View source for First thing is sravanam. If we simply keep these Deities here, we may see. But if we don't hear about Him, then it will be hackneyed. Then it will be hackneyed. Just like in India it has become. Because they have given up the process of sravanam kirtanam

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{{terms|"first thing is ''śravaṇam''. If we simply keep these Deities here, we may see. But if we don't hear about Him, then it will be hackneyed. Then it will be hackneyed. Just like in India it has become. Because they have given up the process of ''śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam''"}}
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{{compiler|Visnu Murti}}
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[[Category:First Thing Is...]]
[[Category:Sravana]]
[[Category:If We Simply (Disciples of SP)]]
[[Category:Keep]]
[[Category:These]]
[[Category:Our Deity Worship (Disciples of SP)]]
[[Category:We May (Disciples of SP)]]
[[Category:Our Seeing (Disciples of SP)]]
[[Category:If We Do Not (Disciples of SP)]]
[[Category:Our Hearing (Disciples of SP)]]
[[Category:Hearing about Krsna]]
[[Category:Will Be]]
[[Category:Hackneyed]]
[[Category:Just Like]]
[[Category:India]]
[[Category:Become]]
[[Category:Because]]
[[Category:They Have]]
[[Category:Give Up]]
[[Category:Process of Hearing]]
[[Category:Kirtana]]
[[Category:Prabhupada Speaks - Lectures, 1966 - 1977]]
[[Category:Prabhupada Speaks - Lectures, 1972]]
[[Category:Prabhupada Speaks - Lectures, Srimad-Bhagavatam]]
[[Category:Prabhupada Speaks - in USA, New Vrndavana]]
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<h2>Lectures</h2>
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<h3>Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures</h3>
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These are the nine different procedures of bhakti-yoga. The first thing is śravaṇam. If we simply keep these Deities here, we may see. But if we don't hear about Him, then it will be hackneyed. Then it will be hackneyed. Just like in India it has become. Because they have given up the process of śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam.
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<mp3player>https://vanipedia.s3.amazonaws.com/clip/720905SB-NEW_VRINDAVAN_clip1.mp3</mp3player>
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[[Vanisource:720905 - Lecture SB 01.02.07 - New Vrindaban, USA|720905 - Lecture SB 01.02.07 - New Vrindaban, USA]]:
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So God is everywhere; simply we have to make our these blunt eyes . . . just like education. I am seeing a motorcar, but a advanced motor engineer, he sees also the car, the difference of seeing. If there is some defect in the car, I cannot do it. But one engineer, one who knows, a mechanic, he knows, immediately touches and the car runs. Similarly, we should know that by education, by culture, by knowledge we can understand God, not by fictitious, by concoction, "Oh, I accept this God. I accept that God."

So that education can be very quickly done. Otherwise it is very difficult to understand God. There are so many philosophers in the world, so many scientists, they are declining. Because they could not find what is God, they are denying. Just like my inefficiency of my eyes, I see that beyond this wall I cannot see. I say: "Oh, there is nothing beyond this wall." But I . . . (indistinct) . . . that is my lack of education. Not that there is nothing beyond this wall. My imperfect eyes cannot see, my imperfect senses cannot realize. But you can make your senses perfect to see God by a process. What is that? ''Bhakti-yoga''.

That is explained by Kṛṣṇa in the ''Bhagavad-gītā'', ''bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ'' ([[Vanisource:BG 18.55 (1972)|BG 18.55]]). In one place Kṛṣṇa has said, ''manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye'' ([[Vanisource:BG 7.3 (1972)|BG 7.3]]): "Out of many millions of persons, one is very much anxious to make his life perfect." Everyone is not. They are simply working like cats and dogs. That's all. Nobody is interested how to make life perfect.

''Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu'', out of millions of person, one becomes interested how to make this life perfect. ''Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye'', ''yatatām api siddhānām'' ([[Vanisource:BG 7.3 (1972)|BG 7.3]]), and out of many such perfect person who has made his life perfect, out of many such person, ''kaścid jana'' . . . ''kaścit vetti māṁ tattvataḥ'', knows God. So God-knowing is not very easy job, but it can be made easy by a process, which is called ''bhakti-yoga''. That is explained here:

:''vāsudeve bhagavati''
:''bhakti-yogaḥ prayojitaḥ''
:''janayaty āśu vairāgyaṁ''
:''jñānaṁ ca yad ahaitukam''
:([[Vanisource:SB 1.2.7|SB 1.2.7]])

If we apply our ''vāsu'' . . . ''bhakti-yoga'' unto Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṇa—Vāsudeva means Kṛṣṇa. ''Vāsudeve bhagavati''. So Vāsudeva is not ordinary person; He is Bhagavān, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. To show us mercy, He descends. That is His mercy.

So ''vāsudeve bhagavati bhakti-yogaḥ prayojitaḥ'' ([[Vanisource:SB 1.2.7|SB 1.2.7]]), if you take to devotional service . . . what is that devotional service? It is also very easy. It is not very difficult thing. ''Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru'' ([[Vanisource:BG 18.65 (1972)|BG 18.65]]). If anyone comes in this temple, simply . . .

(aside) Sit down.

Simply offers a little obeisances, just bow down, ''māṁ namaskuru''. And if you think of these Deities, ''man-manā bhava mad-bhakto'', in this way, those who have become devotees, ''man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī'', you worship. These four principles, if you adopt, that is ''bhakti-yoga.'' That is ''bhakti-yoga.'' But the ''bhakti-yoga'' can be kept active by ''śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam.'' Just like you are hearing, I am speaking. This is ''kīrtanam''. And you are hearing, both we are benefiting.

:''śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam viṣṇoḥ''
:''smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam''
:''arcanaṁ vandanaṁ dāsyaṁ''
:''sakhyam ātma-nive'' . . .
:([[Vanisource:SB 7.5.23-24|SB 7.5.23]])

These are the nine different procedures of ''bhakti-yoga''. The first thing is ''śravaṇam''. If we simply keep these Deities here, we may see. But if we don't hear about Him, then it will be hackneyed. Then it will be hackneyed. Just like in India it has become. Because they have given up the process of ''śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam'', therefore they are feeling now . . .

Everywhere, not only India, everywhere, because they have given up bona fide ''śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam'', hearing and chanting about God, it has become a burden, and they are trying to sell the temples and churches. So don't stop. If you stop this ''śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam'', then you have to . . . gradually you will diminish in your devotional service. That is called ''bhakti-yoga''. ''Bhakti-yoga'' begins from ''śravaṇam'', from hearing. ''Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam viṣṇoḥ''.

So Kṛṣṇa also says in the ''Bhagavad-gītā'' that if we want to know Kṛṣṇa, God, then it has to be known through ''bhakti-yoga'', ''bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ'' ([[Vanisource:BG 18.55 (1972)|BG 18.55]]). Not by other means. Then Kṛṣṇa would have declared that you can understand God by ''haṭha-yoga'' or ''jñāna-yoga'' or ''dhyāna-yoga'' or ''karma-yoga.'' There are so many yogic principles. But Kṛṣṇa summarizes all the ''yoga'' system in the Sixth Chapter of the ''Bhagavad-gītā'':

:''yoginām api sarveṣāṁ''
:''mad-gatenāntarātmanā''
:''śraddhāvān bhajate yo māṁ''
:''sa me yuktatamo'' . . .
:([[Vanisource:BG 6.47 (1972)|BG 6.47]])

The first-class ''yogī'' is he who is constantly, twenty-four hours, thinking of Kṛṣṇa. And Kṛṣṇa also says, ''man-manā bhava mad-bhaktaḥ'': "Think of Me always."

So our process, the ''bhakti-yoga'' process, is very simple: we chant this ''mantra'', Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare / Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. So as soon as we chant Kṛṣṇa, this name, this holy name, and as soon as we hear about Him, Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, immediately we remember what is Kṛṣṇa, ''śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam'', ''smaraṇam''. ''Smaraṇam'' means remembering. In this way, if we continue always thinking of Kṛṣṇa, remembering about His name, fame, quality, pastimes, then your life is perfect.