He is acting in different potencies. This phenomenal world, or the material world, where we are now put, is also complete by itself because pūrṇam idam (Īśopaniṣad, Invocation). The 24 elements of which, according to Sāṅkhya philosophy, the 24 elements of which this material universe is a temporary manifestation, are completely adjusted to produce complete things which are necessary for the maintenance and subsistence of this universe. No extraneous effort by any other unit is required for the maintenance of the universe. It's at its own time, fixed up by the energy of the complete whole, and when the time is complete, these temporary manifestations will be annihilated by the complete arrangement of the complete. There is complete facility for the small complete units, namely, the living entities, to realize the complete. And all sorts of incompleteness is experienced on account of incomplete knowledge of the complete. So the Bhagavad-gītā is the complete knowledge of the Vedic wisdom.
Unit (Lect., Conv. & Letters)
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
So five thousand years. You just try to understand how the society was going on strictly on the Vedic principles. So now there is no such thing. Nobody is observing Vedic principles. And because the Vedic principles were strictly being followed, the whole world was one unit, controlled by these Pāṇḍavas. Even the grandson of Pāṇḍava, Mahārāja Parīkṣit,... This is on the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra. Then when the battle was over, the next king was Mahārāja Parīkṣit, grandson of Arjuna. Up to that time, everything was in order, Vedic principles. All over the world. There was no question of eating meat. The same principles were followed. No meat-eating, no illicit sex, no gambling, no intoxication. Because the king was very strong. Mahārāja Parīkṣit, when he saw that a black man was going to kill one cow, immediately he took his sword: "Who are you? I shall kill you immediately." That was king's stricture.
The Pāṇḍavas and Kurus, they belonged to the same family known as Kuru dynasty, and at that time, 5,000 years ago, the Kuru dynasty was ruling all over the world. Now, what we know as Bhārata-varṣa is a fraction only. Formerly, this planet was known as Bhārata-varṣa. Before that, from thousands of years ago, this planet was known as Ilāvṛta-varṣa. But there was a great emperor whose name was Bharata. After his name, this planet was known as Bhārata-varṣa. But gradually, in due course of time, people became disintegrated from one unit. Just like we have got experience in India, say, 20 years or 25 years ago, there was no Pakistan. But some way or other, there is another division of Pakistan. So actually, long, long years ago there was no division of this planet. The planet is one, and the king was also one, and the culture was also one. The culture was Vedic culture, and the king was one. As I told you that the Kuru dynasty kings, they ruled over the world. It was monarchy.
Yes. Impersonal... Just like sunshine and the sun disc and the inhabitants of the sun globe. In one sense, they are one unit. You cannot separate sunshine from the sun disc or the sun disc from the inhabitants or the predominating deity of sun planet. They are all in light, but still there is difference. Sunshine is coming within your room. Although the sun disc and the sunshine is not different, still, when you realize what is sunshine, that does not mean you realize what is the sun disc. This is very practical. To understand what is sunshine does not mean to understand what is sun disc. You can have some idea: "The sun disc is also light, and it has got heat. It is illuminating." These ideas you can get, but not exactly what is the temperature of that sun disc, how you can live there. There are so many things to learn. Therefore, impersonal Brahman, understanding of impersonal Brahman, is not perfect knowledge.
Just like we have a manager, a head, on this planet. Now we have divided. Formerly this planet was one unit, and there one head, the emperor. Just like Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja was the emperor of the whole world. Parīkṣit Mahārāja. All kings formerly, whoever became king, emperor, he ruled over the whole planet. In each and every planet there was a ruler, but now, in the days of democracy, there are so many rulers, practically each and every one of us is a ruler. This is democracy.
I shall try to explain the social structure of the human society as they are described in the Bhagavad-gītā. In previous chapters, Śrī Kṛṣṇa has explained: cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). By quality and by work, there is, or there must be four divisions of the social structure. Cātur-varṇyam, first-class, second-class, third-class and fourth-class. That is very natural. Just like in your body, my body is divided into four divisions. The head, head department. In every, I mean to say, unit, there is head department, the first-class department, the second-class department. So we can understand from our own body, there is head department, there is arms department, there is belly department and there is the leg department. So head is first-class. Because if the arms, belly and legs are there and head is cut off, then everything is useless. If the head is there, arm is cut off, you can go on with your business.
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
Yes. So now what do we mean by "everything"? Just like this planet. Everything with this planet—the trees, the rivers, the mountains, the cities, the cars—everything within this planet, that is an unit. So this is one planet. And there are millions and millions, trillions of planets. But how they are existing? Existing on the sunshine. So wherefrom the sunshine comes? The sunshine comes from God, or the sun comes from God. Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). Everything is born, everything is emanating form the Absolute. Therefore, indirectly, everything is depending on Kṛṣṇa's potency. Mat-sthāni sarva-bhūtāni: (BG 9.4) "Everything is resting on My potency." Na cāhaṁ teṣv avasthitaḥ: "But I am not there." This is the acintya-bhedābheda-tattva, simultaneously one and different. This is our philosophy.
"How much I shall go on speaking to you? Just try to understand about My potency, that this whole material world is sustained in one part of My energy." The spiritual world is the three-fourths part. Suppose Kṛṣṇa's energy is acting, one unit. So out of that, one-fourth unit is exhibited, this material world. And the material world is... What is that material world? Now,
- yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi-
- koṭiṣv aśeṣa-vasudādhi-vibhūti-bhinnam
- tad brahma niṣkalam anantam aśeṣa-bhūtaṁ
- govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi
- (Bs. 5.40)
The, the Brahman effulgence being spread, in some corner of this Brahman effulgence, there is mahat-tattva, material energy.
But that is not the Vedic version. Vedic version is that not only Kṛṣṇa's incarnation, but even if Kṛṣṇa, the full, cent percent God, if He is distributed or if He distributes Himself in many millions of form, still, He is there in the same strength. Just like if you take some blood, my energy, out of my body, then after taking some quantity, my body becomes weak. Because so much energy is taken away. But the Vedas says, pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya pūrṇam eva avaśiṣyate (Īśo Invocation). The balance is pūrṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa. You take full strength. Kṛṣṇa is ṣaḍ-aiśvarya-pūrṇa, almighty. So you take Almighty, and in millions and millions of units—still the Almighty. That is Kṛṣṇa. So we have to understand Kṛṣṇa in that way. And if we can understand Kṛṣṇa... Janma karma ca me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ (BG 4.9). This tattva you will understand from the Vedic literature, what is tattva. Vadanti tat tattva-vidas tattvaṁ yaj jñānam advayam (SB 1.2.11). So Kṛṣṇa is never diminished.
Sri Isopanisad Lectures
So therefore there is complete facility for the small complete units. We are complete units, small. God is great and we are small. So small... Just like a big machine, and there is a small screw. So the complete facility, completeness of that small screw, is to become fitted in the particular place. Then it has got value. And if it is out of touch of the machine, falls down, it has no value. So complete facility is there. Just yourself dovetail into that hole and the screw is placed there, oh, it has value. When a screw is lost, you have to purchase from the store at the cost of two dollars. And when it is fallen down, it is not even worth one cent. The same screw. (break) So we are complete units so long we are attached to Kṛṣṇa. Otherwise useless.
So here it is stated, "There is complete facility for the small complete units, namely the living being, to realize the complete." To realize the complete, what is my relationship with the complete. "And all forms of incompleteness are experienced only on account of incomplete knowledge of the complete." We are thinking that "I am equal to God. I am God." This is incomplete knowledge. But if you know that "I am part and parcel of God," that is complete knowledge. The Māyāvādī philosophers, the atheists, they are claiming that "Who is God? I am God." That is incomplete knowledge. "The human form of life is a complete manifestation of the consciousness." Now, this complete consciousness you can revive in this human form of life. The cats and dogs, they cannot understand. So if you don't take the facility, then you are ātma-hanaḥ janāḥ. You are killing yourself, committing suicide. As it is said, ātmā andhena tamasāvṛtāḥ tāṁs te pretyābhigacchanti ye ke cātma-hano janāḥ. After death, pretyābhi... Pretya means after death. So don't be ātma-hano janāḥ. Utilize your life in complete facility. That is our business.
Initiation Lectures
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. Simply by coming to the sunlight your purpose is fulfilled. So the sunlight and the sun is not different; they are one unit. But sunlight is not sun. That is knowledge. If we, if simply by coming you can come into the sunlight, if I think that I have become identical with the sun, that is nonsense. Sun, you cannot become identical with the sun. It is so powerful, the temperature is so high and great, that you cannot approach even sun. The scientists say even from so many millions of miles away, if a planet or somebody goes near the sun, immediately he will be burned into ashes. So this is false claim that brahma-bhūtaḥ means one becomes God. No. That means that you come to the light of God. That is also nice, to come to the light of God.
General Lectures
So individual soul or God, every one of us is person. Each and every one of us—person. Imperson is another feature of the person. Just like the same example. In sun planet there is person, the predominating deity, and his personal effulgence is the sunshine. The sunshine is imperson, but the planet is localized, and the predominating deity is person. The Bhagavata confirms it, brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate (SB 1.2.11). The Absolute Truth is one. Just like the sun, the sunshine, and the deity within the sun, that is one unit. But some portion is called sunshine, some portion is called sun planet, some portion is called the deity. Similarly, the Supreme Brahman is one. His person, His localized position, and His influence and energy, they are one. This is the śuddhādvaitavāda, pure monism. The Śaṅkarācārya's philosophy is monism, one, and Śrī Rāmānujācārya explains, "Yes, one—unity in diversity." So this is unity. The sun deity, the sun planet and the sunshine is one unit, but still, there is diversity. The division of the sunshine is different from the sun planet, the sun planet is different from the predominating deity in the sun planet. If you try to understand this way, then you will understand what is Paramātmā, the Supersoul; the individual soul; the impersonal Brahman; the personal Brahman—everything. Is that clear? So any other question? Yes?
So Kṛṣṇa's part and parcel is also one with Kṛṣṇa. In the spiritual world there is no two. All one, one unit. This will take time to understand. Theoretically we can understand. And here, in this material world, we are all separated. Therefore, just like if electric bulbs are separated from the powerhouse, practically it has no value, similarly, so long we are separated from Kṛṣṇa, we have no value. Sthānād bhraṣṭāḥ patanty adhaḥ. Sthānād bhraṣṭāḥ patanty adhaḥ. Sthānāt means from the right position one falls down. So by Kṛṣṇa consciousness, by reviving your Kṛṣṇa consciousness, by engaging yourself in Kṛṣṇa's service, you revive your original position. That is called liberation. Now we are not liberated; we are dependent on so many laws, so many conditions, although we are very much proud and puffed-up, independent. Who is independent? Nobody is independent. It is not possible to become independent. It is simply false pride, independent. So don't try to become independent. Please try to become dependent on Kṛṣṇa. That will make your life successful.
As it is described in the Bhagavad-gītā, cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgasaḥ (BG 4.13)—the four divisions of social system, namely the brāhmaṇa, the kṣatriya, the vaiśya and the śūdra. Before doing business, there must be a division who can do what kind of business. There are different businesses. Now we have taken that everyone should take everyone's business. That is not very scientifical division. Therefore there is cultural division. Just like the whole body. The whole body's one unit, but there are different departments also—just like the head department, the arms department, the belly department and the leg department. This is scientific. The head department is called the brāhmaṇa. In the society... And the arms department is called the kṣatriyas, and the belly department is called the vaiśyas, and the leg department is called the śūdras. This is scientific division of business. Although the head department is most important department, because without head, other departments, the arms departments, the belly department and the leg department will be finished. If the arms department is lacking, still business can go on.
Philosophy Discussions
Śyāmasundara: He says that these monads change in their appearances because the inner desire impels it to pass from one phenomenal representation to another.
Prabhupāda: The monad does not change, but his mind has changed. But I do not know what this means, monads. He is complicating. He cannot express what is this monad.
Śyāmasundara: Monad is very vague. It means a small unit of oneness or unity, which is the substance behind everything else, even the atom.
Prabhupāda: That is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is fully independent.
Śyāmasundara: He says, for instance, that a monad changes its appearance according to its desires.
Prabhupāda: That indication is for the soul. But Kṛṣṇa is not that. Kṛṣṇa is kuta; means he does not change.
Śyāmasundara: The communists have played upon this tendency and so the worker who produces more, he gets glorified by the state. He produces more units at his factory than the others, then he gets a small bonus.
Prabhupāda: Why he should get bonus?
Śyāmasundara: In order to, incentive, incentive bonus.
Prabhupāda: That means that his tendency is to lord it over, and that he is being bribed. He wants some profit, "All right, I give you some bonus. This Russian communist idea is very good provided the citizens do not want any profit but that is not possible. Everyone wants profit. So how by law, by force, you can take it? It is not possible. The same proposition: that in the winter season the bugs cannot get blood, cannot come out due to the serious cold so they become dried up. Their skin practically dries, dries completely. There is no blood. That is (indistinct). But as soon as the bug gets opportunity, in the summer season, he can come out, immediately he bites somebody and sucks all the blood.
Hayagrīva: Spinoza. Spinoza says that "The infinite God must possess infinite attributes." He is saying that God, being the basis of all existence, cannot be described in a material way. He is a pantheist in the sense that he believes in the one substance. However, he believes that God has infinite divine attributes, and only two of these attributes fall within the realm of human experience, and these are thought and extension, or mind and matter.
Prabhupāda: So, so far God is concerned, and undoubtedly He is unlimited and His qualities are unlimited. So His one of the most important quality is called Bhakta-vatsala. He is very much dear to His devotee, Bhakta-vatsala. So He has unlimited devotees and unlimited dealings with them; therefore He is unlimitedly expanded. That is pantheism. But it does not mean because He is unlimitedly expanded, His personality is lost. He is person always, even though He is unlimitedly expanded. That is the Vedic version: pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya pūrṇam eva avaśiṣyate (Iso Invocation). He is complete, and if another complete form expands from Him, still He remains complete. He is not lost. The material conception is if one unit, if something is taken from it, then it becomes less of that thing. But God is so complete that you can go on taking from Him unlimitedly, still He remains unlimited. That is pantheist. I think they are impersonalist.
Conversations and Morning Walks
1968 Conversations and Morning Walks
1969 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: First of all you have to understand that we are trying to make people Kṛṣṇa conscious. So how he can remain twenty-four hours Kṛṣṇa conscious, that is the program.
Allen Ginsberg: Well, the orthodox Jews have a very heavy, complicated, moment by moment ritual daily existence in that, for that same purpose. It was to keep them conscious of their religious nature. And that has maintained a small group of Jews over the centuries as an integral unit, but has tended to disappear in the later generations now simply because modern life does not allow that much Kṛṣṇa consciousness or Jewish consciousness or religious consciousness and attention, act by act throughout the day. So my question is how far can total Kṛṣṇa devotion, act by act all day, spread? How many people can that encompass in a place like America? Or are you intending only to get a few devotees, like several hundred or a thousand who will be solid and permanent.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Yes. That is my program. Because Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not possible for everyone. Because in the Bhagavad-gītā we learn, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante (BG 7.19). After many, many births one can come to this. So it is not possible that a mass of people, a large quantity of people will be able to grasp it. You see? Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate (BG 7.19). Another place it is said in the Bhagavad-gītā, manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu (BG 7.3). After many thousands of men, one may be interested how to liberate himself. And out of many such liberated persons, one may understand what is Kṛṣṇa. So understanding of Kṛṣṇa is not very easy thing. But Lord Caitanya is so munificent that He has given us a, I mean to say, easy process.
1972 Conversations and Morning Walks
Guest (2): Does this apply to the brāhmaṇas?
Prabhupāda: You should fight... No, brāhmaṇas will not fight. the kṣatriyas will fight. The brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas, they are part and parcel of the same unit. Just like hand. Hand is the part of your body. When there is attack, you first of all spread your hand. So this is kṣatriya's business. When somebody is coming to attack you, you don't put your legs, you put your hands. And the hand is raised by the order of the brain. And the hand and the brain is maintained by the belly. Why don't you study your own body? As in your own body there is brahminical department, there is kṣatriya department, vaiśya department and śūdra department... (laughter) But nobody is less important.
Prabhupāda: Dressing room?
Devotee: Dressing room.
Prabhupāda: How so?(?)
Jayatīrtha: They're probably going to be taping some movie here, so they're bringing portable units for dressing and so on.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: Most karmīs here, they have mobile homes, Śrīla Prabhupāda. They drive with the car on, and they... (break)
Prabhupāda: (indistinct)
Devotee (1): So that's how it goes back into the body of Mahā-Viṣṇu?
Prabhupāda: Yes. Just like football. (indistinct)
Svarūpa Dāmodara: The scientists also say that the universe is expanding.
Prabhupāda: That is the nature. Just like your body, my body, we came from a seed. (indistinct) Unlimited expansion. There are so many examples. Just like the boys play with soap (indistinct).
1973 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: Yes, Brahmā. Just like Brahmā. He is in human form only with four hands. He is the first born. And then he created other living entities. Brahmā is first born from Viṣṇu. He has got four heads, four hands, two legs, he can speak. It is human form. Then, from him other forms came out, marīcy ādi, ṛṣi, great great, saintly persons. Nārada, Kumāra. In this way, creation was there.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: So the evolution of life... Those who are coming to the lowest living entity, the organisms, smaller units, so once they come to that stage, then they have to pass through the stages stepwise.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Just the same example: As you get more money, you can acquire better apartment. The apartment is already there. Not that a apart..., this lower class apartment has become high class apartment. This is their nonsense. The Darwin nonsense theory is like that: "The apartment has become lower class to higher class." That is his theory.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: No, he is saying that evolving from the smaller units. So they are claiming that there was no human beings at the beginning, so the smaller living entities...
Prabhupāda: But they are claiming that there is no life. That is their defect. Therefore they cannot think how there can be human being. But if you begin from life, supreme life, Viṣṇu, from another life, Brahmā came, then there is no problem. Everything is all right. Because they think that life comes from matter, so millions and millions of years ago there was simply matter. Life was not visible. That is their theory. We don't say that. We say both are the energies, God's energies, life and matter. The life is superior energy; the matter is inferior energy. That is the difference. Both of them are existing. Same thing, example: This nail and this part existing always. This is superior part, this is inferior.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: So the chemists or the scientists, what they're thinking is, there are chemical elements, which are the materials necessary for staying the spirit soul within the..., so long as he is within the material world. So they're saying that these material elements—carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen—the main elements, somehow they combine together forming the living units, but our point is the chemicals are there, but in order to start the real nice house, the spirit soul has to enter within these chemical elements.
Prabhupāda: Yes. These chemical elements will already help him, by nature's way. Just like you put a seed on the earth. So other things necessary for fructifying that seed, that is already there. They will come to help it. That is already there. Just like the living entity in seed form is impregnated within the womb of the mother. The mother has got within the womb all ingredients. Body will develop. On account of the presence of the living entity, by the laws of nature, everything is there. A dog is forming dog's body, man is forming man's body. Why? Because everything is there. A cat is forming cat's body in the womb of the... Yathā yonir yathā bījam. You haven't got to search out. It is already there.
Krishna Tiwari: Right. Well, we'll talk about one object first, before we talk about universe next. (laughing)
Prabhupāda: That means you are not in the knowledge.
Krishna Tiwari: No. But some of you, I mean, you want to talk about something, you want to start from something which is easy to comprehend and go further. How is it...
Prabhupāda: Now, the whole universe is one unit.
Krishna Tiwari: Oh, I agree with philosophy...
Prabhupāda: If you study my whole body, you cannot begin studying my nails.
Krishna Tiwari: But you have to study nails.
Prabhupāda: That we, that will include.
Krishna Tiwari: Yes.
Prabhupāda: But, if you study my body, you have to study the whole body, not my nails or my hair.
Father Tanner: Now, this is the same as a material man saying "I want to become spiritual or God conscious or what have you." But, you know, because I want to become this, it doesn't mean that I am this. Because I want to become God's servant, it doesn't mean that I am God's servant.
Prabhupāda: No, you don't, you do not want, you want or not want, that is not the question. First of all you must know what is your real identity. You do not want and do want, that independence you have got always. That is a different thing. But first of all you must know what is your identity. Your identity is... That I have already explained. The... You are part and parcel of God. So far we understand, our philosophy is... From the Bhagavad-gītā. Mamaivāṁśaḥ. The whole thing is one unity, unit, and everything is part and parcel of God, His energy. So we, the marginal energy, living entities, we are also part and parcel of God. As part and parcel of God, what is my duty? Just like this finger. There is itching. Immediately it comes, serves. (end)
1974 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: Therefore they are against religion. But actually, if we show that we are producing, we are managing, we are educating, then we can counteract the communist tendency. But they are seeing that, that escaping. They say, "They escape responsibility of worldly life and they're indulging in some religious..." That is the tendency. All... Everywhere the government is complaining like that. Therefore they do not want to increase the number of temples, increase the number of devotees. They do not want. Because they say, "These are a class of idle men. They cannot do anything, and they take to this religious life." That is the tendency. They are feeling like that. But if you show that you are actually doing something ideal, then they will appreciate. Make a small unit of community and show ideal life, not idle life. Ideal life. Then this mis... That... Now in Bombay, they have refused. Because they are under the impression that "They, these Europeans have come here under some sentiment, and what is the use?" They have taken some plea and rejected our... (break) ...is there. As we are making counterpropaganda against māyā, the māyā is also very strong.
Nitāi: Page 324.
- anarthopaśamaṁ sākṣād
- bhakti-yogam adhokṣaje
- lokasyājānato vidvāṁś
- cakre sātvata-saṁhitām
- (SB 1.7.6)
Translation: The material miseries of the living entity, which are superfluous to him, can be directly mitigated by the linking process of devotional service. But the mass of people do not know this, and therefore the learned Vyāsadeva compiled this Vedic literature, which is in relation to the Supreme Truth.
Purport: Śrīla Vyāsadeva saw the all-perfect Personality of Godhead. This statement suggests that the complete unit of the Personality of Godhead includes His parts and parcels also. He saw, therefore, His different energies, namely the internal energy, the marginal energy and the external energy. He also saw His different plenary portions and parts of the plenary portions, namely His different incarnations also, and he specifically observed the unwanted miseries of the conditioned souls, who are bewildered by the external energy. And at last he saw the remedial measure for the conditioned souls, namely, the process of devotional service. It is a great transcendental science and begins with the process of hearing and chanting the name, fame, glory, etc., of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Revival of the dormant affection or love of Godhead does not depend on the mechanical system of hearing and chanting, but it solely and wholly depends on the causeless mercy of the Lord. When the Lord is fully satisfied with the sincere efforts of the devotee, He may endow him with His loving transcendental service. But even with the prescribed forms of hearing and chanting, there is at once mitigation of the superfluous and unwanted miseries of material existence. Such mitigation of material affection does not wait for development of transcendental knowledge. Rather, knowledge is dependent on devotional service for the ultimate realization of the Supreme Truth.
Dhanañjaya: What was that last sentence?
Prabhupāda: In Africa and Australia, they are killing the animals and exporting. So in other countries they are getting meat to eat, and so they are very free to produce bolts and nuts by industry. They don't require to produce food because from Africa and Australia they are getting meat. This is going on. Instead of producing food, people are interested in producing motor car bolts and nuts. So why there should not be food scarcity? After all, you require to eat. But instead of starting industries, why don't you produce foodstuff? What is this civilization? Produce foodstuff. The animals will be nicely fed, and the men will be nicely fed.
1975 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: Sveta-kirtu. Sveta.
Young man: And the guru's name is Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Govindaji.
Prabhupāda: Hmm. You have got a branch here?
Young man: I have been here for about three months. I am trying to lead the practices and the sādhana of the people here and trying to set up a unit here.
Prabhupāda: So you follow Vedic principle?
Young man: We follow Tantric principle.
Prabhupāda: Tantric. Tantra, there are two kinds of tantras, sattvata, and there are sattvic, rajasic, anything. So your activity is on the material platform or spiritual?
Young man: It's actually... Our motive is, our objective is ātmā mokṣa (Sanskrit).
Prabhupāda: Ātmā...?
Young man: (Sanskrit). Self-realization and selfless service to humanity. So that's our principles. That's the objective of Ananda-mārga philosophy. So that's a subjective approach to objective adjustment, both, side by side.
Prabhupāda: What is that ānanda?
Young man: Ānanda means bliss, infinite happiness.
Prabhupāda: Read the translation.
Kim: "The Personality of Godhead is perfect and complete, and because He is completely perfect, all emanations from Him, such as this phenomenal world, are perfectly equipped as complete wholes. Whatever is produced of the complete whole is also complete in itself. Because He is the complete whole, even though so many complete units emanate from Him, He remains the complete balance."
Prabhupāda: Now read the purport. After reading the translation do you understand everything?
Kim: No. (reads purport to) "...and Paramātmā or Supersoul realization is the realization of His sat and cit features." I don't understand that. I read the words, but...
Prabhupāda: It requires elucidation. "Complete whole" means, just like your body is complete whole, and there are so many other things, there are so many holes in the body, there are so many hairs on the body, there are so many hairs on the head, so many fingers, eyes, ears—so many things—but the body is a complete unit, working as a complete machine. And there are so many things. Similarly, the whole cosmos is complete, exactly like this body is a machine. Similarly the whole cosmos is a big machine. It is complete. One sun is there and keeping everything complete. The day and night, the seasonal changes, the equator, the temperature, the moonlight, the other planets, we living beings, the vegetables—everything is complete by God. And because the sun is there. Similarly, this body, machine, is complete. And the soul is there, it is working nicely. The body is also a creation, and the universe is also a creation, and the brain which has created these things, He is complete. Therefore He has created these complete units. That is the idea. Pūrṇam idaṁ (Iso Invocation). Pūrṇaḥ means complete. And because He is complete, the Creator, He has no defect; therefore He can create everything complete. Pūrṇam idaṁ, pūrṇam adaḥ, pūrṇāt pūrṇam udacyate. And He is so complete that pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya, from the complete, if you take the whole complete, still He is complete.
Revatīnandana: And mussels also. The black ones are called mussels. And also crabs.
Prabhupāda: (speaks to someone in Hindi) So you were hearing me talking just now?
Indian guest: Oh yes, Swamiji. Listening, part of the conversation I heard. (break) ...these college courses and units, and I realize that to teach a religious course which is a Vedic culture first needs devotion, second needs knowledge. And I need both of them. I lack both of them. And this is... But still, I can support this kind of...
Prabhupāda: That I was explaining. Because you have a little desire to know, so that we have to take, a small fire, and we have to fan it. Then it will come, blazing fire. Kali-yuga means actually there is no brāhmaṇa, but whenever there is a little tendency of becoming brāhmaṇa, we take it, accept. Otherwise there is no question of pushing on this movement. Wherever there is little chance, we take advantage. That is our process. (break) Initiation means just to see, "Here is a little chance. He is coming forward. Take it, accept him, and fan it." This is initiation, not that "Now I am initiated, I become perfect." (break) Theological Union, when it was started.
Dharmādhyakṣa: Nineteen...
Prabhupāda: '62.
Prabhupāda: Living entities within the body, they come out, hundreds and thousands. They have not died. Suppose in this jungle there are so many living entities. If I die, what has got to do with them?
Svarūpa Dāmodara: But science tries to understand what is life and in order to do that they just want to understand what is cell. Because science tries to understand what is life, and in order to do that they just want to study what is the cell because cells are the smallest living units of life. That is their understanding. So once they understand what a cell is, then they know what life is. That is their aim. So if the cells and the jīvātmā within the heart, they are different and they are independent, then they cannot conceive of just having a jīvātmā in the heart.
Prabhupāda: That... The particular jīvātmā who has been given this body, he is living in the heart.
Ravīndra-svarūpa: But according to the scientists, our body is made up of little cells just like a brick wall is made up of so many individual bricks. Each... Like in one piece of skin there is...
Prabhupāda: That's all right. That is body. Just like I live in a house. The house is made of so many bricks. But I am not brick.
Prabhupāda: They are going on ciraṁ vicinvan. Forever they are simply thinking, and no improvement has done.
Ravīndra-svarūpa: Of course, they promise that they will be able to do so many...
Prabhupāda: That everyone can, a child can also promise. That is another thing.
Ravīndra-svarūpa: (break) ...the cells because they say that the cells are the fundamental unit of life and if they can understand even a very simple cell, then they think perhaps they can find the principles to understand everything living.
Prabhupāda: Well, this "perhaps..."
Ravīndra-svarūpa: But they can't understand the cell.
Prabhupāda: Yes. So their "perhaps," "maybe," is going on. And that will continue.
Ravīndra-svarūpa: Why does the living entity wish to speculate in this way?
Prabhupāda: He has been given a special advantage to think of God, but instead of thinking God, he is thinking all these rubbish things, which he will never be able to fulfill. Misusing. The thinking power he is misusing.
1976 Conversations and Morning Walks
Caraṇāravindam: You would like electric fan or hand pulled. Hand pulled?
Prabhupāda: No no, electric. A small table fan. Just like in the railway carriage. Let them fix up. Small ceiling fan.
Hari-śauri: You can get very small ones that fasten on the front of motor cars on the inside for fanning the driver. Just a small unit.
Caraṇāravindam: I was wanting to, in the future, build you a very beautiful construction here.
Prabhupāda: No, it is all right.
Caraṇāravindam: You like this. I thought you would also...
Prabhupāda: This is made simple. It is very nice. Rather, you can... No, it is all right. There is no space. In India, on the roof, we allow to grow squash.
Caraṇāravindam: You would like some growing?
Prabhupāda: Very small.
Prabhupāda: That is already there.
Devotee: Yes. We're going to make an extension of Govinda's Restaurant.
Prabhupāda: Hm.
Devotee: And here you have the offices where you can make an apartment and here we have thirty units, small, about the same size as the rooms upstairs.
Prabhupāda: Ah.
Devotee: Which is good for like āśrama, you know.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Devotee: It's not luxurious, it's just small rooms. In here we have a small swimming pool.
Prabhupāda: Oh.
Devotee: It's not too big. And all these are fully grown trees with, there's some palm trees here. Then in the back...
Prabhupāda: (indistinct) for the trees are here.
1977 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: That is in our side.
Rāmeśvara: "Ask your contact to comment or express his opinion of such things as that this is not a matter of religion; that there is resulting mental and physical harm; the right of self-determination means the right to have a free mind; destruction of the family unit..."
Prabhupāda: So if one has the right to have a free mind, why he cannot chant Hare Kṛṣṇa?
Rāmeśvara: Well, their argument is that we do not allow him to consider alternatives.
Prabhupāda: Then where is the question of a free mind? That means you brainwash.
Rāmeśvara: Exactly.
Prabhupāda: Free mind means everyone has the right. That is free mind. If you force something, then where is the free mind?
Rāmeśvara: So actually they are understanding that once you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, you will stop thinking about māyā.
Prabhupāda: They're admitting.
Prabhupāda: Father and mother, yes. Why they divorce?
Hari-śauri: Seven out of ten marriages.
Prabhupāda: Within two weeks, three divorce.
Rāmeśvara: That's a very good point.
Hari-śauri: They have no family unit to speak of, anyway.
Prabhupāda: It is surprising. If one gentleman lives for life as husband and wife, it is a very surprising thing in your country that they have lived so long as husband and wife.
Hari-śauri: Yes, they become very glorified.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Jagadīśa: They put them in the paper.
Prabhupāda: And so credible. So this is your nation, that if one gentleman and lady remain as husband-wife for long time, it is a wonderful thing. So first of all decide what do you mean by religion; what is the definition of religion. Our definition of religion is this, that the law given by God is religion. Now you refute it. That is everywhere. Just like any state, you... The law given by government is law. That is universal truth. You cannot manufacture law at your home. What is given by your state, that is law. Similarly, religion means what is given by God, that is religion.
Prabhupāda: Whatever you may be. If you have no business with me, I have no interest in you, why shall I mix with you? That is everywhere. If some very busy businessman is sitting in his room and some other man comes, he, first he will ask, "What is the business?" If he says something else, then "I have no interest." This is common thing. What is the wrong there? If he says that "I have no interest," what is the wrong there? How I can accuse that is inhumanity?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They say that the family unit is the basic unit of civilization.
Prabhupāda: Well, family, that is alright. But even sometimes a father does not like the son, although it is the family. Or the son does not like the father. So what is the wrong there? They must agree to the point that of the same interest. So those who are interested in permanent, I mean to say, life, why they should be interested in this temporary so-called adjustment? (break)
Svarūpa Dāmodara: The goal of life is different. Those who accuse us, they don't know that goal.
Prabhupāda: Nobody knows goal. Everyone is living like animal. Many other goal. They do not know. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ (SB 7.5.31). This is the modern civilization. They do not know what is the goal of life. And without knowing the goal of life, they are trying to adjust things on this material platform. That will never happen.
Prabhupāda: Entrepreneurs?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Business people. "Mr. Raja Gopalan said that the scheme would soon be advertised for attracting women by providing them special intrastructural facilities to operate as a closely knit unit."
Prabhupāda: Abortion. What is that abortion?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It's not abortion, but some kind of opportunity for women to do business together.
Prabhupāda: The same, sense enjoyment, maithuna. All these rogues and thieves and bokā.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: (reading:) "Hoxar pleads for healthy land-man relationship. Mr. P. N. Hoxar, deputy chairman of the Planning Commission, yesterday pleaded for developing a healthy and rational land-man relationship as the foundation to build the socio-economic superstructure. Unless such relationship is developed through proper land reforms, it is useless to talk about science and technology in employment-oriented planning, he added. Eighty percent of the people live in the villages and till the land which they do not own. The holdings were fragmented and the tenant was uncertain. They were burdened with debt to such an extent that they could not pay them back and fell into bondage of one sort or another."
Prabhupāda: Another rascal.
Prabhupāda: How many carts you have?
Lokanātha: I got just one today, one for you, and those who serve you, they could also sit besides you in the cart, and the rest could do kīrtana around the bullock cart, and the whole unit, bullock cart and saṅkīrtana group, will move together.
Prabhupāda: So what we have to pay?
Lokanātha: We'll pay hundred rupees, one day. Of course, you want to have it for all the time. Best thing is to purchase a set of bullocks, two bullocks, and a cart.
Prabhupāda: You have got experience.
Lokanātha: Yes.
Prabhupāda: So what is better?
Lokanātha: Well, depends on whether we like to use it for longer time. Then we should purchase. If it is just for a few days, best thing is to hire.
Prabhupāda: Hundreds rupees and food.
Correspondence
1947 to 1965 Correspondence
In this sacred philosophical discourse the Supreme Godhead declares Himself as the begetting father, who impregnates the seeds of living entities in the womb of mother nature who in turn gives birth to all varieties of living entities or species. So the plain truth is that the Supreme Godhead the Father, the nature material is the mother and all living entities are so many children of almighty father Godhead, and the mother nature. The whole arrangement is just a family unit, and we should wonder as to why there is so much anomaly in this great universal family unit.
In this sacred philosophical discourse the Supreme Godhead declares Himself as the begetting Father who impregnates the seeds of living entities in the womb of Mother Nature who in turn gives birth all varieties of living species. So the plain truth is that the Supreme Godhead is the Father, the Nature is the Supreme Mother and all living entities so many children of Almighty Father Godhead and the Mother Nature. The whole arrangement is therefore a family unit and one should wonder as to why there is so much anomaly in this universal family affair.
When we speak of Philosophy it is something higher than the attempt of combining the East and the West. The whole cosmic situation is a complete unit and unless an attempt genuine is made for harmonizing the whole disturbed system and partial attempt on our part however large in magnitude will fail to approach the ultimate goal.
The fact is that we all living energies in different species of life are all individual parts and parcels of the Supreme Energetic person as the son is the part and parcel of the father. The whole creation including all material or spiritual planes and planets are different parts and parcels of One Unit only but there are immense diversities in unity for variegatedness is the necessary paraphernalia of eternal pleasure which we are all seeking in the wrong way without the right information to have it.
hope, I shall be able to get them. The house which I have seen for this purpose is just suitable for this great missionary work as if it was built for this purpose only and your simple willingness to do the act will complete everything smoothly. And thinking that you will agree to this I am just giving you an idea of the space etc.
1. Dimensions 18'6" x 102'2". Fully air conditioned by 10 ton central unit.
2. Bronze front approximately 4500 square feet.
3. The house is practically three storied. Ground floor basement and two stories up with all suitable arrangement for gas heat etc.
1970 Correspondence
Regarding your first question to explain the statement of Sri Isopanisad that "even though so many complete units emanate from Him, He remains the complete balance." In material things there is exhaustion and in spiritual things there is no exhaustion; that is the difference between matter and spirit. From one Krsna there were 16,100 Krsnas in Dvaraka, and each Krsna is as good as the original Krsna. Just like there may be 1000 candles, and all of them light up from one original candle, but still they are of the same candle power as the original candle. Similarly, there may be hundreds and thousands of emanations from Krsna the Supreme, but that does not mean that the Supreme One has diminished in potency, although all other emanations are equally potential.
1973 Correspondence
Human life begins when there is systematic education in the science of God consciousness. Just some days ago I was discussing with Professor Alister Hardy—Head of Religious Experimental research unit Oxford, it was his opinion that the problems of human life are over-population, environmental pollution etc.. But from Bhagavad-gita we understand that God is the father of all living beings, so the father must be competent to provide for all the children, and in the case of the Supreme Father this is actually so—we get it from Vedic Literature "nityo nityanam cetanas cetananam (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13)—Amongst all the Eternals there is one chief Eternal Being and he is engaged in supplying and fulfilling the desires of all the others." Therefore our conclusion was that the real problem is not over-population or pollution, malnutrition etc., but the actual problem is Godlessness. So you are all intelligent boys and girls—therefore my request to you is that you study this science of Krishna Consciousness and solve all the problems of the world by systematic propaganda as far as you are able to do it.
The news of the preaching work in New Delhi is very nice—continue with it. There are many intelligent men in that quarter, mostly European. So far as the Russian correspondent, try to convince him about our philosophy. We want to unit the world on the platform of Krsna Consciousness under one state, one government, one religion and one scripture. It will be successful if we work cautiously and maintain our standards.
1975 Correspondence
We have got many enemies, especially our tenants. Therefore, things should be very carefully done. Whether the tenants union is legally alright and whether by their united action, they can encroach upon the rights of the landlord. We wanted to build up a wall and the tenants, by force, have broken the wall. Does it mean that the tenants unit can encroach upon the landlord's right? Have you formed any advisory committee of the persons we selected? I think the advisory committee should not be more than ten persons, very important from the list. The other day, I saw Mahadevia's attitude not in our favor, but in favor of the tenants, being influenced by Acarya. These things should be considered very carefully. For the time being, we have stopped the wall construction, but it was not at all congenial that the tenants broke the wall illegally.
| Page Title: | Unit (Lect., Conv. & Letters) |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, Mayapur |
| Created: | 19 of Mar, 2012 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=18, Con=23, Let=9 |
| No. of Quotes: | 50 |