Kim akurvata sañjaya (BG 1.1). He was asking his secretary. He was blind man. He was always conducted by his secretary Sañjaya, a very faithful secretary. And he is explaining the Bhagavad-gītā by experiencing, by television within the heart. That art is not yet developed. You have got television through machine, but there is another television—you can see within your heart everything, what is going on outside. So that television was known to... That will be explained by Sañjaya, that by the grace of Vyāsadeva, he learned this televisioning, and he was sitting with his master within the room and he was actually seeing how the fighting is going on. And he was explaining. This is the basic principle of Bhagavad-gītā, I mean, the basic platform.
Blind men (Lectures)
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
In human society, viṣṇur ārādhyate, the Lord is worshiped. But ne te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuḥ. At the present moment, these rascals, they do not know. Andhā yathāndair upanīyamānāḥ. And the so-called leaders, they are blind, themselves, and they are trying to lead other blind men. This is the social position. Therefore there is no more hope of reviving the Vedic culture. But by the grace of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, ceto darpanaṁ mārjanam... The Vedic culture means to cleanse the heart and make him perfect. Brahma-bhūtaḥ, perfectly spiritualized. That is Vedic culture. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ (BG 15.15). To know the Supreme Lord. That is Vedic culture. Now everything is topsy-turvied. Therefore, by the grace of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He has simply recommended: harer nāma harer nāma harer nāma eva kevalam (CC Adi 17.21). Only chant.
And persons who do not know this fact, they are becoming leaders, they are becoming educators, they are becoming spiritual master, and so on. So how these people will be in knowledge? Because those who are teaching them, they are in ignorance. Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ (SB 7.5.31). One blind man is leading so many blind men. So where is the education?
Here is the beginning of education, real education. What Kṛṣṇa says. I have already explained that... (aside:) Why they are talking? I have already explained that our process of accepting knowledge is the paramparā system.
No, that is not possible. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ (SB 7.5.31). Those who are trying to adjust this material world by science or yoga, without caring for Viṣṇu, what they are? Andha. They are blind. Andha. And their leaders? They are also blind. Andhā yathā upanīyamānāḥ andhena. One blind man is trying to lead another blind man. So what is the wrong there? Te 'pīśa-tantryāṁ baddhāḥ: They are bound up by the laws of nature, hand and legs tight. How they can become free and happy by such endeavor? That is not possible. So, so simply by taking Kṛṣṇa consciousness it will be nice? Yes.
Simply come unto Me, surrender unto Me. I'll give you protection." That is wanted. Yes. Therefore we are following leader. There is no doubt about it. But there is misleader. Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ (SB 7.5.31).
Just like a blind man is leading other blind men. What is the use of such following leaders? He is blind and I am blind. So if he leads me to cross the road, what (is) my life? My life is in danger. So don't follow these misleaders. Kṛṣṇa is approved leader. All leaders of the society, any part of the world, has accepted Kṛṣṇa as the supreme leader. Follow Him. Then you'll be happy. Go on.
That's all. You have to give up these. Yeṣām anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ janānāṁ puṇya-karmaṇām, te dvandva-moha-nirmuktāḥ. If you become leader, so-called leader, rascal leader, and you are addicted to illicit sex and intoxication and meat-eating, you must be si... If you are sinful, how you can lead persons? Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ (SB 7.5.31). Blind man is leading other blind men. Therefore there is no solution. Why the world is in chaos? Because the leaders are all sinful. These are the sinful definitions. Striya-sūnā-pāna-dyūta yatra pāpaś catur-vidhāḥ (SB 1.17.38).
They have made it a point to forget God for good, and they want to make it a point that "We shall be happy in this material world by adjustment of our scientific or so-called knowledge."
And the leaders who are leading them in that way, what sort of leader they are? Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ (SB 7.5.31). Andha, just like a blind man. Sometimes you see a blind man is in this side of the street. He is asking somebody, "Kindly take me to the other side." But if another blind man comes, "All right, I will help you." So what he will help him? The man who wants help to go to the other side, he is seeking for help, and another blind man comes, "All right, I shall help you." So that help is that in the middle of the street they will be smashed. Both of them will be smashed. So similarly, our leadership is like that. Our leaders, they are compact by the laws of nature, and they are proclaiming that "I am leader."
Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānās te 'pīśa-tantryām uru-dāmni baddhāḥ: (SB 7.5.31) "They are tied hand and feet by the laws of nature; still, they are claiming that 'I am the leader.' "
Suppose if I want to help you. Just like the blind man. I must have eyes. Suppose your hands are tied up. If I want to help you, then my hands must be free. But if my hands are also tied up, how can I help you? It is not possible. So I must be a free man to help you. Your hands are tied up by the laws of nature; then I must be a free man. I must be free from the laws of nature; then I can help you.
The blind rascal leaders, they do not know, and they are becoming leaders. So what kind of leader? Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ. One blind man is leading several other blind men. So what will be the result? The result must be disaster. That is being done.
Therefore the program is, as it is stated, karmaṇy akarma yaḥ paśyed akarmaṇi ca karma yaḥ. This is intelligence, how we have to work, but without reaping any good or bad result. That means working for Kṛṣṇa. That is called akarma. I have already explained. In this way sa buddhimān manuṣyeṣu (BG 4.18), if you work for Kṛṣṇa... The vivid example is Arjuna. He is working for Kṛṣṇa.
And they are conducting their life, general process of life in a manner..."
How? Now, andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ: "Just like one blind man is leading several other blind men." That's all. He is the leader. A blind man has become the leader of several other blind man. So what benefit is there? If the man is blind, how can he... Because blind... Why blind? Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānās te 'pīśa-tantryām uru-dāmni baddhāḥ (SB 7.5.31). Īśa-tantra, īśa-tantra means by the laws of God or by the laws of nature, they are bound up tight, hands and feet, and they are trying to get free from the control of the nature.
Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ (SB 7.5.31). In the external energy of Kṛṣṇa, this bhūmir āpo... Bhinnā prakṛtir me aṣṭadhā. Bhinnā. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ. Bahir artha means this external, separated energy, material en... They are trying to become happy by adjustment of this bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ (BG 7.4). They are implicated with this bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ, external. Bahir-artha-māninaḥ. So they are andha, blind. Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ. And they are leading other blind men. That's all.
That is the beginning, teaching of Kṛṣṇa. Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye (BG 7.3). Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu. Out of many, many millions of persons, one is trying to make his life perfect. Everyone, mostly, 99.9%, they are blind. Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ. They are being led by blind men. They are blind, and they are led by blind men. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). They do not know that the ultimate goal of life is to understand Viṣṇu, or Kṛṣṇa, and go back to Him. That is the goal of life. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9). That is being taught in the Bhagavad-gītā. This is the goal of life. But they are misled. They are captivated by this material energy. That will be explained in this chapter also. Tribhir guṇamayair bhāvaiḥ, mohitaṁ nābhijānāti mām ebhyaḥ param avyayam (BG 7.13).
There is food, You have got your particular type of teeth for eating fruits, flowers, grains. You haven't got canine teeth. Why you should eat meat? This is not your food.
So in this way we have to acquire knowledge. Not like blind men. But unfortunately we prefer to become a servant of a blind leader instead of Kṛṣṇa. This is our disease. We shall serve. I asked this question to Professor Kotovsky, that "Your communist philosophy and our Kṛṣṇa consciousness, where is the difference? You have selected your leader and you have sold yourself to the orders of Lenin. And we have also bowed down to Kṛṣṇa and we have sold ourselves to Kṛṣṇa. So on principle, where is the difference?"
Just like nowadays people are being taught drink wine, eat meat, and do whatever you like. Jaghanya-guṇa-vṛtti-sthāḥ (BG 14.18). So they will go down, animal life. So they have no knowledge. And the leaders, andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ (SB 7.5.31). The leaders are blind and they are leading other blind men. So it is a very dangerous civilization. In spite of being born in India, in spite of having the privilege of studying Bhagavad-gītā, they are not taking advantage of it, and they are being misled like cats and dogs. Very regrettable condition.
So the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is the only challenge to this devilish life of the human society. So I request everyone to study this philosophy very carefully and take advantage of it. Thank you very much.
These rascals are interested to adjust things materially. That's all. Durāśayā. It is called durāśayā, which hope will never be fulfilled. Therefore it is called durāśayā. The bahir-artha-māninaḥ, external energy. Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānās te 'pīśa-tantryām uru-dāmni baddhāḥ (SB 7.5.31). Andhāḥ, blind leaders, they are leading other blind men. They do not know. They are under the stringent laws of material nature. What their program will fulfilled? Just like see, so many plans are being made, but the result is rice is selling at six rupees kilo. This is the result. The poor man... They are making so many plans, increasing wallet(?), (fault?) material comforts, but the poor man is still poor man. As I have several times told you, fifty years ago when I came to Bombay, I saw there are person care of foot path. Still there are under care of footpath.
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
One does not consider his position. Andha. One man is blind, and he is saying, "All right. Come with me. I shall cross over the street. Come on." And if one believes, "All right," He does not inquire that "Sir, you are also blind. I am also blind. How you can help me crossing over the road?" No. He is also blind. This is going on. One blind man, one cheater is cheating another blind man, cheating. Therefore my Guru Mahārāja used to say this material world is a society of cheaters and cheated. That's all. Combination of cheater and cheated. I want to be cheated because I don't accept God. If there is God, then I become responsible for my sinful life. So therefore let me deny God: "There is no God," or "God is dead. Finish, finished."
He is asking his secretary. He was blind man. So he was asking his secretary, "My dear Sañjaya, after my boys, māmakāḥ, and pāṇḍavāḥ, the sons of my younger brother Pāṇḍu, samavetā yuyutsavaḥ, they assembled for fighting in the dharma-kṣetre kuru-kṣetre... (BG 1.1)." Dharma, kuru-kṣetra is still there. Everyone knows. And it is dharma-kṣetra. Everyone knows. Then where is the difficulty to understand dharma-kṣetra kuru-kṣetra māmakāḥ pāṇḍu? But if you foolishly interpret, "Dharma-kṣetra means this, and kuru-kṣetra means that, and pāṇḍavāḥ means that," you spoil the whole thing. That is going on. Otherwise there is no difficulty. Dharma-kṣetre kuru-kṣetre samavetā yuyutsavaḥ (BG 1.1).
So those who are anxious to understand the Absolute Truth by dint of imperfect knowledge, this is right conclusion. If your senses are imperfect, whatever your knowledge may be, that is imperfect, because you are gathering knowledge from..., by imperfect senses. You know the story of studying..., blind man studying an elephant. So blind man is going, somebody is catching the leg. So they, "Oh, elephant is just like a pillar, a column." And somebody is studying the tail, somebody is studying the trunk.
Similarly, those who are trying to understand the Absolute Truth by dint of blind knowledge, they come to the understanding of impersonal Brahman, brahmeti. That is also truth, just like you touch the elephant, a blind man touching the elephant, but because he hasn't got eyes he is concluding that elephant is like, just like a column. But he has touched. Similarly, either the impersonalist or the yogi or the bhakta, they have come to the Absolute Truth; therefore it is called advaya-jñāna. There is no difference between impersonal Brahman and localized Paramātmā and the Supreme Personality of Godhead. There is no difference, but still there is difference.
He is a professor. He has no knowledge that there is life after death. So world is going like that. They do not know what is karma-granthi, what is transmigration, nothing. Simply superficial. Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ. Blind men, they are leading other blind men. Therefore they are kept in ignorance, and the world is suffering therefore. They do not know what is the goal of life. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ (SB 7.5.31). They are trying to adjust things by illusory energy. That's all. Therefore, andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ. It is exactly like the, a blind man is trying to lead other blind men. This is going on.
Medicine is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Not that simply changing from this ism to that ism, this political party to this... That is not. Because everyone is imperfect. How they can give you perfect happiness? It is not possible. They are themselves andha. Andha means blind. So if you follow the blind man, how you'll cross? That is not possible. Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ. Why they are andha? Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). They do not know the ultimate goal of life is to surrender to Kṛṣṇa. That they do not know. They are manufacturing their own ways of advancing. That will never be successful. They do not know. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ (SB 7.5.31). They are thinking, "By adjustment of this material world, we shall be happy." That is not possible.
One who does not know what is God, and what is his relationship with God, he is a mūḍha. In so many places, there are so many śāstras you will find this word mūḍha. Here it is said, na lakṣyase mūḍha. Mūḍha-dṛśa, whose sense perception is just like blind man. A blind man is given a elephant, an elephant. Now, "Mr. Blind Man, just understand what is this." So, he is blind, he simply, I mean to say, moves his hand over the leg. "Sir, it is a column. It is a big column." So blind man, he cannot see; he thought that elephant is big column. So anyone who is speculating about God, he is the blind man studying the elephant, like that.
So Gāndhārī, she was the daughter of Afghanistan, Ghandahar. Still, the name is there Gandahar. Gandhar. Formerly the name was Gandhar. So Gāndhārī means the daughter of Gandhar country. So when she was informed that her would-be husband is a blind man—Dhṛtarāṣṭra was blind from birth—so immediately she practiced austerity. Voluntarily she closed her eyes with cloth that she would also live as blind. "My husband would be blind.
So the Pāṇḍavas proved their bodily strength, and Dhṛtarāṣṭra was under the impression that because actually the kingdom belonged to him, but on account of his becoming blind, he could not inherit on the throne. Defective in the body. A king should be all complete. So not a blind man can be king. That is not possible. So after the death of his younger brother Pāṇḍu, he thought, actually the kingdom belonged to him. Now, after the death of his brother, his sons should inherit. That was the political conspiracy of the battle of Kurukṣetra.
He does not know how to elect. He does not know how to elect. Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ (SB 7.5.31). They are themselves blind, and they are accepting a leader who is also blind. So what will be the profit? If you are led by... You are blind, and if you are led by another blind man, then what will be the profit? Both of you will fall down in the ditch. That is going on.
Therefore, if you want real happiness, you must take the leadership of a man who has got eyes to see. Then it will be all right. So whose eyes are open?
Science also trying, "What is the original cause of this creation? What is the original cause of life?" But because andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ (SB 7.5.31), the so-called philosophers, scientists, they have been taught by another unscientist, not scientist, so he is also not scientist, not philosopher, because he has been taught by another andha. Just like one blind man leads other blind man. So what he will get, knowledge? So therefore, according to Vedic civilization, it is enjoined, it is ordered, that "If you want to take knowledge," tad-vijñānārtham, "to understand the complete science," tad-vijñānārtham, "the spirit," sa gurum eva abhigacchet, "oḥ, you must approach a bona fide guru." Otherwise there is no knowledge.
If the light is off, immediately he cannot see. So what is the value of your eyes? Why you are so much proud to see everything? "Can you show me God? Can you show me the soul?" You cannot see. You have no eyes to see. And what you cannot see, you can hear. Just like a blind man, he is sitting. He cannot see. Somebody comes. He inquires, "Who has come here?" Now, if somebody says, "It is such and such person," by hearing only he can understand, "Oh, such and such person has come." So seeing is not extremely perfect experience. There are other senses.
The modern people, scientists, philosophers, they even do not know what is our original constitutional position, and... Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). I do not die, even after the destruction of this body. These things are unknown. And still, they are posing themselves as leader of the society. Therefore the śāstra says, andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ: (SB 7.5.31) "One blind man is leading several other blind men." Te 'pīśa-tantryām uru-dāmni baddhāḥ: "They do not know that they are bound up by the laws of nature very tight, hands and legs." There is no question of freedom.
'What kind of leader I am? I do not know what is beneficial for me. I am such a leader. I am such a fool. I do not know my own benefit, and I want to become leader to lead others for benefit of life.' " Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ (SB 7.5.31). A blind man, he does not think that he's blind. How he can lead others, other blind men? But this is cheating. All these leaders, so-called rascal leaders, they are blind themselves. They do not know what is the aim of life, and they're becoming leader. And the leader, blind leader, and the blind follower, they're all going to hell. This is the position of the world.
Then your problems of life will be solved. Otherwise there is no possibility. If any other person is giving you any other idea, he's simply misleading you.
That is also stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ (SB 7.5.31). Just like a blind man is leading other blind men. What he'll do? If a blind man says, "Come on. Come along with me. I shall cross you this road." What is the benefit of this assurance? He is blind himself. Therefore in spite of so much endeavor in the United Nations for the last twenty or twenty-five years, there is no solution. Simply the flags are increasing.
Just see. Such foolish persons, that every moment he's being kicked on his face by the boot of material nature, and still he's saying, "I am God, I am independent."
You see? So andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ (SB 7.5.31). Just like one blind man is speaking other blind men, "Please follow me. I shall lead you to the right path." "But you are blind yourself, and we are also blind. What will be the help?" But no, they will follow. In our country, Gandhi promised that "I shall give you independence in one year, if you follow me—non-violence, non-cooperation." People followed, but it took thirty years. But actually, that is not independence. So these politicians, especially, they mislead us. Not only politicians, the so-called yogis, so-called... So many things. Real leader is Kṛṣṇa.
Everything is finished." And he's one of the big professors in the country. So this is the defect of modern civilization, that the whole society is being governed by cats and dogs, actually. So how there can be any peace and prosperity? It is not possible. Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ.
Blind man leading other blind men. If one has eyes to see, he can lead hundreds and thousands of men, "Please come along with me. I shall cross the road." But if the man leading, he is himself blind, how he can lead others? Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ. So Bhāgavata, there is no comparison. There cannot be. It is transcendental science. Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānās te 'pīśa-tantryām uru-dāmni baddhāḥ (SB 7.5.31). Īśa-tantryām, these blind leaders, they are bound up by the laws of material nature, and they are giving advice.
Andha means blind man. If one blind man is trying to lead other blind men, then what is the benefit? The leader is blind and the follower is blind. Then there will be no result. They do not know... Īśa-tantryām uru-dāmni baddhāḥ. They are tied. They are tied hands and legs by īśa-tantra, by the regulative principles of the nature.
He comes. He's very anxious. People are ignorant, so therefore Kapiladeva has come. And the mother says, lokasya tamasā andhasya cakṣuḥ: "My dear son, Kapila, You are just the real eyes of these blind men, who cannot see You, or who cannot see God." Cakṣuḥ. So how cakṣuḥ? Because by knowledge. Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena (Bs. 5.38). By knowledge, when we shall develop or awaken our dormant love for God, then we can see God—with these eyes. Simply it has to be treated. Premāñjana-cchurita. You have to apply the ointment, eye ointment, of loving God. Then you'll see God everywhere. How?
What kind of guru? Just like Kapiladeva, Kṛṣṇa, or His representative. Not a bogus guru. Then you will be cheated. Andhā yathāndair upanīyamānāḥ. The so-called rascal guru, he does not know also what is the aim of life, and if he makes some disciples then śāstra says, andhā yathāndair upanīyamānāḥ, one blind man is trying to guide many other blind men. So what is the benefit? There is no benefit. So if you want to be guided by somebody, he must have opened eyes. Tattva-darśinaḥ, upadekṣyanti tad jñānaṁ tad jñānī tattva-darśinaḥ. Darśana. Darśana means who have got eyes to see what is the absolute truth. Don't go to a blind man, who has no knowledge about the absolute truth. The absolute truth is there, Kṛṣṇa.
Pradyumna: "If one is serious about going back to home, back to Godhead, he must consider the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead the summum bonum and chief aim of life. If he is a father instructing his sons, a spiritual master instructing his disciples, or a king instructing his citizens, he must instruct them as I have advised. Without being angry, he should continue giving instructions, even if his disciple, son or citizen is sometimes unable to follow his order. Ignorant people who engage in pious and impious activities should be engaged in devotional service by all means. They should always avoid fruitive activity. If one puts into the bondage of karmic activity his disciple, son or citizen who is bereft of transcendental vision, how will one profit? It is like leading a blind man to a dark well and causing him to fall in."
Prabhupāda:
- putrāṁś ca śiṣyāṁś ca nṛpo gurur vā
- mal-loka-kāmo mad-anugrahārthaḥ
- itthaṁ vimanyur anuśiṣyād ataj-jñān
- na yojayet karmasu karma-mūḍhān
- kaṁ yogayan manujo 'rthaṁ labheta
- nipātayan naṣṭa-dṛśaṁ hi garte
- (SB 5.5.15)
So there are two kinds of ruler or controller. One is the government, and the other is the teacher. Or guru means spiritual master. Spiritual master can control. The disciples obey the order of the spiritual master out of love. Guror-hitam.
Pradyumna: "If someone is ignorant and addicted to the path of saṁsāra, how can one who is actually learned, merciful and advanced in spiritual knowledge engage him in fruitive activity and thus further entangle him in material existence? If a blind man is walking down the wrong path, how can a gentleman allow him to continue on his way to danger? How can he approve this method? No wise or kind man can allow this."
Prabhupāda:
- kas taṁ svayaṁ tad-abhijño vipaścid
- avidyāyām antare vartamānam
- dṛṣṭvā punas taṁ saghṛṇaḥ kubuddhiṁ
- prayojayed utpathagaṁ yathāndham
- (SB 5.5.17)
So one person is utpathagam yathāndham, another person is vipaścid tad-abhijñaḥ. Two classes of men generally: one who knows the things as they are and one who does not know what is the value of life, how to make progress. So one does not know and one knows. So naturally there must be two classes of men to make real social progress or any, anything. Actually we see that there are a class of men in the school, colleges, universities, who can teach, and class of men who are taught. So without these two classes of men, how society can make progress? But the modern theory is "classless society."
So these things are going on. We want to be cheated, and there are so many cheaters. Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānās te 'pīśa-tantryām uru-dāmni baddhāḥ. The Bhāgavata has discussed everything. These rascals are andhā, blind, and one blind man is promising to lead other blind men. So what will be the result? If one man is not blind, he can lead hundreds of blind men. That is fact. But if the leader is also blind, then what is the use of leading such blind men? So that is discussed in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam:
This is the difficulty, that these rascals, they do not accept that they are defective. That is the difficulty. With their defective senses they are thinking, "We are perfect. Because we have got a photograph, telescope, therefore it is sufficient." It is made by you. You are defective, and whatever you make, that is defective. This is the conclusion. This is right conclusion. If blind man, if he creates some telescope or..., can he see? You are blind. What you can see? But they are taking evidence: "We have seen with photograph, with telescope."
Cakṣu, karṇa, nāsikā, jihvā, tongue, touch, hand... In this way we get knowledge experience. Sometimes we stress on the knowledge experienced by the eyes: "I want to see." But that is not the only source of knowledge. There are many blind men who cannot see, but he has got full knowledge. There are other sources of knowledge. Just like a mango. You see the mango, but you cannot experience the full knowledge unless you use the tongue. Then you can say whether it is good mango or bad mango, not by seeing.
Why you are addressing an ordinary man as Kṛṣṇa?" This is the teaching. And if you say, "Oh, Swamijī Mahārāja, you are Kṛṣṇa," and if I accept that "Oh, yes, I am Kṛṣṇa," then I am greater fool. You are a fool, I am also fool. Is it not? How one can accept that he is Kṛṣṇa, he is greater than Kṛṣṇa? Then he's a greater fool. Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ: (SB 7.5.31) "One blind man is leading many other blind men." And that is the position. We have got manufactured so many incarnation. Still, there are so many, this mother, that father, this, that, so many. You know prac... Yes. All incarnation.
Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ. One blind leader giving, leading to other blind men. Suppose one blind man says that "All right. Come. Follow me. I shall help you crossing this street, Mulberry Street. All right." So he is blind, and the followers are also blind. The result will be that he is dashed by some motorcar or truck and they all die. Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānās te 'pīśa-tantryām uru-dāmni baddhāḥ (SB 7.5.31). They do not know that we are tied up very hard by the laws, stringent laws of material nature. How we can become free from this material bondage? That is not possible. You have to take instruction who is not andhā, who is not blind. That means whose eyes are open, who is liberated from this material bondage. You have to take instruction from him.
That is not possible. You have to take instruction who is not andhā, who is not blind. That means whose eyes are open, who is liberated from this material bondage. You have to take instruction from him. Then you will understand what is your self-interest. Otherwise, if you take instruction from another blind man. You are already blind. If you take instruction from another blind man, then it will be not possible to become liberated from this material bondage.
That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. People should be free to move in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Everything, actually it belongs to Kṛṣṇa. But we have got restriction because we see "This is America, this is India, this is..." So they have been described here as andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ: "These leaders are themselves blind, and they are leading other blind men." General public, they are blind, and the leaders are also blind. Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ (SB 7.5.31). Why they are blind? Now, because they do not know what is the aim of life. Na te viduḥ. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatim. Everyone is self-interested. That's very good. You are self-interested; I am self-interested.
If the leaders are themselves imperfect, then what will be the position of the common men?
So here it is said that because the leaders, they do not know what is the aim of life, what is the goal of life, therefore common men, people in general, they are being misguided. They are being misguided. Suppose a blind man leads some other blind men. What will be the result? Both of them will meet danger. That is the result because... "Why? They are doing very nicely, with great cautiousness." No. But they do not know that they are bound up by the laws of nature. Te 'pīśa-tantryā uru-dāmni baddhāḥ. They cannot divert their attention or deviate from the laws of nature. That is not possible. So they are under the laws of nature. They do not now why the laws of nature acting in a different way, against their will. Suppose I do not wish to die.
Why not in the fire? What is the reason? And Bhagavad-gītā says, adāhyo 'yam: "It is never burned." So why do you think like that, that in the fire there is no living entity? Therefore they have been described as blind. Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ (SB 7.5.31). They are blind, and they are leading other blind men. But they do not know what is the laws of nature, how things are going.
Just like in this present existence I have changed my body so many times from my childhood to this old age. Similarly, I am changing my body. So this life, this body is temporary. Durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ. Andhā, and I do not see my future; therefore I am blind. And the leader which is leading me, he is also blind. So a blind man leading other blind men, what is the result? The result is catastrophic. Therefore in spite of so many great leaders, politicians, scientists, educationist, the result is that problematic. The whole world is full of problems. They do not know what is their interest. The interest is this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That they do not know.
So therefore He's vibhu. He is great. But we do not know how great He is. Therefore we foolishly accept some pretender, some fraud, as God. We do not know what is the meaning of God. But it is going on. We are fools. Andhā yathāndair upanīyamānās. We are blind, and another blind man lead us: "I am God. You are God. Everyone is God." But God is not like that.
Here it is said that God is He who... Kālo vaśī-kṛta-visṛjya-visarga-śaktiḥ: "He keeps control over the time factor and the creative energy." That is God. God is not so cheap that you'll find here and there. God is everywhere. That's a fact. But that is partial manifestation of His material energy. This is... Ekāṁśena sthito jagat.
We have to minimize even whatever we absolutely require. Absolutely we require āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunaṁ ca. It has to be curtailed. That is civilization, not that increasing. This is a misguiding civilization. Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ (SB 7.5.31). This is a civilization where a blind man is guiding a few others or many other blind men. So what is this civilization? The leader, he is a rascal. He does not know what is the aim of life, and he has become leader. So many talking. When I was talking with Professor Kotovsky, so I asked him this question, that "After all, you are required, you are in need of a leader. So you are being led by your Lenin philosophy and we are being led by Kṛṣṇa philosophy.
Nectar of Devotion Lectures
So one who does not understand Kṛṣṇa, if they speak to the public about Kṛṣṇa, about Bhagavad-gītā, they are nonsense, simply misleading people. Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānās te 'pīśa-tantryām uru-dāmni baddhaḥ (SB 7.5.31). They are themselves blind, and there are other blind men there also, therefore they do not get any profit out of it. So many Gītār jñāna, Gītār version is going on, but still they are in the same darkness. Same darkness. Not a single staid(?) is follower. Why? Well, that is not the way of understanding Kṛṣṇa. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti (BG 18.55). Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12).
They do not know everything, anything. There is God, there is home of God. As we say, generally, we give you the name of God, His address, His father's name—everything—but they will not accept it. "There is no God. God is dead. I am God. You are God. God is loitering in the street." This is their theory. Andhā yathāndair upanīyamānāḥ. The blind men are led by blind leaders. So we should not follow like that way. If we actually want success of life, then we must be Kṛṣṇa conscious. We must follow the greatest authority, Kṛṣṇa. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1). We must follow. If you want success of life, everything is there, whatever you want.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures
These rascals, mūḍhas, they do not know, and misleading... Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ (SB 7.5.31). These rascals are blind, and they are leading some other blind men, and they are satisfied that "We have got all scientific knowledge." That's all. That is not the way of scientific knowledge. If you want scientific knowledge, then you should know from Kṛṣṇa. That is scientific knowledge. Jñānaṁ me paramaṁ guhyaṁ yad vijñāna-samanvitam. Vijñāna-samanvitam.
It is the greatest offense. It is the greatest offense. How it is offense? Suppose you are my friend, and if I say, "Oh, you have no eyes. You have no hand. You have no leg. You have no tongue..." "You have no leg" means you are lame man. "You have no eyes" means you are blind man. "You have no hand" means... That means I am calling you by all ill names. "You are blind. You are lame. You are nonsense. You are rascal." So are they not offenses against the friend? If I say, "You have no eyes," it is gentlemanly speaking that "You are blind." If I directly say, "You are blind," oh, will you be very happy upon me? No. If I say, if "You have no leg..." Suppose if I say if "You have no brain," that means "You are rascal.
Sri Isopanisad Lectures
Any other process means covered. Just like the... You understand the sun planet from here. You are seeing the sun planet, that's a fact, but that does not mean you know what is actually the sun planet is, because you have no access to approach there. You may speculate, that's all. Speculation means the blind man seeing the elephant. Somebody thought, "Oh, it is just like a pillar." Yes. Big, big legs. Somebody understood the trunk. Somebody understood the ears, elephant. There is a story, some blind men studying the elephant. So they were giving different conclusions. Somebody: "The elephant is just like a pillar." Somebody says, "Elephant is just like big boat." Somebody is... Somebody is... But actually what is elephant, if you have no eyes to see, you can go on speculating. Therefore it is here said that pūṣann apāvṛṇu. "Please uncover the covering. Then I can see You."
Arrival Addresses and Talks
So don't be misled by the leaders of so-called eternity and fraternity. It is not possible. That are called andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānās (SB 7.5.31), just like a blind man is trying to lead other blind men. So come to this platform of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, this fraternity and equality, also eternity. Eternity means that we living entities, we are eternal, we never die or never take birth. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Now we have got French edition of Bhagavad-gītā, you will find there. Have you got that book here? No. You will find in that book, na jāyate na mriyate vā kadācit nityaḥ śāśvato 'yaṁ na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). You will find this verse that we living entities, we have no birth and no death. Na jāyate. You can read that verse in French.
General Lectures
The source of supply is the same. If the source of supply is the same, then what is there, replacing Mr. Johnson by Nixon or Nixon by Johnson? The leader(s) themselves, they are blind. They do not know what is the ultimate goal of life. Therefore our position is that we are blind and our leaders are blind, so what will be the result? If a blind man leads other hundred men to cross over the street, certainly there will be some accident because all of them are blind men. If one man is with eyes, open eyes, he can lead hundreds and thousands of men behind him. But if the leader and the led, both of them are blind, then the result will be that all of them will fall into the ditch. So, andhā yathāndair upanīyamānā te 'pīśa-tantryām uru-dāmni baddhāḥ.
Well, this, there is no question of belief. It is a fact. I have already explained that the child, a small child, is reincarnating from one body to another, one body to another, one body to another. So similarly, the final change is called reincarnation. So there is no question of believe. It is a fact. Only the blind man, he cannot see it. Believe means it may be fact or not fact—I blindly believe. That is another thing. Here is a science. "One plus one equal to two." Just like that. This body changes, this body changes, this body changes, and the living entity's there, everywhere. Therefore every moment the reincarnation is going on, every second. What is the question of believe? It is a fact.
They have no vision what is the actual goal of life. Not only in a particular country—everywhere the same mischief is going on. Therefore, as a blind man, if he leads other blind men, there will be catastrophe, similarly, because we are led by blind men, the whole world is in catastrophe. Nobody is in peace. Everyone is unsatisfied in spite of so much material education, advancement of material education, because the missing point is Viṣṇu. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31).
This movement is very important. It is a movement to save the human society from a suicidal policy. The suicidal policy is... Just this evening I expressed my desires to the press conference that the human society is being misled by leaders who are blind themselves. Take for example just like there a few blind men, and one, another blind man, is proposing to help them, crossing over the street. So this blind following is there in this sense, that we do not know what is the aim and objective of human society. The aim and objective of human life is self-realization and reestablishing our lost relation with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is the missing point. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is trying to enlighten the human society on this important point.
The different parties, different mentalities, they are trying to predominate over other. They are blind themselves. Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānas. One blind man is trying to lead other blind men. There cannot be any benefit. They should know the ultimate goal of life is Viṣṇu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and we shall all surrender unto Him. Then there can be peace and prosperity. Thank you very much. (break)
All these materialistic leaders, the politicians, the scientists, the philosophers, the technologists and so on, businessmen, so on, so on, and all these material—they are all blind and they are leading other blind. So what will be? The result will be catastrophe, because both of them are blind. If one man is with eyes, he can lead another thousands of men, blind men: "Please come. I shall help you crossing the road." But if the leader is also blind and the followers are blind, then what is the result? That is happening. They are thinking that "By bodily comfort, by sense gratification, we shall be happy." But that is not possible. We do not know. Actually we have no knowledge. Dehāntaraṁ-prāptiḥ.
One who is not perfect in knowledge, he is as a teacher, he's passing on as a teacher. Andhā yathāndair upanīyamānās te 'pīśa-tantryām uru-dāmni baddhāḥ. Andhāḥ means blind. One blind man, he is trying to help other blind man. So what is the use of such advancement of education? If the teacher himself is blind, then what is the use of taking knowledge from him? That is going on.
Philosophy Discussions
Prabhupāda: Yes, he'll be the worst sufferer, in this life and next life. These things I have discussed in Mahārāja Prthu's. You cannot, if you keep the, just like I am accepting disciples so I am taking responsibility of the sinful reactions. So similarly a king levying taxes, that means that he will take the share, the sinful or pious life of the citizens. Therefore if he keeps the citizens pious life, then he will be profited and citizens will be profited. Otherwise he will go to hell and the citizens will go to hell. Andhā yathāndair upanīyamānā. One blind man leading another blind man.
Prabhupāda: That's all right but that means he has no clear knowledge. That's all. So therefore we can say they are rascals. And one who does not know God, he is rascal. Following, that is our philosophy(?). But because knowledge means to understand God. The animals, they do not understand God. Therefore they are called animal. Similarly, any man, any so-called (indistinct) does not know God, he is animal. He may be nicely dressed, that is another thing, but factually he is an animal, because he does not know God. That is the position of animals. What is the difference between man and animal? That is the difference, the animal cannot know what is God, the man can know. That is fundamental. It may be... There are difference of animals but no animal is able to understand God. And here the difficulty is that one is in the animal's position, he does not know God but he takes the position of teacher. That is the difficulty of this modern civilization. The person in position of animal is trying to teach others. Andhā yathāndair upanīyamānaḥ as Prahlāda Mahārāja says, "The blind man is trying to lead other blind men."
Svarūpa Dāmodara: The so-called modern increased living taught by people who have the ideas of these things. The result is they are always led by people who think like that. Because like Śrīla Prabhupāda said on some of the letters, "The blind men leading the blind."
Prabhupāda: They accept blind men leading them.
Karandhara: They say the empiric mind just, you cannot accept revelation, that revelation isn't experimental to our limited knowledge, or to our knowledge. The hard-core scientist doesn't want to listen to revelation or what he considers theoretical spiritual knowledge, because he can't examine it or experiment with it himself; therefore he considers it a waste of time. If he can't see it or understand it with his mind, he doesn't think that it has any bearing or importance.
Prabhupāda: You can change your mind. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says (indistinct). That is explained in the Bhāgavatam... (break) ...progress, why do you talk of these things? What do you think, eh? That is explained in the Bhāgavatam: andhā yathāndair upanīyamānās. Andhā. One blind man is trying to lead another blind man. So what is the use of such leading? You must have eyes, then you can ask other hundreds of blind men, "Please come behind me, I shall get you across." But if you have no eyes, then why you are asking others, philosophizing?
Prabhupāda: The human need is to get out of the clutches of māyā. That is the actual need. Janma-maraṇa-mokṣaya, that is the need. But the modern society, they do not know what is needed. They are making simply plans, uselessly. Śrama eva hi kevalam (SB 1.2.8). Simply laboring hard, they do not know the need. The real need is to get out of the clutches of repetition of birth and death in different forms. But people do not know this. They are simply concocting ideas. Durāśayā ye bahir-artha-maninaḥ. Durāśayā, hopeless, or they are trying to educate something which is impossible. They are making plans to be happy in this material world. And by the United Nations it is impossible. That is not intelligence. He says... We can say in the United Nations clearly that "Your, this attempt will be failure." It is already failure. (aside in Hindi) Hariṁ vinā naiva mṛtiṁ taranti. What is the solution? You cannot make any solution of this repetition of birth and death, disease and old age. What do you mean by solution? The real problems are there. So they do not know what are the problems, how to solve them. So andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānās (SB 7.5.31). Some blind leaders, so-called leaders, they are leading other blind men. This is going on. They do not know what is the aim of life, how to make solutions of the problems. They do not know.
Prabhupāda: So the middle stage, so then you have to learn. You are not perfect, so you do not know. So one who does not know, his speculation, what is the value? Just like a child, if he does not know how the machine is working, how, then his speculation on this machine, what is the value of it? Without perfect knowledge, simply speculation, that is going on. The modern civilization, they prefer simply speculation without any basic truth. That is the defect. Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānās (SB 7.5.31). And they have become leaders, philosophers, scientists. Bhāgavata condemns them: andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānās. They are blind themselves and they are trying to lead other blind men. So their leading, their science, their philosophy are practically useless. They cannot give any benefit to the human society. Childish.
Prabhupāda: That we say, but we give also hope that in this way we shall be happy. Your life will be blissful. We say this is condemned life and this is blissful life. Come to bliss. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. But he has no such knowledge. He is simply staying with the condemned side. He has no knowledge of the blissful side. Therefore he is imperfect. Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānā. This kind of philosophy will be accepted by a man of his category: he is blind and another blind man will accept it, that's all.
Śyāmasundara: So tomorrow we will finish Schopenhauer. Today is finished. (break)
Prabhupāda: It can be shown, but you have no eyes to see. That is my proposal. Your eyes are just as blind man. If he says that "Show me this," how he can see? He is blind man. So you are blind, you cannot see, but those who have eyes, they can see. Therefore they say, śāstra cakṣuṣa: don't believe those eyes. Śāstra cakṣuṣa. Make the śāstra your cakṣuṣa. That is Vedic position. Don't see with these naked eyes. What is the value of your eyes? Why are you so much proud of your eyes? You cannot see. You see under certain conditions. Therefore adhaksi(?) Adhaksi means those who believe only the eyes. And what is the value of the eyes? That you won't admit, that "I am blind." He won't say. He will say simply, "I cannot see." How you can see? You're blind.
Prabhupāda: What is the value of your slogan if you are yourself controlled? Our point is that if you are yourself blind, how you can lead other blind men?
Śyāmasundara: Well, he's convinced that that is the truth. So he...
Prabhupāda: He is convinced, but where is the proof that his leadership should be accepted?
Śyāmasundara: That it works socially. That people are becoming happy under this philosophy.
Prabhupāda: Yes. That we are doing. We are defeating on their own principles. On principles. Just like we are speaking that Mao thinks that he is not controlled. He should be controller. But he is controlled by heart attack. Then how he can be controller? The same example. If you are blind, how you can lead other blind men? First of all, he has to know that "I am so powerful, why I am being controlled by heart attack?" Let them philosophize on this point. You must admit that "I am controlled." So if I am controller, then how I can be supreme controller?
Prabhupāda: That goal is there. They are not missing the goal. Oṁ tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padaṁ sadā paśyanti sūrayaḥ. This is the Ṛg Veda mantra. They know their goal. But they have to reach still, yet to go there. Just like our Kṛṣṇa conscious people, they know what is the goal, Kṛṣṇa, Goloka Vṛndāvana. So this is the attempt, how to reach there, how to reach there. That's all. We are not blind, but these people are blind. They do not know what is the goal. By philosophizing, they simply mislead. That is explained in the Bhāgavata: andhā, a blind man is trying to lead other blind men. If you do not know, why you are philosophizing? Unless you have got the ideal goal for evolutionary progress, why you talk of these things?
Prabhupāda: What do you think? Huh? So that is explained in the Bhāgavata. Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānās (SB 7.5.31). Andhā. One blind man is trying to lead another blind man. So what is the use of such leading? You must have eyes; then you can ask other hundreds of blind men, "Please come behind me. I shall get you across." But if you have no eyes, then why you are asking others? Philosophizing.
Śyāmasundara: It seems like these two philosophers have two different viewpoints. The first one, Huxley, said man can take nature into his own hand and mold his own evolution.
Prabhupāda: That is nonsense.
Prabhupāda: Yes. We can obey such man who obeys the laws of God. Otherwise they..., it is useless to obey an imperfect person. Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ (SB 7.5.31). To obey the imperfect person means just like a blind man following other blind man. So what benefit he will get? If one blind man is begging help from others, "Please help me in crossing the road," if another blind man comes and he says, "Yes, come on with me," so what will be the result? Both will be crushed by accident. So any, any person who does not follow the instruction of the Supreme Controller, he is a blind person.
Prabhupāda: He cannot lead. As we are concerned, we therefore don't accept the so-called scientist's or philosopher's belief. They say, "We believe," "Perhaps it may be like this." These are all doubtful declaration. There is no truth in it. If there is any truth, that is also doubtful. Why should we risk our life by following such blind man who is thinking, who is believing, but he has no clear knowledge? Therefore we have decided to take lesson from the Supreme Person, Kṛṣṇa, who knows everything perfectly well. Vedāhaṁ samatītāni (BG 7.26). He knows past, present and future, and what is our benefit, welfare, everything. So we should follow Kṛṣṇa instead of so-called blind philosophers.
Prabhupāda: That's all. We are, I have stopped it. They cannot speculate on the words of Bhagavad-gītā. That is our mission. Won't allow you to speculate. You are finite, imperfect. How you can by speculation give the unlimited, infinite? How it is possible? That is reasonable. Waste of time, misleading others. Aṇḍhā yathāndair upanīyamānāḥ. You are blind; how you can show others, blind men? They are already blind. You open your eyes, then take the leadership of the blind. Ajñāna-timirāndhasya jñānāñjana-śalākayā. That is our process. That's all right. (end)
| Page Title: | Blind men (Lectures) |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, RupaManjari |
| Created: | 22 of Nov, 2011 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=77, Con=0, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 77 |