Open secret

Expressions researched:
"open secret" |"open without any secret"

BG Chapters 1 - 6

It was an open secret that Duryodhana wanted to usurp the kingdom of the Pāṇḍavas by evil plans, in collaboration with his father, Dhṛtarāṣṭra.

BG 1.23, Purport:

It was an open secret that Duryodhana wanted to usurp the kingdom of the Pāṇḍavas by evil plans, in collaboration with his father, Dhṛtarāṣṭra. Therefore, all persons who had joined the side of Duryodhana must have been birds of the same feather. Arjuna wanted to see them on the battlefield before the fight was begun, just to learn who they were, but he had no intention of proposing peace negotiations with them. It was also a fact that he wanted to see them to make an estimate of the strength which he had to face, although he was quite confident of victory because Kṛṣṇa was sitting by his side.

Krsna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead

It was an open secret that Rukmiṇī was meant to be married to Kṛṣṇa but that her elder brother Rukmī had arranged her marriage to Śiśupāla.

Krsna Book 53:

In the Vedic system of marriage, the bride's father receives the large party of the bridegroom and accommodates them in a suitable place for two or three days until the marriage ceremony is performed. The party led by Damaghoṣa contained thousands of men, among whom the prominent kings and personalities were Jarāsandha, Dantavakra, Vidūratha and Pauṇḍraka. It was an open secret that Rukmiṇī was meant to be married to Kṛṣṇa but that her elder brother Rukmī had arranged her marriage to Śiśupāla. There was also some whispering about a rumor that Rukmiṇī had sent a messenger to Kṛṣṇa; therefore the soldiers suspected that Kṛṣṇa might cause a disturbance by attempting to kidnap Rukmiṇī.

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

If Kṛṣṇa wants we shall be prepared to become violent also. And Kṛṣṇa, that is open secret.

Lecture on BG 1.6-7 -- London, July 11, 1973:

So the devotees of Kṛṣṇa should be trained up both ways: not only to give protection to the devotees, to give them encouragement, but if need be, they should be prepared to kill the demons. That is Vaiṣṇavism. It is not cowardism. It is not cowardism. When need be. Generally, a Vaiṣṇava is non-violent. Just like Arjuna. In the beginning he was non-violent, Vaiṣṇava. He said, "Kṛṣṇa, what is the use of this fighting? Let them enjoy." So by nature he was non-violent, but he was induced by Kṛṣṇa to become violent, that "Your non-violence will not help. You become violent. You kill them. I want." So if Kṛṣṇa wants we shall be prepared to become violent also. And Kṛṣṇa, that is open secret, that paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām (BG 4.8). Two business of Kṛṣṇa, two side. So those who are devotees of Kṛṣṇa, they should be trained up both ways, they should be prepared.

Initiation Lectures

Garbhādhāna ceremony means when the father goes to beget a child, there is a ceremony like this. It is not a secret service. It is open secret that "Today he is going to have sex life with his wife for begetting a nice child."

Brahmana Initiation Lecture with Professor O'Connell -- Boston, May 6, 1968, (Glenville Ave. Temple):

Of course, the Vedic regulation is that unless one is born by a brāhmaṇa father, he cannot be initiated according to the Vedic regulation. But to take birth in the brāhmaṇa family, that is now oblivion, at the present moment. Because in the brāhmaṇa family formerly, not only in the brāhmaṇa; kṣatriya family and vaiśya family also, there was a garbhādhāna ceremony. Garbhādhāna ceremony means when the father goes to beget a child, there is a ceremony like this. It is not a secret service. It is open secret that "Today he is going to have sex life with his wife for begetting a nice child." It is not sexual enjoyment. It is to beget a nice child. So there is a ceremony which is called garbhādhāna ceremony, pregnancy ceremony. So at the present moment this ceremony is not observed. Even in rigid families they have already given up. And the śāstra injunction is, as soon as one gives up this ceremony, garbhādhāna ceremony, he at once falls down to the classification of a śūdra. The whole family, no more. Because who knows by whom this child is born? Nobody knows whether he's a brāhmaṇa's son or a śūdra's son or a rascal's son or a paṇḍita's son. Because there is so much freedom.

General Lectures

I don't say that "I have got a secret mantra which I shall give you, and you pay me fifty dollars" or like that. It is open secret. You have simply to accept kindly.

Lecture Engagement and Prasada Distribution -- Boston, April 26, 1969:

And I ask them not to eat meat. These things are very usual things in your country, but my students they are very easily following. They don't feel any difficulty. So this formula, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, this sound vibration, you can practice it. It is not difficult. There is no secret. I don't say that "I have got a secret mantra which I shall give you, and you pay me fifty dollars" or like that. It is open secret. You have simply to accept kindly. Then you see the result. There is no loss on your part, but the gain is very great. Why don't you try it? I request you, most humbly I request you that you kindly chant these sixteen names—Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma... We have got our record also. If you want to practice, you can play the record and it will be very easy. So this is my humble request to you American ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls. It is not difficult, but it has got a sublime effect. You will find it. If you practice it, you will find it.

We don't say there is any secrecy. It is wide open. Open secret. Anyone can take up these sixteen names and chant. And test it, chanting, say, for a week, and see the result.

Lecture at International Student Society -- Boston, May 3, 1969:

So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is just according to the direction of authoritative Vedic literature, and we are distributing this knowledge without any charge. We don't say there is any secrecy. It is wide open. Open secret. Anyone can take up these sixteen names and chant. And test it, chanting, say, for a week, and see the result. See the result, how you are spiritually realizing yours. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12). If you go on chanting this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, then first installment of your gain will be that you will understand that you are not this body, you are spirit soul, which takes at least many years to understand, that "I am not this body." Everybody... You ask anybody, "What you are?" He will say, "I am this, sir, this and that. I am American. I am this body. I am that body." But nobody knows that he is not this body. But if you chant this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, the first installment of your gain will be that you will realize yourself, ahaṁ brahmāsmi: "I am not this body, but I am spirit soul. I am part and parcel of the Supreme Lord."

Not that it is a secret thing—if you pay me something, then I shall disclose. No. It is open secret. Anyone can take, and there is no loss. If you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, there is no loss, but there is great gain.

Conway Hall Lecture -- London, September 15, 1969:

So our request is that you read Bhagavad-gītā As It Is. Here there are many Englishmen and Indians. That is my request. I am not charging anything. I am not making a profession. This saṅkīrtana movement, we are chanting freely. You can hear. There is... Not that it is a secret thing—if you pay me something, then I shall disclose. No. It is open secret. Anyone can take, and there is no loss. If you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, there is no loss, but there is great gain. You can try it. So we are freely distributing it by chanting. You can join with us, you try to understand us, what is our philosophy. We have got monthly magazine, Back to Godhead. We have got many publications, Bhagavad-gītā As It Is, Teachings of Lord Caitanya. If you want to understand this movement through philosophy, science argument, we are prepared. There is ample opportunity for you. But if you simply chant, there is no need of education, there is no need of philosophizing. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, and you gain everything.

Our secret is all open secret. You simply take advantage of it. Try to understand with your reason, with your sense, everything.

Lecture 'Nobody Wants to Die' -- Boston, May 7, 1968:

If you believe in the Vedic scriptures, then real solution is yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama (BG 15.6). Mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūta (BG 15.7). So everything is there. You can take advantage of these facilities. Therefore we have opened this center. You come. You try to understand and be benefited. We are not asking you that "Give us thousand dollars. Then we shall open our secret." Our secret is all open secret. You simply take advantage of it. Try to understand with your reason, with your sense, everything. We are prepared to convince you because we have got every equipment(?). We are not manufacturing anything bogus. We have got everything complete.

1971 Conversations and Morning Walks

Mahatma Gandhi's assistants became disgusted because he was interfering, and therefore he was killed. And that is open secret.

Room Conversation -- February 17, 1971, Gorakhpur:

Prabhupāda: He never surrendered to Kṛṣṇa. I wrote him letter. "Mahatma Gandhi, you have got so much influence. You just preach the gospel of Kṛṣṇa, Bhagavad-gītā. Now we have attained svarāj. You don't be in politics." But he was still in politics after attainment of svarāj. And his assistants became disgusted because he was interfering, and therefore he was killed. And that is open secret. If he would have surrendered to Kṛṣṇa, "All right. Now I have worked for svarāj. My people have got svarāj. Now let me work for Kṛṣṇa,"... He never did that. You cannot say that he surrendered to Kṛṣṇa. He should have taken immediately sannyāsa and preached Bhagavad-gītā if he was actually surrendered to Kṛṣṇa. What did he do for Kṛṣṇa? We have to know from practical point of view. I'll tell you another story about Mahatma Gandhi. My Guru Mahārāja invited him in our maṭha, Mahatma Gandhi. So Mahatma Gandhi inquired... The, my godbrothers went to invite him. "What you are doing in your maṭha?" They replied that "We are worshiping Lord Kṛṣṇa." So he inquired, "Are you pulling on charka?" They said, "No sir," He said, "Charka is my God. If there is no charka, I am not going there." He said like that.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Here it is open secret, to keep a beautiful girl as secretary, everywhere in Europe and America.

Room Conversation -- April 23, 1976, Melbourne:

Prabhupāda: ...misleader. But he himself has no character. So here it is open secret, to keep a beautiful girl as secretary, everywhere in Europe and America. So where is purity? Purity? Marriage is a taboo, and keep secretary is very good job. And you can get secretary even free of charge. Rather, she will pay. So this is going on. In Vedic civilization marriage is one of the important function of life. As death is important function, birth is important function, similarly, marriage is also important function. Janma-mṛtyu-vivāha. So in this age everywhere, not only.... The marriage is now farce. This is the symptom of Kali-yuga. There will be no more marriage. Svīkāra eva codvāhe. Even there is marriage, there will be simply an agreement. That is happening, and it was written five thousand years ago. Svīkāra eva. Svīkāra means by agreement, signing agreement.

Anyone who has got money, he has got power. That is open secret. If you have got money, you have got all power.

Morning Walk -- June 4, 1976, Los Angeles:

Rāmeśvara: The people in America that claim that the American government is controlled by Communists. They say that these big, big bankers, the very rich, rich people, that they are actually..., their theory is Communist government, or, not Communist, dictatorship, and that they are secretly manipulating.

Prabhupāda: What is their aim?

Rāmeśvara: Power.

Prabhupāda: Power..., anyone who has got money, he has got power. That is open secret. What is the secret? (laughs) If you have got money, you have got all power.

The order is already there, it is open, open secret. There is no secrecy. Anyone can take it.

Interview with Newsday Newspaper -- July 14, 1976, New York:

Prabhupāda: Basis, on the order of Kṛṣṇa. Originally the order is from Kṛṣṇa.

Interviewer: How does that come?

Prabhupāda: Comes by disciplic succession. Just like Kṛṣṇa said this knowledge to Arjuna and Arjuna said to others and it is open. Everyone can take it, there is no secrecy. We have to accept only, that's all.

Interviewer: I missed that, I'm sorry.

Prabhupāda: The order is already there, it is open, open secret. There is no secrecy. Anyone can take it.

Interviewer: All right. But in terms of specific, say, choosing, specific things, specific details.

Prabhupāda: Yes, in all details, how to become Kṛṣṇa conscious, there is all details in this book, Bhagavad-gītā As It Is.

Hari-śauri said, "I was told that one day you were told by Rūpa Gosvāmī that you must go." But that was open secret. Everyone knew.

Room Conversation -- July 26, 1976, London:

Prabhupāda: So that idea was there, but how to go there, how to preach there, how to take some books, how to bring them, everything alone...

Hari-śauri: So as soon as you had some books, then you were...

Prabhupāda: Yes. Then I decided. Everything was being dictated by superior.

Hari-śauri: I was told that one day you were told by Rūpa Gosvāmī that you must go.

Prabhupāda: But that was open secret. Everyone knew. This antique photo is very dull.

Everything is open secret. We are selling books throughout the whole world to the extent of six lakhs rupees per day.

Evening Darsana (on night of arrival) -- August 16, 1976, Hyderabad:

Indian man (3): There were some questions in Parliament about her.

Indian man (1): Yes, it came in the Hindu...

Prabhupāda: Let them inquire. Our... Everything is open secret. We are selling books throughout the whole world to the extent of six lakhs rupees per day. So money is coming from Kṛṣṇa.

Indian man (1): Here only Swamiji, Prabhupāda, just now this...

Prabhupāda: If you don't like this, you can close India, we can go all over the world.

We know how to execute the mission of Kṛṣṇa. Anyone can know because direction is there. It is not a secret thing. It is open secret. But you have to act upon it.

Meeting with Endowments Commissioner -- August 24, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: It is the duty of the government men to see that people may not misrepresent. That is the Vedic injunction. Pṛthu Mahārāja was to see that a brāhmaṇa is doing, acting like brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya is doing like kṣatriya. So it is government's duty to see that Bālajī's money, Kṛṣṇa's money, is to the farthing spent for His mission. That is your duty. That is government's duty, that nothing is misused, nothing is misrepresented. But we know how to execute the mission of Kṛṣṇa. Anyone can know because direction is there. It is not a secret thing. It is open secret. But you have to act upon it. That requires training. And so far my experience goes, the whole world will take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Unfortunately, I am struggling single-handed. And they are criticizing me in the Parliament. You have seen the recent article Blitz against me? What is that heading? "Ungodly face." I am doing ungodly? But they are advertising like that. Trying to make me unpopular. The Māyāvādīs, they say that Bhaktivedanta Swami is ruining Hinduism. They are saying like that. (Hindi) So I am being criticized in Parliament, I am criticized by the so-called jagad-gurus who have never seen what is jagat.

It is open secret. Because so many women go to hospitals, American hospitals.

Room Conversation -- September 6, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: They are now being, forcibly being taken.

Akṣayānanda: Sterilized.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Akṣayānanda: Yes, I know. I heard about it. Because they are having sex.

Prabhupāda: It is open secret. Because so many women go to hospitals, American hospitals.

Akṣayānanda: Oh, I know.

Prabhupāda: The hospital men, they do not take it serious, "It is natural, a man and woman." But it is strictly forbidden according to spiritual life.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

You may study with electronics and other, but it is a open secret. The soul departs from the body, and it is a lump of matter.

Room Conversation with C.I.D. Chief -- January 3, 1977, Bombay:

CID Chief: I read somewhere that this scientist, Russian scientist, was making research through electronics as to what happens to the soul when man dies, what actually happens when man dies. What is...

Prabhupāda: No, no. You may study with electronics and other, but it is a open secret. The soul departs from the body, and it is a lump of matter. What is the difference between a lump of matter and the dead body? We see practically a motorcar, when it is no more workable, it is a lump of matter. What is the value of it? Who cares for the motorcar? Of course, we do not see here, but in the Western countries there are many places. Oh, hundreds and thousands of cars are...

I have told them "Any amount I can invest. You print book and sell." That is my open secret.

Letter to Russian -- January 5, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: No, that you cannot say. It is all in the hands of Kṛṣṇa. Not one crore. Say a few lakhs. He's ready to go town to town, village, in Orissa. He wants that in my absence somebody must be there to look after the construction. That is quite reasonable.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Oh, yes, definitely.

Prabhupāda: So I have told them "Any amount I can invest. You print book and sell." That is my open secret. Print books, and distribute, and spend half in whichever life you do and half, again print books. That is my ambition (vision?). I want to see our philosophy is widely spread by different literatures. That I want to do.

It is open for you. It is open secret.

Room Conversation -- January 8, 1977, Bombay:

Guest (1): We are, Śrīla Prabhupāda, small children. You take us with your fingers to the path.

Prabhupāda: The path is open.

Guest (1): Yes. But sometimes we falter in the path.

Prabhupāda: Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekam... (BG 18.66), ahaṁ tvāṁ sarvapāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi. It is open for you. It is open secret.

Guest (1): We make mistakes.

Prabhupāda: That is another thing. But path... Mahat sevāṁ dvāram āhur vimuktes (SB 5.5.2). Everything is there. That is the difficulty. Although everything is there...

I say the secret of wonderful is this, that I have not distorted it. I have presented Bhagavad-gītā as it is. It is open secret.

Room Conversation with Ratan Singh Rajda M.P. 'Nationalism and Cheating' -- April 15, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: No distortion, no cheating. This is the secret. They give me credit, "Swamiji, you have done wonderful. You have done..." I say the secret of wonderful is this, that I have not distorted it. I have presented Bhagavad-gītā as it is. It is open secret.

Mr. Rajda: That creates... It has created... Your attempts have created a good impact on the Western world.

Prabhupāda: Everyone is doing(?). But we have rejected. Our misfortune is that our property, we have rejected.

Mr. Rajda: Instead of rejecting, it would be correct to say that we have locked it up.

Prabhupāda: That means we don't take any importance. But now, if you want to do something, then you maintain this institution rigidly, follow the principles of Bhagavad-gītā. It doesn't matter. It doesn't require many men. Ekaś candras tamo hanti na ca tārā sahasraśaḥ. If there is one moon in the sky, that is sufficient. You don't require millions of stars, twinkling. So let there be an institution, and it is open to everyone.

You do not know. It is open secret. You do not know. But don't say that "Nobody knows." That is wrong impression.

Conversation with disciples of Chinmayananda and Shivananda Ashram -- April 22, 1977, Bombay:

Indian man (3): But there must be some means that you can adopt...

Prabhupāda: No, no, you do know what Gītā says. Do you know it? What Gītā says, do you know it? You do not know?

Indian man (3): Swamiji, nobody knows Bhagavad-gītā.

Prabhupāda: Nobody knows! You do not know. We know. Why do you say, "Nobody knows"? You do not know. It is open secret. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekam... (BG 18.66). You do not know. But don't say that "Nobody knows." That is wrong impression. We know. You are blind. You do not like to know it. Everyone should know. What is the difficulty?

Indian man (3): No, Swamiji, I mean...

Prabhupäda: No, I do not know what you mean. But you say, "Nobody knows." That is a wrong impression. Everyone knows. You do not know. That is my...

Indian man (2): Swamiji, we have been taught like this and, in fact, now we are convinced on that point. We are convinced.

Prabhupäda: No, everyone knows, man-manä bhava mad-bhakto mad-yäjé mäà namaskuru [Bg. 18.65], sarva-dharmän parityajya mäm ekam [Bg. 18.66]. These are open secret. What is the difficulty?

"But after all, it is literary. They know we're not... It's not like a political spy." All open secret.

Conversation with Svarupa Damodara -- June 21, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He has to run out of the universities because finally, after a while, the officials get notified. They figure out who he is, and then they start chasing him. Then he had to run out.

Prabhupāda: Dangerous affair.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: But after all, it is literary. They know we're not... It's not like a political spy.

Prabhupāda: All open secret.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah.

Prabhupāda: "Here is the book."

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Still, he's very brave.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: This boy is very nice. He graduated top honors from Princeton, president of his class.

1968 Correspondence

This chanting is open without any secret, and we do not ask anyone to pay for it.

Letter to Christopher -- Montreal 13 July, 1968:

The preliminary processes of yoga system is to control the senses, and practice some bodily position by which the mind can be made fixed up on the point of Visnu Murti. But none of them do practice like that, but generally they are attracted by the bodily exercises only, haphazardly. And they take it as yoga practice. And others, they are addicted to sex indulgence and intoxication habit. Our system is completely different from theirs. In the beginning, we simply invite men to come and join us in the transcendental vibration by chanting Hare Krishna. We do not say that you pay me something and I give you this chanting. But this chanting is open without any secret, and we do not ask anyone to pay for it. But the chanting is transcendental, and therefore, simply by vibration, one gradually becomes spiritually advanced, and thus he offers himself to become my disciple. In that discipleship also, I do not charge anything.

1969 Correspondence

You write to say that you do not know what is my desire, but my desire is an open secret.

Letter to Tamala Krsna -- Tittenhurst 19 September, 1969:

You write to say that you do not know what is my desire, but my desire is an open secret. I simply want all over the Western countries people may take this simple formula of chanting, dancing and eating Krishna Prasadam, and being happy. I am simply surprised that they should not accept this simple formula and be happy themselves. My only desire is that all people become happy and prosperous in Krishna Consciousness. My predecessors, Vaisnavas, they were so generous that they felt very much afflicted for the suffering of the human society. Sri Rupa Goswami tried to elevate them to real path of happiness by introducing this Govinda Ganamrta, the Nectarine of the Songs of Govinda. That will make them happy.

1976 Correspondence

It is an open secret, anyone who helps spread Krsna consciousness becomes very dear to Krsna.

Letter to Mr. Karsan -- Hyderabad 2 December, 1976:

Anyone who preaches Bhagavad-gita is very dear to Krsna. So, you are helping this preaching. Certainly you'll be dear to Krsna. It is an open secret, anyone who helps spread Krsna consciousness becomes very dear to Krsna. Others are simply wasting time in the valuable human form of life.