Brahma-jñānī, they are partially perfect. Paramātmā-jñānī, yogis, they are also partially perfect. Not completely perfect. Completely perfect is the devotees. Only devotees, they are completely perfect. Others, the jñānīs and yogis and karmīs... Karmīs are, they are rascals. Jñānīs, they are partially perfect because they can understand the eternity portion of the Supreme Lord, brahma-jñāna. That is eternity portion. And Paramātmā-jñāna is the cid-aṁśa, knowledge or personally seeing God as the four-handed Viṣṇu. So that is also imperfect knowledge. That when He comes to know Bhagavān, īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1), then there is perfect knowledge. Ānanda. Because when one comes to the understanding of personal God, there is ānanda. In other features, there is no ānanda. There is eternity, there is knowledge, but there is no ānanda. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). That is the Vedānta-sūtra. One is by nature ānandamaya. We are searching after ānanda, bliss, but we do not know where to get bliss. We are trying to get bliss in this material world by eating meat, eating wine, drinking wine, by sex. They are trying to get ānanda. That is not ānanda. Ānanda is what is satyānanda. These ānandas, these pleasures—flickering, for few minutes, for few hours. That is not ānanda. Ānanda means satyānanda, real ānanda, real ānanda. What is that real ānanda? Brahma-sukha. That ānanda is in exchange with the Supreme Brahman. Brahma-saukhyam anantam (SB 5.5.1). That is anantam, unlimited ānanda. Therefore ramante yoginaḥ anante (CC Madhya 9.29). Therefore those who are actually yogis, bhakti-yogīs...
One comes to... (Lectures, BG)
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
They do not believe in the next life. So it is horrible condition. Purposefully you put yourself if you do not follow... (break) ...process. The varṇāśrama-dharma... (break)... society. Utsanna-kula-dharmānāṁ manuṣyānāṁ janārdana, narake niyatam. Niyatam means always. (break) Just like the hog, hellish life... (break) ...eating stool, living in filthy place. māyā is dictating, "You are... (break) ...more than a king." Yes. Sometimes Indra became a hog, and... By the curse of Bṛhaspati. So when Brahmā again came to recall him,... (break) ...he was Indra. He denied. (break) ...responsibility. Family... (break)... The hog... (break) ...āvaraṇātmikā-śakti. (break) ...lowest standard of living. He will think that "I am very happy." This is called āvaraṇa... (break) So if the hog thinks that "I am living..." (break) ...Then he will die. in the human mind,... (break) ...hellish condition of life, then he can make progress in spiritual life. And for so long he thinks that "I am living very peacefully, very happily..." (break) ... then athāto brahma jijñāsā. Unless one comes to that... That sense will come when one follows the tradition of family life. (end)
Yes. He says that there was no such time when we are not individual, and there will be no such time in the future when we shall not remain individual. And so far present is concerned, we are all individual. You know. So where is the possibility of losing individuality? Become imperson? No. There is no possibility. This voidism, impersonalism, they are artificial ways of negating the perplexing variegatedness of this material existence. That is the negative side only. That is not a positive side. A positive side is that, as Kṛṣṇa says, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9). "After giving up this material tabernacle, one comes to Me." Just like after leaving this room, you have to enter another room. You cannot say that "After leaving this room, I shall live in the sky." Similarly, after leaving this body, if you go to Kṛṣṇa in the spiritual kingdom, your individuality will be there, but you'll have that spiritual body. When there is spiritual body there is no perplexities. Just like your body is different from the body of the aquatics. The aquatics, they have no disturbance in the water because their body is made like that. They can live there peacefully. You cannot live. Similarly, the fishes, if you take them out of the water, they cannot live. Similarly, because you are spirit soul, you cannot live peacefully in this material world. This is foreign. But as soon as you enter into the spiritual world, your life is eternal, blissful and full of knowledge, real peace. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9). Kṛṣṇa says, "After leaving this body, he does not come to this perplexities of material world." Mām eti, "He comes to Me." "Me" means His kingdom, His paraphernalia, His associates, everything. If some rich man or some king says, "All right, you come to me," that does not mean that he's impersonal. If a king says, "Come to..." means that he has got his palace, he has got his secretary, he has got his nice apartment, everything is there. How he can be imperson? But he says only, "Come to me." This "me" means everything. This "me" does not mean impersonal. And we get information from Brahma-saṁhitā, lakṣmī-sahasra-śata-sambhrama-sevyamānaṁ surabhīr abhipālayantam (Bs. 5.29).
And then next intelligent class: the politicians, administrators. Next intelligent class: the mercantile class, traders. And the fourth class man means worker. They have no intelligence, but they depend on others for their livelihood. So there are first-class, second-class, third-class, fourth-class men everywhere, any part of the world.
So the brāhmaṇas' duty is to give education, intelligence, up to the understanding of the Supreme Absolute Truth, Brahman. The Absolute Truth is called Brahman. So one who knows Brahman or the Absolute Truth... Knowledge means the end of knowledge should be up to the understanding of the Absolute Truth, the original source of everything. Absolute. Not relative. Relative truth, everyone knows, but when one comes to the point of understanding the Absolute Truth, the original source of everything... There must be original source of everything. That is Brahman. Those who have read the Vedānta philosophy... The Vedānta philosophy describes Brahman. The first aphorism in the Vedānta philosophy is called athāto brahma jijñāsā. The Vedānta philosophy says that this human form of life is meant for understanding the Absolute Truth. One must be... Human being must be interested to know the Absolute Truth. That is perfection of human life. Because in the cats' and dogs' life... Unfortunately, at the present moment, people do not know what is the distinction between cats and dogs and a human being. That is another defect of the modern education. The distinction between cats and dogs...
So first of all you have to understand that we are spirit soul, ahaṁ brahmāsmi, Brahman. "I am not matter, I am spirit," ahaṁ brahmāsmi. These are Vedic words, so 'ham. So 'ham does not mean "I am God." I am God-ly—I am part and parcel of. As God is in quality, so I am also in quality. Just like a drop of ocean water, qualitatively it is the same as the vast mass of water in the sea, but not the drop of water is equal to the vast mass of water. Similarly, in quality, so 'ham, "I am," that means the Supreme God, as He is in quality, I am also the same in quality. So 'ham. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi, "I am Brahman. I am not this matter, I am spirit soul." These are the knowledge.
So when one comes to that knowledge, brahma-bhūtaḥ... Now we are not brahma-bhūtaḥ, prākṛta-bhūtaḥ, jīva-bhūtaḥ, the exact word. Jīva-bhūtāṁ mahā-bāho yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat (BG 7.5). The world is being maintained by this jīva-bhūtaḥ, by the living entities. Just like this city of Manila is very important so long the living entities are there. If there are no living entities, nobody will be prepared to purchase the whole land even for (indistinct). What he will do with the dead matter? The dead matter has no value. It is valuable so long we utilize it in different purposes. Otherwise, it has no value. A nice motorcar with nice machine, first class, it has value so long it is driven by a living entity. Otherwise, who cares for it? Nobody cares for it. Jīva-bhūtāṁ mahā-bāho yayedam (BG 7.5). Therefore matter, however valuable it may be, it is inferior to the spirit. The spirit is superior energy of God. Matter is inferior energy of God.
The fish in the waters, they are living in the certain method. But the eating, sleeping, mating, defending is there. Is there. So according to the different bodies, they're living differently.
So all living entities, as Kṛṣṇa said, that "They existed," so existed in a different body. Now existing in a different body. This is called evolution or transmigration. This is... The evolution... Evolution theory is there. Not theory, fact. In the Padma Purāṇa... It is not Darwin's invention. There is... Asatiṁ caturaṁ caiva jīva-jātiṣu. As clearly stated, the evolution theory is, evolution fact is there are 8,400,000 different species of life, and the living entity passing, transmigrating, from one, another, one, another. Therefore, when one comes to this human form of body, Prahlāda Mahārāja says, durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma: "It is very rarely... This human form of body is very..." Why it is so rare? Now arthadam adhruvam. We shall die also. We shall give up this body like the cats and dogs. But I can get a sublime knowledge in this body. The cats and dogs cannot get. Therefore we should utilize this. So to understand this importance of this body is explained here, that "I am not this body. I am a spirit soul. I have been given a type of body by the material nature under the order of Kṛṣṇa and God." Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). This, these things are going on by the nature's law. The law is so perfect. Just like I have given several times that if you infect some disease, the nature's law is so perfect that you must suffer from that disease, unless you take precaution. Everyone knows that any infections disease... That is... You see in the SB.. (end)
In India, the average age is thirty-five years. In other countries, maybe little more. But gradually it is decreasing, and it will decrease to such a point that even a, if a man lives for twenty to thirty years, then he'll be considered as grand old man. That, that day will come.
So this age... Therefore śāstra says, prāyeṇa alpa āyuṣaḥ. Generally, almost everyone is short-living. Prāyeṇa alpa āyuṣaḥ kalau asmin yuge janāḥ. Asmin yuge, kalau, they are very short-living. Then again, mandāḥ: all rascals. Mandāḥ, third class; no first-class men. Practically no brahminical qualification. All śūdra qualification. Therefore mandāḥ. Sumanda-matayaḥ. And if one comes forward to be spiritually enlightened, he accepts something bogus, which has no meaning, without any reference to the śāstras. Therefore mandāḥ sumanda-matayaḥ. They have got a opinion, and that is going on. You may have any opinion. That is all right. This foolishness is going on in this age. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayaḥ. Manda-bhāgyāḥ, and most unfortunate. Everyone is practically unfortunate. Nobody has certainty what he will eat tomorrow, or in the evening. Everywhere... Don't think only it is only in India. In America. When I went there, I thought everyone is very rich. There are so many poor men. They are lying on the street. The street-lying population is everywhere, either in India or in America or in England. I have seen. The first-class, second-class, third-class men will remain there. You may however try to make everyone first class; the division, first class, second class, third class, will go on. That is nature's arrangement. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyā hy upadrutāḥ (SB 1.1.10). And disturbed. Just like today's strike, unnecessarily. Disturbance. So many disturbance everywhere, all over the world, because the population has degraded, degraded. They must be like that. This is the way.
I have become servant of my senses—kāma, krodha, lobha, moha, mātsarya, ityādi. Now I see that I have served so long, but my so-called masters, they are not satisfied." Everyone knows. Even up to the end of life, one tries to become master. But that is not possible because he's not master. So when one is wise, he sees that "I am actually not master. I am serving others, but I am thinking I am master. Just like in my family. I am thinking that I am the head of the family, I am the master of the family, but actually, to satisfy my family members, I have to work hard day and night. So I have become their servant, but I am thinking I am master." This is called illusion.
So when one comes to the senses that he cannot be master at any stage of his life, then he surrenders to Kṛṣṇa. Sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ. Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti (BG 7.19). "Oh, Vāsudeva is the real master. And my nature is to serve Him." Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ. He's first-class mahātmā, not the mahātmā who is thinking himself that he has become Nārāyaṇa and begging door to door. And Nārāyaṇa is meant for begging? Nārāyaṇa is the master of Lakṣmī, goddess of fortune. But they have manufactured a word—daridra-nārāyaṇa. Nārāyaṇa has become daridra. Just foolishness, see. Nārāyaṇa, He's the master of goddess of... Not only one goddess of fortune, lakṣmī-sahasra-śata-sambhrama-sevyamānaṁ govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam aham... (Bs. 5.29), hundreds of thousands of Lakṣmīs. Just like Kṛṣṇa, when He was present, He had 16,108 Lakṣmīs in Dvārakā. That is Nārāyaṇa. And each Lakṣmī was given big palatial building made of marble and bedecked with jewels. So there was no need of light. Such nice marble palaces. And each queen was given ten children, and it is not that that sixteen thousand queens were crying and Kṛṣṇa is only with one queen. No. He expanded Himself into sixteen thousand forms, and He was living with each queen. That is Nārāyaṇa. Why Nārāyaṇa should become daridra? Nārāyaṇa says that bhoktāraṁ yajña... He's the supreme bhoktā, enjoyer. So He's unlimited. Therefore He's unlimited enjoyment. That is Kṛṣṇa. He showed it when He was present. Why sixteen thousand wives? If He could have sixteen millions of wives, still, they were not perfect. Because He's unlimited. So these things we have to understand.
So their struggle going on, competition. That is called bhukti. And another? Mukti. Mukti means those who are disappointed. Disappointed must be because nobody can be happy here with this karmī plan. That is not possible. So he will be disappointed. But disappointed when? After many, many births' struggle for existence, he'll be disappointed. That's a fact. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante (BG 7.19). He continues to be, become karmī and sometimes jñānī, sometimes yogi, to become happy, but he'll be confused. He'll be defeated. Nature is so strong. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante: "After many, many births of this struggle"—sometimes karmī, sometimes jñānī, sometimes yogi, sometimes something else—"when one comes to be really wise," jñānavān māṁ prapadyate, "he surrenders unto Me." How he surrenders? Blindly? No. Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti (BG 7.19). He at that time understands that "Kṛṣṇa is everything." Therefore... That is a big mahātmā. Sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ: "It is very difficult to find out such a great person." Therefore intelligent person, if he sees... Dekhe śekhara(?). If I understand that "This person has surrendered to Kṛṣṇa after many, many births. If that is the ultimate goal, why not myself surrender immediately?" That is buddhi-yoga. "If one has to come to this point for perfection of life, why not my life be perfected in this life? Why I shall wait for many, many births?" And that is buddhi-yoga, intelligent yoga. Kṛṣṇa yei bhaje, sei baḍa catura. Unless one is exceptionally intelligent, he cannot take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is buddhi-yoga.
Therefore Kṛṣṇa has described in sāṅkhya-yoga that "This is your duty. You are kṣatriya. You have... Why you are rejecting fighting?" In this way, in so many ways... "The soul is immortal, the body is perishable, so your grandfather or your kinsmen, they'll not die." So this is analytical study from the material point of view. And as soon as one comes to the point of serving Kṛṣṇa with love, without any understanding... Just like fire. Fire, you accept it. Without studying fire, analytical, if you touch fire, it will act. It will act. It doesn't require to study fire, how, what is the composition of fire. This is knowledge, of course. But if you... Just like gopīs in Vṛndāvana. They did not study what is Kṛṣṇa. They did not care even to study. But they wanted to love Kṛṣṇa. That is their only qualification. They were ordinary village girls. Similarly, the cowherds boy. They were tending cows. They had no Vedānta knowledge or any higher education, not very nicely cultured gentlemen, village cowherds boy, cowherds girl, but they did not know any other business than to love Kṛṣṇa. That is perfection. Jñāna-śūnya, without any knowledge. They did not know. They... They saw Nārāyaṇa: "Oh, here is Nārāyaṇa. All right. I offer you..." But there is no love. Love is for Kṛṣṇa. Even Nārāyaṇa, four-handed Nārāyaṇa, there is no love for. They have got respect. You can offer respect to anyone, even you have no love. But love is different thing. That was... That is the typical examples in Vṛndāvana. That is the ultimate goal of buddhi-yoga.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "The Blessed Lord said, 'O Pārtha, when a man gives up all varieties of sense desire which arise of invention, and when his mind finds satisfaction in the self alone, then he is said to be in pure transcendental consciousness.' "
Prabhupāda: Now if one comes to the understanding, enlightenment, this is the beginning of enlightenment—self-understanding, that "I am part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. I do not belong to this material world. I am not part and parcel of this country, this world, or this material atmosphere, but I am part and parcel of the Supreme." This is enlightenment. Read it again.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "The Blessed Lord said, 'O Pārtha, when a man gives up all varieties of sense enjoyment...' " (BG 2.55)
Prabhupāda: Now if you are interested with so many varieties, material varieties... Suppose I belong to this country, then I have got so much duty, so many duties. If I belong to this world, if I belong to the human society, if I belong to this and that. But if you simply belong to Kṛṣṇa, that is enlightenment. Yes, go on.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "...and when his mind finds satisfaction in the self alone, then he is said to be in pure transcendental consciousness." 56: "One who is not disturbed in spite of the threefold miseries, who is not elated when there is happiness and who is free from attachment, fear and anger, is called a sage of steady mind (BG 2.56)."
This is called nature study. We have to study from so many things from lower animals. So here the very good example is set herewith that yadā saṁharate cāyaṁ kūrmaḥ aṅgānīva sarvaśaḥ. Just like the tortoise is practiced to wound up his senses within his body according to his will, similarly, indriyāṇi indriyārthebhyaḥ, similarly, when we should use the senses and what purpose, when, when one comes to understand this, then he is situated in spiritual consciousness.
Now, just, just take the same example of Arjuna. Now, Arjuna says that "I'll not fight. I'll not fight with my relatives and brothers for the sake of achieving some kingdom. No, no, no." Now, for the ordinary man it appears to be: "Oh, Arjuna is very nice man, nonviolent. He's giving up everything for the sake of his relatives. Oh, what a nice man he is." This is ordinary calculation. But what Kṛṣṇa says? "You are fool, damn fool number one." You see? And that we have already discussed. Aśocyān anvaśocas tvaṁ prajñā-vādāṁś ca bhāṣase: (BG 2.11) "My dear Arjuna, you are talking like very learned man, but you are number fool one." Yes. This is the, I mean to say, reward given. "You are, you are declining to fight? This is your nonsensical." Now, just see. The things which are estimated in the public eyes very nice, very good, that is condemned by God. Condemned by God. We have got so many examples and experiences life that what is eulogized by some of our friends, it is condemned by others. So whole thing, our perfection of any act, that should be certified by the Supreme Lord. Dharmaḥ svanuṣṭhitaḥ puṁsām... (SB 1.2.8). Svanuṣṭhitasya dharmasya saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam (SB 1.2.13). Hari-toṣaṇam. We have to see it, "Whether the Supreme Consciousness is pleased with my, this action." So Arjuna's action was not approved, not approved by Lord Kṛṣṇa. But the same Arjuna, he fought at the last. After hearing the instruction of Bhagavad-gītā, he engaged himself in the fight.
That's all. So if we want to cut our prison life, then the first symptom will be to minimize this sense enjoyment or to regulate the sense enjoyment. Here the Lord says that yadā saṁharate cāyaṁ kūrmo 'ṅgānīva sarvaśaḥ. The example is given just like the tortoise. The tortoise can close up, wind up his senses as he likes. That means he becomes the master of the senses. He does not like to be the servant of the senses. So this, I mean to say, verse, we have already discussed. So indriyāṇīndriyārthebhyas tasya prajñā pratiṣṭhitā. One who is practiced to control his senses... Senses are not to be stopped. They are to be used at proper time, but not at the dictation of the senses. When one comes to that standard of life, that he is not dictated by the senses but he uses senses when it is properly required... Senses are not to be stopped. That is not prescribed. That is not prescribed. Somebody says that sense control means to use, to stop the action of the senses. No. Senses, action of the senses, cannot be stopped. Simply it has to be purified. The action of the senses has to be purified. That is the whole process. Because as spiritual living entity, we have got our spiritual senses. Those senses are now covered by this matter. We are not senseless. Just like your coat. Your coat is cut according to your hands. Because the coat, you will see, the coat has also got a hand. And why coat has got a hand? Because the user of the coat, he has got a hand. The coat is cut according to the hand of the user of the body. Similarly, this material body has been described in the Bhagavad-gītā as dress. So unless I have got body, wherefrom the dress comes? Dress has no meaning unless I have got body.
So far necessities of the body, material body, is concerned, the demand is there; demand is here. You can accept from that type of body, by this body, simply by understanding, by advancing in knowledge. And the perfection of knowledge is to know who is God. Or where is God. That is perfection. So long one does not understand what is God or the Absolute Truth by whom everything is being emanated, the knowledge is imperfect. Knowledge is not finished. Therefore Bhagavad-gītā says, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante: (BG 7.19) "After many, many births of cultivating knowledge, one comes to the understanding of accepting God is the prime source, fountainhead of everything." That is perfection of knowledge.
At the present moment people are denying the existence of God, or they are thinking that God is dead. That means imperfection of knowledge. They have to still make progress to the perfectional point. And that test is to understand, "Here is God, and He is the fountainhead of everything." That perfection of knowledge you will have simply by reading... Any scripture you can read. The same conception is there. But in the Bhagavad-gītā it is more clearly explained so that you can understand with all reason, arguments, and scrutiny too. It is not dogmatic. That is the beauty of Bhagavad-gītā.
Just like in some dictionary the word is explained in one word. In some dictionary it is explained that "The history of this world is like this. This word can be explained like this, like that, like that," some pages like that. Similarly, so far dictionary, the small pocket dictionary is also dictionary, and that Webster's International big dictionary, that is also dictionary. The difference is that international dictionary, you get details of one word. Similarly, any scripture is perfectly giving direction towards understanding what is God. But actually how God is great, how He is working, how His laws are working, all these things you can find in the Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. (end)
He is in jubilation always. And because we are also part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, we have got the propensity to dance with young girls or enjoy the company of the young girls. That propensity is not unnatural. It is natural, jubilation, but because it is in material contact, we cannot enjoy it fully. There are so many inebrieties. Those who have seen our temple, we worship Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa in jubilation. They are, along with the gopīs, playing the flute and many musical instruments, dancing. That is the definition given in the Vedānta-sūtra. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt, means "by nature jubilant." There is no moroseness. There is no unhappiness. That is the kingdom of God.
Now, Kṛṣṇa says, ye yathā māṁ prapadyante: "According to the degree of surrender, one comes nearer and nearer." Kṛṣṇa is manifested in three features, namely, brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate (SB 1.2.11), means He is revealed as impersonal Brahman, as localized Paramātmā, or the Supersoul, or as the Supreme Personality of Godhead Kṛṣṇa. There are three different types of transcendentalists. They are called the jñānīs, the yogis and the bhaktas. Jñānīs means those who are trying to understand the Absolute Truth in impersonal feature, brahma-jyotir. The jñānīs means those who are mental speculators, philosophers, neti neti. They are trying to understand the Absolute Truth by dint of their limited knowledge. They are called jñānīs. And the yogis, the mystics, they are trying to find out the Supreme Personality of Godhead within the heart. Because the Lord is situated in everyone's heart as Supersoul.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "Such impersonalists do not agree to accept the eternal, blissful Personality of Godhead and consequently they cannot relish the bliss of transcendental personal service to the Lord, having extinguished their individuality. Some of them who are not situated even in the impersonal existence return to this material field to exhibit their dormant desires for activities. They are not admitted into the spiritual planets but they again are given a chance to act on the material planets. For those who are fruitive workers the Lord awards the desired results of their prescribed duties as the yajñeśvara; and those who are yogis seeking mystic powers are awarded such powers. In other words, everyone is dependent for success upon His mercy alone and all kinds of spiritual processes are but different degrees of success on the same path. Unless, therefore, one comes to the highest perfection of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, all attempts remain imperfect, as is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam: 'Whether one is without desire (the condition of the devotees) or is desirous of all fruitive results, or is after liberation, one should with all efforts try to worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead for complete perfection culminating in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.' "
Prabhupāda: Yes. This verse refers to the statement of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam wherein it is stated that
- akāmaḥ sarva-kāmo vā
- mokṣa-kāma udāra-dhīḥ
- tīvreṇa bhakti-yogena
- yajeta puruṣaṁ param
- (SB 2.3.10)
The idea is that there are three class of men. One class of men they are simply desiring material comforts, desiring. They want nice house, nice wife, nice comfortable life, everything nice for the comfort of this body. They are called sarva-kāma. Sarva-kāma means their desire has no end.
This is tapasya. Tapo divyam (SB 5.5.1). That is Vedic civilization, that children should be from the very beginning of life trained up in tapasya, brahmacarya. Celibacy. A brahmacārī cannot see any young woman. Even the guru's wife is young, he cannot go to the guru's wife. These are the restriction. Now where is that brahmacarya? No brahmacārī. This is Kali-yuga. No tapasya.
But according to Vedic civilization, varṇāśrama-dharma. Vedic civilization means four varṇas and four āśramas. Brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra. We have begin. We have began our lecture on the basis, cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). So this is civilization. Unless one comes to this standard of civilization, varṇāśrama-dharma, that is animal civilization. So we prefer animal civilization. Therefore we are living like animal also, fighting like cats and dogs and suffering like cats and dogs also. This is the position. Nirāśīr yata-cittātmā. Control. I shall accept as much as I require, not more than that, not less than that. Controlling the citta, intelligence, and ātmā, mind or self, self-control.
Nirāśīr yata-cittātmā tyakta-sarva-parigrahaḥ. Parigrahaḥ means unnecessarily collecting something, atyāhāraḥ. Atyāhāraḥ prayāsaḥ... Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī has given definition how bhakti is killed:
Generally, they are recommended—five: the sun-god, the Gaṇeśa, the Viṣṇu, Lord Śiva and Durgā, and... The sun-god I have already said. Five, pañcopāsanam. Five: the sun-god, the Gaṇeśa, and the Durgā-devī, then Lord Śiva, and then Viṣṇu. This is also gradual evolutionary. People in the most lowest stage of humanity, they are struck with wonder by the power. As soon as there is some electricity, they feel some power. So when there are power worshipers... The modern scientists, they are power worshiper. They have gone up to the sun-god. Not god, the sun globe. The power is received from the sunshine. So this is one stage, power. In this way, one after another, when one comes to the supreme powerful, Viṣṇu, because that is the ultimate powerful...
So this is one type of yajña, understanding the supreme power. Just like I was talking a few minutes before, the power. But power is not ultimate. Ultimate is the conductor of power, or the powerful. Just like electricity. Electricity is power, but it is generated from the powerhouse. People generally understand that electricity is coming from the powerhouse. But the powerhouse is maintained by the resident engineer, a person. That is real understanding. Or just like this airplane is flying in the sky. A child may see what a wonderful machine is flying in the sky. He does know the importance of the pilot. The big gigantic airship can fly in the sky so long the powerful, or one who knows how to conduct the power, pushing the button. By pushing one button, the plane goes high, and pushing another button, it comes down. It is not automatically. Any machine you take. Nowadays wonderful machine, computer. That is also handled by an expert. Any machine you take, without an expert technologist, it cannot work.
"There is no mercy. Therefore I have given up them. Now I have come to You, my dear Lord. I was serving the senses so long. Now I want to serve You." This is knowledge, jñāna-dīpite. "Because my business is to satisfy the senses, either my senses or my relative's senses, but it has not made me happy, therefore I have come to You to satisfy Your senses. Kindly engage me in Your business."
This is called jñāna. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate (BG 7.19). When jñānavān... What kind of jñānavān? After serving the senses of so many people life after life, when one comes to his real knowledge that "This kind of sense gratification will not make me happy. Let me gratify the senses of Kṛṣṇa," that is real knowledge. Jñāna-dīpite. And in another place it is said, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate. Jñānavān. That is real knowledge.
Actually, my business is to satisfy the senses of Kṛṣṇa, but I am thinking that I shall be happy by satisfying my senses, my family's senses, my country's senses, my nation's senses, and so on, so on, so on. This will make me happy. This is the secret. So therefore Kṛṣṇa says that "You have manufactured so many business of sense gratification. That's all right. Give up this all rascal business. Simply surrender unto Me." Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). Then you will be satisfied. Otherwise there is no question of satisfaction. You go on increasing the area of sense gratification. That will not make you happy.
And what kind of surrender? The surrender means full knowledge. After scrutinizingly studying all the process of self-realization or transcendental realization, when one comes to the perfectional point, he understands that vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti: (BG 7.19) "Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṇa, is everything." As it is confirmed in the Brahma-saṁhitā, that
- īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ
- sac-cid-ānanda-vigraḥaḥ
- anādir ādir govindaḥ
- sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam
- (Bs. 5.1)
Sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam means the cause of all causes. Just like my existence. I have got this body. The cause was my father. And the father, his father was cause. You go on searching, father, father's father, his father, grandfather, great-grandfather... Go on searching, searching, searching. Don't think that because you cannot see just now your great grandfather, there was no father of the grandfather. Don't think like that. There was. Although he is... Don't think that "Anything which is out of my sight, because I cannot see, so there is no existence." No. This conclusion is not good.
Therefore knowledge, we must seek knowledge. And the perfection of knowledge, as we have several times explained in this meeting, the perfection of knowledge is to understand Kṛṣṇa. That's all. As in the Seventh Chapter you'll find, that, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate (BG 7.19). Now, after culturing many, many births knowledge, one comes to Kṛṣṇa and he understands, vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ (BG 7.19). Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṇa is everything, all causes of causes. He's the cause of all causes. Always remember. When I speak of Kṛṣṇa, He's God. God. God is the cause of all causes.
Now, in these days of Communism, the idea of Communism... Now, in the Kṛṣṇa science, there is very nice conception of spiritual communism, in the Kṛṣṇa science. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavata you'll find that there was a discussion between Nārada and Yudhiṣṭhira, and Nārada was explaining that in this manifested material world, either in the higher planets or in this planet or in the outer space, whatever wonderful things and resources, material resources are there, they are all manufactured by the Supreme Lord. Just try to understand. Everything in this world, whatever there is, that is not done by any human being. That is done by God. Nobody can deny it. Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (ISO 1). Therefore all living entities, beginning from the ant to Brahmā, the highest human being or the highest demigod, all of them, they have got the right to use them. They have got the right to use them.
Controlling of senses means... That is also knowledge. Because this materialistic life means sense gratification, so we have satisfied our senses not only in this human form of life, but in other forms of life. So when one comes to the understanding that these sense gratification activities are useless, then he can understand. When one understands that "I have tried to satisfy myself in different kinds of sense gratification..."
Just like people are trying. The same thing which they have got at home... Just like a naked woman. They are still going to the theater to see naked dance. You see? What is that? They have no idea. The same thing. Punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām (SB 7.5.30), chewing the chewed, trying to find out in which naked dance there is pleasure. That's all. So when one comes to the knowledge that "I have seen so many different types of naked dance and naked woman. What I have got? What I have gained? What satisfaction is there? Why I am not satisfied?" That is knowledge. That is knowledge.
Just like Bilvamaṅgala Ṭhākura. You have heard the story of Bilvamaṅgala Ṭhākura. There are many stories. So he was very much fond of his girlfriend prostitute. So when one night when he approached there within torrents of rain and with great difficulties, the woman was sympathetic. She said, "Bilvamaṅgala, you are so much attracted with this flesh and bone. Oh, if you had been so much attracted to Kṛṣṇa, how you would have been." Oh, immediately he turned: "Yes." So he immediately went back and went to Vṛndāvana.
Yes, the gradual progress of yoga system. Karma-yoga to jñāna-yoga. Karma-yoga means ordinary activities, fruitive activities. Ordinary activities means sinful activities also, but karma-yoga does not mean sinful activities. Only good, pious activities or prescribed activities. That is called karma-yoga. Then, by performing karma-yoga one comes to the platform of jñāna-yoga, knowledge. And from knowledge to this aṣṭāṅga-yoga, eightfold yoga system—dhyāna, dhāraṇā, prāṇāyāma, āsana—like that, those who are practicing the aṣṭāṅga-yoga. Then from aṣṭāṅga-yoga concentrating the mind on Viṣṇu come to the point of bhakti-yoga. And when one comes to the bhakti-yoga platform, that is the perfectional stage of yoga. And this Kṛṣṇa consciousness means from the very beginning, directly, that bhakti-yoga. Go on.
Devotee: "Therefore, to become Kṛṣṇa conscious is the highest stage of yoga, just as when we speak of the Himalayas, we refer to the world's highest mountains, of which the highest peak, Mount Everest, is considered to be the culmination. It is by great fortune that one comes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, on the path of bhakti-yoga and is well situated according to the Vedic directions. The ideal yogi concentrates his attention on Kṛṣṇa, who is called Śyāmasundara, beautifully colored as a cloud, His lotus-like face effulgent as the sun and His dress brilliant with earrings and His body flower-garlanded. Illuminating all sides is His gorgeous luster, which is called the brahma-jyotir. He incarnates in different forms, such as Rāma, Nṛsiṁha, Varāha and Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And He descends like a human being as the son of Mother Yaśodā and is known as Kṛṣṇa, Govinda, and Vāsudeva. He is the perfect child, husband, friend, master, and He is full of all opulences and transcendental qualities. If one remains fully conscious of these features of the Lord, he is called the highest yogi. This stage of highest perfection in yoga can be attained only by bhakti-yoga, as is confirmed in all Vedic literature."
Prabhupāda: Bhakti, in the Bhagavad-gītā you'll find, that bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ (BG 18.55). In the beginning Kṛṣṇa says that out of millions of people, one may understand Me actually, factually. And that same factually word is used in the Eighteenth Chapter, that "If one wants to know Me," Kṛṣṇa or God, "then he has to go through the process of bhakti-yoga." Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ (BG 18.55). That is clearly said. In the Vedas also it is said, simply through bhakti, devotional service, you can attain to the highest perfectional stage. Other yoga system there must be mixture of bhakti. But bhakti-yoga is unadulterated devotion. Therefore this direct process of bhakti-yoga is recommended for this age because they haven't got sufficient time to execute all the paraphernalia any other system of yoga. Thank you very much. (break)
Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena. One who has developed love of God, or Kṛṣṇa... When I speak of Kṛṣṇa, you should understand "God." Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena (Bs. 5.38). Another name of Kṛṣṇa is Śyāmasundara. He is blackish like the cloud, but very beautiful; therefore His name is Śyāmasundara. So in this verse of Brahma-saṁhitā it is said that the santaḥ, saintly person, who has developed love for Śyāmasundara, Kṛṣṇa... Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva (Bs. 5.38). Sadaiva means always, constantly. Santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu. Hṛdayeṣu means within the heart. Actually, when one comes to the point of samādhi in yoga system, he thinks of Viṣṇu form of the Lord within the heart without any stopping. That is called samādhi. He is absorbed in the thought of Viṣṇu within the heart.
So Kṛṣṇa, Śyāmasundara, is the original Viṣṇu. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ (BG 10.8). Sarvasya means including Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Maheśvara. Everyone. Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ. So He is the original Viṣṇu. According to śāstra, Vedic literature, He is original Viṣṇu, Kṛṣṇa, then His first expansion is Baladeva. Baladeva expansion: Saṅkarṣaṇa. Saṅkarṣaṇa expansion: Nārāyaṇa. Nārāyaṇa expansion: Viṣṇu, Mahā-Viṣṇu, Garbhodakaśāyī, Kṣīrodakaśāyī. These are statements. So Kṛṣṇa is the original Viṣṇu, Śyāmasundara.
Madhyama. Īśvara. By arcana-vidhi, he understands Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, by this process. By the regulative process, by the instruction of the spiritual master, by the regulative principles set up in the bhakti-śāstras, just like Nārada Pañcarātra, Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu. There are many. So at that time, if one comes from the lower platform to the... Of course, we must know that any devotee, either in the lower platform or in the second platform or on the firs platform, they are to be considered as devotees. Not that because one is in the material platform, he's not devotee. He is also devotee. But he has to improve. The improvement means he must know what is Kṛṣṇa. Simply if he remains attached to the temple worship and does not try to understand who is a Kṛṣṇa devotee and how he has to deal with others... Na tad-bhakteṣu cānyeṣu. We have got some duty to others. This is preaching work. This is preaching work. One should not be satisfied simply by worshiping in the temple. Then he'll remain a neophyte. He must become a preacher, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then he comes to the second platform.
So when he becomes a preacher he sees four things. He sees God, Kṛṣṇa, Īśvara; tad-adhīna, and the devotees. Tad-adhīna means those who have accepted Kṛṣṇa as the parama-puruṣa. There is another verse in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavata: itthaṁ satāṁ brahma-sukhānubhūtyā dāsyaṁ gatānāṁ para-daivatena. Dāsyaṁ gatānām, for the bhaktas, Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Lord, Paradeva.
If you don't have a material body, then there is no question of birth, death, old age and disease.
So this is the process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. People should be interested by hearing the words of Kṛṣṇa. That is intelligence. Kṛṣṇa says that "In this way you can stop your birth and death process." So why don't you do that? Why you are after so many things? If you simply try to understand Kṛṣṇa and if you perfectly understand, then immediately you can stop your birth and death process. You are eternal. That is intelligence. That is intelligence. Just like Kṛṣṇa says, "After many, many births, one comes to this conclusion that Kṛṣṇa is everything." So why shall I wait for another many births? Why not accept Kṛṣṇa as everything? This is intelligence. Kṛṣṇa is saying, He's not bluffing. So why not take Kṛṣṇa's word as truth and immediately, mam prapadyate, immediately surrender? "Kṛṣṇa, I do not know anything. I simply surrender unto You. Please protect me." That's all. Finish business. Very simple thing, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Everyone can take. Doesn't require to become very highly, scientist, philosopher and something like that. Simply accept Kṛṣṇa's words and see the result. And the result is happening also. Those who are accepting Kṛṣṇa in that way and trying their best to please Kṛṣṇa with this human form of life, how much they are happy, how they are enjoying life.
So this is practical. So our request is that everyone should try to understand the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement and be happy. Thank you very much. (break) Yes. Yes. What is that?
"After many, many births of cats and dogs and trees and this and that," so many, eight million, "when one comes to this knowledge," vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti (BG 7.19), "Kṛṣṇa is everything," sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ, "he is guru."
So guru means... Vedic injunction is you must go to a guru. Now, it may be difficult, who is guru. That is also Kṛṣṇa showing a..., "I am guru." Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya: (BG 7.7) "There is no more any better person than Me." And He has proved it. He has proved it. Kṛṣṇa, so long He was on this platform, on this earthly planet, He proved that He was the greatest personality, greatest persons... Read history and you will see. He proved Himself from His childhood. When He was three months... He is neither old nor... But He was playing just like human child on the lap of Mother Yaśodā. The Pūtanā came to kill Him. So that child... You will read all this from Bhāgavatam, how He killed that big Pūtanā, when He was seven years old how He lifted Govardhana Hill. So although He was playing just like ordinary human child, human boy or hu..., but sometimes He was showing His almightiness. That is Kṛṣṇa. That is God.
Mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ, bhajanty ananya-manasaḥ (BG 9.13). They have no other business than to work for Kṛṣṇa, serve Kṛṣṇa. They are mahātmā.
So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is teaching people that "You have no other business than to work for Kṛṣṇa. That's all." This is Kṛṣṇa business. This is called Kṛṣṇa consciousness business. That is called the highest perfection. Saṁsiddhiṁ paramāṁ gataḥ. Siddhi. Here it is, siddhi. Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye (BG 7.3). Siddhaye means to understand "What is my position? Why I am working so hard day and night for simply for sense gratification, for satisfying the tongue, to fulfill the belly, and satisfy the genital? This is my business. That is being done by the dogs and hog." When one comes to this sense, that "Shall I work like the cats, dogs, and hogs, or I have got any other business?" that is human life. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu. All of them working like hogs and dogs. They do not know there is something other. This is the position. And the modern civilization means keep him in the darkness, that "Let him work hard like hogs and dogs, and don't give him any knowledge." Neither they know, the so-called leaders, what is the perfection. They think, "This is life: work like hog and dog, and then die like hog and dog, finish all business." This is not human life. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye (BG 7.3). They do not know what is perfection of life. Therefore we sometimes... We do not say. Kṛṣṇa says. And if we repeat Kṛṣṇa's words, the rascals, they become angry. Actually they are rascals. We plainly say. Because he does not know. If I ask him, "What is your next life?" he cannot answer. Then what is the difference? If I ask the dog that "What is your next life?" he cannot say. "Gow! gow!" That's all. So if I ask any human being that "What is your next life?" "I don't bother about that thing." (laughter) The same answer, "Gow! Gow!" That's all.
The animals cannot inquire, but a man can inquire. So unless one comes to this point, to inquire how these problems can be solved, he's not developed to human consciousness. He's still in the animal consciousness. Actually, the problem is that... What is this human civilization, advanced civilization? They are trying to solve problems. One problem is presented, and they try to solve it. Just like at the present moment they have manufactured atomic bomb, and all the nations are anxious to keep peace, and they have started that United Nations organization to solve the problem. Although they are unable, but they are trying. So advancement of civilization means by nature some problem is offered, and they are trying to solve it. Anything you take, it is an attempt for trying to solve the problem. Just like in your country there is subway. What is that subway? Because on the surface there is a lot of traffic, to solve this problem they want to go underground. And in this way somebody thinks, "Oh, Western countries have advanced than the Eastern countries. They have made some solution." But after that, there is another problem. So problem after problem.
Kṛṣi means cultivation, and kṛṣi means very great. Kṛṣ-dhātu. So kṛṣṇa or kṛṣ means who repeated repetition of birth, repetition. So kṛṣi—"repetition of birth;" ṇa means "one who checks it." He is Kṛṣṇa. "Repetition of birth, one who checks," He is Kṛṣṇa. Therefore our repetition of birth can be checked only by God. Otherwise not possible. Hariṁ vinā na mṛtiṁ taranti: "Nobody can stop his repetition of birth and death without having the causeless mercy of God."
So therefore Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa is a scientific name of God. So Vāsudeva, that Kṛṣṇa's another... Kṛṣṇa has many names. Vāsudeva. Vāsudeva means "all-pervading." So vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ (BG 7.19). After many, many births, if one comes to this understanding that "Vāsudeva, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is everything," that is his perfection of knowledge. That is his perfection of knowledge. And at that time he surrenders. Sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ. That sort of, I mean to say, great soul, mahātmā... Mahātmā means great soul. You have... Perhaps you have heard mahātmā, the word, Indian word. Mahātmā is a designation of a person who is a surrendered soul to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He's called mahātmā. He's not... Mahātmā means "great," "expanding, expanded." Ha. So one who becomes a devotee of the Lord, automatically he becomes expanded. Therefore mahātmā means one whose heart is expanded.
Actually, this is the position of our present situation. We are very much proud of our advancement of education. But if you inquire from various persons that "What you are?" hardly some will answer what he is. Everyone is under the conception of this body. But we are not actually this body. This question we have discussed various times, many times. So this after passing this examination that "I am not this body," then one who, one comes into the real knowledge. That is real knowledge, "What I am." That is the beginning. So the knowledge about which Lord Kṛṣṇa is now imparting, giving instruction to Arjuna, He says, "This is rāja-vidyā." Rāja-vidyā means to know oneself what he is and act accordingly. That is called rāja-vidyā. If I do not know what I am, what is my position, then if I am in mistaken about my situation, then all activities, what I am doing, they are all mistaken. They are all illusion. Therefore this position, rāja-vidyā, means one should know himself, what he is, and act accordingly. Simply by knowing that "I am not this material body," that is not sufficient. You must act accordingly, that you are not material; you are spiritual. That spiritual activity is called Kṛṣ..., act in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and that is called rāja-vidyā, the king of all education.
This bhakti-yoga, devotional service, is rāja-vidyā. Raja means king, and vidyā means education, knowledge, learning. As there are common men and there are kings also, as the king is important, the most important person in the state, or the president is the most important person in the state, similarly, of all learnings, this is the king of learning, rāja-vidyā. And rāja-guhyam..., rāja-vidyā rāja-guhyaṁ. Guhyam means confidential. Confidential, anything confidential is not to be disclosed to the common man. Or after many, many research, one can found..., one can find out the confidence or the confidential nature of devotional service. Bahunam janmanam ante (BG 7.19), it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. It is most confidential because one comes to this knowledge after cultivating other knowledges for many, many births. One comes to this knowledge. What is this knowledge, devotional, rāja-vidyā? What is the symptom? Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate. This is the symptom: that one has surrendered to Kṛṣṇa. That means he is in perfect knowledge. So long he is not surrendering to Kṛṣṇa, he is trying to become Kṛṣṇa, or he is posing himself as equal to Kṛṣṇa or sometimes above Kṛṣṇa. There is a very well advertised yogi. They say, at least his disciples say, that he is above Kṛṣṇa. That is not knowledge. That is ignorance. Real knowledge, jñānavān, is to surrender to Kṛṣṇa. That is real knowledge. Bahunam janmanam ante (BG 7.19). If one is actually intelligent, he should not wait for many, many births. If he believes in the Bhagavad-gītā, in the statement of Bhagavad-gītā, then, immediately after hearing this verse, that bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate, he should immediately surrender to Kṛṣṇa.
Bhakti begins when one is on the brahma-bhūta stage, or one who situated in bhakti-yoga, he is in the brahma-bhūta stage. Although he appears like ordinary man, chanting, dancing, but this chanting, dancing or Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra is not so easy thing. Unless one comes to the brahma-bhūta state, it is not possible.
So bhakti-yoga, is the topmost yoga, rāja-vidyā. Rāja-vidyā rāja-guhyaṁ pavitram. Pavitram means without any contamination of material modes of nature. Here in this material world there are three modes of material nature: sattva-guṇa, raja-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. Even in this material world one is situated in sattva-guṇa, or the brahminical qualification—śamaḥ damaḥ, titikṣaḥ, ārjava, jñānam vijñānam āstikyaṁ brahma-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.42). These are the natural symptoms of a qualified brāhmaṇa—śamaḥ, damaḥ, titikṣaḥ, ārjava. These are described all in the Bhagavad-gītā. But still that is material. Even one is śamaḥ damaḥ titikṣaḥ jñānam vijñānam āstikyam, he's possessing, still that is material. But spiritual position is another position, transcendental position, brahma-bhuyāya kalpate (BG 14.26). So bhakti-yoga is so nice that soon as you come to the discipline of bhakti-yoga, you become situated in brahma-bhūta platform. Brahma-bhūta, he doesn't require to make separate effort for becoming brahma-bhūta. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi, this is a theory for the māyāvādī philosopher, ahaṁ brahmāsmi.
This is the process. Therefore it is rāja-vidyā. Unless one comes to this rāja-vidyā state, he has no right to make disciples. He has no right. He's himself a fool. He does not know what is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.
So, rāja-vidyā rāja-guhyaṁ pratyakṣāvagamaṁ dharmyam. This is pratyakṣāvagamaṁ dharma. How they are becoming ecstatic in chanting, that you can see. Pratyakṣa. They are surprised. Actually they are surprised how they have become so nicely a devotee. This is pratyakṣa. Pratyakṣāvagamaṁ dharmyam, and su-sukham... Is it very difficult? How they have become Vaiṣṇava? Su-sukham: chant, dance and eat prasādam. That's all. Su-sukham. There is no prescription forced upon them, that "You kneel down yourself, and make your head down, and press your nose, and do this, do that." No. Su-sukham. "Please come here! Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, dance, and when you're tired, take prasādam." That's all. Su-sukham. Su-sukhaṁ kartum. Kartum: to execute this devotional service is very pleasure. Pleasure. And avyayam: whatever you do, that is your permanent asset. It will never be lost. Bhakti-yoga process, if you can execute one percent, oh, it becomes asset, and next life you are guaranteed, because you will be given the facility of executing bhakti-yoga further. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, in every śāstra. Śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe yoga-bhraṣṭo sañjayate (BG 6.41). One who could not prosecute... There is other, other passages in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam also. Tyaktvā sva-dharmaṁ caraṇāmbujaṁ harer patet tato yadi bhajann apakvo 'tha (SB 1.5.17).
I mean to say, inferior car. Somebody has got truck. But they're moving. Similarly, these different bodies, they are like cars, and they are moving. Now suppose you are out of the car, either from the truck or from the Rolls Royce car or Chevrolet car or Ford car, do you think that your personality is finished? Because you are out of the car? Then how can you say that when you are out of this body, your personality is finished? What is your reason?
So this is another craziness. Just see how craziness follows. Void. Why void? I am so much intelligent. I am doing... I am planning so many. Because my body is finished, therefore everything becomes void? This void philosophy was contradicted by the (indistinct). There is no void. There is spirit. Now, if that spirit, when one comes to that spiritual self-realization, out of this body, then, if he's still further advanced in spiritual knowledge, then he'll seek what is my spiritual duty? What is my spiritual work? That is sanity. What is my spiritual work. Sanity, that is sanity. I cannot be void. I cannot lose my individuality and personality. That is nonsense. How can I? So long I am sitting in this body... Or take this same crude example. So long I am sitting on the car, I am displaying so much individuality, and so much discrimination. As soon as there is red signal, I stop my car. There is blue signal, green signal, I start my car. I'm using my consciousness. I'm working. And, simply by getting down from the car, I lose everything. I become void? What is this nonsense? No.
There is neither voidness, nor impersonalism. The Bhagavad-gītā does not agree to that. In the Second Chapter you have read it, that Kṛṣṇa, Lord Kṛṣṇa says that, "Arjuna, Myself, yourself, and all these persons who have come here to fight with one another, they were individual selves before, they are individual selves now, and they will continue to be individual selves in the future. So don't be mad that you shall not fight. Their, I mean to say, identity, spiritual identity, will continue."
The Aryan family means they are civilized form of life. But we are utilizing in the matter of maintaining this body. Āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunaṁ ca. We are utilizing this material, this developed body. The spirit soul has got the chance now to liberate himself. There is a process. By nature's way, the evolution is to give chance the spirit to get out of this material entanglement. So people are not giving importance.
Therefore sometimes we find there is overpopulation. Overpopulation. What is this overpopulation? Overpopulation means that just like from lower class a student is promoted, and when he comes to the final class, if he does not pass, then the class is overcrowded. Suppose from one, two, three, four, one comes to the tenth class. Tenth class is meant for final examination and go to the college. So if in the tenth class the students fail, then the tenth class becomes overpopulated. Similarly, the present civilization we sometimes find that there is overpopulation. Overpopulation means we are not being promoted to higher life. We are being blocked, and therefore nature's course is: there must be some pestilence; there must be some war to finish it.
So there is no such intelligence, there is no such knowledge, and they are very much proud. So if we want really... Because these things are God gift, knowledge... It is explained here, buddhir jñānam asammohaḥ. All these things are gift of God. So we must utilize. This human form is developed for utilizing the gifts of God. God has given us nice foodstuff; God has given us intelligence; God has given us knowledge; now God has given us books of knowledge. He is personally speaking this Bhagavad-gītā. Why don't you utilize it? Why don't you utilize it? If we utilize it, then we may be proud of become Aryan or human being.
Sādhu is one who is unflinchingly engaged in loving service of the Lord. He is a sādhu. That is the test, who is a sādhu.
Sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ (BG 9.30). Kṛṣṇa says, api cet su-durācāraḥ. Even though you find in some devotees some bad behavior, not standard, but because he is a devotee, he is constantly engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, therefore he is sādhu. Even though he has got some bad habits due to his past life, it doesn't matter. Because this will stop. Because he has taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, all nonsense habit will stop. The switch is off. As soon as one comes to Kṛṣṇa, the switch which impelled one to bad habits, that becomes off immediately. So just like there is heat, heating, heater, electric heater. If you make the switch off, it still remains hot, but gradually, the temperature comes down and it becomes cool.
Similarly, if you have got faith and if you try to engage yourself in Kṛṣṇa consciousness with association of devotees, not alone... Alone is not possible. Therefore we have established this International Society for Krishna Consciousness. Society is required. Sādhu-saṅga (CC Madhya 22.83). Just to give opportunity to persons who have got little faith to develop that faith into Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Who is that? "That is I am." Kṛṣṇa says. Kṣetra-jñaṁ cāpi māṁ viddhi: "I am also owner of this body." Actually Kṛṣṇa is the owner of the body. Just like in a, in an apartment, there is the occupier and the landlord. So there are two men concerned. I do not know what is the system here. In India, there are two kinds of taxes, the occupier tax and the landlord's tax. Two kinds of taxes. So similarly, this body, I, the living entity, I am the occupier. I am not the owner. Although occupier is, to some extent, owner. But the real owner is the landlord.
Similarly, Kṛṣṇa is the real owner of this body because Kṛṣṇa has given me this body just to occupy it and work. So far. Not that I am the actual proprietor of this body. So when actually, one comes to this knowledge that "I am not this body"—this is one knowledge—and one comes to know also that "I am not proprietor, actual proprietor, of this body"... How can I be actual proprietor of this body? If you have got knowledge... Because this body is made of material ingredients.
So what are these material ingredients? Earth, water, fire, air, ether—they are physical elements. They are Kṛṣṇa's energies. So this body made by Kṛṣṇa's energy. And I, the person, I am also part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. We are two energies. I, as living entity, I am also the energy, superior energy. And this material body, that is also Kṛṣṇa's energy. I cannot prepare this body if I like. No. The body is made by Kṛṣṇa through the agency of this material energy, prakṛti. Prakṛti means the material energy. Kṛṣṇa will say that mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10). This body is made by the material nature under the order of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is with you. Therefore He says, kṣetra-jñaṁ cāpi māṁ viddhi (BG 13.3), that "I am also one of the occupiers of this body." That is Paramātmā. So Kṛṣṇa is so kind that He is taking note of my all desires, and as I desire, Kṛṣṇa orders the material energy to prepare a suitable body for me, and I live there. This is knowledge. This is knowledge, that within this body...
So this is the description of Vedic literature. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ (BG 15.15). That will be described. Veda means knowledge. Vetti veda vida jñāne. Vid-dhātu. From vid-dhātu, the word Veda has come, which means knowledge. There are different kinds of knowledge, and all kinds of knowledge you can get perfectly from the Vedas. There is Dhanur-veda, Āyur-veda, Ṛg-veda, Sāma-veda, different branches of Veda, but the objective of studying Vedas means to understand Kṛṣṇa. Vedaiś ca sarvaiḥ. All kinds of Vedas. Any book of knowledge. There are different types of book of knowledge. So if by studying the books of different types of knowledge one comes to the understanding of knowing the Supreme Personality of Godhead Kṛṣṇa, then his knowledge is perfect.
Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante (BG 7.19). After studying Vedas, speculative knowledge, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān, when one is actually a wise man, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate, he surrenders to Kṛṣṇa. Why? Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti (BG 7.19). Because Kṛṣṇa is everything. Parasya brahmaṇaḥ śaktiḥ. Whatever we see, whatever we experience, that is, everything, Kṛṣṇa's energy. This material world is also expansion of Kṛṣṇa's energy. Similarly, the spiritual world is also expansion of Kṛṣṇa's energy. The brahma-jyotir is also expansion of Kṛṣṇa's energy. Paramātmā is also expansion of Kṛṣṇa's plenary portion. In this way, when one understands perfectly well that whatever we are experiencing, that is Kṛṣṇa's energies...
To act as Brahman, Brahman, that is perfection of knowledge. Not to simply realize. Just like for example a person he feels that "I am Indian." That is very good. But Mahatma Gandhi, he also was Indian, but he acted as a first-class Indian. Therefore Mahatma Gandhi is so much adored.
So simply to realize that "I am Brahman," ahaṁ brahmāsmi, that is not perfection. That is aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ, uncleansed intelligence. Ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninas tvayy asta-bhāvād aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ (SB 10.2.32). Simply understanding ahaṁ brahmāsmi will not help us because it is stated in the śāstra that āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adhaḥ (SB 10.2.32), even by severe austerities and penances one comes to the stage of merging into Brahman, sāyujya mukti, still, there is chance of falling down. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adhaḥ (SB 10.2.32). Why? Now anādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ. One who has not realized the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Kṛṣṇa, he falls down.
We have seen many big, big sannyāsīs in India, very learned scholar, and very nicely they can describe śāstra also, but they are entangled in politics. Why? If this world is mithyā, jagan mithyā, you have rejected it, then why you are again coming to politics? Why you are coming in the mithyā world? Because there is no realization. Aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ. Ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninaḥ. They are thinking that "We have now become liberated," māninaḥ. Actually, they are not liberated.
Prabhupāda: There are two kinds of following. You want to do something by your whims and you could not fulfill that whim in one life. So Kṛṣṇa is so kind, He gives you opportunity to fulfill that desire in this next life and gives you, "Now you wanted like this. Here is the opportunity, do it." But that is not good for you. You wanted it, so Kṛṣṇa gives you the opportunity. The best thing would be that what Kṛṣṇa says, you do that, then you'll be happy. Otherwise, you'll have to go life after life and fulfill your whims and desires. Kṛṣṇa will give you opportunity, but that will not solve your problems.
Devotee: Śrīla Prabhupāda mentioned that everyone is looking for pleasure. So when one comes into devotional service, how is it possible to know if one is actually looking for his own pleasure or really in search of God.
Prabhupāda: So long you'll seek your own pleasure, you'll suffer. And when you'll seek Kṛṣṇa's pleasure, you'll enjoy. The example is given: Just like you catch up some sweetmeat, the fingers. If the fingers say, "We shall enjoy it," you spoil it. But if the fingers put it to Kṛṣṇa, then you'll enjoy it. Unless you know this art, that we cannot enjoy independently, that is not possible. If we enjoy through Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa's prasādam, then we'll be happy. This is the Kṛṣṇa consciousness art. Directly you cannot enjoy, that is not possible. They are making this mistake. They want to satisfy their senses directly. That is not possible. That is spoiling the life. And if you satisfy the senses of Kṛṣṇa, the through Kṛṣṇa you satisfy yourself. This is the technique. The same analogy. The fingers cannot directly enjoy the sweet ball, but when the sweet ball is put into the stomach, these five fingers enjoy, also these five fingers enjoy. These five fingers, whole body will enjoy.
That is material calculation. It is all right. To become nonviolent is good qualification. But from spiritual calculation... Spiritual calculation means that surrendering unto Kṛṣṇa and then act. The difference between bhakti-yoga and ordinary karma is this: that when one's senses are purified under the direction of Kṛṣṇa or His representative, that is bhakti. Hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate. What is bhakti? Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170). One has to become purified, sarvopādhi-vinirmukta. At the present moment we are encumbered with different types of designations. "I am Indian," "I am Christian," "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am this," "I am that." They are all upādhis. But when one comes to the understanding that "I am eternally servant of Kṛṣṇa," that is liberation. That is sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170). Being identified with Kṛṣṇa's interest, he becomes nirmalam. That is mukti. Nirmalam means mukti. So long we are contaminated we are not mukta; we are conditioned. And as soon as we become nirmalam, that means mukti.
They do not... "Oh, what is that?" They say, even the big, big swamīs will say, "Oh, what is there wrong? You can eat anything. It doesn't matter. You can do anything. You simply give me fees, and I give you some special mantra." These things are going on. So because we want such cheaters... If I say, just like in our Society, if you had been given the freedom, "Now, whatever you like you can do," millions of students would have come. But that is not possible. We don't make any compromise like that, that "You can do whatever you like. You can eat whatever you like." No. We don't restrict to the ordinary man, but if one comes forward to become our student, serious student, then he must follow this pravṛtti-nirvṛtti. Otherwise he remains asura. What we have to make an asura a deva. That is our process. Kṛṣṇa consciousness means that it is not that if a man is born in an asura family he cannot be deva. No. He can be deva. Kṛṣṇa says, māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ (BG 9.32). Pāpa-yonayaḥ means asura-yonayaḥ, or lower than asura-yonayaḥ. Striyo vaiśyās tathā śūdrās te 'pi yānti parāṁ gatim. Everyone has got a chance.
In the human form of life there are two classes of men. First of all living being. Amongst the living being there are some living being which can move or can walk from one place to another. And there are certain other living beings which cannot move, just like the trees, plants. They are also living being, but they are standing in one place for many thousands of years. They have no independence to move. Now, in the moving living beings there are so many. The flies, the insects, the reptiles, the birds, the beast. In this way, by evolutionary process, one after another, one comes to the form of human being. This human being is therefore very, very rare. After going through 8,400,000 species of life, one comes to this human form of life.
So here is the chance of getting freedom from this evolutionary process. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante (BG 7.19). After many, many births, we have got. Why? Now, to become civilized. What is civilization? Civilization... The Aryans are called civilized. Why? Aryan means going forward. And what is the destination of going forward? The destination is to understand the original cause of creation, God. Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). That is the Vedānta philosophy. Janmādy asya yataḥ. The original cause from where everything is coming into being, by whose management everything is maintained, and after annihilation everything will enter into Him—that is the original person. So human form of life is meant for understanding the original cause of all causes. That is human form of life. Inquisitiveness. And others, less than human being, just like lower animals, cats and dogs, not to speak of the trees and plants... They are standing in one place, and other living beings, even the insects, birds, beasts, they haven't got sufficient intelligence. (aside:) No, this water, drinking. Sufficient intelligence to understand "What I am? Why I am suffering?" Everyone is suffering. That's a fact. The whole struggle for existence is going on.
The modern scientists, philosophers, Western people, they don't accept that God is the creator of everything. And their theory of creation is the chemical composition. One gentleman has written one book, "Chemical Evolution." They think that chemical combination is the cause of life. So the asuras' theory of creation is aparaspara-sambhūtaṁ kim anyat kāma-haitukam. It is a chance theory, but we don't accept. We are preaching against them, writing books against them. We are challenging this atheistic theory of creation. So this asuric... The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is against the asuras. Every time, always, Kṛṣṇa also comes down to kill the asuras. Paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām (BG 4.8). (break) Asuras cannot flourish by their atheistic theory. Unless one comes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he has to be put into the different types of asuric yoni to suffer in this material world. And if we continue this Godless civilization, Kṛṣṇa says here,
- tān ahaṁ dviṣataḥ krūrān
- saṁsāreṣu narādhamān
- kṣipāmy ajasram aśubhān
- āsurīṣv eva yoniṣu
- (BG 16.19)
He keeps them always put into this asuric yoni, everlastingly forgetting the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and suffer in this material world. So so long we remain in the asuric tendency, then we cannot understand Kṛṣṇa.
Then he is the first-class mahātmā. But that is very rare. Everyone is durātmā, anīśvaram: "There is no īśvara. This is a false manifestation." That is not false. You study everything. You study even one plant. You can see so many arrangement, so many fibers. Fine fibers are coming out, and from one fiber to another. Even a small herb and vegetable, you will find there is craftsmanship. You cannot say it is chance. You cannot do it. So there is brain. That is right conclusion, "There is brain behind it," and that is theism. And that brain, what is the brain behind this, who has this brain behind this, behind this, behind this, behind this, if you come... Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante (BG 7.19), after searching out for many, many births, then one comes to the conclusion that vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ (BG 7.19). You come to the conclusion, "Kṛṣṇa is the cause of everything." That is already concluded. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1): "Īśvaraḥ, the supreme controller is Kṛṣṇa." Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ... There are so many controllers. Just like this city is being controlled by the police commissioner or somebody else. So above him, above him, above him, there is controller. And the... Above all, the supreme controller is Kṛṣṇa. That is the conclusion.
That is called brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā. Immediately your so many responsibilities go away. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati, samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu (BG 18.54). Then you understand that "Why I am envious of this man or that man, this animal or that animal? They are all part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. They are all brāhmaṇas." So samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu, paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ (BG 5.18). He sees brahma-darśī. In this way, when samatvam, samatvam, he comes to the point of samatvam, equality, mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām (BG 18.54), that is the beginning of devotional life. That is the beginning of... It is not a sentiment. It is a great science to become a devotee, to come to the platform of devotional life. Mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām (BG 18.54). When one comes to that stage of devotional life, then bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ (BG 18.55). At that time, one can understand what is Kṛṣṇa. Tattvataḥ. The same thing. In three places, Kṛṣṇa has been described: tattvataḥ. Janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ (BG 4.9). Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid vetti māṁ tattvataḥ (BG 7.3). How to understand tattvataḥ? Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ (BG 18.55).
So if you want to understand Kṛṣṇa, then you have to take the life of devotion. And one who does not take to this life of devotion, he cannot understand Kṛṣṇa of Kṛṣṇa-philosophy, Bhagavad-gītā. It is far, far away. It is... My Guru Mahārāja used to say, "It is just like licking the honey bottle." One may come to the bottle filled with honey, but simply by licking the bottle, what taste he will get? The honey must be opened. Then if you taste, you will know what is honey. Similarly, simply by taking Bhagavad-gītā and trying to understand it by so-called scholarship is licking up the honey bottle. That's all. There will be no taste. There will be no taste. You go on for many millions of years, licking up that bottle. You'll never understand. If you want to understand, then Kṛṣṇa says here:
| Page Title: | One comes to... (Lectures, BG) |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, RupaManjari |
| Created: | 19 of Nov, 2012 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=48, Con=0, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 48 |