So na jāyate na mriyate vā kadācit. Kadācit means at anytime, past, present, and future, kadācit. In the past, it is already explained, in the past we existed, maybe in a different body. At present, we are existing, and in the future also, we shall exist, continue to exist, maybe in a different body. Maybe, not. Actually. Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13), because after giving us this body, we have to accept another body. So this is going on. And ignorance, without knowledge of self, we are being kept in ignorance. The so-called educational system, all over the world, there is no such education. They are kept in darkness and ignorance and still so much money is being spent, especially in the Western countries. They have got money, big, big high schools, but what is the production? All fools and rascals. That's all. Because they do not know. They have no idea what is self. And without this knowledge... Knowledge means self-realization, that "I am not this body; I am spirit soul." That is knowledge. And knowledge how to eat, how to sleep, how to defend, how to enjoy sex life, and volumes of books on this subject matter, these are not knowledge. They are known even by the cats and dogs. The cats and dogs never read Freud's philosophy, but they know how to enjoy sex life.
Volume - of a book (Lectures)
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
We have already written Caitanya-caritāmṛta, thirteen volumes. You have shown these books? You will find. So, Caitanya Mahāprabhu is also incarnation of Kṛṣṇa, but He is very liberal.
- namo mahā-vadānyāya
- kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te
- kṛṣṇāya kṛṣṇa-caitanya-
- nāmne gaura-tviṣe namaḥ
- (CC Madhya 19.53)
He is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa came, He left behind Him this instruction of Bhagavad-gītā. Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham (BG 4.7). We can consult Bhagavad-gītā at any time and we can associate with Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's instruction—nondifferent. When you read Bhagavad-gītā, you'll, if you read very seriously, you will feel Kṛṣṇa is present before you and He is instructing.
So we request you to read our books. We have got many volumes of books, but we are giving information to the people of the world that "You can get out of this entanglement of birth, death, old age and disease and be transferred to the spiritual world, where you can live eternally with blissful life and full of knowledge."
So those who are actually serious to know about God, they'll come to this movement. And those who simply know God officially: "There is God. That's all," that is different thing. That is also good. But if you want to know more, then you have to take this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We are therefore presenting these books, eighty books, four hundred pages each, and just to explain what is God. So it is a great science. Any intelligent man will appreciate. And we are getting good response. Especially in America, big, big university, college, professors, they are now purchasing. We have proposed to publish Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam in sixty volumes, but we have published only fourteen. But still, the big, big professors, they are giving us order, forward order, for all the sixty volumes. As soon as scholarly people, they read these books, they'll welcome this movement all over the world.
So that jñānam, theoretical, and vijñānam, sa-vijñānaṁ vakṣyāmi, Kṛṣṇa will teach, "Take this jñānam." The most perfect personality. So this is our business. But do we...? We don't care for Kṛṣṇa. We do not know Kṛṣṇa and what to speak of taking knowledge from Him. The knowledge is there, but we are so fool that we do not take knowledge from Bhagavad-gītā. We manufacture our own knowledge. This is called māyā. Māyā is so strong that she'll not allow to take real knowledge from the real person, but we shall read volumes of books who are defective with their four kinds of imperfectness, namely they commit mistake, they are illusioned, they are cheater and their senses are imperfect.
So this knowledge of brahma-saukhyam is... In so many ways they are instructed in Vedic literature. We have got volumes and volumes of Vedic literature. The first, we have got the four Vedas. Then we have got the Upaniṣads. Then we have got Vedānta-sūtra. Then we have got Mahābhārata, Rāmāyaṇa, then Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and so many. And one book, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, it contains eighteen thousand verses. Mahābhārata contains hundreds of thousand verses. There are eighteen Purāṇas and 108 Upaniṣads and Vedānta-sūtra—immense literature for understanding what is brahma-saukhyam. So these literatures are meant for the human society, not for the cat society, dog society.
Of course, there are many rascals. They will say so, that "I have no time." So anyway, generally people will hear. So when he says, "All right, what do you want to say?" Dante nidhāya tṛṇakaṁ padayor nipatya kāku-śataṁ kṛtvā ca ahaṁ brav..., he sādhavaḥ, again flattering: "O the great sādhu, you are...," although you know he is a great rascal. (laughter) Still, I will have to speak to him. This is the process of preaching. Is that all right? You tell him, "Oh, you are a great sādhu." Then he will be: "Oh, yes, yes. (laughter) You are right. You are right. What do you want from me? Tell me." Then you can say, he sādhavaḥ sakalam eva vihāya dūrād: "What every rascaldom you have learned, please forget. (laughter) Please forget." "Then what I have to do?" Caitanya-candra-caraṇe kurutānurāgam. "You become adhered to the lotus feet of Lord Caitanya. That is my... That's all. So I have brought this Caitanya-caritāmṛta, seventeen volumes. If you kindly take this..." So they will take. They have got money. And if he reads one line, he'll be perfect. This should be your process of preaching.
If this is a fact, that one has to come to this point after cultivating knowledge for many, many births, then why not accept it immediately? Why shall I wait for many, many births if this is a fact? So that requires little intelligence. It does not require many, many births. It requires little intelligence. Take to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness seriously; your problems are solved. Now, if you don't believe in it, then come to argument, come to philosophy, come to reason. Go on arguing. There are volumes of books. You can be convinced. You can learn it. Every answer is there in the Bhagavad-gītā. You can try to understand it with your reason, with your arguments. It is open.
His duty is, that is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā in the last verse of the Ninth Chapter, that duty is man-manā bhava. You are thinking of something. Everyone of us, embodied, we think something. Without thinking, for a moment, you cannot stay. That is not possible. So this is the duty. You think of Kṛṣṇa. You think of Kṛṣṇa. You'll have to think something. So what is the harm if you think of Kṛṣṇa? Kṛṣṇa has got so many activities, so many literatures, and so many things. Kṛṣṇa comes here. We have got volumes and volumes of books. If you want to think of Kṛṣṇa, we can supply you so many literatures that you cannot finish with your whole life if you twenty-four hours read. So thinking of Kṛṣṇa, there is sufficient. Think of Kṛṣṇa. Man-manā bhava. Oh, I can think of you.
Persons... Let them remain in their own position but adopt this principle. What is that? The principle is that jñāne prayāsam udapāsya. Give up this nonsense speculation, volumes of books. The world is producing every year volumes of books, and they're useless. After six months that is useless, thrown. So don't take to that speculative process, this way and that way, this way and that way, because our senses are limited. How you can have the Supreme Truth known by these imperfect blunt senses?
f you work in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that is real intelligence. And if you work against Kṛṣṇa, that is foolishness. That is the distinction between intelligent and foolishness. Jñānam. Jñāna means knowledge. Now, so far knowledge is concerned, here is a key packet. If you want to make research who has made this packet, who has discovered it, in which country first it was introduced, in what material it is made, oh, you can write volumes of books. You can speculate in any damn thing, and you can write volumes of books. That does not mean that you are a man of knowledge. There are so many.
Jñāna, knowledge and the... Books, volumes of books on any subject matter. As there are different types of magazines for differents of books. Big, big philosophers. Just like written philosophy on the sex impulse. To understand. This is rascaldom. Nobody is how to laugh, how to cry, how to eat, and how to enjoy sex life. No school, college is required to understand these things. These are everyone knows. Volumes of books are required to understand this real knowledge here.
Just like at the present moment, amongst the scientists the knowledge is going on that life is made of matter, from matter, chemical evolution theory. And such person also being awarded with Nobel prize. He is going on on the wrong field of knowledge, that life is product of matter; by combination of matter, life is produced. It is not knowledge. It is ignorance. But by speculative process, one is writing a big volume of books and he is getting Nobel Prize. Where is the proof that by combination of matter life comes out?
We find nowadays, big, big philosophers write volumes of book, simply theorizing without any understanding of the spirit soul. Big, big philosopher. And Kṛṣṇa says that if one simply puts philosophical theories for some utopian ideas, "Now time is coming which will be like this, like that." No. Time is there already. You cannot manufacture time like this or like that. It will go on. It is eternal. It is eternal.
That is confirmed in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Bhaktim udasya te vibho kliśyanti ye kevala-bodha-labdhaye. Kevala-bodha-labdhaye, simply to understand. And you can take any insignificant thing, and if you want to speculate upon it, you can write volumes of books, but what is the use of such knowledge? Simply waste of time.
In the beginning a small child cannot understand what is mathematic, but if he studies mathematic science, he one day becomes a very big mathematician, the same child. Similarly, this spiritual science, every one of you can become spiritually advanced provided you study the science. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. It is not a bluff sentiment. It is a great science. Those who are actually studious, they can understand the science perfectly if they study all our books. We have got twenty volumes books like this already published. And we propose to publish seventy-two volumes, how to understand God. So God is not so cheap thing, that "I have become God; you have become God." It is a great science. So those who want to understand God scientifically, philosophically, let them read these books. That is our presentation, Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
If you know Vedānta, then you have known everything. Kasmin vijñāte sarvam idaṁ vijñātaṁ bhavati. So still, after compiling Vedānta-sūtra philosophy, Vyāsadeva was not satisfied. He was feeling some vacancy. He was sorry. So his spiritual master, Nārada, appeared before his disciple Vyāsadeva. So Nārada could understand that Vyāsadeva was not happy even after compiling so many big, big volumes of literature, Vedic literature. So he questioned, "Pārāśara..." Vyāsadeva's father was Parāśara Muni. So he addressed him, "Pārāśara." "So why you are unhappy? You have studied everything. You have undergone all kinds of penances. You have performed all Vedic rituals. You have written so many books. Why you are unhappy?" He answered, "My dear lord, what you say, it is all right, that I am not happy. But you can find out the cause. Because you know everyone's heart, you can find out the cause."
Just like the mental speculators, they are making research, "What is God?" Speculating. You have got experience, they are writing volumes of books simply by speculation. So to them, this word is the answer. What is that? Adhah-kṛtaṁ akṣajaṁ jñānam: "You may go on speculating for many thousands of years; still you will be cut down, you will never be able to understand what is God." Therefore this particular word is used, adhokṣaja. Adhah-kṛtaṁ akṣajaṁ jñānaṁ yatra tatram. This is the Sanskrit definition of this word.
Just like athāto brahma jijñāsā. Atha, "now," ataḥ, "after this," brahma, "the Supreme Absolute Truth," jijñāsā, "one should inquire." Now you can explain in volumes of books athāto brahma jijñāsā. So there are different commentators, they have explained when brahma-jijñāsā should begin, when one should be prepared to inquire about the Supreme. Somebody says, "After karma-kāṇḍīya, after finishing all these sense gratificatory processes," or "After this, after this." Because the word is atha, "now, hereinafter." "Therefore." "Therefore," that's atha. This word is very significant, atha.
Just like I give you the hint of research work that, Kṛṣṇa says that "The earth is my energy, separated energy." And earth is the cause of the wood. And wood is the cause of the fire. Fire is the cause of melting... So many, so many. You can go. So idaṁ hi puṁsas tapasaḥ...kavibhir nirūpitaḥ. Describe the attributes of Kṛṣṇa. You can write. Just like you can write volumes of books on this table. If you are intelligent enough, you can make research work on the table. But in that research work, conclude that Kṛṣṇa is the origin. A carpenter can, he can write about Kṛṣṇa, if he's thoughtful. Anyone. Therefore it is said, yad-uttamaśloka-guṇānuvarṇanam. Whatever your profession is there, you know that the original cause is Kṛṣṇa. Now make research work and find out how Kṛṣṇa is the original cause. That is education. That is wanted.
So this practice should be adopted. Don't waste time. As much as possible, try to hear about this transcendental subject matter, Bhāgavatam. Yad vaiṣṇavānāṁ priyam. It is stated that "The Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is very, very dear to the Vaiṣṇavas, to the devotees." In Vṛndāvana, you will find, they are always reading Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. That is their life and soul. So now we have got already six volumes, and further... How many? Eight volumes are coming? So you will have enough stock. So you should read. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ. That is the main business. That is pure devotional service. Because we cannot devote twenty-four hours in hearing and chanting; therefore we have extended our activities, program activities, in so many ways. Otherwise, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is so nice, if you practice anywhere, any condition, simply by reading Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, you will be happy. So adopt this practice and make your spiritual life perfect more and more.
One, all four hundred pages, like this. We don't publish a book less than this volume. So just imagine how much we have to learn about our spiritual life. In no other system—religious system you may call, or cultural system—can give you so many books to read. There is no comparison. The Christians, they can present only one small Bible, and the Muslims they can present one little Koran. But here, the Vedic culture is so great that we can simply give you sixty volumes like this only for Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. And Bhāgavata is the eighteenth Purāṇa. So there are seventeen Purāṇas, still more, not yet touched. Beside that, there are 108 Upaniṣads. Then there is big Mahābhārata, the great history of India. Then Rāmāyaṇa. There are so many books.
So it is a culture, Vedic culture, which, if it is spread all over the world, people will be benefited because at the present moment people do not know what is the treasure house of spiritual culture. They do not know. They have got some vague idea. Neither they are offered such volumes of books. So those who are present here, our disciple or not disciple, should understand that this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is a great scientific movement; it is not a bogus bluffing movement. Very scientific movement. So in this movement, our one program is to respect the cows.
So when it was proposed that I am going to translate this sixty volumes of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam for describing God, so some of the friends, they inquired, "What is the description sixty volumes of books of God?" So our reply was that this universe is a fragment of the whole material creation, and within this universe there are millions and trillions of planets. Out of those millions and trillions of planet, this planet is most insignificant.
So if for this teeny place there are so many information, just imagine how much information you can have from the spiritual world. Just imagine. So sixty volumes of description of the spiritual world is nothing, it is simply sample. If sixty millions of volumes would have been written, it still was insufficient. There are so many information.
There are eighteen Purāṇas, you'll find activities of the Lord. There is Mahābhārata, you'll find activities of the Lord. There is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. We have published. It will come very soon. Kṛṣṇa... The... Full of activities of the Lord, in two volumes of four hundred pages. So simply if you read and hear the activities, either read or hear, both of them are śravaṇam. Activities of the Lord, you get liberation, simply by reading. You have got a tendency for reading book or hearing about somebody, but, generally, for our sense gratification we hear some man and woman making love affairs, and that is the subject matter of a drama or a fiction or a story. The same tendency, if you transfer for hearing about Kṛṣṇa, you get liberation. It is so nice thing.
You should read all this. You don't read. In the first volume of Bhāgavata these things are explained. But I don't think you read all these things. Do you read? So if you don't read, then you will feel restless: "Oh, let me go from Japan to India, from India to Japan." You are restless because you don't read. I am laboring so hard for you, but you don't take advantage. Don't take advantage of eating and sleeping. Take advantage of these books. Then your life will be successful.
So my students, therefore, they address, nirviśeṣa-śūnyavādi-pāścātya-deśa-tāriṇe. So whole world is nirviśeṣa-śūnyavādi. Some of them are advocates of zero. There are many big, big philosophers writing on zero. They believe in zero, but they write volumes of books. Why you are wasting time writing volumes of books on zero? After all, if you are going to be zero, remain zero. So zero means disgust. Even Mahatma Gandhi, we have also heard in the paper, in the morning, the day when he was killed, the morning, he was disgusted with so many different opposing elements, letters, and news. So he said that "I don't want to live anymore. It is too much disgusting to me." And the same evening he was killed.
We are publishing Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, twelve cantos in sixty volumes, and this is the latest volume, just received today. Therefore I am taking advantage of this volume and reciting one verse. This is in connection with Ṛṣabhadeva's instruction to His sons. Ṛṣabhadeva was a king, and He had one hundred sons. Of all of them, the eldest was Mahārāja Bharata, under whose name India is called Bhāratavarṣa since the time of Mahārāja Bharata. So the instruction was being discussed amongst the royal family members. Formerly all Vedic instructions were discussed amongst the very topmost class of men. Yad yad ācarati śreṣṭhas lokas tad anuvartate (BG 3.21). That is the instruction in the Bhagavad-gītā.
So my request to you all, those who are present here: try to understand the philosophy. You're educated, grown-up boys and girls, gentlemen, ladies. We have got books, immense literature, big, big voluminous book. If you want to understand this philosophy through books, we are not in scarcity. We can supply you volumes of books. These books, some of them are demonstrated, but, if you do not like to take so much trouble to read over the book, then simply come and chant and dance with us and take prasādam, go home happy.
What credit you'll get if you manufacture a life within test tube? But the rascals, they are: "Oh, scientists. He is now going to manufacture life." "No, show me how made..." "Yes, we are trying. It will be in future." Yes. Our Svarūpa Dāmodara... There was one professor. He came to California. He was speaking how from matter life can be there. He has written one volume, book, and he has got Nobel Prize, and the book's name is Evolution of Chemicals and Life. So he is also doctor in chemistry, our Svarūpa Dāmodara. He was also present there. As soon as he asked, "Sir, if I give you the chemicals, can you manufacture life?" at that time he said, "That I cannot say." "Why you cannot say? You are speaking that 'Combination of chemical brings in life.' " We are writing one book that life is from life, not from matter. That is not possible. These rascals are simply bluffing that "From chemicals life can be manufactured." No. We challenge.
So, so far this body's concerned, either it is dead or alive, it is not the subject matter of any talk. Nānuśocanti paṇḍitāḥ. Those who are learned scholars don't talk about the body. They'll talk about the soul. That is paṇḍita. What is the... This is dead body. Suppose this is cloth. Uh? Now if you talk about this cloth, you can talk. You can write volumes of books: "This silk was purchased in that store and it was manufactured in such and such day, and the man manufactured, he's like this..." You can go on talking nonsense like that and can write books. So all these rascal philosophers, they are writing about this cloth. That's all. Yasyātmā-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke (SB 10.84.13). But this is not the subject matter for the learned scholars.
Whatever you have learned from your spiritual master, you must distribute. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam. So paṭhana-pāṭhana yajana-yājana. Yajana means worshiping the Lord, the Deity. And yājana, and inducing others to engage in that worshiping. This is going on. You kindly mark in this society, we are allowing the students, giving them volumes of books for reading, paṭhana. Then pāṭhana, then teach others. And they are worshiping the Lord, and they are inviting others to come here and learn how to worship Lord. Paṭhana-pāṭhana yajana-yājana dāna-pratigraha. They are exacting money: "Give us some money. Become our member." But what is that membership fee? That is not being used for their sense gratification. For dāna, for distributing knowledge.
Religion without philosophical understanding is sentiment. And philosophy without understanding of God is mental speculation. So we should not be both, neither sentimentalist nor dry mental speculator. There is a class of mental speculators, they're writing volumes of books but there is no substance. And there are some religious fanatics, but they do not know, do not understand what is religion. So these two classes of men are now very prominent at the present moment. But Śrīmad-Bhāgavata, or Bhagavad-gītā, if anyone is intelligent he'll know that it is combination of religious sentiment plus philosophy. To understand religion on the basis of philosophy and logic. Not blindly accepting. So this is called bhāgavata-dharma.
Everyone's duty, the point of perfection is saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam (SB 1.2.13), whether by your duty you have satisfied the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is the duty. Then it is perfect. You are a great scientist? Very good. But if you can prove scientifically that there is God, that is successful. Otherwise, it is nonsense. If you prove that there is no God, God is dead by scientific method, it is simply lunacy, craziness. That's all. Similarly, if you are philosopher, very expert in mental speculation and writing volumes of books, speculative, but if you can prove that there is God, then your philosophy is perfect. Any line you take.
Everything we are giving distinctly. Not blindly, but there is philosophy, there is reason, there is logic, and these are all stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, sixty volumes. So Prahlāda Mahārāja says that everyone from the very childhood, that means when education begins, this bhāgavata-dharma. Otherwise, we are missing the point. We are missing the opportunity of this human form of life. We are simply living like cats and dogs and dying like cats and dogs.
Here Śrīdhara Swami says munayo manana śīla siddhyaḥ jñanino 'pi (?). Manano śīla, manano śīla means speculator, philosophers. Muni means one who can think very deeply, manano śīla. Those who can explain(expand?) by thinking, feeling, and willing and can write volumes of books. There are many you know in our country, they are called manano śīla. They take pleasure by mental speculation, manano śīla, and they are men of knowledge also, jñanino 'pi. (Sanskrit quotes from Śrīdhara Swami commentary) And what kind of...? These great sages and saintly persons, what is their qualification? They are situated in knowledge, in sattva-guṇa, in light. They are not in darkness. Although they are not in darkness, but without being in the platform of sattva-guṇa, nobody can become very intelligent person, philosopher, or mental speculator also.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures
Last year some gentleman suggested, after seeing my all literatures, that "You kindly write a translation of Śrī-Caitanya-caritāmṛta." He thought that this business I can do very nicely. So I took the initiation from this gentleman and began to write. Now it is almost complete. I am now translating Madhya-līlā, Twentieth chapter, the discussion, 'sanātana-śikṣā.' So it is estimated that ten volumes like this... (aside:) You think like that? Ten volumes like this, that will complete Caitanya-caritāmṛta. Caitanya-caritāmṛta is the postgraduate study of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The Bhagavad-gītā is the A-B-C-D to entrance, and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the graduate study, and Śrī-Caitanya-caritāmṛta is the postgraduate study of spiritual life.
So there was some discussion with this Rāmānanda Rāya, and there was some discussion with this Sanātana Gosvāmī, and some discussion with Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya, and some discussion with Rūpa Gosvāmī. So He had no other discussion with anyone, and the rest of His life was spent by simply chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa. And these disciples, under the instruction of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, they have made volumes of books on the basis of the instruction of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Caitanya Mahāprabhu did not write any book in His own hand. He wrote only eight verses, which is called Śikṣāṣṭaka. That was His only writing. Otherwise, all the books, valuable books that you have got in His sampradāya, they are written by His disciples, especially by Rūpa Gosvāmī. He's famous. Rūpa Gosvāmī, Sanātana Gosvāmī, and that boy, the nephew of Rūpa Gosvāmī who left home at ten years old and later on, after becoming a very great Sanskrit scholar, he approached their uncles, that Jīva Gosvāmī. Oh, he has written many valuable volumes of books. So the asset of this Caitanya-sampradāya about this devotional service is very great.
So Caitanya-caritāmṛta. Amṛta, amṛta means also eternal or nectarine, which does not die. That Caitanya-caritāmṛta is there. It was written by Kavirāja Gosvāmī some four hundred years ago, and it was in Bengali, er, not Bengali-Sanskrit and Bengali. So now we have translated with elaborate explanation. This is the book. It is now Caitanya-caritāmṛta in English. So we have finished this in seventeen volumes like this. So we request you to take these volumes and read that what is the position of Caitanya, or the supreme living entity, and ourself; what is the relationship and what is His characteristics, what is our characteristics, and how we can make our activities as good as the Supreme Caitanya's. That is called Caitanya-caritāmṛta.
The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is very scientific movement. Everyone should try to understand. If he wants to understand through science, through philosophy, through logic—in any way—through religion, through culture—anyway he wants to understand, we have got volumes of books. Try to understand. It is not a bluff. It is all scientific. So either you accept as Kṛṣṇa, as Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, that jīvera svarūpa haya nitya kṛṣṇera dāsa... (Cc. Madhya 20.108-109). If you immediately accept the words of, accept the words of Kṛṣṇa-sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ (BG 18.66)—that is very good. But if you are very learned philosopher, scientist, then read books. Both ways we have prepared to convince you.
So this learned sage, by his experience he is saying that after studying all Vedic literature, and all Upaniṣads, Vedānta, Purāṇam, four Vedas, Rāmāyaṇa, Mahābhārata, volumes of literature, so the conclusion is that, "O my dear Lord," bhavān eva śaraṇam, "You are the only ultimate shelter." This is the last stage of knowledge, as it is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante (BG 7.19). "After struggling for many, many births to acquire knowledge..." So when one comes to this point—bhavān eva śaraṇam, "You are the ultimate shelter"—that is the perfection of knowledge.
Any person who does not take to the devotional service in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, simply indulge in dry speculation, kliśyanti, takes trouble... Kliśyanti means "takes trouble"; ye, "persons." Kevala-bodha-lab..., simply to understand that "This is not matter, this is not spirit, this is not...," like that, and that there is no separate Supersoul, only one soul is there, and this conception of individual soul is misunderstanding, ignorance—in this way, there are volumes of books of, by Śaṅkarācārya especially, and later on, his disciples. They are very, very learned scholars, undoubtedly. By their scholastic jugglery they want to cover the Supreme Personality of God. They do not want to cover; they think that they are advanced. But Kṛṣṇa covers Himself so that they may not understand Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa does not want. Kṛṣṇa wants that one should surrender and take to devotional service.
So this is the verdict of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, that śreyaḥ-sṛtiṁ bhaktim udasya te vibho kliśyanti ye kevala-bodha-labdhaye. Bodha-labdhaye. They stress on knowledge. What is this knowledge? You can talk on any insignificant thing for many years. That is not knowledge. Just like in the present modern civlization, so many nonsense articles without any utility, or volumes of volumes of books are sold in the market. There is nothing, no substance. Take for this..., newspaper. Especially in your country, volumes of papers in the news. Just after glancing over, it is thrown away. That's all. No more use.
Festival Lectures
We have developed this human form of life after passing through many millions of lower grades of life, and similarly we have to now develop this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, love of God. If you will take this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement very seriously, then we have volumes of books to convince you what is your relationship with God, what is your duty, what is your ultimate goal of life—these things are all very nicely explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. But unfortunately, so-called scholars and so-called wise men misinterpret the whole thing. That is why the Lord appeared as Lord Caitanya five hundred years ago to establish the correct principles of Bhagavad-gītā, and He showed that even if you do not understand the processes of religion, you simply chant
- Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare
- Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare
So our request to everyone is to understand this philosophy of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If anyone wants to understand this philosophy through philosophical angle of vision or scientific angle of vision, we have got immense volumes of books. You can read and try to understand what is this great movement, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. But you can also, without reading books, without taking any trouble, if you simply agree to chant this mahā-mantra, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, you get the same result.
So Sanātana Gosvāmī, Rūpa Gosvāmī, and two Raghunātha Gosvāmī, and three, four, and then Jīva Gosvāmī and Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī. Six Gosvāmīs. Practically, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu left behind Him that eight ślokas, Śikṣāṣṭaka, which you have seen. I have translated in my first volume of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. On the basis of those eight verses, the Gosvāmīs wrote literatures, volumes of books. From Vṛndāvana they were dispatched after the disappearance of... The Gosvāmīs, they left so many books handwritten, that when they were dispatched it was a full cartload, a big cartload, you see. Just imagine how many books they wrote. They were great scholars, and many varieties of books of bhakti school, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they wrote.
Arrival Addresses and Talks
At Los Angeles we are spending $20,000 per month, which is in Indian exchange two lakhs of rupees. Similarly, we are spending $10,000 in New York. In this way we have to spend seven lakhs of rupees per month for maintaining all these men, and we have got big, big publication like this. When I went to the Western country I brought only three volumes of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam in the temple of our Sri Kṛṣṇa Sharma. He gave me shelter there, and I was publishing these books, and actually Lallaji also contributed something for my publication. So in this way I went there with three books.
Here is an opportunity, human form of life, and here is the message of Lord Caitanya, Kṛṣṇa. Human form of life can understand, and especially in America you can understand. You have got better intelligence, better facility. We are not sentimental, simply chanting and dancing. We have got more than two thousand volumes of books. If you want to learn it through science, philosophy, it is also there. Otherwise, the simple method—simply chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma, Rāma, Hare Hare, and you'll realize the whole thing.
So those who are engaged in Deity worship, those who are engaged in saṅkīrtana party, those who are engaged in distributing books, those who are engaged in the office for keeping accounts—and all of them in devotional service—not a single moment waste. Kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ (CC Adi 17.31). And whenever you have got time, read books. Now we have got volumes of books. Again we have got another five volumes of books. All are now immediately published. So you have got enough to study. And those who are gṛhasthas, children, we have got our Dallas. As soon as the children is fit, three to four years, you can send to Dallas. They are taking very much care.
Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is very serious movement, scientific movement, and people are gradually trying to understand the importance of this movement. Because in the foreign countries, especially in America, our books are being accepted by (the) higher circle, big, big universities, colleges, professors. They are so eager to read the books that they have simply heard that this Bhāgavatam will be finished in sixty volumes and Caitanya-caritāmṛta will be finished in twelve volumes... We have got Caitanya-caritāmṛta only one volume published, and they are ordering for twelve volumes, that "As soon as it is published, you send us." This is very encouraging. Similarly, they are ordering for sixty volumes of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, although we have published only twelve volumes.
Prabhupāda: Brahmānanda Mahārāja, you kindly inquire where is the bottleneck.
Brahmānanda: Yes. From what I have seen already, they are doing much more than before.
Prabhupāda: That's all right. But still, you are behind so many books.
Brahmānanda: They are giving one book now to the printer.
Prabhupāda: Oh, there are seventeen books behind?
Brahmānanda: Hayagrīva is today finished the Sixth Volume of Madhya-līlā. There are nine volumes altogether.
Prabhupāda: No. I have heard that seventeen books are behind. Why? Very slow. You should rather want me to give more matter. But you are behind. What is the reason? Editorial department?
Jayatīrtha: Now the editorial department is doing very good.
Prabhupāda: But you are behind so many books.
Prabhupāda: And Hayagrīva prabhu, how many papers you are finishing? You can finish fifty papers at least.
Hayagrīva: I am trying. One hour a tape.
Rādhā-vallabha: Hayagrīva finished editing Volume Six of Madhya-līlā today.
Prabhupāda: Oh, Volume Six, Caitanya-caritāmṛta?
Rādhā-vallabha: Yes. Out of nine volumes, Hayagrīva has finished six of Madhya-līlā.
Prabhupāda: Altogether there will be nine volumes?
Rāmeśvara: Of Madhya-līlā.
Jayatīrtha: Madhya-līlā, all nine volumes.
Rādhā-vallabha: And four volumes Antya-līlā.
Jayatīrtha: Altogether sixteen volumes.
Prabhupāda: Where is our Gargamuni?
Bhavānanda: He is in the east. Buffalo.
Prabhupāda: Preaching?
Jayādvaita: That is being done for all the volumes. Prabhupāda: All the volumes must have index. Rādhā-vallabha: All the Caitanya-caritāmṛta volumes have indexes. Jayādvaita: Bengali index. Prabhupāda: This is the last one.
So our, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to educate people how to become wise, honest, truthful, believer in God, so on, so on. This is the movement. So we think that you shall take seriously this movement. Actually, this is the platform of united nations, or united living beings. And we are not simply talking. This science is being discussed in volumes of books. We have already published about fifty-four books. These books are selling very nicely. It is not sentiment, it is a science. So we request the people of this nice city, Toronto, to take advantage of this movement, come here, read our books, make your questions solved, and you'll be all happy.
General Lectures
The child is completely dependent on the care of parents and he's happy. Simple philosophy. But because we have advanced in civilization, in knowledge, therefore we want to understand this simple philosophy in so many jugglery of words. That's all. So if you want to learn in jugglery of words, then this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is not lacking. We have got volumes of books of philosophy. But if you accept this simple process, that we have to... God is great and we are part and parcel; therefore my duty is to serve and surrender unto God. That's all.
Madhudviṣa: He wants to read it in a book, something that explains the validity of the statement that there's an after-life.
Prabhupāda: Read Bhagavad-gītā. You study Bhagavad-gītā, you'll understand everything.
Young man (1): That's sixty-eight volumes?
Prabhupāda: No.
Young man (1): How many volumes?
Prabhupāda: Bhagavad-gītā is one volume only, eighteen chapters. So it is not very... Seven hundred verses. You can read it in three days. It is not very difficult. So we have published Bhagavad-gītā As It Is, and I think if you read, you'll get so many nice informations. And after reading Bhagavad-gītā, you read Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Then you get further enlightenment. Then you read Teachings of Lord Caitanya, you get further enlightenment. And for general information we have got this Back to Godhead. You can read.
Madhudviṣa: Prabhupāda, I read in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Volume Three, that when one becomes a liberated soul, he attains perfect freedom, and even sometimes that freedom is on the same level as Kṛṣṇa or even more than Kṛṣṇa.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Madhudviṣa: Can you explain that?
Prabhupāda: Yes. Just like this Vasudeva, he's more than Kṛṣṇa. Yaśodā, you have seen the picture? Yaśodā is binding Kṛṣṇa.
Madhudviṣa: Oh, the little baby. Yes.
We are working ourself as far as possible and maintaining ourself, but anyone who comes, we don't charge anything. We have got volumes of books. I have translated six books, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and one book, Teachings of Lord Caitanya, one book, Bhagavad-gītā As It Is. Some of the books are there. You can see. So there are so many books, immense knowledge. So it is not very costly. We charging very low price, just to printing charges. If somebody wants to purchase, we have got our magazine, monthly magazine, Back to Godhead.
So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is for giving chance... (break) ...everyone, hearing about God, Kṛṣṇa. This Kṛṣṇa kīrtana, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, is the beginning. And in that Hare Kṛṣṇa, hearing is everything. Then we speak something from Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Upaniṣad—many hundred and thousands of books we have got. Even he, our Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, one cannot finish reading in one life. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is so great. Our project is for sixty volumes. So these sixty volumes, it will be very difficult for any person to read it carefully throughout the whole life. So there is so much information about God that... But it is possible to understand Him if you associate with pure devotee of the Lord. Then svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ. Then God will reveal Himself.
If you simply chant, that is sufficient for your self-realization. But if you want to study this philosophy, or the science of God, through your philosophy and argument, logic, we have got enough stock of books. We have got sixty volumes of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Already we have published five volumes. We have got Bhagavad-gītā As It Is. We have got Teachings of Lord Caitanya. We are publishing Back to Godhead paper. So if you want to understand this philosophy by your learning, by your academic career, we have got sufficient stock to supply you—sufficient stock. Don't think that we are all sentimentalists, simply dancing. No. There is a background.
Just like here is our Bhagavad-gītā As It Is and Teachings of Lord Caitanya. We have got our magazine, Back to Godhead. We have got Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, five volumes. So many things. Īśopaniṣad. It is not that we are sentimentalist. We are backed by high philosophical thoughts and everything. But if you take this simple process, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, you immediately are elevated on the transcendental platform without reading so many big literatures, philosophy, or understanding.
Chant this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. It is given to you free. But if you want to know what is this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra through philosophy, through knowledge, through logic, we have got volumes of books. Don't think that we are simply sentimentally dancing. No, we have got background. So try to understand this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. I have especially come to your country to deliver you this good message, because if you accept this, if you can understand this science of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, other part of the world will also follow, and the face of the world will be changed. That is a fact.
So we are giving the information of the highest perfectional stage of living entity. It is nothing bluff or artificial; it is fact, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. There are volumes of books, volumes of understanding. If you have got time, read them. Just like if you want to be a scholar, there are facilities. But, if you want to simply waste your time some by thinking artificially that you are God and do nothing, you can do that. You are at liberty.
We have given so many important books. We have got magazines. If you want to understand through intelligence and philosophy, we have got volumes of books we can deliver. You try to understand. If you simply read our book Kṛṣṇa in two parts, I am sure you will become Kṛṣṇa conscious, undoubtedly. Or if you feel that you cannot read or you have no money to purchase book, never mind. Lord Caitanya has given you very simple path: chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare.
One who does not understand Kṛṣṇa, he is daring to write comments on the Bhagavad-gītā. That is misleading. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, duṣkṛtina. They will produce volumes of books. Na yad vacaś citra-padaṁ harer yaśaḥ (SB 1.5.10). Bhāgavata says that "You can produce volumes of books with nice literary, metaphorical arrangements." Na yad vacaś citra-padaṁ harer yaśaḥ na pragṛṇīta karhicit. The Bhāgavata says that "You can produce a nice book by mental concoction and speculation with nice grammatical and metaphorical arrangement, but if there is no glorification of Kṛṣṇa, then it is..." What is, like that? Tad vāyasaṁ tīrtham: "This is a place where you throw away all nasty things."
To teach people how he can surrender to Kṛṣṇa, that's all. That is the sum and substance of this movement. If one accepts this principle without any difficulty, he is immediately a preacher. But if he does not accept, he wants to understand the philosophy, we have got volumes of books. Try to understand through books, through philosophy, through science, how this movement is important, and try to join. That is our appeal to you.
So the position of bhakta is very sublime. This is transcendental position, brahma-bhūyāya kalpate (BG 14.26). But Caitanya Mahāprabhu's grace, this mukti is given very easily by introducing the saṅkīrtana movement. He personally writes. Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He wrote only eight verses, which is known as Śikṣāṣtaka, eight verses. And all the Gosvāmīs, they wrote volumes of books on these eight verses. He wrote only eight verses. So He says that by chanting this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, the first benefit will be ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12). That is cultivation of knowledge. It will automatically come, ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam, if one chants offenselessly.
We have already published about fifty books on this movement. So for the Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's movement is meant for both kind of men. The ordinary men without any education, illiterate, he can also take to it, and the most advanced scientists, philosopher, philanthropist, politician, they also can take to it. So we are helping both ways. Those who are educated scientist, philosopher, for them we have got volumes of books. And those who are not educated, they can simply chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. That will help them, both ways. Therefore this movement has become important and interesting. Our books are being purchased by the topmost class of man. Big, big professors in the universities, they are giving standing order.
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu appeared in Bengal, you know, in the district of Navadvīpa, about sixty-four miles from Calcutta, northern side. So His life and precepts are there. We have translated many books. You'll find Teachings of Lord Caitanya and Caitanya-caritāmṛta, almost seventeen volumes, Caitanya-caritāmṛta. And we have summarized the teaching in one volume. So you can learn about the teachings of Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
So there are many things. And other thing? They are reading the Vaiṣṇava literature very nicely, and they are pushing the Vaiṣṇava literature all over the world. By their personal efforts they are giving service. We have about sixty-five volumes, books, each book four hundred pages. And they are introducing in the universities, colleges, library. Even sometimes they are beaten. In this way these boys, they are helping this movement.
Departure Talks
Rāmeśvara: But whenever it says that Lord Caitanya cannot be seen, still, we should paint Him solid?
Prabhupāda: No, no. Cannot be seen is not that.
Rāmeśvara: Well, invisible except to the eyes of Nityānanda Prabhu.
Prabhupāda: Yes. (break)
Rāmeśvara: ...and nine volumes of Madhya-līlā, and five volumes of Antya-līlā.
Prabhupāda: Oh. Then three...
Rāmeśvara: Seventeen volumes just of Caitanya-caritāmṛta. And then about five volumes of Fifth Canto.
Prabhupāda: Twenty-two volumes. So instead of seventeen, you have to print twenty-two.
| Page Title: | Volume - of a book (Lectures) |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, Serene |
| Created: | 03 of Mar, 2012 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=72, Con=0, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 72 |