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So-called affection

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Srimad-Bhagavatam

SB Canto 1

The so-called affection for family, society, country, etc., consists of different phases of sense gratification.
SB 1.8.42, Purport: Perfection of pure devotional service is attained when all attention is diverted towards the transcendental loving service of the Lord. To cut off the tie of all other affections does not mean complete negation of the finer elements, like affection for someone else. This is not possible. A living being, whoever he may be, must have this feeling of affection for others because this is a symptom of life. The symptoms of life, such as desire, anger, hankerings, feelings of attraction, etc., cannot be annihilated. Only the objective has to be changed. Desire cannot be negated, but in devotional service the desire is changed only for the service of the Lord in place of desire for sense gratification. The so-called affection for family, society, country, etc., consists of different phases of sense gratification. When this desire is changed for the satisfaction of the Lord, it is called devotional service.

Lectures

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.8.41 -- Mayapura, October 21, 1974: So this is the way that Kuntī is praying, that sneha-pāśam imaṁ chindhi dṛḍham . So in this way we can get rid of the so-called affection for society, friendship, love, country, nationalism... No. Our sneha, affection, is completely transferred to Kṛṣṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
The so-called affection and duty and so on, so on, "Give up." This is vairāgya-vidyā.
Lecture on SB 1.8.47 -- Mayapura, October 27, 1974: Who is this Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu? He immediately recognized, "He is Kṛṣṇa. He is Kṛṣṇa." Kṛṣṇa, as the Supreme Person, He ordered this vairāgya-vidyā, "Just give up, nonsense, all these things. Just surrender to Me." This is vairāgya-vidyā. The so-called affection and duty and so on, so on, sarva-dharmān parityajya: [Bg. 18.66] "Give up." This is vairāgya-vidyā. So Sarvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya could understand that "He is the same Kṛṣṇa, same Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead ordered, but He did not personally teach how to become elevated in vairāgya-vidyā. Here is the same person, He has come again to teach practically how to attain this vairāgya-vidyā stage." Therefore he said, vairāgya-vidyā-nija-bhakti-yogam [Cc. Madhya 6.254]. Vairāgya-vidyā means you become detestful to the material thing—paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate [Bg. 9.59]—but, as Kuntī said that "My affection may increase for you," vairāgya-vidyā means not only simply give up affection of this material, but you increase your affection for Kṛṣṇa. That is vairāgya, not that giving up all affection for the material world, you become zero. The zero stage is brahma-bhūta [SB 4.30.20] stage: "I have no more any affection for material things." But zero stage, you cannot stay. That is not our nature. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). We want ānanda.

Correspondence

1968 Correspondence

When one is awakened, one becomes completely detached from the so-called affection for designations, namely, society, friendship and love.
Letter to Rayarama -- Seattle 17 October, 1968: Our Krishna Consciousness movement is built on this idea, that we want to make a world civilization on the basis of spiritual understanding. So I am giving you some points which you may expand or do it for understanding of the people in general. But the point should be as follows:

1st point, that any civilization devoid of God consciousness or Krishna Consciousness, is no civilization at all. It is simply a polished type of animal society. This is the first point. So at the present moment, the modern civilization on the basis of so-called scientific knowledge and economic development is trying to avoid God consciousness, or Krishna Consciousness—that is the defect of the modern civilization. Therefore, in spite of all advancement it is zero. So zero has no value. And millions of zeros put together does not make any value. But one is put on the left side of the zero, it increases the value. Then one zero becomes 10, two zero becomes 100, three zero becomes 1000, so it is very nice. This point should be clearly discussed, that without God conciousness, Krishna Consciousness, any attempt of human civilization so-called philosophical or political or economical or labor, they are all zeros. The human society should be divided as a social order, as the intellectual men, the administrator class, and the mercantile class, and the laborer class. And so far spiritual order, they should be divided as the renounced order of life, retired order of life, householder, and student life.

Third point, all these 8 divisions are meant for understanding the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and this Krishna Consciousness movement is meant for teaching this necessities of human civilization. Fourth point, so far the administrator class of men, or mercantile class of men, and laborer class of men, there are many institutions but to train a first class intellectual man, there is no institution all over the world. And there is no institution for spiritual training also. So this Krishna Consciousness movement is trying to help the human society on these two points, which they are lacking. So we have therefore taken a large tract of land to begin with, in W. Virginia, the place is called New Vrindaban. So we want to train students for becoming the first class intellectual person, and instruct the whole human society about the aim of life, and Krishna Consciousness or God consciousness. So we are inviting the desiring or intending students to join in our institution and we invite the public and government to cooperate with our movement. The fifth point is that in whatever division one may be situated, this very aim of life should be to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It is the duty of everyone, it doesn't matter in what status of life he is situated, but if he wants to have a successful life, then he must learn to see how by his activities the Supreme Lord is satisfied. That should be the aim. Then it does not matter what is the position and occupation of the man, but he is in the right order of civilization because his very aim is to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Next point, And in order to learn this art, how he is able to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one has to take instruction or education in the art of Krishna Consciousness, by reading Bhagavad-gita as it is, by reading Srimad-Bhagavatam, which are calculated the science of God, and following the Teachings of Lord Caitanya, such practice should be performed 24 hours. It is not that one may meditate for 15 minutes, and he becomes spiritually advanced, it is not possible. So the Krishna Consciousness movement is training people how to be absorbed in the thought of Krishna, 24 hours. Take for example, the Bhagavad-gita: the instruction of Krishna in the Bhagavad-gita are just suitable for a perfect human civilization. So one should learn this teachings of Bhagavad-gita as it is.

Next point, in order to understand this teachings of Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam, there should be centers where people can assemble daily, morning and evening, and try to understand this Krishna Consciousness or God consciousness movement. So we are trying to open branches all over the world in every city, in every town, in every village, and people should take advantage of it. There is no question of monetary transaction to enter into these centers and institutions, but because we have to maintain such institutions, public should voluntarily contribute and that is very gladly accepted. Next point, when people are accustomed to associate with these different centers, of Krishna Consciousness movement, they will one day come out of the material concept of life. Just like one becomes awakened from sleep. While sleeping, one sees so many nonsense dreams, but as soon as one is awakened, he becomes conscious that oh, I was seeing so many nonsense dreams, actually it has no existence. Similarly, when a person becomes Krishna Conscious, he can understand the falsity representation of this material civilization. Next point, and when he is awakened, he becomes completely detached from the so-called affection for designations, namely, society, friendship and love. Next point, by such understanding, one is not so much materially active. One is satisfied with income which can simply maintain his body and soul together and he is no more interested to increase the bank balance unnecessarily for sense gratification. The defect of the modern civilization that everyone is earning money undoubtedly in large volumes, but he does not know how to spend. He is spending simply for sense gratification and the last word of sense gratification is sex, therefore all money is being spent up for intoxication and sexual life, nudey dance, nudey theater, in so many ways. That means they are spoiling their human source of energy. Next point, one should be so trained up that within the heart he will be freed from all material attraction, but so long the body is there, to keep the body and soul together, he has to work like ordinary man. Next point, the society, friendship and love of material existence may be accepted without any attraction, and whatever the so-called society, friendship and love wants to take service from us, one should simply say, yes, it is very nice, but actually he should give more importance for spiritual advancement of life.

Next point, one should know it certain that material resources, either in this planet or in other planets, either in the sky or within the earth, namely in the mines, all the properties that is being utilized at the present moment as economic development, one should understand definitely that all the ingredients supplied or all the ingredients stocked, for example, the petroleum now stocked within the earth, and people are utilizing it for so many power machinery—one should know that this petroleum belongs to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It is not man-made. Nor the scientists can manufacture. Similarly everything, all commodities, all things, all properties, they are made by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This understanding must be there. Next point, one can enjoy such properties but with this understanding, that they belong to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Just like one is situated in the public park in a very nice garden, public park, but one should always remember that the public park does not belong to him, personally. But it is the property of the government or the state. Next point, therefore, the properties made by the Supreme Personality of Godhead can be utilized by all living entities. Every living entities, not only the human beings, but also the animals, they have got right to live on the property of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Next point, nobody can encroach upon the right of other living entities. Everyone is supplied by the Lord, the fooding, shelter, by natural arrangement, so nobody should encroach upon the right of living of others. As such, the human being considered to be the highest developed conscious animals, so if they utilize this consciousness in relationship with Krishna, that is called Krishna Consciousness. Next point, a Krishna Conscious person does not encroach upon the right of other living beings, as such they do not approve organized slaughterhouses for killing animals. Next point, if you maintain slaughterhouses then you have to suffer the consequence, because in the law of nature, there is no distinction between one life to another. Every living entity is equally valuable. Next point, every living entity is claimed as the son of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, they may be dressed differently, because the body is dress, the body is not identification with the living entity, therefore the living entity may be dressed in 8,400,000 of different dresses, and the living entity as he is, there is no qualitative difference between human being and animal. Therefore, their material necessities are the same, namely, eating, sleeping, mating, and defending.

Next point, the foolish idea that animals or plants or other living entities have no life, is the basic cause of human sinful activities. Next point, one should be satisfied only to fulfill the belly, that is the eating process. If you can satisfy your belly by such things as grains, vegetables, fruits and milk, you have no right to kill another animal for satisfying the taste of your tongue. The human society is meant for living on the natural production, namely, grains, fruits, vegetables, and milk. They should not indulge extravagantly for other things. And if actually they are Krishna Conscious, they know the art of how to prepare thousands of palatable dishes only from the varieties of vegetables, grains, fruits, and milk. If anyone takes more than he requires then he is to be understood a thief. Nobody should accumulate for future consumption of family, society, or nation, more money or more grains or more vegetables or more eatables, one should have only as much as he requires. If there is greater production, that should be distributed to persons who need them. Because food grains, especially, they are meant for all living entities, they should not be spoiled. Next point, therefore, one who spoils food grains unnecessarily, he is criminal. And one who accumulates more money than is actually required, he is also criminal. And according to the law of nature, or according to the law of God, such persons are surely to be punished.
Page Title:So-called affection
Compiler:Archana
Created:04 of Dec, 2008
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=1, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=2, Con=0, Let=1
No. of Quotes:4