The Purāṇas are not stories. They are historical records. In the Caitanya-caritāmṛta there is a verse which reads as follows. anādi-bahirmukha jīva kṛṣṇa bhuli' gela ataeva kṛṣṇa veda-purāṇa kailā (CC Madhya 20.117). That these forgetful living entities, conditioned souls, they have forgotten the relationship with the Supreme Lord, and they are engrossed in thinking of the material activities. And just to transfer their thinking power to the spiritual capacity, the Kṛṣṇa-dvaipāyana Vyāsa, he has made so many Vedic literatures. Vedic literatures means first he divided the Vedas into four. Then he explained them by the Purāṇas. Then for the incapable persons, just like strī, śūdra, vaiśya, he made the Mahābhārata. And in the Mahābhārata he introduced this Bhagavad-gītā. Then again he summarized the whole Vedic literature in the Vedānta-sūtra. And the Vedānta-sūtra for future guidance, he made a natural commentation by himself which is called Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is called bhāṣyo 'yaṁ brahma-sūtrāṇām.
Engrossed (Lectures)
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
If you do not know what is spirit, then where is spiritual understanding? People are too much engrossed with the body. That is called materialism. But when you understand what is spirit and you act accordingly, that is called spiritualism.
Every living being has got a particular type of body. Dehino 'smin yathā dehe (BG 2.13). And what is the nature of that body? Now, here the matter is being explained that how we change our body, how... But, but, but, because that is a difficult problem for us because we are engrossed with the idea of identifying this body with the soul. Now, the first A-B-C-D of spiritual knowledge is to understand that "I am not this body." Unless one is firmly convinced that "I am not this body," he cannot progress in the spiritual line. So the first lesson in the Bhagavad-gītā is taken in that way. So here it is, that dehino 'smin. Now, dehī, the soul, soul. Dehī means soul. One who has accepted this body, material body, he's called dehī. So asmin, he is there. He is there, but his body is changing. You see? The body is changing.
In the bodily concept of life, just like animals, they fight with some piece of flesh, two dogs fighting. The one dog is claiming, "It is my flesh," another dog claiming, "My flesh." But they cannot understand what is that "I." They are claiming "my," but they have no understanding of "I." Therefore, if a human being simply claims "my," "my country, my society, my wife, my husband, my body, my dress, my furniture, my home," where is "I"? This they do not think. They have no knowledge. In the school, college, university, there is no such knowledge what is that "I." Simply "my." So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is meant for educating, educate people what is that "I." Everyone is engrossed with things, illusory thinking "my," but he has no identification what is that "I."
So we must know that whatever we possess, whatever we are seeing, these are all dream, temporary. Therefore if we become engrossed with the temporary things, so-called socialism, nationalism, family-ism or this-ism, that-ism, and waste our time, without cultivating Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then that is called śrama eva hi kevalam (SB 1.2.8), simply wasting our time, creating another body. Our own business is that we should know that "I am not this dream. I am fact, spiritual fact. So I have got a different business." That is called spiritual life.
We get our body according to our karma, according to your karma. If we do sāttvika-karma... Ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthāḥ: (BG 14.18) "Those who are in the modes of goodness, they are promoted to higher status of life or higher planet, like that." And madhye tiṣṭhanti rājasāḥ: "Those who are in the modes of passion, they remain here in this Bhūrloka." And adho gacchanti tāmasāḥ: "Those who are engrossed with the modes of ignorance, they may be degraded from this planet to another, degraded planet, or another life, or animal life. This is the process, going on. And we forget.
Therefore those who are too much engrossed in the bodily concept of life, for them, this yoga system... Dhyāna, dhāraṇa, prāṇāyāma, āsana, ity ādi. Different methods. Yama-niyama. But that yoga process also requires saṁyama. Saṁyamāgni, it is said. Saṁyamāgniṣu juhvati. This yoga practice means you have to control the senses, saṁyamāgni, sacrifice. The spirit of enjoying spirit should be sacrificed tin the fire of saṁyama. That is required.
If I am eternal, I am simply changing my dress, and I do not know how many times I have changed my dress during this life, and if I claim a particular dress, "Oh, this is my dress," is it not nonsense? You are changing dress always. You are changing your country, you are changing your form, and still you are claiming, "This is mine." And you are too much engrossed in this conception of life.
This is the injunction of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, that "First of all, make your life perfect. Just try to understand what is Kṛṣṇa and what is Bhagavad-gītā and make your life practical in understanding Bhagavān and the bhakti." Janma sārthaka kari'. "Then go and preach all over the world." Paropakāra. Because the whole world is in darkness. They are too much materially congested. Their brain... Big, big professors, they say, "After death, there is no life." And they are going as teachers and professors. So especially in the western world, they are so much engrossed. So our request is, those who are actually intelligent: "Take to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement seriously, especially Indians, and try to preach all over the world."
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
We are so much engrossed by the influence of māyā that we are trying to do so many things, but our only business is how to forget Kṛṣṇa. That's all. Our real business is how we can kill Kṛṣṇa—"There is no God"—how we can forget Kṛṣṇa. And we are very busy in finding out petroleum energy. This is our business. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, anādi-bahirmukha jīvera svataḥ kṛṣṇa nāhi jñāna (CC Madhya 20.117).(?) We are so much foolish, influenced by the illusory energy, that by automatically we cannot understand Kṛṣṇa. Because we are influenced. Therefore this propaganda required. Not that automatically they will come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. There is need of spreading, unless... If you want to save..., if you are actually benevolent to your countrymen, to your society, to the human society, you must preach this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.
Nitāi: "Those persons who are materially engrossed, being blind to the knowledge of the Ultimate Truth, have many things as subject matter for hearing in the human society, O Emperor."
Prabhupāda:
- śrotavyādīni rājendra
- nṛṇāṁ santi sahasraśaḥ
- apaśyatām ātma-tattvaṁ
- gṛheṣu gṛha-medhinām
- (SB 2.1.2)
Now, subject matter of hearing long, long, very... Not long, long, say, about sixty, seventy years ago, one big politician of India, Madanmohan Mayabhya,(?) he came to see my Guru Mahārāja. So he was inquiring about our activities. So he was informed, amongst other activities, my Guru Mahārāja was publishing papers monthly in English, in Bengali, in Hindi, in Oriya, in Assamese, and one Bengali daily, Nadiya Prakash. So this politician was surprised that "Oh, you are publishing daily a Bengali paper?" "Yes. Why you are surprised?" He was surprised. He was politician. He was thinking that "What one may speak of God, or Kṛṣṇa, daily in a paper?" He was surprised. Because they think that "Sometimes we go to the temple, 'O God, give us our daily bread,' " finished God's business. And my Guru Mahārāja replied that "Why you are surprised? This Calcutta city is most insignificant part of this universe."
A child talks all foolish things; nobody cares for it. But the same child, when he gets another body, if he talks foolish, then he will be called, "Oh, you are so fool. You are talking like this." Because the body has changed. So body is changing. That's a fact. But apaśyatām ātma-tattvam (SB 2.1.2), one who does not know that the spirit soul is eternal and changing body, they are blind, apaśyatām ātma-tattvam (SB 2.1.2). They are simply engrossed in this bodily concept of life. Gṛheṣu gṛha-medhinām. Compact, encaged in this body, encaged in society, encaged in nationalism, encaged in religion, encaged in ideas, philosophy. But there is no question of discussing about the soul. Apaśyatām ātma-tattvam (SB 2.1.2).
For training the mind, this yoga system is. Those who are too much engrossed in the bodily concept of life, for them, this yoga system, aṣṭāṅga-yoga system, is recommended by practicing a certain type of āsana and making a type of exercise of the breathing, in this way, prāṇāyāma, dhyāna, dhāraṇā, āsana, prāṇāyāma. But there is another simple method that is recommended in the śāstra. You can train up your mind if you simply keep your mind on the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is here, and you see Kṛṣṇa's lotus feet, and if you practice to meditate upon Kṛṣṇa's lotus feet, Kṛṣṇa's bodily feature, then immediately your mind becomes controlled.
The only hope is if you go through the śāstras, Vedic literature, that is the way to understand. But at the present moment people are so engrossed with material affairs that they are not interested even to hear or to talk about Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is not a very good sign. It is the feverish condition of durbhikṣa. That is mentioned in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, that people in general, when they come to the point of suffering from natural law, then they will revive their nitya-siddha kṛṣṇa-bhakti. So therefore, as I was speaking in this morning, we have to elevate the human civilization from a platform which is on equal level with hog civilization. We should very carefully study and try to know whether the advancement of civilization which we have accepted is genuine. No. It is not genuine. It is misleading.
They are simply, I mean to say, engrossed with animal propensities—eating, sleeping, mating, and defending—as if these are the problems. These are no problems. We have created these problems. Eating is no problem. The animals, they do not endeavor for doing some work for eating. Eating is already there. The birds, beasts are eating. Similarly, human body, eating is there. For example, we are, these forty heads, we are traveling. So eating is already there. Before our coming, our Padubhai(?) has arranged for our eating. So why should we think for eating? So, but actually that is the fact. There is no problem of eating. They have created this problem. God has given enough food. In America they throw away foodstuff in the ocean. You see. This is nonsense. Because they have no Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they do not know that these food grains belong to Kṛṣṇa. He has sent. So instead of throwing in the ocean, it should be dispatched to the countries where there is scarcity.
What is the meaning of this preaching? Why we are taking interest in preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness? Because the people in general, they are interested in preyaḥ, for their sense gratification, immediate sense gratification. But that is not good for them. Bhāgavata says, nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma yad indriya-prītaya āpṛṇoti: (SB 5.5.4) "Simply for sense gratification, they are committing so many sinful activities. It is like, just like madman." A madman does not know what he is doing. Similarly, the materialistic persons, they are so much engrossed and become maddened to commit everything simply for sense gratification. Indriya-prīti. So Ṛṣabhadeva says, "It is not good. It is very risky life." If we indulge in sense gratification, Kṛṣṇa will give us facilities for sense gratification. Just like a monkey. A monkey has very good facility for sex life. A monkey, every monkey has got at least three dozen wives. Perhaps you know it. So he has been given the facility for sense gratification: "All right." But what is his position? He is a monkey.
So everyone, even the Lakṣmī is servant, maidservant of Kṛṣṇa, what to speak of others? Dāsī. So how one can claim that "I am God"? God is not so cheap. Only persons who are illusioned, they claim that "I am God." He is servant. Instead of becoming, voluntarily rendering service to God, because they claim to be God they are more put into illusion. Māyā-graṣṭa jīvera sei dāsa upajaya. It is said in the Vaiṣṇava literature, piśacī pāile yena mati-cchanna haya, māyā-graṣṭa jīvera sei dāsa upajaya: "Just like a person, when he is haunted by ghosts, he speaks all kinds of nonsense, similarly, when a living entity is engrossed by the illusory aspect of this material nature, he also talks all foolishly." He also talks... One of the greatest foolish things is that he claims that "I am God."
Karttikeya: Śrīla Prabhupāda? Even if a person is completely engrossed in material activities, but somehow or other, they utter the name of Kṛṣṇa... Like you said my mother attained Kṛṣṇa's kingdom, although she was completely absorbed in material activities...
Prabhupāda: That was due to your grace. You reminded your mother at the time of her death, "Kṛṣṇa." You were a good boy of your mother, and she got the opportunity, remembering Kṛṣṇa, and got all the profit due to having a good son like you. Yes, his mother... I do not wish to discuss. But we are not at all... Just like European ladies there. So he was visiting his mother and inspiring her, "Mother, you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa," whatever he has learned from me. She got some idea of Kṛṣṇa, later on developed little affection for Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So at the time of death, by seeing him, she simply inquired from him, "Is your Kṛṣṇa here?" and died immediately. So she was fortunate to have a good son like him who reminded, by his presence, "Kṛṣṇa," and she became liberated.
So all these śāstras, all these Vedas, all this knowledge, they are simply leading to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyam (BG 15.15). But in the Kali-yuga it is very difficult to go step by step. People are so fallen, so much engrossed in rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa. Therefore, by the mercy of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He has empowered the holy name of God, that simply by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra you can make equal progress than in other ages.
Our heart is filled up with all dirty things, adharma. And it is very difficult to purify the heart, but it is possible, tad api. Even the hard-hearted, stone-hearted, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa, can be melted, can be reformed. How? Īśāṅghri-sevayā. Īśa. Īśa means the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa. Āṅghri means His lotus feet. Sevayā. This is possible. In the Bhagavad-gītā also, Kṛṣṇa says the same thing. Māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ (BG 9.32). Pāpa-yoni. Puṇya-yoni means according to the infection of the heart with different qualities of these material modes of nature. That is called pāpa-yoni. One whose heart is too much engrossed with tamo-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, they are lower grade, pāpa-yoni. And gradually one who is free from the tamo-guṇa, rajo-guṇa... Even sattva-guṇa. Of course, sattva-guṇa is taken—the platform of goodness. That is the only hope in this material world, that one has to come by endeavor to the sattva-guṇa platform. Then the heart disease, kāma... hṛd-roga-kāma(?). It is a heart disease. Kāma means lusty desires simply to enjoy senses. This is called kāma. Hṛd-roga-kāma āpṛṇoti.
So the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means to cure the heart disease full with lusty desires. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Moha means illusion. Anyone who is contaminated by these three qualities of māyā, he is supposed to be involved in māyika, or material existence. Tan-māyā-mohitatvād na jānanti: "And anyone who is involved with the material qualities of this external energy, they cannot understand what is God." It is not possible. Aviṣayatvāc ca. This is not their subject matter at all. The subject matter for them different. Therefore we see. They are becoming educated, scientists, philosophers, but they do not understand what is God. Avisayatvāc ca. It is not their subject matter. That I repeatedly say, that one who is not a devotee of Kṛṣṇa, it is, Bhagavad-gītā is not a subject matter for their study, what to speak of commenting upon it? He has no business to comment on Bhagavad-gītā because it is not their subject matter. This should be very distinctly understood. There is a Bengali parable, ādhāra vyapari yahāre khabola (?). Ādhāra vyapari, a merchant dealing in ginger, so he is taking information, "What about the shipping one..., just like one cartload or one ship full of ginger?" So ādhāre vyapari means he has not very large quantity to sell. Ginger is taken, very little quantity. So ginger merchant, if he has got stock, say, one bag, it will take months together to sell it. And if he thinks that "I will stock hundreds of bags," it is useless for him. That is not his subject. But one who sells rice or wheat, that is in great demand. That he can stock and talk of large shipment. Similarly, those who are already engrossed in material qualities, the science of God is not their subject matter at all. So that is the test. Just like who shall be the guru? Whose subject matter is only Kṛṣṇa or God, he shall be guru, not an amateur man. He is doing some other business, and in some pastime he makes a guru business. No, that is not their subject matter. The subject matter is different.
The one word is that unless and until we take shelter of the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, there is no, I mean to say, possibility of our getting free from the anxiety of material existence.
So when Prahlāda Mahārāja explained this verse to his father, atheistic father, he was so angry that he threw him from his lap. "You nonsense, what you are speaking?" Yes. Actually, this is the position. Materialistic persons are so much engrossed in their own thought that if somebody goes there and speaks of Kṛṣṇa consciousness as the solution for all problems, he immediately throws it out. Just like Prahlāda Mahārāja's father did it. So from that day, there was misunderstanding between the father and the son. Ultimately the father tortured him in so many ways, and at last, the Supreme Personality of Godhead appeared in a Nṛsiṁhadeva form. Nṛsiṁhadeva means He appeared just like a lion-half lion and half man.
When one is self-realized that he is not this body, he is the spirit soul, brahma-bhūtaḥ, then what are the symptoms? Now, prasannātmā: he becomes immediately very jolly. So long we are materially engrossed, bodily concept of life, there will be always anxiety. This is the test. Anyone who is in anxiety, means he is materially situated. And anyone who is elevated to the spiritual platform, he is prasannātmā. He is jolly. What is the meaning of prasannātmā? Na śocati na kāṅkṣati. He does not want anything, and if anything he has got, if he has lost, he does not cry for it. That's all.
Nectar of Devotion Lectures
Therefore this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is awakening that spiritual energy of the living entity. Mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ (BG 9.13). The mahātmā and durātmā. What is the difference? The difference is the durātmā is under the influence of external energy. Bahir-artha-māninaḥ. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ (SB 7.5.31). When we are too much engrossed with the concept of bodily life, "I am this body," "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am brāhmaṇa," "I am kṣatriya," when we are influenced by the bodily concept of life, that is called material energy. And when we are influenced by the spiritual energy, we always think that "I am servant of the servant of the servant of Kṛṣṇa." Gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayoḥ dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ (CC Madhya 13.80). Nāhaṁ vipro na ca nara-patir. "I am neither brāhmaṇa or kṣatriya or vaiśya and śūdra or sannyāsī or brahmacārī."
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures
Yoga means God plus myself, plus myself. The system is: those who are too much engrossed with this bodily conception of life, for them, yoga system is very good because it is a practice to withdraw the senses from their engagement in the external world to the inside. Pratyāhāra. And yama, niyama, asana, prāṇāyāma, dhyāna, dhāraṇā, pratyāhāra, samādhi—there are eight different stages of yoga practice.
Simply sense gratification—āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithuna: eating, sleeping, mating and defending—that is their business. So those who are engrossed in the matter of sense gratification only, they are not in higher position. Therefore hṛta-jñānāḥ. Hṛta-jñānāḥ means those who have lost their sense. For sense gratification they have lost their sense. Hṛta-jñānāḥ. So Lord Caitanya wants to say that "Don't be hṛta-jñānāḥ. Don't be hṛta-jñānāḥ, or senseless. Be," I mean to say, "senseful."
mukhya-gauṇa-vṛtti, kiṁvā anvaya-vyatireke
- vedera pratijñā kevala kahaye kṛṣṇake
In any way you study Vedas—directly, indirectly, this way or that way—the conclusion is that the objective is Kṛṣṇa, Lord Caitanya says. And in the Bhagavad-gītā also we get the same information. You will find in the teachings of Lord Caitanya, the same thing as in the Bhagavad-gītā.
Arrival Addresses and Talks
When we see the form of Kṛṣṇa, naturally our mind is impressed that "Here is Kṛṣṇa; here is Rādhārāṇī; here is Jagannātha." So if you come daily and see Kṛṣṇa at least once-man-manā bhava mad-bhaktoḥ—where is the difficulty? But people are so much engrossed. Their education is so low grade. Just now, when I was coming from Bhuvaneśvara, the next room, next apartment, was occupied by some young men. As they were talking, it appeared they were educated, medical practitioner. They were addressing amongst themselves, "Dr. this," "Dr. this..." (break)
So our mission is para-upakāra, Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission, para-upakāra. This para-upakāra mission was entrusted to the Indians. Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, bhārata bhūmite haila manuṣya-janma yāra (CC Adi 9.41)—"to the human beings," not to the cats and dogs. Unfortunately, we have become like cats and dogs. We do not take the responsibility of an Indian. It is the duty of the Indian.
General Lectures
When you see your body you think that "This is my finger, this is my hand, this is my head, this is my chest, this is my leg." You see simply you will find, "This is my, this is my, this is my." But if you try to find out "Then what is I?" then you will find out. That is called self-realization. We are simply now engrossed with things "my," but we do not know what is "I." The identification of myself or I with this body is wrong. The identification of I with the mind is also wrong. The identification of I with intelligence is also wrong. When you actually come to the platform of spiritual understanding, then you understand that "I am neither this body, neither the senses, neither this mind, nor intelligence, but I am spirit soul." That is called brahma-jñāna, or Brahman realization.
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. Sa eva go-kharaḥ (SB 10.84.13). Go means cow and khara means ass. So these are the description in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. This is a challenge. But people are so much engrossed in ignorance that they don't care. "All right. Let us go on like this." And if I say that "You are God. You can do whatever nonsense you like, you do," then you'll be very pleased. You'll be very pleased. And people will be very much eager to hear me, you see? But we cannot say such thing, bluffing thing. Any other questions? Let us have kīrtana. Or at least chant with us Hare Kṛṣṇa for some time.
So my point is that, as stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, that this bodily concept of life is not very sanguine. Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke (SB 10.84.13). This body, composition of several things like bones and skins and blood and urine and stool and secretions, so many things, that is not right calculation of self-realization. Of course, those who are too much engrossed with the bodily concept of life, they have been recommended to practice the haṭha-yoga system.
Hṛda means heart, and su means good, good heart. A devotee, a mahātmā, is good heart. How he is good heart? He sees everyone that "This living entity," especially human being, "he is engrossed in the clutches of māyā. He is suffering. Let me try to make him understand Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or his eternal relationship with Kṛṣṇa." He tries everywhere. That is his business. He doesn't mind whether he is failure. Failure or success, he doesn't mind. But he thinks, "Oh, this conditioned soul is suffering. Let me do something." Therefore Vaiṣṇava's prayer is vāñchā-kalpa-tarubhyaś ca kṛpā-sindhubhya eva ca. A Vaiṣṇava, he is just like the ocean of mercy. He always feels for the sufferings of the humanity. That is their business.
Guru cannot be a conditioned soul. Guru must be liberated. Because without complete knowledge of Kṛṣṇa, without being free from the contamination of the three modes of material nature... One cannot understand Kṛṣṇa on account of his being engrossed with these three material modes of nature. And Kṛṣṇa says, "One who understand Me rightly, he becomes immediately free." Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9). Just like we are changing our dress or our different bodies every moment, so Kṛṣṇa says, tyaktvā deham.
Philosophy Discussions
Hayagrīva: Three, he speaks of, "An immense elation, or happiness, and freedom as the outlines of the confining selfhood melt down."
Prabhupāda: Yes. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ (BG 18.66). This material selfishness is māyā. Actually that is not selfishness. Real selfishness is to know the relationship with God. But persons who are engrossed with the spell of māyā, illusory energy, they do not know that. Mostly, 99.9%, they have vague idea of God, and how they will know the relationship? So, so that our actual business, first business is to have complete idea, complete sense of God and our relationship. That is the business of human life.
| Page Title: | Engrossed (Lectures) |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, ParthsarathyM |
| Created: | 22 of Feb, 2012 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=33, Con=0, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 33 |