So if, those who are Indians, especially present in this meeting, that if you want to glorify your country, then you present this Vedic literature. You cannot excel the western countries by so-called technological knowledge. That is not possible. They are far advanced. Hundred years advance. Whatever machine you may discover, that machine was discovered one hundred years ago in western countries. So you cannot. Anything. So if you want, Indians, to glorify your country, then present this Vedic culture heart and soul, and Just like I am trying to do it. So how people are accepting it? There is substance. Before me so many swamis came in this country, they could not present the real thing. They wanted some money and went away. That's all. Our, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is not that. We want to give something to the western countries. That is our purpose. Not we have come to beg, we have to give them something. That is my mission. They come here to beg, "Give me rice, give me dahl, give me wheat, give me money," but I have come here to give something of Indian culture. That is the difference.
That is the difference (Lectures, SB)
Expressions researched:
"That is the difference"
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|"that is the difference"
|"this is difference"
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Lectures
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
Vaiṣṇave jāti-buddhiḥ. When one has taken the Vaiṣṇava initiation and properly discharging duties, he should be not be considered belonging to such caste. A spiritual master should not be counted amongst ordinary human beings. Similarly, this Deity, although we know that we have made it from stone, He's not stone. He is stone to the stone-hearted. If one is stone-hearted, then Kṛṣṇa will stand as stone forever. But if one is soften-hearted by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, then he'll talk with Kṛṣṇa. That is the difference. Kṛṣṇa is always present.
The bodily necessities of life, the animals, they have also bodily necessities of life. Āhāra, eating; nidrā, sleeping; and bhaya, fearing or defending; and maithuna, sexual intercourse. So the cats and dogs, they have got all these functions, and the human being has also the same functions. It may be little polished, but the function is the same. Then what is the extra business of this human form of life? If you are simply engaged in these four principles of life—eating, sleeping, sex life, and defending or fearing—then what is the difference between a man and a dog? There is no difference. The only difference is athāto brahma jijñāsā. A man can come here in this temple and he can inquire about Kṛṣṇa or the Absolute Truth. That is the difference.
Just like for example one wants to enjoy sex life. "Yes," Vedic knowledge, Vedic scripture, says, "Yes, just enjoy in married life, not like cats and dogs." This is the difference. So without Vedic injunction, if one wants to enjoy by his whims, then he'll be more and more entangled. But if he follows the Vedic injunction... Just like what is the difference between sex life as married man and woman and without? So far sex life is concerned, there is no difference. But the restriction and the rules and regulation will not make him mad after sex life.
If you can study yourself, that is called meditation, study yourself and you will find that you are sample of God. He is vibhu, God is great, and we are small. That is difference. Therefore our knowledge is imperfect. But God's knowledge is perfect, abhijñaḥ. Abhijñaḥ. Abhijñaḥ means fully conversant. He knows everything. In the Bhagavad-gītā, it is said, vedāhaṁ samatītāni vartmānāni bhaviṣyataḥ (BG 7.26). He knows past, present and future. Because He knows past and present, future of everything, He reminds you. Because God is the Supreme Father, He likes that all His sons, we are all His sons, we go back to Him, back to home, back to Godhead.
Atititīrṣatām. Saṁsāriṇāṁ karuṇayāha. Saṁsāriṇāṁ karuṇayāha purāṇa-guhyam. Adhyātma-dīpam atititīrṣatāṁ tamo 'ndham. Atititīrṣatām. That is human civilization, how to get out of this darkness of ignorance. Not the dogs and cats jumping in very jubilant, "I am a big dog. Let me jump over." This is not civilization. That is animal civilization. They are jumping naked, we are jumping dressed. That's all. That is the difference. Otherwise, where is the difference? So long we have got this bodily concept of life, "Let me enjoy this body, senses..." Body means the senses. Indriyāṇi parāṇy āhuḥ. So long one is in the darkness, his predominant feature of enjoyment is the senses. That's all. "Let me enjoy. I have got this tongue. Let me whole day go to the restaurant, cut throat of this animal, that animal, and enjoy, and let him go to hell. Let me enjoy." This is jihvā-lobha.
Śyāmasundara: What is your understanding of God? Is He apart from us or are we all together God?
Prabhupāda: Well, as you are apart from me, similarly, God is also apart from you. God is also an individual person as you are individual person, I am individual person, but the difference between God and you and me is this, that you know your business, I know my business. but God knows everyone's business. That is the difference.
We are also living entities, and God is also a living entity, a person. But what is the difference? The difference is God is maintaining everyone, and we are being maintained. That is the difference. We are all persons. Just like father in the family. Father is also a person, and the children, they are also persons. But what is the difference? The father maintains. Similarly, we are all children of God, children of Kṛṣṇa. He is the maintainer. So what is our duty? To feel obliged. That is our duty. That is dharma. Not that you manufacture some dharma, type. Real dharma is you try to understand what is your relationship with God and then act accordingly. Your life is perfect. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ (BG 4.9).
Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, na dhanaṁ na janam. Dhanam, riches; janam means men, manpower; na kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye. Kavitām, nice wife. So this means that it is not karma and jñāna. In the next line He says, mama janmani janmani. Jñānīs' process is to stop birth and merge into the existence of the Absolute Truth. So for jñānīs, there is no question of janma. "Finish this." Of course, the bhaktas, they also do not take birth again. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9). But they get their birth in the spiritual world. But the jñānīs, they finish their any kind of birth, either material or spiritual. That is the difference.
In your country especially, bunch of newspaper. So many talks, advertisement, fashion, this news, that news, full up. So the materialistic person, they read the newspaper, but we read Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. That is the difference. We are also reading. They are also reading. So nṛṇāṁ santi sahasraśaḥ, śrotavyādīni rājendra nṛṇāṁ santi sahasraśaḥ (SB 2.1.2). Śukadeva Gosvāmī said to Parīkṣit Mahārāja, "My dear king, there are many hundreds and thousands of topics for the materialistic person." Sahasraśaḥ. Sahasraśaḥ means thousands, and that is a fact. So many novels, so many fiction, so many so-called philosophy, newspaper, cinema paper, this paper, that paper, so many. Sahasraśaḥ.
Just like here, in this temple, what we are doing? We are also cooking. Others are also cooking at house. Then what is the difference? The difference is that we are cooking for Kṛṣṇa; others, those who have no Kṛṣṇa consciousness—I don't say everyone—they are cooking for themselves. Just like the hotel. In a hotel they are cooking for the customer palatable dishes. So that is the difference. But Rūpa Gosvāmī says that "Dovetail with Kṛṣṇa consciousness." That is yukta vairāgya. Because in this human life we require to develop jñāna and vairāgya. So if we dovetail our activities for Kṛṣṇa's service, that is yukta vairāgya. So here also it is said that nārthasya dharmaikāntasya kāmo lābhāya hi smṛtaḥ. We should not earn money for sense gratification.
First of all duṣkṛtina. Duṣkṛtina means simply engaged in sinful activities. Kṛti. Kṛti means meritorious. But duṣkṛti, badly meritorious. They are using their brain for something atrocious, simply planning how to do harm to others. That is called duṣkṛtina. For his own sense satisfaction he is plan... That is called asura. Āsuraṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ. Asuras, they are simply planning for his own sense gratification. And devotees, they are simply planning how to satisfy Kṛṣṇa's senses. That is the difference. How Kṛṣṇa will be satisfied. Both of them are planning, but one is planning for his own sense satisfaction and the other is planning how to satisfy the senses of Kṛṣṇa.
So what is the difference between animal and human being? The difference is that a human being, civilized being, has some sort of religious understanding. The cats and dogs, they have no such thing. That is the difference. Therefore, when human being becomes irreligious, without any religion, then it is no better than the cats and dogs. Dharmeṇa hīnaḥ paśubhiḥ samāṇaḥ. So civilized human being must have religion. But religion does not mean to develop or improve economic condition.
So if Kṛṣṇa is sat-cit-ānanda, then we are also sat-cit-ānanda, because we are part. Just like gold and a gold, small particle. That is also gold. You cannot say it is something else. No. So part or whole, it may be. That is difference. Part is never equal to the whole. But quality is the same. Therefore we, being part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Lord, we are trying to utilize our original constitutional position. This is going on. But we are doing that without Kṛṣṇa at the present moment. Therefore it is not successful.
Therefore, the conclusion is, man's life is meant for control. Not like animal: "I want to eat, immediately catch it." A cat and dog or a cow or a bull-rape. As soon as there is a female, immediately rapes. So there is no punishment. But if you do that on the street, raping, immediately you will be criminal. So that is the difference. The inclination is there, both in the animal and both and in the human being. But a human being supposed to be controlled. That is human life. The more you control, you become perfect. And though, the more you become loose, you are animal. That is the difference.
Eka, that one person, supreme personality... There are... We are all personalities. All living entities, we are all personalities. We are not a homogeneous lump. Everyone has got individual, individuality. So every one of is a individual personality. Everyone. So Kṛṣṇa is the supreme personality. That is the difference. He is also an individual. The only difference is that He is supreme; we are all subordinate. We are dependent on Kṛṣṇa. If Kṛṣṇa does not manage things nicely, then we are doomed.
Just like in the morning, somebody is sleeping, closing his doors and windows tightly, and he's sleeping, snoring. Although it is ten o'clock, daytime, he thinks it is night going on. And he's enjoying sleeping. This is darkness. Rascal. And, those who are advanced, they rise early in the morning at four o'clock: "Now there will be sunshine. Prepare." That is the difference. The same human being: one is in the darkness, one is in the passion, and one is in the goodness. And if you come to the goodness, then you see, brahma-darśanam. You can understand what is Absolute Truth.
Vibhu. He's vibhu, we are aṇu. That is the difference. Kṛṣṇa is vibhu, unlimited. We are limited. So we, we cannot be equal to Kṛṣṇa. The Māyāvāda philosophy that there is no difference between jīva and Bhagavān... There is sufficient difference. He is vibhu; we are aṇu. Aṇor aṇīyān mahato mahīyān. He's the greatest of the great, and He's the smallest also. So Kṛṣṇa cannot be equal..., or nobody can be equal to Kṛṣṇa, or greater than Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is asamordhva. Nobody can be equal or greater than Kṛṣṇa. Everyone is below Kṛṣṇa.
So devatā means God conscious, Kṛṣṇa conscious. Anyone who is Kṛṣṇa conscious, he is devatā, demigod. And anyone who is not Kṛṣṇa conscious, he's demon. This is the difference. So that demon may be very big or small, it doesn't matter, but... Asuras tad-viparyayaḥ. Viparyayaḥ means "just the opposite." The devotees, they are demigods, and asura means just the opposite number of devotee; that means nondevotees. Those who are nondevotees, those who are not devotees of the Lord, they are all demons.
Brāhmaṇa means knowledge and śūdra means no knowledge, that is the difference. One who knows... Just like in this age there are so many scientists, so many philosophers, but they have no perfect knowledge. Therefore they are śūdras. One scientist putting forward one theory—after a few years this theory is changed. That means knowledge is not perfect. They take it as advancement in research, but actually the knowledge is imperfect. Otherwise, where is the necessity of research and advancement? Advancement means you are in the lower grade. So all their advancement, the same lower grade. Because it is going on, they do not know what is the end of advancement. Therefore all their knowledge is imperfect; they are all śūdras.
So to purify the eyes we require... That is meditation, how to search out. He is within my heart. Anywhere you sit down, you can see God, provided you have got the eyes to see. Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti (Bs. 5.38). Those who are saintly persons, they are twenty-four hours seeing God. They have nothing, no other business than to see God. But they have got eyes to see. That is the difference. Ordinary persons, they have no eyes. Therefore they cannot see God. But those who have developed consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, purified eyes, they can see always, twenty-four hours. They don't see anything else except God. Because God is everything. Whatever we see, if we have two eyes to see, then we can see God in every second, every moment. How? Oh, that you can practice.
Yo me bhaktyā prayacchati, tad aham aśnāmi. "I eat." Kṛṣṇa says. Kṛṣṇa is a liar? He's God, He says that "I eat." You cannot say that Kṛṣṇa does not eat. Kṛṣṇa says "I eat." Who are you to say that Kṛṣṇa does not eat? Sometimes this atheist class, the rascal class, they say that "You are offering food. Why? Kṛṣṇa is not eating. It is there." No. Kṛṣṇa eats. But His eating is not like your eating. That is the difference. Pūrṇam, pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya pūrṇam evāvaśiṣ... (Īśo Invocation). He will eat everything and it will keep everything. If I give, I am given a plate, I eat everything, then remains nothing. But when Kṛṣṇa eats, He eats everything and remains everything. Therefore it is prasādam.
Aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu-cayāntara-stham (Bs. 5.35). He is within every universe; not only within every universe, He is within every atom. That is Kṛṣṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa. Don't think that Kṛṣṇa, because He is playing as a cowherd boy or He is playing as a friend of the gopīs, therefore He is ordinary man. The rascals imitate Kṛṣṇa. They say, "Oh, Kṛṣṇa has enjoyed the gopīs? Oh, let me gather some young girls and enjoy." But you become universally represented everywhere. Then you enjoy. Rascal. He cannot do that. (laughs) He can simply imitate how to be in the midst of young girls and enjoy. That is the difference. Thank you very much.
Therefore the devotees, they're not very much interested with the dry philosophical speculation because there is no acyuta-bhāva. There is no Kṛṣṇa consciousness. They, they, they have been described as vāk-cāturyam, simply jugglery of words, Māyāvādī philosophical speculation. There must be acyuta... We have got sufficient philosophy, but it is plus Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the difference, Māyāvāda philosophy and our philosophy. We are discussing also... The Bhāgavata, each line is full of philosophy, each line, practical philosophy. But there is acyuta-bhāva, Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the beauty. Bhagavad-gītā, it is full of philosophy, but there is Kṛṣṇa in the center.
So as soon as one, kṛṣṇa-bhuliyā, forgets Kṛṣṇa... Forgetting Kṛṣṇa means sense enjoyment. Two things are there. One, the materialistic persons, they are engaged in the activities of sense enjoyment, forgetting Kṛṣṇa; and the transcendentalists, the devotees, they are, even though they are not forgotten, but they are not interested in sense enjoyment. They are interested in Kṛṣṇa. That is the difference. This is māyā and Kṛṣṇa. So māyā is always strong. As soon as we little slack in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, māyā will capture us in the same process.
Just like we are maintaining so many people in the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. So what business we are doing? But we are confident that Kṛṣṇa will send us our maintenance. That confidence required. A śūdra means he becomes disturbed. He becomes disturbed. "Oh, I have no employment. How shall I eat? Where shall I go? Where shall I live?" He has no faith in Kṛṣṇa. The brāhmaṇa has got full faith. The kṣatriya has got little less faith, the vaiśya, little less faith, and the śūdra has no faith. This is the difference.
Formerly, big, big persons, they used to visit the āśrama, but nowadays people are not interested. Anartha. They are captivated by the material, external energy. It is said that... Not only now, formerly also, but formerly the number of people who were not interested were very, very small. At the present moment, the number of interested people are very, very small. That is the difference. Kali-yuga. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He inaugurated this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, that people in this age are no more interested in their value of life. They are in darkness. Therefore Vaiṣṇava, under the instruction of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, should go door to door, country to country, town to town, and preach Kṛṣṇa consciousness for their benefit.
Although māyā is there, he says, māyāṁ ca tad-apāśrayam. Māyā is there, but Kṛṣṇa is not influenced by māyā, but He is controller of māyā. Therefore He is described, īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1). Īśvara means controller. We are controlled by māyā, but Kṛṣṇa is the controller of māyā. That is the difference. We are not controller; we are controlled. In the next verse, it is described, therefore, yayā sammohito jīva (SB 1.7.5). This māyā is illusion, is illusion to the jīva, to the living entities, not to Kṛṣṇa. One who thinks Kṛṣṇa as like us, they are mistaken. Mūḍha. They have been described in the Bhagavad-gītā, avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam: (BG 9.11) "Because I am come just like a human being, these rascals, mūḍhas, asses..." Mūḍha means asses.
This is also running one thousand miles per hour, and so many big, big ocean, Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, and so many big, big mountains, it is also carrying. It is also floating in the air, and the 747 is also floating. That is your creation and this is God's creation. That is the difference. (break) ...quality but not full, not pūrṇa. Therefore puruṣaṁ pūrṇam. God has got the full qual..., not only this one planet—there are millions of planets floating in the air. You can see the sun planet. It is 1,400,000 bigger than this planet. That is also lying in the one corner.
Everything we have done, simply anartha, without any meaning. But if we say, people will criticize us that "Why you are utilizing motor car ? Why you are utilizing aeroplane?" But our tactic is we can utilize any so-called anartha in the service of Kṛṣṇa. That is our tactics. That means you have created some anartha, but we can engage even this anartha in the service of Kṛṣṇa and make it meaningful. That is our business. So it requires time. But at least things unnecessarily encumbered... We are encumbered with so many unnecessary thing. So our so-called necessities of life will decrease. Anartha upaśamam . Although we are riding on motor car, we don't think it is essential. But those who are captured by the civilization, they think it is essential. That is the difference. Anāsaktasya viṣayān.
So yad brahma-bandhoḥ. Brahma-bandhu, or kṣatra-bandhu, a person born in the family of a brāhmaṇa but has no brāhmaṇa qualifications, he is called brahma-bandhu, "friend of a brāhmaṇa." Bandhu means friend. A person, a man, his father is high-court judge. So there is no harm that he belongs to the family of such and such high-court judge—but that does not mean he is high-court judge. This should be noted. That is the difference, brāhmaṇa and brahma-bandhu. Brāhmaṇa means guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). He must have the quality, śamo damaḥ śaucaṁ titikṣā ārjavam, jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyaṁ brahma-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.42). He must be self-controlled, controlling the mind and the senses. Then very clean, śaucam. Satyaṁ śaucam. Then titikṣā, tolerant; ārjavam, very simple. No duplicity. Simple. Ārjavam. Jñānam, full knowledge; vijñānam, knowledge applied in practical life. This is vijñānam.
Jñānī jijñāsur ārtaḥ arthārthī. The gṛhasthas, they are ārta, distressed. So if he's pious, so in his distressed condition he approaches the Supreme Personality of Godhead, "My Lord, I am very much distressed. Kindly give me Your favor." "Give me." There is "give me." And jijñāsuḥ, jñānī, they do not want anything "Give me," but jijñāsuḥ: "Actually, what is God? What is the Absolute Truth?" That is the difference. One is going to God for asking something, and jijñāsuḥ, jñānī, is eulogized because they do not ask anything. To ask anything from God is not higher standard of bhakti. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). This is pure devotion.
So this is already explained in the purport that woman's nature is very mild, and man's nature very strong. That is the difference. Therefore according to Vedic civilization, the woman must be protected because they are very simple. They can be led to goodness also very easily, and they can be polluted also very easily. By nature, they are very simple. Therefore śāstra says that... Just like child. If you mold the character of a child from the very beginning, then he can become a great man. Similarly, if you train woman from the very beginning how to become chaste and faithful to the husband, they can become a very good mother, very good asset in the family.
So this is Vedic culture, that they know how to offer respect to the proper persons. But Arjuna, he also decided that although Kṛṣṇa ordered him to kill Aśvatthāmā, he's guru's son, although he's not brāhmaṇa; he's brahma-bandhu. He has been described as brahma-bandhu, not brāhmaṇa. But Draupadī, being woman, vāma-svabhāvā, very soft-hearted, she did not consider whether he's actually a brāhmaṇa. The son of a brāhmaṇa, that much she knew. This is the difference, how to calculate whether one is brāhmaṇa or not brāhmaṇa. Brāhmaṇa and brahma-bandhu, these two words are there.
Just like children, their heart is very soft. But their intelligence is not very sharp. That is the difference. Striyaḥ śūdrās tathā vaiśyāḥ. Kṛṣṇa says, striyaḥ śūdrās tathā... They have been put in one group: woman, vaiśya and śūdra. Because they are not very intelligent. They can be molded by another intelligent man to the proper channel. Therefore they require guidance. They require guidance.
So if we compare with C.R. Das, he also gave up his income, but he died. But what happened to Rūpa Gosvāmī? Naturally, such a rich man, minister, he gave up his position, he should have also died because no income? No. He did not die. That is the difference. Tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīṁ sadā tuccha-vat bhūtvā dīna-gaṇeśakau karuṇayā kaupīna-kanthāśritau. For benefiting the mass of people who are suffering for want of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, to do them good, they became mendicant. Kaupīna-kanthāśritau. You have seen the picture of Rūpa Gosvāmī. A small loincloth, and nothing more. Then? He should have died. No. Gopī-bhāva-rasāmṛtābdhi-laharī-kallola-magnau muhuḥ. They were enjoying. Enjoying how the gopīs are engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. They were twenty-four hours thinking. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Those who have forgotten Kṛṣṇa and wants to become happy independently, they are all condemned demons. And those who are surrendered to Kṛṣṇa, they are not condemned. That is the difference. So although Kṛṣṇa has created this material world for the condemned persons, still, He wants to see that they are having their necessities of life and..., so that they may live prosperously. And let them enjoy for some time this material world according to their inclination. But at last, let them come back home, back to home, back to Godhead.
Ānanda-cinmaya-sad-ujjvala-vigrahasya (Bs. 5.32). We chant every day. That sense, you get, sense gratification is ānanda-cinmaya, cinmaya, in the spiritual world. Not this third-class ānanda with these bodily senses. This is not ānanda. This is an illusion. This is illusion. We are thinking that "I'm enjoying," but that is not ānanda. This ānanda is not fact, because we cannot enjoy this material sense pleasure for long. Everyone has got experience. It is finished. It is finished. But spiritual enjoyment does not finish. It increases. That is the difference. Ānanda-cinmaya-sad-ujjvala-vigrahasya govindam ādi-puruṣam (Bs. 5.32).
Just like Kṛṣṇa said that "I spoke this philosophy to the sun-god," and Arjuna became doubtful: "What Kṛṣṇa is saying? He is my contemporary. I do not know how He knows." So he questioned that "Kṛṣṇa, how can I believe You, that you spoke this, this philosophy to the sun-god millions and millions of...?" So Kṛṣṇa explained, "Yes, at that time, you were also there because you are My constant friend. But the difference is you have forgotten; I have not forgotten. That is the difference." Svarāṭ. Abhijñaḥ. We are not fully abhijñaḥ. We do not know.
Now we have got a propensity to take other's thing. You can say it is stealing. We have got that propensity. Why? Now Kṛṣṇa has got. Kṛṣṇa is known as the Butter-thief. The beginning, thiefing, stealing. So unless that stealing propensity's there, how I can get? But Kṛṣṇa's stealing and my stealing is different. Because I am materially contaminated, therefore my stealing is abominable. Whereas the same stealing in the spiritual absolute platform is so nice that enjoyable. Mother Yaśodā enjoying the activities of stealing by Kṛṣṇa. That is the difference. Material and spiritual. Any activities spiritual, that is all good, and any activity, material, that is all bad. This is the difference. Here, the so-called morality, goodness, they're all bad. And in the spiritual world, so-called immorality is also good. That you have to understand.
He's the Supreme nitya, Supreme Living Force amongst many, innumerable living forces. We are jīva, innumerable, ananta. There is no counting how many we are. Sa anantyāya kalpate. So this ananta, innumerable living entities, and Kṛṣṇa is also a living entity, but He's the chief. That is the difference. Nityo nityānā... Just like there is leader. Leader is one, and followers, there are many. Similarly Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Living Entity, and we are subordinate, dependent living entities. That is the difference. Dependent, we can understand, if Kṛṣṇa does not supply us food, we starve. That's a fact. We cannot produce anything. Eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān.
And if you become a meditator, then you will find that God is situated within your heart. Dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena manasā paśyanti yaṁ yoginaḥ (SB 12.13.1). The yogis, the real yogis, they, by meditation, they see viṣṇu-mūrti within the heart. And those who are devotees, they meet the Supreme Person face to face just like we are meeting face to face, talk face to face, serve directly. The Supreme Personality of Godhead orders that: "You supply me this," and he supplies. That is the difference.
So samo 'haṁ sarva-bhūteṣu (BG 9.29). He's equal to everyone. Now it is up to you to understand Him according to your capacity. So Kuntī also says the same thing in this verse: samaṁ carantaṁ sarvatra (SB 1.8.28). Samaṁ carantam. Carantam means moving. He is moving everywhere, outside, inside, simply we have to make our eyes clear to see Him. That is devotional service, to make our senses purified to perceive the presence of God. God is present everywhere. Antar bahiḥ. Antaḥ means within and bahiḥ means without. "Those who are less intelligent, they simply try to find out God within, and those who are advanced in intelligence, they can see You within and without." That is the difference.
Just like Kṛṣṇa spoke to Arjuna that: "In the past, I spoke to the Sun-god about this philosophy, Bhagavad-gītā." So Arjuna could not believe it. Arjuna knew everything, but for our, our education, he put this question that: "Kṛṣṇa, we are contemporary, we are born practically in the same period. How can I believe that You spoke this philosophy to the Sun-god?" And the reply was that: "My dear Arjuna, you were also present there, but you have forgotten. I have not forgotten. That is the difference." Past, present, future, for persons who forget. But who does not forget, who remains eternally, there is no past, present, future.
It is not that... We are forced to take birth. We are, we are , we living entities, conditioned souls, we are transmigrating from one body to another, being forced by the laws of nature. But Kṛṣṇa does not appear by being forced by the laws of nature. That is the difference. Therefore those who are foolish rascals, they think that: "I have taken my birth in this world and Kṛṣṇa has also taken. Therefore I am also God." They, they do not know that you have to take birth by the force of laws of nature. You have been given the chance of very nice body, beautiful body, as American boys and girls, educated, with opulence. If you misuse it, then you are going to get another body according to your mentality.
Just like Kuntīdevī. Kuntīdevī is not inhabitant of Vṛndāvana. She is inhabitant of Hastināpura, outside Vṛndāvana. The outside devotees, the devotees who are outside Vṛndāvana, they are studying the inhabitants of the Vṛndāvana, how great they are. But the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana, they don't care to know how great is Kṛṣṇa. That is the difference. So our business is simply to love Kṛṣṇa. The more you love Kṛṣṇa, the more you become perfect. It is not that it is necessary to understand Kṛṣṇa, how He has created. The things are mentioned there. Kṛṣṇa is explaining Himself in the Bhagavad-gītā so much. Don't bother very much to know Kṛṣṇa. That is not possible. Simply increase your unalloyed love for Kṛṣṇa. That is perfection of life.
So Kṛṣṇa, being the Supreme Living Entity, nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13) Kṛṣṇa is exactly like us. Or we are imitation of Kṛṣṇa. The difference is Kṛṣṇa is vibhu, unlimited, and we are aṇu, we are limited. That is the difference. Otherwise, qualitatively, we are as good as Kṛṣṇa. Therefore whatever propensities Kṛṣṇa has, we have got all these propensities. Kṛṣṇa has the propensity to love the other sex. Therefore we have got this propensity, to love the other sex. The beginning of love is there in Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, eternal love between Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa. So we are also seeking eternal love, but because we are conditioned by the material laws, it is interrupted. It is interrupted.
Therefore Kṛṣṇa's birth is transcendental. Our birth is by force, by the laws of nature. He's not under the laws of nature. The laws of nature works under Him. Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10). Prakṛti, nature is working under the order of Kṛṣṇa, and we are working under the order of nature. That is the difference. See... Kṛṣṇa is the master of nature, and we are servant of nature. That is the difference. Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate. Therefore Kuntīdevī says: kecid āhur. Somebody says like that. Somebody says like that, that the unborn has taken birth. How the unborn can take birth? It appears like that but it is not taking birth. It appears just like He has taken birth like us. No.
We should not take this work, bhakti, is not actually the fruitive activities. It appears like that. It is also working. But the difference is when you are engaged in devotional service you will not feel tired. And the material work, you will feel tired. That is the difference, practical. Materially, you take one cinema song and chant, and so after half an hour you will be tired. And Hare Kṛṣṇa, go on chanting twenty-five hours, (laughter) you will never be tired. Is it not? Just see practically. You take one's material name, "Mr. John, Mr. John, Mr. John," how many times you will chant? (laughter) Ten times, twenty times, finished. But Kṛṣṇa,"Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa," go on chanting you will get more energy. That is the difference. But the foolish persons they think they are also working like us, they are also doing like us. No, that is not.
The difference is this person is worshiped, and we are worshiper. That is the difference. Otherwise, He's person, we are person. But the one person... Just like king. King is also person, and the citizens are also person. The president is also person, and the citizens are also person. But what is the difference? The difference is the president or the king or the spiritual master, they, such persons are, exalted persons, are worshiped. That is the difference. Now why one person should be worshiped by so many persons? Because the one person provides so many persons. Eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. God is also person. He's one; we are many. God is worshiped because He provides everyone. He gives food, maintenance..., all the necessities of life, God is supplying. Therefore, He should be worshiped.
When I was speaking in Berkeley University sometimes in the year 1966, one Indian student stood up and he said, "Swamiji, what this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement will do? We require now technology." So I replied, "Yes. You are after technology. So you are a beggar. I am not a beggar. I have come here to give something. That is the difference. I have come here to give some culture, and you have come to imitate the Western civilization by technology. That is the difference. You'll remain a beggar, I shall remain a giver. That is the difference." So still I am maintaining that position of giving, not taking. Before me, so many swamijis went there. They did not give, but they took something and came here and advertised themselves as foreign-returned sannyāsī and exploited the people.
If you play rascaldom, simply if you imitate Kṛṣṇa, and you think that you have become Kṛṣṇa, that is rascaldom. Because there is another business of Kṛṣṇa. What is that? Eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. Kṛṣṇa can supply the necessities of life to every one of you. You cannot. You cannot provide even your wife. That is the difference. Those who are less intelligent, they cannot understand what is the difference. Kṛṣṇa can lift the Govardhana mountain on His finger. So you cannot do it. So how you can imitate Kṛṣṇa? The rascals, they say that "Kṛṣṇa enjoyed the company of the gopīs; so let us create some gopīs and enjoy. Then we become Kṛṣṇa." There are many rascals, do that. They imitate rāsa-līlā.
If you study your personality or your friend's personality, you can get a rough idea of the Supreme Personality because our personality is dependent on the Supreme Personality. Mamaivāṁśaḥ. We are simply fragmental personalities just like the sparks and the fire, or the drop of ocean water and the ocean. The difference is in quantity. A drop of ocean water or a fragmental spark of the fire is of the same quality like the fire or the ocean. But in magnitude it is very, very small. God is vibhu, the greatest, and we are the smallest. God is infinite, we are finite, infinitesimal. That is the difference. Otherwise everything is there, as we have got.
These, all these kings, Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, Kṛṣṇa, they were also in politics. But they know things as they are. That is the difference. Who can be greater politician than Kṛṣṇa? He's giving this instruction: dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā, tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). So in human life, if they do not know what is the process of living condition, how we are changing, how we are accepting birth and death, how to stop it, then what is the meaning of this human being?
So we don't see that the Absolute Truth is not explicable. It is explicable. We have got our explanation. Pūrṇa. Pūrṇa means complete. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). He's also a living entity like us. (yelling in background) (aside:) Ask the rascals to stop talking. But He's pūrṇa. That is the difference. We are not pūrṇa. We are defective. Especially when we come in the material world, we are defective in so many respects. By nature, we are defective. Or not pūrṇa, incomplete, subordinate. He's therefore called the nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām. He's complete, the chief all living entities.
You cannot quench your thirst simply by chanting "Water, water." That is not possible. Because it is material. But you can realize the Supreme Personality of Godhead by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. That is the significance of spiritual and material. Otherwise, how people are satisfied simply by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra? Let him chant some other name, material. No. You cannot chant more than three times. Then you will feel tired. But you can go on chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra for hundreds and millions of years. It will, still you will not feel tired. That is the difference. Therefore His name and He is not different. Abhinnatva.
Asura means demon, and varya, varya means the first-class. (laughter) He is not addressing his father as "My dear father," "My dear best of the atheists." Therefore his father was very angry, "This child, he talks with me on equal level and does not fear me. Kill him!" Asura. He is prepared to kill his son even, if he does not agree with him. You see. We are also prepared. If one is not devotee, if he is son, we can kill him. The same. But our is for Kṛṣṇa, and the asuras is for himself. That is the difference. He wants to do everything for his personal satisfaction, and we want to do everything for Kṛṣṇa's satisfaction. That is the difference. The same propensities are there, but when it is applied for Kṛṣṇa, then it is purified, and when it is applied for personal self, it is impure. This is the difference.
Param means the supreme. He's not ordinary. So He comes as ordinary, not ordinary, as human being, but He is the supreme human being. That is the difference. Supreme human being. But one who cannot understand, one who thinks, "Oh, Kṛṣṇa is like us. He has got also two hands, two legs, one head. We have got also. He is like me," he is a mūḍha, rascal. Therefore it is said in the Bhagavad-gītā, avajānanti māṁ mūḍhāḥ: (BG 9.11) "These rascal fools, they deride." Mānuṣīṁ tanum āś... Paraṁ bhāvam ajānantaḥ, "They have no knowledge of the paraṁ bhāvam." So the paraṁ bhāvam, that is understood by the devotees. That is the difference. Budhā bhāva-samanvitāḥ, Kṛṣṇa has said. Budhā bhāva-samanvitāḥ (BG 10.8). Paraṁ bhāvam, this bhāva... Bhāva means assimilation—"Oh, Kṛṣṇa is so great." This is called bhāva. That is real understanding, when you understand really this bhāva stage. Bhāva-bhakti. Bhāva-bhakti. Simply engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service. Paraṁ bhāvam. Person who has not come to this stage of bhāva, he cannot understand Kṛṣṇa. Paraṁ bhāvam ajānantaḥ. The bhāva stage comes.
Now, upararāma saṁsṛteḥ. Upararāma means then you become, you cease from this repetition of birth and death. This will be the result. This is the actual aim of human life. Animal life and human life, this is the difference, we repeatedly say. The animal cannot understand, neither they can perform how to check birth, death, old age. That is not possible for the animals. But human being can do that. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9). What is that process? Niveśitātmā: always be absorbed in Kṛṣṇa thought and you are saved from the repetition of birth, death and old age.
Just like here is God, Kṛṣṇa. What is the difference? No difference. He has got two hands, you have got two hands. He has got two legs, you have got two legs. He has got head, you have got head. So from the bodily feature, "Man is made after God." There is no difference. But the difference is that He gives you protection, and you are protected. Therefore we are worshiping God. This is the difference Eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān, nityo nityānām. This is the Vedic injunction. God is also nitya, eternal; we are also eternal. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). We do not die. This is our conditioned life. We are changing our body because we have forgotten Kṛṣṇa; there is no Kṛṣṇa consciousness. But we are manufacturing different consciousness. And as we are manufacturing different consciousness, we are being contaminated by the particular quality of nature. They do not know that.
So what is the difference between a demon and devotee? A demon is puffed up. That's all. Falsely. That is demon. And a devotee is submissive, meek and mild. This is the difference. The demons will... We go, "My dear sir, we have got these books to understand Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Lord. So you kindly read this book. You will be benefited." "Ah, what is God? Who is God? I am God." This is demonism. And demigod or a devotee means "Oh, here is a book, something about God, Kṛṣṇa. All right, let me read it." That is the difference. Āsuraṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ. Āsuraṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ means they don't care for God. That is the disease. Although they are under the stringent laws of God, still, they don't care for God.
So this law is going on, nature's law. Nature is not independent. Nature is working under the direction of the Lord. Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10). So everything is under the law, under the order of God, but He is not under anyone's order, anyone's guidance or anyone's order. That is God. That is the difference. This morning we were discussing that if everything has got cause, then God has got also cause. Some of our... Yes. But that is the difference, that if God also has got cause, then how He becomes God? He is one of us. God has no cause. Sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam (Bs. 5.1).
Just like a father has got two sons or more sons. One son is very obedient to the father, and the other son is not. That is the difference here. God has not made anyone demon or demigod. For God, everyone is equal. Samo 'haṁ sarva-bhūteṣu na me dveṣyo 'sti na priyaḥ (BG 9.29). Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, "I am equal to everyone." Otherwise, how He is God? He is equal to everyone. But they are creating their own situation and becoming god or demon. So in the human form of life, advanced consciousness, instead of becoming demon, we should become demigod. That is the fulfillment of human life. And if we remain demon, then this opportunity is missed. This human form of life is missed.
So in order to become nirmama... Because here, material world, we are simply fighting, "It is mine, mine." The Arabians, they are, "This oil tank, this oil deposit is mine." Or "our." The same thing, individually or collectively. You just make up a gang, and you steal something, and then you say, "It is our." Your possession is by stealing, but still, you are claiming, "It is our." So the petrol tank belongs to God, but some way or other, they are in possession. They fighting it, "It is our." So this is called mama. So one has to become nirmama. "It is not mine. It is Kṛṣṇa's." Immediately you become nirmama. Everything is bondage so long you claim, "It is mine." And as soon as you understand, "It is not mine; it is Kṛṣṇa's," then you are free. This is the difference of bondage and freedom. Actually, everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa. Everything. Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (ISO 1).
A drop of seawater has got the all chemical composition of the ocean. That is equality. Qualitatively. And quantitatively, where is the comparison between the drop of ocean water and the ocean? There is no comparison. That is difference. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu's philosophy is perfect. Acintya-bhedābheda, inconceivably, simultaneously one and different. We are one with one, but these rascals who have no thorough knowledge, they simply take this oneness, "I am one with God." That is rascaldom. There are two things: one and different simultaneously. Qualitatively one, quantitatively different.
Because the whole world is full of enemies. This is material world. So everyone is struggling hard, "How to protect myself?" So these four principles are animal principles. So that is the difference, that such animal propensities are there amongst the cats and dog, and in the human being also, these necessities are there. But if we remain captivated only by these four principles, then we remain cats and dog. It doesn't matter, however nicely we are dressed, but we remain as cats and dog, in the category of cats and dog. The modern civilization is that he is actually a dog, a cat, but he dresses himself very nicely, to become gentleman. So śāstra says, no. We have to test whether he is human being or a cat and dog, what he is.
So when one comes to this point to understand that "This is simply futile, to work for this body," he is jñānī. He is jñānī. Jñānī means he is inquisitive to know the ultimate goal of life, "How I am eternal, how I can get eternal life." In this way, he tries for it. That is called jñānī. Karmī, jñānī, yogi, and bhakta. There are four kinds of men. So jñānī and yogi... Jñānī simply speculates, and yogi tries to practice. That is the difference. Their aim is the same. But yogi means he practically endeavors, and jñānī means he is simply theoretical.
If Kṛṣṇa does not supply you petrol, then you cannot drive your car. So eko bahūnāṁ yo vidadhāti. Whatever necessities of life we have got—we require so many things—that is supplied by eka, that one living entity. That is the difference. We cannot maintain even a small family, our capacity is so limited. At the present moment especially, in this age, a man does not like to marry because he's unable to maintain even a family, wife and children. He cannot maintain them, even a family consisting of four or five living entities.
In minute quantity... Kṛṣṇa has got independence, full independence; we have got independence, but not full independence. But we have got independence. So that is the difference. Advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam (Bs. 5.33). Kṛṣṇa has got various forms, but His real form is Kṛṣṇa. God has got many forms, but the original form is that, playing on flute, curved in three places with barhāvataṁsam asitāmbuda-sundarāṅgam, with a feather on the head. These are Vedic description of Kṛṣṇa. It is not an artistic paint, but it is taken from the Vedic literature, what is the original form of Kṛṣṇa. Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **. That is original form. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28).
The business is the same, but little difference, little difference in this way, that we are eating and others are also eating. So so far eating is concerned there is no difference. But we are eating Kṛṣṇa prasādam, and they are eating sense gratification. That is the difference. We are sleeping; they are also sleeping. But we are sleeping to get energy to work more diligently and nicely for Kṛṣṇa, and they are working, taking rest for working for sense gratification. So eating, sleeping, fearing. We are also fearful in this way, that "Māyā may not catch me." We are always cautious. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14).
The son cannot claim cent percent equality with the father. That is not possible. But the son's body is nondifferent from the father's body. Similarly, living entities, we are simultaneously one and different from God. One in this sense: that all the qualities that God has, the same qualities the living entity has. But the difference is God has all the qualities in fullness, and so far we are concerned, we have got all the godly qualities in minute. That is the difference. Aṇu and vibhu. Vibhu means unlimited, and aṇu means limited. So we have got opulence, fame, beauty, strength, influence, knowledge, all good qualities that God has. But God has got in full, we have got in minute quantity.
That is the difference. You can get the same benefit from the photograph picture of Kṛṣṇa as you get benefit by directly meeting Him. Therefore, meeting this photograph Deity of Kṛṣṇa is as good as Kṛṣṇa. Advaya-jñāna, nonduality. Here in this material world there is duality, but in the spiritual world, there is no such duality. Brahma-varcasa-kāmas tu yajeta brahmaṇaḥ patim, indram, indram indriya-kāmaḥ. Indriya means senses.
And sādhana-siddha means by following the regulative principles, the rules and regulations, one revives his Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Both things are siddha because you cannot revive Kṛṣṇa consciousness without being Kṛṣṇa conscious. It may be covered. So nitya-siddha means he does not get covered by the influence of material nature about his natural devotional tendency to serve Kṛṣṇa. He never becomes covered. This is difference. Kṛṣṇa gives him chance to get birth in such a family. Just like Parīkṣit Mahārāja, that he never gets the chance of forgetting Kṛṣṇa. So one who does not get the chance of forgetting Kṛṣṇa is called nitya-siddha. This is the difference.
Just like a man is suffering from fever. The symptoms are so many, but as soon as the fever is not there, then all the symptoms gone. So our, this fever in this material world is sense gratification. Sense gratification. This is the fever. So when we become engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, this sense gratification business ceases. That is the difference. That is the test how you are becoming advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
So you cannot compete. Simply by competing with these things, animal life, that is not excellence of your life. Real excellence is that these animals, they cannot become Kṛṣṇa conscious. That is the difference only. You can excel with all these lower animals, trees, birds, beasts and others, so many, only by awakening your Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the only business. And if you lack in that matter Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then the other animals, lower animals, they are far, far advanced.
They are trying to enjoy on the material platform. Jñānīs, they are trying to make it varietyless, and the Buddhists, they are trying to make it zero. Our philosophy is substance. This is difference, substance, reality. Vāstava-vastu, real reality, not the false thing. So these people, the voidists and impersonalists, because they have no information of the Supreme Lord and His activities ...
In the Vedānta-sūtra it is said, janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). "Supreme Brahman, Absolute Truth, is there, is that from whom everything comes." So if there is sex life there in the Absolute Truth ... There must be sex life. Otherwise where you have got it? Wherefrom we get it? Everything is there, but the difference is that here, everything is contaminated, abominable, and there, everything is without inebrieties; it is happy, healthy, and eternal blissful. That is the difference. The things are there.
There are trees, there are fruits, there are flowers, there are men—everything is there, birds, beasts, everything. But they are all real. Here, bahu-rūpa. Bahu-rūpa means, which it is not reality. That, this bahu-rūpa is also reflection, but it is not real. That is the difference. Ivābhāti. Therefore it is called ivābhāti: "It appears like that." Actually it is not. Just like in some shop you see so many ladies and gentlemen are standing with nice dress.
It appears like ladies and gentlemen and so many things, but they are not fact. Therefore ivābhāti. Iva means "It appears like that." It is not fact. But actually there are ladies and gentlemen. It is simply an imitation. So spiritual world, actually. And it is ivābhāti; it appears like that. But those who are fools, they are attached to this ivābhāti. If somebody goes, "Oh, here is nice beautiful woman. Let me embrace," that is foolishness. That is ivābhāti. That is difference. So therefore this very word is used, ivābhāti.
There also men, women there are, not that simply men devotees, no. But the men and women, they are creation. The both sexes are there, Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa. So nothing is different from here, but they are permanent, real. Here everything are temporary and false. This is the difference. Everything, there is also tree, there is also flower, there are also palaces, there are aeroplanes, there are chariots, men, women, but they are real, and here it is unreal.
Of course, this material energy is also ātma-māyā, Kṛṣṇa's. Not ours. Mama māyā. Kṛṣṇa says, mama māyā. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā (BG 7.14). This material world is Kṛṣṇa's. We cannot say mama māyā. No. We are under the control of this material nature. But Kṛṣṇa is the controller of the material nature. That is the difference. We are controlled by the material nature, but Kṛṣṇa is not controlled, but He's controller. Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10).
So we are eternal, and God is also eternal. In that way we are the same quality. God is eternal; we are also eternal. God is cognizant, cetana, abhijña; we are also cetana. We are not dull matter. So what is the difference between God and me? The difference: He is great, we are small. He is vibhu, we are aṇu. He's all-pervading, we are very small. He is infinite, we are infinitesimal. That is the difference. So nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). That is the Vedic information.
"We have lost our own culture. Now we are beggar. We are going to foreign countries to beg something." Of course, I have gone to foreign countries not to beg, but to give. Others go there to beg: "Give me grain. Give me money. Give me soldier." But we have not gone. We have gone to give them. Therefore these Europeans and Americans are attracted. Because I am giving them, not taking from them. That is the difference. They have seen many, big, big persons go to the foreign countries only to beg, but nobody goes there to give.
So this devotee offers respect to the demigods as the assistant or energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, not as the supreme power. That is the difference. And one who does not know what is God, they take these demigods as supreme. They are less intelligent. So therefore a devotees offer respect to the demigods, but he knows that Supreme Lord is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). Therefore, mayy ananyena bhāvena bhaktiṁ kurvanti ye dṛḍhām. Dṛḍha-vrata. Bhajante māṁ dṛḍha-vratāḥ, Bhagavad-gītā.
So here is explained that how spiritual life is eternal and without any destruction. Here in the material world, whatever we have, it is destructible. It will be destroyed. Today one is my son, so tomorrow the son may be destroyed. But if you accept Kṛṣṇa as your son, He will never be destroyed. That is the difference. Here whatever opulence we have got... We may have family, friend, sons, daughters, and so many things we possess. We enjoy life in the varieties of representation.
Bhagavān says, Kapiladeva... Kapiladeva is also Kṛṣṇa. He says, mam eva, "Only unto Me. And what is the difference between you and Me? No, I am viśvato-mukham. I am all-pervading. You are not all-pervading." That is the difference. You are sitting here. You are not at your home. But Kṛṣṇa is here, being worshiped in this temple, but He is present in many, many millions of temples. Viśvato-mukham. He is accepting devotional services from the devotee in many thousands of temples. Not only that. As Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā that, what is that? I forget now. Now I am becoming old, I am forgetting.
The trees are like that, the cows are like that, but there are houses, there are forests, jungle trees, cows, water, everything, but they are all spiritual. All spiritual, therefore there is one. Here is also one, because everything material. Whatever, either you take cow's body or your body, or tree's body, or any body, what it is made of? Kṣitir ap teja marut vyoma, the earth, water, air, fire, and sky, that's all. Here it is all one, but, and there also it is one, but there it is all spiritual, and here it is all material. That is the difference. That spiritual and material, what is the difference? The material is dull, and spiritual is consciousness. That is the difference. How the tree gives you, a mango tree there gives you a coconut? Because it is conscious.
Yogi especially means bhakta-yogī. They also enjoy. Ramante yoginaḥ anante. That is unlimited enjoyment, without any stoppage. Ānandāmbudhi-vardhanam. Simply increasing, increasing. There is no decrease. That is called ananta. It is increasing. Just like Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa and the gopīs, they are also in pleasure. Gopīs are expansion of Kṛṣṇa's pleasure potency. So they are increasing their pleasure. There is no decrease. In the material world there is no question of increasing; it is decreased. That is the difference.
Just like mother is woman, prakṛti, but her relationship with the husband is different from the relationship with her children. So both of them are puruṣa-living entities and the Supersoul, or the Supreme Lord. They come to this material world. But the relationship is that the Supreme Lord is the controller, controller of the material world, and the living entities, they are controlled. This is difference. One is controller, and the other is controlled. The same woman, mother, she is working under the direction of the husband. That is one relationship. And she is taking care of the children and controlling the children.
So we cannot control material nature. That is not possible. We are controlled. We are being controlled. Tribhir guṇamayair bhāvair mohitam, nābhijānāti mām ebhyaḥ param avyayam (BG 7.13). We are always being controlled. And... But the prakṛti, material nature, is being controlled by the Supreme Lord. This is the difference. Unfortunately, sometimes we claim that we can control over. Just like the scientists, they are trying to control over the material nature. That is not possible. You cannot control.
Kṛṣṇa is not in want of anything from us. He is pūrṇa. But if we offer Him something with love and faith and devotion, then He accepts. That is the difference. Patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati (BG 9.26). That is the real thing, bhakti. Otherwise Kṛṣṇa is not hankering after your patraṁ puṣpam. He has created patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyam, He can enjoy. Why He should ask from you? But the real thing is bhaktyā.
Just like Kṛṣṇa is stealing butter. That means Kṛṣṇa has stealing propensity. But the difference is that Kṛṣṇa's stealing butter is worshiped, and my stealing is beaten with shoes. (laughter) That is the difference. So we should not imitate Kṛṣṇa, but we should understand that janmādy asya yataḥ: (SB 1.1.1) everything... Here it is said, bījam ādhatta.
There is another prakṛti, parā-prakṛti. And what is that parā-prakṛti? What is the sample? Jīva-bhūta, living entities. That prakṛti is living, and this prakṛti is dead. That is the difference. Anyone can understand. There also, the trees, they are living tree. Here also living tree, but covered by the material body, his life is not manifested. Just like why we cannot go to other planet? Because I am covered by these material elements. But when I am not covered by the material elements, sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170), then I can go everywhere automatically. Just like Nārada Muni goes everywhere. He has no impediment.
This sound does not belong to this material. Material sound, if you chant once, twice, thrice, you will feel disgusted. But spiritual sound, if you chant twenty-four hours, you will never feel disgusted, but you will feel more and more spiritual bliss. That is the difference. Actually, you see these boys and girls and others, they are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa practically from early in the morning, 5:00 till 10:00, daily, but nobody is feeling any disgust. They like to chant.
Hṛṣīka means senses, and Hṛṣīkeśa means the master of the senses. The master of the senses is Kṛṣṇa. So when your senses will be applied for the sense gratification of Kṛṣṇa, that is your transcendental position. And when your senses will be employed for your sense gratification, that is material. This is the difference. So when one is situated in the transcendental platform, when one's existential conditions are purified by tapasya, by voluntarily accepting austerity and penance under the guidance of spiritual master, śāstras, scriptures, saintly person, at that time it will be possible that you are in the platform of satisfying the senses of Kṛṣṇa and you are fully satisfied.
A dog is eating; you are also eating. So your eating and dog's eating, difference is that a dog can eat even stool, but you cannot. But you cannot. You have to arrange for palatable dishes just befitting human consumption. So there, there are different kinds of eating. But the eating principle is there, that's all. One is satisfied with stool-eating, and one is satisfied by eating kṛṣṇa-prasādam. That is the difference.
He is being kicked by māyā, but he'll not agree to abide by the orders of Kṛṣṇa. He'll agree to be kicked by māyā. That is his business. That he will agree. "Yes, let me be kicked by māyā." So nobody is free. By constitutional position nobody is free from the laws of God. But those who are voluntarily accepting, they are devotees. And those who are not accepting, falsely declaring themselves independent, they are nondevotees. This is the difference.
So if Kṛṣṇa is spirit, supreme spirit, then you are also supreme spirit. But the only difference is that He is the supreme; we are subordinate. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti... (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). This is Vedic injunction. He's also living entity, we are also living entity, but He is supreme and we are subordinate. That is the difference. Eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. This is our position. This is self-realization.
This is also injunction of Kṛṣṇa. What Kṛṣṇa said, Caitanya Mahāprabhu said the same thing. The difference is that Kṛṣṇa commanded as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but Caitanya Mahāprabhu—He's also Kṛṣṇa—He's teaching as a devotee of Kṛṣṇa. That is the difference. The same thing. Kṛṣṇa said that sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66), and Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, yāre dekha tāre kaha kṛṣṇa-upadeśa (CC Madhya 7.128).
So this is answered by Kṛṣṇa, yasyāham anugrhṇāmi hariṣye tad-dhanaṁ śanaiḥ (SB 10.88.8), "My first benediction to my devotee is that I take away all his riches. That's all. Then when he becomes helpless, he becomes firmly convinced and he has no other shelter." Then automatically he takes shelter of Kṛṣṇa, what Kṛṣṇa demands, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām (BG 18.66). When he has no other help, he fully surrenders to Kṛṣṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa's special mercy. And so far Lord Śiva is concerned, he is the husband of mother Durgā, and Durgā is the supreme material power, sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya sādhana-śaktir ekā chāyeva yasya bhuvanāni vibharti durgā (Bs. 5.44). So he gets all material benediction, and Vaiṣṇava, instead of material benediction, he gets all spiritual benediction. That is the difference.
Striya means woman. So there is no restriction for going back to home, back to Godhead, for anyone, and what to speak of man, woman, anyone. If he wants to go back, there is no restriction. Te 'pi yānti parāṁ gatim. Māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ. This is the difference. For God there is no discrimination. Women, men have equal rights to become godly and back to home, back to Godhead.
Just like a citizen is supposed to remain free, but sometimes is put into the jail because he has worked under different criminal energy. So therefore he is put into the jail. But when he becomes perfectly civil, so there is no jail for him, he is free to move. So we have preferred to act under material energy; therefore we are suffering, there are problems. And if we prefer to act under spiritual energy, then we'll be happy. This is the difference.
To engage the senses in the matter of serving Kṛṣṇa, these are not material activities. These are all spiritual activities. And the difference between the Māyāvāda philosophy and Vaiṣṇava philosophy, that the Māyāvāda philosophy, they want to stop activities. They think stopping of all activities is perfection, śūnyam, śūnyavādi. Nirviśeṣa-śūnyavādi. Simply stop material. But what is the positive engagement? That they do not know. That is the difference. Positive engagement means serving Kṛṣṇa. That positive engagement means, engagement means, acting means, the employment of the senses.
The diseased man is also lying down, and the healthy man is also lying down. There is vast of difference. The diseased man is also eating, and the healthy man is eating. There is vast difference. So these activities, devotional activities, are not material activities. Material activities means sense gratification, and spiritual activities means to carry out the orders of Kṛṣṇa. This is the difference. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170). Nirmalam means purified senses must be there. We are living entities. There must be senses. There must be desires. That is not possible because we are living entities.
There is a difference. Karmī... It appears that karmīs... People may say, "A karmī is dying, and bhakta is dying. What is benefit?" No. He's not dying, but he is dying or giving up this body for living forever. And the nondevotees, he is dying to accept another body. That is the difference. Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ. So if you remain a minister, a president or some very big man, but if you are not a devotee, then you have to accept another body. Karmaṇā daiva netreṇa (SB 3.31.1). You have to... Daiva-netreṇa, by superior management, superior administration, you'll be judged what kind of karma you have done.
Somebody is desiring to possess a very big house and another body is desiring to possess a very nice temple, expensive temple. So what is the difference?" Difference is one is kāma and the other is prema. That is difference. As soon as we desire, that is natural. We cannot be desireless. That is not possible. People say that you become desireless. That is not possible. I am living being. How I can be desireless? No. That is very difficult task. If we want to become desireless, that is not possible. Kleśo adhikāras teṣām avyaktāsakta-cetasām.
One side śūnyāyitaṁ jagat-sarvam, the other side, āśliṣya vā pādaratāṁ pinaṣṭu māṁ marma-hatāṁ karotu vā adarśanam. "You break my heart by not allowing me to see You, still You are my beloved, worshipable Lord." That is the difference. There is no manyu, no disappointment. Disappointment is there, but so much disappointed that broken heart, still he wants to love Kṛṣṇa. That is pure love. Not that "I have been disappointed, my heart is broken; therefore I give up Kṛṣṇa." No. Still Kṛṣṇa is good. That is pure love.
Just like you are constructing this huge, gorgeous building and another person also constructing another huge skyscraper building. So what is the difference? The difference is here we are doing on the ātma-tattva, and they are doing for being defeated in the material world. That is the difference. You'll find the same activities, dealing with stones and bricks and workers, engineers. But one is based on ātma-tattva and the other is based on without any ātma-tattva. That is the difference.
Just like if you take more quantity of milk preparation, you get diarrhea. But the same milk preparation, yogurt, is there. It will stop diarrhea. Both of them are milk preparation. One has created the disease diarrhea, and another is stopping diarrhea. So why? Cikirsitam. One is by medical process and the other is without any medical process. The medical process is to satisfy Kṛṣṇa. Here the building is being constructed to satisfy Kṛṣṇa. To satisfy Kṛṣṇa. And in other places the building is constructed to satisfy senses. This is the difference, material and spiritual.
That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, and actually it is fact. What is God? God means what we are doing, He is also doing, because we are part and parcel. Just like your son, your daughter. They are your part and parcel of your body. So what is the difference? They are also acting, you are also acting. Similarly, God, Kṛṣṇa, is the supreme father. So so far the activities are concerned, the same. But the difference is that God is great; we are small. That is the difference. God can create the so many planets.
Ātma-kāraṇāt means self satisfaction or sense gratification. We are eating. Everyone is eating; we are also eating. The difference is somebody is eating for sense gratification and somebody is eating for satisfaction of Kṛṣṇa. That is the difference. So if you simply acknowledge that "My dear Lord..." Just like a son, if he acknowledges the benefits derived from the father, how much the father is satisfied, "Oh, here is a very good son." The father is supplying everything, but if the son says, "My dear father, you are so kind to me that you are supplying such nice things. I thank you," the father becomes very much pleased.
You have read Bhagavad-gītā. Sarva-yoniṣu: in all sorts of body. Sarva-yoniṣu sambhavanti mūrtayo yaḥ. There are different forms of life, 8,400,000. They are all living entities, but according to karma, they have got different bodies. This is the difference. Just like we have got different dresses according to my choice, similarly, we get different bodies according to my choice.
In the Caitanya-caritāmṛta this distinction has been clearly made, what is love and what is lust. Lust means satisfying to gratify one's personal senses. And, and love means trying to satisfy the senses of the lover. And who is the lover? Kṛṣṇa, the supreme lover. So one, one is called prema, love, and the other is called lust—although the process may appear to be the same.
- ātmendriya-prīti-vāñchā—tāre bali 'kāma'
- kṛṣṇendriya-prīti-icchā dhare 'prema' nāma
- (CC Adi 4.165)
Kāma and prema, this is the difference.
Just like throughout the whole history there are civilization, Aryan civilization, Aryan and non-Aryan. What is the difference? Aryan means progress. One who is progressing towards the perfection of life, they are called Aryans, and those who are degrading towards animal propensity, they are non-Aryans. This is the difference. Aryan culture.
Just like you are seeing a hog eating stool, but he is thinking that he's very happy. But you are seeing, "Oh, what abominable life. He's eating stool." So this is the position. Those who are advanced in civilization, for them eating of stool is unthinkable. But for the hogs and dogs, it is very palatable. This is the difference. Just like we are recommending, "No illicit sex, no meat-eating, no intoxication, no gambling." So somebody is thinking, "Then what remains to enjoy? Everything is finished. Life is finished."
So if you remain as gṛhastha or family man, there is no harm. But utilize for advancement of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then you are gṛhastha. And if you do not know that, if you simply remain a family man for satisfying your senses and begetting children up to the point of death, that is called gṛhamedhī. These two words. Apaśyatām ātma-tattvaṁ gṛheṣu gṛhamedhinām (SB 2.1.2). So one should not be gṛhamedhī. One may become gṛhastha. That is the difference.
Just like mother Yaśodā. Mahārāja Nanda, he is attached to Kṛṣṇa. They are also enjoying the same way, but that enjoyment is never broken. That is the difference. This attachment between father and son or mother and son in this material world, it will not stay. It will break, today or tomorrow. That is the nature.
So if you want this permanent enjoyment, eternal... We are all eternal. We want everything eternally existing. If you want that, then you place your love in Kṛṣṇa. This is the difference. Kṛṣṇa consciousness means if you practice here, following the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana either as gopī or as cowherd boy or as flowers, trees, water... Vṛndāvana is not vacant. It is full of varieties. Without varieties, there is no enjoyment. Variety is the mother of enjoyment.
Brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā. They understand, "This is shadow. Find out where is water." So the jñānīs are also in the darkness, because they do not know where is water. They simply know that because it is shadow therefore there must be somewhere the reality. This is jñānī, or yogi. And bhakta, they know where is real water. That's all. This is the difference. The karmīs are like animals. They are after shadow water, running, running, running, exhausted and finished. That is karmī. And jñānī, they understand that "This is shadow, but there is reality." But they do not know where is that reality. But a devotee knows that "This is shadow, but it is shadow of the reality," and they know where is that reality. Like this, this is the difference.
In the beginning the Bhagavad-gītā says, Kṛṣṇa says, that asmin dehe, "Within this body, the soul is there." "No, no. I don't believe." Dull brain cannot understand. But after death, he sees, "Yes. The body's not my son. The body's not my husband." So that is foolishness. The foolish person understands late, and the intelligent person understands very quickly. That is the difference. So I love my body. I love my husband's body, my wife's body. Why? The real husband, wife or son is within the body. Therefore we love. Then the conclusion is that the soul is important more than the body.
So bhuñjānaḥ prapiban khādan bālakaṁ sneha-yantritaḥ. The father and mother takes care of the children, how to give them foodstuffs. We have seen mother Yaśodā is feeding Kṛṣṇa. Same thing. This is the difference. We are feeding ordinary child, which is done by cats and dogs also, but mother Yaśodā is feeding Kṛṣṇa. The same process. The process there is no difference, but one is the Kṛṣṇa center and other is whimsical center. That is the difference. When it is Kṛṣṇa-centered, then it is spiritual, and when it is whimsical centered, then it is material. There is no difference between material... This is the difference. There is... Just like lusty desires and love, pure love.
He has said, ātmendriya-prīti-vāñchā-tāre bali 'kāma' (CC Adi 4.165), "When I want to satisfy my senses, that is kāma." But kṛṣṇendriya-prīti-icchā dhare 'prema' nāma, "And when we want to satisfy the senses of Kṛṣṇa, then it is love, prema." That is the difference. Here in this material world there is no love because the man and woman, they have no idea that "I mix with the man, the man who satisfies desires with me." No. "I will satisfy my desires." This is the basic principle.
Therefore Kṛṣṇa was very kind. He gave him the son, "Call him. You have affection for your son? All right, chant 'Nārāyaṇa' by calling your son." This opportunity was given. So for his sinful activities he saw fierceful features of these order-carriers, or Yamadūta. That is going on. If one is not offender, then he has no chance even to see the Yamadūta. But because willfully or nonwillfully he was engaged in sinful activities, associating with the prostitute, and for maintaining the prostitute he was planning so many sinful activities, cheat and take others' money and enjoy, for that reason, he had to see. And if he remains pure, he hasn't got to see. This is the difference.
So even if you try to understand with the..., panthās tu koṭi-śata-vatsara-sampragamyo vāyor athāpi (Bs. 5.34), in aeroplane or via manasa, aeroplane with the... Aeroplane has got different speed, but even if you go with the mind's speed and time, panthās tu koṭi-śata-vatsara, hundreds and millions of years, still, you will not be able to understand what is Kṛṣṇa, what is God, if you speculate. But if you are a devotee then you can see twenty-four hours Kṛṣṇa. That is the difference. Panthās tu koṭi-śata-vatsara-sampragamyaḥ.
Some rascals say that God cannot come. Why? Why God cannot come? If He is all-powerful, why He cannot come? Does it mean that God is subject to your dictation that He cannot come? This is foolishness. Yes, God can come; therefore He is all-powerful. He can exhibit Himself to the audience of common man. But only the fortunate man can understand, "Here is God." That is the difference.
So God is not so cheap. Therefore there are two classes of men: asura and devatā. You have heard that there is always fight between asuras and devatās because asuras are always against God, and devatās, they are servant of God. That is the difference. Even at home there are, there was asura and devatā. The father was an asura, and the son was a devatā, Prahlāda Mahārāja. And the father became enemy of the son. Naturally, father is always affectionate. But because he was asura, he became against his beloved son. That is the nature of the asura.
A ordinary man is selling some newspaper, and our man selling the magazine. It looks the similar thing, but it is not similar; it is different. Therefore, if a newspaper seller creates some disturbance on the street, the police can punish, but when one is selling Back to Godhead, he is not punishable. (laughter) This is the difference.
Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo (BG 10.8). Whatever is there in this material world, bad or good, similar things are there in the spiritual world. The difference is here everything, bad, and there everything, good. That is the difference. Here we have made bad and good; it has no meaning. Caitanya-caritāmṛta kaja, Kavirāja Gosvāmī, he has explained the conception of bad and good in this material world. He says, 'dvaite bhadrābhadra-(jñāna,) sakale sama 'ei bhāla, ei manda', sab mano-dharma.
We are working for Kṛṣṇa. It is not that we are not working. Working is necessary here. But the difference is a bhakta is working under the direction of Kṛṣṇa, and nondevotees are working under the direction of māyā. That is the difference. Therefore bhakti and ordinary work, karmīs, it looks similar, similar, that these men, they are also working, they're also cooking, they're also going to the Press, they're also typing. They're this... So what is the difference between bhakti and karma? The difference is that we are working for Kṛṣṇa and others are working for māyā. That is difference.
So long we have got these material eyes, material senses, we cannot hear... Others may chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, he is enjoying, and others, they are thinking disturbing, the same chanting. So because one has got this material ear, he is thinking it is disturbing, and one who has got spiritual ear, then he is enjoying, "Oh, here is Hare Kṛṣṇa chant." This is the difference.
Here the machine is growing automatically, and your machine, each and every machine you have to manufacture in the factory. That is the difference. Both of them are machine, but this machine is God-made, and the other machine is man-made. So some atheist old man, he challenged me that "Why you are thinking of God? This body is just like a clock. You wind it and it will go on." That's all right. But here a clock machine is there. It can produce other clock. But your clock cannot do that. That is the difference. Here God-made machine is so nice and perfect that He creates one male and one female, and unlimited machine is coming out, so much so that you, being disgusted, you kill some of the machine.
Just like it is the duty of good citizen to abide by the laws of the state, similarly, dharmī, a person who is religious, means who is abiding by the laws of God. That's all. And who is not abiding, he is adharmi. That is the difference.
You are all belonging to America, Los Angeles, and the church also was there. Now why it is crowded? It is not that you are imported from India to hear about Kṛṣṇa. (laughter) So if there is substance, they will hear. If there is no substance, who will hear? That is the difference. So substance is here. Ataeva kṛṣṇa veda-purāṇa karila. You hear these Vedas and Purāṇas and make your life successful.
Just like in a brothel, they are giving the association of darkness, similarly, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is opening so many centers to give the facility to the people in general the association of goodness. That is the difference. Saṅgāt sañjāyate kāmaḥ. If you associate with persons addicted to so many drugs or brothel men, then you will become like that. And if you associate with the Kṛṣṇa conscious men, then you become Kṛṣṇa conscious; you understand what is your real position, what is the aim of life, how to stop birth, death, old age. This is the profit of Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.
Anything which is used for Kṛṣṇa, that is spirit. This house, if you use for making a club, dancing club, that is material. And if this house is used for chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra and dancing, that is spiritual. That is the difference, because actually everything is emanation from the supreme spirit soul, Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says bhūmir āpo 'nalaḥ vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca, apareyam.
If you are not a Vaiṣṇava, then if you go in a brothel or a liquor house, then you will be influenced by the drunkards and prostitute-hunters. But if you are strong enough, then you will... The effect you will give your effect of association; they will be Vaiṣṇavas. That is the difference.
Āhāra, eating. I eat, the dog eats, the cat eats. I sleep, the dog sleeps, and the cat sleeps. I have sex desire, I satisfy it. The cats and dogs also satisfy it. And I am also afraid of my enemy; the cats and dogs are also afraid of enemy. Then where is the difference between cats and dogs? The difference is that I can be trained up to become religious; the cats and dogs cannot be trained. That is the difference. Dharmeṇa hīnā paśubhiḥ samānāḥ. So if I don't take education and enlightenment how to become religious, I do not know how to distinguish between right and wrong, then yathā paśu—then I am as good as animal.
Just like I have already explained that we are gold because we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is the big gold, we are simply small particle of gold. That is the difference. But gold is always valuable, may be a small particle or big. So our position is transcendental. Our position is not material. But we have been captured by the material nature because we wanted to disobey the orders of Kṛṣṇa.
Indian man (2): I want to know one thing, Prabhupāda. You have just said that in the moon there is a cold atmosphere and there is still a living entity there? You see? But what the Americans have said... Of course, they have sent man there, different rockets there, satellites...
Prabhupāda: So I understand. Your authority is America, and my authority is śāstra. That is the difference.
Indian man (2): But they...
Prabhupāda: That is the difference. That means your authority is America. You say through the words of the American. You have not experienced. Your position: you have no experience. My position: I have no experience. But you accept the Americans, authority, and I accept the śāstra as authority. That is the difference.
The child knew, "My dear father, you are so proud of your strength, of your material assets, but you do not know by whose grace you have got all these things. But I know. I know. Therefore by whose power you are so puffed up, by His power I am so humble." That is the difference. That is the difference. "The power is acting equally within you and within me, but you want to be puffed up, so He is helping you how you become more and more puffed up and go to hell."
If you think that Kṛṣṇa here: "Here is a statue of Kṛṣṇa. He is an idol. And these foolish people are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa with an idol," so Kṛṣṇa will remain to such person an idol forever. And one who knows, "Oh, these people are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead," for him, Kṛṣṇa will reveal, "Yes. I am the Supreme Personality of Godhead." This is the difference.
So either you obey or not obey, you have to serve the laws of the state. Similarly, either you be Kṛṣṇa conscious or not Kṛṣṇa conscious, you have to serve. But in non-Kṛṣṇa consciousness condition, you have to serve your senses. And in Kṛṣṇa consciousness condition you serve Kṛṣṇa directly. That is the difference. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170). And you serve Kṛṣṇa. Then you become purified.
Therefore we are dragging the struggle for existence, and as soon as we become again obedient to Kṛṣṇa, we shall always remember that our characteristic is to serve. So by natural way, if we serve God, then we are happy, and by unnatural way, if we serve our senses, then we are unhappy. This is the difference. Service you have to give.
Just like Arjuna did. Arjuna was a fighter in the beginning of Bhagavad-gītā. He remained a fighter after hearing Bhagavad-gītā. He did not change his position as a fighter, as a kṣatriya. But in the beginning he was thinking non-Kṛṣṇa conscious. He was thinking of his personal interest, personal sense gratification. But at the end he decided to satisfy Kṛṣṇa. This is the difference, materialism and spiritualism. If you want to satisfy your senses that is materialism, and if you want to satisfy Kṛṣṇa's senses, that is spiritual. You have to satisfy.
So those who are not taking part of bhāgavata-dharma from the beginning of life, their artham is different, and whereas a person taking to bhāgavata-dharma, artham is different. The bhāgavata-dharma artham, bhāgavata-dharma artham is to go back to home, back to Godhead. And the material life artham: sense gratification. This is the difference. They do not know that there is life after death and there is eternal life, there is eternal happiness. They do not know. Kāraṇaṁ guṇa saṅgo 'sya.
So we are trying to save people from this modern civilization. This is... Modern means in this age it is, excessively has increased, but this process was existent. This is the way of material life. So in the Satya-yuga it was less, in the Tretā-yuga it was more, and the Dvāpara-yuga, it is still more, and Kali-yuga, it is full. This is the difference of ages.
That Śrī which is so flickering, they are worshiping the Lord with sambrahma, with respect. Here we are thinking, "Lakṣmī may not go away," but there, Śrī is thinking, "Kṛṣṇa may not go away." That is the difference. Here we are afraid that Lakṣmī may go away at any moment, and they are afraid Kṛṣṇa may go away. This is the difference. So such Kṛṣṇa, such Nārāyaṇa, how He can be daridra? This is all imagination.
The Māyāvādī, they say God has no eyes, but here it is said vilokya. How you can say without eyes? He can see, but His seeing is different, paśyaty acakṣuḥ. He has no eyes like us. What is our, what is the value of our eyes? As soon as there is no light, you cannot see. But Kṛṣṇa can see always, either there is light or not. That is the difference.
Everything is there in God. Otherwise where anger comes from? He is the source of everything, but He is absolute. His anger is also as good as His mercy. That is the difference. When we become angry, there is no mercy. Mercy is far away from it. But God, Kṛṣṇa, because He is absolute, either He is angry or He is merciful, He's the same. The word God is good. He's good when He's angry and He's good when He's merciful. That is difference.
To become impotent is not required. You should be fully potent but not misuse it. That is required. Similarly, there is no misuse by God or His devotee. Otherwise, there is no question of..., that the devotee or God should not be angry, but they know how to use it. That is the difference. As God knows where to use anger, similarly, devotee should also know where to use anger.
So what was the reply of Kṛṣṇa? The reply was that "Your birth and My birth, there are many, many times. But I remember them all and you forget. That is the difference." Why we forget? Because we get a different body. Just like you remember you had been a child. Just like here is a small baby, he has got a small body. But when she'll be grown up girl she'll forget, because the body has changed. Forget. So because we change our body, therefore we forget. This is a fact.
Sarvam idam. Therefore the Vedic injunction, sarvaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma. There is nothing except Brahman. But the Māyāvādī philosophers, they do not accept the varieties. They accept varieties as false. But we Vaiṣṇava philosophers, we don't accept varieties as false, but it is temporary. That is the difference. Actually it is so. Just like your body.
Actually, the original sky is spiritual. Original sky is full of sunshine, but the covered portion means we cannot see the sunshine. Covered portion by cloud means we cannot see the sunshine. And similarly, this material sky means where we cannot see the spiritual effulgence. That is the difference. Otherwise, even this material sky is also a spiritual sky. The spiritual sky is the original status.
Generally, in the material sense, when I say, "This is my spectacle," it does not belong to you. Is it not? So this "my" is not that "my." When I say "my God," that does not mean He's not your God. That is the difference. In the material sense, when I say "It is my wife," then it is not any other's wife. But God is not like that. If I say "my God," so you can say "my God," he can say "my God," everyone can say "my God." This is spiritual "my," absolute "my." Try to understand this way, that in the material sense, when I saying something "my," that is different from when I say "my God." That is different.
We must follow the rules and regulation, what is allotted for us or what should be offered to Kṛṣṇa. If we want to offer Kṛṣṇa something, then we must offer such things which Kṛṣṇa wants to eat. So we do not know, neither we care to know. We simply ask, "Oh, give me my bread or grains. Then my business is finished." No. That is the difference.
The difference is that atheistic person thinks "mine." "Everything mine. I am the lord of all I survey. I am the king. I am the leader. I am everything, and everything belongs to me." This is atheistic temperament. And godly persons? They think everything God's. That is the difference.
So real knowledge means that ahaṁ brahmāsmi: "I am not matter, I am a spirit soul." That is real knowledge. On the basis of this real knowledge, whatever is done, that is done in knowledge; otherwise it is done in ignorance. That is the difference. Knowledge and difference. Knowledge is not that you have to get degrees from the university, big, big degrees. No. Real knowledge is that "I am," ahaṁ brahmāsmi, "I am spirit soul."
We are constructing this temple not for our living but for Kṛṣṇa's. That is the difference. That is the difference. We do not make any temple or house for ourself. We try to give chance to the devotees, and Kṛṣṇa shall live here. Kṛṣṇa's devotees will learn how to worship Him. That is our purpose. Here it is not a free hotel for learning how to gratify senses. No. This is not our aim and object. That is the difference.
So māyā manaḥ is very strong. It is very, very difficult. Therefore we have to voluntarily surrender. It takes very, very long time, balīyaḥ, but if one is intelligent, if one is fortunate, he takes immediately. That is the difference. Otherwise it will take many, many births. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate (BG 7.19).
So those who have taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness preaching work, they should always know that things are not going to happen so easily. Māyā is very, very strong. Very, very strong. But still, we have to struggle against māyā. It is a declaration of war with the māyā. Māyā is keeping the living entities under her control, and we are trying to save the living entity from her un... That is the difference. Kālo vaśī-kṛta-visṛjya-visarga-śaktiḥ.
These loving affairs between Rādhārāṇī and Kṛṣṇa or Nārāyaṇa and Lakṣmī or Sītā and Rāma, they are both of them the same. One is potency; another is potent. That is the difference, potent and potency. So "Such Ramā, the goddess of fortune, she also could not get this compassionate mercy or causeless mercy." So he's feeling proud that "You are so affectionate to Your devotee." Therefore Lord's name is bhakta-vatsala. He can offer to His bhakta any position, more than Himself.
This is our position. This material world and the spiritual world, the difference is very nicely explained here. One place is no anxiety; in another place it is simply full of anxiety. This is the difference.
You are my contemporary, of my age. How can I believe it?" Kṛṣṇa said that "Yes, you cannot believe it, but you and..., both you and Me, because you are My eternal friend, so you were also present that time when I spoke to sun-god. But you have forgotten, I have not forgotten." That is the difference. The difference is man and God, so God knows everything eternally and we forget. This is our nature.
| Page Title: | That is the difference (Lectures, SB) |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, Serene |
| Created: | 10 of Dec, 2011 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=163, Con=0, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 163 |