Prabhupāda: The other day the radio man was asking, "Swamiji, how to adjust?" "And there is no adjustment. You have to go out of the scene. There is no adjustment." So he was not very happy. If I would have bluffed him, "Oh, you do this, you do that, you do this humanitarian work, you spread(?) education and give foodstuff." No! There is no adjustment. The only adjustment is quit this place. That is the function of this human form of life. You can get out of this show by Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kṛṣṇa says that this is the abode of miseries and that also temporary. Because you can accept any miserable life. That is the spell of māyā. Just like this dog life. If somebody asked me, "Would you like to be a dog? I can make you," shall I agree? Why not? Because I know that's miserable life. But the dog is satisfied. By becoming a purchased slave, very much satisfied. He has no independence, always chained and always servant, eternal servant of a particular man. He can do any harmful thing by the order of the master, he's so faithful. But still, his life is miserable because he's dog. But he is satisfied. He thinks that "Oh, it is a very nice life." This is called covering power of māyā, illusion. Anyone in the most miserable condition of life he'll think, "Oh, I am very happy." Ask him, "How are you?" "Oh, very nice. Very nice." So there is no adjustment. A Kṛṣṇa conscious person should... He knows that here only adjustment is to live in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the only... If he's materially conscious... What is the difference between materially conscious man and Kṛṣṇa conscious man? Materially conscious person is thinking everything as his property or enjoyable thing. And Kṛṣṇa conscious person is seeing the same thing as Kṛṣṇa's. A materially conscious person is satisfied, you get him a nice aromatic flower for his personal enjoyment, and Kṛṣṇa conscious person he at once thinks, "It is very nice flower, it should be offered to Kṛṣṇa." The flower is there, he is there, the consciousness is changed, that's all.
Spell of maya (Conv. and Letters)
Expressions researched:
"maya's spell"
|"maya, illusion. Just like under the spell of illusion"
|"spell of a cloud, or by maya"
|"spell of daivi-maya"
|"spell of illusory maya"
|"spell of maya"
|"spell of the external energy, maya"
|"spell of the illusory energy, maya"
|"spell of the material nature, maya"
|"spell of the modes of material nature, called maya"
|"the spell and strength of maya"
|"under her spell we are trying to become happy"
Conversations and Morning Walks
1968 Conversations and Morning Walks
1974 Conversations and Morning Walks
Yogeśvara: But the idea is "We can accomplish the same good results even without Kṛṣṇa."
Prabhupāda: That he does not know. He is a fool. He does not know what is a good result. He will change again. He is a rascal. He is putting himself in this condition; again he'll desire another condition. That is the change of body. That is his wanting. Sometimes he's taking the body of a dog, sometimes he is taking the body of a demigod. Bhramatam upary adhaḥ (1.5.18). Down, just like, what is that? Merry-go-round.
Puṣṭa-kṛṣṇa: Ferris wheel, ferris wheel goes up and down.
Prabhupāda: Sometimes "I am so up," and again come down. This is going on. Ei rūpe brahmāṇḍa bhramite kona bhāgyavān. Therefore, in this way, going round, one who is very, very fortunate, he, guru-kṛṣṇa-prasāde pāya bhakti-latā-bīja (CC Madhya 19.151), he comes to the devotional life by the mercy of guru and Kṛṣṇa. This is the beginning of Caitanya Mahāprabhu's instruction. They are under the myth, under the spell of māyā. This is going on.
1975 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: Ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā kartāham iti manyate (BG 3.27). The rascal, befooled by his false ego, he is thinking, "I am everything. I am independent." Those who are thinking like that, they have been described in the Bhagavad-gītā, ahaṅkāra vimūḍhātmā. The false ego is bewildered and thinking, "What I am thinking is all right." No, you cannot think in your own way. Must think as Kṛṣṇa says, then you are right. Otherwise, you are thinking under the spell of māyā, that's all. Tribhir guṇamāyāir bhavair mohita, nā 'bhijānāti mām ebhyaḥ param avyayam. Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛti sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10). These things are there. Read Bhagavad-gītā thoroughly, follow the rules and regulations, then your life will be successful. And so long you have got, this is also right, that is also right, then you will not do the right. You will all be misled. That's all.
Prabhupāda: Caitanya Mahāprabhu says... You have got this cassette? Jīv jāgo, jīv jāgo, gauracānda bole.
Devotee (1): I may have it in my briefcase. Yes.
Prabhupāda: So He is canvassing, "Now get up. How you are remaining in ignorance still? You have got this human form of body; still, you remain as cats and dogs. Why is that? This is spell of māyā. You get up." "No, I am very much... I cannot break out of this. Too much I am afflicted." Then he says, "I have got medicine." Enechi auṣadhi. "I have got the medicine. You take it." Enechi auṣadhi māyā nāśibāro lāgi', hari-nāma mahā-mantra lao tumi māgi'. "You take it from Me, hari-nāma mahā-mantra." So this is our mission. We have got the medicine to awake the people from this ignorance.
Devotee: When we go out to distribute books, we try and show the karmīs that the devotee is actually their friend also.
Prabhupāda: Oh, yes, certainly. That is the real friendship work. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu says,
- kota nidrā jāo māyā-piśācīra kole,
- enechi auṣadhi māyā nāśibāro lāgi'
- hari-nāma mahā-mantra lao tumi māgi'
This is friendship. "You are sleeping under the spell of māyā, and how long you will sleep and suffer in this material world? So I have brought this medicine. You take it and you will no more sleep."
- enechi auṣadhi māyā nāśibāro lāgi'
- hari-nāma mahā-mantra lao...
"Now take Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, this medicine."
- hari-nāma mahā-mantra lao tumi māgi'
Correspondence
1967 Correspondence
There are 4 stages of attack of maya; viz.: 1) stage is that a man wants to be a protagonist of religion, 2) is that man neglects religiosity and tries to improve his economic development, 3) is to be protagonist of sense enjoyment & when a man is frustrated in all the above mentioned stages he comes to, 4) which is impersonalism, and thinks himself one with the Supreme. This last attack is very serious and fatal. Kirtanananda has very recently developed the 4th stage malady on account of his negligence & disobedience to his spiritual master. Sometimes a foolish patient when he is out of feverish attack by the grace of the physician, thinks that he is cured and does not take precaution against relapse. Kirtanananda's position is like that. Because he helped the society in starting the Montreal center I thought he is now able to start other branches & when he asked me to give him sannyasa I agreed taking the opportunity of his presence in Vrndavana. Simply by his Sannyas dress he thought himself as cured of all material diseases & all mistakes but under the influence of maya, he thought himself a liberated patient, just as the foolish patient thinks himself cured from the disease. Under the spell of maya, he deliberately disobeyed me by not going to London & consequently his disease has relapsed. Now in N.Y. he has began to dictate nonsense in my name—such as giving up robes, flags etc. Instead of opening new centers he has began to deliver his nonsense sermons amongst his God-brothers which are all against our principles. For the present he should simply chant Hare Krishna & cease to deliver lectures because he has not understood the whole philosophy very nicely.
1968 Correspondence
So long we have got materialistic view the serpent is fierce. When Prahlada Maharaja saw Lord Nrsimhadeva, he was not at all afraid of the fierceful feature of the Lord. The big jaws and nails of the Lord Nrsimhadeva and fiery tongue of the Lord, and gigantic Lion's Head did not create any fierceful havoc before Prahlada Maharaja. He said, "My Dear Lord, I am not afraid of this your fierceful feature, but I am afraid of the repeated cycle of birth and death in the material existence." That instruction is very valuable. In our material existence, we are always in dangerous and fierceful condition, but by the spell of Maya, we do not take it very seriously. The Serpent-like feature of the Lord is another expansion of the Lord, to provide His Place on the Ocean. He is not at all fierceful to the devotees.
You want to counteract the activities of Maharishi, but you must know Maharishi is the agent of Maya. Our process of Krishna Consciousness and Sankirtana movement is already counteracting the spell of Maya, but the Maharishi says that you remain under the spell of Maya. His preaching is that you enjoy, and simply you pay him $35, and purchase his mantra. People in general are already under the spell of Maya. That is to say, they want sense gratification. If anyone encourages the method of sense gratification, at the same time become a yogi, why people will not prefer that method? We say there is no illicit sexlife, no intoxication, no meat eating, no gambling, so if Maharishi says there is no restrictions, naturally large number of people will follow him. That means they want to be cheated, and Krishna sends them a cheater. We cannot cheat people like him. We must say the truth, as they are prescribed; in the Bhagavad-gita there are 18 kinds of austerities, 13rd chapter. The restrictions which we are following are austerities. Without austerity, without celibacy, any amount of nonsense meditation will not help. So there is no comparison of our method with Maharishi's method. We are not out to counteract any kind of vandalism. We must present the genuine thing before the public, and if they are intelligent enough they will take it up and realize it. The followers of Maharishi are not intelligent class of men. If you have any advancement in the knowledge of Bhagavad-gita, you can test any follower of Maharishi, you will find he is nil.
People in the spell of maya are trying to squeeze out gross pleasure from the senses, which is not possible to derive to our heart's content. Therefore we are confused and baffled in our attempt to eschew eternal pleasure from gross matter. Actually, joyful life is on the spiritual platform, therefore we should try to save our valuable time from material activities and engage them for Krishna Consciousness. But at the same time, because we have to keep our body and soul together to execute our mission, we must have sufficient (not extravagant) food to eat, and that will be supplied by grains, fruits, and milk. So if you can develop this place to that ideal life and the residents become ideal Krishna Conscious men, in that part of your country, I think not only many philosophically minded people will be attracted, but they will be benefited also.
1969 Correspondence
Except for the Krishna Consciousness Movement, any other attempt for spiritual realization, such as drugs, voidness, impersonalism, bodily exercises of Hatha Yoga, etc.—they are all something like unconsciousness under some super-intoxicant. Srila Rupa Goswami has given a very nice example in this connection. He says that a conditioned soul remains in the slumber of unconsciousness just like a patient bitten by a poisonous snake. In India there is a class of snake-charmers and physicians who treat snake-bitten persons with a particular type of jungle herbs. This treatment is to bring the herb near the nostrils of the patient for being smelled, and then the patient comes back to consciousness and finds relief from the snake bite effect. In our conditioned life we are bitten by so many types of Maya snakes, and more and more we are put into unconsciousness of mind without any hope of eternal life. Krishna Consciousness is the only herb for such Maya snake-bite condition. So our duty is very responsible. We have to awaken so many snake-bitten patients under the spell of Maya.
You have got some good souls assisting you, and that is a good sign. Please take care of these boys and keep them fixed up in Krishna Consciousness. In our lifetime, if we can fix up at least one soul in Krishna Consciousness, Krishna immediately recognizes the service. The spell of Maya is very strong, and to save a living entity from such clutches is the greatest service to the humanity. Please go on with your work with enthusiasm and faith in Krishna. He will give you all assistance.
My Guru Maharaja, Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Goswami Maharaj, was always enthusiastic in opening the centers in busy cities. Our centers are not practically secluded ashrams for so-called peaceful meditation. We are for activities and fighting like the battle of Kurukshetra. Chatianya Mahaprabhu's mission is to awaken the sleeping humanity under the spell of Maya. He says, "My dear human beings, please get up from this slumber and make the best use of the opportunity of your human life." We have come in this material world in this human form of life not to enjoy deep sleep in the form of false activities of political, social, industrial and similar business which will be finished like a dream at night. All these things are actually the mire of daydream. So Chaitanya Mahaprabhu says that He has brought this Hare Krishna Maha Mantra for dispelling the spell of Maya. Everyone should take up this opportunity and be benedicted. So not only in Tokyo, in all parts of the world we must have our centers in the most busy quarters. So I take your proposal as God-sent, and if it is possible to open a center in the busy section of Tokyo, that is very nice.
1970 Correspondence
I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 10th August, 1970, along with a list of schedule for Temple activities. It is very nice program. If you simply follow this program, then the spell of Maya will not be able to enter into your constitution. All Questions and answers are practically given in our books.
| Page Title: | Spell of maya (Conv. and Letters) |
| Compiler: | Labangalatika |
| Created: | 05 of May, 2011 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=5, Let=8 |
| No. of Quotes: | 13 |