There are recommendation in these Vedas, pañca-yajña. Pañca-yajña means that unknowingly we are killing many living entities. Suppose we are... When we are walking on the street there are many ants who are being killed on the pressure of our shoes. So that is also counted as sin. In God's kingdom, in God's, I mean to say, state. Just like here you have to pay by your life if you kill one man. If you commit a murder, you have to repay this murdering sin by your own life. That is, of course, imperfect law, man-made law. Similarly, in God's law also, if you kill any living entity, you have to suffer for that, because in the God's eye there is no question of man or animal or ant or fly or something like that. Every living entity is the son of God. Now, suppose your father has got five sons. One of them is worthless, is doing nothing. And if the other son says, "My dear father, this son, your youngest son, or this son, is worthless. He is doing nothing. Let us kill him," will your father agree? Because he is worthless, will your father agree? No, he will say, "No, no, no. You have nothing to do. He is not harming you. He is eating my, my subsistence. I am paying for his subsistence. Why you should kill him?"
Own life (Lectures)
Expressions researched:
"own conception of life"
|"own constitutional life"
|"own degraded life"
|"own future life"
|"own householder life"
|"own life"
|"own lives"
|"own necessities of life"
|"own original, spiritual life"
|"own principle of life"
|"own religious life"
|"own sex life"
|"own temporary lives"
|"own value of life"
|"own way of life"
|"own ways of life"
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
When a person is lustful, then he can do any nonsense thing. Lust is so strong. He can do any nonsense. Durnideśāḥ. Durnideśāḥ means the direction which I should not have followed, but being pressed by my lust, even I followed which I should not have followed. So he is just studying his own life, that "So far I have followed the leadership of my lust, but the result is that my lust is not satisfied." Teṣāṁ na trapā nopaśāntiḥ. Lust will never be satisfied. "My lust is never satisfied, neither he is giving me release of this slavery of my lust." So he said, "My dear Lord, Kṛṣṇa, I have understood that I have followed the leadership of my lust so long, but the result is that the leader whom I have followed, neither he is satisfied, neither I am satisfied." Neither the leader is satisfied...
The India's average age is thirty-five. In other countries, a little more. So practically, nobody's living a very long time. Prāyeṇālpāyuṣaḥ and manda. They do not know that they have a mission of life. Siddhi. Siddhi-lābha. They do not know. Like cats and dogs, dying. Prāyeṇālpāyuṣaḥ sabhya kalāv asmin yuge, mandāḥ sumanda-matayaḥ. And if one is interested for spiritual life, they are also captured by so many pseudo spiritual things. Pseudo. Manda. Prāyeṇālpāyuṣaḥ sabhya kalāv asmin yuge janāḥ, mandāḥ sumanda-matayaḥ. They have got a different views. They do not like to take knowledge from the Vedic, perfect knowledge from the Vedic literature or from Bhagavad-gītā. They manufacture their own way of life, this mandaḥ sumanda-matayaḥ. And manda-bhāgyāḥ. And unfortunate, mostly they are unfortunate. And hy upadrutāḥ. And distributed by so many things. Sometimes earthquake, sometimes famine, sometimes scarcity of water, sometimes war, or sometimes fight. So many things, problems, simply problems. This is the position of this age.
Sarva-bhūtāni, "Everything," mat-sthānī, "they are My part and parcel." Therefore the part and parcel duty is to serve the whole. Just like this finger, part and parcel of this body, its duty is to serve the whole body. When it is..., there is some defect, then it cannot serve. Then anyone, any living entity who is not engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service, he is in abnormal condition of his life. That is not.... That is called conditional life. And as soon as he gives up this conditional life, he takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness and begins serving Kṛṣṇa, that is mukti. That is mukti. Svarūpeṇa vyavasthitiḥ hitvānyathā-rūpaṁ (SB 2.10.6), mukti. This is the definition of mukti. Muktir hitvānyathā-rūpaṁ svarūpeṇa vyavasthitiḥ. Mukti means you give up your abnormal condition of life and you be situated in your own constitutional life. That is mukti.
Just like this Kṛṣṇa conscious movement is giving opportunity that you can go back to home, back to Godhead, but if we don't take this opportunity, if we manufacture our own way of life, then the... you cannot manufacture because the laws of nature is above you. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ, ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā (BG 3.27). If by false prestige or false egotism you try to manufacture some ways and means for your happiness, that will never be possible because above you the strong nature's law is there. Nature's law will act in its own way. It will not allow to change it by your so-called devices and fertile brain. That is not possible. Ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā kartāham iti manyate (BG 3.27). It is simply by false prestige he is thinking that "I can chalk out my own way of life." No. That is not possible. You are completely under the laws of nature, and whatever nature will do, you'll have to accept. Next life, if nature, by nature, he gives you better body, demigod's body, you'll have to accept. And if the nature offers you a dog's body you have to accept it. You cannot change it. That is not possible.
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
So I think I have spoken about my own life. You know that I was a married man. So after being married, I did not like my wife. (laughter) Somehow or other, I did not like. I must say she is very faithful, very everything... Everyone praised. But I did not like, somehow or other. So I was preparing for next marriage. Next marriage. Because in India, at that time it was allowed, a man can marry more than one wife. Now the law is there. So my father, he was a saintly person. So he called me one day and said, "My dear boy, you are trying to marry again. I request you don't do that. You do not like your wife. That is a great fortune for you." (laughter) So I gave up that idea of marrying. Yes. So now I am realizing my father's blessing, yes, that if I would have been too much attached to my wife, then I could not have come to this position. That's a fact. So by ethical point of view, from spiritual point of view, to become too much attached to wife is an impediment for spiritual advancement.
So for all these anarthas, the only means is bhakti-yoga. Śravaṇam. Bhakti-yoga means śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam (SB 7.5.23). Let everyone, all over the world, give chance to the people of this śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam. All the problems of the world will be solved. That's a fact. Anarthopaśamaṁ sākṣāt. Directly you'll have. And you can realize from your own life how many, how much anarthas were accompanying with you. Now they are all subsided. Sākṣāt. What is the means? This chanting. Now you enjoyed chanting, dancing. But people will not take to it. This is the only means. Because you have been attracted by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra and dancing, you are no more interested. This morning time, in every house, you can go. Either they are sleeping or they are drinking bed tea, without washing mouth, and all the germs are going within the tea, and they are being infected within the intestines, and they are getting so many diseases. But they will not understand. But here, and the bhakti-yogam, everyone rises early in the morning and then washes himself, takes bath, becomes cleansed, and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, read book. This is bhakti-yoga. Automatically everything will be... Hygienic principle, health question, economic question, and social, political—everything will be solved. It is not joking. Anarthopaśamaṁ sākṣād bhakti-yogam adhokṣaje (SB 1.7.6).
So these things are there, and it is the duty of the government to see how things are going on. But it is simply now dream. People are also not interested what is the aim of life, what is the mission of this human form of life; neither there is guidance. There are so many upadravas. That is Kali-yuga. Kali-yuga means that people will be more and more unhappy. Prāyeṇa alpāyuṣaḥ kalāv asmin yuge janāḥ. The first thing is that the duration of life will decrease, alpa-āyuṣa. And manda, all bad men. Hardly we'll find any good men. Manda. Manda means bad and slow. Both the meanings can be manda. Manda-gati. They're not interested in progressive life. That is also manda. Manda matayaḥ. And they have got their own opinions. They do not follow the standard path, and it is confirmed by the so-called leaders, yata mata tata patha, you can manufacture your own way of life. These are the situation of upadrava. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyāḥ (SB 1.1.10). And this Kali-yuga, everyone is unfortunate, manda-bhāgyāḥ. Even in family... There is no family life. It is now increasing. They cannot live even peacefully in family. Family means husband, wife, children, father, mother. Generally, this is family. So in the family also there are enemies. This is prominent nowadays.
In the śāstra it is said that one who is a criminal, he should be killed. Therefore in every country, up to date, a murderer is killed, is hanged. That is good for him. If a murderer is killed in this life, punished by the state, government, then his sinful activities and the resultant action is also finished. He's giving his own life. Otherwise, if he escapes, in next life he'll suffer so many troubles. That is, I think they have described in the previous verse. Tad-vadhas tasya hi śreyaḥ. In the verse number 37 it is explained by Kṛṣṇa that to kill this person, it is for his good. Because he has done so many criminal activities, so by killing him he'll be saved from serious types of sufferings in the next life. Śreya. Tad-vadhas tasya hi śreyo yad-doṣād yāty adhaḥ pumān. Prāyaścitta, it is called prāyaścitta. Prāyaścitta, in the śāstras prāyaścitta is described. In every religion there is prāyaścitta, atonement. In Christian religion the prāyaścitta is also advised. The sinner has to admit that he has committed sin, then he is excused by Christ or God.
So Kṛṣṇa also, He was playing the part of ordinary human being, but He was, in His own life, He was demonstrating how Kṛṣṇa comes here, what for He comes, why He took part in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra. These things are to be understood. Unless we understand these things, why Kṛṣṇa came, why He took part in the battlefield—and there are so many other things ordinarily done—then, if we simply take Kṛṣṇa as ordinary human being... Mūḍha, avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam.. (BG 9.11).. Because He's playing the part of human being, if somebody derides, mūḍha, then it is viḍambanam-he'll be cheated. That is explained here: tavehamānasya nṛṇāṁ viḍambanam. Viḍambana. They cannot understand. The devotees can understand. Kuntī could understand that "Although Kṛṣṇa is playing the part of human being, He is for everyone's good. He simply presents. As enemy or as friend, it is beneficial." Either He is playing the part of enemy or as friend, it is the same thing because He is absolute. In the Absolute world there is no such thing: "This is good; this is bad." Everything good in the absolute world. Kṛṣṇa's killing is as good as Kṛṣṇa's saving. It is the same thing.
So whose properties are this, the rivers, mountains, oceans, and the forest? Whose property it is? It is Kṛṣṇa's property. Bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram (BG 5.29). Kṛṣṇa says, "I am the proprietor." Sarva-loka-maheśvaram. Not only this planet, but sarva-loka, all the planets, all the universes, He is the proprietor. And we are maybe that... Maintained. Actually, we are maintained. And the supply method is there. Nadī, the river is there, the mountain is there. Mountain, it does not stock water only, but from mountain you get so many minerals, huge quantity of minerals, jewels, gems. And from the samudra, or the ocean, and the seas you get large quantity of pearls and... What is called? Muktā. Pearls is muktā. Yes. And corals. Huge quantity. Simply because this material world, the supply is immediate. Just like in our Kṛṣṇa consciousness you can get one example. Just like in 7 Bury Place we were congested. So we were feeling. Kṛṣṇa immediately supplied you this, Bhaktivedanta Manor, "Take it." Huh? You cannot construct this house even in your own life. That is not possible. So we have to depend fully on Kṛṣṇa. That is called full surrender. Sarva-dharmān parityajya (BG 18.66). And serve him. All supplies are there. There is no botheration. It will come automatically. It will come automatically. Because after all, the supplier is Kṛṣṇa. Eko bahūnāṁ yo vidadhāti kāmān.
Just like a person who has committed murder, the state law is, "Finish him, otherwise he will commit another murder." If he's encouraged... Therefore, by finishing him, there are two purposes. One purpose is served that because he has done something very grievous sinful activity, by sacrificing his own life, he becomes relieved from the sinful reaction. That is the law in the Manu-saṁhitā. I have not manufactured. The murderer is condemned to death just to save him from many following resultant actions of sinful activities. If in this life, he gives his life, "Life for life," then he's safe. In the next life, he takes his birth clean, not suffering any more on account of the sinful activities. This is the statement in Manu-saṁhitā. Another instruction is that if this murderer is killed, then he will be saved from committing again murder.
If there is any doubt in understanding the Vedic literature, then you try to understand from the person who knows it, tattva-darśī, who has seen actually the truth. Upadekṣyanti te jñānaṁ jñāninas tattva-darśinaḥ. One who has actually seen the truth. And, how to approach him? Tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena. By surrendering, by giving service, and questioning. Question must be preceded and followed by..., preceded by surrender, and followed by service. In the middle, there may be question. Therefore, yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ **, we have to please the spiritual master by service and surrender, and then it will be very nice position. If the spiritual master sees that the disciple is a surrendered soul, and he's rendering service to his best capacity, then the answer will be very liberal and convincing, and he will be very glad to answer the question, if it is supported by these two things: surrender, and paripraśnena, and sevayā. Tad viddhi praṇipātena (BG 4.34). The first beginning is praṇipāta. And what is this, that I give up the company of my spiritual master and I invent my own ways of life and own interpretation? That will not help. That will not.
Unless you are a devotee, unless you are constantly engaged in the transcendental loving service of the Lord, He will not speak to you. He speaks, but you cannot hear. You have no ears to hear Him. That is not possible. Kṛṣṇa is speaking. Just like Kṛṣṇa is speaking in the Bhagavad-gītā, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). It is open speaking, but who is hearing? Nobody is hearing. Nobody is hearing. They have got their own conception of life.
Andha, the leaders of this class of man, they are also blind. We are blind, and the leaders, so-called leaders, he also does not know what is the aim of life. And they are misleading us in so many ways by so-called political emancipation, this party, that party, but they do not know actually what is the aim of life. Therefore they are andhas. Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ. And we are also andhas. So andha leading andha. So how there can be any peace and prosperity? Therefore the whole world is unhappy, chaotic condition, and everyone is manufacturing his own way of life to become happy. But they are not becoming happy because they do not know what is the aim of life. This is the position.
How God creates this material world? That is explained in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam: janmādy asya yataḥ anvayāt itarataś ca artheṣu abhijñaḥ svarāṭ (SB 1.1.1). This creator is well conversant directly and indirectly every details of the universe. Just like we are trying to study how this material world is going on, how the big, big planets are floating in the air. We cannot understand properly. There are so many scientists, but they do not understand what are these. There are innumerable universes. This is only one universe. So He must have full knowledge how He is maintaining this material world. Therefore He is called abhijña. He is not dull-headed. He has got full knowledge. That is God, omniscient. He has got full knowledge. We may not have because we are very tiny. A child may not have knowledge, but the father knows everything. Similarly, He is the supreme father. He knows everything. He has got full knowledge. Anvayād itarataś ca artheṣu. There are things, indirect and direct. In both ways He is abhijña; He is well aware, everything. Then the next question is svarāṭ. Svarāṭ. Because we are thinking in our own way of life, that "If God has got so much knowledge, wherefrom He got it?" Because we have got experience that whenever we require knowledge we go to a superior person and take knowledge from him—"Then wherefrom God has got so much knowledge?" Therefore the answer is svarāṭ. Svarāṭ means He is fully independent. He is not dependent for knowledge to anyone else. So these things are there. We have to study very nicely.
But we are now busy with designation and fighting. That means we are not yet completely educated. Kṛṣṇa also chastised Arjuna in the beginning, (sic:) asatyam anvaśocas tvam prajñā-vādāṁś ca bhāṣase, "You are talking like a very learned scholar, but you are lamenting only the body, bodily concept of life." Gatāsūn agatāsūṁś ca nānuśocanti paṇḍitāḥ (BG 2.11). "So far the body is concerned, either it is dead or alive, a learned man does not care for it." That is svarūpa. Now we are simply concerned with this body; therefore we are missing our svarūpa, therefore missing mukti. I have already explained, mukti means to be situated in his own original, spiritual life. That is called svarūpa. Svarūpanu bhuti (?). Svarūpa. There is, I think there is the word used in Bhagavad-gītā that all the persons assembled in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra, after death they attained svarūpa. Means liberated, all liberated and situated in spiritual life because they gave up their life in the presence of Kṛṣṇa. While dying they saw Kṛṣṇa. Therefore all of them after death attained svarūpa. So the mukti means sva-rūpena vyavasthitiḥ mukti hitva anyathā rūpam sva-rūpena vyavasthitiḥ. This is the meaning of mukti. So if we want that mukti, liberation, no more conditioned by the material nature, unconditional life, sa-guṇān samatītyaitān brahma-bhūyāya kalpate (BG 14.26). That is svarūpa.
Just like I'll give you a practical example. This is my personal experience. One boy was suffering from some typhoid disease, and he asked his younger brother, "Please give me some biscuit." He is forbidden to take biscuit because he was suffering from... And he thought, "Oh, my brother is suffering for want of biscuit." So he supplied some biscuit. And the mother, when she learned that this young boy has supplied this diseased boy biscuit, she began to beat him like anything. So he thought that "I'm doing very divine service to my suffering brother." But the result was beating by the mother. Therefore one should know what is service. Otherwise he will suffer. Without knowing what is divine service, one cannot be divinely compassionate. First of all one should make his own life divine; then he can make divine compassion.
So this man, Ajāmila, by his association with the prostitute, he degraded. Therefore it is the duty of the guardians, of the government, of the father, to protect the civilization from degradation. But nobody cares for that. Therefore, at the present moment, everything is chaotic. They are degraded. Prostitution is allowed freely, bad association, and they are encouraging by opening liquor shop, brothel, restaurant, meat-eating. So how you can expect a very nice civilization? That is not possible. We are suffering the consequence of our own degraded life. So how we can protect ourself from degradation? The śāstra is there. Śāstra, the scriptures, are there. Never mind whatever scriptures you have got—Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Buddha, or any. Every religion has got scripture. Just like the Christians have got Bible, the Muslims have got Koran, and Hindus, they have got Vedas. They should abide by the injunction of the śāstra. Lord Kṛṣṇa also recommends that you must follow the sastric injunction.
If the head..., the heads of the society, whatever they do, general people follow them. Yad yad ācarati śreyān. Śreyān means the leading personality. Yad yad ācarati śreyān itaras tat tad īhate. And the general public, they follow them. Sa yat pramāṇaṁ kurute. What the leaders accept as good, the general public they also accept so. Sa yat pramāṇaṁ kurute lokas tad anuvartate. Pitaraḥ. Pitṛ iva pālakaḥ. Now, here the government or the king is compared with the father. That is the position of father. Just like a father will never tolerate the killing of his child before him. He will give his own life. He will try to attack that person who has killed his child and give his own life: "I do not like to live." That is the position of government. But they are silent. They're silent. This is Kali-yuga. Sa yat pramāṇaṁ kurute lokas tad anuvartate.
Just to take shelter to save their life—because one's own life is first consideration. "Self-preservation is the first law of nature." So when there is danger, people will give up their wife and property and go. Just like people are going. Yes. This will happen. In European countries also, when there was war, so many refugees. I have got one... I have heard. One Mr. McPherson, Englishman, he was known to me. He was coming to my shop. He stated that in the First World War, he was in the war, service, and some Belgium refugees came to France because Marshall Fox, he was in charge of that area, and when he was informed that so many refugees, mostly women and children, they have come, so he became so much disturbed that "Where shall I give them shelter in this warfield?" His advice was that "Blow them. Finish." So they were blown up. This is a practical... In warfield such things happen.
Vairāgya-vidyā can be very easily achieved, just like it is recommended, vāsudeve bhagavati bhakti-yogaḥ prayojitaḥ janayati āśu vairāgyam (SB 1.2.7), very soon, very soon. Janayati āśu vairāgyaṁ jñānaṁ ca. Two things required in human life. One thing is jñānam, jñānaṁ-vijñānam āstikyaṁ brahma-karma sva-bhāva-jam. This jñānam means, beginning of jñāna means "I am not this body. I am spirit soul." That is jñāna. And as soon as one is situated in that platform of jñānam, it is easy. People are engaged everywhere for the benefit of this body. But if one understands, he come to the platform jñānam, then naturally he becomes detached, that "I am not this body. Why I am working so hard for this body?" Jñānaṁ ca yad ahaitukam (SB 1.2.7). Automatically... Two things are required. Caitanya Mahāprabhu has many places, He has stressed on this, and by His life He is teaching jñānam and vairāgyam. One side jñānam, in His teaching to Rūpa Gosvāmī, teaching to Sanātana Gosvāmī, teaching to, talking with Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya, Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī, talking with Rāmānanda Rāya. We have given all these things in our Teachings of Lord Caitanya. So that is jñānam. And by His example in His own life, taking sannyāsa, He is teaching vairāgya. Jñāna and vairāgya, these two things are required.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures
So Sanātana Gosvāmī, he's ācārya in this disciplic succession from Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Lord Caitanya. He is the first disciple of Lord Caitanya, and from him, Sanātana Gosvāmī, six Gosvāmīs. There were six among the first followers of Lord Caitanya. And then, from next step comes Raghunātha Gosvāmī and then this author of this book, Kṛṣṇa dāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī, and from him, Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura, and then from him, Viśvanātha Cakravartī, Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa. In this way this disciplic succession is coming from Lord Caitanya. So as ācārya... Ācārya means one who knows the principles of scripture, properly being initiated by authority who knows things as they are, and they apply those things in their own life. They are called ācārya. Acinoti śāstrāṇi: he must know all the principles from authorities, and he should apply in his life those principles. Not that he knows but does not apply. He cannot be ācārya. Āpani ācari prabhu jīva disa (?). Lord Caitanya, He, although He is accepted as the, I mean to say, the personal, He's Kṛṣṇa Himself, still, He behaved in such a way that others can follow. He also accepted Īśvara Purī. Īśvara, Īśvara Purī was His spiritual master, Lord Caitanya's. This is the disciplic succession.
Festival Lectures
Just now in our ordinary social affairs, there is difference between private life and his public life. Now, if somebody is teacher... Now, he is very good teacher. He can very good... He can explain very nicely a subject matter, but his private life is not very good. Then he is not a teacher. He is not a sādhu. That is Vedic conception. One must be a teacher according to his own behavior in life. There is no secrecy or privacy. Now, we think that "We don't mind what is private character. We don't mind. We are concerned with his teaching." No. That sort of teaching will not have any effect. Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, āpani ācārī prabhu jīverī śikṣāya: a teacher must demonstrate in his practical life what he is teaching. That is the meaning of ācārya. Ācārya means the teacher must demonstrate things by applying the same thing in his own life. That is called ācārya. Therefore Kṛṣṇa said that "You cannot disclose anything. You cannot keep anything private. Please disclose." Udāsīno 'rivad varyam ātmavat suhṛd ucyate: "And even if it is very confidential, I am your son. You can explain to Him. I am your well-wisher."
General Lectures
The body is changing from one form to another, but the spirit soul is existing eternally. This fact we can experience even in our own life. Since the beginning of our material body in the womb of our mother, the body is transforming from one shape to another in every second and in every minute. This process is generally known as growth, but actually it is change of body. On this earth planet we see change of day and night and of seasons. The more primitive mentality attributes this change to changes occurring in the sun. For example, in the winter they think the sun is getting weaker, and at night they presume sometimes that the sun is dead. With more advanced knowledge of discovery we see that sun is not changing at all in this way. Seasonal and diurnal changes are attributed to the change of the position of the earth planet. Similarly, we experience bodily changes from embryo to child to youth to maturity to old age and to death. The less intelligent mentality presumes that at the death the spirit soul's existence is forever finished, just like primitive tribes who believe that the sun dies at sunset. Actually, the sun is rising in another part of the world. Similarly, the soul is accepting another type of body.
From Vedic literature, we understand that dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19). Dharma means the laws given by God. Unfortunately, at the present moment, they have no information what is God and what is God's law and how to abide God's law. They're all in ignorance and they're manufacturing their own way of life, every day changing. This will not solve the problems of human society. If we actually follow the Vedic injunction, it is very simple thing. The whole idea is that everything belongs to God. Actually, that's a fact. This is the... Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (ISO 1). Everything be... Now this United Nations, they're trying to be united, but actually, in the heart, they have got this, "This is my land," "This is my land." The American thinking, "This is my land." The German thinking, "Oh, it is my land." Indians thinking, "My land." Actually, there is no knowledge. Every land belongs to God. But they cannot come to this conclusion because they are godless, without any God consciousness. Actually, that's a fact.
There is authoritative statements in all the śāstras, but if we do not care for śāstra and sādhu and devotees, we manufacture our own way of life, that is different things. We have nothing to speak about that. On the whole, I am very much thankful to Śrīpāda Nṛsiṁha-vallabha Gosvāmī that he has come, taking so much trouble. He is old man. And he has advised you that you stick to bhakti principle, and that will make your life successful. You have come so far, distant place, in Vṛndāvana, from America, Australia, Africa, spending so much money. So... Of course, there is no consideration of material profit and loss. But your anxiety, laulyam, that will make you successful in receiving the mercy, unalloyed mercy of Kṛṣṇa. So you have nothing to be disappointed. You go on with your prescribed duties, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, and observe the rules and regulations as they have been given to you. Chant your numerical strength of beads and your life will be successful.
Philosophy Discussions
Hayagrīva: A feeling of being in a wider life than that of this world's selfish little interest.
Prabhupāda: Yes. God, the definition of God is there in the Vedic literature, that God is the great. The Christian idea is also that. That greatness, that if we soberly think what is the greatness, the greatness in six opulences, that God is the richest, God is the strongest, and God is the famous, and God is the wisest, and God is the most beautiful, and God is the perfect renounced. He has got so many states, sarva-loka-maheśvaram (BG 5.29), but still He is not very much interested within this material world. He is in spiritual world along with associates. Therefore our proposition is, let us go back to home, back to Godhead. This is our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. That is perfection of life.
Hayagrīva: His second characteristic of a sādhu is thus: "He has a sense of the friendly continuity of the ideal power with our own life in a willing self-surrender to its control."
Prabhupāda: Yes. That is the ideal. Kṛṣṇera saṁsāra kara chāḍi' anācāra. We are member of the same family. God is the supreme father. That is ideal society. What does he say further?
Hayagrīva: The uh... What?
Prabhupāda: Second point.
Hayagrīva: Oh, the second point again? "A sense of the friendly continuity."
Hayagrīva: How, how, well, he does. He says, his very words, he says, "Since we have discarded God the father, there has to be someone to invent values. Before you become alive, life is nothing. It's up to you to give it a meaning, and value is nothing else but the meaning that you choose."
Prabhupāda: I will have to give meaning of my life? So what is that idea?
Hayagrīva: You must give meaning to your own life. Since, since there is no God to give life meaning, man must invent his own meaning.
Prabhupāda: Everyone will invent his meaning.
Hayagrīva: Yes.
Prabhupāda: Then where, where there will be symmetry?
Hayagrīva: Si..., similitude.
Prabhupāda: No, symmetry.
Prabhupāda: This is very good. First of all they must know what is the welfare of the human being. Unfortunately, with advancement of so-called material education, the human society is missing the aim of life. The aim of life is declared openly in the Vedānta philosophy, athāto brahma jijñāsā. This is the aim of human life. In the Bhāgavata it is said, jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā. The life is meant for understanding the Absolute Truth. That is the aim of human life. The whole Vedic civilization is based on this principle. But on account of deviating from the original Vedic civilization, they have dedicated the human form of life in so many unnecessary scientific discoveries, that discovery, which will not give him any relief to the human society. The real tribulation of life is birth, death and disease and old age. So the so-called advancement of material civilization has not solved the real problem of life, and the aim of human life is to solve the real problem of human life. The real problem of life, that we are eternal, as eternal as God, but we are subjected to birth and death. So with the poor fund of knowledge in the Kali-yuga, people being very bad, or slow for self-realization, and they create their own way of life, mandāḥ sumanda-matayo (SB 1.1.10), and they are unfortunate and, and disturbed. Disturbance is always there, but they are not mindful about the real disturbances of life. Now, on the whole in this age, practically the human being has become like animal. The animal, although always in disturbed condition, cannot understand the aim of life, what is his position. So this type of civilization is very, very dangerous to the human society, that they have no aim of life.
| Page Title: | Own life (Lectures) |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, Serene |
| Created: | 21 of Jul, 2012 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=32, Con=0, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 32 |