So our problems of life, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, is to solve these four things: no more birth... Because we are... Always remember that we are all eternal. Just like in this body, beginning from my mother's womb up to this old age, I am the same eternal soul, but my body is changing. So after changing this body also, I shall remain the same. Simply I shall have another body. This plain truth, there is no difficulty to understand. Now if I am eternal... If I am eternal means no death, no birth, no disease, no old age. That is eternal. So if I am eternal, whether it is possible to get an eternal body? Or eternal happiness? That is the problem of human society. If you can solve that problem, then you be proud of your civilization. Otherwise there is no difference between cats' and dogs' civilization and your civilization. Because you are simply trying to solve the problems of eating, sleeping, defending and mating. But these problems are already solved by nature's law.
Human society (Lectures, General)
Lectures
General Lectures
So if we chant this mantra, Hare Kṛṣṇa, then I can understand what I am. And as soon as I understand that I am not this body, then my activities become different, because at the present moment I am acting on the concept of my life as this body. Because this body is born of a particular place in a particular country, therefore I am saying that "I am American," or "Indian," or "China" or "German," due to this body. And because I have got relationship with some woman with this body, therefore I accept the woman as my wife. There are hundreds of thousands of women, but the woman who has got relationship with this body is my wife. There are thousands and millions of children, but one child who has got intimate relation with this body I call my son. So if the body falsely identified, then we can understand that our identification with this world is also false. The real identification is, as it is stated in the Vedic literature, ahaṁ brahmāsmi: "I am Brahman." "I am Brahman" means "I am spirit soul. I am not this matter." So this misconception has to be removed. Of course, it is not possible that everyone will understand or everyone will be able to understand it, but even a certain percentage of the human society can understand, immediately there is solution of so many problems—to understand ahaṁ brahmāsmi. And how that solution is made, that is described in the Bhagavad-gītā.
The Lord says that there are eight hundred, er, 8,400,000 species of life, different forms of life, species of life. There are aquatics, there are plants, trees, worms, germs, then birds, beasts, and at last, the human species of life, only 400,000's. So Kṛṣṇa says that "All the species of life—never mind whether he is man or he's a dog, he's a cat—he's a living entity, and I am the seed-giving father of all living entities." Now, how nice, you can understand simply. This verse, if you can understand, then you can have some idea of universal brotherhood. If you want to make universal brotherhood, you must find out the center—the universal father. So these questions and answers are there, and we have got the science of God, the education of science of God, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. So these books are meant for human society, and if you take advantage of the knowledge imparted in this book and if you chant this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, you will see how your life becomes improved, how you become full of knowledge, full of bliss, and how you advance in your eternal life.
So the original platform, that I am not this body, then every relationship becomes false, illusion. This is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, how this illusion develops. The illusion develops because it is the kingdom of māyā. Māyā is attracting us. What is that attracting force? That attracting force is for man, woman; and for woman, man. This is attractive. This whole world is going on, not only in the human society, but in dog society, cat society, hog society, bird society—everywhere—the woman is attractive for man, and man is attractive for woman. This is māyā. This is māyā. So Śrīmad-Bhāgavata says that this attractive feature is pulling on this material existence. Therefore the training is how to detract. In the beginning the brahmacārī training is given because to know that this body, woman body, is actually not attractive. What is this attractive? This is made of flesh and blood.
So this is the greatest service to the human society, to get out them from the darkness of ignorance. That is the greatest gift. If you put him into the darkness... Suppose a man is suffering from disease and he is asking, "Sir, I am very hungry. Give me some food." If you give him some rasagullā or some very nice foodstuff, neither he cannot eat, neither he can enjoy. And by supplying such things you are making him more and more diseased. You have to cure the disease. Then give him. That's right. So there is no curing process. Simply sense gratification. I want to satisfy my senses, and if somebody talks about my sense gratification, oh, I receive him very nicely. You see? And as soon as one says that "You are diseased. You cannot satisfy your senses without restriction. Then you will continue your disease," "Oh, this is not good. This doctor is not good." This is going on. You want to be cheated; therefore there are..., so many cheaters are coming.
Lord Caitanya instructed this verse. He gave us eight verses, known as Śikṣāṣṭaka. Śikṣa means "instructions"; aṣṭaka, "eight." This Śikṣāṣṭaka poetry, containing eight verses, are very valuable, and they were given by Lord Caitanya for understanding of the whole human society. It was not meant for any particular country or particular society, but it was meant for the whole human race. Lord Caitanya entrusted His countrymen, who are known as Bhāratīyas, to distribute this message througho ut the whole world, in every village and every town. There is a nice Bengali verse in Caitanya-caritāmṛta:
- pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi grāma
- sarvatra pracāra haibe mora nāma
- (CB Antya-khaṇḍa 4.126)
The Lord predicted that "As many towns and villages are there on the surface of the world, everywhere this message will be known."
So we Indians, we should know that we cannot imitate the Western countries. They are far advanced. So far materialistic way of life is concerned, you cannot compete with them. Just like some years before there was industrial exhibition in India in which the government was very proud to show that they are manufacturing cycle and sewing machine. When Western part of the world, they are manufacturing so many complicated machineries, we are proud of manufacturing cycle and sewing machine. Similarly, in every respect... In medicine also, there are so many laboratories in India, but still, seventy-five percent of the medicines are imported from foreign countries, because they are lagging behind. So my point is that in every country, in every human society, there is a special qualification. The day before yesterday I was seeing one picture in that church, of Hardwar. Millions of people assembled there for taking bath in the Ganges. In 1958 there was a special fair in Jagannātha Purī. It was written in the almanac that on that particular day, if somebody takes bath in the sea and has an audience of Lord Jagannātha, then he will be liberated. I was also there and with other friends. You'll be surprised to know that for a few-hour visit, about six million people assembled from all parts of India. And government had to make a special arrangement for their taking bath in the sea and visiting the temple. Similarly, there is Kumbha-melā.
The mercantile class of men, they are born out of the abdomen of the universal form of God. And the laborer class of men, they are born out of the legs of the universal form of God. Now, so far the body is concerned, either the mouth or head or the legs, no part of the body is less important, because every part of the body is required for proper function of the body. But by comparative study, the head is most important than all other parts of the body. If head is cut off from the body, then body becomes immediately dead. But if your hand is cut off from the body, the body still remains alive. It is not dead. So the intelligent class of men who form the head of the society, if they are lacking, if there is no intelligent class of men, then it is to be considered that sort of human society is dead, because the head is not there. Similarly, at the present moment there is lack of intelligent class of men. Intelligent class of men... Who is intelligent class of men? There are so many intelligent class of men. So according to Bhagavad-gītā, intelligent class of men can be tested by some qualification. What is that? Satya śaucaṁ samaḥ damaḥ titikṣa ārjavam, jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyaṁ brahma-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.42). Intelligent class of men means... First qualification is that he must be truthful.
So these different types of bodies are due to different grades of sense gratification. So sense gratification is there in the hog's life also. Why he has been offered a body of the hogs? So much sensuous that it has no discrimination who is mother, who is sister, or who is this, or who is that. This is practical, you'll see. The dogs and hogs, they are like that. In human society also there are many who don't care who is mother, who is sister, or who is this. The senses are so strong. And this is our cause of all miseries, try to understand. The threefold miseries that we are suffering, that we are trying to make a solution, is due to this dictation of the senses. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is there. Kṛṣṇa is there. His name is Madana-mohana. If you try to transfer your love from sense to Kṛṣṇa, then you see the result. Immediately you'll find. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau (Brs. 1.2.234). So this false endeavor, that "I want to be master of all I survey," "I am the monarch of all I survey," this attitude should be given up. Every one of us is constitutionally servant. Now, at the present moment, we are servant of the senses. Now, this servitorship should be changed to Kṛṣṇa only. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ. And as soon as you change your servitorship to Kṛṣṇa, then gradually, as you become sincere, so Kṛṣṇa reveals to you, and reciprocation of service between Kṛṣṇa and yourself will be so nice. Either you love Him as friend, or master, or lover, or... There are so many items. Any way you can try to love Him and see how much you are satisfied.
Because the whole philosophy is so simple. God is great; you are not great. Don't claim that you are God. Don't claim that there is no God. There is God, and He is great, and you are small. Then what is your position? You have to serve Kṛṣṇa. This is simple truth. So that rebellious attitude is called māyā. Anyone who is declaring that "There is no God. God is dead. I am God, you are God," they're all under the spell of māyā. Piśācī pāile yena mati-cchanna haya. Just like when a man is ghost-haunted, he speaks all kinds of nonsense. So all these persons are haunted by māyā, and therefore they are saying, "God is dead. I am God. Why you are searching God everywhere? There are so many Gods loitering in the street." They're all ghost-haunted, deranged. So we have to cure them by this transcendental vibration, Hare Kṛṣṇa. This is the curing process only. Simply let them hear and they'll gradually be cured. Just a man who is sleeping very sound, you cry by the side of his ear and he awakes. So this is the mantra to awake the sleeping human society. Uttiṣṭha uttiṣṭhata jāgrata prāpya varān nibodhata. The Vedas says, "O human race, please get up. Don't sleep any more. You have got this opportunity of human body. Utilize it. Get yourself out of the clutches of māyā." This is the declaration of Vedas. So you are doing that job. Hare Kṛṣṇa, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and they'll be cured (?).
Yes. Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **. (devotees respond) (sings) Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi. (Prabhupāda chants Brahma-saṁhitā verses, devotees respond) So our program is to worship with love and devotion Govinda, the original person. Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We are teaching people to love Kṛṣṇa, that's all. Our program is to love, to place your love in the proper place. That is our program. Everyone wants to love, but he is being frustrated on account of his love being misplaced. People do not understand it. They are being taught, "First of all, you love your body." Then little extended, "You love your father and mother." Then "Love your brother and sister." Then "Love your society, love your country, love the whole human society, humanity." But all this extended love, so-called love, will not give you satisfaction unless you reach to the point to love Kṛṣṇa. Then you'll be satisfied. Just like if you throw a stone on some reservoir of water, on a lake, there immediately begins a circle. The circle expands, and expanding, expanding, expanding, when the circle touches the shore, it stops. Unless the circle reaches the bank or the shore of the reservoir of the water, it goes on increasing. So we have to increase. Increase. The increase means there are two ways. If you practice, "I love my society, I love my country, I love my human nation," then "Living entities," go on... But if you directly touch Kṛṣṇa, then everything is there. It is so nice.
So we have to take the examples of great personalities, we have to study authorized books and Vedas, and we have to follow their example; then Kṛṣṇa consciousness or God realization or God consciousness is not difficult. It is very easy. There is no, I mean to say, any stumbling block on the path of your understanding what is God. Everything is there. The Bhagavad-gītā is there, the Śrīmad-Bhāgavata is there. Even you accept, your Bible is there, the Koran is there, everywhere. Without God, there cannot be any book or scripture. Nowadays, of course, they are manufacturing so many things. But in any human society the conception of God is there—according to time, according to the people, but the idea is there. Now you have to understand, jijñāsā. Therefore Vedānta-sūtra says that you try to understand God by inquiry, inquiry. This inquiry is very important. In our process, ādau gurvāśrayaṁ sad-dharma pṛcchāt. One has to accept a bona fide spiritual master and he has to inquire from him, sad-dharma pṛcchāt. Similarly, in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam also says that jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam. "One who is inquisitive to understand the Absolute Truth, he requires a spiritual master." Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam (SB 11.3.21). Jijñāsuḥ means inquisitive, one who inquires. Inquiry is natural.
That means there is life, but in the lowest stage of: stone. So in this way we are making progress. Sthāvarā lakṣa-viṁśati kṛmayo rudra-saṅkhyakāḥ. Reptiles and worms. Rudra-saṅkhyakāḥ means eleven hundred thousands. Then from reptiles, worms, the wings grow-birds. From wings grow... Then it comes to the bird's life. Pakśiṇāṁ daśa-lakṣaṇam: ten hundred thousands of birds. And then paśavaḥ triṁśal-lakṣāṇi, four-legged animals, there are thirty hundred thousand. So nine and twenty, twenty-nine, then eleven, forty, then birds, ten, fifty, beasts, thirty, eighty-eighty hundred thousands. And then... Eight millions—and four hundred thousand species of human life. Human life is not in large quantity. Out of that, mostly they are uncivilized, and very few Aryan families. The Aryan family—the Indo-European family, they are also Aryan—they are very few. The Europeans, they belong to the Indo-European group. The Americans, they also come from Europe. So this group of human society is very few. There are other, many uncivilized groups. Therefore Vedānta says, atha ataḥ: now you have got developed human form of life, civilized life, you have got nice arrangement for your comfortable life. Especially in America you have got all material comforts. You have got cars, you have got good road, nice food, nice building, nice dress, nice feature of your body. Everything God has given you very nice. The Vedānta advises, "Now you take to about the inquiry of Brahman." Athāto brahma jijñāsā.
This is applicable for everyone, civilized men. I don't speak of the Americans, in Europe, in Asia. Anywhere. Aryans means those who are advanced. Non-Aryans means those who are not ad... This is the Sanskrit meaning, ārya. And śūdras... Aryans are divided into four castes. The most intelligent class is called brāhmaṇa, and the less than the brāhmaṇas means those who are administrators, politicians, they are kṣatriyas. And next to them the mercantile class, traders, merchants, industrialists, less than the administrative class. And less than that, the śūdras. Śūdras means worker, laborer. So this system is not new. It is everywhere. Wherever there is human society, these four classes of men are there. Sometimes I am questioned why there is caste system in India. Well, this caste system is there. It is by nature. Bhagavad-gītā says, cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ: (BG 4.13) "The four classes of men are there. That is My law." How they are four classes? Guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ. Guṇa means quality, and karma means work. If you have got very nice quality, intelligence, brahminical qualities... Brahminical qualities means if you speak truth, you are very clean and you are self-controlled, your mind is in equilibrium, you are tolerant, and so many qual... You believe in God, you know scriptures practically.
We say that you get yourself married. But that is also difficult. Intoxication? Nobody has learned smoking from the beginning of his life. It is simply by association. So if you associate with us, you'll forget smoking, drinking. It was learned by association, you can forget it by association. No child used to eat meat from the very birth. It was milk. So this is all artificial, the so-called conventions of human society. Natural life does not allow all these things. So by good or bad association you have acquired so many artificial, I mean to say, habits. So simply by association you can forget also. Then you come to the pure life. And God is pure. Just like without being heated, you cannot stand in a place which is very heated. The temperature must be the same. This is known to everyone. So God is pure. You cannot approach God being impure. So the whole process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is purificatory process. Hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate (CC Madhya 19.170). Hṛṣīka, hṛṣīka means senses, and Hṛṣīkeśa means the master of the senses, the Lord of the senses, Kṛṣṇa. So by engaging your senses in the service of the master of the senses, that is called bhakti. Now, how you can do that? Tat-paratvena nirmalam. You have to simply purify. Then it is easily possible. So Kṛṣṇa consciousness means to adopt the purificatory process, and then you have got natural engagement in the service of the Lord, your life is perfect.
So the best service to that boy is to bring back to his father. Not that "My dear boy, I know that you are very rich man's son. You have now forgotten. You have no proper eating. I am giving you a morsel of bread. You eat it." That is also a service. But the best service is to bring him back to his rich father. Similarly, people are trying to serve the human society by so many morsel of food. That's all. And we are trying to bring back to his father. Therefore Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the best service to the humanity, because his all problem will be solved as soon as he goes back to his father. No more problem. Therefore everyone should take seriously about this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.
If by your action Kṛṣṇa, God, is satisfied, then it is all right. I don't say that this fight is good, that fight is bad. Fight or no fight. Even without fighting, he may be bad. Just like the instruction which we get from Bhagavad-gītā, Arjuna was denying to fight and he was considered by Kṛṣṇa bad, because He was not satisfied. This is the evidence. And when Arjuna decided to fight to satisfy Kṛṣṇa, it was taken as good. So whole thing should be tested, judged, by the satisfaction of the Supreme Lord. Saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam (SB 1.2.13). The perfection of any action... In the material world, "This thing is good," "This thing is bad," that is our mental concoction. Everything is bad here. Everything is bad. We have simply manufactured by our own imagination that "This is good," "This is bad." But to keep pace with the human society or peace in the human society, there is necessity of doing or adopting something which is approved by somebody, or the state. That is different thing. That is material. But actually at the ultimate end, as we have cited the quotation from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, good or bad means satisfaction or dissatisfaction of the Lord. If any action is approved or gives satisfaction to the Lord, that is good. If any action gives dissatisfaction to the Lord, it is bad. That is the general. Now you have to adopt yourself in the service of the Lord in such a way that you can know that this action is giving satisfaction and this action is not giving satisfaction. Then your life is all right.
Govindam ādi-puruṣam tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **. (devotees respond, repeats several times) Thank you very much. So all newcomer students, you are welcome. Thank you very much. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, we are worshiping the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the supreme leader. Human society cannot work without leader. Anywhere you go, any country, any nation, any society, any community, any family, there is a leader. So the Vedas instruct that there is a supreme leader. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). This (is) very important mantra in Kaṭha Upaniṣad. You have heard the names of Upaniṣad. They are Vedic literatures. Originally, the Veda was one, Sāma Veda. Then it was divided into four, Sāma Veda, Atharva Veda, Ṛg Veda, Yajur Veda. Then the Vedas verses were explained in Upaniṣads. There are 108 Upaniṣads. Then the whole conclusion was made shortened, cream. That is called Vedānta-sūtra. And again, this Vedic knowledge was, I mean to say, compiled in simple way for understanding of less intelligent class of men. That is called Mahābhārata. And in the Mahābhārata there is one chapter which is called Bhagavad-gītā. Bhagavad-gītā is only a chapter of the great history of India, Mahābhārata. And then Vedānta-sūtra is described in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. So Vedic literature is very old. Nobody can trace out the history. So far we understand, it is not man-made. It is coming out from transcendental world by disciplic succession.
So people should not be put into darkness, but they should be brought into light. Therefore in every human society, there is a sort of institution which is called religious institution. Take it for granted—Hinduism, Muslimism, or Christianism or Buddhism—any "ism" you take—what is the purpose? The purpose is to bring the persons to the light. That is the purpose of religion. And what is that light? That light is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Religion means the codes of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19). Just like in the state, there is king's law. The king gives you some law, and if you are a good citizen, you are to obey those laws, and you live peacefully. This is crude example. Similarly, dharma or religion means to obey the laws of God, that's all. It may be different according to time, circumstances, people. Just like laws in India, the state laws in India may not agree cent percent with the laws of United States. But that does not mean there is no law. And one has to abide by the law. That is the general principle. Similarly, human being, without obeying the laws of God, he is animal. Just like on the street there is signboard, "Keep to the right." A human being obeys the law, "Keep to the right," and if he does not obey, he goes to the police custody. But if an animal disobeys, there is no law for him. So all those laws, all those scriptures, all those religious principles are made for man, not for animals. Therefore a person without religious principles, without God consciousness, is no better than an animal.
Similarly, human being, without obeying the laws of God, he is animal. Just like on the street there is signboard, "Keep to the right." A human being obeys the law, "Keep to the right," and if he does not obey, he goes to the police custody. But if an animal disobeys, there is no law for him. So all those laws, all those scriptures, all those religious principles are made for man, not for animals. Therefore a person without religious principles, without God consciousness, is no better than an animal. That is the definition given in the Vedic literature. Āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunaṁ ca sāmānyam etat paśubhir narāṇām. Eating, sleeping, sex life and defense, these four principles are equal, common, in human life and animal life. Dharma hy tasya eka viśeṣa. The distinction of human life and animal life is that a man is searching after God; an animal cannot search after God. That is the difference. Therefore a man without that urge for searching after God is no better than animal. That is accepted fact in every civilized society. Unfortunately, at the present moment, in every state, in every society, they are trying to forget God. Some of them are publicly speaking that there is no God, or if there is God, He is dead, and so on. So this is very precarious condition of the human society.
Just like the same example that one man is seeing practically that one who has committed something criminal, he is punished. And he has heard it also from authorities, from lawyers or from respectable gentlemen, that "If you commit such and such sinful activities... If you steal, then you will be imprisoned for six months. If you cheat, you'll be imprisoned for such and such period. If you commit murder, then you'll be hanged." These things are taught some way or other. Either in religious scripture or by lawbooks or by morality or ethical principle, they are taught to the human, civilized human society. And he sees also practically that "This man has committed this kind of criminality, and he is punished." And again why does he commit? That is the problem. So kāma eṣa krodha eṣa rajo-guṇa-samudbhavaḥ. Kāma and krodha. Kāma means desire, lust. Kāma. And when the desire or lust is not fulfilled, then there is krodha. Krodha means anger. There are so many cases of criminality, when the lust is not fulfilled, one commits some criminal action and he is punished and so many things happen. So kāma eṣa krodha eṣa rajo-guṇa-samudbhavaḥ. As we have discussed many times that we are in this material world controlled by the three modes of material nature. Three qualities: goodness, passion and ignorance. So goodness... Yes, passion and ignorance are the causes of our bondage. And goodness is also cause of bondage, but in that platform one can see things as they are. Goodness. Prakāśa. Just like at night we cannot see, but in daytime we see. But seeing is not all. Unless I am convinced of something, even seeing... Just the same example: one man is seeing that a criminal person is punished; still he is committing criminal act.
Goodness is the qualification, is the symbolic representation of becoming a brāhmaṇa. You have heard this name brāhmaṇa. The brāhmaṇa means qualified man in goodness. That is the brāhmaṇa. And kṣatriya means qualified man in passion, and vaiśya means qualified man in ignorance and passion, and śūdra means qualified man in ignorance. These are the natural division of human society. In the Bhagavad-gītā you'll find it is said, cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). By the division, qualitative division and their engagement, there are four castes. You sometimes criticize that India has got caste system. Everywhere the caste system is there—everywhere, throughout the whole universe. Because the three qualities are ruling. So some of them are in goodness, some of them are in passion, some of them are in ignorance, and some of them are in mixed-up qualities. So mixed-up qualities means vaiśya, and pure goodness is brāhmaṇa, and pure passion is kṣatriya, and pure ignorance is śūdra.
So pāpī-tāpī yata chilo, hari-nāme uddhārilo. Simply by distributing this chanting, He claimed everyone, however fallen he may be. "Come on, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and become delivered." So nice thing. Pāpī-tāpī yata chilo, hari-nāme uddhārila. What is the evidence that He has? Ta 'ra sākṣī jagāi and mādhāi. Jagāi-Mādhāi, they were two brothers, debauch number one. You see. They were all kinds of sinful affairs. They were drunkards, they were woman hunters, meat-eaters, so many things. And, of course, they were born in a very high brāhmaṇa family, but bad association, they became like that. Similarly, at the present age, this human society, although they are coming from the Aryan family, very nice family, but due to association the only environment is there's woman and intoxication, meat-eating, and gambling. That's all. So Jagāi-Mādhāi is the specimen sample of this population, and Lord Caitanya delivered them simply by this Hare Kṛṣṇa. So this chanting process, Hare Kṛṣṇa, will actually deliver all these fallen souls without any failure. It is not bogus propaganda. Anyone who will take to this chanting process, whatever, you don't consider about his past life. He will become saintly. He will become a pure Kṛṣṇa conscious person. So pāpī-tāpī yata chilo, hari-nāme uddhārilo, ta 'ra sākṣī jagāi-mādhāi. The evidence is Jagāi-Mādhāi.
Go means senses, go means cow, and go means land. And vindam, vindam means who gives pleasure—the pleasure potency of all these three things, senses, cows, and the land. The land. Sarva-loka-maheśvaram (BG 5.29), in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said. The proprietor of all land, the maintainer of all land, to give pleasure to the people of all land, is Govinda, Kṛṣṇa. Govindam. And He is the protector, and pleasing to the cows. You have seen many pictures of Kṛṣṇa, He is loving cow. Why cow is loved by Him? Why not another animal? There are many other animals. Why particularly cow? Because cow protection is the most important business of the human society. In offering obeisances to Kṛṣṇa, it is said, namo brahmaṇya-devāya go-brāhmaṇa-hitāya ca: "I offer my respectful obeisances unto the Supreme Person, who is the protector of the brāhmaṇas and the cows." Go-brāhmaṇa-hitāya ca jagad-dhitāya. The first qualification is that He protects the brāhmaṇas and the cows. Next, He protects the whole world. Jagad-dhitāya kṛṣṇa. And He is Kṛṣṇa, govindāya, this Govinda.
As in everywhere there is some uniform dress to understand that "He is, he..." Actually, svāmī means who has control over the senses. And that is brahminical culture. Satya śama dama titikṣa ārjavam, jñānam vijñānam āstikyaṁ brahma-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.42). Brahman, Brahman means brāhmaṇa, brahminical culture. Truthfulness, cleanliness, and controlling the senses, controlling the mind, and simplicity and tolerance, full of knowledge, practical application in life, faith in God—these qualifications are brahminical culture. Anywhere we practice these qualifications, he'll revive brahminical culture. It is not that in a particular country or particular society or particular class of men they are brāhmaṇas. No. Bhagavad-gītā does not say that. Brahma-karma svabhāva-jam. Svabhāva-jam, natural activities. So truthfulness, controlling the senses, controlling the mind, and simplicity, and cleanliness, and tolerance, and knowledge, and practical application of knowledge in life. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is for training brahmacārīs. Brahmacārī means who are being practiced to the brahminical culture. So, there must be a portion of the population well versed in brahminical culture. Ekaś candras tamo hanti na ca tara sahasrasaḥ. Just like in a garden if there is one nice flower plant, rose, with good scent, the whole garden becomes flavored, you see? Scented. Similarly, we do not expect that the whole population of the human society will be taking to this brahminical culture; but even one percent of the whole population accepts this brahminical culture, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then the whole world will be peaceful. Not even one percent, less than one percent. It is so nice.
So you cannot expect if you create dog society, then you cannot expect. You have to create a portion, a certain percentage of the population, brāhmaṇas. Then there is possibility. Just like in the sky the numerical strength of the stars are greater, but there is one moon. That one moon is sufficient to illuminate the sky. Ekaś candras tamo hanti na ca tara sahasrasaḥ. Millions of millions of stars twinkling, they cannot dissipate the darkness. You see. Only one moon, only one sun. So try to make some percentage of the population actually brāhmaṇa. Go-brāhmaṇa-hitāya ca. And protect the cows. Actually, we are taking so much advantages. So from the cows, the milk. And from the milk we can make hundreds of vitaminous foodstuff, hundreds. They're all palatable. So such a nice animal, faithful, peaceful, and beneficial. After taking milk from it, if we kill, does it look very well? Even after the death, the cows supply the skin for your shoes. It is so beneficial. You see. Even after death. While living, he gives you nice milk. You cannot reject milk from the human society. As soon as there is a child born, milk immediately required. Old man, milk is life. Diseased person, milk is life. Invalid, milk is life. So therefore Kṛṣṇa is teaching by His practical demonstration how He loves this innocent animal, cow. So human society should develop brahminical culture on the basis of protecting cows. The brāhmaṇa cannot take any other food except it is made of milk preparation. That develops the finer tissues of the brain. You can understand in subtle matters, in philosophy, in spiritual science. Just like in a scientific college, not ordinary man can understand the scientific intricacies. They require some preliminary qualification to enter into the scientific college. They require some preliminary qualification to enter into the law college, in the postgraduate classes. Similarly, to understand the subtle or finer implications of spiritual science, one has to become brāhmaṇa. Without becoming brāhmaṇa it is not possible.
So we have to transcend this position of designation. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170). And by reviving our lost relationship with the Supreme Lord, we become cleansed. That is brahminical stage. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam. Nirmalam means cleansed, and hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanam. When your consciousness is cleansed, then you can only render service to the Lord. Otherwise not. So long our consciousness is not clean, consciousness is polluted, there is no possibility of rendering service to the Lord. Hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanam. Hṛṣīka, hṛṣīka means senses purified by being freed from designation. When it is purified in connection with activities of Kṛṣṇa, or God, then he can render service to the Lord, Hṛṣīkeṇa. That is called bhakti. This is bhakti. Bhakti is nothing artificial. It is the activity of healthy stage. Just like a man, when he is diseased, his activities are differing from the man who is cured and healthy. To become healthy does not mean to kill the patient. To kill..., not to kill him, but to cure him from the disease, that is real treatment. The whole treatment of the human society should be like that: to cure him from the disease of forgetfulness his relationship with God. Then when he is cured, when he is in healthy state, then there will be no more trouble in the world. Peace and prosperity can be established when people are no more in the designated stage, when he is free. So it is not expected, however, that cent percent population of the world will be such free from all contamination. But even a certain percentage only, even most insignificant, one percent or less than that, millions in one, then the face of the world will change.
I shall speak. Record it. "Manifesto of Kṛṣṇa Consciousness." The International Society for Krishna Consciousness is a movement aiming at the spiritual reorientation of mankind through the simple process of chanting the holy names of God. The human life is meant for ending the miseries of material existence. Our present-day society is trying to do so by material progress. However, it is visible to all that in spite of the extensive material progress, the human society is not in peaceful condition. The reason is that a human being is essentially a spirit soul. It is the spirit soul which is the background of development of the material body. However the materialist scientist may deny the spiritual existence in the background of the living force, there is no better understanding than accepting the spirit soul within the body.
So it is understood from any source of scriptural injunction that the Supreme Lord, or Kṛṣṇa, is the maintainer of the individual living entities, and it is the duty of the individual entity to feel obliged to the Supreme Lord. This is the whole background of religious principle. Without this acknowledgement, there is chaos, as it is happening in our daily experience at the present moment. Everyone is trying to become the Supreme Lord, either socially, politically or individually. Therefore there is competition for this false lordship and there is chaos all over the world, individually, nationally, socially or collectively. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is trying to establish the supremacy of the Absolute Personality of Godhead. The human society is meant for this understanding because this consciousness makes his life successful. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is not a new introduction of the mental speculators. Actually this movement was started by Kṛṣṇa Himself in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra. At least five thousand years ago the movement was presented by Kṛṣṇa in the Bhagavad-gītā. From this Bhagavad-gītā we can understand that this system of consciousness was spoken by Him long, long before—He imparted to the sun-god Vivasvān.
The activities in the material nature are different from the activities in the spiritual nature. In the material nature, although the spiritual soul is eternal, as we have explained before, the activities are temporary. Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is aiming to place the spirit soul in his eternal activities. The eternal activities can be practiced even when we are materially encaged. It requires simply direction. But it is possible, under the prescribed rules and regulations, to act spiritually. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement teaches these spiritual activities, and if one is trained up in such spiritual activities, one is transferred to the spiritual world, of which we get ample evidence from Vedic literatures and also from the Bhagavad-gītā. And the spiritually trained person can be transferred to the spiritual world easily by change of consciousness. The consciousness is always there because it is the symptom of the living spirit soul. But at the present moment the consciousness is materially contaminated. Just like pouring water, water pouring, down from the cloud is pure, distilled water, but as soon as the water comes in touch with the earth it becomes muddy immediately. Again, by filtering the same water, the original clearness can be regained. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is the process of clearing the consciousness, and as soon as the consciousness clear and pure it is transferred to the spiritual world for eternal life of knowledge and bliss, which we are hankering for in this material world, and being frustrated in every step on account of material contamination. Therefore this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement should be taken very seriously by the leaders of the human society.
I offer my respectful obeisances unto the spiritual master, who has opened my eyes with the torch of knowledge in my material existence of darkness. Ladies and Gentlemen, please accept my greetings in the happy new year of 1969, and blessings of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, for your kindly participating in this happy meeting of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kṛṣṇa appeared on this earthly planet five thousand years ago and gave us the unique philosophy and religious principles of Kṛṣṇa consciousness in the shape of the Bhagavad-gītā. Unfortunately, in course of time, as things change and deteriorate in the material world, people deteriorated and forgot the art of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Lord Kṛṣṇa again therefore appeared as Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu at the end of the fifteenth century to revive the same Kṛṣṇa consciousness atmosphere in the human society. Lord Caitanya's special gift to the fallen souls of this age of quarrel and disagreement is to induce the people in general, the religionists, the philosophers and everyone to take to the chanting of the holy name of Kṛṣṇa. He informed us that the Absolute Supreme Personality of Godhead can descend also in transcendental sound vibration, and thus, when you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra offenselessly, we immediately contact Kṛṣṇa and His internal energy, and thus we become immediately purified from all dirty things in our heart.
Our conditional life of material existence is due to dirty things in our heart. Originally we are all Kṛṣṇa conscious living beings, but due to our long material association in different species of life, varying to 8,400,000 different forms of life, we are accustomed to transmigrating from one form of body or another. In such cycle of birth and death, I, you, and every one of us, although originally spirit soul and therefore qualitatively one in constitution with the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa, we have identified with this material form of life, subjected to various forms of material pangs, specifically in the shape of birth, death, old age and disease. The whole material civilization is a process of hard struggle of life, ending in birth, death, old age and disease. The human society is struggling fruitlessly against these perpetual problems of life in different ways. Some of them are making material attempts and some of them are making partially spiritual attempts. The materialists are trying to solve the problems by achievement of scientific knowledge, education, philosophy, morality, ethics, poetic thoughts, etc., and the spiritualists are trying to solve the problems by different theses like discerning matter from spirit in various ways. And some of them are trying as mystic yogis to arrive at the right conclusion. But all of them must know it for certain that in this age of Kali, or the age of quarrel and dissension, there is no possibility of success without accepting the process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī, the speaker of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, has therefore recommended that everyone, be he a fruitive worker, a salvationist or a mystic yogi, if actually he wants to be freed from the pangs of material existence, he must take to the process of chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare.
So in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam also it is stated that parābhavas tāvad abodha-jātaḥ. We are all born ignorant. Either in human society or in animal society, we are born all ignorant. Therefore, in the human society the system is that children are given education. Why? Because it is supposed that the child is born ignorant. Similarly, as we give material education to the children, it is the duty of the parents to enlighten them with spiritual education. Śrīmad-Bhāgavata says that "Nobody should desire to become a father, nobody should desire to become a mother, unless one is able to save the child from the impending death." So that is also the duty of spiritual master. One should not become a spiritual master unless one is able to save the disciple from impending death. And what is that impending death? Impending death means... Because we are spirit soul, we have no death. But impending death means of this body. So it is the duty of spiritual master, it is the duty of the parents, it is the duty of the state, it is the duty of kinsmen, friends, everyone, to save people from this impending birth and death.
So they have got some duty. The father wants to see how the children are comfortably raised, and the children also seeing the interest of the father and mother. Just like in family life we have got a certain kind of consciousness, "He's my father. He's my child." Similarly, if we develop our original consciousness, that "God is our father; we are all children," then the whole trouble ceases. If God is the proprietor of everything and every children has got right to enjoy the God's property, then where is the trouble? For want of this consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, everyone is claiming, "This is my property. This is my state. This is my country." Ahaṁ mameti (SB 5.5.8). Aham means "I," and mama means "mine." This is nonsense. Nothing belongs to you. Everything belongs to God. Everyone has got right to live on God's property. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If everyone is taught this God consciousness, there is no need of this artificial United Nations. We are united by nature. God is the center. Why artificial spending so much money? We are united not only in the human society, but we are united in all living societies, all living entities. Why we should treat the animals as different? Because there is no Kṛṣṇa consciousness. I have got my consciousness that "The human beings in America are my brothers, or my countrymen. They should be given all protection." And why not cows? They are also born in America. Why they are being sent to slaughterhouse? Because there is no Kṛṣṇa consciousness. There is no Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
There are very important words here. Gṛheṣu. Gṛheṣu means at home, and gṛha-medhinām, gṛha-medhinām means persons who are simply attached to home life. There are many persons, different grades of persons. Generally, people are very much attached. Why men? Even animals, they are also. Even a tiger, he has got a wife and few cubs. So he's happy there. Gṛha-medhinām. A serpent, he has got also wife, a few children. Or any animal, dog, cat—the husband and wife and few children. That is everywhere. It is not only in the human society. But the human society, even they are with wife, home, and children, they can talk about Kṛṣṇa. That is the facility. Otherwise, śrotavyādīni rājendra nṛṇāṁ santi sahasraśaḥ (SB 2.1.2). There are thousands and thousands of subject matter for talking. Just like you take a newspaper in the morning. In your country, a bunch of paper. You see. Although you cannot read, you must get one newspaper. You'll read only one column or one page, but there are thousands of pages. You see? You cannot finish even in one month such reading. (laughter) But what are those containing? The same thing—talkings about eating, sleeping, mating, and defending. That's all. In different pictures, in different set up, but the subject matter is eating, sleeping, mating and defending. That's all.
Just like you are reading Bhagavad-gītā. The Bhagavad-gītā is being taught by Lord Kṛṣṇa to Arjuna. He is authority. And Kṛṣṇa says that "This Bhagavad-gītā is taught from time immemorial by disciplic succession," not by research work. As soon as you study Bhagavad-gītā by your academic knowledge, without reference to the authoritative description, then you commit mistake. You do not understand what is Bhagavad-gītā. Kṛṣṇa says, therefore, that "This disciplic succession is now broken. I therefore establish again the disciplic succession unto you." That means Arjuna becomes the disciple of Kṛṣṇa, and anyone who understands Bhagavad-gītā, following the footprints of Arjuna, he can understand rightly what is the purpose of Bhagavad-gītā. So all Vedic literatures, not only Bhagavad-gītā, all the Vedas... There are four Vedas: Sāma, Yajur, Ṛg, Atharva. Then there are Upaniṣads, 108 Upaniṣads. Out of that, nine Upaniṣads are very important: Īśopaniṣad, Kaṭha Upaniṣad, Taittirīya Upaniṣad. So then again, Vedānta-sūtra, then Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. In this way there are various Vedic literatures. And if you are interested... You should be interested. These Vedic literatures are not meant for a particular class of men. It was meant for the human society so that they may take advantage of this knowledge and make a perfection of their human life.
So tarko 'pratiṣṭhaḥ śrutayo vibhinnā. If somebody says, "Well, argument and logic is not the way to approach the Absolute Truth. Then let us take scriptures, the authority of the scriptures," that is also very nice. In every human society there is some sort of scripture. Just like in your country there is Bible or any other scripture. We have got Vedas. The Muhammadans, they have got Koran. They can help also, because that is also authority. But you will find that one scripture is differing from the average there is no difference. Just like Bible preaches, Lord Jesus Christ preaches love of God, we are also preaching the same thing, love of God. But our process is little different. That's all. That process may be different according to time, circumstances, people. That is natural. Therefore, for a neophyte, simply by consulting scriptures, he will not be able to reach to the absolute goal. Because he will find, "Oh..." Sometimes they become skeptic. Just like in the modern age, the youngsters, you all boys and girls, they are becoming skeptic. They don't believe in any scripture now because they find some differences. Therefore Bhāgavata said that tarko 'pratiṣṭhaḥ śrutayo vibhinnā: "Simply by argument you cannot establish what is Absolute Truth, and if you consult different scriptures, you will find difference of opinion, or difference of procedures, rituals." So śrutayo vibhinnā nāsāv munir yasya mataṁ na bhinnam. And if we consult great thinkers or philosophers, they have got their different opinions. Some philosopher says, "I think this is right. I think this is right."
So austerity means we are not imposing upon you that you go to the forest and live in a cave or you don't eat or don't see any human being—you just meditate for three hundred years. No. That is not possible. That is not possible. You cannot go to the forest, you cannot go to the mountain, neither you can meditate. All these are not recommended in this age. That is not possible. If somebody imitates or tries to imitate, he is simply wasting time. Only austerity is that don't have illicit sex life just like cats and dogs, because marriage is recommended in the human society. There is no marriage in cat society, dog society, hog society. Any human society you take, either in the Western world or in the Eastern world, or in Christian society, Hindu society, Muhammadan society—in every civilized human society there is a ceremony called marriage. And that is also Vedic system, that one should not have any illicit sex life, but one should be combined according to religious rite and live peacefully and execute Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This much austerity.
Prasādam means the foodstuff which is offered to Kṛṣṇa and then you take. So what Kṛṣṇa wants, that is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati (BG 9.26). Therefore we are not propagating the philosophy of ahiṁsā, or nonviolence, because in some way or other, there is violence, either you take fruit or grain or animal. But the principle is that you have to take prasādam, the foodstuff which is offered to Kṛṣṇa, and then eat. So these things, fruits, grains, are accepted by Kṛṣṇa. We offer to Kṛṣṇa and then eat them. This is the philosophy. Not that because we are eating fruits, therefore we are getting pious, and because... (break) Yes. When you become cent percent purified, then you go to the spiritual world. You haven't got to come back. That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Yad gatvā na nivartante yad dhāma paramaṁ mama (BG 15.6). So purificatory means that we are changing our bodies life after life, transmigrating. Now this is the opportunity. This human form of life is the opportunity to purify ourself so that next life we can get complete spiritual life, full of bliss, knowledge, and eternity. This is the process. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness means to get the highest perfection of life. And that opportunity is offered to the human society. The animal society, they cannot take advantage. The Bhagavad-gītā is meant for the human society. So if we take advantage of the presentation given by Kṛṣṇa, if we practice Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then there is opportunity of becoming fully, cent percent perfect. We have to take advantage of it. That's all. Yes?
So brahma-bhūtaḥ stage, it is not simply word, that "I have realized Brahman." There are symptoms. Everything has got symptoms, how one has realized Brahman. That stage is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54). When one is on the transcendental platform, brahma-bhūtaḥ stage, his symptom is that he's always joyful, joyful. There is no moroseness, And what is joyful? That is also explained. What is joyfulness? Na śocati na kāṅkṣati. He does not hanker after anything, neither he laments. In the material platform we have got two symptoms: hankering and lamenting. The things which we do not possess, we hanker after it: "I must have it. I must have it. I must have this, this, that..." Gṛha-kṣetra-sutāpta-vittaiḥ (SB 5.5.8). There is nice explanation how this hankering, hankering is expanded. This hankering expanded: this whole material world is hankering after sex life. That is the basic principle of hankering. Puṁsāṁ mitho. Puṁsāṁ striyo mithunī-bhāvam etam. This is Sanskrit language. Mithunī-bhāvam means sex life. Either in human society or animal society or bird society or insects'—everywhere you will find that sex life is very prominent. That is materialistic way of life, indriyāṇi, senses. So the everyone... A boy is hankering after a girl, a girl in hankering after a boy, or a man is hankering after woman, woman is hankering... This is going on. This is not unnatural. This is the natural life. And tayor mitho, the hankering is there. But as soon as they meet or unite, it becomes a hard knot, tayor mitho hṛdaya-granthim āhuḥ (SB 5.5.8), a hard knot in the heart, that "I am matter. I am this matter. This world belongs to me. This country belongs to me. This body belongs to me." That means hard knot. Instead of transcending from the concept of body life, it becomes still more hard knot. It is very difficult. Therefore those who are practicing yoga, or trying to be on the transcendental platform, the restriction is that one must cease sex life, if you at all interested. But that is not possible. Therefore our, this method, we don't say "Stop sex life," but we say "Don't have illicit sex life." Illicit sex life, of course, even there is no question of transcendent life, that is a question of civilized life. Civilized life. In every civilized society—it may be Hindu society or Muslim society or Christian society—any civilized human society, there is the system of marriage. And beyond marriage, if there is sex life, that is called illicit sex life. That is never indulged in any society. So what to speak of transcendental life? Transcendental life must be purified from mental concoction or bodily concept of life. It is the transcendental platform. Tayor mitho hṛdaya-granthim āhuḥ.
Ladies and gentlemen, I thank you very much for your participating with us in the saṅkīrtana movement, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to awake the sleeping living entities. In the Vedic literature, Upaniṣad, we have these verses, which says, uttiṣṭha jāgrata prāpya varān nibodhata (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 1.3.14). The Vedic voice, transcendental voice, says, "O humanity, O living entity, you are sleeping. Please get up." Uttiṣṭha. Uttiṣṭha means "Please get up." Just like when a man or a boy sleeps past, and the parents, who has got knowledge that he has got to do something important, "My dear boy, please get up. It is now morning. You have to go. You have to go to your duty. You have to go to your school." Just like responsible parents, fathers, mothers, they awake the sleepy, indolent boy, similarly, the Vedas are considered as the mother of the human society. So Vedas, it is crying, uttiṣṭha: "Please get up. Please get up." And what is that sleeping? Sleeping means just like when we sleep we forget ourself. Anyone, either common man or very rich man, when he's fast asleep he forgets himself. Sometimes he dreams. Although he is sleeping in very nice apartment, nice bedstead, but he is dreaming that he is thrown into the ocean or into the fire or something like that. Sometimes he is dreaming that he is flying in the sky—so many things dreaming. Everyone, you have got experience. Similarly, our this state of consciousness, material consciousness, is on the sleeping state, in the darkness of sleeping state. We do not know. We do not know what is my identity. We do not know wherefrom we have come in this place, where we have to go. Neither they have any information whether there is life after death. Very gross understanding, just like animals. Animal is standing, eating some grass. Although next moment he'll be taken to the slaughterhouse and he'll be killed, but he has no information. He is very happy eating the grass. And even if it is informed, "My dear Mr. Ox, you are eating grass here very happily.
So in the modern educational system, universities, there is no such information, we see. It is very lamentable, but these knowledges are there in the Vedic literature. The summary of all Vedic literature is Śrīmad-Bhagavad-gītā and the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. There are many other literatures-Rāmāyaṇa, Mahābhārata, eighteen Purāṇas. They are meant for human society, not for these cats and dogs. So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is just to awake people to their rightful position, which is called Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kṛṣṇa consciousness means to understand how he is related with Kṛṣṇa. When we speak of Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa means God. The word Kṛṣṇa, Sanskrit word, means all-attractive. So without God, nobody can be all-attractive, all-powerful, all-opulent. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is directed to awake people to the rightful position of his spiritual existence, the, I mean to say, process. Of course, there are many different kinds of processes recommended in the Vedic literature. Just like some of you, or any one of you, know that one process is very important process which is called meditation, dhyāna. So that dhyāna, that is also mentioned, kṛte yad dhyāyato viṣṇum (SB 12.3.52). This meditation process was possible to be executed in the age when people were very pious and very honest and the duration of life was very long. That is called Golden Age, or Satya-yuga. According to Sanskrit word, it is called Satya-yuga. This meditation process was possible to be executed in the Satya-yuga, Satya millennium. Then the next millennium, Tretā-yuga. There is a great description of these yugas. In the Satya-yuga, people used to live for hundred thousands of years. People used to live. It is not that, that according to the modern anthropologists, they say that ten thousand years ago there was no human being. These are the not the Vedic version. We do not accept this version, because we find that there was age, which is called Satya-yuga, when people used to live for one hundred thousands of years. The next age, Tretā-yuga, when people used to live for ten thousands of years. The next age is called Dvāpara-yuga, when people used to live for one thousand years. Now it is called Kali-yuga, when people can live, utmost, one hundred years. These are the calculation of different ages.
It is a bad bargain because there are four problems. Even if you are very rich, you have no economic problem, you've got everything(?), but you have to take birth, you have to die, you have to suffer from disease, you have to accept old age. These problems you cannot avoid. Either you are rich man or poor man or American or Indian or white or black, it doesn't matter. The problems, the four problems of material existence, will always trouble you. Nobody wishes to die, but he has to die. Nobody likes disease, but he has to suffer from disease. So these are the problems. If you don't think they are not problems, then you are less intelligent. You have to become more intelligent. The animals, they don't care for death. Now, here is a slaughterhouse. Another animal is being killed, and this animal, little grass, oh, he is happy. He does not know that "Next moment I am going to be killed." This is ignorance. Ignorance means animal life, and knowledge means human life. Therefore there is so much educational system in every human society. Why? Knowledge means human life, and ignorance means animal life. So why should we be ignorant of these four problems, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9), the problems of birth, death, old age and disease? Why you set aside these problems and think you are happy? That is animal life. They don't care for the problems, and eating grass. That is animal life.
Woman (1): Is astrology of any importance to a way of life, I mean...
Prabhupāda: Yes. This is a science. Yes. This is a science. It is a science. That science is acceptable by the human society. Medical science, legal science, engineering science. Similarly, astrology also, another science. But the astrology is simply useful so long you have got this body. But as soon as your body is finished, there is no more use of astrology.
Devotee: Should we chant?
Prabhupāda: Yes. Now you can. What is that? Take it. Chant. Authority, it is accepted like that. Because other authorities whom we are accepting, they have accepted... Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186). We have to follow the footprints of other authorities. Leadership. In every society they are accepting leadership. So in that way you have to accept authority. There is no other process.
That is being given also. But we are giving some food which will make him satisfied for good. No more hunger. That is the best service. Just try to understand what sort of service is this Kṛṣṇa consciousness: no more hunger, no more demand. Svāmin kṛtārtho 'smi: "Oh, I am fully satisfied." Varaṁ na yāce: "I have no more demand. Finish." And if you go materially, satisfy your hunger, this, that, this, that, this, that, oh, it is simply illusion. It will never be finished. Just like you are advanced in material prosperity than other country. Does it mean that you are satisfied? Why there are hippies? Why there are so many frustrated youngsters? The richest country in the world. That, this richness of material world, the rascals, they are following that "If we become like America and some industrial, we shall become happy." That is rascaldom. Actual happiness is how you learn to love God. Then you get happy. That can be achieved without any material advancement. Anywhere you can have, without any expenditure, without any effort, without any education, without any knowledge. Simply chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and you develop that love. This is the highest service to the human society. Just try to understand. Everyone will say, "Oh, I am now satisfied, fully satisfied. I don't want. No more stealing, no more pick-pocketing, no more cheating, because I have no want. Why shall I cheat? Why shall I cheat?" Everything will be complete, fully satisfied. Yayātmā suprasīdati. Suprasīdati, this very word, Sanskrit word, is there. You have to make yourself fully satisfied. Then there will be no more want. You see?
So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to let people know how much valuable life is his, and utilize it in that way. Our movement is sarve sukhino bhavantu: everyone become, be happy. Not only human society, even animal society. We want to see everyone happy. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. And it is practical; it is not dream. You can become happy. Don't be disappointed, don't be confused. Your life has value. You, in this life, you can realize your eternal life, eternal blissful life of knowledge. It is possible; it is not impossible. So we are simply transmitting this message to the world, that "Your life is very valuable. Don't waste it just like cats and dogs. Try to utilize it fully." That is the statement in the Bhagavad-gītā. We have published Bhagavad-gītā As It Is. Try to read it. In that Bhagavad-gītā in the Fourth Chapter it is said, janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ: if simply tries to understand what is Kṛṣṇa, what is His business, what is His life, where does He live, what does He do...., janma karma. Janma means appearance and disappearance; karma means activities; divyam—transcendental. Janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ. One who knows the appearance and activities of Kṛṣṇa in fact, in truth—not by sentiment but by scientific study—then the result is tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9). Simply by understanding Kṛṣṇa, you'll no more have to come back to this miserable condition of material existence. This is fact. Even in your life, in this life, you'll understand, you'll be happy.
So our proposal is that in this life you have got this opportunity, the informations are there, the scientific methods are there—take advantage. Fully utilize your, this valuable life by changing simply your ordinary consciousness to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the greatest boon offered to the human society by Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. If you take advantage of it, then sarve sukhino bhavantu—then you'll become happy. It is not a mental concoction; it is very authorized. It is accepted by great stalwart scholars and ācāryas like Śaṅkarācārya, Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, Viṣṇu Svāmī, those who practically guided the whole destiny of Indian civilization—even Lord Buddha, he was Indian—but all of them accepted these authorized scriptural... Don't try to manufacture. There are so many things in store, in Vedic knowledge, and they're all summarized in the Bhagavad-gītā. Try to understand. It is not very expensive or very difficult, but you have to understand it with full brain, then your life will be successful.
In the Vedic literature you'll find, Vedas, "God has many energies." Parāsya śaktiḥ. Śakti means energy, power. Vividhaiva, multi, various. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate svabhāva... Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva, na tat-samaś cābhyadhikaś ca dṛśyate. This is the injunction of Vedas. "You cannot find anyone equal or greater than God. Nobody can be equal with God; nobody can be greater than God." Then he is not God. Na tat-samaś cābhyadhikaś ca. Sama means equal; adhika means greater. Na tat-samaś cābhyadhikaś ca dṛśyate. They have analyzed who is God. The great sages, the liberated sages, they are not fools, rascals, that they will accept anyone God. No. They will test. This is the test. If you find somebody, that he is neither lower than anyone, neither equal to anyone, then he is God. There are other, many definitions of God. Aiśvaryasya samagrasya vīryasya yaśasaḥ śriyaḥ (Viṣṇu Purāṇa 6.5.47). Analytical study. Try to understand God. This is the business of human form of life, not that simply eating, sleeping and mating and defending. These are animal business. The animal knows how to eat, how to sleep, how to mate, and how to defend in its own way. So that is common formula for human being or animal. But there is one speciality in human society or human being—he can understand God, what is God. If I explain to a human being, however illiterate, uneducated, he may be, if he has simply these two ears, he will understand what is God. Therefore the Vedic information is called śruti. Just try to hear. You haven't got to be educated or literate. God has given you these two ears and you can learn. Simply you have to learn from the authorized sources. Then you will understand God. And when you understand God, then you develop love of God. And when you develop love of God without any motive and without any impediment, then you find, "Oh," svāmin kṛtārtho 'smi varaṁ na yāce (CC Madhya 22.42), "I have no more any demand. I am completely satisfied." Try to come to this platform, transcendental stage. You cannot be happy simply by material advancement. That is not possible.
"You just surrender unto Me. You give up all other occupational duties. You simply become Kṛṣṇa conscious, and I'll give you," I mean to say, "immunity, or protection from all sinful..." But if you do not accept, Kṛṣṇa will not force you. So He is giving protection to everyone, generally. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). Not only giving the human society—the animal society, the birds, trees, every... Don't you see it, how the arrangement is there? Everyone is living under certain conditions. Just like a prisoner. Prisoners are condemned, at the same time, given protection by the government. Within the prison walls they are protected. If somebody comes to kill them, government immediately calls for military or police to protect them. But because they are condemned, they are put into the prison. Similarly, all living entities, they are children, they are sons of God. So God is giving them all protection. Kṛṣṇa is giving them all protection. But by misuse of their little freedom, they are misusing, they are misusing their liberty. Therefore they are put into this material world. Otherwise, generally, the protection is there. Any other questions?
So if you can practically study sound, light, nicely, scientifically, then you'll see Kṛṣṇa also. That is required. Education means to find out the ultimate goal, Absolute Truth. In whatever field of education you may be, that doesn't matter. But try to find out the ultimate. Because in the Vedānta-sūtra it is said, "What is Absolute Truth?" The first question in the Vedānta-sūtra is athāto brahma jijñāsā. "Now, this is the time." This means the human form of life is the opportunity to understand the Absolute Truth. The Absolute Truth is neither discussed nor understood by the animal society. It is not possible. There is no arrangement in the animal society to understand God or the Absolute Truth. Because they're animals, it is not possible. It is possible in the human society. This association, this room, is an attempt to understand the Absolute Truth, because it belongs to the human society. But if you go to the animal society, they haven't got such room, such arrangement. So that is the distinction between animal and human being. Human being, in any part of the world, it doesn't matter, even uncivilized, there is an inquisitiveness to search out what is the Absolute Truth.
Śrī Sūta Gosvāmī is addressing the learned sages assembled in a place called Naimiṣāraṇya. That place is still existing in India, in northern India. It is very old place. Now the place is named Nimsar, but original name is Naimiṣāraṇya. So in that Naimiṣāraṇya meeting, the president, Sūta Gosvāmī, addressed the brāhmaṇas. He said, ataḥ pumbhir dvija-śreṣṭhā. Dvija-śreṣṭhā means in that assembly the high-class brāhmaṇas, very intelligent class of men, they assembled. So he addressed them, "My dear learned scholars, brāhmaṇas, the duty of the human society," ataḥ pumbhir dvija-śreṣṭhā varṇāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ... The duties are different according to different divisions of social order and spiritual order. That is Vedic civilization. There are four kinds of social orders and four kinds of spiritual orders. The social orders are the brāhmaṇas, the kṣatriyas, the vaiśyas, and the śūdras; or the intellectual class of men... Brāhmaṇa means intellectual class of men—one who devotes his life only in studying Vedas and acquiring knowledge and distributing that. Every time, in every age, there is a class of men who are intellectual class. So this intellectual class of men is called brāhmaṇa. And the next class, the administrative class. Those who takes part in politics for administration of the state, government, they are called kṣatriyas. The actual meaning of kṣatriya is "one who protects a man from being hurt by others." That is called kṣatriya. That means, that is the business of the administrators, government. So brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, then vaiśyas. Vaiśyas means productive class who are interested in producing things for consumption by the people. Mercantile class, industrialists, they are called vaiśyas. And the last class, fourth class, they are called śūdras. Śūdras means that they are neither intellectual, nor they're administrator, nor industrial or mercantile, but they can serve others. That's all.
So it is said that kalau śūdra sambhava. In the modern age, people are being taught in the university to become śūdra—neither brāhmaṇas nor kṣatriyas nor vaiśyas, generally. Because after education, they will have to seek after some service. He becomes a great technologist, but unless he gets a good job, his whole education is spoiled. You see? So therefore, in the Vedic śāstra it is said, in this age people are almost all śūdras. Kalau śūdra sambhava. So the president of that meeting, Sūta Gosvāmī, said that it doesn't matter whether one man is brāhmaṇa or a kṣatriya or a vaiśya or a śūdra. This is social order. And then spiritual order: brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha, and sannyāsa. Brahmacārī means student, unmarried student, without any sex life. That is brahmacārī. And then gṛhastha, householder. Those who are living with wife and children, they are called householder, gṛhastha. Then vānaprastha, the retired persons. And then sannyāsa. After retirement, one dedicates his whole life for preaching work, preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is sannyāsa order. So this is... These four divisions are in the spiritual order, and the other divisions are in the social order. Human society without these eight divisions—means social divisions and spiritual divisions—it is not called civilized. They must have. Therefore Sūta Gosvāmī said, the social orders are there, and the spiritual orders are there, and each and every order, there are prescribed duties. The brāhmaṇas, they are engaged in such and such things, the brahmacārīs are engaged in such and such thing, the kṣatriyas are engaged... There are different prescribed duties. Now Sūta Gosvāmī says that varṇāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ. There are divisions of duties and divisions of social and spiritual order. That's all right.
So you have got the facility. By God's mercy you have got this facility to chant the holy name of God. If you think that Kṛṣṇa is Indian God's name, actually it is not Indian God's name. Kṛṣṇa never claims that He's Indian or Hindu. Most of you have read Bhagavad-gītā. He claims everyone as His son. Not only human society—the animal society, bird society, the beast society, the plant society, the aquatic society, all. Sarva-yoniṣu. Sarva means all. Yoni, yoni means species of life. Everyone, all living entities, Kṛṣṇa says. Kṛṣṇa must be... If He is God, He must claim that, that "The material nature is their mother and I am their father." So Kṛṣṇa is for everyone. Not that... Don't think that Kṛṣṇa is for the Indian or for the Hindus. No. Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa. This Kṛṣṇa is for everyone. For the human being, for the animals—everyone. So if you think that Kṛṣṇa is belonging to some particular country or religion, then you can chant your own way. If in your religion, in your scripture, there is any God's name, you can chant that also. Our only propaganda is that you increase your love of God. And the simple process is to chant this Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. There is no charge for it. There is no loss on your part. There is no inconvenience on your part. At any moment, at any place. There is no restriction. So why don't you take advantage of this great boon to the human society?
Similarly, the circle increases and you capture the waves and you understand. Similarly, international feeling can be extended also. In the beginning of our life, just like a child, anna-brahman: everything he wants to eat. A small child, whatever he captures he wants to eat. Personal interest. Then, when the child grows, he tries to participate with his other brothers and sisters: "All right. You also take little." This is increasing the feeling of fellowship. Then he grows again, he feels for his father, parents, society, then community, country, and at last, international. Expansion. But in such feelings, unless the center is right, that expansion of feeling, universally or internationally or nationally even, that is not perfect. That is not perfect. Take, for example, internationally. In your country, what is the meaning of national? National means one who has taken birth in that particular country. Is that all right? National? You feel for another American because he is born in this country. Or any other country, Indian. That national feeling, that is called national feeling. You feel for your countrymen. You sacrifice your life for your country. But there is defect. What is that defect? If this is the definition—that a living entity or a person born in that country, he is a national—then why not the animals? They are also born in that country. But we are not expanding our feelings beyond this human society. We don't think animals are national assets. Animals are sent to the slaughterhouse. So this is because the center of national feeling or international feeling is losing. The center is not fixed up. If the center is right, then you can make circle from that center, any number of circles, they'll never overlap. They'll be growing, growing, growing. They'll not interact with one another if the center is all right.
A paṇḍita, if one has actually elevated to that stage of perfect wisdom, then he is sama-darśinaḥ, that actually sama... How sama-darśinaḥ? Vidyā-vinaya-sampanne brāhmaṇe. A brāhmaṇa, according to Vedic culture, a brāhmaṇa is considered... Brāhmaṇa means vidyā-vinaya-sampanne. He is very gentle and very learned. That is the first qualification of brāhmaṇa. Not by birth but by qualification. Gentle and learned. Vidyā-vinaya-sampanne brāhmaṇe gavi, brāhmaṇe gavi hastini, paṇḍitaḥ sama-darśinaḥ (BG 5.18). Because his vision is no more on the platform of this body. Sama-darśinaḥ. He sees a learned brāhmaṇa is also a spirit soul, and a dog is also a spirit soul, an elephant is also a spirit soul, or a low-born man, he is also spirit soul. Beginning from the high-born brāhmaṇa up to the caṇḍāla, there are social stages in the human society. But if a man is really learned, he sees everyone, every living entity, on the same level. That is the stage of learning.
- vidyā-vinaya-sampanne
- brāhmaṇe gavi hastini
- śuni caiva śva-pāke ca...
- (BG 5.18)
Śva-pāk means the dog-eaters. In India there are many types of flesh eaters. Not higher caste, amongst the lower grade. But anyone who eats the flesh of dog, he is called caṇḍāla, lowest of the mankind. But here Bhagavad-gītā says even if he is caṇḍāla, the paṇḍitaḥ, he sees equally like the brāhmaṇa because he sees the spirit soul.
Does he follow this devotional service blindly? No. Jñātvā. Jñātvā means "knowing perfectly that I am the source of everything." Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ: (BG 10.8) "I am the source of everything." So these things are there in the Bhagavad-gītā As It Is. It is not possible to explain all the verses. But our request is that this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to spread the knowledge depicted in the Bhagavad-gītā as it is, without any nonsensical commentation. Then the human society will profit by it. They are actually not in sound condition of living atmosphere, but if they understand Bhagavad-gītā and if they actually expand their broader outlook, then these questions of social, national, international, all will be automatically solved. There will be no difficulty. And without finding out the center, if we manufacture our own ways... Not to speak of any individual persons, the different nations of the whole world, they are trying to be united. And in your country there is United Nations organization. Unfortunately, instead of becoming one, the flags are increasing. Daily you pass, you'll see another flag is there. Just like in our India, there was one Hindustan. Now (chuckling) there has become another, Pakistan. And sometimes there will be Sikhistan and there will be some-stan. So instead of becoming united, we are being disunited because we are missing the center.
"We must know the present need of human society. And what is that need? Human society is no longer bounded by geographical limits..." Just like we are traveling all over the world—not only once, but twice, thrice in a year. Because there is facility for traveling the airways, so it has become very easy to go from country to country. And practically, while I am in India, all my disciples are coming here from different parts of the world, every morning. There are facilities now. Therefore the world is now not limited by geographical condition. Anyone can go anywhere very swiftly. You can go to London from Bombay within nine hours. So the world is not bounded anymore by "geographical limits to the particular countries or communities. Human society is broader than in the Middle Age, and the world tendency is towards one state of human society." There is already the United Nations. In New York, they have constructed a big organization, establishment, United Nations. But actually, when we pass through that road—I think it is First Avenue—instead of being united, the flags of the nations are increasing. They are becoming disunited. Just like in India, our independence movement was started by Mahatma Gandhijī for uniting all the different section of the people, but actually, the result was that instead of being united, India was partitioned. And the partition has become so poisonous that formerly there was only sporadic Hindu-Muslim riots in some place; now there is organized fighting between Pakistan and Hindustan. So although the tendency is to unite, but in fact, it is not being united; they are becoming disunited more and more—not only the Hindus and Muslims. Now in India, there are many provincial questions. Just like in Andhra the fight is going on for separation. Punjab is already separated. So actually, we are not being united. We are being separated. So the ideals of human society "is broader than in the Middle Age, and the world tendency is towards one state or one human society. The ideals of spiritual communism, according to Śrīmad-Bhāvagatam, are based more or less on the oneness of the entire human society, nay, on the entire energy of living beings."
This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is meant for not only uniting the human society, but also all living entities. As it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ.
When one is actually paṇḍita, learned, he becomes sama-darśī. Vidyā-vinaya-sampanne. One learned brāhmaṇa, gentle brāhmaṇa..., vidyā-dadāti namratā. Education means one becomes gentle, sober, cool-headed. Therefore, it is said, vidyā-vinaya-sampanne. When one is learned, advanced in education, he must be very gentle, not haughty. So vidyā-vinaya-sampanne gavi hastini (BG 5.18). And one side, the brāhmaṇa with gentle behavior, learned scholarship, then the other side an animal, say, a cow or a dog or a elephant. And another side, the caṇḍāla, the lowest of the human society. According to Vedic civilization, the dog-eaters are called caṇḍāla. Just like in Hindu society a person is not permitted to eat cow's flesh. Even in human society, although they are eating different types of flesh, one is considered abominable than the other. The cow-eaters are taken as abominable than the goat-eaters, and the dog-eaters are accepted as abominable than the goat-eaters. So although they are eating flesh, they have got some distinction. That is material. But according to Vaiṣṇava philosophy... Because a Vaiṣṇava sees every living entity, not only human being, not only animals, birds and beasts, anyone, paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ (BG 5.18). If one is actually learned and advanced, he sees all living entities on the equal status. Because, the reason is that a learned Vaiṣṇava... Vaiṣṇava, brāhmaṇa-Vaiṣṇava, brāhmaṇa-paṇḍita—these are the designations. A brāhmaṇa cannot be illiterate or rascal. And after becoming brāhmaṇa, one has to become Vaiṣṇava. Brāhmaṇa, generally... Brahma jānātīti brāhmaṇaḥ, one who knows Brahman, brahma-bhūtaḥ. At the present moment, we are under the bodily concept of life, every one of us. "I am Indian," "I am American," "I am brāhmaṇa," "I am kṣatriya," "I am sannyāsī," "I am brahmacārī," "I am gṛhastha." There are so many designations. So these designations are pertaining to the body and mind. But when you transcend the bodily and the mental concept of life, then you can become Vaiṣṇava.
So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is spreading this cult of Kṛṣṇa understanding. And we have got very good scheme of communism. As I have stated here in this..., "The ideals of spiritual communism, according to Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, are based more or less on the oneness of the entire human society, nay, on the entire energy of the living beings." This is spiritual communism. The Communist cult is concentrating on the state. That is also limited. Not only on the state, there are so many limitations. Actual communism is this:
- vidyā-vinaya-sampanne
- brāhmaṇe gavi hastini
- śuni caiva śva-pāke ca
- paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ
- (BG 5.18)
Paṇḍitāḥ sama... When we see equal not only the learned brāhmaṇa... The learned brāhmaṇa or the elephant or the cow or the dog or the caṇḍāla—no matter. Whatever the bodily condition is there, the spiritual condition is the same. Paṇḍitāḥ sama. This samatā, this communism, equality, is perfect. The modern theory of communism, that "I am good, my brother is good, and all bad," this is not communism. When we are..., we can see that "I am good, my brother good, the dog is good, the cat is good," or "the Englishman is good, the every living entity is good," that is perfect. That is perfect communism.
The Bhāgavata says that this life, this human form of life, ayaṁ deha... Nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke. Nṛloke means the human form of life. It is not meant for working hard day and night and live like a hog. The hog's life we have got experience. They eat stool, all day long working, and they have got some pleasure, sex pleasure, without any discrimination. A person who has no discrimination of sex life, who has no discrimination of eating, he is given the birth of a hog. He has to take the birth like a hog. Because our activities are judged by higher authorities. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa (SB 3.31.1). We are acting, but there is a higher authority who is judging our actions, what kind of actions. Because in the human form is an opportunity. The Supreme Personality of Godhead is sitting in your heart along with you as friend and witnessing what you are doing. And if you are desiring unlimited sex life and unlimited eating without any restriction, then Kṛṣṇa gives you... Because the human society, it is not possible. There are so many restrictions even from social laws, political laws. But animal life, there is no restriction. Anyone can have sex life—the dogs and hogs on the street in open place—because they are animals. There is no law. But a human being, if he does so, then he is punishable. So why? Because human being. All the laws, all the books, are meant for human being. In the Caitanya-caritāmṛta it is said, anādir bahir mukha jīva kṛṣṇa bhuli gela, ataeva kṛṣṇa veda purāṇa karila. Why these Vedas and Purāṇas and the Vedic literature there? It is for human beings, not for the cats and dogs.
He predicted that "All over the world, as many villages and towns are there, this saṅkīrtana movement should be spread." That is the responsibility given to the human society of Bhārata-varṣa at least. Because we followers of the footsteps of Lord Caitanya, beginning from Rūpa Gosvāmī, who is giving us direction that nirbandhe kṛṣṇa-sambandhe yukta-vairāgyam ucyate. Prāpañcikatayā... Anāsaktasya viṣayān. There are two use, two kinds of uses of everything. Just like this microphone is being used for spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the same microphone can be used for singing a cinema song. So microphone is not bad, but as you use it for different purposes it is bad or good. Similarly, this world, or things which we accept for our maintenance of the soul, body and soul together, they are called viṣaya. Viṣaya means eating, sleeping, mating, and defending. That is viṣaya. So anāsaktasya viṣayān. We should not be attached to the viṣayas. Just like eating. Everyone is eating. You are eating, I am also eating. So what is the difference between you and me? The difference is that we who are engaged in the service of the Lord, we are eating for maintaining the body just to keep ourselves fit for working for the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Another person, he is also eating. He is eating to satisfy his palate or with the aim simply to make the body stout and strong.
We should consider what are the religion of the world 2,600 years ago because modern history cannot place before you any chronological list of religious evolution within 2,600 years. There was human society before 2,600 years. And what was their religion? We think, from Vedic evidences, the whole world was in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. There was one God, Kṛṣṇa; one scripture, Bhagavad-gītā; one consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness; and one work, service of the Lord. From Mahābhārata, the great history of India, we can understand that up to Mahārāja Parīkṣit, the whole world was ruled by one flag, this Vedic culture. Gradually it deteriorated, as we have practical experience. Twenty years ago there was no Pakistan, but now Pakistan is existing. Similarly, the whole planet was known as Bhārata-varṣa. This Bhārata-varṣa name was after the king Mahārāja Bhārata, the son of Ṛṣabhadeva. Before that, this planet was known as Ilāvṛta-varṣa. And after the king Mahārāja Bhārata—he was a great king—he also left his kingdom at the age of twenty-four years, very young boy, for searching after spiritual realization, self-realization. That is the way of Vedic culture or Indian culture. Not that up to the last point of our death we shall stick to the worldly affairs. The Vedic culture divides the whole society into four social orders and four spiritual orders. The four social orders is division of intelligence. The most intelligent class of men are called the brāhmaṇas. And next than the brāhmaṇas are the kṣatriyas. It is all calculated on the basis of intelligence. There are different kinds of people all over the world on account of more or less intelligence. So brāhmaṇa means the most intelligent class of men. The scientists, the poets, the philosophers, like that. The religionists, they are called brāhmaṇas. And the administrator class is called the kṣatriyas, and the productive class are called the vaiśyas, and the laborer class, or the working class, is called the śūdra. That is natural division.
So how to come to the point of surrendering to the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is taught in the Seventh Chapter of Bhagavad-gītā. So I shall... I have given you some introduction to the Bhagavad-gītā, that this Bhagavad-gītā contains subject matter relating to God, to the living entity—īśvara, jīva—and prakṛti, and the time factor, and karma. Now, in the beginning, the six chapters in the Bhagavad-gītā are simply devoted to understand what is the constitutional position of the jīva. The living entities are eternal. That is stated in the Second Chapter of the Bhagavad-gītā: dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ... (BG 2.13). (break)... dvau bhūta-sargau loke 'smin daiva āsura (BG 16.6). Asmin loke, in this world, there are two kinds of living entities, not only in human society but also in animal society, in trees, in plants, in... There are 8,400,000 species of life—aquatic, plants, trees, reptiles, insects, birds, beasts, then human beings, civilized human beings, noncivilized human beings.
Similarly, the order or the principle given by God is called religion. Religion without God is nonsense. Religion... Because religion means the codes of God. So if one does not accept the existence of God, naturally he has no religion. And according to Vedic principle, a man without religion is an animal. Dharmeṇa hīna paśubhiḥ samānāḥ. Because in every civilized form of human society, you will find some sort of religion. It may be Christian religion, it may be Hindu religion, it may be Buddhist religion, or it may be Muhammadan religion, Jewish religion—it doesn't matter. Any civilized form of human society must have a sort of religion. Otherwise it is animal society. What is the difference between animal and human being? The animals, they are engaged with the bodily necessities of life, āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunam: eating, sleeping, āhāra nidrā, and defending, and sex life. These are the bodily necessities. You have to eat something, you have to sleep for some time, you have to defend yourself from others' attack, and you must have sex enjoyment. These are bodily necessities. So these bodily necessities are there in the human society and the animal society. Āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunaṁ ca sāmānyam etad paśubhiḥ narāṇām. Then what is the speciality of human society? The speciality of human society is that there must be some form of religion. In the animal society there cannot be any form of religion; therefore the śāstric injunction is that without any form of religion, a human society is animal society. Dharmeṇa hīna paśubhiḥ samānāḥ.
Now, we have to understand what is religion. Religion, as I have already told you, religion means the codes and words given by God, these codes and words coming from God in disciplic succession. According to our Vedic principles... That is the original principles of the world. Because at the present moment the history of the world cannot give any chronological account more than three thousand years. And what was the position of the human society beyond these three thousand years? That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. From Mahābhārata history we can understand that the whole world, this planet, was called Bhāratavarṣa. Now Bhārata-varṣa has come to a limited circle only, but formerly the Bhārata-varṣa was... The whole planet was known as Bhārata-varṣa. There was an emperor of the name Mahārāja Bhārata, under whose name, or after his name, this planet is called Bhāratavarṣa. Before that, this planet was known as Ilāvṛta-varṣa. So the Vedic civilization, I mean to say, before three thousand years, the whole world was under Vedic civilization, the Aryans. The Aryans, at least they were under Vedic civilization. And that Vedic civilization is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. One friend was telling me that in Russia the word kṛṣṇa is there, and kṛṣṇa means beautiful. Somebody told me? You told me? Yes. And in Greek, I mean to say, what is called, dictionary, there is a word krista. And some of the Christians say that this Christ comes from the word krista. So there is a link. Of course, those who are philologists, they can find out what is the history of this word. But so far we have studied the history of the world, Kṛṣṇa was known all over the world. Kṛṣṇa was known all over the world. Therefore it is to be understood that everyone was Kṛṣṇa conscious.
In the material stage we hanker for things which we do not possess, and we lament for things we have lost. But in the brahma-bhūtaḥ stage, as soon as we understand that we are spirit soul, there is no more hankering or lamenting. That is the characteristic of Brahman realization. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati (BG 18.54). Then you can think of universal brotherhood. So long you are under the category of hankering and lamenting, you cannot think of universal brotherhood. That is impossible. Therefore in spite of so much of conferences in the United Nations, the fighting is going on. The Pakistan is separated on the ground of religion: Hindu, Muslim. Now they are fighting between Muslim and Muslim. Why? Because that disease, hankering and lamenting, is there. It is not brahma-bhūtaḥ stage. And they cannot be on the platform of seeing everyone on equal terms. Samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu. That is not possible. Samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu means when one is actually on the spiritual platform, he can see everyone on the same category because everyone is spirit soul. Then not only in human society—in other animal society also... Just like there are 8,400,000 species of life. That means the living entity is passing through different types of bodies. This is called learning. This is called understanding. Unfortunately, this learning and understanding, there is none throughout the whole world in any university. Therefore whatever education we are getting, that is not real learning. That is not real learning. Paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ (BG 5.18). If one gets actual learning, then he sees equally everyone. Paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ. Vidyā-vinaya-sampanne brāhmaṇe gavi hastini.
The thing is, there are three qualities of men, and each one's feeling of pleasure is different. Just like there are crows, and there are swans. The crows take pleasure in a different way, and the swans take pleasure in a different way. That is natural. The crows are different from the swans, although they are birds, but because they are being conducted under different qualities of nature, their propensities are also different. So one may take pleasure by howling and drinking, and one man takes pleasure by chanting and dancing in Hare Kṛṣṇa. It is a different quality only. So in the Bhagavad-gītā everything is divided into three divisions. There are religions of different qualities, and there are actions of different qualities. Exactly the same example: as there are differences between the crows and the swans, similarly there are different persons in the human society. One class of person, they take pleasure in one class of thing, and another person, they take in a different type. So that divisions will continue so long we are in this material world. But we are talking of original consciousness. These are contaminated consciousness. When we come to the original consciousness, that is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We are trying to bring everyone to that platform. That is our program. (break) ...we explain... Just like when the water from the sky drops on the ground, immediately it becomes muddy. Now, if the water drops in too much muddy place, it becomes too much muddy. And if it drops in a clear place, then it remains clarity. Similarly, our coming in contact of this material world means we come in contact of the three qualities of matter: sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa.
Ladies and gentlemen, I thank you very much for your (indistinct) in this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. This movement is especially meant for human society who are serious about fulfillment of the mission of this life. There is a distinction between human life and animal life. Animal life means one who does not know who is the proprietor of the body. Those who are under the concept of this material body as self, they are as good as animal. But the..., in the human form of life one can distinguish that one is not this material body but he is a separate identity, spiritual in value. We can understand this fact if we give little attention to it, that we are changing our different body since the beginning of our life. We learn from Vedic literature that after sexual intercourse of the male and female, if it is fruitful, then the living entity is injected in the emulsion of the two secretion and in the first night it takes the shapes of a pea. And because the living entity is there, it grows gradually, and then nine holes evolve, which are later on developed into two eyes, two ears, two nostrils, and one rectum, one genital, like that.
So this transmigration of soul is the most important factor to be understood by the human society. Unfortunately there is no university, there is no department of knowledge, to understand this important factor. That is very risky. So this soul is transmigrating from one body to another, and there are 8,400,000 species of life, and our, after leaving this body we may accept any one of them. We do not know. That will depend on our action at the present moment. Practically we are preparing our future body, and according to our work and mentality, we get a different body. Therefore we shall be very much cautious. Any intelligent man can understand that the future life is prepared at present. Just like the boy goes to the school, goes to the college, he prepares his future life, similarly, this human form of life is a preparation ground for our future life. So according to Bhagavad-gītā, we can transfer to other planets also. This is explained in our book Easy Journey to Other Planets. The present endeavor is to transfer one to the moon planet. But as we get information from the Vedic literature, we cannot transfer ourself by mechanical arrangement to the moon planet. That is not possible. This is futile attempt. Every planet has got different atmosphere. So in order to enter into a particular planet we have to prepare ourself. This is also understandable very easily. Just like if we go to a foreign country we have to prepare for visa and passport. If in this planet also we are so much restricted, how foolishly we are attempting to go to other planet without being prepared for entering that planet.
The spiritual master is said "the external manifestation of God." God is situated in everyone's heart as Paramātmā, as Supersoul. But those who are very serious about understanding the Supreme Personality of Godhead, immediately He helps him by, I mean to say, showing a bona fide spiritual master so that a candidate will be helped from inside and outside how to approach God. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is meant for that purpose. The spiritual master, or the representative, living representative of Kṛṣṇa, he helps from outside, and Kṛṣṇa as Paramātmā helps from inside. In both ways the living entity can take advantage and make his life successful. We have got many books in this connection, about twelve books of four hundred pages. So this is based on the authority of Vedas, and that is summarized in the Bhagavad-gītā and many other books. So we have published Bhagavad-gītā As It Is, Teachings of Lord Caitanya, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Kṛṣṇa, Easy Journey to Other Planets, Nectar of Devotion. So we request everyone to understand this movement by reading authoritative literatures in this connection. We are publishing our magazine, Back to Godhead, every month in so many languages. So our program is to serve the human society, to save them from the pitfall of entering again into the cycle of birth and death. That is our great mission.
So I was very much engladdened to learn that I had to speak this night, but because I was pre-engaged for going to San Francisco, because tomorrow there will be a great Ratha-yātrā festival... About fifty thousand people will participate in the festival, and they have advertised my presence, so I am going this afternoon to San Francisco. So you will excuse me because I am not personally present. But I hope to come back again by the second week of July. If sufficient arrangement is made I shall be very glad to meet the enlightened people of this city and try to make them convinced about the importance of this great movement. And that will be beneficial for our mission as well as your welfare.
I thank you very much for your kindly participating in this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. This movement is very important. It is a movement to save the human society from a suicidal policy. The suicidal policy is... Just this evening I expressed my desires to the press conference that the human society is being misled by leaders who are blind themselves. Take for example just like there a few blind men, and one, another blind man, is proposing to help them, crossing over the street. So this blind following is there in this sense, that we do not know what is the aim and objective of human society. The aim and objective of human life is self-realization and reestablishing our lost relation with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is the missing point. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is trying to enlighten the human society on this important point.
So the ideal pictures are there, that you become Kṛṣṇa conscious and you go back to home, back to Kṛṣṇa, and be happy. That is our program. It is very nice program. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is not an ordinary, bluffing movement. It is a solid, authorized movement, and we are opening branches as far as possible in all parts of the world to give facility to the people, to the civilized men, to understand what is the value of his life, how he can be happy. That is our business. We have no business to cheat you, that "I give you some mantra, and you give me some money. I go away." No. We have come to serve you, so you take advantage. You don't misunderstand us, that "It is a religious sect." No. We are not religious sect. We are cultural sect. We are giving the highest culture to the human society, to awaken his lost consciousness. So I am very happy to see you all, American boys, Indians. This is wanted. We want to unite the whole world under this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. And actually that is happening. In our society we have got devotees from all section of people—from Christian, from Jews, from Hindus, from Muhammadan, from black, from white. It doesn't matter, because we are seeing according to the Bhagavad-gītā, paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ (BG 5.18). A learned man sees every living entity on the equal level. So we are trying to see in that light, and we are trying to teach others also how to accept that light, how to enjoy that light.
Mr. Justice Rangarajan, Justice Misra and Lalaji, ladies and gentlemen, I thank you very much for your kindly participating in this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Today, this evening, we are especially enlightened by the nice speech delivered by Justice Rangarajan, little describing about bhakti-yoga. Actually, we are discussing this bhakti-yoga for the last few days.
So bhakti-yoga is the sublime religious principle of the human society. The human society is not human society without sense of religious principle. Dharmeṇa hīnāḥ paśubhiḥ samānāḥ. That is the distinction of human society and animal. In the animal society, there is no religion. But in the human society, may be in any part of the world, there is some concept of religion, may be Hindu religion, Muslim religion, Christian religion, Buddha's religion, Jewish religion, and so many others. But according to Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, there is a test of religion. The test of religion is how much one has advanced in his love for God.
So you try to understand what is God and try to understand what sort of religion he has given. So that you can receive by bhaktyā śruta-gṛhītayā. Śruti-smṛti-purāṇādi-pañcarātra-vidhi (Brs. 1.2.101). Vidhi, a regulative principle. Just like Kṛṣṇa says that yeṣām anta-gataṁ pāpam, that what are the pāpas, sinful life? The śāstra says, striyaḥ sūnā pāna dyūta yatra pāpaś catur-vidhaḥ (SB 1.17.38). These four things are the four pillars of sinful life. What are these? Avaida stri-saṅga: womanly connection which is illegitimate. You cannot have any connection with woman without being married. That is Vedic instruction. Otherwise, what is the difference between animal and man? There is no marriage in the animal kingdom. But in the human society, never mind whether it is in India or Russia or China, there is marriage system in the human society, maybe methods may be different. Therefore, womanly connection, man and woman living together without marital connection, that is pāpa, sinful life. That is the injunction of the śāstra. Similarly, striyaḥ sūnā. Sūnā means unnecessarily killing the animals. Just like slaughterhouse. You cannot maintain slaughterhouse in the human society and at the same time you want peace. It is not possible. Every living entity is son of God. You cannot kill even an ant, then you dissatisfy God. Take for example just like a gentleman has got five sons, one of them is useless, doing nothing. But if the expert son says, "My dear father, your this son is useless. Let us kill him and eat," cannibal. Will the father agree, "Oh, yes, yes, this son is useless. You can kill and eat"? Time will come in this Kali-yuga when actually people will become what is called man-eater. Still there are existence man-eaters in Africa. So the human society is coming to that position. Like animal, they will eat their own sons and daughters. So therefore this practice, unnecessarily killing animal, is one of the pillar of sinful life.
So similarly, one who is in the rajo-guṇa, the example is given. There is a spark. When it falls down on dry grass, the dry grass becomes blazing. Although the spark is fallen, it causes the atmosphere lighten(?). And if the spark falls on the wet ground, then it is, the sparking, the glowing quality may remain for sometime, but it will be extinguished. And if it falls down on the water, it is extinguished. Similarly, when the living entity comes to this material world, if by chance he is in the association of the goodness, he keeps God consciousness. And if he is in the association of passion, he is materially busy. And if he associates with the quality of ignorance, he becomes animals or animal-like man. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is giving everyone the chance of to become again (indistinct) by association of Kṛṣṇa. The same spark, that extinguished charcoal, or karma, if you put into the fire, it will be again light. Similarly this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is trying to bring forth again the dormant Kṛṣṇa consciousness in every living entity.
- nitya-siddha kṛṣṇa-bhakti sādhya kabhu naya
- śravaṇādi-śuddha-citte karaye udaya
We are just trying to revive it, uttiṣṭhata jāgrata prāpya varān nibhodata. We are trying to awaken the human society to come to the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement and live this life successfully. That is the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.
So we should take advantage of these facilities offered to human society. If we don't take advantage of it, if simply we work hard like dogs and hogs and die like cats and dogs, then what is the value of life? So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is started to educate people to understand Kṛṣṇa, that's all. We have no other concoction. There is no invention. Simply we are trying to convince people to understand Kṛṣṇa. So our main subject matter is based on the Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. So we have opened this center in Bombay to give you facilities. Please try to take it. Please come and encourage us, and we shall continue this movement, here in this center, as long as possible.
So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is a great science of understanding what is God. Simply with vague idea, "There is God," that is not sufficient. That is good, simply to understand "There is God." Generally, they do not believe that there is God. But if somebody says, "Yes, there is God, but I have no business with Him," no, you should know God, actually what is His name, what does He do, where is His residence, what is His business. You should know this. And these things are possible to understand in this human form of life. We go to the human society to speak of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We do not go to the society of animals, because they have no capacity to understand. Their body does not permit to understand what is God. But the human society... It doesn't matter whether he is born in India or Czechoslovakia or Russia. I have been in Russia also. It is not that, that they are godless. The population is as good as in other country, but the government is suppressing. So that is another chapter. We have some devotees in Russia, very young men. They are very much interested in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and they are chanting, although silently, so that government may not hear. There will be danger. So Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so nice, and it is a great science. Unfortunately, there is no arrangement in any university, in any educational institution, or any arts or science college, "What is God?" There is no such arrangement. This is the most regrettable condition of the present society.
So without understanding of God's science, Kṛṣṇa-tattva, or the science of Kṛṣṇa, the life is simply animal life because animals, they do not understand what is science of Kṛṣṇa, or God. Therefore human society without God consciousness, without any knowledge of the science of God, it is animal society. Actually it is happening. The world is now full with so many problems, so many difficulties, because the chance of human life is being misused. The intelligence of... Higher intelligence... We have got higher intelligence than the animals. The animals also live on this land, but they cannot utilize their intelligence for constructing a nice building, nice garden or industry or trade or car, because they have no brain. But the human being has got higher brain, higher brain capacity. That should be utilized not only for bodily comforts... Bodily comforts, the animals, they are also trying. Bodily comforts means to eat, sleep, to have sense gratification and to defend. So that is being (done) by the animals also, in their own way. So if we simply devote our time for these animal necessities of our life, then we are no better than animals. The higher intelligence should be utilized to know God, or Kṛṣṇa. When we say "Kṛṣṇa," Kṛṣṇa means God. Simply, generally to say God, but we give "Kṛṣṇa," the actual name of God, the actual residence of God, the actual activities of God, actual form of God, actual associates of... So many things we give. So simply to know God... Just like to simply to know one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, mathematic. Mathematic means nothing but one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine. That's all.
So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is on a different platform than this matter. It will be easier to understand that distinction between living body and dead body. So we are talking of the living portion of our existence. The living portion... We have got a living force within this body. Everyone can understand. As soon as that living force is out of this body, this body has no longer any value. It is thrown away on the street. So without any knowledge of the living force within this body, if we simply take care of our body, it is just like decorating a dead body. So do not take this movement as a sectarian, religious movement. It is practically a movement to bestow the essential knowledge of life to the human society.
So religion is a kind of faith, but faith can be changed. But the knowledge which is essential in life, that cannot be changed. Therefore this culture, although it appears like a religious system, but it is the essential knowledge of life. Religion or faith, you can change from one to another, but you must know the essential value of your life. And because we have no, I mean to say, connection at the present moment with the essential knowledge of life, we are thinking that you are separate from me, I am separate from you. Just like we are all human being, but for want of adequate knowledge, I am thinking, "I am Indian," you are thinking you are Japanese, somebody is thinking he is American, and yet another is thinking that he is something else. Actually we are one. We are energy of Kṛṣṇa, or God. So, just like in dream I accept a different position, forgetting my real identification, and I think that I have gone far away from home, and I am flying, or I am in the forest—so many things I may dream—but that is not actual fact. So this movement is practically awakening the human society dreaming in sleep. Just like if a man is sleeping very sound, forgetting his duty, and some friend of the man is trying to awake him, "Mr. such and such. Please wake up. It is now morning. You have to do this thing, that thing." So this movement is like that. When a man is fast asleep, all other senses cannot work, but one sense, which is called ear, it can work. Just like you are sleeping and somebody is coming with a knife to kill you. You cannot see. The man can come and kill you. But if somebody cries, "Mr. such and such, wake up! Somebody is coming to kill you," you can use your ear and be precautious. So this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra is something like that, awakening from the slumbering state of material consciousness. So more you chant this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra—Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare—the more you become awakened from the slumbering state of material existence.
Actually, everything belongs to God. Now, the Japanese claiming that "Japan is our country." Indians are claiming, "India is our country." But nothing belongs either to the Japanese or to the Indians or to the Americans. Everything belongs to God. This consciousness is called Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If we understand three things only, that God is the only proprietor, Kṛṣṇa is the only proprietor, He is the only enjoyer, and we are simply servant to help Him in His enjoyment... The highest perfection is found in Vṛndāvana. Everyone is trying to satisfy Kṛṣṇa. That is real life. That is real mukti. In the Bhāgavata it is said, mukti means hitvā anyathā rūpaṁ svarūpeṇa vyavasthitiḥ (SB 2.10.6). Mukti means you have to give up your artificial ways of life and you have to situate yourself in your normal constitutional position. That is called mukti. Mukti hasn't got any other definition. Mukti means just like you are attacked with fever. If your fever is gone, then you are mukta, you are liberated from fever. Similarly, this disease, ahaṁ mameti... (SB 5.5.8). I am in this material world, I am thinking this body as myself, I am identifying with this body, and according to that bodily relation, I am identifying my... Mamāham iti. There are thousands of women, but the one woman who has got bodily relationship with me, (s)he is my wife. There are thousands of children, but the one children or two children who has got bodily relation with me, they are my sons, my daughters. Mamāham iti manyate. Then our... First of all, this whole world is based on sex life, either in human society or animal society or bird society or tree society or aquatic society, any society, go. The central point is sex life. Sex life. And as soon as we unite with sex life, our, this bodily concept of life becomes more and more entangled. Then we want... Ataḥ gṛha-kṣetra-sutāpta-vittair janasya moho 'yam (SB 5.5.8).
So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is neither new nor any concocted manufactured thing. It is authorized, based on the Vedas, based on the Vedic authorities, and it is very simple and it has become simplified by the mercy of Lord Caitanya. Because Lord Caitanya is Kṛṣṇa Himself. When Kṛṣṇa said that sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66), many fools and rascals could not accept it. Na māṁ prapadyante mūḍhā duṣkṛtina narādhamāḥ. Those who are miscreants, those who are lowest of the mankind, those who have lost their knowledge, they cannot. And those who are mūḍhas, rascals, they cannot surrender to Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa again, in the form of a Kṛṣṇa devotee, Lord Caitanya, He came. He taught how to love Kṛṣṇa. Premā pum-artho mahān. That is the philosophy of Lord Caitanya, Kṛṣṇa-prema. You have to increase your love for Kṛṣṇa. We have got our love, dormant love, but that love is now being distributed in so many ways, and we are spoiled, we are frustrated. But if you concentrate your love, oh, upon Kṛṣṇa, then you will not only love Kṛṣṇa; you will love the whole human society, whole living entities. That is Kṛṣṇa philosophy. So the process is very easy, given by Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
But this Kṛṣṇa name means "all-attractive." He attracts everyone. That is the real name, all-attractive. You have seen Kṛṣṇa's picture. He is attractive to the animals, cows, calves, birds, bees, trees, plants, water, in Vṛndāvana. He's attractive to the cowherds boy. He's attractive to the gopīs, He's attractive to Nanda Mahārāja, He's attractive to the Pāṇḍavas. He's still attractive to the whole human society. Therefore, if any particular name can be given to God, that is Kṛṣṇa. And Parāśara Muni, a great saint, father of Vyāsadeva, who compiled all the Vedic literatures, his father, Parāśara Muni, He gave definition of God:
- aiśvaryasya samagrasya
- vīryasya yaśasaḥ śriyaḥ
- jñāna-vairāgyayoś caiva
- ṣaḍ iti bhagaṁ ganā
- (Viṣṇu Purāṇa 6.5.47)
By these six opulences, one can ascertain what is God. What are those opulences? That He's the proprietor of all riches. Here, we have got experience, one rich man. One may be very rich man, but nobody can say that he is the richest, there is no other man who is not richer than him. Nobody can say. But Kṛṣṇa, when He was present, those who have read Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, the history of Kṛṣṇa... We have described in our book, Kṛṣṇa. He had 16,108 wives. And each wife had a big palace, made of marble, bedecked with jewels, the furnitures made of ivory and gold. The descriptions are there. So in the history of the human society, you cannot find out any person who had 16,000 wives and 16,000 palaces. Not only that, it is not that He used to go to one wife's house one day, or one night. No. He was present in every one house personally. That means He expanded Himself in 16,108 forms. That is not very difficult. If God is unlimited, then He can expand Himself in unlimited forms; otherwise there is no meaning of unlimited. If God is omnipotent, He can maintain 16,000. Why 16,000? He can maintain 16,000,000's still, it is imperfect. Otherwise there is no meaning of omnipotency.
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.
Similarly, transcendental knowledge... Just like I was speaking that there is a spiritual world. It is not the subject matter of our speculation. But when God says, "Yes, there is a spiritual world, that is My headquarters," that is all right. That is all right. Yes. So we receive knowledge from Kṛṣṇa, the best authority. Therefore our knowledge is perfect. We are not perfect, but our knowledge is perfect. Because we receive knowledge from the perfect. The same example, that I am not perfect to understand who is my father, but my mother is perfect, and because I accept the perfect knowledge of my mother, therefore my knowledge of father is perfect. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is for giving perfect knowledge to the human society: what He is, what is God, what is this material world, why you have come here, why you have to undergo so much tribulation, miserable condition of life, why I die. I do not like to die, but death is compulsory. I do not like to be old man, but still, it is compulsory. I do not like to suffer from disease, but it is compulsory. These, these are to be solved. That is really problems of human life.
So where the inquiry should be made? If I want to inquire about God, shall I go to the storekeeper or drug shop or a motor shop? No. Tad vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). If you want to know the transcendental science, then you must find out a guru. That is injunction. Jijñāsuḥ śreyaḥ uttamam. Guruṁ prapadyeta. Tasmād prapadyeta guruṁ jijñāsuḥ śreyaḥ uttamam. If you are actually inquisitive to understand higher science, uttamam... Uttama means higher. These are not higher sciences, how to earn some money. Earn some money, and eat something, and sleep, and have some sex life, and die—this is not higher science. This is not higher science. Higher science is brahma-jijñāsā, to inquire about Brahman. That is higher science. This science, earning money and fulfilling the hungry belly, this science the birds and beast also know how to do it. It does not require much education. There is no scientific education how to enjoy sex life. Everyone knows how to do it. Similarly, there is no need of scientific education, how to eat or how to find out your food. The birds and beast, they are also finding out, and are they also eating. So these are not higher sciences. The higher science is to inquire, athāto brahma jijñāsā, to inquire about God, the Supreme. And that can be done by the human being, not by others. Not the cats and dogs. So if we do not give education of this higher science to the human society, if we keep them dumb about this, or if we make secular state, prohibitive injunction to understand God, then it is an animal society. It is an animal society. So such things happen sometimes.
A person on religious category, he's advocating something, oh, it is not to be uttered. Homosex. You see? He's advocating homosex. Just see. These has been topsy-turvied. The four classes of men are there, still. But the third-class, fourth-class man is taking the place of first class. And the first-class man is kicked out, "Go out. Don't talk of God." This is the position at the present moment. The classes are there. That is natural. There must be some first-class men, there must be some second-class men, there must be some third-class men, there must be some fourth-class men. But the difficulty is that the fourth-class man is taking the position of first-class man, and the first-class man is being kicked out. Therefore there are so many problems in the society. Guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ. First-class man must be acting first class. But he's acting as last class, but he is posed in first class. Things have been topsy-turvied. So it is the duty of the government to find out the first-class man and employ him for first-class business, first-class activities. And what is that first-class activity? The first-class activity is athāto brahma jijñāsā. That is first-class activity. Otherwise, it is fourth-class activity. If the human society is not divided into right order, cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). And it is the duty of the government to see that the first-class man is employed in first-class activities, the second-class man is engaged in second-class activities. Then the government will be nice. Now here, the Vena Mahārāja, he's on the head of the administration, royal king. Now he is advising, "Reject religion. No more charity, no more sacrifice, no more worship. Stop all this nonsense." Then what is the condition of the society? So that is being done.
This is the secret. People are trying to bring in peace and prosperity in the world by so many activities—philanthropism, altruism, nationalism, socialism. And so-called religion also, they are trying to bring in. The whole idea is the human society should remain in peace and prosperity. And the vivid example is the United Nations in your country. America invited all nations that "Let us form a community of United Nations," but the America herself is fighting. You see? Because the idea was there to unite, but they do not know the basic principle, how to unite. That is the defect. There is a church in the United Nations, and we tried to get a room there for making our propaganda. The church unity denied to give us. So their crippled mind is not expanded. Sa mahātmā... Mahātmā means broad-minded. Su-durlabhaḥ. So mahātmā, unless one becomes nonenvious, mahātmā, there is no question of so-called unity or fraternity. These are all false propaganda. It is not possible. But they will stick to that proposition, that "We have got this..." For the last twenty years... Why twenty years? More than twenty years. When this United Nations was started?
He's creating disturbance. (pause) So as this man is talking about sex, so this world's, material world, is enchanted by sex. That is material world. Striya, puṁsāṁ striya mithuni-bhāvam etad. This whole material world is existing on sex attraction. Not only in the human society, in animal society also, this sex impulse is there. Birds, beasts, animal, human being, even demigods, they are attracted in this material world by sex impulse. The śāstra, or the Vedic literature, there is mention about this, that we are in this material world only for this sex impulse. First of all, we think of sex. A man also thinks. A woman also thinks. And when they are united, that attraction becomes more and more complete. Then, in a gentlemanly way, when there is sex unity, then there is need of a nice apartment or house. Then there is need of land. Formerly, for living condition, everyone possessed some land to grow foodstuff. Ataḥ gṛha-kṣetra-sutāpta-vittaiḥ. So after sex unity, there is need of house, land, gṛha, kṣetra, then children, ataḥ gṛha-kṣetra-suta, āpta. Then friends. Then vitta, then money. In this way, we increase our attachment for this material world. Janasya moho 'yam. Moha means illusion. In this way, he becomes illusioned. Ahaṁ mameti: (SB 5.5.8) "I" and "mine." Here, the real problem is we want to get out of this material conditional life. We are spirit soul. We are not matter. But in order to enjoy this material world we have come here. Every one of us who is existing within this material world has a desire to lord it over the material nature. It is said when a living entity, a part and parcel of God, he desires independently to enjoy or to lord it over the material nature, he comes down from the spiritual world to this material world. That is the cause of his falldown.
So we are indebted to the demigods. Just like the sun-god, the moon-god, the Indra. Indra is supplying us water. Of course, in your country, there is no such conception. But the Vedic knowledge gives us full information how water is being supplied, how light is being supplied, how air is being supplied by the arrangement of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Don't take it irresponsibly. Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, has arranged so many things. Just like in your city there is department of water supply, there is department of light supply, there is depart..., different departments, similarly, in the kingdom of God there are departments. But because we are foolish, we do not know how the departments are being conducted. So we are not paying any bills. The bills are paid, according to the Vedic injunction, by performing sacrifices. So in this way, our point is sex life, that, the, a gṛhastha, a householder, he has got debts towards his parents, towards his father, towards his mother, towards his wife, towards his children. The society should be human society, not the cats' and dogs' society. That is Vedic conception. So in the Vedic conception of life the sex life is there, but you become indebted. You must repay the debts. If you simply beget children like cats and dogs and go away, then you become responsible for the sinful activities. You must take responsible. So this man was suggesting, he wants sex life at least once in a month. Yes, that is allowed. That is allowed in the Vedic civilization.
So this process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the highest benediction for the human society because it is trying to bring the human being to the platform of spiritual body—transcending the gross and subtle material body. That is the highest perfection. Human life is meant for coming to that platform, the spiritual platform, transcending the gross and material bodily concept of life. That is possible. It is made easy in this age. This age called Kali, it is not very good time. Simply disagreement, fighting, quarreling, misunderstanding. This age is full of that, all these happenings. Therefore to come to the spiritual platform is very difficult in this age. Formerly, it was not so difficult. People were very easily trained up by the Vedic process. But now the people are not interested. They're simply interested with the gross body or, a little more, who is a little advanced, the subtle body. But they have no information of the spiritual body. Although there is advancement of education, there is no education about the spiritual body. They're simply concerned with the gross material and subtle body. Therefore this movement, Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, is very important movement. Those who have taken to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, they're very, very fortunate.
So if we try to follow the already perfect statements in the śāstras, and if we apply in the, our practical life, then the whole human society will be perfect. Otherwise, if we do not follow the instruction which is perfect, already there in the śāstras—we manufacture or concoction—the social order will never be perfect and there will be always a confusion. And that is going on. I have seen. I have traveled all over the world, especially in America. They're the richest country, but there is a confusion now. The younger section, they do not like to live like their father or grandfather. They want a different body, different life. They, they are joining this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement because they are in search of such thing, perfect thing. They are fed up with this materialistic way of life. Therefore... It is not that I am playing something magic; it is the need of the present-day situation, present-day civilization, that people want Kṛṣṇa consciousness, spiritual advancement. So if we can administer the spiritual advancement of life in the proper way, as they are in our Vedic literatures, so we can contribute greatest contribution to the world, and that will glorify India's name. If we simply imitate them, or beg from them, then India's position is always remain as beggar. Because we are already known: "The nation of beggars." Because our ministers go there to ask, "Please give me this. Please give me this. Please give me." Nothing to contribute. Here is a thing, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We can contribute to the whole world. Please help this movement.
Mr. President, Rotarians, Ladies and Gentlemen, I thank you very much for your kindly inviting me to speak before you on the subject matter "The Present Need of the Human Society." At the present day... According to our Vedic calculation, this is called Kali-yuga. Kali means disagreement and fighting, kālaḥ. So in this age, a slight disagreement will cause some fighting, some misunderstanding. And practically, this is the age of misguidance; therefore it is called Kali-yuga. So in different Purāṇas, the symptoms of Kali-yuga is described. Śāstra. Śāstra means tri-kāla-jña. Śāstra is not ordinary book. Therefore our Vedic literatures are known as apauruṣeya, "not written by ordinary human being." Ordinary human being, who is called, according to śāstra, conditioned souls, they are conditioned by so many, nature's law. So the imperfectness of the conditioned soul are described as that a conditioned soul is sure to commit mistake; however great he may be, he'll commit mistake. And... "To err is human," they say. And he may be illusioned. Not may be. He's illusioned. Illusioned means accepting something for something else. Just like we accept this body, material body, as self. That is the conception of the general people at the present moment, especially. "I am this body." "I am Indian," "I am American," "I am brāhmaṇa," "I am śūdra." Like that. Bodily conception of life. This is illusion. Actually, I am not this body. But because we are lacking knowledge, imperfect, insufficient knowledge, therefore we are accepting this body as self. This is called illusion. And the other imperfection is that we have got a cheating propensity. Cheating propensity means I do not know something definitely, but I present my theories as if I know perfectly. This is cheating. And the last is imperfectness of the senses. All our senses are imperfect. Take, for example, the eyes. We see under certain conditions: when there is light, sunlight or electric light, we can see. We cannot see what is beyond this wall. We cannot see which is very long distantly placed. We cannot see even the nearest, eyelid. Therefore our seeing power is conditioned. Similarly, all other senses.
So the present need of human society, because they're reducing their good qualities, satya śamo dama titikṣa ārjava... (BG 18.42). And money is becoming the most powerful thing. As it is stated here: vittam eva kalau nṛṇāṁ janmācāra-guṇodayaḥ. Formerly, if one is qualified brāhmaṇa, he may be a poor man, but a brāhmaṇa, when approaches a king, the king will stand up and offer him... Even Kṛṣṇa, when He was King of Dvārakā, Sudāmā Vipra, His friend, he came. Immediately He stood up and gave him His own seat. So because he was a qualified brāhmaṇa... So everywhere qualified brāhmaṇa was respected by the qualified kṣatriyas, vaiśyas. But now, there is practically no qualified brāhmaṇa, neither a qualified brāhmaṇa is respected. Vittam eva. But if one has got money, then he'll be respected. This is the symptom of Kali-yuga. Vittam eva kalau nṛṇāṁ janmācāra-guṇodayaḥ. If one has got money, Sethji, he may be not educated, without any good qualification, but somehow or other he has got money, he'll be respectful, not a qualified brāhmaṇa. Then dharma-nyāya-vyavasthāyāṁ kāraṇaṁ balam eva hi. Now justice, nyāya... Nyāya means justice, dharma and religious principle. Dharma-nyāya-vyavasthāyām, to establish justice, anyone who is powerful, he will get justice. You bribe. Nowadays... Of course, we do not discuss these things. Everyone knows. Justice can be purchased in this age. Balam eva hi. Dāmpatye ratir, ratir abhirucir hetur māyaiva vyāvahārike. These are the symptoms. Dāmpatye, husband and relationship, husband and wife, means sex power. We have practically seen in the Western countries, as soon as there is some disturbance in the sex relation of husband and wife, there is divorce. So that, these are the symptoms. Strītve puṁstve ca hi ratir vipratve sūtram eva hi.
So kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya mukta-saṅgaḥ paraṁ vrajet (SB 12.3.51). So this is the need of the human society. It is very easy, provided we want to take advantage of it. Suppose you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, as I am teaching all these boys. I am also doing that. We have got our beads for chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare... Similarly, if you chant, what is the loss on your part? Is there any loss? But if there is benefit, why don't you take it? What is the harm? We are preaching this. We don't say that "You give us so much money; I give you some mantra, and you, within six months, you become God." We don't make this, all this bluff. We simply say, request, that "God has given you this tongue..." And this is the prescription: kalau doṣa-nidhe rājann asti hy eko mahān-guṇaḥ, kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya. When you become little advanced, you can also chant and dance, as the Gosvāmīs were accustomed to do. Kṛṣṇotkīrtana-gāna-nartana-parau. They were always... They were ministers. In Delhi, when we had our function, just like we are holding here, many, many good officers, big officers, they chanted and danced. Oh, what is the harm? We dance in the ballroom. Why not for Kṛṣṇa-kīrtana?
We are now, because we are in this material world, we are passing through evolution of many different species of life, and here is a chance given by the nature, the human form of body, where we can stop the continual transmigration of the soul from one body to another and we can have our permanent situation, back to home, back to Godhead. This is a great science. But if you neglect it, that is suicidal policy. Human mind, human life is especially meant for taking advantage of this form of life and understand "What is God? What I am? What is my relationship with God? How to act? Why I am conditioned by so many miserable conditions of life—birth, death, old age and disease?" So many things are there. But if we do not take to this, if we simply remain like animals, eating, sleeping, mating, and defending, then we are factually missing the opportunity. Therefore our this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is simply to make propaganda from door to door, that "Please chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra." That's all. As Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura says, rādhā-kṛṣṇa bolo saṅge cholo, ei mātra bhikha chāya. We simply want this. So the, there is no loss, but the gain is very great. Why not take the chance? So the present human need of the human society is take to, to take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
"We must know the present need of human society. And what is that need? Human society is no longer bounded by geographical limits." Just like we are traveling all over the world, not only once, but twice, thrice in a year. Because there is facility for traveling the airways, so it has become very easy to go from country to country. And practically, while I am in India, all my disciples are coming here from different parts of the world every morning. There are facilities now. Therefore the world is now not limited by geographical condition. Anyone can go anywhere very swiftly. You can go to London from Bombay within nine hours. So the world is not bounded any more by geographical limits to the particular countries or communities. "Human society is broader than in the Middle Age, and the world tendency is towards one state of human society." There is already the United Nations. In New York they have constructed a big organization, establishment, United Nations, but actually, when we pass through that road—I think it is First Avenue—instead of being united, the flags of the nations are increasing. They are becoming disunited. Just like in India our independence movement was started by Mahatma Gandhiji for uniting all the different section of the people. But actually, the result was that instead of being united, India was partitioned. And the partition has become so poisonous that formerly there was only sporadic Hindu-Muslim riots in some place; now there is organized fighting between Pakistan and Hindustan. So although the tendency is to unite, but in fact it is not being united. They are becoming disunited more and more. Not only the Hindus and Muslim. Now in India there are many provincial questions. Just like in Andhra the fight is going on for separation. Punjab is already separated. So actually we are not being united. We are being separated.
So "The ideals of human society is broader than in the Middle Age, and the world tendency is towards one state or one human society. The ideals of spiritual communism, according to Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, are based more or less on the oneness of the entire human society, nay, of the entire energy of living beings." This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is meant for not only uniting the human society but also all living entities. As it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ.
- vidyā-vinaya sampanne
- brāhmaṇe gavi hastini
- śuni caiva śva-pāke ca
- paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ
- (BG 5.18)
When one is actually paṇḍita, learned, he becomes sama-darśī. Vidyā-vinaya-sampanne: one learned brāhmaṇa, gentle brāhmaṇa. Vidyā dadāti namratā. Education means one becomes gentle, sober, cool-headed. Therefore it is said, vidya-vinaya-sampanne. When one is learned, advanced in education, he must be very gentle, not haughty. So vidyā-vinaya-sampanne gavi hastini. And one side, the brāhmaṇa with gentle behavior, learned scholarship, and the other side, an animal, say, a cow or a dog or an elephant, and another side the caṇḍāla, the lowest of the human society. According to Vedic civilization, the dog-eaters are called caṇḍāla. Just like in Hindu society, a person is not permitted to eat cow's flesh. Even in human society, although they are eating different types of flesh, one is considered abominable than the other. The cow-eaters are taken as abominable than the goat-eaters. And the dog-eaters are accepted as abominable than the goat-eaters. So although they are eating flesh, they have got some distinction. That is material. But according to Vaiṣṇava philosophy, because a Vaiṣṇava sees every living entity, not only human being, not only animals, birds and beasts, anyone, paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ... (BG 5.18). If one is actually learned and advanced, he sees all living entities on the equal status because... The reason is that a learned Vaiṣṇava... Vaiṣṇava, brāhmaṇa-Vaiṣṇava, brāhmaṇa-paṇḍita, these are the designations.
So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is spreading this cult of Kṛṣṇa understanding... (break) ...and we have got very good scheme of communism as I have stated here in this... (reads) "The ideals of spiritual communism, according to Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, are based more or less on the oneness of the entire human society, nay, of the entire energy of the living beings." This is spiritual communism. The communist cult is concentrating on the state. That is also limited. Not only on the state, there are so many limitations. Actual communism is this:
- vidyā-vinaye-sampanne
- brāhmaṇe gavi hastini
- śuni caiva śva-pāke ca
- paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ
- (BG 5.18)
Paṇḍitāḥ sama, when we see equally, not only the learned brāhmaṇa... The learned brāhmaṇa or the elephant or the cow or the dog or the caṇḍāla. No matter. Whatever the bodily condition is there, the spiritual condition is the same. Paṇḍitāḥ sama... This samatā, this communism, equality, is perfect. Their modern theory of communism, that "I am good, my brother is good, and all bad," this is not communism. When we are, we can see that "I am good, my brother good, the dog is good, the cat is good, the Englishman is good, the every living entity is good," that is communism. That is perfect communism. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, or the Bhāgavata-dharma, there is ideal communism.
So culture means that one should know what is the aim of life. Without understanding the aim of life, a man without aim is ship without, a ship without rudder. That is an English proverb. So at the present moment, we are missing the goal of life because there is no head department. The whole human society is lacking now real brāhmaṇas who can give advice to the other departments. Just like Arjuna was fighting. He was a military man. His business was to fight. He was engaged in his business, but he was taking at the same time advice of, the advice of the Brāhmaṇa deva, Kṛṣṇa.
- namo brahmaṇya-devāya
- go-brāhmaṇa-hitāya ca
- jagad-dhitāya kṛṣṇāya
- govindāya namo namaḥ
So the brāhmaṇa department, or the adviser department, is described in this verse: namo brahmaṇya-devāya go-brāhmaṇa-hitāya ca. The first thing is taken into consideration, go-brāhmaṇa. Why these two things are stressed upon? Because in a society where there is no brahminical culture and where there is no cow protection, it is not human society. So in a chaotic condition, any business you do, it will never be perfect. But in a systematized, systematic, cultural society, you do business. That is perfect. That is the instruction of Śrīmad-Bhāgavata, Bhāgavatam. In a meeting in Naimiṣāraṇya, where many learned scholars and brāhmaṇas assembled, and Śrīla Sūta Gosvāmī was giving instruction, he said: ataḥ pumbhir dvija-śreṣṭhā varṇāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ. The varṇāśrama is stressed. The Vedic culture means four varṇas and four āśramas: brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra; brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha and sannyāsa. Unless we take to this institution of varṇāśrama dharma, the whole society will be in chaotic condition.
Sva-karmaṇā tam abhyarcya samsiddhiṁ labhate naraḥ (BG 18.46). You can do any business. Any business means the brāhmaṇa's business, the kṣatriya's business, the vaiśya's business and the śūdra's business. That is business. Otherwise you can do any business. But business means there are different classes of business. So Bhagavad-gītā it is said that one should satisfy by his own business the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Yena sarvam idaṁ tatam. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam also it is said: culture means... Ataḥ pumbhir dvija-śreṣṭhā varṇāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ. The, there are different businesses according to different divisions of human society. But their aim should be svanuṣṭhitasya dharmasya. Business means dharma. Another... Dharma means occupational duty. So svanuṣṭhitasya dharmasya saṁsiddhir. One must find out the perfection of his business. That is culture. Culture and business means you may do whatever business you are doing, according to your division, or according to your capacity or according to your qualification. You may be a, a merchant, you may be a professional man, you may be legal adviser, medical man. Whatever you may, it doesn't matter. But if you want perfection in your business, then you must try to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is culture. Otherwise you are simply wasting your time. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, yajñārthe karma. Yajña. Yajña means Viṣṇu, the Supreme Lord. For Him you have to work. Yajñārthe karma. Anyatra karma-bandhana. Otherwise you become bound up by the acts, by the reaction of your activities. Karma-bandhana. And so long you are in the bondage of karma, you have to transmigrate from one body to another.
We have no discrimination, that "These are Indians. These are Americans. They are Hindus. They are Muslims. They are Christians." No. Or "They're cats or dogs." That oneness you can see only when you are Brahman-realized. Samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu. Why humanity? Why not the cats and dogs and cows? You are very much anxious to give service to the humanity, but you are sending animals to the slaughterhouse. Why? (indistinct) the lack of knowledge. You do not (indistinct) is part and parcel of God. You cannot select this part and... Therefore the śāstra says, yathā taror mūla-niṣecanena tṛpyanti tat-skandha-bhujopaśākhāḥ (SB 4.31.14). Just like by watering the root, you can water automatically the branches, the trunks, the twigs, the flowers, the fruits, the leaves—everything is watered. Sarvārhaṇam acyutejyā. Or by supplying foodstuff to the stomach, you serve all the senses of the body perfectly. Similarly, when you begin to serve Kṛṣṇa, then not only to the human society, to the animal society, to the tree society. Every society will be served. That is perfect service. And if you simply limit your service, that is, may be good, but that is not good. According to śāstra... Just like you simply water the leaves, the leaves will not live. They'll dry. But if you supply water to the root, everything will be protected. So actual service will begin when you are Kṛṣṇa conscious. Brahmā-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati (BG 18.54), samaḥ sarve... That is samaḥ sarveṣu. And so long you limit, that is limited service. That is not perfect service.
So I wanted to recite some stanzas from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, but there is no very much time. Long, long years ago, the father of Mahārāja Bhārata, under whose name this planet is called Bhāratavarṣa, so he instructed: nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke kaṣṭān kāmān arhati viḍ-bhujāṁ ye (SB 5.5.1). Here is the Fifth Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke kaṣṭān kāmān arhati viḍ-bhujāṁ ye. This human form of life, ayam deha... Ayam deha nṛloke: "in the human society." This is not meant for working very hard like the dogs and hogs. Kaṣṭān kāmān arhati viḍ-bhujāṁ ye. Simply by working hard, day and night, for sense gratification, this is done by the dogs and hogs. This is not meant for the human society. But, but at the present moment, people are being instructed in such a way... I've seen so many—especially in Calcutta—so many educated boys and girls, they are hankering after service. Day and night they are working. This is not the effect of education. The effect of education should be peaceful mind, peaceful living. That is the duty of the parents, of the guardians, of the government. When there is monarchical government... We see from the reign of Prthu Mahārāja. He was seeing that every brāhmaṇa is engaged in his occupational duty, every kṣatriya is employed, is engaged in occupational duty. Similarly vaiśya. There was no question of unemployment. That is the first duty of the government to see. Neither there is division of the brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas, vaiśya, śūdra, although it is made by Kṛṣṇa Himself: cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). There have been so many anomalies in the society for want of this Vedic culture. Now here is the opportunity. People are accepting Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement very nicely. You can introduce this Vedic culture throughout the whole world. They're receiving.
So we are spreading this sanātana-dharma, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, throughout the whole world, not on the superficial platform of this bodily concept of life. We are teaching everyone that "You are not this body." Actually we are not, but it is because we are, at the present moment, we are educated as first-class rascals and fools, we are thinking that "I am this body." This is the defect of the modern civilization. But actually what Kṛṣṇa is trying to instruct Arjuna... Arjuna means everyone. He's not simply talking with Arjuna. Arjuna is simply via media. He's talking to the whole human society, intelligent class of men, that "We existed, we are existing now, and we shall exist also in the future." This is called sanātana, eternity. So na caiva na bhaviṣyāmaḥ: "In the future we also shall exist." Now we should consider what is the problem now: I was present in the past, I am now present in the present, and I shall exist in the future. Then what is my problem? The problem is why I am changing this position of eternity? I am sanātana. I am eternal. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi. That is the real existence, that I am Brahman. Brahman means eternal. But Kṛṣṇa is Para-brahman. Param means the supreme, the chief. Therefore there are two terms in the Vedic language: ātmā, paramātmā; brahman, parabrahman; īśvara, parameśvara. There are two terms. We are not parameśvara, not paramātmā, not parabrahman. We are ātmā, īśvara... We can say, "I am īśvara." What does it mean, īśvara? Īśvara means controller. So, although we are servant, at the same time we are controller. That we can experience. I am now working in the office. I am servant of the establishment, but I'm given some power to control over certain departments.
Therefore He's called Yogeśvara. Lord Śiva, he's called Yogīśvara. He's the best amongst the yogis. And Kṛṣṇa is called Yogeśvara. This yogeśvara word is also in the Bhagavad-gītā: yatra yogeśvara hari. So Kṛṣṇa is the controller and master of all mystic power; therefore He's called Yogeśvara. Brūhi, "Kindly let us know," yogeśvare kṛṣṇe, "when Kṛṣṇa went back to His abode, Goloka Vṛndāvana," yogeśvare kṛṣṇe brahmaṇye. Brāhmaṇa, brahmaṇya means He's the original brahminical culture or He's worshiped by the brāhmaṇas. Viṣṇu, or Lord Viṣṇu is worshiped by the topmost class of men. So in the human society the topmost class of men are considered the brāhmaṇas. As it is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). The human society must be divided into four classes of men. That is perfect human society. First-class men, second-class men, third-class men, and the fourth-class men. And after these fourth-class men, they're all fifth class, pañcama. So the first-class men are the brāhmaṇas, qualified brāhmaṇas, śamo damaḥ titikṣava, ārjava. And the second-class men are the kṣatriyas. The third-class men are the vaiśyas. And the fourth-class men, they are called śūdras. And the fifth-class, below the fifth-class, they are called pañcama or caṇḍāla. This is Vedic division of human society. So Kṛṣṇa is worshiped by the brāhmaṇas; therefore He's called brahmaṇye, or who gives protection to the brahminical culture.
So therefore those who are preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness... Just like all kinds of impediments. They are (indistinct) sādhus. Na ca tasmān manuṣyeṣu kaścin me priya-kṛttamaḥ (BG 18.69). Kṛṣṇa says, "Nobody is dearer than him who is preaching," because he has to face so many impediments, so many obstructions. And he has to face (indistinct). Therefore it is said, sādhu, munayaḥ sādhu pṛṣṭo 'ham: (SB 1.2.5) "Oh, your question is very nice." Sādhu, munayaḥ sādhu pṛṣṭo 'haṁ bhavadbhir loka-maṅgalam. "We have put this question, but it is loka-maṅgalam." When you discuss this question and answer, it becomes very much auspicious to the whole human society. Loka-maṅgalam. Bhavadbhir loka-maṅgalam. Why loka-maṅgalam? Yat-kṛtaḥ kṛṣṇa-sampraśno, because it was questions about Kṛṣṇa; therefore it is loka-maṅgalam, auspicious. Anyone who is hear about Kṛṣṇa, how is that simply by hearing (break) ...hear. Hearing is also so auspicious. Śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ (SB 1.2.17). If you hear, śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ... When Kṛṣṇa sees that you are hearing about Kṛṣṇa, immediately you become pious. Śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ. To hear about Kṛṣṇa, to speak about Kṛṣṇa, to glorify about Kṛṣṇa, they are all pious activities, puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ. So if we begin simply hearing about Kṛṣṇa, talking about Kṛṣṇa, then you become pious. Śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ hṛdy antaḥ stho hy abhadrāṇi. Kṛṣṇa is situated in everyone's heart. He's simply making the opportunity why the (indistinct), the individual souls are trying to approach Him. That is the yoga system. Yoga system means the jīvātmā, the soul, individual soul, tries to understand the Supersoul, Paramātmā. That is yoga system.
So we are preaching the teachings of Bhagavad-gītā all over the world. So we invite you also to join this movement. You have already the sense of Vedic culture. Now, if you cooperate with us fully, we can develop a very nice cultural movement here also. The problem of birth, death, old age, and disease is for everyone. But, on account of their material association, they do not take this problem very seriously. So one who does not give any importance to these problems, he is no better than animals. The problems of birth, death, old age and disease are there in the animals, as well as in human society. But the animals cannot make a solution. But the human being can make a solution. And to make the solution of these problems, there are the Vedic literatures.
There are different planetary system, and in each and every planetary system, there are different types of living beings or human beings. As we have got on this planet different parts of the world, different parts of this globe, we have got different types of persons. We are talking of persons only, human being. Other living entities we are not taking into consideration. Because the dharma is meant for the human being, not for the cats and dogs. Religious system is there in the human society. Any civilized human society there is a system of religion—it doesn't matter what is that religion. That is civilized human civilization. Dharmeṇa hīna paśubhiḥ samānāḥ. In the human society, in the civilized human society, if there is no conception of God, if there is no conception of God's order or God's law, that is not human society; that is animal society. The cats and dogs or other animals, big, big animals, they have no sense what is the law of God, what is God, how to execute that. That is not expected there. Take, for example, in your country, the law is "Keep to the left" while you drive your car. That is the order of the state. But if you do not obey the state order, instead of driving on the left side, if you drive on the right side, you immediately become a criminal, punishable. But the same right and left consideration, if a dog or a cat or a cow violates, instead of going on the left side, if he passes—he has no fault. He's animal. He's animal. Or a child—if he violates law.
So for eating, sleeping, mating and defending, there is no need of education. Education means athāto brahma jijñāsā. That is education. How to know the Supreme Absolute Truth—that is education. But the university, they are educating people how to eat, how to sleep. Eh? They are manufacturing so many eatables, different types of eatables, although God has given immense foodstuffs for human society. Just like these fruits, they are made for human beings. They are not eatables for the cats and dogs. They are meant for human beings. So eko bahūnāṁ yo vidadhāti kāmān. Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, has supplied, He is supplying immense foodstuffs for all living entities. Tena tyaktena bhuñjīthā (ISO 1). But there is allotment for the pig—the foodstuff is stool—and for the human being, the foodstuff—fruits, flowers, foodgrains, milk, sugar. So as God has allotted, you use that for your eating. Eating is required. Then your life is successful. Tena tyaktena bhuñjīthā. Do not try to imitate others. Do not try to imitate the hog and the pig to eat stool. That is not human bodies' foodstuff. You eat your own foodstuff. Tena tyaktena bhuñjīthāḥ. This is life. Food is already there, but the difficulty is that we do not know that we should be satisfied with the foodstuff allotted to us by God.
So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is a movement to educate people how to go back to Godhead, Kṛṣṇa. So our request is that you take advantage of this movement. Don't be fully simply absorbed in the activities of animal life—eating, sleeping, mating, and defending. This is also required, but under regulation. Eating is not prohibited in Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, but eating is regulated. Don't eat anything without Kṛṣṇa's prasādam. Oh, Kṛṣṇa prasādam, there are so many varieties nice foodstuff. Be satisfied taking Kṛṣṇa's prasādam so your eating problem will be solved and you will advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness to go back to home, back to Godhead. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is very important movement for the human society, and this is not a Utopian thing. It is authorized. For every action of Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement there is support from Vedas, Vedic literature. Just like whenever we speak something we immediately give evidence from the Bhagavad-gītā. It is not that something, "In my opinion it is..." No. We have no opinion. We don't give our opinion. We present Bhagavad-gītā as it is, that's all. As Kṛṣṇa says, we say the same thing. We have no difficulty. Kṛṣṇa says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat, kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). "There is no more superior truth than Kṛṣṇa," Kṛṣṇa says. We accept that. We preach that, that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). If you are searching after God, that is your duty. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. That is your human life's business, to search out the truth, Absolute Truth. Then that is Kṛṣṇa, that is Kṛṣṇa. In the Vedānta-sūtra it is indirectly said, "The Absolute Truth is janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1), from whom everything is generated." That is Absolute Truth. That answer is given in the Bhagavad-gītā, aham sarvasya prabhavaḥ mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate: (BG 10.8) "I am the origin of everything." Aham ādir hi devānām (Bg 10.2). Somebody may say the demigods like Lord Brahma, Siva, they are the beginning demigods. But Kṛṣṇa says, aham ādir hi devānām. "The all the demigods, but their beginning, they are also coming from Me." Sarvasya prabhavaḥ mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate. These things are there. So we are teaching that. It is not difficult. We are not manufacturing anything by fertile brain. Everything is there in the Bhagavad-gītā. And we are presenting Bhagavad-gītā as it is, preaching the Bhagavad-gītā as it is. The Bhāgavata is also further explanation of Bhagavad-gītā, Vedānta-sūtra explanation.
Therefore Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is very important movement. We appeal to the sober class, dhīra, not the adhīra. We also accepting dhīra and adhīra by the mercy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, by the mercy of the Gosvāmīs. Dhīradhīra. Dhīra and adhīra. Just like these boys and girls, they were adhīra. Now they are dhīra. Adhīra. Adhīra means without any responsibility, doing all nonsense. Actually they are rich nation's sons and daughters. They are doing ev..., but now they have become dhīra. "No illicit sex, no meat-eating, no intoxication, no gambling. Yes, sir." This is dhīra. You are already intoxicated. You are already illusioned in this material world. If you still go on drinking, where is the possibility of knowledge? You must have sober brain to understand. So this is going on. Therefore my appeal to all the sober men: to understand this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement and join it for the benefit of his personal self, for the benefit of his country, for the benefit of the whole human society.
So all these information we get from the Vedic scripture, just like Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and Upaniṣad, like that. And we follow the instruction. That is good for human society. Human society, if they do not follow the footprints of great ācāryas, great saintly persons, then there will be trouble. And that is happening actually. In the Bhagavad-gītā, when Kṛṣṇa was..., Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna was talking, so Arjuna presented the after-effects of war, that women will be widows and their, they will not be able to keep their character, and then adharma, irreligious principles, will begin. So he said... He was arguing like this, that,
- adharmābhibhavāt kṛṣṇa
- praduṣyanti kula-striyaḥ
- strīṣu duṣṭāsu vārṣṇeya
- jāyate varṇa-saṅkaraḥ
- (BG 1.40)
The Vedic civilization is varṇāśrama-dharma. If the varṇāśrama-dharma is not properly protected, then there will be population who are called varṇa-saṅkara, mixed population. Brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra—that is the natural division. The society must be divided... Cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). (aside:) There is no need. The natural division... Just like you have got natural division in your body: the head, the arms, the belly and the legs, similarly, social divisions, there is. Some of them are very intelligent men, class of men, and some of them are martial-spirited persons, and some of them are interested in trades and industry, and some of them are interested only for filling up the belly. So this is natural division. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭam. If this cātur-varṇyaṁ, this division... The most intelligent class of men, they should be trained up as brāhmaṇa. Śamo damo titikṣa ārjava jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyaṁ brahma-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.42). The social division must be there. The most intellectual class of men, they should be engaged in studying the Vedas and acquire the knowledge and spread it to the human society so that they may be guided and do the needful for peaceful situation of the society. That is the guidance. The kṣatriyas, they're meant for protecting the society, military power, or martial-spirited. When there is danger, attack, they'll give us protection. Similarly, there must be a class of men for producing food grain, and giving protection to the cows. Kṛṣi-go-rakṣya vāṇijyaṁ vaiśya-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.44). And the rest of the people, who cannot work as intellectuals or as martial-spirited persons or cannot take to production of foodstuffs, they should assist all these three classes of men. And they are called śūdras. This is the social division. So this is called varṇāśrama-dharma. The word dharma is used. Dharma means occupational duty. Dharma does not mean some religious sentiment. No. Natural division and the occupational duty.
So we can produce enough quantity of food grains all over the world. And if we actually produce food grains, we can feed ten times of the population which are at present. But unfortunately, we are not producing food grains. That is the problem. It is not the problem of overpopulation. It is the problem that we are not producing food grains. This is clearly stated, that unless you have sufficient food grains, how you can maintain? They have taken a policy that they would not... Especially in the Western countries, I see that they will not produce food. They will raise some cattles and send them to the slaughterhouse for eating. This policy is going on. And this is not a very good policy. You produce your food grain. Why you should kill the innocent animals and eat them? So on account of these sinful activities, according to Vedic civlization, there are four kinds of sinful activities. One sinful activity is illegitimate, illicit sex life. According to Vedic civilization, without marriage, no sex life is allowed. Therefore marriage is compulsory. In every human society, there is marriage. But according to Vedic civilization, marriage is compulsory, saṁskāra. So therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, strīṣu duṣṭāsu vārṣṇeya jāyate varṇa-saṅkaraḥ. If the women are not married, then varṇa-saṅkara population will increase. It is said. And as soon as there is varṇa-saṅkara population, the whole world will be in chaotic condition.
So the, our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, we are suggesting from the śāstras, from the Vedic literature, how to reorganize the human society. Actually, there is no scarcity of food, there is no scarcity of land. Everything, there is sufficient. From the Īśopaniṣad, we understand... Not only this planet; in every planet there is sufficient arrangement.
- pūrṇam adaḥ pūrṇam idaṁ
- pūrṇāt pūrṇam udacyate
- pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya
- pūrṇam eva avaśi...
- (Iso Invocation)
It is factually complete. There is no problem. The problem is that we are not following the, I mean to..., the principles of life as they are enunciated, as they are enjoined. Dharma, the word dharma, it is not a, a religious sentiment. Dharma means occupational duty. So in the... From Vedic literature, we understand that dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19). Dharma means the laws given by God. Unfortunately, at the present moment, they have no information what is God and what is God's law and how to abide God's law. They're all in ignorance and they're manufacturing their own way of life, every day changing. This will not solve the problems of human society. If we actually follow the Vedic injunction, it is very simple thing. The whole idea is that everything belongs to God. Actually, that's a fact. This is the... Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (ISO 1). Everything be... Now this United Nations, they're trying to be united, but actually, in the heart, they have got this, "This is my land," "This is my land." The American thinking, "This is my land." The German thinking, "Oh, it is my land." Indians thinking, "My land." Actually, there is no knowledge. Every land belongs to God. But they cannot come to this conclusion because they are godless, without any God consciousness. Actually, that's a fact. Just as the America, two hundred years ago, this land did not belong to the Americans. It was there already. So to whom it belonged? Similarly, everything... This is the statement of the Vedas: īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (ISO 1).
This is the instruction of Ṛṣabhadeva to his sons. "My dear sons, this human form of body, ayaṁ deha, this body, na, not..." Na ayaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke. Everyone has got a body. The cats and dogs, they are also possessing a body, and the human being also possessing a body. So what is the difference between the cats and dogs and human society? So Ṛṣabhadeva says, ayaṁ deha-bhājāṁ nṛlo..., kaṣṭān kāmān na arhati yad viḍ-bhujām. To accept too much labor for the necessities of life, kāmān... Kāmān means the necessities of life. This life, this human form of life, is not meant for that. It is meant for viḍ-bhujām, the hogs and dogs. They are... The hog is whole day working to find out "Where is stool? Where is stool?" The human life should not be like that. Human life should be very peaceful and prosperous and save time for spiritual culture. That is stated here. Tapo divyam (SB 5.5.1), for tapasya, tapasya, voluntarily accepting renouncement. This is human life. That is our Vedic principle, compulsory sannyāsa. There are varṇāśrama-dharma. So student life, brahmacārī; then married life, gṛhastha; then vānaprastha; then sannyāsa. That is tapasya. The brahmacārī is also trained up for austerity and penances. That is brahmacārī. The gṛhastha also... Because from brahmacārī life, they go to gṛhastha life, they are trained up in tapasya.
So this subtle body—means mind, intelligence and ego—that carries me to another body according to the nature of my mind. At the time of death, as the mind is absorbed, I mean to say, full of thoughts, according to that full of thoughts, we are given another gross body. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, that anta-kale, yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvaṁ tyajaty ante kalevaram (BG 8.6). Bhāvam, the attitude, the modes of the mind at the time of death, will carry me to the next gross body. Therefore it is necessary to prepare ourself what kind of body we are going to get after death. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, "After death, the soul," tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13), "gets another body." Now, we can see in our experience, there are so many different types of bodies. There are 900,000 species of bodies in the water. There are two million different types of bodies in the vegetables kingdom, means the trees and plants. There are eleven hundred thousand species of life in the insect kingdom. There are one million types of bodies in the bird kingdom. And there are three million types of bodies in the beast life. And there are 400,000 species of body in the human society. Out of them, the civilized man is considered to be perfectly in bodily situation.
So our duty is, when we have got this privilege of this human form of life, we should not keep ourself in darkness. Darkness means without any knowledge of the soul and God. So long I am thinking that "I am this body," it is in darkness. Except the human being, any other living being, they are all in darkness. Therefore human being's business is not to keep himself in darkness, but come to the light. So long we have got this material body, there are four necessities of life. They are eating, sleeping, sex intercourse and defense. So the cats and dogs, they also eat, they sleep, they have sex life and they can defend also. So therefore a human being should not be educated only for these four principles of animal necessities. The human necessity is to understand God. Therefore in civilized human society, there is some system of religion. Either you call it Christianity, Muhammadanism, or Hinduism, in civilized society there must be some form of religion. And a human being is supposed to follow the principles to have complete knowledge about God and himself, to know "What is the relationship between God and me?" and what is the goal of life.
So we are acquiring knowledges in so many departmental, but the ultimate knowledge is to know God. Therefore Vedānta says that "Now, this life, atha, atha..." Atha ataḥ brahma-jijñāsā. Just like the birds. In the morning, they also talk, "Where we shall go this morning to get some fruits and some eatables?" So these questions they do, and there is some talking, "ki-chi mihi." So not that kind of question. The questions "What is God? What I am? What is my relationship with God? What is the ultimate goal of life?" These questions and answers should be in the human society. Unless these questions arises—"What is God? What is this material nature? Who has created it? How it is created? How it is going on?" so many things... The main principle is naturally, if we are philosophical minded, we inquire that "How this world is created? Who has created?" And there are many different ways of answering. But the Vedānta-sūtra answers that the, whatever we are seeing, all this cosmic manifestation, the creator is God, Brahman. Athāto brahma jijñāsā, janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). So God, or the Supreme Truth, Absolute Truth is that from whom everything has come. So that is the beginning of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1), "Absolute Truth is that from whom everything has come into existence."
So Kṛṣṇa comes Himself to teach you, to show you what does He do in His Goloka Vṛndāvana. And if we are fortunate enough, be attracted with the Kṛṣṇa's pastimes, and if we constantly think of it, satataṁ kīrtayanto māṁ yatantaś ca dṛḍha-vratāḥ (BG 9.14), then your life will be perfect. That is the aim and purpose of Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. We want to give to the human society the highest blessing, the most perfectional platform of life. So my request is that those who are becoming interested in Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they may not be misled. Kṛṣṇa's activities with Rādhārāṇī and the gopīs, they are completely spiritual, ahlādinī-śaktiḥ. And if we understand properly about Kṛṣṇa's activities, then ānanda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhāvitābhiḥ (Bs. 5.37)—we reach to the platform of ānanda-cinmaya-rasa. Because we are seeking after ānanda, bliss... That is the information from the Vedānta-sūtra. Ānandamaya abhyāsāt. We living entities, we are by nature blissful, seeking after happiness. But this happiness is not possible if we become compact in material activities. If you seek the happiness in the material platform, you'll be frustrated. It is to be sought after in the spiritual platform. So actually it is forbidden that sannyāsīs should not see any dancing by woman or any singing by woman, but we are not violating these rules. Just to remember that here is a hint how Kṛṣṇa is spiritually enjoying, if we see and hear on that spirit, then it is very good; otherwise it is not good.
So long we shall remain māyā-dāsa, we have to change this body one after another. It may be of higher standard or it may be of lower standard. That will depend on my work. Karmaṇā daiva netreṇa jantor deha upapattaye (SB 3.31.1). This is the philosophy, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. You are... We are not independent. We are completely under the control of material nature, and we get different types of bodies on account of associating with different modes of material nature. Kāraṇaṁ guṇa saṅga asya sad-asad janma yoniṣu (BG 13.22). Sat, asat, there are two kinds of status quo, sat and asat. Sat means nice, or eternal, and asat means not very nice. So either you can get the body of the human society or you can get a body in the hog society, dog society. But the activities of the hogs and dogs and human being, if it is carried on in ignorance, eating, sleeping, mating... Then there is no difference. There is no difference. There is no difference to become a hog or to become a man. A man is also eating; hog is also eating according to one's taste. The man is also sleeping; the hog is also sleeping, according to the position. So that does not make any difference between a human being and a hog. But at the present moment we are taken this civilization that hog is eating stool, and if we are eating very nice plate, then you're civilized. But śāstra says no. Eating and the taste of eating is the same. Always enjoying eating stool, and you're enjoying eating something else—the taste of eating is the same. There is no difference. You like something; I like something. But the common formula is that you eat, I also eat. Therefore we have to change this formula. If you simply waste our time like the hogs—eating, sleeping, sex-life and defense—then that is not human life.
So we are helping both ways. Those who are educated scientist, philosopher, for them we have got volumes of books. And those who are not educated, they can simply chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. That will help them, both ways. Therefore this movement has become important and interesting. Our books are being purchased by the topmost class of man. Big, big professors in the universities, they are giving standing order. The books which are not published, they are putting standing order. Here our one sannyāsī is present, Satsvarūpa. He is visiting the libraries, universities, professors, and we are getting very good response. So don't take it as a sectarian movement. Don't misunderstand this movement as a CIA movement. These are all foolishness. Do you think that the Americans are so fools that for propagating their CIA movement they will become Vaiṣṇava and chant and dance? The Americans have become so fools? No. They have taken it very seriously. They are not CIA, not American nor European. They are Vaiṣṇavas; they are servant of Kṛṣṇa. Don't misunderstand them. And try to cooperate and help this movement for the benefit of the whole human society.
In this age, as we are fallen, so the method is also given very simplified. It is confirmed in the śāstras, in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam also, that kaler doṣa-nidhe rājann asmin hy eko mahān guṇaḥ, that this time, this Kali, this age... This is called Kali age, misunderstanding and fighting. So in this age there are so many faults in the human society. It is just like ocean. Kaler doṣa-nidhe. Nidhi means the ocean. Doṣa-nidhi, fault, ocean of fault. Doṣa-nidhe rājann. "There is one great opportunity." What is that? Kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya mukta-saṅgaḥ paraṁ vrajet: (SB 12.3.51) "If one takes to this chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra," kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya, "then mukta-saṅga, he becomes liberated," and paraṁ vrajet, "he becomes eligible to go back to home, back to Godhead." So these things are there. Our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is only to give you information, just like a peon delivers the letter from a friend. He has nothing to do. So we are trying to deliver the message of Kṛṣṇa to you. You kindly accept it and utilize it.
So this opportunity is here. Before Prabhupāda came to the Western countries, actually there was no hope. There was no hope at all. There was no such knowledge, there was no such opportunity to choose between material life and something else. There was no reality other than this body, and for everyone it was simply a very hopeless, distressful situation. But Prabhupāda personally, even at advanced age, he's coming simply to give this opportunity to the Westerners and to everyone throughout the world, that besides this material life, there is another, eternal life, and if you utilize your independence very carefully to transfer your attachment to this internal potency of devotional service and service to the Vaiṣṇavas and to Kṛṣṇa, then you can become free forever from the encumbrance of repeated birth and death and go back to home, back to Godhead. This is the great fortune that has come upon us in the form of this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, in the form of association with the pure devotee, Śrīla Prabhupāda, and in the form of chanting the holy name. In so many ways we are being benedicted, and if we can simply remain fixed in the pure knowledge of Kṛṣṇa consciousness and we don't become illusioned by this material energy, thinking just like the animal that there's some happiness there... The animal is running after the mirage, but there's no water there. Similarly the foolish human beings, as Prabhupāda aptly mentioned the other day to these professors who came to visit him, the dog is running with four legs, here and there, very, very busy, and the human being also he's running, but he's running in an automobile with four wheels. But he's thinking that his running is superior to the dog's running. Why? He's very busy running here and there for the same activities, and the dog is running with four legs. The activities are the same. So without culture the running in the car and the running of the dog is the same. So this Kṛṣṇa culture is now being spread all throughout the world. It's giving people to see how actually human life should be lived. And the temple is a place where practically we can set an ideal example of human life for the whole of human society. Therefore we're greatly indebted to Śrīla Prabhupāda.
So within human society... This is also stated in the Seventh Chapter of Bhagavad-gītā, manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye: (BG 7.3) "Out of many thousands of men, one may endeavor for perfection. And of many such perfected men, hardly one knows Me in truth." So the material world is a very dangerous place. The living beings within the material world are kṣatram. They do not know the purpose of life. They are simply interested in their own advancement, somehow or other. So they engage in all kinds of destructive activities which cause harm to themselves and to others. So this is the condition of the material world. Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Prabhupāda has stated that this is no place for a gentleman. In the material world everyone is, just as we are observing... I was visiting the Kṛṣṇa consciousness farm in British Columbia, and on the road we were passing large herds of beef cows. We were discussing that the farmer thinks of these cows not as spirit souls but as commodities. He simply puts them in a field to eat, and when they get big enough, kills them and takes the money for his enjoyment. He doesn't see that these are living entities, spirit souls. So this activity of the human beings, killing the cows, helpless cows by the thousands daily, is causing the..., or is an indication that there is no merciful quality in the human beings. They are simply interested in their own aggrandizement and welfare. If they don't surrender to Kṛṣṇa, that is the only alternative.
The pure devotee of the Lord instructs the conditioned soul to engage in activities just to please Kṛṣṇa, as Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī explains. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ jñāna-karmādy anāvṛtam (Brs. 1.1.11). Without any separate interest, no mixture of jñāna or karma, no desire for sense gratification or acquisition of knowledge, just to engage in activities for the pleasure of the Supreme. This is the perfection. Otherwise, without coming in touch with a pure devotee of the Lord no one could understand this. And especially in this age of Kali when the human society is so degraded, that if it weren't for some laws prohibiting, and even despite those laws, the human beings are engaged in cut-throat activities, killing one another. Just like this abortion. Now they've passed some law which allows killing. So now it is going on, wholesale slaughtering, by mothers of their own children. This is the condition of human society.
This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement was started by Kṛṣṇa Himself. Apparently the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement was started by Kṛṣṇa Himself in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra five thousand years ago, and He said that "This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement I spoke to the sun-god long, long years ago." Imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam (BG 4.1). This is avyaya. Avyaya means which is never diminished or destroyed. Vyaya means which is destroyed, and Kṛṣṇa says this yoga system... This is yoga system: bhakti-yoga. Yoga means to connect, to add, yoga. So at the present moment we are almost disconnected. Not exactly disconnected; forgotten our relationship with Kṛṣṇa, or God. God means Kṛṣṇa, and Kṛṣṇa means God. So in the human society there are many different types of yoga system just to reconnect our relationship with Kṛṣṇa. In the Bhagavad-gītā they are explained differently, karma-yoga, jñāna-yoga, haṭha-yoga, dhyāna-yoga, bhakti-yoga. All of them are yogas, but there are different stages. Yoga means to connect or to link up with the Supreme Absolute Truth. Now suppose he is in the topmost platform. So everyone is trying to go there. Mama vartmānuvartante manuṣyāḥ pārtha sarvaśaḥ. Kṛṣṇa says, "Everyone is trying to come to Me, but..." Just like the person who's on the top floor. So the staircase is one. Somebody has crossed ten steps; somebody has taken, crossed twenty steps; somebody has crossed hundred steps; but one has to go, to fulfill, say, one thousand steps. There are different yoga systems. Everyone is trying to go to the topmost platform, mama vartmānuvartante manuṣyāḥ pārtha sarvaśaḥ. This is a fact.
So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means to present to the human society the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. So we started this movement in 1966, registering it. Our Rūpānuga Prabhu has already explained. So take this movement very seriously. The same, Kṛṣṇa, started within the historical, five thousand years ago. And He started this movement with Arjuna as His disciple. Then Caitanya Mahāprabhu, five hundred years ago, He revived again the same movement. He is Kṛṣṇa Himself. And that is going on. Don't think that this is a manufactured movement. No. It is the authorized movement and confirmed by the authorities. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186). There are mahājanas mentioned in the śāstra. So be fixed up in the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement and try to understand Kṛṣṇa. We have got so many literatures, authorized literatures. And make your life success.
So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is the best welfare activities for the human society to save them from a dangerous type of life. It is a very scientific movement. The fools and rascals, they do not know that there is next life and one has to accept a type of body given by nature. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa jantor deha upapatti (SB 3.31.1). According to karma, the nature... Just like if you infect some disease without any knowledge, so that disease, infection, will develop. If you have infected the small pox germ, then it will develop. You may believe or not believe or you may know or not know. It doesn't matter. Nature's way is like that. Similarly, we are contaminating within this material world different infection of the modes of material nature—sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. So that is also described in the Bhagavad-gītā: kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgaḥ asya sad-asad yoni janmasu. One is getting higher type of birth, one is getting lower type of birth, why? Kāraṇaṁ guṇa saṅgo 'sya: (BG 13.22) the cause is different contamination of the material modes of nature. Therefore in human form of life we should not be irresponsible animals. The animals, they do not know what he is contaminating, what he is going to take birth next. That is nature's way. But when you come to the human form of life, you have got your discrimination. You have to make your choice whether you are going to hell or you are going back to home, back to Godhead. That you have to make your choice.
So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is meant for saving the whole human society. The present moment... Not in the present. In this material world always the attempt is to defy the supremacy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. At the present moment the so-called scientists, their only business is how to defy the supremacy of God. Naturally our, this movement has to face many impediments because at the present moment the whole world is practically godless. Even in our country, in India, where Bhagavad-gītā was spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead Kṛṣṇa, even here also the same attempt is going on. Big, big scholars, big, big politicians, they take Bhagavad-gītā in their hand as if he is a great authority in Bhagavad-gītā, but they are presenting commentation just to defy Kṛṣṇa. So we take them according to Bhagavad-gītā. So Bhagavān, Kṛṣṇa... Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). That is the verdict of the śāstra, and Kṛṣṇa personally, when He was present before us, He said, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya: (BG 7.7) "Nobody is greater authority than Me." In the Vedānta-sūtra it is said, athāto brahma jijñāsā. Now, this life, this human form of life, is meant for making inquiry about the Supreme. That Brahman, the Supreme... Brahman means bṛhatvad bṛhannatvad, the greatest which includes everything. That is Brahman. Just like we are, we living entities, we are Brahman. Because I am the spirit soul, I am within this body; therefore everything is complete. So in the Bhagavad-gītā this brahma-jijñāsā, "What is Brahman?" if you are inquisitive, the answer is in the very beginning of the Bhagavad-gītā.
So there is ample śāstra-pramāṇa, approved by the ācāryas. Caitanya Mahāprabhu converted many Pathans into Vaiṣṇava, changed their name. So things are going according to śāstra and mahājana. Why you should not receive them as Vaiṣṇava and give them proper reception? That is my request. I hope... There are many learned scholars and devotees present here. They should endeavor to remove this, I mean to say, restriction or short-sightedness, and let us combinedly work for Jagannātha to preach the bhakti cult for the benefit of the whole world. Janma sārthaka kari kara para-upakāra (CC Adi 9.41). This Bhārata bhūmi is for para-upakāra, because this knowledge, the Vedic knowledge, is here in the Śrīmad Bhāratavarṣa. So we should assimilate the bhakti cult to the right direction, and making our life successful, we should distribute this knowledge, this cult, all over the world. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission. Janma sārthaka kari para-upakāra. The modern civilization is very vicious civilization. Because in the human form of life there is the opportunity, athāto brahma jijñāsā—to inquire about the Supreme Truth—so if they are denied... The knowledge is there in India. If it is denied, that is not very good human society. So I shall request you all, learned scholars, paṇḍita present here, to cooperate with this movement, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and let us conjoinedly work for Jagannātha cult.
Just like whenever there is misgovernment in the political world, there is some revolution; there is some change. People revolt against the administration that "We don't want this sort of government." As this is natural, similarly, whenever there is discrepancies in the matter of executing religious principle—means the order, or the laws given by God—at that time God Himself comes or His representative comes to reestablish the religious principles according to the climate, country, people. That is going on, not only in the human society, but also in the animal society, bird society. That we understand from the Vedas.
So then what is religion? The religion is, as I have told you that dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19), the order of the Lord, God. And what is that order? This is plainly stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). Simply be Kṛṣṇa conscious. Kṛṣṇa says, man-manā bhava. Mana means consciousness.
The human society has manufactured in Hindu society, Muslim society or Christian society, and there are so many... Buddha society... So, but Bhagavad-gītā says that "You can give up sarva-dharmān, all sorts of religious principles. You simply surrender unto Me." This is the position. Kṛṣṇa said in the beginning that "I come here to reestablish the religious principle." And what is that religious principle? To surrender unto Him. To surrender unto Kṛṣṇa. This is real religious principle. And in the Naimiṣāraṇya, when this Sūta Gosvāmī was asked what is the best religious principle, so, he replied, sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje: (SB 1.2.6) "It doesn't matter what is that religion. Any religion is first-class religion provided it gives you opportunity to develop your dormant love of God. That's all." You follow any religion; it doesn't matter. Either you become a Hindu, Muslim, or Christian, or Buddhist, or so many other religions there are, but the test is that whether your religious principle is first class or third class or second class, the test will be whether you have developed your dormant love of God. That's all. If you are lacking in that, that you have not..., instead of developing your dormant love of God, you are developing your love for so many other things...
So because we are in different consciousness, therefore everything is ignoble in our heart. So śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ, hṛdy antaḥ-stho hy abhadrāṇi (SB 1.2.17). These abhadra, these ignoble thoughts, claiming something which does not belong to me, is the most ignoble. But if you gradually give your attention in the matter of hearing kṛṣṇa-kathā, then Kṛṣṇa will help you how to wash off these ignoble things within your heart. Hṛdy antaḥ-sthaḥ. He is within your heart. When you are serious, then He will wash off all these ignoble things from your heart. Hṛdy antaḥ-stho hy abhadrāṇi. In this way, how Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement can help the human society in all respect to become purified and thus live in peace and prosperity, we can have all this information from this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Bhagavad-gītā. And we shall request you that you come and join with us and discuss with us. If there is any doubt, just clear it up and take up this movement seriously to make the human society happy and prosperous. Thank you very much.
| Page Title: | Human society (Lectures, General) |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, Mayapur |
| Created: | 27 of Mar, 2012 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=133, Con=0, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 133 |