View source for A man has become devotee, at the same time smoking - this is ludicrous. A devotee cannot smoke, cannot indulge in intoxication, nor illicit sex or meat... They cannot

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<div id="Lectures" class="section" sec_index="4" parent="compilation" text="Lectures"><h2>Lectures</h2>
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<div id="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" class="sub_section" sec_index="1" parent="Lectures" text="Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures"><h3>Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures</h3>
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<div id="LectureonSB1212VrndavanaOctober231972_0" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="64" link="Lecture on SB 1.2.12 -- Vrndavana, October 23, 1972" link_text="Lecture on SB 1.2.12 -- Vrndavana, October 23, 1972">
<div class="heading">A man has become devotee, at the same time smoking—this is ludicrous. This is ludicrous. A devotee cannot smoke, cannot indulge in intoxication, nor illicit sex or meat... They cannot. That is disqualification. That means he's not on the platform. This is the practical.
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<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 1.2.12 -- Vrndavana, October 23, 1972|Lecture on SB 1.2.12 -- Vrndavana, October 23, 1972]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">So human life is not meant for that purpose. It is a chance given by the nature's way. Aśītiṁ caturaś caiva lakṣāṁs tāñ jīva-jātiṣu. Eight million, four hundred thousands forms of life we are passing through. Nature has given a chance, this human form of body, especially civilized form of body... (aside:) Hmm? Don't do that. What is the purpose? Just like try to understand, a government servant, a big minister or M.P.'s, they're given all facilities of living condition, good bungalow, nice salary, servant. What is the purpose? The purpose is that with cool brain, satisfied mind, they'll do, be able to render valuable service to the administration. That is the purpose. Similarly, human being has been given so much facilities. The grains, the fruits, the flowers, the milk, intelligence to construct nice house, nice road, nice cities. The cats and dogs, they cannot do it. Why? You live peacefully and try to understand the value of life. Not that we get more facilities for bodily comfort and we engaged ourself in sense gratification. No.</p>
<p>Just like in the Western world, they have been endowed with so much facilities of comfortable life, but because they do not know how to utilize the comfortable situation of life, there is so much chaos and confusion. The so rich nations, young boys and girls, they are turning to be hippies. Because they do not find... It is hackneyed. The same wine, same women, and same motorcar and same road, it has become disgusting. That is the nature's way. Because human life is not meant for that purpose. Human life is meant for, as it is said in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā nārtho yaś ceha karmabhiḥ. You are working so hard... You are so working hard... Why? Is it meant for simply sense gratification and satisfying the bodily needs? That is being done by the hogs and dogs. The... We see the hogs and dogs, they are always busy. So this human form of life is not meant for that purpose. Jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā. Earn money, but... Be comfortable, but utilize time—tattva-jijñāsā, athāto brahma jijñāsā. That is your aim of life.</p>
<p>So this has been described in the previous verses: jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā nārtho yaś ceha karmabhiḥ. If you have no program for tattva-jijñāsā, then why should you work so hard? Food is available for birds and beasts. You have also your food. That is already there, destined by nature's way, by God's arrangement. Eko bahūnāṁ yo vidadhāti kāmān. God provides food just before your birth. A child takes birth; the mother, young mother, has no milk on the breast a minute ago. But as soon as the child is born, immediately there is profuse milk in the breast of the mother. That is the nature's arrangement. Before birth, the food, the child immediately require, the mother's breast, there is milk supply immediately. So by God's arrangement, the economic position is already arranged. Our only business is tattva-jijñāsā.</p>
<p>What is that tattva? Brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate ([[Vanisource:SB 1.2.11|SB 1.2.11]]). The original cause of everything, the cause of all causes. That is already mentioned in the Vedas, that Kṛṣṇa:</p>
:īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ
:sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ
:anādir ādir govindaḥ
:sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam
:(Bs. 5.1)
<p>The cause of all causes. Why you have come to this material world? Why you are under the threefold miserable condition of life: adhyātmika, adhibhautika, adhidaivika. These things are to be inquired. "I do not wish to die, but death is forced upon me. I do not want to become old man. Old age is forced upon me." So these are the inquiries, tattva-jijñāsā. But they are not interested. Neither educational department, nor any other department. They are simply interested, "Where is money? Where is money? Where is money?" Divā cārthehayā rājan kuṭumba-bharaṇena vā ([[Vanisource:SB 2.1.3|SB 2.1.3]]). We are spoiling our night simply by sleeping. And, and those who have got sex facilities, they enjoying sex life. This is the night's engagement. And day's engagement, "Where is money? Where is money? Where is money?" And if we get money, then how to spend it for relatives, for sons, children. That's all. Divā cārthehayā rājan.</p>
<p>So in this way we shall not spoil our life. The life's purpose is different. They do not know. The modern civilization do not know what is the purpose of life. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum ([[Vanisource:SB 7.5.31|SB 7.5.31]]). They are trying to make adjustment, political situation, social situation in so many problems. The United Nations, they're trying to solve the problems of whole nation, but still the war is going on between such and such party, such and such party, and everyone busy in politics and diplomacy. This way, the problems of life cannot be solved. If there is any solution of the problems of life, it is actually this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Those who are intelligent, they should study the purpose of Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement and try to apply in all fields of activities—political, social, religious, anything, economical. Everything can be solved. Jīva, jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā. This is called inquiry, inquisitiveness about the Absolute Truth.</p>
<p>Now this verse is describing how one can become interested in the values of life. The values of life is to inquire the Absolute Truth, how this inclination can be developed or how Kṛṣṇa consciousness can be developed. Tattva-jijñāsā means Brahman, Paramātmā, and Bhagavān, Kṛṣṇa. Now how this inclination... There is inclination in everyone, but by artificial means, they have been checked. Otherwise, normally, this inclination is there in everyone's heart. Nitya-siddha kṛṣṇa-bhakti sādhya kabhu naya. It is not an artificial imposition. Naturally there is tendency to know, if he's a sane man, "What I am? What is God? What is my relationship with Him? Why I am suffering?" There are so many questions. So here it is suggested that if you are actually serious about tattva-jijñāsā, to understand the Absolute Truth, this is the process. What is that? Tat śraddadhānāḥ. Śraddhā. Śraddhā means that at least to understand that "These people are doing some nice things." Just like in Europe and America, the papers are now discussing about our Movement. They say, "They are nice people, and we want more of them." At least, they are saying like that. Yes. "These Hare Krishna people, they are very nice, and we want more of them." And in Berkeley, when our procession was taken, the neighboring shopkeepers, they remarked that "These people are not window-breaking crowd." Because as soon as there is some crowd, or procession, immediately they begin to break the windows and throw stones. That is, that has become a custom. So when they see that these people are very peaceful... Even the police, they also give certificate that "We don't have to take much worries to control this crowd," when our Ratha-yātrā festival go.</p>
<p>So actually, this is the fact. Yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā sarvair guṇais tatra samāsate surāḥ ([[Vanisource:SB 5.18.12|SB 5.18.12]]). If one develops Kṛṣṇa consciousness, devotion to Kṛṣṇa, then naturally, without any separate endeavor, all the good qualities will develop. This is the symptom how one is advancing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That means all the good qualities will be visible in his character. That is practical. Anyone can test. Just like these boys, these girls, European, American boys and girls who have taken to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, just see how their bad habits have been altogether stopped. Sarvair guṇais tatra samāsate surāḥ. All good qualities will develop. You see practically. You see practically. These young boys and girls, they never asked me that "Give me some money. I shall go to cinema," or "I shall purchase a packet of cigarettes. I shall drink." No. This is practical. And everyone knows that from the very their birth, they are accustomed to eat meat, and... I do not know from the very beginning whether they are accustomed to take intoxicants. But actually they were habituated to these things, but they have altogether given up. They don't drink tea even, coffee, cigarettes, anything. Sarvair guṇais tatra samāsate... This is the test. A man has become devotee, at the same time smoking—this is ludicrous. This is ludicrous. A devotee cannot smoke, cannot indulge in intoxication, nor illicit sex or meat... They cannot. That is disqualification. That means he's not on the platform. This is the practical.</p>
<p>So tat śraddadhānāḥ. The first thing is śraddhā. Ādau śraddhā. That is the beginning of Kṛṣṇa conscious life. Rūpa Gosvāmī has given this formula that in order to attain to the perfectional stage of life, how to love God,... Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means that we are try, teaching people how to love God. This is the sum and substance. Unfortunately, people have no idea of God, who is God, what is His form... Generally, they think God has no form. If anyone has advanced little in spiritual life, they come to the point of nirākāra, or nirviśeṣa-brahman, formless. That is the first step in Brahman realization. We have already described this. But beyond that they don't want to proceed. They think this is fac..., this is final, to realize the impersonal feature of the Absolute Truth, that is final. That is Māyāvāda philosophy. No, that is not final. Still you have to advance, realize Paramātmā. Still you have to advance, realize God, the Supreme Personality of God.</p>
<p>So we are teaching people how to love the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That means one who has surpassed the realm of Brahman and Paramātmā, they can realize, they can understand what is the process of loving God. If they have no idea of God, then whom to love? You cannot love air or sky. You must have form. But they have no idea what is the form of God. Therefore śāstra says, "Here is form." Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1). Vigraha means form. Without form, how we can love? So to come to that perfectional stage, how to love God, this is our philosophy. How to love God. Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje ([[Vanisource:SB 1.2.6|SB 1.2.6]]). That is first-class religious system which helps the followers to come to the point to love God. That is first-class religion.</p>
:sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo
:yato bhaktir adhokṣaje
:ahaituky apratihatā
:yayātmā suprasīdati
:([[Vanisource:SB 1.2.6|SB 1.2.6]])
<p>If you want actually peace and tranquillity, ātmā, of your self, of your mind, of your body, everything fully, then this is the process. This is the aim, how to love God.</p>
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