥ. "And Your appearance as Nṛsiṁha-deva is not for me, but for them. Because I am born in atheistic family. It is Your determination that You want to cut down the atheistic people. So it is automatically You have cut down, You have killed my father. But Your real business was to protect these demigods, Your devotees." In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām, yuge yuge sambhavāmi (BG 4.8). Dharma saṁsthāpanārthāya yuge yuge sambhavāmi. So the Lord appears with two missions. Paritrāṇāya sādhūnām: just to rescue the devotees or the persons in goodness, sādhu. Sādhu. There is description, definition of who is a sādhu. Sādhu means saintly person. In French language, I think it called saint? Saint? But actually the saint is in Sanskrit language also. Santa. Santa. Santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti. In Sanskrit language the saintly persons are called santa. Maybe it is Latin derivative, because in Latin there are many words resembling Sanskrit. And Professor Rowe, a great English scholar in India, an Englishman, professor in Presidency College, he wrote one grammar, English grammar. In our childhood we had to read. He has stated that "Sanskrit is the mother of all languages."
So niṣpīḍyamānam. This is called human life, when one understands... The animal life, they do not understand what is suffering. The cats and dogs, they are thinking they're living very happily. But in the human life they should come to the understanding that "Actually we are not living happily. We are being crushed by the wheel of time in so many ways." Niṣpīḍyamānam. When this sense comes, then he is a human being. Otherwise he's animal. If he's thinking that he's all right... That is... Ninety-nine point nine percent people think that "I am all right." Even in the most abominable condition of life, just like the hog and dog, still, he is thinking, "I am all right." So long this ignorance will continue, he is simply animal. Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke sva-dhīḥ kalatrādiṣu bhauma-ijya-dhīḥ (SB 10.84.13). This is going on. Ātma-buddhiḥ, tri-dhātuke. This body, which is made of kapha, pitta, vāyu, everyone is thinking, "I am this body." Whole world is going on. Simply we, a few members of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, we are going door to door and trying to convince them, "Sir, you are not this body." They don't care for it. "I am. I am this body. I am Mr. John," "I am Englishman," "I am American," "I'm Indian." You say "I'm not this body." So very difficult task. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, to push on, requires great patience, perseverance, tolerance.
Some of you have seen that my friend, Dr. Bose. I have said many times that when he was student, so one professor, he—in those days medical professors were Englishmen—he said in the class that "In our country, seventy-five percent of the students, they are infected with syphilis." So this doctor, he was a student. He said in the class, "Oh, horrible." So that professor said, "Why you are saying "horrible"? In your country eighty percent, ninety percent, they are infected with malaria, and they are in syphilis. So what is the difference? Why you make...? As a medical man, why should you make difference that 'This disease is better than that disease'? Disease is disease." Actually that is the fact. You say that "We are suffering from malaria. It is better than to suffer from syphilis." No. Disease is disease. Similarly, either Brahmā or the ant, the disease is how to become master. This is the disease. Therefore, to cure this disease, Kṛṣṇa comes to cure this disease, to say plainly, "Rascal, you are not master; you are servant. Surrender unto Me." This is the cure of disease. If one agrees that "No more," āra nāre bapa (?), "No more trying for becoming master," that is the cure of disease.
Similarly, a man, he becomes energized if he has got a good wife or good mother. This is the history of the whole world. Any great man in this world, you will find that behind him he has got a good wife or good mother. Prakṛti, energy. That energizes. In our country how we have seen many persons. Just like Sad Guru Das Bannerjee, (indistinct), they had very good mothers, and they became very great men. Similarly, we saw one Englishman, Lord Wellington, he had a very intelligent wife and he became great man. So this prakṛti is energy. By the energy of one woman, one becomes very great. That is the material arrangement. Not only material, in the spiritual world also the same thing. Just like Kṛṣṇa is energized in the presence of Rādhārāṇī, in the presence of Rādhārāṇī. Kṛṣṇa is called Madana-mohana and Rādhārāṇī is called Madana-mohana-mohinī. So the law is the same. But here in this material world, everything is perverted. Perverted. Therefore, we do not get the real energy. There is frustration, there is confusion. So we have to come to the real platform. Disease, diseased person... A diseased person, there are nice eatable things, enjoyable things, but he cannot eat, he cannot taste it, diseased person. Liver function is not working; therefore, he cannot taste it.
Festival Lectures
In the material covering, the senses are not properly being used. The enjoyment which you are now having, it is simply a perverted reflection of our spiritual self. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is meant for purifying our senses. In the Vedic literatures it is said, sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170). When we become free from the designation, at that time we become spiritually purified. At the present moment, on account of our ignorance, or in ignorance of our self-realization, we are thinking in relationship with this body. I am born in India, so I am thinking, "I am Indian." You are born in England; therefore you are thinking Englishmen. Or other is thinking some other thing. But actually, we are neither Indian, nor Englishmen, nor Japanese, or nor German. We are spirit soul, part and parcel of God. Therefore that is self-realization. Unless we realize our self, all activities that we are enacting, this is meant for our defeat.
So Kṛṣṇa says that He is the proprietor of all planets, sarva-loka-maheśvaram (BG 5.29). Therefore whatever there is, either in the sky or in the water or in the land, they're all Kṛṣṇa's property. And because we are all sons of Kṛṣṇa, therefore every one of us has the right to use (the) father's property. But we should not encroach upon others. This is the formula of peace. Mā gṛdha kasya svidhanam, īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (ISO 1). Everything belongs to God. You are sons of God. You have got the right to use father's property, but do not take more than you need. That is punishable. These things are stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Stena eva sa ucyate (BG 3.12), in the Bhagavad-gītā, "he's a thief." If anyone takes more than he needs, then he's a thief. Yajñārthāt karmaṇo 'nyatra loko 'yaṁ karma-bandhanaḥ (BG 3.9). If for the satisfaction of Kṛṣṇa... Yajña means Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa's another name is Yajñeśvara. So you act for Kṛṣṇa, you take prasāda Kṛṣṇa. That what we are teaching here. In this temple, we are residing Americans, Indians, Englishmen, Canadians, Africans, different parts of the world. You know that. Not only in this temple, all over the world.
So the brāhmaṇas were working as priest, they thought that their business will not go on. They prescribed so many ritualistic performances, and Caitanya Mahāprabhu was saying simply by chanting one can achieve the highest perfection. So they were disturbed, and they lodged complaint to the then magistrate, Kazi. Maulana Chand Kazi, his name was Maulana Chand Kazi. You know, when a Muhammadan is learned and religious he gets the title Maulana. So that magistrate, Chand Kazi, was very learned scholar, not only in Muhammadan scriptures, but he was a great scholar Hindu scripture also. Just like in British period in India, there were many responsible English officers, just like high-court judge, civil service. They were very vastly learned in Sanskrit. One Mr. Woodruff, Justice Woodruff, Englishman in Calcutta high-court, oh, he was a very great scholar, Sanskrit scholar, and he translated all the tantric śāstras. So scholarly people are always there. It doesn't matter. They do not belong to any class of men. Scholars are scholars, saintly persons are saintly persons.
Arrival Addresses and Talks
A learned man sees all of them on the equal level because a learned man who is actually on the spiritual platform, he knows that "Here is a dog and here is a learned brāhmaṇa. By their karma they have got different dress only, but within the brāhmaṇa, within the dog the same spirit soul is there." So our material platform we distinguish, "I am Indian, you are Frenchman, he's Englishman, he's American, he's cat, he's dog." This is the vision of the material platform. In the spiritual platform we can see that every living entity is part and parcel of God, as it is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā: mām evāṁśa jīva-bhūta. Every living entity. It doesn't matter what he is. There are 8,400,000 species of forms, but all of them, they're covered only by different dresses. Just like you Frenchmen, you may be differently dressed, and Englishman may be differently dressed. But dress is not very important. The man within the dress, he's important. Similarly, this body is not very important thing. Antavanta ime dehā nityasyoktāḥ śarīriṇaḥ (BG 2.18), this body is perishable. But the soul within the body, he's not perishable. Therefore this human form of life is meant for cultivating the knowledge of the nonperishable.
So anyway, on the material platform, there is no possibility of equality, fraternity, or nothing. It is not possible. Unless you come to the spiritual platform, brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54), there is no question of equality, fraternity. So in the United Nation, they are trying for that unity, united nation, but where is unity? Every year there is a new flag. There is no question of fraternity or equality. Just like in animal life, there is no question of fraternity or equality. Similarly, if we keep ourself in the bodily concept of life, that is animal life. So long we keep ourself as :I am French man," "I am German man," "I am English man," "I am Indian man," or so many there are nationalities, there cannot be any fraternity, equality. We have come to the platform of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or brahma-bhūtaḥ, then there will be fraternity, equality. And factually you can see in this movement all classes of men, all nationality, all religion, all color, they are coming together and chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa and dancing. This is wanted. So don't be misled by the leaders of so-called eternity and fraternity. It is not possible. That are called andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānās (SB 7.5.31), just like a blind man is trying to lead other blind men.
The whole world is under the bodily concept of life, even big, big nations. Just like your prime minister has gone to the United Nations. There are many big, big men in the United Nations. They will speak, and they are speaking for the last thirty years. The United Nations is formed, but they could not find any solution of the problems of life because the basic principle they are losing; they do not know. Every one of them is thinking on the bodily platform: "I am Indian," "I am American," "I am German," and "I am Englishman," like that. Therefore there is no solution because the basic principle is wrong. Unless we understand what is the wrong on the active principle of the body, the problems cannot be solved, just like if you cannot diagnose the disease, simply by symptomatic treatment you cannot make the man healthy. That is not possible.
Go-kharaḥ means animals, cows and asses. Anyone who is thinking, "I am this body," he is animal. This is the verdict. Actually he is animal. If the dog is thinking, "I am dog," and if some gentleman is thinking, "I am Indian," "I am American," or "I am Englishman," where is the difference? To identify the body? There is no difference.
Initiation Lectures
As it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, punar āvartino 'rjuna. Even if you go to the highest planetary system, Brahmaloka, then there also punar āvartinaḥ, means the four principles of material existence, namely birth, death, old age, and disease, they will accompany you. Wherever you go. You may have a long duration of life, but you have to meet death. That is compulsory. And as soon as you meet death, you have to enter into the womb of a certain type of mother and develop another body and come out again and begin another life. This is going on. So Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, ā-bhrama-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna. Even if you go to the highest planetary system, Brahmaloka, within this material world, that process will go on, repetition of birth, death, old age, and disease. Because this material body, wherever you get it, either you are American or Englishman or Indian or moon planet or sun planet or Brahmā planet, Brahmaloka planet, anywhere you go, you'll get a certain type of body, but that material body is subjected to these four principles: birth, death, disease, and old age.
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).
General Lectures
The spirit soul or the Supreme Soul, both of them are ānandamaya. Ānanda means blissful, by nature blissful. Always wants to enjoy. That is the nature of spirit. But at the present moment, because we have forgotten that I am..., we are spirit soul, part and parcel of the Supreme Lord, mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ (BG 15.7), identifying ourself with something else which is transitory, we are suffering. This is the cause. There are many places. Bhayaṁ dvitīyābhiniveśataḥ syād īśād api etasya viparyayo 'smṛtiḥ. Viparyayo 'smṛtiḥ means converted thinking. I'm not this, any product of this material world, but I am thinking, "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am Englishman," "I am German," "I am Chinaman," "I am Russian," or "I am cats and dogs," these so many. These are all designations. These are all designations. My real identity is ahaṁ brahmāsmi: "I am Brahman. I am the part and parcel of the Supreme Brahman. Qualitatively, I am one with God." Just like a particle of gold is also gold. A small particle of the ocean is also salty. The chemical composition of the small particle of ocean water is the same as the big ocean. So qualitatively, I am one with God, or Kṛṣṇa.
After executing your proper service or duties... Everyone is entrusted with some kind of duties. So if, after properly executing your duties as Indian or American or Englishman or scientist or businessman or father or mother... So many duties we have got. Dharmaḥ svanuṣṭhitaḥ puṁsāṁ viṣvaksena-kathāsu yaḥ, notpādayed yadi ratim (SB 1.2.8). After executing your duties, if you do not develop your anxiety to inquire about Brahman... Athāto brahma jijñāsā. This is the beginning of Vedānta-sūtra. People are indulging in studying Vedānta, but Vedānta-sūtra is not a matter of speculation. It is to be studied from the authorities. Tad vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). So if, after executing your duties very properly, if you do not develop your consciousness to know about yourself or the Supreme Self, then whatever you have done, it is simply waste of time. That's all. Śrama eva hi kevalam. Simply laboring after nothing. That's all. That means spoiling human life.
So to become mahātmā and liberated... There are so many theories how to become liberated, how to become mahātmā, how to become religionist, how to become philosopher. There are many thoughts and theories, but real success of life is to become a mahātmā, broader, broader, broad-minded. Mahātmā means broader-minded. They are not, I mean to say, short-minded, that "I am this," "I am that"—"I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am Christian," "I am Indian," "I am German," "I am Englishman"—no. Mahātmā is sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam (CC Madhya 19.170). He is freed from all designation. These are all our designations. When I think, "I am Englishman" or "I am Indian," this is my designation. Because as soon as I change my this body, I accept another body. Then all my philanthropy as Englishman or Indian—immediately finished. Just like President Kennedy's presidentship and philanthropy all finished. Now we do not know where is Mr. Kennedy and what he is doing. But he has got a body. That's a fact. That I have already explained. But neither you know, neither he knows that "I was President," or "I was this or that." Therefore this is called illusion, māyā. So Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura says, keno māyāra bośe, yāccho bhese: "My dear friends, my dear brothers, why you are being washed away by the waves of this illusion? Don't be wasted.
So Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura says, keno māyāra bośe, yāccho bhese: "My dear friends, my dear brothers, why you are being washed away by the waves of this illusion? Don't be wasted. Don't be washed away." Just like if you are thrown into the ocean you are washed away by the waves, similarly, by the waves of this material nature, prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27), we are being washed away from one body to another, one body to another, one body to another, in this way. But actually we do not want this. Actually every one of us, we want a permanent body, a permanent situation, a permanent life, a blissful life, a life of knowledge. That is our hankering. But we do not know, do not know because we do not care to know. Otherwise everything is explained. You haven't got to study many books. You just simply study Bhagavad-gītā As It Is. We have therefore published this Bhagavad-gītā As It Is without any nonsensical interpretation. "As It Is." Then you'll get all this knowledge and you'll know what you are meant for. So this movement is just to revive your consciousness, original consciousness. Original consciousness is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And all other consciousness which you have now acquired, these are superficial, temporary. "I am Indian," "I am Englishman," "I am this," "I am that"—these are all superficial consciousness. Real consciousness is ahaṁ brahmāsmi.
So our request is that you read Bhagavad-gītā As It Is. Here there are many Englishmen and Indians. That is my request. I am not charging anything. I am not making a profession. This saṅkīrtana movement, we are chanting freely. You can hear. There is... Not that it is a secret thing—if you pay me something, then I shall disclose. No. It is open secret. Anyone can take, and there is no loss. If you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, there is no loss, but there is great gain. You can try it. So we are freely distributing it by chanting. You can join with us, you try to understand us, what is our philosophy. We have got monthly magazine, Back to Godhead. We have got many publications, Bhagavad-gītā As It Is, Teachings of Lord Caitanya. If you want to understand this movement through philosophy, science, argument, we are prepared. There is ample opportunity for you. But if you simply chant, there is no need of education, there is no need of philosophizing. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, and you gain everything.
As in this planet there are living entities, similarly, in the sun planet also, there are living entities, but their bodies are differently constructed. Just like your body is differently constructed. You cannot remain in the water. But the fishes, the aquatics, they can remain in the water. It is the question of construction of the body. But you cannot say that "Because I cannot live in the water, therefore nobody can live in the water." That is nonsense. This is nonsense. So they, our scientists are so-called nonsense only. They say, "No, there cannot be any existence of living entity in the moon pla..., moon planet or sun planet." They say like that. But our Vedic literature does not say like that. Living entities... It is said, sarva-gaḥ. They can go anywhere, and they can live anywhere. Sarva-gaḥ. Sarva means all; gaḥ means going. You can go. Just like here in London city, you are sitting here, you can go any other part, similarly, you can go any other part of the universe or any other part of God's creation. There is material world, spiritual world... You can go everywhere. But you must be capable of going there. Just like we Indians. There are many Indians... Or there are many Englishmen also, some of them want to go to India. Some of the Indians, from India they want to come to London. They think London is very wonderful city. And some Englishmen also think, "Oh, India is very wonderful land."
Therefore those who are sensible, they do not aspire for all these temporary things. Temporary bodily acquisitions, good birth, good opulence, good beauty, and good knowledge—these are bodily acquisitions. (affections?) Everyone is very much proud if he's born in a nice family or nice nation. Oh, he's very proud, "I am Englishman," or "American," "I am this," "I am brāhmaṇa," "I am this, first class." Why? Good birth. Then, if one is very rich, oh, he's very proud. Then, if one is very much learned, he is very proud. And if one is very beautiful, he's also very proud. Janmaiśvarya-śruta-śrībhiḥ (SB 1.8.26). These are our objects of being proud. But this can be finished within a second, because it is due to this body. So actually, those who are in the bodily concept of life, they're in lower grade of human civilization. Just like animals. They are considered as animals. Just like the animals, they are fully absorbed in the thought that "I am this body," similarly, if a man is absorbed in such thought, that "I am this body," then he is equal to animal. That's all. Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke (SB 10.84.13). And with bodily relation we make our identification. "Because my body is born in this land, England, therefore I am Englishman. Therefore all Englishmen are my countrymen." Or my family: "Because I have got this bodily relationship, they are my kinsmen, they are my sons, they are my wife, they are my father, they are my mother, they are my societymen." In this way, all our conception of life is on the bodily concept of life.
Therefore Bhagavad-gītā says, brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54). If actually one has realized Brahman, then he should be free from all anxieties. Prasannātmā. Prasanna means joyful. Because all our anxieties are due to this identification of this body—"I am Englishman," "I am Indian," "I am this," "I am that." Therefore I am..., we are always anxious, anxiety. Even the cats and dogs, they are also anxious for their body, protection. As in nationwise, everyone is anxious, "Oh, let them... Russians, they may not come." The Russians thinking, "Here... Yes. They may not come." Oh, should be... Oh, wars and peace.(?) All anxiety! Advancement, so-called nonsense advancement is increasing anxiety. That's all. But brahma-bhutaḥ means no anxiety. That is the first stage. That is the first stage, brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā. And what is that? How? What is that quality of prasannātmā? Na śocati na kāṅkṣati (BG 18.54). There is no hankering and there is no lamentation. So long we have got this bodily identification, we have got sense gratification. What we haven't got for sense gratification, we hanker after it.
When we see equal not only the learned brāhmaṇa... The learned brāhmaṇa or the elephant or the cow or the dog or the caṇḍāla—no matter. Whatever the bodily condition is there, the spiritual condition is the same. Paṇḍitāḥ sama. This samatā, this communism, equality, is perfect. The modern theory of communism, that "I am good, my brother is good, and all bad," this is not communism. When we are..., we can see that "I am good, my brother good, the dog is good, the cat is good," or "the Englishman is good, the every living entity is good," that is perfect. That is perfect communism.
Some of us thinking that "I am American," some of them are thinking that "We are Indian," some of them are thinking "German," or this or that—"I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am Christian," "I am white," "I am black." In so many way we are. Our consciousness are polluted. Actually, my position is, as it is said in the Vedic literature, ahaṁ brahmāsmi: "I am Brahman, or spirit soul." In the Bhagavad-gītā we find that when a person becomes realized as Brahman, means spirit soul... Now I am identifying not with Brahman, but I am identifying with this body: "I am American," "I am Englishman," "I am Indian." Because by accident I have got this Indian body, I may think, "I am Indian." You may have American body; you may think, "I am..." But we are neither American nor Indian. We are pure spirit soul. This is only an outward dress. Suppose you have got green dress. You don't say that "I am green dress." You say, "I am Mr. John." Similarly, if we say that "I am American," "I am Indian," that is not my real identification. Exactly like that, if somebody says that "I am Mr. green dress," "I am Mr. white dress," as that is not identification, similarly, if I say "I am American" or "I am Indian" or "Englishman," or so many, "Hindus" or "Muslims," that is not my pure identification. My pure identification is that "I am eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa, or God." That's all. That is pure identification. When comes to this understanding, that "I am eternal servant of God," that is called brahma-bhūtaḥ stage, ahaṁ brahmāsmi.
Paṇḍitāḥ sama, when we see equally, not only the learned brāhmaṇa... The learned brāhmaṇa or the elephant or the cow or the dog or the caṇḍāla. No matter. Whatever the bodily condition is there, the spiritual condition is the same. Paṇḍitāḥ sama... This samatā, this communism, equality, is perfect. Their modern theory of communism, that "I am good, my brother is good, and all bad," this is not communism. When we are, we can see that "I am good, my brother good, the dog is good, the cat is good, the Englishman is good, the every living entity is good," that is communism. That is perfect communism. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, or the Bhāgavata-dharma, there is ideal communism. You will find in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, in the Seventh Canto, Nārada Muni is giving, instructing to Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira about this communism that "A gṛhastha, before taking lunch, he must see that every insect, every lizard, every cat, every rat, even a snake in that house must have been fed, must have taken their food. This is so hospitable that the householder, the owner of the house, not only sees that his wife, children, servants are well-fed, but even the rats, cats or the insect or the lizard. Or even the snake has got his food. This is the ideal of communism. Because when you are paṇḍita, learned, you cannot distinguish that "This is animal and this is human being." You can treat them different because their consciousness is... But on the basic principle the living entity—any living entity—it doesn't matter whether it is animal or man—he is part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. So you cannot kill one living entity for the satisfaction of the tongue of other... (end)
Now you are thinking service to the humanity means a section of humanity. And why should you stick your service to the humanity? When one is serving his own countrymen, Indian, he does not care for the Englishman. So don't speak of humanity. Nobody can serve the whole humanity in the present way. But if you spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that is the best service to the humanity. Just like we are doing. We have no discrimination, that "These are Indians. These are Americans. They are Hindus. They are Muslims. They are Christians." No. Or "They're cats or dogs." That oneness you can see only when you are Brahman-realized. Samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu. Why humanity? Why not the cats and dogs and cows? You are very much anxious to give service to the humanity, but you are sending animals to the slaughterhouse. Why? (indistinct) the lack of knowledge. You do not (indistinct) is part and parcel of God. You cannot select this part and... Therefore the śāstra says, yathā taror mūla-niṣecanena tṛpyanti tat-skandha-bhujopaśākhāḥ (SB 4.31.14). Just like by watering the root, you can water automatically the branches, the trunks, the twigs, the flowers, the fruits, the leaves—everything is watered.
So if you depend on Kṛṣṇa, because He's the supreme father, fully, then all your needs... He's already supplying you all the needs of your life. Eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. That is the distinction between God and ordinary being. There are... God is also a living being like you and me. He's also a person, as you are person, I am person. But the difference is that one person is providing all the necessities of unlimited persons. And we unlimited persons, we are dependent on God. This is our philosophy. Another philosophy is that everything belongs to God; nothing belongs to us. That's a fact. Therefore as sons of God, everyone has got the right to use father's property. But he should not take more than he needs. That is our philosophy. If one takes more than what he needs, then he becomes a criminal. So similarly, we can live very comfortably on this planet, because this planet belongs to God. We should not designate ourself as "Englishman," as "American," as "Indian," as "African," and fight amongst themselves. We should always know that we are all sons of God. The property is God's. We can use whatever we need by the grace of God—the supply is there; there is no question of scarcity—and thus save your time, be peaceful, and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa.
So we have got immense literature. We have already published more than twenty books. If you want to understand the Absolute Truth by philosophy, by science, there are books. Otherwise, the easy method is chant Hare Kṛṣṇa: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. So God has given you the tongue, and it doesn't matter whether you are Indian or American or Englishman, German or African. Everyone can chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. That is actually being done. In Africa they are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. In Australia they are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. In Europe they are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. In Asia they are accustomed to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. The chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra is going on all over the world. Take advantage of it. Don't miss this opportunity, and make your life successful.
We are under false consciousness. I am thinking, "I am Indian," you are thinking you are German, and the dog is thinking, "I am dog," and cat is thinking, "I am cat." So this bodily consciousness, bodily concept of life, will keep us conditioned within the material nature. Therefore our first business is how to get free from all these designations. Just like I am putting on this saffron cloth, but I am not saffron cloth. Or you are putting red cloth or black coat; you are not black coat. Within the coat, you are the person. Similarly, within the dress, I am the person. So at the present moment we are on the dress consciousness: "I am German dress," "I am Englishman dress," "I am Indian dress," "I am male dress," "I am female dress." So this is called conditioned life. So in this conditioned life we are accepting one type of body and we are dying. Dying means giving up and being transmigrated, transferred to another body by the laws of material nature. It is not under my control. You cannot say that "After giving up this German body, I shall accept again another German body." That is not in your hands, sir. It is under the laws of nature. You cannot propose. You cannot force material nature. After this body, I can get any other body. That is stated here: tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). Another form of a body. That form of body may be any one of the 8,400,000 forms of body. Therefore, if we are actually intelligent, we should try for being awakened or placed in our original body, the spiritual body. That will stop this constant change of body.
So Sanātana Gosvāmī submitted that "These ordinary people address me as very learned man, panditji. But I know my position. I do not know myself, what I am. This is my position." Grāmya-vyavahāre kaha ei paṇḍita satya kori māni: "These fools calls me as paṇḍita, and I also think that I am paṇḍita, but actually I do not know what I am." Just see. This is the position. You ask all big, big doctors, scientists, philosophers, and ask him what you are. He will say, "I am Indian," "I am American," "I am this," "I am that," that's all. Bodily. This is going on. And he is fool number one, and he is passing on as the great scientist, great philosopher. One who does not know himself, what is the value of his learning? One must know his own identity. So everyone is identifying with this body—"I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am Christian," "I am Indian," "I am American," "I am German," "I am Englishman"—and fighting is going on. Why fighting is going on? The living entity is part and parcel of God. He is spiritual spark. He is covered by this material body. Just like we are all human beings. Now we are covered by different dresses. That does not mean we are different. We are one as human being, as inhabitants of this earth, but on account of this dress, I am thinking you are my enemy, you are thinking I am your enemy.
So the idea is that you must take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Otherwise you are drinking poison knowingly. Anyone, it doesn't matter what you are. Either you are Indian or Englishman or American or Hindu or Muslim, it doesn't matter. Kṛṣṇa consciousness means God consciousness. I may say, "Kṛṣṇa;" you may say some other name. But this human form of life is meant for this purpose, to understand Kṛṣṇa, or God. Not vague idea, clear idea what is God, how he looks, what does he do—so many things we have to know. It is not vague idea. Simply to have a vague idea of God, that is also good, but that is not perfect. You must know that is God. So how you can know God? The God is explaining Himself, coming down for your benefit. That is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is explaining Himself, "I am like this. You see Me. You know Me. I am explaining Myself." And still, if we do not take advantage of understanding God, then just imagine how we are drinking poison knowingly. How rascal we are, that God Himself is explaining before me everything about Him, and we are not taking advantage of this opportunity, and I am thinking I am independent and... This is rascaldom. You are not independent. You are completely under the control of the laws of material nature. How you are independent? So this foolishness must be stopped. That is the purpose of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Don't remain rascals fools. Take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness and be happy.
Philosophy Discussions
Śyāmasundara: We discussed Newton's philosophy.
Prabhupāda: Sir Isaac Newton?
Śyāmasundara: Yes. Long ago, in Africa.
Prabhupāda: No, he was Englishman.
Śyāmasundara: No, but in Africa we discussed his philosophy.
Prabhupāda: He died at the age of twenty-three. His picture is there in Westminster Abbey.
Śyāmasundara: His tomb, his grave. He is buried there.
Prabhupāda: Westminster Abbey has become now a museum.
Śyāmasundara: Graveyard and museum.
Prabhupāda: People go to see, tourist.
Śyāmasundara: I think it cost us sixteen shillings for us to see. Remember we saw King (indistinct). So they're making some money.
Prabhupāda: Yes. For some period, Elizabeth to Queen Victoria, the English nation advanced in so many ways. They wanted to record it that they are the greatest nation in the world. But the basic principle was how to get money from outside in London. That was the basic thing. By advertising there... Actually by nature they are very impoverished. They have no sufficient food, even; their nature. And they wanted to be greatest nation. By nature they are not very much favored. Now they are coming again in the lap of nature.
Hayagrīva: So instead of a machine for the making of gods, it's more like a hospital for the curing of souls.
Prabhupāda: Yes, yes, it is hospital. Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means curing the disease. That is described in Nārada-bhakti-sūtra, sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170), nirmalam. Nirmalam means purified. So when he becomes free from all this designation... The designation begins with this body, and the body accidentally born in Europe, he thinks, "I am a European." Born in America, "I am an American." Born in a Christian family, "I am Christian." He is born in Hindu family, "I am that." That is all misconception. His real position is that "I am part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, eternal servant." Then he is free from all. That is, that is beginning of..., that is brahma-bhūtaḥ, beginning of spiritual life. So nothing, not that a man can be made to God. He is not God; he is part and parcel of God. He has to simply understand his position. That is mukti. He is working under different impression, that "I am this body." Just like the other day with, concerning the philosopher Huxley. He is a philosopher but he is proud of becoming Englishman. Did you not say?
Hayagrīva: Yes.
Śyāmasundara: How does worship of Viṣṇu solve social problems? Just like in Calcutta there are more social problems than practically anywhere.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Viṣṇu... In the Viṣṇu Purāṇa, it is said that varṇāśrama-dharma. Varnāśramācāravatā puruṣeṇa paraḥ pumān (CC Madhya 8.58). Any man who executes this varṇāśrama-dharma, he satisfies Viṣṇu. The varṇāśrama-dharma is there, and the brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas, the vaiśyas, and the śūdras. So according as they are prescribed, how the brāhmaṇas should live, how the kṣatriyas should live, how the..., then there is no trouble. The whole problem is solved. But they have killed the varṇāśrama-dharma. They are now all śūdras. The śūdras, how they can make solutions? Śūdras means nonintelligent persons. So what they can do? They are running on democratic government voted by the śūdras. So what these rascal śūdras will do? They require... Śūdras are meant for serving the higher sections—brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya. And if the śūdras are given government... Just like we are seeing, in Africa they have been given independence, but they have not improved. The Englishman is still controlling, the Indians are still controlling. And what is the meaning of their so-called self-ruling? We have seen it, still they are poor, because they are śūdras. Śūdras have no brain. In America also, the whole America once belonged to the Red Indians. Why they could not improve? The land was there.
Śyāmasundara: He has no real evidence that my self is the body either.
Prabhupāda: He is blind, because it is not the fact. The evidence is there, but he is in blind faith. The whole world is working in blind faith—"I am Pakistani," "I am Hindustani," "I am American," "I am Englishman." Simply bodily identification. The whole world is a set of fools only. That's all. That is stated in the śāstras: yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke (SB 10.84.13). Anyone who accepts this bag of three dhātus, kapha, pitta, vāyu, as self, he is an ass.
Śyāmasundara: He says that atomic propositions, or the components of compound propositions, depend for their validity upon the reliability with which they accurately picture atomic facts. In other words, suppose there is some proposition that this ring is gold. This proposition is part of a compound proposition which tells where the ring came from, how it was originated, who wore it, so many other facts. But only you take one proposition, "this ring is gold," he said this proposition depends upon the reliability with which it accurately pictures the facts, if it is true or false. That statement, "this ring is gold," it must determine how accurately it pictures the facts before we can say if it is valid or invalid proposition.
Prabhupāda: Suppose I say it is gold. What he will say? What is his proposition?
Śyāmasundara: He'll say that first of all you must give us a list of conditions to determine why it is gold, under what conditions it is gold.
Prabhupāda: That is everything. That he is speaking also, that is another condition.
Śyāmasundara: So this persona, or this mask that someone wears, or show it to their family or their friends, is not the whole self. He says that the, behind that mask there is what's called the shadow, or those repressed dispositions which a person has but does not show.
Prabhupāda: That is explained in Bhāgavatam, apaśyatām ātma-tattvaṁ gṛheṣu gṛha-medhinām (SB 2.1.2). Those who are not seeing the position of spiritual, as the spirit soul, they are so much attached in this family life, worldly life, national life, (indistinct) material life, this life, that life. They are all false, but because he has no knowledge of the soul, he is attached to all these things. Apaśyatām ātma-tattvam (SB 2.1.2). Ātma-tattvam means the science of soul. That he does not know; therefore he is attached, gṛheṣu gṛha-medhinām. These are different types of gṛha. Just like a man is not very much advanced in nationalism, he thinks "This my house is everything." And one who has developed that like Gandhi, his family life developed into nationalism. So that is also gṛha. He is asking, I mean to say, Englishman, "Go away! It is mine." But that mahātmā, that greatness is simply expanding beyond the gṛha. He's a still gṛha-medhi. We don't say like that, "Oh, you Englishman, you cannot have Kṛṣṇa consciousness." So that, therefore, those who are Kṛṣṇa conscious, they are mahātmā. (indistinct) These kind of mahātmās, they are not mahātmā, they are gṛha-medhis, but they have been given the title, false title. Just like in Bengali we say, the mother's love is child, and the child is blind. Still, "Oh, my child's eyes are just like lotus flower."
Prabhupāda: No, why does he say that the language, he gives that...
Hayagrīva: Probably not.
Prabhupāda: ...everyone has his language. It does not mean that the animals have no language. They have got their own language. The birds have their own language, the Englishmen have their own language, the Indians have their own language. So there are different varieties of life, and each one has his own language.
Hayagrīva: Although Huxley was called...
Prabhupāda: Language is not the important. The education is important. A developed human being can take real education, while the animals are not able to take. That you can define. It is not the question of language. Knowledge can be imparted, in particular knowledge, a language, just like we are imparting Vedic knowledge in English. So it is not the language, it is the knowledge. But the animals cannot take the knowledge of God. That is their defective. But a human form of body or a human being, it doesn't matter in what language he speaks, but if the knowledge of God is properly imparted in him, then he can understand. The dog cannot understand. That is the difference.
Hayagrīva: Well, Huxley is typically British. He wrote in...
Prabhupāda: He is a British or Frenchman?
Hayagrīva: Huxley, no, he was English, Englishman.
Prabhupāda: Oh.
Hayagrīva: He says, "By the Ganges ethical man admits that the cosmos is too strong for him..."
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Hayagrīva: "...and destroying every bond which ties him to it by ascetic discipline he seeks salvation in absolute renunciation."
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Hayagrīva: He says..., but he says, "This attempt to escape from evil has ended in flight from the battlefield." He doesn't advocate this for an Englishman. In a typically British manner he quotes Alfred Lord Tennyson. He says, "We are grown men and must play the man strong in will to strive, to seek, to find and not to yield."
Prabhupāda: Rascal, at last you die. (laughter) You do not like to yield, but the nature kicks on your face and says you must die. That he does not like.
Prabhupāda: Either you be Englishman or Frenchman or this man, you cannot survive. You have to succumb under the dictation of the superior nature. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, that—I think Huxley read Bhagavad-gītā; he does not know-that,
- prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni
- guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ
- ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā
- kartāham iti manyate
- (BG 3.27)
This kind of conception, that "I shall survive, I am Englishman," this is a false egotism and bewildered soul. Whatever he may be, Englishman or this man or that man, he must die. That is the law of nature. So intelligent man first of all makes provision "How I shall not die." That is real business of human being. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, that if one simply understands Kṛṣṇa, then he survives; otherwise one has to die. There is no doubt.
Hayagrīva: Huxley says, "This salvation of liberation from karma was to be attained through knowledge and by action based on that knowledge." The supernatural, in our sense of the term, is entirely excluded.
Prabhupāda: Yes. We are acting under certain designation, that just like Mr. Huxley said a few minutes before, that "We are Englishmen." So this is designation. So, so long you will work under designation, there is no freedom. Because under false impression that "I am Englishman," "I am Frenchman," "Let me work in this way," that means you are entangling himself, yourself into some other way, so that today you are Englishman, next day you may be Frenchman or dog's man, that you are entangling yourself. But when you give up this designation, that "I am no man, no other's man, but I am Kṛṣṇa's man," then you will save yourself. Otherwise... Therefore to become Kṛṣṇa consciousness, conscious, is actual platform of freedom from karma.
| Page Title: | Englishmen (Lectures) |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, Mayapur |
| Created: | 23 of Feb, 2012 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=97, Con=0, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 97 |