Therefore the so-called good men of this world, who are engaged in so many welfare activities, humanitarian activities, by mental concoction, they may be all foolish activities in the estimation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. They are very much puffed up, that "We are doing this, opening hospital and school, and philanthropism, nationalism." Is there any such thing in the Bhagavad-gītā? Is there any advice that "You open hospital, school and do this philanthropic work"? No. If you have got anything to give in charity, you are charitably disposed, Kṛṣṇa says, "Give it to Me. If you are so rich and if you have got this good intention to give in charity, give it to Me." Yat karoṣi yaj juhosi yad aśnāsi yat tapasyasi dadāsi yat (BG 9.27). Dadāsi yat means "whatever you give in charity." Kuruṣva tad mad-arpanam: "Give it to Me. Yes, I am expanding My hand. Come on." But they have forgotten Kṛṣṇa or Kṛṣṇa's advice, and they remain puffed up, that "I am engaged in this activity, that activity, this activity." Thousands of millions of such activities may be very good in the estimations of the fools and rascals, but it may not be accepted by Kṛṣṇa. That is the crucial point. But our point is that unless accepted by Kṛṣṇa, it is simply śrama eva hi kevalam (SB 1.2.8), simply waste of time.
Hospital (Lectures)
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
One who is not Kṛṣṇa conscious, not devotee of Kṛṣṇa, he has no good qualification. "No, he's a very big man. He has opened such big, big hospitals, big, big schools, big, big, big..." Yes, that may be good from the material estimation, but because he's not a devotee of Kṛṣṇa, these are not good qualifications. Harāv a... This one word: Harāv abhaktasya, harāv abhaktasya. If one has no devotion to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he cannot have any good qualities. These are not good qualities. Actually that is so. Suppose if you, the... According to karma-kāṇḍa vicāra, if you open a school, so in the next time, you will have good education. It is pious activities from material point of view. So the benefit will be that you will have good education in your next life. Accepting that it is very nice, next life I shall be very learned scholar, but to become that learned scholar I'll have to take my birth. But he does not know that how much difficulties are there to take birth. Kṛṣṇa says, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānu-darśanam (BG 13.9). One should see to the duḥkha, unhappiness, on account of birth and death. So suppose you will get next life in the heavenly planet, or you shall become very rich man, or you shall become very learned man, but you have to go through these distresses, janma. They do not consider this.
Just like modern people, they are after peace, stopping war. And suppose you stop war. Can you stop death? Then why you are after stopping war? Why you forget your real business? They are after stopping war. And suppose war is stopped, nobody takes to war anymore. Now, how you'll stop the war of this material nature? She is fighting always with you. From the beginning of your birth she is fighting. A child is born and the material nature is killing this child every moment. The child has grown, two years old. That means material nature has already killed this child for two years. How you can stop this? These nonsense, they do not consider these cases. Suppose if I stop war, there will be no more war, no more disease. No more disease cannot be possible. You can make by some way no more war... That is also not possible. Anyway, if you stop it by the efforts of the United Nations, a veke(?) by some way no more war... That is also not possible. Anyway, if you stop it by the efforts of the United Nations, a very large organization, then how you are going to stop death? What is your proposition? There is no, nothing. So what is the use of stopping war? Suppose in the war some young men die. That's all right, so many young men die within the hospital in the disease. And sometimes old men, they do not die even in the war.
Everyone of us sitting in this hall, we have got different mentality to enjoy differently, different dress, different mentality, different opinion, because everyone of us we are individual. So this individuality is both in spiritual world and the material world. But in the material world our individuality is different on account of associating or infecting different qualities of the material nature. Just like there are different types of patients in the hospital. Why? Because each and every one of them is infected by different types of germs of disease.
Therefore you'll find there are so many big, big swamis. First of all they give up this world. Brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā. "This world is mithyā. Let us take to Brahman. Let us become Brahman." But after keeping in, some days in so-called Brahman, they again come back to open hospital, school. Because there they could not get anything. Therefore something must be done, profession. So open hospital and raise fund. That's all.
So unless you get shelter on the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, you'll be attracted by these material activities. But when you are attracted by the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, then vīta-rāga-bhaya-śoka... Then, as we... Vīta-rāga-bhaya-krodhā man-mayā mām upāśritāḥ (BG 4.10). Mām upāśritāḥ. When you take shelter at the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, then you become vīta-rāga-bhaya-krodhāḥ (BG 2.56). Otherwise, you'll be attacked by, attracted by this material world.
Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adhaḥ anādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ: (SB 10.2.32) "Unless you become elevated to the position of serving the Supreme Personality of Godhead face to face, simply by impersonal Brahman realization you cannot become happy. Therefore for enjoyment..." Enjoyment means variety, the varieties of enjoyment. "You come down again to the material world." We have seen it practically. Many big, big sannyāsīs and transcendentalists, they give up this world as mithyā or false and take to sannyāsa, but after some time, again they come back to this material world for executing philanthropic activities like opening hospitals or opening schools and other philanthropic activities. It so happens because they cannot fully realize the Absolute Truth as the Supreme Person, they again come to these material persons.
Miseries are not eternal. You can end your miseries. But if you want to end miseries materially, that is temporary. If you end your miseries spiritually, that is permanent. Just like in this world we are also trying to end our miseries. Suppose I am distressed or I am diseased. I go to hospital to end my misery. But that misery are not permanent, er, that end of misery is not permanent, temporary. I can get again disease. So long I have got this material body, that miseries can be repeated. That disease can be repeated. But if you get your spiritual body, then there is no more question of miseries.
Why I shall be envious? If somebody is eating very nicely, and I am not eating nicely, why I shall be envious? We should be satisfied. Kṛṣṇa has given him. Just like in the hospital, one patient is eating very nutritious food and another patient, the physician has ordered, "He should not take anything." So why he should be envious? He should know that "Physician has prescribed like this, that I shall not take anything, and he has prescribed to the other patient, next bed, nutritious food. So it is the physician's desire for treatment."
Therefore the impersonalists, without understanding of Kṛṣṇa, even very much advanced, they do not get any occupation. They again come down to the material platform to open hospital, school, college. Why? Because the impersonalist says that this material world is false. If the material world is false, why you come down again to the false platform to open schools and hospitals? That means āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ patanty adho 'nādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ (SB 10.2.32).
We have some practical experience. Sometimes we find a person leaves all worldly engagements, leaves his family, gives up his family connection, becomes a renounced order, sannyāsī, and highest order, and then, after some time, he becomes engaged in opening hospitals and philanthropic work and in politics.
We have seen it. Oh, why? You have renounced the world. Why you are hospital-making business? Hospital-making business is there, going on by the government, by the state. You are not meant for making hospitals. You have to make hospital how people can get rid of this material body. That is spiritual activity. We also require to open hospitals. And what is that hospital? To cure this material disease, not this temporary disease. Again we may be attacked. The complete cure of material disea... That sort of hospital will be required. That hospital is this Kṛṣṇa consciousness society. If we take treatment under this Kṛṣṇa consciousness society, then we shall be cured of this material disease.
For all living entities. You can open a hospital for the human being but where is your hospital for the tiger? Can any man open a hospital for the tigers, for the snakes? And why not? You are compassionate with living entities. Are they not living entities? This is the frailty of imperfect knowledge. They are giving protection, the state is giving protection, to the national, but the cows are not national. They should be killed. But the definition of national is that one who is born in that land is called national. The cows are not born in this land? Why for them killing, and only for the human being protection? This is imperfect, imperfect knowledge.
Prabhupāda: Just like in New York I have seen there is mental hospital, big mental hospital. What is that?
Devotee: Bellevue.
Prabhupāda: Bellevue. Simply building is increasing. Every year the building is increasing. What is that? The number of lunatic persons are increasing. You see? But they are under welfare activities. But do not see that "How much welfare I am doing? Why the patients are increasing?" You see? "Oh, we have increased the hospital." That means you increase the disease. They are very much proud of having a big hospital. (laughter) Just see the ignorance. They are not sorry that "Why so much big hospital? Why so much big prisonhouse?" The number of prisoners are increased. So rascals are, they are engaged in welfare activities. Just see. And they are in charge of welfare activities. I do not wish to criticize but there are so many things, simply rascaldom—without Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Simply rascaldom.
So the fruitive activities, suppose pious activities. Pious activities, according to Veda, everywhere, if you are virtuous, if you give some money in charity, it is virtuous activities. If you give some money for opening hospital, if you give some money for opening schools, free education. These are certainly virtuous activities. But they are also meant for sense gratification. Suppose if I give in charity for distributing education. Then in my next life I will be getting good facilities for education, I'll be highly educated or being educated I shall get nice post. At the end, what is the idea? If I get a good post if I get a good position, how do I utilize it? For sense gratification. Nicely, that's all. Because I do not know anything else. That is fruitive activities. If I go to heaven, a better standard of life. Suppose, in your America, a better standard of life than India. But what does this mean, "better standard of life"? The same eating, sleeping, in a better type, that's all. You are not doing anything more. They are also eating. They are eating some coarse grain, you are eating very nice thing. But eating. Not beyond this eating.
Simply working is not karma-yoga. Karma-yoga means... It is described in the Bhagavad-gītā, yat karoṣi (BG 9.27). Whatever you are doing. Yat karoṣi yaj juhoṣi. Whatever you are sacrificing. Yad aśnāsi, whatever you are eating. Yad dadāsi, whatever you are giving in charity. Kuruṣva tad mad-arpaṇam, "give Me." "You want to give some charity, give Me," Kṛṣṇa says. But people will not give Kṛṣṇa. If the members of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness goes to some foundation, that "We are being doing this work. Give us some money." "No. Our money is meant for hospital and educational institution." And what you are producing? "Atom bomb. Oh, that is all right." This is going on.
If an impersonalist becomes in association with a personalist devotee, then there is chance of siddhi. Otherwise there is no chance. This siddhi, the so-called siddhi, vimukta-māninaḥ, "I have become liberated," (break) ...that he can fall down. And that we see practically. Big, big sannyāsīs—brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā—they give up this world as mithyā, but again they come to these worldly activities: opening schools, opening hospital and politics and sociology, so many things. But if it is mithyā, why you are engaged in this?
Therefore Bhāgavata says that "Although they got up to the platform, āruhya, after much penance and austerities, they fall down." Otherwise a common man, he is also opening hospital. And if a sannyāsī who has rejected this world as mithyā, and if he also wants to open hospital and school and college, then what is the difference between the common man and this learned scholar or learned self-realized brahma-jñānī? That means he has not realized what is actually siddhi, what is brahma-jñāna. Otherwise why he is coming? Paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate (BG 2.59). You can cease yourself from all material activities when you actually realize the Supreme Brahman.
Otherwise if you have got means, oh, you should prepare very nice foodstuff for the Lord. At Vṛndāvana in India there are temples still. They are spending thousands and thousands of rupees for palatable foodstuff, offering to the Deity. And those foodstuff are distributed to the, I mean to say, devotees. Not only devotees, even nondevotees come and take because by eating, one shall be devotee. Nobody shall eat... If I ask somebody, "Please come and hear Bhagavad-gītā," oh, he may not agree. But if I offer some palatable dishes, foodstuff, kṛṣṇa-prasāda, oh, everyone will accept. Everyone will accept. So that is one of the process of devotional service, that we should offer very sumptuously to the Lord, and the prasāda should be distributed. The Lord is not taking away to His abode, to His kingdom. It is for you. But if you eat and if you distribute that sort of prasādam to the public, you are doing great service and the public is getting spiritual consciousness, God consciousness. Just establish, just propagate this everywhere. In the hospital, in the charitable societies, in industrial places, everywhere distribute this prasādam and chant this Hare Kṛṣṇa. Just see what is the result.
So Kṛṣṇa conscious person, if they want to serve Kṛṣṇa, if they want to render some service to Kṛṣṇa, their first business is to dispel this ignorance of the humans. That is the best service. That is the best service. People have manufactured so many philanthropic associations, charitable associations, and hospitals, so many things. But, if somebody or if some association can enlighten people to the Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that is the best service to the human society. That is the best service to the human society.
So a further advancement from neutrality, that I love Kṛṣṇa or God because He's great. No, that love is not sufficient. We must render some service to the Kṛṣṇa. Just like Arjuna. Arjuna is rendering service to Kṛṣṇa as a soldier. Kṛṣṇa wanted that the battle of Kurukṣetra should be executed and Arjuna did not like it because it was concerned to his family members, with his brothers, so he did not like it. But, when, after hearing this Bhagavad-gītā, he became Kṛṣṇa conscious, he executed the will of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa wanted that the fighting must continue. So he executed in spite of his own conclusion that he would not fight.
And actually, God is feeding us. You will find in Africa, there are millions of elephants. Who is giving them food? In your home, within the hole, you will find millions of ants. Are you giving them food? Who is giving them food? There are so many birds and beasts. There is no ration, government ration for them. They are eating. No bird we have seen ever that it has died out of starvation. We have never experienced. But we are engaged in philanthropic work, to give food to the poor, as if God is unable to give food to the poor, because we have taken the position of God. So this is not our business. God has food for everyone. If one is suffering, that is his own fault. Just like in the hospital, you'll go. You'll find so many patients are starving. Does it mean the patients are starving for want of food? No. He must starve; otherwise he will not be cured. That is destiny, called.
Therefore sometimes we find that although they say it is mithyā, jagan mithyā, and take sannyāsa and for some days they remain meditation or aloof from any worldly affairs, but later on, when they do not find Brahman, they come again to this māyā to open hospitals, schools, as sannyāsī. Just like in our country there are many. The beginning we see that... Vivekananda Swami, he took sannyāsa and meditation. Later on, after his touring in the Western countries, he came to India to open hospitals, schools, like that. But if the world is false, then why you are coming to open school and hospitals? Because they could not get... And some other sannyāsī also, he is now taking part in politics. If jagat is mithyā, why you are taking part in politics? These question are there.
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
So para-upakāra. This human life is meant for doing, do, doing well to others, not exploiting others. That is animalism. "I kill this animal and eat." Tiger, very powerful. That is animalism. It has no value. Who is, who is asking for a tiger, although he's so powerful? There must be some upakāra. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission is not tigerism, but welfare activities. People are very much so-called philanthropists. They open hospitals, schools, and other things, but actually, they do not know what is the real disease of the human being. The real disease is that he has forgotten Kṛṣṇa. That's all. Otherwise, there is no scarcity in the world.
As I have repeatedly told you, that... Especially I have seen practically in America, in Africa, in Australia, there are so much immense scope for producing food that ten times of the whole population of the world could be fed simply by utilizing the open land still available. So there is no question of scarcity. We have simply mismanaged. Due to lack of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, we have mismanaged things.
We have seen so many sannyāsīs. First of all they say, "This is false. The world is false. Let me take sannyāsa." And after remaining a few years of sannyāsa, then he learns how to eat meat, how to drink wine, how to associate with women. Then come. Then he must have some business, that philanthropic work, open some school, open some hospital. Why? If he is full(?) and the whole world is false, why you are interested in opening schools and hospitals and... (break) ...to open hospital and open school. No. They are not very much interested. We are interested to open school if there is education for Kṛṣṇa consciousness, as we have opened in Dallas, Texas, small children. That we are interested because that is Kṛṣṇa. There is Kṛṣṇa. But we are not interested in so-called godless education. That is not our business.
This is very important point. People are very much interested in welfare activities for the human society. So they think that by feeding poor men or giving cloth or opening hospitals, schools, colleges—"These things are required. What is the use of hearing about Kṛṣṇa?" That is their opinion. But these welfare activities are extended selfishness. This word we learned from our Guru Mahārāja: "extended selfishness." Just like I love myself for my sense gratification, and then I extend it to my son. I am gratifying my senses. I have got my wife. And to get my son another wife... The principle is the same. Then my grandchildren, then my great-grandchildren. Or, not only limited with the family, then society, then community, then nationally, then internationally. But they are all extended selfishness. Yes. Without knowing what is the real self-interest. Therefore we find so many faults in such welfare activities. In... They are opening hospitals for the human beings, daridra-nārāyaṇa-sevā, but the poor goats and cows, daridra-nārāyaṇa—they are also daridra-nārāyaṇa according to the definition—but they are being killed. For one daridra-nārāyaṇa, another daridra-nārāyaṇa is being killed.
They are getting money by hook and crook and amassing money. But not spending for Kṛṣṇa. If you go for begging something for Kṛṣṇa, "No, we are not interested in religious affairs. No. We are secular." Nobody will pay. Now, if you go to somebody that "We are going to open a lunatic asylum and hospital for the drunkards," then they'll pay money. Yes. In USA, there is a big hospital for curing, curing drunkards priests. (laughter) Yes. Drunkard priests. Because they have to execute priesthood, but they are drunkard. So they want to be cured. This is a fact. They'll give money. If you want money for Kṛṣṇa, they'll not give money. They will... More hospitals. More hospitals. The report is "This year, we have increased so many hospital beds." That means that is advancement. So what is this advancement? People have become sick. You just stop people becoming sick, there should be no disease. That is advancement. No. Their advancement of civilization means you open more hospitals and more beds. That is advancement.
One who does not take shelter of the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, he may rise up very high by austerity and penance, but he cannot remain in that position. He may give up artificially this material world, jagan mithyā, but he has to come down again to this mithyā jagat and open schools and hospitals, because he cannot remain in that impersonal way. That is the experience. All so-called brahmavādī, they say that "We have become liberated" but not liberated. That is simply concoction, vimukta-māninaḥ. They think like that. Actually they are not liberated. Aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ. Without being liberated, when one speaks that "I have become liberated," that means aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ: the intelligence is not clear. He does not know what is liberation. Liberation means prasanna-manasa, full of joyfulness, that is liberation. Evaṁ prasanna-manasaḥ, bhagavat-tattva-vijñānam (SB 1.2.20). Tattva means truth. You have to understand Bhagavān in truth.
Therefore Lord Caitanya, you see, He is preaching this cult, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa... There is no distinction whether you are in church or temple or mosque. You simply vibrate Hare Kṛṣṇa wherever you are, at home or in temple or anywhere. Or in the street or in bed, or in hospital or in office, you can chant. Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa. So kṛte yad dhyāyato viṣṇuṁ tretāyāṁ yajato makhaiḥ, dvāpare paricaryāyāṁ kalau... (SB 12.3.52). Kalau means this age, in the age of Kali. Hari-kīrtanāt, simply by chanting. Hari means God.
So here Nārada is asking Vyāsadeva, jijñāsitam. "You are a very perfect scholar." Now the first word is used here, jijñāsitam. A scholar is he who has perfectly inquired from his spiritual master. Inquiry. Just like in the Vedānta-sūtra, the first aphorism is athāto brahma jijñāsā. One must be very inquisitive. That... I have explained already several times, that first inquisitiveness should be "What I am? Am I this body? Oh, the bodily comforts are so many. I have got my car, I have got good apartment, I have got good wife, and... Why I am not happy? Why I am not happy? Everything is there. So am I this body?" No. Vyāsadeva here is asked this question, jijñāsitam. So jijñāsitam adhītaṁ ca. Jijñāsitaṁ susampannam api: "And after inquiry, you have very nicely written all kinds of literature, authoritative literature."
That is the test. A devotee can..., cannot be equally interested with material pleasure and transcendental pleasure. No. Virakti. Bhagavad-gītā also says that paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate (BG 2.59). Just like in a hospital a diseased person is forced not to accept a certain type of foodstuff. He has the desire. He has the desire to take such food. Just like a typhoid patient, suffering from typhoid. Doctor says that "You cannot take any solid food. A little liquid food you can take." But he has the desire to take the solid food. "Oh, doctor has asked me not to take such food. All right, what can I do?" But he has got the desire. But a devotee, he hasn't got to be forced just like the physician asks him, "Don't do this." He automatically does so. Why? Paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate: he has seen or he has tasted something better for which he doesn't like to take any more this abominable taste.
So our duty is as, I mean to say, indicated by Nārada Muni. Our only duty is how to achieve full Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Other things, there is no need of trying. Actually, I have seen that in India... Everywhere the same case. A person without any education, even without any, practically illiterate... I have seen so many merchants, he cannot sign even his name. In Calcutta I've seen practically a Marwari, merchant. He, he cannot... He has deposited money in the bank. Simply he can sign his own name with great difficulty. So he's canvassing, "Will you kindly write here..." That means the check to be paid to the gentleman, he cannot write. He's asking somebody's help, "You write the name of the person whom I can pay." And he'll simply sign. If he writes something wrong, he'll have to accept. If he writes his own name... (laughter) So that man is earning millions of dollars. You see? And I have seen also very educated medical man, England-returned, M.R.C.P I am speaking from my practical experience. So he goes to a hospital, big doctor, but I have seen in his house. He had not even a good utensil at home. He's so poor in spite of so much education and highly qualified, England-returned doctor.
Kṛṣṇa says, ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi. If we are sincerely surrendering to Kṛṣṇa, immediately... Our, this material sufferings, why? Due to our sinful activities. Sinful activities mean anything you do without any purpose to serve to Kṛṣṇa, that is sinful. That is sinful. Not that "In the material calculation this is very good work, the opening of hospital or this or that, very good work. And Deity worship and going to the temple is bogus." You may think like that. But that, your opening of hospital is sinful. That is going on nowadays. One becomes very great philanthropist, rejecting... They say, "What is the use of this temple worship?" The daridra-nārāyaṇa-sevā. Nārāyaṇa has now become daridra. Formerly Nārāyaṇa was husband of the goddess of fortune. And now he has become daridra. So serve this Nārāyaṇa. This, they're manufacturing, concoction. This is not... That means sinful activities. Because he has manufactured something, that is sinful. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says plainly that "You rascal, you give up any other engagement, even if you think it is very pious activity, very philanthropic. You give up." Sarva-dharmān. Sarva means whatever you think pious and whatever you think impious, both of them should be given up. Because there are two kinds of activities: pious or impious. And sarva includes pious and impious.
This is very significant, that you may have many enemies or many fighters, very powerful fighters, but if you remain at the protection of Kṛṣṇa, then nobody can do you anything, harm. Rākhe kṛṣṇa māre ke: "If Kṛṣṇa protects you, nobody can kill you." But if Kṛṣṇa kills you nobody can give you protection. That is this, rākhe kṛṣṇa māre ke, māre kṛṣṇa rākhe ke. This is the... If Kṛṣṇa desires to kill you, nobody can save you. Just like a big man, a rich man, is suffering from disease. All first-class physician, medicine, hospital, available for him, but still, he dies. That means Kṛṣṇa desires that "This man must die." So these things will not help you. The so-called protective methods that we have discovered, they will be useless if Kṛṣṇa does not desire that you should live. They will be useless.
Just like... The, everything is described in the Bhagavad-gītā. Just like in hospital. In hospital there are many patients, they are not eating anything on the Ekādaśī day. Does it mean that is observing Ekādaśī? He is simply hankering after, "When I shall eat, when I shall eat, when I shall eat?." But these students, they voluntarily don't eat anything. We, we don't say that you don't eat anything. Some fruits, some flowers. That's all. So paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate (BG 2.59). Just like a child. He has got in his hand something he's eating. and if you give him better thing, he will throw away the inferior thing and will take that better thing. So here is Kṛṣṇa consciousness, this better engagement, better life, better philosophy, better consciousness, everything better. Therefore they can give up the sinful activities of life and that will promote to Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Just the same example... It is very easy, that, if you simply understand you have got much money... Just like we are trying to purchase land, but purchase land means I must have money. So money is there. So why I am not happy? Why I am trying to purchase land? To utilize the money. That is required. Every businessman has got money, enough money. But why they are active in the business circle? They are going to the market, share market, this market. Utilize the money. The same thing, simply to understand that ahaṁ brahmāsmi... Therefore they fail. All these so-called sannyāsīs, simply understanding ahaṁ brahmāsmi, "I have become now Nārāyaṇa," not giving them satisfaction, but because they have no information about rendering service to the Para-brahman, they come to again to this material field to render service, to open hospital, to open school, to feed the daridra-nārāyaṇa, and in this way they imagine because they want activities.
So many things, negative way. Bhaja govindaṁ bhaja govindaṁ bhaja govindaṁ mūḍhā mate. This is very good, to preach renouncement of this world. But side by side we must have attachment for something. Otherwise, it will be..., it will not stay. Therefore we see so many sannyāsīs, they say brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā. They give up, take sannyāsa, but after taking sannyāsa, after a few days or few years, they come back again to this material world to open hospital, philanthropic work, school. Why? If you have left this world as mithyā, as false, why you are again coming to politics, to philanthropy, sociology and so on? Why you are coming again? That is bound to be. Because we are living entity, we are active. If we simply become inactive out of frustration, then it will be failure. We must engage with activities. That activity is devotional service. This is Brahman activity. The Māyāvādīs, they do not know.
Then, if you leave, then you'll be zero, no income. If you get another service which will fetch you six hundred rupees, then you are profited. But if you simply give it up, this service, and become zero, then you become unemployed, the miseries will increase. The Māyāvādī, being disgusted with this material world... Brahma..., jagan mithyā. Jagan mithyā. That's, that's all right. Then Brahma satyam. That is theoretical. If you do not engage yourself as Brahman, then again you'll fall down. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adhaḥ anādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ (SB 10.2.32). That you give up disgusting—"This is mithyā"—that's all right. But that is zero. And what is your positive engagement? That they do not know. Therefore, after some time they again come to be positively engaged in opening hospital and daridra-nārāyaṇa-sevā and this and that and so many things. Because they could not get any engagement in the positive world.
She is hopeless of getting another husband because she is old enough. So where is the husband? She accepts or talks like husband to the grandson-in-law. So similarly, the Māyāvādī philosophers, they do not accept Kṛṣṇa or Kṛṣṇa's līlā. They think it is māyā. They do not accept it. So there is no ānanda. Therefore they come down again. Punar mūṣiko bhava. Again open hospital because there is no engagement. And he has to raise fund. So this is very easy thing: "Sir I am going to open a hospital. Give me some fund." Nowadays, especially, it is very difficult to collect fund. If you say, "I am going to open a temple," nobody will give you. But if you say, "I am going to open a hospital," he'll give you.
So anyone who is being educated, anyone who is engaged in research work for the benefit of the whole human society... Idaṁ hi puṁsas tapasaḥ śrutasya vā ca buddhi-dattayoḥ (SB 1.5.22). Or somebody is giving in charity, opening hospital, schools, or other good, good purposes. Ca buddhi-dattayoḥ. So why they are doing that? What is the purpose? The purpose is avicyutaḥ arthaḥ. Avicyuta means infallible, and artha means purpose. Avicyutaḥ arthaḥ kavibhir nirūpitaḥ. It is ascertained, the purpose. Why one should be engaged in research work? Why one should be engaged in getting good education? Why one should perform charity, or why one should be intelligent? This is higher-class activities. So what is the purpose? The purpose, it is said, kavibhir nirūpitaḥ: "By high-class scholars, they have ascertained."
So actually Kṛṣṇa has everything ready for supplying to all the living entities. Nobody is meant for starving. No. That is not. Just like in the prison house, although the prisoners they are condemned, still government takes care of their food, of their hospitalization, not that they should starve. No. Similarly, although in this material world we are all condemned, we are prisoners, prisoners. We cannot move, we cannot go from one planet to another. They are trying so much. Now they have failed. They do not talk now. (laughter) It is not possible, because we are prisoners. Conditioned. You will have to remain in this planet. One has to remain in their planet. There is no question that out of your own will and freedom, because you have no freedom.
That is the difference between God and ourself. Eko bahūnām. God is also two hand. But the mūḍhas: "Because God has got two hands, therefore He is also like me." That is mūḍha. Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam (BG 9.11). "Because God comes as human being with two hands, two legs, one head, therefore He is one of the, one of..." No. It is miscalculation. Just like in the hospital, there are so many patients lying down on the bed, and when the doctor comes, if the patient thinks, "Now he is also patient," how is that? He is not patient. He has come to treat patient. Similarly, God may come like us. Because otherwise he will not accept. If He something... God never incarnates with four-handed viṣṇu-mūrti. This will be something extraordinary. So He comes like exactly like us, but He is not one of us. That is God consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
So yathā, as he was foretold, sūtyā. Sūtyā means in the maternity condition, maternity home or maternity room, sūtyā. Still, the system is current in India that when a lady is going to give birth to a child, she is offered a separate room where the child will take birth and all taken care. Nowadays they are sending in the hospital. That is another thing. But the system is when the delivery is imminent, then one room is selected. That is called sūtikā-ghara, or sūtikā room. That is referred here, sūtyā, means, sūtyā, as soon as the child is born, sūtyā, in that maternity room, immediately, abhijāta-kovidāḥ... Abhijāta-kovidāḥ means... Kovidāḥ means expert learned scholars, and abhijāta, they will immediately make horoscope and tell about this newly born child, what is going to happen in his life in future. That is called astrologer. It is called jāta-karma, reformation.
One must be merciful. Dayā means... When a man is suffering a fellow man, another fellow man must feel for it. That is called dayā. There are two things: dayā and sevā. Sevā means to give service to the superior, and dayā means to give service to the inferior. Both of them are service. Dayā, I mean to say... A man is suffering. He is in helpless condition. Just like in hospital, those who are patients, who are diseased, they go to the hospital There is also sevā. The nurse is serving. The doctor is serving. But that is not sevā. That is called dayā. He is not obliged, but out of his compassion, he's giving service to the patient. That is called dayā. And sevā means superior. Just like spiritual master. Sevayā. Tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā (BG 4.34). Because the Vedic injunction is that "You must go to a spiritual master." Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). Abhigacchet means "must." There is no alternative. If you're actually interested in transcendental knowledge, tad-vijñānam... Tad-vijñānam means transcendental knowledge. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. And the human life is meant for tad-vijñānam, to understand.
So that is the highest gift to the human society. There are so many welfare activities in the human society. People open hospitals, schools, colleges, charitable institution. They are nice. But the best contribution to the human society is to revive his lost relationship with God. Just like a rich man's son. Someway or other he has left his father's home and he's loitering here and there. Somebody finds him: "Oh, you are Mr. such and such. You are the son of such and such gentleman. He's very rich man. Why you are suffering? Come, come with me. I shall take to your father." So this is one kind of welfare activity. And another welfare activity, the same person who is loitering in the street, somebody says, "Oh, you are hungry. All right, come on. I shall give you some bread." That is also welfare activity, but this welfare activity, to get the lost son to his father, rich father, not ordinary father, that is the best service.
The Māyāvāda philosophy means, impersonalist means, the same material condition. The material condition means everyone is busy in sense gratification. And ... therefore they cannot understand. And when there is a question of sense gratification ... Just like, "We are dancing here, ball dance. So this is material māyā. Therefore Kṛṣṇa's dance with the gopīs, that is also māyā." This is Māyāvāda symptom. The example can be given like this: Just like a patient, since his birth, he is sick, and he is lying in the hospital, cannot walk freely or cannot eat nice things. All bitter medicine, injections, always suffering. So if he is informed that "After your cure, you shall be able to eat nice rasagullā, sandeśa," he cannot believe it. He says, "Again eating? Oh, it is horrible." Because he has got bad experience of eating in sick condition, he thinks that eating in healthy condition is also the same. This is Māyāvāda. He has no experience what is healthy eating.
So immediately, first of all, He chastised. Aśocyān anvaśocas tvaṁ prajñā-vādāṁś ca bhāṣase: (BG 2.11) "Arjuna, you are talking like a learned man, but you are a fool number one." Gatāsūn agatāsūṁś ca nānuśocanti paṇḍitāḥ. That means "If you had been actually paṇḍita, learned man, then you would not have lamented for this body." Gatāsūn. "The body is neither a subject matter for lamentation, either living condition or dead condition. It has no value." This is the instruction, Kṛṣṇa's word. But the modern civilization, they are giving all value to this body, all their philanthropic work, hospitalization, and this, so many things.
We are wandering in this way, up and down, brahmāṇḍa bhramite. Brahmāṇḍa bhramite kona bhāgyavān jīva. If one is fortunate, he can get the information of devotional service to Kṛṣṇa. He gets this information. So this assembly, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, is an attempt to make people fortunate. From the unfortunate position, to become fortunate. Everyone is unfortunate, at least in this age. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyāḥ (SB 1.1.10). Now see everyone. Everywhere, there is simply problems. There is simply problem. One problem in one country, another problem in another country. There is strife, there is government... There is... Even the president, and he is also, has to meet so many problems. At the end he has to be dragged down. Now he's going to die in the hospital. What to speak of others. The problem, only problem. Therefore everyone is unfortunate. This is the conclusion. You may think that "I am very fortunate." President Nixon was thinking, "I am very fortunate. I have become the President of United States." But now he's realizing, "I am the most unfortunate."
So everyone must be suffering. Now, why these Anacin tablets are advertised, "pain-killer"? Because they are suffering. And not in this country, but in the Western countries, America, one takes at least one dozen tablet daily for mitigating suffering—tranquilizer, this, that, so many. They are advertised, and they take. At last, for sleeping. Because they are more advanced. We are less advanced; therefore we are satisfied only one tablet, Anacin. (laughter) But they are not satisfied with one tablet. They have dozens of tablet. I have seen it. It is advertised in the subway trains. So many tablets are advertised. Suffering must be there. Anyone who has got this material body has accepted suffering. That's a fact. But foolish people, they cannot understand. He thinks, "I am got very fatty and beautiful body." He is satisfied. The dog is also satisfied. He does not know that this dog's body is greater suffering than human body. The hog's body is greater suffering than the human body. But everyone is thinking, "I am happy." This is called māyā, illusion. You go to a hospital, a man is lying down on the bed, and if you ask, "How are you?" "Yes, I am well today."
Just like a physician, a doctor, medical man. He goes to the hospital to treat the infected patients. So he is not affected by the infection. He has got such precautionary measures, or he is so equipped with, that he is not infected with the disease. Those who are weak... That is stated in the Bhāgavatam: etad īśanam īśasya. That is īśa. Īśa means the controller. Rather, if something infectious come in touch with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, it becomes purified. Tejīyasāṁ na doṣāya (SB 10.33.29), it is said. Another example can be given: just like the sun. The sunshine absorbs water even from urine or any infectious place. Any filthy place, the sun absorbs the water. But the sun is not infected, because it is very powerful. Similarly, if you try to absorb water from the urine, then you will be infected. That is called etad īśasya īśanam.
Even those who are devotees, they are not infected by the three modes of material nature.
This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. You have to act by the desires of Kṛṣṇa. That is the proper use of your senses. You cannot use for your purpose. Anything... Just like you are working in some establishment. Anything in that establishment, you can use for the proprietor's business. You cannot use it. Just like in hospital there are blankets. It is written there, "Hospital Property." So long you are in the hospital, you can use it. But you cannot take it outside. Then you are criminal. Similarly, everything... Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (ISO 1). Everything belongs to God, and you can use it for the service of God. Tena tyaktena bhuñjīthā mā gṛdhaḥ kasya svid dhanam. This is the instruction, Vedic instruction. You can use it as prasādam, but everything should be offered to the Supreme. Yajñārthe karmaṇaḥ loko 'yaṁ karma-bandhanaḥ (BG 3.9). If you do not do that, if you engage yourself always in good activities, as the karmīs they do, and earn money and use it for your own sense gratification, that is pāpa activity.
Just like we can give nice example that a diseased man and a healthy man... The diseased man, although doctor advises that you don't take this kind of food, but within himself he has got the desire. He has got the desire. The desire is there, but by the restriction of the physician, he does not eat. Just like for a diabetic patient, the doctor says, "You can eat so much quantity of food, not more than that," although he desires to eat more. So the desire is there, but because he wants to come to the healthy standard of life, he follows the restriction of the physician. The demand is there. A patient lying in the hospital, he wants whatever is very palatable for me, for him, he wants to eat that. But the medical practitioner has advised, "Oh, you cannot take it. You cannot take." So he's following, "All right, just to become..." But when he's healthy there is no such restriction. The doctor does not restrict the diet of a healthy person. The restriction is for the person who is suffering from certain type of disease.
Of course, these four things don't mean very severe things for the present population. But if anyone is serious about attaining eternal happiness, just like this patient in the hospital is following the physician's instruction—he has to follow it voluntarily. This is called austerity. Austerity means just like if I say, "Please don't smoke," but you are veteran smoker, and if you want to follow my instruction, "Don't smoke," you'll feel some difficulty in the beginning. That is called austerity. Austerity means accepting voluntarily some difficulties for higher development. The same principle. Just like a patient is accepting the physician direction under certain difficulty, but he is, because his aim is aiming at healthy condition of life, he voluntarily accepts.
So many sufferings. Illegal—now they are giving opportunity, abortion, killing the child, and so on, go to the hospital. That is also. And behind that, the killing the child, a very sinful, he has to suffer. He does not know. Ananta-duḥkhaṁ ca na veda mūḍhaḥ. He's taking the risk of suffering life after life. Those who are killing the child within the womb, they will be punished. They will also enter within the womb of the mother, and somebody will kill, and again he will enter another mother's womb; again he'll be killed. So as many child he has killed, he has to go to the womb of the mother to another womb, another. He will never see the light of the world. He'll be killed. This is the punishment. This is the punishment. But he does not know. Ananta-duḥkhaṁ ca na veda mūḍhaḥ. He does not know how the laws of nature is working, life for life. You have no right to kill any life. Even an ant you cannot kill even. You cannot kill even. If you kill, then you have to suffer.
Therefore this line of action, nivṛtti-mārga, it is little difficult. But it is very easy. If one understands the philosophy, what is the meaning of pravṛtti-mārga and what is the meaning of nivṛtti-mārga, and if he is sane man, then he will accept, "Yes." Just like if you go to a physician and you are suffering from a disease, being... Say, just like nowadays there is prominent alcoholic treatment. People are too much addicted to alcohol, and there are so many departmental treatment, even for the priest also. I have seen one ad in a paper that in America there is a hospital where especially the priestly class drunkard, they are treated. (laughter) And five thousand patients are there. (laughter)
Haṁsadūta: Nehru.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Nehru, yes. Nehru was such a rascal that he came... Ramakrishna Mission has a big hospital in Vṛndāvana. So on the opening day he came from Delhi by helicopter. He stayed there the whole day. He came in the morning, and the function took place in the evening. Or in daytime. He left the same day. But he did not visit a single temple. You see? Such an atheist he was.
Haṁsadūta: He was also involved in that Jagannātha... There were many carvings on the temple, and he had some of them destroyed, at the Jagannātha temple.
Prabhupāda: What it is? What he is destroyed?
Himāvatī: It was a sun temple. They worship the sun.
Prabhupāda: Oh, yes, yes.
Actually, we are not meant for suffering. If we are sons of God, who is full with all opulence, why should we suffer? Does a rich man's son suffer anytime? If he suffers, it is due to his ignorance. Similarly, we are suffering, but our ignorance is so strong that we are suffering, but at the same time we are thinking that we are happy. This is the influence of ignorance. Just like last night in the television, that gentleman was talking with me. He said that "We have got good brain and we are utilizing it. So that is better for our advancement of happiness. Why Hare Kṛṣṇa?" His idea was, he plainly told me, that "If Hare Kṛṣṇa is so powerful, then why India is so poverty-stricken and they are suffering?" So I replied that "Do you think that your problems are solved because you have got a dozens or a hundreds dozens of skyscrapers? That problem is here also. It is not that because America is materially advanced, 'Oh, they are free from all sufferings.' Why there are so many hospitals? Why there are so many lunatic asylums? Why this confusion of the hippies? Why young boys are always disturbed for the draft board? So how can you say the Americans are free from all sufferings?" This is ignorance. The sufferings are there, here or India or hell or heaven—anywhere within this material world—there is suffering. But people are so foolish that simply having a nice motorcar or a skyscraper building, he thinks that "My all problems are solved." He does not know that this life is a flash only. I am eternal.
So last week we discussed Parīkṣit Mahārāja's sympathy with the suffering humanity. This is Vaiṣṇava. The Vaiṣṇava, or devotee, he is the perfect sympathizer for all suffering humanity. Others' sympathy is not perfect. They are planning so many things—opening hospitals or charitable dispensaries, schools, lunatic asylum. These are all public sympathetic activities. But they are not... They are, of course, good to some extent. If a man is suffering from the bodily ailments, if he is given some relief in the hospital, or if the society is not educated, give him education, this is all good work undoubtedly. But the ultimate good work is not known to them. They are taking care of the external symptoms. Why a person, a living entity, is put into that condition? And if that condition is ended, that is real sympathy. A person is suffering from some disease. He goes to the doctor, physician. He gives some medicine—immediate some relief from the pain. This is one sympathy. And there is another sympathy, that "Why the man is getting such disease and suffering? Why not stop the cause of the disease?" That is real sympathy.
So that is going on. So-called educated scientist, degrees, what they're doing? Atom bomb, kill men. This is their scientific discovery: that you can kill a man with a knife, one man or two men; now we have got scientific discovery, millions of men in a moment. Come on, discovery. So why don't you discover something that millions of hospitals, diseased men can be brought into life again? That we cannot do. Kill, killing, killing is going on. What you have discovered? So this is their scientific... Discover something and declare that there is no more death. Here is medicine. Then that is scientific discovery. What is this nonsense? People are dying, and you have discovered something to facilitate death? Is that discovery? Therefore they are this snake with jewel. That's all. They're not gentlemen even. A gentlemen thinks that "I shall kill so many persons by dropping one atom bomb. I have discovered such nonsense thing"? And they are going on as scientist. So be careful. They are like snakes with jewel on the head. That's all. So they do not know.
So therefore cow-killing, brāhmaṇa-killing, woman-killing, and elderly-person-killing, they are accepted as the great sinful activities. So gurv-agny-atithi-vṛddhānāṁ śūśrūṣur anahaṅkṛtaḥ. Anahaṅkṛtaḥ, not with any pride or puffedness, anahaṅkṛtaḥ, very humbly. Sarva-bhūta-suhṛtam. This is the most exalted qualification, to become well-wisher of all living entities, not that we open hospitals for the human being and we send the cows to the slaughterhouse or poor animals should be slaughtered. That is not suhṛt sarva-bhūtānām. That is partiality and it has no meaning. If you become envious to other living entities and if you become friend of particular living entity, that is not good qualification. Suhṛdaḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ. Sarva-bhūtaḥ-suhṛt sādhu. He is sādhu. Sādhavaḥ sādhu-bhūṣaṇāḥ. These are the qualification of a sādhu. Suhṛdaḥ sarva-bhūtānām. Sādhavaḥ sādhu-bhūṣaṇāḥ. Everything is described in the Vedic literature, all description.
Therefore here it is said, naikāntikam. Naikāntikaṁ tad dhi kṛte 'pi niṣkṛte (SB 6.2.12). Even one becomes free from all contamination of sinful life by prosecuting the particular type of religious principles, that is not sufficient, because ultimately it cannot give any good result. Naikāntikaṁ tad dhi kṛte 'pi niṣkṛte manaḥ punar dhāvati ced asat-pathe. Because the mind is so disturbing that even after being free from all contamination of sinful life, the mind again goes to that sinful activity. It is very difficult to control the mind. Arjuna, when he was advised to perform the haṭha-yoga system to control the mind, he flatly refused, that "I am unable to control my mind in this way." He stated that cañcalaṁ hi manaḥ kṛṣṇa: (BG 6.34) "Kṛṣṇa, the mind is so agitating and moving," cañcalaṁ hi manaḥ kṛṣṇa pramāthi, "it is just like a madman." Just like you cannot control a madman. Sometimes you have to chain a madman for doing mischievous activities. Sometimes you have to send to some hospital for special care.
So simply Brahman realization will not give you ānanda. Therefore we see sometimes big, big sannyāsīs, they gave up this world as brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā, but because they could not get ānanda, they come down again. Again they become busy in opening hospital and school and philanthropic work, politics, because they could not get ānanda. That is the defect of the impersonalists. They can simply understand ahaṁ brahmāsmi: "I am not this body. I am not matter. I am spirit." But that much understanding will not help. It may be helpful for some time, but because he is bereft of ānanda, he will fall down. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adho 'nādṛta yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ (SB 10.2.32). Ānanda you cannot get without being a servant of the Supreme Lord. That is ānanda, reciprocation(?). That is Vṛndāvana. There is ānanda, cinmāya, ānanda, because everyone is engaged in the service of Kṛṣṇa. The cowherd boys, the calves, the cows, the birds, the beasts, the trees, the water, the father, mother, playmates—everyone—Kṛṣṇa is the center. That is ānanda. And if you make Kṛṣṇa minus, then there is no ānanda. You may be Brahman realized, you may be seeing the Paramātmā, but there is no ānanda.
He should also worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and he should try to induce others to come to that position. Paṭhana-pāṭhana yajana-yājana dāna-pratigraha. The brāhmaṇa is offered donation. That is the system. But he not should keep it for his personal... As soon as he gets donation, he spends for some service of the Lord. Even a brāhmaṇa gets one lakh of rupees, next morning he is still a beggar because he does not keep anything for tomorrow. Everything depending on Kṛṣṇa, and he spends money like that. Paṭhana-pāṭhana yajana-yājana dāna-pratigraha. The brāhmana is, I mean to say, allowed. A brāhmaṇa is allowed to take charity from others—a sannyāsī and a brāhmaṇa. No other is allowed. Nowadays it is come, daridra-nārāyaṇa. Daridra. "The poor man become Nārāyaṇa; therefore he should be served." This nonsensical theory has come up by some nonsense. But actually a qualified brāhmaṇa should be given charity. A sannyāsī, Vaiṣṇava, should be given charity. That is sāttvika charity. And rājasika charity means to open hospital, schools. These are rājasika charity. And tāmasika charity means without any discrimination, a Bowery man given one rupee and immediately purchase a bottle of wine. So this is tāmasika charity. By tāmasika charity, one is degraded.
That has been practically experienced. In our country many many, very, very big swamis, they attain perfection and realize that he is Brahman. But after a time again comes down to this material field of worker, opening hospital, schools. So these Māyāvādī sannyāsīs, they say that the world is false. Brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā. So if the world is false, then why they come down to open schools and colleges and hospitals? That means they could not stay in the Brahman atmosphere for want of activity. Therefore this devotional service is Brahman activity. One can stay. Without this Brahman activity, even one is elevated to the Brahman position, he falls down.
Just like as you go to the moon planet but if you cannot stay there, you must have to come down again to this planet; similarly, one may rise up to the Brahman platform, paraṁ-pada, which is called paraṁ-pada, but if you cannot stay there, then again you fall down. Just like many so-called sannyāsīs, they rise to the brahma-pada, ahaṁ brahmāsmi, but because they cannot stay there, they come down again to this material world and they are busy for opening hospitals, schools, and philanthropism. My wife, you have left already all this nonsense, you say that this world is mithyā, brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā. So if you have ascended to the brahma-pada, why you come down again to the mithyā-pada? That means you have no taste. Actually you have not arrived, the same thing. You are going, the so-called advertisement, "I am going to the moon planet," but because you cannot stay there, you come down.
So after keeping in mokṣa, brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā... Mokṣa means this world is false, and Brahman is satya. But because he has no Brahman engagement, therefore, even after leaving everything to search out Brahman, he comes again back to this material world for philanthropy work, for feeding the poor, for hospitalization. So this is coming and going, coming and going, coming and going. So real status of perfection is that you have to transcend even this position of mokṣa. Dharmaḥ projjhita kaitavo 'tra (SB 1.1.2). The Śrīdhara Swami, a great commentator on Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, he says, atra mokṣa, mokṣābhisandhy api nirastam: "Oh, the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is above the idea of liberation." So unless we come to that point, pañcama puruṣārtha, fifth dimension... The dharma, first, the artha, second, kāma, third, mokṣa, fourth, and devotion is the fifth, fifth platform. Adhokṣaja, adhokṣaja. There are different stages of understanding: pratyakṣa, parokṣa, aparakṣa, adhokṣaja, aprakṛta. The ordinary understanding, direct perception, is called pratyakṣa. Now, higher than the pratyakṣa understanding is parokṣa, means to gather knowledge from the higher authorities. And above that, aparokṣa, realization. And above that, adhokṣaja. Adhokṣaja means beyond the understanding of these material senses. And above that, there is aprakṛta, completely transcendental.
So anybody who is chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, even for a moment, it will never go in vain. It will act. It will act, and it will act so nicely that sometimes he'll be saved from the greatest danger. That experience some of our students have already expressed. One girl is present here, she also experienced this. She was attacked by some black Negroes, and she began to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, and she was saved. So these things are actual fact. There are many instances. So svalpam apy asya trāyate mahato. So anything, a little flower, a little fruit, a little water, you offer to Kṛṣṇa, or if you chant for a little while Hare Kṛṣṇa, or if you make association with devotees for a moment, this will never go in vain. So the purpose of opening so many centers of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is to give chance to these forgotten men, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It is not a business. It is a charitable institution. It is hospital to cure the material disease. So unfortunately, people are not taking very much advantage, but those who are fortunate, ei rūpe brahmāṇḍa bhramite kono bhāgyavān jīva (CC Madhya 19.151). Bhāgyavān. So only the fortunate persons. As it is also expressed in the Bhagavad-gītā, yeṣām anta-gataṁ pāpam. One who is completely free from all sinful reaction, such person can take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. But the door is open for everyone. Everyone can come here and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. It is not difficult job. We distribute prasādam. So take advantage and be benefited in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
They are useful so long, as long as Kṛṣṇa says "Yes." If Kṛṣṇa says "No," then in spite of all this relief, nothing will be done. This is the answer. You can open many hospitals, but if Kṛṣṇa says that "This patient must die," you cannot give any protection. That is not possible. In spite of your hospital, good medicine, good physician, the patient must die.
So they do not see to this, that in spite of our so much advancement of civilization, hospitals and other relief measures, why still people are suffering? You are increasing hospital or beds of hospital. You are very much proud that "We have opened hospitals." That... What does it mean? That means people have become diseased. You have opened hospitals, you are very much proud, but what is the other side? Other side: that people have increased their diseased condition. That they do not see. They are simply proud of increasing hospital. Why there should be hospital? Why not stop disease? That is scientific advancement. Stop disease, and there will be no need of opening hospital. Kṛṣṇa therefore presents in the Bhagavad-gītā that "You rascal, you see. Real problem is janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9)." You can invent very nice, up-to-date, modernized medicine, but why don't you stop disease? That you cannot do. That is not possible.
Therefore the ordinary father and mother, like cats and dogs, they are not real shelter of the children. That is... Prahlāda Mahārāja said, bālasya neha śaraṇaṁ pitarau nṛsiṁha. Bālasya neha śaraṇaṁ pitarau nṛsiṁha na ārtasya. Ārtasya means diseased, suffering from some disease. No, just like I have already explained, we are opening hopitals and bed... That is not. You can do it, but at the same time he must be Kṛṣṇa conscious. We have got practical examples. Some of our devotees, they go to the hospital, and they purchase our books and they become a devotee. Even in hospital bed they're reading Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Bhagavad-gītā, and taking benefit. That is real remedy. So after being cured, he'll become a devotee. So this medicine is not cure. This literature is cure, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is real cure. Nārtasya cāgadam. And udanvati majjato nauḥ. Everyone is drowned, either you take figeratively or really. In the samudra, in the sea, ocean, there are always ojhs, (?) waves. So your tiny boat or big ship, that is not safe side.
So nānā yoni bhraman kare, kadarja bhakṣaṇ kare. Very peculiar condition we are in this material world. But do not think that when Kṛṣṇa comes, He also is subjected to this suffering. No. That is īśitā. Just like there are many patients in the hospital, infectious disease, but that does not mean the doctors who are treating them, they are also infectious. No. They are not infectious. Similarly, when Kṛṣṇa comes... Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata, tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham (BG 4.7). So He is not subjected to this māyic influence. He's not subjected. Therefore it is said, tvam nitya-vijitātma-guṇaḥ. This material world is created by Him, composition of three material qualities—sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa—but He does not belong to any one of them. The Māyāvādī philosophers, they think that when God comes, incarnation, He also accepts the sattva-guṇa and therefore the form is there.
Māyā is very strong, but Kṛṣṇa, the Lord, when He comes within this material world—yuge yuge sambhavāmy ātma-māyayā (BG 4.6)—He comes in His own original turya status. He does not become affected. Guṇāṁś ca yuṅkṣe. He's not affected. This is the position of Kṛṣṇa. He's always transcendental. Na me karma-phale spṛhā. Na māṁ limpanti karma... Karmāṇi. Yes. Na māṁ karmāṇi limpanti na me karma-phale spṛhā (BG 4.14). This is position. We are here under the pressure of karma-phala. By the result of our past lives' fruitive activities we have got this body, material body. That is also not our real body. That is the body of the prison house, just like when a criminal is put into the prison house, he is given a different dress. In hospital, in prison house, when a man is there, his original dress is taken away. It is kept. When he's released from the hospital or jail, the same dress is again returned. Otherwise his present dress is taken and a separate dress is given.
Nectar of Devotion Lectures
Yes, their position is sense enjoyment. If, by bhoga, they are not satisfied, then tyāga. Brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā. Give it, give it up. Again, by tyāga, when he does not find any sense pleasure, then again comes back: All right, come to social service, open hospital, open the school. Why are you coming again? You have given it up, tyāga, brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā. Why you are coming to mithyā again, to open school? That, that is going on. That is going on. Sometimes this is brahma... Jagan mithyā, everything is mithyā, and Brahman is satya. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi. But when they cannot get Brahman, cannot realize Brahman, then again come to this bhoga. Bhoga. Pendulum. Bhoga, tyāga, bhoga, tyāga, bhoga, tyāga. You know that pendulum works: (makes noise) kaut kaut kaut kaut. Bhoga, tyāga, bhoga, tyāga. So Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān pari... You have to give up this bhoga dharma and tyāga dharma. Sarva-dharmān parityajya (BG 18.66). You are now engaged in two kinds of dharma. Somebody, karmīs, they are bhoga, bhoga dharmī. They want to enjoy. And tyāgī, they want to renounce this bhoga. So both of these will not help you. Bhoga-tyāga. Then what? Sevā. You have to take the dharma of sevā. That is bhakti.
Similarly, āruhya kṛcchṛeṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanti adhaḥ (SB 10.2.32). If you have to stay in the higher status of life, brahma anubhūti, then you'll have to come back again. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa. Kṛcchreṇa means by practicing severe austerities, penances, one may go up to the Brahman effulgence, paraṁ padam. That is called paraṁ padam. But because there is no stay... Just like in the sky. You may go with high speed, but if you cannot stay in some planet, you'll have to come back again. Similarly, āruhya kñcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ, patanti adhaḥ anādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ. Because they cannot get shelter under the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, they have to come down again to these material activities. And we have seen practically, so many big, big sannyāsīs, they give up this material world, take sannyāsa to understand Brahman, but because they could not understand Brahman, they again come to open hospital and schools. That is their business. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanti adhaḥ (SB 10.2.32).
That is practically experienced. We have seen many, many great sannyāsīs. They give up this world and take sannyāsa for merging into Brahman, but later on they come back again to the material activities for opening hospital, schools, and philanthropic work. Why? Because they could not get there. In their so-called Brahman realization, they could not get any pleasure. Therefore they come down again to the material activities. You have left this material world as brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā. Then why you come back again to this mithyā world, to open hospitals and schools? The reason is they could not get any pleasure in so-called Brahman-realization. Therefore they come back to give food to the poor, to open hospital, philanthropic work.
Therefore we have to undergo the tribulation of material nature. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi. But we don't want this. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). We don't want. Although we are trying to be happy, but we do not know how to become, I mean to say, free from the material contamination. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi. They are trying to open hospitals. Just like one Sindhi gentleman, he has contributed about five of seven crores of rupees to start a hospital here. That gentleman, not, some, his relative, came to see me. So I said that "However magnificent hospital you may start, you cannot stop death. That is not possible. That is not possible." You may try in your own way. The whole struggle is now to mitigate our suffering condition. But the suffering condition is continuing. You... You may open nice hospital, but you cannot stop death. That is not possible.
Therefore he is actually, constitutionally, a small particle of sac-cid-ānanda. So for want of ānanda, he comes again. Thus we have seen many sannyāsīs, they give up this world as brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā, but they do not get any benefit out of it. Therefore they come down again to open hospitals and schools and philanthropic work. They fall down. Now, if it is brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā, if jagat is mithyā, then why you are coming again to open hospitals? It is mithyā. But brahma satya. If you have realized Brahman, you are truth. Then why truth is coming to untruth? Because they could not get any pleasure. They want pleasure. Simply sitting down, that "I am now Brahman, Brahman," that will not help. You must act as Brahman. You must get pleasure acting as Brahman. Then there will be ānanda. Otherwise, it is not possible. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adhaḥ (SB 10.2.32). These are the śāstric injunctions.
Prabhupāda: This we have explained last night, how the, a person enjoying happiness as Brahman realization... There are many examples, both in the East and the West, that... In our Eastern countries, the Māyāvādī philosophy is very prominent, and their basic principle is: brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā. "The world is false, and Brahman, that is truth." But we have practically seen many sannyāsīs, they renounce this world as mithyā and take to Brahman realization path, but after some days, they come down to politics, sociology, philanthropy. Why? If Brahman is satya, jagat is mithyā, false, then why they, from the platform of satya, they fall down again in the mithyā? This is our question. To open hospital or to open a school or similar philanthropic activities are generally being done by persons who are embarrassed with this mithyā world. Why the sannyāsīs, who left this world as mithyā and went to the platform of Brahman realization, and why they come to this platform again for opening school, hospitals? What is the answer? Is there any answer?
Devotee: They can't remain there.
That means they could not realize the happiness of Brahman. What is your opinion, Gosāi? If they would have derived any happiness from that Brahman platform, then why would (they) come down to this platform which was rejected as mithyā? So accepting that Brahman realization is real happiness, but they could not realize that happiness. Under the circumstances, they must come down to realize happiness in these varieties of material world. Because they found it better happiness by taking in politics and on political movements or opening school, hospitals. They found better happiness in these activities. Then why the, they say that this jagat mithyā? These are activities of the material world.
When we approach the personal Brahman, Param Brahman, that variety is available, and there we can enjoy. From there we do not return. Yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama (BG 15.6). So simply impersonal Brahman realization, that happiness is not perfect, neither this material varieties are perfect. So brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā. When we are fed up with these material varieties, we try to enter in the impersonal Brahman. But even in the impersonal Brahman, when there is want of varieties, then again we come back to these material varieties. Therefore we see so many learned scholars, sannyāsīs, they give up these material varieties as mithyā and enter into the impersonal Brahman, but without variety there, they come again to the material variety for opening schools and hospitals. This is the fact.
So āruhya kṛcchrena paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adhaḥ (SB 10.2.32). Because they have no information of the spiritual varieties in the Vaikuṇṭha planets, in the Goloka Vṛndāvana planet, they come down, because there is no bhakti. In the Vaikuṇṭha planets or Goloka Vṛndāvana planet, nobody can enter unless he's a pure devotee.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures
Therefore he says that "I am a lame man." Mama manda-gatī: "I am very slow, so I take shelter of the lotus feet of Madana-mohana." That is our business. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is teaching all over the world this philosophy, that your first and foremost business is to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. There is no question of so-called economic development, sense gratification. No. These are not important things. There are many missionaries, they open hospitals or similar philanthropic activities, but we never do that. So many friends advised me to open some hospitals, dispensaries. Oh, I flatly said that "We are not interested in the hospitals." There are so many hospitals. So people who are interested in hospitals, they can go there. Here is spiritual hospital. The disease is the other hospitals, they cannot stop death, but our hospital can stop death.
This is our hospital. We are therefore not interested with this kind of hospital. Our this hospital is treating the materially affected patient to get out of his four kinds of miseries: janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9). One type of disease is to take birth; another, death; another, old age; another, disease. So we want to stop. This is not our normal condition of life. Because we living entities, soul, we are spiritual. Our identity is that we are eternal. It is not that because my body is annihilated, therefore I am finished. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). This is the instruction. The living entity, the soul, is not destroyed after the body being destroyed. The body is destroyed. It is being destroyed every moment. From scientific point of view we are changing our blood corpuscle and another body like the, what is called, film. One after another picture, one after, one after, one after, and when they are displayed, it appears one. But it is not one. There are so many pictures. They put into the machine, and when they work together, it appears that the man within the picture is moving. Actually, that movement is combination of many pictures. Similarly, we are growing. We are not growing, but we are changing body.
So if one is intelligent enough, if he has got actually the bitter taste of this material world, he'll never agree. He'll never agree. But those who have not advanced to such knowledge, oh, they think, "Oh, this material enjoyment is very nice. Let me taste it and let me do business in my sannyāsī life, and stealthily and privately, let me enjoy." These things are going on. That means they have no taste. They come to hospital-making or this philanthropy. This come again. Sthānād bhraṣṭād patanty adhaḥ. Ye 'nye aravindākṣa vimukta-māninaḥ. "Those fools who are thinking that 'Simply by thinking myself, "I am God, I am Brahman, I have become liberated," ' " but ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninas tvayy asta-bhāvāt (SB 10.2.32), "but there is no knowledge about You, Kṛṣṇa," āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padam, "they, after performing so much austerity and penances, they rise up to the highest position, Brahman realization, but," patanty adhaḥ, "they fall down." We have got so many instances. They take sannyāsa. They say that brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā: "This world is false. Brahman is truth." But after some days, they come to politics, they come to sociology, they come to hospital, they come to this and that. That's all. Finished. Brahman finished. Patanty adhaḥ. They must fall down because they have no shelter in Kṛṣṇa. Just like the sputnik goes very high, clap, hear clap. Uh, come down again. Where you'll go? Yes. Simply for the time being clapping, that's all. (laughs) But the fools, they are so nonsense, they are satisfied with that temporary clapping. That's all.
So why one should go to spiritual master? Because yāṅhāra prasāde bhāi: "My dear brother, if you get the benediction from the spiritual master..." Yāṅhāra prasāde bhāi, ei bhava toriyā yāi. What is that benediction? The benediction is not that "Cure my disease." They do not know, generally. Therefore they are cheated. The other day in Washington, one lady came with backache. So she came for curing the leg trouble. That is going on. "So you should approach a spiritual master? There is so many doctors, hospital. You go there." "No. Here you show me your miracles." And people are also cheating like that—some miracles and he becomes God. This is going on. But the miracle of spiritual master is yāṅhāra prasāde bhāi, ei bhava toriyā yāi. This is miracle: no more material existence. Then ei bhava toriyā yāi. So real thing (?) is one can cross over the ocean of nescience. That is real gain. That is the real favor of spiritual master, not that cure your leg and again walk here and again become, break your leg, and again come. Not like that.
We have got experience in the airplane. If we go five or six hours in the planes, we become suffocated. So it is not possible. Therefore those who merge into the Brahman effulgence, they again fall down, because they have no engagement in Kṛṣṇa's business. They never cultivated such knowledge. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adho 'nādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ (SB 10.2.32). Because the Māyāvādīs, they think, "What is this nonsense, serving Kṛṣṇa? Kṛṣṇa is māyā. We are not going to serve māyā. We are going to become one with God, with effulgence." That oneness, you can stay within sunshine and be burnt up, but you cannot stay there. After your whims are fulfilled or you become disgusted... But because you have no information of serving Kṛṣṇa, then come down again to this material world and serve māyā—so-called hospitals and other things, philanthropic work. Because they have no information to serve Kṛṣṇa, the result is āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padam (SB 10.2.32). The Brahman is also paraṁ padam. It is not material; it is spiritual world. But because they have no shelter at the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, they fall down again at the shelter of the māyā.
So what is the result for such persons? Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ (SB 10.2.32). They might come to the highest position, because Brahman realization is also very high position. It is not ordinary thing, that "I am not this body. I am Brahman." This realization is not ordinary realization. It is also realized after purification of the mind. But that is also not sufficient. So āruhya kṛcchreṇa, after undergoing severe penances and philosophical research, even though he has risen up to the point of perfection, to the point of perfection, still, patanty adhaḥ, he has the chance of falling down. And that we have seen in many instances. Many sannyāsīns, they were very educated, and they have undergone severe penances, but without Kṛṣṇa realization they fall down. How they fall down? Sometimes they fall down, becomes a victim of a woman. Sometimes they fall down for this philanthropic work. Sometimes they fall down in the matter of opening hospitals. Generally they fall down by becoming a victim, victim of woman, and others, they also become victim of this material nature, become attracted by this social work. So a sannyāsī is supposed to be renounced order. He has nothing to do with this material world. Then why should he come to the social order or philanthropic order? That is his falldown. That is his falldown. He should be situated completely in spiritual order. He has nothing to do. He should simply be engaged in spiritual service, in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the perfection of renouncement.
Actual knowledge, it is stated in the Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā: bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate (BG 7.19). That is actual knowledge. When he comes to the point of understanding the Supreme Personality of Godhead and surrenders: "My Lord, I have simply wasted my time in this way. Now I understand vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti (BG 7.19), You are Vasudeva, Kṛṣṇa. You are everything." That is the ultimate end of knowledge. And so long one does not come to this point, it is to be understood that he has no shelter. And because he has no shelter, he has to come down again. Again. Again to the opening of hospitals and giving medicine or so many things philanthropic, what the ordinary men are doing. What is the use of your sannyāsa, renouncing this world? Brahmā satyaṁ jagan mithyā. Śaṅkarācārya's first principle is, "Give up this material world. This is all false, nonsense. Come to the Brahman platform." So if you go to the Brahman platform, why again you come to this nonsense platform? That means patanty adhaḥ. That means patanty adhaḥ.
So everything he's doing; now his sannyāsa is finished. Now no more Brahman. Now again India and Pakistan. That's all. So this is sure. Vivekananda came here to preach Hindu religion. Before that he had no idea of philanthropic work. And when he came back to India, "Oh, this is your religion. Oh, so many Indians they are suffering. So many Indians they have no shelter. Oh, give them shelter. Give them hospital." Now he became... And collected fund. Vivekananda started new religion, daridra-nārāyaṇa. Daridra-nārāyaṇa means the poor, poverty-stricken Bowery men, they should be served, not Kṛṣṇa. That is their mission. The Ramakrishna Mission means to serve daridra-nārāyaṇa. "Nārāyaṇa has become daridra." He has invented some words, "Nārāyaṇa has become daridra." You see Viṣṇu. Viṣṇu, Nārāyaṇa, so opulent. According to Vivekananda, He has become poor now.
So Bhāgavata says that "They are," in a very polished language, that "their intelligence is not," I mean to say, "pure." Aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ. Buddha means, buddhi means intelligence, and aviśuddha, not purified. Why not purified? Because they have no shelter. So in spite of their so much austerity, penance, Vedānta reading and jugglery of words, they come back again to the hospital. That's all. That is their business. So ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninas tvayy asta bhāvād aviśuddha... (SB 10.2.32). They are simply thinking they are liberated. This is not liberation. Liberation means to have Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is liberation.
Surely they fall down. The same example: you may go very high on a sputnik, ten thousand miles off from this earth, but if you have no shelter there, then naturally, you have to come back again here. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ (SB 10.2.32). You may go high, very high. That's all right. But if you don't approach the moon planet or the Venus planet, or any other planet for which you started But these people, they are so foolish they are taking simply clap by wandering in the space a few thousand miles. They think, "This is our perfection. Because I have come so high, and 20,000 miles off from the earth planet, and there is clapping, 'Oh, sputnik has gone...' " But where is your result? The result must be you must reach to the moon planet. Then That is minus. Similarly, all these exercises, all this cultivation of knowledge, if they do not reach to the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, they are sure to come down again to these material activities. They are sure. Because they have no taste for Kṛṣṇa, they have to They will come again for opening hospitals and so on, so many activities, material activities.
Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adhaḥ (SB 10.2.32). This is falldown. Patanty adho anādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ. "My dear Lord, because they have neglected Your lotus feet."
Sri Isopanisad Lectures
One who is disinclined to understand what is this chanting, you should not bother yourself to convince him. That's all. Just like in hospital, especially in, in the warfield, there are many wounded soldiers are coming. But the doctors see that the soldier which has got the chance of living, take care more for them. And the soldier which is immediately going to die, they do not take care much. Because it is useless; he'll not live. Similarly the atheist, the atheist will have to suffer. They'll have to meet God in the form of death in so many ways. So by suffering, suffering, suffering, suffering, suffering, when a day will come that he'll understand God, at that time, preaching to him is better. So you do not expect that our preaching will be appeal to everyone. It will be useful for the devotees, for the innocent. Not for the atheist.
To the devotees, Kṛṣṇa takes charge Himself, and to the ordinary living entities, the charge is taken by māyā. Māyā is also Kṛṣṇa's agent. Just like good citizens, they are taken care of by the government directly, and the criminals, they are taken care of by the government through the prison department, through the criminal department. They are also taken care of. In the prison house the government takes care that the prisoners not in uncomfortable—they get sufficient food; if they're diseased they give hospital treatment—every care is there, but under punishment. Similarly, we in this material world, there is care certainly, but in, in a punishment way. If you do this, then slap. If you do this, then kick. If you do this, then this... This is going on. This is called threefold miseries. But under the spell of māyā we are thinking that this kicking of māyā, this slapping of māyā, this thrashing of māyā is very nice. You see? This is called māyā.
Festival Lectures
Similarly, there are two kinds of living entities: nitya-baddha, nitya-mukta, eternally liberated and eternally conditioned. You see? So for the conditioned... They will never agree to abide by God. Therefore, for them, this material world, the external energy: "All right, you do whatever you like. You do according to..." But still, there is canvassing work. Oh, God sends His son to canvass, "Oh, this is not your right engagement. Please come back to home, back to Godhead." Kṛṣṇa comes. God Himself comes. He sends His devotees. He comes as a devotee just to again reclaim, but they are so stubborn, they will not give up this habit. Even in their so-called spiritual cultivation they are thinking that "I am God. I am the mover of the sun. I am the mover of the moon. I am the supreme," in this way. That is the disease. You see? So as for the diseased person, there is a hospital. There is operation is going on. So many severe things are going on. Similarly, for the criminal there is prison department. So it is not the government's desire that there should be hospital or prisonhouse. They can save so much money. But the people want it. A class of men, third-class men, they want this. They want to be diseased. They want to be criminals.
Yes, provided they take it seriously. Otherwise, if they keep their mentality differently, then according to mind, one has to get a body. But... Just like so many boys. They come here in the beginning out of curiosity, but gradually, they get the chance of becoming devotee. Similarly, if they take the chance, then they will be liberated. They come out of curiosity, but if they take it seriously, then they will be liberated. Just like hospital is meant for curing disease. So one should take the treatment. If he simply goes and visits the hospital and thinks "Now I am cured," how it can be done? Hospital is a... Suppose if I advertise that "Anyone who comes to this hospital, he will be cured of his disease," that's a fact. But if he thinks that "I have come here. Now I am going," then how he will be cured? To see Jagannātha on the Ratha-yātrā, his way for liberation is open, but if he comes back again and entangles himself, then? One goes to the doctor. He gives injection. The disease is cured.
So these people, although they are thinking of themself as liberated, they have become liberated..." The Māyāvādī sannyāsīs address amongst themselves: namo nārāyaṇa. "Namo nārāyaṇa" means every one of them has become a Nārāyaṇa. This is their philosophy. And from this namo nārāyaṇa principle, Vivekananda Swami has manufactured the word "daridra-nārāyaṇa." So Nārāyaṇa has become very cheap thing for them. Everyone has become Nārāyaṇa; everyone has become God. Just like the rascal God is now in the hospital. God is under operation. (laughter) A "guruji" God. So they have no shame even that "If I am God, I cannot cure my bodily pains, what kind of God I am?" But these rascals will proclaim that they are God, and there is set of rascals, they will accept, "Oh, here is God." Vivekananda also said that "Why you are finding out God? Don't you see, so many gods are loitering in the street?" So God has become a funny thing for them. No. We do not accept such God. Our God is different.
That is the meaning of religion. Here it is said that ya evaṁ visṛjed dharmam. Dharmam means you cannot change. So pāraṁ paryāgataṁ naraḥ, kāmāt, kāmāt lobhāt. Now, religion sometimes, when it is taken as faith, they have changed. How they have changed? Kāmāt. For some gain. Just like in India formerly Christian religion was preached, giving some facilities. And generally we see that Christian priests who go to foreign countries... I have seen. They offer some hospital facilities, some economic facilities. The poor men, they supply clothing and education. So those who are poor, they become captivated, and they... They have practically no religion. Anyway, they are facing the economic problems. So kāmāt. Kāmāt means for some gain. For some gain, kāmāt, and lobhāt... Lobhāt means by some greediness. And bhayāt. Bhayāt means out of fear. And dveṣāt. Dveṣāt means out of enviousness. For all these things one should not give up his faith or religion.
A Vaiṣṇava, or devotee of Lord, his life is dedicated for the benefit of the people. You know—most of you belong to Christian community—how Lord Jesus Christ, he said that for your sinful activities he has sacrificed himself. That is the determination of devotee of the Lord. They don't care for personal comforts. Because they love Kṛṣṇa or God, therefore they love all living entities because all living entities are in relationship with Kṛṣṇa. So similarly you should learn. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means to become Vaiṣṇava and feel for the suffering humanity. So to feel for the suffering humanity, there are different angles of vision. Somebody is thinking of the suffering of the humanity from bodily conception of life. Somebody is trying to open hospital to give relief to the diseased condition.
So Kṛṣṇa therefore says in the Bhagavad-gītā, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). Sarva-dharmān, we have created some dharma. Some dharma is for lording it over the material nature. Karmīs. The karmīs are trying to lord it over the material nature, all resources. Working hard, day and night, how to lord it over the material world. This is one dharma. Another dharma, when the karmī's frustrated because he cannot enjoy... Because he is not enjoyer. Artificially, he is trying to enjoy. Then, when he's frustrated, then he says, brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā: "The brahma is satya, and this world is false." Then he becomes a sannyāsī, a renouncer. But he cannot live in that renouncement platform. And then he again comes back to this material world and engages himself in some philanthropic work: "Let us open hospital.
So such kind of welfare activity concerning the body, like hospital and so many other things, they are good undoubtedly, but the ultimate goal is to see the interest of the soul. That is ultimate goal. That is the whole Vedic instruction. And Kṛṣṇa begins from this point. Dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā (BG 2.13). So when Caitanya Mahāprabhu wanted to do some para-upakāra...
- bhārata bhūmite manuṣya-janma haila yāra
- (manuṣya) janma sārthaka kari' kara para-upakāra
- (CC Adi 9.41)
These welfare activities did not mean that welfare to this body. It was meant for the soul, the same thing as Kṛṣṇa wanted to impress upon Arjuna, that "You are not this body. You are soul." Antavanta ime dehaḥ nityasyoktāḥ śarīriṇaḥ, na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). So real welfare activity means to see to the interest of the soul. So what is the interest of the soul? The interest of the soul is that the soul is part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, God. Just like small spark of fire is part and parcel of the big fire, similarly, we living entities, we are very minute, small spark of the Supreme Brahman, Para-brahman, or Kṛṣṇa. So as the spark within the fire looks very beautiful, the fire also looks beautiful, and the spark also looks beautiful, but as soon as the sparks fall down from the fire, it becomes extinguished.
Arrival Addresses and Talks
Prabhupāda: All over the world. Yes.
Guest: Thank you very much. (break)
Prabhupāda: It is bluff? Who is that rascal?
Pradyumna: He is confusing us with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.
Prabhupāda: Oh, he is a rascal. He is now in hospital. He is undergoing operation. God is going, undergoing operation. (laughter)
If you don't try to understand Kṛṣṇa and simply improve your method of running better than the dog, that is not civilization. This is our presentation. Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means presenting a new life of civilization, how to become a servant of Kṛṣṇa. Then everything will come automatically. Kṛṣṇa is supplying already. Just like government. When a man is put into the jail for his criminality, the government takes care of his food, of his shelter; if he's sick, hospital, everything—but he's still punished for correction. Similarly, we are all part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa will give us food, shelter, sex facility and defense everywhere. Sukham aindriyakaṁ daityā deha-yogena dehinām sarvatra labhyate daivād: by the arrangement of the superior. You can see practically. The elephant is eating forty kilos at a time, and he has no attempt for economic development. He's getting. And the ant also, a grain of sugar, he's getting. You'll find within your room, in a hole, there are thousands of ants. Are you giving him food? Who is giving them? Not only one, two-thousands. So this is intelligence, that God has provided for everyone these facilities, so human being, why he should not have this facility from God? It is already there. There is no doubt about it.
Initiation Lectures
That is ignorance. Yes. Apahṛta-jñānāḥ means just like a madman. For the time being, his natural knowledge is taken away. Crazy. What do we mean by crazy? For the time being, his knowledge is taken away. Similarly, when a living entity is in that position, as somebody has taken away his knowledge, that is demonic condition. But he can be reestablished again in knowledge. Just like a crazy man is sent, mental disorder, to hospital for treatment; again he comes as a sane man. Similarly, the demons are just like crazy men. Even they are treated with Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they can be reverted to their own position. So this is temporary. This demoniac nature is temporary due to the contact with māyā. Therefore the whole business is how to get out of the clutches of māyā. Then there is no more demonic nature. It is artificial. (break) ...superficial. It comes and goes. As it comes artificially, so it can go also. And the driving method is this Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
So renouncement, simply giving up something, is not very good idea. You must have something better. Paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate (BG 2.59). If you get something better, then you give up something inferior. Our Vaiṣṇava philosophy, renouncement means renouncement of sense gratification. The Māyāvāda sannyāsa means karma-tyāga, simply reading Vedānta philosophy, sāṅkhya philosophy, and everything given up. But our Vaiṣṇava philosophy is giving up the wrong thing and accepting the right thing. Side by side. Simply if I give up, it will not stay very long time. If I simply by sentiment give up, brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā, "This world is false and Brahman is the real, reality," so there are so many sannyāsīs, we see, they give up the so-called mithyā world and come to the Brahman realization by meditation, by meditation, meditation... Then meditation means hospital and school.
General Lectures
What is the requisition of the soul?" This is conclusion. They have forgotten. Real interest they have forgotten. The superficial interest. The same example can be given. Just like if you simply soap your shirt and coat and do not take care of your real body, or do not feed your body, then how long we shall exist? My Guru Mahārāja used to give one nice example that a man was drowning. Another man came, that "I shall save this man." So he jumped on the water, and when coming out of the water he brought the shirt and coat: "Now I have saved the man." The so-called service, or any service which is going on, that is serving the shirt and coat. Nobody is serving the soul. That is the mistake of modern civilization. There are many hospitals to cure the bodily diseases, but there is no hospital to cure the disease of the soul.
They take sannyāsa, and after some time they come to the hospital opening business. They come down again to politics, hospitals, philanthropy, welfare work. Why? If brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā, if this whole world is false, why you are taking this hospital business? Because there is no place. He has no engagement and he wants association. He wants to render some service, but there is no service to Kṛṣṇa. He comes to give service to the nonsense māyā. So āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padam (SB 10.2.32). After accepting sannyāsa and all this renunciation, because he has no shelter to render service to the Supreme Lord, he comes down to render service to this nonsense thing which he left. Mithyā, it is false. He again comes to the false. I have seen one sannyāsī in India, very learned, very good scholar. Now he's rotting in the jail. He has taken to political movement. He wants to make, nullify this Pakistan and so many things. Now he has become a politician. Vivekananda came here to preach in 1893 to Vedānta. Now he learned the business of opening hospital.
So ladies and gentlemen, I thank you very much for your coming here and participating with this movement. It is very important movement to bring man to his original consciousness. Kṛṣṇa consciousness means to bring a living entity to his original consciousness. Just like there are many mental hospitals. What is that? Bellevue? In your city? The purpose of the hospital is to bring a crazy fellow to his original consciousness. Similarly, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means to bring all crazy men to his original consciousness. Anyone who is not Kṛṣṇa conscious, he is to be understood—more or less crazy. There was a case in India, a murder case, and the murderer pleaded that he became mad. He was mad; therefore he, he did not know what did he do. So in order to test him, whether actually he, at that time, was lunatic or turned mad, the expert civil servant, psychiatrist, was brought to examine him. So the doctor gave his opinion that "So far I have studied cases, all patients I've come in contact, they are more or less all crazy. So in that sense, if your lordship wants to excuse him, that is another thing." So that is the fact.
Because we have lost the original consciousness, I am being in contact with the material modes of nature, means sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. Kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgaḥ. We are mixing with the different types of material qualities, and as such we are developing different modes of material nature in our consciousness. This consciousness has to be cleared. This consciousness... Even our consciousness is goodness... Just like there are many people who are very charitably disposed: they want to make charity, they want to open schools, that want to open hospitals. That is goodness. That is all right. But still it is material; it is not spiritual. Similarly, there are others also who are contacting the modes of passion, just like big, big kings, they are very much anxious or very much ambitious to expand their kingdom. This is called association with the modes of passion.
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. This is the hospital. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness temple is the hospital for the diseased spirit soul. And everyone is diseased. Come to this hospital. We shall take care of you and cure your material disease.
Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa.
In all varieties of species of life... There are 8,400,000 species of life. The aquatics, the trees, the plants, the birds, the bees, the insects... Then human beings. And out of the human beings also, there are so many uncivilized. Civilized human beings are very few. And out of the civilized human beings, very few take to religious life. Very few. And out of these so-called religious human society, most of them, they simply designate, "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am Christian," but they do not know about religion. And one who knows about—not knows, little attracted—they are engaged in philanthropic work. To give help to the poor, or to open a school, hospital. This is called karma-kāṇḍa. Out of many millions of these karma-kāṇḍa people, one is jñānī. Jñānī means "one who knows." And out of millions of persons who know, one is liberated. And out of millions of liberated persons, one can understand what is Kṛṣṇa. This is the position of Kṛṣṇa.
Our senses are uncontrolled, so our senses are dragging to the darkest region of existence. We do not know that. But we are simply chewing the chewed. We do not try to solve the problem of life; we are simply chewing the chewed. The so-called sociology, politics, or humanitarian work, it is simply chewing the... Just like we are trying to open hospitals. We think it is very great task. But we can... We do not think that how to get out of the diseased condition of life, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9).
So similarly, you can make your spiritual progress understanding of Brahman, but if you do not get any shelter at the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, then you'll fall down. That is a fact. We have seen many sannyāsīs. They give up this material world, that brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā. Then, after some years, he comes down again this mithyā jagat to open schools and hospitals. And if this world is mithyā, then why you are interested with the schools and hospitals? That means they could not get any Brahman realization. They again come to taste. So therefore śāstra says, āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padam (SB 10.2.32). One can rise up to the paraṁ pada, brahma pada, but patanty tataḥ. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adho. Adho means this material world. Why? Anādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ. They could not take shelter at the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme. Brahmaṇo 'haṁ pratiṣṭhā. Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi (Bs. 5.40). This Brahman is the rays of the body of Kṛṣṇa, just like the sunshine is the rays of the sun-god, the sun planet.
Philosophy Discussions
Hayagrīva: So instead of a machine for the making of gods, it's more like a hospital for the curing of souls.
Prabhupāda: Yes, yes, it is hospital. Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means curing the disease. That is described in Nārada-bhakti-sūtra, sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170), nirmalam. Nirmalam means purified. So when he becomes free from all this designation... The designation begins with this body, and the body accidentally born in Europe, he thinks, "I am a European." Born in America, "I am an American." Born in a Christian family, "I am Christian." He is born in Hindu family, "I am that." That is all misconception. His real position is that "I am part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, eternal servant." Then he is free from all. That is, that is beginning of..., that is brahma-bhūtaḥ, beginning of spiritual life. So nothing, not that a man can be made to God. He is not God; he is part and parcel of God. He has to simply understand his position. That is mukti. He is working under different impression, that "I am this body." Just like the other day with, concerning the philosopher Huxley. He is a philosopher but he is proud of becoming Englishman. Did you not say?
Prabhupāda: And Brahmānanda sent me that picture, Africa, five thousand priests in that hospital, on account of their drinking habits.
Devotee: Five thousand!
Prabhupāda: Five thousand. In America. (break) ...as soon as I cut with knife, the same blood is coming. Here also the same blood is coming. He is also crying, he is also crying. All these things are (indistinct). Then how do you say that this man has got soul and this animal has not got soul? Where is analogy? And points of similarities are there. Analogy means points of similarity. So the points of similarity, while killing either a man or animal, are all the same, then how are you bringing this analogy that he has got soul, he hasn't got soul? Where is his logic?
Prabhupāda: Then why he is mad? We have got experience that there are madmen, but there is hospital also for treating the madmen. Similarly, the world may be mad, but there is hospitalization. That he does not know. From practical experience we see there are many madmen. At the same time there is a hospital, lunatic hospitals also, so treatment is there. So he does not see that. He has no knowledge where is the hospital, how he'll get and be treated. This is accepted, the world is mad, that's all right. But there is treatment also. Because in our experience practically we can show whenever there is disease, there is some treatment of it. But he does not know what is the treatment. He is speaking of sinful life, what he was saying, just like, but he does not accept who is the judge to give me resultant action of my sinful life. The world is mad, but he does not know where the treatment of madman is done. He does not know. Therefore his knowledge is imperfect, and still he is philosophizing. That is the defect. Our proposition is that unless one is perfect, we cannot take knowledge from him. That is our proposition. Therefore our authority is Veda. Veda means knowledge, perfect knowledge. Veda means knowledge, perfect knowledge. Why it is perfect? Because it is given by God. Tene brahma hṛdā ya ādi-kavaye (SB 1.1.1). The Vedic knowledge was imparted to Brahma within the heart. So the perfect knowledge is coming from the supreme perfect. When you take that knowledge, then your knowledge is perfect. Otherwise you can go on. You can become Dr. Frog, that's all.
Prabhupāda: Therefore the Māyāvādī philosophers, the impersonalists, because they are not willing to serve Kṛṣṇa, they stop willing. They again fall down. Vivekananda comes and opens hospitals. Just like your Christian missionaries. Yes. This is there. Willing, you cannot stop. You have to will badly or goodly, or godly. So better try to will godly, then badly will automatically... This is our process. You don't stop willing. Yes, we will—or Kṛṣṇa's service.
Prabhupāda: (indistinct) ...I become afraid. Just like in that hospital, it was so nice, everything was so nice, but because I was thinking, "Oh, I cannot go out, I cannot walk," it was giving me too much trouble—that very thought that I cannot go out.
Devotee: (indistinct) sometimes they can't trace out the history of a particular case. The idea is that if they can find out from this person remembering back when they were young that he had been locked in a room, then (indistinct) the person was able to understand the significance of that incident, that it was really very small. Then it loses its importance in his life. He has been unable to resolve it because he has repressed it.
Prabhupāda: But I don't think when a man's brain is already deranged he can be rectified by finding out the cause.
| Page Title: | Hospital (Lectures) |
| Compiler: | Rishab, Mayapur |
| Created: | 26 of May, 2011 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=112, Con=0, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 112 |