You cannot oblige God to become manifest before you because you are very good scholar or you are a very rich man or you are very good looking or you have got very good memorizing power. No. Yam evaiṣa vṛṇute. When He is pleased, then He reveals unto the devotee. Therefore our business should be, for God realization, to please Him. And that pleasing process is this devotional service. Let us engage in His service, and when He becomes pleased, "Yes. He's very sincerely..." Just like the gopīs. They were village girls, not even born of very high family. Cowherds, ordinary agriculturists, cowherds men. So their daughters. So how much education you can...? There was no education practically. In the village even men... In India still, they are ninety-percent illiterate. And what to speak of the girls, the men are not even literate. Because according to Vedic civilization it was not necessary that everyone should go to school. There was no necessity. Because things were being learned by śruti, by aural reception. Knowledge from the perfect man, one would hear, and he would become learned. There was no necessity of, I mean to say, learning ABCD. No. Even in Vedic age, everything was memorized. There was nothing in writing. People were so sharp in brain that once heard from the spiritual master, they will never forget. The brahmacārī system made their brain so powerful that whatever they will hear from the spiritual master, they will keep in the brain and never forget. They will repeat verbatim. Smṛti. It is called retaining power.
Education (Lectures, General)
Expressions researched:
"coeducation"
|"education"
|"educational"
|"educationally"
|"educations"
|"educative"
Lectures
General Lectures
These are material opulences: high parentage, great riches, and great learning, and great beauty. These four things are material opulences. Janmaiśvarya-śruta-śrī (SB 1.8.26). Janma means birth, aiśvarya means wealth, and śruta means education, and śrī means beauty. So for God realization these things are not essential, but Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement can utilize everything. So nothing is neglected. That is another point. But if somebody thinks that "I have got all these opulences; therefore God realization is very easy for me," no, that is not. So God realization depends on God, because God, you cannot oblige God by some force. Just like if you have got money, oh, you can do anything nowadays. If you have got strength of wealth, you can have any power, you can do anything. But that does not mean that you can purchase God. No. That is not possible.
That is not possible. So the vairāgya-vidyā-nija-bhakti-yoga (CC Madhya 6.254). To conquer God is bhakti. If you are advanced in devotional service, then you can conquer God. Just like the gopīs, as I was speaking, their parentage was not very high, not at all high. Village, agriculturists, farmers, no education, practical... No education at all. And they were not rich at all. Agriculturists, farmers, they are not very rich. So how they conquered Kṛṣṇa? Kṛṣṇa was just a play toy in their hands. Gopī-bhāva-rasāmṛtābdhi-laharī. They conquered Kṛṣṇa simply by devotional service. That's all. They did not know anything except Kṛṣṇa. They did not, I mean to say, care anything. Simply they were..., always they were thinking of Kṛṣṇa. The one instance of their absorption in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is explained, that when Kṛṣṇa was going on the pasturing ground, the gopīs were crying at home.
"How Kṛṣṇa is feeling pain." And the whole day, they will think of Kṛṣṇa like that, and when Kṛṣṇa will come back from the pasturing ground, then they will be relieved that "Kṛṣṇa has now come back." This was their business. Now, this sort of thinking of Kṛṣṇa does not require any riches or any high parentage or any beauty or any education. So we have to develop such Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Our, this Gauḍīya-sampradāya, Caitanya Mahāprabhu's, in Caitanya Mahāprabhu's descendants, our line of God realization is that separation, feeling of separation. Not that we have got Kṛṣṇa within our hand. No. The feeling of separation, worship of Kṛṣṇa by feeling of separation is better than the worship by directly meeting. Vipralambha-sevā.
This prayer is offering respectful obeisances to the spiritual master. Why? Because the spiritual master is the person who opens our eyes, complicated in ignorance, with the torch of transcendental knowledge. Timirāndhasya. Every one of us born ignorant, and we require specific education and training for seeing things as they are. Today I am very glad to meet you. You are all students of technology. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is also another technology. Unfortunately, in the modern state of civilization there are different department of knowledge. There is department of teaching medical science, there is department of teaching engineering, there is department of educating—so many other departments of knowledge. Unfortunately, there is no department for distributing knowledge in the science of the soul. But that is the important, most important thing, because the soul is the mainstay, is the background of all our movements.
Just like when your garment is too old, it has to be changed; similarly, when this material body is too old to carry on, then this consciousness is transferred to another body and you begin another life. This is the process of nature.
But unfortunately, in the modern education system, there is no departmental education about this consciousness or spirit soul, although it is the most important factor. Without consciousness, without the soul's being present, this body is useless. But unfortunately we take care very much for this body, but we have no knowledge of the consciousness or the spirit soul. This is called illusion, ignorance, or māyā. We are very much serious about the nonpermanent things, the body which will not exist, which will be vanquished after certain period of years, but we do not take care of the eternal consciousness, which is changing from one body to another.
So this is the opportunity. This human form of life is the opportunity to achieve that highest perfection of life. If we do not make progress with that vision of life, then we are simply spoiling our, this opportunity of human civilized life. Especially I mean this civilized form of life with developed consciousness, developed education. If you do not take care "What I am? Why I am meeting death? I do not wish to die. Why calamities are enforced upon me?" Nobody wants to meet calamities. In your country, especially I see in every city, the fire brigade, ambulance car is always wandering in the street. That means who wants that his house should be set in fire? Who wants that he should meet an accident? But these things are being enforced, but there is no question that "Why these things are enforced? I do not want this. Why this...?"
Your question is very intelligent. Unfortunately, people are not intelligent enough even to put questions and to answer this great science. And we are very much proud of our advanced education. They do not know what he is. Simply coming, accepting a body, and living for some time, and just dying like cats and dogs. That's all. They are most abominable condition of human civilization at the present moment that they do not take care about the real identity of his self. He's simply mistakenly identifying himself with this body, which he's not. Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke (SB 10.84.13). The Bhāgavata says one who identifies this body with his self, and one who thinks that the bodily relationship is the protector of his kinsmen, and the body produced in certain part of the land is accepted as worshipable—there are so many descriptions—such man is no better than an ass or cow.
Just like when your garment is too old, it has to be changed; similarly, when this material body is too old to carry on, then this consciousness is transferred to another body and you begin another life. This is the process of nature.
But unfortunately, in the modern education system, there is no departmental education about this consciousness or spirit soul, although it is the most important factor. Without consciousness, without the soul's being present, this body is useless. But unfortunately we take care very much for this body, but we have no knowledge of the consciousness or the spirit soul. This is called illusion, ignorance, or māyā. We are very much serious about the nonpermanent things, the body which will not exist, which will be vanquished after certain period of years, but we do not take care of the eternal consciousness, which is changing from one body to another.
So this is the opportunity. This human form of life is the opportunity to achieve that highest perfection of life. If we do not make progress with that vision of life, then we are simply spoiling our, this opportunity of human civilized life. Especially I mean this civilized form of life with developed consciousness, developed education. If you do not take care "What I am? Why I am meeting death? I do not wish to die. Why calamities are enforced upon me?" Nobody wants to meet calamities. In your country, especially I see in every city, the fire brigade, ambulance car is always wandering in the street. That means who wants that his house should be set in fire? Who wants that he should meet an accident? But these things are being enforced, but there is no question that "Why these things are enforced? I do not want this.
Your question is very intelligent. Unfortunately, people are not intelligent enough even to put questions and to answer this great science. And we are very much proud of our advanced education. They do not know what he is. Simply coming, accepting a body, and living for some time, and just dying like cats and dogs. That's all. They are most abominable condition of human civilization at the present moment that they do not take care about the real identity of his self. He's simply mistakenly identifying himself with this body, which he's not. Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke (SB 10.84.13).
Prabhupāda: No? Oh. So you are not taught in this school where you are? Then what is that education? You do not know where you are.
Boy: I do know where I am. I'm in this school.
Prabhupāda: You do not know, because as you say you are here, here your coat is there, your pant is there, your hand is there, your body is there, but you cannot explain where you are. All right. Sit down. I shall explain. (laughter) This is the defect of modern education. We are educated in a way in which we have misunderstood, "This is my body. This is my hand. This is my leg. This is my country. This is my mother. This is my father. This is my school."
So we have to develop that God consciousness and Kṛṣṇa consciousness. When we speak of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, it is God consciousness. People have become degenerated, forgetting God consciousness. Therefore in the present world there is no peace. Materially, they are very much advanced. They are advanced in so-called education, but they do not know what is "I." The everything, they are claiming, "my and mine," but they do not know what is "I."
So this consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, is scientifically presented. It is not a sentiment. It is not a sentimental movement. It is very scientific movement. And the easiest process to come to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness is by chanting this Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. So we are presenting very easy formula for coming to the Kṛṣṇa consciousness platform.
And he said, kaumāra ācaret prājño dharmān bhāgavatān iha (SB 7.6.1). The Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or God consciousness, should be taught from the very beginning of education. This is the greatest drawback of modern education, that not only in your country or any country they have completely neglected what is meant by God. And in India, they are especially... Now, as soon as there is any question of God, they see phobia: "Oh, this is all nonsense." They have become so clever.
So have you seen that thing? You have seen your father, you have seen your mother or you have seen your son. But have you seen the real father who is within the body of the father? Have you seen the real son which is in the body of the son? No. Then your whole conception of education, your whole conception of living condition and problems—in the false world. Therefore this movement is required at the present moment in the world. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12). This will cleanse the status of your mental condition. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇam. And as soon as you understand yourself, then the whole problem—social, political, economical—everything will be solved. Bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇaṁ śreyaḥ-kairava-candrikā-vitaraṇam.
Now, how nice, you can understand simply. This verse, if you can understand, then you can have some idea of universal brotherhood. If you want to make universal brotherhood, you must find out the center—the universal father. So these questions and answers are there, and we have got the science of God, the education of science of God, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. So these books are meant for human society, and if you take advantage of the knowledge imparted in this book and if you chant this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, you will see how your life becomes improved, how you become full of knowledge, full of bliss, and how you advance in your eternal life.
"The paṇḍitāḥ, the learned man, he does not lament over the body, either living or dead." Because bodily platform is not the subject matter for understanding of philosophical research. Bodily platform is not very important. The spiritual platform is important, but nobody is discussing about spiritual platform. Everyone is, all the education centers, the universities, they are, I mean to say, busy studying chemistry, physics, and biology, mathematics. At most, little philosophy. That is also on mental speculation, theory. Somebody is giving some theory; somebody's giving (another) theory. But nobody discussing about the eternal spirit soul. That is the defect of this modern civilization.
As soon as you are born, the death is also born along with you. Suppose one man is twenty-five years old. That means he has already died twenty-five years. So you cannot protect yourself from death, however you may become very strong, stout. Therefore actual education, actual spiritual knowledge begins, as stated in the Bhagavad-gītā... The Bhagavad-gītā, the beginning of Bhagavad-gītā is that when Arjuna surrendered to Kṛṣṇa, He immediately said that "My dear Arjuna, you are posing yourself as very learned man but you are fool number one." Why? "Because you are identifying yourself with this body." Aśocyān anvaśocas tvaṁ prajñā-vādāṁś ca bhāṣase (BG 2.11). "My dear Arjuna, you are talking just like very learned man, but you are lamenting on the subject matter of your body."
"My dear Arjuna, you are talking just like very learned man, but you are lamenting on the subject matter of your body." Gatāsūn agatāsūṁś ca nānuśocanti paṇḍitāḥ. Actually one who is learned, he has no necessity for lamenting on the subject, on the body, either living or dead. So the whole process of education in the materialistic way of civilization is on the body, how to keep the body fit, how to avoid death, how to avoid disease. Simply concentration on the body. So this bodily concept of life is immediately discouraged in the Bhagavad-gītā.
If you love your countrymen, if you want to see that your countryman becomes educated, advanced economically and mentally, physically, then what you'll do? You pay tax to the government. You don't hide your income tax. You simply pay tax to the central government and it will be distributed to the educational department, to the defense department, to the hygienic department, everywhere. Therefore... These are crude examples, but actually, if you want to love everything, then you try to love Kṛṣṇa. You'll not be frustrated because that is complete. When your love is complete, then you will not be frustrated. Just like you have got complete feeding. If you are satisfied with food co
Yes. This is my obligation, to give them education in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the best service I am giving to the humanity. Why I have come to your country? I am old man. Just to fulfill this obligation. So when one becomes Kṛṣṇa conscious he feels obligation very extensive, not limited. He is called mahātmā, very broad-minded. Not cripple-minded. So "I am good, my father is good"—not like that. So Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so nice that it makes your mind broader. Mahātmā. Sa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ. This exact word is there in the Bhagavad-gītā:
That is not love of Godhead. (pause) Of course, it is very difficult to come to that stage, but one should try. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We are all student. We are trying. But there are degrees also. Just like in a educational institution there is tenth class, eighth class, fifth class, sixth class. And with the yoga, it is just like a staircase or a lift. So there are different stages of perfection. The highest perfection is who is always thinking of Kṛṣṇa. That is yoginām api sarveṣāṁ mad-gatenāntarātmanā śraddhāvān bhajate... (BG 6.47). The highest perfectional is Kṛṣṇa, thinking always Kṛṣṇa, and Rādhārāṇī. That is the highest perfectional stage. She has no other business: simply thinking of Kṛṣṇa.
Because the human form of life can accept and make his path clear. His present activities, path, is very hazy. He does not know where he is going, what is his destination of life. That he does not know. Therefore education, training, and all so many things there are in every civilized human form of life so that he may come to the platform of goodness. And not only that goodness. One has to surpass that platform of goodness and come to the platform of pure goodness. In this material world it is very difficult to stand on the platform of goodness pure. Even a good man sometimes commits some mistake, commits some blunder in the material world. Because you should always remember that there are three modes of material nature—ignorance, passion, and goodness.
It is not that... But in India also at the present moment this caste system has become a hereditary. No. It is not hereditary. A śūdra can become a brāhmaṇa—if he qualifies himself. Just like a policeman can one day become the learned judge of high-court if he qualifies himself. There is chance. There is educational facilities. You educate yourself. You become doctor of law, you also one day. You become one day president. Everyone is open. Similarly, the chance is open for everyone how to become the supreme man. Supreme man means one who understands God and his relationship. He is supreme man. All others, they are below the supreme man. The supreme man is the first-class man, and the others, who are below God understanding, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they are second class, third class, fourth class, fifth class, like that. This is the classification.
First of all this body, gṛha. Gṛha means "house, living place." So I am the soul, I am living, and this body is my first living place. This is also gṛha. I am not this body. Just like I am living in this apartment, I am not this apartment. Similarly, I am living in this body, but I am not this body. This is the beginning of spiritual education. Unless one does not understand that "I am not this body; I am living in this body," there is no question of spiritual education. He does not know what is spiritual and material. So this misunderstanding, that "I am this body. I belong to this apartment, I belong to this society, I belong to this country, I belong to this nation, I belong to this world, I belong to this universe"—you can expand—that is all misunderstanding.
What is God? What is this world? What is our interrelation?" This is man's business. This is called athāto brahma jijñāsā. In the Vedānta-sūtra, the first sūtra, aphorism, is atha ataḥ brahma-jijñāsā: "This human form of life is meant for inquiry about the spirit, Supreme Spirit, Brahman." That is the beginning of spiritual education.
So spiritual education—first to understand "What I am," then "What is God," "What is this world." "What is our interrelation," then "What is God's position," "What is my position," "How I shall deal with God"—these things are spiritual education, and human life is meant for that purpose. The nature gives chance to the living entity, this developed consciousness of human being, in order to understand these things.
The human society is struggling fruitlessly against these perpetual problems of life in different ways. Some of them are making material attempts and some of them are making partially spiritual attempts. The materialists are trying to solve the problems by achievement of scientific knowledge, education, philosophy, morality, ethics, poetic thoughts, etc., and the spiritualists are trying to solve the problems by different theses like discerning matter from spirit in various ways. And some of them are trying as mystic yogis to arrive at the right conclusion. But all of them must know it for certain that in this age of Kali, or the age of quarrel and dissension, there is no possibility of success without accepting the process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
So in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam also it is stated that parābhavas tāvad abodha-jātaḥ. We are all born ignorant. Either in human society or in animal society, we are born all ignorant. Therefore, in the human society the system is that children are given education. Why? Because it is supposed that the child is born ignorant. Similarly, as we give material education to the children, it is the duty of the parents to enlighten them with spiritual education. Śrīmad-Bhāgavata says that "Nobody should desire to become a father, nobody should desire to become a mother, unless one is able to save the child from the impending death." So that is also the duty of spiritual master. One should not become a spiritual master unless one is able to save the disciple from impending death. And what is that impending death? Impending death means...
That is the teaching of Bhagavad-gītā: māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ (BG 9.32). In this material world there are consideration of pious activities or impious activities. By pious activities one gets very good family, birth in very good family, and nice education, beautiful body, janmaiśvarya-śruta-śrī (SB 1.8.26). Four things: birth either in good nation or in good family, janma; and aiṣvarya means wealth, richness; and ṣruta means education; and śrī means beauty. So this is the consideration of material pious or impious. And impious means just the opposite: birth in abominable species of life, just like cats, dogs, hogs, or uncivilized people, ugly feature, no education. These are consideration, pious or impious. But either you become pious or impious, you cannot get out of these stringent laws of nature: birth, death, disease and old age.
From aquatics they are promoted to the plant life. From plant life they are promoted to the insect life. From insect life they are promoted to the birds' life. Gradual evolution. They are coming by nature's way. Nature is helping. And nature has helped you to come to this life, to civilized form of life, where you can have education, where you can have nice compartment, apartment, nice food, nice association, nice car, nice city. Because... What is the difference between this nice and, I mean to say, not nice? Because you have got nice intelligence. In this land of America, when the Europeans did not come here to colonize, the Red Indians were there.
Now what is the limit of that nice intelligence? That limit of nice intelligence is described in the Bhagavad-gītā. What is that? Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate (BG 7.19). After developing, going through many species of life, many intelligent human forms of life by cultivating knowledge, education, when one comes to the limit of education and knowledge, he understands what is God. What is God. That is the limit of. And to understand that knowledge, vidyā bhāgavatāvadhiḥ. The most learned scholars, they have agreed that if you want to achieve knowledge, then you should study Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Vidyā bhāgavatāvadhiḥ. Limit of knowledge, limit of education, highest limit of education can be found in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
He said, yac chrotavyam: "Now my time is limited. So what is my duty to hear?" Because our life is śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam. We hear something, we chant something. Maybe our business chanting and hearing or maybe some educational chanting hearing or something else, the whole life is chanting and hearing. Therefore he asking question from Śukadeva Gosvāmī, yac chrotavyam: "What is to be heard just now, now I'm going to meet death?" Yac chrotavyam japyam: "What shall I meditate upon?" Japyaṁ yat kartavyam, "Or what shall I do now?" Smartavyam, "Or what shall I remember or what shall I worship?" So many things he said. Brūhi yad vā viparyayam: "Or you can explain what is my duty."
Let the botanists, let the anthropologists, or so many—there are department of knowledge—let them research out. Darwin's theory, evolution of the organic matter, they are very much prominent in the educational institutions. But there is Padma Purāṇa and other authoritative Vedic scriptures. They give the magnitude of the living entity. They have different forms of body. How they are evolving one after another—everything is there. It is not a new thing. But people are giving stress only to the Darwin's theory. But in the Vedic literature we have got immense information of this living condition in this material world.
So in this way our suffering has begun from the womb of our mother. And then I do not wish to go to school. I am forced to go to a school. I do not wish to study. The teachers give me tasks. If you just study, analyze your life, it is full of suffering, full of suffering. But we have no inquiry. We have no inquiry. This is not education. Therefore Brahma-sūtra says, athāto brahma jijñāsā: "Now you should inquire why you are suffering. Is there any remedy for suffering? Then, if there is remedy, then you must take it. You must take advantage of the remedy." But we are callous. We do not care for it. This is not good.
I was surprised to hear from one of my principal disciples, Brahmānanda—I was walking in Central Park—that the groups of the hippies, they have begun to worship hogs. You can explain that, why they are doing. This is not very hopeful. You see? After having this nice body, nice country, nice civilization, nice education, the result is hog worshiping. Will you explain today. Still silent?
So anyway, this hog worship was anticipated long, long ago. Otherwise how they could be described in the Bhāgavatam, which was compiled at least five thousand years ago? Anyway, the idea is that beautiful life, beautiful education, beautiful situation, should be utilized for beautiful end, not degrade to the platform of hog worship. That is not very palatable thing at least. So Ṛṣabhadeva says, "My dear boys, the sense gratification process after hard work day and night is available in the hog's life. That is not a very important thing. This human form of life is meant for a different purpose."
That is the test of great personality. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186). So in Buffalo I was instructing the younger boys and girls in the college that "You are very nicely situated. Your country is economically very well equipped. You are very good looking. Your education is very nice. You have got hundreds of universities in your country. Practically there is no man or woman illiterate. So your situation, comparatively with other nations or other country, is very good. That is admitted by everyone. So you should utilize this opportunity. That is my request. Your well situation, your material prosperity, your intelligence, your education should be properly utilized. It should not be misused." What is misused and what is proper utilization? That is also explained by Ṛṣabhadeva in this instruction.
And I request also that you have got all opportunities. You don't misuse it simply for sense gratification. That is my request.
Then what should be the purpose of life? This opportunity, this nice intelligence, nice education, nice beautiful body, nice economic condition—that should be utilized for tapasya. Tapasya means austerity, restriction. Restriction. Just like our students. We advise our students—and they follow—that "You don't have illicit sex life." Boys and girls, they are mixing, making friendship. That is nice. That is natural. A young boy is attracted by a young girl, or young girl is attracted by young boy. That is not unnatural, because it is in the Supreme Lord.
Therefore the Veda says, uttiṣṭhaṁ jāgratam: "Please get up. Don't be sleeping simply for these four principal things(?)." These are not problems, eating, sleeping, mating, and... The Vedic literature says, "Wherever you take your birth, the eating, sleeping, and mating and defending is there, even in animal life." Suppose there is a cat. It knows how to eat, it knows how to sleep, it knows how to mate, and it knows how to defend. The dog also knows. The hog also knows. So do you mean to say scientific advancement of education is simply for this purpose—how to eat, how to sleep, how to mate, and how to defend? No. That is not human civilization. These are bodily needs undoubtedly, but we are not body. That we do not know. We are spirit soul. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā very nicely in a very common sense words:
And if I am evolving my godly mentality, then I'll have to accept, or I will accept another body just like God. So that is in my hands.
So in the modern educational system, universities, there is no such information, we see. It is very lamentable, but these knowledges are there in the Vedic literature. The summary of all Vedic literature is Śrīmad-Bhagavad-gītā and the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. There are many other literatures-Rāmāyaṇa, Mahābhārata, eighteen Purāṇas. They are meant for human society, not for these cats and dogs. So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is just to awake people to their rightful position, which is called Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kṛṣṇa consciousness means to understand how he is related with Kṛṣṇa. When we speak of Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa means God.
Now, here is a slaughterhouse. Another animal is being killed, and this animal, little grass, oh, he is happy. He does not know that "Next moment I am going to be killed." This is ignorance. Ignorance means animal life, and knowledge means human life. Therefore there is so much educational system in every human society. Why? Knowledge means human life, and ignorance means animal life. So why should we be ignorant of these four problems, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9), the problems of birth, death, old age and disease? Why you set aside these problems and think you are happy? That is animal life. They don't care for the problems, and eating grass. That is animal life. Yes?
Prabhupāda: No, why...? Then you are wrong also. You are learning from books. What is your education? You are learning from books.
Man (8): No, but we read these things from Bhagavad-gītā, as it...
Prabhupāda: No, no. What is your education? What is your process of knowledge?
Man (8): Well, the process of knowledge—you are reading something in the form of authority.
Prabhupāda: That's their way. So similarly, you take the books of authority, Vedic knowledge. You have got all knowledge.
"If we become like America and some industrial, we shall become happy." That is rascaldom. Actual happiness is how you learn to love God. Then you get happy. That can be achieved without any material advancement. Anywhere you can have, without any expenditure, without any effort, without any education, without any knowledge. Simply chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and you develop that love. This is the highest service to the human society. Just try to understand. Everyone will say, "Oh, I am now satisfied, fully satisfied. I don't want. No more stealing, no more pick-pocketing, no more cheating, because I have no want. Why shall I cheat?
So our, at present moment, our business is simply to change bodies, change body. So we do not know what kind of body I am going to take next. There is a vast science about it, so one should know, one should prepare. Just like you are preparing yourself by education to be well situated in your future life, in this life; similarly, you should prepare yourself to get the best body in you next life. What is that next body? That is answered in the Bhagavad-gītā:
So Caitanya Mahāprabhu was not a fool, but Vedānta is not for fool. It requires sufficient education, sufficient status. Then one can understand Vedānta. In each and each code, each word, there are volumes of meaning, and there are many commentation, commentary by Śaṅkarācārya, commentary by Rāmānujācārya, commentary by..., big, big volumes in Sanskrit language. So how one will understand Vedānta? It is not possible. It may be possible for one person or two persons to understand what is Vedānta, but for the mass of people it is not possible; neither it is possible to practice yoga. Therefore this Caitanya Mahāprabhu's method, chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa...
That we have got. So Bhāgavata says, parābhavas tāvad abodha-jātaḥ: "All living entities who are born ignorant, whatever they are doing for advancement of society, culture, education, civilization, all such activities are defeat only if he does not inquire what he is." Parābhavas tāvad abodha-jāto yāvan na jijñāsata ātma-tattvam. Ātma-tattvam. So long one does not inquire, "What I am? What is God? What is this material nature? What are these activities? What are our relationships?"—if these inquiries are not there, then all our activities are simply defeat. Parābhavas tāvad abodha-jāto yāvan na jijñāsata ātma-tattvam. Yāvan na prītir mayī vāsudeve: "So long one does not develop his dormant love of God," na mucyate deha-yogena tāvat, "so long he will not be able to get out of this repeated birth and death and transmigration of the soul."
"So long one does not develop his dormant love of God," na mucyate deha-yogena tāvat, "so long he will not be able to get out of this repeated birth and death and transmigration of the soul." This transmigration of soul, repeated birth and death, is a diseased condition of the spirit soul. That we do not know. Neither in our education system there is any department of knowledge teaching what is the soul, what is after death, what was before birth. There is no science. It is very lamentable. Education in the name of simply eating, sleeping, and mating, this is not education.
We have got monthly magazine, Back to Godhead. We have got many publications, Bhagavad-gītā As It Is, Teachings of Lord Caitanya. If you want to understand this movement through philosophy, science, argument, we are prepared. There is ample opportunity for you. But if you simply chant, there is no need of education, there is no need of philosophizing. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, and you gain everything.
Thank you.
"I am the shining in the sun and the moon. I am the sound in the sky." So this light, sound, these are scientific studies. Kṛṣṇa says, Bhagavān says, that "I am the sound in the sky." So if you can practically study sound, light, nicely, scientifically, then you'll see Kṛṣṇa also. That is required. Education means to find out the ultimate goal, Absolute Truth. In whatever field of education you may be, that doesn't matter. But try to find out the ultimate. Because in the Vedānta-sūtra it is said, "What is Absolute Truth?" The first question in the Vedānta-sūtra is athāto brahma jijñāsā. "Now, this is the time." This means the human form of life is the opportunity to understand the Absolute Truth. The Absolute Truth is neither discussed nor understood by the animal society. It is not possible. There is no arrangement in the animal society to understand God or the Absolute Truth.
"Please come chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and dance." What did these boys? One year before they did not know anything. So they, along with their wives and children, they are now dancing and chanting. That's all. Is it very difficult process, to come and chant and dance? The easiest process in the world! Without any education, without any knowledge. Simply come, chant and dance. If... There is a realized practical example, these boys and girls. They began with this chanting and dancing. Now see their faith, their advancement, their knowledge, their temperament, their attitude. So much advanced. You cannot compare with any other group in this world. So easier. So take to this movement; your life will be sublime. Easiest process. There is no charge. There is no fee. We don't charge anything. We don't say that "I give you some secret mantra. You give me som
So it is said that kalau śūdra sambhava. In the modern age, people are being taught in the university to become śūdra—neither brāhmaṇas nor kṣatriyas nor vaiśyas, generally. Because after education, they will have to seek after some service. He becomes a great technologist, but unless he gets a good job, his whole education is spoiled. You see? So therefore, in the Vedic śāstra it is said, in this age people are almost all śūdras. Kalau śūdra sambhava. So the president of that meeting, Sūta Gosvāmī, said that it doesn't matter whether one man is brāhmaṇa or a kṣatriya or a vaiśya or a śūdra. This is social order.
That's all right. But how one can understand that by executing his duty, he's going to the path of perfection? Everyone should be confident that whatever he is doing, he's doing for the perfection of life. That should be the aim of. In the modern education system, not only education system, in every field of life, practically we do not know what is the ultimate goal of life. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ (SB 7.5.31). They do not know what is the goal of life. The goal of life is Viṣṇu, or the Supreme Lord, or God. That one has to understand what is the Supreme Lord, what is Absolute Truth, "What is my relationship with Him and what is my duty towards Him?" These things are to be known, and one has to adjust his life in that way.
When one is actually paṇḍita, learned, he becomes sama-darśī. Vidyā-vinaya-sampanne. One learned brāhmaṇa, gentle brāhmaṇa..., vidyā-dadāti namratā. Education means one becomes gentle, sober, cool-headed. Therefore, it is said, vidyā-vinaya-sampanne. When one is learned, advanced in education, he must be very gentle, not haughty. So vidyā-vinaya-sampanne gavi hastini (BG 5.18). And one side, the brāhmaṇa with gentle behavior, learned scholarship, then the other side an animal, say, a cow or a dog or a elephant. And another side, the caṇḍāla, the lowest of the human society. According to Vedic civilization, the dog-eaters are called caṇḍāla. Just like in Hindu society a person is not permitted to eat cow's flesh.
And the problems of your life within this material world... These are simple words, but it requires lots of explanation. What is the problem of our life? That you do not know. The modern education never gives enlightenment what is the problem of life. That is indicated in the Bhagavad-gītā, that those who are educated, advancing in knowledge, they should know what is the problem of life. The problem of life is, as stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). One should always feel the inconvenience of taking birth, janma; mṛtyu, inconvenience of death; jarā, inconvenience of old age; and inconvenience of disease. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi.
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).
Because other miscreants, they want to be misled, the asuras. Āsuri-bhāvam āśritāḥ. What is the āsuri-bhāva, demonic tendency? The demonic tendency is that "I am God." That is called demonic tendency, falsely thinking that "I am God." In spite of all education, they have not the little sense that how he becomes a God. Here is God, Kṛṣṇa. We have got His activities. He married sixteen thousand wives, and He constructed sixteen thousand palaces, and He expanded Himself into sixteen thousand forms. Here is one God. And you are or I am sitting here; I cannot expand up to my apartment also, and how I am expecting to be called as God? These are the test. But these people are popular because certain class of men, āsuri-bhāva, they also want to be cheated like that.
Just like there are 8,400,000 species of life. That means the living entity is passing through different types of bodies. This is called learning. This is called understanding. Unfortunately, this learning and understanding, there is none throughout the whole world in any university. Therefore whatever education we are getting, that is not real learning. That is not real learning. Paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ (BG 5.18). If one gets actual learning, then he sees equally everyone. Paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ. Vidyā-vinaya-sampanne brāhmaṇe gavi hastini.
"All these living entities, they are all My parts and parcels, but being influenced by mental concoction, he is very much struggling hard within this material world." Manaḥ ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi prakṛti-sthāni karṣati. This struggle for existence of the human being is due to his lack of knowledge of God. He does not know how God is great. There is no educational institution all over the world to discuss this subject matter, how God is great, how He is omnipotent, how I am servant of God. These things are not discussed. But when we forget our relationship with God we become subjected to the threefold miseries of material existence. Take for example... Just like an Australian citizen. He is under the laws of the state of Australia.
So we have to study the Vedic literature very carefully, following the footsteps of Gosvāmīs. Not only chanting. This is also required, kṛṣṇot-kīrtana-gāna. But this is meant, if you simply go on chanting without reading books, that is also good. Especially in this age, because nobody has got power to study books. Education is very less, so still, one who is able, they should consider all this. We have given in English translation. So many important books, you study, and chant this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra like this, and that is the following the footsteps of Gosvāmīs. Ācāryopāsanā. We have to worship the ācāryas.
Everyone is working to get some result. That is called fruitive activities. So a pure devotee has no such desires. He has no other desires. Ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu-śīlanam. Their only business is how to please Kṛṣṇa. That can be done by everyone, if he wants. Take, for example, if you want to please me, it does not require high education or great amount of riches or knowledge or beauty. Nothing. It is your business how to love me, how to please me. That you will know.
So the point is that behind this material, big material nature, cosmic manifestation, there is God. That is Kṛṣṇa, and accepted by all authorities. We have to accept things which is accepted by authorities. That is our education. We go to teacher. We go to school. We learn from father, mother. They're all authorities. And our nature is to learn... "Father, what is this?" in childhood. Father says, "This is this, pen. This is spectacle. This is table." So he learns from father, mother, "This is table. This is spectacle. This is pen. This is this. She is my sister. She (He) is my brother." So similarly, if we get information from the authority, and if the authority is not a cheater, then our knowledge is perfect, and very easy. Just like father, mother, never cheats.
So I am very glad to see you in this temple. Please try to understand our philosophy of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We have got books, and at the same time we have got the simple method, chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa, in which even a small child can take part. The small... Most erudite scholar also can take part, and an innocent child who has no education, no literary sense, he can also take part equally. And equally, both of them take the same advantage. A small child who comes before the Deity and dances and claps, he is getting the result. Don't think that it is in vain. He is also getting the same... Just like fire. Either a child touches or an adult touches, fire's action will be there, equal. Similarly, anyone who is coming in this temple, offering obeisances, taking little prasāda, joining with the chanting, hearing some talks, everyone will be benefited spiritually. That is our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.
Tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padam. But people do not know what is his self-interest. That is indicated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇu. Everyone should be self-interest. But in this material world, being illusioned, being bewildered by the material energy, we are thinking our self-interest in terms of our particular type of education. Somebody is thinking that "Simply I have to maintain my body somehow or other." Little expanded, thinking interest of society, you go on. But they do not know that the self-interest must expand to Lord Viṣṇu. And that is explained by Prahlāda Mahārāja.
We are worshiping the statues, but when you go to worship in the temple, "That is idol worship."
So Prahlāda Mahārāja, therefore, advises that this Bhāgavata-dharma education must be given from the childhood. Kaumāra ācaret prājño dharmān bhāgavatān iha (SB 7.6.1). Because durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma. But if you take to this Bhāgavata-dharma, then there is no loss, there is no loss. Because Kṛṣṇa says that even if you cannot execute the Bhāgavata-dharma fully in one life, because we are not guaranteed... Guaranteed, of course, if we follow strictly as Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, that janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ. If you simply try to understand Kṛṣṇa—how He appears, how He takes birth, how He disappears, why does He come, what are His activities—if you simply study these Kṛṣṇa activities, then the result is tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9). Simply by understanding Kṛṣṇa.
So as recommended by Prahlāda Mahārāja, this study of Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa should be introduced in the schools and colleges. I wanted to speak to the Vice Chancellor, and I expected him today, but he did not come. This is our unfortunate. I do not know why he avoided, but never mind; you try to understand. Don't spoil your children. The modern educational system without any knowledge of Bhagavān, I may tell you frankly, not only in India, everywhere, they are practically slaughterhouse. Because in our country, it is a different thing; at least we have got the Vedic culture at home if it is not in the schools.
Because in our country, it is a different thing; at least we have got the Vedic culture at home if it is not in the schools. But in other countries, because there is no bhāgavata-dharma culture, the students, although they are provided with ample opportunity for education, the nicest educational system, nice building, nice facilities, everything nice, unfortunately the products are coming out frustrated, confused young men, and some of them are called hippies. They are educated. They are coming from very nice aristocratic family. In Western countries, in comparison to our country, every home is aristocratic. At least their standard of living is so high. So what we call aristocratic, that is a common affair. So this mishappening is going on all over the Western countries. Some of them are joining us, but this is the problem.
We should be careful to educate our sons, our boys, with bhāgavata-dharma from the very beginning of life. That was the Vedic system. Therefore, in the first twenty-five years of life, the children were sent to gurukula for learning this bhāgavata-dharma.
So the educational system should take very seriously if at all they want to make their country nice, not varṇa-saṅkaraḥ. Strīṣu duṣṭāsu varṇa-saṅkaraḥ bhaviṣyati. This Vedic culture is so scientifically made. Just like according to Vedic culture, the women are instructed or trained up to become very chaste, very chaste. Only one husband.
If women do not remain chaste, then unwanted population will come out. That is called varṇa-saṅkaraḥ. Varṇa-saṅkaraḥ means unwanted population. Actually all over the world this is happening, and therefore, the problems of the world becoming very serious and grave. So these are all scientific proposals. The educational system must be reformed. Not that godless, no education, secular government, no education of God in the schools and colleges. This is not a very good proposal. Here we get authoritative statement of Prahlāda Mahārāja. He is one of the mahājana. Our process is mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186). We have to follow the footsteps of great personalities. That is our method. We don't manufacture our own way of living. We simply follow the great personalities. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ. Tarko 'pratiṣṭhaḥ.
So what is the power of your seeing? Why you are so much proud of seeing? This is nonsense. Why do you go to school? To learn how to see. Why you can sit down, anyone who hasn't got, never has gone to school and never taken an education, his seeing and a perfect MA, Ph. D. person's seeing, is that all right, the same thing? Then why you are proud of your nonsense seeing? This will be the answer. You have to prepare your eyes to see. You have these, these eyes have no value. Your argument on the imperfect experience of the senses has no value. Yes?
Just like we see the child, three years old child, she is dancing in ecstasy. We have got many children like that, they are chanting. There is no need of higher education to understand. Simply give oral reception to this transcendental vibration. Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare. Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says, golokera prema-dhana hari-nāma-saṅkīrtana. This hari-nāma-saṅkīrtana is not this material vibration like radios and television. It is imported from the Goloka Vṛndāvana. Therefore, if we are pure, if we chant this vibration, immediately we will be touching Kṛṣṇa. Immediately. Paraṁ vijayate śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtanam, Caitanya Mahāprabhu has said. If you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra without any offense... There are ten kinds of offenses.
These are all explained in Bhagavad-gītā. Cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭam guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). The society must be divided into four classes of orders. There must be intelligent class of men, who are called brāhmaṇas. They must give spiritual education to society. Not that everyone should remain laborer and work hard day and night like hogs and dogs for sense gratification. It is a very dangerous civilization. You cannot expect any peace and prosperity in this type of civilization. Therefore this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is very, very essential, very, very essential. I am very glad to inform you that this movement is being especially received in the Western countries by the younger generation. I am very much hopeful. I am old man of seventy-six years age.
The chance of human body which you have got now to develop Kṛṣṇa consciousness, if you misuse it and indulge in sinful life, then next life is waiting as cats and dogs. That is nature's law. But if we forget the nature's law, if you simply become puffed-up by false education, that is another thing. You can do that. But real fact is this: vāsāṁsi jīrṇāni yathā vihāya (BG 2.22).
We are trying to educate people to be honest, to be gentle, fair-dealing, but actually, the result is people are becoming dishonest, miscreant, rogue, thief, due to (lack of) God consciousness. Just like in the airport, all gentlemen are searched out. What does it mean? That every one of us (is) dishonest. That is to be understood. So what the education has produced? Simply dishonest men. Why? Because godlessness. That's all. And they are trying to become... Every state is trying to become secular: "Don't talk of God. Don't talk of God." Then what you are? That is animal society. The animal society has no talk of God. There is only talk of how to fill up the belly. That's all. That is the business of hog. Śāstra says, nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke kaṣṭān kāmān arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye (SB 5.5.1).
"I am servant of God." That is wanted. Yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā sarvair guṇais tatra samāsate surāḥ (SB 5.18.12). This is the definition given in Vedic literature, that "If anyone develops God consciousness, then all the good qualities will develop automatically. And you give him all kinds of education, but if he is godless, it is all useless." That is compared with decorating the dead body. Just like dead body. A dead body is decorated. So it may be a satisfaction for the relatives, but what is the use of it, decorating a dead body? Bhagavad-bhakti-hīnasya jātiḥ japas tapaḥ kriyaḥ: "Great nationality, great work, great achievement, minus bhagavad-bhakti, God consciousness, is just like decorating the dead body."
That's all. Therefore according to Vedic system, as soon as a body is dead, there is no question of decorating. Immediately burn it and finish. Make it into ashes. That's all. The body has no importance. Real, the soul is important, the living force. So we have no education about that living force, and the original living force is Kṛṣṇa, or God. So we have no information. So therefore this education is very, very essential, at least at the present moment. You may educate in any way—Christian way, Hindu way, Muslim—but educate all the people about God consciousness. Otherwise there is doom.
Then it is difficult. Otherwise, if I say... The same example: like a peon, if I present your friend's letter without any correction, then I have done my duty. That's all. So it is not difficult. Anyone can deliver a letter to you. It does not require any educational qualification. Simply he must be honest not to alter the text of the letter according to the peon's whims. That much we are doing. Therefore I am representative. Try to under... And anyone can do this. In the Bhagavad-gītā Kṛṣṇa says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya: (BG 7.7) "My dear Arjuna, I am the Supreme. There is no better, no more anyone superior than Me." That's all right. We accept that. Now, you can say "How we accept?" I accept because it is Vedic injunction. That is the process of Vedic injunction:
Because, after all, it is useless. It is useful so long the spirit soul is there. Therefore the spirit soul is important, not this body. So actual knowledge means to understand what is the spirit soul, what is its nature, what is its necessity, how it is living, what is the ultimate goal. So many things are there. But unfortunately, there is no educational institution. We are trying with little effort to give this education to the people. It is essential because Kṛṣṇa says, gatāsūn agatāsūṁś ca. So far material part of our existence is concerned, there are so many institutions or so many government. They are taking... Just like take, for example, hospital. There are hundreds and thousands of hospital, but where is the hospital for treating the spirit soul? They have no knowledge. They have no knowledge even, what to speak of hospital.
They are very much interested in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and they are chanting, although silently, so that government may not hear. There will be danger. So Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so nice, and it is a great science. Unfortunately, there is no arrangement in any university, in any educational institution, or any arts or science college, "What is God?" There is no such arrangement. This is the most regrettable condition of the present society.
And there are 8,400,000 species or types of body, and we have been entrapped in this cycle of birth, death, old age and disease. This is our real problem. But in the university or any educational institution there is no department of knowledge to find out what is that thing which is entrapped within this body. We get this information from Bhagavad-gītā: dehinaḥ asmin dehe. Deha means this body, and dehinaḥ, the possessor of the body. Just like your shirt and coat. You are the possessor of the shirt and coat. The shirt and coat is not you. You are different from the shirt and coat. Similarly, we have got our two kinds of body: the gross body and the subtle body. The gross body is made of material elements—earth, water, fire, air, sky—and the subtle body is made of mind, intelligence and ego.
The blazing fire of material existence, I was just talking this morning our Swami Hanumān Goswāmī. He was speaking that at the present moment there is a movement amongst the younger section to commit suicide. Why? Why younger section are feeling such frustration and confused in spite of so much educational institution? In your Western country there is no question of poverty. You are all well-to-do, especially... I have extensively traveled over America and Europe, especially America. They are very opulent. I have traveled in Australia and come to your country, New Zealand. So far material necessities are concerned, you are all well-to-do. So why this question of frustration as Swami Goswami Hanuman Prasāda was thinking? Now the younger generation are after suicide. I do not know if this is fact.
How much irresponsibly we are working. Nature's law is very stringent. If you work irresponsibly, then you can, you have to accept... Sadā tad-bhāva-bhāvitaḥ (BG 8.6). If you become attached to this material enjoyment, then you will have to accept a body, and there are 8,400,000 different forms of body. You have to accept. But this education is not there, whole world. So simply these Kṛṣṇa conscious people, they are trying to educate people on this point. So it is sometimes very distressing, but never mind. Nothing is be distressed. When you serve Kṛṣṇa, there is no question of distress. Simply do your best and people will surely be benefited wherever you go. A Vaiṣṇava, wherever he goes, he makes the place sanctified. Vāñchā-kalpatarubhyaś ca kṛpā-sindhubhya eva ca. And kṛpā-sindhu.
So we are teaching that, that... We are teaching our students that "Always think of Kṛṣṇa." Smārtavyaṁ satato viṣṇuḥ. Viṣṇu and Kṛṣṇa, the same category.
So this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, very easy. There is no need of education, there is no need of becoming very wealthty or very intelligent. Anyone, even a child, can chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. So each time you pronounce the holy name of Kṛṣṇa, you remember Him, the smārtavyaḥ satato viṣṇuḥ. Ante nārāyaṇa-smṛtiḥ (SB 2.1.6). If by practicing this, at the time of death, if we can remember Kṛṣṇa, then our life is successful. Then our life is successful, ante nārāyaṇa-smṛtiḥ, if you can remember simply Nārāyaṇa at the time of death.
And one who has not understood God, simply studying this literature, that literature, that scripture, then he's simply wasting his time. That's all. Because (the) ultimate knowledge is God. If one cannot understand what is God after so much education, then Bhāgavata says, śrama eva hi kevalam: (SB 1.2.8) "It is simply labor, labor, waste of time." Simply waste of time. There is no education. Education, knowledge, means ultimately to understand, to know what is God. Actually; not fictitiously, vaguely. So there are many classes of men who have no understanding of God. Some of them are saying, "God is dead," or "God is impersonal," "There is no God," "Zero," "I am God," "You are God," so many things. All these people do not know what is God; therefore there are different theories. Therefore, somehow or other, if you can understand God, then your life is successful. Somehow or other.
From where this cosmic manifestation has come, and where it rests, and where it will dissolve. Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). In this way, Vedānta-sūtra means, gives you the whole purpose of Vedas, knowledge, in small code words. So to understand these code words, one must have very big brain, or very highly standard educational qualification. Then... All the ācāryas, those who are controlling Vedic civilization, like Śaṅkarācārya, Madhvācārya, Rāmānujācārya, they have all written their commentaries on the Vedānta-sūtra. Because unless one explains Vedānta-sūtra, he'll not be accepted as an authorized ācārya. He's not... Not that anyone can become ācārya. He must give explanation of the Vedānta-sūtra, prasthāna-traya.
This is not higher science. Higher science is brahma-jijñāsā, to inquire about Brahman. That is higher science. This science, earning money and fulfilling the hungry belly, this science the birds and beast also know how to do it. It does not require much education. There is no scientific education how to enjoy sex life. Everyone knows how to do it. Similarly, there is no need of scientific education, how to eat or how to find out your food. The birds and beast, they are also finding out, and are they also eating. So these are not higher sciences. The higher science is to inquire, athāto brahma jijñāsā, to inquire about God, the Supreme. And that can be done by the human being, not by others. Not the cats and dogs.
So these are not higher sciences. The higher science is to inquire, athāto brahma jijñāsā, to inquire about God, the Supreme. And that can be done by the human being, not by others. Not the cats and dogs. So if we do not give education of this higher science to the human society, if we keep them dumb about this, or if we make secular state, prohibitive injunction to understand God, then it is an animal society. It is an animal society. So such things happen sometimes.
So there is a narration of King Vena. The King Vena happened to be an atheist king. So because that... The reason is given that his mother was the daughter of an atheist king. Narānāṁ matur lakṣānām. It is a scientific fact that a son inherits the quality of the mother, and a daughter inherits the quality of father.
Take, for example, one regular householder. In your country, it is different social situation, but in our country, in India, a family life is a great responsibility. The father and mother has to take full responsibility for education of the children, grow up nicely, and the father, mother is under obligation to get the boys and the girls married. Unless the children are married, the father's or the mother's responsibility continues. That is our social system, at least in India, those who are following Vedic principles of life. Especially for getting married the daughter, it is called kanyā dāya. Pitṛ-ṛṇa putra-ṛṇa matṛ-ṛṇa. We have got so many debts to clear. This is responsibility. Devarṣi-bhūtāpta-nṛṇāṁ pitṟṇām (SB 11.5.41). We are indebted to the demigods. Just like sun is one of the demigods. We are getting, enjoying the sunshine.
We shall see Hare Kṛṣṇa at the time of death." But he was insisting, "My dear friends, no." Kaumāra ācaret prājño. "This Kṛṣṇa consciousness should be studied, should be understood from the very beginning of boyhood, kaumāra." Kaumāra means boyhood. From... Boyhood means from the age of five years. As education begins at the age of five years, similarly, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or bhāgavata-dharma, should be taught to the children as soon as the child is five years old. That is his instruction. "Why so early? We can understand about God later on." No. Prahlāda Mahārāja says, durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma. Durlabham, "very rarely."
"Why so early? We can understand about God later on." No. Prahlāda Mahārāja says, durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma. Durlabham, "very rarely." "My dear friends, you have got this human form of life after many, many births." The modern civilization, they do not know. The university education, they do not know. The scientists, they do not know. There is a false theory, Darwin's theory, about evolution of species. But that is not perfect knowledge. That is simply an idea taken from Purāṇas. In the Purāṇas, this Darwin's theory is not new to the Vedic knowledge. It is a theory only. But actual fact is different.
If you study yourself, you can also understand. Or if you take instruction from the Vedas, then also you can understand. The knowledge is already there. If you take advantage of the knowledge, you can know. But if you make analysis by yourself, then also you'll know. But if you make analysis by education, speculation, it will take long, long years. Because if you don't accept the standard way, then it will waste, you will waste your time. So you will have to come to the same point. But if you are inquisitive, that is your life. If we come to the point of inquiring about "What I am?" Oh, that is great advancement. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. I can understand very well that when... There are so many babies here. I was also a baby. My body, I had a body like a baby on the lap of my mother. I can remember that. Then I became a child, then I became a boy, then I became a young man, now I am old man.
Prabhupāda: But therefore he has to study. Every rascal, fool, he has to study. There is education. Therefore Vedic literature is there. If you don't study and you see... If you say, "I am scientific advanced," then what is this nonsense? If you have no knowledge, if you have not studied, why do you say unscientific? Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. (break)
Indian guest: How does repeating one word, "Kṛṣṇa," or singing "Rāma" and "Kṛṣṇa" help achieving the way?
Formerly, it was not so difficult. People were very easily trained up by the Vedic process. But now the people are not interested. They're simply interested with the gross body or, a little more, who is a little advanced, the subtle body. But they have no information of the spiritual body. Although there is advancement of education, there is no education about the spiritual body. They're simply concerned with the gross material and subtle body. Therefore this movement, Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, is very important movement. Those who have taken to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, they're very, very fortunate.
So I shall further explain one song sung by Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura. Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura was one of our predecessor ācāryas, teacher, and his songs are accepted in our Vaiṣṇava society as Vedic truth.
What is that? Fruits, milk, grains. Just like our teeth is made—you take a fruit, you can easily cut into pieces by this tooth. But if you take a piece of flesh, it will be difficult to cut with these teeth. But a tiger has got particular type of teeth, he can immediately cut into pieces the flesh. So we are advancing in education, but we do not study even of our teeth. We simply go to the dentist. That's all. This is our advancement of civilization. The tiger never goes to dentist. Although its teeth are so strong that immediately he can into pieces, but he doesn't require a dentist, because he doesn't eat anything which is unnatural for him. But we eat anything damn; therefore we require the help of dentist.
They do now know what is the ultimate goal of life, our self-interest. Everyone must be self-interested, but we do not know what is self-interest. There is no education what is the ultimate goal of life. Na te viduḥ. They are trying to satisfy themselves to become happy and prosperous by adjusting this material nature. Bahir-artha-māninaḥ. Bahir-artha-māninaḥ means giving more importance to this materialistic way of life. That is called bahir-artha-māninaḥ. God has got many energies. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport). In the Vedas we understand that the Supreme Lord has manifold energies, and whatever we see, that is the activities of His energy.
There are leading men in every society—in government post and educational institution, in business, and so many other fields. In every field of activity, there are leading men. That is natural. And in the Vedas we understand the supreme leading person is God. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). Leaders must be accepted. Just like father is necessary, similarly, leader is also necessary. Guru is also necessary. So according to Vedic verse, Vedic version, we can understand that the supreme leader is Bhagavān, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, God, a person. The conception of Absolute Truth, as given in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate: (SB 1.2.11)
All right, you enjoy." Mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca (BG 15.15). Sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭaḥ. He is sitting in everyone's heart as the Supersoul, and even if we forget, He reminds: "My dear living entity, you wanted to do this; now you do it." So this is the process going on. But unfortunately, there is no educational system throughout the whole world about the activities of the soul, how he is working in different evolutionary process, what is his ultimate goal of life, wherefrom he's coming, where he's gone, what is the relation. So many things, we have to know. But we are placed in ignorance on account of blind leaders. We do not know the problems of life. We are blind, and we are led by other blind leaders into still blindness. Viśatāṁ tamisraṁ punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām.
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.
Just like in order to manage the whole government, we require a chief man. In order to manage a big establishment, we require a chief man. So why not this cosmic manifestation, the whole cosmic, cosmology. Why not a chief person? That we do not know. Still, we are passing on as advancement of education. That we do not know, who is the chief. But we can understand from Bhagavad-gītā:
When one is actually paṇḍita, learned, he becomes sama-darśī. Vidyā-vinaya-sampanne: one learned brāhmaṇa, gentle brāhmaṇa. Vidyā dadāti namratā. Education means one becomes gentle, sober, cool-headed. Therefore it is said, vidya-vinaya-sampanne. When one is learned, advanced in education, he must be very gentle, not haughty. So vidyā-vinaya-sampanne gavi hastini. And one side, the brāhmaṇa with gentle behavior, learned scholarship, and the other side, an animal, say, a cow or a dog or an elephant, and another side the caṇḍāla, the lowest of the human society. According to Vedic civilization, the dog-eaters are called caṇḍāla. Just like in Hindu society, a person is not permitted to eat cow's flesh. Even in human society, although they are eating different types of flesh, one is considered abominable than the other.
All over the world. So now we want some of the young men to come forward to become really brāhmaṇas, Vaiṣṇavas. Our Vedic culture is divided into four varṇas: brāhmaṇa kṣatriya vaiśya śūdra. Unfortunately we are simply manufacturing śūdras, not brāhmaṇas. That is the defect of modern education. Śūdra, śūdra means paricaryātmakam kāryaṁ śūdra karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.44). After education, every (indistinct) is hankering after a service. That is śūdra karma svabhāva-jam. This is not perfect education. There must be brāhmaṇas who are independent. Cāṇakya Paṇḍita, whose name is still, still celebrated, he was prime minister of Mahārāja Candragupta, but he was not accepting a single paisa as salary. That was the, formerly, although there was monarchy, still there was a council of learned brāhmaṇas and sages. They used to advise the king.
This is not meant for the human society. But, but at the present moment, people are being instructed in such a way... I've seen so many—especially in Calcutta—so many educated boys and girls, they are hankering after service. Day and night they are working. This is not the effect of education. The effect of education should be peaceful mind, peaceful living. That is the duty of the parents, of the guardians, of the government. When there is monarchical government... We see from the reign of Prthu Mahārāja. He was seeing that every brāhmaṇa is engaged in his occupational duty, every kṣatriya is employed, is engaged in occupational duty. Similarly vaiśya. There was no question of unemployment. That is the first duty of the government to see. Neither there is division of the brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas, vaiśya, śūdra, although it is made by Kṛṣṇa Himself:
Eating, sleeping, sex life and defense. This is common to the animal and to the human being. You may improve the cooking process or eating process but, after all, it is eating. Eating is meant for maintaining your body. That is done by the animals also. These things are not cultural advancement. Real cultural advancement is to know that "I am not this body." "I am spirit soul." Ahaṁ brahmāsmi. That is the difference.
So this education is in India. This Bhagavad-gītā. The beginning of Bhagavad-gītā, Kṛṣṇa says:
So I had some correspondence with him, and he admitted: "Swamijī, your people know much about these things than we know." So there is no question of you and me. It is simply education. Just like these boys. Four or fives year, ago, they did not know anything about this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. But because they have been educated with this Bhagavad-gītā, they are also following me. And they are very sound in their conviction in this Western, Eastern culture, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Of course from my part of view, I do not think there is any East and West. Any knowledge is meant for the whole world. Any scientific knowledge. Just like Professor Einstein, if he discovered the law of relativity, it is not for the Western people. It is for the Eastern people also. So there is no such question.
Similarly, in Europe. Why not here? Simply I invite all the intelligent class of men to understand. Take one of our books. We have given not only one Bhagavad-gītā... (indistinct) means (indistinct). Anyone can take part (indistinct) illiterate, literate, rich, poor—anyone. But if anyone is proud of his education, let him come and study our books, understand this philosophy, and I'm sure he'll find (indistinct) satisfying. Don't take it as something sentimental, religious (indistinct). It is a scientific, educational movement. Take it in that (indistinct), and you'll be profited.
Actually the worship is going to Vyāsadeva, and his representative is accepting the pūjā. The honor offered to the spiritual master is transferred to Vyāsadeva because Vyāsadeva is the original guru. Therefore it is stated, devīṁ sarasvatīṁ vyāsam. Sarasvatī-devi, knowledge, or the goddess of education, devīṁ sarasvatīṁ vyāsam tato jayam udīrayet. After offering respects to Nārāyaṇa, then Vyāsadeva, Sarasvatī-devi.
So he's answering the question, munayaḥ sādhu pṛṣṭo 'ham: (SB 1.2.5) "My dear sages, great saintly persons, I'm very much honored that you have inquired so nicely," sādhu. Sādhu means (indistinct), that is the (indistinct). That is called sādhu. So this question about Kṛṣṇa is sādhu because Kṛṣṇa is discussed among the sādhus, not amongst the yogis. And who is a sādhu?
If you come to our temple in the foreign countries, you'll be pleased to see how they are doing.
So these are the processes, confidential, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). It does not require any high education. To think of Kṛṣṇa, any child can do. To chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, any child can do. It is not difficult. And to offer obeisances before the Lord Kṛṣṇa's Deity in the temple, anyone can do. Where is the difficulty? Mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru, simply by offering obeisances, "Oh, here is Kṛṣṇa's form, Kṛṣṇa's picture. Let me offer my obeisances." Simple thing. Man-manā bhava mad-bha..., the most confidential. The result?
Everyone is suffering out of ignorance; therefore guru's business is to... Just like we go to a school. We go to a school, we send our children to a school. Why? To save him from suffering; to get education. "If my son does not get education, he'll suffer in the future." The same process: to get him out of ignorance, to get him relieved from the suffering. Therefore, guru's business is ajñāna-timirāndhasya jñānāñjana-śalākaya. So sufferings is due to ignorance. Ignorance is compared with darkness. So in the darkness how you can save one? By some light. So guru's business is to take the torchlight of knowledge and present before the ignorant or the disciple in darkness and that gives him, relieves him from the sufferings of darkness or ignorance. This is guru's business.
Therefore the conclusion is that, in spite of change of body, the spirit soul remains the same eternally. Similarly, when I shall change this body, I shall get another body. Tathā dehāntara-prāptir. That is called transmigration of the soul.
But unfortunately there is no education on this spiritual knowledge in any school, college, although there are books. They can read, they can understand the constitutional position of the soul. But there is no arrangement. Perhaps this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is the only institution which is teaching people that he is not this body; he's spirit soul—he's different from body and he's transmigrating from one body to another, birth and death. Actually, the spirit soul has no birth and death. Na jāyate na mriyate vā kadācit. The spirit soul is eternal. It does not take birth or it dies. The body is changing.
The living entities, they are wandering throughout the universe, changing bodies, transmigrating from one body to another, one place to another, one planet to another, but they are rotating within this universe, material universe, brahmāṇḍo bhramite. This science is unknown to the modern education department, how the spirit soul is transmigrating from one body to another and how he's being transferred from one planet to another. We have got our book, Easy Journey to Other Planets. So guru can help you to transmigrate from this planet directly to the spiritual sky, where there are innumerable spiritual planets. They are known as Vaikuṇṭhaloka. And the topmost planet in the spiritual sky, that is called Goloka Vṛndāvana. That is Kṛṣṇa's planet. By Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement we are trying to give information how one can be transferred directly to the Goloka Vṛndāvana planet, Kṛṣṇaloka. That is our mission.
When, before starting this movement, I tried to approach many friends in India... Sometimes I think I approached late Mr. Munshi also, when he was governor in U.P. I requested that everyone may contribute a son from the family so that I can convert him an actual brāhmaṇa. Because the education at the present moment is creating śūdras. Actually, there are two kinds of dharmas: paśu-dharma and mānava-dharma. Paśu-dharma means eating, sleeping, sexual intercourse, and defending. This is paśu-dharma. Āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunaṁ ca sāmānyam etat paśubhiḥ narānām. Eating, this is essential. Try to understand what is dharma. Dharma means which you cannot give up. Dharma does not mean you accept this dharma today and tomorrow another dharma. That is not dharma. Dharma means the natural characteristic. Just like sugar is sweet. That is its dharma. And chili is hot. That is its dharma. A snake bites.
Sthāvara means the living entities which cannot move, stand in one place. This is a punishment, those who are too much dull. Means..., dull means cannot understand what is God. That is dullness. Otherwise for eating, sleeping, sex life and defense there is no need of university education. Nobody goes to the university to learn how to eat, how to sleep, how to enjoy sex life and how to defend. There is no education required, because these four kinds of bodily necessities of life are known even to the animals. Āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunaṁ ca sāmānyam etat paśubhir narāṇām. How to eat, the animal knows. Even the newborn child who has no education, no experience, he still... Even the cats and dogs, cubs, as soon as born, they find out the nipples of their mother and eat or suck. Even the eyes are blind at that time, but still he knows where is their food. Similarly, human child also knows.
Even the cats and dogs, cubs, as soon as born, they find out the nipples of their mother and eat or suck. Even the eyes are blind at that time, but still he knows where is their food. Similarly, human child also knows.
So for eating, sleeping, mating and defending, there is no need of education. Education means athāto brahma jijñāsā. That is education. How to know the Supreme Absolute Truth—that is education. But the university, they are educating people how to eat, how to sleep. Eh? They are manufacturing so many eatables, different types of eatables, although God has given immense foodstuffs for human society. Just like these fruits, they are made for human beings. They are not eatables for the cats and dogs.
The foodstuff belongs to Kṛṣṇa, God. You cannot manufacture in the factory this nice foodstuff—apple, orange, banana and others, so many hundreds and thousands. So therefore the only business of human form of life is to inquire about the Absolute Truth, the Supreme Lord, the Supreme Being. That should be our inquiry. That should be the subject matter of education. Not how to eat, how to sleep, how to mate. These things do not require education. Because the animals, they also know. So everyone knows what is his foodstuff, how to sleep. When there is..., you feel sleepy, he does not ask for "Give me a good apartment, good bedstead." You'll lie down anywhere and enjoy sleeping. Similarly, how to enjoy sex life, nobody requires university education.
So if we waste our time simply for being enlightened how to manufacture different types of foodstuff, how to take it on table and chair, nice dishes or plate, that is waste of time. If you utilize your time for inquiring about the Absolute Truth, that is perfection of human life. Not to waste your time in the animal propensities of life. That is not education, that is not human form of life.
So that education will be complete if you become Kṛṣṇa conscious. That is being taught in the Seventh Chapter by Kṛṣṇa Himself. What is that? Mayy āsakta-manaḥ pārtha: "You have to become always absorbed or attached on Me," on Kṛṣṇa. Mayy āsakta. Āsakta means attachment. We have got attachment for so many things. We have got attachment for our family, for our country, for our society, for our business, for our cats, for our dogs, so many things. But we have no attachment for Kṛṣṇa. That is lacking.
Our real business, real education, is to understand, "What I am? I am not this body." But that education is lacking. So our main business is to understand that "I am not this body, and the bodily pains and pleasure, they are due to the change of season only." Just like now it is winter season. We are covering our body. In the summer season we do not like so heavily dressed. So this feeling of pains and pleasure is due to this material body.
Actually the human life is meant for being educated that he is not this body; he is soul. That is the Vedānta-sūtra philosophy, to inquire about the spirit soul. That is our main business. Unfortunately... We are traveling all over the world. There is no institution, no school, no college, no university where this education is given, that "What I am? Am I this body, or I am something else? No. I am something else."
So this education can be given through this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. On the basis of Śrī Bhagavad-gītā, everything is explained very vividly. The soul is eternal. The soul is transferred from one gross body to another gross body, just like we change our apartment from one apartment to another. But I exist. If I vacate one apartment and I go to another apartment, it does not mean I am finished. I may leave the apartment. Similarly, if we are leaving this body and we are going to another body, that means I am not finished. I am existing. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). Na hanyate: "The soul is never annihilated even after the destruction of this body."
You have got another business. A human being has got extra intelligence. That extra intelligence than the animal is meant for realizing himself, not to live like cats and dog. That is not human form of life.
So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is educational movement. It is not a religious sentiment; it is a science. And as we have got our books also. You have seen. There is demonstration of the book. We have got already twenty books of four hundred pages each, and we are going on, writing more books. Everything will be finished in eighty books. So if you want to know through science and philosophy, we have got our books. You can read. And even if you read the complete set, it will take your whole life to finish it.
Both ways, Caitanya Mahāprabhu is ready to help you. Now you take advantage of it. And we are glad that you are taking advantage. Now some of you, they have already joined. And in the educational institution, universities, they are also very much appreciative of our literature. So gradually it will be appreciated. But the sooner you take advantage of it is better.
All the people are nowadays educated, but all of them, mostly, ninety-nine percent, they're engaged in sinful activities—illicit sex, meat-eating, intoxication, gambling. These are sinful activities and, in spite of advancement of education all over the world, these things are going on. Therefore they cannot understand Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is understood by a person who is no more engaged in sinful activities.
Dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanam... (BG 2.13). This transformation of the body, that is natural. But within the body, the part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa is there. That you have to understand, that is the beginning of Bhagavad-gītā. We have to understand what is there within the body. That is the beginning of spiritual education. Unfortunately, the whole world is going on under the impression that "I am this body." "I am Indian," "I am European..." That is condemned in the śāstra.
"I am Indian," "I am American," so śāstra says, "He is not even human being." Sa eva go-kharaḥ (SB 10.84.13). So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is very, very important from this angle of vision, that everyone is thinking this body as he is. Nobody understands that he is within this body. Just like we are within this dress. I am not this dress. This is the primary education of spiritual life. Unfortunately, it is very much lacking. And now you can see practically that these European and American boys, they are all young men, but they have forgotten the bodily relationship. We have got in our institution Africans, Canadians, Australians, Europeans, Indians, but they do not consider with reference to this bodily concept of life. They live as eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa. That is the instruction given by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, jīvera svarūpa haya nitya kṛṣṇa dāsa (Cc. Madhya 20.108-109).
It is not blind; we have got books. 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.
He says that āmāra ājñāya hañā tāra ei deśa: "Wherever you are staying," ei deśa, "in that country... You may not go outside, but wherever you are staying," āmāra ājñāya, "by My order," guru hañā, "you must become a guru"—by the order of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. "Then? I have no education. How can I become a guru? How can I instruct?" Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, "Yes, that I know. But you take My order." Āmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra ei deśa (CC Madhya 7.128). "Then what shall I do?" Yāre dekha tāre kaha kṛṣṇa-upadeśa: "You become guru. You haven't got to manufacture anything, any philosophy. You simply instruct whatever is spoken by Kṛṣṇa. That's all. You become a guru." So our request is that you are so many Indians living in this foreign country for generations.
Don't manufacture anything. Then it will be spoiled. Simply stick primarily... Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī mām namaskuru (BG 18.65). You can, everyone can, say this. Kṛṣṇa says that "You always think of Me." So you can repeat only. You can say to others, "My dear sir, please think of Kṛṣṇa." It doesn't require very much education. Simply just like a peon carry the message: "Sir, you always think of Kṛṣṇa." Man-manā. Then you become guru. If you follow it strictly—you also think of Kṛṣṇa yourself, and you teach others, "My dear sir, my only request is that you think of Kṛṣṇa"—nobody will kill you. Everyone will... If he doesn't follow, he will appreciate you: "Oh, these sannyāsīs are very nice. They are advising to think of Kṛṣṇa." Then you become guru. Simple thing. Man-manā bhava mad-bhaktaḥ. And anyone who thinks of Kṛṣṇa, gradually he becomes a devotee of Kṛṣṇa.
"My dear sir, I am a great fool." Guru more mūrkha dekhi karila śāsana: (CC Adi 7.71) "My guru saw Me a great fool number one; therefore he has chastised Me." What is that? That " 'You cannot read Vedānta. You chant Hare Kṛṣṇa.' So my Guru Mahārāja has ordered Me like that. But by chanting only, I get ecstasy, I realize, like that." So the idea is Caitanya Mahāprabhu was not a mūrkha, fool. He is God Himself. And besides that, even in His līlā, pastimes as human being, He was a great learned scholar. His name was Nimāi Paṇḍita. He was not ordinary. He's paṇḍita. His education is proved when He explained ātmārāma śloka in sixty-four ways.
This is our aim of life. The subject matter was how to become successful in life. That we are trying to explain. The success is that we have to give up the control, we have to become freed from the control of the aparā prakṛti, and we shall voluntarily submit to be favored by parā prakṛti. This is our business, aim of life. Then our life will be successful. If we miss this opportunity to give up the shelter of aparā prakṛti, and do not take shelter of the parā prakṛti, then we are missing the opportunity. It is very subtle thing, there is no education, but the information and the enlightenment is there in our śāstra. In Bhagavad-gītā everything is explained, how one can give up the control of the aparā prakṛti and be under the shelter of parā prakṛti.
"My dear sir, better stay here. Don't come with Me. You try to preach My philosophy. You haven't got to come with Me." So He said, āmāra ājñāya guru hañā, that "Why you want to come with Me? My mission is this. If you want to help Me, then you become a guru under My instruction. You become a guru." "Sir, I have no education. I am not a brāhmaṇa. I am this. I am that. How can I become guru?" So Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, āmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra ei deśa: (CC Madhya 7.128) "Where you are living, you just try to deliver them. But you become a guru." "How I shall become?" Yāre dekha tāre kaha kṛṣṇa upadeśa: "Simply you instruct what Kṛṣṇa has said, that's all. Then you become guru. You don't require any other qual..." "No, I am not a brāhmaṇa; I am śūdra, I am this or..." That is also all right, because He said to Rāmānanda Rāya when... He was śūdra.
You are not free. Those who are free, liberated, so they go beyond this universe. Paras tasmāt tu bhāvo 'nyo 'vyakto 'vyaktāt sanātanaḥ (BG 8.20), yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama (BG 15.6). So people have no information, no education, no culture. They are put into the darkness and working so hard without knowing what is going to happen next. A civilization of complete darkness, very dangerous. Next life they do not believe, because if they believe, then they are horrible. "Better not to believe. Close your eyes. Don't see what is the danger in front." It is like that.
This human life, human form of life was given to him by laws of nature to understand Kṛṣṇa, or God, but he's not using it. Misusing it. They are called narādhama. And then, next group is māyayāpahṛta jñāna. You can say, "There are so many learned persons. They are not Kṛṣṇa conscious. They are after drinking and eating meat and... They are education." So then, He says that "They are educated. They have so-called educated, but their real knowledge is taken away." Just like one is rich man, but his money is taken away. So these four groups... So why this meritorious person or educated person, they do not take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness? That means dull brain. So in order to make the dull brain suitable for understanding Kṛṣṇa, these four principles of austerities is the first need: no illicit sex, no meat-eating, no gambling, no intoxication. Then his brain, the finer tissues of the brain, will develop to understand Kṛṣṇa. Otherwise, not possible.
So we have to accept Kṛṣṇa as the supreme authority. Then His speaking will be useful for us. Otherwise, if we think that Kṛṣṇa is on the equal level—"He is also a historical personality and His education and my education equal and so on, so on"—so long we think like that, then we cannot hear or understand Kṛṣṇa. But if we take the position of Arjuna—śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ prapannam—then Kṛṣṇa will speak to the disciple like Arjuna, and everything will be clear.
On account of presence of the proprietor of the body, the body is changing." Dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā (BG 2.13). The kaumāra, the childhood, the boyhood, the youthhood—these changes of body is taking place on account of presence of the dehina. So where is this education all over the world? There is no such education. But there is knowledge. This is Bhagavad-gītā. We don't take advantage of Bhagavad-gītā; therefore there is no such education, athāto brahma jijñāsā, or to understand Brahman.
He was ordinary cowherds boy." Muhyanti yat sūrayayaḥ. Very great sages, great saintly persons, also sometimes become bewildered. But to understand Kṛṣṇa, that is explained also in the Bhagavad-gītā. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti (BG 18.55). Not by learning, not by education, not by scholarship. Bhaktyā. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ: "In reality what I am, that can be understood by the devotees, not by others." And in the beginning also, of the Bhagavad-gītā teaching, He said Arjuna that "I am teaching Bhagavad-gītā to you because you are devotee." Bhakto 'si priyo 'si: (BG 4.3) "You are My very dear friend and devotee.
| Page Title: | Education (Lectures, General) |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, RupaManjari |
| Created: | 14 of Dec, 2011 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=133, Con=0, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 133 |