Actually executing devotional service: initiation. And if one actually executes devotional service, then anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt, then all nonsense habits will disappear. Then I'll not have to stress on the point these four regulative principles. Automatically it will go away. That is the test. How one has properly utilized his initiation will be tested that he has no more attraction for these four principles: illicit sex, intoxication, gambling, and meat-eating. They will automatically go. There is no need of asking. Anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt. Then ruci. When one is freed from all these prohibitive principles, then he develops a taste, tato ruci. Tato niṣṭhā: then he's steadily confirmed. Athāsaktiḥ. Then attachment: he cannot go. He cannot go. Athāsaktis tato bhāvaḥ. Then ecstasy. And then he comes to the platform of love of Godhead. So when that platform is reached, then everything is successful. And if that platform is not reached, then everything is simply waste of time. But in the beginning, if you follow these principles, as laid down by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī and other ācāryas...
Intoxication (Lectures, Other)
Expressions researched:
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Lectures
Nectar of Devotion Lectures
Similarly, if we act sinfully in this life, then we'll have to remain within this material world, one body after another. So we, we have to give up sinful activities. Therefore we forbid our students, no illicit sex, no meat-eating, no gambling, no intoxication. Because these are the pillars of sinful life. So we have to give up these things to accelerate our promotion to devotional service. We cannot go on doing this and that at the same time. It is something like that, you ignite fire and pour water. It will be useless attempt. If you want to burn the fire blazing, don't put water on it. Keep it dry. Similarly, if you want to advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then you cannot indulge in sinful activities. And when you are proved that you are no more sinful, yeṣām anta-gataṁ pāpam, one who has become freed from the reaction of sinful life, yeṣām anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ janānāṁ puṇya-karmāṇi...
Similarly, āruhya kñcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ, patanti adhaḥ anādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ. Because they cannot get shelter under the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, they have to come down again to these material activities. And we have seen practically, so many big, big sannyāsīs, they give up this material world, take sannyāsa to understand Brahman, but because they could not understand Brahman, they again come to open hospital and schools. That is their business. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanti adhaḥ (SB 10.2.32).
But one who is engaged in the devotional service of the Lord, he does not come to these material activities again. The, the factual evidence... Just this, these boys, these European, American boys. Who could enjoy material life better than them? They were all enjoying. But they have given up everything. They are no more going back to that status of life. Paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate (BG 2.59). They have found something better. Therefore they're not going to again that life of meat-eating, illicit sex, intoxication, smoking and drinking. No. They are not, no more going. Give them bribe also: "You come to again to that stage." Will you go?
This is also explained in the Bhagavad-gītā: kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgaḥ asya sad-asad-janma-yoniṣu. Sad-asad-janma-yoni. Yoni means the source of birth. Mother is called yoni, and father is called bīja. Yathā yoni yathā bījam. According to bījam and according to yoni, we get body. So why you are getting different types of body? Kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgaḥ asya. He is contacting a particular type of the modes of material nature. There are three modes of material nature: sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. So if I am associating with sattva-guṇa, then next life, I'll get a sattva-guṇa body. Ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthā. (BG 14.18) Sattva-guṇa body means higher standard of life. So similarly, if I am associating with the modes of passion, then I'll get a body, next life, passionate. If I am associating with ignorance, tamo-guṇa, jaghanya-guṇa-vṛtti-sthā adho gacchanti tāmasāḥ. Tāmasāḥ. Tama-vṛtti. The jaghanya, the lowest. There are so many varieties of life. So those who are associating with tamo-guṇa, drinking, flesh eating, smoking, illicit sex, gambling... These are the association of tamo-guṇa. Yatra pāpāś catur-vidhā. Where there are four kinds of sinful activities. So intoxication is sinful activities. That is tamo-guṇa. Associating with tamo-guṇa. So jaghanya-guṇa-vṛtti-sthā adho gacchanti tāmasāḥ. Those who are associating with tamo-guṇa, their vṛtti, their habits, are very abominable. Jaghanya. Therefore adho gacchanti. They go downwards.
They gave up their ministerial posts. Tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīṁ sadā tucchavat. Most insignificant. They gave up their ministerial posts. And they became mendicants. Tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīṁ sadā tucchavat bhūtvā dīna-gaṇeśakau karuṇayā kaupīna-kantāśritau. Became very poor, voluntarily mendicant. It is very difficult. If one changes his dress artificially by imitating Rūpa Gosvāmī, he cannot stay. He'll have to take to sex pleasure and intoxication to keep himself fit for bhajana. No. But the Gosvāmīs, they did not take into sex pleasure or intoxication. They were merged into the ocean of the dealings of the gopīs with Kṛṣṇa. Gopī-bhāva-rasāmṛtābdhi-laharī. There is a... Laharī. There is a flow, constant flow of waves, in the ocean of loving affairs between Kṛṣṇa and the gopīs, So they were merged into that. Therefore this renunciation, this material renunciation, did not affect. Otherwise, if one artificially renounce this material world, and he does not get real shelter unto the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, he'll fall down. That's a fact. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adhaḥ anādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ (SB 10.2.32). So if you want to stay attached to the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, then you must always keep yourself busy in the transcendental loving service of Lord.
So the first condition is that anyone who comes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness as a bona fide initiated member, he gives up all these abominable habits: no illicit sex, no meat-eating, no gambling, no intoxication. They have given up even smoking cigarette, even drinking tea, coffee. So they are all, after being qualified, they are accepted as Vaiṣṇava and properly initiated. So they cannot be neglected as other than brāhmaṇas. That is not very good proposition. They are, according to śāstra, they are qualified. It may be due to some past habits, they may commit some mistake, unconsciously. Consciously, no Vaiṣṇava commits any mistake, but maybe due to habit. That is also protected by Kṛṣṇa. Api cet su-durācāro bhajate mām ananya-bhāk, sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ (BG 9.30). Even there are some discrepancies, but if the only one qualification is there, that he's sticking to Kṛṣṇa consciousness rigidly, he's sādhu. Sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ (BG 9.30). He's not to be neglected. So these Europeans, Americans devotees, according to the enunciation given by Rūpa Gosvāmī, as it is supported by Lord Kṛṣṇa Himself, as it is supported by Śukadeva Gosvāmī, as it is supported by Sanātana Gosvāmī, as it is ordered by Caitanya Mahāprabhu, they are regularly initiated Vaiṣṇavas. They should not be neglected. That will be vaiṣṇava-aparādha, offenses unto the Vaiṣṇava. Out of all kinds of aparādhas, offenses, vaiṣṇava-aparādha is the most dangerous. Most dangerous. So vaiṣṇava-aparādha is not excused by Viṣṇu. The instance is... What is called? Su... I forget his name. Ambarīṣa and...?
Acyutānanda: "For example, a Kṛṣṇa conscious boy, even if he is not very well educated by the university standard, can immediately give up all illicit sex life, gambling, meat-eating and intoxication, whereas those who are not in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, although very highly educated, are often drunkards, meat-eaters, sex-mongers and gamblers."
Prabhupāda: Yes, this is... There is a practical example in this connection. Lord Zetland. He was a great philosopher, and he was governor of Bengal, and many good posts he held. But sometimes one of our Godbrothers went in London to preach, and this Lord Zetland, Marquis of Zetland, he asked the Gosvāmī that whether he could make him a brāhmaṇa. So he said yes, he could be made a brāhmaṇa, provided he can give up these habits: illicit-sex, gambling, meat-eating and intoxication. The honorable Lord replied: "It is impossible. It is impossible." So actually, unless one is trained into Kṛṣṇa consciousness, it is not a very easy thing to give up all these bad habits. But practically we see, because these boys, these European, American boys, they have taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness very seriously, without any external endeavour, they have been able to give up all these bad habits. Go on.
Prabhupāda: Actually, yoga practice means yoga indriya-saṁyamaḥ. The whole yogic process, aṣṭāṅga-yoga, is meant for controlling the senses. Durdanta indriya-kāla-paṭalī. Indriya, the senses, are just like snakes. As it is very difficult to enchant the snakes, similarly, it is very difficult to control the senses. And the yoga system (is) especially meant for controlling the senses, controlling the mind, and then concentrate on the form of Viṣṇu. Dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena manasā paśyanti yaṁ yoginaḥ (SB 12.13.1). This is yoga process. But practically we see the so-called yogis, or student of yoga class, I have seen in Western countries, they are habituated to all these nonsense habits—illicit sex, intoxication, meat-eating. Still, they're passing on as yogis. So that kind of yoga will not help. Go on.
Acyutānanda: "Simply because he is engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he automatically gives up all this nonsense and develops a high character. One develops the highest character by becoming a pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa. The conclusion is that no one can truly have any good qualities if he is lacking Kṛṣṇa consciousness."
Prabhupāda: Harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇā (SB 5.18.12). This is the conclusion, that if one is not Kṛṣṇa conscious, we do not accept him as highly qualified.
So this line of devotional service, there is direction in the śāstras. Therefore we have made prohibition that no illicit sex, no gambling, no meat, fish-eating, no intoxication. Even the smallest intoxication, that is also dangerous. Just like fire. Even a small particle of fire is dangerous. If you neglect it, "Oh, it is a small particle..." No. You must extinguish it. It may come out very great fire. Cāṇakya Paṇḍita has advised that fire and disease and debt, don't neglect. You must clear. If you neglect a small fire, it may come out a great fire. If you, if you neglect, you have got debt, the money-lender, he's adding compound interest, one after another, one after another; it was three rupees, and after some years, it has become three hundred, by compound interest. So you should not neglect. Similarly disease. Disease also, you cannot neglect. If there is... If you think, "Oh, it is little, it doesn't matter..." No. You must finish it by treatment. That is Cāṇakya Paṇḍita's advice.
Yes. Three kinds of happinesses, bhoga, tyāga, and bhakti, sevā. Bhoga tyāga sevā. The karmīs, they are after bhoga, sense enjoyment. And the jñānīs, they are after another side of negation of sense enjoyment. When one is fed up with sense enjoyment... Just like in your country, the young boys, they are practically fed up with the way of sense enjoyment as their fathers and grandfathers had done. So in the name of tyāga, renunciation, they have taken another kind of sense enjoyment—intoxication, unrestricted sex. So this is also another sense enjoyment. Bhoga and tyāga. Real enjoyment is devotion. There is a very practical example. Just like if you get all of a sudden a certain amount of money, say, one hundred rupees note lying on the street, if you get... Or lying here. So if you take it, your conscience will beat, because that does not belong to you. You have picked up. You'll always think, "Oh, I am taking somebody's money. Whose money it was? I'm doing some sinful." In this way, your mind will disturb. So that is the taking. And similarly, if you don't take, if you leave it there, then you'll also be disturbed. You'll think, "Somebody has left this money here. So I did not collect it. Somebody will collect it, and he'll take it away. This is not nice." The best thing is that you pick it up and, if you deliver to the person who has lost the money or who has left that money. Three things. The one thing is bhoga, if you take yourself. And if you don't take, that is tyāga. And if you pick it up and deliver to the right person, that is devotion.
Therefore one should concentrate upon devotional service. Everything is there. Sarvārhaṇam acyutejyā. If you..., one is devotee of Acyuta, everything is complete there. And he's śānta. He does not require it. He does not endeavor for it. But because he's Kṛṣṇa-bhakta, everything follows him. Everything follows him. That ānanda is nice. There is no need of showing magic or renouncing this world or accepting this world. These things are not required by Kṛṣṇa-bhakta. Because if he accepts, it is for Kṛṣṇa. If he rejects, that is for Kṛṣṇa. Ānukūlyasya saṅkalpa prātikūlyaṁ vivarjanam. We advise, "Give up this habit. No illicit sex, no intoxication, no gambling, no meat-eating." So this is tyāga. Why tyāga? For Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa wants this. Kṛṣṇa does not want to see us debauchees. Therefore we must give it up. And Kṛṣṇa says, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī mām... (BG 18.65). We accept it. So our business is to accept by which Kṛṣṇa is pleased, and reject by which Kṛṣṇa is pleased. Our central point is how Kṛṣṇa is pleased. So we have nothing to do with acceptance and rejection. We have to see whether Kṛṣṇa or His representative is pleased. Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo yasya prasādān na gatiḥ kuto 'pi **. That is our practical... And if we live in that way, then we shall be happy. That is called happiness by devotional service. Go on.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures
The proof is that they are not Kṛṣṇa conscious. This is the proof. That is their darkness. Ask anybody, item by item, that... Ask, what do they know about Kṛṣṇa. Everyone is ignorant, dark. So that is the proof. How this is proof? Now, Kṛṣṇa says. We do not say; Kṛṣṇa says. How does He say? Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ, māyayāpahṛta-jñānā (BG 7.15). Apahṛta-jñānā means that although they have got university degrees, although they are called civilized, advanced in material civilization, but māyayāpahṛta-jñānā. Their degrees, because they do not know Kṛṣṇa thoroughly and therefore do not surrender to Kṛṣṇa, which Kṛṣṇa is canvassing personally, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja... (BG 18.66). He's personally canvassing. Because these rascals and fools, they are in darkness—they do not know what is the goal of life—Kṛṣṇa is so kind that He is canvassing, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja. This is the philosophy. So still, they are not doing so. Why? Narādhamāḥ. Because the lowest of the mankind, narādhama. How they have become narādhama? Now, duṣkṛtina, always committing sinful life. What is sinful life? Illicit sex, meat-eating, intoxication, and gambling. Because they are addicted to these things they are duṣkṛtina and narādhama, lowest of the mankind. And whatever knowledge they are acquiring by so-called education, that is false knowledge. Māyayāpahṛta-jñānā. This is the position.
So Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya and Nityānanda, They came, descended again, being merciful, same Kṛṣṇa. Vrajendra-nandana yei, Śacī-sūta hoilo sei. Same Kṛṣṇa. In a different way they canvassed the same principle. (aside:) You can sit down there. You are sleeping. Don't sleep. Don't show that sleeping. Go there. So this is the darkness. And Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu appeared to drive away this darkness—same Kṛṣṇa, the same Kṛṣṇa. There is no difference between Kṛṣṇa's preaching and Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu's preaching. There is no difference. The difference is that Kṛṣṇa, as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He is demanding that "You rascal, you surrender unto Me. You are suffering so much. You are rascal. I am your father. I want to see you happy; therefore I have come. Surrender unto Me. I shall give you all protection." Ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo (BG 18.66). "You are suffering on account of your duṣkṛti, all sinful activities. Whatever you are doing, all sinful activities." Except Kṛṣṇa consciousness activities, whatever you do, that is sinful activity. But they have been summarized into four principles. The whole sinful activities of the world, they have been summarized in four lines: no illicit sex, no meat-eating, no gambling, no intoxication. This is the summary. But otherwise, of these activities there are many, many branches. But if you cut the root of sinful activities—this illicit sex and gambling and meat-eating—then generally, automatically other sinful activities will go. Therefore we who are propagating Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, we are just requesting that you give up this sinful life. Otherwise you will be implicated again.
So if you want to learn that science, how to become immortal, then you have to undergo austerities. That austerities begins with brahmācārya. Tapasā brahmacaryeṇa (SB 6.1.13). Brahmacarya means controlling sex life. That is required. If you can control sex impulse... Because that is the medium of bondage. Here in this material world everyone is working hard to enjoy sex life. That is the main aim. Main aim is... And that you will find, in your country especially, very, very prominent. In Paris very, very old men, they are going to the club at night simply for the same purpose. So this has to be controlled. Controlled means mind and the senses. And the prominent sense is sex. That is called control. So if you want to become immortal, then you must practice this. Of course, in Western countries, it is very difficult. They say, "It is impossible." Big, big men, they say, "It is impossible." Yes, it is impossible. Therefore śāstra has given concession that you require sex life, but enjoy it in married life, but no illicit sex. At least, stop this. If you want to be immortal, these things are to be followed: no illicit sex, no intoxication, no meat-eating, no gambling. Then you can think of immortality, gradually. That is called tapasya. Tapasā brahmacaryeṇa (SB 6.1.13). Every śāstra, you'll find. At least at the end of life one should be completely free from these bad habits. That is called sannyāsa. Don't cheat, accept sannyāsa and indulge in these things. Don't be cheater. That is very bad. Sannyāsa means to take vow. In other station of life, there may be we fall down. But sannyāsa means no, no falldown. Therefore we have now taken very seriously. Unless one is found completely competent to accept sannyāsa, there is no more use of awarding sannyāsa. So this is the process. Tapasā brahmacaryeṇa (SB 6.1.13). Brahmacarya is very, very essential. And that is, when one becomes detestful to sex life, that is the beginning of spiritual life. That is the beginning of spiritual life.
Prabhupāda: Bingo. (laughter) Yes. So this is māyā. And our declaration of war with māyā—no intoxication, no meat-eating, no bingo—(laughter) these are our declaration of war. So we have to fight in that way because nobody can understand Kṛṣṇa without being free from all sinful activities. These are sinful activities. Therefore it is ācārya's business to stop these nonsense activities. Otherwise they'll not be able to understand, especially the meat-eaters. They cannot understand.
- nivṛtta-tarṣair upagīyamānād
- bhavauṣadhi chrotra-mano 'bhirāmāt
- ka uttamaśloka-guṇānuvādāt
- pumān virajyeta vinā paśughnāt
- (SB 10.1.4)
Unless one is very expert in killing animals, he's not bereft from Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That means one who is very expert in killing, he cannot understand. Therefore Christ also said, "Thou shall not kill," the first business. Nobody will be able if one is a killer of animal, small or big, ultimately killer of his own children, killer of his own self. The killing process is so nice that it goes up to the point of killing one's children. That is now happening. Killing business has so expanded that they are killing their own children. Just see the influence of Kali-yuga. The children, they take shelter of the father and mother, thinking very safe. Now, in this Kali-yuga, even there is no safety under the care of father and mother. Just see how this material civilization is progressing. Very, very dangerous. Kalau naṣṭa-dṛśām.
This is the business of Kṛṣṇa, two-sided business: one side killing the demons, another side giving the protection to the devotees. So Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu appeared on this part 488 years ago to, I mean to say, hand the same two principles, paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām. He... Vināśāya duṣkṛtām. He killed Jagāi-Mādhāi not by the body, but by their atrocious activities, stopped that. So Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission is to kill the demon—not by life but by their heinous activities. Anyone who comes to be killed by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, his heinous, nefarious activities becomes killed and he becomes a Vaiṣṇava, just like Jagāi-Mādhāi.
So at the present moment, the whole world is full of Jagāi-Mādhāi, their four principles. Jagāi-Mādhāi means illicit sex, meat-eating, intoxication and gambling. This is Jagāi-Mādhāi. So this movement, Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, is killing these Jagāi-Mādhāi principles: no illicit sex, no intoxication, no gambling, and no meat-eating. So one side killing the Jagāi-Mādhāi principle, and other side protection, chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra.
Thank you very much. (end)
So Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, ei ājñā pāñā: "I received this order from My spiritual master, and I follow it strictly." Nāma la-i anukṣaṇa: "Because My spiritual master told Me that 'You don't touch Vedānta. You, You fool. You just go on.' " Or, in other words, Caitanya Mahāprabhu was not a fool. He was a vastly learned man. He's representing the fools of the present age. What they will understand, Vedānta-sūtra? Their life is so molded by the present atmosphere, materialistic atmosphere, that they are unable to touch Vedānta-sūtra. They are unfit to touch even Vedānta-sūtra, what to speak of understanding it. Therefore they'll create more rascaldom to create so many Vedānta societies and they are the same rascals, still. For hundred years they are studying Vedānta-sūtra, and the same thing, the same bad habit—same illicit connection, same intoxication, same gambling. Everything is going on. And they're Vedānta-sūtra student? This is rascaldom. There must be change in life. Otherwise, what is the use of Vedānta-sūtra? Veda-anta. Vedānta means... Veda means knowledge, and anta means end, end of all knowledge. Everyone is searching after knowledge, but there must be some end. What is the ultimate end? The Bhagavad-gītā says, vedānta-vid vedānta-kṛd ca aham: "I am the compiler of Vedānta. I am the knower of Vedānta." So, if you simply understand what Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, you are Vedantist. And what says Kṛṣṇa? What does He say? He says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja: (BG 18.66) "You give up all rascaldom. Simply surrender unto Me." This is Vedānta. This is Vedānta. Ārādhito yadi haris tapasā tataḥ kim (Nārada Pañcarātra).
Only persons who are always engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service. He has no other business. Satata. Satata means twenty-four hours. He has no other business. Teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ bhajatām. And the bhajatām. Bhajatām means in service. You must find out always some opportunity how to give, render service to Kṛṣṇa. That is the qualification. It doesn't matter what you are. You may be this or that. It doesn't matter. But this eagerness for service can be acquired by anyone simply by sincerity. That is the price. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu... Rūpa Gosvāmī says, tatra laulyam ekalaṁ mūlyam. "So that I, I have got too much eagerness." But no. Immediately Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī warns, na janma-koṭibhiḥ sukṛtibhir labhyate. This eagerness to achieve Kṛṣṇa's mercy, to approach the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa in this life, determination, "I shall do anything. I shall sacrifice anything," this kind of determination is not very easily obtained. Na janma-koṭibhiḥ sukṛtibhiḥ. Sukṛti means pious activities. Without being pious, nobody can approach Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is not so cheap. You may show yourself that you have become a great sannyāsī or Vaiṣṇava or whatever it may be, but so long you'll be engaged in sinful activities, there is no question of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That sinful activities means illicit sex and intoxication, gambling, and meat-eating. These are the pillars of sinful activities. So one must be purified. Janma-koṭibhiḥ. These... To purify oneself from the resultant action of sinful activities, it takes many, many births. Janma-koṭibhiḥ sukṛti. By counteracting the sinful activities, to engage oneself only in pious activities. So pious activities means brahmacarya... Śamo damo titikṣa. The brahminical qualifications. But it is very difficult nowadays to practice. Tyāgena śamena damena vā.
So every Indian is expected to take this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement and spread it outside India. There are many people who are hankering after it. It is the duty of every Indian to first of all get himself out of these clutches of avidyā-karma-saṁjñā-ignorance and whole day and night working like hogs and dogs. One has to become free from these clutches of māyā, and then he must undergo tapasya. There is no difficulty. This tapasya is that you have to give up the four principles: no illicit sex, no meat-eating, no intoxication, no gambling. This is tapasya. It is not that you have to go to the forest or Himalayan mountain and enter into a cave and press your nose and... No, that is not possible. You simply practice. Wherever you are, you simply practice this tapasya—no illicit sex, no intoxication, no gambling and no meat-eating. Then you become perfect. Tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena śuddhyed sattva (SB 5.5.1). "This tapasya? Can we do that?" You can do it very easily. It is not said "No sex," but "No illicit sex." That is very sinful. Therefore one has to get himself married. That is allowed. But no illicit sex. No meat-eating. Why one should eat meat? There are so many nice things given by Kṛṣṇa, so many fruits, so many nice food grains. We can eat many palatable dishes mixed with milk. Take milk from the cows. Therefore Kṛṣṇa advises, go-rakṣya. Without milk you will eat all rubbish things like hogs and dogs, and your life will be spoiled. Everything is there, practical. But avidyā, on account of our ignorance, foolishness, rascaldom, we are avoiding this kṛṣṇa-upadeśa and suffering. Be saved from suffering and be happy by Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
So yoga... Yoga means God plus myself, plus myself. The system is: those who are too much engrossed with this bodily conception of life, for them, yoga system is very good because it is a practice to withdraw the senses from their engagement in the external world to the inside. Pratyāhāra. And yama, niyama, asana, prāṇāyāma, dhyāna, dhāraṇā, pratyāhāra, samādhi—there are eight different stages of yoga practice. The first practice is yama. Yama, niyama. Under regulative principle, one has to try, endeavor, to control the senses about eating, about sleeping, about working. These are called yama-niyama. Then there are different kinds of sitting postures. They are called āsana. So yama-niyama means the first principle of yoga is to abstain from sex life. That is real yoga. Those who are indulging in sex life, intoxication, and so many nonsense things, they have no chance for any success in yoga. This is called yama-niyama. And then, after controlling, after sitting, then one has to sit nicely in a secluded place, in a sanctified place, and sit straight with your neck, head and body in one straight line. Then you have to see the tip of your nose without closing your eyes and not opening your eyes. If you open your eyes, then all this material manifestation will disturb you. And if you close your eyes, then you snap. (snores) I have seen. So many yogis are doing that, sleeping. (laughter) Yes. So these are the process. Then dhyāna, then concentration of the mind. Then what is the purpose of concentrating the mind? Just to find out myself, where I am within this body, and then find out where is Lord. This is the perfection of yoga. Simply that I am doing all nonsense whole day and night, and I am attending yoga class, paying five dollars to the class, and I am thinking, "Oh, I am a great yogi"—this is all nonsense. Yoga is not so easy thing. You see? So simply this... This is the simply exploitating, the so-called society. I tell frankly they are society of the cheater and the cheated. This is not the process of yoga.
So Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that these karmīs, the jñānīs... In another place, in His instruction to Rūpa Gosvāmī, He has said that in the human society there are different kinds of people. Out of that, those who are followers of the Vedic civilization, they are supposed to be first-class human being. So out of the followers of Vedic civilization, mostly they say that "We are followers of Vedic civilization," but actually they do not do. Actually, they, I mean to say, indulge in anything which is not sanctioned by the Vedic knowledge or Vedic scriptures. Take, for example, that in our Vedic civilization, these four things are prohibited: illicit sex life, animal-killing, intoxication, and gambling. This is the preliminary understanding. Especially those who are higher caste—brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya—they are strictly forbidden. That is the Vedic injunction. But although we pose ourself followers of Vedic injunction, we indulge in these things. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, "Most people, they call themselves as followers of Vedic civilization, but actually they do not obey all the rules and regulations." Then again He says that "Persons who are actually trying to follow the Vedic rules and regulations, mostly they are karmīs." Karmīs means they are attracted by the ritualistic ceremonies just like performing great sacrifices, yajña, for elevating oneself to the higher planetary system. They are called karmīs. "And above them," He says, "out of many thousands of karmīs, one person is jñānī or yogi. So out of many such jñānīs, one person may be a mukta, or liberated soul. And out of many thousands of liberated souls, there may be one devotee of Kṛṣṇa." That is the division Caitanya Mahāprabhu makes.
Kṛṣṇa is the original sun; therefore wherever Kṛṣṇa is present there cannot be any ignorance or illusion. Darkness is compared with ignorance, illusion, sleeping, laziness, intoxication, madness; these are all darkness. One who is in the quality of darkness, these things will be visible in his person: too much sleepy, lazy, ignorant. Just opposite, the opposite number of knowledge. So these are called darkness. So if actually one is in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, these qualities will be not visible in his person. This is a test of progressing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
- kṛṣṇa-sūrya-sama; māyā haya andhakāra
yāhāṅ kṛṣṇa, tāhāṅ nāhi māyāra adhikāra
Yāhāṅ kṛṣṇa: wherever Kṛṣṇa is there. Kṛṣṇa is absolute. He can be present in His various potencies. He can be present by His name only. Just like we chant Hare Kṛṣṇa—He is present, because His name is not different from Him. That is the absolute sense. In relative sense... Suppose somebody calling me in my apartment, "Swamijī." Swamijī is here. The response cannot be. Just like in telephone. Yesterday Raymond was calling us by phone three thousand miles away. As soon as we took the, I mean to say, hanger, we could immediately hear him. If by material ways we can be touch in so swiftly, just see how much spiritual potency has Kṛṣṇa. Although He's not present before us, He can be present in so many ways.
Sri Brahma-samhita Lectures
So how you can go to Kṛṣṇa unless you have got a body like Kṛṣṇa? Yes, that is the position. Sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1), īśvara (indistinct). Just like you cannot enter into fire without being fire. Similarly, next life for the devotees is sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ, eternal body, blissful life, dancing with Kṛṣṇa in rasa dance. You have seen the picture. Like the gopīs, like the cowherd boys. Kṛta-puṇya-puñjāḥ (SB 10.12.11). Śukadeva Gosvāmī says that these boys who are playing with Kṛṣṇa in Vṛndāvana, kṛta-puṇya-puñjāḥ, for many millions of years they simply accumulated pious results of their activities. The Bhagavad-gītā also says, yeṣāṁ tv anta-gataṁ pāpam, one he, one who is simply free from all reaction of sinful life, yeṣāṁ anta-gataṁ pāpam. How it is possible? Janānāṁ puṇya-karmaṇām. Those who are simply engaged in pious activities, the sinful activity cannot touch them. That is natural. If you are engaged in some type of activities, you are not engaged in other activities, you cannot do. Similarly, if you simply engage yourself in pious activities, the reaction of sinful activities cannot touch you. Yeṣāṁ anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ janānāṁ puṇya-karmaṇām te, such persons, dvandva-moha-nirmuktā, they're released from the duality, bhajante māṁ dṛḍha-vratāḥ. So you are engaged in that business. There is no scope of sinful reaction in your life, provided you follow the four principles. No intoxication, no meat eating, no illicit sex, no gambling. These four items and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, sixteen rounds. Is it very difficult? And here is Kṛṣṇa's certificate. So do it, rigidly, and be happy. Thank you very much.
Festival Lectures
Nāmnāṁ balād yasya hi pāpa-buddhiḥ. In every initiation we teach this, that chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, once chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, is sufficient to make us pure from all sinful activities, reaction. But if we commit sin again in the hope that "Because I am chanting, this will be neutralized," that is the greatest sin. So one side, you should chant always Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra so that you may not fall down; another side, you should be careful: "Now no illicit sex life, no intoxication, no meat-eating." In this way, if you carefully make progress, then your liberation is guaranteed. Just like doctor. If you go to a doctor for treatment of a disease, he gives you medicine; at the same time, he prohibits you, "Don't do this." So you take medicine and don't do this. Follow this instruction. You are cured, guaranteed. But if you don't follow the "don't do this," and don't take the medicine regularly, then how you can expect cure? It may be, but it will take long time. But if you want quick, take it seriously. Just like Dhruva Mahārāja. In six months he saw God, in six months. That is possible. You follow? (aside:) Stop. I shall say. So if we don't follow the regulative principle and the instruction, then our liberation will be delayed. Otherwise it is guaranteed.
So unless one approaches a bona fide spiritual master, his so-called knowledge has no value. māyayā apahṛta-jñānā. This atheistic view of life means he has no knowledge. Anyone who denies the existence of God, superior authority of God, he must be considered as māyayā apahṛta-jñānā, asurī-bhāvam āśritāḥ. "I was suffering in the dark well of material enjoyment, and I never knew the actual goal of my life." That is the position of everyone. We get here a little material opulence and we forget our real business. We remain intoxicated in material enjoyment and forget the real business of life. That is a great blunder. So Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura has sung this fact: hari hari viphale, janama goñāinu. "My dear Lord, I have simply spoiled my life." How? Manuṣya janama pāiya, rādhā kṛṣṇa nā bhajiyā, jāniyā śuniyā viṣa khāinu. Any human being who has no knowledge of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he's committing suicide. Jāniyā śuniyā, knowingly, knowingly. Everyone should know, at least, that human life is meant for developing Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and if he, if he knows, at least he gets this information... Just like we are broadcasting this information all over the world, that everyone should become Kṛṣṇa conscious. So in spite of this knowledge, broadcast of this knowledge, if a person does not take advantage of this movement, then it is to be understood that knowingly he's drinking poison. Jāniyā śuniyā viṣa khāinu.
This is not good. Na sādhu manye yata ātmāno 'yaṁ kleśa-daḥ. You, you have already got experience, by your past mischievous activities, you have got this body which is always full of miseries and painful. Still, you are committing the same sinful activities so that you'll get another body to enjoy. Kṛṣṇa will give you; so long you have a pinch of material desire, Kṛṣṇa will give you opportunity: "All right, you take another body and enjoy." But we foolish people, we do not know acceptance of material body is the source of all miserable conditions. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, "You simply try to understand." Janma karma me divyam. Simply try to understand Kṛṣṇa. Then the result will be tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9). No more material body. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. We want to stop these nonsense habits of the people. No illicit sex, no intoxication, no gambling. (old women talking in background) Oh, who is talking? Don't talk. (Hindi?) So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is the only propaganda to save man from the pitfalls of another material life, miserable condition, but to take him to the blissful life, eternal life, back to home, back to Godhead. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9).
Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)
So pravṛtti we have got, just like we have got tendency-cent percent person has it at the present moment—to smoke. This is pravṛtti. But we say don't smoke, nivṛtti. And if we drink, that is pravṛtti. Everyone, even the ant, he is also drunkard. They have scientifically studied, the ants are very much fond of intoxication; therefore they eat sugar. In sugar there is liquor, so the... Loke bhāvāya nisamadhya sevā nityasta yanto. Every living entity has got this tendency, bhāvāya. Bhāvāya means sex life; amīṣa, meat-eating; and mada, liquor. Natural tendency. Therefore the country where these things are indulged without any restriction, that is asura, the country of the asura. So especially in the Western countries, and now we have also learned. In India, either Hindus or Musselman, drinking was a sin. Now we have got very easily available liquor. Every door there is shop, and every door there is meat shop. So India, there was time that they were all devatās; now we are imitating the asuras. On the other hand, the boys and girls from the asuric country, they are becoming the devotee, devatā. So there is no exclusive right for a country to become devatā or demon. A demon can be turned into the devatā and devatā can be turned into demon, provided he does not follow this pravṛtti and nivṛtti, what is pravṛtti-mārga. Pravṛtti-sambhūtānāṁ nivṛtti tu mahābalam. That is life. "I want to smoke; I have got tendency to smoke," pravṛtti. This is pravṛtti; everyone has got. But if you can stop it, then your life is successful. Nivṛtti.
Therefore this nivṛtti means tapasya. If I am habituated to smoke, if I am habituated to illicit sex life, if I am habituated to intoxication and gambling, etc., this is my pravṛtti. But if we can stop it by practice, that is called tapasya. And human life is meant for tapasya. Tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena śuddyeta satyam (SB 5.5.1). Ṛṣabhadeva's instruction: "My dear sons, you practice tapasya." The human life is meant for tapasya. "I have got tendency to do this, but that will not help me, that will degraded me." So tapasya means instead of being degraded, be elevated. This is called tapasya.
So when I was seventy years old I decided, "Now I must do and execute the order of my Guru Mahārāja. And thus this movement was started in 1965 from New York. And I was not very much hopeful because it is very difficult task, just opposite the European and Western culture. I came... When I first came, I had no money. So I got a free passage through some Indian steam navigation company. So I came by ship. So when I was on the ship at Boston port, Commonwealth port, I was thinking that "I have come here. I do not know what is the purpose because how the people will accept this movement? They are differently educated, and as soon as I will say, 'So, my dear sir, you have to give up meat-eating and illicit sex and no intoxication and gambling,' they will say, 'Please go home.' " (laughter) Because that was the experience of one of my Godbrother. He went to London, and he had the opportunity to talk with one big man, Marquis of Zetland. Marquis of Zetland was formerly governor of Bengal. At that time I was student. He was Scotsman, and I was student of the Scottish Churches' College. So he came to see our college, and he was standing in front of me in the second-year class. So he was very nice, good gentleman. So he proposed to my Godbrother, "Whether you can make me a brāhmaṇa?" So my Godbrother proposed, "Yes, we can make anyone brāhmaṇa provided you follow this principle: no illicit sex, no intoxication, no meat-eating, no gambling." So that Lord Zetland immediately replied, "Impossible." (laughter) So I was thinking that "I will propose something which is impossible. Anyway, let me try."
Arrival Addresses and Talks
There are many classes of men, they have been classified as the duṣkṛtina, mūḍha, narādhama, māyayāpahṛta-jñānā, and all of them are based on the atheistic theory "There is no God, I am God." Asuri bhāvam, asura. Asura means they defy God, "I am God. Who is God?" Just like Hiraṇyakaśipu and his son, Prahlāda Mahārāja. Prahlada Mahārāja is devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa, and Hiraṇyakaśipu would not accept. "Who is God? I am God." This is atheistic attitude. So the atheist are divided into four classes. Number one is duṣkṛtina. Duṣkṛtina means they have got merit. Kṛti means meritorious. The modern men, they have got merit. Especially the Western people, they have got nice merit. Just like while passing through the city, we saw very nice buildings. So to construct such buildings, it requires merit, undoubtedly. But what for this building? Duṣkṛtina, only for committing sinful life. Therefore it is called du, duṣkalya. Meat-eating, illicit sex, intoxication, and gambling. Meritorious, they are undoubtedly for constructing this building, but what is the purpose? The purpose is sinful activities. These things are going on. Therefore, they are called duṣkṛtina. And mūḍha. Mūḍha means they cannot understand what is God. It is very simple thing. Anyone can..., a child can understand. Take for example your body, my body. What is the important thing in the body? The soul. Without the soul, you may be very big man, even Napoleon Bonaparte, but as soon as the soul is gone, it is useless. The whole world is useless. Anyone can understand. Where is now Napoleon Bonaparte who struggled so much for glorifying France. But where is that gentleman? Finished. As soon as the soul is gone... You may keep one statue, dead statue, that is another thing. But you do not know where the soul has gone and what he is doing now.
So anywhere... It doesn't matter, either in India or outside. People thought like that, that Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the monopoly business for the Indians or for the Hindus. They were thinking like that: "It cannot be preached. Nobody will take it." But I thought, "If Kṛṣṇa is God, why it will not be taken by everyone? It must be taken." So I was not very much hopeful to become successful. When I was in Boston port, I wrote one poetry that "I do not know why I have been brought here. How these people will take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness? As soon as I will say these four regulative principles, they will ask me to go away." (laughter) It is very difficult for this country or this part of the world to follow the four principles of regulative life: no illicit sex, no gambling, no meat-eating, and no intoxication. Even Lord Zetland, when he was given this formula for becoming advanced in spiritual consciousness, he flatly replied, "It is impossible for us." Yes. But impossible thing can be made possible by the grace of Kṛṣṇa. That is possible—Kṛṣṇa is all powerful—provided we are serious and sincere. That is the main business. We must be very serious and sincere. Then Kṛṣṇa will give you intelligence.
Along with the Deity worship in this temple, hold classes at least five hours. As in the schools and colleges there are regular classes, forty-five minutes' class, then five or ten minutes' recess, again forty-five minutes' class, in this way, so we have got enough subject matter to study, and if we study all these books, to finish them it will take at least twenty-five years. So you are all young men. I request you to engage your time in reading books, in chanting, in Deity worshiping, in going to preach, selling books. Don't be lazy. Always remain engaged. Then that is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā,
- māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya
- ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ
- striyaḥ vaiśyās tathā śūdrās
- te 'pi yānti parāṁ gatim
- (BG 9.32)
There is no discrimination that "This man should be allowed. This woman should not be allowed." No. Kṛṣṇa says, "Anyone." Striyaḥ vaiśyās tathā śūdrās. Anyone who takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he becomes free from the material bondage and goes back to Godhead, back to home. So take seriously about this movement and execute the principle, namely no meat-eating, no illicit sex, no intoxication, no gambling, and chant sixteen rounds. That's all right.
As many children he has killed, he will be killed in this way. But they do not know. They do not know this, blind, mūḍha, that how nature's law is going on, how tit for tat is going on. They do not know it. Therefore this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to give them right knowledge and become free from all sinful life. So long there is sinful life, you cannot be allowed to enter into Kṛṣṇa's family. That will not be allowed.
- yeṣām anta-gataṁ tu pāpaṁ
- janānāṁ puṇya-karmaṇām
- te dvandva-moha-nirmuktā
- bhajante māṁ dṛḍha-vratāḥ
- (BG 7.28)
So avoid sinful life. We have given you prescription: no illicit sex, no gambling, no intoxication, no meat-eating. Avoid the sinful life and make your children Kṛṣṇa conscious purely. Then you can produce hundreds of children. There is no objection. And so far maintaining your children, we are taking charge. Come on. We are taking charge. We shall supply everything. Of course, not to the whims of these material man, but as much which is needed to maintain them, that we take, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, ISKCON society will take charge... (end)
So sometimes people give me very much credit that I have done wonderful throughout the whole world. But I do not know that I am wonderful man. But I know one thing, that I am speaking what Kṛṣṇa has spoken. That's all. I am not making any addition, alteration. Therefore I am presenting Bhagavad-gītā as it is. This credit I can take, that I don't making any nonsense addition or alteration. And I see practically it has become successful. I have not bribed so many Europeans and Americans. I am poor Indian. I came to America with forty rupees with me, and now I possess forty crores. So there is no magic. (quietly to one devotee:) (aside:) You can go back side. You are sleeping. So this is the secret, that if you want to become guru honestly... If you want to cheat, that is another thing. There are so many cheaters. People also want to be cheated. As soon as we say that "If you want to become my disciple, you will have to give up four things: no illicit sex, no intoxication up to drinking tea and smoking cigarette, no meat-eating and no gambling," and they criticize me, "Swamijī is very conservative." And if I say that "You can do all nonsense, whatever you like. You simply take this mantra and give me $125," they will like. Because in America, $125 is nothing. Any man can pay immediately. So I would have collected millions of dollars if I would have cheated like that. But I do not want that. I want one student who follows my instruction. I don't want millions. Ekaś candras tamo hanti na ca tara-sahasrasaḥ. If there is one moon in the sky, that is sufficient for illumination. There is no need of millions of stars. So my position is that I want to see that at least one disciple has become pure devotee. Of course, I have got many sincere and pure devotees. That is my good luck. But I would have been satisfied if I could find out one only. There is no need of so-called millions of stars.
Prabhupāda: Recently one of my students met the Home Minister. He said, "Yes, this movement should be spread all over the world." They are appreciating. But there are different parties, different circumstances. Our four items—no illicit sex, no meat-eating, no intoxication, no gambling—so I think they are taking some steps on this ground. They are trying to stop cow-killing.
Indian man (2): Yes, they have already banned cow-killing.
Prabhupāda: And they are going to take steps for intoxication.
Indian man (2): Stopping intoxication also. Actually, these are the things which can bring up the character of the nation.
Prabhupāda: We are already intoxicated in material existence, and if more intoxication is there then...
Indian man (2): From bad to worse.
Prabhupāda: Yes. So this civilization, this education is simply misleading. Simply misleading. There is no enlightenment of this question, "What I am?" No. No answer.
Initiation Lectures
So this initiation means purification. In this material world we are all impure. Because we are impure, therefore death, disease, old age, and pangs of birth overcome us. Just like in diseased condition—we have experienced—there are so many painful conditions, similarly, in this materialistic way of life these symptoms, birth, death, disease, and old age, they are different kinds of miseries. The rascals, materialists, they are thinking that they're making advance, but they have no solution for these things. The solution is by tapasya. Tapasya means voluntarily accepting some rules and regulations to purify him. That is called tapasya. Just like in diseased condition, one has to voluntarily accept the rules and regulations enforced by the physician: "You should not eat this. You should not do this. You should not go out. You should take rest. You should not, should not, should not," so many. Similarly, if we want to purify ourselves, then four principles of purificatory process, namely illicit sex life and intoxication, meat-eating, and gambling, these four things must be...
These four things are paraphernalia of your civilization. In the western... Not only western, eastern, everywhere. The Kali-yuga is spreading very rapidly, and wherever the Kali-yuga is very prominent, these four items are very prominent: unrestricted sex life, gambling, and meat-eating, and intoxication. When people become practiced to all this nonsense, they think, "Oh, what is wrong there?" But it is the most abominable part of human civilization. Anyone who are indulging in these four things, they cannot imagine where is he and how he will be free from this conditional life. So this is the purificatory process. So as you are being initiated, initiation means beginning of your purificatory process. So if we are serious about purification, then we must follow these four principles, if you want to be cured.
So the general rule is that if one is inquisitive... Just as we follow in our, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness society we ask everyone to come. We don't make any imposition that with such and such qualification one can sit here or hear. No. All these students who are initiated, they know we don't impose anything. "You must be such and such, you must be such an such educated, you must be Hindu or you must be brāhmaṇa, or you must be white or black..." No such restriction. Anyone. This is universal. Chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, everyone is welcome. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. That's all. And hear something from Bhagavad-gītā. So following this principle, if one is a little more interested, then he offers himself. "Swamijī, I shall be initiated." So if I see that that boy or that girl is sincere and is following, then we say that "You have to follow these four principles." What are these? Niṣiddhācāra. These are injunction by Lord Caitanya, that no illicit sex life, no intoxication, no, I mean to say, nonvegetarian dishes, and no gambling. These four principles. So they agree, and he is given initiation for chanting beads, Hare Kṛṣṇa, at least sixteen rounds daily. So if one follows the rules and regulation rigidly...
And the next initiation is this dvijatvam. Dvijatvam means twice-born. Twice-born one becomes immediately when he approaches a spiritual master, but the sacred thread is offered as the symbol that he has a spiritual master. Just like there is some phase, there is some degree.
So this Bhāgavata-dharma is very nice, it is universal, it can be accepted by everyone. Unfortunately, so long there was no preaching of this Bhāgavata-dharma. Now, by the grace of Kṛṣṇa, Lord Caitanya, the Bhāgavata-dharma is now being expanded in the Western countries. I am very glad that boys and girls from this part of the world, they are also embracing and they are nicely chanting and following the rules and regulations. So I think Kṛṣṇa will be very... So initiation means this is the beginning. Now you have to follow the rules and regulations. What are the rules and regulations? Only four principles. Don't have any illicit sex life. Don't have any food besides prasādam or foodstuff offered to Kṛṣṇa. And Kṛṣṇa does not eat anything beyond the vegetarian group. Because in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati (BG 9.26). So you cannot offer Kṛṣṇa anything beyond this scope. So there is no question of nonvegetarian diet, including fish, eggs, even onions, and lentils, what is called? Lentils? That dahl, pulses? So you have got from your Godbrother, you will know. And you are eating here Kṛṣṇa prasādam. And no gambling and no intoxication, including smoking, tea taking, coffee taking. No gambling, no intoxication. These four principles. No illicit sex life, no nonvegetarian diet, no gambling, and no intoxication. These four principles have to be followed and in the beginning the offenses. Where is...? You read the offenses. You haven't got?
So one should be intelligent to serve Kṛṣṇa. This prayer Hare Kṛṣṇa means "Kṛṣṇa, I am so much harassed by this service of this māyā. Now please engage me in Your service." This is our prayer. And as soon as I am engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service, then I will be satisfied, Kṛṣṇa will be satisfied, and the whole world will be satisfied. So nobody should interpret any other way. This is direct meaning. Nāmna artha-vādaḥ. Or to imagine some meaning. No imagination. It is all direct interpretation or direct meaning.
Then, nāmno balād yasya hi pāpa-buddhiḥ. One should not commit sin. The four principle sins, we have several times repeated. Again we are repeated, that all sins are based on four principle headings: illicit sex life, and nonvegetarian diet, gambling and intoxication. It is very scientific. If one can avoid these four principles of sinful activities he becomes pure. He hasn't got to do much. If these four principles are followed, he will never touch any sinful activity. But if somebody thinks that "Because I am chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa and by chanting I become free from all sinful reaction, therefore let me do all nonsense," no, that is the greatest sin. Nāmnād balād yasya hi pāpa-buddhiḥ. That is to be avoided.
So firm conviction, then association. After association, the next stage is regulated life for following the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. This is called initiation. Or initiation from the very beginning. This is called dīkṣā. The Sanskrit term is called dīkṣā. Dīkṣā means... Di, divya-jñānam, transcendental knowledge, and kṣā, ikṣā. Ikṣā means darśana, to see, or kṣapayati, explain. That is called dīkṣā. Ādau śraddhā tato sādhu-saṅga. First faith, then association, then beginning of regulative principles. And if one follows, then the next promotion is to the stage of anartha-nivṛtti, disappearance of all misgivings. Just like in our association we don't allow four kinds of sinful activities: illicit sex life, nonvegetarian diet, intoxication, and gambling. So by following the regulative principles one becomes freed from all these sinful activities. He does not any more indulge in illicit sex life, he does not indulge in nonvegetarian diet, he does not indulge in intoxication and he does not indulge in gambling. That is called anartha-nivṛtti. Unless one is above these four kinds of anartha, or sinful activities, one cannot be fixed up. When one is free from these four kinds of sinful activities, then he becomes fixed up. Ruci. Niṣṭhā, fixed up, and then ruci. Ruci means he increases the taste. Then āsakti. Āsakti means attachment. Then ecstasy, bhāva. Then the last stage is that he becomes a lover of Kṛṣṇa, and that loving stage of Kṛṣṇa, there are different stages: śānta, dāsya, sakhya, vātsalya, mādhurya. The highest stage is the loving affairs between Kṛṣṇa and the gopīs. Of course, that is postgraduate stage of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, but that stage is considered to be the most perfectional stage, how to love Kṛṣṇa in the bhāva, or in the position, of a gopī.
Just like generally the materialist persons, they go to churches or temple just to become purified of their sinful activities. Just like in Christian religion it is the custom, what is called? Confession. So we should not (be) like that. It is not confession. Confession means I confess that I have done this sinful act, and as soon as I come out from the church I do it again. No. We should know that all sinful activities are washed off by chanting, but that does not mean we shall commit it again. Whatever we have done, that is washed off. Now we should be careful. And that four principles—no illicit sex life, no meat-eating, and no gambling, no intoxication—you try and follow. You must follow. As you are taking this mantra, you must now follow. Whatever is done is done. Finished. And we, we allow marriage. So there is no restriction. One can marry. But no illicit sex. So these four principles should be followed, and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and be pleased. Be more beautiful within and without. You are beautiful girl, so... You are all beautiful. So become beautiful within also. Kṛṣṇa will accept. Kṛṣṇa can accept any number of beautiful girls. (laughs) Unlimitedly. Just see. Lakṣmī-sahasra-śata-sambhrama-sevyamānam (Bs. 5.29). Lakṣmī. The beautiful girls are called goddess of fortune. Actually, woman is considered as goddess of fortune, representative of goddess of fortune.
Just like you have kindly come here. You are hearing me. Similarly, if somebody becomes more interested or his faith is still further advanced, then he comes, that is the second stage. And the third stage is... Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅga atha bhajana-kriyā (Cc. Madhya 23.14-15). Now, the initiation means beginning of the activities. Beginning of the activities. How one can develop Kṛṣṇa consciousness to the perfectional state, that is called initiation. It is not that initiation means finished. It is the third stage. Then the fourth stage will be, one who is initiated, if he follows the rules and regulation, and if he chants Hare Kṛṣṇa with a fixed-up counting, then gradually his all misgivings will vanish. What are the misgivings? We ask our students to refrain from that illicit sex life, nonvegetarian diet, and intoxication, and to take part in gambling. These four things. So ordinarily these four things are very prominent in the society, especially in the Western countries. But these students who take initiation and follows chanting, they very easily give up these four things without any difficulty. That is called anartha nivṛtti. That is the fourth stage. The fifth stage is then he becomes fixed up: "Yes." Just like one student, Mr. Anderson, I've not seen him, but simply by associating with our other devotees, he has written that "I wish to devote my whole being for this Kṛṣṇa consciousness." This is called niṣṭhā, fixed up. Tato niṣṭhā tato ruci. Ruci means they get a taste. Why these boys are going out? This chanting, they have got a taste. They have developed a taste. Otherwise for nothing they are not wasting time. They are educated, they are grown up. So taste.
Yes. Now this initiation, from this day your account, past life, all sinful activities, is now what is called, adjusted. Closed. It is finished. Now because by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa you can finish your sinful activities' reaction, that does not mean that you will repeat: "Oh, I shall commit sinful activities and I shall chant. It will be adjusted. The balance will be nil." No. Not like that. Don't commit that. Whatever is done is done. No more. Now there should be pure life. No illicit sex life, no intoxication, no gambling, and no meat-eating. Finished now. It is not that "Oh, I am chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. Let me go to the hotel and take some meat." No. Then it will be a great sin. Don't do that. Then the chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa will not fructify if you commit offense.
The same process is here also. This initiation means that you should, everyone should remember that whatever sinful activities one might have done in his past life, that is now account closed. Debit and credit closed. Now, from this day, no more sinful activities. What are those sinful activities? That is simple. We have mentioned. You should take it note. No illicit sex life. Beyond marriage, there is no sex life. No intoxication. Even drinking tea, coffee, they are also intoxication-cigarette smoking. No intoxication. No meat-eating. Simple. Only Kṛṣṇa prasādam. Whatever... If you remain in the temple you will get Kṛṣṇa prasādam, and if not, outside you prepare your capati, dahl, offer to Kṛṣṇa and take. Don't take anything except Kṛṣṇa prasāda. The third... And no gambling or unnecessary sporting. People are wasting time. So many sportings they have invented-sporting balls, this ball, that ball. You see? Human life is very short. We do not know when we shall die. Before that, we must prepare ourself for the next life. Next life means directly going back to Kṛṣṇa, highest perfection.
Prabhupāda: Huh? Ṛṣabhadeva, yes. Ṛṣabhadeva is the, was a emperor of the world, and He was incarnation of Kṛṣṇa. So Ṛṣabhadeva dāsa. You are not Ṛṣabhadeva, but you are servant of Ṛṣabhadeva. Always remember it. When we give some spiritual name, that is Kṛṣṇa's name, and we are servant, Ṛṣabhadeva dāsa. So your name is Ṛṣabhadeva dāsa, and you will get all information from Tamāla, the ten kinds of offenses. You know our regulative principles?
Ṛṣabhadeva: No illicit sex.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Ṛṣabhadeva: No meat, fish or eggs; no gambling...
Devotee (1): Intoxication.
Ṛṣabhadeva: No intoxicants.
Prabhupāda: That's all right. So you'll remember it. All right, take it. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and be happy.
Devotee (2): Haribol!
Prabhupāda: (break)
Prabhupāda: And other direction you take from Tamāla Kṛṣṇa. Come on. (break)
om viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhutale
śrīmate bhaktivedanta-svamin iti namine
(devotees repeat each word of praṇāma mantra) Take. You know the regulative principles? What is that?
Girl: No illicit sex, no gambling, no intoxication, no meat, fish, or eggs.
Prabhupāda: No LSD. And no LSD also. (laughter) Come on. Hare Kṛṣṇa.
Pradyumna: Kauśalyā.
Prabhupāda: Huh?
Pradyumna: Kauśalyā. Kauśalyā.
Prabhupāda: Gosalya?
Pradyumna: Kauśalyā, Lord Rāmacandra's mother, Kauśalyā.
Prabhupāda: Oh, Kauśalyā. Kauśalyā. Your name is Kauśalyā. K-a-u-s-a-l-y-a, Kauśalyā. Kauśalyā was the name of Lord Rāmacandra's mother. So you have to produce one Lord Rāmacandra, Kauśalyā. You have done... He has done the...
Prabhupāda: No speculation?
Viṣṇujana: Gambling.
Sūri: Gambling. No gambling, no intoxication, no illicit sex, and no meat, fish...
Prabhupāda: Yes, that's all right. Thank you. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (japa) (break)
- nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale
- śrīmate bhaktivedānta-svāmin iti nāmine
- (devotees repeat)
Pradyumna: Joṭilā.
Prabhupāda: Your name is Joṭilā. Yes. Joṭilā and Kutilā. Joṭilā was the mother-in-law of Rādhārāṇī. (chuckles) Yes. Kṛṣṇa was not Rādhārāṇī's husband. Her husband is supposed to be somebody else. Come on. Come on. And you have bowed down? That is done. Come on. That's all right. So ten kinds of offenses, all those who are initiated today, they should avoid ten kinds of offenses. What are those offenses?
This is very dangerous thing. By chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra you become released from all sinful reaction. But because Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra nullifies all sinful reaction, that does not mean he shall continue. It is not like that, you go to church and you confess your sins and it is all adjusted or nullified—again from the next week you begin fresh sinful activities. No. That is not allowed. That is not allowed. Kṛṣṇa we should not make an agent for nullifying our sinful activities. Then it is not service. Then we make Kṛṣṇa as our servant. We are at liberty to commit all kinds of nonsense, and God becomes an agent to clear it—what is this nonsense? That is not allowed. You may, by mistake or some way or other, you may commit something wrong, but by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, from this day everything is apavitraḥ pavitro vā, everything is finished. But from tomorrow or immediately after this, no more sinful activities. Therefore this regulative principle, these four principles: illicit sex, meat-eating, and intoxication, and gambling. These four principles are the basic principles of all sinful activities. If you indulge in these four things, then you are prepared to do any nonsense. Therefore these four things should be immediately stopped; then there is no more chance of sinful activities. And chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, you keep yourself always purified. Māyā will not touch you and you shall be elevated to the eternal blissful life to enjoy like the gopīs. That's all.
So we, our... One of the item of this mission, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, is to establish real varṇāśrama by qualification. We have to pick up brāhmaṇas from everywhere, throughout the whole world, not that we have to pick up brāhmaṇas in India in some class. No. There are brāhmaṇas every part of the world. We have to pick up. Just see. None of these boys are born in India or a brāhmaṇa family, but they have got the symptom. They have got the brahminical... They have either acquired willingly or by some way. So we have to pick up. Anyone who is truthful, who is controlling the senses, no illicit sex life... That is controlling senses. There are many other things. This is the most important thing. Śamo dama titikṣa. They are tolerant. To these American boys, to take up another culture, which they are not accustomed from the birth, that is tolerance. This is tolerance. But it is not painful, but it is tolerance. I am asking the American boys, "Don't smoke. Don't take intoxication." They are accustomed to this habit from the very childhood, but they are doing this. This is tolerance. So these are brahminical qualification, tolerance, truthful. And śauca, śauca, this śauca. Anyone who is chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, he is pure, bahyābhyantaram, inside and outside. So in this way, in this age, the chance should be given. Not that when the Satyakam spoke the truth of his life... So he was accepted. So you are being accepted as qualified brāhmaṇa, but keep your qualification. Then your life will be sublime. Keep your life. Yes. So this is a chance given by the Pāñcarātrika system.
Ṛṣabhadeva says that people are mad after sense gratification. Nūnaṁ pramattaḥ. Pramattaḥ means intensely. Intensely intoxicated. Pra means intensely, and mattaḥ, mattaḥ means intoxicated. So the disease, material disease, is intensely intoxicated in the matter of sense gratification. This is material disease. Nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma. And impelled by this propensity of sense gratification, they are prepared to do any kind of nonsense. Vikarma. Vikarma means what we should not do. Just like a man steals. He knows that stealing is not good, but he wants to satisfy some sense; therefore he is committing stealing also. Therefore he is mad. He knows that "If I am arrested for this stealing or committing this offense, I'll be punished. I may be hanged or..." There are so many things. But still, because he is mad after some sense gratification, he commits such sinful activities. This is practical. Nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma (SB 5.5.4). Vikarma means the actions which we should not have done. Why? Yad indriya-prītaya āpṛṇoti. Indriya, indriya means sense. Prītaya means satisfaction. Simply for the satisfaction of the senses. If one is philosopher, he can understand, "Why we should be so much busy for sense gratification?" Now we can give one example. Everyone is trying, working hard for his sense gratification. Nobody is trying... Suppose if I say that "I want to satisfy my senses in this way. Will you kindly work for it?" Nobody will... "Oh, why I shall work for you? You can work for your own satisfaction." Nobody will.
You sacrifice your body in the Vietnam," oh, you have to do that. So in this way, if you analytically study, you'll see the body does not belong to you. Then why should you be so much dexterous to satisfy? Just try to understand. I am not interested to satisfy the senses of your body; I am interested to satisfy the senses of my body. But if this body does not belong to me, then why should we be so much expert in satisfying the senses? Therefore they are called pramattaḥ, intensely intoxicated. It is philosophical vision that "This body does not belong to me." Therefore Kṛṣṇa's name is Hṛṣīkeśa. I am claiming this hand "my hand," but as soon as it is paralyzed it is no more my hand; it is physician's hand or Kṛṣṇa's hand or somebody's hand. So in this way we have to study. This is called philosophical vision. So Bhāgavata says they are mad after sense gratification, as a result of which he's getting different types of body. Because body does not belong to him. Just like if you pay different types of rent, you get different types of apartment. If you pay nicely, you get very good apartment in New York, in Fifth Avenue or something like that. Or if you cannot pay, then... Similarly, we are getting this apartment, body, under different condition. So we should understand that we have to get such a nice body that no more we'll have to change. That should be the destination of one's progress. That they do not know.
Sarvatra sphūrti tāra iṣṭa-deva mūrti. As you make advance, then you'll see a tree, but you'll see Kṛṣṇa. You'll not see the form of tree. Sarvatra sphūrti tāra iṣṭa-deva... Because one who is conversant with the science of Kṛṣṇa, he'll know how His energies are working in so many ways; therefore he'll be sympathetic. That is universal vision. That is universal love. If you love Kṛṣṇa, then there will be universal love. Otherwise it will be simply talks. So yaḥ smaret puṇḍarīkākṣaṁ sa bahyābhyantara. He is always in the uncontaminated stage, noninfected stage. So this is very nice. One should take it very seriously. One should try to understand it seriously. Your life will be sublime. The meaning of this namo apavitraḥ pavitro vā sarvāvasthām—any condition. We don't make any condition. There is no condition. Why shall we...? Anyone can accept. Sarvāvasthām, any position. There are two position only, contaminated or uncontaminated. That's all. So supposing everyone is contaminated. That's all right. The medicine is there. You make immediately uncontaminated. So sarvāvasthāṁ gato 'pi vā. It doesn't matter what is your position. You take simply to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, your life will be sublime. That is the initiation. Now chant.
Vande ahaṁ śrī guru... (devotees chant responsively) (break) So one finish, then next, then next. Each Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. In this way you come this side, again begin from this side, other side. And there are ten kinds of offenses, try to avoid. And four principles you know? Four regulative principles you know? What is that?
Bhagavān: No meat, fish or eggs, no intoxication, no illicit sex, and no gambling.
Kṛṣṇabhāmini: No meat, fish or eggs, no illicit sex, no gambling, no intoxication.
Prabhupāda: Yes. That's all. So what is your name?
Kṛṣṇabhāmini: Inez.
Prabhupāda: Hm?
Kṛṣṇabhāmini: Inez.
Prabhupāda: Spelling? Is there any name Indumati?
Devotee: Yes.
Prabhupāda: There is? Indira?
Devotee: Yes.
Prabhupāda: Then, your name... I'm trying to find out beginning with "I." All right, don't find now. So is there any name Maṅgala? No? All right. Your name is Kṛṣṇabhāmini. Kṛṣṇabhāmini. K-r-i-s-h-n-a, bhāmini, b-h-a-m-i-n-i. Kṛṣṇabhāmini.
One should not be foolishly very optimistic, that "I am very well situated. I am enjoying life." This is ignorance. Nobody is enjoying life in this material world; everyone is suffering. Saṁsāra-dāvānala-līḍha-loka: ** this world is just like blazing forest fire; so everyone is suffering, contaminated. This is the sign, symptoms of contamination, that suffering, threefold miseries-ādhyātmika, ādhibhautika, ādhidaivika. But as the animals, they suffer, but they do not understand, this is animal life. The animal is being taken to the slaughterhouse, but still he's happy. This is animal life. So when one cannot understand his sufferings of this material contamination, his life is animal life. He knows that he's suffering, but he's trying to cover the suffering by some nonsense means: by forgetfulness, by drinking, by intoxication, by this, by that. He's aware of his suffering, but he wants to cover his suffering in a nonsense way. Just like the rabbit. The rabbit, when he's in face to face of some ferocious animal, the rabbit closes the eyes. He thinks he is safe. Similarly, simply by trying to cover our sufferings by artificial means, that is not solution. That is ignorance. The suffering can be solved by enlightenment of spiritual life, spiritual bliss. That is the way. Ānandāmbudhi-vardhanam. Ānanda means bliss, transcendental bliss. And there is ocean of transcendental bliss. If you want to dip into this ocean, there is chance for you. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). Vedānta-sūtra says that we spirit soul, we are by nature full of bliss. That is our nature, ānandamaya. But we have been contaminated by this material affection. So one has to come out of it. That is the process of self-realization, liberation, whatever you call. The process is to come out of this contamination.
So my request to you all who are going to be initiated, that you keep always yourself in contact with this chanting and that will make you, I mean to say, able to be always purified, śuci. Material contamination cannot... And you avoid these four principles: illicit sex life, meat-eating, intoxication of all descriptions. Intoxication does not mean simply liquor. Intoxication means even tea-drinking. Tea is also intoxication, in slight degree. Tea, coffee, cigarettes—everything should be avoided. In India they chew pan. So these things are to be give up, intoxication group, and meat-eating group. Then you make very quickly progress, and by the grace of Kṛṣṇa, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9). After leaving this body, one hasn't got to take another material body and suffer. So long we have got this material body, we have to suffer the material pangs. There cannot be any adjustment. So if anyone is serious for ending all troubles... Everyone wants to live peacefully and happily. That is natural, because spirit soul is ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12), by nature joyful. He wants to keep himself joyful, but he does not know how eternal joyful life can be attained. That is spiritual life. You cannot become joyful by material adjustment. No. You may be joyful for the time being by drinking or by intoxication, but how long? So long the intoxication influence is there, you may feel something. That is artificially. But that is not actually the state of joyfulness. Real state of joyfulness is to be situated in spiritual life, and when you (are) actually in the spiritual kingdom, then you become sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha (Bs. 5.1), eternal life, joyful life, blissful life, with full knowledge.
We are not making propaganda... Just like there is vegetarian society. No. We have no business. Even if a man becomes vegetarian, what does he gain? In this material world, either vegetarian or nonvegetarian, they are on the same platform, birds of the same feather. You see? So that is not our propaganda. We are introducing Kṛṣṇa-prasāda; therefore we invite people to take nice prasāda. So these four principles we should follow. We shall not accept anything which is not offered to Kṛṣṇa. That is our position. And no illicit sex life, no gambling, no intoxication. We are already intoxicated, being haunted by the ghost of māyā. And further intoxication...? Do you think intoxication can be cured by intoxication? No. That is not possible. So these four rules you have to follow. And you keep to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then your life is sublime. Very simple thing. Very simple thing. But it is simple for the simple, but it is very hard for the crooked. Yes. So those who are going to be initiated, they should always remember these restrictive four rules and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa at least sixteen rounds, and eat Bhagavat-prasādam, Kṛṣṇa-prasādam, and be happy, dance. That's all. Is there any difficulty?
Similarly, here we have got also Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa temple. There is no difference between Rādhā-Dāmodara temple and Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa temple. So we postponed this to be held on the Janmāṣṭamī day at New Vrindaban, but by some reason we are now postponing to go there, and we have decided to perform this function here. And I am very glad that we are all present. Now, this sannyāsa mantra should be studied very seriously and we shall chant this mantra after the regular function. Especially those who are accepting the sannyāsa order, they should try to understand the import of this important mantra. The import of this important mantra especially is that, as we prohibit several things during ordinary initiation, just like no illicit sex, no meat-eating, no intoxication, no gambling, similarly there are many no's in accepting the sannyāsa order. Especially meat... not meat-eating, mating. And politics. If we remain in the materialistic order of life, then this sannyāsa order will be a facility for cheating. That responsibility you must have. That is the meaning of the sannyāsa order. San, sat-nyās. Renounced order means one has to renounce everything for Kṛṣṇa's sake. So this mantra will be chanted after these formal mantras, apavitraḥ pavitro vā, and then you'll change your dress, and then yajña will take place, then saṅkirtana movement, your business. So you have got all these? Now chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. You all chant. (devotees chant japa) Namo apavitraḥ pavitro vā sarvāvasthāṁ gato 'pi vā. You know all this or I shall have to repeat? Or you say.
So sevonmukhe jihvādau. Jihvā. Jihvā means the tongue. The tongue has got two business: to articulate, vibrate, and to taste, taste Kṛṣṇa-prasādam, and articulate, chant, vibrate Hare Kṛṣṇa. Then as soon as your tongue is controlled, become purified, all other senses becomes automatically purified. Tongue is the greatest enemy. If you cannot control your tongue, then you cannot control your other senses. And therefore we prohibit, "Not these..." They are all concerned to the tongue: intoxication-tongue; and meat-eating-tongue. So, intoxicant... Tongue dictates, "Oh, my tongue is becoming dry. Let me drink something or smoke something." So if you can control, if you become controller of your tongue—"No"—then you become swāmī or goswāmī. That means the senses do not become your master. You become the master of your senses. Then perfection, gosvāmī. That is... Go means senses; svāmī means master. So svāmī or gosvāmī, the same thing. So we have to become the master of our senses. That we can become only... Ourself, we cannot control our senses. If we engage our senses in the service of the Lord, Kṛṣṇa, then automatically it becomes controlled and purified. Then our life is successful.
Yes. On the strength of chanting, committing sin. Because as Dayānanda explained to you, that this is a purificatory process. So if we think that "We are chanting. It is... I am being purified, so let me become contaminated by acting some sinful activities. I'll purify by chanting," this motive is very bad. This is the greatest offense. Once purified, that's all right, but don't commit again sinful. Sinful life should be stopped. From this day of initiation these four pillars of sinful life—illicit sex life, intoxication, meat-eating, and gambling—they should be broken. Not that "Let me do it. I have go the mantra machine, instrument for counteracting." No. You should not..., no more commit any sinful activities. Once you are purified, no more. Then, what is that?
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Gopāla: No gambling or speculating, and no intoxicants.
Prabhupāda: So it will be possible? (laughter) Yes. For your country this is very, I mean, a big stricture, but one has to perform it, execute it for Kṛṣṇa's sake. Kṛṣṇas te bhoga-tyāga (?). For Kṛṣṇa's sake we can do anything. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Although it is very difficult for boys and girls in this country, but because they are taking Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they should sacrifice their propensities for Kṛṣṇa's sake. That is a vow. That is an austerity. So Kṛṣṇa will be very much satisfied that "This boy, this girl has done so much. All right. Accept him." So strictly follow these rules and regulations. So every one of you know these regulative principles? Yes. Then you perform your yajña. (break) ...kevalam, kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā. (end)
Boy: Jeffrey Seeler. (?)
Viṣṇujana: Gaṅgārāma.
Prabhupāda: Gaṅgārāma. Gaṅgārāma was a devotee of Lord Caitanya. Go on. Who's next?
Devotee: Suraci devī. Suraci.
Prabhupāda: Huh? Suruci. Suruci was one of the mothers of Dhruva Mahārāja. Take it. You know what are the rules and regulations? What is that?
Suruci: No meat-eating, no illicit sex, no intoxication, no gambling.
Prabhupāda: All right. (end)
Prabhupāda: Kaṅkā. Your name is Kaṅkā dāsī, the daughter of a great king. All our, I mean, girl disciples are named great devotees' daughter or wife, like that. So you know what are the rules and regulations?
Kaṅkā: Yes.
Prabhupāda: Tell me.
Kaṅkā: No meat-eating, no illicit sex, no gambling, no intoxication.
Prabhupāda: And what is your name, spiritual? You forget immediately? (laughter) Hare Kṛṣṇa. All right. How many rounds you will chant?
Kaṅkā: Sixteen rounds a day.
Prabhupāda: Only?
Kaṅkā: More if I can.
Prabhupāda: Thank you. (Kaṅkā offers obeisances) All right. Next. (japa)
Devotee: Rāṣṭrapālikā.
Prabhupāda: Rāṣṭrapālikā, governess, governeress. Is that?
Devotee: Governess.
Prabhupāda: Rāṣṭrapālikā, governess, governeress. Is that?
Devotee: Governess.
Prabhupāda: Governess? Governess. You have to govern. So what are the rules and regulations?
Rāṣṭrapālikā: No meat-eating, no intoxication, (indistinct).
Prabhupāda: Who is your husband?
Rāṣṭrapālikā: Nitāi dāsa.
Prabhupāda: Nitāi dāsa. Hare Kṛṣṇa.
Devotee: Vidarbha-sūtā.
Prabhupāda: Garbha-sūtā.
Devotee: Vidarbha-sūtā.
Prabhupāda: Eh? Vidarbha-sūtā. Vidarbha-sūtā means the wife of Lord Rāmacandra. Come on. You are married? No, not yet. All right. Come on, next.
Prabhupāda: Uṣika.
Devotee: Uṣika.
Prabhupāda: Uṣika is Brahmā's another name, Uṣiksaya. So you know the rules and regulations? What are they?
Devotee: No illicit sex, no meat-eating, no gambling, no intoxication.
Prabhupāda: Thank you. (japa) Ceto-darpaṇa-marjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇam (CC Antya 20.12).
Devotee: Romapāda.
Prabhupāda: Brahmapāda?
Devotee: Romapāda.
Prabhupāda: Roma?
Devotee: R-o-m-a-p-a-d-a.
Prabhupāda: Rāmapāda? R-o?
Devotee: R-o.
Prabhupāda: All right. So there was a great ṛṣi, Romaharṣaṇa, Romaharṣaṇa. So his disciple or servant. Yes. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Come on.
Devotee: Kuśakratha dāsa.
Prabhupāda: Kuśakratha. Kuśakratha. You know the rules and regulations? What are they?
Kuśakratha: No meat-eating, no gambling, no illicit sex, uh, no intoxication.
Prabhupāda: Which you like best? (laughter) Which of them?
Kuśakratha: You are reading my mind, Śrīla Prabhupāda.
Prabhupāda: (laughs) All right. Don't do that again.
Devotee: Kirtīrāja.
Prabhupāda: Kirtīrāja. The king who is famous. Who is that king who is famous, very? Do you know? No? Kṛṣṇa. (laughter) What are the rules?
Kirtīrāja: No meat-eating, no illicit sex, no gambling, and no intoxication.
Prabhupāda: Thank you. (break) Kaṁsā was the sister of King Kaṁsa. Kaṁsā was not bad, but Kaṁsa was bad. Yes. Come on. So is there any thread?
Prabhupāda: Śruta-kirtī, whose activities are well famous. Come on. What are the rules?
Śruta-kirtī: No meat-eating, no illicit sex, no intoxication, no gambling.
Prabhupāda: How many rounds you'll chant?
Śruta-kirtī: Around twenty.
Prabhupāda: All right. (japa—break) Sudhamani. Sudhamani, yes. Brilliant night. You know the rules? Yes. (japa)
Aravinda: Puravī.
Prabhupāda: Puravī. Puravī means eastern, not western.
Devotee: Are these your beads? (devotee offers obeisances)
Prabhupāda: Śrutadeva. Śrutadeva means Viṣṇu. You know the rules and regulations? (Śrutadeva offers obeisances) Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Here.
Prabhupāda: Devamīra. Devotee: (indistinct) Prabhupāda: Victory flag. Victory flag. That means Kṛṣṇa. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (japa) Madirā. Madirā means intoxication. So you be intoxicated by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. So after performance (indistinct) they may to my room. Devotee: After the yajña? Prabhupāda: Yes. Devotee: After the yajña the brāhmaṇas, those who are going to be second initiated, can come to Prabhupāda's room. Devotees: All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda. (end)
Prabhupāda: M-a-m-a-t-a. Mamatā devī, "one who is very affectionate to everyone." Come on. You know the rules and regulation? What are those?
Mamatā: No meat-eating, no taking of intoxicants, no illicit sex, and no gambling.
Prabhupāda: That's all. How many rounds you will chant?
Mamatā: Sixteen good rounds every morning.
Prabhupāda: Come on, next. (break) Ādi-pati. Ādi-pati means king. So you should be king. What is the business of king?
Ādi-pati: To rule.
Prabhupāda: So where you shall rule? You cannot say?
Ādi-pati: What is the rule?
Trivikrama: Where.
Prabhupāda: Where you will rule? You will rule over your senses. (laughter) Come on. Hare Kṛṣṇa. You know how to rule?
Ādi-pati: Everyone.
Prabhupāda: You know the rules and regulations? That's all right. Jamadāgni.
Devotee: Jamadāgni.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Jamadāgni was a great sage. That's all. Father of Paraśurāma. (devotees chanting japa in background) (chanting japa) You know rules and regulations? Hm... What are they? Rules. What are the rules?
Devotee: No meat-eating, no illicit sex, no intoxication...
Prabhupāda: What is his name?
Devotee: Brahma-vit.
Prabhupāda: Brahma-vit. Brahma-vit, "whose profession is to realize Brahman." That's all right. (chants japa)
Devotee: Pāyasvinī.
Prabhupāda: Pāyasvinī dāsa. Pāyasvinī means the Surabhī cow who delivers milk as much as you like. (devotees laugh) Surabhīr abhipālayantam. Cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa-lakṣāvṛteṣu surabhīr abhipālayantam (Bs. 5.29). Come on.
Devotee: Bhārgava.
Prabhupāda: Yes. (laughing) Repeat again. Repeat. Yes, what are the rules, you repeat!
Devotee: No meat-eating, no gambling, no illicit sex...
Prabhupāda: No intoxication.
Devotee: Narmadā.
Prabhupāda: All right.
Devotee: Narmadā.
Prabhupāda: Narmadā. Narmadā is a sacred river in India, like Ganges. What you have got here? Come on, next. Narmadā, Godāverī, Kāverī, Gaṅgā, Yamunā. All sacred river.
Devotee: (offering obeisances and praṇāma mantras)
Devotee: Vaijayantī.
Prabhupāda: Hm?
Devotee: Vaijayantī.
Prabhupāda: Vaijayantī. Vaijayantī is one who becomes victorious everywhere.
Devotee: Urvasī.
Prabhupāda: Pompā dāsī. Pompā is the sacred river. Flow with Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Hare Kṛṣṇa.
Aravinda: Madhupurī dāsī.
Prabhupāda: Madhupurī. Madhupurī is Mathurā, Kṛṣṇa's birthplace. So you have to serve Mathurā and be associated with Rādhārāṇī. Hare Kṛṣṇa. You know the rules and regulation? What are they?
Madhupurī: No meat-eating, no illicit sex, no intoxication...
Prabhupāda: No gambling. She is not married?
Aravinda: Vārāṇasī.
Prabhupāda: Vārāṇasī dāsī. Vārāṇasī, the sacred conjunction of two rivers, Vāruṇī and Asī. Vāruṇī is Ganges, and Asī. So combination of two sacred rivers flowing from the lotus toe of Kṛṣṇa.
Aravinda: Prayāg.
Prabhupāda: Spelling?
Aravinda: P-r-a-y-a-g.
Prabhupāda: Prayāg. Prayāg dāsī. Prayāg is the chief holy place in India, where we held our... That is Allahabad. That is Prayāg. Another name is Prayāg. Real name is Prayāg. Tīrtha-rāja, the king of pilgrimage. So you have to serve. Come on. You know the rules and regulation?
Candanācārya: Do you know the rules and regulations?
Prayāg: Yes. No illicit sex, no intoxicants, no meat, fish or eggs, and no gambling.
Prabhupāda: Next. Come on. (japa)
Aravinda: Yogamāyā dāsī.
Prabhupāda: Yogamāyā. Yogamāyā, the internal energy of Kṛṣṇa. You are the servant of internal energy. Come on. What are the rules and regulations?
Yogamāyā: No meat-eating, no illicit sex, no gambling, no intoxication.
Prabhupāda: So you agree?
Yogamāyā: (laughs) Yes.
Prabhupāda: All right. Come on. Next. (japa) (break)
Aravinda: Chāyadevī dāsī.
Prabhupāda: Eh?
Aravinda: Chāyadevī. Chāyadevī.
Prabhupāda: Chāyadevī. Chāyadevī. Chāyadevī means material nature. That is also Kṛṣṇa's energy. Acts according to the direction of Kṛṣṇa. Come on. You know the rules and regulation? All right.
Aravinda: Kaumadakī.
Prabhupāda: Kaumadakī, born of lotus flower. Come on. Hare Kṛṣṇa.
Aravinda: Gandharvikā.
Prabhupāda: Gandharvikā. Another name of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī. Come on. You know the rules and regulation?
Gandharvikā: No illicit sex, no intoxication, no meat-eating, no gambling.
Prabhupāda: All right. Thank you. Right hand. Right hand you should... Yes.
Aravinda: Charaṇi.
Prabhupāda: Charaṇi devī. Celestial singers. Come on. Hare Kṛṣṇa. You know the rules and regulations?
Charaṇi: Yes. No illicit sex, no meat-eating, no intoxication, no gambling.
Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa. Come on. (japa)
Aravinda: Kapindra.
Prabhupāda: Kapindra means Hanumānjī, servant of Lord Rāmacandra. Come on. You know the rules and regulations? That's all right.
Prabhupāda: Rādhā-bhavānī, "always thinking of Rādhārāṇī." You know the rules and regulation? The rules and regulations?
Rādhā-bhavānī: No meat-eating, no illicit sex, no intoxicants and no gambling.
Prabhupāda: Thank you. (japa chanting continues)
Devotee: Nimāi-sundara dāsa.
Prabhupāda: Nimāi-sundara. Nimāi-sundara is Lord Caitanya's name. Nimāi-sundara dāsa, you are servitor of Lord Caitanya. (japa continues)
Devotee: Māyāpur-śaśi dāsa.
Prabhupāda: Mahāprabhu?
Devotee: Mahāprabhu-śaśi dāsa.
Prabhupāda: Mahāprabhu Śaśi?
Devotee: Mahapura-śaśi.
Prabhupāda: Jagannātha-sūta is Caitanya... Prabhu. His father's name is Jagannātha. Sūta means son. Jagannātha son. Caitanya Mahāprabhu's father's name was Jagannātha Miśra. So you know the rules and regulations. What are those?
Jagannātha-sūta: No illicit sex, no intoxication, no meat-eating and no gambling.
Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa. Come on. (japa)
Devotee: (chants praṇāma mantras)
Prabhupāda: So those who are initiated now, you're path is now open to Kṛṣṇa's abode. Satāṁ prasaṅga: by association of devotees. Satām, satām means devotees. Sat, sat means, that exists eternally, is called sat. Kṛṣṇa is sat, om tat sat. So devotees are also sat. So satāṁ prasaṅga, by association... Prasaṅga means very intimate association. Saṅga means association, and pra means still elevated or intimate association. Kṛṣṇa's words, Kṛṣṇa's teachings, Kṛṣṇa's topics, they become very palatable in the association of devotees. In the association of nondevotees one can not understand Kṛṣṇa, neither it becomes very palatable. Bhagavad-gītā is well known in your country, since a very long time. There are so many editions of Bhagavad-gītā in your country, Indian and foreign editions. Many. But nobody could become a Kṛṣṇa conscious, a Kṛṣṇa's devotee, because they were not discussed amongst the devotees. They took it, Bhagavad-gītā, as table talks or some sort of philosophical... They could not seriously understand Kṛṣṇa, because the writing or discussing or discourses took place amongst the nondevotees.
Devotee: No meat, no eggs, no intoxicants...
Prabhupāda: Tell me loudly so that others hear.
Devotee: No meat...
Prabhupāda: No meat-eating. No, no, no meat, no meat-eating.
Devotee: No meat-eating.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Devotee: No eating of eggs...
Prabhupāda: Meat is there. You cannot say, "No meat." (laughter) But no meat-eating. Yes.
Devotee: No intoxicants, and no smoking.
Prabhupāda: No intoxicant means including smoking. Smoking is also an intoxicant. Tea-drinking is also intoxication. Coffee-drinking is also intoxication. So in order to come, the position of... And...
Devotee: No illicit sex.
Prabhupāda: (Hindi or Bengali) brahmacārī. (Hindi or Bengali) illicit sex. Illicit sex, (Hindi or Bengali)... one should not have more than one woman or one man. That is nice. And therefore in the human society there is marriage. Not in the animal society. Married means that one should be satisfied with one woman and one man. That's all. And there is no question of divorce. Divorce is introduced by the modern rascals, but it is not sanctioned by any religious person. You see? So we are observing these rules: no illicit sex life, no meat-eating, no intoxication, no gambling. So all my students, they strictly follow these rules, and therefore they're advancing so quickly. Yes. You see the advancement so quickly because they follow my instruction. They follow very obedient, and they have therefore, by grace of Kṛṣṇa... Yasya deve parā bhaktir yathā deve tathā gurau (ŚU 6.23). It is the statement of the Upaniṣad. "Anyone who has got unflinching faith in God and spiritual master..." Yasya deve parā bhaktir. Deve means God. Parā bhaktir, unflinching faith. Tathā gurau, and similarly, in guru. Tasyaite kathitā hy arthāḥ prakāśante mahātmanaḥ. To him all this Vedic knowledge becomes revealed automatically. So my students, all... Not only here in England, in London, in all places, if you go, if you travel, if you go to Los Angeles, San Francisco, and New York, and many other places—I've got twenty branches—in Japan, and Honolulu, so they are strictly following, and they are making wonderful stride. Now here, I came here for the first time. Before me I sent my six students, married students.
Prabhupāda: Speak loudly.
Devotee (3): No meat-eating, no illicit sex, no gambling...
Prabhupāda: No intoxication.
Devotee (3): ...and no intoxication.
Prabhupāda: Including tea, coffee, cigarettes, everything. No more. Is that all right? And how many rounds you will chant? At least sixteen rounds. You'll begin from here, come here. Don't cross. Again begin from here. In this way, sixteen rounds at least. So what is the name? Oh, list.
Śyāmasundara: Dhaumya dāsa.
Prabhupāda: What is his original name?
Śyāmasundara: Doug.
Prabhupāda: Dhaumya. Your name is Dhaumya dāsa, Dhaumya dāsa, one of the commander in the battlefield of Kurukṣetra, Dhaumya. (laughter) Don't laugh. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Now bow down here. (chants japa) Chant. You'll get bead, bead bag. Keep it in that. Yes. (chants japa) You know what are the rules? What are the four rules?
Devotee (4): No intoxication, no meat-eating, no gambling, and no illicit sex life.
Prabhupāda: So how many rounds you will chant?
Prabhupāda: Your name is Jayadharma dāsa. Yes. He is one of the ācāryas in the Madhva-Gauḍīya sampradāya. Bow down and take. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Go on chanting. Go on chanting like this. (japa) You know the rules? Yes.
Cheryl: No meat-eating, no intoxication, no gambling, and no illicit sex.
Prabhupāda: And how many rounds you will chant?
Cheryl: Sixteen.
Prabhupāda: Minimum, yes. What is your name?
Cheryl: Cheryl.
Śyāmasundara: Satyavatī.
Prabhupāda: Satyavatī dāsī. Satyavatī dāsī was one of the queens of Kṛṣṇa. Bow down. (japa) What it is you have got? Do you know rules?
Girl Devotee (5): No meat-eating, no illicit sex, no gambling, no intoxicants.
Prabhupāda: What is your name?
Girl Devotee (5): Leone (?).
Śyāmasundara: Mekhalā dāsī.
Prabhupāda: Mekhalā dāsī, belt of the universe. Mekhalā. (japa) Mix it nicely and distribute. (japa) You wait. Stop(?) I have sent this.(?) You have not signed? If it is difficult, there is no...(?) Yes. All right. What is your name? You know the rules?
Girl Devotee (6): No meat-eating, no illicit sex, intoxication, and no gambling.
Prabhupāda: So your name is Devadarśana dāsī, "who can see all the demigods." Right hand. (japa) Give them garland. After initiation they'll exchange it. Give them. Give them on the... Yes. On their neck. You can sit down here. Where is that red powder? Get some. You sit there. He sits here. After changing garlands they will change place and the bride will give the powder and cover her head. No, the bride, bridegroom, yes. Come on. Come on. What is the name?
Śyāmasundara: Sanaka dāsa.
Prabhupāda: Sanaka dāsa. Know rules and regulations? What is that?
Sanaka: No meat-eating, no illicit sex, no gambling and no intoxication.
Prabhupāda: That's good. And how many rounds?
Sanaka: Minimum of sixteen.
Prabhupāda: Yes, minimum. Now get them promised. You sit down here and ask him to... "I, such and such..."
Prabhupāda: ...no intoxication. All right. Your name is Tukarāma dāsa, a great saintly person.
Sudāmā: Tukarāma.
Prabhupāda: Yes. T-u-k-a-r-a-m-a.
Sudāmā: Tukarāma dāsa.
Devotee (1): Take the beads.
Sudāmā: Take in the right hand.
Prabhupāda: Take, the right. (devotee offers obeisances) You know the rules, four prohibitive rules?
Devotee (2): Pardon?
Prabhupāda: Four prohibitive. What is that?
Devotee (2): No intoxication, no gambling, no eating of meat, fish, or eggs, no illicit sex.
Prabhupāda: Thank you.
Śyāmasundara: Sañjaya dāsa.
Prabhupāda: So your spiritual name, Sañjaya dāsa. S-a-n-j-a-y-a. Sañjaya. Jaya. Hare Kṛṣṇa.
Prabhupāda: ... just do it nicely. You know the rules and regulation?
Will: ... meat, fish or eggs, no intoxication, no gambling, no illicit sex.
Prabhupāda: Hm. Thank you. Varuṇa dāsa. Varuṇadeva. Varuṇadeva is the demigod of sea? Yes. You have to control the Pacific Ocean. (laughter) Preaching. (laughter) All the Pacific islands, you have to preach. Is that all right? (laughter) Hare Kṛṣṇa. Kaumadakī(?)
(another devotee is called) (japa) So you know the rules and regulations? Yes. What are they?
Sheila: ...meat, fish or eggs, no intoxication...
Prabhupāda: What is that, next? Four you have not mentioned.
Sheila: I have not mentioned four? No intoxicants, no eating meat, fish or eggs, no gambling and no illicit sex.
Prabhupāda: That's all. So your name is Śrīla dāsī, maidservant of the goddess of fortune. Śrīla. Yes. S-r-i-l-a. (japa)
Devotee: Next, ah, Laurie? Laura?
Prabhupāda: (japa) Hm, you know the rules? Yes.
Laura: ...no meat, fish or eggs, no intoxicants, no illicit sex.
Prabhupāda: All right. Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa... (japa)
Pradyumna: Now everyone can take the water which is in front of them when we say these prayers of purification and do just as I am doing. Take the spoon in your left hand... (break) (japa)
Prabhupāda: So you know all the rules and regulations?
Devotee: No meat-eating, fish or eggs, no intoxication, no gambling, no illicit sex.
Prabhupāda: Hm. And how many rounds you'll chant?
Devotee: At least sixteen.
Prabhupāda: So your name is Vrajeśvarī dāsī. Vrajeśvarī is the name of Rādhārāṇī. Hare Kṛṣṇa.
Śyāmasundara: Lois?
Prabhupāda: (japa) What are the rules?
Lois: (indistinct) (recites rules)
Prabhupāda: How many rounds you'll chant?
Lois: Sixteen.
Prabhupāda: Mādhavī?
Śyāmasundara: Her name is not on the list that you gave me.
Prabhupāda: Then Mādhavī can, Mādhavī it can be. Mādhavī. So what are the rules and regulations?
Mādhavī: No meat-eating, no intoxication, no (indistinct).
Prabhupāda: So your name is Mādhavī devī dāsī. Mādhavī is another name of goddess of fortune. Hare Kṛṣṇa.
Śyāmasundara: Pierre?
Prabhupāda: So what are the rules?
Pierre: No illicit sex, no gambling, no intoxication, no meat, fish, or eggs.
Śyāmasundara: Parvata Muni dāsa.
Prabhupāda: So your name is Parvata Muni dāsa. Parvata Muni was a great friend of Nārada Muni.
Śyāmasundara: This set of beads says Sandy Waxner on it also. Who is the other? There are two sets of beads. Who is left?
Prabhupāda: What is her name? What? I'll give her name.
Prabhupāda: So your name is Sāndīpani dāsī. Sāndīpani was the teacher of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa, He's teacher of the whole universe, but He had also a teacher. This is the example in character, that one has to accept a teacher, a spiritual master. Kṛṣṇa is giving knowledge. He's, His description is all knowledge. Samagra, full knowledge. But He is also going to a teacher's place to learn. Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He is Kṛṣṇa Himself; He's accepting a spiritual master, Īśvara Purī. Śrī Caitanya... Śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya... Īśvara... That means Īśvara Purī became glorified by Caitanya Mahāprabhu's acceptance of him as spiritual master. But this is the etiquette, this is the Vedic principle, that even if you are God, if you, even if you know everything, still, you have to accept a teacher, a spiritual master. That is the Vedic system. So what are the rules?
Sandy: No meat, fish or eggs, no gambling, no intoxication, no illicit sex.
Prabhupāda: All right, come on. So Sāndīpani dāsī. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)
Therefore in the beginning, to increase attachment for Kṛṣṇa... Because my business is to increase my spontaneous attachment for God. That is the business of human life. This is a chance. Because in the human form of life you can do that. And as soon as you increase your attachment for Kṛṣṇa, then your life is successful. Successful means that you haven't got to accept any more this material body. You will get a spiritual body and go to Kṛṣṇa, or go to home, go back to Godhead. So if you increase your attachment for Kṛṣṇa, the benefit is that you make a solution for all the problems of life. It is scientific. Mayy āsakta manāḥ pārtha. So in the beginning, in order to increase your attachment for Kṛṣṇa, you have to follow the regulative principles, "Don't do this." Just like a doctor gives you prescription, "Don't eat this. Don't do this," similarly, there are so many "don't"s and so many "do"s. So we have to accept the "do"s, not the "don't"s. Ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu-śīlanam (CC Madhya 19.167). This is called favorably cultivating Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We have to accept the "do"s, not the "don't"s. Ānukūlyasya saṅkalpa, ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanam. We have to accept the favorable things. So if illicit sex life is unfavorable for my advancement in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, I must accept it. You cannot argue. That will not help you. Similarly, intoxication. Similarly, meat-eating. Similarly, gambling. Because these are the four pillars of sinful life: illicit sex, meat-eating, intoxication and gambling. The roof of sinful life is held by these four pillars.
Prabhupāda: Hm? Pyāri-caraṇa? (devotee spells name) What are the rules and regulations?
Bhakta John: No intoxication, no meat-eating, no gambling, no illicit sex life, and chant at least sixteen rounds a day.
Prabhupāda: And no intoxication, also. So your name is Pyāri-caraṇa. Pyāri is another name of Rādhārāṇī. So caraṇa means lotus feet. So Pyāri-caraṇa dāsa. So you are servant of the lotus feet of Rādhā.
Devotee: Jayarāma. Harold? Harold Miller? (japa)
Prabhupāda: What is that? Jayarāma? What are the rules and regulations?
Bhakta Harold: No illicit sex life, no intoxication, no meat-eating, no gambling, and at least sixteen rounds a day.
Prabhupāda: So your name is Jayarāma. Jayarāma, "all glories to Lord Rāmacandra." (japa)
Prabhupāda: What are these?
Arlene: No meat-eating, fish or eggs, no intoxication, no illicit sex.
Prabhupāda: How many rounds will you chant?
Arlene: Sixteen at least.
Prabhupāda: What is the...
Brahmānanda: Kīrtidā-kanyakā dāsī.
Prabhupāda: So your name is Kīrtidā dāsī.
Brahmānanda: Theresa?
Prabhupāda: What is the name, come on. Come here. What are the rules and regulations?
Theresa: No illicit sex, no intoxication, no meat-eating, no gambling.
Prabhupāda: And how many rounds?
Theresa: Sixteen.
Prabhupāda: That is the minimum. Yes, come on.
Prabhupāda: What are the rules and regulations?
Cindy: No meat-eating, no illicit sex, no intoxication, no gambling.
Prabhupāda: And now many rounds will you chant?
Cindy: Sixteen at least.
Prabhupāda: That's nice.
Brahmānanda: Bhagavat-citta-rathinī dāsī.
Prabhupāda: Big, big name. (laughter) So your name is Bhagavat-citta dāsī. Bhagavat-citta. Citta means consciousness. Come on.
Brahmānanda: Harold?
Prabhupāda: What is the name?
Brahmānanda: Hasta-yajña.
Prabhupāda: Hāsya-yajña? (pause) So? Make it Hāsyānanda. Now get up. Come on. (laughter) So you know what is the rules and regulation?
Hasyānanda: No illicit sex, no meat-eating, no gambling and no intoxication.
Prabhupāda: All right. Your name is Hāsyānanda, "who laughs in ecstasy, ecstasy, chanting."
Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa. Next, come on.
Brahmānanda: Larry? Lakṣmaṇa dāsa.
Prabhupāda: So you know the rules and regulation? What are the rules?
Larry: No meat-eating, gambling, sex or intoxication.
Prabhupāda: Illicit sex. So, Śrī Lakṣmaṇa dāsa. You know Lakṣmaṇa dāsa? He is the younger brother of Rāmacandra. Lakṣmaṇa dāsa.
Brahmānanda: Stuart?
Prabhupāda: Why you are laughing? So everyone should have neckbeads immediately. You know the rules and regulations? What is that?
Stuart: No meat-eating, no illicit sex life, no intoxication and no gambling.
Prabhupāda: Thank you. Sutrajit.
Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa. Come on. What are the rules and regulations? (child is crying in background, "I want my mommy!")
Girl: No meat-eating, no illicit sex, no gambling, no intoxication.
Prabhupāda: Suśarmā dāsī. She is your child? So you are married?
Suśarmā: Yes.
Prabhupāda: That's nice. (laughter)
Brahmānanda: Why is the child crying? Roy?
Prabhupāda: What are the rules and regulation?
Roy: No meat-eating, no intoxication, no illicit sex and no gambling.
Prabhupāda: And how many rounds you will chant?
Roy: At least sixteen.
Prabhupāda: Thank you. Rāmalāla dāsa. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Come on, next.
Prabhupāda: What are the regulations?
Cheryl: No meat-eating, no illicit sex, no intoxication and no gambling.
Prabhupāda: That's nice. Śaraṇāgatā? Śaraṇāgatā, it should be. Śaraṇāgatā, long 'a.' Śaraṇāgatā dāsī. "One who has surrendered to Kṛṣṇa." (to next devotee:) What are the regulative principles? (boy answers) How many rounds you will chant? (answers) Thank you.
Brahmānanda: Bālika dāsa.
Prabhupāda: Bālika? It should be Bālaka, not Bālika. Bālaka. Your name is Bālaka dāsa. Bālaka, cowherd boy.
Brahmānanda: Michael Nixon.
Prabhupāda: What are the rules and regulations?
Michael: No eating meat, fish or eggs, no intoxication, no illicit sex, no mental speculating.
Prabhupāda: Mahājana dāsa. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186). Mahājana means great authority. Hare Kṛṣṇa.
Brahmānanda: Jim?
Prabhupāda: What are the rules?
Prabhupāda: What are the rules?
Jim: No meat-eating, no gambling, no illicit sex and no intoxication.
Prabhupāda: Kuvera dāsa. (laughter) Kuvera is the treasurer of the demigods. You have to bring money more. (laughter) We require money. Come on. Hare Kṛṣṇa. When Kuvera wanted to give benediction to Dhruva Mahārāja, Dhruva Mahārāja was very angry and was killing the descendants of Kuvera. And they were offender. The descendants of Kuvera killed Dhruva Mahārāja's brother; therefore he was retaliating. At that time somebody requested, Brahmā, I think, requested that "Now you just pacify yourself. You have done..." So he immediately stopped killing. So Kuvera became very much pleased that although he could kill all the descendants of Kuvera, he stopped it. So he came forward to give him some benediction. Kuvera is the richest treasurer. So he wanted to give some benediction. If Dhruva Mahārāja wanted, he could ask him that "Give me all the money of the universe." He could give. But what did he ask? He said, "Sir, give me benediction that I may remain attached to the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa."
Prabhupāda: Virāha. Virāha dāsa. I am not asking individually about the four principles. I suppose you know this. But just I was explaining sat and asat. These two things are side by side. Just like there is darkness and there is light, you can see merging in the sunlight. You'll see, one side is light, and one side is dark. Similarly, sat and asat, they are existing side by side. If you don't remain this side, then you come to this side. So it is my choice. So this Hare Kṛṣṇa is the bright side, and the other things, material activities and sinful activities, meat-eating, intoxication, gambling, illicit sex, the dark side. So it is your choice. If you remain the bright side, then your progress is certain, and if you fall down again on the dark side, that is your misfortune. So you should always remember that. Come on.
Karandhara: Marcos.
Prabhupāda: Your spiritual name-Virabāhu dāsa.
So the boys and girls who are now being initiated, they are entering the path of understanding God in this way. So there are some regulative principles. I think you have explained to them that no illicit sex, no meat-eating, no gambling, no intoxication. God is pure. He is the purest. Therefore if we want to approach God, we must be pure. Just like without high temperature, nobody can enter into the fire, similarly, God is the topmost temperature. We must acquire that temperature; then we can enter into the kingdom of God. So if you want to increase the temperature, you cannot pour water again on it. Just like if you have got wet wood, you cannot burn it very nicely, but if you collect dry wood, you can ignite very easily. So our material life is now saturated with all kinds of sins. The four pillars of sinful life are these: illicit sex, meat-eating and intoxication and gambling. So if we stop these voluntarily, this is called austerity, austerity, tapasya. Austerity means voluntarily accept some painful condition. So those who are habituated to all these things, namely illicit sex, meat-eating, intoxication and gambling, to give up these habits, it may become little painful in the beginning. But if you practice and pray to Kṛṣṇa that He will help, it is not difficult to give up these habits. And as soon as you give up this wetting process, the sinful life, then immediately you become fifty percent purified to approach God. Then, by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, you make further, further, more and more progress. And when you are completely free of all sinful reaction, then you understand God and you love him. In the contaminated stage, you are trying to love so many things, but you are frustrated. So if you can love God, then you will never be frustrated and your loving desires will be fulfilled. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. We are teaching all our students how to love God. That's all right.
So now you can go with your other function. (end)
Prabhupāda: What is that?
Rāmāi dāsa: No illicit sex. No meat-eating. No gambling. No intoxication.
Prabhupāda: So your spiritual name... How many rounds do you chant?
Rāmāi dāsa: Sixteen rounds.
Prabhupāda: Hm.
Devotees: Jaya! Hari bol! ... (break)
Prabhupāda: It is not properly done. It should be stuck up. So, what are the prohibitive rules?
Bhakta: No meat-eating. No illicit sex. No gambling. No intoxication.
Prabhupāda: Mmm, and you will chant?
Bhakta: Sixteen rounds.
Prabhupāda: Yes. So what is his name?
Devotee (2): His spiritual name is Pūrṇacandra dāsa.
Devotees: Hari bol!
Prabhupāda: Hm?
Devotee (2): Distributes big books.
Prabhupāda: Acchā. So you are serving very nicely. I am very glad. So, what are the prohibitive rules?
Bhaktin Penny: No illicit sex. No gambling. No meat-eating. No intoxication.
Prabhupāda: Thank you very much. How many rounds will you chant?
Bhaktin Penny: Sixteen rounds every day.
Prabhupāda: Very good. What is her name?
Devotee (2): Bhaktin Penny's name is Śubha Lakṣmī dāsī.
Devotees: Hari bol! (laughter)
Prabhupāda: Bring money more.(laughter) Lakṣmī means money, (laughter) and śubha means auspicious. So long you bring money, you are auspicious. (laughter)
Prabhupāda: So your name is Rāja Lakṣmī.
Devotee (2): Rāja Lakṣmī. (laughter)
Prabhupāda: Royal, Rāja means royal. So, what are the rules and regulation?
Rāja Lakṣmī dāsī: No illicit sex. No meat-eating or eating anything that's not prasādam. No intoxication. No gambling or speculation.
Prabhupāda: Thank you. How many rounds will you chant?
Raja Lakṣmī dāsī: Sixteen.
Prabhupāda: Huh?
Raja Lakṣmī dāsī: Sixteen.
Prabhupāda: Thank you. Minimum. (laughter)
Devotees: Hari bol!
Prabhupāda: Hm.
Devotee (2): The next initiate is Bhaktin Eleanor... (break)
Bhaktin Eleanor: No intoxication. No illicit sex. No meat-eating. No gambling or speculation.
Prabhupāda: Thank you. What is the name?
Devotee (2): Bhaktin Eleanor's name is Mohinī Śakti dāsī.
Devotees: Hari bol!
Prabhupāda: Very nice name. It is Kṛṣṇa's incarnation. She allured the demons. Kṛṣṇa in the form of a beautiful woman allured the demons. The demons become allured by Kṛṣṇa's mohinī śakti. And devotees they are inclined to serve Kṛṣṇa being blessed by Rādhārāṇī. Hare Kṛṣṇa! Come on.
Devotees: Hari bol!
Devotee (2): The next initiate is Bhaktin..., Bhaktin Sue.
Prabhupāda: What are the rules?
Bhaktin Sue: No illicit sex. No meat-eating. No gambling and no intoxication.
So this is the... Initiation means beginning. Now, if you follow the rules and regulation—no illicit sex, no meat-eating, no gambling, no intoxication up to the drinking of tea and smoking and chewing pan... So these are considered as the four pillars of sinful life. So nobody can approach Kṛṣṇa with sinful activities. That is not possible.
- yeṣāṁ tv anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ
- janānāṁ puṇya-karmāṇām
- te dvanda-moha-nirmuktā
- bhajante māṁ dṛḍha-vratāḥ
So if you are actually serious, approaching Kṛṣṇa—He is paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramam (BG 10.12)—you have to cleanse yourself from all sinful activities. So therefore we request everyone to give up these habits: illicit sex, meat-eating, intoxication, and gambling. Then he becomes gradually purified. And if he chants Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra... Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12). One side, he should personally endeavor, and other side, he should chant, ceto-darpaṇa, the method of cleansing the heart.
So whatever you have promised before the Lord, before your spiritual master, before fire, before Vaiṣṇavas, never deviate from this promise. Then you will keep fixed up in your spiritual life: no illicit sex, no meat-eating, no gambling, no intoxication—these four no's—and chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa—one yes. Four no's and one yes. That will make your life successful. It is very easy. It is not difficult. But māyā is very strong, sometimes deviates us. So when there is endeavor by the māyā to deviate us, just pray to Kṛṣṇa, "Please save me. I am surrendered, fully surrendered, and kindly give me protection," and Kṛṣṇa will give you protection. But don't miss this opportunity. That is my request. I have all my good wishes and blessings upon you. So let us take the opportunity of bhakti, bhakti-latā-bīja. Mālī hañā sei bīja kare āropaṇa. So when you get a nice seed, we have to sow it within the earth. The example is, just like if you get very nice seed of first-class rose flower, so you sow it on the ground and just offer little, little water. It will grow. So this seed can be grown by watering. What is that watering? Śravaṇa kīrtana jale karaye secana (CC Madhya 19.152). This watering of the seed, bhakti-latā, is śravaṇa-kīrtana, hearing and chanting. So you will hear from the sannyāsīs and the Vaiṣṇavas more and more about it. But do not miss this opportunity. That is my request.
Thank you very much. (end)
Prabhupāda: You go on with your mantra. You can perform bathing ceremony. (chants Brahma-saṁhitā and Caitanya-caritāmṛta Ādi-līlā ślokas responsively for installation of Gaura-Nitāi Deities) That's all. Now what is next? (break) What are the regulative principles?
Initiate: No illicit sex, no intoxication, no gambling, (pauses) no eating meat.
Prabhupāda: Yes. (laughter)
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Mitrātmaja dāsa.
Prabhupāda: Your name is Mitrātmaja. Hare Kṛṣṇa.
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Randy prabhu?
Prabhupāda: Oh, he is not shaven-headed? You have not shaven your head? Why you have not shaven your head?
Randy: Umm, because I have a full-time job. I work in a company.
Prabhupāda: Hmm? What is that full-time job?
Mādhavānanda: He's working at a very responsible job.
Prabhupāda: Somewhere. Where?
Mādhavānanda: At Burroughs Corporation.
Prabhupāda: All right. So what are the rules and regulations?
Randy: The four principles are no meat-eating, no gambling, no intoxication, no illicit sex life.
Prabhupāda: So, what?
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Ramiya.
Prabhupāda: Ramiya dāsa. Hare Kṛṣṇa.
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Jim prabhu, Jim from Detroit.
Prabhupāda: Tad-viddhi praṇipātena (BG 4.34). Praṇipātena. This is praṇipāt. So what are the rules and regulations?
Jim: No eating of meat, fish or eggs, no illicit sex, no intoxication, and no speculation.
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Jiyātulya.
Prabhupāda: Jiyātulya dāsa.
Prabhupāda: Hmm. You are also responsible officer?
Mādhavānanda: Yes.
Prabhupāda: So what are the rules and regulations?
John: No illicit sex life, no meat-eating, no gambling and no intoxication.
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Juṣya.
Prabhupāda: Juṣya dāsa. Hare Kṛṣṇa.
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Margaret.
Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa. You know what are the rules and regulations?
Margaret: No meat-eating, no illicit sex life, no intoxication, and no gambling.
Prabhupāda: She's married.
Mādhavānanda: To that boy
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Mihira-kanyā.
Prabhupāda: Mihira-kanyā.
Prabhupāda: (japa) What are the rules and regulations?
John D.: No gambling, no intoxication, no illicit sex, no intoxication, no eating meat.
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Paramparā dāsa.
Prabhupāda: Paramparā das.
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: From Chicago, Glenn.
Prabhupāda: What are the rules and regulations?
Glenn: One must not engage in meat-eating, illicit sex, gambling or mental speculation, or intoxication.
Prabhupāda: Thank you.
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Gaura dāsa.
Prabhupāda: Gaura dāsa. (japa)
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Jim from Chicago. Ann Arbor, Miles from Ann Arbor.
Dhṛṣṭadyumna: He's working, Śrīla Prabhupāda.
Prabhupāda: So, what are the rules and regulations.
Initiate: No meat-eating, no illicit sex life, no intoxication and no gambling.
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Mitravān dāsa.
Prabhupāda: Amara is male name. Amarā. Make it Amarā. Amarā. Amarā dāsī. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Come on.
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Matthew from St. Louis.
Prabhupāda: (japa) What are the rules and regulations?
Matthew: No meat-eating, no illicit sex, no gambling, no intoxication.
Prabhupāda: Hmm. What is name?
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Mathurā-pati.
Prabhupāda: Mathurā-pati das.
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Jim from (indistinct).
Prabhupāda: What are the rules and regulations?
Jim: No illicit sex, no meat-eating, no intoxication, no gambling.
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Citta-vratā.
Prabhupāda: Citta-vratā dāsa.
Prabhupāda: (japa) What are the rules and regulations?
Lenny: No meat, fish or eggs, no intoxication, no gambling, no illicit sex.
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Cakrī.
Prabhupāda: Cakrī dāsa.
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: John?
Prabhupāda: You did not... What are the rules and regulations? (japa) What are the rules and regulations?
John: No meat-eating, no illicit sex, no intoxication, and no gambling.
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Śāśvata.
Prabhupāda: Śāśvata dāsa. Hare Kṛṣṇa.
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: John prabhu, from Rādhā-Dāmodara party, is he here? John Rhode? Is he here? Lazlow?
Prabhupāda: (japa) What are the rules and regulations?
Lazlow: No illicit sex, no meat-eating, no intoxication and no gambling.
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Viśva.
Prabhupāda: What are the rules and regulations?
Jim: No meat-eating, no intoxication, no illicit sex, no gambling.
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Jitendriya.
Prabhupāda: Jitendriya das.
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: John from Rādhā-Dāmodara?
Prabhupāda: (japa) What are the rules and regulations? (break)
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Sergio! (devotee comes up)
Prabhupāda: What are the rules and regulations? Huh? What are the rules and regulations?
Sergio: No meat, fish or egg eating, no gambling, no intoxication, no illicit sex.
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Śaṅkhi.
Prabhupāda: Śaṅkha dāsa.
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Śaṅkhi.
Prabhupāda: Śaṅkha dāsa.
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Henry?
Prabhupāda: What are the rules and regulations?
Henry: No meat-eating, no gambling, no illicit sex, no intoxication.
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Ajñāya.
Prabhupāda: Ajñāya das.
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Are there any prabhus I may have overlooked? First initiations?
Prabhupāda: Now, where is the yajña? Will perform yajña? Begin, begin. (japa) Begin, begin. (gives some instructions) (fire sacrifice continues, Pradyumna recites prayers) (end)
So loke, in this material world, vyavāya āmiṣa madya sevā. Vyavāya means sex indulgence, sex life. And āmiṣa means meat, fish, egg-eating. Āmiṣa. Therefore vegetarian diet is called nirāmiṣa, not āmiṣa. So it is general tendency of the living being to become āmiṣa, to eat meat. That is the general laws of nature. Jīvo jīvasya jīvanam. One living entity is the life for another living entity. Ahastāni sahastānām. There are animals, two-legged animals, and there are four-legged animals. The four-legged animals is the food for the two-legged animals. So long we remain as animals, then there is the necessity of eating meat. Ahastāni sahastānām. Hasta means hands. So those who are living like animals, only two legs. The other animals, four legs, and here is an animal of two legs, dvipad-paśu. For them, the animal is eatable, āmiṣa-madya sevā. And drinking wine, or intoxication, and vyavāya, sex life. Loke vyavāyāmiṣa-madya sevayā nityastu jantu. So long he is jantu, these things are required. Pravṛttir eṣā bhūtānāṁ nivṛttis tu mahā-phalā. That is general tendency. But when one gives up voluntarily for higher status of life, that is called nivṛtti-mārga. Pravṛtti-mārga and nivṛtti-mārga. Pravṛtti-mārga means to fulfill these desires, āmiṣa vyavāya madya sevā. But when one is trained up to give up these habits, that is called nirvrtti-mārga. So we have got so many pravṛttis, inclinations. But when you voluntarily give up all these nonsense habits, that is called nivṛtti-mārga and tapasya.
So human life is meant for tapasya. Tapo-divyaṁ putrakā yena śuddhyed sattvam (SB 5.5.1). Don't be carried away by the general, menial, abominable tendencies. Therefore tapasya required. Tapa, we prescribe for tapasya no illicit sex, no meat-eating, no intoxication and no gambling. This is tapasya. This is tapasya. We have to accept if we want superior position of life. Tapo divyam. Tapasya, the aim of tapasya is to be situated on the transcendental platform of knowledge. Tapo divyam.
So this initiation means... Don't think that it is something official, ritualistic ceremony, and as soon as we get the initiation, now we have become perfect, and then whatever nonsense I like I can do. No. Tapasya must continue. Tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena śuddhyed sattvam (SB 5.5.1). In order to purify yourself, your existence, you have to continue the tapasya—no illicit sex, no meat-eating, no gambling, no intoxication, and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. If you follow these five principles, then your existence will be purified, you'll understand Kṛṣṇa from the Bhagavad-gītā, you'll know Kṛṣṇa, you'll know what is the purpose of life. The purpose of life is to understand Kṛṣṇa. There is no other business in this human form of life, but because we have given up Kṛṣṇa we have invented so many occupational duties. So these so-called occupational duties, running here and there on motorcar, is not the end of life. There is something more for the human being, and that is divya-jñāna. Tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena śuddhyed sattvam, yasmād brahma-saukhyaṁ tv anantam (SB 5.5.1). Why shall I purify my existence? Because you want happiness. That is your desire.
Prabhupāda: No. Why the men? Anyone can come. Take one, yes.
Devotee: Steve? Steve? (devotee offers obeisances)
Prabhupāda: So you know the rules and regulations?
Steve: No meat-eating, no intoxication, no gambling, and no illicit sex life.
Prabhupāda: And chanting?
Steve: Sixteen rounds per day.
Prabhupāda: Minimum.
Pradyumna: Sthiti-kartā dāsa.
Prabhupāda: Your spiritual name, Sthiti-kartā dāsa.
Devotees: Jaya, Haribol. (another devotee offers obeisances)
Devotee: All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda.
Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa.
Prabhupāda: You know what are the rules and regulations, regulative principles?
Devotee: No meat-eating, no intoxication, no illicit sex and no gambling.
Prabhupāda: Your spiritual name, Gauḍīya dāsa.
Hari-śauri: Robert Richards? (devotee offers obeisances)
Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa. (devotees chant japa) What are the rules and regulations?
Robert: No illicit sex life, no meat-eating, no gambling, and no intoxication.
Prabhupāda: Prabhu-pati dāsa.
Hari-śauri: Bhakta Lloyd?
Prabhupāda: Is he a doctor?
Hari-śauri: Bhakta.
Prabhupāda: Hmm. Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. What are the rules and regulations?
Lloyd: No illicit sex, no intoxication, no gambling and no meat-eating.
Prabhupāda: Līlā-kīrtana dāsa. (another devotee offers obeisances) What are the rules?
Devotee: No illicit sex life, no intoxication, no gambling, no meat-eating, and minimum sixteen rounds.
Prabhupāda: Thank you.
Pradyumna: Devideva dāsa.
Prabhupāda: Devideva dāsa. Hare Kṛṣṇa. What are the rules and regulations?
Devotee: No illicit sex, no intoxication, no gambling, no meat-eating, chanting minimum sixteen rounds of Hare Kṛṣṇa.
Pradyumna: Deśikā dāsa.
Prabhupāda: Diksik?
Pradyumna: Deśikā
Prabhupāda: Oh. Deśikā dāsa.
Prabhupāda: Oh. Deśikā dāsa.
Hari-śauri: Bhakta Ivan?
Prabhupāda: (japa) What are the rules and regulations?
Ivan: No intoxication, no meat-eating, no sex illicit, no gambling.
Pradyumna: Īśāvatāra dāsa.
Prabhupāda: Īśāvatāra dāsa.
Hari-śauri: Richard Hoffman?
Prabhupāda: (japa) What are the rules and regulations?
Richard: No illicit sex, no meat-eating, no intoxication, no gambling.
Pradyumna: Ṛṣi dāsa.
Prabhupāda: Ṛṣi dāsa.
Hari-śauri: Gary Hannon?
Prabhupāda: What are the rules?
Gary: No illicit sex, no meat-eating, no intoxication and no gambling.
Prabhupāda: Gurubhāvanā dāsa.
Gary: No illicit sex, no meat-eating, no intoxication and no gambling.
Prabhupāda: Gurubhāvanā dāsa.
Hari-śauri: Bhakta Allen?
Prabhupāda: What are the rules and regulations?
Allen: No gambling, no meat-eating, no intoxication and no illicit sex.
Prabhupāda: So after performance of the sacrifice, those who are to be doubly initiated, how many? Eight. They may come upstairs, one by one. So one thing I request that these promises—no illicit sex, no meat-eating, no intoxication, no gambling—these promises are made by you before Kṛṣṇa, before the fire, before the Vaiṣṇavas and before your spiritual master. Don't break it. It will be great sin. Thank you very much.
Devotees: Jaya Prabhupāda. (end)
So some of the devotees who are now eager to accept the spiritual life very seriously, and they have come to take initiation, this is the first initiation. And after some time when they are accustomed, they... Now they have to promise that they'll give up four sinful activities. Sinful activity... If you indulge in sinful activities there cannot be any spiritual advancement. That is not possible. Just like here there will be fire. If you favorably ignite the fire, it will be blazing. But if you ignite the fire and pour water at the same time, then there will be no blazing fire. Similarly, to advance in spiritual life and at the same time indulge in sinful activities will not help us. The sinful act... The basic principles of sinful activities are mentioned in the śāstra-striya, sūnā, dyūta, pāna. Pāna means intoxication, including chewing pan and drinking tea. Chaya pāna. So one has to give up this pāna. And drinking, smoking, drinking tea, chewing pan should be given up. Pāna. This is one of the pillar of the sinful activity. And meat-eating. Meat, fish, eggs, they should be given up. And gambling, dyūta, pāna dyūta (SB 1.17.38), that should be given up. And avaidha stri-saṅgi should be given up. In this way, if you become cleansed, then... Just like if we get dry wood, then the fire ignites very easily. If we get moist wood, then it takes some time. So voluntarily we should give up these sinful activities. Then spiritual advancement of life will be very quick. And those who are being first-initiated, they must chant at least sixteen rounds. Saṅkhyā-pūrvaka-nāma-gāna-natibhiḥ. The Gosvāmīs, they showed us the way. Saṅkhyā-pūrvaka. So many rounds we must chant, at least. Haridas Ṭhākura was chanting three hundred thousand times. We cannot do that. That is not possible. So we have made a minimum, sixteen rounds.
Prabhupāda: What are the rules?
Devotee (1): Four rules.
Devotee (2): No intoxication, no meat-eating, no illicit sex, no gambling.
Harikeśa: Kṛṣṇa-kiśora dāsa.
Prabhupāda: So your spiritual name, Kṛṣṇa-kiśora dāsa. What are the rules and regulations? (Hindi) He does not understand English? Hindi?
Devotee (3): No meat-eating, no intoxication, no illicit sex life, no gambling.
Prabhupāda: That's it.
Harikeśa: Sudhīra dāsa.
Prabhupāda: Sudhīra. Dhīras tatra na muhyati (BG 2.13). You are sudhīra.
Harikeśa: Vrajeśvara Prāṇa?
Prabhupāda: What are the rules and regulations? (Hindi)
Prabhupāda: Abhayāśraya.
Pradyumna: Bhakta Allen? Ātmānanda? Ātma-tattva dāsa.
Prabhupāda: (Hindi) Kya niyama hai?
Allen: No meat-eating, no intoxication, no illicit sex, no gambling.
Prabhupāda: (Hindi) Ātmānanda dāsa.
Pradyumna: Ātma-tattva dāsa.
Prabhupāda: Ātma-tattva dāsa.
Devotees: Jaya!
Pradyumna: Lakṣmaṇa? Bhakta Lakṣmaṇa?
Devotee: Pay full obeisances. Fall flat.
Prabhupāda: (Hindi) Kya niyama hai?
Laksman: (Hindi)
Pradyumna: Lakṣmīśa dāsa.
Prabhupāda: What are the rules and regulations?
Robin: No egg or fish, no meat-eating, no illicit sex, no intoxication, and no gambling.
Pradyumna: Atīndra dāsa.
Prabhupāda: Atīndra dāsa.
Pradyumna: Roger?
Prabhupāda: Walk very carefully. You should come very carefully to get beads.(?)
Lokanātha: Excuse me, prabhus. I'll repeat one more time, do not touch any of these things. Be careful.
Prabhupāda: Not touch nor cross.
Lokanātha: Not even go over it. It is offensive. Please make a way.
Prabhupāda: What are the rules?
Roger: No intoxication, no meat-eating, no gambling, no illicit sex. Chant sixteen rounds daily.
Pradyumna: Revatī-kumāra.
Prabhupāda: Revatī-kumāra dāsa.
Cornerstone Ceremonies
So this Kali-yuga, as described by our Gaura-Govinda Mahārāja, a bhankara (?) yuga. But there is one opportunity, kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya mukta-saṅgaḥ paraṁ vrajet. This is the message of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and a little attempt was made at the age of seventy years. Of course, my Guru Mahārāja asked me... When I was twenty-five years old, I first met him. He asked me to do this task. But I thought that "Let me adjust my family life, and then I shall do this." But I took it very seriously. But family life, never it was adjusted, so he forced me at the ripe old age to take up this work. So I tried to make an experiment that nobody had done: "Let me try." But I tried sincerely, so by the grace of my Guru... Guru-Kṛṣṇa, they favored me. When I was on the Commonwealth Jetty, Pier, yes, I was thinking that "Who will hear me? As soon as I shall say to these people that 'No illicit sex, no meat-eating, no intoxication and no gambling,' immediately they will say, 'Please go home. Don't talk here.' " Because I know that. This is their daily life. But by the grace of Kṛṣṇa they agreed. All these students, all these disciples... I do not accept anyone as my disciple that "You can do whatever you like." No. My first condition is that "You must be sinless."
Wedding Ceremonies
Anyway in this age, marriage, according to our Vaiṣṇava principles, marriage is allowed because there is male, there is female. Why they should not unite? But not illegally. So when I came in this country in New York, the boys and girls, they were coming, and some of them offered me to become disciples. So I saw that most of the boys and girls, they are keeping the boyfriend, girlfriend. So I requested them that if you want to make progress in spiritual life, you have to refrain from four kinds of sinful activities, and these four kinds of sinful activities are illicit sex life, first; second, nonvegetarian diet; third, intoxication; fourth, gambling. Unless one is free from these four principal activities, one cannot make progress in spiritual life. Because God is pure, pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān, so no impure soul can approach Him. This body is the sign of impurity because soul has no material body. So anyone in this material world who has this material body is to be considered as sinful. But how to get out of this? To get out of it, everything, dovetailing with spiritual life. Nirbandhe kṛṣṇa-sambandhe yukta-vairāgyam ucyate. The example is just like milk. If you take too much milk, then there will be disorders in the bowels. You'll have to pass so many stools. But when you approach to a physician... Of course, I am speaking of the Āyur-Vedic Indian physician.
So this is one side. Another side, that some way or other, since I have begun this movement in this country, generally, the youngsters, they come to me. Maybe to some other reasons. But my disciples up to date, they're all from twenty to thirty years old. Those who are thirty, thirty-two years, they're old. They're amongst the elder generation. But I see the boys and girls, they come to me as friends. But according to our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, we do not allow boys and girls living without any marriage bondage. Illicit sex life we don't allow. We prohibit four things: illicit sex life, intoxication, and meat-eating and gambling. Those who become our student, we prohibit first of all these four things. And if we find some of the girls and some of the boys, they are strictly following, and if they are agreeable, then we arrange for their marriage. So there are many instances of marriage like this. They were living very irresponsibly in the former life. Now they are preaching this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Some of my students, they are married couples, young men. Six of them have gone to England. They are preaching very nicely. Very nicely. They have attracted the attention of respectable gentlemen like Lord Mountbatten, Lord Sorenson, and the High Commissioner of India, Mr. Dhavan. So they're doing very nicely. So our principle is to make people God conscious; thereby they will be happy. And the method is very simple. Just like we do not deny anything. We give nice wife, we give nice husband, we give nice foodstuff, we give nice philosophy, and at last, we give the nicest thing, Kṛṣṇa. So our program is very nice. Any gentleman come and discuss with us. We shall prove this is the nicest program at the present moment.
General Lectures
So if we understand this small philosophy, that constitutionally I am servant... There is no doubt. Nobody can say that "I am free, I am master." Nobody can say. If he thinks like that, that is māyā. It is false. Can anybody say in this meeting that he's not servant of anybody or anything? He must be, because that is his constitutional position. But the difficulty is that by serving our senses, there is no solution of the problem, of the miseries. For the time being, I may satisfy myself that I have taken this intoxication, and under the spell of this intoxication I may think that "I am nobody's servant. I am free," but that is artificial. As soon as the hallucination is gone, he comes to the point, again servant. Again servant.
So this is our position. But why this struggle is there? I am being forced to serve, but I don't wish to serve. What is the adjustment? The adjustment is Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that if you become servant of Kṛṣṇa, then your aspiration to become master, at the same time your aspiration of freedom, is immediately achieved. Just like here you'll see one picture of Arjuna and Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Lord. Arjuna is a living entity, living being, a human being, but he is in love with Kṛṣṇa as friend.
Now we are, everyone, searching after some standard of life where we will have no anxiety. That is the aim of everyone. Why we are struggling? We are trying to approach a certain point. Just like two parties playing on football, they are, each one of them, trying to approach the goal. That is victory. So everyone is trying to gain something, according to different position, according to different idea. Not everyone is searching after the same thing. Somebody searching after material pleasure, somebody searching after intoxication, somebody is searching after sex, somebody is searching after money, somebody is searching after knowledge, somebody is searching after so many things. But there is one thing. If we can get that, attain to that perfection, then we shall be satisfied and we shall say that "We do not want anything." Svāmin kṛtārtho 'smi varaṁ na yāce (CC Madhya 22.42). There are many instances. So there is like that, and that is Kṛṣṇa. If you can simply understand Kṛṣṇa, then your knowledge is perfect, you understand everything. You understand science, you understand mathematics, you understand chemistry, physics, astronomy, philosophy, literature, everything. It is so nice.
Govinda dāsī: Intoxication.
Prabhupāda: Intoxication. Oh, it is very difficult. Why they avoid Kṛṣṇa consciousness? Just like our friend Allen Ginsberg, he says, "Swamijī is very conservative." And so many friends, they ask me, "Swamijī, why you impose these rules?" You see? The people are so unable. Their inability is so strong that these four principles only... You want sex life? All right. We say that you get yourself married. But that is also difficult. Intoxication? Nobody has learned smoking from the beginning of his life. It is simply by association. So if you associate with us, you'll forget smoking, drinking. It was learned by association, you can forget it by association. No child used to eat meat from the very birth. It was milk. So this is all artificial, the so-called conventions of human society. Natural life does not allow all these things. So by good or bad association you have acquired so many artificial, I mean to say, habits. So simply by association you can forget also. Then you come to the pure life. And God is pure. Just like without being heated, you cannot stand in a place which is very heated. The temperature must be the same. This is known to everyone. So God is pure. You cannot approach God being impure. So the whole process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is purificatory process. Hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate (CC Madhya 19.170). Hṛṣīka, hṛṣīka means senses, and Hṛṣīkeśa means the master of the senses, the Lord of the senses, Kṛṣṇa. So by engaging your senses in the service of the master of the senses, that is called bhakti. Now, how you can do that? Tat-paratvena nirmalam. You have to simply purify. Then it is easily possible. So Kṛṣṇa consciousness means to adopt the purificatory process, and then you have got natural engagement in the service of the Lord, your life is perfect. Yes?
Young man (5): Do you think that drugs would help attain the Kṛṣṇa consciousness?
Prabhupāda: It is nonsense. It will not help, but it is nonsense. We don't allow any kind of intoxication.
Young man (5): Does it interfere with the, the soul?
Prabhupāda: Yes. It is artificial. You are already artificially complicated by your, this body, because you have got this body. And you want to make yourself more complicated? And do you mean to say that is advancement? You have to get free. So just like in order to get free from a type of disease one has to take proper medicine and proper diet, similarly, in order to get out of this material contamination, you have to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. This is the medicine. And you have to take Kṛṣṇa prasādam, the diet. The disease will be cured. Simple method. And it is practically seen. When these boys came to me first, from that time and this time, their face has changed so much. And what I am giving them? These fruits, Kṛṣṇa prasāda, that's all, and chanting. Their mind, their face, their activity, their habit, their character—everything has changed. But what is the process? This medicine and this diet. That's all. There is no surgical operation. It is very simple. You take to it and you see the result. Yes?
This mango example or any other material example, we can accept it so far the growth is required, concerned, but material example is not perfect. Just like mango, when it is ripe, somebody eats, that's all right. Otherwise it will overripe, it will decompose, it will fall down, and finish. That is material. But spiritual is not like that. It is not finished. If you once come to the stage of mature stage of love, then that perfectional stage continues eternally, and your life is successful. Premā pum-artho mahān. There are many different types of perfection in this material world. Somebody is thinking, "This is perfection of life." Materialists, they are thinking, "If I can enjoy my senses very nicely, that is perfection of life." That is their point of view. And when they are frustrated, they find out, or try to find out, something better. So if he's not guided, something better means the same—sex and intoxication. That's all. Simply becomes irresponsible. That's all. Because there is no guide. He's finding out, searching out something better, but because there is no guide, he comes to the same sense or sex and intoxication—to forget. A businessman, when he's failure, so much disturbance. He tries to forget him by drinking. But this is artificial way. This is not actually the remedy. How long you can forget? Sleep—how long you can sleep? Again wake up, again you are in the same position. That is not the way. But if you come to the stage of love of Godhead, then naturally you forget all this nonsense. Naturally. Paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate (BG 2.59). If you find out something more palatable, more relishable, you give up nonsense things which is not so nice to taste.
Always putting in some sort of misery. And the civil department of Kṛṣṇa, ānandāmbudhi-vardhanam. You simply go on increasing the, I mean to say, depth of the ocean of joy. Ānandambudhi-vardhanam. That is the difference, yogamāyā and mahāmāyā. Yogamāyā is... Yogamāyā, the original yogamāyā, is Kṛṣṇa's internal potency. That is Rādhārāṇī. And mahāmāyā is external potency, Durgā. This Durgā is explained in Brahma-saṁhitā, sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya-sādhana-śaktir ekā chāyeva yasya bhuvanāni bibharti durgā (Bs. 5.44). Durgā is the superintending goddess of this whole material world. Everything is going on under his, under her control. Prakṛti, prakṛti is energy. Energy is accepted as feminine. Just like these materialistic persons, they are also working under some energy. What is that energy? The sex life. That's all. They're troubling so much: "Oh, at night I'll have sex life." That's all. That is the energy. Yan maithunādi-gṛhamedhi-sukhaṁ hi tuccham (SB 7.9.45). Their life is based on the sex. That's all. Everyone is working so hard, culminating in sex. That's all. This is material life. So energy. The material energy means sex. So that is energy. If a person who is working in the factory, if you stop sex, he cannot work. And when he's unable to enjoy sex life, then he takes intoxication. This is material life. So energy must be there. Here in the material world the energy is sex, and in the spiritual world the energy is love. Here the love is misrepresented in sex. That is not love; that is lust. Love is only possible with Kṛṣṇa, nowhere else. Nowhere else love is possible. That is misrepresentation of love. That is lust. So love and lust. Love is yogamāyā, and lust is mahāmāyā. That's all. (long pause) Is that all right?
"Come on, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and become delivered." So nice thing. Pāpī-tāpī yata chilo, hari-nāme uddhārila. What is the evidence that He has? Ta 'ra sākṣī jagāi and mādhāi. Jagāi-Mādhāi, they were two brothers, debauch number one. You see. They were all kinds of sinful affairs. They were drunkards, they were woman hunters, meat-eaters, so many things. And, of course, they were born in a very high brāhmaṇa family, but bad association, they became like that. Similarly, at the present age, this human society, although they are coming from the Aryan family, very nice family, but due to association the only environment is there's woman and intoxication, meat-eating, and gambling. That's all. So Jagāi-Mādhāi is the specimen sample of this population, and Lord Caitanya delivered them simply by this Hare Kṛṣṇa. So this chanting process, Hare Kṛṣṇa, will actually deliver all these fallen souls without any failure. It is not bogus propaganda. Anyone who will take to this chanting process, whatever, you don't consider about his past life. He will become saintly. He will become a pure Kṛṣṇa conscious person. So pāpī-tāpī yata chilo, hari-nāme uddhārilo, ta 'ra sākṣī jagāi-mādhāi. The evidence is Jagāi-Mādhāi.
Then that is suggested by Prahlāda Mahārāja: naiṣāṁ matis tāvad urukramāṅghrim (SB 7.5.32). One cannot become Kṛṣṇa consciousness..., one cannot become Kṛṣṇa conscious, naiṣāṁ matis tāvad urukramāṅghrim anartha, anarthāpagamo yad-arthaḥ. Spṛśaty anarthāpagamo yad-arthaḥ. As soon as one becomes Kṛṣṇa conscious or one becomes in touch with Kṛṣṇa consciousness, spṛśaty, anartha, immediately he becomes delivered from all these misgivings of material existence. That is the test. How one is in contact with Kṛṣṇa consciousness will be tested—how he is freed from all misgivings. Just like for example—not very gigantic example; very small—our students, as soon as they take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, initiated, immediately so many misgivings they give up. So many. The basic principles of misgiving, what is that? No illicit sex, no intoxication, no meat-eating, no gambling. It is very difficult for persons, especially in the Western countries, to give up all these habits. They are so much entangled. Even Lord Ronaldsay said, Marquis of Zetland... One of my Godbrothers, some years ago, in 1935 he went to London, and Lord Zetland, Marquis of Zetland, Lord Ronaldsay... He was a Scotsman. I don't think whether he is living, but he was very interested in Indian philosophy. He was once governor of Bengal. In our childhood we saw him. He came to our college.
So, (reading:) "Is the chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa the answer to living successfully in today's world?" Oh, that is the only successful living in this, today's world. So long people do not understand it, they are still in the darkness. This is the only. Why it is the only? Just see these boys, these girls. I have not imported from India. I came here single-handed with seven dollars. I have got hundreds of students like that. How they have changed, their character, their behavior. I have given them life. Some of them are married. They are living very nicely. They have got children, and they have given up their all bad habits. You see? They are not, I mean to say, eating meat. They have no illicit sex life. They are strictly vegetarian. They are preparing nice foodstuff from vegetable and grains. They do not take part, intoxication. They do not smoke even. Just see practically. If everyone becomes like them, then what is the trouble? If you encourage them to indulge in illicit sex life, to become intoxicants, to gambler and eating everything, without any discrimination, then how you can expect to have very good men in this world? They are mad. So this question, that "Is this chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa the answer to living successfully in today's...?" What do you mean by "successfully living"? Successfully living does not mean that you work hard just like cats and dogs, and eat something and have sex life at night. That is not successful life. That successful life is there even in the cats and dogs and hogs. The hogs are also laboring very hard. The cats and dogs, they are also for their food. And the sex is there. Everything is there.
The next austerity, we say that don't take any animal food. There is no need of taking. Perhaps you are coming to our love feast. We can prepare. Of course, these boys and girls, they are not very expert, but still, whatever they have learned, and they are supplying prasādam to your American boys and girls, and people, they are appreciating very much. In Los Angeles—that is our biggest temple in your country—we get in every love feast day not less than two hundred guests. They come from far away with their car and they take. They like it. You see? So if you accept this austerity, that "We shall not eat meat, but we can have very nice foodstuff from grains, from fruits, from vegetables, milk, sugar, so many nice foodstuff," you will forget. Simply you have to learn. That is not very severe austerity. Simply our process is Kṛṣṇa consciousness, how from this present consciousness we want to change to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So these austerities are required: no illicit sex life, no meat-eating, no intoxication. No intoxication. Our boys and girls, they do not even smoke. They do not take tea, coffee, and what to speak of other intoxicants. They were intoxicated. Some of them were LSD, but they have given up to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. And no gambling. These four principles you accept. It is not very difficult, not very severe. Simply you have to be willing, "Yes. Why? If I can live on such nice foodstuff, why shall I take to animal food, for which so many animals have to be killed, so many birds have to be killed?"
So it was... It is not very difficult. Because it is composed in Sanskrit words, it does not mean that you cannot chant. We have experimented. Now, I ask my students... They are all American boys and girls. None of them are Indian or Hindu. Not only here in Boston, but in many other cities like New York and San Francisco, Los Angeles, Buffalo, Santa Fe, Montreal, so they are very nicely chanting and enjoying. Not only that, I have got some restriction. The student who comes to me for initiation, I ask them to restrict some habits. So they are easily doing that also. Just like I ask them not to indulge in any intoxication, including smoking, tea-taking, coffee-taking. So they are following. And I ask them not to eat meat. These things are very usual things in your country, but my students they are very easily following. They don't feel any difficulty. So this formula, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, this sound vibration, you can practice it. It is not difficult. There is no secret. I don't say that "I have got a secret mantra which I shall give you, and you pay me fifty dollars" or like that. It is open secret. You have simply to accept kindly. Then you see the result. There is no loss on your part, but the gain is very great. Why don't you try it? I request you, most humbly I request you that you kindly chant these sixteen names—Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma... We have got our record also. If you want to practice, you can play the record and it will be very easy. So this is my humble request to you American ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls. It is not difficult, but it has got a sublime effect. You will find it. If you practice it, you will find it.
So the self-realization process is to be achieved by this human form of life. That is... Our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is indicating everyone. We are teaching that "Don't spoil your this rare human form of life simply by engaging yourself in the matter of sense gratification." Because sense gratification ample, or sufficient sense gratification opportunity you had even in the hog's life. Because we have migrated, we have evolved from hog's life also. Sometimes we had been a hog or a dog or something like that. Now we have come to this stage of life, this life should not be spoiled like the cats, dogs and hogs. But we should have some restraint and realize ourself. This possibility is there simply by chanting these sixteen words: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. This is possible. This is practical. Since I came to your country in 1965... Of course, for one year I was traveling here and there, but in 1966 I established first my class in New York at 26 Second Avenue. Then there were many branches now. We have got about sixteen branches all over the country. And these students, they are chanting, and they have taken to the austerity. I don't accept any cheap student or cheap disciple. My first condition is that there is no illicit sex life, there is no intoxication, there is no gambling, and there is no meat-eating. These four principles are there, but all my students in these twenty, about sixteen centers—one in London, one in Germany—but you will be surprised that all these boys and girls, they have taken to this austerity very seriously. They're not drinking even tea or smoking a cigarette.
Indian man: Is there any place in the movement for the drug addicts, a new class which has come...
Prabhupāda: Yes. Our students are forbidden not to accept any kind of intoxication. They do not drink even tea or coffee, or they do not smoke, what to speak of other things. That is our first condition to become disciple: no illicit sex life, no intoxication, no meat-eating, no gambling. These four things must be there. Otherwise we don't accept anyone as disciple.
Indian man: Because for an average American, a man in the street who doesn't know what Hinduism means, he thinks...
Prabhupāda: This is Hinduism.
Indian man: ...probably this is a meeting of hippies going on here.
Prabhupāda: Hippies who are coming in our touch, they are giving up all these things even. Because they are not guided—misguided—they are seeking after something better, but there is no leader. But this movement will give them relief, to everyone. We are... Anyone who comes to us for initiation, our first condition is that there should be no illicit sex life, no boyfriend-girlfriend. No. Just get yourself married. Although I am sannyāsī, I have no connection with this marriage, but I do it for the sake of my disciples, just to settle them nicely. So all the boys or girls, they are being married. In Boston, while I was coming, there was three couples married. So they are living peacefully. There is no intoxication. They do not smoke even, do not take even tea or coffee. And they are taking nice prasādam every day. They are happy, they are healthy, and chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. That's all.
First of all, you come to the goodness of consciousness. When you come to the goodness of consciousness, then you become a brāhmaṇa. What is the quality of brāhmaṇa? Satya śama dama titikṣa ārjava, jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyaṁ brahma-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.42). You come to the brahminical position, or stage. Then you will be truthful. First thing is truthful, satyam. Śamam, self-controlled; damam, the senses are controlled, mind is controlled. We are practically driven by the uncontrolled mind and uncontrolled senses. So when you come to the brahminical position, then your senses become controlled, your mind becomes controlled. Just like our students, all our students, how they are controlling? They are also born in your country. They are also Americans. None of my students are Indian. But how they are controlling illicit sex life? How they are controlling not to drink, not to take any intoxicants? How they are controlling not to take part in gambling? No illicit sex, no meat-eating. You are born eating meat. How they have given up? Because they have come to the stage of this brahminical understanding—satya, śama, dama, titikṣa. Titikṣa means tolerance. Suppose any one of my students was practiced to all these habits and by my word, if they have given up, they may be feeling some inconvenience. Still, they are tolerating. That should be done, tolerating. Titikṣa, ārjava, simplicity. They have taken my words by simple faith, simplicity, ārjava, sad-lata (?). Then jñānam, then their understanding what is Kṛṣṇa consciousness; vijñānam, they are applying in practical life. Āstikyam, they are believing in the śāstras, in the Vedic literature. Brahma-karma svabhāva-jam: (BG 18.42) "This is the nature of a brāhmaṇa." Therefore, as soon as I see, I give him the sacred thread: "Yes. You are now recognized brāhmaṇa."
We should not indulge in that. In our ten kinds of offenses in chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra there is one item, you know: nāmnād balād yasya hi pāpa-buddhiḥ. The... We are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. So we are, I mean to say, becoming free from the sinful reactions of our past activities. But if we think that "Because I am now..., I have got a machine of chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, so I shall commit as much sin as possible and it will be counteracted by this process," oh, that is the greatest sin. You cannot do that. You cannot make Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra as agent of nullifying your sinful activities. Similarly, you cannot make God or His agent or His representative as a machine for counteracting your sinful activities. You should stop. Therefore niḥśeṣa-mano-rathāntaraḥ. Niḥśeṣa. You must cease all kinds of sinful activities. We prescribe to our students that "You should not do this, you should not do this, you should not do this." That is a warning that these are the different gates of sinful activity. If you indulge in illicit sex life, then you open the gate of sinful activities, and you go deeper and deeper. Similarly, if you take meat-eating, that is also opening the gate of sinful activities. Similarly, if you indulge in gambling or intoxication... These are the gates. As Ṛṣabhadeva has said, tamo-dvāraṁ yoṣitāṁ saṅgi-saṅgam. If you indulge in the process of... These are sense gratificatory process. Why a person eats meat? It is simply sense gratification. Now our students, they have given up eating meat. Are they dying? They are eating nicely, capatis, vegetables. So it is simply sense gratification, that "I like this." Why you like? This is not a liking thing. But we shall, for sense gratification we are prepared to enter into the darkest region of the hell. We should not do that. Therefore praśānta.
Similarly, if you actually love Kṛṣṇa, then, in spite of your being engaged in so many works, you can think of Kṛṣṇa, full meditation. That is possible, practical. If you have got, I mean to say, very eager attraction for a certain thing, in spite of your acting differently, you are thinking of that. There are many examples. Suppose somebody beloved, your son, is ill at home. You have come to office to work. You are working but you are thinking, "How is the boy? How the child is there? How the child is there?" It is a question of love only. So there are certain processes, regulative processes. If you follow those processes, then automatically you become a lover of Kṛṣṇa. Just like one process: this chanting. You go on chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa and you'll find very soon you become a lover of Kṛṣṇa. Just like the boy. Here is our Tamāla Kṛṣṇa. He says that "I was attached to drug habit, to intoxication habit, meat-eating. Now my attachment is now changed. I am now for Kṛṣṇa." So automatically he has become pure. It is so nice. Therefore I asked him to read that paper because that is practical experience. No more, no more they feels any inconvenience, those who have given up even smoking, tea-taking, coffee-taking, meat-eating. Because these practices are very common thing in your country. But Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so wonderful that for years together they are no more taking tea, coffee, smoking, meat, everything; they don't feel any inconvenience. They are happy, quite happy, in taking simple Kṛṣṇa prasāda. Similarly, in so many ways you'll be freed, and that is brahma-bhūtaḥ. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā: (BG 18.54) no more anxiety. A Kṛṣṇa conscious person, even if he does not eat for three days, he'll not feel unhappy. These are practical.
So I came especially in Indore to see your holinesses..., er, highnesses, that if you give us some shelter we can immediately open a branch of Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. I have brought with me forty American, European, Canadian students, and they will be exemplary teachers. You can see from their faces how they are advanced in spiritual consciousness, how they have accepted these principles of Vaiṣṇavism. They are no longer meat-eaters. They don't touch meat, egg, or fish, nothing of the sort. They have given up drinking habit or any kind of intoxications. They do not accept even tea, coffee and cigarette, and they do not take part in gambling, neither they have any illicit sex life. And they are observing ekādaśī days and other Vaiṣṇava festivals like Janmāṣṭamī, Śrī Rāma-navamī, and every temple, they are following the same principles. And gradually we are increasing the number. The Western boys and girls, my students, are all between twenty and thirty years old. You will find none of them more than twenty-five, twenty-six years old. So they are... In Japan also... Here is a Japanese boy also. So the world is taking very serious situation. All over the world they are appreciating. Your Highnesses will be pleased to see how many books we have published. Perhaps you have seen one of them, Kṛṣṇa. That is published in two parts. We have got our magazine, Back to Godhead, in five languages: English, French, German, and Japanese, Hindi, and Bengali. Of course Bengali is going to be out. Hindi is already out. So we are doing these activities, and we have a mind that we may open a center in a nice city like Indore under your patronization. Although I know that at the present moment the time is different, still, if you like, you can help us in so many ways. In our Indian parable it is said that "A dead elephant is also one lakh of rupees." Elephant, living or dead, still, it is valuable. Mara hati laksa (?).
So this movement, from very old days, beginning from that sun-god, and again five thousand years ago between Lord Kṛṣṇa and the Pāṇḍavas, the pious kings. So this movement has got very intimate relationship with the kṣatriya kings. So I would request Your Highness... Both, you are sitting. If you kindly give us a little place here in Indore, we can immediately start a nice center. And this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is essential.
So this is a longer subject matter. It is not possible to explain everything what is the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. But the actual fact is this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means to bring one to his original consciousness. That is the sum and substance, to original consciousness. That original consciousness can be achieved by simple method. What is that? Chanting this Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. It is a fact. Just like we have got so many European and American boys and girls. How they have come to this platform? How they have given up their old habits? Naturally these boys and girls were taught from the beginning of their life so many things which is not accepted in Vedic civilization, but they have now given up. There is no illicit sex life amongst our students. There is no meat-eating, there is no intoxication, including coffee and tea and cigarette, and there is no gambling. And they are practiced to Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra chanting not only as you have seen some of the samples. We have got fifty-two branches. In every branch we have got not less than twenty-five up to hundred. So this is the brahma-bhūtaḥ stage. It is not story, but it is fact. How it is obtained? It is obtained by Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Striyaḥ sūnā pāna dyūta. Pāna means intoxication. We are already intoxicated by illusion. Because we are in the material world, we are accepting false things. Just like this body. I am accepting I am this body. This is intoxication. I am soul, I am Brahman, but I am accepting this body that I am this body. This is already intoxication. And if you increase more intoxication, then where is the possibility of getting real knowledge, brahma-jñāna? So the pāna, intoxication, should be avoided. Animal killing should be avoided. Illicit connection with woman should be avoided. And gambling, speculation, Patavad(?), that should be eliminated, avoided. Then you get the chance of becoming pure. And without being pure, you cannot be engaged in the loving service of the Lord. The Lord is pure. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). So you cannot approach Lord being impure. Even I do not indulge in illicit sex life or meat-eating or very much moralist, still I am impure if I think myself "I am Indian," "I am American," "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim." These are also impurities.
That mahātmā which are..., who has accepted Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, su-durlabhaḥ, it is very rare. To become kṛṣṇa-bhakta, koṭi (indistinct). Muktānām api siddhānām, koṭi (indistinct). That is the verdict of the śāstra. And Kṛṣṇa also said it is very, very difficult to understand Kṛṣṇa. But Kṛṣṇa Himself as Lord Sri Caitanya, Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He is distributing Kṛṣṇa. He is distributing Himself. Therefore, it has become so easy that these foreigners, these Europeans and American boys, they are not very advanced in age, all young men. All my students and followers in Europe and America, they are ninety-nine percent all young men, young girls. They are not old, rejected persons. They are the flowers of the country. They have joined this movement, and they have taken it seriously. Seriously in this sense that whenever a body comes to me for becoming my disciple, my first principle is that you must give up illicit sex life. You must give up meat eating, fish eating, egg eating, all this nonsense. You must give up gambling. You must give up all kinds of intoxication up to the point of drinking coffee, tea, and smoking. They give up. Therefore, they have taken seriously. Why seriously? These young boys, they have got so many desires in their heart, still they are taking to it, it is Lord Caitanya's mercy. It is Lord Caitanya's mercy because they are following the principles of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu is Kṛṣṇa Himself.
So you can do that—there is no objection—but don't forget your original culture, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, which was taught by Kṛṣṇa Himself five thousand years ago in the Bhagavad-gītā, man-manā bhava mad-bhakta mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru: "Always think of Me, always worship Me, always offer your respect unto Me, then you will come back to home, back to Godhead." Sarva dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja: (BG 18.66) "Just try to surrender unto Me only," mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ. Our sufferings are due to our sinful activities. We cannot surpass the vigilance of material nature by committing or by executing sinful life. That is not possible. Therefore in our movement we ask everybody, especially our serious students, to refrain from four kinds of sinful activities: illicit sex life, intoxication, gambling and meat-eating. These are the pillars of sinful life. If you think that you are enjoying life by indulging in these four kinds of sense gratification, that means you are implicating yourself. The chance of human body which you have got now to develop Kṛṣṇa consciousness, if you misuse it and indulge in sinful life, then next life is waiting as cats and dogs. That is nature's law. But if we forget the nature's law, if you simply become puffed-up by false education, that is another thing. You can do that. But real fact is this: vāsāṁsi jīrṇāni yathā vihāya (BG 2.22).
But actually, we are inviting persons to come, sit down, chant with us Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra and take prasādam and go home. That's all. This is our program. So prasādam is already included. And there is the question of needy men. So we invite any needy man to come and join with us, and we shall feed him. That's all. We invite anyone. But they do not like to come to us to chant. That is the difficulty. "Oh, we'll have to go there and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa." So they are afraid. So what can I do? We invite everyone, "Please come here, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, dance with us, and when you are hungry, take some food. We are prepared to give you." So our program is very easy. And actually, these boys and girls, they were not advised in the beginning to become my initiated student. I simply invited, "You please come." I was chanting in the Tompkinson Park in New York, and many of them were coming. So I invited them, "Please come with me. Take some prasādam." So they used to take that. In this way, gradually, they developed Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and after some time they proposed, "Swamijī, make me your disciple," initiation. So I said that "You have to follow the rules and regulations." They agreed, "No illicit sex, no meat-eating, no intoxication, no gambling. If you are prepared, then I accept you." They are prepared. They given up. I accept them. That's all. Yes.
One cannot take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness unless he is completely washed of all sinful activity. So we forbid four things because they are pillars of sinful activities: illicit sex life, intoxication, meat-eating, and gambling. Unless one gives up these four sinful activities it is not possible to approach Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa clearly says in the Bhagavad-gītā, yeṣām anta-gataṁ pāpam. Pāpam means sin. One who has finished the sinful activity... And these are four pillars of sinful activity. So we have to voluntarily give up these habits. That is called austerity, penance. The human life is meant for austerity and penance, not for increasing the items of our sense gratification. That is animal life. Human life is meant for restraint. Laws are for the human being. When you go to the street—"Keep to the left"—this law is meant for human being, not for the dog. The dogs can go from left to right; he has no punishment. But if you go from left to right, violating the rules or violating the color, symbol, signal, then you will be immediately arrested because you are human being. So all the laws or injunctions are for human being. So human being, human life, is very responsible life. As you cannot violate the state law, similarly, you cannot violate the laws given by God. That is called dharma. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19). Religion means the laws of God. If you violate, then you are punished. That's all. All right. (end)
They, in their previous life, before becoming Kṛṣṇa consciousness, according to our standard, they were all immoral. Our, in India, illicit sex life still, it is admitted, if it is not followed, to have sex relation with other's wife or other woman except one's wife, that is called immoral or sinful. So in Western countries these things are not immoral or sinful. It is very daily affair. But now, because they have come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they have given up all these things. No illicit sex life. Unless one is married, he must remain brahmacārī or vānaprastha or sannyāsī. Only gṛhastha, duly married wife, he can have sex. This is morality. And you should not kill the animals unnecessarily. That is immoral. You are already intoxicated by the influence of māyā. You should not be more intoxicated. This is immoral. You should not indulge in gambling. These are immoral. So as soon as you become Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then all these immoralities vanish immediately. That is the only. Yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā, sarvaiḥ guṇaiḥ tatra samāsate su..., harāv abhaktsya kuto mahad-guṇā. One who is not Kṛṣṇa..., he cannot have any good quality or any morality. That is the decision of the śāstra. So if you want to revive the morality of the society, you must take up this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then everything will come.
So the human form of life is especially meant for tapasya. Tapo divyam. Here it is said: tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena sattvaṁ śuddhyed yasmād brahma-saukhyam anantam (SB 5.5.1). We are hankering after happiness, but happiness cannot be enjoyed so long our existence is not purified. So for purification of our existence we have to undergo tapasya. So we are introducing this tapasya in nutshell. We are asking our students four principles, four regulative principles. No illicit sex life. Beyond marriage life, there is no sex. No intoxication, up to smoking and drinking tea. No meat-eating. No eggs, no fish. And no gambling. We are... And chanting this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. These five principles we are teaching. These four regulative principles, refraining from sinful activities. These are the basic pillars of sinful activities: illicit sex, intoxication, meat-eating, and gambling. These are the four pillars of sinful life. That is... We get from the śāstra. Parīkṣit Mahārāja, he enunciated that Kali Yuga. He was... He ordered Kali Yuga, Kali, to live in these places. When he was ordered to go out of his kingdom, he said, "My dear Lord, everywhere is your kingdom. Where shall I live?" So he ordered him that "You live in these places, striyaḥ sūnā pānaṁ dyūtaṁ yatra pāpaś catur-vidhaḥ."
So we have to, I mean to say, mend our life in such a way that kṛṣṇera saṁsāra kara, chāḍi anācāra. We have to give up anācāra, forbidden things, sinful things. Striyaḥ sūnā pānaṁ dyūtaṁ yatra pāpaś catur-vidhaḥ. There are four kinds of sinful activities. Basic principle of sinful life is avaidha, illicit sex life. Avaidha stri-saṅga. Striyaḥ sūnā, unnecessary animal killing. Pāna, drinking intoxicant; and gambling. We have to give up these four principles. Then our life becomes pure. If we give up these four principles and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, then we become perfect. How it is? You can see the examples. These European, Americans, they were accustomed to all these practices. That is their daily affair. But they have given up this. Now you see, how they are saintly. So the thing is not very difficult, but one has to accept the principles. Then one lifes becomes perfect. They do not know what is perfection of life. People are thinking that material advancement is perfection of life. No. That is not perfection of life. Because even if you make nice material arrangement, you cannot enjoy it. At any time you shall be kicked out. Where is your perfection? Suppose you have very nice apartment, very nice good bank balance, very nice wife, children. Everything is all right. But is there any guarantee that you can enjoy them? Is there any guarantee? At any moment you shall be out.
So you are all fortunate. You have come to Vṛndāvana, perhaps for the first time in life. So it is very good opportunity. Vṛndāvana-dhāma. Aprākṛta, cintāmaṇi. Similarly, you are coming from Navadvīpa. That is also cintāmaṇi-dhāma (Bs. 5.29). These two dhāma, places, are not ordinary places. Don't make dhāma-aparādha. As there are offenses against chanting the holy name, similarly, there are offenses in dhāma, that in the dhāma one should not perform any sinful activities in the dhāma. In the dhāma, if you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, then it increases thousand times. Similarly, in the dhāma, if you commit offenses, it increases thousand times. So dhāma, one should be very careful not to commit any sinful activities. Illicit sex, or intoxication, meat-eating and gambling—these are the sinful activities. So Vṛndāvana-dhāma, aprākṛta dhāma. Those who are attached to viṣaya, sense gratification, they cannot see what is Vṛndāvana. They cannot see what is Vṛndāvana. They cannot understand what is Kṛṣṇa and Rādhā, those who are viṣayī. Viṣaya means āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunaṁ ca. This is viṣaya, material objectives. They cannot.
Prabhupāda: We are getting a better response from the Western countries than in India. In India, we see that the leaders, they do not like it. They are now opening beef shop, wine shop, and we are preaching "No intoxication, no meat-eating." So actually, we are not very favorable to their propaganda. (laughs) They don't like us, the leaders. Now there are big, big signboards. In Juhu we have got a center, and the government has opened beef shop, very big. And wine shop, you'll find everywhere. And we are preaching, "No intoxication, no meat-eating." So how they'll like us? That is the difficulty. "It is folly to be wise where ignorance is bliss." But still, we are struggling.
Guru-gaurāṅga: The value of this movement is that if we can prove on a small level, on a model level, that it works, then any scientific man... This is the empirical method. If it works on a small level, it shall work on a large level.
Tongue means we have got two businesses we perform with the tongue. One is tasting foodstuff and vibrating voice. So you use the tongue vibrating Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra and eat Kṛṣṇa prasādam-bas. Then you understand Kṛṣṇa. You don't understand, but He reveals.
And actually that is happening. All over the world, these young boys and girls, because they are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, and because they are eating Kṛṣṇa prasādam, now they are developing their Kṛṣṇa consciousness. They are not Vedantist. They have not studied all the Vedas. But how they are understanding? If they are not understanding Kṛṣṇa, how they are sticking to this life? In this life everything is forbidden: no illicit sex, no gambling, no intoxication. Everything no. Material life finished. Why they are sticking unless they are understanding Kṛṣṇa? This is the proof. The more you stick to these principle, sevonmukhe jihvādau, engage your tongue in two business—chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa and eat Kṛṣṇa prasāda—your life will be perfect.
Thank you very much. (break) Any question?
They will not understand. But human being... Just like our this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is being spread all over the world, and you can see here also in your country, in America, in Europe, they are all understanding. That is the special advantage of human life. One Christian priest in Boston, he was astonished by seeing our devotees. He issued one leaflet that "These boys are our boys, and before this movement they did not care to see us or come to the church, and now they are mad after God." This is the certificate of a Christian priest. And actually you can see. These boys... I am poor Indian. I came with forty rupees. And I have not bribed them; neither I have got that money. (laughter) But how they are mad after God. It is practical. Now you bribe them and take away—they will not go. They will not go. Many fathers, mothers came to induce them to take home, but they are not going. So what is the intoxication? This is the mercy of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. This intoxication is: they have given up all intoxication; they are now intoxicated with Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa. Yes. One Draft Board officer came to see in our camp: "So what is the facility that these boys have joined Hare Kṛṣṇa movement, whether it is very easier than the Draft Board?" But when he enquired he saw that these boys and girls are prohibited illicit sex, intoxication, meat-eating and gambling. He thought that it is harder than the Draft Board. Here, the Draft Board, they do not make any condition, but here are so many condition which is very, very difficult to follow. So this is called Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mercy-practical.
So intelligent person, instead of waiting many, many births to understand Kṛṣṇa, may take it immediately what Kṛṣṇa says, as it is. Then his life is successful. So that is possible to understand Kṛṣṇa as He is saying. But because on account of our sinful activities, we cannot understand. Duṣkṛtina. Duṣkṛtina means always engaged in sinful activities, very intelligent person, but engaged in sinful activities. Nowadays... All the people are nowadays educated, but all of them, mostly, ninety-nine percent, they're engaged in sinful activities—illicit sex, meat-eating, intoxication, gambling. These are sinful activities and, in spite of advancement of education all over the world, these things are going on. Therefore they cannot understand Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is understood by a person who is no more engaged in sinful activities.
- yeṣāṁ tv anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ
- janānāṁ puṇya-karmaṇām
- te dvandva-moha-nirmuktā
- bhajante māṁ dṛḍha-vratāḥ
- (BG 7.28)
So we are trying, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is meant for this purpose, that stop sinful activities and hear Kṛṣṇa and accept Him as He is saying. Then your life is successful. That's all. Very simple thing. And those who are adopting this ways, this process of life, is becoming successful practically. There is no doubt about it. Asaṁśayaṁ samagraṁ māṁ yathā jñāsyasi tac chṛṇu. Asaṁśayam, without any doubt. Samagram, in full, not partial.
They give me so much credit that "You have done wonderful, miracle," and I do not know how to play any miracle. Our Dipa Mahārāja knows me from the very beginning. I do not know how to play magic. I do not know. But only magic is that I don't adulterate. That's all. I don't adulterate. I say simple thing. Kṛṣṇa said, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). So Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Lord, Absolute Truth, that's all. What difficulty you have? Kṛṣṇa says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat (BG 7.7). And He says, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). Four things: "Always think of Me..." So I am teaching them, "Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. You'll think of Him." So man-manā. And who can chant Hare Kṛṣṇa unless he is a devotee? Ordinary man cannot chant. He has no taste. But these boys, they are taking my word very seriously. I have asked them to refrain from four kinds of sinful activities: illicit sex, intoxication, meat-eating, and gambling. They are seriously following. They have no illicit sex. Caitanya Mahāprabhu was questioned by a gṛhastha devotee, "How we can understand a Vaiṣṇava?" So He summarily replied that "Vaiṣṇava, to become Vaiṣṇava perfectly..." Asat-saṅga-tyāga ei vaiṣṇava-ācāra (CC Madhya 22.87). This is the first principle. Don't associate with asat. Asato mā sad gama. So next line He described who is asat. Asat eka strī-saṅgī, kṛṣṇābhakta āra—finished. In two lines we can understand who is a Vaiṣṇava. So I have asked them. These people, European and American, they are ordinarily very much accustomed to these habit: illicit sex, gambling, meat-eating. But upon my word they have given up everything. Asat-saṅga-tyāga ei vaiṣṇava...
He has got merit undoubtedly. Without being meritorious, they cannot be expert thief or expert rogue or expert politician. (laughter) So they have got merit, but duṣkṛtinaḥ. Kṛti means merit, and duṣ means abominable. Merit is being used for bad purposes or sinful purposes. They are called duṣkṛtinaḥ. This is one group. Another group-mūḍha. Mūḍha means fools, rascals, or children, those who have no knowledge or one who does not know what is the purpose of life. They are called mūḍhas. And another group is called narādhamāḥ. Naradhāma means the lowest of the mankind. The highest of the mankind is one who is Kṛṣṇa conscious, and the lowest, one who does not know what is Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the lowest of the mankind. This human life, human form of life was given to him by laws of nature to understand Kṛṣṇa, or God, but he's not using it. Misusing it. They are called narādhama. And then, next group is māyayāpahṛta jñāna. You can say, "There are so many learned persons. They are not Kṛṣṇa conscious. They are after drinking and eating meat and... They are education." So then, He says that "They are educated. They have so-called educated, but their real knowledge is taken away." Just like one is rich man, but his money is taken away. So these four groups... So why this meritorious person or educated person, they do not take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness? That means dull brain. So in order to make the dull brain suitable for understanding Kṛṣṇa, these four principles of austerities is the first need: no illicit sex, no meat-eating, no gambling, no intoxication. Then his brain, the finer tissues of the brain, will develop to understand Kṛṣṇa. Otherwise, not possible.
So I have specially come to request you to remove this restriction and be friendly to the foreign devotees. And you also come there, see how there are so many Jagannātha temples, Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa temples, how They are being worshiped, how these foreigners, they have become pure Vaiṣṇava. They are strictly observing the four principles of sinful life by negation: no illicit sex, no meat-eating, no fish-eating, no egg-eating, no intoxication, no gambling. They are purified. And Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī openly says, tathā dīkṣā-vidhānena dvijatvaṁ jāyate nṛṇām. So there is authority. And Caitanya Mahāprabhu says,
- ye bhaje sei baḍa abhakta hīna chāra
- kṛṣṇa bhajanete nāhi jāti-kulādi-vicāra
Kṛṣṇa says personally in the Bhagavad-gītā, māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ..., te 'pi yānti parāṁ gatim (BG 9.32). So there is ample śāstra-pramāṇa, approved by the ācāryas. Caitanya Mahāprabhu converted many Pathans into Vaiṣṇava, changed their name. So things are going according to śāstra and mahājana. Why you should not receive them as Vaiṣṇava and give them proper reception? That is my request. I hope... There are many learned scholars and devotees present here. They should endeavor to remove this, I mean to say, restriction or short-sightedness, and let us combinedly work for Jagannātha to preach the bhakti cult for the benefit of the whole world. Janma sārthaka kari kara para-upakāra (CC Adi 9.41). This Bhārata bhūmi is for para-upakāra, because this knowledge, the Vedic knowledge, is here in the Śrīmad Bhāratavarṣa.
Philosophy Discussions
Prabhupāda: In Bombay. It was prohibited area. So Gandhi made this prohibition as far as possible. Now they are lifting. Because simply prohibition will not help you. Unless you have got a better engagement, this prohibition will not help you. By law you can say, "Don't do this," but if you have no better engagement, this order of the law, "Don't do this," will not act. Will not act. Just like government, your government is trying to stop this intoxication. They could not. It is increasing. But so far our society is concerned, anyone who is coming here, immediately there is no intoxication. That means he gets something better. Therefore he voluntarily checks himself. And it is possible to check. So unless you give better thing, simply by prohibition you cannot check. That is not possible. The same example again, just like a thief, he knows the prohibitive order that you shall not steal. He knows the prohibitive order even in śāstra, that if a man is a thief he will suffer this kind of hellish condition. So he has heard it from the lawyer and from the śāstra that stealing is not good and he has seen it that a thief is arrested and is punished but still he does it. But a Kṛṣṇa conscious person will not do it. That is the difference. So by law or by pressure you cannot make anyone moral. That's not possible. He has to be given something which is better than morality, then he will stop committing all kinds of sins.
Śyāmasundara: He says that the pleasure of one person will coincide with the pleasure of others, we're all more or less desiring similar pleasures.
Śyāmasundara: What about, for instance, people who are practicing sense gratification, and they find it very practical to gratify their senses. Does this mean that it is meaningful or real?
Prabhupāda: Yes. It is real. But by sense gratification we will gradually glide down to the hellish condition of life. Therefore sense gratification should not be allowed unrestricted. That is practical. If you eat more, you suffer from indigestion. If you have more sex life, then you get tuberculosis. This is practical. If you indulge in intoxication, then gradually you become a nonsense, crazy. Therefore when we say that "Don't do this," this is practical.
Śyāmasundara: So it is a matter of degree which is more practical than something else. Sense gratification or communism or any other "ism," it's practiced (indistinct) effect, but that effect...
Prabhupāda: But if it has bad effect then what is the use of it? It must have good effect. Effect must be there, but if it is bad, that is not practical. The effect must be good and continuous.
Śyāmasundara: Yes. He says that then they indulge in pleasure and mental speculation as a diversionary tactic. To try to cover up this despair, they become more indulged in sense pleasure and more speculating.
Prabhupāda: Just like people in the material world, when a businessman failure, he takes to drinking. Sometimes great shock, in order to forget, one takes to drinking. Yes. Intoxication.
Śyāmasundara: So he says that this is the stepping-stone, or the first stage toward self-realization, that from this despair that one can find his authentic selfhood.
Prabhupāda: This we will admit. That is, therefore the Vedānta-sūtra is there. When fickle people become disgusted, that "We have worked so hard, but still we could not attain the goal of life, peace and prosperity," despair, then they begin to think, "Actually, what is the purpose of life?" That is called brahma-jijñāsā, inquiring into the Absolute Truth or the ultimate truth of life. That is natural in human life. That sort of inquiry is necessary for further development.
Śyāmasundara: This means of salvation called aesthetic...
Prabhupāda: This is salvation, because they are saved from the four kinds of sinful life: illicit sex, meat eating, intoxication and gambling. Because they have got better engagement, they don't like to do this.
Śyāmasundara: He is referring here to art, poetry.
Prabhupāda: Yes, everything is there. Here is art—we are painting. Our students are painting nice pictures. Art. And poetry, all our Bhagavad-gītā and Bhāgavatam are full of poetries.
Śyāmasundara: He is describing an experience of someone in the material world who sees a nice painting.
Prabhupāda: Mm.
Śyāmasundara: They transcend the lower levels of consciousness, and for a few moments they become will-less or desireless.
Prabhupāda: Yes, that we admit. We agree also. So we do not want to keep them for a few moments, but we want to keep them continually in that consciousness. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Śyāmasundara: Today we are discussing the philosopher and psychologist Sigmund Freud. His thesis was that certain unconscious states must be repressed by a special mental mechanism which serves as a defense for the ego against painful or fragmental memories, emotions and desires.
Prabhupāda: That is our brahmācārya system. The psychology is that everyone has a sex appetite, everyone has a tendency for intoxication, and everyone had a tendency for meat-eating. Vyavāya āmiṣa madya sevā. These tendencies are already there. There is injunction in the śāstras that one can have sexual intercourse by marriage, legal sex. We are prohibiting illicit sex, but we are not prohibiting legal sex. Just like in the Bhagavad-gītā Kṛṣṇa says, dharmāviruddho' bhūteṣu kāmo 'smi bharatarṣabha, sex indulgence which is not against religious principles. That is (indistinct). So religious principle means regulated sex life. People have a tendency... Just like those who are not regulated by the Vedic injunctions are also having sex. So what is the meaning of this legal sex? Legal sex means it is restricted, that is all. Where there is no set injunction. Just like in Western countries, they are having sex without any restrictions.
Hayagrīva: All ethics are derived.
Prabhupāda: Yes. So to become completely pure, then he is the necessity of morality and ethics. Just like we prescribe, "No illicit sex, no meat-eating, no intoxication, no gambling." These are the four pillars of sinful life. If we avoid these thing, then we can stay on the platform of purity. And God consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, is based on this morality. One who cannot follow the principles, he falls down from the spiritual platform, and he cannot make any progress. So purity is the basic principle of God consciousness.
Hayagrīva: Jung sees atheistic Communism as the greatest threat in the world today. He writes that "The Communist revolution has debased man, because it robs him of his freedom, not only in the social but in the moral and spiritual sense. The state has taken the place of God. That is why, seen from this angle, the socialist dictatorships are religions, and state slavery is a form of worship."
Prabhupāda: Yes, I agree with him. That is the degradation of human civilization. But the philosophy of the Communist, that everyone has equal right or everyone must take share of the state equally, that is little, basic principle of real communism. According to our understanding, God is the father, material nature is the mother, and we, all living entities, are sons of the father and mother.
Prabhupāda: Yes. So goodness is the position where you can get knowledge. And passion and ignorance is not the platform of knowledge. Therefore the endeavor should be how to bring persons in the basic or base platform, ignorance and passion. So this is very easily done by our, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. If one hears about Kṛṣṇa, or God, then gradually he becomes freed from the clutches of darkness and passion, and actually he then comes to the platform of goodness. And when he is perfectly in goodness, then this passion and ignorance and their by-products cannot touch him. Tadā rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ kāma-lobhādayaś ca ye (SB 1.2.19).
- naṣṭa-prāyeṣv abhadreṣu
- nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā
- bhagavaty uttama-śloke
- bhaktir bhavati naiṣṭhikī
- (SB 1.2.18)
- tadā rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ
- kāma-lobhādayaś ca ye
- ceta etair anāviddham...
- (SB 1.2.19)
If we hear Bhāgavatam, Bhagavad-gītā regularly, then we become free from the effects of the modes of ignorance and passion, gradually, although it takes... But it is sure. The more you hear about Kṛṣṇa, or—Kṛṣṇa means His instruction or about Him, what He is—the more you become purified. So that is the test, that how one has become purified means one is purified from the base quality of passion and ignorance, means that he is no more attacked by greediness and passion. That is the test. That means he is free from the base qualities, and he is situated, ceta etair anāviddhaṁ sthitaṁ sattve prasīdati. When he is no more disturbed by these base qualities of passion and greediness, then he is happy. Then he becomes happy. Ceta etair anāvi..., sthitasya, that is goodness. That is goodness. Then he is happy, happiness, that the ultimate stage of goodness is brahma-bhūtaḥ, to realize himself, realize God. So goodness, one must come to the platform of goodness. So we are therefore asking people to give up these base qualitative activities—illicit sex and meat-eating and drinking or intoxication and gambling. These are base qualities. So anyone gives up these qualities, he remains in the sattva-guṇa. And then if he is promoted farther, just like Socrates said that goodness is not all, that still you have to..., and that is bhakti. Then his realization is perfect. He becomes liberated, and then gradually he develops love of God, then he is in the original state. Bhaktir hitvā anyathā. As mukti, liberation, means that to be free from this all nonsense engagements. Nitya-baddha, they are engaged, all these karmīs, jñānīs, yogis, they are simply engaged in some false engagements to become happy. So when one is free from these false engagements, then he is in the liberated state. Mukti means muktir hitvā anyathā rūpam. Anyathā rūpam means he is acting otherwise. So one has to come to the real position, not work, act otherwise. So he is eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa. When he fully engage himself in the service of Kṛṣṇa, then he is liberated, and if he keeps himself, then nobody can touch, the māyā cannot touch. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā (BG 7.14). Māyā is very strong, but if one keeps in touch with Kṛṣṇa constantly, māyā has no jurisdiction. Māyām etāṁ taranti te. This is perfection of life.
Hayagrīva: Transcendental to the modes.
Purports to Songs
Then he says that prema-rathana-dhana helāya hārāiṅu. Spiritual life means to develop real love. The... Everyone says love. There are so many signboards, so many papers, "love, love." But there is no love. This is illusion. It is all lust. Love for intoxication, love for sex, love for this... This is going on. So actual love means... Love, this word, can be applicable only with Kṛṣṇa, with God. Because we are created for that purpose. To love means to love Kṛṣṇa. So that is wanted. That is spiritual love. So prema-rathana. I could achieve that transcendental position of love, but I am neglecting. Therefore I am calling my spiritual death. And these things are happening due to my past misdeeds. Due to my past deeds, misdeeds, I have got a type of body. Everyone who has got this material body, it is due to past misdeeds.
If one is simply engaged with these four principles of life, just like animals. Then it is to be supposed that he's simply drinking poison. That's all. Viṣaya viṣama satata khāinu. "I know this (is) poison, but I am so much intoxicated that I am drinking this poison every moment." Gaura-kīrtana-rase magana nā painu. "And I could not merge myself into the saṅkīrtana movement started by Lord Caitanya." Oh, that is actually the fact. Those who are too much attached to materialistic way of life, or always drinking the poison of sense gratification, they are not attracted by the saṅkīrtana movement.
So at the last, Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura is lamenting. He's not lamenting. He's representing ourself. If one comes to that point of lamentation, that is also very nice. He immediately becomes purified. Lamentation means purification. So he says, keno vā āchaya prāṇa kichu bali... "Why I am living? I do not make association with the devotees. I do not take part in the saṅkīrtana movement. I do not understand what is Kṛṣṇa. I do not understand what is Lord Caitanya. Then what for I am living?" This is lamentation.
Then He says, "You have forgotten. But I have brought one medicine so that..." Just like when a man remains unconscious under some intoxication or snake bite, there are some herbs. If it is put before the nostril and if the patient smells, immediately he gets consciousness. Similarly, Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that "I have brought also one medicine." Enechi auśādhi māyā nasibaro lagi': "This medicine can dissipate your this forgetfulness under the spell of māyā." Enechi auṣadhi māyā nāśibāro. What is that? Hari-nāma mahā-mantra lao tumi: "This is this chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. You please take it." The idea is that if one simply chants Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare, Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare, his unconscious stage, or sleeping stage under the spell of illusory māyā, will gradually vanish. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12).
| Page Title: | Intoxication (Lectures, Other) |
| Compiler: | Mayapur |
| Created: | 08 of Oct, 2011 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=166, Con=0, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 166 |