So if you have caught up such Absolute Truth, then there you'll find no difference. Paṇḍitāḥ... Paṇḍitāḥ means learned. They do not find. But the, those who are not learned, they find difference. Ekam apy āsthitaḥ samyag ubhayor vindate phalam. Those who are learned, he can be situated in any form of realization and he can realize soul or... It is not... Never a learned man will say that "In this process, there is no self-realization. In this process there is spiritual..." No. In every process, there is. It may be in a higher standard or in a lower standard. Just like I have many times that two plus two equal to four, that is fact. That is a mathematical truth. Now, this two plus two, in the infant class, the two plus two equal to four is the same, and higher mathematics and in the M.A. class, the student is studying higher mathematics, astronomy, astrology. There also, the two plus two equal to four is the truth. But the infant class, the study of mathematics in the infant class and the study of mathematics in the M.A. class, there is difference. There is difference. There is a... There is a story that a student... Why it is not open? It is not open?
Students (Lectures, BG chapters 5 - 18)
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
All right. People may come in. One student, he was studying trigonometry. After passing his matriculation, in the college he was studying. So he was reading, "Let A and B, a straight line, and C, another straight line." So just like he was reading. So his mother thought, "Oh, my son has again begun A, B, C." You see? So he was asking, she was asking his son, "Oh, my dear son, you have passed your school ending examination? You have again begun A, B, C, D? What is that?" That means she, she's not so intelligent. She thought that "My son has begun again A, B, C, D from the infant class." No. It is higher mathematics. The same A, B, C, D is there, but that is higher mathematics. Similarly, the Truth, Absolute Truth, is always the same. But that Absolute Truth is expressed according to the different situations. The position of certain scriptures in certain countries in certain circumstances may be described in a certain particular way, but the aim is the same. Aim is the same. So those who are interested in higher mathematics, they take to higher mathematics. Or those who have developed themselves from infant class. But the truth, "two plus two is equal to four," that does not any circumsta...become false. That is the truth.
So that is also ignorance. That is also ignorance. Because advancement of economic development... There is a nice song by a Vaiṣṇava. He says that jaḍa-vidyā, saba māyāra vaibhava. Jaḍa-vidyā means the material advancement of knowledge is a manifestation of this illusory energy. The illusory energy manifests herself in different ways, and that is called material advancement of knowledge. The material advancement of knowledge means we are becoming more and more illusioned. Illusioned. Just like today one of our students, he had been to some doctor for some business. He had some talks with him. So when the student said that "We believe in personal God," then the doctor answered that "Oh, we believe... The world believed seven hundred years before like that." Now people have advanced so far that they cannot believe in the Personality of Godhead. Now, people think, think that they have made very much advance in the material science. Well, actually, if we scrutinizingly study how much advancement they have made, then we can know that practically we have been more illusioned than we have made advancement.
So diseased condition means contaminated by māyā. This is external. So our philosophy, Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, is not to stop desiring but purify desiring. And how you can purify it? By Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If you desire... Just like—concrete example—if I desire a very nice apartment for my personal sense gratification, this is diseased desire. And if I desire a nice costly temple for Kṛṣṇa, that is purified desire. So desire is there. You are sitting here in a very nice room, very cleansed, very good atmosphere. But this desire is purified desire. And if you require similar room for your sense gratification, that is impure desire. So desire there must be. But when it is desired for Kṛṣṇa it is purified desire. And when it is desired for non-Kṛṣṇa then it is impurified. So those who are desiring for Kṛṣṇa, they are not behind any enjoyment. They are rather in perfect enjoyment. These Kṛṣṇa conscious students, they are desiring for Kṛṣṇa nice prasādam, so they are not bereft. Practically they are enjoying but it is Kṛṣṇized. Therefore their everything is becoming purified.
What is the busyness of these Kṛṣṇa conscious students? They are busy in chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, in distributing knowledge in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Therefore they are doing the best welfare work in the world. Other welfare work will be finished as soon as this body is finished. But these welfare activities will not be finished. If one hears one day, one minute, one second, this vibration of chanting, it will act someday. Therefore this is the best welfare activity in the human society. "And who is free from all sins achieves liberation in the Supreme." So it is said that eka kṛṣṇa-nāme yata pāpa hare, pāpī haya tata pāpa karibare nare(?). The Kṛṣṇa name is so powerful transcendentally, spiritually, that if you chant once, "Kṛṣṇa," all your sinful activities, reaction are immediately finished. One may say that "He was not so sinful. He was little sinful; therefore it is finished." But this verse says that the vibration of Kṛṣṇa, this sound, has so much potency that it can finish the reaction of all sinful activities as you cannot perform in your various lives. Even if you are very expert in committing sinful activities, still, this will finish, provided it is chanted offenselessly. It has got the power.
So if we always chant... Suppose I am now freed from all sinful reaction. I may be attacked again. That is quite possible. I may be free from the disease but I may be attacked again by this disease. That is possible. But if you always keep yourself constantly in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. Therefore we supply the beads and ask the student, "Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa." Then sinful activities cannot touch you. These are the processes. And if you keep yourself without being touched by the sinful activities, then one who does so achieves liberation in the supreme. Then your liberation is guaranteed. Yes.
So according to Vedic civilization, this training was given, student life, complete abstinence from sex life, then vānaprastha life, complete abstinence, and sannyāsa life, complete abstinence. The whole training was to abstain, to cure. Because... The same example: In diseased condition we cannot enjoy the foodstuff which we take. When we are healthy, we can enjoy the taste of the foodstuff. So we have to cure. We have to cure. And how to cure? To be situated in the transcendental position of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the cure. So Kṛṣṇa advises here anyone who is able to tolerate the urge of sense pleasure. But we have to mold our life in such a way that we should be able to tolerate. Tolerate. That will give us our advancement in spiritual life, and when we are situated in spiritual life, that enjoyment is unending, unlimited.
Icchā means we desire so many things. And in material life we shall be always afraid. Afraid. Everyone is afraid. So icchā-bhaya-krodha. Anger is unavoidable because in so many things we are frustrated in our dealing that anger is possible. But if we are engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, even we are put into such difficulty... I am very glad to inform you that one of our students is put into some difficulty, but he is very happy simply thinking of this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Practical. He is... Not very long he is practiced the Kṛṣṇa consciousness, but within a few days he has learned the art. Just now I received telephone that he said that "I am quite happy." So this is such a thing. Kṛṣṇa consciousness can get us even in the greatest... Yasmin sthite guruṇāpi duḥkhena na vicalyate (Bg. 6.20-23). Even one is situated in a very great dangerous point, still, he is not disturbed. This is such a thing, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. He does not become disturbed.
Oh, but as you come, anyone can come. Everyone is welcome. We don't charge anything for this dancing. You go to ball dance and so many other dances, you pay for it. But we don't charge. We simply, our, these students simply beg something because we have to maintain. We don't charge anything. So if you simply come and chant for recreation, it is very nice. Everything is there in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We want music, there is music. We want dancing, there is dancing. You can bring nice musical instruments, you can join. We distribute nice palatable dishes. So practically this is a system of recreation only. (laughter) Yes. If you seriously think, you'll find, this system, there is no labor at all. Simply recreation. Su-sukham (BG 9.2). That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā in the Ninth Chapter you'll find, su-sukham . Everything is pleasing and happy. Find out anything in our system, that this is troublesome. Tell me practically, anyone. "This point is very troublesome." Just put your counterargument. Simply pleasing. It is simply recreation. That's all. You just point out, "Swamiji, this point is not very recreation or not, that is unhappy position." Nothing.
There are four stages of life according to Vedic culture. We have many times explained to you that brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha, and sannyāsī. Brahmacārī means student life, to be trained up in spiritual understanding, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, fully trained up. He is called brahmacārī. Then, after full training, he accepts wife, he gets himself married and lives with family and children. That is called gṛhastha. Then, after fifty years, he leaves the children alone and gets out of home accompanied by his wife and travels in the holy places. That is called vānaprastha, retired life. And at last he gives up his wife to the care of his children, grown-up children, and he remains alone. And that is called sannyāsa, or renounced order of life. So these four orders of life there are.
Now, those who are actually working with our society, they practically do not find any time, any rest. There are so many work that one cannot finish. Day and night we have got work for Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And we are happy to execute such work. And the students who are working with us, cooperating, they are also happy. You'll find happiness. If you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa twenty-four hours, you'll never get tired, and that is the... You'll never get tired. In any other material thing, if you chant or you repeat three times, you'll get tired. It is practical test. But if you go on chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa twenty-four hours, you'll never get tired. So if you engage yourself in the activity of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, you'll never get tired because you are acting on the spiritual platform. Spiritual platform is absolute. The material platform is different. If you work very hard, then you get tired. So this is, these are the understandings of spiritual consciousness, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
And what is the result of good association? Now, because, if we make good association, the santāḥ chindanti. Santāḥ means the persons who are sādhu, who are pious. They can cut off by their words our attachment with this material world. They can cut off. Just like Kṛṣṇa is speaking to Arjuna. What is the idea of speaking so many things? Just to cut off his attachment from the so-called material affection. He is affected with something which is stumbling his progress in his own duty. So He is, Kṛṣṇa is presenting His Bhagavad-gītā just to cut off. Santā eva hi chindanti uktibhiḥ. Uktibhiḥ. Chindanti means cut. Now, for cutting something we require some sharpened instrument. But here, to cut off the mind from attachment, it requires sharpened ukti. Ukti means words. Sharpened topics. There should not be... Just like when a person cuts something, there is no mercy, similarly when a sādhu or a person saint, speaks to his student, he does not make, show any mercy. He speaks the truth so that his mind may be cut off from the unreal attachment.
So if my mind is always in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then these dualities can be practiced very easily. Śītoṣṇa-sukha-duḥkha-dāḥ. Jñāna-vijñāna-tṛptātmā kūṭastho vijitendriyaḥ. Why he will be able to understand, to tolerate? Because jñāna-vijñāna-tṛptātmā. Jñāna means knowledge. Theoretical knowledge is called jñāna, and practical knowledge is called vijñāna. Vijñāna. Just like a science student has to study theoretical and appear theoretical examination as well as practical examination. If a science student has to pass his examination, then he has to prac... Simply theoretical knowledge that so much quantity of hydrogen and so much quantity of oxygen will make water will not help him. He has to practically show in the laboratory that so much quantity of oxygen gas and so much quantity of hydrogen gas mixed and water is produced. That is called vijñāna. Vijñāna.
You have to see the upper portion of the nose. That means if you... I have seen in some of the yogic societies, they close the eyes completely, and some of them, about fifty percent of them are snoozing, or sleeping, regularly. Because as soon as you close your eyes, and if you have no subject matter to think, and you have been posted to meditate, you do not know to what to meditate, then the next result is sleeping and nothing more. That is practical. So one has to sleep very hard. Somebody was inquiring here... (chuckles) Of course, some of the students, they were sleeping so he was sarcastically (asking) that "Are they sleeping or meditating?" So I (said), "Yes, they are meditating by lying down." Yes. So sometimes meditation goes on in sleeping. No. That is not the process. You cannot close your eyes completely. Then you will invite the queen. Sleep and she will capture you. Whole process will be like that.
Eating, we want palatable dishes. Very good. But you prepare the palatable foodstuff for Kṛṣṇa. For Kṛṣṇa you prepare hundreds of palatable... Don't think that "It is being prepared for me." Therefore one who prepares foodstuff for Kṛṣṇa, he has to take very precaution. You see? That it is being prepared for Kṛṣṇa. Sometimes I therefore ask the students "Don't touch your mouth. Don't... Very cleanly, very sanctifiedly." Because it is being prepared... So now, that desire, that "Kṛṣṇa will eat such nice cake and such nice rice," so the whole thing is prepared in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and when it is offered to Kṛṣṇa, you taste. So your kāma is already sacrificed because from the very beginning you're thinking that "It is being prepared for Kṛṣṇa." You have no desire for that. But Kṛṣṇa is so merciful that He gives you the foodstuff for your eating; so your desire is already fulfilled. You do not desire it, but Kṛṣṇa's mercy is so that He can fulfill your desire.
I am very glad to inform you a practical example. One of our students, he was put into very unfavorable condition, but he was not, I mean to say, at all disturbed due to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Practical. So confident. And we are also not disturbed. We thought, "Oh, Kṛṣṇa is there. He will not be put into difficulty. He cannot be put into difficulty." You see? So here it is said, yasmin sthito na duḥkhena guruṇāpi vicālyate. If one is situated firmly in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the gravest type of danger cannot disturb him. It is such a nice thing. Yasmin sthito na duḥkhena guruṇāpi. Guru. Guru means very heavy, very heavy. Guruṇāpi duḥkhena na vicālyate (Bg. 6.20-23). He is not disturbed. He is not disturbed.
Abhyāsena tu kaunteya vairāgyeṇa ca gṛhyate. So this vairāgya can be very easily practiced when you are in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We are practically seeing. These four things our students have very easily given up because they are serious about Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is not advertisement. You can ask. There are many students here who have taken up this, I mean to say, philosophy very seriously, and they find it easy. Oh, they find it easy. Vairāgya automatically becomes. It is such a nice thing. It is such a nice thing that easily you become detestful to all these things. We do not discourage, I mean to say, sex life, but we discourage illicit connection with man and woman. Sex life cannot be discouraged. Because you have got this body, material body, sex desire is a demand. We have to satisfy; otherwise we shall go ill. As we have to eat something, as we have to sleep for some time, so sex life is also required. So we cannot discourage it, neither all the Vedic literatures discourage. But Vedic literatures cannot allow you... If you actually serious about advancement of spiritual life, then you cannot encourage illicit connection, no. I request all my young students that "You get yourself married." And recently I have performed myself one marriage ceremony. Two of my students, they have been married actually. So we don't discourage what is necessity, but we cannot allow illicit things. So these are called vairāgya.
So if we want to control the mind, then we have to adopt these regulative principles of life. Not that we have to give up, but we have to make regulated. Vairāgya. Then it will be possible to adopt. And the best thing is that engage your mind always in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We are trying to engage our students twenty-four hours either in this way or that way, this way or that way, in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is samādhi, trance, transcendental situation. You can eat, you can enjoy, you can dance, you can see, you can work—all things for Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That will automatically make you renounced order of life. But if you try to follow this yoga system which was possible in the Satya-yuga some millions of years before, and if you want to adopt that, oh, it is not possible. If you want to be satisfied becoming a showbottle, then that is a different thing. Remain a showbottle. But if you want really actual success, then you cannot adopt that process. Asaṁyatātmanā yogo duṣprāpa iti me matiḥ.
Now, he is asking, "My dear Kṛṣṇa..." Now, these things are being discussed, that yoga system is... Not only that yoga system. The bhakti-yoga system, the Kṛṣṇa consciousness, this is also yoga system. Now, many students come to practice this yoga or that yoga. Now, somehow or other, they may not be successful. They may not be successful or half finished or one-fourth finished. Everything has got a course. So, just like if you want to be a medical student there are five years', six years' course. If you study for two years and give it up, then you cannot have that title, or you cannot be recognized as a medical practitioner. But if you complete the course, you get the university degree, MD, Doctor of Medicine, or something like that, and you are recognized; you can practice. Now, here it is said that ayatiḥ śraddhayopetaḥ. Somebody is attracted that "I shall make my life successful by a spiritual process, the yoga system or jñāna system or bhakti system." Without inclination... Because this inclination also does not come ordinarily... That also requires good asset in the past life, this inclination for spiritual advancement. Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu (BG 7.3). Out of millions of men, few only try for making perfection of the human life. And yatatām api siddhānām (BG 7.3). And those who are trying for perfection, out of them a few only can understand what is God. So God understanding is not so easy.
Because I sit down for meditation. Of course if meditation is focusing the mind on Viṣṇu, that is very good. But there are so many yoga societies, they educate their student to concentrate their mind on something void, something color. Not exactly to Viṣṇu form. You see. So that is very difficult task. That is also explained in the Bhagavad—kleśo 'dhikataras teṣām avyaktāsakta-cetasām (BG 12.5). One who is trying to concentrate his mind on the imperson or voidness, it is very difficult and troublesome. At least here in this temple, these students, they are trying to concentrate his mind on Kṛṣṇa. But to concentrate one's mind in void, that is very difficult. So naturally my mind is flickering. Instead of finding out something void, my mind is engaged in something else. Because mind must be engaged in something. If it is not engaged in Kṛṣṇa, then it must be engaged in māyā. So if you cannot do that, then this so-called meditation and sitting posture is simply useless waste of time.
Just like in our society we make four restriction. Anyone who desires to be initiated in our society, we put four principles. No illicit sex life. We don't say that don't have sex life. No illicit sex life. You get yourself married and for children you can have sex life. Not for another purpose. So, no illicit sex life, no intoxication. Our students, they do not smoke even, they do not take tea even, coffee. So what to speak of other things, so they are pure. No gambling and no animal food. That's all. If you simply follow these four principles, then you become immediately uncontaminated. Immediately. Without any further endeavor. So Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is so nice that as soon as you join you become immediately uncontaminated. But do not contaminate again. Therefore these restrictions. Because our contamination begins from these four kinds of bad habits. But if we check, then there is no question of contamination. As soon as I take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness I become free. Now if I become cautious not to accept these four principles, then I am free, I am continuing uncontaminated. This is the process. But if you think that because Kṛṣṇa consciousness makes me free, so let me indulge in all these four principles and I will get free after chanting. That is cheating. That will not be allowed. Once you are free, but don't do it again. But if you think "I shall do it and make myself free."
Abhijāyate. He says that this failure yogi... One who is successful, he enters into the kingdom of God. That is a different thing. But one who is a failed student, what happens to him? Now, prāpya puṇya-kṛtāṁ lokān: (BG 6.41) "He enters into the planets where pious living entities are allowed to enter." That means he gets into the higher planets. There are many planets within the universe, and the higher planets, there are more comforts, more duration of life, persons are more pious, religious, godly. As you make progress to the higher planets, these facilities are there, thousand times better than this planet. So Kṛṣṇa says that "Even if he is failure, still, he goes to such planets where pious men are elevated." Prāpya puṇya-kṛtāṁ lokān, and uṣitvā śāśvatīḥ samāḥ (BG 6.41). And he remains there for a long duration of time.
You can render service anywhere, you get thousand dollars or two thousand dollars every month. But here you come and give your service without any payment. Why? Because out of love of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore this bhaj, this service, loving service, is based on love of Godhead. Otherwise why one should waste his time for nothing? Here these students, they are engaged in so many things. Somebody is gardening, somebody is typing, somebody is cooking, somebody is cooking, somebody is doing something else, everything. But it is in connection with Kṛṣṇa. Therefore the Kṛṣṇa consciousness is prevailing, always, twenty-four hours. That is the highest type of yoga. Yoga means to keep your consciousness intact with Viṣṇu or Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Lord. That is the perfection of yoga. Here it is automatically, even the child can do it. The child is coming along with his mother and bowing down, "Kṛṣṇa, I bow down." So he is also Kṛṣṇa conscious. A small child, he's clapping. Why? "Hey Kṛṣṇa." So anyway, everyone is remembering always Kṛṣṇa. Keeping Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Even a child here is the highest yogi. It is not our boastfulness. It is stated in authorized scripture like Bhagavad-gītā. We don't say that we have created these words for our boastful. No, it is a fact. Even a child can keep in the highest platform of yoga practice in this temple. That is the highest gift of this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.
We hold these Hare Kṛṣṇa Festival in Calcutta, Bombay, and other places. Here also. Many thousands of people are coming. Because at heart there is Kṛṣṇa consciousness, but, by external forces, they are being suppressed. That is going on. It is not natural. It is unnatural. Natural is every Indian is Kṛṣṇa conscious. That is natural. By artificial means they are being suppressed. This is the misfortune of the present day of India. (break) ...can be done? In the educational system no Bhagavad-gītā. Just see. How much unfortunate... One Indian girl in Berkeley University, she asked me, "Swamiji, what is God?" Just see. She's Indian, where God takes birth, Rāmacandra, Kṛṣṇa, and she is now materially advanced. Now she is asking what is God. This is our position. The land where God come, from that land a advanced student is asking: "What is God?" This is our advancement. Hare Kṛṣṇa.
So unless there is full-fledged Kṛṣṇa consciousness, there cannot by any improvement of the world situation. You have to learn it. So how to do that? Kṛṣṇa says, mayy āsakta-manāḥ. You have to develop your attachment for Kṛṣṇa. Begin it. Now, begin, not begin it. That is a very difficult job. But you can do it. It is difficult. Just as we have got a few students here, sincere students, both boys and... They are developing. If not complete, but they are developing, Kṛṣṇa. Otherwise, why they shall waste their time in chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa? They are developing. And it can be developed. You can develop love for anything if you try for it. But Kṛṣṇa development, Kṛṣṇa conscious development is very natural because Kṛṣṇa is not a thing belonging to a particular type of religion or sect or society. Kṛṣṇa claims that "I belong to everyone." Therefore, originally, you are all connected with Kṛṣṇa. Simply you have forgotten.
So the Kṛṣṇa consciousness is also a yoga, the perfect yoga, the highest of all yogic systems. Anyone, any yogi may come, and we can challenge and we can say that this is the A-1 yoga system. This is A-1, and it is very simple at the same time. You haven't got to exercise your body. Suppose you are weak or you feel some tiredness, but in Kṛṣṇa consciousness you won't feel. All our students, they are simply anxious to be overloaded with work, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. "Swamiji, what shall I do? What can I do?" They are actually doing. Nicely. Very nice. They don't feel tired. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. In the material world, if you work for some time, then you'll feel tired. You'll require rest. Of course, I am not, I mean to say, exaggerating myself. I am an old man of seventy-two years. Oh, I was ill. I went back to India. I have come again. I want to work! I want to work. Naturally, I would have retired from all these activities, but I don't feel... So far I can do, I want work. I want to..., day and night. At night I work with dictaphone. So I am sorry... I become sorry if I cannot work. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. One must be very much anxious to work. It is not that it is an idle society. No. We have got sufficient engagement. They are editing papers, they are selling papers. Just simply find out how Kṛṣṇa conscious can be spread, this much. This is practical.
So similarly, theoretical knowledge that we have got a particular type of relationship with God, that you cannot deny. Anything, whatever you have got in your possession, you have got some particular relationship. Suppose you are Americans, we are Indian. So we have got some particular relationship with the state. I am Indian citizen, you are American citizen. So relationship must be there. You are sitting here. There is some relationship. Suppose my students, they have got relationship with me. I am their teacher, they are my disciples. Or if you are not my disciple then you are audience, I am speaker. Must be there some relationship.
The other day so many students came, now nobody. Because they want to remain the first-class rascal, that's all. That is... It is a fact. So unless one is very intelligent, they cannot take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. They want to be bluffed, cheated, in this way or that way. That's all. Plain thing, simple thing. And result is very great, they'll not agree to accept.
Śravaṇam, hearing. Then? Śravaṇam is the first important part. That is the... If one simply hears, simply by hearing sincerely, seriously, he becomes perfect. It is so nice. If simply people come here and simply hear Bhagavad-gītā and try to understand it, he becomes perfect. But they will not come. As soon as they will hear, "Oh, Swamiji is preaching that I am not God. God is different," "Oh, don't come here." Finish. I have to flatter him that "You are God." Then he will come. His hearing is disturbed because there is no flattering words. But if he sticks to hearing only, he becomes perfect. But māyā will not allow him to hear: "Oh, please vacate out. Don't come here." Even our students. They remain here for some time, go away. Māyā dictates, "Oh, why you are spoiling your time?" But the process is very simple, hearing. But māyā will not allow him to accept this simple process.
Actually if the world want peace and prosperity, tranquillity, you must have to take this Kṛṣṇa consciousness; otherwise there is no possibility. Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Lord, He is actually the proprietor. No land belongs to me or you. It is artificially. Just like I say to my American student, two hundred years ago the American land was there. Somebody was claiming, "America is ours." Now immigration from Europe, now they have their turn. They are thinking, "It is our country." But actually no land belongs to me or you. Everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa, or God. Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvaṁ yat kiñcid (ISO 1). Everything is God's property. We have got right to use the God's property because we are sons, but tena tyaktena bhuñjīthā: whatever He allows you, you can take that. Mā gṛdhaḥ kasya svid dhanam. Don't think encroach on another's property. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness philosophy, that you should always understand that Kṛṣṇa is the real bhoktā, or enjoyer. Kṛṣṇa is the proprietor of all the lokas. Kṛṣṇa is the real friend of everyone. We are seeking friendship from so many persons to improve our material condition, but you do not know the real friend is within you, everyone. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). The real friend is within everyone's heart—Kṛṣṇa—and if you take shelter of Him... "Shelter of Him" means simply hear about Him.
Our beloved student Śrīmān Hanumān Gosvāmī has already given some introduction about our movement. Lord Caitanya, five hundred years ago, ordered it. Lord Caitanya is accepted as Kṛṣṇa Himself in the form of a devotee. Kṛṣṇa, when He was personally present, He stressed that He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). I understand that you are reading in this hall Bhagavad-gītā regularly. You know all these verses. Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat asti kiñcit. Kṛṣṇa says, mattaḥ: "Beyond Me." Just like if I say, "Beyond me, this person." Similarly Kṛṣṇa says mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat (BG 7.7).
These things are there in the Bhagavad-gītā. One who is completely free from the resultant action of sinful activities, they can be engaged fully in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So these students are being trained how to become free from sinful activities. They are forbidden not to have illicit sex. These are four pillars of sinful activities: illicit sex life, meat-eating, intoxication and gambling. Yatra pāpaś catur-vidhā. These are exactly to the injunction of the Vedas. So if we purify ourself... In the Bhagavad-gītā, Arjuna appreciates Kṛṣṇa, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). How you can approach the pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān without being pavitra? So there is a process to appreciate whether Kṛṣṇa or God has form. Unless we adopt the form, superficially it is not possible. I see otherwise there are... Why so many process of bhajana-sādhana if it is so cheap that we can immediately understand what is God? No. And the Veda says, tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). That was our system. First of all, they used to become brahmacārīs, to become most obedient servant of the spiritual master before becoming gṛhastha. Celibacy, brahmacārī, then gṛhastha. So these things are all lost now.
Yes. That I have already explained, that we are training people in different parts of the world by opening centers. So you come and take the advantage of this center and learn how to do it. This center is open for this purpose, that people may take advantage how to develop Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Just like you go to a school and you learn how to read and write, and then you pass M.A. examination, similarly, if you think that you have forgotten, you have no knowledge, please come, take the process. And just like these people, they were not born in India. They are not Hindus. They are not Vaiṣṇavas. Their forefathers never heard what is Kṛṣṇa, neither they heard. How they are taking? It is the process. That process we are giving to everyone without any discrimination. We have got students from all communities: Hindus, Muslim, Christian, Parsis, and Africans. The process is so perfect. If you take the process, you will also understand. So for this teaching this process, we are opening center here. You all Indians, your chance is first. So why don't you cooperate and learn? It is open to everyone. It is not a secret thing. So I invite you on Tuesday.
So our yoga system is not like that, that we whole day, twenty-three hours and forty-five minutes, I engage myself in all nonsensical activities, and fifteen minutes I concentrate my mind, the meditation. That kind of yoga system is not here. Here, twenty-four-hours' meditation. Even during sleeping. Twenty-four hours means during sleeping also. Life should be melded, molded in such a way that twenty-four hours you'll be able to think of Kṛṣṇa. So we are engaging our students in so many Kṛṣṇa activities. They are going to the park, chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, or distributing literature. All these activities, remembering Kṛṣṇa. They have no other, I mean to say, thought except Kṛṣṇa. So this fifteen minutes, twenty-minutes, sitting, is all right. But one who is twenty-four hours thinking of Kṛṣṇa or Viṣṇu, how far he is advanced, that can be imagined. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says personally, yoginām api sarveṣām: (BG 6.47) "Of all the yogis..."
So this hearing... We are talking of the hearing. The hearing process is so important. All our, this institute, Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement has spread because the students who have joined us, they have given aural reception, by hearing. The hearing, everything was changed within themselves and they have joined with full, whole-heartedness, and the... Going on. So hearing is so important. We are opening so many centers just to give people chance of hearing about the transcendental message. So you take chance, you take, I mean to say, the advantage of this hearing process. Then?
So those who are in the modes of material nature, in the modes of goodness, their body is different. Just like brāhmaṇa. Simply getting the body of brāhmaṇa is not sufficient. One has to learn how to become brāhmaṇa. Satyaṁ śamo damas titikṣā. But there is opportunity. If one is born in a brāhmaṇa family, he has got the opportunity to develop the brāhmaṇa qualities. Similarly, if one is born in the family of a kṣatriya, he gets the opportunity of kṣatriya spirit. Similarly vaiśya. Cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). But the quality and actual action. Just like a boy is born of a medical practitioner. He has got greater chance of becoming, becoming a medical student, medical practitioner. But simply by getting birth as a son of medical practitioner is not sufficient. He has to take education. So cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). Kṛṣṇa does not say "By birth." By acquiring the qualities and action. One must have the brahminical qualities and act as a brāhmaṇa; then he'll be accepted as brāhmaṇa.
So first education should be given to the students that he is not this body, he is spirit soul. And because he is spirit soul, he has got a different business than to maintain this body. Maintenance of the body, that is being done by the cats and dogs also. They also take care of the body very nicely. They fight, struggle for existence to... They fight to keep the body fit. The tiger also, he fights. He secures his eatables by fighting. Similarly, this struggle for existence to get things for eating, sleeping, mating and defending, that is current in the animal society also. So śāstra says, therefore, nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke kaṣṭān kāmān arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye (SB 5.5.1). Śāstra says, ayaṁ deha, this body, human body... Nāyaṁ deho nṛloke, deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke. Nṛloke means in the human society.
"O Kṛṣṇa, You are Para-brahman." Para-brahman. The word... There are two words: Para-brahman and Brahman. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi, that does not mean ahaṁ parabrahmāsmi. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi: I am also spirit soul, but not the Supreme. Para-brahman is Kṛṣṇa. I am also īśvara. Īśvara means controller. You are also īśvara. Just like in this school, the teacher is īśvara in his class. He is controlling some students. I am controlling my disciples. I am also īśvara. So everyone can be īśvara. There is no... Everyone can be god. But we are using the word "Godhead." Just like there are some clerks and there is head clerk, similarly, we are all gods. The Māyāvādī philosophy, they say, "Everyone is God." That's all right. But you are not the head God. Head, there... If there is god, there are so many gods, there must be one head God. That is our natural experience. Anywhere you go, there are so many people, but there is some leader, head. I had some talks with one Russian professor, Professor Kotovsky in Moscow. So we had very long talks. At last I asked him, "Mr. Kotovsky..." I forget to..., "comrade." (laughter). But I said, "mister." (laughs) "So where is the difference between your philosophy and my philosophy, or our philosophy? You have to accept one leader, head, and we also accept one head. Then where is the difference between communism and other ism?" So he was stopped. He appreciated very much. "The difference is that you have accepted Lenin as your head and we have accepted Kṛṣṇa as our head."
So we are trying to make our students the first-class yogi. Always think of Kṛṣṇa. This is our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. And Kṛṣṇa is also saying the same thing, mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha yogam. How you can think of Kṛṣṇa always? That is not possible unless you become too much addicted. Just like if you love somebody, then you can think of him always. Artificially, if I say, "You think of Mr. John always," how you'll be possible? Artificially it is not possible. If you have got some love for Mr. John as a friend, as a lover or as somebody, or son or master or something, then you can think of Mr. John always. Otherwise it is not possible. So that thinking, you can revive.
It is simply awakened. Not that artificially we are imposing some impression to the minds of our students that they are hankering after "Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa..." No. It is a process to remove all the dirty things from the heart. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12). And as soon as the heart is cleansed of all dirty things, material contamination, then we can see what is our relationship with Kṛṣṇa. Therefore, Kṛṣṇa recommends that "Somehow or other, you try to be attached to Me." And the Gosvāmīs also, Rūpa Gosvāmī recommends, yena tena prakāreṇa manaḥ kṛṣṇe niveśayet: "Somehow or other, try to apply your mind in Kṛṣṇa." It is not very difficult. Here is Kṛṣṇa's form, arcā-mūrti. If you constantly see Kṛṣṇa's form, śyāmasundaram acintya-guṇa-svarūpam Acintya-guṇa-svarūpam. Kṛṣṇa is acintya-guṇa-svarūpam; therefore He is nirguṇa. Generally, guṇa means these material qualities: sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. But when we speak of nirguṇa, that means we transcend the guṇas of this material world.
That's all right. It is so nice. And don't you feel how you are becoming nicer and nicer? Practically. The news reporter... One lady in Philadelphia, she saw our students and she was surprised. She inquired, "Are you Americans?" So we are creating such devotees that people are becoming surprised how this is possible. Yes, it is possible by Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It is simple method. Simply chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and take Kṛṣṇa prasāda. That's all. Don't require any education, philosophical theorizing. Simply do these two business, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and take kṛṣṇa-prasāda. And our temple is open for that. Everyone. No fee. No charge. So why do you lose this opportunity? Yes?
Yes. Surrender to Kṛṣṇa means you have to accept things which is favorable for Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Just like we restrict our students, no illicit sex, no gambling, no meat-eating, no intoxication. If you surrender to this process, that is surrender to Kṛṣṇa. Is it clear? If you don't surrender, there is no surrender. Then you are not surrendered soul. Chant sixteen rounds, and if you follow, that is surrendering to Kṛṣṇa. Don't take anything except kṛṣṇa-prasādam. That is surrendering to Kṛṣṇa. So many we have got. So if you surrender to these principles, that means you surrender to Kṛṣṇa. Just like a good citizen surrenders to the state. What does it mean? He abides by the law. That's all. He does not do anything which is against the will of the state. That's all. So you surrender to the principles; then you surrender to Kṛṣṇa. That's all. All right. Thank you very much. (end)
"I am speaking to you a process of knowledge, jñānam." Jñānam means knowledge. Te: "unto you." Ahaṁ sa-vijñānam. Sa-vijñānam means... Jñānam is theoretical, and vijñānam means practical. Just like in scientific knowledge, the student has to pass both theoretical knowledge and practical knowledge. Theoretical... "Combination of this chemical and that chemical makes this chemical," this is theoretical knowledge. But when you mix these two chemicals or three chemicals and produce that object, that is practical. Recently, I may say, in California University, one learned professor came there to speak about the evolutionary theory of chemicals, and he said that life is produced, perhaps you know, from four chemicals. But when one student he said that "If I supply these four chemicals, whether you can produce life?" In answer to this, he said, "That I cannot say." That is imperfect knowledge. If you say, "Life is produced from chemicals," then you must make experimental demonstration, by mixing those chemicals, you produce life. That is called vijñānam, practical demonstration. Otherwise it is not perfect. Scientific knowledge means observation, then experiment. If you fail in your experiment, that is not scientific knowledge. It must be experimented.
Haṁsadūta: In Berlin, in Munchen, in Hamburg and Heidelberg we have centers, and we have published Śrī Īśopaniṣad, Easy Journey to Other Planets and the Topmost Yoga book. We publish a magazine bi-monthly, Back to Godhead magazine, and we are distributing a hundred thousand magazines every two months. Of course, many, many books. There are at least sixty, seventy students like myself and these boys and girls here. So we follow very strictly four principles. We don't take any meat, fish, or eggs; no intoxicants, not even tea or coffee, cigarettes; no gambling; and no illicit sex life. And besides that, we are always engaged in different kinds of devotional activities. Mainly we are engaged in distributing the books which are translated by His Divine Grace, like Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Īśopaniṣad, Caitanya-caritāmṛta. These are standard books of knowledge, Vedic books. Not manufactured, standard. (break)
Guest: ...spiritual thinking can be used to cure bodily sickness?
Prabhupāda: Yes. That is not very difficult to understand. Just like a living man and a dead man. Living man means the body is carrying the spirit soul, and dead man means the body is there, but there is no spirit soul. But as soon as the body is dead or the spirit soul is out of it, immediately it begins to decompose. The same body, as long as carrying the soul, there is no such thing. Therefore if you keep your body spiritualized, then there is no question of decomposition or diseases. Another example: just like if you take an iron rod and put into the fire, it becomes warm, warmer, and at the end, it becomes red-hot. When it is red-hot, it is no more iron rod, but it is fire. You touch that iron rod, red-hot, anyplace, it will burn. Similarly, if you make your body spiritualized by Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then there is no question of disease.
To get birth in a rich family means he has no economic problem. He can completely engage himself to understand what is God. But people are not doing that. As soon as he gets birth in a rich family, he thinks that "For nothing I have got so much money. Let me engage in sense gratification." No guide. Otherwise there is a chance. Similarly, in a pure brāhmaṇa family also, the family is already enlightened. Just like the children of our students. From the very beginning they are getting chance to understand Kṛṣṇa. That is a very good chance. From childhood. Fortunately, we got such father and mother. So two alternatives. If a Kṛṣṇa conscious person could not complete the course, then he gets another chance. Śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe yoga-bhraṣṭo 'bhijāyate. Yoga-bhraṣṭa, means one who falls down... But there is no cause of falling down if we are strict. Just like if a student is studying nicely, he will pass his examination. Where is the difficulty there? If he neglects, he may fail. But even if he fails, then he gets the chance of getting a human body. Otherwise there is no guarantee. Kṛṣṇa says, tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13).
That will depend on your work. You are being educated with the expectation of being situated, posted in some nice occupation, but that occupation will depend on your work in student life. You may become a high-court judge, you can become a great engineer, you can get so many things, or you could not get anything, such post. That will depend on your work. Similarly, this life is preparation for the next life. So best thing is that you prepare, heart and soul, for going back to home, back to Godhead, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the highest perfection of life. Our students are being taught in that way, highest perfection of life.
Swedish man (6): Do you have any sort of teachers in your centers, and how do they get their education if you have any teachers?
Prabhupāda: Yes, we have got our books. You can see in our books, every word, Sanskrit word, is given, the equivalent English. We give the roman transliteration, explanation, so there is no difficulty. Just like here is one of my students. He has learned Sanskrit now. He can read, he can write, he can edit. So it is a question of learning. There is no difficulty.
Swedish man: (Swedish) (break)
Devotee: He's asking if this religion is a matter of reason or is it a matter of feeling?
Prabhupāda: Because it is a science. Religion means a kind of faith. It is not faith. It is a science. Science must be based on logic and philosophy. Science means that. And religion means sometimes sentiments. So religion without philosophy is sentiment, and philosophy without religion is mental speculation. Both must be combined. Then it is perfect. You cannot have religion without philosophy. That is sentiment, fanaticism. And if you simply take philosophy without religion, without sense of God, this is mental speculation. So religion must be on the basis of science and logic. That is first-class religion.
Janārdana: ...of this area used to be the temple area.
Prabhupāda: Nice. If this... The only difficulty is it is upstair. That doesn't matter. Those who are interested to come, even upstairs they will come. Those who are not interested, even in the downstairs they will not come. Those who are after water, they will find out water. "Where there is a will, there is a way." But those who are not thirsty, for them... How many students are coming per week?
Janārdana: Many.
Prabhupāda: In each meeting?
Janārdana: Well, sometimes only initiated devotees are here, and sometimes there are three people, sometimes six. It depends.
Prabhupāda: All right.
Janārdana: But I think now that Swamiji is here we'll have many more people coming.
Prabhupāda: You can send information that I have come. You can little make advertisement, yes.
Of course, he should be trained up. Not that these boys and girls are being initiated all of a sudden. They are trained up for six months, one year, then they are offered hari-nāma. And when they are qualified actually in chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, at least sixteen rounds daily, when we see, one year at least, that he is doing his duties, following the regulative principles... All these boys and girls who are initiated, they will have to follow the regulative principles. No illicit sex life. Just like one couple is married because we don't allow to live..., to allow the boys and girls to live as friends. No. That is not allowed. All my students who came to me... Because it has become a system in their country, the young boys and girls they live as friends without parents taking care of their being married. That has become a system, regular system in Europe and America. And India also it is going to be introduced very soon. It is already introduced, and it will develop. And in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam there is foretelling that in this age there will be no more marriage. Vedic marriage will be stopped. Svīkāra eva ca udvāhe. Simply by agreement, the marriage function will be performed. But as far as we are concerned, we are trying to establish daiva-varṇāśrama, as it is instructed by the Gosvāmīs, by Hari-bhakti-vilāsa, by our spiritual master. May not be very perfect, but we are trying our best to introduce this daiva-varṇāśrama.
If we take to this devotional service, then this chanting, this vibration of the holy name of Kṛṣṇa, very simple method, if we accept this... Just like we have offered these boys this chanting process, and they have accepted it very humbly. And if they prosecute the routine work, gradually they will understand what is Kṛṣṇa. As you see the advanced students who are dancing in ecstasy, you can understand how much they have understood Kṛṣṇa. A simple method. And nobody is checked or barred: "You are not Hindu. You cannot chant Hare Kṛṣṇa." No. Yei kṛṣṇa-tattva-vettā sei guru haya (CC Madhya 8.128). It doesn't matter whether he is a Hindu or Muslim or Christian or this or that. One has to learn the science of Kṛṣṇa, Bhagavad-gītā, as it is. Then he becomes a spiritual master.
Recently, when I was in Los Angeles, one German scientist came there. He has written one book, Chemical Evolution, and he has got Nobel Prize. Now he's touring for lecturing on his theory. So in the California university there is our student, Dr. Svarūpa Dāmodara. He's my disciple. He's doctor in chemistry. So, when this German chemist was lecturing, theorizing that life has come from chemicals, so he put the question that "Suppose if I give you these chemicals, whether you can prepare a life?" He answered in the meeting, "That I cannot say." That means he's not certain; still, he's theorizing, that from chemical, life has come. No, from chemical, life has not come; from life, chemical has come. This is real theory.
If you simply hear about Kṛṣṇa. Just like we are speaking about Kṛṣṇa from this Bhagavad-gītā. So if you try to understand Kṛṣṇa as directed by Kṛṣṇa, then Kṛṣṇa will also cooperate with you. Just like a teacher, when he sees that a student is very intelligent, he is following the direction, the teacher is more interest, takes more interest in that student. That is natural. If the teacher says, "My dear child, my dear boy, you write in this way," and if he tries, then the teacher takes more interest. Similarly, as soon as you will try to understand Kṛṣṇa according to the direction given by Him, Kṛṣṇa is within you, He will help you more and more. Teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam, dadāmi buddhi-yogaṁ tam (BG 10.10). Kṛṣṇa says, "I give him special intelligence to understand."
Therefore Bhagavad-gītā is perfect. Otherwise where is the authority of Bhagavad-gītā. If we do not accept the author, or the speaker, of the Bhagavad-gītā, and if we do not accept the student of Bhagavad-gītā, Arjuna, then where is the study of Bhagavad-gītā? It is something nonsense. You have to accept the version of Bhagavad-gītā as it is stated by Kṛṣṇa, and you have to accept the version of Arjuna as it is admitted by Kṛṣṇa. Then you are perfect in Bhagavad-gītā. Otherwise you have simply wasted your time.
So simple thing it is. Kṛṣṇa is prescribing. Raso 'ham apsu kaunteya prabhāsmi śaśi-sūryayoḥ (BG 7.8). Suppose if you do not drink. So nobody there is who does not drink. Everyone drinks. The another method, prabhāsmi śaśi-sūryayoḥ. As soon as, early in the morning, you find the sunshine, you remember "Here is Kṛṣṇa. Here is Kṛṣṇa." Or at night, when there is no sun, there is moonlight, "Here is Kṛṣṇa." Then praṇavaḥ sarva-vedeṣu. If you are a student, serious student of Vedic mantras... Oṁ tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padaṁ sadā paśyanti sūra... If you chant the Vedic mantras... Oṁ bhūr bhuvaḥ svaḥ tat savitur vareṇyam. The oṁkāra, that is Kṛṣṇa. Many people are very much fond of chanting oṁkāra. That is also nice. That is Kṛṣṇa. But if we simply remember that "This oṁkāra is Kṛṣṇa," then we become perfect. Because the process is how to become Kṛṣṇa conscious.
So the rascals will give all description, but they'll never be prepared to prepare it, to manufacture it. Recently... It is a practical... In California one learned chemical scholar,... He has got Nobel Prize. So he was describing that "From matter, life has come." So there was one student, he's my disciple, Svarūpa Dāmodara. He questioned, "Sir, if I give you all these chemicals, can you produce life?" Then he said, "That I cannot say." But if you know that these chemicals composes life, so when I give you the chemicals, why don't you produce? So simply theorizing. Simply theorizing. Panthās tu koṭi-śata-vatsara-sampragamyaḥ (Bs. 5.34).
Aham, the person, He is the... Just like the father gives the seed in the womb of the mother and the child comes out. Similarly sarva-bhūtānām, not only human beings, but also all living entities. There are 8,400,000 species of living entities. The original bīja, the seed, the seed-giving father is Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is international or interuniversal. Kṛṣṇa is not a Hindu or Indian or this or that. Kṛṣṇa is for everyone. So I have explained to my foreign students, American, European and African, and other, that "Kṛṣṇa is for everyone. Don't take it that Kṛṣṇa is for the Hindus, for the Indians, or for the brāhmaṇas or the kṣatriyas. No. Kṛṣṇa is for everyone." Therefore our society's name is "Kṛṣṇa Consciousness."
This is our condition. We are under threefold miseries here in this material world. Always we are suffering by these threefold miseries: adhyātmika, adhibhautika, and adhidaivika, threefold miseries. Some miseries are pertaining to this body and mind. Just like one of our students—all of a sudden, he has got some aches and he has to undergo surgical operation. So this is going on. Something misery are due to the body, something miserable due to the mind, something miserable due to the nature. All of a sudden, it becomes very cold. All of a sudden, it becomes very hot, warm. Nature. All of a sudden, there is great snowfall. All of sudden, there is earthquake. So many miseries, due to nature, due to body, due to mind, and due to other living entities. Oh, somebody attacks me with dagger. A tiger attacks me with his jaws. So many difficulties, miseries in every step. Padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadāṁ na teṣām (SB 10.14.58). So we should remember this. But due to the illusion, being covered by the illusion, we don't take account of these miseries. But we must remember that we are always in miseries. An intelligent person who is developed in consciousness, he inquires, "Why I am in miseries? I do not want miseries. Why I am in miseries?" When this question arises, then there is chance of becoming Kṛṣṇa conscious. You will find how one becomes, comes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. You will find, later verses. Catur-vidhā bhajante māṁ sukṛtino 'rjuna.
You cannot say... This world is full of difficulties. So difficulties may be there, but you have to struggle against the difficulties and you have to adopt the process. Then your difficulties will be over. It is not that "Because there is difficulty I shall refrain from it." No. Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgo 'tha bhajana-kriyā tato 'nartha... (Cc. Madhya 23.14-15). These are process. Just like you have come here with some śraddhā, with some faith: "Oh, here is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Let me sit down. Let me hear." This is the preliminary stage. If you become little serious, then you come daily and try to understand what is this. This is called sādhu-saṅga (CC Madhya 22.83). Then, gradually, as these boys, they offered themselves, "Swamiji, I want to be your regular student, initiate." Third stage. Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgo 'tha bhajana-kriyā (Cc. Madhya 23.14-15). And if he follows the rules and regulation, gradually the difficulties are over. Anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt. And when the difficulties are over, then he gets faith—tato niṣṭhā. He gets taste—tato ruciḥ. Athāsaktiḥ, then attachment. Then bhāva, ecstasy, and the highest perfection after that. So difficulty may be there. We are in difficulties, this material life.
So for the last three days we have been discussing. Prayāṇa-kāle manasā 'calena. Prayāṇa-kāle means "at the time of death." Just like the students, they prepare two years, three years, five years, in their college education, and the final test is their examination, and if they pass in the examination, they get the degree. Similarly, in our living condition, if we prepare for the examination at the time of death and we pass the examination, then we are transferred to the spiritual world. So prayāṇa-kāle. The whole thing is examined at the time of death. Just the other day I recited one Bengali prover, proverb. This is a very common saying in Bengal. They say bhajan kara pūjān kara mṛtyu-kāle haya:(?) "Our, whatever you do for perfection, at the time of your death it will be tested." At the time of..., a tested.
So you have kindly come here to hear. This is bhakti-yoga. Caitanya Mahāprabhu approved this bhakti-yoga—simply by, simply by hearing from the realized person. Caitanya Mahāprabhu had talks with Rāmānanda Rāya how one develops spiritual life, sādhu-sadanana(?). So Rāmānanda Raya was answering, and Caitanya Mahāprabhu was questioning. The Rāmānanda Raya felt a little inconvenience that "Caitanya Mahāprabhu is such an exalted person, He is Kṛṣṇa Himself. Apart from that, He's born in high brāhmaṇa family." Such a learned scholar Nimāi Pandit He was, and so nice person, a sannyāsī, the topmost order in our Vedic society. "Sannyāsī, brāhmaṇa, scholar and everything complete, and He's questioning; I am answering. Oh, this is very awkward position. I have become teacher and He has become student. How it is possible?" So he was hesitating. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu encouraged him, "No, no.
So in the beginning this Rāmānanda Raya and Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya had some talks on bhakti. Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya, being great logician, he could not understand the bhakti philosophy, but when he became a student of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, he could understand how much elevated was Rāmānanda Raya. At that time before, "I could not realize," but when he become himself a devotee, he could understand. Therefore when Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu was going to the South Indian tour he recommended, "Sir, if You can meet Rāmānanda Raya, You'll be very much pleased. He's a great, advanced student in Kṛṣṇa consciousness." Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu met him on the bank of Godāvarī River. And the talk was going on, and Caitanya Mahāprabhu took the position of the student, and he was offered, Rāmānanda Raya was offered the position of the teacher, although he was gṛhastha, governor, and according to our social custom, karaṇa, śūdra. So he was hesitant.
We receive so many letters from our foreign student how they're feeling. Because they have taken seriously, they're feeling obliged that "We have got life pratyakṣāvagamam." Pratyakṣa means direct. Direct. Bhaktiḥ pareśānubhavo. Just like if you eat, you will directly understand whether you are getting strength and whether hunger is being satisfied. You don't require to take certificate, that "I am eating. Am I satisfied?" You know. Why you want to take satisfaction... uh, certificate from other? You know. Pratyakṣāvagamaṁ dharmyam. This is bhakti process. Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅga 'tha bhajana-kriyā tato 'nartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt (Cc. Madhya 23.14-15). These are the different stages. Every stage you will find that "Yes, I am making progress." If you have got śraddhā, if you have got little faith, "All right, these people are teaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Let us see what they are talking about..." You come first of all, just like these boys came to me.
As soon as the bhajana-kriyā, immediately there is anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt. All unwanted things: no smoking, no intoxication, no illicit sex, no meat-eating, no gambling. We make this condition before making a student. It is not that "You, you will remain a śūdra, mleccha, and I make you a disciple. I'll never touch you, I'll never touch your food (foot?), and I become your guru." It is not this guru business. It is not guru business. Guru must transfer his qualities to the student. How it is there that a man makes one's person as disciple and he remains a śūdra? What is this nonsense? Can śūdra be initiated? No. No śūdra can be initiated. Dvijatvaṁ jāyate nṛṇam, tathā dīkṣā-vidhānena dvijatvaṁ jāyate nṛṇām. This is Sanātana Gosvāmī's injunction. Immediately he becomes brāhmaṇa if he's actually initiated. If you are falsely initiated, he remains a śūdra and you remain a rascal. That's all. Why you should falsely initiate a person? If you cannot make him a brāhmaṇa and elevate him to the highest stage of devotional service, why should you cheat others? Initiation means making him dvijatvam. Tathā dīkṣā-vidhānena dvijatvaṁ jāyate nṛṇām. How an initiated person can remain a śūdra? This is going on. Therefore they are thinking that "These American, they are mlecchas and yavana. How they can become sannyāsī?" This is nonsense. How a sannyāsī can become a yavana? He must be elevated from the yavana position.
The instruction is how he can come back, go back to home, back to Godhead—mokṣyase aśubhāt—being free from all inauspicity. That stage can be attained. How? Teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam (BG 10.10). If you engage yourself always in His service. Satata-yuktānām. Satata means always, always engaged in His service. Bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam. And worshiping the Lord with prīti, love, prīti... Bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam. So this is being instructed to the students who have entered this institute, how to worship the Deity. The Deity worship is there just to give chance to the devotee satatam, satata-yuktānām—always engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service. From early morning, half past three, four, up to night, ten, they are engaged. That is called satata-yuktānām. Only a few hours given to them for taking rest because, after all, we have got this material body. It requires little rest. Otherwise there is no question of resting. Twenty-four hours engaged in the service of Kṛṣṇa.
So aśraddadhānāḥ, those who are faithless. So those who are faithless... Faithless means, anyone can understand, those who do not believe in the words of God. They are faithless. Just like a child. By nature, he has to believe his parents, his superiors, his teacher, but if he does not believe in the words of the superior, then where is the possibility of education? There is no possibility. This is the first qualification. If you go to a teacher to learn ABCD the teacher says, "My dear child, you begin from the left side, in this way." Then, if the student says, "Why shall I begin in this way? I shall begin this way," then he's faithless. He cannot make any progress. It is not possible. The first qualification is śraddadhānāḥ, faithful. If you go to a teacher you must be faithful; otherwise there is no need of going to a teacher. If you cannot believe in the words of somebody whom you are going to appoint as your teacher, if you have no faith in his words, then what is the use of going to such teacher? There is no use. Don't waste your time and don't waste his time. Therefore those who are going to learn to become a disciple or teacher, he must believe in the words of teacher. Or if you are doubtful, you should not go to such teacher. This is first qualification. If you do not believe somebody, then you find out someone else upon whom you can put your faith. "Yes, here is the right man who can teach me." Otherwise there is no use of going to a teacher. This is the Vedic principle.
Guest: Swamiji, is there some way (indistinct) duty of the student to the knowledge (indistinct) guru shortcoming?
Prabhupāda: First of all, you have to know who is guru. If you accept one rascal as guru, how you can be helped? First thing is who is guru. That I have already explained. Guru is he who repeats the words of Kṛṣṇa. He is guru. Otherwise he's a rascal. This is the test. Kṛṣṇa says that
- tad viddhi praṇipātena
- paripraśnena sevayā
- upadekṣyanti te jñānaṁ
- jñāninas tattva-darśinaḥ
- (BG 4.34)
So tattva-darśī, one who has seen the truth, you have to accept him as guru. Tattva-darśī. Darśī means who has practical experience. Take, for example, just like Arjuna. Arjuna is directly receiving the knowledge from Kṛṣṇa. He's guru. What he said, we accept that. But if you accept somebody who wants to kill Kṛṣṇa and become himself Kṛṣṇa, he's a rascal. He's not guru. Because his policy is to accept the place of Kṛṣṇa, not to serve Him. That is māyā.
He came to California University. So he was lecturing on his theory that life has begun by combination of certain chemicals. He has mentioned those chemicals, but in that meeting, there was a member. He's my student, my disciple. He's doctor in chemistry. He has learned something about our philosophy. So he challenged that gentleman that: "If I give you all these chemicals, whether you can produce life?" The answer was: "That I cannot say." The answer was not very distinct. Actually, that is not the fact. If the scientist says that life begins from chemicals, wherefrom the chemicals came? The next question will be. You cannot get chemicals without being supplied by somebody else. So we are presenting this theory. People are being misled. It is a great question at the present moment, that the scientists says that from matter life begins. We are challenging: "No. From life, matter comes." Just the opposite.
Therefore, we first of all try to make people sukṛtinaḥ. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. He'll become sukṛtī. He'll get some pious assets. Then he'll be able to understand Kṛṣṇa. Caitanya Mahāprabhu has introduced this method, and actually this method has been successful now all over the world. We began: "Simply chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Simply Chant." So all these foreign students who have taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness very seriously, they began simply with chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. It is not difficult. Everyone can chant. What is the difficulty? Everyone can chant Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare, Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare... Where is the difficulty? But they'll not chant. They'll not chant. They'll talk so many rubbish things, but as soon as you ask him to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, he'll be silent. That we have experienced. But still our thankless task is to induce everyone: "Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa."
And formerly, the Vedas were heard by the students from the spiritual master. Just like in the Bhagavad-gītā you'll find that Arjuna is hearing from Kṛṣṇa. He's not studying any Vedānta philosophy in the battlefield. He was simply hearing. So that is the process, hearing. You can hear at any place. Even in the warfield, you can hear from the authoritative source. So that was the process of acquiring knowledge, hearing. Hearing means receiving the knowledge, not manufacturing. There are two process of knowledge. There are some persons who think, "Oh, why shall I hear from him? Oh, I can think. I can speculate. I can manufacture something new of my own group." These are nonsense. This is not Vedic process. Vedic process is hearing, ascending process, er, not..., descending process. There are two processes of knowledge: ascending and descending. Ascending means trying to go high by your strength, and descending means the pure knowledge which comes from up, you receive it. Inductive and deductive process.
So ascending process is not recommended in the Vedic process of knowledge. Vedic way of receiving knowledge—by aural reception, by submissive aural reception from the spiritual master to the student. This is the way. It is coming. As we have read in the Fourth Chapter of Bhagavad-gītā, evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2): "In this way, traditionally, from the spiritual master to the student, this knowledge was imparted." The Lord said that "I imparted this knowledge first of all to the sun-god, and the sun-god imparted this knowledge to his son, Manu, and Manu imparted this knowledge to his son, Ikṣvāku." Ikṣvāku was the king of this planet. So from Ikṣvāku, this knowledge is coming down from the master, or from the father to the son, or from the master to the disciple. It is coming on. And because that disciplic succession was broken, therefore Lord Kṛṣṇa said that "I am speaking again that old system of knowledge to you, Arjuna, because you are My devotee, you are My dear friend." We have already studied this fact. So this is the way.
So conditioned soul is to commit mistake, to be illusioned, and the senses are imperfect. We are very much proud of seeing, but as soon as the light is put off, we cannot see. So our seeing is conditional. And similarly, all senses are conditional. So therefore imperfect. And there is another thing which is very nice. We have got a cheating propensity. I do not know anything, but I want to cheat others that I know everything. I don't... I am a fool number one, but I want to start a group of students and teach him foolish things. This is cheating. One must know from the authoritative sources and preach that thing. Just like Arjuna was taught by Kṛṣṇa, and that philosophy is going on. And those who are accepting the principle of Arjuna, they're real student of Bhagavad-gītā.
So therefore our attempt to understand the Absolute Truth by our faulty senses and experience is futile. We must hear. Śravaṇam. That is the Vedic process. The student used to go to the master and gurukula. It was known as gurukula. Every brāhmaṇa, every self-realized soul, every vipra, or expert in the knowledge of Vedic literature, he would be provided with some brahmacārīs, group of brahmacārīs. They will follow the rules and regulation of brahmacārī life and live with the spiritual master, and the spiritual master will teach them, from Vedic literature, real knowledge. That is the process. This is called śravaṇam. So one should not adopt the means of ascending process. Jñāne prayāsam udapāsya. Udapāsya means "Give it up." And namanta eva: "And be submissive." Namanta eva jīvanti san-mukharitāṁ bhavadīya-vārtām. In this way, if one lives and hears, san-mukharitām, from the realized soul... Just like Arjuna is hearing from Kṛṣṇa, from the perfect person, san-mukharitām. Kṛṣṇa or His representative. His representative is a devotee of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is just like... Arjuna. Arjuna was made representative of Kṛṣṇa. How? Because Arjuna, Kṛṣṇa said, bhakto 'si: "You are My devotee." So nobody can become representative of Kṛṣṇa, or God, without becoming His devotee. One who thinks that "I am God," he cannot become the representative of God. Suppose some of your representatives... You are a businessman.
I'll give you one practical example. 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."
Suppose I wanted to do something in this life. This is not fulfilled. And next life, when I get another body, so God reminds me. "Well, you wanted to do this. Why not experiment?" That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭaḥ: "I am seated in everyone's heart." Mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca: (BG 15.15) "From Me there is remembrance," smṛti, "there is knowledge and there is forgetfulness also." So what is that, God making one person forgetful and another person encouraging? Why? Because I wanted like that. Because I don't want to revive my relationship with the Supreme Lord. Whenever I speak of God, oh, some person becomes: "Oh, what is God? Swamiji, what you are speaking, God?" They don't want God; so God gives him that "Forget Me. Yes, you forget and suffer." And one who wants God... Just like some poor students are trying to reestablish his relationship with Kṛṣṇa. Oh, Kṛṣṇa gives him too: "Yes." So therefore His business is to make you forgetful because you want to forget. And when you are advanced, if you want know... If you want to establish, reestablish your relation, He will encourage you.
So if we are in constantly engaged in Kṛṣṇa, transcendental loving service of Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then naturally we shall be thinking of Kṛṣṇa at the time of death. This is the practice. This is the practice. Sadā tad-bhāva-bhāvitāḥ (BG 8.6). Unless you practice... Just like if you have to play on the stage, you have to perform several rehearsals, or if you have to appear in some examination, then you prepare yourself, what sort of question may be there, and so, similarly, if we at all want to transfer ourselves to that planet, Kṛṣṇaloka, cintāmaṇi-dhāma (Bs. 5.29), then we have to practice. We have to practice in this life. This human form of life is meant for practicing. Just like apprentice. Here those who are even apprentice, they are already liberated because... Just (like) a nice student who is preparing himself, he is already passed. Passed means he is preparing himself in such a nice way that his passing of the examination is guaranteed. Similarly, if we take the trouble of becoming Kṛṣṇa conscious always, then our transference to that planet..., mad-yājino 'pi mām, that is guaranteed. Bhūtāni yānti bhūtejyā yānti mad-yājino 'pi mām (BG 9.25).
So similarly, you have to believe. We must have faith. And we see that many faithful, great ācāryas and devotees of the Lord, they achieved success by this faith. Why shall I not follow them? Therefore the Vedic literature says that you have to follow the footprints of great ācāryas. Ācārya means great devotees who come to teach the people in general about God consciousness or Kṛṣṇa consciousness. He is called ācārya. He behaves in his life how? To think of Kṛṣṇa and he teaches his students about that. He is called ācārya. Acinoti śāstrāṇi.(?) He knows the purport of the scriptures, and he behaves in his life and he teaches his student in that way. He is called ācārya.
Everyone is being pulled by the ear, just like a teacher takes to pull the ear of a student, and does like this... Similarly, we, every one of us under the complete clutches of the material nature, and we are being put, sometimes this body, sometimes that body. Now, fortunately, you have got human form of body. Oh, but, don't you see there are so many bodies? So many bodies. There are eight million, four hundred thousands of bodies, and, by the laws of nature, by the tricks of nature, you can be put into any kind of body according to your work. So you are completely under the grip of nature. This time, fortunately or unfortunately, I have got this human form of life, but next time I may get the body of a dog or the body of a god. That will depend on my work. But the laws of nature is working. The laws of nature, or the material nature, is forcing me that you accept it. You cannot say that, after my death, let me have my birth in America.
Similarly, at the present moment, there are so many commentaries and people have taken that anybody can interpret in his own way. This is the modern view. Everyone is perfect and he can interpret any scripture in his own way. But so far we are concerned, we are not agreeable to that point. We agree to read Bhagavad-gītā in terms of the instruction as it is given in the Bhagavad-gītā. The Bhagavad-gītā says that this knowledge has to be taken by the paramparā system or the disciplic succession. It is not that anyone can interpret. This viewpoint no bona fide student of Bhagavad-gītā will accept.
Anyone, never mind what he is... There are different kinds of species of life. Some of them are considered as lower. Some of them are considered higher. That is our material conception. And actually, according to the different qualities, according to the different modes of nature, there are different situations and there are lower grade, higher grade understanding also. That is a fact. But Kṛṣṇa says that, "Anyone, never mind what he is, pāpa-yonayaḥ..." Pāpa-yonayaḥ means "those who are in the lower birth." So, so Bhagavad-gītā is transcendental subject matter. It does not depend on the qualification of the student. Anyone. Anyone can understand Bhagavad-gītā provided he agrees to understand according to the principles. That's all.
He has already accepted Kṛṣṇa as spiritual master in the second chapter. In the beginning of the second chapter Kṛṣṇa said: śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ prapannam (BG 2.7). "So long we are talking as friends, but now I surrender myself as my spiritual master, Kṛṣṇa." So therefore Kṛṣṇa was speaking to Arjuna on the platform of spiritual master. So we should note it that the spiritual, perfect spiritual master is Kṛṣṇa. And anyone who is following the principles, as Kṛṣṇa says, he's also representative of Kṛṣṇa. And the teacher is Kṛṣṇa and the Arjuna is the student. Similarly, as the spiritual master is the representative of Kṛṣṇa, similarly a student must be also the representative of Arjuna. Then Bhagavad-gītā discussion will be nice.
So that should be the process of understanding Kṛṣṇa, Bhagavad-gītā. Not that I don't like this. So I'll reject this portion. I like this portion, therefore I accept it. This sort of studying Bhagavad-gītā is useless, nonsense. Sarvam etad ṛtaṁ manye (BG 10.14). "Whatever You have said, I accept it." That is stated.
Similarly, a teacher of Bhagavad-gītā should be a representative of Kṛṣṇa. Representative of Kṛṣṇa means a confidential devotee, unalloyed devotee of Kṛṣṇa. The same thing. He also accepted Kṛṣṇa as his... The student also should be like that. Then the study of Bhagavad-gītā is perfect. Otherwise, it is useless waste of time.
This description we have got in several Vedic literatures, Brahma-saṁhitā and Vedānta-sūtra, Bhāgavata, in Purāṇas, in Upaniṣad. Everywhere these descriptions are there. Those who are scholarly student, they'll get information, and the whole thing is summarized in Bhagavad-gītā. Therefore Bhagavad-gītā is known also as Gītopaniṣad. At the end of every chapter you'll find these things are written, gītāsu or upaniṣatsu. It is one of the Upaniṣads. You have read Upaniṣad. The Bhagavad-gītā is also one of the Upaniṣads, and therefore Bhagavad-gītā is known as Gītopaniṣad.
This is under, in the material nature. How can we control it? You are not controller of material nature. You cannot dictate. You can dictate some of your followers, that's all. But you cannot dictate the supreme authority. That is not possible. Just like I can dictate to my students, but I cannot dictate the government. I have to obey the orders of the government, however great swamiji I may be. That is not possible. Similarly, we cannot dictate. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni (BG 3.27).
Therefore, out of many, many fools... We are all fools. So it is said, manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu (BG 7.3), martyeṣu yatamāneṣu, that somebody tries to understand, "Oh, actually what I am? Am I American or Indian or Chinese or Japanese or cat or dog?" This inquiry. This is inquiry. This is really inquiry, "What I am?" So this inquiry goes on. This is called brahma-jijñāsā, this inquiry.
You can eat. You can go to a restaurant and have very palatable dishes of meats and so many things. But you have to control it: "No. I shall not eat all this nonsense. I shall eat only kṛṣṇa-prasādam." Eating is not prohibited because without eating you cannot live. That's all right. But there are so many things. Just like even you don't accept kṛṣṇa-prasādam, you try to become vegetarian. In your country especially I see you have got enough arrangement for vegetable dishes. I am here for the last more than one year. I am getting all nice vegetable dishes prepared by our nice student Kīrtanānanda. So you are also tasting them. They are very nice.
Grossly seeing, that is not intelligence. Oh, man is working; man is living; man is writing books, oh, wonderfully. He is scientist. But what that finer things that at once it is vanished; the scientist becomes fool. No more scientist. Can scientist discover something and place it before his student that "When my body will be stopped, you inject this thing, and I'll come out again." Has scientist discovered this thing? No. If scientist could discover such thing then there would have been no scarcity of scientist. Sir Isaac Newton, Sir Jagadish Chandra Bose, Sir P.C. Raya and so many scientists all over the world, they have discovered very, very... In your country, Edison... They have discovered so many wonderful things. Oh. Then why don't you... O Mr. Scientist, why don't you discover something so that we can keep it as soon as your body will be stopped, and we shall inject this scientific, and you will come out again and work? So this is called intelligence.
I think in my childhood when I was a student, Scottish Churches College, I read one magazine from your country. I think that magazine is still current, Scientific America. Is there any magazine? Yes. In magazine I saw one picture. I think that skyscraper was beginning at that time. A man was working very heartily, and the picture is there that for manufacturing matter, a soul is being killed. You see? That is material civilization. They are giving too much stress on the matter, on the material side, but they are neglecting the spirit. That is not civilization. One should give more stress on the spiritual side because that is the active principle. So that is called knowledge. A man is to be understood in knowledge when he is giving, I mean to say, importance to the spiritual side. He is called jñānī. Otherwise they are fools. So jñānam. Jñānam means cid-acid-vastu-vivecanam, to understand what is matter and spirit.
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 ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅga (Cc. Madhya 23.14-15). These very nice boys, they have established this temple, and very nice mūrti, Jagannātha, Kṛṣṇa, offering prasādam. They are offering prasādam at noon and in the evening after kīrtana and every Sunday. So what is the difficulty there? And you come here, chant and dance. We don't say that you make such exercise or press your nose or this or that. We simply say that "Come here, dance with us, chant with us and take prasāda." Is it very difficult? (laughter) It is not difficult. The most easiest process of transcendental realization. And by following this process, just see our students, how they have advanced. In very quickly, within short time. You bring any so-called followers of yoga society and try to compare with any one of our student, you'll find he is far, far advanced. We challenge. (laughter) Why? Due to the sādhu-saṅga. Sādhu-saṅga. So ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅga (CC Madhya 22.54). (end)
It is actually happening. In California University. One big professor, came, lecture, and he said that:. "By combination of these four chemicals, life has begun." So one of our students, he's also doctor in chemistry, he asked him immediately: "Sir, if I give you all these chemicals, whether you can produce life?" His answer was; "That I cannot say." Why? "That I cannot say." Then why you are proposing all this nonsense? If you do not know definitely... "No, we are trying." "In future..." This is going on. "In future." But in the common saying: "Trust no future, however pleasant." Why future? Now, what you have learned, speak that.
So education is given to the students, but this knowledge is absent from the educational institution. Nobody knows that "I am not this body." Therefore śāstra says, "Anyone who is identifying this body as his self," yasyātmā buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke (SB 10.84.13), "and in relationship with the body, others also," sva-dhīḥ, "thinking 'They are our own men,' " sva-dhīḥ kalatrādiṣu bhauma ijya-dhīḥ, and bhauma, "the land of birth, is worshipable," ijya-dhīh... So this is going on. At the present moment, throughout the whole world, everyone is identifying himself with this body and the land in which the body is born is taken as worshipable, bhauma ijya-dhīḥ, and persons who are in relationship with this body, "They are our own men or kinsmen." This is going on. But according to śāstra, anyone who is accepting this identification, body as self and the country or the land as worshipable and the kinsmen or relatives, "They are our only own men," in this way this misconception of life is being accepted...
These are the Vedic statement. And our process of knowledge, Veda... Veda means knowledge. Vetti veda vido jñāne. Supreme knowledge, perfect knowledge, that is Veda. So Kṛṣṇa is the supreme person. He is the speaker of Vedas. The subject matter of Vedas is to know Kṛṣṇa. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ (BG 15.15). If you are a student of Vedas, then you must have clear conception of God. That is real knowledge, no vague idea, but clear conception. That is knowledge, Vedic knowledge, ultimate... Therefore the Vedānta philosophy. Veda means knowledge, and anta means the ultimate. Everything has got ultimate. So Vedānta means the ultimate knowledge of Vedas. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. You will find in the fifteenth chapter. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyo vedānta-vid vedānta-kṛd ca aham.
So these people, these rascals, they are trying to become independent. They are therefore thinking... One of our student has written, "theomania", "theomania." Therefore, one... Because he cannot become independent artificially he thinks, "Now let me become God, then I'll become..." But artificial thinking God will help you—no. If you artificially think that, "This bank, this big bank belongs to me." So you can think like that, but does the bank belong to you? So these Māyāvādī philosophers are like, They meditate, "I am God, I am God, I am moving the world, I am moving the universe." They say like that. But actually does he do so? No. This is false thinking.
This was discussed by a big professor in California University. He was touring, lecturing all over the world. So when I was in Los Angeles he also came there. So in the Los Angeles University there is one Dr. Svarūpa Dāmodara. He is PhD in Chemistry. He is my student. He challenged the professor that "If you say that life is combination of some chemicals, suppose I give you the chemicals. Can you produce life?" The professor said, "That I cannot say."
If we give some bluff, that "Kṛṣṇa means... You are also Kṛṣṇa. I am also Kṛṣṇa. Why Kṛṣṇa alone shall be God? You are also God, I am also...," these things will be very much appreciated. Because he bluffs. But that bluffing may be very pleasing to the demons, but those who are actually student of Bhagavad-gītā, they'll not accept this bluff.
So this is the classification of a society. And there is another classification which is called spiritual developmental classification. The brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha, and sannyāsī. Brahmacārī means student life, student life to acquire knowledge. And gṛhastha life is householder. After acquiring knowledge, one may get himself married with a suitable girl and live peacefully in the society—for spiritual cultivation. Everything for spiritual cultivation. And then vānaprastha, retired life; then sannyāsa, renounced order of life. So Rāmānanda Rāya explained these four principles, four divisions of social order and spiritual development, but Caitanya Mahāprabhu immediately said, "Oh, this is not for Me." Eho bāhya āge kaha āra. "This is external. If you know something better than this, then you explain."
Therefore śāstra says that nobody should become guru, nobody should become father, nobody should become husband—in this way there is a list—na mocayed yaḥ samupetya mṛtyum, if one cannot help his student or his son or his subordinate to stop death. Actually this is the problem Na mocayed yaḥ samupetya mṛtyum. We are under the clutches of death. "It is as sure as death." So this human life is meant for stopping this death. But if you don't see that this is the problem, that is ajñāna. That is ignorance. If you don't accept this is the problem, if you simply think "My problem is how to eat, how to sleep, how to have sex life, how to defend... These problems are already solved, even by the birds and the beasts. These are not the problems. They are already set up. Real problem is here: janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9).
Another problem is asaktiḥ. We are very much attached to our so-called home, so-called wife, children.
Śruta. The specific meaning of śruta means this knowledge has to be received through the ear, through the tongue. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau (Brs. 1.2.234). Śruta-gṛhītayā. It is never explained in the Vedic literature that the science of God can be understood by the eyes. No. It has been mentioned, the tongue and the ear. These are the sources. Śruta-gṛhītayā. One must hear the Vedic literature. The Vedic literature is called, therefore, śruti. Śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham (MU 1.2.12). Śrotriyam. Formerly there was no book. The students used to hear from the spiritual master. Śruta, śrotriyam. That was perfect. There was no need of literacy. That ear is sufficient. Śruta-gṛhītayā. Tac chraddadhānā munayo jñāna-vairāgya...(SB 1.2.12). And hearing, hearing, hearing, one becomes enlightened with knowledge, and the effect of knowledge is vairāgya. Vairāgya, detachment. Otherwise, we, hearing or studying... But there is no vairāgya.
Jñānī, what is that jñānī? Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate (BG 7.19). That is jñāna. If you do not understand Kṛṣṇa, if you do not surrender to Kṛṣṇa, what is the value of your so-called knowledge? Śrama eva hi kevalam (SB 1.2.8). It is simply waste of time. If you do not understand Kṛṣṇa you are studying Vedic literature, you are very good student of Vedas. That's all right. Have you understood Kṛṣṇa? "No sir." Then it is useless. Useless waste of time. Because it is said: vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ (BG 15.15). If you actually understand Vedas, then you must understand Kṛṣṇa. Jñānī, I am jñānī. What kind of jñānī? Simply a speculation? Waste your time? This is not this, this is not this, this is not this? Neti neti vicāra. This is simply called waste of... Kevala-bodha-labdhaye.
When Kṛṣṇa says catur varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭam (BG 4.13), this Vedic system, it is for all, not for a particular country, a particular society. So the Vedic system is that one should accept the order, sannyāsa order, at the last stage of his life. Suppose one lives for a hundred years. He should become brahmacārī, student, for twenty five-years, then a married man for another twenty-five years, and after fifty years, pañcaśordhvaṁ vanaṁ vrajet, he should accept the vana-vāsī. Vana-vāsī means vānaprastha. Vāna: from vana, vāna, "one who has gone to the forest," vānaprastha. So then, when he is prepared, he should take sannyāsa. The whole institution is meant for sattva, sattva-saṁśuddhiḥ. So one has to purify his existentional life; otherwise, if he does not purify his existence, then he has to transmigrate from one body to another, and that is material existence. That is material existence. Jalajā nava-lakṣāni sthāvarā lakṣa-viṁśati. One has to transmigrate from lower species of life, aquatic life, to trees; from trees to insect; insect to birds; birds to beasts; and from beasts, that is evolution.
Just like in our society, we have picked up the most essential nivṛtti and pravṛtti. The pravṛtti... We are instructing our students, "No illicit sex life, no meat-eating, no āmiṣa-sevā." Āmiṣa-sevā nityā sujantoḥ. But the śāstra says that if you can give up nivṛttis tu mahāphalām, then your life is successful. But we are not prepared. If you are not prepared to accept the pravṛttis and not to accept the nivṛttis, then one must know that he is asura. Kṛṣṇa says here, pravṛttiṁ ca nivṛttiṁ ca janā na vidur āsurāḥ (BG 16.7). 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.
Success or no success does not matter. As we are servant of Kṛṣṇa, it is our duty to present the real thing. Now you accept, not accept. That is not my business. I can request you that you accept this principle and be liberated from these sufferings of material life. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi. But we have become careless. "Never mind I shall again take my birth, again die, I shall become dog." In this Hawaii sometime I was speaking in the university. So when I was speaking like that, one student said, "What is the wrong there if I become dog?" Yes, he flatly said. "I shall forget everything." So this is the university education, that one is not afraid of becoming a dog. He thinks that "This is also very good." So where is the humanity? Where is the human civilization? People are gone so down-trodden, so fallen. Therefore it is very, very difficult to raise them. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, and the śāstras say, that people in this age are so fallen. It is very difficult to raise them by properly giving education. They will not take education. They will not be able. Therefore He has recommended, harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam, kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva... (CC Adi 17.21). So we are trying our best. So only request is, those who do not comply with our rules and regulation at least, they may chant Hare Kṛṣṇa wherever they may remain. That is my request. Thank you very much. (end)
So we also accept. That is the godly conception. That is the beginning of religious conception. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19). What is dharma, religion? It is the codes given by God. That is dharma. Just like the state, the government, gives law: "You have to do like this. Keep to the right." You have to keep your car to the right. This is law. You cannot say, "Why not to the left?" You cannot say. Then you are criminal. Similarly, there are codes and description in the śāstra what God wants. Just like in the Bhagavad-gītā God said that bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasām: (BG 5.29) "I am the enjoyer of all sacrifices, all tapasya." You are engaged in some research work, tapasya, for what purpose? Now, finding out some deadly bone. A very big scholar, very big research student... So that is called asura. He has got some scientific knowledge, but he's busy to find out a nuclear weapon, how to kill other enemies. This is the research work. No. That is demonic. The same knowledge can be utilized for finding out God. That is mahātmā. This is the difference.
So arjuna uvāca means Arjuna inquired from Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is teacher, and Arjuna is student. So this is the process of spiritual advancement. As it is indicated in the Vedas, tad-vijñānārtham. Tad-vijñānārtham means "To understand that transcendental science," gurum eva abhigacchet "one must take shelter of guru." It cannot be manufactured. Those who manufacture the method of understanding transcendental science, they are not bona fide. So we have already discussed many times that śāstra-vidhi. Guru means one who teaches the regulative principle from śāstra, from authorized scripture. That is guru. Guru cannot be anyone. Ācārya. Ācārya means one who knows the regulative principle or direction in the śāstra. He practically behaves in terms of the śāstra regulative principle and teaches his student also in the same way. He is called ācārya. Acainoti yaḥ śāstrāṇi.(?) He knows the purport of śāstra, he behaves himself according to the terms of the śāstra and he teaches his disciple in the same term. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam (BG 4.2). This is the process.
Then Kṛṣṇa says, that how the brahminical class should be educated. This should be taken very seriously by educational department of all countries. And it is the duty of the government to see that every man according to his quality is working, is employed. Not that... Secular state does not mean they should be callous about the quality and work of the citizens. There must be department of practical psychology to see the students, in which class he belongs to. Either he belongs to the first-class, brāhmaṇa class, or second-class, the kṣatriya class, administrator class, and the third-class, mercantile, or business man, and the fourth-class, śūdras, worker. If education is given according to the quality and position, then there will be complete system in the whole human society. Take the same example. Just like your body, if your head is working nicely, if your hand is working nicely, if your stomach is working nicely, if your leg is working nicely, then the whole body is to be considered as healthy and working nicely. If any part of this body, either head, leg, or arms or belly, does not work nicely, then the whole body becomes diseased.
And paricaryātmakaṁ karma śūdrasyāpi svabhāva-jam (BG 18.44). And those who are not intelligent, to be trained up as a brāhmaṇa or a kṣatriya or a vaiśya. The fourth class men, let them work these three other classes, let them work. Paricaryātmakaṁ karma śūdrasyāpi svabhāva-jam. In this way the human society should be divided into four divisions, they should cooperate, and they should be trained up. Not a single man should remain unemployed. He must be engaged in some employment as a brāhmaṇa, as a kṣatriya, as a śūdra or as a vaiśya. Otherwise, idle brain will be devil's workshop. Therefore, in spite of so much educational propaganda in the Western countries, the young men are coming to become hippies. Because there is no proper training. Here is the hint, Bhagavad-gītā gives you. You train the students in that way, then there will be perfect society. Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)
First of all, Kṛṣṇa spoke this Kṛṣṇa consciousness science to the sun-god, and the sun-god Vivasvān explained it to his son Manu. And Manu explained to his son Ikṣvāku. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). So this science is understood by the paramparā disciplic succession. So as we have understood by the paramparā system from my Guru Mahārāja, so any of my students who will understand, he will keep it running on. This is the process. It is not a new thing. It is the old thing. Simply we have to distribute it properly, as we have heard from our predecessor ācārya. Therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā it is recommended: ācārya upāsanam: "One must approach ācārya." Ācāryavān puruṣo veda. Simply by speculating, by so-called scholarship, it is not possible. It is not possible. One must approach the ācārya. So the ācārya is coming by paramparā system, disciplic succession. Therefore Kṛṣṇa recommends, tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā: (BG 4.34) "One should approach the ācārya and try to understand by praṇipāta, surrender." This whole thing is depending on surrender.
| Page Title: | Students (Lectures, BG chapters 5 - 18) |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, Mayapur |
| Created: | 23 of Mar, 2012 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=106, Con=0, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 106 |