So our request is... Everyone who is present here... Today is Rādhāṣṭamī. So pray to Rādhārāṇī. And She is hare, harā. This hare, this word, is Rādhārāṇī. Harā, Rādhārāṇī. Rādhā or harā the same thing. So Hare Kṛṣṇa. So we are praying to Rādhārāṇī, "My Mother, Rādhārāṇī, and Kṛṣṇa." Hare Kṛṣṇa. "O Kṛṣṇa, O the Lord." Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa, the same thing, repetition. "O Rādhārāṇī, O Kṛṣṇa." "O Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa." "Rādhe-Kṛṣṇa" or "Hare Kṛṣṇa," the same thing. Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare. Again addressing, "O Kṛṣṇa, O Kṛṣṇa, O Rādhārāṇī." Hare Rāma. The same thing, again. Hare Rāma. Rāma is also Kṛṣṇa. Rāma is Rāma, Rāma is Balarāma. They are all Kṛṣṇa. Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare. So this repetition of addressing Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa or Hare Kṛṣṇa is to pray, "My dear Lord, the, and the energy, the spiritual energy of the Lord, kindly engage me in Your service." That's all. "I am now embarrassed with this material service. Please engage me in Your service."
Repetition (Lect. Conv. & Letters)
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
Therefore, out of disgust, everyone is trying to follow his own principle, whatever he likes. And there are some missionary activities. They also advocate that "You can do whatever you like, and you will get God." So people are trying like that.
But our process is different. We are following the old principles. We do not say something new. The old saying, as Kṛṣṇa said five thousand years ago, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). So nothing new. We are simply repeating. That, our Hare Kṛṣṇa, is it (it is) also repetition. Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare.
What is that English word, "Putting the old wine in the new bottle," or what is that? So it is old wine. Simply putting in new bottles. That's all. And what is new? "There is nothing new in the world." The sun was rising on the eastern side. Still it is rising on the eastern side. The sun was setting on the western side. It is still setting. Your forefathers, grandfather, they were also eating; you are also eating. They also died, and we shall also die.
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
The saṁsāra means repetition of different bodies. That is called saṁsāra. Here, saṁsāriṇāṁ karuṇayā. Therefore this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to be compassionate to these rascals who are in the cycle of changing body after body. It is a great movement. Everyone, all over the world, they are thinking there is no life after death. But that is not the fact. The fact is as you have changed so many bodies in this life, you have to change this body, you have to accept another body. It is a great dangerous position. That they do not think. If I accept another body of a tree, then I will have to stand in one place for thousands of years. This is the science.
We are meeting with so many problems of life. These are called anarthas, unnecessary. I am spirit soul; you are spirit soul. We are as good as God. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). Our real position is ānanda. Sac-cid-ānanda. Why we are meeting so many problems? This is due to this body. This is due to this body. Therefore the real culture is, real education is, how to stop this repetition of body. But they do not know. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt. We are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. He is fully joyful. You'll see always Kṛṣṇa joyful. When He's killing an animal, he's laughing. He's joyful. You have seen Kṛṣṇa's picture. It is not that it's a problem. You have seen. Kṛṣṇa is killing that Keśī demon, a horse, big horse, just like a child's play.
Question was about Kṛṣṇa, and the reply is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, eighteen thousand verses. And each and every verse is so important that if a serious student studies each and every verse, each verse will take at least one month to understand. And there are eighteen thousand verses. So for serious study of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, it will take eighteen thousand months. So eighteen thousand months meaning how many years? One thousand five hundred years. (laughter) It is such an important book, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Each verse is a new verse, not repetition of the same subject. And it is deeply thoughtful. And every verse is, as it is stated here, ātmavit-sammataḥ, approved by persons who are self-realized. Ātmavit. Ātmavit. Ātmā means self, and vit means one who knows, well aware of self-realization. They are called ātmavit.
If you want to stop punar janma... Great, great personalities in India, they used to go to the forest to stop this repetition of punar janma. Just like Viśvāmitra Muni. Viśvāmitra Muni, when he approached Mahārāja Daśaratha to take with him Rāmacandra and Lakṣmaṇa—They were boys—to kill the Tāḍakā Rākṣasī... There was some disturbance. So although Viśvāmitra Muni could kill, but no, that was not the brāhmaṇa's business. It was the, to kill, to..., was the, to punish, it was king's business. So therefore they approached. So at that time Mahārāja Daśaratha greeted Viśvāmitra Muni: aihiṣṭaṁ yat tat punar-janma-jayāya. Just like when we meet a friend, if he's a businessman... Suppose he comes to see me. I am a sannyāsī, and he's a businessman. I ask him, "How your business is going on?" Because he's engaged in that way. And the gentleman who comes to see me, he will ask me, "Swamiji, how your preaching is going on?" He'll not ask me, "How your business is going on?"
Puṣṭa-kṛṣṇa: Do we believe that Jesus and Buddha and Kṛṣṇa are all manifestations of the same God, or do we believe that Kṛṣṇa is the only one?
Prabhupāda: No. They are manifestation of God. That is all right. We say, keśava dhṛta-buddha-śarīra jaya jagadīśa hare: "O my Lord Buddha, now you have come as Buddha, but you are the same Kṛṣṇa." We pray like that.
Guest (5): I would like to ask this question. You said that Hare Kṛṣṇa helps us along with the path of God realization. Take a simple thing like assuming I was hungry and I said, "food, food, food." That will not necessarily fill me. I'll still be hungry. How could the mere repetition of words bring about God realization?
So people, they know that "There is resultant action of this kind of sinful activity." He knows. Even if he does not know, he sees. Just like a man who has stolen, committed theft. One sees that he is arrested or he is punished, he is put into the prison, and still, he commits stealing. He knows. So similarly, we are hearing from the śāstra that "If you commit this sin..." Just like māṁsa. Māṁsa, this very thing, means, māṁ sa khadati. Therefore flesh is called māṁsa. "The animal which I am killing, he will have the right to kill me and eat me." That is going on, repetition: "I kill you this life. Next life you kill me. In this life you have become a cow or goat. Next time I'll become a cow or goat. You have the right to kill me." This is called karma-bandhana.
So Parīkṣit Mahārāja says, "This kind of committing sin and again become relieved by atone, atonement, repetition, it is just like kuñjara-śaucavat." He's giving very nice example. Kvacin nivartate abhadrāt kvacic carati tat punaḥ, prāyaścittam atho 'pārtham (SB 6.1.10). "Therefore this atonement, to me, is nothing but waste of time." How it is waste of...? Kuñjara-śaucavat. The example, kuñjara means elephant. The elephant cleanses the body very nicely in the water, in the lake, or some water, reservoir, but as soon as comes on the shore takes some dust and overthrows. Those who have seen, that have got experience—immediately the whole body becomes dirty. Immediately taking... Just like we, human beings, we go to the bathroom and cleanse ourself with soap and water, and then we feel comfortable. We do not again take some dirty things and throw over it. But the elephant, animal, does it. These are our examples. So Parīkṣit Mahārāja said that "You may become cleansed by the atonement process, or you may be relieved from the disease by taking some medicine, but if again you commit, then what is the use of this treatment or use of this atonement?"
So this is the second question of Parīkṣit Mahārāja to Śukadeva Gosvāmī, very important question, that how one can ultimately become free from all contamination of these material modes of nature? Otherwise, what is the use of atonement? So that is—I've told you in summary—that unless one comes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, there is no possibility of being freed from this repetition of committing sins and atonement.
Guest: Kṛṣṇa means Christ. He's the whole spirit. We are in the body of man. That is the body of God.
Prabhupāda: The body of man is not exactly body of God. There is no difference between the body and soul of God because it is spiritual. The soul is spiritual, the body is spiritual. Just like if you have got your golden body and golden soul, there is no difference between the soul and body. But in our case, we, as we are, we are spirit soul but this body is material, therefore I am different from this body. But when you are liberated, we get spiritual body, similar, at that time, as Kṛṣṇa has no difference between His body and soul, similarly, we also have no difference between body and soul. But at the present moment we have got difference with the body and soul. Therefore as soon as the soul goes away from this body, the body being matter, "Dust thou art, dust thou beist." It mixes with the matter. The soul takes another body. The whole problem is that we have to stop this repetition of migration from one material body to another material body. That is the highest perfection of life.
Anu means repetition, and anu means following the footsteps of authority, spiritual master, anu. Our process is anu. We don't manufacture anything. We simply follow. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186). Mahājanas. Great personalities, great authorities, that is our process. Guru-mukha-padma-vākya, cittete kariyā aikya, āra na koriya mane āśa **. This is the process. The guru-mukha-padma-vākya **, whatever is coming out of the mouth of the spiritual master... Because he'll never speak nonsense. He'll also speak the same thing which he has heard from his guru. That is called anu, anu, following. So this is very easy. We don't manufacture things. What is the use of manufacturing things? We are imperfect; what we can manufacture? Whatever we shall manufacture, that is imperfect because we are imperfect. The modern scientists, they are manufacturing some ideas. I manufacture, and you manufacture some idea. You defeat me; I defeat you. So tarkaḥ apratiṣṭhaḥ (CC Madhya 17.186). In this way—I defeat you; you defeat me—that will not solve the problem. The problem will be solved when we follow the authority. Anuvarṇitena.
General Lectures
At least five thousand years ago the movement was presented by Kṛṣṇa in the Bhagavad-gītā. From this Bhagavad-gītā we can understand that this system of consciousness was spoken by Him long, long before—He imparted to the sun-god Vivasvān. That calculation goes to show that before the repetition of the Bhagavad-gītā in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra, it was once before explained at least forty million years ago. So this movement is not at all new. It is coming down from disciplic succession, and in India from all great leaders of the Vedic society like Śaṅkarācārya, Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, Viṣṇu Svāmī, Nimbārka, and lately, about 480 years ago, Lord Caitanya. The principle is still being followed today. This Bhagavad-gītā is also very widely persued in all parts of the world by great scholars, philosophers, and religionists. But in most cases the principle is not followed as it is. Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means to present the principles of the Bhagavad-gītā as it is, without any misinterpretation.
After each and every verse we chant, govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **. Similarly, we repeat Kṛṣṇa—Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. Why we repeat? The more we repeat means we learn to love. That is required. Anything which you do not love, you cannot repeat. It will be disgusting. Anything, any word you take, if you simply repeat, you'll feel disgusted. Sometimes those who are not in Kṛṣṇa conscious life, they also feel this repetition as disgusting, hackneyed, because they have not developed love. Rūpa Gosvāmī says that "What shall I chant with one tongue and what shall I hear with two ears? If millions of tongue I would have possessed, then I could chant little." And they're tasting... Because they have got love for Kṛṣṇa, they are tasting the nectarean of chanting. They cannot give up. In the material world also, there are many slogans. We repeat because we love.
The newspaper means the repeated things. Every morning you see something: "Somebody has stolen, somebody was killed, some political leaders have bluffed you," and so many things, the same thing, repetition of the same thing. This is also repetition, Hare Kṛṣṇa, but by this repetition, you enlighten your spiritual life. And by that repetition, you simply waste your time, that carvita-carvaṇānām. So after reading your newspaper, you throw it away. It has no... After one hour of its publication, it has no value. But this Bhagavad-gītā, it was spoken five thousand, years ago, still they are being read with respect and honor. So this kind of literature should be read, not a literature which is printed and you read and glance over and throw it away. So that is man-manā, thinking of Kṛṣṇa. Man-manā bhava mad-bhaktaḥ.
The chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, you have already heard. Superficially it may appear the repetition of the same word, but every mantra with effect is chanted like that. It requires little practice. So the effect of this mantra is stated by Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu: ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12). It will cleanse your heart. If you go on chanting this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, then gradually the dirty things which are accumulated within our hearts, that will be cleansed. This is the process.
The Vedic instruction is, tad vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). Gurum eva, "one must." Eva means "must." Abhigacchet, this verb is used when there is the sense of "must." It never says "Go to a guru," but he says "Must approach the guru." Guru is one. Guru cannot be two. Gurum evābhigacchet. And we see also, practically, in the disciplic succession of guru, the same thing is spoken by the guru. Same thing. Repetition of the same subject matter, no other. Kṛṣṇa said that man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru: (BG 18.65) "Just think of Me," man-manā. "Just become devotee of Me," man-manā bhava mad-bhakto. "Just worship Me and just offer your obeisances unto Me." Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). "Just surrender unto Me." You'll find this instruction in the Bhagavad-gītā. The same thing was spoken by all the ācāryas.
Departure Talks
So therefore this Bhāgavata-dharma is not meant for such persons, who are envious. It is meant for the paramo nirmatsarāṇām, who has given up this envy or envious attitude ultimately. Now, how it is possible? It is possible only when you have learned how to love Kṛṣṇa. Then it is possible. Then you will see that "Everyone is Kṛṣṇa's part and parcel. So he is suffering for want of his Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Let me speak something about Him, about Kṛṣṇa. Let me give some literature to him about Kṛṣṇa so that one day he will come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness and become happy." This is śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ smaraṇam process. We should ourself also continuously hear from authoritative literature, person, and continuously go on chanting the same thing, repetition. That's all. Then everything will be happy atmosphere. Otherwise the crows assembly in the garbage will continue, and nobody will be happy.
Philosophy Discussions
Prabhupāda: That is nonsense. Nothing is accidental. Everything is symmetrical. Therefore, we have to admit that supreme direction, and that is Kṛṣṇa, as stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: "Under My direction everything is going on." The sun is rising on His direction, and when He orders, the sun will not rise. But it is not accidental.
Śyāmasundara: He says that there is no such thing as a cause-and-effect relationship. Just like, for example, we associate friction with heat, but he says that it's a mistake to assume that friction causes heat or possesses any power which must inevitably produce heat. He says that it is a mere repetition of two incidents, so that the effect habitually attends the cause, but it is not necessarily a consequence of it. So the fact that I rub my hands together and there is heat produced, I am used to assuming that the friction causes heat, but he says that it is not necessarily so. Whenever there is friction, there is heat, but that is only because they are associated with each other, not that one causes the other.
Prabhupāda: Then how are they associated?
Śyāmasundara: That one habitually attends the other, but not necessarily as a consequence of it.
Prabhupāda: But who made this law? As soon as they associate, immediately after friction there is heat. So there is a systematic law. The association may be accidental, but as soon as there is friction between the two associates, the law is there must be heat. So there is systematic law. Either you rub the hands, or I rub the hands, the law is that heat must be there, either in your hands or in my hands. That is law.
Śyāmasundara: So everything is coming from Kṛṣṇa and going toward Kṛṣṇa.
Prabhupāda: Going to Kṛṣṇa. Going back. In the mean time there is some manifestation.
Śyāmasundara: Oh. So the unfolding of history is simply a...
Prabhupāda: Repetition. That's all. History repeats.
Śyāmasundara: He also, that's his idea, history (indistinct).
Pradyumna: Hetunānena kaunteya jagad viparivartate.
Prabhupāda: Ah. What is the first line?
Pradyumna: Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10).
Prabhupāda: What is the meaning? (indistinct)
Pradyumna: Material nature is controlled by Me. Under My direction.
Kīrtanānanda: Material nature is working under My direction.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Conversations and Morning Walks
1976 Conversations and Morning Walks
Janadradhi: His point, Śrīla Prabhupāda, is that your purports, you are repeating teachings, but this is wanted. His point is that in the French language, the French language cannot accept such repetitions. So he's asking if you could compact more your purports. But we want to translate your purports with the repetitions because we know they are wanted.
Yogeśvara: The English purport that you give very often will repeat one point for a clear understanding to the reader. Stylistically, in French this is difficult. It is not the accepted standard. French is generally more compact, something is said only one time. So Professor Chenique is hoping that he will see in our future translations a better French style in the translation. And Janadradhi, who is the translator, one of our translators, explains that our point is that we wish to keep your intention by repeating the point so that the reader will understand, because it is being said several times.
Prabhupāda: That is the system in Vedic ways. Just like you see Bhagavad-gītā. In different way Kṛṣṇa has explained the immortality of the soul. You take Bhagavad-gītā, that portion. Find out that.
Prabhupāda: Sixty thousand...
Indian man (3): Dollars. About five lakhs.
Prabhupāda: Books. We are printing books five lakhs, three lakhs, one lakh, fifty thousand. Lowest twenty thousand.
Indian man (3): Volumes.
Prabhupāda: And repetition.
Hari-śauri: They expect to sell twenty thousand copies in one week now. When a new book is published, that first batch of twenty thousand will sell in one week.
1977 Conversations and Morning Walks
Mr. Koshi: Morarji now.
Prabhupāda: Anyone. And in some day he will not be there, somebody will come. That is the history of the whole world. But that will not benefit the human society, politics. It is useless. This knowledge will help make the solution. Dehino 'smin yathā dehe (BG 2.13). We are suffering in this material condition, and He is delivering from this. That is real upakāra. That's the repetition of history, politics.
Mr. Koshi: But it has been going on for quite some time.
Prabhupāda: It is going on, but time immemorial. That is not the solution.
Prabhupāda: Just see. (laughs) And he's asking my blessings for a guru. He's a fanatic. (break) ...know that story, punar muṣako bhava. (laughter)
Jayatīrtha: Yes. That's a very suitable story for this case.
Prabhupāda: "Again become a mouse." That's all. "I made you tiger. Now you want to eat me? All right, you become again a mouse." (break) That is called dṛḍha-vrata, firm determination. Hm. Go on. (break) Doesn't create any... That is bhakti life. Yāre dekha tāre kaha kṛṣṇa-upadeśa (CC Madhya 7.128). Bas. So where is the difficulty? The things are already there. I have to repeat it only. Why shall I create, make hodgepodge everything? But that they do not know. Bhaktivedanta has no difficulty. The things are already there. Simply you have to present them as it is. That's all. You become Vaiṣṇava. Where is the difficulty? And as soon as you change, become over-intelligent, spoiled, everything spoiled. That is the... (recording grows very faint, then inaudible) (break) What arrangement is...? What arrangement is made? (break) And if they do not repeat, they fell down(?). You have to bring. You cannot satisfy everyone. That is not possible. Here Nārada Muni is blaming Vyāsadeva, "You have not repeated." And here is a scholar, and he has repeated. The actual position is repetition. Kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ (CC Adi 17.31). That is the position. So we shall go on doing that.
Correspondence
1969 Correspondence
I am in due receipt of your letter dated May 29, 1969, and I have noted the contents. I am very glad that the Queen has consented the Redundant Churches Bill, and there is good chance of getting one church for our temple. There are many redundant churches because the Christian people are gradually deviating from their religious beliefs on account of stereotype presentation of the Bible by sophisticated priests. Modern youths are educated in advance, so they are no more interested in repetition of the same static mottos. They want something dynamic, progress in spiritual understanding, but the Christian priests could not satisfy them. In comparison to all these dogmatic principles, our KC movement presents everything in the right perspective, even from scientific and philosophical point of view. So if you can secure one church in England for utilizing in our movement, I think we shall be able to secure many such churches all over the world. We have great respect for Lord Jesus Christ. We accept him as powerful incarnation of Krishna, as much as we accept Lord Buddha. We can adjust the Buddhists, Christians, and even the Mohammedans to our KC movement, so if the religious heads of these faiths try to understand our philosophy, certainly there will be great impetus in the matter of spiritual rejuvenation of the world.
I have seen what you have written about your protection by my humble self, but that is inevitable when a Spiritual Master accepts somebody as disciple. Krishna says in Bhagavad-gita that He takes charge of a surrendered soul; so much so that Lord Krishna protects His devotee from all his sinful activities in the past. Similarly, the Spiritual Master, when He accepts a disciple and the disciple surrenders unto Him, He has got the responsibility of absorbing the sinful reaction of His disciples life. This is a great responsibility of the Spiritual Master. We should therefore be very careful not to overburden our Spiritual Master by further repetition of sinful activities. Of course, one who has entered into Krishna Consciousness cannot act deliberately anything sinful. Still, we should always be on guard against such activities. Sometimes we hear that people are going to church to confess their sinful actions for being excused, but as soon as he comes out of the church, he begins the same drama again.
1970 Correspondence
Regarding your 11th point, the line should read
- jagannatha-svami nyayana pathagami bhavatu me.
Yes, it is just a line for repetition of a great verse prayer for Jagannatha-svami, but I do not remember the whole verses just now, neither do I remember immediately where it can be found. For the present you be satisfied with this one line. Regarding ___ tipadika sabda, I consulted grammar and it is correct to mention the first case ending or nominative case. The authorized injunction in this connection is as follows:
- abhidheyamartre prathama
- pratipadikartha langa parinama
- vacana matre pratama
Translation: The sound which indicates a particular subject or word should be the first case ending or nominative case.
I am so pleased to know that your efforts at placing our books in the local libraries is successful and it is especially heartening to learn that they already have got our books on their shelves. That is factual proof that these purely transcendental literatures are very attractive to the reading class of the public. It is also good news that your recent marriage celebration in Krsna Consciousness was filmed for display by a large television station. People will very soon come to appreciate the Krsna Conscious way of life as distinct from the dull repetition of materialistic activities. I have noted the news article sent by you and it appears very nice. I beg to thank your good wife for the gorgeous handkerchief which she has so thoughtfully offered to my Radha Krsna Deities. I am also glad that you are regularly sending the maintenance checks for your Temple to Karandhara. Thank you very much for this.
1971 Correspondence
That you are receiving so much coverage on television is very encouraging, especially that in Cleveland your response was so good that they set up another interview. When there is repetition like that, it shows great appreciation. So far as using television coverage to present our life membership program to the public, that is first class idea. Instead of approaching the people directly, they can then approach us. So continue in this way and Krishna will give you all facility. Also I am glad to hear how the parents of one of our devotees is taking to Krishna Consciousness. Why not ask them to become our life member?
I am in due receipt of your letter undated, and I have noted the contents carefully. You may name your daughter Mitra dasi, I have no objection. You may call your children as you like, but you should always inform my secretary to make sure the name is entered on our list to avoid repetition. Later, the children may be given another name upon initiation, as it is seen fit. You ask if children may be taken to ordinary medical doctors. Why not? Of course we do not always trust that these doctors maybe doing the right thing, but what can be done? The governing principle for our activity should be to do what is favorable for pleasing Krishna. So if your child requires medical attention to be fit for serving Krishna, then it is only practical she should get it. Same thing—if the government is giving you money, why not use it for Krishna? Only thing we must avoid cheating them or falsely claiming something to get money. Then we are risking our very high reputation as pious people. But if they are willing to give us money and food, then of course we should accept.
| Page Title: | Repetition (Lect. Conv. & Letters) |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti |
| Created: | 09 of Jun, 2011 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=19, Con=34, Let=6 |
| No. of Quotes: | 59 |