Therefore in this world the human being is not meant for quarreling like the cats and dogs. They must be intelligent enough to realize the importance of the human life and refuse to act like ordinary animal. He should... A human being should realize the aim of human life. This direction is given in all the Vedic literature, and the essence is given in the Bhagavad-gītā. Vedic literature are meant for the human being and not for the cats and dogs. The cats and dogs can kill their eatable animals, and for that there is no question of sin on their part. But if a man kills an animal for the satisfaction of his uncontrolled taste, he must be responsible for breaking the laws of nature. And in the Bhagavad-gītā it is clearly explained that there are three kinds of activities according to the different modes of nature: the activities of goodness, the activities of passion, the activities of ignorance. Similarly, there are three kinds of eatables also: eatables in goodness, eatables on passion, eatables on ignorance. They're all clearly described, and if we properly utilize the instructions of the Bhagavad-gītā, then our whole life will become purified and ultimately we shall (be) able to reach the destination. Yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama (BG 15.6).
Importance (Lectures)
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
"The Blessed Lord said: While speaking learned words you are mourning for what is not worthy of grief. Those who are wise lament neither for the living nor the dead (BG 2.11)." Purport: "The Lord at once took the position of a teacher and chastised his student, calling him indirectly a fool. The Lord said, 'You are talking like a learned man, but you do not know that one who is learned, one who knows what is body and what is soul, does not lament for any stage of the body, neither in the living nor in the dead condition.' As explained in the later chapters, it will be clear that knowledge means to know matter and spirit and the controller of both. Arjuna argued that religious principles should be given more importance than politics or sociology, but he did not know that knowledge of matter, soul and the Supreme is more important than religious formularies. And because he was lacking in that knowledge, he should not have posed himself as a very learned man. As he did not happen to be a very learned man, he was consequently lamenting for something which was unworthy of lamentation. The body is born and is destined to be vanquished today or tomorrow. Therefore the body is not as important as the soul. One who knows this is actually learned. For him there is no cause for lamentation in any stage of the material body."
How that, that we do not die?" No. It is not the body, but Kṛṣṇa is speaking about the soul. Soul is ever-existing. It existed in the past, it is existing now, and it will exist. Maybe, different type of body, that is Kṛṣṇa's instruction. Another thing is that the Māyāvādī philosophers say that we are one. There is no "you" and "me." Everything one. So, then Kṛṣṇa is defective. If Kṛṣṇa says, "You, Me, all others," so it is not one. It is not homogeneous. We are all individuals. "You are individual, I am individual, and all the kings and soldiers, they are all individuals." So the Māyāvādī theory that after liberation everyone becomes one, one lump sum... What is called? Homogeneous spirit. No. Then Kṛṣṇa is false. The Māyāvādī theory accepted, that we become one lump sum, then Kṛṣṇa's theory... Not theory, Kṛṣṇa's actual knowledge. Then it becomes false. And if Kṛṣṇa speaks false, something defective, then where is the use of reading Bhagavad-gītā? Why should we read Bhagavad-gītā which is spoken by a person who is defective? No. That's not... What Kṛṣṇa is speaking, that is fact. Otherwise, why Bhagavad-gītā is given so importance? So, so Māyāvādī philosophers, they try to interpret in a different way, " 'I' means this, 'you' means that," some... (end)
It is not Darwin's invention. There is... Asatiṁ caturaṁ caiva jīva-jātiṣu. As clearly stated, the evolution theory is, evolution fact is there are 8,400,000 different species of life, and the living entity passing, transmigrating, from one, another, one, another. Therefore, when one comes to this human form of body, Prahlāda Mahārāja says, durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma: "It is very rarely... This human form of body is very..." Why it is so rare? Now arthadam adhruvam. We shall die also. We shall give up this body like the cats and dogs. But I can get a sublime knowledge in this body. The cats and dogs cannot get. Therefore we should utilize this. So to understand this importance of this body is explained here, that "I am not this body. I am a spirit soul. I have been given a type of body by the material nature under the order of Kṛṣṇa and God." Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). This, these things are going on by the nature's law. The law is so perfect. Just like I have given several times that if you infect some disease, the nature's law is so perfect that you must suffer from that disease, unless you take precaution. Everyone knows that any infections disease... That is... You see in the SB.. (end)
That is the, what is called, minority in the whole world. If you take calculation of other religion... I have seen the other day in the World Almanac the Hindus, the Hindus are the lowest. So how many Hindus are reading? In India not that 90% people are illiterate. So what they will read? And who is reading Bhagavad-gītā? It is all over the world. Still, you'll find in Germany Bhagavad-gītā is being read. In England you'll find. Even in Muhammadan countries you'll find, and what to speak of your country. There are so many editions of Bhagavad-gītā. I mean to say that see the importance of real literature.
- tad-vāg-visargo janatāgha-viplavo
- yasmin prati-ślokam abaddhavaty api
- nāmāny anantasya yaśo 'ṅkitāni yat
- śṛṇvanti gāyanti gṛṇanti sādhavaḥ
- (SB 1.5.11)
That rubbish literature is compared with the enjoyable things of the crows, and spiritual literature, they are enjoyed by the white swans. There is difference between the white swans. You have seen natural. They are also birds, crows are also birds. But you'll see white swans, they take pleasure in clear water where there are lilies, and they take nice pleasure there. And crows they will go, where you throw all rubbish things, they'll go there. You see nature. People say everyone is equal. How you can say equal? Even in the bird society there is no equality, in the animal society there is no equality. Then how you can make equality?
Ācāryaṁ māṁ puruṣa, one who is under the guidance of ācārya. So you won't find this foolish nonviolence theory from any ācārya. Many ācāryas have commented on Bhagavad-gītā. There is Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, even Śaṅkarācārya. But never said that Bhagavad-gītā is proof of nonviolence. Nonviolence is good but when there is dharma-yuddha, righteous fighting, there is no question of nonviolence. Violence is approved.
Therefore Kṛṣṇa says that tataḥ sva-dharmaṁ kīrtiṁ ca: "You will, by neglecting your sva-dharma, your professional or occupational duty, and minimizing the importance of your recognition, kīrti..." Kīrtir yasya sa jīvati: "Anyone who is reputed for his good activities, he lives forever." Kīrtir yasya sa jīvati. Bhaja sādhu-samāgamam. Tyaja durjana-saṁsargaṁ bhaja sādhu-samāgamam. Cāṇakya Paṇḍita also says kīrtiḥ sa... Who lives forever? One who has got reputation for his, one who is famous for his good activities. "So don't try to lose your reputation. You are a great fighter, recognized by so many authorities, and if you don't fight, then people will say, 'Now Arjuna is finished. He cannot anymore fight.' So don't lose this reputation. Don't be deviated from your occupational duty as a kṣatriya. If you do all these things, then pāpam avāpsyasi. You don't think that it will be pious. You will, on the other hand you will become impious." Pāpam avāpsyasi.
And if you continue your work unattached like that, then the result will be that you will also reach that perfectional stage of life, as Śukadeva Gosvāmī.
- karmaṇaiva hi saṁsiddhim
- āsthitā janakādayaḥ
- loka-saṅgraham evāpi
- sampaśyan kartum arhasi
- (BG 3.20)
So you haven't got to give up your work, your duty. Go on doing your duty, but make your point that "My life's main business is self-realization." You give more importance to that point of life. Not to the point of, that "I shall earn more and enjoy life." No. That should be given up. That is called nonattachment. So if we go on working in non-attachment and culture our self-realization, then gradually we shall come to the perfectional point. Thank you very much. Now if there is any question... (end)
Just like in the Bhagavad-gītā, the words written in this book, Bhagavad-gītā, although it appears like ordinary letters, they are not like that. It is Vedic vibration. The things which are being spoken by Kṛṣṇa, they are not ordinary language. Had it been ordinary language, how...? Because it was written five thousand years ago. How it is still going on? There are many literatures written by great, great poets within two thousand, two hundred years, three hundred years, or, say, thousands of years. But they are being forgotten. But therefore the character of the Vedic knowledge, they are not material things. They're all spiritual. Why we are giving so much importance to the words of Kṛṣṇa? Because this language is absolute. Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's words, Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's language, or Kṛṣṇa's words, they are the same. Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's forms... We are worshiping Kṛṣṇa's form. That is also Kṛṣṇa. Otherwise, are we wasting our time by decorating a doll, a statue, and we are struggling so hard to establish a temple of Kṛṣṇa? No.
This science is unknown to the atheist class of men. The atheist class of men, they do not know the absolute nature of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa, His name, His form, His quality, His pastimes, His instruction—anything of Kṛṣṇa—that is Kṛṣṇa. That is not different from Kṛṣṇa.
Therefore the words of Kṛṣṇa should be understood through the devotees: perfect channel. As Kṛṣṇa..., Kṛṣṇa says, imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam (BG 4.1). Avyayam, the... It is eternal. It is spiritual, avyayam. Avyayam means "that does not perish." Anything material, it perishes. But spirit soul, or spiritual anything, everything, that is imperishable, avyayam. So knowledge of Bhagavad-gītā, as Kṛṣṇa is avyayam, the spirit whole, whole spirit, paraṁ brahma, paraṁ dhāma (BG 10.12), Supreme Spirit, similarly His words, Bhagavad-gītā, is also spirit, Supreme Spirit. Abhinna. There is no distinction. Therefore we are giving so much importance to the... The so-called scholars may take it as ordinary book, but one who is serious about Bhagavad-gītā, he does not take Bhagavad-gītā, the words of Bhagavad-gītā or the teachings of Bhagavad-gītā, as ordinary teachings. This is confirmed. Therefore it is so important.
That is not material.
Just try to understand that there is department of welfare and there is department of police. It does not mean that welfare department is very favorite to the government and police department is not favorite. Do you think it is like that? For the government, both the departments are equal. Just try to understand. So the material energy is working in a different way, that does not mean that material energy is not liked by Kṛṣṇa. It has got the same importance as the spiritual energy. But the material energy is engaged in a thankless task for punishing the conditioned soul. Just like the police department. So for Kṛṣṇa, there is no difference between material energy and spiritual energy. For Kṛṣṇa it is all the same because He has got one energy. Just like electricity. Somewhere it is working for cooling purpose and somewhere it is working for heating purpose. But the generation of electric from the electric powerhouse, the energy is the same, electric. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa's energy is always spiritual. There is no difference His energy and He. But it is acting in a different way. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport). Vividhaiva śrūyate. Parāsya śaktiḥ, the Supreme Lord, He has got energy. The energy is one. And similarly, He is, in some of the Purāṇas it is described that Durgā is also Rādhārāṇī. In the Brahma-saṁhitā you'll find it. Have you read it? Yes. So so far energy is concerned, it is always spiritual, but it is acting in a different way, in a different field of activities. It is clear? Not clear you say?
So the spiritual knowledge becomes revealed. It is not subjected to any material acquisition. It is not subjected to any material acquisition of knowledge. It becomes revealed. How? Yasya deve parā bhaktir yathā deve tathā gurau. One who has a staunch faith in the Supreme Lord and staunch faith in the personality of his spiritual master, bona fide, then he gets all the things revealed in himself. Spiritual things are not just like material things.
So according to Bhagavad-gītā, sarva-guhyatamam, the Lord says that "The most confidential part of knowledge I am speaking to you, my dear Arjuna, because you are My very dear friend, that sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66)." So one who has the conception of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and has surrendered unto Him, he is considered to be highest, topmost spiritualist.
Indian: What is the importance of prasādam? Importance of prasādam?
Prabhupāda: Prasāda? Prasāda means mercy. Mercy. Prasāda means prakṛṣṭa-rūpeṇa sīdati. That is prasāda means completely satisfied.
Indian: At the end of this, you will give us some prasāda. What is the importance of that prasāda?
Prabhupāda: Oh, that. Yes. Prasāda. Very good. That prasāda is Kṛṣṇa's favor. Kṛṣṇa's special favor. That is prasāda. Prasāde sarva-duḥkhānāṁ hānir asyopajāyate. If we simply eat Kṛṣṇa prasāda, without any culture, we can get spiritual knowledge. All right. Let us have saṅkīrtana. (end)
So this is one type of yajña, understanding the supreme power. Just like I was talking a few minutes before, the power. But power is not ultimate. Ultimate is the conductor of power, or the powerful. Just like electricity. Electricity is power, but it is generated from the powerhouse. People generally understand that electricity is coming from the powerhouse. But the powerhouse is maintained by the resident engineer, a person. That is real understanding. Or just like this airplane is flying in the sky. A child may see what a wonderful machine is flying in the sky. He does know the importance of the pilot. The big gigantic airship can fly in the sky so long the powerful, or one who knows how to conduct the power, pushing the button. By pushing one button, the plane goes high, and pushing another button, it comes down. It is not automatically. Any machine you take. Nowadays wonderful machine, computer. That is also handled by an expert. Any machine you take, without an expert technologist, it cannot work.
So similarly, if you go on studying the power of material nature, you'll come ultimately to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā.
Indian guest (4): Do you give any importance of coming in, sighting of the soul in the front, and can a person not act as a human being, but...
Prabhupāda: Well, you are in my front. You are a soul. What is the difficulty? Everyone, you are all souls. You are in my front. Simply you are dressed only. Suppose you come in a dress. You are my friend. Do I see your dress or you? Paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ. Vidyā-vinaya-sampanne (BG 5.18). You are reading Bhagavad-gītā. You know all these things. When you are learned, you won't see the dress. You will see the soul.
Indian guest (5): My real object... Still, I want to... The chanting would be the primary stage, but it is not the stage that it will stay on all the time for a person who is really seeing the truth.
Prabhupāda: No. If you take the process, you will come to the perfectional stage very easily.
Indian guest (5): But do you agree or not?
Prabhupāda: What is that?
So jñāne prayāsam. Especially for understanding God, or God consciousness, speculation is useless. So Lord Caitanya, I mean to say the Bhāgavata, says that jñāne prayāsam udapāsya, that that sort of endeavor, speculating, should be given up. Namanta eva: "You just become submissive." Just become submissive, that "What I am? I am insignificant creature in this universe." This world, this earth, is an insignificant point in the universe. And within this earth, the America is a small spot. And within America, this New York City is another small spot. And in this New York City, I am there. So what is my importance? So we should understand that we are very insignificant in comparison to the creation of the whole cosmic situation and God. So we should be very submissive. We should understand our position. Artificially, we should not be puffed up, the frog philosophy.
The frog philosophy is that a frog in the well, he was informed about the Atlantic Ocean by his friend, and the frog inquired from him, "Oh, what is that Atlantic Ocean?" "Oh, it is a huge, vast span of water." Now, the frog is in the well, he is thinking, "Oh, it may be double than this well or it may be triple than this well, or a hundred times," in this way, calculating. But do you think by such calculation the frog will ever come to the conclusion how length and breadth is of Atlantic Ocean? So this is all frog philosophy. We are very tiny. Our knowledge, power of speculating, is limited always. So we cannot speculate about the Supreme. It is a useless waste of time. Therefore Bhāgavata says, "You give up this. You give up this process of speculating." Jñāne prayāsam udapāsy a: "Give it up." Then what is next? "Now, be submissive.
So those who are impersonalists, they prefer these three processes. And those who are personalists, they prefer directly to worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa. So they're all transcendentalists. They're on the line. But here in the Bhagavad-gītā, those who are directly worshiping the Supreme Lord, they have been described as mahātmā. And those who are worshiping in other processes, they have been described, anye. Anye means others. So they have not been given so much importance, although they have been accepted. They have been... Because they have come to the line. Because... Suppose you are accepting the universal form of God. That is a fact also. Because the universe, the manifestation of the universe, is also manifestation of the energy of God. And the energy of God and God is not different. So therefore one who takes the manifestation of the energy as God, he's not mistaken. That is also true. Because there is nothing beyond God. If you think, "I am God," yes, you are also God. Because there is nothing beyond God. Ahaṅgrahopāsanam. If you think everything is God, that is also true. Because in the higher conception, there is nothing beyond God. Sarvaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma. Sarvam, everything.
He is the shelter. Nidhānaṁ bījam. Bījam. Bījam means the seed. Avyayam. Now, what these living entities are doing? What are these living entities? They are also parts and parcel of the Supreme Lord. We are living entities. We are endeavoring our energy, applying our energy, to build up all these things, but these materials have no value if I am not there. Just like this America, this land, was lying vacant so long these civilized person from Europe, they did not come here. So by their energy, living entities, the matter has developed. Matter is not prominent. Don't give more importance to the matter. The important is the living entity. And what is this living entity? The living entity is the part and parcel of the Supreme Lord. Therefore He is the cause of the seeds of living entities. Mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ jīva-loke sanātanaḥ (BG 15.7).
Tapāmy aham. Now, what is this sun. Tapāmi. He is giving heat? Who is heating? The Lord is heating. You cannot manufacture a sun. Tapāmy aham ahaṁ varṣam. And the rain. You cannot regulate rain. That is in God's hand or God's management. If there is no rain, you cannot make rain, or if there is over-rain, you cannot stop. Tapāmy aham ahaṁ varṣaṁ nigṛhṇāmy utsṛjāmi: "And if I want, I can give trouble to the whole population of the world." Nigṛhṇāmy utsṛjāmi.
That is wrong conception, but actually, because I am living within this body, I want to give protection. This is the fact. Just like one protects his country because he lives there. Protects his house, protects his property because he has utilization. Similarly, because we have got utility for this body, we give protection. But when the living entity is no longer there within this body, there is no question of protection. It is thrown away. Even his father, mother or relatives, they take the body and throw away. In a different way, the body is thrown away. It has no more importance. So, then ultimately it comes that you love yourself. And you love yourself, but the self is the part and parcel of the Supreme Self. Therefore you love yourself because you love the Supreme Self. So therefore, ātmānaṁ mat-parāyaṇaḥ. Actually, everyone has got the loving propensity because he loves Kṛṣṇa. That is natural. So Kṛṣṇa says that simply by following this process, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī. Mām evaiṣyasi, you are trying to find out the supreme loveable object. So mām evaiṣyasi, come and let us live, loving one another. This is the goal of life.
That, the so-called national education, means to make you more and more foolish. I am already born foolish, and my education is given to make me more foolish. Just I am not foolish? Because I am changing my, this country, I am changing my society, I am changing my body. Still, I am claiming, "This is mine."
You have got so many "mines." You have got so many dresses. Why do you claim a particular dress as "this is yours"? Why? Don't you think that after changing so many dresses, if you are particularly situated in certain kind of nice dress, may be very nice dress, but why do you attach so much importance on that nice dress? Why don't you understand that this dress is nice. That's all ri... Next moment I may be in a very ugly dress. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). As you are associating with the different kinds of material modes of nature, we have to change your dress. That is in the grip of material nature. You cannot say. You cannot dictate, "Oh, nature, please don't change my dress. Keep me American." No. She is not your order-supplier. She will see what dress you require. So she will examine what is your mentality. "Oh, your mentality is dog, doggish? Take this dog's dress. No more American dress." And if you have god's mentality, "Oh, take this god's dress."
Is there any magazine? Yes. In magazine I saw one picture. I think that skyscraper was beginning at that time. A man was working very heartily, and the picture is there that for manufacturing matter, a soul is being killed. You see? That is material civilization. They are giving too much stress on the matter, on the material side, but they are neglecting the spirit. That is not civilization. One should give more stress on the spiritual side because that is the active principle. So that is called knowledge. A man is to be understood in knowledge when he is giving, I mean to say, importance to the spiritual side. He is called jñānī. Otherwise they are fools. So jñānam. Jñānam means cid-acid-vastu-vivecanam, to understand what is matter and spirit.
Now, a civilized, real, advanced civilization, the Aryans... The Aryans are called advanced. The actual meaning of Aryan means advanced, according to Sanskrit. This is a... Aryan is not any, I mean to say, English word or Hindu or any other language. It is the Sanskrit word, Aryan. Aryan. The word comes from the ārya, a-r-y-a, ārya. Now it has become a common word, Aryan, but originally it is Sanskrit word. And ārya means one who is advanced, or one who is civilized, one who knows, one who has knowledge. Then he is called ārya. In the Bhagavad-gītā you'll find. When Arjuna declined to fight, Kṛṣṇa condemned him, "Oh, you are just like talking like a non-Aryan, not Aryan."
So we all belong to the Aryan family. Historical reference is there, Indo-European family. So Aryan stock was on the central Asia. Some of them migrated to India. Some of them migrated to Europe. And from Europe you have come. So we belong to the Aryan family, but we have lost our knowledge. So we have become non-Aryan practically. Because we do not give importance to the spiritual side of life. The Aryan means one who gives importance to the spiritual side of life.
And what is that importance? The spiritual side importance-giving means one has to see how much important this human life is. Because in the human form of life the spirit soul, although it is conditioned by material, I mean to say, encagement, it has developed its consciousness by gradual evolution. This evolution theory is there in the Padma-Purāṇa. There is actually evolution from lower status of life beginning from the aquatics, small, then plant life, then germs' life, then birds' life, then beast life, then human form of life, then civilized human form of life.
So fortunately we have got now civilized form of life. The Aryan family means they are civilized form of life. But we are utilizing in the matter of maintaining this body. Āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunaṁ ca. We are utilizing this material, this developed body. The spirit soul has got the chance now to liberate himself. There is a process. By nature's way, the evolution is to give chance the spirit to get out of this material entanglement. So people are not giving importance.
"This is not very intelligent knowledge." Gatāsūn agatāsūṁś ca. A person who does not lament for this body, he is actually learned. Gatāsūn agatāsūṁś ca nānuśocanti paṇḍitāḥ (BG 2.11). Paṇḍita means learned scholar. So either this body is in living condition or it is in dead condition, a paṇḍita, a learned scholar, one who knows things as they are, he does not take care of this body. Not take care actually, he does not think very seriously about this body. That was the answer given by... Because this body is after all, a lump of matter. Actually, so long the soul is there, it is moving. It is growing or changing bodies or so many importance is there due to... Therefore, unless we come to this understanding, that "I am not this body. I am spirit soul," ahaṁ brahmāsmi, there is lack of knowledge. That is being instructed by Kṛṣṇa.
That is not knowledge. Anyone... Just like dog and cat. Dogs and cats, they have no idea that the dog is not this body. It is a soul also. It has taken a dog's body. Cat is also a soul, but by his karma, by his destiny, by his past work, he has to accept this body. A tree, that is also a soul, but by his past karma or action, he has taken this body of the tree. So we should understand from the authority, as Kṛṣṇa says, that idaṁ śarīraṁ kṣetram: "It is a field. It is a concession or..." Field is exactly the term. "Field of work," as we say generally, in the field of activities."
You do not know what kind of body you are going to... You completely under the stringent laws of nature. Here it is said, kārya-kāraṇa-kartṛtve hetuḥ prakṛtir ucyate. As soon as you give up this body, you are completely under the grip of material nature and you will get a type of body according to your karma. And then puruṣaḥ sukha-duḥkhānāṁ bhoktṛtve hetur ucyate. That puruṣa, the living entity, will have to enjoy or suffer according to that body.
So this is the science of Bhagavad-gītā. One has to learn these things; otherwise he's spoiling his human life. One must know that what is the importance of this human form of life. One must take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness to save himself. Try to understand Kṛṣṇa only. Then you are saved. Janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9). The problem is janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānu... (BG 13.9). This problem we have set aside. We are busy for a few years life, fifty years, twenty years or... We have forgotten that we are eternal. We don't die after the destruction of this body. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). This is my problem, what kind of body again I am going to get.
Therefore it is the duty of everyone to train everyone. Just like the parents. They should train their children to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. The state should encourage how people can become Kṛṣṇa conscious. Then automatically all the good qualities will come. Now, actually, in the United States the government is realizing the importance of our movement because the government has failed to stop this intoxication habit, LSD. In the Western countries, the younger generation are becoming too much addicted to this intoxication, LSD habit, and it has become a problem to the government and they have established so many institutions to stop this habit, but they have failed. But they are seeing wonderful result amongst our camp, that simply coming to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they have given all intoxication. It is practical. They have given up. So some of the institutions, government, they are inviting us, that "How you can help?" So we say that "Our process is simple. We cannot take any other process. Our process is that if anyone wants to be cured from this bad habit, then let him come, live with us. That's all. Sit down here. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. See the ārati, and take prasādam." And there is no... We don't supply any tea or coffee. No. We cannot supply. And nobody grudges also, that "You are not supplying us tea or coffee or cigarettes." No. So the spiritual power is so nice that automatically forget. Paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate (BG 2.59), as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. If you find something very palatable, very nice, then you give up the bad thing.
Although they are habituated to all these things from their very beginning of life, but as soon as they take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness activities, they give up these habits very easily.
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.
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
Just like in this country also, British nation was very powerful nation, but at the present time it is different. So simply by taking birth in England, one cannot be proud. Your forefathers were very enthusiastic, colonized. So at the present moment that is not possible. So I request you, all English boys and girls present here, now you become greater than your forefathers by taking this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That will make you more powerful, spiritually powerful. You can render service to the humanity, to you, I mean to say, family, your nation, it is so nice. Try to understand. Everyone, every human being should try to become very important. That importance can be achieved by culture, and not by simply "I belong to this nation. I belong to this family. I am the son of such big father." No. You must be also qualified.
So this Mahābhārata was written for three classes of men: strī, śūdra, dvija-bandhu (SB 1.4.25). Women... It is not the question of... Women are generally less intelligent. Less intelligent. Similarly, śūdras, they are also less intelligent, worker class. Similarly, those who are degraded from their high parentage, heritage, they're also. For understanding of these three classes of men, Mahābhārata was written.
Ladies and gentlemen, I thank you very much for your kindly coming here to participate in this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. So I am reciting one or two verses from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, First Canto, Second Chapter, wherein Sūta Gosvāmī describes to the great sages assembled in Naimiṣāraṇya in respect of the importance of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Naimiṣāraṇya, perhaps you have heard the name. At present there is a railway station near..., between Hardoi and Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh. The station is called Nimsar, and still the Naimiṣāraṇya atmosphere is maintained there. It is a very nice, sacred place. If you go there, you will feel immediately Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So, in that meeting, the great sages and saintly persons assembled there inquired from Sūta Gosvāmī that "After departure of Lord Kṛṣṇa, wherein the principles of religions are kept?" Kṛṣṇa appeared for re-establishing the religious principle, dharma saṁsthāpanārthāya. When Kṛṣṇa, or any incarnation of the Lord descends, there are two kinds of missions. One mission is paritrāṇāya sādhūnām (BG 4.8). The sādhus, or the devotees, they are very much anxious to meet God, Kṛṣṇa, so He fulfills the desires of the sādhu, and by the way He also vināśāya ca duṣkṛtam. Duṣkṛtaḥ means sinful, impious, to kill them.
Gurudāsa: Prabhupāda? We were talking about the importance of preaching. Does it make any difference whether it's in India or in the United States?
Prabhupāda: No. Everyone is Kṛṣṇa's. Where is your neck beads?
Gurudāsa: Oh, here.
Prabhupāda: Why?
Gurudāsa: They came, they came untied, and so I tied them together just like this.
Prabhupāda: You must have your neck, neck beads tight.
Gurudāsa: Right around the neck?
Prabhupāda: Yes. So what is your question? There is no question... Preaching..., preaching is... Preaching... Haridāsa Ṭhākura was inquired by Caitanya Mahāprabhu that, that "You are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. Is it for everyone?" Haridāsa Ṭhākura replied: "Yes, it is for every... Even the trees, the birds, the beasts, they'll be benefited." So what is the question of human society? Here or there, it doesn't matter.
Gurudāsa: We've developed...
So either Vṛndāvana or anywhere else, wherever Kṛṣṇa is heard, that is Vṛndāvana. Not that Vṛndāvana is limited with a certain space. Vṛndāvana is transcendental. Tatra tiṣṭhāmi nārada yatra gāyanti mad-bhaktāḥ. Kṛṣṇa says, "I stay there where My pure devotees chant about Me." Yatra gāyanti mad-bhaktāḥ. So if you become pure devotee and if you chant this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, you can create Vṛndāvana anywhere, any part of the world. Not that you have got to come here. You come here. That's all right because it is established, Vṛndāvana. When Kṛṣṇa comes here, whenever He comes on this planet, He comes here. There are so many devotees. Certainly there is meaning, there is importance of this dhāma. But still, if it is not possible to come here, you can create Vṛndāvana anywhere, provided you are a pure devotee and you are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra without any offense. Just like we have got our New Vrindaban. This year we have seen practically how these American boys and girls, hundreds and thousands, always who are remaining, not less than five to seven hundred... And for one week continually, in Janmāṣṭamī, we observed Janmāṣṭamī festival. Actually it was as good as this Vṛndāvana, because the chanting of the holy name was going on and hearing about Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam was going on. There was tulasī plants, devotees, śrī-vigraha. Everything was there. So actually, it was replica of Śrī Vṛndāvana.
So those who are trying to understand the Absolute Truth by exercising their, exercising their limited knowledge... After all, we are living entities. Our knowledge is always imperfect. That we do not admit, but actually it is so because our senses are imperfect. I am very much proud of my eyes, but I cannot see as soon as the electricity, light, is not existing. I cannot see. Then what is the importance of my eyes? My eyes can see under certain condition. When there is sunlight, then I can see. At night I cannot see. Then what is value of these eyes? So people say that "I cannot see." So what is the value of your eyes? Because you do not see, the fact cannot be zero. Therefore it is called śruta paramparā, śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham (MU 1.2.12). We have to receive the absolute knowledge by the śrota paramparā, śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭhā. Just like Kṛṣṇa said, sa kāleneha yoga naṣṭaḥ parantapa: "Because that process of hearing from the right person is now broken, therefore I am speaking the same truth, Bhagavad-gītā, again unto you, because you are My very dear friend and devotee." So our process is that. We understand, we try to understand the absolute (break) ...imperfect, my knowledge is not perfect. But because I hear from the dear friend and devotee of Kṛṣṇa, therefore whatever I speak, that is perfect. I am not manufacturing. I may be imperfect—I am imperfect; actually I am imperfect—but I am carrying the message, Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says, "I am the Supreme Personality of Godhead";
There is a English proverb that "God helps him who tries to help himself." That is a English proverb. So to become Kṛṣṇa conscious is not very difficult thing. People have no taste. They do not understand the importance of this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. But this is the only way by which one can become perfect and happy.
It is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā that just to become happy and peaceful one has to learn three things.
- bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ
- sarva-loka-maheśvaram
- suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ
- jñātvā māṁ śāntim ṛcchati
- (BG 5.29)
If you want... Because the problem is that we want to be happy and peaceful. Everyone says, "I want peace. There is no peace in my mind." That is a general understanding. Nobody can say that "I am completely happy and peaceful." No, that is not possible. The material world is made in such a way that you cannot feel happy. That is not possible. First of all, we have come to this material world to enjoy sense gratification, but that is not our proper business. Our proper business is to satisfy the senses of Kṛṣṇa, not our senses.
So we require buddhi-yogam. Not buddhi. If we simply use our buddhi, intelligence, then we continue to become duṣkṛtinaḥ. Buddhi's there, but it is utilized in a misdirected way. That is called duṣkṛtinaḥ. Therefore we must engage our buddhi... Because buddhi is the immediate step before we realize self. First our conception is indriyāṇi, these senses. Indriyāṇi parāṇy āhur indriyebhyaḥ paraṁ manaḥ (BG 3.42). We give very much importance to the senses. The bodily concept of life means to give importance to sense enjoyment. That's all. This is bodily concept of life. So indriyāṇi parāṇy āhuḥ. They are very important. Those who are bodily, in bodily concept of life, they are addicted to sense gratification. Indriyāṇi parāṇy āhur indriyebhyaḥ paraṁ manaḥ (BG 3.42). And those who are little advanced more, they are addicted to the mental speculation. The so-called jñānīs, mental speculation. Manasas tu parā buddhiḥ. Then again you come to the platform of intelligence. Intelligence, and when the intelligence is purified, hṛdy antaḥ-stho hy abhadrāṇi, purified, simply by hearing about Kṛṣṇa, then immediately you are raised to the platform of spiritual life. This is the process.
I am just quoting Sanskrit mantras before you. You may not understand the language, but the vibration of the sound, the Sanskrit mantra, hymns, it has got special value. Mantra, sound vibration. Śabdād anāvṛttiḥ.
Now, the whole material world is produced from sound. That is scientific fact. Scientists are researching the importance of sound, physical science. Sound, light, and transmission of sound and light. There are so many things, electronics. So this sound vibration, this is material sound. They have got so much wonderful power. And just try to understand what is the power of the spiritual sound. Real sound is coming from the spiritual world. It is simply just like gramophone. The sound is coming originally from the person; the gramophone is reproducing. That is not the original source of the sound. Similarly, whatever sound is there in this material world, the original sound is produced by God. Just like in your Bible it is said, "Let there be creation." It is, simply it was sound and there was creation. So spiritual sound is so powerful. And we are trying to catch you directly from that sound vibration, Hare Kṛṣṇa, and I am sure it is acting. Simply, śabdād anāvṛttiḥ.
Just like our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, it is improving. Kṛṣṇa giving us all facilities. We have no power. But we are trying to discharge the duty sincerely. Then it is everything. There is no problem. Viśvaṁ pūrṇa-sukhāyate. And vidhi-mahendrādiś ca kīṭāyate. And when a person is fully Kṛṣṇa conscious, he knows what is what. He knows what this learned scholar is. He knows what is this. Vidhi-mahendra. What to speak of ordinary scholars and big men. Vidhi, vidhi means Lord Brahmā, and mahendra means the king of heaven. So they are also treated as ordinary human being or ordinary living entities. They are not given any importance. "Well, as..." Ābrahma-bhuvana-stham. Ābrahma. For a devotee, as Brahmā is also living entity, a small ant is also living entity, all Kṛṣṇa's parts and parcels. They have no quarrel with anybody. As Kṛṣṇa's part and parcel, we offer respect to everyone. So not that they are amazed with the greatness of a living entity. He thinks that his greatness is due to Kṛṣṇa's favor. Because Kṛṣṇa said in the Bhagavad-gītā, yad yad vibhūtimat sattvaṁ tat tad eva mama tejo 'ṁśa-sambhavam. Nobody can become great unless... Just like the sunshine. The sunshine, what is the sunshine? It is simply a partial reflection of Kṛṣṇa's brahma-jyotir. Similarly anyone who is great in the estimation of this material world, there is some Kṛṣṇa's favor. That's all. Yad yad vibhūtimat sattvaṁ tat tad eva mama tejo 'ṁśa-sambhavam.
Therefore our point was how to please the Supreme Lord. This is the way. If you want to please Kṛṣṇa, you spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the point Nārada is pointing out to Vyāsadeva. Yathā dharmādayaś cārthā muni-varyānukīrtitāḥ. Muni-varya. Muni-varya means he was the greatest of all thoughtful men. Muni. Muni means those who are thoughtful, and varya means the greatest. So he says, yathā dharmādayaś cārthā muni-varyānukīrtitāḥ. "As you have described in all the Vedas and Upaniṣads about religiosity or economic development or the procedure of sense gratification or merging into the Supreme, in that way you have not described the glories of the Lord. You have given more importance to the material activities."
Just like in the Vedas there are ritualistic ceremony of performing great sacrifices. What is the meaning of that sacrifice? That means you get a very opulent position in your next life or in this life. So people are attached to such thing. Veda-vāda-ratāḥ pārtha nānyad astīti vādinaḥ. Bhagavad-gītā, you'll find. People are very much attracted by these ritualistic ceremonies. Not only the followers of the Vedas; in every religion, if you perform some ritualistic ceremony, oh, they are very much attracted. And if you simply say, "Let us chant Hare Kṛṣṇa," they will not be very much attracted. So veda-vāda-ratāḥ pārtha nānyad astīti vādinaḥ. So we should not be like that. Our business is how to glorify the Supreme Lord, how to glorify Kṛṣṇa. Then all success is there. That will be instructed by Nārada Muni to Vyāsadeva.
Anyavat, others, as they have become a tool in the hands of material nature, a Kṛṣṇa conscious person, because he has surrendered to Kṛṣṇa, he is not under the jurisdiction of the material nature. Mām eva ya prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti.
So whole stress is being given that "You take, you preach Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If some way or other..." The whole, the three verses, are stressing that "Even if he falls down, there is no harm. Preach to take Kṛṣṇa consciousness." Caitanya Mahāprabhu also says like that, yāre dekha tāre kaha kṛṣṇa-upadeśa: (CC Madhya 7.128) "Whomever you meet, you simply try to make him convinced or to preach him the importance of Kṛṣṇa consciousness." That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's... Some way or other, if he takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then his life become successful. Yad uktaṁ yatra kva vā abhadra abhūd amuṣya kiṁ yad upavadayiti mukunda-sevī jana kadācit kathañcana kujanim kato'pi saṁsṛtiṁ na vrajet na viset.(?) Śrīdhara Svāmī says, mukunda-sevī. Mukunda, Kṛṣṇa's another name is Mukunda. Muk, muk. Muk means liberation, mukti. So... And ānanda. So Kṛṣṇa can give you liberation from this distressful, miserable condition of material existence and give you transcendental pleasure. Therefore His another name is Mukunda. So mukunda-sevī. Sevī means one, he's engaged in the service of Mukunda, or Kṛṣṇa, Śrīdhara Svāmī says that mukunda-sevī vā jana kadācit kathañcana kujanim gato 'pi saṁsiddhin na vrajet.(?) Even a Mukunda-sevī, by chance... There is chance.
So here... Of course, it appears that Nārada Muni was not of that kind of dāsī-putra. Ordinary dāsī-putra. Because the such dāsī, or the maidservant, they do not come out for common service. They remain within the palace. So the point is that Nārada Muni in his previous life was not very recognized family, neither brāhmaṇa nor nothing of the sort. Still, he became next life the Nārada Muni. And what is the cause? What... The cause is, nirūpito bālaka eva yoginām: "I was appointed a boy servant of the devotees." The importance is that devotee is so important that if anyone renders a little service, then he becomes elevated to the spiritual life. What bālaka... Bālaka means there was a boy. "You, boy, bring me this," or "Do this. Just wash my cloth," or "Just set up my bedding." Like that. This much servant. Or "Wash this dish." So the devotional service is so powerful, by doing this... This will be described later on, that simply by doing this little service to the yoginām, he was so blessed that next life he became Nārada. This point is very important point. That is being explained.
So comparing this or comparing that, real research is here. If actually one is research scholar, "Now, what does this Bhāgavata says? Purā atīta-bhave. What is this?" Go on researching. That is required. That is real research work. So purā atīta-bhave abhavaṁ mune. Mune. He's addressing Vyāsadeva, mune. "So I was the son of a maidservant, and I was engaged as the boy servant of yogis, and they were taking rest for four months. So I had the opportunity of serving them four months as their boy servant. Just to take, whatever they left, prasādam, I used to take. To wash their dishes or to wash their cloth. In this way he got the opportunity of serving perfect devotees for four months," and he became Nārada. This is the importance. This is the importance, that simply by rendering... Svalpam apy asya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt. He became Nārada means he was saved from the mahato bhayāt, very great, fearful, dangerous position.
What is that fearful, dangerous position? They do not care. We are so fool that we are always on the brink of dangerous position... If we don't utilize this life properly, I may fall down again to the cycle of birth and death. Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). I shall get another body. There is no guarantee what kind of body I am going to get. I do not know. This foolish civilization is going. Save them by this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the best welfare activity.
Another point is as soon as you try to become Kṛṣṇa conscious, then your purification begins immediately. Śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ (SB 1.2.17). If you simply remember or say that "I have heard it from my spiritual master or from a saintly person, that while drinking water, that taste is Kṛṣṇa. So you accept it," this is preaching. This is preaching. You are preaching. Or one who hears from you, śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ, if you simply carry this work. Just try to understand the importance of preaching. Sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ, you are remembering and you are preaching. So you are preaching means somebody else is hearing you. So he is also being purified. Śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ (SB 1.2.17). Even he does not know what is Kṛṣṇa, but he simply hears from you, then he becomes purified.
Actually, we are experiencing how in European and American countries, our boys going in buses, village to village, and chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, and they are collecting devotees. (break) How many devotees collected you told me, France? Ten. Where? You sent your saṅkīrtana party there? It is happening. Our saṅkīrtana movement is increasing in every country. Europe, America, even in Africa, Canada, everywhere. Why? Caitanya Mahāprabhu, when He was traveling in South India, He was chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. So somebody heard Him chanting this mantra, he became purified, and he went back to his village, he also began to chant. So another person who heard him, he became purified. It is such a nice thing. (break)
The process is there, śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ (SB 7.5.23).
And that Sākṣi-Gopāla, witness Gopāla—Sākṣī means witness—is still being worshiped in Jagannātha Purī, near. There is a station, Sākṣi-Gopāla.
So as the Deity of the Lord, vigraha, should not be considered as made of stone, wood, similarly, guru also should not be accepted as ordinary human being. He should be given all respect as we give to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is being explained by even one woman. That is Vedic culture. Draupadī is explaining the importance, and she has said, sa eṣa bhagavān droṇaḥ. She's quite right when she's accepting Droṇa as bhagavān. Sa eṣa bhagavān droṇaḥ prajā-rūpeṇa vartate. And he is present by his prajā. So these things should be taken very seriously instruction. Therefore śrīmad-bhāgavatam amalaṁ purāṇam. This is pramāṇa. Pramāṇi-grantha. Pramāṇi-grantha means śabda-pramāṇa. Śabda-pramāṇa, anumāna pramāṇa, and anumāna... Just like a sound is going on. One who knows, that's all right. But we can... Hypothesis. We can think that some machine is running on. We may not know what is that machine. So this is anumāna. I'm not seeing the machine, what kind of machine is running, but I can think of, imagine that it may be some machine is running on. That is also another pramāṇa. Hypothesis, inductive, deductive. They are also... Analogy. There are so many processes. So here, Kṛṣṇa and guru, they should be accepted on the same level. Therefore Draupadī has addressed Droṇācārya as bhagavān. Sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstrair uktas tathā bhāvyata eva sadbhiḥ **. It is accepted. We should also accept.
The Māyāvādī philosopher says that when Kṛṣṇa comes, He accepts a material body. But these foolish people, they do not know that Kṛṣṇa has no material body. For Kṛṣṇa, everything is spiritual. Kṛṣṇa has no material body. It is for us to distinguish between matter and spirit. But Kṛṣṇa, being the original source of everything, He is absolutely spirit. That's all. The Supreme Spirit. He has no such distinction.
The same example, as I have given many times: Just like for an electrical engineer, there is no such distinction that "This is heater" and "This is cooler." Heat and cool, opposite. But the, for the engineer, electrical engineer, he takes as much importance for the heater, as much for the cooler. So, for Him, there is no such distinction, material or spiritual. It is for us. Because we are now in the dual stage, the world of duality, relativity. This world is relativity. We cannot work so nicely with material consciousness. But Kṛṣṇa has no such thing. Kṛṣṇa is absolute. There is no distinction, material and spiritual.
"This is befitting for the anārya, non-Āryan." Non-Āryan means not civilized, and Āryan means civilized. This is the distinction. Now people are very much fond of calling themselves as civilized, Āryan, belonging to the Āryan family. Where is the Āryan civilization? Āryan civilization means this Vedic civilization. Just like Arjuna, a kṣatriya, belonged to the Āryan civilization, and because he was denying to fight, Kṛṣṇa accused him, "Oh, this is just like non-Āryans." Anārya-juṣṭam, non-Āryans.
So this is Āryan civilization. Āryan civilization means giving importance to the spiritual life. That is Āryan civilization. And those who are giving importance to the material life, prākṛta, that is called prākṛta. Sa bhaktaḥ prākṛtaḥ smṛtaḥ. In devotional life also, there are prākṛta-bhaktas. Prākṛta-bhaktas are described,
- arcāyām eva haraye
- pūjāṁ yaḥ śraddhayehate
- na tad-bhakteṣu cānyeṣu
- sa bhaktaḥ prākṛtaḥ smṛtaḥ
"A devotee"—of course, that is the beginning—"who is carrying the arca, Deity worship very nicely," arcāyām eva haraye pūjāṁ yaḥ śraddhayā, "with great affection, regulative principle, but he does not know," arcāyām eva haraye pūjāṁ yaḥ śraddhayehate, na tad-bhakteṣu, "but he does not know how to respect a devotee," na tad-bhakteṣu cānyeṣu, "he does not know how to do good to others—simply he is attached to the Deity worship—"sa bhaktaḥ prākṛtaḥ smṛtaḥ, "he's still on the material platform."
Just like excessive heat. You cannot control. Excessive cold.
So in this material world we have to work very hard under these three kinds of miserable conditions of life, and we are actually doing that. Still, we are thinking that we are happy. And after all, after doing this, we have to change this body. That means death. We cannot avoid it. But still, we are thinking that we are happy, and we have no sense to try to understand actually what is the standard of happiness, where that happiness can be had, if it is possible. These things are understood and answered by this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. That is the importance of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness. All-round. It is not one-sided, that we are thinking of Kṛṣṇa. Thinking of Kṛṣṇa means thinking of everything, because Kṛṣṇa is everything. Without Kṛṣṇa, there is no other thing. Ahaṁ kṛtsnasya, what is that...? There is that verse? In the Seventh Chapter? Prabhavaḥ pralayas tathā.
Devotee (1): Śrīla Prabhupāda, if Kṛṣṇa is everywhere, why do we stress the importance of living a very strict life in the temple atmosphere?
Prabhupāda: But have you got the eyes to see Kṛṣṇa everywhere?
Devotee (1): No, Śrīla Prabhupāda.
Prabhupāda: Then you must attention give to temple. When you have got the eyes to see Kṛṣṇa everywhere, you may not require temple worship. But why do you try to imitate that? You have no eyes to see that. Yes.
Devotee (2): Śrīla Prabhupāda, you mentioned three states of identification. One was like the animals. What was the other two?
Prabhupāda: What is that?
Devotee (2): One was to identify with the body as the self like the animals. And then you mentioned... You said there were three altogether.
Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. Bodily conception, mental conception and spiritual conception. When one is ignorant, he is like animal. When he is farther advanced, he is a philosopher. And when he is farther advanced, he is a devotee. These are three different stages: like animal, like philosopher and like devotee. So when you think like devotee, that is perfection. And you think that "I am American," "I am Indian"—that is animal.
These energies, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ, earth, water, air, they are inferior. There is another superior. What is that? Jīva-bhūtām, these living entities, mahā-bāho, yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat, who are controlling now.
This Delhi city is important. Why important? Because the jīva-bhūta, the living entities, they are handling this material, cement and stone and wood and so many other material things. And they are constructing buildings. And therefore the importance of this Delhi city is there. If all the people, all the living entities, leave this Delhi city, it is not even one-farthing worth. Jīva-bhūtāṁ mahā-bāho yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat (BG 7.5). In Calcutta, in 1942, when there was bombing and all the Calcutta was vacated, a house at that time which was rented at two hundred rupees, they were asking, "Give me twenty-five rupees," because the living entities vacated. Similarly, the importance of this material world is there because we living entities are there. And we have come here. Kṛṣṇa-bahirmukha hañā bhoga vāñchā. All the living entities, they have come into this material world to enjoy material enjoyment. Therefore this material world has value. Otherwise, if all the living entities go back again, back to home, back to Godhead, this matter has no value.
Prabhupāda: Do you think that you are not taxed? Why should you not be taxed for the proper gain? You are being taxed for so many nonsense things. Why not be taxed for the proper thing? That is intelligence.
Guest (2): What is the importance of health in life, and how does Guruji advise people to maintain health, and how does it connect to your mission?
Prabhupāda: What is health? First of all you have to understand that however healthy you may be, you must die. What problem you have solved? Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9), Kṛṣṇa says. It is not my manufacture. However you may try to remain very healthy, nature's law is that you must die. How you can help yourself? After all, you have to meet death. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi. So long you have got this material body, there is no question of health. You must suffer. You may be very great scientist in oblivion, but the nature's law must act.
Don't require. Kṛṣṇa-prasādam. And Kṛṣṇa says, patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati (BG 9.26). We offer Kṛṣṇa foodstuffs, what He wants. Kṛṣṇa is God. He can take anything. He can eat the whole world. And eating the whole world means all animals, all men, all everything, vegetables, not vegetables.
Everything goes in His... Just like Yaśodā-mā saw within the mouth of the whole universe. (sic) So Kṛṣṇa can take everything. But He does not take. Because He is appeared to educate us. Therefore He is giving very importance, cow-keeping tending the cows. Personally. Personally taking, protect cows. He is stealing butter, showing us that "These things should be stolen. If you have no money, then you steal and eat." (laughter) You see? These things are eatables. You see. Produce huge quantity of milk, and make so many preparation out of it, and become happy. This is the instruction Kṛṣṇa is giving. Otherwise what Kṛṣṇa business, He has got to do some such business? No. He is teaching us. Even the urine in cow is valuable. Stool of cow is valuable. Kṛṣṇa in His..., while He is crawling on the yard, He captures the tail of a calf and he drags him, and he is smeared with all stools and urine of the cows. Kṛṣṇa enjoys. He is showing that even the stool and urine of cow is valuable, what to speak of its milk. Cow is so important.
The spirit soul is eternal. So we do not know what is our eternal need. We do not know. There is no such education, neither these rascals know that they're eternal. They think that "By chance, we have got this body, some way or other, and as soon as the body's finished, everything's finished. So long this body is there, the senses are there, let us enjoy sense enjoyment."
This is the civilization. Because there will be no more sense. They give importance to the senses, that this is an opportunity of sense gratification. But they do not inquire wherefrom this sense came, and it is so important, and we are taking, giving so many importance to the sense enjoyment program. That they do not know. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). Neither do they know what is living entity, what are the senses, what is the goal of life. Durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ. They are simply making plans for driving car and flyways and so on. Plan is going on, one after another, one after another. But the problems are increasing. Therefore, Parīkṣit Mahārāja's example is very nice. As soon as he understood from his spiritual master that "Kṛṣṇa is the goal of life" and he became Kṛṣṇa conscious, he immediately, oh, the mamatāṁ jahau, virūḍhāṁ mamatāṁ jahau. This is required. Read the purport.
"This human life is very rarely obtained, durlabham." Dur means "very difficult." After many, many births, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante (BG 7.19), this human form, after evolution, we have got. Durlabham, with great difficulty we have got it. That, why it is important? Now it is arthadam. Arthadam. Artha means meaningful or riches or something wealth. Arthadam, you can achieve arthadam. So that arthadam, although adhruvam... You can say, "What is the difference between human life and dog's life? They are all temporary. Why you are giving so much stress on human life, the same business: eating, sleeping, sex life, and defense? So why you are giving more importance to the human life?" Now, arthadam. Yad apy adhruvam, nonpermanent, it is arthadam. Arthadam means to achieve the goal of your life. So we should not misuse it. We should teach our children to become bhāgavatam, person bhāgavatam, by reading Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
So we are teaching from the very beginning Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and they are learning. That is the way. If you simply learn Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, you get so much knowledge how things are developing, how tongue is developing, how the taste is developing, how touch is developing, how fire is working, how heat is working; from the interaction of heat and touch, how things are devel... Everything is explained there.
The karmānu-bandha will continue. Therefore in the śāstra it is recommended, yajñārthe karma anyatra karma-bandhanaḥ. Don't act anything except for the satisfaction of Kṛṣṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. If you do anything for your sense gratification, that means you are being bound up by the laws of karma. Laws of karma, it is very strict according to the modes of activities. Puruṣaḥ prakṛti-stho hi bhuṅkte karma-jān guṇān (BG 13.22).
So we should be very much careful not to be afflicted by the karma. Karmānu bandha. This is very delicate task. Simply... (break) ...but they do not know what is the importance of the varṇāśrama-dharma. They have broken it. They don't like. They want to say classless society. Classless society cannot be. Even in Russia, the Communist country, they wanted to break down the classless society, but they cannot manage. They have now created a manager class and the worker class. Why manager class? Make it classless. But that is not possible. Therefore in the society there must be managers and the workers. Without this you cannot work, you cannot make, keep any systematic... So managers... The varṇāśrama-dharma: the managers, the brāhmaṇas and the kṣatriyas; and the workers, the vaiśyas and the śūdras. And less than that, less than the śūdras, the caṇḍālas, they have to be fully controlled, kirata-hūṇāndhra-pulinda-pulkaśā (SB 2.4.18), because they do not know the regulative principles of life. They are called caṇḍālas. So they are described in the śāstra. So the kṣatriyas, they used to keep these caṇḍālas under full control. Otherwise the society would be lost.
So Kṛṣṇa was watching. Therefore He gave him this chance that on account of his affection towards the child, he will at least repeat "Nārāyaṇa, Nārāyaṇa." "Nārāyaṇa come. Nārāyaṇa take your food. Nārāyaṇa sit down." So bhāva-grāhi-janārdanaḥ. Kṛṣṇa is so kind. He takes the purpose or the essence. Because the holy name has its effect. So although this Ajāmila, by his foolishness, he was attached to the material body of the son, but because he was chanting "Nārāyaṇa," Kṛṣṇa was taking that essence, that's all, that "Some way or other, he is chanting." The importance of chanting is so nice. So do not give up chanting. Then Kṛṣṇa will protect you. This is the example. "Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa," you practice. Naturally, when you are in danger, you will say, "Hare Kṛṣṇa." This much do. If you are practiced to do something, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, then you are safe.
So it is not difficult. Sincerely chant. Try to avoid offense. Don't try to fall down purposefully for sense gratification. That is very dangerous. He... Purposefully, he did not fall down. Circumstantially came in contact with a prostitute, could not help him. So circumstantially he fell down, not by willingly. This should be noted. Willingly doing, that is very great offense. But circumstantially, there is every chance because we are fallen and practiced to malpractices life after life. Because the material life means sinful life. You see the whole people. They do not care. They do not know even this is sinful.
So we were speaking this verse yesterday morning. So vedo nārāyaṇaḥ sākṣāt. That is to be understood—why Vedas are given so much importance. Here it is explained that Veda means directly Nārāyaṇa. Why? Because Nārāyaṇa is absolute, God is absolute; therefore the words of God are also God. You cannot make any differentiation. Sākṣāt, directly. So this is to be understood, that God—His form, His quality, His pastimes, His entourage—everything of God is God. Even sometimes... Why sometimes? Always, the devotee of God is also God. Just like we chanted this mantra, sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstraiḥ, that "In every scripture the spiritual master is identified as directly God." Sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstraiḥ. Viśvanātha Cakravartī said, not that any section śāstra, but all śāstra, all scriptures, they admit that the spiritual master is God directly. Sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstrair uktaḥ: ** "It is said. It is mentioned. Authoritative śāstra, actually bona fide śāstra, it is said." Sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstrair uktaḥ: ** "It is said." And sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstrair uktas tathā bhāvyata eva sadbhiḥ: ** "And that is accepted by all strict followers of transcendental science." Not that somebody admits or somebody does not admit. No. Everyone, sadbhiḥ. Sadbhiḥ means "by the transcendentalists, those who are actually making progress in transcendental science and those who are..., objective is to reach the Supreme." They are doing.
Therefore we see it practically that in the Western countries, although they did not know who is Nārāyaṇa or Kṛṣṇa... It is dictionary, the English dictionary, there is statement, "Kṛṣṇa is the name of Hindu god." So, but nobody is consulting dictionary for chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. But the śāstra says that somehow or other, if you chant the holy name of God, then you gradually become purified. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇaṁ śreyaḥ-kairava-candrikā-vitaraṇaṁ vidyā-vadhū-jīvanam (CC Antya 20.12). So this history of Ajamila's life is described in the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam to show the importance of chanting the holy name of God. That is the purpose.
So the Ajāmila later on became a great sinful person. Therefore he was to be taken to Yamarāja. But because he chanted at the end of his life "Nārāyaṇa," he became purified from all sinful activities. So the order-carriers of Nārāyaṇa came to deliver him, save him from the hands of the Yamadūta. So the Yamadūta is describing the history of Ajāmila in the past, how he was in the beginning. Because he was the son of a brāhmaṇa, his father trained up the brāhmaṇa boy like a brāhmaṇa. So as such, he got this training. What is that? Ayaṁ hi śruta-sampannaḥ: "This boy got training to become expert in Vedic knowledge."
He did not know that what is the effect of sinful activities, neither he knew what is sinful activity, neither he knew what is Nārāyaṇa. Therefore it was going to his credit. The Viṣṇudūta informed the Yamadūta that "He is already cleansed. Don't worry about him," because he was chanting nārāyaṇāyeti. Nārāyaṇāyeti: "Nārāyaṇa, my dear son, please come here." He was very much attached. Yadā nārāyaṇeti jagāda. He uttered catur-akṣaram, four words, four alphabets only, catur-akṣaram.
So Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura has given in this connection many, many quotation from the śāstra how one can become free from all sinful reaction by chanting the holy name of the Lord, importance of chanting the holy name. So we are also preaching the same thing under the direction of higher authorities, Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
- harer nāma harer nāma harer nāma iva kevalaṁ
- kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā
- (CC Adi 17.21)
In this age people are generally, seventy-five or eighty percent or ninety percent, they are all sinful. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyā hy upadrutāḥ (SB 1.1.10). This is the position of the people in this age. They are mandāḥ, all bad, all bad. You cannot distinguish who is bad and who is good. All bad and very slow. They do not know what is the value of life, how to make this human form of life successful.
This process is recommended here, citta-śodhaka. If you sit down and write some article on Kṛṣṇa, that means you have to concentrate on Kṛṣṇa's activities or Kṛṣṇa's devotees' activities, and that very process will purify your heart. Therefore we always recommend to our students that you write articles, read our magazine, read our book. In this way if we keep ourself... Work for Kṛṣṇa. This... We have come here in this paṇḍal or in this Kumbha-melā not for any other purpose than to glorify the Supreme Lord so that people may understand the importance of this movement. So citta-śodhaka, here recommended by the Viṣṇudūta. Viṣṇudūta means the direct associates of Lord Viṣṇu. Tat karma-nirhāram abhīpsatāṁ harer guṇānuvādaḥ khalu sattva-bhāvanaḥ. Be always engaged in glorifying the transcendental qualities of Hari. Again it is said hareḥ, not any other person, Hari, Viṣṇu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
- athainaṁ māpanayata
- kṛtāśeṣāgha-niṣkṛtam
- yad asau bhagavan-nāma
- mriyamāṇaḥ samagrahīt
- (SB 6.2.13)
Now, the Viṣṇudūta concludes that "This Ajāmila, we know that throughout his whole life he has simply committed sinful activities. That's a fact. We know.
Now, it is very nice conclusion. He says, the Viṣṇudūta says, sāṅketyam. Sāṅketyam means "simply by indication." Sāṅketyaṁ pārihāsyam, "or by joking." Sometimes people joke us, "Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Haribol." That is... That has also its effect, pārihāsyam. Sāṅketyaṁ pārihāsyaṁ vā stobham, "or with devotion and reverence," stobhaṁ helanam eva vā. Or helanam means "without giving any importance, if one chants." Helanam eva vā vaikuṇṭha-nāma-grahaṇam. Vaikuṇṭha means Kṛṣṇa or Nārāyaṇa. Vaikuṇṭha-nāma-grahaṇam aśeṣāgha-haraṁ viduḥ. But even in such way one chants the holy name, then it can vanquish immediately many millions of sinful reactions. There is another Bengali verse, eka hari-nāme, yata pāpa hare, pāpī haya tata pāpa, karibāre nahe:(?) "Once chanted Hare Kṛṣṇa, or Kṛṣṇa's name, it has so potency, so much potencies that it can vanquish millions and millions of sinful reaction that so much a sinful man cannot commit." A sinful man can commit hundreds of thousands of sinful activities, but the holy name of Kṛṣṇa is so powerful that a sinful man will be unable to commit so many sins as the name can vanquish simply by chanting once offenselessly. This is the conclusion.
By the injunction of the Vedas, people are captivated. "Oh, if I perform this yajña, then next life I'll be elevated to the heavenly planet, Svarga." Svargaloka mem. So madhu-puṣpitāyām. That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Veda-vada-ratāḥ pārtha nānyad astīti vādinaḥ. Those who are simply after the formulas of the Veda, they cannot understand. The same example. Even at the present moment, because here is temple, people are attracted. If you simply chant, very few people will come. Very few people will come. Therefore both things are recommended. Trayyāṁ jaḍi-kṛta-matiḥ. Their mind is so materialistic that they cannot give proper respect or importance to the chanting of the holy name. Trayyāṁ jaḍi-krta-matir madhu-puṣpitāyāṁ vaitāni ke mahati karmāṇi yujyamānāḥ (?). They are... Generally, they are attracted for karma-kāṇḍīya vicāra. That is explained here. Puspitāyāṁ puṣpatanair artha-vādi-mano harāyāṁ trayyāṁ jaḍi-kṛta abhiniviṣṭa matir yasya ata eva mahaty eva karmāṇi agni-stomādau śraddhāya yujyamāno narake pravartate. If you do not arrange for this gorgeous system, people are not attracted. Therefore we have to do sometimes to attract people, this gorgeousness. Otherwise, chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra without any offense is sufficient. Therefore our Guru Mahārāja introduced both the processes. This arca, arca, this is pañcarātriki-vidhi. According to pañcarātrika system, Nārada Pañcarātra, this worship of the Deity is there. And bhāgavata-mārga, the path of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, is simply śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam. Out of the nine processes recommended, śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam (SB 7.5.23), so up to śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ smaraṇam, that is Bhāgavata-mārga. That is the best. And pāda-sevanaṁ arcanaṁ vandanaṁ dāsyam, that is pañcarātriki-vidhi.
They do not care. They say, "What is this chanting? Let me perform a big sacrifice." That is explained. Jaḍi-kṛta-matiḥ. They are so materialized, they do not understand the importance of chanting. For them, they should be called, "Come on. Here is a big yajña. Bring three hundred pounds of ghee." "Oh, it is something." You see? "It is something." Gorgeousness. They want gorgeousness. And people come to show them gorgeousness to cheat. Because although it is not possible to perform properly yajña, but people are..., want that, so there are many cheaters. They say, "Oh, this yajña, that yajña, that yajña," and people will be attracted. Jaḍi-kṛta-matiḥ, materialized. Their brain cannot accommodate that the Hare Kṛṣṇa, this Kṛṣṇa name, is Kṛṣṇa. It is very difficult for them to understand.
Guest: I have discussed yesterday in the market. They were, "You are chanting with this party. What interest you have got?" I explained that "The mass have forgotten Lord Kṛṣṇa, and we are importing the importance of Kṛṣṇa from USA."
Prabhupāda: Yes, that... Yes. That is the fact. That is the fact.
Guest: Then I told that "Guru Mahārāja is Indian, but he has got no place in India. And it is the Western people who are teaching us how to serve Kṛṣṇa. If I learn something from them, what is wrong with it?"
Prabhupāda: Their brain is full with hodgepodge. You see? Brain is full with hodgepodge. They cannot understand clearly. Just see. The other day the boy was speaking that Aurobindo is greater than Kṛṣṇa. You see? How much misled they are. That is the difficulty in India. The so-called preachers, yogis, they have filled up the brain with so many hodgepodge things that it is difficult for them. These boys in..., they had no such hodgepodge things. They accepted Kṛṣṇa as He is, and therefore their progress is very quick.
Guest: (indistinct)
Prabhupāda: Yes.
So Prahlāda Mahārāja advises the bhāgavata-dharma. Bhāgavata. What is the bhāgavata-dharma? Bhāgavatān dharmān ācared yata arthadam etaj janma devādi-janmani mahā-viṣaya āviśat. Now, why this life is given so much importance, this human life? There are many other lives, lower and higher. In the higher planets there are demigods. They are far more improved, they are more intelligent, they are more happy than this planet. You must know that the higher planets, the comforts of life is thousand times more. As you go in the higher planetary system, the standard of life, the conveniences, are thousand times greater than in this planet. Therefore the commentator, Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī is that "Why not bhāgavata-dharma, cultivate Kṛṣṇa consciousness, in the life of demigods? Why in this human form of life?" So the answer is that devādi-janma, devādi-janmani mahā-viṣaya āviśat. Devādi-janmani. In the lives of demigod, they are puffed up with so much material enjoyments that there is very little chance to become Kṛṣṇa conscious.
Just like in India still, in this fallen condition of India, whenever there is Bhāgavata recitation, thousands of people still will assemble because the benefit is that they are little poverty-stricken than the western people. So Jīva Gosvāmī says that a person who is too much puffed up with material facilities, it is very difficult for him to come into Kṛṣṇa consciousness. In the Bhāgavata it is stated, Kṛṣṇa..., I mean to say, question and answer between Mahārāja Parīkṣit and Śukadeva Gosvāmī.
Boys and girls, today I shall explain to you the importance of Kṛṣṇa consciousness as it was conceived by one of the greatest devotees in this disciplic succession. You know we are under disciplic succession. We do not manufacture anything by mental concoction. We do not approve that method. We receive knowledge from the authorities and out of such many ācāryas, or authorities, who have appeared and disappeared... We don't say born and died, no. (laughter) Appear and disappear. This is the actual explanation. None of us, either Kṛṣṇa or we or all living entities, they appear and disappear. It is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, Lord Kṛṣṇa says in the battlefield, "My dear Arjuna, either you or Me or all the kings and soldiers who have assembled in this battlefield, don't think that they did not exist in the past and they'll not exist in the future." That means they existed in the past and they're existing at present and they would exist also in the future. That means eternal. Eternal, we are all eternal.
There are six kind of activities which will increase your transcendental importance of life, and there are six kinds of activities which will destroy your whatever little devotion you have got. These, in the Upadeśāmṛta you will find, how you can increase and how you can finish. So about finishing, if you are actually advancing in spiritual life, if that is your aim, then these six things should be avoided. As it is said, prayāsaḥ. The first thing is atyāhāra, eating too much than necessity, atyāhāra, or collecting more than you require. For maintenance of your body you have to secure some monetary benefit—but not more than what you require. People are not satisfied. At the present moment everyone is trying to get more and more and more and more and more. There is no satiation. This kind of endeavor is forbidden. It will not help you. But people are mad after money. If he is getting, say, five hundred rupees, he says, "No, why five hundred? Five thousand." And if he gets five thousand, then he says, "Why five thousand? Five lakhs." And if he gets five lakhs, then he says, "Why five lakhs? Five crores." This is there. The whole world is going on. They are never satisfied. You go to any rich man: "Sir, you have now enough money. Please come to our meeting in the morning, seven-thirty." "No, I have no time." He's earning money.
People are so ignorant that they cannot understand what is the importance of this valuable human form of life. This is Prahlāda Mahārāja's instruction from the very beginning: durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma tad apy arthadam adhruvam. Kaumāra ācaret prājño dharmān bhāgavatan iha durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ (SB 7.6.1). Just like these small children, they are being trained up in this bhāgavata-dharma, śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ (SB 7.5.23). Bhāgavata-dharma means hearing, chanting of the Supreme, glories of the Supreme Lord. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ. Not for others. If somebody says, "Yes, I am hearing always in the telephone. I am doing business." No, not that kind of hearing. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ. If you can contact Viṣṇu or His devotee, Vaiṣṇava, that is all right. Otherwise, you are simply wasting time. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam. Always, constantly thinking of Him. These are the bhakti ways. There are nine different processes prescribed in the śāstra: śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇam pāda-sevanam arcanam... (SB 7.5.23). This is arcanam, worshiping the Deity in the temple, this is called arcanam. The Lord is called arca-vigrahaḥ, arca-avatāra. He is also incarnation. Another incarnation, arca-avatāra.
So the faith, there are different standards of faith. One faith is trying to exact, and one faith is trying to give everything. So these two types of faith. So which one is better? Anyone can judge. Just like Arjuna, in the beginning he had faith in Kṛṣṇa. He said, "Kṛṣṇa, please give me instruction. I am not talking any more as friend. I accept You as my spiritual master." So he had faith, good faith. Otherwise how he accepted Kṛṣṇa as spiritual master? But that faith in the beginning, and at the last faith, after learning Bhagavad-gītā, he said, "Kṛṣṇa, by Your grace I have got my memory." That means, "In the beginning I was thinking that I should give more importance to my grandfather, my teacher and my family, but I have learned that my only duty is to serve You. Therefore whatever You say, I'll do." This is another faith. The same man, the same Kṛṣṇa—in the beginning, one faith, and at the end, another faith. So beginning faith is that God, understanding God. But unfortunately, at the present moment they don't believe in God, so there is no question of faith. They have lost all faith. This is the condition of the present society. What to speak of this faith or that faith, they have no faith. They have lost all faith, just like animal. Animal has no faith in God. That is the distinction between human being and animal. The animal has no faith, but in human society there is a kind of faith, either it is Christian faith or Hindu faith or Buddhist faith or Muhammadan faith. But when we give up this faith, then our position is just like animal.
So Prahlāda Mahārāja says that even if he's born in the family of the dog-eaters, but if he has dedicated his body, mind and words for the service of the Lord, he is better than such brāhmaṇa who has got all the good qualifications, but he has no attachment for God, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is the comparison. Why you are giving so much importance to the man, even if he is born in a lower family? He says, manye tad-arpita-mano-vacana īhā. Īhā means endeavor. Anyone who has engaged this endeavor for the service of the Lord Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī has described about this person whose endeavor is always in the service of the Lord. How Just like the members of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness society. What is their endeavor? Their only endeavor is how this Kṛṣṇa consciousness should be spread all over the world. Why they're endeavoring? Because Kṛṣṇa wants it. Kṛṣṇa wants it. God wants it. Why God wants it? Because we are all sons of God. We have gone to dog. Instead of going to God, we have gone to dog. Therefore God is very anxious to reclaim us. He comes therefore in person, Kṛṣṇa. He sends His son, Lord Jesus Christ, or He sends His devotee. He leaves behind Him the books like Bhagavad-gītā or Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam or many other such literatures. Why? To reclaim these obstinate, bewildered sons of God.
By birth, everyone is born a śūdra, the lower class. And saṁskārād bhaved dvijaḥ. And if that man, the boy, or the child, is reformed by education gradually, then he is, saṁskārad bhaved dvijaḥ, his second birth is there. So amongst the higher class, the brāhmaṇas, the kṣatriyas, and the vaiśyas, especially amongst the brāhmaṇas and kṣatriya, the boys were trained very nicely. Very nicely. So by reformation, when the boy is, I mean to say, mature, at the age of twelve years or thirteen years, he goes automatically to a spiritual master. He automatically goes to a spiritual master for becoming initiated. Just like sometimes some students come to me also: "Swamiji, get me..." That is the process. When one understands the importance of spiritual life, that is reformation. So automatically he offers to a learned person to accept him as his disciple. That point is, acceptance of a disciple, is the second birth. He is called dvija. Dvi means second, and ja means janma, or life. So saṁskārād bhaved dvijaḥ. Dvija, second life, means reformation and acceptance of spiritual master. Then education, spiritual education, begins. And what is that spiritual education? The Vedic literature, just like Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Vedānta. There are many. Especially Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
Nectar of Devotion Lectures
This is the importance of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is said:
- tyaktvā sva-dharmaṁ caraṇāmbujaṁ harer
- bhajann apakvo 'tha patet tato yadi
- yatra kva vābhadram abhūd amuṣya kiṁ
- ko vārtha āpto 'bhajatāṁ sva-dharmataḥ
- (SB 1.5.17)
Just like sometimes they say that the, in this movement, just like the cinema, the hippies are joining. Accepting that hippies are... Hippies means they're useless. They are joining. Bhāgavata says that those who are very dutiful, they are called sva-dharma niṣṭhā. Sva-dharma niṣṭhā. According to Vedic culture, there are different divisions of the society. Brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha. So these are called sva-dharma, means, engaged in one's occupational duty. That is called sva-dharma. Or, in the modern sense, somebody's engaged in business, somebody's engaged in other occupation, profession.
Although he's offered the respect of Hari, he thinks himself as humble servant of Hari and all others. A spiritual master takes his devo..., disciples as his spiritual master. That is the position. He thinks that "Kṛṣṇa has sent me so many spiritual masters." He does not think himself as spiritual master. He thinks himself their servant. Because they have to be trained. Kṛṣṇa has appointed him to train them. Therefore he thinks himself as servant of the disciples. This is the position. So when one is advanced, he can see the importance of devotees.
Advanced devotee never disobey or disrespect another devotee. Disrespect to another devotee is a great offense. Vaiṣṇava aparādha. Vaiṣṇava aparādha is very serious offense. Therefore we teach to address amongst the devotees, "Prabhu", "Prabhu", "Such and such Prabhu." This should not be simply spoken by the lips. It should be realized. Everyone should think other devotee as his prabhu, master. Not he should try to become master.
- tṛṇād api sunīcena
- taror api sahiṣṇunā
- amāninā mānadena...
Mānadena. We should be always ready to offer respect to all, not only devotees, but everyone. Everyone.
Actually, we cannot accept various paths for self-realization. That is not impossible. Sometimes, because we give stress directly to accept this devotional service, people are not very happy that we do not give any importance to the process of jñāna and karma and yoga. We do not condemn, but they're very difficult. The yogic process... Especially in Western countries, they are very much fond of the word yoga. We are therefore publishing this book, Kṛṣṇa Consciousness Is the Topmost Yoga. Actually it is so. So the yoga system or the jñāna system or the karma-kāṇḍa system, we do not make them null and void, but it will be very much slow form of progress. It will take long, long time. Neither it is possible to execute yoga system or karma system very properly in this age. Therefore the best contribution to the people of this age is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Immediately take to... Directly take to Kṛṣṇa and your life will be successful. Kṛṣṇa also says, sarva-dharmān parityajya (BG 18.66). The yoga system, karma system, jñāna system, they may be taken as different types of religious path, but Kṛṣṇa recommends—not only at the present moment, but eternally He recommends—five thousand years ago, He said, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). "I'll give you protection," ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo. Go on.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures
Kṛṣṇa can be understood only through one way, not many ways. What is that one way? Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ (BG 18.55). Only bhakti. So that bhakti, here is it said, prema-bhakti-vadānyatā. This Caitanya-caritāmṛta is... (break)
...vṛndāvanam, and as Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu taught us personally, going to Vṛndāvana and asking His disciple, Rūpa-Sanātana, to exhibit it and manifest the glories of Vṛndāvana, so in Vṛndāvana the Gosvāmīs constructed temples. The present city is due to these Gosvāmīs, or Śrī Caitanya. Present city of Vṛndāvana or present importance of Vṛndāvana is due to Śrī Caitanya. Otherwise people forgot it. It was lying vacant, a big tract of land only. But these Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavas, enunciated by, initiated by Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī... Therefore Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says that,
- rūpa raghunātha pade haibe ākuti
- kabe hāma bhujaba sei yugala-pīriti
Vṛndāvana means Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa's activities, pastimes. So that is the destiny of life. That is the real goal. As Śrī Caitanya..., Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says, that manuṣya janama pāiyā, rādhā-kṛṣṇa nā bhajiyā, jāniyā śuniyā viṣa khāinu. One who has got this human form of life, if he does not understand what is Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, his life is spoiled. Jāniyā śuniyā viṣa khāinu: knowingly they're eating poison, because by coming in contact with Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa they can go back to home, back to Godhead, and there will be no more janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9). Such opportunity is human life, simply to understand Rādhā Kṛṣṇa.
The cloud is generating in the sky and it is vanquished in the sky. Similarly, this material world is sometimes being manifested and sometimes there is no manifestation, simply spiritual. Spiritual is always eternal. The sky, sunshine, is always eternal. Take this crude example. But the cloud is not eternal. It comes and goes, although cloud is a product of the same sunshine. Cloud is not independent. By interaction of sunshine, there is cloud, and that cloud is... There is no cloud. Similarly, this material world is just like cloud. It appears. It acts. When there is cloud, there is torrents of rain. Oh, there are so many productions on account of rain. Everything becomes green. So we give so much importance to the cloud, and it is important also, but it is temporary. As soon as the cloud is over, the greenness is gone. There is no rain. Nothing, nothing. And when the sky is clear, you'll see, "Oh, where is cloud? Where is cloud?" Similarly, this māyā means it appears like the cloud, and it disappears like the cloud, but the eternal brahma-jyotir remains.
Caitanya Mahāprabhu excused all these offenders. Anyone who is godless, he is offender. So when they chanted Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa and accepted the Vedānta philosophy according to the explanation of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He excused them. That is the significance of Lord Caitanya. He is very merciful. He excuses. Without excuse, how He can deliver the fallen souls of this age? Their condition is very precarious. Their duration of life is very small and they are not very intelligent, very slow to understand their importance of spiritual life. And even they are little advanced, they are under the clutches of so many so-called bogus societies. So therefore their condition is very precarious and... So there is no other alternative than to excuse them. Caitanya Mahāprabhu excused them.
- tabe saba sannyāsī mahāprabhuke laiyā
- bhikṣā karilena sabhe, madhye vasāiyā
Then all the sannyāsīs, placing Caitanya Mahāprabhu in the middle... According to Indian system of dining... You are accustomed: they sit in a line. And Caitanya Mahāprabhu was requested to sit in the middle, and thus they took prasādam.
That is the oldest temple in Vṛndāvana, not less than five hundred years old. And it was desecrated by the Aurangzeb, Emperor Aurangzeb. Then another new temple is now constructed where Madana-mohana is residing. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu authorized Sanātana Gosvāmī to go to Vṛndāvana and excavate the city. Before Lord Caitanya, the places of pastimes of Lord Kṛṣṇa was forgotten. People knew only that "In these quarters Kṛṣṇa was born and His pastimes was played here." But no particular places were excavated. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu... After Caitanya Mahāprabhu sent Sanātana Gosvāmī, the importance of that tract of land known as Mathurā-Vṛndāvana became very important. And the importance of that city is due to this Sanātana Gosvāmī, because Sanātana Gosvāmī was authorized to go there and establish temples. So after Sanātana Gosvāmī and Rūpa Gosvāmī, hundreds and thousands of temples were constructed, and there are at least five thousand temples now, after Sanātana Gosvāmī.
- rātri-divase lokera śuni' kolāhala
- vārāṇasī chāḍi' prabhu āilā nīlācala
At Benares He was overcrowded with persons. Always there was tumultuous sound, "Hare Kṛṣṇa." And Caitanya Mahāprabhu left Benares and came back to Jagannath Purī. Jagannath Purī and Benares is not less than about eight hundred miles distance. So in those days there was no railway, no other conveyance. Caitanya Mahāprabhu had to travel through the jungles, and He came back to Jagannath Purī.
I do not know my own position, what I am. But people say that 'You are paṇḍita,' and I am puffed-up, and I think, 'Yes, I am paṇḍita, I am learned.' " This is the situation of the world. Everyone who has no spiritual knowledge, who does not know what he is, still, he is very much proud that he's very learned. So such kind of learning may be praised materially, but spiritually it has no value. Spiritually it has no value, because this is temporary, temporary. Just like by force, so many people is posted on the king's position, but after five years, ten years, again he's a common man. So similarly, all this material acquisition, they have no permanent value. Therefore those who are actually learned, they don't give any importance to this material acquisition. So Sanātana prabhu is, by his personal behavior, he's presenting himself that "People say that I am very learned, but actually I am not learned." This should be the position. Jijñāsuḥ śreya uttama. Now, "Because I am not learned, and very kindly You have delivered me from the māyā of illusion, kindly now let me know what is my duty." This is the position. One should present himself to the spiritual master, not that... We have to first of all select spiritual master.
The lion is an animal and the small rabbit or other animals, they are also animals. So the rabbits are very much afraid of lion. That is a fact. And they worship the... This morning we were discussing one story, how a rabbit entangled one lion and saved his life. So here in this material world, similarly, the small animal may be afraid of the big animal, but the big animal or small animal, they are animals. They are animals. Therefore Bhāgavata says the small animal may eulogize the big animal. That does not mean the big animal is of any importance. He is animal, that's all. Similarly, our position is that we do not go... We may not go to the big animal, but we may go to like Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Then we will be benefited. Caitanya Mahāprabhu, if we approach Caitanya Mahāprabhu... That is caitanya, living, supreme living being.
Because the whole aim was to get away the existence of God, therefore all the Vedic literature was..., were interpreted by Śaṅkarācārya in his own way. Still it is going on. That process is still going on. Although there are many, I mean to say, explanation of Vedānta-sūtra by the Vaiṣṇava sampradāyas. Just like Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya... Every Vaiṣṇava sampradāya has his own explanation of Vedānta-sūtra. Don't understand Vedantist means the monopoly by Śaṅkara sampradāya. No. But people in general, they understand Vedantist means Śaṅkara sampradāya. Because the devotee class, they do not give much importance to Vedānta. Because they read Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is accepted by the Vaiṣṇava sampradāya, especially by the sect of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, as the real explanation of Vedānta; therefore they do not give any other explanation of Vedānta than Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. And because the Vaiṣṇava sampradāya does not give very much importance to Vedānta-sūtra—because the explanation is there, they are reading actually Vedānta-sūtra—people misunderstand that the Vedantist, followers of Vedānta, is the Śaṅkara sampradāya, not this Vaiṣṇava sampradāya. That is their misunderstanding.
Sri Isopanisad Lectures
And it can utilize the material energy, just like modern scientists, they are utilizing... Just like you American people, this land of America, before your coming from European countries, it was vacant land. The people who lived here, they could not utilize. But you have developed by your intelligence a very nice country with industry, with nice roads. So this is superior energy, that the living entity can have some control over the material energy. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā: yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat (BG 7.5). The, the importance of this material world is due to the living entities. This Los Angeles City is valuable so long the living entities are there. The body's valuable so long the living entity, soul, is there. Therefore it is superior. But that superiority is being misused. That is conditioned life. We are conditioned because our superior position than the matter, we are misusing. How we are misusing? We have forgotten that, although I am superior energy than the matter, but still, I am subordinate to God. That he is forgetting. The modern civilization, they do not care for God because people are superior than matter. They are simply trying to exploit matter in different way. But they are forgetting that we, either we may be American or Russian or China or India, we are all subordinate to God. This is the mistake. Kṛṣṇa bhuliya jīva bhoga vāñchā kare. They have forgotten Kṛṣṇa, and they want to enjoy this material world. This is their disease.
Festival Lectures
So the whole process is to rectify, to purify your senses. And the purified sense means instead of using the senses for this so-called material happiness, one has to utilize the senses for happiness of Kṛṣṇa. That is purified sense. The example, the vivid example, is Arjuna. Arjuna was not willing to fight to satisfy his senses. He thought, "If I do not kill my brother or nephews or my grandfather or my teacher, the other side, that will make me happy. If they are killed, then where is my happiness?" This is material calculation, because he was giving more importance to the material body, what is his brother, what is his grandfather or teacher? He was seeing the material. Just like what is our calculation? I am thinking somebody my friend and another body as my enemy. Why? Because I make distinction on the bodily platform. I say, "American? Oh, they are my friends. Russians? They are my enemies." Why? What is the platform of this distinction? The platform is body. Because one has got the Russian body by some way or other, another bod..., has got American body, I am making distinction. So this distinction is on the material platform. And the spiritual platform, there is no such distinction because it is simply spirit.
They did not give any importance to the ministerial post. Here in the material world, if you get a nice government service, what to speak of to become minister, then we are very much proud. But the Gosvāmīs thought of their posts as very insignificant. Without thinking like that, how they can give it up? Paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate (BG 2.59). You cannot by force become renounced order of life. When you see something better than your present engagement, then you can be renounced. After accepting renounced order of life, if I am still attached to these material things, then that is not advancement. So these Gosvāmīs, Sanātana Gosvāmī, Rūpa Gosvāmī, they gave up their posts. Tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śrenīṁ sadā tucchavat bhūtvā dīna-gaṇeśakau kṛpayā kaupīna-kantāśritau. Kaupīna, the underwear, loincloth, and a torn quilt, and a kuraṅga, That was their possessions. And they used to live underneath one tree, and next day another tree. In this way, in this Vṛndāvana... First of all, Sanātana Gosvāmī came here after taking instruction from Lord Caitanya in Benares. And Madana Gopāla's temple you have seen, old. He was living there underneath a tree. There was no temple at that time. The temple was constructed later on.
Arrival Addresses and Talks
That is sense enjoyment. Just like we infect some disease, and that disease will come out some day, will be manifested. They are called kutastha, phalonmukha, and prārabdha. Three stages. Infection... The same example. Infection remains in dormant stage, not manifest immediately. Then phalonmukha, fructifying; and then prārabdha, one gets it and suffers. This is the nature's way, going on. But people do not know it. Therefore our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is very serious movement, scientific movement, and people are gradually trying to understand the importance of this movement. Because in the foreign countries, especially in America, our books are being accepted by (the) higher circle, big, big universities, colleges, professors. They are so eager to read the books that they have simply heard that this Bhāgavatam will be finished in sixty volumes and Caitanya-caritāmṛta will be finished in twelve volumes... We have got Caitanya-caritāmṛta only one volume published, and they are ordering for twelve volumes, that "As soon as it is published, you send us." This is very encouraging. Similarly, they are ordering for sixty volumes of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, although we have published only twelve volumes. So by the grace of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, as He wanted.
Tehran. Yes. I forgot. He has come. Here is the Tehran representative. Yes. So there was very nice meeting in Tehran. Many scholar, Muhammadan, came to see me. So everyone is understanding the importance of this movement. So in Tehran I discussed about chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that there are many names. Nāmnām akāri bahudhā nija-sarva-śaktiḥ. Kṛṣṇa's name, manyfold. So I pleaded to the Muslim audience that "You can chant the name of Allah also. Not necessarily that you have to chant the Kṛṣṇa name, but any name indicating the Supreme Lord can be chanted." Because in the śāstra it is said, harer nāma, harer nāma, (CC Adi 17.21) the holy name of the Lord. But it must be the name of the Lord. Actually, Kṛṣṇa has thousands of names, and His names are enumerated by His activities. Just like Kṛṣṇa accepted to become the son of Mother Yaśodā; therefore He is called Yaśodā-nandana. Kṛṣṇa accepted Vasudeva as His father, or Nanda Mahārāja; therefore He is called Nanda-nandana, Vāsudeva, or Devakī-nandana. Kṛṣṇa acted as the charioteer of Arjuna; He is called Partha-sarathi. So Kṛṣṇa's name means attached with the activities along with His devotees. This is Kṛṣṇa's name. So if the Muhammadans' aim the Supreme Lord, Allah akbar, "God the great..."
Yes. So I took up this from his mouth, that he is very fond of books. And he told me personally that "If you get some money, print books." Therefore I am stressing on this point: "Where is book? Where is book? Where is book?" So kindly help me. This is my request. Print as many books in as many languages and distribute throughout the whole world. Then Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement will automatically increase. Now the educated learned scholars, they are appreciating our movement by reading books, by taking practical result. Dr. Stillson Judah, he has written one book, perhaps you know, Hare Kṛṣṇa and Counterculture, a very nice book about our movement, and he is giving importance. He has admitted that "Swamijī, you have done wonderful thing because you have turned the drug-addicted hippies into devotees of Kṛṣṇa, and they are prepared for the service of humanity."
So this movement is so important. We are giving the best service to the humanity. They are plunged into ignorance. All, they are rascals, mūḍha. It is not our manufactured word. Kṛṣṇa says, na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15). So we have this test tube. If you see one has no information of Kṛṣṇa, then he is mūḍha. We haven't got to study more: whether he is Kṛṣṇa conscious, whether he has got any portion of his heart attracted, attached to Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa means attraction.
Without a thing being present in God, there cannot be any existence of anything. That's a fact. Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (ISO 1). So his question was, "Then what is this evil?" The evil is also God's creation. So I explained like this, that for God there is no good or evil; everything is good. So I gave him this example that good, or piety, that is God's frontage, and evil means God's back side. So taking this example, the chest or the back of my body, they are equal. It is not that when there is some pain on the back side I don't care for it; I simply take care of when there is pain in the chest. No. Although it is back side, it is as important as the front side. Then evil and good is also of the same importance? No. Evil... That I gave the example, that for God there is nothing evil. I gave another example. Just like the sun, there is no darkness. Anywhere of sun's body, there is no darkness. But for us there is light and darkness. Just like if you keep the sun back side, you will find darkness, a very long darkness, your shadow. And if you keep yourself in front, sun, there is no darkness. So it is my business; I create darkness. As soon as I change my position—instead of remaining in front of God, I keep God back side—then there is darkness. Otherwise there is no question of darkness. But in the sun as it is, there is no such darkness. Therefore God is all good. And for us, when we forget God, that is evil. And when we are in God consciousness always, everything good. Is that example all right?
Cornerstone Ceremonies
We are, whatever we are doing it is not whimsical or mental concoction. It is authorized and just to the standard of Bhagavad-gītā. Our present movement is based on Bhagavad-gītā—Bhagavad-gītā as it is. We don't interpret. We do not interpret foolishly because... I say purposefully this word "foolishly," that why should we interpret Kṛṣṇa's words? Am I more than Kṛṣṇa? Or did Kṛṣṇa leave some portion to be explained by me by interpretation? Then what is the importance of Kṛṣṇa? If I give my own interpretation, thinking myself more than Kṛṣṇa, this is blasphemy. How I can become more than Kṛṣṇa? If actually we want to take advantage of this Bhagavad-gītā, then we must take Bhagavad-gītā as it is. Just like Arjuna took. Arjuna, after hearing Bhagavad-gītā, he said, sarvam etam ṛtaṁ manye: "I accept all the words, my dear Keśava, whatever You have said. I accept them in toto, without any change." This is understanding of Bhagavad-gītā, not that I take advantage of the Bhagavad-gītā and I interpret in my foolish way so that people will accept my philosophy. This is not Bhagavad-gītā. There is no question of interpretation in the Bhagavad-gītā. Interpretation is allowed when you cannot understand. When the things are clearly understood... If I say, "This is microphone," everyone understands this is microphone. Where is the necessity of interpreting it? There is no necessity. This is foolishness, misleading.
Wedding Ceremonies
So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is not a new movement. It is there always in the Vedic scriptures, but people have forgotten. So we are trying to revive that movement, although in India the movement is there always, especially since the last five hundred years, introduced by Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. In your country it is introduced since 1966. But people are appreciating. We have got many books and literature, magazines, to convince people about the importance of this movement. And those who are coming to be a serious student of this movement, initiated, they require to follow four principles of regulation. That one, first regulation, is that the student is not allowed to have illicit sex life. In this country, the guardians, the teachers, the government allows the boys and girls to meet together and have illicit sex life without marriage. That is not allowed in Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. If any boy or girl wants sex life, then he should regularly be married. That is civilized way. Because in the civilized society there is marriage ceremony. According to Vedic system, the father and mother's responsibility is for the child unless they are married. It is the duty of the parents to see that the girl and the boy is married by the supervision of the parents. That is the Vedic way of civilization. In India the... Especially for the girls.
General Lectures
So impersonal Brahman realization is also Brahman realization. The personal Brahman realization is the highest platform. Brahmaṇo 'ham pratiṣṭhā. In the Bhagavad-gītā you'll see that Kṛṣṇa says that "The impersonal Brahman is resting on Me." Ahaṁ pratiṣṭhā. Just like this bag is resting on this table. The table is more important than this bag. Similarly... Just like the sun planet. Although we are seeing it is just like a disk and the sunshine is overcast all over the universe, that does not mean that sunshine is more important than the sun disk. It is due to the sun disk that the sunshine is all over the universe. And if you think that sunshine is distributed all over the universe, therefore it is greater than the sun disk—no. The importance of the sun disk is more than the universally distributed sunshine. So impersonal Brahman realization is just like realization of the sunshine, but there are other stages. And the highest stage is to associate with the Supreme. Just like this picture, they are associating person to person. Another point is, as individual soul we require association, person to person. That is our nature. The Bhāgavata replies, ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninas tvayy asta-bhāvad aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ (SB 10.2.32). If somebody thinks by simple impersonal realization of Brahman, if he thinks that he has become liberated, then his intelligence is polluted. Ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninas tvayy asta-bhāvad aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ. Aviśuddha means not free from contamination. His intelligence is not free. Why? Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adho (SB 10.2.32).
Just like a child. Because he cannot see the sun at night, he may say, "Oh, sun is gone, dead and gone." But no scientist, no intelligent man will say. "My dear child, the sun is not gone. The sun is there. I cannot see now." That is the fact. Similarly, these foolish persons, because they cannot see the soul and because the body is left there and it is destroyed, he says that there is no soul. Just see how childish and how much darkness is there. It is commonsense affair. How this body...? I am taking this body so important, the body of such and such professor, such and such scientist, such and such philosopher. But as soon as I, the soul, go away, where is the importance? If the body is important, why it becomes nonsense immediately after the departure of the soul? Therefore the soul is important. One who does not know the soul, his all activities are defeat. Parābhavas tāvad abodha-jato yāvan na jijñāsata ātma-tattvam. Anyone who has not inquired about the soul, because he is born ignorant, born in darkness, he does not know what is soul, what is this body, what is this world. Therefore born in darkness. So if in that darkness and ignorance he is acting so many things, what is the profit? It is simply defeat. So a person who does not inquire into the existence of soul, his real identity, all his so-called improvement is simply waste of time. Śrama eva hi kevalam (SB 1.2.8). Simply laboring, that's all. The whole world is doing that, beating the bush, laboring for nothing. He does not know that how long he will remain.
Separated extension means just like this finger is the part of your body, but when it is separated from the body for some reason... The finger's name is "finger," but it is separated; it is no longer used for the whole body. Similarly, the conditioned souls, we... We have come to this material world being conditioned by the laws of material nature; therefore our so-called independence is bogus. There is no independence. We are completely under the grip of material nature, so therefore we are separated. When we are again joined with Kṛṣṇa, then we are one with Kṛṣṇa. Just like this finger is one with this body; although it is called finger, but it is the same. The importance of the finger is as good as the whole body. Similarly, when we shall join again with Kṛṣṇa, then we become as good as Kṛṣṇa, advaya-jñāna, absolute. Just yesterday, day before yesterday, I was explaining, aṅgāni yasya sakalendriya-vṛtti-manti (Bs. 5.32). Every part, every limb of Kṛṣṇa has got the potency of acting like other limb. We can only see with our eyes, but Kṛṣṇa can eat also with His eyes. Therefore absolute.
Prabhupāda: Yes. That is going on.
Woman (9): The basis... If we don't start the basic, change our words, what other things do... But life, what it says, "Be good." It says in Bible, it says in Koran, everything, "Be good." If you take that word, that's enough, without any big book.
Woman (1): Is astrology of any importance to a way of life, I mean...
Prabhupāda: Yes. This is a science. Yes. This is a science. It is a science. That science is acceptable by the human society. Medical science, legal science, engineering science. Similarly, astrology also, another science. But the astrology is simply useful so long you have got this body. But as soon as your body is finished, there is no more use of astrology.
Devotee: Should we chant?
Prabhupāda: Yes. Now you can. What is that? Take it. Chant. Authority, it is accepted like that. Because other authorities whom we are accepting, they have accepted... Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186). We have to follow the footprints of other authorities. Leadership. In every society they are accepting leadership. So in that way you have to accept authority. There is no other process.
We have got many books in this connection, about twelve books of four hundred pages. So this is based on the authority of Vedas, and that is summarized in the Bhagavad-gītā and many other books. So we have published Bhagavad-gītā As It Is, Teachings of Lord Caitanya, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Kṛṣṇa, Easy Journey to Other Planets, Nectar of Devotion. So we request everyone to understand this movement by reading authoritative literatures in this connection. We are publishing our magazine, Back to Godhead, every month in so many languages. So our program is to serve the human society, to save them from the pitfall of entering again into the cycle of birth and death. That is our great mission.
So I was very much engladdened to learn that I had to speak this night, but because I was pre-engaged for going to San Francisco, because tomorrow there will be a great Ratha-yātrā festival... About fifty thousand people will participate in the festival, and they have advertised my presence, so I am going this afternoon to San Francisco. So you will excuse me because I am not personally present. But I hope to come back again by the second week of July. If sufficient arrangement is made I shall be very glad to meet the enlightened people of this city and try to make them convinced about the importance of this great movement. And that will be beneficial for our mission as well as your welfare.
We invite everyone that "There is great necessity of God consciousness at the present moment throughout the whole world. Without God consciousness, all qualification are useless." That is a Vedic verse: aprāṇasyaiva dehasya maṇḍanaṁ loka-rañjanam. Just like this body. Because there is a minute particle of God's part and parcel, the soul, this body is so valuable. One is "Sir such-and-such," or "Lord such-and-such," and big scientist, big philosopher. Why? Because that spark of God's parcel, part and parcel, is there. As soon as that particle is gone, this body is useless. It may be a body of "Sir such-and-such" or "Lord such-and-such," but it is useless. It is simply a lump of matter. But people are giving more importance to this body, which is nothing but lump of matter. But they have no information. I have traveled so many countries, universities also. There is not a single institution where there is a department where scientific knowledge is being given about understanding God or soul. That is not a very good sign for human civilization. Human civilization is especially meant for understanding God. Therefore in any human civilized society there is system of religion. Religion means, as I have already explained, to abide by the orders of God. It may be a little different from one country to another. Just like in the political state management also, it is not exactly the same. But the obedience to the state is everywhere. The state may be, the constitution may be little different, but the obedience to the state is absolute necessity. Similarly, religion may be different according to time, country, position, understanding, but the obedience to God must be there, obedience to God. Otherwise it is not human civilization.
"If anyone develops God consciousness, then all the good qualities will develop automatically. And you give him all kinds of education, but if he is godless, it is all useless." That is compared with decorating the dead body. Just like dead body. A dead body is decorated. So it may be a satisfaction for the relatives, but what is the use of it, decorating a dead body? Bhagavad-bhakti-hīnasya jātiḥ japas tapaḥ kriyaḥ: "Great nationality, great work, great achievement, minus bhagavad-bhakti, God consciousness, is just like decorating the dead body." That's all. What is the use of decorating the dead body? Because actually this body is dead. As soon as the soul is away from this body, it is a lump of matter. So when the soul is off from the body, if somebody decorates that dead body, what is use? It is simply concoction. That's all. Therefore according to Vedic system, as soon as a body is dead, there is no question of decorating. Immediately burn it and finish. Make it into ashes. That's all. The body has no importance. Real, the soul is important, the living force. So we have no education about that living force, and the original living force is Kṛṣṇa, or God. So we have no information. So therefore this education is very, very essential, at least at the present moment. You may educate in any way—Christian way, Hindu way, Muslim—but educate all the people about God consciousness. Otherwise there is doom.
They do now know what is the ultimate goal of life, our self-interest. Everyone must be self-interested, but we do not know what is self-interest. There is no education what is the ultimate goal of life. Na te viduḥ. They are trying to satisfy themselves to become happy and prosperous by adjusting this material nature. Bahir-artha-māninaḥ. Bahir-artha-māninaḥ means giving more importance to this materialistic way of life. That is called bahir-artha-māninaḥ. God has got many energies. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport). In the Vedas we understand that the Supreme Lord has manifold energies, and whatever we see, that is the activities of His energy. Just like electric energy. The energy is coming out from the powerhouse, and by utilizing that electric energy, we are working in so many ways: heater, cooler, this microphone, tape recorder, so many things. But the energy is coming from that powerhouse. Similarly, whatever you are seeing, wonderful action of the material action and reaction, they are simply interaction of different energies of the Lord, heat and light. Any scientist will understand that this whole cosmic manifestation is creation of heat and light, two energies. The two energies are coming from the sun, and the material world is creation of the sunshine, heat and light.
So we are preaching the teachings of Bhagavad-gītā all over the world. So we invite you also to join this movement. You have already the sense of Vedic culture. Now, if you cooperate with us fully, we can develop a very nice cultural movement here also. The problem of birth, death, old age, and disease is for everyone. But, on account of their material association, they do not take this problem very seriously. So one who does not give any importance to these problems, he is no better than animals. The problems of birth, death, old age and disease are there in the animals, as well as in human society. But the animals cannot make a solution. But the human being can make a solution. And to make the solution of these problems, there are the Vedic literatures. (break)
So I think that you ladies and gentlemen here should take very serious account for this movement and join us. I shall invite some of your leading persons to meet me today or tomorrow, because tomorrow I shall be going. And if you are serious, we can preview some plan how we can cooperate. So you have got nice place, combinedly we can develop it into very nice center for spiritual culture. And that cultural movement will be interested by everyone in the world. Even those who were not aware of the Vedic culture, they're also joining and taking part in this movement. So my earnest request is that you should seriously think over the matter and join with this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.
I thank you very much for your coming here, taking so much trouble, to participate in this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. And I shall simply try to draw your attention about the importance of this movement. Importance of this movement is this, that we do not know what is the aim of life. The modern civilization, all over the world, especially in the Western world—nobody knows what is the actual problem and what is the aim of life. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. The Bhagavad-gītā says, "The real problem is janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9), that birth, death, old age and disease, these are the problems." If you take birth, then you will have to die. Anyone who takes birth, he must have to die. And so long, between birth and death, there is old age and disease. Actually, these are the problems. So far we are concerned, living entities, every one of us, that is described in the Bhagavad-gītā. Na jāyate na mriyate vā kadācit: "The living entity is never born, never dies." Nityaḥ śāśvato 'yaṁ purāṇo na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre: (BG 2.20) "The living entity is eternal, ever-existing and very old, and," na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre, "it does not die after the annihilation of this body." But the modern civilization, they are thinking that "This body we have got somehow or other, a lump of matter, and so long we have got this body, let us enjoy life, sense gratification." This is atheistic theory.
Departure Talks
There is no relativity. In the temple worship, as there are so many different duties—one is worshiping directly the Deity, decorating the Deity, and the other is washing the temple—it does not mean that the one who is cleansing the Deity, he is less important than the person who is in the temple room, Deity room. No. Because it is absolute. The Deity... As the Deity is important, similarly, the floor of the temple is also important, same importance, because absolute. So in executing our devotional service we are engaged in different duties. Somebody is cooking. Somebody is decorating the Deity. Somebody is cleansing the floor. Somebody is going to sell books. Somebody is doing something. Everything—nirbandhe kṛṣṇa sambandhe, in relationship with Kṛṣṇa. Because the relationship is there with Kṛṣṇa, then every activity which you are doing, that is complete. There is no such material distinction. Just like here in the material world somebody is sitting in the office chair and somebody is cleansing the office, so the cleaner is supposed to be lower than the officer, but in the spiritual world there is no such distinction. The officer and the cleaner, they are of the same importance.
Philosophy Discussions
Prabhupāda: Yes, that's it. We have to see how you can becomes Ganges water. Why you give importance to the Ganges water? Because it is flowing from the toe of Kṛṣṇa, Viṣṇu. So anything comes in contact with Kṛṣṇa's lotus feet, it will be Ganges water. Just like we are offering water, generally in India the Ganges water is used for worshiping. Then the worshiping of Kṛṣṇa will stop here in America? Does it mean so? We create Ganges water. As soon as it is touched with Kṛṣṇa, it is Ganges water.
Pradyumna: Yes, but someone, still who doesn't know, if he comes...
Prabhupāda: If someone does not know, one who does not know we are not talking about. This is the issue, that, why Ganges water is important. Because it is flowing from the toe of Kṛṣṇa. That means touching the toe of Kṛṣṇa makes Ganges water important. So, any water when it touches Kṛṣṇa's lotus feet it becomes Ganges water. This is logic. Things equal to the same thing are equal to one another. Is it not?
Pradyumna: So you use something material in Kṛṣṇa consciousness...
Prabhupāda: If you have got material idea, then it will... (break) ...so the fire makes it warm, warm, hot, red hot. When it is red hot, you cannot say it is iron, it is actually burning.
Karandhara: They say the empiric mind just, you cannot accept revelation, that revelation isn't experimental to our limited knowledge, or to our knowledge. The hard-core scientist doesn't want to listen to revelation or what he considers theoretical spiritual knowledge, because he can't examine it or experiment with it himself; therefore he considers it a waste of time. If he can't see it or understand it with his mind, he doesn't think that it has any bearing or importance.
Prabhupāda: So scientific brain means ultimately becoming a fool. He'll talk all nonsense. Once he is recognized scientist, then he can talk all nonsense, and the people accept it as scientific truth.
Śyāmasundara: They say that our planet, along with all of the other stars and bodies in this universe, is about five billion years old. They have calculated in several ways. One of the ways they have calculated the age of our oceans to be five billion, and the age of our oldest rocks, along with the way that the stars are distributing themselves, that they must be five billion years old. (break) Could you repeat that, Śrīla Prabhupāda? I want to record it.
Prabhupāda: The Western philosophers and historians, in order to support Darwin's theory of anthropology, has never agreed to accept that the Vedic literatures written long, long years ago, but these less intelligent philosophers and theologists, their theory has been also dismantled by the discovery of this Ajanta Cave. From that cave it was very, very intelligent; as they are excavating other part, simply studying the bones. But there is other side also, this is also excavation; and it can be proved that very intelligent persons were there.
"I think this Brahmā and Indra, Candra, the demigods just like as good as the germs and small insects." He says that. Vidhi-mahendrādiś. You have to attain such a position that you think this Brahmā and Indra and demigods, they are as good as the insects. Vidhi-mahendrādiś ca kīṭa. Kīṭa means a small insect. So actually that is the position. Everyone has got a different type of body according to his karma, either Brahmā's body or ant's body, so he is under material laws. So that is not the position of freedom. One has to become above these material laws. That is brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54). So anyone who has actually attained that position, what is the importance of Brahmā's body or Indra's body? He is not concerned with the body, just, therefore devotees are not interested to be elevated to the higher planetary system in the heaven. They are not interested. They are interested going back to home, back to Godhead. So devotee's position is different. Just like we can see practically our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, we have got so many members. We are not perfect, but still it is not our ambition how to become a Rockefeller or big rich man. This is not our ambition. Is it our ambition, like that? We don't care for this Rockefeller or big, big man. We want how to become a perfect devotee of Kṛṣṇa. You can see practically. Our endeavors, activities, are not like the karmīs'. The karmīs are trying "How many motorcars I will possess.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Hayagrīva: And he therefore concludes that mystical states cannot be sustained for long, except in rare instances. Half an hour or at most an hour or two seems to be the limit beyond which they fade into the light of common day. "Often, when faded, their quality can be but imperfectly reproduced in memory, but when they recur it is recognized, and from one recurrence to another it is susceptible of continuous development in what is felt as inner richness and importance."
Prabhupāda: Yes. That richness comes to perfection when one thinks of Kṛṣṇa constantly, without any cessation. That is recommended in the yogic chapter of the Bhagavad-gītā:
- yoginām api sarveṣāṁ
- mad-gata āntarātmanā
- śraddhāvān bhajate
- yo māṁ sa me bhak...
- (BG 6.47)
- Uh...
Hari-śauri: Yuktatamo mataḥ.
Prabhupāda: Huh?
Śyāmasundara: He gives importance not so much to the facts of the...
Prabhupāda: Then if there is no fact, then what is the use of such philosophy? It is not based on fact.
Śyāmasundara: Yeah. He gives stress on how the decision is made.
Prabhupāda: When decision is made, then you should go farther. How the decision is made, that is our question. How is this made this decision, that you kill somebody and by killing somebody you protect somebody? How this decision is? That is our question. What is the answer?
Śyāmasundara: His answer is that you make the decision by inwardness, by turning inward...
Prabhupāda: And what is that inward mean? Why you are thinking that "I shall give protection to my brother by killing another gentleman"? Why you are thinking like this? What is the ethic? What is the value of ethic? That is our question.
Śyāmasundara: Well, perhaps his ethical man would not make that decision. Perhaps his ethical man would make the decision to protect the cow also. Because the idea is that through a passionate, feeling, awareness inside that one will come to the right decisions, that, that...
Prabhupāda: Not always suffering. (indistinct) We are, we in religious. Suppose we are in the topmost. Does it means that we are suffering?
Śyāmasundara: He is a Christian religionist. He's a Christian religionist. They give importance to suffering. "Christ suffered for us, so we..." He says that to abstain from sin means suffering, we are suffering.
Prabhupāda: That is also wrong theory. If Christ is God, or God's son, then why he should suffer? God is subjected to suffering? Then what kind of God He is?
Devotee: They say that he did not suffer for God; he suffered for man.
Prabhupāda: Anyway, if there is no suffering, then where is the question of suffering for God or suffering for man?
Śyāmasundara: They say that it's a paradox, that... They say that it's a paradox or an apparent contradiction that the Transcendental came into the material world and appeared to suffer for men, but actually he does not suffer because He is God, that He only appeared to suffer to save us from our sins and remind us always not to sin.
Prabhupāda: But why the Christians are committing sins still? They have given contract to Jesus Christ that "You suffer for us and we go on committing sins." Very good philosophy.
Devotee: (indistinct) sometimes they can't trace out the history of a particular case. The idea is that if they can find out from this person remembering back when they were young that he had been locked in a room, then (indistinct) the person was able to understand the significance of that incident, that it was really very small. Then it loses its importance in his life. He has been unable to resolve it because he has repressed it.
Prabhupāda: But I don't think when a man's brain is already deranged he can be rectified by finding out the cause.
Devotee: It's not that the trauma makes him crazy so that he cannot function in society. He could be a business executive who has claustrophobia; he can't stand getting in an elevator. He is leading a normal life in society but he has a problem which causes him a great deal...
Prabhupāda: So why not divert his attention to Kṛṣṇa consciousness?
Śyāmasundara: Ah, by a higher type of knowledge, if one realizes that he is not this body, then all those things will be...
Prabhupāda: Yes, that is...
Prabhupāda: It will change. That's all right. I am here, I may be next moment down. But I am the same, either here or down, and therefore I am important, and the active principle is important. The changing existence has no importance. At one time the external feature of the active principle may be a mountain, and next, the external feature of the active principle may be a small ant, but the active principle which is becoming sometimes mountain life and the ant life, that is important.
Śyāmasundara: So he is seeing the external features and he is saying...
Prabhupāda: Therefore he is imperfect. He has no perfect vision. His philosophy is not very sound. He can be classified, according to Bhāgavata, bahir-artha-māninaḥ: one who gives importance to the external features; one who has no eyes to see the internal potency.
Śyāmasundara: So because the living entity is so much changing that he doesn't have any one thingness, therefore, he says the living entity is nothingness.
Prabhupāda: No. He has his identity, but in the present circumstances, because he is conditioned by the matter, therefore he is changing, and when he becomes free from the condition, he will have no change.
Śyāmasundara: Is he in fact a thing?
Prabhupāda: That is nonsense. Therefore they are suffering. The whole world is suffering. They do not know what is real progress or what the human life is meant for. They are taking human life is as good as hogs' life or animals' life. We don't take it. We say the human life has got a special importance for spiritual realization. But these people, they have no such idea. So their practical purpose, our practical purpose is different. They are ignorant. What is the aim of life, they do not know. They take animal life and human life is the same. Simply it should be a little polished. That's all.
Śyāmasundara: He says that all ideas or theories find their verification or their fulfillment through social practice. In other words, if something is a theory, if it's practiced and found to be true, then it is true.
Prabhupāda: Here it is true. In India still, those who are spiritualists. We have seen. Now, they are tolerating severe cold without any difficulty. For a materialist it is very difficult. From practical also, those who are advanced in spiritual life, they have no disease practically. They don't go to doctor. So these are practical. How can you deny these are not practical? They can live any condition, without any food, without any vitamin. Are these not practical? So we take that advancement of spiritual life makes our life more comfortable. That is practical. Without being dependent on doctors and this vitamin and that, so many, so many things. That is practical. If I have to depend on so many things, then where is the practical? Śukadeva Gosvāmī recommends that if you can... (break)
Hayagrīva: ...Frenchman, and he is known as a positivist. He felt that positivism reconciles the heart and the intellect. He felt that theology dealt solely with the heart or the sentiments and that philosophy dealt solely with the intellect, but positivism reconciled the two. He writes, "Positivism proves more efficient than theology yet at the same time terminates the disunion which has existed so long between the intellect and the heart. It is a fundamental doctrine of positivism, a doctrine of as great political as philosophical importance, that the heart preponderates over the intellect. When it is said that the intellect should be subordinate to the heart, what is meant is that the intellect should devote itself exclusively to the problems which the heart suggests, the ultimate object being to find proper satisfaction for our various wants," meaning material wants, as well as spiritual wants.
Prabhupāda: So we have got from Bhagavad-gītā that the gross understanding are the senses, though the still finer understanding is the mind, and then intellect, and then the soul. The soul is the original, basic principle of activities. So it becomes grosser, grosser, grosser, and when the soul acts on the platform of senses and body, these are gross activities. So our calculation is the gross activities of the body, then the subtle activities of the mind and still more subtle activities of the intellect, and then spiritual platform. So that is also expressed in another way: pratyakṣa, parokṣa, aparokṣa, adhokṣaja, aprākṛta. These are different stages of knowledge. Direct perception, pratyakṣa; then receiving knowledge from others, then..., pratyakṣa par..., aparokṣa, still further Vedic knowledge. Then adhokṣaja, beyond the experience of mind and senses. Then aprākṛta, transcendental, spiritual. These are the different stages of knowledge and different stages of understanding from gross to the subtler forms of life.
| Page Title: | Importance (Lectures) |
| Compiler: | Mayapur, RupaManjari |
| Created: | 03 of Oct, 2011 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=106, Con=0, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 106 |