The relish or taste of the mundane rasa does not long endure, and therefore mundane workers are always apt to change their position of enjoyment. A businessman is not satisfied by working the whole week; therefore, wanting a change for the weekend, he goes to a place where he tries to forget his business activities. Then, after the weekend is spent in forgetfulness, he again changes his position and resumes his actual business activities. Material engagement means accepting a particular status for some time and then changing it. This position of changing back and forth is technically known as bhoga-tyāga, which means a position of alternating sense enjoyment and renunciation. A living entity cannot steadily remain either in sense enjoyment or in renunciation. Change is going on perpetually, and we cannot be happy in either state, because of our eternal constitutional position. Sense gratification does not endure for long, and it is therefore called capala-sukha, or flickering happiness.
Bhoga-tyaga
Expressions researched:
"Neither tyaga, neither bhoga"
|"bhoga and tyaga"
|"bhoga tyaga"
|"bhoga, enjoyment. And another is tyaga"
|"bhoga, tyaga"
|"bhoga-tyaga"
|"tyaga and bhoga"
|"tyaga, renunciation. And there is no question of bhoga"
Other Books by Srila Prabhupada
Nectar of Devotion
Then, after the weekend is spent in forgetfulness, he again changes his position and resumes his actual business activities. Material engagement means accepting a particular status for some time and then changing it. This position of changing back and forth is technically known as bhoga-tyāga, which means a position of alternating sense enjoyment and renunciation. A living entity cannot steadily remain either in sense enjoyment or in renunciation. Change is going on perpetually, and we cannot be happy in either state, because of our eternal constitutional position. Sense gratification does not endure for long, and it is therefore called capala-sukha, or flickering happiness. For example, an ordinary family man who works very hard day and night and is successful in giving comforts to the members of his family thereby relishes a kind of mellow, but his whole advancement of material happiness immediately terminates along with his body as soon as his life is over.
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
That you can do in any position. It doesn't require. Karma-phala-tyāga. That is advised by Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya (BG 18.66). We have manufactured different types of religious system. And they can be grouped. Some of them are within the group of tyāga, and some of them are within the group of bhoga. Bhoga and tyāga. The karmīs, they are after bhoga, and jñānīs, they are after tyāga. Kṛṣṇa says that "You have to give up both of them, this bhoga and tyāga, both of them. You have simply to surrender unto Me." There is no question of bhoga and tyāga.
We come here as guest. Suppose I am Indian, you are American. We have come on this earth as guest for few years, say, for hundred years or fifty years; then we leave this place. So if I am the proprietor, why don't I take this place with me when I am going? No, I am not proprietor. So there is no question of tyāga, renunciation. And there is no question of bhoga or enjoyment. Because you are not proprietor. So you neither you can enjoy it, neither you can renounce it. So renunciation or enjoyment, both are illegal. Renunciation. Suppose we are sitting in this room. This room belongs to the landlord. Suppose I am vacating this room, and while vacating, while I am going from this room if I say to the landlord "Well Mr. such and such, I leave this place for you now." Now, what is this place? That place belonged to him. How we are leaving? So he'll laugh: "Oh, you were my guest, you were my tenant. How you can leave? It is mine." Similarly, if we say, "All right.
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
Because they are not satisfied. Yayātmā suprasīdati. There is no satisfaction of ātmā. Therefore they have given up.
Bhoga and tyāga. Bhoga means enjoyment, and tyāga means renunciation. So actually, in this world, some people are very much busy in the matter of bhoga, enjoying, the karmīs. And some people are very much engaged in the business of tyāga, renouncement. These two kinds of activities are going on. One is very, very busy for acquiring things for enjoy, sense enjoyment, and when he's dissatisfied, he cannot fully enjoy, neither he's satisfied, he says, brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā, "This world is false. There is no need of this world. The grapes are sour." The same story. The jackal and the grapes. A jackal wanted to eat the grapes, and it jumped many times, but could not approach the grapes. So at last he satisfied himself that "There is no need of the grapes.
Perhaps you may remember. Suppose here is the assembly and there is one hundred dollar note is there, fallen from somebody's pocket. So if I take or you take the hundred dollar note and put your in the pocket: "Here is a hundred dollar note," then you are a thief, because that hundred dollar note does not belong to you. You are taking it without his information. That means you are a thief. This is called bhoga, enjoyment. And another is tyāga. One thinks, "Oh, why shall I touch it? Somebody's... Let it remain there. I have no, nothing to do." This is called tyāga, giving up. So the hundred dollar note is the same. One is trying to enjoy it, and one is trying to give it up: "I don't care for it." So both of them are fools, bhogī and tyāgī. Bhogī means the karmīs. The karmīs, those who are working very hard, utilizing... The scientists are utilizing the resources, material resources. That means all are making policy how to steal that note. That is their policy, the karmīs. And another, while he was unable to steal, he says, "Oh, grapes are sour. There is no need of..." That is tyāgī.
So without knowing this Kṛṣṇa conscious philosophy, within the cage and without the cage, they are unhappy. Is it clear? Their imagination of liberty without the cage, that is also unhappiness. Because he does not know where to go. Therefore after remaining for some time in that impersonal stage, again he comes back to the cage. So this kind of going and coming will not help him. Tyāga and bhoga.
So ātma-tattvam means to know what is the nature of ātmā and how he reveals... That is all explained by Kṛṣṇa in the Bhagavad-gītā. If we take advantage of this lesson and instruction, that is our success of life.
Tyāgena. The, there are two kinds of tendencies: one is bhoga and one is tyāga. Bhoga means enjoyment, sense enjoyment, and tyāga means to give up this material world. But without guidance, one does not know how to renounce this material world. That is called tyāga. Bhoga and tyāga, two kinds of tendencies are going on in this material world. First of all they want to enjoy, and when they are frustrated in enjoyment, then there is renouncement. Again when they are tired of renouncement, again enjoyment. Just like the clock pendulum, this side and that side—tock, tock, tock, tock. Similarly, we are oscillating: sometimes in the platform of enjoyment and sometimes on the platform of renouncement. Two things are there in this material world.
Two things are there in this material world. The karmīs, they are trying to enjoy this world, whole day and night that expressway, always trucks and cars are going on—sonh, sonh, sonh, sonh. Bhoga, how to enjoy, first class. Another, the hippies. They don't want to do anything. Both sides are there in your country, bhoga and tyāga.
But in neither of the paths you'll be happy, because that is not your proper position. You cannot enjoy or you cannot renounce. Actually the whole thing belongs to Kṛṣṇa. Nothing belongs to anyone. Whatever you have got in possession, that is Kṛṣṇa's property. Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (ISO 1). Everything. You do..., you try to understand. The trees, the plants, the water, the land—have you produced it? Then how do you claim that it is your land, it is your country, it is your water, it is your tree? That is the wrong position. And similarly, tyāga, renouncement... What can you renounce? What you had? What is the meaning of renouncement?
"This is my country, this is my home, this is my wife, this is my children, this is my property, this is my bank balance, this is my skyscraper building..." All these false. Because you did not brought this. You came empty-handed, and when you go, you go empty-handed. The things are there. The bank balance is there. The building is there. You cannot take anything. So what is the meaning of bhoga and tyāga? There is no meaning. Either now, neither able to enjoy, because it is not your property. If you want to enjoy other's property, then you'll be implicated in criminal offenses. And if you say others' property, "I renounce this bank, I renounce this Bank of America," when did it belong to you, that you are making renouncement? It is all lunacy.
Then what to do? That is direction given by Kṛṣṇa: sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). You have created different types of religion on the basis of this bhoga and tyāga. So you give up all them. Then? Mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja: "You surrender unto Me." Because you cannot enjoy nor make any renunciation. But here it is said tapasā, tyāgena, by renouncing. Renouncing means that you're falsely possessing. So you give it to Kṛṣṇa, the original proprietor. Just like one hundred dollars note, a child has taken from the father. The child does not know how to use that hundred dollars note, but he, he'll not give it to the father. "No, I shall not give it." Father is begging: "Oh, my dear child, you are so nice. Kindly give it to me." Actually the note belongs to the father. But because he's child, he's innocent, ignorant, he does not know. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, dadāsi yat kuruṣva mad-arpaṇam.
Nectar of Devotion Lectures
The relish or taste of the mundane rasa does not long endure, and therefore mundane workers are always apt to change their position of enjoyment. A business man is not satisfied by working the whole week; therefore wanting a change for the weekend, he goes to a place where he tries to forget his business activities. Then, after the weekend is spent in forgetfulness, he again changes his position and resumes his actual business activities. Material engagement means accepting a particular status for some time and then changing it. This position of changing back and forth is technically known as bhoga-tyāga, which means..."
Prabhupāda: Bhoga-tyāga. Bhoga and tyāga. Go on.
Pradyumna: "...which means a position of alternating sense enjoyment and renunciation."
Prabhupāda: Yes, their position is sense enjoyment. If, by bhoga, they are not satisfied, then tyāga. Brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā. Give it, give it up. Again, by tyāga, when he does not find any sense pleasure, then again comes back: All right, come to social service, open hospital, open the school. Why are you coming again? You have given it up, tyāga, brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā. Why you are coming to mithyā again, to open school? That, that is going on.
Why you are coming to mithyā again, to open school? That, that is going on. That is going on. Sometimes this is brahma... Jagan mithyā, everything is mithyā, and Brahman is satya. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi. But when they cannot get Brahman, cannot realize Brahman, then again come to this bhoga. Bhoga. Pendulum. Bhoga, tyāga, bhoga, tyāga, bhoga, tyāga. You know that pendulum works: (makes noise) kaut kaut kaut kaut. Bhoga, tyāga, bhoga, tyāga. So Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān pari... You have to give up this bhoga dharma and tyāga dharma. Sarva-dharmān parityajya (BG 18.66). You are now engaged in two kinds of dharma. Somebody, karmīs, they are bhoga, bhoga dharmī. They want to enjoy. And tyāgī, they want to renounce this bhoga. So both of these will not help you. Bhoga-tyāga. Then what? Sevā. You have to take the dharma of sevā. That is bhakti. Kṛṣṇa-sevā.
That is bhakti. Kṛṣṇa-sevā. For Kṛṣṇa, you can accept anything. That is It may appear bhoga. Just like Prahlāda Mahārāja, Pṛthu Mahārāja, they were kings, very opulent kings. Dhruva Mahārāja. So still they were great devotees. Not only ordinary devotees, mahājanas. So this bhoga-tyāga has no meaning. It has no benefit. One has to become devotee. Either in the bhoga field or in the tyāga field, it doesn't matter. Bhoga-tyāga is not required. Required service. That service, it may be on the platform of bhoga or service... Service is required, Kṛṣṇa's service. Kṛṣṇa has to be satisfied. Either in the bhoga platform or tyāga plat... He does not... Devotee's not concerned with bhoga-tyāga. Devotee's concerned with Kṛṣṇa's service.
So sometimes... Just like there is example. We asked this question, bhoga-tyāga, to our Guru Mahārāja. So... What is the difference...? Just like Rūpa Gosvāmī, he left everything for Caitanya Mahāprabhu's service. His lucrative service, minister post and everything, he re... Tyāga. And Rāmānanda Rāya, he was governor. He was governor and gṛhastha, and living very luxuriantly. He's bhoga, he's bhoga platform. Now both of them were devotees of Lord Caitanya. So what is the difference? This question was put. So our Guru Mahārāja replied: Just like a woman. According to our Vedic system, when the husband is out of home, the women is not supposed to dress herself very nicely. Proṣita bhartṛkā. It is called proṣita bhartṛkā. The system was that one should dress herself in such a way that people can understand what is her position—whether she's unmarried, whether she's married, whether she's widow, whether her husband is away, whether she's a pro..., she's a prostitute, everything. By the dress one should understand. "She is, she is widow," "She has got her husband," "Her husband is now away from home." "Oh, she is a prostitute," "She's not married."
And the same woman, when her husband is at home, she take twice bath and dresses herself, applies oil and very nice dress, ornaments, and so many things. Women know how to decorate themselves. But the... There is no difference. Her not dressing herself nicely and dressing herself nicely, it may be considered that bhoga and tyāga. But either of these positions is for center is husband. Center is husband. Therefore bhoga-tyāga is not consideration. If for Kṛṣṇa I have to give up everything, I will give up. And if Kṛṣṇa, I'll have to accept everything, I will accept. This is required. Not the position of bhoga-tyāga, but service. If by giving up everything I can serve Kṛṣṇa well, I shall give it up, everything. And if by accepting everything I shall serve Kṛṣṇa very nicely, then I accept everything. That is required. Ānukūlyena.
Because we have to see whether Kṛṣṇa wants it, Kṛṣṇa wants it. Kṛṣṇa wants Arjuna that "You become victorious in this battlefield and kill all of them." "Yes, I shall do that." Kariṣye vacanaṁ tava (BG 18.73). If Kṛṣṇa would have asked him, "What is this fighting? You give up. Come with Me. Go to the forest," Arjuna would have done that. So our policy is not bhoga-tyāga. Our policy is satisfaction of Kṛṣṇa. That is pure bhakti.
Then, after the weekend is spent in forgetfulness, he again changes his position and resumes his actual business activities. Material engagement means accepting a particular status for some time and then changing it. This position of changing back and forth is technically known as bhoga-tyāga, which means a position of alternating sense enjoyment and renunciation."
Prabhupāda: The material world, because everything is temporary, so sometimes when we are fed up with material activities, we stop to do it and become a renouncer. Bhoga-tyāga. "Grapes are sour." You know the story. A jackal entered into a vine orchard, and it was very high. It began to jump to get the grapes, but when he failed, he said, "Oh, these grapes are sour. It is nonsense."
Yes. Three kinds of happinesses, bhoga, tyāga, and bhakti, sevā. Bhoga tyāga sevā. The karmīs, they are after bhoga, sense enjoyment. And the jñānīs, they are after another side of negation of sense enjoyment. When one is fed up with sense enjoyment... Just like in your country, the young boys, they are practically fed up with the way of sense enjoyment as their fathers and grandfathers had done. So in the name of tyāga, renunciation, they have taken another kind of sense enjoyment—intoxication, unrestricted sex. So this is also another sense enjoyment. Bhoga and tyāga. Real enjoyment is devotion. There is a very practical example. Just like if you get all of a sudden a certain amount of money, say, one hundred rupees note lying on the street, if you get... Or lying here. So if you take it, your conscience will beat, because that does not belong to you.
Initiation Lectures
So it will be possible? (laughter) Yes. For your country this is very, I mean, a big stricture, but one has to perform it, execute it for Kṛṣṇa's sake. Kṛṣṇas te bhoga-tyāga (?). For Kṛṣṇa's sake we can do anything. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Although it is very difficult for boys and girls in this country, but because they are taking Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they should sacrifice their propensities for Kṛṣṇa's sake. That is a vow. That is an austerity. So Kṛṣṇa will be very much satisfied that "This boy, this girl has done so much. All right. Accept him." So strictly follow these rules and regulations. So every one of you know these regulative principles? Yes. Then you perform your yajña. (break) ...kevalam, kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā. (end)
Conversations and Morning Walks
1975 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: Materialistic means that is the ultimate end of materialistic life. Because they want new pleasure, new pleasure, new pleasure, so sometimes this, sometimes that... Sometimes they think the civilized way is better; sometimes the uncivilized way is better. That's all, this way and that way. That is called punaḥ punaś ca... And then you'll take again to civilized way of... I think some of the hippies are taking now. Yes. Because the same example, stool, this side or that side, it is stool. So these materialistic persons, they are trying to change from this side to that side, but it is stool. That is the... That they do not know. They are accepting stool as something very sublime, and therefore they are trying to change the position, sometimes this side, sometimes that side. Hitvā anyathā rūpam. This is anyathā rūpam, means a living being. Being spiritual, his business is spiritual, but he has accepted material as the platform of his happiness. That is his fault. So material thing, either this side or that side, it is material. Bhoga-tyāga.
Prabhupāda: Man cannot swim twenty-four hours, but they are swimming twenty-four hours.
Indian man: Yes. (break)
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: ...holiday. Big beach day. Bhoga-tyāga.
Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa. Jaya.
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: (laughs at something)
Prabhupāda: Any woman surfing?
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Very, very few. Not so many.
Prabhupāda: Not at all. I don't see any women.
1976 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: But for us there is nothing material. We have no such vision as "material" and "spiritual." Material means when we forget Kṛṣṇa's right. That is material. Everything is Kṛṣṇa's. Bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram (BG 5.29). He is the proprietor; He is the enjoyer. So, tena tyaktena bhuñjīthā, īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (ISO 1). Everything Kṛṣṇa's. So when we forget Kṛṣṇa's right on everything, that is material. Otherwise there is nothing material; everything spiritual. Everything is generated by Kṛṣṇa's energies, and there are two energies, material energy and spiritual energy. So in the material energy, Kṛṣṇa consciousness is less or nil. And in spiritual energy, Kṛṣṇa consciousness is prominent and very acute. I think I give this example somewhere. Just like this nail, and just little below, there is skin. Both of them are my body, but in the skin there is sensation; in the nail there is no sensation. But both of them are coming from the same source, the body. Similarly, everything is Kṛṣṇa's. Idaṁ hi viśvaṁ bhagavān ivetaraḥ. Everything is Bhagavān but appears like different to the different vision. Therefore we take everything.... kṛṣṇa-sambandhi-vastunaḥ. Everything..., in everything there is Kṛṣṇa's relationship. So there is no question of giving it up. Why shall I give it up? This is Kṛṣṇa's property. Why shall I give it up, prāpañcikatayā buddhyā, by mistaking it as material? Kṛṣṇa-sambandhi-vastunaḥ. So these Māyāvādīs, they say the brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā: "This material world is false, and Brahman is reality." And we don't say that. Everything is reality because it comes from reality. When it is not used for Kṛṣṇa, that is unreality. It is not properly being used. Otherwise there is no such thing as unreality, because it is coming from reality. So why shall I give it up, tyāga? Neither tyāga, neither bhoga. Everything utilize for Kṛṣṇa. This is our way. Any question on this regard? I saw your wife also. She is here.
Correspondence
1971 Correspondence
I am in due receipt of your letter dated 28th December, 1970 and have noted the contents carefully. You write to say that you have become frustrated with so many dualities of the material world and that sometimes you are engaged in sense gratification and sometimes renouncing. This is called bhoga-tyaga, or alternating between sense gratification and renunciation. A living entity cannot remain steady in one or the other because changes are going on. That is the nature of the material world. Just like the businessman who works so hard the whole week long and then on the weekend takes rest and tries to forget his business. But bhakti, or devotional service, does not change. It does not even finish with the end of the body, but it continues eternally. And it is joyfully performed. At first, though, there may be some inconveniences, but we must tolerate them and we shall realize the goal.
| Page Title: | Bhoga-tyaga |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, RupaManjari |
| Created: | 25 of Nov, 2011 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=2, Lec=19, Con=3, Let=1 |
| No. of Quotes: | 25 |