That is the summum bonum of learning. That one should decide what God desires. That's all. That will make his life perfect. He should not desire anything. He should not desire anything. His desiring capacity should not be stopped. Somebody says, "Don't desire; become desireless." It is nonsense. Nobody can be desireless. How he can be desireless? Desireless. Desire is the symptom of my, my life. How can you stop it? It is not possible. Desireless, I cannot be, but I must desire, I mean to say, purely. That's all. I should not desire impurely. If I desire from the bodily platform of my life, then my desires will be impure. And when I shall desire as the desire of the Supreme Will, then my desire is pure. So desire has not to be cut or stopped. It has to be purified. That's all.
Purely (Lectures)
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
Therefore, one who is convinced, one who knows actually that "I am not this body; I am pure consciousness," so these degrees... Or some good, palatable foodstuff. I have been offered by some friend. I am eating. "Oh," I am thinking, "oḥ, how happy I am!" But what is that happiness? That happiness is due to my tongue only, but I am not this tongue. So these things are, will appear, one who is purely consciousness. You see? But that, that does not mean that I shall not eat or I shall not associate in the society. No. I shall be. Everything I shall be, but I must always know that "I am aloof from this. My position is that I am subordinate to the Supreme Consciousness, and I, I have to act in that position."
So in spite of all this, he's aloof from all these things. That will make him completely happy. Vīta-rāga-bhaya-krodhaḥ sthita-dhīr munir ucyate (BG 2.56). And because such consciousness prevails, so he has neither attachment, rāga-rāga means attachment—and bhaya. Bhaya means fear, being afraid of. Now suppose somebody says: "Oh, I shall kill you! I shall kill you!" Somebody becomes very much afraid.
So now your hands and legs are engaged with upādhi. Everyone is working, "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am brāhmaṇa," "I am śūdra," "I am this family," "I am this," "that," so many... So you have to forget this, that "I don't belong to this material world and so nice division," either you call brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, or American, Indian. "No. Purely I am spirit soul, and my business is to serve Kṛṣṇa." Then you will be able to control your senses.
Because senses want engagement. If you artificially stop, it will not stay. For the time being, it may be appearing, but it is not possible. You cannot be desireless. Sometimes we say that "We should be desireless." That is not possible. The whole process should be purifying desire, purifying desire, mind. Mind is the source of desires. Therefore the bhakti process is first of all engage the mind. Sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayoḥ (SB 9.4.18). If you engage your mind, always thinking of Kṛṣṇa, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru... (BG 18.65). This is the recommendation given by Kṛṣṇa.
Devotee: Swamiji? Is it possible for us to worship Kṛṣṇa purely in this lifetime?
Prabhupāda: Why not? Do you think we are simply wasting our time with this process? Why lifetime? Within a second you can do. It is spiritual process. It is not material process that it requires so much time. No. It requires simply the spiritual technique, to know how you can develop Kṛṣṇa attachment. As soon as you are cent percent attached with Kṛṣṇa, your business is finished. Ārādhito yadi haris tapasā tataḥ kim. The whole formula is that you have to develop your attachment for Kṛṣṇa. So if you have developed such attachment for Kṛṣṇa, then your business is finished. No more. That's all right. And nārādhito yadi haris tapasā tataḥ kim. And if you cannot develop fully Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then all your labor is waste of time. There is no need of advertising yourself that "I am religious, I am philosopher, I am yogi."
That is also explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. Sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ (BG 9.30). Who? Bhajate mām ananya-bhāk. Api cet su-durācāro bhajate mām ananya-bhāk, sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ (BG 9.30). He's sādhu. Not that sādhu, simply like me, change the dress or having a long beard or... No. The sādhu means one who's purely devotee of the Lord. He's sādhu. Bhajate mām ananya-bhāk. Without any deviation. One who has taken Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Lord, as the only worshipable, he's sādhu. Sādhavaḥ sādhu-bhūṣaṇāḥ. Titikṣavaḥ kāruṇikāḥ sādhavaḥ sādhu-bhūṣaṇāḥ. Ajāta-śatravaḥ śāntāḥ sādhavaḥ sādhu-bhūṣaṇāḥ (SB 3.25.21). There, these are the definition of sādhu. Sādhu means titikṣava. One who has taken Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Person, he has to tolerate so many things—so many criticism, so many tribulations. Just like Prahlāda Mahārāja. Prahlāda Mahārāja had to undergo so much tribulation from the hands of his father because he became a sādhu, kṛṣṇa-bhakta. The only fault was that he was a kṛṣṇa-bhakta. Even the father, the atheistic father, became enemy. He wanted to kill him. You know Prahlāda-caritra.
I have explained it several times that there are three guṇas: sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa.
So in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgaḥ asya. As soon as we are in the material world, we are under the influence either of these three guṇas: sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. Those who are purely in association with the modes of goodness, sattva-guṇa, they are considered as brāhmaṇa. And those who are associated with the rajo-guṇa, passion, they are called kṣatriyas. And those who are associating with the tamo-guṇa, ignorance, they are called the śūdras. And the mixture of tamo-guṇa and rajo-guṇa is the position of the vaiśya. In this way, there are four divisions of men everywhere. Cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). According to the association of particular type of modes of nature and working in that way, it makes a division of the human society. That is required. For upkeep of the human society in order, according to the quality and work there must be division.
That will make us happy and make progress in Kṛṣṇa consciousness in order to achieve the highest goal of life, back to Godhead, back to home. Yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama (BG 15.6).
So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement purely based on the teachings of Bhagavad-gītā. It is not a manufactured thing. As you are hearing for so many days, our basic principle is the Bhagavad-gītā. It is not that we have manufactured something, as there are so many manufactured processes. So if we actually take Kṛṣṇa consciousness seriously, as it is assured in the Bhagavad-gītā by the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa, we are sure to achieve the result without any doubt. Kṛṣṇa assures, mā śucaḥ: "Don't be doubtful. Simply surrender unto Me. I shall take care of you." The whole Bhagavad-gītā is taught in that way. Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te (BG 7.14). Ahaṁ hi sarva-yajñānāṁ bhoktā ca prabhur eva ca. In this way, in Bhagavad-gītā we'll find, Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Lord.
The nature of fire the iron rod attains. So when it is red-hot, there is no possibility of its being the iron, but it is fire.
So by our activities in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, we become free from the contamination of these three modes of material nature, and thus, at the end, we become purely, purely spiritual, transcendental. Here it is stated:
- sādhibhūtādhidaivaṁ māṁ
- sādhiyajñaṁ ca ye viduḥ
- prayāṇa-kāle 'pi ca māṁ
- te vidur yukta-cetasaḥ
"One who understands this science of Kṛṣṇa consciousness," sa-adhibhūtam adhidaivam, "so even at the time of his death, he remains steady in that Kṛṣṇa consciousness." And therefore his next birth is not in this material world, but in the spiritual world.
One of our students, his father comes and instructs him, "Oh, I don't like this association. I have no meaning for marriage. You chase after women. You eat and drink and enjoy. I will give you car." You see? What is the fault of that poor student? That he is trying to give up all intoxication; he is not eating meat; he is living purely on vegetable; he is controlling; no illicit sex relationship, attending class morning and the evening. Oh, he thinks it is dangerous. So punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām (SB 7.5.30). He has already experienced. He is married. He was married. His wife divorced, and his wife divorced him three times, and so many things. He has bad, very bad experience of his life, but he is inducing his son to do the same thing. He has no other idea. This is called punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām (SB 7.5.30), "chewing the chewed."
Just like we take a sugar cane and we chew it, take out all the extra juice. I throw it in the street, and again somebody comes and chewing it. What is there?
Devotee: Śrīla Prabhupāda? Does someone, does Kṛṣṇa punish people who do not serve Him purely? Or do the people punish themselves when they do not serve Him purely?
Prabhupāda: By nature's... Nature is acting by Kṛṣṇa's indication. So nature will punish you. As soon as you violate nature's law, you'll be punished, automatically. Suppose if you, you are not hungry, you have no appetite, bit if you by force if you eat, then you'll increase the disease. Because you have violated. There is no appetite, still you are eating. So you must suffer. If you have infected some disease, so you must suffer from that disease. That nature's law is working. Kṛṣṇa hasn't got to take any direct action. Nature, māyā, is there. As soon as you violate the laws of Kṛṣṇa you'll be punished automatically. You cannot avoid it. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). Cannot avoid. Therefore those who are trying to overcome the laws of nature, that is the so-called modern scientists' endeavor. That is foolishness, rascaldom. They cannot do it. It is not possible.
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
Consequently, all these states are simply different types of sense gratification. In the Vedas, the above-mentioned four activities are prescribed in the regulative way so that there will not be any undue competition for sense gratification. But Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is transcendental to all these sense gratificatory activities. It is purely transcendental literature which can be understood only by the pure devotees of the Lord who are transcendental to competitive sense gratification. In the material world there is keen competition between animal and animal, man and man, community and community, nation and nation. But the devotees of the Lord rise above such competition. They do not compete with the materialists because they are on the path back to Godhead, where life is eternal and blissful. Such transcendentalists are nonenvious and pure in heart. In the material world everyone is envious of everyone else, and therefore there is competition. But the transcendental devotees of the Lord are not only free from material envy..."
Wherefrom this idea we have got? The idea is already there, and we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore we have got this propensity. So ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt.
But this thing can be purely enjoyed not alone in this material world, but you have to go back to home, go back to Kṛṣṇa, and there is your real life. Kṛṣṇa comes therefore. He displays His rāsa dance in Vṛndāvana to attract these fallen souls, that "If you want enjoyment, why not come back to Me? Here is the enjoyment. Here is the enjoyment, eternal enjoyment. Why you are rotting in this material world and becoming implicated, sometimes as Brahmā and sometime as the worm in the stool? Enjoyment, varieties of enjoyment. Why? Why you are so become fool?" Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, He comes here, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja: (BG 18.66) "You come to Me. Why you are bothering in this way and suffering?" But people will not hear. That is the difficulty. That is the difficulty.
People are suffering because they have got so many dirty things within the heart. The most important dirty thing are the modes of material nature. Sattva-guṇa, tamo-guṇa... Sattva-guṇa is also not dirty, but it is mixed with dirty things. And rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa is purely dirty. Rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa is purely dirty. Here, our intelligence is also dirty, because it is mixed up with these modes of material nature. In the material life, the int..., we are using our intelligence... Everyone is using, or..., his intelligence, how to become happy. The whole world is going on, working so hard. There is intelligence, certainly. But that is dirty intelligence. That is dirty intelligence. Dirty intelli...
What kind of dirty intelligence? That is described in the Bhagavad-gītā: duṣkṛtinaḥ. Kṛtī. Kṛtī means very expert, kṛtī. Kṛtī. One who is expert, he's called kṛtī. But here the word has been added: dus. Duṣkṛtī. Duṣkṛtin. Just like one who has discovered the atomic bomb. It has required very nice brain.
This is not ordinary words. All Vedic words, they are not ordinary, mundane words. Just like Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. This is not mundane sound. This is transcendental sound. Golokera prema-dhana hari-nāma-saṅkīrtana. Hari-nāma-saṅkīrtana is not a, a, mean, a material sound. Therefore it is effective. But if you contaminate it, it will not be effective. If you take it, Bhāga..., Hari-nāma, purely, without any offense—there are ten kinds of offenses—then it will act immediately. Immediately it will act.
- golokera prema-dhana, hari-nāma-saṅkīrtana,
- rati nā janmilo kene tāy
- saṁsāra-biṣānale, dibā-niśi hiyā jvale
- juṛāite nā koinu upāy
So this is the upāya. If we actually serious to get out of these material clutches, then we should hear regularly about Kṛṣṇa from a pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa. Nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā (SB 1.2.18). Then bhagavaty uttama-śloke bhaktir bhavati naiṣṭhikī, then your firm steady, steadiness in devotional service will be fixed up. Bhakti... Naiṣṭhikī. Naiṣṭhikī means nobody can, I mean, push out of it.
There are so many dirty things within our heart. If at once it becomes all cleared, then immediately we are liberated person. And that is not possible. Gradually. Gradually, you go on hearing, hearing, śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (SB 1.2.17). Gradually, all the dirty things will be cleansed. So naṣṭa-prāyeṣu, almost clean. Not purely, not completely clean. Even it is almost clean... Naṣṭa-prāyeṣu abhadreṣu. How it is cleansed? Nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā (SB 1.2.18). You serve your spiritual master, the representative of Bhagavān, bhāgavata, and you hear Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam—these are the two kind of Bhāgavatam—and you do it. Nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā. Naṣṭa-prāye... Almost, almost cle... Then what is that? Bhagavaty uttama-śloke bhaktir bhavati naiṣṭhikī. The result will be that you'll be fixed up in the devotional service.
Uttama-śloka. Bhagavān's another name is Uttama-śloka. Uttama-śloka means selected prayers.
So practically, at the present moment, the whole world is viṣayī. But this line, Kṛṣṇa consciousness line, is so transcendental that one has to give up this viṣayī idea. Viṣaya chāṛiyā se rase majiyā mukhe bolo hari hari. We chant "Hari, Hari," but actually, "Hari, Hari," we can chant "Hari, Hari" only when we give up viṣaya. Viṣaya chāṛiyā se rase majiyā. Otherwise "Hari, Hari" is not purely chanted. Therefore there are ten kinds of offenses we have to give up. Śuddha-nāma. When we chant pure Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, then we are elevated to the platform of transcendental love. Otherwise we can attain up to liberation. Not on the platform of loving. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu was very strict about viṣayī and strī-saṅgī. Caitanya Mahāprabhu was asked how to, what is the business of a Vaiṣṇava. He summarized in two lines: asat-saṅga tyāga, ei vaiṣṇava ācāra (CC Madhya 22.87). Asat-saṅga tyāga, to give up the association of asat. Asat means materialistic. So who is asat? Now, asat eka strī-saṅgī and kṛṣṇa-abhakta. Those who are too much attached for material enjoyment, they are asat. And one who is not devotee of Kṛṣṇa, he is also asat.
So he was punished. But he did not give up. He did not give up. One cannot give up. Prahlāda Mahārāja could not give up.
So that is explained, that sat-saṅgān mukta-duḥsaṅgaḥ. As soon as one associates with Kṛṣṇa's name, he associates with Kṛṣṇa. Therefore asat, māyā, cannot touch him. If he's purely chanting without any offense, māyā cannot touch him. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nir... (CC Antya 20.12). And as soon as māyā cannot touch him, then bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇam. The blazing fire of material existence extinguished immediately. This is the first gain by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra offenselessly, the first gain is mukti. Bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇam means mukti. By chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, nāmābhāsa, not pure name. As soon as one comes to the platform of chanting pure Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, without any offense, he becomes immediately enhanced in love with Kṛṣṇa, prema, kṛṣṇa-prema. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Caitanya Mahāprabhu was chanting as ācārya. He was crying. Tava nāma-grahaṇe bhaviṣyati.
It is mechanical, "Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa," but still it is not Hare Kṛṣṇa. Nāmākāra, nāma bahira haya, nāmākāra, nāma nāhi haya.
So we must be purely chanting. But we should not be disappointed. Even impure... Therefore we must have fixed chanting process. Because we are not in the pure stage. Therefore, by force... Just like a boy in the school. We had this training in our childhood school. Our teacher would ask me, "You write ten pages, handwriting." So that means practicing ten pages, my handwriting will be set up. So even if we do not follow sixteen rounds, where is the question of chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa? So don't be artificial; don't be, I mean to say, a showbottle. Be real thing. And that is wanted. If you want real benefit of spiritual life, don't be showbottle. Do you know showbottle? The medical shop, a big bottle. It is full of water only.
A small... If one can chant purified offenseless, once kṛṣṇa-nāma, he is free from all material bondage. Once only. Eka kṛṣṇa nāme yata pāpa haya, pāpī haya tata pāpa kari baro nāhi(?).
So śaucam. śaucam means inward cleanliness and outward cleanliness. śaucam. Inside, we should be pure, purely thinking, no contamination. We should not think anyone as my enemy. "Everyone is friend. I am... I am not pure; therefore I am thinking somebody as my enemy." There are so many symptoms. So śaucam: one should be clean, inside and outside. Satyaṁ śaucaṁ dayā. That dayā I already explained. Dayā means to become compassionate to the fallen, one who has fallen, one who is in distress.
That is also referred here that etāvān sāṅkhya-yogābhyām. Big, big sannyāsīs, they are discussing sāṅkhya-yoga, metaphysics. Or analyzing what is spirit, what is matter. Neti neti: "Not this." This is called sāṅkhya-yoga. And sāṅkhya-yoga, original sāṅkhya-yoga means bhakti-yoga. Because the sāṅkhya-yoga system philosophy was spoken by Kapiladeva, the son of Devahūti. That is purely bhakti-yoga. Later on, one atheist, he also assumed the name of Kapila and discussed sāṅkhya-yoga. That is materialistic analysis. The sāṅkhya-yoga system of philosophy is very much liked in Europe and Western countries because it is a system of metaphysics, analyzing the whole cosmic manifestation. There are twenty-four tattvas. Just like these five tattvas, elements, material: earth, water, air, fire, ether. Then ten senses: five senses for acquiring knowledge and five senses for enjoying. And the five, five, ten. And five elements, fifteen. Then five principles of enjoyment.
Karandhara: "Parasya—of the pure soul; anubhava-ātmanaḥ— of the purely conscious; na—never; ghaṭeta—it can so happen; artha—meaning; sambandhaḥ—relation with the material body; svapna—dream; draṣṭuḥ—of the seer; iva—like it; añjasā—completely."
Prabhupāda: Añjasā.
Karandhara: "Añjasā—completely. Translation: Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: O King, unless one is influenced by the energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, there is no meaning to the relationship of the pure soul in pure consciousness with the material body. It is just like the dreamer seeing his own body working."
Prabhupāda: So, purport?
Karandhara: "Purport. The question of Mahārāja Parīkṣit is perfectly answered as to how a living entity began his material life, although he is apart from the material body and the mind."
Karandhara: "The external energy is controlled by the Lord and the living entities are controlled by the external energy by the will of the Lord. Therefore, although the living entity is purely conscious in his pure state, he is subordinate to the will of the Lord, being influenced by the external energy of the Lord. In the Bhagavad-gītā also the same thing is confirmed, that the Lord is present within the heart of every living entity and all consciousness and forgetfulness of the living entity are influenced by the Lord."
Prabhupāda: Yes. Because... Now, people may say that, "Why Kṛṣṇa within the heart gives one type of consciousness to one, and another type of consciousness...?" Because I wanted. I wanted to forget Kṛṣṇa, so Kṛṣṇa is giving consciousness: "All right, you can forget Me in this way." That is His kindness. Just like the Māyāvādīs, the so-called yogis and karmīs, they wanted to forget. Kṛṣṇa is giving him intelligence. "All right. You forget Me like this." That's all. Go on. And if you want to again revive your relationship, Kṛṣṇa will give you intelligence. Buddhi-yogaṁ dadāmi taṁ yena mām upayānti te: "I shall give intelligence." So Kṛṣṇa is... Ye yathā māṁ prapadyante (BG 4.11). As you want, Kṛṣṇa gives you facility.
Similarly the crying child of the Lord is given over to the shadow of the material world to lord it over as a karmī and to give this up in frustration to become one with the Lord. Both these stages are dreaming illusions only. There is no necessity of tracing out the history when the living entity desired this, but the fact is that as soon as he desired such, he was put under the control of ātma-māyā by the direction of the Lord. Therefore the living entity in his material condition is dreaming falsely that this is 'mine' and this is 'I.' The dream is that the conditioned soul thinks of his material body as 'I' or falsely thinks that he is the lord and that everything in connection with the material body is 'mine.' Thus in dream only the misconception of 'I and mine' persist life after life. This continues life after life as long as the living entity is not purely conscious of his identity as the subordinate part and parcel of the Lord. In his pure consciousness, however, there is no such misconceived dream. And in that pure conscious state the living entity does not forget that he is never the Lord, but he is eternally the servitor of the Lord in transcendental love."
We are purely part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. We are actually the senses of Kṛṣṇa. And when we forget this position and we want to satisfy ourself, that is our material condition.
- kṛṣṇa-bahirmukha hañā bhoga vāñchā kare
- nikaṭa-stha māyā tāre jāpaṭiyā dhare
- (Prema-vivarta)
Then that is māyā. When we are in ignorance that we are the part and parcel of the Supreme Being and our duty is to satisfy Him... Hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanam (CC Madhya 19.170). This is called bhakti. When we forget it, then we are fallen in this material world, and we are busy in our personal sense gratification and implication. Implication means so long we'll have, we'll continue to have this desire to satisfy our senses, we have to accept another body, according to our desire. Kṛṣṇa is so kind. If we want to become a tiger, Kṛṣṇa will give our next life a tiger's body. And if you want to be a devotee, He will give you the same body. If you want to eat stool, then He'll give you the body of a pig. And if you want to... That requires our own qualification.
We have to conquer over the quality, the infection of quality of rajas-tamaḥ, and then we have to situate ourself in sattva-guṇa. Then we are in the safe position. And if we do not allow to be infected again by the rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa, if we keep ourself purely in sattva-guṇa, that is called śuddha-sattva, simply purified sattva-guṇa. Then we will be able to understand what is Kṛṣṇa, what is God. So not only we have to acquire the qualities of sattva-guṇa, satyaṁ śamaḥ śaucaḥ ārjavaṁ titikṣā, jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyaṁ brahma-karma svabhāva-jam... (BG 18.42). These are the characteristic of sattva-guṇa: truthful... So much so truthful that, as they are stated by the commentators, that even an enemy asks some secret from you, you can say. Suppose a thief has come: "Now, what you have got in your box?" So if you say, "I have got so many thousands of rupees" or "hundreds," truthfulness should be like that. Even to your enemy it should be disclosed. That is called truthfulness. Satyaṁ śamaḥ damaḥ śaucaḥ, cleanliness.
So this mixture has to be analyzed and separated. Just like in printing there is color separation process. It is also like that, color separation process. The sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa, now mixed up by expert management, by expert process they can be separated, and we can come purely on the sattva-guṇa platform. And as soon as we come to the sattva-guṇa platform, then we can see things as they are. Chindanti sarva-saṁśayaḥ. When we are in the mixed-up qualities, then mumuhe, then we are bewildered.
Just like at the present moment the human society cannot understand what is God, cannot understand. Mumuhe. It is the chance, human form of life, to understand God, and therefore śāstra, Vedānta, says atha, athāto brahma jijñāsā: "Now you inquire about Brahman." Uttiṣṭhata jāgrata prāpya varān nibodhata: "Why you are sleeping again? This is a chance." There is a very good example, that some people, they keep that kit-kit(?) bird, and they are trained up to walk on the field and again come in the cage. So the master gives him the chance, "Now, get out. Come in the free field."
Kṛṣṇa says, teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ yoga-kṣemaṁ vahāmy aham (BG 10.10). Even they tax for chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, then Kṛṣṇa will bring the money. We are getting that practically. So you know the history, how this land was purchased. There was no money, but Kṛṣṇa sent money and everything was done nicely. So there is no anxiety, provided we are purely Kṛṣṇa conscious, without any other desire.
- anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ
- jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam
- ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu-
- śīlanaṁ bhaktir uttamā
- (Brs. 1.1.11)
No other desire. Simply... Desire will not come. Kṛṣṇa is so strong and nice. As soon as you allow Him to sit down within your heart... He is there already. Simply you have to see. Then the strength is already there. There is no need of acquiring external strength for acquiring Kṛṣṇa. The simple thing is that you follow the instruction of Kṛṣṇa, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65).
Guest (2): But because we do not know what sin is, wouldn't whatever the authority said be purely an idea to us?
Prabhupāda: So they do not know; therefore they must search out if he is serious.
Guest (2): But is there no way of finding out what is good and bad besides obeying guru, and the because to follow the guru would obviously be to create frustration.(?)
Prabhupāda: Hm?
Puṣṭa-kṛṣṇa: Is there some way to find out good without following the rules and regulations laid down by the authorities?
Prabhupāda: No, that is not possible. You cannot violate the rules and regulation. That is not possible.
This is instruction, that we can chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, we can chant the holy name of the Lord, purely, without offense. Because if we can chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra once only—if it is pure—then immediately you become liberated. Ekara hari name yata pāpa hare, pāpi haya tata pāpa karibāre nare. Hari-nāma is so powerful that once chanting, immediately vanquishes the accumulated sinful reaction of millions of lives. Pāpi haya tata pāpa karibāre. Every pāpi, sinful man, is very expert in committing sinful activities. But hari-nāma is so expert that once chanted, the pāpi, the sinful man, will be failure to commit sin anymore.
But the difficulty is that we cannot come to the pure stage of chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. Due to our past habits our mind is disturbed. We cannot concentrate. Therefore we have fixed up the minimum. We cannot imitate Haridāsa Ṭhākura. That is not possible. If somebody imitates Haridāsa Ṭhākura... We can see this chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa and smoking bidi.
Why you are not anxious? Now, he says, tvad-vīrya-gāyana-mahāmṛta-magna-cittaḥ: (SB 7.9.43) "Because some way or other, I have been trained to be always in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Therefore I have no anxiety." There is a confidence. One who is purely in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he's confident that next life he's going to Kṛṣṇa. So if we simply carefully execute our Kṛṣṇa conscious regulative principles, it is sure, actually. In the Bhagavad-gītā that is stated.
Then Prahlāda Mahārāja says, "There is only one anxiety for me." Just see. He has no anxiety for himself, but he has still anxiety. What is that? Śoce tato vimukha-cetasa. "I am anxious. I am anxious for these persons who are not persons..., who are not Kṛṣṇa conscious. That is my anxiety. For me, I have no anxiety. But I am thinking of these persons who are not Kṛṣṇa conscious." Why they are not Kṛṣṇa conscious? Now, māyā-sukhāya bharam udvahato vimūḍhān: (SB 7.9.43) "These rascals, they have created a civilization, a humbug civilization, (laughter) for temporary happiness."
Oh, yes, because this is a special advantage for the people in this age, that if he chants this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra without any offense, purely, then... There are three stages of chanting this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. In the beginning there are full of offenses. Then it is almost offenseless. And then, when it is pure, that is perfectional stage. So by chanting, if you practice chanting, even though in the beginning it is full of offenses, but if you continue chanting... Therefore we say that "You must chant so many times." So even there are offenses, by chanting, chanting, chanting, chanting, he will be purified. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12). So therefore, in this age we must stick to this process of chanting. That will make us perfect. If not immediately, it will do, certainly. That is special advantage for the men of this age. Kaler doṣa-nidhe rājann asti hy eko mahān guṇaḥ. Mahān guṇaḥ. It is a great advantage. What is that? Kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya: (SB 12.3.51) "Simply by chanting Lord Kṛṣṇa's name," mukta-saṅga, 'he becomes free from all contamination and he becomes eligible to be promoted to the spiritual kingdom." That is special advantage of this age.
Without a teacher, without guidance, nobody can make any process. Even if you have passed M.A., and if you want to put some theses and if you want to get yourself doctorate degree, then it is the system that the theses should be guided by three expert Ph.D.'s. This is the system. So similarly, if you want to be purely Kṛṣṇa conscious person, then you must select a person who can give you instruction, who can guide you in the matter of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So Bhagavad-gītā also teaches us the same thing: tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā (BG 4.34). If you want to understand that transcendental science, then you have to understand from an expert, upadekṣyanti tad jñānam. The expert who is in, expert in that knowledge, he will instruct you, upadekṣyanti tad jñānaṁ jñāninas tattva-darśinaḥ. One who has actually realized, he will teach you. Therefore you have to go to such a person. And in the Kathopanisad, Vedas, it is also stated, the same thing: tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet (MU 1.2.12).
Nectar of Devotion Lectures
Activity without upādhi. Working not as American. Working not as Indian. Working not as Hindu. Working not as Muslim. That is sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170). If we think that "I am Christian," "I am Hindu," "I am American," that is with upādhi. When we purely think that "We are...," or "I am servant of Kṛṣṇa. My only business is to satisfy Kṛṣṇa," that activity is called bhakti. If I become interested in some party, that is not... Sometimes people criticize these American and European devotees, that they think that "They are American devotee; we are Hindu devotee. There is difference." This is not bhakti-mārga. This is upādhi. Why you should think yourself as Hindu? Why you should think of others who have come from America as American? That is less intelligent. Kṛṣṇa-bhakta... Vaiṣṇave jāti-buddhiḥ. If one thinks of Vaiṣṇava as belonging to this class, this nation, he has no vision. Nārakī. That is called nārakī-buddhiḥ. Vaiṣṇave jāti-buddhiḥ arcye śilādhīr guruṣu nara-matir vaiṣṇave jāti-buddhiḥ.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures
One has to hear. Therefore śravaṇa and kīrtana, hearing and chanting, is very important, śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ, especially hearing and chanting of Kṛṣṇa. Kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya mukta-saṅgaḥ paraṁ vrajet (SB 12.3.51). Simply by discussing and hearing and reciting Bhagavad-gītā purely, not by interpreting wrongly... As it is. As Kṛṣṇa says, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī mām (BG 18.65), you have to accept that. You cannot change that. You cannot say, "It is not to Kṛṣṇa; it is the Kṛṣṇa's self and this and that." So śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ. One who hears Bhagavad-gītā as it is or Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam from devotees... Śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ. Because simply by hearing he achieves the result of pious activities... And Kṛṣṇa says also in the Bhagavad-gītā that "One can be engaged in My service, in devotional service, who is freed from all contamination of sinful life."
Those who have got this body from the modes of goodness, they are called brāhmaṇas, or the most intelligent persons. And those who have got their body from the modes of passion, they are called kṣatriyas. They have got creative initiation. And those who are mixed, they are called vaiśyas, or the mercantile community. And those who have got purely body from modes of ignorance, they are called śūdras. So harir hi... But Bhagavān, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is beyond this. He is transcendental. Harir hi nirguṇaḥ sākṣāt puruṣaḥ prakṛteḥ paraḥ.
Prakṛteḥ paraḥ means... Prakṛti means nature. This material nature, He is beyond this material nature. Prakṛteḥ paraḥ.
Arrival Addresses and Talks
So avoid sinful life. We have given you prescription: no illicit sex, no gambling, no intoxication, no meat-eating. Avoid the sinful life and make your children Kṛṣṇa conscious purely. Then you can produce hundreds of children. There is no objection. And so far maintaining your children, we are taking charge. Come on. We are taking charge. We shall supply everything. Of course, not to the whims of these material man, but as much which is needed to maintain them, that we take, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, ISKCON society will take charge.
Initiation Lectures
Similarly, when you chant offenselessly the holy name of the Lord, gradually you become purified, and when we chant holy name without any offense, then we immediately live at the shelter of Lord Kṛṣṇa. When we are almost free from contamination, then we become liberated, and when we chant purely the holy name, we are situated on the lotus feet of the Lord. And the more we go on chanting, we enjoy loving exchange affair between the Lord and ourself.
So we will explain the ten kinds of offenses, and the initiated members should avoid the ten kinds of offenses. (aside) You have got the ten kinds of offenses? So first offense is to blaspheme great personalities who are engaged in glorifying the Lord within this material world. And, śruti-śāstra-nindanam, and to decry the Vedic literature. And third, to interpret the holy name in different way according to our own whims. This is also offense.
General Lectures
We are doing that. We are individual. You have come here by your individual will. Nobody has forced you. If you like, you can go. Somebody comes here, somebody never comes, somebody comes daily. Why? Even you are small, you have got individuality. Even in this conditioned state, you are so free, so much free. And when you are unconditioned, purely spirit, you do not know how much freedom you have got. It doesn't matter you are small, but you are a spiritual spark. Don't you see that a small spiritual spark which no physician, no medical science has still discovered, where is the soul, but the soul is there. That is a fact. As soon as the soul is gone from this body, it is useless. Find out what is that important particle. That is not possible, because it is so small that your, with these material eyes or microscope or any scope you cannot find out. Therefore they say there is no soul. But they cannot explain what is gone. Even that small particle of spiritual soul is so powerful that as long as it is within this body, it keeps it fresh, nice, beautiful. And as soon as it is gone, immediately it becomes to decompose.
So when He was at Navadvīpa, He was not discussing even with them, what to speak of others. He set up this example so that in future people may be very cautious. Because unless one understands what is Kṛṣṇa, how he can understand Kṛṣṇa's pastime? So this discussion of rasa-līlā is the summit of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It is not ordinary thing. They're purely spiritual. There is nothing material. But because we are not completely free from material concept of life, we may think that Kṛṣṇa's līlā is something like this material. So that is offense. But that is the ultimate goal, to understand Kṛṣṇa's rasa-līlā. But you have to wait for relishing that Kṛṣṇa's rasa-līlā, to become more perfect in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Anarthāpagamam. Anartha means when one is freed from all anarthas. But it is so nice, even those who are with anartha, misgivings, if they are devotee, if they have got full surrender unto Kṛṣṇa, so they also will derive benefit. Kṛṣṇa's rasa-līlā means that Kṛṣṇa was adopted or foster child.
Just like an expert artist, he's using three colors: blue, red and yellow. You mix the colors and he will manifest thousands of colors, thousands of colors. So actually the basic position of this material world is the three qualities: sattva-guṇa, raja-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. Now they are mixed up. Here you cannot find out purely sattva-guṇa. Sattva-guṇa is the topmost quality in this material world. But here in the material world also, you cannot find pure sattva-guṇa. When you come to the pure state of sattva-guṇa, that is transcendental stage, spiritual life. Pure sattva-guṇa means there is no more attack by the other two guṇas. That is pure, śuddha-sattva. That is called śuddha-sattva, pure goodness. In that stage one can understand what is Kṛṣṇa. First of all one has to come to the goodness quality platform. Then he has to transcend that quality of (indistinct), and that position means no more attacked by the other two lower qualities, namely passion and ignorance. So, sattvaṁ viśuddhaṁ vāsudeva sarve, that stage is called vāsudeva. Vāsudeva means that Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṇa, appears. That's why Kṛṣṇa's father's name was Vasudeva.
I'm very much honored that you have inquired so nicely," sādhu. Sādhu means (indistinct), that is the (indistinct). That is called sādhu. So this question about Kṛṣṇa is sādhu because Kṛṣṇa is discussed among the sādhus, not amongst the yogis. And who is a sādhu? That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā: sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ (BG 9.30), he is sādhu. Bhajate mām ānanda-bhāk. Anyone who is purely devotee of Kṛṣṇa, he's sādhu, not anyone else. Sādhu means he's mahātmā. That is also explained in the Bhagavad-gītā: mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ, bhajanty-ananya manaso (BG 9.13). He's mahātmā, who is unflinchingly, without any deviation, engaged in the service of the Lord. He's called mahātmā. Mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtiṁ āśritāḥ. They are not under the influence of this material qualities, daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ. They're under the influence of the spiritual energy. Therefore they're called daivīm. So what is the symptom that one is under the spiritual energy? Bhajate mām ananya-bhāk, always engaged in the service of the Lord. That is the symptom. Therefore anything about Kṛṣṇa, that is sādhu.
Actually we are all servants of Kṛṣṇa. Jīvera svarūpa hoy nitya kṛṣṇa dāsa. But forgetting our position, we are now acting as dāsa of māyā, māyāra-dāsa. Hoiya māyāra dāsa kori nānā abhilāṣ. The advantage of Kṛṣṇa dāsa is that he has got only one desire. Ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu-śīlanam (CC Madhya 19.167)—to serve Kṛṣṇa purely. That's all. Kṛṣṇa is not impersonal. Kṛṣṇa is person, and whatever He orders, whatever He says, if you carry out faithfully, then our original constitutional position is regained. It can be done very quickly. Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). And if you do that immediately, then you revive your original position immediately, within a second. Hoiya māyāra dāsa kori nānā abhilās. We are making plans in so many ways to be happy. But if we accept this one plan, that immediately surrender to Kṛṣṇa, then our life is successful. And if we do not accept this proposal of Kṛṣṇa, and if we make our own plans to be happy, it will be never be possible. Hoiya māyāra dāsa kori nānā abhilāṣ.
Philosophy Discussions
Prabhupāda: Yes. That means with material senses you cannot go to the transcendental knowledge. Then how can he form ideas of transcendence?
Śyāmasundara: Well, in this particular attempt Kant is trying to form those ideas purely through the reason. Pure reason.
Prabhupāda: You say that material senses cannot reach transcendence. Then what is the meaning of reasoning? If your senses are imperfect, so if you put some reason by the senses, then that is also imperfect.
Śyāmasundara: He says that reason acts a priori, or separate from the senses, independent of the senses; that reason can understand that there is God, there is soul, etc., without use of the senses.
Prabhupāda: That is possible.
Prabhupāda: Anything cannot be known more than that by his personal attempt. But they can be known through a process which is called paramparā.
Śyāmasundara: He says they cannot be known through pure reason alone. Later he admits they can be known in other ways. But purely through the exercise of reason, we cannot know that there is anything about God or anything about soul, even though we may know they exist.
Prabhupāda: When God speaks, then it is possible. That is our process. We hear from God—what, where, how He is—therefore our knowledge is perfect. According to Kant, one cannot reach by reason and senses. Avāṅ-manasā gocaraḥ. That's a fact. That is admitted in Vedas: avāṅ-manasā gocaraḥ. Vana means words, mana means mind. Neither by words, neither by the mind one can reach. But it is a fact that he is convinced there is God, so if God speaks, God descends by His causeless mercy and speaks, then you can understand about God.
Śyāmasundara: He says that there is an absolute conscience, which means pure rationality. Whatever is purely rational is conscience.
Prabhupāda: Pure rationality is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is purest. Unless one comes to that standard, the so-called conscience, so-called philosophy is of no value.
Śyāmasundara: He says that punishment for crime is justified because it vindicates justice and restores rights.
Prabhupāda: Yes, therefore when one is killing an animal, he should be prepared for being killed. That will be justice. That is Manu's... Manu-saṁhitā says that when a man, murderer is hanged, that is complete justice, complete justice. That is to save him, because without being hanged in this life, he if he escapes justice, then he will have to suffer next life very severely. So to save him from so many troubles in the next life, if he is killed, I mean to say, hanged, in this life, then he is saved. Therefore the king who is hanging him is doing him justice. Life for life. If this is the justice, then why one should not be prepared of being killed because he is killing an animal? That is justice.
Prabhupāda: God-centered.
Śyāmasundara: But it's not purely conceptual, is it?
Prabhupāda: Well, it is religion in this sense that carrying out the order of God. That is religion. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19). Just like law means the law given by the state. Similarly, religion means the order given by God. That is religion.
Śyāmasundara: He says that philosophy is higher than religion.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Then you apply your philosophy. Then why... Just like Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). You just surrender unto Me. This is religion. Now try to understand why Kṛṣṇa says that you surrender unto Me, and why we are obliged to surrender. That is philosophy, that is philosophy. And when your philosophy supports, "Yes, we have to surrender to Kṛṣṇa," then it is perfect, it is not sentiment.
Prabhupāda: Yes. That is real knowledge.
Atreya Ṛṣi: Real knowledge. Can one, purely speculatively, can one...
Prabhupāda: No. Otherwise the Vedas would not have asked you, tad vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12), that in order to learn that transcendental science one must approach a guru.
Atreya Ṛṣi: So when we see a speculator having some knowledge, some real knowledge...
Prabhupāda: Not real knowledge.
Atreya Ṛṣi: But some. Maybe some speculator will say, "Yes. I am convinced there is God." He heard that from either, for example, he heard it in his own culture or somewhere indirectly he heard it from God. He didn't make that up. Is that the conclusion?
Śyāmasundara: You mean by intuition can we understand.
Prabhupāda: You cannot see so many things. That does not mean that it does not exist. Your power of seeing is limited. Why you are depending on seeing?
Śyāmasundara: No. I want to take something that we all know, like "Two plus two equals four," that principle. There's no waterpot or anything visible involved, just a purely abstract principle, "Two plus two equals four."
Prabhupāda: Abstract or concrete, it doesn't matter. What is abstract for you is concrete for other. (break) ...Kṛṣṇa is concrete. Paraṁ satya, actually that is the only truth. So this idea, abstract and concrete, that is relative.
Śyāmasundara: Just like the idea, "The sum of the angles of a triangle equal 180 degrees."
Prabhupāda: This is calculation.
Śyāmasundara: It is calculation, but there's no...
Prabhupāda: Relative knowledge, because we cannot know beyond 180 degrees according to your geometrical calculation. But your calculation, everything is imperfect because you are imperfect. So because it is going on, for our purpose we take it as truth. That's all.
Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa conscious.
Śyāmasundara: Yes. Whereas the lower types of entities who are purely potential but have very small existences, like they're animal, plant life, he sees that hierarchy, and he says that the highest summit of man is..., the summit of wisdom, when he becomes capable of loving God lovingly.
Prabhupāda: That's right.
Śyāmasundara: Then he becomes purely...
Prabhupāda: Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, premā pumartho pumān: the highest perfection of life is to attain love of Godhead. And Bhāgavata also says, sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6). That is first-class religious system, (indistinct) develops his dormant love of God. That is religion. That is first-class, transcendental religion. And Bhāgavata, in other place it is said, dharmaḥ projjhita kaitava atra: all cheating religious system is rejected here. Because Bhāgavata does not accept a religious system as genuine unless the followers develop love of Godhead. This is the test. And dharma means, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). This is dharma. Kṛṣṇa says that "You give up all types of religious system." That means they are not religious, they are not religious. Otherwise why Kṛṣṇa will ask that you give it up?
Prabhupāda: That is perfection.
Śyāmasundara: ...then our potential nature is no more existing; everything is purely actual.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Śyāmasundara: We have actualized our potential.
Prabhupāda: Absolute platform. Yes. That is absolute platform.
Śyāmasundara: Up to that stage, everything has got some potential...
Prabhupāda: Difference, so potential is actual.
Śyāmasundara: But they are acting on a smaller level. And when they reach that stage of loving God, then there's no more potential, purely actual.
Prabhupāda: That's right. That is higher conception. Saṁsiddhiṁ labhate parām. That is higher conception.
Śyāmasundara: This potential and actual, he also says that potential is matter and actual is form, so that God, being purely actual, is also pure form.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Without God being form, how the forms are coming? Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). In the original (indistinct) (break)
Śyāmasundara: Potentiality is matter, and actuality is form. Potentiality is undifferentiated matter, whereas actuality is form. So God, being actuality, is also pure form.
Prabhupāda: That also we say: sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha (Bs. 5.1). Sat cit ānanda vigraha, form. Vigraha means form. So what else?
Śyāmasundara: I think that's all for today.
Prabhupāda: That is pure consciousness.
Śyāmasundara: But by examining a phenomenon purely, without any other consideration, he says that each thing has its given content or its principle of principles, as an object of intuition. Or he calls it also a thing of authentic reality. Just like a leaf. If you look at a leaf, and you have no consideration of previous knowledge where do these things come, what is a leaf, anything, then the authentic reality of that leaf will present itself to my consciousness. It will be self-evident what is that leaf.
Prabhupāda: You don't take... That means that analytical study of the leaf.
Śyāmasundara: Yes. But without any previous knowledge—as if I knew nothing about leaves before, but I begin to look at the leaf and it will be self-evident what that leaf is.
Prabhupāda: So you can talk any nonsense. (laughter) Then what is the use of going to school? There is no need of opening so many schools and colleges. You go on studying, you can know all knowledge and talk all kinds of nonsense. Is that perfect?
Hayagrīva: He writes, "As it is a delicate task to decide what God has Himself ordained and what derives rather from the authority of an all-powerful parliament or a supreme judicial decision, it would be an indubitable advantage to leave God out of the question altogether and to admit honestly the purely human origin of all cultural laws and instructions." In other words, man is the law-giver...
Prabhupāda: That, that means he has no clear conception of God, because God has to take power from some parliament. God does not take power from anyone. He is God. That is described in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, that janmādy asya yataḥ anvayād itarataḥ ca artheṣu abhijñaḥ svarāṭ (SB 1.1.1), that the Supreme, God, or Supreme Truth, Brahman, He knows everything. He knows everything in details. And wherefrom? Abhijñaḥ. He is, abhijñaḥ means completely in awareness. Then the question may be raised that "How He got this complete knowledge? From whom He received?" The answer is immediate, svarāṭ. Svarāṭ means independent. That is God. If one has to take knowledge from Mr. Freud, then he is not God. Anyone, if you come to that person that He is independent, parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate svābhāvikī (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport), naturally He is all-perfect.
Śyāmasundara: He says that this is purely the nature of matter, that there are always two conflicting properties, and that this inner impulse, this inner pulsation of opposite forces, will cause history to take leaps like you just said, from one revolution to another. But the Communist revolution he calls the final revolution because it is the perfect answer.
Prabhupāda: Yes. I can take it in this sense. If the Communist idea is spiritualized. So long the Communist idea will remain materialized, it is not final. We have got Communistic idea. Just like we believe... They believe that the state is the owner; we believe God is the owner. So this state is a small state, Russian state. They can be satisfied, but because it is wrong application... State is not the owner. Real owner is God. So from state, when they come to the conclusion, "Not the state but God is owner," then their Communistic idea will be fulfilled. And as they say that everything must be done for the state, we are actually teaching perfect Communism. We are teaching that Kṛṣṇa is the owner. Bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram (BG 5.29). Kṛṣṇa says, "I am the supreme enjoyer. Everything is..." Just like in our society we are doing everything for Kṛṣṇa because we know Kṛṣṇa is the enjoyer. Sarva-loka-maheś... He is the proprietor.
Hayagrīva: Aristotle defines God as pure form and pure act and purely nonmaterial. He is absolute spirit and is the unmoved mover.
Prabhupāda: Yes. He is absolute spirit, there is no doubt upon it, but why He should come to know Himself through material world? That is defective.
Hayagrīva: Aristotle's God contemplates Himself. He does not have any knowledge of the world...
Prabhupāda: Who?
Hayagrīva: ...as such.
Prabhupāda: Who has no knowledge?
Hayagrīva: God.
Prabhupāda: What kind of God is that?
Hayagrīva: I don't know.
Prabhupāda: (chuckles) This is Aristotle's ignorance, that he does not know what is God and he is speaking about God. That is his ignorance.
| Page Title: | Purely (Lectures) |
| Compiler: | Rishab, RupaManjari |
| Created: | 18 of May, 2011 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=55, Con=0, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 55 |