Now when we are such materially contaminated, that is called our conditioned stage. Conditioned stage. And the false ego, the false consciousness... The false consciousness is exhibited under the impression that "I am one of the product of this material nature." That is called false ego. The whole material activities, yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke (SB 10.84.13). Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke, one who is absorbed in the thought of bodily conception. Now, the whole Bhagavad-gītā was explained by the Lord because Arjuna represented himself with bodily conception. So one has to get free from the bodily conception of life. That is the preliminary activity for a transcendentalist who wants to get free, who wants to be liberated. And he has to learn first of all that he is not this material body.
Material activities (Lectures)
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
So our thinkings are absorbed in these literatures. Similarly, if we want to transfer our thinking in the spiritual atmosphere, then we have to transfer our reading capacity to the Vedic literature. The learned sages therefore made so many Vedic literatures, the Purāṇas. The Purāṇas are not stories. They are historical records. In the Caitanya-caritāmṛta there is a verse which reads as follows. anādi-bahirmukha jīva kṛṣṇa bhuli' gela ataeva kṛṣṇa veda-purāṇa kailā (CC Madhya 20.117). That these forgetful living entities, conditioned souls, they have forgotten the relationship with the Supreme Lord, and they are engrossed in thinking of the material activities. And just to transfer their thinking power to the spiritual capacity, the Kṛṣṇa-dvaipāyana Vyāsa, he has made so many Vedic literatures. Vedic literatures means first he divided the Vedas into four. Then he explained them by the Purāṇas. Then for the incapable persons, just like strī, śūdra, vaiśya, he made the Mahābhārata. And in the Mahābhārata he introduced this Bhagavad-gītā. Then again he summarized the whole Vedic literature in the Vedānta-sūtra. And the Vedānta-sūtra for future guidance, he made a natural commentation by himself which is called Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is called bhāṣyo 'yaṁ brahma-sūtrāṇām. It is the natural commentation of Vedānta-sūtra.
The intelligent man is speaking, "My dear Lord, I have served my senses, lust, anger, greediness, so much so. Still, they are not kind upon me. They are still dictating, still dictating, 'Do this, do this, do this.' Therefore," samprataṁ labdha buddhi (?), " now I have got intelligence by Your grace." Guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpayā (CC Madhya 19.151). "By the grace of my spiritual master, by the grace of yourself, I have got this intelligence. Now I have come to You, to serve. Kindly engage me." This is surrender. "I have served my senses, lust, greediness, and other things so faithfully. They are not satisfied. They still want me to serve. They are not going to give me pension. They want still, 'Oh what you have done? You have to do so many things.' So now I am disgusted." This is called vairāgya. Vairāgya. Jñāna-vairāgya-yuktayā (SB 1.2.12). This is required. In human life, this is, this intelligence required, vairāgya, not to serve this material world, but to serve Kṛṣṇa. The Māyāvādī philosophers, they simply stop these material activities. Just like Buddha philosophy, nirvāṇa. He simply advises to stop this. But after stopping, what is, sir? "No, zero. Zero." That cannot be. That is not possible. This is their mistake. But the people to whom Buddha philosophy was preached, they are not so intelligent that there can be better service after giving up this service. Therefore Lord Buddha said, "You stop this service. You become happy because ultimately everything is zero." Śūnyavādī. Nirviśeṣavādī.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "Now I am confused about duty and have lost all composure because of weakness. In this condition I am asking You to tell me clearly what is best for me. Now I am Your disciple and a soul surrendered unto You. Please instruct me (BG 2.7)." Purport. "By nature's own way, the complete system of material activities is a source of perplexity for everyone. In every step there is perplexity, and it behooves one therefore to approach a bona fide spiritual master who can give one the proper guidance for executing the purpose of life. All Vedic literatures advise us to approach a bona fide spiritual master to get free from the perplexities of life which happen without our desire. They appear like a forest fire which takes place without being set by anyone. Similarly, the world situation is such that perplexities of life automatically appear without our wanting such confusion. Nobody wants fire, and yet it takes place and we are perplexed. The Vedic wisdom therefore advises that in order to solve the perplexities of life and to understand the science of the solution one must approach a spiritual master who is in disciplic succession. A person with a bona fide spiritual master is supposed to know everything. One should not therefore remain in..."
Prabhupāda: This is a translation of a Vedic version, ācāryavān puruṣo veda. Ācāryavān, one who has ācārya as his guidance, he is supposed to know everything. Ācāryavān puruṣo veda. That is given there.
So all these materialistic persons, they are so fools, rascals, miscreants, they are increasing these material activities. They are thinking by this increasing material activities they will be happy. No. That is not possible. Durāśayā ye... And their leaders... Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānās te 'pīśa-tantryam uru-dāmni baddhāḥ (SB 7.5.31). All of us are tied very tight, hands and legs, and we are thinking we are free, independent. By the laws of material nature... Still, we are thinking that we are independent. The scientist is trying to avoid God, independent by science. That is not possible. We are under the grip of the material nature. Material nature means the agent of Kṛṣṇa. Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10). Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇair karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). So we are always in perplexity like Arjuna, what to do, what not to do. But if we take this principle, that "We must do for Kṛṣṇa..." So take direction from Kṛṣṇa and take direction from Kṛṣṇa's representative and you do it; then there is no karma-bandhanaḥ. Karmāṇi nirdaheti kintu ca bhakti-bhājām (Bs. 5.54). Otherwise, we are bound up by the reaction of every act.
So these things are described very vividly in Upaniṣad, how guṇa-sanga acts. Just like a fire. There are sparks. The sometimes the sparks fall down from the fire. Now there are three conditions of the fire spark falling down. If the spark falls down on dry grass, then it can immediately ignite the grass, the dry grass. If the spark falls down on ordinary grass, then it burns for some time, then again it becomes extinguished. But if the spark falls down on the water, immediately extinguished, the fiery quality. So those who are captured by the sattva-guṇa, sattva-guṇa, they are intelligent. They have got knowledge. Just like brāhmaṇa. And those who are captured by the rajo-guṇa, they are busy in material activities. And those who have captured tamo-guṇa, they are lazy and sleepy. That's all. These are the symptoms. Tamo-guṇa means they're very lazy and sleepy. Rajo-guṇa means very active, but active like monkey. Just like monkey's very active, but they're all dangerous. You'll never see inactive. Whenever it will sit down, it will make gat gat gat gat.
The formation of the soul, measurement of the soul, is very, very... It is smaller than the atom. Keśāgra-śata-bhāgasya (CC Madhya 19.140). The tip of the hair you divide into hundred part, and take one part. Again divide it into hundred parts. That one part is the measurement of the soul. That means one ten thousandth part of the top of the hair. So how you can see? But that small particle is giving you living force. This knowledge we get from Bhagavad-gītā, and that is the fact. You cannot get life by analyzing this material body. That is not possible. You have to find out what is that small particle. You have to hear. Therefore you cannot get knowledge by your material activities. You have to hear it from the authorities; otherwise there is no possibility. Just like you cannot understand who is your father. You have to take the knowledge from your mother. If mother certifies, "This gentleman is your father," that is correct. But if you go on researching who is your father you will never be able to know who is your father. Similarly, what is life, what is soul, what is our, this body, what is the ultimate goal of life, why you are suffering—all this knowledge you have to take from the higher authorities. That is called Vedic process, not to endeavor by research. What you can research? Our fund of knowledge is very, very poor, limited. You cannot have perfect knowledge unless you hear from the authority. So Kṛṣṇa is the authority. Our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means you take knowledge from the best authority. Don't manufacture knowledge. That will not help you. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.
So to live irresponsibly like cats and dogs is very risky life. Because so long we shall be engaged in the matter of sense gratification—material life means sense gratification—we shall increase our prolongation of repetition of birth and death. So this irresponsible life of eating, sleeping, sex life and defense like cats and dogs will not help us. Therefore... Because this kind of activities will oblige me to accept another body, and as soon as we accept another material body we become subjected to the stringent laws of material nature. And the material miserable conditions are summarized into four items: birth, death, old age and disease. So those who are not in knowledge of the spirit soul, they are very irresponsibly prolonging his life in material activities. Material science could not find out the spirit soul within the body because the magnitude, the dimension of the spirit soul, is very, very small.
So if you are fortunate enough to take shelter in one of these planets, then you are eternally happy in blissful condition of knowledge. Otherwise, simply to merge into the Brahman effulgence is not very safe. Because we want ānanda. So in impersonal zero standard there cannot be any ānanda. But because we have no information, the Māyāvādī philosophers, of the Vaikuṇṭha planets, they come back again to these material planets. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adhaḥ (SB 10.2.32). Adhaḥ means in this material world. That I have explained many times. There are so many big, big sannyāsīs. They give up this material world as mithyā, jagan mithyā, and take sannyāsa, and then again, after a few days, they come to social service, politics. Because they could not realize what is Brahman. They, for ānanda, they have to take part in these material activities. Because ānanda... We want ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). So if there is no spiritual ānanda, there must be, they must come to the inferior quality. This material world is inferior quality. Aparā. If we cannot get spiritual ānanda, or superior pleasure, then we have to take this material pleasure. Because we want pleasure. Everyone searching after pleasure.
Devotee: "...victory or defeat in the activities of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That everything should be performed for the sake of Kṛṣṇa is transcendental consciousness, so there is no reaction from material activities."
Prabhupāda: And if you do that, then there is no reaction. Yajñārthāt karmaṇo 'nyatra loko yam. And if you do on your account, there will be reaction. Either you do good work or bad work, there will be reaction. If you do good work, you'll get good result, and if you do bad work, you will get bad result. That's all right. But within this material world... Suppose if you do pious activities. So what is the result of pious activities? According to śāstra, the effect of pious activity is that you can get birth in a very respectable, aristocratic family, you can get very nice wealthy position, you can become very beautiful, and you can become very learned. These are the four principles of pious activities, according to śāstra. And if you do just the opposite, you take your birth in abominable family or in lower, degraded animal species of life, no education, no beauty, no knowledge. There are so many things. So if you have to believe śāstra, these are the effects of bad and good works. Now for a person who is in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he is not concerned with aristocratic family or abominable family. He wants to stop birth. So suppose one gets birth in aristocratic family or very nice family, what is the gain there? You have to live ten months within the womb of your mother in suffocated condition, either you take your birth in aristocratic family or in abominable family, either in human mother's womb or animal mother's womb. That does not make any difference.
There is..., in the spiritual platform we are one. Then the business is also one—to serve Kṛṣṇa; that is spiritual.
- brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā
- na śocati na kāṅkṣati
- samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu
- mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām
- (BG 18.54)
So when you come to the bhakti platform, that is simply to satisfy Kṛṣṇa. In the material platform, everyone is to satisfy his own whims. That is a different thing. So if you give up your material activities, tyaktvā sva-dharmaṁ caraṇāmbujaṁ hareḥ, and, by sentiment or by canvassing or by seeing that "These people are Kṛṣṇa conscious people, they are very nice, they are chanting in the street, let me join," somehow or other, if you come in contact, then... (tape is wavy) I think one of our students joined, he was going to business and seeing the chanting, dancing in the street, he immediately joined. Who is that? I think Dhruva?
Devotee: Yes. "Any work begun on the material plane has to be done nicely till the end, otherwise the whole attempt becomes a failure. But any work begun in Kṛṣṇa consciousness has a permanent effect, even though not finished. The performer of such work is therefore not at a loss even if his work in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is incomplete. One percent done in Kṛṣṇa consciousness bears permanent results, so that the next beginning is from the point of two percent, whereas in material activity, without one-hundred-percent success there is no profit. There is a nice verse in this connection in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. It says if someone gives up his occupational duty and works in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and then again falls down on account of not being complete in such activities, still what loss is there on his part? And what can one gain if one performs his material activities very perfectly? Or, as the Christians say, 'What profiteth a man if he gain the whole world yet suffers the loss of his eternal soul?' Material activities and the results of such actions will end with the body, but work in Kṛṣṇa consciousness will carry a person again to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, even after the loss of this body. At least one is sure to have a chance in the next life of being born into human society, either in the family of a great cultured brāhmaṇa or else a rich aristocratic family that will give the man a further chance for elevation. That is the unique quality of work done in Kṛṣṇa consciousness."
Prabhupāda: So the reference of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam... Attention diverted. (aside:) Yes. Yes. Keep it open. Let them come. Yes. There is a verse in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam in connection with instruction of Nārada Muni to Vyāsadeva. And Vyāsadeva was disciple of Nārada Muni, and Vyāsadeva compiled so many Vedic literatures, Mahābhārata, Purāṇas, Vedānta-sūtra, Upaniṣads, various types of... Not types. Practically the same Vedas, divided into departmental knowledge for understanding of the common people. Just like Mahābhārata. Mahābhārata is the history of India. Mahā means great, and bhārata means India. And you see, Mahābhārata is the history of two royal families fighting in the Battle of Kurukṣetra and politics and diplomacy. This is the subject matter of Mahābhārata.
So we have to cure. Some philosopher says that this delirious condition should be cured, and there should be no activity. They are afraid of any activity. Because our, these material activities have become source of distress for us, therefore there are certain philosophers, they say that we should stop all sorts of activities. Their highest culmination of perfection according to their idea is that stopping all sorts of activities. Just like Buddha philosophy, nirvāṇa. Nirvāṇa means stopping, stopping all activities. Buddha philosophy is... According to Lord Buddha, his theory is that due to the combination of material elements, this body has come into existence. Now, some way or other, if these material elements are separated or dismantled, then the cause of distress is removed. That is his... Just like you have got a big house and the tenants or the government or tax collector, they give us too much trouble. So if you think that better to dismantle this house so that to get rid of these all troubles...
Each and every aristocratic family has so many temples, so many temples. And I have already informed you that one of the aristocratic family in India, Sir Padampat Singhania, he's a very big. He's as equal to your Rockefeller family. And I wrote him that "I want to start here one Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa temple and I want your help." He has immediately agreed, "Swamiji, I shall spend for a nice architectural, Indian pattern temple in New York if I get exchange sanction." You see? So my putting you, putting this statement is that even up till now, Indian aristocratic family, they are so much religiously inclined that immediately on my proposal he's agreed. He's agreed, "Yes. I shall construct a temple." So that aristocratic family has the facility. In every Indian aristocratic family you'll find they have got their particular temples and temple worship, and they go, they offer their respect, and do their business as it is. There is no harm. So by, side by side with material activities, they have got the chance of spiritual... Now, this particular family I am speaking to you, Singhania family, you'll be very glad to learn that how they are family arrangement... They have got a temple, Dvārakādhīśa, a Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa temple, just like this picture.
So in every aspect of our life... This is also one of the insignificant example of our activities of our life. If we act, dovetailing our actions with the Supreme Lord, then we are free from reaction. Otherwise we are bound up by the reaction. That is the law. So in order to get myself free from all reaction of my activities... Because so long I am... Because I am living entity, I have to act. Either I act spiritually, either act materially, I have to act. My activities will not stop. It is foolishness to say that "I will stop my activities." No. That cannot be. Your activities will go on. If you don't act spiritually, then you have to act materially. And if you are fully engaged in spiritual activity, then there is no chance of material activity. Because after all, you are actor, one, if you are engaged in something. Just like in our ordinary life, if we do something at a particular moment, we cannot do other things; similarly, we have to engage ourselves fully in the spiritual life. Then our material activities will be stopped altogether, and then there will be no reaction. In spite of our acting... Just like the soldier. In spite of his killing hundreds and thousands of people, he is not to be hanged; he is to be rewarded. This is the technique.
So we have to learn that thing, that how we have to see the beauty of spiritual life. Then, naturally, we shall be refrained from material activities. Just like a child, a boy. He is all day mischief-making and playing, but if he is given some good engagement... There are now so many devices by the educational department, kindergarten system or this system or that system. But if he's engaged, "Oh, form 'A,' form 'B.' " So he learns at the same time ABC, and at the same time refrains from his mischievous activities. Similarly, there are things, kindergarten system of spiritual life. If we engage our activity in that spiritual activities, then only it is possible to refrain from these material activities. Activities cannot be stopped. Activities cannot be stopped. Just the same example, that the Arjuna... Rather, before hearing Bhagavad-gītā, he became inactive, not to fight. But after hearing Bhagavad-gītā, he became more active, but transcendentally active.
That is called bhajana-kriyā. Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgaḥ atha bhajana-kriyā tataḥ anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt. And as you are more and more engaged in spiritual activities, so, proportionately, your material activities and affection for material activities will diminish. Counteraction. When you engage in the spiritual activities, your material activities diminishes. But just mind that. Material activities and spiritual activities, difference is that... Suppose you are engaged as a medical man. You don't think that "If I become spiritually engaged, then I have to give up my profession." No, no. That is not. You have to spiritualize your profession. Just like Arjuna, he was a military man. He became a spiritualist. That means he spiritualized his military activity.
So these are the techniques. So ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgaḥ atha bhajana-kriyā tataḥ anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt (Cc. Madhya 23.14-15). Anartha means... Anartha means that creates my miseries. Material activities will continue to increase my misery. And if you adopt spiritual life, then your material miseries will be gradually decreased, and practically it will be nil. And when we are actually free from material affinity, then your real spiritual life begins. Athāsakti. You become attached. You cannot give up any more. When your anartha-nivṛtti, when your material activities are completely stop, then you cannot give up. Athāsakti. Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgo 'tha bhajana-kriyā tato 'nartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt tato niṣṭhā (Cc. Madhya 23.14-15). Niṣṭhā means your faith becomes more firm, fixed up, steady.
So we have to gradually find out that stage of life. Here the Lord says that by force we cannot stop anyone's material activities. That is not possible. By force, it is not possible. So any other system of spiritual realization, either by the process of philosophical speculation or by this process of artificial, I mean to say, gymnastic of this body, you see, or meditation, forceful meditation... Whole day I am working in a material atmosphere. Suppose for two hours I meditate. Of course, it will make some progress. Anything, spiritual action, that will not go in vain. That is a fact. But that progress is very slow, very slow. Our determination should be... I am very glad to say that our this boy, Mr. Paul, he says sometimes, "Swamiji, I want to increase my spiritual life immediately." (laughs) Take patience, patience. It will be done, of course. When you have got such desire, God will help you. He is within you. He is simply trying to see how much sincere you are. Then He will give you all opportunities to increase your spiritual life. Teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam (BG 10.10), dadāmi buddhi-yogam.
Yes. Here is the secret of yoga system. Yoga indriya-saṁyama. The real purpose of yoga is to control the senses. Our material activities means to engage the sense in some particular objective or enjoyment. That is our material engagement. And yoga system means that you have to control the senses and detach the senses from material enjoyment, or material pleasure and pains, and divert it, focusing towards seeing the Supersoul Viṣṇu within your soul (self?). That is the real purpose of yoga. Yoga does not mean... Of course, in the beginning there are different rules and regulations, sitting posture, just to bring the mind under control. But they are not end themselves. The end is to stop the material engagement and begin spiritual engagement. So here it is explained. Go on reading.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: 69: "What is night for all beings is the time of awakening for the self-controlled, and the time of awakening for all beings is the night for the introspective sage." Purport: "There are two classes of intelligent men. The one is intelligent in material activities for sense gratification, and the other is introspective and awake to the cultivation of self-realization. Activities of the introspective sage or thoughtful man are night for persons materially absorbed. Materialistic persons remain asleep during such a night due to their ignorance of self-realization. The introspective sage, however, remains alert in that night of the materialistic man."
Prabhupāda: Night means when people sleep, and day means when they are awake. This is the understanding of day and night. So one, the materialistic persons, they are sleeping in the matter of spiritual understanding. So therefore the activities which we find in daytime of the materialistic person, actually that is night. For the spiritualistic person, they see that these people they got the facility of self-realization, this human form of life. How they are wasting by sleeping. And the materialistic persons, they are seeing, "Oh, these Kṛṣṇa conscious young boys, they have given up everything and they are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. How nonsense. They are sleeping." So you see? So in the vision of the materialistic person, these activities are night, sleeping. And for the self-realized person, these activities are sleeping. You see? Just the opposite. They are seeing the Kṛṣṇa conscious person as wasting time and the Kṛṣṇa conscious person is seeing them as wasting time. This is the position. Go on.
Practically that is real silence. If you simply engage yourself in activities of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then automatically your activities in māyā become silent. Just like the same example I have given. Here is a glass. If you want to fill up with milk, the water will go automatically. You have to throw away the water. You cannot put the water and the milk at the same time in this glass. Similarly, if you become active in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, you automatically become silent in material activities. Without any separate endeavor. It is so nice. And if you try artificially to stop, to become silent from material activities, it will not be possible. You may meditate for fifteen minutes or for fifteen hundred minutes or fifteen thousand years, it will not be possible. The mind is very strong. Mind's business is to accept and reject, accept and reject. You accept something, you reject something.
Just like there is examination. One student says, "Oh, I have studied so much." But when the examination was taken, he failed. So what does it mean that he studied? That means he did not study, that's all. The test is that spiritual advancement means minimizing material activities. Bhaktiḥ pareśānubhavo viraktir anyatra syāt (SB 11.2.42). Automatically they will be detestful for material engagement. Spiritual advancement means that.
Just like a hungry man, if you give him to eat, as soon as he begins to eat, immediately he'll feel satisfaction, and when he is fully fed, he'll say, "No, I don't want any more." So similarly, spiritual advancement means proportionately one should be detestful to material engagement. That is the test.
The Vedic śāstras are there, the representatives of Kṛṣṇa are there. They are teaching, "My dear conditioned souls, please adopt this means and end your repetition of birth and death. Come to the kingdom of God." This is a chance.
But if somebody takes it, "Now I have got my body, let me enjoy my senses to the fullest extent," then he is doomed. Then he loses the chance. Therefore this human form of body should not be wasted simply by sense gratification like cats and dogs.
Those who do not know what is the complication of this material nature, this spiritual life or material life, they are rascals. Simply they are enjoying the senses which have been given by laws of nature. They are thinking "The best things we have got, let us enjoy it to the fullest extent." No, it is not good. You must take the advantage to get out of this field of material activities and enter into the kingdom of God. This is a chance of creation. Go on.
amāla Kṛṣṇa: Purport: "A person who is fully Kṛṣṇa conscious and by his acts in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is fully satisfied, no longer has anything to perform as his duty. Due to his becoming Kṛṣṇa conscious all the dirty things within are instantly cleansed, ordinarily an effect of many, many thousands of yajña performances. By such clearing of consciousness one becomes fully confident of his eternal position in relationship with the Supreme. His duty thus becomes self-illuminated by the grace of the Lord and therefore he no longer has anything to do in terms of the Vedic injunctions. Such a Kṛṣṇa conscious person is no longer interested in material activities and no longer takes pleasure in material arrangements like wine, women and similar infatuations."
Eighteen: "A self-realized man has no purpose to fulfill in the discharge of his prescribed duties, nor has he any reason not to perform such work. Nor has he any need to depend on any other living being (BG 3.18)."
Nineteen: "Therefore without being attached to the fruits of activities, one should act as a matter of duty, for by working without attachment one attains the Supreme (BG 3.19)."
Purport: "This Supreme is the Personality of Godhead for the devotees and liberation for the impersonalist. A person acting for Kṛṣṇa or in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, under proper guidance and without attachment to the result of the work is certainly making progress towards the supreme goal of life. Indirectly Arjuna is told that he should fight the battle of Kurukṣetra without attachment in the interest of Kṛṣṇa because Kṛṣṇa wanted him to fight. To be a good man or a nonviolent man is also a personal attachment, but to act on behalf of the Supreme..."
Prabhupāda: Yes, to be good man, this consciousness is, "I am very good man." Or to bad man, "I am very bad man." But if you become Kṛṣṇa conscious, "I am neither good man or bad man. I am Kṛṣṇa's man." That's all. Finished. Finished. All business. "I am Kṛṣṇa's man." That's all. If Kṛṣṇa wants to kill you, I'll kill you. If Kṛṣṇa says you do that, I'll do that. That's all. So I am Kṛṣṇa's man. So he's immediately transcendental to all goodness or badness.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Twenty-nine: "Bewildered by the modes of material nature, the ignorant fully engage themselves in material activities and become attached. But the wise should not unsettle them although these duties are inferior due to the performers' lack of knowledge (BG 3.29)."
Purport: "Men who are ignorant cannot appreciate activities in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and therefore Lord Kṛṣṇa advises us not to disturb them and simply waste valuable time. But the devotees of the Lord are more kind than the Lord because they understand the purpose of the Lord. Consequently they undertake all kinds of risks even to the point of approaching ignorant men to try and engage them in the acts of Kṛṣṇa consciousness which are absolutely necessary for the human being."
Prabhupāda: Yes. Kṛṣṇa said that devotees, that you should not disturb them. But devotees are so kind that taking all risk. Just like Nityānanda Prabhu took all risk, Lord Jesus Christ took all risk. Therefore a devotee is more kind than God. A devotee is more merciful than God Himself. We should always remember this.
And therefore Kṛṣṇa says, mad-bhaktaḥ pūjyābhyādhika. "Anyone who worships My devotee, he worships more than what he can do for Me." That means He appreciates the worship of His devotee than to Himself. So actually, devotees are so kind. Kṛṣṇa says, "Those who are absorbed too much in material consciousness, don't disturb them." But devotees take the risks, even at the cost of life. Therefore devotee is so dear to Kṛṣṇa. That will be explained in the Eighteenth chapter. "The person who takes all risk for preaching God consciousness, nobody is dearer than him in the human society." Kṛṣṇa says like that. Go on.
Generally, those who are under the bodily concept of life, they are struggling day and night. Why? Now, to have overlordship of this material nature. This is material activities. And those who are on the mental platform, they are trying to philosophize, mental speculation. Those who are still intelligent, they are taking to this yoga practice by intelligently trying to controlling the senses. But as soon as you come to the spiritual platform, automatically these things are done because all your senses, mind, and intelligence are occupied by Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Go on. Yes, go on.
So this nature of material world is like that. Punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām (SB 7.5.30). Chewing the chewed. You chew something, you throw it, and again somebody comes, chewing it. You see: punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām (SB 7.5.30). Bhāgavata says that they are engaged with this material body and material activities. Just like you are changing, bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19), we are changing our body from one body to another. Similarly, as, with the change of my body my activities are also changed. The material is supplied by the material nature and my activities are different. In this way I am going on. Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). But we cannot come to the conclusion that if there is any possibility for eternal life or eternal activity or no change, because you don't want change. Even at the time of death you are very sorry because you have to change the body. Even for changing one apartment for another apartment you are sorry. Therefore for a sannyāsī it is recommended that he should not live more than three days in a place. Because as soon as he lives more than three days, he'll get some attachment. Attachment. So he is forbidden.
Yes, when you add this word yoga, that means bhakti. Yoga means bhakti. Somebody is addicted to these material activities. So they are advised to act in the terms of karma-yoga. What is that karma-yoga? The karma-yoga, if somebody is describing the Bhagavad-gītā, yat karoṣi. "Whatever you are doing, kuruṣva tad mad-arpaṇam. You are working? All right. What you have earned?" "One thousand dollars." "Give Me." Are you prepared? Kṛṣṇa is asking, kuruṣva tad mad-arpaṇam. So if anyone is agreed, "Yes, Kṛṣṇa, here is the money for You," then he's a karma-yogī. Otherwise he's a karmī. And the difference between karma-yogī and karmī means he has to suffer the result, good or bad, and karma-yogī has nothing to suffer because he's doing everything for Kṛṣṇa. Just like Arjuna. In the beginning he considered that "If I kill my kinsmen and my grandfather I'll be sinful." Yes. But the same thing he acted under the direction of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa wanted. So he's free.
Sarvāṇīndriya-karmāṇi ātma-saṁyama. This yoga, the haṭha-yoga system means to control the senses and control the mind. Sarvāṇi karmāṇi indriyāni, karmendriya. The yoga system's basic principle is to stop the material activities. Sarvāṇīndriya karmāṇi prāṇa-karmāṇi cāpare. There are the controlling of different airs passing within this body. Apāna-vāyu, prāṇa-vāyu, vyāna-vāyu. That is the yoga system, controlling the breathing. Ātma-saṁyama. The whole thing is for ātma-saṁyama, for controlling the mind and senses. If one is unable to control the mind and senses, then he is simply wasting time. And that ātma-saṁyama can be directly practiced by bhakti yoga. What is that? Now the same example can be given, that Arjuna was a fighter. So in the beginning he was considering, "Whether I shall fight or not." That was also ātma-saṁyama. But actually ātma-saṁyama was when he did not fight for his sense gratification. That is. Similarly, when we engage our senses... Because senses means they want some activity. Just like our eyes. If... The eyes want to see something beautiful. The tongue, tongue wants to taste something very sweet. The ear, it wants to hear something very melodious. In this way we have got our different senses. But the yoga system is trying to stop them. Now, just try to understand.
When there is war between two parties, somebody takes part with this party, or somebody takes part, or some nation takes part with one party or another nation takes part with another nation. So here also, we see that Kṛṣṇa is taking part with Arjuna. Partiality. It appears that Kṛṣṇa is partial. So Kṛṣṇa is not partial. But it, externally, it appears that "He is partial. How He can be God?"
Now, therefore this verse is spoken by Lord Kṛṣṇa. So janma karma me divyam: (BG 4.9) "My activities and My coming down to this material world is transcendental." Divyam means transcendental. It is not ordinary thing. Just like Kṛṣṇa, we observe in India the Kṛṣṇa's birthday. This month of August, by the end of August, there will be Kṛṣṇa's birthday, and every Indian home, especially the Hindus, never mind in whatever sect or division they belong, they observe Kṛṣṇa's birthday. As here in the Christian world you observe the birthday of Lord Jesus Christ, similarly... So janma... Now, here Kṛṣṇa says that "My janma, My birth..." And because there is birth, so there are some activities. Just like we have taken our birth and there are some activities. So this Kṛṣṇa's birth and Kṛṣṇa's activities are transcendental. Transcendental means they are not these material activities.
You know your President Kennedy. He was going in a procession, and the time came, and he had to leave everything at once, at once, without any hesitation. You cannot hesitate. So we are in the grip of the material nature. However we may declare ourself that we are independent, we are not independent. We are dependent, completely dependent. We may foolishly mislead ourself by the sense of independence. No. You are not independent. You are completely under the control of the material nature. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). The material nature is so strong that it is very difficult to get out of the entanglement.
But there is a way. That is also said in the Bhagavad-gītā, mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te: "Anyone who surrenders unto Me..." The whole process, the whole process of material activities, material nature, is going on under this principle, that we are required to go back to the eternal world, to get our eternal life and eternal blissful knowledge. These things are awaiting us. But if we do not try, do not endeavor for attaining that sublime position and spoil our reserve energy in making an adjustment of this temporary material world, that is our foolishness.
So here Kṛṣṇa also give us instruction that vīta-rāga-bhaya-krodhāḥ (BG 2.56). There are persons who are too much attached to these material activities. They are called rāga. They are in the atmosphere of rāga. And there are persons who are atmosphere of fear: "Oh, again we have got to..., a personal life?" They are afraid of personal life. They want to make impersonal everything. That is called bhaya. And the first, second... And the third is krodha. They do not believe in any philosophy. "Let us commit suicide. Let us annihilate all this material existence." So we have to surpass. We have to surpass these three stage of attachment and fearfulness and krodha, and anger. When he is disgusted with this life, he commits suicide. That is called krodha, by anger. So we have to surpass all these stages. So Lord Kṛṣṇa says, vīta-rāga-bhaya-krodhāḥ: "After surpassing these three stages of life," vīta-rāga-bhaya-krodhā man-mayā mām upāśritāḥ (BG 4.10), "one who is constantly conscious of Me," man-mayā, and mām upāśritāḥ, "and accepting the shelter of My protection," mām upāśritāḥ, bahavo jñāna-tapasā, "there were many sages who by culture of knowledge and penance," bahavo jñāna pūtā, "purified by that process," mad-bhāvam āgatāḥ, "they attained My superior nature, My superior nature."
So if you become attached to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, this hotel, restaurants and, and dancing, and this and that, they'll be zero. Automatically. But if you simply try to make it zero, that is not possible. That is not possible. Therefore paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate (BG 2.59). If you get better engagement, to try to engage yourself always in the better engagement, then these material activities will be zero. But zero is not our philosophy. Positive, not negative. They simply make negative. Negative will not help us. Negative, there is of requisition negativeness.
But here it is said that... "One is vīta-rāga-bhaya-krodhāḥ (BG 2.56), or you have to be detached from all these nonsense things, but the result will be, by jñāna-tapasā, by knowledge and penance and austerities, when you'll be purified, then you'll come back to Me." This is positive. This positive... Our philosophy's positive, not negative. Negative is, I mean to say, that is... What is called? Anya-vyatireka... Sanskrit. Direct and indirect. This is indirect method. And direct method is positive. So you be positively engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, in Kṛṣṇa's service, then you'll always remain on the transcendental platform, making the material activities zero. That is wanted. Thank you very much. (end)
Therefore you'll find there are so many big, big swamis. First of all they give up this world. Brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā. "This world is mithyā. Let us take to Brahman. Let us become Brahman." But after keeping in, some days in so-called Brahman, they again come back to open hospital, school. Because there they could not get anything. Therefore something must be done, profession. So open hospital and raise fund. That's all.
So unless you get shelter on the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, you'll be attracted by these material activities. But when you are attracted by the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, then vīta-rāga-bhaya-śoka... Then, as we... Vīta-rāga-bhaya-krodhā man-mayā mām upāśritāḥ (BG 4.10). Mām upāśritāḥ. When you take shelter at the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, then you become vīta-rāga-bhaya-krodhāḥ (BG 2.56). Otherwise, you'll be attacked by, attracted by this material world. So therefore, artificial śūnyavāda philosophy, it may be, for the time being, necessity, śūnyavāda...
As Kṛṣṇa advises, saṅga-varjitaḥ: "You should not have any attraction or any attachment for these worldly activities." If you have got attachment or attraction for these material activities, then you cannot have Kṛṣṇa, you cannot become Kṛṣṇa conscious. But that does not mean you should be inimical to the people of the world. No. It is your duty to give them the highest instruction, spiritual instruction, that "You become Kṛṣṇa conscious." And try your best, try your best.
Nirvairaḥ. You should not be anyone's enemy. Others may become your enemy. Because it is quite natural. Anyone who comes with the message of the Supreme Lord, there are persons who become his enemy. Just like Lord Jesus Christ, He came. His only fault was that he was preaching the message of God, and people, some people, not all people, become his enemy, and he was crucified. So this is the world. Anyone who comes as a most, I mean to say, beneficial friend of the world, people take him as the enemy, and they do the same mistake again so that they are bound up again by their own work and they remain in this material world to repeat birth and death, one after another, one after another. So we should be very much cautious.
We should not miss this chance of this human body to become Kṛṣṇa consciousness, to become conscious of Kṛṣṇa. So therefore we must know how to work, how to work. Kiṁ karma kim akarmeti. If we do not know how to work, then we shall be entangled in these material activities. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, saṅga-varjitaḥ. Of course, a Kṛṣṇa conscious person, he also acts just like another material actor, but because he works in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, therefore he's not bound up.
Just like take the example of Arjuna. He also fought just like ordinary military man, but because he fought in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, therefore he was not bound up by the reaction of such fighting. Fighting is not necessary. Fighting is not necessary. Peace, peace is necessary. But sometimes peace is disturbed. At that time, fighting is also necessary. You cannot, you cannot absolutely give up the process of fighting in this material world. That is not possible. Because there are persons who will create trouble. Just like we are experiencing. We are not going to do any harm to anybody. But sometimes they are coming and creating disturbances. So these disturbing elements are there, and this is always there. The material nature is like that. Therefore fighting cannot be abolished in the, when it is necessary, absolutely necessary. In the battle of Kurukṣetra, Lord Kṛṣṇa advocated this fighting because it was absolutely necessary.
This was spoken by Sūta Gosvāmī in the assembly of great saintly persons and brāhmaṇas, and he addressed the brāhmaṇas, dvija-śreṣṭhāḥ, "the best of the brāhmaṇas." "The best of the brāhmaṇas." Because he is especially addressing the brāhmaṇas. The thing is that unless one has attained the brahminical qualification, it is very difficult to understand what is spiritual life, what is spiritual success. Brahma jānātīti brāhmaṇaḥ. That is also explained:
- brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā
- na śocati na kāṅkṣati
- samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu
- mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām
- (BG 18.54)
Brahman realization, "I am not this body, I am spirit soul, part and parcel of God, "when we understand this position, then we are liberated from the reaction of karma or material activities.
There are two kinds of reaction of every activity, pious or impious. Pious activities, that is also bondage, and impious activities, that is also bondage. But above pious or impious activities, there is another activity, which is called devotional activity. If one performs devotional activities, he is above the control of this material nature. The material nature is being controlled by three qualities: sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa, goodness, passion and ignorance. But one who acts on account of the Supreme Personal of Godhead, then he becomes freed from the reaction of these qualities. That is called karmaṇy akarma. Although a devotee is seem that he is very active, but his activities are not like material activities, to result in some pious result or impious result. Both of them are bondage, pious or impious things.
So ultimate goal is to satisfy the Supreme. That they do not know. This is stated by Prahlāda Mahārāja. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). They do not... Everyone is self-interested, but they do not know what is self-interest. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatim. Everyone must be self-interested. That is natural. But they do not know what is self-interest. The self-interest is to approach Viṣṇu or Kṛṣṇa and satisfy Him. That is self-interest. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ durāśayā (SB 7.5.31). Durāśayā means by hoping something which is impossible to fulfill. Durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ. The modern civilization, they are trying to adjust things by material activities.
Yasya sarve samārambhāḥ. You are not forbidden to execute your duties. We are not after stopping the general process of material activities. That is not our mission. The whole thing is that we have to act everything in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Just like... It is very easy to understand. Everybody has got some vocation of his life. But what is their consciousness? Their consciousness is that "I am engaged in this business, I am engaged in this service, because I have to maintain my family," "I have to maintain myself," or "I have to satisfy the government," or "I have to satisfy somebody else." This is our consciousness. Nobody is free from such consciousness.
Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam (CC Madhya 19.167). Uncovered, coverless, without any covering of jñāna and karma. Jñāna and karma. Because here it is said, jñānāgni-dagdha-karmāṇam. One is engaged in the material activities when he's not enlightened by knowledge. Therefore they are called mūḍhas. The karmīs who are working for sense gratification day and night, they have been called as mūḍhas. Mūḍhas means asses. The ass works very hard, the washerman's cloth loaded on the back of the ass to the greatest extent so that he cannot move. But what does he get in exchange? A morsel of grass. That's all. He knows it, that in exchange of... "None of the cloth belongs to me; still, I am carrying so much burden, and in exchange I'll get a few pieces of grass," which is available anywhere. But he's thinking that "This washerman will supply me grass." This is ass, ass-mentality. Therefore they are called mūḍha.
Now, if we want to get out of the reaction of material activity, then this is the formula given by Śrī Kṛṣṇa: kāma-saṅkalpa-varjitāḥ. Kāma means one's sense gratification. "I want to do this thing for my sense gratification." That is materialism. But if I want to do something which will be satisfactory, which will give satisfaction to Kṛṣṇa, that is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This very simple thing we are discussing in a different way. And this Kṛṣṇa consciousness is attained by jñānāgni-dagdha-karmāṇam. Yes?
Yes. Suppose a man is a manager, a cashier in the bank. He is receiving millions of dollars daily but he does not claim the proprietorship. He is simply handling millions of dollars but he knows that "I am not the proprietor."
Similarly, in our this material activities we may have the chance of handling millions of dollars practically nobody comes here with millions of dollars, neither one goes with millions of dollars. Everyone comes here empty-hand. The child comes empty-hand and the dead body goes empty-hand. So between the birth and death this small duration of life we are supposed to possess so many things. That is our false possession. Actually you don't possess.
So in this age practically everyone is dependent or laborer class. Now here it is said that "the work of a man who is unattached to the modes of material nature." Now this division, brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya vaiśya, or the intelligent class, the administrative class, mercantile class and the laborer class. You say in any way. These are material activities. But when you engage yourself in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, either you are a brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya or vaiśya or śūdra, then you are transcendental immediately.
Just like in this body there are different parts and section. The head. Head is one section. The arm, another section. The abdomen, another section. The legs, another section. So the leg is considered to be laborer class carrying me. The hand is working, protecting me. The brain is giving me intelligence. In this way every part is working for the whole body.
Māyāvādī philosophers, they do not know that there is relationship that the Para-brahman and Brahman can be engaged in loving transaction. That they do not understand. They think that Brahman, when merges into the existence of Para-brahman, then business is finished. No. Business is not finished. Because we are individuals. It is not possible to remain without any activity. That is theory, that without any activity we can remain. That is not possible. And if we have no information of the spiritual activity, then we have to come back again to this material activity. That is practical example. There are many sannyāsīs. They so-called merging into Brahman, but they come back in material activities, in politics, in sociology and so on. So therefore these instructions are very valuable. nirāśīr yata-cittātmā tyakta-sarva-parigrahaḥ śārīraṁ kevalaṁ karma. Śārīra, just to maintain your body. Be satisfied. Whatever is supplied by Kṛṣṇa, be satisfied. Don't aspire more and more. Save time for advancing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.... (break).... so that you can, with great enthusiasm, you can make progress in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Śārīraṁ kevalam. Not for sense gratification.
Why not? They have already become liberated? No. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adho 'nādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ (SB 10.2.32). Āruhya. They have undergone severe penances, austerities. That is right. And they have come to the paraṁ padam, brahmapāda, but patanty adhaḥ, because... ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). Everyone wants ānanda, and part and parcel of ānanda, Kṛṣṇa, he wants ānanda. So simply realization, ahaṁ brahmāsmi, will not stay, will not stay. Because simply knowing "I am such and such," simply knowing that "I am a millionaire," or simply knowing that "I am a big man," that will not help him. He must also have activities. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt. Abhyāsāt means there must be activities. If you stop activities, there will be no ānanda. Then you will again search out where is activities. And because you have no spiritual activities, you will come down to the material activities.
Madhudviṣa: Thirty-seven: "As the blazing fire turns wood to ashes, O Arjuna, so does the fire of knowledge burn to ashes all reactions to material activities (BG 4.37)."
Prabhupāda: Yes. I may be very seriously sinful, but when I get the knowledge of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, all my sins will be burned into ashes. Just like if you have... You have got a small fire. You bring tons of wood. Go on putting it. Go on putting it. Gradually everything will become ashes. This example. Tons of wood, you go on putting in that small fire. May not be immediately, but you go on putting, day after day, hours after hours; all wood will be burned into ashes. Very nice example.
Yes. Yes. Because sometimes people are inclined to make some sacrifices to appease the demigods, so these prescriptions are there. Just like somebody is recommended that "If you want to be cured of your disease, then you worship the sun-god. If you want to get a very nice beautiful wife, then you worship Umā, the wife of Lord Śiva." In this way... "If you want to be very learned, then you worship the goddess of learning." So these prescriptions are there in the Vedic literature, so people... Just like in the modern days they want to have all these things by material activities, so they are recommended in a different way, but the aim is the same.
But when one can understand... That is also injunction in the Vedas, that akāmaḥ sarva-kāmo vā mokṣa-kāma udāra-dhīḥ: (SB 2.3.10) "Either you are desiring some material prosperity or you are desiring devotional service, or you are desiring liberation..." There are three kinds of desires. One desire is that a person wants some material opulence. And then one desires... One becomes frustrated. He wants liberation. Or another, those who are transcendentally advanced, they want to be engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. There are three kinds of desires.
Devotee: "Such a desire is greater than any material desire. But it is not without self-interest. Similarly the mystic yogi who practices the yoga system with half-open eyes, ceasing all material activities, desires some satisfaction for his personal self."
Prabhupāda: Actually the yogis want some material power. That is the perfection of yoga. Not perfection, that is one of the procedures. Just like if you are actually practicing the regulative principles of yoga, then you can get eight kinds of perfection. You can become lighter than the cotton swab. You can become heavier than the stone. You can get anything, whatever you like, immediately. Sometimes you can even create a planet. Such powerful yogis are there. Viśvāmitra yogi, he did it actually. He wanted to get man from palm tree. "Why man should be begotten living ten months within the womb of mother. They'll be produced just like fruit." He did it like that. So sometimes yogis are so powerful, they can do. So these are all material powers. Such yogis, they are also vanquished. How long you can remain on this material power? So bhakti-yogīs, they do not want anything such. Go on. Yes.
Copper, it is copper. But as soon as it is electrified, you touch it, you get electric shock. There are so many examples. Similarly, if your body is spiritualized, then the material action is no more. Material action means sense gratification. So the more one becomes spiritualized, the material demands become nil. No more material activities.
So how you can do that? The same example: You have to keep the iron constantly with the fire. You have to keep yourself constantly in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then even your this body, material body, is spiritualized. There is a Sanskrit grammatical law which is called māyātpoktaya (?). Marat(?) means, there is a word, just like svarṇamaya. Svarṇamaya means golden. Golden can be called, when it is made of pure gold, that is also golden. And if it is made of something else but the coating is gold, large quantity of gold, it is also golden. Similarly, when this material body is full with spiritual activities only, this is also spiritual. Therefore saintly persons, of course in your country everyone is put into the grave after passing away, but in India according to Vedic system, only very high personality, devotees, their body is not burned. It is considered spiritual. A sannyāsī's body is not burned because it is considered spiritual. So how it becomes spiritual? The same example: When the body has no more any material activities, simply spiritual activity in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that body is spiritual.
Devotee: Verse number three. "For one who is a neophyte in the eightfold yoga system, work is said to be the means. And for one who has already attained to yoga, cessation of all material activities is said to be the means (BG 6.3)."
Prabhupāda: Yes. There are two stages. One who is practicing yoga to reach to the perfectional platform and one who has attained the perfectional platform. So, so long one is not on the perfectional platform, just trying to do, at that time there are so many works. That āsana system, yama, niyama. So generally in your country there are so many yoga societies. They display this āsana system. How to sit down, different postures. That helps. But that is the process simply to get onto the real platform. They are simply means. Real yoga system perfection is different from those bodily gymnastic process. There are two stages. One stage is trying to reach the perfectional platform, and another stage is one who has reached the perfectional platform. Go on.
Yes. This is the perfectional stage of yoga system, yoga practice. A person is said to have attained to yoga, that means, yoga means connection. Just like, the same example. Suppose this finger was out of my body. Or don't take this finger, take any machine part. It is out of the machine, lying idle. And as soon as you join with the machine, it works with different functions. Cutacut, cutacut, cutacut, it works. That is yoga. It has been joined. Similarly, we are now differentiated. These material activities, fruitive activities, they have been described simply wasting time. Mūḍha. Mūḍha. They have been described in the Bhagavad-gītā as mūḍha. Mūḍha means rascal. Why? Such a big businessman? You say rascal? Why? He's earning thousands of dollars daily. But they have been described, mūḍha, rascal, because they're working so hard but what he's enjoying? He's enjoying the same amount of eating, sleeping and mating. That's all. As a man who's earning millions of dollars daily. That does not mean he can enjoy mating millions of woman. No, that is not possible. His power of mating is same one who is earning ten dollars. His power of eating is the same with the man, one who is earning ten dollars. So he does not think that "My enjoyment of life is the same amount with the man who is earning ten dollars. Then why I am working so hard for earning millions of dollars daily? Why I am spoiling my energy in that way?" You see? They are called mūḍha.
So these rascals they do not come to sense that "I am permanent. Why I am after nonpermanent." If I am always busy for comforts of this body, but I know that this body, today or tomorrow or a hundred years after will be finished and so far I am concerned, I am spirit soul, I have no birth, I have no death. Then what is my function? It is the bodily function, so, far I am doing, these material activities. Therefore Prahlāda Mahārāja said asad-grahāt. Just see how nice. They are anxious, they are full of anxiety because they have captured something nonpermanent. Their whole activities are targetted to capture something nonpermanent. Therefore they are always full of anxieties. Any person, any living entity, man, beast or animal or birds, always anxious. This is material disease. So if you are always full of anxiety, where there is question of peace? You go, I go in the street, I say, "Beware of dog." They are living in a very nice house, but full of anxieties. Somebody may not come. Let there be dog. You see? "Beware of dog." "No trespassers." That means although living in a nice cottage, very nice, but full of anxieties. Full of anxieties. Sitting in an office, very nice good salary, always thinking, "Oh I may not lose this office." You see? You see? American nation, very rich nation,... defense, defense force, everything. Always anxious. "Oh, the Vietnams may not come here." You see? So who is free from anxiety? Therefore the conclusion is if you want peace without anxiety, then you have to come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. There is no other alternative. It is practical. Just try to understand.
That is impossible. Kleśo 'dhikaratas teṣām avyaktāsakta-cetasām. Some yogi says that you stop yourself, make yourself motionless. How it is possible to make me motionless? I am moving spirit. This is not possible. Motionless means when you are fixed up in Kṛṣṇa, there is no more material motion. That is motionless. This material propensities will not anymore disturb you. That is called motionless. But your motion for Kṛṣṇa activities will increase. The more you increase your motion or activities in Kṛṣṇa consciousness you become automatically motionless in material activities. That is the process. But if you want to make motionless, the same example—a child, a child is restless. You cannot make the child motionless. You give him something, plaything, some nice picture. He will see, engaged, and motionless. That is the way. So people are motionless. Not motionless, what is called? Moving. But if you want to make him motionless then give him Kṛṣṇa engagement. Then he'll be motionless. And that is realization. Why he should be engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness unless he realizes that "I am Kṛṣṇa's. I am not this matter's, I am not this nation's, I am not this society's, I am not this rascal's, I am simply Kṛṣṇa's." Motionless. His full knowledge.
That is my position. I am part and parcel. Mamaivāṁśo jīva (BG 15.7)—all these living entities are My part and parcel. So as soon as you understand that "I am part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa" immediately you become motionless to material activities. Yes.
Oh, very good. (laughs) Śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe yoga bhraṣṭa sañjāyate (BG 6.41). When Arjuna asked Kṛṣṇa that "Persons who are trying to make perfection in the bhakti-yoga..." Because the māyā's influence is very strong. Anyone practicing bhakti-yoga, sometimes he may fall down. But there is assurance that even one falls down, there is no loss. That has been advised by Nārada Muni, that tyaktvā sva-dharmaṁ caraṇāmbujaṁ harer bhajann apakvo 'tha patet tato yadi (SB 1.5.17). Just like in our movement somebody joins. A few cases have happened also that joined, being nice, but all of a sudden drifted from our Society. So Nārada Muni advised that even some, sometimes somebody may not continue, but falls down, there is no loss. Tyaktvā sva-dharmaṁ caraṇāmbujam. And those who are sticking to their work, prescribed duties, but not in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, what they are gaining? Just try to understand. A person, say, out of sentiment, or some other influence, he joins this Movement, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, but could not follow strictly the rules and regulation and falls down. Nārada Muni says there is no loss, even though he has fallen. But another person who is sticking to their material activities, a material... A karmī's thinking, "What these people are doing? Simply wasting time. Let us do our duty. Let us produce something"—so-called production.
So when you go to a certain different atmosphere, you have to accept a different type of body. Similarly, when you go to the spiritual world, you'll accept a spiritual body. What is the difficulty to understand? Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti (BG 4.9). One should be qualified to enter into certain association, atmosphere. That... If you spiritually qualify yourself, then after giving up this body you get a spiritual body and you enter in the spiritual world. That's all. Very easy. You make yourself spiritualized in this life. That example is... Just like you put one iron rod in the fire; it becomes warmer, warmer, warmer, and at the end it becomes red hot. At that time it is no longer iron rod. It is fire. You touch that iron rod anywhere; it will burn. Similarly, by spiritual activities you can make this body spiritual so that there will be no more material activities. That is spiritual body. Just like in this body we are training our boys and girls... They are young boys and girls, but they are no more interested to go to the restaurant, hotel or cinema or dancing party. They are simply interested to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. How they have given up all these young men's demand? How it is possible? You can see. So when your material activities are stopped, that is spiritual body.
Therefore Bhāgavata says that "Although they got up to the platform, āruhya, after much penance and austerities, they fall down." Otherwise a common man, he is also opening hospital. And if a sannyāsī who has rejected this world as mithyā, and if he also wants to open hospital and school and college, then what is the difference between the common man and this learned scholar or learned self-realized brahma-jñānī? That means he has not realized what is actually siddhi, what is brahma-jñāna. Otherwise why he is coming? Paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate (BG 2.59). You can cease yourself from all material activities when you actually realize the Supreme Brahman. Just like you see the Americans and European boys. They are no more interested with material activities. You bribe them that "Again come to material activities." They will refuse, because paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate. They are actually liberated. Actually liberated. And simply talking big, big words and becoming engaged in material activities, what is this nonsense? You are thinking liberated? You cannot give up even the family affection, and you are liberated?
In this way we are becoming implicated. By the so-called advancement of civilization, we are becoming implicated to these material activities and we are forgetting our real business, self-realization, what I am. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. The real business is to enquire about Brahman, about ātmā, Paramātmā, but we are forgetting that. We are simply busy for the temporary life, say, for fifty years or hundred years, utmost. But we do not know the life is continuation. As the life is continued we have got experience—from babyhood to childhood, childhood to boyhood, boyhood to youthhood, then in old body, then what is next? You ask anybody who has become old man. Ask him, "Sir, you have come to this stage. Your body is now old. You have to die. Now, from childhood you came to boyhood, boyhood to youthhood, then middle age, and now you have come to... Now what is next? Do you know?" Oh, they will be silent. Nobody knows that what is my next life. A child can say, "My next life is boy. I shall become a boy." The boy can say, "Yes, I will be like very nice young man." The young man can say that "I shall become middle-aged man, father of many children." And the middle-aged man can say, "Yes, I will become old man." And ask the old man what he will become? He cannot answer. Can anyone say?
So Kṛṣṇa says that catur-vidhā bhajante māṁ sukṛtino 'rjuna. So Arjuna also said, paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). When Arjuna understood the Bhagavad-gītā, he understood Kṛṣṇa also. And he said, "Kṛṣṇa, You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead." Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma (BG 10.12). "You are the supreme shelter," paraṁ dhāma. Pavitram. This word is there, pavitra. So without being pavitra, without being pious, without being free from contamination of material activities, nobody can approach Kṛṣṇa. That's a fact. But Kṛṣṇa is so kind that He orders that "Even if you have got some kāmanam, some desire, material desire, still, you can take shelter upon Me." Sarva-dharmān parityajya (BG 18.66). "You do not take shelter of anything else. Simply depend on Me." Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja. "You haven't got to depend on anything else. I will give you protection." So we have to take faith in the words of Kṛṣṇa and put our complete faith and devotion at the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. That will make us happy and make progress in Kṛṣṇa consciousness in order to achieve the highest goal of life, back to Godhead, back to home. Yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama (BG 15.6).
So this is the opportunity. So this knowledge, rāja-vidyā rāja-guhyaṁ pratyakṣāvagamaṁ dharmyam, susukhaṁ kartum avyayam (BG 9.2). Avyayam means in ordinary fruitive activities whatever you do... Suppose by karma, by material activities, fruitive activities, you become very rich man or very learned man, very good office. But everything will be finished with your death. As soon as the body is finished, all your asset finished. But if you become a devotee, your body may be finished but the soul is eternal. The soul will carry your assets of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and nature will give you another chance of taking birth in a very rich family or in a Vaiṣṇava family. To get birth in a Vaiṣṇava family is greater asset than to take birth in rich family. Rich family means there is no economic problem. But on account of richness one may fall down, but if one takes birth in a Vaiṣṇava family there is no more fall down. He makes progress further and further. In this way he is allowed again go back to home, back to Godhead. Thank you very much. (end)
Sannyāsa does not mean that simply taking this orange colored cloth. Sannyāsa means to become free from the actions and reactions. Because in the material activities we are always creating actions and reactions, so at a certain stage of your life it is recommended, according to the Vedic standard of, I mean to say, order of society, one has to accept the sannyāsa order so that he may be free from the actions and reactions. And how one can become free from reactions and reactions? Simply by acting for Kṛṣṇa. Even externally it appears that you are doing some bad work, still, it will have no reaction. It does not mean that we shall entail our activities with some impious motive. No. Of course, a devotee cannot do that. But even supposing that you have done something which is impious, which you ought not to have done, still, it will have no reaction, because the assurance is there: ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ (BG 18.66). The Lord will save you from the reactionary result of even impious activities. Sarva-pāpebhyaḥ. Pāpa means sinful activities. So a devotee never acts sinful, but supposing that he sometimes consciously or unconsciously does something, there will be no reaction. That is the formula. Sannyāsa-yoga-yuktātmā vimukto mām upaiṣyasi. And so long you are not liberated from the actions and reactions, you cannot be liberated. You cannot be liberated.
The soul and the Supersoul, it is stated in the Vedic literature, Upaniṣad, they are sitting in one branch of the tree together as friends. The soul and the Supersoul, both of them are within the heart. But the soul is now looking forward for material enjoyment. And the Supersoul is witnessing the material activities of the individual soul. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: anumantā upadraṣṭā. Upadraṣṭā means overseeing. For every action we are doing there is witness. That is karmavāda, witness.
Suppose one man has done something wrong in the criminal court, one requires witness. Either to punish him or to release him, the witness required. So witness is there. The Supreme Personality of Godhead as Paramātmā, He is there as witness; anumantā upadraṣṭā. Anumantā means without the sanction of the Paramātmā, the individual soul cannot do anything. That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭaḥ: "I am sitting in everyone's heart." Sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭo mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca: (BG 15.15) "Through Me everyone is getting remembrance, smṛtir jñānam, knowledge and everyone is forgetting also." That is due to this Paramātmā, or Supersoul.
We are now in forgotten state. This conditioned material life means we have forgotten our real constitutional position. I am thinking, "I am this body," but I am not this body. I am spirit soul; ahaṁ brahmāsmi. But we have forgotten it. We have forgotten our relationship with the Supreme Lord. This forgetfulness is also due to the influence of the Supersoul. Because we wanted to act... Just like a very first-class dramatic director, he instructs the player in such a way that sometimes he forgets. The more he forgets he plays very nicely. Similarly, we wanted to enjoy this material world, so unless we forget completely that "I am spirit soul, I am not this body, actually I can not enjoy...? So that forgetfulness is also due to the Supersoul. He is giving us full chance. But His advice that "Do not become entangled in these material activities." Therefore his instruction is sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). That is His instruction.
But we do not want that. We want to forget and entangle ourselves in these material activities. Therefore Kṛṣṇa, by the agency of his māyā, illusory energy, helps us in forgetting. But if we want to revive our original consciousness, then also Kṛṣṇa helps you. Buddhi-yogaṁ dadāmi tam. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā.
But actually Bhagavad-gītā is meant for bhaktas. Bhakto 'si sakhā ceti. Bhagavad-gītā was instructed to Arjuna for his only qualification, that he was a devotee of Kṛṣṇa. Bhakto 'si me sakhā ceti. So the whole Bhagavad-gītā is the essence of Vedic knowledge, and the Vedic knowledge means to understand Kṛṣṇa. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ (BG 15.15). Vedeṣu durlabham adurlabham ātma-bhaktau (Bs. 5.33). Even if you study Vedic literature, without bhakti, without studying the Vedic literature, you cannot understand the Absolute Truth. Bhaktyā śruta-gṛhītayā. Tac chraddadhānā munayo jñāna-vairāgya-yuktayā (SB 1.2.12). Tac chraddadhānā munayaḥ. Those who are faithful, such great saintly persons, śraddadhānā munayo jñāna-vairāgya-yuktayā... Jñāna-vairāgya-yuktayā. There is sufficient knowledge and vairāgya, detachment.
Vairāgya... Vedānta knowledge is not to be discussed on the table as a recreation, taking tea and smoking and discussing on Vedānta-sūtra. This kind of discussion will not help. Jñāna-vairāgya-yuktayā. Vairāgya. There must be detachment from material activities. Tac chraddadhānā munayo jñāna-vairāgya... (SB 1.2.12), paśyanty ātmani cātmānaṁ bhaktyā śruta-gṛhītayā. Bhaktyā. There must be bhakti. And what kind of bhakti? Not sentiment but śruta-gṛhītayā, taking, accepting bhakti, the devotional path, after being completely aware of the spiritual science. Bhaktyā śruta-gṛhītayā.
Pradyumna: Translation: "Nature is said to be the cause of all material activities and effects, whereas the living entity is the cause of the various sufferings and enjoyments in this world."
Prabhupāda: This is very funny, that you get the body according to your karma, but the, you are liable to enjoy or being suffering according to the body. The body is given by the nature. In another place it is confirmed, bhrāmayan sarva-bhūtāni yantrārūḍhāni māyayā (BG 18.61).
The living entity... Just like we, on this jeep car, we can move from here and there. Somebody has given you the car for movement. Similarly we are getting a yantra, a moving instrument, this body, with senses, different bodies. So I'm seated there and, but the movement is not in my direction. That is by nature's own way.
Because simply to get out is not the final business. Suppose you are being employed in a place you do not like. You want to change. Simply if you resign your post, that is not good. You must take another nice post. Then it is good. Similarly, simply to become freed from this material ent... (break)
...is to remain eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa. That is perfection of life. Anyone who is engaged in the eternal service of the Lord, he is perfect, he is mukta. Muktir hitvā anyathā rūpaṁ svarūpeṇa vyavasthitiḥ (SB 2.10.6). This is mukti. Mukti means to be freed from the useless activities. The material activities, they are all useless activities, because in the bodily concept of life. Just like the monkey. He is also very active. In Vṛndāvana we have got good experience, always active. But useless. Therefore Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī has described, phalgu-vairāgya. The monkey is vairāgī. He lives in the forest. He has no cloth even. Other vairāgīs, they have got little cloth, but these monkeys have no cloth. And they live in forest and eat fruits, vegetarian, but rascal number one.
This process of extrication should be understood. In the previous chapters it has been explained that there are many processes by which to get out of the material entanglement. And, up to the Thirteenth Chapter, we have seen that devotional service to the Supreme Lord is the best way. Now, the basic principle of devotional service is detachment from material activities and attachment to the transcendental service of the Lord. The process of breaking attachment to the material world is discussed in the beginning of this chapter. The root of this material existence grows upward. This means that it begins from the total material substance, from the topmost planet of the universe. From there, the whole universe is expanded, with so many branches, representing the various planetary systems. The fruits represent the results of the living entities' activities, namely, religion, economic development, sense gratification and liberation.
Śuci means first-class brāhmaṇa. So we are accepting sacred thread to become first-class brāhmaṇa, śuci, but we do not know, after eating, we have to wash our hand. We are taking the handkerchief and finished. So this kind of brāhmaṇa, what they will do? That is not even a civilized man. So you should be very, very careful how to follow the rules and regulation. That is nivṛtti-mārga. If we still remain in pravṛtti-mārga, then we will not be able to make any advance in spiritual life. And if we do not make advance in spiritual life, then again and again, śarīra. Tathā dehāntara-prāptir dhīras tatra na muhyati (BG 2.13). Everyone is suffering on account of this body, and this human body is meant for ending this suffering. That should be the aim of life. But those who are asuras, they do not know how to end this life of suffering and accept the life of ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt, (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12) simply ānanda in Vaikuṇṭha, in Goloka Vṛndāvana. Kṛṣṇa, to live with Him as His associate, you have no information. We are demons, and therefore we take pleasure in so-called material activities. And that means we are doomed. We should stop this nonsense and take to the principles of nivṛtti-mārga. Then our life will be success. Thank you very much. (end)
But we Vaiṣṇava philosopher, Krishnites, we do not think in that terms. Suppose in next life I become some demigod like Lord Brahmā or the Moon or the Sun. They are all demigods. Or Vāyu, Varuṇa. The Vaiṣṇava says, "No, we don't want this." Because either you become Rockefeller or Ford in this life and next life the king of Moon planet or Sun planet or in any way, up to the Brahmā planet, Brahmaloka, Lord Brahmā, Kṛṣṇa says, ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna: (BG 8.16) "My dear Arjuna, by your endeavor, even you become promoted to the highest position of this material world, still, you have to die, and again—either come down or remain there—there will be change of body." Ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna (BG 8.16). "So why should you be implicated in these material activities? Try to come to Me, back to home, back to Godhead. Then you'll haven't got to return again in this material world. That is the highest perfection." So this is called brahma-jijñāsā. By inquiring about Brahman one can understand that "Even if I go to the topmost planet of this material world, the four principles of miseries—birth, death, old age and disease—there is."
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
"My dear Arjuna, whenever there is discrepancies in the matter of execution of real purpose of life..." That is called dharma. Dharma, this word, either you take it "religion" or "duty" or "nature," as you like, but, as explained before, dharma means your actual, constitutional position. It is nothing artificial. The example again I am repeating: just like fire is hot, warm. Fire has light. You cannot separate light from fire or heat from fire. Therefore heat and light is dharma. That is its real religion. So our dharma, living entity, that is defined very nicely by Lord Caitanya. Our dharma, or religion, is to obey the orders of the Supreme Lord, to become, to engage ourself in the loving, transcendental service of the Lord. Whenever this principle is crippled or checked by our material activities...
So dharma artha kāma mokṣa (SB 4.8.41, Cc. Ādi 1.90). So mokṣa, there are different types of mokṣa, or liberation. The Māyāvāda philosophers, the impersonalists, they think mokṣa means to merge into the effulgence of Kṛṣṇa, brahma-jyotir. That is also accepted, merging. But that kind of mokṣa is not accepted by the Vaiṣṇava, because to merge into the effulgence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead may be liberation from this material world, but that does not mean that is actual liberation. Just like if you, from darkness of night, if you come to the sunlight, it is light of course, but sunshine or sunlight, if you go up with your airplane, "Now I shall live in the sunshine or sunlight and travel for millions of years...," you cannot travel millions of years. One day or three days or four days, then you come back again to this... If you can approach the sun planet, then there is stay. Otherwise you have to come back. Similarly, those who are taking shelter of the effulgence, which is the bodily rays of Kṛṣṇa, they will have to come back. Many, many big, big sannyāsīs, they have come back again to these material activities.
So in this way try to understand the philosophy of God, that is bhāgavata. Bhāgavata discourse means to understand the philosophy of God. So this process. The religion means first-class religion means one who has learned to love God. That is first-class religion. And how to love God, how to practice that love? That is bhakti-yoga. Vāsudeve bhagavati bhakti-yogaḥ prayojitaḥ, janayaty āśu vairāgyam (SB 1.2.7). Vairāgyam, the word, two things required in human life, knowledge and renunciation. Renunciation-try to understand what is renunciation—just like we, the members of the Kṛṣṇa society, we have renounced all material activities. That's all. That is renouncement. Our activities are surrounding only about Kṛṣṇa. We do not do anything except Kṛṣṇa business. We are publishing magazine, that is Kṛṣṇa. We are publishing books, that is Kṛṣṇa. We are going to the press, that is for Kṛṣṇa. We are going to the market, that is for Kṛṣṇa. We are cooking, that is for Kṛṣṇa. We are living, only for Kṛṣṇa. We are dancing for Kṛṣṇa. We are chanting for Kṛṣṇa. So we have renounced... The same things are there in the material life, publishing book or going to the press, typing, or microphone, or dancing, chanting, these are... But they are not for Kṛṣṇa, that is for sense gratification.
So anyone can take advantage. We are preaching this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, that "You take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, your life will be perfect." And what is the perfection of life? Jñāna and vairāgya. Because everyone is working under the wrong impression that "I am this body," therefore he is ajñāna. He does not know that "I am not this body." As soon as he comes to the understanding that "I am not this body; I am spirit soul," then jñāna, immediately he will inquire, "Then what is the activities of the spirit soul? So far I have worked for the interest of my this body, but I have done nothing with the interest of my spirit, as I am. I am spirit soul." That is bhakti-yoga. The activities of the spirit soul, the activities of Brahman, is bhakti-yoga. Bhakti-yoga is not material activities. Bhakti-yoga is spiritual, pure spiritual activities.
So you will find many paṇḍitas like this, many learned scholars. And ask him, "What you are?" He is silent. "Wherefrom you have come?" Silent. "Where you are going?" Silent. "What is God?" Silent. So these kind of paṇḍitas will not save you. If you actually want to save yourself from dragging down again to the lower abominable species of life, then you must take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, bhakti-yoga. Vāsudeve bhagavati. Then you will be enlightened. Vāsudeve bhagavati bhakti-yogaḥ prayojitaḥ, janayaty āśu vairāgyam (SB 1.2.7). Because vairāgya means detachment, detachment. When you understand that "I do not belong to this establishment," then naturally you will be vairāgya, that "What interest I have got?" The karmīs are very much attached. Karmīs, they are working very hard. They are thinking that "This material advancement of life will make me happy." But that is not the fact. Therefore they are ajñānī. And the jñānīs, when they are baffled in advancing, or getting peace of mind, or peace by material activities, then they say brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā, "This world is false. Brahman is reality." But if he does not engage himself in Brahman activities, then he will also fall, the so-called jñānī. That has been proved.
So that is called vairāgya. Vāsudeve bhagavati, vairāgya. This is required. Bhaktiḥ pareśānubhavo viraktir anyatra syāt (SB 11.2.42). This is the... Bhakti means when he realizes, God realization, then naturally he becomes unattached to material activities. That is the test. Not that simply by having tilaka or kaṇṭhi, one becomes a devotee. How much he is detached to the material attraction. That is the test. That is the test. Vāsudeve bhagavati bhakti-yogaḥ prayojitaḥ janayaty āśu vairāgyam (SB 1.2.7). If he has no vairāgya, if he is still attached to material things, his devotion is not yet...
So these things are very nice. I will request you to study what is bhakti, what is pure devotion, what is Vāsudeva. Everything is there. It is a science, great science. It is not sentiment, neither it is so-called religious faith. It is a science. Vijñānam. Yad vijñānaṁ samanvitaḥ. So people do not know. Therefore they take it as a religious movement and reject it. No. Don't reject it. It is a science. You try to understand if you have got brain. So this bhakti-yoga means pure bhakti-yoga. Bhakti-yoga.
We have got history in our country. Great sages, muni, ṛṣi, they used to live in the forest to culture knowledge and become detached from these material activities, jñāna-vairāgya. But that is not possible in this age. From the very beginning of our life we are brought up in big cities like Bombay, Calcutta, London, New York. Then, where is the question of going to the forest? Does it mean that if one cannot go to the forest for acquiring knowledge and detachment then he has no chance? No. Kali-yuga, there is special concession that is given by Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. You haven't got to go to the forest of Himalaya for attaining jñāna and vairāgya. You can stay in your place. You can remain in Bombay, you can remain in London, you can remain in New York, big, big cities, and you can perform your prescribed duties. You can be very businessman. You can remain in (indistinct), or anything. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says. He said also from the Vedic, sthāne sthitaḥ śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṅ manobhir, jñāne prāyasam udapāsya namanta eva, san-mukharitāṁ bhavadīya-vārtām. This was spoken by Rāmānanda Rāya, and Caitanya Mahāprabhu accepted. Originally this verse was spoken by Lord Brahmā.
This is the... You must have complete knowledge, jñānam and vairāgya, detachment. Jñāna means detachment. If one is attached to the material activities, he is not a jñānī, because he is in the bodily concept of life. Therefore he is not jñānī. Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke (SB 10.84.13), sa eva go-kharaḥ: "If one is in the bodily concept of life, he is no better than the cows and asses." This is the verdict of the śāstra. So you cannot understand the Absolute Truth on the platform of bodily concept of life. You must get yourself on the transcendental platform, and bhakti is the transcendental platform for the activities of the spirit soul.
So this is our proposition. Svanuṣṭhitasya dharmasya saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam (SB 1.2.13). It does not matter, varṇāśrama-dharma, eight categories, four social and four spiritual or four material and four spiritual, but when the material activities are enacted for spiritual advancement, then it is no more material; it is spiritual. Actually there is nothing material. Material means forgetfulness of Kṛṣṇa, that's all. Otherwise there is nothing material. It is called buddhi-bheda, means those who are not Kṛṣṇa conscious thoroughly, they have got distinction "This is spiritual; this is material." But when you are fully, ekatvam anupaśyataḥ (ISO 7). That is stated in the Īśopaniṣad. That means everything is related to Kṛṣṇa, that is ekatvam. Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme, and everything is emanation from Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa's energy is variety. The example just like the sun. From sun, two energies are emanating-heat and light. And the whole material creation is based on heat and light. As soon as there is no light or as soon as there is not heat, immediately the trees become skeletons. Or a few days after, it will be vanished.
What is the benefit of this process? The benefit of this process is karma-granthi-nibandhanam. Karma-granthi-nibandhanaṁ chindanti. Chindanti means cut off. What is that, cut off? There is a knot of our activities. Without performing this ceremony, or without following these instructions, to hear, chant, think and worship, we cannot be out of the great knot of our material activities. So long we are engaged in material activities, we are just acting one after another just like filmspool. We have seen film—one picture after another, one picture, one picture one... There are hundreds and thousand and millions of pictures. Similarly, for my past activities I am now in this picture. So my present activity is making another picture forward. Just like in my past activities I created this body. Similarly, by my present activity also I am creating my next body. So this transmigration of soul is going on. But if you adopt this process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then karma-granthi-nibandhanaṁ chindanti. This knot, one after another, this will be cut off.
Without any tracing of history... When my, this spool of fruitive activities has begun, we do not know. The result is that I'm simply transmigrating from one body to another. If this is stopped now, now if I get in my next body my eternal life, eternal knowledge and eternal bliss, why I shall not accept this? Kovida. Any intelligent man, why he shall not accept this process?
Karmāṇi nirdahati kintu ca bhakti-bhājām (Bs. 5.54). There is a very nice verse in the Brahma-saṁhitā. It is said there that,
- yas tv indra-gopam athavendram aho sva-karma-
- bandhānurūpa-phala-bhājanam ātanoti
- karmāṇi nirdahati kintu ca bhakti-bhājāṁ
- govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi
- (Bs. 5.54)
"I worship, I offer my respectful obeisances unto Govinda." Why? Because He cuts off my entanglement in these material activities. He cuts off. (thumping sound) What is this sound?
So that kind of activity is not required. Regular, varieties of activities. Therefore we have to hear about Kṛṣṇa. You'll hear about Kṛṣṇa in so many varieties of activities. Bhagavad-gītā, you hear. It's so many activities of Kṛṣṇa. So we have to hear about these. And unless there are activities, what you will hear? Simply "Brahman, Brahman, Brahman... nirākāra." How long you will hear? And how long you will enjoy? That is... There is no enjoyment. Therefore they, these Brahmavādīs, these Nirākāravādī, although by austerities and penances they may rise up to the Brahman effulgence, still, they will fall down. Because we are living entities, we want varieties of enjoyment. We are not satisfied in void, in zero. That is not possible. Therefore śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (SB 1.2.17). One has to hear about Kṛṣṇa, varieties of activities. Varieties of activities. Not nirākāra, without any activities. No. That activity is different from material activity. Janma karma me divyam (BG 4.9). Therefore it is called divyam. They are not ordinary activities. They are all transcendental, spiritual activities. The Māyāvādī philosophers, they cannot understand.
So advancement of knowledge means to understand his real position and act accordingly. That is knowledge. That is perfection of knowledge. Simply to understand that "I am Brahman" is not perfection. You have to still go further. Simply to understand that "I am Brahman," "I have now realized myself as Brahman," that is not perfection of knowledge. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54). One who becomes realized souls, self-realized, he becomes immediately perfectly joyful. Because our all lamentation is due to our material identification. Śocati kāṅkṣati. We are simply lamenting for our loss, and we are simply hankering for some gain. This is material activities. Everyone is struggling to gain something which he does not possess, and he's lamenting for something which he has lost. But when he realizes himself that "I have nothing to gain and nothing to lose; I have nothing to do with this material world," that is called brahma-bhūtaḥ. That is Brahman realization. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati, samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu (BG 18.54). At that time, he realizes that all living entities, they are spirit soul, paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ (BG 5.18). That is equal vision—not the bodily vision. So long we have got bodily vision, there cannot be any equality. That is not possible. When one sees only to the spiritual existence of a living entity, there is question of seeing equally, equal vision, universal brotherhood. That is possible. Not on the bodily platform. That is not possible.
So after acquiring this knowledge, the life of devotional service begins.
Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.)
- sūta uvāca
- jagṛhe pauruṣaṁ rūpaṁ
- bhagavān mahad-ādibhiḥ
- sambhūtaṁ ṣoḍaśa-kalam
- ādau loka-sisṛkṣayā
- (SB 1.3.1)
Translation: "Sūta said: In the beginning of the creation, the Lord first expanded Himself in the universal form of the puruṣa incarnation and manifested all the ingredients for the material creation. And thus at first there was the creation of the sixteen principles of material action. This was for the purpose of creating the material universe."
Prabhupāda:
- jagṛhe pauruṣaṁ rūpaṁ
- bhagavān mahad-ādibhiḥ
- sambhūtaṁ ṣoḍaśa-kalam
- ādau loka-sisṛkṣayā
So ādau, in the beginning, loka-sisṛkṣayā, for creating the cosmology, jagṛhe pauruṣaṁ rūpam, person, the creation is coming from the person. Not from imperson. The modern scientists, their theory of creation... "There was something matter chunk," or something like that. What do they say? What was the beginning of creation, Hayagrīva Prabhu?
Upendra: ...concerning "Description of Incarnations of Godhead" Translation: "Sūta said, In the beginning of the creation the Lord first of all expanded Himself in the universal form of puruṣa incarnation primarily with all the ingredients of material creation. And thus at first there was the creation of the sixteen principles of material action. This was on the intention of creating the material universe." (SB 1.3.1) Purport. "As it is said in the Bhagavad-gītā that the Personality of Godhead Śrī Kṛṣṇa maintains this material universes by extending His part of plenary expansions, so this puruṣa Form is the confirmation of the same principle. The Original Personality of Godhead Vāsudeva or Lord Kṛṣṇa who is famous as the son of King Vasudeva or King Nanda, the very same Personality of Godhead is full with all opulences, all potencies, all fames, all beauties, all knowledge and all renunciations. Part of His opulences is manifested as impersonal Brahman and part of His opulences is manifested as Paramātmā. This puruṣa feature of the same Personality of Godhead Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the original Paramātmā manifestation of the Lord. There are three puruṣa features in the matter of material creation and this form who is known as the Kāraṇodakaśāyī Viṣṇu is the first of the three. The others are known as the Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu and the Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu which we shall know one after another."
Prabhupāda: These Viṣṇu, Kāraṇodakaśāyī, Garbhodakaśāyī, and Kṣīrodakaśāyī, these are little technical. Try to understand. Now this universe, which you find just like a big ball, there are innumerable universes like this, and they are floating in water. That water is called Causal Ocean. So that Causal Ocean there is, I mean to say, completely in the whole ocean, big gigantic body is lying down there. That is known as Kāraṇodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. The Viṣṇu in that gigantic form is sleeping within the water of that Causal Ocean, and by His inhaling and exhaling, breathing, there are bubbles. And those bubbles are manifested as universes. This is stated in Brahma-saṁhitā: yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya jīvanti loma-vilajā jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ (Bs. 5.48). That breathing, exhaling and inhaling... Just like we also do that. So we have inherited that exhaling-inhaling, from that Viṣṇu.
So it is not fruitless. If you work piously, then you create next life. Life is continuous. We are simply transmigrating from one body to another. So by our work we are creating the next body. So if you be engaged in devotional service, then you do not create another material body. Karma means by working you create another future. But naiṣkarmya means you work, but don't create another future. Everyone has future, but devotional service means end of all future. That does not mean zero. The śūnyavādīs, the voidists, they also want to make it zero, but it is actually not zero. Zero of these material activities. Kṛṣṇa says, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti so 'rjuna: (BG 4.9) "One who has understood about Kṛṣṇa, he, after giving up this body, he does not get another birth."
So our point is that the small spiritual spark develops this body, as we have developed this body. Similarly, this huge gigantic body of universal form is the development of Kṛṣṇa's external body. This is also body. Therefore as your bodily functions are going on nicely because that spiritual spark is within, similarly, you see all these material activities, they are going nicely because the Supreme Lord is there. The rascal scientists, they cannot understand it. But any sane man can understand that these bodily functions are going on very nicely so long the spirit soul is there. Similarly, all this material, big manifestation of material world is going on nicely because Kṛṣṇa is there. What is the difficulty? Because Kṛṣṇa is there. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, viṣṭabhyāham idam jagat, ekāṁśena sthito jagat (BG 10.42). "My dear Arjuna..." Arjuna asked, "Kṛṣṇa, kindly explain how Your energies are acting." So He explained in the Twelfth Chapter. He explained how Kṛṣṇa's energies are working. Just like your energy is working on this body, similarly Kṛṣṇa's energy also working in this universal body. So He summarized how His energies are working. Athavā bahunaitena kiṁ jñātena tavārjuna. "Arjuna, now I shall go on explaining how My energies are working, but you can summarize that I, in one of My plenary portion, enter into this material world, and therefore it is going on so nicely."
That is the point Nārada is pointing out to Vyāsadeva. Yathā dharmādayaś cārthā muni-varyānukīrtitāḥ. Muni-varya. Muni-varya means he was the greatest of all thoughtful men. Muni. Muni means those who are thoughtful, and varya means the greatest. So he says, yathā dharmādayaś cārthā muni-varyānukīrtitāḥ. "As you have described in all the Vedas and Upaniṣads about religiosity or economic development or the procedure of sense gratification or merging into the Supreme, in that way you have not described the glories of the Lord. You have given more importance to the material activities."
Just like in the Vedas there are ritualistic ceremony of performing great sacrifices. What is the meaning of that sacrifice? That means you get a very opulent position in your next life or in this life. So people are attached to such thing. Veda-vāda-ratāḥ pārtha nānyad astīti vādinaḥ. Bhagavad-gītā, you'll find. People are very much attracted by these ritualistic ceremonies. Not only the followers of the Vedas; in every religion, if you perform some ritualistic ceremony, oh, they are very much attracted. And if you simply say, "Let us chant Hare Kṛṣṇa," they will not be very much attracted. So veda-vāda-ratāḥ pārtha nānyad astīti vādinaḥ. So we should not be like that. Our business is how to glorify the Supreme Lord, how to glorify Kṛṣṇa. Then all success is there. That will be instructed by Nārada Muni to Vyāsadeva.
So any way, if we try to associate, simply by chanting or hearing, that means we are associating with Kṛṣṇa. And the more we associate with Kṛṣṇa, the more we become purified. Just like more you remain with the fire, you become warmer, warmer, warmer. And one day you become so warm you exactly like fire. The example I have given that if you put an iron rod in the fire, it becomes warm, warmer, warmest, and then it becomes red. And when it is red, it is no longer iron. It is fire. Similarly, simply by chanting and hearing you spiritualize yourself. So a day will come when this material body also will be fully spiritualized. The... That fully spiritualized means there will be no more material activities; simply these spiritual activities will be there.
So Nārada Muni is instructing Vyāsadeva, and we shall discuss next meeting. Thank you very much. (end)
So in our last meeting we have been discussing that śāstras, scriptures, if they simply deal with material activities... Of course, material activities should be regulated to come to the spiritual platform. But if we do not come to the spiritual platform, simply some regulative principle on the material platform will not help us.
Religiosity means to prepare the ground, prepare the ground for being elevated to the spiritual platform. Just like it is said,
- dharmaḥ svanuṣṭhitaḥ puṁsāṁ
- viṣvaksena-kathāsu yaḥ
- notpādayed yadi ratiṁ
- śrama eva hi kevalam
- (SB 1.2.8)
Dharma, religious faith—everything is very punctual. One is going punctually to the church or to the temple and executing all ritualistic ceremonies very rigidly, following the rules and regulations. But at the end if he has not developed love for God, then, Bhāgavata says, śrama eva hi kevalam: "This is simply laboring, formalities." Caste priest, caste gosvāmī, caste spiritual master—simply a formality. But the objective is not Kṛṣṇa. Objective is material happiness. That sort of religiosity or following the regulative principle will not help.
his is the business, how to make the mahātmā pleased. Yasya, yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ **. If you try to please mahātmā, the spiritual master, then bhagavat-prasādaḥ will automatically come. Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ **. So here it is said, anvavocan gamiṣyantaḥ kṛpayā. Kṛpayā dīna-vatsalāḥ. Actually, Vaiṣṇava is dīna-vatsala. They are very unhappy. Just like Prahlāda Mahārāja. Prahlāda Mahārāja was unhappy seeing the people, degenerated people, suffering in this material world. Prahlāda Mahārāja said to Nṛsiṁha-deva, "My dear Sir, I have no problem. I am happy anywhere by chanting Your holy..., by glorifying Your activities. But I am simply morose seeing the fallen-down condition..." Māyā-sukhāya bharam udvahato vimūḍhān (SB 7.9.43). "I am simply thinking of these rascals, whose, who, for flickering happiness, engage themselves in so many material activities, forgetting your relationship."
So dīna-vatsalāḥ, the sādhus, they should be very much compassionate to the suffering humanity and give them the message which is spoken directly by Kṛṣṇa, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekam... (BG 18.66). This is the mission of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Thank you very much. (end)
The same milk preparation which has caused your mucus, disease, it can be cured by the same milk preparation, cikitsitam, but it should be medically treated. The same milk. The milk is the cause of your dysentery, but the same milk, when it is medically treated, can cure it. This is the secret. How? One milk preparation. Milk is the origin. Rabri, you take too much and there is dysentery. And cikitsitam, the same milk converted into yogurt, add little black pepper, little salt and lime, it will cure. The origin is the milk. So one way you become diseased and the other way you become cured, but the preparation is the same—milk. Similarly, our activities in this material world with these material elements, when we violate the laws, we become entangled. But the same material activities, when it is turned into Kṛṣṇa prasādam, dovetailed with Kṛṣṇa for hearing and chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, what we are doing? We are also doing the same thing. Here is the temple. What is this temple? The same ingredients, the same cement, same brick, same stone, same worker, same plan as the skyscraper. But what is the difference? Because it is cikitsitam, it is for Kṛṣṇa. You spoil your energy by the same purchase of cement, bricks, and other things for sense gratification—a theater hall, a dancing hall. The same energy spent for dancing for Kṛṣṇa, the same hall, you become liberated. By one dancing hall you go to hell, and by another dancing hall you become liberated. This is the secret.
Simply by your so-called activities you will be entangled in the law of karma. And according to your karma, you will get a different type of body and you will live for some time, again you will die, again you will get body, again you will... And you do not know what kind of body you are going to get. This is the entanglement. Yajñārthāt karmaṇo 'nyatra loko 'yaṁ karma-bandhanaḥ (BG 3.9). So if we want to be free from the entanglement of this karma, then we must work for Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa's another name is Yajña, Yajñabhuja, Viṣṇu. Yajñārthāt karmaṇaḥ. This is the cikitsitam. The material activities you are becoming entangled, and you are becoming more and more diseased. So you should be treated. How? The same thing. Milk is... Rabri is also milk preparation and dahi is also milk preparation. So you are becoming diseased by this process. Now you take this process, you will be cured. Then you will be happy. Therefore it is said, tad eva hy āmayaṁ dravyaṁ na punāti cikitsitam. Cikitsitam. We should handle everything material properly treated, properly treated. Not to work for anyone. As Caitanya Mahāprabhu has given us lesson that you are jīvera svarūpa haya nitya-kṛṣṇa-dāsa (Cc. Madhya 20.108-109). Every living entity is eternally the servant of Kṛṣṇa. So instead of becoming servant of your senses, just try to become the servant of Kṛṣṇa, then your life will be successful.
So here it is said, yad atra kriyate karma. Everyone is doing something. Vaidikī laukikī vā. There are two kinds of karmas. Vaidikī means according to the Vedic rituals. Performance of big, big sacrifices and so many other, that is called vaidikī. And laukikī... Just like we have got good experience nowadays. There are so many activities, factories, mills, and scientific research work, so many. This is laukikī. So Kṛṣṇa does not say... Yes. The Sūta Gosvāmī does not say that simply by vaidikī activities, big, big ritualistic ceremonies, you can be happy. You can be happy even by laukikī. Laukikī mean these material activities. Generally, people understand, big, big factories nowadays, or agriculture or anything, there are laukikī. Laukikī means for maintenance of the body. So Nārada Muni recommends that yad atra, anything you are doing, kriyate. Atra means in this material world, atra. Yad atra kriyate karma bhagavat-paritoṣaṇam. It doesn't matter that you do not understand these Vedic rituals, but you want to develop the economic position of your country by industrial enterprises. Yes, that is also good. That is also good. How? Bhagavat-paritoṣaṇam. If it is conducted for the satisfaction of Kṛṣṇa, then it is good.
Our life is meant for understanding God. This is human life: athāto brahma jijñāsā. Human life is meant for this purpose. The animals, they are jijñāsā. Their jijñāsā, inquiry, there are many, many inquiries. And answers also. Just like we see in the newspaper so many news, unlimited number of news. But there is no news of how to understand God. There is no news. This is anartha. So lokasyājānata, they have no information. Because they are animals... The animal has no information, neither he has got capacity to understand what he is, what is his relationship with God, what he has to do. Sambandha, abhidheya, prayojana. The whole Vedic principles are based on these three principles. Sambandha. Sambandha means relationship. Everyone says there is God, but what is God and what is our relationship with God, that is to be understood. Sambandha. Then as soon as relationship is understood, then our real activity begins. That real activities is called bhakti, and the material activities, which is not bhakti, that is māyā. Therefore in the Bhāgavata it is said,
- dharmaḥ svanuṣṭhitaḥ puṁsāṁ
- viṣvaksena-kathāsu yaḥ
- notpādayed yadi ratiṁ
- śrama eva hi kevalam
- (SB 1.2.8)
You may be a very religious person, executing the ritualistic ceremonies very nicely, very expertly, but if you do not know Adhokṣaja, Viṣvaksena... Viṣvaksena is another name of Kṛṣṇa. If you do not become anxious to understand, athāto brahma jijñāsā, then all these ritualistic ceremony of religion, of different types of religion, śrama eva hi kevalam. Simply waste of time. The jñānīs, they are simply trying to understand. No. You can go on understanding, but if you do not come to the understanding abhidheya... No. Abhidheya is acting actually. Sambandha is understanding. So if you do not come to the platform of acting, abhidheya, then simply understanding will not help you. And acting also with the aim to achieve.
You want to realize yourself as Brahman. We are Brahman—there is no doubt about it—but we have no realization because sammohita, yayā sammohitaḥ: the māyā has captured us. So immediately if you want to be liberated... Mukti means, mukti... Muktir hitvānyathā rūpam. Muktir hitvānyathā rūpaṁ svarūpeṇa vyavasthitiḥ (SB 2.10.6). This is mukti, svarūpa. Our svarūpa is our spiritual life. When we give up other activities, anyathā, which is not spiritual... Material activities, that is not our actual business. Actual business is spiritual activity. Material activity means this body, to keep this body in comfortable position. And the body is changing. Now, today, I am Indian—I am very great Indian leader or very good philanthropist. Now, tomorrow, or the next life, I may not be Indian; I may be Chinese or I may be European. Then my whole business program changed. Again another nationality, another feeling. So in this way... And if I become cats and dogs, then another mentality. This is going on.
So Śukadeva Gosvāmī, he is ātmārāma, he... This śloka will be explained in the next verse, ātmārāmāś ca munayo. Ātmārāma, there are many varieties of meaning of ātmārāma. Caitanya Mahaprabhu has explained in sixty-four different ways in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta. So how Caitanya Mahāprabhu was a great scholar—He is great in everything—but to make a show at least, He showed His scholarship in explaining this ātmārāma verse. Sa vai nivṛtti-nirataḥ sarvatropekṣako muniḥ. Nivṛtti means one who has ceased all material activities. He has practically nothing to do with this material world and still it is said, kasya vā bṛhatīm etām. And still, he went out and preached Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam when Parikṣit Mahārāja was going to die. So this is the question: how the ātmārāma becomes interested in other activities? He is ātmārāma, he is already satisfied. So these activities are not material activities. Nivṛtti-nirataḥ, we have to stop this material world, material activities.
That does not mean you will have to stop your activities. The other part of the activities, they will begin after stopping these material activities. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati (BG 18.54). One who is ātmārāma, brahma-bhūtaḥ, ahaṁ brahmāsmi, I am not this material body, no more I have to do anything for this material body. Ātmārāma. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54). People are anxious, especially the karmīs, how to maintain this body, but when one comes to the conclusion that "I am not this body," naturally his interest for maintaining the body, diminishes. Practically, it becomes nil. Nidrāhāra-vihārakādi-vijitau **, you will find from the behavior of the Gosvāmīs, they practically conquered over the necessities of this body. But that does not mean he has to cease all activities. The Māyāvāda philosophy, they say that when one becomes brahma-bhūtaḥ, ātmārāma, he has nothing to do any more. No. The śāstra does not say that. Śāstra says that when you become ātmārāma, or brahma-bhūtaḥ, your material anxieties, material activities, they become stopped. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54), prasannātmā, he has nothing to do.
That is first-class bhakti. And bhakti means there is activity. Ānukūlyena: favorably. Kṛṣṇānuśīlanam: to satisfy Kṛṣṇa. Anuśīlanam means culture. The culture means there is activity. Bhakti does not mean zero. That is another thing. Zero, nirvāṇa, means make these material activities zero. That hint is given by Śaṅkarācārya. Lord Buddha said that everything is zero, and Śaṅkarācārya gave further improvement that "It is not zero. Brahman is fact. Brahma satyam. Not zero. Jagan mithyā. This world is mithyā, zero. Not Brahman." Because those who understood this zero philosophy, they're rascals, atheists. They cannot understand more. Therefore further improvement was given by Śaṅkara because he was preaching. The whole world became Buddhist, and he wanted to establish Vedic principles. So they have already made zero. So how Śrīpāda Śaṅkarācārya can say, "No, it is not zero. It is fact." They'll not understand. He said in a different way, that "Zero is this material world." Brahma satyam. But brahma is fact. This is zero.
Only duty is how to please Kṛṣṇa. That is śuddha-bhakti. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam (Brs. 1.1.11). So long you're on the platform of jñāna or karma... There are different stages. Karma is the lowest stage, and jñāna is higher. Koṭi-karma-niṣṭha-madhye eka jñānī śreṣṭha. Caitanya Mahāprabhu has said, out of many millions of karmīs, one jñānī is good, śreṣṭha. And out of millions of jñānīs... Simply jñāna, theoretical knowledge, is not good. It must be practical. Jñāna, the result of jñāna is to become liberated, mukti. Simply I am very jñānī and I am doing all nonsense, this is not jñāna. He must be liberated from material attachment. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54). This is the stage of perfection of jñāna. Na śocati na kāṅkṣati. He has nothing to do with the material world. That is jñānī. Therefore the karmīs, they are very much attached to the material activities, and jñānī is not attached—not attached neither interested. That is real jñānī. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu said koṭi-karma-niṣṭha-madhye eka jñānī śreṣṭha. Out of millions of karmīs, one jñānī is śreṣṭha. We sometimes differ with the Māyāvādī philosophers. But they are jñānīs. They are better than the karmīs. There is no doubt. Koṭi-karma-niṣṭha-madhye eka jñānī śreṣṭha.
But it does not mean because one has got some theoretical knowledge, therefore he is mukta.
In another place, Kṛṣṇa says, karmaṇy evādhikāras te mā phaleṣu kadācana: "You can go on. You can go on with your business, but don't expect the fruit of the business." Mā phaleṣu. He indirectly says, "The fruit should be given to Me." Mā phaleṣu kadācana: "Don't expect the fruit." Suppose you grow a nice mango tree, and there will be fruit, nice fruit. So according to Bhagavad-gītā, it is said, mā phaleṣu kadācana: "You don't take the fruits." "Oh? Such a nice mango tree I have nourished in so many years. Now the fruit is there, and Kṛṣṇa says, mā phaleṣu kadācana: 'Don't take the fruit.' Then who will take the fruit? It is will rot? It will fall down on the ground, and it will rot?" No. The idea is "You don't take, but you give it to Me." This is karma-yoga. It is not that it should be wasted. So that is karma-yoga. So those who are karmīs, very much attached to material activities, for them, this karma-yoga is recommended. Some way or other, be connected with Kṛṣṇa. It is not so meant... It is very great achievement that you work hard earn money and give it to Kṛṣṇa. That is a great sacrifice. So by karma-yoga, also, you can satisfy...
The sādhu... I have explained several times. Sādhu means devotee. Sādhu does not mean the worldly honesty or dishonesty, morality or immorality. It has nothing to do with material activities. It is simply spiritual, sādhu. But sometimes we derive, "sādhu," a person's material goodness, morality. but actually "sādhu" means in the transcendental platform. Those who are engaged in devotional service. Sa guṇān samatītyaitān (BG 14.26). Sādhu is transcendental to the material qualities. So paritrāṇāya sādhūnām. The paritrāṇāya means to deliver.
Now if a sādhu is already delivered, he is on the transcendental platform, then where is the necessity of delivering him? This is the question. Therefore this word is used, viḍambanam. It is bewildering. It is contradictory. It appears to be contradictory. If a sādhu is already delivered... Transcendental position means he's no longer under the control of the three material modes of nature, goodness, passion and ignorance. Because it is clearly stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: sa guṇān samatītyaitān (BG 14.26). He transcends the material qualities. A sādhu, devotee, Then where is the question of deliverance? The deliverance... He does not require deliverance, a sādhu, but because he is very much anxious to see the Supreme Lord eye to eye, that is his inner desire, therefore Kṛṣṇa comes.
So this big, big lump of matter, earthly planet, they are actually not heavy, but it becomes heavier when there are demons. Demons means material activities. If there is spiritual activity, it remains very light. And if there is too much material activity and materialistic persons, it become heavier and troublesome. So such time became possible, and therefore the earthly planet went to Brahmā to appeal to Viṣṇu to take His incarnation. So somebody says that bhārāvatāra..., tāraṇāya, avatāraṇāya, to diminish the burden, burden... Just like a bad son is a burden of the father. This has been explained by Cāṇakya Paṇḍita that a stupid son... Ko 'rthaḥ putreṇa jātena yo na vidvān na bhaktimān: "What is the use of getting a son who is neither learned nor a devotee? Useless." Ko 'rthaḥ putreṇa jātena: "Such kind of son, what is the use?" The son who is not a devotee... Two things are required: the son should be a devotee or a learned. Without being learned, nobody can become devotee. If one becomes devotee, he's learned also.
So at the present moment, the actually it is overburdened by the material activities. So Kṛṣṇa has descended already. Kṛṣṇa has descended already. Nāma-rūpe kali-kāle kṛṣṇa avatāra. Kṛṣṇa has taken His incarnation in the form of Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra. So if people take to it, chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, the present situation of the world can be favorable for our living, and atmosphere will change. Therefore the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is meant for this purpose, to give people relief from all these burdens so that they can peacefully live, understand the value of life, and become spiritualized so they live peacefully in this life and go back to home, back to Godhead. That is the mission of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.
Thank you very much. (end)
Prabhupāda: Read the purport also.
Pradyumna: "Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, like his brother Arjuna, began to concentrate and gradually became freed from all material bondage. First of all he concentrated all the actions of the senses amalgamated in the mind. Or in other words, he turned his mind towards transcendental service of the Lord. He prayed that since all material activities were performed by the mind in terms of actions and reactions of the material senses, and since he was going back to Godhead, the mind would wind up its material activities and return towards the transcendental service of the Lord. There was no longer need for material activities. Actually, the activities of the mind cannot be stopped because they are the reflection of the eternal soul. But the quality of the activities can be changed from matter to the transcendental service of the Lord. The material color of the mind is changed by washing it from contaminations of life breathing and therefore getting it freed from the contamination of repeated birth and death and getting it situated in pure spiritual life. All was manifested by the temporary embodiment of the material body, which is a production of mind at the time of death. And if the mind is purified by practice of transcendental loving service of the Lord and the same is constantly engaged in the service of the lotus feet of the Lord, there is no more chance of the mind's producing another material body after death. It will be freed from the absorption of material contamination. The pure soul will be able to return back home, back to Godhead."
Prabhupāda: So this verse describes in the manner of yogic practice. The yogic practice means controlling five kinds of air within the body: prāṇa, apāna, vyāna, like that. That is breathing exercise, yoga practice.
So it appears that Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira knew how to practice the yoga. Not only Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, practically any high-class man, especially the brāhmaṇas and the kṣatriyas, every one of them knew this practice, yoga practice. So at the time of death they could utilize, how to give up this body. That is perfection of yoga. The yogis, they can give up the life or give this, relinquish this body, according to his own desire, not compelled by the material condition. That is yoga system. Generally, a man dies under the obligation of material laws. But a yogi, he controls in such a way that he leaves the body...
Yes, that will please Kṛṣṇa. I have already... Na ca tasmān manuṣyeṣu kaścin me priya-kṛttamaḥ (BG 18.69). Those who are in the preaching work, they are very much recognized by Kṛṣṇa. He says, "Nobody is dearer than him, one who is preaching, engaged in the preaching." You see in the Bhagavad-gītā. So those who have stopped preaching work and easy-going imitation, that is not very good. Because how far he's advanced? Because he goes to the forest and he'll think of woman and money, what is the use? By his action, it will be proved. The same way, taking rest, sleeping, and doing everything whimsically. So Kṛṣṇa knows everything. How can you cheat Kṛṣṇa, by so-called forest-going? Because your enemy, your senses have gone with you. So how you can get out by going to the forest? Because your real enemies are your senses. So the enemies, you cannot escape. They'll force you again to these material activities. So what is the use of going to the forest? It is simply show, make show. It has no value. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)
So they are our soldiers: this body... Everyone wants to keep this body fit. And maintaining the children and the wife... Dehāpatya-kalatrādiṣu. We are thinking that "My, this body and wife and children and home and country and society will save me." I am struggling against... What is that struggling? I do not wish to die. I do not wish to be diseased. I do not wish to become old man. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9). I don't wish to get birth again, or I want to stop birth. Janma-mṛtyu. I want to stop death. I want to stop disease. And I want to stop old age. These are the activities, material activities, struggling against. And I am thinking that "These soldiers, or this, my body, or my wife, my children, will protect me," dehāpatya-kalatrādiṣv ātma-sainyeṣv asatsv api (SB 2.1.4), although I am experiencing every day that they are asat, they will not exist. How do I know they will not exist? My father has died. My elderly, my mother has died, my grandfather has died. Therefore I will also die. And my next generation, he will also die. My wife also will die. So everybody will die. Asatsv api. They know by experience that they will not exist, but still, their business has become to struggle for existence. Dehāpatya-kalatrādiṣu. These are very important subject matter. Try to understand. We know that nobody will exist. I want to exist. That is my intention. I do not wish to die. I want to exist, but I know also that all these, my soldiers, including my, this stout and strong body, it will also not exist. Dehāpatya-kalatrādiṣu, teṣāṁ pramattaḥ.
So the question is that a liberated person is never attracted with anything which is material. That is the sign of liberated person. But he was attracted by the pastimes of Lord Kṛṣṇa. That means the pastimes of Lord Kṛṣṇa are not material activities. Otherwise how a liberated person can be attracted? For example, Lord Caitanya. Lord Caitanya, He took sannyāsa. He was very... Sannyāsī. For a sannyāsī to talk with women, to mix with women, is very restricted. So he was very much careful about Him, about this matter. Even some of the women who were wives of His disciples and devotees, they could not come near Caitanya Mahāprabhu. They would offer their obeisances from a distant place. They were not forbidden, but that was the system. But this Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He took pleasure in hearing about the gopīs. Just try to understand. So therefore gopīs' pastime with Kṛṣṇa, they are not material. They are spiritual. Otherwise, how Caitanya Mahāprabhu was attracted?
So if we do not take the privilege of accepting the second father and mother, then what is the difference between your birth and dog's birth? That is stated: janma-lābhaḥ paraḥ puṁsām. You have got this human form of body, the best body. That is the instruction of all Vedic literature, simply stressing. But what is this material civilization? Simply working like cats and dogs. The same eating, sleeping, sex intercourse and defending. There are so many buildings in your city, Paris. Where is the culture to make the human life perfect? You have got very nice building. There is intelligence. So many nice buildings. People come to see the building. But that is not all. Simply if you utilize your intelligence... Certainly there is intelligence. But if you use your intelligence for the simply material activities, then you are not intelligent. You are a fool.
Bhaktiḥ pareśānubhavo viraktir anyatra syāt (SB 11.2.42). That is the test. So because this disease is called bhava-roga... Bhava-roga means again and again taking birth, bhava-roga. But if we take the medicine, bhavauṣadhi. Everything is there in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Bhava-roga, the disease of repeated birth and death in the material world, and the chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra is bhavauṣadhi, the medicine to cure this bhava-roga. Bhavauṣadhāc chrotra-mano-'bhirāmāt ka uttamaśloka-guṇānuvādāt virajyeta pumān vinā paśughnāt (SB 10.1.4). Nivṛtta-tarṣair upagīyamānāt. There are very nice verses in Bhāgavatam. Nivṛtta-tarṣair upagīyamānāt. This chanting of the holy name of Kṛṣṇa, or God, is possible by a person who is disgusted with all these material activities. They can actually chant. That means mukta-puruṣa, liberated soul. It is ... The chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra is the business of liberated soul, not for the conditioned soul. But even in our conditioned life, we chant, we become gradually purified.
So things are to be adjusted as it is prescribed by great authorities. In Bhakti-rasāmṛta you'll find the regulative principles. That is called Vaiṣṇava-smṛti. So here we cannot live without working, and still we have to become always Kṛṣṇa conscious. This art, to understand and to practice, is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Then in spite of my being engaged in so many so-called material things Because a devotee has nothing to do with material things. Even if he works for maintenance of the body, that is not material. Just like Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, who was magistrate. But it is not for a magistrate to write so many books—siddhānta-pūrṇam. So he was in a different transcendental platform. So that is possible. The mind may be absorbed in Kṛṣṇa's thought, satataṁ kīrtayanto māṁ (BG 9.14), tuṣyanti ca ramanti ca. That is possible by practice. Here Kardama Muni is a living example. And there are mahy other examples, that we can remain fully Kṛṣṇa conscious in spite of being engaged in so-called material activities. That is possible.
Thank you very much. (end)
Now here, these boys, these girls, they are worshiping Kṛṣṇa, and they are becoming devotee. What is the sign of devotee? The sign of devotee is that the devotees are no more interested with material enjoyment. That is devotee. Bhaktiḥ pareśānubhavo viraktir anyatra syāt (SB 11.2.42). So these young boys and girls, they do not go to cinema. They do not smoke. They do not go any restaurant or club. Why? Virakti! Don't want this! What to speak of here, poor country, but in the European, American countries, everything is available very cheap. But they are not interested. They are interested to sit down on the floor without any chair and follow me, whatever I say. They have no sufficient eating even. I cannot give them to their standard. Still... Why? Because they don't want this material happiness. That is the test. That is the test. Bhaktiḥ pareśānubhavo viraktir anyatra syāt (SB 11.2.42). When one will become detestful to material enjoyment, you will know, or he'll know. Personally one can understand how much he is advanced in spiritual life. Spiritual life does not mean that a sannyāsī is smoking and drinking tea, one gallon of tea. That is not spiritual life. He must be detestful. So this dharma, or spiritual life, means to have no more interest in material activities but only in the understanding of God, the Supreme, and His service. That is spiritual life.
So here Devahūti is requesting Bhagavān Kapiladeva that "I am in this illusion, ahaṁ mameti (SB 5.5.8), by false conception of life. Kindly You dissipate this illusion because You are my guru." Yaḥ avagrahaḥ ahaṁ mameti iti etasmin yojitas tvayā: "You can say that 'How I am engaged in these material activities...' " That is also, the chance is given, the opportunity is given by Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is very kind. He says, ye yathā māṁ prapadyante tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham (BG 4.11). If you want Kṛṣṇa to give you material advantages, He'll give you. Take it. And if you want from Kṛṣṇa again revival of your spiritual life, then He will give you. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, ye yathā māṁ prapadyante. Kṛṣṇa is very kind. Just like a kind father, he says sometimes, "My dear boy, you don't do this." But if the boy, if the son persists, "All right, you can do it at your risk." This is going on. This is going on.
So what is this...? Now... Jāniyā śuniyā viṣa khāinu. It is just like taking poison knowingly. Somebody takes poison unknowingly and somebody takes poison to commit suicide, knowingly. So it is something like that. If we do not understand Kṛṣṇa in this life, then we are taking poison knowingly. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, yadā yadā hi... Because they are taking poison... They got the chance of eternal life, but they are taking poison. Viṣaya-viṣānale, dibā-niśi hiyā jvale. This material life is just like blazing fire of poison. Viṣaya-viṣānale. Viṣaya means material. Āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithuna. Eating, sleeping and sex life and defense—these are the material activities. So we are engaged with these things. So viṣaya-viṣānale, dibā-niśi hiyā jvale. And if we become engaged with these four things, viṣaya, it is like poison. Then our heart will be always burning. Gastric ulcer. So it has to be cured. How it can be cured? Now, golokera prema-dhana, hari-nāma-saṅkīrtana, rati nā janmilo kene tāy: "My dear Lord, You have given the medicine, hari-nāma-saṅkīrtana, the chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, but I have no attraction for this." So this is the realization of the Vaiṣṇava. Brajendra-nandana jei, śaci-suta hailo sei: "Vrajendra-nandana, Kṛṣṇa, He has now come as Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Śacī-suta, the son of mother Śacī." Balarāma hailo nitāi: "And Balarāma has become Nitāi." So what is their business now? Now, pāpī tāpī jata chilo, hari-nāme uddhārilo: "All kinds of varieties of sinful men, simply by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, they are delivered." Tāra sākṣī jagāi mādhāi. What is the evidence? Evidence is Jagāi-Mādhāi.
Bhakti means spiritual activities. There is activity... It is not... The Māyāvādī philosophers, they think that "Stop material activities." Brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā. "Why you are engaged..." The Buddhist philosophy also, they say nirvāṇa, "Stop this material life." The Buddhist philosophers, they do not give more information. "We are suffering on account of this material combination." That is their philosophy. Because this body is nothing but combination of earth, water, fire, air, mind, intelligence and ego, so if you separate it, let the earth go to the earth, let water go to the water, let fire go to the fire, then you become zero. If you dismantle just like we dismantle some house, so there are so many things coming out. So let the doors be taken, somebody windows, somebody the bricks, somebody and..., rubbish somebody. Then there is no house, zero. This is called nirvāṇa theory. No more existence. We are suffering pains and pleasure... Pains. There is no pleasure. Pleasure means accepting another type of pain. I am suffering... Just like there is boil on your body. This is suffering. And to cure it, another suffering, surgical operation. So it is going on like that. Actually, there is no pleasure. There is only pain.
So the Buddhist theory is to dismantle this construction, and then there is no more sense of pains and... The Māyāvādī theory also like that, that "Activities, because they are material activities, therefore there are sufferings. So the material activities, they are false.
So how it can be done? Now, as much we are attached to our property, to our family, to our country, to our money, to our business, so many things we have got attachments... Here it is said, prasaṅgam ajaraṁ pāśam. These attachments means we are entangled, hands and legs tied up. The "tied up" means because our mind is full and absorbed in these material activities, so at the time of death we have to give up this body and accept another. So long our mind will be absorbed, the consciousness will be absorbed in materialistic way of life, we have to accept another body. Kṛṣṇa will give chance. Ye yathā māṁ prapadyante tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham (BG 4.11). We do not know that our real business is not to accept another material body. That we do not know. We are so fool. We are working in such a way that we must have to accept another body. Na sādhu manye yata ātmano 'yam asann api kleśada āsa dehaḥ (SB 5.5.4). We are working, we are feeling that so many difficulties there on account of this body, but we are not working how to get rid of this body, how to become again free and remain in our spiritual body. This intelligence is not there.
So how this can be achieved? That is suggested in the last verse: sa eva sādhuṣu kṛtaḥ. The same attachment, as you are attached to these material activities, if you transfer that attachment to a sādhu, then your life is successful. We have got attachment for money, we have got attachment for woman, we have got attachment for nice house, we have attachment for our country, for our society, for our families, and so on, so on, so on. That attachment is called ajaraṁ pāśam. Pāśam means rope. If you are tied up with a rope, hands and legs, then you are helpless. So we are actually tied up. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī (BG 7.14). Therefore it is called guṇa. Guṇa means rope. We are tied up. We are not free. Just like we are trying to go to the moon planet so many years, but because we are not free, still we have not been successful to go there. So there are so many planets within this material world, we can go. We have got now machine, very speedy machine, but why we cannot go? Because you are conditioned. You cannot go by your whims. You must be qualified to go to certain planets.
Some is hearing about some politician, other is speaking about some politician or some other man, some important man in the society. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam is going on. But they are suffering. But when the śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam is pertaining to Viṣṇu, śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ, then you will not be suffering. This is the... It requires experience. It requires advancement.
Then... Prahlāda Mahārāja, as he says, that tvad-vīrya-gāyana-mahāmṛta-magna-cittaḥ: "Because my mind is always absorbed in talking about You and hearing about You, therefore I am not unhappy. I do not... I know how to become happy." "But you seem to be very unhappy." So he says, "Yes, I am unhappy because I see these..." Tato vimukha-cetasa indriyārtha-māyā-sukhāya bharam udvahato vimūḍhān: (SB 7.9.43) "These foolish people, simply for temporary so-called happiness, they are engaged in material activities. I am thinking of them only. That is my unhappiness. Otherwise I have no unhappiness."
Otherwise everything is there. Where is the difficulty? Kṛṣṇa says that there is the owner of the body within the body and He has explained in so many ways, acchedyo 'yam adāhyo 'yam, distinguishing the quality that the soul is never to be cut into pieces, acchedyo 'yam. It cannot be burned into the fire. It cannot be moistened by water. That means everything matter, there is interruption. Any matter will be interrupted by another matter, but the soul is not anything of this material world. In the material world, any hard thing, the iron, the stone, can be cut into pieces if you have got the instrument. But Kṛṣṇa says the soul is acchedyo 'yam, it cannot be cut into pieces. So it is above all material action and reaction. Adāhyo 'yam, in material, even iron can be melted, even a stone can be melted, but adāhyo 'yam, aśoṣyaḥ 'yam, in so many ways. That means it is different from this material thing, the soul.
Therefore na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). This instruction, the common sense is that if my position is like that, acchedyo 'yam adāhyo 'yam na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20), that what is that life? How I can attain that life? That is brahma-jijñāsā. One should be inquisitive. If you remain fools and rascals like cats and dogs to maintain this body only, then what is the benefit of this human life.
They cannot understand the Supreme Being Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa. They cannot understand. That is the defect. Therefore some yoga system, jñāna-yoga system, or dhyāna-yoga system, and there is bhakti-yoga system. That bhakti-yoga system is the perfect. And jñāna-yoga system or dhyāna-yoga system, that is partial understanding, Paramātmā feature. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). In that way you can understand, you can come to the platform of understanding samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu. But that is not perfection. Still you have to go. Samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām (BG 18.54). After realizing samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu, this principle, then you will have to enter into the devotional service, parā-bhakti. Parā-bhakti means transcendental. Bhakti means parā. Bhakti does not mean material. Material, it looks like material activities, but it is not material activities. Just like the example can be given just like a man, a boy is flying kite. He is, what is called, the reel? So sometimes he brings down the kite and sometimes he allows the kite to go. There are two kind of playing. So similarly, the one kind of activity means you are becoming free from the resultant action of activities, and one kind of activity is you are becoming entangled.
So because it is transcendental to material activities, therefore in the bhakti-yoga there is no such desire for material benefit, animittā. Therefore it is said, animittā. Here all activities are done for some material profit. Nobody is... Even the so-called political leaders sacrifice everything. That's all right. But everything is for material benefit. Even in our country a big man like Mahatma Gandhi, he sacrificed everything—his family, his profession. And many other leaders... But what for they were working? They were working for some material benefits, that's all, not for any spiritual benefit. So that is not transcendental activities. That is material activities, expanded material thoughts. Somebody is working for his family or somebody is working for himself, like animals, the cats and dogs. They work for himself. And human being, they're little advanced. They work for family, for wife, children, or, further extended, for society, for community, for nation. You can expand. Even international. They are all material activities, nimittā, simply expanded, expanded. Suppose if you steal for yourself and if you steal for your family or if you steal for your community, that stealing is there. Because you are stealing for greater family, that does not mean that you are not a thief.
Similarly, our sense, for personal sense gratification or my family's sense gratification or for my nation's sense gratification—that is sense gratification. That is not spiritual activity. That is material activity.
So long you will have desire for sense gratification, localized or expanded, the quality does not change. The quality will change when this sense gratification will be transferred to Kṛṣṇa, not sense gratification for me, for my family, for my society, for my nation, or for my species. Just like there are many philanthropists. They are busy doing welfare activities for the human race, but they are not interested for the benefit of the animal race. "Animal race should be slaughtered, and human race shall eat." This is their philosophy. But we have already discussed Kapiladeva's philosophy, suhṛdaḥ sarva-dehinām. Suhṛdaḥ sarva-dehinām. The animal has got also body; we have also got body. But a Vaiṣṇava is not only a friend to the human society, but he is friend to the animal society also, the bird society, tree society, every society. A Vaiṣṇava does not like unnecessarily a tree should be cut down. That is Vaiṣṇava philosophy. A Vaiṣṇava does not like to trample over an ant. That is Vaiṣṇava philosophy. Sarva-dehinām. Titikṣavaḥ kāruṇikāḥ suhṛdaḥ sarva-dehinām (SB 3.25.21). We have already discussed this verse.
You can become next life a cat, dog, tree, or anything, according to the infection and quality. But if you become Kṛṣṇa conscious and if you give even little service to Kṛṣṇa, your next life as human being is guaranteed. And that is not ordinary human life, but śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe. Tyaktvā sva-dharmaṁ caraṇāmbujaṁ harer bhajann apakvo 'tha patet tato yadi (SB 1.5.17). Nārada Muni said that "If one engages himself in devotional service out of sentiment, it doesn't matter. Still, if he does some service to Kṛṣṇa, then he is gainer. And one who is very practical, does not take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness and take to material activities and thinks that he is very advanced, there is no gain." He is under karma. According karma, he will get body.
But a Kṛṣṇa conscious human being, even though he is unable to execute properly, even if he falls down, his human life is guaranteed. His human life is guaranteed. And that life in a rich family and in very nice purified family, śucīnām. Śucīnām means purified family, nice brāhmaṇa, Vaiṣṇava family. Or śrīmatām. Śrī means opulence, those who are possessing opulence, means big mercantile family, big rich family, or big nice brāhmaṇa Vaiṣṇava family. You get again chance.
I am not this body. I am also the same thing as Kṛṣṇa, spiritual..." Mamaivāṁśaḥ. "I am part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. If Kṛṣṇa is gold, then I am also gold. But Kṛṣṇa is gold mine; I am gold earring, that's all." This is knowledge. Jñāna-vairāgya-yuktena. And when one comes to this knowledge, then he becomes reluctant to this material attachment. That is called vairāgya. Just like you boys and girls who have joined this movement. You have understood to some extent that "We didn't require this material opulence. We want Kṛṣṇa." So the idea that we don't want this material opulence, that is called vairāgya. And why you want Kṛṣṇa? Because Kṛṣṇa is your eternal master, eternal father. That is called jñāna. Jñāna-vairāgya-yuktena. Not sentimental. We must know very clearly what is Kṛṣṇa—that is jñāna—what is my relationship with Kṛṣṇa—that is jñāna—and what is my duty to Kṛṣṇa—that is jñāna. And as soon as you know all these things—what is Kṛṣṇa, what you are, what is your relationship, and what is your duty—then naturally you become reluctant to these material activities. That is called vairāgya.
If you engage yourself in the devotional service of Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṇa, Vāsudeva, oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya, if you enter, then vāsudeve bhagavati. Vāsudeva means the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Bhakti-yogaḥ prayojitaḥ (SB 1.2.7). If you apply yourself, engage yourself in bhakti-yoga, then janayaty āśu vairāgyam, cause and effect. As soon as you engage yourself in devotional service of Vāsudeva under the direction of śāstra and spiritual master, then janayaty āśu vairāgyam. As you are practically experiencing that since you have come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement you have no more interest material activities no more interest, that is vairāgya. You are simply meant for service of Kṛṣṇa. That is jñāna. In this way, if you want actually to be fearless and enter into the spiritual life, or spiritual kingdom, back to home, back to Godhead, then you have to accept this bhakti-yoga process, and it is very easy, and then you become fearless, and your life is successful.
Thank you very much. (end)
Therefore our determination should be to renounce this association of this world. That is called mukti. Renounce this material association and come to the spiritual platform. Because we are spirit soul, our real place is spiritual platform. Our activities should be on the spiritual platform. Then we will be happy. The same example, as I have given many times, that we are animals of the land, so if we are put into the water, then however expert swimmer I may be or you may be, it is simply struggle for existence. There cannot be any happiness in the water. But if you are taken out of the water and put again into the land, then you get relief. So that is the position. We have come to this material world for sense gratification. The more expertly we make plan for our sense gratification, it will never be successful. So we have to come out of these material activities and act on the platform of spiritual life. That will make us.
So we have to come to this platform, spiritual platform. We are suffering on account of being on the material platform. So by keeping yourself always in the fire of Kṛṣṇa or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, you are transferred to the spiritual world. Very nice example, this iron rod, red hot. You cannot use it for any other purpose. It is simply for burning. Similarly you can become Kṛṣṇized. That we have already discussed in the previous verses. The, anyone who is fully absorbed in Kṛṣṇa consciousness in devotional service he is two kinds of external body, namely the gross body, material body, this gross body made of earth, water, fire, air and sky, and the subtle body made of mind, intelligence, and ego. These two kinds of body become dissolved. Just like if you eat something, put into your stomach, and if you have got good digestive function, then everything will be digested. Similarly if you become Kṛṣṇa conscious, spiritualized, the material activities will have no effect. It is dissolved. Otherwise, any material things you will do, it will have repercussion or reaction. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, yajñārthe karmaṇo 'nyatra loko 'yaṁ karma-bandhanaḥ (BG 3.9). Yajñārthe, yajña means Kṛṣṇa, Yajña-puruṣa, Yajñeśvara. Kṛṣṇa's another name is Yajñeśvara. Bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasām (BG 5.29), Kṛṣṇa says. Yajña-tapasām, bhokta, so therefore there is Yajñeśvara. So whatever you do for Kṛṣṇa, it will have no reaction. Digest everything. And if you do not do for Kṛṣṇa, then it will take time to digest.
Dharma means the laws of God. This is the simple definition of dharma. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19). So when we defy the religious principles... Religious principle means that dharma, not your created dharma. You cannot create law at home. It is given already. What is that? Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekam... (BG 18.66). This is dharma. All other dharmas, so-called dharmas, they are all cheating. Therefore Bhāgavata says, dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavaḥ atra: "All cheating type of religious system is kicked out, rejected." Actually, it is not required. It is simply bogus. Real dharma is here, to abide by the laws of God. That is real dharma. Then if you have no conception of God, if you have no knowledge what is the laws of God, then you are adharmika, you are simply transgressing the laws of dharma. And to transgress the laws of dharma, you are sinful, you are punishable. And that is going on. Material life means that. Material life means defying the laws of God, denying the existence of God. And one wants to become himself God. These are the material activities. So we may do so, may defy, but the laws will act. Laws will act.
So they cannot be śānta. By material activities you cannot be happy or peaceful. That is not possible. That is being explained here, that yat tat sattva-guṇaṁ svacchaṁ śāntam. Sattva-guṇa. You have to come to the platform of the mode of goodness, and still it is to be purified. That is called vasudeva platform, or transcendental platform. As it is explained in the Bhagava..., vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti (BG 7.19). That time, when you come to that platform, you will see everything godly. Vāsudevaḥ sarvam. Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (ISO 1). Everything God conscious. That is the platform of śānti. Beyond that or before that, you cannot have. Either you become karmī, or you become jñānī, or you become yogi, there is no question of śānti. That is not possible. Therefore Caitanya-caritāmṛta kaṛacā says that kṛṣṇa-bhakta—niṣkāma, ataeva 'śānta' (CC Madhya 19.149). "A kṛṣṇa-bhakta, a devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa, a person who is fully Kṛṣṇa conscious, he has no such desire." He has no such desire. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu says in His prayer, na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). This is the position of devotee. Generally karmīs, they want something from God. They go to temple, they go to church, for begging something: "I am distressed. I have no money. Kindly give me some money." "I am hungry, give me my daily bread." "Give me," something "give me." So this so long we are on the platform of "give me," you will never be happy. You will get it.
Sarva-loka-maheśvaram. Maheśvaram. Īśvara, maheśvaram. Parameśvaram. Maheśvaram or parameśvaram. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1). In this way, if we can understand that "Kṛṣṇa is the proprietor, Kṛṣṇa is the enjoyer, Kṛṣṇa is my supreme friend," then śāntatvam, we can get śānti. Otherwise this material envelopment will always create disturbances and... Bhayaṁ dvitīyābhiniveśataḥ syāt. Then we will be always in fearful condition, in anxiety. But if we accept this formula, then no more we are in this, I mean to say, hodgepodge of this material existence. We will live clearly, svacchatvam. That is called svacchatvam avikāritvam.
So a Kṛṣṇa conscious person is not agitated by the material action and reaction. He remains fixed-up, naiṣṭhikī-bhakti. This is called naiṣṭhikī-bhakti, niṣṭhā, firmly convinced. Tadā rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ (SB 1.2.19). Naiṣṭhikī-bhakti. Nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā (SB 1.2.18). Naṣṭa-prāyeṣu abhadreṣu. This is abhadra, this material contamination, kriyā-śaktir ahaṅkāras tri-vidhaḥ, three kinds of kriyā-śakti: working in the modes of ignorance, working in the modes of passion... These are the moha, that when these two things, kriyā-śakti, this kriyā-śakti under the spell of passion and spell of ignorance, is almost gone... Naṣṭa-prāyeṣu abhadreṣu nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā.
But devotees, being attracted to the flavor of the lotus flower of Kṛṣṇa's feet, lotus flower... Kṛṣṇa, His face is called also lotus-eyed, His navel is called padma-nābha, His feet is called lotus feet, pāda-padma, and His garland is also padma. He is very much fond of padma. So when a devotee is attached to the lotus flower of Kṛṣṇa's feet, automatically they forget the all such material activities. They haven't got to endeavor separately. The jñānīs and the yogis, they are trying to, by their endeavor, by their different endeavors, they are trying to get out of this entanglement, but the devotees, simply by engaging himself in the vāsudeva-bhakti, vāsudeva-parāyaṇa, simply by bhakti, they come out of the entanglement without any difficulty. That is stated in this verse. Tadvan na rikta-matayo yatayo 'pi ruddha-sroto-gaṇās tam araṇam. Sroto-gaṇās tam, stop functioning, they cannot do so nicely.
Janayaty āśu vairāgyaṁ jñānaṁ ca yad ahaitukam. One cannot understand what is the cause of a vāsudeva-bhakta to become so much renounced. Just like in India these young men from America and Europe... They are surprised, "How they have become so much aloof from material activities?" It is surprising. That is... It is not surprising, because bhaja vāsudevam: they have taken to the shelter of Vāsudeva. If you do also, you shall become. But we are not inclined. In India, "Oh, Vāsudeva, we have... We know everything of Vāsudeva. Hare Kṛṣṇa, oh, this is... What you can teach? We know everything." This is the Indian disease. Because familiarity breeds contempt. Because Indians are familiar with the name of Vāsudeva, with the name of Hare Kṛṣṇa, they think... Just like in European and American cities these boys and girls, they go for saṅkīrtana, and the Indian people, they say, "Oh, we know everything about it. We have now come here to learn how to eat meat, how to drink wine." You see? This is the condition. Bhaja vāsudevam—this is not very much appealing. But this is the only way to become out of entanglement. Otherwise, this śānta-ghora-vimūḍhatvam iti vā syād ahaṅkṛteḥ. We shall always remain in this false ego that "I am this body. I am of this material world," no information of the spiritual world.
Either you become śānta or ghora or mūḍha, three kinds of position in this material world... śānta. Śānta means in the brahminical qualification, and ghora means activities, material activities, fruitive activities, and mūḍha, just like animal, neither śānta nor ghora, simply animal. Udaram bharitaḥ. Svārtham udaraṁ bharitaḥ. Svārtham, interest, means if one somehow or other fulfills his belly, then he thinks, "Now all my mission is fulfilled." This is called mūḍhatvam. Svārtham udaraṁ bharitaḥ. Dākṣyaṁ kuṭumba-bharaṇam. Generally in this age, people will be interested to fulfill his own belly. Because that is also very difficult task nowadays. To get sufficient food daily, that is also a problem. And if one can maintain his family in these hard days—family means husband, wife, and a few children—then dākṣyaṁ kuṭumba-bharaṇam, then he is just like Mahārāja Dakṣa. Dakṣa, dakṣa means very expert. Those who are maintaining big family, working very nicely, many business, they are called dakṣa. So in the Kali-yuga, if one can maintain a family, small family, then he will be considered dakṣa. Dākṣyaṁ kuṭumba-bharaṇam. Otherwise, if one can fulfill his belly only, his all interest is fulfilled. This will be the condition of this age. That means mūḍhatvam, mostly mūḍhatvam. They do not know. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31).
So long the desires are there, it is not possible to bring the mind in complete peace and tranquillity. It is not possible because the saṅkalpa-vikalpa... Vartate-kāma-sambhavaḥ. So long there is desire, so it is not possible to bring the mind under control. Therefore Caitanya-caritāmṛta says, Kavirāja Gosvāmī, that even the pious actors, those who are acting very piously... Those who are acting impiously, sinfully, there is no question of peace of the mind. That is not possible. Even those who are acting very piously, that is also not possible. You cannot control even the mind in that way. Then those who are desiring to stop these material activities completely, pious or impious, they also cannot control the mind. And then the yogis... The first group, who are interested in pious activities, they are karmīs. And those who are neither interested in pious activities or impious activities—they want to stop all kinds of activities... Just like the Buddha philosophy says, nirvāṇa: "Stop the activities of the mind or desires." On that status also, it is not possible to control the mind, meditation. And... These mukti-kāmī. And then siddhi-kāmī, the yogis, they also cannot control the mind, what to speak of ordinary man who are neither interested in pious activities or in mukti or yogic perfection?
So when Kṛṣṇa advised Arjuna to practice yoga for controlling the mind in the Sixth Chapter of the Bhagavad-gītā, Arjuna refused.
He said that this Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu is the same Lord Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa advised, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). This sarva-dharmān includes all our material activities. So, but people could not understand. The instruction is still standing, Kṛṣṇa said, sarva-dharmān parityajya, "Just simply surrender unto Me." But nobody is doing that. God says that, "You surrender unto Me; I shall give you all protection." There is assurance. But we are so unfortunate that we cannot believe or cannot be assured on the words of God also. We do not believe. "Oh, God cannot give us protection. Let me try my own technology. I shall protect myself." This is the world(?). That means he's not detached with these material activities. Kṛṣṇa says also that "You give up..." Just like we are also saying. There are so many proposals. They come, philanthropists: "People are starving. We have to see first of all." The Communists say, "Then we can discuss about spiritual... There are so many people starving," as if they have taken contract for feeding them. But these are only simply big, big words. They cannot do anything. Neither they are willing. They are simply after their own sense gratification. Otherwise, why so many people all over the world, there is voluntary starving? Just like the hippies. Why they are lying down on the street, on the park, no fixed-up program for eating, sleeping? They are not poor men's sons.
So, nature's way will work. You cannot stop them. But because they cannot give up attachment for these material activities, they put some manifesto, that "We are not working for this. After finishing this task, then we shall take to the consideration of spiritual life." So this is called will o' the wisp. What is that, will o' the wisp? There is a fire, and the fire goes ahead, and the man follows. It is something like that. They cannot do anything. Actually, they have got attachment for these material activities, and they put forward different types of manifesto. But if one is serious about going back to home, back to Godhead... First of all, they have no such information that there is a place where God lives. They think it is all fictitious. (So) why it is fictitious? If you accept there is God, why, what is the objection to accept a place for Him? We have got our place, we have got our residential quarter, and God has provided us all these facilities, and He has no facility? He is impersonal? He has no place? Just see.
So, these things cannot be understood by the materialistic person. Therefore, one has to practice vairāgya, renunciation. That is pointed out here. Bhāgavata upāsanam upadekṣyamāna vairāgyaṁ vinā upadiṣṭo 'pi bhakti-yoga na samyag pratitiṣṭhati iti. Side by side we have to practice, voluntarily, to be detached from material activities. Then we can make progress in devotional service. Tad utpataya kāmān mindati. This is our voluntary work.
So ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanam (CC Madhya 19.167). You have to know how Kṛṣṇa will be pleased, then you are perfect. That you have to practice, first of all, in the vidhi-mārga, according to śāstra, according to the instruction of guru. Sādhu-śāstra-guru-vākya tinete koriyā aikya. Sādhu-mārgānugamanam. Ādau gurvāśrayam. Sad-dharma-pṛcchā. To accept guru means to be inquisitive. Just like Sanātana Gosvāmī, he approached Caitanya Mahāprabhu that, "I was minister. I was implicated in material activities. You have relieved me from this implication. Now please tell me what I have to do." Therefore Sanātana Gosvāmī was given instruction for two months continually, what to do now. So that is called sad-dharma-pṛcchā. Not that a fashion, I have made guru, I have accepted guru, my business is finished. No, sad-dharma-pṛcchā, the disciple must be ready to ask. Sanātana Gosvāmī, he was a minister, he resigned the post. That does not mean he was silent, stopped all work. He was asking, "What I have to do?" This is sad-dharma-pṛcchā and Caitanya Mahāprabhu ordered him to come to Vṛndāvana and renovate the vṛndāvana-līlā.
So if we engage our body Body means senses. What is this body? So long the hand is working, the eyes are working, the legs are working, all these different karma and jñāna, indriyas, they are working, then it is body. Otherwise, if the indriyas do not work, then it is dead matter. Indriyāṇi parāṇy āhur (BG 3.42). So these indriyas, so long the indriyas are working, that means my body is working, I am alive. Therefore if we engage our indriyas in the service of Kṛṣṇa, then this material..., not This is not material activities. To engage the senses in the matter of serving Kṛṣṇa, these are not material activities. These are all spiritual activities. And the difference between the Māyāvāda philosophy and Vaiṣṇava philosophy, that the Māyāvāda philosophy, they want to stop activities. They think stopping of all activities is perfection, śūnyam, śūnyavādi. Nirviśeṣa-śūnyavādi. Simply stop material. But what is the positive engagement? That they do not know. That is the difference. Positive engagement means serving Kṛṣṇa. That positive engagement means, engagement means, acting means, the employment of the senses.
So when we employ our senses in the positive activities, that is liberation. That is liberation. Just like a diseased man and a healthy man, what is the difference? The difference is that a healthy man is engaged in healthy activities, and the diseased man is engaged in diseased activities. The diseased man is also lying down, and the healthy man is also lying down. There is vast of difference. The diseased man is also eating, and the healthy man is eating. There is vast difference. So these activities, devotional activities, are not material activities. Material activities means sense gratification, and spiritual activities means to carry out the orders of Kṛṣṇa. This is the difference. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170). Nirmalam means purified senses must be there. We are living entities.
So hṛṣīka means senses. Because I stop material activities, that does not mean my senses are also finished. No. Senses are there. That is purified senses. When I do not act for any material purpose, that means my sense activities are purified, and that is bhakti. That is bhakti. Ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanam (CC Madhya 19.167). This is little difference, not very great difference. People are One has to learn. Ādau gurvāśrayaṁ sad-dharma-pṛcchāt. Sad-dharma-pṛcchāt. To accept guru means to give up all material desires and be ready to ask from guru, "What shall I do?" Just like Sanātana Gosvāmī, when he approached Caitanya Mahāprabhu, he asked this question, that "By Your grace I am now released from my responsible activities." He was a minister of Nawab Hussain Shah, so he had many responsible activities, but he resigned from the post. And when he approached Caitanya Mahāprabhu he asked, "Now, by Your grace, I am now relieved from all material activities. Now kindly tell me what shall I do." So doing, it is not stopped. The Māyāvāda philosophy means stop doing. Jagat mithyā: there is no more activities. That cannot stay. That is artificial. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tathā patanty adhaḥ (SB 10.2.32). If you give up this world as material—you have nothing to do—then you'll fall down again. Patanty adhaḥ. This is the śāstra injunction. So therefore our Gosvāmīs, under the śāstra..., that "Engage yourself in Kṛṣṇa activities; otherwise you will fall down." Īhā yasya harer dāsye karmaṇā manasā vacā.
So here is Ṛṣabhadeva giving example. So far the body is concerned, it has nothing to do with the spiritual activities. The body is as good as that of the animals, the crows and the cows, birds, beasts. He is showing the same now, that so far body is concerned, it is the same thing. But when you come to the spiritual platform, that is... This is negation or equation with the material body. But real activities are ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanaṁ bhaktir uttama. Simply be ready to work for Kṛṣṇa, sad-dharma-pṛcchāt, as Sanātana Gosvāmī exemplified. He came to Caitanya Maha Tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīm. He was minister. His business was with the big, big men, maṇḍala-pati. Tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīm sadā tucchavat: "It has no meaning. No more dealing with them." Tucchavat. Bhūtvā dīna-gaṇeśakau karuṇayā kaupīna-kanthāśritau. And in order to give some benefit to the dīna-gaṇeśakau Gaṇa. Gaṇa means general public. To give them some benefit, that is Vaiṣṇava life. Stop material activities, and for the benefit of the mass of people, dīna. They are very dīna, very poor. Mahad-vicalanaṁ gṛhiṇāṁ dīna-cetasām. Dīna-cetasām. They're very, very crippled, dīnasām. Gṛhiṇām. Those who are gṛhi, they are very dīna, very poor-hearted, because they do not know anything except to maintain the family.
So whole thing, either earth, stone or iron, anything, they are simply mixture of these five elements. So I am spirit soul. I have been engaged in mixing these five things and big, big lumps and gathering them just like children play in the sea beach, gathering so much sand and making like this, big house, and then it is fallen down. So we are engaged in these material activities, but we forget at the same time that there is ready, atom bomb. As soon as there will be declared war, these things will be finished, immediately. These people are not declaring war. America is not declaring war against Asia, Russia or China. They are thinking because they know they have got the deadly weapons, atom, and that is the now diplomacy. When there will be war, the first dropping of atom bomb will be victorious. Aah, victorious.
So this is called material civilization, that we do not know that these things will be finished today or tomorrow or hundred years after. It will be finished. And I am living soul, I am eternal, and I have been engaged in these material activities without knowing my progress of life, or without knowing my transmigration from... Suppose I spent all of my energy in this piling of stone and wood in this life, and next life if I become a rat or cat in this house, then what is the profit? (laughter) And there is possibility. There is possibility, because after death you cannot say that "I am going to be like this." That is under the hands of nature.
So that is showing mercy upon him. But, if he's not killed, then he'll be killed in so many ways. He'll be... Suppose something, some animal, and this man who has killed. He will take another birth and he will slaughter him. There are so many subtle laws. Māṁsa. The word māṁsa, Sanskrit. Mām means "me," and sa means "he." "As I am eating him just now, he will eat me next life." That is called māṁsa. Māṁsa khādati. This is the definition of māṁsa, or flesh. Māṁsa khādati. "As I am eating, enjoying now, palate, eating some animal, so he'll also eat me next life." This is called karma-bandhana. Karma-bandhana means being locked up in one's material activities. Yajñārthe karmaṇaḥ anyatra karma-bandhanaḥ. Yajña, Viṣṇu..., if you act for Kṛṣṇa, beyond this, whatever you act, you'll be under bondage. Just like I'm killing some animal, eating, enjoying, so it is karma-bandhana. I am being locked up with my action so that I shall become again a cow or goat, and this man, this cow and goat will become man, and he will kill me and eat. You believe or not believe—that's a different thing. But these are the Vedic statement. And, practically, we are seeing that life for life. Why? Unless there is some meaning, why this punishment is there? Life for life.
Parīkṣit Mahārāja is devotee. He knows what are these material activities. Punaḥ punaś carvita carvaṇānām (SB 7.5.30). This word is used here, punaḥ. Punaḥ means "again and again." Carvita-carvaṇānām.
- matir na kṛṣṇe parataḥ svato vā
- mitho 'bhipadyeta gṛha-vratānām
- adānta-gobhir viśatāṁ tamisraṁ
- punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām
- (SB 7.5.30)
This was the statement of Prahlāda Mahārāja, that gṛha-vratānām... Those who have concluded that "We shall live in this material world and become happy here by adjustment," they are called gṛha-vratānām. Or those who have concluded that "We shall live very happily in family life," and trying to be happy, and failure, and again trying, and again trying... This is called punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām (SB 7.5.30). Just like a father engages his son in the same way, the same family life, same business life, same working day and night. But he does not think that "I was a married man. I got children. I have got business. I have got car. Whether I have become happy?" That he does not conclude, that "Again I am engaging my son in the same business? So why shall I be unhappy if my son has joined the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement?" No. He wants, "Please come home and again be doing the same thing.
So not only in these activities, in every activity we are very busy with material activities. And we do not know that on my back side death is standing. He will take everything, what I have got. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, mṛtyuḥ sarva-haraś ca aham. The death is also Kṛṣṇa. He said, aham, mṛtyuḥ sarva-haraś ca aham: "I am death. You cannot see God. You are very much proud of your eyes. Now you see I have come. I will take away everything, what have you got. Now you protect yourself and your property, your skyscraper building, everything. Now you protect." So therefore mūḍha. He does not know how to protect things, but he is creating things. That is called mūḍha. Just like I am collecting lakhs and millions of money, but next moment there is standing somebody, he will take away. So that I do not know, that one man is waiting. I am collecting. There was a caricature picture when India was struggling for independence. So the Gandhi's picture, Gandhi was fishing with the tackle, and Jinnah was standing behind with a knife and plate, that "Let this rascal struggle for independence, and as soon as (sic:) he's get, I will take share and go away, Pakistan." Actually he did so. He never went to jail, but he took the share and made Pakistan. So Gandhi, therefore, was not in favor of partition. But he had to do, accept it. Because the Britishers were very intelligent, that "Let us divide it so that India may not become a strong power." So that still, it is going on, the animosity between Pakistan and Hindustan. It is British plan. That is politics.
So this is the general way of life. Everyone is engaged in these material activities, and the basic principle of material activity is gṛhastha, family life. Family life, according to Vedic system, or anywhere, is responsible life to maintain the wife, children. Everyone is engaged. They think this is the only duty. "To maintain the family, that is my duty. As comfortably as possible. That is my duty." One does not think that this kind of duty is performed even by animals. They have got also children, and they feed. What is the difference? Therefore here the word used is mūḍha. Mūḍha means ass. One who is engaged in such duties, bhuñjānaḥ prapiban khādan. Prapiban. Prapiban means drinking, and bhuñjānaḥ means eating. While eating, while drinking, khādan, while chewing, carva casya raja preya (?). There are four kinds of eatables. Sometimes we chew, sometimes we lick up, (Sanskrit) sometimes we swallow, and sometimes we drink. So there are four kinds of foodstuff. Therefore we sing catuḥ vidhā śrī-bhagavat-prasādāt. Catuḥ vidhā means four kinds. So we offer to the Deities so many foodstuffs within these four categories. Something is chewed, something is licked up, something is swallowed. In that way.
Material means when the consciousness is not Kṛṣṇa. That is material. The same example, that iron rod, if kept to the fire, gradually it becomes warm, warmer, and at last it becomes red. When it is red, it is no longer iron; it is fire. Similarly, by spiritual association, your body gradually becomes spiritualized. And at the perfection stage, there is no more material activities, simply the activities of the fire. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā:
- māṁ cāvyabhicāriṇi-
- bhakti-yogena yaḥ sevate
- sa guṇān samatītyaitān
- brahma-bhūyāya kalpate
- (BG 14.26)
The whole body becomes supplemented with Brahman effulgence. It is not for everyone, and those who are very, very much spiritually advanced, their body becomes like that. Therefore a Vaiṣṇava ācārya's body is never burned. It is entombed. They worship the body. But that is spiritual body.
Paśughnāt, animal killer. Paśughnāt has two meanings. One who is killing himself, he's also paśughnāt. And one who is killing animals, he is also paśughnāt. Therefore meat-eating is prohibited, that if you remain a killer of animals, then you cannot be purified. That is essential. No meat-eating. So in this way... You cannot stop the activities of the senses. That is not possible. Because I am living being. If the sense activities are stopped, then where is my life? I'm finished. So that cannot be. This is impossible. The Buddha philosophy is stop, nirvāṇa: "Stop the activities of the senses." That is not possible. Stop means you stop material activities. A boy is, when he's child, he is simply doing all nonsense and creating some disturbance. The same boy, when he's engaged in reading and writing, going to school, he's a good boy, Similarly, you cannot stop the activities of your senses, but when you engage your senses in the activities of Kṛṣṇa, that is perfection of life.
Thank you very much. (end)
So we are under the control of the modes of material nature. Now, the next verse says, eṣa prakṛti-saṅgena. Eṣa means all these living entities. In this way, on account of association with this material nature... Prakṛti-saṅgena puruṣasya viparyayaḥ. Puruṣasya means the living entities; viparyayaḥ, entanglement. Āsīt: "In this way he is involved." Sa eva na cirād īśa-saṅgād vilīyate. So he is involved in this way, but if he associates with Īśa, the Supreme Lord, then na cirād, very soon, all these things, entanglement, can be finished. This is also confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā: daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). One who is entangled with these modes of material nature, it is very difficult to come out of it. But mām eva ye prapadyante: "Anyone who takes My shelter, he can get out." And practically you have got all experience that our regulative principle is very difficult to give it up, but those who have become devotee, they have easily given up. That is also confirmed in another place, vāsudeve bhagavati bhakti-yoga-prayojitaḥ. If we engage ourself in devotional service of Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṇa, janaty āśu vairāgyam, then very soon he become detached to these material activities. Vairāgyaṁ jñānaṁ ca yad ahaitukam (SB 1.2.7). These two things required: knowledge and detachment. Knowledge means that "I am not this body," and detachment means "I am not this body; therefore I have nothing to do with this material world."
You cannot manufacture the process of your happiness by tackling this material energy. That is not possible because the material energy is not under your control. It is controlled by the Supreme. How you can overpower the material energy? That is not possible. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā: Daivī hy eṣa guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). It is not possible to overcome the stringent laws of material nature. It is not possible. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā: "It is My energy. I am controlling." Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te: (BG 7.14) "But if somebody surrenders unto Me..." The whole process, whole material activities, the cosmic manifestation, situation, is going on just to bring these rebelled souls to come back to Godhead. That is the situation. The māyā, the stringent laws, are there. Just like what is the purpose of this police force or material force or military force? The purpose is to keep the citizens obedient to the state. That is the purpose. So long... At any time, if a citizen becomes disobedient to the state laws, he is immediately put into the police custody. And if he is more powerful, then under military custody. Similarly, anyone who has rebelled against the superiority of God, he is put into the stringent laws of material nature and he is suffering. That is the position. Therefore his self-interest is to seek out the Supreme Personality of Godhead and surrender unto Him. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). That will make you happy. Otherwise, if you simply try to adjust material things and become happy, that is not possible. This is the explanation of Prahlāda Mahārāja.
Therefore you will find the Māyāvādī sannyāsīs—they come again to serve humanity, to serve animals, to serve, this, that, country, society. This is Māyāvāda. Aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ. He could not stay in the exalted post of being servitor and the served. The Supreme Lord is served and we are servant. Because we could not get to that position, therefore... My position is to serve. I did not like to serve Kṛṣṇa. I wanted to become one with him. Therefore my position is not clear. Therefore, instead of serving Kṛṣṇa, I come back again to serve humanity, community, nation, and so on, so on, so on. The service cannot be rejected. But because aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ, not properly trained up, still his unclean state of mind, instead of serving Kṛṣṇa, because he is hankering after giving service but being nirākāra, nirviśeṣa, without Kṛṣṇa, then where he will serve? The service spirit, how it will be utilized? Therefore they come back again—country, society... Once they give up, brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā: "These are all mithyā." But they do not know that actually giving service is real blissful life. That they do not know. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adhaḥ (SB 10.2.32). Therefore they fall down, again material activities.
That is explained by Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Mama janmani janmanīśvare bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī. Na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitaṁ vā jagad-īśa kāmaye (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). This is pure devotion. "I don't want money." Na dhanam. "I don't want any number of men at my order acting." Just like big big factory owner. They are employing four thousand, five thousand men, as master of so many servants... A devotee doesn't want this. He doesn't want any amount of money or any amount of followers. Na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitam. Very beautiful, attractive wife, sundarīm. This is material aspiration: "Let me have immense amount of money, a very good woman, wife or friend." This is the whole material activities. You'll see. Everyone is after money and women. This is material aspiration. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu is rejecting. Na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitaṁ vā jagad-īśa. Then what You want? Mama janmani janmanīśvare bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). "I don't mind where I get my birth. I am not aspiring to get my birth in a very aristocratic way, no." Anywhere. Mama janmani. "I may become a demigod in the heavenly planet or I may a cat, dog, or any insignificant. But I want this, that My devotion to Your lotus feet may not be forgotten." This is desirelessness. Anything beyond the..., we desire, that is material.
That is wanted. Because Kṛṣṇa says, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto (BG 18.65), Kṛṣṇa says, "This is the process," so we have to mold our life in such a way that we get the opportunity of thinking of Kṛṣṇa twenty-four hours. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Even we are eating, we can remember Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa baḍa dayā-maya, karibāre jihvā jaya, svaprasāda-anna dilā bhāi. So we want. While sleeping, if we think of Kṛṣṇa, it may be that we may dream of Kṛṣṇa also. That is possible. Eating, sleeping, mating... Even in sex if we can remember Kṛṣṇa... How? That is... Kṛṣṇa says, dharmāviruddha-kāmo 'smi. Sex life which is given permission in the śāstra, that is Kṛṣṇa. The śāstra gives you permission for sex life only for begetting nice children. Not for enjoyment. That is illicit sex. If you make love, "Phish, phish, phish," and have sex life, that is illicit sex. So that dharmāviruddha. So we can adjust our material activities: eating, sleeping, mating, and fearing. It can be adjusted in relationship with Kṛṣṇa, provided we take direction from Kṛṣṇa. Even eating, sleeping, mating can be utilized as Kṛṣṇa consciousness if you follow the rules and regulations. There is facility. And as soon as you deviate, then you become subject to the control of māyā. Yajñārthe karmao 'nyatra loko 'yaṁ karma-bandhana. If you simply act for satisfying Kṛṣṇa, then you are all right. And as soon as you do it for your own sense gratification, karma-bandhana, you become bound up by the laws of karma. We should be very careful therefore.
Harikeśa: Translation: "Therefore, only for the purpose of sense gratification, material activities like economic development are simply a waste of time and energy without any practical profit. If such energy and endeavor is utilized for Kṛṣṇa consciousness, surely one can attain to the spiritual platform of self-realization. There is no benefit by engaging oneself in economic development."
Prabhupāda:
- tat-prayāso na kartavyo
- yata āyur-vyayaḥ param
- na tathā vindate kṣemaṁ
- mukunda-caraṇāmbujam
- (SB 7.6.4)
So prayasa, activities... Rūpa Gosvāmī has forbidden,
- atyāhāraḥ prayāsaś ca
- prajalpo niyamāgrahaḥ
- laulyaṁ jana-saṅgaś ca
- ṣaḍbhiḥ bhaktir pranaśyati
- (NOI 2)
There are six kind of activities which will increase your transcendental importance of life, and there are six kinds of activities which will destroy your whatever little devotion you have got. These, in the Upadeśāmṛta you will find, how you can increase and how you can finish. So about finishing, if you are actually advancing in spiritual life, if that is your aim, then these six things should be avoided. As it is said, prayāsaḥ. The first thing is atyāhāra, eating too much than necessity, atyāhāra, or collecting more than you require. For maintenance of your body you have to secure some monetary benefit—but not more than what you require. People are not satisfied. At the present moment everyone is trying to get more and more and more and more and more. There is no satiation.
So we must take to śāstra-vidhi. This is the actual advancement of civilization. Because life after life we have forgotten about our relationship with God, and this is the only chance, human form of life, we can revive our relationship with God. In the Caitanya-caritāmṛta it is said that anādi bahir-mukha jīva kṛṣṇa bhuli' gelā ataeva kṛṣṇa veda-purāṇa karilā. Why these Veda, Purāṇas are there? Especially in India, we have got so many Vedic literatures. First of all, the four Vedas—Sāma, Yajur, Ṛg, Atharva. Then their gist philosophy, Vedānta-sūtra. Then Vedānta explanation, the Purāṇas. Purāṇa means supplementary. Ordinary person, they cannot understand the Vedic language. Therefore from historical references these Vedic principles are taught. That is called Purāṇas. And the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is called Mahā-purāṇa. It is spotless Purāṇa, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, because in other Purāṇas there are material activities, but in this Mahā-purāṇa, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, simply spiritual activities. That is wanted. So this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam was written by Vyāsadeva under the instruction of Nārada. Mahā-purāṇa. So we have to take advantage of this. So many valuable literatures. The human life is meant for that. Why you are neglecting? Our attempt is, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is how to spread this knowledge of the Vedas and the Purāṇas so that the human being can take advantage of it and make his life successful. Otherwise, if he simply labors hard, day and night, like the hog... The hog is day and night working very hard to find out "Where is stool? Where is stool?" And after eating stool, as soon as they get little fat... The pigs are fatty therefore because stool contains all the essence of food. According to medical science, the stool is full of hydrophosphates. So hydrophosphate is good tonic. So one may try if they like. (laughter) But actually this is the fact. The pig becomes very fatty because it is stool.
So therefore it is advised... So anyone who is coming to Vṛndāvana, they must seek out the devotees who have dedicated to Kṛṣṇa consciousness and trying to preach Kṛṣṇa consciousness to the ignorant people who are busy in material activities. This is tīrtha. Therefore it is recommended. In India you'll find so many tīrthas, so many tīrthas—Prayag, Mathurā, Vṛndāvana, Hardwar, Rāmeśvaram. That is the arrangement. And after retirement of life, vanaṁ vrajet. Pañcāśordhvaṁ vanaṁ vrajet. Prahlāda Mahārāja also said to his father, hitvātmā-ghāṭaṁ gṛha-andha-kūpaṁ vanaṁ gato yad harim āśrayeta. Formerly big, big kings, everyone—compulsory retirement, vānaprastha, sannyāsa. Vanam means go to the forest. One who goes to the forest, he is called vānaprastha. From vana, the word vana, has come vānaprastha. Pañcāśordhvaṁ vanaṁ vrajet, that "After fifty years of age one must go to the forest for meditation, for tapasya, austerity." And when he is perfectly trained up... This training is given from brahmacārī life, gṛhastha life also, but people are not taking training. They are not kuśalam. Actually they do not know what is the aim of life. They are cats and dogs. So one who is kuśala, actually knows the aim of life, for him, yateta ksemāya bhavam āśritaḥ. Because in the material existence it is simply suffering. But these foolish men, they do not understand.
Those who are materialists, they calculate profit by dollars, and those who are spiritualists, they calculate profit: "How much I have advanced today in spiritual or Kṛṣṇa consciousness?" Both of them are profits. So either make this profit or that profit, but don't waste your time. That is the proposal. But the best profit is, for human form of life, to advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So he has analyzed that mugdhasya bālye kaiśore krīdato yāti vimśatiḥ (SB 7.6.7). So fifty years immediately minus from our life. Then, by playing in youthhood and childhood, another twenty years. Seventy years minus. Then jarayā grasta dehasya yāty akalpasya vimśatiḥ. Then, when old age comes, by disease, by invalidity, another twenty years minus. That means fifty plus twenty plus twenty. Out of hundred years, ninety years gone. Then,
- durāpureṇa kāmena
- mohena ca balīyasā
- śeṣaṁ gṛheṣu saktasya
- pramattasyāpayāti hi
- (SB 7.6.8)
The balance ten years, because the whole life we have spoiled in material activities, in the balance, ten years are wasted: "What I have done, and how to pull on? Oh, this was not successful. How I have to make successful? This boy was not educated. That boy was not properly brought up. He has gone out home...," so many anxieties. That means if we do not practice from childhood, then in the advanced age it is not possible. That is the proposal of Prahlāda Mahārāja.
Harikeśa: Translation: "In tender childhood age, when everyone is bewildered, he passes ten years. Similarly, in boyhood, being engaged in sporting and playful things, another ten years. In this way twenty years are wasted. Similarly, in old age, when a person becomes invalid and he is unable to execute even material activities, he passes another twenty years wastefully."
Prabhupāda:
- mugdhasya bālye kaiśore
- krīḍato yāti viṁśatiḥ
- jarayā grasta-dehasya
- yāty akalpasya viṁśatiḥ
- (SB 7.6.7)
So fifty years out of one hundred years, fifty years wasted by sleeping. And then balance fifty years, twenty years in childhood and youthhood, sporting, playing; another twenty years in old age... Jarayā grasta. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9). These are inevitable. As birth is inevitable, death is inevitable, similarly, old age is inevitable. So in this way our time is wasted because we do not know how valuable this human form of life is. There is no such education.
So they do not know. Therefore they are described here as pramattaḥ. Pramattaḥ. Sarvatra tāpa-traya-duḥkhitātmā nirvidyate na sva-kuṭumba-rāmaḥ. Actually, they are experiencing every step miserable. It is not that by improving economic condition of life one has become very peaceful. Otherwise why there is war? Why there is struggle? This is... These things cannot be stopped. However you may improve materially, however you may improve your economic condition, the disturbance of the world, at least, birth, death, disease, and old age, cannot be checked. So if we do not understand these things very seriously and simply engage ourself in these material activities, although we are experiencing sarvatra tāpa-traya-duḥkhitātmā...
Tāpa-traya means three kinds of miseries: miseries inflicted by other persons or other living entities... That is, we have practical experience. We create so many friends also, so many enemies also. We do not go into the jungle because we know there are jungle animals who may attack us. So... Even at home there are bugs, there are mosquitoes; they also give us trouble. So there is a kind of trouble or misery inflicted by other living entities. That is called adhibhautika. Three kinds of miseries. Miseries offered by other living entities. We also offer, I mean to say, miseries to the other animals. Just like we have created our slaughterhouse.
This verse we have been discussing in our last meeting, that it is very easy to understand what I am. Take the... The description is that buddher jāgaraṇam. When we are, I mean to say, awakened, and we are acting with our intelligence, this is one stage. Then the another stage, that we are sleeping, dreaming. Another stage is that we are in deep sleep, forgetting everything. That is suṣuptiḥ, or deep sleep. Sometimes we want to forget ourself by transferring ourself into that deep sleep, forgetting everything. Actually, that is our natural tendency. When we are too much afflicted with these material activities, anxieties... Because material life means full of anxieties. That is material life.
If you... Always remember that Prahlāda Mahārāja was talking with his child friends. So he says, tasmād bhavadbhiḥ kartavyam: "My dear friends, therefore it is your duty..." Kartavyaṁ karmaṇāṁ tri-guṇātmanām, tri-guṇātmanām... "Now, these activities of three material qualities, or material activities," bīja-nirharaṇam, "the seed of these material activities, you should crush it." Seed. There is a seed. Just like there is a seed, and so along the seed will remain... Just like you have seen in the fall season, so many creepers, they appear to be dried. There is no leaf. It almost dead. But as soon as the spring comes, oh, there is green leaf again. Why? The seed is there. Sometimes in India they set fire because it is very hot climate, so when there is no rainy season and by..., the sun is always bright there, so all these small plants, except big trees, they become dried up, and the cultivators, they set fire, and it becomes manure. But what is the fire? In the fire the outer portion is burned, but the seed is there. The next rainy season, again they awaken. Again there is, again green, again dry, again set fire, again green. Why? Now, seed is there. Seed is there.
Prabhupāda: Deep sleep is forgetfulness. That's all.
Guest (2): Forgetfulness when I sleep, but...
Prabhupāda: Yes, when you become tired, you, or by intoxication, you sleep deep. This is material existence. Either this material activity or material dreaming or material deep sleep, they're all material. In spiritual life, oh, there is no sleep. There is no deep sleep or slight sleep or dream. That is everything actual. (pause) Any other questions?
Guest (1): When you're actually Kṛṣṇa conscious, what... My question before, I meant, when you're actually Kṛṣṇa conscious, do you just exist and know all and enjoy all, or do you have any activities at that time?
Prabhupāda: Well, unless you have got enjoyment, how can you continue your activities? Do you think that in any activity which you, in which you do not feel happy or enjoy, can you continue that activity? No. Therefore Kṛṣṇa consciousness means the more you become active in Kṛṣṇa conscious, the more you become joyful. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). That means your real life becomes revealed, joyful life. And as you become joyful, so you are more energetic to work for Kṛṣṇa. That will give you impetus. It is not a dead, stereotyped thing. It is dynamic force. The more you work for Kṛṣṇa, the more you feel energetic, the more you feel light. It is practical. Ask so many students. They are feeling, yes, joyful. There are so many attraction of material life. Oh, how they can forget? How they can forget? Especially in your country, there are so many facilities of material enjoyment, and how they can forget all these unless they have got some enjoyment? So it is practical. The more you engage yourself in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the more you feel joy, joyer. That is joyful life.
What is this Kṛṣṇa consciousness? We are described several times that ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu-śīlanam (CC Madhya 19.167). (feedback) (aside:) Why this sound? Ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu-śīlanam. You have to serve Kṛṣṇa favorably. That's all. And, in another passage we find Kṛṣṇa consciousness means that this, I mean to say, our senses, at the present moment, they are engaged in material activities. So you have to change the rubber stamp simply. You have to act. Not that by Kṛṣṇa consciousness, you will be a dull stone. No. The activity will be there. Therefore sometimes we are misunderstood that "What sort of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is there? They are also eating. They are also typewriting. They are also going to office. They are also working. And everything is there. They are looking after printing press. And so many things, everything. What is this Kṛṣṇa?" Because it is simply being done on account of Kṛṣṇa. The consciousness is the same. Your consciousness, my consciousness is the same. If you apply to certain objective, that is called "that-consciousness."
Sleeping means forgetfulness. But as soon as he is awakened, he remembers everything. Everything. "Oh, I have to go to office. I have to do this thing. I have to meet such and such person." Everything. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa consciousness is sleeping in everyone's heart. He is hankering. He is hankering after how to love Kṛṣṇa, but he is being checked up. The māyā is checking him: "Don't try to love Kṛṣṇa. If you love Kṛṣṇa, then you will forget all these material activities." Māyā is speaking.
- smerāṁ bhaṅgi traya paricitaṁ sāci-vistīrṇa dṛṣṭiṁ
- vaṁśī nyastādhara kiśalayam ujjvalāṁ candrakeṇa
- govindākhyāṁ hari-tanum itaḥ keśi-tīrthopakaṇṭhe
- mā prekṣiṣṭhās tava yadi sakhe bandhu-saṅge 'sti raṇgaḥ.
This is a very nice verse composed by Rūpa Gosvāmī, that one friend of one gopī, she is warning, "My dear friend, please do not go that side." "Where?" "In the keśi-tīrthopakaṇṭhe, on the bank of Keśī-ghāṭa, Yamunā." "Why you are warning me?" "Because there is that boy whose name is Govinda." "What He is doing?" "He is simply smiling, and with His flute, and He is so bright by the rays of the moon that He looks very, very beautiful." "Then? What happens?" "Now, if you go and see Him, then you will forget your engagement with family and friendship and love and everything. Oh. He will absorb everything. So don't go there." She is warning, "Don't go." In other words, Kṛṣṇa is so attractive by His activities, transcendental activities, by His beauty, by His opulence, by His strength, everything... If you read the history of Kṛṣṇa's activities in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam or in the Bhagavad-gītā, they are so attractive that one automatically becomes attracted and he forgets all other attraction. This is natural. This is not an artificial. Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so nice that once situated in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, you will forget all nonsense of this material life.
So fortunately, one of our students, he has taken a very large tract of land in West Virginia to develop a society like that, that simple life, eat simple things, grains, vegetables, fruits, milk, and save your time for advancing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Don't be implicated in the ugra-karma. Modern civilization is implicated in ugra-karma—vast machinery, everything complicated. The government complicated, the society complicated, economics rule complicated, foreign exchange complicated. Everything has become complicated. So Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura has sung very nice song. Satsaṅga chāri kainu asatye vilās, ei kāraṇe lāgila more karma bandha-phāṅsa. Because we have given up Kṛṣṇa consciousness, therefore we have been entangled in the different varieties of material activities. Now we have to simplify it. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to simplify, to save the valuable life, to save the time of valuable life. This human form of life is very valuable. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante (BG 7.19). After many, many births we have got this important life. So we have to save our time to utilize it for Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That should... So far we have got this material body, we want to maintain it. The body and souls live together. That is all right. For that, Kṛṣṇa has given every chance. Anywhere you sit down, you have got land and cow. You produce something and cow's milk. That is sufficient for maintenance. So let us try to make an attempt to organize a New Vrindaban scheme, and I shall request all my students to develop this idea and show a good example to this Western part of the world where people are always engaged in ugra-karma, asuric-karma. Things are becoming very implicated, complicated.
Thank you very much. Any question?
So in order to... Dharmasya. Dharma, artha, kāma, mokṣa. Kama is also required for whom? Ajitendriyāṇām, one who cannot control. But one who can control... If one is trained up properly, he can control. He doesn't require anything. Because any activities of this material world, they may be utilized for systematic proper peace, peaceful condition of the social, political. But after all, they are material. Material means unwanted. Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja has said, dvaite bhadrābhadra sakali saman. In this material word we sometimes say, "This is very good, and this is very bad." Kavirāja Gosvāmī says, "This 'bad' or 'good,' it has no meaning. They are simply mental concoction." Because in the material world everything is bad. The so-called good is bad, and bad is bad. Therefore we have to search out how to get out, āpavarga. This is there, how to make these material activities null and void. They are useless. That is the recommendation of Prahlāda Mahārāja, and that can be done directly simply by becoming Kṛṣṇa conscious. It is not Prahlāda Mahārāja's own word, but Kṛṣṇa says.
So vāsudeve bhagavati... To full... Surrender to Kṛṣṇa means to become spiritually active. Sometimes the Māyāvādī philosophers, they think that when we become Brahman realized, we become one with the Supreme; then all our activities stop. No, that is (not) the fact. The fact is we are now materially active, and when we finish our material activities, then our spiritual activity begins. You cannot make the living entity as inactive. That is not possible, because we are living; we are not stone. How I can be inactive? That is not possible. Inactivity is for the stones and irons. But we are not stones and irons. Nityaḥ śāśvato 'yaṁ na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). These Māyāvādī philosophers, they think to stop activity is the highest perfection. No. Our philosophy is stop foolish activities and begin real activities. That is bhakti. Bhakti is not stopping activity. Therefore we are engaging our devotees in so many activities. They are all spiritual activities. Spiritual activity is known as bhakti.
So dharma means this varṇāśrama-dharma. Varnāśrama-dharma. Varṇāśramācāravatā puruṣeṇa paraḥ pumān viṣṇur ārādhyate (CC Madhya 8.58). So Bilvamaṅgala Ṭhākura said that "You simply become devotee. You don't hanker after this dharma, artha, kama, mokṣa. No. They will serve you. You do not require to call them. They themselves will come and serve you. You just become a pure devotee." Samaya-pratīkṣāḥ. Mukti. Why devotees will ask for mukti? They are already mukta because they have no material activities; all spiritual activities. Brahma-bhūyāya kalpate. Sa guṇān samatītyaitān brahma-bhūyāya kalpate (BG 14.26).
So in the platform of dharma, to become very religious, moral, who can be more religious than the devotee? Who can be more moralist than the devotee? A devotee is not prepared to kill even an ant. So who can be more moralist? These things are already there.
So why so much restriction on the sex life? The people do not understand throughout the whole world. They are captivated by sex life, especially in the Western countries. Puṁsāṁ-striyaṁ-mithunī-bhavam etat. Material existence means a desire of sex life, both man and woman. Puṁsāṁ-striyaṁ-mithunī-bhavam etat. Not only in human society, in animal society, in bird society, everywhere, that is material life. Tayor mitho hṛdaya-granthim āhuḥ. And when they are united for this purpose, a man and woman, they... We are already attached to the material activities. Then our attachment becomes more and more strong. Tayor mitho hṛdaya-granthim āhuḥ. Then, out of this attachment, ataḥ gṛha-kṣetra-sutāpta vittair janasya moho 'yam ahaṁ mameti (SB 5.5.8). In this way, being united, then they want gṛha, apartment, to live together. Then they want some land. Formerly there was no service. The gṛhastha used to produce the food grains from the land. Neither there was factories or big, big offices to get job. One had to produce his own food from the land. So simply apartment will not help. I must require some land for eating. Gṛha-kṣetra-sūta. Then we desire for some children. Sūta, āpta, then friends. Sūta, āpta. Ataḥ gṛha-kṣetra-sutāpta vittaiḥ. But all these establishment can be maintained by money only. Then money. Then, in this way, gradually, janasya moho 'ham. We are already bewildered.
Now, the next question is, "Who is spiritual master, where I have to go and inquire?" Otherwise I'll be misled. I may approach a person who is not actually bona fide spiritual master. That should also be known. And what is that? That is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, in the Vedas and Bhagavad-gītā—everywhere the same thing is. Here also it is said that you should approach a bona fide spiritual master. Jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam, to whom? Śābde pare ca niṣṇātam: (SB 11.3.21) one who has actually taken full bath in the ocean of transcendental knowledge. Śābde pare ca niṣṇātam. Śābde means the transcendental sound. The Vedic words, hymns, are called transcendental sound, and the gist of all such sound is om, or Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma... So one has to take bath in the ocean of this transcendental sound, then he is bona fide spiritual master. Śābde pare ca niṣṇātam. And what is the symptom? Everyone can say that "I have taken full bath in this transcendental sound," but the symptom is there. What is that symptom? Śābde pare ca niṣṇātaṁ brahmaṇy upaśamāśrayam. He has taken shelter of the Supreme Brahman, finishing all material activities. He has no more any material activities. He is simply after the Supreme Brahman or Kṛṣṇa. This is the qualification.
So today we shall perform some initiation performances in this meeting, and we are happy that you have come to participate in this nice function. So see the procedure, how we are doing it. This is Vedic principle, simplified to suit according to the time and place; otherwise, there are many other paraphernalias. So this is the idea, that one who is... (end)
Nectar of Devotion Lectures
The material world, because everything is temporary, so sometimes when we are fed up with material activities, we stop to do it and become a renouncer. Bhoga-tyāga. "Grapes are sour." You know the story. A jackal entered into a vine orchard, and it was very high. It began to jump to get the grapes, but when he failed, he said, "Oh, these grapes are sour. It is nonsense." (laughter) The karmīs are like that, that they work very hard, but they cannot relish any permanent happiness. That is not possible. Therefore they give up. Brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā. They give up these worldly activities as false. Jagan mithyā. But they do not relish anything. Actually they do not relish what is Brahma-sukha. Therefore again they fall down. Many... The jñānī sannyāsīs, they give up this world as jagat mithyā, "This world is false." They take sannyāsa. Then, after working for some time, they again take to political activities, philanthropic activities. They see that "The people are suffering for want of education, for want of food. So let me engage in providing food, shelter, education." But this education, food problem is there in the material world. The Māyāvādī sannyāsīs, if they think that this world is false, why he is agitated by the sufferings of the world? It is false. But the thing is that in the spiritual field, because they have no engagement, advanced engagement... (aside:) Come this side. Or do it in this. From the back.
They are going and coming back. They are going and coming back. Similarly, āruhya kṛcchṛeṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanti adhaḥ (SB 10.2.32). If you have to stay in the higher status of life, brahma anubhūti, then you'll have to come back again. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa. Kṛcchreṇa means by practicing severe austerities, penances, one may go up to the Brahman effulgence, paraṁ padam. That is called paraṁ padam. But because there is no stay... Just like in the sky. You may go with high speed, but if you cannot stay in some planet, you'll have to come back again. 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?
That is practically experienced. We have seen many, many great sannyāsīs. They give up this world and take sannyāsa for merging into Brahman, but later on they come back again to the material activities for opening hospital, schools, and philanthropic work. Why? Because they could not get there. In their so-called Brahman realization, they could not get any pleasure. Therefore they come down again to the material activities. You have left this material world as brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā. Then why you come back again to this mithyā world, to open hospitals and schools? The reason is they could not get any pleasure in so-called Brahman-realization. Therefore they come back to give food to the poor, to open hospital, philanthropic work.
What is the meaning of this preaching. People are engaged in material activities, and the preacher should approach them that "You are spoiling your time, my dear sir. You become devotee of Kṛṣṇa." This is preaching. "You are simply spoiling. You have got this human form of life, but you are utilizing like animals—eating, sleeping, mating and defending. You may be very great political leader, but your engagement is like animal." That is the fact. What these politicians do? They make arrangement for eating, sleeping, mating, and defending. That's all. They promise that "I shall give you nice eating. You give me vote. I'll... Make me minister of food. I shall give you enough food." Or so many things, they falsely promise, or rightly promise. They know. So actually, minister or minister's father cannot give you food. The food is supplied by Kṛṣṇa. Eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān.
The same feeling... Nirbandhe kṛṣṇa-sambandhe yukta-vairāgyam ucyate. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī has given us two formulas how to become Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or how to remain in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So one formula is that anāsaktasya viṣayān yathārham upayuñjataḥ. You should not be attached to the viṣayas. Just like we have got a tendency to construct a skyscraper building. As in your country, you do. So you should not attached to the skyscraper building, but you can utilize the tendency by constructing a big temple like skyscraper for Kṛṣṇa. In this way, you have to purify your material activities.
Actually in pure Kṛṣṇa consciousness there is nothing material. I have several times explained. Material activities means activities without Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is material activity. Just like we are speaking through this microphone. We do not reject it as material. We take it as spiritual. Because it is being used in spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Anāsaktasya viṣayān yathārham upayuñjataḥ. Yathā arhati, as it deserves. Because this microphone is made of material elements, earth, water, fire, air... But this, if we remember that these material energies, earth, water, air, fire, sky, even mind, intelligence, ego... Prakṛti me, prakṛti me bhinnā aṣṭadhā. They're also energies of Kṛṣṇa. They're not separate from Kṛṣṇa. Therefore if Kṛṣṇa is spirit, then these so-called material elements, they are also spirit. But it is used as material because we do not remember the relationship of these material elements with Kṛṣṇa. Therefore the conclusion is when we are forgetful of Kṛṣṇa, then it is material. Otherwise, there is nothing as material. Everything is spiritual. Because brāhmaṇaḥ śakti.
Pradyumna: "Then there is the spiritual world, which is a manifestation of the internal energy. The living entities who are called marginal energies, energy, perform material activities when acting under the inferior, external energy. And when they engage in activities under the internal, spiritual energy, their activities are called Kṛṣṇa conscious. This means that those who are great souls, or great devotees, do not act under the spell of material energy, but act instead under the protection of the spiritual energy."
Prabhupāda: Hmm. Mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ (BG 9.13). They do not act under the influence... Ordinary persons, they see that "Devotees are acting like us." No. Their activities are under the influence of spiritual energy. It, it, it looks similar like the karmīs, jñānīs, but bhaktas are different from karmīs and jñānīs. Jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam (CC Madhya 19.167). They are not influenced by the tenets of jñāna and karma. They are influenced by activities which can satisfy Kṛṣṇa. Ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanam. Anuśīlanam activities, culture. Ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanam. So they are simply engaged in Kṛṣṇa activities. Although it looks similar to the ordinary activities. Therefore they misunderstand. Just like Arjuna. Arjuna is fighting and another soldier is fighting the other side. But Arjuna's activities as soldier is devotional service. Because he's trying to please Kṛṣṇa. Other side, they're fighting for their own interest, how to become victorious and take up the kingdom. That was their idea. Here, Arjuna, he did not like to fight, but when he understood that "Kṛṣṇa desires this fighting," he engaged in it. Therefore his fighting was to satisfy Kṛṣṇa, not to satisfy his senses. As it is explained in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta, to satisfy one's own senses, that is called kāma, and to satisfy the senses of Kṛṣṇa, that is called prema. That is the difference.
So who will read, and who will try to understand? There is no time. Prāyeṇa alpāyuṣaḥ kalāu asmin yuge janāḥ. People who are very short-living and they are not very enthusiastic for self-realization. Manda. Even they, somebody becomes interested in self-realization, they accept some wrong path. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo (SB 1.1.10). They have got different mataḥ, opinion or path. And the so-called swamis, they also support that "Whatever opinion you have got about religious system, that is all right." Yata mata tata patha. But actually, the fact is different. The fact is that one should take simply to the devotional path, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti (BG 18.55). If you are actually serious to know God, or Kṛṣṇa, then you must take to this process of devotional service. Without this you cannot understand. Not through karma, not through mystic yogic exercises, but through devotional service. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti, yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ (BG 18.55). That is clearly stated in the Bhagavad... But people do not know it. Anartha upaśamaṁ sākṣād bhakti-yogam adhokṣaje. Bhakti-yogam, execution of bhakti-yoga, is the means of anartha upaśama, subduing the anarthas. Material life means we have accumulated some unwanted things. Just like this material body—this is also not wanted. But somehow or other, we have developed this, and as we have got this material body, we have got so many material necessities of life. So it is not that abruptly we have to give it up. But by yukta-vairāgya, everything, the material activities, dovetailing with Kṛṣṇa consciousness, it becomes gradually purified, and we come to the final stage of understanding Kṛṣṇa. That is our success of life. Go on.
So it is not inactivity. Caitanya Mahāprabhu or his followers, they were not inactive. They were acting. This Rūpa Gosvāmī, he was so active that he could not sleep at night even for more than one and one half hour. They retired from the material activities. He was minister. He gave up his job and joined Caitanya Mahāprabhu in old age. He came to Vṛndāvana not to live a retired life, but a very active life.
- nana-śāstra-vicaraṇaika-nipunau sad-dharma-samsthapakau
- lokanam hita-karinau tri-bhuvane manyau saranyakarau
- radha-kṛṣṇa-padaravinda-bhajananandena-mattalikau
- vande rupa-sanātana raghu-yugau śrī-jīva-gopālakau
Here is, sitting, Śrī Gosvāmījī. He's coming from Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī. So all these six Gosvāmīs, they were not inactive. They were always active. As we are active in the karma, karmī life, so bhakti life is also activity. It is not sitting down idly or gossiping. One must find out some job to serve Kṛṣṇa. That is bhakti life. Hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanam (CC Madhya 19.170). Sevanam means activity. Sevanam does not mean sit down idle, inert. No. As soon as seva... Sevā means activity. One has to preach, one has to write, one has to do this, do that, cook, offer the prasādam, everything. Sevā, activity.
Pradyumna: "There is another evidence in the Fourth Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Twenty-second Chapter, 37th verse, wherein Sanat-kumāra says: 'My dear King, the false ego of a human being is so strong that it keeps him in material existence as if tied up by a strong rope. Only the devotees can cut off the knot of this strong rope very easily, by engaging themselves in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Others, who are not in Kṛṣṇa consciousness but are trying to become great mystics or great ritual performers, cannot advance like the devotees. Therefore it is the duty of everyone to engage himself in the activities of Kṛṣṇa consciousness in order to be freed from the tight knot of false ego and engagement in material activities.' "
Prabhupāda: Bhaja vāsudeva. There is a verse like that, that as by taking shelter at the lotus feet of Vāsudeva, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one can get released from all kinds of material tribulations, such kind of immunization is not possible by practicing yoga, tapasya, jñāna. This is the statement in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. In all ways, it is recommended that we have to, we should take shelter...
- samāśritā ye pada-pallava-plavaṁ
- mahat-padaṁ puṇya-yaśo murāreḥ
- bhavāmbudhir vatsa-padaṁ paraṁ padaṁ
- padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadāṁ na teṣām
- (SB 10.14.58)
If one takes shelter of mahat-padaṁ puṇya-yaśo murāreḥ... Murāri is Kṛṣṇa's another name. So puṇya-yaśo, His name is famous as piety. Puṇya-yaśo murāri. If anyone takes shelter of His lotus feet, then the great ocean of nescience becomes a small pit, and one can jump over it very easily. Go on.
Prabhupāda: Yes. We see sometimes one man who is very educated, highly, university educated, but practical life—baser than animal. Because he, he has no Kṛṣṇa consciousness. He's not a devotee of Kṛṣṇa. A devotee of Kṛṣṇa cannot be like that. Go on.
Acyutānanda: "Even though a person is highly educated academically, if he cannot go beyond the sphere of mental activities, then he is sure to perform only material activities and thus remain impure."
Prabhupāda: Yes. Our so-called advancement of education means to live on the mental platform. Harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇā manorathena (SB 5.18.12). They have no information of the spiritual platform. They... After bodily concept of life, the next platform is mental and intellectual concept of life. But spiritual life is beyond mental and intellectual concept of life. So unless one comes to the spiritual platform, even on mental and intellectual platform, he cannot do anything good to the society. Hm.
Devotee: "Every living entity under the spell of material energy is known to be in an abnormal condition of madness. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is said, 'Generally the conditioned soul is mad because he is always engaged in activities which are the causes of bondage and suffering.' Spirit soul in its original condition is joyful, blissful, eternal and full of knowledge. Only by his implication in material activities has he become miserable, temporary and full of ignorance. This is due to vikarma. Vikarma means actions which should not be done. Therefore we must practice sādhana-bhakti—which means to offer maṅgala-ārātrika (Deity worship) in the morning, to refrain from certain material activities, to offer obeisances to the spiritual master and to follow many other rules and regulations which will be discussed here one after another. These practices will help one to become cured of madness. As a man's mental disease is cured by the direction of a psychiatrist, so this sādhana-bhakti cures the conditioned soul of his madness under the spell of māyā, material illusion."
Prabhupāda: Anyone who is not in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is to be taken as crazy, or mad.
- piśācī pāile yena mati-cchanna haya
- māyā-grasta jīvera se dāsa upajaya
Just like when a man becomes ghostly haunted, he does something abnormal. He cannot recognize his own men. He calls his father by ill names. So many disturbances. So nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma (SB 5.5.4). They are so mad that they are engaged only in sinful activities. There are three karmas: karma, akarma, vikarma. Karma does not mean whatever you like you can do. No. Karma means prescribed duties. Janma karma, uh, guṇa karma. As you are under the spell of certain material modes of nature... Someone is under the modes of goodness, his karma will be different from the person who is under the spell of the modes of ignorance. That will be decided by the teacher, or by the ācāryas. They are described in the Bhagavad-gītā that one who is under the spell of goodness, his qualities, his symptoms are like this: satya śama dama titikṣa (BG 18.42). Similarly, one who is under the spell of passion, his symptoms are like this.
Pradyumna: "Only by his implication in material activities has he become miserable, temporary and full of ignorance. This is due to vikarma. Vikarma means actions which should not be done. Therefore we must practice sādhana-bhakti, which means to offer maṅgala-ārātrika (Deity worship) in the morning, to refrain from certain material activities, to offer obeisances to the spiritual master and to follow many other rules and regulations which will be discussed here one after another. These practices will help one to become cured of madness. As a man's mental disease is cured by the directions of a psychiatrist, so this sādhana-bhakti cures the conditioned soul of his madness under the spell of māyā, material illusion."
Prabhupāda: So, as they are mentioned, the first principle is that every devotee must try to rise early in the morning. That is first business. This practice should be done first. No one should sleep more than six hours. Or, if you want to, sleep more... But you must rise in early in the morning. At four o'clock, attend the ārātrika, maṅgala-ārātrika. Maṅgala-ārātrika means auspicious beginning of your day. If you stand before maṅgala-ārātrika... In Vṛndāvana you see now, every temple, as soon as there is four o'clock, the ding-dong bell immediately begins. People can rise early in the morning, take bath in the Yamunā and visit the Deities in the temple. There is no necessity of passing M.A. examination, taking B.A. degree for devotional service. Simply you have to follow the regulative principles. Then automatically you'll become spiritualized. Very simple method. Vṛndāvana is specially meant for that purpose. Why people come to Vṛndāvana? To take the advantage. Here the atmosphere is surcharged with devotional service.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures
So this is there. Śaṅkarācārya took a special measure to convert the Buddhists to come to Vedic process because at that time everyone became atheist, following the Buddha philosophy, void. Therefore he had to preach that "Yes. It is void, but that is truth. That void is truth, and this material manifestation, nirvāṇa, that is false. Therefore Lord Buddha taught you that 'Finish this, these material activities, and your miseries will be solved.' " Śaṅkarācārya said, "Yes, this is all right, but there is Brahman." But he did not describe the Brahman, whether He has, He is person or He has got pastimes, He has got many planets and there are many devotees, because those fools were not able to understand. Therefore he took for the time being. Caitanya Mahāprabhu, while criticizing, I mean to say, Śaṅkarācārya, He is always taking care that "It was not the fault of Ācārya Śaṅkara, because he's Lord Śiva, and he cannot make any mistake, but he was ordered to do so for the time being. Actually, Absolute Truth, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, His body is spiritual. He is person. The difference is that He's sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha (Bs. 5.1). And so far the living entities are concerned, they are His energies." Energies.
So there are different kinds of knowledge in the Vedas. Veda is a vast knowledge. Even how we shall live in this material world, that is also described. Even medicine, medicine, the science of medicine is also described in Vedas. That is called Āyur-veda. The science of military science also described there in the Vedas. That is called Dhanur-veda. Yajur-veda... So many Vedas there are. And ultimately the knowledge is there, how to understand the Supreme Absolute Truth and how to get yourself liberated. That is... These are the subject matter of Vedas. So in the Bhagavad-gītā also the Lord says, vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyam: (BG 15.15) "The ultimate purpose of Veda is to understand Kṛṣṇa." Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyam (BG 15.15). So Kṛṣṇa or the sādhu and śāstra does not stop your material activities. Because you have to act materially so long you have got this material body, so they give regulation, how you should act so that ultimately you can reach to Kṛṣṇa. So if we follow the regulations given in the Vedas, then automatically we reach to the highest stage of perfection. That is the purpose of Vedas. Therefore you'll find different subject matter dealt in Vedas, and unless we have a bona fide teacher of the Vedas, it is very difficult to understand Vedic language and take advantage of it.
Now, the Bhāgavata instructs that even a person in high status of knowledge cannot get success without being taken shelter of acyuta-bhāva. Acyuta. Acyuta means Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa's another name is Acyuta. So Acyutānanda means one who takes pleasure in Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa's name is Acyuta. Acyuta means infallible, who never falls. That is the difference between... Kṛṣṇa is Brahman. We are also Brahman, but we are not acyuta. We are cyuta. Cyuta means falling down. We have got the tendency of falling down. Kṛṣṇa never falls down; therefore His name is Acyuta. So acyuta-bhāva-varjitaṁ jñānam amalam. If you go on speculating on knowledge, but if that knowledge is minus Kṛṣṇa, then na śobhate. It will... It is not very nice thing because it will not give you the desired result. So Bhāgavata says even a man advanced in knowledge, he cannot get the desired result without acyuta-bhāva. Acyuta-bhāva means... Acyuta means Kṛṣṇa, and bhāva means His relationship, sentiment. Bhāva actually means sentiment, Kṛṣṇa sentiment. Kṛṣṇa sentiment means Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Now, if a person in advanced knowledge, he cannot get the desired result, then what to speak of others who are hovering on these material activities? So material activities, if you want to make success of your any activity, then make it plus Kṛṣṇa, plus Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then it will be all perfect. So Kṛṣṇa consciousness does not prohibit anybody to..., for his particular occupation. They simply ask and request all that you make it plus Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then your success is guaranteed. If you make it plus Kṛṣṇa consciousness... That is required.
Renounce means... What is renunciation? Renunciation means paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate (BG 2.59). One is engaged in the material activities, being attracted in it, and when he loses his attraction in this material world—he is attracted by the Supreme, Kṛṣṇa—that is renunciation. By seeing the Supreme, he rejects this. Just like sometimes we also, if we get some better type of foodstuff, then we reject inferior type of foodstuff naturally. Paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate. Because, "Oh, it tastes very nice, so let me take this, reject this." Similarly, material attraction is so long..., as long as we are not in touch with Kṛṣṇa. As soon as we are in touch with Kṛṣṇa, in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the result will be that we shall lose our material attraction. Those who are falling down from Kṛṣṇa consciousness again to the material attraction, that means they are not serious about advancing in the Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not ordinary thing. It is very easy. At the same time very, I mean, difficult also.
Kṛṣṇa-sūrya-sama. If you are actually in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, there is full light, full light. Everything will be seen in its pure perspective. Kṛṣṇa consciousness means to know everything as it is. Nothing will be falsely represented to a person who is in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. He knows everything. By the grace of Kṛṣṇa, he gets knowledge, what is what. So kṛṣṇa-sūrya-sama. Just like in the sunlight. During night, in darkness, we cannot understand what is what. Suppose in darkness, at night, you go up to the roof of the house and you want to see where is your home. You cannot ascertain. But in the light, when the sun is up, you can see: "Oh, that direction is my house." Similarly, as in the sunlight everything becomes clear for our seeing, similarly, in touch with Kṛṣṇa consciousness everything becomes clear, what it is. So for a Kṛṣṇa consciousness person, these material activities appear to be merely false. Not false, but temporary. But he is eternal. Every living entity is eternal. He's interested with eternal happiness. He's not interested, I mean to say, temporary happiness.
Although they realize that "Here is the Absolute Truth," or "Here is the light," or "Here is the essence," but because they do not engage in the devotional service of the Lord, or because they have no shelter under the lotus feet of the Lord, they fall down. Surely they fall down. The same example: you may go very high on a sputnik, ten thousand miles off from this earth, but if you have no shelter there, then naturally, you have to come back again here. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ (SB 10.2.32). You may go high, very high. That's all right. But if you don't approach the moon planet or the Venus planet, or any other planet for which you started But these people, they are so foolish they are taking simply clap by wandering in the space a few thousand miles. They think, "This is our perfection. Because I have come so high, and 20,000 miles off from the earth planet, and there is clapping, 'Oh, sputnik has gone...' " But where is your result? The result must be you must reach to the moon planet. Then That is minus. Similarly, all these exercises, all this cultivation of knowledge, if they do not reach to the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, they are sure to come down again to these material activities. They are sure. Because they have no taste for Kṛṣṇa, they have to They will come again for opening hospitals and so on, so many activities, material activities.
Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adhaḥ (SB 10.2.32). This is falldown. Patanty adho anādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ. "My dear Lord, because they have neglected Your lotus feet."
Festival Lectures
So this is the problem. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ duraṣśayā ye bahir-artha māninaḥ (SB 7.5.31). They are trying to be happy by the arrangement of these material activities. Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānās te 'pīśa-tantryām. They do not know that the material nature is so strong that you cannot get out of it unless you are prepared to suffer more and more. If you take to natural life and live peacefully and take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that is your real life. And if you simply increase botheration and problems, then you'll have to suffer. That is the position of modern civilization. Actually, superficially we see that material advancement of material science, people have got so many machines, so many facilities. But actually, they are in trouble. Just like I gave you one example: the computer machine. It can work for thousands of men. So thousands of men means the thousands of men must be unemployed. And especially in your country, they are taking advantage of this machine because the salary is If you want to pay to the worker, a big, big salary. So they want to save. They are taking machine, and they think they will save money, so many workers. But the workers are becoming unemployed. The government has to give them welfare. The government will tax. That's all.
Now, the material activities are that we are trying to avoid inconveniences. Material life is. But spiritual life means to execute tapasya, austerity, penance, even at the risk of all inconvenience. This is called tapasya. So Kṛṣṇa says, yajña-dāna-tapaḥ, kāryaṁ na tyājyam. You can give up your family life, but you cannot give up this yajña-dāna-tapaḥ. That you cannot, at any circumstances. These things must be continued. Yajña-dāna-tapaḥ na tyājyaṁ kāryam eva tat. Kāryam means "must," "you must perform." The Māyāvādī sannyāsīs, karma-tyāgī, they do not work. Their principle is always study Vedānta philosophy, and whatever they require, a little, they will beg, taking alms from gṛhasthas, and live and follow the strictly the principles of austerity. They are very strict. Those who are really Māyāvādī sannyāsī, not false, they follow strictly three times taking bathing. Even in severest cold they must. They lie down on the floor and always read Vedānta and Sāṅkhya philosophy. But in spite of all these austerities, they do not approve the worship of Deity, the transcendental form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Because they are impersonalist, they do not worship.
Devotee: If one accepts initiation from a bona fide spiritual master but continues to perform material activities, are they still bound by the karma?
Prabhupāda: He has to do everything under the instruction of the spiritual master. That is his duty. Śiṣya. Śiṣya means who voluntarily accepts disciplinary measures from the spiritual master. He's ruled by the spiritual master.
Indian lady: Can the death of a spiritual master take to us, or I can get... Is that spiritual master still guiding after the death? (?)
Prabhupāda: Yes, yes. Just like Kṛṣṇa is guiding us, similarly, spiritual master will guide. We are being guided by Kṛṣṇa, by the Bhagavad-gītā. Although Kṛṣṇa is not physically present, so-called... Kṛṣṇa is present always. But even if we say that Kṛṣṇa is not physically present as He was present before Arjuna, still, His book, Bhagavad-gītā, is there. And that Bhagavad-gītā is nondifferent from Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's teaching, the same, absolute. That is Absolute Truth. Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's... Here form, the same. It is not that we are making show of offering Kṛṣṇa some food. No, we are offering directly to Kṛṣṇa and He's eating. Kṛṣṇa being absolute, He can perform through anything provided we are sincere and serious. All right. (end)
Initiation Lectures
Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). He gives the instruction that "Give up all this nonsense, your material activities. Just surrender unto Me." But people are not very interested. Even open declaration by Kṛṣṇa, that "You just become surrendered unto Me. I will give you all protection from all sinful reaction. You just come to Me," but people still, they are so much attached to illusion, māyā, that they cannot do it. But the spiritual master, he is so kind that he is begging from door to door, from country to country, from town to town, "My dear ladies, my dear gentlemen, my dear boys, my dear girls, please take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness." So therefore he is doing very confidential service to Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Lord. He gives simply orders. But the spiritual master executes that order practically. Therefore spiritual master is so dear to Kṛṣṇa. Yasya prasādād bhāgavata-prasādaḥ. So guru-kṛṣṇa kṛpāya pāya bhakti-latā-bīja (CC Madhya 19.151).
So this mantra suggests that either you are contaminated or not contaminated... It is not that... The Māyāvādī philosophers, they say that so long we are contaminated in the māyā, we can adopt any means of self-realization, and after self-realization, when we become liberated, we become one with the Supreme and there is no more any work. This is partially true. Partially true means when actually you realize yourself, then you have no material activities. That is the sign of self-realization. This is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā:
- brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā
- na śocati na kāṅkṣati
- samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu
- mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām
- (BG 18.54)
Self-realization, liberation, the sign is that he becomes joyful, prasannātmā, immediately. If you have actually realized yourself, simply by bluffing that "I am God, I am this, I am..." No. There are signs. If you are God, then you must be as joyful as God, as Kṛṣṇa. If you are suffering still and you are claiming that you are God, that is nonsense. You needn't become God. You, simply if you become in the light of God, you become joyful. Just like from the darkness of night, if you simply come to the sunshine, immediately your position is changed. It does not require that you have to become the sun.
So your name is Yajñeśvara dāsa. Yajñeśvara means... This is yajña, so sacrifice, sacrificing or satisfying the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So yajña means sacrifice, and one who enjoys the resultant action of sacrifice... All our sacrifices should go to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. His name is Yajñeśvara. (break) Whatever we shall do, as it is prescribed in the Bhagavad-gītā, yajñārthe karma anyatra lokaḥ ayam... (break) ...you do, act only for the satisfaction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Then you are not entangled in the resultant action. Otherwise you'll be entangled. Entangled means for one resultant action we are now, we have got this body. Again we are going to take another material body. So this is a chain of birth and death. But if you dedicate your life for the satisfaction of the Yajñeśvara, then no more you are going to accept any material body. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9). After quitting this body, he does not accept any more material body. The spiritual body is already there within this material body. So those who are engaged in Yajñeśvara's service, they are giving up this material body and developing a spiritual body. The example can be given: just like an iron rod. It, put into the fire, it become warm, then warmer, warmer, and at last, it becomes red hot. When the iron rod is red hot, it is no longer iron rod; it is fire. Similarly, if you practice this spiritual way of life, the same way, gradually you will become completely spiritualized. Completely spiritualized means that no more material activities. That is possible. If we follow the process, we can turn our life from material contamination to pure spiritual life. And that will help us going back to home, back to Godhead. That's all.
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.
So with Caitanya Mahāprabhu's blessing and spiritual strength and with the good wishes of Vaiṣṇavas, just proceed and preach and always think of Kṛṣṇa. He will help. Buddhi-yogaṁ dadāmi tam. If you sincerely work... Kṛṣṇa is within yourself. He will give you strength, instruction. Simply you have to become... But we should always remember that sannyāsa means material activities finished. This is sannyāsa: no more material activities. Only for the service of Kṛṣṇa to live, that's all. (aside:) Give the daṇḍa. So this daṇḍa, there are four daṇḍas. Daṇḍas mean rods. One rod is body, one rod is mind, and one rod is speaking. Kaya mana vākya. And the fourth rod is the self. So you should always remember that taking this daṇḍa means that "My mind, my body, and my words—everything is dedicated to Kṛṣṇa. It will be used only for Kṛṣṇa and for no other purpose." This is called tridaṇḍa-sannyāsa. Come on.
General Lectures
Spiritual in the sense... Just like... This example also I have given several times. Just like you put an iron rod in the fire. When it becomes warmer, warmer, red hot, it is fire. It is no longer iron. Similarly, when you are completely absorbed in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and service, you are completely spiritual. Your material activities... Because your material activities have stopped, therefore your body is no longer material. Materialism means... Just try to understand. Material..., what is materialism and spiritualism. Materialism means sense gratification, and spiritualism means to love God. That's all. Personal sense gratification. Here the relationship is just like a girl or a boy. The so-called love is temporary. That's all. There is no love. As soon as there is some discrepancy of sense gratification, oh, there is separation. There is divorce. There is separation. Because the so-called love is based on sense gratification. That is materialism. And when there is no sense gratification, the satisfaction of the lover only, that is spiritualism. So in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, when your business will be only to satisfy Kṛṣṇa, then you must know that your senses and your body have become spiritualized. Actually, in higher platform, there is nothing material thing. Higher platform means when a person sees nothing but Kṛṣṇa as everything. Even himself, he's also Kṛṣṇa. (end)
That principle is stated as the ultimate instruction of Bhagavad-gītā, that sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). We have got two kinds of religion. One is called, what is called, pravṛtti. Pravṛtti means we are inclined, because we have got this material body, we are inclined to material activities. That is called pravṛtti-mārga. Indriyāṇi parāṇy āhur (BG 3.42). This body means senses. So because so long we are absorbed in this bodily concept of life, then we try to give comforts to the senses, sense gratification. This is one stage. So dharma means occupation. People are engaged in various types of occupational duties for sense gratification. Sometimes in religion they say you'll go to heaven. What is that heaven? That is also sense gratification. You'll live so long years, you'll have so many beautiful wives and so many things, so many things. All flowery language. What is the basic? Sense gratification. That's all. This is one way.
And Kṛṣṇa says, "One who understand Me rightly, he becomes immediately free." Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9). Just like we are changing our dress or our different bodies every moment, so Kṛṣṇa says, tyaktvā deham. The last change, last change... Ordinarily, those who are not liberated, those who are conditioned still, they die. Die means they change this body and accept another material body. Another material body. But one who is liberated by understanding Kṛṣṇa, one who is fully Kṛṣṇa conscious, he also changes his body and he accepts immediately a spiritual body. And so long he lives, that is also spiritual body. That is spiritual body in the (this) sense because that body is engaged in spiritual activities only. There is no material activity; therefore that is spiritual. The same example: the iron rod, although it is rod, because it has become red hot it is no longer rod; it is fire. Similarly, this material body becomes spiritualized when one is completely Kṛṣṇa conscious, because he has no more activity of this material body. His actions are... The same example, try to follow. When it has become so hot, red hot, that it is no more acting as iron rod, it is acting as fire. Similarly, and when he changes this body also, he immediately... Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9). Then he does not come in material body. Immediately, a spiritual body develops. As this material body has developed from the spirit soul, on the platform of spirit soul, similarly, what is the difficulty to understand a spiritual body can also grow? There is no difficulty.
So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is so nice that it can transform the matter into spirit. How? Not transform, but the faith or feature is changed. Consciousness is changed. The same example as we have several times recited, that you take an iron rod, put into the fire. It becomes warm, warmer. But when it is red hot, it is no longer iron; it is fire. If you touch that rod, hot iron, in any place, it will burn. Similarly, Vaiṣṇava, by his spiritual advancement in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, makes the whole body spiritualized. Just try to understand the same example. By developing your Kṛṣṇa consciousness, you can make your body spiritualized, completely forgetting all material activities. Yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat (BG 7.5).
Then Kṛṣṇa says,
- etad-yonīni bhūtāni
- sarvāṇi iti upadhāraya
- ahaṁ kṛtsnasya jagataḥ
- prabhavaḥ pralayas tathā
So Kṛṣṇa is the original cause of the material energy, the spiritual energy. And by combination of this material energy and spiritual energy, the whole cosmic manifestation is there. There are two kinds of energies working. Everyone can experience. Just like in my body, I am the spirit soul, and the body is matter, material. When combined together it is working wonderfully. A man is becoming a great leader, a great scientist, a great philosopher, how? So long the spiritual spark is there. As soon as the spiritual spark is gone, the same very body is no longer a great leader, a great scientist, or great philosopher.
Mukti means to become transcendental to the three guṇas. Traiguṇya-viṣayā vedā nistraiguṇyo bhavārjuna. So Bhāgavata-dharma is in the transcendental platform. It is not material. There are two kinds of dharmas: material and spiritual, because we are combination of matter and spirit at the present moment. So long I want to enjoy this material world or to satisfy my senses... This material body means combination of senses. Indriyāṇi parāṇy āhuḥ. So the platform where we are concerned with the senses, that is called karma, karma platform. Just like people are working very hard day and night in the city. The purpose is to gratify the senses. Yan maithunādi-gṛhamedhi-sukhaṁ hi tuccham (SB 7.9.45). So that is karma. Then, indriyāṇi parāṇy āhur indriyebhyaḥ paraṁ manaḥ (BG 3.42). When you come to the activities of the mind-psychology, metaphysics, philosophical speculation—that is another stage; that is better than this stage, karmī. Caitanya Mahāprabhu has approved that out of many thousands of karmīs, one jñānī is better. And out of many thousands of jñānīs, one mukta is better, liberated. One who has realized that "I am not this matter, I am Brahman," he is better. He is mukta. Mukta means one... Brahma-bhūtaḥ, he understands. He no more identifies himself with these material activities. That is called brahma-bhūtaḥ. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu approves that out of many thousands of karmīs, one jñānī is better. And out of many thousands of jñānīs, one mukta is better. And out of many thousands of mukta, hardly you can find any bhakta.
So it is a great science. It is not sentiment. It is a great science. And anyone can achieve this benefit in this human form of life. Anyone. It doesn't matter what he is, provided he is serious about getting out of these material clutches and regain his spiritual life. That is possible. So Vedic civilization is aimed at this point. Therefore you don't find in the Vedic civilization industrial enterprise or so many material activities. But they were concerned how to get out of these material clutches and regain our original position. That is called mukti, liberation. Liberation means to be situated in our original position. We are part and parcel of God. God... Just like gold and part and parcel of gold is also gold. Therefore the Vedic literature says that "You try to understand that you are also Brahman. God is Supreme Brahman; you are also Brahman. And mold your life as Brahman." So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is how to mold this life to understand that we are all Brahman and our original source is the Parambrahman. Just like Arjuna accepted Kṛṣṇa, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān: (BG 10.12) "Kṛṣṇa, You are Para-brahman." That is accepted by the Vedas.
There is no education what is the ultimate goal of life. Na te viduḥ. They are trying to satisfy themselves to become happy and prosperous by adjusting this material nature. Bahir-artha-māninaḥ. Bahir-artha-māninaḥ means giving more importance to this materialistic way of life. That is called bahir-artha-māninaḥ. God has got many energies. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport). In the Vedas we understand that the Supreme Lord has manifold energies, and whatever we see, that is the activities of His energy. Just like electric energy. The energy is coming out from the powerhouse, and by utilizing that electric energy, we are working in so many ways: heater, cooler, this microphone, tape recorder, so many things. But the energy is coming from that powerhouse. Similarly, whatever you are seeing, wonderful action of the material action and reaction, they are simply interaction of different energies of the Lord, heat and light. Any scientist will understand that this whole cosmic manifestation is creation of heat and light, two energies. The two energies are coming from the sun, and the material world is creation of the sunshine, heat and light. Similarly there are two energies of God, heat and light.
Otherwise we are animals. Therefore it is called dharmeṇa hīna paśubhiḥ samānāḥ. A person may be materially very qualified, but if he does not know what is God, what is his relationship with God, he has no qualification. That is stated. Harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇā (SB 5.18.12). Those who are unaware of God and His service, he cannot, one cannot have any good qualification. That is not good qualification. So therefore it is said here that guhyaṁ viśuddhaṁ durbodham, very confidential. The activities of dharma, very guhyam, very confidential. Guhyaṁ viśuddham. Viśuddham means... Dharma does not mean any material activities. Dharma means spiritual activities, viśuddham, pure, pure of the contamination of the material qualities. Guhyam viśuddhaṁ durbodham. Durbodham means very difficult to understand. Anything which is very difficult to understand, if you go to a superior authority, it becomes simplified. Just like you do not know law. Suppose you are in need of some legal protection, but you do not know "Under which legal protection I will be safe." You have to approach a good lawyer. You cannot say that "I'll defend myself. I will do." No, that is not possible. When you are diseased, you have to consult the physician. Therefore if you want to know what is dharma, then you have to approach these twelve great personalities. Otherwise it will remain durbodham, very difficult to understand. Although it is very pure, because I am impure, I will not be able to understand. Guhyaṁ visuddhaṁ dur..., yaṁ jñātvā amṛtam aśnute.
We want to give to the human society the highest blessing, the most perfectional platform of life. So my request is that those who are becoming interested in Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they may not be misled. Kṛṣṇa's activities with Rādhārāṇī and the gopīs, they are completely spiritual, ahlādinī-śaktiḥ. And if we understand properly about Kṛṣṇa's activities, then ānanda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhāvitābhiḥ (Bs. 5.37)—we reach to the platform of ānanda-cinmaya-rasa. Because we are seeking after ānanda, bliss... That is the information from the Vedānta-sūtra. Ānandamaya abhyāsāt. We living entities, we are by nature blissful, seeking after happiness. But this happiness is not possible if we become compact in material activities. If you seek the happiness in the material platform, you'll be frustrated. It is to be sought after in the spiritual platform. So actually it is forbidden that sannyāsīs should not see any dancing by woman or any singing by woman, but we are not violating these rules. Just to remember that here is a hint how Kṛṣṇa is spiritually enjoying, if we see and hear on that spirit, then it is very good; otherwise it is not good.
Philosophy Discussions
Prabhupāda: But how the activity came? Then one should be..., intelligent man should be concerned first of all wherefrom this activity came. What is the origin of activity? That is philosophy. You are simply seeing there are... Sometimes we see activity in matter, just like the cloud, cloud is coming on the sky, it is moving, there is activity. But that activity, this material activity, is interaction. That is not real activity. Real activity, just like modern science, they are concerned with the material science, seeing the activity, they are saying it is by nature it is going; rather, a fruit is coming out, a flower is coming out, this is, there is activity. So one should know what is the cause of this activity. They think that it is automatically coming, by nature, nature. They cannot explain. That is not philosophy. But we have to see wherefrom this activity comes. We get answer from Bhagavad-gītā that behind all these material activities there is a brain, there is a... That is God. Just like this machine is working, acting. It is talking. As soon as you press one button it's talking. But a child will say, "Oh, how wonderful this machine is talking." This is childish. One who has got sense, he'll know this talking is not coming automatically. Somebody has talked, and it is simply a record. That is intelligence. So wherefrom the activity is coming?
Prabhupāda: So these desires are temporary. By one desire I get one body, then I desire another body, another body, it is going. So therefore in one sense it is dream, that factually he cannot fulfill the desires, like dream. Yes. There are so many different circumstances. They are all temporary. So this, at night you dream, it is say for one hour or two hour. We..., nobody sees one kind of dream for two hours. Say even two hours, then finished, then another dream. So this change of body is also like a big dream. At night we dream, we forget everything about daily activities, and again when the dream is finished, again we come to this body and we do some things. So in that sense all material activities, subtle or gross, they are manifestation of different desires. Therefore the Māyāvādī philosophers, they say brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā. The dreamer is fact, but the dream is false. That is one sense it is right. So our Vaiṣṇava philosophy is the same, that the dreamer is the living entity and the dream is temporary. Therefore the dreamer has to be brought to the real, spiritual platform so that these material dreams, either in day or night, they can be extinguished. That is nirvāṇa.
- sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ
- tat-paratvena nirmalam
- hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-
- sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate
- (CC Madhya 19.170)
When we give up these dreaming facts and come to the real fact, that is Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that is bhakti. So activities in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, called bhakti, that is reality.
Hayagrīva: Schopenhauer writes, "Every keen pleasure is an error and an allusion, for no attached wish can give lasting satisfaction."
Prabhupāda: That is...
Hayagrīva: "And moreover, every possession and every happiness is but lent by chance for an uncertain time..."
Prabhupāda: Mm.
Hayagrīva: ...composed of the conscious and also the subconscious.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Everything is depending on the personality, and he is surrounded by so many conceptions. When the en..., what is called, (indistinct), we see different types of dreams, but when we are purified, then, just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu was dreaming Kṛṣṇa's pastime. So similarly, when we are completely purified we dream also about Kṛṣṇa, His activities, His preaching, so many in connection with reference to Kṛṣṇa. So persona is permanent, but when we apply this persona in the material activities, that is temporary, false, false ego, and when the same persona is engaged as servant of Kṛṣṇa, that is self-realization.
Hayagrīva: But the visible cosmos is beautiful, and the evil does not arise from the creator.
Prabhupāda: Yes. That the individual soul, being attracted by this illusory energy, he comes here for sense gratification. It is not by the desire of the Supreme One. By his personal desire. So God gives him freedom. So he begins the life from a very exalted position in this material world—sometimes like Brahma. But on account of material activities he becomes entangled, so much so that degradation from the exalted position like Lord Brahma, he comes to become a worm in the stool. Therefore we find so many species of life. The degradation and elevation is going on—sometimes elevated, sometimes degraded—and in this way they will..., individual soul is suffering. That is his suffering, material miserable condition. When he comes to understand that "This kind of degradation and elevation going on perpetually, this is my suffering," then at that time he becomes fortunate. Then he seeks after the Supreme One, Kṛṣṇa, and by the grace of Kṛṣṇa he gets bona fide spiritual master. So by the mercy of both the spiritual master and Kṛṣṇa, he gets the chance of being engaged in devotional service, and little effort and sincerity makes him perfect, and he goes back to home back to Godhead.
Hayagrīva: He ultimately believes in bringing people under control. He says, "If there is any purpose or direction in the evolution of a culture, it has to do with bringing people under the control of more and more of the consequences of their behavior."
Prabhupāda: Yes. Human life is meant for control. That is the Vedic process, tapasya, because the aim is spiritual perfection. If we allow material activities according to the desire of the people, then they forget spiritual identity altogether. So that aim of life in the human form of body is missing, that Vedic civilization is how to raise one to the spiritual platform. Otherwise he remains an animal. First of all we must know what is the aim of life, and then the question of organization. If you do not know what is the aim of life, material adjustment will not make the condition of the society very good. (break ?)
Purports to Songs
Not only eyes, but every part of our body, we have to spiritualize by the contact. By the contact of spiritual service in devotion of the Lord, we can gradually spiritualize our whole act of senses. Just like a iron rod put into the fire. Gradually the temperature rises. It becomes warm, warmer, warmest, very hot, then red hot. When it is red hot, then it is no longer iron; it is fire. Similarly, by our contact in devotional service of the Lord we can change the whole position of our material existence. And we have... If we have developed to that state of unalloyed love for God, then God can be seen twenty-four hours, not that once seen and again not seen. No. This is described here, that santaḥ, the great devotees, unalloyed devotees, who are liberated souls, have no connection with material activities or philosophical speculation, such unalloyed devotees, because their eyes are smeared with the ointment of love only, therefore they can see the Lord sadaiva, always, twenty-four hours. (Sings Brahma-saṁhitā, verses 38, 39, 29, 40, 41.) (end)
| Page Title: | Material activities (Lectures) |
| Compiler: | Mayapur |
| Created: | 06 of Oct, 2011 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=209, Con=0, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 209 |