So every one of us, we... There are so many big, big scholars. I shall give you one instance. I was talking one big professor who is in Russia, Moscow, Professor Kotovsky. He said, "Swamiji, after death, everything is finished." That bodily concept of life. Even big, big educationist, big, big doctors, philosophers, scientists, they have got this bodily concept of life. So Kṛṣṇa is first of all trying to remove this bodily concept of life. He said therefore, aśocyān anvaśocas tvaṁ prajñā-vādāṁś ca bhāṣase (BG 2.11). "My dear Arjuna, you are talking like a very intelligent man, but you are lamenting on the subject matter which is not at all lamentable." What is that? Gatāsūn agatāsūṁś ca nānuśocanti paṇḍitāḥ. Paṇḍitāḥ means one who is learned. This body, either in living condition of dead condition, it is not the subject matter of lamentation. This is the first education of spiritual life, that this body is actually dead body already. So long the soul is there, it is moving. So when the soul leaves this body and accepts another body, the body was already dead, a lump of matter, and now it is left aside, and the soul has gone to another body. So it is a lump of matter at the present moment, then, after death or after leaving, after the soul has gone from the body, it is the same lump of matter. So lump of matter, where is the cause of lamentation or jubilation? It is a lump of matter. This understanding is first required.
Educator (Lectures)
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Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
We are eternal. Nityaḥ śāśvato 'yam, na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). Now where is the knowledge? We are traveling all over the world. We have never seen any university or any department of knowledge where this technique is instructed, na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre. There is no such instruction. So just try to understand, in the name of education, how people are placed in ignorance. They are thinking that hanyamāne śarīre, hanyate. After killing the body, the body's finished, the man is finished. I was talking with a big professor in Moscow, Professor Kotovsky. He said: "Swamijī, after destruction of this body, there is nothing more. Everything is finished." So just see, a big professor, a responsible person, he has no knowledge about the soul, what is soul, what is body. He's superficially, he is studying that after this body is finished, everything's finished. But that is not the fact. And persons who do not know this fact, they are becoming leaders, they are becoming educators, they are becoming spiritual master, and so on. So how these people will be in knowledge? Because those who are teaching them, they are in ignorance. Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ (SB 7.5.31). One blind man is leading so many blind men. So where is the education?
Take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness and be happy. This is not an ordinary movement. People are suffering actually for want of spiritual life, spiritual understanding. So the basic principle of spiritual understanding is to know one's self. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi. That, to come to that point, Kṛṣṇa is explaining that this body is like the dress, and the person who is dressed, that is within the dress. Dehino 'smin yathā dehe (BG 2.13). Here also, it is said, tathā śarīrāṇi vihāya jīrṇāny anyāni saṁyāti navāni dehī. Very simple thing. There is no difficulty. But the so-called scientists, philosophers, educationists, they will not believe that there is soul. They, they'll not believe. They'll simply argue. They cannot establish the real fact, how this body is moving. There are so many theories. But, except, accept, they will not accept that the..., actually, because the soul is within this body, everything is happening. And without the soul, immediately this body, so nice body of such and such great personality, becomes a lump of matter. Not that the body is working... They are finding out the brain substance, how it is working. But the brain substance is already there in the dead body.
Caitanya Mahāprabhu, within these five hundred years, He inaugurated the saṅkīrtana movement, Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, from Bengal. You know. So His order is... It is not that because Caitanya Mahāprabhu advented Himself in Bengal, He requested the Bengalis. No. He said, especially to the Indians: bhārata-bhūmite haila manuṣya-janma yāra (CC Adi 9.41). Anyone who has taken birth on the land of Bhāratavarṣa as human being, he should make his life perfect and distribute the knowledge to the others who are in ignorance. Because transcendental knowledge, spiritual knowledge, that is only in India. That is a fact. That is nowhere else. Even one Chinese educationist, he has admitted that "If we want to know what is religion, then we have to approach India." There is no other source.
So this jñāna, even this jñāna, the change of body is not there. Throughout the whole world, big, big professor, big, big educationist, they do not believe in the next birth. 99.9 percent, they do not. But this is a fact. There is. Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ. Kṛṣṇa says. And we understand this also. Kṛṣṇa gives this example: dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā (BG 2.13). This child is becoming kumāra; a kumāra is becoming boy; boy is becoming young man; young man is becoming old man. So these changes are going on; still, he does not know that "After this old body is finished, I shall have to accept another body." So this is ignorance. Therefore we have to take knowledge from the most perfect Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa. This is real knowledge.
There are millions and billions followers of Kṛṣṇa in India. Not only ordinary followers. Just like many great stalwarts, educationists, I mean to say, saintly person like Śaṅkarācārya, Madhvācārya, Rāmānujācārya, great educated and learned scholars, they have accepted. Lord Caitanya has accepted. And... There are so many others also. And there are millions and millions of temples of Kṛṣṇa. They are being worshiped by millions and billions of devotees still. Still, if you go some Kṛṣṇa temple in South India, you'll find thousands of thousands of people always assembled. You have no imagination. You see? In Jaipur temple, Jaipur temple, the king's palace... Within the king's palace there is Jaipur temple. So whenever you go in that Jaipur temple, you'll find at least one thousand men assembled.
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
There are two ways. Our life, they are going in two ways. One way is liberation, and the other way is bondage. Just like you have seen the reel. The reel is rolling. One way it is rolling to roll the thread, and another it is giving way to the thread. Similarly, we can lead in two ways, our life, either towards liberation or towards darkness of bondage. This, our human life, by gradual evolutionary process, we come to the human form of life. Now we can move it two ways, either towards liberation or towards bondage. We do not know, modern education. There is no such information what is called bondage and what is called liberation. Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). They do not know. There is no such education, that students may understand what is Viṣṇu, what is God, what he is, what is his relationship with God, Viṣṇu. These things are unknown to the modern educationist.
The other day in the television somebody was questioning me that "Why there is caste system in India?" So I answered, "The caste system is everywhere. Why in India?" And what is that caste system? The caste system is that there is a class of men who are intelligent, very intelligent, educationist, philosopher, scientist. They are called brāhmaṇas. That's all. The intelligent class of the society... Just like my head is the most important part of my body. Why? Because from the head all intelligence is coming. If you cut my hand, I will exist. If you cut my leg, I will exist. But if you cut my head, oh, there is no existence. Therefore, as there is the important part of this body, the head, similarly, those who are giving intelligence to the society, they are called brāhmaṇas. That's all.
Now we have opened such a big hall, inviting people to come to take part in the sat-saṅga, but nobody's interested. So therefore if anyone becomes interested, he's very intelligent. He's intelligent because he wants to stop this repetition of birth and death. This is the problem. This problem, the so-called scientists, philosophers, educationists, politician, they have set aside this question. The real problem is to solve the question of birth and death. They do not touch it. They are making plan for economic development and other things. Economic development... Suppose you become rich man for twenty years or fifty years, utmost, at the present moment. Then you become a cat and dog in next life. Then what is your economic development? But they do not know that there is life after death. We have to prepare for the next life. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa (SB 3.31.1). Then according to my karma, by superior inspection, I'll get next birth. And in the Bhagavad-gītā it is plainly spoken: janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ (BG 4.9). Kṛṣṇa says, "Simply try to understand My janma. I take birth." Ajo 'pi sann avyayātmā. He's aja. Every one of us aja. Na jāyate na mriyate. We don't take birth, don't die, because we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. So Kṛṣṇa must be aja.
To come to that state, here it is stated that you have to purify your citta, consciousness, svaccham, crystallike, crystallike, transparent, svaccham. And that śāntaṁ bhagavataḥ padam, that is the stage of understanding Bhagavān. Evaṁ prasanna-manaso bhagavad-bhakti-yogataḥ (SB 1.2.20). This stage can be attained by bhagavad-bhakti, by devotional service. This devotional service begins simply by hearing and chanting. We have got all these books. Anyone can take advantage of these books. Now it is translated into English. Of course, we are getting very, very good, encouraging reports from Western countries. Our books are selling very nicely, beyond our capacity of supply, all over Europe, America especially. Especially in America, all libraries, colleges, professors, educationists, they are very with great respect receiving these books.
As you deal with material science, you become big mathematician, chemist, physician, or lawyer, or so many, naturalist. Similarly, spiritually, you become karmī, jñānī, yogī. Do that. That is not discouraged. But what for you are trying? Why you are trying to become a chemist or physist or a man of charitable disposition, educationist? Why? If I ask... If anybody asks, "Why you try to become a scientist? What is the aim of your life?" What will be the answer, possible answer? The materialist will say, "For developing civilization." Developing civilization means to, in their view, developing the process of sense gratification. That's all. But śāstra says, "No, not that. That is not the aim. You become a great scientist. There is no harm. But why you should become a scientist?"
So ātmārāmāṇām, ātmārāmāṇām, self-satisfied. There are two kinds of men: ātmārāma and apaśyatām atmā-tattvam (SB 2.1.2)—one who does not know what is the soul and what is the business of the soul. Apaśyatām atmā-tattvam (SB 2.1.2). Ātma-tattvam... First of all, one has to understand that "I am not this body. I am ātmā, soul. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi." Then we fix up our business. If I do not know what I am... Sanātana Gosvāmī approached Caitanya Mahāprabhu: grāmya-vyavahāre paṇḍita, satya kari māni āpanāra hitāhita kichui nā jāni. This is going on. So-called learned philosophers, scientist, educationist—people call them learned scholars. But Sanātana Gosvāmī refused to accept. He said, grāmya-vyavahāre kahaye paṇḍita satya kari māni. That is our nature. Just like a beggar comes, he gives his blessing, "Sir, you become king. You become opulent. You...," so on, so on. So he thinks, "Now this beggar is blessing me. I may be... It may be I become a king. 'All right, you take some rupees.' " So this is not... They do not know atmā-tattvam. They think that "This beggar's blessing will make me happy." No. One should know atmā-tattvam and act accordingly.
Just like in this present existence I have changed my body so many times from my childhood to this old age. Similarly, I am changing my body. So this life, this body is temporary. Durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ. Andhā, and I do not see my future; therefore I am blind. And the leader which is leading me, he is also blind. So a blind man leading other blind men, what is the result? The result is catastrophic. Therefore in spite of so many great leaders, politicians, scientists, educationist, the result is that problematic. The whole world is full of problems. They do not know what is their interest. The interest is this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That they do not know. So it is the task of the members of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness to preach this. Caitanya Mahāprabhu therefore has ordered, yāre dekha tāre kaha kṛṣṇa upadeśa (CC Madhya 7.128). Whomever you meet, your business is just try to make him convinced of the instructions as given by Lord Kṛṣṇa in the Bhagavad-gītā. That is the best service to the humanity.
Nectar of Devotion Lectures
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures
We have forgotten God. The modern civilization, wherever you go, they say that "We are secular state." Secular state. Secular state means without knowing who is the father of the mankind. That is secular state. But the Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya, a great logician during the time of Lord Caitanya, he was also godless. And generally, the so-called learned philosophers, scientists, or so-called educators, they deny the existence of God. They depend more or less on their experimental knowledge of science. But actually, the fact is that there is God. There is God. In every religion they accept there is God, and actually, the fact is there is God. In the Vedic literatures it is accepted, janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). And in the Bhagavad-gītā it is clearly said by Kṛṣṇa that "I am the father." Not only one place, in many other places. I am especially referring to the Bhagavad-gītā because most of you, you're acquainted with the study of Bhagavad-gītā. Similarly, in the Tenth Chapter you'll find, ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ: "I am the origin of everything." Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate: "Whatever you see, that is from Me."
As soon as you speak something about God, they become fire: "Oh, what is this God nonsense?" So they are dviṣataḥ. Dviṣataḥ means envious. They cannot even tolerate the name of God. "Don't talk of God." So it is not now individually infection; it is now worldwide. And therefore, the result is that the Communist party is developing all over the world due to this godlessness. And we have got experience, personal experience, in our selling our books, the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. I have seen many gentlemen, as teachers and educationists. As soon as he sees Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, "Oh, it is about God. Oh, we cannot purchase. We cannot purchase. Because it is God, therefore we have no connection with it. We cannot purchase." Such is the mentality. So that, by that such mentality, godless mentality, atheistic mentality, the people of the world, they are not happy. But still, they are fools. Because they are fools, they'll not take to God consciousness or Kṛṣṇa consciousness. But it is our duty to canvass, to request.
Arrival Addresses and Talks
So one who is serious about getting out of this material bondage and free from birth, death, old age and disease, so he must take to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It is very simple and easy. If you do not know, if you are not educated, if you have no asset, you can simply chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, and if you are educated, logician, philosopher, you can read our books, which are already in fifty in number. There will be about seventy-five books of four hundred pages to convince the philosopher, scientist, educationist what is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It is published in English as well as in other European languages. Take advantage of it. Along with the Deity worship in this temple, hold classes at least five hours. As in the schools and colleges there are regular classes, forty-five minutes' class, then five or ten minutes' recess, again forty-five minutes' class, in this way, so we have got enough subject matter to study, and if we study all these books, to finish them it will take at least twenty-five years. So you are all young men. I request you to engage your time in reading books, in chanting, in Deity worshiping, in going to preach, selling books. Don't be lazy. Always remain engaged. Then that is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
General Lectures
One should understand the principles of religion with philosophy and logic. We are claiming college students, university students, because we are presenting religion on the basis of philosophy and logic. We are not blindly following. We have not dogmatism. We have got reason, philosophy, and everything, science. If you want to understand this Kṛṣṇa consciousness on the basis of philosophy, logic and science, we are prepared to present to you. But the ultimate goal is to surrender unto the Supreme. So although you will find some of the students joining us, they are not very great philosopher or great scientist or great educationist, but they have accepted the reality, Kṛṣṇa. Therefore they are the highest yogis. They are highest yogi.
So anyone who is trying to divert people's attention from Kṛṣṇa to non-Kṛṣṇa... That is the business of the modern so-called philosophers and educationists or religionists. They'll continue to read Bhagavad-gītā life long but will interpret in a different way so that people may not surrender to Kṛṣṇa. That is their business. Such persons are called duṣkṛtina. They are themselves also not ready to surrender to Kṛṣṇa, and they are misleading others also not to surrender to Kṛṣṇa. That is their business. Such persons are duṣkṛtina, miscreants, rogues, rascals, those who are deviating people in other ways. A great scholar—I do not wish to name—he is writing in his commentary, "It is not to Kṛṣṇa." Just see. Kṛṣṇa says, man-manā bhava mad-bhaktaḥ: "You just become My devotee." Mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru: "You just worship Me and offer your obeisances unto Me. In this way you will get Me. You will achieve Me." The commentator says... The so-called learned commentator says, "It is not to the Kṛṣṇa person but it is the Absolute Truth which is within Kṛṣṇa." That means he is dividing Kṛṣṇa from the Absolute Truth. He does not know what is Kṛṣṇa.
Philosophy Discussions
Hayagrīva: During his lifetime Origen was a great teacher and was very much in demand. For him, preaching simply meant explaining the words of God and no more. He believed that first of all a preacher must be a man of prayer and must be in contact with God, and that he should pray for a better understanding of the scriptures.
Prabhupāda: Yes. That is real preacher. That is explained in the Vedic literature, śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam. First of all he becomes perfect by hearing. This is called śravaṇam. And when he is perfectly situated in spiritual life by hearing perfectly from the perfectly authorized person, then his next stage begins, kīrtanam. That is preaching. That śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam, everyone is hearing in this material world. Everyone is hearing. Even this material educationist, he also hears from the material person, professor. That hearing is there. Then he acts when he is grown-up, passed his examination, sometimes acts as professor. The same process: if one hears from the perfect spiritualized person, he becomes perfect, then he becomes actual preacher. Preaching, śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam, about Viṣṇu, not for any other person within this material world. The Supreme Person, transcendental Personality of Godhead, to hear about Him and to preach about Him, that is the duty of a liberated soul.
Page Title: | Educator (Lectures) |
Compiler: | Visnu Murti, Serene |
Created: | 14 of Dec, 2011 |
Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=25, Con=0, Let=0 |
No. of Quotes: | 25 |