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https://vedabase.io/en/library/transcripts/681226pu-los-angeles/
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"content": "\n [sings Hari hari biphale, accompanied by harmonium]\nhari hari! bifale janama goṅāinu\nmanuṣya-janama pāiyā, rādhā-kṛṣṇa nā bhajiyā,\njāniyā śuniyā biṣa khāinu\n[O Lord Hari, I have wasted my life. Although I have taken this rare human birth, I have not served Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, and thus I have knowingly drunk poison.]\ngolokera prema-dhana, hari-nāma-saṅkīrtana,\nrati nā janmilo kene tāy\nsaṁsāra-biṣānale, dibā-niśi hiyā jwale,\njurāite nā koinu upāy\n[The treasure of divine love in Goloka Vṛndāvana has descended as the congregational chanting of Lord Hari’s holy names. Why did my attraction for that chanting never come about? Day and night my heart burns in the fire of the poison of worldliness, and I have not accepted the means for relieving it.]\nbrajendra-nandana jei, śacī-suta hoilo sei,\nbalarāma hoilo nitāi\ndīna-hīna jata chilo, hari-nāme uddhārilo,\ntāra śākṣī jagāi mādhāi\n[Lord Kṛṣṇa, the son of the King of Vraja, became the son of Śacī, and Balarāma became Nitāi. The holy name delivered all those souls who were lowly and wretched. The two sinners Jagāi and Mādhāi are evidence of this.]\nhā hā prabhu nanda-suta, vṛṣabhānu-sutā-juta,\nkoruṇā karoho ei-bāro\nnarottama-dāsa koy, nā ṭheliho rāṅgā pāy,\ntomā bine ke āche āmāra\n[O Lord Kṛṣṇa, son of Nanda, accompanied by the daughter of Vṛṣabhānu, please be merciful to me now. Narottama Dāsa says, “O Lord, please do not push me away from Your reddish lotus feet, for who is my beloved except for You?”]\n[break]\n[11:48]\nGovinda dāsī\n: \nThat's what I did. I finally couldn't catch up with you. [break]",
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"content": "\n Hari hari biphale, janama...",
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"content": "\n Goṅāinu. G-o-y-a-i-n-u.\n[note: Bengali phonetic spelling sometimes does not match the BBT standard diacritics used for Bengali. Ed. note]",
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"content": "\n Gowanu.",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\n Goṅāinu.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n Goṅāinu.",
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"content": "\n Biphale, janama goṅāinu. Hari hari biphale janama goṅāinu. Goṅāinu.",
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"content": "\n Goṅāinu. Goṅāinu?",
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"content": "\n Yes. So shall I give the meaning also?",
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"content": "\n Afterwards, I guess. Oh, this is the first verse? Hari hari biphale, janama goṅāinu.",
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"content": "\n Janama goṅāinu. This is first line. Hari hari biphale, janama goṅāinu. The next line: manuṣya-janama pāiyā. M-a-n-u-s-y-a.",
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"content": "\n Manuṣya...",
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"content": "\n Janama. J-a-n-a-m-a. Pāiyā, p-a-i-y-a.",
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"content": "\n Pāiyā. \n[break]\n[No audio]",
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"content": "\n Manuṣya-janama pāiyā, rādhā-kṛṣṇa nā bhajiyā. Next line. R-a-d-h-a, Rādhā, Kṛṣṇa, K-r-i-s-h-n-a, nā bhajiyā, n-a, nā, bhajiyā, b-h-a-j-i-a, nā bhajiyā. Next line, jāniyā, j-a-n-i-a, jāniyā.",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n J-a?",
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"content": "\n N-i-a. Śuniyā, s-u-n-i-a. Jāniyā śuniyā biṣa, b-i-s-a, biṣa.",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n Biṣa?",
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"content": "\n B-i-s-a. Khāinu, k-h-a-i-n-u.\nhari hari biphale janama goṅāinu\nmanuṣya-janama pāiyā, rādhā-kṛṣṇa nā bhajiyā,\njāniyā śuniyā biṣa khāinu\nThe meaning is, Hari Hari, \"My Lord,'' biphale, \"uselessly,'' janama, \"life,'' goṅāinu, \"spent up. I have uselessly spent up my life.'' Why? Because manuṣya-janama pāiyā, \"I got this human form of life,'' manuṣya-janama pāiyā, rādhā-kṛṣṇa nā bhajiyā, \"but I did not engage myself in the loving transcendental service of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa.''\nRādhā-kṛṣṇa nā bhajiyā, jāniyā śuniyā biṣa khāinu: \"Willingly, purposefully, I have drunk poison.'' Hari hari biphale, janama goṅāinu.",
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"content": "\n Tell it for each word. Jāniyā means?",
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"content": "\n Jāniyā means knowingly, and śuniyā means hearing.",
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"content": "\n Hearing?",
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"content": "\n Yes. Two kinds of knowledge are there. You can practically understand by experiment—this is called jāniyā. And another knowledge is by hearing from authoritative source. That is also knowledge.\nJāniyā śuniyā \"By hearing process and by experimental knowledge, in both ways, I know that this human form of life is meant for engaging in the loving service of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, but I did not do that. That means purposefully I have drunk poison. I have committed suicide.''\nThen golokera prema-dhana, g-o-l-e... No. G-o-l-o-k-e-r-a, golokera. Prema, p-r-e-m-a, prema. Dhana, d-h-a-n-a. Golokera prema-dhana. That means: \"This chanting, Hare Kṛṣṇa, is imported from the transcendental abode of Goloka.\" Hari-nāma-saṅkīrtana. \"This chanting, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇ, Hare Hare, this is not material vibration.\nThis sound is...\" What is called? Captured? Just like we capture sound. The sound is in the air. So this sound... There are different layers of air, but this sound is in the highest layer, in the transcendental, spiritual layer, beyond this material world. From that sound it is captured. It requires strong machine to capture that sound. Golokera prema-dhana, hari-nāma-saṅkīrtana.",
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"content": "\n Hari-nāma-saṅ...",
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"content": "\n H-a-r-i-n-a-m-a, hari-nāma, saṅkīrtana, s-a-n-k-i-r-t-a-n-a. Hari-nāma saṅkīrtana. Rati nā janmila. R-a-t-i, n-a, nā, janmila, j-a-n-m-i-l-a. Rati nā janmila kena, k-e-n-a, tāi, t-a-i.\n\"It is so sublime, transcendental, and it is imported from the transcendental world, Goloka Vṛndāvana. Unfortunately, I do not know why I did not get any attachment for such nice thing.\" Rati nā janmila kene tāi. Tāi means \"in that.\" Biṣaya biṣānale. B-i-s-a-y-a, biṣaya. Biṣa, b-i-s-a, biṣa, nale, n-a-l-e.",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n Biṣa?",
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"content": "\n Biṣa, b-i-s-a, nale, n-a-l-e. Biṣānale. The blazing fire of poison. The material enjoyment is blazing fire of poison. \"Just like a person, if he is put into the blazing fire, he is burned into ashes, similarly, simply by thinking, 'How I shall enjoy this? How I shall enjoy this materially?' this is just like blazing fire of poison. So I am suffering always.\"\nBiṣaya biṣānale dibā-niśi hiyā jvale. Dibā-niśi, d-i-b-a, dibā-niśi. Dibā means day, and niśi, niśi means night. So \"Day and night I am in this blazing fire.\"",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n Neśi? How do you spell that?",
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"content": "\n Niśi, n-i-s-i.",
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"content": "\n Dibā n-i-s-i, dibā-niśi.",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\n Hiyā, h-i-a, hiyā, jvale, j-a..., j-v-a-l-e.",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n J-v-e-l-e.",
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"content": "\n J-v-a-l-e. Dibā-niśi hiyā jvale: \"The heart is burning always, day and night.\" Tarivare. T-a-r-i v-a-r-e, tarivare. Tarivare means \"to get out of it.\"",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n Can you spell that again?",
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"content": "\n Tarivare? T-a-r-i v-a-r-e.",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n Vire?",
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"content": "\n R-e, tarivare.",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n Tarivare.",
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"content": "\n Nā kainu. N-a, nā, kainu, k-a-i-n-u, nā kainu, upāya, u-p-a-y-a, upāya. Tarivare means \"to get out of it,'' nā kainu, \"did not do.'' Nā means \"not,'' kainu, \"did not do.'' Nā kainu upāya. Upāya means \"means.'' That means \"If anyone wants to get out of this blazing fire of poison of material enjoyment, then he has to take to this hari-nāma-saṅkīrtana, this chanting.\nThat is the only method. So I did not do that. I engaged myself in this viṣaya viṣānale, this material enjoyment. Therefore my life has been uselessly spoiled. Tarivare nā kainu upāya. The next line, vrajendra-nandana yei. V-r-a-j-e-n-d-r-a, vrajendra, nandana, n-a-n-d-a-n-a, yei, y-a-i.",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n Jia.",
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"content": "\n Jai. Vrajendranandana yei, śacī-suta, s-a-c-h-i-s-u-t-a, śacī-suta, haila, h-a-i-l-a, haila, sei, s-a-i, sei. Vrajendra-nandana yei, śacī-suta haila sei, balarāma haila nitāi. B-a-l-a-r-a-m-a, balarāma, haila, h-i, h-a-i-l-a. Haila, h-a-i-l-a, nitāi, n-i-t-a-i, haila nitāi. Balarāma haila nitāi. And this means...\nVrajendra-nandana yei: \"The Supreme Personality who appeared as the son of King Nanda, the same Supreme Personality Kṛṣṇa has now appeared as the son of Mother Śacī.\" And Balarāma, b-a-l-a-r-a-m-a; haila, haila means \"has become\"; Nitāi, \"Lord Nityānanda.\" \"Formerly the Personality of Godhead who was...\n[Audio resumes]\n...known as Balarāma has now become Lord Nityānanda.\" So what is their business? Pāpī tāpī yata chilo. P-a-p-i, t-a-p-i, pāpī tāpī, yata, y-a-t-a, yata chilo, c-h-h-i-l-a.",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n C-h-h-i-l-a?",
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"content": "\n Yes. Pāpī tāpī yata chilo, hari-nāme, uddhārilo. H-a-r-i, hari, nāme, n-a-m-e, nāme, uddhārilo, u-d-d-h-a-r-i-l-a. That means, \"These two Personality of Godhead, They, simply by distributing the transcendental chanting, Hare Kṛṣṇa, has reclaimed all conditioned and sinful souls.\" Pāpī tāpī yata chilo, hari-nāme uddhārilo. \n\"And the concrete example for this activity is Jagāi and Mādhāi, the two brothers known by Jagāi-Mādhāi.'' J-a-g-a-i, Jagāi, and Mādhāi, M-a-d-h-a-i. Pāpī tāpī yata chilo, hari nāme uddharilo, tā'ra sākṣī. Tā'ra sākṣī, t-a-r, sākṣī, s-a-k-s-h-i, sākṣī, jagāi and mādhāi. \nAnd then last verse is hā hā prabhu nanda-suta. H-a-h-a, hā hā, prabhu, p-r-a-b-h-u, prabhu, nanda-suta, n-a-n-d-a-s-u-t-a. \"My dear Lord Kṛṣṇa, son of King Nanda...\" Vṛṣabhānu-sutā-yuta. V-r-i-s-a-b-h-a-n-u, vṛṣabhānu, sutā, s-u-t...",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n V-s... Vṛṣa?",
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"content": "\n Vṛṣabhānu, b-h-a-n-u.",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n B-h-a-n-u.",
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"content": "\n Vṛṣabhānu-sutā, s-u-t-a. Sutā-yuta, y-u-t-a. That means, \"My Lord Kṛṣṇa, the son of King Nanda, You are now along with Rādhārāṇī, the daughter of King Vṛṣabhānu. So both of You are here. So I am Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura.\" Narottama, N-a-r-a-t-t-a-m-a, Narottama, dāsa, d-a-s-a, dāsa, kahe, k-a-h-e. \"I am Narottama dāsa. I am placing my appeal unto You.\" Narottama dāsa ka..., nā theliho. N-a, nā theliho, t-h-e-l-i-a. Nā theliho. Rāṅgā, r-a-n-g-a, rāṅgā, pāye, p-a-y-e. Nā theliho rāṅgā pāye. Tumi binā, t-u-m-i, tumi, vinā, v-i-n-a.",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n T-u-m-e?",
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"content": "\n T-u-m-e, tumi, vinā, v-i-n-a, ke, k-e, āche, a-c-h-h-e, āche, āche, ke āche.",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n C-h-...",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\n H-e.",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n A-s-c-h...",
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"content": "\n No. A-c-h-h-e. Āmār, a-m-a-r. \"So who else is there beyond Yourself? So don't kick me out by Your lotus feet. Please accept me, because I have no other shelter than Yourself.\" Is that...? [end]",
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https://vedabase.io/en/library/transcripts/670101cc-new-york/
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[
{
"content": "\n[02:50] [adjustment of microphone]\n\n'nitya-līlā' kṛṣṇera sarva-śāstre kaya\nbujhite nā pāre līlā kemane 'nitya' haya\n[Cc. Madhya 20.385]\n[Descriptions of Kṛṣṇa’s eternal pastimes are in all the revealed scriptures. But one cannot understand how they are continuing eternally.]\nNitya means eternal. Kṛṣṇa's pastimes, appearance and dis..., disappearance, is continuous and eternal. There is no stoppage. Lord Caitanya says, bujhite nā pāre līlā kemane 'nitya' haya. Ordinary persons, common men, cannot understand how kṛṣṇa-līlā, Kṛṣṇa's appearance and disappearance, can be eternal. Generally, we think that Kṛṣṇa appeared five thousand years before; now He's no longer. So either He's dead or gone. Just like ordinary man takes his birth and stay here for some time, and then he goes away—no more, no trace of that particular man's activities. He's lost in the whirlpool of this material ocean.\nNeither exactly in a similar body that particular living entity will again come back. Once. This form which you have got, material form, it is just like a bubble in the ocean. It is formed somehow or other according to our past actions and reactions, and it will stay for hundred years at most. Then it will disappear. And there will be no trace where that particular individual soul has gone.\nOf course, there is account in the books of Supreme Personality of Godhead. Vedāhaṁ samatītāni [Bg. 7.26].\n[O Arjuna, as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, I know everything that has happened in the past, all that is happening in the present, and all things that are yet to come. I also know all living entities; but Me no one knows.]\nHe says, \"I know everything.\" And He's always constant companion. As Supersoul of the individual soul, He knows. But we, the persons of a particular person's relatives, father, mother, brother, all these things—who knows? Nobody can give information.\n[02:50] [adjustment of microphone]\nBut Kṛṣṇa's appearance and disappearance is not like that, because He's not different from His body. We are, in our conditioned stage, we are different from our body. But Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's body is the same thing. This is to be understood. Sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha [Bs. 5.1]. \n[Kṛṣṇa who is known as Govinda is the Supreme Godhead. He has an eternal blissful spiritual body. He is the origin of all. He has no other origin and He is the prime cause of all causes.]\nĪśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda vigraha. His form is eternal, blissful and full of knowledge. This material body is not like that. Therefore we cannot understand how kṛṣṇa-līlā is eternal, continuous eternal. That is being instructed by Lord Caitanya:\ndṛṣṭānta diyā kahi tabe loka yadi jāne\nkṛṣṇa-līlā—nitya, jyotiścakra-pramāṇe\n[Cc. Madhya 20.386]\n[Let me give an example by which people may understand Lord Kṛṣṇa’s eternal pastimes. An example can be found in the zodiac.]\nJyotiścakra-pramāṇe. Jyotiścakra means orbit of the planets. That the..., a planet is moving in its orbit continually. Similarly, kṛṣṇa-līlā is also just like an orbit. He's giving very nice example: orbit of the earth, orbit of the moon, orbit of the sun. The sun is also not fixed up. According to Vedic astronomy, the sun is also moving. We have got information from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and other Vedic literature, Brahma-saṁhitā. In the Brahma-saṁhitā it is stated that yac-cakṣur eṣa savitā sakala-grahāṇām [Bs. 5.52].\n[The sun who is the king of all the planets, full of infinite effulgence, the image of the good soul, is as the eye of this world. I adore the primeval Lord Govinda in pursuance of whose order the sun performs his journey mounting the wheel of time.]\nThe sun is considered to be the eyes of the Supreme Lord, and the sun is the king of all other planets. Yac-cakṣur eṣa savitā. Savitā means the sun. Yac-cakṣur eṣa savitā sakala-grahāṇāṁ rājā... Rājā means king. Yac-cakṣur eṣa savitā sakala-grahāṇāṁ rājā samasta-sura-mūrtir aśeṣa tejāḥ. Sura-mūrtiḥ. Every planet is dominated by a particular demigod.\nThere is a..., a principal living entity, who is differently named. Just like this moon planet is called Candraloka because the predominating deity there is called Candra; the sun planet is called Sūryaloka because the predominating deity is called Sūrya. Sūrya, Candra—these are official names, just like \"governor.\" But a particular name is also there. Governor is a particular person. Just like \"president.\" President is a general name, but he has got his particular personal name.\nSimilarly, all these predominating deities of Candraloka and Sūryaloka, they are..., these are official names. Anybody who's predominating over the sun planet, he's called Sūrya, but he has got his personal name. That name is Vivasvān. That is described in the Bhagavad-gītā: imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam [Bg. 4.1].\n[The Blessed Lord said: I instructed this imperishable science of yoga to the sun-god, Vivasvān, and Vivasvān instructed it to Manu, the father of mankind, and Manu in turn instructed it to Ikṣvāku.]\nWho is that Vivasvān? Vivasvān is the present predominating deity in the sun planet. The sun planet, according to your modern science, it is fixed. But we cannot understand why sun should be fixed. Every planet has its orbit. So sun must be moving in the orbit.\nThat is described in the Brahma-saṁhitā: yac-cakṣur eṣa savitā sakala-grahāṇāṁ rājā—he's the king of all planets—rājā samasta-sura-mūrtir aśeṣa tejāḥ [Bs. 5.52]. Aśeṣa tejāḥ means inexhaustible temperature. The sun planet has got inexhaustible heat and temperature. That we can experience.\nNobody can say what is there that the sun planet is diffusing unlimited temperature and heat for millions and trillions of years, but still, it is not exhausted. So this is called aśeṣa. Aśeṣa. There is no end. Just like you are in the fire. Unless you put some fuel, fuel, it is not possible to continue the temperature. But there, the supply is so sufficient that there is no end of temperature.\nEvery planet is self-sufficient. That is described in the Īśopaniṣad. Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvaṁ yat kiñcit jagatyāṁ jagat... [Īśo mantra 1].\n[Everything animate or inanimate that is within the universe is controlled and owned by the Lord. One should therefore accept only those things necessary for himself, which are set aside as his quota, and one should not accept other things, knowing well to whom they belong.]\nNo. Pūrṇam idam, pūrṇam adaḥ, pūrṇaṁ pūrṇāt udacyate pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya pūrṇam eva avaśiṣyate [Īśo Invocation].\n[The Personality of Godhead is perfect and complete, and because He is completely perfect, all emanations from Him, such as this phenomenal world, are perfectly equipped as complete wholes. Whatever is produced of the Complete Whole is also complete in itself. Because He is the Complete Whole, even though so many complete units emanate from Him, He remains the complete balance.]\nThe Supreme Lord is pūrṇa. Pūrṇa means complete. And whatever He creates, that is also complete. The actions and reactions of sun planet to diffuse heat all over the universe is complete, by Lord's grace, by Lord's creative power, energy. That is also inferior energy. This is not superior energy. This is inferior energy. So still it is complete.\nSo... So He is giving example as the planets, sun planet, moon planet and other planets, are moving in their orbits, similarly, kṛṣṇa-līlā has got a orbit, and the līlā is going on. As the sun is moving or the planet..., the earth planet is moving exactly at the same time. Just after twenty-four hours it will be meridian, and at twelve o'clock, just twenty-four hours. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa's līlā, exactly after certain millions of years, it will be seen in this planet. Similarly, there are innumerable universes, and it is moving from this, that, this, that, this.\nNow, just like kṛṣṇa-līlā, just Kṛṣṇa born at, at the prison house of Kaṁsa... Vasudeva, father, and Devakī, mother. Immediately, as soon as the child is born, the next..., the next universe, there is birth. So same very thing. Just like now it is quarter to eight according to sun calculation. Immediately, you will find some other place quarter to eight. Immediately you'll find quarter to eight in other place. Immediately...\nSo quarter to eight you cannot change. Quarter to eight will exist within this movement of the sun planet or earthly planet. Anywhere, somebody, somewhere must be there quarter to eight. At any time. Even at 12 o'clock at night you inquire, \"Where is quarter to eight of the sun planet?\" you'll have. Is it not a fact? This is called nitya-līlā. How nicely Caitanya Mahāprabhu has described.\nSo kṛṣṇa-līlā is always going on like that. Kṛṣṇa's birth, Janmāṣṭamī... We observe Janmāṣṭamī. But that Janmāṣṭamī is going on every moment. Janmāṣṭamī is going on [indistinct] Kṛṣṇa's nitya-līlā. Kṛṣṇa-līlā—nitya, jyotiścakra-pramāṇe, jyotiścakre sūrya yena phire rātri-dine [Cc. Madhya 20.386-87].\n[Let me give an example by which people may understand Lord Kṛṣṇa’s eternal pastimes. An example can be found in the zodiac.]\nNow here it is also, in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta, it is said that here sūrya is also on the orbit. Sapta-dvīpāmbudhi laṅghi' phire krame krame [Cc. Madhya 20.387]. \n[The sun moves across the zodiac day and night and crosses the oceans between the seven islands one after the other.]\nSapta-dvīpa. Now, according to Vedic calculation, this earth has seven, I mean to say, islands. Just like crossing the sea, we have come to your country from India. The crossing the sea means there are different islands. Now you can calculate the Asia, Europe, America, and..., and, how many?",
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"content": "\n Seven.",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\n Seven, there are?",
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{
"content": "\n Six.",
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"content": "\n Seven? So that is calculated in Vedic also. Sapta-dvīpa. Sapta means seven. As the sun is coming in the orbit and crossing all the seven islands, similarly, Kṛṣṇa is also coming in this universe, that universe, that universe, that universe. When He comes into this universe, He, He is seen in that tract of land which is called Vṛndāvana. Therefore that tract of land is so sacred. Lord Caitanya describes by His mission, ārādhyo bhagavān vrajeśa-tanayas tad dhāma vṛndāvanam [Caitanya-mañjusā].\n[The Supreme Personality of Godhead, the son of Nanda Mahārāja, is to be worshiped along with His transcendental abode, Vṛndāvana. The most pleasing form of worship for the Lord is that which was performed by the gopīs of Vṛndāvaṇa. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the spotless authority on everything, and pure love of God is the ultimate goal of life for all men. These statements, for which we have the highest regard, are the opinion of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.]\nĀrādhya, the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa, is worshipable Deity, and His dhāma, and His headquarter—and His dhāma means headquarter—Vṛndāvana. Therefore Vṛndāvana is so important. When Kṛṣṇa comes... Just like when the sun appears in your country there is a particular city or place... Where it is where the sun first seen? Where it is?",
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"content": "\n Greenwich, Maine.",
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"content": "\n Greenwich.",
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{
"content": "\n Uh-huh.",
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"content": "\n In your country, America?",
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"content": "\n What is that?",
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"content": "\n Where the sun is first seen?",
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"content": "\n In America. Anybody know?",
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"content": "\n Oh, you cannot say?",
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"content": "\n Maine.",
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"content": "\n Maine? Just like Maine is the first place where is seen sun, similarly, Vṛndāvana is the place where Kṛṣṇa is seen first. The example is very nice. Sapta-dvīpāmbudhi laṅghi' phire krame krame.\nrātri-dine haya ṣaṣṭi-daṇḍa-parimāṇa\ntina-sahasra chaya-śata 'pala' tāra māna\n[Cc. Madhya 20.388]\n[According to Vedic astronomical calculations, the rotation of the sun consists of sixty daṇḍas, and it is divided into thirty-six hundred palas.]\nNow Caitanya Mahāprabhu is submitting His knowledge in astronomy. Astronomy. And He's dividing the whole day and night into sixty daṇḍas. According to Vedic calculation of time, the whole day and night... Just like, according to Western system, the whole day and night is divided into twenty-four hours, they have divided into still further, sixty daṇḍas. They are called daṇḍas. \nTina-sahasra... Rātri-dine haya ṣaṣṭi-daṇḍa-parimāṇa. The whole day and night is divided into sixty parts. Tina-sahasra chaya-śata 'pala' tāra māna. And these daṇḍas are again subdivided into three hundred and sixty palas. They are called pala. Daṇḍa and pala. Sūryodaya haite ṣaṣṭi-pala-kramodaya [Cc. Madhya 20.389].\n[The sun rises in steps consisting of sixty palas. Sixty palas equal one daṇḍa, and eight daṇḍas comprise one prahara.]\nAnd the sun rises in every sixty pala. We can..., we can see sun is rising, but not all of a sudden we can see. But gradually. That gradual, I mean to... elevation of the sun planet is..., takes sixty pala time. Sei eka daṇḍa, aṣṭa daṇḍe 'prahara' haya. Prahara means three hours, and that is aṣṭa daṇḍa.\neka-dui-tina-cāri prahare asta haya\ncāri-prahara rātri gele punaḥ sūryodaya\n[Cc. Madhya 20.390]\n[The day and the night are divided into eight praharas—four belonging to the day and four belonging to the night. After eight praharas, the sun rises again.]\nThe whole day is divided into four praharas. So at the end of the day, of the four praharas, the Sūrya, this sun planet, sets. Cāri prahara rātri gele... And similarly, four praharas, when passed at night, again the sun planet is seen.\naiche kṛṣṇera līlā-maṇḍala caudda-manvantare\nbrahmāṇḍa-maṇḍala vyāpi' krame krame phire\n[Cc. Madhya 20.391]\n[Just as there is an orbit of the sun, there is an orbit of Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes, which are manifested one after the other. During the lifetime of fourteen Manus, this orbit expands through all the universes, and gradually it returns. Thus Kṛṣṇa moves with His pastimes through all the universes, one after another.]\nCaudda-manvantare. There are fourteen Manus in one day of Brahmā. So kṛṣṇera līlā-maṇḍala caudda manvantare. So in the fourteen maṇḍalas, the..., the I mean to..., the orbit of kṛṣṇa-līlā is, I mean to say, circumambulating. So He is..., He is seen in the Manu's life, in the fourteen Manu's life. There are fourteen Manus.\nIn each Manu's life, there are seventy-one catur-yugas, of..., in each Manu's life. In the twenty-eighth catur-yuga, Kṛṣṇa, in the Dvāpara-yuga, appears. There is mathematical calculation when Kṛṣṇa appears. It is not accidental. Actual astronomical, mathematical calculation. Soayāśata vatsara kṛṣṇera prakaṭa-prakāśa [Cc. Madhya 20.392].\n[Kṛṣṇa remains within a universe for 125 years, and He enjoys His pastimes both in Vṛndāvana and Dvārakā.]\nAnd when He is in this universe, He remains here for 124 year..., -25 years. When Kṛṣṇa was here He was for 125 years. And when He was in the battlefield, His age was about 100 years, almost 100 years. Because, just after finishing the battlefield, He went to Dvārakā, and, after some days He disappeared. So I think it was more than hundred years when He was fighting as charioteer of Kṛṣṇa. Just imagine, a hundred-years-old man, how many children and grandchildren, great-grandchildren, might have.\nIn those days, the boys were married... Still, in India, boys are married in early age. The boys and girls were married just after sixteen years, especially in the kṣatriya families. They are very developed, because they can eat very nicely, they live very nicely, so their body development is very nice. They can beget children even at fifteen years old—in those days, especially. So Kṛṣṇa had, at that time, great-grandchildren when He was fighting in the Kurukṣetra. He was... He came just to help His friend Arjuna. He did not take part in the fighting; He was charioteer.\nNow you have seen the Kṛṣṇa's picture. He looks like a twenty-years boy. Advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam ādyaṁ purāṇa puruṣaṁ nava-yauvanam [Bs. 5.33]. \n[I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who is inaccessible to the \nVedas,\n but obtainable by pure unalloyed devotion of the soul, who is without a second, who is not subject to decay, is without a beginning, whose form is endless, who is the beginning, and the eternal \npuruṣa;\n yet He is a person possessing the beauty of blooming youth.]\nNava-yauvanam—just a fresh youth. Youthful luster. He's very nice, beautiful. So He is seen like that, kiśora. Kiśora. Just sixteen-years-old boy.\nSo,\ntāhā yaiche vraja-pure karilā vilāsa\nsaoyāśata vatsara kṛṣṇera prakaṭa-prakāśa\ntāhā yaiche vraja-pure karilā vilāsa.\n[Cc. Madhya 20.392]\n[Kṛṣṇa remains within a universe for 125 years, and He enjoys His pastimes both in Vṛndāvana and Dvārakā.]\nSo within these 125 years, all the pastimes that Kṛṣṇa displayed during His presence, all those things are going on in each and every universe, just like the sun planet is moving from one place to another. This is the idea of kṛṣṇa-līlā.\nalāta-cakra-prāya sei līlā-cakra phire\nsaba līlā saba brahmāṇḍe krame udaya kare\n[Cc. Madhya 20.393]\n[The cycle of His pastimes turns like a wheel of fire. Thus Kṛṣṇa exhibits His pastimes one after the other in every universe.]\nSo saba līlā. And all the activities, they are manifested in either of the so many brahmāṇḍas. So at every second you just divide that 125 years into seconds, and all... Less than second, what it is? Of course, I do not know. But if you divide in that way, then you can calculate how many universes are there. How many seconds are there in one hour?",
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"content": "\n Three thousand?",
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"content": "\n Three thousand?",
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"content": "\n Three thousand, six hundred.",
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"content": "\n Three thousand, six hundred seconds in one hour. Then what are the twenty-four hour? [laughs] Just see.",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n If we had a pencil and a paper...",
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"content": "\n No. No. Just imagine that 360 seconds in one hour, so in one day we have got twenty-four hours. So 360 into twenty-four, that becomes the seconds in one day. Then you multiply it into thirty. That means in one month. Then you multiply it by twelve. Then it comes to one year. Such 125. So you can calculate. At least you can imagine how many universes are there, by that calculation of second, and if you go further detail...\nSo God's creation is wonderful. Nobody can... Everything is unlimited. He's unlimited. His creation is unlimited. His pastimes are unlimited. His forms are unlimited. Everything unlimited. Everything. His incarnations are unlimited. Everything. Just like see, even in your own body, can you count how many hairs are on your body and head?\nThey are unlimited. I am claiming, \"This is my body,\" but I do not know how many hairs are there. But you ask Kṛṣṇa, He'll tell you. Especially Howard cannot say how many hairs are there... [laughs] Who can say? Howard cannot say.\nSo this is Kṛṣṇa's creative energy. You see? And He is aloof. All things, all these wonderful things are going on, but He's aloof. He's aloof. Nāhaṁ teṣu avasthitaḥ.\nmayā tatam idaṁ sarvaṁ\njagad avyakta-mūrtinā\nmat-sthāni sarva-bhūtāni\nnāhaṁ teṣu avasthitaḥ\n[Bg. 9.4]\n[By Me, in My unmanifested form, this entire universe is pervaded. All beings are in Me, but I am not in them.]\nThese are the inconceivable energy. And foolish rascals, they claim that \"I am God.\" You see? God is not so cheap. One must know the science of God, how great is God. We cannot calculate. Those who cheaply take God, \"God might be like me, you,\" just frog philosophy. The same frog philosophy. The frog is calculating the length and breadth of Atlantic Ocean, keeping itself in the well. You see? So similarly, these rascals, they are frogs in the well, and they are calculating the estimation of the length and breadth of Atlantic Ocean and claiming themselves as God.\njanma, bālya, paugaṇḍa, kaiśora prakāśa\npūtanā-vadhādi kari' mauṣalānta vilāsa\n[Cc. Madhya 20.394]\n[Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes—appearance, childhood, boyhood and youth—are all manifested, beginning with the killing of Pūtanā and extending to the end of the mauṣala-līlā, the annihilation of the Yadu dynasty. All of these pastimes are rotating in every universe.]\nkona brahmāṇḍe kona līlāra haya avasthāna\ntāte līlā 'nitya' kahe āgama-purāṇa\n[Cc. Madhya 20.395]\n[Since all Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes are taking place continuously, at every moment some pastime is existing in one universe or another. Consequently these pastimes are called eternal by the Vedas and Purāṇas.]\nSo Lord Caitanya says, \"Just like the time calculation of the sun is always present in the orbit of this earthly planet, similarly, in the orbit of kṛṣṇa-līlā, everything is happening in some universe.\" That is called nitya-līlā, eternal. Because it is happening eternally and continually, in either of innumerable planets, which we cannot calculate, therefore His pastime, appearance and disappearance are all eternal.\nWe are not worshiper of a dead thing. Just like if a foolish person say at night, \"Oh, the sun is finished.\" How? \"I cannot see. Because I don't see in the sky sun, it is finished,\" similarly, the foolish person thinks, \"Oh, Kṛṣṇa is..., I cannot see; therefore He's finished.\" This is foolish calculation.\nNow, from the description of Caitanya Mahāprabhu we can understand that Kṛṣṇa is not dead and gone. He's present always and every time, everywhere. And if we are sincerely in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that Kṛṣṇa is always with us, He gives His protection, His mercy is there. Everything is there. With this conviction, we should continue Kṛṣṇa consciousness.\nIt is not a manufactured, false identification, but it is fact, and we have to follow great personalities like Lord Caitanya, Caitanya Mahāprabhu, who actually established the science of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇāya... As Rūpa Gosvāmī, he, he prayed Lord Caitanya:\nnamo mahā-vadānyāya\nkṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te\nkṛṣṇāya-kṛṣṇa-caitanya-\nnāmne gaura-tviṣe namaḥ\n[Cc. Madhya 19.53]\n[O most munificent incarnation! You are Kṛṣṇa Himself appearing as Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu. You have assumed the golden color of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī, and You are widely distributing pure love of Kṛṣṇa. We offer our respectful obeisances unto You.]\n\"Oh, I offer my respectful obeisances unto You, because You are so magnanimous that You are distributing the love of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa wanted, when He..., when He was present, that 'You love Me, surrender unto Me.' Sarva-dharmān parityajya [Bg. 18.66].\n[Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reaction. Do not fear.]\nNow people misunderstood. But Your process of preaching Kṛṣṇa philosophy is so nice, by the saṅkīrtana movement, that everyone can understand the Kṛṣṇa philosophy very easily. Therefore You are the most magnanimous incarnation, and I offer my respectful obeisances unto You.\"\nThank you very much. [end]",
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https://vedabase.io/en/library/pqpa/9/
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[
{
"content": "\n I received your very kind letter about a week ago.\n You are a very intelligent boy. Try to understand this philosophy. It is very important. People are wasting so much energy for sense gratification. They are not aware of what is going to happen in the next life. There is a next life, but foolish people are ignorant. This life is a preparation for the next life. That they do not know. The modern education and its universities are completely in darkness about this simple knowledge. We are changing bodies every moment – that is a medical fact. After leaving this body, we will have to accept another body. How are we going to accept that body? What kind of body? This can also be known. For example, if someone is being educated, one can understand that when he passes his examination he is going to be an engineer or medical practitioner. Similarly, in this life, you can prepare yourself to become something in the next life.\nBarbara\n [Bob’s wife]\n:\n Can we decide what we want to be in the next life?\n Yes, you can decide. We have decided that in the next life we are going to Kṛṣṇa. This is our decision – to go back home, back to Godhead. Suppose you decide that you are going to be an engineer or a medical practitioner. With that objective you prepare and educate yourself. Similarly, you can decide what you are going to do in the next life. But if you don’t decide, then the material nature will decide.",
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"content": "\n Could I have been Kṛṣṇa conscious in my last life? Is it possible that in my last life I was a Kṛṣṇa devotee and have come back again?",
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"content": "\n It doesn’t matter. But you can become a Kṛṣṇa devotee now. Take advantage of our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. When one is perfectly Kṛṣṇa conscious, he does not come back. But if there is a little deficiency, then there is a possibility of coming back. But even though there is a deficiency, he comes back to a nice family. Śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe yoga-bhraṣṭo ’bhijāyate. [“The unsuccessful yogī takes birth in a religious or aristocratic family.”] So human intelligence can decide for the future. An animal cannot. We have discriminatory power: “If I do this, I will be benefited; if I do that, I will not be benefited.” This power is there in human life. So you have to use it properly. You should know what is the goal of life and decide in that way. That is human civilization.",
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"content": "\n Have you ever seen Kṛṣṇa?",
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"content": "\n Yes.",
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"content": "\n You have?",
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"content": "\n Daily. At every moment.",
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"content": "\n But not in the material body?",
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"content": "\n He has no material body.",
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"content": "\n Well, in the temple here they have pictures of Kṛṣṇa.",
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"content": "\n That is not a material body. You are seeing materially because you have material eyes. Because you have material eyes, you cannot see the spiritual form. Therefore Kṛṣṇa kindly appears to be in a material body so that you can see Him. But because He has kindly made Himself just fit for your seeing, that does not mean He has a material body. Suppose the President of the United States kindly comes to your house. That does not mean his position and your position are the same. It is his kindness. Out of love, he may come to your house, but that does not mean he is on the same level as you. Similarly, because we cannot see Kṛṣṇa with our present eyes, He therefore appears before us as a painting, or as a form made of stone or wood. And Kṛṣṇa is not different from these paintings and wood because everything is Kṛṣṇa.",
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"content": "\n After we die, what happens to our spirit?",
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"content": "\n You get another body.",
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"content": "\n Immediately?",
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"content": "\n Yes. It is just like when you change your apartment: you fix up your new apartment first; then you leave this one and go there.",
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"content": "\n So do we know what type of body we will get?",
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"content": "\n Yes, provided you are qualified. Those who are qualified know. But for those who do not know, nature will arrange things. If you do not know, this means you have not prepared your life. So at the time of death your mentality will create another body, and nature will supply it.",
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"content": "\n If Kṛṣṇa controls everything, how does Kṛṣṇa control a nondevotee?",
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"content": "\n By māyā. Kṛṣṇa controls this world just as the government controls everything. A kingdom is controlled by the king’s departments.",
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"content": "\n And how does Kṛṣṇa control a devotee?",
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"content": "\n Just as you control your beloved. For example, if you have a beloved child, you control him for his benefit. If he is going to touch fire, you will immediately tell him, “No, no, my dear child. Don’t touch it.” So a Kṛṣṇa conscious person, a devotee, is never misled, because Kṛṣṇa is always guiding him, whereas those who are not Kṛṣṇa conscious are in the charge of māyā, and māyā will do the needful, as you have seen.",
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"content": "\n Is the time that we’ll die preset when we’re born? When I’m born, do I have a certain given life span?",
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"content": "\n Yes.",
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"content": "\n And he cannot change that?",
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"content": "\n No, he cannot change it, but Kṛṣṇa can change it.",
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"content": "\n If he commits suicide, is that also preset?",
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"content": "\n Not preset. That you can do because you have a little independence. It is not natural to commit suicide. But because we have independence, we can go from nature to “un-nature.” A prisoner cannot go out of the prison house naturally. But if somehow or other he arranges to jump over the wall and escapes, then he becomes eligible for further imprisonment. He will be arrested again, and his term of imprisonment will be increased. So, naturally we cannot violate destiny. But if we do it, then we will suffer. But our destiny can be changed by Kṛṣṇa when we are Kṛṣṇa conscious. We do not do it, but Kṛṣṇa will do it. Kṛṣṇa says, ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi: “I shall give you protection.” That change takes place for my protection.\nThere are two categories – nondevotee and devotee. The nondevotee is under the control of material nature, and the devotee is under the direct control of Kṛṣṇa. There are many employees in a big company, and they are controlled by the head of the company through different departmental superintendents. But although outside of home he controls his employees indirectly, the same man at home is controlling his children directly. But he is always a controller. \nSimilarly, God is always the controller. When one becomes a devotee, he is controlled by God; when he is a nondevotee, he is controlled by God’s agent, māyā. But one has to be controlled. For example, every citizen of America is controlled by the government. When a citizen is all right, the civil department controls him; when he is not all right, the criminal department controls him. But he cannot say, “I am not controlled.” That is not possible. Everyone is controlled. If somebody says “I am not controlled,” he is crazy. Everyone is controlled. So either you will be controlled directly by God, or you will be controlled by His agent, māyā. If you choose to be controlled by māyā, you spoil your life: you remain in material existence birth after birth, changing your bodies. But if you choose to be controlled by God, then after this body you go back home, back to Godhead. Then your life is successful. You cannot exist without being controlled; that is not possible. \nIntelligence means to choose to be controlled by Kṛṣṇa. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate. “After many births of speculating, one surrenders unto Me.” Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti. One thinks, “Kṛṣṇa, You are everything. So I have come before You. Please accept me. I am now fully surrendered unto You, so please control me. For so long I have been controlled by these rascal senses, without any benefit. Under the control of the senses I have served so-called family, society, country, nation – up to serving the dogs. But nothing has given me satisfaction. But now I have had the good sense to put myself under Your control. Instead of being controlled by dog, let me be controlled by God.” This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Have you not seen how a man is controlled by a dog? In the street the dog stops to pass stool, and his master will stand and wait. Is it not? The dog is passing stool and urine, and the man is thinking, “I am the master.” But he is being controlled by the dog! That is māyā. What do you think? Has he not become controlled by the dog?",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n That is so.",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\n But he is thinking, “I am the master of the dog.” A family man is controlled by his wife, his children, his servants, everyone, but he is thinking, “I am master.” President Nixon is thinking that he is master of his country, but he is controlled. At once he can be dismissed by the public, his servants! At election time he will take a position, claiming, “I will give you very good service,” and “I shall be a first-class servant.” Therefore people vote, “All right, you become president.” And he is advertising: “Reelect me! Reelect me!” That means he is a servant. But he is thinking, “I am the master.” That is illusion, māyā. One who is controlled by māyā thinks himself the master while he is a servant. But a devotee never thinks, “I am the master,” only “I am Kṛṣṇa’s servant.” That is mukti, liberation. A devotee is never controlled by false thoughts. He knows his position – svarūpena vyavasthitiḥ. Mukti, liberation, means to be situated in one’s own constitutional position as a servant of Kṛṣṇa. So if I know that I am a servant of Kṛṣṇa, that is my liberation. And if I think that I am the master, that is bondage. This is the difference between liberated life and conditioned life.\nSo these Kṛṣṇa conscious devotees are always thinking that they are servants of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore they are all liberated. They do not endeavor for liberation. They are already liberated because they are situated in their constitutional position. ",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n Prabhupāda, some religious people claim that Jesus is guiding them. Can this be so?",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\n Yes, but they are not taking the guidance. Jesus is guiding the Christians, telling them, “Thou shalt not kill,” but they are killing. So how are they following Jesus’ guidance? Simply saying “I am guided by Jesus Christ, but I don’t care for his words” – will that do? Is that guidance? Nobody is being guided by Jesus Christ. Their claim is false. It is very hard to find a man who is actually being guided by Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ’s guidance is available, but nobody is caring for him. They have taken Jesus Christ as contractor to take up their sins. That is their philosophy. They commit all kinds of sins, and poor Jesus Christ will be responsible. That is their religion. Therefore they say, “We have a very good religion. For all our sinful activities, Jesus Christ will die.” Is that good religion? They have no sympathy for Jesus Christ. If they did they would think, “He died for our sins. Why should we commit sins again? Such a great life has been sacrificed for our sins, so we should be guided by Jesus Christ.” But they take it otherwise: “Ah, I shall go on committing all sins, and Jesus Christ has made a contract to nullify all my sins; I’ll simply go to the church and confess and come back and again do all nonsense.” Do you think that shows very good intelligence?",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n No.",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\n One who is actually guided by Jesus Christ will certainly get liberation. But it is very hard to find a man who is actually being guided by Jesus Christ.",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n What about the “Jesus freaks,” young people who read the Bible very often?",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\n But violence is against the Bible’s injunctions. How can they kill if they are following the Bible?",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n They claim that the Bible says Jesus ate meat.",
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"content": "\n That’s all right. He may eat anything; he is powerful. But he has ordered, “Thou shalt not kill. You must stop killing.” He is powerful. He can eat the whole world. But you cannot compare yourself to Jesus Christ. You cannot imitate him; you have to abide by his order. Then you are guided by Jesus Christ. That is actual obedience. The Bhāgavatam explains that one who is an īśvara, who is empowered, can do anything, but that we cannot imitate. We have to abide by his order.\nAdmitting that Jesus ate meat, you do not know under what conditions he ate meat. He advised others not to kill, yet he himself ate meat. Do you think Jesus Christ was contradicting himself?",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n No.",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\n He cannot do that. That is real faith in him – to understand that he cannot do that. So why did he eat meat? He has his reasons why, but he has asked me not to kill. Therefore I have to follow. That is the real system. You are not Jesus Christ; you cannot imitate him. He has sacrificed his life for God. Can you do that? Why imitate Jesus Christ only by eating meat? Why not imitate Jesus Christ by sacrificing your life for spreading God consciousness? They are so-called Christians, but what are they doing for God? Consider how the sun is absorbing urine. Can you drink urine? If you want to imitate the sun and drink urine, can you? Similarly, Jesus Christ is so powerful he can do anything. But we cannot imitate; we have to simply abide by his order. That is real Christianity. It is wrong to imitate a powerful man. \nOur Vedic literature describes that once there was an ocean of poison and no one knew what to do with it. Then Lord Śiva said, “All right, I’ll drink it.” So he drank the whole poison ocean and kept it in his throat. Now, can you drink poison? Not the whole ocean, just one cup. Lord Śiva never advised that we drink poison. So you have to abide by his advice, not try to imitate him. These LSD and marijuana people say that Lord Śiva used to smoke gañjā [hashish]. But Lord Śiva drank a whole ocean of poison! Can you do that? \nIt is Lord Śiva’s instructions that should be followed, not his example of smoking gañjā. When Pārvatī asked him what method of worship is best, he said, viṣṇor ārādhanaṁ param: “The best worship is worship of Lord Viṣṇu, Kṛṣṇa.” There are many demigods, but he recommended Viṣṇu worship as the best. And better than Viṣṇu worship, he said, is worship of a Vaiṣṇava. The exact word he used is tadīyānām – “those who are related to Viṣṇu.” For instance, we worship the Tulasī plant. We do not worship all plants, but because Tulasī has a very intimate connection with Kṛṣṇa, or Viṣṇu, we worship her. Similarly, if anything is intimately related with Kṛṣṇa, worship of that thing is better than worship of Viṣṇu.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n Why is that?",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\n Because Kṛṣṇa will be pleased. Suppose you have a dog and some friend comes and pats your dog and says, “My, what a nice dog you have.” [Śrīla Prabhupāda makes big patting motions amidst general laughter.] You become pleased and think, “Oh, he is my good friend.” You see? [Some Indian guests enter the room.]\nPlease have some prasādam.\n[Śrīla Prabhupāda continues speaking with his guests, sometimes in English and sometimes in Hindi. It is his last day in New York, and his plane to London is scheduled to leave in only a few hours. Bob has brought a car to drive Śrīla Prabhupāda to Kennedy Airport. The devotees are scurrying about, bringing luggage to the car, putting the manuscripts of Śrīla Prabhupāda’s latest translating work in order, and making other last-minute arrangements.]",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n Everything’s ready, Śrīla Prabhupāda. The car is waiting for us.",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n So? We can go now? All right. Hare Kṛṣṇa!",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
https://vedabase.io/en/library/transcripts/680911bg-san-francisco/
|
[
{
"content": "\n [chants maṅgalācaraṇa prayers]\nvande 'haṁ śrī-guroḥ śrī-yuta-pada-kamalaṁ śrī-gurūn vaiṣṇavāṁś ca\nśrī-rūpaṁ sāgrajātaṁ saha-gaṇa-raghunāthānvitaṁ taṁ sa-jīvam\nsādvaitaṁ sāvadhūtaṁ parijana-sahitaṁ kṛṣṇa-caitanya-devaṁ\nśrī-rādhā-kṛṣṇa-pādān saha-gaṇa-lalitā-śrī-viśākhānvitāṁś ca\n[I offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of my spiritual master and of all the other preceptors on the path of devotional service. I offer my respectful obeisances unto all the Vaiṣṇavas and unto the six Gosvāmīs, including Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī, Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, Jīva Gosvāmī and their associates. I offer my respectful obeisances unto Śrī Advaita Ācārya Prabhu, Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and all His devotees, headed by Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura. I then offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of Lord Kṛṣṇa, Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī and all the gopīs, headed by Lalitā and Viśākhā.]\nnama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale\nśrīmate bhaktisiddhānta-sarasvatīti nāmine\n[I offer my respectful obeisances unto His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī, who is very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa, having taken shelter at His lotus feet.]\nśrī-vārṣabhānavī-devī-dayitāya kṛpābdhaye\nkṛṣṇa-sambandha-vijñāna-dāyine prabhave namaḥ\nI offer my respectful obeisances to Śrī Vārṣabhānavī-devī-dayita dāsa [another name of Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī], who is favored by Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī and who is the ocean of transcendental mercy and the deliverer of the science of Kṛṣṇa.\nmādhuryojjvala-premāḍhya-śrī-rūpānuga-bhaktida-\nśrī-gaura-karuṇā-śakti-vigrahāya namo 'stu te\n[I offer my respectful obeisances unto you, the personified energy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mercy, who delivers devotional service enriched with conjugal love of Śrī Śrī Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, coming exactly in the line of revelation of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī.]\nnamas te gaura-vāṇī-śrī-mūrtaye dīna-tāriṇe\nrūpānuga-viruddhāpasiddhānta-dhvānta-hāriṇe\n[I offer my respectful obeisances unto you, who are the personified teachings of Lord Caitanya. You are the deliverer of the fallen souls. You do not tolerate any statement against the teachings of devotional service enunciated by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī.]\nnamo gaura-kiśorāya sākṣād-vairāgya-mūrtaye\nvipralambha-rasāmbhodhe pādāmbujāya te namaḥ\n[I offer my respectful obeisances unto Śrīla Gaurakiśora dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja [the spiritual master of Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī], who is renunciation personified. He is always merged in a feeling of separation and intense love of Kṛṣṇa.]\nnamo bhaktivinodāya sac-cid-ānanda-nāmine\ngaura-śakti-svarūpāya rūpānuga-varāya te\n[I offer my respectful obeisances unto Śrīla Saccidānanda Bhaktivinoda, who is the transcendental energy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He is a strict follower of the Gosvāmīs, headed by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī.]\ngaurāvirbhāva-bhūmes tvaṁ nirdeṣṭā saj-jana-priyaḥ\nvaiṣṇava-sārvabhaumaḥ śrī-jagannāthāya te namaḥ\n[I offer my respectful obeisances to Śrīla Jagannātha dāsa Bābājī, who is respected by the entire Vaiṣṇava community and who confirmed the discovery of the place where Lord Caitanya appeared.]\nvāñchā-kalpatarubhyaś ca kṛpā-sindhubhya eva ca\npatitānāṁ pāvenebhyo vaiṣṇavebhyo namo namaḥ\n[I offer my respectful obeisances unto all the Vaiṣṇava devotees of the Lord. They are just like desire trees who can fulfill the desires of everyone, and they are full of compassion for the fallen conditioned souls.]\nnamo mahā-vadānyāya kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te\nkṛṣṇāya kṛṣṇa-caitanya-nāmne gaura-tviṣe namaḥ\n[O most munificent incarnation! You are Kṛṣṇa Himself appearing as Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu. You have assumed the golden color of Śrīmātī Rādhārāṇī, and You are widely distributing pure love of Kṛṣṇa. We offer our respectful obeisances unto You.]\npañca-tattvātmakaṁ kṛṣṇaṁ bhakta-rūpa-svarūpakam\nbhaktāvatāraṁ bhaktākhyaṁ namāmi bhakta-śaktikam\n[I offer my obeisances unto the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa, who is nondifferent from His features as a devotee, devotional manifestation, devotional incarnation, pure devotee and devotional energy.]\nhe kṛṣṇa karuṇā-sindho dīna-bandho jagat-pate\ngopeśa gopikā-kānta rādhā-kānta namo 'stu te\n[O my dear Kṛṣṇa, O ocean of mercy, O friend of the distressed and the source of creation, O master of the cowherd men and the lover of the gopīs, especially Rādhārāṇī, I offer my respectful obeisances unto You.]\njayatāṁ, suratau, paṅgor, mama, manda, mater, gate\nmat, sarvasva, padām, bhojau, rādhā, madana, mohanau\n[Sambandhādhideva Praṇāma]\n[Glory to the all-merciful Rādhā and Madana-mohana! I am lame and ill advised, yet They are my directors, and Their lotus feet are everything to me.]\ndīvyad, vṛnda, araṇya, kalpa, drumādhaḥ\nśrīmad, ratna, agāra, siṁha, asana-sthau\nśrī śrī, rādhā, śrīla, govinda, devau\npreṣṭhā, devī, sevya, mānau, smarāmi\n[Abhidheyādhideva Praṇāma]\n[In a temple of jewels in Vṛndāvana, underneath a desire tree, Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Govinda, served by Their most confidential associates, sit upon an effulgent throne. I offer my most humble obeisances unto Them.]\nśrīmān rāsa-rasārambhī vaṁśī-vaṭa-taṭa-sthitaḥ\nkarṣan veṇu-svanair gopīr gopīnāthaḥ śriye 'stu naḥ\n[Śrī Śrīla Gopīnātha, who originated the transcendental mellow of the rāsa dance, stands on the shore in Vaṁśīvaṭa and attracts the attention of the cowherd damsels with the sound of His celebrated flute. May they all confer upon us their benediction.]\ntapta-kāñcana-gaurāṅgi rādhe vṛndāvaneśvari\nvṛṣabhānu-sute devī praṇamāmi hari-priye\n[I offer my respects to Rādhārāṇī, whose bodily complexion is like molten gold and who is the Queen of Vṛndāvana. You are the daughter of King Vṛṣabhānu, and You are very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa.]\nhare kṛṣṇa hare kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa hare hare\nhare rāma hare rāma rāma rāma hare hare\n[My dear Lord, and the spiritual energy of the Lord, kindly engage me in Your service. I am now embarrassed with this material service. Please engage me in Your service.]\n[break]\n[09:58]\nIt is not working? [referring to microphone]",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n [indistinct] [indistinct comments by devotees about microphone]",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\nA little bit.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n [indistinct]",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\nWhy? Why does it not work?",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n I don't know.",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n[indistinct] [whispering by devotees]",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n It works a little bit, Swāmījī.",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n\njñānaṁ te 'haṁ sa-vijñānam\nidaṁ vakṣyāmy aśeṣataḥ\nyaj jñātvā neha bhūyo anyaj\njñātavyam avaśiṣyate\n[Bg. 7.2]\n[I shall now declare unto you in full this knowledge both phenomenal and noumenal, by knowing which there shall remain nothing further to be known.]\nWe have been discussing this verse, what is knowledge. Knowledge means how this universe is working, what is the working force, what is the energy. Just like scientist, they are searching out different energies. Just like this earth is floating on weightlessness. Such a huge mass of material body with so many mountains, so many seas, oceans, skyscraper houses, cities, towns, countries, it is floating just like a swab, cotton swab, in the air. So if one understands how it is floating, that is knowledge.\nSo Kṛṣṇa consciousness means to have all kinds of knowledge. Not that we Kṛṣṇa conscious people are being carried away by some sentiment. No. We have got philosophy, science, theology, ethics, morality, everything—everything that is required to be known in human form of life. So Kṛṣṇa says that \"I'll speak to you all about knowledge.\"\nSo this is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. A Kṛṣṇa consciousness..., a Kṛṣṇa conscious person should not be fool. If he is required to explain how these universal planets are floating, how this human body is rotating, how many species of life, how they are being evolved... These are all scientific knowledge—physics, botanics, chemistry, astronomy, everything. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, yaj jñātvā: if you understand this knowledge, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then you'll have nothing to know. That means you'll have complete knowledge. We are hankering after knowledge, but if we are in knowledge of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and if we know Kṛṣṇa, then all knowledge is included.\nSo tac-chakti viṣaya vivikta-svarūpa viṣayakaṁ jñānam. You'll have full knowledge about the constitutional position of yourself, this material world, the spiritual world, God, our interrelationship, time, space, everything. There are many things to be known, but the principal thing is that the God, the living entities, time, work and this material energy. These five things are to be known.\nYou cannot deny, that \"There is no God.\" God is controller, supreme controller. You cannot say that you are not controlled. There is controller. Just like in the state, you cannot say there is no controller. There is controller. In every street, in every house, there is control, government control. Suppose this store, here is also government control. You have to build store like this, you cannot live. If it is residential house, \"The fire arrangement should be like this.\" There is control. Even you walk in the street, you drive your car, there is control: \"Keep to the right.\" You cannot cross where there is written \"Stop.\" You have to stop. So in every way, you are under control.\nSo there is a controller. And the supreme controller is Kṛṣṇa. There is one controller over another controller. If you go on searching out who is the ultimate controller, then you'll find Kṛṣṇa. Sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam [Bs. 5.1].\n[Kṛṣṇa who is known as Govinda is the Supreme Godhead. He has an eternal blissful spiritual body. He is the origin of all. He has no other origin and He is the prime cause of all causes.]\nThe Brahma-saṁhitā affirms, īśvaraḥ paramaḥ, the supreme controller is Kṛṣṇa. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ [Bs. 5.1]. Īśvaraḥ means controller. So we have to get knowledge of this controller, how He is controlling.\n[child making noises] [aside:] It is disturbing.\nSo jñānaṁ vijñānaṁ te sahitam. Not only to know the controller, but to know how He is controlling, how many energies the controller has got and how He is one controlling—that is vijñānam. So jñānaṁ vijñānaṁ te nate tubhyāṁ prapannāya aśeṣataḥ.\nNow this knowledge can be understood by a person who has made relationship with Kṛṣṇa and is a surrendered soul. Without being surrendered, it is very difficult to understand the controller and the energies, how He is controlling everything. Tubhyāṁ prapannāya aśeṣataḥ samagreṇa upadekṣyāmi. This is the condition. You will find in the later chapters that Kṛṣṇa says, nāhaṁ prakāśaḥ sarvasya [Bg. 7.25].\n[I am never manifest to the foolish and unintelligent. For them I am covered by My eternal creative potency [yoga-māyā]; and so the deluded world knows Me not, who am unborn and infallible.]\nJust like if you enter into any educational institution, if you don't surrender yourself to the rules and regulation of the institution, how you can get advantage of the knowledge imparted by the institution?\nEverywhere, wherever you want to receive something, you have to be controlled or you have to be surrendered to the rules and regulation. Just like in our class we are imparting some lessons from the Bhagavad-gītā, and if you do not follow the rules and regulation of this class, it is not possible to receive the knowledge.\nSimilarly, the full knowledge of the controller and the process of controlling can be understood when one is surrendered like Arjuna to Kṛṣṇa. Unless one is surrendered soul, it is not possible. You always remember that Kṛṣṇa, er, Arjuna surrendered himself to Kṛṣṇa. Śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ prapannam [Bg. 2.7].\n[Now I am confused about my duty and have lost all composure because of weakness. In this condition I am asking You to tell me clearly what is best for me. Now I am Your disciple, and a soul surrendered unto You. Please instruct me.]\nSo therefore Kṛṣṇa is also speaking to him.\nActually, these discussions of scripture is not to be acted unless there is relationship between the speaker and the audience. So audience means the disciples. Disciple means who accept the discipline. Śiṣya. Śiṣya. The exact Sanskrit word is śiṣya. A śiṣya means... There is a verb, Sanskrit verb, which is called śas. Śas means controlling. From śas, the \"śāstra\" comes. Śāstra means controlling books. And from śas, śastra. Śastra means weapons. When argument fails, reason fails... Just like the state controls.\nFirst of all they give you the laws. If you break the laws, if you don't follow the regulation books, means śāstra, then next step is śastra. Śastra means weapons. If you don't follow the regulation of the government, \"Keep to the right,\" then there is police batons—śastra. You have to be controlled. If you are gentleman, then you be controlled under the instruction of the śāstra. And if you are defying, then there is trident of Durgādevī.\nYou have seen Durgādevī, the picture, trident, threefold miseries. You cannot, I mean to say, violate any rules and regulations; as of the state, similarly of the supreme state, Kṛṣṇa. It is not possible. Just take for example there are some health rules. If we eat more, then you will be controlled by some disease. You'll have indigestion, and the doctor will advise you not to eat three days.\nSo there is control—by nature. Nature means God's law. Automatically working. Foolish people do not see God's law, but there is God's law. The sun is rising just exactly in the time, the moon is rising exactly in the time. The first year, first January, has come exactly in time. So there is control. But foolish people, they do not see it. Everything is controlled.\nSo to know God and how things are working and how it is being controlled, these things are to be known. We should not go simply by sentiment. Religious sentiment is good for persons who follow blindly. But at the present moment, people are advanced in so-called education. So Bhagavad-gītā gives you full information so that you can accept God with your reason, with your argument, with your knowledge. It is not blind following. Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not a sentiment. It is backed by knowledge and practical knowledge. Vijñānam. Jñānaṁ vijñāna sahitam. So without vijñāna sahitam...\nAnd the process is, to understand this knowledge, is to be a surrendered soul. Therefore we disciple... Disciple means one who accepts the discipline. Without accepting discipline, we cannot make any progress. It is not possible. Any field of knowledge, any field of activities, if you want to be aware, scientifically and factually, then you should accept the controlling principle. Samagreṇa vakṣ ya svarūpaṁ sarvokaraṁ yatra dhiyaṁ tad ubhaya-viṣayakaṁ jñānaṁ vyaktum.\nNow here, in this chapter, this is explicitly explained, that who is the supreme worshipable object. We are worshiping. According to our capacity, we are worshiping somebody. At least we are worshiping our boss. Suppose I work in an office or in a factory, I have to worship the boss, I have to abide by his order. So everyone is worshiping. Now who is the supreme worshipable object, Kṛṣṇa, how He is supreme worshipable object, that is explained in this chapter. Ya svarūpaṁ sarva karaṁ ca yac ca dhiyāṁ tad ubhaya-viṣayakaṁ jñānaṁ vyaktum atra bhakti-pratijñānam.\nTherefore if we understand that here is the supreme controller, here is the supreme worshipable object, then the problems of our life is solved at once. We are searching after. Just the other day I told you one story that one Muhammadan devotee, he wanted to serve the greatest. He was serving the Nawab, then he went to the emperor, Barsa, then from emperor to Haridāsa, a saintly person, and from Haridāsa he was promoted to worship Kṛṣṇa in Vṛndāvana.\nSo we should be inquisitive, intelligent enough. We are serving. Everyone, we are serving; at least we are serving our senses. Everyone, practically, they are not serving any boss or any master, they are serving their senses. Suppose if I am serving somebody as my boss, actually I am not serving his money..., serving his person; I am serving his money.\nIf he says, \"Tomorrow you have to work free. You are getting twenty dollars a day now. Tomorrow I have no money. You will have to work free,\" \"Ah, no, no, sir. I'm not coming. Because I am not serving you; I am serving your money.\" So actually we are serving money. Any why you are serving money? Because with the money we can satisfy our senses. Without money, we cannot satisfy our these informidable senses. If I want to drink, if I want to enjoy such and such things, then I require money. Therefore ultimately I am serving my senses.\nTherefore Kṛṣṇa is called Govinda. We ultimately want our sense satisfaction, and go means senses. Here is the person, Supreme Personality of Godhead. If you serve Kṛṣṇa, then your senses become satisfied. Therefore His name is Govinda. Actually, we want to serve our senses, but the real senses, the transcendental senses, is Kṛṣṇa, Govinda. Therefore bhakti, devotional service, means purifying the senses, to be employed in the service of the supreme pure. The Lord is supreme pure. In the Bhagavad-gītā, in the Tenth Chapter, you'll find that Kṛṣṇa is described by Arjuna pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān [Bg. 10.12]: \"You are the supreme pure.\"\n[Arjuna said: You are the Supreme Brahman, the ultimate, the supreme abode and purifier, the Absolute Truth and the eternal divine person. You are the primal God, transcendental and original, and You are the unborn and all-pervading beauty. All the great sages such as Nārada, Asita, Devala, and Vyāsa proclaim this of You, and now You Yourself are declaring it to me.]\nSo if we want to serve the senses of the supreme pure, then we have to become pure also. Because without... Being pure means spiritual. Spiritual life means pure life, and material life means contaminated life. Just like we have got this body, material body. This is impure body.\nTherefore we suffer from disease, we suffer from old age, we suffer for birth, we suffer for death. And in our actual, pure form, spiritual form, there is no such suffering. There is no birth, there is no death, there is no disease and there is no old age. In the Bhagavad-gītā you have read it, nityaḥ śāśvato 'yaṁ na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre [Bg. 2.20]. \n[For the soul there is never birth nor death. Nor, having once been, does he ever cease to be. He is unborn, eternal, ever-existing, undying and primeval. He is not slain when the body is slain.]\nNitya. Although I am the oldest, because I am changing my body... I am, as soul, pure. I have no birth, I have no death, but I am simply changing body. Therefore I am the oldest. So although I am the oldest, I have got my new spirit. I am always fresh. This is my position.\nSo the Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or devotional service, means purifying the senses. That's all. We haven't got to eradicate, get out of the sensual activities. No. We have simply to purify the senses. How you can get out of the senses? Because you are living entity, the senses are there. But the thing is that at the present moment, because we are materially contaminated, our senses are not getting full enjoyment. This is most scientific.\nSo devotional service means purifying the senses. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. \n[“’Bhakti, or devotional service, means engaging all our senses in the service of the Lord, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the master of all the senses. When the spirit soul renders service unto the Supreme, there are two side effects. One is freed from all material designations, and one’s senses are purified simply by being employed in the service of the Lord.’]\nNirmalam means purification. How you can purify your senses? That is defined in Nārada-bhakti-sūtra. It is said that sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam. Purification of the sense means you have to be free from all kinds of designation. Our life is full of designation. Just like I am thinking \"I am Indian,\" I am thinking \"I am sannyāsī,\" you are thinking you are American, you are thinking \"man,\" you are thinking \"woman,\" you are thinking \"white,\" you are thinking \"black.\" So many designation. These are all designation.\nSo purifying the senses means to purify the designation. And Kṛṣṇa consciousness means that \"I am neither Indian nor European nor American nor this nor that. I am eternally related with Kṛṣṇa. I am the part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa.\" When we are fully convinced that \"I am part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa,\" that is Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and that is purification of your senses.\nSo as part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, you have to serve Kṛṣṇa. That is your pleasure. Now we are trying to satisfy our senses, our material senses. When you become..., realize yourself that you are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, then you'll satisfy the senses of Kṛṣṇa, Govinda. And by satisfying His senses, your senses will be satisfied. Just like crude example—this is not, I mean, spiritual—just like husband is understood as the enjoyer and the wife is considered as the enjoyed. But if the wife satisfies the senses of the husband, his [her] senses also satisfied.\nSimilarly, just like you have got some itching on the body, and the part of your body, the fingers, itches on that body, the satisfaction also felt by the fingers also. Not that the particular part only is feeling the sensation of satisfaction, but the whole body is feeling this satisfaction sense. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa being the full, when you satisfy Kṛṣṇa, sense of Kṛṣṇa, Govinda, then the satisfaction of the whole universe takes place. This is the science. yasmin tuṣṭe jagat tuṣṭam. \n[If the Supreme Personality of Godhead is satisfied, everyone is satisfied.]\nThe another example is just like if you satisfy the stomach in your body, then the whole body is satisfied. The stomach will issue such energy by digestion of the foodstuff that it will transform into blood, it will come into the heart, and from the heart it will be diffused all over the body, and all over the body the depression, the exhaustion which has undergone, that will be satisfied.\nSo this is the process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is the science of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And Kṛṣṇa is explaining personally. So yaj jñātvā, if we understand the science of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then there will be nothing unknown. Everything will be known. It is such a nice thing. Yaj jñātvā neha bhūyo 'nyaj jñātavyam avaśiṣyate [Bg. 7.2]. Bhūyo means no more to understand anything. Everything is completely known.\nThen the question may be why people do not understand Kṛṣṇa. That is, of course, a relevant question, and that is being answered by Kṛṣṇa in the next verse:\nmanuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu\nkaścid yatati siddhaye\nyatatām api siddhānāṁ\nkaścin māṁ vetti tattvataḥ\n[Bg. 7.3]\n[Out of many thousands among men, one may endeavor for perfection, and of those who have achieved perfection, hardly one knows Me in truth.]\nManuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu. There are different kinds of men. Just like we know, everyone, on this planet only, apart from other planets, there are hundreds and thousands varieties of men. Even here we are sitting, so many ladies and gentlemen, there are different varieties. And if you go outside, there are different varieties. If you go to another country—India, Japan, China—you'll find different. Therefore it is said, manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu [Bg. 7.3], out of many, many different varieties of men, kaścid yatati siddhaye, only a few person decide to understand the philosophy of life.\nBecause man is rational animal. Man is rational. Man is animal, but rational animal. The special gift to man is that he can decide what is good, what is bad. He has got an extra knowledge than the animals. So at the present moment the education system is so bad that it is practically animal education. Animal education means when at the present moment the education system is so bad that it is practically animal education. Animal education means when we are too much interested with eating, sleeping, mating and defending, that is animal education.\nEating, sleeping, mating and defending, oh, you'll find in animals. There is no distinction. They have got their own defending measures, they have got their own sleeping measure, they have got their own mating measure. You are mating with your wife in a secluded place, in nice room, in a decorated room, but a dog is mating on the street, but the result is the same. So to improve the method of mating is not advancement of civilization. That is animal civilization polished, that's all. The animal also, the dog can also defend from other dogs. And if you think that you have discovered atomic energy to defend yourself, oh, that is not advancement of human civilization. The defending measure, that's all.\nSimilarly, you go on analyzing. The analysis of man is perfect when he is searching after his constitutional position: \"What I am? What I am? Am I this body? Why I have come to this world?\" This inquisitiveness required. That is the special prerogative of human being. Therefore as soon as one begins to inquire \"What I am?\" and if he goes on searching after this, then he will come to God.\nBecause he is part and parcel of God. He is sample of God. Therefore manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu [Bg. 7.3]: out of many, many thousand varieties of men, one, or say a few persons, may be interested to know God. Not only know... Not to know God, just to know himself. And if he actually wants to know himself, then gradually he will come to God.\nSo,\nmanuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu\nkaścid yatati siddhaye\nyatatām api siddhānāṁ\nkaścin vetti māṁ tattvataḥ\n[Bg. 7.3]\n[Out of many thousands among men, one may endeavor for perfection, and of those who have achieved perfection, hardly one knows Me in truth.]\nHere it is said that manuṣyas teṣāṁ śāstra 'dhikara yajñānāṁ sahasra-madhye. Now, what I am, what is God, what is this material world, how it is working, these things are business of an educated man. A foolish man cannot take. Therefore śāstra adhikāra. Śāstra means one has got some knowledge in the śāstras, in the books of knowledge. As soon as we find out one who has got books of knowledge, knowledge in books, of śāstra, the quantity will be at once reduced.\nIn this quarter if you find out how many noneducated people are there, oh, you'll find many. And as soon as you want to find out how many M.A.'s are there, at once the number will be reduced. Similarly, there are many men, but if you want to search out some man who is trying to make perfection of his life, at once the number will be reduced. And out of them... Just like so many transcendentalists, svāmīs, yogīs, there are. If you count amongst them who wants to understand God, who has got the knowledge of God, at once the number will be reduced. Again.\nTherefore Kṛṣṇa says that out of many, many thousands of people, somebody is interested for making perfection of his life. And out of many, many thousands of men who are actually trying to make perfection of their life, you'll find somebody—or you may not find out—who knows God, or Kṛṣṇa. But Kṛṣṇa is so kind that He comes Himself to be known by everyone. And He's so kind also that before His departure from this material world, He leaves behind Him this Bhagavad-gītā so that you can know from His personal talks what is God.\nSo if you read Bhagavad-gītā rightly, as it is spoken by Kṛṣṇa, not foolishly interpreting nonsensically, but as it is, as it is... Call the spade a spade. Kṛṣṇa says that \"I am the Supreme Personality of Godhead.\" Don't interpret this version with your foolish interpretation, but accept Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And by His acts, by His śāstric knowledge, wisdom... Everyone accepted previously, all the ācāryas. So we have to follow the footprints of the ācāryas. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ [Cc. Madhya 17.186].\n[Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu continued, “’Dry arguments are inconclusive. A great personality whose opinion does not differ from others is not considered a great sage. Simply by studying the Vedas, which are variegated, one cannot come to the right path by which religious principles are understood. The solid truth of religious principles is hidden in the heart of an unadulterated, self-realized person. Consequently, as the śāstras confirm, one should accept whatever progressive path the mahājanas advocate.’”]\nWe cannot understand higher things unless we follow the footprints of great personalities. Just like even in the scientific world, the law of gravitation. You do not know anything about law of gravitation, but Sir Isaac Newton, he says that there is law of gravitation, you accept it. That's all. That means you follow a great personality.\nSo similarly, Kṛṣṇa should be accepted the Supreme Personality of Godhead not by whims. But He has been accepted like..., by personalities like Lord Caitanya, Rāmānujācārya, Śaṅkarācārya, great personalities who are guiding the destiny of spiritual world. Therefore you have to accept in that way.\nSo we shall discuss next... Quarter past eight?",
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"content": "\n Yes.",
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"content": "\n If there is any question, you can put.",
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"content": "\n Swāmī? You say that Kṛṣṇa consciousness is a system of purifying the senses. Does that mean that the senses become unlimited? Do the senses become unlimited when they're finally purified?",
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"content": "\n There is no question of unlimited, but at least it becomes purified. First of all purify; then the limit of senses will be also extended. Just like if your eye is defective. So you cannot see; you require the help of glass. But if the disease of your eye is cured, oh, you can see without glass.\nBut that does not mean that you can see for hundred miles. But at least you can see perfectly. You don't require the help of glass. Similarly, so long your senses are impure, you are completely in ignorance, you do not know what you are, what is this world, what is God—simply in darkness. Just like dull stone. Ignorance means dull stone.\nSo if your senses are purified, at least you can know who is God, what you are, what is this world, what is your relationship. These things will be revealed. Not that you can become the supreme controller. No. That is not possible. Purifying the senses means at least you can know your self, you know the controller, know the controlling system. These things will be revealed.",
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"content": "\n I have a question. If one wanted to redistribute Kṛṣṇa's property by taking from the rich and giving to the poor, and in doing so all you'd have to do is make maybe one or two false statements... Is this...",
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"content": "\n Why you are anxious to take rich man's property?",
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"content": "\n Pardon?",
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"content": "\n Why you are so much anxious to take rich man's property? [laughter]",
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"content": "\n It belongs to the state. It's unemployment insurance.",
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"content": "\n Unemployment insurance company has ordered you to take the state...?",
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"content": "\n I could get this, you see, if I would make a few false statements that I was looking for work when I have not been looking for work.",
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"content": "\n Well, one who is making false statement, he'll suffer for that.",
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"content": "\n Even if...",
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"content": "\n Yes.",
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"content": "\n Even if it's for a good cause?",
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"content": "\n You should not be anxious to anything which is not ordered by Kṛṣṇa. That is your Kṛṣṇa consciousness. You don't manufacture your activities. Then you'll be entangled.\nYes?",
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"content": "\n Swāmī, would you initiate me?",
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"content": "\n Will you follow the rules? Thank you. I shall do. [laughter]",
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"content": "\n Jaya Śrī Kṛṣṇa.",
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"content": "\nYes?",
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"content": "\n Swāmī, spiritual energy is situated in the heart as localized Paramātmā. Is this also Kṛṣṇa's personal feature?",
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"content": "\n Yes. Paramātmā is also personal. Everything is personal. Paramātmā is described as four-handed Nārāyaṇa with śaṇkha, cakra, gadā, padma, with, I mean to say, ornaments. That is the feature of Paramātmā. You have seen the Viṣṇu-mūrti. That is Paramātmā.\nThis voidness is an imagination, voidness. Actually God or Paramātmā or Kṛṣṇa, They are all sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha, transcendental forms. They are not material forms. Transcendental forms. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ [Bs. 5.1]. Vigraha means form.\n[Kṛṣṇa who is known as Govinda is the Supreme Godhead. He has an eternal blissful spiritual body. He is the origin of all. He has no other origin and He is the prime cause of all causes.]\nIf we, part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, we have got individuality, forms, how we can say that the Supreme has no form, no individuality? He has got complete individuality. And that is confirmed in the Vedas: nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām [Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13].\n[The Supreme Lord is eternal and the living beings are eternal. The Supreme Lord is cognizant and the living beings are cognizant. The difference is that the Supreme Lord is supplying all the necessities of life for the many other living entities.]\nHe is the supreme living entity of all living entities. Just like we are living entities, but He is the Supreme. That's all. He is also living entity. Nityo nityā..., cetanaś cetanānām. The difference is eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. That one single... There are plural number and singular number. That singular number one is providing the necessities of other singular number..., plural number living entities. That is the difference.\nHe is the maintainer, He is the predominator, He is the controller, and we are controlled, we are predominated, and we are maintained. That is the difference between me and God. Otherwise, He is a living being just like us. He is more powerful: the most powerful, the most beautiful, the most famous, the most strong, and we are all subordinate.\nTherefore His name is Asamordhva. Asamordhva means nobody is equal or greater than Him. Everyone is subordinate to Him. And in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate [Bg. 10.8]:\n[I am the source of all spiritual and material worlds. Everything emanates from Me. The wise who know this perfectly engage in My devotional service and worship Me with all their hearts.]\n\"I am the origin of everything.\" Janmādy asya yataḥ [SB 1.1.1].\n[O my Lord, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, son of Vasudeva, O all-pervading Personality of Godhead, I offer my respectful obeisances unto You. I meditate upon Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa because He is the Absolute Truth and the primeval cause of all causes of the creation, sustenance and destruction of the manifested universes. He is directly and indirectly conscious of all manifestations, and He is independent because there is no other cause beyond Him. It is He only who first imparted the Vedic knowledge unto the heart of Brahmājī, the original living being. By Him even the great sages and demigods are placed into illusion, as one is bewildered by the illusory representations of water seen in fire, or land seen on water. Only because of Him do the material universes, temporarily manifested by the reactions of the three modes of nature, appear factual, although they are unreal. I therefore meditate upon Him, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who is eternally existent in the transcendental abode, which is forever free from the illusory representations of the material world. I meditate upon Him, for He is the Absolute Truth.]\nThese things are there in Vedic literature. Yes?",
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"content": "\n Swāmījī, it says in the Gītā that when Kṛṣṇa comes, He comes to achieve a certain mission and then He leaves.",
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"content": "\n Hmm?",
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"content": "\n It says in the Gītā when Kṛṣṇa... He comes to achieve a certain mission and then He leaves. In the Bhāgavatam it says that at the disappearance of Lord Kṛṣṇa everything fell down, everyone was dejected, and Arjuna was crying, in such... Well, if He comes to achieve a certain mission and then when He leaves it all falls down again...",
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"content": "\n Not immediately. Just like here the nature is working in that way. You build a very nice house. Gradually, the nature's course is it will become old and you'll fall down. This is the way of nature here. You cannot keep anything fresh always. So, so long Kṛṣṇa, or God, is present, or His representative is present, the affairs of the world go very nicely. But as soon as they disappear, again the same system begins, dwindling. Begins... By the power...\nJust like so long the sun is there, there is no darkness, but as soon as the sun is away from your sight, at once the darkness comes. Because the whole atmosphere is darkness. It is by artificial means or by arrangement of God we are keeping it light. This room, if at once the electric fails, oh, it will be dark, because its nature is darkness. Its nature is darkness. Therefore Vedas says, \"Don't keep yourself in this darkness. Just get out of this. Come to the light.\" Tamasi ma jyotir gama [Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad 1.3.28]. \"Just come to the light.\" That is spiritual kingdom.\n[Lead me from untruth to truth! Lead me from darkness to light! Lead me from death to immortality.]\nSo Kṛṣṇa comes to give you information of that spiritual kingdom, that \"Life is like this.\" Just like Kṛṣṇa displayed at Vṛndāvana. Everyone is happy, enjoying. So He displays the spiritual life to attract you. So our business should be to be attracted by Him and prepare ourself to go back to Godhead, go back to home. Not that because Kṛṣṇa came here, He has left some instruction, we shall stick here.\nYou must give up this idea. Kṛṣṇa gives you opportunity how you can live peacefully here. But that does not mean that you make your permanent settlement here. Then you are doomed. You take the advantage of Kṛṣṇa's instruction and prepare yourself so that tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti [Bg. 4.9]:\n[One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and activities does not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in this material world, but attains My eternal abode, O Arjuna.]\nAfter leaving this body, no more coming here. Bās. You go. You are transferred to Kṛṣṇaloka.\nWe should prepare in that way. That is the solution of problem. Otherwise, if you want to live in this material world, that is nature is like that. Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate [Bg. 8.19].\n[Again and again the day comes, and this host of beings is active; and again the night falls, O Pārtha, and they are helplessly dissolved.]\nIt is manifested at a certain period, again it is destroyed. And there is destroying, I mean to say, process. So Kṛṣṇa comes, He sets right everything. But the nature of this world is like that. It becomes again deteriorated. Deteriorated.\nSo? Let us have saṅkīrtana. Govinda jaya jaya gopāla jaya jaya.\nLet that girl come here. Come on, come on.\n[59:40]\n[kīrtana] [end]",
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https://vedabase.io/en/library/transcripts/681023sb-montreal/
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[
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"content": "\n...there is some meeting here?",
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"content": "\n Meeting here? Yes. Only one of the six members of the [indistinct] showed up.",
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"content": "\nOnly...",
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"content": "\nOne or two.\n[devotees testing microphone] [indistinct background conversation]",
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"content": "\n They have come here to become technologist. They have lost all interest of this..., in original Vedic culture.\nom ajñāna-timirāndhasya\njñānāñjana-śalākayā\ncakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena\ntasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ\n[I offer my respectful obeisances unto my spiritual master who, with the torchlight of knowledge, has opened my eyes, which were blinded by the darkness of ignorance.]\nśrī-caitanya-mano-'bhīṣṭaṁ\nsthāpitaṁ yena bhū-tale\nsvayaṁ rūpaḥ kadā mahyaṁ\ndadāti sva-padāntikam\n[When will Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī Prabhupāda, who has established within this material world the mission to fulfill the desire of Lord Caitanya, give me shelter under his lotus feet?]\nvande 'haṁ śrī-guroḥ śrī-yuta-pada-kamalaṁ śrī-gurūn vaiṣṇavāṁś ca\nśrī-rūpaṁ sāgrajātaṁ saha-gaṇa-raghunāthānvitaṁ taṁ sa-jīvam\nsādvaitaṁ sāvadhūtaṁ parijana-sahitaṁ kṛṣṇa-caitanya-devaṁ\nśrī-rādhā-kṛṣṇa-pādān saha-gaṇa-lalitā-śrī-viśākhānvitāṁś ca\n[I offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of my spiritual master and of all the other preceptors on the path of devotional service. I offer my respectful obeisances unto all the Vaiṣṇavas and unto the six Gosvāmīs, including Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī, Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, Jīva Gosvāmī and their associates. I offer my respectful obeisances unto Śrī Advaita Ācārya Prabhu, Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and all His devotees, headed by Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura. I then offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of Lord Kṛṣṇa, Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī and all the gopīs, headed by Lalitā and Viśākhā.]\nhe kṛṣṇa karuṇā-sindho\ndīna-bandho jagat-pate\ngopeśa gopikā-kānta\nrādhā-kānta namo 'stu te\n[O my dear Kṛṣṇa, ocean of mercy, You are the friend of the distressed and the source of creation. You are the master of the cowherd men and the lover of the gopīs, especially Rādhārāṇī. I offer my respectful obeisances unto You.]\ntapta-kāñcana-gaurāṅgi\nrādhe vṛndāvaneśvari\nvṛṣabhānu-sute devi\npraṇamāmi hari-priye\n[I offer my respects to Rādhārāṇī, whose bodily complexion is like molten gold and who is the Queen of Vṛndāvana. You are the daughter of King Vṛṣabhānu, and You are very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa.]\nhare kṛṣṇa hare kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa hare hare\nhare rāma hare rāma rāma rāma hare hare\n[My dear Lord, and the spiritual energy of the Lord, kindly engage me in Your service. I am now embarrassed with this material service. Please engage me in Your service.]\nśrotavyādīni rājendra\nnṛṇāṁ santi sahasraśaḥ\napaśyatām ātma-tattvaṁ\ngṛheṣu gṛha-medhinām\n[SB 2.1.2]\n[Those persons who are materially engrossed, being blind to the knowledge of ultimate truth, have many subject matters for hearing in human society, O Emperor.]\nThe same subject matter, that those who are too much attached in the family affairs, gṛheṣu gṛha-medhinām. Gṛhamedhī means one who has made his center of activity home. He is called gṛhamedhī. There are two words. One word is gṛhastha, and one word is gṛhamedhī. What is the significance of these two words? Gṛhastha means one... Not only gṛhastha. It is called gṛhastha-āśrama.\nWhenever we speak of āśrama, it has got spiritual relationship. So all these four divisions of social orders—brahmacārī-āśrama, gṛhastha-āśrama, vānaprastha-āśrama, sannyāsa-āśrama... Āśrama. Āśrama means... Whenever... Āśrama, this word, has become little popular in your country also. Āśrama means situation for spiritual cultivation.\nGenerally, we mean that. And here also, there are so many yoga-āśrama. I have seen in New York so many āśramas: \"New York Yoga Ashrama,\" \"Yoga Society,\" like that. Āśrama means it has got a spiritual connection. It doesn't matter whether a man... Gṛhastha means living with family, wife and children.\nSo to remain with family and children is no disqualification for spiritual advancement of life. That is not a disqualification, because after all, one has to take his birth from the father and mother. So all great ācāryas, great spiritual leaders, after all, they have come from father and mother.\nSo without combination of father and mother, even there is no possibility of begetting a great soul. There are many instances of great souls like Śaṅkarācārya, Lord Jesus Christ, Rāmānujācārya. Even they had no very high hereditary title, still, they came out from the gṛhasthas, father and mother.\nSo gṛhastha, or the householder life, is not disqualification. We should not think it that only the brahmacārīs or the sannyāsīs, they can elevate to the spiritual platform, whereas those who are living with wife and children, they cannot. No. Caitanya Mahāprabhu has clearly stated in Caitanya-caritāmṛta that,\nkibā vipra, kibā śūdra, nyāsī kene naya\nyei kṛṣṇa-tattva-vettā sei 'guru' haya\n[Cc. Madhya 8.128]\n[“Whether one is a brāhmaṇa, a sannyāsī or a śūdra—regardless of what he is—he can become a spiritual master if he knows the science of Kṛṣṇa.”]\nCaitanya Mahāprabhu said, \"It doesn't matter whether a person is gṛhastha or a sannyāsī or a brāhmaṇa or not brāhmaṇa. It doesn't matter. Simply if one is Kṛṣṇa conscious, if he is elevated in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then he is just,\" I mean to say, \"eligible to become the spiritual master.\" Yei kṛṣṇa-tattva-vettā sei guru haya [Cc. Madhya 8.128]. \nTattva-vettā means one who knows about the science of Kṛṣṇa. That means fully Kṛṣṇa conscious. Sei guru haya. Sei means \"he.\" Guru means \"spiritual master.\" He doesn't say that \"One has to become a sannyāsī or a brahmacārī. Then he can...\" No.\nBut here the word is used gṛhamedhī, not gṛhastha. Gṛhastha is not condemned. If one lives in regulative principle with wife and children, so that is not disqualification. But gṛhamedhī, gṛhamedhī means he has no higher ideas or higher understanding of spiritual life. Simply living with wife and children like cats and dogs, he is called gṛhamedhī. That is the difference between these two words, gṛhamedhī and gṛhastha.\nSo Śukadeva Gosvāmī said that gṛheṣu gṛha-medhinām. \"One who does not know anything about this family life or sex life\"—family life, they have taken it as sex life, that's all—\"so they have many things to hear.\" Śrotavyādīni rājendra nṛṇāṁ santi sahasraśaḥ [SB 2.1.2]. \n[Those persons who are materially engrossed, being blind to the knowledge of ultimate truth, have many subject matters for hearing in human society, O Emperor.]\nActually, you see. People are reading so many newspapers. In big country, big cities, there are big, big volumes of newspaper, magazines. They are very much eager to learn or to hear about the current news. So hearing means śrotavyādi.\nSo there are volumes of volumes' literature, magazines, newspapers, they are hearing. But when you say, \"Please come here. We are reciting Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Please hear,\" they will not come. They will not come. This minus. When you speak of God, then they are not ready to hear.\nBut if you speak of dog, that \"Here is a dog's medicine. You can maintain a dog like this, and a dog can become fatty like this,\" oh, it is very scientific [indistinct]. You see? So they are called gṛhamedhīs. So they have got many subject matter to hear, but they are not agreeable to hear only one thing—about God.\nWhy? Now, apaśyatām ātma-tattvam [SB 2.1.2]: \"They do not know what is self-realization.\" Apaśyatām, cannot see; their vision is very poor. Why? They are thinking this body as self; therefore they are very poorly thoughtful. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, in another place, it is stated, yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke [SB 10.84.13].\n[One who identifies his self as the inert body composed of mucus, bile and air, who assumes his wife and family are permanently his own, who thinks an earthen image or the land of his birth is worshipable, or who sees a place of pilgrimage as merely the water there, but who never identifies himself with, feels kinship with, worships or even visits those who are wise in spiritual truth—such a person is no better than a cow or an ass.]\nEvery day we are experiencing that \"I am not this body. The body is growing. I am still there.\" There are so many instances. But we cannot understand that we are not this body. Apaśyatām ātma-tattvam. Ātmā means, the ātmā... There are various meanings of ātmā. Ātmā sometimes is meant indicating this body; ātmā is sometimes indicating this mind; ātmā is soul; and ātmā, Paramātmā, the Supreme Lord. Ātma-tattvam. Tattvam means truth, philosophy, or science.\nSo they do not know the science of ātmā, either take it body or mind. Generally, they take it as this body. So, so far body is concerned, there are so many departments: medical department and health department and... I do not remember. There are so many departments. All these departments of knowledge, they are practically on the basis of this body.\nThen higher than this, ātmā, if you take it \"mind,\" there are psychological department, speculation department, philosophical department, so many departments, mind. Then intellectual department. But there is no department of the ātmā, of the soul. That is the defect of the modern civilization.\nTherefore Bhāgavata says, apaśyatām ātma-tattvam [SB 2.1.2]:\n[Those persons who are materially engrossed, being blind to the knowledge of ultimate truth, have many subject matters for hearing in human society, O Emperor.]\n\"They have no information of the real ātmā, of the real position, real background of all these activities. They do not see it.\" Therefore they have got many subject matter to hear about this body, about this mind, about intellectual activities, and so many things.\nBut because they do not know that ātmā means the self—they do not know—therefore they have got many subject matter except this one, the soul, the subject matter of soul. Apaśyatām ātma-tattvaṁ gṛheṣu gṛha-medhinām [SB 2.1.2]. And why they are so much ignorant? \"Because they have made home as the center of activities. They do not know; neither they are educated.\nIt is not their fault. The system of education is faulty. They do not give any education about the ātma-tattvam. They give education that about economic development, about technological understanding, about scientific understanding of the laws of nature, and so many other things, but there is no department of knowledge to understand what is soul.\nApaśyatām. Because they do not see, they do not know, therefore they are too much attached to this body, and this body means home. And home means wife. Wife means children. Children means money. Money means society. So many things. Yes.\nAtaḥ gṛha-kṣetra-sutāpta-vittair janasya moho 'yam ahaṁ mameti [SB 5.5.8].\n[The attraction between male and female is the basic principle of material existence. On the basis of this misconception, which ties together the hearts of the male and female, one becomes attracted to his body, home, property, children, relatives and wealth. In this way one increases life's illusions and thinks in terms of \"I and mine.\"]\nFirst thing is that this material world is existing on sex attraction. And as soon as there is combination of sex, then the next attraction is for home, for land, for children, for society, for wealth, for bank balance, and so many things. Then extend it more, society to nationality, nationality to humanity, and go on increasing, but they are not ātma-tattvam. They are all gṛheṣu gṛha-medhinām, extended selfishness.\nSelfishness... Just like a dog. He knows simply about his body. He won't allow another dog to come in his boundary. That is very poor selfishness. You extend it little more, human society. There is family, wife, children. That is also extended selfishness. Then you further extend it: you have got society or nationality, consciousness of nationality. That is also still further extended selfishness.\nSimilarly, you extend the same propensity humanity-wise. Because we are... There is a class of men, they are very much anxious to serve the human society. But they are not anxious to serve the animal society. The animal society may be killed for the satisfaction of the human society.\nTherefore, unless you come to the point of ātmā, whatever extended selfishness there is, it is selfishness. There is no, I mean to say, broadmindedness. And broadmindedness, when you come to the platform of ātmā. Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam [Īśo mantra 1].\n[Everything animate or inanimate that is within the universe is controlled and owned by the Lord. One should therefore accept only those things necessary for himself, which are set aside as his quota, and one should not accept other things, knowing well to whom they belong.]\nWhen you come to the point of God, then you see, \"Oh, everything belongs to God. Everything belongs to God. Here is an animal. Here is an animal; he also as good as I am, because he is also soul.\" So ātma-tattvam to be discussed, but they are not prepared. Therefore gṛheṣu gṛha-medhinām.\nSo what is their business, those who are blind to the ātma-tattvam? So that business is described in the next verse:\nnidrayā hriyate naktaṁ\nvyavāyena ca vā vayaḥ\ndivā cārthehayā rājan\nkuṭumba-bharaṇena vā\n[SB 2.1.3]\n[The lifetime of such an envious householder is passed at night either in sleeping or in sex indulgence, and in the daytime either in making money or maintaining family members.]\nSo their business is very nicely explained. What is that? Nidrayā, sleeping. Sleeping. Hriyate. They waste their life by sleeping. When? At night. Nidrayā hriyate naktam. Or they waste their time in sex life. At night there are two things.\nOne who has no advantage of sex life, he sleeps alone. And if he has got advantage of sex life, he enjoys. So at night they waste their life in this way. Nidrayā hriyate naktaṁ vyavāyena ca vā vayaḥ [SB 2.1.3]. In this way their life is being wasted.\nAnd at daytime? Now, divā cārthehayā rājan. At the daytime, simply \"Where is money? Where is money?\" Artha. Artha means... Because to maintain this body we require money. Divā cārthehayā rājan. All right, if one gets money, then next? Kuṭumba-bharaṇena vā. Then shopping. As soon as you get money, then shopping, the wife's bill. Yes. So in this way, day and night, they are simply under the impression of this bodily conception of life.\nWhy they are doing that?\ndehāpatya-kalatrādiṣv\nātma-sainyeṣv asatsv api\nteṣāṁ pramatto nidhanaṁ\npaśyann api na paśyati\n [SB 2.1.4]\n[Persons devoid of ātma-tattva do not inquire into the problems of life, being too attached to the fallible soldiers like the body, children and wife. Although sufficiently experienced, they still do not see their inevitable destruction.]\nThey are attached because they are attached to this body, therefore attached to the children, dehāpatya. Apatya means children. And kalatra. Kalatra means wife. Dehāpatya-kalatrādiṣu ātma-sainyeṣu. This very word, sainya... Sainya means soldier. Here in the material world, every one of us is struggling very hard. That is a fact. Everyone knows. So when we struggle, when we fight, then we must have soldiers. Without soldiers, nobody fights. So they are our soldiers, this body.\nEveryone wants to keep this body fit. And maintaining the children and the wife... Dehāpatya-kalatrādiṣu. We are thinking that \"My this body and wife and children and home and country and society will save me.\" I am struggling against... What is that struggling? I do not wish to die. I do not wish to be diseased. I do not wish to become old man. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi [Bg. 13.9].\n[Humility, pridelessness, nonviolence, tolerance, simplicity, approaching a bona fide spiritual master, cleanliness, steadiness and self-control; renunciation of the objects of sense gratification, absence of false ego, the perception of the evil of birth, death, old age and disease; nonattachment to children, wife, home and the rest, and evenmindedness amid pleasant and unpleasant events; constant and unalloyed devotion to Me, resorting to solitary places, detachment from the general mass of people; accepting the importance of self-realization, and philosophical search for the Absolute Truth—all these I thus declare to be knowledge, and what is contrary to these is ignorance.]\nI don't wish to get birth again, or I want to stop birth. Janma-mṛtyu. I want to stop death. I want to stop disease. And I want to stop old age. These are the activities, material activities, struggling against. And I am thinking that \"These soldiers, or this my body or my wife, my children, will protect me,\" dehāpatya-kalatrādiṣv ātma-sainyeṣv asatsv api, although I am experiencing every day that they are asat, they will not exist.\nHow do I know they will not exist? My father has died. My elderly..., my mother has died, my grandfather has died. Therefore I will also die. And my next generation, he will also die. My wife also will die. So everybody will die. Asatsv api. They know by experience that they will not exist, but still, their business has become to struggle for existence. Dehāpatya-kalatrādiṣu.\nThese are very important subject matter. Try to understand. We know that nobody will exist. I want to exist. That is my intention. I do not wish to die; I want to exist. But I know also that all these my soldiers, including my this stout and strong body, it will also not exist. Dehāpatya-kalatrādiṣu, teṣāṁ pramattaḥ.\nPramatta means crazy, mad. Pramatto nidhanam, destruction. Nidhanam paśyan. Paśyan means although he is seeing every day, every moment. Just like Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira was quested by Yamarāja, \"What is the most wonderful thing in this world? Can you say?\" Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira immediately replied. What is that? Ahany ahani lokānī gacchantīha yamālayam [Mahābhārata, Vana-parva 313.116]:\n[Every day, hundreds and millions of living entities go to the kingdom of death. Still, those who are remaining aspire for a permanent situation. What could be more astonishing than this?]\n\"Every moment, every second, every day, every night, there are so many hundreds and thousands of living entities, they are going to the temple of death, or dying.\" Ahany ahani lokānī gacchantīha yamālayaṁ śeṣāḥ sthāvaram icchanti. \"But one who is living, he is thinking that 'I will not die. I will live for good.' That is the most wonderful thing in this world.\"\nNobody is taking experience that \"I will have to meet death. And what is next after death? What I was before my birth? Why I am here? Why I am struggling so hard? I want to be happy. I want to be peaceful. Why there is no peace? Why there is no happiness? Why these things? Why I am put into this...?\"\nThese are called ātma-tattvam. These are called brahma-jijñāsā. If a man is not enlightened to this point of inquiring of this \"What? What I am? Wherefore I am come? What is this world? What is this body? Why I am getting old? Why I am getting diseased?\" So many \"whys\" there are. This is called brahma-jijñāsā.\nBut they are pramatta, they are mad after the struggle for existence, although they know nothing will exist; it has come just like a flash, and it will end like a flash. Then what is the actual platform of my life, my living condition, they do not inquire. They do not inquire. So gṛheṣu gṛha-medhinām.\nDehāpatya-kalatrādiṣv ātma-sainyeṣv asatsv api, teṣāṁ pramatto nidhanam [SB 2.1.4].\n[Persons devoid of ātma-tattva do not inquire into the problems of life, being too attached to the fallible soldiers like the body, children and wife. Although sufficiently experienced, they still do not see their inevitable destruction.]\nEveryone is seeing that it will destroy. Suppose if you know... Suppose you are constructing a very nice skyscraper building, but if you know... Somebody says that tomorrow the whole city will merge into the Atlantic Ocean. Would you like to construct such building? No. I am giving that one example, but it is a fact that the struggle for existence for living, but living condition will not be allowed.\nThen the next question should be that \"Why this is happening? We are, everyone, is struggling for existing, but existence, there is no... I will not exist. Nobody will exist.\" This question, unless there is in the human mind, then, Bhāgavata says, parābhavas tāvat: \"His all activities are simply defeat.\" Yāvan na jijñāsata ātma-tattvam [SB 5.5.5].\n[As long as one does not inquire about the spiritual values of life, one is defeated and subjected to miseries arising from ignorance. Be it sinful or pious, karma has its resultant actions. If a person is engaged in any kind of karma, his mind is called karmātmaka, colored with fruitive activity. As long as the mind is impure, consciousness is unclear, and as long as one is absorbed in fruitive activity, he has to accept a material body.]\nSo ātma-tattvam. One should be inquisitive to understand, \"What is my constitutional position?\" Then it is perfect life. Otherwise it is crazy life.\nWe may try to live by so much hard struggle of life, but we cannot exist. We can exist only when we understand \"What I am.\" Then I shall... This is diagnosis. If I know that what is my actual need, if I know what is my actual position, if I know that wherefrom I have come and where I have to go, all these informations, if we are fully informed, that is perfection of life. Otherwise it is simply defeat, whatever we may do here. Apaśyatām. Teṣāṁ pramatto nidhanaṁ paśyann api na paśyati.\ntasmād bhārata sarvātmā\nbhagavān īśvaro hariḥ\nśrotavyaḥ kīrtitavyaś ca\nsmartavyaś cecchatābhayam\n[SB 2.1.5]\n[O descendant of King Bharata, one who desires to be free from all miseries must hear about, glorify and also remember the Personality of Godhead, who is the Supersoul, the controller and the savior from all miseries.]\nNow he is concluding that \"Don't be misled by so many subject matter of hearing. Just concentrate upon hearing Kṛṣṇa consciousness.\" Tasmāt. Tasmāt, \"Therefore,\" tasmād bhārata, \"O descendant of Bharata...\" Sarvātmā. Sarvātmā means the all-pervading Supersoul; bhagavān, the Supreme Personality of Godhead; īśvara, the supreme controller; hariḥ, who can, I mean to say, protect you, who can take away all your miseries, who can protect you from all miseries.\nTasmād bhārata sarvātmā bhagavān hariḥ, īśvaro hariḥ, śrotavyaḥ [SB 2.1.5]: \"You have to hear about Him.\" Instead of hearing so many other news, which will not exist, you just try to hear about Hari, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.\nBecause Parīkṣit Mahārāja question was that \"Now I am going to die. What shall I hear about?\" Because hearing is our main business. You are hearing. If you go out from this temple you will also hear. Or the sound is always going on. If we do not want to hear, the hearing is going on.\nSo here it is recommended that \"That Bhagavān, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is the supreme controller, who is Hari, or who protects us from all difficulty, Hari, and sarvātmā—He is situated in everyone's heart—that Supreme Personality of Godhead, Supersoul, should be heard.\" Śrotavya, should be heard.\nWe should be prepared to hear about Him. Śrotavyaḥ kīrtitavyaś ca. And we should discuss about Him, kīrtitavyaś ca. Smartavya. And if we hear and discuss, then, if we are really serious, then we shall remember also. Smartavya, and smartavyaś cecchatābhayam. Those who are actually desiring abhayam... Abhayam means fearlessness.\nSo long we are not connected in Kṛṣṇa consciousness or not connected with the Supreme Lord, we shall always be fearful. Fearful is one of the qualification of the conditioned soul. Āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunaṁ ca: four necessities. Why we are defending? Because on account of fearfulness.\nThe animal, a small animal, ant, it has got also fear, and the biggest nation, Russia or America, they are also fearful, because this is the qualification of conditioned life: āhāra, eating, nidrā, sleeping, and fearing and mating.\nSo if you want to get yourself free from fearfulness, then Śukadeva Gosvāmī recommends that you have to chant and you have to hear and you have to remember about the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is the conclusion. Don't try to hear so many nonsense things. Vyavasāyātmikā buddhir ekeha kuru-nandana [Bg. 2.41].\n[Those who are on this path are resolute in purpose, and their aim is one. O beloved child of the Kurus, the intelligence of those who are irresolute is many-branched.]\nJust concentrate. If you want to hear about God, there are volumes of literature.\nOne political leader—perhaps you have heard his name; his name was Madan Mohan Malaviya, in India—he came to see our Guru Mahārāja, and he inquired, \"So what are your activities?\" So then some of our Godbrother presented that \"We have got six periodicals in six languages: one in English, one in Bengali, one in Hindu, one in Oriya, one in Assami. And we have got one paper, Bengali, daily.\" So this Madan Mohan Malaviya was astonished, that \"You are issuing a paper daily, simply discussing about God?\" So my Guru Mahārāja said, \"Yes. Why not?\"\nThen he gave him a nice example that in the Bhagavad-gītā it is stated that ekāṁśena sthito jagat [Bg. 10.42]:\n[\nBut what need is there, Arjuna, for all this detailed knowledge? With a single fragment of Myself I pervade and support this entire universe.]\nThis material world is only one fourth part manifestation of God's energy. Now, apart from material... There are innumerable universes and innumerable planets in each universe. Out of that, this earthly planet is very teeny. And in this planet there are so many countries and so many cities.\nAnd each and every city there are so many periodicals, so many newspapers, and each paper having so many editions daily. So in comparison to the whole universe or whole material creation, this planet is nothing and this city is nothing. If you can produce so many news, then what about the three-fourth energy, Vaikuṇṭha?\nSo we can give you a minute edition of the transcendental news of the spiritual world. But unfortunately, there is no customer. There is no customer. The same thing, the śrotavyādīni... If you put magazines about this material world, you will get many customers. But as soon as we put forward Back to Godhead, we have no customer.\nThe unfortunate thing is that nobody is interested about ātma-tattvam. So actually we should be interested to understand. We should be interested to understand ātma-tattva if we actually want to be free from fearfulness, icchatā abhayam. Abhayam means fearless. If we are actually... Now, icchatābhayam, who are those? Transcendentalists.\nSo there are four classes of persons who are trying to get transcendental perfection, or spiritual life. They are called jñānī, who are trying to understand the Absolute Truth by philosophical speculation, and yogī... Those who are trying to visualize the Supreme Soul within the heart, they are called yogī.\nAnd jñānī, yogī and bhaktas, and the devotees: those who are trying to leave this material world and go back to Godhead and associate with the Supreme Person. There are three classes of men. They are trying to get out of this fearful world. Icchatābhayam.\nTherefore here, sarvātmā, the yogīs are trying to find out the Supersoul. Therefore sarvātmā. So tasmād bhārata sarvātmā, and īśvara. Īśvara. The jñānīs are trying to merge into the effulgence of īśvara, or the yogīs are trying to find out the īśvara, supreme controller. And the jñānīs are trying to find out the impersonal Brahman.\nAnd Hari, and Bhagavān, the Personality of Godhead, Hari, or Kṛṣṇa, or Viṣṇu, the devotees, persons who are in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they are trying to find out. So either of them, their aim is how to get out of this fearful material existence.\nSo Śukadeva Gosvāmī says, concludes, that icchatā abhayam. Abhayam means fearful. If you actually want to be free from fear, then you should concentrate your mind discussing, hearing, remembering, either of the impersonal Brahman... Brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti [SB 1.2.11].\n[Learned transcendentalists who know the Absolute Truth call this nondual substance Brahman, Paramātmā or Bhagavān.]\nEither you think of Brahman or Paramātmā or the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but your subject matter should be this: hearing, chanting, discussing, talking, knowing. Don't divert your attention to this flimsy, I mean to say, so-called subject matter, which will end.\nBecause everything, whatever we are discussing in the material world, everything will end, nothing will exist. We should concentrate our mind on the subject matter which will exist. Because I am soul, I am ever-existing, eternal, my business is, therefore, \"What is my eternal engagement?\" This subject matter is proposed by Śukadeva Gosvāmī, and we shall discuss further on, in the next meeting.\nThank you very much. [devotees offer obeisances]\nAny question?",
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"content": "\n What were your activities after your initiation? What were your activities after initiation?",
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"content": "\nHmm?",
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"content": "\n What were your activities after your initiation?",
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"content": "\n Initiation means beginning of spiritual activities. Initiation means just to begin.",
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"content": "\n What were your activities after that?",
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"content": "\n Don't you see what are our activities? Is it very secret? You can see what are our activities. We are discussing about Kṛṣṇa. We are talking about Kṛṣṇa. We are chanting about Kṛṣṇa. We are eating about Kṛṣṇa. We are typewriting about Kṛṣṇa. We are dictaphoning about Kṛṣṇa. Don't you see it? Then? Everything engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness—that is our activity. The same thing will be there; nothing will be changed.\nHere we are staying in also big apartment, and the down, they are also staying in the similar apartment. But this is called temple, and that is called factory. Why? Here the consciousness is different from the consciousness down. That's all. Nothing has to be changed. Simply the rubber stamp has to be changed. Somebody is signing, \"for, on behalf of such and such,\" and the rubber stamp is changed. So we have to change our rubber stamp on behalf of Kṛṣṇa: approve, sign it. That's all.\nThe 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.\nSo 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].\n[This divine energy of Mine, consisting of the three modes of material nature, is difficult to overcome. But those who have surrendered unto Me can easily cross beyond it.]\nBecause māyā is very strong, so we should be always fearful that \"Māyā may not catch me.\" Always stick to Kṛṣṇa's lotus feet so māyā will not be able to touch you. Just like in a contaminated, diseased area, the doctor is also fearful, but he has got prophylactic, I mean to say, administration. He is quite fit. He can go even in the contaminated state. Similarly, if we are in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, even if we are in the midst of mayic activities, it will not affect us.\nSo everything is there, but if you change your consciousness, then you are safe. Icchatā abhayam, no more fearfulness. That is the process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.",
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"content": "\nSwāmījī, is there such thing as mind, intelligence and ego on the spiritual realm?",
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"content": "\n Yes. Why not? Ego... I am thinking at the present moment ego falsely: \"I am somebody belonging to this material world,\" either I may think that \"I am American,\" either I think \"I am Indian,\" something of this material world. But similarly, when you think ahaṁ brahmāsmi, \"I am spirit soul,\" that is also aham, ahaṅkāra.\nEgo means ahaṅkāra, identification, self-identification, ahaṅkāra, \"I am.\" Everyone has got the sense \"I am.\" Now, that \"I am\" thinking, at the present moment I am thinking in my material concept. So when I will think in spiritual concept, that is my pure ego, pure identification. So ego will remain. Ego will not vanish. This \"I\" consciousness will remain, but here, at the present moment, I am misidentifying myself, and when I actually know myself, that identification is pure ego.",
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"content": "\n You say the chanting cleans the dust from the mirror of the mind. What does mirror mean? How does it mean mirror? What is it reflecting?",
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"content": "\n Mirror means you see so many things within your mind. Is it not a mirror, a reflection? Don't you see? As you see mirror reflection of your face, but you see this body. When you will see in the mirror that you are not this body, you are something within this body, that is dustless mirror.\nYes?",
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"content": "\n What is Balarāma's relationship with Rādhā?",
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"content": "\n That is not our discussion here. Where you got this Balarāma's relationship with Rādhā?",
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"content": "\n I mean, what is Their relationship? I understand that all the expansions come through Balarāma, but...?",
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"content": "\n That's all right, but Balarāma has no relationship with Rādhā.",
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"content": "\n I mean, not as friend or anything?",
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"content": "\n No. Who said it?",
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"content": "\n I was wondering, that's all.",
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"content": "\n Why do you think like that? No. Balarāma is... Rādhā... As Kṛṣṇa has expansion, similarly, Rādhā has also expansion. So as Rādhārāṇī is directly connected with Kṛṣṇa, similarly, Rādhā's another expansion is connected with Balarāma. All Lakṣmī are connected with the..., not exactly Rādhā directly. As Kṛṣṇa expands Himself in multi-forms, similarly, Rādhā also expands Himself [Herself]. That is stated in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta you will find. Yes?",
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"content": "\n So in terms of spiritual potency of Kṛṣṇa, and... You said that Rādhā was...",
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"content": "\n You put an unnecessary question. When I shall ask you to question the subject matter which I have discussed, you should put questions on this matter. If you bring so many other subject matter, there will be no end. Try to understand what we have spoken in this meeting.\nWe have not spoken anything about Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. Why you are bringing this question? Question means the subject matter which we have discussed, if you have got any question about that thing, you should put question. Otherwise, if you make me a dictionary, that go on questioning, there will be no end. That should not be done.\nNow, we have not discussed here about Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa. Of course, this is also relevant question, but the public will not understand. We are discussing on general subject matter. Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa discussion is very confidential. You have to go to the platform first of all by understanding Kṛṣṇa.\nYou see? Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa tattva is discussed in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam in the Tenth Canto. So first of all you have to go through the nine cantos very carefully. Then you will understand.\nIn the Caitanya-caritāmṛta you'll find, rādhā kṛṣṇa-praṇaya-vikṛtir hlādinī-śaktir asmād ekātmānāv api bhuvi [Cc. Ādi 1.5].\n[The loving affairs of Śrī Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa are transcendental manifestations of the Lord’s internal pleasure-giving potency. Although Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa are one in Their identity, previously They separated Themselves. Now these two transcendental identities have again united, in the form of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya. I bow down to Him, who has manifested Himself with the sentiment and complexion of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī although He is Kṛṣṇa Himself.]\nIf you want to discuss about Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, that is not in the public meeting. They are very confidential subject matter. People may misunderstand what is Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa.\nGenerally, questions should be put on the subject matter discussed in the meeting. That should be the point. Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa tattva is very confidential, for higher status of understanding.\nYes?",
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"content": "\n Vyāsadeva, you say, lived with his wife and children in a cottage, and people would come and bring them foodstuff from the village. Now, the four divisions of brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha and so on, I thought that the gṛhasthas' duties in the āśrama, varṇāśrama-dharma, was to supply the other three.",
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"content": "\n Yes.",
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"content": "\n How is this...? How is this connected with Vyāsadeva and his situation?",
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"content": "\n Vāsudeva?",
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"content": "\n Vyāsadeva.",
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"content": "\n Vyāsadeva? Vyāsadeva was a gṛhastha. He was a householder man. He was brāhmaṇa.",
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"content": "\n But he had no luxuries.",
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"content": "\n No. Those who will depend on the charities and alms of the society, they are not allowed to make any luxury at the cost of others. They can simply ask help for the bare necessities of life.",
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"content": "\n And that's permitted to the gṛhasthas?",
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"content": "\n No. Gṛhastha... When a brāhmaṇa is gṛhastha, he shall be a teacher. Paṭhana-pāṭhana yajana-yājana dāna-pratigraha [SB 5.17.11 purport]. \n[Brāhmaṇas\n are supposed to acquire six kinds of auspicious qualifications: they become very learned scholars (\npaṭhana\n) and very qualified teachers (\npāṭhana\n); they become expert in worshiping the Lord or the demigods (\nyajana\n), and they teach others how to execute this worship (\nyājana\n); they qualify themselves as bona fide persons to receive alms from others (\npratigraha\n), and they distribute the wealth in charity (\ndāna\n).]\nGenerally, the brāhmaṇas, those who are gṛhasthas... There are four varṇas, four division of castes. The brāhmaṇas, they are generally teachers, priests and writers, philosophers. So society requires all these things, so they take up this charge.\nAnd the kṣatriyas, they are administrators, so they rule over the country. They exact taxes from the citizens. They live on the tax, and the brāhmaṇas, on the contribution of the public. Just like we are teaching, we are living on the contribution of the public. The public knows that there is an important institution; they are giving good lessons. So public contributes. So we can accept contribution.\nBut a king is not allowed to take contribution. Because he is administrator, he can tax, so his source of income is tax. And the brāhmaṇas' source of income is contribution, because they are rendering transcendental service. Similarly, the vaiśyas, or the mercantile class, their means of living: trade, cow protection and agriculture.\nAnd those who are śūdras, laborer class, they will serve these three higher classes, brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas and the vaiśyas, because they have no independent means. They cannot do anything, neither they are educated, nor they are king, princely order, nor they have money to do business. Therefore they have to serve. Paricaryātmakaṁ karma śūdra-karma svabhāva-jam [Bg. 18.44]. \n[Farming, cattle raising and business are the qualities of work for the vaiśyas, and for the śūdras there is labor and service to others.]\nŚūdra means they earn their livelihood by serving others.\nAnd in the Kali-yuga, in this age, ninety-nine percent, or at least ninety percent, they live by serving others. Therefore it is said, kalau śūdra-sambhavaḥ: \"In the Kali, in this age, almost everyone is śūdra.\" There is no brāhmaṇa, no kṣatriya, no vaiśya. Of course, there are vaiśyas.\nFactually, at the present moment the population are the vaiśyas and the śūdras. And there is fight, that your American nation, they are vaiśyas, and the Russians, they are śūdras. So there is always fight between the vaiśyas and śūdras. Actually, there is no brāhmaṇa or kṣatriyas. They are extinct.\nAnd because the brāhmaṇas and kṣatriyas are extinct, therefore social orders are in chaos. There is no brain; there is no good administration. That's all. Without kṣatriya, there cannot be any good administration, and without brāhmaṇa, there is no good brain. Therefore we pray to Kṛṣṇa, namo brahmaṇya-devāya go-brāhmaṇa-hitāya ca, kṛṣṇāya govindāya...\nnamo brahmaṇya-devāya\ngo-brāhmaṇa-hitāya ca\njagad-dhitāya kṛṣṇāya\ngovindāya namo namaḥ\n[Viṣṇu Purāṇa 1.19.65]\n[Let me offer my respectful obeisances unto Lord Kṛṣṇa, who is the worshipable Deity for all brahminical men, who is the well-wisher of cows and brāhmaṇas, and who is always benefiting the whole world. I offer my repeated obeisances to the Personality of Godhead, known as Kṛṣṇa and Govinda.]\nSo this is very important. We are worshiping, offering our respect to Kṛṣṇa, as brahmaṇya-deva. Brahmaṇya-deva means \"the Lord who is worshiped by the brāhmaṇas.\"\nSo Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not for the śūdras. Kṛṣṇa conscious... One who is elevated to the standard of becoming brāhmaṇa, they can become Kṛṣṇa conscious. But by the mercy of Lord Caitanya, everyone comes to the stage of brahminical standard. Only to observe these four principles and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, you are at once more than brāhmaṇa: Vaiṣṇava. Vaiṣṇava position is more than brāhmaṇa.\nSo in this age the pāñcarātriki-vidhi is introduced because it is very difficult to find out whether a person is actually son of brāhmaṇa or higher caste. It is to be accepted that everyone is śūdra. It doesn't matter where and what he is. But he should be given chance to become the Vaiṣṇava, whose position is more than a brāhmaṇa. That is the highest gift of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He is claiming everyone to the highest stage of Vaiṣṇava.\nSo your question is answered?",
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"content": "\n Yes.",
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"content": "\n All right.",
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"content": "\n Swāmījī, did you say that householders should not associate with brahmacārīs?",
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"content": "\n Who says?",
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"content": "\n Did you say that? Did you ever say that?",
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"content": "\n No. No.",
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"content": "\n But brahmacārī should not associate with brahmacāriṇīs. But you did say that brahmacārīs should not associate with brahmacāriṇīs.",
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"content": "\n Actually, there is no... Brahmacāriṇī is not allowed in the śāstra. Where is the question of brahmacāriṇī? Because according to Vedic system, as soon as a girl is fourteen years old or sixteen years old, she is at once married. According to Vedic system, no girl should be allowed remaining unmarried.\nSo there is no question of brahmacāriṇī. Every girl is supposed to be married. That is the Vedic system. A father's duty is that as soon as the girl is grown up, she must be married. She must be given in charge of a suitable boy. That is Vedic system.\nStriyaḥ śūdrās tathā vaiśyāḥ [Bg. 9.32]. \n[O son of Pṛthā, those who take shelter in Me, though they be of lower birth—women, vaiśyas [merchants], as well as śūdras [workers]—can approach the supreme destination.]\nA woman is meant for being protected. So long she is not young, she is under the protection of the father. And as soon as she is young, she is given in charge, in charity. Kanyā-dāna. Dāna means charity. He should find out some suitable boy and give in charity: \"My dear boy, take charge of this girl. So long she was under my charge. Now it is under your charge.\"\nSo where is the brahmacāriṇī? There is no question of brahmacāriṇī. And when she is old enough, then the husband leaves the home and gives charge to the elderly son: \"My dear boys, take charge of your mother.\" So she is always in charge of somebody.\nSo according to Vedic system, there is no independent life of woman. Na strī svātantryam arhati. Manu-saṁhitā, that \"Strī\"—strī means woman—\"should not be allowed independence.\" They should be given all protection. That's a very nice system. Not... Independence does not mean their position is very lower. No. Just like children.\nChildren has no independence. No independence means they are well protected. No independence does not meant that he has no independence to act. No. She has got. But under the protection. Just like there are some nation still now, protectorate. America is protecting. America is a big nation, and protecting another small nation. That does not mean they have no independence. They are also independent.\nThey are acting like that. But because weaker, they should be given protection. Similarly, woman, children, brāhmaṇa, cow, old men, diseased men, they are to be protected. That is the social order.",
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"content": "\n Now, if someone is married, gṛhasthas, under the varṇāśrama-dharma, is it the duty of gṛhasthas to have children? Are there some qualifications of gṛhasthas, that gṛhasthas, they're required, like they are required to support the brāhmaṇas, like that?",
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"content": "\n Gṛhastha? Gṛhastha means to live with wife. This is the meaning of gṛhastha. And a gṛhastha is supposed to support others who are not gṛhasthas, just like brahmacārī. Brahmacārī means student life. So gṛhasthas support them. Sannyāsīs...\n[break] ...other three classes. Because they are engaged in a different subject matter, they have no time to earn their livelihood, and therefore, those who are gṛhasthas, they take charge of him. This is the Vedic system.\nBut they should live also on the bare necessities of life. They should not be luxurious. A brahmacārī cannot be luxurious. A sannyāsī cannot be luxurious. A vānaprastha cannot be luxurious. Luxury is allowed only to the householder, because they are earning their own money. Others are dependent. So one cannot be luxurious at the expense of others. That is not allowed.",
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"content": "\n Pertaining to the varṇāśrama-dharma system, a mother is..., the wife of a husband is usually put in charge of the oldest son. If the oldest... If, say, the husband is not present, then the oldest son is supposed to be in charge, and he is a brahmacārī, in what way is the mother cared for?",
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"content": "\n Well, brahmacārī means he has gone out of home. Brahmacārī does not remain at home. He goes to the spiritual master's home. So there is no question of giving wife's charge to a brahmacārī. He is not at home. Do you follow? Yes.\nThe elderly children mean those who are married also, those who are in gṛhastha life, for him, not for the brahmacārī or sannyāsī. Just try to understand.\nA brahmacārī and sannyāsī does not remain at home. The brahmacārī goes to the spiritual master's home, and the sannyāsī, he is a traveler from one country to another, preaching. So they are not at home. So if they are not at home, who is taking charge? To give charge means the elderly son who is a married man, who is living at home, the charge is given of the mother to him.\nIs that all right?",
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"content": "\n Yes, but I'm still wondering. Is it the nature of the Kali-yuga that mother and father always separate? Is it the nature of the Kali-yuga that this family separation is always happening?",
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"content": "\n [chuckles] Therefore I say, kalau śūdra-sambhavaḥ: \"In the Kali-yuga there are only śūdras.\" There is no brahmacārī system, no... Now we are introducing it, even collecting from the śūdras. But actually, these four divisions, scientific division of social order for spiritual uplift..., that is already gone. It is not existing. Do you follow?\nKalau śūdra-sambhavaḥ. In the Kali-yuga, amongst the śūdras, there is no āśrama, simply earn, earn, get some money and eat. That's all. That is śūdras life. There is no question of Vedic culture, there is no question of knowledge. Simply labor, get some money and eat. Almost like animal.\nSo at the present moment, as you say, in the Kali-yuga, it is accepted that everyone, almost everyone is a śūdra. But in the pāñcarātrika system, not Vedic system, Nārada Pañcarātra, they are... Otherwise, do you mean to say because everyone has become śūdra, the science of Kṛṣṇa, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, should be stopped? No. Even they are śūdras, they should be given that opportunity.\nAnd that opportunity is given by Lord Caitanya very liberally: \"Whatever you may be, come on, sit down, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, and you become more than a brāhmaṇa.\" This is the highest gift of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. But if you take otherwise from the social conventional life, oh, there is no brāhmaṇa, there is no gṛhastha, there is no brahmacārī. There is all gone, all finished.\nSo those rules and regulation are not now applicable, because amongst the śūdras there is no such rules and regulation. It is meant for the brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas, and those are gone. They are finished. Now, even though the people are in the status of śūdra, they should be given opportunity for spiritual advancement, and that is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's special gift, and very easy, that \"Whatever you may be, you may be a brāhmaṇa, you may be a kṣatriya, vaiśya, that doesn't matter. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and gradually realize.\"\nSo at the present moment we cannot strictly follow; neither we are strictly following; neither it is possible to strictly follow. As far as possible, that's all. Our conception of brahmacāriṇī is in the Kṛṣṇa society, because... Especially in India, there is no brahmacāriṇī.\nBut here, in your country, the boys and girls mix very freely, but just to restrict such free mixing, we think that the unmarried girls should remain separately. That is the contemplation. Actually, in the Vedic system there is no brahmacāriṇī system.\nOr get yourself married. That is our proposal, that we do not allow illicit sex life. That is impediment. That will not enhance your spiritual interests.\nYes?",
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"content": "\n Swāmījī, so the government, the present government in the world...",
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"content": "\n We are not concerned with government. We say there is no kṣatriya, there is no government. At the present moment, anyone who has got some artificial power, he is government. That's all. You get some way or other a little vote, and you become government.\nSo government does not mean that. Government is another. Because there is no kṣatriya, and where is government? They are thinking... Government means they should be always thinking how the citizens should be peaceful and happy and spiritually advanced. That is government. And who is caring for the citizens? They are simply exacting tax. That's all.\nSo actually, in the Kali-yuga, because there is no kṣatriya, where is the government? Śūdra government is no government. Śūdra has no right to govern, but by force they are governing. That's all. \"Might is right.\"",
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"content": "\n Swāmījī, Indian literature and movies, they're... The subject is quite often romantic love. But in the literature of Indian religion, it seems to me that there's no place for romantic love. It's either divine love or it's, as you say, \"cats and dogs.\" Do you find a place for romantic love within...?",
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"content": "\n Yes.",
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"content": "\n What is it?",
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"content": "\n That is in spiritual world, not in this material... In the material world there is no love. It is lust. We are making business under the name of love. In the material world there cannot be love because... Suppose a girl loves a boy or a boy loves a girl. Both of them are actuated by sense gratification. So that is not love. That is not love. When there is question of sense gratification, that is not love.\nJust like there is little example: Just like mother loves the child. There is no question of sense gratification. Simply for the sake of love, the mother loves the child. It is simply a little example. Similarly, love means if I love you, I don't want any return; Still, I love you. You may ill treat me. You may badly treat me. You neglect me. Still, I love you. There is no question of return from you. That is real love.\nThat you cannot find in this material world. Because it is based on sense gratification, therefore there is love between a boy and girl, and as soon as there is little discrepancy, there is divorce. They are separated. Because the whole principle was on the basis of lust. So there is no love. Or we do not know what is meant by love. Love does not mean just a boy is attracted by a girl or a girl is attracted by a... That is not love. That is sense attraction.\nSo in the material world there is no love. It is impossible. There is little, little example, just like I cited the example of mother and son or similar. That is also temporary. But real love is in the spiritual. That is Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. That is real love. There is no separation. There is no cheating. There is no divorce. There is no sex attraction. Simply for love's sake, loving, that is real love.",
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"content": "\n But in the great literature, lust is not defined as love. It's more defined as something that has to do with spiritual affinity or communication or... In other words, there is a place for romantic love as distinct from lust, because lust is rather elementary.",
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"content": "\n Romantic love is in the spiritual world, Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. That is the origin of romantic love. And here we are trying to imitate, although we are on the platform of lust. It is imitation, shadow, perverted reflection. So actually, Kṛṣṇa consciousness means we are trying to reach that platform of real love, exchange of love.\nThe example... One example can be given: just like in diseased condition, actually there is no enjoyment, but still, the doctors gives some diet: \"You eat this.\" But he does not enjoy. Eating enjoyment is in healthy life, not in diseased condition.\nSo our present condition is diseased. Why you are dying? Because you are diseased. Why you are becoming old? Because you are diseased. That is due to this body. But actually I am spirit soul. I am neither old nor diseased, but I have fallen into the condition of material contamination. Therefore I am thinking that I am diseased. This is called māyā.\nJust like in the dream I am feeling that a tiger is eating me, and I am crying, \"Here is a tiger eating me, eating me. Save me.\" But there is no tiger. This is called illusion, or māyā. But so long we'll have this body, just like so long we shall dream, we shall have to suffer the effect, even it is illusion. A man is crying, \"There is a tiger.\" Actually, there is no tiger; neither tiger is eating. But because he is in hallucination, he is feeling the pain. That is actual fact.\nSo the whole process is to stop this illusion, bodily contamination. Then we are in real life. And then we can understand what is love, what is reciprocation of love, everything. That is real, healthy life. So this human form of life is meant for getting out of this illusion to the spiritual life. That we have been discussing.\nBut instead of taking advantage of this human life, if we simply treat ourself just like animals and be engaged with eating, sleeping, fearing and mating, then we are missing the chance. So long we have got this human intelligence, we should utilize it for the highest perfectional stage of life. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.",
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"content": "\n What happens to the Vaiṣṇava if he is following the spiritual master and he's not successful in spiritual life? Does he also take birth on higher planets, like it says in the Bhagavad-gītā?",
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"content": "\n If he is not successful, he is guaranteed to get another human form of life in rich family or a pious family.",
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"content": "\n Like Bhagavad-gītā says.",
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"content": "\n In rich family, to take birth in rich family means he has no economic problem, so he can engage fully in developing Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And pious family means automatically he gets chance to become Kṛṣṇa conscious.",
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"content": "\n So can it be understood that if a person, for instance, some Americans are very wealthy, that they...",
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"content": "\n Yes. They must have done pious activities in their previous life, all Americans. But they should know that this is their advantage to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. \"We have no economic problem, but we are employing our facilities in sense gratification,\" that is a mistake.",
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"content": "\n Suppose a person is born in a very poor family. What does that mean? Suppose someone is born in a very poor, low, very low, and he becomes Kṛṣṇa conscious.",
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"content": "\n Yes. Kṛṣṇa consciousness is open to all. Just like we are calling everyone, \"Come and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa.\" It is open to all. There is no question of becoming poor or rich. But if he takes the advantage, that is up to him. We are not restricting here that only the rich persons or brāhmaṇas or pious family or rich family can come here. No. Everyone.\nEveryone is welcome. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ [Bg. 9.32]. Poor family or uneducated family, uncultured family, they are called pāpa-yoni, sinful family. But Kṛṣṇa says, \"Never mind. Even if he is in sinful family, whatever he may be, if he comes to Me, he also can enter into the spiritual kingdom.\" So there is no such restriction.\nmāṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya\nye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ\nstriyo śūdrā tathā vaiśyās\nte 'pi yānti parāṁ gatim\n[Bg. 9.32]\n[O son of Pṛthā, those who take shelter in Me, though they be of lower birth—women, vaiśyas [merchants], as well as śūdras [workers]—can approach the supreme destination.]\nParāṁ gatim means the highest perfectional life. And that is practical. Here, when people come here, we don't inquire whether he is poor or rich or this or that. \"Come on. Sit down. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa.\" The opportunity is equal for everyone.",
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"content": "\n How is it that people who have done some pious activity, they get a nice birth in this statement, but usually people who are not wealthy or not so educated, sometimes they more or less take to worshiping Kṛṣṇa, or God.",
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"content": "\n That is the grace of the devotees. The devotees offer their service, and they get the opportunity. Never mind what he is. It is the grace. Therefore, when Bhāgavata says, yad-apāśrayāśrayam... Apāśrayāśrayam means a devotee is already under the protection of God, and if one takes protection of a devotee, he also becomes a devotee and becomes purified.\nTherefore a devotee is more merciful than God. Even in God there is consideration: pious, impious. For a devotee there is no such consideration. \"Everyone come.\" What is the purpose of opening so many centers? Just to give people opportunity to take advantage, without any consideration of his position. But if one does not take the advantage, it is up to him. That independence has everyone.\nWe are inviting everyone to understand Kṛṣṇa consciousness, but nobody is coming. What can we do? Those who are fortunate, they are taking advantage. That's all.\nNow you take the mṛdaṅga, and you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Two mṛdaṅga must be sounded equal, equally, on the same level. And how many cymbals?",
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"content": "\nI got those... [break] [end]",
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https://vedabase.io/en/library/transcripts/710115sb-allahabad/
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"content": "\n [introducing recording] Sixteen heads arrived at the Kumbha-melā, January 5th, 1971. Śrīla Prabhupāda arrived on the morning of January 13th, 1971, and the following lectures were recorded beginning January 15th, 1971, at the Kumbha-melā, crossing of Kali and Yamunā roads, just across from the Hanumān Mandira, a temple which is said to be at least one million years old. Prabhupāda said it was standing since the time of Lord Rāmacandra. [break]",
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"content": "\n\nom ajñāna-timirāndhasya jñānāñjana-śalākayā\ncakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena tasmai śrī-gurave-namaḥ\n[\"I offer my respectful obeisances unto my spiritual master, who with the torchlight of knowledge has opened my eyes, which were blinded by the darkness of ignorance.\"]\nśrī-caitanya-mano-'bhīṣṭaṁ sthāpitaṁ yena bhū-tale\nsvayaṁ rūpaḥ kadā mahyaṁ dadāti sva-padāntikam\n[\"When will Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī Prabhupāda, who has established within this material world the mission to fulfill the desire of Lord Caitanya, give me shelter under his lotus feet?\"]\nvande 'haṁ śrī-guroḥ śrī-yuta-pada-kamalaṁ śrī-gurūn vaiṣṇavāṁś ca\nśrī-rūpaṁ sāgrajātaṁ saha-gaṇa-raghunāthānvitaṁ taṁ sa-jīvam\nsādvaitaṁ sāvadhūtaṁ parijana-sahitaṁ kṛṣṇa-caitanya-devaṁ\nśrī-rādhā-kṛṣṇa-pādān saha-gaṇa-lalitā-śrī-viśākhānvitāṁś ca\n[\"I offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of my spiritual master and of all the other preceptors on the path of devotional service. I offer my respectful obeisances unto all the Vaiṣṇavas and unto the six Gosvāmīs, including Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī, Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, Jīva Gosvāmī and their associates. I offer my respectful obeisances unto Śrī Advaita Ācārya Prabhu, Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and all His devotees, headed by Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura. I then offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of Lord Kṛṣṇa, Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī and all the gopīs, headed by Lalitā and Viśākhā.\"]\nhe kṛṣṇa karuṇā-sindho dīna-bandho jagat-pate\ngopeśa gopikā-kānta rādhā-kānta namo 'stu te\n[\"O my dear Kṛṣṇa, ocean of mercy, You are the friend of the distressed and the source of creation. You are the master of the cowherd men and the lover of the gopīs, especially Rādhārāṇī. I offer my respectful obeisances unto You.\"]\ntapta-kāñcana-gaurāṅgi rādhe vṛndāvaneśvari\nvṛṣabhānu-sute devi praṇamāmi hari-priye\n[\"I offer my respects to Rādhārāṇī, whose bodily complexion is like molten gold and who is the Queen of Vṛndāvana. You are the daughter of King Vṛṣabhānu, and You are very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa.\"]\nśrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu nityānanda\nśrī-advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda\n[\"I offer my obeisances to Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya, Prabhu Nityānanda, Śrī Advaita, Gadādhara, Śrīvāsa and all others in the line of devotion.\"]\nhare kṛṣṇa hare kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa hare hare\nhare rāma hare rāma rāma rāma hare hare\n[\"My dear Lord, and the spiritual energy of the Lord, kindly engage me in Your service. I am now embarrassed with this material service. Please engage me in Your service.\"]\nWe have been discussing Ajāmila's upākhyāna after finishing the speeches by the Yamadūta, assistants of Yamarāja, the superintendent of judgment after death. Yamarāja is one of the appointed officers, mahājanas. He's a Vaiṣṇava, but his thankless task is that he has to punish all the sinful activities. That is his position. Just like superintendent of police, he is also a government officer, responsible officer, faithful servant of the government, but his task is simply to chastise the sinful persons. So if such person is required in ordinary government, why not a similar personality in the government of the Supreme Person?\nBecause from the Vedānta-sūtra we understand that everything that we experience within this world, they are emanation from the Absolute Truth. So this intelligence, that one person should be in charge of the criminal department, has come from the Absolute Truth. Otherwise there was no possibility. It is not an human invention. We should always understand, whatever we experience within this world, that is emanation from the Absolute Truth. As Kṛṣṇa says, ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ [Bg. 10.8]: \"I am the original source of everything that you experience.\"\nSo the assistants of Yamarāja charged that \"This man was throughout his whole life a sinful man. Therefore he is punishable and we must take him to the Yamarāja.\" And the Viṣṇudūtas protested that \"Even though he was sinful throughout his whole life, because he once uttered the holy name of Nārāyaṇa, some way or other—it doesn't matter—therefore he is now free from all reaction of sinful life.\" And he has spoken that there are different kinds of sinful life, and he has described some of them. Stenaḥ. Stenaḥ means stealing, thieves, burglars. They are very sinful. Stenaḥ. Surā-paḥ, drunkard, intoxicant, those who are addicted to intoxication.\nSo stealing and drinking, these are the honorable occupations of the moralist. But they are condemned by the Yamarāja..., by the Viṣṇu... Stenaḥ surā-po mitra-dhruk [SB 6.2.9]. One who is unfaithful to his friends, mitra-dhruk; brahma-hā, one who has killed a brāhmaṇa or a Vaiṣṇava, brahma-hā. And guru-talpa-gaḥ: and one who has dishonored a spiritual master or teacher. Strī-rāja-pitṛ-go-hantā, one who has killed a woman, one who has killed a king and one who has killed a cow. These are all the severest type of sinful activities. Ye ca pātakino 'pare. Some of the sinful activities are mentioned here. And besides these sinful activities, there are other, many.\nSo the Viṣṇudūta says that \"Even though one has committed so many sinful activities, if at the..., if once he utters the holy name of Nārāyaṇa, he becomes free, immediately.\" That's a fact. It is not exaggeration. A sinful man, somehow or other if he chants this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, he immediately becomes free from all reaction. But the difficulty is that he commits again. That is nāmāparādha, offense.\nThere are ten kinds of offenses. This is the severest offense, that after being freed from all sinful reaction by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, if he again commits the same sin, that is a grievous criminal action. For ordinary man it may not be so severe, but one who is chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, if he takes advantage of this mantra, that \"Because I am chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, even though I commit some sin, I'll be free,\" he'll be freed, but because he is offender he will not achieve the ultimate goal of chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra.\nBecause he'll be freed, and again he'll commit—freed, again he'll commit. In this way there will be no chance of his liberation. But don't think that by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra one's sinful reactions are [not] counteracted. That is not exaggeration. That's a fact. The difficulty is that one chants Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, again commits sin, that is greatest sin. That is the greatest offense.\nSarveṣām apy aghavatām idam eva suniṣkṛtam. Suniṣkṛtam. Nāma-vyāharaṇaṁ viṣṇor yatas tad-viṣayā matiḥ. Now the Viṣṇudūta says, sarveṣām apy aghavatām. Aghavatām means those who are sinful. Agha means sin, and vatām means who are possessors of sinful life. Sarveṣām, \"Of all kinds of sinful persons,\" sarveṣām apy aghavatām idam eva suniṣkṛtam, \"this is the only process by which he can become immediately freed from the reaction.\" Idam eva suniṣkṛtam. What is that? Nāma-vyāharaṇam: \"Simply chanting this mantra,\" vyāharaṇa. Nāma-vyāharaṇaṁ viṣṇoḥ. Not that any other name.\nThe foolish persons, they say that \"You chant any name, any name,\" sometimes demigods' names, sometimes his beloved's name. They think that any name, chanting... Because the Māyāvādīs, they think that everyone is God—\"Even the demigods, they are God. I am God. You are God\"—therefore they say that any name you chant and you will be freed. But that's not a fact. Here it is said clearly, vyāharaṇaṁ nāma viṣṇoḥ: \"only the Supreme Personality of Godhead Viṣṇu's name,\" viṣṇu-sahasra name. There are list of one thousand names of Viṣṇu.\nSo Kṛṣṇa and Viṣṇu, the same, and it is stated in the śāstras that by chanting one thousand holy names of Viṣṇu you can get the result of chanting..., once chanting the name of Rāma. If you, say, only chant Rāma, by this chanting, you immediately get the result of chanting thousand times Viṣṇu's name. And by chanting three times Lord Rāma's name you get the result of chanting once Kṛṣṇa's name. Therefore by chanting Kṛṣṇa's name you get all the good results.\nCaitanya Mahāprabhu therefore recommends this. He recommends; not that He has manufactured. He recommends the śāstric injunction: harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam [Cc. Ādi 17.21]. So the harer nāma or viṣṇu-nāma or devotional service to Viṣṇu... Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ [SB 7.5.23]. You should always remember this, because sometimes rascals mislead that \"Any name.\"\nIn Bengal it is very popular. There is a party, they chant kālī-kīrtana, \"Kālī, Kālī, Kālī,\" imitation. Or there are so many so-called avatāras. There was another rascal, he added his wife's name. [laughter] Yes. And the rascal, [chuckles] foolish scholars also accepted.\nYes. \"Haro kusuma, haro kusuma, kusuma kusuma, haro...,\" like that. The rascal's name was Haro, and his wife's name was Kusuma, so he made a mantra, haro kusuma, haro kusuma, kusuma kusuma, haro haro. [laughter] And the rascal followers also accepted that this is...\nSo this is going on. A Māyāvādī philosophers, they are so dangerous that they mislead their follower to the hell. Caitanya Mahāprabhu has therefore strongly warned, māyāvādi-bhāṣya śunile haya sarva-nāśa [Cc. Madhya 6.169]: \"If you attempt to hear some Māyāvādī philosopher, then your life will be spoiled. Your path to devotional service will be blocked. So don't try to hear a Māyāvādī.\" This is the recommendation by Caitanya Mahāprabhu. So we should always remember, when there is question of chanting the holy name, that means Viṣṇu, not any other's name. Vyāharaṇaṁ viṣṇor yatas tad-viṣayā matiḥ [SB 6.2.10].\nSo there is advantage, a special advantage. What is that advantage? Immediately you become freed from all sinful reaction by chanting Viṣṇu's name, Hari's name, Hari's name, Kṛṣṇa's name. And not..., even not immediately; that is the beginning of your spiritual life. Because without being freed from sinful reactionary life, there is no possibility of becoming a pure Vaiṣṇava. He may be a Vaiṣṇava, performing the devotional service in the routine work, but if his behavior is not sinless he is called kadācāra, sudurācāra.\nOf course, this sudurācāra, if it happens accidentally, without any consciousness... Sometimes we commit some sinful activity without knowledge or due to my past behavior. That accident, if one repents that \"I should not have done this, but I am so sinful that I have again committed this sin,\" so this repentance will help him to be excused by the Supreme Lord. But if one commits sinful life intentionally, that is not to be excused. That is to be taken seriously.\nJust like in this place, confluence of the river of Yamunā and Gaṅgā, one of the associates of Lord Caitanya committed suicide. You know, Choṭa Haridāsa. This Choṭa Haridāsa was associate of Lord Caitanya. He was daily singing kīrtana, and he was very nice singer. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu liked him. He was one of the associates in Purī. But somehow or other, he became inclined for sense gratification. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu, as Paramātmā, could understand, and He immediately asked His other associates, \"Not to allow this man to come before Me any more.\"\nSo even Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya and other big, big, big guns of Caitanya Mahāprabhu's associates, Rāmānanda Rāya, they requested that \"This man is Your eternal servant. Somehow or other, he has committed this sin. So You kindly excuse him.\" Caitanya Mahāprabhu was so much stern in this respect that He immediately replied that \"If you like Choṭa Haridāsa, better you remain with him. Let Me go away.\" So from that moment nobody ventured to request again Caitanya Mahāprabhu to excuse him.\nSo when he was hopeless not to be excused by Caitanya Mahāprabhu, he came here in this place, Prayāga, and in the confluence of river Yamunā and Gaṅgā he committed suicide. He drowned himself. And Caitanya Mahāprabhu knew also this incident. So after some time, when he died, say after some months, He simply inquired, \"Where is Choṭa Haridāsa now?\" So his other associates replied, \"Sir, You did not accept him, so he has committed suicide.\" So Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, \"Yes, this is very good. This is very good.\" So vajrād api kaṭhora. Caitanya Mahāprabhu was sometimes harder than the stone, and sometimes He was softer than the flower.\nSo that is the behavior of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Sometimes He becomes very strong. Just like Kṛṣṇa says, tān ahaṁ dviṣataḥ krūrān kṣipāmy ajasram andha-yoniṣu [Bg. 16.19]: \"Those who are envious, I keep them constantly in the darkest region of hellish life.\" So Kṛṣṇa is very kind, but if He is angry, He is very hard also. Now, one may say, \"Why God should be angry?\" No, God is angry also; otherwise wherefrom this anger comes if God is not angry? Janmādy asya yataḥ [SB 1.1.1]: everything is coming from the Absolute Truth. If God is not angry, then wherefrom this anger comes? Because He is the original source of everything.\nSo everything is there, but His activity and our activity is different. If Kṛṣṇa is angry... Just like He becomes angry and He kills so many demons. But all of them got liberation. Therefore His anger and our anger is not the same. If we become angry unnecessarily... But sometimes we may also become angry in the service of the Lord, not for personal interest. Just like Hanumānjī. Hanumānjī, he became very angry upon Rāvaṇa and he devastated his kingdom, which was known as golden kingdom of Rāvaṇa. So not for his personal interest.\nArjuna also, he was nonviolent naturally, because he's a devotee of Kṛṣṇa. But when Kṛṣṇa asked him to fight he became very much angry, because without being angry you cannot fight. You have to agitate your mind even artificially. Then you can fight. Therefore, when there is fight both the parties, they stood very strongly so that agitate themselves to become angry. This is the process.\nSo Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says that we can utilize these enemies, kāma, krodha, lobha—lust, anger, greediness. They can be utilized also for Kṛṣṇa's service. Kāma means lusty. One should be so much lusty to serve Kṛṣṇa. Just like we become lusty to have our desired object, similarly, we should be lusty to work for Kṛṣṇa as a madman: \"I must do it.\" That is the utilization of lustiness. Kāma, krodha. \n'Krodha' bhakta-dveṣi-jane [Prema-bhakti-candrikā]. One should be very much angry upon a person who is envious of the devotees. Yes. A pure devotee, satāṁ nindā, a pure devotee who is trying to spread the holy name of God, if somebody becomes envious upon him, that person is a great offender. So another devotee should be very much angry upon such person. 'Krodha' bhakta-dveṣi-jane. Bhakta-dveṣi means one who is envious of a pure devotee. And who is a pure devotee? Who is trying to spread the holy name of the Lord all over the world. Satāṁ nindā. This is offense.\nSo a devotee can utilize all these elements—lustiness, anger, kāma, krodha, greediness, and moha. Illusion also can be utilized. Just like illusion... Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, śūnyāyitaṁ jagat sarvaṁ govinda-viraheṇa me [Cc. Antya 20.39]: \"I see everything vacant, being separated from Govinda.\" So when one is bewildered, illusioned, that can be also there. You become bewildered, illusioned, being separated from Govinda.\nSo the...\nsarveṣām apy aghavatām\nidam eva suniṣkṛtam\nnāma-vyāharaṇaṁ viṣṇor\nyatas tad-viṣayā matiḥ\n[SB 6.2.10]\nSo by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra one becomes free from sinful reaction. Not only that; he becomes very soon a devotee. Yatas tad-viṣayā matiḥ. Yataḥ means simply by chanting. Here it is clearly stated, nāma-vyāharaṇam, chanting of the holy name. Vyāharaṇam means chanting; nāma-vyāharaṇaṁ viṣṇoḥ, \"of Lord Viṣṇu.\" So not only he becomes free from all sinful reaction of his life, but yatas tad-viṣayā matiḥ: his mind becomes fixed up in the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa.\nSo try to understand what is the result of chanting, simply by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu recommends, harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam [Cc. Ādi 17.21]. So without offense, without committing offense, if we regularly chant this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, then we remain freed from all sinful reaction of life and our attachment for the Supreme Lord in devotional service increases. Yatas tad-viṣayā matiḥ. \nBrahma-vādibhiḥ. Brahma-vādī means those who are very much fond of Vedic rituals, performances, yajña. There was an argument, conversation, with Haridāsa Ṭhākura and a brāhmaṇa. The Haridāsa Ṭhākura says that offenseless chanting of this holy name of Lord, one not only becomes free, not only he becomes brahma-bhūta, but his love of Godhead manifests. The dormant love of Godhead manifests, and automatically he is liberated.\nSo that brāhmaṇa protested that \"Don't exaggerate your chanting in this way. One becomes liberated after performing so much austerities, penances, and you say simply by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa? This is too much exaggeration.\" So there was argument, and the argument increased, and there was cursing also, and Haridāsa Ṭhākura was a little bit agitated, and the brāhmaṇa became offender and he suffered. That incidence is described in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta.\nSo the first stage of chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra is full of offenses. But if one sticks to the principle... Therefore we have to chant regularly sixteen rounds at least. So even there are offenses, by simply chanting and being repentant that \"I have committed this offense unnecessarily, or without knowledge,\" so simply be repentant and go on chanting. Then the stage will come, it is called nāmābhāsa. That is offenseless, when there is no more offenses. That is called nāmābhāsa. At nāmābhāsa stage one becomes liberated immediately. And when one is liberated, if he goes on chanting—naturally he will go on chanting—then his love of Kṛṣṇa becomes manifest.\nThese are the three stages of chanting: chanting with offense, chanting as a liberated person and chanting in love of God. There are three stage of chanting. The same thing, the example is just like a mango, unripe mango, going on, changes. It is not that chanting brings another thing as a result. No. The same thing becomes manifest in different feature. Just like unripe mango, you taste in a different way; it is very sour. But when it is ripened and it is fully ripened, the taste is changed. The taste is now sweet.\nSo in the beginning we may be very much reluctant in the matter of chanting, but when you become liberated, the chanting will be so sweet that you cannot give up. Just like Rūpa Gosvāmī, he has composed a śloka. He says in that śloka that \"If I had millions of tongues and trillions of ears, then the chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra would have been relishable. How..., what can I do with one tongue and two ears?\"\nSo that is liberated stage. That is prema. But that stage is attainable. If you follow regularly the principles, everyone will attain to that stage when he simply likes to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare.\nThank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa.",
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"content": "\n All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda.",
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"content": "\n [break] ...again commit the sins, then you have to suffer.",
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"content": "\n We say, oṁ namaḥ śivāya, oṁ namaḥ śivāya. What is the difference, oṁ namaḥ śivāya, oṁ namo hare rāma? You say Hare Rāma mokṣa. Oṁ namaḥ śivāya is no mokṣa?",
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"content": "\n No.",
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"content": "\n Who is Śiva?",
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"content": "\n Śiva is Śiva.",
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"content": "\n No, Kārttikeya, who...? Daitya [indistinct]?",
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"content": "\n That's all right, but Śiva is Śiva.",
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"content": "\n Śiva, is he not a god?",
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"content": "\n He's a demigod.",
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"content": "\n Devi-god.",
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"content": "\n Demigod, not devi-god. Demigod.",
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"content": "\n He is also god.",
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"content": "\n Yes. God..., you are also god.",
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"content": "\n We are also, get the same reward through the Hare Rāma Kṛṣṇa mūrti.",
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"content": "\n No, no.",
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"content": "\n That is, increases, eh?",
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"content": "\n If you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa you'll get the different result. And if you chant Śiva's name you'll get different result.",
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"content": "\n Which is the best?",
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"content": "\n Hare Kṛṣṇa.",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n Haribol! [laughter]",
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"content": "\n If you chant Lord Śiva's name you will get material opulence, but if you chant Lord Viṣṇu's name, then you'll be transferred to the spiritual world. So we have to be very cautious. Just like a person, after being freed from the diseased condition, he is in convalescent stage. In convalescent, again if he does something wrong, the disease is relapse.\nThen, at that time, one has to be very careful. Not that \"Because I have become liberated, I'll do anything.\" No. That is going on. Just like we Indians, we have become independent, and therefore we are doing anything we like and we are conditioned now again.",
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"content": "\n [Hindi]",
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"content": "\n [Hindi with guest] Hare Kṛṣṇa.\n[break] ...of Brahman. You are also Brahman. So your manifestation and Lord Śiva's manifestation is not the same. So there are different grades of manifestation. We have to know that. Although the thing is one, but there are different manifestation, not that because everything is one, that everyone is the same. No. Hare Kṛṣṇa.",
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"content": "\n Hare Kṛṣṇa. [to tape:] Hare Kṛṣṇa. Prabhupāda just gave a wonderful example which I will repeat. He said that everything is one, just like wood. Wood in the primary stage is wood, and then in the smoking stage it's also wood. And then in the fire stage it is also wood, but fire is required. So in three stages... So similarly, the Supreme Lord is manifest as Brahmā, Śiva and Viṣṇu. So it is compared to the wood. [end]",
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https://vedabase.io/en/library/transcripts/681219in-los-angeles/
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"content": "\n I am not criticizing, but it is, I mean to say, a human consideration. Suppose if you have committed some wrong thing within our jurisdiction and you come to me, \"Swāmījī, I have committed this.\" So I say, \"All right. Don't do it again. Excused.\" Now, second day you come again, you say, \"I have committed this.\" All right. Second day I can also excuse. The third day also, I can excuse, but fourth day I'll not excuse. Don't make it official business.\nJust like go to the church every week and confess and... Confessing your sinful activities before Lord Jesus Christ or his representative, surely your sinful activities are squared up. But does it mean, very nice, that every week, the whole week you shall commit sinful activities, and at the end of the week you shall go and confess? Does it look very well?\nYou are not ashamed that \"Every week I commit these sinful activities, and on the seventh day I confess\"? This process should not be adopted, that because God's name, God's remembrance actually squares up all of our sinful activities... That's a fact. But how it is that we shall go on committing sinful activities and square it up by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa and by confessing? No. This is the particular point. One should carefully note.\nJust like Jagāi-Mādhāi. Jagāi-Mādhāi, they were the greatest sinful men during Caitanya Mahāprabhu's time. So when they surrendered to Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu with confession, \"My Lord, we have committed so many sinful activities. Please save us,\" that Caitanya Mahāprabhu asked them that \"Yes, I will accept you and I'll save you, provided you promise that no more you shall commit such sinful activities.\" So they agreed, \"Yes. Whatever we have done, that's all. No more we are going to do it.\" Then Caitanya Mahāprabhu accepted them and they became great devotee, and their life was successful.\nThe same process is here also. This initiation means that you should..., everyone should remember that whatever sinful activities one might have done in his past life, that is now account closed. Debit and credit closed. Now, from this day, no more sinful activities. What are those sinful activities? That is simple. We have mentioned; you should take it note: No illicit sex life. Beyond marriage, there is no sex life. No intoxication. Even drinking tea, coffee, they are also intoxication; cigarette smoking. No intoxication.\nNo meat-eating. Simple. Only kṛṣṇa-prasādam. Whatever... If you remain in the temple you will get kṛṣṇa-prasādam, and if not, outside you prepare your cāpāṭi, ḍāl, offer to Kṛṣṇa and take. Don't take anything except kṛṣṇa-prasādam. The third... And no gambling or unnecessary sporting. People are wasting time. So many sportings they have invented—sporting balls, this ball, that ball. You see?\nHuman life is very short. We do not know when we shall die. Before that, we must prepare ourself for the next life. Next life means directly going back to Kṛṣṇa, highest perfection. As you'll find in the Bhagavad-gītā, yānti deva-vratā devān pitṝn yānti pitṛ-vratāḥ [Bg. 9.25].\n[Those who worship the demigods will take birth among the demigods; those who worship ghosts and spirits will take birth among such beings; those who worship ancestors go to the ancestors; and those who worship Me will live with Me.]\nThere are innumerable varieties of planet. The higher planetary system, they are resided by demigods, very powerful. They are also human being, but they are very beautiful, they are very powerful. So you can go there. The moon planet, sun planet—that is clearly stated—if you act accordingly, as they are prescribed, that \"If you want to go to the moon planet, you have to do like this,\" then after leaving this body, you can go there. Similarly, you can go any planet. Similarly, you can go to the planet of Kṛṣṇa also.\nSo those who are intelligent, they are not concerned with..., any more with any planet within this material world. Because wherever you go, the four principles of material miseries, namely birth, death, old age and disease, will follow. Either you go to the moon planet or sun planet or Venus planet or any planet. Yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama [Bg. 15.6].\n[That abode of Mine is not illumined by the sun or moon, nor by electricity. One who reaches it never returns to this material world.]\nBut that planet where going no more comes back in the material world, that is the most sublime planet.\nSo we are... Kṛṣṇa consciousness means we are preparing living entities directly going back to Kṛṣṇa planet. The highest perfection. So this is opportunity. You have got human form of life. Now you have got our association. You have got all information from the Bhagavad-gītā. So the opportunity is there. Now if you don't utilize it, then you can commit your suicide. Nobody can check you. Otherwise, you can utilize all these facilities and go directly to Kṛṣṇa.\nSo this is the process. Initiation means beginning of that perfection. One has to utilize it properly, then there is no doubt. It is assured in the Bhagavad-gītā. Kṛṣṇa assures if you believe in Kṛṣṇa, if you believe in His Personality of Godhead, then there cannot be any doubt. And let us execute Kṛṣṇa consciousness and follow the rules and regulation, and then life is sure to be successful.\nNow chant mantra. \nvande 'haṁ śrī-guroḥ śrī-yuta-pada-kamalaṁ śrī-gurūn vaiṣṇavāṁś ca\nśrī-rūpaṁ sāgrajātaṁ saha-gaṇa-raghunāthānvitaṁ taṁ sa-jīvam\nsādvaitaṁ sāvadhūtaṁ parijana-sahitaṁ kṛṣṇa-caitanya-devaṁ\nśrī-rādhā-kṛṣṇa-pādān saha-gaṇa-lalitā-śrī-viśākhānvitāṁś ca\n[I offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of my spiritual master and of all the other preceptors on the path of devotional service. I offer my respectful obeisances unto all the Vaiṣṇavas and unto the Six Gosvāmīs, including Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī, Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, Jīva Gosvāmī and their associates. I offer my respectful obeisances unto Śrī Advaita Ācārya Prabhu, Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and all His devotees, headed by Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura. I then offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of Lord Kṛṣṇa, Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī and all the gopīs, headed by Lalitā and Viśākhā.]\nnama om viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya\nbhūtale śrīmate bhaktivedānta-svāmin iti nāmine.\n[I offer my respectful obeisances unto His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, who is very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa, having taken shelter at His lotus feet.]\nnama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale\nśrīmate bhaktisiddhānta-sarasvatīti nāmine\n[I offer my respectful obeisances unto His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī, who is very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa, having taken shelter at His lotus feet.]\nśrī-vārṣabhānavī-devī-dayitāya kṛpābdhaye\nkṛṣṇa-sambandha-vijñāna-dāyine prabhave namaḥ\nI offer my respectful obeisances to Śrī Vārṣabhānavī-devī-dayita dāsa [another name of Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī], who is favored by Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī and who is the ocean of transcendental mercy and the deliverer of the science of Kṛṣṇa.\nmādhuryojjvala-premāḍhya-śrī-rūpānuga-bhaktida-\nśrī-gaura-karuṇā-śakti-vigrahāya namo 'stu te\n[I offer my respectful obeisances unto you, the personified energy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mercy, who delivers devotional service enriched with conjugal love of Śrī Śrī Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, coming exactly in the line of revelation of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī.]\nnamas te gaura-vāṇī-śrī-mūrtaye dīna-tāriṇe\nrūpānuga-viruddhāpasiddhānta-dhvānta-hāriṇe\n[I offer my respectful obeisances unto you, who are the personified teachings of Lord Caitanya. You are the deliverer of the fallen souls. You do not tolerate any statement against the teachings of devotional service enunciated by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī.]\nnamo gaura-kiśorāya sākṣād-vairāgya-mūrtaye\nvipralambha-rasāmbhodhe pādāmbujāya te namaḥ\n[I offer my respectful obeisances unto Śrīla Gaurakiśora dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja [the spiritual master of Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī], who is renunciation personified. He is always merged in a feeling of separation and intense love of Kṛṣṇa.]\nnamo bhaktivinodāya sac-cid-ānanda-nāmine\ngaura-śakti-svarūpāya rūpānuga-varāya te\n[I offer my respectful obeisances unto Śrīla Saccidānanda Bhaktivinoda, who is the transcendental energy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He is a strict follower of the Gosvāmīs, headed by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī.]\ngaurāvirbhāva-bhūmes tvaṁ nirdeṣṭā saj-jana-priyaḥ\nvaiṣṇava-sārvabhaumaḥ śrī-jagannāthāya te namaḥ\n[I offer my respectful obeisances to Śrīla Jagannātha dāsa Bābājī, who is respected by the entire Vaiṣṇava community and who confirmed the discovery of the place where Lord Caitanya appeared.]\nvāñchā-kalpatarubhyaś ca kṛpā-sindhubhya eva ca\npatitānāṁ pāvenebhyo vaiṣṇavebhyo namo namaḥ\n[I offer my respectful obeisances unto all the Vaiṣṇava devotees of the Lord. They are just like desire trees who can fulfill the desires of everyone, and they are full of compassion for the fallen conditioned souls.]\nnamo mahā-vadānyāya kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te\nkṛṣṇāya kṛṣṇa-caitanya-nāmne gaura-tviṣe namaḥ\n[O most munificent incarnation! You are Kṛṣṇa Himself appearing as Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu. You have assumed the golden color of Śrīmātī Rādhārāṇī, and You are widely distributing pure love of Kṛṣṇa. We offer our respectful obeisances unto You.]\nhe kṛṣṇa karuṇā-sindho dīna-bandho jagat-pate\ngopeśa gopikā-kānta rādhā-kānta namo 'stu te\n[O my dear Kṛṣṇa, O ocean of mercy, O friend of the distressed and the source of creation, O master of the cowherd men and the lover of the gopīs, especially Rādhārāṇī, I offer my respectful obeisances unto You.]\njayatāṁ, suratau, paṅgor, mama, manda, mater, gate\nmat, sarvasva, padām, bhojau, rādhā, madana, mohanau\n[Sambandhādhideva Praṇāma]\nsvāhā, svāhā, svāhā\n[Glory to the all-merciful Rādhā and Madana-mohana! I am lame and ill advised, yet They are my directors, and Their lotus feet are everything to me.]\ndīvyad, vṛnda, araṇya, kalpa, drumādhaḥ\nśrīmad, ratna, agāra, siṁha, asana-sthau\nśrī śrī, rādhā, śrīla, govinda, devau\npreṣṭhā, devī, sevya, mānau, smarāmi\n[Abhidheyādhideva Praṇāma]\n[In a temple of jewels in Vṛndāvana, underneath a desire tree, Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Govinda, served by Their most confidential associates, sit upon an effulgent throne. I offer my most humble obeisances unto Them.]\nśrīmad, rāsa, rasa, arambhī, vaṁśī, vaṭa, taṭa, sthitaḥ\nkarṣan, veṇu, svanair, gopīr, gopī, nāthaḥ, śriye, astu, naḥ\n[Prayojanādhideva Praṇāma]\n[Śrī Śrīla Gopīnātha, who originated the transcendental mellow of the rāsa dance, stands on the shore in Vaṁśīvaṭa and attracts the attention of the cowherd damsels with the sound of His celebrated flute. May they all confer upon us their benediction.]\ntapta-kāñcana-gaurāṅgi rādhe vṛndāvaneśvari\nvṛṣabhānu-sute devī praṇamāmi hari-priye\n[I offer my respects to Rādhārāṇī, whose bodily complexion is like molten gold and who is the Queen of Vṛndāvana. You are the daughter of King Vṛṣabhānu, and You are very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa.]\nhare kṛṣṇa hare kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa hare hare\nhare rāma hare rāma rāma rāma hare hare\n[O Śrīmāti Rādhārāṇī (the divine energy of the Lord Kṛṣṇa), O all-attractive reservoir of pleasure, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, please engage me in Your loving devotional service.]\nNow chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. [japa]\n[break] ...bead. In this way you come to this side. Again begin from here, come to this side. In this way sixteen rounds. If you feel difficulty you ask your Godbrothers. They'll give instruction. And your spiritual name is Kamalāsana dāsa.",
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"content": "\n Kamalāsana dāsa?",
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"content": "\n K-a-m-a-l-a, Kamala, s-a-n-a, āsana. Kamalāsana dāsa. Kamalāsana. Kamalāsana means Viṣṇu or Brahmā. Brahmā is also seated on the lotus sitting place. Āsana means sitting place, and kamala means lotus.\nYou have seen Brahmā is sitting on kamala? Similarly, Viṣṇu is also sitting on kamala. So Kamalāsana dāsa means you are Viṣṇu dāsa. That is the meaning. Kamalāsana means Viṣṇu. This Viṣṇu picture, you see? This is Viṣṇu. So now we shall perform... Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa.\n[someone breaks stick for fire]\nYes. Chant.",
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"content": "\nPrabhupāda? Could you spell it so that I can...",
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"content": "\n K-a-m-a-l-a-s-a-n-a. Kamalāsana.",
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"content": "\nK-a-m-a-l-a-s-a-n-a. Kamalāsana.",
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"content": "\n Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. [indistinct] [sticks breaking, devotees chanting] Why so much? Least. Give me least. Not so much required. All right.\nWhen I shall say svāhā you'll take all, little, little.\noṁ apavitraḥ pavitro vā\nsarvāvasthāṁ gato 'pi vā\nyaḥ smaret puṇḍarīkākṣaṁ\nsa bahyābhyantaraḥ śuciḥ\nśrī viṣṇu, śrī viṣṇu, śrī viṣṇu\n[Either pure or impure, or having passed through all conditions of material life, if one can remember the lotus-eyed Kṛṣṇa, he becomes externally and internally clean.]\nvande 'haṁ śrī-guroḥ śrī-yuta-pada-kamalaṁ śrī-gurūn vaiṣṇavāṁś ca\nśrī-rūpaṁ sāgrajātaṁ saha-gaṇa-raghunāthānvitaṁ taṁ sa-jīvam\nsādvaitaṁ sāvadhūtaṁ parijana-sahitaṁ kṛṣṇa-caitanya-devaṁ\nśrī-rādhā-kṛṣṇa-pādān saha-gaṇa-lalitā-śrī-viśākhānvitāṁś ca\nsvāhā, svāhā, svāhā\n[I offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of my spiritual master and of all the other preceptors on the path of devotional service. I offer my respectful obeisances unto all the Vaiṣṇavas and unto the Six Gosvāmīs, including Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī, Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, Jīva Gosvāmī and their associates. I offer my respectful obeisances unto Śrī Advaita Ācārya Prabhu, Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and all His devotees, headed by Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura. I then offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of Lord Kṛṣṇa, Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī and all the gopīs, headed by Lalitā and Viśākhā.]\nnama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale\nśrīmate bhaktivedānta-svāmin iti nāmine\nsvāhā, svāhā, svāhā\n[I offer my respectful obeisances unto His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, who is very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa on this earth, having taken shelter at His lotus feet.]\nnama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale\nśrīmate bhaktisiddhānta-sarasvatīti nāmine\n[I offer my respectful obeisances unto His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī, who is very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa, having taken shelter at His lotus feet.]\nśrī-vārṣabhānavī-devī-dayitāya kṛpābdhaye\nkṛṣṇa-sambandha-vijñāna-dāyine prabhave namaḥ\nI offer my respectful obeisances to Śrī Vārṣabhānavī-devī-dayita dāsa [another name of Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī], who is favored by Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī and who is the ocean of transcendental mercy and the deliverer of the science of Kṛṣṇa.\nmādhuryojjvala-premāḍhya-śrī-rūpānuga-bhaktida-\nśrī-gaura-karuṇā-śakti-vigrahāya namo 'stu te\n[I offer my respectful obeisances unto you, the personified energy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mercy, who delivers devotional service enriched with conjugal love of Śrī Śrī Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, coming exactly in the line of revelation of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī.]\nnamas te gaura-vāṇī-śrī-mūrtaye dīna-tāriṇe\nrūpānuga-viruddhāpasiddhānta-dhvānta-hāriṇe\nsvāhā, svāhā, svāhā\n[I offer my respectful obeisances unto you, who are the personified teachings of Lord Caitanya. You are the deliverer of the fallen souls. You do not tolerate any statement against the teachings of devotional service enunciated by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī.]\nnamo gaura-kiśorāya sākṣād-vairāgya-mūrtaye\nvipralambha-rasāmbhodhe pādāmbujāya te namaḥ\nsvāhā, svāhā, svāhā\n[I offer my respectful obeisances unto Śrīla Gaurakiśora dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja [the spiritual master of Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī], who is renunciation personified. He is always merged in a feeling of separation and intense love of Kṛṣṇa.]\nnamo bhaktivinodāya sac-cid-ānanda-nāmine\ngaura-śakti-svarūpāya rūpānuga-varāya te\nsvāhā, svāhā, svāhā\n[I offer my respectful obeisances unto Śrīla Saccidānanda Bhaktivinoda, who is the transcendental energy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He is a strict follower of the Gosvāmīs, headed by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī.]\ngaurāvirbhāva-bhūmes tvaṁ nirdeṣṭā saj-jana-priyaḥ\nvaiṣṇava-sārvabhaumaḥ śrī-jagannāthāya te namaḥ\nsvāhā, svāhā, svāhā\n[I offer my respectful obeisances to Śrīla Jagannātha dāsa Bābājī, who is respected by the entire Vaiṣṇava community and who confirmed the discovery of the place where Lord Caitanya appeared.]\nvāñchā-kalpatarubhyaś ca kṛpā-sindhubhya eva ca\npatitānāṁ pāvenebhyo vaiṣṇavebhyo namo namaḥ\nsvāhā, svāhā, svāhā\n[I offer my respectful obeisances unto all the Vaiṣṇava devotees of the Lord. They are just like desire trees who can fulfill the desires of everyone, and they are full of compassion for the fallen conditioned souls.]\nnamo mahā-vadānyāya kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te\nkṛṣṇāya kṛṣṇa-caitanya-nāmne gaura-tviṣe namaḥ\nsvāhā, svāhā, svāhā\n[O most munificent incarnation! You are Kṛṣṇa Himself appearing as Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu. You have assumed the golden color of Śrīmātī Rādhārāṇī, and You are widely distributing pure love of Kṛṣṇa. We offer our respectful obeisances unto You.]\npañca-tattvātmakaṁ kṛṣṇaṁ bhakta-rūpa-svarūpakam\nbhaktāvatāraṁ bhaktākhyaṁ namāmi bhakta-śaktikam\nsvāhā, svāhā, svāhā\n[I offer my obeisances unto the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa, who is nondifferent from His features as a devotee, devotional manifestation, devotional incarnation, pure devotee and devotional energy.]\nhe kṛṣṇa karuṇā-sindho dīna-bandho jagat-pate\ngopeśa gopikā-kānta rādhā-kānta namo 'stu te\nsvāhā, svāhā, svāhā\n[O my dear Kṛṣṇa, O ocean of mercy, O friend of the distressed and the source of creation, O master of the cowherd men and the lover of the gopīs, especially Rādhārāṇī, I offer my respectful obeisances unto You.]\njayatāṁ, suratau, paṅgor, mama, manda, mater, gate\nmat, sarvasva, padām, bhojau, rādhā, madana, mohanau\n[Sambandhādhideva Praṇāma]\nsvāhā, svāhā, svāhā\n[Glory to the all-merciful Rādhā and Madana-mohana! I am lame and ill advised, yet They are my directors, and Their lotus feet are everything to me.]\ndīvyad, vṛnda, araṇya, kalpa, drumādhaḥ\nśrīmad, ratna, agāra, siṁha, asana-sthau\nśrī śrī, rādhā, śrīla, govinda, devau\npreṣṭhā, devī, sevya, mānau, smarāmi\n[Abhidheyādhideva Praṇāma]\nsvāhā, svāhā, svāhā\n[In a temple of jewels in Vṛndāvana, underneath a desire tree, Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Govinda, served by Their most confidential associates, sit upon an effulgent throne. I offer my most humble obeisances unto Them.]\nśrīmad, rāsa, rasa, arambhī, vaṁśī, vaṭa, taṭa, sthitaḥ\nkarṣan, veṇu, svanair, gopīr, gopī, nāthaḥ, śriye, astu, naḥ\n[Prayojanādhideva Praṇāma]\nsvāhā, svāhā, svāhā\n[Śrī Śrīla Gopīnātha, who originated the transcendental mellow of the rāsa dance, stands on the shore in Vaṁśīvaṭa and attracts the attention of the cowherd damsels with the sound of His celebrated flute. May they all confer upon us their benediction.]\ntapta-kāñcana-gaurāṅgi rādhe vṛndāvaneśvari\nvṛṣabhānu-sute devī praṇamāmi hari-priye\n[I offer my respects to Rādhārāṇī, whose bodily complexion is like molten gold and who is the Queen of Vṛndāvana. You are the daughter of King Vṛṣabhānu, and You are very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa.]\nNow take this [indistinct] and stand up. Put this, yes.\nnamo brahmaṇya-devāya\ngo-brāhmaṇa-hitāya ca\njagad-dhitāya kṛṣṇāya\ngovindāya namo namaḥ\n[Let me offer my respectful obeisances unto Lord Kṛṣṇa, who is the worshipable Deity for all brahminical men, who is the well-wisher of cows and brāhmaṇas, and who is always benefiting the whole world. I offer my repeated obeisances to the Personality of Godhead, known as Kṛṣṇa and Govinda.]\nhare kṛṣṇa hare kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa hare hare\nhare rāma hare rāma rāma rāma hare hare\n[O Śrīmāti Rādhārāṇī (the divine energy of the Lord Kṛṣṇa), O all-attractive reservoir of pleasure, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, please engage me in Your loving devotional service.]\nNow bow down.\nnama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale\nśrīmate bhaktivedānta-svāmin iti nāmine\nNow chant Hare Kṛṣṇa.\n[35:40]\n[kīrtana] [break] [kīrtana] Thank you very much. [prema-dhvani]\nSo in the morning, evening, the ārātrika should be performed, and this should be parikramā, circumambulating within this hall three times at least. This processes should be followed. Kṛṣṇa has given you nice place. You utilize it properly. So there are many other processes. Gradually it will be introduced. All of a sudden, you cannot assimilate. [laughter]\nSo this kīrtana, evening ārātrika and circumambulating... If possible, you can circumambulate around the temple so that others may see also what they're doing. Yes. If not, within the temple you can circumambulate. Now you can distribute prasādam. Today's function is finished. Where is some... No fruits? You have not arranged any fruits?",
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"content": "\n I made some bread, too Srila Prabhupada.",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\n Fruits. Bread not required. That's all.",
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"content": "\n Swamiji, I would like to know if it is all right to play the Battle of Kurukṣetra.",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\n Huh?",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n Like, is it all right to pretend you're Bhīṣma and pretend...",
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"content": "\n What does he say?",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\nHe wants to know if it's all right to make believe he's in the Battle of Kurukṣetra. Sometimes we are playing that he is Bhīṣma and one of us might be Arjuna or Kṛṣṇa.",
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"content": "\n No. No. You should not ever think that \"I am Bhīṣma. I am Arjuna.\" No. Never think like that. You should always think that \"I am the servant of Bhīṣma,\" \"Servant of Arjuna,\" \"Servant of Kṛṣṇa,\" \"Servant of His servant.\"\nNever think... That is Māyāvāda. If I think I am Kṛṣṇa or if I think I am Bhīṣma, if I think I am Prahlāda, this is Māyāvāda. This monism, this is offense. Never think like that. You should always think that \"I am servant of such devotee or Kṛṣṇa.\" Never think that \"I am that.\" No.",
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"content": "\n What he wants to know is that... He has a little kṣatriya blood in him. He likes to play. He likes to express his energy a lot, run around.",
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"content": "\n That is different thing. Just like you have got the blood of your father. That does not mean you are father. That is different thing. Everything is one: Kṛṣṇa. That is the difference between the philosophy of Māyāvāda and Vaiṣṇava. They simply take the One, but we take One, but there is diversity. That they do not understand.\nActually, unity... Diversity in unity. Monism means they do not accept the diversity. They simply take that oneness. Oneness is certainly—there is nothing but Kṛṣṇa. Just like Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, \"I am everywhere spread.\" Mayā tatam idaṁ sarvam. \"Everything, whatever you see, that is I am, but I am not there.\" Nāhaṁ teṣu avasthitaḥ [Bg. 9.4]. \n[By Me, in My unmanifested form, this entire universe is pervaded. All beings are in Me, but I am not in them.]\nThey are existing. Everything existing in Kṛṣṇa. But that does not mean... Just like this table. The table is also Kṛṣṇa in one sense, because it is the manifestation of Kṛṣṇa's energy. Therefore this is not different from Kṛṣṇa. But if you think that \"Instead of worshiping Kṛṣṇa, let me worship this table,\" that is wrong, nonsense. This is the difference between Māyāvāda philosophy and Vaiṣṇava philosophy.\nThe Māyāvāda philosophy says that even if I worship the table, it is all right. But Kṛṣṇa does not say. It is Māyāvāda philosophers said. Kṛṣṇa says, \"Yes, table is existing in Me. I am also table. But I am not there.\" You see in the Bhagavad-gītā. So never think like that, that \"I am Bhīṣma\" or \"I am Prahlāda\" or \"I am...\" No. You are always servant of such devotee. That's all.",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n If we pretend we're the servant of... If we pretend we're the servant of Bhīṣma and...",
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"content": "\n Servant of his servant.",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n Servant of the servant of Bhīṣma...",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\n Yes, that's all.",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n Is it all right to play the Battle of Kurukṣetra if you're the servant of the servant of Bhīṣma?",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\n What is that?",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n Is it all right to play like he's fighting the battle as servant of the servant of Bhīṣma? He likes to play like he's in the battle. He likes to run and play. It makes him think of the Lord.",
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"content": "\n Oh, you are playing in the battle? No, you should not manufacture anything. You should be directed by the spiritual master. Don't manufacture anything. That is not good. You'll manufacture today something, next day you'll manufacture something, then you'll go astray. Don't do that.\nTo be under disciplinary activities means to be directed by the authorities. Don't manufacture anything. There are so many activities. Why should we manufacture some other thing? Manufacturing means Māyāvāda, mental concoction. That is not the process of bhakti. Yes.",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n If he plays...",
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"content": "\n Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ [Cc. Madhya 17.186]. \n[Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu continued, “’Dry arguments are inconclusive. A great personality whose opinion does not differ from others is not considered a great sage. Simply by studying the Vedas, which are variegated, one cannot come to the right path by which religious principles are understood. The solid truth of religious principles is hidden in the heart of an unadulterated, self-realized person. Consequently, as the śāstras confirm, one should accept whatever progressive path the mahājanas advocate.’”]\nYou have to simply follow the footprints. Yes.",
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"content": "\n If we were in plays and we are playing such great personalities, how should we be thinking?",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\n Huh?",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n In plays if we would be...",
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"content": "\n Play is play. Suppose you are playing the part of Cromwell. Are you Cromwell? So similarly, why do you think like that you have become Cromwell?",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n No. How should we think, though?",
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"content": "\n You think yourself that you are servant of him. Suppose you are playing the part of George Washington in a drama. Are you George Washington? But while playing, you may feel like that; otherwise the play will not be successful. That is different thing.\n[pause] So Govinda dāsī, so long you are here, morning, evening, you should see that the ārati is performed. In the morning, evening and lunchtime. Yes.",
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"content": "\n When one is fully engaged in transcendental loving service, how is freedom of choice playing a part in your..., in choice of service?\n[break] Does one have a choice? Like when Kṛṣṇa completely takes over one's life.",
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"content": "\nI do not follow what you say. [break] [end]",
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https://vedabase.io/en/library/transcripts/710318sb-bombay/
|
[
{
"content": "\n\n...vidvān ātmano lakṣaṇaiḥ paraiḥ\nahaṁ mamety asad-bhāvaṁ\n[SB 7.7.19\n–\n20]\n[aside:] You can sit down this side.\nDehādau mohajaṁ tyajet [SB 7.7.2]. So Prahlāda Mahārāja is instructing his demon class friend. They are not demons, but they are sons of demons. Just like you are. [laughter] You are not demons, but you are sons of demons. [chuckles] Is it right? [laughs] But you have no more connection with your demon father. That's nice.\nSo in some of these, I think Back to Godhead Number 40, Hayagrīva has written a very nice article, \"Constitution of the Soul.\" It is very nicely written. So, demonic principle is they do not give stress on the soul. They are bodily conscious, that \"I am this body.\" And as soon as one is such foolishly conceiving body as self, his activities will be demonic.\nYasyātma-buddhiḥ kunape tri-dhātuke [SB 10.84.13]. The demons also, sometimes they have got conception of the soul, they believe in transmigration of the soul, but though they are... Simply on the platform of accepting this body as self, they have been compared with animals.\nSo Prahlāda Mahārāja has very nicely analyzed the characteristics of the soul by twelve items: ātmā, nitya, avyaya, śuddha, eka, kṣetra-jña, āśraya, avikriya, sva-dṛk, hetuḥ, vyāpaka, asaṅgī, anāvṛta. These things I have explained in Calcutta. Again we may repeat. These are important points. The characteristic of ātmā, either ātmā or paramātmā, the same characteristics are there. Exactly like gold bar and gold particle: the chemical composition of the gold bar and the gold particle is the same.\nSo ātmā nitya, eternal. The materialistic scientists, they have no information of the ātmā. They think that this material combination of elements evolves some living force. That is their theory. As such, they think that in other planets, where the atmosphere is different, they think there is no life, because they do not know that life means presence of the ātmā, and the ātmā, the soul, can live in any condition of material existence.\nAny condition. Even in fire the ātmā can live, because according to the information we receive from Bhagavad-gītā, the ātmā is never burned even in the fire. It is never moistened in the water. It cannot be cut into pieces. These things are there. This material body can be cut into pieces, it can be burned, it can be wetted in water, but ātmā, spirit soul, is different from this body.\nThe material scientists, they have no information of ātmā. Therefore they think that in the moon planet there is no life, in the sun planet there is no life. Simply... This is kūpa-maṇḍūka-nyāya. Dr. Frog Ph.D., he's thinking in his own way. Dr. Frog thinks that this three-feet dimension of the well is all in all; there cannot be anything. These rascal philosopher and rascal scientist, they think in that way, Dr. Frog. There cannot be Atlantic Ocean. That three-feet dimension well water is sufficient. Therefore we have to receive knowledge from authorities. We cannot speculate. Speculation will not help us in approaching the real destination.\nSo, Prahlāda Mahārāja, whatever he is saying—he's an authority—we should accept. Ātmā, nitya—eternal. Avyaya—inexhaustible. Avyaya, śuddha. Śuddha means pure, without any contamination. Śuddha, eka. Eka means individual. Eka. Kṛṣṇa is also individual and the living entity is also individual, eka. Kṣetra-jña—fully conscious of his bodily activities. Kṣetra-jña.\nĀśraya—the basic principle. As I am, I am spirit soul, I am the basic principle of development of this body, similarly Kṛṣṇa is the basic principle of development of this universe. That is the difference. I know where is the pains and pleasure, what are the defects and favorable condition in my body, but I do not know what is favorable for your body. Therefore I am not kṣetra-jña, conversant with your bodily activities, but Kṛṣṇa knows.\nKṣetra-jñaṁ cāpi māṁ viddhi sarva-kṣetreṣu bhārata [Bg. 13.3]. Kṛṣṇa says that \"I am also kṣetra-jña, knower of the body, but I know everyone's body.\" That is the difference between Kṛṣṇa, Paramātmā, the Supersoul, and the individual soul. The Māyāvādī philosophers, they make one. That is not possible.\nKṣetra-jña, āśraya. Avikriya—unchangeable. Sva-dṛk—he can see himself by contemplation, by meditation. Sva-dṛk. Hetuḥ—cause. Vyāpaka—all-pervading. I am all-pervading within this body, in my body. I am not all-pervading in your body. If I pinch your body, I do not feel any pain, but if I pinch my body, I feel pain. Therefore, \"I am all-pervading\" means I am all-pervading in this body by consciousness. Anywhere you touch, the consciousness is there, feeling touch.\nVyāpaka, asaṅgī. Asaṅgī means without being mixed up. The same example, that fishing but not touching the water. Oil, you drop some oil on the water, it will float; it will not mix. When you emulsify water it changes the color, but it is there. That will be explained in the next verse. Another example is just like milk. The milk, pure milk, there is butter, but you cannot see the butter in the milk. But if you could...\n[break] ...on the same platform by the paṇḍita, by the learned, because he does not see the outward coverings; he sees the inner soul, the characteristics of the soul as described. But the demons, they cannot see the inner soul. They cannot distinguish the characteristic of the soul. Simply they see superficially and, identifying with the body, there is always trouble: \"I am this nation.\" \"I am Englishman,\" \"I am German,\" \"I am American,\" \"I am Hindu,\" \"I am Muslim,\" \"I am brāhmaṇa,\" \"I am this,\" \"I am that\"—designation. So one has to become free from this designation before one can understand what is spiritual life. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. Sarvopādhi... These are designation, superficial.\nSo Prahlāda Mahārāja says that etair dvādaśabhir vidvān ātmano lakṣaṇaiḥ paraiḥ. Paraiḥ means superior. You have to distinguish ātmā by superior characteristics, not by inferior characteristics. And by understanding the ātmā's real position, ahaṁ mamety asad-bhāvaṁ dehādau mohajaṁ tyajet. You should give up the bodily identification, which is a production of illusion, mohajaṁ.\nProduction of illusion. As soon as I think I am American, \"Why American money should go to India?\" Immediately he becomes disqualified to become a member of the [indistinct]. Immediately. Because the same demoniac principle—\"I am this.\" Mohajaṁ. Mohajaṁ—this is the production of illusion.\nPrahlāda Mahārāja says tyajet, \"You should give up these demonic principle.\" Tyajet. Tyajet, this is vidhiliṅ—\"must.\" Must. There are different forms of verbs in Sanskrit. This form of verb means must. There is no argument; you must. Just like in the Vedas says, tad vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet [MU1.2.12]—must, must go. So here also Prahlāda Mahārāja says tyajet. This dehātma-buddhi, this upādhi, this designation is dangerous for Kṛṣṇa consciousness, tyajet.\nsvarṇaṁ yathā grāvasu hema-kāraḥ\nkṣetreṣu yogais tad-abhijña āpnuyāt\nkṣetreṣu deheṣu tathātma-yogair\nadhyātma-vid brahma-gatiṁ labheta\n[SB 7.7.21]\nNow he's giving a very nice example. Just like what..., what is called, a technical, soil expert?",
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"content": "\n Geologist.",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\n Huh?",
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"content": "\n Geologist?",
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"content": "\n No, no. Geologist is different.",
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"content": "\n Agronomist.",
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"content": "\n Huh? What is that?",
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"content": "\n Agronomist.",
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"content": "\n Agron... What is that exact word used? Soil expert. [laughter] Soil expert means...",
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"content": "\n Conservationist.",
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"content": "\n Eh?",
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"content": "\n Conservationist?",
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"content": "\n No.",
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"content": "\n Agronomist.",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\n Huh?",
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"content": "\n Agronomist.",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\n Agronomist?",
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"content": "\n Yes. Agra means field, one who studies the earth.",
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"content": "\n And just like one can understand from the characteristics of the particular soil that there is gold: \"In this [place] there is possibility of gold.\" That is agronomist?",
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"content": "\n No, that would be geologist.",
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"content": "\n Geologist?",
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"content": "\n Yes.",
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"content": "\n All right, geologist. [laughter] So.... I don't think geologist. [laughter] Geologist is different. You have no dictionary? Where is my dictionary?",
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"content": "\n It is in the next room. Should I get it?",
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"content": "\n All right, we shall see later on. Take it for agronomist, geologist. But soil expert. [laughter] Soil expert to... He knows how to find out a particular type of mine. They can find out, \"Here there is mica. In this soil there is coal. In this soil there is gold.\"\nSo Prahlāda Mahārāja is giving very nice example, that svarṇaṁ yathā grāvasu hema-kāraḥ. Hema-kāraḥ means goldsmith... Not goldsmith. Goldsmith is manufacturer of gold ornaments. Hema-kāraḥ means gold expert, you can say. He can find out in the soil where there is gold mine. Still there are.\nI know when I was managing Dr. Bose's laboratory, one chemist, Chandra Bhushan Vaddery[?], he was a well known chemist in Calcutta. So one Marwari gentleman was after him. He said that \"I know how to find out gold mine.\" So the Marwari gentleman spent after him lakhs of rupees, and he said that \"Here there is gold.\" But unfortunately gold was not found. [chuckles] And the gentleman lost so much money. So..., but there are experts; otherwise how gold mines are found out? There are experts.\nSo here it is said. It is not new thing. Prahlāda Mahārāja said that this art is known millions and millions of years ago. It is not that the modern science has discovered airplane, modern science has discovered how to go to other planet, and they have mining industry. No. These are all known. There is no question of modern science. Now, otherwise how Prahlāda Mahārāja gave this example?\nVivikta..., viviktatma jnana, jnani napi bhavena brahmata praktikasam syat[?]. Question may be put by opposing party that simply by becoming Kṛṣṇa conscious how one can know God? What will be your answer? What will be your answer? Suppose an opposing party says that \"All right, I accept that you are Kṛṣṇa conscious or God conscious, you have devoted your life for Kṛṣṇa.\nSo how do you find..., how do you see Kṛṣṇa that you are working for Him?\" What will be the answer? Are you following blindly, or you have experience of Kṛṣṇa? Yes. What will be the answer? It's a very intelligent question. People will ask you, perhaps they ask, \"Have you seen Kṛṣṇa?\" \"Why you are Kṛṣṇa conscious?\" What is your answer?",
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"content": "\n You see Him through śāstra and the teachings of the spiritual master and His arca-vigraha.",
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"content": "\n Of course that's nice, but then you are following blindly your spiritual master. What is your experience?",
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"content": "\n Your heart becomes pure.",
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"content": "\n Hmm.",
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"content": "\n First you can hear Kṛṣṇa before you see Him, and this is a purification process. And the purification process can be felt, and then you ask the person, \"You can feel it yourself by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. Why not try it?\"",
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"content": "\n That's all right. You have tried; whether you have seen? That is the question. You have tried for the last four or five years. Whether you have seen Kṛṣṇa?",
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"content": "\n We cannot see Kṛṣṇa, because our eyes are impure...",
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"content": "\n Then you are following blindly.",
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"content": "\n But by following the scriptures and the śāstras we get pure.",
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"content": "\n Yes. Feeling. That is anubhava. Anubhava ananta svarupa, parameśvara. That is the first [indistinct]. You can feel His presence. That is being explained here. [reads Sanskrit commentary]\nIt is very simple. Prahlāda Mahārāja is saying that as the expert gold miner, when he sees there are gold particles in the field, naturally he concludes... Still, in India there is a river, in that river gold particles, in the water gold particles can be found. Gold particles. Many poor men, they whole day work and strain the water in different way and get some little gold, still.\nSo, by the symptoms, by the symptoms the expert gold miner finds out that \"Here is gold, gold mine.\" Because within the soil, or with the soil you find some gold particles. That is the way, here it is said. Similarly, one can find out Kṛṣṇa by the symptom, the characteristics, of this world.\nThere are common sense. Just in everything there is a controller, there is a life. Just like in my body, I am controlling this body, and there is living force, living symptoms. Similarly, this whole world which is going on, there are so many things that is..., that requires nice brain. This planetary system is moving nicely, exactly to the order. So one should consider that there must be some brain behind this—how things are going so nicely. That is common sense.\nJust like the gold mine expert, as soon as he finds some gold particles either in the vicinity, water or land, they consider there is gold mine. Similarly, when you find that things are going on so nicely, there is a big brain behind this. That is the statement of Professor Einstein. He also says that as we make progress and we see wonderful things, we are bound to believe that there is a big brain. There is a big brain.\n[reads Sanskrit commentary] So as the poor man goes to the riverside and by straining the water by—they have a specific process—they find out some gold; similarly, a person, kṣetreṣu deheṣu ātma adhyātma-vid brahma-gatiṁ labheta[?]. This meditation means thinking very deeply, \"What I am? What I am?\" And the process of the yoga system is the same system as you strain water and find out gold; similarly, if you follow the yoga system, dhyāna, dhāraṇa, āsana, prāṇāyāma—that is mechanical—then you will find that \"I am the spirit soul, and there is Supreme Soul, Kṛṣṇa.\"\nThat is possible. That is really perfection of yoga practice. Not that simply pressing the nose. No. Actually perfection of yogic meditation is to understand the self; the soul is there and the Supersoul is there. The process is there.\naṣṭau prakṛtayaḥ proktās\ntraya eva hi tad-guṇāḥ\nvikārāḥ ṣoḍaśācāryaiḥ\npumān ekaḥ samanvayāt\n[SB 7.7.22]\nAṣṭau prakṛtayaḥ, eight material elements, that is described in the Bhagavad-gītā—bhūmir āpo 'nalo vayuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca [Bg. 7.4]—earth, water, fire, air, sky, and the mind, ahaṅkāra, mind, egotism and khaṁ mano buddhi, and intelligence. These are gross and subtle material elements. Aṣṭau prakṛtayaḥ proktās traya eva hi tad-guṇāḥ, and these material elements are moving by the interaction of the three material qualities—sattva-guṇa, raja-guṇa, tamo-guṇa.\nOne who is situated in the sattva-guṇa, he is also existing on these eight material elements. And one who is existing in the modes of passion, he is also existing on the... Brāhmaṇa's body, take for example. Brāhmaṇa is in the sattva-guṇa, and kṣatriya is in the raja-guṇa. Vaiśya is mixed up, and śūdra is the tamo-guṇa.\nSo existing means the consciousness according to the contamination of different condition of the guṇas... This condition is the guṇas. Sattva-guṇa, one who is in sattva-guṇa, his consciousness is different from the consciousness of the raja-guṇa. One whose consciousness is raja-guṇa, his consciousness is different from the tamo-guṇa.\nIn this way you will find different types of consciousness. In pure there are three. If they're mixed up—three into three, it becomes nine. Again mixed up—nine into nine, it becomes eighty-one. Again mixed up—eighty-one... In this way you will find varieties of life. But they're based on the three types of consciousness—sattva-guṇa consciousness, raja-guṇa consciousness, tamo-guṇa consciousness.\nSo when one is transcendental to this contaminated consciousness, polluted by the three qualities of material nature, that is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.\naṣṭau prakṛtayaḥ proktās\ntraya eva hi tad-guṇāḥ\nvikārāḥ ṣoḍaśācāryaiḥ\npumān ekaḥ samanvayāt\n[SB 7.7.22]\nBut the soul is the same. By his external affection in the material world under different qualities, he's appearing different. Therefore, we have got 8,400,000's of species of life, by different consciousness. And when one comes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness there is no such differentiation; there is one consciousness: \"Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme, I am His servant,\" that's all.\nSo long one does not come to this platform of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, there is no possibility of so-called eternity, fraternity, unity, universal brotherhood. That is not possible. It is impossible, because they are all contaminated.\ndehas tu sarva-saṅghāto\njagat tasthur iti dvidhā\natraiva mṛgyaḥ puruṣo\nneti netīty atat tyajan\n[SB 7.7.23]\n[reads Sanskrit commentary] The Sāṅkhya philosophy here... The description is Sāṅkhya philosophy—twenty-four elements. Twenty-four elements: eight gross and subtle elements, and then their production, the ten indriya, senses, working senses and knowledge-acquiring senses. Eight, ten, eighteen. Then the sense object, five. Eighteen plus five, twenty-three.\nAnd then the ātmā, the soul—twenty-four elements. The Sāṅkhya philosophy, they are analyzed. The Sāṅkhya philosophy... And European philosophers, they like very much this Sāṅkhya philosophy system because in the Sāṅkhya philosophy these twenty-four elements have been very much lucidly explained. Sāṅkhya philosophy.\nDehas tu sarva-saṅghāto jagat. So there are two kinds of bodies, jagat and tasthuḥ—moving and not moving—but they're all combination of these twenty-four elements. Atraiva mṛgyaḥ puruṣo neti netīty: now, one has to find out the ātmā from these twenty-four elements by eliminating, \"Where is ātmā? Where is ātmā? Where is ātmā?\" But one can find out in that way, provided he follows the rules and regulation and the process. That is possible.\nanvaya-vyatirekeṇa\nvivekenośatātmanā\nsvarga-sthāna-samāmnāyair\nvimṛśadbhir asatvaraiḥ\n[SB 7.6.24]\nSo further explanation. This is subject matter little difficult, but it is very important. Prahlāda Mahārāja is explaining to his demonic class friends. Five-years-old boy, how he's explaining this Sāṅkhya philosophy? Because he's a devotee and he has heard the whole philosophy from authorities, Nārada Muni. Mūkaṁ karoti vācālaṁ paṅguṁ laṅghayate girim [Cc. Madhya 17.80]. Therefore the spiritual master's mercy is described, mūkhaṁ karoti vācālam. Mūkham means dumb, one who cannot speak. He becomes a great lecturer or speaker. Although he is dumb, but he can become a great lecturer, mūkhaṁ karoti vācālam.\nPaṅguṁ laṅghayate girim: and one who is lame, who cannot walk, he can cross over the mountains. Mūkhaṁ karoti vācālaṁ paṅguṁ laṅghayate... Yat kṛpā tam ahaṁ vande, that \"By whose mercy these things are possible, I offer my respectful obeisances,\" param ānanda bhavam, \"the Supreme Personality of Godhead, reservoir of all pleasure.\" By Kṛṣṇa's mercy it is possible.\nBy material calculation it is not possible. Material calculation one will say that \"How it is possible, you say the dumb is lecturing very nicely? That is not possible.\" Or that \"Lame man is now crossing the mountains\"? So materially it is not possible. But by the mercy of Kṛṣṇa or His representative...\nJust like Prahlāda Mahārāja, five-years-old boy, he is explaining so nicely about the constitution of the soul. Why? Because he has obtained the mercy of Nārada Muni, the representative of Kṛṣṇa. So it is possible.\nSo we shall stop. [end]",
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https://vedabase.io/en/library/transcripts/660812bg-new-york/
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"content": "\n\ntad viddhi praṇipātena\nparipraśnena sevayā\nupadekṣyanti te jñānaṁ\njñāninas tattva-darśinaḥ\n[Bg 4.34]\n[Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him. The self-realized soul can impart knowledge unto you because he has seen the truth.]\nNow, this verse we are discussing in our last meeting. Śrī Kṛṣṇa, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, has concluded that all kinds of sacrifices that we can expected..., we are expected to do, the best sacrifice is to acquire knowledge. Acquire knowledge. Because whole our this material conditioned life is due to ignorance. Therefore the purpose of sacrifice, penance, yoga and philosophical discussion—everything—the ultimate aim is to acquire knowledge.\nAnd even in that knowledge field also... Of course, transcendental knowledge, as we have discussed already, they are viewed in different..., three different angles of vision: the knowledge of Brahmavāda, or impersonal, impersonal Absolute Truth; and the knowledge of Paramātmā, the localized Supersoul; and the knowledge of Bhagavān, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead. There are different stages of development of knowledge. But the first beginning knowledge is that we must understand that \"I am not this body; I am spirit soul. And my aim of life should be how to get out of this material entanglement.\" That is knowledge. That is the beginning of knowledge.\nAnd that knowledge, when developed gradually... The first, first stage of knowledge is impersonal Brahman realization, and the next stage is the Supersoul realization, and the last stage is realization of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam we have got this information, that the tattva, that the Absolute Truth, is realized in three visions: brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate [SB 1.2.11].\n[Learned transcendentalists who know the Absolute Truth call this nondual substance Brahman, Paramātmā or Bhagavān.]\nBrahman means impersonal Absolute Truth, and Paramātmā means Supersoul, and Bhagavān means the Supreme Personality of God. That Supreme Personality of Godhead is Kṛṣṇa. You'll find in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam [SB 1.3.28].\n[All of the above-mentioned incarnations are either plenary portions or portions of the plenary portions of the Lord, but Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the original Personality of Godhead. All of them appear on planets whenever there is a disturbance created by the atheists. The Lord incarnates to protect the theists.]\nThere are description of different manifestation of Viṣṇu, or God, because God expands Himself in various ways. We are also expansion of God. So similarly, there are degrees of expansion, and the central point, or the primeval Lord, is Śrī Kṛṣṇa. We have got evidences from various Vedic literature that Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.\nThe Bhāgavata confirms, ete cāṁśa-kalāḥ puṁsaḥ kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam, that... There is a list of incarnation of Godhead. There are many thousands and thousands of incarnation, and there is a list. Especially in Caitanya-caritāmṛta there is a specific list. Now, after giving that list, the conclusion is made that ete cāṁśa-kalāḥ puṁsaḥ kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam.\nNow, we have given the list, the author of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, but all these incarnation of Godhead, they are either plenary manifestation or manifestation of the plenary manifestation, like that. Ete cāṁśa. Aṁśa means plenary manifestation, and kalāḥ means manifestation of the plenary manifestation. So the conclusion in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is that \"This name 'Kṛṣṇa,' which is given here...\" Because Kṛṣṇa also appeared, and He proclaimed Himself that yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata, tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham [Bg 4.7].\n[Whenever and wherever there is a decline in religious practice, O descendant of Bharata, and a predominant rise of irreligion—at that time I descend Myself.]\nSo He is accepted as the original Supreme Personality of God. Similarly, in the Brahma-saṁhitā, another Vedic literature, that is also confirmed that,\nīśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ\nsac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ\nanādir ādir govindaḥ\nsarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam\n[Bs 5.1]\n[Kṛṣṇa who is known as Govinda is the Supreme Godhead. He has an eternal blissful spiritual body. He is the origin of all. He has no other origin and He is the prime cause of all causes.]\nThere are many gods. Many gods means that in one sense we are also god. God means controller, that's all. God, the literary meaning of god, this word, is controller, īśvara. So every one of us has some controlling capacity. Everyone. Either we control the family, or control the office, we control the state, we control the municipality or so on, so on, everyone is a controller. But nobody is the supreme controller.\nSimilarly, if you go on, make your progress, then you come to the Brahmā. Brahmā is the controller of this whole universe. And there are many, innumerable universes and innumerable Brahmās also. And their controller is the Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. And the Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu is controlled by Mahā-Viṣṇu, and Mahā-Viṣṇu is controlled by Saṅkarṣaṇa, and Saṅkarṣaṇa is controlled by Nārāyaṇa. And Nārāyaṇa is controlled by Vāsudeva, and Vāsudeva is controlled by Baladeva, and Baladeva is controlled by Kṛṣṇa. Therefore you'll find in the Bhagavad-gītā that Kṛṣṇa says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat asti kiñcid dhanañjaya [Bg 7.7]:\n[O conqueror of wealth [Arjuna], there is no Truth superior to Me. Everything rests upon Me, as pearls are strung on a thread.]\n\"My dear Arjuna, there is no..., nobody greater than Me.\" And Arjuna also accepted that \"You are asamordhva: nobody is equal to You, and nobody is greater than You.\"\nAnd our Gosvāmīs in Vṛndāvana... There were six Gosvāmīs. They were very good scholars, especially Jīva Gosvāmī. They have analyzed the characteristics of the Absolute Truth, Personality of Godhead, and they have established that Kṛṣṇa has got the all the transcendental qualities of Godhead in Kṛṣṇa. And in Nārāyaṇa there are sixty-four..., er, ninety-four percent of the transcendental qualities of the Absolute Truth. Similarly, in Lord Śiva there is eighty-four percent of all the transcendental qualities of the Absolute Truth. And in living being, as we are, we have got seventy-eight percent of the transcendental qualities. That is also in fraction, not in full. So there are some scholars, analytical study like this.\nNow, the point is that Kṛṣṇa says that \"All kinds of sacrifices, whatever sacrifice you can undertake...\" There are different kinds of, mentioned: dravya-yajña, jñāna-yajña, yoga-yajña, so many there are different types of yajña. But here Kṛṣṇa concludes, \"All the different types of yajña,\" sarvaṁ karmākhilaṁ pārtha jñāne parisamāpyate [Bg 4.33],\n[O chastiser of the enemy, the sacrifice of knowledge is greater than the sacrifice of material possessions. O son of Pṛthā, after all, the sacrifice of work culminates in transcendental knowledge.]\n\"whatever yajña you can perform, that's all right. But that is the different steps, different steps to come to the point of real knowledge.\"\nJust like you have got your Empire State Building here, hundred-and-two–story building. So you go on, you go to the twenty-fifth floor, you can go to the fiftieth floor, you go to the seventieth, seventy-five, eighty—in this way, unless you reach that hundred-and-second story, that is not the perfect progress. That is also progress. Suppose if you have gone to the eighty-fifth story, that is also progress from the downwards. That's all right. But the highest, highest perfection of knowledge is, so far we study from the Bhagavad-gītā, it is said, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate [Bg 7.19]. \n[After many births and deaths, he who is actually in knowledge surrenders unto Me, knowing Me to be the cause of all causes and all that is. Such a great soul is very rare.]\nBahūnāṁ janmanām ante. Bahūnām means after many, many births of culturing knowledge, when he comes to the real knowledge, real, I mean to say, summit knowledge. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān. Not the fools, but jñānavān. He especially mentions jñānavān. Jñānavān māṁ prapadyate. Jñānavān, the sign is that jñānavān surrenders unto the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa. That is the highest stage of knowledge.\nEither you take it, grant it... Just like Arjuna was advised by Kṛṣṇa, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja [Bg 18.66]:\n[Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reaction. Do not fear.]\n\"You give up. Because you are My very confidential friend, therefore I say unto you that you don't bother with anything else. Just surrender unto Me.\" This is the most confidential. So in all points of view, if you make an analytical study of the Vedic literature, the ultimate summit knowledge is to surrender unto Kṛṣṇa.\nbahūnāṁ janmanām ante\njñānavān māṁ prapadyate\nvāsudevaḥ sarvam iti\nsa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ\n[Bg 7.19]\n[After many births and deaths, he who is actually in knowledge surrenders unto Me, knowing Me to be the cause of all causes and all that is. Such a great soul is very rare.]\nAnd what kind of surrender? The surrender means full knowledge. After scrutinizingly studying all the process of self-realization or transcendental realization, when one comes to the perfectional point, he understands that vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti: \"Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṇa, is everything.\" As it is confirmed in the Brahma-saṁhitā that,\nīśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ\nsac-cid-ānanda-vigraḥaḥ\nanādir ādir govindaḥ\nsarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam\n[Bs 5.1]\n[Kṛṣṇa who is known as Govinda is the Supreme Godhead. He has an eternal blissful spiritual body. He is the origin of all. He has no other origin and He is the prime cause of all causes.]\nSarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam means the cause of all causes. Just like my existence. I have got this body. The cause was my father. And the father, his father was cause. You go on searching, father, father's father, his father, grandfather, great-grandfather... Go on searching, searching, searching. Don't think that because you cannot see just now your great-grandfather, oh, there was no father of the grandfather. Don't think like that. There was. Although he is... Don't think that \"Anything which is out of my sight, because I cannot see, so there is no existence.\" No. This conclusion is not good. This is not very intelligent conclusion. Because I cannot see what is happening beyond this wall, oh, that does not mean there is nothing beyond this wall.\nSo everyone wants to see God immediately. God you can see when you are perfectly qualified. When you are in perfect knowledge, you can see God eye to eye, just like you are seeing me, I am seeing you. But that requires qualification. You have to wait. That qualification is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That qualification means Kṛṣṇa consciousness.\nThis Kṛṣṇa consciousness begins with śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam [SB 7.5.23]. \n[There are six principles favorable to the execution of pure devotional service: (1) being enthusiastic, (2) endeavoring with confidence, (3) being patient, (4) acting according to regulative principles [such as śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇam—hearing, chanting and remembering Kṛṣṇa], (5) abandoning the association of nondevotees, and (6) following in the footsteps of the previous ācāryas. These six principles undoubtedly assure the complete success of pure devotional service.]\nŚravaṇam, hearing. We have to hear about Kṛṣṇa. Just like the Śrīmad-Bhagavad-gītā is the preliminary study of understanding or hearing about Kṛṣṇa. Hearing about Kṛṣṇa.\nJust like suppose I came to your country, United States of America. Oh, in my childhood I heard of it in school when I was reading geometry or something like, history or geography. I heard first of all. I did not come first of all. So hearing, hearing, when I understood, \"Oh, that's a very wonderful country, and it is far away, and if I go there...\" Similarly, as you think also about going to India, so first of all hearing. Hearing. Not immediately seeing what is America or what is India. First of all hearing. So similarly, if we want to see God, then we have to hear. That is the process. Kṛṣṇa consciousness process is first is hearing. Śravaṇam. Śravaṇam means hearing.\nThen kīrtanam. Kīrtanam means to chant about the glories, about the holy name, about the form, about the quality. Then this is association with Kṛṣṇa. Because Kṛṣṇa, or God, is absolute. He is not different from His name, from His quality, from His form, from His pastimes. He is not different. So hearing and chanting of the quality or form or name of the Supreme, of the Absolute, means our association with Him. Association. Direct association, in transcendental quality. So as we go on making association, then Kṛṣṇa helps us to understand Him.\nŚṛṇvatām... It is in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, there is a verse:\nśṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ\npuṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ\nhṛdy antaḥ-stho hy abhadrāṇi\nvidhunoti suhṛt satām\n[SB 1.2.17]\n[Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Personality of Godhead, who is the Paramātmā [Supersoul] in everyone's heart and the benefactor of the truthful devotee, cleanses desire for material enjoyment from the heart of the devotee who has developed the urge to hear His messages, which are in themselves virtuous when properly heard and chanted.]\nSuhṛt satām. Kṛṣṇa is sitting within your heart. Kṛṣṇa is the..., is acting as your spiritual master, caitya-guru. Caitya-guru. Caitya-guru means the guru, or the spiritual master, who is sitting in my heart, citta. So śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ.\nWhen you begin to hear about Kṛṣṇa, then the hearing of kṛṣṇa-kathā, the topics about Kṛṣṇa, is puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ. It is, even if you do not understand, it will increase your virtue. Puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ hṛdy antaḥ-stho hy abhadrāṇi. We have accumulated so much dust by our material contact. By so many years' association with the matter, we have accumulated so much dirty things within our heart. That becomes gradually cleansed. Śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ, hṛdy antaḥ-stho hy abhadrāṇi. Hṛdy antaḥ-stho means the dirty things which we have accumulated within our heart, that becomes cleared.\nThat... How it is cleared? Hṛdy antaḥ-stho hy abhadrāṇi vidhunoti suhṛt satām. Śrī Kṛṣṇa is friend of everyone, but He's a special friend to the devotee. That you will find in Bhagavad-gītā. Samo 'haṁ sarva-bhūteṣu na me dveṣyo 'sti na priyaḥ [Bg 9.29]:\n[I envy no one, nor am I partial to anyone. I am equal to all. But whoever renders service unto Me in devotion is a friend, is in Me, and I am also a friend to him.]\n\"I am friend of everyone. Nobody is My enemy and nobody is My friend. But I am equal to everyone.\" Sama, sama means equal. Ye tu bhajanti māṁ bhaktyā teṣu te mayi [Bg 9.29]: \"But a person who is devoted to Me and is engaged in devotional service with Me, I have got special attention for him.\"\nTherefore Kṛṣṇa's another name is suhṛt satām. Satām. Satām means those who are trying for having eternal life. Because in this material world we don't get anything eternal. All, everything, temporary. Therefore it is called asat. Asato mā sad gama. The Vedic injunction is, \"Don't try to remain in this temporary world.\" Sad gama: \"Just try to go to the eternal world.\" Tamaso mā jyotir gama: \"Don't try to remain in this darkness. You go to the kingdom of light.\" These are Vedic injunctions.\nSo Kṛṣṇa, He is within our heart. Hṛdy antaḥ-sthaḥ. Therefore, as soon as we become a little inclined towards Kṛṣṇa, then from within our heart He gives us the, I mean to say, favorable instruction so that we can gradually make progress. Gradually.\nKṛṣṇa is the first spiritual master, and when we become more interested, then we have to go to a physical spiritual master. That is enjoined in the next verse:\ntad viddhi praṇipātena\nparipraśnena sevayā\nupadekṣyanti te jñānaṁ\njñāninas tattva-darśinaḥ\n[Bg 4.34]\n[Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him. The self-realized soul can impart knowledge unto you because he has seen the truth.]\nNow, Kṛṣṇa advises that \"If you want to know that transcendental science, then you just try to approach somebody.\" Praṇipātena. Praṇipātena, paripraśnena and sevayā. What is praṇipāta? Praṇipāta means surrender. Surrender. You must select a person where you can surrender yourself, because nobody likes to surrender to anyone.\nWe have got... Everyone, we are puffed up with our whatever knowledge we have got. Everyone is puffed up: \"Oh, who can give me knowledge?\" There is regular propaganda that \"For spiritual realization there is no need of spiritual master.\" But so far Vedic literature is concerned, so far Bhagavad-gītā is concerned, so far Bhāgavata is concerned, so far the Upaniṣads and Vedic literatures are concerned, they do not say. They say that there is need of a spiritual master.\nTake for example the Upaniṣads, the Vedic Upaniṣads. In the Vedic Upaniṣads it is said, tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet, śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham. [Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad 1.2.12]\n[To understand these things properly, one must humbly approach, with firewood in hand, a spiritual master who is learned in the Vedas and firmly devoted to the Absolute Truth.]\nThis mantra, that \"If you want to learn that transcendental subject, then...\" First word is that if you are eager to learn that subject.\nIn the material world also, suppose if I want to learn the art of music. Then I have to find out somebody who is a musician. Without having the association of a musician, nobody can learn the art of music. Or any art. Suppose if you want to become an engineer. So you have to enter yourself in an engineering college or technical college and learn there. Nobody can become a medical practitioner simply by purchasing book from the market and reading at home. That is not possible. You have to admit yourself in a medical college and undergo training and practical examination, so many things. Simply by purchasing book, it is not possible.\nSimilarly, if you want to learn Bhagavad-gītā or any transcendental subject matter, here is the instruction by Lord Kṛṣṇa Himself. Lord Kṛṣṇa Himself, because He is the speaker of this Bhagavad-gītā, He says that tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā [Bg 4.34]:\n[Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him. The self-realized soul can impart knowledge unto you because he has seen the truth.]\nYou must go to a person where you can surrender yourself. That means you have to check, \"Who is the real person who can give me instruction on Bhagavad-gītā or any Vedic literature, or any scripture, right?\" And not that to search out a person as a, whimsically. No. You have to search out a person very serious, that who is actually in the knowledge of the thing. Otherwise why you shall surrender? No. There is no necessity of surrender.\nBut here it is said clearly that \"You have to surrender to a person.\" That means you have to find out such a person where you can voluntarily surrender. Without finding, your mission will not be fulfilled. Because very word, first thing, is... Just like Arjuna in the beginning. We have discussed that point. Arjuna was talking with Kṛṣṇa in friendly terms, just like friend. He was... Kṛṣṇa was saying something, \"Oh, you cannot... You are a kṣatriya. You are a military man. How can you give up the fighting?\" Just like friendly talks. But when Arjuna saw it, that \"Our friendly talk will not make a solution,\" so he surrendered unto Kṛṣṇa, that \"I'll...\" Śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ prapannam [Bg 2.7]:\n[Now I am confused about my duty and have lost all composure because of weakness. In this condition I am asking You to tell me clearly what is best for me. Now I am Your disciple, and a soul surrendered unto You. Please instruct me.]\n\"I just become surrendered disciple unto You. Please instruct me what is my duty.\" So this is the process. Here also, Kṛṣṇa advises that \"If you have to learn,\" say, for Bhagavad-gītā, \"then you have to go to a person where you can surrender.\" Not only surrender—not blindly surrender—you must be able to enquire. Paripraśna. The next qualification is paripraśna. Paripraśna means enquiry. Without enquiry, you cannot make advance. Just like a student in the school who enquires from the teacher, he's very intelligent. Even a boy, a child, if he enquires from the father, \"Oh, father, what is this? What is this?\" that child is very intelligent. Very intelligent.\nSo enquiry is required, so not only praṇipāta... \"Oh, I have found out a very good spiritual master, very learned and very good, soul. All right. I have surrendered. Then all my business finished.\" No. That is not... You may have a very good spiritual master, but if you have no power to enquire, then you cannot make progress. Enquiries must be there. But enquiry, how enquiry? Not to challenge. Enquiry, not that \"Oh, I shall see what kind of spiritual master he is. Let me challenge him and put some irrelevant question and talk nonsensically, this way and that way.\" Oh, that will not make... Enquiry on the point. Paripraśna means enquiry on the point, and that enquiry should be sevā.\nSevā means service. Not that \"Oh, I have enquired so many things from such-and-such person. Oh, I have not rendered any payment or any service, so I have gained.\" No. Without service, your enquiry will be futile. So three things here: praṇipāta, paripraśna and sevā. Praṇipāta. Praṇipāta means you must have the qualification to, at least, to find out a person who is actually qualified to give you real instruction. That you have to do. That remains on you.\nSuppose you have to purchase some gold or jewelry, and if you do not know where to purchase, if you go to a grocer shop to purchase a jewel, oh, then you'll be cheated. If he says..., go to a grocer shop and ask, \"Oh, can you give me diamond?\" he will understand that \"Here is a fool. So let him [me] give him something: This is diamond.\" \"Oh. What is the price?\" He can charge anything, and when you come home, your relatives say, \"What you have brought?\" \"This is diamond. I went to the grocer shop.\" So that kind of finding spiritual master will not do. You have to become a little intelligent. Because without being intelligent nobody can make any spiritual progress.\nAthāto brahma... In the Brahma-sūtra, in the Vedānta-sūtra, it is stated, athāto brahma jijñāsā. Brahma-jijñāsā. Brahma-jijñāsā means to enquire, enquire about the supreme subject matter, Brahman. That requires a qualification. Atha. Atha means those who have become experienced of this miserable life of this material world. They can enquire. They can enquire what is Absolute Truth, what is spiritual life. Athāto brahma jijñāsā.\nSimilarly, in the Bhāgavata also it is stated, tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam [SB 11.3.21]. \n[Therefore any person who seriously desires real happiness must seek a bona fide spiritual master and take shelter of him by initiation. The qualification of the bona fide guru is that he has realized the conclusions of the scriptures by deliberation and is able to convince others of these conclusions. Such great personalities, who have taken shelter of the Supreme Godhead, leaving aside all material considerations, should be understood to be bona fide spiritual masters.]\nŚreya uttamam. Uttamam means the udgata-tamam. That is transcendental. Tama means darkness. Anything of this material world, that is in darkness, because this material world is dark. You know that the whole world, whole universe, is dark. Therefore there is requisition of the sunlight, moonlight, electricity. It is dark. So uttamam means which is beyond this darkness. Beyond this darkness. That means transcendental subject, spiritual subject. In the spiritual world there is no darkness.\nSo if anyone is desirous of inquiring about the spiritual world, then he requires to find out a spiritual master. Otherwise there is no necessity. For a man who wants to remain in this darkness, for material benefit... Suppose I want some spiritual master or I want to study Bhagavad-gītā or Vedānta-sūtra so that I may make some material improvement. Oh, that is not required. For material improvement you can work, just so many people are working; they are making, trying industry or something like... That is prescribed. But if you are at all interested about the Brahman subject, the spiritual subject, then you require a spiritual master.\nThat is clearly stated. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta [SB 11.3.21]. Tasmāt means \"Therefore one has to surrender unto the spiritual master.\" Who? Who is jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam: \"Who is very much eager to understand about the transcendental subject.\"\nSo any Vedic literature the same instruction you'll find, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā,\ntad viddhi praṇipātena\nparipraśnena sevayā\nupadekṣyanti te jñānaṁ\njñāninas tattva-darśinaḥ\n[Bg 4.34]\n[Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him. The self-realized soul can impart knowledge unto you because he has seen the truth.]\nJñāninaḥ means jñānī, or a man who is in perfect knowledge. Perfect knowledge means one who has perfect vision of the perfect—not theoretical, but actual vision of the spiritual subject matter. He is called jñānī. Jñāninas tattva-darśinaḥ. Tattva, tattva means the Absolute Truth. Now, so far tattva is concerned, you'll find in the Bhagavad-gītā that Kṛṣṇa is the supreme tattva, Absolute Truth.\nNow, He explains that manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye [Bg 7.3]: \"Out of many, many thousands of people, a few people may try how to get spiritual salvation.\" Not all. Everyone is not expected to hanker after spiritual salvation. That requires also many, many years' qualification. So manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu. After many... Out of many, many thousands of people, one is very much anxious for spiritual realization. And then Lord Kṛṣṇa says, yatatām api siddhānām [Bg 7.3]:\n[Out of many thousands among men, one may endeavor for perfection, and of those who have achieved perfection, hardly one knows Me in truth.]\nAnd out of many perfected spiritualist, some may know what is Kṛṣṇa. Just try to understand. First of all, out of many, many, many thousands of people who wants to have perfection in spiritual life, then those persons who have attained such perfection, out of them, one or two may understand what is Kṛṣṇa.\nSo the subject matter of Kṛṣṇa is not so easy. It is very difficult also. But one can understand very easily. That process is also prescribed in the Bhagavad-gītā:\nbhaktyā mām abhijānāti\nyāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ\ntato māṁ tattvato jñātvā\nviśate tad-anantaram\n[Bg 18.55]\n[One can understand the Supreme Personality as He is only by devotional service. And when one is in full consciousness of the Supreme Lord by such devotion, he can enter into the kingdom of God.]\nBhakti, devotional service. That devotional service if you accept, you can understand that difficult subject matter of Kṛṣṇa very easily. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti. Abhijānāti means perfectly you can understand. Yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ. Tattvataḥ means the Absolute Truth as it is, you can understand. And tato māṁ tattvato jñātvā: and after understanding the Kṛṣṇa science very perfectly, he becomes eligible to enter into that spiritual kingdom. These things are stated.\nSo here, we are discussing this point that,\ntad viddhi praṇipātena\nparipraśnena sevayā\nupadekṣyanti te jñānaṁ\njñāninas tattva-darśinaḥ\n[Bg 4.34]\n[Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him. The self-realized soul can impart knowledge unto you because he has seen the truth.]\nSo if we actually want to reach that point of perfectional knowledge where we can fully surrender... Now, the intelligent person... According to my opinion—I have several times discussed this point—that if it is a point that after many, many births, when I am fully perfect in knowledge, I have to surrender to Kṛṣṇa, then why not immediately surrender to Him? Why shall I wait for many, many births? Oh, that is very intelligent proposal. If that is the end of perfection, then why not accept the perfection immediately? But people are doubtful.\nSomebody asked me... That, I think, Mr. Moscowitz asked me this question; I answered this point. His enquiry was, \"How long it will take to be perfect in Kṛṣṇa consciousness?\" So I replied that Kṛṣṇa consciousness can be had in one second, and it cannot be had in thousands of birth and death. So why? But if we understand this principle that after attainment of full knowledge, I have to ultimately surrender to vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti, I have to become the, I mean to say, sa mahātmā, a great soul like that, why not immediately surrender to Kṛṣṇa? Why not become immediately the supreme, I mean to say, great soul, sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ? That is a process.\nBut we are, some of us, or most of us, we are not prepared to accept immediately Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme, or we have got many doubts. Therefore, in order to drive away, dissipate all your doubtful ideas, the śāstras, the scriptures, the Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavata, are there, and if we make scrutinizingly study of these two books, we can understand the Kṛṣṇa science very nicely, and our progress in the matter of Kṛṣṇa consciousness will be definite.\nThank you very much. If there is any question, you can ask. [break]\nBrahman and Supersoul, we have been discussing this morning. Perhaps just we began the verse and you have forgot. Just like myself, I am soul, the spiritual soul. My place is within this heart. Now, in the medical science, they have found it that the heart is the center of all vitality of this body. The, I mean, modern materialistic science, they have found that whatever we are eating, it is going to the stomach and it is being transformed into various types of secretions, and the important secretion is coming to the heart and it is becoming red by coming to the heart. Then again from the heart there are many veins; it is being distributed to different parts of the body. So... But they could not found that where is the point wherefrom this vitality is coming. Wherefrom this vitality is coming, they could not find it. They have localized that \"Here is the source of all energy.\"\nNow, in the Bhagavad-gītā you will find that Kṛṣṇa says, mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate... Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate [Bg 10.8]:\n[I am the source of all spiritual and material worlds. Everything emanates from Me. The wise who know this perfectly engage in My devotional service and worship Me with all their hearts.]\n\"I am the origin, fountainhead of everything, and everything what is being produced, it is from Me.\" Similarly, the soul is a fragmental, fractional portion of Kṛṣṇa. So now the modern scientist, they have localized the point wherefrom the energies are coming. Now that point is there. That fragmental portion of Kṛṣṇa is there in the heart. That is Brahman.\nAnd... But that is fragmental portion. So Brahman means this fragmental portion. And the Supreme Brahman... What was that question? Brahman? Supersoul. Supersoul is Kṛṣṇa. Supersoul is Kṛṣṇa, and we..., I am, you are, you are soul, we are jīva, and the Supreme Soul is Kṛṣṇa. This verse the next morning we shall discuss. We came this morning just up to that point. We've come up to anyam[?], that verse.\nSo Supersoul, Supersoul is the Supreme Lord. Supersoul is also there. They are situated together. From the Vedic Upaniṣads we get this information that two birds are sitting on one tree. The one bird is eating the fruits, and the other bird is simply witness. So witnessing bird is the Supersoul, and the bird which is enjoying and suffering of this material contamination, or attachment, that is soul. Is it clear?",
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"content": "\n You mean actually Kṛṣṇa is in here?",
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"content": "\n Kṛṣṇa... Yes. He is in the still more higher position. You are very intelligent. This Supersoul is also partial representation of Kṛṣṇa. Just like the sun, the real sun, and the reflection of sun. If you have got thousands of pots in your presence, you will find the reflection of the sun in thousands of the pots, but the real sun is one. Similarly, this Supersoul is the reflection of the reality, partial reflection of the Supreme. Is it clear?\nJust like you are standing here, and at noon the sun is on your head. And five thousand miles away you enquire from somebody, \"Where is sun?\" he will say, \"Oh, it is on my head.\" Five thousand miles this way or that way, any way you enquire, many, many people, many thousands of people you enquire, they will say, everyone will say that \"The sun is on my head.\" Similarly, although the sun is one, as he is perceived that he is present on everyone's head, similarly, although Kṛṣṇa is one without a second, by inconceivable transcendental power He can be present in everyone's heart.\nAkhilātma-bhūtaḥ. Goloka eva nivasaty akhilātma-bhūtaḥ\n[Bs 5.37].\n[I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, residing in His own realm, Goloka, with Rādhā, resembling His own spiritual figure, the embodiment of the ecstatic potency possessed of the sixty-four artistic activities, in the company of Her confidantes [sakhīs], embodiments of the extensions of Her bodily form, permeated and vitalized by His ever-blissful spiritual rasa.]\nThat is the power of Kṛṣṇa. That is the power of Supersoul. We cannot. Suppose I am sitting here, you are sitting here. You are not at your home. I am not in India; I am sitting here. I cannot sit simultaneously in India and America. That is not possible for me, because I am not Supersoul. But the Supersoul can be present everywhere. You will find this explanation in the Thirteenth Chapter of the Bhagavad-gītā. Now we are discussing the Fourth Chapter. When we go to the Thirteenth Chapter, this point will be more clearly explained.",
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"content": "\n [indistinct] [break]",
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"content": "\n ...about the spiritual master. So your question should have been on the matter of spiritual master, because we invite questions on the subject which we discuss in this point. This is also relevant question, because we will read from the Bhagavad-gītā. Now we have discussed about the position of the spiritual master. Now, if you have got any question about that, the relationship between the spiritual master and the disciple, if you have got any doubts, if you have any questions, that you ask.",
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"content": "\n If one surrenders to a spiritual master, what then is their relationship to Kṛṣṇa?",
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"content": "\n Oh. Spiritual master is the representative of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore, surrendering to the spiritual master means surrendering to Kṛṣṇa. He is the bona fide. Spiritual master is just like, as just I explained the śloka, hṛdy antaḥ-stho hy abhadrāṇi vidhunoti suhṛt satām.\nI'll try to relate one nice story in this connection, the story of Dhruva Mahārāja. Dhruva Mahārāja was a child, and he was insulted by his stepmother. So he went to his own mother and he prayed, \"My dear mother\"—he was five years old only—\"my stepmother has insulted me in this way. I was sitting on the lap of my father, and he [she] dragged me out. She told me that 'You cannot sit on the lap on your father.' \" So he was the son of king, so he felt insulted and he went to his mother and cried. Then he asked his mother, \"What is the remedy?\" Because he was a son of a kṣatriya, he was resentful.\nSo his mother directed, \"My dear son, your father do not care for me, so he will not hear whatever I say. So if God can help you, then you can get revenge.\" Then—he was child—he said, \"Oh, where is God?\" Then mother replied, \"Oh, we understand that God is in the forest. Somebody goes to the forest and realizes God. So you cannot go, my dear son.\" \"No, I shall go.\"\nSo he went to the forest. He went to the forest, and he was asking the tiger, \"Oh, you are God?\" The elephant, \"You are God?\" Just like a child. Then when he was so serious, then, because God is within himself, then he was..., Nārada was sent to him, that \"You go to the boy. How he is anxious that what is the actual point [indistinct], you just try to help him.\"\nSo this is the process. When we are seriously anxious about understanding the science of God, then God is within you; He will make your relationship with such a spiritual master who will enlighten you further and further. So practically, the spiritual master is the representative of Kṛṣṇa. Now, it depends on me. Ye yathā māṁ prapadyante tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham [Bg 4.11].\n[All of them—as they surrender unto Me—I reward accordingly. Everyone follows My path in all respects, O son of Pṛthā.]\nThe degree of my serious thought, if I am seriously about actually perception of the Supreme Lord, then I will get such a spiritual master who can give me information of the Supreme Lord. But if I want something else, then Kṛṣṇa will help you in that way also, you will get something else.\nSo ye yathā māṁ prapadyante. The spiritual master is the representative of Kṛṣṇa, and He, Kṛṣṇa, is sitting within your heart. And as you are anxious, your degree of anxiety will be helped by Kṛṣṇa by sending similar quality of spiritual master.\nLet us have Kirtan. [end]",
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{
"content": "\n [chants maṅgalācaraṇa prayers]\nom ajñāna-timirāndhasya jñānāñjana-śalākayā\ncakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena tasmai śrī-gurave-namaḥ\n[\"I offer my respectful obeisances unto my spiritual master, who with the torchlight of knowledge has opened my eyes, which were blinded by the darkness of ignorance.\"]\nśrī-caitanya-mano-'bhīṣṭaṁ sthāpitaṁ yena bhū-tale\nsvayaṁ rūpaḥ kadā mahyaṁ dadāti sva-padāntikam\n[\"When will Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī Prabhupāda, who has established within this material world the mission to fulfill the desire of Lord Caitanya, give me shelter under his lotus feet?\"]\nhe kṛṣṇa karuṇā-sindho dīna-bandho jagat-pate\ngopeśa gopikā-kānta rādhā-kānta namo 'stu te\n[\"O my dear Kṛṣṇa, ocean of mercy, You are the friend of the distressed and the source of creation. You are the master of the cowherd men and the lover of the gopīs, especially Rādhārāṇī. I offer my respectful obeisances unto You.\"]\ntapta-kāñcana-gaurāṅgi rādhe vṛndāvaneśvari\nvṛṣabhānu-sute devi praṇamāmi hari-priye\n[\"I offer my respects to Rādhārāṇī, whose bodily complexion is like molten gold and who is the Queen of Vṛndāvana. You are the daughter of King Vṛṣabhānu, and You are very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa.\"]\nvancha-kalpa-tarubhyas ca kripa-sindhubhya eva ca\npatitanam pavanebhyo vaishnavebhyo namo namah\n[\"I offer respectful obeisances unto all the Vaishnava devotees of the Lord, who can fulfill the desires of everyone, just like desire trees, and are full of compassion for the fallen conditioned souls.\"]\nśrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu nityānanda\nśrī-advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda\n[\"I offer my obeisances to Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya, Prabhu Nityānanda, Śrī Advaita, Gadādhara, Śrīvāsa and all others in the line of devotion.\"]\nhare kṛṣṇa hare kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa hare hare\nhare rāma hare rāma rāma rāma hare hare\n[\"My dear Lord, and the spiritual energy of the Lord, kindly engage me in Your service. I am now embarrassed with this material service. Please engage me in Your service.\"]\nLadies and gentlemen, I thank you very much for your coming to this meeting, saṅkīrtana movement. This saṅkīrtana movement is very authorized, according to Vedic literature. Most of you are well acquainted with the studies of Bhagavad-gītā. And in the Bhagavad-gītā also you'll find,\nsatataṁ kīrtayanto māṁ\nyatantaś ca dṛḍha-vratāḥ\nnamasyantaś ca māṁ bhaktyā\ntuṣyanti ca ramanti ca\n[Bg. 9.14]\n[Always chanting My glories, endeavoring with great determination, bowing down before Me, these great souls perpetually worship Me with devotion.]\nSatataṁ kīrtayanto mām. Those who are mahātmās... Mahātmā means great soul. Mahātmā is not created. Mahātmā means... That is also explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, who is mahātmā. Kṛṣṇa says, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante [Bg. 7.19]\n[After many births and deaths, he who is actually in knowledge surrenders unto Me, knowing Me to be the cause of all causes and all that is. Such a great soul is very rare.]\n\"After many, many births.\" Of course, at the present moment they do not believe whether there is birth after death. But it is not the question of whether you believe or not believe. The truth is truth.\nSo there is birth after death. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre [Bg. 2.20]. \n[For the soul there is never birth nor death. Nor, having once been, does he ever cease to be. He is unborn, eternal, ever-existing, undying and primeval. He is not slain when the body is slain.]\nYou do not die after finishing this body. You accept another body. That you can experience daily. In your childhood... You can remember that you had a body just like this child. Now you are grown up. Where is that body? That body is gone. Now you have got a new body. But you know that \"I had a childhood body like this. I was attending such-and-such meeting,\" but that body is now no longer existing.\nSo this transmigration of the soul is very simple subject. Any sensible man can understand. And in the Bhagavad-gītā, in the very beginning of the instruction, Kṛṣṇa says,\ndehino 'smin yathā dehe\nkaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā\ntathā dehāntara-prāptir\ndhīras tatra na muhyati\n[Bg. 2.13]\n[As the embodied soul continually passes, in this body, from boyhood to youth to old age, the soul similarly passes into another body at death. The self-realized soul is not bewildered by such a change.]\nDhīra, those who are sober, intelligent, they are not bewildered when a living entity changes his body.\nSo change of body is going on in every moment, in every second, imperceptibly. Medical science also accepts that in every second we are changing our blood corpuscles. That is a fact. We are changing body every moment. And the final change is called death. But actually, there is no death. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre [Bg. 2.20]. You accept another body.\n[For the soul there is never birth nor death. Nor, having once been, does he ever cease to be. He is unborn, eternal, ever-existing, undying and primeval. He is not slain when the body is slain.]\nTherefore Kṛṣṇa says, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante [Bg. 7.19]\n[After many births and deaths, he who is actually in knowledge surrenders unto Me, knowing Me to be the cause of all causes and all that is. Such a great soul is very rare.]\n\"After many, many births,\" bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān, \"when a man or a living entity becomes actually wise and intelligent...\" Not fools. Fools cannot understand. One has to become very intelligent. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān. Jñānavān means very intelligent, wise man. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate. \nKṛṣṇa says that \"After many, many births of struggle, or attempt for acquiring knowledge, when one comes to the solid point of understanding, he understands that vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti [Bg. 7.19], the origin of everything is Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṇa.\" Bas. Origin of everything is Kṛṣṇa.\nThe Vedānta-sūtra says, the first aphorism of Vedānta-sūtra, athāto brahma jijñāsā: \"Now this human form of life is meant for inquiring about Brahman.\" And the Veda says that ahaṁ brahmāsmi: \"I am Brahman. I am not this body. I am spirit soul.\" And when one understands that he is spirit soul, brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā [Bg. 18.54], at once he becomes joyful.\n[And of all yogīs, he who always abides in Me with great faith, worshiping Me in transcendental loving service, is most intimately united with Me in yoga and is the highest of all.]\nThat is the sign of brahma-jñāna. \nBrahma-bhūtaḥ... These are the versions of Bhagavad-gītā. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā. As soon as one realizes that \"I am Brahman. I have nothing to do with this material world,\" his all anxieties immediately finished. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati. In the Vedānta-sūtra you'll also find, ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt [Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12]. \n[By nature, the Supreme Lord is blissful.]\nThe spirit soul or the Supreme Soul, both of them are ānandamaya. Ānanda means blissful, by nature blissful. Always wants to enjoy. That is the nature of spirit. But at the present moment, because we have forgotten that I am..., we are spirit soul, part and parcel of the Supreme Lord, mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ [Bg. 15.7]\n[The living entities in this conditioned world are My eternal, fragmental parts. Due to conditioned life, they are struggling very hard with the six senses, which include the mind.]\nIdentifying ourself with something else, which is transcendent, we are suffering. This is the cause. There are many places.\nbhayaṁ dvitīyābhiniveśataḥ syād\nīśād api etasya viparyayo 'smṛtiḥ\n[SB 11.2.37]\n[Fear arises when a living entity misidentifies himself as the material body because of absorption in the external, illusory energy of the Lord. When the living entity thus turns away from the Supreme Lord, he also forgets his own constitutional position as a servant of the Lord. This bewildering, fearful condition is effected by the potency for illusion, called māyā. Therefore, an intelligent person should engage unflinchingly in the unalloyed devotional service of the Lord, under the guidance of a bona fide spiritual master, whom he should accept as his worshipable deity and as his very life and soul.]\nViparyayo 'smṛtiḥ means converted thinking. I'm not this any product of this material world, but I am thinking, \"I am American,\" \"I am Indian,\" \"I am Englishman,\" \"I am German,\" \"I am Chinaman,\" \"I am Russian,\" or \"I am cats and dogs,\" these so many. These are all designations. These are all designations. My real identity is ahaṁ brahmāsmi: \"I am Brahman. I am the part and parcel of the Supreme Brahman. Qualitatively, I am one with God.\" Just like a particle of gold is also gold. A small particle of the ocean is also salty. The chemical composition of the small particle of ocean water is the same as the big ocean. So qualitatively, I am one with God, or Kṛṣṇa.\nWhen we speak of Kṛṣṇa, you'll please understand I am meaning God. Because Kṛṣṇa means all-attractive. Without being all-attractive, there cannot be God. God must be all-attractive: all-opulence, all-powerful, all-wise, all-renounced, all-beautiful. These are the qualification of God.\nSo bahūnāṁ janmanām ante. After cultivation of knowledge, many, many births... Cultivation of knowledge is also not easy for everyone. That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye [Bg. 7.3]\n[Out of many thousands among men, one may endeavor for perfection, and of those who have achieved perfection, hardly one knows Me in truth.]\n\"Out of many millions of persons, human being, one may be interested to know 'What is the aim of life? Why I am suffering?' \" Everyone is suffering. That is the fact. In this material world nobody can be happy. If he's thinking… If one is thinking that he's happy materially, he's a fool. Nobody can be happy. This is the place for distress.\nIt is certified by the Supreme Lord, duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam [Bg. 8.15].\n[After attaining Me, the great souls, who are yogīs in devotion, never return to this temporary world, which is full of miseries, because they have attained the highest perfection.]\nThis place is for miseries, as well as it is temporary. Even if you accept, \"All right, it is a miserable place. I shall stay here. Never mind,\" but nature will not allow you to stay even. You... One day it will come, immediately kick you out. You have seen the great president of United States, Mr. Kennedy. He was supposed to be the happiest man in the world, but within a second he was kicked out, immediately. In our country Mahatma Gandhi was very popular leader, but in a second he was removed from the field.\nSo we do not know when we shall be removed immediately by the freaks of nature. Therefore the intelligent man should try to know, \"What is my constitutional position? Why I want to stay, but some superpower kicks me out of the stage? Why?\" This is question. This is called brahma-jijñāsā. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. The Vedānta-sūtra instructs that every human being—not the animals, but human being—you should not be bewildered. You should question, \"Why I am suffering threefold miseries? Why... I do not want death. Why death overcomes me?\"\nJanma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam\n[Bg. 13.9]. \n[Humility, pridelessness, nonviolence, tolerance, simplicity, approaching a bona fide spiritual master, cleanliness, steadiness and self-control; renunciation of the objects of sense gratification, absence of false ego, the perception of the evil of birth, death, old age and disease; nonattachment to children, wife, home and the rest, and evenmindedness amid pleasant and unpleasant events; constant and unalloyed devotion to Me, resorting to solitary places, detachment from the general mass of people; accepting the importance of self-realization, and philosophical search for the Absolute Truth—all these I thus declare to be knowledge, and what is contrary to these is ignorance.]\nA intelligent man should always keep before him four principles of material miseries: birth, death, old age and disease. These are instruction of the Bhagavad-gītā. One who is making progress in knowledge, he must keep before him these four problems—birth, death, old age and disease. You may be very much proud of your scientific advancement of knowledge, but here is the real science. If you can overcome birth, death, old age and disease, then you can say your science is triumphant.\nThe Bhāgavata says, therefore, that,\ndharmaḥ svanuṣṭhitaḥ puṁsāṁ\nviṣvaksena-kathāsu yaḥ\nnotpādayed yadi ratiṁ\nśrama eva hi kevalam\n[SB 1.2.8]\n[The occupational activities a man performs according to his own position are only so much useless labor if they do not provoke attraction for the message of the Personality of Godhead.]\nŚrama eva hi kevalam. After executing your proper service or duties... Everyone is entrusted with some kind of duties. So if, after properly executing your duty as Indian or American or Englishman or scientist or businessman or father and mother... So many duties we have got. So dharmaḥ svanuṣṭhitaḥ puṁsāṁ viṣvaksena-kathāsu yaḥ, notpādayed yadi ratim [SB 1.2.8]\n[The occupational activities a man performs according to his own position are only so much useless labor if they do not provoke attraction for the message of the Personality of Godhead.]\nAfter executing your duty, if you do not develop your anxiety to inquire about Brahman...\nAthāto brahma jijñāsā. This is the beginning of Vedānta-sūtra. People are indulging in studying Vedānta, but Vedānta-sūtra is not a matter of speculation. It is to be studied from the authorities. Tad vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet [MU 1.2.12]. \n[To understand these things properly, one must humbly approach, with firewood in hand, a spiritual master who is learned in the Vedas and firmly devoted to the Absolute Truth.]\nSo if, after executing your duties very properly, if you do not develop your consciousness to know about yourself or the Supreme Self, then whatever you have done, it is simply waste of time. That's all. Śrama eva hi kevalam. Simply laboring after nothing. That's all. That means spoiling human life.\nSo this message of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Hare Kṛṣṇa movement, is to warn you, \"Don't spoil this opportunity of human form of life. Don't spoil it.\"\nāhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunaṁ ca\nsāmānyam etat paśubhiḥ narāṇām\n[Hitopadeśa 25]\n[Both animals and men share the activities of eating, sleeping, mating and defending. But the special property of the humans is that they are able to engage in spiritual life. Therefore without spiritual life, humans are on the level of animals.]\nEating, sleeping, mating and defending, these things are common to the animals and the human being. You eat; the animals eat. You sleep; the animals sleep. You mate; the animals mate. You are also afraid of your enemy; they are also afraid of your [their] enemy. So by discovering very palatable dishes to eat, or fashionable dresses for sex life, or atom bomb for defending... Eating, sleeping, mating and defending, these four principles, if you advance in these four principles only, that does not mean that you are better than animals. You are as good as animals.\nThen how we can utilize this human form of life? That is stated: dharmeṇa hīnāḥ paśubhiḥ samānāḥ. Dharma. Dharma means not a religious faith. According to Sanskrit, dharma means constitutional position, which you cannot change. That is dharma. Just like sugar: sugar is sweet. Similarly, whenever there is sugar, it must be sweet. If you say, \"Oh, this sugar is salty,\" that is not sugar. So sweetness is the dharma of sugar. That is real dharma. Not that today I accept Hinduism, next day I accept Christianism or next day I accept Muhammadanism. These are not dharmas. Real dharma you cannot change. It is not possible to change.\nAnd what is that dharma? That dharma, Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya [Bg. 18.66]\n[Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reaction. Do not fear.]\n\"You give up all nonsense religion\"; mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja, \"just surrender unto Me.\" To surrender unto the Supreme Lord, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is real religion, and all other things are simply ritualistic or to lead one to that point. Real religion is when you surrender unto the Supreme Lord. That is your religion, real religion. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate [Bg. 7.19]: after many, many births, when he is actually intelligent, he surrenders unto the Supreme Lord, vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā [Bg. 7.19].\n[After many births and deaths, he who is actually in knowledge surrenders unto Me, knowing Me to be the cause of all causes and all that is. Such a great soul is very rare.]\nThis mahātmā.\nI began the topic \"Who is mahatma?\" So here is mahātmā. Who is mahātmā? Who has surrendered himself fully unto the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is mahātmā. And what are the symptoms of mahātmā? Mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ. [Bg. 9.13].\nThose who are mahātmā, they are not under the control of this material nature. They are under the control of the spiritual nature. Daivī-prakṛtim āśritāḥ. And what is the symptom of such person, that he is under the control of spiritual nature? That is also explained in the Bhagavad-gītā:\nmahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha\ndaivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ\nbhajanty ananya-manaso...\n[Bg. 9.13]\n[O son of Pṛthā, those who are not deluded, the great souls, are under the protection of the divine nature. They are fully engaged in devotional service because they know Me as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, original and inexhaustible.]\nBhajanti. This bhajan, that is the sign of mahātmā. \nYou cannot create a mahātmā by rubberstamp or by votes. Mahātmā's symptom is that he's fully surrendered unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead and always engaged in glorifying His activities. His activities. Satataṁ kīrtayanto māṁ yatantaś ca dṛḍha-vratāḥ [Bg. 9.14]. \n[Always chanting My glories, endeavoring with great determination, bowing down before Me, these great souls perpetually worship Me with devotion.]\nHe's always very much careful about executing devotional service. Namasyantaś ca mām. He's always offering obeisances. Tuṣyanti ca ramanti ca [Bg. 10.9].\n[The thoughts of My pure devotees dwell in Me, their lives are surrendered to Me, and they derive great satisfaction and bliss enlightening one another and conversing about Me.]\nIn this way they enjoy, tuṣyanti, and they're satisfied. These are the signs of mahātmā. So to become mahātmā and liberated... There are so many theories how to become liberated, how to become mahātmā, how to become religionist, how to become philosopher. There are many thoughts and theories, but real success of life is to become a mahātmā, broader, broader, broad-minded.\nMahātmā means broader-minded. They are not, I mean to say, short-minded, that \"I am this,\" \"I am that\"—\"I am Hindu,\" \"I am Muslim,\" \"I am Christian,\" \"I am Indian,\" \"I am German,\" \"I am Englishman\"—no. Mahātmā is sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. \n[“’Bhakti, or devotional service, means engaging all our senses in the service of the Lord, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the master of all the senses. When the spirit soul renders service unto the Supreme, there are two side effects. One is freed from all material designations, and one’s senses are purified simply by being employed in the service of the Lord.’]\nHe is freed from all designation. These are all our designations. When I think, \"I am Englishman\" or \"I am Indian,\" this is my designation. Because as soon as I change my this body, I accept another body. Then all my philanthropy as Englishman or Indian—immediately finished. Just like President Kennedy's presidentship and philanthropy all finished.\nNow we do not know where is Mr. Kennedy and what he is doing. But he has got the body. That's a fact. That I have already explained. But neither you know, neither he knows that \"I was president,\" or \"I was this or that.\" Therefore this is called illusion, māyā.\nSo Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura says, keno māyāra bośe, yāccho bhese [from Gītāvalī]: \"My dear friends, my dear brothers, why you are being washed away by the waves of this illusion? Don't be wasters[?]. Don't be washed away.\" Just like if you are thrown into the ocean you are washed away by the waves, similarly, by the waves of this material nature, prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ [Bg. 3.27]\n[The bewildered spirit soul, under the influence of the three modes of material nature, thinks himself to be the doer of activities, which are in actuality carried out by nature.]\nWe are being washed away from one body to another, one body to another, one body to another, in this way. But actually we do not want this. Actually every one of us, we want a permanent body, a permanent situation, a permanent life, a blissful life, a life of knowledge. That is our hankering.\nBut we do not know, do not know because we do not care to know. Otherwise everything explained. You haven't got to study many books. You just simply study Bhagavad-gītā As It Is. We have therefore published this Bhagavad-gītā As It Is, without any nonsensical interpretation. \"As It Is.\" Then you'll get all this knowledge and you'll know what you are meant for.\nSo this movement is just to revive your consciousness, original consciousness. Original consciousness is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And all other consciousness which you have now acquired, these are superficial, temporary. \"I am Indian,\" \"I am Englishman,\" \"I am this,\" \"I am that\"—these are all superficial consciousness. Real consciousness is ahaṁ brahmāsmi.\nSo Lord Caitanya, who started this movement five hundred years ago in Bengal, India, He immediately informs you that jīvera svarūpa haya nitya kṛṣṇa dāsa [Cc. Madhya 20.108], that our real identity, real constitutional position, is that we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, or God.\n[“It is the living entity’s constitutional position to be an eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa because he is the marginal energy of Kṛṣṇa and a manifestation simultaneously one with and different from the Lord, like a molecular particle of sunshine or fire. Kṛṣṇa has three varieties of energy.]\nTherefore you can understand what is your duty. Just like this hand is part and parcel of your body. Now, what is the duty of this hand? To serve the body, that's all. The hand cannot enjoy independently. It is not possible. If you cut off this hand from this body and throw into the street, nobody will care for it. But so long it is attached with this body, it has got millions and trillions of dollars' value. If there is any trouble, you will be prepared to spend any amount. But when you are detached, this hand is detached from this body, you don't care for it, even it is trampled down by any man.\nSo this is our position. We are part and parcel of the Supreme Lord. There are many examples I can give you. Just like a machine part, a screw. If it is fallen down from the machine, it has no value. But if the machine is in trouble for want of that screw, you'll purchase that screw to set in and spend many dollars. Similarly, we are part and parcel of the Supreme Lord. If we remain attached with the Supreme Lord, then we have got value. Otherwise we have no value. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā that sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja [Bg. 18.66]\n[Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reaction. Do not fear.]\n\"You just be attached to Me. Then your all problems are solved.\"\nSo this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is... Just like you are part and parcel of the Supreme Lord. You are now detached. We are trying to dovetail you. That's all. Nitya-siddha kṛṣṇa-bhakti sādhya kabhu naya [Cc. Madhya 22.107]. \n[”Pure love for Kṛṣṇa is eternally established in the hearts of the living entities. It is not something to be gained from another source. When the heart is purified by hearing and chanting, this love naturally awakens.]\nThis is not an artificial imposition on you. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness is there. The living example you can see, that I have got now branches, twenty branches in Europe and America. They are neither Hindus nor Indian. How they are accepting Kṛṣṇa consciousness?\nIn our Society, International Society for Krishna Consciousness, perhaps I am the only Indian. Perhaps. Perhaps I am the only Indian. Perhaps it is fact. But why..., how they are taking it? Because it is there, Kṛṣṇa consciousness is there within you, within me, everyone. Simply we have to invoke it. That's all. And that invoking process is the saṅkīrtana movement. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam [Cc. Antya 20.12]. \n[“’Let there be all victory for the chanting of the holy name of Lord Kṛṣṇa, which can cleanse the mirror of the heart and stop the miseries of the blazing fire of material existence. That chanting is the waxing moon that spreads the white lotus of good fortune for all living entities. It is the life and soul of all education. The chanting of the holy name of Kṛṣṇa expands the blissful ocean of transcendental life. It gives a cooling effect to everyone and enables one to taste full nectar at every step.’]\nIf you chant this simple process, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, you'll very quickly clear up your heart, and you will understand, vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ [Bg. 7.19].\n[After many births and deaths, he who is actually in knowledge surrenders unto Me, knowing Me to be the cause of all causes and all that is. Such a great soul is very rare.]\nYou'll understand that Kṛṣṇa, Vāsudeva, is everything. So this movement is neither manufactured nor bogus nor bluff, but it is genuine. It is authorized and it is natural, constitutional. Try to understand this philosophy. We are teaching nothing..., no new philosophy. Bhagavad-gītā as it is, that's all.\nUnfortunately, Bhagavad-gītā is read all over the world, but there are many rascal interpreters. They have spoiled the whole thing. Simply spoiled. So we are struggling against them. You try to understand Bhagavad-gītā as it is, and you get the thing. The thing is immediately delivered to you. That is our request.\nAnd in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is stated by Śukadeva Gosvāmī, he says, kaler doṣa-nidhe rājann asti hy eko mahān guṇaḥ [SB 12.3.51]\n[My dear King, although Kali-yuga is an ocean of faults, there is still one good quality about this age: Simply by chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, one can become free from material bondage and be promoted to the transcendental kingdom.]\n\"My dear King...\" He was explaining Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam to King Mahārāja Parīkṣit. So he says... He, before saying this, he described about the condition of this Age of Kali. It is very... At the end of this age the condition will be very horrible. So... Of course, there is no much time; otherwise I would have explained something. But you know. You are experiencing about this age.\nSo after explaining the difficulties of this age, Kali-yuga, of which five thousand years we have already passed, and still, 427,000's of years are still remaining... So we have to pass through. So he says, \"My dear King, I have explained to you the difficulties and miserable condition of this age, Kali-yuga. But there is a great opportunity.\" Asti hy eko mahān guṇaḥ: \"A very nice thing is there,\" mahān guṇaḥ, \"very great opportunity, great boon.\"\nAnd what is that? Kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya mukta-saṅgaḥ paraṁ vrajet [SB 12.3.51]: \"Simply by chanting this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, one can become freed from all contamination, and he'll be eligible to be promoted to the spiritual param.\" Param means beyond this dark region.\nThis material world is called tamaḥ, dark region. Just like there is no sun now; it is dark. We have to illuminate by electric light, by moonlight, by so many things. Actually the nature is dark. Therefore the Vedic injunction is, tamasi mā jyotir gama: \"Don't try to remain in this dark region. Go to that effulgent region.\" Tamasi mā jyotir gama. The Bhagavad-gītā also says the same thing: yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama [Bg. 15.6]. \n[That abode of Mine is not illumined by the sun or moon, nor by electricity. One who reaches it never returns to this material world.]\nParas tasmāt tu bhāvo 'nyo 'vyakto 'vyaktāt sanātanaḥ\n[Bg. 8.20]. \n[Yet there is another nature, which is eternal and is transcendental to this manifested and unmanifested matter. It is supreme and is never annihilated. When all in this world is annihilated, that part remains as it is.]\nEverything is there in the Bhagavad-gītā. So our request is that you read Bhagavad-gītā As It Is. Here there are many Englishmen and Indians. That is my request. I am not charging anything. I am not making a profession. This saṅkīrtana movement, we are chanting freely. You can hear. There is not... Not that it is a secret thing—if you pay me something, then I shall disclose. No. It is open secret. Anyone can take, and there is no loss. If you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, there is no loss, but there is great gain. You can try it.\nSo we are freely distributing it by chanting. You join with us, you try to understand us, what is our philosophy. We have got monthly magazine, Back to Godhead. We have got many publications: Bhagavad-gītā As It Is, Teachings of Lord Caitanya. If you want to understand this movement through philosophy, science, argument, we are prepared. There is ample opportunity for you. But if you simply chant, there is no need of education, there is no need of philosophizing. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, and you gain everything.\nThank you.",
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"content": "\n Haribol!\n[break]",
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"content": "\n ...mantra, you'll have Kṛṣṇa consciousness as soon as... The process is to cleanse your heart. So when your heart will be clear, then you'll understand your own position, your relationship with Kṛṣṇa and your relationship with this world. Then you'll be able to chalk out your plan, what to do. But without knowing your identity, whatever you are doing, that is simply waste of time.",
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"content": "\n Would you say that Kṛṣṇa is God or Kṛṣṇa is love?",
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"content": "\n Well, without love, how Kṛṣṇa can be God?",
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"content": "\n No, I ask you.",
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"content": "\n Yes. That is the real position. Kṛṣṇa means all-attractive. Anything which is all-attractive you generally love.",
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"content": "\n So the particle of man of the Supreme Being is all-love.",
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"content": "\n Yes. You are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. You want to love somebody, and Kṛṣṇa wants to love you. This is loving exchange. But instead of loving Kṛṣṇa, you are trying to love something else. That is your trouble. The love is there in you and Kṛṣṇa, and when the love will be exchanged between you and Kṛṣṇa, that will be your perfection of life.",
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"content": "\n Thank you.\n Would it matter if I worship any other? Would it matter whether I worship Kṛṣṇa or Śiva or Christ or Buddha? Would it matter? As long as... [break]",
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"content": "\n If you worship Śiva, you'll get Śiva. If you worship Kṛṣṇa, you'll get Kṛṣṇa. Why do you expect Kṛṣṇa by worshiping Śiva? What is your idea?",
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"content": "\n My idea is, would it matter, I mean, if instead of...",
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"content": "\n If you… Suppose if you purchase ticket for India, you'll go to India. How you can go to hell?",
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"content": "\n This is not the point.",
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"content": "\n This is the point. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. Yānti deva-vratā devān pitṝn yānti pitṛ-vratāḥ [Bg. 9.25].\n[Those who worship the demigods will take birth among the demigods; those who worship ghosts and spirits will take birth among such beings; those who worship ancestors go to the ancestors; and those who worship Me will live with Me.]",
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"content": "\n But my point is...",
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"content": "\n Your point, you understand. Why you don't understand? This is the description of the Bhagavad-gītā. If you worship demigods like Śiva and others, you will go there. And if you worship Kṛṣṇa, you'll go to Kṛṣṇa. What is the difficulty to understand?",
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"content": "\n Do you mean that Śiva is demigod?",
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"content": "\n Yes. Why not?",
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"content": "\n Because according to the philosophy...",
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"content": "\n What is that philosophy?",
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"content": "\nThat Kṛṣṇa [indistinct].",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\nWhat is the sense that…",
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"content": "\n Kṛṣṇa says that it doesn't matter the way you worship Him. All means has the same goal, leads to the same goal. \"You can take the different paths, but you will come to Me eventually.\" Then why you are saying that Śiva is...",
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"content": "\n Well, same goal, you just try to understand. Same goal... Suppose you have to go to the forty-second or one hundredth story. Now, you are stepping one after another. The goal is there, the forty-second story, but you cannot claim, after going a few steps, you say that \"I have come to the forty-second story.\" The path is one. That's all right. But you have to reach to the ultimate goal. You do not know what is the ultimate goal. You simply say all paths reach to this goal, but you do not know what is goal.",
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"content": "\n Because what I meant... I would like to know... Suppose... This is the point that we want to recommend. We are like drones[?], and we could go to Gokula[?] in any way, in any other way.",
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"content": "\n No. That is not explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, and that is your wrong interpretation. Any way, no. The same way you have to go. Just like in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, mama vartmānuvartante manuṣyāḥ pārtha sarvaśaḥ [Bg. 4.11]\n[All of them—as they surrender unto Me—I reward accordingly. Everyone follows My path in all respects, O son of Pṛthā.]\n\"Everyone is trying to come to Me.\" But someone has come a few steps, another has come to another few steps, another step. Ultimately... That was... I explained it.\nYou have to reach that Vāsudeva. That comes to the..., or that is possible after many, many births. It is clearly said, \"After many, many births,\" bahūnāṁ janmanām ante [Bg. 7.19]\n[After many births and deaths, he who is actually in knowledge surrenders unto Me, knowing Me to be the cause of all causes and all that is. Such a great soul is very rare.]\n\"One comes to this point.\" Another verse in the Bhagavad-gītā, it is said that kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñānāḥ prapadyante 'nya-devatāḥ [Bg. 7.20]. \n[Those whose minds are distorted by material desires surrender unto demigods and follow the particular rules and regulations of worship according to their own natures.]\nAnya-devatāḥ. Those who are bewildered by lust, material lust, they go to worship other demigods. So these things are there. How can you deny it?",
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"content": "\n I'm sorry, I couldn't agree with you that Śiva is a demigod. I couldn't believe it.",
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"content": "\n That is stated in everywhere. You have to learn it.",
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"content": "\n [indistinct] ...consciousness, then what is that other Kṛṣṇa? Or, other than Kṛṣṇa, what [indistinct]? And wherefrom [indistinct]?",
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"content": "\n Yes. I quite follow you. Everywhere is sunshine, but still, the sun's situation is a particular place.",
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"content": "\n[indistinct]",
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"content": "\n The sunshine is everywhere, but still, the sun planet is situated at a particular localized place.",
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"content": "\n It is manifested locally. It is not localized. It is manifested locally.",
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"content": "\n But do you distinguish between sunshine and the sun planet? Or you say because the sunshine has come within your room, therefore sun planet has come within your room? Do you think like that?",
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"content": "\n It is a conception of the mind.",
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"content": "\n Why mind? It is a fact. Why do you say \"mind\"? Can you say that \"Oh, because the sunshine has come within my room, the sun planet has come\"? Everyone will say you are a fool. It is not mind; it is a fact. The sunshine is light, and the sun globe is light. So light is there, both, but still, there is difference between sunshine and the sun globe.",
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"content": "\n Is that the difference?",
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"content": "\nThat difference. Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's energy all, everywhere. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā.\nmayā tatam idaṁ sarvaṁ\njagad avyakta-mūrtinā\nmat-sthāni sarva-bhūtāni\nnāhaṁ teṣv avasthitaḥ\n[Bg. 9.4]\n[By Me, in My unmanifested form, this entire universe is pervaded. All beings are in Me, but I am not in them.]\n\"Although everything is resting on Me, still I am not there.\"",
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"content": "\n Is this world a real place? Is this world a real place?",
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"content": "\n What do you mean by real?",
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"content": "\n What?",
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"content": "\n What do you mean by real?",
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"content": "\n According to what you were saying, it's illusion.",
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"content": "\n Yes. Illusion, illusion in this way, that what you take it as a fact, but it is something else. It is not fact. Māyā. Māyā means mā-yā: \"It is not this.\" Just like you are thinking that you'll be happy in this material world by adjustment, but you'll never be. That is called māyā. So whatever you are struggling for, that is illusion.",
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"content": "\n If this is an illusion, then why is it here? What's it doing here?",
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"content": "\n Illusion is a temporary existence. This is also explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate [Bg. 8.19]. \n[Again and again the day comes, and this host of beings is active; and again the night falls, O Pārtha, and they are helplessly dissolved.]\nIt comes into existence, just like cloud. Of course, we Vaiṣṇava philosopher, we do not say actually illusion. We say temporary. Actually we say temporary. Anitya. Anitya. The exact word is anitya. Anitya means... Nitya means eternal, and anitya means temporary. So we say this material world... [end]",
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https://vedabase.io/en/library/transcripts/710214cc-gorakphur/
|
[
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"content": "\n [introducing recording] This lecture was recorded in Gorakhpur, U.P., India, on the evening of February 14th, 1970 [sic].",
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"content": "\n Ataeva śruti kahe brahma-saviśeṣa: God, Brahma, the great. Brahma means the great. Bṛhatvād bṛhannatvāt. The Absolute Truth is the great and can expand also unlimitedly.\nAdvaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam [Bs. 5.33]. Rūpam: He has got His transcendental forms, ananta, unlimited. But they are all one. Advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam. Ādyam, the original; purāṇa, the oldest; puruṣam, person. Advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam.\nAlthough He has got innumerable forms, they are advaita, they are one. Advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam Ādyam, original; purāṇa, the oldest; and puruṣam, the person. Nava-yauvanam. The oldest, but nava-yauvana, just beginning of youthful life. That is the description in the Brahma-saṁhitā.\nAnd Caitanya Mahāprabhu confirms that brahma saviśeṣa. Saviśeṣa means person with varieties of energy. Not imperson. Ataeva śruti kahe. According to Vedic evidence from the Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad, apāṇi pāda, he has proved that when the Upaniṣad says that \"The Absolute Truth has no hands and legs,\" this means that He has no material hands and legs. But He has His hands and legs.\n[shouting in background] [aside:] Who is shouting? Why they do not come? Why they are shouting there? All right.\nThen he says... Śrī Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura comments in this connection that,\nādau brahma prākṛta hasta-pāda naya baliyā\npare śīghra cale emana sakala-vastu grahaṇa kare\nIn the beginning, the Veda says that the Supreme Personality of Godhead has no..., not personality; Brahman. He is person, of course. We say personality, but this personality is not material personality. Sighram cale evam sakala-vasta grahana kare: \"He walks very quickly, and He can accept whatever is offered to Him.\" So these very statements in the Vedas confirm that He has hands and legs, but not hands and legs like us. Aprakṛta.\nThat we cannot understand. Aprakṛta. Prakṛta and aprakṛta. Prakṛta means things which are created, and aprakṛta means which are never created, sanātana. That we cannot understand. As soon as there is statement of the Absolute Truth's form, transcendental form, we think that He has a form like us. How it can be? That is quite reasonable. God cannot be possessing a form which is like us. No.\nTherefore Bhagavad-gītā says, sambhavāmy ātma-māyayā [Bg. 4.6]. He descends, He comes down, as He is, ātma-māyayā. We accept this form given to us by the material energy. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ [Bg. 3.27]. According to the association of particular type of guṇa, quality, we get a form. But Kṛṣṇa is not within the influence of the material qualities. His form is different.\nṣaḍ-aiśvarya pūrṇa vigraha yāṅhāra\nhena-bhagavāne tumi kaha nirākāra\n[Cc. Madhya 6.152]\nThe discussion was going with Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya, a follower of the Śaṅkarite philosophy. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu has given Vedic evidences that the Supreme Personality of Godhead has His form, transcendental form, sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha, but His form is not material. That is the opinion of Śaṅkarācārya. Nārāyaṇa para avyaktāt: \"Nārāyaṇa, He is transcendental to this creation.\" So in... With reference to this material creation, He is impersonal. But when we speak of the spiritual world, He is a person, sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ [Bs. 5.1]. Ṣaḍ-aiśvarya pūrṇa, pūrṇānanda vigraha yāṅhāra.\nNow, Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that Brahman is full of six kinds of opulences. Pūrṇa. Ṣaḍ-aiśvarya-pūrṇa. And ānanda, and full of bliss. There is an English word, I think: \"Variety is the mother of enjoyment.\" Enjoyment. Ānanda means enjoyment. Enjoyment cannot be impersonal; there must be varieties. That is enjoyment. You have got experience that when there is a bunch of flower of different colors, it is very enjoyable. And if there is only rose only, although rose is very nice flower, it is not so pleasing. With rose, some green foliage, some grass, inferior quality, it looks very beautiful.\nSo when there is question ānanda... Because Kṛṣṇa has got form, sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha [Bs. 5.1], eternal; cit, full of knowledge; and full of ānanda, bliss. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt, Vedānta-sūtra says. The Lord is ānanda-mayo. This māyā-prātyaya, there is controversy between the Śaṅkarites and the Vaiṣṇavas. They say that māyā-prātyaya... This prātyaya, from Sanskrit verbal root, is affixed in two cases—when there is excess and when there is transformation. So either cases, the ānanda, or the blissful nature of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is extensive, unlimited. Prācurya. Prācurya means extensive.\nSo ṣaḍ-aiśvarya pūrṇānanda vigrahaḥ yāṅhāra. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that \"One who has got transcendental form, full of ānanda...,\" hena bhagavāne tumi kaha nirākāra, \"and you think of such Personality of Godhead as impersonal, how it is possible?\" Without being person, there cannot be ānanda anubhava. Just like we are persons: we can feel pains and pleasure. Unless one is person, there is no question of enjoying ānanda.\nSo that is His challenge, that if the Supreme Personality of Godhead is full of ānanda, as it is stated in all the Vedic scriptures, especially in Vedānta-sūtra, ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt, then how He can be imperson? There is no possibility. And He gives other Vedic evidences also, that apāṇi-pādo javano grahītā, that \"He has no hand; still, He accepts whatever is given to Him.\"\nSo there is no possibility of the Absolute Truth's being imperson. He is person. Hena bhagavāne tumi kaha nirākāra.\nsvābhāvika tina śakti yei brahma haya\nniḥśaktika kari' tāṅre karaha niścaya\n[Cc. Madhya 6.153]\nThe impersonalists say that the Brahman has no energy. The difference between Vaiṣṇava philosophy...\n[aside:] What they are talking? They are not coming here? You see?",
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"content": "\n [indistinct]",
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"content": "\n Then who is talking? Now, the Māyāvāda philosophers, their point of view is the Absolute Truth is imperson, and there is no different energy. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu's challenge is that Absolute Truth has got multi-energies.\nThat is also stated in the Upaniṣads: parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate [Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 6.8, Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport]. The Absolute Truth has multi-energies, innumerable energies. And such energies have been divided into three divisions. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva..., na tasya kāryaṁ kāraṇaṁ ca vidyate. He has nothing to do.\nWhy He has to do? Because His energies are working. Therefore, He has energy. Just like Kṛṣṇa says, mayā tatam idaṁ sarvaṁ jagad avyakta-mūrtinā [Bg. 9.4]: \"The whole universe in its avyakta-mūrti, nonmanifested form, I am.\" Ahaṁ tatam idaṁ sarvam. Aham. \"But at the same time, aham is there.\" Aham means \"I.\" And the word avyakta is there, \"nonmanifest.\"\nSo Kṛṣṇa is manifest. Then what is this nonmanifest? The nonmanifest is the energy of Kṛṣṇa. Mayā tatam idam..., \"By Me.\" If I say... I have got a big business, big factory. If the proprietor says, \"I am all-pervading over this factory,\" that is right. Suppose one man has got a factory, say Birla. They say \"Birla Factory,\" \"Birla Jute Mill,\" \"Birla...\" Birla's name is there. Although Birla is a person, he's not there. It is very easy to understand. Birla is a person. He is not present in that factory. But everyone says \"Birla's factory.\" That means Birla's money, Birla's energy is there. If there is any loss in that factory, the suffering goes to Birla. Or if there is any gain in that factory, the profit goes to Birla. Therefore Birla's energy is there in the factory.\nSimilarly, the whole creation is the manifestation of Kṛṣṇa. Mayā tatam idaṁ sarvam [Bg. 9.4]. \"I am all-pervading.\" But that does not mean in everything... Everything there is Kṛṣṇa, His energy. He is represented by His energy. This is called simultaneously one and different. Acintya-bhedābheda-tattva, this philosophy of Lord Caitanya. Acintya, simultaneously one and different. The Birla factory is not different from Birla, because his energy is working there. At the same time Birla is not there. Similarly, in this material manifestation, everything is God. Idaṁ hi viśvaṁ bhagavān ivetaraḥ.\nIn the Bhāgavata there is statement by Nārada. Idaṁ hi viśvam, the whole universe is the Supreme Personality of Godhead; but itara, but still, different from Him. This philosophy is very sound philosophy, \"simultaneously one and different.\" That is the statement in the Bhagavad-gītā. Mayā tatam idaṁ sarvam: \"I am expanded; I am all-pervading.\" Mat-sthāni sarva-bhūtāni [Bg. 9.4]: \"Everything is resting on Me.\" Nāhaṁ teṣu avasthitaḥ: \"But I am not there.\"\nThe Māyāvāda philosophy is \"If God, or Brahman, is all-pervading, then why there should be another, separate Brahman?\" No. That is also confirmed in the Vedic literature: pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya pūrṇam evāvaśiṣyate [Īśo Invocation]. Pūrṇasya. Kṛṣṇa, or the Supreme Absolute Truth, is complete. And if complete is taken from Him, still He is complete.\nThis is material idea, that if the complete has spread all over, then where is the separate existence of the complete? That is material idea. But the spiritual statement is, \"If complete is taken from the complete, still the complete is complete.\" That you have to understand. Pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya.\nHere in this material world we have got experience that if I have got one rupee in my pocket, and if that one rupee is taken from my pocket or it is expended, there is no more one rupee; it is spent, it is zero now. Or that one rupee has been distributed in purchasing several commodities, so the one rupee is distributed; there is no more separate existence of that one rupee. This is material idea. But according to Vedic scripture, pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya pūrṇam evāvaśiṣyate [Īśo Invocation]. If you take one rupee from that one rupee, still that one rupee is there.\nThat you cannot adjust in your teeny brain. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu said acintya. It is not accommodated in our teeny brain. Therefore those who are teeny brain, or poor fund of knowledge, they think that when the Absolute Truth is distributed, sarvaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma, then where is the person? But that is not the conception. The conception is He is unlimitedly powerful: ṣaḍ-aiśvarya pūrṇa, with all power.\nHe can create so many personalities Himself. Just like Kṛṣṇa expanded Himself into 16,000 forms. When He married 16,000 wives, He expanded Himself in 16,000 forms. When He was dancing in rasa-līlā, He expanded Himself. Each gopī was thinking that \"Kṛṣṇa is dancing with me.\" So that is Kṛṣṇa's, or God's, unlimited potency. Not that if He expands, He becomes zero.\nIn the Brahma-saṁhitā also, it is stated, goloka eva nivasaty akhilātma-bhūtaḥ [Bs. 5.37]. Although He is living in His abode, Goloka Vṛndāvana, He is all-pervading. For example, Kṛṣṇa says,\npatraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ\nyo me bhaktyā prayacchati\ntad aham aśnāmi\nbhaktyā upahṛtam\n...tad ahaṁ bhaktyā upahṛtam\naśnāmi prayatātmanaḥ\n[Bg. 9.26]\nNow there are innumerable devotees who are offering Kṛṣṇa with love and faith, patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ. Just like in this temple, we are offering to the Deity according to the order of Kṛṣṇa some preparation made of patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ. So He's accepting. He says that \"I accept. I eat.\"\nBut the atheist class says that He does not eat. Why? If Kṛṣṇa says, \"I eat,\" what the atheist class of people has the right to say that He does not eat? He eats. So now not only in one temple or in one place, but millions and trillions of places, they are offering Kṛṣṇa, devotees. And Kṛṣṇa says, \"I eat.\" So everywhere He is eating.\nNow, just imagine how He has expanded Himself in millions and trillions of forms. He says, \"I eat.\" And there are millions and trillions of devotees offering Him. Then everywhere He's eating. That's a fact. Yes. He can expand. But that does not mean that He is no more in Goloka Vṛndāvana. He is still there. He has expanded in millions and trillions of forms to accept the offerings of His devotee; at the same time, He is in Goloka Vṛndāvana. That is Kṛṣṇa. Goloka eva nivasaty akhilātma-bhūtaḥ [Bs. 5.37].\nAdvaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam ādyaṁ purāṇa-puruṣaṁ nava-yauvanaṁ ca, vedeṣu durlabham ātma-bhaktau [Bs. 5.33]. The Supreme Personality of Godhead is difficult to be approached by simple understanding of the Vedas. One has to become a devotee. Just like Bhagavad-gītā: It is simple. It is the entrance book for spiritual understanding. It is not very, I mean to say, highly theosophical or theological literature. That highly theological literature is Bhagavad-gītā..., is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, which is the natural commentary on the Vedānta-sūtra.\nSo in the Bhagavad-gītā we get all information how Kṛṣṇa expands Himself. Advaita... Vedeṣu durlabha. Therefore one who does not read Bhagavad-gītā through a devotee... Kṛṣṇa... Just like Arjuna is a devotee. He understands Bhagavad-gītā. Without going through a devotee, nobody can understand God or His statements. Thousands of people for thousands of years, reading Bhagavad-gītā, but they do not know Kṛṣṇa. Is it not a fact? Yes. So because they are not going through the proper channels, they are still...\nVedeṣu durlabham adurlabham ātma-bhaktau [Bs. 5.33]. Simply by trying to understand the Vedic literature, one cannot understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Vedeṣu durlabha. Durlabha means very difficult to approach. Adurlabha ātma-bhaktau. But ātma-bhaktau, those who are devotees, for them He is very easily accepted.\nTake for example... Now, you have gone to see a very high officer, say, the secretary of the government. You are waiting. You have sent your card, you are waiting. But you cannot enter the room without being permitted. But an ordinary orderly, his servant, he's thousand times going and coming. There is no restriction for him. He does not require any permission. He goes within because... And the message will come through him.\nIn Dvārakā... Perhaps you have read in the Nectar of Devotion that Brahmā, Indra, they used to come to see Kṛṣṇa, and Kṛṣṇa's orderly... They were offering prayers, and Kṛṣṇa's orderly was requesting them, \"Please make no noise.\" [laughter] They were offering prayers, Brahmā, Indra, and His personal servant was prohibiting him, \"Please do not make noise. Sit down here.\" This is the position. So vedeṣu durlabham adurlabham ātma-bhaktau. Kṛṣṇa is not available, not approachable, simply by studying Vedas. He has to be obedient to the orders of the devotee.\nHere He says,\nsvābhāvika tina śakti yei brahme haya\nniḥśaktika kari' tāṅre karaha niścaya\n[Cc. Madhya 6.153]\nThat \"Kṛṣṇa has got, by nature, innumerable energies, and they are divided into three: cit śakti and bahiraṅga śakti, antaraṅga śakti, and tatasta śakti.\" All the... Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva. All the śaktis, or energies, they are summarized in three divisions. One is called spiritual energy, and the other is called material energy, and the rest is called marginal energy.\nIn the Bhagavad-gītā these three energies are stated. Bhagavān, Kṛṣṇa, says, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ buddhir mano eva ca, bhinnā me prakṛtir aṣṭadhā [Bg. 7.4]: \"These eight kinds of energies are My separated energy.\" How separated energy? Try to understand what is separated energy. Just like in the tape record, I sing or speak, it is recorded. But when the tape record plays, I do not speak, I do not sing, but it is my energy. It is working. That is separated energy. And when I speak directly, that is not separated energy. That is also the same thing.\nSo they are from Kṛṣṇa, the whole material... Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate [Bg. 10.8]. \"Everything is created from Me. I am the creator of everything.\" How He is creator? This bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ buddhir mano... These eight separated energies, that is the material energy. And apareyam, they are inferior because they are material energy; therefore, inferior energy. Apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parām: \"Beyond this, there is another, superior energy.\" Apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parām. \"There is another, superior energy.\" What is that superior energy? Jīva-bhūtāṁ mahā-bāho yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat [Bg. 7.5]. These jīvas.\nSo jīvas are energies. How jīvas can claim that they are God? They are energy of God. There is the mistake of Māyāvāda philosophy. Energy and the energetic, although nondifferent, still, energy is not the energetic. Just like this light is emanating from the bulb. So the illumination is there both in the bulb and the light distributed. But you cannot say that this illumination is the bulb.\nSo Kṛṣṇa says that \"These are My bhinnā-prakṛti, material energy.\" The earth, water, air, fire, mind, intelligence, ego—the whole material creation is out of these eight energies. And the living entity, jīva-bhūta, that is parā prakṛti, spiritual energy.\nThe living entity is also spiritual energy. He has got His two energies, spiritual energy and material energy, another, marginal energy, which is also spiritual actually, but it is called marginal because individual. And this individual spiritual energy can select either to live under the material energy or the spiritual energy. Therefore it is called marginal energy.\nJust like sparks of the fire, it can fall down on the ground and it can remain with the fire. Similarly, we living entities, we are parts and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, or we are sparks of the fire. So we can fall down within the material energy and we can remain in the spiritual energy, as we like.\nSo when you keep yourself in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, you live in spiritual energy, and when you are without Kṛṣṇa consciousness, you live in material energy. When you live in the material energy, then your the illuminating quality, because you are fire, part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, that is extinguished almost.\nTherefore we are forgetful of Kṛṣṇa. Our relationship with Kṛṣṇa is practically extinguished. And again, the fire, spark, if he falls down on a dry grass, then gradually, the grass becomes blazing. So even if we are... Because in this material world there are three modes of material nature. If we are associated with goodness quality, then our spiritual energy again becomes blazing fire.\nFrom the modes of goodness, purity, knowledge, the brahminical quality, satya śama dama titikṣa [Bg. 18.42], when you are put into that..., the dry grass... Although this satya śama dama, truthfulness or controlling the senses or controlling the mind, knowledge, toleration, these qualities, they are all material qualities. They are not spiritual qualities.\nDon't think that if one is..., one man is very truthful; that does not mean that he has attained spiritual quality. The spiritual quality is different thing. But these material qualities, satya śama dama titikṣa, all these, they can help you. They can help you to be situated in the transcendental, spiritual quality. But don't think that they are themselves spiritual quality. No. That is another.\nSo we, the sparks of the supreme fire, when we fall down in the dry grass, the spiritual quality or the fiery quality is there still, but it may also extinguish. Therefore, our transcendental position is śuddha-sattva. We have to always keep ourself in transcendental position by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, always being engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service. Then we are brahma-bhūyāya kalpate [Bg. 14.26]. That is our Brahman situation. Simply realization of Brahman is not all. You have to be always engaged in Brahman activities. Then there is possibility of remaining in the Brahman platform.\nThe Māyāvādī philosophers, as soon as they realize that ahaṁ brahmāsmi, they think that they are liberated. But no. That liberation is, I mean to..., theoretical. That is not practical. Practical liberation is when you are situated in devotional service. Then there is no chance of falling down. If you simply think that \"I have become Nārāyaṇa,\" or Nārāyaṇa position, that is falldown. There are innumerable examples.\nSo we are taṭasthā-śakti. The idea is... Taṭasthā means marginal. We can fall down in the material world, and we can raise ourself in the spiritual world. This is our position. But we are energy, not the energetic. Caitanya Mahāprabhu explains that.\nsvābhāvika tina śakti yei brahme haya\nniḥśaktika kari' tāṅre karaha niścaya\n[Cc. Madhya 6.153]\nHe is giving evidence from Viṣṇu Purāṇa. Viṣṇu Purāṇa... There are eighteen Purāṇas. There are sattvika, rajasika, tamasika purāṇas. So sattvika Purāṇa is required for spiritual improvement. So He's giving evidence from the sattvika Purāṇa, Viṣṇu Purāṇa.\nWhat is that?\nviṣṇu-śaktir parā proktā\nkṣetrajñākhyā tathā parā\navidyā-karma-saṁjñānyā\ntṛtīyā śaktir iṣyate\n[Cc. Madhya 6.154]\nViṣṇu śaktir parā proktā. All energies of Kṛṣṇa, or Viṣṇu, they are transcendental, parā, or aprakṛta, not prakṛta. Just try to understand what is transcendental śakti. Just like transcendental and mundane, or material. Material world is created by the transcendental desire of Viṣṇu. Just like in the Bible it is said, \"Let there be creation,\" and there was creation. And Kṛṣṇa also says that this material... Ekāṁśena sthito jagat.\natha vā bahunaitena\nkiṁ jñātena tavārjuna\nviṣṭabhyāham idaṁ kṛtsnam\nekāṁśena sthito jagat\n[Bg. 10.42]\nSo ekāṁśena sthitaḥ, by His one part of energy, the whole material creation is there. He says, \"I enter into this material world, and by expansion of My one part of energy, this material..., whole material creation is there.\" There are many... Yasmād bhavanti vibhavanti viśanti. Yato vā imāni bhūtāni bhavanti. Yato vā imāni. Janmādy asya yataḥ [SB 1.1.1]. There are many Vedic statements.\nJanmādy asya yataḥ. That means the creation of this material world is from the Supreme Lord. Now, that creative energy of Supreme Lord is not material. That is spiritual. The material means the material world is created by the spiritual energy. Therefore, the spiritual energy [was] existing before the creation of the material world. Therefore Viṣṇu's energy is not material. Viṣṇu's energy is spiritual.\nHere it is stated that viṣṇu-śaktiḥ parā. Parā means spiritual; proktā, \"it is said.\" Kṣetra-jñākhyā tathā parā. And kṣetrajña means these jīvas. In the Bhagavad-gītā, kṣetrajña... Kṣetra and kṣetrajña. There are two statements in the Bhagavad-gītā, I think in the Thirteenth Chapter, that kṣetra is this body, and the owner of this body, you and me—we are different owners of different bodies—we are kṣetrajña. So the kṣetrajña-śakti... This is also śakti again. It is śakti. It is not the energetic.\nSo this kṣetrajña is also parā, spiritual. It is confirmation of the Bhagavad-gītā, that viṣṇu-śaktiḥ parā proktā. The Lord's energy is spiritual, and another energy, which is known as kṣetrajña, or the jīvas, they are also spiritual energy. But energy, not the energetic. Kṣetra-jñākhyā tathā parā, avidyā-karma-saṁjñā anyā tṛtīyā śaktir iṣyate.\nBut there is another energy, which is... Now, that is also spiritual in the original sense, the material energy, but that is avidyā, spiritual energy covered. Spiritual energy covered by something else. How that something else? That is... Just like sun is covered by the cloud. The cloud is not separate from the sun. The cloud is created by the sunshine, so it cannot be separate from the sun. But its business is to cover the sun. When there is cloud, you cannot see the sun. Similarly, this material energy is not different from God.\nThere is another example. The same electricity, energy, one apparatus is heater and another apparatus is refrigerator, cooler. The energy is the same. The heater is also creation of the electric energy, and the cooler is also creation of the electric energy, but they are working differently, under different..., for different purposes.\nAnother example can be given that the civil department and the criminal department of the government, the energy of government is there. The government is maintaining both the departments by the finance of the government. It is not that government is not financing the criminal department. The criminal department is also financed by the government. Similarly, this material world is the criminal department. It is also God's energy, but it is covered.\nHere... Just like what is the difference between criminal department and civil department? In the criminal department there is disobedience of the law of the government. There is nothing but disobedience. The members of the prison house are all disobedient citizens of the government. Similarly, in this material world, this material energy is also Kṛṣṇa's energy, but here, it is the place for the disobedient part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa bhuliya jīva bhoga vāñchā kare [Prema-vivarta].\nPersons who are, I mean to say, very much energetic to forget Kṛṣṇa and try to lord it over this material energy, they are called conditioned soul, or imprisoned. We are all imprisoned within this durga. And the superintendent of this durga, or the fort, is called Durgā. Durgā-śakti. Sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya-sādhana-śaktir ekā chāyeva yasya bhuvanāni vibharti durgā [Bs. 5.44]. This material world...\nBut those who have no information how this durga is there, how this durga is there, they think that by worshiping, by pleasing Goddess Durgā, they'll be happy. No. Pleasing means you have to abide by the laws of the durga, material world. Otherwise, Durgā will take his [her] trident and pierce on the chest of the asura.\nDurgā is controlling. The asura is also a living entity within this durga. So those who are asuras... Those who are not cultivating Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they are asuras. For them, the Durgā's trident is on the chest of the asura. You have seen that picture.\nSo you cannot get out of this durga simply by bribing, by satisfying. You have to satisfy Durgā in a different way. In a different way. Just like... These are very easy to understand, that if you are in prison house, if you satisfy the superintendent of jail, somehow... I have seen in Delhi that one man was..., he was a very nice young gentleman, and he was typing. He was typing. So I was...\nHe was a fair gentleman, very nice looking young man. So I talked with him, \"What is your cause of condemnation coming?\" So he acted as a spy in some government secretarial department. So he was put into prison for ten years. But he was educated, he was intelligent, and he pleased the superintendent of jail. Therefore, instead of keeping him in ordinary cell, he was put into the office and type.\nNow, try to understand. This prisoner, by his satisfying the superintendent of jail, he is little given concession not to be placed in ordinary cell, but he is working in the office as a type writer. Or he is given some... Or there are many political prisoners, they are given first-class bungalow, first-class residence, and all facilities. But the superintendent of police has no power to release him. That is not possible. That is not possible.\nSimilarly, by bribing or by satisfying Durgā, you can get a comfortable position within this material world, but your real business is how to get out of it. That Durgā cannot give. Hariṁ vinā na mṛtiṁ taranti. So long you do not come to the shelter of Kṛṣṇa... Mām eva prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te [Bg. 7.14]. Unless you surrender to Kṛṣṇa, there is no possibility of getting out of the clutches of māyā. That is not possible.\nSo we shall discuss further tomorrow. [end]",
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https://vedabase.io/en/library/transcripts/661202cc-new-york/
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"content": "\n\nbhayaṁ dvitīyābhiniveśataḥ syād\nīśād apetasya viparyayo 'smṛtiḥ\ntan-māyayā ato budha ābhajet taṁ\nbhaktyaikayeśaṁ guru-devatātmā\n[Cc Madhya 20.119]\n[When the living entity is attracted by the material energy, which is separate from Kṛṣṇa, he is overpowered by fear. Because he is separated from the Supreme Personality of Godhead by the material energy, his conception of life is reversed. In other words, instead of being the eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa, he becomes Kṛṣṇa’s competitor. This is called viparyayo ’smṛtiḥ. To nullify this mistake, one who is actually learned and advanced worships the Supreme Personality of Godhead as his spiritual master, worshipful Deity and source of life. He thus worships the Lord by the process of unalloyed devotional service.’]\nTherefore it is advised that our fearfulness: \"How I shall live? What I shall eat? Where I shall live? Where I'll, I'll have my shelter...?\" We are always perplexed with all these fearfulness. Why? Because we have forgotten that there is one who is giving me all protection. We are..., we have become so foolish that, that the lower animals than the human being, they have no economic problem. They are freely living. In the morning they do not care where they shall eat. But there is eating. No animal, no bird, is dying of starvation. Have you seen any animal or any bird has died out of starvation? And who is providing him? So they have no economic problem.\nThe only this foolish, advanced, civilized man, under the name of so-called misusing the intelligence—which was given to him for realization of God—misusing for sense gratification, and therefore they are troubled. That is the whole problem. The world's problem is due to this forgetfulness. Īśād apetasya viparyayo 'smṛtiḥ. They have forgotten the protection of Kṛṣṇa, God. They think that \"By this adjustment, we shall be able to protect.\" Nonsense. It is not possible. Can you protect yourself from death? No. Then what is your protection?\nSo this is the formula: bhayaṁ dvitīyābhiniveśataḥ syāt. Dvitīya means that a, a secondary existence beyond God which is, in Bible, it is Satan and God. So this satanic mentality has made them under the control of material nature. Satanic mentality. What is that satanic mentality? That \"I want to be God.\" Always thinking falsely, \"I am God,\" or \"Independent,\" \"I can do anything, everything,\" \"Whatever I survey, I am the lord of whatever I survey.\" These foolish things are going on.\nSo this is very nicely explained, and reference is given by Lord Caitanya that our whole difficulty, problems, anxiety... A similar verse is in Bhāgavata, another place, sadā samudvigna-dhiyām asad-grahāt [SB 7.5.5]. \n[Prahlāda Mahārāja replied: O best of the asuras, King of the demons, as far as I have learned from my spiritual master, any person who has accepted a temporary body and temporary household life is certainly embarrassed by anxiety because of having fallen in a dark well where there is no water but only suffering. One should give up this position and go to the forest [vana]. More clearly, one should go to Vṛndāvana, where only Kṛṣṇa consciousness is prevalent, and should thus take shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.]\nAsad-grahāt. Asat means nonpermanent, which will..., we shall not exist. Due to our absorption in that sight, asat, this matter... Just like this body: it will not exist. So giving too much stress on the bodily concept of life, they are sadā samudvigna-dhiyā, they are always full of anxiety. This is the cause.\nThe foolish people, they do not know. Still, they are very much proud of education. Here is the cause: that because we have given too much stress on this false conception of life, therefore we are always full of anxiety. And as soon as I understand that \"I am pure spirit soul, part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Lord. He is giving me all protection, and my duty is to love and serve Him,\" then I am free. At once I am free. The simple formula.\nHow He'll give me? He's not poor man. He's, He's... What you are? Your human, human being, they are very few. If you compare with other animals, other living entities, oh, you are most insignificant number. Your number is very little, especially for the civilized. If you search out a hole in your room, you'll find millions of ants coming out. Even in your room you'll find, you'll be over-voted. So who is supplying their necessities? Eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān [Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13].\n[The Supreme Lord is eternal and the living beings are eternal. The Supreme Lord is cognizant and the living beings are cognizant. The difference is that the Supreme Lord is supplying all the necessities of life for the many other living entities.]\nIn the Vedic language we can understand that one singular entity... God is also a living entity. He's not void. He's just like a person, like you and me. But He's so powerful. Eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. One single number, He is providing so many, innumerable living entities. So our business is... And the Bhagavad-gītā you'll find, teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ yoga-kṣemaṁ vahāmy aham [Bg 10.10]:\n[To those who are constantly devoted and worship Me with love, I give the understanding by which they can come to Me.]\n\"I supply whatever he needs. Who is constantly engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, I supply it. I take the goods personally and deliver there.\" Why should you be anxious? Kṛṣṇa will take hundred pounds of flours, hundred pounds of rice, and deliver you. Just be Kṛṣṇa conscious. In ordinary home you don't find more than five pounds. You see in our stock, all hundred pounds.\nSo these are facts. These are not stories. But foolish people, they have no knowledge of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Be in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. All your material necessities will be... But don't be extravagant. Take only whatever you need to maintain your body and soul together and execute this... Make this primary, and other things secondary. Kṛṣṇa will supply you. But if you want to make your sense gratification, if you want to accept more than what you need, then you'll be in trouble. That is māyā. So Kṛṣṇa has provided for everyone, everything. There is no need of being anxious. But that does not mean that I shall feel, \"Oh, I shall do everything and anything.\" No. So this is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.\nNow, Lord Caitanya says,\nsādhu-śāstra-kṛpāya yadi kṛṣṇonmukha haya,\nsei jīva nistare, māyā tāhāre chāḍaya\n[Cc Madhya 20.120]\n[If the conditioned soul becomes Kṛṣṇa conscious by the mercy of saintly persons who voluntarily preach scriptural injunctions and help him to become Kṛṣṇa conscious, the conditioned soul is liberated from the clutches of māyā, who gives him up.]\nNow, how to become Kṛṣṇa conscious? A person who is fully Kṛṣṇa conscious, he has no problem. Now how to become Kṛṣṇa conscious? Lord Caitanya says, sādhu-śāstra-kṛpā: \"One can become Kṛṣṇa conscious by the mercy of saintly devotees and by the mercy of the scriptures.\" These two things are recommended. Not that fools, as they are thinking, \"I can..., I can think myself. I don't agree with the śāstra. I don't agree with the spiritual master. I don't agree with scriptures. I have got my independence opinion.\" He is fool number one, rascal number one. One who says like that, you'll at once take him that he's fool, rascal, anything.\nYou have to take shelter of sādhu, guru and śāstra. Sādhu means saintly person, those who have got all those qualities.\n[aside:] What is that paper? Are you reading that paper which has been supplied to you?\nThe qualification of devotees? What are those? Can you say, any of you? What is that paper?",
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"content": "\n On the inside of the drawer there.",
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"content": "\n Oh, not with you? It is in the book. \"Oh, my knowledge is in the book.\" No. You should learn. Everyone is missing. So how you can become saintly person? So those qualities, twenty-six qualities, they are called saintly person. Devotee means to become fully qualified with all the noble qualities. Devotee does not mean a rascal, at the same time a devotee. No. As soon as you become devotee, the test is that all those twenty-six qualities will develop. You have to test yourself, \"Out of the twenty-six qualities, how much I have developed?\" If I am lacking, then you must know that you are not developing. This is the test.\nWhat are the qualities? Paul, you have got the copy?",
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"content": "\n Yes.",
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"content": "\n What are the qualities?",
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"content": "\n \"Kind to everyone.\"",
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"content": "\n Kind to everyone. Yes. Then, go on.",
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"content": "\n \"Does not quarrel with anyone. Fixed up in the Absolute Truth.\"",
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"content": "\n Yes.",
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"content": "\n \"Equal to everyone.\"",
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"content": "\n Yes.",
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"content": "\n \"Spotless, faultless, charitable, mild, clean, simple, benevolent, peaceful, completely attached to Kṛṣṇa, no material hankerings, meek, steady, self-controlled, does not eat more than required...\"",
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"content": "\n Does not eat more than required. Yes.",
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"content": "\n \"...sane, respectful, humble, grave, compassionate, friendly, poetic, expert...\"",
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"content": "\n Poetic, expert and silent. One who is too much talkative, that means he's lacking in devotion. He should simply talk about Kṛṣṇa, nothing more. And when he, when one is actually absorbed in Kṛṣṇa thought, he cannot talk nonsense. He has no time. He does not waste time.\nSo these are the quali... Here, he's called sādhu. Sādhu means these are the qualification. Of course, not that we may develop all these qualities immediately, but sādhu means this. Sādhu means, what is called, pious man. These are the qualities of pious man, sādhu. And śāstra. Śāstra means the scripture. By study of scripture, you can develop these qualities. That is called scripture. That is authorized scripture. Just like you study some book, and you develop some quality after reading that book, similarly, when you actually have scripture, then you develop all these qualities. And guru, guru, spiritual master, means who teaches you all these things.\nSo you have to make your progress sādhu-śāstra-guru vākya. You have to corroborate whether guru, what guru is speaking, whether it is there in the scripture; what scripture is speaking, whether that is in the character of guru, or in the sādhu, saintly person, or spiritual master. So you have to always make comparison with three things: sādhu, śāstra, guru. Nobody can become a spiritual master who has no reference to the scriptures and these qualities. Nobody can be accepted as a qualified man, he has not..., if one has not developed his character through the scripture under the instruction of guru.\nSo sādhu-śāstra-guru. A sādhu, a guru... Here Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, sādhu-śāstra. That sādhu includes guru also, because a spiritual master, unless he's a sādhu, he cannot be a guru, cannot be a spiritual master. And the primary qualification of spiritual master: that he is completely surrendered to Kṛṣṇa, completely Kṛṣṇa conscious person. These are the things.\nSo Lord Caitanya said, sādhu-śāstra-kṛpāya yadi kṛṣṇonmukha haya. Now, the sādhu's qualification is he's merciful, friendly... So the sādhus, they take the risk of becoming friendly and merciful to the fallen conditioned souls, and they preach the message of Godhead. Therefore their mercy is required. They are merciful, by nature. By nature, they are merciful. One who is sādhu, one who is devotee, by nature he has developed that merciful quality, friendly quality. So their business is to enlighten those who are ignorant, those who are fully absorbed in this material concept of life. Therefore they preach.\nAnd we have to take that mercy. If we don't accept... Suppose a man is fallen in the pit and he's trying to come out, and another man drops a rope, \"Please catch it. I shall take you out of the pit.\" He does not catch it. Then how he can be taken out? So sādhu and śāstra, they're always ready to give you mercy, but you have to take it. If you don't accept it, then how you can reco..., recover? Therefore initiation means to accept the mercy of the sādhu and spiritual master. If you don't accept, so there is no other way. If you think... If you cry that \"I am fallen in the pit. Please take me,\" and when somebody comes to help you, you say, \"No, I'll not catch it,\" then you remain there. Who will help you?\nSo because I am a living entity, I try for so many things, for my daily bread, and I don't try to catch the mercy of sādhu and śāstra. Just see my foolishness. I, for getting a work, I flatter so many person and put my, serving my application, but for my deliverance from the material bondage I don't care. \"No, I am not going to submit to anyone. I don't require.\" Just see how much foolishness there is. Just like a dog, for his bread he'll submit everyone, but for his spiritual emancipation, oh, he's not agreed to submit. Just see the foolishness. For bread, which is already settled by the nature, he'll submit to everyone. Just like dog goes from door to door and moves its tail that \"Give me a bread. Give me a bread.\" Yes.\nSo this application [chuckles] is a doggish. In the Bhāgavata it is stated that the, the brāhmaṇa, a kṣatriya, if he's poverty-stricken, he may accept something mercantile, but don't be a dog. This modern civilization is teaching people to become dog. Go door to door and move your tail, \"Please give me bread.\" Because they have lost their self-confidence, they have lost their faith in God. So everyone is being taught to become dog. And somebody's controlling them. And when they are too much, I mean to say, fatigued, they propose another theory: Communism. Like this Capitalism movement.\nNo. This will not solve. This will create another trouble. The solution is that you have become..., you have to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. Then all the problems of the world will be solved. Everyone has to become Kṛṣṇa conscious, then the problems will be..., all the problems that are facing us in this material world will be solved. Therefore Lord Caitanya said, sādhu-śāstra-kṛpāya yadi kṛṣṇonmukha haya. The saintly person, the representative of Kṛṣṇa, they are always trying to distribute this mercy. So if somebody by his fortune accepts this mercy, then he can become, mean, aloof from this material trouble.\nSo one has to accept. Sādhu-śāstra-kṛpāya. They are always merciful. But one has to accept them and become Kṛṣṇa conscious. Sādhu-śāstra-kṛpāya yadi kṛṣṇonmukha haya. And as soon as he agrees to become Kṛṣṇa conscious, then his path becomes clear. He'll get rid of these material clutches and this always full life full of anxiety and problems, he'll kick. So these things, sādhu, śāstra, saintly person and scripture, they have to be accepted. If you don't accept them, then there is no other way.\nWhy there is no other way? Now, daivī hy eṣā guṇa-mayī [Cc Madhya 20.121, quoted from Bg. 7.14].\n[This divine energy of Mine, consisting of the three modes of material nature, is difficult to overcome. But those who have surrendered unto Me can easily cross beyond it.]\nHe's citing again from Bhagavad-gītā. The Bhagavad-gītā is the book of evidence. Lord Caitanya is citing. Because it is Vedic. Just like in the law court you have to cite section from the law book, not from your concocted mind. No foolish man can argue in the law court, because he has to refer in every step from the law books. So sādhu means that he has to give evidence from the scriptures. Not that \"I think... In my opinion you can do this.\" He's not a sādhu; he's a fool. What is your opinion? You are a conditioned soul. Can you manufacture something? No. You cannot manufacture anything. You have to give reference from authorized scriptures.\nSo Lord Caitanya is giving evidence from Bhagavad-gītā: daivī hy eṣā guṇa-mayī. Why you cannot yourself get out of these material clutches? The reason is this: daivī hy eṣā. It is, material clutches is so powerful, you cannot get out of it. It is not possible. Daivī hy eṣā guṇa-mayī mama māyā duratyayā. \"This material nature, which is My energy,\" Lord Kṛṣṇa says, \"it is very strong. Very strong.\" In the history you'll never find that anybody has overcome the laws of material nature by his own effort. No. It is not possible. Therefore the modern scientific world who are trying to conquer over the laws of material nature by their teeny scientific arrangement, they are all fools. It is not possible. Not possible.\nIf you try for something which is not possible, then you'll simply go on wasting your time. That is a different thing. But if you accept the scriptures, the truth, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā—daivī hy eṣā guṇa-mayī mama māyā duratyayā: \"This material nature, which is one of My energy, it is very difficult to get out of it\"—then he'll be a sane man, who: \"Then why I am trying foolishly in this way, that I can make adjustment in this material world for comfortable life? No. It is not possible.\" Then what is the remedy? The remedy's there. What is that? Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te [Bg 7.14]: \"As soon as one surrenders unto Me, he becomes out of these clutches.\" This is the process.\nSo this information... We are holding this class from Bhagavad-gītā, from Caitanya-caritāmṛta and scripture just to..., with reference to the śāstra, scripture. And we are trying to follow. We are not creating anything. It is not a manufactured thing, concocted thing. It is standard, followed by great ācāryas like Caitanya. So we have to accept. That is the way. We have to become Kṛṣṇa conscious and follow, as the śāstra says. Sometimes, as we... The law books are there. As we take help of a lawyer how to utilize the law book, similarly you have to utilize the scriptures by accepting a spiritual master who can guide you. He's a lawyer. These are the process. If you don't accept, then go on suffering. If you accept, then everything is there. That is the way of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.\nThank you very much. [end]",
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https://vedabase.io/en/library/transcripts/670327sb-san-francisco/
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"content": "\n\ntasmād ekena manasā\nbhagavān sātvatāṁ patiḥ\nśrotavyaḥ kīrtitavyaś ca\ndhyeyaḥ pūjyaś ca nityadā\n[SB 1.2.14]\n[Therefore, with one-pointed attention, one should constantly hear about, glorify, remember and worship the Personality of Godhead, who is the protector of the devotees.]\nThis verse we have been discussing in last meeting. In order to understand that Absolute Truth, it is the duty of everyone to hear, śrotavyaḥ kīrtitavyaś ca, and chant; and dhyeyaḥ, means meditating or remembering, dhyeyaḥ; pūjya, and worshiping; nityadā, regularly.\nWhom? Bhagavān sātvatāṁ patiḥ, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is the master of all righteous persons. He's master of everyone, but the devotees, they especially recognize that Lord is the master of everyone. And the demons, they do not care for God, and God also do not care for them. Let them do their own work and ripe [reap] their own fruit. God does not take responsibility for the demons, but He takes responsibility for His devotees.\nTherefore it is the duty of the devotee to hear. The hearing process is Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. And kīrtitavyaś ca, and narrate also. Unless one narrates or unless one speaks, one cannot hear. So the two process are going on: somebody is hearing and somebody is chanting. And then when hear and chant, there must be meditation.\nIf we attentively hear, then there must be meditation. And pūja. Pūjā means worship. The simple process of worship in this age is this performance as we are doing—chanting, hearing, and offering some fruits, flowers, and showing this candle. This is simple, that's all. There are... According to Vedic literature there are many parapher..., sixty-four item for worshiping. That is not possible in this age. So this is all right.\nSo this process will make you understand the Absolute Truth. You just follow this principle ekena manasā, with one attention, without diverting your attention to any other subject matter. If you follow this principle, ekena manasā, to hear, to chant, to think of and to worship... This simple process. This is the injunction of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.\nyad-anudhyāsinā yuktāḥ\nkarma-granthi-nibandhanam\nchindanti kovidās tasya\nko na kuryāt kathā-ratim\n[SB 1.2.15]\n[With sword in hand, intelligent men cut through the binding knots of reactionary work [karma] by remembering the Personality of Godhead. Therefore, who will not pay attention to His message?]\nWhat is the benefit of this process? The benefit of this process is karma-granthi-nibandhanam. Karma-granthi-nibandhanaṁ chindanti. Chindanti means cut off. What is that, cut off? There is a knot of our activities. Without performing this ceremony, or without following these instruction to hear, chant, think and worship, we cannot be out of the great knot of our material activities.\nSo long we are engaged in material activities, you are just acting one after another just like film spool. We have seen film—one picture after another, one picture, one picture, one... There are hundreds and thousand and millions of picture. Similarly, for my past activities I am now in this picture.\nSo my present activity is making another picture forward. Just like in my past activities I created this body. Similarly, by my present activity also I am creating my next body. So this transmigration of soul is going on. But if you adopt this process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then karma-granthi-nibandhanaṁ chindanti. This knot, one after another, this will be cut off.\nSo if it is so nice... Bhāgavata says yad-anudhyāsinā. Simply by following this procedure, yad-anudhyāsinā yuktāḥ, being engaged, karma-bandha-nibandhanam, the spool of the result of our activities one after another, chindanti, is cut off. Kovidāḥ, if an intelligent man is there, tasya ko na kuryāt kathā-ratim. Why an intelligent man should not engage himself in hearing about the topics of Kṛṣṇa? Is there any difficulty? If by this simple process you can cut off the eternal...\nNot eternal; without any tracing of history... When my this spool of fruitive activities has begun we do not know. The result is that I'm simply transmigrating from one body to another. If this is stopped now, now if I get in my next body my eternal life, eternal knowledge and eternal bliss, why I shall not accept this? Kovida. Any intelligent man, why he shall not accept this process?\nKarmāṇi nirdahati kintu ca bhakti-bhājām. There is a very nice verse in the Brahma-saṁhitā. It is said there that,\nyas tv indra-gopam athavendram aho sva-karma-\nbandhānurūpa-phala-bhājanam ātanoti\nkarmāṇi nirdahati kintu ca bhakti-bhājāṁ\ngovindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi\n[Bs. 5.54]\n[I adore the primeval Lord Govinda, who burns up to their roots all fruitive activities of those who are imbued with devotion and impartially ordains for each the due enjoyment of the fruits of one's activities, of all those who walk in the path of work, in accordance with the chain of their previously performed works, no less in the case of the tiny insect that bears the name of indragopa than in that of Indra, king of the devas.]\n\"I worship, I offer my respectful obeisances unto Govinda.\" Why? \"Because He cuts off my entanglement in these material activities.\" He cuts off.\n[thumping sound] What is this sound?",
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"content": "\n Maybe next door.",
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"content": "\n Oh. So, and for others? Only the devotees' entanglement of fruitive activities cut off, and what about the others? That is said, yas tv indra-gopam athavendram aho sva-karma.\nNow, there are living entities of different grades. There is one living entity, it is very small, microscopic bacteria. It's name is indra. Don't think that bacteria was unknown in the past. The bacterias also were known. In the Vedic literature they were known. So there is one... They have got different names. Not that simply they say \"bacteria.\" So one bacteria is called indra-gopa.\nIt is very small. It is to be seen by microscope. So Brahma-saṁhitā says that beginning from this indra, the indra-gopa bacteria, up to the Indra... Another Indra is, he is called the heavenly king. His name is also Indra. This bacteria is called indra-gopa, and the other Indra, who is king of the heaven, he is called Indra.\nSo Brahma-saṁhitā says beginning from this Indra up to that Indra... That beginning from that bacteria up to the king of heaven, yas tv indra-gopam athavendram aho sva-karma [Bs. 5.54], everyone is enjoying or suffering according to his own activities.\nGopam aho sva-karma-bandhānurūpa-phala-bhājanam ātanoti. Bandha, the same thing, nibandhanam. According to the knot of fruitive result, everyone is enjoying or suffering. Karmāṇi nirdahati kintu ca bhakti-bhājām: but one who is engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and devotional service, his karma-nibandhana is cut off. Karmāṇi chindanti.\nSo this is the benefit of being Kṛṣṇa conscious, that whatever we are acting in our past life, and according to that we have got this body... Either impious or pious, whatever you have done, that's all right. Don't think that because we are doing some pious activities we shall be out of the bondage of fruitive activity.\nNo. That is also not possible. I have several times explained that if we do pious activity, then the result will be that we shall be able to get our birth in a very nice family, aristocratic family, rich family, pious family, big family. These are the result. Janma.\nOr janma aiśvarya. Janma means a very rich man, born in a rich family or high family, that means automatically he becomes a rich man.\nJanmaiśvarya-śruta\n[SB 1.8.26]\n[My Lord, Your Lordship can easily be approached, but only by those who are materially exhausted, because one who is on the path of [material] progress, trying to improve himself with respectable parentage, great opulence, high education and bodily beauty, cannot address You with sincere feeling.]\nOr somebody becomes very highly or great learned man, śruta. And śrī; śrī means beauty: or one becomes very beautiful. So these things are obtained by righteous activities. And similarly, by acting impious activities we become very ugly, we become fool, we are born in a very low family or animal family and we become very poor. These are the results of different activities.\nNow why... One may say, \"If I get next life in a very rich family and becomes very rich man and becomes very learned man, very beautiful man, why shall I not take this opportunity?\" But intelligent man says that \"Even if I get such opportunities, the material miseries are there.\" It is not that because a child is born of a very rich family, he hasn't got to go into the womb of his mother and suffer the consequence. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi [Bg. 13.9].\n[Humility, pridelessness, nonviolence, tolerance, simplicity, approaching a bona fide spiritual master, cleanliness, steadiness and self-control; renunciation of the objects of sense gratification, absence of false ego, the perception of the evil of birth, death, old age and disease; nonattachment to children, wife, home and the rest, and evenmindedness amid pleasant and unpleasant events; constant and unalloyed devotion to Me, resorting to solitary places, detachment from the general mass of people; accepting the importance of self-realization, and philosophical search for the Absolute Truth—all these I thus declare to be knowledge, and what is contrary to these is ignorance.]\nThe distress of birth, death, disease and old age equally there, either you become born in a very high family or either you born in a very low family, either you're born in India or you are born in America.\nThis suffering, the four kinds of sufferings, are everywhere. Not only India and America, they are in this planet, but even if you go to the moon planet or if you go to the sun planet, ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ, even the highest planet... The modern scientist says that if we want to go to the highest planet it will take forty thousands of years... No. Four hundred thousands of years. Something like that they say. By sputnik. So anywhere you go... Lord Kṛṣṇa says,\nābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna\n[Bg. 8.16]:\n[From the highest planet in the material world down to the lowest, all are places of misery wherein repeated birth and death take place. But one who attains to My abode, O son of Kuntī, never takes birth again.]\nThat repetition of birth and death, that will continue. Therefore intelligent person, those who are intelligent, they will take it up: \"Oh, why shall I continue this birth and death process? Why not have my eternal life?\"\nIf I am, by constitution, if I am eternal, if I am constitutionally blissful and if I am eternally full of knowledge, now I am covered by this material nature, why not take up this process so that this karma-bandhana, this continuous birth and death of transmigration of myself from one place to another, that should be stopped?\nThe Bhāgavata says therefore that yad-anudhyāsinā yuktāḥ karma-granthi-nibandhanam. If one can surpass this chain of birth and death, why an intelligent man should not take up this process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness?\nWhat is that Kṛṣṇa consciousness? Just we are demonstrating. We are hearing Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, we are hearing Bhagavad-gītā and chanting—hearing and chanting. Then we are thinking of. Unless you think of... Because whatever we hear and chant, naturally we have to think of. And pūjyaś ca, and offering a little flower and a little fruit and offer our respect to the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa. He is here. So is there any difficulty?\nSo Bhāgavata says, \"Who will not take up this process? Forget what you are. Take this process, and you will be relieved of repeated birth and death.\" Karma-granthi-nibandhanam. Chindanti kovidās tasya ko na kuryāt kathā-ratim [SB 1.2.15]. \"Who is such a fool who will not do this?\"\nOr \"Which intelligent man will not do this?\" It is very nicely put: \"Which intelligent man will not do this?\" Rather, who is such a fool who will not do this?\nSo,\nśuśrūṣoḥ śraddadhānasya\nvāsudeva-kathā-ruciḥ\nsyān mahat-sevayā viprāḥ\npuṇya-tīrtha-niṣevaṇāt\n[SB 1.2.16]\n[O twice-born sages, by serving those devotees who are completely freed from all vice, great service is done. By such service, one gains affinity for hearing the messages of Vāsudeva.]\nNow this mentality, to have some attraction to hear about Vāsudeva... Vāsudeva-kathā means Kṛṣṇa, to hear about Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa has many activities. In the world there are many scriptures—undoubtedly they accept God. But there is no information of God's activities. That is the difference between Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and other scriptures.\nIn Bhagavad-gītā Kṛṣṇa is speaking about Himself personally, and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam also speaking about Kṛṣṇa by..., spoken by Vyāsadeva. Practically the subject matter is the same. In the Bhagavad-gītā the Supreme Personality of Godhead speaking Himself, and in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, the compiler, the author, Vyāsadeva, he is speaking of Kṛṣṇa.\nSo kṛṣṇa-kathā. This is full of kṛṣṇa-kathā. These two important Vedic literature is full of kṛṣṇa-kathā. And Caitanya Mahāprabhu... We are worshiping Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He is supposed to be... He is incarnation of Kṛṣṇa. So He also advised everyone, yāre dekha tāre kaha kṛṣṇa-kathā. Tāre kaha kṛṣṇa-kathā. He said that,\nāmāra ājṣāya guru haṣā tāra' ei deśa\nyāre dekha tāre kaha 'kṛṣṇa'-upadeśa\n[Cc. Madhya 7.128]\n[”Instruct everyone to follow the orders of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa as they are given in the Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. In this way become a spiritual master and try to liberate everyone in this land.”]\nHe said that \"Each and every one of you...\" Whoever met Lord Caitanya, or whoever is in the chain of disciplic succession of Lord Caitanya, he's advised by the Lord that \"You become a spiritual master.\" How? \"Under My order. I give you order that you become a spiritual master.\" And then... \"I am a fool.\" \"No. You are not fool.\nYou have simply to say kṛṣṇa-kathā.\" These two kṛṣṇa-kathā—you have nothing to manufacture. You haven't got to tax your brain by meditation, by speculation. Everything is there. You have simply to place, submit, \"Here is kṛṣṇa-kathā. Here is Bhagavad-gītā and here is Bhāgavata. Just please hear.\" That is your business.\nYou need not become a very learned speculators. Just like there are so many books simply full of speculation. You haven't got to do that. Caitanya Mahāprabhu is giving very simple formula: yāre dekha tāre kaha 'kṛṣṇa'-upadeśa [Cc. Madhya 7.128]. \nKṛṣṇa-upadeśa means instruction of Kṛṣṇa—instruction given by Kṛṣṇa or instructions spoken about Lord Kṛṣṇa. If you do this, then you become a spiritual master.\nSo it is there. Simply we have to hear. Suppose if you are illiterate, you cannot read Bhagavad-gītā. Or... Of course, many of you, you do not know Sanskrit language, so you cannot read, but there are English translation. But you can hear. Bhagavān, the Lord, has given you the chance of hearing. You have got God-gifted ear. If you can attentively hear, you'll learn everything.\nFormerly, of course, people were very intelligent. Simply by hearing. They need not take any note or need not read any book, but simply by hearing. So śrotavyaḥ. Therefore in the Bhāgavata it is recommended first thing that you have to hear. Simply by hear. And if you think, you become a spiritual master and you distribute this knowledge.\nśuśrūṣoḥ śraddadhānasya\nvāsudeva-kathā-ruciḥ\nsyān mahat-sevayā viprāḥ\npuṇya-tīrtha-niṣevaṇāt\n[SB 1.2.16]\n[O twice-born sages, by serving those devotees who are completely freed from all vice, great service is done. By such service, one gains affinity for hearing the messages of Vāsudeva.]\nNow this mentality for hearing kṛṣṇa-kathā, how it is developed? That is also śuśrūva. You must be very sincere, śuśrūva. And you must be inquisitive to hear. Śuśrūva. One who is very eager to hear, he can become, in future, the spiritual master. Śuśrūva śraddadhānasya, with faith. Vāsudeva-kathā-ruciḥ. Ruci means taste, and vāsudeva-kathā means Kṛṣṇa, the topics of Kṛṣṇa.\nI am speaking of you of my personal experience how this eagerness of hearing is a very important thing. When I first met my spiritual master in 1933... Not... I met him first in 1922. Then for several years I was out of Calcutta and I could not meet him. Again next meeting was in 1933.\nSo at that time I was simply inquiring from other disciples of my spiritual master—at that time I was not spiritual master..., I mean to say, disciple—\"So when His Holiness will speak?\" So this information was noted by my spiritual master, and he was pleased to accept me immediately, that \"This boy is very nice. He's very inquisitive to hear. He does not go away.\"\nSo this is a very good qualification. One who becomes inquisitive to hear, so śradda śuśrūṣoḥ. Śuśrūṣoḥ means one who is very inquisitive to hear; at the same time, to render service. These two qualifications. Śuśrūṣoḥ. Śraddadhānasya [SB 1.2.16], with faith. Vāsudeva-kathā-ruciḥ. For him the taste for hearing kṛṣṇa-kathā is very easy. And syān mahat-sevayā.\nAnd this is also can be possible if we are fortunate enough to come in contact of a great soul, mahat-sevā. Mahat means great. And if we serve him, if we want to please him, mahat-sevayā viprāḥ: \"My dear brāhmaṇas,\" he was addressing, puṇya-tīrtha-niṣevaṇāt. And puṇya-tīrtha. There are many sacred places. They are called puṇya-tīrtha. Sacred...\nThere are two kinds of sacred places. Just like if you go to a place... Just like in Vṛndāvana or Kankhara. In India there are... In the Christian also you have got your sacred place. The Muhammadans they have got their sacred place, Medina, Mecca.\nYou have got your Jerusalem. Similarly, these..., those who are followers of Vedic principles, they have got their several places, sacred places. One... Some of you who have visited India might have seen Haridwar, Kankhar[?], Lakshmanjhula, Prayāg, Vṛndāvana and Rāmeśvaram. There are many places.\nSo by serving these sacred places... To serve these sacred places means to... There are many good souls, great souls. So if you can find out such great souls, they are making their performances there. So if you find out some good, I mean to say, transcendentalist, and if you hear from him, then your process of life may be changed.\nSo puṇya-tīrtha-niṣe... Or sometimes such person, they travel all over the world also. So if you come in contact with such person and if you hear, then the vāsudeva-kathā-ruciḥ is developed. Then your tendency for hearing about Kṛṣṇa and Vāsudeva will develop.\nThis is the two... Thing, that you must be very much eager. And when you are eager, Kṛṣṇa will send you. Kṛṣṇa is within you. As soon as He understands that \"Here is a person who actually wants transcendental elevation,\" He makes you contact with such person. Such persons are all over. They are in the world. It is not rare. Of course, in this age it is very rare. But if we are sincere, if we are eager...\nteṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ\nbhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam\nbuddhi-yogaṁ dadāmi taṁ\nyena mām upayānti te\n[Bg. 10.10]\n[To those who are constantly devoted and worship Me with love, I give the understanding by which they can come to Me.]\nIn the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that Kṛṣṇa, or the Supersoul, is situated within your heart. He's not very away long, long distant. He's just within yourself, sitting within you. You are also sitting in the heart, and the Supreme Lord also, as Supersoul, He is sitting there. You are sitting there two, just like friends. That is stated in the Upaniṣad, that two friends, two birds, sitting on the same tree. So this body is the tree, and you are sitting.\nSo as soon as we are sincere, we are eager to develop our spiritual consciousness, He gives us opportunity. Buddhi-yogam. That is buddhi-yoga, intelligence. He gives. What for? Yena mām upayānti te: by which one can attain perfection in understanding the Supreme Lord. This is given by Him. So we have to become serious and very eager. Unless you become eager...\nGod wants to see you that how much you are eager. So with the development of our eagerness and sincerity to have our knowledge in spiritual understanding, God will help us.\nSo śuśrūṣoḥ śraddadhānasya vāsudeva-kathā-ruciḥ syān mahat-sevayā [SB 1.2.16]. Mahat-sevā means if you, by chance, you get in contact of a great personality, great soul who knows Kṛṣṇa science, you just try to please him. Therefore we, every day in the morning, we sing yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ.\nBy pleasing such great soul, the spiritual master, yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ, to please him means to please God. Because he is representative of God.\nYasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo yasyāprasādān na gatiḥ kuto 'pi.\n[By the mercy of the spiritual master one receives the benediction of Kṛṣṇa. Without the grace of the spiritual master, one cannot make any advancement. Therefore, I should always remember and praise the spiritual master. At least three times a day I should offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of my spiritual master.]\nIf we cannot please such representative, bona fide representative of Kṛṣṇa, then there is no hope. There is no hope of our spiritual advancement.\nTherefore the first duty in the morning is that dhyāyan stuvaṁs tasya yaśas tri-sandhyam. We have to remember about his glories and we have to offer our respectful obeisances unto him three times at least in a day, or tri-sandhyam. Tri-sandhyam means... In the morning, when the night is being passed, day is beginning, that is first sandhyam, junction.\nAnd then when the sun is on the meridian, that is also another junction. And when the day is passing and night is beginning, that is another junction. So it is the duty of the student to offer respect to the bona fide spiritual master three times respect.\nSo serve, mahat-sevā, because that will, I mean to say, help me in making advance in spiritual knowledge.\nSyān mahat-sevayā viprāḥ puṇya-tīrtha-niṣevaṇāt\n[SB 1.2.16].\n[O twice-born sages, by serving those devotees who are completely freed from all vice, great service is done. By such service, one gains affinity for hearing the messages of Vāsudeva.]\nAnd also by visiting sacred places. So it is not always possible to visit sacred places. It may be very distant place.\nBut when you get chance of a bona fide spiritual master, a great soul, if you try to please him, to satisfy him, that will make you eligible to have taste for kṛṣṇa-kathā, on the topics of Kṛṣṇa.\nThank you very much. Any question?",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n Swāmījī?",
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"content": "\n Yes.",
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"content": "\n Should one offer his respects to his spiritual master wherever he is at this first time, or should he go to where the spiritual master is to offer his respects?",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\n What do you say? I do not follow. What is that?",
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"content": "\n Should a disciple go to his spiritual master directly to offer the respects at least three times, or offer them where he is?",
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"content": "\n Well, if it is possible to go to him directly, that should be taken chance. But if he's not, it is not possible, then his picture or his idea should be offered respect. Yes. But if he's directly available, one should avail of that.\n[pause] Any other question?\n[pause] All right. Let us have kīrtana.\n[aside:] You are following the same verse from the book? [end]",
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https://vedabase.io/en/library/transcripts/681231pula/
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[
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"content": "\n Jāhnave. Next one.",
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"content": "\n Jāhnavī. ",
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"content": "\nJāhnavī.",
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"content": "\n Jāhnavī. Jāhnavī means the Ganges.\nDevotee\n: \nTaṭa.\n Taṭa, bank.",
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"content": "\n Vane.",
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"content": "\n Of the forest.",
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"content": "\n Jaga-jana.",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\n Jaga means of the world, and jana means people.",
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"content": "\n Mana.",
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"content": "\n Mana means mind, heart.",
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"content": "\n Lobhā.",
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"content": "\n Attractive. This means, \"The ārātrika ceremony which is going on on the bank of the Ganges to receive Lord Caitanya is so beautiful that it is attractive to the people of the world, all people of the world.\" Jaga-jana-mana-lobhā. Mana... \"Attractive to the mind of all people of the world.\"",
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"content": "\n Kibā.",
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"content": "\n Kibā again, the same thing, \"hello.\"",
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"content": "\n Hello. Bosiyāchen",
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"content": "\n Bosiyāchen, \"is seated.\"",
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"content": "\n Is seated. Gauracand is Lord Caitanya.",
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{
"content": "\n Yes.",
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"content": "\n Ratna?",
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"content": "\n Ratna means jewels.",
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"content": "\n Siṁhāsane.",
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"content": "\n On the throne.",
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"content": "\n \"Come see Lord Caitanya seated on the jeweled throne\"?",
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"content": "\n Yes.",
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"content": "\n Ārati koren.",
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"content": "\n Ārati means the arati, reception; koren, doing; brahmā, Lord Brahmā; ādi, headed by; deva-gaṇe, all the demigods. That means, \"To offer ārati reception to Lord Caitanya, all the demigods have come down, headed by Lord Brahmā.\" Ārati koren brahmā-ādi deva-gaṇe.",
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"content": "\n Kibā, hello. Dakṣine?",
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"content": "\n Dakṣine, on the right side.",
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"content": "\n Nitai.",
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"content": "\n Lord Nityānanda.",
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"content": "\n Cand? ",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\nHmm?",
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"content": "\nCand.",
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"content": "\n Cand, Nitāicand. His name, Nityānanda's, means Nitāicand. Yes.",
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"content": "\n Bāme.",
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"content": "\n Bāme, on the left side. This is Nityānanda on the right side, and that is Gadādhara on the left side.",
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"content": "\n Nikaṭe.",
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"content": "\n Nikaṭe, nearby.",
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"content": "\n Advaita prabhu.",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\n Here is Advaita Prabhu.",
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"content": "\n Śrīvāsa.",
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"content": "\n Śrīvāsa, there, another Lord's devotee. Śrīvāsa.",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n Chaterjra.",
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"content": "\n Chatra-dhara. Chatra-dhara means he is bearing the umbrella.",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n Śrīvāsa is?",
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"content": "\n Śrīvāsa, you know? Śrīvāsadi-gaura-bhakta. He is the chief devotee of Lord Caitanya, Śrīvāsa. He is Śrīvāsa.",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n So it says, \"Nearby, Advaita Prabhu and Śrīvāsa are bearing an umbrella.\"",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\n That means Advaita Prabhu is nearby, and Śrīvāsa is also nearby, and Śrīvāsa is bearing the umbrella on the head of Lord Caitanya.",
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"content": "\n Śaṅkhya. Kibā śaṅkhya.",
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"content": "\n Śaṅkha. Śaṅkha means the conchshell.",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n Conchshell?",
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{
"content": "\n Yes.",
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"content": "\n Bāje.",
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"content": "\n Bāje. Śaṅkha bāje means bugling, or what is? Sound, make sound. What do you call?",
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"content": "\n Trumpet? Bugle or trumpet?",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\n Yes. Trumpeting. Trumpeting. The conchshell.",
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"content": "\n Sounding, it's called. You sound.",
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"content": "\n Sounding, yes. Sounding the conchshell. Śaṅkha bāje. Bāje means sounding. Yes.",
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"content": "\n Ghaṇṭā.",
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"content": "\n Ghaṇṭā, bells. Different kinds of bells are also ringing.",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n Bāje, sound, ringing.",
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"content": "\n Ringing.",
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"content": "\n Bāje karatāla.",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\n Karatāla, cymbal, this is also being sounded, all together.",
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"content": "\n Madhura mṛdaṅga.",
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"content": "\n And the madhura, with sweet mṛdaṅga. You know, mṛdaṅga.",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n Madhura means street?",
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"content": "\n Sweet.",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n Sweet.",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\n Yes. The mṛdaṅga vibration is very sweet.",
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"content": "\n Bāje, sounding. Śunitai?",
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"content": "\n Śunite, to hear.",
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"content": "\n Rasāla.",
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"content": "\n Rasāla, very relishable. All these sounds together, when vibrated, they are very relishable to hear.",
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"content": "\nThat's all.",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\n So make typed copies nicely, with diacritic mark, hard \"a,\" and explain. And the sound is there, repeat. If you practice two, three days, it will be all right. Everyone will be able to sing, and it will be very nice.",
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"content": "\n It's very beautiful.",
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"content": "\n Yes. Everything will come out nice, beautiful.\n[break] [Prabhupāda sings mahāmantra, along with other names, in morning tune]\nLike that. I asked you not to sit down before Deity like that. You should always sit very respectfully. This is to be practiced. So these words can be mixed in a different way to make the sound palatable. That's all. Just repeat. The Hare Kṛṣṇa is there, but in a different way. That's all. [end]",
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https://vedabase.io/en/library/transcripts/681020r1-seattle/
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[
{
"content": "\n ...the whole atmosphere, you should come and disturb. You are making... You cannot understand? And the whole attention is diverted to you. So harā, harā is the form of the word... Hare is the form of the word harā when address..., when she is addressed. And Kṛṣṇa, when He's addressed, the form does not change. This is grammatical rule. So Hare Kṛṣṇa means, \"Oh, the energy of Kṛṣṇa, or energy of the Lord,\" and Kṛṣṇa, \"the Lord.\" So Hare Kṛṣṇa. Hare Kṛṣṇa means I am praying not only to the Lord, but to the energy also.\nThis is natural. Just like a man and woman. In whole world there is combination of male and female, either... Any society—human society, or bird society or dog society or animal society—why this male and female? Why? Female is the energy, energy of the male. Why a man takes, marries a woman and takes responsibility...?\nOf course, in your country they marry as a matter of joke; immediately divorce after week or after seven days. But marriage means to take full responsibility of a woman. That is real marriage, Vedic marriage. We, when I get married our boys and girls, the boy takes this vow that \"I take responsibility of your maintenance throughout your whole life,\" and the girl promises that \"I desire to serve you throughout my whole life.\"\nSo the woman, the female, is the energy. When a man comes at home, he sees that everything is nicely decorated, my wife is well dressed and foodstuff is nicely prepared, he becomes encouraged. He can work more nicely. Therefore woman is the energy. The woman gives the energy and he can work. Wherefrom this idea came? The idea came because it is originally here, janmādy asya yataḥ [SB 1.1.1].\nEverything is coming from the Supreme; otherwise where do you get this idea—sarvaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma—without being in the origin? Bījo 'haṁ sarva-bhūtānām [Bg 7.10], Kṛṣṇa says that \"I am the root of everything.\"\n[O son of Pṛthā, know that I am the original seed of all existences, the intelligence of the intelligent, and the prowess of all powerful men.]\nSo if this energy, male and female combination, is a necessity, so wherefrom this necessity came into existence unless it is there in the origin?\nTherefore it is to be understood that the Absolute has energy. He has got different energies. By His energies He is acting, and that is confirmed in the Vedic sūtra, parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate [Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 6.8, Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport].\n[The Supreme Lord has nothing to do. Nothing is equal to Him or greater than Him. He acts in different phases by manifesting His parts and parcels, which are all simultaneously differently situated by His unlimited, variegated potencies. Each potency acts quite naturally in sequences, providing Him full knowledge, power and pastimes.]\nThe Supreme Absolute Truth has multi-energies. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate, multi-energies. And svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca, and by His energies He's working in such a nice way that it appears that it is being automatically done. Just like this tape recorder is working. How it is working? The electric energy is there.\nBy the electric energy the machine is so nicely working that when it is replayed exactly I am speaking. So energy is working. I am speaking, my speaking energy is acting, electric energy is helping. This machine energy is accepting and a nice thing is coming. Similarly, the whole cosmic manifestation is the manifestation of the energies.\nThe rascals, they do not understand. And when it is stated that everything is Brahman, that is to be understood that everything is working under the energy of the Supreme Brahman. That is real meaning. But this is simultaneously one and different. When this tape recorder will play, it will play exactly I am speaking to you. There will be no difference of voice.\nIf somebody hears from other room, he'll understand that Swāmījī's speaking, but still, that speaking is different from me. Because my energy is working there. Similarly, there are two kinds of energies. Just like when I am speaking, this is my real energy, and when this tape recorder will speak, that is also my energy, but that is separated energy.\nSimilarly, this material manifestation is separated energy, and there is direct energy. The direct... This material energy, separated energy, is the reflection of the direct energy. Just like when this tape recorder will be replayed it is the reflection of my original speech. Similarly, this material manifestation is a reflection of the original energy, internal energy. Therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā it is stated that perverted reflection. Ūrdhva-mūlam adhah-śākham [Bg. 15.1], perverted, a tree.\n[The Blessed Lord said: There is a banyan tree which has its roots upward and its branches down and whose leaves are the Vedic hymns. One who knows this tree is the knower of the Vedas.]\nThis cosmic manifestation is compared just like a tree with root upwards. That means perverted. Have you seen a tree upwards, root?",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n I've heard an analogy to that before.",
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"content": "\n Yes. So this material world is perverted reflection of the original energy. So this Hare means we are directly approaching the original energy of the Supreme Lord. \"Please accept me, under You. Now I am under reflection. I am trying to get substance from the reflection.\" Suppose a tree is reflected by the bank of a river, the exact. So if somebody dives into the river and tries to take fruit from that tree, it will not be possible because that is reflection. One has to go to the real tree.\nSo we are hankering after life, we are hankering after pleasure, but we are seeking pleasure in the reflection, māyā. Therefore we are frustrated, confused. Therefore this prayer is to the original energy. Without energy, without energy the Lord is not without energy. Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, Lakṣmī-Nārāyaṇa, Sītā-Rāma. So God is always with energy. Without energy, he is incomplete. Sun without sunshine is incomplete. Is it possible? Can one think of sun without sunshine?\nSimilarly, the Māyāvāda theory that the Absolute is without energy, there is no energy, absolute is... They have misunderstood. The energy is not different from the energetic. Just like sunshine is not different from the sun, neither the sunshine has got any existence without the sun, nor the sun can exist without sunshine, they are so intimately related, similarly, the Lord and the energies are so intimately related, that cannot be separated, but they are not one. This is the whole philosophy.\nSo we are praying to the original energy, Hare Kṛṣṇa. Because energy and the energetic, Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, They are not separate, but it is pleasure. When They are separated, Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, that is energetic, that is giving impetus. Just like the man and the woman, they come from the same source, but one body is energetic to the other. Man is energy to the woman. Woman is the energy to the man.\nWhy the creation is not one kind of? Why there is fair sex? They're coming from the same womb of the mother. Why not one, boy only? Why girl? Why nature has provided like that? Let simply boys come. No. It is required. But the whole thing is perverted reflection. Here the man, woman, the energy... It is simply... But by this, one can understand the reality.\nJust like the shadow, the five fingers. One person who is not misled, he can understand that the original palm has five fingers, although he cannot see it, from the shadow. Similarly, from this energy, work of the energy in this material perverted reflection, one can understand that there is a reality. In the reality, in the abode of Kṛṣṇa, the same things are there, the same trees are there, the same things are there, but they are original, personal energy.\nAnd here, they are simply imitation or perverted reflection. Not imitation. The exact word is perverted reflection. The same example: just like a tree on the bank of a river is reflected, obverted, the root upwards and the branches downwards. So this world is like that, and that is described in the Fifteenth Chapter of Bhagavad-gītā. So one has to learn all these things. Everything is there. [end]",
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https://vedabase.io/en/library/transcripts/680325r1-san-francisco/
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"content": "\n[poor audio]\n [break]... It is not regularly in the material world, but it is heard that there is a stone which you touch with an iron and it becomes gold. Sanātana Gosvāmī had a little piece of touchstone. You know that story? The story is that people generally worship, ordinary materialistic people, they worship Lord Śiva to get material benediction. So one poor Brahmin he worshiped Lord Śiva very seriously and Lord Śiva asked him \"what do you want?\"\nHe said Sir I'm very poor man so give me some wife so that I maybe peaceful throughout my whole life. Then Lord Śiva directed him... that, \"You go to Vrindavan. There is one great devotee, Sanātana Gosvāmī. He can give you that.\" So he went to Vrindavan and met Sanātana Gosvāmī and told him. \"That I have come to you, under the direction of Lord Śiva. I worshiped Lord Śiva very successfully, and I prayed from him some sources of my happiness. So he has directed me to see you, that you have got that thing. So please give me that.\"\nSo Sanātana Gosvāmī said, \"Well, what can I give you? Oh, all right. Can you find out some stone in that garbage?\" There was heaps of garbage, and the man searched out and found out a stone. \"Sir, do you mean to say this stone?\" \"Yes.\" \"So what is this?\" \"This is touchstone. You take it and touch to iron, it will become gold.\" \"Oh, you are very good. You're so... Now I shall become the richest man in the world. I shall take heaps of iron and touch with this stone, and it becomes gold.\"\nSo he, with great joy, he went out and he tried that actually, touching the stone, iron is becoming gold. But he thought that \"Lord Śiva directed that Sanātana Gosvāmī has the greatest benediction. I do not think this stone is greatest benediction, because it was placed with garbage.\" So he came back and appealed to Sanātana Gosvāmī that \"Lord Śiva told me you have got something most valuable. I don't think this stone is most valuable. Otherwise, why would you keep it with the garbage? You must have something more valuable. So you must give me that, because Lord Śiva directed me to receive from you.\"\nThen Sanātana Gosvāmī told him, \"Would you like to take that?\" \"Yes, sir. I have come for that purpose.\" So he asked him, \"First of all, throw away the stone in the Yamunā River.\" So he threw away the stone. \"Sit down and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa.\"",
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"content": "\n Oh! [laughter.]",
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"content": "\n \"Forget everything. Sit down with me and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa.\"",
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"content": "\n He did it?",
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"content": "\n Yes. Because he associated with sādhu, Lord Śiva, Sanātana Gosvāmī. So everything was purified, changed. By association, good association, everything is possible. Therefore you have to make this association of Kṛṣṇa consciousness so perfect that anyone who comes in contact with that association, he becomes purified automatically.\nThat association is so important. Anyone who will come in contact with the association, he'll be purified. Just like by association one becomes contaminated, similarly, by counter-association, one becomes free from contamination. [break]",
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"content": "\n Swāmījī? I'd like to ask you is this good enough for a flute? This would be for the head of the flute.",
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"content": "\n Wood?",
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"content": "\n No its ivory. I cast it in gold.",
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"content": "\n Oh. This ivory?",
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"content": "\n Yes, that's ivory.",
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"content": "\n So what do you want to do?",
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"content": "\n That would be on the head of the flute.",
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"content": "\n Flute? Oh, nice.",
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"content": "\n Are the lion's all right?",
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"content": "\n Very good. Generally, on the head of the flute is given the mouth of the shark, shark fish. You have seen shark? Like that. But that is also good.",
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"content": "\n Swāmījī? I have obtained today a large piece of...",
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"content": "\n Stone?",
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"content": "\n Black yes. Marble. For Kṛṣṇa's [indistinct].",
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"content": "\n Very nice. So it is not so high. How much it is, height?",
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"content": "\n This one is only for practice. And then I have obtained...",
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"content": "\n Oh, oh.",
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"content": "\n ...a large one. It is very difficult stone, because it's like glass almost. I have to practice. And later a larger one.",
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"content": "\n So first of all you... This is called, what is called, test stone.",
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"content": "\n Yes. From Belgium.",
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"content": "\n Praṣṭhipāta, it is called in Bengali. They test gold. By rubbing on the stone, they can understand what is the value of the gold. In India they are simply keeping a stone like this, and you take something golden, and they will at once test by simply rubbing on it. So experienced. By the glazing of the gold they will understand what is the value of this. It is experience. But this stone is used.",
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"content": "\n Marble?",
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"content": "\n Yes. Now, as soon as you get that church, all the gṛhasthas and brahmacārīs, they will have to bring money. Because we are incuring lots of debts and we are thinking of purchasing another house also. Just [laughter] by the side for the gṛhasthas. America is well known for having money. Why should we be poor. [laughter]",
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"content": "\nBecause the people who we attract don't have money.",
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"content": "\nNo you have got money. I am after.",
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"content": "\nThe millonaires we don't have.\nYou are going to be one... [break]",
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"content": "\nI came for this purpose [laughter] America is fabulously wealthy. So I shall erect 108 temples there.\n[pause] Your daughter is seeing Jaganatha. So this impression, this childish impression never goes away. It will remain. That child, what is the name? Tulsi Devi? Oh that child is very intelligent and it is not even one month old. But, it wants to turn. I, that day I was seeing. He's very healthy child, yes?",
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"content": "\nShe treats him so that he has to be very sturdy. She's the kind of mother that treats him so that he is very sturdy.\nWhen he was four days old he came to he came to his first kirtan.",
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"content": "\nFortunate. Somehow or other hearing kirtan it never goes in vain. It will act. So you are giving her cows milk? She is drinking nicely?",
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"content": "\nVery nicely. She likes [indistinct].",
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"content": "\nShe is passed six months?",
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"content": "\nYes, two weeks passed. I didn't have a tooth until I was twenty two months.",
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"content": "\nOh. [break]",
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"content": "\n The other day you were talking about demigods and that some soul inhabits the body of a demigod. Like some soul being in the body of Shiva and maybe the soul going into the body of a Brahma. So I was wondering, after our...",
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"content": "\nNo Shiva, cannot be. Brahma can... one soul can raise up to the postion of Brahma.",
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"content": "\n Shiva is eternal? Yes?",
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"content": "\nYes.",
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"content": "\nWhat I was wondering was... If, if this is the way with all the bodies in the world is it, like after the soul goes away from my body. My body will remain the same and then somebody else will come along and live in my body.",
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"content": "\nNo your body will be destroyed. This body, our body will be destroyed. The body does not remain it is destroyed.",
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"content": "\nThe point more like my body will never be created again.",
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"content": "\nThis is a flash only. Just like bubbles in the ocean once formed and next moment there is no... nothing no trace. Again another bubble forms. This particular body gone forever never to come back again. Yes.",
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"content": "\nThe demigods [indistinct]",
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"content": "\nYes. Oh yes. Their body is like our body. Simply duration of life is longer. You live for hundred years they live for ten thousand years. Or more than that. That is the differance. Just like Ant live for few days you live for hundred years for the Ant it is wonderful.\nIf Ant is informed that there is another animal, man who lives hundred years. Oh, the Ant will be surprised. Oh it is not possible. Similarly when you hear [break] in your [indistinct] you think it is wonderful, but it is not wonderful. There are differant grades of body within this universe.",
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"content": "\n Swamji, on the planets besides Kṛṣṇaloka do the people there worship the Nārāyaṇa forms?",
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"content": "\nNo, Kṛṣṇa. Nārāyaṇa form in Vaikuṇṭha.",
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"content": "\nOn the Vaikuṇṭha planets do they worship the four arm form?",
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"content": "\nNārāyaṇa, four hand yes. All living enities are devotees their also four handed. Just like Nārāyaṇa.",
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"content": "\nIf we fail to obtain Kṛṣṇaloka in this life do we go to one of the Vaikuṇṭha planets?",
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"content": "\nIf you want to go to Kṛṣṇaloka you will go to Kṛṣṇa.",
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"content": "\nWill you be there Swamji? Will you be there?",
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"content": "\nIf I am competent then I shall be there.",
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"content": "\nThat will be very nice.",
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"content": "\nYes.",
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"content": "\nWhat percent[?] are we when we go to Kṛṣṇaloka. What percent[?] are we?",
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"content": "\nDon't be caught by the draft board [devotees laughing]. Is that not nice? There was one clergyman lecturing in a Sheffield coalmine that \"If you don't worship Jesus Christ, then you will go to hell.\" So first of all one man asked him... First of all, the clergyman inquired, \"Do you know Jesus Christ?\" So they were silent.\nSo one of them inquired, \"What is his number?\" They thought that \"Jesus Christ must be one of us,\" I mean to say, workers in the mine. So he must have got a number. So \"What is his number?\" Then the clergyman could understand that \"To whom I am speaking.\" So then he explained, \"Oh, Jesus Christ is not one of you. He is son of God. He has come to deliver you.\nIf you don't worship Him, then you will go to hell.\"Then one of them said, \"What is hell?\" Then he described, \"It is very dark, moist, and so on.\" So they were silent, because they work in the mine. [laughter] They were silent. \"What is this hell? It is all right.\" Then the clergyman thought how to impress them.\nThen, after a few minutes, he said, \"No. The hell is very dangerous.\" \"How?\" \"There is no newspaper.\" \"Oh, horrible.\" [laughter] [chuckles] Because in your Western countries everyone is fond of newspaper. So he stressed, he hit the point, that \"There is no newspaper.\" So we have to hit to the point that there is no taxman.\nSo what is your question?",
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"content": "\n My question was... No, that's a good answer.",
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"content": "\n [laughs] Yes. The materialistic life is full of anxiety. That is the main symptom of materialistic life. You are always anxious, everyone. President Johnson, he's anxious, \"Oh, my presidency is going on. Now I shall no longer be president.\" He's thinking, very much anxious. And similarly, you are also thinking, another man is also thinking.\nEveryone is anxious. Nobody is free from anxiety. And when you go to Kṛṣṇaloka or any Vaikuṇṭha planet, the first thing is that you have no anxiety. That is spiritual life: always joyful.\n[baby cooing]\nNo anxiety. Because she knows, \"My mother is there. She will protect me from everything.\"\nSo no anxiety means when you know that \"Kṛṣṇa will protect me,\" then no anxiety. To become in the family of Kṛṣṇa. We are already in the family of Kṛṣṇa, but in a different way. Just like if one is in the prison house, he is in the government's protection, but in a different way.",
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"content": "\nSwāmījī, [indistinct]\n Swāmījī, Jānakī-devī wrote me this very nice letter where she had a dream that there was a gigantic platform above the surface of the earth, and all of our devotees, our Godbrothers and -sisters and you, were assembled on this gigantic platform for saṅkīrtana.\nAnd we had such a thunderous joy, magnificent kīrtana, that the whole earth... When you said, \"Jaya oṁ paraṁ paramahaṁsa,\" the whole earth bowed down to you like this. And we were all crying, so happy. And you said, \"Now my Guru Mahārāja is satisfied.\" That was her dream.",
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"content": "\n Thank you very much. Yes. Thank you for your dreaming like that. It is very pleasing to me. Yes, I want to see like that. That dreaming is also nice.",
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"content": "\n Swāmījī, the dream world is... is the dream world a real world?",
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"content": "\n Yes, it is reflection of the real world. Reflection is real for the time being. This world is also dream—for the time being. Because this body is not permanent, so it is also a dream—a dream for hundred years or fifty years or seventy years. But that dream is fifty minutes.\nAt night we see the dreams of fifty minutes, and this dream is fifty years. That's all. It is a question of time. It is also dream. But dream is reality... So long we see it and enjoy it, that is reality. Just like a man in dream he's crying. It is dream. But the effect is there. Reaction is there. In that sense, dream is reality.\nReality, temporary reality, flickering reality. Otherwise, it is reality. And, in that respect, the whole thing is a dream. Anything material that is dream svapna-draṣṭur ivāñjasā it is just like dream [SB 2.9.1].\n[Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: O King, unless one is influenced by the energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, there is no meaning to the relationship of the pure soul in pure consciousness with the material body. That relationship is just like a dreamer's seeing his own body working.]\nIt is stated in the Bhagavad. After all, we should remember that a dream is pertaining to this body. So far I am concerned, spirit soul I am reality I'm not dreaming at any stage.\nBecause I am the seer when I'm sleeping the dream in sleeping I'm seeing, I'm there. This dream this body or that body or any other body I am the seer so I am eternal and the dream is pertaining to this changing body. Or changing circumstances or the changing condition that is dream. So I being reality and eternal I will have to find out my eternal engagement. This dream engagement is temporary.\nTherefore, if I'm intelligent enough then I'll have to find out my eternal engagement. That eternal engagement is Kṛṣṇa consciousness and to act in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is eternal. So we are trying to transfer our activity from dream to fact. Everything dream either in sleeping or in awakening. Everything dream because it has no reality simply a question of time.\nTherefore our business is how to transfer ourself from this position of dreaming to the position of reality. Therefore we have to change the consciousness. If we change our consciousness then consciousness will carry me to the reality. Kṛṣṇa consciousness is reality, Kṛṣṇa is reality. So if my consciousness continue at the time of my death that is the critical point. The consciousness will carry me to a particular type of body next.\nSo if my consciousness continues Kṛṣṇa then it will carry me too...\n[break]. So I have to practice Kṛṣṇa consciousness so that at the last moment I may not forget Kṛṣṇa. Then my life is successful. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvaṁ tyajaty ante kalevaram [Bg. 8.6].\n[Whatever state of being one remembers when he quits his body, that state he will attain without fail.]\nAt the time of death, as the man thinks of, so his next life begins. The example is given, very nice, just like air blowing so if the air is blowing over a nice Rose garden the aroma is carried to other place.\nRose aroma and if the air is blowing on a filthy place the aroma is carried by the air to other place. Similarly the mental condition consciousness the subtle form of my existence. So, if that suble form of existence carries aroma of Kṛṣṇa then you get next body Kṛṣṇaloka. And if your consciousness carries something else then you get another body. Therefore we have to practice Kṛṣṇa consciousness so seriously that not even for a moment we forget Kṛṣṇa.\nOur activities our engagement or thinking, or feeling, or willing. We should alway think up how to propagate this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Make plan, write books, write literature distribute it. Distribute prasadam try to convince. Then you will have no other engagement than Kṛṣṇa consciousness [end].",
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https://vedabase.io/en/library/transcripts/680829sb-montreal/
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"content": "\n\nsarve hy amī vidhi-karās tava sattva-dhāmno\nbrahmādayo vayam iveśa na codvijantaḥ\nkṣemāya bhūtaya utātma-sukhāya cāsya\nvikrīḍitaṁ bhagavato rucirāvatāraiḥ\n[SB 7.9.13]\n[O my Lord, all the demigods, headed by Lord Brahmā, are sincere servants of Your Lordship, who are situated in a transcendental position. Therefore they are not like us [Prahlāda and his father, the demon Hiraṇyakaśipu]. Your appearance in this fearsome form is Your pastime for Your own pleasure. Such an incarnation is always meant for the protection and improvement of the universe.]\nSo Prahlāda Mahārāja is requesting Lord Nṛsiṁha that \"Now You can become peaceful, because the disturbing element, my father, is now finished.\" So there are two missions when Kṛṣṇa appears, incarnation: paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām [Bg. 4.8]. \n[In order to deliver the pious and to annihilate the miscreants, as well as to reestablish the principles of religion, I advent Myself millennium after millennium.]\nThis material world is a field of activity for the persons who have forgotten Kṛṣṇa. But there are regulative principles, Vedic knowledge. If we act according to the regulative principle, then we can enjoy. Not actually enjoy, but we think we enjoy. Because in the material world, there is nothing enjoyable for the spirit soul. Just like a fish: it is an animal of the water. It has nothing to enjoy on the land. So if, by mistake, a fish thinks that \"I shall become an elephant and enjoy in the land,\" that is not possible.\nSimilarly we, spirit soul, ahaṁ brahmāsmi, we are all Brahman, and we have nothing to do with this material world. But because we are Brahman... Brahman means ānandamaya. Ānanda-cinmaya-rasa [Bs. 5.37].\n[I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, residing in His own realm, Goloka, with Rādhā, resembling His own spiritual figure, the embodiment of the ecstatic potency possessed of the sixty-four artistic activities, in the company of Her confidantes [sakhīs], embodiments of the extensions of Her bodily form, permeated and vitalized by His ever-blissful spiritual rasa.]\nThe Supreme Brahman is sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ [Bs. 5.1]. \n[Kṛṣṇa who is known as Govinda is the Supreme Godhead. He has an eternal blissful spiritual body. He is the origin of all. He has no other origin and He is the prime cause of all causes.]\nAnd we are part and parcel of the Supreme Brahman. Therefore we are also sac-cid-ānanda, eternal, blissful and full of knowledge. But somehow or other, icchā-dveṣa-samutthena [Bg. 7.27]. Icchā-dveṣa-samutthena. \n[O scion of Bharata [Arjuna], O conqueror of the foe, all living entities are born into delusion, overcome by the dualities of desire and hate.]\nThe real basic principle of our materialistic life is dveṣa. Dveṣa means when we become envious of Kṛṣṇa, that \"Why Kṛṣṇa shall be the supreme enjoyer?\" In this world, in practical experience, we have seen that many people say that \"Kṛṣṇa enjoyed rasa-līlā. Why we shall not?\"\nSo this is..., imitation rasa-līlā is going on in this material world, but they cannot be satisfied, because it is imitation. Just like if a female takes the part of a male and wants to imitate the enjoyment, it is simply false. Similarly, we are constitutionally female, enjoyed, prakṛti. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parā jīva-bhūtaṁ mahā-bāho [Bg. 7.5]. \n[Besides this inferior nature, O mighty-armed Arjuna, there is a superior energy of Mine, which are all living entities who are struggling with material nature and are sustaining the universe.]\nPrakṛti means female, enjoyed.\nSo jīva is described in the Bhagavad-gītā as prakṛti. The first prakṛti is the material elements, eight.\nbhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ\nkhaṁ buddhir mano eva ca\naparā...\nprakṛti me bhinnā aṣṭadhā\n[Bg. 7.4]\n[Earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence and false ego-altogether these eight comprise My separated material energies.]\nThese are separated energy. But apareyam, they are inferior. Apareyam itas tu anyā parā. Besides this material nature, this dull matter, there is another nature: prakṛti, parā prakṛti, the jīva. So the real life is to be enjoyed by the Lord. Enjoyed. That means real life is to become eternal servitor. Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, jīvera svarūpa haya nitya kṛṣṇa-dāsa [Cc. Madhya 20.108]. \n[“It is the living entity’s constitutional position to be an eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa because he is the marginal energy of Kṛṣṇa and a manifestation simultaneously one with and different from the Lord, like a molecular particle of sunshine or fire. Kṛṣṇa has three varieties of energy.]\nThat is his constitutional position. But by imitation he wants to become the master. And when, iccha, when he develops that desire and envies the Lord, that \"Why Kṛṣṇa shall be enjoyer? I shall be enjoyer also,\" this is icchā-dveṣa-samutthena sarge yānti parantapa [Bg. 7.27]. \n[O scion of Bharata [Arjuna], O conqueror of the foe, all living entities are born into delusion, overcome by the dualities of desire and hate.]\nSarge means in this creation.\nSo any living entity who is within this material world, they have come here with that two principles—icchā, dveṣa. Icchā means they want to be happy with material enjoyment and \"What is God? I am God.\" These two things. The whole disease is on these two principles—to denying the supremacy of the Lord and to try to be happy by material adjustment. But that is not possible. This is simply disturbing. Simply disturbing.\nTherefore Rūpa Gosvāmī has mentioned in his Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu that,\nśruti-smṛti-purāṇādi\npañcarātriki-vidhiṁ vinā\naikāntikī harer bhaktiḥ\nutpātāyaiva kalpate\n[Brs. 1.2.101]\n[Devotional service of the Lord that ignores the authorized Vedic literatures like the \nUpaniṣads, Purāṇas\n and \nNārada-pañcarātra\n is simply an unnecessary disturbance in society.]\nPersons who are ignorant of the Vedic principles, śruti, and smṛti, corollaries to the śruti, and Purāṇa... There are eighteen Purāṇas. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is called Maha-purāṇam. So śruti-smṛti-purāṇādi and pañcarātriki-vidhi, Nārada Pañcarātra. So one should be conversant with all these authoritative scriptures. Without knowing these, if there is an imitation of devotional service, Rūpa Gosvāmī says that is simply disturbance. Simply disturbance.\nTherefore we see that in India the original principle is Vedic principle, but due to so many reasons, there being no real king or government who can control the citizens, or India being for so many years under the control of foreigners, and at the present moment forgetting their own real culture... Not only India, everywhere the same thing. So they are creating disturbances. Disturbances. Asuric civilization, demonic civilization.\nSo Prahlāda Mahārāja said, \"My dear Lord, now the my father, who was atheist and always disturbing... So these demigods, they are Your devotees. They are not disturbing elements.\" Brahmādayo vayam iveśa. Brahmādayo [SB 7.9.13].\n[O my Lord, all the demigods, headed by Lord Brahmā, are sincere servants of Your Lordship, who are situated in a transcendental position. Therefore they are not like us [Prahlāda and his father, the demon Hiraṇyakaśipu]. Your appearance in this fearsome form is Your pastime for Your own pleasure. Such an incarnation is always meant for the protection and improvement of the universe.]\n\"All these demigods standing here, headed by Brahmā, they are not like us, like demonic persons like my father and his associates. So You can now be peaceful. Don't show Your anger.\"\ntad yaccha manyum asuraś ca hatas tvayādya\nmodeta sādhur api vṛścika-sarpa-hatyā\nlokāś ca nirvṛtim itāḥ pratiyānti sarve\nrūpaṁ nṛsiṁha vibhayāya janāḥ smaranti\n[SB 7.9.14]\n[My Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva, please, therefore, cease Your anger now that my father, the great demon Hiraṇyakaśipu, has been killed. Since even saintly persons take pleasure in the killing of a scorpion or a snake, all the worlds have achieved great satisfaction because of the death of this demon. Now they are confident of their happiness, and they will always remember Your auspicious incarnation in order to be free from fear.]\nSo there may be a question that \"Then was Prahlāda Mahārāja very glad that his father was killed?\" This question may be raised, that \"What kind of devotee he is? He's such a great devotee of Lord, and before him his father was killed, and he is requesting the Lord, 'My dear Lord, the disturbing element is already finished.' That means he's glad that his father is killed.\" So from social conventional point of view, if a son is glad on the death of his father, do you think it is very nice? No. These points are to be considered.\nBut Prahlāda Mahārāja gives very nice evidence. This is the peculiarity of Kṛṣṇa conscious persons, that whatever they will say, they will give full support. What is that? He says, tad yaccha manyum asuraś ca hatas tvayādya [SB 7.9.14]. Asura. \"My father was asura. So because Your mission was to kill, so that, he is killed. And by this killing process, not only myself but sādhu, all sādhus, they are also pleased.\" Sādhur api. Just see.\nSo do you think that sādhu, those who are sādhu, they are pleased when a person is killed? Not ordinary person. He is giving very nice example. Modeta sādhur api vṛścika sarpa-hatyā [SB 7.9.14]. Vṛścika means scorpion, and sarpa means snake. Naturally, whenever a scorpion is found or a snake is out, every man is prepared to kill it. Every man. \"Oh, here is a snake. Kill it.\"\nWhen I was in Allahabad, in my bed there was a snake. I do not know how it came, but I informed to the servants, and they came with all stick immediately. So when the bed seat was taken away, it was under the, I mean to say, quilt. So that snake was there, and from the face of the snake I could understand that she was..., it was so afraid. He could understand that \"Now I'm going to be killed by so many people. They have come.\" So I told them that \"Don't kill this poor fellow. Better take it and send it to the forest.\" But they took it away, but I later on understood they killed it.\nSo once I saw in our Māyāpur, Lord Caitanya's birthplace, so a snake was going, a black snake, with... In Bengal there are many snakes. So my Guru Mahārāja was on the upstair, and everyone asked the permission whether this should be killed. He said immediately, \"Yes. He should be killed.\" So at that time I thought that \"How Guru Mahārāja ordered for killing the snake?\" Then, after so many years, when I began to read Bhāgavatam and came to this passage, Prahlāda Mahārāja assertion, modeta sādhur api vṛścika sarpa-hatyā [SB 7.9.14], then I thought that \"My Guru Mahārāja did right thing.\"\nHere also, modeta. Even a sādhu. Then why a sādhu is pleased when a sarpa, a scorpion or snake, is killed? The reason is that these two kinds of creatures, they bite innocent person without any fault. Without any fault. Or for little fault. The venomous snake. I mean, by nature they are so angry and so envious that they feel pleasure if somebody is bitten and immediately die. That is their nature.\nTherefore killing a snake and scorpion means to save it from so many sinful activities. Because it is nature. It will kill so many persons, so many animals, because its nature is, innocent person, bite innocent person, kill it. So if there is sin by killing another, it will continue. Better to kill it to stop its sinful activities. That is the reason here it is said, modeta sādhur api.\nSo the asuras, the atheists, are just like vṛścika and sarpa, scorpion. Without any reason they occupy somebody's country, somebody's place, and kill somebody. This is going on. In the Manu-saṁhitā it is stated that when a king hangs some murderer it is a great favor to him. It is a great favor to him. In every country, in every civilization, the punishment is \"Life for life.\" If you have killed somebody, then you shall be killed.\nAnd it is supported in Manu-saṁhitā that when the king orders that a murderer should be killed, that is a favor to him. Because if he is not killed, then the sinful activities, reaction, will continue, and the next birth he'll suffer. But if he's killed in this life, then all his sinful activities finished. He'll have no more to suffer the reaction. So it is friendly action. Similarly a vṛścika or a sarpa, a scorpion or a snake, if it is killed that means to save it from further, I mean to say, sinful activities. Therefore sādhu, it is said by Brahmā, I mean to..., Prahlāda Mahārāja, that modeta sādhur api vṛścika sarpa-hatyā. \nYata artho 'yaṁ manuṣya ca asura sādhūnāṁ santoṣaṁ santoṣārtham arti hataḥ. Śrīdhāra Svāmī is annotating that this killing of Nṛsiṁha, here, uh, this killing by Nṛsiṁha-deva of Hiraṇyakaśipu was for the pleasure of the saintly person. Was for the pleasure of the saintly person. Nānu anyeṣāṁ vadhena sādhu kiṁ modeta. Does it mean that those who are saintly persons, they take pleasure in other's killing? They try to stop killing. Even animal killing they want to stop.\nHow it is that, they take pleasure in another's killing? Nānu anyeṣāṁ vadhena sādhu kiṁ modeta tatra ha vṛścikādeḥ. Not all. A... Persons, living creatures like the scorpion and serpents. Not all. Everything has got exception. So a sādhu, a saintly person, a righteous person, a religious person, will never be happy by other's killing. But killing of persons like scorpion and serpent...\nAnd the Cāṇakya Paṇḍita says that a person who has envious nature, he's more dangerous than the serpent. Cāṇakya Paṇḍita has enunciated that sarpaḥ krūraḥ khalaḥ krūraḥ [Cāṇakya Paṇḍita].\n[Snakes and wicked men are certainly dangerous, but of the two, a wicked man is more dangerous than a poisonous snake. A snake can be controlled by mantras and herbs, but how can an evil man be controlled?]\nThere are two envious creatures: one is the snake, and another, a man envious, unnecessarily envious of others. So sarpāt krūrataraḥ khalaḥ. That man, envious, he's dangerous, more dangerous than the snake. Why more dangerous? Now, mantrauśādhi-vaśaḥ sarpaḥ khalaḥ kena nivāryate. You can subdue a snake by herbs and by chanting particular type of mantra. There are many snake charmers in India, by mantra they can charm the snakes.\nBut a person who is envious, you cannot pacify him in any way. Therefore sarpaḥ krūrataraḥ khalaḥ. Just like Jesus Christ was crucified by some envious persons. Even the Roman judge denied that \"This man should not be... There is no such fault.\" But because they were envious, they were persistent, \"Yes, he should be crucified.\"\nSo this is the nature of envious person. Therefore killing of envious persons like Hiraṇyakaśipu... Unnecessarily... He was a child. Prahlāda Mahārāja was a child, innocent child. And his son, and youngest son. And his only fault was that he was chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. And this person was after him, giving him all kinds of trouble. Just see the nature of the envious person.\nHe doesn't care even his son, a child, a devotee. \"Oh, this boy must be tortured. This boy must be tortured because he is Kṛṣṇa conscious.\" \"This man must be crucified because he is preaching God consciousness.\" This is the nature of envious persons. More dangerous. Therefore their killing is the pleasure for the saintly person. Modeta sādhur api vṛścika sarpa-hatyā.\nSo Prahlāda Mahārāja was glad that his father was killed. So tatrāha vṛścikādeḥ parapadraka kariṇā anyathaiva jātinā kutra vadhena tasyaiva tad bhadraṁ jātam. It is good for it, because he is stopped creating nuisance. Creating. If he's stopped, then it is a great benefit for him, because his nature is to become envious and torture others.\nTherefore to kill such person is a great welfare act for him. Tad bhadraṁ yatram eti and sādhur api modeta. And sādhu, saintly persons, are also glad. Tarhi bahūnāṁ sukhāvahaṁ tam amuṁ krodhaṁ na tyajāmi ceti prāha lokāś ca nirmitteḥ prakta-śānti-pratinirjanti saṁhāra pratīkṣante.\nSo Prahlāda Mahārāja is requesting, \"Now, my Lord, Your business is finished, and by Your this action, all saintly persons are pleased. So You can become now peaceful.\"\nlokāś ca nirvṛtim itāḥ pratiyānti sarve\nrūpaṁ nṛsiṁha vibhayāya janāḥ smaranti\n[SB 7.9.14]\n[My Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva, please, therefore, cease Your anger now that my father, the great demon Hiraṇyakaśipu, has been killed. Since even saintly persons take pleasure in the killing of a scorpion or a snake, all the worlds have achieved great satisfaction because of the death of this demon. Now they are confident of their happiness, and they will always remember Your auspicious incarnation in order to be free from fear.]\n\"Now people are praying that Nṛsiṁha-deva, Nṛsiṁha-deva is to protect the devotees.\" Just like a lion. A lion is ferocious to other animals, but he is not ferocious to the cubs. He's very affectionate father, mother, although it is lion. So the cubs, they haven't got to be afraid of the lion.\nSo Prahlāda Mahārāja says that \"My dear Lord, I am not asking You to be peaceful. Don't think that I have become afraid of You.\" He's so confident. \"He is my Lord.\" He has come in the appearance, in this ghastly appearance, half lion and so big, and He's groaning like anything. So he knows that \"He is my Lord. He's same Kṛṣṇa.\"\nnārāyaṇa-paraḥ sarve na kutaścana bibhyati\n[SB 6.17.28]\n[Devotees solely engaged in the devotional service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Nārāyaṇa, never fear any condition of life. For them the heavenly planets, liberation and the hellish planets are all the same, for such devotees are interested only in the service of the Lord.]\nOne who is elevated in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he is not disturbed in the greatest..., facing greatest danger.\nyaṁ labdhvā cāparaṁ lābhaṁ\nmanyate nādhikaṁ tataḥ\nyasmin sthite na duḥkhena\nguruṇāpi vicālyate\n[Bg. 6.22]\n[The stage of perfection is called trance, or samādhi, when one's mind is completely restrained from material mental activities by practice of yoga. This is characterized by one's ability to see the self by the pure mind and to relish and rejoice in the self. In that joyous state, one is situated in boundless transcendental happiness and enjoys himself through transcendental senses. Established thus, one never departs from the truth, and upon gaining this he thinks there is no greater gain. Being situated in such a position, one is never shaken, even in the midst of greatest difficulty. This indeed is actual freedom from all miseries arising from material contact.]\nKṛṣṇa consciousness is so nice that if one is perfectly situated in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then his condition will be like this, that yaṁ labdhvā cāparaṁ lābhaṁ manyate nādhikaṁ tataḥ. Achieving that stage, he'll forget for any other profit. We are hankering after profit, profit after profit. I have got so much money, I want to make it double. When it is double I want to make it ten times. When it is ten times, I'll make it hundred times. Go on increasing. The civilization is increasing.\nFormerly, people were satisfied if they could build one..., construct one brick house, kota bari. Now they are not satisfied with kota bari, or brick house; they want to make it hundred- or two hundred-, five-hundred-storied house. And when they'll build, construct five-hundred-storied house, they'll think of thousand-storied house. This is the nature. This is the nature. So lābha. Everyone is hankering after more profit, more profit, more profit. But if one is situated in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then he is satisfied.\nSvāmin kṛtārtho 'smi varaṁ na yāce\n[Cc. Madhya 22.42]. \n[“[When he was being blessed by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Dhruva Mahārāja said:] ’O my Lord, because I was seeking an opulent material position, I was performing severe types of penance and austerity. Now I have gotten You, who are very difficult for the great demigods, saintly persons and kings to attain. I was searching after a piece of glass, but instead I have found a most valuable jewel. Therefore I am so satisfied that I do not wish to ask any benediction from You.’]\nDhruva Mahārāja said, \"My dear Lord...\" Here also you'll see. It was in the previous... When Prahlāda Mahārāja was offered to take benediction from the Lord, he refused. He said that, \"My Lord, I am not a merchant that I am Your devotee for some material gain.\" This will be explained.\nSo a devotee who is in pure Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he is satisfied with that consciousness only. Ahaitukī. He has no other reason: \"Oh, I am trying to become Kṛṣṇa conscious because I want such and such thing.\" He has no demand. Simple that consciousness is sufficient. It is so pleasing. It is so satisfying that yasmin sthite, if one is actually situated in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then guruṇāpi duhkhena na vicālyate [Bg. 6.22].\n[The stage of perfection is called trance, or samādhi, when one's mind is completely restrained from material mental activities by practice of yoga. This is characterized by one's ability to see the self by the pure mind and to relish and rejoice in the self. In that joyous state, one is situated in boundless transcendental happiness and enjoys himself through transcendental senses. Established thus, one never departs from the truth, and upon gaining this he thinks there is no greater gain. Being situated in such a position, one is never shaken, even in the midst of greatest difficulty. This indeed is actual freedom from all miseries arising from material contact.]\nJust see the Prahlāda Mahārāja. He is... So devastating incidences are taking place, when all the demigods have become afraid and his father is killed and very ghastly appearance and the lion form incarnation of the Lord is groaning. But he is not afraid. He's not at all afraid. Yasmin sthite guruṇāpi duhkhena na vicālyate [Bg. 6.22].\nSo next verse will be discussed sometime later on, because I am leaving this place tomorrow. So tomorrow, of course, Rādhāṣṭami, we shall have meetings in daytime. And... Of course, those devotees are present, please come tomorrow, Rādhāṣṭami. Try to understand the Rādhā's position in relationship with Kṛṣṇa. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is very nice. Try to understand it in so many ways.\nWe have got immense literature. If lifelong we try to understand, there is sufficient stock. It is not hackneyed. You'll get nava-navāyaman. Newer and newer things you'll get, experience. Ānandāmbudhi-vardhanam. And the more and more you get relish in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, your transcendental pleasure becomes more and more appreciated. It is so nice. Ānandāmbudhi-vardhanam.\nCaitanya Mahāprabhu has said, ambudhi... Ambudhi means ocean. In the ordinary course, the ocean does not increase. If ocean would have increased, then there would..., so many towns would have been washed away. Sometimes it happens, of course, temporarily. But anandāmbudhi. The spiritual ocean is so nice that it increases, and the enjoyer of that ānanda, he also increases.\nBṛhaṇatyāt. Brahman life is that bṛhatya-bṛhaṇatyāt. It is the greatest; still, it has the potency of expanding more and more. It is very inconceivable. If something is the greatest, superlative, then what is beyond superlative? Still, there is beyond superlative. Ānandāmbudhi-vardhanam [Cc. Antya 20.12].\n[”’Let there be all victory for the chanting of the holy name of Lord Kṛṣṇa, which can cleanse the mirror of the heart and stop the miseries of the blazing fire of material existence. That chanting is the waxing moon that spreads the white lotus of good fortune for all living entities. It is the life and soul of all education. The chanting of the holy name of Kṛṣṇa expands the blissful ocean of transcendental life. It gives a cooling effect to everyone and enables one to taste full nectar at every step.’]\nSo Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is so nice, transcendental literature that anywhere you sit down, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, as the Gosvāmīs used to do it... Nāma-gana-naṭibhiḥ kālāvasānī-kṛtau [Ṣaḍ-gosvāmy-aṣṭaka 6].\n[I offer my respectful obeisances unto the six Gosvāmīs, namely Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī, Śrī Sanātana Gosvāmī, Śrī Raghunātha Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī, Śrī Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī, and Śrī Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī, who were engaged in chanting the holy names of the Lord and bowing down in a scheduled measurement. In this way they utilized their valuable lives and in executing these devotional activities they conquered over eating and sleeping and were always meek and humble enchanted by remembering the transcendental qualities of the Lord.]\nThey were passing their time chanting, dancing, and reading Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, writing on it. So far the bodily necessities are concerned, they were not very important things for them. They forgot. Spiritual life is so nice.\nSo fortunately, one of our student, he has taken a very large tract of land in West Virginia to develop a society like that, that simple life, eat simple things—grains, vegetables, fruits, milk—and save your time for advancing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Don't be implicated in the ugra-karma. Modern civilization is implicated in ugra-karma—vast machinery, everything complicated: the government complicated, the society complicated, economics rule complicated, foreign exchange complicated. Everything has become complicated.\nSo Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura has sung very nice song: sat-saṅga chāri kainu asate vilās, ei kāraṇe lāgila more karma bandha-phāṅsa [from Prārthanā].\n[I gave up the association of devotees to enjoy sense gratification in the association of common, nonsense men, and immediately Māyā caught me and entangled me in the web of fruitive activities.]\nBecause we have given up Kṛṣṇa consciousness, therefore we have been entangled in the different varieties of material activities. Now we have to simplify it. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to simplify, to save the valuable life, to save the time of valuable life. This human form of life is very valuable. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante [Bg. 7.19]. \n[After many births and deaths, he who is actually in knowledge surrenders unto Me, knowing Me to be the cause of all causes and all that is. Such a great soul is very rare.]\nAfter many, many births we have got this important life. So we have to save our time to utilize it for Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That should...\nSo far we have got this material body, we want to maintain it. The life and..., the body and souls live together. That is all right. For that, Kṛṣṇa has given every chance. Anywhere you sit down, you have got land and cow. You produce something, and cow's milk, that is sufficient for maintenance.\nSo let us try to make an attempt to organize a New Vrindaban scheme, and I shall request all my students to develop this idea and show a good example to this Western part of the world where people are always engaged in ugra-karma, asuric-karma. Things are becoming very implicated, complicated.\nThank you very much.\nAny question? [break]",
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"content": "\n Should we always have the Lord do all our defending for us?",
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"content": "\n He's always defending, but you should not be idle. It does not mean \"Because God is defending, therefore we shall stop our work.\" No. Yudhyasva mām anusmara [Bg. 8.7]. \n[Therefore, Arjuna, you should always think of Me in the form of Kṛṣṇa and at the same time carry out your prescribed duty of fighting. With your activities dedicated to Me and your mind and intelligence fixed on Me, you will attain Me without doubt.]\nKṛṣṇa advises Arjuna that \"You have to fight, but at the same time think of Me, Kṛṣṇa conscious.\" You have to fight. Just other people are fighting with all circumstances, we have to fight also, but we must have faith that Kṛṣṇa will save. Not that \"We depend on Kṛṣṇa. Because we are Kṛṣṇa conscious, Kṛṣṇa will do the act. Let me sleep.\" No. Karmāṇy evādhikāras te mā phaleṣu kadācana [Bg. 2.47].\n[You have a right to perform your prescribed duty, but you are not entitled to the fruits of action. Never consider yourself to be the cause of the results of your activities, and never be attached to not doing your duty.]\nYou have to act according to the rules, and so far the result is concerned, leave it to Kṛṣṇa.",
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"content": "\n If the spiritual master gives you any instruction, should we look upon that as the same as [indistinct] life?",
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"content": "\n Yes.",
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"content": "\n It wouldn't be... How would we know if it's māyā or not?",
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"content": "\n Ask your spiritual master. He will answer you. Why you in māyā while your spiritual master is physically present? You can ask. If there is any question, you can ask.\n[break] ...yourself in doubt. Everything should be cleared.",
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"content": "\n You said we're not supposed to tolerate any blaspheming of the Lord, not of His name or in any way. How are we supposed to not tolerate this? It happens where I work, people are sometimes blaspheming His name as a matter of course. How do you not tolerate? How do you...?",
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"content": "\n The demons will always do that. You chant Hare Kṛṣṇa.",
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"content": "\n [indistinct]",
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"content": "\nWhat is that?",
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"content": "\n [indistinct] be done for Kṛṣṇa, not your own.",
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"content": "\n Yes. You remember Kṛṣṇa. That's all. The rule is that when there is blasphemy, there are three kinds of activities. First thing is that one who is blaspheming, you should argue and defeat him by your arguments, by your evidences. If you are unable to do that, then you should die.\nThat is the injunction. And if you are unable to do that, then you should go away from that place. That's all. Three things. First of all, you should fight with him. Then if you are unable to fight, then you should die. And if you are not able to die, then leave that place and go away.\nHare Kṛṣṇa. [break] Yes?",
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"content": "\n Can you explain Śrī Rādhā's appearance day?",
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"content": "\n Yes. Tomorrow. [Hindi] [end]",
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https://vedabase.io/en/library/transcripts/680817vp-montreal/
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"content": "\n [kīrtana] [prema-dhvani] Thank you very much. [devotees offer obeisances]\n[04:05]\nOne after another. Yes.",
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"content": "\nNow we should, in turn, offer our respectful obeisances to our spiritual master.",
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"content": "\nOf this way. You offer flower. There are three flowers. Give with that mantra. Yes. Each one with that mantra. [devotees offering obeisances]\n[indistinct] Swami... [indistinct background conversation]\nThe mantra. You have chanted as mantra? I would expected, because you are the senior. You should have offered first. Anyway...",
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"content": "\n [indistinct]",
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"content": "\n With that mantra. [devotee offers obeisances] So? Everything finished? Everyone has done? Oh [indistinct]. Now you can discuss amongst... You can speak something, what you have experienced about your spiritual master. You can speak. Anyone can speak. [Hindi] They may not go, but they'll take prasāda. Why you are going? Please sit down. [Hindi with Indian lady]\n[09:18]",
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"content": "\n\nnama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale\nśrīmate bhaktivedānta-svāmin iti nāmine.\n[I offer my respectful obeisances unto His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, who is very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa on this earth, having taken shelter at His lotus feet.]\nI offer my respectful obeisances unto Svāmī Bhaktivedanta, who is very dear to the Lord Kṛṣṇa, having taken shelter of His lotus feet.\nWithout the spiritual master you can't understand what 'I' am. You can't even understand about Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa... We can't understand Kṛṣṇa, without the spiritual master. It is only by his mercy that we can get any knowledge. First we have Swamiji...",
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"content": "\nSpeak up.\nMukunda\n: \n[mostly indistinct until next speaker]... just come from India and there is practically nobody in this country at all... And when we first met him we weren't, very approved of the philosophy in fact we didn't know anything about the vedas [indistinct] maybe we read a little about the Bhagavad-gītā. [indistinct] whole way of life completely.\nThe only reason that he is here is because we could see that he was always there... We only come to the temple for one reason, every person has this feeling especially amongst the new devotees. We were only there to help out. We had no idea that I was introduced to this philosophy. [break]\nThat's alright... Go on...\nMukunda\n: \nThere was no question that he was coming here to [indistinct] or some philosophy. You could see immediately that he was only here to help us, [indistinct] with him. Right away [indistinct] suffered [indistinct] because they were all alone with no money.\nKnowing nobody 12 thousand miles away and you could see it [indistinct] but there is no question about our... Our doubting him or not accepting his words. We could see that he was out only for our own benefit without wanting anything for himself. So we learnt subsequently that this is the nature of a pure devotee, he is completely selfless. He wants only to give, so we are extremely fortunate just like somehow or rather we've come in contact...\nEveryone should speak two, three minutes and you can then comment.\nMukunda\n: \nBut this person from the saintly order of life is a very rare thing. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā [Bg 7.3]\n[Out of many thousands among men, one may endeavor for perfection, and of those who have achieved perfection, hardly one knows Me in truth.]\n\"Out of thousands of men one comes to Me.\" One ... And does anyone know about it? And out of this ... Out of thousands of men one will know about Me. Out of thousands only one, will... Will come to know Me. So we...can... can't estimate how fortunate we are, we can only focus and try to help Svāmī tell others more about it [indistinct] Spritiual Master.\nThere is nothing in any book or any data or anything that we can embrace we have to realise through the mercy of the spiritual master and only this way. Can we... be lifted us out of this ocean of birth and death so that's why we give praise every day... the spiritual master. And give our obeisances to him every day because it is only his mercy. [indistinct]...\n[13:29]",
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"content": "\n\nnama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale\nśrīmate bhaktivedānta-svāmin iti nāmine.\n[I offer my respectful obeisances unto His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, who is very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa on this earth, having taken shelter at His lotus feet.]\nSo in the Kṛṣṇa consciousness, we are trying to get engaged, somehow actively, to serve Lord Kṛṣṇa. We have always been deep into activities, feeling through various objects. Affection, and more often than not all these [indistinct], feelings, affections are replaced. So we don't know where to place our affections so they will not be frustrated. In order to have some beginning on the swing of learning about the two objects of affection.\nWe must come into contact with some source of truth, feelings, true affections, true knowledge and it is only when we find some person who incorporates. Who embodies all the true qualities of the human soul, manifested only do we find that the person who we place our affection. Is such a person and then by submissively following their invitations, we can also slowly remedy crippled position.\nAt first if we come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness we are mainly interested in solving our own sufferings. We feel that we are so frustrated, we are suffering from so many frustrations, ignorance, disease, mental wrong equilibrium. We are suffering from our wrong relationships with other people. So we want to stop these sufferings, as far as we are concerned.\nAnd when we find some merciful person such as the spiritual master in whom we can place our trust then our life begins to become more meaningfully. So we want to stop suffering first of all from ourselves but the spiritual master shows us something that is even better than just stopping your own suffering.\nHe tells us that the suffering condition is due to ignorance and once this ignorance is removed there is not normally alleviatation of suffering. But there is a real pure active spiritual existence. And in the spiritual existence again we can have no knowledge because we are so completely bound up in our own senses. We are so completely bound up trying to solve our own problems and these problems are petty throughout the material limited level.\nThat we cannot even catch a glimpse of what is spiritual existence. That is we can meet some person who is not only realised but in avoidance of material existence and also who is living in every manifested wing at the moment of spiritual exsistance. A proponent of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then we also can have through the mercy of the spiritual master some knowledge of this spiritual engagement.\nAs a matter of fact we could not abandon our own false engagements if we didn't have a better engagement. So... The spiritual master is... also fully engaged in the spiritual plane. Everyone of his activities has nothing to do with conditions of the material laws of nature of action and reaction. The merciful activity of the spiritual master is to show us by every gesture the spiritual manifestation of existence. And the spiritual manifestation of existence is such that the devotee of Kṛṣṇa having a theme[?] he belongs to Kṛṣṇa and having a theme.\nThe happyness to have knowledge of Kṛṣṇa and is not satisfied only to keep it for himself. A pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa wants that everyone should have the benefit and everyone will be engaged in the true spiritual plane. Everyone should be engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The pure devotee is not interested in finishing of his own sufferings. He is not really [indistinct] of himself. He is only interested in serving Kṛṣṇa and even more than just doing what Kṛṣṇa requires. He would like that everybody become Kṛṣṇa conscious.",
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"content": "\nThat's it. Anyone else? Everyone can speak 2 or 3 minutes... You can go down.\n[19:50]",
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"content": "\n[Quietly]\nnama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale\nśrīmate bhaktivedānta-svāmin iti nāmine.\n[I offer my respectful obeisances unto His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, who is very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa on this earth, having taken shelter at His lotus feet.]",
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"content": "\nYes, you have got so many, [indistinct] still everyone is?...",
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"content": "\nEveryone is welcome to speak for 3 minutes... About the teachings of their spiritual master...\nWe are studying the science of the absolute, Kṛṣṇa the Personality of Godhead. Any science we study on the material or the spiritual plane must have an authority. When we delve into the sciences and see we must learn the terminology. We must learn all the assets we must learn the material involved. When we delve into these we see the more we learn, the more we can learn. From the science of the absolute we see the more we learn, the more we don't know.\nSo then how are we going to know Him, Kṛṣṇa? By our speculation? No. We must take an authority. Swamiji has come, a pure devotee, likened [indistinct] to a tax collector. Collecting the taxes but never taking anything for himself. The only way to understand the absolute is to accept a pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa.\nThere is no other way, you cannot accept someone who says, \"Oh yes continue your activities. I will make it nice and palatable for you. You won't have to pay any price. So just speculate anyway and then you will come to Kṛṣṇa—hand me some money.\" No, we must see by an attractive, living example, someone who actually lives what he says.\nSomeone who combines philosophy with religion—and more. Someone who is attractive, all blissful, full of knowledge. This is the only way we can see, we were not attracted in the beginning, only by philosophy. We were not attracted in the beginning only by the chanting. We were attracted, most of us, most of us by two things.\nPrasādam and by the example of our blissful spiritual father, spiritual mother, spiritual teacher, spiritual preceptor, spiritual friend and such a humble servant that he wants nothing for himself. But simply our spiritual advancement. \"Oh my dear Lord you are so kind that you are my constant companion, in your name\". Arjuna.",
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"content": "\nNow you can speak.\n[23:24]",
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"content": "\n\nnama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale\nśrīmate bhaktivedānta-svāmin iti nāmine.\n[I offer my respectful obeisances unto His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, who is very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa on this earth, having taken shelter at His lotus feet.]\nI offer my most humble and respectful obeisances unto my spiritual master Swami Bhaktivedanta, who is very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa, having taken shelter at His lotus feet...\nThe material world is often likened to a forest fire. To us, our spiritual master is the most austere person on this planet, or any other planets. For while we were burning in the fire, the forest fire of material existence he put, the spiritual master has put the fire out.\n[mic movement, sound quality improves] ...\nIt is only, it is only by personal example that we can truly realise the knowledge which has been handed down from Vedic scriptur... Vedic scriptures. It is only... We can read these scriptures people, a lot of people do, like Vedānta societies and so on. They read the knowledge but it is only by a personal example that we can, that we can understand how it works in practical fields and this is why our spiritual master is so important to us because... our...\nWe cannot spend one moment without acting. It says in the Bhagavad-gītā that, that every man has natural propensities to act and he is constantly acting. So that... While we act... While we must act, we must not have an act and therefore we would need the guidance of the spiritual master who tells us how to act and we watch him and we can see how he acts. How he acts, how he gets up, how he stands, how he moves his hands, how he talks, and most of all how he worships Kṛṣṇa Himself. Only by his guidance can we act in this way. Hare Krishna.\nHare Krishna.",
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"content": "\nNow Umāpati.\n[26:11]",
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"content": "\n\nnama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale\nśrīmate bhaktivedānta-svāmin iti nāmine.\n[I offer my respectful obeisances unto His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, who is very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa on this earth, having taken shelter at His lotus feet.]\nI offer my respectful obeisances unto Swami Bhaktivedanta, who is very dear to Kṛṣṇa on this earth, having taken shelter of His lotus feet.\nThe spiritual master, the true spiritual master is somebody who gives you something that you really need. Somebody who tells you something that you didn't know before. Somebody who shows you something that you didn't see before. In this case I introduce you truly to a stranger coming from a far land with an exotic gift. Somebody who just turned up in New York one-day, out of the clear blue and brought us something that we didn't have before.\nHe showed us, what we didn't know but what was there which we couldn't have done by ourselves. Because people are basically stupid and have to be shown. People think that they can get to everything by themselves. That they can find out what the truth is, where the pleasure of life really is and where happness really is. But this is not so.\nWe have to be shown, we have to be shown by one who already really knows. We have to be introduced to God, by one who already on very close terms with Him. And a person like this is very hard to find. But you can tell when you meet somebody like this. I don't know how you can tell if you know. The attraction which is irresistible because the spiritual master.\nThe true spiritual master is the personification of the grace of Kṛṣṇa and the attraction to the spiritual master is normal. It's natural because we are attracted to what the spiritual master has for us. So by his very presence and just by his being and by the things he says. Those of us who are fortunate enough to come in close contact with a true spiritual master have been attracted to him.",
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"content": "\nAlright. You can [indistinct]...\n[23:51]",
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"content": "\n\nnama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale\nśrīmate bhaktivedānta-svāmin iti nāmine.\n[I offer my respectful obeisances unto His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, who is very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa on this earth, having taken shelter at His lotus feet.]\nI offer my most respectful obeisances unto Swami A.C. Bhaktivedanta, who is so dear to Kṛṣṇa on this earth, having taken shelter of His lotus feet.\nWhen I first saw Swami I was in New York, when the temple first opened. And I was so foolish that I thought, \"It's just an old man what could he possibly know?\" And so I went away but Kṛṣṇa was so kind that a year later He frustrated every attempt at enjoying this material world, this material nature and He brought me to the temple somehow or other.\nAnd at that time Swamiji was in California but the devotees were so... Had so much grace that Swamiji's presence wasn't even required. That the spiritual master, Swamiji himself... Magnanimous he is like touchstone that all the boys in New York had become so full of grace. That I myself was able to appreciate it and think, \"Oh these boys are so nice and that how much nicer could the spiritual master be? He must be so wonderful.\"\nThat I simply stayed, oh this is, this is nice. I didn't have much intelligence, I didn't even know that it was God that I was looking for. I just wanted to feel nice, so all these boys were feeling so nice, so, \"Let me stay here.\" And then as I learned, \"Oh this is what\"... Just like what I learned when I was a little boy about God. It's the same thing, it's not any different. And...\nI've, oh changed. Same old thing but by Kṛṣṇa's grace He gave me the intelligence to see that, \"Yes there is no way you can go on without God.\" You can think that way but actually it's simply miserable. So by the grace of the spiritual master my eyes have been opened and I feel that all of us. All of our eyes have been opened and we now owe everything to Swamiji. We owe our life, our intelligence, our wealth, our strength everything and to try to innumerate or try to glorify the spiritual master in this...\nI'm sitting here trying but it is difficult and I know, I am feeling that the only way to really glorify the spiritual master is to serve him and no amount of words can say how wonderful he is. That feeling, that blissfulness of the spiritual master that's the beauty of the spiritual master. The greatness of the spiritual master can be experienced by service.\nThank you.\nHare Krishna.",
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"content": "\nYou can speak.",
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"content": "\n\nom ajñāna-timirāndhasya jñānāñjana-śalākayā\ncakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ\n[I offer my respectful obeisances unto my spiritual master, who has opened my eyes, which were blinded by the darkness of ignorance, with the torchlight of knowledge.]\nI [indistinct] of darkness... Give is my humble obeisances unto the lotus feet of my spiritual master who has come to me and forced me to open my eyes.\nThis mantra is very nice because it shows we have no ability ourselves to obtain the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord. The spiritual master comes to us. He not shows us, the Supreme Lord but he forces us to ask ourselves several questions. Those questions being: Who am I? Where do I come from? Where am I going?\nThe Christians have a holiday they call Christmas when they celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ and in the Bible there is a passage reading that, \"the Lord so loved the world that He gave his only begotten son.\" And this means that Kṛṣṇa loves the fallen living entity so much that he desires nothing for the living entities except to have them back. And so the living entities may return to Kṛṣṇa, by His mercy he gives His son. He gives a pure devotee for the living entities so that the pure devotee may show the living entities the way back to Kṛṣṇa.\nThis is what we have to thank Kṛṣṇa for. Not for any material contamination which we may acquire. We don't thank Kṛṣṇa for this. What we have to thank Kṛṣṇa for it. There is a pureness of the spiritual master and we thank the spiritual master for his mercy. We thank the spiritual master for everything he gives us. We thank the spiritual master for our very lives.\nThe song we are singing, the eternal song of God is the blood rushing through our veins. I could sit here and just go on and on thanking the spiritual master for everything. But I couldn't begin to really thank him. I could start... I could sit and think how to thank the spiritual master but I couldn't even begin to think how to thank him. Thank you Prabhupāda.",
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"content": "\nGaurasundara... [japa]\n[35:30]",
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"content": "\n\nnama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale\nśrīmate bhaktivedānta-svāmin iti nāmine.\n[I offer my respectful obeisances unto His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, who is very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa on this earth, having taken shelter at His lotus feet.]\nI would also like to say—that I have no ability or no capacity to estimate the greatness of Guru Mahārāja. I can understand that I was saved from certain disaster in my own case and I think similar rescue was given to all of you. The Bhāgavata says that in every birth the living entities can have a father and mother who can let... Birth means there must be father and mother but only very rarely do very fortunate living entities they have a chance to have the spiritual master and Kṛṣṇa.\nSo by Kṛṣṇa's arrangements all of us have been given this opportunity. It's understood that we had similar opportunities in the past and now we have been given this chance to really become serious. To really try and understand our position, understand how precarious a position we can put ourselves in by our own foolishness. Understand the defects that are inherent in the conditioned souls.\nYou know the four defects, the cheating propensity, imperfect senses, the tendency to be illusioned, these tendencies will cloud our mind so that if we don't have the helping hand of the spiritual master. Then we are... We are ready to be destroyed by this threatening material situation. Anyway I can simply say again I haven't got any a proper understanding of my own position of how much I am indebted to Guru Mahārāja but I'd like to try and offer my respects.",
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"content": "\n[indistinct], you can.... [japa]\n[38:41]",
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"content": "\n\nnama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale\nśrīmate bhaktivedānta-svāmin iti nāmine.\n[I offer my respectful obeisances unto His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, who is very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa on this earth, having taken shelter at His lotus feet.]\nŚrīla Prabhupāda tells us that, \"Kṛṣṇa is our dear lost friend.\" Somehow or other we have fallen into this material ignorance but Kṛṣṇa is so kind that He is even present with us in our heart. But from my point of view the spiritual master is even a dearer friend because he can introduce us to Kṛṣṇa and re-establish the relationship with that eternal friend.\nSo the more we practise Kṛṣṇa consciousness through the grace of our spiritual master the more we realise that Kṛṣṇa is real. Kṛṣṇa is a real person, we can have a real meaningful relationship with Kṛṣṇa. It is so nice and it so attractive. So anybody who wants to test this knowledge Swamiji has brought the simple method this chanting of Hare Krishna.\nAnd by chanting Hare Krishna we are associating with Kṛṣṇa. It's real, all the devotees could... have had experienced this. Just like you go out on the street and you meet somebody, you speak to somebody. So there is some kind of feeling you develop with another person it has to be a real person to bring out the real feeling inside you.\nSome people because they do not have any meaningful relationship, or they don't have the relationship with Kṛṣṇa or Kṛṣṇa's representative. Then they are trying to find the same relationship with other people, with their families, with their friends. If they can't find it with other people then they are looking to the animals, to the cats and the dogs. You can see how people will treat their dogs very affectionately. So the feeling is there but this... The affection is there, the love is there.\nThe love is being misplaced and it is only through the grace of our spiritual master that gradually we are learning where to place our love and that we are learning gradually this love is being uncovered. So everybody has... All the devotees have been expressing their gratitude... to Śrīla Prabhupāda. So let's offer our humble prayers to Lord Kṛṣṇa that we may be better able to serve the spiritual master.",
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"content": "\nYou want to speak? [indistinct]....\nYou want... Śaradia you want to speak?",
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"content": "\nNo Prabhupada.",
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"content": "\nAlright. Jānakī you want to speak?",
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"content": "\nI didn't even...",
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"content": "\nAh. You? Govinda Dasi?... [japa]\n[42:15]",
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"content": "\n[indistinct]\nom ajñāna-timirāndhasya jñānāñjana-śalākayā\ncakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ\n[I offer my respectful obeisances unto my spiritual master, who has opened my eyes, which were blinded by the darkness of ignorance, with the torchlight of knowledge.]\nI offer my respect... I offer my respectful obeisances to Śrīla Prabhupāda, who is the most dear and confidential servitor of the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa. He is always in transcendental ecstasy and always in transcendental association with Govinda and His beloved gopīs. Simply by giving loving service to the spiritual master one can gradually become a fully surrendered soul at the lotus feet of ŚrīŚrī Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa. And our spiritual master is so kind that he accepts whatever service anyone is willing to give.\nHe makes no distinction as to great or small and simply by his acceptance of our services the Supreme Lord automatically accepts. We are so tiny and inconceivably limited there is really no possibility of our doing anything of value. What we are doing is simply giving value, simply because it is done in the service of His Divine Grace and because he accepts it.\nIt is not possible for one to lift himself, by oneself. It is possible to regain our spiritual existence only by the divine mercy of the spiritual master and so he is always teaching us constantly in his every action how to become sincere servants of the Supreme Lord. And his mercy is not even conceivable by us, it is more like an unlimited ocean.\nHe is protecting us and caring for us in so many ways but we are so unfortunate and so foolish that we can't realize it. We cannot realise how indebted, eternally indebted to him. His very presence here is not even barely understandable to us. He is the most valuable jewel in all the universes and therefore this day is so auspicious because on this day His Divine Grace has appeared on this planet for delivering all the fallen souls from this wretched material incarceration onto the platform of spiritual existence of loving service to the Supreme Lord.\nTherefore we all offer our most humble obeisances to Śrīla Prabhupāda who has opened our shuttened eyes and dispelled our ignorance by the torchlight of knowledge and by the mercy of his lotus feet he has so kindly engaged us in His holy service. So we all thank him for appearing on this planet and bringing to us these most unworthy preachers the greatest gift, love of God.",
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"content": "\nAnnapūrṇa you want to speak?... Eh, you want to speak?... Speak, go ahead... No? [Laughs]. All right he can go [indistinct].\n[Aside:] [indistinct] you want to speak?\n[45:47]",
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"content": "\n\ntava kara-kamala-vare nakham adbhuta-śṛṅgaṁ\ndalita-hiraṇyakaśipu-tanu-bhṛṅgam\nkeśava dhṛta-narahari-rūpa jaya jagadīśa hare\n[Śrī Nṛsiṁha Praṇāma]\n[O Keśava! O Lord of the universe! O Lord Hari who have assumed the form of a half-man, half-lion! All glories to You! With the wonderfully sharp nails on Your beautiful lotus hands You have ripped apart the wasplike body of Hiraṇyakaśipu.]\nSwamiji has taught us this prayer and it is a prayer for the health of the spiritual master. In this case it is a prayer to Lord Nṛsiṁha and we always try and pray for Swamiji's health because we want him to be with us here as long as is possible. Swamiji is so dear to us and here we are all of us sitting here trying to express this feeling that we have.\nSo please take it as being very serious and important. It's important because it has some benefit, everyone is looking after some perfection and the 20 of us or the 25 of us we say that we have found it. So where else can you find a room full of people that say, \"Yes I have found the perfection of life.\"\nThe perfection is in our relationship with our spiritual master and in following his teachings. His main teaching to us is to chant Hare Krishna and to be happy. Everyone is looking for some mercy from others in this age of Kali it is very rare that you find it but Swamiji is all merciful. He instructs us to chant which is the recommended method for self-realization for this age and then he tells us to be happy and he is our... our most dear well-wisher.\nAs a matter of fact he is our only well-wisher. So this day is very auspicious and we all pray that Swamiji will stay with us even after his disappearance he will still be with us in his teachings and in our hearts. But it is such a glorious thing that we are having now, [getting emotional] in our eyes...\n[Whispers] Hare Krishna, I'm crying...",
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"content": "\n[indistinct]\n[48:36]",
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"content": "\n\nnama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale\nśrīmate bhaktivedānta-svāmin iti nāmine.\n[I offer my respectful obeisances unto His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, who is very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa on this earth, having taken shelter at His lotus feet.]\nom ajñāna-timirāndhasya jñānāñjana-śalākayā\ncakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ\n[I offer my respectful obeisances unto my spiritual master, who has opened my eyes, which were blinded by the darkness of ignorance, with the torchlight of knowledge.]\nvāsudeve bhagavati\nbhakti-yogaḥ prayojitaḥ\n[SB 1.2.7]\n[By rendering devotional service unto the Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, one immediately acquires causeless knowledge and detachment from the world.]\nIn devotional service, in loving service through Swamiji to Lord Kṛṣṇa is the only bliss, the only knowledge that we can attain. I am offering my respectful obeisances to our whole family. Of Vaiṣṇava ācāryas for handing down Swamiji to us......",
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"content": "\nValmiki?\n[49:56]",
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"content": "\n\nnama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale\nśrīmate bhaktivedānta-svāmin iti nāmine.\n[I offer my respectful obeisances unto His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, who is very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa on this earth, having taken shelter at His lotus feet.]\nI offer my respectful and humble obeisances unto Swamiji who is so kind to take me as a student. Even though I am most insincere and so fallen. I'll just tell a story that Swamiji told in San Francisco about one brāhmaṇa who prayed to Lord Śiva. To make him rich and Lord Śiva granted him his request and he told him to go to Śukadeva Gosvāmī and that there he would find this richness. So the brāhmaṇa went to Śukadeva Gosvāmī...",
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"content": "\nSanātana Gosvāmī.",
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"content": "\nSoonātana Gosvāmī [Laughs] yes... And he said, \"Lord Śiva has sent me here and he said that you had something most wonderful.\" And Soonātana [Sanātana] Gosvāmī says, \"And do you want that?\" And he said, \"Yes, I have come for it.\" So there was a pile of rubbish and he told the brāhmaṇa, \"Go in there and you will find a stone, bring it.\"\nAnd so the brāhmaṇa went into the rubbish and he found this stone and he brought it. And he was told by Soonātana [Sanātana] that this stone if touched to iron would turn to gold. The iron to gold. And so the brāhmaṇa was most happy because he thought, \"Oh now I will be the richest man in the world.\" And then he went away with this stone. But after a while he returned and he said, \"You have given me this stone but I do not think it is the most wonderful thing you have or else why would it be in the gar...rubbish? And why would you give it?\"\nAnd so Soonātan Gosvāmī said, \"Oh, you want the most precious thing I have?\" And the brāhmaṇas said, \"Yes I have come for that.\" \"Oh, throw away the stone and come and sit down and chant Hare Krishna.\"\nAnd that is what the Swamiji has given to us. He came to the United States with perhaps an empty suitcase but he had so much that couldn't be put into a suitcase. Hare Krishna.\nHare Krishna.",
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"content": "\nAnyone, more? You want?\n[52:32]",
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"content": "\n\nnama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale\nśrīmate bhaktivedānta-svāmin iti nāmine.\n[I offer my respectful obeisances unto His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, who is very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa on this earth, having taken shelter at His lotus feet.]\nThe spiritual master is the ocean of mercy and through his infinite mercy to the divine... And through the grace of Kṛṣṇa who brought our spiritual master to us. He gives us the first... The first taste of of of [getting emotional] love for Kṛṣṇa and through his... and through his sincere love of Kṛṣṇa which he he is never never...\nHe never forgets Kṛṣṇa. And through his never forgetting Kṛṣṇa and always being his faithful servitor by following his example we reached to the platform of loving service unto Kṛṣṇa and this is... This is the highest perfection and this is my spiritual master's gift. And because of this I offer my respectful obeisances unto His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Mahārāja.",
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"content": "\nYou want to speak? Come on... All right.\n[53:54]\nPradyumna\n: \n[indistinct]\nom ajñāna-timirāndhasya jñānāñjana-śalākayā\ncakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ\n[I offer my respectful obeisances unto my spiritual master, who has opened my eyes, which were blinded by the darkness of ignorance, with the torchlight of knowledge.]\nThere is probably a movie which most people have seen, it is called, \"The Wizard of Oz\". And in this movie there is a young girl who goes on a trip and after... At the end of the movie she is asked what she learned on this trip. And she says, \"I was always looking for something but I never found it. And now I know why because everything I was always looking for was always right in my own backyard. And if it wasn't in my own backyard it wasn't worth looking for anyway.\"\nSo this is the condition of all living entities is that they have everything right within themselves in their own heart. That they have all the capacity for all the knowledge whatever they could acquire in all this world and right beside them is Kṛṣṇa. And they are trying to find themselves in... [indistinct] [break]\n[54:53]\n Spiritual master is... Not that a particular man is spiritual master. Spiritual master is a truth. So what is that truth? The truth is saṁsāra-dāvānala-līḍha-loka-trāṇāya kāruṇya-ghanāghanatvam.\n[The spiritual master is receiving benediction from the ocean of mercy. Just as a cloud pours water on a forest fire to extinguish it, so the spiritual master delivers the materially afflicted world by extinguishing the blazing fire of material existence. I offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of such a spiritual master, who is an ocean of auspicious qualities.]\nThe whole world is in the blaze of material pangs, threefold miseries. And a person who is authorized to deliver people from that material pangs, he is called spiritual master.\nThe example is given in this verse, saṁsāra-dāvānala. Dāvānala is the Sanskrit word. The English equivalent is forest fire. Just like in the forest in this part of the world there are sometimes forest fire, and government has arrangement to pour water from up. There are so many arrangement. But forest fire there is, a fact. And what is this forest fire? The forest fire... Nobody has got any interest to set fire in the forest, but it takes place automatically.\nAnd when the forest fire is there, all the animals within the forest, they become so much disturbed. They cannot escape. They die, especially the snakes. Because snakes are always envious, so they are first up to be burned into that forest fire. They cannot go very swiftly. Others, tigers and other beasts, they go away. But the snake, they crawl. They cannot get out. Mostly they burn.\nSo this example is given to this materialistic life as forest fire, because nobody wants any disturbance, but disturbance is created. Actually I am seeing, since I have come to this part of the world in 1965, so many boys are chased by the government draft board. You see? They belong to the independent nation, and formerly they are independent.\nAnd what is this nonsense independence? You see? Simply nonsense. There is no independence. But we are thinking, \"I am independent.\" \"Oh, that nation has become independent. I shall become independent.\" Just like one of my students said he wanted to be independent and anarchist.\nSo these false notions, \"isms,\" are going on. People are being misled. You see? Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ [SB 7.5.31].\n[Persons who are strongly entrapped by the consciousness of enjoying material life, and who have therefore accepted as their leader or guru a similar blind man attached to external sense objects, cannot understand that the goal of life is to return home, back to Godhead, and engage in the service of Lord Viṣṇu. As blind men guided by another blind man miss the right path and fall into a ditch, materially attached men led by another materially attached man are bound by the ropes of fruitive labor, which are made of very strong cords, and they continue again and again in materialistic life, suffering the threefold miseries.]\nPractical experience: In my country, India, I was also a student of Gandhi. In 1920 I joined the noncooperation movement and gave up my education, because Gandhi's program was to boycott the British educational institution. So most of the university students... I was also. I passed my final examination, B.A., but I gave up. I did not appear, and I joined this movement.\nFortunately, in 1922 I also met my Guru Mahārāja, and he, on my first visit, I do not know why, he told that \"You should preach this Caitanya philosophy to the outside world.\" I replied that \"We are dependent nation. Who will hear us? In the world, nobody hears any person who is coming from dependent nation, so we must have first of all independence.\" A young man I was at that time, and I was also misled in so many ways. But my spiritual master saved me, Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Mahārāja.\nSo the spiritual master's duty is to save the living entities who are so much embarrassed by the forest fire. That is the duty of spiritual master.\nSaṁsāra-dāvānala-līḍha-loka.\n[The spiritual master is receiving benediction from the ocean of mercy. Just as a cloud pours water on a forest fire to extinguish it, so the spiritual master delivers the materially afflicted world by extinguishing the blazing fire of material existence. I offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of such a spiritual master, who is an ocean of auspicious qualities.]\nThe whole world is blazing, and just like in the blazing fire of the forest, the animals are going here and there, and some of them are dying, the whole world is like that. And how that blazing fire can be extinguished?\nYou cannot send there this fire brigade, or you cannot get some pots of water and try to extinguish that wide fire. It is not possible. Then how to extinguish it? The extinguishing is possible when there is cloud overhead and there is incessant pouring of water. Then the forest fire extinguished. No artificial means, no scientific means. Fire brigade or this fire extinguisher, we have invented so many things, but when there is forest fire all these things are nonsense; nothing can be used.\nThe only use, means, is when there is pouring, incessant pouring of water from the cloud. But, that is made of God. That is not in your hand. You cannot produce cloud. Some arrangement of God's arrangement, the cloud, is there. Ghanāghanatvam. The example is given, \"Charitable just like the cloud.\" Why this example is given? When cloud pours water, it is so sufficient that there is no comparison. But if you want to pour water, a bucketful of water, how long you will do it?\nThe spiritual master means he must be just like the cloud. How it is possible? It is possible. It is possible in this way, provided he follows the disciplic succession of spiritual master. Then it is possible. He must inherit the power from the superior source. Then it is possible that by his teaching, by his lessons, the forest fire which is burning within our heart, it can be extinguished, and the person who receives such spiritual instruction bona-fidely, he becomes satisfied. This is the process. So,\nsaṁsāra-dāvānala-līḍha-loka-\ntrāṇāya kāruṇya-ghanāghanatvam\nprāptasya kalyāṇa-guṇārṇavasya\nvande guroḥ śrī-caraṇāravindam\n[The spiritual master is receiving benediction from the ocean of mercy. Just as a cloud pours water on a forest fire to extinguish it, so the spiritual master delivers the materially afflicted world by extinguishing the blazing fire of material existence. I offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of such a spiritual master, who is an ocean of auspicious qualities.]\nNow, this spiritual master's succession is not very difficult. Of course, my students, they offer me so much respect, but all these respects are due to my spiritual master. I am nothing. I am just like peon. Just like peon delivers one letter. He is not responsible for what is written in that letter.\nHe simply delivers. But a peon's duty is that he must sincerely carry out the order of the postmaster and deliver the letter to the proper person. That is their duty. Similarly, this paramparā system is like that. Every one of us should become a spiritual master, because the world is in blazing fire.\n[aside:] You can give them prasādam.\nNow, of course, time is very high.\nSo to understand the spiritual master... Spiritual master is not a new invention. It is simply following the orders of the spiritual master. So all my students present here who are feeling so much obliged... I am also obliged to them, because they are helping me in this missionary work. At the same time, I shall request them all to become spiritual master.\nEvery one of you should be spiritual master next. And what is that duty? Whatever you are hearing from me, whatever you are learning from me, you have to distribute the same in toto, without any addition or alteration. Then all of you become the spiritual master. That is the science of becoming spiritual master.\nSpiritual master is not very... To become a spiritual master is not very wonderful thing. Simply one has to become sincere soul. That's all. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ [Bg. 4.2].\n[This supreme science was thus received through the chain of disciplic succession, and the saintly kings understood it in that way. But in course of time the succession was broken, and therefore the science as it is appears to be lost.]\nIn the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that \"By disciplic succession this yoga process of Bhagavad-gītā was handed down from disciple to disciple. But in course of time that disciplic succession is now lost. Therefore, Arjuna, I am teaching you again the same philosophy.\"\nSo this is the process. Simply if we... Therefore Vedic knowledge is called śruti. One has to hear it properly, assimilate it, and then practice it in life and preach the same thing. Then everyone becomes spiritual master. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, āmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra 'sarva-deśa [Cc. Madhya 7.128]:\n[“Instruct everyone to follow the orders of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa as they are given in the Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. In this way become a spiritual master and try to liberate everyone in this land.”]\n\"O My dear disciples, I tell you that you, all of you, become spiritual master. Simply you carry out My order. That's all.\" \"And what is Your order?\" \"The order is the same: yāre dekha, tāre kaha 'kṛṣṇa'-upadeśa [Cc. Madhya 7.128].\nJust like Kṛṣṇa gave instruction in the Bhagavad-gītā, and if you simply place the instruction received from Bhagavad-gītā as it is...\" We are... I am publishing Bhagavad-gītā As It Is because in the market there were so many Bhagavad-gītā misinterpreted, but that is not the process of presenting Bhagavad-gītā. Bhagavad-gītā should be presented as it is.\nIn the Bhagavad-gītā it is simply said that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. But most books which you have seen in English lang..., they are trying to make minus Kṛṣṇa. That is their attempt. So what sort of Bhagavad-gītā is that? That should not be done. Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme. You should speak that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme. That is the preaching of Bhagavad-gītā.\nSo today is called Vyāsa-pūjā. Vyāsa-pūjā means the Vyāsadeva, Veda-vyāsa, who wrote the Vedic literature, and he is the supreme spiritual master, because he has given us the spiritual knowledge. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is..., nārāyaṇaṁ namāskṛtya naraṁ caiva narottamam, devīṁ sarasvatīṁ vyāsam [SB 1.2.4].\n[Before reciting this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, which is the very means of conquest, one should offer respectful obeisances unto the Personality of Godhead, Nārāyaṇa, unto Nara-nārāyaṇa Ṛṣi, the supermost human being, unto mother Sarasvatī, the goddess of learning, and unto Śrīla Vyāsadeva, the author.]\nSo Vyāsa. So this platform is called \"the seat of Vyāsa.\" So spiritual master should be representative of Vyāsa. Then the instruction is complete, and the benefit is assured.\nSo I do not wish to take much of your time. We will now distribute prasādam. And one thing, coincidence, the Vyāsa-pūjā means to observe the birth date of the spiritual master. That is called Vyāsa-pūjā. And so today, this Nandotsava day, fortunately, seventy-three years ago I was born on this date. So this date, Nandotsava, is also a very fortunate occasion, because after Kṛṣṇa's birth, Mahārāja Nanda, the father of Kṛṣṇa, he celebrated an utsava, a ceremony, and this day is called Nandotsava.\nSo a little I shall speak about Nandotsava. Nanda Mahārāja, he was a little elderly when Kṛṣṇa was born, and some of his friends came to congratulate, \"My dear friend, you have got a son in your old age,\" and Nanda Mahārāja said amongst the friends that \"How can you say I am old? An old man cannot beget a child. I am young man.\"\nSo these things are stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. And all the villagers... Because, you know, Vṛndāvana is a village, a big village, and Nanda Mahārāja is the head of that village, Vṛndāvana, so all the people came to congratulate the child, and this is called Nandotsava.\nSo one brāhmaṇa, he has spoken a nice verse in this connection. He said that śrutim apare smṛtim itare bhāratam anye bhajantu bhava-bhītāḥ [Padyāvalī 126].\n[Those who are afraid of material existence worship Vedic literature. Some worship smṛti, the corollaries to Vedic literature, and others worship the Mahābhārata. As far as I am concerned, I worship Mahārāja Nanda, the father of Kṛṣṇa, in whose courtyard the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Absolute Truth, is playing.]\nThere are different kinds of Vedic literature: śruti, smṛti, Mahābhārata, Vedānta. So he says, \"Let others read śruti, Vedic literature, Vedānta-sūtra and Upaniṣad, and so many there are in Vedic literatures. Let others read that. But I have come here...\"\nAham iha śrī nandaṁ vande: \"I have come to worship Nanda Mahārāja.\" Nanda Mahārāja. \"Why you have left everything and you have come to worship Nanda Mahārāja?\" Yasyālinde paraṁ brahma: \"Because in his courtyard the Supreme Personality of Godhead is crawling.\" You see? \"The people are searching after what is God, and God is crawling in his yard. So therefore I do not find anyone more than Nanda Mahārāja, so I offer my respect to Nanda Mahārāja.\"\nSo this is the feeling of the devotees. Generally, those who are followers of speculative process, or jñāna-mārga, they finally reach to understand that he is one with the Supreme Absolute Truth. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi. But the devotional service is so nice that a devotee is not satisfied that \"I am one with the Supreme,\" but by his service he becomes greater than the Supreme.\nJust like Nanda Mahārāja. He is not anxious to become one with God, but he underwent so great penances that he became the father of God. That is possible. A devotee is so great that he can pray the Supreme Lord as his son. Of course, it is a very subtle science for understanding of spiritual knowledge.\nSo today Nanda-mahotsava is celebrated because the father of Kṛṣṇa... Ajo 'pi sann avyayātmā bhūtānām īśvaro 'pi san [Bg. 4.6], in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said.\n[Although I am unborn and My transcendental body never deteriorates, and although I am the Lord of all sentient beings, I still appear in every millennium in My original transcendental form.]\nAlthough God is unborn and He is the Supreme, still, by love, He accepts one of His devotees as His father and appears as his son. So today is very nice day, that Kṛṣṇa has appeared. The Supreme Lord has appeared as the son of Nanda Mahārāja. So there is some arrangement of prasādam on account of Nanda Mahārāja. So you can distribute and enjoy.\nThank you very much. [devotees offer obeisances] [end]",
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"content": "\n\nna māṁ karmāṇi limpanti\nna me karma-phale spṛhā\niti māṁ yo 'bhijānāti\nkarmabhir na sa badhyate\n[Bg 4.14]\n[There is no work that affects Me; nor do I aspire for the fruits of action. One who understands this truth about Me also does not become entangled in the fruitive reactions of work.]\nNow...\n[aside:] You can come please forward. Yes. Yes. Come forward. There is... Sit down.\nKarmabhir sa na badhyate. Now, the whole world is bound by his own karma, action. Everyone, every living entity... In the Brahma-saṁhitā there is a nice verse about this...\n[children yelling in the background] [pause]\nThere is a nice verse, yas tu... Beginning from the germ... There is a germ which is called indra-gopa. You know that among the living entities, the germs are in very minute form. You cannot see even with your microscope. In a, in a space of one millimeter, you can find millions of germs. That is scientific truth. So beginning from the germs, which are called...\n[to children:] Please stop! Please stop!\nBeginning from the germs up to the heavenly kingdom... The king of heaven is called Indra, and the smallest, minutest germ, it is also called indra-gopa in Sanskrit language. So in the Brahma-saṁhitā [Bs 5.54] it is said that,\n[I adore the primeval Lord Govinda, who burns up to their roots all fruitive activities of those who are imbued with devotion and impartially ordains for each the due enjoyment of the fruits of one's activities, of all those who walk in the path of work, in accordance with the chain of their previously performed works, no less in the case of the tiny insect that bears the name of indragopa than in that of Indra, king of the devas.]\n\"Beginning from this indra up to that Indra...\" That means \"Beginning from the germ which is known as indra-gopa up to the point of the king who is also known as Indra, all of them are bound up by the reaction of his own karma, or his own work.\"\nEvery work which you are doing, good or bad, we have to suffer or enjoy the reaction of our work. And so long we have to suffer or enjoy the reaction of our work, as long as we shall go on like this, so long we have to accept this material body. This material body is just given to us by the arrangement of nature's law for the exact status of suffering or enjoyment.\nJust like you have seen different animals, they have got different process of eating. Say for tiger. Tiger, they have bodies made for eating raw flesh and raw blood. So all the body is so made that they have got particular nails and jaws and teeth so that they can do that. Similarly, you can see the hog. They have to eat the stool. Oh, they have got a particular shape of mouth so that they can easily do that. Now, we are human being. We are meant for taking vegetables and fruits. Now, our teeth is just like knife which can cut the vegetables and the fruits.\nSo all these bodies, I mean to say... I am giving particular stress to the body. A king's body, a poor man's body. A poor man, he has to work very hard. His body is very sturdy. He can work very nicely. But a son of very aristocratic family or king, oh, his body is very delicate. He cannot work. He can apply his brain in something else. So, so long we are... These bodies are made according to the different status of our work we have done in our past life. And next body is being prepared according to the work which we are doing now. But here Kṛṣṇa says that as soon as one can understand the transcendental nature of Kṛṣṇa's activities, he becomes free from the reaction of activities.\nNow, here is the question, that because we are now preparing ourself to have our spiritual body or spiritual life developed, and being freed from this material existence, therefore our duty should be such so that we may not be entangled again into this material body. That can be made possible if we are Kṛṣṇa conscious. If we study Kṛṣṇa, what is Kṛṣṇa, what are His transcendental activities, how His energies are acting in this material world or spiritual world, all this... It is a great science. Kṛṣṇa is a great science.\nSo if we study Kṛṣṇa science with great attention, then the result will be that we shall be free from the reaction of our activities. This is clearly said here, na mam karmāṇi limpanti na me karma-phale spṛhā [Bg 4.14].\n[There is no work that affects Me; nor do I aspire for the fruits of action. One who understands this truth about Me also does not become entangled in the fruitive reactions of work.]\nThe Lord has nothing to do. He is full. He has nothing to do. But why He does? Just to set example. Set example. He's not bound up by the works which He is doing in the material world. This science has to be learned. Na me karma-phale spṛhā. And anyone who understands this transcendental nature of Kṛṣṇa, he is also becoming free from the reaction of karma.\nevaṁ jñātvā kṛtaṁ karma\npūrvair api mumukṣubhiḥ\nkuru karmaiva tasmāt tvaṁ\npūrvaiḥ pūrvataraṁ kṛtam\n[Bg 4.15]\n[All the liberated souls in ancient times acted with this understanding and so attained liberation. Therefore, as the ancients, you should perform your duty in this divine consciousness.]\nNow, the whole spiritual process is to follow the example of the previous ācāryas who have attained, I mean to..., success.\n[boys making noise outside]\n[aside:] These boys, wherefrom they come? They disturb.\nevaṁ jñātvā kṛtaṁ karma\npūrvair api mumukṣubhiḥ\nkuru karmaiva tasmāt tvaṁ\npūrvaiḥ pūrvataraṁ kṛtam\n[Bg 4.15]\nNow, there are... Arjuna... Kṛṣṇa is advising Arjuna that \"If you act and follow in the footprints of the previous ācāryas and previous great devotees and kings who have done in their life karma-yoga, acting for Kṛṣṇa, if we follow that principle, then you shall also become free from the reaction of activities.\" Because Arjuna was very much afraid for being entangled in the reaction of his fighting, Kṛṣṇa therefore assures that \"You shall not be... If you follow, if you act, if you fight for My sake, then you will not be entangled by the reaction of karma.\"\nKiṁ karma kim akarmeti...,\nkiṁ karma kim akarmeti\nkavayo 'py atra mohitāḥ\ntat te karma pravakṣyāmi\nyaj jñātvā mokṣyase 'śubhāt\n[Bg 4.16]\n[Even the intelligent are bewildered in determining what is action and what is inaction. Now I shall explain to you what action is, knowing which you shall be liberated from all sins.]\nNow, people are misled what is karma, what is actually work, and what is not work, akarma. Kiṁ karma kim akarmeti kavayo 'pi. Kavayaḥ means great sages, great saintly persons, great philosophers. They are also sometimes bewildered to understand what class of activities are genuine and what class of activities are nongenuine. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says that \"I shall teach you what are genuine activities and what are nongenuine activities.\" Tat te karma pravakṣyāmi yaj jñātvā mokṣyase aśubhāt. Yaj jñātvā: \"If you understand the principle of working, then you shall get free from the bondage, material bondage.\"\nWe have to work in such a way that we may..., may not be entangled with this material bondage. Otherwise, as we have explained, this body is our material bondage, and it is the result of our activities. So we have to perform our activities so nicely and so cautiously so that I may not be entangled, I may be free even in this life, and tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti [Bg 4.9],\n[One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and activities does not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in this material world, but attains My eternal abode, O Arjuna.]\nI can, after leaving this present body, I'll have no more to come into this material world. This science is being taught by Kṛṣṇa to Arjuna. And the whole activity, the whole activity is that if we engage ourself, as we find it in the Eleventh Chapter, last verse,\nmat-karma-kṛn mat-paramo\nmad-bhaktaḥ saṅga-varjitaḥ\nnirvairaḥ sarva-bhūteṣu\nyaḥ sa mām eti pāṇḍava\n[Bg 11.55]\n[My dear Arjuna, one who is engaged in My pure devotional service, free from the contaminations of previous activities and from mental speculation, who is friendly to every living entity, certainly comes to Me.]\nNow, this one verse is sufficient to teach the essence of Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā, that \"Anyone who is engaged in My work,\" \"in My work,\" mat-karma-kṛt... Then what is that \"My work\"? That \"My work\" is explained in the last word of the..., and the last instruction of the Bhagavad-gītā, that sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja [Bg 18.66]. Arjuna is taught—and with the example of Arjuna, every one of us is taught—that we have to work only which is sanctioned by Kṛṣṇa. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja [Bg 18.66]. \n[Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reaction. Do not fear.]\nThat is the... That is the mission of human life. But we do not know that. We do not know that. And because we do not know that, we engage ourself with so many work which is concerned with the bodily and material conception of life. So mat-karma-kṛt. So one has to do what Kṛṣṇa desires, just like Arjuna did. Kṛṣṇa desired that he should fight. Arjuna did not like to fight, but because Kṛṣṇa desired, he accepted to fight. This is Kṛṣṇa's work. That we have to select.\nNow, what is the work at the present moment for us, Kṛṣṇa's work? Kṛṣṇa is not present now to dictate that \"This is My work.\" Just like Arjuna was fortunate enough. He was personally present before Arjuna. Lord Kṛṣṇa was personally present, and He was directing. But that does not mean that we have no direction. We have direction. We have direction. In the Bhagavad-gītā you'll find that anyone who preaches the gospel of Bhagavad-gītā to the people of the world, he is the most dear, the dearest person in the world to Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa accepts him the dearest person.\nSo therefore our duty is to preach the principles of this Bhagavad-gītā, to make people Kṛṣṇa conscious. People are suffering for want of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Therefore each and every one of us should be engaged in the preaching work of Kṛṣṇa consciousness for the benefit of the whole world.\nLord Caitanya, whose picture you see in the front of our this store, Lord Caitanya very nicely preached this philosophy of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.\nāmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra' ei deśa\nyāre dekha tāre kaha 'kṛṣṇa'-upadeśa\n[Cc Madhya 7.128]\n[Instruct everyone to follow the orders of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa as they are given in the Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. In this way become a spiritual master and try to liberate everyone in this land.]\nThe Lord says, āmāra ājñāya. Because He came with this mission, to preach Kṛṣṇa consciousness, so He says, \"Just take My order, and all of you, you become the spiritual master.\" Guru hañā. Anyone who teaches people Kṛṣṇa consciousness, never mind what, what he is and where he is, he should be understood the spiritual master.\nSo Lord Kṛṣṇa, Lord Caitanya gives order to everyone that āmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra' ei deśa: \"Every country, every, I mean to say, province, you go everywhere and just preach this Kṛṣṇa consciousness.\"\nāmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra' ei deśa\nyāre dekha tāre kaha 'kṛṣṇa'-upadeśa\n[Cc Madhya 7.128]\nKṛṣṇa-upadeśa means this Bhagavad-gītā, the instruction given by Kṛṣṇa. That is kṛṣṇa-upadeśa. And kṛṣṇa-upadeśa is also Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is full of instruction by which one can become Kṛṣṇa conscious. Similarly, in the Bhagavad-gītā also, we receive the instruction how we can become Kṛṣṇa conscious. So Lord Caitanya selects these very two particular books, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and Bhagavad-gītā, and He asks everyone, in any part of the world, to take up this matter very seriously and preach in the world. That is the direct order of Kṛṣṇa.\nSo if we take up this missionary work, to preach Bhagavad-gītā as it is, without any interpretation and without any motive behind it, as it is, as Kṛṣṇa said... We should present as it is. People misrepresent Bhagavad-gītā by their own interpretation. That should not be done. Bhagavad-gītā as it is should be presented before the people of the world. They are suffering for want of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and as soon as they become Kṛṣṇa conscious, their life becomes happy. So this is the mission of this Society, International Society for Krishna Consciousness.\nAs Kṛṣṇa advises, saṅga-varjitaḥ: \"You should not have any attraction or any attachment for these worldly activities.\" If you have got attachment or attraction for these material activities, then you cannot have Kṛṣṇa..., you cannot become Kṛṣṇa conscious. But that does not mean you should be inimical to the people of the world. No. It is your duty to give them the highest instruction, spiritual instruction, that \"You become Kṛṣṇa conscious.\" And try your best. Try your best.\nNirvairaḥ. You should not be anyone's enemy. Others may become your enemy. Because it is quite natural. Anyone who comes with the message of the Supreme Lord, there are persons who become his enemy. Just like Lord Jesus Christ, he came. His only fault was that he was preaching the message of God, and people—some people, not all people—become his enemy, and he was crucified.\nSo this is the world. Anyone who comes as a most, I mean to say, beneficial friend of the world, people take him as the enemy, and they do the same mistake again so that they are bound up again by their own work and they remain in this material world to repeat birth and death, one after another, one after another.\nSo we should be very much cautious. We should not miss this chance of this human body to become Kṛṣṇa consciousness..., to become conscious of Kṛṣṇa. So therefore we must know how to work. How to work. Kiṁ karma kim akarmeti [Bg 4.16].\n[Even the intelligent are bewildered in determining what is action and what is inaction. Now I shall explain to you what action is, knowing which you shall be liberated from all sins.]\nIf we do not know how to work, then we shall be entangled in these material activities. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says saṅga-varjitaḥ. Of course, a Kṛṣṇa conscious person, he also acts just like another material actor, but because he works in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, therefore he's not bound up.\nJust like take the example of Arjuna. He also fought just like ordinary military man, but because he fought in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, therefore he was not bound up by the reaction of such fighting. Fighting is not necessary. Fighting is not necessary. Peace, peace is necessary. But sometimes peace is disturbed. At that time, fighting is also necessary. You cannot..., you cannot absolutely give up the process of fighting in this material world. That is not possible. Because there are persons who will create trouble. Just like we are experiencing. We are not going to do any harm to anybody, but sometimes they are coming and creating disturbance.\nSo these disturbing elements are there, and this is always there. The material nature is like that. Therefore fighting cannot be abolished in the..., when it is necessary, absolutely necessary. In the Battle of Kurukṣetra, Lord Kṛṣṇa advocated this fighting because it was absolutely necessary.\nSo anything—it does not matter what it is—when it is sanctioned by Kṛṣṇa, it has no reaction. That is the real work. Other, anything which we do which may be very good work in the estimation of this material world, but that is bound to make you entangled in this material world. This secret one should learn.\nkarmaṇo hy api boddhavyaṁ\nboddhavyaṁ ca vikarmaṇaḥ\nakarmaṇaś ca boddhavyaṁ\ngahanā karmaṇo gatiḥ\n[Bg 4.17]\n[The intricacies of action are very hard to understand. Therefore one should know properly what action is, what forbidden action is, and what inaction is.]\nKarmaṇo gatiḥ, the path of karma, is very intricate. Therefore one should understand what is actually karma and what is akarma and what is vikarma. And knowing this, one should perform karma. But one thing is that if we simply engage ourself in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then everything becomes clear. Otherwise, we have to make discrimination, \"What I should do, what I should not do, so that I may not be entangled.\"\nJust like in ordinary life we, whatever we do, we sometimes, we may unconsciously doing something which is against the law, and therefore we become bound up by the laws of the state, and sometimes we are in trouble. So similarly, in the laws of nature also, the laws of nature is very strict. There is no excuse. The laws of nature is very stringent. Just like the fire. Fire, it burns. That is natural. This is the law of nature. So even a child touches fire, the fire does not excuse, that \"Because it is child, oh, his hand may be..., may not be burned.\" No. That is not possible. So we have to make our work very cautiously. We have to select our work very cautiously. Otherwise, the stringent laws of nature will react, and we shall be bound by the laws of material nature and suffer.\nThe Lord says that karmaṇo hy api boddhavyam. One should understand how to work and one should understand what is not to be done. Akarmaṇaś ca boddhavyam. Karmaṇo hy api boddhavyaṁ boddhavyaṁ ca vikarmaṇaḥ. Karma, akarma and vikarma. There are three things. Karma means prescribed duties. Prescribed duties. That is called karma. And akarma..., vikarma means doing against the prescribed duties. That is called vikarma. And akarma means something doing which has no reaction. That is not... Of course, in the execution of such work, it appears to be working, but practically it has no reaction. That is vikarma. And that vikarma is when we act on account of the Supreme. That is when we... Kṛṣṇa-karma-kṛt. When we work under the direction of Kṛṣṇa, that has no reaction. Otherwise, karma, one should do prescribed duties, and one should not do which is not prescribed.\nFor example, for example, just like the state. The state has got some laws. Now, suppose if you commit murder, it will be hang..., you will be hanged. That is the state law. So if you again, against the state law you commit some murder, you will be hanged. This is vikarma, and I should be cautious. But when the state orders, itself, that \"You go and fight. Kill the enemy,\" that is neither karma nor vikarma. So similarly, when we act under the direction of Kṛṣṇa, that is akarma. That means that karma, that kind of activities, has no reaction. Otherwise, we shall have to act very cautiously so that I may not be entangled with the reaction of my karma.\nkarmaṇy akarma yaḥ paśyed\nakarmāṇi ca karma yaḥ\nsa buddhimān manuṣyeṣu\nsa yuktaḥ kṛtsna-karma-kṛt\n[Bg 4.18]\n[One who sees inaction in action, and action in inaction, is intelligent among men, and he is in the transcendental position, although engaged in all sorts of activities.]\nNow here is a nice verse. The Lord says, \"One who can see karmāṇi, akarma, any work which is being done, but it has no reaction...\" Karmāṇi, akarma yaḥ. \"I am doing something, but the ultimate result of that work has no reaction.\" One who can see like that... Karmaṇy akarma yaḥ paśyed akarmāṇi ca yaḥ karma. And akarmāṇi means one who is trying to avoid the reaction of karma, but he is being entangled in karma. Sa buddhimān manuṣyeṣu [Bg 4.18]: \"He is the most intelligent person.\" Sa yuktaḥ kṛtsna-karma-kṛt, sa: \"He is dovetailed with Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and therefore, after doing so many work\"—kṛtsna mean all sorts of work—\"still, he is free,\" karmaṇy akarma, \"even working.\"\nJust see, the Arjuna. Arjuna is fighting, and the other party, Duryodhana, is also fighting. Now, how you can understand that Arjuna is free from reaction but Duryodhana is not free from reaction? The fighting is both... Both parties are fighting. Externally, ephemerally, we can see simply that they are fighting. But who is bound up by reaction? Who is not bound up reaction? Arjuna is not bound up by reaction. Why? He is fighting under the order of Kṛṣṇa. So we have to see like that, who is working with Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Anyone who is working Kṛṣṇa consciousness, we should see that he is not being bound up. This is called karmaṇy akarma. Akarma means which has no reaction. So although I see somebody is working, but because he is working in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, therefore it should be understood that his work is not producing any reaction.\nSo this intelligent vision is recommended here by Kṛṣṇa that sa buddhimān: \"Anyone who is working and who can see such work, who can understand such work,\" sa buddhimān manuṣyeṣu [Bg 4.18], \"in the human society, he is very intelligent.\" He is very intelligent. Otherwise, sometimes bhakti, the devotional service of the Lord... Just like I'll give you a crude example. Just like a boy, he is flying kite, and he is moving his reel containing the thread. Now, from a distant place, you'll find that he is moving his thread, but, moving his reel, but sometimes, moving his reel he is getting down the kite, and moving his reel he is getting higher and higher the kite. So from distant place, we can see that there is moving of the reel, but the action is different.\nSimilarly, simply by seeing the movement of a person, that he is also acting, that is not final judgment. We have to see what sort of acting he is doing. If he's acting in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, if we can see a person is acting in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then we can understand that he's free from the reaction. And if he's not acting in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, but externally, from our material estimation, we can see that \"Oh, he is doing very good work. He's very doing good work...\"\nJust like Arjuna, when he first refused to work, refused to fight, that \"My dear Kṛṣṇa, it is not possible for me to fight with my relatives, brothers. I am not going to fight,\" but from material estimation, this conclusion, this decision of Arjuna, is very good. Very good. So materially, from material standing of, standpoint of view, that he is not going to commit nonviolence..., violence—he is nonviolent—he's very good man. But from spiritual point of view, it is not so. From spiritual point of view, it is not so.\nSo one has to see. Simply by external features, that one is working and one is not working, that we cannot... What is the standard of work? Under what consciousness he's working? If he's working in material consciousness, then he's being bound up. However good may be that work, he's being bound up.\nNow, what is the binding reaction of good material work? Just try to understand. Good material work... Suppose you have done most charitable work, munificent work, and you have started so many, I mean to say, philanthropic institution. That's all right. These are... From material estimation, these things are very good work. But you are being bound up. You are being bound up. In which way you are being bound up? That these things are called puṇya-karma, pious work. When you do pious work, you get four results. What are the four results? Janma-aiśvarya-śruta-śrī.\nJanma-aiśvarya-śruta-śrī. If you do pious work, you can get reaction in four ways. You can get your birth in a very nice family, just like in the family of a brāhmaṇa, in the family of a rich man. For pious work, one can get his janma. And aiśvarya. Aiśvarya means you can become very rich man by pious work. Janmaiśvarya-śruta [SB 1.8.26]. \n[My Lord, Your Lordship can easily be approached, but only by those who are materially exhausted, because one who is on the path of [material] progress, trying to improve himself with respectable parentage, great opulence, high education and bodily beauty, cannot address You with sincere feeling.]\nŚruta means you can become very learned scholar. These are the results of pious work. Janmaiśvarya-śruta, and śrī: you can become very beautiful by pious work. These are the results of pious work.\nSimilarly, just the opposite: if you do vicious work, then you, you have to go to the lower-class family or even the animal family, lower-class birth, or become a fool, illiterate, and become not very good-looking. So many things. These are the reaction of pious and vicious work.\nNow, taking it for granted that I am doing all pious work, that's all right. And I am getting my birth in a very rich family or very pure family, just like brāhmaṇa family or something like that. I am getting myself very good education. I am very beautiful to see. And I am very rich man, all these. But our point is that suppose if you are rich man, suppose if you are very learned man, but you are not free from the stringent laws of material world. The whole point of vision should be targeted there, that \"I am not going to be under the stricture of this material world.\" If we miss that point, then we shall be captivated by this aristocratic family or good education or beautiful body or richness. We shall be...\nOne should understand that \"In spite of having all these facilities of material life, I am not free from four things: janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi [Bg 13.9].\"\n[Humility, pridelessness, nonviolence, tolerance, simplicity, approaching a bona fide spiritual master, cleanliness, steadiness and self-control; renunciation of the objects of sense gratification, absence of false ego, the perception of the evil of birth, death, old age and disease; nonattachment to children, wife, home and the rest, and evenmindedness amid pleasant and unpleasant events; constant and unalloyed devotion to Me, resorting to solitary places, detachment from the general mass of people; accepting the importance of self-realization, and philosophical search for the Absolute Truth—all these I thus declare to be knowledge, and what is contrary to these is ignorance.]\nJanma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi. \"I am not free from four, four these things, material laws of nature.\" What is that? \"I am not free from repeated birth and death. I am not free from old age. I am not free from diseases.\" Therefore Kṛṣṇa has recommended in the Bhagavad-gītā that ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna [Bg 8.16]:\n[From the highest planet in the material world down to the lowest, all are places of misery wherein repeated birth and death take place. But one who attains to My abode, O son of Kuntī, never takes birth again.]\n\"My dear Arjuna, if you go up to the highest planet, which is called Brahmaloka, where there is long duration of life and all other enjoyments—they are thousands and thousands times better than enjoyment here—but still, ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna, then you have to come again. The repetition of birth and death is there also. Therefore your aim should be mad-dhāma..., yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama [Bg 15.6]:\n[That abode of Mine is not illumined by the sun or moon, nor by electricity. One who reaches it never returns to this material world.]\n\"You have to go back to My planet, My kingdom. That will make you perfect.\"\nSo this work, good work or bad work from the material point of view, may be superficially very good. But what..., how long I shall remain a rich man? How long I shall remain a beautiful man? This is not my permanent life. Suppose if my life is for hundred years, say. I can remain a rich man, I can remain a learned man, I can remain a beautiful man, say, for fifty or sixty or hundred years. But your life is not for hundred years or sixty years or thousands years or millions of years. You are eternal. You have to attain your eternal life. That is the whole problem.\nBut, that problem you have to solve. That problem can be solved when you are Kṛṣṇa conscious, so that by Kṛṣṇa conscious, when you leave this body, you will no more have to come to this material world and accept this material body or suffer and enjoy thereof. That is the point. The point is very difficult for common men, but this is the point. This is the point. I have to avoid this material existence altogether. That is the point. It is... It is not the question of improving my material condition. That is not the solution.\nIf I... Just like in a prison house, if you want to improve your condition, you become a very good prisoner, and the government gives you A-class status. There are three classes of status in prison life. Some are suffering the prison life in the A-class status. Some of them are suffering in the B-class status. There are also classes. Just like when some political leader is put into prison, they are given A-class status. But a sane man, a sane man should not be satisfied by becoming an A-class prisoner, A-class prisoner.\nSo we are, in this material world, some of us are in the A-class prisoner, some of us are B-class prisoner, some of us are C-class prisoner. So to become an A-class prisoner from C-class prisoner is not the solution of our problem. The problem should be solved that \"Let me become completely free, completely free from the prison life.\" That is the whole problem.\nkarmaṇy akarma yaḥ paśyed\nakarmāṇi ca karma yaḥ\nsa buddhimān manuṣyeṣu\nsa yuktaḥ kṛtsna-karma-kṛt\n[Bg 4.18]\n[One who sees inaction in action, and action in inaction, is intelligent among men, and he is in the transcendental position, although engaged in all sorts of activities.]\n\"Anyone who can understand the process of karma, the process of work, in this way, he is the most intelligent person in this world.\" Most intelligent person. Not that a person who has passed M.A., Ph.D. examination from the university de..., offering country. The person who understands this problem of life, he is the most intelligent person. That we should learn. He is the most intelligent person.\nyasya sarve samārambhāḥ\nkāma-saṅkalpa-varjitāḥ\njñānāgni-dagdha-karmāṇaṁ\ntam āhuḥ paṇḍitaṁ budhāḥ\n[Bg 4.19]\n[One is understood to be in full knowledge whose every act is devoid of desire for sense gratification. He is said by sages to be a worker whose fruitive action is burned up by the fire of perfect knowledge.]\nPaṇḍita. Paṇḍita means learned, and budha means one who is well-versed. He is called budha. Budha, this very term you'll find in another place of Bhagavad-gītā, in the Tenth Chapter, budhā bhāva-samanvitāḥ.\nahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo\nmattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate\niti matvā bhajante māṁ\nbudhā bhāva-samanvitāḥ\n[Bg 10.8]\n[I am the source of all spiritual and material worlds. Everything emanates from Me. The wise who know this perfectly engage in My devotional service and worship Me with all their hearts.]\nThat budha you'll find in the Tenth Chapter, and the same budha, paṇḍita, paṇḍita and budha. Paṇḍita, according to Bhagavad-gītā, paṇḍita, paṇḍita means learned man. The Sanskrit word paṇḍita means... And budha is \"well-versed.\"\nNow who is well-versed? And who is paṇḍita? A very learned man from..., by academic education may not be a learned man according to the view of Bhagavad-gītā. Bhagavad-gītā says, \"He is the learned man who can see everyone on the equal footing, equal level.\"\nvidyā-vinaya-sampanne\nbrāhmaṇe gavi hastini\nśuni caiva śva-pāke ca\npaṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ\n[Bg 5.18]\n[The humble sage, by virtue of true knowledge, sees with equal vision a learned and gentle brāhmaṇa, a cow, an elephant, a dog and a dog-eater [outcaste]]\nA paṇḍita, paṇḍita can see... Paṇḍita means a learned man can see that \"Here is a learned brāhmaṇa.\" In India, according to Vedic civilization, a learned brāhmaṇa is considered to be the topmost man in human society. So therefore He is taking the example that \"Here is a very learned brāhmaṇa.\" Vidyā-vinaya-sampanne brāhmaṇe. Not only he is brāhmaṇa, but he is very gentle. Vidyā means... What is the result of vidyā? Education means one becomes gentleman. That is the result of vidyā. If one is not a gentleman, then his learning is not accepted according to the Vedic literature. So paṇḍita means that one who is learned and gentle.\nSo another paṇḍita sees vidyā-vinaya-sampanne, a brāhmaṇa, learned and gentle, vidyā-vinaya-sampanne brāhmaṇe gavi, and a cow, vidyā-vinaya-sampanne gavi ha..., and an elephant, and śva-pāke... Śva-pāke ca śuni ceta. Śva-pāke means there is a class of men who eats dog. They are counted amongst the lower class in India. Śva-pāke ca śuni ca. Śuni ca means dog. So dog also, not taken very good animal in the society. But a paṇḍita—either a dog, either a cow, either an elephant, either a, a, I mean to say, dog-eater, or a learned brāhmaṇa—he sees all of them on the same level. That is paṇḍita.\nWhy he sees on the same level? Do you mean to say that a learned brāhmaṇa, a high-class brāhmaṇa, he is just like as good as a dog? No. A learned brāhmaṇa is not as good as a dog. But how, how, then, the paṇḍita sees on the equal footing? Oh, because he does not see on the skin, but he sees on the spirit. Therefore he's paṇḍita. One who has learned this art, to see in any living being only the spirit he sees, that \"Here is a living being. He's a spiritual spark. He's a spirit soul. But he has got a different covering, body, only.\"\nJust like in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that vāsāṁsi jīrṇāni [Bg 2.22]:\n[As a person puts on new garments, giving up old ones, similarly, the soul accepts new material bodies, giving up the old and useless ones.]\n\"This body is just like our dress.\" Suppose a very learned man has come in a shabby dress. Do you think that he should be dishonored? If he's known, of course[?]. Just like our this sannyāsī dress. It is not very costly dress. It is a loincloth. It is very cheap. But sometimes people misunderstand that \"Here is a beggar.\" And sometimes we are respected. So simply by dress we should not see any living entity. Whether..., either he's a dog, or he's a, in the estimation of the society, a lower-class man, or a very high-class man, or a cow, but we shall see that \"Here is a spirit soul.\" Anyone who can understand the spiritual vision of life, he is paṇḍita. He is paṇḍita.\nAnd according to Cāṇakya Paṇḍita... Cāṇakya, he was a great politician, and he says... Now, what is the standard of education? Standard of education. Now, he has given very nice, three words, three words for standard of education, who is perfect in education. He says,\nmātṛvat para-dāreṣu\npara-dravyeṣu loṣṭravat\nātmavat sarva-bhūteṣu\nyaḥ paśyati sa paṇḍitaḥ\n[Cāṇakya Paṇḍita]\n[One who sees others' wives as his mother, who sees all others' possessions as insignificant as a lump of clay, and who sees all living beings as himself—such a person is considered a learned man.]\nPaṇḍita. This paṇḍita. This paṇḍita, explanation of paṇḍita. Now, who is a paṇḍita? Now, mātṛvat para-dāreṣu: \"He is the learned man who sees all women as his mother.\" Except one's married wife, one should see every woman as his mother. Mātṛvat. Mātṛ means mother. Vat means just like. Mātṛvat para-dāreṣu. Para-dāreṣu means other women except one's own wife, married wife.\nMātṛvat para-dāreṣu para-dravyeṣu loṣṭravat: \"And other's property should be accepted just like refused garbage in the street.\" Just like we don't care for all the garbages. Simply if others' money or others' property is there, sometimes we hanker, we should think, \"Oh, this all nonsense, just like garbage.\" Mātṛvat para-dāreṣu para-dravyeṣu loṣṭravat, ātmavat sarva-bhūteṣu. And loṣṭra means that rubbles, just like stone rubbles. You see? There are so many rubbles and, er, strewn over the street. Nobody cares for that. Similarly, if others' money is thrown over the street, nobody... He should not care. He should not collect: \"Oh, here is some money. Let me take.\"\nSo mātṛvat para-dāreṣu para-dravyeṣu loṣṭravat, ātmavat sarva-bhūteṣu. And he should see everyone... This ātmavat sarva-bhūteṣu was preached by Lord Buddha, this philosophy. This one philosophy was, I mean to say, taught throughout the whole world by Lord Buddha, that there should be no animal killing. Ātmavat sarva-bhūteṣu. No living entity should be given suffer, even by words. That is real life. Ātmavat... Yaḥ paśyati. One who has such vision of life, he is called learned. He is called learned—not by educational qualifications. One who has acquired... Phalena paricīyate. Education is understood, how far a man is educated, by his behavior. By his vision of life it will be estimated, not by the degrees. Ātmavat sarva-bhūteṣu yaḥ paśyati sa paṇḍitaḥ.\nSimilarly, here also, here also the word paṇḍita, paṇḍita, has been used. So I have just given you some explanation of paṇḍita from different angle of vision. And budha also. Budha. In the Bhagavad-gītā you'll find the definition of budha. Budha means well versed. Well versed. Well versed means who has got..., studied lots of books of knowledge. He is called budha. Now, how one becomes budha? By studying, one should have concluded this. What is that conclusion? That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā by Lord Kṛṣṇa, ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ.\nahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo\nmattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate\niti matvā bhajante māṁ\nbudhā bhāva-samanvitāḥ\n[Bg 10.8]\n[I am the source of all spiritual and material worlds. Everything emanates from Me. The wise who know this perfectly engage in My devotional service and worship Me with all their hearts.]\nThe well-versed person is he who has understood that Kṛṣṇa is the original fountainhead of all emanations. All emanations, whatever we see, they are all emanations from Kṛṣṇa. That is the sci... One who has understood this, this fact, this transcendental fact, he is well versed, budha. \nAhaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate: \"And everything is coming out of Me.\" Just like the sunshine is coming out of the sun. Nobody knows for how many years, how millions and millions of years, the sunshine is coming out of the sun. But still, the sun is still as it is. Similarly, the all the energies—the material energy, spiritual energy, lower energy, higher energy—everything is coming out of Kṛṣṇa.\nSo one who has understood this science, the Kṛṣṇa science, budhā bhāva-samanvitāḥ, then what he becomes? His sign that..., what is the sign that he has understood? Oh, he becomes a devotee of Kṛṣṇa. He becomes completely Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the sign of being well versed, well versed. And this is the sign of becoming the paṇḍita, the learned. Paṇḍita, learned.\nSo,\nyasya sarve samārambhāḥ\nkāma-saṅkalpa-varjitāḥ\njñānāgni-dagdha-karmāṇaṁ\ntam āhuḥ paṇḍitaṁ budhāḥ\n[Bg 4.19]\n[One is understood to be in full knowledge whose every act is devoid of desire for sense gratification. He is said by sages to be a worker whose fruitive action is burned up by the fire of perfect knowledge.]\nOne who has who is learned enough, one who has got this knowledge, that \"We have to work in Kṛṣṇa consciousness,\" and he has no more lust to enjoy this material world, one who has no more lust, kāma-saṅkalpa-varjitāḥ... Everything what we do in this material world, we have got a determination that \"I shall enjoy the fruits of this work like this, the fruits of that work in that way.\" That is called kāma-saṅkalpa, determination of lust. So one who is free from such lust, kāma-saṅkalpa-varjitāḥ... \nAnd how it is possible? Jñānāgni-dagdha-karmāṇam. Jñānāgni. Just like fire, fire burns everything which you put into it. Similarly, one has developed..., one who has developed the sense, the real knowledge, that \"My life's mission, the..., is only to go back to Kṛṣṇa and become Kṛṣṇa consciousness,\" that is the highest type of knowledge. They're just like fire. So in that fire of highest type of knowledge, all lust is burned aside. Jñāna-agni-dagdha, tam āhuḥ paṇḍitaṁ budhāḥ. And he's a learned, he's well versed. That is the explanation of this Bhagavad-gītā.\nAnd let us stop here. You have... If there is any question, you can put.",
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"content": "\n If you're rich... Were you saying if you're rich, you get knowledge..., you get knowledge easier because you're rich?",
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"content": "\n No, no, no. I said that by your pious work you get four results. By your pious work... Because every work, we have, we are just today discussing what is real work and what are the reaction of the work and what is not, I mean to say, prescribed work. These things are we have discussed. Now, so far the pious work, which is called, in Sanskrit language, which is called puṇya-karma, we get four results, four kinds of results.\nBy pious work, we get very good birth. Good birth means to take one's birth in aristocratic family or in rich family. That is, materially concerned, very good birth. So by pious work, one can become a good birth, can get his birth in a good family. And he can become a rich man also. Just, just like in this world we see, somebody is working very little, but he's gaining much.\nAnother body is working very hard the whole day; still, he's not getting much. Why? Because due to his pious work, he is getting very easily riches. So richness is also result of pious work. And similarly, one student is becoming very quickly a scholar; another, he cannot. So this is also result of pious work. Similarly, beauty is also due to pious work. I discussed this point. And what was your point?",
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"content": "\n Do you get more wisdom quicker or it's more to come by if you have a lot of money?",
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"content": "\n Not necessarily. I don't say that. That is different thing. But richness is due...",
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"content": "\n I understood what you said before.",
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"content": "\n Yes. Not necessarily that because a man is very rich, therefore he has got a very good brain also. No, not necessarily. Neither good brain can produce richness. Even there is one man, he's very intelligent man, but in the field of activities, he remains a poor man. So neither intelligence is the cause of richness, nor richness is the cause of intelligence. These are two different things. But if one is pious, then his, as reaction of his pious acts, he becomes rich, he becomes wealthy, he becomes beautiful, he becomes learned. These things are stated in the scriptures. Janmaiśvarya-śruta-śrībhiḥ [SB 1.8.26]. \n[My Lord, Your Lordship can easily be approached, but only by those who are materially exhausted, because one who is on the path of [material] progress, trying to improve himself with respectable parentage, great opulence, high education and bodily beauty, cannot address You with sincere feeling.]\nJanma-aiśvarya, four things, janma-aiśvarya-śruta... Janma means birth, aiśvarya means richness, and śruta means education. [sirens] Is that point clear?\n[drunk begins yelling in background]\nIs that point clear?\n[aside:] Please hear. Stop! Don't talk. We are talking seriously. Don't disturb.\nIs that point clear?",
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"content": "\n Yes. Yeah thank you.",
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"content": "\n Yes. Any other question?",
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"content": "\n If one is really pious, why should he care about materialistic things such as beauty and wealth?",
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"content": "\n Hmm? If one is pious, why he should...?",
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"content": "\n Why should he care about things like beauty and wealth?",
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"content": "\n Oh. So war is not always impious. Do you understand? Sometimes war, fighting... So far, so far the Vedic conception of life is concerned, there are four classes, four classes: the intelligent class, the administrator class, the mercantile class... Not only Vedic religion; this division is all over the world. There are four classes of men.\nSo for administrative class of men, it is a duty to protect the weak. Sometimes law and order requires violence. Just like the government maintains military, police force, because sometimes they are required. So when government employs some police force, some military force, that does not means impious. That is required. Similarly, fighting or violence is not always impious. But a responsible person, he does not take violence unnecessarily. He considers things very nicely, and when there is no other alternative than to use violence, then he uses violence. Just like the government sometimes takes violence on the citizens. It is not the objective of the government to... [break] [end]",
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https://vedabase.io/en/library/transcripts/681220bg-los-angeles/
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"content": "\n Karma-yoga. One: \"Arjuna said: 'O Janārdana, O Keśava, why do You urge me to engage in this ghastly warfare if You think that intelligence is better than fruitive work?' \" [Bg. 3.1]\n[Arjuna said: O Janārdana, O Keśava, why do You urge me to engage in this ghastly warfare, if You think that intelligence is better than fruitive work?]\nPurport: \"The Supreme Personality of Godhead Śrī Kṛṣṇa has very elaborately described the constitution of the soul in the previous chapter, with a view to delivering His intimate friend, Arjuna, from the ocean of material grief. And the path of realization has been recommended: buddhi-yoga, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Sometimes this Kṛṣṇa consciousness is misunderstood to be inertia, and one with such a misunderstanding often withdraws to a secluded place to become fully Kṛṣṇa conscious...\"",
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"content": "\n Yes. This is very important point. Sometimes it is thought that spiritual life means to retire from active life. That is general impression. People think that for cultivation of spiritual knowledge or self-realization they should go to some Himalayan caves or some secluded place. That is also recommended. But that sort of recommendation is meant for persons who are unable to engage themselves in activities of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.\nLord Kṛṣṇa is teaching Arjuna how one can remain in his position. Never mind whatever he is, still he can become perfectly in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the whole substance of the teachings of Lord Caitanya..., er, Lord Kṛṣṇa. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu also. He never asked anybody to change his position. He simply recommended that you associate with pure devotees and hear from him. That's all. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu never asked anybody that \"You first of all...\"\nJust like Śaṅkarācārya. Śaṅkarācārya's theory is that you first of all become a sannyāsa, in renounced order of life; then you try to understand what you are, sāṅkhya philosophy. Therefore, according to their system, anyone who takes sannyāsa, he's supposed to be immediately merged into the existence of God. Therefore they address \"Nārāyaṇa.\" In Śaṅkara sampradāya, one sannyāsī addresses another sannyāsī as \"Nārāyaṇa.\"\nBut here, in Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, there is no condition. The only condition is... That is not condition; that is recreation. Just like we have got this nice place. We invite people, \"Please come and join with us.\" Not necessarily that one has to come and dance with us or sing with us. Simply if he comes and sees our activities, that is also a great benefit. Simply if somebody appreciates, \"Oh, these boys and girls, they are doing nice,\" that will be also beneficial for him. Then gradually, he will grasp. But people are so obstinate that in spite of our repeated request that \"Please come and join with us,\" they have no time.\nGo on. Yes. \"Sometimes...\"",
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"content": "\n \"Sometimes this Kṛṣṇa consciousness is misunderstood to be inertia, and one with such a misunderstanding often withdraws to a secluded place to become fully Kṛṣṇa conscious by chanting the holy name of Lord Kṛṣṇa.\"",
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"content": "\n Sometimes the so-called devotees of Kṛṣṇa... In Vṛndāvana you'll find that they are keeping themself in a secluded place and supposed to be chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. But practically it has been seen that by such artificial way of becoming Kṛṣṇa consciousness, it does not make anyone advanced. I have seen practically. They are living in a secluded place, chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, but practically, when he comes out, he's smoking. You see? He cannot give up even smoking, and what to speak of this material world. You see? That is artificial. This is not recommended.\nFirst of all you become mature; then secluded place. Otherwise there is no secluded place. Māyā is everywhere. Māyā will dictate, \"Oh, you are so tired. Why don't you come out and smoke a cigarette?\" Yes. And he thinks he is advancing, the nonsense is advancing. No. Phalena paricīyate. By the result one has to be judged how far he has advanced. Similarly, there are so many persons, they are meditating.\nWhat meditating, nonsense? What is their character? If we challenge their character: nonsense. So these sort of things will not help. Come practically forward. Just like our students, going door to door, chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. And people are taking advantage of it, they are hearing. This, this process is beneficial to the public. Even a small child who joins here, he also claps, tries to clap.\nSo this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is not to remain in a secluded place to get cheap advertisement, \"Oh, that man is meditating.\" No. Go, practically work. Just like Lord Jesus Christ, he practically worked. So there is practical work. No question of going into the secluded place. We should remain in the congested city and preach this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement without being affected by this contamination of city life. That is perfection. They shall not be contaminated, touched by the contamination of the city life, but still, they will go on with Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is perfection.\nYes. Go on.",
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"content": "\n \"But without being trained in the philosophy of Kṛṣṇa consciousness it is not advisable to chant the holy name of Kṛṣṇa in a secluded place, where one may acquire only cheap adoration from the innocent public. Arjuna thought of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or buddhi-yoga, intelligence in spiritual advancement of knowledge, as something like retirement from active life and the practice of penance and austerity at a secluded place. In other words...\"",
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"content": "\n Yes. Arjuna is asking that \"You say that Kṛṣṇa consciousness is very good. Why You are engaging me in this fight?\" That is his question. So Kṛṣṇa will answer this question. General people understand that retiring from ordinary duties, one becomes spiritually advanced. That is being taught here. It is not like that. Kṛṣṇa taught to the whole world that Arjuna was a soldier, he was a fighter, and in his fighting also he can be Kṛṣṇa conscious. It is not that he has to cease from fighting and then become Kṛṣṇa conscious. No. There is no such question.\nThere is no rejection of anything, but dovetailing everything. That is the process. Do everything, but in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If you are a fighter, fight, but for Kṛṣṇa. If you are a businessman, all right, do business for Kṛṣṇa. If you are something else, do that, but for Kṛṣṇa. This is wanted. This is called Kṛṣṇa consciousness: to dovetail everything with Kṛṣṇa.\nNirbandhaḥ kṛṣṇa-sambandhe yuktaṁ vairāgyam ucyate [Brs. 1.2.255]. \n[When one is not attached to anything but at the same time accepts anything in relation to Kṛṣṇa, one is rightly situated above possessiveness. On the other hand, one who rejects everything without knowledge of its relationship to Kṛṣṇa is not as complete in his renunciation.]\nYuktaṁ vairāgya, real renunciation, is to dovetail everything for Kṛṣṇa. That is renunciation. Not renunciation that \"I earn whole time millions of dollars and distribute among my children, and all engaged in some other way, and I become Kṛṣṇa conscious in a secluded place.\" No. You can begin Kṛṣṇa consciousness from the very beginning. Earn for Kṛṣṇa, spend for Kṛṣṇa, think for Kṛṣṇa, work for Kṛṣṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Fight for Kṛṣṇa. Nothing to be rejected. Everything to be dovetailed with Kṛṣṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.\nGo on.",
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"content": "\n \"In other words, he wanted to skillfully avoid the fighting by using Kṛṣṇa consciousness as an excuse. But as a sincere student, he placed the matter before his master and questioned Kṛṣṇa as to his best course of action. In answer, Lord Kṛṣṇa elaborately explained karma-yoga, or work in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, in this Third Chapter.\"",
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"content": "\n Yes. Karma-yoga means... Karma means action, fruitive action. Everyone is working in this world to get some result. Somebody is working in business, earning millions of dollars yearly. Why he is earning? He's earning for his sense gratification. As soon as he has got money, he changes his car, he changes his apartment, changes his standard of life only for increasing. The whole world is working so hard, and the result is that increasing their objects of sense gratification. This is called karma. \nKarma means to enjoy the result of your activity. And when it is karma-yoga, that means the activities which is your occupation, you can engage yourself in that activity, but don't engage the result for your sense gratification, but for satisfaction of Kṛṣṇa. That is called karma-yoga. Yoga means to link up with the Supreme, and karma... You are inclined to work. All right, work. But link up your result of work with Kṛṣṇa. That is called karma-yoga. Yoga means linking up with the Supreme, and karma, when it is linked up with Kṛṣṇa, that is called karma-yoga. It will be explained.\nNow go on.",
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"content": "\n Two: \"My intelligence is bewildered by Your equivocal instruction. Therefore please tell me decisively what is most beneficial for me.\"",
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"content": "\n Yes. People think it is equivocal. I ask you to become spiritualist; still, I ask you to work ordinarily, \"Go. Work like this, work like this.\" They'll think, \"What sort of spiritual life this is? They are also earning money. They are also working in the factory,\" or they are also doing this or that. So to the ordinary man it appears equivocal. But it is not equivocal. That is the real process of working.\nGo on.",
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"content": "\n Purport: \"In the previous chapter, as a prelude to the Bhagavad-gītā, many different paths were explained, namely sāṅkhya-yoga, buddhi-yoga, controlling the senses by intelligence, work without fruitive desire, the position of the neophyte, etc. This was all presented unsystematically. A more organized outline of the path would be necessary for action and understanding. Arjuna therefore wanted to clear up these apparently confusing matters so that any common man could accept them without misinterpretation.\n\"Although Kṛṣṇa had no intention of confusing Arjuna by any jugglery of words, Arjuna could not follow the process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness either by inertia or active service. In other words, by his questions he is clearing the path of Kṛṣṇa consciousness for all students who are serious about understanding the mystery of the Bhagavad-gītā.\"",
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"content": "\n Yes. Sometimes it appears to the student contradictory. But actually, the master who is well conversant, he does not say anything contradictory. It is the misunderstanding of the student that sometimes he thinks that it is contradictory. Therefore the question is allowed. You'll find that a student is advised to question to the spiritual master. Tad viddhi [Bg. 4.34].\n[Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him. The self-realized soul can impart knowledge unto you because he has seen the truth.]\nYou should understand the transcendental science by the process of... First thing is surrender; then question, and sevā, service. Surrender and service and question. Simply if you question and don't surrender, don't render any service, then it will be simply waste of time.\nJust like Arjuna was talking in the beginning with Kṛṣṇa as friend. That Kṛṣṇa was talking very cautiously, because it was friendly talk. But now, when Arjuna surrendered unto Him, \"I accept You as my spiritual master,\" He's talking freely. This is going on.\nAgain. Go on.",
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"content": "\n Three: \"The blessed Lord said, 'O sinless Arjuna, I have already explained that there are two classes of men who realize the self. The contemplative are inclined to understand it by empirical philosophical speculation, and the active are inclined to know it by devotional service.' \"\nPurport: \"In the Second Chapter, verse thirty-nine, the Lord has explained two kinds of procedure, namely sāṅkhya-yoga and karma-yoga, or buddhi-yoga.\"",
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"content": "\n Sāṅkhya, sāṅkhya-yoga. Sāṅkhya means analyzing the material elements and dovetail it with the Supreme. This is called sāṅkhya-yoga. Samyak khyāpayate, or things are very explicitly explained for understanding of the common man. That is called sāṅkhya-yoga, or jñāna-yoga. And another is karma-yoga, or buddhi-yoga.\nGo on.",
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"content": "\n \"In this verse the Lord explains the same more clearly. Sāṅkhya-yoga, or the analytical study of the nature of spirit and matter, is the subject for persons who are inclined to speculate and understand things by experimental knowledge and philosophy. The other class of men work in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, as is explained in verse sixty-one of the same Second Chapter. The Lord has explained also in verse thirty-nine that by working under the principles of buddhi-yoga, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, one can be relieved from the bonds of action, and furthermore there is no flaw in the process.\n\"The same principle is more clearly explained in verse sixty-one, that this buddhi-yoga is to depend entirely on the Supreme, or more specifically, on Kṛṣṇa, and in this way all the senses can be brought under control very easily. Therefore both the yogas are interdependent, as religion and philosophy. Religion without philosophy is sentiment, or sometimes fanaticism, while philosophy without religion is mental speculation. The ultimate goal is Kṛṣṇa.\"",
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"content": "\n There are certain class of men who are simply philosophizing, and there are certain class of men who are simply blindly following religious ritualistic processes. So Bhagavad-gītā is combination of both. That is scientific. You should be religious, but should understand everything philosophically, not... Otherwise one becomes fanatics, religious fanatics. In the Caitanya-caritāmṛta it is clearly said that caitanyera dayāra kathā karaha vicāra [Cc. Ādi 8.15]:\n[If you are indeed interested in logic and argument, kindly apply it to the mercy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. If you do so, you will find it to be strikingly wonderful.]\n\"You people, you try to understand the gifts of Caitanya Mahāprabhu by your philosophical understanding.\" Not blindly; philosophically. And vicāra karile citte pāibe camatkāra: \"If you are actually a wise man, then you'll find it is sublime.\" And if you simply stick to your own religious ritualistic principles—don't try to understand the philosophy of everything—then you become a fanatics.\nSo we should not become religious fanatics, nor dry mental speculators. Both these classes of men are dangerous. They cannot make any advance. The combination. You should be religious, but try to understand each and every line philosophically.\nJust like in the Bible there is the statement, \"God created this universe.\" It is a fact. But because modern educated persons have not explained how God created, how the process of creation... These things are explained in the Bhāgavata, how the sky became in existence, then the air became in existence, the fire became in existence. There is a process, general graduation. Actually, God has created the world. There is no doubt about it. But because it is not philosophically explained, the modern educated person, they don't accept.\nSo Bhagavad-gītā you'll find everything: a combination of religious sentiments plus philosophical understanding. That is wanted.\nGo on.",
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"content": "\n \"The ultimate goal is Kṛṣṇa, because the philosophers who are also sincerely searching after the Absolute Truth come in the end to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. The whole process is understood..., is to understand the real position of the self in relation to the Superself. The indirect process is philosophical speculation, by which gradually one may come to the point of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and the other process is by directly connecting with everything in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.\"",
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"content": "\n Yes. If you want to go to the goal by philosophical speculation, analyzing, \"This is not spirit,\" the neti neti, \"This is not Brahman, this is not spirit,\" that also will help you. But in this age, such philosophical study... Not in this age; every age. That is a very long-term process. But when people lived for a very, very long time, it may be it was possible to arrive at the goal of life by such process, but in this age there is no time.\nI do not know what is going to happen to me just after coming out or while I am sitting in this room. Even a big man, President Kennedy, he was going in procession, he never expected that he'll be shot, but he's shot. So there is no certainty of our life this age. Therefore we should take up the quick method for self-realization. The long-term method will not help us. We are not prepared for it, neither. Therefore the short term, immediate effective. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and immediate effect.\nGo on.",
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"content": "\n \"The indirect... The indirect process is philosophical speculation, by which gradually one may come to the point of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and the other process is by directly connecting with everything in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Out of these two, the path of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is better, because the philosophical process does not purify the senses. Kṛṣṇa consciousness is itself...\"",
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"content": "\n Philosophical process... You can show by jugglery of words your academic qualification, but it will not take you to the right... We have seen many such philosophical speculators. They are simply talking in the meeting. But that's all. And if we take, study, their private character it is less than ordinary man. Less than ordinary man. That will not help us in this age.\nYou see? You may take some credit in a meeting, \"Oh, he is a very nice speaker.\" Now what is that if you become a nice speaker? What will help you in your spiritual realization? This is. If you do one minute's Hare Kṛṣṇa, it will give you immediate result. One second, if you chant or hear. This is so nice. Direct method. Immediate effect.\nGo on.",
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"content": "\n \"Kṛṣṇa consciousness is itself a purifying process, and by the direct method of devotional service it is simultaneously easy and sublime.\"\nFour: \"Not merely by abstaining from work can one achieve freedom from reaction, nor by renunciation alone can one attain perfection.\"",
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"content": "\n Yes. Simply by... It is explained. Go on.",
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"content": "\n Purport: \"The renounced order of life can be adopted upon being purified by the discharge of the prescribed form of duties. The prescribed form of duties is laid down just to purify the heart of materialistic men. Without the purifying process one cannot attain success by abruptly adopting the fourth order of life, sannyāsa.\"",
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"content": "\n The fourth... Renunciation is the fourth order of life according to Vedic civilization. Just like we are sannyāsī. So we were also householder. I have got my wife, still living. I have got my children. But I have been able to come to this stage of renunciation, forgetting my all relationship with my wife and children and family and home, because I was trained gradually. I was trained as brahmacārī, as gṛhastha by the mercy of our spiritual master. Therefore I don't feel anything. But abruptly, if we take to sannyāsa order, then...\nWe have seen many persons abruptly taking, or without understanding the self-realization process. He fails. He again comes back to the materialistic way of life in a different form. Suppose he begins in philanthropic work, some hospitalizing or opening educational institution. That is nice. But these things are being done by the government and many philanthropic persons.\nThat is not the duty of a sannyāsī. A sannyāsī, a renounced order of life, his main business is to spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or God consciousness. That is his real business. But if one has not the taste what is Kṛṣṇa consciousness, simply accept sannyāsa, then he will do all this nonsense work.\nAnd... Of course, I don't wish to name here. Some of our students went to a very big svāmī here [there] in New York. He found that he was smoking. And the student said, \"Swāmījī, we don't smoke.\" He was ashamed. He was ashamed. So what is the use of taking this kind of sannyāsa? Sannyāsa means to give up all material contaminated activities for the sake of the Supreme Lord. That is called sannyāsa.\nSat nyāsa, sannyāsa. This is the combination. Sat means the Supreme, the ever-existing, and nyāsa means renunciation. That means one who has renounced everything for serving the Supreme, he is real sannyāsa. He may take this dress or not, that doesn't matter. Anyone who has sacrificed his life for service of the Supreme Lord, he's a sannyāsī. That will be explained in the Fifth Chapter.\nGo on.",
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"content": "\n \"According to the empirical philosophers, simply by adopting sannyāsa or retiring from fruitive activities, one at once becomes as good as Nārāyaṇa, God. But Lord Kṛṣṇa does not approve this principle. Without purification of heart, sannyāsa is simply a disturbance to the social order. On the other hand, if somebody takes to the transcendental service of the Lord, even without discharging his prescribed duties, whatever he may be able to advance in the cause is accepted by the Lord. Svalpam apy asya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt [Bg. 2.40].\"\n[In this endeavor there is no loss or diminution, and a little advancement on this path can protect one from the most dangerous type of fear.]",
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"content": "\n Hmm. Svalpam apy asya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt. Svalpam means very little; api—although; asya—of this Kṛṣṇa consciousness; dharmasya—occupation; trāyate—delivers; mahato—great; bhayāt—fearfulness.\nYes. Go on.",
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"content": "\n \"Even the slight performance of such a principle enables one to overcome great difficulty.\"",
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"content": "\n Yes.",
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"content": "\n Five: \"All men are forced to act helplessly according to the impulses born of the modes of material nature. Therefore nobody can refrain from doing something, not even for a moment.\"",
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"content": "\n Yes. They say... We saw one signboard in a yoga society in Los Angeles that \"You become silent and you'll become God.\" [laughs] And here Kṛṣṇa says that you cannot become silent even for a moment. You see? These things are going on.\nGo on.",
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"content": "\nPurport: \"This is not a question of embodied life. It is the nature of the soul itself to be always active. The proof is that without the presence of the spirit soul there is no movement of the material body. The body is only a dead vehicle to be worked by the spirit soul, and therefore it is to be understood that the soul is always active and cannot stop even for a moment. As such, the spirit soul has to be engaged in the good work of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Otherwise it will be engaged in the occupations dictated by the illusory energy.\n\"In contact with material energy, the spirit soul acquires material modes, and to purify the soul from such affinity it is necessary to engage it in the prescribed duties enjoined in the śāstras, or scriptures. But if the soul is engaged in his natural function of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, whatever he is able to do is good for him.\"",
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"content": "\n Practically that is real silence. If you simply engage yourself in activities of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then automatically your activities in māyā become silent. Just like the same example I have given. Here is a glass. If you want to fill up with milk, the water will go automatically. You have to throw away the water. You cannot put the water and the milk at the same time in this glass. Similarly, if you become active in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, you automatically become silent in material activities—without any separate endeavor. It is so nice.\nAnd if you try artificially to stop, to become silent from material activities, it will not be possible. You may meditate for fifteen minutes or for fifteen hundred minutes or fifteen thousand years, it will not be possible. The mind is very strong. Mind's business is to accept and reject, accept and reject. You accept something, you reject something.\nBetter thing is that we accept something Kṛṣṇa conscious under the direction of disciplic succession. That is your..., should be the aim of life, and you are successful. You have to accept something. Simply by rejecting, it will not help you. But you have to accept something. That acceptance is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Simply negation will not help you. You must have some positive engagement.\nGo on.",
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"content": "\n \"The Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam affirms this. If somebody takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, even though he may not follow the prescribed duties in the śāstras or execute the devotional service properly, or even if he falls down from the standard, there is no loss or evil for him. And even though he carries out all the injunctions for purification in the śāstras, what does it avail him if he is not Kṛṣṇa conscious?\n\"So the purifying process is necessary for reaching this point. Sannyāsa or any purifying process is meant for helping one to reach the ultimate goal of becoming Kṛṣṇa conscious, without which everything is considered a failure.\"",
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"content": "\n That's all. So any question? [devotees offer obeisances]\nAny question?",
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"content": "\n Actually, so many people who stop performing prescribed duties to engage in so-called meditation, actually they are committing sinful activity? Is this actually sinful activity to attempt such meditation like that?",
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"content": "\n Meditation?",
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"content": "\nYes.",
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"content": "\nThat you can see from the result. You'll find so many persons meditating, but see their life. Phalena paricīyate. One has to be judged by the result. You have worked very hard and supposed to be very rich man, but if I see that you have no nice apartment, neither any car, neither any opulence, so what kind of businessman you have earned?\nThat can be understood immediately. So if one by practice of meditation is actually advancing in spiritual life, why he's materially affected? What is the difference between a person materially affected and spiritually advanced?\nTake for example our students. We may not be very much highly advanced, admitting that, but at least if any gentleman comes, if he's sincere, he'll appreciate how pure they are. At least they are practiced. You see? So by the result one has to see. But we have seen so many meditators, they cannot change even their daily nonsense habits. So what result they have obtained, they have achieved, I cannot understand. By the result one has to take account. Not by simply jugglery of words.\nJust like there is examination. One student says, \"Oh, I have studied so much.\" But when the examination was taken, he failed. So what does it mean that he studied? That means he did not study, that's all. The test is that spiritual advancement means minimizing material activities. Bhaktiḥ pareśānubhavo viraktir anyatra syāt [SB 11.2.42].\n[Devotion, direct experience of the Supreme Lord, and detachment from other things—these three occur simultaneously for one who has taken shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, in the same way that pleasure, nourishment and relief from hunger come simultaneously and increasingly, with each bite, for a person engaged in eating.]\nAutomatically they will be detestful for material engagement. Spiritual advancement means that.\nJust like a hungry man, if you give him to eat, as soon as he begins to eat, immediately he'll feel satisfaction, and when he is fully fed, he'll say, \"No, I don't want any more.\" So similarly, spiritual advancement means proportionately one should be detestful to material engagement. That is the test.\nSo if anyone is advancing by meditation or bhakti-yoga or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, one has to give evidence that he is now being proportionately detached from this material engagement. That is the test. This is not for only the meditators; it is for you also. How far you are advancing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness you test yourself—how far you have become detached from material consciousness. That's all.\nThe proportionately you have advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the proportionately you'll not like material engagement. If you have advanced cent per cent, then cent per cent you become detached. That is the way.\nSo everyone has to test himself that \"How far I have advanced?\" That means \"How far I have become detached with material contamination.\" That's all. The test is in your hand. And if you are sincere, then you should test yourself. And if you want to make show, that is a different thing. That is explained in the Second Chapter, sthita-prajña.\nThe behavior of a person who has advanced in spiritual consciousness, that is explained. You have studied. He talks like that, he walks like that, he behaves like that. So many things, they have been explained. These are the test.\nSo we may not be able to achieve all the success immediately, but everyone should try to follow. The meditation process is also one process. That is also one of the processes. That is good. But we simply say that this process is not, I mean to say, very fruitful in this age. In this age, this chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa is the most beneficial process. That is our program. We don't deprecate the meditational process. That is a process, standard process. But we don't say...\nWe have not manufactured. It is the śāstra says. In the... Kṛte yad dhyāyato viṣṇum [SB 12.3.52].\n[Whatever result was obtained in Satya-yuga by meditating on Viṣṇu, in Tretā-yuga by performing sacrifices, and in Dvāpara-yuga by serving the Lord's lotus feet can be obtained in Kali-yuga simply by chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra.]\nMeditation of Viṣṇu was possible in the Satya-yuga, when people used to live for one hundred thousands of years. Just like Vālmīki Muni, he meditated for sixty thousands of years, he got perfection. Here it is very difficult even to meditate for sixty minutes at a time. You see? Kṛte yad dhyāyato viṣṇum. That process was recommended in the Satya-yuga.\nAnd the next process is tretāyāṁ yajato makhaiḥ. The next stage: by performing great sacrifices. That is very costly affair. Nobody has money. Suppose if I prescribe performance of some sacrifice, and if I order that \"You have to secure one hundred tons of butter or ghee,\" can you secure? Oh. You see? So therefore that is not possible.\nKṛte yad dhyāyato viṣṇuṁ tretāyāṁ yajato makhaiḥ dvāpare paricaryāyām [SB 12.3.52]. Temple worship is also not possible. Temple worship, you go in India, there are some temples still, daily they are spending thousands of dollars for temple worship. Daily. The process... In Jagannātha temple, fifty-six times offered prasādam, and any time you go they will supply you prasādam for one thousand person.\nIt is all ready. Still. Although India is being advertised there is no food, but if you go to Jagannātha temple, any time, and ask the manager that \"We have come, one thousand devotees. Please supply us prasādam,\" \"Yes, ready.\" [laughter]\nSo that is being done. The arrangement is there from since last two thousand years. The Jagannātha has property, there is production, there is good management. That is going on. Similarly, there is another temple, Nathadwar. They're also spending thousands of... In Madras also, there are many temples. There is a big estate. They are also collecting money daily, four thousand, five thousand dollars. Yes. Still the temple arrangement is there.\nSo that process is not to be introduced newly. It is not possible. Therefore Bhāgavata says, kṛte yad dhyāyato viṣṇuṁ tretāyāṁ yajato makhaiḥ, dvāpare paricaryāyāṁ kalau—kalau means in this age—tad hari-saṁkīrtanaṁ. Simply by chanting you get the result of sacrifice, you get the result of meditation, you get the result of temple worship. Here we are, of course, attempting to worship Jagannātha with our teeny efforts, but if you go to the real Jagannātha temple in Purī, oh, you'll see fifty-six times.\nWhen Lord Caitanya was invited by Sarvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya, so he gave Him so much rice and vegetables and all these things. So He thought, \"It is offered to Jagannātha.\" So He asked Sarvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya, \"All right, give Me little prasādam. From this I shall eat.\" So Sarvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya said, \"No, You eat the whole thing.\" \"Oh, how it is possible?\" Then he gave the example, \"Sir, You don't say like that. I know You are taking in the temple fifty-six times like this, and this is only a morsel of food for You.\" You see? [laughter]\nSo actually, if you offer kṛṣṇa-prasādam fulfilling the whole hall as many times, fifty-six times... Fifty-six times means you have got only twenty-four hours. How many times in an hour? Without sleeping, without doing anything. Kṛṣṇa will accept. Kṛṣṇa will accept. And I want it. You American people, you have got so much money; you engage your money in that way.\nDon't spoil your life by this way and that way. So you can do that. You have got enough, sufficient means to offer Kṛṣṇa fifty-six times. You see? Just see the result. That is utilization. That is karma-yoga. One has the capacity to earn like anything and to spend for Kṛṣṇa like anything. That is karma-yoga.\nIt is not inertia: \"I have got... Chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, I shall go and sit down, eat at the expense of others and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa.\" No. This is karma-yoga. Prāṇair arthair dhiyā vācāḥ [SB 10.22.35].\n[It is the duty of every living being to perform welfare activities for the benefit of others with his life, wealth, intelligence and words.]\nYou have to employ your life, your money, your words and your intelligence, all for Kṛṣṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If you have got enough money, spend it for Kṛṣṇa. Don't stock it. The more you spend, more you become balanceless for spending Kṛṣṇa, then more you are benefited. This is the process. That will be taught in the karma-yoga section.\nAnd how one can..., unless one is spiritually advanced how he can sacrifice his hard-earned money for Kṛṣṇa? Everyone thinks, \"Oh, I have earned this money working so hard. Why shall I spend it for Kṛṣṇa? Let me keep it. I shall do it for my sense gratification.\" This is..., this kind of advancement is no value. You see? How one has learned to sacrifice everything for Kṛṣṇa.\nJust like Arjuna. He sacrificed his whole family for Kṛṣṇa. In the beginning he hesitated, \"How can I kill my family members, this fight?\" And when he became Kṛṣṇa conscious, \"Never mind, I shall kill all of them.\" This is called sacrifice. This is Kṛṣṇa conscious. He sacrificed all sentiments, all connection, everything for Kṛṣṇa. That is called sannyāsa, real sannyāsa. Although he was a warrior, a fighter, a householder having more than dozen wives, but he was sannyāsī, because he sacrificed everything for Kṛṣṇa. That is wanted. That is Kṛṣṇa conscious.\nSo everyone can test how far he has advanced simply by this: \"How far I have become prepared to sacrifice everything for Kṛṣṇa?\" He doesn't require to take certificate from others. He can test himself, \"How far I am prepared?\" Then it is all right. This is the standard.\nAll right. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa.\n[No audio]\n[devotees offer obeisances] You are not getting another mṛdaṅga? You have no money?",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n We have no money yet.",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\n Oh. [laughs] All right. If you require, you can get... I'll pay you money.",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n We'll pay you. Well, we'll get some more.",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n That's all right.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n We have money. We will get one very soon.",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\n You ask somebody to give you one mṛdaṅga, contribute. If he asks where it is available, you can give the address and he can send the money there. It is not a very difficult task. What do they charge? Fifty dollars?",
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"content": "\n Yes.",
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"content": "\n So ask somebody to give fifty dollars, send to New York. Yes. We don't want cash. Give us in kind. That is also nice. Yes. [kīrtana begins]\n What is that? What is that? What is that?",
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"content": "\n It's a pie.",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\n Pie?",
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"content": "\n A pie, yes.",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\n It will be offered to the Deity?",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n Hmm?",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\n It is to be offered to the Deity?",
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"content": "\n Yes.",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\n So why you are sitting here?",
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"content": "\n [indistinct]",
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"content": "\n Oh. All right. Sit down. [kīrtana]\n Vāmanadeva? It is fainting[?].",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n Shaking.",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\n Yes. When I stand it will [?] going.",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n There should be more steps here for you. I notice it's too...",
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"content": "\n It's not steady. No, still the platform is not tight. You should...",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n It needs supports. More supports.",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\n Yes. Because... You should have... [pause] What is that?",
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"content": "\n It looks like a chestnut.",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\n Chestnut? [eating]",
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"content": "\n It would be nice if we had a new altar for the Deities. When the new Deities are installed, if we could have a new altar, that would be nice.",
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"content": "\n Yes. That will be changed.[?] We shall do that. First of all let us have the new Deity. [break] That will be discussed later on. We have come to the chapter; it will discuss.",
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"content": "\n Prabhupāda? Would you like to take a piece of pie home with you?",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\n What is that?",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n It's squash pie with raisins and banana and chestnut and anise.",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\n Why did you not give me in the beginning?",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n It wasn't... It wasn't all ready.",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\n We shall take later on? We shall take it later on?",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n I was going to give the remainder of it to saṅkīrtana to take to the house.",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\n Let them, take them.",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n Okay. Would you like to take a piece with you?",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n Yes, you can give it. [pause] I have taken. [end]",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
https://vedabase.io/en/library/transcripts/660829bg-new-york/
|
[
{
"content": "\n[Bad audio for 2:40 Min]\n\nna kartṛtvaṁ na karmāṇi\nlokasya sṛjati prabhuḥ\nna karma-phala-saṁyogaṁ\nsvabhāvas tu pravartate\n[Bg 5.14]\n[The embodied spirit, master of the city of his body, does not create activities, nor does he induce people to act, nor does he create the fruits of action. All this is enacted by the modes of material nature.]\nNow, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, says that \"The Supreme Personality of Godhead, He is not responsible for anyone's activities.\" He does not create. He does not say that \"You act in this way.\" Not exactly He does not say. He says that \"You act in this way,\" but the living entity, out of his individual independence sometimes, or always, so long he is conditioned, he does not carry out the orders of the Lord. Therefore he is responsible for his own work. Although the sanction is there by the Lord, still, the Lord is not responsible for his work.\nna kartṛtvaṁ na karmāṇi\nlokasya sṛjati prabhuḥ\nna karma-phala-saṁyogaṁ\nsvabhāvas tu pravartate\n[Bg 5.14]\nSvabhāva. Svabhāva means \"his own nature.\" We are accustomed to the three modes of nature. Some of us are under the spell of the modes of goodness, and some of us under the spell of the modes of passion, and some of us are in the modes of ignorance. So according to our own position in relationship with the modes of nature, we create our work.\nNādatte kasyacit pāpam...\nnādatte kasyacit pāpaṁ\nna caiva sukṛtaṁ vibhuḥ\najñānenāvṛtaṁ jñānaṁ\ntena muhyanti jantavaḥ\n[Bg 5.15]\n[Nor does the Supreme Spirit assume anyone's sinful or pious activities. Embodied beings, however, are bewildered because of the ignorance which covers their real knowledge.]\n[02:40 Normal Audio]\n...everyone is addressed as jantu. Jantu means animals. Of course, in logic also, human being is called rational animal. They are classified among the animals, but they are called rational animals. So here also, in the Bhagavad-gītā, the Lord says, jantavaḥ. Jantavaḥ is the plural number of jantu. Jantu means animal. So nādatte kasyacit pāpam. A... Somebody is engaged in the activities of sinful activities, but he is not induced by the Lord that he should be engaged in sinful activities. Similarly, somebody is engaged in virtuous activities. So that virtuous activity is according to his own, I mean to say, association with the modes of material nature.\nAjñānena āvṛtaṁ jñānaṁ tena muhyanti jantavaḥ\n[Bg 5.16].\n[When, however, one is enlightened with the knowledge by which nescience is destroyed, then his knowledge reveals everything, as the sun lights up everything in the daytime.]\nBut in this material world, either in the modes of ignorance or in the modes of passion or in the modes of goodness, they are all... Total, sum total, is ignorance. Sum total... Even a man is in the modes of goodness, that is also considered as ignorance, because real knowledge, real knowledge is to know his relationship with the Supreme Lord. That is real knowledge. Unless one is elevated to that position, that what is his relation with the Supreme Lord, then all his so-called knowledge is also understood as ignorance.\nJust like at the present moment—not present moment; always—people are engaged in the matter of economic development for sense gratification. So that is also ignorance. That is also ignorance. Because advancement of economic development... There is a nice song by a Vaiṣṇava. He says that jaḍa-vidyā, saba māyāra vaibhava. Jaḍa-vidyā means the material advancement of knowledge is a manifestation of this illusory energy. The illusory energy manifests herself in different ways, and that is called material advancement of knowledge. The material advancement of knowledge means he has becoming more and more illusioned. Illusioned.\nJust like today one of our student, he had been to some doctor for some personal business. He had some talks with him. So when the student said that \"We believe in personal God,\" then the doctor answered that \"Oh, we believe..., the world believed seven hundred years before like that.\" Now people have advanced so far that they cannot believe in the Personality of Godhead. Now, people think, think that they have made very much advance in the material science. Well, actually, if we scrutinizingly study how much advancement they have made, then we can know that practically we have been more illusioned than we have made advancement.\nNow, seven hundred years before, people were dying. Death was there. So has the advancement of material science during the seven hundred years has stopped death? No. That is not possible. People were suffering from diseases seven hundred years before. Then has the material science so much advanced, stopped diseases? No. People were embarrassed with increase of population. Has that been stopped? No. People were embarrassed with so many death rate. Has that been stopped? No. That is now... Now, seven hundred years before, the sun was rising on the eastern side. Has the material science stopped the sun rising on the eastern side? Has it gone to the western side? No. Then what is this advancement? Simply defying the existence of God, is that the advancement of knowledge?\nIf we materially calculate that... Practically, the major questions which are embarrassing us, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi [Bg 13.9]...\n[Humility, pridelessness, nonviolence, tolerance, simplicity, approaching a bona fide spiritual master, cleanliness, steadiness and self-control; renunciation of the objects of sense gratification, absence of false ego, the perception of the evil of birth, death, old age and disease; nonattachment to children, wife, home and the rest, and evenmindedness amid pleasant and unpleasant events; constant and unalloyed devotion to Me, resorting to solitary places, detachment from the general mass of people; accepting the importance of self-realization, and philosophical search for the Absolute Truth—all these I thus declare to be knowledge, and what is contrary to these is ignorance.]\nWe are embarrassed with the material miseries of life. That has not been solved. The major questions have been set aside. Simply by thinking that \"There is no God. We are God. Where science is everything,\" oh, do you think that is advancement of knowledge? No.\nSo therefore, ajñānena āvṛtaṁ jñānam. This is, this sort of advancement of knowledge in the material science, is also another type of ignorance. The Lord says, ajñānena āvṛtaṁ jñānam: \"Real knowledge is now covered. Real knowledge, being covered by nescience,\" ajñānena tena muhyanti jantavaḥ, \"therefore they are actually perplexed.\" By the name of so-called advancement of knowledge the whole population of the world, they are now perplexed. Even we do not go into the details, but any sane man will admit that we are not advancing. Actually we are degraded in so many ways.\njñānena tu tad ajñānaṁ\nyeṣāṁ nāśitam ātmanaḥ\nteṣām ādityavaj jñānaṁ\nprakāśayati tat param\n[Bg 5.16]\n[When, however, one is enlightened with the knowledge by which nescience is destroyed, then his knowledge reveals everything, as the sun lights up everything in the daytime.]\nTat param. This tat param word is very significant. Tat param means \"in relationship with the Supreme Lord.\" That is called tat param. That knowledge is real knowledge. So jñānena, by spiritual advancement of knowledge, when you are advancing in spiritual advancement of knowledge, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then our this ajñāna, or ignorance, that \"I am the product of this material world,\" and therefore identifying myself with this body extensively and, I mean to say, centrally also... When we are not so much advanced we think of my body only. But when we are very much advanced in the material science, we think extensively for others also to be in that category of knowledge.\nSo jñānena tu ajñānaṁ teṣāṁ nāśitam ātmanaḥ. Any person who has advanced in the spiritual knowledge, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then his..., that covering of material knowledge is dissipated. How? Now, teṣām ādityavaj jñānam. Just like sun rising, the darkness of the night at once dissipated, similarly, when we advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, spiritual knowledge, then our material conception of life is at once dissipated.\ntad-buddhayas tad-ātmānas\ntan-niṣṭhās tat-parāyaṇāḥ\ngacchanty apunar-āvṛttiṁ\njñāna-nirdhūta-kalmaṣāḥ\n[Bg 5.17]\n[When one's intelligence, mind, faith and refuge are all fixed in the Supreme, then one becomes fully cleansed of misgivings through complete knowledge and thus proceeds straight on the path of liberation.]\nIf actually we can advance in the spiritual knowledge of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then tad-buddhayaḥ, by that intelligence, tad-ātmānaḥ, being identified with Kṛṣṇa, tan-niṣṭhāḥ, having faith, good faith, tat-parāyaṇāḥ, and just a surrendered soul to that Supreme Personality of Godhead, gacchanty apunar-āvṛttim, then the result will be that after leaving this body he is not coming back again. Punar-āvṛtti means this repeated birth and death is stopped altogether. Gacchanty apunar-āvṛttim. Gacchanti means he goes to that place wherefrom he hasn't got to return back. Gacchanty apunar-āvṛttim. \nPunar-āvṛttiṁ jñāna-nirdhūta-kalmaṣāḥ. How that position can be attained? Now, jñāna-nirdhūta-kalmaṣāḥ. Kalmaṣāḥ means reactions of sinful activities, that is called kalmaṣāḥ. When the reactions of sinful activities has been washed completely, then, by that knowledge, by advancement of spiritual knowledge, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, we are eligible now to enter into the kingdom of God from where we need not come back again.\nvidyā-vinaya-sampanne\nbrāhmaṇe gavi hastini\nśuni caiva śva-pāke ca\npaṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ\n[Bg 5.18]\n[The humble sage, by virtue of true knowledge, sees with equal vision a learned and gentle brāhmaṇa, a cow, an elephant, a dog and a dog-eater [outcaste]]\nWhen one is actually advanced in spiritual knowledge, he is in transcendental position. In transcendental position he is called paṇḍita, or the real learned man. And what is that real learned man? How does he visualize this phenomenal world? He... Lord says that vidyā-vinaya-sampanne brāhmaṇe gavi hastini: \"When one is in the transcendental position, then he sees equally everyone, every living entity.\"\nHow is that? Now, vidyā-vinaya-sampanne brāhmaṇa. A learned brāhmaṇa, a learned intelligent man, who is very advanced with material academical knowledge, vidyā-vinaya-sampanne, and he is very gentle and cultured, such a intelligent man, vidyā-vinaya-sampanne brāhmaṇe gavi, a cow, hastini, an elephant, and śuni..., śuni..., śuni means a dog, and śva-pāke, and the dog-eater. Dog-eater. There is a class who eat dog, dog-eater. So paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ. One who is in the transcendental position, he does not discriminate in that way, because he understands that they are different living entities under different dress only, but he sees, visualize, the spiritual identity, and he has nothing to do with their activities. He is in transcendental position, and he is concerned with the Kṛṣṇa consciousness in his activities. He becomes callous with the activities of this world.\nJust like in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta the author says that in this material world, which is illusion, our, I mean to say, division that \"This is good; this is bad,\" these are all mental speculation only. In the higher stage they see that in the material bondage nobody is in goodness; everyone is in trouble. So this material calculation that \"This is good, this is bad,\" and \"This is happy and this is miserable,\" in the transcendental position they think that they are all equal.\nIhaiva tair jitaḥ sargo yeṣāṁ sāmye sthitaṁ manaḥ [Bg 5.19].\n[Those whose minds are established in sameness and equanimity have already conquered the conditions of birth and death. They are flawless like Brahman, and thus they are already situated in Brahman.]\nNow, one who is situated in such transcendental position of mind, then, ihaiva tair jitaḥ sargaḥ, then in this very body he has conquered rebirth. He has conquered rebirth. The whole position is that we want to stop rebirth, rebirth in this material world.\nNow, there is a story in the Rāmāyaṇa. In the Rāmāyaṇa there is a story. When Mahārāja Daśaratha... Daśaratha was the father of Lord Rāma. When Rāma was a boy, say about ten years, twelve years old, or about fifteen or sixteen years old... He was simply a boy. Now, one sage, his name is... He's very famous sage. He came to Mahārāja Daśaratha, asking the help of Rāmacandra for killing one demon in the forest. Because the sages used to remain in forest, they were... That demon was creating some disturbance, so he approached the king. King is the lord of both the city and the forest. So he prayed that \"Please send your son and help me.\"\nNow, at that time this king inquired from that sage, aihisthaṁ yat taṁ punar-janma-jayāya [Rāmayana].\n[Is everything going well in your endeavor to conquer the repetition of birth and death?]\nNow, just like in our worldly affairs we, for gentleman's etiquette, we ask, \"How are you? How things are going on?\" now, here the king was asking the sage, aihisthaṁ yat taṁ punar-janma-jayāya: \"You are... You have... You have become mendicant. You have become sage just to conquer over death.\" Conquer over death. Aihisthaṁ yat taṁ punar-janma-jayāya. So that is this highest knowledge. Highest knowledge is to conquer over the death.\nThis sort of idea... Of course, now it has become a story, but to conquer over the death, that was the main problem in..., at least in the former Vedic civilization days. Everyone, any highest, I mean to say, highly situated person in knowledge, his main business was how to conquer death. Now, at the present moment that question has become subordinate thing, how to conquer death. \"Let death there be. So long death does not come, let me enjoy and have sense gratification.\" That has become the standard of civilization at the present moment. But real problem is how to conquer death.\nThey think... The scientists say, \"Oh, death is..., death cannot be conquered. Set aside. Set aside. Now let us prepare something, atomic bomb, so that death can be accelerated.\" This is scientific advancement. Death is there, and the problem... Formerly, people used to think of how conquering death, but at the present moment they are thinking accelerating death, and they call it advancement of knowledge, advancement of science. So this is going on.\nSo practically, this is ignorance. Real solution... There is no real solution, but whatever they are doing, they are thinking they are making too much advancement. But Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa says that ihaiva tair jitaḥ sargaḥ. Sarga means repetition of birth. Icchā-dveṣa-samutthena sarge yānti parantapa [Bg 7.27].\n[O scion of Bharata [Arjuna], O conqueror of the foe, all living entities are born into delusion, overcome by the dualities of desire and hate.]\nThe sarga, the repetition of birth, is due to our strong desire for material enjoyment. So long we do not discard this desire of material enjoyment, we have to take our birth repeatedly, either in the human form or in the form of a demigod or in the form of a tiger or in the form of a dog or cat. There are so many forms. They are all different forms in different categories of sense gratification. So one who has developed this transcendental knowledge of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he conquers death even in this life.\nIhaiva tair jitaḥ sargo yeṣāṁ sāmye sthitaṁ manaḥ [Bg 5.19]. Sāmye means equilibrium. Equilibrium. Just a person in transcendental position, he sees equally the intelligent man and the dog equal. Intelligent man and the dog equally. A brāhmaṇa, a dog, a cow, an elephant and a dog-eater. So all these categories... There are different categories of life, but one who is situated in the transcendental position, they do not see any difference. Because in the material world this, I mean to say, this position is higher and this position is lower. They are all simply mental speculation. Actually, unless one is not situated in the Kṛṣṇa consciousness, his higher and lower calculation—all so-called speculation. That's all.\nSo ihaiva tair jitaḥ sargo yeṣāṁ sāmye sthitaṁ manaḥ. Sāmye sthitaṁ manaḥ. One who has cultured himself that these different activities of the material world has nothing to do with him, his only business is to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. Then it is to be understood that he has conquered death even in this present life. Ihaiva. Nirdoṣaṁ hi samaṁ brahma tasmād brahmaṇi te sthitāḥ. Nirdoṣam. This sort of equilibrium in the transcendental stage of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, nirdoṣam, faultless, it is called faultless life. Nirdoṣaṁ hi samaṁ brahma. And when it is faultless, or beyond the spell of the material nature, then that is the stage of Brahman.\nBrahman.... Ahaṁ brahmāsmi. And the Vedic literature and..., I mean to say, gives us instruction that \"You are Brahman; you are not this matter.\" And this is the position of Brahman, how when one is in transcendental position. Nirdoṣaṁ hi samaṁ brahma tasmād brahmaṇi te sthitāḥ. And one who is situated in such condition of life, he's already in Brahman perception. Brahmaṇi te sthitāḥ. \nNa prahṛṣyet... [Bg 5.20]. \n[A person who neither rejoices upon achieving something pleasant nor laments upon obtaining something unpleasant, who is self-intelligent, unbewildered, and who knows the science of God, is to be understood as already situated in Transcendence.]\nNow, what are the signs? Now Kṛṣṇa describes the symptoms of this stage. Simply superficially if we think that \"I am already in the Brahman stage of life,\" no; there should be symptoms. Now here Kṛṣṇa says to the symptoms of Brahman. Simply if I say that \"I have now hundred millions of dollars in my bank,\" that will not do. There must be some symptom that actually I have got. I am doing something which requires money; I am spending like that; then one can trust, \"Oh, yes, this man has got some money.\" Similarly, simply by understanding that \"I am in brahman sthiti,\" oh, no..., \"I am brahmāsmi,\" then I am doing all the nonsense, ordinary work—no, that is not.\nHere Kṛṣṇa gives the symptom how one is situated in the Brahman situation. Na prahṛṣyet priyaṁ prāpya. When one is situated in Brahman conception of life, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness life, suppose all of a sudden he gets some hundred millions of dollars. Suppose he is a poor man, but all of a sudden... There was a case in... There are many case. In India there was a case in Calcutta. One... What is called? The caretaker of the horse? What is this called? What is his name?",
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"content": "\nGroom. A groom.",
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"content": "\nGroom, yes. He, with his master, purchased some lottery ticket, and the master did not get anything, but the groom, he got some ten lakhs of rupees or something like that. His name was there. So when he was informed by the master, \"Oh, you have got this money,\" he at once failed his heart and died. So he thought, \"Oh, so much money I have got.\" So thinking that, there was heart failure and died. [laughter] [chuckles] Yes. All of a sudden this happened. You see? It is a shock. Just like you get some horrible shock, so this is pleasure shock. This is pleasure shock. Shock it was really... Poor man, ordinary man, when he understood that \"I have got ten millions of dollars in my bank now,\" oh, he became shocked and at once died.\nSo here the same thing: one who is actually in the stage of equilibrium—na prahṛṣyet priyaṁ prāpya. Suppose something... There are... In our present stage of life, although we may be situated in the transcendental position, still, so long this material body is there, we are materially connected. Under the circumstances there are so many [indistinct], so many, I mean to say, requisition. That is..., [indistinct]. But one who is actually situated in the transcendental position, he is, na prahṛṣyet priyaṁ prāpya: If something favorable for..., he does not become too much happy.\nHe thinks, \"All right, by Kṛṣṇa's grace I have got this. Let me engage it in the Kṛṣṇa's service.\" That's it. Because he has dedicated his life, he has dedicated his life, he does not claim anything. Everything, Kṛṣṇa's property. So if something is obtained, achieved, some favorable thing, he engages that thing in the service of the Lord. Na prahṛṣyet priyaṁ prāpya. That... That is his happiness. That is his happiness.\nJust like family man. Whatever he earns, if he can spend for the family, then he becomes happy, because his affection is there in the family. Similarly, some great man of the country, if he can give some service to the people, to the country, he is..., he feels happy. Similarly, a man who is in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, if he gets some opportunity to serve more, I mean to say, accelerately in the service of the Lord, then he feels happy. But not materially. Na prahṛṣyet priyaṁ prāpya nodvijet prāpya ca apriyam [Bg 5.20].\n[A person who neither rejoices upon achieving something pleasant nor laments upon obtaining something unpleasant, who is self-intelligent, unbewildered, and who knows the science of God, is to be understood as already situated in Transcendence.]\nThis is our disease. In the material conception of life we do not want what is unfavorable, but we want simply favorable. But the laws of nature, they are so cruel that they enforce upon us unfavorable things. But one who is transcendentally realized, he does not care for the unfavorable or the favorable. He knows that \"When the time will come, either the favorable things will come or unfavorable things will come in the law of nature. Let me be engaged in my own business, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Yes.\"\nSthira-buddhir asammūḍhaḥ brahma-vid brahmaṇi sthitaḥ [Bg 5.20]. Sthira-buddhiḥ. He is steady. He is steady in his conclusion. He is not changing; steady in his conclu... Asammūḍhaḥ. Asammūḍhaḥ means he is not bewildered; brahma-vit, because he knows what is Brahman and brahmaṇi sthitaḥ, and he is situated in Brahman. Sthira-buddhir asammūḍhaḥ brahma-vid brahmaṇi sthitaḥ.\nbāhya-sparśeṣv aksaktātmā\nvindaty ātmani yat sukham\nsa brahma-yoga-yuktātmā\nsukham akṣayam aśnute\n[Bg 5.21]\n[Such a liberated person is not attracted to material sense pleasure or external objects but is always in trance, enjoying the pleasure within. In this way the self-realized person enjoys unlimited happiness, for he concentrates on the Supreme.]\nNow, the one who is situated in that transcendental position, he is not attached. Bāhya-sparśeṣu asaktātmā. Now, those who are materially situated, they take pleasure outside, which is in contact with my senses. In contact with my senses. And the highest contact of senses in the material world is the sex contact.\nSo one who is situated in this Brahman, so he has no connection with the external things and enjoy with the sense attachment, bāhya-sparśa. Sparśa, sparśa means touch, and bāhya means external. So he is not interested in such sort of happiness. Bāhya-sparśeṣu asakta. He is detached. He is detached from. His ātmā, his, I mean to say... Ātmā means mind, ātmā means body and ātmā means soul. So you take either way, either body, soul or mind, he is detached from such external. He is not attached to that external happiness.\nVindaty ātmani yat sukham: \"He enjoys within himself.\" Enjoys within him... That is real happiness. This word rāma... We chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare / Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. This rāma... The rāma means that unlimited enjoyment in real happiness. There is another meaning of rāma. Rāma, Lord Rāma, that is all right. And also some grammatical meaning that rāma means ramante. Ramante means to enjoy.\nSo there is a verse in Bhāgavata,\nramante yogino 'nante\nsatyānande cid-ātmani\niti rāma-padenāsau\nparaṁ brahmābhidhīyate\n[Cc Madhya 9.29]\n[The Supreme Absolute Truth is called Rāma because the transcendentalists take pleasure in the unlimited true pleasure of spiritual existence.]\nRamante yoginaḥ. Yoginaḥ means those who are advancing in spiritual science and advancing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they are called yogī. So ramante yoginaḥ. The yoginaḥ, they take pleasure, satyānande. Satyānande means \"in actual happiness.\" Because the living entity, he is, I mean, sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha [Bs 5.1].\n[Kṛṣṇa who is known as Govinda is the Supreme Godhead. He has an eternal blissful spiritual body. He is the origin of all. He has no other origin and He is the prime cause of all causes.]\nHappiness—his prerogative. He cannot... Why shall he be put into misery? That is not his position. He should be always in happiness. So their happiness they do not know here. In the material conception of life we do not know what is happiness. So those who are yogī, those who are transcendentalists, advanced in spiritual life, they know what is happiness.\nSo ramante yoginaḥ anante [Cc Madhya 9.29]. \n[The Supreme Absolute Truth is called Rāma because the transcendentalists take pleasure in the unlimited true pleasure of spiritual existence.]\nAnante... Happiness mean which has no end. That is happiness. According to Vedic literature, happiness has no end. Unlimited happiness. Here in the material world, whatever we consider happiness, that is limited. That has its end. But spiritual happiness is calculated... Just like spirit is unlimited, similarly, spiritual happiness is also unlimited.\nSo ramante yoginaḥ anante satyānande. Satyānanda means real happiness. Satyānande. And what is that satyānande? Cid-ātmani. Cit. Cit means knowledge. And ātmā. When the ātmā is developed in full knowledge of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that sort of happiness is real happiness. Now, bāhya-sparśeṣu asakta, asaktātmā vindaty ātmani. Ātmani means with the soul, with the Supersoul, the relation between the soul and the Supersoul. That is called ātmā. That is called rāsa dance. You have heard about Kṛṣṇa's rāsa dance. That is happiness. In the field of spiritual platform that happiness is realized.\nSo, sa brahma-yoga-yuktātmā sukham akṣayam aśnute. Akṣayam means that does not pass away; not flickering. Not flickering. Here in the material world all happiness, the so-called happiness, they are all flickering. They come and go. Therefore one who is transcendentally situated, he does not care for happiness or distress, because he knows, \"Either this happiness or this distress, it has appeared and it will go. It will go. So why I shall be disturbed with distress also?\" Because this nature of this world... Just like snowfall in your country. Snowfall... Now we are expecting snowfall. Last year there was snowfall. It has gone away. Again they are coming. So anything of this world, they come and go. They come and go. So we shall not be disturbed.\nAnd in Bhagavad-gītā also, Lord Kṛṣṇa advised Arjuna that,\nmātrā-sparśās tu kaunteya\nśītoṣṇa-sukha-duḥkha-dāḥ\nāgamāpāyino 'nityās\ntāṁs titikṣasva bhārata\n[Bg 2.14]\n[O son of Kuntī, the nonpermanent appearance of happiness and distress, and their disappearance in due course, are like the appearance and disappearance of winter and summer seasons. They arise from sense perception, O scion of Bharata, and one must learn to tolerate them without being disturbed.]\nEven there are distress in this material world, we should learn to tolerate, because these are ephemeral. They are not neither real distress, neither real ha... We should be callous either of this happiness or distress. So one who is like that, he... Sa brahma-yoga-yuktātmā sukham akṣayam. Akṣayam means \"which does not deteriorate.\" That sort of happiness he enjoys.\nYe hi saṁsparśajā bhogā duḥkha-yonaya eva te [Bg 5.22].\n[An intelligent person does not take part in the sources of misery, which are due to contact with the material senses. O son of Kuntī, such pleasures have a beginning and an end, and so the wise man does not delight in them.]\nAnd one who is attached with the touchstone, I mean to say, sense touch, he must know that he is inviting miseries of life. He's inviting miseries of life. Ye hi saṁsparśajā bhogāḥ. Any enjoyment which is derived out of the touch of the senses, we should know that is meant for our miserable life. Ye hi saṁsparśajā bhogā duḥkha-yonaya eva te. Duḥkha-yonayaḥ means that in future I'll have to suffer for that.\nTherefore sense control is very essential in the material advance, er, in the spiritual advancement of life. Saṁsparśajāḥ. The happiness derived, material happiness derived out of the touch of senses, oh, it is clearly stated here that duḥkha-yonayaḥ: \"They are the mother of all miseries. Mother of all miseries.\" There are so many instances. In the Bhāgavata also, we have got a very nice śloka, verse. It was spoken by Prahlāda Mahārāja.\nyan maithunādi-gṛhamedhi-sukhaṁ hi tucchaṁ\nkaṇḍūyanena karayor iva duḥkha-duḥkham\n[SB 7.9.45]\n[Sex life is compared to the rubbing of two hands to relieve an itch. Gṛhamedhīs, so-called gṛhasthas who have no spiritual knowledge, think that this itching is the greatest platform of happiness, although actually it is a source of distress. The kṛpaṇas, the fools who are just the opposite of brāhmaṇas, are not satisfied by repeated sensuous enjoyment. Those who are dhīra, however, who are sober and who tolerate this itching, are not subjected to the sufferings of fools and rascals.]\nHe says that \"In this material world the people are thinking that they are happy. Why? Now, because they have that sex happiness.\" Yan maithunādi-gṛhamedhi-sukhaṁ hi tuccham. And what is that sex happiness? It is kaṇḍūyanena karayor iva duḥkha-duḥkham. Suppose you have got some itches in your hand, and you itch it very..., according to your satisfaction. Then, after the effect, the effect of such itching is very horrible. Oh. So similarly, this is a kind of itching sensation. So kaṇḍūtivan manasijaṁ viṣaheta dhīraḥ. So one who wants to cure these itches, he should be a little tolerant. Tolerant. And then he'll be cured of this itching. Itching, if you stop itching, then it automatically cures.\nSimilarly, the sparśajā sukham, the happiness which is enjoyed by sense touch, that is duḥkha-yonayaḥ. Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa says that is, I mean to say, generating, generating distress only. Generating distress only. Duḥkha-yonaya eva te, ādy-antavantaḥ kaunteya na teṣu ramate budhaḥ [Bg 5.22].\n[An intelligent person does not take part in the sources of misery, which are due to contact with the material senses. O son of Kuntī, such pleasures have a beginning and an end, and so the wise man does not delight in them.]\n\"Oh, no,\" somebody may say, \"no, this is very good happiness.\" But Kṛṣṇa says, \"That is distress in the beginning, and that is distress at the end, Kaunteya.\" Na teṣu ramate budhaḥ: \"Therefore those who are intelligent, they refrain from such happiness.\" Refrain from such happiness. Ādy-a... Ādau antavantaḥ. In the beginning also, for arrangement of sex life, there is so many distress, and at the end also, there is so many distress.\nSo sense gratification, they should be so... So long we are in this material world, there is need, but that should be regulated. That should not be extravagant or unrestricted. Then we call for distress. That is the instruction of Kṛṣṇa.\nThank you very much. Now if there is any question, you can ask. [end]",
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https://vedabase.io/en/library/transcripts/710905r1-london/
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"content": "\nThe italic text below was not recorded but was written on the reel box before recorder was switched on:\nDr. Ware:\n Swāmījī, you'll be glad to know your Society, like ours, is worldwide and not based upon color, creed or designations.\nPrabhupāda:\n Yes, designation means falsely identifying that I am this body.\n So now the soul is in this body. Next time, the soul will be in another body. So according to the body we are having designations. As soon as we get American body, I...\n[break] ... designation. According to the body I create my designation. But one has to become free from all designation. That is called liberated stage—in his own constitutional position. That position is eternal servant of God. That is the real position of every living entity.\nBut because at the present moment the living entity is in contact with matter, so according to the material mode of the body, he's identifying himself with this body. That is called material designation. \"I am American,\" \"I am Englishman,\" \"I am Hindu,\" \"I am Muslim,\" \"I am this,\" \"I am that\"—these are all designation. So real perfection of life is without designation. And that is the real, constitutional position. Jīvera svarūpa haya nitya-kṛṣṇa-dāsa [Cc. Madhya 20.108-109]. Actual position of the living entity it is [indistinct—microphone feedback problem] Don't disturb, let it go [indistinct].\nSo that is the perfection of life. And human life is especially meant for..., to come to that transcendental position, without any designation. Our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is for that purpose. One should be always thinking of Kṛṣṇa, or God. That position is perfect position. And if one keeps himself in that designationless position, always thinking of himself as part and parcel of God, then next life he goes back home, back to Godhead. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti [Bg. 4.9]. After quitting this body he does not come back again to take another material body. He takes spiritual body, or develops a spiritual body, and goes back to home, back to Godhead, which means eternal, blissful life of knowledge.\nOur this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is for that purpose. We are trying to bring all men—of different dimensions, different division—to come to this position, always thinking of that \"I am part and parcel of God. My real position is to serve God.\" Just like this finger is part and parcel of my body. The business of the finger is to serve the body. So long it is in normal condition, the finger is meant for serving the body. When the finger is painful, or in abnormal condition, it cannot serve the body. Similarly, the living entity, being part and parcel of God, when we cannot serve God, that is his abnormal condition. And when he serves God, that is his normal condition. That is designationless position. That is our program.",
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"content": "\n That's very interesting. To my mind the nearest approach in the Christian religion is the Unitarian position, which I don't know if you have studied.",
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"content": "\n Christian religion is practically... From the name it appears, Christian and \"Kṛṣṇian.\" Original word of this \"Christ\" comes from the Greek word \"Christo.\"",
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"content": "\n \"Anointed.\"",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\nHuh?",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n \"Anointed.\"",
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"content": "\n Yes. This \"Christa\" is Kṛṣṇa.",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n From the Sanskrit?",
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"content": "\n Yes. Kṛṣṭa is the popular word for Kṛṣṇa. And Kṛṣṇa is always anointed with tilaka. We follow this tilaka, Kṛṣṇa, anointed with the sandal pulp. So, so far I think, there is some very nearest relationship with this Christian and \"Kṛṣṇian\". Kṛṣṭa means love, love of Godhead, or love. We are preaching also the same philosophy. Try to... Not try: The love of Kṛṣṇa is there in everyone's heart, but it is covered. And being covered, it is misplaced.\nWe are loving our society, loving this body, loving our family, loving our kinsmen or loving internationally human society. But this love is actually perverted reflection of real love of God. Because the love is not placed in the real place, therefore we are being frustrated in love. Just like in our country Mahatma Gandhi, he loved his country very much. But at the last moment the countrymen shot him down. He was shot down by his own countrymen. The love was paid by shotting [sic] him, and he lost his life. There are many instances.",
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"content": "\n Socrates, Christ. Plenty.",
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"content": "\n Yes. So here, the love propensity is being misplaced in this material world. That should be placed in God. Then the love will be perfection. Just like if you pour water on the leaves of the tree or branches of the tree, it is simply a waste of time. If you pour water on the root, then the effect of pouring water is distributed. Similarly, foodstuff, if you place the foodstuff on your nose, on your eyes or your ears, it is simply wasted. But if you put foodstuff to the mouth in the stomach, immediately the energy derived from the foodstuff is distributed throughout the whole body. Similarly, if you love God then your..., automatically your love is distributed to everyone, every entity.\nBut if you don't love, if you simply love your country... Just like an Englishman, you love your country; German, he loves his country, but there is fight between the English and the Germans because the love is misplaced. But if the Germans or the Englishmen or the Indians, they put their love in God, there will be no more fighting.\nTherefore our philosophy is to educate people how to love God. That is real religion. Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje [SB 1.2.6]. That is first-class religion which teaches the follower how to love God. And as soon he becomes a lover of God... Just like I am Indian, but I have come to Western country to teach love of God. It is not that I am satisfied only in myself that \"I love God; that's all right,\" but due to my love to God I love others also, because I am trying to teach them to love God. The same philosophy. So if people take seriously this movement, how to love God, then human society will be perfect.",
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"content": "\n May I suggest you've already made one contribution from India, which is almost the antithesis, and corroborate your suggestion about pouring water on the root. We do get leaves from India. We pour water on them, and we make that delicious drink, tea, which is one of those drinks which are used for inculcating the brotherhood of man.",
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"content": "\n That's all right. But do you think it is natural to pour water on the leaves?",
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"content": "\n Well, why not then? That for leaves, water's natural.",
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"content": "\n No. You practically you see it is—water on the leave, but you don't water on the root, it will dry up. If you put food on your nose, on your eyes, the eyes will be blind and the nostril will be suffocated. But if you put in the proper place, in the stomach, the energy will be distributed.",
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"content": "\n You know that's just an analogy.",
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"content": "\n Yes. This is natural. Similarly, if God is the root of everything, as we understand from Vedānta-sūtra... God means the original root of everything: janmādy asya yataḥ [SB 1.1.1]. The description of Absolute Truth, or God, is there in the Vedānta-sūtra. That first aphorism is, \"What is God?\" Athāto brahma jijñāsā—inquiry about God. The next aphorism is, \"God is that which is the root of everything, from which everything emanates.\" That is the perfect definition of God, \"the origin of everything.\" So the same example in God, that the root is the origin of the whole tree.",
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"content": "\n The seed is the origin of the whole tree, if I may say.",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\n How you can be origin, because you are the effect?",
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"content": "\n The seed.",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n Huh?",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n The seed.",
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"content": "\n The seed. Yes, seed. The seed is described in the Bhagavad-gītā, bījo 'haṁ sarva-bhūtānām [Bg. 7.10]: \"Everything that is living, the root, or the seed, I am.\" God says. The seed is God. Bījo 'haṁ sarva-bhūtānām. Just like the rose tree, it has got a seed, but wherefrom this seed comes?\n[guests entering room] Come on. Hare Kṛṣṇa. [indistinct introduction] Give him another [indistinct].\nSeed, original seed is God. Your theory of seed is very nice, but the original seed of everything is God, the cause of all causes. In the Brahma-saṁhitā it is said,\nīśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ\nsac-cid-ānanda vigrahaḥ\nanādir ādir govindaḥ\nsarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam\n[Bs. 5.1]\nKāraṇam. Kāraṇa means cause, cause of all causes, seed of all seeds. There are different seeds.",
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"content": "\n Causa causam.",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n Ah, cause of all causes.",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n That's Latin?\n Yes.\n It's similar.",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n What is that?",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n A Latin legal phrase: causa causam, the cause of the cause.",
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"content": "\n I see. So God is cause of all causes. And in the Bhagavad-gītā it is explicitly said,\nahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo\nmattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate\niti matvā bhajante māṁ\nbudhā bhāva-samanvitāḥ\n[Bg. 10.8]\n\"I am the original source of everything. Everything is emanating from Me.\" Iti matvā, \"understanding like this,\" budhā. Budhā means those who are conversant, thoroughly in knowledge. Iti matvā bhajante māṁ budhā bhāva samanvitāḥ, in ecstasy, \"Oh, here is the original cause of all causes.\"\nSo in this way those who are advanced in knowledge, budhā, they engage themself in the service of the original cause of all causes. He's the cause of all causes, but He has no cause. That is God. Anādir ādir govindam. He has no cause, but He's the cause of all life. That is God. Just like I am the effect; my father is the cause. Similarly, my grandfather is the cause of my father. My grandfather is the effect of the cause great-grandfather. You go on searching out, searching out. So when you find out the original cause, that is God. That is the definition of God.",
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"content": "\n Do you [indistinct] prime mover argument is who is the prime mover? What is the logical necessity for a first cause? Would you agree with that?\n Well, I think it's inherent in your definition of something that's omnipotent that it's very like saying it's necessary to have no beginning in order to have no end. It's really a concept. Whether it exists or not it doesn't matter.\n Yes. Then even negatives imply limitation. If something has only positive attributes, it's limited if you exclude negative attributes. Or is that just a...\n Well no, if something has all attributes, we only cause, or call them to be caused, positive or negative because we have a tendency to want to think in terms of dichotomies, \"good\" and \"bad,\" whereas really, if you're a scientist, you say \"This exists.\" It's only when morals come in, you say some things are good and some things are bad, and you start making antinomies. Really, your Godhead would contain all those things, and to Him there's no such thing as good or evil, but to Him they are all of value. It's man who saw the good and evil.\n I wasn't particularly thinking of the good and evil value. I was simply thinking of negative attributes.\n Well, I'm sorry, I don't know quite what you mean. Unless you define the negative attribute, I'm not quite sure what it is.\n Not beginning.\n Well that, with respect, I think, doesn't really follow, because there're some things that don't have opposites or negatives, although [in] nature. This is what I say, that there are certain categories of things to which if somebody says, \"Now what's the opposite of that?\" you'd have to say, \"There isn't an opposite,\" because it isn't the sort of thing to have an opposite.\n So you wouldn't accept the prime mover either?\n Well, it's not an argument; it's a postulate. I don't accept it. I mean, you have to accept it if you're going to... You know the total [indistinct], so to speak. You can't have it half way.",
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"content": "\n This word \"positive\" and \"negative\"... Just like the sun—the backside is the negative and the front side is the positive: light and darkness.",
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"content": "\n Well the sun doesn't have a backside of darkness. It's light all round.",
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"content": "\n I mean to say, in relationship with the sun, the planet, the planet in the front side there is light. In the backside there is darkness. But the darkness is the effect of the light. Where the light is absent there is darkness.",
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"content": "\n Only to an observer. If there's no observer there, there's no difference between light and dark.",
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"content": "\n No, this is the actual position. Just like this is sun, but this side is light, this side is darkness. So light and darkness, two opposite elements. But it is due to the same cause. Absence of light is darkness, and presence of light is light.",
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"content": "\n Or I say there are some things that have those dichotomies and others don't.",
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"content": "\n So actually the cause is one, but in different position, one side is light, one side is darkness. Therefore the cause cannot be different. The cause is one. But under different position it appears, \"This is light,\" \"This is darkness.\" So bad, which you consider bad, that is also caused by the Supreme Cause. In the Supreme there is no good or bad. Everything is absolute. Just like the sun is always light, but, in relationship with sun, the planets, one side is dark, one side is light. So black means that is also caused by the light, absence of light; that is black, dark.",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n With respect, it's not caused by the light. It's the absence of light.",
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"content": "\n Absence, that I'm saying. It is also, indirectly, the cause is the light.",
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"content": "\n No, because your illustration you gave of the light of the sun falling on one side and making that light and the other side dark, but you can also have a body which is in the complete absence of any light anyway, so there won't be any differentiation.",
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"content": "\n No. There is light. The light is now visible. Light is there. Just like we say that our relationship with God is there. One is conscious; another is unconscious. Otherwise, God consciousness is there. Therefore any process that awakens that consciousness, that is perfect process. The consciousness is there. That is stated in Caitanya-caritāmṛta, an authorized book.\nNitya siddha kṛṣṇa bhakti sādhya kabhu naya [Cc. Madhya 22.107]. This God consciousness is not something artificial. The God consciousness is there. Just like these European boys and girls, they're now devotees of Kṛṣṇa. Not that artificially we have imposed this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness was there. By..., under certain process of treatment that has been awakened.",
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"content": "\n That's why I think it's better to accept that as it is, rather than make analogies, which are dangerous.",
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"content": "\n I may make analogy or not analogy, but the thing is that Kṛṣṇa consciousness is there, but it is covered. As soon as its covering is taken away—it is uncovered—the original position comes out.",
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"content": "\n I believe he made one observation which is rather in the British tradition, I believe, where he said that if there was no observer, then there would be no such thing as light and darkness.\n Yes, light and dark are subjective reactions. Really, the scientists would say there are wave lengths of a certain type in one part of the universe and in the other they're absent. But until you have an observer, you can't notice that.\n But the planet would still be there [indistinct].\n Well, Samuel Johnson quite rightly refuted that by taking [indistinct].",
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"content": "\n Actually, there is no darkness. Take it sunlight, it is whole. There is no darkness and everything is in sunshine. All the planets, they are rotating in sunshine. So under certain condition, one part is becoming dark, another part is light. But actually the whole universe is full with sunshine. Sarvaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma [Chāndogya Upaniṣad 3.14.1]. That is the exact definition given in Sanskrit: everything is light, brahma.",
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"content": "\n That's another postulate.\n You can build any theory according to the number of postulates you're willing to accept which cannot be analyzed, including the basis of science, that the atom, as originally thought of by Theocritus and others, is this thing that you cannot go beyond and cap[?] down [indistinct] and saying with your philosophy or your theology that you go down until you can find nothing, except that you say that causa causam, and then you build back again from that. But that's what I was saying earlier on: the [indistinct] is very close to the Unitarian position in Christianity.",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\n Yes.",
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"content": "\n Far more acceptable to every type of Christian than any of the specific creeds or sects, you know, the Church of England, Anglicans, Roman Catholics, every other form of prophecy. And you have that greater universality. [indistinct] And you've got Tibetans who will accept your basis[?] in the same way as a Westerner could.",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\n What is that?",
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"content": "\n A Tibetan could accept your position.",
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"content": "\n Tiberian? Tibetians? What is their philosophy?",
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"content": "\n You've heard of the Dalai Lama?",
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"content": "\n Yes. What does he say?",
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"content": "\n Well, his position would be the same as yours, wouldn't it? In religion?\n You mean the Tibetan Buddhist attitude towards the Godhead is the same as the Kṛṣṇas?\n Yes. They have that same basis.",
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"content": "\n But so far we know, that Buddhists, they do not believe in God, existence of God.",
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"content": "\n No. They believe in this existence of a \"Godness\" if you like.\n It's very subjective. The Buddhist point of view in general seems to be very much that of the nineteenth century English rationalist, the agnostic, in its visual sense.\n That's why I say the Unitarian comes closest to it.\nWhat is that?\n Well, the fact that a Godhead is... is impossible to comprehend. It maybe or may not be in very brief terms.\n But if you accept its existence, then it's present in everybody. Which is exactly what you're saying. Whether they utilize it, whether, as you call it, uncovered, or to the degree of which they are conscious of it, is a different thing.",
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"content": "\n Yes. It is a question of consciousness, development of consciousness.",
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"content": "\n That's where your line[?], I think, is so very good in saying that the real evolution of man's mind has been his ability to produce more and more of the functions of whatever the mind may be. But the mind is just as indefinable as God. We know what the brain is, but we don't know what the mind is. Yet more and more of it under conscious control instead of being irrationally eruptive[?].",
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"content": "\n But there is a summum bonum of that realization. That is explained in Bhagavad-gītā: bahūnāṁ janmanām ante, jñānavān māṁ prapadyate [Bg. 7.19]. After many, many births of this mental evolutionary process, when actually he becomes wise, he becomes God conscious and surrenders to God. That is real evolution[?]. That is real evolution[?]. That evolution will go on. But when it comes to this summit, that is God realization. Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti [Bg. 7.19]. God is the cause of all causes. That is the final realization. Unless one comes to that point, he has not come to the perfection of evolutionary process of the mind and intelligence.",
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"content": "\n How does our philosophy define mind and intelligence?",
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"content": "\n Mind is instrument. The mind's position is accepting and rejecting. And intellect helps the mind what to reject and what to accept. And that intelligence is of the soul. That ground of intelligence is the soul. First of all bodily concept is gross life, ordinary, like animals, they do not know except the body. Higher than bodily concept of life, the exercise of the mind, mental speculation. And that mental speculation is adjusted by intelligence, and that intelligence belongs to the soul. Therefore soul is the ultimate, and soul is the part and parcel of God. Therefore God is the supreme.\nSo the mental speculation or the evolution of mental exercise, when it comes to the summit, that is God realization. Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti, sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ [Bg. 7.19]. When one realizes, \"God is everything,\" that mahātmā, that great soul, is very rare. That is the statement in Bhagavad-gītā. Mahātmā means whose mind is great. The mind is great. He's not thinking ordinary things; he's thinking of greater subject matter. They are called mahātmā, broader minded, broad-minded.",
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"content": "\n Do you differentiate, as Jung would do, it's only a matter of attempting to comprehend the differences [indistinct] of things, the difference between thinking and feeling as rational functions?",
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"content": "\n That is the function of the mind—thinking, feeling and willing. Psychological activity.",
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"content": "\n Do you differentiate them separately?",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n Oh, yes.",
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"content": "\n And intuition as well?",
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"content": "\n Saṅkalpa, vikalpa. This is, in Sanskrit it is called saṅkalpa, vikalpa, or accepting and rejecting. That is mind's function. I think something, and again I reject it.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n Well, you also react, too.",
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"content": "\n You can say in any language, but the function of the mind is flickering. Just like when Arjuna was advised by Kṛṣṇa to train the mind by meditation, by yoga system, he said that \"Kṛṣṇa, it is very difficult for me.\" Cañcalaṁ hi manaḥ kṛṣṇa pramāthi balavad dṛḍham [Bg. 6.34]. \"My mind is very,\" I mean to say, \"agitated. I think to control the mind is as impossible as the controlling the wind.\" Cañcalaṁ hi manaḥ kṛṣṇa pramāthi ba..., vāyor iva suduṣkaram: \"And it is very difficult to [indistinct] high wind, and if you want to control it, as it is [indistinct], similarly, I think the activities of the mind, thinking, feeling and willing, to control that is very difficult for me.\"\nSo actually that is the position. So long we shall be on the mental platform there will be no fixity of conclusion. That is not possible. We have to accept something for the time being, then again reject it. Therefore all mental speculators differ. Nāsau munir yasya mataṁ na bhinnam [Cc. Madhya 17.186]. A philosopher is not philosopher until he differs from other philosophers. Nāsau munir yasya mataṁ na bhinnam. Unless you place a different thesis, he will not be accepted as a good philosopher.",
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"content": "\n There it differs from science. Because if science is actually correct, it can only be one.",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\n But philosophy is taken as the science of sciences.",
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"content": "\n Theology used to be that. Yes.",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n Yes.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n It shows a misconception of the word science.",
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"content": "\n So far I remember—I was also a student of philosophy—Dr. Urquhart, he said the philosophy is science of sciences. The science, their, I mean, theory begins from philosophy. Philosophy is the science of sciences. But according to Vedic version, a philosopher is not a philosopher if he has not a different opinion from another philosopher.\nNasau munir yasya mataṁ na bhinnam. Therefore, through the philosopher you cannot come to the right conclusion. Tarko apratiṣṭhaḥ. If you simply go on arguing, that will also not help you. If you simply read scriptures, that will also not help you. Because there are different scriptures. Bible is different from Vedas, and Vedas is different from Koran.\nSo tarko apratiṣṭhaḥ [Cc. Madhya 17.186], by argument you cannot come to the conclusion. By simply reading scriptures you cannot come to the conclusion. By following the philosophers you cannot come to the conclusion. Therefore the truth is very confidential. Dharmasya tattvaṁ nihitaṁ guhāyāṁ. It is kept very confidential. Then how to have it? Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ [Cc. Madhya 17.186]: you have to follow the great personalities who have actually realized God. That is the conclusion.",
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"content": "\n The trouble is that you only have the opportunity of hearing or reading what somebody else has said what they have said. So you're back again on the trouble of diversity of observation and opinion.",
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"content": "\n No. So far we are concerned, we are receiving knowledge directly from God. Just like Bhagavad-gītā: It is accepted, spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead; therefore if you take conclusion from the speeches delivered by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, that is fact. That is very easy authority. Just like the other day I was explaining to Mr. Mathew[?] that, \"You are searching after who is your father, but if you simply ask your mother, 'Who is my father?' the truth is immediately disclosed.\" Immediately.",
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"content": "\n Being a lawyer, I would say that that doesn't necessarily follow.",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\n Why?",
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"content": "\n Well, it's a wise woman sometimes who knows who's the father...",
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"content": "\n That is your misfortune if your mother cheats you. That's a different thing. That's different. We are expecting mother will not cheat us.",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n Some of them don't know!",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\n That is different thing. Suppose you are a lawyer. I put my faith in you, but if you cheat me I lose the case. That is another thing.",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n Sometimes it's just honest ignorance.",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\n No. Generally mother is honest. If one is unfortunate, he has got a mother like that, cheated. Generally expected, a mother is honest. Mother loves his [her] child, he [she] gives the good information. That is mother's position. But if someone has got a different mother, that's...\nThe same thing can be applicable to you also. You are lawyer. Everyone depends on you, but if you conduct a case in a different way just to make profit to other party, you can do that; that is my misfortune. I have to depend on you for conducting the case. I have no other means.",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n And the poor lawyer has to depend upon the other person in telling him what is supposed to be the true facts.",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\n But my position is, as soon as I appoint my lawyer, I'll have to depend fully on you. I cannot do anything else. Whatever you advise me, I have to do that.",
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{
"content": "\n Yes, but whatever you told me depends upon what advice I give to you.",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\n That's all right. But, as you say, the mother gives misinformation. Similarly, if you misguide me, that you can do. But I will have to depend on you.",
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"content": "\n But not deliberately. A lot of people don't know that that information is wrong.",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\n No. Sometimes it is done deliberately. Sometimes it is done deliberately, because everyone in this material world is imperfect. Therefore there is tendency of cheating. That is one of the qualification of the conditioned soul: he becomes mistaken, he becomes illusioned, he cheats and his senses are imperfect.",
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"content": "\n Well, I'm sorry, I think you're using the word \"cheat\" in a much broader sense. We would use \"cheat\" as conscious mistake, as opposed to a person who doesn't realize that what he says doesn't happen to be true.",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\n No, no, conscious... Suppose you think it is right but it is wrong. That is also cheating. Without knowing the thing perfectly well, if you deliver your knowledge to somebody, that's cheating.",
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"content": "\n Well, I think that's being a bit hard. When a person is not... If he's tried his best to do something and he doesn't intend to mislead, to call that cheating is a bit hard.",
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"content": "\n No, even if not intend, but if you misguide some way or other without sufficient knowledge, that is also cheating.",
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"content": "\n Well, we would say, using the English language properly, that's a misuse of the word.",
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"content": "\n But, generally, if I'm not in perfect knowledge, if I guide you, that is, according to Vedic version, that is cheating. You must be confident of the knowledge perfectly. Then if you deliver that knowledge, that is right. Just like our position is that we say what Kṛṣṇa says. Kṛṣṇa is God, so we say what Kṛṣṇa says. We don't say anything which does not Kṛṣṇa..., Kṛṣṇa does not say.\nTherefore you are confident that we are delivering the right message. We don't manufacture our own philosophy or words. We simply say, \"Kṛṣṇa says, sarva dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja [Bg. 18.66]. Kṛṣṇa, God, says that 'You simply surrender unto Me, I take charge of you.' \" We are preaching the same philosophy, that you surrender to God and you'll become happy, because God takes charge of you. We don't manufacture our word. That is not cheating.",
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"content": "\n Yes. But this comes back to what you were saying earlier on. You were saying it isn't necessary or sufficient to read the scriptures. Well if, as you just told me, you say what Kṛṣṇa has said, well then if I could find...",
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{
"content": "\n What Kṛṣṇa has said, that is not scripture.",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n No, but if it's written somewhere, I can read that; I don't need anybody else to tell me.",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\n That's all right. But if it is accepted by the great ācāryas that He's God, then there is no doubt. If Kṛṣṇa is accepted God by all the ācāryas, bona fide ācāryas, authorities...",
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"content": "\n Well, I think what Prabhupāda is saying is that a spiritual master is requisite in order to transmit knowledge—even though it may be revealed in the scriptures to the student—according to the time and place. Just like someone may be able to read in a book about how to perform a brain operation, but unless there's a master there to transmit that knowledge into reality, it's useless; it can't be performed.\n That merely means, you might say, if you're going to be very thorough and precise, that the..., it could be explained in greater detail, but it's easier to do it with a master. But you can learn a foreign language by reading a book, although it's much easier if you're taught.",
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"content": "\n Yes. Just like here is the medicine, diabetic. So I have accepted this medicine through a bona fide doctor. Although it is meant for diabetes, I have not accepted this medicine, neither it is advised that this medicine should be accepted by a bona fide physician, so I cannot see properly whether it is good for me. But when the physician, qualified physician, says, \"Yes, it is bona fide. You can use it in this way,\" that is nice.",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n Coming back to your previous point, if he made a mistake and it's the wrong medicine, would you say he cheated you? Is that the point you were getting at?\n This is what worried me.\n Yes, because if he purports to be a physician...\n No, he is a physician, and he makes a mistake, a healthy, genuine mistake.",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\n Therefore we say we have to receive knowledge from a person who does not commit any mistake. That is our proposition.",
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"content": "\n Well, that would be going like God. If you define it that way, you're [indistinct], aren't you?\n That does seem a bit...",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n Therefore I said...",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n This can be proven. This can be tested. If someone's cheating or not cheating can be tested on a factual basis. Similarly, this science can be tested...",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\n Observation and experiment.",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n Whether it has effect, a good effect, or it has a bad effect.",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\n Yes. So similarly, just like this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is coming down from Kṛṣṇa through the chain of disciplic succession. So if it is actually given in the exact definition, that process, it is effective. And it is actually being experienced that it is effective.",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n Just like this medicine...\n Which may not, unfortunately... This is the danger of analogy. This medicine may work in ninety-nine cases out of a hundred, and in the hundredth one it could kill the poor chap. Now you can't say that the physician was cheating in prescribing it for the hundredth chap, because he just didn't know.\n [indistinct] on the other hand, the other medicine might have worked.\n Hmm.\n It is very dangerous. Analogy's awfully dangerous.\n But then some people have to have a concrete example, or they haven't any [indistinct]. It's when you analyze the analogy that you can see it's difficult...",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\n No, analogy, of course, it is not always the perfect method. Analogy means the greatest number of similar points. That is analogy. Perfection of analogy is there when there is the greater number of similar points. But we give sometimes the analogy as we understand it. But so far our this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, there is no need of analogy. It is accepted as truth, and Kṛṣṇa is accepted as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and whatever He says is truth. There is no mistake, and if we carry that message, there is no mistake.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n In other words, Kṛṣṇa is the voice of your God, then.",
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"content": "\n Kṛṣṇa is God Himself. That is accepted. We accept Kṛṣṇa, īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ [Bs. 5.1]. Īśvara. Īśvara means the controller. Just like here there are controllers, but here any controller is controlled by another controller. But param īśvara, God means who has no other controller. He's the supreme controller. That is described in the Brahma-saṁhitā: īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇa. He's the supreme controller. Here, any controller, he's controlling... Just like this physician. He has learned his medical science from another physician, another physician, another physician. So we are not the supreme physician or supreme controller.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n May I give you an example of the fallacy there, is that Sir Alexander Fleming didn't learn his curative, antibiotics, from any other person; he discovered them by natural scientific methods of observation and inference and experiment.",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n But experimental knowledge of scientific handling must have..., he have learned from somebody else.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n That's a different thing.",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\n Therefore he has a teacher. You cannot say that... Or he has taken the techniques of other scientists and he has experimented in the laboratory appliances. That is... He cannot say that he has..., he invented the laboratory appliances.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n No, but his power of observation was important.",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n That is all right. That is all right.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n That's in him, and nobody else.",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n But he, he has taken help from other scientists' method.",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n In other words, everyone operates under a certain set of restrictions, controls, that are not of their own choosing. Everyone is in that category. They may think, \"I am the controller of my own destiny,\" but actually they are being controlled on every side.\n That's so. But it's only when they break out from that control by, let's say, making an observation or having an intuition that isn't inherent in the system of control in which they've been brought up that they make an advance of any sort. You see, people with... I always give this example of Sir Alexander Fleming and Florey and others. People have been trained that dirty petri dishes should be thrown away, because they're moldy, they will interfere with the experiment. This happens time again. Whereas a man suddenly thinks, \"I will have a look at this. I'll ignore that.\" He breaks away from this control.\n It wasn't anything new, simply a rearrangement of current, existing data.\n Nobody'd ever... They were controlled to reject it. This is what so often happens. Perry Mason is a wonderful example of that—a person who always picks out something that's been rejected in his..., his celebrated works.\n I don't know if Perry Mason is...\n Oh, Perry Mason is a very popular courtroom..., as they say, or trial lawyer, as they call it in America. A person called Erle Stanley Gardner has written a large number of books...\n But a person's knowledge in the material world will always be imperfect. No matter how much he may advance in scientific knowledge, he'll never be able to solve the problems of birth, death, disease and old age.\n Yes. But I mean the Americans, I believe, they would say, \"Of course, but so what? You can live without a country.\" If you start worrying about whether you'll ever be able to comprehend the intellect, you will really not get through the day.\n But the goal of life, being to become satisfied with my life, is not meant in that way.\n Oh, I agree that to be satisfied with life is to cut down your desire for omniscience; to be satisfied that you can only hope to do quite not..., not..., not all of the things you'd like to do, to comprehend quite not..., not all of the things that are possible. If you are content with that, you may be content to play. Otherwise you'll be one of these dreadful people that become paranoics. Because the world only pressures you into [indistinct].",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n Contentment... The death is there. If I, somehow or other, make a compromise, that is different thing. But I don't like to die. There is old age. I don't want to be old, but if I make a compromise, that is a different thing. But my desire is not to become old, not to become attacked by disease, not to die. These are my desires. So I can make some compromise, being unable to solve the problems. That is a different thing. But these are the problems. These are the problems.",
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"content": "\n It was once rather well put by some woman who said to Mr. Carlyle, who's in a way of being a philosopher. \"You know, Mr. Carlyle, I accept the universe.\" He said, \"Madam, you'd better.\" This is the beginning of, you might say, reason.",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n There are sentiments, like Cowper said, \"England, I love you with all thy fault.\" That is another thing. That is a compromise.",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n The difficulty is, in any form of discussion like this, it's very fascinating, but it does show the limitations of transmission of feelings and ideas and all those complicated things by a simple verbal process, which is the real problem.\n I agree entirely. Zen immediately comes to mind, where the problem's recognized, immediately acted on, and it's admitted that there's an impossibility of transmission by an individual.\n This is where you can't get a feeling across by writing a textbook of it. I think...",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\n No. One thing is that somebody's concluding that to solve this problem—birth, death, old age, disease—is impossibility. That is one school. Another school, if they're following then there is possibility of control over the birth, death, old age and disease. So why not this school, who does not say there is impossible? No, there is possible.\nJust like we follow Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kṛṣṇa says that tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya [Bg. 4.9], that \"Anyone who understands Me thoroughly, he, after quitting this body, no more accept this material body but comes to Me.\" Now, so long I accept this material body these problems are there—birth, death, old age and disease. Then if I don't accept this material body, then these problems are solved immediately.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n This is what they call \"solution by denial.\"",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n It is not called solution. It is a fact, because it is followed... Then you have come to the original position, to follow the mahājanas. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ [Cc. Madhya 17.186]. Our thought is guided by that mahājana. We accept the mahājanas, the great personalities who have achieved success. We follow.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n \"Let us now praise famous men and our fathers who beget us,\" as they oddly enough seem always to be prize-giving girls school. But I've never been able to understand why.\n But the whole idea is that these personalities have to be in a living form, not just in the past. But they live in the form of a spiritual master who's there to guide us personally—not just praise someone in the past. Unless this process is transmitted in a human form personally, it's not...",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n That is the process in the material world also. You are lawyer because you have studied laws under some big lawyer. So the process is coming.",
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"content": "\n I assure you, Swami, that the reverse was true. I went to Oxford. I sat at the feet, as we would put it, of one of the most tiresome men I ever met in my life. He gave me an extraordinary distaste for the law. Any law I've learnt has had to be learned the hard way by, you know, looking at statutes, looking at cases. So I regret to say that I have my own personal experiences...",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n That is, that is of course later on; in the beginning you are a student of a lawyer.",
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{
"content": "\n That's used for analogy, because some people have gone on [indistinct] no matter who they are.\n Yah. Yah. Well this is the only thing, \"Seek and ye shall find, or be still and ye shall know.\" I think this is the essential feature that you've been saying is that, really, this grace comes to anybody if they're only willing to expect it. It's inherently there.\n With respect, [indistinct], among many other people, prove that it's absolutely impossible to establish a rational, umm, a rational grounding for religion. In other words, trying to logically prove axioms is logically impossible.\n Yes, [indistinct]. Not necessary.\n But by verbalizing this philosophy of the Absolute, it trains the student in accepting the inexperience..., that which is only experienced, by leading them to that point. But certainly we have to have some verbal confirmation of this truth.\n Well some people, oddly enough, don't need it. Some very simple people can have a very true spiritual life without ever needing to verbalize it, usually because they had—this is where I think it's perfectly correct—they have followed some father figure or mother figure, and you know, absorbed...\n Just like my child.\n Yes.\n She's to that point without having any rational knowledge.\n There's some [indistinct] simple people also [indistinct] people like Blake, for example, or Buddha [indistinct] simple person. It's not this sort of faith, only childlike faith; it's often found in simple people.\n It certainly is easier for them, though. It's easier for the simple person, because he doesn't have all these mental, complicated doubts and, you know, arguments with himself.\n Yes.\n It's said that as one progresses more and more in spiritual life he becomes simpler and more innocent. But in the beginning he may have had to comprehend it on some verbal level in order to [indistinct].\n I often used to say to my students that I've got to remember that if anything in life to realize the difference between simple and complicated, which is objective, and easy and difficult, which is subjective. In other words, sometimes a simple thing may be terribly difficult for a person to get hold of, whereas complicated things people find quite easy.",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n So your student has to follow your instruction. That means accepts authority.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n But even so, even if he's working something out for himself, it has that same..., to some people it comes terribly easily.",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\n No. No. To accept authority does not mean one should be blind. But the real source of knowledge comes from authority.",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n You then reject the idea of a fear of God.",
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"content": "\n No, I don't reject. The thing is that perfect knowledge is received from the authority which…, beyond the material defects.",
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"content": "\n No, what I mean is, fear is not necessary for learning from an authoritarian source.",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\n No, authority must be perfect. Then otherwise the knowledge is not perfect.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n He's saying that you don't need to necessarily have to fear the authority before you accept him.",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n There's no question of fearing. There's no question of fearing.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n That's what I thought. You don't acce... That doesn't come in at all.",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n No. No. It is out of love, out of affection, the reciprocation.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n Well, that's what I think very often, that it is fear that prevents people from accepting.",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n No. No. Why?",
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{
"content": "\nThat's true.\n He said that sometimes someone may fear authority. That prevents them.",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\n Of course, when you accept the... That is not fear; that is obedience, respect. Respect. That's not fear. Just like my students—they are not fearful of me. Because I came from India, so what business they have got to be afraid of me? Neither I'm very..., a greater man, but they receive the philosophy, they understand the philosophy; therefore they have got respect for me. The teacher should be offered the due respect. That is not fear. That is not out of fear; it's out of love.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n I was saying that fear prevents it.",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\n No. There's no prevention. There's no fear, because they are quite at liberty to ask me question, and they're asking and the answer is there. I receive so many letters daily. So there's no... They are not afraid of me. But, out of affection, they offer respect.",
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"content": "\n May I make one strange statement that I think it is rather true of the present world? People are always afraid of fear and love. It's almost as though it's something rather sissy or, you know, to get so mixed up with sentimentality.\n I don't know what it is rather than fear.\n Well, I mean... If you don't know... If I were afraid of you because of absolute knowledge or...\n Yah.\n ...terrified of the unknown.\n That's very true. That's why plan[?] children and such like and things like the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement who not only profess [indistinct]scare into lots of people.",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n Just like the child is afraid of the father. There is affection. \"My father is displeased if I do... Father has said, 'Don't touch this,' so I don't touch. My father has...\" So that fear and affection, both is there. It is not simply that he is afraid of his father, but the affection is there. So to become obedient to the authority, there is a tinge of fear also, but that is based on affection. That is not actually...",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n They were saying also that in this age, particularly now, there is a great fear of loving someone or something on the part of the large population. They think that by...",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n There is no real love. There is expectation of being frustrated in love.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n Rebuffed.",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n Yes. Rebuffed. So therefore they're...",
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{
"content": "\n Terrified, actually.",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\n So because everything in this material world is perverted reflection, therefore we sometimes love somebody and we become frustrated. So therefore others see that \"This man has loved that girl and he's now frustrated. Oh, why shall I love?\" That is due to frustration. But there is a perfectional stage. There is a perfectional stage; therefore we say it is perverted reflection. Just like our Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa—that is the perfectional stage of love.\nRādhārāṇī is a young girl and Kṛṣṇa is a young boy. There is love. So originally this love between young boy and girl is there, but that is in perfect stage. Here, in this material world, the same thing is pervertedly reflected. Therefore it is imperfect. So we have come to the perfectional stage, not be afraid and give it up—frustration. But love is there. But there is a perfectional stage of love. We have to learn that.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n The Greeks call it agape, as opposed to the old, other form of eros.\n Yes. Lust and..., eros, lust. Agape is pure love, transcendental love.",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n Yes. There is. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means to bring everything to the perfectional stage. The others, they're, out of frustration, they want to stop all activity. That is voidism—to stop all this activity. Buddha philosophy is more or less based on this voidism: make everything null and void—no more activities, no more love.\nWe don't say. Just like you cannot see properly because our eyes are diseased. To cure the disease, and then you see properly. And other says, \"All right, pluck it out. The disease in the eye, take away.\" That is not very good proposition. We say that make treatment to make the eyes to see properly. Remedy problem.\nOur proposition is, sarvopādhi vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena... [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. We simply cleanse the process. The seeing process we cleanse. We don't pluck out the eyes out of frustration: don't see; make everything void. No. We don't say that, because there is no void; it is simply frustration. There is variety, nice variety, spiritual variety. We are bringing people to that position.",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n I must say that's very interesting.\n Can I ask one last question? The Bhagavad-gītā—do you accept that as historically..., an historical fact?",
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{
"content": "\n Truth is historical fact is.",
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"content": "\n Bhagavad-gītā—did it take place? There was a battlefield of Kurukṣetra.",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\n Yes. It is historical. Mahābhārata. Mahābhārata means the history of Greater India. Greater India. Mahābhārata.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n Mahābhārata.",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n This Mahābhārata means..., mahā means greater. Formerly, five thousand years ago, the whole planet was called Bhārata, India. India it is now called. Actually the name is Bhārata. Bhārata is the name given after the reign of Mahārāja..., one King Bharata. He was the ruler, emperor, of the whole world. After his name this planet is called Bhārata, this whole planet.\nMahābhārata. Mahābhārata is Greater India or Greater Bhārata. The headquarter was in India, but it was greater, according to Mahābhārata history, and this Bhagavad-gītā is given there in the Mahābhārata. Therefore it is history. And actually it is historical, because the battlefield is still existing...",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n In the mind...\n No, it's there, Kurukṣetra.",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n Kurukṣetra, battlefield.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n Oh, I'm sorry, that's the place [indistinct]. I thought you meant the battle was still on.",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\n No. Battlefield, where the battle was fought, took place, that is still there. There is a railway station, Kurukṣetra. And that Kurukṣetra is still dharmakṣetra, a religious place. People go for pilgrimage, and in the Vedas also it is stated that kuru-kṣetre dharma [indistinct], you perform religious rituals in Kurukṣetra. Therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, dharma-kṣetre kuru-kṣetre [Bg. 1.1]. It is fact, historical fact. It is not imagination. But many commentators have taken as imagination; therefore they are misled. It is historical.",
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{
"content": "\n Well, will you..., can you take the central road, Dr. Ware?\nDr. \nWare\n:\n I would not need a road if I took it [indistinct]. You have been very generous with your time\n You may ask more questions if you like.\nDr. \nWare\n:\n Well, I'm sure there are other people who, I mean to say, wanted to have the opportunity discussing matters.\n Next time the Swami's in England, perhaps we can..., Mensa members can [indistinct] in comparative religion could be...\n Indeed, I think that would be very... And also it would be very interesting if you would care to take our test.\n Test?\n Yes. The entrance qualification.\n [laughs] What kind of questions? Is it scientific?\n No. Just simple intelligence, that's all.\n [indistinct] an I.Q. test.\n ...that's all. Call it test, but it's something; we've got nothing better at the moment.",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n We think our activities above intelligence. Spiritual. Spiritual.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n That's quite different.",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n Because above the mind..., above the body there is mind; above the mind there is intelligence; and above the intelligence there is soul; and above the soul there is God. So we are talking of relationship between God and the soul. It is above body, mind and intelligence.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n That's what interests me. One has this hierarchical or superior attitude even in the statement you've just made, that things, you know, about more contained which is what I feel is easier.",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n Because we take from God there is no mistake. There's no mistake. Otherwise He cannot be God.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n I mean this is just unnecessary. It is just tautological. But since this is in your definition of God, you don't have to go any farther.",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n But God means He's above mistake,",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n Yes.",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n ...above the illusion, above cheating, above imperfection. This is God.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n There's a central premise that everything is simultaneously one and different. Just like flowers—there are many flowers, roses, but within the flowers there is variety.\n But still it raises the danger of another [indistinct], it really does. This is a very [indistinct] you're trying to make, but it's impossible to talk about physics in the language of chemistry. It's impossible. So when...\n So when he says there's a gradation, that we see gradation, that the soul is higher than the body, this is also [indistinct].",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n Soul is higher than the body, mind and intelligence.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n Yes. But that is only because we've learned, I think, when we were small to look up to higher people...\n [indistinct] on each side of them and in the middle, on the other side, before and after...\n This is the..., you see, unconsciously you grow up with all these sort of prejudices, which are necessary. You've got to have some sort of time scale, you've got to have some sort of measuring scale, and therefore you tend to look up, and therefore you think highly of more important [indistinct], you talk about high position, you don't think of chaps sitting on the fence...\n Inherently you'll find the rose is better than the daisy.\n No. Some people might prefer the daisy.\n But the qualities are there, inherent in the rose, which are preferable to those of the daisy.\n Why? Tell me why. I mean, you haven't given me any reason for saying it is better.",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n What is that?",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n The rose has nice scent. It appears...",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n ...beautiful.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n ...beautiful.\n [indistinct] be subjective [indistinct].\n And you see, a lot of people would like a red rose, because that has a symbolism to it. Why have a yellow rose? It must have a sort of subjective reaction. It has nothing to do with the fact that it's got a chromatic wavelength.",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n So that is a cause. That means there is a cause. We have to accept the cause. So that cause, we go further till we find out the cause of all causes.\nDr. \nWare\n:\n You see, what worries me, Swami, is that there is two ways of making sure you live, each containing this necessity of eating. Now, some people eat [indistinct]. They digest it; they live perfectly healthily. They know nothing about carbohydrates, proteins and fats. They know nothing about saliva. They know nothing about enzymes or digestion, and they live quite satisfactory lives.\nOther people start worrying about whether they've got the right amount of calories, the right amount of vitamins, whether they're taking enough water with the meal or not. One wonders that if you're starting to worry about that, it means somehow you're less perfect than the person who's able to digest quite happily without the knowledge.\n Well, if you say like that, the majority of living entities, they are eating without this knowledge of enzyme and other things. So if you take votes, the votes are greater. Just like human being, a few human beings are interested in analyzing this enzyme. And the human beings are very small quantity. There are 8,400,000 species of life. They're eating with a natural way, and they're quite healthy.",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n Knowledge of the process is comparatively important. If you want to enjoy it more you don't have to know about enzymes and proteins, you have to know about the right sort of wine and the...\n Enjoyment is the standard.\n And there, what worries me, I was going a stage further, you do tend to find that people who want to understand about digestion are those whose stomachs are not very good.",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n Another thing is... Just like grass, straw. The cows are eating straw and giving the most vitaminous food, milk, full of vitamin A and D. But if you scientifically say that there is, I mean to say, vitamins in grass and straw, then you eat straw and produce. Vitamins is there. Why it is so? Your analysis of enzyme and vitamin, how you can say milk...\n[break] ... you'll die. Why this law is there? The cow is producing most vitaminous food, milk, by simply eating dry grass and straw.",
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"content": "\n No, with respect, Swami, no. By simply imbibing at the same time bacteria which flourish in its intestines and are necessary for it to be able to metabolize this straw. We couldn't metabolize straw...",
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"content": "\n But you're lacking that bacteria. You're lacking that bacteria. The bacteria which the cows have, you haven't got.\nDr. \nWare\n:\n We've got them, but we kill them.",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n ...another analogy.\n Exactly. This is the trouble. It's unwise... If you could accept the concept as a whole, there's no need to try and give an analogy.\n I don't accept your, um... The point you were making when you began that analogy, I think, was that people that do look for spiritual knowledge, in quotes, um, it would appear there was something wrong with them.\n No, no, not always. I say there are some people who obviously... If they have to look for it, they haven't got it. The people who've got it don't need to look for it.\n Yeah. Resorting to the accursed thing again, some people go to the doctor that are sick and some people aren't sick, are hypochondriacs.\n It's just like if someone points out to you, for instance, that this material world is based upon sense gratification and everyone is striving to gratify the impulse of their senses, that's a verbalization of a truth which is not apparent in any other way, or it's very difficult to find out in any other way.\nSo suddenly that knowledge awakens one to a higher desire, to attain something higher. So that is the point of verbalization of these things. If we are silent, how will someone be awakened to that truth, that simply by saying this material world spins upon this principle of material sense gratification. That's a truth that you can easily verbalize.\n Well, I think there's a double difference always with these things between the subject and the object. If, in other words, it's objectively necessary to gratify the senses, if you like. In other words, you've got to have diets and things like that, and you've got to breathe, but you can also get a subjective pleasure out of doing that which is different from just doing it automatically. Sometimes we know when we're busy, we just shovel our food down. We don't really have any gratification out of it. We just ha...\n Yes. There are four basic principles that Prabhupāda mentioned—eating, sleeping, mating and defending—which are natural for the animals or to the humans. But man is using his propensity, his conscious propensity, to simply enjoy material nature on a more advanced level: to eat better, to sleep more, to have better sex life and so on. It still boils down to that. Everyone is seeking sense pleasure.",
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"content": "\n Such propensities are there in animals. Then what makes the difference between animal and man?",
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"content": "\n Animals, as far as I know, don't conduct scientific research.\n What is the point of scientific research? That's the question.\n Because of this feeling of wanting to know.\n I wonder what [indistinct].\n No, no, they've made the observation. I don't think they have the power to...\n Why do scientists make their analysis, and what are the advancements of science used for? What can man use them for?\n Largely, a Freudian would say, to compensate their feeling of inadequacy, of their being not sufficiently treated with empathy and love when they were young.\n Objectively, seeing is just to gratify the senses.\n Well, Freud said... Of course, he's the great chap on gratification, and that's where Jung sensibly said, \"Ah, that's not sufficient. You've got to have the spiritual side of life as well.\" He comprises it. Jung got the advantage of being, you might say, a higher stage, to use the words of the Swami, because he's able to contain the lower things like...",
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"content": "\n The conclusion comes in this way, that to remain animals, scientific animals, that's all. The propensities are the same, sense gratification, but the man is trying to make it scientific. That means to remain animal but become scientific, that's all—scientific animal.",
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"content": "\n But at the same time he's a spiritual animal. It's interesting to find that in this twentieth century, science is rather replacing the spirituality. You know, people in the past gave religion an enormous importance, and science was practically unknown. Now they're going the other way around.",
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"content": "\n That scientific spirituality, that is advancement more than the animals. Otherwise, if you simply remain on the [indistinct] eating, sleeping, mating and defending scientifically, you remain animal. But when that scientific research goes to the spiritual thing, that is special prerogative of the human.",
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"content": "\n This replacement by science of religion has proven inadequate also in the twentieth century, because how can it satisfy ultimately the questions?\n In the same way, how can you satisfy a person's lack of emotional content in his job by giving him more money? Half of the trouble starts with the jobs. They have no emotive content now because there's no rapport between them and their boss. They have practically no intellectual interest because they have a routine job in a factory. And you know they are really deprived in this sad way.\n Then what worries lots of people about lots of religions is the [indistinct], for example of pointing a finger at the moon and choosing the finger with the moon[?].\n One of the difficulties, and I think this is true when I was saying simple people, using that in its broader sense, some people cannot get anything at all unless they have a little picture. You know, it helps them; not like the dear old lady who found...",
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"content": "\n That we give, the picture: \"Here is God.\"",
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"content": "\n Just like Christ. He came to speak with a very ignorant class of men. He was forced to speak in parables and stories.\n Ah, yes. Now parable is better than analogy. An analogy is an intellectual thing, whereas a parable is a human thing. It's got a warmth in it. It's in three dimensions, not a cross-section. And he was, of course, awfully clever at choosing them.\n I don't think your friend Christmas Humphreys will agree with either of those statements.\n Knowing him very well, I don't... One would be surprised at [indistinct] he would be perfectly happy to feel that I was disagreeing with him. I think he confuses himself with Kṛṣṇa at times.\n Well, is that absolutely [indistinct]?\n The Buddhist thinks that everyone is God?",
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"content": "\n In Buddhist theory there is no acceptance of God. There is simply to diminish, or to nullify, the sense of pains and pleasure. That is called nirvāṇa.",
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"content": "\n The atheist is the person who worries most about God. I mean, he really... God must exist, but he tries to deny it all. Rather like I had a lecturer at Oxford who wasn't interested in women. He was a misogynist. He talked, you know, against women, and he spent all his time telling you that he wasn't interested in women. He thought about nothing but women and the fact that he wasn't interested in them. His lectures were full of it. It was pathetic.\n Just like Kaṁsa!",
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"content": "\n Hiraṇyakaśipu. Gold and women.",
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"content": "\n Kaṁsa hated Kṛṣṇa, and he wanted to kill Him, but all he could think about was Kṛṣṇa. So somehow or other it boils down that one somehow has to become Kṛṣṇa conscious under some process.\n Even other people, not using that name.\n [indistinct] God consciousness.\n That's what I say Unitarians apparently by having so much of this in their [indistinct] in quite a different way from a different philosophy. And, of course, you begin to feel that they must be very [indistinct], because they were so persecuted. If a person is no real menace to you, you don't have to persecute him. Both Socrates and Christ are perfect examples of that.",
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"content": "\n Now we are [indistinct]. We have to speak something.",
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"content": "\n I think that's been most fascinating, Swami. Very kind of you, indeed.",
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"content": "\n Thank you.",
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"content": "\n And we would welcome you if you would just comply with our simple requirements. We don't have as one of our requirements the acceptance of anything other than the task of spending, about, at the maximum, an hour and a half doing some simple problems. It's an open invitation.\n To one of your meetings.\n Oh, no, to the test for the qualification.\n Oh, a test. They have a test for entry into their Society, and they want to know if you can take this test.",
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"content": "\n So why not you come to our Society and we test you?",
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"content": "\n We test something different, you see.",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\n We also test different.",
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"content": "\n That's right, yes, quite right.",
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"content": "\n As you have process of test, we have also process of test.",
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"content": "\n And ours is just as universal.",
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"content": "\n Our process of test is how far he is advanced in God consciousness. That is our test. Harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇāḥ. It is said, yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā [SB 5.18.12]. If one has developed God consciousness, all good qualities must develop in them. All good qualities.\nHarāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇāḥ. And one who has not developed Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or God consciousness, he cannot have any good qualities, because his business is mental speculation, mano-rathenāsati dhāvato bahiḥ. By simply mental speculation, he'll be fixed up in this material world.",
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"content": "\n Mental speculation alone is sterile.",
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"content": "\n Mental speculation, mano-rathena. Ratha means chariot, one who is driving on the chariot of mind, mano-rathena. The chariot of mind will take him..., will fix him only on material conditions. So long one remains in the material conditions of life, he cannot have any good qualifications. One has to transcend this material platform and come to the spiritual platform. Then his natural good qualities will come out automatically.",
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"content": "\n This, of course, is the basis, too, of real...",
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"content": "\n For example, for example, our boys, Europeans, American boys, they were addicted with illicit sex life. They were addicted for meat-eating. They were addicted drinking. They were addicted to gambling. Now they've given up everything. There is no illicit sex in our society. There is no gambling. There is no meat-eating. There is not even smoking, or taking..., drinking tea. How it is possible? They were addicted to all these things from beginning of their life. Now they have given up. If you take this as good qualities, then they have already developed, besides others. Why? Because due to Kṛṣṇa consciousness.\nSometimes in America the authorities, they are surprised. They want to consult us on that \"How you people have given up this LSD?\" They are spending so much money to stop this bad habit. \"How it is that your members used to [indistinct]?\" Not only LSD, all kinds of intoxications. So if you take it as a good quality, that good quality is developing due to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Therefore this is a fact: one who has no Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or good consciousness, he may go on speculating, but he'll never come to the platform of goodness. That is our test.\nDr. \nWare\n:\n That is most impressive, that giving up those things which are really... If they were inessentials it would be good to give them up, but since they are harmful, it's even more beneficial. How that can be achieved in the modern world is quite a remarkable feat.",
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"content": "\n Would you say that you agree with the Swami the... some of the bases of religion are essential, are therapeutically useful, valid?\n I think, again, it depends upon the person. I should say to lots of people they are essential, or you might even go farther, as Jung would say, that to everybody they are essential, but they mean something different to different types of people from the very [indistinct], and from the long hair to the very abstract. But the people who lack it do seem to lack. It's rather like they lack a gyroscope. They've got no stability. They just sort of wobble all over the place.\n No, they don't. One [indistinct] scientific truth is this works.\n I would like to put my own view, is that I believe very much in the Christian ethics, and I could believe in Kṛṣṇa ethics, or, if I might say. But I could also believe in that without the need to believe in Kṛṣṇa or God. Now whether that's a delusion on my part, and I really do believe deep down inside me, and I don't know...\n But the idea is how to transform that belief into practical action. That's the art.\n But some people need the bridge of the Godhead to achieve it. Other people do it abstractly.\n Today we went to a service, a Christian service, the first one I've been to in years, and in this Baptist church, we walked in there were eleven old ladies sitting in the pews. And outside I could hear the roar of traffic and people. I began to think how much the Christian Church has lost track or lost pull[?] of this ability to be able to guide people to the practical application of moral and spiritual principles, so much so that no one was interested even to come in...",
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"content": "\n One priest in Boston, he issued leaflet regretting that these boys—he saw our students—he appreciated that \"These boys are so much after God, and they're our boys. We could not give them.\" Actually the same boy was, one year or two years ago, he was not going to church, he had no interest in God consciousness, but now this same boy is mad after God. And he's twenty-four hours in God consciousness. They're chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra twenty-four hours. How they have become so...",
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"content": "\n The Swami made a good point when I talked to him the other day that some of the American churches are packed. There's a great swing towards religion in America, and they're getting a lot of humbug, you know, which is, just one of those... I think I disagree with you that today theology has lost its status with the [indistinct] of science, but there seems to be a swing, in my little world, towards spiritual things.\n Oh, I'm glad to hear that because, as I say, one's been watching the swing the other way. Coming back to your point, the other vital thing, we said that earlier on, that we still don't know, in other words, in order to get spiritual qualities you've got to have silence. Correspondingly, in the modern world we have this neurotic disease, the desire for noise. These people can't even do a job without having a transistor set on. There's something psychopathic about this.\n It can be used though, can't it? The Kṛṣṇa people use it, the concept of using the word \"Kṛṣṇa\" [indistinct] the ears, the most subtle of the senses...\n Yes, but this \"boop-a-doop\" noise they have, the language stops you from doing your work properly.\n A material noise.\n Noise, background noise, wireless...\n But if a person is at our temple and he can hear noise coming... It's always there, twenty-four hours a day, because that propensity is there in this age. We should be taking advantage of it.\nDr. \nWare\n:\n But if I might say, you're not taking advantage of it now, you're merely going back to what has always been the cream of any form of sensation, and that's music. Plato's time, the old idea of the music of the spheres. Music is the food of love. I mean it's, to my mind it's the most wonderful sound.\n In Revelations, I don't remember the exact verse, \"Strike the [indistinct].\"\n The only spiritual sensation for many people, really, it's from music.\n Silence is defined in Bhagavad-gītā as speaking about Kṛṣṇa, or hearing Kṛṣṇa's name. That is silence.\n Well, if you're silent you can hear things, but if you're making noise, you know, the message doesn't come through, and if somebody else is making a noise, you've got an excuse for not getting the message. I think a lot of people again are afraid of getting the message. So with the noise they can say, \"Of course, I didn't hear it, so you mustn't blame me.\"\nNow that sort of cheating, I think, is a very bad one. That's not what I call positive cheating. That cheating yourself which is even more dangerous than... If you cheat the other chap, if he's clever enough he can avoid the effect of it, but if you cheat yourself, you know you might try and pull yourself up by your own bootstraps. [indistinct] you can't get out of it.\n I believe that the [indistinct] spread this philosophy as much as possible in this age because it's been lost by so much noise. [indistinct] in some people. Our message is getting through, though.\n The fact that it can be heard sometimes even above the noise...",
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"content": "\n One noise makes liberation, one noise makes bondage. Noise must be there.",
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"content": "\n But we do have in this modern world a neurotic desire for noise and novelty. The two things together, they...\n There again, novelty and noise, they're sense gratification. We want to gratify the senses.\n Well, don't you think it's also possible too, mind you, that you only have to have novelty because you are not being satisfied.\n Yes.\n In other words, what's happening is you're not satisfied, so you have to have something to do.\n Yes. The senses can never be gratified, but always the drive is there to gratify them.\n If you go to a good play or see a good film or hear some good music, you feel satisfied and you don't have to flash back next night because you've seen it before. You have a feeling that, you know...\n Even that, a good play or a good music, is not very long lasting. When you come out of the theater you're hungry. When your hunger is satisfied, then you want some sex life. Then you want to drive home fast. There's always something there to agitate the material senses.\n The trouble is, aren't you going to lead yourself into this difficulty: if you are spiritually satisfied, you would sit down and do nothing. And if everybody were doing that, we should be rather back to where we started rather than have enough food or music or transport.",
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"content": "\n That is for the voidist, not for the spiritualist. The spiritual life there is enough activities for even scientists. That they do not know. They mean spiritual life mean void. That is negation of the present activities only, negative idea. But actually, when you stop material activities your real activity begins. That is spiritual life. The spirit, spirit soul, is active. You cannot stop it. You cannot stop it. Now it is acting through these coverings of material, matter, therefore it is imperfect activities. But if the activity is uncovered by material things, that is real activity.",
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"content": "\n But aren't desires biological in cause?\n They're necessary.\n Yes, but they're biologically necessary rather than spiritually necessary.\n Well, may I say, let's go farther, that when you say biologically necessary, is it necessary for you to be alive? What scientific...\n Prabhupāda has told us that even in the spiritual world there is desire to have the senses enjoy. Isn't that so?",
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"content": "\n Yes.",
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"content": "\n But I think you need... I agree, I would say you need both. I want spiritual life, material life.\n [indistinct] spiritual thing, I mean, isn't it like people talking about China or New York [indistinct] about it, in fact it might even be a little [indistinct].\n Well, I think to each person his picture is different, too.\n The idea there is that in spiritual activity everything is seen in relationship to God, and if you serve God with your every activity...",
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"content": "\n Yes. The same example, just like this finger is part and parcel of body. So long it is attached with the body it has got activities. You cut it from my body, there's no activity.",
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"content": "\n Yes, but you've still got a body.",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\n Eh?",
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"content": "\n You've still got a body, and you've still got some other fingers left.",
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"content": "\n No, you can call it a finger, but it will not act as finger; it will act [indistinct].",
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"content": "\n No, but the others will. I don't see the need for your analogy.\n The God is there and we are His servants.",
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"content": "\n If we are part and parcel of God, then we must be active in serving God. That is my analogy.",
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"content": "\n But I don't see the need for analogy. That statement is sufficient.",
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"content": "\n Why not? Why not? There must be a need. If you think, if you know that you're part and parcel of God, then you must act for God.",
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"content": "\n You see, I would go the other way round and say that as long as I know that God is part and parcel...",
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"content": "\n You cannot [indistinct]. God is the spirit and you are spirit. Therefore you have to take lessons from God. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is stated there, mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhuta [Bg. 15.7], that \"These living entities they are My part and parcels.\" So, because part and parcel of God, therefore the part and parcel must be active on account of God. That is real life. Why stop activity? That is real life.",
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"content": "\n I fear, Swami, if I may say so, without disrespect, that in some ways you're preaching to the converted, and you only make it more muddled to me by giving analogies. Don't you feel that at times?\n Yeah, I think the Swami's used to..., probably used to talking to people that need this...\nNever mind the method.",
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"content": "\n When there is a truth spoken by God that \"Living entities are My part and parcel, mamaiva,\" why shall I not give the analogy? How do part and parcel acts? I must give analogy. Otherwise how they can understand?",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n It's like some people...",
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"content": "\n For understanding, analogy must be there. Analogy is created for understanding.",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n But not in the [indistinct] example. A lot of people try and give an analogy to explain entropy. Now, of course....",
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"content": "\n Now I do not know what other people give analogy, but my business is that we take it from Bhagavad-gītā that living entities are part and parcel of God. Therefore, just like this part and parcel of my body is active in relationship with this body, but if it is cut off from the body, it is no more active. Similarly, those who are not active in rendering service to God, they're as dead as this finger cut off from the body.\nSo they have to be awakened to that consciousness. Just like a tree, you cut it, it has no consciousness to protest. But even an ant, a small ant, because it has developed consciousness, you try to kill it, it will protest. Therefore the more consciousness you develop, you become active. That is nature's law. That is nature's law. Developed consciousness does not mean to become dead.",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n This is what I've said earlier on, that the whole of the...",
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"content": "\n Yes. So therefore if one comes to God consciousness, you becomes more active.",
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"content": "\n The whole evolution, I think I may have said it before you came in, the whole evolution to the human mind is to become more and more in conscious control.",
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"content": "\n So mind, mind, activities of mind, activities of intelligence and activities of spirit, the spiritual activities more greater than the mind's mental activities.",
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"content": "\n The other day we were discussing Socrates. And Socrates' method was to bring the self under control by inspecting oneself: \"Know thyself,\" and thereby be able to lead a moral life with self-respect and self-control. But Prabhupāda was saying that this is not an ordinary thing. Not many men can achieve this rational control. So by simply cultivating spirit, nourishing spiritual life, any man can control his senses.",
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"content": "\n Just like, somebody, there is a child, a child is active, but his frivolous activities, or mischievous activities, have to stop when he's active in taking education. The same child, his energy for becoming active is transferred for taking education. He's no more acting mischievously, breaking this, doing this, doing that.\nThe activity is there. Now that is purified. Similarly, spiritual life means the spiritual activity, that is purified activity. These boys, they have given up drinking, meat-eating. That does not mean they stop eating. They're eating better things. Therefore they have given up the nonsense eating. So that is spiritual life. Spiritual life means activity purified.",
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"content": "\n Rationally, I was thought to be intelligent. I went to college, got so many degrees, but I could not in the least control my senses and control my mind, even though I tried. I studied philosophy so hard. But by simply chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa and coming to the platform of service for God, all my activities became dovetailed in one direction so that the other things were automatically brought under control as a result.",
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"content": "\n Paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate [Bg. 2.59]. The exact word is there, that if one gets good engagement, he can gives up bad engagement. But he cannot make it inactive. That is not possible, because soul is active. It is living. How he can make it inactive? That is not possible. Nirvāṇa means stop nonsense, but take to spiritual life. That is next, athāto brahma jijñāsā. Nirvāṇa does not mean to stop activities; to stop nonsense activities. Come to the real activity.",
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"content": "\n Well aṇiman, the word many people use for the soul, also means of course, life. [indistinct] being animate. The two are synonymous.\n Just like you were saying a while ago that if you were in God consciousness, you need not wear a robe. That's also our philosophy. It's very practical. But your consciousness would be always serving Kṛṣṇa, always serving God, in whatever status of life. It isn't necessary to put on a robe first and then God consciousness.\n But it helps some people.\n The soul is a very interesting concept, the soul as well, the fact that the soul is quantifiable, that it exists in a smaller part in the larger animals, and a higher part in a higher animals.\n No. It's the same size in all entities.\n Oh, it is, is it? But when we reach a point when we don't know whether there are living things or not, you know, the amino acids, and things like that or...\nDr. \nWare\n:\n Well, I would take up that straight away, fundamentally, that it's perfectly correct to say it's the same size every [indistinct] has no size.",
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"content": "\n No. It has size. We cannot measure it.\nDr. \nWare\n:\n That's what I mean. Therefore the word \"size\" is a misconception.\n But that is not a scientific statement. Because you have no measuring instrument you cannot say it has no size.\nDr. \nWare\n:\n Now, if what you say it has not got three dimension, but when we talk about size...\n Yes, three dimension. It is said, it is estimated that ten..., one ten-thousandth part of the tip of the hair.",
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"content": "\n [laughs] We could do better than that with a micron.",
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"content": "\n Then find out the soul, if you have got instrument.",
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"content": "\n How many angels on the end of a pin?\n In fact this is coming back to that..., the analogy again.\n But the whole thing is so [indistinct] about this [indistinct] putting in Kṛṣṇa instead of Christ.\n But the whole business, if you try to explain...",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\n In geometry they say the point has no length nor breadth. But that is not fact. The point has length and breadth, but you cannot measure it.",
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"content": "\n Ah, but the mathematician would say that that isn't... The definition of a point is something that has no breadth or depth, but his purpose is working out his philosophy.\n [indistinct] he'd say something entirely different. They'd say that the absolute point...",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\n But if you magnify the point, you'll find there is...",
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"content": "\n But, coming back to...",
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"content": "\n It is a question of vision. With your present imperfect vision you do not see. When you take a magnifying glass you see, \"Oh, there is length and breadth.\"",
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"content": "\n Ah, but that brings you, Swami, straight away into the problem of the infinite regress.",
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"content": "\nWhatever it may be...",
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"content": "\nIt becomes smaller and smaller. But you know, you might just as well stop at the beginning as start at the end.\n Kṛṣṇa says, \"I am the smallest of the smallest.\"",
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"content": "\n That is stated in the Veda. Aṇor aṇīyān mahato mahīyān [Kaṭha Upaniṣad 1.2.20]. God is greater than the greatest and smaller than the smallest.",
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"content": "\n You're using materialist words, Swami. You're using materialist words, \"greater\" and \"smaller.\"",
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"content": "\n What you meant spiritual?",
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"content": "\n No, but I say you are using materialist words to describe them.",
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"content": "\n What do you mean by spiritual? No speaking?",
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"content": "\n What I say is... [laughter]",
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"content": "\n If I say greater and smaller in this way, and you say this is material, then what is a spiritual expression of this? Can you give me? That means stop, stop talking?\nDr. \nWare\n:\n You don't need it...\n ...you have to. This is not material. When you speak in spiritual connection, this is spiritual.",
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"content": "\n You'd have to invent a new language, really.",
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"content": "\n No. Why invent? The same language. The same language.",
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"content": "\n Well you won't get very far in any form of philosophy in [indistinct] language.\n [indistinct]\n But the consciousness in which something is done denotes it. For instance, I could be sweeping the street. Someone would think, \"Ah, I'm just a material street sweeper.\" But if I'm doing it for Kṛṣṇa, it's a transcendental activity, it's a spiritual activity, not a material activity.\n Ah, yes, but I mean, then you have a sort of..., if somebody else who's sweeping faster and better, you say that he's greater spiritually even if he's doing it...\n No.",
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"content": "\n No, the purpose must be spiritual. The purpose must be for Kṛṣṇa.",
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"content": "\n So if we're speaking about Kṛṣṇa, then our words become spiritual.\n Yes, but I think if you're talking about spiritual things, you mustn't try and quantify it.",
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"content": "\n Spiritual means it has no material qualification. Nirbandhaḥ kṛṣṇa-sambandhe yuktaṁ vairāgyam ucyate [Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.2.255].",
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"content": "\n You can't measure the beauty of a rose with a ruler.\n But you can say it's like this, it's like that. You have to be able to describe it somehow.",
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"content": "\n Actually, in higher sense there is nothing material, because everything is emanating from God, therefore everything is spiritual.",
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"content": "\n Well, that's true, but the electron, as far as you can say, may be spiritual.",
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"content": "\n There is no distinction in higher status, because we say that everything that we see, that is manifestation of God's energy.",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n Exactly.",
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"content": "\n Energy. So in that sense, if it is God's energy there is nothing material. It is material when we forget God. That is material.",
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"content": "\n Well, I would have said... But really, rather going back to the analogy of the light. If there's no light there, you can't see whether there's anything there or not. Directly you have the light it enables you to see it. But the things exist independent of whether the light was there all along.",
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"content": "\n The light is... Light is in relationship with fire. So light is not different from the fire. Unless there is fire there is no light, there is no heat. So as soon as you feel heat or see light, the fire is there. In higher sense, those who can realize, immediately realize that there is fire.\nJust like here there's light. Immediately you can understand there is fire, there is electricity. So it is a question of realization. In the higher realization there is nothing matter; everything is spiritual. Simply when you forget God, that is material. That is material.",
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"content": "\n By using this analogy he's proving that there's a contingency. There's a..., that wherever there's heat and wherever there's light there must be fire.\n With respect, no, because you can have an infrared thing which is not fire.\n The original source is fire.\n Or ultraviolet. No.",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\n How can you explain light without fire?",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n Ultraviolet light doesn't have a fire.",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\n There is sun, ultraviolet rays of the sun.",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n How can you produce ultraviolet light except with electrical apparatus, electricity?",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\n Light and heat, you cannot think of without fire.",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n Fluorescence, certain chemicals.\n The origin is...\n You're making...",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\n There is no light, no heat without fire. That's a fact.",
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"content": "\n Everybody [indistinct] I think.\n Yeah, you see, that's the trouble. You can say really that there's no light or heat without an electrical movement. That's as far as you need. You don't need to go any farther.\n No, the point you were making is that the absolute source of everything is the sun. Was that the...?",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\n That is heat. That is fire.",
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"content": "\n Even if it's not there now, it was there a thousand years ago.\n It's gone through about the different transformations from its original source.\n Well, this is a form of scientific atavism. It's rather outmoded with the usual concepts of long ago. But one's got beyond that now.\n No, it then takes...",
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"content": "\n [aside] So we have to go down or not. So we can go down.\nDr. \nWare\n: \nMost interesting [indistinct].",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n Yes, but it all [indistinct] great argument.",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\n Yes. We shall talk more when we meet next.",
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"content": "\n Well, I've enjoyed it very much, and it was very kind of you. Where are you going on Wednesday? Where are you going?",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\n I'm going to Mombasa.",
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"content": "\n Really. That should be interesting. One of my greatest pleasures was to be able to entertain the Dalai Lama's secretary in the luncheon hall in Lincoln's Inn just near here.\n We went walking there one morning, Lincoln's Inn.\n [indistinct]\n Yes. I've always wanted to go there. We've got four Tibetans over, studying [indistinct] part of the college estate of Hampstead. And I've always liked the idea of their going up into those wonderful mountains and...\nAlthough you may say, you know, one mustn't overvalue material things, as far as their diet is concerned, they must be very much like you followers. You know, they have..., because they have [indistinct]. They have nothing wrong with their gums or their teeth. It must be about the only place in the world...\n Prabhupāda has all his teeth, too. He is nearly eighty.",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\n Yes. I've got my natural teeth.",
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"content": "\n Perfect diet.\n Thank you for sparing this time and...\n Such short notice, I didn't realize... It was such a pleasure, and I was so glad that you were able to fit it in before you go.\n He's going to speak now down in the temple. If you can stay, listen more.\n Well, I don't know. I should imagine the crowd is so great.\n [chuckles] Well, you can sit in front.\n We will see as we go down, I think... I must take my spiritual... [break] [end]",
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https://vedabase.io/en/library/transcripts/690914sb-london/
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[
{
"content": "\n\n...sāvadhūtaṁ parijana-sahitaṁ kṛṣṇa-caitanya-devaṁ\nśrī-rādhā-kṛṣṇa-pādān saha-gaṇa-lalitā-śrī-viśākhānvitāṁś ca\nHare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare\nHare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare.\njayatāṁ suratau paṅgor\nmama manda-mater gatī\nmat-sarvasva-padāmbhojau\nrādhā-madana-[mohanau]\n[Glory to the all-merciful Rādhā and Madana-mohana! I am lame and ill advised, yet They are my directors, and Their lotus feet are everything to me.]\nmahat-sevāṁ dvāram āhur vimuktes\ntamo-dvāraṁ yoṣitāṁ saṅgi-saṅgam\nmahāntas te sama-cittāḥ praśāntā\nvimanyavaḥ suhṛdaḥ sādhavo ye\n[SB 5.5.2]\n[One can attain the path of liberation from material bondage only by rendering service to highly advanced spiritual personalities. These personalities are impersonalists and devotees. Whether one wants to merge into the Lord's existence or wants to associate with the Personality of Godhead, one should render service to the mahātmās. For those who are not interested in such activities, who associate with people fond of women and sex, the path to hell is wide open. The mahātmās are equipoised. They do not see any difference between one living entity and another. They are very peaceful and are fully engaged in devotional service. They are devoid of anger, and they work for the benefit of everyone. They do not behave in any abominable way. Such people are known as mahātmās.]\nLast meeting we have been describing the symptoms of mahātmā, great soul. So the first symptom is that he is equal to everyone, sama-cittāḥ. And the next qualification is praśāntā. Praśāntā means pacified. He's not disturbed by any material anxiety. And why a great soul should be disturbed by material anxieties? Because he has no material desire. Anyone who has got material desire, he is full of material anxiety. But one who has no material desire, one who lives only for serving Kṛṣṇa, naturally he has no anxieties. Praśāntā.\nThere is another verse in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam quoted by Yamunācārya, that he says, bhavantam evānucaran nirantaraḥ.\nbhavantam evānucaran nirantaraḥ\npraśānta-niḥśeṣa-mano-rathāntaraḥ\nkadāham aikāntika-nitya-kiṅkaraḥ\npraharṣayiṣyāmi sanātha-jīvitam\n[Stotra-ratna 43]\n[By serving You constantly, one is freed from all material desires and is completely pacified. When shall I engage as Your permanent eternal servant and always feel joyful to have such a fitting master?]\nThis is very important verse. Śrī Yamunācārya says, \"My dear Lord,\" bhavantam evānucaran nirantaraḥ, \"when I shall be fully engaged in Your service?\" This is the process of being freed from all anxiety. Just like this child. This child is restless. He's going here, going there. But if the child is given some engagement, toy, which he likes, then she will remain there pacified and will not disturb any of us. That is natural.\nSimilarly, we are part and parcel of the Supreme Lord. So long we are not again linked up with His service, with His... So long we are not again reestablished in our lost relationship with Kṛṣṇa, we shall remain restless. That is our natural condition. Just like the child is crying, restless. But as soon as the mother takes the child on the lap, the child is immediately pacified. Why? Because the child wants that. She cannot express what she wants. She is crying. But she has no language to express, but she can express her feeling. As soon as she is on the lap of the mother, she understands, \"Now I am fully satisfied.\" You can also understand.\nSo even there is no language, there is a stage of satisfaction. That stage is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. As soon as one comes to the stage of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he'll be satisfied. And unless he comes to that stage, he'll always be disturbed, full of anxieties.\nTherefore our prayer should be how we shall be twenty-four hours engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Bhavantam evānucaran nirantaraḥ praśānta-niḥśeṣa. I'm just trying to explain the word praśānta, \"pacifism,\" how one can be pacified, fully satisfied. Just like Dhruva Mahārāja, a boy. He wanted the kingdom of his father, and he underwent severe penances to see God, Nārāyaṇa, so that he may ask His benediction to be, I mean to say, seated on the throne of his father. That was his desire. He went to forest to undertake severe penances to see Nārāyaṇa so that he can ask from Him the benediction that he should have..., seated on the throne of his father. Because by the intrigue of his stepmother, he was rejected by his father. He wanted...\nThat material desire we, every one of us in conditioned state, we want. Sometimes we compete. We become very much obstinate, that \"I must have this,\" and we work very hard. Just like in Europe, that Hitler, he wanted supremacy over Europe, and he fought very valiantly. But at the end he became vanquished. Similarly, in the material world we have got so many desires and we want to fulfill it—and for which we work very hard. But at the end we become frustrated.\nThat is the nature of the material world. You cannot have anything here permanent, however hard you work. You may achieve that. Not only in this material world... Even you achieve the liberation, perfectional stage, as the impersonalist philosophers want. They want nirvāṇa. Just like Buddhists, they want nirvāṇa, extinction of this material conditional life. That is called nirvāṇa. And the Māyāvādī philosophers, impersonalists, they want not only extinction of these material pangs but they want to be situated in spiritual consciousness only. But our Vaiṣṇava philosophy is that you cannot keep yourself in spiritual consciousness unless you are fully engaged in spiritual activities. That is the perfect philosophy.\nSo Yamunācārya is praying to the Lord, \"My dear Lord, when I shall achieve that stage of life when I shall be fully engaged in Your service?\" Bhavantam evānucaran nirantaraḥ. Nirantaraḥ means without any interval. In the material world, after working for some time, we want an interval for rest. But if you are actually engaged in spiritual activities, you won't like to be rested.\nYou want to continue always: work, work, work. Rest will be disgusting. Of course, so long we have got this material body, we have to take rest, but this rest is also not required, because in the spiritual world there is no such fatigue. Everyone is always active. So that is perfectional stage. Bhavantam evānucaran nirantaraḥ praśānta-niḥśeṣa-mano-rathāntaraḥ. And how one can be pacified fully? When he does not manufacture the fulfillment of desire.\nWe manufacture. The whole material world is going on by manufacturing ideas. The so-called scientists, the so-called philosophers, poets, they are manufacturing ideas that \"We shall be happy in this way, in that way.\" So this will not help us, this manufacturing. I may be satisfied by some manufactured ideas. Just like in USA especially, the frustrated, confused younger generation, they are manufacturing ideas that \"We shall be happy in this way.\" But that is not possible. You cannot be happy. So long you manufacture ideas, you may be pacified for some time, but it will not exist.\nTherefore you have to stop this manufacturing process, that \"I shall be happy in this way.\" No. That is called free of anxiety. If you want to manufacture, that \"I shall be happy in this way,\" that will also create another anxiety. That will create another anxiety. Therefore Yamunācārya says, praśānta-niḥśeṣa-mano-rathāntaraḥ. Mano-rathāntaraḥ, this particular word, is used: \"mind,\" \"on the chariot of mind.\" In the material stage of life, we are being driven by the chariot of mind. In the Bhagavad-gītā also, it is stated, bhrāmayan sarva-bhūtāni yantrārūḍhāni māyayā [Bg. 18.61]. \n[The Supreme Lord is situated in everyone's heart, O Arjuna, and is directing the wanderings of all living entities, who are seated as on a machine, made of the material energy.]\nBhrāmayan sarva-bhūtāni. All living entities are traveling within this material world in different species of life, in different planets. Sarva-bhūtāni yantrārūḍhāni māyayā: on the chariot given by the material energy. So that is mind.\nSo, so long we shall travel on the chariot of the mind, mano-ratha, then there is no question of our being freed from anxiety. Therefore we have to give up this chariot of mind. The chariot of mind will not give us satisfaction. We have to transcend the mental state, the intellectual state. The philosopher, they are intellectually trying to be happy. That also we have to transcend. We have [to] come to the spiritual platform, brahma-bhūtaḥ. And not only come to the spiritual platform; we must have spiritual engagement. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.\nWe have got engagement. We are not only satisfied that \"I am spirit,\" ahaṁ brahmāsmi. No. There must be duties of the Brahman. The Brahman must be engaged. Otherwise... Because we want some work, because we are active... We are not just like stones. We cannot sit down. So there must be activities. Just study the nature of the child. He's always active, must be doing something. Maybe it is useless, but how can you stop the child's activities? That is not possible. Similarly, we are active. So simply by understanding that \"I am spirit soul\" will not help me. I must be active in the spiritual world. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Everyone is engaged in some activity of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And that will make him praśānta.\nNiḥśeṣa-mano-rathāntaraḥ\nkadāham aikāntika-nitya-kiṅkaraḥ\n[Stotra-ratna 43].\n[By serving You constantly, one is freed from all material desires and is completely pacified. When shall I engage as Your permanent eternal servant and always feel joyful to have such a fitting master?]\nThat stage of pacified condition of life can be attained, as it is stated by Yamunācārya, kadāham aikāntika-nitya-kiṅkaraḥ. Aikāntika. Aikāntika means absolutely, without diverting my mind in any other thing; nitya-kiṅkaraḥ, eternally servant of God, eternally servant of Kṛṣṇa. When I am convinced in that way, then I shall be happy. Kadāham aikāntika-nitya-kiṅkaraḥ praharṣayiṣyāmi. Praharṣayiṣyāmi means \"I shall be always jolly.\" How I shall be jolly? Sanātha-jīvitam: \"Because I will be living under the protection of my Lord.\"\nJust like this child is happy. She's happy because it knows, the child knows that \"I have got my parents. As soon as there is some danger, I shall immediately call my mother, and mother will give me protection.\" This confidence is there. She doesn't care for anyone. She wants to go to touch the fire; mother is going behind her to give her protection. That is natural.\nSo as soon as you become free from all these designations, manufacturing process of the mind and intellect, and fully engage in Kṛṣṇa's service... Therefore, we require to be trained in the service of Kṛṣṇa under the guidance of the representative of Kṛṣṇa. Training. In this way, when we are fully trained, we shall reach that stage, oh, that \"I am protected by Kṛṣṇa.\" Kṛṣṇa gives you assurance, ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi [Bg. 18.66]\n[Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reaction. Do not fear.]\n\"I shall give you liberation from all sorts of sinful reaction of your life.\" Then immediately I will come to Kṛṣṇa.\nOf course, it does not mean that anyone who comes to Kṛṣṇa or Kṛṣṇa's representative, he has finished all the reaction of his past sinful activities. That is not possible. Everyone is full with the result of his past sinful... Here in the material world, whatever you do, it is more or less all sinful activities. So therefore, our life is always full with sinful activity. So when you surrender to Kṛṣṇa through His transparent via media, not that immediately your sinful activities are stopped, but because you surrendered to the Supreme, He absorbs your sinful activities. He makes you free. But you should be conscious that \"I shall not commit any more.\"\nCaitanya Mahāprabhu, when He accepted Jagāi-Mādhāi, great sinful brothers, He simply asked them, \"You simply promise that 'Henceforward we shall not commit any sinful activities.' Whatever you have done I am taking. I am absorbed.\" That is the process. So the Lord or the spiritual master absorbs. But we should be conscious that \"We shall not commit any more sinful activities so that my spiritual master or Kṛṣṇa will have to again accept them on my behalf.\" We should be conscious.\nThe Christian process, that going to the church, confession, that is very nice. You confess, and God or God's representative is quite able to excuse you and to make you free from all sinful reaction. But why should you commit again? Why should you commit again? This is not good. Lord Jesus Christ... The Christians believe that he has taken the reaction of everyone's sinful activities and he has suffered by crucification. That's all right. But why should you commit again the same sins for which Lord Jesus Christ suffered? This is less intelligent. We should not indulge in that.\nIn our ten kinds of offenses in chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra there is one item, you know: nāmno balād yasya hi pāpa-buddhir [Padma Purāṇa, Brahma-khaṇḍa 25.1].\n[To think that the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra can counteract all sinful reactions and one may therefore go on with his sinful activities and at the same time chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra to neutralize them is the greatest offense at the lotus feet of Hari-nāma.]\nThe... We are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. So we are, I mean to say, becoming free from the sinful reactions of our past activities. But if we think that \"Because I am now..., I have got a machine of chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, so I shall commit as much sin as possible and it will be counteracted by this process,\" oh, that is the greatest sin. You cannot do that. You cannot make Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra as agent of nullifying your sinful activities. Similarly, you cannot make God or His agent or His representative as a machine for counteracting your sinful activities. You should stop.\nTherefore niḥśeṣa-mano-rathāntaraḥ. Niḥśeṣa. You must cease all kinds of sinful activities. We prescribe to our students that \"You should not do this, you should not do this, you should not do this.\" That is a warning that these are the different gates of sinful activity. If you indulge in illicit sex life, then you open the gate of sinful activities, and you go deeper and deeper. Similarly, if you take meat-eating, that is also opening the gate of sinful activities. Similarly, if you indulge in gambling or in intoxication... These are the gates.\nAs Ṛṣabhadeva has said, tamo-dvāraṁ yoṣitāṁ saṅgi-saṅgam. If you indulge in the process of... These are sense gratificatory process. Why a person eats meat? It is simply sense gratification. Now our students, they have given up eating meat. Are they dying? They are eating nicely, cāpāṭis, vegetable. So it is simply sense gratification, that \"I like this.\" Why you like? This is not a liking thing. But we shall..., for sense gratification we are prepared to enter into the darkest region of the hell. We should not do that. Therefore praśānta.\nSo a spiritual master or a representative of Kṛṣṇa or a mahātmā, he is praśāntā. Praśāntā means he is freed from all these manufacturing process of the mind. He is no more conducted by the dictation of the mind; he is conducted by the dictation of Kṛṣṇa, or Kṛṣṇa's words. Just like Bhagavad-gītā, Kṛṣṇa's words. Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's words are not different. So if you abide by the words of Kṛṣṇa, just like Bhagavad-gītā—there are many others—then you are abiding by Kṛṣṇa. You are not abiding by the dictation of your mind. That should be the motto of our life. And a spiritual master or mahātmā is he who is situated in that position. He is not dictated by the mind. He is simply following the scriptural injunction. Therefore he is praśāntā. Sama-cittāḥ praśāntāḥ.\nAnd vimanyavaḥ. Vimanyavaḥ means without any anger. Anger... A devotee should not be angry. But that does not mean that he has lost his capacity of anger. No. Everything is there. Just like a person does not have illicit sex. That does not mean he has no sexual capacity. He has full sexual capacity, but he does not want to do it unless it is required for certain purpose. That example is given: just like the tortoise. The tortoise, as soon as he likes, he opens his different limbs from the body, and as soon as he does not like, immediately winds within the body. So we should be like that. That is real control.\nSo vimanyavaḥ means that devotee does not generally become angry. But that does not mean that he has lost his power of becoming angry. No. He can become angry at any time, when it is required. And when he should be angry? He is angry, 'krodha' bhakta-dveṣi janam. He'll be angry when there is somebody who's against God and God's devotee. He should be angry. As soon as one says, blaspheming, that \"I am God. There is no God,\" immediately he should be very angry because he is preaching false things. He's blaspheming against the Supreme Lord, that he is making God as very cheap. He should be very angry. Bhakta-dveṣi.\nJust like our student Govinda dāsī in Hawaii. In a meeting she became very angry when the so-called incarnation of God and God... Perhaps you know this incident. And the people did not say, of course, Govinda dāsī, but they hurt her husband, Gaurasundara. But she became very angry, that \"These rascals,\" and so many things she spoke. [chuckles] So she did right, like a heroine. I very much liked it. So we should be very much angry. When? When there is anything against God and God's devotee. But generally, for my personal interest, I should not be angry. \"All right, if you like to call me by ill names, I don't mind. You go on with your business.\" I do not become angry.\nSo just like Hanumānjī, Vajrāṅgajī. Vajrāṅgajī, he set fire in the kingdom of Rāvaṇa. A very beautiful kingdom, almost made of all gold, but he set fire in that capital of Laṅka. He became very angry. But why he became angry? Not for his personal interest. But he was angry for the interest of Lord Rāma. Sītā, the Lakṣmī, wife of Lord Rāma, was kidnapped by this man Rāvaṇa, and he was very angry that \"He has kidnapped my Lord's spiritual energy, Sītā. I shall set fire in his very valuable capital.\" So this anger, this demonstration of anger and setting fire, was accepted as service.\nSo we should know where to be angry. Not that for our personal interest we shall... Generally, those who are devotees, they are not angry. Just like see the example of Arjuna. Arjuna was so much harassed, all the five brothers, by the opposite party, his cousin-brothers. They insulted their wife, Draupadī. They wanted to make naked Draupadī, because they lost Draupadī in the gambling. Therefore gambling is so sinful, you see. The kṣatriyas are allowed to gamble. So the bet was... They made a trick: \"Now bet your wife.\" So if a kṣatriya is challenged to bet something, they cannot deny it. \"Yes, I am betting my wife.\" And they lost in the game. So the wife became the property of the other party. So they wanted to retaliate only.\nSo there, in the assembly they said, \"Well, Draupadī has now become our property. Whatever we like, we can do. So we want to see her naked beauty.\" You see? This was the demand. So the one of the brothers of Duryodhana asked, \"Make her naked. Let us see naked.\" So she became the property. The others, they did not protest. But Kṛṣṇa supplied clothing as much as required. You have seen the Draupadī's vastra-haraṇa.\nSo these Pāṇḍavas, they were so much harassed. They were by trick taken away their kingdom; they were put into a house which was set into fire; their wife was insulted; they were driven to the forest for twelve years. So many things harassed. But still, when there was fighting in front, when he saw his brothers are standing, and he said, \"Oh, I will have to fight with my these cousin-brothers. Kṛṣṇa, I am not going to fight.\" Just see how much tolerant. Not at all angry. This is the position. Enough to make him angry, the whole Bhagavad-gītā was taught to him. Just see.\nThis is the position, that for personal interest, a devotee or a mahātmā is never angry. Never angry. Just see the case of Arjuna. But when Kṛṣṇa..., he understood that Kṛṣṇa wanted this fight, it is for Kṛṣṇa's desire, oh, he became immediately prepared: \"Yes.\" Kariṣye vacanaṁ tava [Bg. 18.73]\n[Arjuna said, My dear Kṛṣṇa, O infallible one, my illusion is now gone. I have regained my memory by Your mercy, and I am now firm and free from doubt and am prepared to act according to Your instructions.]\n\"Yes, I shall fight. That's all right. I shall fight.\" And he fought and killed everyone. So generally, the devotees are not cruel, angry. But they can be the foremost angry person for Kṛṣṇa's sake. So generally, we should not be angry. A mahātmā is never angered. So vimanyavaḥ. \nVimanyavaḥ suhṛdaḥ. Hṛda means heart, and su means good, good heart. A devotee, a mahātmā, is good heart. How he is good heart? He sees everyone that \"This living entity,\" especially human being, \"he is engrossed in the clutches of māyā. He is suffering. Let me try to make him understand Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or his eternal relationship with Kṛṣṇa.\" He tries everywhere. That is his business. He doesn't mind whether he is failure. Failure or success, he doesn't mind. But he thinks, \"Oh, this conditioned soul is suffering. Let me do something.\"\nTherefore Vaiṣṇava's prayer is vāñchā-kalpa-tarubhyaś ca kṛpā-sindhubhya eva ca.\n[I offer my respectful obeisances unto all the Vaiṣṇava devotees of the Lord. They are just like desire trees who can fulfill the desires of everyone. They are oceans of mercy and are the purifiers of the fallen souls.]\nA Vaiṣṇava, he is just like the ocean of mercy. He always feels for the sufferings of the humanity. That is their business. People think that they have taken relief from all social work. But a Vaiṣṇava is giving the best social service, because he knows what is the cause of suffering, how people can be saved. Therefore he is suhṛdaḥ. Suhṛdaḥ means well-wisher friend. A Vaiṣṇava or spiritual master or a saintly person is suhṛdaḥ. Suhṛdaḥ means he is well-wisher friend. As Kṛṣṇa is suhṛdaḥ, He is the friend of all living entities... Suhṛdaḥ sarva-bhūtānām [SB 3.25.21].\n[The symptoms of a sādhu are that he is tolerant, merciful and friendly to all living entities. He has no enemies, he is peaceful, he abides by the scriptures, and all his characteristics are sublime.]\nIn the Bhagavad-gītā you'll find. Similarly, a Vaiṣṇava, Kṛṣṇa's devotee, is also suhṛdaḥ. Suhṛdaḥ sarva-bhūtānām. Suhṛdaḥ. And sādhava. And sādhava means well-behaved. Sādhavaḥ. Sadācāra. His character is firm, without any spot. So these are the qualification of sādhu, mahātmā or spiritual master. Sama-cittāḥ, praśāntā, vimanyavaḥ, suhṛdaḥ and sādhavaḥ.\nSo when one is in contact with such person, then the door of liberation is open. If one is in contact with a pure devotee of the Lord, it should be understood, if he follows his instruction, then it is sure and certain that he is going to Kṛṣṇa without any fail.\nThank you very much. [devotees offer obeisances] Any question? Yes.",
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"content": "\n Prabhupāda, are all living entities always under the protection at all times of the Supreme Lord, the Personality of Godhead, at all times?",
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"content": "\n Yes. But he..., generally he is under the protection, but in spite of all protection, if he violates the rules and regulation, he become immediately subjected to the laws of nature. Just like Kṛṣṇa says, gives protection. He says,\nsarva-dharmān parityajya\nmām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja\nahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo\nmokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ\n[Bg. 18.66]\n[Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reaction. Do not fear.]\n\"You just surrender unto Me. You give up all other occupational duties. You simply become Kṛṣṇa conscious, and I'll give you,\" I mean to say, \"immunity, or protection, from all sinful...\" But if you do not accept, Kṛṣṇa will not force you. So He is giving protection to everyone, generally. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām [Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13].\n[The Supreme Lord is eternal and the living beings are eternal. The Supreme Lord is cognizant and the living beings are cognizant. The difference is that the Supreme Lord is supplying all the necessities of life for the many other living entities.]\nNot only giving the human society—the animal society, the birds, trees, every... Don't you see it, how the arrangement is there? Everyone is living under certain condition. Just like a prisoner. Prisoners are condemned, at the same time, given protection by the government. Within the prison walls they are protected. If somebody comes to kill them, government immediately calls for military or police to protect them.\nBut because they are condemned, they are put into the prison. Similarly, all living entities, they are children, they are sons of God. So God is giving them all protection. Kṛṣṇa is giving them all protection. But by misuse of their little freedom, they are misusing; they are misusing their liberty. Therefore they are put into this material world. Otherwise, generally, the protection is there.\nAny other questions? Yes, try to understand clearly this philosophy. Tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā [Bg. 4.34].\n[Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him. The self-realized soul can impart knowledge unto you because he has seen the truth.]\nThese things are required. You should try to understand the transcendental subject. First of all surrender, praṇipāta. Then paripraśna. You cannot question if you are not surrendered. Just like the other day one rascal was asking—he is not a surrendered soul—\"Swāmījī, you know Kṛṣṇa consciousness?\" Just see. So this is not the process of question. One must surrender. Otherwise, you have no right to question.\nPraṇipātena, paripraśnena and sevayā. Sevayā means service. You must find out a suitable person where you can question and get the proper answer, a spiritual master. That means surrender. Then question. Question is not a challenge. Question is to understand. Which I could not follow, I may ask repeatedly to understand.\nSo two sides: sevā, service; and surrender. And in the middle, paripraśna. So paripraśna is required. Otherwise, how one can understand? So questions are required. But that question is not a challenge. You should not question any person by challenging spirit. You should simply question, being inquisitive to know. That is bona fide. Otherwise, if you question just to examine his strength, that will create only fighting spirit. That is not good.\nSo you should question, also put your question, to a person who can actually answer. That means you must question only to the spiritual master. Otherwise, you may be misled. He may gave you some wrong information.\ntad viddhi praṇipātena\nparipraśnena sevayā\nupadekṣyanti tad-jñānaṁ\njñāninas tattva-darśinaḥ\n[Bg. 4.34]\n[Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him. The self-realized soul can impart knowledge unto you because he has seen the truth.]\nAll right. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. [devotees offer obeisances] [end]",
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https://vedabase.io/en/library/transcripts/701221sb-surat/
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"content": "\nBegin. Begin from there. Where is Bhagyobhai?\n[pause] Hare Kṛṣṇa. [break]\nViṣṇudūta, representative of Lord Viṣṇu, challenged the Yamadūta that \"If you are representative of Yamarāja, who is supposed to be one of the authorities of religion, then you must explain what is religion, dharma, and what is nonreligion, or adharma, because, according to this principle, one is punished or rewarded. If you become religious, then you are rewarded, and if you are irreligious, then you are punished.\"\nThat is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā also:\nūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthā\nmadhye tiṣṭhanti rājasāḥ\njaghanya-guṇa-vṛtti-sthā\nadho gacchanti tāmasāḥ\n[Bg. 14.18]\nHow a man is going to heaven or hell, one can understand from the direction of the scriptures, just like you can understand how a man is going to be punished or rewarded within this material world. If you see somebody is working very hard, doing nicely, you can conjecture that \"This man will be happy.\" Say, for example, if a boy is studying very nicely, you can conjecture that \"This boy will rise very highly in his future life.\"\nAnd similarly, if a boy is whiling away his time by playing, you can understand, \"This boy is being spoiled.\" Similarly, by the direction of the scripture, you can understand what is the destination of a certain person. Therefore they say śāstra-cakṣuṣaḥ. Whether I am progressing or regressing, that will be understood through the eyes of śāstra, not in ordinary eyes.\nSo he says, kathaṁ svid dhriyate daṇḍaḥ kiṁ vāsya sthānam īpsitam [SB 6.1.39]: \"According to punishment and reward, a man, a living entity...\" Living entity means this daṇḍaḥ, this punishment and reward is meant for the human being, not the animals. Animals are not supposed to be under the stringent laws of material nature.\nJust like in ordinary way, all the state laws are applicable to the human being, not to the animals. Because if an animal goes to the wrong path or if an animal takes away something from your possession, he is not punished, neither anybody goes to complain in the police court.\nSimilarly, human being... That is also civilized human being, advanced, civilized. That is stated here that daṇḍyāḥ kiṁ kāriṇaḥ sarve āho svit katicin nṛṇām. Human being... That is also very few human being, because those who are supposed to be advanced, the Āryans... The Āryans are called the advanced human being. The civilization means Āryan civilization. So katicin nṛṇām.\nThis very word is used here. Not all human beings. Those who are..., they are also punished. But a civilized human being is very much responsible life. The chance is given to get out of this cycle of birth and death. Therefore, for civilized human being, these Vedas, these scriptures, are made for them, not for the rascals and fools, those who are in the lower stage of life; only for the civilized.\nSo the yamadūta ūcuḥ. Then the reply is given by the Yamadūtas, the representatives, the constables of Yamarāja. They are working under Yamarāja, who is an authority. They must know. They must know what is right and wrong. So how nicely they are replying. So the first challenge was given: \"What is dharma? What is religion? What is piety?\"\nSo they are replying, veda-praṇihito dharmaḥ: \"Dharma means the injunctions given in the Vedas. That is dharma.\" Just like if you ask, \"What is law?\" then the immediate answer is, \"Law means the injunction of the state.\" You cannot make it law. The state, the government, whatever the government orders, that is law. The word of the government is law.\nSimilarly, dharma means the injunctions given in the Vedas. It is clearly said, veda-praṇihito dharma hy adharmas tad viparyayaḥ [SB 6.1.40]: \"And nonreligions, or irreligious, irreligion, or nonreligion, is just the opposite.\" For example, if you abide by the laws of the Vedas, then you should know that you are following the path of dharma, or religion. But if you do not abide by the laws of Vedas, then you are irreligious. This is the sum and substance.\nNow, why Vedas should be accepted so seriously? At least we, who are supposed to be followers of the Vedic laws, we take it so seriously. For example, how we accept the injunctions of Vedas seriously? There is example: a stool, animal stool, or any, human being stool—stool is stool—that stool is supposed to be impious, impure. If you touch stool, then you have to take your bath. You become impure. You have to take your bath, as you do generally. After passing stool we take bath. That is a Hindu injunction. And even a man goes twice for passing stool, he must take twice bath. That is real Hindu religious life.\nNow, stool, in one place it is said that \"It is impure. If you touch, then you have to take your bath.\" In another place it is said, \"This stool, particular, the cow dung, is pure. Cow dung is pure. If there is any impure place, if you smear over it cow dung, then it is pure.\" That is also injunction of the Vedas. Now, you cannot argue that \"One place you say that this stool is impure, and another place you say this is pure. This is contradiction.\" Sometimes people find this contradiction. But you have to accept, because it is injunction of the Vedas. That you are doing practically, every day.\nSimilarly, this bone, any bone, animal bone, if you touch, you have to take bath. You become impure. But this conchshell which you are sounding, vibrating in the Deity room, that is also bone. But you cannot argue that \"You say bone is impure. Why you are taking one bone in the Deity room?\" That you cannot say. This is acceptance of Vedas, without any argument. And if you want to know why one is accepted pure and one is accepted impure, if you make, I mean to say, research, you will find that the Vedic injunction is right.\nTake for..., this cow dung. Perhaps, you doctor, know that one Dr. Lalman Ghosh in Calcutta, he analyzed this cow dung, and—he was a professor in the medical college—he has declared that cow dung is full of antiseptic properties. So Vedic injunction is..., that is right. But sometimes it appears to be contradictory. But we cannot judge how it is so contradictory. We have to accept like that. That is the following of Vedic rules.\nSimilarly, in the Bhagavad-gītā you will find Kṛṣṇa has explained so many ways, karma-yoga, jñāna-yoga, dhyāna-yoga, haṭha-yoga, so many other things, but ultimately He says bhakti-yoga is the supreme. Sarva dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja [Bg. 18.66]. Mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja means this is bhakti-yoga. One has to simply obey or surrender unto Kṛṣṇa, giving up all other types of religious principles.\nSo one can say that Lord Kṛṣṇa said in some places of the Bhagavad-gītā that this yoga, karma-yoga, is nice, jñāna-yoga is nice. No. The last word what He says, that is to be accepted. You cannot argue that Kṛṣṇa said, \"Karma-yoga is also good.\" You cannot argue that \"I shall take to karma-yoga.\" That is..., karma-yoga, different stages of evolution. One who is fit for simply karma-yoga, that process is recommended for him. But if one ultimately wants the supreme benefit, then this is the injunction of Bhagavad-gītā, that sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja [Bg. 18.66].\nSo we have to follow the Vedic principles. That is dharma. And why Vedic principles are to be accepted as supreme? That is also explained here: veda-praṇihito dharmo hy adharmas tad viparyayaḥ vedo nārāyaṇaḥ sākṣāt [SB 6.1.40]. Veda means Nārāyaṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, directly. Just like law book is directly government, similarly, veda nārāyaṇaḥ sākṣāt svayambhūr iti śuśruma. Again he says susruma, \"I have heard it. I have heard it.\"\nWhen I say, \"I have heard it,\" that means I have heard it from a superior authority. Śuśruma. No followers of Vedic principle will say, \"It is my opinion.\" Your opinion is nonsense. What you are? This is the way of understanding Vedas. Śuśruma. Therefore Veda is known as śruti—śruti and smṛti. There is no such thing that \"In my opinion,\" \"I comment like this,\" \"I take the meaning like this.\" No. You have to understand it by the śuśruma process, or śrota-panthā, by hearing from the authorities.\nJust like in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam [Bg. 4.1], that \"First of all I said this principle of bhagavad-bhakti-yoga, or Bhagavad-gītā yoga, to the sun-god.\" Imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham: \"I spoke.\" Proktavān. Vivasvān manave prahuḥ: \"And the sun-god said to his son, Manu.\" Manur ikṣvākave bravīt. Just see. That means the principles of Bhagavad-gītā is being accepted by the process of hearing from authority. That is the process. You cannot comment in your own way. That is not authorized. You have to hear from the authority.\nTherefore Kathopanisad says, tad vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet [MU 1.2.12]: \"If anyone wants to learn the transcendental science, he has to, he has to accept.\" Gacchet. This is vidhiliṅ, \"must.\" There is no exception. You cannot say that \"Without going to a spiritual master, I shall learn the transcendental science.\" No, that is not possible. Therefore, in our Vaiṣṇava principles it is said, ādau gurv-āśrayam. In the very beginning of understanding spiritual knowledge, one has to take shelter of a guru. Ādau gurv-āśrayam. Sad-dharma-pṛcchati: the next stage is inquiring from the spiritual master about real spiritual life. These are the processes.\nIn the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam also it is said that tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam [SB 11.3.21]: \"One who has actually [become] serious inquiring about supreme subject, uttamam...\" Udgata tamaṁ yasmāt. In the material world, all knowledge is covered with illusion, and material world is known as tama. Tamasi mā jyotir gamaḥ [Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad 1.3.28]. This is darkness. So real knowledge means which has surpassed this province of darkness, uttamam. Jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam: \"Anyone who has become very much inquisitive to learn about the transcendental subject matter, he has to accept a guru.\" Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta [SB 11.3.21].\nGuru means you have to find out some personality who is well-versed in the Vedic knowledge. Śābde pare ca niṣṇātaṁ brahmaṇy upaśamāśrayam. These are the symptoms of guru: that he is well versed, well cognizant in the conclusion of the Vedas. Not only that he is well versed, but he has actually in his life taken to that path, upaśamāśrayam, without being deviated by any other ways. Upaśama, upaśama. He has finished all material hankerings. He has taken simply to the spiritual life and simply surrendered to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And at the same time, he knows all the Vedic conclusions. This is the description of a guru. \nSimilarly, Kathopaniṣad also it is said, tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta... [SB 11.3.21]—this is Bhāgavata—tad vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet samit-pāniḥ śrotriyam [MU 1.2.12]. Śrotriyam. One who has very nicely heard, one who has acquired Vedic knowledge by the hearing process, śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham, and the result is that he is fully, firmly fixed up in Brahman. \nBhagavad-gītā also says that tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā [Bg. 4.34]. Tat. If you want to understand the spiritual knowledge, then you have to learn it by surrender, praṇipāta. Praṇipātena, paripraśnena and sevayā—these three things. You have to surrender; you have to inquire or make questions with service, not by challenging way. Upadekṣyanti tad-jñānaṁ jñāninas tattva-darśinaḥ. Then you will be able to understand real spiritual knowledge.\nSo veda-praṇihitaḥ, this very word, is implicated with so many ideas of Vedic knowledge, but they have summarized that \"Dharma means the injunctions of the Vedas.\" Dharmo... Veda-praṇihito dharmo hy adharmas tad viparyayaḥ, vedo nārāyaṇaḥ sākṣāt [SB 6.1.40]. Why Vedas should be taken so seriously? People question that \"Vedas are written by some man.\" That's wrong. Vedas are not written by any man. Otherwise, why Vedas should be taken so seriously? Not... Not at present moment. It is coming. All the ācāryas. All the ācāryas.\nSo far we are concerned, we Indians, Hindus, we are being controlled by the ācāryas, recent ācāryas—Śaṅkarācārya, Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, Viṣṇu Svāmī. They have accepted Vedas as supreme. Lord Caitanya accepted Vedas as the supreme. And Lord Buddha, although he is accepted incarnation of God, still, because he did not accept Vedas, his philosophy was not accepted in India. Veda nā māniyā bauddha haila nāstika. Our principle, the Vedic principle, is that anyone who does not obey the injunctions of the Vedas, he is called nāstika, atheist. He does not believe.\nVeda nā māniyā bauddha haila nāstika. Caitanya Mahāprabhu's saying that \"We consider the Buddhists as atheists, because they do not accept the Vedic principles.\" But Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, vedāśraya-nāstikya-vada bauddhake adhika [Cc. Madhya 6.168]: \"But persons who superficially says that 'We are being controlled by the Vedas,' but actually they are atheists—they do not believe in God—they are more dangerous than these Buddhists.\" That is the version of Caitanya Mahāprabhu.\nSo dharma-praṇihitaḥ. Veda-praṇihito dharmo hy adharmas tad viparyayaḥ, vedo nārāyaṇaḥ sākṣāt. Vedo nārāyaṇaḥ sākṣāt. This is the injunction. You have to accept the Vedic words as the words of Nārāyaṇa. Now, if you accept Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then whatever He has said in the Bhagavad-gītā, that is Veda. Is it not? If vedo nārāyaṇaḥ sākṣāt, if Vedas are to be considered as Nārāyaṇa directly, then Kṛṣṇa... He is accepted by the ācāryas as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is a conclusion of the Vedas also. Nārāyaṇa is expansion of Kṛṣṇa. If you read Caitanya-caritāmṛta—and there are many other saṁhitās—Kṛṣṇa is the original Supreme Personality of Godhead.\nīśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ\nsac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ\nanādir ādir govindaḥ\nsarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam\n[Bs. 5.1]\nEven He is the cause of Nārāyaṇa, Kṛṣṇa expansion. Kṛṣṇa expands, advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam [Bs. 5.33]. He is advaita, absolute, but He expands Himself in multiforms. He expands Himself as Baladeva, and from Baladeva, there is Saṅkarṣaṇa; from Saṅkarṣaṇa, there is Aniruddha, Pradyumna. In this way, expansion goes. These are Vedic versions.\nSo Nārāyaṇa is also Kṛṣṇa's expansion, although these expansions are not different from one another. That is also... The example is given, just like one candle, then you light up another candle, another candle. Each one of these candles are equally powerful, but the original candle is called the first candle. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa is the original Supreme Personality of Godhead. From Him, all other expansions, they are called viṣṇu-tattva. And Kṛṣṇa also says in the Bhagavad-gītā, ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ [Bg. 10.8], aham ādir devānām. These things are there.\nSo in this way we have to accept dharma. As it is said in the recent, say, within five years..., five thousand years, the Kṛṣṇa consciousness is... Actually we are spreading. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness means what Kṛṣṇa has said. That we have taken. That is Vedas. Sometimes people argue that Bhagavad-gītā is smṛti. Professor..., Dr. Stahl, he argued with me that Bhagavad-gītā is smṛti. Smṛti means the Vedic conclusion written by somebody else. That is called smṛti. He is also authorized.\nSo Bhagavad-gītā is also accepted as smṛti, but smṛti is not different from śruti. Rūpa Gosvāmī says,\nśruti-smṛti-purāṇādi\npañcarātriki-vidhiṁ-vinā\naikāntikī harer bhaktir\nutpātāyaiva kalpate\n[Brs. 1.2.101]\nSo smṛti is not without Veda. Or Purāṇa... Sometimes people do not accept the Purāṇas as Vedic. No. Here it is said by Rūpa Gosvāmī, śruti-smṛti-purāṇādi. They are all Vedas. Purāṇa means supplementary. Just like the Vedic knowledge is described in the Mahābhārata. It is in the form of history. But actually the Vedic knowledge is there.\nThat is also stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, strī-śūdra-dvija-bandhūnāṁ trayī na śruti-gocaraḥ [SB 1.4.25]. Strī, woman; śūdra; and dvija-bandhu... Dvija-bandhu means a person who is born in brāhmaṇa family but he is not advanced in spiritual knowledge. He is called dvija-bandhu. He is not called a brāhmaṇa. Strī, śūdra. And they are classified along with strī and śūdra. Strī-śūdra-dvija-bandhūnāṁ trayī na śruti-gocaraḥ. For these persons it is very difficult to understand the Vedic injunctions.\nTherefore the Vedic injunctions are sometimes made into historical stories. The stories, they are not fiction; they are fact. But some of the... Just like the Battle of Kurukṣetra between the Pāṇḍavas and the Kauravas, this is a fact. But the incidences are so nice that you can derive Vedic knowledge from them. And Bhagavad-gītā is within Mahābhārata.\nSo this is a fact, that veda-praṇihito dharmaḥ. Dharma... It is to be settled up that dharma means the injunction of the Supreme Nārāyaṇa. And adharma means that you manufacture something out of your own fertile brain. That is adharma. And dharma means the injunction. Dharmāṁ [tu] sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam [SB 6.3.19]: \"Dharma means what is spoke by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, that is dharma.\" Therefore we take it for acceptance that Kṛṣṇa says... That is actually the fact. Mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja. To surrender unto Kṛṣṇa, that is dharma. Sarva-dharmān parityajya [Bg. 18.66].\nAnd in another place of the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate [Bg. 7.19]. Those who are thinking themselves as advanced in knowledge, such persons, after many, many births take to the surrendering process to Kṛṣṇa. So the version of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and version of the Vedas and version of Bhagavad-gītā, there is no difference. It has to be studied a little carefully.\nI think we should finish here. Any question?\nNow we have come to the conclusion: dharma means the words of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is sum and substance, what we mean by dharma. That means dharma cannot be manufactured by any conditioned soul. Conditioned souls, they are subjected to so many deficiencies; therefore they cannot create any dharma. That will not be accepted as dharma. Here, as the assistants of Yamarāja says, that veda-praṇihito dharmo... Dharma means what is stated in the Vedas. And Vedas means the Supreme Personality of Godhead, sākṣād, directly.\nJust like when you speak, when you speak or hear Bhagavad-gītā, immediately we should know—at least this vision we take—that Kṛṣṇa is directly speaking. And if we interpret, then the whole thing is lost. That is not Bhagavad-gītā, and that is going on, malinterpretation of Bhagavad-gītā. Everyone is taking Bhagavad-gītā, and he is interpreting in his own way. So that is not Bhagavad-gītā. Bhagavad-gītā means as Kṛṣṇa says. Kṛṣṇa says, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru [Bg. 18.65]. But a commentator, big commentator, says, \"Oh, it is not to Kṛṣṇa, to the person.\" Just see. This kind of commentary is going on.",
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"content": "\n Śrīla Prabhupāda, you said that the animals are not subject to the laws of the state, that if they steal something, they are not punished. But in our country, even if a person has a mouse in his house, a little mouse, he sets some trap and he kills him for stealing some food. So what is...",
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"content": "\n That is not punishment. That is to stop the disturbance. By law... There is no such law that \"When there is a rat in your house, you should catch it and kill it.\" Law does not say. Is there any law like that?",
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"content": "\n No.",
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"content": "\n Then that is another thing.",
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"content": "\n But this country [indistinct] into their own [indistinct].",
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"content": "\n Yes, but sometimes... That depends on the person. Sometimes... Those who are pious persons, they know that \"These rats, they are also hungry, and they should be given some food.\" That is the vision of the pious person. And that is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, that in your house you should see not only to the welfare of your children; even there is a lizard, there is a rat, even there is a snake, you should see how he is also comfortably situated. That is spiritual communism.\nIn Vṛndāvana still, a snake found in the house is never killed. Snake. Still a rat is never killed. If you kill a rat in Vṛndāvana, then so many people will come: \"Oh, you are committing such sinful acts. You are killing a rat.\" So that depends on the mentality of the person. You can take care of this animal... You can take care of this animal, I mean to say, against the disturbance created by this animal, but you cannot kill them. That is not. But when it is unavoidable, we have to do like that. But as far as possible we should avoid.\nWe have heard from our father that his elder brother in the village had a cloth shop, and there were rats. So at night he would keep a big bowl of rice in the middle of the shop, and the rats will eat whole night. They would not commit any harm to the cloth. They respect it. They are also hungry; they are also living entities. They have also right to live, to eat. Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam [Īśo mantra 1]. Everything. They are God's creatures. The food is not only meant for you, that you shall simply eat rice and not allow to the rats and cats. No. That is not Vedic injunction. You will find in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. You can take precaution against. After all, they are animals. But you cannot kill.",
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"content": "\n But then if you think further, then that is that if you are going to make a program to feed the animals in your house, then won't more and more animals come into your residence? [indistinct] room for you. Suppose I feed these rats and I go on feeding them. Won't more and more rats come?",
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"content": "\n Well, the rats will be fed. Either you give or not, it will steal. So that is not the problem. But if you give them food, they will... Of course, that is Western philosophy, that because the animals are increasing, they should be killed. We Indians also, we have taken that view—because we cannot give protection to the cows, they must be sent to the slaughterhouse. That is the modern views. But that is not injunction of the Vedas. The Vedas says that everyone has right to live, every living entity.\nThat is going on not only in consideration of the animals—even in human beings. Just like the Americans, they were all Europeans, and they entered this American land, killed so many Red Indians. So these kind of things are going on, but that does not mean that is the law. You killed so many Red Indians for your benefit, but you have to suffer for that.\nSo that... This is going on in the human society, but that does not mean it is dharma. No. Dharma means you have to abide by the regulation given by the Vedas. You have to adjust things. Sometimes in Africa the man-eaters, they kill their grandfather, make a feast. The Russians also, they maintain such theory, that old men, they should be neglected. I have heard. I do not know. They become burden. But that is not Vedic injunction.",
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"content": "\n But isn't that natural, just like no one wants to keep an old bull in the barn?",
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"content": "\n Yes. Yes. These things are man-manufactured. Dharmāṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam [SB 6.3.19]. Therefore we have to accept the words of Nārāyaṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is dharma.",
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"content": "\n Bhaktivinoda in one of his prayers prays that he may be born \"as a worm in the home of Thy devotee, rather than be born a brāhmaṇa averse to Thee.\"",
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"content": "\n Yes? [pause] So in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam every line is so interesting. Therefore vidyā bhāgavatāvadhiḥ: knowledge means up to the knowledge of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. But generally people do not discuss Bhāgavatam in this way. They go immediately to the Tenth Canto and rāsa-līlā. You see? That is the subject matter of [chuckles] Bhāgavatam. And Bhagavat-saptāha means that Kṛṣṇa is kissing the gopīs, that's all. And there are so many nice instructions—that is nothing. They have neglected, because they do not like to hear such instructions. Kṛṣṇa's dealings with the gopīs, that is very much liked.\nBut Bhāgavata, in order to understand Kṛṣṇa, nine cantos have been written. And Kṛṣṇa's activities have been inserted in the Tenth Canto, after understanding Kṛṣṇa. Vetti māṁ tattvataḥ. And it is said in the Bhagavad-gītā, manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye yatatām api siddhānām [Bg. 7.3]. So first of all one has to become liberated person by understanding Kṛṣṇa; then he can understand what is Kṛṣṇa's pastimes with the gopīs. It is for the liberated person. It is not a thing to be explained in the marketplace.",
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"content": "\n [addendum to recording] The preceding lecture was recorded on the morning of the 21st December, 1970, in Surat, Gujarat. [end]\ntad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet\nsamit-pāṇiḥ śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham\n\"To understand these things properly, one must humbly approach, with firewood in hand, a spiritual master who is learned in the Vedas and firmly devoted to the Absolute Truth.\"\n[Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad 1.2.12]\ntad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet\nsamit-pāṇiḥ śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham\n\"To understand these things properly, one must humbly approach, with firewood in hand, a spiritual master who is learned in the Vedas and firmly devoted to the Absolute Truth.\"\n[Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad 1.2.12]\nśruti-smṛti-purāṇādi-\npañcarātra-vidhiṁ vinā\naikāntikī harer bhaktir\nutpātāyaiva kalpate\n\"Devotional service of the Lord that ignores the authorized Vedic literatures like the Upaniṣads, Purāṇas and Nārada-pañcarātra is simply an unnecessary disturbance in society.\" Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.2.101",
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https://vedabase.io/en/library/transcripts/680925le-seattle/
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"content": "\n [Sings: Śrī Śrī Ṣaḍ-gosvāmy-aṣṭaka, kīrtana]\n...nirmatsarau pūjitau\nśrī-caitanya-kṛpā-bharau bhuvi bhuvo bhārāvahantārakau\nvande rūpa-sanātanau raghu-yugau śrī-jīva-gopālakau\n[I offer my respectful obeisances unto the Six Gosvāmīs, namely Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī, Śrī Sanātana Gosvāmī, Śrī Raghunātha Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī, Śrī Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī, and Śrī Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī, who are always engaged in chanting the holy name of Kṛṣṇa and dancing. They are just like the ocean of love of God, and they are popular both with the gentle and with the ruffians, because they are not envious of anyone. Whatever they do, they are all-pleasing to everyone, and they are fully blessed by Lord Caitanya. Thus they are engaged in missionary activities meant to deliver all the conditioned souls in the material universe.]\nnānā-śāstra-vicāraṇaika-nipuṇau sad-dharma-saṁsthāpakau\nlokānāṁ hita-kāriṇau tri-bhuvane mānyau śaraṇyākarau\nrādhā-kṛṣṇa-padāravinda-bhajanānandena mattālikau\nvande rūpa-sanātanau raghu-yugau śrī-jīva-gopālakau\n[I offer my respectful obeisances unto the Six Gosvāmīs, namely Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī, Śrī Sanātana Gosvāmī, Śrī Raghunātha Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī, Śrī Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī, and Śrī Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī, who are very expert in scrutinizingly studying all the revealed scriptures with the aim of establishing eternal religious principles for the benefit of all human beings. Thus they are honored all over the three worlds and they are worth taking shelter of because they are absorbed in the mood of the gopīs and are engaged in the transcendental loving service of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa.]\nśrī-gaurāṅga-guṇānuvarṇana-vidhau śraddhā-samṛddhy-anvitau\npāpottāpa-nikṛntanau tanu-bhṛtāṁ govinda-gānāmṛtaiḥ\nānandāmbudhi-vardhanaika-nipuṇau kaivalya-nistārakau\nvande rūpa-sanātanau raghu-yugau śrī-jīva-gopālakau\n[I offer my respectful obeisances unto the Six Gosvāmīs, namely Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī, Śrī Sanātana Gosvāmī, Śrī Raghunātha Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī, Śrī Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī, and Śrī Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī, who are very much enriched in understanding of Lord Caitanya and who are thus expert in narrating His transcendental qualities. They can purify all conditioned souls from the reactions of their sinful activities by pouring upon them transcendental songs about Govinda. As such, they are very expert in increasing the limits of the ocean of transcendental bliss, and they are the saviors of the living entities from the devouring mouth of liberation.]\nkṛṣṇotkīrtana-gāna-nartana-parau premāmṛtāmbho-nidhī\ndhīrādhīra-jana-priyau priya-karau nirmatsarau pūjitau\nśrī-caitanya-kṛpā-bharau bhuvi bhuvo bhārāvahantārakau\nvande rūpa-sanātanau raghu-yugau śrī-jīva-gopālakau\n[I offer my respectful obeisances unto the Six Gosvāmīs, namely Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī, Śrī Sanātana Gosvāmī, Śrī Raghunātha Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī, Śrī Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī, and Śrī Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī, who are always engaged in chanting the holy name of Kṛṣṇa and dancing. They are just like the ocean of love of God, and they are popular both with the gentle and with the ruffians, because they are not envious of anyone. Whatever they do, they are all-pleasing to everyone, and they are fully blessed by Lord Caitanya. Thus they are engaged in missionary activities meant to deliver all the conditioned souls in the material universe.]\nbhaja-śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya\nprabhu-nityānanda\nśrī-advaita gadādhara\nśrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda\n[I offer my obeisances to Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya, Prabhu Nityānanda, Śrī Advaita, Gadādhara, Śrīvāsa and all others in the line of devotion.]\nhare kṛṣṇa hare kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa hare hare\nhare rāma hare rāma rāma rāma hare hare\n[My dear Lord, and the spiritual energy of the Lord, kindly engage me in Your service. I am now embarrassed with this material service. Please engage me in Your service.]\n [prema-dhvani] Thank you very much.\n[16:51]\n[sings] Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi. [devotees repeat]\ncintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa-\nlakṣāvṛteṣu surabhīr abhipālayantam\nlakṣmī-sahasra-śata-sambhrama-sevyamānaṁ\ngovindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi\n[Bs. 5.29]\n[I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, the first progenitor who is tending the cows, yielding all desire, in abodes built with spiritual gems, surrounded by millions of purpose trees, always served with great reverence and affection by hundreds of thousands of \nlakṣmīs\n or \ngopīs.]",
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"content": "\n[sing] Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi.",
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"content": "\nSo we are worshiping govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ. Ādi-puruṣam, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, original. You have to find out the original. That is called philosophy. Philosophy means searching out the original. Darśana. In Sanskrit word it is called darśana: to see the original, to find out the original.\nSo the original information is given by Vedānta-sūtra. What is that origin? Athāto brahma jijñāsā. One should be inquisitive to understand about the origin. That is the chance in this human form of life. We do not know the origin. The scientist, they explain, \"Perhaps,\" \"Like this; it was like this,\" \"Perhaps,\" \"It might be like this.\" That is not explanation.\nSo the direct explanation is..., very nice explanation is given by the Vedānta-sūtra what is that origin. The Vedānta-sūtra says, janmādy asya yataḥ [SB 1.1.1]. The origin is that from which everything is born. That is the origin. Now we have to find out what is that thing from whom everything is born. That is Kṛṣṇa. The great sages, they have searched out what is that origin. And in the Brahma-saṁhitā it is said,\nīśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ\nsac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ\nanādir ādir govindaḥ\nsarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam\n[Bs. 5.1]\n[Kṛṣṇa who is known as Govinda is the Supreme Godhead. He has an eternal blissful spiritual body. He is the origin of all. He has no other origin and He is the prime cause of all causes.]\nSarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam means the cause of all causes. They have searched out. Scientifically they have searched out that Kṛṣṇa is the origin. In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam also it is described, kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam [SB 1.3.28].\n[All of the above-mentioned incarnations are either plenary portions or portions of the plenary portions of the Lord, but Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the original Personality of Godhead. All of them appear on planets whenever there is a disturbance created by the atheists. The Lord incarnates to protect the theists.]\nThere may be different kinds of Bhagavān, or the Personality of Godhead—not different kinds, but different expansion, extension—but Kṛṣṇa is the origin. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam. The expansion of Kṛṣṇa may be understood just like a person, he is, at home, a father, a husband, like that, and when he's office, he's boss, or when he's clerk, he's secretary.\nIn this way, a man may be in different position, in different circumstances, but the man is the same. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa, the original Personality of Godhead, might have assumed the form of Viṣṇu, Nārāyaṇa, Govinda, so many. But this original form is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam.\nAnd in the Bhagavad-gītā also Kṛṣṇa explains Himself, ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ [Bg. 10.8]:\n[I am the source of all spiritual and material worlds. Everything emanates from Me. The wise who know this perfectly engage in My devotional service and worship Me with all their hearts.]\n\"I am the origin of everyone.\" Mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate: \"Everything emanates from Me, all the energies.\" Just like from the sun globe the energies are coming out incessantly just like flows of water, and everything is being created in this material world through the sunshine, similarly, the shining principle which is emanating from Kṛṣṇa, which is known as brahma-jyotir, is the origin of everything. So kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam [SB 1.3.28]. [pause]\nSo this Kṛṣṇa science is a very great science, and Bhagavad-gītā explains this Kṛṣṇa science very nicely, the origin of everything. And we should take advantage of this great book of knowledge, Bhagavad-gītā. It is already known in your country, Bhagavad-gītā; there are many editions. But unfortunately, sometimes Bhagavad-gītā is misinterpreted and people are misled to understand the origin. Therefore we have the opportunity to publish the Bhagavad-gītā as it is. We have entrusted the matter to Messrs. Macmillan Company. They are going to publish the book next month. So try to understand Bhagavad-gītā as it is, without any interpretation. Then you will understand the origin.\nSo the process of understanding Bhagavad-gītā is very nicely stated in the Bhagavad-gītā itself. And in our disciplic succession the Ṣaḍ-gosvāmī, the six Gosvāmīns, of whom I offered a prayer in the beginning, vande rūpa-sanātanau raghu-yugau śrī-jīva-gopālakau... So we are publishing another book, Teachings of Lord Caitanya. So the printing is complete. That book also will come next month. So I shall request some of you to read the teachings to Lord..., teaching to Sanātana Gosvāmī. Will somebody come here? You'll read? Yes. Sit down there.",
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"content": "\n Right here?",
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"content": "\n Yes. Open page number twenty-nine. What is that, heading?",
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"content": "\n \"Teachings to Sanātana Gosvāmī.\"",
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"content": "\n Yes. Read it.",
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"content": "\n \"In the instructions of Lord Caitanya to Sanātana Gosvāmī we can understand the science of God in the matter of His transcendental form, His opulences and His devotional service, where everything is being described to Sanātana Gosvāmī by the Lord Himself. By that time Sanātana fell at the feet of the Lord and with great humility asked about his own real identity.\"",
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"content": "\n Read little slowly so that..., and loudly, so that others can hear.",
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"content": "\n \"He spoke as follows: 'I am born of a lower family. My associations are all abominable and I am fallen. The most wretched of mankind, I was suffering in the dark well of material enjoyment, and I never knew the actual goal of my life. I do not know what is beneficial to me. Although in the mundane sphere I am what is known as a great learned man, I am in fact so much of a fool that I even accept that I am learned.' \"",
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"content": "\n \"I am...? I am so much fool that I accept...?\" What is that?",
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"content": "\n \"...that I am learned.\"",
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"content": "\n \"I am learned.\"",
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"content": "\nYes.",
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"content": "\nNow, this Sanātana Gosvāmī, he was formerly known as Dabira Khān [sic]. He was born in a high aristocratic family, brāhmaṇa family, and he was finance minister in the government of Nawab Hussain Shah, the then Bengal governor of Bengal. It is about five hundred years ago the India was governed by the Pathans, Muslims, and in Bengal the governor was known as Nawab Hussain Shah. Under his government this Dabira Khān was minister of finance, and his brother also, Sākara Mallika, he was also a departmental minister.\nSo both the brothers were in very high position. They were great scholar in Sanskrit and Farsi, Urdu. Farsi, Urdu, you know the language spoken in Arabia, in that part of the world. So they were very good scholar and born in very aristocratic family and associated with rich men, aristocratic persons. Because they were ministers, no ordinary person could mix with them. So that was their position. And when they met Lord Caitanya, they decided to retire from the service and propagate the movement of Lord Caitanya, Kṛṣṇa consciousness.\nSo he resigned from the service. The Nawab was very much sorry. He did not like that he should resign from the service, because the Nawab was so much dependent on his good service. But he decided that \"I must resign.\" So some way or other he got rid of the service and approached Lord Caitanya in a very humble way. Now he's presenting himself before Lord Caitanya that \"I am very low born, and my association is abominable. And people call me very learned man, and I also accept that I am very learned man. But actually, I am not, because I do not know what I am.\"\nIt is very nice picture, you see? In the Vedas the injunction is that if anyone wants to understand the transcendental science, he must approach to a bona fide person or a spiritual master in such humbleness as Sanātana Gosvāmī is approaching. He is born of a very high aristocratic family, but he says that \"I am born very low.\" He's very learned man, but he says that \"People say me learned man, but actually I am not.\" Just the position.\nSo why he's saying that? That will be explained. Because actual learning means to know oneself. That is real knowledge. This knowledge that \"I am American,\" \"I am Indian,\" \"I am born of this family,\" \"I am father of this person,\" \"husband of that lady,\" and this and that, so many designations, that is not real knowledge. Real knowledge is to know oneself. That is being taught by Sanātana Gosvāmī, that \"I do not know what I am. I am simply identifying myself with this body. That is not real knowledge.\" He's presenting in that way.\nRead next.",
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"content": "\n \"You have accepted me as Your servant and You have delivered me from the entanglement of material life. Now You can tell me what my duty is in this liberated state of life.\"",
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"content": "\n Now he, he was a minister. Now he thinks that after resigning this service he's feeling liberated. Because he hasn't got to obey somebody who is materialistic person, therefore he's thinking liberated. And he's asking Caitanya Mahāprabhu, whom he has accepted as his master, \"Now You have liberated me. Now You can say what is my duty.\"\nGo on.",
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"content": "\n \"In other words, as we see by this plea, liberation is not the final word in perfection.\"",
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"content": "\n Yes. Here is one point. He says that \"You have liberated me. Now let me know what is my duty.\" This is very important point. The Māyāvādī philosopher, they think that liberation is the ultimate goal. Just like in Buddha philosophy, the nirvāṇa. Nirvāṇa means annihilation of material existence. Nirvāṇa. \nThey think that as soon as there is annihilation of this material existence, that is the final goal. The Māyāvādī philosopher or the impersonalist, they think that not only to get freedom from this material existence, but to remain in spiritual status, jñānam, simply in the knowledge that \"I am spirit soul. I am merged into the spirit soul.\" That is their goal.\nBut here, the Sanātana Gosvāmī, he belongs to the Vaiṣṇava philosophy. He says, \"Now what is my duty?\" That means after liberation it is not that everything is void or activity is stopped. No. Actually activity begins after liberation. At the present moment our activities are not liberated activities. At the present moment all our activities are conditional, but actually I am not... Because I am spirit soul, therefore I'm not under material condition. But somehow or other, I am now put into material condition.\nThis is also explained in the Bhagavad-gītā: brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā [Bg. 18.54].\n[And of all yogīs, he who always abides in Me with great faith, worshiping Me in transcendental loving service, is most intimately united with Me in yoga and is the highest of all.]\nWhen one is actually liberated, brahma-bhūtaḥ... That is called brahma-bhūtaḥ. When one is not liberated he's called jīva-bhūtaḥ. Just like we are, ordinary living entities, we are under designations, and in the concept of this body, we are thinking everything. But actually I am not this body. I am not matter. I am a spirit soul. When this understanding comes, that is the point of liberation. And after that liberation, actual duty begins.\nThat is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā also.\nbrahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā\nna śocati na kāṅkṣati\nsamaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu\nmad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām\n[Bg. 18.54]\nLiberation means there is no more anxiety. In the conditioned state we are always full of anxiety, and the liberated state... Just like when a man is attacked with fever, he's always suffering. As soon as the fever is gone, he is liberated. Similarly, the material concept of life..., when we are freed from the material concept of life, that is the beginning of our liberation. Actually, liberation will be maintained by liberated activities. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.\nJust like a man is suffering from some disease, so he cannot act freely. But when he is out of the disease, then he can act freely. To get out of the disease does not mean that there will be no activity. The Buddha philosophy and the Māyāvāda philosophy say that after liberation, activity stops. But this Vaiṣṇava philosophy says no. After liberation real activity begins.\nGo on.",
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"content": "\n \"There must be activities in liberation. Sanātana clearly asks, 'You have saved me from the entanglement of material existence. Now after liberation what is my duty? Kindly explain it to me.' Sanātana further inquired, 'Who am I? Why are the threefold miseries always giving me trouble? And finally, tell me how I will be relieved from this material entanglement. I do not...' \"",
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"content": "\n Now here is another question, that when... Our inquiries should be how to get out of the threefold miseries. In the conditioned state... Just like an animal. Animal is always suffering. That is a fact. Everyone knows. In the lower grade of life than human being, every animal is always under very strict condition. Why? What is the difference between civilization and not civilization? The difference is that their life is most conditional life. In the civilized life there is a pinch of liberation.\nSo... What is that statement? Yes. Threefold miseries. Threefold miseries are there in every living condition, but when a man is enhanced or advanced in knowledge he can understand that \"I am under always threefold miseries.\" What are those threefold miseries? Miseries, that I explained the other day.\nThe threefold miseries means first, pertaining to the body and mind, and second, miseries inflicted by other living entities, and miseries by nature or higher authorities. Just like severe cold or severe heat or famine or earthquake. They are also miseries. This is beyond our control. So miseries which are beyond our control.\nSo far bodily disease, mental disturbance, we can get some remedy in our own way. We can go to a psychiatrist or we can go to a doctor and get some medicine and get relief. And so far miseries from other living entities, we can take protection, we can defend ourself. But so far miseries offered by the demigods, daiva, there is no remedy.\nIf there is all of a sudden here earthquake, oh, there is no remedy. You have to suffer. If there is, all of a sudden, there is inundation, you cannot. If there is, all of a sudden, there is thunderbolt, you cannot make any remedy. So threefold miseries are always there, either one or two or three.\nSo Sanātana Gosvāmī is presenting himself that \"People call me very learned man, but I am so learned that I do not know why I am suffering from these threefold miseries.\" These question do not arise. Actually, when people will come to the understanding, when they will inquire that \"Why I am suffering from the threefold miseries...?\"\nThe threefold miseries is summarized in Bhagavad-gītā by four principles: janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam [Bg. 13.9].\n[Humility, pridelessness, nonviolence, tolerance, simplicity, approaching a bona fide spiritual master, cleanliness, steadiness and self-control; renunciation of the objects of sense gratification, absence of false ego, the perception of the evil of birth, death, old age and disease; nonattachment to children, wife, home and the rest, and evenmindedness amid pleasant and unpleasant events; constant and unalloyed devotion to Me, resorting to solitary places, detachment from the general mass of people; accepting the importance of self-realization, and philosophical search for the Absolute Truth—all these I thus declare to be knowledge, and what is contrary to these is ignorance.]\nIf a man is actually learned and intelligent, he should always see before him that there are four kinds of distresses. What is that? The distress of taking birth, the distress of dying procedure, janma-mṛtyu, and distress of old age and distress of diseases.\nSo we are very much proud of our advancement of knowledge, but actually there is no solution for these four principles of miseries. There is no remedy. They are trying to control birth rate, janma, but still, every minute there are increasing, the population of world is increasing.\nSimilarly, they are trying to save people from death, but still, people are dying in hundreds and thousands. And they are trying to get out of this old age—so many medicines, so many cosmetics—but old age is taking place. And so far disease, we can discover many high-grade medicines, but there is no stoppage of disease.\nSo one should be very intelligent that there is no remedy for these four kinds of miseries, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi. And a learned man should be inquisitive, \"If there is any remedy?\" So Sanātana Gosvāmī is presenting himself before Lord Caitanya that \"People say that I am very learned man. But I am so learned man that I do not know what I am and why I am suffering from these miseries, although I do not like to suffer.\"\nGo on.",
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"content": "\n \" 'I do not know how to question You about the advancement of spiritual life, but I beg that You kindly, mercifully, let me know everything that I should know.' This is the process of acceptance of a spiritual master by the disciple. One should approach a spiritual master and humbly submit to him and then inquire from him about one's spiritual progress. The Lord was pleased by Sanātana's submissive behavior, and He replied as follows: 'You have already received benediction from Lord Kṛṣṇa.' \"",
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"content": "\n Here... Here is another point, that Sanātana Gosvāmī approached his spiritual master, Lord Caitanya, and he submitted himself in such a way that his spiritual master, Lord Caitanya, was very pleased. So that should be the point of disciples: how to please the spiritual master. And Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura, he has composed eight stanzas as prayers of spiritual master.\nAnd in the seventh stanza he says, yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ **: if you can please your spiritual master, then you know that God, or Kṛṣṇa, is pleased. Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo yasyaprasādān na gatiḥ kuto 'pi. And if you cannot please your spiritual master, then you must know that you do not know your whereabouts; you do not know where you are going.\nSo Sanātana Gosvāmī was actually following the disciplic principles. He wanted to please Lord Caitanya submissively. To please the spiritual master means to approach him submissively, not in a challenging mood. The Bhagavad-gītā also explains in this way:\ntad viddhi praṇipātena\nparipraśnena sevayā\nupadekṣyanti jñānina\ntad jñānaṁ tattva-darśinaḥ\n[Bg. 4.34]\n[Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him. The self-realized soul can impart knowledge unto you because he has seen the truth.]\nTad viddhi praṇipātena. If you want to understand the spiritual science, then you have to approach to a person where you can completely surrender yourself. Because everyone is proud: \"Oh, who can teach me? Why shall I go to a spiritual master? I know everything.\" That is the general mentality. Therefore Bhagavad-gītā gives us direction that you should go to a person where you can fully surrender.\nSo you have to find out a bona fide spiritual master where you can surrender your pride. Then tad viddhi praṇipātena [Bg. 4.34]. Praṇiptena means surrender. Paripraśnena. If you find out such, if you are fortunate enough to find out some person where you can surrender, then you can put questions before him.\nThat Sanātana Gosvāmī is putting, that \"What is my position? I think that I am very learned man, I am born of very aristocratic family and so on, so on, but actually, I do not know what I am, what is my position.\" This is paripraśna, inquiry. Surrender, inquiry and sevayā. That answer should be received in service mood.\nSo these are three formulas. Simple questions will not help us. The question should be put to a person where you have got full surrender and you have got the service mentality. You cannot ask spiritual master or any person whom you think is greater than you in a challenging spirit. Then you will be deceived. In a submissive way, of course, you have got right to place questions, and with service mood.\nSo Sanātana Gosvāmī is the vivid example of this disciplic succession. Tad viddhi praṇipātena [Bg. 4.34]. In the Vedas also the same injunction is there. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet [MU 1.2.12].\n[To understand these things properly, one must humbly approach, with firewood in hand, a spiritual master who is learned in the Vedas and firmly devoted to the Absolute Truth.]\nIf you want to learn that transcendental science, then you must approach to a person who is heavier than you: guru. Guru means heavier. You don't go to a person who is lighter than you. Heavier. Heavier means heavier in knowledge. So the same thing is explained everywhere. And Sanātana Gosvāmī is ideal disciple and Lord Caitanya is the ideal teacher, and we should learn how to approach a teacher and what is the qualification of a teacher.\nJust like Arjuna. Arjuna was talking with Kṛṣṇa in the beginning on friendly terms, just like a friend talks with his friend. But when he saw that his problem was so great that it could not be solved on friendly talks, it must be seriously understood, so he also surrendered himself, śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ prapannam [Bg. 2.7]:\n[Now I am confused about my duty and have lost all composure because of weakness. In this condition I am asking You to tell me clearly what is best for me. Now I am Your disciple, and a soul surrendered unto You. Please instruct me.]\n\"My dear Kṛṣṇa, now from this point I accept You my spiritual master, and I surrender unto You. Please teach me.\" And then He began teaching. These are the process.\nThen?",
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"content": "\n \" 'And therefore you know everything and you are free from all the miseries of material existence.' The Lord further replied that because Sanātana was in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, naturally, by the grace of Kṛṣṇa, he was already conversant with everything. 'But because you are humble, a humble devotee, you are asking Me to confirm what is already realized by you.' \"",
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"content": "\n This is another point. Even one thinks that he knows everything, still, he, before the spiritual master, he should be blank slate, that \"I do not know anything.\" That is the qualification of the disciple. He should approach the spiritual master as if he does not know anything.\nGo on.",
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"content": "\n \"These are the characteristics of a true devotee. In the Nārada-bhakti-sūtra it is said that one who is very serious about developing his Kṛṣṇa consciousness, by the grace of the Lord has his desire for understanding Kṛṣṇa fulfilled very soon. The Lord said, 'You are a suitable person for protecting the devotional service of the Lord. Therefore it is My duty to instruct you in the science of God.' \"",
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"content": "\n Here is another point, that one should not accept somebody as spiritual master all of a sudden. At the same time, the spiritual master also should not accept anybody as his disciple immediately. Now Sanātana Gosvāmī is proving himself that he's qualified disciple, and Lord Caitanya is accepting him that \"You are just the suitable person; therefore I shall accept you as My disciple and teach you the science of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.\"\nYes.",
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"content": "\n \" 'And I will explain to you everything, step by step.' It is the duty of the disciple approaching the spiritual master to inquire about his constitutional position. In conformity to that spiritual process, Sanātana has already asked, 'What am I and why am I suffering from the threefold miseries?'\nThe threefold miseries are called ādhyātmika, ādhibhautika and ādhidaivika [SB 6.15.25].\n[The living entity in the bodily conception of life is absorbed in the body, which is a combination of the physical elements, the five senses for gathering knowledge, and the five senses of action, along with the mind. Through the mind the living entity suffers three kinds of tribulations—adhibhautika, adhidaivika and adhyātmika. Therefore this body is a source of all miseries.]\nĀdhyātmika means caused by the body and mind. Sometimes the living entity suffers bodily, and sometimes he is distressed mentality. Both are ādhyātmika miseries. We experience these miseries even in the womb of our mother. There are many forms of miseries that take advantage of our delicate body and give us pain.\nMiseries inflicted by other living entities are called ādhibhautika. There are many living entities, such as bugs born of eggs, that cause us miseries while we are sleeping in bed. There are many living entities like cockroaches that sometimes give us pain. And there are other living entities born on different kinds of planets, and they also cause us miseries.\nSo far as ādhidaivika miseries are concerned, they originate with the demigods from the higher planets. For instance, sometimes we suffer from serious cold weather, sometimes we suffer from the thunderbolt, sometimes from earthquake, tornadoes, droughts, and other natural disasters. So we are always suffering one or another of three kinds of miseries. Sanātana's inquiry was, 'What is the position of the living entities? Why are they always undergoing these three kinds of miseries?'\nSanātana has admitted his weakness. Although he was known by the mass of people as a greatly learned man, and actually he was a highly learned Sanskrit scholar, and although he accepted the designation of a very learned man given him by the mass of people, yet he did not actually know what his constitutional position was and why he was subjected to the threefold miseries.\nThe necessity of approaching a spiritual master is not a fashion, but is for he who is seriously conscious of the material miseries and who wants to be free of them. It is the duty of such a person to approach the spiritual master. We find similar circumstances in the Bhagavad-gītā, when Arjuna...\"",
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"content": "\n Yes, this is very important point, that a spiritual master should not be accepted as a matter of fashion. Somebody thinks that \"Everyone gets a spiritual master, so I may also have some spiritual master.\" Or \"I may keep some spiritual master as my pet.\" Just like somebody keeps some pet dog or pet cat. So they want also, \"Somebody must be my spiritual master, and whatever I order him, he'll carry.\" So such kind of fashionable spiritual master is useless.\nA spiritual master, it is defined in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, who requires a spiritual master. That is stated: tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta [SB 11.3.21]. \n[Therefore any person who seriously desires real happiness must seek a bona fide spiritual master and take shelter of him by initiation. The qualification of the bona fide guru is that he has realized the conclusions of the scriptures by deliberation and is able to convince others of these conclusions. Such great personalities, who have taken shelter of the Supreme Godhead, leaving aside all material considerations, should be understood to be bona fide spiritual masters.]\nTasmād. Tasmād means \"therefore.\" \"Therefore one should approach a spiritual master.\" What is that \"therefore\"? Jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam. If one is actually inquisitive to understand about the spiritual existence, then he requires a spiritual master. A spiritual master does not mean that he'll teach you how to keep your body fit, how you can reduce your fat, how you can remain a young man, and so many nonsense. This is not the duty of the spiritual master.\nHowever you may try to keep your body fit, how long you shall keep your body fit? As soon as you are born, the death is also born along with you. Suppose one man is twenty-five years old. That means he has already died twenty-five years. So you cannot protect yourself from death, however you may become very strong, stout.\nTherefore actual education, actual spiritual knowledge, begins, as stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. The Bhagavad-gītā..., the beginning of Bhagavad-gītā is that when Arjuna surrendered to Kṛṣṇa, He immediately said that \"My dear Arjuna, you are posing yourself as very learned man but you are fool number one.\" Why? \"Because you are identifying yourself with this body.\" Aśocyān anvaśocas tvaṁ prajñā-vādāṁś ca bhāṣase [Bg. 2.11].\n[The Blessed Lord said: While speaking learned words, you are mourning for what is not worthy of grief. Those who are wise lament neither for the living nor the dead.]\n\"My dear Arjuna, you are talking just like very learned man, but you are lamenting on the subject matter of your body.\" Gatāsūn agatāsūṁś ca nānuśocanti paṇḍitāḥ. Actually one who is learned, he has no necessity for lamenting on the subject, on the body, either living or dead.\nSo the whole process of education in the materialistic way of civilization is on the body, how to keep the body fit, how to avoid death, how to avoid disease. Simply concentration on the body. So this bodily concept of life is immediately discouraged in the Bhagavad-gītā.\naśocyān anvaśocas tvaṁ\nprajñā-vādāṁś ca bhāṣase\ngatāsūn agatāsūṁś ca\nnānuśocanti paṇḍitāḥ\n[Bg. 2.11]\nPaṇḍitāḥ means those who are learned, they are not affected by this body, either dead or alive. So that means one should be inquisitive to learn about the soul which is sitting in the body. That is real knowledge.\nSo one who is inquisitive about understanding that knowledge, he requires a spiritual master. Not that one who wants to keep this body fit or wants to reduce fat. No. For him there is no necessity of spiritual master. That he can go to a doctor or a medical physician. That's all. He can advise. What is the use of going to a spiritual master? Spiritual master means jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam [SB 11.3.21]. Who can teach you about the highest benediction, he is spiritual master.\nSo we shall discuss in next meeting. This is very interesting, and you'll be profited if you please come and hear.",
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"content": "\n Hare Kṛṣṇa. [offer obeisances]",
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"content": "\n Any question?\n[pause] No question? Yes?",
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"content": "\n Prabhupāda? These days there are so many men who are claiming to have found the Absolute, who claim to be spiritual masters in their own way. How does one tell who is a bona fide spiritual master?",
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"content": "\n Yes. What is your idea of bona fide spiritual master?",
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"content": "\n One who can teach the Absolute.",
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"content": "\n So a spiritual master... Just like Kṛṣṇa is spiritual master and Lord Caitanya is spiritual master. We are talking about Lord Caitanya's teaching to Sanātana Gosvāmī. That means Lord Caitanya is the spiritual master. Similarly, in the Bhagavad-gītā we find Arjuna is taught by Kṛṣṇa Bhagavad-gītā. So there is no difficulty to understand who is spiritual master. Is there any difficulty? Because we see that Lord Caitanya is teaching Sanātana Gosvāmī and Kṛṣṇa is teaching Arjuna. So both Lord Caitanya and Kṛṣṇa are spiritual master. Is there any difficulty to understand?\nSo anyone who represents Lord Caitanya and Kṛṣṇa, he is spiritual master. That's all. Anyone who speaks exactly what Lord Caitanya said, exactly what Kṛṣṇa said, then he is spiritual master. Just like a teacher who says that \"I have passed M.A.\" Now what is the proof? That means if he speaks exactly like persons who have passed M.A. examination, then he is M.A. A medical practitioner who is approved by other medical practitioners in the medical college, he is medical practitioner.\nSimilarly, if you want to test who is spiritual master, you have to see the standard spiritual master, Kṛṣṇa and Lord Caitanya and similar. Even Lord Jesus Christ, there are..., Lord Buddha, they are also spiritual masters, but they spoke in different circumstances. That is different thing. But if you want to know who is a spiritual master, then you have to test him whether he is speaking exactly like the bona fide spiritual master.\nŚrī Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura has explained about this, who is spiritual master. What is that? He says, sādhu śāstra guru vākya tinete kariyā aikya [Prema-bhakti-candrikā].\n[We must always keep within our hearts the instructions of sādhu, śāstra, and guru. This is the process.]\nIf you want to advance yourself in spiritual science, then you have to test these three things. What is that? Sādhu, saintly person. Sādhu, śāstra, scriptures, and spiritual master.\nNow suppose you want to know who is a spiritual master. Then you have to test whether he's speaking just like other saintly persons and whether he's following scriptures. Sādhu śāstra. So you have to test a spiritual master by corroborating whether he is speaking according to the scriptural injunction, whether he's speaking to other saintly persons.\nSo in the world, anywhere you go, the standard spiritual master—take it, Lord Jesus Christ or Buddha or Śaṅkara or Rāmānujācārya or Caitanya—nobody will say that you make adjustment here and live peacefully. Everyone will say that you have to extinguish this material existence. Lord Buddha says nirvāṇa, and Śaṅkara says brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā, and Kṛṣṇa says sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja [Bg. 18.66].\n[Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reaction. Do not fear.]\nLord Jesus Christ says that \"You have to go to the kingdom of God. Just come with me.\"\nSo nobody says that \"Let us make United Nation organization and stick up to thousands of flags, and let there be peace and prosperity, and let the war go on in any part of the world.\" That is not spiritual master. Spiritual master means that he is interested with the other world beyond this material world. That is spiritual master.\nYes?",
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"content": "\n What, then, is a master?",
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"content": "\n Master means who is master of the science. That's all. He must know everything of spiritual life. That is master.",
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"content": "\n Are there not many planes in mastership?",
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"content": "\n What is that?",
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"content": "\n \"Are there not many planes in mastership?\"",
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"content": "\n Yes, there is. But you have to accept the standard platform by your advancement. Just like somebody accepts somebody as master, that is according to his own mentality. And somebody accepts somebody else as master, that is his mentality. But the highest, according to Vedic literature, Kṛṣṇa is the supreme master.\nBecause all the ācāryas, all the spiritual masters of Vedic perfection, just like in the recent years Śaṅkarācārya, Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya and Viṣṇu Svāmī, Lord Caitanya, all of them, they have accepted Kṛṣṇa as the supreme spiritual master. All of them. Even Śaṅkarācārya, he's impersonalist, still he has accepted Kṛṣṇa. Sa bhagavān svayaṁ kṛṣṇa [SB 1.3.28].\n[All of the above-mentioned incarnations are either plenary portions or portions of the plenary portions of the Lord, but Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the original Personality of Godhead. All of them appear on planets whenever there is a disturbance created by the atheists. The Lord incarnates to protect the theists.]\nHe says that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is Kṛṣṇa. That is mentioned in his commentary of Bhagavad-gītā. And what to speak of Vaiṣṇava ācāryas, they accept. And Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He says, yāre dekha tāre kaha kṛṣṇa-upadeśa [Cc. Madhya 7.128]:\n[“Instruct everyone to follow the orders of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa as they are given in the Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. In this way become a spiritual master and try to liberate everyone in this land.”]\nIf you want to become a spiritual master, then try to disseminate the teachings of Lord Kṛṣṇa. So that is our, so far we are concerned, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, our ideal spiritual master is Kṛṣṇa.\nYes?",
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"content": "\n Swāmījī, someone approached me, and we were discussing about Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And I said to approach Kṛṣṇa one must be pure, but he said, \"What is purity?\" Could you explain that technically? What is purity?",
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"content": "\n Yes. Purity means standing on the spiritual platform. That is purity. In the material platform there is no purity. So according to Bhagavad-gītā, that standard of purity, that means standing on the spiritual platform, which is called brahma-bhūtaḥ. Brahma-bhūtaḥ. So Kṛṣṇa says this purity,\nmāṁ ca vyabhicāreṇa\nbhakti-yogena yaḥ sevate\nsa guṇān samatītyaitān\nbrahma-bhūyāya kalpate\n[Bg. 14.26]\n[One who engages in full devotional service, who does not fall down in any circumstance, at once transcends the modes of material nature and thus comes to the level of Brahman.]\nThis Brahman understanding, or to stand on the Brahman platform, is purity. How one can attain that platform of purity? Kṛṣṇa says that \"One who is engaged in devotional service to Me without any deviation,\" that means twenty-four hours in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, \"he is pure.\" He is pure. If you can keep yourself always, constantly, in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, always thinking of Kṛṣṇa, then you are pure. Otherwise... Kṛṣṇa consciousness or God consciousness, it doesn't make any difference.\nSo just like if you keep always in touch with fire you are warm—there is no possibility of being cold—similarly, some way or other if you always keep yourself in Kṛṣṇa consciousness or God consciousness, then you are pure. Therefore we advise our students, \"Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa.\" As soon as you chant this sound, \"Kṛṣṇa,\" immediately you are in touch with Kṛṣṇa. Therefore you are..., you keep yourself pure. Is that clear? Yes.\nSo try to keep yourself in Kṛṣṇa consciousness without any deviation. Then you remain pure. That is also confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā, daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī... [Bg. 7.14].\n[This divine energy of Mine, consisting of the three modes of material nature, is difficult to overcome. But those who have surrendered unto Me can easily cross beyond it.]\n[break] It is very difficult to get out of the clutches of this māyā, contamination. Very difficult. Mām eva ye prapadyante: \"But one who keeps touch with Me, with full surrender,\" māyām etāṁ taranti te, \"he's out of these clutches of māyā.\"\nSo just like there is antiseptic, what is called, vaccination, to keep yourself from the contamination... There is epidemic, and under government order everyone is vaccinated, that \"You take this vac..., so you shall keep your...\" This is material way of keeping oneself from contamination. Similarly, if you keep always yourself in spiritual understanding of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, you'll remain pure.\nYes?",
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"content": "\n What then are the guides? Are they also masters in a sense?\n What then are the guides? [to guest:] Can you repeat the question again?\n What then are the guides? Are they also masters of the sense?\nGuides?\n Spiritual guides.\nSpiritual guides? What do you...",
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"content": "\n Yes. One cannot be a spiritual guide unless he's not master of the senses. Therefore the spiritual guide is called svāmī or gosvāmī. Svāmī means who is master of the senses. He's not servant of the senses. Generally, people are servant of the senses.\nOne who becomes master of the senses, he can become spiritual master. Otherwise not.\nAll right. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. [devotees offer obeisances]\nYou chant. Chant.\nMādhavī-latā, you can chant. Can you? You? Give Mādhavī, Mādhavī. All right.\n[79:20]\n[kīrtana] [prema-dhvani] Thank you very much. [devotees offer obeisances] [end]",
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https://vedabase.io/en/library/transcripts/680619bg-montreal/
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"content": "\n[distorted audio with radio interference]\n\nom ajñāna-timirāndhasya jñānāñjana-śalākayā\ncakṣur-unmīlitaṁ yena tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ\n[I offer my respectful obeisances unto my spiritual master, who with the torchlight of knowledge has opened my eyes, which were blinded by the darkness of ignorance.]\nśrī-caitanya-mano-'bhīṣṭaṁ\nsthāpitaṁ yena bhū-tale\nsvayaṁ rūpaḥ kadā mahyaṁ\ndadāti sva-padāntikam\n[When will Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī Prabhupāda, who has established within this material world the mission to fulfill the desire of Lord Caitanya, give me shelter under his lotus feet?]\nvande 'haṁ śrī-guroḥ śrī-yuta-pada-kamalaṁ śrī-gurūn vaiṣṇavāṁś ca\nśrī-rūpaṁ sāgrajātaṁ saha-gaṇa-raghunāthānvitaṁ taṁ sa-jīvam\nsādvaitaṁ sāvadhūtaṁ parijana-sahitaṁ kṛṣṇa-caitanya-devaṁ\nśrī-rādhā-kṛṣṇa-pādān saha-gaṇa-lalitā-śrī-viśākhānvitāṁś ca\n[I offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of my spiritual master and of all the other preceptors on the path of devotional service. I offer my respectful obeisances unto all the Vaiṣṇavas and unto the six Gosvāmīs, including Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī, Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, Jīva Gosvāmī and their associates. I offer my respectful obeisances unto Śrī Advaita Ācārya Prabhu, Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and all His devotees, headed by Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura. I then offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of Lord Kṛṣṇa, Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī and all the gopīs, headed by Lalitā and Viśākhā.]\nhe kṛṣṇa karuṇā-sindho\ndīna-bandho jagat-pate\ngopeśa gopikā-kānta\nrādhā-kānta namo 'stu te\n[O my dear Kṛṣṇa, ocean of mercy, You are the friend of the distressed and the source of creation. You are the master of the cowherd men and the lover of the gopīs, especially Rādhārāṇī. I offer my respectful obeisances unto You.]\njanma karma [ca] me divyam\nevaṁ yo vetti tattvataḥ\ntyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma\nnaiti mām eti kaunteya\n[Bg. 4.9]\nKṛṣṇa is explaining how one can very easily enter into the spiritual world, or the kingdom of God. The simple formula is that anyone who understands the appearance, disappearance, activities of the Lord as divyam, transcendental, with perfect knowledge of the Absolute Truth, simply by this understanding one can immediately enter into the spiritual kingdom.\nTo know the Absolute Truth is not possible by our present senses. That is also another fact. Because at the present moment we have got materially..., materially affected; not material senses. Our sense are originally spiritual, but it is covered by material contamination. Therefore the process is to purify, to purify the coverings of our material existence. And that is also recommended—simply by service attitude. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ [Brs. 1.2.234].\n[No one can understand the transcendental nature of the name, form, quality and pastimes of Śrī Kṛṣṇa through his materially contaminated senses. Only when one becomes spiritually saturated by transcendental service to the Lord are the transcendental name, form, quality and pastimes of the Lord revealed to him.]\nThe whole thing depends on our surrendering process and engage ourself in the service of the Lord. Then gradually, the Lord reveals to the devotee. That is the process.\nSo what is the birth of the Lord? There is no question of birth of the Lord or of the living entities. This subject matter we have already discussed in the last meeting, that the Lord and the living entities, both are eternal. There is no question of birth and death.\nThe same example, just like the sun: sun setting and sun rising.\n[someone adjusting tape recorder—long pause]\nSunset and sunrise, it is simply adjustment of our own position. Actually, there is no sunset, there is no sunrise. The same example is applicable to our appearance and disappearance, as well as God's appearance and disappearance. We are eternal. We are eternally existing, but appearance means this body, appearance of this body.\nThe difference between the appearance of God and appearance of myself is that I appear in different bodies as it is offered by the material nature according to my karma; God appears in His own original body. That is the difference. And because God appears in His own original body, therefore He is not forgetful of the past, present and future.\nAnd so far we are concerned, because we appear in different material bodies, therefore we forget our past, present and future. This is the difference. And in this verse it is specifically mentioned here that janma karma me divyam [Bg. 4.9]. \n[One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and activities does not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in this material world, but attains My eternal abode, O Arjuna.]\nDivyam means divine, spiritual, transcendental. Our appearance and disappearance is different from the Lord's appearance and disappearance.\nOne has to learn the subject matter. And how it can be learned? Simply by service attitude. Sevonmukhe. We cannot learn this transcendental subject matter by challenge. If we are submissive, if we are engaged in His service, then, by His divine grace, He reveals Himself. Everything understanding of Lord, that is revelation. By our experimental knowledge, we cannot understand what is God. Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ [Cc. Madhya 17.136].\n[”’Therefore material senses cannot appreciate Kṛṣṇa’s holy name, form, qualities and pastimes. When a conditioned soul is awakened to Kṛṣṇa consciousness and renders service by using his tongue to chant the Lord’s holy name and taste the remnants of the Lord’s food, the tongue is purified, and one gradually comes to understand who Kṛṣṇa really is.’]\nOur senses are now materially contaminated; therefore we cannot understand what is God, what is His appearance, what is His disappearance. This is not possible. The whole thing is to accept the purificatory process of the senses. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. \n[”’Bhakti, or devotional service, means engaging all our senses in the service of the Lord, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the master of all the senses. When the spirit soul renders service unto the Supreme, there are two side effects. One is freed from all material designations, and one’s senses are purified simply by being employed in the service of the Lord.’]\nOne has to become purified by freeing himself from all designation. This is the first step.\nWe are now under different designation. Every one of us is thinking that \"I am this body, and because I am this body and this body is produced under certain condition, in a certain family, by certain father and mother, in a certain society, certain country, certain land, therefore I have got, you have got so many designation.\" So we have to become first of all free from the designation. That is the first qualification for understanding the science of God. We have to become free from all designation.\nAnd how one can become free? This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. I am neither Indian, I am neither American, I am neither white, I am neither black, I am neither Christian, I am neither Hindu, Muhammadan. Caitanya Mahāprabhu described Himself like that. He said, \"I am not a brāhmaṇa, I am not a kṣatriya, I am not a vaiśya, I am not a śūdra; I am not a brahmacārī, I am not a householder, I am not a vānaprastha, or I am not a renounced order, sannyāsī.\" Then what You are? Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ [Cc. Madhya 13.80]: \"I am the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of Kṛṣṇa.\"\n[”’I am not a brāhmaṇa, I am not a kṣatriya, I am not a vaiśya or a śūdra. Nor am I a brahmacārī, a householder, a vānaprastha or a sannyāsī. I identify Myself only as the servant of the servant of the servant of the lotus feet of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the maintainer of the gopīs. He is like an ocean of nectar, and He is the cause of universal transcendental bliss. He is always existing with brilliance.’”]\nThis should be my real identification. This is very good identification. In Kṛṣṇa consciousness we address our contemporaries as \"prabhu.\" Prabhu means master. And the real idea is that \"You are my master, I am your servant.\" Just the opposite number. Here, in the material world, everyone wants to place himself as the master: \"I am your master, you are my servant.\" That is the mentality of material existence. And the spiritual existence means, \"I am the servant, you are the master.\" Just see. Just the opposite number.\nThe māyā's attraction, the last snare of māyā is, in this material conception of life, that so many identification, \"I am this,\" \"I am that,\" \"I am that,\" \"I am big man,\" \"I am rich man,\" \"I am prime minister,\" then so on, so on. When we are frustrated in all these attempts, then we try to become God: \"I am God.\" This is the last snare of māyā. But this Kṛṣṇa consciousness philosophy is just the opposite. What to speak of God? He is to think himself as the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of God.\nSo in one way it is very difficult. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu instructs that who can become in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ [Cc. Ādi 17.31].\n[”One who thinks himself lower than the grass, who is more tolerant than a tree, and who does not expect personal honor yet is always prepared to give all respect to others can very easily always chant the holy name of the Lord.”]\nWho can chant Hare Kṛṣṇa very nicely? Tṛṇād api sunīcena. Tṛṇād api sunīcena means who thinks himself lower than the straw in the street: \"I am lower than.\" Humble, very humble. Tṛṇād api sunīcena taror api sahiṣṇunā. Tolerant more than the tree.\nYou know the trees are very much tolerant. They are giving you shelter, they are giving you shadow, and they are giving you protection from floods[?] and so many things, giving you fruits. You are taking woods, leaves, flowers, but the trees do not make any protest. They are standing silent. Therefore they are very tolerant. The example of toleration is tree.\nSo Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that one has to become humbler than the grass or straw in the street, tolerant than the tree, and amāninā, and refusing all kinds of respectful addresses from others, but offering all respect to others. He's not prepared to accept any respect from others, but he is prepared to give all respect to others.\nSo all these things are explained. That means, in other words, I completely refuse to become anything of this material world. Suppose somebody insults me, \"You are rascal. You are such-and-such man.\" But if I know that I am [not] this body, I have nothing to do with this body, then you may call me \"rascal\" or \"your lordship,\" it is the same thing for me, because I am not this body.\nA man is called... He's graduate, M.A., or Doctor, Ph.D. What is this Doctor, Ph.D., M.A.? This is the designation of this body. As soon as the body is finished, my all designation M.A., Ph.D. is finished. Then I have to accept another body. I do not know what kind of body is going to be accepted by me—not accepted; what kind of body is going to be forced upon me by nature. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ [Bg. 3.27].\n[The bewildered spirit soul, under the influence of the three modes of material nature, thinks himself to be the doer of activities, which are in actuality carried out by nature.]\nThe nature is forcing you to accept a certain type of body. There is good government, prakṛti, nature's government. You cannot refuse it.\nThere are 8,400,000's of different kinds of bodies, species of bodies. And by our activities, as we prepare our mentality at the last moment of our death, then we get the similar body. We carry the mind. Mind is the subtle body. So the mentality carries me to a certain position in the womb of a mother where I get this gross material supplies, and again I develop a certain kind of body and come out from the mother's womb and begin to work according to that body. This is the process.\nSo one has to learn this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement very carefully. It is very nice and very scientific. And if we simply try to understand my position, try to understand God and what is my relation with God, janma karma me divyam, simply by understanding this, I become qualified to enter into the spiritual kingdom.\nAnd as soon as I enter into the spiritual kingdom, then, as it is stated in this verse, that tyaktvā deham, after giving up this body, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma [Bg. 4.9]—punar janma means again taking birth in this material world—na eti, na, no more.\n[One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and activities does not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in this material world, but attains My eternal abode, O Arjuna.]\nThis continued repetition of accepting different kinds of body is finished simply by understanding what is God, how He appears, how He disappears, what are His activities. Simply this understanding. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya, or so 'rjuna. \"He comes to Me.\" And in another place it is stated the same thing, mām upetya tu kaunteya, \"One who comes to Me,\" mām upetya kaunteya duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam, nāpnuvanti [Bg. 8.15].\n[After attaining Me, the great souls, who are yogīs in devotion, never return to this temporary world, which is full of miseries, because they have attained the highest perfection.]\n\"One who comes back to Me, goes back to home, goes back to Godhead, he never comes back again to this miserable conditional life of materialistic status.\"\nMām upetya tu kaunteya duḥkhālayam... And this material existence is duḥkhālayam: it is a place of misery. This is māyā. We are living in this condition, conditional life of material existence, which is full of misery, but by the spell of māyā, illusion, we are thinking, we are planning that we are happy. This is called māyā. \nMāyā means... I have several times explained what is meant by māyā. Māyā means \"what is not.\" I am thinking I am making progress. I am thinking that I am happy. I am thinking I am civilized, I am advanced. But the māyā means this thinking, in the positive way, is no.\nNo, you are not advanced. You are not civilized. You are not actually wise, because you do not know what you are. You are thinking that you are this body. Therefore everything, whatever you are thinking, that is all null and void. Māyā. This is called māyā.\nSo this māyā is very strong. It is very difficult to overcome this māyā. But the formula is very simple. That is also stated in the Seventh Chapter of Bhagavad-gītā, that daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā [Bg. 7.14].\n[This divine energy of Mine, consisting of the three modes of material nature, is difficult to overcome. But those who have surrendered unto Me can easily cross beyond it.]\nThis māyā, this illusion, is very strong to overcome, or to surpass. It is not easy. Māyā is capturing you in so many ways. Just like the last moment, at the last moment, when you are very wise, you understand your spiritual position, ahaṁ brahmāsmi, \"I am Brahman, I am not matter. I am not matter, I am spirit soul.\"\nBut even at this stage, that \"I am Brahman,\" there is action of māyā. What is that action of māyā? By realizing himself \"I am Brahman,\" he is thinking that \"I am the Supreme Brahman.\" That means he's still in ignorance. Still in ignorance. He's not the Supreme Brahman.\nTherefore Bhagavad-gītā, it is explaining very nicely, brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā [Bg. 18.54].\n[And of all yogīs, he who always abides in Me with great faith, worshiping Me in transcendental loving service, is most intimately united with Me in yoga and is the highest of all.]\nFirst thing is when you are actually Brahman realized, or you have realized your identification that you are not matter, you are spirit, the first symptom is prasannātmā: you become immediately joyful, without any anxiety. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati. There is no lamentation, there is no hankering. Samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu, and seeing every living entities on equal level, because he has spiritual vision.\nHe does not see the body; he sees the spirit. He does not see a dog; he sees, \"Oh, there is spirit soul.\" He does not see a brāhmaṇa; he sees, \"Oh, there is the same spirit soul.\" He does not see an American; he sees the spirit soul. He does not see an Indian; he sees the spirit soul. Therefore, paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ [Bg. 5.18]. \n[The humble sage, by virtue of true knowledge, sees with equal vision a learned and gentle brāhmaṇa, a cow, an elephant, a dog and a dog-eater [outcaste].]\nPaṇḍitāḥ, those who are actually learned, they are seeing everyone in the same vision, spiritual vision. This is Brahman realization.\nBrahman realization does not mean that \"My brother is Brahman and I am Brahman, and all others are not Brahman.\" This is not Brahman realization. Brahman realization means to introspect the spiritual existence of all living entities. That is Brahman realization. Samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu. Then that oneness is still not sufficient. That means you have to engage yourself in Brahman activities. That is perfection. Therefore it is said that samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām [Bg. 18.54].\n[And of all yogīs, he who always abides in Me with great faith, worshiping Me in transcendental loving service, is most intimately united with Me in yoga and is the highest of all.]\nAfter this Brahman realization, actual devotional service begins. Brahman realization means that \"I am spirit soul and the Lord is the Supreme Spirit.\" Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām [Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13].\n[The Supreme Lord is eternal and the living beings are eternal. The Supreme Lord is cognizant and the living beings are cognizant. The difference is that the Supreme Lord is supplying all the necessities of life for the many other living entities.]\nHe is the Supreme Spirit, chief living entity, and we are innumerable, without any number. Asaṅkhya. The living entities are innumerable. These are stated in Vedic literature. The very word is used, asaṅkhya. Asaṅkhya means without any numerical estimation. And God is one. God is one, but the living entities are many. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām. So, eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. That one is the Supreme One who is supplying all the necessities of living entities.\nSimilar, as you have got in your Bible, you pray in the church, \"O God, give us our daily bread. Excuse us our faults.\" Because He is the prime one. He is supplying the necessities, He's giving you protection, He's giving you everything. You require sunlight; God has created sunlight for you. You require water; God has created immense water for you. You require air; there is immense air for you. So He is practically helping you. Eko bahūnāṁ yo vidadhāti kāmān. That one is supplying everything what you require.\nYou may think that you have to make improvement of your economic condition, but actually the economic condition, what you have to enjoy, that is already there. You haven't got to endeavor. You see? Those who are not human beings, the animals, the birds, the beasts and the worms, the trees, they have no economic problem.\nI see in India the sparrows, they were chanting and dancing and eating. Here also I see the same sparrow. They have no economic problem, because they are depending completely on nature's law. And because we have violated nature's law, we have got economic problems. We have created our economic problem.\nSo the whole philosophy is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If the whole world—not whole world; even certain percentage of the population—becomes Kṛṣṇa conscious, the face of the world changes. Simply to understand, as it is stated here, janma karma me divyam [Bg. 4.9]. Karma. His activities.\n[One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and activities does not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in this material world, but attains My eternal abode, O Arjuna.]\nJust see. He has created sun, He has created moon, He has created everything. How do we claim that this planet belongs to us? It is given to us for living. That's all. Because we are sons of God, therefore we have got right to enjoy the property of God. That is real peace. We are... As a rich man's son, he has got the right to, I mean to say, enjoy the father's property...\nBut if he disobeys, if he becomes disobedient to the father, he is put into trouble. So our position is like that. We do not understand what is God, what we are, what is our relationship with God, what is this material nature, how it is working. These things are actually knowledge. One should know.\nThe Īśopaniṣad very nicely explains, īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam [Īśo mantra 1], everything, what we are seeing, they all belong to God.\n[Everything animate or inanimate that is within the universe is controlled and owned by the Lord. One should therefore accept only those things necessary for himself, which are set aside as his quota, and one should not accept other things, knowing well to whom they belong.]\nDon't claim yourself. Similarly, Bhagavad-gītā also says, bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram [Bg. 5.29]:\n[The sages, knowing Me as the ultimate purpose of all sacrifices and austerities, the Supreme Lord of all planets and demigods and the benefactor and well-wisher of all living entities, attain peace from the pangs of material miseries.]\n\"I am the proprietor of all planets.\" So this particular planet is also God's property. Actually it is God's property. We come and go. The property remains there. It is simple thing.\nSo if we do not accept that God is the ultimate proprietor of everything—this is spiritual communism—and all living entities are His sons... Everyone has got right to live at the cost of God. Nobody should encroach upon the property of others. This is the system. Tena tyaktena bhuñjīthā [Īśo mantra 1]. Just try to enjoy what is allotted for you. God has given you certain portion of land. \"You Americans, all right, you have got this land. You be happy. Don't encroach upon others.\" \"You Indians, all right, you become happy here.\" In this way we have to think. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.\nKṛṣṇa consciousness is nothing, I mean to say, extraordinary. Simply to think everything in connection with Kṛṣṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Nirbandhaḥ kṛṣṇa-sambandhe yuktaṁ vairāgyam ucyate.\n[When one is not attached to anything but at the same time accepts anything in relation to Kṛṣṇa, one is rightly situated above possessiveness. On the other hand, one who rejects everything without knowledge of its relationship to Kṛṣṇa is not as complete in his renunciation.]\nIn the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī says that you dovetail everything with Kṛṣṇa. Then you are free. You're free. Dovetail everything. Just like here in this Kṛṣṇa consciousness society, what we are doing? We are dovetailing everything in Kṛṣṇa.\nJust like here is a Dictaphone. We're using it, that's all right, but how we are using it? We're recording the talks about Kṛṣṇa. This apartment, this... It is used for Kṛṣṇa. This body is being used for Kṛṣṇa. We are preparing foodstuff for Kṛṣṇa. In this way, if you develop your consciousness in touch with Kṛṣṇa, that is called Kṛṣṇa consciousness.\nIt is nothing artificial, that I am thinking, meditating, \"I am the Supreme Lord and I am moving the sun, I am moving the...\" These nonsense things are going on, meditation, artificially thinking that \"I am moving the sun, I am moving the moon, I am the Lord. I am the...\" Simply wasting time.\nYou just try to understand yourself that you are eternal servant of God. Then you are perfect. And you can enjoy God's property very nicely. There is no distress at all. The lower animals—birds, beasts—they are enjoying, and you human beings, you cannot enjoy? You are fighting with each other? What is this? Is that advancement? Is that civilization?\nSo Bhāgavata says, harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇāḥ [SB 5.18.12].\n[All the demigods and their exalted qualities, such as religion, knowledge and renunciation, become manifest in the body of one who has developed unalloyed devotion for the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vāsudeva. On the other hand, a person devoid of devotional service and engaged in material activities has no good qualities. Even if he is adept at the practice of mystic yoga or the honest endeavor of maintaining his family and relatives, he must be driven by his own mental speculations and must engage in the service of the Lord's external energy. How can there be any good qualities in such a man?]\nAnyone who is not in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, what qualification, good qualification he may have? That means he has no good qualification. Why? He has passed M.A. examination, he is a great scientist, he has got good qualification. Bhāgavata says, no. Why? Mano-rathenāsati dhāvato bahiḥ. Because he is situated on the mental platform, therefore he is a great scientist, he has discovered atom bomb. Atom bomb. What is that? Killing in large scale. And he's proud of his scientific knowledge.\nMano-rathena. Mano-rathena means hovering upon the mental platform, that \"This will create wonderful thing.\" But \"wonderful thing\" means everyone is afraid, \"Oh, there is atom bomb. He has created.\" Why? Because he's not devotee. He's not in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Had he been in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he would have thought before, \"Oh, I'm creating such a dangerous weapon? It will kill so many innocent persons?\" Because he is harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇāḥ. Therefore Bhāgavata says a man who is not in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he cannot have any good qualification. This is a fact.\nAnd yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā sarvair guṇais tatra samāsate surāḥ [SB 5.18.12]: and one who has got unflinching faith in God, he has got all the good qualification of the demigods. There are many examples. Just see. You are mostly Christian; you know. Lord Jesus Christ, when he was being crucified, he was begging, \"My Lord, these fools do not know what they are doing. Please excuse.\" Just see how much qualified. Because he is devotee of God.\nSo Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so nice, so perfect, that if you take to this in your practical life you become perfect immediately in this life. As it is stated here, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti [Bg. 4.9].\n[One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and activities does not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in this material world, but attains My eternal abode, O Arjuna.]\nSimply understanding. You have got enough time. You are all young men, young girls. Please try to understand the science of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and your life will be perfect. So perfect that after leaving this body, tyaktvā deham, this body, punar janma naiti, no more birth in this miserable condition of material existence. Then what is the result? Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti, \"He comes to Me.\"\nSo it is very easy to finish all the problems of life within this short period of our life. Simply to understand Kṛṣṇa.\nThank you very much. [break]",
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"content": "\n ... [indistinct] of realizing.",
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"content": "\n In other words, one who is actually engaged in devotional service, he has already realized brahma-sukha. That means... Just like a man is offered that \"If you become a high-court judge, you'll get $4,000, or $16,000 salary per month.\" So if one is getting $16,000 per month, that means he has become already high-court judge, in a diverse way. That means one who is seriously engaged in devotional service, he's already Brahman realized. He's on the Brahman platform.\nThis is also confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā: māṁ ca 'vyabhicāreṇa bhakti-yogena yaḥ sevate [Bg. 14.26].\n[One who engages in full devotional service, who does not fall down in any circumstance, at once transcends the modes of material nature and thus comes to the level of Brahman.]\nIf anyone is seriously engaged in devotional service, avyabhicāreṇa, without any fault... That means according to the rules and regulation as they are mentioned. Rules and regulations are required so long we do not develop that love of God. When actually one develops love of God, there is no question of rules and regulation. Automatically he obeys all the rules and regulation.\nSo one who is seriously engaged in devotional service, māṁ ca 'vyabhicāreṇa bhakti-yogena yaḥ sevate sa guṇān samatītyaitān, he's already transcendental to the reactions of different modes of material nature. He's already. Brahma-bhūyāya kalpate. So he is to be understood that he is already Brahman realized.\nIt is not that you have to... This is the spiritual. Material, suppose if you have to accept the post of high-court judge, then you have to gradually qualify yourself. But spiritually, if you immediately engage yourself in the service of the Lord, then you become a high-court judge immediately. You are brahma-bhūtaḥ. That is the difference between matter and spirit. It is unconditional. Ahaituky apratihatā [SB 1.2.6].\n[The supreme occupation [dharma] for all humanity is that by which men can attain to loving devotional service unto the transcendent Lord. Such devotional service must be unmotivated and uninterrupted to completely satisfy the self.]\nSimply we have to agree, \"My Lord, from today, I dedicate my life for Your service,\" you are immediately brahma-bhūtaḥ. Immediately, from that moment. It is so nice. Not that you have to take some time how to become brahma-bhūtaḥ. So those who are actually engaged in the spiritual devotional service of the Lord, it is to be understood they are already on the platform of brahma-bhūtaḥ stage. Is it clear? Yes.\n[break] Question? Question? Yes? No. [break]\n[41:10]\n[break] [kīrtana] [end]",
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https://vedabase.io/en/library/transcripts/670329le-san-francisco/
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"content": "\n That is, the human life is not for, I mean to say, playing, sense gratification. Very important life. So Kṛṣṇa says manuṣyāṇām. But they do not know. Foolish people, they do not know. They are simply wasting life in sense gratification.\nThey are thinking, \"By sense gratification we shall be happy.\" One day the cruel death will come, at once give him a slap: \"Come on! Go! Finish your business. No more human life. Become a cat and dog.\" So these risks are there.\nSo we should be very responsible. So we are not responsible. Kṛṣṇa says, \"They are not responsible.\" Therefore,\nmanuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu\n[Bg. 7.3].\n[Out of many thousands among men, one may endeavor for perfection, and of those who have achieved perfection, hardly one knows Me in truth.]\nOut of many thousands of people, a person desires to utilize his human form of life very nicely. Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye. Kaścit means somebody tries to make his life perfect. And yatatām api siddhānām [Bg. 7.3].\nAnd among such millions of persons who are trying to make his perfect, one can understand Kṛṣṇa. So Kṛṣṇa is not easy that to understand. But He is so kind that He is explaining Himself. One who takes this explanation of Kṛṣṇa and understand Him, he becomes perfect.\nThank you very much. Any question?\n[pause] No question? Have you got any question?",
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"content": "\n Uh, well, could you tell about Lord Caitanya asking where is Kṛṣṇa?",
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"content": "\n Huh?",
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"content": "\n Could you tell about Lord Caitanya asking where is Kṛṣṇa and falling in the water? Or would that be not be [indistinct]?",
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"content": "\n Yes, yes. Very nice. Your question is very nice. I'm very glad. Lord Caitanya, He was the greatest symbol of kṛṣṇa-bhakta, a devotee of Kṛṣṇa. So just see from His life. He never said that \"I have seen Kṛṣṇa.\" He never said, \"I have seen Kṛṣṇa.\" He was mad after Kṛṣṇa. \"Where I can see Kṛṣṇa? Where is Kṛṣṇa? Where is Kṛṣṇa?\"\nHe was mad after Kṛṣṇa. That is the, I mean to say, process of Caitanya philosophy. It is called viraha. Viraha means separation. Separation. \"Kṛṣṇa, You are so good, You are so merciful, You are so nice. But I am so rascal, I am so full of sin, that I cannot see You. I have no qualification to see You.\"\nSo in this way, if one feels the separation of Kṛṣṇa, that \"Kṛṣṇa, I want to see You, but I am so disqualified that I cannot see You,\" these feeling of separation will make you enriched in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Feeling of separation. Not that \"Kṛṣṇa, I have seen you. Finished. All right. I have understood You. Finished. All my business finished.\" No! Perpetually think of yourself that \"I am unfit to see Kṛṣṇa.\" That will enrich you in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.\nCaitanya Mahāprabhu displayed this, these feelings of separation. This is Rādhārāṇī's separation. When Kṛṣṇa went from Vṛndāvana to His place, His father's place, and Rādhārāṇī was feeling in that way, always mad after Kṛṣṇa. So Kṛṣṇa Caitanya, Caitanya Mahāprabhu, took the separation feeling of Rādhārāṇī. That is the best way of worshiping Kṛṣṇa, or becoming Kṛṣṇa conscious.\nSo you know that Lord Caitanya fell on the sea. \"Kṛṣṇa, if You are in the sea? Kṛṣṇa, if You are here? Kṛṣṇa, if You are here?\" Similarly, the next devotees, Lord Caitanya's direct disciples, Gosvāmīs, Rūpa Gosvāmī, Sanātana Gosvāmī, they also, the same disciplic succession, they also worship Kṛṣṇa in that separation feeling. There is a nice verse about them: [sings]\n he rādhe vraja-devike ca lalite he nanda-sūno kutaḥ\nśrī-govardhana-kalpa-pādapa-tale kālindī-vane kutaḥ\nghoṣantāv iti sarvato vraja-pure khedair mahā-vihvalau\nvande rūpa-sanātanau raghu-yugau śrī-jīva-gopālakau\n[Śrī Śrī Ṣaḍ-gosvāmy-aṣṭaka\n]\n[I offer my respectful obeisances unto the six Gosvāmīs, namely Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī, Śrī Sanātana Gosvāmī, Śrī Raghunātha Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī, Śrī Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī, and Śrī Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī, who were chanting very loudly everywhere in Vṛndāvana, shouting, \"Queen of Vṛndāvana, Rādhārāṇī! O Lalita! O son of Nanda Mahārāja! Where are you all now? Are you just on the hill of Govardhana, or are you under the trees on the bank of the Yamunā? Where are you?\" These were their moods in executing Kṛṣṇa consciousness.]\nThese Gosvāmīns also, later on, when they were very much mature in devotional service, what they were doing? They were daily in the vṛndāvana-dhāma, just like a mad man: \"Kṛṣṇa, where You are?\" That is the qualification. It is very nice question.\n[long pause]\n[10:15]\n[Prabhupāda leads kīrtana, Govinda jaya jaya, recites prema-dhvani prayers]\nThank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa.\n[Prabhupāda leaves temple room, devotees pay obeisances]\n[different background noises, doors opening/closing]",
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"content": "\n [indistinct]\n We pay obeisances to all devotees but...\n [indistinct].\n Yeah but isn't he going to be initiated?\n[Several talking simultaneously, doors opening and closing]\nHas anybody been back in the kitchen because the gas was left on? And it's like... It's really strong back there. Somebody turned the gas on and didn't light it. The others... and we can't have that. It's really bad. Does anybody have a match?\n[Laugh loud]\n Seriously we have got to get it out of there it's really awful.\nTake this candle now and it's burning.\n[indistinct]\n Yeah I know.\n[Several talking simultaneously]\n Okay I'll take a look at it.\n[Different background noises, doors opening, mixed conversations] [end]",
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https://vedabase.io/en/library/transcripts/711114le-delhi/
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"content": "\n[Speed Issues]",
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"content": "\n[Hindi, addressing audience]",
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"content": "\n [indistinct aside]",
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"content": "\n [Hindi, addressing audience]\n [applauding at a couple of points] Haribol!\n [Hindi, addressing audience]\n [aside to Prabhupāda] Karatāls?",
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"content": "\nIf somebody will play, four.",
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"content": "\nDo you want karatāls?\n [speech finishes] Haribol!\nDo you want me to hold your glasses?\n[introduces Prabhupāda in Hindi]",
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"content": "\n[leads singing of Jaya Rādhā-Mādhava] [prema-dhvani]\n[break] ...for your kindly participating in this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Just now our guest, today's guest, was speaking about pāpa and puṇya. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is transcendental of pāpa and puṇya. Pāpa means sinful activities and puṇya means pious activities. Both activities are causes for bondage. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā:\nyajñārthāt karmaṇo 'nyatra\nloko 'yaṁ karma-bandhanaḥ\n[Bg. 3.9]\nYajñārthe. Yajñā means Viṣṇu, yajña-puruṣa. Simply for Viṣṇu or Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Lord of viṣṇu-tattva. There are different tattvas: viṣṇu-tattva, sakti-tattva. So we have to understand tattva.\nSo Viṣṇu, Viṣṇu is the Supreme Lord, tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padaṁ sadā paśyanti sūrayaḥ [Ṛg Veda 1.22.20]. That is the Ṛg Veda mantra. Those who are sūrayaḥ, they are looking forward to the lotus feet of Lord Viṣṇu. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam says, na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ [SB 7.5.31]. People in general, they do not know what is their ultimate goal of life. They do not know. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ.\nEveryone is self-interested. That is not bad. As a living entity, as a living being, everyone should be self-interested. That is natural, because I am individual being, you are individual being. You have got your interest, self-interest; I have got my self-interest. But unless the self-interest both of you and me are targeted towards Viṣṇu, then we shall fight.\nna te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ\ndurāśayā ye bahir-artha-mānina\n[SB 7.5.31]\nPersons who are very much interested simply on the external energy... This material world is creation of the external energy of Kṛṣṇa. You have read it in the Bhagavad-gītā:\nbhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ\nkhaṁ mano buddhir eva ca...\nbhinnā prakṛtir aṣṭadhā\n[Bg. 7.4]\nThe material world, which is creation of the five elements gross and three subtle elements: mind, intelligence and ego, Kṛṣṇa claims that prakṛti me aṣṭadhā: \"My. They are My property.\" Actually, we try to understand whether you can create bhūmi, earth. You cannot create. The bhūmi, either you say India or Pakistan or America, that is not created by the human being. You cannot create. Even a small particle of sand you cannot create in your laboratory, what to speak of this whole world. That is claimed by Kṛṣṇa, me, \"That is Mine,\" and prakṛti, prakṛti means generally woman, as woman is predominated and the man is predominator.\nIn our general life we understand it very easily. Husband and wife, the wife is predominated, naturally, and the wife remaining predominated by the husband, the predominator, she is happy. That is the injunction of our Manu-saṁhitā: na striyaṁ svatantratām arhati. Women should not be given independence; they should be given protection. In childhood she should be protected by the father, in youthhood she should be protected by the husband, and in old age she should be protected by the elderly sons. That is our law, Vedic law.\nBut this prakṛti means that enjoyed. This prakṛti is enjoyed. Similarly, there is another prakṛti. Kṛṣṇa says, apareyam itas tv viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parā [Bg. 7.5]. This is material prakṛti. And there is another prakṛti, which is called jīva-bhūtāṁ mahā.\njīva-bhūtāṁ mahā-bāho\nyayedaṁ dhāryate jagat\n[Bg. 7.5]\nDhāryate, sustainer, and the dhārya, or sustainer, the living entity... Just like your body, my body, it is sustained by the spirit soul. As soon as the spirit soul is gone out of this body, it is simply a lump of matter only. It has no value. Therefore that small particle, spiritual spark, is important more than this matter. Apareyam itas tv viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parā [Bg. 7.5].\nSo the jīva-bhūtāṁ mahā-bāho, the living entities, they are also calculated as prakṛti, women, and this matter, that is also calculated as prakṛti. So a prakṛti, a woman, cannot enjoy another woman. If she wants to enjoy another woman, that is artificial. Similarly we, although superior prakṛti, are Kṛṣṇa's. We are unnecessarily trying to enjoy this material prakṛti. That is our fault. That is called illusion, \"which is never possible.\" Which is never possible.\nBut it is going on, beginning from Brahmā down to the small, insignificant ant. Everyone is trying to enjoy this world. Therefore sometimes the living entity is sometimes described as puruṣa. Puruṣa means enjoyer. So this is illusion, because unnecessarily we are trying to enjoy this material world on our personal account. That is the cause of all dissatisfaction all over the world.\nThis Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is started to convince people in general that they are not enjoyer; they are enjoyed. Therefore they should come to their original consciousness, which is called Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Now we have forgotten. Consciousness is pure, but when it is contaminated by the material modes of nature, sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa, tri-guṇa-mayaḥ, then it becomes polluted. Just like the water, when it falls down from the sky, from the clouds, it is crystal clear, but as soon as it contacts the earth it becomes muddy. Similarly, our consciousness, originally it is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.\nThere is another world, which is called spiritual world. That is also mentioned in the Bhagavad-gītā:\nparas tasmāt tu bhāvo 'nyo\n'vyakto 'vyaktāt sanātanaḥ\n[Bg. 8.20]\nIn that world there are also living entities, there are also planets, they are called Vaikuṇṭha planets, and there living entities, they are all liberated. They are called nitya-mukta, eternally liberated. They never come here in this material world. And those who have come here in this material world, they are called nitya-baddha, eternally encaged.\nSo our this human form of life is meant for getting out of this encagement. That is called mukti, or liberation. And what is that liberation? Liberation means to be situated in his own original position. That is the description given in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam:\nmuktir hitvānyathā rūpaṁ\nsva-rūpeṇa vyavasthiti\n[SB 2.10.6]\nThat is called mukti. When we give up our artificial endeavor and we become situated in our original consciousness, that is called mukti, or brahma-bhūta, brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā.\nSo this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is very important, because it is trying to deliver people in general—not only in India, but all over the world—how they can be situated in their original consciousness, which is called mukti,\nmuktir hitvānyathā rūpaṁ\nsva-rūpeṇa vyavasthiti\n[SB 2.10.6]\nSvarūpa means, as Lord Caitanya, when He was asked by Sanātana Gosvāmī, \"What I am?\" He said that \"Your real constitutional position is that you are eternal servant of God,\" jīvera 'svarūpa' haya—nitya kṛṣṇera dāsa. That is our eternal position. But when we do not try to serve Kṛṣṇa, we have to serve; we are obliged to serve māyā. Our service position is there. That is our constitutional position. We cannot be master; that is not possible. We are servants.\nNow, we are meeting so many friends here, thousands. Now can anyone say that you are not servant? Every one of us is servant. Every one of us servant, because that is our constitutional position. But if we try to artificially to become master, that is illusion. We cannot become the master. Jīvera 'svarūpa' haya—nitya-kṛṣṇera dāsa. But the struggle is, here in this material world, they are trying to become master. Somebody is trying to become master of his family, somebody is trying to become the master of his community, somebody is trying to become master of his nationality, and somebody is trying to become master of the internationality, and at last somebody is trying to become the Supreme God.\nThat means everyone is trying artificially to become the master, and that is illusion. We have to become servant—that is our mukti—not master. That is artificial. The same thing I have already explained: this matter and the living entity, both of them are prakṛti, they are womanly nature, or predominated nature. So we cannot be master.\nThe Vedās also confirm,\nnityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām\neko bahūnāṁ yo vidadhāti kāmān\n[Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13]\nThe Lord, Supreme Lord, He is also eternal, we are also eternal, because qualitatively we are one with the Lord, mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ. Jīva, the living entities, they are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. So if Kṛṣṇa is gold, then we are also gold. Kṛṣṇa is sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ; therefore we are also sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ. But because we are very minute particle, sometimes this quality of sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ becomes colored by the illusory external nature.\nJust like a small spark of the fire when it falls down on the ground, it almost it becomes extinguished or it becomes extinguished, that is our position. Because we have fallen down from the original fire, Kṛṣṇa, therefore our spiritual life or enlightenment is now covered, and as soon as again we ignite that spiritual consciousness, that is called Kṛṣṇa consciousness.\nSo Sūta Gosvāmī, from the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam he is giving us a very nice program how we can invoke our spiritual consciousness. That is stated in Caitanya-caritāmṛta, that,\nnitya-siddha kṛṣṇa-bhakti 'sādhya' kabhu naya\nśravaṇādi-śuddha-citte karaye udaya\n[Cc. Madhya 22.107]\nUdaya means it becomes awakened. Śravaṇādi-śuddha-citte. This process, just you are kindly hearing about Kṛṣṇa...\n[break] we are employing so many devotees all over the world simply to canvas people to surrender unto Kṛṣṇa. That is our business. So this process of hearing is recommended in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam,\nśṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ\npuṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtana\n[SB 1.2.17]\nKṛṣṇa, these words or message about Kṛṣṇa, is puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ. Puṇya, one who is hearing and one who is chanting. Just like I am speaking and you are hearing: both of us being benefited. Both of us being benefited because the subject matter is Kṛṣṇa. Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission is that, that \"Anywhere you go, you become a spiritual master on My order.\"\nAnd what is your business? Yāre dekha, tāre kaha ‘kṛṣṇa’-upadeśa. Whomever you meet, you simply speak the message of Kṛṣṇa, nothing else. Yāre dekha, tāre kaha ‘kṛṣṇa’-upadeśa. So Bhagavad-gītā is spoken by Kṛṣṇa personally, that is also kṛṣṇa-upadeśa, and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, that is also kṛṣṇa-upadeśa, both of them.\nSo our preaching point is to make people to understand Bhagavad-gītā as it is and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam as it is. That is our business. Because the more you hear, you become pious, your heart becomes cleansed of material dirty things.\nśṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ\npuṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtana\n[SB 1.2.17]\nAnyone who is simply hearing, even if you do not understand a single word of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, but if you simply give your aural reception to hear the words, the transcendental vibration will cleanse your heart. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam, it will cleanse your heart. That is stated in the Śrīmad- Bhāgavatam. Caitanya Mahāprabhu also says:\nceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇaṁ\nśreyaḥ-kairava-candrikā-vitaraṇaṁ vidyā-vadhū-jīvanam\nānandāmbudhi-vardhanaṁ prati-padaṁ pūrṇāmṛtāsvādanaṁ\n[sarvātma-snapanaṁ] paraṁ vijayate śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtanam\n[Cc. Antya 20.12]\nSo this saṅkīrtana movement is so nice that even if you do not understand a word, you will acheive the result of pious activities, puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ. But we are not interested. Kṛṣṇa-bhakta is not interested for pious activities also. They are not interested for sinful activities, but they are also not interested in pious activities. They are simply interested in the service of the Lord. That is. That service of the...\nJust like Arjuna. Arjuna, in the beginning, he was thinking that this fighting is impious activities, sinful activities: \"Kṛṣṇa, don't ask me to fight. It is very much sinful. I will not fight.\" But after learning Bhagavad-gītā he agreed to fight. So how this impious activity, fighting, became pious activity? That is to be understood. Because Kṛṣṇa advised Arjuna to fight. In the beginning he declined, but at the end he agreed. He said, kariṣye vacanaṁ tava [Bg. 18.73], \"Yes.\"\nKṛṣṇa inquired, \"Now what is your decision? I have spoken to you everything. I have explained. Now what is your decision?\" Arjuna replied, kariṣye vacanaṁ tava. Kariṣye vacanaṁ tava, and he fought. He killed his grandfather Bhisma, which he was hesitating, that \"How shall I kill my grandfather? He is so pious and so generous, he is so kind. And my ācārya Droṇācārya?\" But later on, after understanding Bhagavad-gītā, he fought and killed them.\nNow, try to understand, the same thing which was considered before as impious, how it became pious? Because Kṛṣṇa certified Arjuna, bhakto 'si me, priyo 'si me: \"You are My very nice devotee and very dear devotee.\" So a person who is very dear as devotee of Kṛṣṇa, is he impious? No. He is not impious. He cannot be impious. Therefore this pious or vicious activities, they can be considered in terms of our relationship with Kṛṣṇa. What Kṛṣṇa says, that is pious, what Kṛṣṇa does not say, what Kṛṣṇa forbids, that is impious, not in our standard.\nTherefore in the śāstra it is said that dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītaṁ [SB 6.3.19]. Dharmaṁ. What is dharma? Dharma means you have to execute the orders of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is dharma. And Kṛṣṇa also advises the same thing: sarva-dharmān parityaja mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja.\nSo how we can achieve that status of life when we can directly speak with Kṛṣṇa and carry His order? That means purification of heart, ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ. That is recommended here:\nśṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ\npuṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ\nhṛdy antaḥ stho hy abhadrāṇi\nvidhunoti suhṛt satām\n[SB 1.12.17]\nHṛdy antaḥ stho hy abhadrāṇi. Kṛṣṇa is sitting in your heart. So as soon as you are eager to understand Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa also becomes interested in you. Kṛṣṇa says,\nsamo 'haṁ sarva-bhūteṣu\nna me dveṣyo 'sti na priyaḥ\n[Bg. 9.29]\nBecause He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He must be equal to everyone. He says that samo 'haṁ, \"I am equal to everyone,\" sarva-bhūteṣu, \"not only human being; animals also. I am equal to everyone.\" Na me dveṣyo 'sti na priyaḥ: \"Nobody is subject of envy for Me, neither anybody is very dear to Me.\" Because they are working in their own way. Ye tu bhajanti māṁ bhaktyā teṣu te mayi [Bg. 9.29]: \"But one who has taken to the devotional service, I am there particularly taking attention.\"\nAnd He has many times declared, kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati [Bg. 9.31]. So we have to take shelter of Kṛṣṇa. Unless we come to that position, all our knowledge, all our religion, they are simply śrama eva hi kevalam, simply waste of time, labor, only. So that is also stated in this verse, in this chapter, that,\ndharmaḥ svanuṣṭhitaḥ puṁsāṁ\nviṣvaksena-kathāsu yaḥ\nnotpādayed ratiṁ yadi\nśrama eva hi kevalam\n[SB 1.2.8]\nYou can execute your religion—it doesn't matter—very nicely, dharmaḥ svanuṣṭhitaḥ puṁsāṁ, but if you do not, I mean to say, awaken your Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then in the śāstra it is said that is simply waste of time, simply labor, śrama eva hi kevalam.\nTherefore this Society, Kṛṣṇa consciousness Society, is establishing all over the world, in every village and every town, a center to give chance [to] people to hear about Kṛṣṇa. Therefore this Society's name is International Society for Krishna Consciousness. That Kṛṣṇa consciousness is there in everyone's heart; otherwise how these American boys and European boys and girls [are] taking to Kṛṣṇa consciousness? It is not foreign. Many svāmīs and yogīs went there to preach Hindu culture, but they did not take. Why? They have got their Christian culture; why they shall accept Hindu culture? Why they are interested in Kṛṣṇa culture? Because the same thing, as it is stated,\nīśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ\nhṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati\n[Bg. 18.66]\nKṛṣṇa is staying in everyone's heart. So by the process we have to awaken that consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Otherwise it is not Kṛṣṇa consciousness, not Indian cult or Hindu cult. But in India, because they cultivated this Kṛṣṇa consciousness very highly, all our sages, this land, this land of Bhārata-varṣa, is the land for Kṛṣṇa consciousness. But by force we have covered that Kṛṣṇa consciousness; therefore we are suffering.\nWe have to revive also. Not only that the foreigners should simply revive and we shall neglect. No. This is originally the land of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, so if you revive Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then the dirty things within your heart will be cleaned.\nśṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ\npuṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ\nhṛdy antaḥ stho hy abhadrāṇi...\n[SB 1.2.17]\nAbhadrāṇi means that dirty things that \"I don't like you,\" \"You don't like me.\" Because unless one is Kṛṣṇa conscious, he cannot be called a learned. As it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā,\nvidyā-vinaya-sampanne\nbrāhmaṇe gavi hastini\nśuni caiva śva-pāke ca\npaṇḍitāḥ sama-darśina\n[Bg. 5.18]\nOne who is actually Kṛṣṇa conscious, he does not make any distinction that he is American or Indian or human being or animal. A devotee will never agree to kill an animal, not even an ant. That is, yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā [SB 5.18.12]. Factually, if you become Kṛṣṇa conscious, if your faith and love for Kṛṣṇa is unflinching, then you will be equally disposed, samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu [Bg. 18.54]. Simply by passing resolution you cannot establish universal brotherhood, unless you come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the first principle. Brahma-bhūta: you have to get release from this material concept of life; you have to come to the platform of transcendental realization.\nAnd that is very easily done, as it is explained here, śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ. Simply try to hear the messages of Kṛṣṇa. The Bhagavad-gītā is the message and the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the message. You read first of all, hear, but don't try to malinterpret Bhagavad-gītā. Try as it is. Try to read Bhagavad-gītā as it is. Don't manufacture your ideas, that Kṛṣṇa means this or Kuruk-ṣetra means this, the Pāṇḍava means this. No. Pāṇḍava means Pāṇḍava. They are historical person. Kuruk-ṣetra means Kurukṣetra. Kṛṣṇa means Kṛṣṇa. If you study Bhagavad-gītā in that way, then there will be effect. Don't try to adulterate.\nTherefore it is recommended,\nśṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ\npuṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtana\n[SB 1.2.17]\nKṛṣṇa..., to hear about Kṛṣṇa, to chant about Kṛṣṇa. Even if you don't read books, if you simply chant this mantra, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare... That is also śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ. Hearing of Kṛṣṇa's name is the same as hearing of Bhagavad-gītā or hearing of Bhāgavatam. If one has no time, neither has got the capacity to read Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, he can chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare. That is as good as the Bhagavad-gītā, because Kṛṣṇa being absolute, there is no difference between Bhagavad-gītā and this chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa. They are all the same.\nThat will be realized gradually. That is stated here. As soon as our heart is cleansed of all dirty things, then we shall realize what is Kṛṣṇa, what is Kṛṣṇa's name, what is Kṛṣṇa's form, what is Kṛṣṇa's activity, what is Kṛṣṇa's devotee or any other thing in relationship with Kṛṣṇa.\nśṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ\npuṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ\nhṛdy antaḥ-stho hy abhadrāṇi\nvidhunoti suhṛt satām\n[SB 1.2.17]\nKṛṣṇa is suhṛt, but He is especially suhṛt to His devotees, satām. The devotees are called satām, and those who are non-devotees, they are asatām, because after finishing this body they will get another body. But satām means the devotee, after finishing this body, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti, he immediately develops a spiritual body. A devotee, after giving up this body, he is no more coming back to take birth in the womb of a material body. That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā.\nSo if we want to cleanse our heart of all dirty things that is accumulated by our association with the external energy of Kṛṣṇa, māyā, then you have to hear about Kṛṣṇa. Simple method. If you hear the Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, that is well and good. Otherwise, you simply hear Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare. You chant, and... It can be executed anywhere, in any part of the world, without any botheration, without any loss, but the gain is very much. That is our proposal. So it is very simple, at the same time sublime. You can accept it both ways. So,\nśṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ\npuṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ\nhṛdy antaḥ-stho hy abhadrāṇi\nvidhunoti suhṛt satām\n[SB 1.2.17]\nThen Sūta Gosvāmī says, naṣṭa-prāyeṣv abhadreṣu...\nnaṣṭa-prāyeṣv abhadreṣu\nnityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā\n[SB 1.2.18]\nThe Bhāgavata should be heard nityaṁ, daily, regularly. Not that Bhāgavata-saptāha. This is another formality. So far Bhāgavata-saptāha is concerned, I have studied so many commentaries, at least eight principal commentators like Śrīdhara Svāmī, Jīva Gosvāmī, Visvanātha Cakravāti, Bir Rāghava Ācārya, Subodhinī. There are many ṭīkās, [indistinct], on the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, but nowhere I find the Bhāgavata-saptāha. Why Bhāgavata should be heard for saptāha? Nityaṁ bhāgavata. Because in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is stated, nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā: you have to hear Bhāgavata daily. If it is possible twenty-four hours, then your dirty things will be cleansed.\nIt is not a formula, that I hear for seven days and I stop it for good. No. Here is is recommended, naṣṭa-prāyeṣu abhadreṣu. It is not that completely clean. Naṣṭa-prāyeṣu, \"almost clean.\" Even in that state, naṣṭa-prāyeṣu abhadreṣu nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā, that can be possible. Bhāgavata, Kṛṣṇa says, sva-kathāḥ śṛṇvatāṁ kṛṣṇaḥ, That sva-kathāḥ means Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.\nSo here again it is stressed that nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā, that when one becomes almost cleansed of his heart, naṣṭa-prāyeṣv abhadreṣu nityaṁ bhāgavata... That is also, that cleansing process is possible simply by hearing Śrīmad- Bhāgavatam or kṛṣṇa-kathā. Then what happens?\nbhagavaty uttama-śloke\nbhaktir bhavati naiṣṭhik\n[SB 1.2.18]\nIf you hear about Kṛṣṇa regularly, then gradually you shall develop the love of Kṛṣṇa. Bhagavaty uttama-śloke. Bhagavān, Kṛṣṇa, is described here as uttama-śloka. Kṛṣṇa is described by his finest poetry. Śloka means poetry or statement; uttama means transcendental. Ud-gata tama yasmād. Tama is this material. So Kṛṣṇa's description is not material description. Just like we have description of Kṛṣṇa in the Brahma-saṁhitā,\ncintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa-\nlakṣāvṛteṣu surabhīr abhipālayantam\n[Bs. 5.29]\nKṛṣṇa is attached. Why? Tending cows, surabhīr abhipālayantam.\nlakṣmī-sahasra-śata-sambhrama-sevyamānaṁ\ngovindam ādi-puruṣaṁ...\n[Bs. 5.29]\nThese are all transcendental description. Kṛṣṇa is not an imagination. It is not that we have to imagine the form of Kṛṣṇa. It is not the question of imagination. It is practical fact, as it is stated in the śāstras.\nSo that... [break] …naiṣṭhikī. If you continue to hear about Kṛṣṇa, then you will have firm faith in Kṛṣṇa, as these boys and girls, they are Europeans, Americans, but still you cannot deviate them from kṛṣṇa-bhakti. That is not possible. If you bribe them, or if you give the empire of the whole world that \"You forget Kṛṣṇa consciousness,\" they will never forget. Bhaktir bhavati naiṣṭikī.\nSo this is the formula. So India, this calamitous position of India, you try to hear Bhagavad-gītā As It Is, you try to hear Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, your all problems will be solved.\nThank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa. [audience claps]\n[break] Yes, come here. [invites man from audience onto stage] [break]",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\nOh, I have a bad memory. Sir, could you tell me, have you realized yourself within? Start with..., I mean the self within the spine of the heart, the ātma. I mean the ego, not the self little, but the big one, the self within. Have you realized that?",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\nYes.",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n You have?",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\nYes.",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\nAll right. Thank you. Now when was the Gītā written, sir?",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\n Five thousand years ago.",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n Five thousand years ago? Well, most of the schools generally place it between the fifth and the second centuries before Christ.",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\nThat is nonsense.",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\nAccording to Swami Prabhavananda, who was the foremost disciple of Swami Suryananda, who was regarded by his master Sri Ramakrishna as a perfect embodiment of that renunciation called [indistinct]... And also, according to...",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\nDo you know how to understand Gītā?",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n Pardon?",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\nDo you know how to understand Gītā?",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n I don't say that. I...",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\nNo. Do you know how to understand Gītā?",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\nI don't say that. I'm not an enlightened being. I am not...",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\nThen you become first of all a student of Gītā.",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n I just asked for a few questions. Now all right...",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\nNo, you cannot question, because you do not know what is the process of understanding Gītā.",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\nI have... I know.",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n What is that?",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n I read the book, and I may not have...",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\n What you have read?",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\nI have intuition...",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\nNo, no. What is that, you say first of all. What is that process?",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\nWhat process?",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\nTo understand Bhagavad-gītā, what is the process?",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\nTo understand Bhagavad-gītā?",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\n Yes. What is the process?",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\nI just want to ask you a few questions.",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\nThen you do not know.",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\nI want to have a [indistinct], because I do not know much about the Bhagavad-gītā. Now you could ask me...",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\n But you learn it first of all. Yes. I will tell you. Now you sit down tight.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\nNow when was...",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\nFirst of all you hear. Don't talk nonsense. First of all hear. First of all you state what is the process of understanding Bhagavad-gītā.",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\nI understand it a bit.",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\nHah?",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\nI understand it.",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\n What is the process? I am asking you what is the process.",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\nI asked you a few questions. I have come here to ask you a few questions.",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\nThen you learn from me. Don't ask me questions which you do not understand.",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\nI am a simple man. I have no diplomas, no university...",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\nThen you try to understand from me.",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\nNow when was Lord Kṛṣṇa's birthday this year?",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\nAh. First of all let me know. You are questioning me so many ways, you answer my one question: What is the process of understanding Bhagavad-gītā?",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n I don't know, because... I don't know. I'm not an enlightened being.",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\nThen you stop please. Then don't talk. You do not know..., understand how to understand Bhagavad-gītā.",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\nI am asking you a few questions. Why don't you answer me?",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\nI cannot answer because you do not know how to understand the process.",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n We live in a democracy. I am not an enlightened person.",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\nNo, no, we are not under democracy; we have got a process.",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\nI am not an enlightened being. I am in studying.",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\nThen you study first of all what is the process.",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\nNo. Please answer my questions.",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\nNo. I cannot answer, because you do not know the process.",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\nI want to know more about this.",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\nNo. I cannot.",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\nWe live in a democracy...",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\nI am not your servant, that I have to answer.",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\nEven in the Pakistan parliament...",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\nFirst of all you have come to question.",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n…the people are allowed to ask questions. [shouting:] Now we live the largest democracy of the world.\nTake him off.",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\n Nonsense, I cannot answer. It is nonsense.",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\nRichard Nixon said it...\n I will answer you. I will answer you. It is not Prabhupāda. Just come down, I will answer you. Your questions have no bearing. I will answer you.\nYou will answer me?\nI will answer you, one by one.\nWho are you?\n I am just one of them who has come. I will tell you.\nThere are many more who will answer you...\n[loudly] I will answer you, one by one. Not Prabhupāda.\n[some devotees start chanting govinda jaya jaya gopāla jaya jaya] [break]",
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"content": "\n…understanding Bhagavad-gītā. I have been requested to state the process. Just like you take a bottle of medicine given by your physician. On the bottle there is a label, and the instruction is given there, how to take the medicine. Just like there is a mixture, and the physician gives direction that \"This medicine to be taken thrice daily with such-and-such vehicle.\"\nYou cannot change that dose and the instruction of the physician; then the medicine will not be properly taken and it will not act. If you whimsically make your own process to take the medicine, then you will never get relief from..., by taking that medicine.\nSimilarly, if you want to understand Bhagavad-gītā you have to take the direction given by Kṛṣṇa Himself. You cannot invent your own way of understanding Bhagavad-gītā. That is nonsense. You have to strictly follow what Kṛṣṇa says. In the Fourth Chapter you will find,\nimaṁ vivasvate yoga\nproktavān aham avyayam\nvivasvān manave prāha\nmanur ikṣvākave 'bravīt\nevaṁ paramparā-prāptam\nimaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ\n[Bg. 4.1-2]\nKṛṣṇa says that \"This Bhagavad-gītā yoga system was spoken by Me first some millions of years ago to the sun-god, Vivasvān,\" imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam. He spoke. Now, if you don't accept this proposition of Bhagavad-gītā, then what is the use of bothering yourself understanding Bhagavad-gītā? You have to accept that Kṛṣṇa spoke Bhagavad-gītā forty millions of years ago to the sun-god. It is possible, because He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.\nThis question was raised by Arjuna also, just to satisfy common people like us. Arjuna said that \"Kṛṣṇa, You are my contemporary, You are my cousin-brother, You are my friend. So practically we are born together. How I can believe that forty millions of years ago You spoke this Bhagavad-gītā to Vivasvān, the sun-god?\" Kṛṣṇa answered that \"Yes, both you and Me, we took many, many births, but you have forgotten; I remember.\" That is the difference between Kṛṣṇa and ordinary man. If you take Kṛṣṇa as ordinary man then you will never understand Bhagavad-gītā. That is the folly.\navajānanti māṁ mūḍhā\nmānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam\n[Bg. 9.11]\nBecause Kṛṣṇa comes with the human form of body, rascals think that He is ordinary man. He is not ordinary man.\nmattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat\nkiñcid asti dhanañjaya\n[Bg. 7.7]\nHe is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore Kṛṣṇa said that yoga system is now lost:\nsa kāleneha mahatā\nyogo naṣṭaḥ parantapa\n[Bg. 4.2]\nBecause that paramparā system is lost, so if you understand..., if you want to understand Bhagavad-gītā, you have to understand through the paramparā system, not whimsically. Exactly like that: if you want to take benefit of the medicine, you must take it according to the direction of the physician. If you don't follow this principle, then you will never understand Bhagavad-gītā.\nnāhaṁ prakāśaḥ sarvasya\nyoga-māyā-samāvṛtaḥ\n[Bg. 7.25]\nYou'll never understand Bhagavad-gītā. Kṛṣṇa will be covered by yoga-māyā, and you will hover in the darkness. So this is the process. We have to understand Kṛṣṇa from the paramparā system.\nNow what is that paramparā system? Kṛṣṇa spoke to Arjuna. Why? Kṛṣṇa could have selected a great Vedāntist to speak this Bhagavad-gītā. Why He selected Arjuna? He was an ordinary gṛhastha, he was a statesman, he was a fighter. You cannot expect a fighter, a king or gṛhastha to understand very much about Vedānta.\nHe was completely qualified, but still for our understanding we may take like that; but his one qualification was that he was a devotee. Bhakto 'si priyo 'si me, rahasyaṁ hy etad uttamam [Bg. 4.3]: \"I am speaking to you Bhagavad-gītā—I do not speak [to] any Vedāntist—because you are My devotee, you are My very dear friend.\" So before understanding Bhagavad-gītā one has to become a dear friend and devotee of Kṛṣṇa. Otherwise useless attempt. That is the statement of Bhagavad-gītā. This is the process of Bhagavad-gītā. Understand it.",
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"content": "\n Haribol!",
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"content": "\nUnless you understand what is Kṛṣṇa, you cannot become devotee, and unless you become devotee, you cannot understand Bhagavad-gītā. That is the statement in the Bhagavad-gītā. \nThank you very much.",
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"content": "\n[applauds] Jaya Śrīla Prabhupāda! [break]\n…more than sensual pleasures. The reason is like the staff of living tree, it penetrates [indistinct] our whole life is striving for true religion [indistinct] the heart of and the [indistinct]. [break]",
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"content": "\n …religion. So we may speak something about religion this evening. This is... According to our Vedic system, there are two kinds of religion. First of all try to understand what is religion. Religion means constitutional position, characteristics. The exact word is characteristics. In English dictionary the religion is described as a kind of faith.\nFaith you can change, but according to our dictionary, religion you cannot change, religion or dharma. Dharma you cannot change, but the English translation, faith, you can change. Today you are Hindu; tomorrow you can become a Muhammadan. Or today you are Christian, and tomorrow you can become a Hindu. This is the change of faith.\nBut so far the word dharma is concerned, that cannot be changed. We should understand it. Therefore the word dharma and the word religion is little different. Our conception of dharma is characteristic. Just like sugar: sugar must be sweet. If sugar is not sweet, then it is not sugar. Similarly chili, it must be hot. If chili is not hot, then it is not chili. So fire... Fire, there must be heat and light, otherwise it is not fire.\nWater, it must be liquid. If the water is not liquid... Sometimes water has become solid, but that solidity is under certain condition; that is not natural. The natural religion of water is liquidity. The natural religion of stone is solidity. Similarly, you analyze anything, any physical element, you will find some particular characteristic. That characteristic is religion, not in English word, but dharma.\nSo we take it, then, dharma, and in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Sixth Canto, it is stated, dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītaṁ [SB 6.3.19]. Dharma, this word, is the law given by the Lord, Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of God. And actually we find in the Bhagavad-gītā that dharma as dictated by Lord Kṛṣṇa:\nsarva-dharmān parityajya\nmām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja\n[Bg. 18.66]\nSo in the beginning of the Bhagavad-gītā the Lord says,\ndharma-saṁsthāpanārthāya\nsambhavāmi yuge yuge\n[Bg. 4.8]\nNow at the end He said,\nsarva-dharmān parityajya\nmām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja\n[Bg. 18.66]\nSo the Supreme Personality of Godhead appeared on this planet for establishing dharma. He said, dharma-saṁsthāpanārthāya. Then why does He say sarva-dharmān parityajya? This is to be understood. That means that except for surrendering unto the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, anything which is going on under the name of dharma, that is not dharma. That is the verdict. Therefore in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, it is said in the beginning of the First Canto, second śloka, dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo 'tra. Atra is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.\nIn the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, dharma kaitava, dharma which is going on as a cheating proposition, that is thrown away. Dharmaḥ kaitava. Śrīdhara Svāmī, the great commentator on the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, accepted by all the ācāryas; and you know when Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is presented, Śrīdhara Svāmī's commentary comes first, then all others. Śrīdhara Svāmī is so respected by all the ācāryas.\nWhen Caitanya Mahāprabhu was at Puri, Vallabha Ācārya, he presented his Subodhinī-ṭīkā on the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and he was very proud that he wrote a commentary which was better than Śrīdhara Svāmī's. So Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu did not like that idea, that \"You cannot excel the previous ācārya,\" He replied. He did not hear the Subodhinī-ṭīkā of Vallabha Ācārya; He simply replied, svāmī jīva nahi mane beśyāra bhitare[?]. In a very sarcastic way He replied that \"Anyone who does not care for the svāmī, she must be considered as a beśa.\"\nSo Śrīdhara Svāmī... I am just trying to point out Śrīdhara Svāmī's position. Śrīdhara Svāmī, when commenting on this line, dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo 'tra, he said, artha mokṣavāṁś ca api nirastham. Dharma, artha, kāma, mokṣa. There are four things. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam says generally, people, they become religious for economic development, artha. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam says that dharma is not meant for economic development.\ndharmasya hy āpavargyasya\nnārtho 'rthāyopakalpate\n[SB 1.2.9]\nOne should not take to religion for material benefit. That is the verdict. Generally people go to the temple, \"Lord, give us our daily bread.\" Just like the Christians go in the church for economic solution: \"Give us daily bread.\" This is also accepted in the Bhagavad-gītā as good, because one has gone to God for begging something. But that is not pure devotion. Pure devotion means,\nanyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ\njñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam\nānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu-\nśīlanaṁ bhaktir uttamā\n[Cc. Madhya 19.167]\nAnyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ. One should not have any ulterior motive to approach God. One should approach only God out of love, just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu teaches:\nāśliṣya vā pāda-ratāṁ pinaṣṭu mām\nmarma-hatāṁ karotu vā adarśanāt\nyathā tathā vā vidadhātu lampaṭo\nmat-prāṇa-nāthas tu sa eva nāparaḥ\n[Cc Antya 20.47, Śikṣāṣṭaka 8]\nA pure devotee even, he does not want anything from God. He says, āśliṣya vā pāda-ratāṁ pinaṣṭu mām: \"Either You embrace me or You trample me down under Your feet. You make me brokenhearted without being present before me forever, but still You are my worshipable Lord.\" No condition. If \"God, you give me this, then I become Your devotee, otherwise I shall reject You,\" that is, Prahlāda Mahārāja says, this is mercantile proposition, vaṇik vrit. Just like merchants, they give something, they take something. But a pure devotee does not do so. A pure devotee, anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam.\nJñānīs, they also want something, liberation, to merge into the Supreme. There is want. They undergo austerities, penances, āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ [SB 10.2.32]. They are severe, but there is a desire: \"I shall become one with God.\" The yogīs, they also undergo severe penances in the mystic yoga system, but there is desire, aṣṭa-siddhi. The karmis, they also have desire, they are full of desires: dhanaṁ dehi rūpaṁ dehi rupavati bharyam dehi dehi dehi.\nSo everyone has demands—jñānī, karmī, yogī. But for the bhakta, Caitanya Mahāprabhu says,\nna danaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ\nkavitāṁ vā jagad-īśa kāmaye\n[Śikṣāṣṭaka 4]\nThere is no demand. Na danaṁ, everyone is after money. The devotee says, \"I don't want money.\" \"Then you take good followers. Become a leader. Thousands of people will follow you.\" Na janaṁ, \"I don't want.\" Na danaṁ na janaṁ. \"Then take good wife, beautiful wife.\" Na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagad, \"No, I don't want.\" \"Then what for you are laboring so much?\" Hare Kṛṣṇa, or,\nna danaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ\nkavitāṁ vā jagad-īśa kāmaye\nmama janmani janmanīśvare\nbhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi\n[Śikṣāṣṭaka 4]\nHe does not want even liberation; otherwise why does he say janmani janmani? Liberation means no more janma.\nJust see, this is the position of bhakta.\nna danaṁ na janaṁ na...\nkavitāṁ vā jagad-īśa kāmaye\nmama janmani janmanīśvare\nbhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi\n[Śikṣāṣṭaka 4]\nAhaitukī. Ahaitukī means without any cause. Not that \"I am going to God, or Kṛṣṇa, for some purpose.\" No. Therefore the devotees are called akama. Akama means no desires for any material benefit. In the Caitanya-caritāmṛta there is a verse which says like this:\nbhukti-mukti-siddhi-kāmī—sakali 'aśānta'\nkṛṣṇa-bhakta—niṣkāma, ataeva 'śānta\n[Cc. Madhya 19.149]\nBhukti means karmī. They want enjoyment, sense enjoyment in this world, as well as in the heaven—to become just like king of heaven, Indra, or Candra. There are so many planets over earth: Bhūr, Bhuvar, Svar, Mahar, Jana, Satya, Siddha, Brahma. So many planetary systems. And in each planetary system the sense enjoyment program is thousand times better than the other planetary system. Just like in this planet also, the European standard of living is far greater than our Indian standard. Similarly, in other planets the standard of living is far greater: ten thousands of years' duration of life, and their one day equal to our six months. Just like Brahmā's duration of life is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā,\nsahasra-yuga-paryantam\nahar yad brahmaṇo viduḥ\n[Bg. 8.17]\nSo in the higher planetary systems there is greater comfort, better duration of life, everything better: better wife, better home, better atmosphere. These things are there. But Kṛṣṇa says,\nā-brahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ\npunar āvartino 'rjuna\n[Bg. 8.16]\nKṛṣṇa says that even if you go to the highest planet, Brahmaloka, then you will have to come back again. \"But if you come back to Me, you come back to Godhead, home, then you don't come again in this material world.\"\ntyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma\nnaiti mām eti kaunteya\n[Bg. 4.9]\nmām upetya kaunteya\nduḥkhālayam aśāśvatam\nnāpnuvanti mahātmānaḥ\nsaṁsiddhiṁ paramāṁ gatāḥ\n[Bg. 8.15]\nSo therefore Kṛṣṇa says that this is dharma. What is that dharma? Mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja [Bg. 18.66]. And Bhāgavata confirms it, dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo 'tra paramo nirmatsarāṇāṁ satāṁ [SB 1.1.2]. Paramo nirmatsarāṇāṁ. The Bhāgavata dharma, or this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, is meant for the paramo nirmatsarāṇāṁ.\nŚrīdhara Svāmī explains, matsaratā parā utkarṣaṇam asahanam. One who cannot tolerate other's elevation... That is the rule of this material world. Even if one is your brother, if he advances materially, then I shall be envious: \"Oh, he has become so great. I am fallen.\" That is the nature, enviousness. Therefore this Kṛṣṇa conscious movement, or Kṛṣṇa conscious dharma, as it is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, paramo nirmatsarāṇāṁ: for all paramahaṁsa, or the paramahaṁsas, who are not envious of anyone.\nThe bhaktas, they are para-duhkha-dukhi. They are simply... Prahlāda Mahārāja says. Prahlāda Mahārāja says to Nṛsiṁhadeva, \"My dear Lord, I am not afraid of this material existence. Not at all.\"\ntvad-vīrya-gāyana mahāmṛta magna-citta\nnaivodvije para vaitaraṇyās\n[SB 7.9.43]\n\"I am not afraid of this material world.\" Why? Na tvad-vīrya-gāyana-mahāmṛta-magna-cittaḥ: \"Because I have now learned how to be happy,\" tvad-vīrya-gāyana-mahāmṛta. \"By glorifying You, I find the nectar of ocean, and I am dipped into that, so I have no..., I have no fear.\"\n\"Then what do you want?\"\nśoce tato vimukha-cetasa [indriyārtha-]\nmāyā-sukhāya bharam udvahato vimūḍhā\n[SB 7.9.43]\n\"I am simply thinking of these rascals,\" vimūḍhān—it is not my coined word—vimūḍhān, \"who are simply laboring hard day and night for a pleasure which is māyā, useless. I am simply thinking for them, how to get them delivered from these clutches of māyā, that they are working so hard day and night simply for a flimsy pleasure, yan maithunādi-gṛhamedhi-sukhaṁ hi tucchaṁ. So I am thinking only.\"\nSo this dharma, as Kṛṣṇa prescribes,\nsarva-dharmān parityaja\nmām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja\n[Bg. 18.66]\nThat will give the greatest pleasure, the highest relief from this material world. In another place, when Prahlāda Mahārāja was inquired by Nṛsiṁhadeva, \"Are you afraid of My these ferocious features?\" he said, \"No, Sir, not at all. I am simply afraid of this material existence. I am not afraid of Your this fearceful feature, although I am a child. Although Brahmā and others, they have become afraid; Lakṣmījī also, who is always Your consort, she is also afraid.\nBut I am not afraid.\" The position of the devotee is like that. Nārāyaṇa-parāḥ sarve na kutaścana bibhyati [SB 6.17.28]. They are not afraid of this material world, they are not after this liberation, mukti, anywhere, svargāpavarga-narakeṣv api tulyārtha-darśinaḥ [Śrī Bṛhad-bhāgavatāmṛta 1.3.58]. They simply want that \"Wherever I may be, let me chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa.\" That is their aim.\nSo this dharma, as taught by Śrī Kṛṣṇa, satataṁ kīrtayanto māṁ [Bg. 9.14], the same dharma is taught by Lord Caitanya:\ntṛṇād api sunīcena\ntaror api sahiṣṇuna\namāninā mānadena\nkīrtanīyaḥ sadā hari\n[Cc. Ādi 17.31]\nSo this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is the sublime dharma. It is not our creation; it is the verdict of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.\nsa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo\nyato bhaktir adhokṣaje\nahaituky apratihatā\nyayātmā samprasīdati\n[SB 1.2.6]\nThat is first-class religion, paro dharmo. There are aparo dharma... Just like two natures there are: material nature and spiritual nature. Similarly, there are two kinds of dharma: material dharma and spiritual dharma. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is for developing spiritual dharma, not material dharma. Material dharma is dharma artha kāma mokṣa, and spiritual dharma, jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā, athāto brahma jijñāsā, na artha yaś ceha karmabhiḥ [SB 1.2.10]. \nSo this dharma is eternal dharma, because Kṛṣṇa is eternal, we are also eternal. Eternal means sanātana. Kṛṣṇa is sanātana. In the Eleventh Chapter of Bhagavad-gītā Kṛṣṇa is described as sanātana, and in the Fifteenth Chapter of Bhagavad-gītā the jīva is also described as sanātana, and perhaps in the Eighth Chapter the spiritual world is also described as sanātana. So when these three sanātanas combine together, that is called sanātana-dharma.\nSanātana-dharma does not mean that dressing in a particular way or keeping a tuft. Sanātana-dharma means to be engaged eternally in the service of the Supreme Eternal. Nityo nityanānām cetanaś cetanānām, the supreme nitya, the supreme cetana, living entity, the Supreme Lord and the supreme..., the eternal servant. When this relationship is again revived... We have now lost, because our eternal nature is to serve. But we are trying to be master. That is illusion. Not only master, but at the end we are trying to be one with the Supreme also.\nThis desire is the disease wherefrom we are suffering in this material existence. Therefore Kṛṣṇa said,\nsarva-dharmān parityajya\nmām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja\nahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo\nmokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ\n[Bg. 18.66]\n\"Take assurance from Me.\" You take this system. This is the system. Caitanya Mahāprabhu begins His teaching from this point. If one understands perfectly well the Bhagavad-gītā and the last teaching of Lord Kṛṣṇa,\nsarva-dharmān parityajya\nmām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ...\n[Bg. 18.66]\nThat is called śaraṇāgati, \"I surrender,\" and that is the ultimate goal. But those who are engaged in mental speculation or empiric knowledge, philosophical speculation, they will take long, long time to come to this point.\nbahūnāṁ janmanām ante\njñānavān māṁ prapadyate\nvāsudevaḥ sarvam iti\nsa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ\n[Bg. 7.19]\nSo that kind of mahātmā, \nmahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha\ndaivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ\nbhajanty ananya-manaso...\n[Bg. 9.13]\nThat kind of mahātmā we try to create by this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement: unflinching faith in Kṛṣṇa.\nyasya deve parā bhaktir\nyathā deve tathā gurau\ntasyaite kathitā hy arthāḥ\nprakāśante mahātmanaḥ\n[ŚU 6.23]\nSo this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is authorized, scientific, confirmed by great persons, ācāryas, not in the past—Vyāsadeva, Nārada, Devala, Asita—but within say two thousand years: Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, Nimbārka, Viṣṇu Svāmī and, latest, within five hundred years, by Lord Caitanya, and five thousand years Lord Kṛṣṇa.\nsarva-dharmān parityaja\nmām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja\n[Bg. 18.66]\nSo the question was raised, dharma. So from the angle of vision of this Kṛṣṇa consciousness Society we accept this ultimate dharma to surrender to Kṛṣṇa, and Bhāgavata confirms,\nsa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo\nyato bhaktir adhokṣaje\nahaituky apratihatā\nyayātmā samprasīdati\nvāsudeve bhagavati\nbhakti-yogaḥ prayojitaḥ\njanayaty āśu vairāgyaṁ\njñānaṁ ca yad ahaitukam\n[SB 1.2.6-7]\nIt is not that this surrendering process is meant for the less intelligent class. It is the highest intelligent class, because Kṛṣṇa says, \"After many, many births, one who is executing the philosophical speculation, after many, many births he will surrender unto Me.\" Vāsudeve... \"That time, when he surrenders unto Me he will understand that vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti.\" [Bg. 7.19]\nahaṁ kṛtsnasya jagataḥ\nprabhavaḥ pralayas tathā\n[Bg. 7.6]\nWhen he will understand, then he will surrender. But the intelligent man, he will see, \"If this is the ultimate goal of life, why not surrender immediately?\" That is intelligence. That is real knowledge. Surrender immediately. Why you should wait for many, many births? No necessity. You immediately surrender and become liberated. What is that liberation? Sa guṇān samatītyaitān brahma-bhūyāya kalpate.\nmāṁ ca 'vyabhicāreṇa\nbhakti-yogena ya sevate\nsa guṇān samatītyaitān\nbrahma-bhūyāya kalpate\n[Bg. 14.26]\nSo this is the process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, and we request all of you to try to understand it very seriously and take to it, and you will become happy.\nThank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa. [end]",
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{
"content": "\n [chants maṅgalacaraṇa prayers]\noṁ ajñāna-timirāndhasya\njñānāñjana-śalākayā\ncakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena\ntasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ\n[I offer my respectful obeisances unto my spiritual master, who with the torchlight of knowledge has opened my eyes, which were blinded by the darkness of ignorance.]\nśrī-caitanya-mano-'bhīṣṭaṁ\nsthāpitaṁ yena bhū-tale\nsvayaṁ rūpaḥ kadā mahyaṁ\ndadāti sva-padāntikam\n[When will Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī Prabhupāda, who has established within this material world the mission to fulfill the desire of Lord Caitanya, give me shelter under his lotus feet?]\nvande 'haṁ śrī-guroḥ śrī-yuta-pada-kamalaṁ śrī-gurūn vaiṣṇavāṁś ca\nśrī-rūpaṁ sāgrajātaṁ saha-gaṇa-raghunāthānvitaṁ taṁ sa-jīvam\nsādvaitaṁ sāvadhūtaṁ parijana-sahitaṁ kṛṣṇa-caitanya-devaṁ\nśrī-rādhā-kṛṣṇa-pādān saha-gaṇa-lalitā-śrī-viśākhānvitāṁś ca\n[I offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of my spiritual master and of all the other preceptors on the path of devotional service. I offer my respectful obeisances unto all the Vaiṣṇavas and unto the Six Gosvāmīs, including Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī, Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, Jīva Gosvāmī and their associates. I offer my respectful obeisances unto Śrī Advaita Ācārya Prabhu, Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and all His devotees, headed by Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura. I then offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of Lord Kṛṣṇa, Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī and all the gopīs, headed by Lalitā and Viśākhā.]\nhe kṛṣṇa karuṇā-sindho\ndīna-bandho jagat-pate\ngopeśa gopikā-kānta\nrādhā-kānta namo 'stu te\n[O my dear Kṛṣṇa, ocean of mercy, You are the friend of the distressed and the source of creation. You are the master of the cowherd men and the lover of the gopīs, especially Rādhārāṇī. I offer my respectful obeisances unto You.]\ntapta-kāñcana-gaurāṅgi\nrādhe vṛndāvaneśvari\nvṛṣabhānu-sute devi\npraṇamāmi hari-priye\n[I offer my respects to Rādhārāṇī, whose bodily complexion is like molten gold and who is the Queen of Vṛndāvana. You are the daughter of King Vṛṣabhānu, and You are very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa.]\nvāñchā-kalpatarubhyaś ca\nkṛpā-sindhubhya eva ca\npatitānāṁ pāvanebhyo\nvaiṣṇavebhyo namo namaḥ\n[I offer my respectful obeisances unto all the Vaiṣṇava devotees of the Lord. They can fulfill the desires of everyone, just like desire trees, and they are full of compassion for the fallen souls.]\nśrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya\nprabhu-nityānanda\nśrī-advaita gadādhara\nśrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda\n[I offer my obeisances to Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya, Prabhu Nityānanda, Śrī Advaita, Gadādhara, Śrīvāsa and all others in the line of devotion.]\nhare kṛṣṇa hare kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa hare hare\nhare rāma hare rāma rāma rāma hare hare\n[My dear Lord, and the spiritual energy of the Lord, kindly engage me in Your service. I am now embarrassed with this material service. Please engage me in Your service.]\nSo we have discussed some of the symptoms of this age. There is a long list of other symptoms. We have summarily discussed some of the symptoms for the last few days, and again we are going to the Kṛṣṇa conscious movement of the boy Prahlāda, who was teaching, or agitating, his class fellows to become Kṛṣṇa conscious.\nSo, so far the symptoms of this age are concerned, it will gradually deteriorate. Gradually. We have got experience also, practical. Things are moving very rapidly towards worst, not towards best. Things are moving very rapidly. This is the symptom of this age. So our program is that they are trying to adjust things. Things cannot be adjusted unless we stand on the spiritual platform, because the actual necessity is spiritual demand.\nThe best example is your country. Materially, you are so much advanced. No other country can be compared. But a section of younger generation, they feel frustrated, confused. Why? They are brought up very nicely. The government system is very nice. They can get education. Everything is complete. But still, they are not happy; they are finding something else which will make them happy. Why? This is spiritual demand. Just like this child cannot express what is the trouble. Maybe some ant is there within the bedding, and it is cutting on his delicate body, but she cannot express what is the actual trouble. Cries; expression of difficulty.\nSo this frustration, confusion, is expression of spiritual unhealthiness. Because actually we are spirit. That we do not know. Suppose you have got a very nice coat, and within that coat you are actually, so far we are concerned at the present moment. Now, if you simply take care of the coat and shirt, and if you don't take care of your actual person, how long you can become happy? You will feel so much inconvenience even if you have got a very nice coat.\nSimilarly, this body, this gross body, is just like our coat. I am actually spiritual spark. This body, gross outward covering, and there is inward covering: mind, intelligence and ego. That is my shirt. So shirt and coat. And within the shirt and coat, actually I am there.\ndehino 'smin yathā dehe\nkaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā\ntathā dehāntara-prāptir\ndhiras tatra na muhyati\n[Bg. 2.13]\n[As the embodied soul continually passes, in this body, from boyhood to youth to old age, the soul similarly passes into another body at death. The self-realized soul is not bewildered by such a change.]\nThere are many examples. Just like in a nice cage, in a golden cage, there is a bird. If you don't give any food to the bird and simply wash the cage very nicely, oh, there will be always, [imitates bird:] \"chi chi chi chi chi.\" Why? The real bird is neglected. Simply outward covering. So similarly, I am spirit soul. That I forgot. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi: \"I am Brahman.\" I am not this body, not this mind.\nSo people are trying to burnish the body and the mind. First of all they try to burnish the body. This is material civilization. Very nice clothing, very nice food, very nice apartment, very nice car or very nice sense enjoyment—everything is very nice. But that is to this body. And when one is frustrated to this very nice arrangement, then he goes to the mind: poetry, mental speculation, LSD, marijuana, drinking and so many things. These are all mental.\nActually, happiness is not there in the body, nor in the mind. Real happiness is in the spirit. Therefore Bhagavad-gītā says, sukham ātyantikaṁ yat tad atīndriya-grāhyam [Bg. 6.21].\n[The stage of perfection is called trance, or samādhi, when one's mind is completely restrained from material mental activities by practice of yoga. This is characterized by one's ability to see the self by the pure mind and to relish and rejoice in the self. In that joyous state, one is situated in boundless transcendental happiness and enjoys himself through transcendental senses. Established thus, one never departs from the truth, and upon gaining this he thinks there is no greater gain. Being situated in such a position, one is never shaken, even in the midst of greatest difficulty. This indeed is actual freedom from all miseries arising from material contact.]\nThe real, the ultimate happiness is that which is beyond this material sense. Ātyantikaṁ yat tad atīndriya. Atīndriya means—indriya means the senses—transcendental to the senses. That means that spiritual. There are many instruction and practical also.\nSo unless we go to the spiritual platform, we cannot have actual happiness. That is the instruction Prahlāda Mahārāja is giving, that sukham aindriyakaṁ daityā deha-yogena dehinām [SB 7.6.3].\n[Prahlāda Mahārāja continued: My dear friends born of demoniac families, the happiness perceived with reference to the sense objects by contact with the body can be obtained in any form of life, according to one's past fruitive activities. Such happiness is automatically obtained without endeavor, just as we obtain distress.]\nThe happiness perceived by contact of senses or contact of body, sukham aindriyakam... Our present appreciation of happiness is due to the senses, and these particular senses are according to the particular body. Deha-yogena dehinām.\nThe other day we have explained that a hog, because he has got a particular type of body, his sense gratification is to eat stool. His body is so made that he will feel happy by eating stool. Similarly, another man, his body is so made that he will be happy to have kṛṣṇa-prasāda. So that we can make by Kṛṣṇa consciousness...\n[break] ...change the habit of the body. That is possible. How it is possible? By knowledge. The hog cannot be educated. His body is so condemned that it is not possible to educate the hog or the dog or the cat or the animal. Here is a body, by education one can become from doggish habit to goddish habit. That is possible.\nSo we have to take advantage. That is explained in the first verse by... Durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma tad apy adhruvam arthadam [SB 7.6.1]:\n[Prahlāda Mahārāja said: One who is sufficiently intelligent should use the human form of body from the very beginning of life—in other words, from the tender age of childhood—to practice the activities of devotional service, giving up all other engagements. The human body is most rarely achieved, and although temporary like other bodies, it is meaningful because in human life one can perform devotional service. Even a slight amount of sincere devotional service can give one complete perfection.]\n\"This human form of body, it is very rarely obtained. It is not to be misused.\" That is the first knowledge. But people are not educated in that way. They are encouraged that go on, sense enjoyment: \"Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy.\" Some rascal comes, so he also says, \"All right, go on. Enjoy. Simply meditate for fifteen minutes.\"\nBut actually, this body is not meant for aggravating sense enjoyment. We require sense enjoyment, because that is a demand of the body. If we want to keep body in healthy condition, then the demands of the body—eating, sleeping, mating and defending—must be provided. But it should not be aggravated. Therefore in the human form of life, tapasya. Tapasya means austerity, penance, vow.\nThese are the teachings of all scriptures. Either you take Hindu scripture or Christian scripture or Muhammadan scripture, in every scripture human form of life is meant for training. Tapo divyam. Lord Ṛṣabha, He instructed His boys. He had one hundred children, boys. So He instructed them,\nnāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke\nkaṣṭān kāmān arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye\n[SB 5.5.1]\n[Lord Ṛṣabhadeva told His sons: My dear boys, of all the living entities who have accepted material bodies in this world, one who has been awarded this human form should not work hard day and night simply for sense gratification, which is available even for dogs and hogs that eat stool. One should engage in penance and austerity to attain the divine position of devotional service. By such activity, one's heart is purified, and when one attains this position, he attains eternal, blissful life, which is transcendental to material happiness and which continues forever.]\n\"My dear boys, this form, human form of life, although it is a body, but this body is in human society.\" Nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke. Nṛloke means... Nṛ means man. \"So when the body is obtained in the human society—not in the dog society, not in the cat society—that body is not meant for simply working very hard and ultimate sense gratification.\" That's all.\nPeople are being taught in this way, that \"Work very hard day and night, earn money and enjoy senses,\" nothing more. So this sort of civilization is condemned. The real civilization is that one has to control. Control. What is the difference between a man and an animal? Now, suppose there is very nice foodstuff. In your country it is not seen; in our India, the foodstuff, I mean to say, confectioner, they very nicely decorate in the street for selling. So one cow is... Here, of course, in the street, cow is also not visible. In India, in the street, there are many cows. They are allowed to move free. And sometimes the foodstuff is there, and the cow immediately grabs the foodstuff and eats half of it. You see? [laughter]\nNow, there are human beings also. Suppose a man is here. He is poor man, he is hungry, and he wants to eat that foodstuff. But because he is human being, he has got the control. He is not like, I mean to say, cow, that immediately takes up the foodstuff. Even if he is poor, he can beg, \"My dear sir, can you spare little foodstuff?\" But he'll not... This is human, humanity.\nSuppose if there is a beautiful girl and one man is attracted, still, he will feel shame to capture that girl. Of course, here I see the boys and girls, they are kissing in the street, and in India it is very uncivil. No boy, no girls will do that, because it is a training. It is a training. So by training, one can restrain the senses. And the more you restrain your senses, the more you become slackened for these material shackles.\nSo therefore Prahlāda Mahārāja says that \"If you think that sense enjoyment is the pleasure of life, that can be had in all sorts of other bodies.\" The hog also has got sense enjoyment, the dog also has got sense enjoyment. They are not forbidden. Nature has provided sense enjoyment for cats, dogs and birds, beasts, everyone. Because that is a demand.\nSo human life... Of course, this should be restricted, or as much as possible, as it is available without any extraneous endeavor. Just like we allow our students, \"Get yourself married. So by grace of Kṛṣṇa the wife or the husband which you have, just live peacefully. But don't try to encroach upon other's wife or other's husband.\" That should be restrained. That is humanity.\nSo we have to live very peacefully so that we may not be disturbed in our material existence. But our ultimate aim should be spiritual realization. Sukham aindriyakaṁ daityā deha-yogena dehi..., sarvatra labhyate [SB 7.6.3].\n[Prahlāda Mahārāja continued: My dear friends born of demoniac families, the happiness perceived with reference to the sense objects by contact with the body can be obtained in any form of life, according to one's past fruitive activities. Such happiness is automatically obtained without endeavor, just as we obtain distress.]\nIf you are after sense enjoyment... Sarvatra means in all species of life. Suppose you happen to get a body, next body, as a hog, as a dog, or even lower than that, that sense enjoyment will be there. But this opportunity will not be there. This opportunity, to make yourself Kṛṣṇa conscious and just to leave this condemned place and go back to Godhead, that opportunity will not be there. That opportunity is for the human being. Therefore Prahlāda Mahārāja said, tat-prayāso na kartavyo yata āyur-vyayaḥ param [SB 7.6.4]: \"Therefore we should not simply waste our time for improving the paraphernalia of sense enjoyment.\"\nThe modern civilization is simply increasing the paraphernalia of sense enjoyment. There is no arrangement for advancement of spiritual knowledge. That is the defect of modern civilization. And Prahlāda Mahārāja says that,\nsarvatra labhyate daivād\nyathā dukḥam ayatnataḥ\n[SB 7.6.3]\ntat-prayāso na kartavyo\nyata āyur-vyayaḥ param\n[SB 7.6.4]\n[Endeavors merely for sense gratification or material happiness through economic development are not to be performed, for they result only in a loss of time and energy, with no actual profit. If one's endeavors are directed toward Kṛṣṇa consciousness, one can surely attain the spiritual platform of self-realization. There is no such benefit from engaging oneself in economic development.]\nIf you waste our time... We should... Every one of us should always be conscious that this human form of life, although the body is material and there are so many material demands, so we have to adjust things in such a way that my major portion of my attention or energy may be applied for advancing spiritual consciousness, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That should be the motto of our life.\nBecause we have got limited energy, limited life. Suppose you have to live for hundred years. I think nobody is going to live for hundred years, but supposing if you live for hundred years, so your energy is limited, your duration of life is limited. Suppose I am old man. I have to live for, say, eighty years or ninety years. So seventy-two years I am now. That means I have already died seventy-two years. The balance portion of my life I have to complete.\nWe are dying every moment. That is medical science. We are changing every moment body and dying every moment. Death is accompanying me from the day of my birth. This child, if you ask, \"How old this child?\" \"Oh, it is one month,\" that means he has already died one month. One month death is already there. We say that he is growing. No. He is decreasing. This is... Actual fact is decreasing. Therefore we should not waste our time. We should be very serious about our life.\nSo Prahlāda Mahārāja says, tat-prayāso na kartavyo yata āyur-vyayaḥ param. Āyur means duration of life—simply wasted. Simply wasted. Why simply wasted? Because for sense enjoyment, whatever you have to get, that is already arranged. If you are a cat, oh, your sense enjoyment is already arranged. If you are a dog, oh, your sense enjoyment already arranged. Similarly, if you are a human being, your sense enjoyment... If a cat can have sense enjoyment without arranging for it, if a dog can have sense enjoyment without arranging for it, do you think that a human being will not have sense enjoyment without arranging for it? Then why should you waste your time for sense enjoyment? The arrangement is already there by nature.\nA man or woman has to satisfy his senses. By nature there is arrangement. Rest assured. Don't waste your time for improving sense enjoyment. That means wasting time. You cannot get more than what is destined to you. A dog or a cat cannot get more sense enjoyment than its body will allow. Similarly, we have got particular type of body according to our association of different modes of material nature. Now we have got, say, about hundred men or fifty or sixty men sitting here. Nobody's body will be just equal to the other's body. You examine. Every body is different from other's body. Nobody's face will be exactly this face of the other man.\nSo by nature's process the subtle law is such nice that according to the association of the modes of material nature, you have got a particular type of body. That means you are meant for a particular standard of sense enjoyment. Suppose your body is born in a low family—you cannot expect sense enjoyment as the higher grade persons, they enjoy. That is not possible. So one should be satisfied: \"Oh, Kṛṣṇa has given me this body, and He has given me this arrangement of sense enjoyment. Let me be satisfied. My real business is how to advance my Kṛṣṇa consciousness.\"\nSo Prahlāda Mahārāja advises very nicely, \"My dear friend,\" tat-prayāso na kartavyo yata āyur-vyayaḥ param, \"don't exert yourself for increasing the paraphernalia of sense enjoyment. That is simply wasting your valuable time, your valuable duration of life.\" Because we must know, the duration of life is limited. That will finish. \"As sure as death.\" And before death comes again, we must prepare in such a nice way—no more death, no more birth. That is education.\nTherefore Bhāgavata says that \"He is not a spiritual master. He is not a father. He is not a mother. He is not a friend.\" In this way. \"He is not a husband.\" Who? \"Who cannot protect his ward from the impending death.\" That means the father, the spiritual master, the husband or the protector should be so spiritually advanced that he will teach, he will protect his ward in such a nice way that no more birth, no more death. In this life Kṛṣṇa consciousness education is finished so that after leaving this body, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti [Bg. 4.9]: after quitting this body, no more birth again.\n[One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and activities does not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in this material world, but attains My eternal abode, O Arjuna.]\nThen what is that? Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mam eti kaunteya [Bg. 4.9]: he goes back to Godhead.\nThis should be the, I mean to say, objective of human life: how to develop Kṛṣṇa consciousness and how to get away from this uncongenial atmosphere of material existence. Unless we understand that... But people, they think that they are very happy. This is illusion. This is māyā.\ntat-prayāso na kartavyo\nyata āyur-vyayaḥ param\nna tathā vindate kṣemaṁ\nmukunda-caraṇāmbujam\n[SB 7.6.4]\n[Endeavors merely for sense gratification or material happiness through economic development are not to be performed, for they result only in a loss of time and energy, with no actual profit. If one's endeavors are directed toward Kṛṣṇa consciousness, one can surely attain the spiritual platform of self-realization. There is no such benefit from engaging oneself in economic development.]\n[aside:] Yes?\nSo Prahlāda Mahārāja says, na tathā vindate kṣemam. Kṣemam means auspicity. The highest auspicity of life is to reconnect his lost relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, or Kṛṣṇa. This is called yoga. Real yoga means this, that we are, at the present moment we have lost our consciousness. Not actually we have lost our consciousness; we have lost our memory.\nConsciousness is there, but consciousness may be differently contaminated. Different person, your consciousness may be different from my consciousness. You are thinking in a different way; I am thinking in different way. Similarly, consciousness is there. That is a symptom of life, symptom of spirit soul. But the difference is due to material contamination.\nJust like superficially your blood and my blood, the same, red. But if we analyze, oh, there may be so many chemicals present in your blood, and so many chemicals may be present which is not exactly equal. Similarly, as soon as there is life and there is spirit soul, the focus of the spirit soul, consciousness, must be there. I am present in this body—how I can understand? Because this consciousness. You pinch any part of your body: you feel. This is your consciousness. That means I am present in this body. And as soon as I am away from this body, you may cut this body into pieces—there will be no consciousness; there is no feeling.\nSo our consciousness should be purified. Now the consciousness is contaminated by material association in so many ways. Just like the blood purification tonic is given. If the doctor finds by examination of the blood... In your country, as soon as you go to a doctor, immediately, \"Please offer your blood.\" The demand is immediately blood. That is, of course, scientific, modern science. But according to Āyur-vedic system, there is no demand of blood. They feel the pulse, and according to the different, I mean to say, movement of the pulse, they can understand what kind of disease is there. All right, that is a medical science.\nSo anyway, Prahlāda Mahārāja says, na tathā vindate kṣemaṁ: \"Instead of wasting your time for increasing the standard of sense gratification, the best thing will be to apply your energy for reviving your original Kṛṣṇa consciousness.\" Na tathā vindate kṣemaṁ mukunda-caraṇāmbujam. Na tathā vindate kṣemaṁ mukunda-caraṇāmbujam. Tat-prayāso kartavyo: \"That endeavor should be done by which your time is not wasted, but you can revive, you can purify your consciousness, you can revive yourself to your original position, and that is your highest gain.\"\ntato yateta kuśalaḥ\nkṣemāyā bhavam āśritaḥ\nśarīraṁ puruṣaṁ yāvan\nna vipadyeta puṣkalam\n[SB 7.6.5]\n[Therefore, while in material existence [bhavam āśritaḥ], a person fully competent to distinguish wrong from right must endeavor to achieve the highest goal of life as long as the body is stout and strong and is not embarrassed by dwindling.]\n\"My dear friends, therefore, so long the body is not fallen, or so long death does not come,\" śarīraṁ, tato yateta kuśalam, \"you must try for the highest benediction, kuśalaḥ.\" Kuśala means benediction. \"So long you are in this body, please try to achieve that success, full Kṛṣṇa consciousness.\"\nPuṁso varṣa-śataṁ hy āyus tad-ardhaṁ cājitātmanaḥ [SB 7.6.6].\n[Every human being has a maximum duration of life of one hundred years, but for one who cannot control his senses, half of those years are completely lost because at night he sleeps twelve hours, being covered by ignorance. Therefore such a person has a lifetime of only fifty years.]\nNow, supposing that we have got hundred years of age. Now, Prahlāda Mahārāja says that although you have got one hundred years to live, but because we cannot control our senses, therefore it should be taken half, fifty years. Why? Now, because out of twenty-four hours, we sleep more than twelve hours. So while we sleep, there is no activity. So immediately you cut off fifty years because you cannot work.\nAlthough you have got duration of life one hundred years, but you cannot work one hundred years. Fifty years immediately cut off on account of ajitātmanaḥ. Ajitātmanaḥ means one who has not controlled the senses. So every one of us cannot control, most of us. Therefore half of the age is immediately cut off. Niṣphalaṁ yad asau rātryāṁ śete 'ndhaṁ prāpitas tamaḥ. Why it is cut off? \"Because without any profit we sleep very soundly, and therefore it is simply wasted.\"\nThen, mugdhasya bālye kaiśore krīḍato yāti viṁśatiḥ [SB 7.6.7].\n[In the tender age of childhood, when everyone is bewildered, one passes ten years. Similarly, in boyhood, engaged in sporting and playing, one passes another ten years. In this way, twenty years are wasted. Similarly, in old age, when one is an invalid, unable to perform even material activities, one passes another twenty years wastefully.]\nThen suppose there is fifty years' balance, oh, sufficient balance. Then he says, bālye kaiśore. Bālye means up to five years. And from five years to eleven years, bālye kaiśore. Because children, generally, from five years to twelve, thirteen years, they are very fond of playing. So niṣphalaṁ mugdhasya bālye kaiśore krīḍato yāti viṁśati [SB 7.6.7]: \"Twenty years is wasted simply for playing.\" So half duration of life immediately cut off. Then again, out of that fifty years, again twenty years cut off.\nThen jarayā grasta-dehasya yāty akalpasya viṁśatiḥ: then cut off another twenty years due to old age, invalidity, and so many other, accidents, and so many other things. So it is cutting, cutting, cutting.\ndurāpūreṇa kāmena\nmohena ca balīyasā\nśeṣam gṛheṣu saktasya\npramattasyāpayāti hi\n[SB 7.6.8]\n[One whose mind and senses are uncontrolled becomes increasingly attached to family life because of insatiable lusty desires and very strong illusion. In such a madman's life, the remaining years are also wasted because even during those years he cannot engage himself in devotional service.]\n\"In this way, when a man is too much addicted to the materialistic way of life, cannot give up the family life...\" You'll find many old men, almost going to die, but still, there is family attachment. It is very difficult to get out of family attachment. Although the other members—his wife, his son—disgusted with the old man, and all of them want that \"This old man may die very soon. He is simply bothering us,\" but the old man tries to live: \"Oh, let me live for some time. Don't drive me away.\"\nI understand that in Russia they intentionally try to kill these old men [laughter]. And in Africa, I have heard, there are still cannibals. They make a feast by killing the grandfather. [laughter] So old man is always neglected in the society, and therefore I have come out of my home; I have taken your shelter. You see? [laughter] It is actually a fact. You see?\nSo in this way we are wasting our time. Śaṅkarācārya, he was walking on the street and he was lamenting, because he has got the eyes to see. What he said? He said, \"Oh,\" bālas tāvad kridāsaktaḥ, \"oh, all the boys I see in the street, they are very nicely playing. They do not know anything except play.\" Bālas tāvad kridāsaktas taruṇas tāvad taruṇī raktaḥ: \"And the young, youngsters, they are after young girls, embracing, kissing. That's all.\" So taruṇas tāvad taruṇī raktaḥ. And vṛddhas tāvad cintā-magnaḥ: \"And the old men, they are thinking, 'How to pull on? What to do? How to adjust family affairs?' \"\nParame brāhmaṇe ko 'pi lagnaḥ: \"Oh, it is very lamentable. Nobody is interested in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.\" He is lamenting, because he has got to... He was seeing practically. A sannyāsī is supposed to wander from one country, one village to another. So he is lamenting, bālas tāvad kridāsaktaḥ: \"Oh, boys are playing. They are not being trained in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The youths, they are very much enjoying. So the old men, they are thinking, deep, thoughtful, the same thing. But nobody is interested.\"\nSo same thing:\ndurāpūreṇa kāmena\nmohena ca balīyasā\nśeṣaṁ gṛheṣu saktasya\npramattasyāpayāti hi\n[SB 7.6.8]\n[One whose mind and senses are uncontrolled becomes increasingly attached to family life because of insatiable lusty desires and very strong illusion. In such a madman's life, the remaining years are also wasted because even during those years he cannot engage himself in devotional service.]\nAt the last end, the old men... Because this material world is such nice place that nobody can adjust things. It is simply waste of time, who are trying to adjust things. The other day, in television or radio, the man asked me, \"Swāmījī, whether it is possible to adjust the misadjustments of this material world?\" I told him flatly that it is not possible. You can simply refer the history that the same thing is rep... \"History repeats itself.\" When there was Roman Empire, Mogul Empire, the same strife, the same political dissension, the same fight. Everything was there, say, two thousand years before, as history gives us evidence, and the same thing is happening also.\nSo there is no adjustment. The only adjustment is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So long your life is there, you just improve, revive your original consciousness. What is that? \"Kṛṣṇa, or the Lord, or God, is great. I am His eternal servant.\" That's all. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. \"Kṛṣṇa\" means the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and \"I\" means I am His eternal part and parcel. Every one of us—servant. Everyone. Now, you are all, boys, ladies and gentlemen, sitting here. Nobody can say that \"I am not servant.\" Everyone is servant. Everyone is servant. If he is not servant to anyone, at least he is servant of a dog. You see?\nSo servant we are, but we are thinking, \"I am master.\" This is māyā. This is māyā. Actually I am servant. I am serving this, that, that, that—so many. Even President Johnson, he is also servant of the nation. So nobody is master. Similarly, if you take president, if you go higher, if you go up to Brahmā, if you go still more, more—everyone is servant.\nTherefore in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta it is very nicely said that ekale īśvara kṛṣṇa āra saba bhṛtya [Cc. Ādi 5.142]:\n[Lord Kṛṣṇa alone is the supreme controller, and all others are His servants. They dance as He makes them do so.]\n\"The only one master is Kṛṣṇa, and everyone is servant.\" The only one master is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and all other living entities, they are all servant. He may be a Brahmā, he may be a president, he may be a minister, or he may be a cat, or he may be a dog, or whatever he may be, everyone is servant. And to understand this philosophy is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.\nIt is not very difficult. It is not very difficult, if we understand our position. But māyā's spell is so nice that everyone is thinking, \"I am master,\" \"I am president,\" \"I am minister,\" \"I am teacher,\" \"I am philosopher,\" \"I am scientist,\" \"I am this,\" \"I am that\"—at last, \"I am God.\" [laughter] When everything fails, when everything fails, he thinks, \"Oh, I am God,\" although he is still a dog. You see? This is called māyā. And to get out of māyā means to understand one's position, that \"I am eternal servant.\" That's all. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.\nAnd the further advancement of this understanding of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is that, that \"If I am constitutionally a servant, then what sort of service I am rendering?\" Oh, kāmādināṁ kati na katidhā palita durnideśāḥ [Cc. Madhya 22.16]: \"I have become servant of my lust, of my greediness, of my avarice, of my anger, of my senses.\"\n[“‘O my Lord, there is no limit to the unwanted orders of lusty desires. Although I have rendered these desires so much service, they have not shown any mercy to me. I have not been ashamed to serve them, nor have I even desired to give them up. O my Lord, O head of the Yadu dynasty, recently, however, my intelligence has been awakened, and now I am giving them up. Due to transcendental intelligence, I now refuse to obey the unwanted orders of these desires, and I now come to You to surrender myself at Your fearless lotus feet. Kindly engage me in Your personal service and save me.’]\nThat's all. I have become servant of all these things. Actually I am nobody's servant, but I am servant of my senses. When I go to work somewhere, actually I do not believe that I am a servant, but I go there to get money. So I am servant of money. And why I require money? For sense gratification. Therefore I am servant of senses.\nSo actually I am now servant of senses, everyone. So that has to be transferred. Instead of being servant of the senses, of your so-called material body, you have to become the servant of the senses of Kṛṣṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kṛṣṇa consciousness means agreeing, \"Kṛṣṇa, whatever You will say, whatever You like, I shall do that,\" just like Arjuna did.\nFirst of all he was a servant of his senses. He was thinking, \"How can I kill my teachers? How can I kill my grandfather, my brother, nephews, the other side, all my relatives? How can I kill?\" So that was, that thinking was, he was servant of his senses. He was thinking that \"This father, this brother or this grandfather or this teacher will save me.\" But when he understood that \"Nobody can save me except Kṛṣṇa,\" then he said, kariṣye vacanaṁ tava [Bg. 18.73]:\n[Arjuna said, My dear Kṛṣṇa, O infallible one, my illusion is now gone. I have regained my memory by Your mercy, and I am now firm and free from doubt and am prepared to act according to Your instructions.]\n\"Oh, I shall satisfy You, whatever You say.\" This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. First of all he was trying to satisfy his senses, and when he understood Bhagavad-gītā nicely, he agreed to satisfy the senses of Kṛṣṇa.\nSo constitutionally we are all servant for satisfying senses. So when instead of satisfying our false senses, this material body, sense of this material body, if we try to satisfy the spiritual senses of Kṛṣṇa, that means our liberation. That we have to learn. Prahlāda Mahārāja is teaching that philosophy, and we are trying to follow the same philosophy. We are very glad that you come and favor us. So it is very kind of you.\nNow if there is any question you can ask.",
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"content": "\n Swāmījī, I've always been confused by the term \"serving God,\" \"serving Kṛṣṇa.\"",
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"content": "\n You are...?",
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"content": "\n It's confusing to me.",
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"content": "\n It is confusing?",
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"content": "\n Yes. I can understand how I can serve my own senses or how I can serve another man, but serving God...",
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"content": "\n You are serving your senses means you are serving the dictation of your senses. Is it not?",
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"content": "\nRight.",
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"content": "\nYes. Similarly, if you serve the dictation of Kṛṣṇa, then you serve Kṛṣṇa. You are serving your senses means your eyes want to see a beautiful thing, dictates, \"My dear sir, please take me to that beautiful.\" You go. So you are serving your dictation of the sense gratification of the eyes. Your tongue is pinching you, \"Please give me a cigarette.\" Oh, you at once supply: \"Yes.\" So you are serving your senses means the dictation of your senses. Similarly, if you practice to serve the dictation of Kṛṣṇa, then you are liberated. Simply you have to change the account. That's all. Your service position will continue, because we are eternally servants. You are never master.",
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"content": "\n Well, when I... Serving my senses...",
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"content": "\n Then you are conditioned.",
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"content": "\n ...attempting to satisfy them. Right?",
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"content": "\n Yes. Everything is for satisfaction. But if you, sense... If you falsely satisfy your senses... Just like suppose you are a diseased man. If you have got fever, and you want to eat some delicious food, the doctor has forbidden you, \"Don't accept such-and-such food.\" But your senses demand that \"If I could eat such-and-such thing,\" then you become more diseased.\nSo first of all we should understand that because I have got this body, it is my diseased condition. Because I am spirit soul. I have developed this particular type of body for this gratification of false material senses. You cannot satisfy your senses, because this is false satisfaction. Because actually this body..., you are not this body. Therefore even you try to satisfy your senses, that is flickering and that is temporary. But actual sense enjoyment is spiritual sense enjoyment that has no end, that has no limit. Brahma-saukhyaṁ tad anantam [SB 5.5.1], unlimited.\nJust like a diseased man, if you give a nice foodstuff, he cannot eat much. After tasting, \"All right, that's all.\" Finished. Because he is diseased. And give to a healthy man, oh, he will take so much. This is a crude example. Similarly, when you are spiritually purified, then actually you can make your sense enjoyment. When you are materially contaminated, that is false, temporary, increasing your material disease.",
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"content": "\n So by serving Kṛṣṇa, serving...",
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"content": "\n By serving Kṛṣṇa you will also satisfy your senses. Kṛṣṇa's name is Govinda. Go means senses, and vinda means one who gives pleasure to the senses. Do you mean to say that here the boys who are giving service to the, I mean to say, Personality of Godhead Kṛṣṇa, they are not enjoying? Without enjoying can they serve free? They are giving service free. Whenever you go to render some service, you immediately demand some money. But here in this temple, so many young boys, they are giving service free. Not only that: whatever they are earning, they are also paying Kṛṣṇa. So do you think unless they get some enjoyment they are doing it foolishly?\nSense enjoyment must be there, but that is spiritual sense enjoyment, purified sense enjoyment. We are training people in that way, that we don't stop your sense enjoyment, but enjoy it in its purified state. Because sense enjoyment cannot be stopped. You are living entity, living being; the senses are there. But we do not know the way of sense enjoyment. That is to be learned by Kṛṣṇa consciousness.",
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"content": "\n Swāmījī? When we go to Kṛṣṇaloka to be with Kṛṣṇa, do we..., does Kṛṣṇa...",
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"content": "\n Just see this girl, little girl, is aiming for going back to Kṛṣṇaloka. Just see. [laughter] I am giving an example. They don't care for this material senses. They are always thinking, \"When I shall go there, home, back to home, back to Godhead?\" This is the psychology.\nYes?",
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"content": "\n When we serve Kṛṣṇa, [indistinct] even though we don't have a material body?",
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"content": "\n No. Material body you have to finish here. You are finishing your material body so many times, even during this bodily existence. So material body cannot go into spiritual world. You just..., you have your material body here. Similarly, as soon as you enter in the spiritual world you have spiritual body.",
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"content": "\n We have a spiritual senses to serve Kṛṣṇa?",
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"content": "\n As good as Kṛṣṇa's body. Kṛṣṇa has got spiritual body, similarly, you will have spiritual body. Is that clear?",
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"content": "\n I want to know, when we serve Kṛṣṇa, do we have spiritual senses, then that satisfies our spiritual senses when we serve Kṛṣṇa in Kṛṣṇaloka?",
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"content": "\n Yes. You dance with Kṛṣṇa, you eat with Kṛṣṇa, you talk with Kṛṣṇa, you enjoy with Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa will kiss you also. [laughter] Kṛṣṇa is very kind to everyone, either you love Him as a lover, either you love Him as your son, either you love Him as your friend, or you love Him as your master. In whichever way you like you can love, and Kṛṣṇa will respond. Ye yathā māṁ prapadyante tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham [Bg. 4.11].\n[All of them—as they surrender unto Me—I reward accordingly. Everyone follows My path in all respects, O son of Pṛthā.]\nIn the Bhagavad-gītā you will see Kṛṣṇa says, \"Anyone who loves Me in different ways or different types,\" so Kṛṣṇa also loves reciprocating that way. If somebody Kṛṣṇa..., loves Kṛṣṇa as enemy, Kṛṣṇa also gives him salvation in that way also. Kṛṣṇa is so kind. Yes.",
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"content": "\n Swāmījī, I think this man's question needs a little bit more clarification. He was asking how do we know what Kṛṣṇa dictates, by what authority. How do we know how we can serve Kṛṣṇa? Is that your question? How do we know how we can serve Kṛṣṇa?\n Yes. Well, I, one thing...",
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"content": "\n That I have answered, that you can serve Kṛṣṇa by following the dictation of Kṛṣṇa. Is it not clear? Then the next question may be how you receive dictation of Kṛṣṇa. Is that?",
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"content": "\n Right. Yes. That would be the next question. [laughter]",
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"content": "\n Yes. That is answered in the Bhagavad-gītā, Fourth Chapter [laughter]: evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ [Bg. 4.2].\n[This supreme science was thus received through the chain of disciplic succession, and the saintly kings understood it in that way. But in course of time the succession was broken, and therefore the science as it is appears to be lost.]\nJust like you call this \"table.\" How you understand this is table? You have taken the idea from your parents. And wherefrom your parents got this idea that this is a table? They also got from their parents. Therefore this idea of table—you do not say anything else—is received by succession. Similarly, you can receive succession order from Kṛṣṇa through spiritual master.",
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"content": "\n Swāmījī, what... You said that sleep is complete waste of time.",
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"content": "\n Yes. Because you cannot work then.",
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"content": "\n What about dreaming?",
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"content": "\n Dreaming is still waste of time. [laughter]",
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"content": "\n Is it possible to have Kṛṣṇa consciousness when you are asleep?",
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"content": "\n Dreaming is practically interaction of the activities, mental interaction of the activities in which you are engaged. You dream in different way; I dream in different way. So when the body is tired, it cannot work. It stops functioning. The mind works. So dreaming is the function of the mind. That's all. So... Huh?",
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"content": "\n [indistinct]",
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"content": "\n No. It is not from the spiritual platform; it is from the mental platform. In the spiritual platform, that is called suṣupti. There is no gross or material function of this contamination. So those who are advanced, they also dream Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Of course, that requires time to make little advancement. But after all, dream is the activities of the mind. Just like we work, that is the activities of the gross senses. Similarly, we work also on mental platform. That is called dream.",
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"content": "\n Are we to take Kṛṣṇa conscious dreams seriously or as some illusion?",
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"content": "\n Well, that depends on your particular position, you see. Sometimes a Kṛṣṇa conscious persons dreams very seriously. Sometimes communication is there by dream.\nYes?",
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"content": "\n Normal sleep for a man would be about eight hours. So is it possible to train the body through the use of yoga to decrease the sleep period down to about three hours or two hours?",
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"content": "\n Oh, yes. Yes. Rūpa Gosvāmī, he used to sleep only for one and a half hours.",
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"content": "\n How long could the body hold up? How many years could the body...",
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"content": "\n Well, there is no guarantee of holding up your body even if you have no sleep or have sleep. The material condition is so cruel that body can be finished at any moment. So that is no consideration. The consideration is how to advance in the spiritual consciousness, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And if you make, I mean to say, considerable advance, then the eating and sleeping and sex demand or defense, these things will be negligible. Negligible.\nThese things are depending on our practice. Because actually, I don't depend on sleeping or eating or mating or defending. It is simply due to my bodily consciousness these things are required. But when one is actually spiritually advanced, he has no such appreciation. Just like Lord Jesus Christ, he was crucified, but he never protested, because he had no bodily consciousness at all.\nSo when one is spiritually advanced, there is no bodily consciousness. But we should not imitate. That requires advancement, as we have mentioned. Nothing has to be done in hasty. But if we follow the rules and regulation, then someday it will be experienced that how we have spiritually advanced. Just like if you go on eating, not that in the first eating..., first morsel, second morsel, you become immediately satisfied. But when you are full in your satisfaction of hunger, you feel happiness, you feel strength. Similarly, we have to follow the spiritual process, and gradually, as we develop, we become free from all these demands of the body.\nThere was Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, he was eating only, say, a few grains of butter every alternate day. Only. A few grains of butter only. Every alternate day he was eating. So eating is also nonessential, one who is spiritual advanced. And so-called sex life, oh, that can be given up from the very beginning. And so far defense, nārāyaṇa-parāḥ sarve na kutaścana bibhyati [SB 6.17.28].\n[Devotees solely engaged in the devotional service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Nārāyaṇa, never fear any condition of life. For them the heavenly planets, liberation and the hellish planets are all the same, for such devotees are interested only in the service of the Lord.]\nOne who is fully spiritually conscious, he doesn't care for death. He does not know what is the meaning of death, because he is living perpetually.\nSo these things are to be experienced when you are advanced. But this is possible. This is possible from the examples of great saintly persons, and from literature we can find that one can be completely free from the four demands of the body, namely eating, sleeping, defending and mating.\nYes?",
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"content": "\n Did you say that having a family necessarily interferes with Kṛṣṇa consciousness?",
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"content": "\n What is that?",
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"content": "\n Did you say that having a family necessarily interferes with Kṛṣṇa consciousness?",
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"content": "\n No. Nothing interferes if it is properly adjusted. Now here in our Society we are actually living in family. We have got brother, sisters, mother, father, everything. But there is adjustment. It is on the basis platform of love. There is no self-interest, therefore it is happy. So as soon as we turn everything in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the whole world becomes peaceful and happy.\nOf course, that is not possible, but as far as possible we can do it familywise, we can do it individually. As much as possible we can extend. But the platform is such nice that in that platform the family life or friendly life or social life—everything becomes nice, joyful and peaceful. That is the test of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.\nAll right. Thank you. Jaya. [devotees offer obeisances] [end]",
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https://vedabase.io/en/library/transcripts/710203cc-gorakphur/
|
[
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"content": "\n The last discussion was between Śrīla Prabhupāda and Hanuman Prasad Poddar invited at Gītā Press āśrama [indistinct] there was also a kīrtana and also some recorded fragments of the conversation. The next recording is the same evening, 3rd of January [sic] 1971. Śrīla Prabhupāda [indistinct] and gathering of university students in this Gorakhpur community, after ārati Caitanya-caritāmṛta.",
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"content": "\n[Microphone interference] That will not stay. [indistinct] and give one glass of water... [break]\n...unmīlitaṁ yena tasmai śrī-gurave-namaḥ\n[\"I offer my respectful obeisances unto my spiritual master, who with the torchlight of knowledge has opened my eyes, which were blinded by the darkness of ignorance.\"]\nśrī-caitanya-mano-'bhīṣṭaṁ sthāpitaṁ yena bhū-tale\nsvayaṁ rūpaḥ kadā mahyaṁ dadāti sva-padāntikam\n[\"When will Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī Prabhupāda, who has established within this material world the mission to fulfill the desire of Lord Caitanya, give me shelter under his lotus feet?\"]\nvande 'haṁ śrī-guroḥ śrī-yuta-pada-kamalaṁ śrī-gurūn vaiṣṇavāṁś ca\nśrī-rūpaṁ sāgrajātaṁ saha-gaṇa-raghunāthānvitaṁ taṁ sa-jīvam\nsādvaitaṁ sāvadhūtaṁ parijana-sahitaṁ kṛṣṇa-caitanya-devaṁ\nśrī-rādhā-kṛṣṇa-pādān saha-gaṇa-lalitā-śrī-viśākhānvitāṁś ca\n[\"I offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of my spiritual master and of all the other preceptors on the path of devotional service. I offer my respectful obeisances unto all the Vaiṣṇavas and unto the six Gosvāmīs, including Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī, Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, Jīva Gosvāmī and their associates. I offer my respectful obeisances unto Śrī Advaita Ācārya Prabhu, Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and all His devotees, headed by Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura. I then offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of Lord Kṛṣṇa, Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī and all the gopīs, headed by Lalitā and Viśākhā.\"]\nnama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale\nśrīmate bhaktisiddhānta-sarasvatīti nāmine\n[\"I offer my respectful obeisances unto His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī, who is very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa, having taken shelter at His lotus feet.\"]\nhe kṛṣṇa karuṇā-sindho dīna-bandho jagat-pate\ngopeśa gopikā-kānta rādhā-kānta namo 'stu te\n[\"O my dear Kṛṣṇa, ocean of mercy, You are the friend of the distressed and the source of creation. You are the master of the cowherd men and the lover of the gopīs, especially Rādhārāṇī. I offer my respectful obeisances unto You.\"]\ntapta-kāñcana-gaurāṅgi rādhe vṛndāvaneśvari\nvṛṣabhānu-sute devi praṇamāmi hari-priye\n[\"I offer my respects to Rādhārāṇī, whose bodily complexion is like molten gold and who is the Queen of Vṛndāvana. You are the daughter of King Vṛṣabhānu, and You are very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa.\"]\nvāñchā-kalpatarubhyaś ca kṛpā-sindhubhya eva ca\npatitānāṁ pāvanebhyo vaiṣṇavebhyo namo namaḥ\n[\"I offer my respectful obeisances unto all the Vaiṣṇava devotees of the Lord. They can fulfill the desires of everyone, just like desire trees, and they are full of compassion for the fallen souls.\"]\nSo where is Dr. Rao?",
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"content": "\n Dr. Rao?",
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"content": "\n I have to speak in English or Hindi? If I speak in...",
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"content": "\n Hindi would be much better.",
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"content": "\nEh?",
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"content": "\n Hindi would be much better because a greater number of people will be able to follow.",
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"content": "\n Yes, but these, my students.",
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"content": "\n [indistinct] personalities..",
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"content": "\nEh?",
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"content": "\n [Hindi]",
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"content": "\n [Hindi] [laughs]",
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"content": "\n [Hindi]",
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"content": "\n Ah. [Hindi conversation]\n[3.30]\naṣṭama-divase tāṅre puche sārvabhauma\nsāta dina kara tumi vedānta śravaṇa\n[Cc. Madhya 6.124]\n[Hindi & ślokas]\n[15.01] nirmala— very clear. I can understand the meaning of the sūtras very clearly without any doubt. [Cc. Madhya 6.130] [Hindi &. ślokas]\n[41.57] thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa.",
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"content": "\n Kīrtana?",
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"content": "\n Yes a little kīrtana. [Hindi] [end]",
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https://vedabase.io/en/library/transcripts/710704r1-los-angeles/
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[
{
"content": "\n...some treatment he is undergoing?",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\nNo, there is no treatment.\nHe says there is no treatment.",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\nSo what he is eating?",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\nHe eats. Eats fruits, vegetables, capātīs, rice.",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\nNicely?",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\nOh, yes. He eats very much, but he gets sick all the time.",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\nSo what is the cause of sickness?",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\nWell, from the fasting too long it appears that his digestive system has stopped from lack of use, and now he just doesn't...",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\nNo. Now after he is eating, he is evacuating?",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\nHe has trouble, great trouble.\nNo. He has to drink prune juice. Every day we have to supply him juice.",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\nHmm.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\nOr otherwise he can't eat. It won't... His digestive system won't work.",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\nHmm. So he is not getting strength by eating?",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\nWell, somewhat.",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\nHe should not eat too much, but eat substantial. What is his age?",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\nI think twenty-one.",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\nOh, he is young boy. So, easily digestible, nutritious. So dhal, he can take. Dhal?",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\nI think so.",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\nDhal, capātīs, rice.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\nHe takes a lot of fruit and vegetables.",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\nThat’s all?",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\nLots of papaya. It helps his digestion.",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\nPapaya?",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\nHm. He eats four or five papayas in a day.",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\nHe chants regularly? Chanting?",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\nChanting. Yes. He's not so much disturbed by it, because he's been sick a long time, so...",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\nHmm.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\nHe said in raising the body heat with kuṇḍalinī yoga it burned the nervous system. I don't know anything about the...",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\nKuṇḍalinī is bad to him?",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\nYes.",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\nWhat is this kuṇḍalinī? What is the benefit of kuṇḍalinī?",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\nI don't know.",
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"content": "\nWe have never such attraction for kuṇḍalinī [indistinct]. We simply believe in the words of Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī, that’s all. No kuṇḍalinī. I was attracted, “Oh, he is speaking nicely: ‘Kṛṣṇa can be seen.’ ” So I was attracted, like that: “Kṛṣṇa is not dead. He is living.” In the beginning [laughs] that enlightened me. From the very beginning of our life we are trained, “Kṛṣṇa is God. Kṛṣṇa is person.”\nLater on, in our school, college days, by bad association there was some impersonalist tendency. But when I heard from Guru Mahārāja that Kṛṣṇa is person, the Supreme, oh, I became so much [indistinct]. Yes. Then it was fixed up. I have written that “Impersonal calamities thou hast moved.” There was a current, when I was little, thinking that Lord is impersonal; that was not appealing. And when it was confirmed, I became very much glad. Any other questions?",
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"content": "\nNo. Gaurasundara is leaving today, I think.\n[to Gaurasundara: Are you leaving tomorrow?]",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\nHe can leave tomorrow, together. You are leaving tomorrow?",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\nYes. I only paid twenty-five...",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n[indistinct]",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\nOn the deities, what should be the size?",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\nHmm?",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\nThe deities.",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\nFour feet is nice.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\nThat's five of them?\nYes.\nFive of them together, four feet?\nThat's very nice. No. Now They won't be as wide, They will be taller.",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\nYou can see the picture. [pause]\nNo. Then you can make short.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\nYou see, I don't have to completely remake it. I have the mold already. I won't have to… Three figures I won't have to remake. Three figures are made. I just make one more. This figure.",
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"content": "\nThat's all right. You paint the picture; you do it. Hare Kṛṣṇa.",
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"content": "\nKṛṣṇa will supply us a big enough temple. [offers obeisances to Śrīla Prabhupāda]",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\nYou can take this flower garland.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\nThis big garland?",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\nYes. Divide it into two. [break] [end]",
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https://vedabase.io/en/library/transcripts/700508ip-los-angeles/
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[
{
"content": "\n Come on. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Jaya. Chant Oṁ...\noṁ pūrṇam adaḥ pūrṇam idaṁ\npūrṇāt pūrṇam udacyate\npūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya\npūrṇam evāvaśiṣyate\n[Īśo Invocation]\nīśāvāsyam idam sarvaṁ\nyat kiñca jagatyāṁ jagat\ntena tyaktena bhuñjīthā\nmā gṛdhaḥ kasya svid dhanam\n[Īśo mantra 1]\nkurvann eveha karmāṇi\njijīviṣec chataṁ samāḥ\nevaṁ tvayi nānyatheto 'sti\nna karma lipyate nare\n[Īśo mantra 2]\nasuryā nāma te lokā\nandhena tamasāvṛtāḥ\ntāṁs te pretyābhigacchanti\nye ke cātma-hano janāḥ\n[Īśo mantra 3]\nanejad ekaṁ manaso javīyo\nnainad devā āpnuvan pūrvam arṣat\ntad dhāvato 'nyān atyeti tiṣṭhat\ntasminn apo mātariśvā dadhāti\n[Īśo mantra 4]\ntad ejati tan naijati\ntad dūre tad v antike\ntad antar asya sarvasya\ntad u sarvasyāsya bāhyataḥ\n[Īśo mantra 5]\nAgain repeat this mantra.\nAfter this we have been... So repeat from beginning again. Oṁ.\nAgain repeat this.\nThen next.\nyas tu sarvāṇi bhūtāny\nātmany evānupaśyati\nsarva-bhūteṣu cātmānaṁ\ntato na vijugupsate\n[Īśo mantra 6]\nNow you chant.\nAgain repeat.\n[07:03]\nYes.\n\"A person who sees everything in relation to the Supreme Lord and sees all entities as His parts and parcels, and who sees the Supreme Lord within everything, never hates anything, nor any being.\"\nThis is the stage of mahā-bhāgavata. In devotional service there are three stages. In the beginning it is called neophyte stage, beginners. The beginners are concentrated in the Deity worship. That is very important thing, to purify.\narcāyām eva haraye\n[pūjāṁ] yas tu śraddhayehate\nna tad-bhakteṣu cānyeṣu\nsa bhaktaḥ prākṛtaḥ smṛtaḥ\n[SB 11.2.47]\nPrākṛtaḥ means from material platform, one is coming to the spiritual platform. At that stage one is taught or trained to worship the Deity with great faith and devotion under regulative principle. But in the neophyte stage, na tad-bhakteṣu cānyeṣu, he, the neophyte devotee, cannot understand who is highly elevated or devotee or what is his interest with other people. He cannot discriminate. Na tad-bhakteṣu cānyeṣu sa bhaktaḥ prākṛtaḥ smṛtaḥ. That neophyte devotee is almost material.\nThen next stage is to make friendship, to love God and to make friendship with devotees, and to be merciful to the innocent and to reject the atheist. Four classes of men. You have to offer all your love for Kṛṣṇa and you have to make friendship with the devotees of Kṛṣṇa. And those who are innocent, just preach this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra and try to attract them to Kṛṣṇa. And another class, atheists, don't go there. Don't try there. Hopeless. Not hopeless; for a person who is not very much elevated, for him it is hopeless.\nBut when one is on the higher stage of devotional service, that system is explained here:\nyas tu sarvāṇi bhūtāny\nātmany evānupaśyati\nsarva bhūteṣu cātmānaṁ\ntato na vijugupsate\n[Īśo mantra 6]\nHe has no discrimination who is devotee, who is nondevotee, who is atheist or theist, or who is... In this way, he sees everyone the part and parcel of the Supreme Lord. And everyone is engaged... One who is suffering, he's also engaged, because... Just like the prisoner. The prisoner, he's also serving the government—by force. Therefore one who is elevated, even those who are in abominable stage of life, the mahā-bhāgavata sees, \"Oh, he's also obeying.\" Actually, it is obeying. The prisoners, they are obeying the government, although by force, but they're obeying.\nSimilarly, those who are materialist, they are also obeying. Caitanya Mahāprabhu's this philosophy, that jīvera svarūpa haya nitya kṛṣṇa dāsa [Cc. Madhya 20.108-109]. A living entity's eternally servant of Kṛṣṇa, either he admits or not admits. That doesn't matter. He's a servant. Just like any citizen is law abider or subservient to the state. He may say that \"I don't care for the state,\" by the police, by the military, he'll be forced to accept.\nSo one is being forced to accept Kṛṣṇa as the master, and the other is voluntarily offering service. That is the difference. But nobody is free from the service of Kṛṣṇa. That is not possible. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu's philosophy that eternal servant. Either you accept or not accept, you are servant. You are never equal or greater than God.\nSo this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is for that purpose, that people should be taught that \"You are eternal servant of God. Don't falsely claim that you are God, you don't care for God. You have to care.\" Just like this Hiraṇyakaśipu. He didn't care for God, but God came, and at the time of his last moment. You see? Similarly, God is visible to atheist as death and to the theist as lover. That is the difference. Everyone sees God. Nobody can say, \"I do not see God.\" Everyone sees God. But one sees as death, and one sees as lover. That is the difference.\nChant Hare Kṛṣṇa. [devotees offer obeisances]",
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"content": "\n Hare Kṛṣṇa. All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda.\n[13:15] [kīrtana] [Prabhupāda plays gong] [end]",
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https://vedabase.io/en/library/transcripts/690212bg-los-angeles/
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[
{
"content": "\n [reading Bg. 5.26] \"Those who are free from anger and all material desires, who are self-realized, self-disciplined and constantly endeavoring for perfection, are assured of liberation in the Supreme in the very near future.\"\nSo first thing is that suppose somebody speaks of me very harshly. Naturally we become angry. Just like somebody calls me, \"You are dog,\" or \"You are hog.\" But if I am self-realized, if I know perfectly well that I am not this body, so you call me hog, dog or king, emperor, majesty, what is that? I am not this body. So either you call me \"Your Majesty\" or you call me a dog or a pig, what I have got to do? I am neither His Majesty nor a dog nor a cat—nothing of the sort. I am servant of Kṛṣṇa.\nSo this requires little training. Actually this is the fact. Suppose I have got some dress, black dress. Somebody calls, \"You black dress.\" Is that cause of anger? Somebody calls you black dress. So this is simply my false identification with the dress that I become angry. Actually if I am self-realized, self-disciplined... Self-discipline means not to identify with this body. That is self-discipline. It requires training, of course. Caitanya Mahāprabhu teaches therefore, tṛṇād api sunīcena [Cc. Ādi 17.31], that a smaller than the smallest grass.\n[“One who thinks himself lower than the grass, who is more tolerant than a tree, and who does not expect personal honor yet is always prepared to give all respect to others can very easily always chant the holy name of the Lord.”]\nActually if I realized what is the spiritual dimension, actually my dimension, length and breadth, you cannot measure, because I am actually a very small spiritual particle. You cannot measure one ten-thousandth part of the tip of your hair. That is my measurement. So if I am smaller than the grass, that's a fact. I am still smaller, smaller. I do not know how smaller, but I am thinking of this body. An elephant is thinking that \"I am so big,\" or a man is thinking, \"I am so big,\" ant is thinking, \"I am so small.\" This smallness, bigness is due to this body.\nTherefore in Bhagavad-gītā you will find, paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ [Bg. 5.18]. \n[The humble sage, by virtue of true knowledge, sees with equal vision a learned and gentle brāhmaṇa, a cow, an elephant, a dog and a dog-eater [outcaste].]\nOne who is learned, he does not see the small body or big body. He sees the particle of soul, spirit soul; therefore sama-darśinaḥ. He knows that the small particle of spirit is there in the ant and in the elephant. Therefore he sees the elephant and the ant on the same level, on spiritual vision, not on this external vision. This is called self-realization.\n\"Self-realization\" you have heard so many times. What is that self-realization? Self-realization means I am not this body, I am spirit soul. That is self-realization. So if I am smaller than the grass then if somebody says that \"You are lower than the grass,\" or \"You are smaller than the grass,\" that's a fact. So sometimes this insulting words may come from others, but if you are self-realized you know that \"I am not this body. So let him insult. Let me tolerate.\"\nCaitanya Mahāprabhu teaches that taror api sahiṣṇunā: toleration like the tree. Best example. You cannot find any tolerant living entity than a tree, because it is standing day and night in scorching heat, in severe cold, there is wind, there is rainfall, it does not make any protest—standing, tolerant. People are taking leaves, flowers, fruits, cutting, and never protests. This is a symbol of toleration.\nCaitanya Mahāprabhu recommends that you become tolerant than the tree and smaller than the small grass on the street, and you give all honor to others and don't expect any honor. Because people do not know how to honor me. Real honor is that you are servant of Kṛṣṇa. That is real honor. And if I say, \"Your Majesty,\" \"Your Honor,\" \"Your Lordship,\" they are all false. Real honor is when I call you that you are servant of God, or servant of Kṛṣṇa. That is real honor.\nSo self-discipline and constantly endeavoring for perfection. This is the perfection. Always be situated in self-realized condition that \"I am not this body.\" This is perfection. Actually it is. But due to my ignorance I am identifying with this body; therefore I am not self-realized. So constantly endeavoring. This cannot be attained all of a sudden. One has to practice. It is a fact. But one has to realize this fact by endeavoring. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness practice.\nAll the yoga practice or philosophical speculation or anything—all practice targets to one point—that \"I am spirit soul.\" Ahaṁ brahmāsmi, \"I am Brahman. I am not this matter.\" This is perfection. A man who has made sufficient progress to this realization is more perfect—this is the way of perfection—and assured of liberation in the Supreme in the very near future. One has simply... If I am realized, then this material composition of this body is disbursed, and I am the spirit soul, small particle, I am immediately promoted to the spiritual sky. That is the highest perfection.\nIn the spiritual sky, either you remain as a small spark of spirit soul, molecules, just like there are millions of molecules of shining matter in the sunshine. So if I remain as molecule in the brahma-jyotir, that is also possible. The impersonalist wants that. Or if I enter into some spiritual planet and associate with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, that is also another spiritual existence.\nAlthough both of them are spiritual existence, this spiritual existence is impersonal. To remain as molecular part of the Brahman rays or spiritual rays, that is impersonal. And to have a spiritual form just like Kṛṣṇa and Viṣṇu, that is another spiritual perfection. That is Vaiṣṇava philosophy.\nAnd nirvāṇa, nirvāṇa, the Buddha philosophy, is just above the material conditional life but on the margin of spiritual existence. That is... Nirvāṇa means void of material existence. Nirvāṇa, this impersonal conception is also nirvāṇa. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that this impersonal philosophy is another phase of the void philosophy. Covered void philosophy. Impersonalism is covered void philosophy.\nThey are all the same. Śaṅkara's philosophy of impersonalism and Lord Buddha's philosophy void is almost the same. Real life, real spiritual life, is this Vaiṣṇava philosophy. Vaiṣṇava philosophy: to associate with the Supreme Personality of Godhead face to face. Just like we are sitting here face to face. We are talking; you are hearing. You can have this perfection. That is personal conception of spiritual perfection.\nGo on.",
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"content": "\n Verses 27 and 28: \"Shutting out all external sense objects, keeping the eyes and vision concentrated between the two eyebrows, suspending the inward and outward breaths within the nostrils—thus controlling the mind, senses and intelligence, the transcendentalist becomes free from desire, fear and anger. One who is always in this state is certainly liberated.\"",
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"content": "\n Now here is a hint of the yoga practice: shutting out the external sense objects. This is another process. But the bhakti-yoga process is automatically yoga process. Here it is said, \"shutting out all external sense objects.\" Sense object... What is that sense object? Just like I want to see some beautiful woman or beautiful man. I want to smell some nice flower or scent. The flower is the sense object, woman is the sense object. There are so many sense objects. We have got five senses, and there are five objects also. Otherwise, what is the use of sense?\nNow this yoga practice is to withdraw the senses from the sense object. But the bhakti-yoga process is that if I do not like to see artificially the beauty of woman or man, if I try to see the beauty of Kṛṣṇa, naturally my this propensity of seeing beautiful man or woman becomes extinguished. You do not require to shut your eyes. There are so many beautiful girls sitting.\nI do not require to shut my eyes. If my mind is concentrated on the beauty of Kṛṣṇa, I can see these beautiful girls as Kṛṣṇa's gopīs. That is another vision. So artificially if I close my eyes and if some beautiful girl is in my imagination even after closing my eyes here, what is the use of closing your eyes?\nSo by force you cannot control the senses. That is not... This is... There are many instances. Even great yogīs, they have failed. This is artificial way of controlling the senses. The real sense control is that you purify your sense in the activities of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is real sense control. Hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. \n[“’Bhakti, or devotional service, means engaging all our senses in the service of the Lord, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the master of all the senses. When the spirit soul renders service unto the Supreme, there are two side effects. One is freed from all material designations, and one’s senses are purified simply by being employed in the service of the Lord.’]\nHṛṣīka means senses and hṛṣīkeśa means Kṛṣṇa. When you apply your senses for satisfaction of Kṛṣṇa, then it is called bhakti. And when your senses are engaged in the service of Kṛṣṇa it cannot be engaged otherwise. Otherwise the sense will be engaged in the sense objects.\nTherefore there is failure. Those who are not engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, simply artificially trying, they fail. Viśvāmitra Muni, Durvāsā Muni, there are many great instances. These are artificial. But that is a process recommended. We may be successful to a certain extent, but in this age it is very difficult to practice such things. Nobody can practice how to control the senses from the sense object.\nSo you have to employ your senses in the service of the owner of the senses. Kṛṣṇa is the owner of the..., Hṛṣīkeśa, the Lord of the senses. That people they do not know. I am thinking that this is my eye, these are my eyes. But actually these are explained in the Upaniṣads: Just like the sunshine. When the sun sees you, you can see the sun. Now at night the sun does not see you, so you cannot see the sun. You cannot see the sun, you cannot see anything, because the sun does not see you. Similarly the Upaniṣad says when Kṛṣṇa sees you or Kṛṣṇa sees, then you can see.\nJust like I have got these spectacles. The spectacle is not seeing; my eyes are seeing, therefore spectacle is seeing. Similarly, actually all the senses are acting because Kṛṣṇa is acting. As soon as Kṛṣṇa desires that these senses will not work, it will not work. So in spite of your claim that \"This is my hand,\" \"This is my eyes,\" \"This is my mouth,\" it will not work.\nSo the people, they do not know. The bhakti-yoga practice says hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. \n[“’Bhakti, or devotional service, means engaging all our senses in the service of the Lord, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the master of all the senses. When the spirit soul renders service unto the Supreme, there are two side effects. One is freed from all material designations, and one’s senses are purified simply by being employed in the service of the Lord.’]\nWhen you employ your senses in the service of the proprietor of the senses, that is called bhakti. That is called bhakti. So that is real yoga, bhakti-yoga. Otherwise artificially if you try, one or two may be successful, but mostly they will fail.\nGo on.",
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"content": "\n Verse 29: \"The sages, knowing me as the ultimate purpose of all sacrifices and austerities, the Supreme Lord of all planets and demigods and the benefactor and well-wisher of all living entities attain peace from the pangs of material miseries.\"",
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"content": "\n Yes, this is the summary that the sages... Sages means those who have undergone austerities, penance, and many tribulation for attaining perfection, they are called sages. \"The sages, knowing Me as the ultimate purpose of sacrifice.\" Now if you perform austerities and penances, that is a kind of sacrifice. But yad icchanto brahmacaryaṁ caranti [Bg. 8.11]. \n[Persons learned in the Vedas, who utter omkāra and who are great sages in the renounced order, enter into Brahman. Desiring such perfection, one practices celibacy. I shall now explain to you this process by which one may attain salvation.]\nIn the Bhagavad-gītā you will find these are explained that yad icchantaḥ. Simply by desiring to go back to home, back to Godhead, one is supposed to follow the vow of brahmacārī. Brahmacārī, to live the life of celibacy, this is called brahmacārī. \nSo it has got so nice effect that if anyone from the birth to the death simply observe this life of celibacy, he is sure to go back to home. Simply by observing one rule: yad icchanto brahmacaryaṁ caranti [Bg. 8.11]. It is so nice, brahmacarya. So this is sacrifice. Sacrifice means my senses dictate that \"You enjoy,\" but I am not enjoying. I am not enjoying. This is sacrifice.\nSo the ultimate end of, ultimate purpose of sacrifice is Kṛṣṇa. So one who knows... \"The sages, knowing Me as the ultimate purpose of all sacrifices and austerities, the Supreme Lord of all planets...\" We are electing president, kings and so many things, but actually the proprietor is Kṛṣṇa, or God. So one should know it. All demigods and the benefactor and well-wisher of all living entities. In the Vedas it is said, eko bahūnāṁ yo vidadhāti kāmān [Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13]. \n[The Supreme Lord is eternal and the living beings are eternal. The Supreme Lord is cognizant and the living beings are cognizant. The difference is that the Supreme Lord is supplying all the necessities of life for the many other living entities.]\nNow the state is arranging for supplying the necessities of the citizens. How many? The humankind only. But does it mean that the humankind is the only living entities in this world? There are many millions and thousands of living entities besides the living, er, humankind. So who is supplying them necessities of life? Therefore well-wisher of all living entities.\nYou can supply food to certain limited number of living entities, but Kṛṣṇa, or the Supreme Lord, is supplying food to millions and trillions of living entities within the sky, within the water, within the mountain, within the forest. Who is going to supply them? So therefore He is real well-wisher of all living entities. Why not for you?\nTherefore those who are actually saintly person, they simply depend on Kṛṣṇa. Why? If Kṛṣṇa is supplying food to the elephant, beginning from the elephant to the ant, why not to me? I am engaged in His service. He is so ungrateful? If you render some service somewhere, he pays you, gives you some wages. So if you are engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service, do you think you will starve? Why? You cannot starve. He is well-wisher of all living entities. Why not for you? This confidence must be there. If He is well-wisher for everyone and I am engaged in His service, He is not my well-wisher?\nSo we should simply depend on Kṛṣṇa. We shall simply exert our all energies for the service of Kṛṣṇa, everything will be all right. This is called surrender; this is called confidence. \"Kṛṣṇa will supply everything. Let me engage in His service.\" Well-wisher. \"Attain peace from the pangs of material miseries.\" And those who are not confident that \"Kṛṣṇa will protect me,\" they are in pangs, and \"Oh, what shall I eat? Where shall I live? What can I do? How shall I protect?\" They are always, because...\nTherefore the other day I cited the verse from Yāmunācārya.\nbhavantam evānucaran nirantaraḥ\npraśānta-niḥśeṣa-mano-rathāntaraḥ\n[Stotra-ratna 43]\n[By serving You constantly, one is freed from all material desires and is completely pacified. When shall I engage as Your permanent eternal servant and always feel joyful to have such a fitting master?]\nJust like the child. The child in the lap of the mother is confident that \"My comfort, my food, my dress, everything is there. My mother is there.\" So natural. Not only human being, even cats and dogs where the mother is there, she is there, it knows that \"My protection is there,\" confident.\nAs soon as one grows, keeps away from the mother, from the father, the so-called independence. Actually we are dependent on Kṛṣṇa. He is supplier. He is giving us food, everything. So we must have confidence. That's all. That is training. That is Kṛṣṇa conscious. Our only business should be simply to serve Kṛṣṇa. Then everything is there.\nGo on.",
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"content": "\n Purport: \"The conditioned souls within the clutches of illusory energy are all anxious to attain peace in the material world. But they do not know the formula for peace, which is explained in this part of Bhagavad-gītā. The peace formula is this: Lord Kṛṣṇa is the beneficiary in all human activities. Men should offer everything to the transcendental service of the Lord because He is proprietor of all planets and the demigods thereon. Nobody is greater than He. He is greater than the greatest of demigods, Lord Śiva and Lord Brahmā.\n\"Under the spell of illusion, living entities are trying to be lords of all they survey, but actually they are dominated by the material energy of the Lord. The Lord is the master of material nature and the conditioned souls are under the stringent rules of that nature. Unless one understands these bare facts, it is not possible to achieve peace in the world either individually or collectively. This is the sense of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that Lord Kṛṣṇa is the supreme predominator and that all living entities, including the great demigods, are His subordinates. One can attain perfect peace only in complete Kṛṣṇa consciousness.\n\"This Fifth Chapter is a practical explanation of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, generally known as karma-yoga. The question of mental speculation as to how karma-yoga can give liberation is answered herewith. Working in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is to work with the complete knowledge of the Lord as the predominator. Such work is not different from transcendental knowledge. Direct Kṛṣṇa consciousness is bhakti-yoga, and jñāna-yoga is a path leading to bhakti-yoga. \n\"Kṛṣṇa consciousness means to work in full knowledge of one's relationship with the Supreme Absolute, and the perfection of this consciousness is full knowledge of Kṛṣṇa, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead. A pure soul is the eternal servant of God as His fragmental part and parcel. He comes into contact with māyā, illusion, due to the desire to lord it over māyā, and that is the cause of his many sufferings.\n\"As long as he is in contact with matter, he has to execute work in terms of material necessities. Kṛṣṇa consciousness, however, brings one into spiritual life even while one is within the jurisdiction of matter, for it is an arousing of spiritual existence by practice in the material world. The more one is advanced, the more he is free from the clutches of matter. There is no partiality of the Lord toward anyone. Everything depends on one's own practical performance of duties in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.\n\"This performance in every respect should be to control the senses and conquer the influence of desire and anger, and remaining in Kṛṣṇa consciousness by controlling the above-mentioned passions, one remains factually in the transcendental stage, or brahma-nirvāṇa. The eightfold yoga mysticism is automatically practiced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, because the ultimate purpose is served. There is a gradual elevation in the practice of yama, niyama, āsana, pratyāhāra, dhyāna, dhāraṇā, prāṇāyāma and samādhi. These preface...\"",
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"content": "\n These are eight items of yoga practice. Yama means controlling the senses; niyama—following the rules and regulation; āsana—practicing the sitting posture; pratyāhāra—controlling the senses from sense enjoyment; dhyāna—then thinking of Kṛṣṇa or Viṣṇu; dhāraṇā—fixed up; prāṇāyāma—breathing exercise; and samādhi—being absorbed in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So this is yoga practice. So if one is in Kṛṣṇa consciousness from the very beginning, all these eight items are automatically done. One does not require to practice them separately.\nYes, go on.",
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"content": "\n \"These preface perfection by devotional service, which alone can award peace to the human being and is the highest goal of life.\n\"Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports to the Fifth Chapter of the Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā on the subject of karma-yoga, or acting in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.\"",
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"content": "\n All right. Then we shall... Sāṅkhya-yoga shall I begin today or next day? This is a new chapter. We shall begin next day. [end]",
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https://vedabase.io/en/library/transcripts/711110bg-delhi/
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"content": "\n ...by Lord Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, five thousand years ago... Not five thousand years ago. It is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā that before it was explained to Arjuna, it was formerly explained to the sun-god.\nimaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ\nproktavān aham avyayam\nvivasvān manave prāha\nmanur ikṣvākave 'bravīt\n[Bg. 4.1]\nLord Kṛṣṇa said that before explaining the yoga system, bhakti-yoga system, to Arjuna, it was explained to the sun-god, Vivasvān, and sun-god explained the same system to his son, Manu, and Manu explained the same system to his son, Ikṣvāku. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ [Bg. 4.2].\nKṛṣṇa said that \"This system of knowledge is coming down by disciplic succession,\" sa kāleneha yogaḥ naṣṭaḥ parantapa. \"My dear Arjuna, although it was coming down by disciplic succession from spiritual master to the disciple, or from the father to the son, but in course of time, it is now lost. Therefore I am speaking the same yoga system to you,\" bhakto 'si priyo 'si me [Bg. 4.3], \"because you are My devotee.\"\nSo if we want to understand, if we want to know God, we have to become His devotee. Devotee means servant—not paid servant, but servant by affection. Just like, these boys, European boys, American boys and some of the Philippines boys, they are trying to serve me, but they are not paid servant; they are servant by affection. Just like father and mother becomes the servant of the sons. The son, the small child, passing stool, and the mother cleansing. That does not mean the mother has become sweeper. The mother is mother, but out of affection she is giving service.\nSimilarly, when we give service to the Lord in affection, in love, then God reveals: ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ [Cc. Madhya 17.136]. God's name, God's form, God's quality, God's pastimes, activities, are not understandable by our these blunt material senses. We cannot see God with these eyes. God is present everywhere. God is present within your heart, God is present within this universe, God is present within the atom. Aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu-cayāntara-stham [Bs. 5.35]. Aṇḍa, aṇḍa means this universe. God is within this universe.\nJust like in your body, you are present, as I was going to explain, dehino 'smin yathā dehe [Bg. 2.13]. Asmin dehe, within this body, there is the proprietor of the body, the soul. Similarly, this gigantic body of universe, cosmic manifestation, there is the Supersoul, therefore it is working. Just like in your body or in my body, because the soul is there, therefore it is active, it is moving. Similarly, this gigantic universal body there is God, Supersoul. Two kinds of soul: one Supersoul and one individual soul. We are living entities, we are individuals, and God is Supersoul.\nWhat is the difference between Supersoul and individual soul? One is very small, minute, and the other is very big. God is great. Aṇor aṇīyān mahato mahīyān [Kaṭha Upaniṣad 1.2.20]: God is greater than the greatest. You can conceive, in your idea, the greatness of something, but God is still greater.\nAnd you can conceive the smallest—just like the atom—yet God is smaller than the atom. That is God. Not that He's only the great, but He is the smallest also. Aṇor aṇīyān mahato mahīyān. Mahato mahīyān means greater than the greatest, and aṇor aṇīyān, and smaller than the smallest. We cannot imagine the dimension of the atom, or you can imagine, but still God is smaller than that. This is the position of God.\nSo He has got His form, as the atom has got form. Similarly, within the atom, God has got form, and as this whole universe has got form, the God has also got form. When there is a statement in the Vedic language that God has no form, it does not mean God has no form, but He has form which you cannot imagine. That is called formless. Actually God is not formless, but what is that form, you cannot imagine, because He is greater than the greatest and the smaller than the smallest.\nSo, you can imagine great, the great, this universe, the sky, millions and millions of miles spread. The scientists say that to go the topmost planet of this universe, it will take forty thousands of years in the light-year speed. But you can see there are so many planets. Just like you are trying to go to the moon planet, similarly there are other planets, but you cannot go. It is so big, beyond your reach. This is one universe, but there are innumerable universes. As you see that within this planet there are innu..., within this universe there numberless planets, you cannot count even, so similarly, there are innumerable universes, and all these universes together is within God.\nSo the conception of God cannot be attained by our mental speculation. It is not possible. If you speculate what is God, you cannot understand. Therefore, the Vedic language says that,\nathāpi te deva padāmbuja-dvaya-\nprasāda-leśānugṛhīta eva hi\njānāti tattvaṁ [bhagavān-mahimno]\nna cānya eko 'pi ciraṁ vicinvan\n[SB 10.14.29]\nIt is said, \"My dear Lord, one who is Your devotee,\" athāpi te deva padāmbuja-dvaya-prasāda-leśānugṛhīta eva hi, \"one who is Your devotee, one who has got Your mercy by worshiping Your lotus feet, he can understand. Others, they may go on speculating for many millions of years, still it is not possible to know God.\" And in the Bhagavad-gītā also Kṛṣṇa says that \"Because you are My devotee, therefore I am revealing unto you My nature.\"\nTherefore conclusion is that you have to become devotee, then you can understand what is God. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is clearly said, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ [Bg. 18.55]: \"One can understand Me by devotion,\" bhaktyā. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ. Tattvataḥ means in truth. You can imagine something of God, but that is not truth. Just like, for example, somebody very big, very rich.\nSo you can imagine this man is so big, so big merchant, he has got so much money—imagination, by discussion amongst your friends—but that is not perfect knowledge. But somehow or other, if you make friendship with that big man, and if he tells you that \"My position is like this,\" then you understand very easily. You cannot speculate. By speculating, you cannot understand God. That is not possible. He's so great; our speculating power is very poor.\nIn Sanskrit there is a logical conclusion: Dr. Frog. A frog within the well. You know, well, a three-feet circumference, and there is a frog. Another frog friend comes and informs the frog in the well, \"My dear friend, today I have seen a very big span of water, Pacific Ocean.\" So the frog in the well, he considers that Pacific Ocean may be four feet. \"My water is three feet, so Pacific Ocean may be four feet.\"\nSo he replied to his friend, \"Is that Pacific Ocean four feet?\" \"No, no, it is very big.\" \"All right, five feet?\" \"No, no, it is very big.\" \"All right, six feet!\" [laughter] So in this way, if we speculate about God—one feet more—God may be little stronger than me, or richer than me, little. Or more rich, more rich. In this way you cannot speculate. What will he know, the frog, about the Pacific Ocean? Similarly, all our philosophical speculation about God is the speculation of the frog within the well. Because our brain cannot accommodate what is greatness. So in that way we cannot understand what is God.\nThe process should be attempted. The process is bhakti, devotion. As it is advised in the Bhagavad-gītā, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja [Bg. 18.66]. Now the present civilization, mistake of the present civilization, is that they are accepting this body [to be] everything. After this body is finished—big, big philosophers, big, big professors, I have talked with...\nI was talking with one professor, Mr. Kotovsky, in Moscow. He is in charge of a big department. He said, \"Swāmijī, after finishing this body, everything is finished. There is nothing more.\" Just see. And he is a great professor. He has no knowledge that after finishing this body there is another body. We are going to accept another body, not that after death, everything is finished. This conception is going on very strong, but this is a great mistake.\nThat is being explained here by Kṛṣṇa: dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā tathā dehāntara-prāptir [Bg. 2.13]. This is the first state to understand God. What is the nature of God? This is the first state, that I am spirit soul, part and parcel of God. If I study myself as sample of God, a little sample of God, then you can understand God. Just like you take a drop of Pacific Ocean water, and you chemically analyze the constituents of that drop of water, then you can understand what is the constituent ingredients in the Pacific Ocean. You can understand.\nThe difference is, as I have already explained, God and we, individual soul, are of the same quality. The quality is not different. Just like we have got creative power, God has got also creative power, but by your creative power you can manufacture a big airplane or a sputnik to fly in the sky, but God's creative power, millions and trillions of planets are floating in the sky. Just like the sun.\nYou see every day, the sun is there in the sky, and it is lying in one corner of the sky, but this one planet itself is fourteen hundred thousand bigger than this planet. This planet is only a teeny, small planet in consideration of other planets. So we cannot know even what are there in this planet. So many things are unknown. So all these planets are floating. That's a fact.\nSo that is the difference between God and me. I can create a small aeroplane, and I can take the credit that \"Our science is so much advanced that we don't care for God.\" No, you cannot do, sir. You cannot manufacture a planet. That is not in your power. Similarly, there are so many things. You have creative power, God has got creative power, but your creation and God's creation there is vast difference.\nSo this is the understanding of God. So God is great. How great? Nobody is equal to Him, nobody is above Him. Everyone is down. This is the conception of God. So God is eternal, I am also eternal. God is within this universe, therefore the universe is working, and because I am within this universe, this body is working. It is very easy to understand. If you simply study... Just like we individual soul, we want to enjoy our senses. Similarly, God has also senses, He also wants to enjoy. Just like here, we see a young boy, a young girl is united. Similarly, you have seen our pictures, Kṛṣṇa, Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, They are also united. There is also love, but that love is real.\nHere, the same thing, a reflection, is shadow. It is not real. The real love is there. There is no separation of that love. Here in this material world, because it is shadow, it is false, therefore there is separation. Love without separation is in God. Relationship between friend and friend, here it is breakable. As soon as there is some dissatisfaction, the friends separate. But if you make friendship with God, that is never separated. If you love Kṛṣṇa, that is never separated. If you accept Kṛṣṇa as your son, that son will never die. So these are the conception of God.\nActually, this is exhibited when Kṛṣṇa came. Kṛṣṇa comes here, God, in His original form, in one day of Brahmā. These are very long, long narration, but first of all try to understand your self. What is your nature? Then you will understand God automatically. Or if you are so advanced that you can understand God, then you can understand your nature also. Just like God is gold mine, and I am a gold ring.\nSo the chemical composition of the gold ring and the chemical composition of the gold mine, the same. This is the position. Qualitatively we are one. Quantitatively we are different. Quantity, God's quantity, God's power, God's opulence, God's riches, God's beauty, God's wisdom, they are very, very, very, very great than ours. That is the difference between God and us. Now try to understand your constitutional position.\nDon't think that after this body is finished, or we meet death, then everything is finished, as it is going on. The greatest mistake: the world is going on, on the mistaken platform. They do not know what is going to happen after death. There is no education. There is no department of knowledge in the universities, what is going to happen after death. They are simply taking account of this body, which exists, say, for twenty years or fifty years, or utmost hundred years. And they have no knowledge what is after this body.\nTherefore śāstra says that,\nyasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke\nsva-dhīḥ kalatrādiṣu bhauma-ijya-dhīḥ\nyat-tīrtha-buddhiḥ salile na karhicij\njaneṣv abhijñeṣu sa eva go-kharaḥ\n[SB 10.84.13]\nWhen one person thinks that this body is \"I am. I am this body...\" Actually do so. If I ask you what are you, what you are, you'll give all description of your body; I'll give all description of my body. \"I am Mr. Such-and-such, I am born of such-and-such father, my national country is such-and-such...\" But these are all designation of this body. I do not know what I am, therefore I give only the designation. Therefore my intelligence is bodily concept of life: \"I am this body.\"\nSo śāstra says that if one is in bodily concept of life, then he is no better than the animal. Because the dog, it does not know that beyond this body, the dog is there: he is a living entity, he is a soul, he is Brahman, part and parcel of the Supreme Brahman. These things dog does not know, or a cow does not know, or an ass does not know, or the animal does not know. Similarly, if we do not know beyond this body, then we are no better than animal, sa eva go-kharaḥ [SB 10.84.13].\nSo if you analyze the whole population, you will find that we are simply a crowd or assembly of so many animals, that's all. This is fact. Because we not know beyond this body. So you cannot expect any peace and prosperity in the animal society. That is not possible. The animals, by nature they can not live in peace. They are always in fighting. Just like children: although they live together, but they will fight. They will fight. So the world is trying to have peace and prosperity, but they want to keep themself as animal. So therefore it is, conclusion is, that there cannot be any peace and prosperity in this status of social constitution.\nYou have to become real human being. That is wanted. And what is the human being? That is explained in the Vedānta-sūtra. Vedānta-sūtra, you have heard the name, if you have not studied, that is the greatest philosophical presentation of Indian culture, Vedānta. Vedānta means... Veda means knowledge; anta means end. Just like we have accumulating knowledge from university education, but everything remains imperfect. The scientists, they give some theory, but that is imperfect. Another scientist comes, he improves upon it, everything. That means this knowledge has no end; it is going on, going on. But the knowledge which is..., which comes to the point that here is the extreme knowledge, that is called Vedānta.\nSo the Vedānta means, those who have read Vedānta, Vedānta-sūtra, the first sūtra, or code, is athāto brahma jijñāsā. Atha, \"Now, the time is for inquiring about the Absolute Truth,\" athāto brahma jijñāsā. That means the human life. The human... Vedānta-sūtra, this philosophy, is meant for the human being, not for cats and dogs. They cannot understand. Therefore it is said, atha, \"now.\"\nIt is the opportunity of our inquiring about the Absolute Truth, this human form of life. What is that Absolute Truth? Everyone is under the concept of this body. But that is not Absolute Truth; it is relative truth. But if you inquire about the Absolute Truth, then it is possible, because you are human being, you can understand what is that Absolute Truth. It is possible. Because this body is so advanced, our consciousness is so advanced, that there is possibility.\nBut if we misuse this possibility, if we don't inquire about the Absolute Truth, simply we fight with one another for eating, sleeping, sex life and defending, then we are no better than animals. The animals eat, sleep, have their sex life, and they defend in their own way. So if we improve the method of eating, sleeping and sexual intercourse and defending, then we don't go beyond the animal propensities. We have got higher intelligence, higher consciousness, not to improve the method of eating, sleeping, mating and defending, but to understand the Absolute Truth. Therefore, without understanding the Absolute Truth, we are simply spoiling our opportunity of this human life.\nThe Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is attempting to educate people how to utilize this human form of life properly. It will not stay; it will also die, just like cats die, the dogs die. We also die, but there is difference of this death. We can die knowing the Absolute Truth. The cats and dogs die without knowing. That is the difference. In the Garga Upaniṣad it is said, etad viditva ga prayatisa brāhmaṇa etad aviditva ga prayatisa kṛpaṇa[?] [Garga Upaniṣad].\nEtad, this absolute knowledge, without knowing the Absolute Truth, if somebody dies... Everyone will die; you cannot check. You may be very much advanced in scientific knowledge, but you cannot stop death. That is not possible. Neither you can stop old age, neither you can stop birth.\nJanma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam [Bg. 13.9]. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that you may be very much advanced, you have mitigated all your sufferings, all the problems of life, but these problems of life, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi, birth, death, old age and disease, that you cannot avoid. That is not possible. So, if..., but everyone has got the tendency to avoid birth, death, old age and disease.\nWhy? Because the spirit soul, I am, in reality, I am not subjected to birth, death, old age, and disease. Because I have accepted this material body, therefore apparently I am subject to birth, death and old age. Otherwise, I am eternal. Just like God is eternal, similarly I am also eternal. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre [Bg. 2.20]. This living entity, the soul, after the annihilation of this body, he does not die.\nSo this is..., these are the subject matter of knowledge in the human form of life. So etad aviditya, without knowing this science, if somebody dies like cats and dog, he is a kṛpaṇa. Kṛpaṇa means miser. And one who dies with the knowledge of this brahma-jñāna, self-realization, he is called brāhmaṇa. Brāhmaṇa means brahma jānāti iti brāhmaṇaḥ. One who knows Brahman, the Absolute Truth, he is called brāhmaṇa. Therefore our business is to become a brāhmaṇa. Don't think that brāhmaṇas are produced only in India. No. Brāhmaṇa can be produced any part of the world. Simply by knowing Brahman, he can become brāhmaṇa. Every one of you can become brāhmaṇa, if you understand what is Brahman, because brāhmaṇa means one who knows the Brahman.\nJanmanā jāyate śūdra: by birth everyone is a śūdra, illiterate, without any knowledge. He is called śūdra, worker class. Illiterate maybe, but without any sufficient knowledge. He is called a śūdra. So everyone is born śūdra. By the father and mother, when one is born, he is to be accepted as a śūdra, uncultured. Janmanā jāyate śūdraḥ saṁskārād bhaved dvijaḥ: by education, by reformation, he is become a dvija. Dvija means twice-born. Just like the bird. Bird is called also dvija, because the bird is once born within the egg, and then fermentation of the egg, he comes out from the egg. Similarly, a person born by the father and mother is a śūdra, but when he is given education up to the understanding of knowing the Absolute Truth, he becomes dvija, twice-born. Janmanā jāyate śūdraḥ saṁskārād bhaved dvijaḥ veda-pathād bhaved vipra.\nAnd after becoming twice-born... You know, you have seen sacred thread, that sacred thread is the emblem that he has approached a spiritual master and his birth has..., second birth has been performed. This is the badge, a sacred thread—perhaps you've seen Indian brāhmaṇa. A sacred thread means that is the mark that this man has now twice born. Saṁskārād bhaved dvijaḥ. There are ten kinds of reformatory method, and one of them is initiation from the spiritual master. That is called dvija. Saṁskārād bhaved dvijaḥ. \nVeda pathād bhaved vipra: and when he is allowed to study this Vedic literature... Without becoming dvija, one cannot understand this Vedic literature. Just like without becoming a graduate, you are not allowed to enter in the law court. Similarly, without becoming a dvija, you are not allowed to study the Vedas, because you will not understand. Saṁskārād bhaved dvijaḥ veda-pathād bhaved vipro. And when by studying the Vedic literature he understands Kṛṣṇa, then he becomes a brāhmaṇa. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyam [Bg. 15.15].\nBecause the purpose of studying Vedas means to understand Kṛṣṇa, or God. When I speak of Kṛṣṇa, you understand God. So when one understands what is God, what is Brahman, what is Kṛṣṇa, what is Paramātmā, then he is a brāhmaṇa. This is the process. So the Garga Upaniṣad says that anyone who dies after becoming a brāhmaṇa, his life is successful. And anyone who dies without becoming a brāhmaṇa, he dies like a cat and dog. That is the difference.\nSo our this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is that don't die like cats and dog, die like a brāhmaṇa. That is our request. Don't think it is any sectarian religion. It is a science. It is a culture. You are trying to educate people how to become brāhmaṇa. Just like these European, American boys, they are not born of a brāhmaṇa family. According to Vedic understanding, they are born in the family of mleccha or yavanas or caṇḍālas, like that. There are different terms. But Bhāgavata says never mind what he is, or Bhagavad-gītā says never mind what he is.\nIn the Bhagavad-gītā you will find the statement by Kṛṣṇa: māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ [Bg. 9.32], \"Anyone, it doesn't matter what he is, even he's born in sinful family, it doesn't matter. If he takes shelter of Me,\" māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya te 'pi yānti parāṁ gatiḥ, \"they all are promoted to the supreme planet, back to home, back to Godhead.\" Kiṁ punar brāhmaṇāḥ puṇyā [Bg. 9.33], then if they can be promoted, what to speak of persons who are really born in the brāhmaṇa family.\nSo it is a great opportunity to make your life successful. Don't spoil your life like cats and dog. Just become a brāhmaṇa. We don't expect that everyone will become brāhmaṇa, but if a little percentage of person becomes brāhmaṇa, the whole problems of the world will be solved. Just like brāhmaṇa is considered to be the brain. A man may be very healthy body, but the..., if the brain is cracked, this body will not help; everything is spoiled.\nSo at the present moment there is no brain, there is no brāhmaṇa, neither there is kṣatriya, simply śūdras and vaiśyas, mostly śūdras. So as in your body there are divisions—the brain division, the arm division, the belly division and the leg division—similarly the human society must be divided like the scientific divisions. A section of people must be very intelligent class of men, brāhmaṇa.\nA section of people may be very strong, kṣatriyas, politicians, fighters. A section of people must be producers, the vaiśyas; and a section of people must be śūdras, or the legs. Just as compared with your body: the full body means the head, the arms, the belly and the legs. If you say that there is..., there is no need of head, is that very bodily sound? It is dead body. It is dead body.\nSo our propaganda is that we want to make a section of people brāhmaṇa. Brāhmaṇa means one who knows Brahman. That is the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. And we are all Brahman, you, me, everyone, because we are part and parcel of the Supreme Brahman, ahaṁ brahmāsmi. This is the philosophy, that \"I am not this matter; I am Brahman.\" This knowledge required. This knowledge, this brahma-jñāna knowledge, is being imparted in the beginning of the Bhagavad-gītā, that\ndehino 'smin yathā dehe\nkaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā\ntathā dehāntara-prāptir\ndhīras tatra na muhyati\n[Bg. 2.13]\nDehino, the proprietor of the body, is Brahman, the spirit soul. Try to understand it. Don't be foolish to accept this body as \"I am.\" No. This is dogs', cats' philosophy. This is not brāhmaṇa's philosophy. The brāhmaṇa's philosophy is that \"I am not this body. I am spirit soul,\" ahaṁ brahmāsmi.\nSo it is very nice movement, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, to understand yourself first of all. Then you understand what is God, and as soon as you know God, then you become a fit candidate to go back to home, back to God. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ [Bg. 4.9]. \"Anyone who knows Me,\" God says, anyone who knows God, in truth, then what is the result? The brāhmaṇa, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti, after giving up this body, he does not enter another material body. Then what happens to him? Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti [Bg. 4.9], \"He comes back to Me.\" So try to understand Kṛṣṇa. Your life will be successful. Your life will be successful.\nWe are giving a great contribution to the human society, to understand God, or Kṛṣṇa. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. So you can understand God by becoming a devotee. That is not very difficult task. You can become devotee in two ways. It is not difficult. You can study all these Vedic literatures, scientific Vedic literature; you can understand. But another method is open for everyone: chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, that's all. If you simply chant this mantra, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, if you don't study...\n[break] ...to merge into the water is superficial, you will be again evaporated. I am explaining your understanding. Just like you are a drop of water. You are mixed up with the ocean or the water, but in certain season you will be evaporated again, you will become cloud, and again fall down in the surface, and again you go to the ocean and mix up. So this business will go on.",
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"content": "\n Yes, of course.",
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"content": "\n But if you become a fish within the water, you will never be evaporated.",
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"content": "\n That's exactly my question is.",
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"content": "\n Yes.",
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"content": "\n That I want to go out of this avajñāna cakra.",
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"content": "\n So then you become a fish within the water. Then you will never come out. And if you remain superficially on the water, you will be evaporated.",
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"content": "\n So there is no remedy.",
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"content": "\n There is... No, there is remedy. You can become a devotee of God, then you will not be evaporated.",
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"content": "\n That's right.",
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"content": "\n And if you superficially merge into God, then you will be evaporated. Bhūtvā bhūtvā praliyate [Bg. 8.19]. You will once mix up, again you will be evaporated; again you will mix up, again you will be evaporated. If you want to stop this, then you become a devotee. Surrender, like the fish, a small fish within the ocean. Because he does surrender, it is not evaporated. It is never evaporated, although he is very small fish. So you become a devotee, don't try to merge, serve, then you will never evaporated.",
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"content": "\n How can I be devotee if I don't...",
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"content": "\n That is, that is Kṛṣṇa is teaching, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja [Bg. 18.66], that you have [to] understand. You have to learn Bhagavad-gītā nicely, that's all.",
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"content": "\n Excuse me. Your Honor, sir, what is the duty of the perfect master?",
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"content": "\n To teach the rascals. [laughter] The students are all rascals, and the teacher's duty, to educate him properly, that is.",
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"content": "\n Is not the perfect master, when come to the Earth, prophet, he showed to the God?",
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"content": "\n You were asking what is the duty of the master and teacher.",
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"content": "\n Yes.",
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"content": "\n The teacher's duty is to make right the rascals, that's all.",
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"content": "\n When is the perfect mast...",
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"content": "\n So, first of all this is the duty of the teacher. So therefore a disciple should consider himself that he's a rascal, and then he goes to a teacher. If he thinks himself that he is quite all right, he does not require a teacher.",
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"content": "\n But when we are going to the teacher, teacher is showing from the 1, 2, 3, 4, teacher is showing, but not to what you call telling to just you. Teacher is telling, and teacher is showing us. So the perfect master, when the Lord Kṛṣṇa...",
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"content": "\n But how do you know the perfect master if you are a student?",
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"content": "\n When the Lord Kṛṣṇa was on the Earth...",
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"content": "\n First of all you answer me, that if you are a student, how you can know who is perfect teacher? [laughter] So you do not know what is your position. If you are teacher... If you are a student, then you should go to the teacher submissively, not that strong attitude.",
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"content": "\n If I am the student, excuse me, Your Honor, sir...",
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"content": "\n Yes.",
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"content": "\n If I am the student, I am going to the class, and I want to know that he's the principal teacher or not...?",
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"content": "\n So how you can know the principal teacher or not, if you are student?",
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"content": "\n Naturally he's giving us lesson from there, I will understand that he is teacher, and he will show us that \"This is A,\" \"This is B,\" \"This is C...\"",
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"content": "\n Yes.",
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"content": "\n Anyhow, the books is near to us, and I do not know that this is A or this is B or this is C...",
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"content": "\n Yes.",
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"content": "\n ...anyhow book is near. But the perfect teacher, or the master, is showing us that \"This is A,\" \"This is B,\" \"This is C,\" and then we know that \"This is A,\" \"This is B,\" and \"This is C.\" Anyhow, that before when we devote our..., to bring to class in the school, and the books was very near to us, we do not know this is one, this is two, this is three, this is A, this is B, this is C. Books was near to us, with our eyes we can see, but we do not know what is this A and B, and the teacher is the one showing us that this is A and this is B, and this...",
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"content": "\n That's all right. Then what do you want to know? [laughter]",
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"content": "\n I want to know... [laughter and applause]",
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"content": "\n Now, the student goes to learn from the teacher A-B-C-D. The teacher says, \"This is A,\" but the student has to accept that this is A. The student cannot argue, \"So why not this way?\" That is not a student. When a teacher says that \"This is A,\" so you have to accept this is A. You cannot argue. That is the relationship between the student and the teacher. A student cannot argue. The teacher says, \"This is A\"; the student has to accept that is A. He cannot argue. If he argues, then he cannot learn. That is the first proposition.",
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"content": "\n That is correct.",
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"content": "\n Yes. He must surrender.",
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"content": "\n But the master is showing A.",
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"content": "\n Yes, that's all right.",
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"content": "\n That's why the, what you call, when this guru is coming, we are calling sad-guru, or the perfect master, he should show that the ocean of the God. God, he should show us, ourself...",
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"content": "\n But first of all you learn A-B-C-D, then. Without a learning A-B-C-D, how you want to pass M.A. examination? [laughter] That is not student. The student must submissively learn from the teacher, from the A-B-C-D, and if he makes progress, then one day he will be able to pass the M.A. examination.",
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"content": "\n When the Lord Kṛṣṇa...",
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"content": "\n He... You cannot learn what is there in the M.A. examination while studying A-B-C-D. That is not possible. You have to wait. You cannot say immediately, \"You pass me M.A. examination.\" That is madness. You must learn first of all A-B-C-D, gradually, not all of a sudden. That's all right. Any other question?",
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"content": "\n Yes. Your Divine Grace, I'd like to ask a very, very lowly and simple question. For some time before 1934 or perhaps '36, I met [indistinct].",
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"content": "\n We cannot hear him.",
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"content": "\n I can... We can hear..., barely hear you.",
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"content": "\n Ask him to come forward. Come forward.",
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"content": "\n I beg the indulgence of this [indistinct]. I want to relate a short [indistinct] story which analyzes this question. Some years ago, I think 1934 or '36, between those times, I met Dr. [indistinct]. I asked him a question. And his answer to me is like this: \"Some days you're going to meet Kṛṣṇa, and you are going to answer your own question.\" Now, Your Divine Grace, the question was so lowly, so humble, so natural, that practically happens in life.\nI asked him that in the lectures that has passed, I come to understand that God's love and that nothing that happens in this world unless God wills it to happen. During those days of sufferings, I asked him the purpose of God of creating men, and if He is all-love, He is all..., nothing happens without His will, what is His purpose of creating men, and then these men, which he created, and claimed to be beloved by Him, suffers?",
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"content": "\n That's your question? Why He created you?",
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"content": "\n And why he is suffering?",
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"content": "\n Yes. Suppose a father creates some children. So the purpose is that he wants to enjoy family life. This is the purpose of creation. But the father wants that each and every one of his children become nicely educated, obedient, but if the child, the boy, is not nicely..., properly taking the instruction of the father and spoils himself, and he is in suffering, so is that the fault of the father or the child? Whose fault it is?",
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"content": "\n If he reads everything, if he is...",
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"content": "\n Yes, father gave, directs everything, but if the child does not want to follow the father's instruction and he suffers, then whose fault it is? The child's fault or the father's fault?",
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"content": "\n Of course, it's the child's fault.",
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"content": "\n That's it. So you are child of God. You do not follow the instruction of God; therefore you are suffering.",
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"content": "\n But being a child, Your Divine Grace, you may not know everything, being a child.",
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"content": "\n But still, still, he may not everything, but when he's grown up, he must know everything. Just like all these living entities—there are 8,400,000 species of living entities—they are all children of God. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā,\nsarva-yoniṣu kaunteya\nsambhavanti mūrtayaḥ yāḥ\ntāsāṁ mahad yonir brahma\nahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā\n[Bg. 14.4]\n\"I am the seed-giving father of all living entities.\" So there are 8,400,000 species of living entities. Just like the..., there are 2,000,000 species of living entities within the water, jalajā nava-lakṣāṇi sthāvarā lakṣa-viṁśati [Padma Purāṇa]. In this way the living entities are growing consciousness. Actually, when he comes in the human form of body, then he is his full consciousness. At that time—that is our subject matter—that time he should know why he is suffering, what is the cause. So similarly, when he finds that he is suffering on account of his being disobedient to the father, and he rectifies himself, he becomes happy.\nSo you, first of all try to understand why you are suffering, and in human form of life you can rectify why you are suffering. And then you become again happy. God has not made you unhappy. You became disobedient. You wanted to enjoy life in a certain way. God has given you the chance, \"All right, you do it.\" But you are not happy. Huh? God does not want you to become happy, therefore He comes, He instructs you again and again. But you do not hear. You neglect the instruction of God. There are your suffering. You come to your consciousness, become obedient to God, you will be happy. That is our propaganda, Kṛṣṇa consciousness.",
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"content": "\n I should now request you, Your Divine Grace, if God wills everything?",
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"content": "\n Yes. Means without His will you cannot do anything. But first will is yours. You wanted to become like that. God has given you a body like that to enjoy, but you are not happy.",
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"content": "\n Thank you for the answer.",
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"content": "\n Any other question? All right, let us chant. Chant with us. Yes, there is. Come forward please.",
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"content": "\n I would like to ask the teacher, I, as I understand the Ramakrishna movement is, uh, Hare Kṛṣṇa, rather, movement is, uh, centering on the practice of chanting the great mantra Hare Kṛṣṇa. No? My question is, what is the..., why is that this particular movement is not emphasizing so-called meditation?",
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"content": "\n It is meditation. When you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, your senses are attracted by this vibration. You hear. As soon as you hear, your mind is fixed up, that is meditation.",
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"content": "\n The chanting is...",
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"content": "\n Yes, meditation.",
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"content": "\n ...bhakti meditation?",
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"content": "\n Meditation... If you meditate individually, you will have to try so many things. But when I loudly chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, your meditation immediately attracted. This is the easiest method of meditation in this age.\n[pause] Chant. [end]",
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https://vedabase.io/en/library/transcripts/710911le-nairobi/
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[
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"content": "\n Saturday 11th September. First Nairobi lecture in Hindi. Brahma-samaj.\nPrabhupāda: [\nkīrtana]",
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https://vedabase.io/en/library/transcripts/681223bg-los-angeles/
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[
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"content": "\n [prema-dhvani] Jaya [devotees offer obeisances]\nRead verse.",
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"content": "\nVerse 6, Chapter Two..., sorry, Three.",
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"content": "\nGo on.",
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"content": "\n \"One who restrains the senses and organs of action but whose mind dwells on sense objects certainly deludes himself and is called a pretender.\" [Bg. 3.6]\n[One who restrains the senses and organs of action, but whose mind dwells on sense objects, certainly deludes himself and is called a pretender.]",
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"content": "\n Yes. This is very important thing. Yoga indriya-saṁyamya. Yoga, the definition of yoga means sense control, controlling the sense. So here Kṛṣṇa says that you cannot control your senses artificially. It is not possible. Those who are trying... Just like some of the yogīs, they close their eyes: \"Oh, I'll not see beautiful woman.\"\nThat is another practice. But that does not mean that he can control his senses. No. You cannot curb down the natural force of sense. This is the secret. People do not know. And if you let the senses go on in its own way, that is also dangerous. Then you are going to hell. Adānta-gobhir viśatāṁ tamisram. If your senses are not controlled, then your senses will drag you to the darkest region of hell. That is another problem.\nGenerally, in the material world, adānta—adānta means uncontrolled; go—go means senses. Adānta-gobhir viśatāṁ tamisraṁ punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām [SB 7.5.30].\n[Prahlāda Mahārāja replied: Because of their uncontrolled senses, persons too addicted to materialistic life make progress toward hellish conditions and repeatedly chew that which has already been chewed. Their inclinations toward Kṛṣṇa are never aroused, either by the instructions of others, by their own efforts, or by a combination of both.]\nSimply repeating, chewing the chewed. The whole history of the world, you just study, is a history of sense gratification. Just take, for example, some twenty years ago one Mr. Adolf Hitler came in the scene, and there was great upheaval as war in Europe and America. From 1933 to 1947 or something like that, the whole world was in trouble. But he is gone, finished. And what did he do? Sense gratification, that's all. He wanted that this way government should be, according to his own sense.\nAnother person, just like Mr. Churchill or your President Roosevelt, they said, \"No. The sense gratification should not be like that. The sense gratification should be like this.\" [laughter] So it is the war of sense gratification. That's all. One leader is presenting a program of sense gratification, another leader is presenting another program of sense gratification, and there is clash. This is going on. This is the history of the world.\nAnd another class, they are thinking, \"Oh, there are so much trouble simply for sense gratification. Let us control our senses.\" Brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā, just like Māyāvādī philosopher, Śaṅkarācārya. They say this world is useless. \"This world is useless. Only Brahman, the Supreme Brahman, impersonal Brahman, that is truth.\" That is also another sense gratification.\nThat is bigger sense gratification. Why? These Māyāvādī philosophers, they want to merge into the existence of the Supreme One. That means by becoming Hitler, Churchill or Roosevelt, their senses were not very much satisfied. \"Now,\" they say, \"this world is false. Now let me become the Supreme.\" That is another sense gratification.\nSo this world, without Kṛṣṇa consciousness, is simply sense gratification. That's all. One may present in one way, another may present in another way, but it is sense gratification. Therefore the so-called yogīs, fifteen minutes' meditation or, say, fifteen hours' meditation or fifteen months' meditation, but as soon as meditation finished—sense gratification. That's all.\nSo this sense gratification program is very strong. How... And so long you will indulge in sense gratification, the repetition of birth and death will go on. The repetition of birth. This body... Bhāgavata says that these people are working for sense gratification. Nūnaṁ pramattaḥ [SB 5.5.4]. \n[When a person considers sense gratification the aim of life, he certainly becomes mad after materialistic living and engages in all kinds of sinful activity. He does not know that due to his past misdeeds he has already received a body which, although temporary, is the cause of his misery. Actually the living entity should not have taken on a material body, but he has been awarded the material body for sense gratification. Therefore I think it not befitting an intelligent man to involve himself again in the activities of sense gratification by which he perpetually gets material bodies one after another.]\nPramattaḥ means mad after sense gratification. Kurute vikarma. And for sense gratification, they are acting so abominably that it is not to be uttered. Kurute vikarma yad indriya-prītaya āpṛṇoti. They have engaged their life in sense gratification. Na sādhu manye, oh, this is not good. This is not good.\nWhy? Yata, because, ātmanaḥ, the spirit soul, ātmano 'yam... Asann api kleśada āsa dehaḥ. This body is temporary, but so long this body is there, you'll have to suffer. What is that suffering? The sum total of suffering is birth, death, old age and disease. This is due to this body. Therefore the problem is how to stop this material body, repetition.\nToday I have got this body, Indian; tomorrow I may get American, next birth... Tomorrow means next birth. Next birth another, next birth another, next birth another—it is going on, going on. There is no stoppage, this transmigration of the soul. But so long you do not stop it, there is no question of being freed from sufferings.\nThey do not know it. They are thinking they are advancing. What advancement you have made? These sufferings are there—birth, death, old age and disease. You cannot stop it. Ā-brahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ [Bg. 8.16],\n[From the highest planet in the material world down to the lowest, all are places of misery wherein repeated birth and death take place. But one who attains to My abode, O son of Kuntī, never takes birth again.]\nAnd even you go to this moon planet or to the highest planet, these four things will follow. So therefore sense gratification must be stopped. But if you want to stop it artificially it is impossible, neither by this yoga process, neither by this jñāna process. Simply for the time being you can check.\nJust like a naughty boy. By force, you can stop him acting mischievously. But as soon as he gets opportunity, again he will act so. Similarly, senses are very strong. You cannot stop them artificially. Therefore the only remedy is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. These boys in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, this is also sense gratification—eating nice prasādam, dancing, chanting, reading philosophy—but it is in connection with Kṛṣṇa. That is the significance. Nirbandhaḥ kṛṣṇa-sambandhe [Brs. 1.2.255].\n[When one is not attached to anything but at the same time accepts anything in relation to Kṛṣṇa, one is rightly situated above possessiveness. On the other hand, one who rejects everything without knowledge of its relationship to Kṛṣṇa is not as complete in his renunciation.]\nIt is the sense gratification of Kṛṣṇa. Not directly, but because I am part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, my senses are automatically satisfied. This process should be adopted.\nArtificially... This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is an art of living by which you will feel your senses are fully satisfied, but you are going to be free next life. This is the nice process. And artificially if you want to stop your senses, you will fail. That Kṛṣṇa says, \"One who restrains the sense and organs of action but whose mind dwells on sense objects.\"\nJust like Viśvāmitra Muni. There were many instances. He was a great king, and he wanted to be yogī. And he went to forest, gave up his kingdom, went to forest. And he was meditating very seriously, and Indra, king of heaven, he sent some society girls of heavenly planet, Menakā. And she came. She began to dance before the closed-eyes yogī, and as soon as he heard, \"Oh, there is very nice female voice and dancing,\" and as soon as he opened, he became captivated, embraced her. So everything gone. You see?\nSo sense gratification, you cannot stop artificially. Nirbandhaḥ kṛṣṇa-sambandhe. Therefore we advised our students, either boys and girls, that if you have... Of course, if you are serious in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, you forget all these nonsense sense gratification. But still if you are disturbed, all right, get yourself married. Live peacefully, husband and wife, and both be engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Gradually, you'll forget, both husband and wife. Don't try artificially. Artificially you'll never be successful.\nBut if you can avoid it by advance and strong Kṛṣṇa consciousness... Just like Haridāsa Ṭhākura. But don't try to imitate Haridāsa Ṭhākura. His stage was different. We cannot imitate. We can simply follow. Anukaraṇa, anusaraṇa—there are two Sanskrit words. One is imitation, and one is following the footprints. If one tries to follow the footprints of great personalities, that is very nice, but we cannot imitate. Imitate... Imitation is dangerous.\nJust like Lord Śiva, he drank an ocean of poison and he kept it on the throat. He did not allow to go down. So therefore his name is Nīlakaṇṭha. It became bluish. His neck is blue. But if somebody imitates Lord Śiva and indulges intoxication, gāñjā, he'll go to hell. He is powerful. Somebody says, \"Well, Lord Śiva is a smoker, so we can also smoke.\" No. You cannot imitate. You can simply follow.\nJust like the sunshine. The sunshine is so strong that it is absorbing the moisture of the filthy place, contaminated place, where one is passing stool and urine, but still it is sun, because sun is so powerful. But if you live in that place for some time where urine and stools are thrown, then you'll be contaminated immediately, because you are not powerful.\nTejiyāsāṁ na doṣāya [SB 10.33.29]. \n[Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: The status of powerful controllers is not harmed by any apparently audacious transgression of morality we may see in them, for they are just like fire, which devours everything fed into it and remains unpolluted.]\nThose who are powerful, if they somebody does something which is very extraordinary, that is not to be imitated. You have to follow the rules and regulation. That will give you progress. Don't try to imitate. Just be in your position, try to follow the rules and regulation and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, and gradually you'll get result. There is no need of being hasty.\nGo on.",
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"content": "\n Verse number 7: \"On the other hand, he who controls the senses by the mind and engages his active organs in works of devotion, without attachment, is by far superior.\" [Bg. 3.7]\n[On the other hand, he who controls the senses by the mind and engages his active organs in works of devotion, without attachment, is by far superior.]",
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"content": "\n Yes. Instead of artificially trying to meditate and control the senses, just engage your senses in the activities of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and gradually you will be happy. Your senses will be controlled.\nGo on.",
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"content": "\n Purport: \"Instead of becoming a pseudo-transcendentalist for the sake of wanton living and sense enjoyment, it is far better to remain in one's own business and execute the purpose of life, which is to get free from material bondage and enter into the kingdom of God. The svārtha-gati, or goal of self-interest...\"",
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"content": "\n [correcting pronunciation] Svārtha-gati, svārtha-gati.\nYes.",
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"content": "\n \"...or goal of self-interest is to reach Viṣṇu. The whole varṇa and āśrama system is designed to help us reach this goal of life. A householder can also reach this destination by regulated service in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. For self-realization one can live a controlled life as prescribed in the śāstras and continue carrying out his business without attachment, and that will lead him gradually to the progressive path.\n\"Such a sincere person who follows this method is far better situated than the false pretender who adopts show-bottle spiritualism to cheat the innocent public. A sincere sweeper in the street is far better than the charlatan meditator who works only for the sake of making a living.\"",
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"content": "\n Yes. My Guru Mahārāja used to say that don't accept spiritual life for living. Just like we are sending the saṅkīrtana party. If we take it, \"Oh, it is very easy method for living without working. We are getting money for our livelihood,\" this is not wanted. If your spiritual life is for...\nJust like there are so many professional chanter. Not here; in India. Their business is, because people like chanting, so they have made this chanting business. Or professional Bhāgavata reader. People like reading of Bhāgavata. There are many expert Bhāgavata reader. They can show many caricature just to attract people, and such people, generally, they describe the rāsa-līlā of Kṛṣṇa. Because rāsa-līlā is resembling just like dealings between young boys and girls, so they take that part, particularly, rāsa-līlā. Easy way.\nAnd just like here in America, I've seen so many persons, they are writing books on Kṛṣṇa about Kṛṣṇa's pastimes with the gopīs, as if Kṛṣṇa has no other pastime. Because these things are very easily saleable. So they are writing books on that. I've seen one book written by Mr. Bhattacarya about these, Kṛṣṇa's dealings with the gopīs. No. This is not good. You should not take Kṛṣṇa's activities, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, professionally, for livelihood. That is danger. Your life should be sacrifice for Kṛṣṇa. That is wanted. Otherwise you shall be pretender.\nYes. Go on.",
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"content": "\n Verse number 8: \"Perform your prescribed duty, which is better than not working. A man cannot even maintain his physical body without work.\" [Bg. 3.8]\n[Perform your prescribed duty, for action is better than inaction. A man cannot even maintain his physical body without work.]",
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"content": "\n Yes. Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna was talking. Kṛṣṇa never said Arjuna, \"Oh, My dear Arjuna, you are My friend, intimate friend and devotee. All right. You haven't got to fight with your... Everything will be done by Me. You go to Himalaya and meditate.\" No. He never said that. Kṛṣṇa could do. Kṛṣṇa could fight for Arjuna. He was all-powerful. Without fighting, He could give him everything. But still, He wanted to engage him. That one should be engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness along with his prescribed duties, that is required. Yes.\n[reading from text:] \"Perform your prescribed duty, which is better than not working.\" If you cannot work in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then you better perform your prescribed duty according to varṇāśrama. Just like if you are a brāhmaṇa, then you have to act such way. If you are a kṣatriya, you have to work in that way. But don't stop working. Kṛṣṇa says that \"A man cannot even maintain his physical body without work.\" He does not say that \"You become Kṛṣṇa conscious beggar and maintain your body in that way.\" No. That is not required.\nThat service for Kṛṣṇa should not be taken, should not be accepted, as profession for livelihood. It should be simply for the service of the Lord. For the service of the Lord you can collect millions of dollar, but for your livelihood you cannot take one dollar from any person. Then you'll be indebted. You have to repay it. You cannot cheat others. It is very strictly enjoined. Simply for Kṛṣṇa's satisfaction you can take, you can beg from others.\nJust like according to Vedic system, begging is allowed. Begging allowed for whom? For the brāhmaṇas, for the sannyāsīs, for the brahmacārī, because they collect money, beg from door to door for their benefit. Suppose a brahmacārī is going to a householder's place or a storekeeper's place, \"Give us some contribution.\" He is not collecting that money for his livelihood. He's quite competent to work.\nBut if that one dollar which he contributes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, it is good for him. At least, some portion of his energy goes to Kṛṣṇa. That is the philosophy. Not that \"Some way or other, I may collect some money and live very comfortably.\" No. We cannot do that. But you can accept Kṛṣṇa's prasādam. That is a different thing. But for personal comfort you have to work.\nIf you are a karmī, then you have to work. If you are a devotee, if you are completely... Devotee means hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate [Cc. Madhya 19.170].\n[“’Bhakti, or devotional service, means engaging all our senses in the service of the Lord, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the master of all the senses. When the spirit soul renders service unto the Supreme, there are two side effects. One is freed from all material designations, and one’s senses are purified simply by being employed in the service of the Lord.’]\nDevotee means one who has engaged his senses cent per cent for the service of the Lord. He is devotee, pure devotee.\nSo one who cannot become cent per cent, all right, become fifty percent, twenty-five percent, one percent. Give something for Kṛṣṇa. Don't be miser. Because whatever you have got, it is Kṛṣṇa's. So long you catch it up, \"It is mine,\" that is māyā. You just let loose it for [chuckling] Kṛṣṇa. Then it is freedom for you. You see.\nGo on.",
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"content": "\n Verse number 9: \"Work done as a sacrifice for Viṣṇu has to be performed, otherwise work binds one to this material world. Therefore, O son of Kuntī, perform prescribed duties for His satisfaction, and in that way you will always remain unattached and free from bondage.\"",
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"content": "\n Yes. Bondage means working for one's own account. The same example. Just like a soldier is fighting for the country under the command of the commander-in-chief. The more he's killing, he's getting promotion, he's getting medals. But the same man, when he comes back at home, if he kills one man, he's hanged. Why? Because that killing and this killing is not the same thing. So one who cannot engage himself cent per cent Kṛṣṇa consciousness, let him remain in his own position and try to sacrifice for Viṣṇu or Kṛṣṇa as far as possible.\nThe prescription is for the gṛhasthas, for the householder, as exemplified by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, that his income was divided into four parts. Fifty percent for Kṛṣṇa, twenty-five percent for the family and twenty-five percent for his personal reserve fund. That he showed us example how a gṛhastha should live.\nNot that out of hundred dollars, ninety-nine percent for my wife and one percent for Kṛṣṇa. No. Not like that. One should sacrifice at least fifty percent. If he cannot sacrifice this... Brahmacārīs, sannyāsīs, they have sacrificed their everything, cent per cent. The gṛhastha, they cannot do that, because they have got wife, children. Therefore fifty percent.\nSo these are the prescribed rules and regulation for executing Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Anyway, if one cannot sacrifice cent per cent, let him sacrifice at least one percent, two percent. The more he does, that is, more he becomes free from bondage. And the more he uses his earning for sense gratification, the more he becomes bound up by the laws of material nature. Yes.",
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"content": "\n Purport: \"Since one has to work even for the simple maintenance of the body, the prescribed duties for a particular social position and quality are so made that that purpose can be fulfilled. Yajña means Lord Viṣṇu or sacrificial performances. All sacrificial performances are meant for the satisfaction of Lord Viṣṇu.\n\"The Vedas enjoin, yajña vai viṣṇuḥ. In other words, the same purpose is served whether you perform prescribed yajñas or directly serve Lord Viṣṇu. Kṛṣṇa consciousness is therefore the performance of yajña as it is prescribed here in this verse.\n\"The varṇāśrama institution also aims at this, satisfying Lord Viṣṇu. Varṇāśramācāravatā...\"",
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"content": "\n Ācāravatā puruṣeṇa paraḥ pumān viṣṇur ārādhyate [Cc. Madhya 8.58].\n[“’The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Viṣṇu, is worshiped by the proper execution of prescribed duties in the system of varṇa and āśrama. There is no other way to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead. One must be situated in the institution of the four varṇas and āśramas.’”]\nBy following the prescribed duties of a particular section of society in pursuance of the instruction of the śāstra means satisfaction of Viṣṇu. Yes.",
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"content": "\n \"Therefore, one has to work for the satisfaction of Viṣṇu. Any other work done in this material world will be a cause of bondage, for both good and evil work have their reactions, and any reaction binds the performer. One has only to work in Kṛṣṇa consciousness to satisfy Kṛṣṇa or Viṣṇu, and while performing such activities, one is supposed to be in a liberated stage. This is the great art of doing work, and in the beginning this process requires very good and expert guidance.\"",
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"content": "\n Yes.",
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"content": "\n \"One should therefore act very diligently under the expert guidance of a devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa or under the direct instruction of Kṛṣṇa, under whom Arjuna had the opportunity to work. Nothing should be performed for sense gratification, but everything should be done for the satisfaction of Kṛṣṇa. This practice will not only save one from the reactions of work but will also gradually rise one to the platform of the transcendental loving service of the Lord, which alone can uplift one to the kingdom of God.\"\nVerse number 10: \"In the beginning of creation the Lord of all creatures sent forth generations of men and demigods, along with sacrifices for Viṣṇu, and blessed them by saying, 'Be thou happy by this yajña [sacrifice], because its performance will bestow upon you all desirable things.' \"",
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"content": "\n Yes. In the creation, after creation, the yajña was also created and everyone, created being, was ordered to perform the yajñas. One cannot... Yajña-dāna-tapaḥ-kriyā na tyājyam. In the Bhagavad-gītā also you'll find that you may be a renouncer, sannyāsī, a renouncer; you have renounced this world.\nBut the four things, yajña... Yajña means working for satisfaction of Viṣṇu, yajña; dāna, charity. Yajña, dāna, tapaḥ. Tapaḥ means austerity, following the rules and regulation for spiritual upliftment. These things are not to be renounced. If somebody says, \"Oh, I have renounced the world,\" that does not mean you can renounce the service of the Lord. No.\nEven if you are a sannyāsī, you have to work for Kṛṣṇa. Either you are a sannyāsī or you are a householder or brahmacārī, you have to work for Kṛṣṇa. But the advantage of sannyāsī is that because he has no encumbrances behind—he is detached from family relationship—he has full time service for Kṛṣṇa.\nSimilarly brahmacārī, one who is not married, simply working under the order of the spiritual master, he has also cent per cent time to work. So these are the secrets, that one has to work for Kṛṣṇa—either he's a brahmacārī or sannyāsī, it doesn't matter, or householder—otherwise he'll be captured by māyā.\nGo on.",
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"content": "\n Purport: \"The material creation by the Lord of creatures, Viṣṇu, is a sort of chance offered to the conditioned souls to come back to home, back to Godhead.\"",
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"content": "\n Yes. This material creation, you'll find in the Bhagavad-gītā that... Just like our body. This body is created at a certain period by the father and mother, and it remains for some time, it grows, it gives some by-product, then it dwindles, then vanishes. Just you can study from... Similarly, the whole cosmic manifestation, this is a huge body. So it has a time of creation, its development, its by-products, its activities, then dwindling, then it will also vanish. It will also vanish.\nBut why this creation is there? This creation is there because those who are rebelled against God, Kṛṣṇa, they are not allowed to enter into the kingdom of God. They are kept aloof, and this creation is made just to give them chance to develop Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The Vedic śāstras are there, the representatives of Kṛṣṇa are there. They are teaching, \"My dear conditioned soul, please adopt this means and end your repetition of birth and death. Come to the kingdom of God.\" This is a chance.\nBut if somebody takes it, \"Now I have got my body, let me enjoy my senses to the fullest extent,\" then he is doomed. Then he loses the chance. Therefore this human form of body should not be wasted simply by sense gratification like cats and dogs.\nThose who do not know what is the complication of this material nature, this spiritual life or material life, they are rascals. Simply they are enjoying the senses which have been given by laws of nature. They are thinking, \"The best things we have got, let us enjoy it to the fullest extent.\" No, it is not good. You must take the advantage to get out of this field of material activities and enter into the kingdom of God. This is a chance of creation.\nGo on.",
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"content": "\n \"All living entities within the material creation are conditioned by material nature because of their forgetfulness of their relationship to Viṣṇu, or Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Vedic principles are to help us understand this eternal relationship. The Lord says that the purport of the Vedas is to understand Him.\"",
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"content": "\n Yes. That you will find in the Fifteenth Chapter, vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ [Bg. 15.15]. \n[I am seated in everyone's heart, and from Me come remembrance, knowledge and forgetfulness. By all the Vedas am I to be known; indeed I am the compiler of Vedānta, and I am the knower of the Vedas.]\nWhat is the purpose of so many scriptures and Vedic literature? Just to give you information that \"There is Kṛṣṇa, and you are eternally related with Kṛṣṇa. You have forgotten. Just revive that relationship and perfect your life.\" That is the sum and substance of all Vedic literature.\nGo on.",
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"content": "\n \"In the Vedic hymns it is said, patim viśvasyā...\"",
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"content": "\n Patiṁ viśvasyātmeśvaram. Yes. Go on.",
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"content": "\n \"The Lord of the living entities is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.\"",
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"content": "\n Yes, Lord of the living entities. Just like here we have got a leader, a society leader or a party leader or a club leader. There are leaders. Some are led by somebody, some are led by somebody. We don't wish to discuss. But there is a leader. Without leader, nobody goes to hell, neither to heaven. There must be one leader. The supreme leader is Kṛṣṇa. Leader of the leader. Leader of the leader. There are various types of leaders.\nNityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām, eko bahūnāṁ yo vidadhāti kāmān [Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13].\n[The Supreme Lord is eternal and the living beings are eternal. The Supreme Lord is cognizant and the living beings are cognizant. The difference is that the Supreme Lord is supplying all the necessities of life for the many other living entities.]\nThese are the wordings in the Vedas. So He is the supreme leader. We are following some leader. Some leader is following Stalin, somebody is Hitler, some leader is following Gandhi, somebody's following somebody, somebody. There must be some leader. But why not the supreme leader, who will never misguide you? He will give you actual path of happiness. Then you will become happy.\nKṛṣṇa therefore says, sarva-dharmān parityajya [Bg. 18.66].\n[Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reaction. Do not fear.]\n\"You give up all nonsense leadership. Simply come unto Me, surrender unto Me. I'll give you protection.\" That is wanted. Yes. Therefore we are following leader. There is no doubt about it. But there is misleader. Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ [SB 7.5.31]. \n[Persons who are strongly entrapped by the consciousness of enjoying material life, and who have therefore accepted as their leader or guru a similar blind man attached to external sense objects, cannot understand that the goal of life is to return home, back to Godhead, and engage in the service of Lord Viṣṇu. As blind men guided by another blind man miss the right path and fall into a ditch, materially attached men led by another materially attached man are bound by the ropes of fruitive labor, which are made of very strong cords, and they continue again and again in materialistic life, suffering the threefold miseries.]\nJust like a blind man is leading other blind men. What is the use of such following leaders? He is blind and I am blind. So if he leads me to cross the road, what [is] my life? My life is in danger.\nSo don't follow these misleaders. Kṛṣṇa is approved leader. All leaders of the society, any part of the world, has accepted Kṛṣṇa as the supreme leader. Follow Him, then you'll be happy.\nGo on.",
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"content": "\n \"Viṣṇu is the Lord of all living creatures, all worlds and all beauties, and protector of everyone. The Lord created this material world for the conditioned souls to learn how to perform yajñas for the satisfaction of Viṣṇu so that while in the material world they can live very comfortably, without anxiety in life. Then after finishing the present material body they can enter into the kingdom of God. That is the whole program for the conditioned souls.\nBy performance of yajña the conditioned souls gradually become Kṛṣṇa conscious and become godly in all respects. In this age of Kali the saṅkīrtana-yajña, or chanting the holy names of God, is recommended by the Vedic scriptures, and this transcendental system was introduced by Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu for deliverance of all men.\nSaṅkīrtana-yajña and Kṛṣṇa consciousness go well together. Lord Kṛṣṇa in His devotional form as Lord Caitanya is worshiped in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam as follows, with special reference to the saṅkīrtana-yajña: 'In this age of Kali people, who are endowed with sufficient brain substance will worship the Lord, who is accompanied by His associates, by performance of saṅkīrtana-yajña.' \"",
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"content": "\n Yes. This is... There is a verse, yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair yajanti hi sumedhasaḥ [SB 11.5.32].\n[In the Age of Kali, intelligent persons perform congregational chanting to worship the incarnation of Godhead who constantly sings the names of Kṛṣṇa. Although His complexion is not blackish, He is Kṛṣṇa Himself. He is accompanied by His associates, servants, weapons and confidential companions.]\nThose who are intelligent class of men in this age, they'll worship this form of the Lord. Who? Kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣākṛṣṇaṁ sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam: the Lord who is chanting always Kṛṣṇa, but His body is not black. Fair complexion. This is Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam: followed by many devotees. Just like you'll see the Caitanya Mahāprabhu's picture.\nHe is followed always by His associates and devotees. Sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam. Yajñaiḥ saṅ... This form of the Lord should be worshiped. Therefore we do not worship Kṛṣṇa directly. Through Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, through saṅkīrtana movement. That is the process prescribed in the śāstra.\nYou cannot worship Kṛṣṇa directly. Then you will misunderstand. Those who are not following the path of Caitanya's saṅkīrtana movement, if they want to understand Kṛṣṇa, they'll simply misrepresent Kṛṣṇa's this rāsa-līlā in this way. That's all.\nGo on.",
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"content": "\n \"Although other yajñas prescribed in the Vedic literature are not easy to perform in this age of Kali, the saṅkīrtana-yajña is the easiest and is sublime for all purposes, as is recommended in the Bhagavad-gītā.\"",
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"content": "\n Yes. In the Bhagavad-gītā also it is recommended, satataṁ kīrtayanto māṁ yatantaś ca dṛḍha-vratāḥ [Bg. 9.14].\n[Always chanting My glories, endeavoring with great determination, bowing down before Me, these great souls perpetually worship Me with devotion.]\nSo this process, chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra and gradually to develop Kṛṣṇa consciousness, is the only means for, I mean to say, elevating yourself to the perfectional stage which is meant for this human life. Otherwise we are simply, what is called, cutting our own throat. That's all.\nThank you. No more. [devotees offer obeisances]\nAny questions? [pause]",
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"content": "\n Prabhupāda? We read in the Bhagavad-gītā today in verse number...",
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"content": "\n Don't go to outside today's lecture. You try to... Question means the lecture on which I was speaking. If there is any difficulty, that should be questioned. Otherwise, if you go outside, that present atmosphere created for this purpose, that will be lost. So question means on the subject matter which is already discussed. If there is any doubt or if there is any difficulty for understanding the subject matter which we have already discussed, that is the subject matter of question. Yes?",
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"content": "\n I'm not sure if I heard you correctly. Did you say that Kṛṣṇa could not be worshiped directly? Could not be?",
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"content": "\n Kṛṣṇa directly, yes. Through the process. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He is Kṛṣṇa Himself. So the śāstra advises, instructs us, that those who are intelligent. Intelligent. The word is used there sumedhasa. Sumedhasa means those who have got nice brain substance. So Kṛṣṇa, you can approach Kṛṣṇa. There are so many ways you can approach Kṛṣṇa. And in other words it is said, mama vartmānuvartante pārtha manuṣyāḥ sarvaśaḥ [Bg. 4.11].\n[All of them—as they surrender unto Me—I reward accordingly. Everyone follows My path in all respects, O son of Pṛthā.]\nKṛṣṇa..., our relationship is with Kṛṣṇa, and that relationship cannot be cut off. That is there. Even those who are disobedient to Kṛṣṇa, those who are atheists, godless or Kṛṣṇa-less, they are also obeying Kṛṣṇa's order. They are also.\nJust like an outlaw who does not care to abide by the laws, he is also abiding the laws of the state in a different way. He is being forced. So those who are not in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he's being forced by māyā to act. So that is there already. Direct connection is there in this way or that way.\nBut here it is prescribed that anyone who wants the ultimate perfection of life, they should worship Caitanya Mahāprabhu. And Caitanya Mahāprabhu is Kṛṣṇa Himself. Caitanya Mahāprabhu is... Just like Rūpa Gosvāmī worshiped Caitanya Mahāprabhu:\nnamo mahā-vadānyāya\nkṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te\nkṛṣṇāya kṛṣṇa-caitanya-\nnāmne gaura-tviṣe namaḥ\n[Cc. Madhya 19.53]\n[“O most munificent incarnation! You are Kṛṣṇa Himself appearing as Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu. You have assumed the golden color of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī, and You are widely distributing pure love of Kṛṣṇa. We offer our respectful obeisances unto You.]\nHe says that \"My Lord, Caitanya Mahāprabhu, You are the most munificent incarnation because You are distributing love of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore I offer You my respectful obeisances on account of Your distributing Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and this is possible because You are Kṛṣṇa Yourself.\" Kṛṣṇāya kṛṣṇa-caitanya-nāmne: \"Simply You have assumed the name of Kṛṣṇa Caitanya.\" So these are the injunction of the śāstras, and if we follow Caitanya Mahāprabhu...\nAnd Caitanya Mahāprabhu says..., gives you the easiest method. He says that \"In this age simply chant 'Kṛṣṇa' and you'll get all perfection.\" So that is the easiest process. Therefore if you follow the footprints of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, then it become easier. Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya [Bg. 18.66]\n[Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reaction. Do not fear.]\nIn the Bhagavad-gītā. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, \"All right. You cannot give up all of a sudden everything. You just join in this chanting.\" That is more magnanimous. You see?\nWe ask nobody that \"You fulfill all conditions of Kṛṣṇa consciousness; then you come here.\" No. We simply say, \"Please come here. We have taken this nice hall, and these boys, they are, I mean to say, giving their blood to maintain the establishment. We don't want anything from you. Please come and chant with us.\" That is our request.\nWe don't ask you that because we are paying four hundred, five hundred dollars for this building, you give us something. If you give, it is welcome. But we simply request you, \"Please come and chant with us and dance with us and take the prasādam.\" That's all.\nThis is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's program. Because we know that Caitanya Mahāprabhu will supply us everything. \"We don't depend on your contribution, but if you give, oh, that is good for you. But our only request is that please come here. Please chant with us, dance with us. That's all.\"\n[pause] Yes?",
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"content": "\n How will it be possible, Prabhupāda, for a man whose mind is clouded to constantly chant Hare Kṛṣṇa? A man who's always thinking thoughts about family, friends and country, nation?",
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"content": "\n Yes. Think of; at the same time, chant. Two things will go on, and this will conquer. [chuckling] As māyā is forcing you to drag you from this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, you also force māyā by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. There is fight. And māyā will go away.\ndaivī hy eṣā guṇamayī\nmama māyā duratyayā\nmām eva ye prapadyante\nmāyām etāṁ taranti te\n[Bg. 7.14]\n[This divine energy of Mine, consisting of the three modes of material nature, is difficult to overcome. But those who have surrendered unto Me can easily cross beyond it.]\nThis māyā is very strong. She'll force you to entice you to other path. But if you be not strong, if you chant loudly...\nJust like Haridāsa Ṭhākura was chanting, and māyā could not victimize him. You know that? What was his stand? Simply chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. Māyā could not entice. Māyā failed. Māyā became his disciple; he did not become māyā's disciple. This is tug of war.\nSo don't be afraid of māyā. Simply enhance chanting and you'll be conqueror. That's all. Nārāyaṇa-parāḥ sarve na kutaścana bibhyati [SB 6.17.28].\n[Devotees solely engaged in the devotional service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Nārāyaṇa, never fear any condition of life. For them the heavenly planets, liberation and the hellish planets are all the same, for such devotees are interested only in the service of the Lord.]\nWe are not afraid of māyā, because Kṛṣṇa is there. Yes. Kṛṣṇa says, kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati [Bg. 9.31]:\n[He quickly becomes righteous and attains lasting peace. O son of Kuntī, declare it boldly that My devotee never perishes.]\n\"You just declare, 'My devotee will never be vanquished by māyā.' \" Māyā cannot do anything. Simply you have to become strong. And what is that strength? Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare, loudly. Yes.",
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"content": "\n What is māyā? I know that it's attractive...",
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"content": "\n Māyā means which drags you from Kṛṣṇa. That is māyā.",
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"content": "\n Is it a spiritual form?",
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"content": "\n Whatever form may be, [it is] force. We shall see form later on. You just... Just like a police sends a warrant, arrest. You do not ask what is the form of the police, but here is warrant, you have to go. Force, that's all. Similarly, don't try to understand what is māyā's form, but you just feel her force, how she is acting, how she is putting you in difficulty. You see? There are so many things.\nMāyā puts into this difficulty, and you are encumbered. That we have to understand, how I have become encumbered. In my childhood I was free. There was no encumbrances. Now I am encumbered. I am harassed. This is māyā's action. So if you want to get out of this māyā's influence, then you have to become Kṛṣṇa consciousness. There is no other alternative.\nChant Hare Kṛṣṇa. [end]",
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https://vedabase.io/en/library/transcripts/660330pu-new-york/
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"content": "\n Hear carefully. Just try to hear, then...\n[sings Bhajahū Re Mana, accompanied by karatālas]\nbhajahū re mana śrī-nanda-nandana\nabhaya-caraṇāravinda re\ndurlabha mānava-janama sat-saṅge\ntaroho e bhava-sindhu re\n[O mind, just worship the lotus feet of the son of Nanda, which make one fearless. Having obtained this rare human birth, cross over this ocean of worldly existence by associating with saintly persons.]\nśīta ātapa bāta bariṣaṇa\ne dina jāminī jāgi re\nbiphale sevinu kṛpaṇa durajana\ncapala sukha-laba lāgi' re\n[Day and night I remain sleepless, suffering heat and cold, wind and rain. For a bit of flickering happiness I have vainly served wicked and miserly men.]\ne dhana, yaubana, putra, parijana\nithe ki āche paratīti re\nkamala-dala-jala, jīvana ṭalamala\nbhajahū hari-pada nīti re\n[What assurance of real happiness is there in all one’s wealth, youth, sons, and relatives? This life totters like a drop of water on a lotus petal; therefore you should always worship the lotus feet of Lord Hari.]\nśravaṇa, kīrtana, smaraṇa, vandana,\npāda-sevana, dāsya re\npūjana, sakhī-jana, ātma-nivedana\ngovinda-dāsa-abhilāṣa re\n[Govinda Dāsa longs to hear the glories of Lord Hari, chant His glories, constantly remember Him, offer Him prayers, serve His lotus feet, become His servant, worship Him, serve Him as a friend, and completely offer Him his very self.]\nThis is a song which a devotee is praying and asking his mind, bhajahū re mana. Mana means mind. Because, at the present moment, our mind is the driver, and this body is just like a car. In the Bhagavad-gītā also it is stated, bhrāmayan sarva-bhūtāni yantrārūḍhāni māyayā [Bg 18.61], this body is a car made of this material nature.\n[The Supreme Lord is situated in everyone's heart, O Arjuna, and is directing the wanderings of all living entities, who are seated as on a machine, made of the material energy.]\nThe living entity, what is said \"I,\" I am now seated on this car prepared by the nature, material nature. And the driver is the mind. And the driver is not in my control. The driver is taking me anywhere he likes. You see? I am... Personally, I am not able to drive. I have engaged one driver, which is called the mind, and this body is the car, and the mind is carrying me...",
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"content": "\n Like driver.",
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"content": "\n ...like driver, anywhere it likes. So therefore the proprietor, I, I am, I am requesting the driver... When I am helpless, so I am requesting, \"My dear mind,\" bhajahū re mana, \"my dear mind...\" Mana means mind. \"You kindly worship Lord Kṛṣṇa.\" Śrī-nanda-nandana. Śrī-nanda-nandana means Lord Kṛṣṇa.\nLord Kṛṣṇa appeared as the son of Vasudeva, and He was accepted by Nanda Mahārāja as his..., what is called? Son who is accepted from others? So he, he was His foster father. So he's reques... \"I am requesting that you worship Lord Kṛṣṇa, who is abhaya-caraṇa.\" Abhaya-caraṇa means He's the fearless shelter. If we take shelter of Kṛṣṇa, then we become free from all anxieties. Just like a helpless child, when he's taken care of by his parents, he becomes careless..., carefree, not careless. Carefree. \"Similarly, I am requesting, my dear mind, 'You do not drive in this way, dangerously. Please worship Lord Kṛṣṇa, who is fearless shelter.' \" Bhajahū re mana śrī-nanda-nandana-abhaya-caraṇāravinda re: \"His lotus feet is fearless shelter.\"\nOne who takes shelter... As the Lord says in Bhagavad-gītā, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja [Bg 18.66].\n[Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reaction. Do not fear.]\nNow, either you say Kṛṣṇa or you say superconsciousness... Superconsciousness is impersonal conception of Kṛṣṇa, and Kṛṣṇa is personal conception of superconsciousness. Because Kṛṣṇa means He's not only superconscious, but He's supreme bliss and supreme knowledge—supreme knowledge means superconsciousness—and eternal, supreme consciousness, supreme bliss. That is the definition of Kṛṣṇa.\nNow, then the devotee says that durlabha mānava-janama sat-saṅge taroho e bhava-sindhu re. Now, this body, this human body, is durlabha. Durlabha means very valuable. It is obtained with..., after a great struggle of existence. We have to come through so many species of life: aquatics, birds, then trees, then reptiles, then beasts... There are so many. So many. There are eighty-four lakhs, means 8,400,000 species of life, and we had to pass through by gradual evolution. This theory is accepted by Darwin also, evolutionary theory. So this human body is very valuable.\nSo he requests, \"My dear mind...\" Mind, of course, the..., in the lower animal life the mind is there also. Also mind is not developed, but they have got mind. It is a... In the very lower animal living condition, the mind is not at all developed, but at least, in animal life, there is mind. Now, the devotee requesting that \"This life, this human form of life, is very valuable. Don't waste it. Don't waste it, but you just to make your life successful in the association of saints and sages.\"",
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"content": "\n What?",
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"content": "\n Saints. Saints. S-a-i-n-t-s. Saints and sages.",
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"content": "\n No, no.",
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"content": "\n You have no saint?",
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"content": "\n Saints and sages, s-a-i...\n Saints?",
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"content": "\n Saints.",
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"content": "\n Oh, saints and sages.",
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"content": "\n Yes. Saints and sages. You see? \"So you should not make association with anybody else, but you make your association only with saints and sages and make your this valuable human form of life successful. Don't waste your time. You worship Lord Kṛṣṇa with the help of the saints and sages and make your life successful.\" That he is requesting. \"Don't drive in this irresponsible way to put me into the ocean.\"\nAnd it is also requested that \"We are just like in the ocean of birth and death.\" This material cosmic situation is sometimes explained as the ocean, and these planets, they are explained as islands. And actually, they are islands in the air. Just like we have got islands in the sea and ocean, similarly, these planets are islands in the air, air islands, so many planets.\nSo he says that durlabha mānava-janama sat-saṅge tara e bhava-sindhu re. Bhava-sindhu. Bhava-sindhu means this cosmic situation where birth and death is going on continually, one after another. \"So you stop this business of repeated birth and death. You make your this human form of life successful and get release from this disease of birth and death.\" Birth and death is a sort of disease for the living entity. It is not the normal condition. Due to our this abnormal encagement in the material body, we are put into the birth and death. Otherwise, I am not subjected to birth and death. I am eternal. I am eternal.\nSo he is requested that \"Don't waste your time, my dear mind.\" Because mind is taking me here and there. So he's requesting mind. It is very philosophical. This is concentration, requesting the mind, \"Don't put me into the ocean of birth and death. Please save me, and just make your life successful in the association of saints and sages. That is my request.\"\nBhajahū re mana śrī-nanda-nandana. So worship, worship of Lord Kṛṣṇa or the Supreme Lord and, at the same time, association of saints and sages, that makes our life successful. Association of good persons and, at the same time, simultaneously, devotional service to the Lord. These two things combinedly can make our life successful.",
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"content": "\n How do you call devotion to the Lord?",
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"content": "\n Eh? Yes. Lord... We worship Kṛṣṇa, the symbol of supreme consciousness. Because in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that kleśa adhikataras teṣām avyaktāsakta-cetasām [Bg 12.5].\n[For those whose minds are attached to the unmanifested, impersonal feature of the Supreme, advancement is very troublesome. To make progrese in that discipline is always difficult for those who are embodied.]\nIf you take up impersonal, simply consciousness, then you have to pass through difficult process. But if you accept the symbol, Kṛṣṇa, the symbol of supreme consciousness, that will be easier for you. Yes. It is said. So Kṛṣṇa... I can concentrate my mind. I can focus my mental activities in the service of the Lord, Kṛṣṇa. Because He is supreme consciousness, therefore automatically I concentrate on the supreme consciousness.\nSo,\nbhajahū re mana śrī-nanda-nandana-\nabhaya-caraṇāravinda re\ndurlabha mānava-janama sat-saṅge\ntaroho e bhava-sindhu re\n[O mind, just worship the lotus feet of the son of Nanda, which make one fearless. Having obtained this rare human birth, cross over this ocean of worldly existence by associating with saintly persons.]\nThen he says that \"What I am doing? What is my present occupation?\" The present occupation is,\nśīta ātapa bāta bariṣaṇa\ne dina jāminī jāgi re\nbiphale sevinu kṛpaṇa durajana\ncapala sukha-laba lāgi' re\n[Day and night I remain sleepless, suffering heat and cold, wind and rain. For a bit of flickering happiness I have vainly served wicked and miserly men.]\nHe says that \"I am working hard, day and night. And there is no question of winter or summer or rainy season. I have to work hard, day and night. If there is night duty in the winter season, I have to join my office at twelve o'clock at night. So I must go. There is snowfall. If I don't go, then I'll be absent. So I am working so hard, very hard.'' Śīta ātapa bāta bariṣaṇa, jāminī jāgi re.\n\"And what for I am working?'' Now, biphale sevinu kṛpaṇa durajana: \"Just to serve persons who cannot protect me.\" \"Who cannot protect me.'' We think that my wife or my husband or my children or my relatives or my friends and, oh, so many we have got, relationship with this material world... And everyone is working to satisfy his relatives. A family man is working so hard because he has to satisfy his wife, children, friends and so many other person. But one should be conscious that \"These friends and relatives, they cannot protect me ultimately. They are... Neither I can protect them, nor they can protect me.'' You see?\nEveryone responsible. Everyone is responsible for his own activity. Besides that... Now, suppose if I am constructing a high building, skyscrapers—just like you have got very good experience in this country—if somebody asks me that \"Why you are building so high building? What is the reason?'' and if I answer, \"Just to set fire it it,'' then the..., the man will laugh: \"You, simply for setting fire, you are spending so much money and building this high building for setting fire?'' \"Yes.''\nSo this sort of answer is just like in our present activities. Now, of course, you take the dead bodies to the crematorium and, I mean to say, put into the grave. But India... In India, of course, there is graveyard for the Muhammadans and the Christians, but the Hindus, they burn the dead body. They burn the dead body. You see? In the Bhāgavata also, these three system are recorded, that the ultimate transformation of this body will be either ashes, stool or earth.",
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"content": "\n Earth...",
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"content": "\n Earth...",
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"content": "\n ...stool...",
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"content": "\n ...stool or ashes. How it is? Now, because after death, persons who burn the dead body, that is turned into ashes. This body, this beautiful body, will be turned into ashes. And those who bury in the graveyard, that will turn into...\n[aside:] Oh, that is air. Don't disturb yourself. That is the air.\nIf we bury in the ground, gradually the body will turn into earth. And according to Iranian system, the body is thrown to the vultures. They eat it. So that will be turned into animal stool. You see? So that is the last stage of this body.\nSo everyone knows that everyone will die. Still, we are working so hard. We are making our bank balance, we are just making will and papers just to give protection to our family or to our children, and there is no time. Everyone is very busy in this. But he does not see that \"All these, what I am doing, all these body ultimately become either ash or animal stool or turn into earth. So why I am taking so much trouble?\"\nTherefore the revealed scripture advises that \"You have to maintain your body. That's all right. But for simply material comforts you should not devote time more than it is absolutely required.\" That means don't increase your bodily necessities. Don't increase your bodily necessities.\nThat was the standard of Indian civilization. They did not, the sages and saints, they did not advise to increase the necessities of the body. They, I mean to say, planned the social system in such a way that people should be satisfied only for..., by the bare necessities of life. We require some eating, we require some sleeping, or shelter place, and we require some sense gratification and we require some protection from enemies.\n[aside:] Yes? Come. Ah-hah! Ah, ah-hah, ah-hah! [indistinct name] Come in. Come in. [end]",
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https://vedabase.io/en/library/transcripts/670106cc-new-york/
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"content": "\n\nkṛṣṇe jānāñā dvārī brahmāre lañā gelā\nkṛṣṇera caraṇe brahmā daṇḍavat kailā\n[Cc. Madhya 21.62]\n[The doorman then informed Lord Kṛṣṇa of Lord Brahmā’s description, and Lord Kṛṣṇa gave him permission to enter. The doorman escorted Lord Brahmā in, and as soon as Brahmā saw Lord Kṛṣṇa, he offered obeisances at His lotus feet.]\nSo we have been discussing, yesterday, Brahmā visiting Kṛṣṇa as four-headed Brahmā. He was little proud that \"I am the original, first creature of this universe. I have got four heads, four hands.\" The material nature, the influence of material nature, is like that. Even Brahmā, who is supposed to be in full knowledge of Vedic literature...\nHe is the father of Vedic literature. He handed over the Vedas to Nārada. Still, that ahaṅkāra, \"I am something,\" is there even in Brahmā, and what to speak of ordinary living entities like us. This material conception of life is like that: \"I am\" and \"mine.\" Ahaṁ..., ahaṁ mameti [SB 5.5.8]. \n[The attraction between male and female is the basic principle of material existence. On the basis of this misconception, which ties together the hearts of the male and female, one becomes attracted to his body, home, property, children, relatives and wealth. In this way one increases life's illusions and thinks in terms of \"I and mine.]\nAhaṁ mameti: \"I am something, supreme,\" and \"It is mine.\" This is the material disease. So these things are sometimes exhibited by great īśvaras, controller, like Brahmā, like Śiva. They sometimes exhibit material frailties. They are not fallible in that way, but they teach us by their behavior that even personalities of the most exalted position, they are also sometimes subjected to the spell of illusory energy. The idea is that we should be very careful. Nobody should think that he is beyond the range of material energy. At any time we can fall down.\nBut if we stick to the Kṛṣṇa consciousness, always thinking of Kṛṣṇa as our protector, and take shelter unto His lotus feet sincerely, then even if we fall down sometimes, not intentionally, but accidentally—because we are practiced to so many bad things, so it may be possible that even I take full care, still, the influence is so strong, I may fall down—Kṛṣṇa excuses such kind of falldown. Excuses. But if we intentionally think, \"Oh, because I am in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, because I am engaged in devotional service, oh, I can do any nonsense and Kṛṣṇa will excuse me,\" no. Not like that. Kṛṣṇa will excuse you, provided you do not do anything intentionally wrong.\nWe should be... Generally, those who are in Kṛṣṇa consciousness fully, they have—I have already explained to you—they have got all these twenty-six qualification. That is the perfection of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. When we see the twenty-six qualification in full present, that means he is perfect in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If those qualities are not present, that means there is still, I mean to say, that touch of contamination of material nature.\nHarāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇā [SB 5.18.12]. \n[All the demigods and their exalted qualities, such as religion, knowledge and renunciation, become manifest in the body of one who has developed unalloyed devotion for the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vāsudeva. On the other hand, a person devoid of devotional service and engaged in material activities has no good qualities. Even if he is adept at the practice of mystic yoga or the honest endeavor of maintaining his family and relatives, he must be driven by his own mental speculations and must engage in the service of the Lord's external energy. How can there be any good qualities in such a man?]\nSo far those who are not in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, their material academic qualification has no value, no value, however M.A., Ph.D. he may be. Why? Mano-rathena asato dhāvato bahiḥ. Because the materialist without Kṛṣṇa consciousness... That is a materialist. One who has no conception of God, or Kṛṣṇa, and his proper relationship with Him, one who does not know the science of God, he is called materialist.\nMaterialist does not mean something extraordinary personality. One who does not know about Kṛṣṇa, he is materialist. And one who makes progress in the science of Kṛṣṇa under regulation and under principles, they are called spiritualist. So materialist, the disease is that harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇā mano-rathena asati dhāvato bahiḥ [SB 5.18.12].\nUnless we take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness fully, we shall hover over the mental plane. You will find so many philosophers, doctors of philosophy, they can go on speculating, mental plane, manaḥ, but actually they are asat. Their activities will be seen in materialistic. There is no spiritualistic realization. So more or less degree, this material conception is everywhere. Ā-brahma-bhuvanāl lokān. Kṛṣṇa says, ā-brahma-bhuvanāl lokān [Bg. 8.16].\n[From the highest planet in the material world down to the lowest, all are places of misery wherein repeated birth and death take place. But one who attains to My abode, O son of Kuntī, never takes birth again.]\nBeginning from the lowest planet up to the Brahmaloka, they are all affected. So similarly Brahmā, he thought himself, \"Oh, how great I am that in my jurisdiction Kṛṣṇa, my Lord, has come, and He is playing like a boy, cowherd boy. How much great I am. Kṛṣṇa has come just like cowherd boy.\" You see? Therefore he... Kṛṣṇe jānāñā dvārī brahmāre lañā gelā. Kṛṣṇa inquired, \"Which Brahmā has come?\"\nNow the doorman takes him inside, and he enters Kṛṣṇa's room, offers his respect. Kṛṣṇera caraṇe brahmā daṇḍavat kailā. Now, if Kṛṣṇa is ordinary person, as the foolish rascals think, that avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā [Bg. 9.11],\n[Fools deride Me when I descend in the human form. They do not know My transcendental nature and My supreme dominion over all that be.]\n\"The foolish rascals deride at Me as ordinary man,\" how it is possible that Brahmā is offering his respect to Kṛṣṇa? If you think that \"These are all stories...\" Not stories. Do you think Caitanya Mahāprabhu is speaking some stories, some fabricated stories, to get His followers? Do you think like that? No.\nLord Caitanya, such a great devotee... Apart from His feature of incarnation, take Him as a great devotee, learned. He was vastly learned, and nobody could surpass Him in His learning in those days. He defeated... When He was a sixteen-years-old boy, He defeated the greatest scholar, Keśava Kāśmīrī. His name was Keśava. He came to Navadvīpa from Kashmir to talk with scholars. Formerly, as nowadays you have got—what is called?—champion, champion. What is the meaning of champion?",
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"content": "\n Best. Just like in sporting, there are champions in..., chessboard playing champion or so many departmental champion. This is coming from time long, long ago. Similarly, there were champions of scholars. Just like in modern days a sportsman will challenge, and if he is victorious all over the world... Similarly, in those days there were competition of the great learned scholars, championship. So this Keśava Kāśmīrī... At least India, that was the system even five hundred years before. So Keśava Kāśmīrī, he was a paṇḍita.\nNow, India was united on the strength of religious culture and Sanskrit language. All over India the lingua franca, the language, common language, at least for the scholars, not for the common man... The common man could speak any language—Hindi, Parsi or Bengali, Oriya, Telugu, so many. There are so many languages. In every district you will find some language. But that was not taken into consideration.\nWhen education is concerned, every student all over India, they would take education in Sanskrit. Sanskrit language was the... So our present government, they have introduced a state language as Hindi. There are so many protests and so many quarrels. They would have done better if they would have introduced Sanskrit language, as it was previously.\nSo this Sanskrit scholar, Keśava Kāśmīrī, he came from Kashmir to challenge the learned scholars in other parts of the country.\n[break] Four celebrated places where highly, I mean to..., educated scholars were there. One was at Benares. Benares still, it is considered to be the center of Sanskrit scholars' place.\nAnother unity was that sacred places were distributed all over India. Just like Gayā, a sacred place, it is situated in Bihar. And sacred place, Benares, it is situated in Uttar Pradesh. Vṛndāvana is situated on the border of Uttar Pradesh and Punjab. Similarly, Kashmir, and Punjab also; in South India, Rāmeśvaram; in Himalayan province, Haridwar.\nIn this way all these provinces were distributed, and still it is going on. The provincialism is amongst the educated circle. So far the mass of people are concerned, they don't know what is province. They travel from one province to another. They don't require any visa. They don't require any passport. So that was very nice.\nSo this Sanskrit scholar, Keśava Kāśmīrī, he came from Kashmir to challenge the learned scholars in other parts of the country. There were four celebrated places where highly, I mean to..., educated scholars were there. One was at Benares. Benares still, it is considered to be the center of Sanskrit scholars' place.\nSimilarly Navadvīpa, where Caitanya Mahāprabhu was born. And in Bihar there was a place, Darbhanga. That is also a scholarly. So Benares, and Berhampur, Berhampur in East Bengal near Dacca. So some of the places in India, they are very famous for learned scholars. Still they are continuing.\nSo Sanskrit scholars would come in such celebrated places, and they would challenge for arguing on the śāstras. So the rule was that two party will argue, and the defeated party will become the disciple of the victorious party. That was the system. So Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, when He was sixteen years old, this Keśava Kāśmīrī came to Navadvīpa to challenge. In other places he was victorious; he became champion. And then, at last, he came to Bengal, Navadvīpa. So that scholarly discussion will take place.\nNow notice is already given that \"Keśava Kāśmīrī has come here,\" and he had an umbrella, and the four sides was covered with gold, and the one side is remaining. As soon as he becomes victorious in Navadvīpa, that side also will be covered with gold. So the people of Navadvīpa, learned scholars, they first of all thought that Nimāi Paṇḍita...\nCaitanya Mahāprabhu was known as Nimāi Paṇḍita, because He was boy, sixteen-years-old boy, very learned scholar, especially in logic He was very learned scholar, logician. He was so... Even in His sixth year, with His class friends He will establish one theory; again He will cut it; again He will establish; again He will cut it; again the same, in His own way. He was so learned scholar, logician.\nSo the elderly scholars of Navadvīpa, they designed that \"This Nimāi Paṇḍita should be forwarded first to talk with Keśava Kāśmīrī, because He is a boy. But He is a very nice boy. He is very learned boy. If He becomes victorious, then our Navadvīpa will be glorified, that 'Keśava Kāśmīrī was defeated by a sixteen-years-old boy in Navadvīpa.' And if He..., if Nimāi Paṇḍita is defeated, then we shall go forward.\nThen we shall say, 'Oh, you have defeated a boy. Let us..., come to us.' So we get second chance.\" So that was the plan, Bengali plan, [chuckles] second chance. First chance, second chance. So it was arranged like that, that Lord Caitanya, Nimāi Paṇḍita, would talk, would discuss with Keśava Kāśmīrī.\nSo one evening... Still, during summer season on the Ganges side in the evening there are so many ladies and gentlemen, especially gentlemen; ladies do not come. Nowadays come. Formerly they did not come out. So they came for strolling. And Nimāi Paṇḍita, although He was sixteen years old, He had many students. Formerly the system was that as soon as a boy becomes little grown up and learned, he will also teach some students.\nCatuṣpāthī. So although all the students were of the same age, but still, Nimāi Paṇḍita was chief of them. So He was discussing with His own students on the bank of the Ganges. So Keśava Kāśmīrī came there for strolling, and he understood that \"Oh, here is a boy, Nimāi Paṇḍita. He is to talk with me. So what this boy will talk with me?\" He thought like that.\nSo when he came before the assembly of the students, he talked with Nimāi that \"Are You Nimāi Paṇḍita?\" \"Yes, sir. Who are you?\" \"I am Keśava Kāśmīrī.\" \"Oh. Come on, come on. Sit down.\" The introduction was there. They sat down. And then Nimāi Paṇḍita requested, \"So, I have heard that you are a very vastly learned scholar, and from your feature also I can understand, so best thing will be that you compose some poetry in praising Ganges.\"\nBecause they were on the bank of the Ganges, and it is a Hindu system... Ganges water is considered very sacred, and there are many prayers of Ganges. Patita-dharaṇī gaṅge. Patita-dharaṇī gaṅge: Ganges is the shelter for all the fallen souls. She can deliver. Śaṅkarācārya had composed many poems on the Ganges. There are many poetry on the Ganges. So Keśava Kāśmīrī was very learned scholar. He, without any hesitation, he began to compose Sanskrit verses in praising Ganges. So he composed about one hundred verses immediately while talking.\nSo out of the one hundred verses, on the sixty-fourth verse Lord Caitanya pointed out, \"Will you kindly explain this line? I am little in difficulty to understand.\" \"What is that?\" There was a word, bhavānī-bhartā. Bhavānī-bhartā. Bhavānī... Means \"husband of Bhavānī.\" So Caitanya Mahāprabhu pointed out that Bhavānī... \"Bhava means Lord Śiva, and bhavānī means Lord Śiva's wife, and bhartā means husband. So this bhavānī word itself indicates that she is the wife of Lord Śiva, and why you have stated again bhartā, again 'husband'?\" This is called dvirukti-doṣa[?].\nSanskrit language is very scholarly language, reformed. You cannot deviate even a line, even a letter in the sense, in the poetry, in the writing. There are all regulation, strict regulation, grammatical and metric and so many things. So nobody can surpass it, not that... Just like nowadays we write poetry—one line is three hundred miles, one hundred, [chuckles] and only one mile. That sort of poetry will not be allowed in Sanskrit. [chuckles] You cannot adjust three hundred miles and one mile. No. It must be very symmetrical. That is Sanskrit language.\nSo the Paṇḍita, Kāśmīrī Paṇḍita, became surprised. The Kāśmīrī Paṇḍita became surprised: \"How is that? This boy understood? He was a student of grammar, and He is pointing out literary defects?\" Oh, he became very much..., much surprised. Then he admitted. He was learned scholar. He admitted his fault, and he said, \"How is that? I have heard that You are a student of grammar, and You are pointing out defects in literary construction?\" \"No. Yes. Yes, sir. I am a student of grammar. But I have heard it from great scholars like you. Of course, I do not know, but I have heard it.\" He very submissively replied that \"I am not scholar, but I have heard it from scholars that this is the technique.\" He could understand that \"He is a very clever student.\"\nAnd there were many others, He pointed out defects. He thought in the beginning, \"Oh, He is asking to compose some poetries. I shall show Him how can I compose poetry, hundreds.\" He did not care so much that \"He will point out so many defects in them.\" But when he saw it, he became sorry. And then the students, Lord Caitanya's students, as it is usual, they began to laugh. Oh, Caitanya Mahāprabhu at once told them, \"Don't laugh in that way.\"\nSo this Keśava Kāśmīrī went to his, I mean, his home, and he was a devotee of Goddess Sarasvatī. He prayed that \"Mother, I was never defeated in such a way. What offense I have made unto your lotus feet that I am defeated before a boy?\" So then Goddess Sarasvatī presented herself in dream and informed that,\n\"This boy is not ordinary boy. You are fortunate that you are defeated before Him. Best thing will be that you go and surrender unto Him, and you'll be profited.\" So this Keśava Kāśmīrī became a student of Lord Caitanya, and this is the... So these puffed-up things are going on in every field of activities. But Lord Kṛṣṇa is always greater than everyone. So here Brahmā is asking,\nkṛṣṇa mānya-pūjā kari' tāṅre praśna kaila\n'ki lāgi' tomāra ihāṅ āgamana haila?'\n[Cc. Madhya 21.63]\n[After being worshiped by Lord Brahmā, Lord Kṛṣṇa also honored him with suitable words. Then Lord Kṛṣṇa asked him, ’Why have you come here?]\nAs he offered his respect to Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa received him, \"Oh, welcome, Brahmā. I am very glad to see you. What is the special message that you have all of a sudden you come here?\" So,\nbrahmā kahe—'tāhā pāche kariba nivedana\neka saṁśaya mane haya, karaha chedana\n[Cc. Madhya 21.64]\n[Being questioned, Lord Brahmā immediately replied, ’Later I shall tell You why I have come. First of all there is a doubt in my mind which I wish You would kindly dissipate.]\n\"Yes, Sir, I shall speak for what for I have come here. But I have got some doubts. First of all, You kindly clear these doubts.\" Then \"What is that doubt?\" Eka saṁśaya mane haya, karaha chedana.\n'kon brahmā?' puchile tumi kon abhiprāye?\nāmā ba-i jagate āra kon brahmā haye?'\n[Cc. Madhya 21.65]\n[Why did you inquire which Brahmā had come to see You? What is the purpose of such an inquiry? Is there any other Brahmā besides me within this universe?]\n\"So You have asked, 'Which Brahmā?' Sir, I am surprised. Is there any other Brahmā than myself in this world?\"\nśuni' hāsi' kṛṣṇa tabe karilena dhyāne\nasaṅkhya brahmāra gaṇa āilā tata-kṣaṇe\n[Cc. Madhya 21.66]\n[Upon hearing this, Śrī Kṛṣṇa smiled and immediately meditated. Unlimited Brahmās arrived instantly.]\n\"Kṛṣṇa smiled. 'Oh, yes, there are so many Brahmās. I am calling them.' \" So innumerable Brahmās appeared before Kṛṣṇa.\ndaśa-biśa-śata-sahasra-ayuta-lakṣa-vadana\nkoṭy-arbuda mukha kāro, nā yāya gaṇana\n[Cc. Madhya 21.67]\n[These Brahmās had different numbers of heads. Some had ten heads, some twenty, some a hundred, some a thousand, some ten thousand, some a hundred thousand, some ten million and others a hundred million. No one can count the number of faces they had.]\nSo unlimited. He had four faces, four heads, and then many Brahmās came with hundred thousands of faces. That was exhibited by Kṛṣṇa.\nSo this instruction is that we speak of God as unlimited, but when He makes some manifestation of unlimitedness, we take it in a different way. But actually that is not the fact. If God has unlimited potency, He can do anything and everything. That is unlimitedness. We should not restrict God with our speculative mind, that \"How is that? Oh, four-headed Brahmā, then thousand-headed Brahmā? How it is possible?\" Yes.\nIf Kṛṣṇa likes, if God likes, He can make millions-of-headed Brahmā. Otherwise there is no meaning of unlimited. He can show anything and everything. We should accept it. So these things are going on. We shall discuss later on, tomorrow. Hare Kṛṣṇa.\nAny question? [end]",
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https://vedabase.io/en/library/transcripts/710916le-mombasa/
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"content": "\n [introducing tape] Mombasa, evening, September 16th, 1971, Pandiya House. Meeting with community leaders.",
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"content": "\n ...recite some verses from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam which are instruction of Ṛṣabhadeva, Mahārāja Ṛṣabhadeva. Ṛṣabhadeva appeared… He is incarnation of God, and He ruled over some time on this planet, and He was the father of Mahārāja Bharata, who ruled over this planet after him some many thousands of years ago. Because Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam was written five thousand years ago, and long, long before.\nSo Ṛṣabhadeva’s son was Bharata Mahārāja, and after his name this planet is called Bhārata-varṣa. Bhārata-varṣa does not mean the small piece of land which are now occupied in India. Bhārata-varṣa means this whole planet. And before that, this planet was known as Ilāvṛta-varṣa.\nSo this Vedic culture was ruling all over the world. Because the…, gradually people became degraded, the Vedic culture remained in a broken state in India only. Otherwise, from Mahābhārata and other historical references we can understand that these Europeans, Americans, they belong to the kṣatriya stock. Mahārāja Yayāti gave to his two sons this Greek and Rome, and from their generation these European stock and the American stock has expanded. And the Arabians also, Indo-Āryan stock. This is historical reference.\n[aside to Indian guest:] Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa.\nSo Vedic culture was spread all over the world; there is historical reference. Just like, for example, that our India, twenty years ago, that India and present India is different because it is now divided Pakistan. Some portion of India was taken away by other elements who did not agree. Similarly, the whole world was India, or Bhārata-varṣa. Gradually, as the Vedic culture degraded, others separated.\nIn India also, still we have got so many sects differing from original Vedic culture. Just like Lord Buddha, he is Indian. He was Hindu, he was kṣatriya, but he differed from the Vedas. He started his own religious system, Buddhism. Although in India there is practically no Buddhism—it is outside India—but Buddhism also originated from India. Similarly, there is Jainism, Sikhism and so many other isms, but the original culture is Vedic culture. Every culture you'll find there is a history. But Vedic culture has no history. Nobody knows when it began and when it will end. It will never end.\nSo on this cultural unity the whole world was one. There was only one plan[?]. Even after the time of Mahārāja Parīkṣit there was only one king in Hastināpura. The Battle of Kurukṣetra was fought, all the people of the world. Some of them, because it was a family fight between two cousin-brothers, so some of them joined this side, some of them joined that side. But the whole world. It was the greatest world war.\nSo this Vedic culture is very old. That is a fact. And this Ṛṣabhadeva is speaking to His sons before retiring. It is understood that when He was in Burma, He was speaking to His sons. He had one hundred sons. Nowadays people say that population has increased, but I do not know how the population has increased. Nobody can breed even more than ten sons, and in those days people were breeding hundred sons. Even the Kurus, they were a hundred brothers. Anyway, Ṛṣabhadeva had one hundred sons. Out of them, nine became sannyāsī and others remained kṣatriya.\nSo this is another instruction, that persons born in kṣatriya family became brāhmaṇa by quality. And in the Bhagavad-gītā it is also said,\ncātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ\nguṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ\n[Bg. 4.13]\nThat was the whole system. And Nārada Muni says,\nyasya hi lakṣaṇaṁ sa\nvarṇābhivyañjakam\nyad anyatrāpi dṛśyeta\ntat tenaiva vinirdiśet\n[SB 7.11.35]\nJust like these hundred sons born of kṣatriya father, but these nine sons were in the symptoms of brahminical culture. So they were accepted as brāhmaṇas, as instructed by Nārada Muni, yad anyatrāpi dṛśyeta. The brahminical symptoms were visible in the nine sons of a kṣatriya; therefore they were accepted as brāhmaṇas.\nThis is Vedic culture. Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa also says, guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ [Bg. 4.13]. Guṇa: quality. If a boy, if a child is born of a brāhmaṇa father... Now, according to Vedic system, by birth everyone is śūdra—janmanā jāyate śūdraḥ saṁskārād bhaved dvijaḥ. Then he is to undergo different reformatory process, and during that period if he is seen that he has got the symptoms of a kṣatriya or a vaiśya, then he will be designated immediately that \"This child has to become a kṣatriya\" or vaiśya. There are many instances.\nSo saṁskārād bhaved dvijaḥ. Of course, the brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas and the vaiśyas all are dvijas, because they are offered sacred thread by the spiritual master. Only śūdras are not dvija. They have got one birth—by the father and mother. Then again... These are varṇāśrama. In the Viṣṇu Purāṇa it is said, varṇāśramācāravatā: the human civilization must be conducted under the institution of this varṇāśrama-dharma. Why? Now, by practicing this system one can gradually understand what is Viṣṇu.\nvarṇāśramācāravatā\npuruṣeṇa paraḥ pumān\nviṣṇur ārādhyate\n[Cc. Madhya 8.58,\nViṣṇu Purāṇa 3.8.8]\nViṣṇu. The ultimate aim is worship Viṣṇu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And it is the king's duty to see that citizens are executing this varṇāśrama-dharma very nicely. That was king's duty. It is stated in the Bhāgavata that unless a king or government can give protection to the citizens from exploitation by dishonest ministers and thieves and rogues, then he cannot collect tax. He is unworthy of taking tax from the citizen. The primary duty is that the citizen must be protected from the dishonest ministers. Asādhu-amātya [SB 4.14.17], this very word is used. Amātya means \"ministers,\" and corādibhyaḥ, \"thieves and rogues.\" This is one of the duties.\nAnd then again, he should see that people are executing the system of varṇāśrama-dharma: that the brāhmaṇa is doing his duty, the kṣatriya is doing his duty and the vaiśya is doing his duty and the śūdra is doing his duty. And the symptoms and duties and occupation is also mentioned in the śāstras. Just like in Bhagavad-gītā, the brahminical duties are mentioned there: satya, śama, dama, titikṣā ārjava,\njñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyaṁ\nbrahma-karma svabhāva-jam\n[Bg. 18.42]\nSimilarly, kṣatriya's duty,\nśauryaṁ tejo dākṣyaṁ\nyuddhe cāpy apalāyanam\n[Bg. 18.43]\nA kṣatriya challenge cannot refuse. If somebody comes forward, that \"I want to fight with you,\" he cannot say, \"No, I don't want to fight.\" No, he will have to fight.\nyuddhe cāpy apalāyanam\ndānam īśvara-bhāvaś ca\n[Bg. 18.43]\nKṣatriyas would give in charity; gṛhastas would give in charity. Brahmacārī, vānaprastha, they would perform austerities—yajña dāna tapaḥ kriyā. The human society should accept yajña, dāna, tapasya. That is human society: yajña dāna tapaḥ kriyā. One has to elevate himself to the highest platform by tapasā brahmacaryeṇa, śamena, damena, tyāgena, śaucena [SB 6.1.13]. These are the śāstric injunctions.\nBut…, and Ṛṣabhadeva says the very same thing, because this is Vedic culture. So He is instructing His one hundred sons, \"My dear sons,\"\nnāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke\nkaṣṭān kāmān arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye\n[SB 5.5.1]\n\"My dear sons, this particular body, human body,\" nāyaṁ deho nṛloke, \"in the human society, is not meant for kaṣṭān kāmān.\" In order to sense-gratify, one has to accept very, very hard work. Na arhate: \"This is not human civilization.\" Kaṣṭān kāmān. Kāmān...., kāmān means we have got to satisfy our senses, but not by kaṣṭān, taking too much trouble.\nBecause the human life is very, very important. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante: after many, many evolutionary process, jala-jā nava-lakṣāṇi sthāvarā lakṣa-viṁśati [Padma Purāṇa]... You have to pass through nine lakhs of species in the water. You know this is the water; there are so many aquatics. Then gradually they become plants, trees; then gradually insect, reptiles, then birds, pakṣiṇāṁ daśa-lakṣaṇam. There are ten lakhs species of birds. Paśavaḥ triṁśal-lakṣāṇi: then beast., thirty lakhs of beast. In Africa there are so many beasts. So this is the information we understand from Vedic literature.\nLong, long ago, when I was householder, one Jewish doctor—I was doing medical business—so he asked me that \"Mr. Such-and-such, how is that so particularly it is mentioned that there are nine lakhs species of aquatics, twenty lakhs species of the trees and plants? How it is ascertained?\" This is very intelligent question, and that is Vedic knowledge. Therefore we take it, Vedas, as authority. Those who are followers of Vedas, they do not argue. They take Vedic injunction as final: śruti-pramāṇa. If it is written in the Vedas, the evidence is there, then it is accepted: śruti-pramāṇa.\nAccording to our Vedic culture, the learned scholars would accept śruti-pramāṇa. Just like the law book. If it is mentioned in the law book and one can give evidence from the law book under such and such and such, it is accepted by the judge. There is no need of inquiry further; that is authority. So we accept authority of the Vedas in such a way that whatever is mentioned there, it should be accepted. Otherwise what is the meaning of authority? If you inquire, if you bring to examination to your defective knowledge, then what is the meaning of authority?\nEvery conditioned soul is defective in four ways. What is that? He is sure to commit mistake… He is sure to commit mistake, he is sure to be illusioned, he has a propensity for cheating, and his senses are imperfect. These are the four defects of conditioned sous, every one of us. Therefore our knowledge by speculation, because my senses are imperfect…\nJust like I have got my eyes, but it is conditioned. Unless there is a light suitable for my seeing, I cannot see. So what is the use of these eyes? My eyes cannot be authority, that whatever I say, it is all right. No. I have to see. Therefore Vedic injunction is śāstra-cakṣusā: your eyes should be through the vision of the śāstras, not that by your personal experience. No.\nFor example we can give you, those who are followers of Vedic injunction, just like Vedas say that the bone of an animal is impure. If you touch the bone of an animal, you have to take bath. So we actually follow. Those who are Hindus, followers of Vedic culture, if they, by chance, touches one hāḍi, then he will go home and change his clothes and take bath. Similarly, when we pass stool, evacuate, even my own stool, still I take bath to become pure.\nBut the Veda says the stool of cow, cow dung, is pure, and we accept that. When there is impure place, we'll bring cow dung and smear over it. Now you can say, \"It is contradictory. You say stool is impure, and again you say cow dung, that is also another animal's stool, you say it is pure. Oh, it is contradictory.\" But no. Because it is authority, even there is contradiction, we follow.\nSimilarly, the conchshell. The conchshell is the bone of an animal, but the injunction is that if you touch the bone of a dead animal you become impure. But conchshell is kept in the Deity room, it is so pure. So even if you find so many contradictions, they are not contradictions; they are actually fact.\nOne medical man in Calcutta, he analyzed this cow dung and he found all the antiseptic properties are there. So Vedic injunction is so authoritative word, because whatever it says, it is fact. If you take the knowledge from the Vedas, then you save so much time for researching. If you challenge, then you can go on researching, but you come to the same conclusion, but later on.\nSo our this, I mean to say, varṇāśrama-dharma culture is based on the injunction of the Vedas. Apparently we may take it as contradictory, but we still we, for practical purposes, we take it into use. So the Bhagavad-gītā or any śāstra, Vedic literature, is in that position, in authoritative position. We cannot argue in our own way or we cannot interpret in my own way. We have to take it as it is. Therefore we are publishing Bhagavad-gītā as it is, not interpreting in our own way. Just like Bhagavad-gītā, Bhagavān says,\nimaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ\nproktavān aham avyayam\n[Bg. 4.1]\n\"I spoke this philosophy of Bhagavad-gītā formerly to the sun-god,\"\nvivasvān manave prāha\nmanur ikṣvākave 'bravīt\n[Bg. 4.1]\n\"And the sun-god explained this to his son, Manu, Vaivasvata Manu,\" whose age is going on at the present moment, and Manu explained this philosophy to his son Ikṣvāku, Mahārāja Ikṣvāku. Mahārāja Ikṣvāku was the original forefather of the dynasty in which Lord Rāmacandra took His birth, Ikṣvāku-vaṁśa or Raghu-vaṁśa.\nAnd Kṛṣṇa says,\nevaṁ paramparā-prāptam\nimaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ\n[Bg. 4.2]\nFormerly, the kings were as good as great sages. They were trained up in such a way. They were guided by high-class brāhmaṇas and sages. And if the king would prove useless, they will dethrone him. That was the monarchical system. Therefore they were called rājarṣi. And people are very happy.\nThe rājarṣi, the king, should see that exactly the varṇāśrama-dharma is being executed by the subjects, and the citizens are protected from the hands of dishonest ministers and thieves and rogues. That is good government. Not only that; the purpose of human life was being executed under the guidance of the government: to elevate everyone to the platform of understanding the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Viṣṇu.\nviṣṇur ārādhyate puṁsāṁ\nnānyat tat-toṣa-kāraṇam\n[Cc. Madhya 8.58]\nSo this is Vedic culture. This is Vedic culture means that the aim of human civilization should be to understand the original proprietor of everything. We read in the Īśopaniṣad, īśāvāsyam idam sarvaṁ [Īśo mantra 1]. Everything is owned by the Supreme Personality of God, īśa. Kṛṣṇa, the supreme īśa, He also says that sarva-loka-maheśvaram:\nbhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ\nsarva-loka-maheśvaram\nsuhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ\njñātvā māṁ śāntim ṛcchati\n[Bg. 5.29]\nThere is no śānti, peace, in the world. Everyone… That is, of course, the nature of this material world: everyone is full of anxiety. But especially because they do not know who is the original proprietor of this cosmic manifestation, on account of this they are in ignorance, and they are unhappy.\nThe Kṛṣṇa says jñātvā māṁ: \"When one understands Me, that I am the proprietor of all planetary systems,\"\nsarva-loka-maheśvaram\nsuhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ\n[Bg. 5.29]\n\"I am the real friend of everyone.\" When understand these facts...,when one understands these facts, śāntim ṛcchati: he can be happy. Otherwise it is not possible.\nSo therefore human civilization means to understand the supreme proprietor of everything and offer his obeisances unto Him. Just like we offer our respects and obeisances to the state ruler, or the state president—nowadays it is president. Suppose we are sitting here. If the president comes here, immediately we must show respect by standing up and giving a good reception. That is our duty. So if you are obliged to offer respect and obeisances to the state head, how much are you obliged to the supreme proprietor, the supreme president?\nBut that we have forgotten. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ [SB 7.5.31]. They have forgotten. Durāśayā. Their ambition has been that \"We shall become happy by speculating, by making adjustment of this opposing element.\" Therefore it is called durāśayā. It will never be fulfilled. It will never occur if you go on in this way. You have to understand the supreme proprietor, the supreme originator of everything.\nSo we are…, our this movement is teaching people, educating people to know the supreme proprietor. Supreme proprietor... As Kṛṣṇa says, \"I am the supreme proprietor.\" We are teaching that Kṛṣṇa is the supreme proprietor. There is no difficulty for us. We don't manufacture something; everything is there. Why should we make research who is the supreme proprietor? Here is Kṛṣṇa. He says, \"I am the supreme proprietor,\" we accept it. But Kṛṣṇa says,\nman-manā bhava mad-bhakto\nmad-yājī māṁ namaskuru\n[Bg. 18.65]\n\"You always think of Me, and you become My devotee,\" man-manā bhava mad-bhakto, mad-yājī, \"you worship Me,\" māṁ namaskuru, \"you offer your obeisances unto Me.\" So what is the difficulty? Kṛṣṇa says, the supreme proprietor says, like that, and we are teaching people that \"You just become a devotee of Kṛṣṇa.\"\nAnd how to become a devotee? That is also stated in the śāstra:\nśravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ\nsmaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam\narcanaṁ vandanaṁ dāsyaṁ\nsakhyam ātma-nivedanam\n[SB 7.5.23]\nJust hear about Viṣṇu, not of others. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ. So just hear about Kṛṣṇa. What is the subject matter of hearing? There is a vast subject. What is that? Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Similarly, you hear Bhagavad-gītā, it is śravaṇaṁ. Kīrtanaṁ: you hear and chant the glories of Kṛṣṇa,\nhare kṛṣṇa hare kṛṣṇa\nkṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa hare hare\nhare rāma hare rāma\nrāma rāma hare hare\nThat is recommended in the śāstra.\nHere Ṛṣabhadeva says that,\ntapo divyaṁ putrakā yena sattvaṁ\nśuddhyed yasmād brahma-saukhyaṁ anantam\n[SB 5.5.1]\nTapa. Human life is meant for tapasya. To come to our original platform there must be tapasya. India is still, is more or less tapo-bhūmi, not industrial-bhūmi. Tapo-bhūmi, Bhārata-varṣa. Lord Caitanya says,\nbhārata-bhūmite manuṣya-janma haila yāra\njanma sārthaka kari' kara para-upakāra\n[Cc. Ādi 9.41]\nHe says that anyone who has taken his birth as a human being in India, Bhārata-varṣa, his business is that he must fulfill the mission of his life and then distribute it, para-upakāra, by doing good work. That is Bhārata-varṣa's mission.\nBhārata-varṣa's mission is not that to exploit others, but to give something, para-upakāra. Upakāra. And what is that upakāra? That upakāra is to raise everyone to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the gift of Bhārata-varṣa. Everyone. Everyone should come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kṛṣṇa says. Kṛṣṇa does not say that \"I am Indian,\" \"I am Hindu.\" Kṛṣṇa says,\nsarva-yoniṣu kaunteya\nsambhavanti mūrtayaḥ yāḥ\ntāsāṁ brahma mahad yonir\nahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā\n[Bg. 14.4]\n\"I am the seed-giving father.\" So Kṛṣṇa is the father of all living entities, never mind in whatever form he is. Sarva-yoniṣu. There are 8,400,000 of species of life, different. That means Kṛṣṇa is not only for the human society; He is for the birds, beasts, everyone. He does not say that \"I am only for the Hindus\" or \"for the Indians\" or \"for the brāhmaṇas,\" or like that. Of course, Kṛṣṇa is worshiped,\nnamo brahmaṇya-devāya\ngo-brāhmaṇa-hitāya ca\njagad-dhitāya kṛṣṇāya\ngovindāya namo namaḥ\n[Viṣṇu Purāṇa 1.19.65]\nSo this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, please try to understand that it is India's best gift to the whole world. This is a fact. And there is no difficulty. Why there is difficulty? Caitanya Mahāprabhu said… Because He, first of all, started this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement in Bengal. Perhaps you heard His name, Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. We sing,\nśrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya\nprabhu-nityānanda\nśrī-advaita gadādhara...\nFive hundred years ago He said these very words: bhārata-bhūmite manuṣya-janma haila yāra [Cc. Ādi 9.41]. He said. And He also said that pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi grāma [Caitanya-bhāgavata, Antya 4.126]: \"As many towns and villages are there on the surface of the globe, everyone, My name will be known.\" How His name will be known? By distributing this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.\nSo that is now begun. But unfortunately, or some way or other, whatever has been done by one person, that has been done by one person's exertion. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that each and every one who is born in India should take this mission. That is my appeal to you. You are all Indians, Hindus. You take this mission very seriously; make your life successful. Because Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā that \"Anyone who is engaged in preaching these principles of Bhagavad-gītā, he is very, very dear to Me.\"\nSo you can very easily become very dear to Kṛṣṇa. To become Kṛṣṇa's devotee, or bhakta, means, just like Kṛṣṇa said to Arjuna, bhakto 'si priyo 'si me [Bg. 4.3]: \"You are My devotee, and you are very dear to Me.\" So that should be our aim: how we shall become bhakta of Kṛṣṇa and how we shall become dear to Kṛṣṇa. Then it will be very easy to understand what Kṛṣṇa wants, and if we expand that mission, our life will be successful.\nSo I request all gentlemen, ladies present here to understand this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Of course, the human life is meant for, as instructed by Ṛṣabhadeva, that this life is not meant for working very hard simply for sense gratification. The… Of course, I have traveled very extensively in the Western countries. I have seen all cities in Europe, America, also Australia, Japan—the same principle is going on: seventy-miles-speed motorcars going on this way and that way, everyone is busy. But what is the aim? Why they are working so hard? Sense gratification, that's all. Having sex enjoyment, drinking. That's all.\nṚṣabhadeva, millions of years ago, said, \"This is not human life.\" Kaṣṭān kāmān. This kind of life is available in hogs' life also. The hogs are working day and night, \"Where is stool? Where is stool?\" And as soon as he gets food, he'll make immediately in sex indulgence, never mind mother or sister. This philosophy is going on, [indistinct]'s philosophy: how to enjoy sex life. So people are in so much miserable condition. So those who are born in India should take sympathy upon them to spread this Kṛṣṇa consciousness very seriously, and the world will be happy.\nThank you very much.",
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"content": "\n All glories to His Divine Grace! [applause] [break]\n…tonight's lecture, please ask at this time. Just raise your hands.\n Why is it so that a lot of Indians are still suffering all over the world?",
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"content": "\n Because they don't take it. Have you taken this philosophy? Have you taken this philosophy?",
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"content": "\n Well, I have…",
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"content": "\n Then talk. After take, then talk. [pause] Test them and ask them. Four years ago they did not know about Kṛṣṇa, and how they are happy. Just ask them. They are Europeans; they are not Indians. There are many thousands like that. They had enough money, enough industry, enough women, enough meat, enough drink. Why they have taken to this?\nSo Indians, if they refuse to take it, what can be done? Anyone who will take it will feel happy. But if you don't take it, how you will feel happy? And Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is not only for the Indians; it is for the whole world. So whoever takes, we thank him. That's all. Never mind whether you are Indian or European. It is meant for human being. The animals cannot take it. The human being can take it or reject it.",
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"content": "\nAre there any further questions? Man at the back.\n Swāmījī, there are those [indistinct] in the African countries at the moment, and the people are always anxious. They are in fear. Now what is your practical suggestion to bring mutual understanding with the philosophy of Kṛṣṇa consciousness? For people here, for there to be peace, and fear may be ended?",
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"content": "\n Yes, you give the Kṛṣṇa consciousness to the Africans, that will settle up. Then they will know that you are not foreigners. By Kṛṣṇa consciousness everywhere they will know if they accept Kṛṣṇa. Just like in our camp, in this movement, there are many Africans, black men. If you give a place to propagate, we'll bring so many black men also.\nWe have got Muhammadans, and there are Christians, Jews, there are many. We have got Jews, we have got Christians, we have got Muhammadans, we have got Africans, we have got Hindus, Parsees. This is the platform where everyone can become satisfied: jñātvā māṁśāntim ṛcchati [Bg. 5.29]. This is spoken by Kṛṣṇa, that simply if you make people understand what is Kṛṣṇa, he will be happy. That's all. And very simple method.\nSo you make the attempt how everyone can understand Kṛṣṇa. You understand first of all. If you do not understand yourself, how you will make others to understand? That is not possible. But because you are Indian, it is a specific order of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu that it is your duty to spread this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. If you do not do it, then you will be failing as Indians to discharge your duty.\nbhārata-bhūmite manuṣya-janma haila yāra\njanma sārthaka kari' kara para-upakāra\n[Cc. Ādi 9.41]\nFirst of all you try to understand what is Kṛṣṇa consciousness and distribute it for the welfare of the…, throughout the whole world. They will accept it. It is already proved. It is already proved, anywhere we go. I was simply waiting a few minutes, Athens, in the airport. Some young men came, \"Hare Kṛṣṇa!\" You see?\nSo this movement is spreading, and it will spread if it is done by sincere person seriously, because it is the foretelling of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. It cannot be false. But if it is spread by the Europeans and Americans, then only the Indians do not take part in it, I don't think it will be very honorable business for you. But it is spreading. It will spread. [indistinct] [end]",
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"content": "\n ...something about the prayers of Prahlāda Mahārāja.\nbrahmādayaḥ sura-gaṇā munayo 'tha siddhāḥ\nsattvaikatāna-gatayo vacasāṁ pravāhaiḥ\nnārādhituṁ puru-guṇair adhunāpi pipruḥ\nkiṁ toṣṭum arhati sa me harir ugra-jāteḥ\n[SB 7.9.8]\n[Prahlāda Mahārāja prayed: How is it possible for me, who have been born in a family of asuras, to offer suitable prayers to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead? Even until now, all the demigods, headed by Lord Brahmā, and all the saintly persons could not satisfy the Lord by streams of excellent words, although such persons are very qualified, being in the mode of goodness. Then what is to be said of me? I am not at all qualified.]\nWhen Lord Nṛsiṁha appeared—this is the picture; you have seen—for killing a great demon, Hiraṇyakaśipu. Hiraṇyakaśipu was very powerful materialist, and he did not believe in God. Generally, materialistic person, they have no capacity to understand what is God. That is generally.\nIn the Bhagavad-gītā it is stated that bhogaiśvarya-prasaktānāṁ tayāpahṛta-cetasām [Bg. 2.44]. \n[In the minds of those who are too attached to sense enjoyment and material opulence, and who are bewildered by such things, the resolute determination of devotional service to the Supreme Lord does not take place.]\nBhoga. Bhoga means sense enjoyment, and aiśvarya means opulence, wealth, riches. Persons who are very much attached to sense gratification and are hankering after material opulence, bhogaiśvarya-prasaktānāṁ tayā, and by such thing, apahṛta-cetasām... Apahṛta means bewildered; cetasām, consciousness. Such persons, they are thinking that \"These things will save me.\" They never think that they will have to leave all these things behind him, and he has to go alone.\nJust like when a bird flies in the sky, so he has to leave behind him everything, and he has to fly in the sky on his own strength. There is no other help. Why bird? Take our these aeroplanes, jet planes. When we get on the sky, leaving this land, no more we can depend on our strength on the land. If the plane is sufficiently strong, then we can fly; otherwise there is danger.\nSimilarly, persons who are very much materialistic, they are thinking that this opulence, prestige and material strength will save him. No. That is bewilderment. Therefore Bhagavad-gītā says, tayā apahṛta-cetasām. Apahṛta-cetasām means whose consciousness has become bewildered by these material opulences. Such persons, tayā apahṛta-cetasām, for them, vyavasāyātmikā buddhiḥ samādhau na vidhīyate. Samādhi. \nSamādhi means concentration in the vyavasāyātmikā, niścayātmikā-buddhiḥ. Niścayātmikā means to be firmly convinced that \"Kṛṣṇa consciousness will only save me.\" This conviction such persons cannot have. Which persons? Those who are too much sensuous and after material opulence.\nbhogaiśvarya-prasaktānāṁ\ntayāpahṛta-cetasām\nvyavasāyātmikā buddhiḥ\nsamādhau na vidhīyate\n[Bg. 2.44]\n[In the minds of those who are too attached to sense enjoyment and material opulence, and who are bewildered by such things, the resolute determination of devotional service to the Supreme Lord does not take place.]\nAnd vyavasāyātmikā buddhiḥ means confidence. Vyavasāyātmikā buddhiḥ ekeha kuru-nandana. In the Bhagavad-gītā you will study.\nNow we are getting our Bhagavad-gītā As It Is. So Bhagavad-gītā and the Teachings of Lord Caitanya and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Whatever we have already printed, you study them very nicely. And I think those who are harassed by this military board, today I have got hint from one paper addressed to Kārttikeya that if one boy is certified that he's engaged in studying spiritual consciousness or theological..., then he's not called. So we shall issue certificate, bona fide. Now I am admitted in your country as bona fide, ordained minister of religion. So I think I can issue certificate. So this will be nice.\nSo vyavasāyātmikā buddhiḥ. Vyavasāyātmikā buddhiḥ means full confidence that Kṛṣṇa consciousness will save me, and nothing [else] can save me. This full confidence. So those who are Kṛṣṇa conscious, their firm faith is in one, Kṛṣṇa.\nvyavasāyātmikā buddhir\nekeha kuru-nandana\nbahu-śākhā hy anantāś ca\nbuddhayo 'vyavasāyinām\n[Bg 2.41]\n[Those who are on this path are resolute in purpose, and their aim is one. O beloved child of the Kurus, the intelligence of those who are irresolute is many-branched.]\nAvyavasāyinām means those who are not in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, those who are flickering, for them, bahu-śākhā, many branches. They think that \"This will save me,\" \"This will save me,\" \"That will save me,\" \"That will save me.\" But one who is fully surrendered to Kṛṣṇa, he knows, and it is certain that Kṛṣṇa will save him. That's all.\nIt's very easy to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. One. God is one. God cannot be many. God is one. Otherwise there is no meaning of God. God means, the definition of God means, that \"the person or the entity who has no equal, neither superior.\" Nobody is superior to Him and nobody is equal to Him. Asama ūrdhva. Asama means equal. Sama means equal. Asama. Everyone is not equal to Him. Nobody is equal to Him and nobody is higher than Him. That is God. So God is one. There cannot be many Gods, but God can expand Himself in many forms. That is different thing.\nSo this Hiraṇyakaśipu was not confident. He was thinking..., he was materially puffed up, and he was thinking that he is God. When his son... Fortunately, his son, Prahlāda Mahārāja, he was a great devotee, Vaiṣṇava, by the grace of Nārada, and he was always in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. When he was in school, five-years-old boy, and naturally, the school was an atheistic school... Just like nowadays, in no school, colleges they encourage any theological study. What is called? Secular state. So gradually we are becoming like that Hiraṇyakaśipu. But Hiraṇyakaśipu tried, Rāvaṇa tried, Kaṁsa tried to exist without God, but they did not exist.\nSo nobody can exist. So this Hiraṇyakaśipu tried to protect himself by so many material ways, but when he was too much against his innocent devotee son, then Kṛṣṇa appeared as Nṛsiṁha-deva, and He was very fearful—so much fearful that all the demigods came to pacify Him, but He was groaning in anger. So there is anger in God also. Somebody says that \"Why God should be angry?\" No, God, there is anger.\nEverything 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.\nThe word \"God is good\"—He's good when He's angry and He's good when He's merciful. That is the difference. In the material contaminated state, not only God, even God's devotee, they also acquire the same quality. Sometimes we see that saintly persons like Nārada, Śiva, they also become angry and curse somebody, but that curse become benediction. So that is the absolute stage.\nSo Hiraṇyakaśipu was killed by Nṛsiṁha-deva, and everyone was afraid, very fearful, that \"God's appeared in such a fearful appearance, half-lion shape and half-man's shape with four hands.\" So nobody could pacify Him. Everyone was afraid. Then Prahlāda Mahārāja was—he was only five-years-old boy—he was requested that \"Nṛsiṁha-deva has appeared for your protection especially. So you try to pacify the Lord.\"\nSo the boy was very jolly. So he was praying this way, that brahmādayaḥ sura-gaṇa munayo 'tha siddhāḥ: \"I see here there are so many great personalities just like Brahmā, Śiva and Indra, Candra, all great demigods.\" Brahmādayaḥ sura-gaṇāḥ. Sura-gaṇāḥ means demigods; and munayo, \"great saintly persons, sages, all of them are here.\" And siddhya. Siddhya. Siddhya means the residents of the Siddhaloka.\nThere is a planet within this universe which is called Siddhaloka. Siddhaloka means there the inhabitants are so highly elevated. They are also materialist. They are also not spiritualists. But still, they are materially so advanced that the description is... Here, in this planet, we are flying in the sky in the outer space with some machine, but there, in that planet, Siddhaloka, the persons are so elevated, either you call materially or spiritually... Actually, they are materially. These are material, that they can fly in the sky without any machine. Without any machine. Wherever they like, they can go. Whatever they want, immediately... That is yoga-siddhi.\nYou have heard of so much advertisement of yoga. Actually, when one becomes perfect in yoga, aṣṭa-siddhi-yoga, eight kinds of material perfection, that he can become the smallest... Smaller than the atom he can become. He can go out from anywhere. You lock him in airtight, packed, but he'll come out. This is called animā-siddhi. \nActually, it so happened in Benares. There was a svāmī, his name was Trailuṅga Swami. Trailuṅga Swami, he was wandering in the street naked. Government... It is not very old story, say about 150 years ago this happened in Benares. So he was naked yogī, and government will not allow, police will not allow. So he was thrice arrested and put into the custody, and thrice he came out. Then he became very famous man, simply by exhibiting one perfection of yoga. That means a yogī can come out.\nNot only Trailuṅga Swami, but we have seen one Mr. Chakravarti in our childhood in a circus, he was playing this part. He was packed up. First of all, his hands and legs were tightly knotted with seal. Then he was put into a bag and the bag was also sealed. Then with this bag he was put in a box. The box was locked and sealed. And he came out from that box—in everyone's presence. We have seen it. And again, he was seen that he was packed up in that way.\nSo yoga siddhi, these wonderful things are there. Similarly, one can walk on the water. He'll not be drowned. He becomes so light he can float in the air. These are... So siddhya. Siddhya means that the persons who reside in that planet, they have got automatically, by taking birth in that... Just like taking birth in the Western countries, America or Europe, you are more opulent than other countries materially. Similarly, in Kṛṣṇaloka also, those who are there, they are automatically all lover of Kṛṣṇa. Similarly, there are many different planets, different kinds of residents. We... What knowledge we have got?\nBut we have to take knowledge from the śāstra. Therefore Vedānta-sūtra says, śāstra-cakṣuṣat. You have to understand, you have to gather your knowledge from authentic scripture, not by experimental knowledge. Experimental knowledge cannot be perfect because our instruments of acquiring knowledge are imperfect. So however we may tackle these instruments perfectly in our way, basically they are imperfect. Therefore perfect knowledge you cannot have.\nIf you want to have perfect knowledge, then you have to understand this authoritative scripture. Just like here, in this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, we understand that there is Brahmā, or the demigods, and the siddhaḥ. So we have to accept. You cannot understand these things by experimental knowledge. Simply as it is. Therefore I am presenting this Bhagavad-gītā As It Is. Then you understand. That is knowledge, perfect knowledge. Otherwise, if you interpret, if you don't believe, then you don't get. There is no other way.\nThe same example. Just like—I am repeating again—that if you want to know who is your father, the only witness is your mother. Higher evidence is final. If we want to make experiment who is your father, that is not possible. That experimental knowledge is not possible. You have to accept. Similarly, for perfect knowledge of the father or perfect knowledge of the Supreme, you have to accept the version, supreme version of Vedas. Then it is perfect.\nSo there are many different planets within this universe and beyond this universe, spiritual planets. Keśava tuar jagata vicitra. God's creation is very variety. So we should not think that this is all in all. This is that Dr. Frog's knowledge. Dr. Frog knows that \"This small well is everything.\" He has no knowledge of the Pacific Ocean. Similarly, [chuckling] these Dr. Frogs of this material world, they are thinking this planet is all in all, and 25,000 miles up this planet, that is all space. No.\npanthās tu koṭi-śata-vatsara-sampragamyo\nvāyor athāpi manaso muni-puṅgavānām\nso 'py asti yat-prapada-sīmny avicintya-tattve\ngovindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi\n[Bs. 5.34]\n[I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, only the tip of the toe of whose lotus feet is approached by the yogīs who aspire after the transcendental and betake themselves to prāṇāyāma by drilling the respiration; or by the jñānīs who try to find out the nondifferentiated Brahman by the process of elimination of the mundane, extending over thousands of millions of years.]\nBrahmā, the first-class, the first living entity within this universe, he says that panthās tu koṭi-śata-vatsara-sampragamyo vāyor athāpi manaso. If you, not to speak of these aeroplanes, but if you can prepare a plane of the mental plane... Just like mental plane, you are sitting here, you can immediately transfer yourself ten thousand miles away or more than that, immediately, within a second. Just like I am here in America, Los Angeles, and India is about fifteen thousand miles away from this place. But immediately, within second, I can think that I'm sitting in my room there. How it is? The mind is so forceful. Just see.\nThis is practical. You can transfer your mind immediately. So how can you compare with these aeroplanes? Can the aeroplanes... Aeroplanes means vāyu. Vāyu means air. These are all in Sanskrit language in the scriptures. These are not very new things. You see? Panthās tu koṭi-śata-vatsara-sampragamyo vāyor atha. Vāyu means air, and ratha means plane, airplane. So either by the airplane... Airplane is not so speedy. The jet planes are running at the rate of five hundred miles or one thousand miles per hour, but my mental plane can run fifteen thousand miles per second. You see? And just understand, then, the spirit, how much speedy the spirit should be.\nBecause here, matter..., there are matter: earth, water, fire... Then air. Air is very fine. Earth is crude. Water is crude. Then earth, water, fire. Fire is still finer, but crude. But still finer, air, and still finer, ether, and still finer, mind, and still finer, soul. You see? So just imagine if mind is so strong that it can transfer itself from here to fifteen thousand miles in a second, how much speedy and powerful is the soul.\nSo these yogīs, they come to the platform of the mental plane, speedy. The yogīs can transfer. There are many yogīs still, in India, that early in the morning they travel about four thousand miles within half an hour and take bath in four different pilgrimages within half an hour. Yes. So yogic powers are so... What yogīs we have seen? Siddhaḥ, that is siddhaḥ. The demigods, siddhaḥ... There are persons; it is not story.\nSo Prahlāda Mahārāja says that \"These demigods, these great saintly persons, these siddhas, how they have become so powerful?\" Sattvaikatāna: being situated in the material modes of goodness. If you put yourself, keep yourself in the modes of goodness, then you get more and more your spiritual power.\nAnd if you keep yourself in the modes of ignorance and passion, then you cannot make progress. You will have to remain here or go down. If you keep yourself in the modes of ignorance, then you go down even to the animal kingdom. If you keep yourself in the modes of passion, then utmost, you can remain in Europe and America, that's all. But if you keep yourself in goodness, then you can go up. These are explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. Ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthāḥ [Bg. 14.18],\n[Those situated in the mode of goodness gradually go upward to the higher planets; those in the mode of passion live on the earthly planets; and those in the mode of ignorance go down to the hellish worlds.]\nThose who are in the modes of goodness, even they are not spiritually very much advanced so that they can enter into the spiritual kingdom, they'll go in the upper status of planetary system, just like Siddhaloka, Janarloka, Maharloka. Ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthā madhye tiṣṭhanti rājasāḥ. And in the middle planetary system... The middle planetary system, this earth is in the middle planetary system, heaven also. Bhūr bhuvaḥ svaḥ. You are chanting Gāyatrī mantra: bhūr bhuvaḥ svaḥ, these are within the middle. Then above this there is Mahar, Jana, Tapa, Satya—four. Three and four, seven up and seven down planetary system.\nSo those who are in the modes of goodness, they are elevated to the higher planetary system. Ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthā madhye tisthanti rājasāḥ jaghanya-guṇa-vṛtti-sthā. Jaghanya means very abominable character. You see? Eating nonsense, and keeping nonsense, habits nonsense. Just like little more than the animals, that's all. Jaghanya-guṇa-vṛtti-sthā adho gacchanti tāmasāḥ. They are going down, down, down, down. These things are explained there.\nSo here, these brahmādayaḥ sura-gaṇā, the demigods headed by Lord Brahmā and the siddhas and the great saintly persons and elevated yogīs, how they have become? Now, sattvaikatāna-gatayo vacasāṁ pravāhaiḥ. They fluently explain in very nice words, just like prayer. Whenever the Lord's name... Kṛṣṇa's name is Uttamaśloka. Uttama, uttama means selected, high class. Actually, not high class; it is transcendental. Ut, ut means \"trans,\" and tama, tama means \"darkness,\" and śloka means \"verses.\" So uttamaśloka means verses which are not of this material world.\nWhen Brahma-saṁhitā we read, govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **, these words, these vibrations, are not of this material world. These are vibration transcendental, above this material world. Sattvaikatāna-gatayo vacasāṁ pravāhaiḥ. And they are so learned that fluently they went on praying the Lord with uttamaśloka, selected transcendental sounds. But nārādhituṁ puru-guṇair adhunāpi pipruḥ: but still, the Lord is not yet pacified.\nAlthough these great personalities have presented their prayers in so nice selected verses and they are transcendental vibration, still, they could not pacify the Lord. And kiṁ toṣṭum arhati sa me ugra-jāteḥ..., harir ugra-jāteḥ: \"Then how it is possible for me, because I am born of a father who was most passionate. So my body is most abominable. I have got this body from the abominable father. So how can I please Lord when they have failed?\"\nThis is Vaiṣṇava. He's not proud. He's not proud. Because the Brahmā, Lakṣmī, and all the demigods and saintly persons have requested him, \"My dear Prahlāda, you try.\" That means he is greater than all the persons present there; otherwise how they could request him? Just like if in an assembly, if somebody is requested, \"Please, you lead us,\" that means that person, that leader, is the greatest of all.\nSo Prahlāda is accepted as the greatest personality than Brahmā, than the demigods, than the yogīs. But this is the humbleness, meek. This is... In Bible also, it is said the humble and meek can enter into the kingdom of God. So out of his humbleness, meekness, he's expressing, he's presenting himself that \"These great personalities, they failed to pacify the Lord. How it is possible for me, who has got this body born of a passionate father?\" This is very beautiful.\nSo Vaiṣṇava, Caitanya Mahāprabhu has taught us that how we shall preach this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Don't be disheartened because the police is obstructing, because the people are complaining. They will do that. Just like... Why this police and public? This poor, innocent boy, five years old, because he was chanting, his father became his enemy. His father, what to speak of others. So it is such a thing. In any...\nYou try to trace out the history of the world, you'll find always persons who are for Kṛṣṇa or God, they have been persecuted. Lord Jesus Christ was crucified; Haridāsa Ṭhākura was caned in twenty-two marketplaces; Prahlāda Mahārāja was tortured by his father. So there may be such things. Of course, Kṛṣṇa will protect us. So don't be afraid.\nDon't be afraid if somebody tortures us, somebody teases us. We must go on with Kṛṣṇa consciousness without any hesitation, and Kṛṣṇa will give us protect. If you are more tortured, then Kṛṣṇa will appear as Nṛsiṁha-deva and give you all protection. You are all Prahlāda, representative of Prahlāda. You keep your confidence in Kṛṣṇa, and He will give you protection, and go on chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa.\nThank you very much. [devotees offer obeisances]\nNow, any question?",
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"content": "\n How do we enter into the modes of goodness?",
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"content": "\n Just try to follow the four principles as we have prescribed: no intoxication, no gambling, no illicit sex and no meat-eating. That's all. This is goodness. This is goodness. These prohibitions are there. Why? Just to keep you in goodness. In every religion...\nNow, in the Ten Commandments also, I see that \"Thou shall not kill.\" The same thing is there, but people are not obeying. That is a different thing. No religious person... Nobody can be religious unless he is situated in the modes of goodness. A passionate person or a person in ignorance, they cannot be elevated to the religious platform. Religious platform means in goodness. Then you can understand.\nOn the platform of goodness, you can understand the All-good. If you are in ignorance platform, if you are in the passionate platform, how you can understand the All-good? That is not possible.\nSo one has to keep himself in goodness, and that goodness means one should follow the prohibitions. Either you follow the Ten Commandments or these four commandments, the same thing. That means you have to keep yourself in goodness. The balance must be in goodness. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is stated, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān [Bg. 10.12].\n[Arjuna said: You are the Supreme Brahman, the ultimate, the supreme abode and purifier, the Absolute Truth and the eternal divine person. You are the primal God, transcendental and original, and You are the unborn and all-pervading beauty. All the great sages such as Nārada, Asita, Devala, and Vyāsa proclaim this of You, and now You Yourself are declaring it to me.]\nArjuna accepted Kṛṣṇa as the supermost pure. How you can approach the supermost pure without becoming yourself pure? So this is the steppingstone to become pure, because we are contaminated.\nSo to become pure... The Ekādaśī, why we observe? To become pure. Brahmacarya tapasya, austerity, penance, celibacy, keeping the mind always in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, keeping the body always cleansed—these things will help us to keep us in goodness. Without goodness, it is not possible.\nBut Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so nice that even one is in the modes of passion and ignorance, at once he'll be elevated on the platform of goodness, provided he agrees to follow the rules and regulation and chants Hare Kṛṣṇa. This chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa and following the rules and regulation will keep you intact in goodness. Rest assured. Without failure. Is that very difficult? Huh? That's all right.",
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"content": "\n Prabhupāda, was the appearance of Lord Nṛsiṁha-deva predicted in the śāstras, in the Vedas, or does the Lord appear any time His devotees are in dire need for His protection?",
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"content": "\n No. It is generally said that whenever there is discrepancies in the matter of discharging religious principles and whenever there is too much prominence of irreligiosity, at that time the Lord appears. Yadā yadā hi dharmasya [Bg. 4.7].\n[Whenever and wherever there is a decline in religious practice, O descendant of Bharata, and a predominant rise of irreligion—at that time I descend Myself.]\nThis is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. So because it is... Just like as soon as there is some riotous condition in any quarter or any part of the city, there is police action immediately.\nSo this is God's kingdom, either this material or spiritual. So everyone has to obey the God's law. That is religion. Religion means... What do you mean by religion? Religion means... Just like good citizen. What do you mean by good citizen? Who obeys the laws of the state. So what is religion? Religion means to obey the laws of God. That's all. Religion.\nReligion you cannot manufacture, just like you cannot manufacture law. Law is made by the state. You cannot manufacture law. If you say, \"I have manufactured this law,\" who cares for your law? Similarly, so-called religion, nonsense religion, there are so many manufactured, who cares for? That is not religion. Religion means God's law. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam [SB 6.3.19].\n[Real religious principles are enacted by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Although fully situated in the mode of goodness, even the great ṛṣis who occupy the topmost planets cannot ascertain the real religious principles, nor can the demigods or the leaders of Siddhaloka, to say nothing of the asuras, ordinary human beings, Vidyādharas and Cāraṇas.]\nThat is religion. Just like in the Bhagavad-gītā we understand, Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja [Bg. 18.66]:\n[Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reaction. Do not fear.]\n\"You give up all other things. Simply you become Kṛṣṇa conscious.\" This is religion. This is the order; this is the word.\nSo to become Kṛṣṇa consciousness, Kṛṣṇa conscious, is to become religious, is to remain in goodness, and is to make progress and advancement in self-realization. Everything is complete. There is no comparison of any religion with Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We can challenge any religionist, \"Come and see and test and compare.\" So the same advertisement: \"You all, '69s[?], match this.\" So nobody can match Kṛṣṇa consciousness, it is so nice.",
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"content": "\n What sort of living entity is Māyādevī?",
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"content": "\n Hmm?",
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"content": "\n What type of living entity is Māyādevī?",
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"content": "\n She is Vaiṣṇavī. She is a great devotee of Kṛṣṇa. But she has accepted a thankless task: to punish. The policeman is a sincere government servant, but he has accepted a task, nobody likes him. [laughs] If some policeman comes here, immediately you shall feel disturbed. But he is the sincere servant of government. That is the position of Māyā. Her business is to punish these rascals who have come to enjoy here. [laughter] You see? But she is a sincere servant of God.",
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"content": "\n Is this like a post?",
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"content": "\n Yes. It is a post, thankless post. Nobody thanks, everyone derides. You see? But she is a great devotee. She tolerates and punishes. That's all. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā [Bg. 7.14].\n[This divine energy of Mine, consisting of the three modes of material nature, is difficult to overcome. But those who have surrendered unto Me can easily cross beyond it.]\nShe only wants to see that \"You become Kṛṣṇa conscious, I leave you,\" that's all. Police business is that \"You become law-abiding citizen; then I have no connection with you.\" So far. \"And so long you are not a law-abiding [citizen], I shall kick you as much as possible.\" So Māyā's business is like this.\nAnd we are complaining, \"Why you are kicking? Why you are kicking?\" \"Yes, I shall kick you because you are not Kṛṣṇa conscious. I shall make you Kṛṣṇa conscious by kicking, kicking, kicking. That's all. That is my business.\"\nOur business is to implore, tṛṇād api sunīcena [Cc. Ādi 17.31].\n[“One who thinks himself lower than the grass, who is more tolerant than a tree, and who does not expect personal honor yet is always prepared to give all respect to others can very easily always chant the holy name of the Lord.”]\nOur preaching method is not kicking. Our preaching method is, dante nidhāya tṛṇakam [Caitanya-candrāmṛta 8.90],\n[Taking a straw between my teeth and falling at your feet a hundred times, I humbly submit, \"O great personality, please give up all mundane knowledge that you have learned and just submit yourself at the lotus feet of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu.\"]\nBy taking a grass in the teeth, padayor nipatya, falling down on the feet, and kāku-śataṁ kṛtvā ca ahaṁ bravīmi, and flattering you hundred times, I'm just submitting one thing: \"Become Kṛṣṇa conscious.\" That is our process.\nAnd Māyā, his [her] process different. [S]he'll say, \"Why you shall become Kṛṣṇa conscious? You just enjoy, and I shall kick you very nicely. That's all.\" And he accepts, \"Yes, you kick me and let me enjoy, but I am not going to these Kṛṣṇa conscious persons.\" [laughter] You see?\nPractically, Māyā's business, our business is same, but her process is different, our process is different. The people like her process. [break] [end]",
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https://vedabase.io/en/library/transcripts/710720le-new-york/
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"content": "\n\nom ajñāna-timirāndhasya jñānāñjana-śalākayā\ncakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena tasmai śrī-gurave-namaḥ\n[\"I offer my respectful obeisances unto my spiritual master, who with the torchlight of knowledge has opened my eyes, which were blinded by the darkness of ignorance.\"]\nśrī-caitanya-mano-'bhīṣṭaṁ sthāpitaṁ yena bhū-tale\nsvayaṁ rūpaḥ kadā mahyaṁ dadāti sva-padāntikam\n[\"When will Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī Prabhupāda, who has established within this material world the mission to fulfill the desire of Lord Caitanya, give me shelter under his lotus feet?\"]\nhe kṛṣṇa karuṇā-sindho dīna-bandho jagat-pate\ngopeśa gopikā-kānta rādhā-kānta namo 'stu te\n[\"O my dear Kṛṣṇa, ocean of mercy, You are the friend of the distressed and the source of creation. You are the master of the cowherd men and the lover of the gopīs, especially Rādhārāṇī. I offer my respectful obeisances unto You.\"]\ntapta-kāñcana-gaurāṅgi rādhe vṛndāvaneśvari\nvṛṣabhānu-sute devi praṇamāmi hari-priye\n[\"I offer my respects to Rādhārāṇī, whose bodily complexion is like molten gold and who is the Queen of Vṛndāvana. You are the daughter of King Vṛṣabhānu, and You are very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa.\"]\nhare kṛṣṇa hare kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa hare hare\nhare rāma hare rāma rāma rāma hare hare\n[\"My dear Lord, and the spiritual energy of the Lord, kindly engage me in Your service. I am now embarrassed with this material service. Please engage me in Your service.\"]\nśrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu nityānanda\nśrī-advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda\n[\"I offer my obeisances to Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya, Prabhu Nityānanda, Śrī Advaita, Gadādhara, Śrīvāsa and all others in the line of devotion.\"]\nSo Ladies and Gentlemen, I thank you very much for your coming here and participating with this movement. It is very important movement to bring man to his original consciousness. Kṛṣṇa consciousness means to bring a living entity to his original consciousness. Just like there are many mental hospitals.\n[aside:] What is that? Bellevue? In your city?\nThe purpose of the hospital is to bring a crazy fellow to his original consciousness. Similarly, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means to bring all crazy men to his original consciousness. Anyone who is not Kṛṣṇa conscious, he is to be understood more or less crazy.\nThere was a case in India, a murder case, and the murderer pleaded that he became mad—he was mad; therefore he..., he did not know what did he do. So in order to test him, whether actually he, at that time, was lunatic or turned mad, the expert civil servant, psychiatrist, was brought to examine him. So the doctor gave his opinion that \"So far I have studied cases, all patients I've come in contact, they are more or less all crazy. So in that sense, if your lordship wants to excuse him, that is another thing.\"\nSo that is the fact. In a nice Bengali poetry, one great Vaiṣṇava poet has written,\npiśācī pāile yena mati-cchanna haya\nmāyā-grasta jīvera se dāsa upajaya\n[Prema-vivarta]\nPiśācī, ghost, when a man becomes ghostly haunted, he speaks so many nonsense. Similarly, anyone who is under the influence of this material nature, he is ghostly haunted, and whatever he speaks, he speaks nonsense. Never mind he is a great philosopher, great scientist, but because he is ghostly haunted by māyā, so whatever he's theorizing, whatever he's speaking, that is, more or less, nonsense.\nSo our this movement is to bring man to his original consciousness, which is Kṛṣṇa consciousness, clear consciousness. I have several times mentioned this. Just like water, when it falls down from the cloud, it is distilled water. You catch water before falling down to the ground, it is distilled water. The chem... As distilled water is without any contamination, similarly, the rainwater is also distilled water. But as soon as it touches the ground, it becomes muddy-colored, so many things.\nSimilarly, we spirit soul, part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa... Therefore our original constitutional position is as pure as God, because we are part and parcel of God. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is stated, mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ [Bg. 15.7]: \"The living entities are My part and parcel.\" So fragmental part of gold is gold; it may be fragmental. Similarly, we are minute particles of God's body; therefore, qualitatively, we are as good as God.\nThe chemical composition of God's body and our body... Not this body. This is material. I am speaking of our spiritual identification, that body. That is as good as God. The chemical composition is one. But similarly, as the rainwater falls down on the ground, similarly, as we come in contact with this material world... Material world means it is being manipulated by the material energy of Kṛṣṇa, prakṛti, nature.\nNature means whose nature? As soon as we speak of nature, it must be inquired, \"Whose nature?\" God's nature. Nature is not acting independently. That is another foolishness. In the Bhagavad-gītā, it is clearly said that nature, this material nature, is not independent. Just like a foolish man, when he sees that machine is working automatically—machine is not working automatically; there is a driver. A foolish man cannot see behind the machine a driver. That is our defect in vision.\nA machine, there is electronics working very wonderfully. But behind that electronic work, there is a great scientist who is pushing the button. It is very simple to understand. Machine is matter. It cannot work out of its own accord. It is working under some spiritual direction. Just like this machine, the tape recorder, is working, but it is working under the direction of a living entity, a human being. The machine is all complete, but unless it is manipulated by a spirit soul, it cannot work.\nSimilarly, take it for granted that the whole cosmic manifestation is a great machine, nature. But behind this material nature, there is God, Kṛṣṇa. And Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā,\nmayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ\nsūyate sa-carācaram\nhetunānena kaunteya\njagad viparivartate\n[Bg. 9.10]\nMayādhyakṣeṇa: \"Under My direction...\" Mayā adhyakṣena. Adhyakṣa means superintendence. \"Under My direction, superintendence...\" Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram. Cara, cara and acara. Cara means moving, and acara means not moving. Just like trees, mountains, they are not moving, but human being, animals, ants, they are moving. So there are two kinds of entities: moving and not moving. So Kṛṣṇa says that material nature [is] acting on both these objects, moving and not moving. \"They are acting under My direction.\"\nSo there is supreme control. The modern civilization, they do not understand it, due to lack of knowledge. So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is trying to enlighten people to come to this point of knowledge. They're all crazy, conducted by the influence of the three modes of material nature. They're not in normal condition.\nSo it is very important movement. We invite... This morning also I said at the press representative meeting at the airport that there are so many universities and, especially in your country, department of knowledge, but why they are not discussing this point? Where is the department of knowledge? Some times past, I think sometimes in 1968, when I went to Boston, I was invited to speak in the technical institute. So my first question was that \"Where is that technological department which is making investigation between the dead man and the living man?\" Where is that technology? A man becomes dead. Something is losing. Where is that technology to replace it? Why do they not try for it?\nBut because it is very difficult subject, they set aside. They are busy for technology for eating, sleeping, mating and defending, that's all. Animal technology. The animals also trying their best how to eat nice, how to have nice sex life, how to sleep and how to defend. So what is the difference between man's knowledge and animals' knowledge. The man's knowledge should be developed to find out this technology, what is the difference between a living man and a dead man, a living body and dead body. That is spiritual knowledge.\nThat is... That was taught by Kṛṣṇa in the beginning of Bhagavad-gītā. Arjuna was talking as a friend, replying Him as a friend. Of course, he was... Whatever he was talking, that was right, but that was right to a certain point. Beyond that point, there are other subject matter of knowledge, which is called adhokṣaja, where our direct perception of material knowledge fails to approach. Just like we cannot see. There are so many microscope, powerful microscope. But find out within this body where is the soul. No, there is no microscope. But soul is there. Soul is there.\nBhagavad-gītā informs,\ndehino 'smin yathā dehe\nkaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā\ntathā dehāntaraṁ prāptir\ndhīras tatra na muhyati\n[Bg. 2.13]\nAsmin dehe, in this body, there is a proprietor of this body. Just like I am proprietor of my body, you are proprietor of your body. I say \"my hand.\" I don't say \"I hand.\" It is my hand. So I am different from this hand. Just like say, \"It is my book\"; so book is different from me. \"It is my table.\" Similarly, \"my hand,\" \"my eyes,\" \"my leg,\" \"my this,\" \"my that.\" But where I am? Search out. That is meditation: \"Where I am? What I am?\"\nSo you cannot search out by your material... That... Therefore all these universities, they are setting aside—very difficult subject. They are very much proud by creating a horseless carriage. That's all. Formerly horses were drawing carriages; now there is motorcar. So they are very much proud: \"We have invented horseless carriage.\" Or wingless bird. There is wing, imitation wing of the aeroplane. But you invent that a soul-less body, then there is credit.\nThat cannot be. No machine can work without a soul. I was talking of this computer. [aside:] What is called? Computer? Eh? Computer. But still, a trained man requires to handle the computer. Then what is the meaning of this computer? Whatever machine you make... Similarly, we should understand that this great machine, which is known as cosmic manifestation, material nature—there is a supreme spirit which is manipulating. That is Kṛṣṇa. And Kṛṣṇa says. It is confirmed.\nSo our process of knowledge is very easy and perfect. The scientists, they are searching out what is the ultimate cause or ultimate control of this material nature, and they are putting, theorizing different proposition. But our means of knowledge, very easy and perfect, because we are hearing from the perfect person, Kṛṣṇa. And He says, mayādhyakṣeṇa [Bg. 9.10]. So immediately we know that all this cosmic machine, which is working so nicely and wonderfully, behind this machine the driver is Kṛṣṇa. Exactly behind a machine here, there is a machine driver, similarly, behind this big machine of material nature, there is Kṛṣṇa.\nSo our process of knowledge very easy. Kṛṣṇa's book, Bhagavad-gītā, is the knowledge, book of knowledge, which is given by the perfect person, Kṛṣṇa. You may argue that \"You have accepted Him as a perfect person, but we do not.\" You may not. But He is perfect person on the evidence of many authorities. It is not by my whims I accept Kṛṣṇa as the perfect person. No.\nThere are many authorities, Vedic authorities. Formerly... Just like Vyāsadeva: he's the author of all Vedic literature, the treasure house of knowledge, Vedas. He accepts Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. His spiritual master, Nārada, he accepts Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. His spiritual master, Brahmā, he accepts Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Person. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ [Bs. 5.1], Brahmā says. \"The supreme controller is Kṛṣṇa.\" Īśvara. \nĪśvara means controller. We are controller, everyone. Nobody can say that \"I am without controller.\" No. That is not possible. Everyone has got a controller. However big officer you may be, you have a controller over your head. But Kṛṣṇa has no controller; therefore He is God. He is controller of everyone, but He has no controller; therefore He's God.\nSo there are many so-called \"Gods\" nowadays. Very... God has become very cheap, especially they are imported from India. [chuckles] They are not manufactured in here. You are fortunate. But India, they're coming out, \"God,\" practically every day. They are... The other day Karandhara was telling me that some God was coming to Los Angeles, and they were requested to receive him. So Kṛṣṇa is not that kind of God. I mentioned in my introduction to Kṛṣṇa book that Kṛṣṇa is not that type of God, manufactured in mystic factory. No. He is God. He was not made God, but He is God.\nSo the point is that behind this material..., big material nature, cosmic manifestation, there is God. That is Kṛṣṇa, and accepted by all authorities. We have to accept things which is accepted by authorities. That is our education. We go to teacher. We go to school. We learn from father, mother. They're all authorities. And our nature is to learn... \"Father, what is this?\" in childhood. Father says, \"This is this, pen. This is spectacle. This is table.\" So he learns from father, mother, \"This is table. This is spectacle. This is pen. This is this. She is my sister. She [he] is my brother.\"\nSo similarly, if we get information from the authority, and if the authority is not a cheater, then our knowledge is perfect, and very easy. Just like father, mother never cheats. When the son inquires from the parents, the parent gives exact information, right information. Similarly, if we get right information from the right person, that is perfect knowledge. If you want to reach to the conclusion by speculation, that is imperfect—inductive process. That will never become perfect. It will remain imperfect for all the time.\nSo we get information from the perfect person, Kṛṣṇa. Therefore whatever we speak, that is perfect, because we don't speak anything which is not spoken by Kṛṣṇa or authorities who have accepted Kṛṣṇa. That is called disciplic succession. So our process is, process of acquiring knowledge, is very easy and perfect. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We cannot say anything which is not accepted by the authorities coming from Kṛṣṇa. And in the Bhagavad-gītā Kṛṣṇa recommends this process of knowledge—evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ [Bg. 4.2]: \"This knowledge, formerly, all the great saintly kings...\"\nFormerly, there was monarchy. Just like nowadays also, the government is authority. Your President is authority. So in the days of monarchical king, government, the monarch or the king is head of the government. He is authority. But formerly, those authorities, those kings, were ṛṣis, great learned scholar—ṛṣis, great devotees. They were not ordinary men. That system of government was very nice. One person, well talented, well trained as the head of the government, very peacefully he could execute the governmental function.\nThere were many instances, the Vedic civilization, how the kings were perfect. You'll find from Dhruva Mahārāja's instances that Dhruva Mahārāja went to the forest to search out God, and he found out. By severe type of penances and austerities, he found out God within six months. How? He was a five-years-old boy, child. According to the direction of his spiritual master, Nārada, he went alone in the forest, although a king's son, very delicate body.\nSo in the first month he simply used to eat some vegetables after three days, each three days. One, two, three—then he eats something, some fruits, some vegetables. Then next three months, each six days he used to little..., drink little water. And next month, in each twelve days he used to inhale some air. In this way, for six months he stood in one leg and executed these austerities, and at the end of six months, God became manifest before him eye to eye. So if we follow austerities, then it will be possible to see God eye to eye and perfection of life.\nSo this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, there is austerity, but it is not very difficult. We recommend our students not to have illicit sex. We don't stop sex, but regulate. We don't stop eating, but regulated, kṛṣṇa-prasādam, no meat-eating. No... We don't say \"No eating,\" but \"No meat-eating.\" So what is the difficulty? Now see. In our kṛṣṇa-prasādam, we have got so many varieties of fruits, vegetables, nicely cooked. What is the difficulty? \"No illicit sex\" means don't be cats and dogs. Be married man and have one wife, one husband, and be satisfied.\nSo unless we regulate, unless we undergo austerity... We cannot undergo such severe type of austerity as Dhruva Mahārāja went, that every three days a little fruit or vegetable, then every six days little water. That is not possible in these days. If you want to imitate Dhruva Mahārāja, it will be impossible. So we don't prescribe any impossible method, but possible method.\nBut if you take to these principles, then you make advance in spiritual consciousness, in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and as you make advancement in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then you become perfect in knowledge. Otherwise, what is the use of becoming scientist or philosopher who cannot say what is next life?\nBut these students, they can very easily say what is next life, what is God, what I am, what is our relationship. This knowledge you'll find perfectly, because they are reading perfect book of knowledge, Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. So this is our process, very easy. Anyone can adopt and make his life perfect. And if somebody says that \"I am not educated. I cannot read book,\" still, there is possibility: you simply chant Hare Kṛṣṇa.\nSo you have got tongue. You have got ear. Kṛṣṇa has given you. And you'll be surprised to know that Kṛṣṇa is realized through tongue, not through eyes, not through ears. Tongue. Of course, after tongue, the other senses are following. Tongue is the chief. So we have to control the tongue. How to control? Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and taste kṛṣṇa-prasādam. That's all.\nSevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adhaḥ. Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ [Cc. Madhya 17.136]. You cannot understand Kṛṣṇa by exercising your sensual perception, speculation. It is not possible. Kṛṣṇa is so great that He is not within your sensual exercise. No. He can be understood by surrender. Kṛṣṇa therefore recommends this process: sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja [Bg. 18.66]. Because our disease is rebellious, no authority.\nWe don't want any authority. That is our disease. We say we don't want any authority, but nature is so strong that he forces his authority upon you. You are forced to accept the authority of nature by your sensual exercise. You cannot say that \"I am independent.\" You may say all nonsense, that \"I don't want authority,\" but you are... Everyone is under authority. And that is our foolishness. We are under authority; still, we say we don't want any authority. This is called māyā, illusion.\nSo the best authority is Kṛṣṇa. If we... After all, we have to accept authority. So why not best authority, Kṛṣṇa? Then your life becomes successful.\nThank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa. [devotees offer obeisances\n[break] Any question?",
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"content": "\n What happens to a person if we just give him out on the street one Simply Wonderful or some prasādam, one piece of prasādam?",
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"content": "\n Oh, that is wonderful, simply wonderful. [laughter] [chuckles] He has not tasted such wonderful sweet in his life. Therefore you give him wonderful, and because he's eating that wonderful sweet, one day he'll come to your temple and become wonderful.",
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"content": "\n Jaya!",
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"content": "\n Therefore it is simply wonderful. So go on distributing this Simply Wonderful. Your philosophy is simply wonderful. Your prasādam is simply wonderful. You are simply wonderful. And your Kṛṣṇa is simply wonderful. The whole process of simply wonderful. And He acts wonderfully, and it is acting wonderfully. Who can deny it?\nK\nī\nrtanānanda:\n Prabhupāda is simply wonderful.\n That's all right. [chuckles] You can become, everyone. Hmm. All right, have kīrtana. [end]",
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https://vedabase.io/en/library/transcripts/710721sb-new-york/
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"content": "\n\nom ajñāna-timirāndhasya jñānāñjana-śalākayā\ncakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena tasmai śrī-gurave-namaḥ\n[\"I offer my respectful obeisances unto my spiritual master, who with the torchlight of knowledge has opened my eyes, which were blinded by the darkness of ignorance.\"]\nśrī-caitanya-mano-'bhīṣṭaṁ sthāpitaṁ yena bhū-tale\nsvayaṁ rūpaḥ kadā mahyaṁ dadāti sva-padāntikam\n[\"When will Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī Prabhupāda, who has established within this material world the mission to fulfill the desire of Lord Caitanya, give me shelter under his lotus feet?\"]\nhe kṛṣṇa karuṇā-sindho dīna-bandho jagat-pate\ngopeśa gopikā-kānta rādhā-kānta namo 'stu te\n[\"O my dear Kṛṣṇa, ocean of mercy, You are the friend of the distressed and the source of creation. You are the master of the cowherd men and the lover of the gopīs, especially Rādhārāṇī. I offer my respectful obeisances unto You.\"]\ntapta-kāñcana-gaurāṅgi rādhe vṛndāvaneśvari\nvṛṣabhānu-sute devi praṇamāmi hari-priye\n[\"I offer my respects to Rādhārāṇī, whose bodily complexion is like molten gold and who is the Queen of Vṛndāvana. You are the daughter of King Vṛṣabhānu, and You are very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa.\"]\nvāñchā-kalpa-tarubhyaś ca kṛpā-sindhubhya eva ca\npatitānāṁ pāvanebhyo vaiṣṇavebhyo namo namaḥ\n[\"I offer my respectful obeisances unto all the Vaiṣṇava devotees of the Lord. They are just like desire trees who can fulfill the desires of everyone. They are oceans of mercy and are the purifiers of the fallen souls.\"]\nśrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu nityānanda\nśrī-advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda\n[\"I offer my obeisances to Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya, Prabhu Nityānanda, Śrī Advaita, Gadādhara, Śrīvāsa and all others in the line of devotion.\"]\nhare kṛṣṇa hare kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa hare hare\nhare rāma hare rāma rāma rāma hare hare\n[\"My dear Lord, and the spiritual energy of the Lord, kindly engage me in Your service. I am now embarrassed with this material service. Please engage me in Your service.\"]\nSo today I shall speak to you about glorification of the holy name of God. This was discussed between Mahārāja Parīkṣit and Śukadeva Gosvāmī in connection with one brāhmaṇa who was very much fallen and addicted to all kinds of sinful activities, but he was saved simply by chanting the holy name. So this is from the Sixth Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.\nIn the Fifth Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, the universal planetary system have been very nicely explained, and within the planetary system there is some planet, some planetary system, which are called hellish planet. Actually, in every scripture, not only in Bhāgavata, in other religious scripture, the description of hell and heaven are there, some way or other.\nSo in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam you'll find where are those hellish planets, how it is distant from this planet. Just like modern astronomy, they have got calculation how far the moon planet is there from here, what is the distance, what is the distance between earthly planet, the sun planet. Similarly, there are hellish planets also.\nJust like... We have got practical experience. Even on this planet, there are different conditions of atmosphere. Western countries, nearing the North Pole, the climate is different from India because it is near the equator. As there are differences of atmosphere and condition of life within this planet, similarly, there are particular planets also, the condition of life, atmosphere and everything different.\nSo after hearing all these descriptions of hellish planets... As there are heavenly planets, there are hellish planets also. So Parīkṣit Mahārāja inquiring from Śukadeva Gosvāmī,\nadhuneha mahā-bhāga\nyathaiva narakān naraḥ\nnānā ugra yātanān neyāt\ntan me vyākhyātum arhasi\n[SB 6.1.6]\n\"Sir, I have heard from you about many hellish planetary description, and the men who are very much sinful, they are put into those planets.\" But Parīkṣit Mahārāja is a Vaiṣṇava. Vaiṣṇava is always feeling for others' distress. That is Vaiṣṇava.\n[aside:] Don't make this sound.\nVaiṣṇava—para-duḥkha-duḥkhī. They're very much afflicted with others', I mean to say, miserable life. Just like Lord Jesus Christ, he presented himself as very much afflicted with others' miserable condition of life. So all the Vaiṣṇavas, devotees—it doesn't matter which country he belongs to or which sect he belongs to—anyone who is God conscious or Kṛṣṇa conscious... Therefore to blaspheme a Vaiṣṇava, a preacher of God's glory, is great offense. Kṛṣṇa, or God, will never tolerate offense on the lotus feet of a Vaiṣṇava.\nSo here Parīkṣit Mahārāja is asking... Because he's a Vaiṣṇava. Mind that. A Vaiṣṇava is actually feeling... Para-duḥkha-duḥkhī, kṛpāmbudhi. These are the adjectives of the qualification.\n[aside:] Sit down.\nKṛpāmbudhi means ocean of mercy, kṛpāmbudhi. And para-duḥkha-duhkhī. Vāñchā-kalpa-taru. Vāñchā-kalpa-taru means everyone has got desires, but Vaiṣṇava can fulfill all desires. Kalpa-taru. \nKalpa-taru means desire tree. There is a tree which is called desire tree. Here, in this material world, you get a fruit, a particular type of fruit, from a particular type of tree. But in Kṛṣṇa-loka or Vaikuṇṭha planets, all the trees, because they're spiritual, so you can get anything you like from any tree. That is described in the Brahma-saṁhitā, cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa [Bs. 5.29]. Kalpa-vṛkṣa means desire trees.\nSo here Parīkṣit Mahārāja is asking, adhunā, \"now,\" iha mahā-bhāga. A Vaiṣṇava is addressed as mahā-bhāga. Bhāga means fortunate. One who becomes Vaiṣṇava, God conscious, he is to be understood as great fortunate. Caitanya Mahāprabhu, therefore, has said that,\nei rūpe brahmāṇḍa bhramite kono bhāgyavān jīva\nguru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpāya pāya bhakti-latā-bīja\n[Cc. Madhya 19.151]\nThe living entities are rotating in different species of life, in different planetary system, all over the universe. Brahmāṇḍa means a living entity can go anywhere, hell, heaven, as he likes, as he prepares himself.\nSo there are many heavenly planets, many hellish planets, many species of life, not only planets. This is varieties, 8,400,000 species of life. So a living entity is rotating, wandering. According to the type of mentality he's creating in the present life, he's getting next life similar body. \"As you sow, so you reap.\" This is going on.\nSo therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, ei rūpe brahmāṇḍa brahmite. The living entity is rotating. Out of them... Millions, numberless living entities are rotating. Out of them, one who is fortunate... Ei rūpe brahmāṇḍa bhramite kono bhāgyavān jīva... [Cc. Madhya 19.151]. Kono, not all. If all would have been so fortunate, everyone would have taken to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It is being distributed freely everywhere. But why they are not taking to it? Because unfortunate. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, kono bhāgyavān jīva: \"Only one who is fortunate.\"\nSo because... Why fortunate? Because if he takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, all the problems of his life become solved. But he'll not take to it due to his unfortunate condition. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, \"Only the fortunate persons.\" There are many fortunate persons all over the world, and many unfortunate persons also.\nSo those who are fortunate, they're taking to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, this ideal life, hopeful life, pleasant life, blissful life, life of knowledge. They're taking to it. But it is the duty of Vaiṣṇava to go door to door to make them fortunate. Although they are unfortunate, but you have to go door to door to make them fortunate. That is your duty.\nSo a Vaiṣṇava is thinking, mahā-bhāga, \"How these people can be delivered from this hellish condition of life?\" That was his inquiry. \"Sir, you have described that on account of these sinful activities, he's put into this hellish condition of life or in hellish planetary system. Now what are the countermethods by which they can be saved?\" This is the question. This question... Because he is Vaiṣṇava, he is thinking, \"Oh, so many living entities are suffering. How they can be saved?\"\nA Vaiṣṇava comes, God also comes and God's son or very confidential devotee also comes—their only mission is how to save these sinful men who are suffering so much. That is their mission. They have no other mission. Just like Prahlāda Mahārāja. When Nṛsiṁha-deva met him, he said a very nice verse. I'll quote that verse. So Prahlāda Mahārāja says one place,\nnaiva udvije para duratyaya-vaitaraṇyāḥ\ntvad-vīrya-gāyana-mahāmṛta-magna-cittaḥ\nśoce tato vimukha-cetasa indriyārtha-\nmāyā-sukhāya bharam udvahato vimūḍhān\n[SB 7.9.43]\nPrahlāda Mahārāja says, \"My dear Lord, I'm not very much anxious for my deliverance.\"\nBecause Māyāvādī philosophers, they are very much, I mean to say, careful, that \"My salvation may..., may..., may not be interrupted. If I go to preach, and in association with others, if I fall down, then my business will be finished.\" So they do not come. Only Vaiṣṇava comes at the risk of their falldown. They do not fall down, but they go even to the hell to deliver.\nSo Prahlāda, this is Prahlāda Mahārāja's admission. He says that na udvije: \"I'm not very much anxious or perturbed because I am living in this material world.\" Naivodvije para duratyaya-vaitaraṇyāḥ. Vaitaraṇyāḥ means this hellish condition of life, how to cross the river of hellish condition of life. So \"I have no anxiety for that.\" Why you are not anxious? Now, he says, tvad-vīrya-gāyana-mahāmṛta-magna-cittaḥ [SB 7.9.43]: \"Because some way or other, I have been trained to be always in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Therefore I have no anxiety.\"\nThere is a confidence. One who is purely in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he's confident that next life he's going to Kṛṣṇa. So if you simply carefully execute our Kṛṣṇa conscious regulative principles, it is sure, actually. In the Bhagavad-gītā that is stated.\nThen Prahlāda Mahārāja says, \"There is only one anxiety for me.\" Just see. He has no anxiety for himself, but he has still anxiety. What is that? Śoce tato vimukha-cetasa: \"I am anxious..., I am anxious for these persons who are not Kṛṣṇa conscious. That is my anxiety. For me, I have no anxiety. But I am thinking of these persons who are not Kṛṣṇa conscious.\" Why they are not Kṛṣṇa conscious? Now, māyā-sukhāya bharam udvahato vimūḍhān [SB 7.9.43]: \"These rascals, they have created a civilization, a humbug civilization, [laughter] [chuckles] for temporary happiness.\" Māyā-sukhāya.\nActually, this is the fact: humbug civilization. So many cars are being manufactured every year, and for that purpose so many roads have to be excavated, prepared, and... Problems after problems. Therefore it is māyā-sukha. We are trying to be happy this way, manufacture some way, but it creates another problem. I am giving this particular example of motorcars because in your country you have got the greatest number of cars. But that does not solve the problem.\nYou have manufactured cars... I have practical experience. When Dayānanda wanted to take me to a doctor from Los Angeles, it is thirty miles off. Thirty miles off. So I had to take trouble to go thirty miles and come thirty miles before I could consult the doctor. You see? And if you have created cars, then you must have, meet your friends and necessities, thirty miles off, forty miles off. You can go from New York to Boston in one hour, but go to the airport you will take three hours. [laughter] Therefore it is called māyā-sukhāya. [laughter]\nMāyā means false, illusory. We are trying to create some very comfortable situation, but creating another uncomfortable situation. This is called māyā-su... This is the way of... If you do not be satisfied by the natural comforts offered by God, or nature, if you want to create artificial comfort, then you have to create another discomfort for counteracting. They do not know that. They are thinking that \"We are creating very comfortable situation.\"\nFifty miles going to the office, for earning livelihood; fifty miles from one place to another. I saw in Hawaii. When Gaurasundara was working to maintain our temple... He was working. Unfortunately, he had to go fifty miles off from the temple to work for it. So I was very sorry to see how this boy is going fifty miles. How Kṛṣṇa will say? But Kṛṣṇa has given us chance; now they haven't got to work.\nSo Prahlāda Mahārāja says that \"These vimūḍhān, these materialistic persons, these rascals...\" He has exactly used this word, vimūḍhān. Mūḍha I have already explained several times in connection with Bhagavad-gītā, mūḍha means rascals. And here Prahlāda Mahārāja uses another nice word with addition \"vi.\" Vimūḍhān. Vi means viśeṣa, \"particularly.\" The vimūḍhān... Māyā-sukhāya bharam udvahataḥ: \"They have created unnecessary burden on their shoulder simply for temporary happiness.\" Temporary happiness.\nTherefore, in the Vedic civilization, a sannyāsa, renounced order of life, is recommended for prosecuting spiritual life absolutely, without any anxiety. If one can execute Kṛṣṇa consciousness in family life, that's very good. Just like Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura: he was a family man, magistrate; still, he executed devotional service so nicely. Dhruva Mahārāja, Prahlāda Mahārāja, they are..., they were gṛhastha, householders, but they trained themselves in such a nice way that even householder, as a householder, there was no interruption.\nJust like Prahlāda Mahārāja said that \"I have learned the art, how to remain always in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.\" What is that? Tvad-vīrya-gāyana-mahāmṛta: \"Simply glorifying the,\" I mean, \"the victorious activities, pastimes of the Lord.\" Tvad-vīrya. Vīrya means very strenuous, very heroic. Vīrya means heroic. So Kṛṣṇa's activities are all heroic. You can read from Kṛṣṇa book. Tvad-vīrya-gāyana. Kṛṣṇa's name, Kṛṣṇa's fame, Kṛṣṇa's activities, Kṛṣṇa's associates—everything is heroic.\nSo Prahlāda Mahārāja says, \"For me, I am certain, wherever I shall go, I can glorify Your heroic activities and I am, I mean to say, saved. There is no question of my falling down. But I wish... I am simply anxious for these persons who have created a type of civilization that they are always busy and working hard. So I am thinking of them.\"\nprāyeṇa deva munayaḥ sva-vimukti-kāmā\nmaunaṁ caranti vijane na parārtha-niṣṭhāḥ\nnaitān vihāya kṛpaṇān vimumukṣa eko\nnānyaṁ tvad asya śaraṇaṁ bhramato 'nupaśye\n[SB 7.9.44]\nHe says, \"My dear Lord, there are many saintly persons, sages,\" munaya. Munaya means saintly persons, philosophers. Prāyeṇa deva munayaḥ sva-vimukti-kāmā: \"They are very much interested for their own liberation.\" Sva-muka. Sva means \"own.\" Sva-vimukti-kāmā. And maunaṁ caranti vijane na parārtha-niṣṭhāḥ: \"They try to live in solitary place, in Himalaya mountain, maunam, not talk to anyone, caranti...\" Because they are always afraid that \"If I mix with these ordinary people in the city, I may be disturbed, I may fall down. Better let me save myself first of all.\"\nSo Prahlāda Mahārāja regretting that these great saintly persons, they do not come in the city, where they have manufactured a civilization, all day and night working hard. So... \"But I am anxious for them.\" This is Prahlāda Mahārāja's feeling[?]. Maunaṁ caranti vijane parārtha-niṣṭhāḥ. \nNa parartha niṣṭhāḥ: \"They are not very much compassionate with these fallen people who are unnecessarily working so hard simply for sense gratification.\" If there is some substance in that working hard, no, they do not know what is the substance. Utmost they know sex. That's all. Working so hard day and night. And what is satisfaction? Either naked dance, go to the naked club or this or that. That's all. [laughter] Maunaṁ caranti vijane.\nBut Prahlāda Mahārāja says, naitān vihāya kṛpaṇān vimumukṣa ekaḥ: \"My Lord, I do not require salvation alone. Unless I take all these fools with me, I'll not go.\" [laughter] He refuses to go the kingdom of God without taking all these fallen souls. Just see. This is Vaiṣṇava. He says, naitān vihāya kṛpaṇān vimumukṣa ekaḥ. \"Then what is your process?\nYou are very ambitious. That's all right. You want to take all of them with you to the kingdom of God, but what process?\" People may ask, \"How you are going to do that?\" He says, nānyam tvad asya-śaraṇaṁ bhramato 'nupaśye: \"I simply want to teach them how to surrender unto You. That's all. That is my process.\" Because he knows, as soon as he surrenders, his path is clear.\nBecause Kṛṣṇa assures,\nsarva-dharmān parityajya\nmām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja\nahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo\nmokṣayiṣyāmi...\n[Bg. 18.66]\nSo simply, somehow or other, let them bow down before Kṛṣṇa. That's all. Very simple method. As soon as you bow down before Kṛṣṇa with faith: \"My Lord, Kṛṣṇa, I was forgetful of Yourself so long, so many lives. Now I have come to consciousness. Please accept me.\" That's all. If people simply learn this technique and sincerely surrenders himself to the Lord, his path is immediately open.\nSo these are the Vaiṣṇava philosophical thoughts, that how they are thinking for the conditioned souls, fallen souls, how they can be delivered. They are making plan in that way. They are..., they always they are busy in that business, how to deliver. Just like Gosvāmīs, about the six Gosvāmīs of Vṛndāvana, Lord Caitanya's direct disciples, what was their business? That is stated by Śrīnivāsācārya,\nnānā-śāstra-vicāraṇaika-nipuṇau sad-dharma-saṁsthāpakau\nlokānāṁ hita-kāriṇau tri-bhuvane mānyau śaraṇyākarau\nrādhā-kṛṣṇa-padāravinda-bhajanānandena mattālikau\nvande rūpa-sanātanau raghu-yugau śrī-jīva-gopālakau\n[Śrī Ṣaḍ-gosvāmy-aṣṭaka 2]\nSo they were busy, nānā-śāstra-vicāraṇaika. They were consulting many authoritative scriptures, how to put people in the right religious way of life. Nānā-śāstra-vicāraṇaika..., sad-dharma-saṁsthāpakau. Why? Lokānāṁ hita-kāriṇau: actually for doing welfare activities to the people in general, not for themselves.\nA Vaiṣṇava is liberated, and he can keep himself liberated always, anywhere, any place, without any hindrance, simply by chanting this Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma... So... But still they are very much anxious for the conditioned souls. Similarly, here also, Parīkṣit Mahārāja says that \"Śukadeva Gosvāmī, you have described about the different types of hellish condition of life. Now, how they can be delivered? Kindly explain.\"\nAdhuneha mahā-bhāga yathaiva narakān naraḥ. Nara means human beings, those who are fallen, how they can be delivered? Narakān naraḥ nānā ugra-yātanān neyāt. Ugra yātanān, very, I mean to say, fierceful miseries, yātanān. Yātanān, pains, horrible pains. Ugra. Ugra means horrible, very strong pain, painful life. \"How they can be delivered?\" Nānā ugra-yātanān, tan me vyākhyātum arhasi: \"If you kindly explain how they can be delivered.\"\nThat is Vaiṣṇava heart. \"Never mind. Some way or other, they have fallen down to this condition, this hellish condition of life, but that does not mean that they should remain in that condition of life. There must be some ways and means by which they can be delivered. So if you kindly explain that.\"\nNow, Śukadeva Gosvāmī says,\nna ced ihaiva apacatiṁ yathāmhasaḥ\nkṛtasya kuryān mana-ukta-pāṇibhiḥ\ndhruvaṁ sa vai pretya narakān upaiti ye\nkīrtitā me bhavatas tigma-yātanāḥ\n[SB 6.1.7]\n\"Yes, I have already described the different types of hellish condition, and there are very severe, painful life. But one has to counteract it—how? They are... These kinds of sinful activities are committed various ways.\" He says that kṛtasya kuryān mana-ukta-pāṇibhiḥ. We can commit sinful activities by mind. If I think of something, committing, \"I shall kill that man,\" if I make plan... So even if do not kill that man, simply because I am thinking of killing that man, that is also sinful. Ukta-pāṇibhiḥ. Thinking, mind... Thinking, feeling, willing—then there is action. So here it is said, mana-ukta-pāṇibhiḥ.\nJust like the..., the other day I was reading in some book that if you are passing on road, if other's dog barks, then that is an..., that is an offense on the part of the dog-owner, according to law. So why one should be scared by dog barking? One should take care of the dog. I have read it. This is a law in your country.\nSo it is simply barking, but it is sinful. It is sinful not because he... It is animal, but the owner of the animal, who has made the dog as the best friend, he's responsible by law. He's responsible. That is your law in the country I am speaking. He's responsible. If any dog, outside dog, enters your house, the dog may not be killed, but the owners of the dog may be prosecuted. I have read this.\nSo similarly, if a barking of dog is unlawful, so when you speak something offensive to others, that is sinful. That is also like barking. Therefore sinful activities are committed in so many ways. We are so much dependent. If we think of sinful activities or if we speak something sinful activities, ukta-pāṇibhiḥ, or we commit something sinful activities with hands, they're all sinful activities. Dhruvaṁ sa vai pretya narakān upaiti.\nSo one has to suffer. People, they do not believe next life because they want to avoid this botheration. But there... You cannot avoid this botheration. If you do not go according to law... As there is punishment even in this state of our life—if I commit some sins, criminal activities, the state will punish me—similarly, if we do something which is punishable, I may avoid the state law, but I cannot avoid God's law. That is not possible. I can hide myself, cheating others, or committing theft, and thus thereby I save myself from the punishment of the state laws, but I cannot save myself from the superior law, the law of nature. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā [Bg. 7.14].\nIt is very difficult. There are so many witnesses. The daylight is witness. The moonlight is witness. These are described. You cannot say that \"I am committing these things. Nobody is seeing me. There is no witness. So how I can be...?\" And the supreme witness is Kṛṣṇa. He is sitting within your heart. He is noting down what you are thinking, what you are doing.\nHe is giving facility also. If you wanted to do something to satisfy your senses, so Kṛṣṇa is giving facility. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭo [Bg. 15.15]: \"I am sitting in everyone's heart.\" Mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca: \"From Me, there is remembrance, knowledge,\" smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca, \"and forgetfulness.\"\nSo Kṛṣṇa gives us chance. If you want Kṛṣṇa, then He will give you full chance how to have Kṛṣṇa. And if you don't want Kṛṣṇa, then He'll give you full chance how to forget Kṛṣṇa. Two things are going on. If you want to forget... If you want to enjoy life, forgetting Kṛṣṇa, forgetting God, then Kṛṣṇa will give you all facilities so that you can forget Him. And if you want to enjoy life with Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then Kṛṣṇa will give you chance how to make your progress in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is up to you.\nIf you think that without Kṛṣṇa consciousness you will be happy, do that. Kṛṣṇa does not object to that. Yathecchasi tathā kuru [Bg. 18.63]. Kṛṣṇa, after advising Arjuna, He simply inquired, \"Now I have explained to you everything. Whatever you desire, you can now do.\" So immediately Arjuna replied, kariṣye vacanaṁ tava [Bg. 18.73]: \"Now I shall execute Your order.\" That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.\nGod does not interfere with your little independence. If you want to act according to the order of God, then God will help you. Even sometimes you fall down, if you become sincere, that \"From this time I shall remain Kṛṣṇa conscious and execute His orders,\" then Kṛṣṇa will help you, in all respect. Even you fall down, He'll excuse you and He will give more intelligence, \"Don't do this. Now go on with your duty.\" But if you want to forget Kṛṣṇa, if you want to become happy without Kṛṣṇa, He'll give you so many chances that you'll forget Kṛṣṇa—you'll forget, life after life. That's all.\nSo here Parīkṣit Mahārāja says that... It is not that if I say, \"There is no God,\" there will be no God, and whatever I do, that will not be..., I'll not be responsible for that. That is atheistic theory. Atheists do not want God because they're always sinful, and if they think of God, that there is God, then there is a great link[?] of punishment. They shudder. Therefore they deny God. That is their process. Because if they forget God, there is God, then there is no punishment; he can do whatever he likes.\nJust like the animals. The rabbits, when they're attacked by a greater animal, they close their eyes. [laughter] He thinks that \"I'm not going to be killed.\" That's all. But he's killed. Similarly, we may deny the existence of God, the law of God, the exigencies of God, but they are already there. Just like in the...\nWhy God? In state, if you say, \"I don't care for God,\" er, I mean, \"the state, government,\" but you'll be forced to accept government laws. You'll be put into the prison house, and you'll be forced. \"Because you denied the state laws, now you suffer.\" Similarly, I may decry the existence of God, \"There is no God,\" \"I am God.\" That you may think, foolishly, like that. But you are responsible for all your activities, either good or bad. It doesn't matter.\nThere are two kind of activities: good or bad. If you act nicely, pious activities, then you get good chance. And if you act sinfully, then you have to suffer. So Śukadeva Gosvāmī says,\ntasmāt puraivāśu iha pāpa-niṣkṛtau\nyateta mṛtyor avipadyatātmanā\ndoṣasya dṛṣṭvā guru-lāghavaṁ yathā\nbhiṣak cikitseta rujāṁ nidānavit\n[SB 6.1.8]\nThere are different kinds of, what is called, condonement? Prāyaścitta? What is that exact English? Con...? Yes.",
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"content": "\n Condonement?",
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"content": "\n Yes. What is the meaning of condonement?",
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"content": "\n Condiment?",
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"content": "\n Not condemnation",
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"content": "\n Relish, spices, etcetera.",
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"content": "\n No, no, not condiment. Condone.",
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"content": "\n Oh, condone. Sanction, approval.",
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"content": "\n No. Suppose if you commit some sin and counteract it by some other thing, what is called? Just like in Christian Bible there is...?",
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"content": "\n Confession, atonement...",
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"content": "\n Atonement, yes. [laughter] [chuckles] That's it. Atonement. I was forgetting this word. Atonement. So Śukadeva Gosvāmī suggests that you should know the responsibility, and according to the gravity of sinful life, you should accept some type of atonement as they are described in the śāstras. Actually, according to Vedic way of life, there is a class of brāhmaṇas who...\nJust like you go, when you are diseased, you go to the doctor for atonement, for paying doctor's bill; similarly, they go to a bhaṭṭācārya. The bhaṭṭācārya is supposed to give him prescription, that \"I've committed such sins, sir. What is my atonement?\" He gives you a prescription that \"You do like this.\"\nSo Śukadeva Gosvāmī says that \"According to the gravity of sinful life, one has to execute the prescribed atonement.\" Exactly... He gives the example,\ndoṣasya dṛṣṭvā guru-lāghavaṁ yathā\nbhiṣak cikitseta rujāṁ nidānavit\n[SB 6.1.8]\nExactly like when you go to consult a physician, he prescribes a nice medicine or costly medicine, according to the gravity of the disease. If you have simply some headache, he may prescribe you something like aspirin. But if you have got something else, very severe, he immediately prescribes that \"It has to be surgically operated, and the expenditure will be one thousand dollar.\" [laughter]\nSo similarly, this is also diseased condition, to...\n[aside:] Don't... Down.\nAtonement, the sinful life, this is also diseased condition. Just like we have accepted this chain of birth and death. This is diseased condition of the soul. The soul has no birth and death, no disease—because it is spirit soul. Na jāyate na mriyate vā kadācit.\nKṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, na jāyate: \"Soul has no birth.\" Na mriyate: \"It has no death.\" Nityaḥ śāśvato 'yaṁ na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre [Bg. 2.20]: \"Soul is eternal,\" śāśvataḥ, \"existing everlasting. Don't think that it is lost along with the dissolution of this body. No.\" Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre. Na hanyate means it is not killed or it is destroyed, even after the destruction of this body.\nThis is the missing point of modern civilization. They do not know... There is no educational system in the university what happens after death. There is no such educational system. The most defective education, because without this knowledge, what happens after death, without this knowledge, one who is dying without this knowledge, he's animal. The animal does not know that what he's going to have, another body, how it is... He has no such knowledge.\nBut human life is not meant for becoming an animal, simply interested in eating, sleeping, sex life and defense. You may have very nice arrangement for eating or you may have very nice buildings for sleeping, or you may have very good arrangement for sex life, or you may have very good defense force to protect yourself. But that does not mean that you are in human civilization.\nThat type of civilization is there in the animal life. They are also interested in eating. They are also interested in sleeping. They're also interested in sex life. And according to their own method, they defend also. Then where is the distinction between a human life and animal life if you are simply engaged with these four principles of our bodily necessities?\nThe distinction is when a human being is inquisitive, \"Why I am put into this miserable condition of life? Is there any remedy? Is there any perpetual, eternal life? I want I shall not die; I shall live very happily and peacefully. Whether there is a chance? What is that method? What is that science?\" When these inquiries will be there and steps should be taken for answering the question, that is human civilization. Otherwise it is dog's civilization. If there is no such inquiry, then it is animal.\nAnimals are satisfied if they can eat something and sleep and have some sex life and some defense. That's all. There is no defense, actually, because nobody can protect himself from the hands of the cruel death. Therefore Hiraṇyakaśipu wanted to live forever, and he underwent severe austerities. The so-called scientists are also saying that \"By scientific method we shall stop death.\" This is also another crazy utterances. That is not possible. You may make very much advance in scientific knowledge, but there is no solution, by your so-called science, of these four problems: birth, death, old age and disease. There is no solution.\nTherefore, one who is intelligent, he'll be eager how to solve these four prime problems. That is intelligence. Because nobody wants to die. \"Why shall I die?\" But there is no remedy. I have to die. The... Everyone is very much anxious to stop increase of population by so many contraceptive method. But still, birth is going on. So there is no stoppage of death.\nThere is no stoppage of birth. And you might have invented very nice medicine by your scientific method, up-to-date medicines, but you cannot stop the disease. Just discover a tablet that you take this tablet there will be no more any disease. That is not possible. Disease will be there. You can invent some better medicine. That is..., that is the way.\nTherefore in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that,\njanma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-\nduḥkha-doṣānudarśanam\n[Bg. 13.9]. \nOne might think that he has solved all the problems of his life, but where is the solution of these four problems: birth, death, old age and disease? That is intelligence.\nBut there is a solution. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā,\njanma karma me divyaṁ\nyo jānāti tattvataḥ\ntyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma\nnaiti mām eti kaunteya\n[Bg. 4.9]\n\"If anyone understands about My appearance and disappearance and activities in truth—not superficially; in truth...\" Janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ. Tattvataḥ means truth, not superficially, ephemerally. Actually. What he gains? He gains that tyaktvā deham, after giving up this body...\nBecause we have to give up this body, every one of us. We are giving up bodies every moment. So the last phase of giving up this body is called death. Kṛṣṇa says, tyaktvā deham, after giving up this body, punar janma naiti, he does not accept any more a material body. Why? Mām eti. Because he returns back to Kṛṣṇa.\nWhen you have to go to Kṛṣṇa, then you have to prepare your body, spiritual body. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If your keep yourself in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then gradually you make..., you prepare your next body, spiritual body, which carries you immediately to Kṛṣṇa-loka, and you become happy and live there perpetually, blissfully.\nThank you very much. [devotees offer obeisances]\nWe can go now? [end]",
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https://vedabase.io/en/library/transcripts/670123cc-san-francisco/
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"content": "\n\nnātaḥ paraṁ parama sambhavata..., yad bhavataḥ svarūpam\nānanda-mātram avikalpam aviddha-varcaḥ\npaśyāmi viśva-sṛjam ekam aviśvam ātman\nbhūtendriyātmakam adas ta upāśrito 'smi\n[SB 3.9.3, Cc. Madhya 25.36]\n[O my Lord, I do not see a form superior to Your present form of eternal bliss and knowledge. In Your impersonal Brahman effulgence in the spiritual sky, there is no occasional change and no deterioration of internal potency. I surrender unto You because whereas I am proud of my material body and senses, Your Lordship is the cause of the cosmic manifestation and yet You are untouched by matter.]\nSo the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Absolute Truth, is the ultimate goal. As it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, \nmattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat\nasti kiñcid dhanañjaya\n[Bg. 7.7]\n[O conqueror of wealth [Arjuna], there is no Truth superior to Me. Everything rests upon Me, as pearls are strung on a thread.]\nIn the Bhagavad-gītā the Lord says, \"There is nothing more superior than Me.\" So this statement of Bhagavad-gītā is also confirmed in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam by this verse. Ānanda-mātram. In the transcendental body of Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, it is simply ānandam, blissful. We should note it that this body, our material body, is nirānandam, is without ānanda.\nWe are trying to adjust to have ānanda, or pleasure, by the limited resources of our senses, but actually, there is no ānanda, bliss. It is all miserable. This miserable body is condemned in every, I mean to say, practically, chapter and every śloka, every verse. Therefore Ṛṣabhadeva says,\nnūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma\nyad indriya-prītaya āpṛṇoti\n[SB 5.5.4]\n[When a person considers sense gratification the aim of life, he certainly becomes mad after materialistic living and engages in all kinds of sinful activity. He does not know that due to his past misdeeds he has already received a body which, although temporary, is the cause of his misery. Actually the living entity should not have taken on a material body, but he has been awarded the material body for sense gratification. Therefore I think it not befitting an intelligent man to involve himself again in the activities of sense gratification by which he perpetually gets material bodies one after another.]\nGenerally, people, they are mad, because more or less... Not more or less. Practically every one of us, we are mad. Why mad? Pramattaḥ, this very word is used. Pramattaḥ. Pramattaḥ means mad. Nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma. This material nature's program is such that the conditioned soul who are here, they should live in such a regulated life that ultimately they can go back to home, back to Godhead, because we are sons of the Supreme Lord.\nWe have come here to enjoy material, pramattaḥ svārthe, and we do not know what is our self-interest. We are thinking that \"I am this body,\" and therefore a little sense gratification... Because the body means there are different senses, and if we can gratify the senses we think that we are happy. This is madness.\nṚṣabhādeva says,\nnūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma\nyad indriya-prītaya āpṛṇoti\n[SB 5.5.4]\nThe only business is sense gratification. He says, na sādhu manye: \"This is not very good.\" Sādhu means good. Just to distinguish between the body of the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa, and our body, here the body of Kṛṣṇa is said, ānanda-mātram. Ānanda-mātram, simply full of..., reservoir of all pleasures. So because we are part and parcel of the Supreme Lord, we have also ānanda-mātram; simply blissful body we have got. That is called spiritual body. But because we have become mad, we have identified that this material body as \"I am.\" Therefore... And material body means sense gratification. There is no other alternative. To enjoy this material body means to gratify the senses.\nSo this sense gratification means, as it is said by Ṛṣabhādeva, na sādhu manye: \"I do not think it is very good.\" Why? Yata asann api kleśada āsa dehaḥ [SB 5.5.4]. If you act irresponsibly, without understanding yourself that you are not this material body but you are spiritual body, then the result will be continuation of this material body, one after another. Parābhavas tāvad abodha-jātaḥ. Therefore we are all abodha-jātaḥ, born ignorant.\nBecause from the very beginning of our life we know that \"I am this body.\" There is no education in the material world that we are not this body, we are soul. Although there are books of knowledge, just like Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, but nobody is interested. Therefore they are all mad. They are after the will-o'-the wisp, phantasmagoria, a wrong conception of life. Therefore all their activities are to be considered as defeat. Parābhavas. Parābhavas tāvad abodha-jātaḥ. They are born ignorant, and they will continue to be ignorant, and they will be defeated by all their activities.\nParābhavas tāvad abodha-jāto yāvan na jijñāsata ātma-tattvam [SB 5.5.5].\n[As long as one does not inquire about the spiritual values of life, one is defeated and subjected to miseries arising from ignorance. Be it sinful or pious, karma has its resultant actions. If a person is engaged in any kind of karma, his mind is called karmātmaka, colored with fruitive activity. As long as the mind is impure, consciousness is unclear, and as long as one is absorbed in fruitive activity, he has to accept a material body.]\nSo long he is not awakened to inquire \"What I am?\"—simply under madness he is going after this bodily sense enjoyment, but he does not know that he is not this body, therefore all his activities under this wrong conception of life are to be considered as defeat of his human mission of life. Yes. Just like the Supreme Lord is ānanda-mātram: simply ānanda, bliss, transcendental bliss. Therefore there is another verse in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam: ramante yoginaḥ anante [Cc. Madhya 9.29]. \n[The Supreme Absolute Truth is called Rāma because the transcendentalists take pleasure in the unlimited true pleasure of spiritual existence.]\nYoginaḥ, those who are actually yogī... Yogī means who are trying to reestablish their link with the Absolute Truth. They are called yogī. There are different types of yogī, but the real purpose of yoga means... The ordinary yoga means to find out the Supersoul within yourself, because Supersoul is there. Ramante yoginaḥ anante. So those who are actually yogī, they are not interested in this bodily sense gratification.\nThey want unlimited blissfulness. Ramante yoginaḥ anante satyānande. Satyānande means that is real happiness, which is never to be broken. That is real... Here, whatever we consider happiness—actually, there is no happiness—but whatever we think that \"This is happiness,\" oh, that will also break; it will not continue. That will also break.\nSo those who are actually yogī, they also, they also enjoy. But how they are enjoying? Satyānande. Real happiness, ramante yoginaḥ anante: and that is unlimited. There is no end. Ramante yoginaḥ anante satyānande cid-ātmani. Cid-ātmani means in full knowledge and eternity. Cit. Cit means knowledge. Here we do not know what sort of enjoyment we are doing. Cid-ātmani. \niti rāma padenāsau\nparaṁ brahmābhidhīyate\n[Cc. Madhya 9.29]\n[The Supreme Absolute Truth is called Rāma because the transcendentalists take pleasure in the unlimited true pleasure of spiritual existence.]\nThis is the meaning of the word Rāma. We chant really Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare / Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. Now, this word Rāma is explained in this way: Rāma means to enjoy life in the Supreme..., transcendental Supreme Personality of Godhead. That means dovetail your activities with Kṛṣṇa consciousness and you will be able to enjoy life eternally, blissfully. This is the purpose of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.\nSo in this verse we say..., we see that Brahmājī says, paśyāmi viśva-sṛjam ekam aviśvam ātman: \"Now, You, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, You are the central point of all manifestation.\" Visvātman. Bhūtendriyātma..., bhūtendriyātmakam adas ta upāśrito 'smi [Cc. Madhya 25.36]. \n[O my Lord, I do not see a form superior to Your present form of eternal bliss and knowledge. In Your impersonal Brahman effulgence in the spiritual sky, there is no occasional change and no deterioration of internal potency. I surrender unto You because whereas I am proud of my material body and senses, Your Lordship is the cause of the cosmic manifestation and yet You are untouched by matter.]\nBhūtendriya. Now, everything creation... Here we see bhūta, there are so many, multi living entities, and they are enjoying what?\nEnjoying means with these indriyaḥ, the senses. So bhūtendriyātmakam. So these senses, this body, the spirit of enjoyment, and the part and parcel of the Supreme Lord, these are the manifestation. So therefore, upāśrito 'smi. Brahmā says that \"I surrender unto me..., unto You.\"\ntad vā idaṁ bhuvana-maṅgala maṅgalāya\ndhyāne sma no daraśitaṁ ta upāsakānām\n[SB 3.9.4, Cc. Madhya 25.38]\n[This present form, or any transcendental form expanded by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, is equally auspicious for all the universes. Since You have manifested this eternal personal form upon whom Your devotees meditate, I therefore offer my respectful obeisances unto You. Those who are destined to be dispatched to the path of hell neglect Your personal form because of speculating on material topics.]\nThis is the form which is searched after in meditation by persons who are engaged in yoga principle. Tad vā idaṁ bhuvana-maṅgala maṅgalāya dhyāne. Dhyāne means in meditation. Dhyāne sma no daraśitam: \"We have seen this, this form.\" That means the perfection of meditation is, if one is serious about meditation and if he follows the rules and regulation as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, the sitting posture, and the place, and the procedure, and the modes of eating, modes of living...\nThere are so many things. If somebody follows those regulation and meditates according to that, then ultimately he will see the Supreme Personality of Godhead within himself. Therefore Brahmā said that dhyāne, \"While I was in meditation I saw this form.\" He revealed.\nThis form... How one does see the supreme form of Kṛṣṇa? Simply by the method of service. Otherwise, there is no possibility. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau [Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.2.234].\n[No one can understand the transcendental nature of the name, form, quality and pastimes of Śrī Kṛṣṇa through his materially contaminated senses. Only when one becomes spiritually saturated by transcendental service to the Lord are the transcendental name, form, quality and pastimes of the Lord revealed to him.]\nIf you be engaged in service attitude, then God will reveal Himself unto you. You cannot see God. You... By your tiny effort you cannot see God. This is not possible. Just like in the midnight, darkness, it is not possible to see the sun. You can see sun when sun itself reveals to you. Sun has got a time, say, 4:30 or 5:00 a.m. in the morning, at once reveals. And as soon as the sun reveals itself, you see yourself, you see the sun and you see the world. And so long you do not see the sun, you are in darkness, the world is in darkness and you cannot see.\nSimilarly, without seeing the sun, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead, you cannot have actually the perfect knowledge of this manifestation of this world. The Vedānta-sūtra, or the Upaniṣad, confirms it: tasmin vijñāte sarvam evaṁ vijñātam bhavanti [Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad 1.3].\n[If one can understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the controller of all controllers, one can understand everything else.]\nOne who has understood the Absolute Truth, for him, there is nothing unknowable. Everything becomes revealed to him automatically. He hasn't got to exert a different, I mean, separately to understand or to study different departments of knowledge. But if he, by the process, if he is able to see, just like Brahmā has seen, then he knows everything. Dhyāne sma no daraśitaṁ ta upāsakānām tasmai namo bhagavate 'nuvidhema tubhyam: \"The same Personality of Godhead whom I saw in my meditation, now I see face to face. I offer my respectful obeisances.\"\nThen he quotes another verse from Bhagavad-gītā, which is narrated as, avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam [Bg. 9.11]. Ass. Mūḍha.\n[Fools deride Me when I descend in the human form. They do not know My transcendental nature and My supreme dominion over all that be.]\nSo you can translate it, \"less intelligent class of men.\" Avajānanti mām. When Kṛṣṇa was present... When Kṛṣṇa was present five thousand years before, not that everyone could see Him, because they had no such eye. Suppose if President Johnson comes before us immediately, but if you have no acquaintance, if you have no information of the feature of President Johnson or something, even if he is present we cannot see. We'll think, \"Oh, he may be an ordinary gentleman. As others come, he has also come.\"\nSimilarly, unless we know about Kṛṣṇa by the symptoms... There are two mistakes: to understand God as common man or to accept a common man as God. Both things are mistakes. So one has to understand. That understanding is there in the Bhagavad-gītā. God Himself, Kṛṣṇa Himself, is describing about Himself, so there is no difficulty. But unfortunately, we have developed such material consciousness that even God describes Himself, even we see God face to face, because we have no Kṛṣṇa consciousness, therefore we cannot see. Therefore we cannot see. So avajānanti māṁ mūḍha. Those who cannot see, they are described here as mūḍha. Mūḍha means foolish or less intelligent class men.\nSo avajānanti māṁ mūḍha mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam [Bg. 9.11]. In the Bhagavad-gītā, Lord Kṛṣṇa says, \"Because I am here amongst the human being as a man, therefore those who are less intelligent, they are deriding at Me.\" Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam paraṁ bhāvam ajānanta. \"Why they deride? Because they do not know what is My background.\" Paraṁ bhāvam. Paraṁ bhāvam ajānanta, sarva-bhūta-maheśvaram. \"They do not know that I am the Supreme Lord, and situated in everyone's heart. Because they do not know, therefore they deride at Me.\"\ntān ahaṁ dviṣataḥ krūrān\nsaṁsāreṣu narādhamān\nkṣipāmy ajasram aśubhān\nāsurīṣv eva yoniṣu\n[Bg. 16.19, Cc. Madhya 25.40]\n[Those who are envious and mischievous, who are the lowest among men, are cast by Me into the ocean of material existence, into various demoniac species of life.]\nSo if anyone derides the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then... That means we must have impetus to know. But one who has no such impetus, he is called demon, or asura. So asura, one who does not want to understand the position of God, for them, Kṛṣṇa says that tān ahaṁ dviṣataḥ krūrān. Dviṣataḥ means there is a class who are always envious of God. As soon as you speak something about God, they become fire: \"Oh, what is this God nonsense?\" So they are dviṣataḥ. Dviṣataḥ means envious. They cannot even tolerate the name of God. \"Don't talk of God.\"\nSo it is not now individually infection; it is now worldwide. And therefore, the result is that the Communist party is developing all over the world due to this godlessness. And we have got experience, personal experience, in our selling our books, the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. I have seen many gentlemen, as teachers and educationists: as soon as he sees Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, \"Oh, it is about God. Oh, we cannot purchase. We cannot purchase. Because it is God, therefore we have no connection with it. We cannot purchase.\" Such is the mentality.\nSo that..., by that such mentality, godless mentality, atheistic mentality, the people of the world, they are not happy. But still, they are fools. Because they are fools, they'll not take to God consciousness, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness. But it is our duty to canvass, to request.\nCaitanya Mahāprabhu's one disciple, Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī, he took up a nice principle: dante nidhāya tṛṇakaṁ padayor nipatya kāku-śataṁ kṛtvā cāhaṁ bravīmi [Caitanya-candrāmṛta 8.90].\n[Taking a straw between my teeth and falling at your feet a hundred times, I humbly submit, \"O great personality, please give up all mundane knowledge that you have learned and just submit yourself at the lotus feet of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu.]\nHis principle was that he would go to a gentleman, taking a straw in the mouth. According to Indian system, if you take a straw in your mouth and if you go to see somebody, he'll understand, \"He is coming to me with most humble manner,\" so he'll receive you: \"He's surrendered soul.\" So he will at least say, \"Oh, what do you want to say?\" So dante nidhāya. This is the sign. If you want to go to some big man, and if you take one straw in your mouth, he will accept. He will receive you. That is the system.\nSo dante nidhāya tṛṇakam. So Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī, he says that \"I have taken the straw in my mouth.\" Dante nidhāya tṛṇakaṁ padayor nipatya. \"And I am falling down at your feet.\" Padayor nipatya kāku-śataṁ kṛtvā cāham. \"And I am flattering you in hundreds and thousands ways.\" Why? Why you are so humble? What is the intention? Kāku-śataṁ kṛtvā cāhaṁ bravīmi: \"I want to say something. Please hear.\" \"All right. Say it. What is that?\"\nHe sādhava: \"Oh, you are very learned man and you are very honest man.\" He sādhava sakalam eva vihāya dūrād: \"For the time being, so long I shall speak, whatever you have learned, please set aside. Please set aside.\" Sakalam eva vihāya dūrād caitanya-candra-caraṇe kurutānurāgam: \"Kindly hear for some time about the topics which Caitanya Mahāprabhu has presented before you.\"\nWe are servant of Lord Caitanya. So, in the disciplic succession we are trying to present. The Caitanya Mahāprabhu's topic is yāre dekha tāre kaha kṛṣṇa-upadeśa [Cc. Madhya 7.128]:\n[Instruct everyone to follow the orders of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa as they are given in the Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. In this way become a spiritual master and try to liberate everyone in this land.]\n\"Whoever you meet, please try to convince him about Kṛṣṇa consciousness.\" So in order to preach Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī, he says that \"I have taken straw in my mouth, and I am falling down to your feet and I am flattering you in so many ways. Kindly, for the time being, you forget whatever you have learned. Please try to hear about the Kṛṣṇa consciousness.\"\nThis should be the preaching method. Because you cannot enforce. You cannot enforce. The atheistic party, the godless civilization is so strong. So you are not weak. You are protected by the Supreme. But our mission is not to fight, but our mission is to convince. So this is the method to be accepted by devotees, those who are in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, to preach the philosophy in the world.\nThank you very much.",
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"content": "\n Hare Kṛṣṇa. [end]",
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"content": "\nVery good.\n[sings] Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **. [devotees repeat]\ncintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa-\nlakṣāvṛteṣu surabhīr abhipālayantam\nlakṣmī-sahasra-śata-sambhrama-sevyamānaṁ\ngovindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi\n[Bs. 5.29]\n[I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, the first progenitor who is tending the cows, yielding all desire, in abodes built with spiritual gems, surrounded by millions of purpose trees, always served with great reverence and affection by hundreds of thousands of \nlakṣmīs\n or \ngopīs.\n]\nveṇuṁ kvaṇantam aravinda-dalāyatākṣaṁ\nbarhāvataṁsam asitāmbuda sundarāṅgam\nkandarpa-koṭi-kamanīya-viśeṣa-śobhaṁ\ngovindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi\n[Bs. 5.30]\n[I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who is adept in playing on His flute, with blooming eyes like lotus petals with head decked with peacock's feather, with the figure of beauty tinged with the hue of blue clouds, and His unique loveliness charming millions of Cupids.]\nālola-candraka-lasad vanamālyavaṁsi\nratnāṅgadam praṇaya-keli-kalā-vilāsam\nśyāmaṁ tribhaṅga-lalitaṁ niyata-prakāśaṁ\ngovindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi\n[Bs. 5.31]\n[I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, round whose neck is swinging a garland of flowers beautified with the moon-locket, whose two hands are adorned with the flute and jeweled ornaments, who always revels in pastimes of love, whose graceful threefold-bending form of Śyāmasundara is eternally manifest.]\naṅgāni yasya sakalendriya-vṛtti-manti\npaśyanti pānti kalayanti ciraṁ jaganti\nānanda-cin-māyā-saduj-jvala-vigrahasya\ngovindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi\n[Bs. 5.32]\n[I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, whose transcendental form is full of bliss, truth, substantiality and is thus full of the most dazzling splendor. Each of the limbs of that transcendental figure possesses in Himself, the full-fledged functions of all the organs, and eternally sees, maintains and manifests the infinite universes, both spiritual and mundane.]\nadvaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam\nādyaṁ purāṇa-puruṣaṁ nava-yauvanaṁ ca\nvedeṣu durlabham adurlabham ātma-bhaktau\ngovindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi\n[Bs. 5.33]\n[I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who is inaccessible to the \nVedas,\n but obtainable by pure unalloyed devotion of the soul, who is without a second, who is not subject to decay, is without a beginning, whose form is endless, who is the beginning, and the eternal \npuruṣa;\n yet He is a person possessing the beauty of blooming youth.]\npanthāstu koṭi-śata-vatsara-sampragamyo\nvāyor athāpi manaso muni-puṅgavānāṁ\nso 'pyasti yat prapada-sīmny-avicintya-tattve\ngovindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi\n[Bs. 5.33]\nSo today, the birth appearance ceremony of Lord Kṛṣṇa. In the Bhagavad-gītā the Lord says,\njanma karma me divyaṁ\nyo jānāti tattvataḥ\ntyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma\nnaiti mām eti kaunteya\n[Bg. 4.9]\n[One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and activities does not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in this material world, but attains My eternal abode, O Arjuna.]\n\"My dear Arjuna, any person who simply tries to understand about My transcendental birth or appearance and disappearance and activities, janma karma...\" The Personality of Godhead is not niṣkriya, without activities. So anyone who can understand that what kind of activities the Lord has and what kind of birth He accepts, simply by understanding these two things one gets wonderful result. What is that? Tyaktvā deham.\nBy quitting this body, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti [Bg. 4.9], he does not take any more birth in this material world. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti. Some of us may think that punar janma naiti means he becomes vanquished. No. Punar janma naiti, but mām eti, \"He does not come to this material world, but he comes to Me.\" Mām eti. Mām eti means, then, the Supreme Personality of Godhead has got His place, abode, where we can go, simply by understanding the nature of His appearance and activities.\nSo today is that auspicious day, Janmāṣṭamī, when Lord Kṛṣṇa appeared five thousand years ago in India, Mathurā. Those who are Indian ladies and gentlemen present, they know very well where is Mathurā. It is about ninety miles south of New Delhi. Mathurā is still existing, and it is eternally existing. Kṛṣṇa appeared in Mathurā in His maternal uncle's house in a very precarious condition. That birthplace, Lord Kṛṣṇa's birthplace, is now maintained very nicely. One who goes to India, they see. So anyway, Lord Kṛṣṇa appeared on this planet five thousand years ago.\nNow Kṛṣṇa says, janma karma me divyam [Bg. 4.9]. Divyam means \"not ordinary.\" It should not be understood just like we take our birth. Kṛṣṇa does not take His birth like us. That is also explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. When Arjuna inquired from Kṛṣṇa, \"My dear Kṛṣṇa, You are speaking that formerly You spoke this yoga system of Bhagavad-gītā to the sun-god. That means it is millions and trillions years ago You spoke. How can I believe it?\"\nBecause Kṛṣṇa was contemporary to Arjuna, so he was thinking that \"Kṛṣṇa is my friend, is my cousin-brother. How it is possible that He spoke this Bhagavad-gītā yoga to sun-god?\" So what was the reply? The reply was this, that \"You also appear many, many times; I also appear many, many times. The difference is that I can remember; you cannot remember.\"\nThat is the difference between God and ordinary living creature, that we are also taking birth after birth. There are 8,400,000 species of life, and so long we are in this material world, we are cycling round this birth after birth. So Kṛṣṇa's birth is not like that. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ [Bg. 4.9]. \n[One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and activities does not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in this material world, but attains My eternal abode, O Arjuna.]\nTattvataḥ means \"in truth,\" not superficially. Scientifically, one who knows, he can get immediately liberation. And how one can understand the same truths? That is also explained in the Bhagavad-gītā: bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvan yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ [Bg. 18.55].\n[One can understand the Supreme Personality as He is only by devotional service. And when one is in full consciousness of the Supreme Lord by such devotion, he can enter into the kingdom of God.]\nAgain the same thing, tattvataḥ, in truth. If anyone wants to know God, or Kṛṣṇa, in truth, not superficially, then he has to undertake the process of devotional service, bhaktyā.\nIn another place Kṛṣṇa says, patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati [Bg. 9.26]:\n[If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, fruit or water, I will accept it.]\n\"Any person who gives Me a little fruit, little flower, little water, but with devotion, bhaktyā...\" That is the only qualification. So Kṛṣṇa says, tayā bhaktyā upāhṛtam aṣnāmi: \"Because he brings it with devotion and faith and love, I eat.\" Kṛṣṇa eats. We are offering in the temple prasādam. So He eats, because He says \"I eat.\" How you can say that He does not eat?\nSome gentleman asked me that \"Swāmījī, you offer prasādam in the temple, but do you think Kṛṣṇa or God eats?\" I answered, \"Yes, why not? He says, 'I eat.' How you can say He does not eat? But you do not know how He eats.\"\nDue to poor fund of knowledge, you think that God does not eat. But eat..., His eating process is different. That is answered in the Brahma-saṁhitā. Brahma-saṁhitā, it is said, aṅgāni yasya sakalendriya-vṛtti-manti [Bs. 5.32].\n[I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, whose transcendental form is full of bliss, truth, substantiality and is thus full of the most dazzling splendor. Each of the limbs of that transcendental figure possesses in Himself, the full-fledged functions of all the organs, and eternally sees, maintains and manifests the infinite universes, both spiritual and mundane.]\nGod's senses, Kṛṣṇa's senses, are as powerful as other senses. Just like I can see with my eyes, but Kṛṣṇa can eat also with His eyes. That is... Aṅgāni yasya sakalendriya-vṛtti-manti.\nJust like... There is many examples. Kṛṣṇa, or Viṣṇu, the first creation is that Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu lying on the ocean, and Brahmā was created from His navel. There was a lotus stem grown from the abdomen of the Lord, and Brahmā was born. Now Lakṣmī, the goddess of fortune, was just sitting.\nBut as we understand that if we beget child, we require the cooperation of wife, but here we see that wife was sitting, but He begot Brahmā from the navel. This is called sarva-śaktimān. He does not require anyone's help. He can beget child, not exactly as we beget child. Therefore janma karma me divyam [Bg. 4.9].\n[One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and activities does not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in this material world, but attains My eternal abode, O Arjuna.]\nHe is within your heart, He is everywhere, so He can appear from everywhere. Just like sun rises from the eastern side. It does not mean that eastern side is the mother of sun. We simply see that sun is rising from the eastern side. In this way, if we try to understand in truth, then we can understand what is God. Superficially, if we try to understand by our experimental knowledge, then it is not possible to understand God.\npanthāstu koṭi-śata-vatsara-sampragamyo\nvāyor athāpi manaso muni-puṅgavānāṁ\nso 'pyasti yat prapada-sīmny-avicintya-tattve\ngovindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi\n[Bs. 5.33]\n[I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who is inaccessible to the \nVedas,\n but obtainable by pure unalloyed devotion of the soul, who is without a second, who is not subject to decay, is without a beginning, whose form is endless, who is the beginning, and the eternal \npuruṣa;\n yet He is a person possessing the beauty of blooming youth.]\nThe Brahma-saṁhitā said that if one starts on the chariot of air and makes progress on the speed of mind, still one cannot understand what is God. Vedeṣu durlabham adurlabham ātma-bhaktau [Bs. 5.33]. He cannot be understood simply by studying Vedas. Traiguṇya viṣayā vedaḥ nistraiguṇyo bhavārjuna [Bg. 2.45].\n[The Vedas mainly deal with the subject of the three modes of material nature. Rise above these modes, O Arjuna. Be transcendental to all of them. Be free from all dualities and from all anxieties for gain and safety, and be established in the Self.]\nOne has to transcend the position of Vedas also. Then one can understand what is God, or what is Kṛṣṇa. So that process is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, that bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvan yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ [Bg. 18.55].\n[One can understand the Supreme Personality as He is only by devotional service. And when one is in full consciousness of the Supreme Lord by such devotion, he can enter into the kingdom of God.]\nSo this bhakti, devotional service of Kṛṣṇa, is so nice. And under that bhakti category, this Janmāṣṭamī... Of course, this Janmāṣṭamī ceremony is observed by all Hindus. Irrespective of becoming Vaiṣṇava or not, this ceremony is observed in India, every home. Just like in your Western countries the Christmas is observed in every home, similarly, Janmāṣṭamī is observed in every home. Today is a great ceremonial day.\nSo our program is, at twelve o'clock night the Lord will take birth and we shall receive Him. And just now it is ten o'clock. For two hours our program will continue in kīrtana. Kīrtana means sometimes chanting with music and sometimes speaking. Both of them are kīrtana. Kīrtayati iti kīrtanam. Whenever we glorify the Lord, that is called kīrtana. The Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam reading is also kīrtana. Abhavad vaiyāsakī kīrtane [Cc. Madhya 22.136].\n[“‘Mahārāja Parīkṣit attained the highest perfection, shelter at Lord Kṛṣṇa’s lotus feet, simply by hearing about Lord Viṣṇu. Śukadeva Gosvāmī attained perfection simply by reciting Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Prahlāda Mahārāja attained perfection by remembering the Lord. The goddess of fortune attained perfection by massaging the transcendental legs of Mahā-Viṣṇu. Mahārāja Pṛthu attained perfection by worshiping the Deity, and Akrūra attained perfection by offering prayers unto the Lord. Vajrāṅgajī [Hanumān] attained perfection by rendering service to Lord Rāmacandra, and Arjuna attained perfection simply by being Kṛṣṇa’s friend. Bali Mahārāja attained perfection by dedicating everything to the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa.’]\nVaiyāsakī, Śukadeva Gosvāmī, he achieved the highest perfection, liberation, simply by reciting Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Śrī-viṣṇu-śravane parīkṣit. Parīkṣit Mahārāja, he simply heard.\nThere are nine processes of devotional service: śravanaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam. Chanting, hearing... First hearing, then chanting. Without hearing, nobody can chant. Śravanaṁ kīrtanam. And what sort of śravanaṁ kīrtanam? Viṣṇoḥ, of Viṣṇu. Not anything else.\nśravanaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ\nsmaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam\narcanaṁ vandanaṁ dāsyaṁ\nsakhyam ātmā-nivedanam\n[SB 7.5.23]\n[Prahlāda Mahārāja said: Hearing and chanting about the transcendental holy name, form, qualities, paraphernalia and pastimes of Lord Viṣṇu, remembering them, serving the lotus feet of the Lord, offering the Lord respectful worship with sixteen types of paraphernalia, offering prayers to the Lord, becoming His servant, considering the Lord one's best friend, and surrendering everything unto Him (in other words, serving Him with the body, mind and words)—these nine processes are accepted as pure devotional service. One who has dedicated his life to the service of Kṛṣṇa through these nine methods should be understood to be the most learned person, for he has acquired complete knowledge.]\nThese are nine processes of devotional service, of which śravanam, hearing, is most important. Without hearing, nobody can understand the science of God. Therefore the Vedic mantras are called śruti. Śruti means it is to be heard. It is not to be experimented in the laboratory. It is simply to be heard. Therefore it is called śruti.\nSo śravanaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam, arcanaṁ vandanaṁ dāsyam [SB 7.5.23]. Vandanam, offering prayer. We also offer prayer. The other religious sect, just like the Christians, they offer prayer; the Muhammadans, they offer prayer. So prayer, offering prayer, is also one of the item of bhakti. Chanting, hearing, meditating, offering prayers, arcanam, worshiping the Deity in the temple, all of them are together devotional service. So out of the nine... If you can execute all the nine, it is very good. But it is not possible. So even if you can execute one item, you become perfect. It is so nice.\nŚrī viṣṇu śravane parīkṣit. Just like Mahārāja Parīkṣit, he simply executed the function of hearing, he got perfection. Similarly, abhavad vaiyāsakī kīrtane [Brs. 1.2.265].\n[Mahārāja Parīkṣit attained the highest perfection, shelter at Lord Kṛṣṇa's lotus feet, simply by hearing about Lord Viṣṇu. Śukadeva Gosvāmī attained perfection simply by reciting Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Prahlāda Mahārāja attained perfection by remembering the Lord. The goddess of fortune attained perfection by massaging the transcendental legs of Mahā-Viṣṇu. Mahārāja Pṛthu attained perfection by worshiping the Deity, and Akrūra attained perfection by offering prayers unto the Lord. Vajrāṅgajī [Hanumān] attained perfection by rendering service to Lord Rāmacandra, and Arjuna attained perfection simply by being Kṛṣṇa's friend. Bali Mahārāja attained perfection by dedicating everything to the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa.]\nVaiyāsakī means Śukadeva Gosvāmī, he simply glorified the Lord. Prahlādaḥ smarane. Prahlāda Mahārāja, he was simply meditating. There are many examples. Simply by following one principle of this devotional service, they got the highest perfectional life, liberation, back to home, back to Godhead.\nSo we shall invite today to speak about Kṛṣṇa from our students, as well as all the members who are present here. So I shall request Janārdana to speak something about his realization of Kṛṣṇa.\n[pause] Yes. All right. Let him speak.\n[26:27]",
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"content": "\n\nnama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhūtale\nśrīmate bhaktivedānta svāmin iti nāmine\n[I offer my respectful obeisances unto His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, who is very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa on this earth, having taken shelter at His lotus feet.]\nKṛṣṇa, we know, is the ultimate Supreme Personality of Godhead. The name Kṛṣṇa has a meaning. The meaning of the name Kṛṣṇa is \"the supreme attractive.\" Whatever there is that holds any attraction, that attraction is given by Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa explains this Himself in the Bhagavad-gītā. So in our life in this material world, we have so many different attractions that we are pursuing in order to build what we think will be our happiness. All this attraction is the attraction of Kṛṣṇa's inferior energy. Kṛṣṇa's māyā holds a great attraction for all the conditioned souls. And by following this attraction of Kṛṣṇa's māyā, they are continuing in the circle of births and deaths.\nWe are born into this world because we desire to enjoy something, so Kṛṣṇa provides us with a body that is suitable for that enjoyment, and He provides us also the objects of the enjoyment that we desire. However, also to remind us of our highest possible potential, that of the spiritual, unconditioned existence, we have along with these material enjoyments various kinds of suffering. These material enjoyments, although they are temporarily real, come to an end, and then there is feeling of bereavement and regret.\nSo we are now enjoying the māyā of Kṛṣṇa's external potency in our ordinary life. Unless we realize the personality of Kṛṣṇa Himself... We must have personal realization, personal contact with Lord Kṛṣṇa. So long as we are enjoying these objects of our senses and thinking that these objects belong to us, and so long as we don't know to whom all these objects belong, to whom belongs the land, the money, the food that we eat, the clothes that we wear, our families—so long as we do not know to whom all these belong, then we are enjoying in a state of ignorance. Factually we are being thieves.\nWe cannot be happy in such a condition. Kṛṣṇa is very kind. He provides us with all these objects of enjoyment, as we like them. But we can achieve a far happier state, not only for ourselves but for the whole human kind, if we realized that Kṛṣṇa, who is the supreme source of all the attractive objects that we are enjoying, is a person who is ready to receive us as His loving servants the moment we want to surrender all our false ideas of ownership and come back to the spiritual platform.\nSo Lord Kṛṣṇa for this reason has appeared. He wants to call the conditioned souls back to Godhead. He wants us to realize that He is the source of the whole universe, He is the owner of the universe, He is the supreme enjoyer, the supreme knower of everything, and that we are always welcome to associate with Him by the grace of His devotees, by the grace of a spiritual master.\nAnd so He has appeared, and we are now celebrating the Janmāṣṭamī day, the day when Lord Kṛṣṇa came to this conditioned plane out of His own transcendental power, with His full spiritual potency, in order to reveal the supreme nature of sac-cid-ānanda vigrahaḥ [Bs. 5.1],\n[Kṛṣṇa who is known as Govinda is the Supreme Godhead. He has an eternal blissful spiritual body. He is the origin of all. He has no other origin and He is the prime cause of all causes.]\neternal knowledge, consciousness and bliss, to all the conditioned souls so that they might be attracted to Him, and so that they might come out of the miseries of material existence and of ignorance.\nAt this particular time in the world it is very much necessary that all people hear about Kṛṣṇa and that they should become attracted to chanting the name of Kṛṣṇa, to hearing about Kṛṣṇa's wonderful pastimes, so that by this exquisite attraction for Kṛṣṇa they might forget their lower desires, which are now leading everybody to a hellish condition of life in which it seems inevitable there are going to be wars and pestilences and starvation, diseases, all kinds of social injustice.\nAll these things are unavoidable, so long as the world at large does not understand who owns everything—who owns the land, who owns the money, who owns the food. So long as they don't understand that Kṛṣṇa is the owner and enjoyer of everything, so long as they don't understand that it is the highest enjoyment for the living soul to serve Kṛṣṇa, it is the perfect harmony in this condition to serve Kṛṣṇa, so long there will be fighting due to ignorance and deluded cross purposes.\nThis International Society for Krishna Consciousness movement is meant for spreading the Kṛṣṇa consciousness to the whole world, so that people might realize their spiritual existence, and so that the whole atmosphere of the world can become spiritualized by chanting the names of Kṛṣṇa. So we welcome everybody who comes to this temple to inquire about how to make your life perfect by tuning in to the desires of the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa.\nYou'll find that this is such a pleasant proposition that all insignificant, lower desires will be forgotten. There will not be any need for unnecessary fighting among the people of the world if they can only understand the spiritual plane of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The way to realize Kṛṣṇa consciousness is very simple: simply chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. Chant this mahā-mantra under the guidance of the spiritual master, and the results will be very quick.\nThank you very much.",
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"content": "\n Gaurasundara?\n[35:54]",
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"content": "\n\noṁ ajñāna-timirāndhasya jñānāñjana-śalākayā\ncakṣur-unmīlitaṁ yena tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ\n[I offer my respectful obeisances unto my spiritual master who, with the torchlight of knowledge, has opened my eyes, which were blinded by the darkness of ignorance.]\nSo this mantra is another form of obeisance to the spiritual master, and the meaning is that I, who was standing in darkness with my eyes sealed, now offer my obeisances unto my spiritual master, who has forced me to open my eyes. He has forced me to open my eyes with this torchlight of knowledge which he is bearing. So therefore my spiritual master is my master. He can give me the actual knowledge of my position, my position as an existing entity. And that perfection of understanding my position is understanding Kṛṣṇa, or the supremely perfect entity.\nKṛṣṇa is perfect existence, the perfect being, and as such, His existence is the greatest certainty of all. In one syllogism, or one comparison, that I can give, I could say that how can a shadow of my hand exist unless my hand exists? The point is how can these individual entities exist except as the shadow of the perfect entity, God? Of course, we can understand from the Bhagavad-gītā or Vedic literatures that living entities are atomic particles of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and as such they reflect the potencies of that Supreme Person.\nSo because Kṛṣṇa has personality and because Kṛṣṇa has individuality, we have individuality. Kṛṣṇa's existence, because He is perfect, is the most certain. Imperfect existence has no meaning. Our existence has no meaning except as reference..., in reference to Kṛṣṇa's existence. We haven't even got the power to conserve our own existence. Or in other words, we can't understand how we're existing. We can understand in some deluded manner that we're feeding our bodies and so on. We can have some sort of knowledge of ritual. But we don't actually know what we are and what the ritual is, why we're performing it.",
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"content": "\n [in background:] Pradyumna. After he speaks they may [indistinct].",
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"content": "\nSo getting beneath the actual ritual of daily life by this process of revealed or transcendental ritual taught by the spiritual master, then we can realize the real importance or the real striking features of our own existence.\nAgain I want to come back to this point. Kṛṣṇa's existence is the most certain. Sometimes people have the idea that they can debate whether Kṛṣṇa exists or not. They can do that, as long as they want to close their own eyes or keep their own brains, their own mind, clouded by so many extraneous factors. Actually, Kṛṣṇa's existence is the most certain. We can go through many so-called proofs or logical proofs. Simply because that fact is already established, I might give one or two.\nWe can understand in our mundane logic that if something exists, that there's some reason for its existence, and similarly, if something does not exist, that there's some reason for that. Just as we can say something exists... For example, a harmonium exists because somebody has made that harmonium. Or a circle exists on the wall because somebody has drawn that circle on the wall. But on the other hand, a square circle does not exist, because that existence would involve a contradiction, that would be absurd.\nSo for anything which exists there must be a reason, and for anything which does not exist, then there is a reason why it does not exist. Now Kṛṣṇa's existence, therefore, is most certain, because any reason which could deny Kṛṣṇa's existence is impossible to be found. \"Kṛṣṇa\" means He is the all-inclusive entity. Therefore any reason which could prevent Kṛṣṇa's existence would have to be either external to His own divine nature or in His own nature. Nothing can be outside of Kṛṣṇa's all-inclusiveness.\nTherefore no external agent can prevent Kṛṣṇa's existence. And it is again self-contradictory to attribute any imperfection to the perfect being. Therefore the conclusion is that Kṛṣṇa necessarily exists because no one can prevent His existence. By definition, God is the perfect entity. So just as we've seen that existence of Kṛṣṇa cannot be checked... And actually, nobody can prove that Kṛṣṇa does not exist, neither can they prevent Him from existing.\nThis is sort of an indirect way to prod you to think about the position that you're in now. People become very proud because they have some material opulence or material knowledge, and they tend to think that they are self-sufficient. But actually, we're dependent upon so many things. For example, we are just taking it for granted that our bodies will remain unmutilated by various forces in nature, when actually at any moment the bodies could be totally destroyed. And, even granted that our bodies will be with us for some time in operable condition, this field of our activities has many laws which we're dependent upon, just as the other day we were discussing the law of gravity.\nThis idea of laws in nature necessarily implies the existence of the lawmaker, and this can be demonstrated very easily in many, many ways. We'll take the law of gravity again. If some object in nature which has no consciousness behaves in a regulated manner, then it's obvious that it's under the control of a law. We call it a law. For example, if an apple drops from a tree, the apple is obeying the law of gravity.\nThe apple does not know the law of gravity; therefore that law is being enforced by some superior entity. In our dealings in society, people know laws. Still, they don't obey them. They have to be forced to obey the laws, and still, people disobey the law. But the laws of nature are so perfectly enforced that nobody can disobey. Just a little thought will make this a little bit more clear to anyone.\nSo there are twofold implications, namely the law proceeds from lawmaker; law enforcement proceeds from law enforcer. Man has tried so hard to establish law and order. Law and order is already there in this existence which he's now facing. I think that we don't need to consider any more on these points just now. The main point, or the main information which we're considering now, is that by understanding Kṛṣṇa's existence, understanding Kṛṣṇa's appearance before the perception of ourselves, that we can terminate this material existence which we now face.\nThis life we're now conscious of through these bodies which were born... Now, these bodies were very small. They developed to impressive size. The bodies will dwindle and the bodies will be gone ultimately, lost. But all these living entities here in the room will go on existing. This process of birth and death we should understand. And we should especially understand how Kṛṣṇa appears before us who are trapped by birth and death. If we understand that Kṛṣṇa's appearance is not like ours, because He's perfect, and because simply He's appearing for our benefit, then we may be able to reach out and grab hold of the lifeline that can...\n[break] ...of our own suicidal bogs.\nSo anyway, everybody has been coming here knows that we're recommending: simply associate with us, chant with us and listen to the teachings of our spiritual master. Put questions to us. Any questions. And at this point I'd also like to invite questions. Is there any questions?",
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"content": "\n Let him speak. Mukunda.",
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"content": "\n Mukunda Prabhu will speak now.\n[47:41]\n Let me offer my respectful obeisances to our spiritual master, Swami Bhaktivedanta, who is dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa, having taken shelter unto His lotus feet.\nThe Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is intended to make a solution to our everyday problems. It's not a kind of place where people just come because there's some religious rites being performed. But everyone in this age is thinking that \"I am free,\" and actually I am not free; I am very bound up, very strictly bound up by the stringent laws of nature. In every status of life I have to serve somebody or something or my own body.\nIn every status of life I have to serve my wife or I have to serve my children, I have to serve my pet, I have to serve my work, my boss, my associates. If I'm very wealthy, very elevated, or very beautiful physically, if I am born in an aristocratic family, I always have to serve somebody. If nothing else, one has to serve one's own stomach. I have to eat. I have to get food. I have to serve my stomach. So I am not free at all. I have to do these things. There's no way I can stop. If I don't eat, I will die.\nSo our natural position as a living entity is that we have to serve something. Every living entity has to serve. That's our natural position. If something is wrong with my hand and I want to be cured, I don't grab onto some foodstuffs or some medicine, some herbs, and squeeze it with the hand and think that this hand is going to be cured. I take the medicine or the food through my mouth, and then it circulates through the digestive system and through the veins, and finally comes to the hand and can work its cure.\nSo the hand, unless it's serving its source, then it's useless. The servant must serve its master, or the part must serve the whole. And our relationship with God is the same. Just like the hand is made out of bile, blood and air, flesh and bone, as all the body is, so similarly we're made out of spirit—qualitatively the same as Kṛṣṇa, but quantitatively many millions of times less. Qualitatively the same; quantitatively different. Fragmental portion.\nSo if we fragmental portions, separated parts and parcels, can serve the source, or the whole, then we can be cured of this material disease which is rampant nowadays. And this is possible only by mercy. By mercy alone we can transcend this material existence and know that I am part and parcel of the Supreme, Kṛṣṇa, or God, and I can erase all of my karma and situate myself in pure consciousness. But this consciousness cannot be purified unless there is mercy. And in this age, Kali-yuga, as we know, mercy is diminished to being almost nonexistent. And Kali-yuga is just beginning.\nSo if we can get some information about what I am, what is my position, and what is God and how am I related to God, what is this world, then we're very fortunate. So by the mercy of the spiritual master we can free ourselves from these stringent laws of nature and these unbreakable bonds. And only in this way. We can't free ourselves superficially or by our own mental invention. We can't sit, just go out and sit and think and free ourselves from this material existence.\nWe must be subject to our own body, bodily discomforts, and our own mind, and we must be subject to the actions upon us of other living entities, and we must be subject to the laws of nature, to Providence, to pestilence, famine, catastrophe. But if we can accept and hear submissively this teaching of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and Bhagavad-gītā from the bona fide spiritual master, then we are free immediately; we are in Vaikuṇṭha.\nSo we're very shocked and astonished that so many people are coming to the West, to the United States, and posing as holy men and simply making business, charging money, and giving somebody some magical formula whereby they can become God in half of a year. And so many people who are sincere seekers are being deluded, and this is very unfortunate.\nThere is said to be two classes of men. One class of men is satisfied with his existence. He goes from one pleasure to another—from the cinema to the restaurant to sports, from one to the other. \"I can't wait to finish one to go to the next.\" And still he's saying, \"I'm happy. I'm satisfied.\" And there's another class of men that is not satisfied. These men are searching, that there is always something on his mind. He is thinking, \"There must be something behind all of this, that I can look at all of this as a unified whole.\"\nSo this first class of men will not want to take to spiritual knowledge. But the person who is inquisitive and is not satisfied with this material life, he can hear this knowledge submissively and derive great benefit from it. The symptom of the human being is that he is not satisfied. He's disgusted, he's searching. The symptom of animal life is that he is satisfied taking everything, \"That's very nice. Everything is fine.\" Like a hog, hog eating stool, he's thinking, \"Oh, it's very nice.\" But the human being will not accept such awful things. The human being has the chance to get out of this shackle of continued, repeated births and deaths.\nSo simply by hearing the message of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and Bhagavad-gītā, and the names of Kṛṣṇa diligently, submissively, and from the bona fide source, we can immediately get some relief from this material existence. Just like when we were chanting here you could feel some ecstasy. Well, this ecstasy grows unlimitedly and infinitely, eternally, if one takes to it. It's not as if you reach some point of enlightenment, and then you're enlightened. No. But it's always eternal, ever increasing. Just like the relationship between ourselves and our spiritual master is eternal and ever increasing, our relationship with God is the same.\nSo please try to realize that this is a very serious movement, and we're not asking you to sign up or pay us anything, but simply to sincerely try it, and you'll immediately feel some benefit.\nThank you.",
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"content": "\n Yamunā? Yamunā.\n[57:25]",
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"content": "\n\nnama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhutale\nśrīmate bhaktivedānta svāmin iti nāmine\nI am offering my repeated, humble obeisances unto my spiritual preceptor, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami.\nPlease try to understand that everything that we are learning here in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is received through the ears. And unless one does not listen submissively, one cannot hear transcendental message. This is the opening of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. It states that at the reading of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavata, the forest of Naimiśāraṇya, many sages were present, and it was so quiet that the dropping of a pin could be heard on the sand.\nSo the science of Kṛṣṇa consciousness must be received submissively. Our spiritual preceptor has brought Kṛṣṇa consciousness to the Western world in the hopes that the people here will sincerely take to this process of practicing bhakti-yoga, or the yoga of devotional service and love unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa. This is not a sect. This is for peoples of the world who understand one premise, that \"I am not this body; I am pure spirit soul,\" that this body is simply a dress, just like you wear clothes. But what is it that keeps you alive, that is eternal? This is spirit soul. This is so simple that even a child at the age of five years can understand this. If it's from a bona fide source, he can understand this.\nWe are requesting to you that you please come to the classes of the Bhāgavata. Come to kīrtana. By chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, you at once are elevated into the spiritual platform, and our contaminated material senses may become purified simply because of this association of the names of God. These names are absolute. They are not material.\nIf you chant \"water, water, water, water,\" your thirst will not be quenched. But if you cry \"Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa,\" you may find your position in this world: where you came from, why are you here, what are you doing, where are you going. These questions man must answer, or he's not making use of his ability as man; he's simply living an animal life, eating, sleeping, mating, defending.\nIt does not matter if you are man, you are woman, you are a child, you are Indian, you are American. You simply must ask these questions. And when one comes upon a bona fide source, one must take advantage of that source and not pass it up. Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or the classes of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and the Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā, are open to all, and we invite you to please come. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Feel the sublime ecstasy.\nThank you very much. Are there any questions?",
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"content": "\n Pradyumna? So Hans, you can speak.\n[62:15]",
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"content": "\n There are so many religions. There's Hindu, there's Christian, there's Jewish, Muhammadan, so many things. So... And people are professing, \"Oh, I'm Christian,\" \"I'm Hindu,\" \"I'm Jewish,\" so many things. But this religion is not so cheap. This religion is not simply something I can take up, take it, \"Oh, now I think I should be Christian. That's very nice. Or maybe I'll become Hindu.\" No.\nYou see these boys and girls, they're not Hindus, they're not Christians, they're not Jews. What are they? You see the spiritual master. He's not Hindu. You may be thinking, \"Oh, he's from India. And these American or these Canadian boys and girls, they've taken some fad. They like these Indian things.\" No, it's not like that at all. This is not religion.\nAccording to Sanskrit definition, \"religion\" means that quality of the living entity which after everything is removed... Oh, you can lose all your money, you can lose your family, you can lose your nationality, but when everything is removed, that religion remains. So what is that? What is that quality that's common to every living entity? What is that? Just like fire. [break] [end]",
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https://vedabase.io/en/library/transcripts/680613bg-montreal/
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"content": "\n\nyadā yadā hi dharmasya\nglānir bhavati bhārata\nabhyutthānam adharmasya\ntadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham\n[Bg. 4.7]\n[Whenever and wherever there is a decline in religious practice, O descendant of Bharata, and a predominant rise of irreligion—at that time I descend Myself.]\nIn last night we have discussed that how the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He descends, what is the reason of His descending on this material platform. That we have partially discussed last night, that although He is the supreme authority of all energies, although He is unborn, although He is the Lord of all planets or all creation, material creation and spiritual creation, He comes.\najo 'pi sann avyayātmā\nbhūtānām īśvaro 'pi san\nprakṛtiṁ svām adhiṣṭhāya\nsambhavāmy ātma-māyayā\n[Bg. 4.6]\n[Although I am unborn and My transcendental body never deteriorates, and although I am the Lord of all sentient beings, I still appear in every millennium in My original transcendental form.]\nHe comes, not being forced by the laws of material nature, but He comes out of His own energy. This point we have discussed last night.\nNow the next point is why does He come. That is explained in the next verse, that yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati [Bg. 4.7]: as soon as there is discrepancy in the matter of discharging occupational duty. I purposely translate the word dharma as \"occupational duty.\" Everyone has got occupational duty. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam also confirms it, ataḥ pumbhir dvija-śreṣṭhā varṇāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ, svanuṣṭhitasya dharmasya.\nThe same word, dharma. Svanuṣṭhitasya: prescribed duty. Svanuṣṭhitasya dharmasya saṁsiddhiḥ, the perfection. How you are perfected by discharging your occupational duty, how it is tested? That test is svanuṣṭhitasya dharmasya saṁsiddhiḥ. Your occupational duty will be perfect when? Saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam [SB 1.2.13].\n[O best among the twice-born, it is therefore concluded that the highest perfection one can achieve by discharging the duties prescribed for one's own occupation according to caste divisions and orders of life is to please the Personality of Godhead.]\nWhen you satisfy the Supreme Lord by your occupational duty. That is dharma.\nNow let us consider what is our occupational duty. I purposely do not translate this word dharma as \"religion.\" \"Religion\" is imperfect conception of the word dharma. In the dictionary we find religion means a particular type of faith. But dharma does not mean that. Dharma means natural occupation. That is called dharma. I have several times explained this word dharma in this class. Just like heat of the fire. Without heat, a fire has no meaning. Wherever there is fire, there is heat and light. Therefore heat and light is the dharma, or religion, of fire.\nThat means fire cannot change its dharma. As this dharma, as we generally understand by the word \"faith,\" that we can change. Today I am Hindu. I can become tomorrow a Christian. You are Christian today. You can become, I mean to say, Hindu or Muslim tomorrow. So this faith can be changed, but this dharma, as I explain, that natural sequence, natural occupation or natural intimately connection... Just like the fire, heat and light. This cannot be changed. Either the fire is in America or the fire is in India or a fire is in Russia, the heat and light is there. That is actually the dharma.\nNow here Kṛṣṇa says that yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata [Bg. 4.7]: as soon as there is discrepancy in the discharge of that natural, I mean to say, sequence of the living entity. Abhyutthānam adharmasya. Abhyutthānam means uprising of unnatural activities or unnatural occupation, which is not for him. Abhyutthānam adharmasya tadā, \"At that time,\" ātmānam, \"self,\" sṛjāmy aham. Sṛjāmy aham means \"I descend or appear.\"\nNow, this sequence of dharma is explained in the last paragraph..., I mean to say, not last; in the last chapter, sixty-seventh verse of the Eighteenth Chapter. The Lord says that sarva-dharmān parityajya [Bg. 18.66]: \"You just give up all kinds of occupational duty or religiosity.\" We have created all kinds of religious formula. So Kṛṣṇa says that \"You give up all kinds of religious formula.\" But what is to be done? Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja [Bg. 18.66]: \"You just surrender unto Me.\"\n[Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reaction. Do not fear.]\nThat means that surrendering unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the real religion of the living entity. Not that I like a particular type of faith, that is my religion. Religion means when one is trained how to surrender unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is called religion. And the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam also gives enunciation of the word dharma, that sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmaḥ. \"That is the best system of religion,\" sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmaḥ, yato bhaktir adhokṣaje [SB 1.2.6], \"by which one is trained to surrender unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead.\" That is best religion.\n[The supreme occupation [dharma] for all humanity is that by which men can attain to loving devotional service unto the transcendent Lord. Such devotional service must be unmotivated and uninterrupted to completely satisfy the self.]\nNow you can select your own religion. Either you be a Hindu or Muslim or Muhammadan or Buddhist—whatever you like—Śrīmad-Bhāgavata does not stop you, but it gives you hint what is the purpose of religion. The purpose of religion is to develop your love of Godhead. That is real religion. So here Kṛṣṇa says that yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati [Bg. 4.7].\n[Whenever and wherever there is a decline in religious practice, O descendant of Bharata, and a predominant rise of irreligion—at that time I descend Myself.]\nAs soon as there is decadence of people's love of Godhead... That means when people become forgetful, almost forgetful. Because at least some people remember that there is God. But generally, in this age, they are forgetful. That is dharmasya glāniḥ.\nAnd by forgetting God the people cannot be happy. That is also another cause. People are thinking that \"God is dead,\" \"We have no obligation to God,\" \"There is no God.\" This sort of thinking will never make the people happy. And actually, it is happening. They have become atheistic. The modern civilization is godless, but people are not happy. Therefore God or His representative comes when people forget his relationship with God.\nSo real religion is to understand what is our relationship with God. And then the relationship is as it is found in the Bhagavad-gītā and confirmed by great ācāryas like Lord Caitanya. Lord Caitanya immediately enunciates the constitutional position of the living entity. Sanātana Gosvāmī inquired from Him that, \"Who am I? Why I am always in miserable condition, three kinds of miserable condition?\" So in answer to this question, \"Who am I?\" or \"Who are these all these living entities?\" Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu immediately answered that jīvera svarūpa haya nitya-kṛṣṇa-dāsa [Cc. Madhya 20.108]: the real identity of the living entity is that he is eternally servant of God.\n[”It is the living entity’s constitutional position to be an eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa because he is the marginal energy of Kṛṣṇa and a manifestation simultaneously one with and different from the Lord, like a molecular particle of sunshine or fire. Kṛṣṇa has three varieties of energy.]\nWe should not understand this word servant in the meaning of materialistic servant. To become servant of God is a great position. That is not ordinary position. Just like people try to get some government servitorship, government service. That is also servant, to become servant. Why? Or people try to get some service in some established firm, well-reputed business firm. Why? That service is comfortable; there is great profit in such kind of service. So if people are satisfied by getting a government service or service in some good establishment, then just think over if you become servant of God then what is your position?\nBecause God is the government of all government. So to become servant of God... We are servant of God constitutionally. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, jīvera svarūpa haya nitya-kṛṣṇa-dāsa [Cc. Madhya 20.108]. But at the present moment, I am thinking that I am master; I'm not servant. This is called māyā. Actually I am servant, but I am thinking master. Everyone is trying to lord it over the material nature according to his capacity. Controller, master, he's trying to be, but actually his position is servant. So when he forgets his servitorship, that is called dharmasya glānir, discrepancy of his natural position.\nDharmasya... Now another point of dharma is, as Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa is describing here, is dharmasya vedoktasya glānir vināśa. Now this is ordinary sense of religion. Just like everyone has got some scripture. The Hindus, they have got Vedic scripture. The Muslim, they have got Koran. The Christians, they have got Bible, Old Testament, New Testament. Similarly, there are many other religious sects, they have got their own scripture. So Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa says that vedoktasya dharmasya. Dharma means the rules and regulations as they are prescribed in the scriptures.\nJust like state laws. State laws, there are some rules and regulations in the law book, in the statute book of the particular state. Similarly, dharma, another meaning of dharma is, it is the law of God. Maybe differently described in different countries according to different climatic condition or situation, but in every religious scripture the obedience to God is instructed. That is a fact.\nNo scripture says that there is no God and you are independent—either it is Bible or Koran or Vedas or even Buddhist literature, Buddhist scripture. Generally, according to Buddha philosophy, there is no soul, no God. But they have to obey Lord Buddha. So there is also God, because Lord Buddha is accepted by the Vedic literature.\nJust in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam there is a great list of incarnation, and Buddha, Lord Buddha, is accepted as one of the incarnation who will appear, who would appear. It is in future tense. Kīkaṭeṣu bhaviṣyati. Buddho nāmnā añjana-sutaḥ kīkaṭeṣu bhaviṣyati [SB 1.3.24].\n[Then, in the beginning of Kali-yuga, the Lord will appear as Lord Buddha, the son of Añjanā, in the province of Gayā, just for the purpose of deluding those who are envious of the faithful theists.]\nNow bhaviṣyati means \"he will appear in future.\" Because Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam was compiled by Vyāsadeva 5,000 years ago, and Lord Buddha appeared about 2,600 years ago. Therefore before the appearance of Lord Buddha the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam was written.\nThis is called śāstra. Because there is accurate date and accurate calculation. Everything is there. Buddho nāmnā añjana-sutaḥ kīkaṭeṣu bhaviṣyati. The mother's name also given there, añjana-suta. And kīkaṭeṣu means Gayāpradesh. In India there is a province called Bihar. In that province there is a district Gayā. In that district Lord Buddha appeared. Lord appeared in Bihar province. He was kṣatriya, he was Hindu, and he propagated this religion of nonviolence, Buddhism. His specific propaganda was to stop animal killing.\nSo animal killing is recommended in the Vedic literature. Therefore people wanted to give him Vedic evidences that \"In the Vedic literature animal sacrifice is recommended under certain condition. So how do you preach? You are Hindu, and you are followers of Vedas. Why you are preaching nonviolence?\" Therefore he had to give up Hindu religion.\nHe said that \"I do not care for your Vedas. It is my propaganda to stop animal killing. So if you follow me, then you must stop animal killing.\" Ahiṁsā paramo dharmaḥ. So later on, of course, Lord Buddha was patronized by a great emperor, Aśoka, and therefore practically all Indian population turned to be Buddhist, with few exceptions.\nThen Śaṅkarācārya came, and he preached this almost Buddhism. The Buddha, Lord Buddha preached that there is no God, there is no soul; this body is combination of matter, and if we dissolve this material combination then there is no more perception of misery or happiness. That is nirvāṇa. That is his philosophy. But later on, Lord, I mean to say, Ācārya Śaṅkara, he appeared and he preached that brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā:\n[The Supreme Brahman is the only truth, and this material world is false.]\nThis bodily combination is temporary, or mithyā. He said flatly that it is false. False means... Of course, Vaiṣṇava philosophy, they say temporary. Temporary or false you can take on the same category. But Śaṅkarācārya said that brahma satyam: that spirit soul, Brahman, that is reality, and this external feature of the Brahman, or the body, that is false.\nSo anyway, here the point is that in any religion there is a conception of worshiping God or symbol of God. Even in Jain philosophy they also worship Mahāvīra. In Buddha philosophy they worship Lord Buddha. In India there is Jainism. That is almost like Buddhism. They have got also exactly the same process of worship. Temple they have got. Big, nice, costly temples they have got.\nAnd they come to see, visit the temple, offer their worshipful offerings, flowers, fruits, everything. Same thing. Similarly, in the temple of guru-dvāras, Sikhs, they've got similar temples like the Hindus. And they also offer flower, fruits and sweetmeat, but they read their Granthasahib. As we are reading Bhagavad-gītā, they read Granthasahib enunciated by Guru Nanak.\nSo this temple worship or accepting some authority, either you accept Kṛṣṇa or you accept Lord Jesus Christ or Jehovah or Lord Buddha or Guru Nanak, that is a different, I mean to say, kinds of faith, but this acceptance of authority is there in everywhere. Now who is the highest authority, that we have to see by understanding Vedic literature, by our arguments, by our sense, by our understanding. But this acceptance of authority is there.\nSo dharmasya glāniḥ means when we defy authority. That is called discrepancy in the discharge of religiosity or occupational duty. Even in your office, even in the government, if you do not accept authority there is chaos, there is revolution. So this sort of mentality is very dangerous. When one does not accept any authority, that is his chaotic condition. So Lord Kṛṣṇa says that dharmasya..., yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati [Bg. 4.7].\nSo dharmasya glānir bhavati means one sense, that I have explained, occupational duty. Now we have got, our present position is in three status. What is that? In the gross status of our understanding, we take this gross body as my self. At that time my dharma, or occupational duty [break]. When I accept mind as myself, then my occupational duty becomes different. But when I understand that I am spirit soul, then my occupational duty is different.\nHere Kṛṣṇa, because He is Supreme Soul, Supreme Personality of Godhead, He means that dharma, or occupational duty, on the spiritual platform. He does not mean dharma or occupational duty on the gross bodily platform or subtle mental platform. He means dharma, the occupational duty on the spiritual platform.\nAnd that is confirmed by Lord Caitanya, jīvera svarūpa haya nitya-kṛṣṇa-dāsa: that real constitutional position of the living entity, especially of the human being, is to accept servitorship of Kṛṣṇa. So in other word, when there is discrepancy in the matter of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, at that time Kṛṣṇa comes, Kṛṣṇa descends. Kṛṣṇa descends.\nKṛṣṇa descends means sometimes He personally descends, sometimes He descends by His incarnation, sometimes He descends as a sound vibration, sometimes He descends as devotee. There are many different categories of His descendance. And at the present moment this Kṛṣṇa has descended in His holy name. You should understand that. Kṛṣṇa kali-kāle nāma-rūpe kṛṣṇa-avatāra [Cc. Ādi 17.22].\n[”In this Age of Kali, the holy name of the Lord, the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, is the incarnation of Lord Kṛṣṇa. Simply by chanting the holy name, one associates with the Lord directly. Anyone who does this is certainly delivered.]\nThis is the statement of Lord Caitanya, that in this age of Kali, Kṛṣṇa has descended in the sound vibration form. Sound is also one of the form. Just like oṁkāra is the form of Kṛṣṇa: akṣarāṇām oṁkāro 'smi. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa, now, at the present moment, has descended in the form of His holy name.\nHis name and He, there is no difference. So why? Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata. People are now forgetting his relationship with God. Now this incarnation of Kṛṣṇa in the form of His holy name, this chanting of Kṛṣṇa will deliver all people of the world\n[break]. This is contributed by Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He says that kali-kāle nāma-rūpe kṛṣṇa-avatāra, ihā haite sarva-siddhi haibe tomāra: if you chant or if you associate with the chanting of holy name of Kṛṣṇa, then you will get the highest perfectional stage of life, and we should accept that Kṛṣṇa has descended at the present moment in the form of His holy name.\nThank you very much. Any question? [break]",
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"content": "\n ...like Satya-yuga for example. Was the chanting of the name of Kṛṣṇa effective as it is in this age, or is there another method prescribed as being more effective?",
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"content": "\n According to Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam there are different processes in different ages. But each process is as good as in any age. It is not that the chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa is in this age very effective and it was not effective in the Satya-yuga. It is not like that.\nThe real process is described in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam,\nkṛte yad dhyāyato viṣṇuṁ\ntretāyāṁ yajato makhaiḥ\ndvāpare paricaryāyāṁ\nkalau tad dhari-kīrtanāt\n[SB 12.3.52]\n[Whatever result was obtained in Satya-yuga by meditating on Viṣṇu, in Tretā-yuga by performing sacrifices, and in Dvāpara-yuga by serving the Lord's lotus feet can be obtained in Kali-yuga simply by chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra.]\nKalau tad dhari-kīrtanāt. It is not that people were not chanting in the Satya-yuga, in Satya-yuga, this holy name of Kṛṣṇa. It is not that. But in this age the process adopted in the Satya-yuga, dhyāyataḥ, meditation, that is not possible. In the Satya-yuga, kṛte yad... Because people were living at that time 100,000's of years. And it is said that Mahāmuni Vālmīki, he meditated for 60,000's of years.\nSo unless you have got sufficient life, the meaning is that meditation process is difficult, and you must have sufficient time to practice it and then come to the standard point of meditation. But in this age such kind of perfection in meditation is not possible. Therefore in this age especially recommended that you sit down together and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. It is very easy. Anyone and everyone can take part in it. [Break] of pre-qualification. And because in this age people are very slow, very unfortunate, badly associated, so many [dis]qualifications they have got at the present moment.\nTherefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu has introduced according to śāstra, according to the indication of the śāstras, just like in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and in other Purāṇas and other Vedic scriptures this is recommended. In Kali-santaraṇa Upaniṣad, in Brahmāṇḍa Purāṇa, in Vāyu Purāṇa, this chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare is recommended.\nŚrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu simply introduced it as a great propaganda. That is. Otherwise, this is recommended in every age. There are many devotees, they were chanting. But the process of meditation is not possible. Therefore simply on the basis of this process one can attain the highest perfectional stage.",
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"content": "\n I understand that the revelation given by Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu is the fullest revelation of spiritual knowledge. Is the fullest revelation of spiritual knowledge.",
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"content": "\n Yes. Yes.",
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"content": "\n How come that if, in this age of Kali people, in general are less intelligent, in this particular age they've received the fullest revelation of knowledge? Why not in the Satya-yuga?",
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"content": "\n The fullest revelation of knowledge in Satya-yuga there was automatically. People were so advanced. Just like gradually we are declining our memory, duration of age, so many facilities we have declined. So in Satya-yuga people were by nature fortunate to have many facilities. So for this age, when we are in very fallen condition, this facility is offered so that we can take the same advantage as people in the Satya-yuga had by other processes. [break]",
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"content": "\n I just want to clarify the meaning of dharma. Dharma always means, it always says the meaning, \"that which cannot be changed.\"",
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"content": "\n That is real dharma. Just like the spirit soul is eternal, similarly, the spirit soul's natural occupation is also eternal. That cannot be changed. But when the spirit soul identifies himself with this body and the mind, that is...\n[break]. Just like at the present moment you have got American body. So your dharma or your occupational duty is different from another body. And the next life, if you change this body, you become, say, other animal or human being, then your occupational duty changes. But if you stick up to the spiritual platform, then that service mood to the Supreme Personality of Godhead will never change, either in this body or the next body. [break]",
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"content": "\n ...the Bhagavad-gītā if they weren't in the disciplic succession, they never... Dharma isn't mentioned at all. Because \"dharma\" is used twice there—once when Kṛṣṇa comes because of the discrepancy of dharma, and then in the end, \"Give up dharma.\" And they'd never understand that.",
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"content": "\n Well, dharma, of course, as enunciated by Lord Caitanya, the dharma is that your perfec...\n[break] ...but those who have got money, they'll purchase it.\nmanuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu\nkaścid yatati siddhaye\nyatatām api siddhānāṁ\nkaścin vetti māṁ tattvataḥ\n[Bg. 7.3]\n[Out of many thousands among men, one may endeavor for perfection, and of those who have achieved perfection, hardly one knows Me in truth.]\nLord Kṛṣṇa said that out of many, many thousands of people, one becomes interested in perfection of life. And out of many, many thousands of persons who have attained perfection, they can understand Kṛṣṇa.\nSo Kṛṣṇa understanding is also very difficult. Kṛṣṇa is personally explaining Himself, His devotees are presenting Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, and right manner. But people are unfortunate. It will take some... But it is our duty to canvass. That is our business. Either they may accept or not accept, it is our duty. Just like in the university sometimes some particular class is maintained even at a loss. So there is no question of loss and gain. It is our duty to serve Kṛṣṇa; therefore we shall go on trying, trying for it, to distribute Kṛṣṇa consciousness.",
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"content": "\n [indistinct]",
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"content": "\n What is that?",
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"content": "\n [explaining] Well, I don't fully understand in this... Something about Subhadrā.",
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"content": "\n Subhadrā?",
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"content": "\nIs the relation to...?",
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"content": "\n Subhadrā is the sister of Kṛṣṇa, and she is incarnation of Durgā.",
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"content": "\n Subhadrā is the external, external energy? Is Subhadrā in the spiritual world? Is Subhadrā in the spiritual world?",
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"content": "\n Yes. Yes.",
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"content": "\n She's in the spiritual world?",
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"content": "\n No. In one sense, she is also in spiritual world, because she is energy of Kṛṣṇa. So Kṛṣṇa's energy is also eternal. So wherever Kṛṣṇa is there, His energy is there. But her activities are in the material world. Just like a king is there, and he has got all kinds of officers with him, but some officer is engaged in the government house; other officers, they are engaged outside the government house. The officers who have got engagement outside the government house, they may be sitting with Kṛṣṇa, er, may be sitting with the governor or the king, but he has no business within the government house.\nIn the government house there is a particular secretary, particular man in charge. Similarly, in the spiritual world, the energy which is working, that is called yogamāyā. And in the material world, the energy which is working, that is called mahāmāyā. So Subhadrā is... Viṣṇu-śaktiḥ parā proktā [Cc. Madhya 6.154].\n[”’The internal potency of the Supreme Lord, Viṣṇu, is spiritual, as verified by the śāstras. There is another spiritual potency, known as kṣetra-jña, or the living entity. The third potency, which is known as nescience, makes the living entity godless and fills him with fruitive activity.]\nActually, Kṛṣṇa's energy is spiritual. That is not material.\nJust try to understand that there is department of welfare and there is department of police. It does not mean that welfare department is very favorite to the government and police department is not favorite. Do you think it is like that? For the government, both the departments are equal.\nJust try to understand. So the material energy is working in a different way, that does not mean that material energy is not liked by Kṛṣṇa. It has got the same importance as the spiritual energy. But the material energy is engaged in a thankless task for punishing the conditioned soul, just like the police department.\nSo for Kṛṣṇa, there is no difference between material energy and spiritual energy. For Kṛṣṇa it is all the same, because He has got one energy. Just like electricity: somewhere it is working for cooling purpose and somewhere it is working for heating purpose. But the generation of electric from the electric powerhouse, the energy is the same, electric. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa's energy is always spiritual. There is no difference His energy and He. But it is acting in a different way.\nParāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate [Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 6.8, Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport]. \n[The Supreme Lord has nothing to do. Nothing is equal to Him or greater than Him. He acts in different phases by manifesting His parts and parcels, which are all simultaneously differently situated by His unlimited, variegated potencies. Each potency acts quite naturally in sequences, providing Him full knowledge, power and pastimes.]\nVividhaiva śrūyate. Parāsya śaktiḥ, the Supreme Lord, He has got energy. The energy is one. And similarly, He is..., in some of the Purāṇas it is described that Durgā is also Rādhārāṇī. In the Brahma-saṁhitā you'll find it. Have you read it? Yes. So, so far energy is concerned, it is always spiritual, but it is acting in a different way, in a different field of activities. It is clear? Not clear, you say?",
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"content": "\n I think it's as much clear as it can be. [indistinct]",
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"content": "\n What is the difficulty of understanding? The energy is one. Kṛṣṇa's energy is one, viṣṇu-śaktiḥ parā proktā [Cc. Madhya 6.154]. So in relationship to Kṛṣṇa there is no distinction of energy, but for our understanding we can take that it is working sometimes in a inferior qualitative form, just like in this material world, and sometimes it is working in superior qualitative form, in the spiritual world.\nThe same thing, that electric energy sometimes working for cooling, sometimes working for heating. But to the engineer of electric energy, who is generating, for him there is no such distinction. But those who are using it, they are thinking it is hot, it is cool, but the energy is the same. Try to understand in this way. Kṛṣṇa's energy, He cannot, I mean to say, distribute any inferior energy, because He's not inferior. He's always superior, spiritual. Therefore His energy is always spiritual. But it is working for different purposes.\nThe material energy... I shall give you another example. Just like in the street light there is red light and green light and yellow light. The yellow light is, I mean to say, seen sometimes. But either the red light or the green light is always. But it is working under the same electric energy. Sometimes it appearing green, sometimes appearing yellow, sometimes appearing red, but on the background the same energy. Now, by the red light you have to stop; by green light you can start. Your activity becomes different by different light, because light is acting by the same energy.\nIn the Bhagavad-gītā it is also said that mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram [Bg. 9.10].\n[This material nature is working under My direction, O son of Kuntī, and it is producing all moving and unmoving beings. By its rule this manifestation is created and annihilated again and again.]\nIn the Brahma-saṁhitā also it is said, chāyeva yasya bhuvanāni vibharti durgā [Bs. 5.44].\n[The external potency Māyā who is of the nature of the shadow of the cit potency, is worshiped by all people as Durgā, the creating, preserving and destroying agency of this mundane world. I adore the primeval Lord Govinda in accordance with whose will Durgā conducts herself.]\nShe is also acting under Kṛṣṇa's direction. So how she can be inferior? Just like the criminals, they are thinking that \"This police department is inferior,\" or \"very botheration, bothering.\" It is in relation with me. But police department is not inferior department of the government. It has to act like that.\nSimilarly, material energy has to act to bewilder the living entity. That is under the direction of Kṛṣṇa. We living entities under the material energy, we wanted to lord it over the material nature. So Kṛṣṇa has given us facility: \"All right. You try to.\" Because you cannot lord it over. This is false. But I have got the tendency to lord it over the material nature. So He's giving me the chance, but actually I cannot. Jaḍa-bidyā jato māyāra vaibhava [Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura].\n[All the so-called knowledge of this world is born of the flickering potency of Your illusory energy (māyā). It is an impediment to the execution of devotional service to You. Indulgence in mundane knowledge verily makes an ass of the eternal soul by encouraging his infatuation with this temporary world.]\nNow in the modern trend of civilization we are trying to control over the material nature, but actually we are being defeated. We try to control one law and we are being defeated by another law. Therefore great scientists like Professor Einstein, they thought defeated. That is explained in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam: parābhavas tāvad abodha-jātaḥ [SB 5.5.5].\n[As long as one does not inquire about the spiritual values of life, one is defeated and subjected to miseries arising from ignorance. Be it sinful or pious, karma has its resultant actions. If a person is engaged in any kind of karma, his mind is called karmātmaka, colored with fruitive activity. As long as the mind is impure, consciousness is unclear, and as long as one is absorbed in fruitive activity, he has to accept a material body.]\nSo long we are in ignorance how these laws of nature are working under the Supreme direction, so our study of all these material nature's law is defeat. This is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. And when we understand, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, that mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram [Bg. 9.10].\n[This material nature is working under My direction, O son of Kuntī, and it is producing all moving and unmoving beings. By its rule this manifestation is created and annihilated again and again.]\nSo that is the real understanding, to understand the law maker. Not to be struck with wonder with the activities of the law. The Vaiṣṇavas, they are concerned with the background law maker. And if you know the law maker, then automatically you know the laws, how they are acting. Yasmin vijñāte sarvam idaṁ vijñātaṁ bhavati [Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad 1.3], the Vedic literatures says.\n[If one can understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the controller of all controllers, one can understand everything else.]\nSo when we understand Kṛṣṇa in perfection we can understand how His energy and different energies are working; it will be revealed to us. And because all energies are working under the direction of Kṛṣṇa, because it is in touch with Kṛṣṇa, therefore nothing is inferior or material; everything is spiritual. And higher platform, therefore, one can understand, sarvaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma. Whatever is acting...\nIn the Viṣṇu Purāṇa also, the same thing is confirmed, parasya brahmaṇaḥ śaktis tathedam akhilaṁ jagat [Viṣṇu Purāṇa 1.22.53].\n[Just as the illumination of a fire, which is situated in one place, is spread all over, the energies of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Para-brahman, are spread all over this universe.]\nWhatever we are experiencing, that is simply action and reaction of the different energy of the Supreme Lord. Parasya brahmaṇaḥ śaktis tathedam akhilaṁ jagat. So when we understand Kṛṣṇa perfectly, then this distinction of \"superior,\" \"inferior,\" will disappear.\nJust like some fruit you have purchased. You have purchased from the market, and some you are eating. So it is called inferior energy. The same fruit you offer to Kṛṣṇa and eat, this is called superior energy. Now, how the same fruit becomes immediately from inferior condition to superior? Because it is offered to Kṛṣṇa. Do you follow? Because it is offered to Kṛṣṇa, ordinary rice, one say it is bhāta. But we say prasādam. A man may question, \"How it has become prasādam? It is bhāta, rice.\" No. Because it is offered to Kṛṣṇa, therefore it has changed its quality from inferior to superior.\nSo anything engaged in the service of Kṛṣṇa, it is superior. In the higher sense, everything is serving Kṛṣṇa. So those who are highly elevated to understand... But that is not to be imitated. For them, there is no higher or lower or superior or inferior. Everything he sees in Kṛṣṇa connection. That is very higher stage of life. That is not to be imitated. Actually, when one is perfectly spiritually enlightened, for him there is no such distinction inferior or superior. Everything in connection with Kṛṣṇa is superior. [break]",
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"content": "\n ...chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa.",
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"content": "\n Therefore Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the main principle. Who is acting? The person who is acting, if he is in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then whatever he is acting, that is spiritual.\nYes?",
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"content": "\n In the first and the second chapter, also, [indistinct] about dharma in the second chapter. It says ahaituki, and another... So that devotional service has to be causeless in order to be the perfect conductor?",
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"content": "\n Yes.\nAll right. Let us have kīrtana. \n[No audio]\nYes, you want to ask? Yes.",
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"content": "\n Man has forgotten and is serving māyā, he's actually serving Kṛṣṇa anyway. Then why is he miserable?",
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"content": "\n That is māyā. When you serve māyā, then you get miseries. Just like a man who is serving in the prison house, he is also serving the government, but he is in misery. That is called māyā. He's also serving. That is explained by Caitanya Mahāprabhu: jīvera svarūpa haya nitya-kṛṣṇa-dāsa [Cc. Madhya 20.108].\n[”It is the living entity’s constitutional position to be an eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa because he is the marginal energy of Kṛṣṇa and a manifestation simultaneously one with and different from the Lord, like a molecular particle of sunshine or fire. Kṛṣṇa has three varieties of energy.]\nWhen he's serving favorably, he is happy. When he is serving unfavorably or being forced, that is not bhakti, that is māyā.\nHe has to serve. That is his constitutional position, either outside or inside. But he cannot but serve Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, jīvera svarūpa haya nitya-kṛṣṇa-dāsa. He's eternally servant. Either he understands or not understands, he is servant. But when he's serving consciousness, conscientiously, then he's deriving the real profit. And that is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Now chant. [kīrtana] [end]",
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https://vedabase.io/en/library/transcripts/700517ip-los-angeles/
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"content": "\n Ānanda-mayo 'bhyāsāt. So Gopāla Kṛṣṇa, how you are feeling? How do you see this temple?",
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"content": "\n [indistinct]",
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"content": "\n Hare Kṛṣṇa. [devotees chant japa]\n Oṁ…",
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"content": "\n\noṁ pūrṇam adaḥ pūrṇam idaṁ\npūrṇāt pūrṇam udacyate",
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"content": "\n Loudly.\nPūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya\npūrṇam evāvaśiṣyate\n[Īśo Invocation]\nīśāvāsyam idam sarvaṁ\nyat kiñca jagatyāṁ jagat\ntena tyaktena bhuñjīthā\nmā gṛdhaḥ kasya svid dhanam\n[Īśo mantra 1]\nkurvann eveha karmāṇi\njijīviṣec chataṁ samāḥ\nevaṁ tvayi nānyatheto 'sti\nna karma lipyate nare\n[Īśo mantra 2]\nasuryā nāma te lokā\nandhena tamasāvṛtāḥ\ntāṁs te pretyābhigacchanti\nye ke cātma-hano janāḥ\n[Īśo mantra 3]\ninad devā āpnuvan pūrvam arṣat\ntad dhāvato 'nyān atyeti tiṣṭhat\ntasminn apo mātariśvā dadhāti\n[Īśo mantra 4]\ntad ejati tan naijati\ntad dūre tad v antike\ntad antar asya sarvasya\ntad u sarvasyāsya bāhyataḥ\n[Īśo mantra 5]\nyas tu sarvāṇi bhūtāny\nātmany evānupaśyati\nsarva-bhūteṣu cātmānaṁ\ntato na vijugupsate\n[Īśo mantra 6]\nyasmin sarvāṇi bhūtāny\nātmaivābhūd vijānataḥ\ntatra ko mohaḥ kaḥ śoka\nekatvam anupaśyataḥ\n[Īśo mantra 7]\nsa paryagāc chukram akāyam avraṇam\nasnāviram śuddham apāpa-viddham\nkavir manīṣī paribhūḥ svayambhūr\nyāthātathyato 'rthān vyadadhāc\nchāśvatībhyaḥ samābhyaḥ\n[Īśo mantra 8]\nandhaṁ tamaḥ praviśanti\nye 'vidyām upāsate\ntato bhūya iva te tamo\nya u vidyāyām ratāḥ\n[Īśo mantra 9]\nanyad evāhur vidyayā-\nnyad āhur avidyayāiti śuśruma\ndhīrāṇāṁye nas tad vicacakṣire\n[Īśo mantra 10]\n So up to this verse we have done. Next.\nvidyāṁ cāvidyāṁ ca yas\ntad vedobhayaṁ saha\navidyayā mṛtyuṁ tīrtvā\nvidyayāmṛtam aśnute\n[Īśo mantra 11]\n[corrects devotees’ pronunciation]\nVidyayāmṛtam aśnute. When they are compounded they are called vidyayāmṛtam aśnute. So you read as the English translation.\nvidyāṁ cāvidyāṁ ca yas\ntad vedobhayaṁ saha\navidyayā mṛtyuṁ tīrtvā\nvidyayāmṛtam aśnute\n[Īśo mantra 11]\n[06:35]\n “Only one who can learn the process of nescience and that of transcendental knowledge side by side can transcend the influence of repeated birth and death and enjoy the full blessings of immortality.”\nSo we have to learn. Knowledge means, just like darkness and light, if we know “this is darkness” and “this is light,” that is perfect knowledge. If you simply know darkness, or if you simply know light, that is not perfect. So the living entity is called tatasta śakti, marginal. There are two sides: one is darkness, one is light, and the living entity is marginal potency.\nAs it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, there are two…, three prakṛtis: parā, aparā… Two prakṛtis practically, but the living entities belong to the superior energy. But because it is prone to fall down to the inferior energy, it is called marginal. So there are two sides. Just like the seashore: immediately land, immediately water, side by side. On the land you are safe; as soon as you are in the water, unsafe.\nSo you are on the margin. Just like I was walking on the beach, so I was very careful so that the water may not come and wet my shoes. So we are little bit careful. Side by side there is. So one should have perfect knowledge, that “this is water,” “this is land.” Because water means if you fall into the water, your death; and if you stand on the land, you are secure. Therefore here it is stated:\nvidyāṁ cāvidyāṁ ca yas\ntad vedobhayaṁ saha\n[Īśo mantra 11]\nOne should know what is my secure place and what is my unsecure place. Because I am prone. I am not God; I am little spark. God has no such fear, either this land or this water. He is controller of everything. But so far I am concerned, I am tiny. Although I am part and parcel of God, I am tiny. Therefore I must know what is my secure place and what is my unsecure place.\nThe unsecure place is Kṛṣṇa, and unsecure place is māyā. So if you know what is māyā and what is Kṛṣṇa, this knowledge, if there is perfect knowledge, then avidyayā mṛtyuṁ tīrtvā. Avidyayā, I am in the nescience, māyā, now, where there is death, repeated birth and death. So if I become conversant what is Kṛṣṇa, then I become transcendental to this birth and death, mṛtyuṁ tīrtvā vidyayāmṛtam aśnute. Āmṛtam means eternal life.\nWe are eternal by nature. As God is eternal, we are also eternal living entities. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, second chapter [Bg 2.20]: na jāyate mriyate vā. These living entities, actually they do not take birth or do not die. The birth and death is just like changing of this dress. Just like I am now in this dress, next moment I will take out all these dresses—I become naked body.\nSo birth and death—which we call birth and death—death means sleeping. Death is taking place every day, every night. When we sleep, that is death, but because the duration of life continues, therefore we again come to consciousness and take up this body in the morning. But that sleeping is also death. Sometimes one man dies, appears to be sleeping for seven days, and all of a sudden it is seen that—coma; it is called coma—no more breathing.\nSo death means sleeping of this body. As soon as this body becomes old enough, useless, somehow or other, then the soul does not come back again to this body; he accepts another body, just like changing dress. So actually if you take sleep as death… But death, that is al... As sleep is temporary, a few hours, similarly this death means sleeping for a few months. That's all. Seven months or ten months—actually seven months.\nThe child in the womb of the mother sleeps, unconscious, and when the body is made up, he has got his hands, legs, eyes, everything manufactured; then consciousness comes back, and that time the child moves and desires to come out, prays. One who is advanced in his previous life, he understands, “Oh, I am again put into this condition. I did not utilize my life for Kṛṣṇa consciousness; therefore I am again put into this condition.” It is very risky. Don't try to go again into the womb of the mother. It is very, I mean to say, distressful, packed-up.\nWe all forget this. Sometimes the child is killed by the modern civilization. The most sinful child does not see the light. It is being killed from one womb to another womb. You see? This is going on. Those who are killing this, using these pills, they will be put into that womb, and they will never see light, and from womb to womb they will be transferred—horrible life, ghostly life.\nSo these are nescience. People do not know, and they are advancing: “I am civilized.” What nonsense civilization you have got. Try to understand this Vedic knowledge, then your life will be successful. Otherwise if you remain in the darkness, then this human form of... And this human form of life is important. Why?\nThis book is meant for the human beings, not for the cats and dogs and animals. This Īśopaniṣad, the Vedic knowledge, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, it is meant for human beings. So if we do not take advantage of this knowledge and keep ourself into darkness of animal life, then you are doomed.\nThank you very much.",
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"content": "\n Jaya Śrīla Prabhupāda. [offer obeisances] [break]",
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"content": "\n Chant. Chant please.\n[16:55]\n[kīrtana] [Prabhupāda plays gong] [end]",
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https://vedabase.io/en/library/transcripts/690512r1-columbus/
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[
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"content": "\n It becomes more and more widespread and is more and more acceptable to people...",
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"content": "\n [aside:] A Bengali woman is here, that Lekha? She can come, and you can give.",
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"content": "\n Prabhupāda, may I ask you one question? I know that [indistinct] here is an astrologer. I can do astrological charts. Do you consider that māyā?\n Huh. I don't know how... It's difficult for me to conceive everybody in America...",
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"content": "\n Nothing is accepted by everybody.",
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"content": "\n Or even like a vast, vast, vast number of people living a Hindu language-based, Hindu food-based, monastic life in America. Yes. And many of us..., like, do you remember Gary Snyder, who is the Buddhist boy, I think we met in New York?\n San Francisco. He was with you when you visited Prabhupada...\n In San Francisco, was it? Yes. ...have all been thinking what form of religious practice, what form of simple meditation exercises could be set forth in America that could be adopted by a great, great, great, great many people on a large scale. We haven't solved the problem. Now, one thing I've noticed is that the Kṛṣṇa temples have spread and are firmly rooted and solidly based. There are a number of them now. So that really is a very solid root. So I think that will continue.",
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"content": "\n Yes.",
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"content": "\n But I'm wondering what future is there? [laughs] What's the future of a religious observance so technical as this? So complicated as this? Requires so much sophistication in terms of diet, daily ritual, ārati, ekādaśī, all... The whole thing that you've been teaching, how far can that spread by its very complexness?",
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"content": "\n Yes. All are complex. The whole idea is to keep the devotees always engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the program. Gradually, we shall introduce more and more, so that he has no scope to go outside Kṛṣṇa consciousness.",
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"content": "\n Well, then the question is...",
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"content": "\n First of all you have to understand that we are trying to make people Kṛṣṇa conscious. So how he can remain twenty-four hours Kṛṣṇa conscious, that is the program.",
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"content": "\n Well, the Orthodox Jews have a very heavy, complicated, moment-by-moment ritual daily existence in that..., for that same purpose. It was to keep them conscious of their religious nature. And that has maintained a small group of Jews over the centuries as an integral unit, but has tended to disappear in the later generations now, simply because modern life does not allow that much Kṛṣṇa consciousness or Jewish consciousness or religious consciousness and attention, act by act, throughout the day. So my question is how far can total Kṛṣṇa devotion, act by act, all day, spread? How many people can that encompass in a place like America? Or are you intending only to get a few devotees, like several hundred or a thousand, who will be solid and permanent.",
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"content": "\n Yes. Yes. That is my program. Because Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not possible for everyone. Because in the Bhagavad-gītā we learn, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante [Bg. 7.19].\n[After many births and deaths, he who is actually in knowledge surrenders unto Me, knowing Me to be the cause of all causes and all that is. Such a great soul is very rare.]\nAfter many, many births one can come to this. So it is not possible that a mass of people, a large quantity of people, will be able to grasp it. You see? Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate [Bg. 7.19]. Another place it is said in the Bhagavad-gītā, manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu [Bg. 7.3].\n[Out of many thousands among men, one may endeavor for perfection, and of those who have achieved perfection, hardly one knows Me in truth.]\nAfter many thousands of men, one may be interested how to liberate himself. And out of many such liberated person, one may understand what is Kṛṣṇa.\nSo understanding of Kṛṣṇa is not very easy thing. But Lord Caitanya is so munificent that He has given us a, I mean to say, easy process. [indistinct] Otherwise Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not easy. Because Kṛṣṇa is the last word of Absolute Truth. Generally, people are just like animals. Out of many such persons, one become interested in the scriptures. And out of many such persons, if they're attracted to the scriptures, they're attracted to the ritualistic ceremony for improving their economic condition. You see?\nJust like Christians, they go to... Not Christian; everyone. They take up religion with a motive that they may improve their economic position. Dharma, artha. Artha means money. And then why artha? Why you want money? Now, to satisfy senses, kāma. Dharma, artha, kāma. And when one becomes frustrated in sense gratification, then liberation, to merge. These four things are going on: dharma, artha, kāma...\nThe Bhāgavata says that dharma is not meant for acquiring money. Money is not meant for satisfying senses. Sense gratification should be accepted simply to maintain this body. That's all. The real business is tattva-jijñāsā, to understand. The human life is meant for understanding the Absolute Truth. Jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā naś ceha yat karmabhiḥ. Kāmasya nendriya-pritir labho jīveta yāvatā [SB 1.2.10]. \n[Life's desires should never be directed toward sense gratification. One should desire only a healthy life, or self-preservation, since a human being is meant for inquiry about the Absolute Truth. Nothing else should be the goal of one's works.]\nKāmasya, sense gratification, does not mean you have to increase the volume of sense gratification. No. Jīveta yāvatā, you have to accept sense gratification so far as you can live very nicely.\nThe real business is jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā. Every human being should be inquisitive to know the Absolute Truth. That is the real business of human life. So to come to that business, you won't find mass of people. It is not possible. You don't expect.",
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"content": "\n Well, your plan here in America, then, is to set up centers so that those who are that concerned can pursue their studies and practice a ritual?",
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"content": "\n My... Personally, I have no, I mean to say, ideal or ambition.",
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"content": "\n Yeah.",
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"content": "\n But it is the mission of human life to come to that point. So at least there must be some center or institution who may give them this idea. It is not that everyone will come. Just like there are many educational department. I know in Calcutta in our boyhood age, at that time Sir Ashutosh Mukherjee was vice-president.\nSo he opened some classes in the university. In each class there were four or five professors, and at that time the professors' salary was 1300 dollar, 1400 dollar. And the fees were collected, utmost thirty-six dollar per month. You see? But still the classes were to be maintained, because the ideal must be there.\nSo our mission is that intelligent persons of the world may know that this is not..., simply seeking after sense gratification is not the aim of human life. Human life is meant by... Just like Bhāgavata says, jīvasya tattva-jijnasa. Vedānta says, athāto brahma jijñāsā. The same thing. Bhāgavata is nothing but explanation of Vedānta. So Vedānta says that this human form of life is meant for inquiring about Brahman.\nAtha. Ataḥ: \"now.\" Atha means now. Atha, hereafter. That means after passing through all animalistic way of life, when a man comes to the stage of civilized life, perfect civilized life, at that time his business is to inquire about the Absolute Truth, what is the Absolute Truth. That is the whole Vedānta philosophy, \"What is that Absolute Truth?\"\nThe same thing is explained in Bhāgavata, jīvasya tattva-jijñāsa. Jīvasya means all living entities. The main business is to inquire about the Absolute Truth. So people, by education they are misled. Instead of getting them to the highest topmost stage, to the platform of inquiring about the Absolute, they are giving facilities how you can satisfy your senses nicely.",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n Okay, but now in America there is a bankruptcy of sense satisfaction. Everybody agrees.",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n Must be there. Must be there.",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n Everybody agrees that our civilization has come to the end of its possibilities materially. So everybody understands that. It's in New York Times editorials as well as in the editorials of ISKCON journal. Both. And there is a population explosion, as you've noted, and as the middle class has noted. So everybody, then, is looking for an alternative to material extension.",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n They should inquire about the Absolute Truth.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n Okay. So my original question was: is the complicated ritual and the Sanskrit language...",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n No, no. Now we are placing so many things in English language. Our all books are being published in English. Our magazine is in English.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n But the question is, is the mode of life that you are proposing adaptable to many, many, many people?",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n That I say, that is not for many, many people.",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n Yeah. But there are..., there is a thirst by many, many people for an alternative answer, for a better alternative system.",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n Yes. So if they are actually thirsty, if they are actually thirsty, then they can adopt this. What is the difficulty there? There is no difficulty. So many American boys, they have already adopted. They are not feeling any difficulty. They are feeling relief. What is difficulty? In what point it is difficult? Hare Kṛṣṇa chanting you are chanting.",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n Yes.",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n It is all the Sanskrit. What difficulty you are feeling?",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n I don't feel too much difficulty, except aesthetically I do feel a difficulty. Yes, there is. The difficulty I feel is that there should be some flower of the American language to communicate in, rather than...",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n Therefore we are seeking your help.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n Yeah. Well, I haven't found a way; I still just stay chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa.",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n Therefore why I have come to you? That is also my view. I have come to America with this view, that America is on the summit of material civilization. They are not poverty-stricken. You see? And they are seeking after something. Therefore I have come, that \"You take this, you'll be happy.\" That is my mission.\nAnd if the Americans take, then all other countries will take, because America is leading at the present moment. So persons, exalted persons like you, you try to understand. What is the difficulty? There is no difficulty. Chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, anyone can chant. Even the child is trying. There is no difficulty. And so far what is our modes of living?",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n Mere chanting without the practice of a philosophy and a daily ritual...",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n Philosophy is there. We are teaching Bhagavad-gītā. We are talking on Bhāgavata philosophy, we are touching on Caitanya's philosophy.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n And you have a daily ritual.",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n We are distributing papers. And... Everything is there.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n Okay. So my question, then, as it was originally when you first asked me, what do I think...",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n Yes.",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n Is the Caitanya-Kṛṣṇa ritual, as you have it here in this house and in the other āśramas, is that something that a large mass of people can enter into?",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n Yes. Why not?",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n In America.",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n Yes. Because we have seen. All my students are Americans. So it has to be... And it is spreading.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n Yes, but what it requires is a adaptation of Indian dress and a adaptation...",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n That is not very important.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n And an adaptation to Indian food.",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n No, no. Indian food... It is not Indian food. Are you not eating fruits?",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n Yes, yes.",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n Then that is Indian food? Do you mean to say it is Indian food?",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n Well, the curries.",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n Curries you may boil only. That doesn't matter. It doesn't matter that you have to take our taste. No. That is not the program, that to become Kṛṣṇa conscious you have to change your taste. No. We say from the Bhagavad-gītā... Kṛṣṇa says, patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati [Bg. 9.26]\n[If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, fruit or water, I will accept it.]\n\"Anyone who is offering Me with devotion these vegetable, fruits, flowers, milk, I accept them.\" But we are going to satisfy Kṛṣṇa. Therefore we are selecting foodstuff from this group. That you are all already accepting. Don't you take vegetables? Don't you take fruits? Don't you take grains? So where is the new item? Now, so far cooking, you can cook in your own taste. But the group must be this. Not meat. Because Kṛṣṇa does not say. That is our program. So you are already taking grains, you are eating fruits, you are eating..., drinking milk. So where is the difference? I don't find any difference.",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n Well, I suppose not. You could say there is no difference, because the food is basically the same materials. It's just a question of the style.",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n Yes. Now you take... Style may be different. That's all right. Besides that, to maintain your body and soul together, you require eating, you require sleeping, you require mating, you require defense. We don't say that you don't do this. Kṛṣṇa was... Arjuna was defending. Rather, he wanted to be nonviolent: \"Oh, what is the use of fighting?\"\nKṛṣṇa said, \"No. It is required. You should.\" So where is the difference? There is no difference. Simply we are adjusting things so that you may become happy. Any intelligent man will take it. We are not prohibiting, but we are adjusting. So there is no difficulty. Simply intelligent persons like you should try to understand and take it and administer, because your country is wanting this.",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n But there is a limit to how much the pronunciation of Kṛṣṇa will spread, I think. There's a limit.",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n Hmm? No limit. You can pronounce in any way Kṛṣṇa. K-r-i-s-h-n-a. That's all. Any way. Niyamitaḥ smaraṇe na kālaḥ [Cc. Antya 20.16].\n[“’My Lord, O Supreme Personality of Godhead, in Your holy name there is all good fortune for the living entity, and therefore You have many names, such as “Kṛṣṇa” and “Govinda,” by which You expand Yourself. You have invested all Your potencies in those names, and there are no hard and fast rules for remembering them. My dear Lord, although You bestow such mercy upon the fallen, conditioned souls by liberally teaching Your holy names, I am so unfortunate that I commit offenses while chanting the holy name, and therefore I do not achieve attachment for chanting.’]",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n The limit is people's prejudice...",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n So we don't say that \"Why you are chanting 'Kṛṣṇa' like this?\" We never say that. We simply say, \"Please try to chant 'Kṛṣṇa'.\"",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n Or let us say there would be a limit until the word Kṛṣṇa became as common in English as any other English word.",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n It is already in the dictionary. It is already in the dictionary. All dictionaries you will find Kṛṣṇa. What you want more?",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n Something that will not disturb truck drivers.",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\nEh?",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n Something that will not disturb truck drivers.\n They can say Christ, they can say Kṛṣṇa. It is same.\n That is true... True. But they don't say \"Christ.\" [laughs]",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n Now Krist... I have read one book, Aquarian...",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n Aquarian Gospel?",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n Gospel, yes. In there it is explained that Krist means love. Christ means love. And Kṛṣṇa also means love. So there from Kṛṣṇa this word Krist has come. And in India somebody says Kristha. Instead of Kṛṣṇa, they say Kristha.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n Where?",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n And in apa-bhraṁśa, has come Kestha. Generally they talk, instead of pronouncing very nicely Kṛṣṇa... Somebody's name is Kṛṣṇachandra. \"Hey, Kesthara.\"",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n Where is this?",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n In India everywhere. Kestha. So Kestha, Krista or Kṛṣṇa, they're on the same group, aiming the same group. It is not difficult.",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n Of course, Catholicism in the West operated in Latin.",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n Huh?",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n Catholicism in the West operated in Latin for centuries. [indistinct conversaion with devotee]",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n Latin is from Sanskrit. Yes. Latin is from Sanskrit. Professor Rowe and Webb of Presidency College in Calcutta, they have got a grammar. They have said the Sanskrit language is mother of all languages. They were big English scholar, professor, Mr. Rowe and Webb. We had to read their grammar in our childhood. They have said that Sanskrit language is the mother of all languages. And in the dictionary you'll find Indo-European language practically all from Sanskrit. The original word mātṛ-śabda—the \"mater,\" no?",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n But the question I'm posing still is this: You accept the possibility of a series of Kṛṣṇa consciousness centers in the United States?",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n Yes. Provided a man is not adversely inclined. Otherwise it is very simple.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n But what I'm wondering is how far beyond exclusive centers, how far beyond that can it go in the United States? How far beyond a special study cult centers can a Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement or any religious movement grow? 'Cause the need is for a large, single, unifying religious movement in America.",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n Yes. So here is Kṛṣṇa, all-attractive. You now find out... You can say, \"Why I shall accept Kṛṣṇa?\" You can say like that. Your first question is the unifying agent. I say \"Here is Kṛṣṇa.\" Now we can analyze, \"Why you shall accept Kṛṣṇa?\" Then I shall reply, \"Why you shall not?\" What do you want, expect, from the Supreme or the unifying? What do you expect? Everything is there in Kṛṣṇa. Opulence—Kṛṣṇa. Beauty—Kṛṣṇa. Wisdom—Kṛṣṇa. Renunciation—Kṛṣṇa. Strength—Kṛṣṇa. Everything in Kṛṣṇa. Whatever you want, you'll find in Kṛṣṇa. That is the unifying center. That I will convince you. He is the unifying center actually.\nAnd Bhagavad-gītā it is said, mama vartmānuvartante manuṣyāḥ partha sarvaśaḥ. \"Everyone is trying to come to Me.\" \"Everyone is trying to come to Me,\" ye yathā māṁ prapadyante [Bg. 4.11].\n[All of them—as they surrender unto Me-I reward accordingly. Everyone follows My path in all respects, O son of Pṛthā.]\n\"But he's realizing Me in My different phases. But everyone is trying.\" So, so far unifying religion is concerned, there are three groups: impersonalist, personalist and localized.\nSome are trying to understand the Absolute Truth in impersonal way. Some are... The yogīs, the mental speculators, they are trying to understand the Absolute in impersonal, without any personal form. And the yogīs, they are trying to find out Kṛṣṇa within their heart, meditation. And somebody is..., some are trying to find out the Absolute Truth in person by reciprocating love. So all these things are in Kṛṣṇa. And Bhāgavata says, after explanation of that verse, that it is the only business of human being to find out the Absolute Truth.\nNow, the next verse, the Absolute Truth is explained, analyzed, vadanti tat tattva-vidas tattvaṁ yaj jñānam advayam [SB 1.2.11].\n[Learned transcendentalists who know the Absolute Truth call this nondual substance Brahman, Paramātmā or Bhagavān.]\nNow, Absolute Truth is always one. There is no... Absolute Truth cannot be two. Then it is relative truth. Absolute Truth means one. So the knowledge of the Absolute Truth is one. Vadanti tat tattva-vida. Tattva-vida means those who are in knowledge of the Absolute Truth, they say that Absolute Truth is one. But He's realized in three phases. Brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate. Brahman means impersonal, and Paramātmā is localized, and Bhagavān, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So these are different stages.\nJust like the sun. The first experience of sun is this impersonal effulgence all over the sky. But that is not very important than the sun globe, because it is from the sun globe the effulgence is coming. So anyone will understand that this sunshine is not so important as the sun globe. And if you approach the sun globe and if you penetrate into the sun, if you have got strength to go into the... Just like you are trying go to the moon planet. If you have got really scientific strength to go within the sun planet, then you'll find there is sun-god.\nThat information we get from Bhagavad-gītā. Imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam [Bg. 4.1]\n[The Blessed Lord said: I instructed this imperishable science of yoga to the sun-god, Vivasvān, and Vivasvān instructed it to Manu, the father of mankind, and Manu in turn instructed it to Ikṣvāku.]\n\"I told to sun-god Vivasvān first.\" So therefore there is a person. And why not a person? Your imagination is not ultimate truth. We get information from Kṛṣṇa, there is a person, Vivasvān. So there is a person, he's sitting there. Person, globe, sun, sunshine. Which is important? Which is important?",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n The person, the globe or the sunshine?",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n Yes.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n [laughs] I don't know.",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n Why you don't know? You cannot say them? Which of them? These three things are presented. The sunshine, the sun globe, and within the sun globe, the sun-god. Who is important?",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n If we could apprehend it in terms of person, the person.",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n Yes.",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n But if we could apprehend it only in terms of the globe, then the globe.",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n So that means your approach may be up to globe. But that is not finished.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n Yes.",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n That is not finished. You have to go... That is... Upaniṣad says that, he's praying that \"Please wind up Your effulgence so that I can see Your true face.\" The Upaniṣad says. You see in the Upaniṣad. And he's praying that \"Please wind up Your this glaring effulgence so that I can see Your real face.\" So real face is there. And Bhagavad-gītā says, brahmaṇo 'ham pratiṣṭhā: \"This impersonal Brahman is standing on My existence.\" And Brahma-saṁhitā says that,\nyasyā prabha prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi-\nkoṭiṣv aśeṣa-vasudhādi vibhūti-bhinnam\ntad brahma niṣkalam anantam aśeṣa-bhūtaṁ\ngovindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi\n[Bs. 5.40]\n[I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, whose effulgence is the source of the nondifferentiated Brahman mentioned in the Upaniṣads, being differentiated from the infinity of glories of the mundane universe appears as the indivisible, infinite, limitless, truth.]\nThis Brahman effulgence is nothing but His bodily effulgence. You see whenever we put Kṛṣṇa, there's a bodily effulgence. Within that bodily effulgence every creation is there. Just like this effulgence of sun. Within the sunshine all these planets are moving, all this vegetation, everything growing, coming. The whole thing is existing on the sunshine. Similarly, sarvaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma. Everything existing on brahma-jyotir. And in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, māyā tatam idaṁ sarvaṁ jagad avyakta-mūrtinā: \"This impersonal exhibition of this whole manifestation, it is I.\" Mat-sthāni sarva-bhūtāni [Bg. 9.4]\n[By Me, in My unmanifested form, this entire universe is pervaded. All beings are in Me, but I am not in them.]\n\"Everything existing in Me.\" Nahaṁ teṣu avasthitaḥ. \"But I am not there.\"\nSo we have to study everything intelligently. I want some intelligent persons from America. Then it will be done. It is not bluff. It is real science, authority. One has to understand simply. That's all. Therefore in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta it is said, kṛṣṇa yei bhaje sei baḍa catura. Unless one is very, very intelligent he cannot come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. He must be very intelligent.\nSo if we find one or two intelligent person, ekaś candras tamo hanti na ca tārā..., then one moon is sufficient to eradicate all darkness. There is no need of millions of stars. Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so beautiful. You call any intelligent person, we are prepared to convince him. Any intelligent. He must be little intelligent. That's all. We don't want...",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n Yes, but I'm not even convinced.",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n No.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n I mean, everything you say is beautiful, but...",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n No. You are very intelligent boy. Why not you are intelligent? You are recognized poet, you are popular poet. Why you... I take you are intelligent. You are first-class intelligent. You are chanting.",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n But that's almost a physical body movement, the chanting, rather than a...",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n May be, but your intelligence is sufficient. That is... If that standard of intelligent men I get, that is my fortune. You see? Now, at least I request you, you try to understand this Kṛṣṇa consciousness philosophy. It is not sentiment. It is not bluffing. It is not a money-making business, that I give you some...",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n No. Obviously not.",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n You see? You know from the very beginning. I came here single-handed. I chanted. That's all. I never asked anybody money.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n That was never in question.",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n So I never said that \"I'll give you Kṛṣṇa consciousness or this...\" No, I mean to say... So it is not bluff. It is purely scientific, transcendental science. So I want some American gentlemen to understand this.",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n Well, Howard does.",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n Yes. So we want many Howards. [laughs] Your country is so big.",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n Actually, what I got into was..., you were saying so everything stands on \"My,\" Kṛṣṇa's personality. And then there was a twist there: \"But I am empty.\"\n[aside:] Is that what he said before? Do you remember?\nJust about eight minutes ago you concluded the description of the sun and the...",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n Sun globe, sun, and the sunshine.",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n Kṛṣṇa says that \"Everything is depending on Me, and still I am not in them.\"\n Oh, oh. I guess that's where I... \"Everything is depending on Me, yet I am not in them.\"",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n \"Everything is resting on Me. But I am not there.\" Just like this is Kṛṣṇa. Without Kṛṣṇa it has no existence. But it is not Kṛṣṇa. The pantheist will say, \"I... Everything is Kṛṣṇa, then I worship this.\"",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n So who is Kṛṣṇa? If He is not...",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n Kṛṣṇa is Kṛṣṇa.",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n If He's not apprehensible by senses...",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n No. Why not senses? This is Kṛṣṇa. This is Kṛṣṇa. But at the same time... This is the philosophy of Lord Caitanya, acintya-bhedābheda, simultaneously one and different. That is very easy... Suppose this is gold. But this gold is not the gold mine. There is a difference. It is gold. Similarly, everything is Kṛṣṇa, but still is different from Kṛṣṇa. That is explained in Viṣṇu Purāṇa: Parasya brahmaṇaḥ śaktiḥ sarvedam akhilaṁ jagat. \neka-sthānī sthitasyajñer\njyotsnā vistāriṇī yathā\nparasya brahmaṇaḥ śaktiḥ\nsarvedam akhilaṁ jagat\n[Viṣṇu Purāṇa 1.22.53]\n[Just as the illumination of a fire, which is situated in one place, is spread all over, the energies of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Para-brahman, are spread all over this universe.]\nThe same example, that the sun. The sun is..., sun-god is situated one place, but it is fiery, blazing fire. Its heat and light is expanded. You see practically, the heat and light. So whatever this material existence is the sunlight, sunshine. Everything existing on sunshine. It is scientific. Your electricity, your this, that, whatever you take, it is all sunshine.\nAll these planets are moving, rotating on the sunshine, heat. If heat is taken away, immediately whole thing spoiled. Therefore everything is resting on the energy of the sunshine, but if you say that \"Then let me find out the sun-god in the sunshine,\" that you will have to go there.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n The Christians, I think they say, \"God is more than His creation.\"",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n Yes. Certainly. This creation is only a part of manifestation of His energy. Insignificant. That is explained in Bhagavad-gītā:\natha vā bahunaitena\nkiṁ jñātena tavārjuna\nviṣṭabhyāham idaṁ kṛtsnam\nekāṁśena sthito jagat\n[Bg. 10.42]\n[But what need is there, Arjuna, for all this detailed knowledge? With a single fragment of Myself I pervade and support this entire universe.]\n\"The whole material existence is simply a partial manifestation of My energy.\" Ekāṁśena. Viṣṭabhyāham. Aham. \"I have entered into this whole material creation, and that is My partial manifestation of energy.\"\nJust like what is your this body? The body is the..., a manifestation of your energy. The seed, living entity, is put into the mother's womb and he expands. This body is expanding. But because you are limited, so much. That's all. Three feet or six feet. That's all. No more. You cannot expand more than that. This is crude example. But He's unlimited. He's expanding. Bṛhatvad bṛṁhaṇatvad iti brahma. Brahman means nothing is greater than Him and nothing can expand like Him. Bṛhatvad bṛṁhaṇatvad iti brahma.\nSo everything is there scientific. Simply we have to administer. We have got authoritative scripture, description, answers. Everything is there. It is not blind following. It is not religious fanaticism. It is actually solid ground. Simply one has to understand nicely. That's all. And there is no difficulty. So simple.\nNow, this... Our recommendation is simply chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. So far the Sanskrit word is, that is not a problem. Everyone is chanting. So what is the difficulty? Bring any religious principle. You cannot find so easy. We don't recommend the ritualistic. That is... That is not very important thing. We are giving, say, simply chant. Ritualistic performance a little more helping. That's all. It is helping. It is not required. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that all the strength and all the beauty, all the wisdom, everything is there in the name. Simply by chanting we get all, everything. But just to help it. It does not...\nIf somebody does not want our ritualistic, that is not an important thing. We don't say. We simply recommend that \"You please chant.\" That's all. I requested you to chant. Not that I requested that you adopt our means. So that we are requesting. Let them chant. Make an experiment. It is not very difficult thing.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n Well, the chanting is easy. The chanting is easy. That's true.",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n Yes. Let them do that. Don't come to the ritualistic performances. Let them chant, as far as possible, and see the result. This is the easiest method of transcendental realization. But if you recommend, oh, that will be accepted by many. And if we...",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n No. You see, I recommend it quite a bit, but it isn't accepted by very many.",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n [laughs] No, no. Then I say, you are American. You are popular leader. You have got some voice. I am a foreigner. I have come new, and who cares for me? That is a different thing.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n Well, that's why I'm asking you very specifically, 'cause I've been chanting for five years, six years. Since 1963, '64. Since the fall of 1963, I've been chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa on this continent, beginning in Vancouver in July, 1963. And I am finding there is a limitation to how many people will join that chant. Or I have found a limitation. Part of the limitation is the fact that it is strange and new to people here.",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n But there is no loss.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n As it becomes familiar, it might spread more. Part of the limitation is just a natural resentment or resistance—people wanting a prayer in their own tongue, in their own language. I don't know... So that is, for the same reason an American Indian chant would not take hold or even a Latin chant would not take universal hold.",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n Mantra, mantra means...",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n So that many of us will say, \"Is it possible to find an American mantra?\"",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n Mantra means the transcendental sound. You see. Just like oṁkāra.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n So you think the very nature of the sound... Okay, but now, oṁ is an absolutely natural sound from the throat to the mouth. And yet even oṁ, natural as it is, sounds foreign.",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n Yes. Therefore it is a praṇāma. It is accepted.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n No, but... That also sounds foreign here. It's hard to get people to say auṁ even. 'Cause I tried in Chicago with auṁ and with Hare Kṛṣṇa.",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n But there is no other alternative.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n Well, we haven't been able to think of one yet, I'll tell you that.",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n That is his misfortune, if they...",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n [Bengali]\n Many people here have said, \"What about 'God, God, God, God, God'?\" But that doesn't have the right...\n No, that doesn't make it.\n You couldn't do it[?] that for five minutes.\n Well, you could almost d \"Amen, Amen.\" You might.\n That's not English.\n Yes, that's not English. [laughter] But it's known in English. And maybe \"Kṛṣṇa\" could become as well known as \"God\" and \"Amen,\" or something like that.",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\n No, Kṛṣṇa is in English dictionary.",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n Yes. Is it now in the dictionary?",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n Yes.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n Infiltrated the dictionary.\n Although as an incarnation of Viṣṇu. Definition.\n Let's see what it says in the English dictionary.",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n Dictionary word.",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n \"Eighth incarnation of Viṣṇu.\"\n[Bengali]",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n Just see. Here is an intelligent statement. Yes. You can explain in English.",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\nI was saying that when the question of knowledge came and Western education was high tops, still it is, thousands of people from other countries like Africa and India and all the people, they deliberately learned from the beginning, from childhood, to speak. They started saying Mama and Papa, and they're still coming to the higher education in these universities. And when the question comes of ultimate knowledge, and the Western civilization doesn't want to take only the word, just the word, so that is their limitation. They don't want to know.\n Okay. Partly the fear of that is that the study of Kṛṣṇa consciousness will become as bureaucratized in America as the examination system has made the study of higher Western knowledge in India.\n Yes. But the only difference is that that Kṛṣṇa consciousness is unlimited. It glorifies the Lord and it makes unlimited. But this education is just limited. See? Limited education other people can come and learn and take their language of their own mother tongue...",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n Takes so much trouble. Simply for uttering one \"Kṛṣṇa\" they are not prepared to take little trouble?",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n Liberation. The whole life, whole human life, liberation, they don't take, they don't like to take, because it is started in Indian language. Or it is not Indian language. Kṛṣṇa is not Indian language. Oṁ isn't Indian language. It's the ultimate God's name.",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n Neither Kṛṣṇa says that He is Indian.",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n He didn't say, \"I am Indian.\" It's universal. It's not Indian. Oṁ is not Indian. Anybody who wants to know oṁ, how to say oṁ. See?",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n So you have to accept little trouble to utter \"Kṛṣṇa.\" That's all.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n Well, I'm willing.",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n We have taken so much trouble for understanding English language. And simply for our transcendental understanding...",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n It's next to Santa Claus in the dictionary.\nYes, Kṛṣṇa is Santa Claus. He gives everything. He gives everything.",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n Very good.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n Have you seen that? Kṛṣṇa's next to Kris Kringle.",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n What is the..., what is the Kṛṣṇa? What does he say?",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n\"Seventh avatar of Viṣṇu...\" Says that Kṛṣṇa is...\n \"Eighth avatar of Viṣṇu. From Sanskrit 'Kṛṣṇa.' The widespread form of Hindu worship.\"\n That's the usual. That's in all the dictionaries.\n Only the Indian people are lucky that still they are holding it tight. That's all. Now other people have forgotten. But it's all universal.",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n Kṛṣṇa said in the Bhagavad-gītā that \"I am the father of everyone.\" Sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya [Bg. 14.4]. Not only human being. All animals, trees, plants. So Kṛṣṇa is universal.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n Now, for instance, in America many of the black people are tending toward Allah and toward Muhammadanism.",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n That is another thing. Somebody is inclined to some thing, somebody is inclined to some thing. That is going on, and it will go on till the end of the creation. [laughing]",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n Yuga.",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n But our process is that you are searching after the center; here is the center. That is our proposal.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n But what do you do when different religious groups claim to be the center? What do you do when different religious groups...",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n No, we welcome every religion. We don't decry any religion. Our point is the love of Godhead. Or Kṛṣṇa is love, all-attractive. So we want to be attracted by Kṛṣṇa. Just like a magnetic force and iron: unless iron, it is rusty, it is automatically attracted by the magnetic force.\nSimilarly, we are contaminated by material coverings. So we are trying to make it dust..., rustless so that immediately we shall be attracted. This is the program. Kṛṣṇa is all-attractive. That is a fact. And we are attracted. But, being covered with this rust, we are, instead of being attracted by Kṛṣṇa, we are being attracted by māyā. This is our whole program.\nSo our central program is how to love Kṛṣṇa, or how to love God. So we want to see—that is the Bhāgavata definition—that how much you have enhanced your love of God. You call \"Kṛṣṇa\" or something else, that doesn't matter. Phalena paricīyate. The result. Your religious principle, what is the result? Are you enhancing your love for God or dog? That you want to see. If you are enhancing your love for God, it is all right. We don't say anything. And if... People should learn how to love. That is the perfection of life. That we are teaching.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n If you're identifying love, however, with the sabda \"Kṛṣṇa,\" what of those people who identify love with the sabda \"Allah\"?",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n If that śabda, of course, identifies with God, we have no objection. That Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, that nāmnām akāri bahudhā nija-sarva-śaktis [Cc. Antya 20.16].\n[“’My Lord, O Supreme Personality of Godhead, in Your holy name there is all good fortune for the living entity, and therefore You have many names, such as “Kṛṣṇa” and “Govinda,” by which You expand Yourself. You have invested all Your potencies in those names, and there are no hard and fast rules for remembering them. My dear Lord, although You bestow such mercy upon the fallen, conditioned souls by liberally teaching Your holy names, I am so unfortunate that I commit offenses while chanting the holy name, and therefore I do not achieve attachment for chanting.’]\nGod has many names. God is attractive, His name is also attractive, because He's not different from His name. So if you have got exactly the same attractive name, we have no objection. We simply say, \"You chant God's name, holy name.\" Then you become purified. That is our program. We don't say that you change your Christianity. No. We don't say. If you have got a nice name, all-attractive name, in your scripture—don't manufacture, but authorized—then you chant that. We simply request, \"You chant.\"",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n Well, then how would you adapt the Kṛṣṇa chanting to Christianity? By seeing Kṛṣṇa as Christ or Christ as Kṛṣṇa and sounding Christ's image in Kṛṣṇa's name?",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n Kṛṣṇa, Christ... Of course, this question was several times put to me. Christ says that \"I am son of God.\" And Kṛṣṇa says, \"I am God.\" So there is no difference. Son of God and God, we respect everyone. If I respect your father, I respect you also. Do you mean to say if I disrespect your father, you'll be pleased upon me? No. That is our philosophy. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that \"I am servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of Kṛṣṇa.\"\nSo if anyone loves Kṛṣṇa, he must love Lord Jesus Christ also. And if one perfectly loves Jesus Christ, he must love Kṛṣṇa. If he says, \"Why shall I love Kṛṣṇa? I shall love Jesus Christ,\" then he has no knowledge. And if one says, \"Why shall I love Jesus Christ? I shall love...\", then he has also no knowledge. If one understands Kṛṣṇa, then he will understand Jesus Christ. If one understands Jesus Christ, he'll understand Kṛṣṇa.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n Well, then do you think that the Hare Kṛṣṇa chant could serve as an intermediary to link the religious tendencies of..., both of Christianity and Muslim religions?",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n Yes. Yes. Any religion. Any religion. If he's serious about religion. If he takes the religion as a scapegoat, that is different thing. If he wants to understand religion and if he takes seriously to religion, then he will understand. We want serious persons. Now, according to Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, religion means creation of the laws of God. Dharmaṁ tu sakṣād bhagavat-praṇītam [SB 6.3.19].\n[Real religious principles are enacted by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Although fully situated in the mode of goodness, even the great ṛṣis who occupy the topmost planets cannot ascertain the real religious principles, nor can the demigods or the leaders of Siddhaloka, to say nothing of the asuras, ordinary human beings, Vidyādharas and Cāraṇas.]\nLaws of God. Who will deny it? Who will deny it? Any religion, Christian, Muhammadan or any, who can deny that religion is the laws of God? Simple explanation. If you ask what is meant by \"religion,\" religion is laws of God. That's all. And if you want to know what is God, that is also replied: \"The original source of everything.\"\nSo one should try to understand in this way. But if one wants to remain in his compact ideas and does not want to go further, then it is very difficult. He should be open-minded and appreciating. Then everything is all right. We say..., Caitanya Mahāprabhu says it is not that you are necessarily to chant \"Kṛṣṇa,\" but if you have no suitable name, then chant \"Kṛṣṇa.\" Why do you make differentiate? Every name is the same.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n So if you have no other suitable name, chant \"Kṛṣṇa.\"",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n Yes. Chant \"Kṛṣṇa.\"",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n That's Caitanya's...?",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n Yes, yes.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n Did He feel there were other suitable names? Did He feel or did He think that...",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n Yes. He says many thousand millions names there are. But if you are serious about God, then... You may have many names by your friends, but any name will do.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n Okay. So the problem I was posing before is, which I leave open, I don't know: What is the most attractive and suitable name here in this material country?",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n Now, take for example the Muhammadan name Allah. Allah means the greatest. God is greatest. So that greatest conception is this Brahman conception. And so far Christian, I don't think they have got any particular name. They say \"God.\"",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n Yes. \"Lord,\" \"God.\" That is the basic one.",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n Controller. God means controller. Is it not?",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n [aside:] What is the etymology of God? Do you know?\n I don't know.",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n God is the equivalent of īśvara. Īśvara means controller.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n Then the Jews, which were my background, had a prohibition...",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n Jehovah.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n They had \"Jehovah,\" but they had a prohibition of pronouncing the highest names. 'Cause they felt that God was imageless, and therefore should not be pronounced or painted. In fact, my background is I guess what would be impersonalist.\n The Jews are impersonalist.\n Well, what are they? Impersonalists or personalists?\n Impersonalists. They believe in just the Absolute. That's all.",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n That was the difference in Jesus Christ. He was a personalist.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n Hasidics are personal. The Hasidics.\nCynics?\nHasidics.\n Yes. They put their devotion into the rabbi or the guru. The ancient Hebrew... I guess you must know about that. The ancient Hebrew teaching was that the name of God should never be pronounced.",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n Now we come to know...",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n J-H-V-H.",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n Anyway, why God's name...",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n Pictures should not be made. Pictures should not be made. Because it would limit God to human conception.",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n That is another thing. That is in Muhammadan. That means God is not material. That is the idea. Because here the idea is when I make something image or picture, that is material. So that is a prohibition of accepting God as material. But if you go to a higher stage, then you'll understand that if God is everything, then there is no material. That is Vaiṣṇava philosophy. If God is everything, then where is material? He is spiritual. Material means when you cannot understand God. That is material.\nEverything is sky. When it is covered by cloud, we call it is cloudy. Similarly, cloud has no existence. It comes only to cover sometimes. But the sky is eternal. Similarly, God is eternal. When you are covered by some māyā, you cannot see, you cannot understand God, that is material. So any philosophy which does not help understanding God, that is material. That is material. Otherwise, there is no material. Where is material if God is everything? Sarvam khalv idam brahma. You see?",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n All spirits.",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n All spirit. All the sky. Everywhere is sky, but when it is covered, it is called cloud. Similarly, when God is covered by some nonsense ideas, then it is material. Otherwise, there is no material. Therefore those who are too much absorbed in materialistic way, there is a restriction, that don't attempt. Because he will be to think that God's name is just like my son's name my daughter's name. Therefore that restriction.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n I think when they worship, they're allowed to say God's name, it's just when they're not..., when they're talking about Him outside the temple that they have to use different name.\n We've going to tune some harmoniums.\n Yes, we have to work on the music boxes. We have to start material preparations for the evening.",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n That is not material. [laughter] We have no...",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n A śabda preparation.",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n Yes, śabda is originally spi..., śabda-brahman.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n We have to find out if all the...",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n Simply you have to understand that there is nothing material; everything is spiritual. That is required. That means so long you do not understand that everything is spiritual only, that is our defect.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n Well, then even sexuality is spiritual?",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n Yes, that is said in the Bhagavad-gītā: if you use sexuality for giving birth to nice child, not cats and dogs, then it is spiritual. But people are using sexuality for other purposes. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, śāstra-viruddho[?], according to religious ritualistic way, if one, when one uses sex life that is [indistinct].\nThat is, therefore in the..., according to Vedic system, therefore, having sex life with wife, there is a great ceremony which is called garbhādhāna ceremony, and all the higher caste, brāhmaṇa, kṣatriyas, śūdra, er, vaiśyas especially, they are to observe ten kinds of reformative process.\nThe first process is while giving birth to a child there is a great ceremony, garbhādhāna. So it is not a secret. To beget nice child, then there will be nice population, then there will be peace and prosperity. If you beget cats and dogs, how can you expect peace and prosperity? Living in the same dog society, cat society, then there will be peace? No.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n I would rather dogs and cats being Kṛṣṇa's, though.",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n Hmm?",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n But if all matter is Kṛṣṇa?",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n That's all right, but when Kṛṣṇa is covered, when Kṛṣṇa is covered, nāhaṁ prakāśaḥ sarvasya yoga-māyā-samāvṛtaḥ [Bg. 7.25].\n[I am never manifest to the foolish and unintelligent. For them I am covered by My eternal creative potency [yoga-māyā]; and so the deluded world knows Me not, who am unborn and infallible.]\nThe same example: cloud is sunshine, but it covers. What is the cloud? This is creation of the sunshine as these trees and everything is creation of sunshine. Cloud is also. Māyā is also Kṛṣṇa's. In that sense, māyā is also Kṛṣṇa, but it has a covering spirit.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n The element, its quality.\n It's a whole spirit, but in certain circumstances we tend to forget this spriritual...",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\n Material energy, that's said by Kṛṣṇa aparā, inferior energy. Bhūmir āpo..., bhūmir āpo analo, prakṛtir me bhinnā aṣṭadhā. Apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parā [Bg. 7.5].\n[Besides this inferior nature, O mighty-armed Arjuna, there is a superior energy of Mine, which are all living entities who are struggling with material nature and are sustaining the universe.]\nSo material energy is the covering energy, is also Kṛṣṇa. Just like police department is also government, but it is not very convenient if you are put under police department. [laughter] That is also government department. For government, the university department and the police are equally important. They are spending equally, are taking care of both the, but for us, \"Oh, police department horrible.\" This man is under police department, police custody, and that man is in education.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n That's much better.",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n But when you go to the government state, they are equally important; they are distributing the finance everywhere. So similarly, either you take material energy or spiritual energy or marginal energy, all energy of God's, Kṛṣṇa's—but they are acting differently. So, so far I am marginal energy, if I am under the control of the material energy, that is my misfortune. But if I am controlled by the spiritual energy, that is my fortune. Therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ [Bg. 9.13]\n[O son of Pṛthā, those who are not deluded, the great souls, are under the protection of the divine nature. They are fully engaged in devotional service because they know Me as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, original and inexhaustible.]\nThey take shelter of the spiritual energy, they are mahātmā. And what is their symptom: bhajanty ananya manaso, simply engaged in devotional service. That, that is it.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n Haribol!",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n Hare Kṛṣṇa. [end]",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
https://vedabase.io/en/library/transcripts/710328bg-bombay/
|
[
{
"content": "\n [sings Jaya Rādhā-Mādhava] [prema-dhvani] [devotees offer obeisances]",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n [aside to tape:] Śrīla Prabhupāda will lecture from Kṛṣṇa book.",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n\nom ajñāna-timirāndhasya jñānāñjana-śalākayā\ncakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena tasmai śrī-gurave-namaḥ\n[\"I offer my respectful obeisances unto my spiritual master, who with the torchlight of knowledge has opened my eyes, which were blinded by the darkness of ignorance.\"]\nśrī-caitanya-mano-'bhīṣṭaṁ sthāpitaṁ yena bhū-tale\nsvayaṁ rūpaḥ kadā mahyaṁ dadāti sva-padāntikam\n[\"When will Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī Prabhupāda, who has established within this material world the mission to fulfill the desire of Lord Caitanya, give me shelter under his lotus feet?\"]\nvande 'haṁ śrī-guroḥ śrī-yuta-pada-kamalaṁ śrī-gurūn vaiṣṇavāṁś ca\nśrī-rūpaṁ sāgrajātaṁ saha-gaṇa-raghunāthānvitaṁ taṁ sa-jīvam\nsādvaitaṁ sāvadhūtaṁ parijana-sahitaṁ kṛṣṇa-caitanya-devaṁ\nśrī-rādhā-kṛṣṇa-pādān saha-gaṇa-lalitā-śrī-viśākhānvitāṁś ca\n[\"I offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of my spiritual master and of all the other preceptors on the path of devotional service. I offer my respectful obeisances unto all the Vaiṣṇavas and unto the six Gosvāmīs, including Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī, Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, Jīva Gosvāmī and their associates. I offer my respectful obeisances unto Śrī Advaita Ācārya Prabhu, Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and all His devotees, headed by Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura. I then offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of Lord Kṛṣṇa, Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī and all the gopīs, headed by Lalitā and Viśākhā.\"]\nnama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale\nśrīmate bhaktisiddhānta-sarasvatīti nāmine\n[\"I offer my respectful obeisances unto His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī, who is very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa, having taken shelter at His lotus feet.\"]\nhe kṛṣṇa karuṇā-sindho dīna-bandho jagat-pate\ngopeśa gopikā-kānta rādhā-kānta namo 'stu te\n[\"O my dear Kṛṣṇa, ocean of mercy, You are the friend of the distressed and the source of creation. You are the master of the cowherd men and the lover of the gopīs, especially Rādhārāṇī. I offer my respectful obeisances unto You.\"]\ntapta-kāñcana-gaurāṅgi rādhe vṛndāvaneśvari\nvṛṣabhānu-sute devi praṇamāmi hari-priye\n[\"I offer my respects to Rādhārāṇī, whose bodily complexion is like molten gold and who is the Queen of Vṛndāvana. You are the daughter of King Vṛṣabhānu, and You are very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa.\"]\nvāñchā-kalpatarubhyaś ca kṛpā-sindhubhya eva ca\npatitānāṁ pāvanebhyo vaiṣṇavebhyo namo namaḥ\n[\"I offer my respectful obeisances unto all the Vaiṣṇava devotees of the Lord. They can fulfill the desires of everyone, just like desire trees, and they are full of compassion for the fallen souls.\"]\nśrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu nityānanda\nśrī-advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda\n[\"I offer my obeisances to Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya, Prabhu Nityānanda, Śrī Advaita, Gadādhara, Śrīvāsa and all others in the line of devotion.\"]\nhare kṛṣṇa hare kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa hare hare\nhare rāma hare rāma rāma rāma hare hare\n[\"My dear Lord, and the spiritual energy of the Lord, kindly engage me in Your service. I am now embarrassed with this material service. Please engage me in Your service.\"]\n[08:44]\nLadies and Gentleman, I thank you very much for your kindly participating in this great movement of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the inaugurator of this movement five hundred years ago, although He is accepted as Kṛṣṇa Himself, still, He says that \"Alone, I have no power or strength.\" Ekākī āmāra nāhi pāya [Ohe Vaiṣṇava Ṭhākura]. This is the humble submission of us, who have taken this movement very seriously, that we alone cannot make this movement perfect. You have all to join this movement.\nBecause it is everyone's interest. It is not that a particular party or particular society or a particular country's interest. No. Kṛṣṇa is for everyone. He is the original father of all living entities.\nsarva-yoniṣu kaunteya\nmūrtayaḥ sambhavanti yāḥ\ntāsāṁ brahma mahad yonir\nahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā\n[Bg. 14.4]\nThese Europeans and Americans, and other countries also, they are accepting Kṛṣṇa not as a Hindu god. Of course, in the dictionary it is so written, \"Kṛṣṇa is the name of a Hindu god.\" But people of the world, they are accepting that He is the God. God is one. There cannot be any Hindu God or Muslim God or Christian God. God is for everyone, both for the human society and less than human society, animal society. There are 8,400,000 species of life, and all of them are supposed to be the offspring, sons of Kṛṣṇa.\nSo we are talking about Bhagavad-gītā. Last night we talked from the Seventh Chapter, the first verse. Mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha yogaṁ yuñjan mad-āśrayaḥ.\nmayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha\nyogaṁ yuñjan mad-āśrayaḥ\nasaṁśayaṁ samagraṁ māṁ\nyathā jñāsyasi tac chṛṇu\n[Bg. 7.1]\nSo in order to understand asaṁśayam... Asaṁśayam means \"without any doubt.\" At the present moment we have got many doubts whether actually there is God or not. In Europe and America, when I first went there in 1965, I was informed even by some clergymen that \"God is dead.\" Then again, when I was chanting in the Tompkinson Square in New York, they admitted, and they published a very big article in one of the important papers of New York. They admitted that \"We thought God was dead, but actually now we see God is there in the saṅkīrtana movement started by Swāmījī.\" They admitted.\nSo these are saṁśayam, or doubts: whether there is actually God or not, whether God is dead or alive. But here Kṛṣṇa says that if we develop our attachment for Kṛṣṇa... Take Kṛṣṇa as a historical personality. Still, if you develop your attachment for Kṛṣṇa by the prescribed method, then you will understand God without any doubt. Asaṁśayam. And samagram. Samagram, \"in fullness.\" Not partially. The Absolute Truth, samagram Absolute Truth.\nThe Absolute Truth is described in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam:\nvadanti tat tattva-vidas\ntattvaṁ yaj jñānam advayam\nbrahmeti paramātmeti\nbhagavān iti śabdyate\n[SB 1.2.11]\nThe Absolute Truth is understood in three features, although all of Them are one. The first feature appreciated by the philosophers as Brahman, impersonal Brahman. The next feature is appreciated by the yogīs as Paramātmā. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati [Bg. 18.61], the portion of the Supreme Personality of Godhead who is distributed everywhere. Aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu-cayāntara-sthaṁ govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **.\nThat feature, Paramātmā feature, Antaryāmī, that is described in the Brahma-saṁhitā:\neko 'py asau racayituṁ jagad-aṇḍa-koṭiṁ\nyac chaktir asti jagad-aṇḍa-cayā yad-antaḥ\naṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu-cayāntara-sthaṁ\ngovindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi\n[Bs. 5.35]\nOne portion of the Supreme Personality of Godhead... Racayituṁ jagad-aṇḍa-koṭim. In order to manifest or create millions of universes... The universe which we are experiencing within our present knowledge is only one. There are many thousands of universes, innumerable universes clustered together.\nCaitanya Mahāprabhu said it is just like a bag of mustard seeds, and this universe is only one seed. So Kṛṣṇa in His one plenary portion, Mahā-Viṣṇu, He is lying on the Causal Ocean, and during His breathing period, exhaling period, innumerable universes are coming out. These are the statements of Vedic literature, Mahā-Viṣṇu.\nyasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya\njīvanti loma-vilajā jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ\nviṣṇur mahān sa iha yasya kalā-viśeṣo\ngovindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi\n[Bs. 5.48]\nSo here it is stated by Kṛṣṇa, mayy āsakta-manāḥ. How we can become attached to Kṛṣṇa? You have to think over. Kṛṣṇa's different features, His name, His quality, His pastimes, His form, His entourage—so many things—you can simply think over. That is practical and actual meditation. If you study Vedic literature, you get so many information about Kṛṣṇa. And all these will be revealed to you. Svayam eva. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ [Brs. 1.2.234].\nWe cannot understand Kṛṣṇa by our speculative knowledge. If we try to do that, then we can approach up to the impersonal Brahman feature of Kṛṣṇa. Brahmeti. That is not full Kṛṣṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa's partial realization. Brahman realization means Kṛṣṇa's partial realization. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, brahmaṇo 'haṁ pratiṣṭhā: \"The Brahman, the all-pervading Brahman, impersonal Brahman, is situated in Me.\" That's a fact. That is also stated in the Brahma-saṁhitā:\nyasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi-\nkoṭiṣv aśeṣa-vasudhādi-vibhūti-bhinnam\ntad brahma niṣkalam anantam aśeṣa-bhūtaṁ\ngovindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi\n[Bs. 5.40]\nSo those who are practicing this bhakti-yoga, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, their first position is that they are attached to Kṛṣṇa. Mayy āsakta-manāḥ. Āsakti means attachment. We have got to increase our attachment for Kṛṣṇa. There is process, recommended process. If we adopt that process, then naturally we'll become Kṛṣṇa conscious, and gradually we shall understand what is Kṛṣṇa.\nMayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha yogaṁ yuñjan mad-āśrayaḥ. Mad-āśrayaḥ, I explained yesterday, taking shelter unto Him under different rasas or mellows, transcendental mellows. Accept Him as your master. Accept Him as the Supreme. Accept Him as your friend. Accept Him as your son. Accept Him as your lover. In whatever way.\nOf course, this eternal relationship is already there. With every living entity there is an eternal relationship with Kṛṣṇa. But we have forgotten that. That is our position. But if we practice this yoga, as Kṛṣṇa recommends, mayy āsakta-manāḥ... If we become attached, then our original relationship will be revealed. That is called svarūpa-siddhi. How we are..., how I am related with Kṛṣṇa, that will be revealed.\nI have got a relationship with Kṛṣṇa eternally. Now it is covered. So practice this yoga means reviving our original relationship with Kṛṣṇa. In the Caitanya-caritāmṛta it is said,\nnitya-siddha kṛṣṇa-prema 'sādhya' kabhu naya\nśravaṇādi-śuddha-citte karaye udaya\n[Cc. Madhya 22.107]\nIt is simply awakened. Not that artificially we are imposing some impression to the minds of our students that they are hankering after \"Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa.\" No. It is a process to remove all the dirty things from the heart. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam [Cc. Antya 20.12]. And as soon as the heart is cleansed of all dirty things, material contamination, then we can see what is our relationship with Kṛṣṇa.\nTherefore, Kṛṣṇa recommends that \"Somehow or other, you try to be attached to Me.\" And the Gosvāmīs also, Rūpa Gosvāmī recommends, yena tena prakāreṇa manaḥ kṛṣṇe niveśayet [Brs. 1.2.4]: \"Somehow or other, try to apply your mind in Kṛṣṇa.\" It is not very difficult. Here is Kṛṣṇa's form, arcā-mūrti. If you constantly see Kṛṣṇa's form, śyāmasundaram acintya-guṇa-svarūpam... Acintya-guṇa-svarūpam. Kṛṣṇa is acintya-guṇa-svarūpam; therefore He is nirguṇa.\nGenerally, guṇa means these material qualities: sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. But when we speak of nirguṇa, that means we transcend the guṇas of this material world. Guṇamayī mama māyā. We transcend the guṇas or qualities of māyā. That is called nirguṇa. But Kṛṣṇa is acintya-guṇa-svarūpam. Because Kṛṣṇa does not possess these material qualities, therefore it is acintya, inconceivable by us.\nBut He has that guṇa. He has guṇa. His guṇas are not material qualities. Just like even the leader of the impersonalist school, Śrīpāda Śaṅkarācārya, he said, nārāyaṇaḥ paraḥ avyaktāt. Nārāyaṇa is transcendental, para. Bhagavad-gītā also, paras tasmāt tu bhāvo 'nyaḥ [Bg. 8.20].\nSo there is another nature, spiritual nature, that is not created. Here in the material world, everything is created. Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate [Bg. 8.19]. Anything created in this material world, it has got a period, a date, historical date of creation. And again it is annihilated, again it is created. That is the nature of material world. But transcendental to this material sky, there is another sky, which is called paravyoma. That paravyoma is called, in English word, \"the kingdom of God.\" Of course, it is not perfectly expressed, but there is word, paravyoma, or Vaikuṇṭhaloka. That is Kṛṣṇa's dhāma.\nSo that is existing eternally. So therefore the creative feature of this material world and the spiritual world are different. They are not created. They are existing eternally. So we have to cultivate such knowledge that we can be..., we may be transferred to the spiritual world, because Kṛṣṇa belongs to the spiritual world, acintya-guṇa-svarūpam.\nSo in order to think of that acintya-guṇa-svarūpam, we have to undergo certain process. Certain process. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau [Brs. 1.2.234]. This process is sevonmukhe hi jihvādau. I cannot ask Kṛṣṇa that \"Please come before me. I shall see You.\" And even if He comes, I cannot see Him, because my eyes are not so prepared to see Him. Just like when Kṛṣṇa was present upon this planet, not that everyone understood Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead.\nMāyāśritānāṁ nara-dārakeṇa. Those who are under the influence of material energy, they thought Kṛṣṇa as ordinary person, nara-dārakeṇa. Kṛṣṇa also says, avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam [Bg. 9.11]. So we want to see Kṛṣṇa, but we have to make our eyes prepared to see Kṛṣṇa. Aprākṛta, transcendental platform. And that transcendental platform is recommended by Kṛṣṇa here in this first verse of Seventh Chapter: mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha.\nNow, how to become āsakta, attached to Kṛṣṇa? The first beginning is śravaṇam, to hear about Kṛṣṇa. Just like you are kindly present here and trying to hear about Kṛṣṇa. This is the process. This is the process. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam. Caitanya Mahāprabhu also reco... [break] ...process was first stated by Prahlāda Mahārāja. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, we get information:\nśravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ\nsmaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam\narcanaṁ vandanaṁ dāsyaṁ\nsakhyam ātma-nivedanam\n[SB 7.5.23]\nThis śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam, especially, is very essential for understanding Kṛṣṇa. Our this śravaṇa-kīrtana process, hearing and chanting, is helping us, recruiting members in Kṛṣṇa consciousness all over the world. It is practical.\nSo there is a formula, I have stated many times, that in order to increase our attachment, our dormant love for Kṛṣṇa... We should always remember that we have got dormant love for Kṛṣṇa, but it is now covered. We have to uncover it by cleansing the dirty things.\nThat is the method. So for that purpose, ādau śraddhā, that with some faith, with some conviction, you have come here. This is called śraddhā. \"Let us see what this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is going on.\" Out of curiosity or out of faith, somehow or other, with little faith you have come here. This is called śraddhā stage. Ādau śraddhā.\nThen if you increase your śraddhā... Suppose this function is going on. If this function continues and if you come continually, then gradually your attachment for Kṛṣṇa will increase. That's a fact. We have seen it in the Western countries. When I began this movement, I never said that \"Only such-and-such persons will be admitted.\" No. There was no such restriction.\nAnyone could enter in our meeting room. And they, simply they were given chance for hearing. So gradually, they developed, they awakened their Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and now you see how they are chanting and dancing in ecstasy. It is possible for everyone. It is possible for you also. That is mayy āsakta-manāḥ, always thinking of Kṛṣṇa. This is a particular type of yoga which is called bhakti-yoga.\nSo Caitanya Mahāprabhu also says the same thing. Because sādhu, śāstra, guru, they will say the same thing. And we have to make it confirmed in three ways. What we hear from the sādhus, we shall have to consult whether these things are spoken in the śāstra. And whether the statements of śāstras are confirmed by guru, by the direct spiritual master. Sādhu-guru-śāstra-vākya tinete kariyā aikya. A sādhu will speak nothing which is not stated in the śāstra. A guru will state nothing which is not stated in the śāstra.\nSo in this way Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that,\nei rūpe brahmāṇḍa bhramite kona bhāgyavān jīva\nguru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpāya pāya bhakti-latā-bīja\n[Cc. Madhya 19.151]\nThe śravaṇa-kīrtana is the beginning of Kṛṣṇa conscious life. One who is very fortunate, he's in meeting, he meets somebody who is a pure devotee and accepts him as his spiritual master. Therefore here it is stated..., it is stated, mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha yogaṁ yuñjan mad-āśrayaḥ. One has to take shelter of a bona fide spiritual master. Mayy āsakta... Mad-āśrayaḥ. \nŚrīla Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says, āśraya loiyā bhaje kṛṣṇa tāre nāhi tyaje āra saba more akaraṇa [Song 43—Vaiṣṇava-mahimā]. And he says that one who takes the shelter of a bona fide spriritual master—a spiritual master is always bona fide—and if he cultivates this Kṛṣṇa consciousness under the direction of a spiritual master, āśraya loiyā bhaje kṛṣṇa tāre nāhi tyaje, Kṛṣṇa does not reject him. Kṛṣṇa accepts him.\nŚrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura says, yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo yasyā prasādān na gatiḥ kuto 'pi **. That, Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura says, that \"If you can please your spiritual master, then Kṛṣṇa is automatically pleased. And if you cannot please your spiritual master, then there is no way to understand Kṛṣṇa.\"\nSo therefore Kṛṣṇa says particularly here, mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha yogaṁ yuñjan... We have to execute the Kṛṣṇa consciousness yoga system under the guidance of a bona fide spiritual master. Mad-āśrayaḥ. Then asaṁśaya, without any doubt; samagram, in fullness. In fullness means brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti [SB 1.2.11].\nKṛṣṇa is sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha [Bs. 5.1]. Brahman is sad-aṁśa, the part which is eternal; and Paramātmā is cid-aṁśa; and Bhagavān is ānanda-aṁśa. Bhagavān is full, sac-cid-ānanda. And we are all seeking after ānanda. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt [Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12]. The Vedānta says that a living entity, or Kṛṣṇa... Any living entity...\nKṛṣṇa is also the supreme living entity, and we are small living entities. So every one of us are seeking after ānanda, transcendental bliss. So when we join together, the living entities and the Supreme Lord, that becomes ānanda, rāsa-līlā. That is wanted. That we are seeking.\nBut we are seeking in a different way in the material world. That is not possible. Kṛṣṇa therefore says, mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha yogaṁ yuñjan mad-āśrayaḥ. Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī also, in his Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, he says, ādau gurvāśrayam. \"If one is interested in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or God consciousness, he must approach a spiritual master.\" Kṛṣṇa also says, mad-āśrayaḥ. Tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā [Bg. 4.34]. These are all Vedic injunctions. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet [MU 1.2.12].\nSo if we take this process... And the beginning of the process is hearing, śravaṇaṁ. Kīrtanam. When there is kīrtana there is śravaṇa. Unless there is kīrtana, where is the opportunity of hearing? So śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam. Or one who has heard very nicely, perfectly, he can chant also nicely, perfectly, or describe the glories of the Lord. Kīrtana does not mean that with musical sound we chant and dance.\nKīrtana means describing about the glories of the Lord, kīrtanam. Just like Mahārāja Parīkṣit and Śukadeva Goswāmī. Śukadeva Goswāmī was chanting. He was describing Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. And Mahārāja Parīkṣit was hearing. This is śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam. And śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam about whom? Viṣṇu, not others. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ. Harer nāma. The śāstra says, harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam [Cc. Ādi 17.21].\nOf course, Hari, or Kṛṣṇa, or Viṣṇu, has got many thousands of names. Any name will be profitable. That doesn't matter. But because we have to follow the footsteps of great personalities, great devotees, therefore, as we are following the footsteps of Lord Caitanya, He chanted the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare.\nSo by this chanting, immediately, as soon as the chanting is offenseless, immediately we shall remember Kṛṣṇa. Mayy āsakta-manāḥ. It is so easy. You chant. There is no expenditure; there is no loss. But the gain is very great. You can gradually become attached to Kṛṣṇa.\nSo if we chant and hear, śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam, this is the first stage of sādhu-saṅgaḥ. Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgaḥ [Cc. Madhya 23.14-15]. Or this can be taken as bhajana-kriyā. And as soon as it is perfectly done, this chanting process, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare, bhajana-kriyā, then anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt, all unwanted things are rejected. Anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt.\nJust like these boys and girls, Europeans and Americans, they had many anarthas. We have forbidden them. They have forsaken altogether. Take, for example, drinking of intoxicants. They were trained up for drinking from the childhood. They were trained up for meat-eating from childhood.\n[break] This is called anartha-nivṛtti. Nobody is dying without drinking. Nobody is dying without meat-eating. But we have made a habit of eating such things.\nSimilarly, we can give it up also. That is possible when there is right bhajana-kriyā. In this way, when anartha-nivṛtti is finished, perfect, then he becomes firmly stuck up in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Tato niṣṭhā tato ruciḥ. Then taste. The taste is so nice that one cannot give up Kṛṣṇa consciousness. One cannot give up chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa. It increases the transcendental taste. And after taste, there is āsakti.\nKṛṣṇa is speaking from that stage here. Mayy āsakta-manāḥ, āsakti, attachment. When there is attachment of Kṛṣṇa, that is the almost final stage of your perfectional life.\nmayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha\nyogaṁ yuñjan mad-āśrayaḥ\nasaṁśayaṁ samagraṁ māṁ\nyathā jñāsyasi [tac chṛṇu]\n[Bg. 7.1]\n\"You will understand Me. If you follow this principle, then,\" Kṛṣṇa says to Arjuna, or anyone follows this principle, then \"without any doubt one should understand Kṛṣṇa in fullness.\" Samagram.\nSo Kṛṣṇa is recommending, next,\njñānaṁ te 'haṁ sa-vijñānam\nidaṁ vakṣyāmy aśeṣataḥ\nyaj jñātvā neha bhūyo 'nyaj\njñātavyam avaśiṣyate\n[Bg. 7.2]\nThis devotional service, or the understanding of Kṛṣṇa, is jñānam. First of all, we have to understand. Kṛṣṇa will explain how Kṛṣṇa is present before you in different features. Just like originally He is present before us as impersonal Brahman, localized Paramātmā and personally also, Supreme Personality of Godhead. They are all the same. There is no difference, Brahman, Paramātmā and Bhagavān. There is no difference. The same thing, but it is realized under different angle of vision.\nThose who are trying to approach Kṛṣṇa by philosophical speculation, by theosophical understanding, they go up to the impersonal feature of Kṛṣṇa, brahma-jñāna. And those who are trying to understand Kṛṣṇa as the localized Supreme Soul within one's heart... Dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena manasā paśyanti yaṁ yoginaḥ [SB 12.13.1]. The yogīs, they are trying to find out Kṛṣṇa within his heart by meditation.\nSo these are the different features of Kṛṣṇa knowledge. Brahmeti bhagavān iti... Brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate [SB 1.2.11]. The Absolute Truth is one, but one who is trying to understand Him by the dint of his personal knowledge, he approaches up to impersonal Brahman; one who is trying to understand Him as the localized Paramātmā feature, by the yogīs, He is known to them as Paramātmā, or Antaryāmī; but those who are in direct contact with Kṛṣṇa, they are realizing as the most lovable object, the most beautiful personality, most opulent personality, Kṛṣṇa. But the object is the same.\nThe example is generally given: just like the sunshine, the sun globe and the sun-god. The sunshine is all-pervading, all over the universe, and the sun globe is localized. But within the sun globe there is a person who is called Sūrya-nārāyaṇa, or the sun-god. These are facts. Don't think that there is no living entity in the sun planet. There is. Their body is fiery body. That's all. Just like our body in this planet is earthly body, their body is fiery. Out of the five elements, the fire element is very prominent in the sun planet. But there are living entities.\nOtherwise, how Kṛṣṇa says, imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam [Bg. 4.1]: \"First of all, I said this philosophy of Kṛṣṇa consciousness to the sun-god\"? If there is no living entity, how Kṛṣṇa says there is a sun-god? And if we are to believe Kṛṣṇa and the Bhagavad-gītā, we have to accept it that the sun globe is not without living entities. It is also the same, just like we have got hundreds and thousands, millions of living entities here.\nSo in this way, we have to acquire the knowledge of Kṛṣṇa. That is brahma-jñāna, paramātma-jñāna and bhagavat-tattva-jñāna. And when we realize... Not only hear theoretically, jñānam... That is... Theoretical knowledge is jñānam. But sa-vijñānam, when we actually perceive, when we actually understand what is the position of Brahman, what is the position of Paramātmā and what is the position of the Personality of Godhead, that is called vijñānam. Jñānaṁ sa-vijñānam. Jñānaṁ te 'haṁ sa-vijñānam idaṁ vakṣyāmy aśeṣataḥ [Bg. 7.2]. Aśeṣataḥ, descriptive, not summarized.\nSo yaj jñātvā, \"If you can understand this knowledge, then,\" yad jñātvā na iha bhūyaḥ anyaj jñātavyam avaśiṣyate, \"then you will finish your all knowledge.\" Yasmin vijñāte sarvam idaṁ vijñātaṁ bhavati [Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad 1.3]. The Vedic injunction is that. If you understand Kṛṣṇa, then all knowledge becomes revealed to you. Yasmin vijñāte sarvam idaṁ vijñātaṁ bhavati. That is stated here. Yaj jñātvā neha bhūyaḥ anyaj jñātavyam avaśiṣyate.\nThen it is very nice to understand Kṛṣṇa. If by understanding Kṛṣṇa... One may say, \"Oh, I have understood Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa was born at Mathurā as the son of Vasudeva and Devakī, and then He went to Vṛndāvana. And He became a friend of the cowherd girls or the boys, and He was playing there. So I have understood Kṛṣṇa.\" Anyone can say like that. But Kṛṣṇa says that \"I am not so easily understood.\" Kṛṣṇa says that it is not so easy.\nTherefore those who try to understand Kṛṣṇa very easily, they are sahajiyās. And if one understands Kṛṣṇa very easily, then he derides at Him. Just like generally, people remark against Kṛṣṇa, \"Oh, He was so, I mean to say, characterless, that He, I mean to say, mixing with the cowherd girls. So many. He married 16,000 wives.\" In this way, there are so many remarks, as if they have understood Kṛṣṇa.\nBut Kṛṣṇa says that \"I am not so easily understood.\" Of course, if anyone understands Kṛṣṇa, then his life becomes successful. Janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ [Bg. 4.9]. Anyone who understands Kṛṣṇa, then he becomes immediately a liberated person. Janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ. But one must understand in truth what is Kṛṣṇa. Tattvataḥ.\nSo anyone who understands Kṛṣṇa in truth... What becomes? Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti [Bg. 4.9]: then such person, after quitting this material body, he never comes back again in this material world. Punar janma. Here in this material world, the trouble is that we have to accept one type of body and again give it up and again accept another type of body, bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate [Bg. 8.19]. \nYāvaj jananaṁ tāvan maraṇam. This business is very troublesome. We do not understand. We forget. Under the influence of māyā, we forget what is the trouble of taking birth, what is the trouble of death, what is the trouble of old age and what is the trouble of disease.\nTherefore Kṛṣṇa says that \"Anyone who can understand Me, about Me.\" Not \"about Me,\" but \"about Me.\" We can understand Kṛṣṇa by His activities, something about Him. Otherwise, He has immense potencies. It is impossible for us to understand. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate [Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 6.8, Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport]. There is unlimited energies of Kṛṣṇa; therefore He is called acintya-śakti. Acintya-guṇa. \nAcintya-śakti, \"which is inconceivable.\" But anyone, if he somehow or other, according to his capacity, tries to understand in truth, then he becomes immediately liberated so that after quitting this body, he doesn't have to come again in this material world. Then where does he go? Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti [Bg. 4.9]: \"He comes to Me.\"\nTherefore Kṛṣṇa knowledge is so perfect. And if we take the real process, śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam [SB 7.5.23], the devotional service... Because Kṛṣṇa says, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ [Bg. 18.55]. Here... In the Fourth Chapter, He says that yo jānāti māṁ tattvataḥ. Now here, in the Seventh Chapter also, Kṛṣṇa says again: tattvataḥ. The tattvataḥ word is very much used about understanding Kṛṣṇa. Not superficially, but in truth one has to understand.\nBut that is very difficult. That Kṛṣṇa says here: manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye [Bg. 7.3]. This is the business of this human form of life, to... This is a chance to make our life successful, siddhaye. Siddhaye means to become successful. And what is that success? That success...\nTyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti [Bg. 4.9], that is success. Not that I earn millions of dollars and amass in the bank, and I think I am successful, but I do not know what is my next life, where will be my..., this amassing of bank balance, my skyscraper building. I will have to accept another body, unwilling, although I have created that body.\nPrakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ [Bg. 3.27]: as I have associated with the three guṇas. Ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthāḥ. If I associated with the sattva-guṇa, then I will be promoted to the higher planetary systems. Ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthā madhye tiṣṭhanti rājasāḥ [Bg. 14.18].\nIf I have associated with rajo-guṇa, then I shall remain in this planet, middle planetary system. And jaghanya-guṇa-vṛtti-sthā adho gacchanti tāmasāḥ: and if we have associated with the tamo-guṇa, the quality of darkness, ignorance, then I will be gliding down to the animal life.\nThese things are stated. We have to understand through śāstra. We cannot see our past, present and future, but if we see through the śāstras... Śāstra-cakṣusā: \"You should try to see from the śāstra.\" Actually, we understand everything through śāstra, not directly. Just like we understand in modern science from the newspaper that somebody is trying to go to the moon planet. I do not go personally to the moon planet, but I accept the newspaper.\nSimilarly, we have to accept śāstra,Śruti-jñānam. Śruti means hearing from authorities. That is real knowledge. Śrotra-panthā. It is called śrotra-panthā.\nSo how we can understand Kṛṣṇa, how we can fulfill our mission of life, how we can become liberated, all these things are stated in this Bhagavad-gītā. And if you try to understand as Kṛṣṇa is speaking or try to understand Bhagavad-gītā as it is, without any malinterpretation, then your life is successful.\nThank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa. [applause] [end]",
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https://vedabase.io/en/library/transcripts/710718r1-detroit/
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"content": "\n ...quite, came four weeks ago, and I received the response from you. I think I had the letter with me, and you indicated that you would like to meet me and give me some hint, a suggestion for my thesis writing. So here I am first to introduce myself to you and hope to learn some more about the objective of the movement. And maybe I could put in the thesis, and to be...",
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"content": "\n We require help from personalities like you, because it is very important movement, checking a great mistake in the modern civilization.\nThe [break] modern civilization is very risky. Risky in this sense: that the human form of life is an opportunity for self-realization, but our leaders, they are miseducating, that \"You are this body.'' A basic mistake. But I am not this body, but just like you are sitting there, if I take account of your shirt and coat only, not you as a person, then there is a great mistake.\nSimilarly, the modern civilization, education, everything is based on this bodily concept of life. But actually we are not body. Body is my shirt and coat. Mind, intelligence and ego, that is the shirt, finer dress. And this five-element body—earth, water, air, fire, ether—this is gross. Just like shirt and coat. Similarly, we are dressed, the spirit soul. The spirit soul is also a measure, one ten-thousandth part of the tip of the hair.\nSo this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is very important in this sense, that they are trying to bring people to the constitutional position. A living entity is transmigrating from one body to another, as we are in our present body also, we are transmigrating. In my childhood I had a small body. That body is no longer existing, but I am existing. So there is no reason to believe that when I give up this body I'll not exist. No. I shall exist, but in another body.\nSo people are not interested to make research work how the soul is working and so on. This is ignorance. So Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is trying to revive the pure consciousness of the human society so that he can know himself and act accordingly. Then his life is successful.",
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"content": "\n May I ask you, my master, how did this movement formed, came to the Western world? [loud sound of mṛdaṅgas]",
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"content": "\n [indistinct] Your question is how this movement...?",
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"content": "\n Yes, how this movement was formed when you came here. You are the father of this movement. How this idea was created in the beginning? Because everybody asks me this question, how this movement...?",
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"content": "\n The movement of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is very firm. [makes comment about other room; loud sounds of kīrtana and fire yajña] Bhagavad-gītā was there, so Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement was there. India, it was existing. Unfortunately, some of the less intelligent svāmīs and philosophers, they could not understand what is Kṛṣṇa, and they misinterpreted the Bhagavad-gītā. Therefore people could not understand. In spite of reading Bhagavad-gītā all the world over, they were not aware what is Kṛṣṇa, although Bhagavad-gītā is Kṛṣṇa understanding. You have read Bhagavad-gītā?",
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"content": "\n Oh, yes, all of it. From beginning to end.",
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"content": "\n So it is the book to understand Kṛṣṇa, but these people, unscrupulous people, even great scholars, they tried to explain something on the..., taking advantage of the popularity of Bhagavad-gītā. Instead of understanding Kṛṣṇa, they wanted to present something of their concoction through the Bhagavad-gītā.\nSo this movement was already there since five thousand years. But these, I may say, the foolish scholars, they suppressed it. Caitanya Mahāprabhu revived it. Five hundred years ago he revived it. So from Caitanya Mahāprabhu's time we are trying to revive this movement in different way. Different way.\nAnd about two hundred years ago, hundred and fifty years ago, Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura revived it, and then about fifty years ago, my Guru Mahārāja, he revived it, and he also ordered me that \"You go and preach this philosophy to the Western world.'' So under his order I came, and I presented Bhagavad-gītā As It Is, as you have read.",
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"content": "\n Yes, yes.",
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"content": "\n So the acceptance has been very marvelous, because the things are presented in pure form, so it has acted very nice. Otherwise, it is not a movement that I have manufactured something. No. The movement was already there. I am simply presenting as it is. That is my service. That's all.",
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"content": "\n My master, what's your opinion on the Ramakrishna Mission? There are Ramakrishna Mission in Chicago.",
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"content": "\n Ramakrishna Mission, if I say it frankly, they distorted the Bhagavad-gītā to the greatest extent. Yes. Because they presented somebody as Rāma-Kṛṣṇa, as God. Ramakrishna said that \"I am the same Kṛṣṇa, I am the same Rāma,'' and they accepted it. But one thing is, anybody can say that \"I am the same Rāma, I am the same Kṛṣṇa.'' First of all we have to see the proof. So many..., there are many ways of..., to understand. So Ramakrishna Mission is pushing on this, I mean to say, wrong idea.\nBut another thing is that supposing this Ramakrishna is the same Kṛṣṇa, then the philosophy is different. Ramakrishna's philosophy and Bhagavad-gītā's philosophy is different, because Ramakrishna says that you can accept any method; every method is all right. But Kṛṣṇa says only unto Him, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇam [Bg. 18.66]. \"Give up everything. Simply surrender unto Me.'' Now Kṛṣṇa says one: \"Simply surrender unto Me,'' and Ramakrishna says that you can accept any way. So which one we shall accept? Kṛṣṇa's or Ramakrishna's? What is your opinion? If something is spoken by Kṛṣṇa and something is spoken by Ramakrishna, so which one we shall prefer to accept?",
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"content": "\n Kṛṣṇa.",
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"content": "\n That's the answer. Therefore Ramakrishna Mission is misguiding.",
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"content": "\n There is another question many people like to know about. They visit the temples in Chicago and many temples all over the United States. They are fascinated in the ritual things, the ara..., during the offering food to the Deities, and especially this initiation service. I would like to record the meaning of these ritual things, because it's very important to explain in great detail about it.",
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"content": "\n Yes. This is, this is essential for advancing in spiritual consciousness. Just like kindergarten system, the children are given some wooden, I mean, some plans to form A, B and C like that, [indistinct]. So this not like..., exactly like the [indistinct] system. This system is introduced by great ācāryas, authorities. So we have to follow. In the beginning we have no love for Kṛṣṇa, so this process will help how to invoke his love for Kṛṣṇa. This is standard process.",
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"content": "\n This is the basic philosophy of the ritual.",
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"content": "\n Yes. And they are introduced by great ācāryas. You'll find, if you go in India, there are many thousands of temples, the same things are being followed from, shall we say, thousands and thousands of years—not only since the time of Kṛṣṇa; before the time of Kṛṣṇa. This is called arcana-vidhi, the regulative principle for worshiping the Lord. Therefore..., so they have to be... Pañca..., this is called Pañcarātrika-vidhi, the regulative principle on the authority of Nārada Pañcarātra. So they must be followed. Otherwise one cannot be purified. This is purificatory process.",
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"content": "\n Would you please mention something about the meaning of the ritual of the initiation. They put their hand in the oil and the burning of the fire, for example.",
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"content": "\n They are not putting their hand on the oil. It is called yajña, offering ghee to the fire. This is Vedic. This is Vedic rituals, to offer clarified butter and grains in the fire. Fire is supposed to be the mouth of God. So we are offering eatables to the Supreme Person, rūpa.",
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"content": "\n What is the goal of this movement for the future? Is there any program set for the future?",
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"content": "\n Because it is genuine movement, it will make progress, provided it is presented in pure form. It was not presented before me in pure form, at least in the Western countries. Therefore people could not take it, nor they could understand it. Now it is being placed in pure form in the right way of paramparā system, as the ācāryas introduced, and actually it is happening. It is..., they are taking. Wherever they are going, people are very much anxious to take this movement, as if they are waiting. Anywhere we go, even we have sent men to [indistinct].\n[aside:] What town? [indistinct]",
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"content": "\n In Russia?",
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"content": "\nYes. So this method is very effective, and people are accepting, any part of the world, without any discrimination. Here mostly you see our students are from the Christian group, the Jewish group; there are many students from Muhammadan group, from Parsi group. Everyone is taking.",
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"content": "\n Now, this movement must have structure. Will you please tell us about the structure of the movement from the hierarchy on the top, and all the way down.",
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"content": "\n Yes, it is..., this movement is started from Kṛṣṇa.",
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"content": "\n Yes.",
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"content": "\n Then, from Kṛṣṇa, Nārada. From Nārada, Vyāsadeva. From Vyāsadeva to Madhvācārya, from Madhvācārya to Īsvara Puri, Mādhavendra Puri, then Caitanya Mahāprabhu, then His disciples, the six Goswāmīs, then Kṛṣṇa dāsa Kavirāja, then Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa. So we are taking account very rigidly from Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and I am the tenth generation from Caitanya Mahāprabhu.",
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"content": "\n Yeah, the tenth. After you, is it..., any decision has been made who will take over?",
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"content": "\n Yes. All of them will take. These students who are initiated from me, all of them will act as I am doing. Just like I have got many Godbrothers, they are all acting. Similarly, all these disciples which I am making, initiating, they are being trained to become future spiritual masters.",
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"content": "\n How many svāmīs do you initiated, American? I'm speaking just on the American...",
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"content": "\n About ten.",
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"content": "\n You have ten svāmīs. And outside of svāmīs, what's the lower...",
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"content": "\n Now, they're competent. They can..., not only the svāmīs, even the gṛhasthas, they are called dāsa adhikārī, and brahmacārīs, everyone can, whoever is initiated, he is competent to make disciple. But as a matter of etiquette they do not do so in the presence of their spiritual master. This is the etiquette. Otherwise, they are competent.\nThey can make disciples and spread. Become, too whom, I mean, recruit more members in this. They do, but they are being trained up. Just like here in this meeting, one of my disciples, he is acting as priest. Instead of myself; he is acting. So some of my students, they are acting as priest, some of them are svāmīs. So they are competent to make disciples.",
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"content": "\n Do you have any hope in the future that you..., your movement will involve printing a lot of books, making..., building schools for your children, for...?",
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"content": "\n Yes. We have got already many books. You have not seen?",
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"content": "\n Oh, yes. I have almost all of your printed, but I'm trying to prepare... Ramakrishna, they have big library and bookstore, and this is where goes most of their income. I was wondering... And many..., they have so many scholars for this movement because they are for a variety of religions. And one argument I always receive from some teacher, they say this movement insists on the chanting, and they are not trying to open all the other doors for other religion. And I have no answer to them.",
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"content": "\n What is that?",
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"content": "\n They tell me that..., the Ramakrishna Mission, they offer all kinds variety of books about every religion.",
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"content": "\n We have got varieties of books.",
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"content": "\n Yes.",
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"content": "\n We have got at least twelve books, four hundred pages, different ways we are presenting. But our main aim is, end is, Kṛṣṇa, to understand Kṛṣṇa through different philosophical thoughts. We have presented, I think. You have not...? You say you say you have seen all these books.",
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"content": "\n Yes.",
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"content": "\n We have got Kṛṣṇa, Teachings of Lord Caitanya, Nectar of Devotion, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Easy Journey to Other Planets, Kṛṣṇa Consciousness is the Topmost Yoga System. In this way we have presented so many.",
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"content": "\n How about the meaning of the chanting. You are..., you insist on chanting.",
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"content": "\n Chanting is to make the process very easy. Because in this age people are unfortunate, short-living, and they are attracted in false things, they are very slow, they do not take it very seriously. Therefore chanting is a common platform. Anyone can chant. Anyone, even the child can chant, the old man can chant, the fool can chant, the intelligent can chant, the rich can chant, the poor can chant. So the chanting is the common; therefore it is becoming successful.\nAnd chanting means, Kṛṣṇa being absolute, Kṛṣṇa's name and Kṛṣṇa there is no difference. Absolute means there is no duality. As in this dual world there is difference between the name and the substance, in the absolute world there is no difference between the name and the substance. Both of them are the same. So therefore chanting of Kṛṣṇa name means associating with Kṛṣṇa directly.\nAnd because we are associating with Kṛṣṇa directly, they're quickly becoming purified. Just like if you touch a metal rod with the fire, it becomes warm, and then it acquires the quality of the fire. The metal rod, you can touch anywhere, it will burn, although it is metal rod. But because it acquired the quality of the fire, it can burn; it can act as fire. Similarly, if we constantly associate with Kṛṣṇa, then we acquire the spiritual quality. Then we can act as spiritual very quickly. This is the point.",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n My master, many people are interested to know something about you, and I found just not enough to know about you, and I could write volumes about your life. Could you expand about your life?",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\n Well, a sannyāsī should not be inquired about his life. What he's acting, that's all. But I was formerly gṛhastha, householder, that's all. My life is described in short in the Īśopaniṣad, so you can see it from there.",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n Could you recall the beginning of your first trip to USA and how you spread the message? I was told that you came here with six dollars, and then...",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\n Yes. Because our government, India government, would not allow to take money to go outside. So somehow or other I got the P-form sanction, and one big shipping company, they allowed me free passage. So I came here with great difficulty. Of course I was very comfortably situated on the sea, but still, because I am not accustomed, I got sea-sickness. So the travel was very miserable. Still I came.\nThen for one year, I was going here and there, there was no fixed-up position, and then in 19..., I came here in 1965, September, then 1966, July, I incorporated the Society and started my preaching in a storefront, and..., Second Avenue.\nAnd then gradually the students came and it developed, one branch after another. Now we have got sixty branches, and our expenditure is very heavy. According to Indian calculation it is about 700,000's of rupees. We are paying heavy rent. We have got in each center not less than twenty-five devotees, up to hundred, hundred and fifty. So it is going on by Kṛṣṇa's grace.",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n Now what do you expect from your disciple, basic thing?",
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"content": "\n They will also preach, just as I am preaching.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\nI see.",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\nThey'll preach the same thing. As I am preaching according to my spiritual master's instruction, similarly they will preach according to my instruction.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n What if someone deviated from your teaching?",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\n There is no loss. This was..., I was explaining. Because this, it is spiritual science. Anything spiritual, that is eternal. It is never, I mean to say, lost, never destroyed. So whatever they have learned, that is basic for further learning.\nSuppose they cannot finish the total process, program, then they will get a chance, another chance to begin in the human form. So practically there is no loss. As ordinary beings, whatever they are creating in this life, after giving up this body everything is lost. But this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, even it is not completed, whatever they have learned, that will go with them, because it is spiritual; it will not be destroyed.\nBut they're being trained up to finish the course and program within this life, not to wait for the next life. That is our goal. They have got the regulative principles, that \"You must follow this, that no illicit sex life, no intoxication, no meat-eating, no gambling, and chanting in a prescribed method Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, taking only Kṛṣṇa prasādam, and be twenty-four-hours...\"\nYou'll find, whenever you'll come to our temple, you'll find they're busy with something. Similarly, we are simply busy with Kṛṣṇa business. We try to remember Kṛṣṇa twenty-four hours. That is our method.\nSo this method of religious prescription I think you'll not find. At least in the Western world you won't find. Twenty-four hours they're engaged. Twenty-four hours.",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n Serving the Lord Kṛṣṇa.",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n Yes.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n May I ask you about, for example, we have Bahulāśva. He's married, he has two children, twins. Now, how is the future as you foresee it, from now until his...?",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n Our everyone's future is Kṛṣṇa. You believe in Kṛṣṇa, and nobody of our group has got any need, because we believe in Kṛṣṇa, and Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā that \"Those who are engaged in my service, I personally attend to their needs,'' yoga-kṣemaṁ vahāmy aham [Bg. 9.22].\nPerhaps you know this. Those who are engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service, Kṛṣṇa is supplying the necessities of everyone, because Kṛṣṇa is God. So God is supplying the necessities of everyone. That is one thing. But He takes special interest for those who are devotees, pure devotees. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā:\nsamo 'ham sarva-bhūteṣu\nna me dveṣyo 'sti na priyaḥ\nye tu māṁ bhajanti prītyā\nteṣu te mayi\n[Bg. 9.29]\n\"I am equal to everyone. Nobody is My enemy; nobody is My friend. But anyone who is engaged in My service with love and devotion, I am especially attached to them.''\nSo Kṛṣṇa is feeding even cats and dogs, and why He shall not feed us, we are engaged in His service? Why? [Mohsin laughs] It is simply a question of understanding. One should know that Kṛṣṇa is feeding the elephant, Kṛṣṇa is feeding the ant. So there are 8,400,000 species of living entities. So if one who has completely forgotten Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa is feeding them, then why not we? We have no other business than Kṛṣṇa.\nSo it is a question of confidence and surrender. But actually we have no problem. So far our children are going, these boys, they are taking prasādam, we are taking prasādam, we are traveling all over the world, spending, as I told you, about 700,000's of rupees per month, but we have no source of income fixed. We have no business. Nobody goes to the factory, nobody goes to work, but still we are maintaining our establishment.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n And this is a..., simply a real miracle. Yes.\n Śrīla Prabhupāda, it's getting late.",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n Huh?",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n It's getting late, Śrīla Prabhupāda.",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n So I am [indistinct].",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n Will you accept a comment about, final thing, what do you suggest for me to put my energy on, and present beautiful picture, nicely...",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\n Yes, so you try to understand the whole philosophy nicely, then you'll paint the picture all right. Unless you understand very nicely.... So not only one sitting. You have to question, and I shall answer. You have to learn this philosophy. But one thing is that unless one is submissive to Kṛṣṇa consciousness and he follows the Vaiṣṇava principles, it is a little difficult to understand.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n I thank you very much for this wonderful interview. I hope I'll give you a copy of what you said as soon as I type it down, and I shall keep in contact with you in the future.",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\nYou are welcome",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\nThere are many, many teacher of DePaul University—I am of DePaul University—interested to meet you, and this just to invite you in the future for some lecture.",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\n So you try to understand our philosophy from any angle of vision and we shall be able to answer. There will be no difficulty. Because we are taking our lessons from Kṛṣṇa. So there is no difficulty to answer any opposite element.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n Thank you again. Hare Kṛṣṇa. [break]",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n ...First Canto Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Second Canto Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Third, Fourth, Fifth. These five big, big books, not less than thousand pages each, and Bhagavad-gītā As It Is, eleven hundred pages. So..., and each book will cost us twenty thousand, twenty-five thousand. So any amount of money will come we can engage in printing books.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n Yeah. It seems to me this is the biggest problem, the cost of operations.",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n Never mind. Kṛṣṇa is giving. You have seen our publication?",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n No. I have seen the books. I have most of them.",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n Small Bhāgavata, chapterwise it is publishing. It is very scholarly. [aside:] Bring some chapters of Bhāgavatam.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n Yes. Prabhupāda, he has almost all of them.",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n You have got the chapterwise Bhāgavatam?",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n Those little tiny ones, Śrīla Prabhupāda? The soft-covered ones?",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n Yes. Yes.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n Like The Lord in the Heart? He has them.",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n He has got. There you will see how it is scholarly written.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n Oh, yes. Wonderful.",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n So we are publishing all our books in a scholarly way so that professors, teachers, philosophers, they..., they can read it. And it is very easily done. Word-to-word, Sanskrit word, English, and diacritic marks. So we are working very hard. So if it is introduced among the scholarly sections, professors, teachers, it will be very beneficial to the human society.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n Do you do your printing in Japan and America?",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n Yes, yes. I am... Whenever I travel, I travel all over, around the world.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n I want to ask... Just a few more minutes. You went to Russia. What's your impression?",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n Yes, Russia is the same people. They are anxious to receive this movement. Very much anxious.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n And are you intent to [indistinct] over there?",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n Yes.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n I see.",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n But their government is very strict. Government is very strict. So unless we get permission from the government... Because they have no culture in literature. They're simply reading this Lenin book. So one professor, a Dr. Kotovsky, he told me that Indian Rāmāyaṇa, Tulsi dasa's Rāmāyaṇa—that's not very good philosophy—still, it was translated into Russian language, and within a week, all the books are sold. Just see. So they are hankering after this cultural book. Unfortunately, we have no means now; otherwise there is immense, good field for Kṛṣṇa consciousness in Russia.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n You are the founder of this movement. You are the founder.",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n Yes.",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n Is it the same you found in all over the world, everybody speak the language, English-speaking language, you went and you did the same thing; you went up there, chant, and with the miracle of Lord Kṛṣṇa you received your devotees...",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n Yes.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n ...and disciple?",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n The same process. We follow the same process, anywhere. It doesn't matter whether it is America or Russia or Europe. It doesn't matter. Japan. The same process.",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n So you are intent to serve the Lord Kṛṣṇa in the same method for ever.",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n Yes, because I am ordered by my spiritual master in that way. So I am trying my best. That's all.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n How old are you?",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n I?",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n Yes.",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n I am now seventy-six.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n Seventy-six. Do you have any children, family?",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n Oh, yes.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n How many?",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n I have got great-grandchildren.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n You have two sons?",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n I have two sons. I have three sons..., two sons, two daughters.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n They were, I was told, associated with Gandhi. What's your relation with Mahatma Gandhi?",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\n Gandhi... In my young age I was Nationalist, so I followed Gandhi. I was interested. Later on, when I met my spiritual master, I became disinterested with this temporary, ephemeral things, you see. So this is permanent. Kṛṣṇa consciousness is permanent.\nIt is very long subject matter. We are simply dreaming. All these activities are just like at night you dream, but they are all false. Whatever you dream at night, they're not facts; they're false. Similarly, these are also daydream, these activities. Daydream. They're also false. The only thing what we can actually take benefit out of it is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That's a fact. It will take some time. [end]",
"role": "assistant"
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] |
https://vedabase.io/en/library/transcripts/711210sb-delhi/
|
[
{
"content": "\n\n...sva-dhīḥ kalatrādiṣu bhauma-ijyadhīḥ\nyat-tīrtha-buddhiḥ salile na karhicij\njaneṣv abhijñeṣu sa eva go-kharaḥ\n[SB 10.84.13]\nSo the world is under the bodily concept of life, so they are thinking that \"We are Americans,'' \"Indians.'' This is the disease. So they are described as animals, go-kharaḥ. Go means cow; kharaḥ means ass.\nSo this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to save them from this animal consciousness. Kṛṣṇa consciousness means real consciousness, and without Kṛṣṇa consciousness, just animals. Therefore that Prahlāda Maharaja says,\nsukham aindriyakaṁ daityā\ndeha-yogena dehinām\nsarvatra labhyate daivād\nyathā duḥkham ayatnataḥ\n[SB 7.6.3]\nDehātma-buddhi. So long we are under the concept of this body, that \"I am this body,'' his business is sense gratification, because this body means senses. We have got varieties of senses. So bodily concept of life means the senses are dominant. Therefore, beginning from the animals up to the human being, under the bodily concept of life they're busy simply for sense gratification. Nature is giving chance, \"All right.'' Because everyone who has come to this material world, that is for sense gratification. Those who deny to satisfy Kṛṣṇa, they are sent here, \"All right, you satisfy your sense by your labor here.''\nKṛṣṇa can satisfy His senses without any labor, but we have to satisfy our senses by dint of our labor. Not easily. You cannot become a millionaire so easily, or he cannot be a citizen in the heavenly planet so easily. That is our experience. So if some man from a poor family become..., wants to become a citizen of America, a rich man, it is not so easy. You have to undergo through so many things to get the citizenship.\nThere are so many, that your country, yes, they have got big immigration department simply to consider this application of different countries for citizenship, or to immigrate. I have seen, in Montreal, people applying for citizenship or immigration, big line, very big line, and a similar immigration department in Canada, there is no problem. So people very much anxious to become citizens or immigrate in America, because it is rich country.\nSo as there is restriction here in this place, in this planet, that you cannot enter any other country... If you think their country is very nice, actually, in comparison to other countries, there are so many facilities in America. At least, one can earn money like anything. So people are inclined to become citizen. But that is not easy, even within this planet. So how you will easily enter moon planet and other heavenly planets without being competent? It is not possible.\nSo we are called conditioned soul because we are conditioned according to this body. Deha-yogena dehinām. The..., according to karma, the certain privileges or disadvantages, what you are destined to receive, that is already a fact according to your birth. Just like somebody's suffering from asthma, so he has got a body from a father and mother, and from the very beginning there is asthma. That body is the symptom, or the result, of his past karma. Therefore the material advantages or disadvantages are already settled up according to his body.\nSo those who are sane man, they are confident that \"Kṛṣṇa has given me this body according to my past karma, so let me not improve. Let me not waste my time for improving the advantages and disadvantages of this material world.'' But you cannot do it. The body is already there, according to your karma. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa [SB 3.31.1]. It is already given to you. So people should be satisfied. Just like when I got the body of an ass, you can [indistinct]. And the advantage and dis-advantage, that ass is meant for becoming a beast of burden. He has to do that. Similarly, there is a body, the hog, he has to eat stool.\nSo we should know it, that either we are born in such a country, such society, the body is there, and I can get my happiness and distress according to this body. This is subtle fact. But they do not know. They're simply trying to..., unnecessary wasting time for bodily comforts. \"Oh, you are so comfortable. Let me try.'' Huh? \"I shall try also.'' So Prahlāda Maharaja says, \"No, don't waste your time in that way. Your time is very valuable.''\nSo that was Vedic civilization. Brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, everyone is expert, but everyone is engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kṛṣṇa consciousness, there is no bodily barrier. No. \"Because I have got a particular type of body, therefore Kṛṣṇa consciousness is forbidden for me,'' no, that is not. In any body, any circumstances, you can cultivate Kṛṣṇa consciousness.\nBut not materially. But people, they do not know. They think that \"Kṛṣṇa consciousness, there is no need, but let me improve my bodily comfort.'' This is called illusion. Just try to understand. He cannot improve, even by an inch, the burden, but still... But you can improve, or you can purify, your consciousness. That is open to all, irrespective of bodily [indistinct].\nAnd that is actually happening. You have got a different body from before [indistinct]. But everyone, you, taking to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, Kṛṣṇa says, \"It doesn't matter what kind of body you have got—low-born or high-born or this born or that born. I have no such conception. If you want Me, you can get Me.\" Te 'pi yānti parāṁ gatim. Mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ [Bg. 15.7]: \"You are all My parts and parcels. Every one of you are equally important to Me.''\nSimilarly, a devotee of Kṛṣṇa also sees. He does not see the outward cover. He sees that \"Every living entity is part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. So he is now forgetful of his real position. So let us help him that he may come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness and become successful.'' This is our position. There is no question of bodily barrier. Ahaituky apratihatā [SB 1.2.6]. Bhakti line is so nice that there is no cause and effect.\nCause and effect is for this body. Karmaṇā, by my previous activity, I get a certain type, particular type of body, cause and effect. That is not applicable in devotional service. Ahaituky apratihatā. \"Because I am high-born, I will have Kṛṣṇa consciousness,'' no. Or \"Because I am low-born, I cannot have Kṛṣṇa consciousness,'' that is not. Ahaituky. There is no such cause and effect. Apratihatā. Apratihatā means without any barrier. Everyone. Never mind.\nThe body is not barrier, we should always remember. Bodily concept of life is the consciousness of the animals, and spiritual concept of life is the consciousness of the perfect being. I am servant, eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa. This we should know. We should not try for bodily program. We should simply try to improve our Kṛṣṇa consciousness, how we can better serve Kṛṣṇa.\nThat is our business. Bodily comforts, this comfort, that is already settled up with this body. But we should also know that anyone who is Kṛṣṇa conscious, if he has got any slight desire for bodily comfort, he'll get that. He'll get that. But without Kṛṣṇa consciousness, if he tries, that is not possible.\nIf I have got slight desire for my material improvement, Kṛṣṇa will satisfy you, if you take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That means you are double way benefited: you get Kṛṣṇa consciousness as well as your desire for material benefit. That is also there. But without Kṛṣṇa consciousness, if you want to improve your material condition, that is not possible. Deha-yogena de... You may become rich, that's all right, but comfort does not depend on your richness. If you're not Kṛṣṇa conscious, it does not mean because you have got some money by struggling very hard you'll get.\nThere are so many rich men you'll find, they are not comfortable. I have heard from our students, their parents, just like Śyāmasundara was telling, his father is taking... What is that pill?\nŚyāmasundara\n:\n Sleeping tablets.\nPrabhupāda: Sleeping tablets. He cannot sleep. Similarly, Brahmānanda was telling about his father. So if we can earn money, you can make a good bank balance, that does not mean that you will get bodily comfort. That is not. That is already fixed up, according to your karma. So don't waste your time for improving bodily comforts. Simply try to improve how you'll become more and more Kṛṣṇa conscious, how you will serve Kṛṣṇa more and more, very nicely. That should be all. Tasyaiva hetoḥ prayateta kovido [SB 1.5.18]. For that purpose our life should be engaged, not for so-called bodily comfort. That is already fixed-up.\nSo any questions?",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n You said that if you have some material desire and you take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, you get double benefit—that the material desire is fulfilled and also you get Kṛṣṇa consciousness.",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n Yes.",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n But if you have that material desire, does that slow up your advancement?",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\n By Kṛṣṇa consciousness it will vanish. But Kṛṣṇa is so kind, because you desire, He'll give you. He'll give you. Kṛṣṇa is so kind that \"Oh, you wanted this? All right, you take!'' That is the benefit of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. You get both the things. You reject, \"No, I asked for...'' That is real pure devotion. \"For this paltry happiness I requested Kṛṣṇa. What a fool I was.'' But Kṛṣṇa will give you, because you desire.\nTherefore Dhruva Maharaja regretted that \"I was such a fool that I came to in the forest to develop Kṛṣṇa... for asking my father's property. What a nonsense I was.'' But Kṛṣṇa gave him. Better than. He demanded that \"I shall have a property...'' Because that was child. His stepmother insulted, so he was determined. Nārada Muni had requested him, \"My dear boy, you are child.\nWhy you be afflicted to this insult? You are now to play.'' So he said, \"Your instruction is very nice, but I am so degraded, I cannot accept it as such. If you kindly give me some way that I can get,'' I mean, \"material opulence better than my grandfather and father. You just give me such and such.''\nHis father was Uttānapāda. Grandfather was Brahmā. So he wanted a post better than Brahmā. So he was given: \"Oh, yes, you'll get.'' But when he was offered a better position than Brahmā, he regretted, that \"What I..., what a fool I was.'' He requested, \"Sir, I am very much satisfied simply by Your...'' \"Never mind. You enjoy, then you come back.'' Kṛṣṇa is so kind.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n Prabhupāda, can you explain about vaibhava and [indistinct]-bhāva?",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n What is that?",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n Vaibhava and [indistinct]-bhāva.",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n They're nonsense. Why do you ask all these questions?",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n It is in the Caitanya...",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n Meher Baba?",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n Teachings of Lord Caitanya.\n He's not saying \"Baba.'' Some... I can't understand.",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n Meher Baba, he's a...",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n Vaibhava.",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n Oh, Meher..., and vaibhava. I thought that Meher Baba. [laughter] [break] There was a Hari Baba, there was a Meher Baba. Meher Baba is famous in your country. Is it not?",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n Yes.",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n Meher Baba. He's a nonsense. I thought it... Vaibhava, prabhāvā, expansion of Kṛṣṇa. When the body is similar, but the color of the body different, that is called vaibhava. Just like Balarāma. Balarāma. Kṛṣṇa's body and Balarāma, there is no bodily difference, but Kṛṣṇa is blackish, Balarāma is whitish. These things are described in the Teachings of Lord Caitanya. You don't read it? Huh?",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n Yes, it's from the Teachings of Lord Caitanya. I wanted some explanation about all this...",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\n That explanation is there. Why you are asking me? That is... I do not remember exactly what is the features of vaibhava. That is there. But the vaibhava, prabhāvā, vaibhava, vilāsa, there are detailed description of Kṛṣṇa's expansion. They are described there. You can refer to. Prabhāvā, vaibhava, vilāsa, they are expansions of Kṛṣṇa's different avatāra, incarnation, and part..., part of incarnation. So it is a huge list, and it's not always possible to remember them in detail. Better refer to the book. Is that all right?",
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"content": "\n Yes. Hare Kṛṣṇa, Prabhupāda. [break]",
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"content": "\n ...that the teacher will remember all the words of the dictionary. [laughs] You can refer to the dictionary. [laughter] [indistinct] [break]",
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"content": "\n[indistinct exchange with Prabhupāda] [end]",
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https://vedabase.io/en/library/transcripts/710918le-nairobi/
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"content": "\n ...sung by Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura, a great ācārya of the Gauḍīya-sampradāya. You know in the Bhagavad-gītā, Kṛṣṇa says,\nimaṁ vivasvate yoga\nproktavān aham avyayam\nvivasvān manave prāha\nmanur ikṣvākave 'bravīt\n[Bg. 4.1]\nFirst of all, long, long ago Kṛṣṇa says, \"I spoke this yoga system to the sun-god, millions of years ago.\" If you take..., calculate the age of Manu, it comes forty millions of years. If you believe Bhagavad-gītā, as Kṛṣṇa says, that \"First of all I spoke to Vivasvān...\" Vivasvān is the name of the sun-god who is now predominating there. In every planet there is a predominating deity, just like in this planet we have got president.\nSimilarly in other planets also there are predominating deities. And the present predominating deity in the sun globe is known as Vivasvān. The name is there. And Vivasvān has a son, Manu. His name is Vaivasvata Manu. The present age is going on of the Vaivasvata Manu. In each and every day of Lord Brahmā there are changes of such fourteen Manus.\nSo Kṛṣṇa says, sa kāleneha yogo naṣṭaḥ parantapa [Bg. 4.2]. In due course of time that yoga system is now lost. Why? The paramparā system is lost. Learning the system, the Bhagavad-gītā yoga system, from the master to the disciple, when Kṛṣṇa was present personally, it was lost. He says, yogo naṣṭaḥ parantapa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, \"The same yoga system, Arjuna, I shall inform you.\" Why? \"I am not a Vedāntist.\" Kṛṣṇa was speaking to Arjuna. Arjuna was not a Vedāntist; he was a military man. A military man is not expected to become a Vedāntist. He knows his military art. Why Kṛṣṇa decided to preach Bhagavad-gītā to Arjuna?\nThat is also said in the Bhagavad-gītā why He selected Arjuna. He said, bhakto si, priyo si: \"My dear Arjuna, you are My devotee and very dear friend. You can understand Bhagavad-gītā.\" Rāsam yogaṁ taṁ, \"You can understand the rasa.\" Therefore to understand Bhagavad-gītā, one requires to be very intimately connected with Kṛṣṇa as His devotee. Otherwise, Bhagavad-gītā cannot be understood.\nUnfortunately… The Bhagavad-gītā is going on all over the world. There are about seven hundred editions in all languages of this Bhagavad-gītā, and it is going on for the last more than one thousand years. That means we can understand from the historical records that in Western countries Bhagavad-gītā is known for the last two hundred and fifty years, and there are German edition, English edition, so many editions.\nIn spite of Bhagavad-gītā being popular in the Western countries, in spite of our so many svāmīs from India went to preach Indian culture or the Hindu culture, before this movement of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, not a single person became a devotee of Kṛṣṇa. That is a fact. It was simply armchair discussion of Bhagavad-gītā.\nBut why at the present moment these youngsters, Europeans and Americans, Australians, Canadians, Japanese, why they are taking to Kṛṣṇa consciousness? Because this Bhagavad-gītā is presented as it is, without any adulteration. That is my point. Bhagavad-gītā is not meant for anyone else except the devotee. Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa could explain this Bhagavad-gītā to the jñānīs, to the yogīs, to the karmīs. But why he selected Kṛṣṇa..., why He selected Arjuna? This is the secret of Bhagavad-gītā: bhakto si, priyo si. And the whole Bhagavad-gītā is taught to make everyone devotee of Kṛṣṇa.\n[microphone feedback] Now on account of the microphone being disturbed we could not speak from the very beginning. Tomorrow I shall speak, if the microphone is all right. Today I have given you some introduction about this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. My students have already spoken.\nSo there is a nice song of Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura. He says, hari hari! bifale janama goṅāinu: \"My Lord Kṛṣṇa, I have simply wasted my time and life.\" Bifale janama goṅāinu. Bifale means uselessly. \"I have simply passed my life uselessly.\" Why? Manuṣya-janama pāiyā, rādhā-kṛṣṇa nā bhajiyā. I got this human form of life, but I did not take care to worship Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa.\nHari! Hari! bifale janama goṅāinu, \"My dear Lord Kṛṣṇa, I have uselessly wasted my time.\" Manuṣya-janama pāiyā, rādhā-kṛṣṇa nā bhajiyā jāniyā śuniyā biṣa khāinu. \"I have drunken poison knowingly.\" He regrets. Everyone should regret who is not becoming devotee of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa. Everyone should regret like Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura is showing us the way.\nHe further says, golokera prema-dhana, hari-nāma-saṅkīrtana. This hari-nāma-saṅkīrtana, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare, is imported from Vaikuntha world. Golokera prema-dhana. Prema-dhana: it is the treasure of love of Godhead. Golokera prema-dhana, hari-nāma-saṅkīrtana rati nā janmilo kene tāy: \"I did not grow any attachment for the transcendental vibration Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa.\"\nViṣaya-biṣānale, dibā-niśi hiyā jwale: \"I am burning in the materialistic way of life day and night,\" jurāite nā koinu upāy, \"but I did not take any ways and means from being delivered from this blazing fire.\" Golokera prema-dhana hari-nāma-saṅkīrtana rati nā janmilo kene tāy viṣaya-biṣānale, dibā-niśi hiyā jwale. Materialistic way of life means to be always burned in the blazing fire of desire.\nBrajendra-nandana jei, śacī-suta hoilo sei. Formerly who was Brajendra-nandana... Brajendra-nandana means Lord Kṛṣṇa. He accepted Nanda Maharaja as His foster father; therefore He is known as Brajendra-nandana. Brajendra-nandana jei, śacī-suta hoilo sei: \"The same Brajendra-nandana, Hari, Kṛṣṇa, has now appeared as Lord Caitanya, the son of Saci.\" Lord Caitanya's mother's name was Saci devi. Balarāma hoilo nitāi: \"And the same Balarāma has now become Nityānanda Prabhu.\"\nPāpī tāpī jata chilo, hari-nāme uddhārilo: \"These two brothers, Lord Caitanya and Lord Nityānanda, is delivering all kinds of sinful persons,\" pāpī tāpī jata chilo. Jata chilo means forcing. Harinama is that. Simply by chanting this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, everyone is being delivered. It was done during the time of Lord Caitanya, and it is also being done at the present moment.\nTāra śākṣī jagāi and mādhāi. There are two brothers, Jagāi and Mādhāi. They were born in brāhmana family, but due to bad association they became drunkards, woman hunters, murderers—[indistinct]. So they became great devotees. So there were two Jagāis and Mādhāis during Caitanya Mahaprabhu's time, but at the present moment there is unlimited numbers of Jagāis and Mādhāis, and they can be delivered simply by chanting this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. This is a fact.\nTherefore Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura prays, hā hā prabhu nanda-suta, vṛṣabhānu-sutā-juta: \"Here is Lord Kṛṣṇa, Nanda-suta, and His consort, eternal consort, Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī.\" Rādhārāṇī is the daughter of Vṛṣabhānu, King Vṛṣabhānu. Therefore, Kṛṣṇa and Rādhārāṇī, They like very much to have Their eternal means of [indistinct]. Therefore Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura is not asking Kṛṣṇa but asking Nanda-suta, the son of Nanda.\nKṛṣṇa likes to be the son of His devotee. Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead has no father. He is the original father. Bījo 'haṁ sarva-bhūtānām.\nsarva-yoniṣu kaunteya\nmūrtayaḥ sambhavanti yāḥ\ntāsāṁ mahad yonir brahma\nahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā\n[Bg. 14.4]\nHe is the original father. Then who can be His father? His father can be His devotee. That is Kṛṣṇa's pleasure. He accepts His devotee as father. He accepts His devotee as mother. Therefore He likes to be addressed as Yaśodā-nanda, Nanda-nandana, Devakī-nandana. This Kṛṣṇa is so kind.\nSo this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is authorized. It is not a sentiment. It is based on Vedic literature. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam. Ete cāṁśa-kalāḥ puṁsaḥ kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam [SB 1.3.28].\nSo, today's time is almost finished. I request all Indians in this foreign country, Nairobi, to take part in this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement very seriously. It is India's gift to the whole world. If India is actually serious to become glorious, they cannot become glorious by imitating technology of the Western world. They remain behind hundred years for this technological development. Learn this technology of Kṛṣṇa consciousness and distribute throughout the whole world. They are in need of it.\nSo Caitanya Mahāprabhu says,\nbhārata-bhūmite manuṣya-janma haila yāra\njanma sārthaka kari' kara para-upakāra\n[Cc. Ādi 9.41]\nJanma sārthaka kari. First of all make your life successful, because you are born in India, tapo-bhumi, dharmakṣetra. These are the names of India. Don't try to make India another kṣetra for technological works. India is glorious because Lord Rāmacandra advented there, Lord Kṛṣṇa advented there, Lord Buddha advented there, and every one of them left their spiritual instructions, especially Lord Kṛṣṇa left His spiritual instruction for the future persons all over the world.\nSo my request to you, those Indians here in Nairobi, please try to understand this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement seriously and take it, and you have got immense opportunity to spread among the Africans. Just like our student Śrīmān Brahmānanda was speaking. He went to preach on the street this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, and many hundreds of these Africans joined, and they chanted.\nSo, ceto-darpana-marjanam: if you want to live with the Africans very nicely, friendly, try to introduce this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement amongst them. They will be happy and you will be happy.\nThank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa. [end]",
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https://vedabase.io/en/library/transcripts/710627ry-san-francisco/
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"content": "\n When our eyes are anointed with love of God, we can see Him everywhere. That is the injunction of the śāstras. We have to develop our seeing power by developing love of Godhead. Premāñjana-cchurita bhakti-vilocanena [Bs. 5.38]. When one is sufficiently developed in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he can see the Lord every moment within his heart and everywhere, wherever he goes.\nSo this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is an attempt to teach people how to see God, how to see Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa can be seen if we practice. Just like Kṛṣṇa says, raso 'ham apsu kaunteya [Bg. 7.8]. Kṛṣṇa says, \"I am the taste of the water.'' Every one of us, we drink water everyday, not only one, twice—thrice or more than that. So as soon as we drink water, if we think that the taste of the water is Kṛṣṇa, immediately we become Kṛṣṇa conscious.\nTo become Kṛṣṇa conscious is not very difficult job. Simply we have to practice it. Just like this is an example how to practice to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. Whenever you drink water, as soon as you are satiated, your thirst is quenched, immediately you think that this thirsting, the quenching power is Kṛṣṇa.\nPrabhāsmi śaśi sūryayoḥ. Kṛṣṇa says, \"I am the sunshine. I am the moonshine.'' So during daytime, every one of us seeing the sunshine. As soon as you see sunshine, immediately you can remember Kṛṣṇa, \"Here is Kṛṣṇa.'' As soon as you see moonshine at night, immediately you can remember, \"Here is Kṛṣṇa.''\nIn this way, if you practice, there are many instances, many examples given in the Bhagavad-gītā, in the Seventh Chapter; if you read them carefully, how to practice Kṛṣṇa conscious[ness], then at that time, when you are mature in love of Kṛṣṇa, you will see Kṛṣṇa everywhere. Nobody has to help you to see Kṛṣṇa, but Kṛṣṇa will be revealed before you, by your devotion, by your love.\nSevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ [Brs.1.2.234]. Kṛṣṇa, when one is in service mood, when one understands that \"I am eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa, or God,'' then Kṛṣṇa help you how to see Him. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā,\nteṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ\nbhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam\nbuddhi-yogaṁ dadāmi taṁ\nyena mām upayānti te\n[Bg. 10.10]\nKṛṣṇa says those who are constantly, twenty-four hours engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service... Just like these students, the member of Kṛṣṇa consciousness Society, you'll find them twenty-four hours engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service. That is the, I mean to say, significance of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. They are always engaged. This Ratha-yātrā ceremony is one of the item, so that at least, one day, all of you will be able to be engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So this is only practice, and if you practice throughout your whole life, then at the time of death, if you can fortunately remember Kṛṣṇa, your life is successful.\nThat practice is required. Yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran loke tyajaty ante kalevaram [Bg. 8.6]. We have to give up this body, that is certain. But at the time of death, if we remember Kṛṣṇa, immediately we are transferred to the abode of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is everywhere, but still Kṛṣṇa has got a special abode, which is called Goloka Vṛndāvana.\nYou can understand that our body... Body means the senses, and above the senses there is the mind, which is very subtle, which is controlling the senses, and above the mind there is intelligence, and above the intelligence there is soul. We have no information, but if we practice this bhakti-yoga system, gradually we understand what I am.\nI am not this body. This, generally even big, big scholars, big, big philosophers, scientists, they are also in the concept of this body. Everyone is thinking, \"I am the body,'' but that is mistake. We are not this body. Just I explain: Body means the senses, but the senses are controlled by the mind, and the mind is controlled by the intelligence, and the intelligence is controlled by the soul.\nThat you do not know. There is no educational system throughout the whole world how to understand the existence of soul, which is the prime necessity of understanding for the human being. A human being is not meant for wasting his time like animals, simply eating, sleeping, mating and defending. That is animal life. The extra intelligence of human beings should be utilized how to understand, \"I am... What I am? I am a spirit soul.''\nIf we understand that \"I am spirit soul,\"' that this bodily concept of life, which has played havoc in this world... On the bodily concept of life I am thinking \"I am Indian,'' you are thinking \"American,'' he's thinking something, something. But we are all one. We are spirit soul. We are all eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa, Jagannātha.\nSo today is a very nice, auspicious day. On this day Lord Kṛṣṇa, when He was present on this earth, He attended a solar eclipse ceremony at Kurukṣetra, and Kṛṣṇa, along with His brother Balarāma, and Subhadra, sister, came to visit the Kurukṣetra field. That Kurukṣetra land is still present in India. If someday you'll go to India you'll find that Kurukṣetra land is there. So this Ratha-yātrā ceremony is performed in commemoration of Kṛṣṇa's visiting Kurukṣetra with His brother and sister.\nSo Lord Jagannātha... Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He was in ecstasy. He was in the mood of loving spirit like Rādhārāṇī, so He was thinking, \"Kṛṣṇa, please come back again to Vṛndāvana.'' So He was dancing before the Ratha-yātrā, and you will understand, if you read some of the books published by you..., published by our Society. One of the book is known as Teachings of Lord Caitanya. It is very important book.\nIf you want to learn this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, we have got enough books. You can scientifically and philosophically study. But if you have no inclination to study, if you simply take to this chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa, gradually everything will be revealed unto you, and you will understand your relationship with Kṛṣṇa.\nI thank you very much for participating in this ceremony. Now let us chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and proceed with Jagannātha Swami. Hare Kṛṣṇa.",
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"content": "\nHaribol! [end]",
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https://vedabase.io/en/library/transcripts/661109bg-new-york/
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"content": "\n leads kīrtana] [prema-dhvani]. All glories to the assembled devotees. All glories to the assembled devotees. All glories to the assembled devotees. Thank you very much.",
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"content": "\n There is some room up front. You will be able to hear much better.\n[44:18]",
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"content": "\n\nvedeṣu yajñeṣu tapaḥsu caiva\ndāneṣu yat puṇya-phalaṁ pradiṣṭam\natyeti tat sarvam idaṁ viditvā\nyogī paraṁ sthānam upaiti cādyam\n[Bg 8.28]\n[A person who accepts the path of devotional service is not bereft of the results derived from studying the Vedas, performing austere sacrifices, giving charity or pursuing philosophical and fruitive activities. At the end he reaches the supreme abode.]\nThe Lord says that the purpose of all Vedic instruction is to achieve the highest goal of life: back to Godhead. Any scripture of any country, not only of this Bhagavad-gītā, but any scripture, they are aiming simply how to get us back to Godhead. That is the purpose.\nTake for any ex... Take for example any of the great religious reformer or ācāryas of any country. In your country, Lord Jesus Christ or Lord Buddha. Of course, Lord Buddha, he advented himself in India, but later on his philosophy was broadcast all over Asia. Then Lord Kṛṣṇa or Hazrat Muhammad—anyone take. Nobody will say that \"You make your best plan in this material world and live peacefully.\" That is a common factor. There may be little difference according to country, climate and situation in the scriptural injunction, but the main principle—that we are not meant for this material world; we have our destination in the spiritual world—that is accepted by everyone.\nTherefore Lord Kṛṣṇa says,\nvedeṣu yajñeṣu tapaḥsu caiva\ndāneṣu yat puṇya-phalaṁ pradiṣṭam\natyeti tat sarvam idaṁ viditvā\nyogī paraṁ sthānam upaiti cādyam\n[Bg 8.28]\nAh, the yogī, the transcendentalist, his chief aim of life is how to get into the spiritual kingdom. That is the highest ambition of the yogī, or the transcendentalist.\nNow we begin the Ninth Chapter. We have finished the Eighth Chapter. We are beginning the Ninth Chapter of the Bhagavad-gītā. Śrī bhagavān uvāca. The Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, is speaking. Śrī Bhagavān. I have several times described what this word bhagavān means. Bhaga means \"opulence,\" and vān means \"who possesses.\"\nSo bhagavān. There is... Everything has definition. So in the Vedic scripture we'll find the definition of God. We have got some conception of God, but in the Vedic literature you'll find definite description, what do we mean by \"God.\" That what do we mean by \"God\" is described in one word: śrī bhagavān. Bhagavān. Bhaga means opulence, and vān means \"one who possesses.\"\nSo what are the opulences? The opulences are that riches, wealth, and strength and influence and beauty, education, knowledge and renunciation. These are opulences. Therefore Vedic literature says,\naiśvaryasya samagrasya\nvīryasya yaśasaḥ śriyaḥ\njñāna-vairāgyayoś caiva\nbhaga itī ṣaṇṇāṁ ganā\n[Viṣṇu Purāṇa 6.5.47]\n[Full wealth, strength, fame, beauty, knowledge and renunciation—these are the six opulences of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.]\nBhaga. These are opulences. Aiśvarya means opulence, and... Aiśvaryasya samagrasya vīryasya. Vīryasya means strength. And yaśasaḥ. Yaśasaḥ means fame. And... Aiśvaryasya vīryasya yaśasaḥ śriyaḥ. Śriyaḥ means beauty. And jñāna. Jñāna means knowledge. And renunciation, vairāgya. Renunciation. These six opulences, when you find presented in a personality in full, He is God. He is God. That is the description of God.\nYou have many rich men here in your New York City, but nobody can claim that he is the richest of all, he has got all the riches of the world. Nobody can claim. But if you find somebody who claims that \"All the riches of the world or the universe belongs to Me,\" He's God. He is God, just like Kṛṣṇa claims. In the Bhagavad-gītā you'll find,\nbhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ\nsarva-loka-maheśvaram\nsuhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ\njñātvā māṁ śāntim ṛcchati\n[Bg 5.29]\n[The sages, knowing Me as the ultimate purpose of all sacrifices and austerities, the Supreme Lord of all planets and demigods and the benefactor and well-wisher of all living entities, attain peace from the pangs of material miseries.]\nThe Lord says that \"I am the enjoyer. I am the enjoyer of all kinds of activities.\" He's the benefactor of all kinds of activities. Bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram: \"I am the proprietor of all planets.\" Loka means planets. We are proprietor of certain extent of land here, and we are very much proud. But God says that \"I am the proprietor of all the planets.\" And suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānām: and He is the friend of all living entities.\nAnd suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ jñātvā māṁ śāntim ṛcchati: \"When a person understands that God is the proprietor of everything, God is the friend of everyone, God is the enjoyer of everything—by knowing these three things, one becomes very peaceful.\" That is the peace formula. You cannot become in peace so long you think that \"I am the proprietor.\" You are not actually the proprietor. You cannot claim proprietorship. Just like, take for example, this land of America. Say four hundred years before, the Red American, Red Indians, they were the proprietor. Now you are the proprietor. Now, after, say, four hundred years or thousand years, somebody will come, they'll become proprietor. So actually, we are not proprietor. The land is there, we come here, and we claim falsely that \"I am proprietor.\"\nSo this philosophy, as it is stated in the Īśopaniṣad, that īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam [Īśo mantra 1],\n[Everything animate or inanimate that is within the universe is controlled and owned by the Lord. One should therefore accept only those things necessary for himself, which are set aside as his quota, and one should not accept other things, knowing well to whom they belong.]\n\"Everything belongs to God...\" Everything belongs to God. Nothing belongs to me. Actually, this is the fact. But under illusion we are thinking that \"I am the proprietor.\" So God is proprietor. Therefore He is the richest man. He is the richest man. He's not man, of course; He's God. But He is the richest. So if you find somebody... There are many \"incarnation\" of God. Nowadays you'll find, especially in India, there are dozens of incarnation of God. But if you ask him, \"Are you the proprietor of everything?\" oh, that is very difficult to answer.\nSo these are the checks how you can understand that who is God. God must be the proprietor of all, everything. And He must be powerful than anyone. When Kṛṣṇa was present on this earth, nobody could conquer Him. There is not a single instance that Kṛṣṇa was defeated. So He, He belonged to the kṣatriya family. He identified Himself as kṣatriya. The kṣatriyas are meant for giving protection to the poor, weak. So He belonged to the royal family. So there were so many fightings in His..., so long He remained on this earth, so in no fight He was defeated. Therefore He was the most powerful.\nAnd so far His opulence is concerned, from Bhāgavatam we find that He married 16, 108 wives, and every wife had a different palace. These palaces are described. And He expanded Himself into 16, 108 divisions also. These things we have got in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. If we believe, it is all right, but great ācāryas, great scholars of India, they have accepted this fact, that Kṛṣṇa is God.\nTherefore, bhagavān uvāca. Vyāsadeva... This Bhagavad-gītā was written by Vyāsadeva, spoken by Lord Kṛṣṇa. It was noted by Vyāsadeva, and therefore Vyāsadeva says, śrī bhagavān uvāca: \"The Supreme Personality of Godhead said.\" What does He says?\nidaṁ tu te guhyatamaṁ\npravakṣyāmy anasūyave\njñānaṁ vijñāna-sahitaṁ\nyaj jñātvā mokṣyase 'śubhāt\n[Bg 9.1]\n[The Supreme Lord said: My dear Arjuna, because you are never envious of Me, I shall impart to you this most secret wisdom, knowing which you shall be relieved of the miseries of material existence.]\n\"My dear Arjuna, now I shall speak to you the topmost part of knowledge.\" Idaṁ tu te guhyatamam. Guhyatamam means \"most confidential.\" There are different kinds, grades of knowledge. But here the Lord says, \"Just now I am going to explain what is the most confidential part of knowledge.\" Idaṁ tu te guhyatamaṁ pravakṣyāmy anasūyave. \nAnasūyave. This very word is used. Anasūyave means \"who does not envy.\" Does not envy. Just like the Lord says, \"I am the proprietor of all planets.\" Somebody may say, \"Oh, Kṛṣṇa is claiming the proprietorship of everything. How is that?\" Because in the material world we are always envious. If somebody is greater than me, I am envious: \"Oh, he's..., in that way he has so much progressed.\" We are envious. This is the disease of material world, envious. So we are envious of God also. When God says that \"I am the proprietor,\" we disbelieve it. So here this very word is used, anasūyave.\nArjuna is hearing from Lord Kṛṣṇa without any enviousness. He's accepting what does He say. This is the way of understanding. We cannot understand by our mental speculation what is God. We have to hear, and we have to accept. Otherwise, there is no way to understand what is God. So God says that \"Because you are not envious, therefore, I speak to you about the most confidential part of knowledge.\" Jñānaṁ vijñāna-sahitam. \nVijñāna-sahitam means this knowledge is not theoretical, but it is scientific. Whatever knowledge we get from Bhagavad-gītā, we should not think that it is sentimentalism or fanaticism. No. They're all vijñānam, science. Jñānaṁ vijñāna-sahitaṁ yaj jñātvā: \"If you become well versed in this confidential part of knowledge, then the result will be mokṣyase aśubhāt.\" Aśubhāt. Aśubha means inauspicious. Our stage of life, our existence in this material world, is aśubha, inauspicious, always miserable. Mokṣyase: \"You shall be liberated from this miserable life of material existence if you understand this knowledge.\" So let us carefully understand what the Lord says to Arjuna about this knowledge.\nHe says,\nrāja-vidyā rāja-guhyaṁ\npavitram idam uttamam\npratyakṣāvagamaṁ dharmyaṁ\nsusukhaṁ kartum avyayam\n[Bg 9.2]\n[This knowledge is the king of education, the most secret of all secrets. It is the purest knowledge, and because it gives direct perception of the self by realization, it is the perfection of religion. It is everlasting, and it is joyfully performed.]\nNow, this process of knowledge or this process of activities which we are trying to propagate as Kṛṣṇa consciousness... Knowledge means, the topmost knowledge means Kṛṣṇa consciousness according to Bhagavad-gītā. Because in the Bhagavad-gītā you'll find that a person who is learned, who is in actually in knowledge, his symptoms will be that he has surrendered unto God. That is the symptom of knowledge.\nSo long we go on speculating about God but do not surrender, that is not perfection of knowledge. Perfection of knowledge is bahūnāṁ janmanām ante [Bg 7.19]:\n[After many births and deaths, he who is actually in knowledge surrenders unto Me, knowing Me to be the cause of all causes and all that is. Such a great soul is very rare.]\n\"After many, many births' mental speculation, philosophical speculation, when one understands what is actually God, God, then he surrenders there. He surrenders there.\" So long we do not surrender, we cannot understand God. So bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate. The Lord says, \"One who is actually in knowledge, that knowledge is achieved after many, many births, not all of a sudden.\"\nOf course, if we accept that \"God is great. Let me surrender,\" then we can accept in a second. But our present position is to become envious of any great. So we are also envious of God, so \"Why shall I surrender unto God? I am independent. I shall work independently.\" These things are there. Therefore, for rectifying these misgivings we have to wait many births. And Lord says, \"After many, many births, one who is actually in knowledge, he surrenders unto Me. He surrenders.\" Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate.\nHow? How does he show? Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ: \"Because after many, many births' philosophical research, he can understand, 'God is everything. God is everything.' \" The whole Bhagavad-gītā teaches this very science. God is everything. We are also part and parcel of God. So vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti: \"One who understands that 'Vāsudeva, God, or Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa...' \" Śrī Kṛṣṇa means God. If there is any perfect name of God, that is Śrī Kṛṣṇa.\nWhy?\nkṛṣir bhū-vācakaḥ śabdo\nṇaś ca nirvṛti-vācakaḥ\ntayor aikyaṁ paraṁ brahma\nkṛṣṇa ity abhidhīyate\n[Mahābhārata, Udyoga-parva 71.4]\n[The word \"kṛṣ\" is the attractive feature of the Lord's existence, and \"ṇa\" means spiritual pleasure. When the verb \"kṛṣ\" is added to the affix \"ṇa,\" it becomes Kṛṣṇa, which indicates the Absolute Truth.]\nKṛṣi. Kṛṣi means cultivation, and kṛṣi means very great. Kṛṣ-dhātu. So kṛṣṇa or kṛṣ means who repeated repetition of birth. Repetition of birth. So kṛṣi, \"repetition of birth;\" ṇa means \"one who checks.\" He is Kṛṣṇa. \"Repetition of birth, one who checks,\" He is Kṛṣṇa. Therefore our repetition of birth can be checked only by God. Otherwise not possible. Hariṁ vinā na mṛtiṁ taranti: \"Nobody can stop his repetition of birth and death without having the causeless mercy of God.\"\nSo therefore Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa is a scientific name of God. So Vāsudeva, that Kṛṣṇa's another... Kṛṣṇa has many names. Vāsudeva. Vāsudeva means \"all-pervading.\" So vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ. After many, many births, if one comes to this understanding that \"Vāsudeva, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is everything,\" that is his perfection of knowledge. That is his perfection of knowledge. And at that time he surrenders. Sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ. That sort of, I mean to say, great soul, mahātmā... Mahātmā means great soul.\nYou have... Perhaps you have heard mahātmā, the word, Indian word. The mahātmā is a designation of a person who is a surrendered soul to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He's called mahātmā. He's not... Mahātmā means \"great,\" \"expanding, expanded,\" heart. So one who becomes a devotee of the Lord, automatically he becomes expanded. Therefore mahātmā means one whose heart is expanded.\nHere Kṛṣṇa says that rāja-vidyā. Rāja-vidyā: \"The knowledge which I am just trying to impart, this is rāja-vidyā, the king of all knowledge.\" Rāja-vidyā. Rāja means \"king,\" and vidyā means \"knowledge.\" There are... Just like in our ordinary course of life we find somebody king, somebody subject, similarly, He's comparing this knowledge as the topmost, the king of all knowledge. Rāja-vidyā rāja-guhyam. Rāja-guhyam means \"very confidential.\"\nAnd pavitram. Pavitram means \"very pure\"; idam, \"this knowledge.\" And uttamam. Uttamam means \"which is transcendental.\" Ut means \"trans-,\" and tama means \"darkness.\" So uttama means \"the knowledge which is beyond this material darkness.\" This material world is called darkness, and when the knowledge surpasses this material world..., material knowledge, that is really called uttama. Udgata-tamaṁ yasmāt: \"from which the darkness has been separated.\" Light, the knowledge of light. So uttamam. \nPratyakṣa avagamam\n[Bg 9.2]. \n[This knowledge is the king of education, the most secret of all secrets. It is the purest knowledge, and because it gives direct perception of the self by realization, it is the perfection of religion. It is everlasting, and it is joyfully performed.]\nPratyakṣa avagamam means if you follow this path, then you will personally understand how far you are advancing. How far you have become on the path of perfection, you will yourself understand. Nobody will require to certify that \"You have advanced so much.\" You'll understand yourself. Pratyakṣa avagamaṁ dharmyam. Dharmyam means the religious principles. Pratyakṣa avagamaṁ dharmyaṁ susukham. Susukham means that it is very happy to execute. Very happy to execute. Susukhaṁ kartum avyayam. And if you perform it, it will have never any lapse. It is permanent. Permanent.\nWe do many things which is..., has no permanent effect. Which has no permanent... Suppose we work in this material world for some perfection of education or perfection of business. We get, amass, a vast amount of money. But that is not avyayam. That is not eternal. As soon as your body is finished, everything is finished. Your education finished, your M.A. degree finished, your bank balance finished, and everything, your family finished—everything finished. Now again begin life. Vāsāṁsi jīrṇāni yathā vihāya [Bg 2.22].\n[As a person puts on new garments, giving up old ones, similarly, the soul accepts new material bodies, giving up the old and useless ones.]\nSo therefore anything, whatever you are doing in this material world, that is not avyayam. That is not eternal. Temporary. Temporary. So this knowledge is not like that. Svalpam apy asya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt: \"The Kṛṣṇa consciousness knowledge is so perfect that even if you do one percent, two percent execute, then it can help you to..., help you protection from the greatest danger.\" Svalpam apy asya dharmasya.\nAnd besides that, suppose in this life I perform work in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, say twenty-five percent. I am not perfect. My next life will begin from twenty-sixth point. So much, what I have acquired in this life, that is not lost. These are the formulas we get from authoritative scripture.\nBut material achievement, that is due... Because it is pertaining to this body, this designation, therefore it finishes with the finish of this designation. These are our all designation. This body... I am thinking, \"I am American.\" I am thinking, \"I am Indian.\" These are all our designations. So designation will finish, and there is no certainty what sort of body I am going to have in my next life. There are... Any thing, any material acquisition, that is not permanent.\nBut this knowledge, this devotional service of the Lord, to act in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, is permanent, whatever you do. If you can do it perfectly, this is the..., in this very life you get entrance into the kingdom of God. But even if you are not able to make it perfection, still, whatever you do, that will go with you, because you are spirit soul. So your spiritual activities will be with you. And because the matter, material body, will remain in this material world, therefore any work, any assessment of this material body, will remain in this material world. This is the formula.\nSo Kṛṣṇa will explain by and by about this formula, which is described here as the king of knowledge and the very confidential and transcendental and very happily done. Happily done.\nNow, to act in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the devotional service, you can understand it, how happily it is done. Now, take for example what we are doing here. We are singing, we are dancing, you are taking nice prasādam offered to Kṛṣṇa, and chanting and discussing Bhagavad-gītā philosophy. Oh, these are the process. These are the process. We are not meant for any stringent rules and regulation or gymnastic or breathing control, so many things, as they are described and they are performed by many different sections. But here it is very easy and happily done.\nEveryone wants to dance. Everyone wants to sing. Everyone wants to eat. Through this formula—dancing, singing and eating kṛṣṇa-prasāda and hearing philosophical discussion, transcendental topics from Bhagavad-gītā—so don't you think it is very happy, susukham? And whatever we acquire, it is permanent. Whatever knowledge you acquire, that is permanent. That is not going to be finished with the finish of your body. It is such a nice thing.\nSo we are trying to impart this philosophy in your country. So we invite your cooperation. As Lord Kṛṣṇa says, it is very nice thing. Susukhaṁ kartum avyayam. And vijñānam. Vijñānam means it is scientific. It is not a sentiment or fanaticism; it is scientific. So try to understand this philosophy of Kṛṣṇa consciousness from Bhagavad-gītā and help yourself, help your countrymen, help the world. There will be peace and prosperity.\nThank you very much. Any question? [end]",
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"content": "\n [indistinct] ...these living symptoms develop. The anthropology, Darwin's theory. They do not believe in soul, transmigration of the soul. They have their own theory. But they are also not definite. Those who have read Darwin's theory of anthropology, in most places that Mr. Darwin says, \"Perhaps it was like this, perhaps it was like this.\"\nAnd according to his theory, there was no existence of human being ten thousand years ago. But we followers of Vedic...\n[child making noises] You have to stop.\n...version, we don't believe to all this nonsense; neither there is any basic principle.\nNow take for example the atheistic theory—call it by any name—that combination of matter makes a living symptom possible. So scientific, I mean to say, proposition is based on observation and experiment. So this is simply observation, that those who are atheistic person... Just like medical science: There are many doctors. They are observing when a man dies, observing, feeling the pulse, taking pulse beating, offering oxygen gas, trying to save him.\nAll of a sudden the man dies—and he is sure to die—but they cannot simply observe the symptoms. They cannot observe what is that thing which is gone now. They cannot say that. Neither it is possible for them to say. But their theory that combination of matter makes symptoms of life possible, they should prove it by experiment. Then it is complete science. Observation and experiment.\nBut there is no such experiment till now. You trace out the history of the human society... Of course, in the modern world they cannot trace out chronological history more than three thousand years. That's all. But we can give account for many millions and millions of years. Just like in the Bhagavad-gītā Kṛṣṇa says, imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam [Bg. 4.1]:\n[The Blessed Lord said: I instructed this imperishable science of yoga to the sun-god, Vivasvān, and Vivasvān instructed it to Manu, the father of mankind, and Manu in turn instructed it to Ikṣvāku.]\n\"I spoke this philosophy of Bhagavad-gītā to the sun-god.\" Now just imagine how many years, millions of years.\nSo the modern theory that ten thousand years ago there was no human civilization, how we can adjust things? The Battle of Kurukṣetra was fought five thousand years ago. Before that, hundreds of thousands year ago there was another battle, which is called fight between Rāma and Rāvaṇa.\nAnd there are so many instances in the Vedic literature. We can offer history of the world, of the universe, from millions and millions of years ago. But these people with petty knowledge for three thousand years or four thousand years, they are thinking they have advanced.\nSo this theory was current in those days also; otherwise why Kṛṣṇa is making reference to this theory? So all kinds of theories are existent since the beginning of this creation. But sometimes some theory is very prominent, sometimes some theory is not prominent. That's all.\nSo this atheistic theory, that combination of matter... Just like you combine some chemicals and you get some product, similarly, the modern scientist says that carbon dioxide, soda bicarb—they name so many chemicals—is the combination of this body. That is chemical analysis of this body. But can you produce? You have got all the chemicals.\nCan you produce even the body of an ant by combination of carbon dioxide, soda bicarb and so many chemicals? Just produce, not human being, just produce even a small ant which is moving. Combine. That you cannot.\nSo such theories, at least, we cannot accept. But Kṛṣṇa is giving argument to Arjuna, \"If you think that this is an accidental combination of several chemicals, then where there is cause of lamentation?\" Suppose in a bottle you have got certain combination of chemicals. If that bottle is broken, is there any cause of lamentation?\nAll right, we shall get another bottle of this chemical combination. So Kṛṣṇa is forwarding this argument, that if you think that this body, there is no soul, there is no transmigration of the soul, simply it has happened under certain accidental chemical combination and it will dis..., what is called, dislocated, or dismantle at a certain period, so where is the cause of lamentation? Why you are lamenting? This is His argument.\nGo on.",
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"content": "\n \"Even if Arjuna did not believe in the existence of the soul, as in the vaibhāṣika philosophy, there would still have been no cause for lamentation. Nobody would lament the loss of a certain bulk of chemicals and stop discharging his prescribed duties.\"",
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"content": "\n Yes. Suppose some chemical combined bottle is there; by accident it is broken. Does it mean that I shall give up all my duties to be done? And lament for the bottle only? What is this? [laughs] \"Arjuna, you are My friend\"—he was friend of Kṛṣṇa—\"You have become so fool that you are lamenting for loss of a chemical bottle?\" This is the argument. Yes.",
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"content": "\n \"On the other hand, in modern science and scientific warfare so many tons of chemicals are wasted in achieving victory over the enemy.\"",
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"content": "\n Yes. They are manufacturing so many atomic bomb and hydrogen bomb, this bomb—huge, expensive chemical. So that is lost, so who is crying for that? Go on.",
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"content": "\n \"According to the vaibhāṣika philosophy, the so-called soul, or ātmā, vanishes along with the deterioration of the body.\"",
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"content": "\n The modern theories, they are exactly like that. They want to... Yes, our Kārttikeya was telling that the boys, the young boys and girls, they put forward this theory that \"Our parents have made the position of the world so unsafe. So we do not know when we shall..., our this body will be finished. So better to enjoy this bodily sense gratification as far as possible quickly.\"\nIs not that theory you were telling me? Huh? Is it a fact they are thinking like that? Oh, now, see this nonsense. Now supposing there is soul... And why not suppose? Because experimentally you have not proved that by chemical combination you can produce such moving things.\nSo more or less, the modern civilization is in darkness. That is the treatment of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Lokasyājānata [SB 1.7.6].\n[The material miseries of the living entity, which are superfluous to him, can be directly mitigated by the linking process of devotional service. But the mass of people do not know this, and therefore the learned Vyāsadeva compiled this Vedic literature, which is in relation to the Supreme Truth.]\nThe all the people of the world, they are rascals and fools. That is the statement in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, First Canto. Vyāsadeva wrote the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and the introductory portion is stated like this, you have seen, that by his devotional meditation he saw Kṛṣṇa and His material energy also.\nbhakti-yogena manasi\n[samyak] praṇihite 'male\napaśyat puruṣaṁ pūrṇaṁ\nmāyāṁ ca tad-apāśrayam\n[SB 1.7.4]\n[Thus he fixed his mind, perfectly engaging it by linking it in devotional service [bhakti-yoga] without any tinge of materialism, and thus he saw the Absolute Personality of Godhead along with His external energy, which was under full control.]\nBy bhakti-yoga meditation he saw two things. Manasi praṇihite amale. By bhakti-yoga only. The yoga process is to clear the mind. The whole process of yoga indriya-saṁyama, controlling the senses and clearing, that is actually yoga system. So the perfection of yoga system—bhakti-yoga. Bhakti-yoga.\nBecause by executing bhakti-yoga you can cleanse up the mind perfectly. Yoga system, the purpose of yoga system is to cleanse up the mind, and this bhakti-yoga process... Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu recommends, ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam [Cc. Antya 20.12].\n[”’Let there be all victory for the chanting of the holy name of Lord Kṛṣṇa, which can cleanse the mirror of the heart and stop the miseries of the blazing fire of material existence. That chanting is the waxing moon that spreads the white lotus of good fortune for all living entities. It is the life and soul of all education. The chanting of the holy name of Kṛṣṇa expands the blissful ocean of transcendental life. It gives a cooling effect to everyone and enables one to taste full nectar at every step.’]\nThe first benefit of this bhakti-yoga process, chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, is cleansing the mind.\nSo Vyāsadeva, before writing... He was not an ordinary fiction writer. Anyone can write any nonsense. No. Formerly, no book will be accepted unless it is written by liberated soul. That was the system. No other man will dare to write any book, neither his book will be accepted in society—only Vedic literature and literature produced out of Vedic knowledge. That is book. Otherwise, what are these books? These fictions and novels and... They are not books; they are rubbish. Actually they are rubbish. Don't you see?\nThe newspaper, it is published after spending so much money. You know. Every day, the newspaper proprietors, they are paying to the news collector, to the photographers, to the staff, to the establishment huge amount of money and producing newspaper, say, fifty pages or twenty-five pages, and throwing in the street.\nNobody cares for it. Because everyone knows what is the value of this news. Nobody is taking care, \"Oh, here is a newspaper behind which there is so much expenditure. Oh, here is one. Let me take it.\" Everyone kicks it. You see? You see practically.\nHuge bundles of newspapers, nobody cares for it. That means actually this literature has no value. No value. Simply they are wasting their time producing such nonsense literature. Even if it has got any value, the newspaper boys throws early in the morning; at ten o'clock it has no more value. That's all. Finished all value. Whatever value was there, that finished by ten o'clock.\nSo Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Bhagavad-gītā is not a literature like that. Can you give any evidence, any book written five thousand years ago is still being read with still greater veneration, with greater respect, with greater attention? Is there any book in the world? Find out. Not a single book you'll find. You cannot trace out of any book written, say, thousand years or two thousand years ago. But here is a book which was spoken five thousand years ago; still, all over the world...\nIt is not that Bhagavad-gītā is supposed to be Hindu literature, Vedic literature, it is read simply by the Hindus. Now the number of Hindus has minimized. Practically, in some portion of that India there are few Hindus only, actually speaking. So what is the number of Hindus? That is the, what is called, minority in the whole world. If you take calculation of other religion...\nI have seen the other day in the World Almanac the Hindus, the Hindus are the lowest. So how many Hindus are reading? In India not that..., ninety percent people are illiterate. So what they will read? And who is reading Bhagavad-gītā? It is all over the world. Still, you'll find in Germany Bhagavad-gītā is being read. In England you'll find. Even in Muhammadan countries you'll find, and what to speak of your country. There are so many editions of Bhagavad-gītā, I mean to say, that see the importance of real literature.\ntad-vāg-visargo janatāgha-viplavo\nyasmin prati-ślokam abaddhavaty api\nnāmāny anantasya yaśo 'ṅkitāni yat\ngṛṇanti gāyanti śṛṇvanti sādhavaḥ\n[SB 1.5.11]\n[On the other hand, that literature which is full of descriptions of the transcendental glories of the name, fame, forms, pastimes, etc., of the unlimited Supreme Lord is a different creation, full of transcendental words directed toward bringing about a revolution in the impious lives of this world's misdirected civilization. Such transcendental literatures, even though imperfectly composed, are heard, sung and accepted by purified men who are thoroughly honest.]\nThat rubbish literature is compared with the enjoyable things of the crows, and spiritual literature, they are enjoyed by the white swans. [break] There is difference between the white swans. You have seen natural. They are also birds; crows are also birds. But you'll see white swans, they take pleasure in clear water where there are lilies, and they take nice pleasure there.\nAnd crows, they will go where you throw all rubbish things. They'll go there. You see nature. People say everyone is equal. How you can say equal? Even in the bird society there is no equality, in the animal society there is no equality. Then how you can make equality? On the material platform it is not possible. You have to come to the spiritual platform; then equality is possible.\nSo Vyāsadeva, he was liberated soul. So in clean heart, clean mind, he experienced, he saw the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and māyā, tad-apāśrayam, and māyā standing behind Him. Māyā is darkness. Māyā cannot stand before Kṛṣṇa, just like darkness cannot stand in front of the light.\nNow here is light. There is no darkness. In the back side you'll find some darkness. Is it not? Not in the front. So māyā cannot stand before Kṛṣṇa. Māyā stands behind Kṛṣṇa. So if you put always Kṛṣṇa, or if you are always Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then māyā cannot touch you.\nkṛṣṇa—sūrya-sama māyā haya andhakāra\nyāhāṅ kṛṣṇa tāhāṅ nāhi māyāra adhikāra\n[Cc. Madhya 22.31]\n[“Kṛṣṇa is compared to sunshine, and māyā is compared to darkness. Wherever there is sunshine, there cannot be darkness. As soon as one takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the darkness of illusion (the influence of the external energy) will immediately vanish.]\nSo Vyāsadeva, in clear consciousness, in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he saw Kṛṣṇa and this māyā. And what is this māyā? That is said, yayā sammohito jīva: that māyā which has enchanted all these conditioned souls. Yayā sammohito jīva ātmānam anarthaṁ manute [SB 1.7.5],\n[Due to this external energy, the living entity, although transcendental to the three modes of material nature, thinks of himself as a material product and thus undergoes the reactions of material miseries.]\nConsidering himself that \"I am material product.\" I am coming to this point. Those who are thinking that \"I am a material product,\" they're completely in darkness of māyā. Yayā, manute anarthaṁ tat-kṛtaṁ ca abhipadyate. And identifying himself with this body, they are acting in bodily consciousness and increasing their problems of life and conditional life in material existence. Horrible condition. Therefore Vyāsadeva says, anarthopaśamaṁ sākṣād bhakti-yogam adhokṣaje [SB 1.7.6]. \n[The material miseries of the living entity, which are superfluous to him, can be directly mitigated by the linking process of devotional service. But the mass of people do not know this, and therefore the learned Vyāsadeva compiled this Vedic literature, which is in relation to the Supreme Truth.]\nAnartha, this anartha, this misconception of life, if you want to discard this misconception of life, that \"I am this body,\" and you act according to that consciousness and suffer... This is your disease.\nNow if you want to get out of this disease, then sākṣād bhakti-yogam adhokṣaje: you just try to be in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Sākṣāt. Lokasyājānata. The rascal people, they do not know it. Therefore, vidvāṁś cakre sātvata-saṁhitām. Therefore vidvān. Vidvān means this learned scholar, Vyāsadeva, he prepared the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. \nLokasyājānata. The rascal people, they do not know. They are being carried off by this misconception that \"I am this body, and my body will be finished within so many years. Now I have got this chance, I have got my strong body, let me have sex life as far as possible, then finish it. Who knows where I am going, what is the path?\" You see?\nIt is dangerous civilization. Dangerous. And anyone who will come and say, \"Yes, you enjoy your senses and simply sit down for fifteen minutes, and you chant this one alphabet—bās. You finish your business.\" This is going on. Don't be misled in that way. Try to understand Bhagavad-gītā perfectly. You'll be happy in this life and next life.\nGo on.",
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"content": "\n \"According to the vaibhāṣika philosophy, the so-called soul, or ātmā, vanishes along with the deterioration of the body. So, in any case, whether Arjuna accepted the Vedic conclusion that there is an atomic soul or whether he did not believe in the existence of the soul, he had no reason for lamenting. According to this theory, since there are so many entities generating out of matter every moment, and so many of them are being vanquished at every moment, there is no need to grieve for such an incidence.\"",
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"content": "\n Yes. Material creation, just like bubbles in the ocean. You have seen, standing on the bank of the Pacific Ocean, oh, so many thousands of bubbles created in a second, and again thousands of bubbles gone in a second. Now, who is crying there? \"Oh, so many bubbles were created, and they are gone, they are gone, they are gone.\" [laughter] It is nonsense. [laughs]\nSo Kṛṣṇa is very nicely giving argument that \"If you think there is no soul—it is being manufactured by the interaction of the physical element—so it is just like bubbles in the ocean. So many bubbles are created and destroyed every moment. So what is there cause of lamentation? What is your reason?\"\nThen?",
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"content": "\n \"However...\"",
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"content": "\n Just like modern people, they are after peace, stopping war. And suppose you stop war. Can you stop death? Then why you are after stopping war? Why you forget your real business? They are after stopping war. And suppose war is stopped, nobody takes to war anymore. Now, how you'll stop the war of this material nature?\nShe is fighting always with you. From the beginning of your birth she is fighting. A child is born, and the material nature is killing this child every moment. The child has grown, two years old. That means material nature has already killed this child for two years. How you can stop this? These nonsense, they do not consider these cases.\nSuppose if I stop war—there will be no more war, no more disease. No more disease cannot be possible. You can make by some way no more war. That is also not possible. Anyway, if you stop it by the efforts of the United Nation, a very large organization, then how you are going to stop death? What is your proposition? There is no, nothing. So what is the use of stopping war?\nSuppose in the war some young men die. That's all right. So many young men die within the hospital in the disease. And sometimes old men, they do not die even in the war. So life and death is not in your hand. You don't think that stopping this or increasing this, you'll be able to stop all inconveniences.\nJust take, for example, this boy, Bīrabhadra, was struck by a car. All right, he was in the street. But another boy, he fell on the staircase and broke his leg. He was at home; he met accident. So how you can stop this, the onslaught of material nature? Everywhere, either you are at home or you are outside; either you are young, you are old; either you are scientist or philosopher—whatever you are, the material nature will not allow you to live in peaceful condition. That is her business. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā [Bg. 7.14].\n[This divine energy of Mine, consisting of the three modes of material nature, is difficult to overcome. But those who have surrendered unto Me can easily cross beyond it.]\nYou cannot live peacefully, that is not possible. The only peaceful condition is that you become in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. There is no other alternative. Kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā [Cc. Ādi 17.21].\n[”’In this Age of Kali there is no other means, no other means, no other means for self-realization than chanting the holy name, chanting the holy name, chanting the holy name of Lord Hari.’]\nLord Caitanya clearly says, \"There is no other alternative, no other alternative, no other alternative.\" It is not that our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is one of the so many movements. No. It is the only one movement that can give peace and life and prosperity to the people.\nYes.",
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"content": "\n \"However, since he was not risking rebirth of the soul, Arjuna had no reason to be afraid of being affected with sinful activities due to his killing grandfather and teacher. But at the same time, Kṛṣṇa sarcastically addressed Arjuna as mahā-bāhu, mighty-armed, because He, at least, did not accept the theory of the vaibhāṣikas, which leaves aside the Vedic wisdom. [break] Arjuna belonged to the Vedic culture, and it behooved him that he continue to follow its principles.\"\nTwenty-seven...",
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"content": "\n He is, as a friend, He's criticizing that \"You are professing to be followers of Vedic culture, and you are accepting some nonsense culture. That is not good for you.\" All right, stop there.\nSo you read carefully Bhagavad-gītā. Everything is there. Every word, every line is so, I mean to say, instructive. It is simply... That is the basic principle of spiritual knowledge. Now we have presented. Every one of you should very carefully read. Every one of you must have one book and read it carefully and appear in the examination next Janmāṣṭamī. You'll get designation, [chuckles] Bhakti-śāstrī. Yes.\nSo any question? Now invite people to come here. We have got now a nice place. What do you think?",
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"content": "\n Wow. That will be very nice. It will be a great pleasure to invite people here.",
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"content": "\n Yes. And have meeting. On Love Feast day, supply them kṛṣṇa-prasādam. Invite some prominent gentlemen to preside over, to become our chief guest. And in this way make propaganda. And put signboards all through the street with electric light, make the gardens very nicely. This is service. Now you have got the chance to serve. Do it. Here is a chance.\nWe are... Whether a man understands Kṛṣṇa philosophy or not, we don't care for it. Of course, if he understands, it is a great pleasure for us. But we are working on behalf of Kṛṣṇa, on behalf of Lord Caitanya. That should be our philosophy. Don't be disappointed that the whole day you work, you got no collection, and nobody was interested in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. No. Don't be disappointed. You have worked sincerely the whole day, that is your credit. That's all. That's your credit.\nKṛṣṇa will see, bhāva-grāhī-janārdana.\n[The Lord accepts the essence of a devotee's attitude.]\nKṛṣṇa wants to see that how much you are spending your valuable life and energy for Kṛṣṇa. That's all. Don't be disappointed that many men are not coming here or we are very poorly pushing on. Never mind. Whatever Kṛṣṇa has given us, chance, let us utilize it. Now here is a chance, Kṛṣṇa has given us. We were searching after a place. Now I think you have got the best place. Better than that storefront or better than that Mel... Mel... What is called?",
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"content": "\n Melrose.",
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"content": "\n Melrose Avenue upstairs. It is very nice. So you organize it and let us see what Kṛṣṇa does. There is no question of disappointment. Yes?",
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"content": "\n Prabhupāda, what is a Manu, and how is a Manu the father of mankind, as it is stated in Bhagavad-gītā?",
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"content": "\n Yes, Manu is the name, and because mankind is born, therefore they are called manuṣya. Manuṣya, \"born of Manu.\" Manu is the name. Just like in some parts of England they are called Angels? In the past history, during the Roman occupation of England, they are known as Angels? You don't know?",
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"content": "\n Anglos?",
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"content": "\n Angles, yes.",
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"content": "\n Anglo-Saxon.",
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"content": "\n Yes. So from Anglos, they have become English. Similarly, Manu. Manu is the name of the son of Brahmā, Vaivasvata Manu. Just like Nārada is one of the sons. So there are so many sons. Brahmā was the original living being, so he created so many sons, and they created so many sons. In this way the population of the whole universe has increased. So Manu is one of the son.\nThere are fourteen Manus in one day of Brahmā. These things I have discussed many times. And the mankind, they come from Manu. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam, vivasvān manave prāha [Bg. 4.1].\n[The Blessed Lord said: I instructed this imperishable science of yoga to the sun-god, Vivasvān, and Vivasvān instructed it to Manu, the father of mankind, and Manu in turn instructed it to Ikṣvāku.]\nManu, this Manu, there are different Manus, fourteen Manus in one day. This present Manu under whom we are now living within this universe, he's the son of sun-god, Vivasvān. So he has got his different planet, as the sun has got different planet.\nSo his son Ikṣvāku was given this earthly planet to rule over, and from that generation, Mahārāja Ikṣvāku, Lord Rāmacandra appeared. In this way the kṣatriyas, they spread all over the world. I have several times said that most of the Europeans, they belong to the original kṣatriyas. So the human history has spread, not only in this planet, in many other planets.\nSo Manu is the father of mankind. From the word man... This is Latin? Latin word? Man? Sanskrit word is manuṣya, from Manu, that is \"man.\" So Manu is accepted as the father of the mankind in Sanskrit literature. And in Bible it is said the man is made after God.\nSo actually, Brahmā is the son of Viṣṇu, and Manu is the son of Brahmā, and we are also son of Manu in different aspect. So gradually, if you go up, God comes to be our original father. And we say also, God is the original father. And the history, Vedic history, also says like that.\nSo God... Because we have got form, therefore God has form, must be. Just like my father had form, so I have got this form. This is commonsense knowledge. How my father can be impersonal? Unless my father was a person, how I am a person? If God is the original father, He must be a person.\nOtherwise how we are person? These are commonsense knowledge. There is no need of very great knowledge. A child can understand. How you can say God is imperson? If God is the father, original, then how He can be imperson? What do you say? Can anybody say, \"Yes, He can be imperson in this way\"?\nGod cannot be imperson. He is person. And we get so many information. Kṛṣṇa says Himself that \"In the past I was a person, you were a person, and all these men who have assembled here in the battlefield, they are also persons. We existed in the past as persons, and we shall continue to exist as individual persons.\" So at least we cannot, we Vaiṣṇava followers of Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavata, we cannot accept, neither there is any reason behind it. What do you think? Huh?",
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"content": "\n I agree.",
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"content": "\n Yes. Anyone who does not agree? Where is Aravinda? He sometimes does not agree.",
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"content": "\n He's minding your house.",
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"content": "\n [laughs] All right. What is that?",
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"content": "\n There are people not here who don't agree, who say God can be realized as a clear light or an abstract anathema.",
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"content": "\n That is for the less intelligent. Less intelligent. Just like from a distant place, if you see that a railway engine is coming, you'll see the light. So a rascal will say, \"A light is coming.\" [laughter] But one who knows, he will say, \"A train is coming.\" So it is less intelligent. That's all. A rascal will say light is coming. That's all. So they are all rascals. They have no sufficient knowledge. What do you think?",
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"content": "\n Yes.",
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"content": "\n Yes. Tell them that \"You are all rascals.\" [laughter] \"You just come and learn here from us. Then you say what is God. You have no knowledge.\" Just like somebody says that the sunlight, the dazzling sunlight.\nClear sun planet is there. And because they cannot enter even in the moon planet, how they can enter in the sun planet? If they enter sun planet, they will find that there is a person whose bodily effulgence is this sunlight. Similarly, the original person, Kṛṣṇa, has got His effulgence. We get information from Brahma-saṁhitā, yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi [Bs. 5.40].\n[I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, whose effulgence is the source of the nondifferentiated Brahman mentioned in the Upaniṣads, being differentiated from the infinity of glories of the mundane universe appears as the indivisible, infinite, limitless, truth.]\nJust like the sun-god is diffusing the effulgence of his bodily light in this universe, in one universe, similarly, the original person, He is diffusing that light.\nSo those who are less intelligent, they simply can see that light; therefore they say light. But in the Vedic literature there is information that you have to search out the Supreme Person penetrating the light. In the Īśopaniṣad it says, \"My dear Lord, please wind up this effulgent light so that I can see Your face actually.\" That is stated in the Vedic literature.\nSo originally the Absolute Supreme Truth is a person. If you want proof from Vedas, there is proof. Bhagavad-gītā is proof. Why should we accept a third-class man who is speaking something against? Is that man greater than Kṛṣṇa? Then why shall I talk about him? He's not important even an ordinary man. We shall treat all these persons less intelligent, foolish. They have no perfect knowledge of the Absolute Truth. What do you think?",
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"content": "\n The world needs Kṛṣṇa consciousness.",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\n Huh?",
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"content": "\n The world has never had anything like Kṛṣṇa consciousness.",
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"content": "\n Yes. They do not know. Less intelligent. Ajānam. This very word is used in the Śrīmad... Ajānata... Jānata means with knowledge. A-jāna, \"a\" is negative. Without any knowledge. And in the Bhagavad-gītā you'll see that bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate [Bg. 7.19].\n[After many births and deaths, he who is actually in knowledge surrenders unto Me, knowing Me to be the cause of all causes and all that is. Such a great soul is very rare.]\nThese less intelligent class of men, they are searching after the Absolute Truth. That is also creditable. They are searching. But they have not come to the right point. The right point is here, as Kṛṣṇa says, that \"After many, many births of research work, when he actually becomes a wise man, he surrenders unto Me,\" vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti [Bg. 7.19], that \"Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṇa, is everything.\" That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā.\nSo ultimate knowledge means to understand the Supreme Person. What is the value if somebody has studied very elaborately the sunshine, but he has no access to enter into the sun planet or to understand the sun-god within? Is it a very enlightenment? Suppose the sunshine is all-pervading the universe. One has studied the sunshine very nicely. That man, and one has entered the sun planet and seen the sun-god, who is better? Who is better?",
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"content": "\n That man who has the knowledge.",
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"content": "\n Yes. Who has entered the sun planet and seen the sun-god, he is better. This is common sense. So, you will have more kīrtana? All right. [devotees offer obeisances]\n[aside:] Jayānanda told me that is very cold. So you are enjoying? Not at all cold?\n[kīrtana] [end]",
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https://vedabase.io/en/library/transcripts/680328sb-san-francisco/
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[
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"content": "\nReading from Śrīla Prabhupāda's First\nPublished Bhāgavatam from India",
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"content": "\n ...Śrīmad-Bhāgavata, concerning \"Description of Incarnations of Godhead.\" [break]\nTranslation: \"Sūta said, In the beginning of the creation the Lord first of all expanded Himself in the universal form of puruṣa incarnation primarily with all the ingredients of material creation. And thus at first there was the creation of the sixteen principles of material action. This was on the intention of creating the material universe.\" [SB 1.3.1]\n[Sūta said: In the beginning of the creation, the Lord first expanded Himself in the universal form of the puruṣa incarnation and manifested all the ingredients for the material creation. And thus at first there was the creation of the sixteen principles of material action. This was for the purpose of creating the material universes.]\nPurport. \"As it is said in the Bhagavad-gītā that the Personality of Godhead Śrī Kṛṣṇa maintains these material universes by extending His part of plenary expansions, so this puruṣa form is the confirmation of the same principle. The original Personality of Godhead Vāsudeva, or Lord Kṛṣṇa, who is famous as the son of King Vasudeva or King Nanda, the very same Personality of Godhead is full with all opulences, all potencies, all fames, all beauties, all knowledge and all renunciations. Part of His opulences is manifested as impersonal Brahman, and part of His opulences is manifested as Paramātmā. This puruṣa feature of the same Personality of Godhead Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the original Paramātmā manifestation of the Lord.\n\"There are three puruṣa features in the matter of material creation, and this form, who is known as the Kāraṇodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, is the first of the three. The others are known as the Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu and the Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, which we shall know one after another.\"",
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"content": "\n These Viṣṇu, Kāraṇodakaśāyī, Garbhodakaśāyī and Kṣīrodakaśāyī, these are little technical. Try to understand. Now this universe, which you find just like a big ball, there are innumerable universes like this, and they are floating in water. That water is called Causal Ocean.\nSo that Causal Ocean there is, I mean to say, completely in the whole ocean, big gigantic body is lying down there. That is known as Kāraṇodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. The Viṣṇu in that gigantic form is sleeping within the water of that Causal Ocean, and by His inhaling and exhaling, breathing, there are bubbles. And those bubbles are manifested as universes. This is stated in Brahma-saṁhitā: \nyasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya\njīvanti loma-vilajā jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ\n[Bs. 5.48]\n[Brahmā and other lords of the mundane worlds, appearing from the pores of hair of Mahā-Viṣṇu, remain alive as long as the duration of one exhalation of the latter [Mahā-Viṣṇu]. I adore the primeval Lord Govinda of whose subjective personality Mahā-Viṣṇu is the portion of portion.]\nThat breathing, exhaling and inhaling... Just like we also do that. So we have inherited that exhaling-inhaling, from that Viṣṇu.\nSo how these brahmāṇḍas, or universes, each of them has a predominate deity. He is called Brahmā. Brahmāṇḍa, the master of this brahmāṇḍa, is called Brahmā. The duration of this Brahmā, duration of life, is only the inhaling and exhaling period of Mahā-Viṣṇu. When He's exhaling, all the brahmāṇḍas are coming in existence. And when He's inhaling, they're all vanquished. This process is going on. And the Supreme Person who is doing this, I mean to say, creation and dissolution, He is called Mahā-Viṣṇu.\nviṣṇur mahān sa iha yasya kalā-viśeṣo\ngovindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi\n[Bs. 5.48]\nSo the reference is in the Brahma-saṁhitā that that Mahā-Viṣṇu is also part and parcel of Govinda, Kṛṣṇa. Just try to understand what is Kṛṣṇa.\nThen? Go on.",
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"content": "\n \"The innumerable universes are generated from skinholes of this Kāraṇodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, and in each one of the universes the Lord enters as Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu.\"",
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"content": "\n Again, after creation of the universes, He enters each and every universe. This universe is filled with water, half. What you are seeing, that is half only. And half is filled with water. In that water Viṣṇu again lying, expanding. This is Viṣṇu's power. He can expand in innumerable identities. That is also confirmed in the Brahma-saṁhitā: advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam [Bs. 5.33]. \n[I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who is inaccessible to the \nVedas,\n but obtainable by pure unalloyed devotion of the soul, who is without a second, who is not subject to decay, is without a beginning, whose form is endless, who is the beginning, and the eternal \npuruṣa;\n yet He is a person possessing the beauty of blooming youth.]\nAnanta means unlimited, and rūpa means forms. He's expanding in unlimited number of forms. We are also expansion of His form. These jīvas, the living entities... He is expanding in two ways: svāṁśa and vibhinnāṁśa. Svāṁśa means Viṣṇu. One extension, expansion, is just directly He Himself. And another expansion is separated from Him. That separated from Him we are.\nWe living entities, we are also vibhinnāṁśa. We are also part and parcel, but we are separated. Therefore we haven't got the full potency of God. We have got potencies of God. The six potencies, namely opulence, fame, strength, beauty, knowledge and renunciation, we have also got these in minute quantity. Whatever we see here, the richest man in the world, that is only minute particle of the richness of God. Because we are part and parcel, minute part and parcel, therefore we have got all the opulences in minute form.\nJust like gold and a minute particle of gold. Chemically analyze the small particle of gold has got all the composition as the original big gold. A drop of seawater... Chemically, the drop of seawater has got all the composition as the big seawater. Similarly, we have got all the qualities of God, but in minute quantity. That is the difference between God and ourselves. Or in other words, you can study God also by studying yourself. Whatever propensities you have got, that is also there in God. Everything. Otherwise, wherefrom it comes? Because I am part and parcel, if I have got all these propensities, naturally, in full and without any inebriety, those things are present in God.\nTake, for example, our love, what you call love. Of course, it is perverted reflection of love. Several times I've repeated. In this material world there is nothing like love. It is only..., everything perverted reflection of love. Just like you have got affection for children. That is there also, but that is without any inebrieties. Here also the same man and woman, male and female, there is attraction between one another. Similarly there is also: Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. But there is no inebriety. That is full, and that is perfect. Here it is imperfect due to material contamination.\nSo everything, whatever we have got, Kṛṣṇa has also got that thing. But in Kṛṣṇa it is in perfection; in us, in our conditional state of life, it is imperfect. So if we dovetail ourselves with Kṛṣṇa, then our all these propensities become perfect. The same example as I have given repeatedly, that a car is running at seventy-mile speed; a cyclist catches the car, he also runs in seventy-miles speed, although the cycle hasn't got such speed. Similarly, although we are minute particle of God, if we dovetail ourselves with the consciousness of God, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then we become equally spirit. This is the technique.\nGo on.",
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"content": "\n \"In the Bhagavad-gītā this is also mentioned that the material world is created at certain intervals, and then again it is destroyed. This creation and destruction is done by the Supreme Will on account of the conditioned souls, or the nitya-baddha living beings.\"",
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"content": "\n Nitya-baddha. This word is also technical. Nitya-baddha means ever-conditioned. There are nitya-muktas. Nitya-mukta means ever-liberated. In the spiritual world, there are also innumerable living entities. The... This material world is only one-fourth manifestation of Kṛṣṇa's energy, God's energy. And the three-fourths energy is manifested in the spiritual world. So we can just imagine that in one-fourth manifestation of energy of the Lord, we are so many living entities which is impossible to count. Now you can imagine how many more living entities are there. But here, we are conditioned, and they are liberated.\nThose who are conditioned, they are called nitya-baddha, ever-conditioned. Nitya-baddha means we do not know when our this conditional stage has begun. It is impossible to trace out the history. But we are conditioned. There is no doubt about it. Conditioned means no freedom. No freedom. As spirit soul we are free, sarva-ga. We can go everywhere, anywhere. Even those who get some mystic powers by perfection of yoga practice, they can also exhibit some powers. So why? As we become free from material conditions, our original freedom comes.\nSo one of the qualification of the spirit soul is sarva-ga. Sarva-ga means he can go anywhere and everywhere. But because we are conditional stage, we are trying so much to go to the moon planet, we cannot go. But Nārada, because he is free, he has got full spiritual body, he can go anywhere he likes.\nGo on.",
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"content": "\n \"The nitya-baddha, or the eternally conditioned souls, have the sense of individuality, or ahaṅkāra, which dictates them for sense enjoyment, which they are unable to have constitutionally. The Lord is the only enjoyer, and all others are enjoyed. The living beings are predominated enjoyer. But the eternally conditioned souls, forgetful of this constitutional position, have strong aspiration for enjoying.\nThis chance of enjoying the matter is given to the conditioned souls in the material world, and side by side they are given the chance of understanding the real constitutional position. Those fortunate living entities who catch up the truth and surrender unto the lotus feet of Vāsudeva after many many births in the material world become one of the eternally liberated souls and thus are allowed to enter into the kingdom of Godhead. After...\"",
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"content": "\n We can also become one of them, eternally liberated. But we are not admitted in the spiritual kingdom unless we have given up this false sense of lording it over the material nature. Here, the conditioned souls, everyone is trying to become the lord, imitating. Everyone is trying. But there is clash. You are trying to become lord, I am trying to become lord. Therefore there is clash. In the spiritual world the Lord is one, and there is no competition of lording it over. Therefore in the spiritual world everything is unconditioned, freedom.\nYes, go on.",
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"content": "\n \"After this, such fortunate living entities have no more to come within the occasional material creation. But those who cannot catch up the constitutional truth are again kept merged in the mahat-tattva at the time of annihilation of the material creation. When the creation is again set up, this mahat-tattva is again let loose, and this mahat-tattva contains all the ingredients of material manifestations, including the conditioned souls. Primarily this mahat-tattva is divided into sixteen parts, namely the five gross material elements and the eleven working instruments, or senses.\"",
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"content": "\n Five elements means the sky, air, then fire, water and earth. And five senses acquiring knowledge, just like eyes, ear, tongue, smelling. We are acquiring knowledge by these. And working five senses, hands, legs, the genital, and in this way there are five working senses and five knowledge-acquiring senses, and mind is the center. Therefore eleven. Eleven plus five elements equal to sixteen.\nGo on.",
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"content": "\n \"It is like the cloud in the clear sky. In the spiritual sky, the effulgence of Brahman is spread all around, and the whole system is dazzling in spiritual light. The mahat-tattva is assembled in some corner of the that vast, unlimited spiritual sky, and the part which is thus covered by the mahat-tattva is called the material sky. This part of the ma...\"",
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"content": "\n This is also very important. The sky is one. Just like we can experience the sky, and suppose the sky on San Francisco is overcast with cloud. We say that then we are covered in cloud. Practically this San Francisco sky is only a fragmental portion of the whole sky. Similarly, the real sky is that spiritual sky, paravyoma. When that paravyoma partially is clouded with mahat-tattva, that is called material world. This is the position of material world. Material world is also existing in the spiritual world, but it is covered and in a fragmental segment.\nYes.",
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"content": "\n \"This part of the spiritual sky, called the mahat-tattva, is only an insignificant portion of the whole spiritual sky, and within this mahat-tattva there are innumerable universes. All these universes collectively is produced by the Kāraṇārṇavaśāyī Viṣṇu, called also the Mahā-Viṣṇu, who simply throws His glance only to impregnate the material sky to manifest.\"\nText 2. Translation: \"Another plenary part of the puruṣa is lying down within the water of the universe from the navel lake of His body, which has sprouted the lotus stem (which is the body of the universe), and on the top, from the lotus flower, Brahmā, the master of all engineers of the universe, is generated.\"\nPurport: \"The first puruṣa is the Kāraṇodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. From the skinholes of Him, innumerable universes have sprung up. In each and every one of them the puruṣa enters as the Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. He is lying in half portion of the universe full with water of His body. And from the navel of Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu has sprung up the stem of the lotus flower, the birthplace of Brahmā, who is the father of all living beings and the master of all the demigod engineers engaged in the matter of perfect design and working of the universal order.\n\"Within the stem of the lotus there are fourteen divisions of planetary system, and the earthly planets are situated in the middle. Upwards there are other, better planetary systems, and the topmost system is called Dharmaloka, or the Satyaloka. Downwards the earthly planetary system there are seven downwards planetary systems domiciled by the asuras and similar other most materialistic living beings. From this Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu there is expansion of the Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, who is the collective Paramātmā of all living beings. He is called Hari, and from Him all incarnations within the universes are expanded.\"",
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"content": "\n Yes. This Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu is the father of Brahmā, who has created all these innumerable planets. And in one of the planets there is Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. In that planet the ocean is of milk. There are different kinds of ocean, as we get information from Vedic literature. As we have got here the ocean of water, similarly there is ocean of milk, there is ocean of oil, there is... Just like you have got oil within earth, similarly in those planets there are oil ocean, milk ocean. So there is one planet within this universe which has got ocean of milk. And in that milk ocean there is another Viṣṇu, who is called Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. Kṣīra means milk, and udaka means water.\nGo on.",
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"content": "\n \"Therefore, the conclusion is that the puruṣa-avatāra is manifested in three features, namely first the Kāraṇodakaśāyī, who creates aggregate material ingredients in the mahat-tattva; second the Garbhodakaśāyī, who enters in each and every universe; and third the Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, who is the Paramātmā of every material object, organic or inorganic.\"",
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"content": "\n This Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu is in everyone's heart. He is also sitting with me in the heart. I, as spirit soul, I am sitting there, and Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu as Paramātmā, as guiding Supersoul, He is also sitting in the same position. One is... It is stated in the Upaniṣad that two birds are sitting in one tree. One bird is eating the fruit, and the other bird is simply witnessing. So Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu as Paramātmā, He is witnessing the activities of the individual soul. And according to the activities of the individual soul, He is getting the necessary result. He is witness.\nIn the Bhagavad-gītā also it is confirmed, anumantā, upadraṣṭā. Upadraṣṭā means witness. Suppose you are doing something. I have nothing to do with your activities, but I can see, I am seeing what you are doing. So He is upadraṣṭā. And anumantā. Anumantā means the individual soul cannot do anything without the sanction of the Supersoul. Either you may do something good or bad, but it has to be taken sanction from the Supersoul. Just like there is a English version, that \"Not a grass moves without the sanction of God.\" So without sanction of God, we cannot do anything.\nYou may say that when we do something bad, why God gives us sanction? God does not give us sanction, but we force Him to give us sanction. Therefore He gives us sanction. Otherwise, He does not give sanction. But because we want to do it persistently, so God gives us sanction: \"All right. You can do it. And you have to enjoy or suffer the result.\" Therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā, the last instruction is that sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja [Bg. 18.66]:\n[Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reaction. Do not fear.]\n\"Don't try to do according to your whims. You just surrender unto Me, abide by Me. Then I shall give you all protection. But if you want to do according to your own whims, and if you do not hear Me, what can I do? You do that and enjoy the result.\"\nSuppose a foolish boy is trying to touch fire. Father says, \"Don't do it.\" In spite of that, if the foolish boy does it, his hand is burned. So father is not responsible. He says, \"Don't do it.\" But the child does it out of ignorance and suffers. Similarly, the sanction of God is there as we persist on it: \"I want this. I want this.\" Just as a child sometimes cries and the mother is obliged to sanction, similarly, God is very kind. If we persist on doing something, He gives us sanction. But the result you have to suffer or enjoy.\nGo on.",
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"content": "\n \"One who knows these plenary features of the Personality of Godhead knows also Him [Godhead] properly, and thus the knower becomes freed from the material conditions of birth, death, old age and diseases, as it is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā.\n\"In this śloka the subject matter of Mahā-Viṣṇu is summarized. The Mahā-Viṣṇu lies down in some part of the spiritual sky by His own free will, and thus He does lie on the ocean of kāraṇa, from where He glances over His material nature, and the mahat-tattva is at once created. Thus electrified by the power of the Lord, the material nature creates at once innumerable universes, just like in due course a tree is decorated with innumerable grown-up fruits all at a time. The seed of the tree is sown by the cultivator, and the tree or creeper in due course becomes manifested with so many fruits. Nothing can take place without a cause. The kāraṇa ocean is therefore called the Causal Ocean. Kāraṇa means causal.\n\"We should not foolishly accept the theory of creation, by the atheist, without any cause. The description of such atheists is given in the Bhagavad-gītā. The atheist does not believe in the creator, neither he can give any good explanations of the theory of creation. Material nature has no power to create...\"",
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"content": "\n The atheist class of men, they do not agree to accept that this material world is created by God. They give some reason of their own way of thinking, and most of the arguments are \"perhaps like this, perhaps like this, perhaps like this.\" What is this nonsense, \"perhaps\"? Is that science? \"Perhaps\"? So they have no sufficient reason that there is no creator.\nIn everything, we find there is a creator. Anything you take. Take for example this table. There is a creator. Somebody has manufactured it. Or this microphone, somebody has created it. Anything you take, you have to find out some creator. And such a vast, gigantic thing, going on so nicely and punctually... The sun is rising punctually, the moon is rising punctually, the fortnight is going on, the season is coming punctually—everything. And why there should be no creator or no superintendent? That answer is there in the Bhagavad-gītā. Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram [Bg. 9.10]:\n[This material nature is working under My direction, O son of Kuntī, and it is producing all moving and unmoving beings. By its rule this manifestation is created and annihilated again and again.]\n\"Under My superintendence.\" So if you accept this, then the whole problem is solved. But if we don't accept it, then we have to speculate. But we never to come to the right conclusion, how this creation began. That is not possible to understand by such way.\nGo on.",
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"content": "\n \"Material nature has no power to create without the power of the puruṣa, as much as a prakṛti, or woman, cannot produce any child without the connection of a puruṣa. The puruṣa impregnates, and the prakṛti delivers. We should not expect milk from the fleshy bags in the neck of the goat, although they look like breastly nipples. Similarly, we should not expect any creative power from the material ingredients. We must believe in the power of the puruṣa who impregnates the prakṛti, or nature.\n\"And because the Lord wished for lying down in meditation, the material energy created innumerable universes also at once, and in each of them the Lord lay Himself down, and thus all the planets and the different paraphernalia was created at once by the will of the Lord. The Lord has unlimited potencies, and as such He can perform as He likes in perfect planning, although personally He has nothing to do and nobody is greater or equal to Him.\"",
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"content": "\n In the Bible also it is said, \"God said, 'Let there be creation,' and there was creation.\" That means God is the origin of creation.\nYes. Go on.",
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"content": "\n \"That is the verdict of Veda.\"\nText 3. Translation: \"It is conceived that all the universal planetary system are situated on the extensive bodily features of the puruṣa, but He has nothing to do with the created material ingredients.\"",
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"content": "\n This is universal form of the Lord, virāṭ-puruṣa. Here is also. This is more or less imaginary. But virāṭ-puruṣa... Just like Arjuna was shown the virāṭ-puruṣa, universal form. That is not eternal. That was causal, or temporary; for the time being it was shown to Arjuna.\nYes.",
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"content": "\n \"His body is eternally in spiritual existence par excellence.\"\nPurport: \"The conception of virāḍ-rūpa or viśva-rūpa of the Supreme Absolute Truth is specially meant for the neophyte materialist, who can hardly think of the transcendental form of the Personality of Godhead. To them a form means something of this material world, and as such an opposite conception of the Absolute is necessary for them in the beginning to concentrate their mind in the power extension of the Lord.\n\"As stated above, the Lord extends His potency in the form of mahat-tattva, which includes all material ingredients. The extension of power by the Lord and the Lord Himself personally are one in one sense, but at the same time the mahat-tattva is different also from the Lord. Therefore the potency of the Lord and the Lord are nondifferent. The conception of the virāḍ-rūpa, specially for impersonalist, is thus nondifferent from the eternal form of the Lord. This eternal form of the Lord exists prior to the creation of the mahat-tattva, and it is stressed here that the eternal form of the Lord...\"",
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"content": "\n Just like in the Bible it is said, \"God said, 'Let there be creation.' \" That means before the creation, before this material creation, God was there. And the material... There was nothing material. Therefore, God's body cannot be material, because He existed before the creation of matter. So before creation of matter, there was nothing like matter, though God was there. Therefore conclusion is that God has no material body. He spoke, \"Let there be creation.\" \"He spoke\" means He's a person; otherwise how He can speak? But His personality is not material, because when He spoke, there was no material creation.\nTherefore the persons with less intelligence, they cannot understand that God's body is not matter. They think that anything has got a body is matter. But that is not the case. The real thing is that God has got body, but not material body. And it is confirmed in the Brahma-saṁhitā that īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ [Bs. 5.1].\n[Kṛṣṇa who is known as Govinda is the Supreme Godhead. He has an eternal blissful spiritual body. He is the origin of all. He has no other origin and He is the prime cause of all causes.]\nHis body is eternal, full of bliss and full of knowledge. Just opposite. You have got this body which is neither eternal, nor full of bliss, nor full of knowledge. This body is full of ignorance and full of miseries and temporary. Therefore God hasn't got a body like this.\nWhen in the Vedic literature it is said that God has no body, that does not mean that He has no body. He has no body like this body, material body. Apāni-pādo javana gṛhīta [Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 3.19].\n[The Supreme Lord has no material hands and feet but accepts whatever is offered to Him and moves very quickly. The Supreme Person has no material ears and eyes but sees and hears everything. He is the knower of everything, and He is all that is to be known. It is said that He is the best and the greatest of all persons.]\nThe Vedic literature says like this, that God has no leg, no hand. Therefore the impersonalists take advantage of it: \"Oh, here it is stated God has no leg, no hand.\" But the next line is, javana gṛhīta: \"He can accept everything which you offer Him in devotion.\"\nNow how He can accept? If He has no hand, how He can accept things from us? That means He hasn't got a hand like us. His hand is different. Therefore even though He is situated in the spiritual world, which is far, far away from us, still, He says in the Bhagavad-gītā, it is said,\ntad ahaṁ bhakty-upahṛtam\naśnāmi prayatātmanaḥ\npatraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ\nyo me bhaktyā prayacchati\n[Bg. 9.26]\n[If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, fruit or water, I will accept it.]\nKṛṣṇa says that \"A little flower or little water or a little leaf, whatever My devotee offers Me in love and devotion, I accept it.\" And tad ahaṁ bhakty-upahṛtam: \"And because he has brought it with great devotion, therefore I eat.\" Tad ahaṁ bhakty-upahṛtam aśnāmi. Aśnāmi means \"I eat.\"\nNow you can say, \"All right, I'll offer these fruits and flowers to God, but it is the same. It is remaining. How He is eating?\" But His eating is not like my eating, because He hasn't got a body like this. This body is material. If you bring me a plate of fruits, this body immediately swallows it. But He has got spiritual body. He eats... Simply as soon as He knows that you have offered it in devotion, He eats immediately.\nSo these are, I mean to say, technical of understanding, and we can know it from Vedic literatures. Just like in the Vedas it is said, pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya pūrṇam evāvaśiṣyate [Īśo Invocation].\n[The Personality of Godhead is perfect and complete, and because He is completely perfect, all emanations from Him, such as this phenomenal world, are perfectly equipped as complete wholes. Whatever is produced of the Complete Whole is also complete in itself. Because He is the Complete Whole, even though so many complete units emanate from Him, He remains the complete balance.]\nWe cannot imagine. Pūrṇam means full. If you take full from the full, still, the balance is full. That is the spiritual calculation. Just like if you have got hundred dollars and I take hundred dollars from you, still you have got hundred dollars. This is beyond material conception. Here, one minus one equal to zero, and in the spiritual world, one minus one equal to one. Here one plus one equal to two, and in the spiritual world, one plus one equal to one.\nSo these things are very subtle. As you make progress in spiritual understanding... Just like how Kṛṣṇa can eat from such a distant place? No. Kṛṣṇa is everywhere. He's within you. So His eating process is different, because His body is spiritual. Pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya [Īśo Invocation]. He can take the whole thing; still, one minus one equal to one. Still, the... Pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya pūrṇam evāvaśiṣyate. What is your question?",
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"content": "\n I was going to ask if the rose-colored light that we see around the food when it's being offered up...",
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"content": "\n You can ask after we have finished all these things. Not within the lecture you cannot ask. What is that?",
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"content": "\n \"...the eternal form of the Lord is par excellence spiritual or transcendental to the modes of this material nature. The very same transcendental form of the Lord is manifested by His internal potency, and the formation of His multifarious manifestation of incarnations are always of the same transcendental quality, without any touch of the mahat-tattva.\"\nText number 4...",
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"content": "\n That's all right. Now what is your question?",
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"content": "\n We offered food up one time to Kṛṣṇa.",
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"content": "\n Some fruit?",
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"content": "\n Yes, fruit, to Kṛṣṇa. And while we were offering it up, when we raised our head we looked at the food and we saw a rose-colored light that was vibrating all around the food. Is this how He eats?",
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"content": "\n [pause] He eats. How He eats, that you can understand when you make advancement to that stage. He eats. For the time being, you just take it for granted that He eats. How He eats, that is not possible, because you cannot see Him. And how can you see that how He is eating? So that requires spiritual vision, and we shall understand. But He eats, we take it. Because in the Bhagavad-gītā He says that \"I eat.\" Aśnāmi [Bg. 9.26]. \n[If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, fruit or water, I will accept it.]\nAśnāmi means \"I eat.\" [end]",
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https://vedabase.io/en/library/transcripts/710203sb-gorakphur/
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[
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"content": "\n[introducing recording] On arrival in Gorakhpur, on the morning of the 3rd January [sic] '71, Śrīla Prabhupāda gives Bhāgavatam lecture.\nPrabhupāda\n:\n... uvāca\nparo mad-anyo jagatas tasthuṣaś ca\notaṁ protaṁ paṭavad yatra viśvam\nyad-aṁśato 'sya sthiti-janma-nāśā\nnasy otavad yasya vaśe ca lokaḥ\n[SB 6.3.12]\nYamarāja is describing about his superior, master. First qualification is that Yamarāja is the controller of an insignificant portion of the universal affairs. Just like there are departmental director, but the master of Yamarāja, He is controller of creation, maintenance and annihilation.\nOtaṁ protaṁ paṭavad yatra viśvam—this cosmic manifestation is just like thread woven this side and that side. Both sides there are threads, just as cloth there are two sides; both sides length and width, both sides there are the threads. Similarly, the whole cosmic manifestation, lengthwise and widthwise, the energy of the supreme master is working.\nIn the Bhagavad-gītā also it is said, sūtre maṇi-gaṇā iva [Bg. 7.7]. Just like in one thread there are beads or pearls woven, so Kṛṣṇa, or the Absolute Truth, is just like the thread, and everything, all planets or all globes, all universes, they are woven in a thread, and that thread is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa also says, ekāṁśena sthito jagat [Bg. 10.42]: in one-fourth energy, the whole material creation is resting.\nSimilarly, there is another statement in the Bhagavad-gītā:\naham sarvaṁ idaṁ tatam\njagad avyakta-mūrtinā\n[Bg. 9.4]\n\"I am spread by My energy, which is taken as impersonal Brahman.\" Aham sarvaṁ idaṁ tatam. Tatam means \"spread.\" Whatever we are seeing, that is spreading of the energy of the Supreme Lord. Just like this heat He is spreading. Heat expands. There are waves of heat and light, as you know, but the original source of the wave, I think we have given the picture, the wave of light is coming from the Vṛndāvana, Goloka Vṛndāvana. That is an idea. There are different waves.\nSo that wave is spreading all over. And that is confirmed in the Vedic literature: sarvaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma [Chāndogya Upaniṣad 3.14.1]. Īśāvāsyam idam sarvaṁ [Īśo mantra 1]. His energy is spread everywhere, parasya brahmaṇaḥ śaktih sarvedam akhilaṁ jagat [Viṣṇu Purāṇa 1.22.52]. That is in Viṣṇu Purāṇa. That is impersonal. The energy which is emanating from the Supreme Person, that is impersonal Brahman. Not that there is no more, I mean, superior than the Brahman. That is a mistake of the Māyāvādī school. They take that expansion of the brahmajyoti is final. But that is not final.\nWe get information from Bhagavad-gītā that brahmaṇo hi pratiṣṭhāham [Bg. 14.27]. This impersonal Brahman effulgence, which is spread everywhere, mayā tatam idaṁ sarvaṁ [Bg. 9.4]—although Kṛṣṇa says mayā, \"by Me,\" \"by Me\" does not mean that…, brahmajyoti means that Kṛṣṇa has become vanquished; there is no more Kṛṣṇa. The Māyāvādī philosophy is based on this understanding, that if the Absolute Truth is spread everywhere, so there is no question of the Absolute Truth becoming a person. They cannot adjust like that, although Kṛṣṇa personally says that brahmaṇo aham pratiṣṭhāham [Bg. 14.27]: \"I am the source, or the strength, or the platform from which the brahmajyoti is emanating.\"\nIt is not very difficult to understand. This fire is here, localized, but the heat is expanding, expands—parasya brāhmaṇaḥ śakti [Viṣṇu Purāṇa]. So although Kṛṣṇa's energies are spread everywhere, this does not mean Kṛṣṇa has become imperson. Why He should be imperson? We can see exactly in our daily experience that from sun globe immense light and heat is coming, and that is maintaining this universe.\nThis is only a portion of the illuminating energy of Kṛṣṇa, the sūryayoḥ. In Bhagavad-gītā it is said, prabhāsmi śaśi-sūryayoḥ [Bg. 7.8]. Prabhāsmi. Prabhā means the effulgence, the light. Śaśi-sūryayoḥ. It is not that… So śaśi means moon, and sūryayoḥ means the sun. They are not independently spreading this heat and light. They are simply reflection, reflection of the original of brahmajyoti.\nTherefore Yamarāja says that otaṁ protaṁ paṭavad yatra viśvam. Viśvam. What is this viśvam? The whole cosmic manifestation. There are living entities, and there are inert matter. Just like we are sitting here, so we are living entities, and this house is inert matter. So combined together we have created this city or this home, the creation of two energies. One energy is matter; another energy, living force. But both of them are energies of the Supreme Lord.\nThat is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā also: bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ buddhir mano eva ca prakṛtir me aṣṭadhā [Bg. 7.4], prakṛtir me bhinnā aṣṭadhā. These five elements—mind, intelligence and ego, gross and subtle matter—they are ingredients. But beyond this material energy there is another energy, Kṛṣṇa says:\njīva-bhūtāṁ mahā-bāho\nyayedaṁ dhāryate jagat\n[Bg. 7.5]\nThe jīva-bhūtāṁ, the living entities, they are utilizing this energy, but both of them energy. One of the energy appears to be creative, creating, and another energy is ingredient. You cannot create anything without ingredient. The material energies are ingredient, upādāna, upādāna. Upādāna-kāraṇa nimitta-kāraṇa [Cc. Ādi 6.16].\nSo both these energies are working. The example is given here just like in a cloth there are set up of two kinds of thread, one lengthwise and widthwise. Similarly, these two energies—material energy and the spiritual energy—are working the whole creation, otaṁ protaṁ. The one side, the lengthwise one thread, and widthwise one thread. So these two energies, they are working: otaṁ protaṁ paṭavad yatra viśvam. And Kṛṣṇa also confirms this:\nmayā tatam idaṁ sarvaṁ\njagad avyakta-mūrtinā\n[Bg. 9.4]\nYad-aṁśato 'sya sthiti-janma-nāśā [SB 6.3.12]. Sthiti-janma-nāśā. Just like there are different departments of government on the whole—the legislative department and the executive department, so similarly, in the kingdom of God, or Kṛṣṇa, there are different departments, and there are different departmental directors also. Here it is said that yad-aṁśato 'sya sthiti-janma-nāśā. Sthiti means maintenance, and janma means production. Sthiti-janma. And nāśā means annihilation.\nEverything in this material world, these three things are visible. Anything is produced, anything we take, it is produced at a certain time, then it is maintained for a certain time, and then it becomes annihilated again. Your body, my body, this world, this material world, this house—anything we take material. But there are controller or director for these department. The director and controller of creation, production, is Brahmā, and the director of maintenance is Viṣṇu, and the annihilator is Lord Śiva—Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Maheśa.\nBut these directors, they are not absolute; they are part and parcel. Just as we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, similarly the controller of material affairs, or the demigods, they are also part and parcel. They are not absolute. Yad-aṁśatah [SB 6.3.12]. They are simply… You can become Brahmā if you are so qualified. You can be posted as Brahmā, you can be posted as Śiva, but you cannot be posted as Viṣṇu. But you can derive power from Viṣṇu, and that is called śaktyāveśa-avatāra—dedicated power.\nSo Yamarāja says that yad-aṁśata asya. Asya means these big shots of this universe, Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Maheśvara. So they are different directors of three departments. And nasy otavad yasya vaśe ca lokaḥ. Nasy otavad—just like the bulls, there is a rope within their nose, and the cart-man simply moves his finger with that rope, and the bull turns this way, that way, goes straight, stops. Nasy otavad.\nSimilarly, we are also nasy otavad yasya vaśe ca lokaḥ. Lokaḥ means all these universes, planets or living entities, they are simply moving under the indication by the Supreme Lord. So, \"Go this way,\" we have to go this way. He says, \"This way,\" you have to go this way. Not directly, but as… He has nothing to do, but under His direction, na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate [Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 6.8].\nA very rich man, he is sitting down in one place, but by his direction big, big factories are going on. The manager of the factory, the workers in the factory, they are all working day and night under the direction of that proprietor. If it is possible in a small scale, so similarly the whole universal affairs are going on under the direction of the Supreme Lord—not that they are independently working.\nNothing can do independently. And His direction is so perfect that it is admitted in the Vedas:\nparāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate\nsvābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca\n[Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 6.8]\nI have several times explained that His direction is so perfect, and the energy by which He is working is so perfect, that it looks automatically being done. The so-called scientists with poor fund of knowledge, they are giving importance to the energy by saying these things are appearing automatically. But they do not enquire that behind the energy there is energetic.\nJust like this electric current, but behind all these electric activities, there is a powerhouse and there is an executive engineer. He is producing the electric energy from the powerhouse and diffusing it all over the city. But one who does not know, he thinks the light is powered automatically, the fan is going automatically. No.\nThat is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ [Bg. 9.10]. The materialistic scientists are giving importance to the movements, wonderful movements, of this material nature. Vairangha-śakti[?]. The material nature is going on, but there must be one śakti-mana who is possession of this, who is possessing this energy.\nSo it is foolish to know that things are going on automatically by natural activities. But that is not a fact. Here it is said that yasya vaśe ca lokaḥ. The example is given just like a bull. With the rope the cart-man drives according to his own wish. This is also explained in the Bhagavad-gītā:\nmattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca\nsarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭo\n[Bg. 15.15]\nThe Lord is as Paramātmā. He is sitting in everyone's heart, and as you wanted to do, you forget.\nSuppose a person, in his previous life, he wanted to be as powerful as a tiger. According to Muslim philosophy, they want strength like tiger. [indistinct] People think like that: \"If I become so powerful as a tiger, then I can attack any less powerful animal and I feed on it.\" But nature is so cruel, the tiger, the most of the days he will starve. Although he has got strength, he cannot get daily a prey. No. This is not possible. When he is too hungry, Kṛṣṇa gives a chance to prey.\nSo He gives. \"I wanted to be such and such,\" He gives me intelligence, He is so merciful. If you want to be as powerful as tiger, if you want to be a predominant businessman, He gives, ye yathā māṁ prapadyante [Bg. 4.11]. He gives opportunity, and He gives also chance to His devotee to go back to home, back to Godhead. He is giving chance to everyone. If you want to remain here, yānti bhūtejyā bhūtāni [Bg. 9.25]. If you want to remain in this material world and do hard work for sense gratification, that chance will be given to you. But if you want to go back to home, back to Godhead, that chance also will be given to you.\nNow, it is my selection. When they are entangled in this material activities, they accuse Kṛṣṇa: \"Why God has created somebody this, somebody that?\" No. God has not created; we have created. We wanted to become like this, so God has given us. Kṛṣṇa has given us this chance, \"All right, you become this.\" So it is my desire. He is called kalpataru—desire tree. Therefore we have to change our desire or purify our desire. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The desire is mine.\nSo the Māyāvādī philosopher says that \"You become desireless,\" vāsanā-śūnyaṁ. That is not possible. You cannot be desireless, because you are living entity. If your desire is finished, then you are also finished. How you can live? So this desire must be there, but you have to desire…, you have to purify your desire. That's all. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.\nThe materialist, or the conditioned soul, is desiring every moment—desiring for sense gratification. The same desire will continue; you have to change the course only, that you have to desire to gratify the sense of Kṛṣṇa. In our conditioned stage we desire to fulfill our senses, and in liberated stage we desire to fulfill..., to satisfy Kṛṣṇa's senses. The sense gratification is there. Desiring of sense gratification is there. In the material stage we simply desire to gratify our senses, and the liberated stage we try to…, we desire to fulfill the sense gratification of Kṛṣṇa.\nThat is the instruction from Bhagavad-gītā. Arjuna wanted in the beginning to fulfill his sense gratification. He thought that \"I shall be happy if my relatives are not killed.\" That is natural. If somebody comes, \"I would just like to kill your son immediately,\" would you like to abide by this order? \"Oh, why should I kill?\"\nBut Arjuna, he desired, or he agreed, to fulfill the sense gratification of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says that \"I am desiring this fight. If you don't fight, then still all these men who have assembled here, they will be killed. That plan is already made.\" That is Kṛṣṇa's desire.\nIn the Eleventh Chapter He says that, \" I have come, I have appeared to destroy all this.\" The destruction,\nparitrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ\nvināśāya ca duṣkṛtām\n[Bg. 4.8]\nSo he wanted to kill all the duṣkṛtām, and the Kurukṣetra fight was planned by Him. He wanted actually to destroy, because that was His business, paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām. And Arjuna, because he was His very, I mean to say, sincere friend and devotee, Kṛṣṇa wanted to give him the credit, that \"You fight, because personally I am not fighting. You fight, and the plan is already there that these people who have assembled in this battlefield, they will be all killed, and you will get the credit.\" That's all.\nJust like this preaching is going on in the Western countries, all over the world. This is desire of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. That is planned already by Him. So we are simply a little helping, that's all. So our devotional service means that whatever Kṛṣṇa, or God, desires, we should try to co-operate with Him. That is our perfection. You cannot do anything. He is doing everything. But if you simply co-operate with your desire, that is called devotional service.\nSo there is no question of becoming desireless. That is not possible also. That is another fault. By force you cannot stop. Just like a child, you cannot forcibly stop him, his activity, but if he is naughty, then you have to train him for being educated, and when he is educated he comes out a very nice scholar. Similarly, the people who have become nationalized, if proper chance is given to them, they will come out very nice devotees. That is the technology of spiritual science.\nSo our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is meant for that purpose, that people are desiring in so many ways for sense gratification—that desire has to be purified and employed in the matter of gratifying the senses of Kṛṣṇa. The Māyāvādī philosophers, they cannot understand this, because they think of the Absolute Truth without any senses. As soon as there is sensual activities, they think of, \"It is māyā.\" But they do not…, they cannot conceive that in the Absolute Truth there are senses and sense gratification. No. That they do not know.\nThank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa.\nTamāla Kṛṣṇa\n: Prabhupāda, you said that if the Naxalites are turned, they can become very nice devotees. So what qualification do they particularly have, which would make them good devotees?\nPrabhupāda\n: Simply they have to come and hear us, that's all. If they kindly come and hear us, and follow just like you have done, everything will be saved. We have to implore that \"Please come and sit down for some time and have some nice kīrtana, and hear some philosophical talks, and take Kṛṣṇa's prasādam, and go home.\" And then, in this way the whole world. [laughs] If they agree to come, then their whole thing is changed: no more destruction; only construction. That we have to do; that we have to implore. Dante nidhāya tṛṇakam—that is the teaching.\ndante nidhāya tṛṇakaṁ padayor nipatya\nkāku-śatam kṛtvā ca ahaṁ bravīmi\nhe sādhavaḥ sakalam eva vihāya dūrād\ncaitanya-candra-caraṇe kurutānurāgam\n[Caitanya-candrāmṛta]\nThis is written by Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī. \"Taking a blade of grass in my mouth,\" dante nidhāya tṛṇakaṁ, padayor nipatya, \"and falling down on your feet, and with folded hands,\" dante nidhāya tṛṇakaṁ, padayor nipatya kāku-śatam, \"and flattering you like anything, 'You are so nice, you are so great, you are so…,' \" kāku-śatam kṛtvā, \" 'I am just submitting one thing.' \"\nWhat is that? He sādhavaḥ, \" 'You are very nice, you are very honest gentleman, sādhavaḥ,' \" sakalam eva vihāya, \" 'Whatever you have learned, please set aside for a moment.' \" Caitanya-candra-caraṇe kurutānurāgam, \" 'Just turn your mind to the teachings of Lord Caitanya.' \"\nThis is our process. We don't say, \"Whatever you are doing, this is all nonsense, this is all…\" Simply try to make him hear, and give them the right knowledge. [indistinct] Because the medicine and the diet…, if there is disease, sickness, if you give him the proper medicine and proper diet, he will be cured. That's all. There is no doubt. The medicine is the harināma, and diet is kṛṣṇa-prasādam.\nSo you arrange for these two things, and the whole world will change. That is our movement. Give them this medicine, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, and give them diet, nice kṛṣṇa-prasādam—the same method by which you were captured. [laughs] [laughter] Is it not? What I did? I did not give you any bribe or any money taken from the Indian exchequer, but I gave you this little prasādam, one capātī, and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. [laughs] That is all.\nRevatīnandana\n: Śrīla Prabhupāda?\nPrabhupāda\n: Yes.\nRevatīnandana\n: You talked about the material nature, the inferior energy of the Lord, and we have become contaminated or entangled with this māyā, and then by devotional service we can purify ourselves from that entanglement. What is the process by which devotional service…?\nPrabhupāda\n: It is the same process that we are following: chanting.\nRevatīnandana\n: Is materialism destroyed, or converted to …\nPrabhupāda\n: No. Material energy is created by God.\nRevatīnandana\n: But in our devotional service, what happens to the material energy?\nPrabhupāda\n: Material energy, if you become a devotee, there is no more material energy—spiritual energy.\nRevatīnandana\n: But supposing…\nPrabhupāda\n: Just like I told you that \"Chant.\" People are singing. They are chanting so many things. Somebody is singing janda uncha rahe hamara. That is also singing, you see. But the same singing propensity, if you turn into \"Hare Kṛṣṇa,\" that is spiritual. There are so many slogans, \"jindabad jindabad jindabad,\" going on. You see? This is material. And soon as chant, the same energy turns into spiritual.\nActually, viṣṇu-śakti parā proktaḥ: whatever energy is emanating, coming… Just like the energy from the sun globe, it is simply heat and light. Similarly, the energy, flow of energy, which is emanating from God, that is all spiritual. In the same way, just like when the sun shines, there is generation of clouds. The cloud is also manufactured by the sunshine, but the effect is that when there is cloud, you cannot see the sun. Similarly, material energy is also creation of God, but when you are in the material energy, you cannot understand God. That's all.\nMaterial energy is also creation of God, just exactly the cloud is creation of sunshine. But one who is within the cloud, the cloud cannot cover the sun. The Māyāvādī philosopher, they say that māyā has covered the Supreme. No. The Supreme cannot be covered. The particles of the Supreme, the living entities, who are small particles of the…, they are covered. Just exactly like the sun: the cloud cannot cover the sun, but cloud can cover my eyes.\nSo if you remove this covering, then you see God immediately. And that is the process of religion.\nbhaktyā mām abhijānāti\nyāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ\n[Bg. 18.55]\nThat is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Simply by devotional service one can understand what is the nature of God. So you have to practice it, and our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is meant for that purpose. We are engaging people to practice how this cloud will be moved, and you will be able to see the Supreme.\npremāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena\nsantaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti\n[Bs. 5.38]\nThose who have developed that love of God by this devotional service, they always see Kṛṣṇa. Not a single moment is without seeing Kṛṣṇa. But those who are in the material darkness, they are doubting. They say that \"God is dead,\" \"There is no God,\" \"Can you show me God?\" This is all.\nSo this is a diseased condition. Just like a man haunted with ghost, he cannot see his father face to face. He sometimes rebukes his father. He will attack. \"Who are you? When are you coming, my son? If you are a madman or some such thing?\" You see? So this is the condition of madness. When one cannot understand God, then one should know this is condition of madness, ghostly-haunted.\npiśācī pāile yena mati-cchanna haya\nmāyā-grasta jīvera haya se bhāva udaya\n[Prema-vivarta]\nThat so long we are godless, we are without Kṛṣṇa consciousness, we should know that this is not our healthy condition; this is diseased condition. So we have to cure the disease. That is this movement, Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. We have to cure the disease of godlessness.\nRevatīnandana\n: [indistinct] talking about the disease; then we can give an injection, and that will cure the disease. And we know that injection will cure the disease by destroying the germs that are causing the disease.\nPrabhupāda\n: Yes. So this is injection, peaceful injection.\nRevatīnandana\n: But by devotional service are we destroying material nature?\nPrabhupāda\n: Yes. That is our program.\nGuest [Indian man]\n: Why at all God has created the material energy?\nPrabhupāda\n: Because you wanted it.\nGuest\n: Just you were talking that [indistinct].\nPrabhupāda\n: No. Why government creates the prison house? What is the reason? Can you not answer it? Why the government constructs a prison house? Why?\nGuest\n: Some men are [indistinct].\nPrabhupāda\n: Yes. So does it means that government has created this prison house to make somebody criminal? Does the government desire like that? So why you become criminal and go to the prison house? Does government says, the university says, that you become criminal and go to the prison house? Why you go? So because you want to go, therefore the prison house is created. Similarly, because you want to enjoy, because you want to enjoy your senses, therefore this material world.\nBecause in the spiritual world there is no enjoyment of your senses, there is simply Kṛṣṇa's senses. You cannot do that. Therefore, \"You want? All right.\" Kṛṣṇa says, \"All right, you enjoy your senses here. You become Brahmā, and a stool worm also, according to your karma.\"\nSo this is Kṛṣṇa's kindness. You wanted to enjoy, and don't you see in the material world, all the people are simply fighting one another simply for sense enjoyment? Everyone wants wife. What is this Naxalite movement? \"This big men, this rich men, they are enjoying so much. Why? Kill them; we shall enjoy.\" The enjoying spirit is there, not serving spirit. Both the capitalists and the laborer, the spirit is enjoyment. Only thing is, I am saying, \"Why you shall enjoy?\" and you are saying \"Why you shall enjoy?\" That is our fight.\n But in this country we are at a place…\nPrabhupāda\n: In this country or that country, no—we are talking of generally, not this country or that country. This is the spirit of material existence, that you want to enjoy, I want to enjoy—there must be fight. And as soon as we know that we are not enjoyer—our constitutional position is to serve Kṛṣṇa for His enjoyment—then is enjoyment. And so long you think, \"I shall be enjoyer,\" and I think, \"I shall be enjoyer,\" you may be some party, I may be a party, there will be fight. The fight is on the platform of personal sense enjoyment, which is not meant.\nWe are… Now suppose you are nationalized party and I am some other party. So you are also serving your leader, and I am also serving. Just like when two nations fight, they fight under the leadership of some gentleman. They consider it very nice. Both the leaders—that Churchill accusing Gandhi, and Gandhi accusing Churchill, and the followers of Churchill and followers of Gandhi fight. But they do not know why you are fighting. In the estimation of Englishmen, Churchill is very great, and estimation of Indians, Gandhi is very great. And the estimation of Churchill, Gandhi is the rascal, and estimation of Gandhi, Churchill is rascal.\nSo now we have to decide who is actually great and who is actually rascal. This fighting is going on. Everyone will say, \"My leader is very nice; the other leader is rascal.\" But actually who is rascal and who is nice? So our śāstra says,\nharāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇā\nmanorathenāsati dhāvato bahiḥ\n[SB 5.18.12]\nHarāv abhaktasya. The one who is not devotee of Kṛṣṇa, he has no good qualification. Why? Because they are moving on mental platform: \"I shall enjoy.\" But he is not enjoyer. Any one of us, are we enjoyer actually? We are not enjoyer; we are servant. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu's philosophy is jīvera 'svarūpa' haya—'nitya kṛṣṇa -dāsa' [Cc. Madhya 20.108]. The actual constitutional position of all living entities are that they are eternal servants of God, and when one realizes this actual fact, there is self-realization.\nActually you are all serving. Even if you become member of a certain type, we are serving the orders of the leader. The service position is the honor, but because the service is misplaced, all of them, all of us are fighting and becoming unhappy. The service is continuing, either you serve your country or a certain type of leader or certain type of ideology, the service—you have to render service. That you do not know. That I am trying to be master by serving something, so where I am master?\nSo one who has got sense, he agrees, \"Ah, why not serve God? I am not become happy by serving.\"\nkāmādīnāṁ kati na katidhā pālitā durnideśās\nteṣāṁ mayi na karuṇā jātā na trapā nopaśāntiḥ\n[Brs. 3.2.35 quoted in Cc. Madhya 22.16]\nJust like Gandhi served his country so nicely, and the result was that he was killed by his countrymen. Where is the perfection of the service? Even Gandhi could not do it. The most sincere person, mahātmā, but he was killed. Is it not a fact? So who can give perfection in this country than Mahatma Gandhi, and why he was killed? What is the answer of this question?\nThat means in this material world there cannot be any perfect service. Perfect service can be done only when you serve God, Kṛṣṇa. That is perfect service. Without Kṛṣṇa, any service, any welfare activities you do, that is imperfect. That is imperfect. That is māyā. As soon as..., as long as... I am imperfect, but still I am attached to such kind of envious men. That is called māyā. Māyā means you are thinking that you will be happy in this way, but you will never be. You will never be.\nAndhā yathāndhair… Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ. They do not know where is their self-interest lies. Na te viduḥ, they do not know. Durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ. They are thinking durāśayā. Durāśayā means hopeless, hope against hope. They are trying to be materially happy, and they will never be. Durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ—attracted by the external energy.\nandhā yathāndhair upanīyamānās\nte 'pīśa-tantryām uru-dāmni baddhāḥ\n[SB 7.5.31]\nJust like one leader is leading many others. One leader, a blind leader, is leading many other blind men. So what will be the result? Is it possible for a blind man to lead? No. He is himself blind; how he can lead other blind men? 'Pīśa-tantryām baddhāḥ, both of them are conditioned by the laws of nature. And Kṛṣṇa says that,\nmām eva ye prapadyante\nmāyām etāṁ taranti te\n[Bg. 7.14]\n\"Anyone who surrenders unto Me, he becomes freed from the influence of this māyā, illusion.\" Illusion means I am servant, but I am serving a wrong person or a wrong cause. I will never be happy. To serve the right cause, right person, then you will be happy. Is that clear now? [laughs] Hare Kṛṣṇa. So long we are here, you come; we shall discuss all these points.\n[break] [conversation after lecture] They have got some opinion. They have some great gathering, some follower. Why not this maṭha? Nor they are behaving, Vivekananda's head. So why they condemn it? Why not… This is also maṭha, another maṭha. \n [indistinct] [break]\nPrabhupāda\n: …the maṭha is Kṛṣṇa's maṭha—sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁśaraṇam [Bg. 18.66]. That is maṭha. All maṭha are bogus. So we are spreading this Kṛṣṇa consciousness all over the world, and they are being accepted. They did not know what Kṛṣṇa, so we had to go. That was [indistinct] real maṭha, which is accepted by everyone. [Hindi]\n [indistinct comment to tape] [end]",
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"content": "\n Question number two?\n Yes.",
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"content": "\n “The traditional charge against Hinduism is that it is fatalistic, that it inhibits progress by making people slaves to the belief in the inevitability of what is to happen. How far is this charge true?”",
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"content": "\n The charge is false. Those who have made that charge do not know what “Hinduism” is. First of all, the Vedic scriptures make no mention of such a thing as “Hinduism.” but they do mention sanātana-dharma, the eternal and universal religion, and also varṇāśrama-dharma, the natural organization of human society. That we can find in the Vedic scriptures.\nSo it is a false charge that the Vedic system inhibits the progress of mankind. What is that “progress”? A dog’s jumping is progress? [Laughter.] A dog is running here and there on four legs, and you are running on four wheels. Is that progress?\nThe Vedic system is this: The human being has a certain amount of energy – better energy than the animals’, better consciousness – and that energy should be utilized for spiritual advancement. So the whole Vedic system is meant for spiritual advancement. Human energy is employed in a more exalted direction than to compete with the dog.\nConsequently, sometimes those who have no idea of religion notice that the Indian saintly persons are not working hard like dogs. Spiritually uncultured people think the dog race is life. But actual life is spiritual progress. Therefore the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam [1.5.18] says,\ntasyaiva hetoḥ prayateta kovido\nna labhyate yad bhramatām upary adhaḥ\ntal labhyate duḥkhavad anyataḥ sukhaṁ\nkālena sarvatra gabhīra-raṁhasā\nThe human being should exert his energy for that thing which he did not get in many, many lives. Through many, many lives the soul has been in the forms of dogs or demigods or cats or birds or insects. There are 8,400,000 material forms. So this transmigration is going on, but in every one of these millions of forms, the business is sense gratification. The dog is busy for sense gratification: “Where is food? Where is shelter? Where is a mate? How to defend?” And the man is also doing the same business, in different ways.\nSo this struggle for existence is going on, life after life. Even a small insect is engaging in the same struggle – āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunam – eating, sleeping, defending, and mating. Bird, beast, insect, fish – everywhere the same struggle: “Where is food? Where is sex? Where is shelter? How to defend?” So the śāstra [scripture] says we have done these things in many, many past lives, and if we don’t get out of this struggle for existence, we’ll have to do them again in many, many future lives. So these things should be stopped.\nTherefore Prahlāda Mahārāja advises his friends [Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.6.3],\nsukham aindriyakaṁ daityā\ndeha-yogena dehinām\nsarvatra labhyate daivād\nyathā duḥkham ayatnataḥ\n“My dear friends, material pleasure – which is due simply to this material body – is essentially the same in any body. And just as misery comes without our trying for it, so the happiness we deserve will also come, by higher arrangement.” A dog has a material body and I have a material body. So my sex pleasure and the dog’s sex pleasure is the same. Of course, a dog is not afraid of having sex on the street, in front of everyone. We hide it in a nice apartment. That’s all. But the activity is the same. There is no difference.\nStill, people are taking this sex pleasure between a man and woman in a nice decorated apartment as very advanced. But this is not advanced. And yet they are making a dog’s race for this “advancement.” Prahlāda Mahārāja says we are imagining that there are different types of pleasure on account of different types of body, but the pleasure is fundamentally the same.\nNaturally, according to the different types of body, there are some external differences in the pleasure, but the basic amount and quality of this pleasure has very well defined limitations. That is called destiny. A pig has a certain type of body, and his eatable is stool. This is destined. You cannot change it – “Let the pig eat halavā.” That is not possible. Because the soul has a particular type of body he must eat a particular type of food. Can anyone, any scientist, improve the standard of living of a pig? Is it possible? [Laughter.]\nTherefore Prahlāda Mahārāja says that everything about material pleasure is already fixed. The uncivilized men in the jungle are having the same sex pleasure as the so-called civilized men who boast, “Instead of living in that hut made of leaves, we are living in a skyscraper building. This is advancement.”\nBut Vedic civilization says, “No, this is not advancement. Real advancement is self-realization – how much you have realized your relationship with God.”\nSometimes people misunderstand, thinking that sages who try for self-realization are lazy. In a high court a judge is sitting soberly, apparently doing nothing, and he is getting the highest salary. And another man in the same court – he’s working hard all day long, rubber-stamping, and he is getting not even one-tenth of the judge’s salary. He’s thinking, “I am so busy and working so hard, yet I am not getting a good salary. And this man is just sitting on the bench, and he’s getting such a fat salary.” The criticism of Hinduism as “inhibiting progress” is like that: it comes out of ignorance. The Vedic civilization is for self-realization. It is meant for the intelligent person, the person who will not just work like an ass but who will try for that thing which he did not achieve in so many other lives – namely, self-realization.\nFor example, we are sometimes labeled “escapists.” What is the charge?",
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"content": "\n They say we are escaping from reality.",
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"content": "\n Yes, we are escaping their reality. But their reality is a dog’s race, and our reality is to advance in self-realization, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the difference. Therefore the mundane, materialistic workers have been described as mūḍhas, asses. Why? Because the ass works very hard for no tangible gain. He carries on his back tons of cloth for the washerman, and the washerman in return gives him a little morsel of grass. Then the ass stands at the washerman’s door, eating the grass, while the washerman loads him up again. The ass has no sense to think, “If I get out of the clutches of this washerman, I can get grass anywhere. Why am I carrying so much?”\nThe mundane workers are like that. They’re busy at the office, very busy. If you want to see the fellow, “I am very busy now.” [Laughter.] So what is the result of your being so busy? “Well, I take two pieces of toast and one cup of tea. That’s all.” [Laughter.] And for this purpose you are so busy?\n Or, he is busy all day simply so that in the evening he can look at his account books and say, “Oh, the balance had been one thousand dollars – now it has become two thousand.” That is his satisfaction. But still he will have the same two pieces of bread and one cup of tea, even though he has increased his balance from one thousand to two thousand. And still he’ll work hard. This is why karmīs are called mūḍhas. They work like asses, without any real aim of life.\nBut Vedic civilization is different. The accusation implied in the question is not correct. In the Vedic system, people are not lazy. They are very busy working for a higher purpose. And that busy-ness is so important that Prahlāda Mahārāja says, kaumāra ācaret prājño: “Beginning from childhood, one should work for self-realization.” One should not lose a second’s time. So that is Vedic civilization.\nOf course, the materialistic workers – they see, “These men are not working like us, like dogs and asses. So they are escaping.”\nYes, escaping your fruitless endeavor.\nThe Vedic civilization of self-realization begins from the varṇāśrama system of social organization. Varnāśramācāravatā puruṣeṇa paraḥ pumān viṣṇur ārādhyate: “Everyone should offer up the fruits of his occupational duty to the lotus feet of the Lord Viṣṇu, or Kṛṣṇa.” That is why the Vedic system is called varṇāśrama – literally, “social organization with a spiritual perspective.”\nThe varṇāśrama system has four social and four spiritual divisions. the social divisions are the brāhmaṇas [teachers and priests], kṣatriyas [administrators and military men], vaiśyas [farmers and merchants], and śūdras [laborers and craftsmen], while the spiritual divisions are the brahmacārīs [students], gṛhasthas [householders], vānaprasthas [retirees], and sannyāsīs [renunciants]. But the ultimate goal is viṣṇur ārādhyate – the worship of the Supreme Lord, Viṣṇu, by all. That is the idea.\nBut the members of the modern so-called civilization do not know of varṇāśrama. Therefore they have created a society that is simply a dog’s race. The dog is running on four legs and they are running on four wheels. That’s all. And they think the four-wheel race is advancement of civilization.\nVedic civilization is different. As Nārada Muni says, tasyaiva hetoḥ prayateta kovido na labhyate yad bhramatām upary adhaḥ: the learned, astute person will use this life to gain what he has missed in countless prior lives – namely, realization of self and realization of God. Someone may ask, “Then shall we do nothing?” Yes do nothing simply to improve your material position. Whatever material happiness is allotted for you by destiny, you’ll get it wherever you are. Take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. You’ll get these other things besides.\n“How shall I get them?”\nHow? Kālena sarvatra gabhīra-raṁhasā: by the arrangement of eternal time, everything will come about in due course. The example is given that even though you do not want distress, still distress comes upon you. Similarly, even if you do not work hard for the happiness that is destined to be yours, still it will come.\nSimilarly, Prahlāda Mahārāja says, na tat-prayāsaḥ kartavyam: you should not waste your energy for material happiness, because you cannot get more than what you are destined to have. That is not possible. “How can I believe it – that by working harder I will not get more material happiness than I would otherwise have had?”\nBecause you are undergoing so many distressing conditions even though you do not want them. Who wants distress? For example, in our country, Mahatma Gandhi was killed by his own countrymen. He was a great man, he was protected by so many followers, he was beloved by all – and still he was killed. Destiny. Who can protect you from all these distressing conditions?\n“So,” you should conclude, “if these distressing conditions come upon me by force, the other kind of condition, the opposite number, will also come. Therefore why shall I waste my time trying to avoid distress and gain so-called happiness? Let me utilize my energy for Kṛṣṇa consciousness.” That is intelligence. You cannot check your destiny. The magazine’s question touches on this point.",
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"content": "\n Yes, the usual charge is that this Vedic system of civilization is fatalistic, and that as a result people are not making as much material progress as they otherwise would.",
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"content": "\n No, no, the Vedic system is not fatalistic. It is fatalistic only in the sense that one’s material destiny cannot be changed. But your spiritual life is in your hands. Our point is this: The whole Vedic civilization is based on the understanding that destiny allows only a certain amount of material happiness in this world, and that our efforts should therefore be directed toward self-realization. Nobody is enjoying uninterrupted material happiness. That is not possible. A certain amount of material happiness and a certain amount of material distress – these both must be present always. So just as you cannot check your distressing condition of life, similarly you cannot check your happy condition of life. It will come automatically. Therefore, don’t waste your time with these things. Better you utilize your energy for advancing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.",
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"content": "\n So then, Śrīla Prabhupāda, would it be accurate, after all, to say that people who have this Vedic conception would not try for progress?",
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"content": "\n No, no. “Progress” – first you must understand what actual progress is. The thing is that if you try to progress vainly, what is the use of trying? If it is a fact you cannot change your material destiny, why should you try for that? Rather, whatever energy you have, utilize it for understanding Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is real progress. Make your spiritual understanding – your understanding of God and self – perfectly clear.\nFor instance, in our International Society for Krishna Consciousness, our main business is how to make advancement in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We are not enthusiastic about opening big, big factories with big, big money-earning machines. No. We are satisfied with whatever material happiness and distress we are destined. But we are very eager to utilize our energy for progressing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is the point.\nSo the Vedic system of civilization is meant for realizing God: viṣṇur ārādhyate. In the Vedic system, people try for that. Actually, the followers of varṇāśrama-dharma – they never tried for economic development. You’ll find in India, still, millions of people taking bath in the Ganges during Kumbha-melā. Have you been to the Kumbha-melā festival?",
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"content": "\n No.",
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"content": "\n At the Kumbha-melā, millions of people come to take bath in the Ganges because they are interested in how to become spiritually liberated from this material world. They’re not lazy. They travel thousands of miles to take bath in the Ganges at the holy place of Prayag. So although they are not busy in the dog’s race, these people are not lazy. Yā niśā sarva-bhūtānāṁ tasyāṁ jāgarti saṁyamī: “What is night for ordinary beings is the time of wakefulness for the self-controlled.” The self-controlled man wakes up very early – practically in the middle of the night – and works for spiritual realization while others are sleeping. Similarly, during the daytime the dogs and asses think, “We are working, but these spiritualists, they are not working.”\nSo there are two different platforms, the material and the spiritual. Followers of the Vedic civilization, which is practiced in India – although nowadays it is distorted – actually, these people are not lazy. They are very, very busy. Not only very, very busy, but also kaumāra ācaret prājño dharmān bhāgavatān iha: they are trying to become self-realized from the very beginning of life. They are so busy that they want to begin the busy-ness from their very childhood. Therefore it is wrong to think they are lazy.\nPeople who accuse followers of Vedic civilization of laziness or of “inhibiting progress” do not know what real progress is. The Vedic civilization is not interested in the false progress of economic development. For instance, sometimes people boast, “We have gone from the hut to the skyscraper.” They think this is progress. But in the Vedic system of civilization, one thinks about how much he is advanced in self-realization. He may live in a hut and become very advanced in self-realzation. But if he wastes his time turning his hut into a skyscraper, then his whole life is wasted, finished. And in his next life he is going to be a dog, although he does not know it. That’s all.",
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"content": "\n Śrīla Prabhupāda, then this question may be raised: If destiny cannot be checked, then why not, when a child is born, simply let him run around like an animal? And whatever happens to him . . .",
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"content": "\n No. That is the advantage of this human form of life. You can train the child spiritually. That is possible. Therefore it is said, tasyaiva hetoḥ prayeteta kovido: use this priceless human form to attain what you could not attain in so many millions of lower forms. For that spiritual purpose you should engage your energy. That advantage is open to you now, in the human form. Ahaituky apratihatā: pure devotional service to the Lord, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, is open to you now, and it cannot be checked. Just as your advancement of so-called material happiness is already destined and cannot be checked, similarly, your advancement in spiritual life cannot be checked – if you endeavor for it. No one can check your spiritual advancement. Try to understand this.",
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"content": "\n So, then, we can’t say that the Vedic system, or sanātana-dharma, is fatalistic. There actually is endeavor for progress.",
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"content": "\n Certainly – spiritual progress. As for the question of “fatalistic,” I have often given this example: Let us say a man is condemned by a court of law to be hanged. Nobody can check it. Even the same judge who gave the verdict cannot check it. But if the man begs for the mercy of the king, the king can check the execution. He can go totally above the law. Therefore the Brahma-saṁhitā [5.54] says, karmāṇi nirdahati kintu ca bhakti-bhājām: destiny can be changed by Kṛṣṇa for His devotees; otherwise it is not possible.\nTherefore our only business should be to surrender to Kṛṣṇa. And if you artificially want to be more happy by economic development, that is not possible.",
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"content": "\n Question number three?",
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"content": "\n Hm? No. First of all make sure that everything is clear. Why are you so eager to progress? [Laughter.]\nTry to understand what is what. The first thing is that your destiny cannot be changed. That’s a fact. But in spite of your destiny, if you try for Kṛṣṇa consciousness, you can achieve spiritual success. Otherwise, why did Prahlāda Mahārāja urge his friends, kaumāra ācāret: “Take Kṛṣṇa consciousness up from your very childhood”? If destiny cannot be changed, then why was Prahlāda Mahārāja urging this? Generally, “destiny” means your material future. That you cannot change. But even that can be changed when you are in spiritual life.",
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"content": "\n What is the meaning of apratihatā? You said that spiritual development cannot be checked.",
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"content": "\n Apratihatā means this: Suppose you are destined to suffer. So apratihatā means that in spite of your so-called destiny to suffer, if you take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness your suffering will be reduced, or there will be no suffering – and in spite of any suffering, you can make progress in spiritual life. Just like Prahlāda Mahārāja himself. His father put him into so many suffering conditions, but he was not impeded – he made spiritual progress. He didn’t care about his father’s attempts to make him suffer. That state of existence is called apratihatā: if you want to execute Kṛṣṇa consciousness, your material condition of life cannot check it. That is the real platform of progress.\nOf course, insofar as your material condition is concerned, generally that cannot be checked. You have to suffer. But in the case of a devotee, that suffering also can be stopped or minimized. Otherwise, Kṛṣṇa’s statement would be false: ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi – “I will deliver you from all the reactions to your sinful activities.” Suffering must befall me on account of my sinful activities, but Kṛṣṇa says, “I will deliver you from all the reactions to your sinful activities.” This should be clear. Ordinarily, destiny cannot be checked. Therefore, instead of wasting your time trying to change your economic condition or material destiny apart from Kṛṣṇa consciousness, you should employ your priceless human energy for attaining Kṛṣṇa consciousness, which cannot be checked.\nWe see so many men working so hard. Does this mean that every one of them will become a Ford, a Rockefeller? Why not? Everyone is trying his best. But Mr. Ford was destined to become a rich man. His destiny was there, and so he became a rich man. Another man may work just as hard as Ford, but this does not mean he will become as rich as Ford. This is practical. You cannot change your destiny simply by working hard like asses and dogs. No. But you can utilize your special human energy for improving your Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That’s a fact.",
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"content": "\n Śrīla Prabhupāda, if destiny cannot be changed, what does Kṛṣṇa mean when He says, “Be thou happy by this sacrifice”?",
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"content": "\n Do you know what is meant by “sacrifice”?",
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"content": "\n Sacrifice to Viṣṇu, to Kṛṣṇa.",
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"content": "\n Yes. That means pleasing Kṛṣṇa. If Kṛṣṇa is pleased, He can change destiny. Karmāṇi nirdahati kintu ca bhakti-bhājām: for those who serve Him with love and devotion, Kṛṣṇa can change destiny. So sacrifice, yajña, means pleasing Kṛṣṇa. Our whole Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means pleasing Kṛṣṇa. That is the whole program. In all other business, there is no question of pleasing Kṛṣṇa. When one nation declares war upon another, there is no question of pleasing Kṛṣṇa or serving Kṛṣṇa. They’re pleasing their own senses, serving their own whims. When the First and Second World Wars began, it was not for pleasing Kṛṣṇa. The Germans wanted that their sense gratification not be hampered by the Britishers. That means it was a war of sense gratification. “The Britishers are achieving their sense gratification; we cannot. All right, fight.” So there was no question of pleasing Kṛṣṇa. Hm. Next question?",
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] |
https://vedabase.io/en/library/transcripts/710817sb-london/
|
[
{
"content": "",
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"content": "\n Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. [Prabhupāda and devotees repeat] [leads chanting of verse, etc.]\ndharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo 'tra paramo nirmatsarāṇāṁ satāṁ\nvedyaṁ vāstavam atra śivadaṁ tāpa-trayonmūlanam\nśrīmad-bhāgavate mahā-muni-kṛte kiṁ vā parair īśvaraḥ\nsadyo hṛdy avarudhyate 'tra kṛtibhiḥ śuśrūṣubhis tat-kṣaṇāt\n[SB 1.1.2]",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\n [Indistinct]",
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"content": "\n\ndharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo 'tra paramo nirmatsarāṇāṁ satāṁ\nvedyaṁ vāstavam atra śivadaṁ tāpa-trayonmūlanam\nśrīmad-bhāgavate mahā-muni-kṛte kiṁ vā parair īśvaraḥ\nsadyo hṛdy avarudhyate 'tra kṛtibhiḥ śuśrūṣubhis tat-kṣaṇāt\n[SB 1.1.2]",
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"content": "\n Anyone else? [corrects pronunciation] Very good.",
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"content": "\n ...lation: \"Completely rejecting all religious activities which are materially motivated, this Bhāgavata Purāṇa propounds the highest truth, which is understandable by those devotees who are pure in heart. The highest truth is reality distinguished from illusion for the welfare of all. Such truth uproots the threefold miseries. This beautiful Bhāgavatam, compiled by the great sage Śrī Vyāsadeva, is sufficient in itself for God realization. As soon as one attentively and submissively hears the message of Bhāgavatam, he becomes attached to the Supreme Lord.\"",
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"content": "\n So, dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo 'tra [SB 1.1.2]. Dharma, religiosity; kaitava, pretension or cheating. Dharma artha kāma mokṣa [SB 4.8.41, Cc. Ādi 1.90]. These four things are supposed to be meant for spiritually or advanced people, advanced in civilization. Not spiritually, but advanced in civilization.\nSo the first thing is dharma. Dharma is the basic principle of civilization. Dharmeṇa hīnāḥ paśubhiḥ samānāḥ [Hitopadeśa]. If there is no dharma, then it is the society of the animals. That is the distinction between human society and animal society. There are eight million different species of life below the human society, but there is no question of God consciousness.\nIn the human society, either they execute religious principles rightly or not, at least there is a symbol, in the civilized society. There are Hindus, there are Muslims, there are Christians, there are Buddhists and so many others also. Because it is in human society, there must be some idea or some principle of understanding God. That is called religion.\nBut in the name of religion, there are..., so many things are going on. That is called kaitava, cheating. We don't want to discuss, but more or less, at the present moment in whichever category of religion one may belong to, nobody is following strictly the religious principles. That's a fact. That is called kaitava.\nAnother kaitava is that one who does not know the purpose of religion. Religion means, as we have several times explained, religion means the rules or the laws given by God. That is religion. Not the formulas. Formulas must be there, but the real basic principle of religion means the laws given by God. Just like we are living in a state, either in England or in Germany or in America or in India, there are state rules and regulations. Good citizen means who are abiding by the state laws.\nSimilarly, a devotee means who is abiding by the laws given by God. This is the... Just try to understand. Just like a good citizen means that he is following the state law, as we do actually. When there is red light, immediately you stop your car because you have to abide by the laws of the state; otherwise you become criminal. Although there is none to look, still, you have to stop your car, \"There is red light.\" That is obedience. And then, when there is green light, you start your car.\nSo religion is like that. There are... As this is a small state or small city, London... It is small city in comparison to the universe; it is nothing, a spot. So there are so many rules and regulation and laws, and the Supreme Lord, who is maintaining, creating this universe, there is no law? How do you think like that? For a small city, an insignificant city... In our estimation it is not insignificant, but in comparison to the universe, what is the value of this London city or New York city? As soon as you go a little high up, say, twenty-five miles above, you cannot see your city. It is all finished.\nSimilarly, there are so many cities in the stars and planets, upwards. So many universes, so many seas, mountains, skyscraper, houses, we cannot see. Because in the universe these are all simply insignificant particles only. So if in this insignificant particle there are so many state laws, you just imagine to manage this universal affair, the Supreme Lord, how much laws and regulation must be there. Who can deny it? Deny means he's a rascal. But intelligent man will understand that if in a small place there are so many rules and regulations, and in so big place, so universal—aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu—there are laws.\nThe scientists also admit that the nature's law is so systematic. Even Professor Einstein, he agreed, that \"As I advance, I see there must be a big brain, God.\" Is it not? Did he not say?",
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"content": "\n Yes.",
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"content": "\n There is knowledge. That is knowledge. Everything is being maintained so nicely and there is no brain, there is no manager? One who says, \"God is dead. There is no God,\" he's a rascal number one. Nothing else. Immediately take him he's a rascal number one, that's all, however educated he may be, because he does not know the psychology, how we accept the Supreme.\nSuppose a child has come to London. So he cannot see the Queen. Or even a child's father. So many people are coming to visit London. It is not that everyone is seeing the Queen. But if he says, \"Oh, there is no Queen,\" or \"Queen is dead,\" will it be accepted? Similarly, some rascals who do not know how this universe is being managed, he may say, \"God is dead. There is no God,\" but that will not be accepted by a sane man.\nA sane man will say, \"There must be somebody, the origin of everything.\" Janmādy asya yataḥ [SB 1.1.1]. That is the Bhāgavatam. Janmādy asya. First aphorism in the Vedānta-sūtra is that \"What is the Absolute Truth?\" Athāto brahma jijñāsā. \"Let us discuss about the Supreme Truth, Absolute Truth.\" The answer is that Brahman, the Supreme, is that from whom everything comes out. He is the origin of everything. Very simple description. Janmādy asya yataḥ [SB 1.1.1].\nSo dharma, religion, actually means to understand that origin, Absolute Truth. That is dharma. So that dharma, principles of religion, is there in every human society, either in Europe or America or Africa or... There is some. That is the significance of human being. If it is a human being society, there must be some principles of religion. Without religion... It doesn't matter what type of religion it is, there must be some religion. If there is no religion, then it is animal society. Try to understand. And what is the purpose of religion? The purpose of religion is, if religion is the code given by God, then we must know.\nJust like a child. A child is abiding by the laws, but he does not know who is the law-giver, how the street is managed, what are the laws. He's to be considered as in ignorance. Just like in our schools and colleges, the state constitution, laws, lawyers, they study. So one may not know, but that is not very good position. But one who knows, his position is better. So simply to know, \"There may be somebody, God. He has given us some laws. All right, let us abide by the laws,\" just like ordinary man doing. But to know, that inquisitiveness is called brahma-jijñāsā. That is required. Human society, human being must be interested in knowing that, the Supreme Absolute Truth, who has given us these codes and laws.\nSo that is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, that these laws, these material laws of nature, they are very strong. They are enacted by the Supreme Lord, as we understand from the Bhagavad-gītā, mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram [Bg. 9.10]. Mayādhyakṣeṇa, \"Under My superintendence.\" The laws... Just like laws are there; at the same time, the government has got a department which is called law and order department. The laws are going on nicely, the law and order department examines. So that examiner, departmental, may be, but the original examiner is the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, mayā adhyakṣeṇa: \"Under My superintendence.\"\nJust like in our institution, International Society for Krishna Consciousness, although I am the head, still, I have got so many assistants, the GBC members. They are assisting me, departmental. Somebody is here, somebody is there. Similarly, God has departmental management, and because it is such a huge affair, there are... What is a koṭi? Koṭi means ten million? Huh? Ten millions multiplied by thirty-three. How many it comes?",
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"content": "\n 330,000,000.",
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"content": "\n So there are 330,000,000's officers of Kṛṣṇa. Must be. Such a huge affair. If for managing a small shop we have got so many things... This is manager, this is assistant manager, this is... In such a huge universal affair, there Kṛṣṇa has got assistants. And 330,000,000 assistants within one universe, and there are innumerable universes. And each and every universe, there must be similarly 330,000,000's or like that. They are called demigods.\nDemigods means exactly under the position of God. Just like here there is governor. Immediately under him there are secretaries. Similarly these demigods, they are different officers, secretaries, directors under God. We don't deny the existence of demigod, but we don't worship that he is God. We worship, we give him all respect.\nJust like if the queen's secretary comes here, we shall give him all respect because he's queen's secretary. But we'll never accept that he is king. No. That is not possible. That is sane. It is not that... We Vaiṣṇavas, we are prepared to offer respect even to the ant, and why not to the secretary? When we offer to a big officer, it is not that we are flattering. It is the etiquette, it is the duty, to offer respect to the respectable persons.\nSo we give all honor to the demigods, but we don't accept the demigods as the Supreme. That is Vaiṣṇava philosophy. There may be 330,000,000's or 330,000,000's of secretaries, but we say... Just like it is stated in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta: ekale īśvara kṛṣṇa. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ [Bs. 5.1]. The only master, or controller, is Kṛṣṇa. Āra saba bhṛtya. And all other demigods... Just like Lord Brahmā, Śiva, so many others. Indra, Candra, Varuṇa. 330,000,000's, how many we can remember? It is not possible. But there are. So they are all servants.\nekale īśvara kṛṣṇa, āra saba bhṛtya\nyāre yaiche nācāya, se taiche kare nṛtya\n[Cc. Ādi 5.142]\nHe is pulling the wire. Just like the doll dancing, there is a man pulling the wire. These are the descriptions in the śāstras, or Vedic literatures. So we should not equalize or we should not place the demigods on the same level with God. That is offense.\nThe Māyāvādīs, because they think that \"God is formless, impersonal, but I cannot meditate upon anything which is formless. So let me imagine something...\" That is their theory. They say, \"Let me imagine a form of God.\" Sādhakānāṁ hitārthāya brahmaṇo rūpa-kalpanaḥ. Kalpana, \"imagine.\" The Māyāvādī philosophy is that, that \"You imagine a form of God. Actually, there is no form of God.\" That is their theory. And we say, \"No. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ [Bs. 5.1]. He has got form, but not a form like me.\" That we know. It is a different type of form. Different material. Or we don't say material: different ingredient, spirit, complete spirit.\nSo that is our philosophy. God is a person like you and me. As we are sitting together; you are seeing me, I am seeing you. Similarly, if you become elevated to the perfection of devotional service, you'll go to God and you'll see Him as you are seeing me, I am seeing you. You'll see Kṛṣṇa. Try to understand. Therefore there are so many religious systems which say, \"God has no form. There is no God. Let us imagine.\" These are..., this kind of religion is cheating religion.\nTherefore it is said here, dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo 'tra [SB 1.1.2]. Cheating. Because there is no real information. Real information is īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ [Bs. 5.1], the Supreme Lord has got His spiritual body, and He is... In the Christian Bible also, it is said, \"Man is made after God.\" Is it not? So unless God has got form, two hands, two legs, like that, how man has got two hands, two legs? If we are imitation of God, then God must be person. This is natural conclusion.\nSo impersonal concept of God is imperfect conception of God. That is not perfect. They are puzzled because Kṛṣṇa, God, is sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha [Bs. 5.1]. They cannot imagine that a form of sac-cid-ānanda can be possible. That is their lack of knowledge. But we learn from Vedic literature that God has got form, complete form, like us. Just like Kṛṣṇa, you see, He has got also two hands, He is also playing flute, with consort, Rādhārāṇī. He has also got two hands, nice face, nice head. Everything is there. Only the ingredients are different.\nThese ingredients, at the present moment... I have also got form, spiritual form. You have also spiritual form. Now that spiritual form is covered by material dress. Just like my body is covered by this shirt. You cannot see the actual body. Similarly, the spiritual body is now covered by this material body; therefore we cannot see. Besides that, our present eyes, that is also material. So with material eyes, we cannot see God. But God has got form. That's a fact. Now we are unable to see. Therefore the process is that we have to purify our eyes, our legs, our hands, and everything, so that we may be able to serve God.\nSo this arcana-paddhati, the devotional service, although we have got this material body, under the direction of śāstra, under the direction of spiritual master, we are working, we are trying to serve God, Kṛṣṇa. So that service is as good as the service in the spiritual world. There is no difference. Just like... The example is: just like you have got a green mango. Green mango. So the green mango is not so tasteful, but when it is ripe, it is tasteful. The mango is not different. The same mango. You wait. You wait for the time when it is ripened, you will taste it, nice.\nSimilarly, in the beginning, in the neophyte stage, when we say, \"You must rise early in the morning, you offer maṅgala-ārati, you do this, you take your bath,\" these things, because we are not ripened, in the neophyte stage, these things appear to be botheration, not tasteful. But you have to do it under the order of the spiritual master and the order of the śāstras. Because unless you practice, how you can... But when it is ripened by practicing, practicing, when one is accustomed... Say by practicing he develops love for God. Then, when he's in love for God, he cannot do without it. Automatically he will rise early in the morning, automatically he'll do everything. It is simply the question of time to arrive to that ripened stage.\nSo this is the process, that we are serving here Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is also very kind. Because if Kṛṣṇa in His spiritual form, He is present... Of course, there is no difference. For Kṛṣṇa, there is no difference, material and spiritual, because everything is spiritual ultimately. But still, taking it accepted that we cannot see spiritual form at the present moment... Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ [Cc. Madhya 17.136]. Because our senses are now blunt, we cannot see the spiritual form of Kṛṣṇa at the present moment. Therefore because we cannot see Kṛṣṇa with your present eyes, because we cannot serve Kṛṣṇa with our present hand, therefore Kṛṣṇa appears in a way so that we can see, we can touch. That is Kṛṣṇa.\nKṛṣṇa can appear in any way. He is all-powerful. So when He appears just like a stone statue, that does not mean Kṛṣṇa is stone or statue. Kṛṣṇa is the same Kṛṣṇa, but He appears before me just like stone statue because I cannot touch anything beyond this stone. I cannot see beyond this stone. So it is His mercy. Therefore it is called arcā-avatāra, incarnation of worshipable Deity. So we should never think that \"Kṛṣṇa is not seeing. If I commit some offense, or..., Kṛṣṇa is in Vaikuṇṭha. Here I can do whatever I like.\" [laughter] Don't do that. That is a great offense. Therefore there are... We should always think, \"Oh, Kṛṣṇa is here.\" We should be respectful just exactly as Kṛṣṇa is here. Don't make differentiation, that \"This Kṛṣṇa is stone statue.\"\nSimilarly... Therefore the śāstra injunction is arcye śilā-dhīr guruṣu nara-matiḥ [Padma Purāṇa, Brahma Khaṇḍa 25.15-18]. To think of the Deity as made of stone, to think of the spiritual master as ordinary man, arcye śilā-dhīr guruṣu nara-matir vaiṣṇave jāti-buddhiḥ, to accept a Vaiṣṇava as belonging to some caste and creed... Just like in India there are many so-called brāhmaṇas, they think that \"These Europeans, they are coming from low-grade family. How we can accept them as brāhmaṇas?\" No. Vaiṣṇave jāti-buddhiḥ.\nWhen 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.\nTherefore it is said here... Any religion which does not teach about God, which does not know what is God, that is cheating religion. That's all. Dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo 'tra [SB 1.1.2]. Cheating religion. And the Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura has said,\npṛthivīte yāhā kichu dharma-nāme cale\nbhagavat prahe tāhāṅ paripūrṇa chale\n\"In the all over the world, what is going on...\" It is a strong criticism. In the name of religion, the Bhāgavata says, \"They're all cheating.\" That's all.\nBecause they have no idea what is God. Neither in their principles there is service of God, there is dedication to God. Simply official in the so-called religion. Therefore Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura said, \"These are all cheating religion.\" Religion means when one accepts some religion, he must know, \"What is God; what I am; what is my relationship with God; what are the laws of God; how I am to act.\" So many things you have to learn. That is religion. Simply stamping myself with some rubber stamp, that \"I belong to this religion,\" \"I belong to that religion,\" that will not help. That is cheating. You are cheating yourself.\nAnother point is that it doesn't matter... I don't say that your religion is cheating or my religion is bona fide. I don't say that. We have no right to say that. I want to see... \"I\" means we are bhāgavata. We are representative of bhāgavata-dharma. Or bhāgavata wants to see. Any religion you may profess—it doesn't matter—I want to see whether you have got the result of religion. The result of religion is you will love God. That is result of religion. If you have become actually lover of God, then your religion—it doesn't matter whatever religion you profess—that is perfect.\nBut if instead of developing your love for God, you have developed love for so many nonsense things, then you have simply wasted your time. That is the verdict of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.\ndharmaḥ svanuṣṭhitaḥ puṁsāṁ\nviṣvaksena-kathāsu yaḥ\nnotpādayed yadi ratiṁ\nśrama eva hi kevalam\n[SB 1.2.8]\nDharmaḥ svanuṣṭhitaḥ. Not that anyone who is not following strictly the religious principles. Even if he is following strictly the religious principle... Svanuṣṭhitaḥ puṁsām, dharmaḥ svanuṣṭhitaḥ puṁsām. But the result should be that he should be a lover of God. Viṣvaksena-kathāsu yaḥ. Unless one becomes lover of God, he is not interested to hear about God. Here you are sitting, a few boys and girls. There are millions of people. Because you have little love for Kṛṣṇa, therefore you are sitting. Therefore you are sitting. So without development of love for God, nobody is interested to hear about God.\nSo by following any system of religion, if we do not develop our dormant love for God, then following such religious principle means simply waste of time. That's all. Because it has no effect. Effect should be by following religious principle you must develop love of Godhead. That is our bhāgavata-dharma. What is time now?",
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"content": "\n Eight o'clock almost.",
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"content": "\n All right. Have little kīrtana. [end]",
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https://vedabase.io/en/library/transcripts/710717bg-detroit/
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"content": "\n[small child playing karatālas]\n Oh, very good. [laughs]",
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"content": "\n Jaya Prabhupāda!",
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"content": "\n\nśucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe\nyoga bhraṣṭa sañjāyate\n[Bg. 6.41]\nWhen Arjuna asked Kṛṣṇa that \"Persons who are trying to make perfection in the bhakti-yoga...\" Because the māyā's influence is very strong. Anyone practicing bhakti-yoga, sometimes he may fall down. But there is assurance that even one falls down, there is no loss. That has been advised by Nārada Muni, that tyaktvā sva-dharmaṁ caraṇāmbujaṁ harer bhajann apakvo 'tha patet tato yadi [SB 1.5.17].\nJust like in our movement somebody joins. A few cases have happened also that joined, doing nice, but all of a sudden drifted from our Society. So Nārada Muni advised that even some..., sometimes somebody may not continue but falls down, there is no loss. Tyaktvā sva-dharmaṁ caraṇāmbujam.\nAnd those who are sticking to their work, prescribed duties, but not in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, what they are gaining? Just try to understand. A person, say, out of sentiment, or some other influence, he joins this movement, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, but could not follow strictly the rules and regulation and falls down. Nārada Muni says there is no loss, even though he has fallen.\nBut another person, who is sticking to their material activities, a material... A karmī's thinking, \"What these people are doing? Simply wasting time. Let us do our duty. Let us produce something\"—so-called production. So Bhāgavata says such person who are very nicely done their materialistic way of life, duties, but has not taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, what does he gain?\nThis is the comparison. One joins this movement; due to some reason, immaturity, he falls down. For him the assurance is that he does not lose. He's still gainer. But one who is sticking to the material duties but does not take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, Bhāgavata says, \"What does he gain?\" It is very important question. The spiritualistic duties, transcendental duties, Kṛṣṇa conscious duty is so nice that even if you fall down, whatever you have done, that is your guaranteed property. That is your guaranteed property.\nAnd anything, whatever you gain in this material world... Suppose you become very rich man, good factory, working. But as soon as this body's ended, everything is ended. Lost everything. These things will not go with you. Your factory, your skyscraper building, your millions of dollars' bank balance, that you'll have to leave behind you. You have to go with your work only, what you have done, pious or sinful activities. That will go with you. The result of pious activity and sinful activity will go with you.\nBut in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, whatever you have done, it will go with you, and to give you other chance you'll have your birth in two nice places: śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe. Those who have fallen from this Kṛṣṇa consciousness platform due to many reasons, maybe—he's guaranteed next life a human form of life. And where? Śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe. You'll take your birth in a nice devotee or brāhmaṇa's house or in a rich man's family. Not only your human form of life is guaranteed, but also in a better house, in a better family.\nSo these children who are born in our Kṛṣṇa consciousness Society, they are those children, those who could not finish Kṛṣṇa consciousness last life. They have been given to take birth in the family of devotee husband and wife; therefore he's playing karatāla. [laughter] Otherwise it is not possible. He had practice in his last life; therefore he's quickly... He had got the chance.",
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"content": "\n Jaya Prabhupāda!",
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"content": "\nAgain he's remembering and playing. This is the fact. So we have to study from the śāstric vision. Śāstra-cakṣuṣāt. How you'll see? You'll see through the authority, scriptures. So these are the statements of authoritative scriptures. Śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe. So this child is born of a devotee father and devotee mother. Now he'll again begin from the point where he lost last life. Suppose Kṛṣṇa consciousness he executed fifty percent. So he'll begin from this life fifty-one percent. That fifty percent was in his stock.\nBut ordinary karmīs—cent percent lost. He has to begin another chapter of life according to his karma. Either he'll become a man or dog, there is no guarantee. If he has maintained a dog mentality, then he'll get a dog's body. All this property he made in this life goes to hell. He becomes a dog if he has maintained a dog mentality. And if he has maintained a god's mentality, then he becomes a god also. But that will depend on his work.\nBut generally the karmīs, they are not very good mentality. So there is risk. You do not know. Karmaṇā daiva netreṇa [SB 3.31.1]. The judgment will be done by the superior authority, and he'll be given a particular type of body, as he has maintained the consciousness.\nTherefore our business, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, is to train the followers to Kṛṣṇa consciousness so that next life he gets Kṛṣṇa consciousness atmosphere, if not promoted immediately, directly to the abode of Kṛṣṇa. That is also possible. Mad-yājino 'pi yānti mām [Bg. 9.25]: \"Those who are My devotees, they come to My place.\" Kṛṣṇa says.\nSo if you perfect your Kṛṣṇa consciousness in this life, then you are guaranteed to be promoted to go back to home, back to Kṛṣṇa. If you do not perfect, then next life is guaranteed a very nice human body, either in a rich man's family or in a Kṛṣṇa conscious family. Just try to understand how nice this movement is.\nThank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa. [devotees offer obeisances]\n[break] Yes. Now here is a question: If one takes a birth in a rich man family, rich man's family, how it is good? Nowadays, actually, now...; not nowadays—practically always. That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: \nbhogaiśvarya-prasaktānāṁ\ntayā apahṛta-cetasām\n[Bg. 2.44]\nThose who get facilities of material sense gratification, bhoga, aiśvarya—means great opulence, wealthy—for them it is very difficult to come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. In other words, too much rich, richness, is a disqualification for coming to Kṛṣṇa consciousness.\nBut it is not always the same. There are many persons, if they have associated, they... Unfortunately, they do not associate with spiritually advanced men. That is their defect. They think the spiritual advancement is poor man's business: \"They have no sufficient to eat; therefore they are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. What they can do? We have got this factory. We have to go to the factory.\" That is their mentality. Therefore it is not good.\nBut if one is intelligent, if he has got good association, then he understands the verdict of Bhagavad-gītā, śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe, yoga bhraṣṭa sañjāyate. If he thinks that \"I have got this opportunity of opulence. I have nothing to bother about my living and eating. I am born rich man. Why I am given so much chance? Because last, my..., I executed Kṛṣṇa consciousness, yoga; I could not finish. Therefore Kṛṣṇa has given me this chance that I'll not have to bother about my eating, sleeping. I save my time and engage myself in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.\"\nUnfortunately, due to bad association, they think, \"I have..., we have got so much money, father's money, for nothing, without any labor. So either let me become a great sense enjoyer or a hippy.\" That's all. [laughter] It is due to bad association. Therefore it is our duty to go door to door and inform them the message of Kṛṣṇa, without any discrimination, so that they will come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness.\nAll right, give me... [end]",
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https://vedabase.io/en/library/transcripts/660831bg-new-york/
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"content": "\n\nye hi saṁsparśajā bhogā\nduḥkha-yonaya eva te\nādy-antavantaḥ kaunteya\nna teṣu ramate budhaḥ\n[Bg 5.22]\n[An intelligent person does not take part in the sources of misery, which are due to contact with the material senses. O son of Kuntī, such pleasures have a beginning and an end, and so the wise man does not delight in them.]\nHappiness which is derived by touch senses, saṁsparśajā... Saṁsparśajāḥ means happiness, so-called happiness derived by touch senses. Ye hi saṁsparśajā bhogāḥ, enjoyment. Duḥkha-yonaya eva te. Lord Kṛṣṇa says that that is not real happiness. Anything, any happiness derived out of touch sensation, that is not real happiness. Rather, that is the gate of various miseries.\nThe whole Vedic scripture describes that happiness derived of sense perception out of the body, that is not real happiness. If we are to enjoy real happiness, then we have to transcend these bodily pleasures. Happiness is there because I am spirit soul. Actually, I am full of pleasure, but because my sense of happiness is being manifested through this matter, therefore we are being frustrated in deriving real pleasure.\nSo those who are in the..., advanced in the spiritual life, they are called yogī. So yoginaḥ. Ramante yoginaḥ anante [Cc Madhya 9.29].\n[The Supreme Absolute Truth is called Rāma because the transcendentalists take pleasure in the unlimited true pleasure of spiritual existence.]\nThose who are spiritualist, they also enjoy, but they enjoy in the real happiness, which has no end. Any happiness which is ended at a certain point, that is not happiness. That is, rather, source of distress. Ādy-antavantaḥ kaunteya na teṣu ramate budhaḥ. Budhaḥ means who is learned. A learned person does not enjoy such flickering or transient happiness which is derived by sense touches.\nśaknotīhaiva yaḥ soḍhuṁ\nprāk śarīra-vimokṣaṇāt\nkāma-krodha..., kāma-krodhodbhavaṁ vegaṁ\nsa yuktaḥ sa sukhī naraḥ\n[Bg 5.23]\n[Before giving up this present body, if one is able to tolerate the urges of the material senses and check the force of desire and anger, he is a yogī and is happy in this world.]\nŚaknoti. Śaknoti means one who is able to tolerate. Ihaiva. Ihaiva means in this body. And soḍhum. Soḍhum means to tolerate. Prāk. Prāk means before. Śarīra-vimokṣaṇāt. Before leaving this body, if one practices that... What is that practice? Kāma-krodhodbhavaṁ vegam. Vegam means urge. Just like sex urge. Everyone has got sex urge. Or so many things, we have got some urge. Now, that Kṛṣṇa advises, that before quitting this body...\nThe example is that suppose a man is diseased, is suffering from a type of disease. And doctor has asked him not to take solid food. Now, if he is thinking that... Because he is practiced to take solid food, he is thinking, \"I must take solid food. I must take solid food...\" But if he can tolerate—\"No, doctor has advised not to take solid food\"—if he can tolerate, then he becomes very easily cured.\nSimilarly, sense perception, sense pleasure, is reserved for us in our spiritual life. That is actual sense pleasure. Here we are having sense pleasure artificially through this body. Before leaving this body, if we practice to stop sense pleasure as much as possible... There is training, of course. Without training, nothing can be done.\nSo according to Vedic civilization, this training was given, the student life, complete abstinence from sex life. Then vānaprastha life, complete abstinence, and sannyāsa life, complete abstinence. The whole training was to abstain, to cure. Because... The same example: In diseased condition we cannot enjoy the foodstuff which we take. When we are healthy, we can enjoy the taste of the foodstuff. So we have to cure. We have to cure. And how to cure? To be in..., situated in the transcendental position of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the cure.\nSo Kṛṣṇa advises here anyone who is able to tolerate the urge of sense pleasure. So long this body is there, there will be urges for sense pleasure. But we have to mold our life in such a way that we should be able to tolerate. Tolerate. That will give us our advancement in spiritual life, and when we are situated in spiritual life, that enjoyment is unending, unlimited. There is no end.\nSimilar... Exactly similar passage is there in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam Ṛṣabhadeva is advising His sons that,\nnāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke\nkaṣṭān kāmān arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye\ntapo divyaṁ putrakā yena sattvaṁ\nśuddhyed yasmād brahma-saukhyaṁ anantam\n[SB 5.5.1]\n[Lord Ṛṣabhadeva told His sons: My dear boys, of all the living entities who have accepted material bodies in this world, one who has been awarded this human form should not work hard day and night simply for sense gratification, which is available even for dogs and hogs that eat stool. One should engage in penance and austerity to attain the divine position of devotional service. By such activity, one's heart is purified, and when one attains this position, he attains eternal, blissful life, which is transcendental to material happiness and which continues forever.]\nIt is very nice verse. He says, \"My dear boys, this human form of life...\" Na ayaṁ deha. Ayaṁ deha means \"this body.\" Na ayaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke. Everyone has got body. The cats, dogs, hogs and birds, beasts, man, human being, demigod—everyone has got this body, material body. But he's especially advising nṛdeha. Nṛ means human form of life. He says that this human form of life is not meant for working hard for sense pleasure just like the hogs and dogs. He's advising.\nThen what it is meant for? He says, tapo divyam. One should undergo penance for transcendental realization. And what will be the result of such penance? He says that yataḥ śuddhyet sattvam: your existence will be purified. And when your existence is purified, then you'll enjoy brahma-saukhyam, the unlimited spiritual happiness. You are hankering after happiness. Happiness is your prerogative. You must have. That is your life. You cannot stop happiness. But happiness in the diseased condition is not happiness. That we must understand.\nSo we have to cure this diseased condition and then enjoy happiness, then enjoy pleasure that will be unlimited. There will be no end. In the diseased condition... Suppose whatever pleasure you take, it is for a few seconds or few minutes or few hours or few days—it will end. But real happiness, what is real happiness, that is unending. Brahma-saukhyam anantam. Anantam means unending. So we are meant for unending happiness.\nSo Kṛṣṇa advises here that śaknotīhaiva yaḥ soḍhuṁ prāk śarīra-vimokṣaṇāt. Before quitting this material body, if one practices to tolerate the so-called urges of sense pleasure, then he becomes very happy at the long run. He recommends this. And that is the real purpose of human form of life, that we should not derive, we should not try to derive that false happiness in this diseased condition of material life. This is temporary. That is not happiness. We should understand that out of ignorance we are engaged to derive such kind of happiness, but that is not happiness. Real happiness is in spiritual life.\nWe have to attain that spiritual life, and just a man tolerates so many things for being cured, similarly, we have to practice tolerance. Then there will be urges, certainly, because we are practiced to these sense urges for so many births in so many evolutionary process. Now in this human form of life we have to consider that \"I am not this body; I am spirit soul.\" So I have to search out the happiness of the spirit soul, and for that, I have to train myself under superior guidance, as Arjuna has put himself under the guidance of Kṛṣṇa.\nyo 'ntaḥ-sukho 'ntar-ārāmas\ntathāntar-jyotir eva yaḥ\nsa yogī brahma-nirvāṇaṁ\nbrahma-bhūto 'dhigacchati\n[Bg 5.24]\n[One whose happiness is within, who is active within, who rejoices within and is illumined within, is actually the perfect mystic. He is liberated in the Supreme, and ultimately he attains the Supreme.]\nOne who is aspiring after that transcendental happiness, which is called brahma-sukha, brahma-sukha... One who is, yaḥ antaḥ-sukha, that brahma-sukha is within. That brahma-sukha is not without. Yaḥ antaḥ-sukhaḥ antar-ārāmaḥ, and is happy and pacified by enjoying within. Antaḥ-sukhaḥ antar-ārāmas tathāntar-jyotir eva yaḥ: and who is trying to find out the brahma-jyoti, the effulgence of Brahman, within. Sa yogī brahma-nirvāṇam: that yogī is already situated in Brahman. Nirvāṇam means ending all this material contamination. Brahma-bhūto 'dhigacchati. And he becomes a realized soul, or the brahma-ante.\nlabhante brahma-nirvāṇam\nṛṣayaḥ kṣīṇa-kalmaṣāḥ\nchinna-dvaidhā yatātmānaḥ\nsarva-bhūta-hite ratāḥ\n[Bg 5.25]\n[One who is beyond duality and doubt, whose mind is engaged within, who is always busy working for the welfare of all sentient beings, and who is free from all sins, achieves liberation in the Supreme.]\nNow, Kṛṣṇa says that kṣīṇa-kalmaṣāḥ. Kṣīṇa-kalmaṣāḥ: one who is able to reduce the reaction of all sinful life. We must know it that this material existence, either in any form, they are all reaction of our sinful life. That we must know it. So in any condition—it does not matter that a highly advanced person, educated, learned, rich or beautiful or anyone—more or less, according to degree, they are all enjoying or suffering the reaction of their past karma. And, more or less, all the world, they are considered to be sinful.\nSo kṣīṇa-kalmaṣāḥ. Kṣīṇa-kalmaṣāḥ means those who are trying to reduce the reaction of sinful activities. How? That by practicing that sense control. Sense control. Practicing sense control. Just like a diseased person. By controlling, by controlling according to the prescription of the doctor, by controlling himself he becomes reduced in the sufferings of the disease. The fever diminishes from 105 degrees to 102, then 100, then 99, then 98—he is cured. Similarly, we have to reduce the temperature. We haven't got to increase the temperature. We are just like in the matter of increasing our temperature. We are thinking that by increasing the temperature we shall be happy. We do not know that by increasing temperature we shall never be happy. We have to decrease the temperature.\nThere is a very nice story—perhaps I have many times told you—that there was a householder, very rich man. His wife was sick and the maidservant was also sick. So the gentleman called for a doctor, and the doctor treated both the patient. And doctor said that \"Your wife has got 98 temperature, nothing serious. But your maidservant, she has got 104 temperature, so she should be taken care of.\" Now, the housewife, she became angry. She told the doctor, \"Oh, I am the head of the family. I have got only 98 temperature? And my maidservant has 104? So you are not a doctor!\"\nSo that is going on. From 104 we want to increase 107 degree, and death will come. So the modern civilization is increasing the temperature. So we have come to the point of 107 degree—atom bomb. So we are prepared for killing ourself. So this degree, this increasing of temperature of material enjoyment, will never make us happy. We have to decrease the temperature. We have to come to the point of 97, not to the 107.\nSo labhante brahma-nirvāṇam ṛṣayaḥ kṣīṇa-kalmaṣāḥ. Just like by decreasing temperature we come to the path of healthy life, similarly, if we decrease our sensual activities... The material life means sensual activities, nothing more. Whatever advancement of civilization we are creating, that means we are simply creating artificial sense enjoyment. That's all. This is called material civilization: simply sense enjoyment, nothing more. So we have to...\nOf course, we don't decry the modern civilization, but it has its proper use. Just like we are also using here electric light, the microphone and the tape recorder. This is the gift of the modern science. So instead of decrying them, let them engage in the matter of understanding Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then everything will be properly utilized. We cannot go back. We cannot go back in the matter of advancement of modern civilization. But here we have got a point, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Nirbandhaḥ kṛṣṇa-sambandhe [Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.2.255].\n[When one is not attached to anything but at the same time accepts anything in relation to Kṛṣṇa, one is rightly situated above possessiveness. On the other hand, one who rejects everything without knowledge of its relationship to Kṛṣṇa is not as complete in his renunciation.]\nWe can engage everything in the matter of understanding Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Everything can be utilized properly. Yuktaṁ vairāgyam ucyate. We haven't got to give them up.\nOur Gosvāmī, our predecessors, ācārya, they do not recommend that whatever is produced now, we shall not give them up: \"Oh, it is all material. We don't want.\" No. Even if that is material... Material is everything. My body is also material. So as I am utilizing my material body for spiritual advancement, similarly, I can utilize anything material for spiritual advancement. That is possible.\nSo that prescription is given, nirbandhaḥ kṛṣṇa-sambandhe. You just try to engage everything in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then you'll have no... That means everything will be transformed into spiritual. By Kṛṣṇa consciousness, everything will be transformed into spirit. Just like the iron rod, if you put into the fire it gets warm, warmer, and when it is red-hot, then it is no longer iron rod, it is fire. Similarly, if we constantly engage all our energy in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then, even though we have increased the temperature to 107 degree, that will be transformed into 107 degree of spiritual life. Yes. That is the secret of this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. As we'll understand when we come to the Ninth Chapter, it is now clearly stated that su-sukhaṁ kartum avyayam [Bg 9.2].\n[This knowledge is the king of education, the most secret of all secrets. It is the purest knowledge, and because it gives direct perception of the self by realization, it is the perfection of religion. It is everlasting, and it is joyfully performed.]\nIt is very happy to adopt this principle of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So instead of lamenting what has been done—that is useless. No use lamenting. We have to now go, make progress, advance by Kṛṣṇa consciousness and utilizing everything for that purpose, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then everything will be all right. Otherwise,\nprāpañcikatayā buddhyā\nhari-sambandhi-vastunaḥ\nmumukṣubhiḥ parityāgo\nphalgu vairāgyaṁ kathyate\n[Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.2.255–56]\n[When one is not attached to anything but at the same time accepts anything in relation to Kṛṣṇa, one is rightly situated above possessiveness. On the other hand, one who rejects everything without knowledge of its relationship to Kṛṣṇa is not as complete in his renunciation.]\nSimply thinking, \"Oh, it is material. It is not spiritual. Let me give it up,\" but I do not know how to utilize them in the purpose of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then that sort of renunciation is not very much appreciated by our Gosvāmī sampradāya. We should not decry anything. Whatever is produced now, welcome. But let it be engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then everything will be all right.\nThe same example: Just like Arjuna was a fighter. He was a military man. But he was trying to mix with sense gratification. He was trying... He declined to fight just to make his own sense gratification. What is that sense gratification? He thought that \"By killing my kinsmen, my brothers on the other side, I will be unhappy.\" So my happiness and unhappiness pertaining to this body, that is a kind of sense gratification. So when he was taught Bhagavad-gītā, he gave up that process of sense gratification. He agreed to fight to satisfy the sense of Kṛṣṇa. So he remained the same fighting man. He remained the same military man. But only difference was that in the beginning he wanted to satisfy his own senses, and at the end of studying Bhagavad-gītā, when he became a liberated soul, he engaged the same energy for the sense gratification of Kṛṣṇa.\nSo this is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We haven't got to decry anything. Simply we have to change the consciousness. Everything we are now doing in the matter of sense gratification, we have to prepare ourself, we have to train ourself for the sense gratification of Kṛṣṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So that requires toleration. Now we are practiced to satisfy our own senses since a very, very long time. In every life, either in this human form of life, in other..., so many species of life, everyone is engaged for sense gratification. Now we have to change the process. Instead to satisfying my senses, we have to agree to satisfy the senses of Kṛṣṇa.\nUnfortunately, we make the Supreme Lord senseless. \"Oh, God is impersonal; He has no sense. He has no hand. He has no mouth. He has no leg.\" Then what it is? So we are creating imagination..., imaginary God in that way. But here is God present: Kṛṣṇa. He's with hands and legs and face and speaking to Arjuna. So God is not senseless. If He is senseless, then there was no use of speaking this Bhagavad-gītā and taking it so very important book so that world is reading very carefully. He's not senseless. He is with full sense. Otherwise His Bhagavad-gītā has no meaning. So He is with full sense. Now, the Kṛṣṇa consciousness means that instead of satisfying my senses, we have to satisfy the sense of Kṛṣṇa. A simple process. It is not very difficult.\nkāma-krodha-vimuktānāṁ\nyatīnāṁ yata-cetasām\nabhito brahma-nirvāṇaṁ\nvartate viditātmanām\n[Bg 5.26]\n[Those who are free from anger and all material desires, who are selfrealized, self-disciplined and constantly endeavoring for perfection, are assured of liberation in the Supreme in the very near future.]\nKāma-krodha-vimuktānām. Now, this kāma-krodha, lust, anger, it has been advised in the Fourth Chapter that they are our very great enemies, so we have to give it up. Kāma-krodha-vimuktānām. So kāma-krodha: we have to give up this lust and kāma. Kāma is lust, and krodha means anger. Now, just see... Kāma-krodha-vimuktānām. How kāma-krodha-vimukta, how one can be freed from kāma-krodha? Kāma-krodha, how one can be freed?\nSo just see the same example, we see that Arjuna, he was thinking of the welfare of his kinsmen, and Kṛṣṇa was asking that \"You should fight,\" and he was declining. So this kind of declining is kāma, lust, his own sense gratification. As soon as he became to satisfy the senses of Kṛṣṇa, then he is freed from his own kāma, own lust. There is no more his own lust. His own lust was that he was desiring not to fight. But as soon as he agreed to the instruction of Kṛṣṇa, he gave up his own lust; he becomes freed from kāma-krodha.\nSo kāma-krodha, kāma-krodha, this anger and this lust, that can be... Actually we can be free from this anger and lust when we are actually in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kāma-krodha-vimuktānāṁ yatīnāṁ yata-cetasām. Yatīnām. Therefore great sages, one who is able to give up this kāma, the lust and anger, they are called great sages. Kṣamā-rūpa-tapasvīnām. Tapasvī, one who is..., who are sages, their duty is they always forgive. They forgive any enemy. Just like you have got very nice example, Lord Jesus Christ. He was being crucified, but he forgave all the persons who were engaged in crucifying him. He prayed Lord, \"O my Lord, these people do not know what they are doing.\" So this is, I mean to say, the signs of great sages. They are not, I mean to say, angry. So kāma-krodha.\nSo angry..., we can give up anger only when you are Kṛṣṇa conscious. Otherwise it is not possible. So long we are after our own sense gratification, it is not possible to give up lust and anger. It is not possible. Simply... When you are... When... Why Lord Jesus Christ was able to forgive them? Because he was engaged in God's service. Therefore he was able. So it is such a thing. Sarvair guṇais tatra samāsate surāḥ [SB 5.18.12].\n[All the demigods and their exalted qualities, such as religion, knowledge and renunciation, become manifest in the body of one who has developed unalloyed devotion for the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vāsudeva. On the other hand, a person devoid of devotional service and engaged in material activities has no good qualities. Even if he is adept at the practice of mystic yoga or the honest endeavor of maintaining his family and relatives, he must be driven by his own mental speculations and must engage in the service of the Lord's external energy. How can there be any good qualities in such a man?]\nOne who is actually Kṛṣṇa conscious, automatically all the good qualities overtake him without any separate endeavor.\nSo,\nkāma-krodha-vimuktānāṁ\nyatīnāṁ yata-cetasām\nabhito brahma-nirvāṇaṁ\nvartate viditātmanām\n[Bg 5.26]\n[Those who are free from anger and all material desires, who are selfrealized, self-disciplined and constantly endeavoring for perfection, are assured of liberation in the Supreme in the very near future.]\nSo one who is always engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, automatically he becomes freed from lust, anger, and this is the stage of brahma-nirvāṇam. Brahma-nirvāṇam means cessation of material conception of life and be engaged in spiritual, transcendental position. That is called brahma-nirvāṇam.\nsparśān kṛtvā bahir bāhyāṁś\ncakṣuś caivāntare bhruvoḥ\nprāṇāpānau samau kṛtvā\nnāsābhyantara-cāriṇau\n[Bg 5.27]\n[Shutting out all external sense objects, keeping the eyes and vision concentrated between the two eyebrows, suspending the inward and outward breaths within the nostrils—thus controlling the mind, senses and intelligence, the transcendentalist becomes free from desire, fear and anger. One who is always in this state is certainly liberated.]\nNow this is yoga process. Kṛṣṇa is advising that yoga process. Yoga process means to come to the point of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. But one who directly goes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he hasn't got to practice this. But still, the practice is recommended here, that sparśān kṛtvā bahir bāhyāṁś cakṣuś caivāntare bhruvoḥ. We have to put our eyeballs within the... What is called? Eyelid?",
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"content": "\n Eyebrow.",
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"content": "\n Eyebrow, yes. Eyebrow. And prāṇāpānau samau kṛtvā. There are five kinds of air passing within our body: prāṇa, apāna, vyāna, udāna... There are different names of this air. So controlling them, prāṇāpānau samau kṛtvā and nāsābhyantara-cāriṇau. And they are coming, breathing control. These are the process. Those who are have practiced this yoga process, they can know.\nyatendriya-mano-buddhir\nmunir mokṣa-parāyaṇaḥ\nvigatecchā-bhaya-krodho\nyaḥ sadā mukta eva saḥ\n[Bg 5.28]\n[Shutting out all external sense objects, keeping the eyes and vision concentrated between the two eyebrows, suspending the inward and outward breaths within the nostrils—thus controlling the mind, senses and intelligence, the transcendentalist becomes free from desire, fear and anger. One who is always in this state is certainly liberated.]\nNow, this process is to give up that lust and anger. But if you engage yourself direct in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the result of this process is achieved very easily. Yatendriya-mano-buddhir munir mokṣa-parāyaṇaḥ, vigatecchā. Icchā-bhaya-krodha. Icchā means we desire so many things. And in material life we shall be always afraid. Afraid. Everyone is afraid. So icchā-bhaya-krodha. Anger is unavoidable, because we are..., in so many things we are frustrated in our dealing that anger is possible. But if we are engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, even we are put into such difficulty...\nI am very glad to inform you that one of our student is put into some difficulty, but he is very happy simply thinking of this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Practical. He is... Not very long he is practiced the Kṛṣṇa consciousness, but within a few days he has learned the art. Just now I received telephone that he said that \"I am quite happy.\" So this is such a thing. Kṛṣṇa consciousness can get us even in the greatest... Yasmin sthite guruṇāpi duḥkhena na vicalyate [Bg 6.22]. \n[The stage of perfection is called trance, or samādhi, when one's mind is completely restrained from material mental activities by practice of yoga. This is characterized by one's ability to see the self by the pure mind and to relish and rejoice in the self. In that joyous state, one is situated in boundless transcendental happiness and enjoys himself through transcendental senses. Established thus, one never departs from the truth, and upon gaining this he thinks there is no greater gain. Being situated in such a position, one is never shaken, even in the midst of greatest difficulty. This indeed is actual freedom from all miseries arising from material contact.]\nEven one is situated in a very great, dangerous point, still, he is not disturbed. This is such a thing, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. He does not become disturbed.\nbhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ\nsarva-loka-maheśvaram\nsuhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ\njñātvā māṁ śāntim ṛcchati\n[Bg 5.29]\n[The sages, knowing Me as the ultimate purpose of all sacrifices and austerities, the Supreme Lord of all planets and demigods and the benefactor and well-wisher of all living entities, attain peace from the pangs of material miseries.]\nNow here, Kṛṣṇa summarizes that \"If you want peace... Peace, the formula of peace, you must know.\" What is that formula? Now, bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasām.\nbhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ\nsarva-loka-maheśvaram\nsuhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ\njñātvā māṁ śāntim ṛcchati\n[Bg 5.29]\nNow, if anyone understands that Kṛṣṇa, or the Supreme Lord, He is the enjoyer of all activities... Now, whatever activities are going on in this world, there is some result of any activities, especially good activities. Here it is called yajña-tapasām. Yajña and tapasya, that is good. They are pious activities.\nSo Kṛṣṇa says that if anyone can understand that all result of pious activities, the enjoyer is Kṛṣṇa... Bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram [Bg 5.29]. And He is the proprietor of all planets. Not only this earth, but there are innumerable planets, innumerable universes, and the Lord is the proprietor of all these universes. Then suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānām, and He is the only friend of all living entities. Suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ jñātvā māṁ śāntim ṛcchati. If anyone can understand this secret of life, that nobody is proprietor...\nEveryone is claiming that \"I am proprietor of this house,\" \"I am proprietor of this land,\" \"I am proprietor of this country,\" or \"I am proprietor of this planet.\" You can go on increasing. There are many instances who became proprietor of many other planets also. In the history I have got. Not only this planet, but many other planet. But this is mistake. Actually, the proprietor is the Supreme Lord. We are just guest in His house. We are not proprietor. We must have..., we must develop this sense, that Kṛṣṇa is the proprietor, or the Supreme Lord is the proprietor.\nNow, that is actually fact. We come here as guest. Suppose I am Indian, you are American. We have come on this earth as guest for few years, say, for hundred years or fifty years; then we leave this place. So if I am the proprietor, why don't I take this place with me when I am going? No. I am not proprietor. So there is no question of tyāga, renunciation. And there is no question of bhoga, or enjoyment. Because you are not proprietor. So you neither you can enjoy, neither you can renounce it.\nSo renunciation or enjoyment, both are illegal. Renunciation... Suppose we are sitting in this room. This room belongs to the landlord. Suppose I am vacating this room, and while vacating, while I am going from this room if I say to the landlord, \"Well Mr. Such-and-such, I leave this place for you now.\" Now, what is this place? That place belonged to him. How we are leaving? So he'll laugh: \"Oh, you were my guest, you were my tenant. How you can leave? It is mine.\" Similarly, if we say, \"All right. I am giving up this..., renouncing this enjoyment life...,\" so either..., we cannot either renounce or enjoy. Both are illegal. Simple thing is that we must know that as it is formulated here, that everything belongs to God, so everything should be engaged for the service of God. That is real knowledge.\nJust like suppose here is a hundred dollar note somebody left by mistake. Now, what is to be done with that hundred dollar notes? If somebody takes that hundred dollar notes, \"Oh, here is a hundred dollar note. Take me... Let me take it and enjoy it,\" that is illegal. And if that hundred dollar note is neglected, \"All right, let it remain there. The owner will find it,\" that is also not good, because if I do not find out the person and hand over that hundred dollar note, that is not my duty, because others may take it away. Similarly, to leave that hundred dollar note is also not good, and to enjoy that hundred dollar note is also not good. The best is that find out the proprietor of that hundred dollar note. Ask somebody, \"Have you left something, sir? Anybody?\" If one: \"Yes, I'm missing one hundred dollar...\" \"Here is...\" That is real service.\nSimilarly, if we understand that everything belongs to God, so that sense will lead me: \"No, I am not enjoyer.\" So my sense gratification, my anger, my lust, all finished. All finished at once, at stroke, if I understand that \"Nothing belongs to me; everything belongs to God.\" If I want to enjoy it, that is illegal, and if I neglect it, that is also illegal. If I say, \"Oh, let... Jagan mithyā, this world is false. I don't want it. Let me go to the Himalaya and the jungle,\" oh, that is also not good. You must try to utilize the whole thing for the purpose of Kṛṣṇa, because everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa. That will be your duty. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Because He is the proprietor.\nNow, this tape recorder is advancement now of material science. We should think, \"Oh, this is the property of Kṛṣṇa. Let it be utilized in the propaganda work for Kṛṣṇa's service.\" That is proper utilization. So everything. Sarva-loka-maheśvaram [Bg 5.29]. \n[The sages, knowing Me as the ultimate purpose of all sacrifices and austerities, the Supreme Lord of all planets and demigods and the benefactor and well-wisher of all living entities, attain peace from the pangs of material miseries.]\nSuppose if... if somebody says that \"I am the proprietor everything of this room. So you have no claim.\" So we have actually no claim. We simply come. And the whole philosophy is... That is spiritual communism.\nIn the Bhāgavata you'll find that this anything, all the richness, all the riches that is all over the world, all over the universe, that is created by God. So you are at liberty to make its use. You can take as much as you like, but if you claim proprietorship, then you make fault and you have to suffer. You can use them. There is no harm using. Kṛṣṇa has given, God has given us enough things. Now, why you are suffering? Why the world is suffering? Because we are trying to occupy it: \"Oh, this is my country.\" He says, \"This is my country. Oh, this is my property. You cannot come here. You cannot enjoy.\" This is the trouble. But if we think, \"Oh, it is all Kṛṣṇa's property. Let us enjoy and be Kṛṣṇa conscious and be happy,\" then there is no disturbance. Automatically, peace is there.\nSo we do not know what is peace, what is the formula of peace, but we are trying to make peace. We keep all the, I mean to say, dirty things within our heart, and we are making propaganda that we want peace. How you can have peace? Here is the peace formula. What is that? Bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram [Bg 5.29]. The Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa, He is the enjoyer, He is the proprietor, and He is the real friend. In the Vedic scripture you'll find, He's such a nice friend that I am transmigrating from one body to another, and Kṛṣṇa is also transmigrating in the same body, Supersoul. Suppose I am transmigrating to the body of a hog. Oh, Kṛṣṇa is present there also. He's such a friend.\nNow, suppose we have got our friends. So when I've got richness, I am very rich, I will have so many friends. Suppose I am poverty-stricken now, no friends come to us. But Kṛṣṇa is not such a friend. Kṛṣṇa is such a good friend, in whatever condition you may live, He is always with you. He is always with you. In the Vedic literature you find that two birds are sitting on the same tree. One bird is eating the fruit of the tree, and the other bird is witnessing. That witnessing bird is Kṛṣṇa, and the eating bird is myself. I am eating, I am enjoying the fruits of my work in this material world, and Kṛṣṇa is simply observing.\nJust like Arjuna. Arjuna was talking so many things; Kṛṣṇa was observing. But when Arjuna came to his senses, he surrendered to Kṛṣṇa: śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ prapannam [Bg 2.7].\n[Now I am confused about my duty and have lost all composure because of weakness. In this condition I am asking You to tell me clearly what is best for me. Now I am Your disciple, and a soul surrendered unto You. Please instruct me.]\nSimilarly, the bird, the Supersoul bird, is sitting. He's simply waiting for the opportunity when he'll say, \"Oh, Kṛṣṇa, I surrender unto You. Now protect me. Give me instruction.\" He is waiting.\nSo this is the formula of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.\nbhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ\nsarva-loka-maheśvaram\nsuhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ\njñātvā māṁ śāntim ṛcchati\n[Bg 5.29]\n[The sages, knowing Me as the ultimate purpose of all sacrifices and austerities, the Supreme Lord of all planets and demigods and the benefactor and well-wisher of all living entities, attain peace from the pangs of material miseries.]\nIf you really want peace, then this is the formula. You should always know that Kṛṣṇa is the enjoyer of everything, He is the proprietor of everything and He is the only sincere friend. Suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ jñātvā. One who understands this secret, he becomes happy; peace is for him.\nThank you very much. Now if there is any question, you can ask. [end]",
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"content": "\n [kīrtana] [prema-dhvani] Thank you very much. [devotees offer obeisances]\n[10:48]\n[sings Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi.]\ncintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa-\nlakṣāvṛteṣu surabhīr abhipālayantam\nlakṣmī-sahasra-śata-sambhrama-sevyamānaṁ\ngovindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi\n[Bs. 5.29]\n[I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, the first progenitor who is tending the cows, yielding all desire, in abodes built with spiritual gems, surrounded by millions of purpose trees, always served with great reverence and affection by hundreds of thousands of \nlakṣmīs\n or \ngopīs.]\n Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi. [repeat three times]\nSo we are worshiping Govindam, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the original person. So this sound, govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi, is reaching Him. He is hearing. You cannot say that He is not hearing. Can you say? No.\nEspecially in this scientific age, when television, radio messages are broadcast thousands and thousands of miles away, and you can hear, now why can you...? Why Kṛṣṇa cannot hear your prayer, sincere prayer? How can you say it? Nobody can deny it.\nSo, premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti [Bs. 5.38].\n[I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who is Śyāmasundara, Kṛṣṇa Himself with inconceivable innumerable attributes, whom the pure devotees see in their heart of hearts with the eye of devotion tinged with the salve of love.]\nJust like thousands and thousands miles away you can transfer the television picture or your radio sound, similarly, if you can prepare yourself, then you can see always Govinda. It is not difficult. This is stated in Brahma-saṁhitā, premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena. Simply you have to prepare your eyes, your mind in that way. Here is a television box within your heart.\nThis is the perfection of yoga. It is not you have to purchase one machine, or television set. It is there, and God is also there. You can see, you can hear, you can talk, provided you have got the machine. You repair it, that's all. The repairing process is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Otherwise, everything is supplied, complete, complete set of machine you have got within you.\nAnd just like for repairing, an expert mechanic required, similarly, you require the help of someone expert. Then you'll see that your machine is working. It is not difficult to understand. Nobody can say that it is not possible. In the śāstra we hear also. Sādhu śāstra, guru vākya, tinete kariya aikya.\nSpiritual realization can be perfected by three parallel process. Sādhu. Sādhu means saintly persons, who are realized souls, sādhu. And śāstra. Śāstra means scriptures, authoritative scriptures, Vedic scriptures, śāstra. Sādhu, śāstra and guru, a spiritual master. Three parallel line.\nAnd if you place your car or vehicle on these three parallel line, your car will go direct to Kṛṣṇa. Tinete kariyā aikya. Just like in the railway line you see two parallel lines. If they are in order, the railway carriages are carried very smoothly to the destination. Here also, there are three parallel lines—sādhu, śāstra, guru: saintly person, association of saintly person; acceptance of bona fide spiritual master, and faith in the scriptures. That's all. Then your carriage will be going nicely, without any disturbance. Sādhu śāstra guru vākya, cittete kariyā aikya [Prema-bhakti-candrikā]. \n[My only wish is to have my consciousness purified by the words emanating from his lotus mouth. Attachment to his lotus feet is the perfection that fulfills all desires.]\nSo here in the Bhagavad-gītā, the Supreme Personality of Godhead explaining Himself, Kṛṣṇa. So if you say, \"How can I believe that Kṛṣṇa said? Somebody has written in the name of Kṛṣṇa that 'Kṛṣṇa said,' 'God said.' \" No. This is called disciplic succession. You will see in this book, Bhagavad-gītā, Kṛṣṇa, what Kṛṣṇa said, and how Arjuna understood.\nThese things are described there. And the sādhu, saintly person, beginning from Vyāsadeva, Nārada, down to many ācāryas, Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, Viṣṇu Svāmī, and latest, Lord Caitanya, in this way, they have accepted, \"Yes. It is spoken by Kṛṣṇa.\" So this is the proof: if saintly persons have accepted. They have not denied. Authorities, they have accepted, \"Yes.\" This is called sādhu.\nAnd because sādhu, saintly persons, have accepted, therefore it is scripture. That is the test. Just like... It is commonsense affair. If the lawyers accept some book, then it is to be understood that this is law book. You cannot say that \"How can I accept this is law?\" The evidence is the lawyers are accepting. Medical... If the medical practitioners accept, then that is authoritative medical book. Similarly, if saintly persons are accepting Bhagavad-gītā as scripture, you cannot deny it.\nSo sādhu śāstra: saintly person and scriptures, two things, and with spiritual master, three, three parallel lines, who accept the sādhu and the scripture. Sādhu confirms the scripture and spiritual master accept the scripture. Simple process. So they are not in disagreement. What is spoken in the scripture is accepted by saintly person, and what is spoken in the scripture, the spiritual master explains only that thing. That's all.\nSo via media is the scripture. Just like lawyer and the litigants—via media is the law book. Similarly, the spiritual master, the scripture... Saintly person means who confirms the Vedic injunction, who accepts. And scripture means what is accepted by the saintly person. And spiritual master means who follows the scripture.\nSo things equal to the same thing are equal to one another. This is axiomatic truth. If you have got hundred dollars, and another man has got hundred dollar, and if I have got hundred dollar, then we are all equal. Similarly, sādhu śāstra guru vākya, when these three parallel lines in agreement, then life is success.\nSo here Kṛṣṇa is speaking Bhagavad-gītā, mayy āsakta-manāḥ [Bg. 7.1], about the yoga system.\n[Now hear, O son of Pṛthā [Arjuna], how by practicing yoga in full consciousness of Me, with mind attached to Me, you can know Me in full, free from doubt.]\nHe has already concluded in the Sixth Chapter the yoga system. In the first six chapters it is explained what is the constitutional position of the living entity. There are eighteen chapters in the Bhagavad-gītā. The first six chapters explains only the constitutional position of the living entities. And when it is understood... Just like when you understand your actual position, then your activities actually begins. If you do not know what is your actual position... Suppose in a office, if your post is not settled up what duty you have to execute, then you cannot do anything very nicely. Here is a typist, here is clerk, here is a peon, here is a this and that. So they are executing their work very nicely.\nSo one has to understand what is the constitutional position of the living entity. So that is explained in the first six chapters. Adyena śastena upāsakasya jīvasya svarūpa-prāpti-sādhanaṁ ca pradhānaṁ niṁ proktam. Baladeva Vidyābhūṣana, a very nice, authorized commentator on the Bhagavad-gītā, he says that in the first six chapters the constitutional position of the living entity has been very nicely explained. And how one can understand his constitutional position, that is also explained. So the yoga system means to understand his constitutional position. svarūpa-prāpti-sādhanaṁ ca pradhānaṁ niṁ proktam.\nWe are busy with sense activities. The material life means business of sense activities. The whole world activity, when you go stand on the street, you will see everybody's very busy. The storekeeper is busy, the motor-driver is busy. Everyone is very busy—so busy that so many accidents in business. Now, why they are busy? If you minutely study what is their business, the business is sense gratification. That's all. Everyone is busy how to gratify senses. This is material. And yoga means to control the senses, to understand my spiritual position, my constitutional position.\nJust like a boy who is accustomed to playing only, he cannot concentrate in his study, in understanding his future life or in elevating himself, a higher position. Similarly, if we are engaged like child without knowing the future of life, simply playing with the senses, that is called material life. The difference between material life and spiritual life is that if somebody is simply engaged in sense gratification business, that is called material life. And out of many thousands of such materialistic persons, if somebody is trying to understand, \"What I am? Why I have come here? Why I am put into so many miserable condition of life? Is there any remedy?\" these questions, when arises, then, practically, his spiritual life begins.\nAnd the human form of life is meant for that. In animal life they do not know anything except sense gratification. They have no power. Their consciousness is not developed. Just like in the Green Lake park, there are so many ducks. As soon as somebody goes there with some little food, oh, they gather: \"quack! quack! quack! quack!\" [laughter] That's all. And after eating, they are enjoying sex life. That's all. So similarly, like cats and dogs and these animals, the human life is also like that if there is no question \"What I am?\" If they are simply directed by the sense urges, they are no better than these ducks and dogs.\nSo therefore, in the first six chapters it has been decided that a living entity is a spiritual spark. It is very difficult to find out where the spark is, because it is so small, minute. There is no material microscope or machine to find out. But it is there. It is there. The symptom is, because it is there in my body, because it is there in your body, therefore you are moving, you are talking, you are planning—so many things you are doing—simply for that spiritual spark.\nSo we are very minute spark of the supreme spirit. Just like there are in the sunshine minute particles, shining particles. With shining, these shining particles, when they are mixed together, that is sunshine. But they are molecules. They are separate, atomic molecules. Similarly, in relationship with God and ourself, we are also minute particles of God, shining.\nShining means we have got the same propensities—thinking, feeling, willing, creating, everything. Whatever you see in yourself, that is there in God. So God cannot be impersonal, because we are all person. I have got so many propensities—that is very minute quantity. The same propensities are there in Kṛṣṇa, or God, but that is very great, unlimited.\nThis is the study of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Simply greatness, my position is very small. And we are so small, infinitesimal; still, we have got so many propensities, so many desires, so many activities, so many brain work. Just imagine how much greater brain work and desire and propensities are there in God, because He's great.\nHis greatness means all these things, what you have got, that is existing in Him in greatness. That's all. Qualitatively, we are one, but quantitatively, we are different. He's great; we are small. He is infinite; we are infinitesimal. Therefore the conclusion is, just like infinite particles of fire, sparks, when they are with the fire, they look very nice with fire and spark.\nBut when the sparks are out of the fire, main fire, they extinguish. No more fire. Similarly, we are sparks of Kṛṣṇa, or God. When we associate with God, then our that illuminating power, fire, is renovated. Otherwise, we are extinguished.\nAlthough you are sparks, our present life, this material life, is covered. The spark is covered, or extinguished almost. This is only example; it cannot be extinguished. If it is extinguished, how we are manifesting our living condition? It is not extinguished, but it is covered. Just like when fire is covered, you'll feel heat on the covering, but you cannot see the fire directly. Similarly, this spiritual spark is covered by his material dress; therefore we cannot see. The doctor says, \"Oh, the bodily function has failed; therefore heart has failed. He is dead.\"\nBut why heart fails he does not know. There is no medical science, calculated. They will say so many reasons, that \"Because the blood corpuscles, red corpuscles, has ceased to function, it has become white; therefore it is...\" No. This is not right answer. The blood can be made red... Or redness is not life. There are many natural product which is red by nature. That does not mean there is life. So this argument, that red corpuscles have ceased, therefore life has ceased—no. There are so many arguments and counterarguments.\nActually, this is the fact, because we are speaking on the strength of scripture, saintly persons and spiritual master. That is the way of understanding. You cannot manufacture with your teeny brain, imperfect senses. Human being, they're imperfect, always. Just, for example, that a child is seeing the sun, and a scientist is seeing the sun. By nature, the child, their knowledge of the sun is imperfect. The same child, when he takes instruction from a scientist, he can understand the sun is so great. Therefore direct perception of knowledge by our the senses is always imperfect. You have to approach authority—in every sphere of life.\nSimilarly, if you want to understand what is God, then you have to take shelter of this Bhagavad-gītā. There is no alternative. You cannot speculate that \"God may be like this, God may be like that,\" \"There is no God,\" \"God is dead,\" \"God is not dead.\" This is simply speculation. Here Kṛṣṇa says,\nmayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha\nyogaṁ yuñjan mad-āśrayaḥ\nasaṁśayaṁ samagraṁ māṁ\nyathā jñāsyasi tac chṛṇu\n[Bg. 7.1]\n[Now hear, O son of Pṛthā [Arjuna], how by practicing yoga in full consciousness of Me, with mind attached to Me, you can know Me in full, free from doubt.]\nIf you believe that Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is speaking personally, as Arjuna believed, then you can understand what is God. Otherwise it is not possible. Asaṁśayam.\nSo the process is, the first process is, mayy āsakta-manāḥ. You have to constantly engage your mind in Kṛṣṇa. That is the yoga process, which is, which we are presenting as Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kṛṣṇa consciousness... Just like if you constantly join yourself with the electric powerhouse, there is incessant supply of electric energy. Similarly, if you constantly engage your mind in Kṛṣṇa, that is also not very difficult.\nKṛṣṇa is all-attractive. Kṛṣṇa is beautiful. Kṛṣṇa has so many activities. The whole Vedic literature is full of Kṛṣṇa's activities. This Bhagavad-gītā is full of Kṛṣṇa's activities. Simply by understanding that God is great, that is neutral state of understanding. But you have to elevate more and more, how great He is.\nHow great He is, it is not possible to understand, because our senses are always imperfect. But as far as possible you can hear about the activities of God, about the position of God, and you can think over it, and you can make your judgment, you can put your argument. Then you will understand without any doubt what is God.\nSo the first beginning is, mayy āsakta-manāḥ. In the last chapter Kṛṣṇa has explained that one who is constantly absorbed in the thought of Kṛṣṇa, he is first-class yogī. First-class yogī. In your country the yoga system is very popular, but you do not know who is a first-class yogī. The first-class yogī [is] explained in the Bhagavad-gītā: yoginām api sarveṣāṁ mad-gatenāntarātmanā [Bg. 6.47],\n[And of all yogīs, he who always abides in Me with great faith, worshiping Me in transcendental loving service, is most intimately united with Me in yoga and is the highest of all.]\nThat out of many, many thousands of yogī, the yogī or bhakta-yogī who is always seeing within himself, within his heart, the form of Kṛṣṇa, he's first-class. He's first class.\nSo you have to continue that first-class yoga system, and that is explained here, mayy āsakta-manāḥ: being attached. Mind is the vehicle for being attached. If you are attached to somebody, some boy, some girl, some person... Generally, we become attached to a person. Impersonal attachment is bogus thing.\nIf you want to be attached, that attachment must be personal. Is it not a fact? Impersonal attachment... You cannot love the sky, but you can love the sun, you can love the moon, you can love the stars, because they are localized person. And if you want to love the sky, it is very difficult for you. You have to come again to this sun.\nSo yoga system, culminating in perfection, in love... So you have to love somebody, person. That is Kṛṣṇa. Just like here is a picture. Rādhārāṇī is loving Kṛṣṇa and offering His [Her] flowers to Kṛṣṇa, and Kṛṣṇa is playing with His flute. So you can think of this picture nicely, always, then you will become constantly in yoga, samādhi.\nWhy impersonal? Why you something, something void? Void cannot be. If you think something void, there will be something light, something color, colorful, so many things we will find. But that is also form. How you can avoid form? That is not possible.\nTherefore why don't you concentrate your mind to the real form, īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ [Bs. 5.1],\n[Kṛṣṇa who is known as Govinda is the Supreme Godhead. He has an eternal blissful spiritual body. He is the origin of all. He has no other origin and He is the prime cause of all causes.]\nThe Supreme Personality of Godhead, the controller, the supreme controller, who has got a body? How? Vigrahaḥ. Vigrahaḥ means body. And what sort of body? Sac-cid-ānanda, eternal body, full of bliss, full of knowledge. That body. Not like body like this. This body is full of ignorance, full of miseries, and not eternal. Just opposite.\nHis body is eternal; my body is not eternal. His body is full of bliss; my body is full of miseries, always something troubling me—headache, toothache, this ache, that ache. Somebody is..., has given me personal trouble. So many. Adhyātmika, adhibhautika, severe heat, severe cold, so many things. This body is always under threefold miseries, this material body.\nSo if you think of Kṛṣṇa, that is the process, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha yogaṁ yuñjan mad-āśrayaḥ, if you practice this yoga system, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, how? Mad-āśrayaḥ. Mad-āśrayaḥ means \"taking shelter of somebody who is in touch with Me.\" Mad-āśrayaḥ. Mad-āśrayaḥ means directly in touch with Him. Directly you are in touch with Him as soon as you think of Him, His form.\nBut unless you take shelter of a spiritual master who knows about Him, you cannot concentrate for a long time. It may be temporary. Therefore you have to hear from a person who knows about Kṛṣṇa. Then your concentration of mind on Kṛṣṇa will continue. You have to act according to his direction. Everything, your life should be molded in such a way under the direction of the spiritual master. Then you can continue this yoga system perfectly.\nWhat is that yoga system? That yoga system explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, in the Sixth Chapter, last verse, yoginām api sarveṣāṁ mad-gatenāntarātmanā [Bg. 6.47]:\n[And of all yogīs, he who always abides in Me with great faith, worshiping Me in transcendental loving service, is most intimately united with Me in yoga and is the highest of all.]\n\"One who is always thinking of Me,\" mad-gata, \"he is first-class yogī.\" In many places it is stated. Premāñjana-cchurita. How you can think of Kṛṣṇa unless you develop love for Kṛṣṇa? Just like Rādhārāṇī. Rādhārāṇī, She has come. She was married, and household life, but She has come to Kṛṣṇa to worship Him.\nSimilarly, we have to place Kṛṣṇa always in our mind, think of Him. Then this very process, mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha yogaṁ yuñjan mad-āśrayaḥ, \"Under the protection of Myself, of My representative, when you understand samagram, perfectly well, then your life is successful.\" Asaṁśayam: \"without any doubt.\"\nNot that because your spiritual master says that \"Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.\" No. If you have got any doubt, just question, just try to understand. It is a fact that He's the Supreme Personality of Godhead, undoubtedly. But if you have got some doubt, you can clear it. Asaṁśayam. In this way, if you practice this yoga system, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the topmost of all the yoga system, asaṁśayam samagraṁ māṁ yathā jñāsyasi [Bg. 7.1], \n[Kṛṣṇa who is known as Govinda is the Supreme Godhead. He has an eternal blissful spiritual body. He is the origin of all. He has no other origin and He is the prime cause of all causes.]\nThen you'll understand Kṛṣṇa, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead, perfectly well, without any doubt, and your life will be successful.\nThank you. [devotees offer obeisances] Any question?",
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"content": "\n What is the difference between bhava and prema?",
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"content": "\n Hmm?",
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"content": "\n What is the difference between bhava and prema?",
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"content": "\n Prema is mature condition of bhava. Just like a ripe mango and green mango. Green mango is the cause of ripe mango. But to taste ripe mango is better than unripe mango. Similarly, before attaining love of Godhead, you have got different stages. Just like the same mango, it passes through different stages, then one day it comes nice yellow color, fully ripened, and taste is so nice.\nThe same mango. The mango does not change, but it comes to the mature stage. So this... As this example, the mango is in the beginning a flower, then gradually a little fruit. Then gradually it grows. Then it becomes very tight, green, and then, gradually, it becomes little, little yellowish, and it becomes fully ripe.\nThis is the process of everything. In material world also, there are six processes, and the last process is vanquish. This mango example or any other material example, we can accept it so far the growth is required, concerned, but material example is not perfect. Just like mango, when it is ripe, somebody eats, that's all right.\nOtherwise it will overripe, it will decompose, it will fall down and finish. That is material. But spiritual is not like that. It is not finished. If you once come to the stage of mature stage of love, then that perfectional stage continues eternally, and your life is successful. Premā pum-artho mahān [Caitanya-manjusa].\n[The Supreme Personality of Godhead, the son of Nanda Mahārāja, is to be worshiped along with His transcendental abode, Vṛndāvana. The most pleasing form of worship for the Lord is that which was performed by the gopīs of Vṛndāvaṇa. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the spotless authority on everything, and pure love of God is the ultimate goal of life for all men. These statements, for which we have the highest regard, are the opinion of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.]\nThere are many different types of perfection in this material world. Somebody is thinking, \"This is perfection of life.\" Materialists, they are thinking, \"If I can enjoy my senses very nicely, that is perfection of life.\" That is their point of view. And when they are frustrated, they find out, or try to find out, something better. So if he's not guided, something better means the same—sex and intoxication. That's all.\nSimply become irresponsible. That's all. Because there is no guide. He's finding out, searching out something better, but because there is no guide, he comes to the same sense or sex and intoxication—to forget. A businessman, when he's failure, so much disturbance, he tries to forget him by drinking.\nBut this is artificial way. This is not actually the remedy. How long you can forget? Sleep—how long you can sleep? Again wake up, again you are in the same position. That is not the way. But if you come to the stage of love of Godhead, then naturally you forget all this nonsense. Naturally. Paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate [Bg. 2.59].\n[The embodied soul may be restricted from sense enjoyment, though the taste for sense objects remains. But, ceasing such engagements by experiencing a higher taste, he is fixed in consciousness.]\nIf you find out something more palatable, more relishable, you give up nonsense things which is not so nice to taste.\nSo Kṛṣṇa consciousness is such a thing. It is leading you to a standard where going, you will forget all this nonsense. That is real life. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā [Bg. 18.54]. \n[And of all yogīs, he who always abides in Me with great faith, worshiping Me in transcendental loving service, is most intimately united with Me in yoga and is the highest of all.]\nAs soon as you come that state, then your symptom will be that you are jolly. You are feeling everywhere. There is a... There are many instances. So when you accept this material world in relationship with Kṛṣṇa, you'll taste that love of Godhead, even in this material world.\nActually, material world means completely in forgetfulness of God, or Kṛṣṇa. That is material world. Otherwise, if you are in full consciousness of Kṛṣṇa, you'll find only spiritual world, even in this material world. Consciousness—it is all consciousness. The same example: Just like the king and the bug is sitting on the same throne, but the bug knows that \"My business is simply to get some blood.\" That's all.\nThe king knows that \"I have to rule. I am the ruler of this country.\" So sitting on the same place, but the consciousness is different. Similarly, if you change your consciousness to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, wherever you are, you are in Vaikuṇṭha. Wherever. It doesn't matter.\nYes?",
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"content": "\n I would like you to explain the origin and significance of what you..., what they call the Jagannātha car festival.",
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"content": "\n Jagannātha festival significance is that when Kṛṣṇa left Vṛndāvana... Kṛṣṇa was raised by His foster father, Nanda Mahārāja. But when He was grown up, sixteen years old, He was taken away by His real father, Vasudeva, and They left Vṛndāvana, Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma, two brothers, and They were resident..., Their kingdom was in Dvārakā.\nSo in Kurukṣetra—Kurukṣetra is always dharma-kṣetra, pilgrimage—there was some lunar..., solar eclipse, and many persons from many parts of India, they came to take bath. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma and Their sister Subhadra, They also came in royal fashion, with so many soldiers and so many..., just like king. So these residents of Vṛndāvana, they met Kṛṣṇa, and especially the gopīs, they saw Kṛṣṇa, and they lamented that \"Kṛṣṇa, You are here, we are also here, but the place is different. We are not in Vṛndāvana.\"\nSo there is a long story how they lamented and how Kṛṣṇa pacified them. This is a feeling of separation, how the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana felt separation from Kṛṣṇa. So this... When Kṛṣṇa came on chariot, that is called Ratha-yātrā. This is the history of Ratha-yātrā. So any pastimes made by Kṛṣṇa, that is observed in ceremonial form by the devotees. So that is Ratha-yātrā.",
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"content": "\n How may we recognize yogamāyā?",
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"content": "\n I do not know what is your question.",
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"content": "\n He wants to know how we may recognize yogamāyā, how we may know.",
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"content": "\n Yogamāyā? Yogamāyā means that which connects you. Yoga means connection. When you are being gradually advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that is the action of yogamāyā. And when you are gradually forgetting Kṛṣṇa, that is the action of mahāmāyā. Māyā is acting upon you. The one is dragging you, and one is pushing you opposite way. Yogamāyā. \nSo just like the example that you are always under the laws of government. You cannot deny. If you say, \"I don't agree to abide by the laws of government,\" that is not possible. But when you are a criminal, you are under the police laws, and when you are gentleman, you are under the civil laws. The laws are there. In any situation, you have to obey the laws of government. If you remain as a civilized citizen, then you are always protected by the civil law. But as soon as you are against the state, the criminal law will act upon you.\nSo the criminal activities of law is mahāmāyā, threefold miseries, always. Always putting in some sort of misery. And the civil department of Kṛṣṇa, ānandāmbudhi-vardhanam. You simply go on increasing the, I mean to say, depth of the ocean of joy. Ānandambudhi-vardhanam. That is the difference, yogamāyā and mahāmāyā. Yogamāyā is... Yogamāyā, the original yogamāyā, is Kṛṣṇa's internal potency. That is Rādhārāṇī. And mahāmāyā is external potency, Durgā.\nThis Durgā is explained in Brahma-saṁhitā, \nsṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya-sādhana-śaktir ekā\nchāyeva yasya bhuvanāni bibharti durgā\n[Bs. 5.44]\n[The external potency Māyā who is of the nature of the shadow of the cit potency, is worshiped by all people as Durgā, the creating, preserving and destroying agency of this mundane world. I adore the primeval Lord Govinda in accordance with whose will Durgā conducts herself.]\nDurgā is the superintending goddess of this whole material world. Everything is going on under his..., under her control. Prakṛti, prakṛti is energy. Energy is accepted as feminine. Just like these materialistic persons, they are also working under some energy. What is that energy? The sex life. That's all. They're troubling so much: \"Oh, at night I'll have sex life.\" That's all. That is the energy. Yan maithunādi-gṛhamedhi-sukhaṁ hi tuccham [SB 7.9.45].\n[Sex life is compared to the rubbing of two hands to relieve an itch. Gṛhamedhis, so-called gṛhasthas who have no spiritual knowledge, think that this itching is the greatest platform of happiness, although actually it is a source of distress. The kṛpaṇas, the fools who are just the opposite of brāhmaṇas, are not satisfied by repeated sensuous enjoyment. Those who are dhīra, however, who are sober and who tolerate this itching, are not subjected to the sufferings of fools and rascals.]\nTheir life is based on the sex. That's all. Everyone is working so hard, culminating in sex. That's all. This is material life.\nSo energy. The material energy means sex. So that is energy. If a person who is working in the factory, if you stop sex, oh, he cannot work. And when he's unable to enjoy sex life, then he takes intoxication. This is material life. So energy must be there. Here in the material world the energy is sex, and in the spiritual world the energy is love.\nHere the love is misrepresented in sex. That is not love; that is lust. Love is only possible with Kṛṣṇa, nowhere else. Nowhere else love is possible. That is misrepresentation of love. That is lust. So love and lust. Love is yogamāyā, and lust is mahāmāyā. That's all.\n[long pause] Is that all right?",
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"content": "\n Oh, yeah. [soft laughter]",
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"content": "\n So, any other question?",
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"content": "\n Christ consciousness and Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the words are so similar. Please combine the words, explain how the words came to us.",
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"content": "\n That I've explained many times: a pocket dictionary and international dictionary. You cannot say that pocket dictionary is no dictionary, but it is meant for a certain class of student. And international dictionary is meant for a certain class of student. They are all student. Was Christ... What was spoken by Christ, that is also God consciousness, but that was meant for a certain class of men. And what class of men they were?\nThey're not even perfectly civilized. Because Christ was explaining God consciousness, that was his fault, and they crucified him. What class of men they were? Judge. His only fault was that he was explaining God, and they crucified him. The reward was crucification. So what kind of class of men they were? The status of that society, just try to understand.\nTherefore what spoke..., what was spoken by Lord Jesus Christ, for them, that was sufficient. But when Bhagavad-gītā is spoken to a person like Arjuna, that is different thing. So we have to speak according to the time, according to the circumstances, according to the audience. Don't you see that here only a few persons are attending? Why? They cannot understand this Kṛṣṇa science, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It is not meant for all classes of men. It is highest standard of God consciousness. Love. Love of God.\nSo there is also teachings of love of God, undoubtedly. That is the difference. The same thing. Always try to understand: The small pocket dictionary for students while in the primary stage, and international dictionary for higher students, postgraduate students—the both of them are dictionaries. But it is meant for somebody, it is meant for somebody. And the test is phalena paricīyate. \nPhalena paricīyate, you have to understand. Suppose you are traveling in a forest. So many trees are there. But you cannot understand what is this tree, what is that. But as soon as you see the flower, \"Oh, here is apple. Oh, this is apple tree.\" Just like the other day you were telling me you never saw apple tree? Yes. Now, as soon as you saw the apple, you understood, \"This is apple tree. Oh!\"\nThe test of any scripture is how one is developing love of God. Phalena paricīyate. If you find that following some religious principles you are developing your love of God, then it is perfect. It doesn't matter whether it is Bible or Koran or Bhagavad-gītā. It doesn't matter. We have to see what is the fruit. If the fruit is that people are developing love of Godhead, then it is perfect. Don't try to understand whether this is good, this is good, this is bad, this is... No.\nTry to understand by the result. Just like the same way: if you see the fruit, then it is first class. So it doesn't matter whether it is Bible or Gītā. If you can develop love of Godhead by reading Bible, it is first class, and if you can develop love of Godhead by Bhagavad-gītā, it is first class. And if you do not, then either it is Bible or the Koran or Bhagavad-gītā, it has no effect for you.\nSo it is up to you. Not by comparison, but by your own activities. If you actually follow the instruction given by Lord Jesus Christ, you will also develop love of Godhead. There is no doubt. Similarly, if you follow the instruction of Kṛṣṇa, you will also develop. So it is up to you. You try to follow. If you do not follow, simply try to make a comparative study, \"This is good\" or \"This is bad,\" \"This is bad\" or \"This is good,\" that is called śrama eva hi kevalam [SB 1.2.8]—simply laboring.\n[The occupational activities a man performs according to his own position are only so much useless labor if they do not provoke attraction for the message of the Personality of Godhead.]\nWhy comparative study? Just see how much you are developing love of Godhead, that's all. Phalena paricīyate. \"Whether it is apple is there, that's all right; never mind what is this tree. I'm concerned with the apple.\"\nYes?",
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"content": "\n Prabhupāda, sometimes there may be differences between what is love of Godhead between Christian and Muslim, Muslim and Buddhist, Buddhist, Hindu. They may quarrel at what is love of Godhead.",
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"content": "\n The quarrel, they, those who are not in love of Godhead, they must quarrel. That is the... Because they are cats and dogs. You cannot expect any peaceful condition between cats and dogs. They will fight. So whatever they may be, so long they are fighting, that means they are not on the perfectional stage. Where is the fighting? If you love God, then you love everyone. That is the sign. Samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām [Bg. 18.54].\n[And of all yogīs, he who always abides in Me with great faith, worshiping Me in transcendental loving service, is most intimately united with Me in yoga and is the highest of all.]\nAfter attaining the stage of equality, then you can enter into the realm of loving God. Before that, you have to pass.\nJust like before entering law college you have to become graduate, similarly, before entering the realm of devotional service you have to realize that all living entities are on the same platform. That is realization. You cannot make any distinction that \"This is lower,\" \"This is higher.\" No. Paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ [Bg. 5.18]. \n[The humble sage, by virtue of true knowledge, sees with equal vision a learned and gentle brāhmaṇa, a cow, an elephant, a dog and a dog-eater [outcaste].]\nWhen a person is fully learned, he does not make any distinction that \"He is human being, he is cow, he is dog, he is...\" He sees that he is spirit soul covered in different dress. That's all. That is his vision, universal equality vision.\nYou cannot say that dog has no life, the cow has no life. How can you say that there is no life? That is lack of your knowledge. What is the symptom of life? You will find the symptom of life is there in human being, in ant also. How you can say that small creatures, lower animals, have no life? That is lack of your knowledge. Even trees, plants, they have got life.\nSo perfect knowledge required. So love of Godhead on the basis of perfect knowledge is real love of God. Otherwise it is fanaticism. So the fanatics, they may fight. That is not love of Godhead.\n[pause] Of course, it is very difficult to come to that stage, but one should try. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We are all student. We are trying. But there are degrees also. Just like in a educational institution there is tenth class, eighth class, fifth class, sixth class. And with the yoga, it is just like a staircase or a lift.\nSo there are different stages of perfection. The highest perfection is who is always thinking of Kṛṣṇa. That is. Yoginām api sarveṣāṁ mad-gatenāntarātmanā śraddhāvān bhajate... [Bg. 6.47].\n[And of all yogīs, he who always abides in Me with great faith, worshiping Me in transcendental loving service, is most intimately united with Me in yoga and is the highest of all.]\nThe highest perfectional is Kṛṣṇa, thinking always Kṛṣṇa and Rādhārāṇī. That is the highest perfectional stage. She has no other business: simply thinking of Kṛṣṇa.",
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"content": "\n While we are chanting our rounds, or while we are chanting out loud in the kīrtana, is it all right to be engaging our mind in thinking?",
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"content": "\n Is it not?",
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"content": "\n Feels [indistinct].",
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"content": "\n This is practical way? [laughter] If you are not minding, the chanting will force you to mind upon Him. You see? Kṛṣṇa sound will by force. Chanting is so nice. And this is the practical yoga in this age. You cannot meditate. Your mind is so disturbed, you cannot concentrate your mind.\nTherefore chant, and by the sound vibration, it will forcibly enter it into your mind. Even if you don't want Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa will enter within your mind. By force. [laughter] This is the easiest process. You don't require to endeavor. Kṛṣṇa is coming. [laughter] [Prabhupāda laughs] It is very nice process. This is recommended, therefore, for this age.\nAnd others also will be benefited. You chant loudly. Others who are not accustomed, they will also. At least... Just like on the street, in the park, they say \"Hare Kṛṣṇa!\" How they have learned? By hearing this chanting. That's all. Sometimes the children, as soon as they see us, they say \"Oh, Hare Kṛṣṇa!\" In Montreal the children, when I was walking on the street, all the children, the shopkeepers, the storekeepers, they will say \"Hare Kṛṣṇa!\" And that's all.\nSo we have forced Hare Kṛṣṇa within the mind. If you practice yoga, meditate, it may be beneficial for you, but this is beneficial for many others. Suppose something very good, you are enjoying yourself, some sweetballs—that is one stage. But if you distribute sweetballs, that is another stage.\nSo by chanting on the road, on the street, you are distributing sweetballs. [laughter] You are not miser, that you are eating yourself. You are so liberal that you are distributing to others.\nNow chant, distribute. [laughter]\n[82:16]\n[kīrtana] [prema-dhvani] [devotees offer obeisances]\nWhen you go to a medical man, do you ask him whether he is Christian or Hindu? I am asking you. Suppose you go to a medical man, do you ask him that \"Are you Christian or Muslim or Hindu?\" Do you ask him?",
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"content": "\n Me?",
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"content": "\n No, I am asking this girl. Why? Because your business is to cure your disease. It doesn't matter whether he is a Christian or a Hindu or Muhammadan. It doesn't matter. Similarly, you have to seek love of God wherever it is available, you have to take it. That should be the point of view. It doesn't matter where it is available. One should be hankering after love of Godhead, love of God.\nGold... Somebody is after purchasing gold, it doesn't matter where it is available. Similarly, it doesn't matter whether you develop love of Godhead from this scripture or that scripture. Your aim should be whether you are developing love of Godhead or developing love of non-Godhead. That should be the test.",
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"content": "\n Divine Master, I came to pay my respects, and I'm most distressed that I need to leave, but there are a series of people who are waiting for me, for a spiritual meeting also.",
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"content": "\nThank you very much.",
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"content": "\nSo permit me to bow to you.",
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"content": "\n Please come again.",
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"content": "\nThank you very much.",
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"content": "\n Yes. Take some prasādam.",
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"content": "\nThank you very much.",
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"content": "\n So you did not question anything. If you have got any doubts...",
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"content": "\nI beg your pardon?\nQuestions and doubts?\nDo I have any doubts? Divine Master, you have made me able to read my heart. I have no pretensions to speak one way or another. There is no doubt.\n She says there is no doubt.",
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"content": "\nThat's all right. [laughter] [end]",
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https://vedabase.io/en/library/transcripts/710411le-bombay/
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[
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"content": "\n\n...sāgrajātaṁ saha-gaṇa-raghunāthānvitaṁ taṁ sa-jīvam\nsādvaitaṁ sāvadhūtaṁ parijana-sahitaṁ kṛṣṇa-caitanya-devaṁ\nśrī-rādhā-kṛṣṇa-pādān saha-gaṇa-lalitā-śrī-viśākhānvitāṁś ca\n[\"I offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of my spiritual master and of all the other preceptors on the path of devotional service. I offer my respectful obeisances unto all the Vaiṣṇavas and unto the six Gosvāmīs, including Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī, Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, Jīva Gosvāmī and their associates. I offer my respectful obeisances unto Śrī Advaita Ācārya Prabhu, Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and all His devotees, headed by Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura. I then offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of Lord Kṛṣṇa, Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī and all the gopīs, headed by Lalitā and Viśākhā.\"]\nhe kṛṣṇa karuṇā-sindho dīna-bandho jagat-pate\ngopeśa gopikā-kānta rādhā-kānta namo 'stu te\n[\"O my dear Kṛṣṇa, ocean of mercy, You are the friend of the distressed and the source of creation. You are the master of the cowherd men and the lover of the gopīs, especially Rādhārāṇī. I offer my respectful obeisances unto You.\"]\ntapta-kāñcana-gaurāṅgi rādhe vṛndāvaneśvari\nvṛṣabhānu-sute devi praṇamāmi hari-priye\n[\"I offer my respects to Rādhārāṇī, whose bodily complexion is like molten gold and who is the Queen of Vṛndāvana. You are the daughter of King Vṛṣabhānu, and You are very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa.\"]\nvāñchā-kalpatarubhyaś ca kṛpā-sindhubhya eva ca\npatitānāṁ pāvanebhyo vaiṣṇavebhyo namo namaḥ\n[\"I offer my respectful obeisances unto all the Vaiṣṇava devotees of the Lord. They can fulfill the desires of everyone, just like desire trees, and they are full of compassion for the fallen souls.\"]\nśrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu nityānanda\nśrī-advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda\n[\"I offer my obeisances to Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya, Prabhu Nityānanda, Śrī Advaita, Gadādhara, Śrīvāsa and all others in the line of devotion.\"]\nhare kṛṣṇa hare kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa hare hare\nhare rāma hare rāma rāma rāma hare hare\n[\"My dear Lord, and the spiritual energy of the Lord, kindly engage me in Your service. I am now embarrassed with this material service. Please engage me in Your service.\"]\nLadies and Gentlemen, I thank you very much for your kindly participating in today's meeting. And we are known practically all over the world as the Hare Kṛṣṇa people. Wherever we go, they immediately recognize us as the Hare Kṛṣṇa people. So I'll try to speak something about this Hare Kṛṣṇa people.\nThis Hare Kṛṣṇa people means... Since I started this movement in 1967 in New York, very..., in a small scale... In the beginning... I went there in 1965, and for one year I had no shelter, neither any means to maintain myself. I had some books only, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and some way or other, I pulled on.\nIn 1966 I started this movement after incorporation in New York under the state religious act, and I began to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra in a park in New York. [aside:] What is called? Tompkinson Square. Tompkinson Square. And these young boys and girls, they began to assemble and chant and dance. This is the beginning.\nAnd when one well-known poet... Perhaps you know; he is Mr. Allen Ginsberg. He was also coming and joined with us. In this way, first of all we started our center in New York, Second Avenue, and then gradually expanded in San Francisco, in Montreal, in Boston, Buffalo and Los Angeles. Now we have got fifty-two branches all over the world, including one in Tokyo, one in Hong Kong, in Australia, Sydney.\nNow try to understand what is this Hare Kṛṣṇa movement. This Hare Kṛṣṇa movement, recently it was started about five hundred years ago by Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu appeared in Bengal, West Bengal, in the district of Nadia, about sixty miles north of Calcutta. And He started this movement.\nThis movement is, of course, not to be understood that Caitanya Mahāprabhu started it, something new. No. It is the oldest, oldest in this sense, that five thousand years ago Lord Kṛṣṇa spoke about this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement in the Bhagavad-gītā. And if we go further, then from the statement of Bhagavad-gītā we understand it was started about forty millions of years ago.\nBecause in the Fourth Chapter of the Bhagavad-gītā, you'll find, there is a statement given by Lord Kṛṣṇa:\nimaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ\nproktavān aham avyayam\nvivasvān manave prāhur\n[Bg. 4.1]\nVivasvān manave prāhur...\n[aside:] Don't sit like that.\n...manur ikṣvākave 'bravīt. It is stated by Lord Kṛṣṇa Himself that \"First of all I spoke this Kṛṣṇa consciousness philosophy, yogam...\" Imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam. And \"Vivasvān\" means sun-god.\nAs there is one god in this planet, maybe the president of United States or some other president, the predominating deity, similarly, in every planet there is a predominating deity. And the predominating deity, or the person, in the sun globe is called Vivasvān. So Vivasvān, his son is Manu. Manu means the father of the mankind. Manuṣya. The Sanskrit word, the man, called manuṣya. That means \"of Manu.\" Man or manuṣya, these words have come from Manu. This Manu happened to be the son of Vivasvān. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: manur ikṣvākave 'bravīt. \nVivasvān manave prāhur manur ikṣvākave 'bravīt. And Ikṣvāku was the son. Mahārāja Ikṣvāku was the son of Manu. Therefore, the dynasty coming from Ikṣvāku Mahārāja, in which Lord Rāmacandra appeared, is called Sūrya-vaṁśa, because it is coming from the sun-god. The kṣatriya family, the royal family in India, there are two groups. One is coming from the sun-god, another coming from the moon-god. That is a long history, of course. But the point is that this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is not new, something manufactured, concocted. It is the oldest, because it is coming from sun-god, and taking it from Manu, it comes to the calculation about forty millions of years ago.\nNow, what is this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement? The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means the essence of all religious principle. What is religious principle? Religious principle means to abide by the laws given by God. That is called religious principle, simple word. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam [SB 6.3.19]: \"Dharma means the codes and the laws given by God.\" That is dharma, or religion.\nJust like in our ordinary life we receive the laws from the state or the king. The word given by the king or the state is accepted as law, and everyone has to abide by the law. Similarly, the order or the principle given by God is called religion. Religion without God is nonsense. Religion... Because religion means the codes of God. So if one does not accept the existence of God, naturally he has no religion. And according to Vedic principle, a man without religion is an animal. Dharmeṇa hīna paśubhiḥ samānāḥ.\nBecause in every civilized form of human society, you will find some sort of religion. It may be Christian religion, it may be Hindu religion, it may be Buddhist religion or it may be Muhammadan religion, Jewish religion—it doesn't matter. Any civilized form of human society must have a sort of religion. Otherwise it is animal society.\nWhat is the difference between animal and human being? The animals, they are engaged with the bodily necessities of life, āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunam [Hitopadeśa 25]: eating, sleeping—āhāra nidrā—and defending and sex life. These are the bodily necessities. You have to eat something, you have to sleep for some time, you have to defend yourself from others' attack, and you must have sex enjoyment. These are bodily necessities. So these bodily necessities are there in the human society and the animal society. Āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunaṁ ca sāmānyam etad paśubhiḥ narāṇām.\nThen what is the speciality of human society? The speciality of human society is that there must be some form of religion. In the animal society there cannot be any form of religion; therefore the śāstric injunction is that without any form of religion, a human society is animal society. Dharmeṇa hīna paśubhiḥ samānāḥ.\nNow, we have to understand what is religion. Religion, as I have already told you, religion means the codes and words given by God, these codes and words coming from God in disciplic succession. According to our Vedic principles... That is the original principles of the world. Because at the present moment the history of the world cannot give any chronological account more than three thousand years. And what was the position of the human society beyond these three thousand years? That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.\nFrom Mahābhārata history we can understand that the whole world, this planet, was called Bhārata-varṣa. Now Bhārata-varṣa has come to a limited circle only, but formerly the Bhārata-varṣa was... The whole planet was known as Bhārata-varṣa. There was an emperor of the name Mahārāja Bharata, under whose name, or after his name, this planet is called Bhārata-varṣa. Before that, this planet was known as Ilāvṛta-varṣa.\nSo the Vedic civilization... I mean to say, before three thousand years, the whole world was under Vedic civilization, the Āryans. The Āryans, at least they were under Vedic civilization. And that Vedic civilization is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. One friend was telling me that in Russia the word kṛṣṇa is there, and kṛṣṇa means beautiful. [aside:] Somebody told me? You told me? Yes. And in Greek, I mean to say, what is called, dictionary, there is a word krista. And some of the Christians say that this Christ comes from the word krista.\nSo there is a link. Of course, those who are philologists, they can find out what is the history of this word. But so far we have studied the history of the world, Kṛṣṇa was known all over the world. Kṛṣṇa was known all over the world. Therefore it is to be understood that everyone was Kṛṣṇa conscious.\nSo apart from this historical point of view, try to understand what is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kṛṣṇa consciousness means pure consciousness. Just like water, when it falls down from the cloud, it is pure, and as soon as it drops or mixes with the muddy earth, it becomes muddy; it is no more clear. Similarly, we, as spirit soul, our consciousness is as pure as Kṛṣṇa is pure. And Kṛṣṇa consciousness means that \"I am eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa.\" That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Gradually, as we contact the material contamination, we become different conscious.\nJust like we are sitting, so many ladies and gentleman here. Some of us thinking that \"I am American,\" some of them are thinking that \"We are Indian,\" some of them are thinking \"German,\" or this or that—\"I am Hindu,\" \"I am Muslim,\" \"I am Christian,\" \"I am white,\" \"I am black.\" In so many way we are..., our consciousness are polluted.\nActually, my position is, as it is said in the Vedic literature, ahaṁ brahmāsmi: \"I am Brahman, or spirit soul.\" In the Bhagavad-gītā we find that when a person becomes realized as Brahman, means spirit soul... Now I am identifying not with Brahman, but I am identifying with this body: \"I am American,\" \"I am Englishman,\" \"I am Indian.\" Because by accident I have got this Indian body, I may think that \"I am Indian.\" You may have American body; you may think, \"I am...\" But we are neither American nor Indian. We are pure spirit soul. This is only a outward dress.\nSuppose you have got green dress. You don't say that \"I am green dress.\" You say, \"I am Mr. John.\" Similarly, if we say that \"I am American,\" \"I am Indian,\" that is not my real identification. Exactly like that, if somebody says that \"I am Mr. Green Dress,\" \"I am Mr. White Dress,\" as that is not identification, similarly, if I say \"I am American\" or \"I am Indian\" or \"Englishman,\" or so many, \"Hindus\" or \"Muslims,\" that is not my pure identification. My pure identification is that \"I am eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa, or God.\" That's all. That is pure identification. When comes to this understanding, that \"I am eternal servant of God,\" that is called brahma-bhūtaḥ stage, ahaṁ brahmāsmi.\nAnd what is the characteristic of that brahma-bhūtaḥ stage? The characteristic of brahma-bhūtaḥ stage is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā by Kṛṣṇa Himself:\nbrahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā\nna śocati na kāṅkṣati\nsamaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu\nmad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām\n[Bg. 18.54]\nbhaktyā mām abhijānāti\nyāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ\ntato māṁ tattvato jñātvā\nviśate tad-anantaram\n[Bg. 18.55]\nSo the brahma-bhūtaḥ stage is described that when one realizes his own self, that is called mukti, liberation. As soon as one understands that \"I am not this body; I am something different from this body...\" That anyone can understand very easily. That's not a very big job.\nThat is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, that,\ndehino 'smin yathā dehe\nkaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā\ntathā dehāntara-prāptir\ndhīras tatra na muhyati\n[Bg. 2.13]\nJust like in your childhood you were in a body which was called baby or child. Now I am old man. I can remember in my childhood I was so small, but that body is gone. Now I have got a different body. But I am there. This is the understanding.\nNa hanyate hanyamāne śarīre [Bg. 2.20]. By changing body, the eternal soul does not, I mean to say, annihilate. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre. This understanding is called Brahman understanding, that \"I am eternal. I have no birth; I have no death. The birth and death is pertaining to this body. I am changing body from one body to another.\" This is called brahma-bhūtaḥ understanding. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi, that is.\nSo when one comes to this understanding, his characteristics will be that he is jolly. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā [Bg. 18.54]. He becomes jolly. In the material stage everyone is morose, full of anxiety, but in the spiritual life he is jolly. Na śocati na kāṅkṣati. What is the characteristic of jolliness? That he does not lament, he does not hanker.\nIn the material stage we hanker for things which we do not possess, and we lament for things we have lost. But in the brahma-bhūtaḥ stage, as soon as we understand that we are spirit soul, there is no more hankering or lamenting. That is the characteristic of Brahman realization. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati [Bg. 18.54]. Then you can think of universal brotherhood.\nSo long you are under the category of hankering and lamenting, you cannot think of universal brotherhood. That is impossible. Therefore, in spite of so much of conferences in the United Nations, the fighting is going on. The Pakistan is separated on the ground of religion: Hindu, Muslim. Now they are fighting between Muslim and Muslim. Why? Because that disease, hankering and lamenting, is there. It is not brahma-bhūtaḥ stage. And they cannot be on the platform of seeing everyone on equal terms. Samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu. That is not possible.\nBut samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu means when one is actually on the spiritual platform, he can see everyone on the same category because everyone is spirit soul. Then not only in human society—in other, animal society also... Just like there are 8,400,000 species of life. That means the living entity is passing through different types of bodies. This is called learning. This is called understanding.\nUnfortunately, this learning and understanding, there is none throughout the whole world in any university. Therefore whatever education we are getting, that is not real learning. That is not real learning. Paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ [Bg. 5.18]. If one gets actual learning, then he sees equally everyone. Paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ. Vidyā-vinaya-sampanne brāhmaṇe gavi hastini.\nSo this is a longer subject matter. It is not possible to explain everything what is the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. But the actual fact is this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means to bring one to his original consciousness. That is the sum and substance. To original consciousness. That original consciousness can be achieved by simple method. What is that? Chanting this Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. It is a fact.\nJust like we have got so many European and American boys and girls. How they have come to this platform? How they have given up their old habits? Naturally these boys and girls were taught from the beginning of their life so many things which is not accepted in Vedic civilization, but they have now given up. There is no illicit sex life amongst our students. There is no meat-eating, there is no intoxication, including coffee and tea and cigarette, and there is no gambling. And they are practiced to Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra chanting not only as you have seen some of the samples. We have got fifty-two branches. In every branch we have got not less than twenty-five up to hundred.\nSo this is the brahma-bhūtaḥ stage. It is not story, but it is fact. How it is obtained? It is obtained by Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā:\nmāṁ ca ya avyabhicāriṇi-\nbhakti-yogena sevate\nsa guṇān samatītyaitān\nbrahma-bhūyāya kalpate\n[Bg. 14.26]\n\"Anyone who is engaged in devotional service unflinchingly, without any adulteration, he immediately becomes elevated to the brahma-bhūtaḥ stage.\" Immediately. That is stated.\nSo this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is neither a new movement nor it is a concocted philosophy. It is based on authorities like Bhagavad-gītā and other Vedic literature. And practically you see how it is effective. Simply by chanting this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, these boys and girls, they are elevated. And they have taken the matter very seriously. They are preaching this cult all over the world.\nSo our request to everyone, that whatever you are doing, it doesn't matter. Please take to this chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. That is our only request. You are not losing anything, but you are gaining very much, simply by chanting. It will cleanse your heart. All our misunderstanding is in the heart—all rubbish things we have accumulated after many, many births.\nSo we have to cleanse this. Caitanya Mahāprabhu recommends by simply chanting this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, your heart will be cleansed. The mirror of your heart will be cleansed. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇam [Cc. Antya 20.12]. And immediately you will be able to extinguish the blazing fire of this material existence. These are the different items of chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. And He therefore says, paraṁ vijayate śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtanam: \"All victory to śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtanam.\"\nSo I do not wish to take much of your time. This Hare Kṛṣṇa movement is very nice, authorized, spiritual, simple and sublime, all at a time. If you kindly take this, you will be benefited, and your life will be successful.\nThank you very much. [break]",
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"content": "\n [explaining guest's question:] \"We have made the statement that we attain a certain amount of bliss by engaging in this Kṛṣṇa consciousness process. Do we deny the fact that other people have attained similar bliss from doing other things, such as...?\"\n Such as religion and other.\n Religion?\n Yeah, religion.",
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"content": "\n The thing is, there are three qualities of men, and each one's feeling of pleasure is different. Just like there are crows and there are swans. The crows take pleasure in a different way, and the swans take pleasure in a different way. That is natural. The crows are different from the swan, although they are birds, but because they are being conducted under different qualities of nature, their propensities are also different. So one may take pleasure by howling and drinking, and one man takes pleasure by chanting and dancing in Hare Kṛṣṇa. It is a different quality only.\nSo in the Bhagavad-gītā everything is divided into three divisions. There are religions of different qualities, and there are actions of different qualities. Exactly the same example: as there are differences between the crows and the swans, similarly there are different persons in the human society. One class of person, they take pleasure in one class of thing, and another person, they take in a different type. So that divisions will continue so long we are in this material world.\nBut we are talking of original consciousness. These are contaminated consciousness. When we come to the original consciousness, that is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We are trying to bring everyone to that platform. That is our program.\n[break] ...we explain... Just like when the water from the sky drops on the ground, immediately it becomes muddy. Now, if the water drops in too much muddy place, it becomes too much muddy. And if it drops in a clear place, then it remains clear. Similarly, our coming in contact of this material world means we come in contact of the three qualities of matter: sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa.\nSo if you come in contact with sattva-guṇa, then your position is very clear, just like sunshine, prakāśa. And if you are in rajo-guṇa, then you are very passionate. And if you are in tamo-guṇa, then you are in darkness. But Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so nice that in whatever quality or modes of nature you are in, if you simply chant this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, all of you come to this transcendental position of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.\nThat is the advantage of this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. It doesn't matter in what modes of nature and quality you are now existing. If you simply take to this process of chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra you, if not immediately, but gradually you'll be assured to come to the Kṛṣṇa conscious platform. That is our program. [end]",
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https://vedabase.io/en/library/transcripts/710720pu-new-york/
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"content": "\n So you know this song Jaya Rādhā-Mādhava?",
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"content": "\n Jaya!",
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"content": "\n So you can follow...[break]\n[leads singing of Jaya Rādhā-Mādhava]\nSomebody play.\n[06:18]\nSo this is the...\n[aside:] Sit down.\n...original nature of Kṛṣṇa. Original nature of Kṛṣṇa. He is Rādhā-Mādhava. He is the lover of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī. And kuñja-vihārī, always enjoying the company of the gopīs within the bushes of Vṛndāvana forest. Rādhā-mādhava kuñja-vihārī.\nSo He's not only lover of Rādhārāṇī, but braja-jana-vallabha. The whole residents of Vṛndāvana, they love Kṛṣṇa. They do not know anything else. They do not know whether Kṛṣṇa is God or not; neither they are very much harassed that \"I shall love Kṛṣṇa if He is God.\" \"He may be God or He may be whatever He is—it doesn't matter—but we love God..., Kṛṣṇa.\" That's all. That is called unalloyed love.\n\"If Kṛṣṇa is God, then I shall love Him\"—this is conditional love; this is not pure love. Kṛṣṇa may be God or whatever He may be, but by His wonderful acts, the vrajavāsī, they are thinking, \"Oh, Kṛṣṇa, He is very wonderful child; maybe some demigod. Maybe some demigod.\" Because people are generally under impression that the demigods are all-powerful. They're powerful within this material world. But they do not know that Kṛṣṇa is above all of them. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ [Bs. 5.1]. The highest demigod, Brahmā, is giving his opinion: \"The supreme controller is Kṛṣṇa.\"\nSo as the residents of Vṛndāvana, they love Kṛṣṇa without any condition, similarly, Kṛṣṇa also loves them without any condition. Vraja-jana-vallabha giri-vara-dhārī. When the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana were in danger because they stopped Indra-yajña and Indra became very angry, and he sent very great, powerful cloud and rained over Vṛndāvana incessantly for seven days, so when the inhabitants became very much disturbed, Kṛṣṇa, although He was only seven-years-old boy, He saved them by lifting the Govardhana Hill. So He taught Indradeva, demigod, that \"To stop your disturbance is the business of My little finger, that's all.\" [chuckles] So he came down to his knees. These things you'll find in Kṛṣṇa book.\nSo as gopī-jana-vallabha, His only business is how to protect gopī-jana. So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is how to become one of the gopī-jana. Then Kṛṣṇa will save us from any danger—even by lifting a hill or mountain. Kṛṣṇa is so kind and so powerful. When Kṛṣṇa lifted the hill, He did not practice some yoga system. That is God. Although He was a child, He was playing like a child, He was dealing like a child, but when there was need, He was manifesting as God. That is Kṛṣṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa. Not that He has to go and practice some yoga system, then He becomes God. No. He's not that type of God, not manufactured God. He's God.\nSo gopī-jana-vallabha giri-vara-dhārī. And as a child, as beloved child of Yaśodā, Yaśodā-nandana... Kṛṣṇa likes to be a child of a devotee. He wants to be chastised from His devotee father and mother. Because everyone worships Him, nobody goes to chastise Him, so He takes pleasure when a devotee chastises Him. That is Kṛṣṇa's service. If Kṛṣṇa takes pleasure being chastised, so the responsibility is taken by a devotee: \"All right, I shall become Your father and chastise You.\" When Kṛṣṇa wants to fight, one of His devotee becomes Hiraṇyakaśipu and fights with Him.\nSo all activities of Kṛṣṇa is with His devotees. He is... Therefore, to become associate of Kṛṣṇa, to develop Kṛṣṇa consciousness... Yaśodā-nandana vraja-jana-vallabha..., vraja-jana-rañjana. His only business is how to satisfy... As braja-jana's business is how to satisfy Kṛṣṇa, similarly, Kṛṣṇa's business is how to satisfy braja-jana. This is reciprocation of love.\nYamunā-tīra-vana-cārī. Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is wandering on the banks of Yamunā to please the gopīs, the cowherds boys, the birds, beasts, calves. They are not ordinary birds, beasts, calves or men. They are on the top of self-realization. Kṛta-puṇya-puñjāḥ [SB 10.12.11]. After many, many lives they got that position, to play with Kṛṣṇa.\nSo our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is so nice that everyone can go to Kṛṣṇaloka and become His associate, as a friend or so many other things—as a servant, as father, as mother. And Kṛṣṇa is agreeable to any one of these proposition. These things are described very nicely in our Teachings of Lord Caitanya. So Kṛṣṇa does not go even a step from Vṛndāvana. The original Kṛṣṇa is Vṛndāvana.\nThat is described in the Brahma-saṁhitā:\ncintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa-\nlakṣāvṛteṣu surabhīr abhipālayantam\nlakṣmī-sahasra-śata-sambrahma-sevyamānaṁ\ngovindam ādi-puruṣaṁ [tam ahaṁ bhajāmi]\n[Bs. 5.29]\nBrahmā is accepting the Supreme Personality of Govinda, Kṛṣṇa in Vṛndāvana. Veṇuṁ kvaṇantam: \"He is engaged in playing flute.\"\n...aravinda-dalāyatākṣaṁ\nbarhāvataṁsam asitāmbuda-sundarāṅgam\nkandarpa-koṭi-kamanīya-viśeṣa-śobhaṁ\ngovindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi\n[Bs. 5.30]\nSo take advantage of these books, this knowledge, this prasādam, this chanting, and be happy and go to Kṛṣṇa. So nice thing.\nAll right.",
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"content": "\n All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda.\n[devotees offer obeisances] [end]",
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https://vedabase.io/en/library/cat/10/
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"content": "\n Śrīla Prabhupāda, the next question somewhat echoes the previous one: “There are various saṁskāras, or purificatory ceremonies, prescribed for every civilized person, from birth to death. Many of these saṁskāras are not being observed today. Should they be revived?”\n The real aim of saṁskāras is to bring a rascal to the platform of knowledge. Janmanā jāyate śūdraḥ: by birth, everyone is the same – śūdra. In other words, one is without any knowledge. So the purpose of saṁskāras is to gradually bring a person who has no knowledge of spiritual life to the spiritual platform. As it is said, saṁskārād bhaved dvijaḥ: by the purificatory processes, one attains spiritual rebirth. That is essential.\nHuman life is the opportunity for understanding what one is and what the aim of one’s life is. The aim of life is to go back home, back to Godhead. After all, we are part and parcel of God. Somehow or other, we are now in this material existence. So the real aim of life is to return to the spiritual world, where there is no struggle for existence – blissful, happy life. We want unending blissful life, but it is not possible in the material world. That happiness is in the spiritual world. So our aim should be to go there, and every human being should be given the chance. That is real education. That is called saṁskāra, the process of purification.\nNow, altogether there are daśa-vidha-saṁskāraḥ, ten kinds of purificatory processes. So, in this age it is very difficult to follow them. But if one chants the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra without any offense, under the guidance of a spiritual master, all these saṁskāras automatically become fulfilled, and one returns to his original, spiritual position.\nAhaṁ brahmāsmi – “I am a spirit soul.” So, we are Brahman, spirit, and Kṛṣṇa is Param Brahman, the Supreme Spirit. As Arjuna said, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān: “You are the Supreme Spirit, the ultimate abode, the purest, the Absolute Truth.” Kṛṣṇa is Brahman, or spirit, and I am also Brahman, but He’s the Supreme Brahman, while I am minute Brahman. So my business is to serve Kṛṣṇa. That is the teaching of Lord Caitanya: jīvera ‘svarūpa’ haya kṛṣṇera ‘nitya-dāsa’ – “The real identity of the living being is that he is the eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa.” So if one engages himself in his original, spiritual business, acting as the servant of Kṛṣṇa, then all processes of purification and reformation are fulfilled.\nAnd that advantage of re-engagement in our original, spiritual business is given freely in this age: kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya mukta-saṅgaḥ paraṁ vrajet – “Simply by chanting the Lord’s holy name, one achieves spiritual liberation.” The reformatory processes, or saṁskāras, are meant for purifying a person so that he becomes mukta-saṅgaḥ, liberated from all the bad association of material existence and eligible to go back home, back to Godhead. So this is the special advantage of chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra.\nThe question was, “Should purificatory processes be revived?” They should be revived as far as necessary, but all of them cannot be revived in this age. So people should take to the chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra. Then all reformation will be there, and people will come to the spiritual platform – brahma-bhūtaḥ, the realization of Brahman. Then prasannātmā: they’ll be happy. Na śocati na kāṅkṣati: there will be no lamentation or needless hankering. Samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu: they will see everyone on the spiritual platform. And finally, mad-bhaktiṁ labhate param. In this way they will come to the platform of devotional service, and then their life becomes successful. Is that question answered or not?",
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"content": "\n Yes. Just one question I have, Śrīla Prabhupāda. You said that the saṁskāras should be revived as far as necessary?",
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"content": "\n The essentials. For instance, to make one a brāhmaṇa, these four things are essential: no illicit sex, no meat-eating, no intoxication, no gambling. These essentials must be there; you cannot dispense with them. You must at least avoid sinful activities. Then one can practice Kṛṣṇa consciousness. As Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā [7.28]:\nyeṣāṁ tv anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ\njanānāṁ puṇya-karmaṇām\nte dvandva-moha-nirmuktā\nbhajante māṁ dṛḍha-vratāḥ\n“Persons who have acted piously in previous lives and in this life and whose sinful actions are completely eradicated are freed from the dualities of delusion, and they engage themselves in My service with determination.”\nYou cannot become a devotee unless you give up sinful activity. Therefore you have to begin by following these four prohibitions. You have to avoid sinful activities like illicit sex, meat-eating, gambling, and intoxication, including tobacco, coffee, and tea. Then you’ll gradually become completely sinless. On one side you have to follow restrictions, and on the other side you have to engage yourself in devotional service. To engage oneself in devotional service under the order of the spiritual master and the śāstra is the way to remain on the transcendental platform.\nThe transcendental platform means there is no sinful activity. It is above any question of “sinful.” “Pious” and “sinful” activities are there only as long as you are on the material platform. “Good” and “bad,” “pious” and “sinful” – these are all considerations on the material platform. But when you are on the transcendental platform, you are automatically without sin. Kṛṣṇa confirms this in Bhagavad-gītā [14.26]:\nmāṁ ca yo’ vyabhicāreṇa\nbhakti-yogena sevate\nsa guṇān samatītyaitān\nbrahma-bhūyāya kalpate\nThe life of vice and the life of piety are within this material world, but when one is spiritually engaged, he is above the material plane, on the spiritual plane.\nSo the whole thing is that if you chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra and give up these sinful activities, automatically you become reformed. You come to the spiritual platform. And in this way your life will become successful.",
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https://vedabase.io/en/library/transcripts/690222bg-los-angeles/
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"content": "\nToday we shall begin Seventh Chapter. One hundred and sixty-six.",
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"content": "\n Chapter Seven, Page 166. \"Knowledge of the Absolute.\" One: \"Now hear, O son of Pṛthā [Arjuna], how by practicing yoga in full consciousness of Me, with mind attached to Me, you can know Me in full, free from doubt.\" [Bg. 7.1] Purport.",
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"content": "\n Arjuna's mother was known as Pṛthā. Pṛthā. Her father's name was Mahārāja Pṛthu. Therefore Arjuna is known as Pārtha. Sometimes Arjuna is addressed as Pārtha. It comes from the meaning, root meaning, of Arjuna's mother's father, grandfather.\nGo on.",
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"content": "\n Purport: \"In the first six chapters of the Bhagavad-gītā, the living entity has been described as nonmaterial spirit soul who is capable of elevating himself to self-realization by different types of yogas. At the end of the Sixth Chapter it has been clearly stated that the steady concentration of the mind upon Kṛṣṇa, or in other words, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, is the highest form of all yoga. By concentrating one's mind upon Kṛṣṇa one is able to know the Absolute Truth completely, but not otherwise. The impersonal brahma-jyotir, or localized Paramātmā, is not perfect knowledge of the Absolute Truth, because it is partial.\"",
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"content": "\n Yes. Impersonal... Just like sunshine and the sun disc and the inhabitants of the sun globe. In one sense, they are one unit. You cannot separate sunshine from the sun disc or the sun disc from the inhabitants or the predominating deity of sun planet. They are all in light, but still there is difference. Sunshine is coming within your room. Although the sun disc and the sunshine is not different, still, when you realize what is sunshine, that does not mean you realize what is the sun disc.\nThis is very practical. To understand what is sunshine does not mean to understand what is sun disc. You can have some idea: \"The sun disc is also light, and it has got heat; it is illuminating.\" These ideas you can get, but not exactly what is the temperature of that sun disc, how you can live there. There are so many things to learn. Therefore, impersonal Brahman, understanding of impersonal Brahman, is not perfect knowledge.\nExactly... Knowledge of sunshine is not perfect knowledge of sun. That you can understand very easily. Suppose daily you are having sunshine within your room. Does it mean you know what is sun disc or what is the inhabitants of the sun globe? No. Nobody knows. Similarly, impersonal knowledge of the Absolute Truth is like that. That is not complete knowledge.\nAlthough it is light, sunshine is also light, sun disc is also light, and the inhabitants there, they also must be light. Otherwise, how can they live? They also must be fiery. Because the inhabitants there, they are also fiery. Without being fire, how you can live in fire? Sun is fire; everyone knows it. The temperature is very high. So one, without having a body suitable to that temperature, how they can live there? But there are living entities. That we have got.\nBecause you cannot live in the water, that does not mean there is no living entity in the water. This is nonsense. So if we similarly conclude, \"Because we cannot live in the fire, therefore there is no living entity in the fire,\" that is nonsense. The exact knowledge is at least to accept this reasoning, that \"I cannot live in the water,\" but if you count the number of living entities within the water, oh, it is far more than living entities on the land, because the water is three-fourths of the globe.\nSo how many living entities can live on the one-fourth? Naturally the number of living entities is far greater. But if you conclude, \"Oh, I cannot... If I put into the water I shall die, so there is no living entity within the water,\" this is nonsense. You don't compare with your situation with others.\nThat is the mistake of civilization. We think everything in our own standard. Ātmavat manyate jagat.\n[Everyone thinks others like himself.]\nThat is the nature, that ātmavat, what he is thinking of himself, therefore others must be like that. No. Others may be different from you. So similarly you will find so many differences in so many planets. Their habits, their mode of living, civilization, standard of living is completely different. Even in this planet, if we find, the standard of living in America is different from the standard of living in South America or Africa or India, so why not in other planets?\nSo everything... In the Brahma-saṁhitā we understand every planet has a different situation, not that everything of this nature. So it is... It is not complete idea. \"Because you can know what is sunshine, therefore you can know what is sun-god or sun disc\"—no, that can[not] be done. Similarly, because you have some spiritual light, impersonal light... What is that impersonal light?\nThe whole Buddha philosophy, impersonal philosophy, is looking to that impersonal. What is that? That \"Because here in this material world I have got bad experience of this personal existence, therefore I conclude that there must be something impersonal. That is nice.\" That is thinking in the opposite way.\nBut that is not actual fact. Just like a diseased person: Lying in one side, he is getting pain. He thinks, \"If I lie down on the other side, I will be relieved.\" That he is thinking. But so long he is diseased, there is no question of relief. He is thinking like that, this way or that way.\nJust like in the materialistic way they are... Their last point of happiness is sex life. That's all. So they have enjoyed sex life in this way; now they are trying to enjoy sex life in that way. But the enjoyment is the same. There is no more enjoyment. That is finished. You can eschew in so many ways, but the result is the same.\nSimilarly, unless you have got perfect knowledge of the Absolute Truth, if you think of the Absolute Truth as something opposite of your present status, that is not perfect knowledge. The impersonal knowledge is like that: something opposite of this material world.\nGo on.",
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"content": "\n \"Full in scientific knowledge is Kṛṣṇa, and everything is revealed to the person in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. In complete Kṛṣṇa consciousness, one knows that Kṛṣṇa is the ultimate knowledge, beyond any doubts.\"",
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"content": "\n Now, here somebody may say that \"This is too much sectarian, that knowing simply Kṛṣṇa, everything is known.\" Somebody may say like that. But actually this is the fact. The Vedic statement says like that. Tasmin vijñāte sarvam idaṁ vijñātaṁ bhavati [Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad 1.3].\n[If one can understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the controller of all controllers, one can understand everything else.]\nIf you can understand the origin, person, the original person... The Upaniṣad does not say directly, \"The original person is Kṛṣṇa,\" simply because there are so many impersonalists. But the Upaniṣad gives hint that if you can understand the original person, tasmin... This is person. Tasmin vijñāte: \"If one is able to understand the Supreme Person,\" sarvam idaṁ vijñātaṁ bhavati, \"then everything becomes known.\"\nHow? Suppose you want to know... Say I am a foreigner. If I want to know how this American government is going on, oh, I will have to study so many things. But somehow or other, if I made friendship with Mr. Nixon, the president, and if I sit down with him a few days, oh, everything is known. Is it not? Yes. He will disclose everything, that \"My government is going on like this.\" You know.\nSo this is a fact. If you try to understand or if you some way or other understand the original person, Kṛṣṇa, then you understand everything. That will be explained here. Simply by knowing Kṛṣṇa, you will understand everything. This wonderful thing is in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Simply try to understand what is Kṛṣṇa and you will gradually understand everything. This is the secret of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And that's a fact. Hmm?\nGo on.",
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"content": "\n \"Different types of yogas are only stepping stones on the path of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. One who takes directly to Kṛṣṇa consciousness automatically knows about brahma-jyotir and Paramātmā in full.\"",
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"content": "\n Yes. Suppose... The same example: If you can understand the sun disc, then automatically you understand what is sunshine. But understanding sunshine, you cannot understand the sun disc. That is not possible. Therefore the origin should be understood. Root should be understood. Then everything will be under... That is knowledge. That will be explained in this chapter.\nGo on.",
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"content": "\n \"By practice of Kṛṣṇa consciousness yoga one can know everything in full, namely the Absolute Truth, the living entities, the material nature, and their manifestations with paraphernalia.\"",
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"content": "\n What you have to learn? What is knowledge? Five things you have to learn. What is your experience within this world? You have experience this material nature. You are seeing this. That's a fact. And you are seeing also...\n[aside, to someone entering:] Thank you. Come on.\nYou are experiencing also the living entities, so many living entities. That's a fact. So material nature is a fact, the living entities, they are also fact, and there is some controller of this material nature and the living entities. That is also fact.\nYou cannot say that you are the controller or material nature is controller. There is a supreme controller. That is God. That is also another fact. And time. The... Everything is done within time. Time is also a different..., relative measure according to the... Your time is different from the time of another animal or another living entity. Just like Brahmā's time. You cannot calculate one day of Brahmā because your time and his time is different. Similarly, a small microbic animal, his time and your time is different. So he cannot calculate your time. So time is relative.\nSo time, living entity, this material world and the supreme controller and activities. Every living entities are engaged in some activities. So you have to understand these five things which you are experiencing daily. So if you understand Kṛṣṇa, these five things will be automatically understood, and you will understand everything.\nBy understanding one, Kṛṣṇa, you understand these five items. And by understanding these five items, you understand the whole thing. That's all. That means you have complete knowledge. So Bhagavad-gītā explains like that. Tasmin vijñāte sarvaṁ evam vijñātaṁ bhavati [Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad 1.3].\n[If one can understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the controller of all controllers, one can understand everything else.]\nEverything becomes known by understanding the Supreme. That is our program.\nGo on.",
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"content": "\n \"One should therefore begin yoga practice as directed in the last verse of the Sixth Chapter. Concentration of the mind upon Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme, is made possible by prescribed devotional service in nine different forms.\"",
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"content": "\n Yes. The instruction is that \"How by practicing yoga in full consciousness of Me\"—this is Kṛṣṇa consciousness—\"with mind attached to Me, you can know Me in full.\" And if you know Kṛṣṇa in full, you know everything. And you can know Kṛṣṇa simply by your concentrating mind upon Kṛṣṇa. And as soon as you know Kṛṣṇa, you know everything.\nTherefore your knowledge is perfect. Is that argument fallacious? You can understand Kṛṣṇa simply by concentrating upon Him. That you can do. Everyone can do that. And as soon as you understand Kṛṣṇa, you know everything. So why not take this path? Simple. That is full knowledge. That means eternity.\nSo here it is said, the exact word in Sanskrit is mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha yogaṁ yuñjan mad-āśrayaḥ [7.1]. \n[Now hear, O son of Pṛthā [Arjuna], how by practicing yoga in full consciousness of Me, with mind attached to Me, you can know Me in full, free from doubt.]\nMayy āsakta: \"If you simply become attached to Me,\" mayy āsakta-manāḥ... \"Your mind should be so trained that you become attached to Me.\" This is yoga, because yoga means training the mind. To concentrate the mental focus on Viṣṇu or Kṛṣṇa, that is the yoga practice.\nThe pressing of nose or making your head down and legs up, these are means to come to the point of samādhi, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. But they are not yoga itself or end. They are means to the end. But here is the end. If you can concentrate your mind on Kṛṣṇa, then you come to the ultimate point.\nTherefore Kṛṣṇa said, \"Simply by concentrating your mind on Me, you will understand Me perfectly. And as soon as you understand Me perfectly...\" Of course, we cannot understand God perfectly. That is not possible. He is unlimited; we are not. Still, so far our capacity is concerned, if we can understand Kṛṣṇa, then everything is known to us.\njanma karma me divyaṁ\nyo jānāti tattvataḥ\ntyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma\nnaiti mām eti kaunteya\n[Bg. 4.9]\n[One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and activities does not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in this material world, but attains My eternal abode, O Arjuna.]\nIn the Fourth Chapter it is said that \"My appearance, disappearance and activities are all transcendental. Anyone who can understand this transcendental nature of My activities, appearance, disappearance, the result is,\" tyaktvā deham, \"after leaving this body,\" punar janma naiti, \"he does not take birth again in this material world.\" That is stated in the Fourth Chapter. That means immediately liberation achieved. This is a fact.\nThis is Bhagavad-gītā study, not that to interpret in your own way. Bhagavad-gītā says like that. Therefore we present Bhagavad-gītā as it is, without any nonsense interpretation. There cannot be any chance of nonsense interpretation. You have to take fact as it is; then you study. But they are not inclined to study Bhagavad-gītā as it is. They want to study Bhagavad-gītā as they are. So how you can study Bhagavad-gītā? Your mentality, your situation, is completely different.\nSo according to his own nature... That is also explained, that everyone creates his God, religion, according to his own nature. There are three kinds of men: goodness, passion and ignorance. So those who are in the modes of ignorance, they create their own religion of ignorance; those who are in the passion, they create a kind of religion of passion; and those who are in the modes of goodness, they create their own.\nBut this system, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, is transcendental. It is above ignorance, passion or goodness. Goodness is also material. A material good man does not mean he will be Kṛṣṇa conscious. No. A man may be very pious, moralist, but that does not mean he will be able to become Kṛṣṇa conscious.\nKṛṣṇa conscious person is above goodness. Yeṣām anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ janānāṁ puṇya-karmaṇām [Bg. 7.28].\n[Persons who have acted piously in previous lives and in this life, whose sinful actions are completely eradicated and who are freed from the duality of delusion, engage themselves in My service with determination.]\nBut goodness is a qualification to get promoted on the platform of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. But goodness is not a means to become Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kṛṣṇa consciousness..., to become Kṛṣṇa conscious, the means is Kṛṣṇa only. That's all, nothing else. To become Kṛṣṇa conscious means we have to adopt the Kṛṣṇa means, no other means.\nThe Kṛṣṇa means is being instructed in this chapter, that \"How by practicing yoga in full consciousness of Me.\" That is Kṛṣṇa con... The means and the end, the same. If you want to come to the end of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then you have to become Kṛṣṇa conscious.\nThe first stage is Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and the last stage is also Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The difference is one stage is immature, and the other stage is mature. When it is mature, then you taste it nicely. Just like mango. In the unripe stage it is mango, and the ripe stage it is mango. But in the ripe stage you taste nicely; in the unripe stage the taste is different.\nBut if you give time for ripening, then you will taste. So Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the means of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. No other means can be adopted for Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We should know. Therefore it is being taught here that \"How by practicing yoga in full consciousness of Me...\" You have to think of Kṛṣṇa always.\nSo therefore our process is how one can think of Kṛṣṇa always. We have so many departments. The idea is how to think of Kṛṣṇa. That's all. That is the yoga. Even in taking prasādam you are thinking of Kṛṣṇa: \"Oh, it is very nice. Kṛṣṇa has tasted. It is very nice.\" That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is yoga. Is there any yoga system in the world that you can become a yogī simply by eating?\nIs there any yoga system? Just try to understand. Is there any yoga system simply by digging earth for gardening one can become yogī? Is there any yoga system? Here the boys, when they dig earth for planting rose flower for Kṛṣṇa, he is thinking, \"Oh, the flower will be nice. It will be offered to Kṛṣṇa.\" There is immediately yoga.\nJust try to understand how nice it is. Whatever you do, if it is done for Kṛṣṇa, then you are in the highest perfectional stage of yoga. And anyone can do it. If Mr. Darwin or Chandramukhi is asked, \"All right, you also dig,\" oh, she will imitate and become yogī immediately. Immediately yogī. Just try to understand. Is there any process of yoga system which can teach even a small child to practice and become yogī? No.\nIf you ask a child, or even the father does, \"You sit down like me, meditate. Press your nose,\" or this, that, oh, she'll be not..., cannot do. Unable. Is there any... If I say a child, \"Oh, my dear girl, my dear boy, please do like this: chant Hare Kṛṣṇa,\" he immediately do. You see?\nSo this simple method and the highest method... Not that we are advertising our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Here the authority, the supreme authority, Kṛṣṇa, says, \"Practicing yoga in full consciousness of Me.\" But if you make your own manufactured meaning of these words and cheat public, that is your business.\nOur business is not to cheat. We have to say frankly, \"This is the fact,\" that's all. But you can cheat: \"Oh, it is not Kṛṣṇa. It is this and that, so many things. This 'me' means I. 'I' means you are also I. I am also I.\" They explain in that way. \"The 'me,' the word is 'me.' So 'me' is coming from 'I.' So you are 'I,' I am 'I.'\nTherefore it is meant 'me' means you think of yourself; I think of myself. Then you become yogī.\" That's all. And rascal persons will catch this very..., \"Oh, then I am always thinking of me. That's all right. I am a yogī.\" That's all.\nBecause the demons and the rascals, they are simply trying to avoid God. So if somebody teaches, \"Oh, why you are thinking of Kṛṣṇa? This 'me' means you, I, I, you. That's all,\" \"Oh, that's nice, very nice.\" The demonic nature is there: \"I am God. I am everything.\"\nSo we have to become very cautious, you see, because my material existence means I have got the tinge of demonic nature. And as soon as I get some impetus from another demon, I become again demon. Again I demon. And then out of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.\nTherefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu has distinctly forbidden, māyāvādi-bhāṣya śunile haya sarva-nāśa [Cc. Madhya 6.169]:\n[“Śrīla Vyāsadeva presented the Vedānta philosophy for the deliverance of conditioned souls, but if one hears the commentary of Śaṅkarācārya, everything is spoiled.]\n\"If you hear the commentary of the impersonalist demons, then your whole thing is spoiled. Your life is spoiled.\" Go on. Māyāvādi-bhāṣya śunile haya sarva-nāśa. Sarva-nāśa means you lose everything. And because we do not explain demonic explanation, that \"I am God; you are God,\" people do not like. Just like the other day the question was... They explained in different... They like that explanation, because demonic.\nPeople are generally demonic, more or less. One may be fifty percent demon, another may be eighty percent demon, but everyone in this material world is a demon. Materialistic means demon. Don't you see the example of Hiraṇyakaśipu? What was his fault? He is called a demon. Why? What was his fault? His fault was to..., not to accept God.\nHis small child was devotee. He was thinking of God. And the father was angry: \"Why you are thinking of God? Why you are thinking of Kṛṣṇa?\" Just see. But materially the father was so powerful that he conquered all over other planets. He was so powerful.\nSo any materialistic person, if he has got more money, wealth, strength, he is worshiped. So this is demon worship. Demons are generally very powerful. They are so-called educated. They are so-called... So many things they have got. But the test is: if he has no Kṛṣṇa consciousness or God consciousness, he is demon. That's all. That is the study of demon. Yes.\nGo on.",
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"content": "\n \"...devotional service in nine different forms, of which śravaṇam, hearing, is the first and most important.\"",
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"content": "\n Yes. There are nine different forms of devotional service:\nśravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ\nsmaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam\narcanaṁ vandanaṁ dāsyaṁ\nsakhyam ātma-nivedanam\n[SB 7.5.23]\n[Prahlāda Mahārāja said: Hearing and chanting about the transcendental holy name, form, qualities, paraphernalia and pastimes of Lord Viṣṇu, remembering them, serving the lotus feet of the Lord, offering the Lord respectful worship with sixteen types of paraphernalia, offering prayers to the Lord, becoming His servant, considering the Lord one's best friend, and surrendering everything unto Him (in other words, serving Him with the body, mind and words)—these nine processes are accepted as pure devotional service. One who has dedicated his life to the service of Kṛṣṇa through these nine methods should be understood to be the most learned person, for he has acquired complete knowledge.]\nThese nine. So the first principle: śravaṇam, it is said. Śravaṇam means hearing, that's all. The first principle of practicing this yoga, bhakti-yoga, beginning \"practicing yoga in full consciousness of Me,\" this yoga practice begins simply by hearing. You have got these ears.\nYou simply just lend your ears and you become yogī. And as soon as you become experienced in hearing, you become a preacher—kīrtanam. Immediately. One who has heard nicely, he will try to become a kīrtanīya, or preacher. That is natural. That is natural.\nŚravaṇaṁ kīrtanam. And śravaṇam means hearing, and kīrtanam means preaching or chanting. Then śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam... \"Oh, I... People are hearing so many things daily. They are going to the college, schools, and the meetings and assembly and association. They are all hearing, śravaṇam. They are practicing yoga?\" No.\nŚravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ: you have to hear and preach and chant of Kṛṣṇa, nothing more. Not that simply by hearing any nonsense things you become yogī. Here it is said, \"Practicing yoga in full consciousness of Me, Kṛṣṇa.\" So you have to hear of Kṛṣṇa; you have to speak of Kṛṣṇa. Then your yoga practice is nice. It clearly says, śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ [SB 7.5.23]. Not any other way.\n[Prahlāda Mahārāja said: Hearing and chanting about the transcendental holy name, form, qualities, paraphernalia and pastimes of Lord Viṣṇu, remembering them, serving the lotus feet of the Lord, offering the Lord respectful worship with sixteen types of paraphernalia, offering prayers to the Lord, becoming His servant, considering the Lord one's best friend, and surrendering everything unto Him (in other words, serving Him with the body, mind and words)—these nine processes are accepted as pure devotional service. One who has dedicated his life to the service of Kṛṣṇa through these nine methods should be understood to be the most learned person, for he has acquired complete knowledge.]\nThere are so many rascals, they say, \"You can hear of any demigod, any man. That's all right.\" No. Any man, any demigod is not Kṛṣṇa. That is misunderstanding. Kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñānāḥ yajante anya-devatāḥ [Bg. 7.20].\n[Those whose minds are distorted by material desires surrender unto demigods and follow the particular rules and regulations of worship according to their own natures.]\nIf any person goes to worship any other demigod, he is persuaded by lust. But those who are worshiper of Kṛṣṇa, they are not persuaded by lust; they are persuaded by love. That is the difference. Therefore those who have got lust within their mind, they can worship many other demigods. But those who are freed from all lusty desires, simply wants to love Kṛṣṇa, they can attain this śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam, chanting and hearing.\nŚravaṇam, hearing. Then? Śravaṇam is the first important part.",
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"content": "\n\"The Lord...\"",
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"content": "\nEh? That is the... If one simply hears, simply by hearing sincerely, seriously, he becomes perfect. It is so nice. If simply people come here and simply hear Bhagavad-gītā and try to understand it, he becomes perfect. But they will not come. As soon as they will hear, \"Oh, Swāmījī is preaching that I am not God; God is different,\" \"Oh, don't come here.\" Finish. I have to flatter him that \"You are God.\" Then he will come.\nHis hearing is disturbed, because there is no flattering words. But if he sticks to hearing only, he becomes perfect. But māyā will not allow him to hear: \"Oh, please get out. Don't come here.\" Even our students. They remain here for some time, go away. Māyā dictates, \"Oh, why you are spoiling your time?\" But the process is very simple: hearing. But māyā will not allow him to accept this simple process.\nSo one has to become very strong. Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te [Bg. 7.14].\n[This divine energy of Mine, consisting of the three modes of material nature, is difficult to overcome. But those who have surrendered unto Me can easily cross beyond it.]\nOne who determines, \"Yes, I will hear of Kṛṣṇa, nothing,\" then māyā cannot do anything. Māyā was defeated. If simply one decides that \"I am simply of hearing..., simply I hear of Kṛṣṇa and nothing more,\" then he defeats the māyā, simply by determination, that's all.\nYes. Next?",
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"content": "\n \"The Lord therefore says to Arjuna, tac chṛṇu, or 'Hear from Me.' \"",
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"content": "\n Yes. \"Hear from Me.\" And hearing from whom? From a loafer? No. From Kṛṣṇa or Kṛṣṇa's representative. That will effect. Hearing, there must be hearing process also from the authorized person. Just like if you take electricity, you should take electricity where the electric point is there. Electric is everywhere; that's nice. Everyone accepts there is electricity. But you have to take electricity from the plug where the electricity current is going on. Then you get electricity.\nTherefore śravaṇam, hearing, from whom? From Kṛṣṇa or His representative. Then it is perfect. Not from Dr. Radhakrishnan and any other nonsense, because they are not devotee. They are not representative of Kṛṣṇa. What you will derive? You cannot derive any benefit, because there is no electricity. It is simply plug, looking like plug. If you take some white limewater, lime, just like whitewash, it looks like milk, is that milk because it is white? \"All is not gold that glitters?\"\nTherefore you have to seek person from where you have to hear. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet [MU 1.2.12].\n[\"To understand these things properly, one must humbly approach, with firewood in hand, a spiritual master who is learned in the Vedas and firmly devoted to the Absolute Truth.\"]\nTherefore you have to select person from where to hear. That is the... Either you search out, or by Kṛṣṇa's grace you get a person who is authorized. Then your life is successful. Some way or other, you have to come. Just like Mahārāja Parīkṣit. He was devotee of Kṛṣṇa from the beginning of his life. Kṛṣṇa sent him, Parīkṣit..., Śukadeva Gosvāmī. \"Now Mahārāja Parīkṣit is going to die within seven days. He is very anxious what to do. Please go there.\" Because Kṛṣṇa is sitting within yourself. As soon as Kṛṣṇa finds that you are very sincere, seeking Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa will immediately give you chance: \"Here is chance. Here is chance.\"\nSo we have to utilize in that way. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ [SB 7.5.23]. \"Hear from Me.\"\n[Prahlāda Mahārāja said: Hearing and chanting about the transcendental holy name, form, qualities, paraphernalia and pastimes of Lord Viṣṇu, remembering them, serving the lotus feet of the Lord, offering the Lord respectful worship with sixteen types of paraphernalia, offering prayers to the Lord, becoming His servant, considering the Lord one's best friend, and surrendering everything unto Him (in other words, serving Him with the body, mind and words)—these nine processes are accepted as pure devotional service. One who has dedicated his life to the service of Kṛṣṇa through these nine methods should be understood to be the most learned person, for he has acquired complete knowledge.]\nNobody... Either you hear from Kṛṣṇa or from Kṛṣṇa's representative. Just like Arjuna is hearing from Kṛṣṇa, and you hear from Arjuna. Then you get the perfect instruction. If you say, \"Where is Arjuna? Where is Kṛṣṇa?\" but Arjuna's words are there in the Bhagavad-gītā, Kṛṣṇa's words are there. So if you take the words as it is, then you hear Bhagavad-gītā. If you change, then you don't hear Bhagavad-gītā; you hear something nonsense. These are very simple things.\nSo hearing is very important. So \"Hear from Me.\" Nobody can be a great authority than Kṛṣṇa. And therefore, by hearing from Him, one receives the greatest opportunity for progress in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. You hear from Kṛṣṇa as He is speaking. He says that \"Practice yoga in full consciousness of Me.\"\nIf you do that, then you hear Him. But if you do something nonsense, that is not hearing. That is not hearing. But they will do something nonsense which is not approved by Kṛṣṇa or His representative. That is their disease.\nYes?",
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"content": "\n \"One has therefore to learn from Kṛṣṇa directly or from a pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa and not from a nondevotee upstart, puffed up with academic education.\"",
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"content": "\n Yes. If somebody says, \"Oh, I am very good scholar in Sanskrit and English and this language, that language. I can explain. I have read so many books, and I can comment. I can give footnote and waste your time,\" then \"Oh, he is very nice.\" Simply for wasting time and energy, everyone is ready. And as soon as the right thing is given... Right thing...\nIf you say, \"Oh, you haven't got to go through so many, I mean to say, process. You simply chant Hare Kṛṣṇa,\" \"Oh,\" they'll say, \"this is all nonsense. Simply by chanting?\" They will not accept. You see? There are many stories in this connection, how people are not accustomed to take things very simply. They want something bombastic. Yes. You see?\nGo on.",
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"content": "\n \"In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam this process of understanding Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Absolute Truth, is described in the Third Chapter of the First Canto as follows: 'To hear about Kṛṣṇa from the Vedic literature or to hear from Him directly through the Bhagavad-gītā is itself righteous activity. And for one who hears about Kṛṣṇa, Lord Kṛṣṇa, who is dwelling in everyone's heart, acts as a well-wishing friend and purifies the devotee.' \"",
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"content": "\n This is very important. The Bhāgavata statement is there: śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ [SB 1.2.17].\n[Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Personality of Godhead, who is the Paramātmā [Supersoul] in everyone's heart and the benefactor of the truthful devotee, cleanses desire for material enjoyment from the heart of the devotee who has developed the urge to hear His messages, which are in themselves virtuous when properly heard and chanted.]\nIf somebody even does not understand the philosophy of Bhagavad-gītā—simply he sticks to the hearing process—then there is the result. Śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ. Bhāgavata says, \"One who is...\" Just like these children. Our... We have got so many children, devotees here. It is not possible that they are understanding the subtle philosophical statements of Bhagavad-gītā, but because they are sitting and hearing, they are writing. You see? But whatever he writes, it is right. Just take by a practical example.\nSo this is confirmed in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Simply if one sticks to hearing, he may be a child, he may be a boy, he may be a woman or he may be some illiterate man, or anything, less intelligent—it doesn't matter—simply if he hears. Śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ. And Kṛṣṇa is there within your heart. As soon as Kṛṣṇa sees, \"Oh, this, this is very nice. He is hearing about Me,\" He will help you. He will cleanse your heart. [break]\nBecause... Therefore to hear of kṛṣṇa-kīrtana is also another pious activity. So these boys, when they are going in the street chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, automatically they are giving chance to the people to become pious. Hearing is so important. They are becoming pious. They are purchasing one copy, Back to Godhead. They are nodding: \"Yes, these boys are very nice.\" They are accumulating something spiritual. It is so nice. Śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ [SB 1.2.17]. Simply by hearing, chanting, it is pious activities.\nSo one who is engaged in this pious activity, hṛdy antaḥ-stho hy abhadrāṇi... [child crying] That one who hears that... Kṛṣṇa, understanding that this person is hearing, He cleanses. The chanting process, we have many times discussed, it is the cleansing process. And as soon as the heart is cleansed, one can understand Kṛṣṇa immediately. It is a cleansing process, this hearing process.\nHṛdy antaḥ-stho hy abhadrāṇi suhṛt satām. He is friend... Kṛṣṇa is friend of everyone, but He is a special friend of the devotees. Suhṛt satām. Satām means devotee, and suhṛt means friend. Kṛṣṇa is friend. Just like the same example. Government is taking care of all citizens, but he is taking more care of the civil citizens than the criminal.\nThe criminal citizens, they are also under the care of the government, but they are not taken so much care as the civil citizens. Similarly, God is taking care of everyone—that's a fact—maybe he is sinful or not sinful. But He takes special care of the devotee. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā.\nYes?",
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"content": "\n \"In this way, a devotee naturally develops his dormant transcendental knowledge. As he hears more about Kṛṣṇa from the Bhāgavatam and from the devotees, he becomes fixed in the devotional service of the Lord. By development of devotional service, one becomes freed from the modes of ignorance and passion, and thus material lusts and avarice are diminished.\"",
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"content": "\n Yes. This will be the result. Tato rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ kāma-lobhādayaś ca ye [SB 1.2.19].\n[As soon as irrevocable loving service is established in the heart, the effects of nature's modes of passion and ignorance, such as lust, desire and hankering, disappear from the heart. Then the devotee is established in goodness, and he becomes completely happy.]\nThey become diminished. The whole entanglement of our material life is due to our embarrassed by the qualities of ignorance and passion. So by hearing, these modes of ignorance and passion will be diminished. Then we come to the platform of goodness, and then we come to the platform of transcendental understanding.\nYes?",
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"content": "\n \"When these impurities are wiped away, the candidate remains steady in his position of pure goodness and becomes enlivened by devotional service and understands the science of God perfectly. Thus bhakti-yoga severs the hard knot of material affection, and one at once comes to the stage of asaṁśayaṁ samagram, understanding of the Supreme Absolute Personality of Godhead.\"",
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"content": "\n Asaṁśayaṁ samagram. By bhakti-yoga you can understand the Absolute Truth as He is, and samagram, in full. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. These words are used in... Asaṁśayaṁ samagraṁ māṁ yathā jñāsyasi tac chṛṇu [Bg. 7.1]:\n[Now hear, O son of Pṛthā [Arjuna], how by practicing yoga in full consciousness of Me, with mind attached to Me, you can know Me in full, free from doubt.]\n\"You will understand Me in full, and without any doubt.\" So one who is in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he knows God in full and without any doubt. Then the... \"Therefore only by hearing from Kṛṣṇa or from His devotees in Kṛṣṇa consciousness can one understand the science of Kṛṣṇa.\" That's all.\nThank you.",
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"content": "\n Hare Kṛṣṇa.\n Prabhupāda? You mentioned that we must know..., if we know Kṛṣṇa, then we will know these other five things. And if we know those five things, then our lives will become perfect. Can you explain to us what time is?",
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"content": "\n Hmm?",
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"content": "\n Explain time?",
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"content": "\n That I have already explained. Time is relative.\n[break] Time is eternal. Eternal. But it is... Just like Brahmā's duration of time. That is... According to our calculation, that is eternal, many, many millions of years. But Brahmā is also subjected to birth and death. Although time is eternal, but within this material world we are not eternal, on account of material contamination. But time is eternal. Time is eternal; God is eternal; you are also eternal, living entity.\nSimply our work is not eternal. That can be changed. That we are... Changing our work... Suppose in this life you are American. Your work is different from the China. But next time, when you change your body to something else, your work changes. In this body you are human being. Next time, if you become a dog or a demigod, then your work changes.\nSo we are changing our work according to the change of the body. Therefore work is not eternal. So our whole material existence is due to different kinds of work. So if we make the work also eternal, that is Kṛṣṇa consciousness activities. Then we come to the eternal. But in the material existence our work is not eternal. We have understood that \"I am not this body\" theoretically. If not practically, theoretically, because we have heard from Bhagavad-gītā that,\ndehino 'smin yathā dehe\nkaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā\n[Bg. 2.13]\n[As the embodied soul continually passes, in this body, from boyhood to youth to old age, the soul similarly passes into another body at death. The self-realized soul is not bewildered by such a change.]\n\"As the soul is changing the body every moment...\" And I am not this body. The body is changing.\nSo body is not eternal, but actually every materialistic person is engaged in the bodily activities. He is acting as American. Why? Because his body is American. He is acting as Indian. Why? Because his body is Indian. He is acting as husband because his body is male. He is acting as wife because the body is female.\nYou take all activities—it is due to this body. But if the soul is eternal, then one should seek: \"Then what is my eternal activities? The body is not eternal; therefore these activities also not eternal. Then what is my real activity, eternal activity?\" That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness, bhakti.\nSo this work is not eternal, but if you take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, Kṛṣṇa conscious activity is eternal. Therefore there is no loss. Even if you cannot complete Kṛṣṇa consciousness activity—that we have already discussed in the last chapter—still, you are not in loss. Whatever you do...\nsv-alpam apy asya dharmasya\ntrāyate mahato bhayāt\n[Bg. 2.40].\n[In this endeavor there is no loss or diminution, and a little advancement on this path can protect one from the most dangerous type of fear.]\nEven it is little done, you get some asset. That will never be lost. Therefore you have to stick to this activity, Kṛṣṇa consciousness activity. Whatever you do, if we can complete, it is very nice. If not, whatever we do, that is not lost; that is eternal. [end]",
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https://vedabase.io/en/library/transcripts/710806s2-london/
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"content": "\n[introducing tape] Side 2, track 2, London lecture number 4, evening, 6th August, Hampstead Hall.\nPrabhupāda\n: Ahaituky apratihatā yayātmā suprasīdati [SB 1.2.6]. Ātmā means this body, ātmā means this mind, and ātmā means also the soul. So yaya ātmā samprasīdati, to satisfy the ātmā, it means for satisfaction of the body, for satisfaction of the mind and for satisfaction of the soul.\nWe are situated in three strata, covering. Just like you all ladies and gentlemen, you are covered by the shirt, coat. Similarly you, as spirit soul, is covered by two layers. The first layer is very subtle: mind, intelligence and ego; and the second layer is this five gross material elements: earth, water, air, fire, like that. So..., but all of them, in one sense they are one, because it is created on the basis of ātmā.\nJust like our body—your body, my body, anyone’s body, cat's body, dog's body—these bodies are developed on the basis of the spirit soul. After sexual intercourse of the man and the woman there is an emulsification of the secretion, and they form into a material body just like a pea, and the ātmā, the spirit soul, takes shelter within that pea, and therefore it develops gradually in the embryo. It develops, then there are different holes, nine holes, and that holes different way develop two eyes, two ears, one mouth, one rectum, one genital, one navel, in this way.\nSo the spirit soul is covered by this matter. The first layer is called subtle, sūkṣma—mana, buddhi, ahaṅkāra: mind, intelligence and ego. Now we are under the false ego. Exactly if you have got a nice dress you become very proud, that \"I have got this very nice, costly dress.\" But you are actually not the dress. That's his misunderstanding. If you have got a nice car, Rolls-Royce car, if you sit on it, you feel very proud.\nSo this misidentification is called māyā. The Bhāgavata says that everyone is trying to be happy according to different layers of consciousness. One who is…\n[aside to devotee:] One man is smoking. Stop.\nOne man who is under bodily consciousness, that \"I am this body,\" \"I am American,\" \"I am Indian,\" \"I am man,\" \"I am woman,\" this is bodily consciousness. He is trying to be happy in a different way. They are called karmīs. Another person, who is little advanced, thinking that \"I am mind, intelligence, ego,\" taking part in nice philosophy, poetry, ideas, they are identifying with the subtle body: mind, intelligence and ego.\nBut there are other persons, who are far advanced, they are identifying with the soul. And actually we are that. Unless we come to the platform of identifying ourselves with the spirit soul, our existence is impure. Therefore in our Vedic literature the idea is to understand his real constitutional position, which is called ātmā-jñāna, or self-realization.\nSo the authorities, they say parābhavas tāvad abodha-jāto [SB 5.5.3]. Abodha-jāto means everyone is born ignorant, fool, anyone, even the human being, because he does not know what he is. He is under the bodily concept of life, just like animal. Therefore he is called abodha-jāto. Abodha means no knowledge, and jātāḥ means born. So the Vedic literatures indicate that a person born fool, rascal, abodha-jātaḥ, if he go on acting on that platform, that foolish platform… Foolish platform means identifying oneself either with the body or with the subtle body: mind, intelligence and ego.\nSo Vedic literatures indicate parābhava. Parābhava means defeat. Everyone is trying to be victorious. Everyone is trying, working so hard day and night. Why? He has got some idea, and he wants to become victorious. Either individually or sociologically or community-wise or nation-wise or international-wise, they are trying to be victorious. There is a, I mean to say, impetus to become situated on the highest platform. So therefore everyone is trying—never mind in what status of life he is—everyone is trying to become victorious.\nBut Bhāgavata, Vedic literature, says that you are trying to be victorious, that is all right, that is your nature; but you are being defeated. Therefore there is frustration. Either the karmīs or the jñānīs or the yogīs, they are meeting with frustration.\nI shall let you know one very nice example. Our great leader in India, in the later days, he was so much disgusted, because he wanted Hindu-Muslim unity, but the result was that Muslim partitioned, made a partition, and they took away the Pakistan. He wanted nonviolence, but actually there were so many violences, the Hindu-Muslim riots during the last days of the British Empire. There was furious Hindu-Muslim riot all over India. So his philosophy of nonviolence was frustrated. His philosophy of uniting the Hindus and Muslim, keep one India, that was also frustrated.\nSo we read in the papers that on the very day, morning, when he was killed, he was speaking to his secretary, \"I am very much disgusted. I don't want to live anymore.\" And in the evening he was killed. So this is an example. Who can be better karmī and sincere worker for the country, for the society—but he was frustrated. You can take many examples in your European countries, Hitler, Napoleon. They are all frustrated.\nSo..., but everyone is trying to be very satisfied with the idea of his program. And the process he has accepted, you can take it as dharma. Just like the Nationalist, they have taken dharma as country's advancement, deśa-dharma, and somebody is manufacturing another dharma, somebody is manufacturing another dharma. Dharma means occupational duty. But Bhāgavata says, sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo [SB 1.2.6]: that is first-class dharma, occupation, yato bhaktir adhokṣaje, by which you can advance in your love for God. That is first class.\nEveryone is advancing either for his love to the country or to the society or to the nation or to the humanity. There are different stages of dharma. But Bhāgavata says that is first-class occupation by which one can advance his love for God, yato bhaktir adhokṣaje. Adhokṣaja, another name of God. Akṣaja means experimental knowledge, and adha, adhakṛta, where experimental knowledge cannot reach. That is God.\nWe cannot understand God by our senses, by seeing or by hearing or by tasting or by touching or by going. No. That is not possible. Ataḥśrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ [Cc. Madhya 17.136]. You cannot perceive God or His holy name, nāma, nāmādi. Because first of all you hear the name of God, either you call \"Kṛṣṇa,\" or you call \"Jehovah,\" or you call something else. So we hear first of all about God by the name.\nIn every religion they have got a particular type of name. But by our these senses we cannot understand God even by hearing His name. Ataḥśrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ—this indriya, the senses. Therefore His name is Adhokṣaja, where experimental knowledge of perception fails. He is called Adhokṣaja.\nBut we have to render service to the Adhokṣaja. Yato bhaktir adhokṣaje, ahaitukī. Ahaitukī means without any motive. We go to church or temple with some motive, for some material compensation: \"God, give me this. God, give me this. God, give me that.\" But without motive. If we execute our dharma, or occupational duty, for attainment of the highest perfection of life, love of God, then it should be done without any motive: ahaituky apratihatā. If it is without any motive then it will never be checked by any material condition.\nIt is not that a poor man cannot realize God, only the rich man can realize God. Neither it is that a rich man cannot realize God, only the poor man can. Or it is neither that a learned man can understand God by his philosophical speculation and an illiterate man, who has no knowledge, he cannot understand God. In other word, perception of God, realization of God, love of God is not dependent on any material condition. Ahaituky apratihatā. If we can prosecute in that way our religious principle, that is first class religion. This is the definition of first-class religion. The religion's motive should be only realization of God, not any other.\nJust like according to Vedic process, the person in the lowest stage of life, on the material platform, they are first of all induced to take to religion, dharma, and they are induced to take religion for material profit, artha. Dharma, artha. Why artha? Dharma, artha, kāma. Kāma means for sense gratification. We take to religion for some material profit. And why you want material profit? Because without material profit we cannot enjoy our senses. Dharma, artha, kāma. And when we fail, when we become frustrated… Because anyone who is on the material platform, executing some type of religion with a motive, he will be frustrated.\nJust like one of my Godbrothers said, Germany, during last World War, all men went to the active field for fighting, and their sister, their mother, their wife, they went to the church, praying, \"Please get our men—my father, my husband or my brother—return peacefully, without being injured.\" But all of them they died, and these women became frustrated, and later on they became atheist: \"There is no God. We prayed so much for our husband, for our brother, but they did not come.\"\nSo therefore if we approach God with a motive, and if we are frustrated, then we become atheist. Many men. Just like our..., in India, the policy is that, the leaders' policy is they think that \"By too much attention to religion our country is fallen. We must have economic development and get out all these religious sentiments.\" Or they say that \"If you want economic development, why you are going to temple for praying? Take to technology.\"\nSo the danger is as soon as we go..., approach God with a motive, and if we are frustrated... Naturally you'll be frustrated. But you cannot make God as order-supplier. God is not order-supplier. The real religion is: we shall execute the order of God. That is religion. Don't make God your order-supplier: \"God give me this. God give me this,\" and if God does not give you… Why God will give you? Eh? You start war, and when there is dangerous position you go to church, pray God, \"Please give us victory.\" But did you take sanction from God before declaring the war? That is our position. [indistinct comment by person in audience about technonlogy]\nSo if we take, if we worship in that way, we'll be frustrated. Therefore Bhāgavata says that that type of religion which is executed simply to develop the dormant love of God... Everyone has got dormant love of God. That is natural, because we are all parts and parcels of God. Just like you are part and parcel of your parents. You have got some natural affection for parents, and the parents have got natural affection for the son. So similarly, we are part and parcel of God. Therefore our love for God is there in the heart, in everyone's heart, but artificially we have checked it, blocked it.\nSo our process should be how to develop that dormant love for God. That is actually our position. Otherwise we shall never be happy. Bhāgavata says:\nsa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo\nyato bhaktir adhokṣaje\nahaituky apratihatā\nyayātmā samprasīdati\n[SB 1.2.6]\nThat type of religious process or occupational duty, the religion is taken. The English meaning of religion, as described in the dictionary, it is said that it is a kind of a faith. But according to Sanskrit etymology, the religion has a different meaning. Religion means which is your natural occupation. That is called religion. Natural. And if we study and analyze our different occupational duties, you will find that the one common factor is there, which is rendering service to other. Every one of us, either Hindu or Muslim or Christian, it doesn't matter, but everyone is engaged to render service to somebody else. Just try to understand.\nSo our constitutional position is that we are rendering service to somebody superior. In a country, the president or the king or queen, he is also engaged in rendering service to the nation or to the public. Similarly, we are also engaged in rendering service to some office boss or to some government post. If you analyze very nicely you will find that everyone is rendering some service to the superior.\nOur this Bhāgavata philosophy says that if you are rendering service to others, somebody superior, you render your service to God, the Supreme. Then you will be happy. Otherwise you will be frustrated. Everyone is rendering service to his family, to his nation. Just like Mahatma Gandhi, he rendered best service to the nation, but the result was frustration, and he was killed. This is a fact.\nSo you can render service to your society, to your family, to your nation or to the international activities, but unless the center point is God, all such attempts will be frustrated. That is a fact. If you do not understand now, but if you meditate on it, you will see that is the actual fact.\nSuppose you are rendering service to his family..., to your family, and at the old age, if you ask your wife, your children, \"Whether you are satisfied? I have rendered service throughout my whole life,\" now I don't think you will get any satisfactory reply. The children will say, \"Father, you have not done this thing for me.\" The wife will say, \"You have not done this for me.\" That is a fact. Because we are not serving.\nOur motive is sense enjoyment. I am serving a wife or a wife is serving his [her] husband, that neither the wife is serving the husband, neither the husband is serving wife, but everyone is serving his senses. When you go to some office, you are serving some boss. Actually you are not serving that boss; you are serving your senses, because the boss will pay you some money, and with that money you will be able to gratify your senses.\nIn this way, if you analyze, everyone is serving his senses. That is the material existence. And that is said in the Bhāgavatam, that kāmādīnāṁ kati na katidhā pālitā durnideśā. One devotee is offering his prayer to the Supreme, that \"I have served my kāma, krodha—lust, anger, greediness—so long.\" Kāmādīnāṁ kati na katidhā pālitā durnideśās teṣāṁ jātā mayi na karuṇā na trapā [Brs. 3.2.35]. \"But still, lifelong I have served them, but they are not very much pleased upon me.\" You go on increasing your lusty desires, serving, but they will never be satisfied. The lusty desires will, I mean to say, dictate that you go on serving like this, go on serving like this, go on serving like this. You cannot satisfy your lusty desires. Similarly, you cannot satisfy your greediness. Increase.\nSo actually the philosophy is that you cannot satisfy your senses even though you give lifelong service to them, teṣāṁ karuṇā jātā na trapā na śāntiḥ. There is no śānti. They are not pleased, and they are not very much, I mean to say, merciful. They will never say, \"Oh, you have served so much; now we retire.\" The same example like Gandhi. He gave so much service. The country did not say, \"Mahatmaji, you please retire.\" Neither he retired. He wanted to give more service. The result was that he was killed.\nSo if we think all these matters little cool-headed, we can understand that we are rendering service to our whims, to the senses, but we are never satisfied. That cannot be. Therefore at the end, dharma, artha, kāma, mokṣa. First of all people take to religion for some economic profit, and they want economic profit for sense gratification, dharma, artha, kāma. And when they are dissatisfied or frustrated in the process of sense gratification, they want mokṣa. Mokṣa means liberation, or become one with the Supreme. That is called mokṣa, or nirvāṇa. The nirvāṇa philosophy, Buddhist philosophy: end this material existence; dismantle this combination of matter. Then there is nothing.\nTherefore Buddha philosophy is that we have got this body, combination of material elements, gross and subtle, therefore there is feelings of pains and pleasure. And if you dismantle this, let the earth go to the earth, let the water go to the water—because it is a combination of earth, water, fire, air—so you dismantle it and distribute it, then there is no body and there is no feelings of pains and pleasure. That is nirvāṇa philosophy.\nBut the Vedānta philosophy says that this is external. This material body is external. Jagat, material, mithyā. This combination is for the time being. But there is soul, brahma, brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā. They are after brahma. The person who is trying to make this existence void, they are called voidist. Voidist means śūnyavādī, make everything zero. There are many philosophers, they write volumes of books to prove everything zero. That is called śūnyavādī. And there are others, philosophers, they say that there is Brahman, the Absolute Truth, but He is imperson. He is not a person. These two classes of philosophy are going on very, I mean to say, prominent at the present moment.\nSo here, our students they are singing,\nnirviśeṣa-śūnyavādi-pāścātya-deśa-tāriṇe.\nThere are two classes of philosophers: nirviśeṣa, impersonalist, and the voidist. The whole Western world is full of all these philosophers. Now \"You are giving something which is beyond this impersonal idea and voidist,\" like that.\nSo try to understand this Kṛṣṇa consciousness philosophy. This impersonalist philosophy or the voidist philosophy will not give you any solace after being frustrated. Everyone is frustrated, but they are trying to take some solace from certain type of philosophy. But here Śrīmad-Bhāgavata says that you can be pleased, you can be satisfied, when you know the personal feature of the Absolute Truth and you render service unto Him. Then you will be satisfied; otherwise not. Yayātmā suprasīdati.\nYou cannot render service to anyone in the void or something impersonal. You cannot love something... You do not love sky. Sky is very big, but you love a small child. Why? Why not the sky? Why don't you render your service and love to sky? It is very big. But why you are rendering service to a child? The child is passing stool; immediately you take care of it and doing the work of sweeper, and he is crying, you taking care of. Why? Why not serve the big? No. You cannot have affection without person. That is the main point. You cannot love the sky, but you can love a small child because it is person.\nSimilarly, if you want to love God, you cannot love God in His impersonal feature. Neither you can love God in His other features. You have to love God as He is. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that,\nmayā tatam idaṁ sarvaṁ\n...avyakta-mūrtinā\n[Bg. 9.4]\n\"I am spread everywhere, avyakta, impersonal nonmanifested form.\"\nmayā tatam idaṁ sarvaṁ\njagad avyakta-mūrtinā\nmat-sthāni sarva-bhūtāni\n[Bg. 9.4]\n\"Everything is resting on Me,\" na cāhaṁ teṣv avasthitaḥ, \"but I am not there.\"\nSo this philosophy is very interesting. If you want to understand this Kṛṣṇa consciousness philosophy, we have got many books. I am talking with only one book and only one or two lines. So this is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. So if you study scrutinizingly word-to-word Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, you will get philosophical understanding of the Absolute Truth in details. Śrīmad-bhāgavatam amalaṁ purāṇam [SB 12.13.18]. Vidyā bhāgavatāvadhiḥ. Your learning will be tested if you can understand Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.\nThere are eighteen thousand verses in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Each line, each word is so much impregnated with thoughts that you can think over them lifelong. But the result will be that you will become God conscious, Kṛṣṇa conscious, and you will know more and more about God. Simply knowing God is great is not sufficient. It is very good to accept God. The atheist, they do not accept God. But anyone who is accepting God, he is described as very fortunate. So not only accept God, but also inquire more and more about God.\nIf you cannot think of God immediately, the Bhāgavata..., Bhagavad-gītā gives you direction how you can realize God step by step. Just like Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, raso 'ham apsu kaunteya [Bg. 7.8]: \"My dear Arjuna, I am the taste of the water.\" Now, you are drinking water every day, many times, and quench your thirst. If you think, meditate, on the water only, that Kṛṣṇa says that \"I am the taste of the water,\" you become a great philosopher and lover of God—simply by tasting water. You do not require to see Kṛṣṇa. You just think over the matter which you are using daily, you will come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Why Kṛṣṇa says that \"I am the taste of the water\"?\nAnother place He says that prabhāsmi śaśi-sūryayoḥ [Bg. 7.8]: \"I am the sunshine. I am the moonshine.\" Then you think over, \"How Kṛṣṇa becomes sunshine?\" If you are philosophical-minded, you will find Kṛṣṇa. Now sunshine, everyone knows, everyone sees. So what is the sunshine? The effulgence of the sun globe. Now whether the sun globe is important or the sunshine is important? You can think over. You will find that sun globe is important, because the sunshine is emanating from the sun globe.\nThen what is more important than the sun globe? If you have power to penetrate still further within the sun globe, you will find there is a god, or demigod, whose name is Vivasvān, and he is the supreme personality in the sun globe. This is one of the suns. But there are millions and trillions of suns. The science also accepts it: not only one sun. But just imagine who manufacturesd all these suns. You go further, and Kṛṣṇa says ahaṁ. Mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate, ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo [Bg. 10.8]. So in this way, if you are actually philosophically inclined, you can find out Kṛṣṇa by studying Bhagavad-gītā.\nSo our this Kṛṣṇa co nsciousness movement is to educate people, to awake him to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. As it is said, yenātmā samprasīdati. By awakening Kṛṣṇa consciousness you will be happy, his body will be happy, his mind will be happy, and as soul he will be happy. And for example you can see—example is better than precept—we have started this movement only for the four or five years, and we are getting the prowess of every country, young boys and girls, they are coming to Kṛṣṇa consciousness.\nSo do not think that this movement is a bogus movement or a sentimental movement. We have got solid philosophy behind this movement. If you are able to study, come forward. That is our request.\nSo thank you very much for giving us so much time. I request you to understand this movement and be happy.\nThank you very much. [applause] [end]",
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"content": "\n Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **.\nWhere is Hayagrīva Prabhu?",
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"content": "\nHere, Śrīla Prabhupāda.",
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"content": "\n Oh, that's all right. So you have to construct a temple there like this.",
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"content": "\n By August, Prabhupāda.",
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"content": "\n Eh?",
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"content": "\n By August, Prabhupāda.",
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"content": "\n Thank you. [chuckles] So you like this? This chandelier? Hare Kṛṣṇa. Jiv goura [Bengali]. This is a song by Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura. He says that one who has dedicated his life for Lord Caitanya, he sees everything belongs to Lord Caitanya. Hare Kṛṣṇa.\nNow mantra.\n[break]\ntad ejati tan naijati\ntad dūre tad v antike\ntad antar asya sarvasya\ntad u sarvasyāsya bāhyataḥ\n[Īśo mantra 5]\nThank you.",
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"content": "\n Jaya. ",
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"content": "\n \"The Supreme Lord walks and does not walk. He is far away, but He is very near as well. He is within everything, and again He is outside of everything.\"\nThis is the process of understanding Kṛṣṇa consciousness. He walks and does not walk. Just like crude example I give you, that the sun and, at noontime, it is on your head, and somebody walking eastern side or western side, he also sees the sun is also walking with him. Long ago, about forty years ago, when I was householder, my second son, he was four years old. He was walking with me, and he said, \"Oh, father, why the moon is coming with us?\" [chuckles] This is very intelligent. Yes.\nSo similarly, if a material object can walk so swift... You have seen. You are going on aeroplane or train, you'll see the moon or sun is going with you. So how it is not possible that Kṛṣṇa cannot walk? Although He's situated... But you ask your friend, \"Where is the sun? Where is the moon?\" He'll say, \"Oh, it is on my head.\" Similarly, goloka eva nivasaty akhilātma-bhūtaḥ [Bs. 5.37]. Kṛṣṇa, although He is in Vṛndāvana, Goloka Vṛndāvana, enjoying pastimes with the associates, He is everywhere, according to the position, shape, form, activities. Everywhere.\nTherefore it is said here that Supreme Lord walks and does not walk. He does not go from His abode. He is fully enjoying. But at the same time, everywhere He is. Everywhere He's walking. Just like we offer foodstuff. So do not think that Kṛṣṇa is not accepting. Kṛṣṇa is accepting, because He can spread His hand immediately if you offer something with devotion. Tad ahaṁ bhakty-upahṛtam aśnāmi [Bg. 9.26]. Kṛṣṇa says, \"Anyone offering Me..., offering Me something with faith and love, I eat.\" People may ask, \"Oh, Kṛṣṇa is far away, in Goloka Vṛndāvana. How He eats? How He takes?\" Oh, that is God. Yes, He can take. Therefore it is said, \"He walks; He does not walk.\" Immediately comes.\nBut you must have the qualification to call Him. If you are actually a devotee, immediately Kṛṣṇa is present. Just like Hiraṇyakaśipu challenged devotee Prahlāda, \"Where is your God? Do you think...?\" The Prahlāda was looking to the column. \"Oh, do you think your God is here? All right.\" He immediately broke. \"Ahh!\" Kṛṣṇa came. Yes. That is Kṛṣṇa. Yes.\nSo this is explained here. This is Vedic mantra. This is the proof, Veda mantra. Why we are attached to Veda mantra? Veda mantra is the proof of everything. Whatever is said in the Vedas, that is fact. Unless you take some axiomatic truth in that way, you cannot make progress. Just like in geometry there are so many axiomatic truth, we have to accept it. \"A point has no length, no breadth.\" \"Things equal to the same thing are equal to one another.\" These are axiomatic truths. Similarly the Vedas, they are truth. We have to accept.\nJust like I've given example in my book: The conchshell is the bone of an animal. So Vedic injunction is if you touch the bone of an animal, immediately you become impure and you have to take your bath. But here is a bone which is used in the Deity room. But you cannot argue, \"Oh, you said that bone is impure. As soon as you touch it, you become impure. And you are putting into the Deity room?\" No argument. You have to accept it. This is Veda. You cannot argue.\nSimilarly, spiritual master's order, you have to accept. There is no argument. In this way you can make progress. Sādhu śāstra guru vākya tinete kariyā aikya [Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura]. If we argue... Na tāṁs tarkeṇa yojayet. Acintyāḥ khalu ye bhāvā na tāṁs tarkeṇa yojayet [Mahābhārata, Bhīṣma parva 5.22]. Things which are inconceivable by you, you cannot argue. Then it will be a failure. You have to accept that axiomatic truth. It is not dogmatic. It is not dogmatic in this sense: because our predecessor ācāryas, they accepted. What you are that you are arguing?\nSo that is the proof. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ [Cc. Madhya 17.186]. Tarko 'pratiṣṭhaḥ śrutayo vibhinnā. If you argue, there is no conclusion. The argument will go on. You put some argument; I put some argument. That is not the process. Śrutayo vibhinnā. Scriptures, in different countries, different circumstances, different scriptures, they're also different. Then tarko 'pratiṣṭhaḥ śrutayo vibhinnā nāsau munir yasya mataṁ na bhinnam: and so far philosophical speculation is concerned, one philosopher is putting some theory, another philosopher putting some theory—there is contradiction. And unless you defy another philosopher, you cannot be a famous philosopher. That is the way of philosophical...\nThen where, how to get real information? That is stated, that dharmasya tattvaṁ nihitaṁ guhāyām. The secret of religious process is lying in the cave, or within the heart. So how to realize it? Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ [Cc. Madhya 17.186]. You have to follow great personalities. Therefore we are trying to follow Lord Kṛṣṇa or Lord Caitanya. That is perfection. You have to take evidences from the Vedas. You have to follow the instruction. The success is sure. That's all.\nThank you very much.",
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"content": "\n All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda.",
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"content": "\n Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa.\n[10:46] [kīrtana] [Prabhupāda plays gong] [end]",
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"content": "\n[Govindam record plays] [break] [long pause]\n [indistinct] Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama... And where is the center [indistinct]",
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"content": "\nI am just from New York.",
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"content": "\n Oh? Where is that slip yesterday you gave me? That mantra, nṛsiṁha-mantra? There was one extra mantra. You have got, everyone, slip? This.\nNamas te, narasiṁhāya, prahlāda, hlāda-dāyine, hiraṇyakaśipor, vakṣaḥ, śilā-ṭaṅka, nakhālaye.\nnamas te narasiṁhāya\nprahlādāhlāda-dāyine\nhiraṇyakaśipor vakṣaḥ-\nśilā-ṭaṅka-nakhālaye\nito nṛsiṁhaḥ parato nṛsiṁho\nyato yato yāmi tato nṛsiṁhaḥ\nbahir nṛsiṁho hṛdaye nṛsiṁho\nnṛsiṁham ādiṁ śaraṇaṁ prapadye\n[devotees sing with Prabhupāda]\ntava kara-kamala-vare nakham adbhuta-śṛṅgaṁ\ndalita-hiraṇyakaśipu-tanu-bhṛṅgam\nkeśava dhṛta-narahari-rūpa jaya jagadīśa hare\njaya jagadīśa hare, jaya jagadīśa hare\nThe meaning of this mantra, that \"I offer my humble obeisances to Lord Nṛsiṁha, who is the source of bliss to Prahlāda, but,\" hiraṇyakaśipor vakṣaḥ, \"but his father, Hiraṇyakaśipu, on his chest the nails of His finger is just like chisel cutting the stone.\"\nThe same Personality of Godhead is prahlāda āhlāda-dāyine. Āhlāda means pleasure. For Prahlāda... Prakṛṣṭa-rūpeṇāhlāda, prahlāda. A devotee is, being always in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, naturally he is in blissfulness. Still more, when he meets or associates with his Lord, still more blissfulness. That is the position of the theist devotee. Whereas the atheist nondevotee, he's always feeling like a strike of the chisel, like..., what do you call? Stone cutting chisel. Nakha. Nakhālaye. Simply by the nails of His finger. All right.\nWhere is that book? Now this Bhāgavatam. Yes. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya.\nśrī-śuka uvāca\nvarīyān eṣa te praśnaḥ\nkṛto loka-hitaṁ nṛpa\nātmavit-sammataḥ puṁsāṁ\nśrotavyādiṣu yaḥ paraḥ\n[SB 2.1.1]\nśrotavyādīni rājendra\nnṛṇāṁ santi sahasraśaḥ\napaśyatām ātma-tattvaṁ\ngṛheṣu gṛha-medhinām\n[SB 2.1.2]\nnidrayā hriyate naktaṁ\nvyavāyena ca vā vayaḥ\ndivā cārthehayā rājan\nkuṭumba-bharaṇena vā\n[SB 2.1.3]\ndehāpatya-kalatrādiṣv\nātma-sainyeṣv asatsv api\nteṣāṁ pramatto nidhanaṁ\npaśyann api na paśyati\n[SB 2.1.4]\ntasmād bhārata sarvātmā\nbhagavān īśvaro hariḥ\nśrotavyaḥ kīrtitavyaś ca\nsmartavyaś cecchatābhayam\n[SB 2.1.5]\netāvān sāṅkhya-yogābhyāṁ\nsva-dharma-pariniṣṭhayā\njanma-lābhaḥ paraḥ puṁsām\nante nārāyaṇa-smṛtiḥ\n[SB 2.1.6]\nprāyeṇa munayo rājan\nnivṛttā vidhi-ṣedhataḥ\nnairguṇya-sthā ramante sma\nguṇānukathane hareḥ\n[SB 2.1.7]\nidaṁ bhāgavataṁ nāma\npurāṇaṁ brahma-sammitam\nadhītavān dvāparādau\npitur dvaipāyanād aham\n[SB 2.1.8]\npariniṣṭhito 'pi nairguṇya\nuttama-śloka-līlayā\ngṛhīta-cetā rājarṣe\nākhyānaṁ yad adhītavān\n[SB 2.1.9]\ntad ahaṁ te 'bhidhāsyāmi\nmahā-pauruṣiko bhavān\nyasya śraddadhatām āśu\nsyān mukunde matiḥ satī\n[SB 2.1.10]\n Then here text number 11.\netan nirvidyamānānām\nicchatām akuto-bhayam\nyogināṁ nṛpa nirṇītaṁ\nharer nāmānukīrtanam\n[SB 2.1.11]\n Again.\nAgain.\n[12:54]\nEtan nirvidyamānānām. There are three classes of men. One class of men, karmīs, they are trying to enjoy the material resources. Icchatām, always desire: \"I want this, I want this, I want this.\" And another class, they are con..., or rather, what is called? Frustrated. After trying utmost, \"I want this, I want this, I want this,\" when at the end do not get anything, he is frustrated. That is called nirvidyā. \"I don't want.\" Or actually one is satiated or disgusted: \"No more material world. I don't want it.\" They are called nirvidyamānām. So the one class is trying to possess, and another class is trying to renounce: \"I don't want.\"\nAnd another class is akuto-bhayam. Akuto-bhayam. Who is akuto-bhayam? Akuto-bhayam means one who does not fear. And who does not fear? Because fearfulness is one of the items of our conditional life. Āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithuna [Hitopadeśa]: eating, sleeping, fearing and mating. So who is without any fear? That means he's also liberated. He's not in the material platform: transcendental, who is out of the limits of fearfulness.\nSo akuto-bhayam means the devotees. The devotees, just like Prahlāda Mahārāja, his father teased him in so many ways, but he was not at all fearful. He was simply thinking of Nṛsiṁha-deva and he was fearless. So only the devotee who has fully surrendered to Kṛṣṇa, he can be fearless. Nārāyaṇa-parāḥ sarve na kutaścana bibhyati [SB 6.17.28]. Nārāyaṇa-parāḥ means devotees who have dedicated their life to the service of Nārāyaṇa, Kṛṣṇa. Na kutaścana bibhyati. He does not fear in any condition of life.\nSo here, icchatām akutaḥ. Icchatām means those who are desiring. Nirvidyamānām means those who are not desiring; renouncing. And the other class, akuto-bhayam, fearless. And yoginām. Another class—mystic yogīs. So generally, these four classes men are there. So Śukadeva Gosvāmī says that for all of them, either he is karmī or he is jñānī or he is yogī or he is bhakta. Karmī means fruitive worker, and jñānīs means empiric philosophers, and yogīs, mystic, I mean to say, yogīs, and bhaktas, and the devotees. Generally, these four classes of men.\nSo Śukadeva Gosvāmī gives his judgment. Nṛpa, \"My dear king, for all these classes of men,\" nirṇītam, \"it is already decided.\" This is Vedic conclusion. You haven't got to search out. You have to take information from the authority. So here Śukadeva Gosvāmī is authority, that \"For all these classes of men, this is decided conclusively.\" What is that? Harer nāmānukīrtanam [SB 2.1.11]: chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Either you are jñānī, either you are yogī, either you are karmī, you desiring something or not desiring something, but you have got your objective, perfection of life. So if you want that, then chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare.\nThank you very much.",
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"content": "\n All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda.\n We're going to pose. We're just about ready. Everyone can pose?",
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"content": "\n This is all right. Oh, yes, special pose.",
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"content": "\n If everyone stands up and dances, then we won't be able to... You can sit for just a minute longer.",
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"content": "\n So chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Sit down for a moment. [japa] Chant. Chant.\n[18:57] [Viṣṇujana leads kīrtana] [Prabhupāda plays gong] [prema-dhvani] [end]",
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https://vedabase.io/en/library/transcripts/690712sb-los-angeles/
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"content": "\n Here is a verse in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam spoken by Śaunaka Ṛṣi—a great sage of the name Śaunaka. There was great meeting in Naimiṣāraṇya, a place, a very sacred place in India. If you sometimes go to India, you'll try to find out this place. It is in northern India, and there is a big city, very well known city, Lucknow, and it is about forty or fifty miles from Lucknow.\nBut the place is so nice, so attractive, that any man who goes there will find immediately spiritually impelled, it is so nice place, Naimiṣāraṇya. So it is very old place. Formerly, when sages used to hold their meeting, they generally held their meeting in that place, Naimiṣāraṇya.\nSo this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam was also discussed first in that Naimiṣā... Not first; for the second time. First it was explained by Śukadeva Gosvāmī to Mahārāja Parīkṣit. Mahārāja Parīkṣit was cursed by a brāhmaṇa boy to die within a week. Formerly, even a small child... This boy, this brāhmaṇa boy, was playing with his playmates. That means he was a child, not more than ten to twelve years old. And he was informed that \"Mahārāja Parīkṣit has insulted your father by garlanding him with a dead snake.\"\nThe fact was that Mahārāja Parīkṣit was in hunting. One after another, so many things comes, but let me explain to you. This hunting business was allowed only for the kings, kṣatriyas, not for ordinary man, killing in sports. Because the king had to administer so strongly that sometimes he had to kill an evil person immediately with sword. The kingdom was very strong.\nNot many days before, say, about hundred years ago in Kashmir, if a thief was caught, burglar was caught, and he was proved that he has committed theft, the king would personally cut off, chop off his hand. The punishment was so severe. And the result was that even you miss something on your way, nobody will touch it. Everyone was afraid: \"Let the things remain there. One who has lost his thing, he will come and take away. We don't require to take it.\"\nSo the kings were very severe to punish unwanted social elements. So the kings were therefore allowed sometimes to hunt in the jungle to practice killing, just like doctors are allowed to practice surgical operation on dead body; otherwise, how they'll practice, how they'll become surgeon, if they do not practice? Similarly, only the kings were allowed to kill some animal in the jungle sometimes.\nSo this Parīkṣit Mahārāja was hunting, and when he became tired and thirsty he entered in the hermitage home of a sage. Because in those days in the jungles there were many hermitages. Those who wanted to live secluded life in the jungle, in the forest, they would have their home, very small cottage, and their means of living was milk and fruit. They would get fruits from the trees, and the kings would sometimes contribute some cows. So that was sufficient for them. To have some milk from the cow and get the fruits from the trees in the jungle, that was sufficient.\nThat is sufficient still. Anywhere, any part of the world, you can live without any economic problem, provided... There is no question of \"provided.\" Anywhere, you can keep a cow. There is no expenditure. The cow will go out and eat some vegetables and grass, so you haven't got to spend anything for the cow. And when she returns, she gives you milk, nice milk. We are trying to introduce this system in our New Vrindaban scheme. We are keeping there cows, and that place is in New Virginia, Moundsville. It is about three miles away from any city or any citizen approach. But they are living very nicely, depending on some vegetables, fruits and cow's milk.\nSo actually, a man can live very peacefully and healthy life. Not only peacefully. If you are healthy, if your mind is equilibrium, then naturally you are peaceful. So that was a system for the sages and hermitages, hermits, that they used to live on cow's milk and fruits.\nSo this king, being tired, being thirsty, entered the home of a sage, and he was in meditation. So the king called him. Because he was king, so he is habituated to order. A king is not supposed to submit, although they submitted to great sages and brāhmaṇas. But generally, their spirit is ordering, commanding spirit. So he commanded, \"Give me a glass of water. I am very thirsty.\" So that sage, who was in meditation, could not hear him. The king became little angry, that \"I am your guest. I am king. I am asking you water, and you are not hearing me. You are in your meditation.\" So he became little disgusted, and there was a dead snake. So he took that dead snake and got it round about the neck of the sage and went away in disgust, that \"This sage did not offer me even a glass of water.\"\nBecause, according to Vedic system, if somebody comes in your home, even if he is enemy, it is the injunction of the Vedas, gṛhaṁ śatrum api prāptaṁ viśvastam akuto 'bhayam. When a person comes at your home, never mind even if he's enemy... Friend is welcome, that's all right; but even an enemy comes, they are not forbidden. Not that in the gate there is, oh, \"Beware of dog,\" \"No trespasser allowed.\" No. There was no restriction. Even enemy was admitted, \"Come on.\" So gṛhaṁ śatrum api prāptaṁ viśvastam akuto 'bhayam. Even an enemy enters your house, you'll receive him in such a friendly way that he will forget that you are his enemy. That was the system.\nSo because Mahārāja Parīkṣit was king, he saw that there is negligence of this disciplinary action. \"I became... I was king, and I was thirsty. I became his guest, I came...\" Athiti. This guest is called athiti. Athiti means there are some guests who give notice before, prior to coming there, and some guests come without any notice. So the guest who comes without any notice, he's called athiti. So according to Hindu custom, the householder is to keep always some foodstuff for athiti guest. Somebody may come without notice, so some foodstuff is already in the stock. That is called athiti food.\nAnd a gṛhastha, the householder, is ordered that before eating, a householder was to see in the members of the family first the children must be fed, then diseased person must be fed, then elderly, old person must be fed. In this way, when everything is finished, then the proprietor of the household, he will take his meals, and before taking his meal, he will stand outdoors and call loudly, \"If somebody is hungry, please come. Still there is food here.\" And if there is no response, then he'll take. This is the system of Vedic civilization.\nSo when Mahārāja Parīkṣit saw that \"This sage, although he's sage, he's to be ideal man, he did not hear me. I am thirsty, I asked him water, and...\" The injunction is, when you receive somebody, even if you are very poor man, you should offer the guests a comfortable seat and a glass of water. That is not expensive. You can offer anyone a seat: \"Please come and sit down here and take a glass of water.\" And if you can provide, you can give him nice foodstuff; but even if you have got nothing at your home, this thing you can offer without any expenditure, without any botheration, to receive him, \"Please come on, come here, sit down. Take a glass of water.\"\nThat is the system still. In Indian villages... Just like we are sannyāsī, renounced order. There is no problem. You sit down underneath a tree and so many residents will come: \"My dear sannyāsī, will you please come and take prasādam?\" So many people invite. When Caitanya Mahāprabhu was traveling alone, wherever He goes, He was invited. That system is still there. A sannyāsī is never hungry. So many people will provide him.\nAnd it is the injunction of the śāstra that a sannyāsī, a brahmacārī, are sons of the society. As you take care of your children at home, similarly, you are also required to take care of the sannyāsīs and the brahmacārīs. Because their life is dedicated for the social welfare work—without any charge. This our Kṛṣṇa consciousness society is giving the most valuable thing, chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa, without any charge, without any... They are canvassing, \"Please take it. You'll be happy. Please take.\" So people should know how much valuable service they are rendering. How much valuable.\nSaṁsāra-dāvānala-līḍha-loka.\n[The spiritual master is receiving benediction from the ocean of mercy. Just as a cloud pours water on a forest fire to extinguish it, so the spiritual master delivers the materially afflicted world by extinguishing the blazing fire of material existence. I offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of such a spiritual master, who is an ocean of auspicious qualities.]\nThis world is just like blazing fire. People realize it. And when they do not find any solution, they become frustrated, they become confused, they take to intoxication to forget the blazing condition upon life. So actually everyone in this material world is burning in the blazing fire of material consciousness. That's a fact. Somebody is trying to solve by forgetting it through the influence of intoxication or something else artificially. That is not the solution. The real solution is to come to the original consciousness. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.\nActually, what is the real fact of our existence? Real fact of our existence is this consciousness. Either an animal or a man or a superman or an aquatic or a tree or a plant—any living entity—what is the ultimate stand? The ultimate stand is consciousness. The animal body is animal body so long there is consciousness. The human body is human body so long there is consciousness. Therefore, in the Bhagavad-gītā you'll find this verse, avinaśi tu tad viddhi yena sarvam idaṁ tatam [Bg. 2.17].\n[Know that which pervades the entire body is indestructible. No one is able to destroy the imperishable soul.]\nAvinaśi tu tad viddhi. Just try to understand. Just try to understand that thing. What is that? Just try to understand that thing as imperishable. What is that thing? Yena sarvam idaṁ tatam: that thing which is pervading all over your body. And what is that thing? That is consciousness.\nSo long there is consciousness, you feel either from this part of this body or this part of the body or this part of the..., anywhere you pinch, because the consciousness is there, you feel, \"Oh, it is painful\" or \"It is pleasure.\" There are two kinds of feelings: painful or pleasure. And that is due to consciousness. And this consciousness is there in every body, but they are in degrees. That is, the consciousness in tree is very lower. Therefore if you cut a tree, it does not respond. It responds... According to modern science... Sir Jagadish Chandra Bose, he has invented a machine that when you cut a tree or take out the fruit or the leaves or the branches, he feels, and that feeling is recorded in a machine. I do not know exactly the machine name, but there is a machine. It immediately... So the consciousness is there in the trees also.\nBut that has been known by the scientific apparatus, but according to our Vedic injunction, that is already mentioned in the śāstras, that the trees have consciousness. They are also living entities. Don't say that they are without life. They have got life. And therefore the system is... Just like we pick up flowers from the trees for offering to Kṛṣṇa, but the injunction is that after evening you should not touch the tree. The idea is that they are sleeping; don't disturb. So the consciousness of the trees are admitted in the Vedic literature.\nSimilarly, the consciousness is developed from tree to worms, microbes, worms, germs—their consciousness is little more higher. Then birds, their consciousness is little more higher; then beasts, their consciousness is little more higher. This is development, gradual process of evolution. Gradual process of evolution means gradual process of developing the status, the state of consciousness. In this way the consciousness in human form of body is further developed, very nicely developed. And similarly, there are other, elevated living condition in higher planets. They are called demigods. They are far advanced, very..., more and more intelligent. Their standard of living, their everything, is far, far above than all these planets, thousands and thousands of times.\nJust like we can discriminate here, even on this planet. Your standard of living, from materialistic point of view... Just like to get a motorcar in this country is ordinary thing, but in our country, in India, if somebody has got a motorcar, he's considered to be very rich man. Here even a worker goes on motorcar, but in India only a person who is very rich, he can have a motorcar.\nAs there is difference of standard of living from one country to another, similarly, there is difference of standard of living, standard of duration of life, standard of intelligence, standard of developed consciousness— everything different. That is stated in the Brahma-saṁhitā: yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi-koṭiṣv aśeṣa-vasudhādi-vibhuti-bhinnam [Bs. 5.40].\n[I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, whose effulgence is the source of the nondifferentiated Brahman mentioned in the Upaniṣads, being differentiated from the infinity of glories of the mundane universe appears as the indivisible, infinite, limitless, truth.]\nIf you try to read Vedic literature... Not very many. Try to understand Bhagavad-gītā as it is. Try to understand Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. These two books will give you sufficient knowledge, and we should take advantage of it, because our consciousness is developed. We should not waste our time simply reading these all nonsense literatures, sex literatures. Simply wasting our time.\nTad vayasaṁ tīrtham\n[SB 1.5.10].\n[Those words which do not describe the glories of the Lord, who alone can sanctify the atmosphere of the whole universe, are considered by saintly persons to be like unto a place of pilgrimage for crows. Since the all-perfect persons are inhabitants of the transcendental abode, they do not derive any pleasure there.]\nTo read nonsense ordinary literature and books or newspaper is compared just like the pleasure place of the crows. The crows, they are very much attached to the rejected refuse, garbage. In your country I don't see many crows, but in our country there are many crows, and the garbage section is pleasure, pleasuring place there. Where rejected things, they take pleasure in that. But the swans, the ducks, they take pleasure in clear lake with lily flower, nice garden, and nice birds are chirping. They take pleasure in that place.\nSimilarly, there are classes of men also like crows and like swans. The swans, they will take pleasure in this kind of literature, Vedic literature. And the crowslike men, they will hunt after that rejected garbagelike things. Punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām [SB 7.5.30].\n[Prahlāda Mahārāja replied: Because of their uncontrolled senses, persons too addicted to materialistic life make progress toward hellish conditions and repeatedly chew that which has already been chewed. Their inclinations toward Kṛṣṇa are never aroused, either by the instructions of others, by their own efforts, or by a combination of both.]\nWhat is there in the sex literature? There is no new information; the same sex life, that's all. Sometimes half-naked, sometimes naked, sometimes this, sometimes that, but the central place is sex.\nSo when you have got developed consciousness, try to understand Kṛṣṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Don't waste your time in nonsense literature. Don't waste. The life is very valuable. You don't think that \"Because we have got human form of life, we shall live for one hundred years or sixty or seventy years, so let us enjoy.\" Bhāgavata says this kind of enjoyment is there everywhere—in animal life, in plant life. This enjoyment means sex pleasure.\nViṣayaḥ khalu sarvataḥ syāt. Viṣaya. Viṣaya means eating, sleeping, mating and defending. This is called viṣaya. One who is very much fond of these principles of life only... Just like animals: they have no other problem. They do not know what Kṛṣṇa consciousness, what philosophy, what is metaphysical understanding. They have no such problem. Their only problem is eating, sleeping, mating and defending. That's all. So this human form of life is not like that. Therefore this Śaunaka Ṛṣi says that,\nāyur harati vai puṁsām\nudyann astaṁ ca yann asau\ntasyarte yat-kṣaṇo nīta\nuttama-śloka-vārtayā\n[SB 2.3.17]\n[Both by rising and by setting, the sun decreases the duration of life of everyone, except one who utilizes the time by discussing topics of the all-good Personality of Godhead.]\nHe says that our duration of life is being taken away by the sun, beginning from his rising up to the end of setting. We are daily losing the duration of our life. Just like this morning, today is 12th July, the sun rises at 5:30 in the morning, and now it is 5:30 again in the evening. These twelve hours have been taken away from the duration of our life. Is it not a fact? You'll never get it back. If you ask any scientist that \"I'll give you twelve millions of dollars. Please give me back these twelve hours again,\" no, it is not possible. No scientist can give you. That is not...\nTherefore Bhāgavata says that from the beginning of the sunrise up to the end of sunset, your duration of life is being taken away. That is the business. Kalaḥ. This is called time: past, present and future. What is present, tomorrow it will be past, and again future. So past, present, future; past, present, future. But what is this past, present and future? This is past, present and future of this body. I am...\nSo far I am concerned, I am not past, present... I do not belong to the category of the past, present and future; I belong to the category of eternity. Therefore we should be careful how to attain, how to be elevated to the platform of eternity. That is our business. The developed consciousness of human being should be utilized not in the animal propensities of eating, sleeping, mating and defending, but we should search out the path, or the way, or the value which will help us to get that life of eternity.\nSo here it is said that tasyarte yat-kṣaṇo nīta uttama-śloka-vārtayā. The sun is taking away our duration of life every minute, every hour, every day. But if we engage ourself in the topics of Uttama-śloka, that time he cannot take away. The idea is that the time which you are devoting here in this Kṛṣṇa consciousness temple, this time the sun cannot take away. This is becoming your asset. Plus. It is not minus. The duration of life, so far your body is concerned, that may be taken away. That will be taken away, however I may try to keep it intact. Nobody can keep it; it will be taken away. But the spiritual education which you are receiving in this class, oh, either the sun or sun's father, his father, nobody can take it away. It becomes a solid asset.\nTherefore we should utilize our consciousness, how to make it a solid asset. And that is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If you chant twenty-four hours very easy thing—Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma..., that means this time cannot be taken away by the sun, just like he has taken away the time of..., pertaining to my body. Just like I was also young man sometimes, say, fifty years ago, or, say, some years ago, but that is taken away. Now that cannot be returned. But the spiritual knowledge which I received from my spiritual master, that cannot be taken. That cannot be taken away. It will go with me. Even after this body it will go with me. And if it is perfect in this life, then it will take me to the eternal abode.\nYad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama\n[Bg. 15.6]. \n[That abode of Mine is not illumined by the sun or moon, nor by electricity. One who reaches it never returns to this material world.]\nThis dhāma, everywhere, either this material world or the spiritual world, that belongs to Kṛṣṇa, or God. We are not proprietor of anything. But in this material world, this is, although it is a property, it is the property of the Supreme Lord... Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam [Īśo mantra 1].\n[Everything animate or inanimate that is within the universe is controlled and owned by the Lord. One should therefore accept only those things necessary for himself, which are set aside as his quota, and one should not accept other things, knowing well to whom they belong.]\nEverything belongs to God. Just like everything belongs to government, either in the prison house or outside the prison house, similarly, this material world is just like prison house, conditioned life. Just like in the prison house you cannot change your cell from this cell to another cell. Just like in free life you can go from this home to that home, in prison life you cannot do that. You must stay to your cell.\nSo all these planets are like cell. We are trying to go to the moon planet; that is not possible, not in this way. That way is different; I have explained many times in this meeting. Because we are given a particular cell. Either we are Americans or Indians or Chinese or Russian, we have been given this planet: live. You cannot leave it by your will. Although there are millions and billions of planets, and although you have got machine to fly, but because we are conditioned, checked by the laws of nature, or God, you cannot go, exactly like the man who is put into certain cell, he cannot change at his will without the superior authority.\nSo Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā that don't try to change this cell, from this cell to that cell. That will not make you happy. If you think..., if a prisoner thinks that \"I am in this cell. Let me request the superintendent of the jail to change my cell and I'll be happy,\" that is a mistaken idea. One cannot be happy so long he is under the prison walls. One should become free. That should be the aim of our life. So we are trying to be happy by changing the cell, by this \"ism\" to that \"ism,\" by capitalism to communism, from communism to this \"ism,\" to that \"ism.\" That will not make us happy. You'll have to completely change from this \"ism,\" this materialism, that's all. Then you'll be happy.\nThat is our program, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We are not childish-ism. We are taking advice from the Supreme Person. Ā-brahma bhuvanāl lokām punar āvartino 'rjuna [Bg. 8.16]\n[From the highest planet in the material world down to the lowest, all are places of misery wherein repeated birth and death take place. But one who attains to My abode, O son of Kuntī, never takes birth again.]\n\"My dear Arjuna, even if you are elevated to the highest planetary system, which is called Brahmaloka...\" That is also desirable, because the life is very, very long there. You cannot calculate even their half-day. That is given in the Bhagavad-gītā: sahasra-yuga-paryantam ahar yad brahmaṇo viduḥ [Bg. 8.17].\n[By human calculation, a thousand ages taken together is the duration of Brahmā's one day. And such also is the duration of his night.]\nIn the Brahmaloka the duration of life is very, very long. It is beyond your arithmetical calculation. But even there is death. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, don't try to waste your time to elevate yourself or to transfer yourself from this planet to that planet.\nThat is natural instinct. Especially I see in your country that people are so restless, they cannot stay in one place. Sometimes they go from this place to that place, this apartment to that apartment, this country to that country, that country... That restlessness is there because we are searching after that eternal happiness, and we are restless. We are trying to find out in one place, and when it is finished we try to go to another place. But if I change this place or that place, that is not eternal life. The eternal life is with Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama [Bg. 15.6].\n[That abode of Mine is not illumined by the sun or moon, nor by electricity. One who reaches it never returns to this material world.]\nEverything belongs to Him—\"Everything belongs to Me\"—but He has got a superexcellent place, which is called Goloka Vṛndāvana. If you want to go there, then become Kṛṣṇa conscious. That I have repeatedly explained in this meeting: janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ [Bg. 4.9].\n[One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and activities does not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in this material world, but attains My eternal abode, O Arjuna.]\nSimply try to understand Kṛṣṇa, how He appears, how He disappears, what is His constitutional position, what is my constitutional position, what is the relationship with Kṛṣṇa, how to live. Everything. Simply if you understand these things, Kṛṣṇa says, janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ... Tattvataḥ means reality, scientifically; not by whims or sentiments or fanaticism. No. Everything Kṛṣṇa consciousness is everything scientific, solid scientific. It is not bogus. It is not imagination.\nSo tattvataḥ. That is called tattvataḥ: in fact, in reality, in truth. If one understands Kṛṣṇa in truth, then the result is tyaktvā deham. By giving up this body... We have to give up this body, willingly or unwillingly. A day will come when you have to submit to the laws of nature and give up this body. Even your president, Mr. Kennedy, he was going in procession, but when nature's law demanded that \"Now you submit your body here and change for another body,\" he had to. There was no question, \"Oh, I am president, I am Mr. Kennedy. I cannot do this.\" No. You have to do it. Force. That you do not understand, how this nature's force is working on us.\nSo this is the business of developed consciousness, human consciousness. Otherwise, consciousness is there in the dog, in the cats, in the worms, in the trees, in the birds, in the beasts. Consciousness is there. But are we meant for living in that consciousness, cats' and dogs' consciousness? No. Therefore Bhāgavata said that labdhvā sudurlabham idaṁ bahu-sambhavānte [SB 11.9.29]\n[After many, many births and deaths one achieves the rare human form of life, which, although temporary, affords one the opportunity to attain the highest perfection. Thus a sober human being should quickly endeavor for the ultimate perfection of life as long as his body, which is always subject to death, has not fallen down and died. After all, sense gratification is available even in the most abominable species of life, whereas Kṛṣṇa consciousness is possible only for a human being.]\n\"After many, many births you have got this nice body, human form of body.\" And what to speak of American body, the nicest body, very beautiful body, very rich body. Don't misuse, please. Utilize it. Develop Kṛṣṇa consciousness and be happy. That is our propaganda.\nWe are not asking anything that \"Give me some fees, and I give you some mantra.\" The mantra is being distributed free in the street. You simply take it, chant it, and just see how you are developing your Kṛṣṇa consciousness. An inch development, advancement, in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, is a great profit. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: svalpam apy asya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt [Bg. 2.40].\n[In this endeavor there is no loss or diminution, and a little advancement on this path can protect one from the most dangerous type of fear.]\nThis consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, if achieved in the slightest degree, it can help you for the highest benefit, for the highest benefit, to take you to the spiritual kingdom, Vaikuṇṭhaloka, Vṛndāvana. So don't be proud that \"I have got human body\" unnecessarily. Don't be proud that \"I can live very, very longer period than the cats and dogs.\" These things are very nicely discussed here. We shall try to explain. The beginning is taravaḥ kiṁ na jīvanti [SB 2.3.18].\n[Do the trees not live? Do the bellows of the blacksmith not breathe? All around us, do the beasts not eat and discharge semen?]\nThe beginning of this... How our consciousness is developed and important, that is stated in these pages, that taravaḥ kiṁ na jīvanti. You are proud of having a little long duration of life than the cats and dogs; therefore you are proud. Oh, don't you see how long the trees also live, for seven thousand years, many thousands of years? So what is there in living for long duration of life?\nSo there is no actual wonderful achievement by the so-called material advancement of life unless you have got developed consciousness to the standard of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Everything is false. False means \"maybe,\" \"temporary.\" You are American. You are feeling that you belong to the rich country, very beautiful body, no scarcity of food. That's all right, but it is also temporary; it is not permanent. And next life you do not know. Even if you have no information what is life after death, but there is. There is life after death.\nThe body is changing. This is the instruction of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The body is changing, but the soul is eternal. We are busy with the bodily affairs of life, but we do not take care of the soul. That is the mistake of the present civilization. Kṛṣṇa consciousness is teaching to the people in general, the philosophers, the religionists, the leaders, that this is not the way of civilization. You try to develop your consciousness to the standard of Kṛṣṇa. Then your life will be successful.\nThank you very much. [devotees offer obeisances]\nAny question? [break]",
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"content": "\n ...of Mahārāja Parīkṣit.",
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"content": "\nBecause the Bhāgavata, the topics of Śrīmad-Bhāgavata, was due to Parīkṣit Mahārāja being cursed by the brāhmaṇa boy. So at the time of his death he wanted to know from the great sages what was his duty at the time of death, and it was decided that he should hear Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam from Śukadeva Gosvāmī. That was the beginning of Śrīmad-Bhāgavata teaching. Therefore I was talking of Mahārāja Parīkṣit, little introduction. That is stated in our First Canto, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. You must read it. In the first part it is stated what was the cause of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam teaching. The beginning was at the time of death of Mahārāja Parīkṣit.\nSo we should take the place of Mahārāja Parīkṣit that he was given time, seven days, and he prepared himself, by learning Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, for the next life. But we have no even notice when we shall die; therefore we should always read Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and prepare for the next life. That is the business of elevated consciousness. We should not waste our time by reading or by, I mean to say, mixing our consciousness with so many rubbish things. We should try to purify it. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam [Cc. Antya 20.12].\n[“’Let there be all victory for the chanting of the holy name of Lord Kṛṣṇa, which can cleanse the mirror of the heart and stop the miseries of the blazing fire of material existence. That chanting is the waxing moon that spreads the white lotus of good fortune for all living entities. It is the life and soul of all education. The chanting of the holy name of Kṛṣṇa expands the blissful ocean of transcendental life. It gives a cooling effect to everyone and enables one to taste full nectar at every step.’]\nThis chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra will cleanse your consciousness, and if you hear Śrīmad-Bhāgavata, Bhagavad-gītā, then it becomes Kṛṣṇa conscious. That should be the duty of everyone.",
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"content": "\n Prabhupāda, you described that the Lord is the cause, the original cause, and since no one knows the Lord, how is it possible for the people to know how they are controlled? How can they know how they are controlled, since no one knows Kṛṣṇa and He is the original cause? How can they know that it's because of Kṛṣṇa that things are happening?",
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"content": "\n How can you know that you are controlled by the state? How can I know?",
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"content": "\n The state has a law book.",
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"content": "\n Therefore we have got law books. Anādi bahirmukha jīva kṛṣṇa bhuli gelā, ataeva kṛṣṇa veda-purāṇe karilā. Because you have forgotten Kṛṣṇa, therefore Kṛṣṇa has given you so many books, Vedic literature. Therefore I was stressing, don't waste your time in reading nonsense literature. Just concentrate your mind in this Vedic literature. Then you'll know. Why these books are there? Just to remind you to become lawful.\nBut if you don't take advantage, then you are misusing your life. This preaching work, this publication of books, literature, magazines, the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, everything is to remind you how we are being controlled, who is the supreme controller, how your life can be successful, how you can be relieved from this controlled life, how you can get freedom life. This is the movement.\nThis Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is for that purpose; otherwise, what is the utility of this movement? It is not an \"ism,\" just to make some temporary appeasement. It is the ultimate solution of all the problems of life, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. And this chanting is pavement[?] of the heart, where you'll receive this message. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam [Cc. Antya 20.12], cleansing the heart. Then you'll be able to receive the message. So our process is very scientific, authorized, and if anyone takes to it he'll realize gradually, and he'll be elevated. There is no doubt about it.\nSo what is the next engagement?",
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"content": "\n Āratika. [obeisances] [end]",
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https://vedabase.io/en/library/transcripts/661223cc-new-york/
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"content": "\n\nsṛjāmi tan-niyukto 'haṁ\nharo harati tad-vaśaḥ\nviśvaṁ puruṣa-rūpena\nparipāti triśakti-dhṛk\n[Cc Madhya 20.318]\n[Lord Brahmā said: ’I am engaged by the Supreme Personality of Godhead to create. Following His orders, Lord Śiva dissolves everything. The Supreme Personality of Godhead in His form of Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu maintains all the affairs of material nature. Thus the supreme controller of the three modes of material nature is Lord Viṣṇu.’]\nThis is a quotation from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam in which Brahmā, the creator of this particular universe, he says that \"I am engaged, I am appointed, by the Supreme Lord.\" So the creator and the annihilator, Śiva, they are appointed agents of the Supreme Lord. They are not supreme. Sṛjāmi tan-niyukto 'haṁ haro harati tad-vaśaḥ. Tad-vaśaḥ means we are under the control of the Supreme Lord. Nobody is free, or independent. Only Kṛṣṇa. Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat asti kiñcid dhanañjaya [Bg 7.7].\n[O conqueror of wealth [Arjuna], there is no Truth superior to Me. Everything rests upon Me, as pearls are strung on a thread.]\nYou have this statement in the Bhagavad-gītā, Ninth Chapter, that \"Nobody is greater than Him.\" And another version is there, na tat-samaś cābhyadhikaś ca dṛśyate [Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 6.8]:\n[The Supreme Lord has nothing to do. Nothing is equal to Him or greater than Him. He acts in different phases by manifesting His parts and parcels, which are all simultaneously differently situated by His unlimited, variegated potencies. Each potency acts quite naturally in sequences, providing Him full knowledge, power and pastimes.]\n\"Nobody is equal or greater than Him.\" There are so many statements in the Vedic literature. So here is also another statement from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. This was spoken by Brahmā to his disciple Nārada. Nārada questioned him that \"So far we know that you are the supreme, but you also sometimes meditate and worship somebody.\" So in that connection Brahmā explained that \"We are not supreme. We are all appointed agents. Supreme is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.\"\nViśvaṁ puruṣa-rūpeṇa paripāti triśakti-dhṛk. Viśvam, this cosmic manifestation, is being maintained by His threefold energies. Triśakti-dhṛk. Triśakti means three kinds of energies. When it is materially conceived, the three kinds of energies are the modes of goodness, the modes of passion and the modes of ignorance. And when they are spiritually conceived, the same three kinds of energies are manifested as spiritual potency, material potency and marginal potency. So anyway, the Lord is always full with different kinds of energies, of which these three are main divisions.\nmanvantarāvatāra ebe śuna, sanātana\nasaṅkhya gaṇana tāṅra, śunaha kāraṇa\n[Cc Madhya 20.319]\n[O Sanātana, now just hear about the incarnations associated with the reign of each Manu [manvantara-avatāras]. They are unlimited, and no one can count them. Just hear of their source.]\nNow Lord Caitanya has explained about... Out of six kinds of incarnations, He has explained to you the incarnation of puruṣāvatāra, three, then līlāvatāra, then guṇāvatāra. Three kinds of incarnations are already explained. Now the remainder three kinds of incarnations, manvantarāvatāra, yugāvatāra and śaktyāveśāvatāra, He is going... Out of that three, first the manvantarāvatāra, Manu. So Lord Caitanya says that \"I shall now explain to you about the manvantavatāra.\" And He says, manvantarāvatāra ebe śuna, sanātana: \"My dear Sanātana, just now I shall explain to you about the manvantarāvatāra. You hear it.\"\nAsaṅkhya gaṇana tāṅra, śunaha kāraṇa: \"And this manvantarāvatāra... So far other incarnations are concerned, we have somehow counted three or say ten, like that. But here, when we speak of manvantarāvatāra, oh, they are countless.\" Asaṅkhya. Asaṅkhya means countless. Nobody can count how many manvantarāvatāras are there. How it is so? He is explaining.\nBrahmāra eka-dine haya caudda manvantara\n[Cc Madhya 20.320]:\n[In one day of Brahmā, there are fourteen changes of the Manus, and during the reign of each of those fourteen Manus, an incarnation is manifested by the Supreme Personality of Godhead.]\n\"In one day of Brahmā..., in one day of Brahmā...\" That you have calculated according to Bhagavad-gītā, sahasra-yuga-paryantam ahar yad brahmaṇo viduḥ [Bg 8.17]. \n[By human calculation, a thousand ages taken together is the duration of Brahmā's one day. And such also is the duration of his night.]\nBrahmaṇo, or Brahmā, arhat. Arhat means one day, twelve hours. What is that twelve hours according to our calculation? Sahasra-yuga-paryantam. Sahasra, one thousand yugas. And what is the duration of yuga? Four million, three hundred thousands of years, one yuga. Such one thousand, that makes Brahmā's one day, twelve hours. Similarly night, twelve hours. Similarly one month. In this way he has got hundred years' duration of life.\nNow, this one day, twelve hours, within this twelve hours, there are fourteen Manus. Twelve hours of Brahmā means Four, three, five zero..., eight zero. What is that, four, three, eight zeroes? What is the calculation according to your arithmetic, four, three, eight zeroes? Huh?",
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"content": "\n 4,300,000,000.\n Four billion three hundred and eight.",
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"content": "\n Four, three, eight zeroes.",
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"content": "\n 4,300,000,000.\n Yes. That's right.",
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"content": "\n Four billion...",
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"content": "\n ...three hundred million.",
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"content": "\n 4,300,000,000. That's all right. Within that 4,300,000,000's divide into fourteen. That is the duration of one Manu. Four billion, three hundred millions divide into fourteen, that will make... That one part is the duration of a Manu.\nSo anyway, fourteen Manus are taking place in one day of Brahmā.\nbrahmāra eka-dine haya caudda manvantara\nei caudda avatāra tāhāṅ karena īśvara\n[Cc Madhya 20.320]\n[In one day of Brahmā, there are fourteen changes of the Manus, and during the reign of each of those fourteen Manus, an incarnation is manifested by the Supreme Personality of Godhead.]\nThese are also... They are also incarnation of the Supreme Lord.\nCaudda eka dine, māse cāri-śata biśa\n[Cc Madhya 20.321].\n[There are 14 manvantara-avatāras in one day of Brahmā, 420 in one month, and 5,040 in one year.]\nIf in one day of Brahmā there are fourteen Manus, then in one month of Brahmā it comes to cāri-śata, 420. Thirty days a month. So 420 Manus in one month of Brahmā. Brahmāra vatsare pañca-sahasra calliśa [Cc Madhya 20.321]. Similarly, in one year of Brahmā there is 5,040 Manus in one year, and he lives for hundred years. So 5,040 Manus in one month, er, one year. Now hundred. So 5,040 plus two zero.\nSo it comes to pañca-lakṣa cāri-sahasra manvantarāvatāra [Cc Madhya 20.322]. \n[During the hundred years of Brahmā’s life, there are 504,000 manvantara-avatāras.]\nPañca-lakṣa means fifty millions. Not fifty millions; ten millions a lakṣa. That means five millions... Five millions and four thousands of Manus are there in one Brahmā's life. Five thousand and..., er, five million and four hundred thousand of manvantarāvatāra, incarnation of Manu, in one brahmāṇḍa. And Lord Caitanya... Ananta brahmāṇḍe aiche karaha [Cc Madhya 20.323]. And there are innumerable brahmāṇḍas, universes. Now you can calculate how many Manus are there. Therefore you cannot calculate. He says \"innumerable.\"\nananta brahmāṇḍe aiche karaha gaṇana\nmahā-viṣṇu eka-śvāse brahmāra jīvana\n[Cc Madhya 20.323]\n[The number of manvantara-avatāras for only one universe has been given. One can only imagine how many manvantara-avatāras exist in the innumerable universes. And all these universes and Brahmās exist only during one exhalation of Mahā-Viṣṇu.]\nAnd all these Manus and Brahmās, they are living only on the breathing period of Mahā-Viṣṇu.\nMahā-viṣṇura niśvāsera nāhika paryanta\n[Cc Madhya 20.324].\n[There is no limit to the exhalations of Mahā-Viṣṇu. Just see how impossible it is to speak or write of only the manvantara-avatāras!]\nAnd just imagine what is that breathing. Eka manvantarāvatārera dekha lekhāra anta.\nSo in one breathing of Mahā-Viṣṇu, you cannot calculate how many Manus are there. This is called, what is called, unlimited. We say \"unlimited,\" but we should have some knowledge how it is unlimited. There is no question of counting the energies displayed by the Supreme Lord in so many ways. Because we cannot explain something, we dismiss the whole thing. \"There is void. Nothing. Void.\" Because my mind, my intelligence, cannot go so far, we say, \"Perhaps,\" \"It may be it was like this.\" So this is all mental speculation.\nAnd how we can say? Now, the opposite party may say, \"How you can say?\" Now, we have got evidence from the Vedic literature. But the other party, they have no evidence. They are simply speculationist. We can give some evidence. The Vedas are accepted by ācāryas, and they are following, and they are getting the result.\nSo therefore, śruti-pramāṇa. Śruti-pramāṇa. There are three kinds of evidences. Out of that, śruti-pramāṇa, evidence from higher authorities, that is the first-class evidence. What are those evidence? Pratyakṣa, aitihya and śruti. Pratyakṣa means direct perception. Direct perception, that is evidence. People with poor fund of knowledge, they want direct perception of everything. But that is not possible. Direct perception of everything is not possible. Therefore aitihya. Aitihya, aitihya means historical, historical, paramparā, hearing, traditional.\nAnd the next first-class evidence is śruti. Śruti means to hear from the authority. That is śruti. Just like the example we have several times cited here that the evidence \"Who is my father?\" that evidence is to hear from my mother. That's all. There is no other evidence. The mother says that \"This is your father. He is your father.\" This is śruti, hearing from the mother, authority. And we have no other authority to understand father. Similarly, we have to understand our supreme father from the śruti mother, Vedas mother, mother Vedic mother. We have to accept Vedas as mother, śruti. The Vedas are considered as mother, and the Purāṇas are considered as sister. That is explained. So, śruti-pramāṇa. Śruti-pramāṇa.\nmahā-viṣṇura niśvāsera nāhika paryanta\neka manvantarāvatārera dekha lekhāra anta\n[Cc Madhya 20.324]\n[There is no limit to the exhalations of Mahā-Viṣṇu. Just see how impossible it is to speak or write of only the manvantara-avatāras!]\nSimply one manvantara in one universe, we cannot count how many manvantaras are there, and what to speak of...? There are innumerable, uncountable universes, and there are so many manvantarāvatāras.\nNow He is giving the names of Manus. Just like the sun, the present sun-god is named as Vivasvān, similarly, in every planet there are heads: sun-god, moon-god, heavenly god, Indra, Candra, Varuṇa, Vāyu, so many, thirty-three koṭi. Koṭi means ten millions. Such thirty-three [million] demigods are there, and each of them has got a separate planet, and their names are similarly there. So here Lord Caitanya is giving some of the names of the Manu.\nYou cannot count how many Manus are there, but for one day the fourteen Manus are named, and that is given here.\nSvāyaṁbhuve 'yajña', svārociṣe 'vibhu' nāma\n[Cc Madhya 20.325].\n[In the Svāyambhuva-manvantara, the avatāra is named Yajña. In the Svārociṣa-manvantara, he is named Vibhu. In the Auttama-manvantara, He is named Satyasena, and in the Tāmasa-manvantara, He is named Hari.]\nA different period of Manus are differently named. So the fourteen names are Yajña, Vibhu, Satyasena, Hari, fourth; then Vaikuṇṭha, Ajita, Vāmana, Sārvabhauma, Ṛṣabha, Viṣvaksena, Dharmasāvarṇye, Sudhāmā, Indra-sāvarṇya, Bṛhadbhānu. In this..., fourteen Manus. Bṛhadbhānu.\n[aside:] Yes. I will answer your question.\nyugāvatāra ebe śuna, sanātana\nsatya-tretā-dvāpara-kali-yugera gaṇana\n[Cc Madhya 20.329]\n[O Sanātana, now hear from Me about the yuga-avatāras, the incarnations for the millenniums. First of all, there are four yugas—Satya-yuga, Tretā-yuga, Dvāpara-yuga and Kali-yuga.]\nNow yugāvatāra. We have finished manvantarāvatāra. This is fourth. Puruṣāvatāra, līlāvatāra, guṇāvatāra and the manvantarāvatāra, fourth. Puruṣa incarnation, and then quality, modes of nature, three modes, guṇāvatāra, then līlāvatāra. Then manvantarāvatāra we have finished.\nNow Lord Caitanya is explaining about the yugāvatāra, incarnation in every millennium, yuga. What is that?\nyugāvatāra ebe śuna, sanātana\nsatya-tretā-dvāpara-kali-yugera gaṇana\n[Cc Madhya 20.329]\nNow, there are four yugas. Each yuga is divided into four: Satya, Tretā, Dvāpara, Kali. This is the Kali, this age we are passing. Similarly, these four yugas, such thousand four yugas, when passed away, then one twelve hours of Brahmā is finished, when such thousand four yugas passes away. So satya-tretā-dvāpara-kali-yugera gaṇana. So each yuga is divided into four. Satya-yuga is about eighteen lakhs. Eighteen lakhs means 1,800,000's of years. That is Satya-yuga, 1,800,000's. And the next yuga, Tretā, is 1,200,000's of years; and the next yuga, Dvāpara, 800,000's of years; and this Kali-yuga is 400,000's of years, 427,000's of years...., er, 32,000's of years Out of that, five thousands of years we have already passed. Now there is balance: 427,000 years, there is balance of this Kali-yuga. And the symptoms of Kali-yuga we have already seen, how it is.\nSo the more we will pass this Kali-yuga, the symptoms will be more acute, intolerable. So we should care. We should take care of this so that we may not come back again to this Kali-yuga. [laughter] You see? This life should be utilized. Now we are conscious, Kṛṣṇa conscious. It should be so utilized that no more coming back to United States of America and no more coming back of this condemned earthly planet. That should be the aim. Yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama [Bg 15.6].\n[That abode of Mine is not illumined by the sun or moon, nor by electricity. One who reaches it never returns to this material world.]\nWe have to be determined to go back to Godhead, to Kṛṣṇa, where going nobody will come to this condemned place. One should know that this is a condemned place. Unless one is fully convinced that this is a place condemned, one cannot make progress. If he is satisfied with this condemned condition... Just like these [chuckles] Bowery Street men, they are lying on the footpath. They are satisfied. Condemned condition, but they are satisfied. We should not be satisfied in that way. That is very wretched condition. So we are all in wretched condition under the grip of material nature, always suffering threefold miseries. So we should be conscious. Unless we are conscious about this fact, then our human life is spoiled. They say that \"You spiritualist, you are very pessimistic.\" Yes. He should be pessimistic. There is no question of being optimistic. Where is the optimistic view?\nSo unless one becomes very much pessimistic of this material world... Actually, they are, but they want to forget. Somebody is trying to forget it by liquor, somebody is trying to forget by LSD, and somebody is marijuana, or gañja. But that forgetfulness will not save you. You have to actually forget it, that \"This is a condemned place.\" And you cannot forget this unless you have got ideal place before you. Therefore this śruti-pramāṇa, the Vedic knowledge, will give you: \"Here is your ideal place: Kṛṣṇa. Come back to Kṛṣṇa. Try for it. Try your best for this.\" That is the life. That is human life. And unless one is not conscious to this platform, he is defeated.\nParābhavas tāvad abodha-jātaḥ. We are born ignorant. And if we are educated more, more, more into the platform of ignorance, then our life is all defeat, parābhava. Parābhavas tāvad abodha-jāto yāvan na jijñāsata ātma-tattvam [SB 5.5.5].\n[As long as one does not inquire about the spiritual values of life, one is defeated and subjected to miseries arising from ignorance. Be it sinful or pious, karma has its resultant actions. If a person is engaged in any kind of karma, his mind is called karmātmaka, colored with fruitive activity. As long as the mind is impure, consciousness is unclear, and as long as one is absorbed in fruitive activity, he has to accept a material body.]\nSo long one is not awakened to spiritual consciousness... \"What I am? Why I am suffering? Is there any remedy? How I can save me?\"—these questions should arise. This is called brahma-jijñāsa.\nThe Vedānta-sūtra explains this brahma-jijñāsa. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. Athāto: \"Now. Now it is the time for you to enquire about your Brahman realization, of your Brahman life.\" That Brahman life begins when we understand that \"I am not this material body. I am spirit soul.\" That is brahma-jñāna. And one who has got this knowledge, he is brāhmaṇa. He is brāhmaṇa. One who has actually attained this knowledge, that \"I am not this body; I am spirit soul,\" that is brahma-jñāna.\nNow, simply to have brahma-jñāna is not sufficient. When you act like Brahman, that is called Vaiṣṇava. That is Vaiṣṇava. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. To understand yourself, that you are not this body, you are Brahman, and when you act factually in that Brahman stage, that is called bhakti. Bhakti. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā,\nmāṁ ca [yo] 'vyabhicāreṇa\nbhakti-yogena yaḥ sevate\nsa guṇān samatītyaitān\nbrahma-bhūyāya kalpate\n[Bg 14.26]\n[One who engages in full devotional service, who does not fall down in any circumstance, at once transcends the modes of material nature and thus comes to the level of Brahman.]\nSo as soon as you begin your activities in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, you at once come to the stage of Brahman. And the more you execute functions for satisfaction of Kṛṣṇa, the more you realize yourself and more you are well situated in spiritual life. And kaunteya prati... I was discussing. Kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati [Bg 9.31].\n[He quickly becomes righteous and attains lasting peace. O son of Kuntī, declare it boldly that My devotee never perishes.]\nThe Lord declares through Arjuna, \"My dear Arjuna, declare it to all the world that anyone who is My devotee, he will never be destroyed.\" So we should take up this Kṛṣṇa consciousness very seriously and try to execute it thoroughly under the guidance of the śruti-pramāṇa. The Vedic literatures are there. Everything is there. We should utilize it.\nThank you very much. Any question? Yes.",
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"content": "\n You spoke of the energy of the Lord as being threefold... [end]",
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https://vedabase.io/en/library/transcripts/661116bg-new-york/
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"content": "\n\naprārabdha-phalaṁ pāpaṁ\nkūtaṁ bījaṁ phalonmukham\nkrameṇaiva pralīyante\nviṣṇu-bhakti-ratātmanā\n[Padma Purāṇa]\n[There are different stages of dormant reactions to sinful activities to be observed in a sinful life. Sinful reactions may be just waiting to take effect [phalonmukha], reactions may be still further dormant [kūṭa], or the reactions may be in a seedlike state [bīja]. In any case, all types of sinful reactions are vanquished one after another if a person engages in the devotional service of Lord Viṣṇu.]\n\"One who is engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then all his reactions of past sinful activities, gradually they become vanquished.\" There are different stages. Just like I have infected some, I mean, say, for cholera today. Immediately cholera does not take place. After two or three days the cholera appears. It takes some time. Just like if you sow a seed of a tree, immediately it does not become a tree and gives its fruits, delivers its fruit. It takes some time.\nTherefore, imperceptibly, or knowingly or unknowingly, we are doing so many sinful activities. So they are in the seedling stage, then growing stage. Then, when we suffer, that is called prārabdha. Prārabdha means, \"Now receive the result.\" So in this way we are creating, we are sowing, some seeds. That will take its reaction, either in this body or another body. It takes time to fructify. So... But if we act in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then it is just like fried seed. Fried seed, if you sow in a land, it will not fructify, fried seed.\nSo this fried seed... Our activities can be made a fried seed by the fire of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So there will be no reaction. Pratyakṣāvagamaṁ dharmyaṁ susukhaṁ kartum avyayam [Bg 9.2]. \n[This knowledge is the king of education, the most secret of all secrets. It is the purest knowledge, and because it gives direct perception of the self by realization, it is the perfection of religion. It is everlasting, and it is joyfully performed.]\nSusukham, very pleasant. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ [SB 7.5.23].\n[There are six principles favorable to the execution of pure devotional service: (1) being enthusiastic, (2) endeavoring with confidence, (3) being patient, (4) acting according to regulative principles [such as śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇam—hearing, chanting and remembering Kṛṣṇa], (5) abandoning the association of nondevotees, and (6) following in the footsteps of the previous ācāryas. These six principles undoubtedly assure the complete success of pure devotional service.]\nThis devotional service is not very unpleasant; it is very pleasant. You very melodiously sing with instruments, and somebody will participate in hearing, śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ. Of course, it must be in relationship with the Supreme Lord, not ordinary music. We take the advantage of musical science, but we don't sing any ordinary song. We glorify the Supreme Lord. But we enjoy; therefore it is happy.\nThen again, śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇam. Now, what you are hearing from Bhagavad-gītā, if you remember it at home, that \"Swāmījī was spok..., speaking like this, and how does it apply in my life?\"... We should remember this. We should not forget just after leaving this place. And if there is any question, any doubt, we should place before this assembly. I am inquiring. I am inviting you for any question, because we are trying to understand a very nice and great science. So it should be understood with all critical study. We don't request you to take it or accept it blindly.\nSo śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇam. And pāda-sevanam. Pāda-sevanam means to rise early in the morning, open the door of temple and wipe it out, all the dust, and give some light. The pāda-sevanam. Arcanaṁ vandanam: Then there is foodstuff offered. It is cooked for Kṛṣṇa, and decorate with flower. So many things there are, arcana-vidhi. The Deity will look very nice, and you'll be pleased to see it. We, we want to see very beautiful things. When you see the beautiful Deity, the forms of Lord Kṛṣṇa, you'll forget to see anymore any other beauty. You see?\nThese are the process, very nice, susukham. There is no trouble. Decorate with flower, with dress, with ornaments, and see and hear and eat very... You offer very nice foodstuff to Kṛṣṇa and then partake it. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam arcanaṁ vandanam. Vandanam means prayer. Of course, if you do not like, if you think, \"This is Hindu system. We won't accept. We are Christian,\" all right, you go to church, sing there. You have got also songs of Bible. You can sing very nicely. So smaraṇaṁ vandanam.\nSo there is no difference between this process or that process. Simply we are teaching that \"Become God conscious.\" God is neither Hindu nor Muslim nor Christian. He's God. And we are also not Hindu and Muslim or Christian. This is our bodily designations. We are all pure, part and parcel of the Supreme. As God is pure, so we are also pure.\nSo we have fallen in this turmoil of this material ocean, and there is tossing of the waves. So we are suffering. We don't identify with the tossing of the waves, because I have nothing to do with this tossing. I simply pray, \"Kṛṣṇa, please pick me up from these tossing waves. Some way or other, I am fallen here.\"\nayi nanda-tanuja patitaṁ kiṅkaraṁ\nmāṁ viṣame bhavāmbudhau\nkṛpayā tava pāda-paṅkaja-\nsthita-dhūlī-sadṛśaṁ vicintaya\n[Cc Antya 20.32, Śikṣāṣṭaka 5]\n[O My Lord, O Kṛṣṇa, son of Mahārāja Nanda, I am Your eternal servant, but because of My own fruitive acts I have fallen into this horrible ocean of nescience. Now please be causelessly merciful to Me. Consider Me a particle of dust at Your lotus feet.]\n\"O my dear Kṛṣṇa, somehow or other, I forgot You, and I am fallen in this...\" As soon as I forget Kṛṣṇa, this māyā, or illusion, ocean of illusion, is there. It at once captures me. That is my position. So anyway, Kṛṣṇa has prescribed this devotional service, very nice. You can very happily perform. Susukhaṁ kartum avyayam [Bg 9.2]. \n[This knowledge is the king of education, the most secret of all secrets. It is the purest knowledge, and because it gives direct perception of the self by realization, it is the perfection of religion. It is everlasting, and it is joyfully performed.]\nŚravaṇādike apaśyamāne tasmin sa tad-viṣaye puruṣottamaḥ, aham ādir bhavāmi. [commentary] It is said that Kṛṣṇa appears... When we chant this Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare / Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, this sound is nondifferent from Kṛṣṇa. Therefore, when you vibrate this sound, this means this sound, Kṛṣṇa, and the original Kṛṣṇa, the same, identical. So you are not only dancing, but Kṛṣṇa is also dancing with you.\nIf you say that \"Why don't you... Why do I not see Him?\" Yes. Seeing is not... Why do you stress on seeing? Why not hearing? Seeing, hearing, tasting, touching—these are our instruments for experience. That's all. Knowledge. Why you are so much, I mean to say, I mean to say, important about seeing? A devotee does not wish to see Kṛṣṇa. He simply... He's satisfied simply by hearing of Kṛṣṇa. As seeing is also experience, so hearing also experience. That I have explained many times. Seeing and hearing. Hearing also... Something you cannot see, you can hear only. Just like the, when the air, wind passes very violently, you cannot see it, but you can hear. But you get the experience.\nSo seeing is not only experience, but hearing is also experience. When you hear the sound of the wind, \"ohnnhnn-shawh-shawh,\" you say, \"Oh, today wind is very violently blowing.\" You can feel, but you don't see the air. So don't stress on seeing only. There are so many senses. You hear. We can perceive the presence of God, or Kṛṣṇa, by hearing. By hearing. And He's there, present. He's there, present. He says, Kṛṣṇa says that,\nnāhaṁ tiṣṭhāmi vaikuṇṭhe\nyogināṁ vā hṛdaye ca\nyatra gāyanti mad-bhaktā\ntatra tiṣṭhāmi nārada\n[Padma Purāṇa]\n[O Nārada, I am not in Vaikuṇṭha nor am I in the hearts of the yogīs. I remain where My devotees glorify My name, form, qualities and transcendental pastimes.]\nHe says that \"I, I am not actually in My abode, Kṛṣṇaloka; neither I am in the heart of the yogīs who are meditating. But I am present in there where My pure devotees are singing. Singing.\" Yes, Kṛṣṇa says that. So you can feel the presence of Kṛṣṇa as we make progress in this line.\nSutradi-vyapa-matram tulasī-patra ambuki-matra upakara ca. And it is very easy also. Arcanam. Arcanam. Now, Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā that you have to offer something out of your love. Love means you must give something. You are taking something from Kṛṣṇa; why not give something? Is it love, simply going on taking, taking, taking, and no offering? We are taking from Kṛṣṇa so much light. We are taking from Kṛṣṇa so much air, so much water. So many things Kṛṣṇa is supplying for our subsistence—fruits, grains. Without supplied by Kṛṣṇa, you cannot have. You cannot manufacture all these things. So you must admit that God is supplying us so many things. And why not offer something? Is it love?\nTherefore offering is required. Love means you take and you give also. Suppose if you love somebody—you simply take from him, but you don't give—oh, do you think it is very good? No. It is not good. That is not love. That is exploitation. If I go on simply taking from you, and if I don't offer you anything, that is simply exploitation. So love means you must take, you must give. Dadāti pratigṛhṇāti bhuṅkte, bhuṅkte bhojayate [Upadeśāmṛta 4].\n[A sober person who can tolerate the urge to speak, the mind's demands, the actions of anger and the urges of the tongue, belly and genitals is qualified to make disciples all over the world.]\nYou must eat, and you must give to eat. Simply don't go on eating kṛṣṇa-prasāda, but give something to Kṛṣṇa for eating.\nSo that... It is a system in India that if somebody's invited to take prasādam, he takes something, some fruits, some sweetmeats, something, and offers to the Deity. Of course, that is distributed amongst the prasādam, but it is the system. When a, when a man goes to see a saintly person or goes to a temple, he takes some fruit, as far as he, as he can acquire. So giving and taking, eating and feeding. Dadāti pratigṛhṇāti bhuṅkte bhojayate, guhyam ākhyāti pṛcchati ca [Upadeśāmṛta 4]. \nGuhyam ākhyāti pṛcchati. You have to hear Bhagavad-gītā and, if you have got any distress, you have got any confidential thing, you have to submit to Kṛṣṇa, \"Kṛṣṇa, I am in suffering this way. I am fallen in this tossing ocean of material illusion. Kindly save me. I can understand now that I have no identification with this material world. I am simply put here.\" Just like if I am put into the Atlantic Ocean, I have no identification with the ocean, but I am subjected to the tossing waves of the ocean. Similarly, we are spiritual spark, fragmental part of Kṛṣṇa. Some way or other, we are put into this material ocean, and there is tossing.\nSo I am being tossed. Don't identify. Don't try to solve the tossing. That is not possible. If you want to make solution of the tossing waves of the Atlantic Ocean when you are fallen there, it is useless foolishness. That is not possible. Don't be foolish in that way. That will go on. That is Atlantic Ocean's nature. You cannot stop it. You have to get out of it.\nThe foolish people, they are trying to adjust this world and be happy. That is not... That is a first-class foolishness. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā [Bg 7.14]. \n[This divine energy of Mine, consisting of the three modes of material nature, is difficult to overcome. But those who have surrendered unto Me can easily cross beyond it.]\nThey will never be able to make a solution of this material world.\n[break] ...do not accept this principle of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the result is that they do not go back to Godhead, but remain in this material world for continuous struggle for existence.\nDharmasya iti, imaṁ bhakti-lakṣaṇaṁ dharmam. This... This Kṛṣṇa consciousness is also a principle of religion. Religion... Religion means which has connection with God. Without any connection with God, oh, that is not accepted as religion. Religion, generally understood: searching after God, understanding about God, relationship with God. This is religion. Atheism is not religion. Atheism, not religion.\nReligion means... So this is, Kṛṣṇa consciousness... Because persons who are acting for transcendental loving service of the Supreme Lord, they are called Kṛṣṇa conscious, so it has connection with God. Therefore it is religion, dharma. And how a religion is accepted? Religion accepted from authorized source. Just like Vedic religion, Bible religion, because they have got source from authority. Śruti-pramāṇa. Śruti-pramāṇa religion. You cannot manufacture religion. It must be according to the Vedic rules or authorized scriptures.\nIn the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is said, dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam [SB 6.3.19]:\n[Real religious principles are enacted by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Although fully situated in the mode of goodness, even the great ṛṣis who occupy the topmost planets cannot ascertain the real religious principles, nor can the demigods or the leaders of Siddhaloka, to say nothing of the asuras, ordinary human beings, Vidyādharas and Cāraṇas.]\n\"Dharma, religion, means it is the law of God.\" Just like state laws. You cannot manufacture any law. If you make some by-laws... Just like for your Society you make some by-laws. That is to be sanctioned by this Society registration under religious regulation, as we have registered. But you cannot make any law without any sanction. Similarly, dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam. If you want to create some principle of religion, then it must be sanctioned by the Vedic authority.\nSo this Bhagavad-gītā is also religion. It is accepted by authorities, great authorities just like Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, Viṣṇu Svāmī and Lord Caitanya, all authorities of India. Śaṅkarācārya. Those who are accepted as the religious heads of Indian culture, all of them accepted this Bhagavad-gītā as principle of religion, and Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So there is no doubt about it. And so far outsiders, they also take it, this book, as book of authority, book of knowledge, and they have studied very serious study of this book. They write commentaries—great scholars, great philosophers. So it is also a dharma. \nBut, but there are persons, in spite of its acceptance by the ācāryas and scholars, they have no faith. They do not think that it is a book of authority or book of knowledge. Aśraddadhānāḥ. They have no faith. They think that it is simply aggravating or exaggeration or a person who is known as Kṛṣṇa and His principle. So therefore they have no faith. Dhīra vrsatvena tam bhinna mataḥ śruti-mātra eva. Śruti-mātra means it is simply praising some principle. That's all. In this way it is not accepted by everyone.\nKṛṣṇa points out them: aśraddadhānāḥ puruṣā dharma..., dharmasya asya [Bg 9.3].\n[Those who are not faithful in this devotional service cannot attain Me, O conqueror of enemies. Therefore they return to the path of birth and death in this material world.]\nThis principle of religion, those who do not accept it as authority, so the result is that they can never have any connection directly with Kṛṣṇa, and as, as such, aprāpya mām, because they do not have any access to Kṛṣṇa, therefore nivartante, they remain. Nivartante means remain. Where does..., do they remain? Mṛtyu-saṁsāra, mṛtyu-saṁsāra-vartmani, this life: birth, death, birth, death, birth, death. Vartmani means this life: birth, death, birth, death. Go on like that.\nAnd that birth, death does not mean that next birth you will have similar facilities or similar life, human being. No. Birth-death means you have risk also. You can get your next birth not exactly a human being. You... Not exactly in America or not exactly in India. Oh, you may be transferred to any other country or any other planet or any other species of life. There is no certainty. That will depend according to your work.\nSo this is the... This is called the path of birth and death. Mṛtyu-saṁsāra-vartmani. Have your birth, remain for some time, enjoy or suffer. Then again give up this body and enter into the womb of another mother, human being or animal. Then prepare your another body. Then come out. Then begin your work. This is called mṛtyu-saṁsāra-vartmani.\nIf anyone wants to avoid this path of birth and death, this risk, then they must take to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It is not my version. The Lord says Himself. If you want to study Bhagavad-gītā seriously, then here is a point. Here is a point. If you read Bhagavad-gītā as a matter of relaxation, that is different thing. But if you want to take benefit out of Bhagavad-gītā, this instruction is very much important.\naśraddadhānāḥ puruṣā\ndharmasyāsya parantapa\naprāpya māṁ nivartante\nmṛtyu-saṁsāra-vartmani\n[Bg 9.3]\n[Those who are not faithful in this devotional service cannot attain Me, O conqueror of enemies. Therefore they return to the path of birth and death in this material world.]\nMṛtyu-saṁsāra means this path of regularly, as we are passing on.\nahany ahani lokāni\ngacchanti yama-mandiram\nśeṣaḥ sthitam icchanti\nkim āścaryam ataḥ param\n[Mahābhārata, Vana-parva 297.116]\n[Every day, hundreds and millions of living entities go to the kingdom of death. Still, those who are remaining aspire for a permanent situation. What could be more astonishing than this?]\nYudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja, he was asked, \"What is the most wonderful thing in the world?\" He replied—he was very learned king—\"Yes. The most learned thing..., most wonderful thing in the world...\" You, you have heard seven wonderful things in the world. So Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja said, ahany ahani lokāni gacchanti yama-mandiram. Ahani, ahany ahani means daily, every day, every moment. At least every day we see so many death list. If we go to the crematorium ground, we can see. So ahany ahani lokāni gacchanti yama-mandiram, śeṣaḥ sthitam icchanti. But those who are still alive, they think, \"Oh, death will not take place. I'll live. I'll live.\"\nHe does not think that he... You are also subjected to this principle of dying. But he does not take it seriously. This is called illusion, māyā. He thinks, oh, that \"I shall live forever. Therefore let me do whatever I like. There is no question of responsibility.\" Oh, this is very risky life. Very risky life. And this is the most covering part of illusion.\nOne should be very serious that death is waiting. \"As sure as death.\" If there is any surety in this world, that is death. Nobody can avoid it. And when there is death, oh, there is no more intelligence, no more your puffed-up philosophy. You are under the grip of nature. Prakṛti..., prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sar... [Bg 3.27].\n[The bewildered spirit soul, under the influence of the three modes of material nature, thinks himself to be the doer of activities, which are in actuality carried out by nature.]\nAt that time you are not this stout and strong body, that you don't care for anything. Then you are that smallest, fragmental portion. So you are just under the material atmosphere, so under the mercy of the material nature. And that material nature will give you some kind of body for which you are fit. Then again begin your work. This is the position.\nSo if we want to take that risk, then go on, Kṛṣṇa says. But if you don't..., want to avoid this risk, then take Kṛṣṇa consciousness. There is no alternative.\naśraddadhānāḥ puruṣā\ndharmasyāsya parantapa\naprāpya māṁ nivartante\nmṛtyu-saṁsāra-vartmani\n[Bg 9.3]\nThis is mṛtyu-saṁsāra-vartmani.\n[Those who are not faithful in this devotional service cannot attain Me, O conqueror of enemies. Therefore they return to the path of birth and death in this material world.]\nThen He says what is this material world. Māyā... You should note it that this Ninth Chapter of the Bhagavad-gītā is specially meant for the devotees, especially meant for the devotees, those who have accepted Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Otherwise, it will appear something else. It is confidential. Because in the beginning it has been said that rāja-vidyā rāja-guhyam [Bg 9.2]. \n[This knowledge is the king of education, the most secret of all secrets. It is the purest knowledge, and because it gives direct perception of the self by realization, it is the perfection of religion. It is everlasting, and it is joyfully performed.]\nIt is very confidential, the most confidential part of knowledge of the Bhagavad-gītā. Unless one accepts Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, it will be difficult. They will think, \"Oh, why? If Kṛṣṇa..., if I do not accept Kṛṣṇa, then why there will be so much risk? Oh, this is all exaggeration.\" But actually, it is not. Therefore this rāja-guhyam, the most confidential part of this knowledge, means that one who has accepted Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme and has become a devotee, has engaged himself in His service, actually, seriously, for them, rāja-guhyam, most confidential.\nmayā tatam idaṁ sarvaṁ\njagad avyakta-mūrtinā\nmat-sthāni sarva-bhūtāni\nna cāhaṁ teṣv avasthitaḥ\n[Bg 9.4]\n[By Me, in My unmanifested form, this entire universe is pervaded. All beings are in Me, but I am not in them.]\nNow, Kṛṣṇa says that \"This world, what you see, this is also My energy.\" Mayā. Mayā means \"by Me.\" Just like if I say, \"This work has been done by me,\" so that does not mean that there is no existence of me, and because I have done this work, so I am finished. Here it is called \"by Me,\" mayā. Mayā means \"by Me.\" Anything you do, it is done by you. Anything done by me, it is done by me.\nBut that, when I finish the work... Suppose I start a business, very nice business, very profitable business, big factory. And if I say that \"This factory is started and is conducted by me,\" does it mean that I am lost? Does it mean I am lost? No. I am there. But it is done by my energy. This big factory... Just like the Ford factory I have seen in your country, a very big factory. There are so many big factories. If the proprietor says, \"It is done by me,\" that \"done by me,\" that person is exist, although the factory is also exist. It does not meant that because he has finished, because he has started that factory, big factory, he's finished, his existence is not there.\nSimilarly, if we say... Kṛṣṇa says that \"This, whatever this world you see, it is done by Me,\" does it mean that He becomes no more? This is very simple thing. Why God should be imperson? Just take the same example: If some very good businessman says, \"It is done by me,\" it is to be understood that by his brain, by his energy, by his capital, by his intelligence, he has done all these things. But he remains. It is very simple truth.\nSimilarly, it is said here, mayā tatam idaṁ sarvaṁ jagad avyakta-mūrtinā [Bg 9.4]. This, this world, this material world, if you want to see God, God is everywhere because it is His energy. It is His energy. Just like in the Ford factory, the worker, they see in every corner Mr. Ford, in every corner of the factory; similarly, those who are conversant with this science that what is this material world, they can see in every atom the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa. It is simply question of knowledge, so who has made it. If I am confident that Kṛṣṇa has made it, then I can feel Kṛṣṇa's presence everywhere.\nTherefore everything resting..., rests in Kṛṣṇa. Everything rests in Kṛṣṇa. Mayā tatam idaṁ sarvaṁ jagad avyakta-mūrtinā, mat-sthāni sarva-bhūtāni [Bg 9.4]: \"Everything is resting on Me.\" And na cāhaṁ teṣv avasthitaḥ: \"But I am not there. I am not there.\" If you think that if Kṛṣṇa, this table is resting in Kṛṣṇa, therefore Kṛṣṇa must be here, but Kṛṣṇa says, \"Then I am not there. I am not there.\" The same thing. Because Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's energy is nondifferent, still, energy is not Kṛṣṇa. Just like the sun and the sunshine: there is no difference, but the sunshine is not the sun. If sunshine is present in your room through the holes of your windows, do you think the sun is also within your room? No. If sun becomes within room, then you'll not exist. The heat is so exorbitant that it..., you cannot exist. Therefore it is sufficient that his rays, the sun's ray, is there.\nSimilarly, whatever we see... Parasya brahmaṇaḥ śaktiḥ. It is very nicely explained in Viṣṇu Purāṇa. Parasya brahmaṇaḥ śaktiḥ. Parasya means the Supreme; brahmaṇaḥ means the Absolute Truth. It is His energy. It is His energy. Just like the sun is shining all over the universe from one place, similarly, Kṛṣṇa, although He is just like a person like you and me, but His energy is acting everything. This is explained in Bhagavad-gītā. Mayā tatam idaṁ sarvaṁ jagad avyakta-mūrtinā. This is avyakta-mūrti. In the energy you cannot find Kṛṣṇa in His person, just like in the sunshine you cannot find the sun-god. But the sun-god is there in the sun planet, sun disc, within that. You cannot say \"No,\" because you have no experience of the sun disc. But we can understand from books of authorities like Vedas there is sun-god. There is sun... That Kṛṣṇa said.\nWe have read in the Fourth Chapter,\nimaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ\nproktavān aham avyayam\nvivasvān manave prāha\nmanur ikṣvākave 'bravīt\n[Bg 4.1]\n[The Blessed Lord said: I instructed this imperishable science of yoga to the sun-god, Vivasvān, and Vivasvān instructed it to Manu, the father of mankind, and Manu in turn instructed it to Ikṣvāku.]\n\"I... First of all I said this Bhagavad-gītā to sun-god, Vivasvān.\" Vivasvān means the sun... The present sun-god is called Vivasvān. His name is Vivasvān. Just like there are many kings, just there are many sun-gods also. They also change, because there is death. There is death. They may be living for so many hundreds and millions of years, but there is death. So present sun-god, who is existing there, his name is also there in the Bhagavad-gītā: Vivasvān.\nSo if you believe Bhagavad-gītā, then you have to believe that there is a sun-god whose name is Vivasvān. If you don't believe, then why you take so much trouble to read Bhagavad-gītā? If you have no faith in it, then what is the use of reading it? And if you have faith in it, then you have to believe. There is sun-god. In every planet there is a predominating feature predominant.\nSo similarly, over and above all of them, īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ [Bs 5.1].\n[Kṛṣṇa who is known as Govinda is the Supreme Godhead. He has an eternal blissful spiritual body. He is the origin of all. He has no other origin and He is the prime cause of all causes.]\nThe Brahma-saṁhitā says that everywhere you'll find the īśvara. Īśvara means controller. In your New York City the Mr. Lindsay is the controller. And in New York State, Mr. Rockefeller, he is controller. In your United State, Mr. Johnson is the controller. Finish. Then you go to another state. And similarly, in every planet, every place, there is a controller. So sun-god is the controller of the sun planet.\nYou cannot imagine that there is no controller, it is vacant place. No. If in a New York City there is no vacant place—every place is valuable; it is occupied—how can you see..., think of, that God's kingdom, so many planets, so many big..., are vacant. No. Nothing vacant. Sarva-ga. Everywhere there are living entities, but there are different kinds of entities, not exactly like you.\nSo all this manifestation that we see, this is all energy. That is in the Seventh Chapter. We have already discussed there are two kinds of energies of Kṛṣṇa. One is spiritual energy, and one is material energy. Jīva, the living entities, they are also spiritual energies, but because they are sometimes entrapped by this material energy—they have got the potency, or they are prone to be attracted by the material energy—therefore they are called marginal energy. Otherwise, there are two energies only: spiritual energy and material energy. This material world is material energy, and we, the sparks of Kṛṣṇa, we are spiritual energy.\nSo this energy... Just like the fire. Just like the lamp. It is in, localized in one place, but its light and heat is diffused. Similarly, parasya brahmaṇaḥ śaktiḥ sarvam akhilaṁ jagat [Cc Madhya 20.110].\n[Just as the illumination of a fire, which is situated in one place, is spread all over, the energies of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Para-brahman, are spread all over this universe.]\nAkhilaṁ jagat. Akhilam means the whole universe, whole manifestation, they are all simply manifestation of the Supreme Lord. The Lord says that. One who believes Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Lord, then he'll believe. He says, mat-sthāni sarva-bhūtāni. Just like in the sunshine many planets, they are resting. It is a scientific fact. The all the planets, they are rotating due to the sun heat. Here there is a machine... What is called? We have seen. As soon as there is heat, within, the ball begins to rotate.\nSo everything resting. The weightlessness is due to the sunshine. Due to the sunshine. Similarly, everything—the sun, the universe—everything is resting on Kṛṣṇa-shine. Kṛṣṇa-shine. That is the answer how these so many worlds are floating in the air, that because they are under the Kṛṣṇa's energy. They are floating in the Kṛṣṇa's energy.\nSo mat-sthāni sarva-bhūtāni: \"Everything is resting on Me, but don't think that I am finished because you cannot see there. I am here.\" Na cāhaṁ teṣu avasthitaḥ. It is not necessarily that we have to see everywhere. Ataḥ sa bhakti udi, uditam adbhūtam aiśvaryam ahaḥ. Now, this transcendental nature of God, all-potential nature of God, to a devotee it will give pleasure, and to a nondevotee it will be seeming like, oh, so many bluff is being spoken by Kṛṣṇa.\nAs soon as I become a nondevotee, I'll think all these statement as bluff given by Kṛṣṇa. And as soon as I am a devotee, oh, I'll think, \"Oh, my Lord is so powerful.\" He becomes full with love and adoration. That is the difference. One who believes, he becomes, oh, puffed-up with pleasure, \"Oh, my Lord is so powerful.\" And those who do not believe will say, \"Oh, it is simply bluffing. Kṛṣṇa is a person, driving the chariot of Arjuna, and He says...\" They are imitating. They are imitating. There are so many yogīs who say, \"Oh, the sun, moon and everything is floating in me.\" Imitating. They think that \"If Kṛṣṇa..., if Kṛṣṇa can say like that, I am that, I am also Kṛṣṇa, I am also God. So I can also say like that.\" But Kṛṣṇa can show the universal form. Will you please show me the univer...? \"No, that I cannot.\" Oh, Kṛṣṇa lifted the hill in seven years old. Can you lift a one maund, or hundred pounds, with your finger? \"Oh, that I cannot do.\"\nThat is the difference between the imitation God and real God. \"Because Kṛṣṇa is saying, therefore I shall imitate and say.\" And because Kṛṣṇa performed rāsa-līlā... \"Oh, Kṛṣṇa married sixteen thousand wives.\" \"Oh, can you marry one and keep her very nicely in a palace?\" \"Oh, that I cannot do.\" Then how you can be Kṛṣṇa? Kṛṣṇa said so many things wonderful, and He acted also wonderful. If you believe one thing and do not believe another thing, then it is called ardha-kukkuṭī-nyāya [Cc Ādi 5.176]. \n[If you have faith in one but disrespect the other, your logic is like the logic of accepting half a hen.]\nArdha-kukkuṭī-nyāya. You cannot believe half. If you believe, you believe full.\nSo for a devotee these informations of Kṛṣṇa, oh, become so... \"My Kṛṣṇa is so God. Oh, my God is so powerful.\" And, I think, sometimes I recited one story. This is for very instructive, that Nārada Muni, he used to visit Nārāyaṇa every day. So when he was passing on the road, so one very learned brāhmaṇa, and taking thrice bath and everything very nicely, he asked Nārada Muni, \"Oh, you are going to Lord. Will you enquire when I shall get my salvation?\" \"All right. I shall ask.\" And then another, cobbler, he was under the tree, sewing the shoes, old shoes. He also saw Nārada Muni. He also inquired, \"Will you kindly enquire from God when my salvation is?\"\nThen when he inquired Kṛṣṇa, Nārāyaṇa... Nārada Muni goes generally to Nārāyaṇa, in another planet. So, \"Yes, two, one brāhmaṇa and one cobbler, they inquired like this. So may I know what is their destination?\" So Nārāyaṇa said, \"Well, yes, the cobbler, this after giving up this body, he's coming here at Vaikuṇṭha.\" \"And what about that brāhmaṇa?\" \"Oh, he has to remain there still so many births, or I do not know when he's coming.\"\nSo Nārada Muni was astonished, that \"I saw that he's very nice brāhmaṇa, and he's a cobbler. Why is that?\" So he inquired that \"I could not..., I cannot understand the mystery. Why You say that cobbler is coming this, after this body, and why not this brāhmaṇa?\" \"Oh, that will, you'll understand. If they enquire that 'What Kṛṣṇa, or Nārāyaṇa, was doing in the..., in His abode,' so just explain that He was taking one elephant from the holes of a,\" I mean to say, what is called...?",
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"content": "\n The eye of a needle. Eye...",
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"content": "\n Eh? No, no...",
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"content": "\n The eye of a needle.\n Needle.",
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"content": "\n Needle. Yes. \"Through the hole of a needle, He's pulling an elephant this side and this side.\" You see? \"All right.\" So when he again approached the brāhmaṇa, the brāhmaṇa said, \"Oh, you have seen Lord?\" \"Yes.\" \"So what was Lord doing?\" \"He was doing this: through the point of a needle He was pushing one elephant this way and that way.\" Yes. \"Oh, therefore I have no faith in your... I, I, I have got all respect for your garb, but we don't believe all this nonsense.\" Then Nārada could understand, \"Oh, this man has no faith. He simply reads book. That's all.\"\nAnd when he went to the cobbler, he also asked, \"Oh, you have seen? What Nārāyaṇa was doing?\" He also said that \"He was doing like this...\" Oh, he began to cry: \"Oh, my Lord is wonderful. He can do anything.\" So Nārada inquired, \"So do you believe that Lord can push one elephant through the holes of a needle?\" \"Oh, why not? I must believe.\" \"Then what is your reason?\" \"Oh, my reason? I am sitting under this banyan tree, and so many fruits are falling daily, and in each fruit there are thousands of seeds, and each seed there is a tree. If in a small seed there can be big tree like that, is it very impossible to accept that Kṛṣṇa is putting one elephant through the, I mean, the holes of a needle? He has kept such a nice tree in the seed.\" So this is called belief.\nThe unbeliever and believer means the believers, they are not blind believers. They have reason. If by Kṛṣṇa's process, by God's process, or nature's process, such a big tree can be put within the small seed, is it very impossible for Kṛṣṇa to keep all these planets floating in His energy? So we have to believe. We have no other explanation. But we have to understand in this way. Our reasoning, our argument, our logic should go in this way.\nSo those who are devotee... Just like the cobbler. He may be a cobbler. They believe everything. And those who are not devotee, they will say, \"Oh, these are all bluffs. These are all bluffs.\" But they are not bluff. It is simply meant for the devotees. They can understand. The nondevotees, they cannot understand. Yes.\nThank you very much. Any question? [end]\nA foolish farmer once thought he would save money by cutting off his hen’s head, which he had to feed, and leaving its tail, which produced the eggs. Hence the term ardha-kukkuöé-nyäya, literally “half-hen logic.”",
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https://vedabase.io/en/library/transcripts/660304bg-new-york/
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"content": "\n So Kṛṣṇa is, in this sen..., He's identified that Bhagavān. Bhagavān means that nobody can surpass His knowledge. Because I have already given the definition of bhagavān, that a personality who is in full all the opulences—wealth, strength, fame and knowledge, beauty and renunciation—He is God. You see? So... Now, in this, at the present moment, when people are godless, I think, this definition is convincing. If you find out a personality that..., one who has got in full all these opulences, He is God, then it will be very difficult to present an ordinary man as God. You see?\nYou will find that in the Bhagavad-gītā, when Arjuna was convinced that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead... But because in future others will have doubt about Kṛṣṇa, he requested Kṛṣṇa that \"Will You show me Your universal form?\" And Kṛṣṇa agreed and showed him the universal form. That means in future any intelligent man accepting a so-called God may also ask him, \"Just show something, that you are God.\" Without showing something, simply by false advertisement, one cannot be God.\nSo whole mistake is that we do not know what is God. We consider God may be just like one of us. No. The God who is controlling such a huge affairs of universal administration, He cannot be... He is superconscious. That is superconsciousness. Now, here, aśocyān anvaśocas tvaṁ prajñā-vādāṁś ca bhāṣase [Bg 2.11].\n[The Blessed Lord said: While speaking learned words, you are mourning for what is not worthy of grief. Those who are wise lament neither for the living nor the dead.]\nNow, the whole living existence is a very subtle thing. Now, this body, this body made of earth, water, fire, air, sky, this gross body; and behind this, there is another, subtle body. That is mind, intelligence and ego. So when we give up this gross body, that subtle body carries me to another gross body. So when this, this body is lifeless, that body, subtle body, is not lifeless. Just like at night, when this gross body is asleep, the subtle body works; therefore we dream.\nSo subtle body carries to next life. And I have given in the Introduction that how one man changes his body. Yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran loke tyajaty ante kalevaram [Bg 8.6].\n[Whatever state of being one remembers when he quits his body, that state he will attain without fail.]\nNow, the subtle body, I mean to say, mind, intelligence and ego, when these three things, psychic life, is absorbed in a certain kind of thought, the dying man gets a similar body in the next life. The, that we shall come when we make progress in the study of Bhagavad-gītā. Just like the air passing over the rose tree carries the flavor of the rose, and the air passing over a filthy place carries the flavor of that filthy place—the air is pure, but because it is passing over certain condition, it carries the flavor—similarly, the mind, intelligence and ego carries the flavor of our present activities to the next life. That is the subtle mystery of transmigration of the soul from one body to another.\nNow, if this, this life we purify just like rose, then next life we shall get a body which is full of flavor. If, if, if in this life if we practice devotion of God, then next life is to become the associate of God. That cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu... [Bs 5.29]\n[I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, the first progenitor who is tending the cows, yielding all desire, in abodes built with spiritual gems, surrounded by millions of purpose trees, always served with great reverence and affection by hundreds of thousands of \nlakṣmīs\n or \ngopīs.]\nWe are transferred to that planet. You see? These are simple things. The whole thing is in my hand. If I want to be degraded, I can prepare myself in this life for such degradation in the next life. And if we want to elevate ourself to the highest perfection of life, as to become one of the associates of God, we can prepare ourself like that.\nYou'll find in the..., in the advanced chapters that yānti deva-vratā devān pitṝn yānti pitṛ-vratāḥ [Bg 9.25].\n[Those who worship the demigods will take birth among the demigods; those who worship ghosts and spirits will take birth among such beings; those who worship ancestors go to the ancestors; and those who worship Me will live with Me.]\nNow, we are trying to go to the moon planet. Now here, in this life, if we cultivate ourself for the same thought, the moon planet... That means the moon planet, about moon planet we have to hear, and we have to think that \"I shall go in such-and-such place. I shall...\" Unless you hear, you cannot abide here. Just like our friend, Mr. Cohen, he has left for California. Now, so far I am concerned, I have no idea of California. Now, he has told me that after reaching there, he'll write about the description of the place.\nNow, suppose if, reading that description of the place, I think of going there, so I prepare myself, \"Oh, I must go there.\" So just like I, I was describing that cintāmaṇi-dhāma, what sort of trees are there. And you were very much pleased that \"I must go there.\" So we have to hear. Unless we hear what sort of God He is, what sort of God's place is, what is the mode of life there, we cannot be attracted. We cannot be attracted.\nSo here they say that gatāsūn agatāsūṁś ca. There are two..., two sort of bodies in which we are now entered. Now, suppose this gross body appears to be now dead and gone, stopped, but one must know that subtle body has carried him to another body. So subtle body is not lost life. The life is there. So here Kṛṣṇa says that either of the gross body or of... Subtle body has to be also left. When you get liberation, when you get liberation, that subtle body, that egoistic life, has also to be left. Now, at any condition, the body has to be left. So why one should cry for this body?\nTherefore Kṛṣṇa says that \"A learned man does not lament over this body.\" The whole question, that a soul is different from this body, the whole question is solved in one verse. You see? Gatāsūn agatāsūṁś ca nānuśocanti paṇḍitāḥ [Bg 2.11]:\n[The Blessed Lord said: While speaking learned words, you are mourning for what is not worthy of grief. Those who are wise lament neither for the living nor the dead.]\n\"One who is actually learned, he does not..., he has no concern of this body. He's concerned with the activities of the soul. So you are speaking of so many things that 'If these my friends die, the, I mean to say, their wives will become widow.' These are all according to the bodily relation you are speaking. And you are posing yourself just like a very learned man, but you are a fool number one, because your whole conception is on the body. Your whole conception of argument with Me was of the body, but you are..., you are posing himself just as if you are very learned man.\"\nSo anyone who has got conception the identification of this body, he's not a learned man; he's a fool. He may be, in the calculation of academic education, he may be B.A., M.A., Ph.D., D.A.C., or something like, doctors and..., but if he has got his identification with this body, he's not a learned man according to Bhagavad-gītā. Not only according...; according to whole Vedic literature. This is the first instruction. This is the... If we want to make progress towards spiritual advancement of knowledge, this preliminary knowledge we must have, that \"I am not this body.\" \"I am not this body.\" This is the preliminary standing of spiritual knowledge. This is not advancement. This is simply A-B-C-D, A-B-C-D of spiritual life.\nIn the Bhāgavata there is a very nice verse in this connection in which it is stated,\nyasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke\nsva-dhīḥ kalatrādiṣu bhauma-ijya-dhīḥ\n[SB 10.84.13]\n[One who identifies his self as the inert body composed of mucus, bile and air, who assumes his wife and family are permanently his own, who thinks an earthen image or the land of his birth is worshipable, or who sees a place of pilgrimage as merely the water there, but who never identifies himself with, feels kinship with, worships or even visits those who are wise in spiritual truth—such a person is no better than a cow or an ass.]\nYasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke. Kuṇape means this bag, this bag made of three elements. Now, according to Āyurvedic medical system, this body is made of three elements: kapha, pitta, vāyu. Kapha, pitta, vāyu.",
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"content": "\n Three elements?",
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"content": "\n Yes. Kapha. Kapha means cold, coldness.",
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"content": "\n Common.",
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"content": "\n [Cough, cough] What do you call, cough. [Coughing] Yes. Kapha, pitta, vāyu: coldness, heat and air. Coldness, heat and air. Yes. Only these three things constitute this body. Therefore it is called a bag made of three elements: coldness, air and fire, heat. Heat, coldness and air, this body's made.",
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"content": "\n What..., what does coldness stand for?",
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"content": "\n Coldness, you can take it for water, or secretion.",
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"content": "\n Water.",
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"content": "\n Yes.",
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"content": "\n Yes. Water, fire and air.",
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"content": "\n Water, fire and air.",
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"content": "\n That's better.",
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"content": "\n Now, the Bhāgavata says that yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke: \"If anyone, he's identified with this body made of water, air and fire...\" And yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke. This is a body made of three things. Now... And sva-dhīḥ kalatrādiṣu: \"And if one thinks the issues, the by-products of this body, as his own kinsmen...\" Just like my children, my wife, my relatives, my father, my mother, my brother, my nation, my society—everything is due to this bodily relation. And there are thousands of women loitering in the street of the New York, and suppose I have got some ma..., bodily connection with you, I call you my wife. And because I have got bodily relation with you, all the children produced by you, they are my children. You see?\nSo whole thing is... The basic principle is wrong, that \"I am this body.\" Now, from the expansion of the body, the whole thing, the whole thing is false. Because I am not this body, so my expansion of body is also not \"I am.\" But whole world is going on on this false impression. The whole world is going on. The fight, the fighting between one nation and another nation—because due to this body.\nSo yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke. \"One who is identified with this body, which is made of water, fire and..., water, fire and air, and the issues from this body as kinsmen and own men...\" Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhā..., sva-dhīḥ kalatrādiṣu: \"And,\" I mean to say, \"attachment, attachment for such issues...\" And bhauma-ijya-dhīḥ: \"And the land from which this body has grown up, that is worshipable.\"\nNow everybody is fighting for the land. \"Oh, we are Indian,\" \"We are Pakistani,\" \"We are Vietnamese,\" \"We are American,\" \"We are German.\" The fighting, so much fighting is going on, the land, for the land. So land, land has become worshipable, so worshipable that one is sacrificed his valuable life for that land. You see? But the land is so dear, why? This body has become grown up from this land. So that is also there, the bodily connection.\nSo yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke sva-dhīḥ kalatrādiṣu bhauma-ijya-dhīḥ. Bhauma, in the land... They have no meaning for God. Now, the Russian philosophy, they have no meaning for God, but they have every meaning for their land. For the land. So land has there identified as worshipable, and they're prepared to sacrifice anything for the land. So yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke: \"One who is identified with this body, and one who thinks the bodily offshoots as his own men, and the land from which the body has grown as worshipable,\" yat-tīrtha-buddhiḥ salile. Yat-tīrtha-buddhiḥ salile.\nNow, in Christian world also, that the water of the Jordan River is sacred is considered. Similarly, Hindus also, when they go to some pilgrimage, they take bath on the sacred river. But one should know that going to the sacred place does not mean simply to take bath in that water. Real meaning of going to a sacred place: to find out some intelligent scholar in spiritual knowledge, they are living there. To make association with them, to take knowledge from them—that is the purpose of going to pilgrimage.\nBecause in pilgrimage, holy places... Just like I, my residence is at Vṛndāvana. So at Vṛndāvana there are many great scholars and saintly persons living. So one should go to such holy places not simply to take bath in the water, but he must be intelligent enough to find out some spiritually advanced man living there and take instruction from him and [be] benefited by that. But he does not go. He takes simply bath and purchases some goods and advertises, \"Oh, I have been to such-and-such pilgrimage.\" Well... Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke and yat-tīrtha-buddhiḥ salile na karhicij janeṣv abhijñeṣu: \"He has the attachment for pilgrimage, for taking bath only, but he has no attraction for the learned people there.\" You see?\nSo such kind of man is considered as ass: sa eva go-kharaḥ [SB 10.84.13]. \n[One who identifies his self as the inert body composed of mucus, bile and air, who assumes his wife and family are permanently his own, who thinks an earthen image or the land of his birth is worshipable, or who sees a place of pilgrimage as merely the water there, but who never identifies himself with, feels kinship with, worships or even visits those who are wise in spiritual truth—such a person is no better than a cow or an ass.]\nGo-khara. Go-khara. Go means cow or..., and khara means ass. So practically the whole world is moving as the civilization of cow and asses, because the whole thing is identification with this... The center is this body, and expansion of the body, the attraction, whole attraction is there. Yes? You want to...?",
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"content": "\n Yes. In the... In the places known as sacred places...",
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"content": "\n Sac... Yes.",
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"content": "\n ...isn't..., sacred places...",
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"content": "\n Yes.",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n ...isn't it also a fact that there is more magnetism there because of the meeting of...",
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"content": "\n Oh, yes. Certainly.",
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"content": "\n ...saints and more advanced people?",
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"content": "\n Certainly. Certainly. Certainly. Therefore the place itself has got some magnetism. You see?",
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"content": "\n Yes. And where they have Kumbh Mela...",
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"content": "\n Just like at Vṛndāvana, at Vṛndāvana, that is practical. Now here I am sitting, New York, a very great, the world's greatest city, so magnificent city, but my heart is always hankering after that Vṛndāvana.",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n Yes.",
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"content": "\n Yes. I am not happy here.",
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"content": "\n Yes, I know.",
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"content": "\n I shall be very happy to return to my Vṛndāvana, that sacred place. \"But then why you are...?\" Now, because it is my duty. I have brought some message for you people. Because I am ordered by superior, my spiritual master, that \"Whatever you have learned, you should go to the Western country, and you must distribute this knowledge.\" So in spite of all my difficulties, all my inconveniences, I am here because I am in duty. I, I... That is my personal convenience; if I go and sit down at Vṛndāvana, I shall be very comfortable there, and I'll be..., I'll have no anxiety, nothing of the sort. You see? But I have taken all the risk in the old age because I am in duty bound. I am in duty bound. So I have to execute my duty in spite of all my inconveniences. That is the idea.\nSo this is the whole thing, the whole basic principle of spiritual advancement of knowledge. One should first be convinced that he is not this body. He is not this body. Then other spiritual knowledge will begin. This is the basic principle. You'll find it. You'll find it in the Bhagavad-gītā that this situation of spiritual life is called brahma-bhūtaḥ. Brahman. So,\nbrahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā\nna śocati na kāṅkṣati\nsamaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu\nmad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām\n[Bg 18.54]\n[And of all yogīs, he who always abides in Me with great faith, worshiping Me in transcendental loving service, is most intimately united with Me in yoga and is the highest of all.]\nSo the..., unless one understands himself, he also cannot understand God also. In his..., in his misunderstanding position... Now, what Dr. Mishra is teaching is very nice, because he is teaching that \"Just first of all you know 'What I am, what I...' \" That's very good. But that \"What I am\" can be known from the Bhagavad-gītā also, that \"I am not this body. I am not this body.\" That knowledge, at least theoretically, one must accept, that \"I am not this body.\"\nNow Kṛṣṇa is describing that what is the position. I am not this body. That's all right. Now, actually, what we are? What we are? I'm not body, that's all right. Then what we are? Now, the next, next version is Kṛṣṇa... We must always know that Kṛṣṇa... Here it is said, bhagavān uvāca. Bhagavān uvāca. Bhagavān uvāca means that He has got so extensive knowledge that there cannot be any mistake. He's authority. He's authority. So whatever He says is right. Is right. That is the conception of bhagavān. Here it is not said kṛṣṇaḥ uvāca. Because somebody may doubt Kṛṣṇa, that \"Kṛṣṇa was a historical personality. Why you should be so much concerned with Kṛṣṇa?\" as is general view. But here it is said, bhagavān uvāca. And I have given you the definition of Bhagavān, that He is all knowledge. So whatever He will speak, Bhagavān, there cannot be any mistake.\nFor ordinary persons, there are four, I mean to say, difficulties, four imperfectness. Just like we are ordinary man. We have got four imperfectness. What is that imperfectness? That we must commit mistake. We must commit mistake. Our constitutional position at the present moment is such that we are sure to commit mistake. Even greatest politician like Gandhi, he committed mistake, and so many great men, they committed mistake. \"To err is human,\" therefore, it is called, that any..., any man, however he may be great in the estimation of this world, he is sure to commit mistake.\nAnd another imperfection is that he is illusioned.",
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"content": "\n Deluded.",
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"content": "\n Illusioned. Now, illusioned you can see. Illusioned means taking one thing for another. That is called illusion. Just like in the desert, accepting the sand as water. That is called illusion. Similarly, every one of us who are identified with this body, he's under illusion. But, that's the false thing, but he has no knowledge. Even President Johnson, he's under illusion. Even the greatest scientist, he's under this illusion. So that one is sure to commit mistake, and one is under illusion, and bhrama, pramāda and vipralipsā... Vipralipsā means the tendency for cheating.",
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"content": "\n That is the fourth?",
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"content": "\n That is the third. First is that one is sure to commit mistake, one is sure to be in illusion, and one is adapted to cheat others. Now, he is imperfect, but he wants to give knowledge to others. That is cheating. Everyone is imperfect, but he wants to give knowledge to others. Then you can ask that \"You are also giving us knowledge?\" No, I am not giving you knowledge. I am speaking Bhagavad-gītā. I am giving you knowledge as given by Lord Kṛṣṇa. It is not my knowledge.",
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"content": "\n But this is your own interpretation.",
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"content": "\n Eh? Not interpretation. It is reading.",
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"content": "\n One can cheat.",
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"content": "\n I give you... Cheat. No, that is also in the definition of a conditioned soul. These four principles are there. It is not my manufactured things. The..., these are information from authoritative scripture, that a conditioned soul has four imperfectness. One imperfectness is that he's sure to commit mistake; he's illusioned; and he has got a tendency to cheat; and, above all, his senses are imperfect. So anyone who is above all these four imperfectness—who never commits mistake, who is never illusioned, who never cheats other, and who has got perfect senses—He is God. That is also another definition of God. He may not be... God is Supreme, God, but anyone who comes to this stage of life, he's liberated. He's lib..., as good as God. [break] [end]",
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https://vedabase.io/en/library/transcripts/700512ip-los-angeles/
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"content": "\n [japa]\noṁ pūrṇam adaḥ pūrṇam idaṁ\npūrṇāt pūrṇam udacyate\npūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya\npūrṇam evāvaśiṣyate\n[Īśo Invocation]\nīśāvāsyam idam sarvaṁ\nyat kiñca jagatyāṁ jagat\ntena tyaktena bhuñjīthā\nmā gṛdhaḥ kasya svid dhanam\n[Īśo mantra 1]\nkurvann eveha karmāṇi\njijīviṣec chataṁ samāḥ\nevaṁ tvayi nānyatheto 'sti\nna karma lipyate nare\n[Īśo mantra 2]\nasuryā nāma te lokā\nandhena tamasāvṛtāḥ\ntāṁs te pretyābhigacchanti\nye ke cātma-hano janāḥ\n[Īśo mantra 3]\nanejad ekaṁ manaso javīyo\nnainad devā āpnuvan pūrvam arṣat\ntad dhāvato 'nyān atyeti tiṣṭhat\ntasminn apo mātariśvā dadhāti\n[Īśo mantra 4]\ntad ejati tan naijati\ntad dūre tad v antike\ntad antar asya sarvasya\ntad u sarvasyāsya bāhyataḥ\n[Īśo mantra 5]\nyas tu sarvāṇi bhūtāny\nātmany evānupaśyati\nsarva-bhūteṣu cātmānaṁ\ntato na vijugupsate\n[Īśo mantra 6]\nyasmin sarvāṇi bhūtāny\nātmaivābhūd vijānataḥ\ntatra ko mohaḥ kaḥ śoka\nekatvam anupaśyataḥ\n[Īśo mantra 7]\nAgain repeat. [break]\nsa paryagāc chukram akāyam avraṇam\nasnāviram śuddham apāpa-viddham\nkavir manīṣī paribhūḥ svayambhūr\nyāthātathyato 'rthān vyadadhāc chāśvatībhyaḥ samābhyaḥ\n[Īśo mantra 8]\n[repeats verse] This verse is little difficult, [chuckles] so chant and it will come, yes. Abhyāsa-yogena. Abhyāsa-yogena. Arjuna said that \"It is impossible for me,\" so Kṛṣṇa said, abhyāsa-yogena. Abhyāsa-yogena means practicing repeated. Abhyāsa-yogena.\nSo everything is possible by abhyāsa-yoga. Yoga..., you have heard the name of yoga; practicing is also yoga. Abhyāsa-yoga-yuktena cetasā nānya-gāminā [Bg. 8.8], one who practice. One who practices continually and does not allow the mind to go anywhere, he becomes successful.\n[continues chanting verse, correcting pronunciation]\nsa paryagāc chukram akāyam avraṇam\nasnāviraṁ śuddham apāpa-viddham\nkavir manīṣī paribhūḥ svayambhūr\nyāthātathyato 'rthān vyadadhāc chāśvatībhyaḥ samābhyaḥ\n[Īśo mantra 8]\nTry to chant.\nAgain.\nSo you try to understand the meaning.\nSaḥ—that person; paryagāt—must know in fact; śukram—the omnipotent; akāyam—unembodied; avraṇam—without any reproach; asnāviram—without any veins; śuddham—antiseptic; apāpa-viddham—prophylactic; kaviḥ—omniscient; manīṣī—philosopher; paribhūḥ—the greatest of all; svayambhūḥ—self-sufficient; yāthātathyataḥ—just in pursuance of; arthān—desirables; vyadadhāt—awards; śāśvatībhyaḥ—immemorial; samābhyaḥ—time.\nSo this verse, you'll read what is important. \"Such person must know in fact the greatest of all, who is unembodied, omniscient...\" That is the distinction between God and ourself. We are embodied. This body is different from me; therefore when I leave this body, this body becomes \"Dust thou art, dust thou...\" That \"thou\" means this body. I am not dust; I am spirit soul.\nSo Kṛṣṇa is not embodied. He has no difference between His body and His soul. His soul and body, the same. He does not change His body, because He hasn't got material body. And because He does not change body, He remembers everything. We change body; therefore we do not remember what had happened in our last birth. We have forgotten who was...\nJust like even in sleep, when we forget our body, we forget our all, I mean to say, environments. While sleeping or dreaming, you are in a dreamland. You don't remember even that you have got this body. Every day, every night, this is being experienced. Because this body..., I'm not body. The body becomes tired. It sleeps or it is inactive. But as I am, I work, I dream, I go somewhere, I fly or I go, I create another kingdom, another body, another environment. This we experience every day, every night. It is not difficult to understand.\nSimilarly, in every life we create a different environment. In this life I may think I am Indian; you may think you are American. Or next life, a different position. Next life, I may not be American, or I may not be Indian. And if I..., even I, I become American, I may not be a man; I may be a cow or bull. Then I am sent to the slaughterhouse. You see? This is going on.\nThis is the problem. Always changing body. Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate [Bg. 8.19]. It is serious position. We should very..., take this life very seriously, that \"I'm changing my body life after life. I have no fixed position. I do not know where I am put within these 8,400,000 species of life. So I must make a solution.\" And that solution is...\nKṛṣṇa says, yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama [Bg. 15.6]. Mām upetya kaunteya duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam, nāpnuvanti mahātmānaḥ [Bg. 8.15]: \"If anyone, some way or other, by developing Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he comes to Me, he hasn't got any more to go back and accept a material body.\" He gets the same body as Kṛṣṇa, sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ [Bs. 5.1].\nSo we should very seriously execute this Kṛṣṇa consciousness—without any deviation, very seriously. We should not be neglectful, that this is a fashion or something imposed. No. This is the most important function. Human life is meant sim ply for developing Kṛṣṇa consciousness. He has no other business. But unfortunately, we have created so many engagements so that we forget Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is called māyā. This is called māyā.\nWe are forgetting our real business. We are engaged in different..., so many businesses. Misleaders. Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ [SB 7.5.31]. The rascal, blind leaders are leading to hell. Te 'pīśa tantryām uru-dāmni-baddhāḥ. All of them are tied up by the stringent rules and regulation of the material nature, and they have become leader. They do not like any authority. This is called māyā. This is called māyā. They are being misled; still they are following that. This is called māyā.\nSo try, some way or other, you have come in contact with Kṛṣṇa. So catch Him very tightly. Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te [Bg. 7.14]. If you catch very tightly Kṛṣṇa's lotus feet, then māyā will not be able to do any harm.\nThank you very...\n Jaya. All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda.",
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"content": "\n Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Govinda ādi-puruṣam. ",
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"content": "\n Hare Kṛṣṇa. [end]",
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https://vedabase.io/en/library/transcripts/710212cc-gorakphur/
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[
{
"content": "\n[kīrtana]",
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"content": "\n [introducing recording]\nCaitanya-caritāmṛta lecture, evening, 12th January [sic], '71. [break]",
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"content": "\n\naho bhāgyam aho bhāgyaṁ\nnanda-gopa-vrajaukasām\nyan-mitraṁ paramānandaṁ\npūrṇaṁ brahma sanātanam\n[SB 10.14.32]\nI think I shall speak in Hindi. [indistinct comments by others] What is that? I shall speak in English? Then they will take advantage of. That is... [indistinct comments by others] Why you have gone?",
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"content": "\n [indistinct]",
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"content": "\n Oh, I see. So this was a part of the prayer offered by Brahmājī when he offended on the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. The incident... Perhaps you know that Kṛṣṇa was a cowherd boy in Vṛndāvana.\n[speaks in Hindi with Indians]\nWhy you are back side? You can come this side. So Brahmājī is praising the fortune of the residents of Vṛndāvana, vrajaukasām, headed by...\nVrajaukasām means the residents of the Vrajabhūmi, headed by Nanda Mahārāja. Aho bhāgyam aho bhāgyaṁ nanda-gopa-vrajaukasām, yan mitraṁ paramānandaṁ brahma. Kṛṣṇa was there. So Brahmā is admitting that this Kṛṣṇa is parabrahman sanātanam.\nSo we have to take evidence from the authorities. There are twelve authorities according to śāstra. Brahmā is one of the authorities. Twelve authorities means,\nsvayambhūr nāradaḥ śambhuḥ\nkapilaḥ kumāro manuḥ\nprahlādo janako bhīṣmo\n[balir] vaiyāsakir vayam\n[SB 6.3.20]\nSvayambhūr nāradaḥ. Svayambhūḥ is Brahmā; Nārada; then Śambhu, Lord Śiva. Svayambhūr nāradaḥ śambhuḥ kapilaḥ. Kapila. Kapila is incarnation of God, Kapiladeva, the propounder of the Sāṅkhya philosophy. Kumāra, the four Kumāras, ever brahmacārī. And Manu, Vaivasvata Manu, the father of Mahārāja Ikṣvāku.\nAnd Prahlāda, the son of Hiraṇyakaśipu. The father was atheist and the son was a devotee, great devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa. Then Janaka Mahārāja, the father of Sītādevī. And Bhīṣma, the grandfather of the Pāṇḍavas. Prahlādo janako bhīṣmaḥ. Then Vaiyāsaki, Śukadeva Gosvāmī; and Yamarāja, they are authorities.\nNow, here the Brahmā, the first authority, he is admitting Kṛṣṇa as Brahman, pūrṇa-brahma sanātanam. Pūrṇa-brahma. Bhagavān. Brahman realization, there are stages, three stages of Brahman realization: first, impersonal Brahman, then localized Brahman, then full Brahman. Localized Brahman is Paramātmā, who is situated in everyone's heart. The example is given: just like the sun. The sun is one, and the sun is the abode of the sun-god, Vaivasvata. In the Bhagavad-gītā you have to admit,\nimaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ\nproktavān aham avyayam\nvivasvān manave prāha\nmanu ikṣvākave 'bravīt\n[Bg. 4.1]\nSo this Vivasvān, the sun-god, he heard from Kṛṣṇa for the first time about the yoga system stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Therefore Kṛṣṇa spoke, and the sun-god heard; therefore he is a person. And the sun-god's abode is the sun planet. And from the sun planet, the effulgence, the sunshine, is coming. By this example one can understand what is Brahman, Paramātmā and Bhagavān—tattva-vastu, the Absolute Truth. That is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. The Absolute Truth...\n[aside:] Not like that. Don't sit... Not like that. Why don't you tell him?\nThe Absolute Truth is realized in three phases. The first realization is impersonal Brahman, the next, higher realization is the Paramātmā, antaryāmī, and the ultimate realization is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.\nvadanti tat tattva-vidas\ntattvaṁ yaj jñānam advayam\nbrahmeti paramātmeti\nbhagavān iti śabdyate\n[SB 1.2.11]\nThis is Absolute Truth in three phases.\nSo here the Absolute Truth, when He is realized as the Supreme Person, as Brahmā is realizing, yan-mitram... He is realizing that Kṛṣṇa, who is playing as a cowherd boy in Vṛndāvana, and He has become the most intimate friend of the residents of Vṛndāvana, headed by Nanda Mahārāja... Nanda Mahārāja was the zamindar rāja. He was vaiśya. He had 900,000's of cows, and he was the head of Vṛndāvana. All other cowherds men were his tenants or friends or family members. So Kṛṣṇa automatically became their very, very dear friend.\nThat is the significance of the residents of Vṛndāvana. They... Their love for Kṛṣṇa was so ecstatic that they did not know anything except Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Brahmā says, aho bhāgyam aho bhāgyam: \"How fortunate these residents of Vṛndāvana are that Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, has become their friend.\" And Kṛṣṇa is pūrṇa-brahma sanātanam. Not that He has assumed a body like a human being and He is imperson. No.\nJust like Māyāvādī philosophers, they take it, they concoct like that, that \"Ultimately the Absolute Truth is impersonal, but when He descends...\" I do not know how the impersonal can be \"He.\" So that theory is refuted hereby, because it is the statement of Brahmā, and he says that Kṛṣṇa is pūrṇa-brahma sanātanam.\nThen Caitanya Mahāprabhu says,\napāṇi-pāda-śruti varje prākṛta pāṇi-caraṇa\npunaḥ kahe śīghra cale kare sarva grahaṇa\n[Cc. Madhya 6.150]\nThis is the process of describing a spiritual understanding, with reference to the Vedic injunction. Now, Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu is giving Vedic reference. He says, apāṇi-pāda. This is a reference from the Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad. In the Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad there is statement, impersonally, but referring to the person, transcendental person. The mantra is like this:\napāṇi-pādo javano grahītā\npaśyaty acakṣuḥ sa śṛnoty akarṇaḥ\nsa vetti vedyaṁ na ca tasyāsti vettā\ntam āhur agryaṁ puruṣaṁ mahāntam\n[Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 3.19]\nPuruṣam. Puruṣam means person, but the Vedic mantra begins, apāṇi-pāda: \"Person, but has no leg and no hand.\" There are two kinds of statements: that He is person, puruṣa, mahānta, the greatest person, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He is a person; but apāṇi-pāda, but He has no legs and no hands. So how is that? A person has no legs and no hands, and still He accepts whatever we offer?\nJust like Kṛṣṇa says, tad aham aśnāmi, bhaktyā upahṛtam aśnāmi: \"Anyone who offers Me anything,\" patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyam [Bg. 9.26], \"with devotion,\" bhaktyā... The very word is bhaktyā. That means Kṛṣṇa is transcendental person, and the Vedic mantra confirms. When the Vedic mantra says apāṇi-pāda, \"no hands, no legs,\" that is not imperson. \"Person, but His hands and legs are not like us,\" that is apāṇi-pāda.\nCaitanya Mahāprabhu explains that. Apāṇi-pāda śruti varje prākṛta pāṇi-caraṇa [Cc. Madhya 6.150] : \"When the Vedic mantra says that 'The Absolute Truth has no legs and no hands,' that means that the Personality of Godhead's hands and legs are not material.\" That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's explanation.\napāṇi-pāda śruti, veda-mantra,\nvarje prakṛta pāṇi-caraṇa\nna kahe śīghra cale kare sarva grahaṇa\n[Cc. Madhya 6.150]\n\"And although the Vedic mantra says that 'The Absolute Truth has no legs, no hands,' still, it confirms that 'He can accept whatever you offer, and He can walk more speedily than anyone.' Then He walks; at the same time, He has no legs. And He accepts your offering; He has no hands.\" What does it mean?\nApparently it is contradictory. If He has no leg, then how He can walk more speedily than anyone? These are Vedic mantra. \"Nobody can capture Him, He is walking so speedily.\" But if He has no leg, how He is walking? But that, Caitanya Mahāprabhu explains that varje prākṛta pāṇi-caraṇa: \"This means that the Supreme Personality of Godhead has no material body.\"\nIn the Kūrma Purāṇa it is said that the Supreme Personality, the Para-brahman, has no distinction between His body and self. There is no... Absolute means there is no duality, as we have got duality—\"I am,\" the soul, and this body, they are different. Therefore śāstra says, yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke [SB 10.84.13]: \"If anyone accepts this body as self...\" This body is made of three dhātus: kapha, pitta, vāyu. I am not this. And Bhagavad-gītā also says,\ndehino 'smin yathā dehe\nkaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā\ntathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ...\n[Bg. 2.13]\nSo dehi. Dehi means possessor of this body, the owner of this body. So owner of this body is different from this body. But in case of Kṛṣṇa or viṣṇu-tattva, there is no such difference. The self and the body, no difference. That is confirmed in the Kūrma Purāṇa.\nUnfortunately the Māyāvādīs, they, either due to their poor fund of knowledge of the śāstras or by their whims, they say that \"Kṛṣṇa or Viṣṇu, when comes, or the Absolute Truth when He descends, He assumes, He accepts, a material body.\" That is not a fact. Kṛṣṇa says, sambhavāmy ātma-māyayā [Bg. 4.6]. It is not that Kṛṣṇa accepts a material body. No. Kṛṣṇa has no such distinction, material [indistinct]. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam [Bg. 9.11]: \"Because I present Myself, descend Myself as a human being, the mūḍhas, or the rascals, they think of Me or deride at Me.\"\nThe Māyāvādīs, they will never worship the transcendental form of the Lord. They'll not worship. They will worship the imperson. And Kṛṣṇa has said, kleśo adhikataras teṣām avyaktāsakta-cetasām [Bg. 12.5]. Of course, impersonal, personal is the same Absolute Truth. But if you try to reach the Absolute Truth through His impersonal attachment, then it will be more troublesome.\nThe jñānīs, those who want to understand the Absolute Truth by their material, imperfect knowledge, how... Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ [Cc. Madhya 17.136]. Our manipulation of the senses is not possible to understand what is Kṛṣṇa.\nThe Vedic mantra also it is said, nayam ātmā pravacanena labhyaḥ [Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad 3.2.3]: \"You cannot realize the ātmā, you cannot be self-realized, simply by talking. You may be very big speaker, nice speaker, but that is not the process—simply by speaking very nicely you can understand the Absolute Truth.\" Nayam ātmā pravacanena labhya na medhayā: \"Neither you can understand the Absolute Truth because you have got a very nice brain, a great scientist.\" Then Sir Isaac Newton would have discovered what is God, or Professor Einstein or Sir Jagadish Chandra Bose, they could have understand. No, they cannot. Because they have very nice, finer tissues of the brain, it does not mean.\nIt is a different process. It is a... To understand God, or Kṛṣṇa, it is not material process. Therefore Kṛṣṇa said, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ [Bg. 18.55]: only through devotional service He can be known. Nāhaṁ prakāśaḥ sarvasya yogamāyā-samāvṛtaḥ [Bg. 7.25]. Kṛṣṇa is covered by the curtain drawn by yogamāyā; therefore Kṛṣṇa cannot be understood by everyone, neither His teaching, Bhagavad-gītā, can be understood without becoming a devotee of Kṛṣṇa. This is not possible.\nTherefore Kṛṣṇa says to Arjuna that bhakto 'si priyo 'si me [Bg. 4.3]: \"Because you are My very dear friend, therefore I shall speak to you.\" Rahasyaṁ hy etad uttamam: \"Without you, nobody can understand.\" Kṛṣṇa [Arjuna] was a military man. He was not a brāhmaṇa, neither a Vedāntist. You cannot expect a military man, a kṣatriya, to be highly learned in Vedic scriptures. That is not possible.\nThey hear from the brāhmaṇas. The brāhmaṇas, they are expected to be highly learned scholars in Vedas, because that is their department. Jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyaṁ brahma-karma svabhāva-jam [Bg. 18.42]. Brahma jānātīti brāhmaṇaḥ. Brāhmaṇa... Therefore we call brāhmaṇa, \"paṇḍita,\" \"paṇḍitajī.\" Paṇḍitajī has never seen the pages of Vedas, but still, he is going on under the name of paṇḍitajī.\nSo that kind of paṇḍitajī not wanted. Actually a brāhmaṇa means he is truthful. And one of the greatest commentator of Bhagavad-gītā, Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa, he says truthful means one should be truthful even to his enemies. Sometimes we have to hide something from the enemies. That is diplomacy. But Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa says, \"A brāhmaṇa should be so truthful that he will disclose everything to his enemy also.\" Satyam. Titikṣa ārjavam śuci śama dama—these are the qualification. Jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyaṁ brahma-karma svabhāva-jam [Bg. 18.42].\nSo without this brahminical qualification one cannot understand the Vedic knowledge. Therefore it is stated sometimes that a śūdra is prohibited from reading Vedas. That does not mean that reading of Vedic culture or Vedic knowledge is monopolized by a certain class of men. Not that. The idea is... Just like in our ordinary educational system, there is some prohibition that unless one is graduate, he cannot be admitted in the law college. That is not a prohibition; that is the necessary qualification to understand.\nSimilarly, to understand the Vedas, the necessary qualification is that one must be a qualified brāhmaṇa. Not that Mr. Max Muller, he has got little knowledge of Sanskrit and he translates. That kind of translation is no use, just like so many commentaries on the Bhagavad-gītā without becoming a devotee of Kṛṣṇa is useless. It has no meaning, because Kṛṣṇa says that bhaktyā mām abhijānāti [Bg. 18.55]: \"Only through devotional service one can understand Me.\" And how a nondevotee can understand Him? He has no scope to enter into the knowledge of Bhagavad-gītā. So first qualification is that he must be a pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa. Then it will be revealed.\nIn the Śrīmad-Bhāgavata there is a verse,\nathāpi te deva padāmbuja-dvayam-\nprasāda-leśānugṛhīta eva hi\njānāti tattvaṁ [bhagavan-mahimno]\nna cānya eko 'pi ciraṁ vicinvan\n[SB 10.14.29]\n\"My dear Lord, one who has a little,\" I mean to say, \"favorable connection with Your lotus feet, he can understand You.\" Athāpi te deva padāmbuja-dvaya-prasāda: \"One who has got a little prasāda from Your lotus feet, such person can understand You.\" Prasāda-leśānu..., jānāti tattvam: \"He can understand what You are.\"\nKṛṣṇa says that,\nmanuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu\nkaścid yatati siddhaye\nyatatām api siddhānāṁ\nkaścid vetti māṁ tattvataḥ\n[Bg. 7.3]\nTo understand Kṛṣṇa is not very easy job. Kṛṣṇa says, \"Out of many millions of men, one is trying to become perfect in this human form of life.\" Not everyone is trying. First of all one has to become brāhmaṇa or acquire the brahminical qualification. That is the platform of sattva-guṇa. Unless one comes to the platform of sattva-guṇa, there is no question of perfection.\nNobody can understand, nobody can achieve perfection on the platform of rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa, because one who is addicted with rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa, he is always very greedy and lusty. Tato rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ kāma-lobhādayaś ca ye [SB 1.2.19]. One who is infected with the material qualities of ignorance and passion, he is lusty and greedy. That's all.\nTherefore you will see, generally, people are very much lusty and greedy. They are accumulating money, crores and crores; still, they are not satisfied. In Western country we see very usually. There are many, many workers, working very hard from very poor state. Just like Henry Ford, Mr. Rockefeller, they started life from a very humble state, but they accumulated immense wealth, and still, they were not satisfied.\nIn our country also there are many Birlas and such, accumulating money, money, money. They are greedy because infected with the quality, modes of nature, ignorance and passion. Vaiśya means passion and ignorance, kṣatriya means passion and brāhmaṇa means goodness. These are the different qualities.\nSo one has to come to the platform of goodness. Then he has to transcend the platform of goodness, come to the pure transcendental platform, vasudeva, sattvaṁ-viśuddham, sattva-guṇa. In this material world, sattva-guṇa is also sometimes mixed with rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa. That is the nature. So one has to transcend the platform of sattva-guṇa. Śuddha-sattva. Sattvaṁ viśuddhaṁ vasudeva-śabditam. That is the vasudeva platform, when Kṛṣṇa appears.\nSo manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu [Bg. 7.3]. So generally people are addicted, infected with the qualities of ignorance and passion. How he can understand Kṛṣṇa? It is not possible. So one has to engage himself this devotional service. Then you can... You may argue that \"How these Europeans and Americans...? They are supposed to be in ignorance and passion. How they are coming to the platform of transcendental platform of pure goodness?\" That is possible. That is possible by the execution of bhāgavata-dharma. Nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā [SB 1.2.18]. Tato rajas-tamo bhāvāḥ.\nThere is a..., are verses in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam that śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ [SB 1.2.17]. One has to hear. Therefore śravaṇa and kīrtana, hearing and chanting, is very important. Śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ, especially hearing and chanting of Kṛṣṇa. Kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya mukta-saṅgaḥ paraṁ vrajet [SB 12.3.51]. Simply by discussing and hearing and reciting Bhagavad-gītā purely, not by interpreting wrongly... As it is. As Kṛṣṇa says, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī mām [Bg. 18.65], you have to accept that. You cannot change that. You cannot say, \"It is not to Kṛṣṇa; it is the Kṛṣṇa's self and this and that.\"\nSo śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ. One who hears Bhagavad-gītā as it is or Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam from devotees... Śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ. Because simply by hearing he achieves the result of pious activities... And Kṛṣṇa says also in the Bhagavad-gītā that \"One can be engaged in My service, in devotional service, who is freed from all contamination of sinful life.\"\nyeṣāṁ anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ\njanānāṁ puṇya-karmāṇam\nte dvanda-moha-nirmuktā\nbhajante māṁ dṛḍha-vratāḥ\n[Bg. 7.28]\nUnless one is freed from all contamination of sinful life, one cannot concentrate in the devotional service of Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa says.\nSo the process is, as it is recommended in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ: simply you sit down and hear what Kṛṣṇa says. Don't comment wrongly, whimsically. Don't gratify your senses. Submissively, namanta... As Caitanya Mahāprabhu also recommends from Bhāgavata, jñāne prayāsam udapāsya namanta eva [SB 10.14.3]. Just be submissive, bhavadīya-vārtām, and try to hear Kṛṣṇa submissively. Then you'll benefit. If you make your own commentation, then you will be wrongly directed. You have to...\nTherefore Kṛṣṇa said,\nevaṁ paramparā-prāptam\nimaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ\nsa kālena...\nyogo naṣṭaḥ parantapa\n[Bg. 4.2]\nBecause the paramparā system was lost, therefore Kṛṣṇa said that \"The system recommended in the Bhagavad..., is lost off. Therefore I am speaking again to you the same yoga system.\" So one has to receive the knowledge of Bhagavad-gītā by the paramparā system. Just like Arjuna. Arjuna heard Bhagavad-gītā. And how he understood Bhagavad-gītā? He understood Kṛṣṇa as a person. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān, puruṣaṁ śāśvatam ādyam [Bg. 10.12]. That is real Bhagavad-gītā understanding.\nAnd Arjuna said, sarvam etam ṛtaṁ manye yan māṁ vadasi keśava [Bg. 10.14]. As Kṛṣṇa says that sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja [Bg. 18.66], so he accepted that. That is Bhagavad-gītā reading, not that \"It is not to person Kṛṣṇa; it is to His self,\" and this and that. No. Therefore we are presenting Bhagavad-gītā as it is.\nSo it is very unfortunate that the Supreme Personality of Godhead, accepted by all the ācāryas—not only at the present age; previously also—Vyāsadeva, Nārada, Asita, Devala, they are all great ācāryas. And in the recent years, Śaṅkarācārya, he also admitted. Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, Viṣṇu Svāmī, Lord Caitanya—all these authorities, they are accepting Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Then how is that—a less intelligent class of men, they are commenting differently? That is not good. They may comment, they go on talking all nonsense, but no sane man will accept them. That is a different thing.\nBut those who are sane, they should judge over this, that \"Why we should deny, that 'God is imperson'? God is person.\" Kṛṣṇa came. Kṛṣṇa exhibited His godly potencies, energies, when He was present. There is no... In the history you won't find another second person like Kṛṣṇa in the whole history of the world. Apart from other points of view, Bhagavad-gītā, that is admitted, spoken by Kṛṣṇa, such deep, profound knowledge—there is no second imitation or second copy like Bhagavad-gītā in the whole world. That is admitted by all scholars, all religionists.\nTherefore He is pūrṇa-jñāna, pūrṇa-brahma. Bhagavad-gītā is pūrṇa-jñāna. The Bhagavān's one qualification: He is fully wise. Nobody is wiser than Him. That is one of the qualification. Nobody is richer than Him, nobody is powerful than Him, nobody is influential than Him, nobody is beautiful than Him, and nobody is renouncer than Him. Ṣaḍ-aiśvarya. That will be explained.\nSo Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, admitted by all ācāryas. And on the basis of that authority, we are preaching all over the world that \"You are searching after God? Here is God: kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam.\" Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam. In the Bhāgavata has given different list of different incarnation of God, but ultimately concludes that ete cāṁśa-kalāḥ puṁsaḥ kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam [SB 1.3.28]: \"All the incarnations, they are parts or parts of the parts.\" Aṁśa means part, and kalāḥ means part of the part. \"But svayaṁ pūrṇa-bhagavān, ṣoḍaśa-kala pūrṇa, ṣaḍ-aiśvarya-pūrṇa-bhagavān is Kṛṣṇa.\" That is the verdict all Vedas, all śāstras.\nSo we should also accept in that light, kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ [Bs. 5.1]. And Kṛṣṇa also says personally, ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ [Bg. 10.8]: \"I am the origin of even Brahma, Śiva and Viṣṇu also.\" Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate.\nSo from any... Now, here Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that Kṛṣṇa is person, the Supreme Personality of Godhead is person, but He is not a person like us. That is difference. But less intelligent persons, they think Kṛṣṇa, as soon as He is a person, \"He is a person like us.\" That is a mistake. He is not a person like any one of us. Therefore He is confirmed by the Vedas, apāṇi-pāda javano grahītā [Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 3.19]: \"This Absolute Truth has no leg or hand; still, He can walk very swiftly and He can accept anything you offer.\" That means His hands and legs are not like ours. That is transcendental.\nSo Caitanya Mahāprabhu is trying to explain before Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya that the Absolute Truth is a person, a person like you and me. Cetana... Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām [Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13]. He is the Supreme Person, the chief person. We are all also individuals, Kṛṣṇa is also individual, but He is the chief and we are subordinate. That is the difference.\nThank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa.\n[break] God is not poor man, but you are mismanaging. [Hindi] [indistinct] [end]",
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"content": "\n [aside:] Where is Annapurna?",
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"content": "\nComing.",
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"content": "\n Acha.",
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"content": "\n Is everything all right?",
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"content": "\nEh?",
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"content": "\n Is everything all right?",
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"content": "\nYes. Chant. [devotee leads chanting]\n[kīrtana] [prema-dhvani] Thank you very much. [devotees offer obeisances]\n[16:52]\nToday's colors are very nice. Who has made it? Or purchased from the market?",
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"content": "\nPradyumna.",
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"content": "\nPradyumna. Pradyumna is expert. Very nice colors.\n[break] [indistinct] You do like this. Yes. Left hand. No, that's all right. Take water. Yes. Three times. Yes. Once take water. Yes. Take water in the left hand. Yes. Throw it. That's all. Now...\nnama apavitraḥ pavitro vā\nsarvāvasthāṁ gato 'pi vā\nyaḥ smaret puṇḍarīkākṣaṁ\nsa bāhyābhyantara-śuciḥ\nśrī viṣṇu, śrī viṣṇu, śrī viṣṇu\n[Garuḍa Purāṇa]\n[Either pure or impure, or having passed through all conditions of material life, if one can remember the lotus-eyed Kṛṣṇa, he becomes externally and internally clean.]\nYou all chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Outsiders, all right, you also chant this.\nTake again. Do that, like. Yes. Yes.\nnama apavitraḥ pavitro vā\nsarvāvasthāṁ gato 'pi vā\nyaḥ smaret puṇḍarīkākṣaṁ\nsa bāhyābhyantara-śuciḥ\nśrī viṣṇu, śrī viṣṇu, śrī viṣṇu\n[Garuḍa Purāṇa]\nTake again. Outside. Not there. First there.\nnama apavitraḥ pavitro vā\nsarvāvasthāṁ gato 'pi vā\nyaḥ smaret puṇḍarīkākṣaṁ\nsa bāhyābhyantara-śuciḥ\nśrī viṣṇu, śrī viṣṇu, śrī viṣṇu\n[Garuḍa Purāṇa]\nThe meaning of this mantra is apavitraḥ pavitro vā. Apavitraḥ means unclean, and pavitra means clean. So anyone who may be unclean or clean, it doesn't matter. Apavitraḥ pavitro vā sarvāvasthāṁ gato 'pi vā. \nSarva means all; avastha means condition. \"In whatever condition one may be, either unclean or clean,\" yaḥ, \"anyone who,\" smaret, \"remembers,\" puṇḍarīkākṣam... Puṇḍarīkākṣam means Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa's another name is puṇḍarīkākṣam. \nYaḥ smaret puṇḍarīkākṣam sa: \"That person,\" bahya, \"externally,\" abhyantaram, \"internally,\" śuciḥ, \"becomes at once purified.\" Śrī-viṣṇu, śrī-viṣṇu, śrī-viṣṇu. Puṇḍarīkākṣam, Kṛṣṇa or Viṣṇu. So this is the remembrance. Śrī-viṣṇu, namaḥ śrī-viṣṇu śrī-viṣṇu.\nSo this initiation means purification. In this material world we are all impure. Because we are impure, therefore death, disease, old age and pangs of birth overcome us. Just like in diseased condition—we have experience—there are so many painful conditions, similarly, in this materialistic way of life these symptoms, birth, death, disease and old age, they are different kinds of miseries. The rascals, materialist, they are thinking that they're making advance, but they have no solution for these things.\nThe solution is by tapasya. Tapasya means voluntarily accepting some rules and regulation to purify myself. That is called tapasya. Just like in diseased condition, one has to voluntarily accept the rules and regulation enforced by the physician: \"You should not eat this. You should not do this. You should not go out. You should take rest.\" You should not, should not, should not, so many. Similarly, if we want to purify ourselves, then four principles of purificatory process, namely illicit sex life and intoxication, meat-eating and gambling, these four things must be...\nThese four things are paraphernalia of your civilization. In the Western... Not only Western; Eastern, everywhere. The Kali-yuga is spreading very rapidly, and wherever the Kali-yuga is very prominent, these four items are very prominent: unrestricted sex life, gambling and meat-eating and intoxication. When people become practiced to all this nonsense, they think, \"Oh, what is wrong there?\" But it is the most abominable part of human civilization. Anyone who are indulging in these four things, they cannot imagine where is he and how he will be free from this conditional life. So this is the purificatory process.\nSo as you are being initiated, initiation means beginning of your purificatory process. So if we are serious about purification, then we must follow these four principles, if we want to be cured. Of course, this chanting of hari-nāma will make you purified. That's nice. But just like this fire I am going to ignite. This is dried firewood. But if I help it, to keep it dry, then the fire will be very nice, blazing fire. But if I pour water on it, then it will be difficult to ignite. Similarly, the fire of Kṛṣṇa consciousness will keep you always progressing, but at the same time, if we also voluntarily do not pour water on that fire, then it will be nice.\nSimilarly, Kṛṣṇa consciousness or chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa will keep you progressing. At the same time, voluntarily, if you do not commit all these nonsenses, then it will be very nice. And if you continue this water-pouring, then... Just like a man is taking medicine, at the same time doing all nonsense. Then his disease will not be cured, or may take very, very long time. So we should not be irresponsible in that way, because life is very short. We do not know when death is coming, especially in these days. We are moving in the street, we are moving by plane, we are moving... Every step, there is danger. Padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadām [SB 10.14.58]. It is a place of danger.\n[For those who have accepted the boat of the lotus feet of the Lord, who is the shelter of the cosmic manifestation and is famous as Murāri, the enemy of the Mura demon, the ocean of the material world is like the water contained in a calf's hoof-print. Their goal is paraṁ padam, Vaikuṇṭha, the place where there are no material miseries, not the place where there is danger at every step.]\nSo our life... We should consider this human form of life, especially Kṛṣṇa conscious life, is very important life. We should not be inattentive. So we should be very careful. Kṛṣṇa will, of course, protect you, but at the same time, we have got consciousness.\nWe should also take care that before the next death comes, we must be fully prepared for being transferred to Kṛṣṇaloka. And it is very simple thing. If you keep yourself constantly in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that's the only thing. Then you are sure to be going transferred next life. As I was explaining last night, simply by understanding Kṛṣṇa.\nKṛṣṇa is not like us. He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. How He is Supreme Personality of Godhead? That He proved when..., while He was present. The history is there, Kṛṣṇa's pastimes, Kṛṣṇa's activities, Kṛṣṇa's wisdom, lecture, Bhagavad-gītā. Everything is there. They are the proofs.\nThere is a very nice verse by Yamunācārya that there are authentic literatures, there are authentic personalities, and they accept Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Authentic literatures, they give proof that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And by His wonderful activities we can understand that He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. But still, the atheistic rascal will not accept. You see?\nThere are sufficient proof. Just like Arjuna says, \"Kṛṣṇa, You are the paraṁ brahma. It is not that because I am Your friend I am flattering You. You have been accepted by authorities like Vyāsadeva, Nārada, in all scriptures, and You are personally explaining Yourself.\" So there is no doubt about it, but the demons, in spite of all this—dog's obstinacy—they will not accept. So let them go to hell.\nSo far we are concerned, Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. His body is eternal, full of bliss and full of knowledge, and sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ [Bs. 5.1]. Yes.\n[Kṛṣṇa who is known as Govinda is the Supreme Godhead. He has an eternal blissful spiritual body. He is the origin of all. He has no other origin and He is the prime cause of all causes.]\nIf we simply remember that Kṛṣṇa is like that, and as soon as we chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, we remember Kṛṣṇa, and we understand that He is the Supreme Personality. This very consciousness will lead you.\nIt is not very difficult. It is very easy, always thinking of Kṛṣṇa. And those who have taken already, they are thinking of Kṛṣṇa, and they are making progress both, I mean to say..., their health is improving; their mind is becoming very nice. So you will be also feeling. There is no need of talking. You will yourself feel. But you must follow. And there are ten kinds of offenses. That also you should avoid. And these rules and regulation.\nNow chant mantra.\nvande 'haṁ śrī-guroḥ śrī-yuta-pada-kamalaṁ śrī-gurūn vaiṣṇavāṁś ca\nśrī-rūpaṁ sāgrajātaṁ saha-gaṇa-raghunāthānvitaṁ taṁ sa-jīvam\nsādvaitaṁ sāvadhūtaṁ parijana-sahitaṁ kṛṣṇa-caitanya-devaṁ\nśrī-rādhā-kṛṣṇa-pādān saha-gaṇa-lalitā-śrī-viśākhānvitāṁś ca\n[I offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of my spiritual master and of all the other preceptors on the path of devotional service. I offer my respectful obeisances unto all the Vaiṣṇavas and unto the Six Gosvāmīs, including Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī, Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, Jīva Gosvāmī and their associates. I offer my respectful obeisances unto Śrī Advaita Ācārya Prabhu, Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and all His devotees, headed by Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura. I then offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of Lord Kṛṣṇa, Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī and all the gopīs, headed by Lalitā and Viśākhā.]\nnama om viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya\nbhūtale śrīmate bhaktivedānta-svāmin iti nāmine.\n[I offer my respectful obeisances unto His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, who is very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa, having taken shelter at His lotus feet.]\nnama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale\nśrīmate bhaktisiddhānta-sarasvatīti nāmine\n[I offer my respectful obeisances unto His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī, who is very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa, having taken shelter at His lotus feet.]\nśrī-vārṣabhānavī-devī-dayitāya kṛpā [break]\nI offer my respectful obeisances to Śrī Vārṣabhānavī-devī-dayita dāsa [another name of Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī], who is favored by Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī and who is the ocean of transcendental mercy and the deliverer of the science of Kṛṣṇa.\nśrī-gaura-karuṇā-śakti-vigrahāya namo 'stu te\nmādhuryojjvala-premāḍhya-śrī-rūpānuga-varāya te\n[I offer my respectful obeisances unto you, the personified energy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mercy, who delivers devotional service enriched with conjugal love of Śrī Śrī Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, coming exactly in the line of revelation of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī.]\nnamas te gaura-vāṇī-śrī-mūrtaye dīna-tāriṇe\nrūpānuga-viruddhāpasiddhānta-dhvānta-hāriṇe\n[I offer my respectful obeisances unto you, who are the personified teachings of Lord Caitanya. You are the deliverer of the fallen souls. You do not tolerate any statement against the teachings of devotional service enunciated by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī.]\nnamo gaura-kiśorāya sākṣād-vairāgya-mūrtaye\nvipralambha-rasāmbhode pādāmbujāya te namaḥ\n[I offer my respectful obeisances unto Śrīla Gaurakiśora dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja [the spiritual master of Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī], who is renunciation personified. He is always merged in a feeling of separation and intense love of Kṛṣṇa.]\nnamo bhaktivinodāya sac-cid-ānanda-nāmine\ngaura-śakti-svarūpāya rūpānuga-varāya te\n[I offer my respectful obeisances unto Śrīla Saccidānanda Bhaktivinoda, who is the transcendental energy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He is a strict follower of the Gosvāmīs, headed by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī.]\nnama gaurāvirbhāva-bhūmes tvaṁ nirdeṣṭā saj-jana-priyaḥ\nvaiṣṇava-sārvabhaumaḥ ṣrī-jagannāthāya te namaḥ\n[I offer my respectful obeisances to Śrīla Jagannātha dāsa Bābājī, who is respected by the entire Vaiṣṇava community and who confirmed the discovery of the place where Lord Caitanya appeared.]\nnamo mahā-vadānyāya kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te\nkṛṣṇāya kṛṣṇa-caitanya-nāmne gaura-tviṣe namaḥ\n[O most munificent incarnation! You are Kṛṣṇa Himself appearing as Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu. You have assumed the golden color of Śrīmātī Rādhārāṇī, and You are widely distributing pure love of Kṛṣṇa. We offer our respectful obeisances unto You.]\nvāñchā-kalpatarubhyaś ca kṛpā-sindhubhya eva ca\npatitānāṁ pāvanebhyo vaiṣṇavebhyo namo namaḥ\n[I offer my respectful obeisances unto all the Vaiṣṇava devotees of the Lord. They are just like desire trees who can fulfill the desires of everyone, and they are full of compassion for the fallen conditioned souls.]\npañca-tattvātmakaṁ kṛṣṇaṁ bhakta-rūpa-svarūpakam\nbhaktāvatāraṁ bhaktākhyaṁ namāmi bhakta-śaktikam\n[I offer my obeisances unto the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa, who is nondifferent from His features as a devotee, devotional manifestation, devotional incarnation, pure devotee and devotional energy.]\nhe kṛṣṇa karuṇā-sindho dīna-bandho jagat-pate\ngopeśa gopikā-kānta rādhā-kānta namo 'stu te\n[O my dear Kṛṣṇa, O ocean of mercy, O friend of the distressed and the source of creation, O master of the cowherd men and the lover of the gopīs, especially Rādhārāṇī, I offer my respectful obeisances unto You.]\njayatāṁ suratau paṅgor mama manda-mater gate\nmat-sarvasva-padāmbhojau rādhā-madana-mohanau\n[Glory to the all-merciful Rādhā and Madana-mohana! I am lame and ill advised, yet They are my directors, and Their lotus feet are everything to me.]\ndīvyad-vṛndāraṇya-kalpa-drumādhaḥ\nśrīmad-ratnāgāra-siṁhāsana-sthau\nśrī-śrī-rādhā-śrīla-govinda-devau\npreṣṭhālībhiḥ sevyamānau smarāmi\n[In a temple of jewels in Vṛndāvana, underneath a desire tree, Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Govinda, served by Their most confidential associates, sit upon an effulgent throne. I offer my humble obeisances unto Them.]\nśrīmān rāsa-rasārambhī vaṁśī-vaṭa-taṭa-sthitaḥ\nkarṣan veṇu-svanair gopīr gopīnāthaḥśriye 'stu naḥ\n[Śrī Śrīla Gopīnātha, who originated the transcendental mellow of the rāsa dance, stands on the shore in Vaṁśīvaṭa and attracts the attention of the cowherd damsels with the sound of His celebrated flute. May they all confer upon us their benediction.]\ntapta-kāñcana-gaurāṅgi rādhe vṛndāvaneśvari\nvṛṣabhānu-sute devī praṇamāmi hari-priye\n[I offer my respects to Rādhārāṇī, whose bodily complexion is like molten gold and who is the Queen of Vṛndāvana. You are the daughter of King Vṛṣabhānu, and You are very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa.]\nhare kṛṣṇa hare kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa hare hare\nhare rāma hare rāma rāma rāma hare hare\n[O Śrīmāti Rādhārāṇī (the divine energy of the Lord Kṛṣṇa), O all-attractive reservoir of pleasure, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, please engage me in Your loving devotional service.]\nNow. Put that. Put beads.\n[chants japa on the beads] [devotees chant japa]\nBegin from one end: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. Sixteen names.\nWhen finished, sixteen finished, then take another bead: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. In this way there are hundred and eight beads, hundred and eight, and finish here, again begin from there, from here, sixteen rounds. Don't touch this finger; only like this. Keep one bag, so that it may not touch ground, dust. This should be treated very sanctified.\nTake. What is your name?",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\nBarbara.",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\nBar.. Barbara? Oh. So your name should be beginning with 'B'.... What is beginning with 'B'?.... Your name should be Barāha dāsī. Barāha dāsī.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\nVarāha?",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\nBarāha dāsī.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n Barāha dāsī?",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\nYes. Barāha who incarnation of Kṛṣṇa. Barāha-B A R A T-Barāha. And you are servant, maidservant of Barāha. That means Kṛṣṇa dāsī. Barāha dāsī.\nSo at least you have got that 10 times of offences.\n[aside:] You can give her.",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n[indistinct] right now [pause]",
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"content": "\nChant Hare Krishna.\nBegin chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa.\n[sound of sticks breaking]....\n In the fire of Kṛṣṇa consciousness all māyā burnt to ashes. So in the beginning we shall be very careful. I may not extinguish. Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgo [Cc. Madhya 23.14-15].\n[“‘In the beginning there must be faith. Then one becomes interested in associating with pure devotees. Thereafter one is initiated by the spiritual master and executes the regulative principles under his orders. Thus one is freed from all unwanted habits and becomes firmly fixed in devotional service. Thereafter, one develops taste and attachment. This is the way of sādhana-bhakti, the execution of devotional service according to the regulative principles. Gradually emotions intensify, and finally there is an awakening of love. This is the gradual development of love of Godhead for the devotee interested in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.’]\nŚraddhā you have got this faith that you wanted to be initiated. This is nice. Now you have to increase this faith by association. You are daily attending our class there?",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n In the last class? [?]",
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"content": "\nYes. Thank you. This association will help. No other process. Saṅgāt sañjāyate kāmaḥ. If you associate with intoxicants then you will increase that tendency and if you associate with Kṛṣṇa conscious persons. Then you will increase this also. Association is very important. Therefore we are trying to open so many branches. So that people may take advantage of the association. That is very important thing.\nsaṅgāt sañjāyate kāmaḥ\nkāmāt krodho 'bhijāyate\n[Bg. 2.62]\n[While contemplating the objects of the senses, a person develops attachment for them, and from such attachment lust develops, and from lust anger arises.]",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\nWhat is that?\n[sound of sticks breaking]",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\nNow.. Where is the bowl? It's the same? It's the same?",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\nSesame.",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\nThere is.. There is...\n[Sound of pots clunking]",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa.",
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"content": "\nTake, everyone little, little.\nnama apavitraḥ pavitro vā\nsarvāvasthāṁ gato 'pi vā\nyaḥ smaret puṇḍarīkākṣaṁ\nsa bāhyābhyantara-śuciḥ\nśrī viṣṇu, śrī viṣṇu, śrī viṣṇu\n[Garuḍa Purāṇa]\n[Either pure or impure, or having passed through all conditions of material life, if one can remember the lotus-eyed Kṛṣṇa, he becomes externally and internally clean.]\nnama om viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya\nbhūtale śrīmate bhaktivedānta-svāmin iti nāmine.\nsvāhā, svāhā, svāhā\n[I offer my respectful obeisances unto His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, who is very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa, having taken shelter at His lotus feet.]\nvande 'haṁ śrī-guroḥ śrī-yuta-pada-kamalaṁ śrī-gurūn vaiṣṇavāṁś ca\nśrī-rūpaṁ... \nNow stop now take this right hand. Chanting [indistinct] Yes.\nvande 'haṁ śrī-guroḥ śrī-yuta-pada-kamalaṁ śrī-gurūn vaiṣṇavāṁś ca\nśrī-rūpaṁ sāgrajātaṁ saha-gaṇa-raghunāthānvitaṁ taṁ sa-jīvam\nsādvaitaṁ sāvadhūtaṁ parijana-sahitaṁ kṛṣṇa-caitanya-devaṁ\nśrī-rādhā-kṛṣṇa-pādān saha-gaṇa-lalitā-śrī-viśākhānvitāṁś ca\nsvāhā svā...\n[break]\n[I offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of my spiritual master and of all the other preceptors on the path of devotional service. I offer my respectful obeisances unto all the Vaiṣṇavas and unto the Six Gosvāmīs, including Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī, Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, Jīva Gosvāmī and their associates. I offer my respectful obeisances unto Śrī Advaita Ācārya Prabhu, Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and all His devotees, headed by Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura. I then offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of Lord Kṛṣṇa, Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī and all the gopīs, headed by Lalitā and Viśākhā.]\nnama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale\nśrīmate bhaktisiddhānta-sarasvatīti nāmine\n[I offer my respectful obeisances unto His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī, who is very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa, having taken shelter at His lotus feet.]\nśrī-vārṣabhānavī-devī-dayitāya kṛpābdhaye\nśrī-gaura-karuṇā-śakti-vigrahāya namo 'stu te\nnamas te gaura-vāṇī-śrī-mūrtaye dīna-tāriṇe\nrūpānuga-viruddhāpasiddhānta-dhvānta-hāriṇe\nsvāhā, svāhā, svāhā\n[I offer my respectful obeisances unto you, who are the personified teachings of Lord Caitanya. You are the deliverer of the fallen souls. You do not tolerate any statement against the teachings of devotional service enunciated by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī.]\nnama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya huh...\ngaura-kiśorāya sākṣād-vairāgya-mūrtaye\nvipralambha-rasāmbhode pādāmbujāya te namaḥ\nsvāhā, svāhā, svāhā\n[I offer my respectful obeisances unto Śrīla Gaurakiśora dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja [the spiritual master of Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī], who is renunciation personified. He is always merged in a feeling of separation and intense love of Kṛṣṇa.]\nnama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya bhaktivinodāya sac-cid-ānanda-nāmine\ngaura-śakti-svarūpāya rūpānuga-varāya te\n[I offer my respectful obeisances unto Śrīla Saccidānanda Bhaktivinoda, who is the transcendental energy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He is a strict follower of the Gosvāmīs, headed by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī.]\ngaurāvirbhāva-bhūmes tvaṁ nirdeṣṭā saj-jana-priyaḥ\nvaiṣṇava-sārvabhaumaḥ ṣrī-jagannāthāya te namaḥ\nsvāhā, svāhā, svāhā\n[I offer my respectful obeisances to Śrīla Jagannātha dāsa Bābājī, who is respected by the entire Vaiṣṇava community and who confirmed the discovery of the place where Lord Caitanya appeared.]\nvāñchā-kalpatarubhyaś ca kṛpā-sindhubhya eva ca\npatitānāṁ pāvanebhyo vaiṣṇavebhyo namo namaḥ\nsvāhā, svāhā, svāhā\n[I offer my respectful obeisances unto all the Vaiṣṇava devotees of the Lord. They are just like desire trees who can fulfill the desires of everyone, and they are full of compassion for the fallen conditioned souls.]\nnamo mahā-vadānyāya kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te\nkṛṣṇāya kṛṣṇa-caitanya-nāmne gaura-tviṣe namaḥ\nsvāhā, svāhā, svāhā\n[O most munificent incarnation! You are Kṛṣṇa Himself appearing as Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu. You have assumed the golden color of Śrīmātī Rādhārāṇī, and You are widely distributing pure love of Kṛṣṇa. We offer our respectful obeisances unto You.]\npañca-tattvātmakaṁ kṛṣṇaṁ bhakta-rūpa-svarūpakam\nbhaktāvatāraṁ bhaktākhyaṁ namāmi bhakta-śaktikam\nsvāhā, svāhā, svāhā\n[I offer my obeisances unto the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa, who is nondifferent from His features as a devotee, devotional manifestation, devotional incarnation, pure devotee and devotional energy.]\nhe kṛṣṇa karuṇā-sindho dīna-bandho jagat-pate\ngopeśa gopikā-kānta rādhā-kānta namo 'stu te\nsvāhā, svāhā, svāhā\n[O my dear Kṛṣṇa, O ocean of mercy, O friend of the distressed and the source of creation, O master of the cowherd men and the lover of the gopīs, especially Rādhārāṇī, I offer my respectful obeisances unto You.]\njayatāṁ suratau paṅgor mama manda-mater gate\nmat-sarvasva-padāmbhojau rādhā-madana-mohanau\nsvāhā, svāhā, svāhā\n[Glory to the all-merciful Rādhā and Madana-mohana! I am lame and ill advised, yet They are my directors, and Their lotus feet are everything to me.]\ndīvyad-vṛndāraṇya-kalpa-drumādhaḥ\nśrīmad-ratnāgāra-siṁhāsana-sthau\nśrī-śrī-rādhā-śrīla-govinda-devau\npreṣṭhālībhiḥ sevyamānau smarāmi\nsvāhā, svāhā, svāhā\n[In a temple of jewels in Vṛndāvana, underneath a desire tree, Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Govinda, served by Their most confidential associates, sit upon an effulgent throne. I offer my humble obeisances unto Them.]\nśrīmān rāsa-rasārambhī vaṁśī-vaṭa-taṭa-sthitaḥ\nkarṣan veṇu-svanair gopīr gopīnāthaḥśriye 'stu naḥ\nsvāhā, svāhā, svāhā\n[Śrī Śrīla Gopīnātha, who originated the transcendental mellow of the rāsa dance, stands on the shore in Vaṁśīvaṭa and attracts the attention of the cowherd damsels with the sound of His celebrated flute. May they all confer upon us their benediction.]\nTake one banana. Take one more. Take in hand. Give me one. Stand up all.\nnama oṁ, brahmaṇya, devāya\ngo, brāhmaṇa, hitāya ca\njagad, dhitāya, kṛṣṇāya\ngovindāya, namo, namaḥ\n[Viṣṇu Purāṇa 1.19.65]\n[I offer my respectful obeisances to the Supreme Absolute Truth, Krishna, who is the well-wisher of the cows and the brahmanas as well as the living entities in general. I offer my repeated obeisances to Govinda [Krishna], who is the pleasure reservoir for all the senses.]\nPut this on the fire. Yes.\nhare kṛṣṇa hare kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa hare hare\nhare rāma hare rāma rāma rāma hare hare\n[My dear Lord, and the spiritual energy of the Lord, kindly engage me in Your service. I am now embarrassed with this material service. Please engage me in Your service.]\nNow bow down.\nnama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale\nśrīmate bhaktivedānta-svāmin iti nāmine\n[I offer my respectful obeisances unto His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, who is very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa on this earth, having taken shelter at His lotus feet.]\nChant Hare Krsna. Please chant. [end]",
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https://vedabase.io/en/library/transcripts/680722wl-montreal/
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"content": "\n[Poor audio]\n This last verse... It is not last. It is the third of Brahma-sūtra, Brahma-saṁhitā. Ālola-candraka-lasad-vanamālya-vaṁśī-ratnaṅgadaṁ praṇaya-keli-kalā-vilāsam [Bs. 5.31]. This verse... There are about one hundred verses in the Brahma-saṁhitā, and this verse, I think, about thirty-eighth verse... So description of Govinda, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The picture is here. So Govinda is not impersonal. And it is distinctly stated here that ālola-candraka-lasad-vanamālya-vaṁśī [Bs. 5.31]:\n[I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, round whose neck is swinging a garland of flowers beautified with the moon-locket, whose two hands are adorned with the flute and jeweled ornaments, who always revels in pastimes of love, whose graceful threefold-bending form of Śyāmasundara is eternally manifest.]\n\"The Lord is decorated with flower garland, and He has got a flute in His hand.\" And praṇaya-keli-kalā-vilāsam: \"And He is engaged in transcendental, conjugal love, Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa.\"\nSo this love which is in our experience within this material world, man and woman, it is not unnatural. It is in God also there. And the Brahma-sūtra, Vedānta-sūtra, in the beginning says that \"Who is Brahman, the Supreme Person, or the Absolute Truth?\" Athāto brahma jijñāsā, questioning \"What is that Absolute Truth?\" The answer is janmādy asya yataḥ [SB 1.1.1]:\n[O my Lord, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, son of Vasudeva, O all-pervading Personality of Godhead, I offer my respectful obeisances unto You. I meditate upon Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa because He is the Absolute Truth and the primeval cause of all causes of the creation, sustenance and destruction of the manifested universes. He is directly and indirectly conscious of all manifestations, and He is independent because there is no other cause beyond Him. It is He only who first imparted the Vedic knowledge unto the heart of Brahmājī, the original living being. By Him even the great sages and demigods are placed into illusion, as one is bewildered by the illusory representations of water seen in fire, or land seen on water. Only because of Him do the material universes, temporarily manifested by the reactions of the three modes of nature, appear factual, although they are unreal. I therefore meditate upon Him, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who is eternally existent in the transcendental abode, which is forever free from the illusory representations of the material world. I meditate upon Him, for He is the Absolute Truth.]\n\"The Absolute Truth is that from whom everything emanates.\" Very simple definition. That means the fountainhead of everything, the source of everything.\nTherefore here in this material world we see that the attraction for man and woman, woman's attraction for man, man's attraction for woman, is so prominent. Not only in human society, but in other than: animal society, cat society, dog society, bird society, there is always the attraction, man and woman, or male and female. Why? The answer is in the Vedānta-sūtra, janmādy asya yataḥ [SB 1.1.1]: because it is there in the Absolute Truth. Without being present in the Absolute Truth, how it can be manifested in the relative truth?\nThis world is called relative world. It is not absolute. Relative. Difference, two, duality. We cannot understand a man without knowing a woman. We cannot understand father without understanding a son or a mother. Relativity. But in the absolute world, everything is one. So this love between male and female, conjugal love, we Vaiṣṇava philosophers... Because everyone, according to Vedic system, everyone has to follow the Vedānta-sūtra.\nThere are two section of philosophers in India, approved; not, I mean to say, manufactured philosopher, mental speculators, but actually those who are counted valuable. There are two classes of philosophers, namely the impersonalist and personalist. The Vaiṣṇava, they accept that the Absolute Truth is person, and the Māyāvādī philosophers, they say the Absolute Truth is impersonal. That is the difference. Otherwise their process of other paraphernalia, execution of understanding, is almost the same.\nNow our Vaiṣṇava philosopher's argument is that how the Absolute Truth can be impersonal? Because here, in this world, in our experience, we see everything personal. So unless the personality, the individuality, or the individual attraction is there in the Absolute Truth, how they can be represented here in the relative truth?\nSo apart from that argumental point of view, our presentation is that this conjugal love between man and woman is not unnatural. It is quite natural, because it is in the Absolute Truth, as we find from Vedic description, that the Absolute Truth, Personality of Godhead, is engaged in conjugal loving affair, Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. But the same Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa love matter has permeated through matter. Therefore it is perverted reflection.\nHere in this material world, the so-called love is not actual love; it is lust. Here the male and female are attracted not by love but by lust. So in this Kṛṣṇa consciousness society, because we are trying to approach the Absolute Truth, the lust propensity has to be converted into pure love. That is the proposal.\nSo in India still, amongst the strict followers of Vedic principle, this lust affair is adjusted spiritually. What is that? The boys and girls, they are not allowed free mixing before marriage. Especially... Both the boys... Here, one of our students, he was in India, and he tried to talk with a young girl on the street, and he [she] was insulted. He was surprised. Because the practice is there that no young boy or young girl can talk with... Of course, now it is different. Even up to our young time we have seen that without being married, no girl, no boy, could mix together.\nSo this lust affair, this attraction, was little bit controlled. The father, the parents of the girl, and the parents of the boy would select. They had no personal selection. And that selection was made very scientifically, taking the horoscope of the girl, taking the horoscope of the boy, and calculating, \"How this boy and girl will amalgamate? How their lives will be happy?\" So many things, they were considered. And when everything was settled, then the marriage would take place. That is the system of old Indian..., Vedic principle.\nAnd so far free love is concerned, as we understand, that was allowed only very in high circles, princely order. Because the girls were educated and grown up and she was given to select her husband, but not directly. We find in so many historical evidences from the Vedic literature that the girl used to express her desire that \"I want to marry with that boy,\" and the father... This was amongst the kṣatriyas, the princely order, not with others. And the father would give a challenge, a bet. And if somebody will come and become victorious, then the girl would be offered. That was in special cases.\nAnyway, in this age, marriage, according to our Vaiṣṇava principle, marriage is allowed, because there is male, there is female. Why they should not unite? But not illegally. So when I came in this country in New York, the boys and girls, they were coming, and some of them offered me to become disciple. So I saw that most of the boys and girls, they are keeping the boyfriend, girlfriend.\nSo I requested them that if you want to make progress in spiritual life, you have to refrain from four kinds of sinful activities, and these four kinds of sinful activities are illicit sex life, first; second, nonvegetarian diet; third, intoxication; fourth, gambling. Unless one is free from these four principal activities, one cannot make progress in spiritual life.\nBecause God is pure, pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān [Bg. 10.12], so no impure soul can approach Him.\n[Arjuna said: You are the Supreme Brahman, the ultimate, the supreme abode and purifier, the Absolute Truth and the eternal divine person. You are the primal God, transcendental and original, and You are the unborn and all-pervading beauty. All the great sages such as Nārada, Asita, Devala, and Vyāsa proclaim this of You, and now You Yourself are declaring it to me.]\nThis body is the sign of impurity, because soul has no material body. So anyone in this material world who has this material body is to be considered as sinful. But how to get out of this? To get out of it, just everything, dovetailing with spiritual life. Nirbandhe kṛṣṇa-sambandhe yukta-vairāgyam ucyate [Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.2.255].\n[When one is not attached to anything but at the same time accepts everything in relation to Kṛṣṇa, one is rightly situated above possessiveness. On the other hand, one who rejects everything without knowledge of its relationship to Kṛṣṇa is not as complete in his renunciation.]\nThe example is: just like milk. If you take too much milk, then there will be disorders in the bowels. You'll have to pass so many stools. But when you approach to a physician... Of course, I am speaking of the Āyur-Vedic Indian physician. If one has got diarrhea, or loose bowels, then the physician prescribes curd or yogurt with some medicine. Now, this yogurt or curd is also mixed with medicine.\nSo the man who has got the disease by drinking milk is also cured by the same milk preparation under the direction of the physician. Nobody can argue. The patient cannot argue to the physician that \"I have become diseased by drinking milk, and you are prescribing another preparation of the milk?\" Yes, because it is treated. Similarly, this lust propensity between man and woman, if it is properly treated, then it can turn into love of Godhead.\nSo I am a sannyāsī. I have renounced my family life. I have got my children, my grandchildren, I have my wife still living, but I have separated from them. This is called sannyāsa. Why I am taking interest again, this family life of my students? Because I want to see them properly progress towards spiritual life. Therefore, although it is not the business of a sannyāsī to take part in marriage ceremony, in this country, just to save my students, both boys and girls, from sinful activities, I am personally taking interest that they may become good gentleman and lady by marriage.\nSo I am very happy that those boys and girls who have agreed, and they are now married and getting children, and they are feeling very happy. Many of them are present in this meeting. From their face, from their activities, it appears that they are very happy. So in this Kṛṣṇa consciousness society we have got this program that if some boy or girl wants to get married, I help.\nSo this marriage ceremony is today arranged on that principle. But the present bride and bridegroom must know it certainly that this marriage is not for sense gratification. This marriage is for purification of life. So there is no question of divorce. There is no question of separation. So don't get into married life if you have got such propensity. Our first principle is to become Kṛṣṇa conscious, and other things, secondary. Putrārthe kriyate bhāryā.\nIf you can produce nice children, Kṛṣṇa conscious children, it will..., you will do greatest service to the human society. Because the human society is producing children like cats and dogs, the whole human society is in trouble. How you can expect peace and prosperity in the society of cats and dogs?\nTherefore there is necessity. There is necessity to produce children of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, to train them from the very beginning. You will be all glad to know that some of our students, very small boys in San Francisco, they are being trained, and they are making wonderful progress. So there is no fault of these hippie boys and girls. They have not been trained. Not only here; every part of the world, the educational system is not very satisfactory.\nFrom the very beginning of their life they are allowed to mix freely, and they are allowed to enjoy sex life unrestricted. This is neither good for their health nor for education. So therefore we are getting now the result of education: Communists and hippies. So people, those who are guardians of the society, should take serious note of it and make life very regulated.\nWhat is the necessities of this life is, because we have got this material body, we must eat, we must sleep, we must defend and we must mate. These are the demands of this body. But they should be so regulated in Kṛṣṇa consciousness that it will not be disturbing element, but we shall make progress further and further towards spiritual realization of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.\nTherefore, not only the new bride and bridegroom, I request every one of my students who are present that this...\n[break] The aim of married life is to produce nice children, Kṛṣṇa conscious children. That is the best service to the human society: produce nice children. Don't produce cats and dogs. That is my request. Otherwise don't produce. Remain separate. Separate means there is no separation, but don't produce children. That is my request.\nPutrārthe... Pitā na sa syāj jananī sā syāt [SB 5.5.18].\n[\"One who cannot deliver his dependents from the path of repeated birth and death should never become a spiritual master, a relative, a father, a husband, a mother or a worshipable demigod.]\nThe Bhāgavata says, \"One should not become a father, one should not become a mother, unless they are able to protect the children from the imminent danger of death.\" What is that? The cycle of birth and death. If you can train your children to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then your child will go back to Godhead in this life. That should be the aim. As you will try to go back to Godhead in this life,.\nSimilarly, you shall take charge of your children that he can also go in this life back to Godhead. The mother's and father's duty should be that \"This child is born out of my womb, and this is the last phase of his life, to come into this womb of any animal or man—no more material body.\" That should be the responsibility of father and mother. That is the direction of Bhāgavata.\nSo my dear children, boys and girls, I request you that live happily. There is no restriction—we don't restrict eating, sleeping or mating or defending—but do it in relationship with Kṛṣṇa, pure life, and be happy in this life and next life.\nThank you very much. Now come forward. We shall begin our...\n[No audio]\nWhere is your father and mother? You can please come here. Yes. You can sit down here with the girls. Or give them some pads. They will feel... They are not accustomed to sit. [chuckles] Yes. My disciples, they have been accustomed. [chuckles]",
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"content": "\n Paramānanda's parents are here also.",
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"content": "\n Yes. Let them come also.",
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"content": "\n [aside:] Would you like to sit on cushions?",
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"content": "\n So both the parents agree in this marriage.",
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"content": "\n Yes.",
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"content": "\n Oh, thank you. Now those who are initiated, you can chant Hare Kṛṣṇa on your beads. [devotees chant japa] [break] [recitation of fire sacrifice prayers]\n Now, you are father?",
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"content": "\n Yes.",
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"content": "\n So you can say to your son-in-law that \"So long my daughter such and such was under my custody. From today I am giving this daughter under your custody.\" Say it.",
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"content": "\n Kate has been under me until now, and I give her unto your custody.",
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"content": "\n You say, \"Yes, I accept.\"",
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"content": "\n Yes, I accept.",
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"content": "\n And you say, \"Yes, I agree.\"",
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"content": "\n Yes, I agree.",
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"content": "\n Now you say that \"My dear such and such, I agree to serve you throughout my life.\"",
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"content": "\n Paramānanda, I agree to serve you throughout my life.",
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"content": "\n And you say, \"My dear such and such, I take your charge of life throughout without hesitation.\"",
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"content": "\n My dear Satyabhāmā, I take your charge of life throughout without hesitation.",
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"content": "\n So there is no separation in any circumstances. Promise that. There is no separation in any circumstances.",
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"content": "\n So there is no separation in any circumstances.",
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"content": "\n Yes. Now you garland this... You change the garland. Now you come to this side. You go to that side. Now you are legal husband and wife. Is that all right? Yes. Now chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. [break] [prayers, fire sacrifice] Now offer this plantain like this, slowly. Thank you.",
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"content": "\n Hare Kṛṣṇa. [devotees repeat last prayer of sacrifice after Prabhupāda, then mahā-mantra]",
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"content": "\n Now bow down. [leads recitation of praṇāma mantra] You chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. [end]",
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https://vedabase.io/en/library/transcripts/710627r2-san-francisco/
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"content": "\n Jagannātha svāmī nayana-pathagāmī bhavatu me. [crowd repeats] Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. [crowd repeats] Thank you very much.\nLadies and Gentlemen, I thank you very much for your kindly participating in this great Ratha-yātrā festival. I have already explained what is this Ratha-yātrā festival. It is in commemoration of a grand visit by Lord Kṛṣṇa along with His elder brother, Balarāma, and His younger sister, Subhadrā, in a solar eclipse ceremony at Kurukṣetra. This occasion is the subject matter of this Ratha-yātrā festival.\nApart from these historical references in the matter of Ratha-yātrā festival, there is another spiritual meaning: that the Lord is situated in everyone's heart, and this body is just like ratha, or car. He is sitting in everyone's heart. It is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭaḥ: \"I am sitting in everyone's heart.'' Mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca [Bg. 15.15]: \"I am giving everyone the intelligence as well as I am taking away the intelligence from everyone.''\nThis double work is being done by the Supersoul. In one side He is helping how to realize self, how to realize God, and other side He is helping also to forget God. How it is that the Supreme Personality of Godhead, as paramātmā, is doing this double work? The sense is that if we want to forget God, God will help us in such a way that we'll forget God life after life. But if we want to reestablish our relationship with God, from within He will help us in every way.\nThis human form of life is a chance for God realization. Without God realization, our life is frustrated. We, being part and parcel of God, it is our duty to understand our relationship with God and act accordingly, and then our ultimate goal of life is achieved. The ultimate goal of life is to attain eternal life, full of knowledge and bliss, sac-cid-ānanda vigraha [Bs. 5.1]. Sat means eternal, ānanda means bliss and cit means knowledge.\nThis body is just the opposite. It is not sat. This body is temporary. It is not eternal. This body is full of ignorance. There is practically no knowledge. We do not know, after closing our eyes, we do not know what is happening before our eyes. So our knowledge is always imperfect. And this life is also miserable. It is not at all blissful.\nEvery step, there are three kinds of miserable condition: ādhyātmika, adhibautika, adhidaivika. Ādhyātmika means miseries pertaining to the body and the mind. Adhibautika means miserable condition offered by other living entities. And adhidaivika, natural disturbances. So either of these three, or at least one or two, there must be always present. This is the material condition of life. But as spirit soul, we are sac-cid-ānanda vigraha, part and parcel of sac-cid-ānanda vigraha. Sat means eternal, cit means knowledge and bliss, and ānanda means blissfulness.\nSo if we want to have eternal life, full of knowledge and blissfulness, then we must take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Our this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is the greatest welfare activities in the human society. We are giving information to every man, without any discrimination of cast, creed and color, that every human being especially... Not only human being; all living entities, including the animals, beasts, birds, trees, aquatics—everyone—they can achieve to the highest perfection of life by this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. But especially the extra intelligence of the human being can be utilized to realize Kṛṣṇa. If we don't do that, we are missing a great opportunity.\nSo our request to everyone is to understand this philosophy of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If anyone wants to understand this philosophy through philosophical angle of vision or scientific angle of vision, we have got immense volumes of books. You can read and try to understand what is this great movement, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. But you can also, without reading books, without taking any trouble, if you simply agree to chant this mahā-mantra, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, you get the same result. Even a child can join.\nActually we have experienced that a child, a dog, an animal, everyone takes part in this movement. During the Lord Caitanya's movement, when He passed through a great forest known as Jharikhaṇḍa—Central India there is a great forest—along with Him, the tigers, the elephants, the deers, everyone danced and chanted Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. It is so nice, and it is so spiritual, the very vibration will immediately enthuse your ecstasy in spiritual consciousness.\nPlease, therefore, take to this chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. There is no loss. There is no expenditure. We don't charge anything. We have arranged this Ratha-yatra festival by begging from door to door. Although we have no means, but still we are executing this function for the benefit of the people in general. Please take advantage of this spiritual movement and make your life blissful and perfect. If you miss this opportunity, you do not know what you are going to have next life.\nDo not think that there is no next life. Next life... Every moment we are changing our body. You know that when your body was a baby, that body was very small. Now that body is no longer there. When you were a boy there was another body. That body is no longer there. Now you are young man there is another body, and when you'll become old man like me, you'll have another body. This means that we are changing bodies in every moment, every second, imperceptibly, but I, the spirit soul, exist in all circumstances.\nTherefore it is natural to conclude that after leaving this body I shall have another body. That's a fact. That is Vedic truth. Vāsāṁsi jīrṇāni yathā vihāya [Bg. 2.22]. The example is given that as we change our dresses, similarly, we are changing our dresses from one body to another. We have changed dresses as aquatic animals, as many fishes and aquatic animals as there are in the sea; then we are change bodies as creepers, plants and trees for many, many years. Then we change our bodies in the insect life, reptiles' life, then we are change our bodies in three..., thirty hundreds thousands of beasts, then we have got this human form of life. That is also in evolution through many uncivilized form of human life.\nNow this civilized form of human life, with higher intelligence and consciousness, it is meant for God realization. It is not meant for utilizing as the animals waste their time simply for eating, sleeping, mating and defending. That is not our business. That is part of our business so far the body is concerned. But as spirit soul, our main business is to understand what I am, wherefrom I have come, where I shall go, why I am under the tribulation of threefold miseries of material condition. These questions must be answered.\nIf we do not question, just like live like animal... The animal cannot question, neither they can understand the answers. But the human form of life they can question and understand the answer also. In the Vedānta-sūtra it is called brahma-jijñāsā, inquiring about the Supreme.\nSo that is our prerogative. Please take chance of this human body and try to understand yourself and cleanse your heart from the dirty things by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare.\nThank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa.",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n Haribol. All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda! [break]",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\nWe are so sorry I am poor that I cannot provide a chair for you. [chuckles] Thank you. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Hare Kṛṣṇa.",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n Prabhupāda, do you lead a kīrtan?",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\nYes.",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\nYou want some kartāls?",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\nNow please chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra along with me.\n[aside] It is working now?",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n[aside] We're going to have a kīrtan.",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\nHare Kṛṣṇa. [end]",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
https://vedabase.io/en/library/transcripts/710321r1-bombay/
|
[
{
"content": "\n You have tried to follow the principles which we are following. Now here, all your associates, they have joined us?",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\nYes.",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n So that..., that's nice. You are welcome. Where is Sai?",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\nOh, he's in Honolulu right now.",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n So, what is his opinion? He wants to keep himself separate?",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\nWhat from?",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n From us, from our institution?",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\nHe says... He told me several months ago, \"I'm going to go where I rightfully belong, and that's at the lotus feet of my spiritual master.\" He said that \"I have these disciples, so they are my responsibility, and I cannot make this step until these devotees are fixed up enough so that they won't go back to māyā.\"\nAnd he says this is possible, because this is where he belongs. So he called our devotees that..., he said that he wanted to please you he would be willing to transfer[?] to you.",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n That's nice. So, I think once he wrote me letter, and I replied. You remember?",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\nI heard that. Yes, I saw...",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n I think it was from that time, during [indistinct].",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\nYes. I saw that letter. It was given to us in New Vrindaban.",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n The thing is that we are strictly following the disciplic succession, and so, dovetailing. It doesn't matter if he works independently on this principle, but a dovetailing will give him strength, spiritual strength. So best thing will be to amalgamate, and follow our principles and work from there. Officially, he has to accept a spiritual master. That is necessary. So has he got any objection?",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\nNo. He's..., he left Honolulu first and he told me, he told all the devotees he was going to take the lowest position in the temple. He was going to surrender at the feet of your devotees. So he flew to San Francisco. Over fifty devotees went to different temples. The first night, thirty-five devotees left. Six went to San Francisco with Sai. And he came back after a few days, and went to stay with Gaurasundara at his…",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n They're, all your brothers, they have shaven heads. Shaven heads. No?",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n Yes. They are all...",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n All?",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n The first morning Sai told all the devotees, at night, and the next morning, he came out a little bit, our first meeting in the morning with his long hair, and then he went back to his room and came out again with his head shaved. He said, \"Anyone who wants to follow my example, please do so.\" And every boy...",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n That's nice.",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n ...every boy shaved his head immediately.",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n I think Sai was present in a meeting in Honolulu last time, and your all members, some of them were present.",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n Yes.",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n But he did not talk with me at that time. I did not know who was Sai, but Govinda dāsī told me that he was present.",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n I think in London, [indistinct] received one letter from Govinda dāsī mentioning about Sai. And so then [indistinct].",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n So try to understand that whatever we are doing, it is not concocted; it is authorized. We are following the principles authorized. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ [Cc. Madhya 17.186]. The spiritual life is very confidential. Dharmasya tattvaṁ nihitaṁ guhāyāṁ. It is very confidential, and nobody can find it out without the help of ācārya. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ. Therefore, the real path is to follow the footsteps of great ācāryas, and...",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n They have come from this..., that Ṭhākura [indistinct]. They are engaged with this Bhāgavata-saptāha, after pūjā [indistinct].",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n Ah.",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n They have… [break]",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n ...will not be so effective.",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n Okay. So, can we keep in the morning, because regularly they get the time in the morning now.",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n Hah?",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n We will get the time in the morning, after coming from the..., this kīrtana…",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n Ah.",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n ...at about nine we will be returning here.",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n Yes.",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n Then there is no program officially. And if you like, we will keep at ten o'clock.",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n No, no. We have already fixed up from five to seven.",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n Five to seven we are already fixed there with Sanātana-sevāsaṅga.",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n Yes.",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n So you want more next time?",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n No, no.",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n No.",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n That five to seven is sufficient.",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n Yes. So...",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n Within that...",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n Yes.",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n ...you make some arrangement...",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n Yes.",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n ...for hearing from me...",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n All right.",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n ...the teachings of Bhāgavata...",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n Yes.",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n ...or Bhagavad-gītā...",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n I see.",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n ...continually for some days.",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n All right.",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n That will be nice, effective.",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n So, we will direct these bhajanas, and...",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n Bhajanas?",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n We will direct sometime.",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n Bhajana will be in the beginning, as we have done, kīrtana. And then at the last, class. In the middle...",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n Middle only.",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n Hmm.",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n You, you will, if... That is we'll do in some sort.",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n Yes, you can do that. So, practically you have decided to follow our principles. Now do it. Everything will be all right.",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\nBut, there's..., there's some confusion amongst many of the devotees who have taken kṛṣṇa-yoga from you, because for so long, you know, we've been worshiping Sai as God.",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n Oh, that is not good.",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\nYes, I recognize that.",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n [indistinct]",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\nSays in the scriptures that…",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n Huh?",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\nDevotees should treat the spiritual master as God.",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n Treating as… [indistinct]",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\nBut this does not mean that we are saying that Sai is God.",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n Just like my disciples give me royal throne and treats me just like a king, but that does not mean I am king.",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\nNo, that's [indistinct].",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n They offer me respect. That is their duty. But if, because they offer me respect in that way, if I say then I have become Kṛṣṇa, that is not good.",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\nYes, I understand, though it's not to say that he was saying...",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n It's their duty to offer me respect, as much respect Kṛṣṇa is offered; more than that. That is their duty. But my duty is not that declare that I have become Kṛṣṇa. Then it is Māyāvādī. Then it is gone, everything is gone. Spiritual master is servant God, and Kṛṣṇa is God, and because in the absolute field there is no distinction between the servant and the master... There is distinction. The servant always knows that \"I am servant,\" and master knows that \"I am master,\" although still there is no distinction. That is absolute.\nThen Vaikuṇṭha, all the inhabitants are just like Nārāyaṇa, and in Vṛndāvana, Goloka Vṛndāvana, all the cowherds boys, they are as good as Kṛṣṇa. They do not know that Kṛṣṇa is… They love Kṛṣṇa intensely, without knowing that He is God, and that is required. The love is required. Not that one has to know Kṛṣṇa is God. God or no God, we love Kṛṣṇa, unconditionally. That is required. Although Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Lord, but the vṛndāvana-vāsī, they do not know that Kṛṣṇa is God, but their love for Kṛṣṇa is so intense, that makes them perfect. That is required.\nPremā pum-artho mahān [Caitanya-manjusa]. We have to increase our love, I mean to say, so intensely. There is, Vṛndāvana, inhabitants Vṛndāvana, even Nārāyaṇa they did not care so much. They offered respect. They love Kṛṣṇa so. And that is required. Not to understand what is God, and not to become God, but to love Kṛṣṇa.\nBut you cannot understand God, neither you can understand Kṛṣṇa. That is because Kṛṣṇa is so unlimited. He, He, He becomes just, just like human being, human child, that is His grace; but it is not possible to understand Kṛṣṇa. He is unlimited. If one says that \"I understood Kṛṣṇa,\" he is another fool. [laughs] Nobody can understand Kṛṣṇa. But still, one has to intensify his love for Kṛṣṇa without any deviation. That is perfection.\nSo it is very good that you have started the Kṛṣṇa Yoga Society. The name, name Kṛṣṇa was there; that has benefited you. Somehow or other, you developed some love for Kṛṣṇa. That has made you to come to us. That very conception that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Lord has benefited you. Only that qualification. So now you have come, you take it seriously, and according to regulative principle, then your life is perfect. But if Sai is still thinking of himself as God, that's not very good.",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\nI think he was only saying we should...",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n Yes. Nobody can be God.",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n...[indistinct]. He was never claiming that.",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n This is Māyāvāda.",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n...we were following the Vedic injunction of..., of treating the spiritual master...",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n We are, we are, we are in quality one with God. The substance as we are, the same as God. In that way we are not different, so far substance, just like a chemical composition, that is one. One can study Kṛṣṇa by studying His personal propensities. Just like the characteristic of the father is manifested in the characteristic of the son, or the son's characteristic is manifested in the father, similarly, all the characteristics of Kṛṣṇa are with..., are with us.",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\nNamaskāra.",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n Aiye.",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\nThey wanted to [indistinct]. They, they said they wanted to go out of [indistinct] station, so I came just now because... [break]",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n ...only, because we accepted Kṛṣṇa, guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpāya pāya bhakti-latā-bīja [Cc. Madhya 19.151]. The devotional service..., one can enter into the devotional service by the mercy of Kṛṣṇa and guru. Guru-kṛṣṇa. So one who is sincerely thinking of Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa gives him good spiritual master. And then, with the cooperation of spiritual master and Kṛṣṇa, the devotee becomes enhanced in spiritual life.\nGuru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpāya pāya bhakti-latā-bīja. You have read our Teachings of Lord Caitanya? In there you will find both. So one has to serve, parallel, guru and Kṛṣṇa. To serve Kṛṣṇa under the direction of guru, that is perfection. And..., and..., and treat spiritual master as Kṛṣṇa, but not to commit mistake that he is Kṛṣṇa.\nTo love spiritual master as good as Kṛṣṇa, that's nice, but this is Māyāvāda if one thinks that spiritual master is Kṛṣṇa, or spiritual master declares himself that \"I am Kṛṣṇa.\" That is very offensive. That will check further progress in spiritual life.\nSo I will reply this letter. It is very good. Welcome. You are welcome. You are sincere soul, and follow these regulative principle, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, then officially we shall accept you, and you work jointly. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is necessary throughout the whole world.\nSo Sai is intelligent boy, you are intelligent; take it seriously, and reclaim the confused boys, those who are passing as hippies. Try to convince them about the importance of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. They will be saved. Your country will be saved. The world will be saved. People will be happy. It is a nice movement. Try to understand.\nYou have got immense work to do. These fallen souls, these misguided, confused boys and girls, I have got every sympathy for them. They have been misguided, and Caitanya Mahāprabhu especially meant for them. Let them take to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. They will get what they are searching after. These confused boys and girls, they are searching after something happy. They will find it in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That's a fact.\nSo I'll especially request your group to teach these confused boys passing as hippies. So many thousands of boys and girls, especially in America.",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\nEspecially.",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n Especially. Especially in our…, I have seen. So try to convince them. That is Kṛṣṇa's service. You, you are practically experienced from your past life to the Kṛṣṇa consciousness, so you can better convince them. So I will write to Sai, you also write, and combined together just try to reclaim these confused souls. That will be your service, great service. Don't be satisfied that \"We have got now Kṛṣṇa. Our business is finished.\" No. You will reclaim your brothers, and that is greater service.\nSo conjointly do it, and if Sai comes here, I shall also request him. We have got very, I mean to say, responsible task, on behalf of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, to reclaim these fallen souls. Do it. That will be very nice. Kṛṣṇa will be very much pleased.",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\nJaya.",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n Yes. Try to reclaim, save these boys, save these souls. You see? Otherwise, by laws of nature, their life will be spoiled. Law of nature is very strict, stringent. If you develop animal propensities, you will have to become animal. You do not become; you will get another facility, by animal body. You are always spirit soul, but because you desire like that, your desire will produce a body like that. So these laws of nature is so subtle, as soon as you desire something to become: \"Yes, here it is.\"\nSo your best service to Kṛṣṇa will be to save these hippies. Somehow or other convince them that best thing, our process is very simple. Somehow or other call them, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, let them hear and give them prasādam, that's all. You..., you remain pure, and your purity of service, your association, will influence them. If you remain pure. And then they will gradually come.\nAll over the world. In India they have become Communists, Naxalites, but I have studied: they are all good souls. Soul always good. Simply they are misguided. Soul cannot be not good, because the part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is all-good; therefore, constitutionally, every soul is good. But by demonic association they become bad. [aside:] Acha. Where is that cloth? I forgot. That one Madrasi gentleman get. You put it in this closet.",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\nI'll put it in that closet.",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n Yes..",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\nChambur[?].",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n Chambur[?].",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\nCertainly in the.",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n Oh. [break] …that's all.",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\nI have a question about the position of the devotees now they are living in ISKCON temples.",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\nHmm?",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\nJust like, when Sai told the devotees that we were all going to be joining ISKCON...",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\nYes, that's nice. You live just like my other disciples are living.",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\nYes.",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n Then I shall initiate you. That's all. I have given them standard by instruction and by my books. So live according to that, and try to serve Kṛṣṇa by reclaiming these confused souls passing as hippies. That will be great service to the society, to your country and to Kṛṣṇa. Try to save them.",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n These devotees, already they are living in a very simple [indistinct].",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\nVery good.",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n [indistinct].",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n So issue instruction that treat them very nicely; they are good souls. Immediately issue. Where..., where..., wherever they have gone, you issue the letter.",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n[indistinct].\n Śyāmasundara has written I think.",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n Yes. It is very—Kṛṣṇa's grace that you have come to us. Because you, somehow or other, you developed a little attachment for Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa has given you the opportunity to come to us. Kṛṣṇa is so kind. As soon as He sees a little attachment for Him, immediately gives all facilities. So they are coming to us—another indication that this ISKCON movement is approved by Kṛṣṇa. Those who are sincere, they are coming, they are coming. So keep it very pure, then all of you will be benefited. Yes. He can write to Sai. I will also write. What is address now?",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\nHe's staying at the ISKCON temple, 2016 [indistinct] Street\n He's staying with Gaurasundara and Govinda dāsī.",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n Oh. Gaurasundara has written?",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\nYes. [indistinct].",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n That's nice. So I shall one..., dictate one letter, tomorrow. Immediately post. It is very good that you have come, and we are also pleased. Kṛṣṇa is pleased, everyone is pleased. Yes. The greatest disservice is to misguide. That people are in misery, so-called rascal leaders and svāmīs, simply they do not know what is the end of life. Simply misguide. Misguiding also..., people want to be misguided. You see? They want confirmation of their misdeeds. Whatever misdeeds they are doing, they go to somebody, and if it is confirmed, oh, then is good sermon. [laughs]",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n That is like Sai Baba.",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n Huh?",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n That is like Sai Baba. We were in the temple one time, there was so much Sai Baba literature and his testimonial, and the people wanted to do nonsense, and they went to Sai Baba, and he said, \"Yes, you can do it,\" and then they would say, \"Yes, Sai Baba said I could drink tea,\" or whatever.\nSo what is our position towards Sai? This is where, brings great confusion in the minds of the devotees. Immediately they ask.\n Because they used to accept him as spiritual master, so now, now that's all finished...",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n No.",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n...so, what is their relationship...?",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\nLet, let Sai accept me as spiritual master, and you remain Sai's disciple, but be initiated properly. Or it is Sai's duty to deliver all his followers to me. That will be very nice. As he has surrendered all his money, similarly, he can surrender all his followers.",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\nIt's like in the army.",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\nHuh? Yes. And then it is very good—for him and for his followers.",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\nHe wrote this fall about that to the devotees. \"Shaved heads. Now we are all disciples of Prabhupāda. I can no longer treat you externally as my disciples, because of the negative reaction I will incur [indistinct]. If you are internally attached, that is fine. Please me by serving Prabhupāda and his devotees. Prabhupāda must first okay my taking on disciples. He may or he may not. I will follow his orders. He tells me to kill you all, I will kill you.\"",
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"content": "\n[laughs] That's nice. Very, very good letter. That's very good. So I shall write to him.",
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"content": "\n[indistinct]",
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"content": "\nŚikṣā-guru or dīkṣā-guru. Initiated..., initiator master and instructor master. So you can treat him as your instructor master. That is allowed. He will understand. I shall write. Now you live as you are living, everything will be pure.\nSo this chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa and thinking of Kṛṣṇa has made you so much advanced. They are chanting. [laughs]",
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"content": "\nThey chant.",
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"content": "\nYes. I always indirectly encouraged. I asked Gargamuni [laughing] why he is asking whether we shall supply coat? And why not? They are chanting, why should we not supply? They are purchasing books regular. Why not? So let them associate with our views and ideas.",
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"content": "\nSo I was teaching mystical yoga for a long time when I read your books, and I immediately stopped. I was teaching kuṇḍalinī-yoga, kriyā-yoga, these processes. One day he came from Oahu to the āśrama on Maui, \"There'll be no more meditation. From now on just sit and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa.\"",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\n[laughing] That's nice. That is the...",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\nNo more fasting.",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\n...best, best meditation. Very... Kṛṣṇa has helped you; now you stick to these principles. Very good. I shall reply this letter. All right.",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n[offer obeisances] [break]",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\n...Kṛṣṇa consciousness method. The more you will sing, the more you will become satisfied. [mike noise] It is very good that you have come. Now combine together. Just save these confused boys. You have got immense work in the Western countries. Immense work.\nYou write Sai. He is very intelligent boy. You are also intelligent boy. Combine together. And the plan is very simple. Somehow or other call them. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and give prasādam, that's all. [end]",
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https://vedabase.io/en/library/transcripts/661214bg-new-york/
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[
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"content": "\n\nahaṁ hi sarva-yajñānāṁ\nbhoktā ca prabhur eva ca\nna tu mām abhijānanti\ntattvenātaś cyavanti te\n[Bg 9.24]\n[I am the only enjoyer and the only object of sacrifice. Those who do not recognize My true transcendental nature fall down.]\nBecause we do not know God in fact, simply understanding, \"Oh, there is God,\" and little more advanced, \"God is our order-supplier,\" that is not sufficient. You must know God, I mean to say, tat, tattvena, in truth, tattvena. That tattvena, in truth, as it is explained by Lord Caitanya, that is the highest explanation. He has given the fullest information. Of course, it is not possible to understand God to the fullest extension, but as far as possible as a human being can understand, that has been explained in the..., by Lord Caitanya about Kṛṣṇa.\nKṛṣṇa has explained in the Bhagavad-gītā about Himself. That is more than sufficient. And still more, Lord Caitanya has explained about Him. Kṛṣṇa has explained Himself that you require to surrender unto Him. Just like here also He says that ahaṁ hi sarva-yajñānāṁ bhoktā: \"I am the beneficiary of all the activities of living entities.\" And bhoktā ca prabhur eva ca: \"I am enjoyer, and I am the master.\"\nSo in the Bhagavad-gītā you'll find that the Lord advises people in general that sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vra... [Bg 18.66]:\n[Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reaction. Do not fear.]\n\"Just try to surrender unto Me, and I shall give you all protection.\" Then Caitanya Mahāprabhu... He's also Kṛṣṇa Himself. As a devotee, He's explaining Kṛṣṇa further. Not only surrender, but after surrender what are the activities, that is explained by Lord Caitanya.\nSo for the general, people in general, the first requisition is that they must learn how to surrender unto God. Tattvena na te abhijānanti: \"They do not know what is the,\" I mean to say, \"accurate situation of the Supreme Lord.\" Now here it is stated,\nyānti deva-vratā devān\npitṝn yānti pitṛ-vratāḥ\nbhūtāni yānti bhūtejyā\nyānti mad-yājino 'pi mām\n[Bg 9.25]\n[Those who worship the demigods will take birth among the demigods; those who worship ghosts and spirits will take birth among such beings; those who worship ancestors go to the ancestors; and those who worship Me will live with Me.]\nNow, the argument that \"In whatever form you worship the Supreme...\" This is the Māyāvādī theory, that \"God is impersonal. Now, because we cannot worship or meditate upon something impersonal, therefore let us imagine something about Him and meditate upon that.\" Just like the impersonalist yogī. They put before them a lump of something and concentrate upon them. So here that theory is refuted by Kṛṣṇa. That impersonal conception of the Supreme and our imagination of God, that is not the way of approaching God.\nHe says clearly herewith that yānti deva-vratā devān: \"Those who are worshiping the demigods...\" The demigods have their different places in this material world. All the planets, heavenly planets... There are seven planetary systems up and seven planetary system down. So this is called Bhūrloka, earthly planet, and there are many planets on this system. So Bhūrloka, Bhuvarloka, Janaloka, Tapoloka, then Brahmaloka, Satyaloka, like that—so many planets there are. So there are different kinds of living entity and different kinds of comforts. They are highly intelligent, more intelligent than the human beings. Therefore they are called demigods, almost God.\nSo here Kṛṣṇa says, \"Those who are trying to worship the demigods, they'll go to the planets of the demigods.\" Yānti deva-vratā devān pitṝn yānti pitṛ-vratāḥ [Bg 9.25]. \nPitṛ-vratāḥ. There is a form of worship of the forefathers. So there is a particular planet. The worshiper of the forefathers, they go there. Pitṝn yānti pitṛ-vratāḥ. And bhūtejyā yānti. Bhūtāni yānti bhūtejyā. And those who are materialistic, those who want to worship these earthly things in this material..., not material world; everywhere, but bhūtejyā, especially material worship, so bhūtejyā, those who are worshiper of material elements, they go to... They remain in the material platform. Yānti mad-yājino 'pi mām [Bg 9.25]: \"And those who are worshiping Me, Lord, they will come to Me.\" This is very nice, clear.\nNow, suppose if you have purchased ticket for an intermediate station between California, San Francisco, and New York. So you shall have to get down in that station. So how can you expect that... You have purchased a ticket for intermediate station. How can you expect to go to California? Similarly, if you worship demigods, you can go up to that planet. As you worship, there are different arrangement in the system, in the creation of God, as you want. You have got freedom of action, and God awards you the result, whatever you want. But if you want to go to the planet where Kṛṣṇa is, Kṛṣṇa planet, which is called Goloka Vṛndāvana, then you have to worship Kṛṣṇa. Oh, there is nothing unreasonable. If you want to go to California, San Francisco, you have to purchase ticket for that.\nNow, what is the difference between going to other planets and to the planet where Kṛṣṇa is? That will be explained. The... That is explained in a different place, that yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama [Bg 15.6]:\n[That abode of Mine is not illumined by the sun or moon, nor by electricity. One who reaches it never returns to this material world.]\n\"The supreme platform, supreme planet, is that where going, nobody returns to this material world.\" Yad gatvā na nivartante. Nivartante means..., na nivartante, \"does not return.\" Ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna [Bg 8.16].\n[From the highest planet in the material world down to the lowest, all are places of misery wherein repeated birth and death take place. But one who attains to My abode, O son of Kuntī, never takes birth again.]\nThat we... Already we have discussed, that gata-gatim. Within this material world, even if you go to the higher planets, the planet of the moon, planet of the sun planet or heavenly planet, the Indraloka, Candraloka, so many there are, then, after finishing your result of pious activities, you have to come back again. Punar āvartinaḥ.\nSo we are sometimes going up, sometimes coming back again in this material world, sometimes going down. Just like we are changing different dresses. Sometimes I am..., I have got this body, Indian, sometimes you have got this body, American, and sometimes I may get the body of a dog or a hog or something else. I may get the body of demigod. As these changes of dresses are going on, cycle of birth and death, transmigration of the soul in different forms of life, similarly, there is transmigration of the soul in different planets.\nSo ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ... This system of going up and down should be stopped. That is the business of an intelligent person. Yad gatvā na nivartante [Bg 15.6].\nWe should try to go to that planet where going, no more coming back. That is Kṛṣṇaloka. That is Vaikuṇṭha, the spiritual sky. Paras tasmāt tu bhāvaḥ anyaḥ [Bg 8.20].\n[Yet there is another nature, which is eternal and is transcendental to this manifested and unmanifested matter. It is supreme and is never annihilated. When all in this world is annihilated, that part remains as it is.]\nBeyond this material sky there is spiritual sky. There are spiritual planets, and Kṛṣṇaloka is there. So Kṛṣṇa gives here hint that mad-yājino 'pi mām: \"As others are going, trying to go in other planets, similarly, those who are in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, those who are absolutely worshiper of the Supreme Lord, they will come to Me. They will come to Me.\" Mām upetya tu kaunteya.\nIn other place... There are several places mentioned, this fact.\nmām upetya punar janma\nduḥkhālayam aśāśvatam\nnāpnuvanti mahātmānaḥ\nsaṁsiddhiṁ navate para\n[Bg 8.15]\n[After attaining Me, the great souls, who are yogīs in devotion, never return to this temporary world, which is full of miseries, because they have attained the highest perfection.]\n\"Those who attain once to Me, they will never... They will have never to come again to this place of miseries.\" So here is the hint that by Kṛṣṇa consciousness, if we remain always in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then our transference to that planet of Kṛṣṇaloka is guaranteed.\nYaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran loke tyajaty ante kalevaram [Bg 8.6].\n[Whatever state of being one remembers when he quits his body, that state he will attain without fail.]\nWe have discussed this verse that at the time of death my mental condition, whatever my mental condition is at that time, at the time of my death, I am just going to have a similar body, according to the mental condition at the time of my death. So if we are constantly engaged in Kṛṣṇa, transcendental loving service of Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then naturally we shall be thinking of Kṛṣṇa at the time of death. This is the practice. This is the practice.\nSadā tad-bhāva-bhāvitāḥ [Bg 8.6]. Unless you practice... Just like if you have to play on the stage, you have to perform several rehearsals, or if you have to appear in some examination, then you prepare yourself, what sort of question may be there, and so, similarly, if we at all want to transfer ourself to that planet, Kṛṣṇaloka, cintāmaṇi-dhāma [Bs 5.29], then we have to practice.\n[I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, the first progenitor who is tending the cows, yielding all desire, in abodes built with spiritual gems, surrounded by millions of purpose trees, always served with great reverence and affection by hundreds of thousands of \nlakṣmīs\n or \ngopīs.]\nWe have to practice in this life.\nThis human form of life is meant for practicing. Just like apprentice. Here, those who are even apprentice, they are already liberated because... Just [like] a nice student who is preparing himself, he is already passed. Passed means he is preparing himself in such a nice way that his passing of the examination is guaranteed. Similarly, if we take the trouble of becoming Kṛṣṇa conscious always, then our transference to that planet..., mad-yājino 'pi mām, that is guaranteed. Bhūtāni yānti bhūtejyā yānti mad-yājino 'pi mām [Bg 9.25].\n[Those who worship the demigods will take birth among the demigods; those who worship ghosts and spirits will take birth among such beings; those who worship ancestors go to the ancestors; and those who worship Me will live with Me.]\nNow the question is that Kṛṣṇa consciousness, how to perform Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is explained by the Lord in the next verse:\npatraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ\nyo me bhaktyā prayacchati\ntad ahaṁ bhakty-upahṛtam\naśnāmi prayatātmanaḥ\n[Bg 9.26]\n[If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, fruit or water, I will accept it.]\nNow, you have to make friendship with Kṛṣṇa. Just like if you want to go to see somebody very great, then somehow or other, you have to make some connection with him, something. You have to introduce yourself in a way, in a friendly way, in a loving manner. Then it is possible to make connection with great personality. So if we want to transfer ourself to that supreme planet, Kṛṣṇaloka, then we have to prepare ourself how to love Kṛṣṇa. Love of God. If you are intimately in touch with God by love... We cannot conquer with all..., we cannot claim any favor from the Supreme unless we are in love.\nSo love means... There are six principles of loving. What is that?\ndadāti pratigṛhṇāti\nguhyam ākhyāti pṛcchati\nbhuṅkte bhojayate caiva\nṣaḍ-vidhaṁ prīti-lakṣaṇam\n[Upadeśāmṛta 4]\n[A sober person who can tolerate the urge to speak, the mind's demands, the actions of anger and the urges of the tongue, belly and genitals is qualified to make disciples all over the world.]\nHow one can understand I love you, or you can understand that I love you? There is... There are six kinds of reciprocation, six kinds of exchange, reciprocation. What is that? Dadāti. One whom you love, you must give something. And you must take something from him. Dadāti pratigṛhṇāti. Bhuṅkte bhojayate: You must give him something to eat, and you must accept also what he gives to eat. And dadāti pratigṛhṇāti bhuṅkte bhojayate, guhyam ākhyāti pṛcchati ca: you must disclose your mind, and you must hear him. If your lover is also in some difficulty, he discloses his mind. So these six things, dadāti, giving, and pratigṛhṇāti, accepting, and bhuṅkte, to offer foodstuff and accept foodstuff, and disclose your mind and hear him also, these things...\nSo we have to deal with God in that way. Therefore, if you want to offer something... The beginning is offering. Offering. We must offer something. So what is that offering? If you... If somebody says that \"I am very poor man. I cannot offer anything...\" Because in India, of course, offering to the demigods, offering to some deity... That is very expensive job. There are list of goods. Now, suppose a poor man, he wants to offer something to God. Then what he has to offer? He... Here is a prescription given by the Lord Himself which can be offered even by the poorest man. What is that? Patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyam. A, a little bit of tulasī leaves or any leaf; puṣpam, a little bit of flower; patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalam, a small fruit; and toyam, a little water.\nNow, patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyam, these four things can be available universally. Nobody is so poor that he cannot collect a leaf of a tree or a small fruit or a small flower and little water. It is universal; nothing expensive. So anyone, in any country, in any place, he can offer Kṛṣṇa these four things. There is no bar. Patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyam. Four things: a small leaf... You can have any. There are so many trees. If you take one leaf, even if you are forbidden, if you ask that \"I am going to offer this leaf to God,\" anyone will offer it. Patraṁ puṣpam, a little flower, and a small fruit and little water.\nSo Lord says, patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati [Bg 9.26].\n[If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, fruit or water, I will accept it.]\nThe real thing is love. \"Anyone who is offering Me these four things in love,\" tad ahaṁ bhakty-upahṛtam, \"because he has brought these four things with love and devotion,\" then God says, Lord says, tad aham aśnāmi, \"I eat. I eat,\" bhaktyā prayatātmanaḥ, \"because with devotion, with faith and with love he has brought.\"\nGod is full. We should not think that \"God is depending upon my this little flower or fruit. He is very hungry. When I shall offer this fruit and He'll satisfy His hunger.\" No. He's pūrṇam. But the qualification is that offering should be in love, in devotion. That He accepts. He accepts your devotion and love. So patraṁ puṣpam.\nSo anybody can worship Kṛṣṇa. This is universal. Patraṁ puṣpam... These four things can be... But one thing you should remember, that if we want to cheat Kṛṣṇa—\"Oh, Kṛṣṇa wants only patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyam, so let Him have this patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyam, and for myself, let me eat very sumptuously, the best thing\"—that is cheating. Kṛṣṇa can understand. This is for the poorest man. But if you have got very nice things to offer to Kṛṣṇa, just offer. Any... Your love means you should offer to Kṛṣṇa the nicest, the choicest, the best thing.\nBecause everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa. So when you offer something best, choicest, that is your love only. Suppose you offer a fruit to Kṛṣṇa. Can you manufacture fruit? Oh, it is manufactured by Kṛṣṇa. It is God's gift. But if you place before Him some choicest fruit, some choicest flower, some choicest, I mean to say, thing, then that is your token of love that you think...\nAnd in this material world... Suppose there is a very nice rose flower. Somebody takes it: \"Oh, it is very nice rose flower. Oh, I shall take it and offer my girlfriend or boyfriend.\" That is sense gratification. That is sense gratification. The same flower, if you take it and think, \"Oh, it is very nice flower. I shall offer to Kṛṣṇa,\" that is your service to the Lord. The flower is there. Simply change of consciousness. This is called Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The flower is there. You are there. The consciousness is there. This offering is there. Simply you have to change. That's all. You have to change. If you utilize things for sense gratification, then you go to the darkest region of this material atmosphere. And the same thing, if you offer to Kṛṣṇa, it becomes spiritual.\nNow, after offering Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa is not taking it away. You are take... You are taking the prasādam. That means the whole thing becomes spiritualized. So in this way we can spiritualize the whole world, whole world, simply by changing our consciousness. We are... We are anxious for peace. This is the process of peace: you change your consciousness.\nDon't accept anything for your sense gratification. Everything is there. It is supplied by the Supreme Lord. Everything is the property of the Supreme Lord. You are falsely claiming that you are the proprietor. You are not proprietor. How you can be proprietor? Suppose before you came to America from Europe... The land was there. And suppose sometimes you leave this land. Oh, the land will remain there. Or suppose I take my birth in America. So before my birth, the land was there. And after my death, the land will be there. If you trace out history, go on tracing, when the land was not there, you'll never find. Therefore the land is God's. Why do you claim that \"This is my land\"? The earth belongs to God. Everything belongs to God.\nThis consciousness should be changed if you at all want peace. If you encroach upon God's property and take it as your own thing and try to utilize for your sense gratification, you cannot expect any peace. Cannot expect any peace. Suppose you have stolen something from somebody else, and if you want to enjoy, you'll be always in trouble because the police search will be there, and as soon as you are caught, you'll be in trouble. Similarly, the nature is the police agent of God. As soon as you want to gratify your sense by utilizing the property of God, then you'll be in trouble. The nature will inflict miseries upon you. This is the law of nature.\nIt is clearly stated in the Bhagavad-gītā,\ndaivī hy eṣā guṇamayī\nmama māyā duratyayā\nmām eva ye prapadyante\nmāyām etāṁ taranti te\n[Bg 7.14]\n[This divine energy of Mine, consisting of the three modes of material nature, is difficult to overcome. But those who have surrendered unto Me can easily cross beyond it.]\nThis guṇamayī, māyā, this material nature of three modes of nature, guṇamayī... Guṇa means modes of nature. This modes of nature means it is a combination of three modes: modes of passion, modes of goodness, modes of ignorance. So therefore it is called guṇamayī māyā. So daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā. You cannot surpass the stringent laws of material nature. That is not in your power. Just like however stout and strong you are, when you are under police custody, oh, no strength will help you. You'll be offered all kinds of tribulation. Similarly, the nature is very strong.\nSo long we shall go on utilizing God's property illegally and encroach upon others', I mean to say, possession, then there cannot be any peace. If you want peace at all, then you have to accept that \"Everything belongs to God, and I can use after offering Him: 'Accepting that this belongs to You, God, kindly... You have sent me all these things for my subsistence. Oh, it is Your thing. Kindly You first of all taste it. Then I shall take Your prasādam.' \" This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Lord is supplying everything. He will not eat whatever is given to you. It is for you. Simply just acknowledge. Just acknowledge. Oh, can you not acknowledge even, \"Oh, God, You have given us so nice things for eating. Please, You taste\"?\nJust like small child. He is provided by the father, but while eating, he offers the father: \"My dear father, it is very nice thing. You taste.\" How much pleased will be the father, just imagine. The father knows that \"The child has brought my things.\" But if the small child offers to the father, \"Father, it is very nice. You eat,\" oh, father says, \"Oh, it is very nice? All right, I shall eat it.\" This is love. This is love.\nSo here... How you can offer your love? Patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati, tad ahaṁ bhakty-upahṛtam aśnāmi [Bg 9.26].\n[If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, fruit or water, I will accept it.]\nAnd if God accepts your things and eats, then what do you want more? He becomes your the most intimate friend. Yaṁ labdhvā cāparaṁ lābhaṁ manyate nādhikaṁ tataḥ [Bg 6.22].\n[The stage of perfection is called trance, or samādhi, when one's mind is completely restrained from material mental activities by practice of yoga. This is characterized by one's ability to see the self by the pure mind and to relish and rejoice in the self. In that joyous state, one is situated in boundless transcendental happiness and enjoys himself through transcendental senses. Established thus, one never departs from the truth, and upon gaining this he thinks there is no greater gain. Being situated in such a position, one is never shaken, even in the midst of greatest difficulty. This indeed is actual freedom from all miseries arising from material contact.]\nIf you can make God as your intimate friend then there is no, I mean to say, nothing wanted. You'll be fulfilled. You'll find yourself that \"I have got everything.\" Yasmin sthito na guruṇāpi duḥkhena na vicālyate [Bg 6.22]. And if we become convinced that \"God is my protector; Kṛṣṇa is my protector,\" then how much happy and peaceful we will be.\nSo this process Bhagavad-gītā recommends, that you offer. Doesn't matter. In the next śloka... Even if you cannot offer this patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyam, then in the next śloka it is explained then whatever you can offer, offer something. Offer something. Just be in love with Him. Then just see how much peaceful you feel, how much tranquility you feel and how you are protected by Kṛṣṇa, how you avoid insufficiency, how you become pure and how you make your progress in spiritual life.\nThank you very much.",
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"content": "\nHare Kṛṣṇa.",
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"content": "\nAny question? [end]",
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https://vedabase.io/en/library/transcripts/670124cc-san-francisco/
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"content": "\n\n...krūrān\nsaṁsāreṣu narādhamān\nkṣipāmy ajasram aśubhān\nāsurīṣv eva yoniṣu\n[Bg. 16.19, Cc. Madhya 25.40]\n[Those who are envious and mischievous, who are the lowest among men, are cast by Me into the ocean of material existence, into various demoniac species of life.]\nThis is a verse from Bhagavad-gītā, that those who are deriding upon God, \"God, there is no God; I am God,\" they are called asuras. Asuras, atheists, or demons. The demons... The Kṛṣṇa, Lord Kṛṣṇa personally says that tān ahaṁ dviṣataḥ krūrān: Those who are such envious upon the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the result is that they are thrown into perpetual ignorance, and born life after life where they cannot understand what is God. Because they want to forget God, therefore God puts them into such condition that they will never be able to understand what is God. This is the version from Bhagavad-gītā by the Supreme Personality of Godhead.\nThat means the condition of the atheist are always abominable. Tān ahaṁ dviṣataḥ krūrān saṁsāreṣu narādhamān. Saṁsāreṣu. Saṁsāra means this material entanglement. This is called saṁsāra. And narādhama. They are called the lowest of the humankind, because human life is especially meant for God realization, self-realization. So instead of realizing oneself and the Supreme Self, if one derides, doesn't want to understand what is God, what is God consciousness, what is Kṛṣṇa, he is to be understood as the lowest of the mankind, narādhama. Adhama means lowest. Or, in other words, he is an animal in the form of a man. Narādhameṣu. And birth after birth, such atheist is put into the species of life where there is no chance of understanding God.\nThere are different species; we have discussed. Even in human society there are some species, or class, that it is not possible for them to understand what is God at all. Not even the idea. Generally, even the aborigines, they have got some sense of God. Whenever they find something extraordinary, just like lightning or a great hill or a great tree, they offer their respect. So that is sense of God. Sense of God is there in everyone's heart. Unless he is an animal, everyone heart there is. Artificially, we try to drive away this obedience.\nBut there are other... Even in the civilized society, there are persons, they are put into such a circumstances that they will never be able to understand what is God consciousness or what is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. They are so misfortunate. And as soon as one becomes godless or forgetful [of] his eternal relationship with God, then his life is immediately condemned.\nsūtrera pariṇāma-vāda tāhā nā māniyā\nvivarta-vāda sthāpe vyāsa bhrānta baliyā\n[Cc. Madhya 25.41]\n[Not accepting the transformation of energy, Śrīpāda Śaṅkarācārya has tried to establish the theory of illusion under the plea that Vyāsadeva has made a mistake.]\nei ta' kalpita arthamane nāhi bhāya\nśāstra chāḍi kukalpanā pāṣaṇḍe bujhāya\n[Cc. Madhya 25.42]\n[Śrīpāda Śaṅkarācārya has given his interpretation and imaginary meaning. It does not actually appeal to the mind of any sane man. He has done this to convince the atheists and bring them under his control.]\nSo that disciple of Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī admitted that godlessness in Vedānta-sūtra is not the purpose. Actually, by misinterpreting the Vedānta-sūtra they want to establish that \"There is no God; we are God.\" So after explanation of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, at least there was one convert amongst all the sannyāsīns, and he was glorifying Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Eta sei kare kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtana [Cc. Madhya 25.46].\n[After saying this, the disciple of Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī began to chant the holy name of Kṛṣṇa. Hearing this, Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī made the following statement.]\nAnd while he was glorifying Lord Caitanya, automatically he began to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare / Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. Śuni' prakāśānanda kichu kahena vacana [Cc. Madhya 25.46]. When his disciple was glorifying Lord Caitanya and His process of teaching, his spiritual master, Prakāśānanda, said like this: ācāryera āgraha-advaita-vāda sthāpite [Cc. Madhya 25.47].\n[Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī said, ”Śaṅkarācārya was very eager to establish the philosophy of monism. Therefore he explained the Vedānta-sūtra, or Vedānta philosophy, in a different way to support monistic philosophy.]\nHe admitted... Ācārya means Śaṅkarācārya. He means here Śaṅkarācārya. Śaṅkarācārya wanted that there is only one Brahman, and we are also Brahman, but he wanted his philosophy of monism. Dualism, God and living entity separate, they do not admit. They admit that God and living entity the same. It is simply for the time being covered, which is called māyā. Māyāvāda philosophy. So the Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī also admitted that because Śaṅkarācārya wanted to establish his philosophy of monism, therefore he had to cover the real meaning of Vedānta-sūtra. \nTāte sūtrārtha vyākhyā kare anya rīte jani [Cc. Madhya 25.47]. Anya rīte: in a different interpretation. He was a very learned scholar. If a scholar likes to present something in a different way... Just like an expert lawyer, he can get out of the entanglement of law by jugglery of words and interpretation, he is called a big lawyer; similarly, there are philosophers who can put different theories and not admit the existence of God.\nSo Śaṅkarācārya's real purpose was \"No existence of God,\" because he had a very thankless task. He was dealing with the persons who are Buddhists. They did not believe anything except matter. So for them, to establish that there is God, it is very difficult. Therefore he adopted this means that \"There is no separate God. We are all God. You are God, I am God.\"\nAnd a demonic person, if he is addressed, \"Oh, you are God,\" oh, he becomes very happy, because he does not become responsible to any higher authority. He becomes God. He can do anything. He can perform any nonsense. Nobody is going to punish him. It is very nice theory, that \"I have become God. Because I have no more...\"\nSuppose you yourself become the government of United States. Then you can do anything. It is very nice. \"I am everything: I am president, I am secretary, I am everything. Therefore who is going to check me? I can do any nonsense.\" This is the basic principle of godlessness—to avoid the higher authority. Just like already in your country, that class of youngsters who are defying any authority. Not only in your country; in other countries also—that has become a fashion, to defy authorities. So this godlessness is also like that, to defy the Supreme Personality of Godhead.\nThere is no practically difference between Buddha philosophy and Śaṅkara's philosophy. Buddha philosophy says that the matter is everything. Beyond matter there is nothing—everything void—and the combination of matter is the source of our miseries. So you make a dismantlement of the matter—nirvāṇa—there will be no more miseries. And Śaṅkara's philosophy says that brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā. It is little, little farther advanced, admitting the spirit, but he says that spirit is impersonal. \"There is no God. It is impersonal.\" So practically the same thing: ultimately, it is void or there is no God.\nBut Vedānta philosophy does not say that. Vedānta philosophy, from the very beginning it asserts that athāto brahma jijñāsā, \"Now it is the time for discussing on the Absolute Truth.\" And what is that Absolute Truth? Janmādy asya yataḥ [SB 1.1.1]:\n[O my Lord, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, son of Vasudeva, O all-pervading Personality of Godhead, I offer my respectful obeisances unto You. I meditate upon Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa because He is the Absolute Truth and the primeval cause of all causes of the creation, sustenance and destruction of the manifested universes. He is directly and indirectly conscious of all manifestations, and He is independent because there is no other cause beyond Him. It is He only who first imparted the Vedic knowledge unto the heart of Brahmājī, the original living being. By Him even the great sages and demigods are placed into illusion, as one is bewildered by the illusory representations of water seen in fire, or land seen on water. Only because of Him do the material universes, temporarily manifested by the reactions of the three modes of nature, appear factual, although they are unreal. I therefore meditate upon Him, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who is eternally existent in the transcendental abode, which is forever free from the illusory representations of the material world. I meditate upon Him, for He is the Absolute Truth.]\n\"Absolute Truth is the summum bonum substance from which everything emanates.\"\nyei grantha-kartā cāhe sva-mata sthāpite\nśāstrera sahaja artha nahe tāṅhā haite\n[Cc. Madhya 25.49]\n[Anyone who wants to establish his own opinion or philosophy certainly cannot explain any scripture according to the principle of direct interpretation.]\nThis is the secret of modern fashionable interpretation. If you want to establish... Suppose you have got some conviction, and if you want to establish it by evidence of an approved literature... An approved literature. Just like Gandhi. Gandhi wanted to establish nonviolence from Bhagavad-gītā. He was a... He is known to be a great student of Bhagavad-gītā, but he was not at all. His political theory was that he wanted to conquer over the enemies by nonviolence method. Nonviolent noncooperation, that was his, I mean to say, theory. He wanted to get away all kinds of nonviolence from the world..., all kinds of violence from the world.\nSo he wanted to prove from Bhagavad-gītā nonviolence. But how you can prove nonviolence from Bhagavad-gītā? Because Bhagavad-gītā is being spoken in the violent battlefield. But because he wanted to prove nonviolence, therefore he says, \"Oh, these 'Pāṇḍavas' means this. This 'Kṛṣṇa' means this. This 'chariot' means this. These 'Kurus' means this. Dharmakṣetra means this. Kurukṣetra means this.\" He has invented and manufactured so many rascal meaning that it is very difficult...\nHe said that dharmakṣetre... In the beginning of Bhagavad-gītā there is the verse,\ndharmakṣetre kurukṣetre\nsamavetā yuyutsavaḥ\n[Bg. 1.1]\n[Dhṛtarāṣṭra said: O Sañjaya, after assembling in the place of pilgrimage at Kurukṣetra, what did my sons and the sons of Pāṇḍu do, being desirous to fight?]\nNow, the very word yuyutsavaḥ means persons who are desiring to fight with one another. Now, how you can prove nonviolence? But he extracts some meaning: \"These Pāṇḍava means five senses and the Kurukṣetra means this body.\" In this way, his interpretation.\nTherefore, all different interpretation... The Vedic literature, either take Bhāgavata or Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā, or any Upaniṣad, the meaning is very clear. It is sheer foolishness to understand that \"The meaning is vague; now I am clearing. I am a great scholar. I can interpret in a different way.\" So... As if Vyāsadeva left the meaning to be cleared by some rascal. You see? He was not himself competent to clear the meaning, but he left the work to be done by some rascal. That is their interpretation.\nBut actually it is not. In every śloka, if you know Sanskrit, you'll see the meaning is clear. Just like in the Bhagavad-gītā, dharmakṣetre kurukṣetre samavetā yuyutsavaḥ. There was actual some fight between the two cousin groups, and they fought at the battlefield of Kurukṣetra. That Kurukṣetra is still existing. If you go to India, that... There is a railway station, Kurukṣetra. It is about 150 miles from Delhi. And people go there for pilgrimage.\nTherefore it is dharmakṣetra, a place of religious rites. And in the Vedas, Sāma-Veda, I think... I don't exactly remember. But one of the Vedas it is written that kurukṣetre dharma yajayet. In the Kurukṣetra, that place, if anyone wants to perform religious rites, he should go to Kurukṣetra and perform there. It will have better effect. This is the indication in the Vedic literature.\nTherefore Kurukṣetra is still accepted. Those who travel, wander in pilgrimages, they go to Kurukṣetra still. The system is going on. If there is a lunar eclipse, they go to Kurukṣetra to make some charities. So Kurukṣetra is accepted from the very, very long period in the Vedic age as the place of pilgrimage. So it is stated there, dharmakṣetra. How can I interpret that this Kurukṣetra means this body? In which dictionary he finds this meaning? But people are so foolish, because Mahatma Gandhi has interpreted, \"Oh, it is right.\" So this is going on.\nSo, yei grantha-kartā cāhe sva-mata... If anyone wants to establish his own foolish theory, he takes advantage of popular book and tries to explain in his own way. So in other words, it is clear that Śaṅkarācārya, he wanted to establish this theory of monism, and therefore he has explained Vedānta-sūtra in his own way. But that is not the actual explanation. What Lord Caitanya said, that is real explanation. All of them admitted. And this Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī, he also admitted.\nBhagavattā mānile advaita nā yāya sthāpana [Cc. Madhya 25.48]. Now, they wanted to establish the theory of monism—no difference between living entity and God, one; there is no separate God. Then, if admit..., if it is admitted that God is the source of everything, then you have to accept duality. Because the source of everything and the everything emanated—duality.\ntāte sūtrārtha vyākhyā kare anya rīte\n[Cc. Madhya 25.47]\n[Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī said, ”Śaṅkarācārya was very eager to establish the philosophy of monism. Therefore he explained the Vedānta-sūtra, or Vedānta philosophy, in a different way to support monistic philosophy.]\n'bhagavattā' mānile 'advaita' nā yāya sthāpana\nataeva saba śāstra karaye khaṇḍana\n[Cc. Madhya 25.48]\n[If one accepts the Personality of Godhead, the philosophy that maintains that God and the living entity are one cannot be established. Therefore Śaṅkarācārya argued against and refuted all kinds of revealed scriptures.]\nBecause the whole aim was to get away the existence of God, therefore all the Vedic literature was..., were interpreted by Śaṅkarācārya in his own way. Still it is going on. That process is still going on. Although there are many, I mean to say, explanation of Vedānta-sūtra by the Vaiṣṇava sampradāyas, just like Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya... Every Vaiṣṇava sampradāya has his own explanation of Vedānta-sūtra. Don't understand Vedāntist means the monopoly by Śaṅkara-sampradāya. No.\nBut people in general, they understand Vedāntist means Śaṅkara sampradāya. Because the devotee class, they do not give much importance to Vedānta. Because they read Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is accepted by the Vaiṣṇava-sampradāya, especially by the sect of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, as the real explanation of Vedānta; therefore they do not give any other explanation of Vedānta than Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.\nAnd because the Vaiṣṇava-sampradāya does not give very much importance to Vedānta-sūtra—because the explanation is there, they are reading actually Vedānta-sūtra—people misunderstand that the Vedāntist, followers of Vedānta, is the Śaṅkara-sampradāya, not this Vaiṣṇava-sampradāya. That is their misunderstanding.\nActually, any sampradāya, either the Śaṅkara-sampradāya or Vedānta sampradāya, if they have no standing on the Vedānta-sūtra, they are not recognized. They are [not] recognized. In... The Indian system is, in the spiritual society, that if you have got any sampradāya particular, then you must present your explanation of Vedānta-sūtra, how do you understand Vedānta-sūtra. On the basis of that understanding you will be recognized.\nSo the Vaiṣṇava-sampradāya, they are also Vedāntist. And because Vaiṣṇava-sampradāya, they are concerned with the bhakti, bhakti, I mean to say, cult, therefore our society, the Vaiṣṇavas, they were pleased to give me this title, Bhaktivedanta, that \"You will explain the Vedānta-sūtra.\" So this Bhaktivedanta title was especially offered to me, and I do not know why. That's all. So that Vedānta means bhakti, devotional service. That is the Vaiṣṇava philosophy. And Vedānta means, for the Śaṅkara-sampradāya, that \"There is no God. I am God.\"\nMīmāṁsaka kahe īśvara haya karmera aṅga [Cc. Madhya 25.50].\n[The Mīmāṁsaka philosophers conclude that if there is a God, He is subject to our fruitive activities. Similarly, the Sāṅkhya philosophers, who analyze the cosmic manifestation, say that the cause of the cosmos is material nature.]\nYou know there are six kinds of philosophies in India: the mīmāṁsaka philosophy; and Sāṅkhya philosophy; and nyāya—nyāya means logic—nyāya philosophy; then Māyāvāda philosophy; then Patañjali, yoga system, Patanjali philosophy; and at last, this Vedānta philosophy. So there are six kinds of philosophers. Out of them, only the Vedānta philosophy is compiled by Vyāsadeva. So it is considered that Vedānta philosophy only establishes the existence of God; all other philosophies, they do not admit the existence of God. They are atheistic philosophies. Mīmāṁsaka. \nMīmāṁsaka means they have decided that \"There is no necessity of worshiping God. If there is any God, all right, you do your duty nicely, and He will be obliged to award you the required result. Then there is no question of flattering Him.\" That is mīmāṁsaka philosophy. Just like in government, there are so many departments. So you need not to flatter him, but you do your duty, you pay your tax, you abide by the laws, then everything will be right. [indistinct] not worship any person. That is their philosophy, mīmāṁsa, karma-mīmāṁsa.\nEveryone is... Under the spell of karma, everyone is suffering or enjoying as the result of his past deeds. So the karma-mīmāṁsaka philosopher says, \"There is no necessity of worshiping God. You do your duty.\" Just like some moralists say that \"What is the use of God, God, Hare Kṛṣṇa? Just do your duty.\" But he does not know that what is his duty.\nThe duty is only to worship God, and nothing more. That is the duty. All other duties are māyā's spell only. There is no other duty. Because this human life is meant for that duty. The animals cannot execute that duty. Only the human being. Therefore our only duty is to understand God and engage ourself in that way. So these different kinds of philosophies are there. We shall gradually discuss.\nThank you very much.",
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"content": "\n Hare Kṛṣṇa. [end]",
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https://vedabase.io/en/library/transcripts/680905in-new-york/
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"content": "\n And where is that boy, Hṛṣīkeśa?",
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"content": "\n Hṛṣīkeśa.",
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"content": "\n Come on. Oh, he has shaved his face. Very nice. [chuckles] Sit down.\n[break] Today we have got two functions. One function is initiation of a brahmacārī, and another function is marriage ceremony of our one disciple Satsvarūpa brahmacārī and Jadurāṇī brahmacāriṇī.\n[break] ...Caitanya-bhāgavata there is a verse which says, gṛhe vā vanete thāke, hā gaurāṅga bole ḍāke [Song 38—Sāvaraṇa-Gaura-mahimā].\n[Anyone who takes pleasure in sporting within the waves of the ocean of Lord Caitanya’s distribution of love of God immediately becomes a confidential devotee of Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Mādhava. It doesn’t matter whether such a devotee is in the renounced order of life or whether he is a householder. If he is actually taking part in Lord Caitanya’s saṅkīrtana activities and actually understanding what it is, then such a person is always liberated. Narottama Dāsa aspires for his association.]\nThe purport is that either if you remain in household life or you remain as mendicant in the forest, in either case, you just become a devotee of Lord Caitanya. So although we have four divisions of the social orders, namely the brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha and sannyāsa... Brahmacārī means student, strictly observing life of celibacy, following the rules and regulation enunciated by the spiritual master under strict discipline. That is called brahmacārī. And next is that if a brahmacārī wants to get himself married, that is allowed.\nSo when a brahmacārī is married, he is called gṛhastha, or householder. But because a brahmacārī is trained from the very beginning of his life renunciation of material enjoyment, he cannot be absorbed like ordinary man in family life. Ordinary man, they cannot give up the family life or association of woman even up to the end of life. But according to Vedic system, association of woman is allowed only for a certain period, during the youthful days only, just to beget nice children. Because from the age of twenty-five years old up to fifty years, one can beget nice children.\nGṛhastha life, householder life, is meant for begetting nice children. If there are Kṛṣṇa conscious children in the society, there will be no disturbance. According to Vedic system, the population is divided into two divisions. Illegitimate sons are called varṇa-saṅkara. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that when the population becomes varṇa-saṅkara, the whole social situation becomes hellish. Actually that is the fact. So one should be very careful to beget nice children so that society, social order, political order will be calm, quiet, peaceful. That is the idea of gṛhastha life.\nAnd many devotees... There are twelve selected personalities who are considered to be the authority of this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Out of twelve authorities, seven authorities were all gṛhasthas, householders. Caitanya Mahāprabhu's associates, Nityānanda Prabhu, Advaita Prabhu, Gadādhara and Śrīvāsa, and Caitanya Mahāprabhu Himself, they were all householders.\nSo it is not that simply sannyāsī or brahmacārī can realize Kṛṣṇa consciousness and not the householders. No. So in our association we welcome this sort of marriage between trained brahmacārī and brahmacāriṇī so that we can welcome nice children for future Kṛṣṇa conscious generation. That is our viewpoint.\nSo... And initiation... Initiation means to begin spiritual life. According to Vedic culture, there are two births. One birth is from the gṛhastha parents, father and mother, and the other birth is between the spiritual master and Vedas. The Vedic knowledge is considered mother, and the spiritual master is considered the father. And by the help of the spiritual master, when one gets into transcendental knowledge, that is called second birth.\nSo janmanā jāyate śūdraḥ:\n[By birth everyone is a śūdra, but by undergoing the purificatory ceremonies under the direction of a bona fide spiritual master, one may become a brāhmaṇa, and when one knows the Supreme Spirit, he actually becomes a truly learned brāhmaṇa.]\n\"Everyone is born śūdra.\" Śūdra means without any culture. They are called śūdras. According to Vedic scripture, there are four classes of men: brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas, vaiśyas and śūdras. Out of these four classes of social order, the brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas and vaiśyas are considered higher caste.\nBrāhmaṇas means the most intelligent class of men in the society, and kṣatriya means the administrative class of men, and vaiśyas means the mercantile class of men, and śūdra means the laborer class of men. That division is everywhere, not only in India. These four classes of men are present in every country, every society. It may be in different names only, but the four divisions are already there everywhere. It cannot be without it.\nIn the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭam [Bg. 4.13]. \n[According to the three modes of material nature and the work ascribed to them, the four divisions of human society were created by Me. And, although I am the creator of this system, you should know that I am yet the non-doer, being unchangeable.]\nThese four classes of divisions are there according to different qualities, and Kṛṣṇa says, or God says, \"That is My creation.\" So there cannot be any exception of His creation. Just like God's creation is sun. In every country there is sun, not that a sun can be seen in India. In every country there is moon. Similarly, this caste system is present in every country, in every society, but it may be called in different names.\nSo the śūdras means the lowest class of men, who have no culture. But the higher classes, the brāhmaṇas, the kṣatriyas, they are considered highly cultured. And how they are called highly cultured? Because they are twice-born. First birth, janmanā jāyate śūdraḥ saṁskārād bhaved dvijaḥ. Saṁskārāt, by following this ritualistic ceremony of initiation or marriage, they are called dvija, twice-born. Saṁskārād bhaved dvijo veda-pāthād bhaved vipraḥ.\nThis initiation means this boy is being accepted as initiated in order to give him Vedic instruction so that he may live as a student, as a brahmacārī, within this Society and [break] get complete instruction of Vedic knowledge. And when he is competent, he is called vipra. Veda-pāthād bhaved vipro brahma jānātīti brāhmaṇaḥ. And when he realizes the Supreme Self, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he will be called brāhmaṇa. At that time we offer thread ceremony.\nSo this process are there, we are observing, and our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is gradually making progress with these principles. We have got already eleven branches, and one of our principal student, Śrīman Hayagrīva Brahmacārī, and Kīrtanānanda Swami, they are attempting to open a new social community project in West Virginia, New Vrindaban. So this Kṛṣṇa conscious movement is taking ground gradually, and we hope in future these gṛhasthas, these householders, vānaprasthas, sannyāsīs, they will implement this Vedic culture gradually, and people will be more and more happy. [break]\nThank you very much.",
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"content": "\n Hare Kṛṣṇa.",
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"content": "\nSo one thing I forgot is the sacred thread ceremony for Hayagrīva. He is present. Is there any? I think in my bag there is a thread, so Hayagrīva can also. Oh, here. You have that mantra?",
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"content": "\n Yes.",
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"content": "\n Bhūr bhuvaḥ svaḥ? And one thread? Bring. Hayagrīva?",
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"content": "\n Hayagrīva? Hayagrīva?",
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"content": "\n Now, where is water?\n[break] These garlands may be first of all put here, then one to the bridegroom and to the...\n[break] Come to this end, 108, then begin from here, again come to this side. In this way at least sixteen rounds you chant. And your spiritual name is already Hṛṣīkeśa. That's all right. And further instruction you'll have from Kīrtanānanda Swami and your Godbrother. So chant Hare Kṛṣṇa.\n[break] [fire sacrifice prayers, devotees repeating]\nnama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale\nśrīmate bhaktisiddhānta-sarasvatīti nāmine\n[I offer my respectful obeisances unto His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī, who is very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa, having taken shelter at His lotus feet.]\nśrī-vārṣabhānavī-devī-dayitāya kṛpābdhaye\nkṛṣṇa-sambandha-vijñāna-dāyine prabhave namaḥ\nI offer my respectful obeisances to Śrī Vārṣabhānavī-devī-dayita dāsa [another name of Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī], who is favored by Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī and who is the ocean of transcendental mercy and the deliverer of the science of Kṛṣṇa.\nmādhuryojjvala-premāḍhya-śrī-rūpānuga-bhaktida-\nśrī-gaura-karuṇā-śakti-vigrahāya namo 'stu te\n[I offer my respectful obeisances unto you, the personified energy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mercy, who delivers devotional service enriched with conjugal love of Śrī Śrī Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, coming exactly in the line of revelation of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī.]\nnamas te gaura-vāṇī-śrī-mūrtaye dīna-tāriṇe\nrūpānuga-viruddhāpasiddhānta-dhvānta-hāriṇe\nsvāhā, svāhā, svāhā\n[I offer my respectful obeisances unto you, who are the personified teachings of Lord Caitanya. You are the deliverer of the fallen souls. You do not tolerate any statement against the teachings of devotional service enunciated by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī.]\nnamo gaura-kiśorāya sākṣād-vairāgya-mūrtaye\nvipralambha-rasāmbhodhe pādāmbujāya te namaḥ\nsvāhā, svāhā, svāhā\n[I offer my respectful obeisances unto Śrīla Gaurakiśora dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja [the spiritual master of Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī], who is renunciation personified. He is always merged in a feeling of separation and intense love of Kṛṣṇa.]\nnamo bhaktivinodāya sac-cid-ānanda-nāmine\ngaura-śakti-svarūpāya rūpānuga-varāya te\nsvāhā, svāhā, svāhā\n[I offer my respectful obeisances unto Śrīla Saccidānanda Bhaktivinoda, who is the transcendental energy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He is a strict follower of the Gosvāmīs, headed by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī.]\ngaurāvirbhāva-bhūmes tvaṁ nirdeṣṭā saj-jana-priyaḥ\nvaiṣṇava-sārvabhaumaḥ śrī-jagannāthāya te namaḥ\nsvāhā, svāhā, svāhā\n[I offer my respectful obeisances to Śrīla Jagannātha dāsa Bābājī, who is respected by the entire Vaiṣṇava community and who confirmed the discovery of the place where Lord Caitanya appeared.]\nvāñchā-kalpatarubhyaś ca kṛpā-sindhubhya eva ca\npatitānāṁ pāvenebhyo vaiṣṇavebhyo namo namaḥ\nsvāhā, svāhā, svāhā\n[I offer my respectful obeisances unto all the Vaiṣṇava devotees of the Lord. They are just like desire trees who can fulfill the desires of everyone, and they are full of compassion for the fallen conditioned souls.]\n[break]\n[no audio]\nAgain do that. Yes, chant. Those who are initiated, chant, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma... I forgot to say you about the thread ceremony. Those who have passed one year's chanting, they can be offered this sacred thread.\n[break] ...first of all. Everyone has done? [ācamana] You have done second time. You have done second time? Then you do second time, you. Hṛṣīkeśa.",
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"content": "\n They have done it twice, all of them.",
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"content": "\n They have done now? Oh. [oṁ apavitraḥ recitation] Yes. Do it for the third time, circle. [oṁ apavitraḥ recitation, followed by maṅgalācaraṇa and other prayers] Now... Yes. You chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. [all chanting japa] You have... You can sit down. You are going? She is going? Your mother is going? Call her. Now we shall, function. Please sit down. [break] Oh, is that, that...?",
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"content": "\n [indistinct] neck beads.",
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"content": "\n Now Judy's mother, you can come here, Judy's mother.",
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"content": "\n She can sit on the chair.",
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"content": "\n Oh. That's all right. Give her chair here.",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n Oh, all right.",
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"content": "\n Sit down there. You sit down. Satsvarūpa, you sit down, this...",
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"content": "\n Sit down here.",
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"content": "\n No. Yes. Sit down. Sit down there. Now your daughter is being married with this brahmacārī. Now you can offer this brahmacārī—his name is Satsvarūpa—that \"This girl was in my charge so long. I give this daughter to you in charity to take charge.\" You tell like that.",
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"content": "\n I've had this daughter with me for so long. I now give her in your charge.",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\n Yes. And you say, \"Yes, I take charge.\"",
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"content": "\n Yes. I take charge.\n Then take here.",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\n Yes.",
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"content": "\n Hare Kṛṣṇa.",
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"content": "\n Then you say that \"Jadurāṇī, I take charge of your life so long I shall live,\" in this way.",
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"content": "\n Jadurāṇī, I take charge of your life so long I shall live.",
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"content": "\n And you say that \"I shall render my services unto you throughout my life. Throughout my life.\" Yes.",
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"content": "\n I shall render my service to you throughout my life.",
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"content": "\n And there is no separation. It is... There is no question of divorce or separation. In any condition of life, happiness or distress, you shall continue as husband and wife, because our main business is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This marriage is not material marriage for sense gratification.\nBut because there are girls and boys and we require also Kṛṣṇa conscious population, therefore we encourage this marriage. It is not for sense gratification. So in this way there is no question of separation or divorce. You admit this? Yes. You also admit this? Then you change your garland.",
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"content": "\n Haribol. Hare Kṛṣṇa.",
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"content": "\n Now you come this side; you come this side. Yes. And there is red, red sindhu? No? Red sindhu? No?",
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"content": "\n There is a ring.",
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"content": "\n There is a ring? All right. Give her this ring and now just cover the head. You cover. You cover the head. And somebody stuck up this, his cloth and his [her] cloth. Knot. Make a knot. You make. Yes. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. That's all. Now chant Hare Kṛṣṇa.\n[break] Godbrothers and -sister, give them good wishes.",
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"content": "\n Haribol! Haribol! All glories to Satsvarūpa and Jadurāṇī! Hare Kṛṣṇa!",
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"content": "\n Now chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. [chants] Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Boston center is in your charge, husband and wife. So you have to develop. You do it, and your children will do it. In this way just engage fully, heart and soul, in Kṛṣṇa's service. Oh, this is mixed?",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n No, it's not.",
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"content": "\n Bring that. Mix it. Mix it. Yes, mix it. [oṁ apavitraḥ recitation; fire sacrifice] Offer. Svāhā. Take. Everyone, you also take, little, little, some. Vande aham... [recites maṅgalācaraṇa and prayers again, with devotees repeating] Now take one banana. Give him one. Yes, you take one. He'll give. Hayagrīva. Give Hayagrīva one. Give me one. Yes. Now turn[?] down. Yes. [chants namo brahmaṇya-devāya prayer three times] Just put slowly. [chants Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra responsively with devotees two times] Now bow down.\nnama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale\nśrīmate bhaktivedānta-svāmin iti nāmine\n[devotees offer obeisances] Chant govinda jaya jaya, gopāla jaya jaya. [kīrtana—Prabhupāda recites Gāyatrī to Hayagrīva during kīrtana] [prema-dhvanī by Prabhupāda] All glories to the married couples. Now distribute prasāda.\n[break] ...in our Kṛṣṇa consciousness every function is happy?",
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"content": "\n Haribol!",
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"content": "\n Kṛṣṇa is there, reservoir of all pleasure. Why it should not be happy? Everything should be happy. Where is your spot, black?",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n Oh, he didn't give it to me yet.",
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"content": "\n Somebody may take these bananas, cut into pieces and distribute. [end]",
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https://vedabase.io/en/library/transcripts/680728sp-montreal/
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[
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"content": "\n So?\n[break] ...vijayate śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtanam.\n[Glory to the śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtana, which cleanses the heart of all the dust accumulated for years and extinguishes the fire of conditional life, of repeated birth and death. This saṅkīrtana movement is the prime benediction for humanity at large because it spreads the rays of the benediction moon. It is the life of all transcendental knowledge. It increases the ocean of transcendental bliss, and it enables us to fully taste the nectar for which we are always anxious.]\nLord Caitanya instructed this verse. He gave us eight verses, known as Śikṣāṣṭaka. Śikṣa means \"instruction\"; aṣṭaka, \"eight.\" This Śikṣāṣṭaka poetry, containing eight verses, are very valuable, and they were given by Lord Caitanya for understanding of the whole human society. It was not meant for any particular country or particular society, but it was meant for the whole human race. Lord Caitanya entrusted His countrymen, who are known as Bhāratīyas, to distribute this message throughout the whole world, in every village and every town.\nThere is a nice Bengali verse in Caitanya-caritāmṛta:\npṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi grāma\nsarvatra pracāra haibe mora nāma\n[CB Antya-khaṇḍa 4.126]\n[“In every town and village of the world, the chanting of My name will be heard.]\nThe Lord predicted that \"As many towns and villages are there on the surface of the world, everywhere this message will be known.\" And He also said,\nbhārata-bhūmite manuṣya-janma haila yāra\njanma sārthaka kari' kara para-upakāra\n[Cc. Ādi 9.41]\n[“One who has taken his birth as a human being in the land of India [Bhārata-varṣa] should make his life successful and work for the benefit of all other people.]\nHe entrusted His countrymen—means any Indian. Not that because He appeared in Bengal it was entrusted to the Bengalis, but He said that bhārata-bhūmite manuṣya-janma haila yāra: \"on the land of Bhārata-varṣa.\"\nIndia is known as Bhārata-varṣa. Perhaps most of you know it. This is after the name of King Bharata. There was a great king, Bharata, who was the emperor of the world, and this planet was named Bhārata-varṣa after his name. Before that, this planet was known as Ilāvṛta-varṣa. And after Mahārāja Bharata, this planet was named as Bhārata-varṣa. But gradually, there was partition.\nAs recently also there has been partition of India—Hindustan and Pakistan—similarly, this planet, known as Bhārata-varṣa, was partitioned gradually, one after another. So then the other names—Europe, Africa or America, Germany—these names gradually developed. Actually the whole planet was known as Bhārata-varṣa. That we understand from the Vedic history. And there was one king. That king also belonged to Hastināpura, which is called at the present moment New Delhi, near about that.\nSo anyway, Lord Caitanya entrusted to spread this message to the Indians. Bhārata-bhūmite manuṣya-janma haila yāra. There are many kinds of living entities. There are men, there are animals, there are birds, beasts, trees, aquatics—all of them are living entities. But He is entrusting to the manuṣya. Bhārata-bhūmite manuṣya-janma haila yāra. \"One who has taken his birth as human being, Indian human being, to him I am entrusting this message, that this should be distributed all over the world in villages, in towns, this message.\"\nSo I am especially speaking to the Indians present here, that you have got a responsibility on behalf of Lord Caitanya. If you believe in our śāstras, in our ācāryas, then those who are present here as Indians, I will request them to take this responsibility of spreading the...\n[aside:] This is disturbing.\n...this message of Lord Caitanya all over the world. And He said, bhārata-bhumite manuṣya-janma haila yāra, janma sārthaka kari. Janma sārthaka kari means \"First of all make your life successful.\" You cannot distribute this transcendental message without making your life successful. Janma sārthaka kari.\nThat means persons who are born in India, they have got the facility for making life successful. How? Because there is immense treasure house of transcendental knowledge in India. It is known to everyone, in every part of the world. Unfortunately, we Indians, we do not know the value of our spiritual treasure house.\nI have got one German Godbrother. He was formerly known as Mr. Hans Schulze. He is now Sadānanda Swami. He is living in Sweden. And one of his disciples, Vamana-deva... What is his German name?",
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"content": "\n Dr. Walter Eidlitz.",
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"content": "\n Yes. He has written a very nice, authorized book on Lord Caitanya in German language, and it is very big book, paperback, five hundred pages. It is approved by the Sweden University, and he has sent me. So even a German gentleman, he is taking so much interest. And this Mr. Schulze, he told me long..., about forty years before... At that time I was also householder. So he told me that,\n\"If some student come to Europe and then come to Germany, first of all we try to test him, how much he has got his original cultural knowledge.\" He said that \"If we find that this boy, the student, knows something of Indian original cultural life, then we welcome him. Otherwise we reject him.\"\nSo we Indians, we should know that we cannot imitate the Western country. They are far advanced. So far materialistic way of life is concerned, you cannot compete with them. Just like some years before there was industrial exhibition in India in which the government was very much proud to show that they are manufacturing cycle and sewing machine. When Western part of the world, they are manufacturing so many complicated machinery, we are proud of manufacturing cycle and sewing machine. Similarly, in every respect... In medicine also, there are so many laboratories in India, but still, seventy-five percent of the medicines are imported from foreign country, because they are lagging behind.\nSo my point is that in every country, in every human society, there is a special qualification. The day before yesterday I was seeing one picture in that church, of Hardwar. Millions of people assembled there for taking bath in the Ganges. In 1958 there was a special fair in Jagannātha Purī. It was written in the almanac that on that particular day, if somebody takes bath in the sea and has an audience of Lord Jagannātha, then he will be liberated. I was also there and with other friends. You'll be surprised to know that for a few-hour visit, about six million people assembled from all parts of India. And government had to make a special arrangement for their taking bath in the sea and visiting the temple.\nSimilarly, there is Kumbha-melā. These assemblies are not advertised. People know it by paramparā: I am speaking to you; you are speaking to your friend. In this way they know it, and on that particular day they assemble at a place, just like Prayāga, on the confluence of Ganga and Yamunā. Millions of people will assemble. So still, in spite of our present leaders' policy to completely eradicate all religious idea—they have made secular state—but people are so born that naturally they are inclined to take part in spiritual movement. That is the nature.\nTherefore Lord Caitanya says that bhārata-bhūmite manuṣya-janma haila yāra [Cc. Ādi 9.41].\n[“One who has taken his birth as a human being in the land of India [Bhārata-varṣa] should make his life successful and work for the benefit of all other people.]\nTo take one's birth in the land of India, to take one's birth as human being, is great opportunity undoubtedly. But still more great opportunity is there who has taken his birth in India. We are... We must be proud, provided we do not forget our own Vedic culture.\nUnfortunately, the present policy is that students are being taught to forget their old Vedic culture and try to imitate the Westernized way of life, industrial life, technical life. That is being encouraged. But here I find that the young men and young girls and boys, both, they are very much interested about Indian original culture of spiritual life.\nRecently, you know, some yogī came, and he simply bluffed so many people that \"If you pay me thirty-five dollars, I will give you one personal mantra, and you will be in transcendental life,\" or so many things. So thousands and thousands of European boys and girls, as well as in America, they flocked together, but later on, they were frustrated.\nThat means while the Indian youths are coming to the Western countries for advancement of technological knowledge, the Western boys and girls, they are hankering after spiritual life. This I have very particularly studied. I am here—not in Canada; in America. I came here in 1965, and I am studying the mind of the younger generation especially.\nThey are hankering after something spiritual enlightenment, not only in America, also in Europe. And they expect something from India, because... It is a fact. I have read one book written by one Chinese gentleman. That book is recommended in the New York University for study. That Chinese gentleman is very learned man. He has given comparative studies of all religion and philosophy, but he recommends that \"If you want to study religion as it is, then you have to go to India.\"\nSo our Indian spiritual culture is still adored and worshiped by the learned section of every part of the world. And especially in America and Germany and England, they are hankering after it. We should be little careful that this knowledge, transcendental knowledge, as distributed by Lord Caitanya, should be seriously taken up by the responsible Indians present here.\nUnfortunately, I see that Indians are not very much interested. But that is our misfortune. Actually, Caitanya Mahāprabhu entrusted this mission that anyone who has taken birth as human being on the land of Bhārata-varṣa should learn this spiritual science very seriously, make his life successful, and distribute all over the world so that people of the world may become happy. That was His mission.\nNow, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is started on this mission, on the mission of Lord Caitanya, that to distribute,\nharer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam\nkalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā\n[Cc. Ādi 17.21]\n[”’In this Age of Kali there is no other means, no other means, no other means for self-realization than chanting the holy name, chanting the holy name, chanting the holy name of Lord Hari.’]\nThat in this age of Kali there are many differences of opinion for self-realization, or transcendental life, or religious life, but this common formula, chanting of the holy name of God, can be accepted by everyone.\nUnfortunately, people in the present age, they think that God is dead. And what is the use of chanting something, somebody who is dead, chanting the holy name of God, who is already dead? The other day I was speaking in the church that God is not dead. God cannot be dead, neither you or me cannot be dead. There is living symptom in your body, and there is living symptom in the cosmic manifestation also. Just try to understand what is God. Then place your verdict, whether God is dead or not.\nHow God can be dead? Just like when a man is lying on the floor, if his vital condition, his pulses, his heart is going on, then how you can say that that man is dead? Similarly, if you study the cosmic manifestation... Of course, it is a subject matter to be learned very scrutinizingly with calm head, that as your body is functioning nicely by physiological arrangement, similarly, the body of the cosmic nature, by physical arrangement, it is also moving nicely.\nTherefore, so long your bodily functions are going on nicely, you are not dead. Similarly, the Supreme Soul is also not dead, because by the symptom of His gigantic body, universal body, we see that everything is nicely going on. So God is not dead. This is a statement of the crazy fellow. God is not dead, neither we are dead.\nNow, we, being part and parcel of the Supreme Lord, our function is just to serve the Supreme. This example of body I have said many times in this class, that as the part and parcel of your body, namely the hands, the legs, the eyes, the ears, they are meant for serving the whole body, similarly we, being part and parcel of the Supreme Whole, we are also meant for serving the Supreme Whole. So God is not dead; we are also not dead. We shall be dead when we cease to function as part and parcel of the Supreme Whole. That is our death.\nIt is very nicely analyzed in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam:\nya eṣāṁ puruṣaṁ sākṣād\nātma-prabhavam īśvaram\nna bhajanty avajānanty\nsthānād bhraṣṭāḥ patanty adhaḥ\n[SB 11.5.3]\n[Any members of the four varṇas and four āśramas who fail to worship the Personality of Godhead, the source of their own creation, or who intentionally disrespect Him will fall down from their position into a hellish state of life.]\nNow, just like this finger or this hand is grown from this body, similarly, the different parts of human social body is also born out of the whole body of universal body of God. They analyze that the intelligent class of men, they are born of the mouth of the universal form of God. The administrative class of men, they are born out of the arms of the universal form of God. The mercantile class of men, they are born out of the abdomen of the universal form of God. And the laborer class of men, they are born out of the legs of the universal form of God.\nNow, so far the body is concerned, either the mouth or head or the legs, no part of the body is less important, because every part of the body is required for proper function of the body. But by comparative study, the head is most important than all other parts of the body. If head is cut off from the body, then body becomes immediately dead. But if your hand is cut off from the body, the body still remains alive. It is not dead.\nSo the intelligent class of men who form the head of the society, if they are lacking, if there is no intelligent class of men, then it is to be considered that sort of human society is dead, because the head is not there. Similarly, at the present moment there is lack of intelligent class of men. Intelligent class of men... Who is intelligent class of men?\nThere are so many intelligent class of men. So according to Bhagavad-gītā, intelligent class of men can be tested by some qualification. What is that? Satya śaucaṁ samaḥ damaḥ titikṣa ārjavam, jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyaṁ brahma-karma svabhāva-jam [Bg. 18.42].\n[Peacefulness, self-control, austerity, purity, tolerance, honesty, wisdom, knowledge, and religiousness—these are the qualities by which the brāhmaṇas work.]\nIntelligent class of men means... First qualification is that he must be truthful. Then, satya, śaucam. He must be always clean. Bahyābhyantaram: he must be clean without and within. \"Without\" means..., on the external body, cleanliness means soap and water. But inside cleanliness means Kṛṣṇa consciousness.\nSo bahyābhyantara-śuciḥ. Satya, śaucam and śamam, controlling the mind, and damam, controlling the senses. Then ārjavam, simplicity; and titikṣa, tolerance; jñānam, full knowledge; vijñānam, practical application of the knowledge; and āstikyam, and full faith in God. They are called intelligent class of men.\nNow, if you put to this test of intelligent class of men, hardly you will find one in thousand or one in million. Therefore the present social structure is practically without any intelligent class of men, or without any head. At the present moment the whole society is going on by manufacturing some schemes that \"This scheme will be successful for the proper execution of our human activities.\" But another man gives you another plan. Therefore in the political world there are so many \"isms,\" and they are fighting with one another. That means there is no standard intelligence. I differ from you; you differ from me. Now, nobody knows who is intelligent.\nSo by this analytical study we can understand that at the present moment there is need of intelligent class of men. Not that everyone should be intelligent, but even a small percentage of people, if they become intelligent, with these qualification—truthful, clean, and controlling the mind, controlling the senses, simplicity in behavior, and tolerance, knowledge, application of knowledge in practical life, and full faith in God... That, these nine symptoms, brahma-karma svabhāva-jam... [Bg. 18.42].\n[Peacefulness, self-control, austerity, purity, tolerance, honesty, wisdom, knowledge, and religiousness—these are the qualities by which the brāhmaṇas work.]\nThe intelligent class of men is called brāhmaṇa, according to Vedic literature. And the next class, the administrative class, is called kṣatriyas, and the next class is called the vaiśyas, and the general class of men is called the śūdras. So even in that, according to Vedic literature, it is said that kalau śūdra sambhava: in this age, practically all men are on the standard of śūdra category. Kalau śūdra sambhava.\nSo this movement, Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, is started so that even one is born a śūdra by qualification, he can be raised to the standard of the highest intelligent class of men, brāhmaṇa, by pāñcarātrikī-viddhi. By pāñcarātrikī-viddhi it is said that it doesn't matter what a man is, but if he is trained up by dīkṣā process, tathā dīkṣā-vidhānena dvijatvaṁ jāyate nṛṇām... [Hari-bhakti-vilāsa 2.12]\n[By chemical manipulation, bell metal is turned into gold when touched by mercury; similarly, when a person is properly initiated, he can acquire the qualities of a brāhmaṇa.]\nDvijatvam means twice-born. Twice-born, they are, the brāhmaṇas are twice-born, the kṣatriyas are twice-born and the vaiśyas are... That means higher class of men, they are called twice-born. Why twice-born? Because one birth is made by father and mother, and the next birth is made by Vedic knowledge and spiritual master. This is the system.\nSo nobody is born brāhmaṇa or intelligent class of men, but by cultivation of knowledge, by practice, by good association, one can come to the higher standard of life. And when one is on the platform of goodness, then one has to transcend that platform of goodness and come to the platform of pure goodness.\nIn the material world, even a man is supposed to be very good man, there is possibility of his being affected by the modes of passion and ignorance. But in the transcendental platform, which is called viśuddha-sattva, pure goodness, there is no possibility of interaction of these three qualities of material nature, namely goodness, passion and ignorance.\nThe Bhagavad-gītā concludes, therefore,\nyo mām avyabhicāreṇa\nbhakti-yogena sevate\nsa guṇān samatītyaitān\nbrahma-bhūyāya kalpate\n [Bg. 14.26]\n[One who engages in full devotional service, who does not fall down in any circumstance, at once transcends the modes of material nature and thus comes to the level of Brahman.]\nIf anyone engages himself fully and seriously in the devotional service of the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa... Yo mām avyabhicāreṇa bhakti-yogena. Avyabhicāriṇi means without any deviation; firmly fixed up. And bhakti-yogena, in devotional service, if one is engaged, sa, that person, guṇān... \nGuṇān means these three qualities: passion, ignorance and goodness. Sa guṇān samatītya. Samatītya means completely transcending. He transcends completely. Sa guṇān samatītyaitān brahma-bhūyāya kalpate [Bg. 14.26]: he becomes situated on the platform of Brahman, and that is the highest perfection of knowledge.\nNow we are identifying ourself that \"I am part of this material world. I am part of this land\" or \"that land.\" \"I am Indian because I am born in India.\" \"I am American because I am born in America.\" Everyone is thinking like that. That means \"I am part and parcel of this material world.\" But by this transcendental elevation to the platform of Brahman, when one becomes self-realized or understands himself as part and parcel of the Supreme Brahman, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ [Bg. 15.7],\n[The living entities in this conditioned world are My eternal, fragmental parts. Due to conditioned life, they are struggling very hard with the six senses, which include the mind.]\n\"All these living entities are My part and parcels,\" similarly, when the living entities in highest perfection understand that he is part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, or the Supreme Brahman, his life is on the transcendental platform.\nSo that transcendental platform is also explained in the Bhagavad-gītā: brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati [Bg. 18.54].\n[And of all yogīs, he who always abides in Me with great faith, worshiping Me in transcendental loving service, is most intimately united with Me in yoga and is the highest of all.]\nAs soon as one is situated in that Brahman platform, he is free from all anxieties immediately. Caitanya Mahāprabhu explains that brahma-bhūtaḥ situation, ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam [Cc. Antya 20.12].\n[“’Let there be all victory for the chanting of the holy name of Lord Kṛṣṇa, which can cleanse the mirror of the heart and stop the miseries of the blazing fire of material existence. That chanting is the waxing moon that spreads the white lotus of good fortune for all living entities. It is the life and soul of all education. The chanting of the holy name of Kṛṣṇa expands the blissful ocean of transcendental life. It gives a cooling effect to everyone and enables one to taste full nectar at every step.’]\nImmediately. So the brahma-bhūtaḥ platform, which we have to ascend after so much qualification, so much understanding, so much practice of yoga, dhyāna, meditation, can be achieved in this age by the blessings of Lord Caitanya simply by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. Simply by chanting.\nCaitanya Mahāprabhu... As I have explained, that one has to lift himself to the platform of brahma-bhūtaḥ stage, when one is free from all anxieties. Now, Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that simply by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa—paraṁ vijayate śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtanam—what is the gain? The first gain is ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam, cleansing of the heart.\nWhat is that cleansing? That I am thinking at the present moment in my material concept of life that \"I am part and parcel of this matter.\" And when we come to the understanding that \"I have nothing to do with this matter; I am accidentally in contact with the matter, but my real position is that I am spirit soul, brahma-bhūtaḥ...\" Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā [Bg. 18.54]. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi. Ahaṁ brahma.\n[And of all yogīs, he who always abides in Me with great faith, worshiping Me in transcendental loving service, is most intimately united with Me in yoga and is the highest of all.]\nLord Śaṅkarācārya, he preached this philosophy, that... Just try to understand, but don't try to misunderstand. Unfortunately, this understanding that ahaṁ brahmāsmi, people are misunderstanding that \"I am God.\" He is not... Nobody can be God. God is supreme. God is great. We are very small. If I am God, if I am great, then how I have come to this position? How I have fallen from my brahma-bhūtaḥ stage? That is not..., that is not actually understanding. Brahma-bhūtaḥ, ahaṁ brahmāsmi, means \"I am part and parcel of the Supreme Brahman.\"\nThis is also confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā and every Vedic literature, that the living entities are just like sparks of the fire, just like there is big fire and there are sparks also, small particle of fire. That small particle of fire is also fire, but it is not as big as the big fire. Similarly, in quality we are as good as Brahman, but in quantity we are minute, infinitesimal, and He is infinite. That is the difference.\nSo this philosophy of Bhagavad-gītā, supported by the movement of Lord Caitanya, chanting the holy name of Hare Kṛṣṇa, we are trying to push on in this part of the world, in pursuance of the order of Lord Caitanya, that pṛthivīte ache yata nagaradi grāma [CB Antya-khaṇḍa 4.126].\n[“In every town and village of the world, the chanting of My name will be heard.]\nSo I'll request Indian ladies and gentlemen who are present here to join this movement. This is your duty. Because you are Indian, you have got this duty. If you forget your duty, then you are forgetting your identity. So my special request in this meeting is for the Indian ladies and gentlemen to support this temple, and by supporting this temple, to support this movement. It is good not only for the Indians—for everyone. It is no sectarian religion. It is completely scientific and philosophical. Everyone can accept it—not dogmatically, but with reason and argument.\nAnd you can practically see that all my students, none of them are Indians. Until now, they are all American. They are educated, they are intelligent. They are trying to understand it with all logic and philosophy, and when they understand it nicely, they take to it very seriously. So my request is that this is a very nice movement. Everyone, either Indian, American or Canadian, should take part in it and encourage us.\nThank you very much. [end]",
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}
] |
https://vedabase.io/en/library/transcripts/701217r1-surat/
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[
{
"content": "",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n[Hindi] [laughing]",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n That is the same...",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n Māyāvādīs may die like that, imagining... [Hindi] ...āra saba bhṛtya [Cc. Ādi 5.142].",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n Yes. They are after..., inquiring after Brahmān, but nobody could give them. So they have got it. Now they are taking it. This is stage. [Hindi] That is the stage, sannyāsa stage. So these hippies, they are also giving up all work—that is sannyāsa—but there is no guide. There is no guide.\nAnd because they have no guide, therefore their intelligence is not being purified. Simply there is a, I mean to say, a propensity for renunciation, tyāga. But tyāga... [Hindi] After renunciation, what is the next stage they do not know. That we are giving: \"Yes, come here. Stand here.\" [laughs] Is it not?",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n Yes. Exactly.",
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{
"content": "\n They are very successful. They are standing: \"We don't want this.\" But they must stand. So they could not give the standing. But here is... Oh, here is standing. Therefore this movement is successful. They want some standing. And where is the standing? [Hindi] So unless you get a solid ground you cannot stand. You'll fall down.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n [Hindi]",
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"content": "\n Prabhaviṣṇave namaḥ. Kirāṭa-huṇāndhra-pulin... [SB 2.4.18] Huh? [Hindi]\n[break] ...obeisance to guru. Then his guru, then his guru, up to Kṛṣṇa. [Hindi] ...paramparā system. You cannot directly approach God. That is useless. You have no power to approach God directly. That is not possible. Guru kṛṣṇa kṛpayā [Cc. Madhya 19.151]. [Hindi] Let them study this philosophy. We have got books, enough books. One cannot read all these books even throughout whole life. [break]",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n I am going to...",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n [Hindi] You do actually work.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n So I can also accompany you to certain places like...",
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"content": "\n You arrange. We can go there with all party. Now here in this part... You can get. This... Immediately we can go. From India...",
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{
"content": "\n From India, yes.",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n ...we can go to Indonesia.",
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{
"content": "\n At the end of March we can go there.",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n That's all right. You also come. Arrange like that. After finishing our program in Simla, let us go to Indonesia. You do it.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n [indistinct]",
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{
"content": "\n That is a fact. At least at the present moment nobody can give better thing than what I am giving to the world. [Hindi]",
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{
"content": "\n [indistinct] There are many things you can give us. I'll arrange the tour.",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n You are present, a tourist program here?",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n I was doing. I...",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n So this program...",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n I wanted to join with the camp in the public, but nobody was convenienced...",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n No, you could have informed him. You could come to the pal... Anyway, next, next, tomorrow also we'll have.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n I in no way want to disturb...\n No, you won't disturb. You'll enhance us.\n Tomorrow I'll come.",
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"content": "\n Where you are staying here? [break] ...actually inquisitive, he'll capture it. It is not the question of... Japan. [break] ...personal ambition. It is service to Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa wants. Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ [Bg. 18.66]. So we are canvassing.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\nSo [indistinct]. I don't want to be crazy about it, but it, I could [indistinct].",
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"content": "\n That word, that brahma-jijñāsā, that is the position of the whole world. Yes, that is a position. They have enough seen about this material nonsense. Now that is the position. They want to know what is this Brahman.",
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"content": "\n It is called Treta-yuga. Treta-yuga.",
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"content": "\n No, this is not this yuga. This is called Kali-yuga. But... Then it will come, Satya-yuga. And that is long, long after, 400,000's of years after. [laughs] Yes. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Jaya. [end]",
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https://vedabase.io/en/library/transcripts/710724in-new-york/
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[
{
"content": "\n[japa]",
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{
"content": "\n Mamatā.",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n Mamatā.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n Mamatā?",
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{
"content": "\n M-a-m-a-t-a. Mamatā devī, \"one who is very affectionate to everyone.\" Come on. You know the rules and regulation? What are those?",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n No meat-eating, no taking of intoxicants, no illicit sex and no gambling.",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\n That's all. How many rounds you will chant?",
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"content": "\n Sixteen good rounds every morning.",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n Come on, next. [japa] [break]",
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{
"content": "\n Ādi-pati.",
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{
"content": "\nĀdi-pati. Ādi-pati means king. So you should be king. What is the business of king?",
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"content": "\n To rule.",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n So where you shall rule? [laughter] I cannot say?",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n What part[?] does he rule?\n Where.",
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{
"content": "\n Where you will rule? [laughter] You will rule over your senses. [laughter] Come on. Hare Kṛṣṇa. You know how to rule?",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n Help everyone develop Prabhupāda.",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n The rules. You do not know the four rules?",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n Oh, the rules. No meat-eating...",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n Yes, that is the ruling.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n No illicit sex, no gambling...",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n Yes, if you... Then you become king. Come on, next.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n Prācī.",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n Prācī, yes. Prācī means one of the direction. Come on. You know the rules and regulation?",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n No meat-eating, no illicit sex, no intoxication, no gambling.",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n [japa]",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n Puru dāsa.",
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"content": "\n Puru dāsa. There was a very powerful king, his name was Puru. He was a devotee. The same thing: to become ruler of the senses. Come on. We are all ruled by the senses. Senses dictate, and we follow, this is the general condition. And we have to become ruler of the senses. Then it is successful. Generally people are ruled by the senses. My sense says, \"Please take me to the cinema,\" the eyes. I immediately go and stand there three hours for the ticket. You see? So I am ruled by the senses. [laughter]\nAnd when you will be strong enough, the eyes will say, \"Please take me to the cinema,\" and you will say, \"No, you cannot go to the cinema.\" Then you are ruler. So one is go-dāsa. Go-dāsa means servant of the senses. And one is gosvāmī, master of the senses. That is the difference between gosvāmī and go-dāsa. \nGo means senses. When we are servant of the senses, then we are in the material world. And when we are master of the senses, then we are in the spiritual world. Come on. Hare Kṛṣṇa. You have got. All right. Next?",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n Indriyāṇi.",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n Indriyāṇi. Indriyāṇi, the queen of Lord Indra. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Come on. You know the rules and regulation?",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n[indistinct]",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\nThank you. Thank you. Next?",
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{
"content": "\n Pratīci.",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n Pratīci, one of the direction. You are also. Come on. [japa] [break]",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n Bimāli.",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n Hmm?",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n Bimāli, B-i-m-a-l-i.",
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{
"content": "\n Bimalā, Bimalā. Bimalā means spotless, where there is no dirty things. You know the rules and regulation? Yes. If you follow the rules and regulation, then there will be no dirt. Hare Kṛṣṇa. [devotees chant japa]\nCeto-darpaṇa-mārjanam [Cc. Antya 20.12]. Our this process is simply to make the mind dirtyless. We are... Our mind is full of dirty things, so this chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa means ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam, cleansing the heart. And as soon as one is cleansed of the heart, that pure consciousness comes, then he is liberated.\nBhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇam. All problems solved immediately. Due to misunderstanding of our position we have created so many dirty things.\n[doorbell rings] Hare Kṛṣṇa. Is there somebody?",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n Door. [pause] Maṇḍaleśvara.",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n Maṇḍeleśvara. Maṇḍaleśvara. Maṇḍaleśvara means a leader, leader of a group. He is called maṇḍaleśvara. Not ordinary rogues' group, but Vaiṣṇava group. [laughter] Yes. Hare Kṛṣṇa. There are different kinds of groups. [japa]",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n Naradevī.",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n Naradevī. Naradevī means queen, like Queen Victoria. Is that all right? [laughter]",
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{
"content": "\n Yes, Prabhupāda. [offers obeisances]",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\nHare Kṛṣṇa. Queen Victoria was very popular in British Empire. Yes.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n Hṛṣīkeśa. Hṛṣīkeśa.",
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"content": "\n Hṛṣīkeśa. Hṛṣīkeśa means the same thing: master of the senses. Hṛṣīka means senses, and hṛṣīka-īśa..., īśa means ruler or master. So actually hṛṣīkeśa means Kṛṣṇa. He is the master of the senses. And bhakti means hṛṣīka..., hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. Our hṛṣīkeśa means if we be under the control of Hṛṣīkeśa, then these senses now being used for other purposes, upādhi, designation...\nJust like one is very busy in his national work. Means he is giving service to a designation, falsely thinking that \"I am this body,\" \"This body is American,\" \"This body is Indian,\" \"This body is this.\" So under this false impression he is giving service. This is one stage. And when we are freed from this, all these false impressions, and give service to Kṛṣṇa, that is our perfect stage.\nSo Hṛṣīkeśa means Hṛṣīkeśa dāsa, to become the servant of the Hṛṣīkeśa. Kṛṣṇa is Hṛṣīkeśa, so your name is Hṛṣīkeśa dāsa. Come on. Hare Kṛṣṇa.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n All glories to you, Śrīla Prabhupāda.",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\nAlright. [devotees offer obeisances] [end]",
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https://vedabase.io/en/library/transcripts/680830ad-montreal/
|
[
{
"content": "\n[Poor audio]\n\n...am aprameyam anaghaṁ nirvāṇa-śānti-pradaṁ brahma-śambhu-phanīndras tebhyo 'niśaṁ vedānta-vedyaṁ vibhuṁ sura-guruṁ māyā-mānuṣya-hariṁ vande 'haṁ karunākaraṁ raghu-varaṁ bhū-pāla-cudāmaṇim\nThis is a verse composed by a great devotee, Tulasī dāsa. He was a devotee of Lord Rāmacandra. So Lord Rāma and Lord Kṛṣṇa, there is no difference. When we speak Kṛṣṇa, that means He includes all other incarnation. In the Brahma-saṁhitā it is said,\nrāmādi mūrtiṣu kalā-niyamena tiṣṭhan\nnānāvatāram akarod bhuvaneṣu kintu\nkṛṣṇaḥ svayaṁ samabhavat paramaḥ pumān yo\ngovindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi\n[Bs. 5.39]\n[I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who manifested Himself personally as Kṛṣṇa and the different avatāras in the world in the forms of Rāma, Nṛsiṁha, Vāmana, etc., as His subjective portions.]\nKṛṣṇa is svayam. Kṛṣṇaḥ svayaṁ samabhavat paramaḥ pumān yo. Kṛṣṇa is paramaḥ pumān. Paramaḥ pumān means the ultimate Supreme Personality of Godhead. But He is always manifest in different incarnations, and of all the incarnation, Lord Rāma is the foremost, Balarāma. You have heard the name of Balarāma, Baladeva. Similarly Rāma.\nRāma means the Supreme Enjoyer. Ramante yoginām anante sac-cid-ānanda-cirātmanīti rāma-padenāsau. [Padma Purāṇa]\n[The Supreme Absolute Truth is called Rāma because the transcendentalists take pleasure in the unlimited true pleasure of spiritual existence.]\nRāma means the real bliss, and all the yogīs, either dhyāna-yogī or a jñāna-yogī or a bhakta-yogī—there are three kinds of yogīs—everyone tries to enjoy that eternal bliss, and that is real pleasure. Therefore Rāma.\nSo this verse... Our this respectable Indian lady, she will begin Rāmāyana... This Tulasī..., this actually is not Rāmāyaṇa. It is called Rāma-carita-manasa. Rāmāyaṇa means Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa, but people have taken it as Rāmāyaṇa. Actually, Tulasī dāsa has expressed his own feelings about his devotion to Lord Rāma, and therefore he has named it Rāma-carita-manasa: his mind full with service attitude for Lord Rāma.\nThat is the real meaning of this book. But people have misinterpreted; they are going on just it is Rāmāyaṇa. And Rāmāyaṇa, of course, anywhere where Rāma's activities are described, that is called Rāmāyaṇa. That is another sense. But real Rāmāyaṇa means the Rāmāyaṇa composed by Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa. Rāmāyaṇa composed by Maharṣi Vālmīki.\nAnd this is... It is a popular notion that this is Rāmāyaṇa, but actually this book is called Rāma-carita-manasa. So some of the description of Rāma are there, but not all the description. Rather, there are many differences from the original Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa. Anyway, this is song of a devotee for his Lord Rāma. In that sense, you can call it Rāmāyaṇa, but this book is actually Rāma-carita-manasa.\nSo in the fifth chapter, Sundara-Khanda, it is a very nice verse. What is that? Śāntaṁ śāśvatam aprameyam anaghaṁ nirvāṇa-śānti-pradam. Each word is meaningful. Śāntam. The Lord is never disturbed. Why He shall be disturbed? Just like we are, in this material world, we are always disturbed in so many ways. The duration life is short, and we are always embarrassed with so many problems, political, social, religious, cultural, so many things. And family, maintenance of family is more difficult than maintaining an empire.\nSo this material world is full of anxiety. I have several times explained, asad-grahāt: because we have accepted something which is not eternal. Anything which is not eternal will always create disturbance. But because the Lord is eternal, therefore He is śāntam. Whenever we'll find the face of Lord Kṛṣṇa or Rāma, Viṣṇu, you'll find smiling with peace. As soon as you'll see you become also peaceful. His very face is so nice. Śāntam.\nAnd śāśvatam. Śāṣvatam means original. It's not that Rāma and Kṛṣṇa, as the Māyāvādī philosophers says, that the impersonal Brahman appears in form. This is rascaldom. Actually, He appears in His own form, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, sambhavāmy ātma-māyayā [Bg. 4.6].\n[Although I am unborn and My transcendental body never deteriorates, and although I am the Lord of all sentient beings, I still appear in every millennium in My original transcendental form.]\nWe are... We are accepting this form not by our own potency. I have accepted this body, you have accepted this body, not by your own will. You have been forced to accept a particular type of body according to your work. You cannot make choice. Otherwise, everyone would have made his choice to take birth in America or some place like that, or heavenly planets. Oh, that is not choice. Just like if the foreigners, they apply for immigration, there is..., the choice depends on the highest authority.\nSo similarly, this body is not śāśvatam. It is not my original body. This body is changing. I may have this body this time; I may have another body, another species of life; therefore it is not śāśvatam. But the Lord's body is śāśvatam. As it is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā, śāśvataṁ puruṣam, and He is enjoyer. So the same word is used here. Śāntaṁ śāśvatam aprameyam. Aprameyam means that cannot be measured.\nThe Māyāvādīs, they cannot conceive how immeasurable, unlimited. Therefore as soon as they take it that God is unlimited, immeasurable, they take it for impersonal. They cannot conceive that God can assume any extensive form without any difficulty. Just like He appeared as Hiraṇya..., I mean to say, Varāhadeva. The Varāhadeva, He appeared in such a gigantic body that He could lift this whole planet by His tusk. So just imagine how much great body He assumed. So aprameyam.\nAnother, He can assume so small body. Just like Parīkṣit Mahārāja, when he was within the womb of his mother, attacked by the atomic energy, so Kṛṣṇa entered the womb of his mother and saved him. Just imagine how small He became. Therefore aprameyam means you cannot measure how He is small, how He is great. We can...\nThe Māyāvādī philosophers, they can think of greatness, but Kṛṣṇa can become small also. Just like Jagannātha, He is the master, He is the proprietor of the whole world, but He has assumed such a nice form that He is within our reach. We can serve Him very convenient. This is God. Therefore aprameyam, immeasurable.\nImmeasurable does not mean simply great. Immeasurable means you cannot measure even how small He is. Aṇor aṇīyān mahato mahīyān [Kaṭha Upaniṣad 1.2.20].\n[Greater than the greatest, smaller than the smallest.]\nHe is the greater than the greatest and the smaller than the smallest. Therefore aprameyam. Anagham. Anagham means this material contamination cannot touch Him. Etad īśasya īśānām. Īśa, the Supreme Lord, means that He may come in any form. Just like He appears as the boar, hog. That does not mean He is hog. Or even He acts like hog, still He is anagham. How it is possible? Because He's tejiyasaṁ na doṣayā [SB 10.33.29]. \n[Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: The status of powerful controllers is not harmed by any apparently audacious transgression of morality we may see in them, for they are just like fire, which devours everything fed into it and remains unpolluted.]\nTejiyasam... Just the example is that the sun. Sun is so powerful that he is soaking water from everywhere. He is soaking water even from the filthy place where people are passing urine and stool. But sunshine is so powerful that it is soaking water from the urine, urinals and lavatory, latrine, but still sun is pure. And by the sun's contact that place also becomes pure. This is called purity. Even impure, even I am impure, if I am in touch with Kṛṣṇa consciousness then I also become pure. He does not become impure.\nWe are so, I mean to say, teeny, that if I go to a contaminated place, I become contagious. I become infected with the contamination. But Kṛṣṇa or Rāma, They are so powerful that even a contaminated person approaches Him, He..., it does not mean that Kṛṣṇa becomes contaminated—the contaminated person becomes purified. This is very nice to understand. So anyone, with any aim, if he approaches Kṛṣṇa or Rāma, he becomes anagham. Nirvāṇa. Nirvāṇa-śānti-pradam. This nirvāṇa means finishing. Śānti. This material life, material existence, is always full of threefold miseries.\nSo Kṛṣṇa or Rāma can give you a position by which you can stop all this nonsense. Nirvāṇa-śānti-pradaṁ brahma-śambhu-phanīndras tebhyo 'nīśam. Brahmā. The demigods, there are millions of demigods. Of all the demigods, Brahmā and Śambhu, Lord Śiva and Brahmā, they are considered to be the chief. Brahmā, Śiva, Phanīndra. Phanīndra means Śeṣa. He's also incarnation of Viṣṇu. So all of them are engaged in the service of the Supreme Lord. That means Viṣṇu is the Supreme, even superior than Lord Śiva. He has especially mentioned: brahmā-śambhu. Śambhu means Lord Śiva.\nBrahmā-śambhu-phanīndras tebhyo 'nīśaṁ vedānta-vedyaṁ vibhum. So Vedānta, Vedānta means the ultimate knowledge. So one who is in the ultimate knowledge, he can understand the Personality of Godhead Rāma and Kṛṣṇa. Those who have got little knowledge, or a mediocrity, they can go up to the impersonal Brahman, but they cannot enter into the knowledge of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Rāma. That is described in the Bhagavad-gītā by Arjuna, that \"It is very difficult to understand Your personality.\"\nActually we are experiencing. If we speak something impersonal, they think it is very learned speech, and when we speak of something personal they think it is old, old style. This is nonsense. Practically, the Personality of God is the ultimate knowledge, but men with poor fund of knowledge, a little stock of knowledge, they cannot understand that if He is impersonal, how Brahmā and Śambhu are engaged in His service? He is person. Brahmā-śambhu-phanīndras tebhyo 'nīśam vedānta-vedyam. Vedānta-vedyam. These Māyāvādīs, they have Śaṅkarācārya, they have their Śārīraka-bhāṣya. They have tried to prove the Supreme Lord as imperson. This is not actually fact.\nVedānta-vedyam. It is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā, vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyam, vedānta-vid vedānta-kṛt ca aham [Bg. 15.15].\n[I am seated in everyone's heart, and from Me come remembrance, knowledge and forgetfulness. By all the Vedas am I to be known; indeed I am the compiler of Vedānta, and I am the knower of the Vedas.]\nKṛṣṇa says that all the Vedas, including Vedānta... If somebody says the Vedānta is describing impersonal Brahman, but Kṛṣṇa says that \"How it can do?\" Vedānta-vid, \"I am the actual knower of Vedānta, I am actual composer of Vedānta. So I am the Supreme.\" So these Māyāvādī philosophers, they cannot understand. They think that Vedānta... In India the Māyāvādī sannyāsīs are known as Vedāntī.\nTherefore my society, Vaiṣṇava society, has particularly given me this title, Bhaktivedanta. Vedānta means bhakti. It is a challenge to the Māyāvādī sannyāsīs. This particular title was given after due consideration that my humble self should be awarded this title. It is new title amongst the Vaiṣṇava society. So the Māyāvādī philosophers, they are sometimes surprised that \"How Swāmījī is vedāntī, at the same time bhakti?\"\nBut actually they do not know Vedānta means bhakti. Real Vedānta commentary is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Bhāṣyaṁ brahma-sūtrāṇām **. Brahma-sūtra means this Vedānta-sūtra. Vedānta-vedyam. Śiva-viriñci, that Lord Śiva, Lord Brahmā, they are trying to understand the Supreme. Flickering knowledge? No. Through the Vedānta. Vedānta. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyam [Bg. 15.15].\n[I am seated in everyone's heart, and from Me come remembrance, knowledge and forgetfulness. By all the Vedas am I to be known; indeed I am the compiler of Vedānta, and I am the knower of the Vedas.]\nAnd vibhum. Vibhum means the greatest. Nobody is greater than the Supreme Lord. Rāmākhyam jagad-īśvaram. And He is Rāma. We chant daily, Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare/ Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare. Rāmākhyam. Rāma means the ramanīyā, the beautiful, or the enjoyer, rāmākhyam. And jagad-īśvaram. And He is the master or the proprietor of the whole universes.\nSura-gurum. Sura means the demigods, and gurum is spiritual master. Sura-gurum. Just like Arjuna is sura, and his guru is Kṛṣṇa. Vyāsadeva, his guru, Nārada; Nārada's guru is Brahmā; Brahmā's guru is Kṛṣṇa. So sura-gurum. He is in... Māyā-manusyam: And when He appears as human being, that is māyā. Māyā means actually He is not an ordinary man; He is the Supreme Personality of God. But the rascals, they think that \"Because Rāma and Kṛṣṇa has appeared like one of us, He is a man, He's an ordinary man.\"\nThis is the version of the rascals, that Rāma... Especially there is a class who are known as Ārya-samājīs. They do not agree that the Supreme Person can..., Supreme God can appear as Rāma and Kṛṣṇa. They do not know that although He appeared as one of us in the form of human body, He is not a human being; He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore it is called rāmākhya, māyā mānuṣya hari. He is the Hari... Hari means the Supreme Personality of Godhead who can give you all pleasure, taking all your miserable condition. He is Hari.\nSo vande 'haṁ karuṇākaraṁ raghu-varaṁ bhu-pāla-cuḍāmaṇi. So he is offering his respectful obeisances to the Lord Rāma. Karuṇākaram. He comes, paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtam [Bg. 4.8].\n[In order to deliver the pious and to annihilate the miscreants, as well as to reestablish the principles of religion, I advent Myself millennium after millennium.]\nTherefore He is karuṇā-ākaram. Ākaram means mine. He is the great mine of mercy. Karuṇākaraṁ raghu-varam. And because He appeared in the dynasty of Mahārāja Raghu, so He is the Supreme Personality in the Raghu dynasty, raghu-varam. And bhu-pāla-cuḍāmaṇi. He is the helmet of all kings. Cuḍāmaṇi. Cuḍāmaṇi means..., maṇi means pearl, and cuda means helmet. So the pearl is placed in the crown. So He is the..., although He appeared as King, but He is the helmet of all kings. In this way, Lord Rāma's description is here. Now Mātājī requested me to explain one verse, so I have tried to explain.\nNow today is our Rādhāṣṭami ceremony. I must speak now something about Rādhārāṇī, and then I shall go up, reach my apartment at twelve. In the meantime, you can observe the ceremonies. So, so far Rādhārāṇī, Rādhārāṇī, today is the birthday of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī. Rādhārāṇī is the pleasure potency of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Brahman. Just try to understand. Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Brahman. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān [Bg. 10.12].\n[Arjuna said: You are the Supreme Brahman, the ultimate, the supreme abode and purifier, the Absolute Truth and the eternal divine person. You are the primal God, transcendental and original, and You are the unborn and all-pervading beauty. All the great sages such as Nārada, Asita, Devala, and Vyāsa proclaim this of You, and now You Yourself are declaring it to me.]\nSo when paraṁ brahma wants to enjoy... That enjoying spirit is there in the paraṁ brahma. Otherwise we cannot have this enjoying spirit. Because we are part and parcel, therefore we have got that enjoying spirit; but that is materially contaminated. But the fact is there, because Kṛṣṇa, He is enjoying, this enjoying spirit we have got also, but I do not know how to enjoy. We are trying to enjoy in the matter, in the dull matter. That is spiritual.\nSo brahman, brahman sukhānubhūtyā. People are trying to feel what is brahma-sukha, pleasure of brahmānubhāva. That is not material pleasure. So many yogīs, they have given up their family life, their kingdom, and meditating to achieve that Brahman pleasure. Actually, the idea is Brahman pleasure.\nSo many brahmacārīs, so many sannyāsīs, they are trying to achieve that Brahman pleasure, and in order to achieve that Brahman pleasure they are neglecting, they are kicking off all this material pleasure. Do you think that Brahman pleasure is ordinary, this material pleasure? To achieve a portion of Brahman pleasure, if they are kicking off all this material pleasure...\nDon't talk of ourselves. We are ordinary men. In the history we have got instances, that of Bharata Mahārāja, Bharata Mahārāja, under whose name this planet is called Bhārata-varṣa. That Bharata Mahārāja was the emperor of the whole world. And as emperor he had his beautiful wife, young children. But at the age of twenty-four years, just young man, he gave up everything. All right. This is very old story, of course, but you know Lord Buddha. He was also a prince.\nHe was also prince, not ordinary man, and he was kṣatriya, and he was always enjoying with beautiful woman. That is the palace pleasure, custom, in every..., in Oriental countries, that in the palace there are many beautiful girls, they're always dancing and giving pleasure to the kings and the prince. So Lord Buddha was also in such pleasure, but he gave up everything and began to meditate.\nThere are many hundreds of instances in Indian history that to realize the Brahman pleasure they gave up everything. They gave up everything. That is the way. Tapasya means voluntarily accepting something severe for realizing the supreme pleasure. That is called tapasya. So if, for tasting a little Brahman pleasure, all materialistic pleasures are to be given up, do you think that the Supreme Brahman, Lord Kṛṣṇa, is enjoying this material pleasure? Is it very reasonable?\nThis Kṛṣṇa, He's enjoying lakṣmī-sahasra-śata-sambhrama-sevyamānam [Bs. 5.29].\n[I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, the first progenitor who is tending the cows, yielding all desire, in abodes built with spiritual gems, surrounded by millions of purpose trees, always served with great reverence and affection by hundreds of thousands of \nlakṣmīs\n or \ngopīs.]\nHundreds and thousands of goddess of fortune are engaged in His service. Do you think these lakṣmīs are material woman? How Kṛṣṇa can take pleasure in the material woman? No. This is mistake.\nĀnanda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhāvitābhis tābhir ya eva nija-rūpatayā kalābhiḥ [Bs. 5.37].\n[I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, residing in His own realm, Goloka, with Rādhā, resembling His own spiritual figure, the embodiment of the ecstatic potency possessed of the sixty-four artistic activities, in the company of Her confidantes [sakhīs], embodiments of the extensions of Her bodily form, permeated and vitalized by His ever-blissful spiritual rasa.]\nIn the Brahma-saṁhitā you'll find that He expands His ānanda-cinmaya-rasa, the mellow of transcendental pleasure potency. And these gopīs are expansion of His pleasure potency, and Rādhārāṇī is the center. Rādhārāṇī is the center.\nSo Rādhārāṇī is not... Don't take that Rādhārāṇī is an ordinary woman, like we have our wife or sister or mother. No. She is the pleasure potency. And the birth of Rādhārāṇī was not from the womb of any human being. She was found by Her father in the field. While father was plowing, he saw one little nice child is lying there, and he had no children, so he caught it and presented to the queen, \"Oh, here we have got a very nice child.\" \"How you got?\" \"Oh, in the field.\" Just see. Rādhārāṇī's janma is like that.\nSo this janma is today, and Rādhā, this name is sometimes not found in Bhāgavata. So the atheistic class of men protest that \"Rādhārāṇī's name is not in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. How this name came, Rādhārāṇī?\" But they do not know how to see it. There is anayārādhyate. There are many gopīs, but there is mention that by this particular gopī He is served more pleasingly. Kṛṣṇa accepts this gopī's service more gladly. Anayārādhyate. Ārādhyate. This ārādhate, this word, ārādhyate means worshiping. From this word ārādhyate, Rādhā has come. But Rādhā's name are there in other Purāṇas. So this is the origin. So Rādhā.\nSo Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is the enjoyer, and He wants to enjoy. So He's the Supreme Brahman. He cannot enjoy anything, ātmarāma, He can enjoy it in Himself. Therefore Rādhārāṇī is the expansion of His pleasure potency. Kṛṣṇa hasn't got to seek external things for His pleasure. No. He is in Himself full, ātmarāma. So Rādhārāṇī is expansion of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is the energetic, and Rādhārāṇī is the energy.\nJust like energy and energetic, you cannot separate. Fire and the heat you cannot separate. Wherever there is fire there is heat, and wherever there is heat there is fire. Similarly, wherever there is Kṛṣṇa there is Rādhā, and wherever there is Rādhā there is Kṛṣṇa. They are inseparable. But He is enjoying.\nSo Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī has described this intricate philosophy of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa in one verse, very nice verse.\nrādhā kṛṣṇa-praṇaya-vikṛtir hlādinī-śaktir asmād\nekātmānāv api bhuvi purā deha-bhedaṁ gatau tau\n[Cc. Ādi 1.5]\n[The loving affairs of Śrī Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa are transcendental manifestations of the Lord’s internal pleasure-giving potency. Although Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa are one in Their identity, previously They separated Themselves. Now these two transcendental identities have again united, in the form of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya. I bow down to Him, who has manifested Himself with the sentiment and complexion of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī although He is Kṛṣṇa Himself.]\nSo Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa is the one Supreme, but in order to enjoy, They have divided into two. Again, Lord Caitanya joined the two into one. Caitanyākhyaṁ prakaṭam adhunā. That one means Kṛṣṇa in the ecstasy of Rādhā. Sometimes Kṛṣṇa is in ecstasy of Rādhā. Sometimes Rādhā is in ecstasy of Kṛṣṇa. This is going on. But the whole thing is Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa means the one, the Supreme.\nSo Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa philosophy is a very great philosophy. It is to be understood in the liberated stage. Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa philosophy is not to be understood in the conditioned stage. But when we worship Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa in our conditional stage, actually we worship Lakṣmī-Nārāyaṇa. You have seen that picture, this viddhi-mārga and rāga-mārga. Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa worship is on the platform of pure love, and Lakṣmī-Nārāyaṇa worship is on the regulative principle.\nSo long we do not develop our pure love, we have to worship on the regulative principle. One has to become a brahmacārī, one has to become a sannyāsī, one has to perform the worship in this way, in the morning he has to rise, he has to offer. So many rules and regulation. There are at least sixty-four rules and regulation. So we shall introduce them gradually as you develop.\nSo in the viddhi-mārga, when you have no love for God, or Kṛṣṇa, we have to follow the regulative principle, and automatically..., they are practicing. When practicing, just like you practice this mṛdaṅga playing, in the beginning it is not in order, but when you become well versed in the practice, the sound will come so nice.\nSimilarly, when we are engaged by regulative principles in the worship of Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, that is called viddhi-mārga. And actually when you are on the love platform, then that is called rāga-mārga. So without viddhi-mārga, if anyone wants to learn the rāga-mārga immediately, that is foolishness. That is foolishness. Nobody can pass M.A. examination without going through the regulative principles of primary schools and colleges.\nSo therefore I do not, I mean to say, indulge in the discussions of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa so easily. Rather, go on with the regulative principle at the present moment. Gradually, as you become purified, as you become on the transcendental platform, you'll understand what is Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. Don't try to understand Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa very quickly. It is a very big subject.\nIf we want to understand Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa very quickly, then there will be so many prākṛta-sahajiyā. In India there are prākṛta-sahajiyā. Just like Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa dancing. Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa has become a plaything. The painting Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa is kissing Rādhā, Rādhā is kissing. These are all nonsense. Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa philosophy has to be understood by the liberated person, not by the conditioned soul.\nSo we shall await for the fortunate moment when we are liberated, then we shall understand rādhā-kṛṣṇa-praṇaya-vikṛtir [Cc. Ādi 1.5].\n[The loving affairs of Śrī Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa are transcendental manifestations of the Lord’s internal pleasure-giving potency. Although Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa are one in Their identity, previously They separated Themselves. Now these two transcendental identities have again united, in the form of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya. I bow down to Him, who has manifested Himself with the sentiment and complexion of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī although He is Kṛṣṇa Himself.]\nBecause Kṛṣṇa and Rādhā, They are not on the material field. Try to understand. This is Jīva Gosvāmī's analysis, that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Brahman. The Supreme Brahman cannot accept anything material. So Rādhā is not in the material field.\nNow there is a very nice song. I shall sing, if you can play on the harmonium. Yes. This is a Rūpa Gosvāmī's song. [sings:]\nrādhe jaya jaya mādhava-dayite\ngokula-taruṇī-maṇḍala-mahite\n[O Rādhā! O Mādhava’s beloved! O You whom all the young girls of Gokula worship! All glories unto You! All glories unto You!\ndāmodara-rati-vardhana-veśe\nhari-niṣkuta-vṛndā-vipineśe\nO You who dress Yourself so as to make Lord Dāmodara love You more and more! O Queen of Lord Hari’s pleasure grove, Vṛndāvana!\nvṛṣabhānudadhi-nava-śaśi-lekhe\nlalitā-sakhī guṇa-ramita-viśākhe\nO new moon arisen from the ocean of King Vṛṣabhānu! O friend of Lalitā! O You whose virtues delight Viśākhā!\nkaruṇāṁ kuru mayi karuṇā-bharite\nsanaka-sanātana-varṇita-carite\nO most merciful goddess! O You whose divine qualities are sung by Sanaka and Sanātana Kumāras! O most merciful Rādhā, please have mercy on me!]\nrādhe jaya jaya mādhava-dayite\nThis song was sung by Rūpa Gosvāmī. He is the real person, actual person, to understand Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa. So he says, \"All glories to Rādhārāṇī.\" Rādhe jaya jaya mādhava-dayite. \"She's so dear to Kṛṣṇa.\" Kṛṣṇa, everyone is trying to love Kṛṣṇa, but Kṛṣṇa is trying to love somebody. So how great She is. Just try to understand. Everyone, the whole world, the whole universe, all living entities, they are trying to love Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa-prema.\nLord Caitanya describes, prema-pumārtho mahān. And Rūpa Gosvāmī described that \"You are distributing kṛṣṇa-prema.\" So kṛṣṇa-prema is so valuable, but Kṛṣṇa is after Rādhārāṇī. Just see how Rādhārāṇī is great. Just try to understand the greatness of Rādhārāṇī. Therefore She is so great, and we have to offer our respect.\nRādhe jaya jaya madhava-dayite. How She is? Gokula-taruṇī-maṇḍala-mahite. Taruṇī, taruṇī means young girls. You'll see the pictures, they are all young girls. But of all the young girls, She is the most beautiful. She is enchanting to the young girls also. She is so beautiful. Gokula-taruṇī-maṇḍala-mahite. \nDāmodara-rati-vardhana-veśe. And She always dresses Her so nicely that Dāmodara, Kṛṣṇa, becomes attracted by Her beauty. Hari-niṣkuta-vṛndā-vipineśe. And She is the only lovable object of Kṛṣṇa, and She is the queen of Vṛndāvana. This queen of Vṛndāvana... You'll find in Vṛndāvana, if you go to Vṛndāvana, everyone is worshiping Rādhārāṇī. Rāṇī means queen. They are always speaking, \"Jaya Rādhe!\" Rādhārāṇī.\nAll the devotees in Vṛndāvana, they are worshiper of Rādhārāṇī. Hari-niṣkuta-vṛndā-vipineśe. Vṛṣabhānudadhi-nava-śaśi-lekhe. And She appeared as the daughter of King Vṛṣabhānu, and Her companion, Lalitā-sakhī and Viśākha-sakhī, and the devotees.\nSo on behalf of the pure devotees of Kṛṣṇa, Rūpa Gosvāmī is praying, karuṇāṁ kuru mayi karuṇā-bharite: \"O my worshipable Rādhārāṇī, You are full of mercy. So I am begging of Your mercy because You are so merciful, very easily You offer, bestow Your mercy. So I am begging Your mercy.\" Karuṇāṁ kuru mayi karuṇā-bharite, sanaka-sanātana-varṇita-carite.\nNow somebody may say, \"Oh, you are so great, learned scholar, you are so great saintly person, and you are begging mercy from an ordinary girl? How is that?\" Therefore Rūpa Gosvāmī says, \"Oh, this is not ordinary girl.\" Sanaka-sanātana-varṇita-carite: \"This girl's description is possible to be made by great saintly person like Sanaka-Sanātana. She is not ordinary.\"\nSo the lesson is that we should not treat Rādhārāṇī as ordinary girl or Kṛṣṇa as ordinary man. They are the Supreme Absolute Truth. But in the Absolute Truth, there is the pleasure potency, and that is exhibited in the dealings of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa. And Rādhā's expansion all the gopīs, and Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Lord.\nThank you very much. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. You can chant? Can you chant? Janārdana? All right, you can chant. [Hindi]",
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"content": "\nWhat is that? No, I have explained that one śloka from this Rāma-carita-manasa. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa.\n[44:12]\n[kīrtana] [prema-dhvani] Thank you very much. [devotees offer obeisances] [Hindi with Indians] [end]",
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https://vedabase.io/en/library/transcripts/710513le-sydney/
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"content": "\n[kīrtana—Prabhupāda urging the audience, \"Chant! Chant!\" \"Ask them to chant.\"] [prema-dhvani] Thank you very much. [devotees offer obeisances]",
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"content": "\n He wants to make an introduction.\n Just at this point we'd like to welcome tonight Swami Bhaktivedanta here, as well as all of you who are participating in this Family of Man meeting. The Wayside Chapel, of course, is the home of world religion. As a matter of fact, in two weeks' time..., in three weeks' time the Sikh community will conduct their major festival here and feast in this very theater, and everybody is invited to share with the Sikh community on that particular Sunday. So that's part of our program.\nAnd therefore it's perfectly natural that this evening we should have in our presence such a renowned world leader of a religious movement, which we have watched with great interest from the Wayside Chapel, and we are very honored that the Swami should be in our presence this evening. And in a few moments' time we're going to invite him to speak just as long as he wishes to speak to the whole community which is present. And after that, as usual, in connection with our Family of Man meetings here on Wednesday night, there will be ample opportunity for questions and discussion.\nI think nothing more needs to be said, except to say that we want you to feel very much at home. Everybody here is most anxious to hear what you have to say. The Wayside Chapel originally began... [break]",
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"content": "\n So Ladies and Gentlemen, I thank you very much for giving me the opportunity to place before you our views on saṅkīrtana movement all over the world.\nThis saṅkīrtana movement, don't take it as a religious movement. As you generally understand in the Western countries, the word religion is used as \"a kind of faith.\" Faith you can change. Today you are Christian; tomorrow you can become Hindu. But religion cannot be changed. What we mean by the exact word, Sanskrit word, corresponding to religion is dharma, d-h-a-r-m-a.\nThat dharma is different thing from the word religion. Religion is generally understood as a kind of faith, but dharma is not like that. Dharma you cannot change. Just like water. Water is liquid. You cannot make it solid. If water becomes solid, then it is not in the natural state. If you can... You can say the water becomes sometimes solid by less temperature under certain condition. But the tendency of water is to become liquid again. Water cannot stand solid for good. This is called dharma, religion. Or, say, take it for example, a stone. Stone is solid. Stone cannot be liquid. If by chemical process you make stone liquid sometimes, as you transform stone to glass, that liquidness of stone is temporary. Similarly, the solidity of water is also temporary.\nSo similarly, our religion, the dharma... Try to understand the word dharma. Dharma is a permanent occupation of a certain thing. Just like sugar. Sugar is sweet. You cannot make sugar as salty. Or pepper is pungent, hot. You cannot make it sweet. So try to understand the word dharma, that it cannot be changed.\nSimilarly, we living entities, we have got a dharma, or religion. That we cannot change. What is that? A living entity is servant. We are all living entities, but we are all servants at the same time. Is anyone here who can say that \"I am not servant of anyone\"? No. That is not possible. Everyone is servant. Everyone is servant. That is the definition given by Lord Caitanya, jīvera svarūpa haya nitya kṛṣṇa dāsa [Cc. Madhya 20.108-109]: \"A living entity is eternally servant of God.\" That cannot be changed.\nJust like you are citizen of this Australian state, so you must have to abide by the laws of the state. You cannot change it. If you say that \"I don't want these laws,\" you will be forced to abide by the laws. You cannot change it, or you cannot make law at your home. Law is enacted by the government. Similarly, we should understand religion means you cannot change, and it is enacted by God. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam [SB 6.3.19]. That is the definition given in the Vedic literature.\nSo this saṅkīrtana movement is meant for purifying our heart. By long association with this material nature, we are thinking that \"There is no God,\" \"I have nothing to do with God. I am independent of God.\" We are thinking like that. But actually this is not a fact. The gross material nature is very strong.\nIt is said in the Bhagavad-gītā—those who have read Bhagavad-gītā—daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā [Bg. 7.14]. God has got multi-energies, and they are divided grossly into three: the external energy, the internal energy and the marginal energy. The external energy is this material nature, and the internal energy, there is another, spiritual nature. As you see this universe, as far as you can see or imagine, it is covered. This is material energy.\nBeyond this covering there is another nature. That is spiritual nature. We get this information from the Vedic literature. Paras tasmāt tu bhāvo 'nyo 'vyakto 'vyaktāt sanātanaḥ [Bg. 8.20]. And we living entities, we are the marginal energy. That means if we like, we can live in this material nature; if we like, we can transfer ourselves to the spiritual nature.\nThe spiritual nature is... It is not in..., what is called, incompatible. Compatible. You can adjust yourself in the spiritual nature, but you cannot adjust yourself in the material nature. Therefore material nature, however you can make your plans for becoming happy, it will be frustrated. Because you do not..., you cannot adjust yourself with this material nature.\nJust like this body. This body is a product of this material nature. Now, however you can take care of this body, however you may go on making this body very strong and stout, still, you cannot maintain it. It will be finished today or tomorrow or a hundred years after. You cannot protect it. This is material nature. But I have got the tendency to keep my body fit, strong and eternal. That is my tendency. People are taking so much exercise just to become very strong and stout. But nature will not allow you. However stout and strong you may be, you have to die. You have to give up this body.\nThis body is temporary, but our tendency is to live forever. The scientists are trying how to keep this body fit. One Russian scientist said that \"By material science we shall be able to keep this body forever.\" They may say like that, but in the history we do not find any evidence that anyone has ever been able to keep this body forever, immortal. That is not possible.\nBut this tendency can be satisfied if you transfer yourself to the spiritual world. Because we are marginal. I have already said that we are in a marginal position. If we like, we can keep on this material side of the nature, and if we like, we can transfer ourself to the spiritual side of nature. And what we are? We are also spiritual spark. Therefore we cannot adjust with this material nature.\nOur real hankering is how to go to the spiritual nature. But due to our long association with this material nature, we are thinking wrongly that \"I am a product of this material nature. I will have to adjust with the elements here, and... But because there is no other way, so as long is possible, let me live comfortably and satisfactorily.\" This is our nature.\nBut we get information from Bhagavad-gītā, by simply doing one thing you can make your life permanent, eternal and never to die again, or never to take birth again. What is that? That Lord Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā that,\njanma karma me divyaṁ\nyo jānāti tattvataḥ\ntyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma\nnaiti mām eti kaunteya\n[Bg. 4.9]\nKṛṣṇa says, \"Simply by understanding about My appearance and My activities, janma karma...\" Janma means appearance, and karma means activities. Janma karma me divyam: \"They are transcendental.\" Yo jānāti tattvataḥ: \"If anyone understands in truth,\" tyaktvā deham, \"then such person, after giving up this body,\" punar janma naiti, \"do not come to take birth again in this material world, but he comes to Me.\" Mām eti. And if you come back to Kṛṣṇa, wherefrom you generated, then you become eternally living, not to come back again in this material world full of miseries and frustration.\nSo these informations are there, and our propaganda is to train people how to become Kṛṣṇa conscious, how to understand Kṛṣṇa in truth so that next life, after giving up this body, you get your original, spiritual body, and you live forever with complete knowledge and blissful life. And to understand Kṛṣṇa, for this age it is very simple: this chanting process.\nThis chanting process—Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare—it is simple. Even a child can chant. We have got experience. When we hold meeting, unless one is very obstinate, he joins and chants Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, and dances also with ecstasy. He doesn't require to understand what is Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, but because it is spiritual vibration, it appeals to the spirit soul, and immediately he become ecstatic. That is the process.\nSo by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, your heart, the mirror of your heart, becomes cleansed so that you can see. Just like mirror, when it is dusty, you cannot see your face nicely, similarly, when our heart is contaminated with the material infection, we cannot understand our real position. But if we chant this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, then it will be possible to understand, to see our constitutional position. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam [Cc. Antya 20.12].\nAnd bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇam. If you chant this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, there is no expenditure and there is no loss. Just like we requested you while our students were chanting to join with. What was the loss? But if you do not do, then how we can help you? We are not asking you to pay something for chanting this mantra. It is free. It is open. You have to simply chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa and see the result. Why don't you do that? We are not asking any payment. You are not losing anything. Why don't you make this experiment?\nBut it is our obstinacy. Then what can be done? But if you chant, you will see the result very quickly. Within a week you will see. That is our request. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam. If you chant, then the dirty things which have accumulated in your heart since a long association with this material world, that will be gradually cleansed, and you will be able to see what you are. So without any expenditure, without any loss, if you can see yourself what you are, why don't you take it? What is the objection?\nCeto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇam [Cc. Antya 20.12]. And as soon as you can see, you can have a look upon yourself, immediately the blazing fire of material existence will be extinguished. This material world is supposed to be blazing fire. Blazing fire. It is called blazing fire in the forest. Just like in the forest nobody goes to set fire, but it takes automatically, similarly, in this material world, however you may try to live very peacefully, it will not allow you. There will be some fire.\nJust like in Pakistan. All of a sudden they separated from India as Muhammadans on the basis of religion. Now they are Muhammadans, of the same religion, but they are fighting. First of all they wanted to save themselves from fighting from the Hindus. Now they are Muhammadan—they are of the same cult, same religion—still they are fighting. So you cannot stop this fighting. It will automatically come out. Just like the forest blazing fire: nobody goes to set fire there, but it takes place.\nSo this world, nature of this world, is like that. However you may be careful, however you may be peaceful, some elements there will be who will put you into trouble, into frustration. That is the nature of this material world. Try to understand. But if you understand your constitutional position, what you are, then immediately this blazing fire will be extinguished, and real knowledge come out. If you understand your position, then what is your real occupation, real activity, you will understand.\nceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ\nbhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇam\nśreyaḥ-kairava-candrikā-vitaraṇam\n[Cc. Antya 20.12].\nJust like the moon rises from a line. On the pratipara[?] day, on the first moon side, you will see just like a line. But gradually it develops, develops, develops, and it becomes a full moon, very beautiful. Similarly, if you chant this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, then your first vision of your self, your constitutional position, will be visible just like a line of the moon. But if you go on continuing, you will find one day it is full moon and brilliant, very soothing, and nectarine. You'll taste your life as very sublime, blissful and hopeful.\nSo our method is very simple, and it is very sublime. And it is not that we are dreaming. Practically it is happening in every part of the world. We have got so many branches all over the world, and each and every branch you will find devotees like this. Twenty-five..., at least twenty-five devotees, up to one hundred devotees we have got. In America, my students, these boys and girls, they have been known as \"Hare Kṛṣṇa People,\" \"bright-faced people.\" You can compare their face with others, how they are feeling happy and blissful. That's a fact. It is not a story.\nSo method is simple: simply chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. So why don't you accept this formula? You have nothing to lose, and..., there is no loss, but the gain is very great. So our request is that here is a nice place; you assemble here, you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra and see the result. That is our request.\nAnd if you want to know more, if you don't believe that Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra is so powerful, if you want to know about this movement through science, philosophy, logic, we have got ample books. We have got already published at least twelve books, four hundred pages. You try to understand. If you want to understand this movement through science and philosophy, we are ready.\nBut if you take it as a simple method, without any expenditure, without any loss, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Two sides. Any side you can accept, you will be benefited. That is our request. I don't wish to take much of your time, but our method is very simple, and your life will be sublime. There is no loss. The gain is very great. So if you like, you can take it.\nThank you very much.",
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"content": "\nHare Kṛṣṇa. [end]",
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https://vedabase.io/en/library/transcripts/690215bg-los-angeles/
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"content": "\n \"For him who has conquered his mind, it is the best of friends. But for one who has failed to do so, his very mind will be the greatest enemy.\" [Bg. 6.6]",
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"content": "\n Yes. This mind... They're talking of the mind. The whole yoga system means to make the mind our friend. The mind in material contact... Just like a person in drunkard condition, his mind is [indistinct]. There is a nice verse in Caitanya-caritāmṛta:\nkṛṣṇa-bhuliya jiva bhoga vāñchā kare\npasate māyā tāre jāpaṭiyā dhare\n[Prema-vivarta]\n[When an individual soul forgets his eternal relationship with God and tries to lord it over the material nature or resources, that condition, that forgetful condition, is called māyā, or illusion.]\nThe mind... I am spirit soul, part and parcel of the Supreme Lord. As soon as the mind is contaminated, I rebel, because I have got little independence. \"Why shall I serve Kṛṣṇa, or God? I am God.\" It is simply a dictation from the mind. And the whole situation turns: he's under false impression, illusion, and the whole life is spoiled.\nAnd who has failed to do so... If we fail to conquer the mind—we are trying to conquer so many things, empire—but if we fail to conquer our mind, then even we conquer an empire, that is a failure. \"His very mind will be the greatest enemy.\"\nGo on.",
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"content": "\n \"For one who has conquered the mind, the Supersoul is already reached, for he has attained tranquillity. To such a man, happiness and distress, heat and cold, honor and dishonor are all the same.\" [Bg. 6.7]",
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"content": "\n Then? Go on.",
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"content": "\n \"A person is said to be established in self-realization and is called a yogī, or mystic, when he is fully satisfied by virtue of acquired knowledge and realization. Such a person is situated in transcendence and is self-controlled. He sees everything, whether it be pebbles, stones or gold, as the same.\" [Bg. 6.8]",
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"content": "\n Yes. When the mind is in equilibrium, then this position comes: pebbles, stones or gold, the same value. Go on.",
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"content": "\n Purport: \"Book knowledge without realization of the Supreme Truth is useless. This is said as follows in the Padma Purāṇa...\"",
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"content": "\n Yes, Padma Purāṇa. There are eighteen Purāṇas. There are... Men are conducted in three qualities: modes of goodness, modes of passion and modes of ignorance. To reclaim all these conditioned souls in different varieties of life, there are presentation of the Purāṇas. \nThe six Purāṇas are meant for the persons who are in the modes of goodness. And six Purāṇas are meant for the persons who are in the modes of passion. And the six Purāṇas who are in the modes of ignorance, those Purāṇas are meant for them.\nThis Padma Purāṇa is meant for the persons who are in the modes of goodness. In Vedic rituals, you find so many differences of ritualistic performances. It is due to different kinds of men. Just like you have heard that Vedic literature, there is a ritualistic ceremony offering goat sacrifice in the presence of Goddess Kālī. But this Purāṇa, Mārkaṇḍeya Purāṇa, is meant for the persons who are in the modes of ignorance.\nJust like a person is attached to eat meat. Now if all of a sudden if he is instructed that meat-eating is not good... Or a person is attached to drink liquor. If he at once said that liquor is not good, he cannot accept. Therefore in the Purāṇas we'll find, \"All right, if you want to eat meat, you just worship Goddess Kālī and sacrifice a goat before the goddess, and you can eat meat. You cannot eat meat or flesh by purchasing from the slaughterhouse or butcher shop. You have to eat in this way.\" That means restriction.\nBecause if you want to perform the sacrifice before the Goddess Kālī, there is a certain date, there is a certain paraphernalia, you have to arrange for that. And that pūjā, that worship is allowed on the dark moon night. So dark moon night means once in a month. And the mantras are chanted in this way: the goat is advised that \"You are sacrificing your life before the goddess Kālī. So you get immediately promotion to have a human form of life.\"\nActually it happens, because to come to the standard of human form of life one living entity has to pass through so many evolutionary process. But the goat who agrees, or who is by force sacrificed before the goddess Kālī, he gets immediate promotion to the human form of life. And the mantra says that \"You have got the right to kill this man who is sacrificing.\" Māṁsa. \nMāṁsa means that you will also eat his flesh next birth. So in this way, the man who is sacrificing will come to his senses: \"Why eating this flesh? Then I'll have to repay with my flesh. Why shall I do this job?\" You see. The whole idea is to restrain him.\nSo there are different kinds of Purāṇas, eighteen Purāṇas. Because the whole Vedic literature means to claim all kinds of men, not that those who are meat-eaters or drunkards, they are rejected. No. Everyone is accepted, but there is... Just like you go to a doctor. He'll prescribe you different medicine according to the different disease. Not that he has got one disease..., one medicine; whoever comes, and offers that medicine.\nNo. That is real treatment. Gradually, gradually. But in the sāttvika-purāṇas, they are meant for immediately worshiping the Supreme Personality of Godhead. There is no gradual process. But gradually, one who comes to this stage, he's advised. So Padma Purāṇa is one of the Purāṇas in the modes of goodness. What does it say?\nGo on.",
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"content": "\n \"It says in the Padma Purāṇa, 'No one can understand the transcendental nature of the name, form, qualities and pastimes of Śrī Kṛṣṇa through his materially contaminated senses. Only when one becomes spiritually saturated by transcendental service to the Lord are the transcendental name, form, quality and pastimes of the Lord revealed to him.' \"",
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"content": "\n Yes, this is very important. Now, Kṛṣṇa..., we are accepting Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Lord. Now how we accept Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Lord? Because it is stated in the Vedic literature, just like in the Brahma-saṁhitā, īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ [Bs. 5.1]. \n[Kṛṣṇa who is known as Govinda is the Supreme Godhead. He has an eternal blissful spiritual body. He is the origin of all. He has no other origin and He is the prime cause of all causes.]\nImagination... Those who are in the modes of passion and ignorance, they are imagining the form of God. And when they are confused, they say, \"Oh, there is no personal God. It is all impersonal or void.\" That is frustration. But actually, God has got form. Why not? The Vedānta says, janmādy asya yataḥ [SB 1.1.1]:\n[O my Lord, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, son of Vasudeva, O all-pervading Personality of Godhead, I offer my respectful obeisances unto You. I meditate upon Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa because He is the Absolute Truth and the primeval cause of all causes of the creation, sustenance and destruction of the manifested universes. He is directly and indirectly conscious of all manifestations, and He is independent because there is no other cause beyond Him. It is He only who first imparted the Vedic knowledge unto the heart of Brahmājī, the original living being. By Him even the great sages and demigods are placed into illusion, as one is bewildered by the illusory representations of water seen in fire, or land seen on water. Only because of Him do the material universes, temporarily manifested by the reactions of the three modes of nature, appear factual, although they are unreal. I therefore meditate upon Him, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who is eternally existent in the transcendental abode, which is forever free from the illusory representations of the material world. I meditate upon Him, for He is the Absolute Truth.]\nThe Supreme Absolute Truth is that from whom or from which everything emanates.\nNow, we have got forms, so we have also must have been... Not only we; there are different kinds of forms of the living entities. Wherefrom they come? Wherefrom this form is originated? This is very commonsense question. If God is not a person, then how His sons become person?\nIf your father is not a person, how you become a person? This is very commonsense question. If my father has not a form, wherefrom I get this form? But people imagine, because when they are frustrated, when they see that this form is troublesome, therefore \"God must be formless.\" That is an opposite conception of this form.\nBut Brahma-saṁhitā says no. God has form, but He is sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ [Bs. 5.1]. \n[Kṛṣṇa who is known as Govinda is the Supreme Godhead. He has an eternal blissful spiritual body. He is the origin of all. He has no other origin and He is the prime cause of all causes.]\nSat, cit, ānanda. Sat means eternal. Sat means eternal, cit means knowledge and ānanda means pleasure. So God has form, but He has got a form which is full of pleasure, full of knowledge, and eternal. Now compare your body. Your body is neither eternal nor full of pleasure nor full of knowledge. Therefore God has form, but He has got a different form. But as soon as we speak of form, we think the form must be like this. Therefore the opposite, no form. That's no knowledge. That is not knowledge.\nTherefore in the Padma Purāṇa says that you cannot understand about the form, name, quality, paraphernalia of God with these material senses. Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ [Cc. Madhya 17.136]. \n[“’Therefore material senses cannot appreciate Kṛṣṇa’s holy name, form, qualities and pastimes. When a conditioned soul is awakened to Kṛṣṇa consciousness and renders service by using his tongue to chant the Lord’s holy name and taste the remnants of the Lord’s food, the tongue is purified, and one gradually comes to understand who Kṛṣṇa really is.’]\nBy your sense speculation, because your senses are imperfect, how you can speculate on the supreme perfect? That is not possible. Then how it is possible? Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau. If you train your senses, if you purify your senses, that purified sense will help you to see God.\nJust like if you have got some disease, cataract on your eyes, that does not mean you cannot see... Because your eyes are suffering from cataract, you cannot see. That does not mean there is nothing to be seen. You cannot see. Similarly, you cannot just conceive what is the form of God now, but if your cataract is removed, you can see. That is required.\nPremāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti\n[Bs. 5.38]. \n[I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who is Śyāmasundara, Kṛṣṇa Himself with inconceivable innumerable attributes, whom the pure devotees see in their heart of hearts with the eye of devotion tinged with the salve of love.]\nThe Brahma-saṁhitā says that devotees whose eyes are anointed with the love of God ointment, such persons, within his heart, seeing God, Kṛṣṇa, always, twenty-four hours. Not that... So you require to purify your senses. Then you'll be able to understand what is the form of God, what is the name of God, what is the quality of God, what is the paraphernalia. God as everything.\nThese things are discussed in Vedic literature. Just like apāni-pādo javana-gṛhīta. It is said that God has no hands or legs, but He can accept anything you offer. God has no eyes and ears, but He can see everything and He can hear everything. So these are contradiction. That means whenever we speak of seeing, we think somebody must have eyes like this. That is our material conception.\nGod has eyes. He can see even in the darkness. You cannot see in the darkness. So He has got a different eye. God can hear. If you are..., God is in His kingdom, which is millions and millions of miles away, but if you are talking something, whispering, conspiracy, He can hear. Because He is sitting within you.\nSo you cannot avoid God's seeing and God's hearing or God's touching. Just like in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said,\npatraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ\nyo me bhaktyā prayacchati\ntad ahaṁ bhakty-upahṛtam\naśnāmi prayatātmanaḥ\n[Bg. 9.26]\n[If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, fruit or water, I will accept it.]\n\"If somebody offers Me flower, fruits, vegetables, milk with devotional love, I accept and eat.\" Now how He's eating, that you cannot see in the present—but He is eating. That we are experiencing daily. We are offering Kṛṣṇa, according to the ritualistic process, and you see the taste of the food is changed immediately. That is practical.\nHe eats, but because He is full, He does not eat like us. Just like if I give you a plate of foodstuff, you finish. But God is not hungry, but He eats. He eats and keeps the things as it is. Pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya pūrṇam evāvaśiṣyate [Īśo Invocation]. \n[The Personality of Godhead is perfect and complete, and because He is completely perfect, all emanations from Him, such as this phenomenal world, are perfectly equipped as complete wholes. Whatever is produced of the Complete Whole is also complete in itself. Because He is the Complete Whole, even though so many complete units emanate from Him, He remains the complete balance.]\nGod is so full, that He can take all the foodstuff that you offer; still it remains as it is. He can eat with His eyes. That is stated in the Brahma-saṁhitā: aṅgāni yasya sakalendriya-vṛttimanti [Bs. 5.32].\n[I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, whose transcendental form is full of bliss, truth, substantiality and is thus full of the most dazzling splendor. Each of the limbs of that transcendental figure possesses in Himself, the full-fledged functions of all the organs, and eternally sees, maintains and manifests the infinite universes, both spiritual and mundane.]\nEvery part of the limb of the body of God has got all the potencies of other limb. Just like you can see with your eyes, but you cannot eat with your eyes. But God, if He simply sees the foodstuff you have offered, that is His eating.\nSo these things cannot be understood at the present moment. Therefore this Padma Purāṇa says that only when one becomes spiritually saturated by the transcendental service to the Lord, then are the transcendental name, form, quality and pastimes of the Lord revealed to you. You cannot understand by your own endeavor, but God reveals to you.\nJust like if you want to see just now the sun, it is now darkness. If you say, \"Oh, I have got a very strong torchlight. Come on, I shall show you the sunlight, sun,\" you cannot show. But when the sun rises out of its own will in the morning, you can see. Similarly, you cannot see God by your endeavor, because your senses are all nonsense.\nYou have to purify your senses and you have to wait for the time when God will be pleased to reveal Himself before you. That is the process. You cannot challenge, \"O my dear God, my dear Kṛṣṇa, please come. I shall see You.\" No. God is not your order supplier, your servant. So when He'll be pleased, you'll see Him.\nSo our process is how to please Him so that He will be revealed to me. That is the real process. You cannot... Therefore they are mistaking a nonsense God. Because they cannot see God, anybody says that \"I am God\" are accepted. But they do not know what is God. Somebody says that \"I am searching after the truth.\"\nBut you must know what is the truth. Otherwise, how you will search out truth? Suppose if you want to purchase gold. You must theoretically know, or at least some experience, what is gold. Otherwise people will cheat you.\nSo these people are being cheated, accepting so many rascals as God, because they do not know what is God. Anyone comes, \"Oh, I am God,\" and the rascal—he is rascal, and the man who says that \"I am God,\" he's also rascal. So rascal society, and one rascal is accepted God.\nGod is not like that. One has to qualify himself to see God, to understand God. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ [Brs. 1.2.234]. \n[No one can understand the transcendental nature of the name, form, quality and pastimes of Śrī Kṛṣṇa through his materially contaminated senses. Only when one becomes spiritually saturated by transcendental service to the Lord are the transcendental name, form, quality and pastimes of the Lord revealed to him.]\nIf you engage yourself in the service of the Lord, then you'll be qualified to see God. Otherwise it is not possible.\nGo on.",
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"content": "\n \"This Bhagavad-gītā is the science of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Nobody can become Kṛṣṇa conscious simply by mundane scholarship.\"",
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"content": "\n Yes. Simply because you have got some titles, M.A., Ph.D., D.A.C., you'll understand Bhagavad-gītā—it is not possible. This is transcendental science. It requires different senses to understand. And that sense you have to create, you have to purify, by rendering service.\nOtherwise, even great scholars, like so many doctors and Ph.D.s, they mistake what is Kṛṣṇa. They cannot understand. It is not possible. Therefore Kṛṣṇa comes as He is. Ajo 'pi sann avyayātmā [Bg. 4.6]. \n[Although I am unborn and My transcendental body never deteriorates, and although I am the Lord of all sentient beings, I still appear in every millennium in My original transcendental form.]\nAlthough He is unborn, He comes to make us know how God is.\nGo on.",
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"content": "\n \"One must be fortunate enough to associate with a person who is in pure consciousness. A Kṛṣṇa conscious person has realized the knowledge by the grace of Kṛṣṇa.\"",
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"content": "\n Yes, by the grace of Kṛṣṇa, not by academic qualification. We have to acquire the grace of Kṛṣṇa. Then we can understand Kṛṣṇa. Then we can see Kṛṣṇa. Then we can talk with Kṛṣṇa. Then we can do everything. He is a person. He is the Supreme Person. That is the Vedic injunction. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām [Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13]. \n[The Supreme Lord is eternal and the living beings are eternal. The Supreme Lord is cognizant and the living beings are cognizant. The difference is that the Supreme Lord is supplying all the necessities of life for the many other living entities.]\nHe is the Supreme Person, or the Supreme Eternal. We are all eternal. Our..., now we, being encaged within this body, we are meeting birth and death. But actually we have no birth and death. We are eternal spirit soul. And according to my work, according to my desire, I am transmigrating from one kind of body to another body, another body, another body. This is going on.\nActually I have no birth and death. This is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā in the Second Chapter you have read: na jāyate na mriyate vā [Bg. 2.20]. \n[For the soul there is never birth nor death. Nor, having once been, does he ever cease to be. He is unborn, eternal, ever-existing, undying and primeval. He is not slain when the body is slain.]\nThe living entity never takes birth or never dies. Similarly, God is also eternal, you are also eternal. When you establish your eternal relationship with the eternal, complete eternal—nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām... [Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13]\nHe's the supreme living entity amongst the living entities. He's the supreme eternal amongst eternals. So by Kṛṣṇa consciousness, by purifying your senses, this knowledge will come, and you will see God.\nGo on.",
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"content": "\n \"A Kṛṣṇa conscious person has realized knowledge by the grace of Kṛṣṇa because he is satisfied with pure devotional service. By realized knowledge, one becomes perfect. By such perfect knowledge one can remain steady in his convictions. But by academic knowledge one is easily deluded and is confused by apparent contradictions. It is the realized soul who is actually self-controlled, because he is surrendered to Kṛṣṇa. He is transcendental, because he has nothing to do with mundane scholarship.\"",
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"content": "\n Yes. Even one is illiterate, even he does not know what is A-B-C-D, he can realize God, provided he engages himself in this submissive transcendental loving service. And one may be very learned, high scholar, but he cannot realize God. God is not subjected to any material condition. He is supreme spirit.\nSimilarly, the process of realizing God is also not subjected to any material condition. It is not that because you are poor man, oh, you cannot realize God. Or because you are very rich man, therefore you shall realize God. No. Because you are uneducated, therefore you cannot realize God—no, that is not. Because you are highly educated, therefore you can realize God—no, that is not. He's unconditional, apratihatā. \nSa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmaḥ\n[SB 1.2.6]. \n[The supreme occupation [dharma] for all humanity is that by which men can attain to loving devotional service unto the transcendent Lord. Such devotional service must be unmotivated and uninterrupted to completely satisfy the self.]\nIn the Bhāgavata it is said that is first-class religious principle. Bhāgavata does not mention that this Hindu religion is first class or Christian religion is first class or Muhammadan religion is first class or any other religion. We have created so much, so many religions. But Bhāgavata says that religious principle is first class. Which one?\nSa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje [SB 1.2.6]: that religion which helps you to advance your devotional service and love of Godhead. That's all. That is the definition of first-class religion. We do not analyze that \"This religion is first class, that religion is last class.\"\nOf course, according to, as I have told you, that there are three qualities in the material world. So according to the quality, the religious conception is also created. But the purpose of religion is to understand God and to learn how to love God. That is the purpose. Any religious system, if it teaches you how to love God, then it is first class. Otherwise it is useless.\nYou may prosecute your religious principles very rigidly and very nicely, but your love of God is nil, your love of matter is simply enhancing, ah, that is no religion. According to Bhāgavata verdict: sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje [SB 1.2.6]. Apratihatā. Ahaituky apratihatā: that religious system has no cause. And without any impediment. If you can reach such system of religious principle, then we'll find that you are happy in all respect. Otherwise there is no possibility.\nSa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje [SB 1.2.6]. Adhokṣaje. God's another name is Adhokṣaja. Adhokṣaja means that conquers all materialistic attempt to see God. Adhokṣaja. Akṣaja means experimental knowledge. You cannot understand God by experimental knowledge. No. You have to learn in a different way. That means by submissive aural reception and rendering transcendental loving service. Then you can understand God.\nSo any religious principle which teaches and helps you to develop your love of Godhead without any cause. \"I love God because He supplies me very nice things for my sense gratification,\" that is not love. Ahaituki. Without any [indistinct]. \"God is great. God is my father. It is my duty to love Him.\" That's all.\nNo exchange, \"Oh, God gives me daily bread, therefore I love God.\" No. Daily bread God gives even to the animals, cats and dogs. That is... God is father of everyone. He supplies food to everyone. So that is not love. Love is without reason: \"Even God does not supply me daily bread, I'll love God.\" That is love. That is love.\nCaitanya Mahāprabhu says like that: āśliṣya vā pāda-ratāṁ pinaṣṭu mām [Cc. Antya 20.47]. \n[“Let Kṛṣṇa tightly embrace this maidservant who has fallen at His lotus feet, or let Him trample Me or break My heart by never being visible to Me. He is a debauchee, after all, and can do whatever He likes, but still He alone, and no one else, is the worshipable Lord of My heart.]\n\"Either You embrace me or You trample me down on Your feet, or You never come before me, I become broken-hearted without seeing You, still I love You.\" That is pure love of God. When we come to that stage of loving God, then we'll find, oh, all..., full of pleasure. As God is full of pleasure, you are also full of pleasure. That is the perfection.\nGo on.",
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"content": "\n \"A person is said to be still further advanced when he regards all—the honest well-wisher, friends and enemies, the envious, the pious, the sinner and those who are indifferent and impartial—with an equal mind.\" [Bg. 6.9]\n[A person is said to be still further advanced when he regards all—the honest well-wisher, friends and enemies, the envious, the pious, the sinner and those who are indifferent and impartial—with an equal mind.]",
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"content": "\n Yes. This is the sign of advancement. Because here in this material world, the calculation of friend and enemy, everything, is in the relationship with this body, or sense gratification. But realization of God or the Absolute Truth, there is no such material consideration.\nAnother point is that here, all conditioned souls, they are under illusion. Suppose a doctor, a doctor goes to a patient. He is under convulsion; he's talking nonsense. That does not mean he will refuse to treat him. He treats him as friend. Also, although the patient calls him by ill names, bad names, still he gives him medicine.\n[break] Lord Jesus Christ said that \"You hate the sin, not the sinner.\" Not the sinner. This is very nice. Because sinner is illusioned. He's mad. If you hate him, then how you can deliver him? Therefore those who are devotees, those who are really servant of God, they have no hate for anyone. Just like Lord Jesus Christ, when he was being crucified, he was requesting God, \"My Lord, please excuse them. They do not know what they are doing.\" This is the position of the devotee. Yes. Because they are mad after materialistic way of thinking, so they cannot be hated, anyone.\nSo this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is so nice that there is no question of hating. Everyone is welcome: \"Please come here. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Take kṛṣṇa-prasādam and hear some nice philosophy from Bhagavad-gītā, and try to rectify your material conditional life.\" This is the program—Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Lord Caitanya introduced this movement. Yāre dekha, tāre kaha 'kṛṣṇa'-upadeśa [Cc. Madhya 7.128]:\n[“Instruct everyone to follow the orders of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa as they are given in the Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. In this way become a spiritual master and try to liberate everyone in this land.”]\n\"Whoever you meet, wherever you meet, simply try to teach him this Kṛṣṇa consciousness,\" kṛṣṇa-kathā, words from Lord Kṛṣṇa. You'll be happy and they will be happy.\nGo on.",
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"content": "\n \"A transcendentalist should always try to concentrate his mind on the Supreme Self. He should live alone in a secluded place and should always carefully control his mind. He should be free from desires and possessiveness.\"",
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"content": "\n Yes. This is the beginning of transcendental life. This chapter, Lord Kṛṣṇa will try to teach the principles of yoga system. So here He begins, that a transcendentalist should always try to concentrate his mind on the Supreme Self. Supreme Self means Kṛṣṇa, or Lord. He is the Supreme Self, as I just explained, nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām [Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13]. \n[The Supreme Lord is eternal and the living beings are eternal. The Supreme Lord is cognizant and the living beings are cognizant. The difference is that the Supreme Lord is supplying all the necessities of life for the many other living entities.]\nHe is the supreme eternal. He is the supreme living entity. So the whole yoga system is to concentrate mind on the Supreme Self.\nWe are not Supreme Self. That you can understand. Supreme Self is God. This is dvaita-vāda, duality. Duality means God is different from me. He is supreme; I am subordinate. He is great; I am small. He is infinite; I am infinitesimal. This is the relationship. So because we are infinitesimal, we should concentrate our mind to the infinite, Supreme Self.\nThen, he should live alone. Alone. This is most important thing. Alone means not to live with persons who are not Kṛṣṇa conscious, or God conscious. That is alone. He should live alone in a secluded place. Secluded place, there are..., or in the jungle, in the forest. It is very secluded place. But in this age it is very difficult to go to the jungle and find out a secluded place. The secluded place is that where simply God consciousness is taught. That is secluded place. That is secluded place.\nThen? \"And should always carefully control his mind.\" How to control the mind? Just fix up your mind to the Supreme Self, or Kṛṣṇa. Not anything else. Sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayoḥ [SB 9.4.18]. \n[Mahārāja Ambarīṣa always engaged his mind in meditating upon the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, his words in describing the glories of the Lord, his hands in cleansing the Lord's temple, and his ears in hearing the words spoken by Kṛṣṇa or about Kṛṣṇa. He engaged his eyes in seeing the Deity of Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa's temples and Kṛṣṇa's places like Mathurā and Vṛndāvana, he engaged his sense of touch in touching the bodies of the Lord's devotees, he engaged his sense of smell in smelling the fragrance of tulasī offered to the Lord, and he engaged his tongue in tasting the Lord's prasāda. He engaged his legs in walking to the holy places and temples of the Lord, his head in bowing down before the Lord, and all his desires in serving the Lord, twenty-four hours a day. Indeed, Mahārāja Ambarīṣa never desired anything for his own sense gratification. He engaged all his senses in devotional service, in various engagements related to the Lord. This is the way to increase attachment for the Lord and be completely free from all material desires.]\nThen your...., the other day as I explained, if you keep your mind always seated by Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa is just like light, sun, so there is no question of darkness occupying the mind. There will be no possibility. Just like in the sunlight, there is possibility of darkness. Similarly, if you keep Kṛṣṇa on your mind always, this māyā, or illusion, cannot reach there. She will be unable to reach there. That is the process.\n\"He should be free from desire and possessiveness.\" The whole material disease is that I want to possess and desire. And whatever is lost, I lament for it, and whatever there is..., whatever we haven't got, we desire for it. So brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā [Bg. 18.54]:\n[And of all yogīs, he who always abides in Me with great faith, worshiping Me in transcendental loving service, is most intimately united with Me in yoga and is the highest of all.]\nOne who is actually God conscious, Kṛṣṇa conscious, he has no desire for material possession. He has only desire how to serve Kṛṣṇa. That means his desire is purified. This desire is..., you cannot give up desire. That is not possible. You are living entity; you must have desire.\nBut our desire is at the present moment is contaminated: \"I want to..., I desire to satisfy my senses by material possession.\" But if you desire for Kṛṣṇa, this desire for material possession will automatically vanish.\nGo on.",
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"content": "\n \"To practice yoga, one should go to a secluded place.\" [Bg. 6.11-12]\n[To practice yoga, one should go to a secluded place and should lay kuśa-grass on the ground and then cover it with a deerskin and a soft cloth. The seat should neither be too high nor too low and should be situated in a sacred place. The yogī should then sit on it very firmly and should practice yoga by controlling the mind and the senses, purifying the heart and fixing the mind on one point.]",
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"content": "\n This is the prescription how to practice yoga. In your country, the yoga practice is very popular. There are many so-called yoga societies. But here is the prescription given by the Supreme Lord how to practice yoga.\nGo on.",
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"content": "\n \"One should go to a secluded place and should lay kuśa grass on the ground and then cover it with a deerskin and a soft cloth. The seat should neither be too high nor too low and should be situated in a sacred place. The yogī should then sit on it very firmly and should practice yoga by controlling the mind and the senses, purifying the heart and fixing the mind on one point.\"\n[No audio]",
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"content": "\n The first prescription is how to sit and where to sit. Sitting posture. You have to select a place where you shall sit down and practice yoga. That is the first prescription.\nGo on.",
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"content": "\n Purport: \" 'Sacred place' refers to places of pilgrimage. In India the yogīs, the transcendentalists or the devotees all leave home and reside in sacred places such as Prayāga, Mathurā, Vṛndāvana, Hṛṣīkeśa, Hardwar, and practice yoga there.\"",
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"content": "\n Now, suppose you have to find out a sacred place. In this age, how many people is prepared to find out a sacred place? For his livelihood he has to live in a congested city. Where is the question of sacred place? So if you don't find a sacred place, then how you can practice yoga? That is the first prescription.\nTherefore this bhakti-yoga system is the sacred place is this temple. You live here, it is nirguṇa, it is transcendental. The Vedic injunction is that the city is the place of passion, and the forest is the place of goodness, and the temple is transcendental. If you live in a city or a town, that is a passionate place. And if you don't want to live in a passionate place, you go to a forest. That is place of goodness. But a temple, a God's temple, is above this passion and goodness.\nTherefore temple is the only secluded place for this age. You cannot go in a secluded place in a forest. It is impossible. And if you make a show of yoga practice in a so-called class and indulge in all kinds of nonsense things, that is not yoga practice. Here is the prescription how to practice yoga.\nGo on.",
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"content": "\n \"A sacred place is where the sacred rivers like the Yamunā and the Ganges flow. Any bank on the river Ganges or Yamunā naturally sacred. One should select a place which is secluded and undisturbed. The so-called yoga societies in big cities may be successful in earning material benefit but these are not at all suitable for the actual practice of yoga. One who is not self-controlled and whose mind is not undisturbed cannot practice meditation. Therefore...",
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"content": "\n The Bṛhan-Nāradīya Purāṇa.",
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"content": "\n Therefore in the Bṛhan-Nāradīya Purāṇa it is said that in the Kali-yuga [the present yuga or age], when people in general are short-living, slow in spiritual realization and always disturbed by various anxieties, the best means of spiritual realization is to chant the holy name of the Lord. In this age of quarrel and hypocrisy the only means of deliverance is to chant the holy name of the Lord. There is no other way to success.”",
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"content": "\n Yes. That is the prescription in the Bṛhan-Nāradīya Purāṇa:\nharer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam\nkalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā\n[Cc. Ādi 17.21]\n[“’In this Age of Kali there is no other means, no other means, no other means for self-realization than chanting the holy name, chanting the holy name, chanting the holy name of Lord Hari.’]\nHarer nāma, simply chant the holy name of the Lord, and that is the only process of self-realization or concentration or meditation. And there is no other alternative, no other alternative, no other alternative. Other practices will not be feasible. And it is so nice that even a child can take part in it. This is universal.\nIf you prescribe yoga practice to a child it is impossible or it is not acceptable by everyone. But here is a process introduced by the Bṛhan-nāradīya Purāṇa, \"just chant Hare Kṛṣṇa\". It can be taken part by anyone, even a child, even an illaterate, even a fool, even a senile, a righteous, richman—everyone can take part. This is universal.\nChant Hare Kṛṣṇa. [end]",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
https://vedabase.io/en/library/transcripts/701213r2-indore/
|
[
{
"content": "\n [japa] You have heard about our philosophy? You have heard about our philosophy?",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n Whatever I have read. But, you see, I don't believe what I have read. I believe only whatever I have talked to you, whatever you have said person to person.",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n No, no, that is another thing. But still, what is your conception of our philosophy? What is that teaching?",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n Whose? Mine?",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n No, as we are?",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n No, I have understood what I have heard from you. What is your conception of God I have not understood.",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n Our conception of God is that He is a transcendental person. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ [Bs. 5.1]. Īśvara means Lord. The Supreme Lord is a person. As you are person, He is also person, but He is the chief person. Nityo nityānāṁ. He is the leader, and we are all led. Or He is the master; we are the servitors. That is our self-realization, to understand that \"I am eternal servant of God.\"\nIn Bhagavad-gītā it is said, mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ jīva-loke sanātanaḥ [Bg. 15.7]: \"Eternally all the living entities are My parts and parcels.\" So as the part and parcel of anything is to serve the cause of the whole, similarly, all living entities, their only business is to serve the Supreme. That is our.",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n Swāmījī, there is one dispute that the ultimate Gītā, as they say, [indistinct] only seven ślokas. The rest of the Gītā is... I don't know; this is the concept of..., amongst the people. Rest of the Gītā has been written by [indistinct]. That is the concept amongst the people. Well, if Gītā is written afterwards by Śrī Vyāsa[?], then...",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n Then what?",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n Then just to prove that ultimate... [indistinct]. Suppose it is my doubt. There was a time for Lord Kṛṣṇa to free Arjuna. All these things. According to me, when Lord Kṛṣṇa was... [indistinct] Arjuna got into a trance. If we say that Lord Kṛṣṇa has given the [indistinct] to Arjuna, but those who have not been so much accused, those who have [indistinct]. As a matter of fact, Arjuna went to the trouble [indistinct] That trance, what shall we call it? [indistinct] When the ātmā goes into the trance, the mind goes into the trance, and into the śuddha-sattva, then he gets the vision of all—past, future and present.",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n First thing that you said that Bhagavad-gītā was given in seven verses, and later on, Vyāsadeva has expanded. Now, suppose accepting that Vyāsadeva has expanded, do you find any difference between Vyāsadeva's explanation and the original seven verses?",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n No. Of course, that is [indistinct].",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n Then, accepting even that Vyāsadeva has expanded, so there is no difference. Therefore, even if we take the Bhagavad-gītā as it is presented by Vyāsadeva, so there is nothing to be said against it.",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n Nothing.",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He gave us only eight verses, Śikṣāṣṭaka. But our Gosvāmīs, they have written volumes of books on that eight verses. But there is no difference of the writings of the Gosvāmīs and the original eight verses. That is not very important thing.",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n One more, sir. Lord Kṛṣṇa has never asked Arjuna to sit and do this bhajana. He said, uttiṣṭha mām anusmara yuddhya [Bg. 8.7]: \"Get up and remember me and fight! And fight! And fight! That fight, that is your right.\" That is...",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n Yes. So fight with whom?",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n \"Fight with your enemy.\"",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n Who is your enemy?",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n Even physical, bodily, whatever it is, whatever it is. But you must know who are your enemies first. Your enemy may be my friend. [indistinct] Or my friend, my enemy, your friend. So [indistinct].",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n That's nice proposal. Unless you find an enemy, how you can fight? [laughs] So of course, we do not say... We Vaiṣṇavas do not say that there is no need of fighting. We never say. When there is need of fighting we must fight. Rather, somebody in New York, some Goldsmith, he was, \"Why Kṛṣṇa is advising Arjuna to fight, to become violent?\" So somebody protests like that.\nBut there is no meaning of protesting against the action of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is our view. So we Vaiṣṇavas, we are chanting. It does not mean that when there is need of fighting with avaiṣṇava we shall lack in strength. We can fight. One gentleman inquired from me that \"Vaiṣṇavism makes one dull. He cannot act.\" And, \"No. You have not seen a Vaiṣṇava.\" In the two fightings, great fighting, the Rāmāyaṇa and Mahābhārata, the hero was Hanuman and Arjuna, and they fought.",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n They fought.",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n Yes. And who can be better Vaiṣṇava than them?",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n Nobody.",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n So Vaiṣṇava does not mean he is dull. No.",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n No, that is well proved. If there is need... [indistinct].",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n Yes. So our present fighting is atheism, against atheism. They say, \"There is no God,\" \"God is dead.\" \"I am God. You are God.\" We are fighting against these principles. So our fighting is very strong. You don't think that we are keeping idly. I have come here to fight with these atheists, you see, and we go everywhere.\nWe are fighting with atheists all over the world. So we are meeting so many opposing elements. You see? They say, \"God is dead.\" In America, when I first went, they were popularizing theory that \"God is dead.\" But they again accepted and: God is not only dead, but He is here with Swāmījī.\" They accepted.\nSo these atheistic theories, that \"Everyone is God,\" \"I am God,\" \"You are God,\" \"God is dead,\" \"There is no God,\" \"God is not person\"—we are fighting against these principles. We say, \"God is Kṛṣṇa. The Supreme Personality of Godhead is Kṛṣṇa. He is a person, and He is not dead.\" This is our preaching. Therefore it is a fight.",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n He is not dead. He is not dead.",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n How He can be dead? How you can think of like that, that God is dead? That is foolishness.",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n If you say God is dead, that means you are... That is your own ignorance. [indistinct]",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n So we are fighting against this ignorance, so many ignorance. And at the present moment so many theories and religious principles have sprung up unnecessarily. You see? But we are sticking to the principle that the only religion is to surrender unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is real religion: surrender.",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n Complete surrender. Complete surrender.",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n Complete surrender. That is real religion. Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityjya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja. Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru [Bg. 18.65]. These are Kṛṣṇa's words. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate [Bg. 7.19]. Prapadyate—that is surrender. Ye yathā māṁ prapadyante tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham [Bg. 4.11]. These words are there.",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n I like only the last ślokas [indistinct], where Lord Kṛṣṇa analyzes and then Arjuna [indistinct]. But to bring that mind and ātmā together, that process is called yoga.",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n But you know that Kṛṣṇa said, yoginām api sarveṣāṁ mad-gatenāntarātmanā [Bg. 6.47]: \"Of all the yogīs, one who is always thinking of Me within his mind, he is first class.\" Do you accept this?",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n Of all the yoginām?",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n Yoginām api sarveṣāṁ: \"Of all the yogīs...\" Yoginām api sarveṣāṁ. That is the last verse of the yoga chapter, sāṅkhya-yoga chapter. Yoginām... When Arjuna said that \"This practice of aṣṭāṅga-yoga is not possible for me.\"",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n No, of course not.",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n No, he said. When he said like that, Kṛṣṇa answered, \"Yes, but if you practice, it can be possible. But still, anyone...\" He summarized the whole yoga process, yoginām api sarveṣāṁ: \"Of all yogīs, anyone who is thinking of Me always, he is the first-class yogī.\"",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n That is karma-yoga.",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n Why do you say karma-yoga? Where you get this?",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n \"Whatever you do.\" \"Whatever you do.\" It is not written that you should do the aṣṭāṅga-yoga.",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n No, no, no. We are discussing this verse. He said that \"Anyone who is always thinking...\" Karma-yogi also always thinks of Kṛṣṇa. That's all right. That is not denied. But the highest principle is always keeping Kṛṣṇa within his mind. Premāñjana-cchurita... That is confirmed in the Brahma-saṁhitā.\nPremāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti [Bs. 5.38]. This kind of practice of yoga can be done by a unalloyed devotee. Premāñjana-cchurita, by developing the dormant love of God. That is... That is the highest perfection. And another thing is, you are accepting mind as ātmā, are you not? That's not correct. Mind is not ātmā.",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n No, no, mind is not ātmā. No. Whatever you say, the ātmā and mind, they come together, each other come. When your mind does not go from here to there...",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n Yes, mind fixed up in ātmā. That's nice. But mind is not ātmā.",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n No, no.",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n Mind is matter, subtle matter.",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n Certainly. That is the laws. It can be destroyed.",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n Mind is kind of fume of the ātmā. So mind becomes..., changes the color of the fume according to the state of the ātmā. If the ātmā is in pure state, then mind is pure. If the ātmā is impure state, the mind is impure. So we have taught all our disciples, satataṁ kīrtayanto māṁ [Bg. 9.14], always chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. Satataṁ kīrtayanto māṁ.",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n Satataṁ kīrtayanto yo māṁ...",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n No. Satataṁ kīrtayanto māṁ yatantaś ca dṛḍha-vratāḥ. Dṛḍha-vratāḥ: \"One who is always chanting about Me and endeavoring with great determination to reach Me, he is mahātmā.\"",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n As you have said, nāhaṁ tiṣṭhāmi vaikuṇṭhe yogināṁ hṛdayeṣu vā mad-bhakteṣ...",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n Tiṣṭhāmi. That's it. Therefore a devotee's position is sublime. Kṛṣṇa comes as a devotee also. Actually this happened. Haridāsa Ṭhākura, he happened to be a Muhammadan, Lord Caitanya's devotee. So in those days, five hundred years ago, there was some Hindu-Muslim... Still that is going on.\nSo he did not enter Jagannātha temple to create some disturbance. Caitanya Mahāprabhu also did not ask him that \"You go to Jagannātha temple. Who can check it?\" Of course, if Caitanya Mahāprabhu had ordered, he would have gone. Neither he wanted to go, neither Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that \"You must go.\" Caitanya Mahāprabhu used to come to him. Tatra tiṣṭhāmi nārada yatra gāyanti mad-bhaktāḥ. This is the practical. He came to the devotee where he was chanting.\nSo instead of approaching God, if you chant, God will approach you. That is a fact, we see. Instead of Haridāsa Ṭhākura going to Jagannātha, Jagannātha Himself was coming to him. Every day Lord Caitanya would come and ask and sit down, \"How you are feeling? What you are doing?\" Then He would go to take bath in Samudra. Daily.\nIt was Caitanya Mahāprabhu's... And when Haridāsa Ṭhākura expired, He personally took the body and cremated on the bank of the Samudra, and He performed the funeral ceremony. Haridāsa Ṭhākura was so... And he was given the title nāmācārya, \"authority of chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra.\"\nVery nice that you are cultivating this knowledge. It is very nice. Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye [Bg. 7.3]. This cultivation of spiritual knowledge means perfection of life. But people do not try for it. Therefore Gītā says, manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu: \"Out of many thousands of men, one may try to cultivate knowledge for spiritual advancement.\" And yatatām api siddhānāṁ [Bg. 7.3]: \"Out of many such persons who are cultivating spiritual knowledge, hardly one can understand what is Kṛṣṇa.\"",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n Very correct. Very correct. To understand Him is a lot.",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n Yes. That is liberation. Janma karma me divyam yo janati tattvataḥ [Bg. 4.9]. To understand Kṛṣṇa... Nobody can understand Kṛṣṇa, but still, to such an extent if one can understand Him, then he immediately becomes liberated. Immediately. And not to speak of developing his love of Kṛṣṇa, simply by knowledge, by real knowledge if one understands Kṛṣṇa, oh, that is sufficient to make him liberated. And those who are devotees, for them liberation is very insignificant. Muktir mukulitāñjaliḥ sevate 'sman [Bilvamaṅgala Ṭhākura].",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n On the first day of this inauguration, I was there, and there were definitions about karma-yoga.",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n Oh, the governor. [laughter] Just see. He is speaking of karma-yoga. Slaughtering ten thousand cows, that is karma-yoga. This nonsense speaking of karma-yoga.",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n So I shall present [indistinct].",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n The governor became little perturbed. [chuckles] He wanted to go immediately. You were present? And when the other men began to speak all hodgepodge...",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n I like your one sentence that day: \"Whatever is according to the śāstras, that is correct. I agree to it.\" Nobody says that.",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n Yes, that is a fact.",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n That's a fact.",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n Karma done does not mean that you manufacture something and it becomes a karma.",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n It is written, whatever, in śāstras.",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n Yes.",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n That is karma-yoga.",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n Yes. I was just going to explain all this karma, vikarma, akarma.",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n What does he know? [laughs]",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n In India, the land of sages, land of Kṛṣṇa, land of Lord Rāmacandra, land of Mahārāja Parīkṣit, without any restriction cow slaughter is going on. And they are speaking of karma-yoga. Just see the fun.",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n I don't know where this India is going to, the land of Kṛṣṇa is going to.",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n Well... No, we should try our best.",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n We have to fight these habits. It is our duty.",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n Yes, that's it. So you are a military man. I request you to fight against this nonsense.",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n Swāmī, I wish you could come sometime. I will gather section of some people, and do some...",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n Yes, I'll go. I'll go. Where? Just fix up some time.",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n Because I am very near to temple, only 100 yards, 200 yards.",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n That's all right. That Takat?[?] Takat?",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n No, not Takat. [indistinct]",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n Oh, I see, oh. We are thinking of having a branch near that Takat, in that Takat colony. What is your idea? Our Kṛṣṇa consciousness center. Is that a good locality?",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n I'll tell you. I will fight Tukori[?]. [indistinct]",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n All right. No, no. Think twice before doing.",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n Tuesday morning, December 15th?\n Tuesday morning? Morning, I have to go to a village somewhere.",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n You give them after seven.",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n Ah, no, whenever opportunity.",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n All right, then make...",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n Evenings are all engaged.",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n Oh, evenings are... But evenings up to which date?",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\nSeven to nine p.m....",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\nNo, no. Tuesday?",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\nUp to the sixteenth.",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n Up to the sixteenth?",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n Yes.",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\nThen probably on the seventeenth we may go. Nothing fixed up, but there is chance. Every chance, because we are thinking of an appointment with the Prime Minister in Delhi by the eighteenth, so if that is fixed up, then we have to start.",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n How about in the afternoon?\n [discusses date for engagement with Haṁsadūta]",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n Is there any engagement, for...?",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n Yes.",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n When?",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n [discusses date for engagement with guest] How about Tuesday afternoon. Three to four.\nTuesday afternoon.\n Fifteenth is the disappearance day of His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī.",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n Fifteenth is disappearance day? Oh, then we have to perform.",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n What shall we do? Fast?",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n We shall fast up till twelve and then offer puṣpāñjali and then chant, as far as we can supply.",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n So Tuesday afternoon from three to four.",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n Yes. You write his name.",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n May I have your name?\n Major Ghun N. Suley.\n Major...\nGhun N. Suley.",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n You are Maharastrian.",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n Yes. [indistinct]\n Telephone?",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n Maharastrians, they are fighting nation.",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n Telephone? Telephone? Telephone? You have telephone?",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n Telephone? Telephone?",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n Telephone, no, I haven't got. My office telephone is [indistinct].",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n Maharastrian spirit and Bengali spirit, almost...",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n Yes.",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n Yes. [Hindi]",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n [Hindi] [indistinct]",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n Yes. These boys also, from their childhood they are addicted to so many things. Gave up immediately.",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n That's nice.",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n Immediately on my word they gave up.",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n [indistinct]",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\nMeat-eaters, they have been described by Cāṇakya Paṇḍita in a verse. I....",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n Though we are kṣatriyas, but nobody takes meat in our house.",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n Kṣatriyas are allowed to take meat by hunting, not by slaughterhouse. Not all, but some of them.",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n When you can't get anything to eat, then only you can do that. You are [indistinct] or not?",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n I have been [indistinct]. Not in my sannyāsa stage. Long ago accepted sannyāsa.",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\nWhich year?",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\nSome times in 1945.",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n Are you going there now this month?",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n No, I can go everywhere if the arrangement is... Aiye.",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n [Hindi discussion with other Indians]\n Janaka Mahārāja.",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n Cāṇakya, Cāṇakya Paṇḍita. He was a great politician and brāhmaṇa.",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n Was he in Lord Caitanya's time?",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n No, no. He was five thousand years ago. Not... Three thousand years.",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n He was a great devotee?\n No.\n No?\n He was politician. He was a mathematician, greatest.",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n He was very learned scholar, brāhmaṇa, rigid brāhmaṇa. That's all.",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n He was insulted once in boyhood by something of Mahātmānanda.",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n Nanda.",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n Then he took oath that \"All right, today I turn my [indistinct], and one day I will dethrone you from here. Then you can call me Cāṇakya,\" and he went away. [tells indistinct story]\n Great determination.",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n Yes.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n He wasn't a great devotee?",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n No.",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n So he's not authority.",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n No, no, he was not authority in the spiritual sense. He was a politician—moralist, politician. That's all. Worldly man.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n [aside:] How many people will be there?\n Swāmījī, you were telling something?",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n Yes. I don't find... [break] ...vanaṁ sattvaṁ na durjante, sattva vasanti, tad eva ca durjanas tu pade pade. This is another verse.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n [Sanskrit]",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n So we made some Life Member. Is there any possibility of getting..., enrolling some Life Member? That...?",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n Life Member for...?",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n For this institution. We want some Life Members. Otherwise, how we can conduct this institution? [indistinct]",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n Telegram, shall I open it?",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\nTelegram? New telegram? Or reply?",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n I think it was a return. A reply about...",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n Who sent?",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n Gita Bhavan Sect, Gita Bhavan Marg, Indore. \"Please advise definite arrival time Surat. Very anxious. Janwal, care of [indistinct].\" That's how he replied.",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n So there we are already engaged. We cannot go Surat immediately. Let us follow that.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n We don't [indistinct].",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n Yes. That is his version. Version.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n[indistinct] I think we can send at no cost.",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n There is no cost. No. You simply, you present the [indistinct].",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n So what is the program here?",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n Never mind. \"Due to heavy engagement, cannot go Surat immediately. Letter follows.\"",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n Motorcycle [indistinct].\n Oh, yes?",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n Are you sure, that motorcycle? That? To go and come back here for attending meeting here? By train? How far it is?",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n About fifteen minutes.",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n Oh, that's all right. That's all.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n So we'll be back by 10:30. No, no, we won't take any prasādam that day. We are fasting till noon because it is the appearance day of our Guru Mahārāja's spiritual master.\n Disappearance.\n Disappearance? Oh. We won't be taking anything at all. Nothing.",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n Up to twelve we don't take. Fast.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n [indistinct] in my house?",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n Whatever arrangement you do, that's all right. But if some of you members become our Life Members, that will be...",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n Have you seen our books? Would you like to see?",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n So shall I explain? [break] ...the footprints of liberated predecessors like Manu and others. So they are conditioned. Therefore their rules and regulation are not perfect. It cannot be perfect.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n Here is our monthly magazine, Back to Godhead. These are our... [indistinct] This is in Washington, D.C. This is in Berkeley, California. That magazine is being printed in six languages: Hindi, English, French, German and Japanese and Bengali... Bengali is not yet out, but it's coming. Then Prabhupāda started presenting these books when he was still in India.\nAnd this book was published in 1965. This was printed in India, the First Canto of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. The First Canto comprises three volumes like this, the First Canto. And then the following cantos are being printed by our own press in America, in Boston, like this, chapter by chapter, so that people can take advantage of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and read it at their convenience instead of being...\n [indistinct]\n And here, Kṛṣṇa book, is the Tenth Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Prabhupāda calls it, Kṛṣṇa: The Supreme Personality of Godhead. And it's full of illustrations which are done by his American students. Just see how beautiful. There are eighty-four full-color illustrations that show the pastimes of Kṛṣṇa.\nSo the people in the Western world, for the first time in the history of the world, will get an idea of who God is, what He looks like, what He does, where He's residing. This is the Kṛṣṇa book and this is in two volumes. This is volume number one and this is volume number two. This is just a blueprint. We haven't got the printed copy yet. Then Prabhupāda has presented these Teachings of Lord Caitanya, Caitanya-caritāmṛta, which you must be familiar with, in the form of the teachings of Lord Caitanya. And there are also illustrations, although they're not color; they're black and white.\n Śrī Tukārāma is disciple of Caitanya.",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n He also went through in Maharastra by His chanting, kīrtana.",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n [indistinct]\n And most important, Prabhupāda has presented Bhagavad-gītā. He calls it Bhagavad-gītā As It Is. He explains in the introduction that till now there's been so many Bhagavad-gitas printed in all languages, and all of them are misrepresenting. They have not presented Bhagavad-gītā as it is. They are trying to present Kṛṣṇa..., or Bhagavad-gītā without Kṛṣṇa. They want to leave out the speaker of Bhagavad-gītā and put themselves forward. So Prabhupāda has presented Bhagavad-gītā as it is, and therefore this movement has taken such hold, because the real thing is being presented.\nThis is in San Francisco, California. And then, the Nectar of Devotion, Rūpa Gosvāmī's book Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, also there with illustrations. This book is the law book of devotional service. Then Īśopaniṣad, mantras and transliteration, word-for-word translation, then the complete English translation and purport by His Divine Grace. So these books are [indistinct] bhakti-yoga [indistinct]. Kṛṣṇa consciousness [indistinct] explaining the chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra.\nSo we have so much literature. And in India we've introduced a program, our membership program, so that we can go on distributing these literatures. And that membership program, there are four memberships, types of membership. One is Life Membership. Life Membership means the member is entitled to all the books that we have printed, plus all the books we will print in the future, plus a lifetime subscription to our magazine, Back to Godhead. And the member is entitled to stay at any one of our branches throughout the world free, and if he happens to travel abroad. Or in India we will have our branches. So that Life Membership fee is 1,111 rupees.\nAnd then we have Donor Membership. The Donor Member is entitled to all the books that have been printed, a lifetime subscription to our magazine, but he does not get the books in the future. That is 555 rupees. And Subscriber Membership, lifetime subscription to our magazine, which is 222 rupees.And ordinary membership, yearly subscription to our magazine. In this way we're trying to recruit members that support our movement. This movement is being supported just by literature.\nAnd in this way we can flood the whole world with Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and then there'll be a change. If we want to see a change in the world, then we have to distribute knowledge of Kṛṣṇa in this way. You are welcome to become a member. And also your friends. Tell them about our membership programs.\n Swāmījī, open a center here also.",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n I wish to. I wish to open a center.",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n No, no, now?",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n Not yet.",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n And how many centers in India?",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n Practically, three.",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n Swami, did you come across these Brahma-kumārīs? They preach something else.",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n That is something else. Everyone knows it.",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n Once they... I was in [indistinct]. So they were passing through, teaching some Kṛṣṇa or something, and their Bhagavad-gita was something else. [laughs]",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n That is going on. [break]",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\nBhajans, kīrtana and, er...",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n There may be musical performance, but here it is by the pure devotees. That is different thing. Now, here don't you see in the Gītā Bhavan? When others perform kīrtana, nobody takes part. And they cannot continue that kīrtana more than five minutes. But we can continue our kīrtana for five hours without any...",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n If we stayed there for five hours, everyone would chant. [indistinct conversation with guest]",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n Yes. No, mahā-mantra they can also do, but it will not be effective, because they are not pure. Here is the secret. We have... Our devotees, they are anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ [Brs. 1.1.11], they have no other business than to satisfy Kṛṣṇa. They perform kīrtana to take something from Kṛṣṇa. Everyone goes to some dharma-saṁsthāna just to take something. But our proposition is to give everything for Kṛṣṇa, and that is far different.",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n And everyone is pleased with the devotees. Everybody.\n [indistinct]",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n That when you do, I shall tell you. [laughter] Now why do you waste your time in that way? That's all right; you are not doing. So you have no business.",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n [indistinct] Of course, I am not doing, but... [indistinct, several people talking at once]",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n [Hindi] Everything has meaning. This is called vṛddha. This is called yoni. This is madhyama. This is anāvṛtta and this is kaniṣṭha. [indistinct conversation with guests] We have done it. [indistinct conversation] Hmm. Curtain now closed?",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n 4 O'clock.",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n [indistinct]",
"role": "assistant"
},
{
"content": "\n [indistinct]",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n Yes. So he has gone to Calcutta. [break] [indistinct] [end]\nanyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ\njñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam\nānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu-\nśīlanaṁ bhaktir uttamā\n\"\nOne should render transcendental loving service to the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa favorably and without desire for material profit or gain through fruitive activities or philosophical speculation. That is called pure devotional service.\n\"\nBhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.1.11",
"role": "assistant"
}
] |
https://vedabase.io/en/library/transcripts/690103bg-los-angeles/
|
[
{
"content": "\n Where is the book? All right. Page?",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n Page 108.",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n Heh? Page?",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n One-0-eight. The beginning of Chapter Four.",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n All right. Begin. Read.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\nChapter Four: \"Transcendental Knowledge.\"\nOne: \"The Blessed Lord said: I instructed this imperishable science of yoga to the sun-god, Vivasvān, and Vivasvān instructed it to Manu, the father of mankind, and Manu in turn instructed it to Ikṣvāku.\" Purport...",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\n Transcendental knowledge. There are two kinds of knowledges: mundane knowledge and transcendental knowledge. Mundane knowledge means how to maintain this body, āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunam [Hitopadeśa 25],\n[Both animals and men share the activities of eating, sleeping, mating and defending. But the special property of the humans is that they are able to engage in spiritual life. Therefore without spiritual life, humans are on the level of animals.]\nTo meet the demands of this body. What are the demands of this body? We require to eat something. Eating, sleeping. We require rest. After working hard, after eating sumptuously, we require sleeping. Eating, sleeping, and during sleeping we sometimes dream, fearing, or without dream, fearing. So we take protection. While sleeping, we close our doors. So eating, sleeping, fearing and mating—sense gratification. So to arrange for these necessities of life of the body, the knowledge that we require, that is called mundane knowledge.\nJust like in the modern materialistic civilization, we have very good arrangement [child making noise] for eating, for sleeping, for defending and for sense gratification. The modern material civilization is simply based on this mundane knowledge, but there is no arrangement or university for imparting transcendental knowledge. There is no section in the university, practically, that, what is called, brahma-jijñāsā, the science of knowing the spirit soul.\n[Now, therefore, one should inquire into Brahman (the Supreme Personality of Godhead).]\nThat is called transcendental knowledge.\nSo we are busy with mundane knowledge, but the most important part of knowledge is transcendental knowledge: \"What I am? Wherefrom I have come? What is my constitutional position? Am I this body or I am beyond this body?\" These are transcendental knowledge. So Kṛṣṇa is beginning the transcendental knowledge.\nGo on.",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n Purport. \"Herein we find the history of the Bhagavad-gītā traced from a remote time when it was delivered to the kings of all planets. The royal order is especially dedicated to the protection of the inhabitants, and as such, its members should also understand the science of the Bhagavad-gītā in order to rule the citizens and to protect them from the onslaught of the material bondage to lust.\nHuman life is meant for the cultivation of spiritual knowledge in eternal relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and the executive heads of all states and all planets are obliged to impart this lesson to the citizens by education, culture and devotion.\nIn other words, the executive heads of all states are intended to spread the science of Kṛṣṇa consciousness so that the people may take advantage of this great science and pursue a successful path, utilizing the opportunity of the human form of life.\"",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n Yes. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is stated...\n[babies making noises] Oh, you should remove. Yes.\n...evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ [Bg. 4.2].\n[This supreme science was thus received through the chain of disciplic succession, and the saintly kings understood it in that way. But in course of time the succession was broken, and therefore the science as it is appears to be lost.]\nThis knowledge, this transcendental knowledge, was imparted formerly to the kings, because the kings were very responsible for the welfare of the citizens. When the kings were not responsible, then gradually the government by the people was introduced. Otherwise, formerly, the kings were very responsible, especially for the advancement of transcendental knowledge of the citizens.\nEvaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayaḥ. Rājarṣayaḥ means \"the sages among the kings.\" Although they were in royal order, they were very saintly persons. There are many examples, just like Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, Mahārāja Parīkṣit. They were emperor of the world, but still, so pious, so religious, and so advanced in transcendent knowledge that there is no comparison. So it especially meant that this was taught to the kings, to the royal order, who were very pious and advanced in spiritual knowledge.\nGo on.\nMadhudviṣa:\n \"This supreme science was thus received through the chain of disciplic succession, and the saintly kings understood it in that way. But in the course of time the succession was broken, and therefore the science as it is appears to be lost.\"\nThree: \"That very ancient science of the relationship with the Supreme is today told by Me to you, because you are My devotee as well as My friend; therefore you can understand the transcendental mystery of this science.\"\nPurport: \"There are two classes of men, namely the devotee and the demon. The Lord selected Arjuna as the recipient of this great science owing to his being a devotee of the Lord. But for the demons it is not possible to understand this great, mysterious science.\nThere are a number of editions of this great book of knowledge, and some of them are commented upon by the devotees, and some of them are commented upon by the demons. Commentary by the devotees is real, whereas that of the demons is useless.\"\n Because it is said here that \"That very ancient science of the relationship with the Supreme is today told by Me to you because you are My devotee.\" So this transcendental science cannot be understood simply by academic education. It is not possible. There is a secret.\nJust like in the ordinary educational field, nobody is allowed to study law unless he is a graduate of the degree college. At least in India that is the law. Nobody can be admitted in the law college unless he is a graduate, because he will not be able to understand. Similarly, in the Vedas it is also said, \"Unless one has acquired brahminical qualification, he should not study Vedas.\"\nSo in every department, if you want to take education in a particular line, you have to qualify yourself to enter that school or college. Similarly, if you want to study Bhagavad-gītā, then you have to become a devotee. Simply academic educational qualification will not help you, because it was spoken to the devotee.\nKṛṣṇa says that \"That very ancient science of relationship with the Supreme is today told by Me to you because you are My devotee.\" So how the nondevotees can understand? Nondevotee cannot understand. And who is a devotee and who is a nondevotee? Devotee means one who accepts the supremacy of the Supreme Lord, and he is convinced his eternal relationship with God.\nJust like Lord Jesus Christ. He was threatened with death punishment. He was crucified. Still, he was convinced his relationship with God. Here is a devotee, example of devotee. Devotee means he is firmly convinced about his relationship with God. And what is that relationship? That relationship is on the basis of love. The devotee loves God, and God loves devotee. This is the only relationship. That's all. God is after devotee, and devotee after God. This is relationship.\nSo one has to establish this relationship. Just like Arjuna is in relationship with Kṛṣṇa as a friend, similarly, you can be in relationship with God as a lover. You can be in relationship with God as master and servant. You can be in relationship with God as father and son. There are so many relationships. As we have got relationship within this material world, this is only perverted reflection of that five relationship with God.\nBut we have forgotten that. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to revive that consciousness. It is nothing new. It is just to bring an insane man to the normal condition of life. To forget God means that is abnormal condition, and to have relationship with God is normal condition. So Kṛṣṇa consciousness means to be reestablished in our normal condition of life.\nGo on. \"Arjuna is...\"",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n \"Arjuna is recognized by the Lord as a devotee. Therefore one who follows the line of Arjuna in understanding the Gītā will derive benefit from it. Otherwise, one will simply waste his valuable time in reading commentaries. Arjuna accepts Śrī Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and any commentary of the Gītā following in the footsteps of Arjuna is real devotional service to the cause of this great science.\n\"But the demons do not accept Lord Kṛṣṇa as He is. The demons concoct something out of their imagination about Kṛṣṇa's instructions. Here is a warning regarding such misleading paths. One should try to follow the disciplic succession from Arjuna and thus be benefited by this great science of the Śrīmad-Bhagavad-gītā.\"",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n Yes. If we want to study Bhagavad-gītā, then we follow the principles. Just like we have explained this in the introduction, that when you take a bottle of medicine, there is some direction that, \"two tablets, twice in a day, after meals.\" So you have to follow the instruction. Then you get benefit. You cannot take any instruction about taking that medicine from a friend or from an expert educationist. No. You have to take direction only from the physician. He is the expert in that line.\nSimilarly, here is the direction, the bottle, of Bhagavad-gītā. Kṛṣṇa says, \"It should be understood by the devotee, or you have to understand Bhagavad-gītā from a devotee.\" This is the direction of this medicinal bottle. How you can go otherwise? Then you will get the benefit. That is explained.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n \"Arjuna said: The sun-god Vivasvān is senior by birth to You. How am I to understand that in the beginning You instructed this science to him? The Blessed Lord said...\"",
"role": "user"
},
{
"content": "\n Yes. Now, here Arjuna... Kṛṣṇa said that \"Long, long ago I spoke this science, this transcendental knowledge, to the sun-god.\" Now, generally, if I said that \"The other day I was speaking this Bhagavad-gītā in the sun planet,\" oh, you will immediately understand that \"Swāmījī is an insane man.\" You see? \"You were speaking to the sun-god?\" Yes. That is natural. Now, Kṛṣṇa says that \"I spoke to sun-god.\" So others will say, \"Oh, this Kṛṣṇa is also another insane person.\" That is natural.\nSo in order to clear this idea, Arjuna is asking, \"How it is that You spoke this science to sun-god? Because I know that You took Your birth just, say, about seventy or eighty years ago.\" When Kṛṣṇa was speaking this Bhagavad-gītā, He was not less than ninety years old. He remained on this earth for 125 years. So Arjuna was His contemporary friend and cousin-brother. Therefore he is surprised: \"Kṛṣṇa, how You are saying that You spoke this science to sun-god?\"\nThat is a question of millions and millions of years ago, because if we take..., accept this statement, that means Bhagavad-gītā was spoken not less than forty millions of years ago. Vivasvān manave prāha. Because \"The sun-god said to his son, Manu,\" and if you simply calculate the age of this present Manu, Vaivasvata Manu, it comes to four hundred millions of years, or more than that. So he is surprised. So he is clearing the matter: \"How You spoke it?\"\nGo on.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n \"The Blessed Lord said: Many, many births both you and I have passed. I can remember all of them, but you cannot, O subduer of the enemy.\"",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n Yes. The difference is that Arjuna, being constant companion of Kṛṣṇa, he was also present when Kṛṣṇa said to sun-god, but he has forgotten. But Kṛṣṇa, being the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He has not forgotten. Just like a..., my child. I say, \"My dear child, twenty-five years ago you fell down and you were hurt in this way.\" Although the child has forgotten, but the incident is fact. The father knows. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa, the supreme father, He knows everything, and Arjuna might have forgotten.\nBecause one has forgotten, one cannot give details. Just like we had many, many births before this form of body, but we have forgotten that. That does not mean that it did not take place. We had to pass through millions and millions of births. The other day I was explaining, jalajā nava-lakṣāṇi sthāvarā lakṣa-viṁśati [Padma Purāṇa].\n[There are 900,000 species living in the water. There are 2,000,000 nonmoving living entities [sthāvara] such as trees and plants. There are 1,100,000 species of insects and reptiles, and 1,000,000 species of birds. As far as quadrupeds are concerned, there are 3,000,000 varieties, and there are 400,000 human species.]\nSimply we had to live in the water to pass through 900,000 species of life. Two millions' species of life, plant and trees. In this way we have passed through. So we might have forgotten, but that does not mean it did not take place.\nGo on.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n Purport: \"In the Brahma-saṁhitā we have information of many, many incarnations of the Lord. It is stated there, 'I worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Govinda, Kṛṣṇa, who is the original person, absolute, infallible, without beginning, although expanded into unlimited forms, still the same original, the oldest, and the person always appearing as a fresh youth. Such eternal, blissful, all-knowing forms of the Lord are usually understood by the best Vedic scholars, but they are always manifest to pure, unalloyed devotees.'\n\"It is also stated in the same scripture, 'I worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Govinda, Kṛṣṇa, who is always situated in various incarnations, such as Rāma, Nṛsiṁha, and many subincarnations as well, but who is the original Personality of Godhead known as Kṛṣṇa, and who incarnates personally also.'\n\"In the Vedas, too, it is said that the Lord, although He is one without a second, nevertheless manifests Himself in innumerable forms. He is like the vaidurya stone, which changes colors variously yet still is one, although His multiforms are understood...\"",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n There is a valuable jewel stone: if you turn, you will find many colorful manifestations, although that stone is one. Similarly, although God is one, He can manifest Himself in many forms. That is the prerogative of God. Goloka eva nivasaty akhilātma-bhūtaḥ [Bs. 5.37].\n[I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, residing in His own realm, Goloka, with Rādhā, resembling His own spiritual figure, the embodiment of the ecstatic potency possessed of the sixty-four artistic activities, in the company of Her confidantes [sakhīs], embodiments of the extensions of Her bodily form, permeated and vitalized by His ever-blissful spiritual rasa.]\nHe can expand Himself in millions and trillions of forms; still, He is one. The same example: that vaidurya stone, jewel, although one, but you will find him..., you will find it in many colors at the same time. So this example is very nice.\nGo on.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n \"...although His multiforms are understood by the pure, unalloyed devotees but not by the simple study of the Vedas. Devotees like Arjuna are constant companions of the Lord, and whenever the Lord incarnates, the associate devotee also incarnates in order to serve the Lord in different capacities. Arjuna is one of these devotees, and in this verse it is understood that when Lord Kṛṣṇa spoke the Bhagavad-gītā to the sun-god Vivasvān, Arjuna in a different capacity was also present there some millions of years before.\nBut the difference between the Lord and Arjuna is that the Lord remembered the incident, whereas Arjuna could not remember. That is the difference between the part-and-parcel living entity and the Supreme Personality of Godhead.\"",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n Yes. Here is... Nowadays there are many gods. Especially anyone comes from India in the name of so many saintly person, and they claim that they are gods. Everyone says, \"I am God.\" Or somebody says that \"Everyone is God.\" But here is the difference between God and ordinary living entity. What is that? God does not forget, and we forget.\nIf I ask you just exactly at this time what you were doing last evening, you will have to remember. You have forgotten. And what to speak of one week ago or one year ago? That is our nature, forgetfulness.\nSo here Arjuna and Kṛṣṇa, although they are on the level of friendship, one is God and another is ordinary living entity. God does not forget; living entity forgets. That is the distinction. How you can say that you are God? You are so forgetful that you cannot say what you were doing a few hours before, and you claiming that you are God? They have made God as very cheap thing. Everyone is claiming, \"I am God.\" They do not know what is God.\nNow, here try to understand what is the difference between God and dog. A dog forgets. A dog comes to your place to eat something. You give it a slap. He goes away, again comes. He forgets that slapping. You see? That is the dog's nature. And God's nature is different.\nSo if we increase our memory, then we approach godly nature. In this age we are decreasing our memory. Formerly, when this Bhagavad-gītā was written by Vyāsadeva, before that, people were so sharp in their memory that there was no need of publication of books. As soon as one hears from the spiritual master of any Vedic instruction, they remember for life. Now, gradually, that memory is decreasing. That means we are not advancing. We are decreasing in our duration of life. We are decreasing in our memory. We are decreasing in our prosperity.\nThere are eight kinds of decreasing process in this age. Out of that, this memory will be decreased more and more, and the duration of life also will be decreased. Now, you can take history of the past years. Your forefathers were living eighty years, ninety years, hundred years. Now, generally, they live sixty years, seventy years.\nAnd gradually it will decrease so much that—these are all statement of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam—that if a man lives for twenty to thirty years, he will be considered a grand old man. You see? That time also will come very soon. So we are not improving actually. We are not improving. We are decreasing in every respect, and we are proud of advancement of civilization.\nGo on.",
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"content": "\n \"Arjuna is addressed herein as a mighty hero who could subdue the enemy. At the same time, he is unable to recall what has happened in his various past births.\"",
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"content": "\n Yes. We are addressed as Doctor, Ph.D., D.A.C., but if you ask him, a Ph.D., D.A.C., \"My dear sir, what you are? Wherefrom you have come? Where you are going next?\" oh, he cannot answer. Similarly, Arjuna is addressed here as the most powerful, but he cannot remember.\nGo on.",
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"content": "\n \"Therefore a living entity, however great he may be in material estimation, can never equal the Supreme Lord.\"",
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"content": "\n Yes. They cannot be. Nobody can be equal with God. God's another name is Asamordhva, Sanskrit name is. Asama means nobody is equal with God, and ūrdhva, nobody is greater than Him. That means everybody is lower than Him. One may be very great in the estimation of our knowledge, but nobody can be equal with God.\nGod is great. That is the real version, \"God is great.\" And nobody can be greater. Then he is not God. If somebody becomes greater than God, then what kind of God He is? God is great. Yes.\nGo on.",
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"content": "\n \"Anyone who is a constant companion of the Lord is certainly a liberated person, but he cannot be equal to the Lord.\"",
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"content": "\n You may be very much elevated, you may be very much... You may be liberated completely. Still, you cannot be equal with God. God is always great.\nGo on.",
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"content": "\n \"The Lord is described above in the Brahma-saṁhitā as infallible, acyuta, which means He never forgets Himself, even though He is in the material contact.\"",
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"content": "\n The Māyāvādī philosopher says that \"I am God, but I have forgotten myself that I am God.\" So how God can forget? Here it is the evidence. How God can forget? If you forget, then you are not God, immediately. There is no other argument. God cannot forget. God remembers always. Acyuta. Acyuta means infallible.\nGod cannot be entrapped by māyā. The Māyāvādī philosopher says that \"I am God. Now I am under illusion of māyā. I have forgotten myself, that I am God, and by meditation I shall become God.\" This is all nonsense. Nobody... God cannot forget Himself. Then He is not God, immediately. God cannot forget Himself.\nGo on.",
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"content": "\n \"The Lord and the living entity can never be equal in all respects, even if the living entity is as liberated as Arjuna. Although Arjuna is a devotee of the Lord, he sometimes forgets the nature of the Lord. But by the divine grace a devotee can at once understand the infallible condition of the Lord, whereas a nondevotee or a demon cannot understand this transcendental nature. Consequently, these descriptions in the Bhagavad-gītā cannot be understood by demonic brains.\"",
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"content": "\n There are six opulences, transcendental qualification of God. One is that He is full of knowledge. So if God is in full of knowledge, how He can be in forgetfulness? That is impossible.\nGo on.",
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"content": "\n \"Kṛṣṇa remembered acts which were performed by Him millions of years before, but Arjuna could not, despite the fact that both Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna are eternal in nature. We may note herein that a living entity forgets everything due to his change of body.\"",
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"content": "\n Yes. Another thing to be noted here, that why we forget? We living entities, why we forget? It is a fact that from my past life I have transmigrated to this body. Now I cannot say in my past life what was my body. This is my nature, because I change my body.\nJust like you can remember some years, say, twenty years, twenty-five years. Or suppose I am now seventy-three years old; I can remember some accident when I was only three years old, that, because it is in this life. But I cannot remember what I was in my past life.\nThat means if you change your body, then you forget. But Kṛṣṇa remembers. That means Kṛṣṇa does not change His body. This is another argument. Kṛṣṇa remembers means He... And it is said, you will find in the Bhagavad-gītā, He says, tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham [Bg 4.7]\n[Whenever and wherever there is a decline in religious practice, O descendant of Bharata, and a predominant rise of irreligion—at that time I descend Myself.]\n\"I appear. I appear as I am,\" ātma-māyayā, \"by My own internal energy.\"\nJust like I appear or any living entity appears in this material world, that is not under my control. As soon as I give up this body, I am fully under the control of nature. The nature will offer me a particular type of body according to my work. That is the way.\nPrakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni\nguṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ\n[Bg. 3.27]\n[The bewildered spirit soul, under the influence of the three modes of material nature, thinks himself to be the doer of activities, which are in actuality carried out by nature.]\nJust like you have got this body, American body, I have got this Indian body, and the dog has got dog body. These are all manufactured by the law of nature. According to my mind, according to my activities, the body is developed. But Kṛṣṇa's body is not like that. He appears. There is no distinction between His body and Himself. The same thing.\nThe nondevotees, they cannot understand. They cannot understand that there is no difference between Kṛṣṇa and His body. We are different. I am soul, but I am different from this body. These things will be explained in this chapter of transcendental knowledge.\nGo on.",
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"content": "\n \"The Lord remembers because He does not change His sac-cid-ānanda body. He is advaita.\"",
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"content": "\n Sac-cid-ānanda body. Sat means eternal. Cit means full of knowledge. Sat, cit, ānanda. Ānanda means blissful. That is His body. Our body is just the opposite. It is not sat, it is not eternal; it is temporary. And it is not full of knowledge. We are full of ignorance. We do not know what is there beyond this wall. Therefore it is full of ignorance. We are proud of our eyes. If the electricity is immediately gone, we cannot see.\nSo we see, we act, under some conditions offered by the material nature. So we are not fully aware of everything; neither our body is eternal; neither we are blissful. This body is the source of so many diseases. The body is subjected to birth, death. The body is forgetful. The body is suffering old age. So this is not blissful body. But Kṛṣṇa's body—just opposite. His body is blissful, full of knowledge and eternal. So how can you compare with Kṛṣṇa? It is not possible.\nGo on.",
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"content": "\n \"He is advaita, which means there is no distinction between His body and Himself. Everything is spirit, whereas the conditioned soul is different from His material body. And because the Lord is identical in His body and self, His position is always different from the ordinary living entity, even when He descends to the material platform. The demons cannot adjust themselves to this transcendental nature of the Lord, as the Lord explains in the following verse.\"",
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"content": "\n Therefore, if we try to understand God by our limited knowledge, it will be a failure. We have to understand God from God. Then that will be perfect knowledge. So this Bhagavad-gītā is the science of God where God is speaking about Himself. And it is accepted by all great scholars, philosophers and, I mean to say, religionists, everyone.\nGo on.",
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"content": "\n \"Although I am unborn and My transcendental body never deteriorates, and although I am the Lord of all sentient beings, I still appear in every millennium in My original transcendental form.\"",
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"content": "\n Yes.",
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"content": "\n Purport: \"The Lord has spoken about the peculiarity of this verse. Although He may appear like an ordinary person, He remembers everything of His many, many past births, whereas a common man cannot remember what he has done even a few hours before.\nIf somebody is asked what he did exactly at the same time one day earlier, it would be very difficult for him to answer immediately. He would have to dredge his memory to recall what he was doing. And yet men often dare to claim to be God, or Kṛṣṇa. One should not be misled by such meaningless claims.\n\"Then again, the Lord explains His prakṛti, or His form. Prakṛti means nature as well as svarūpa, or one's own form. The Lord says that He appears in His own body. He does not change His body, as the common living entity does, from one to another. The conditioned soul may have one kind of body in the present birth, but he has a different one in the next birth.\nIn the material world the living entity transmigrates in this way. The Lord, however, does not do so. Whenever He appears, He does so in the same original body by His internal potency. In other words, Kṛṣṇa appears in this material world in His original eternal form, with two hands and holding a flute.\"",
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"content": "\n Yes. In your Bible also it is said that \"Man is made after God,\" not that God is made after man. The atheist class, they say that \"You have created a God according to your own feature,\" but no scripture says like that. God has eternal two hands, two legs. So man...\nGod is so kind that man is also made according to His form. That is a special facility given to man, not that somebody imagines God, \"Because man has two hands, therefore God has two hands.\" No. That is not a fact. Here it is explained nicely.\nGo on.",
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"content": "\n \"He appears exactly in His eternal body, uncontaminated by this material world. Although He appears in the same transcendental body, it still appears that He has taken His birth like an ordinary living entity, although in fact He is the Lord of the universe. Despite the fact that Lord Kṛṣṇa has grown up from childhood to boyhood and from boyhood to youth, astonishingly enough, He never ages beyond youthhood.\n\"On the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra when He was present, He had many grandchildren at home, or, in other words, He had sufficiently aged by material calculation. Still, He looked just like a young man, twenty or twenty-five years old. We have never seen a picture of Kṛṣṇa in old age, because He never grows old like us, although He is the oldest person in the whole creation, past, present and future.\nNeither His body nor His intelligence ever deteriorates or changes. Therefore it is clear herein that in spite of His being in the material world, He is the same unborn, eternal form of bliss and knowledge, changeless in His transcendental body and intelligence.\n\"Factually, His appearance and disappearance are like the sun rising, moving before us and then disappearing from our eyesight. When the sun is out of sight, we think that the sun is set. And when the sun is before our eyes, we think that the sun is on the horizon. Actually, the sun is always there, but owing to our defective, insufficient eyesight we must calculate the appearance and disappearance of the sun in the sky.\nAnd because His appearance and disappearance are completely different from that of any ordinary common living entity, it is evident that He is eternal in blissful knowledge by His internal potency, and He is not contaminated by material nature.\n\"The Vedas confirm that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is unborn, and yet He still appears to be taking His birth in multi-manifestations. The Vedic supplementary literature also confirms that even though the Lord appears to be taking His birth, He is still without change of body. In the Bhāgavatam He appears before His mother as Nārāyaṇa, with four hands and the decorations of the six kinds of full opulences.\n\"His appearance in His original eternal form is His causeless mercy, according to the Viśvakośa dictionary. The Lord is conscious of all His previous appearances and disappearances, but a common living entity forgets everything about his past body as soon as he gets another.\nHe shows that He is the Lord of all living entities by performing wonderful and superhuman activities while on this earthly planet. The Lord is always the same Absolute Truth, and is without differentiation between His form and self, or between His quality and body.\n\"A question may now be raised as to why the Lord appears and disappears in this world at all. This is explained in the next verse.\"",
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"content": "\n All right. Stop. We shall discuss next. Hare Kṛṣṇa. [devotees offer obeisances]\nVery nice. [chuckles] All right.\nAny question regarding this discussion?",
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"content": "\n I thought Kṛṣṇa was sixteen only.",
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"content": "\n Yes.",
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"content": "\n But in the Bhagavad-gītā it said that He was twenty or twenty-five.",
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"content": "\n Yes. Just like you see the sun, you say, \"Twelve o'clock,\" or \"Sun is older.\" But sun is the same thing. It is your calculation. Sun at twelve o'clock, midday, is not older than it was in the morning, but it is our calculation that \"Sun is now, say, six hours older from His appearance. That is our calculation. So Kṛṣṇa is always sixteen, but we calculate like that.",
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"content": "\n Prabhupāda? Does Lord Jesus Christ appear in the spiritual sky with the body he manifested on the earth?",
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"content": "\n Yes. Otherwise how there can be resurrection? Ordinary body cannot be resurrected. He appeared in his spiritual body, certainly. [pause] Jesus Christ told, if I remember, that \"Lord, excuse these persons,\" who were crucifying him. Is it not?\nHe knew that \"These rascals, they are killing me, but... They are offending, certainly. So they do not know that I cannot be killed, but they are thinking that they are killing.\" You see? But that was offensive; therefore he begged Lord to be excused, because God cannot excuse to the offenders of the devotee. He can excuse one who is offender to God, but if somebody is offender to the devotee, God never excuses. Therefore he prayed for them.\nThat is devotee's qualification. He prays for everyone, even of his enemy. And he could not be killed. That he knew. But those rascals, they thought they were killing Jesus Christ. That's all.\n[pause] All right. If there is no question, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. [end]",
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https://vedabase.io/en/library/transcripts/711203r1-delhi/
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[
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"content": "\n[Mixed Recordings]\n [Hindi] Aiye, aiye. [break] ...puzzle",
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"content": "\n [Hindi]\n He has been very helpful on [indistinct] program.\nViṣala\n: \nYour Divine Grace, [indistinct] as long as one is seeking out a bona fide… Unless one is seeking out a bona fide representative of God, is it true that he has no discrimination?",
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"content": "\n Yes. [indistinct]\nViṣala\n: \nHe has no discrimination?",
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"content": "\n Yes. No discrimination.",
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"content": "\n No. He must find out a bona fide representative of God. He must be. If you go to purchase something in the market, we must use our senses to find out. Why not use our [indistinct]?\nViṣala\n:\n [indistinct] I was thinking that what it means is if anyone does not have a bona fide representative of God, is it true that he doesn’t have the discrimination, who is unfortunate enough not to have a bona fide representative of God?\n Yes. If you get bona fide representative, spiritual master, and if you follow instructions by him, your advance is guaranteed. Yasya prasādad bhāgavata [Śrī Gurv-aṣṭaka 8\n]\n. So bona fide spiritual master means if he is satisfied, then Kṛṣṇa is satisfied. And if Kṛṣṇa is satisfied, then you are successful. Because after all, we have to satisfy Kṛṣṇa.\nBut Kṛṣṇa comes Himself; He leaves His instruction, the Bhagavad-gītā. He sends His representatives; He comes as a devotee. He is trying to take us back to home, back to Godhead, in so many ways. You have to take opportunity. That is His...\n[underneath conversation:]",
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"content": "\n So if Your Holiness has time, I would like to… If Your Holiness [indistinct]. I can come to take Your Holiness, Gurudāsa and others, tomorrow in the morning.",
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"content": "\n Tomorrow morning? What time?",
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"content": "\n Any time that is convenient. [end of underneath conversation]\n This tendency, Śrīla Prabhupāda… This tendency of material enviousness, this is also a serious impediment in spiritual life—to become envious of our Godbrothers? Or spiritual [indistinct]?",
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"content": "\n Hmm?",
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"content": "\n This enviousness.",
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"content": "\n Oh, that is aparādha, greatest offense. That offense may kill your consciousness. That is the first offense, to become envious. The first offense. [break] Kṛṣṇa never tolerates enviousness of a devotee. He can tolerate enviousness of Kṛṣṇa, but He can never tolerate enviousness of a devotee.\nWoman devotee\n: We have no proper behavior if we are envious of one another, because we are independent of one another. We are dependent on Kṛṣṇa, but we're not dependent on any other living entity [indistinct]. It doesn't mean... We should not be envious of one another [indistinct]; we should cooperate.\nYes. Cooperate. Therefore we are addressing another devotee as prabhu. Prabhu means \"master.\" So if a devotee, if I think, \"You are my prabhu,\" and if we think, \"I am your master,\" then where is? [indistinct] enviousness. But we think, \"I am master.\" We think we are master. No. Master must be [indistinct]. Just like Pakistan and India, both of them are thinking master, \"I am master\"; therefore fighting.\nBut Vaikuṇṭha policy[?] is not master: I am servant; I am your servant. Just to…\n[break] …and if you think, \"No, I am your servant,\" why should I order you? But if I think, \"I am master, I shall order you.\" But the man who receives order, he thinks that \"Why shall I take order? I am master.\" You see?\nSo we should not try to become master; we should become servant and teach others how an ideal servant can serve. That is Vaiṣṇava. If I want to become master, then that is material. Everyone is material, wanting to become master. There is dissension, enviousness. But the Vaikuṇṭha party is quite different. Here, if you advance more than me, I become envious: \"Oh.\" But in Vaikuṇṭha party there is competition: if you advance, then I should say, \"Oh, how nice he is. He is able to serve Kṛṣṇa so nicely. I could not do so, so I must follow him.\" This is Vaikuṇṭha. In the material world it is, \"Oh, he has advanced so much. Oh, let me cut him.\" This is material.\nSo we have to be trained not as master—as servant. That is perfect. Gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ [Cc. Madhya 13.80]: servant of the servant of the servant of the servant. Material world: master of the master of the master of the master. And ultimately, \"I am God.\" [devotees laugh] This is another material thing. When he says that brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā, that is another māyā.\nSo māyā is working in so many different ways. The only escape is to catch Kṛṣṇa’s lotus feet, hold tightly. [kīrtana and guests talking in the background] We have to [indistinct]? [indistinct] [end]",
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https://vedabase.io/en/library/cat/6/
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[
{
"content": "\n Śrīla Prabhupāda, this is the next question: “In the Kali-yuga, the current age of quarrel and hypocrisy, bhakti [devotional service to the Lord] has been described as the most suitable and easiest of paths for God realization. Yet how is it that Vedantic teachings, with their accent on jñāna [cultivation of knowledge], are being given the pride of place by noted savants?”\n The so-called Vedantists, the Māyāvādīs [impersonalists], are bluffers. They do not know what Vedānta is. But people want to be bluffed, and the bluffers take advantage of it. the two words combined in the word Vedānta are veda and anta. Veda means “knowledge,” and anta means “goal” or ”end.” So Vedānta means “the end of all knowledge, or veda.” Now, in the Bhagavad-gītā Lord Kṛṣṇa says, vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ: “By all the Vedas I am to be known.” So the whole Vedānta-sūtra is a description of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.\nThe first statement in the Vedānta-sūtra is athāto brahma jijñāsā: “Now, having attained a human birth, one should inquire into Brahman, the Absolute Truth.” In a nutshell, Brahman is then described: janmādy asya yataḥ – “Brahman is the origin of everything.” And in Bhagavad-gītā Kṛṣṇa says, ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ: “I am the origin of everything.” So, again, the Vedānta-sūtra actually describes Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.\nNow, because Śrīla Vyāsadeva knew that in this Kali-yuga people would not be able to study Vedānta-sūtra nicely on account of a lack of education, he personally wrote a commentary on the Vedānta-sūtra. That commentary is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Bhāṣyaṁ brahma-sūtrānām: the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the real commentary on the Vedānta-sūtra, written by the author of the Vedānta-sūtra himself. The Vedānta-sūtra was written by Vyāsadeva, and under the instruction of Nārada, his spiritual master, Vyāsadeva wrote a commentary on it. That is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.\nŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam begins with the same aphorism as the Vedānta-sūtra: janmādy asya yataḥ, and continues, anvayād itarataś cārtheṣv abhijñaḥ svarāt. So actually, the Vedānta-sūtra is explained by the author in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.\nBut the rascal Māyāvādīs – without understanding Vedānta-sūtra and without reading the natural commentary, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam – are posing themselves as Vedantists. That means they are misguiding people. And because people are not educated, they’re accepting these rascals as Vedantists. Really, the Māyāvādī Vedantists – they are bluffers. They are not Vedantists. They do not know anything of the Vedānta-sūtra. That is the difficulty. Actually, what is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam – that is real Vedānta.\n So, if we take Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam as the real explanation of Vedānta-sūtra, then we will understand Vedānta, the end of knowledge. And if we take shelter of the Māyāvādī Vedantists, the bluffers, then we cannot understand Vedānta. People do not know anything, and as a result they can be bluffed and cheated by anyone. Therefore now they should learn from this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement what Vedānta is and what the explanation of Vedānta-sūtra is. Then they will be benefited.\nIf we accept Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam as the real commentary on Vedānta-sūtra, then we’ll find that in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is said, kaler doṣa-nidhe rājann asti hy eko mahān guṇaḥ: “In this Kali-yuga, which is an ocean of faults, there is one benediction, one opportunity.” What is that? Kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya mukta-saṅgaḥ paraṁ vrajet: “One can become liberated simply by chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra.” This is real Vedānta. And actually, this liberation by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa is happening. But people want to be misguided. And there are so many bluffers to misguide them. What can be done? Vyāsadeva has already given the perfect explanation of Vedānta-sūtra – the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. So let people read the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam; then they will understand what Vedānta is.",
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"content": "\n Then are the conclusion of the Vedānta-sūtra and the conclusion of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam one and the same – bhakti?",
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"content": "\n Yes. Find this verse: Kāmasya nendriya-prītir…",
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"content": "\n\nkāmasya nendriya-prītir\nlābho jīveta yāvatā\njīvasya tattva-jijñāsā\nnārtho yaś ceha karmabhiḥ\n“Life’s desires should never be directed toward sense gratification. One should desire only a healthy life, or self-preservation, since a human being is meant for inquiry about the About Truth. Nothing else should be the goal of one’s works.” [Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.2.10]",
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"content": "\n Yes. This verse of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam proceeds directly from the Vedānta-sūtra – athāto brahma jijñāsā: “Now is the time to inquire about the Absolute Truth.” Here the very same thing is explained. “Don’t be entrapped with these temporary, bodily ‘necessities of life’ – sense gratification. You must inquire about the Absolute Truth.” The next verse of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam explains, vadanti tat tattva-vidas tattvaṁ yaj jñānam advayam: “Those who know the Absolute Truth describe Him in this way …” Tattva means “truth.” The truth is explained by the tattva-vit, one who knows the truth. How? Brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate: the Absolute Truth is explained as Brahman, the all-pervading spiritual effulgence; as Paramātmā, the localized Supersoul; or as Bhagavān, the Supreme Lord. Understanding these is what Vedānta-sūtra means when it says athāto brahma jijñāsā: “Now one should learn about the Absolute Truth – what Brahman is, what Paramātmā is, what Bhagavān is. In this way, one should make advancement in his spiritual consciousness.”\nThe Māyāvādī Vedantists follow the impersonal commentary of Śaṅkarācārya, Śārīraka-bhāṣya. But there are other commentaries on the Vedānta-sūtra. Besides the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, the natural commentary by the author of Vedānta-sūtra himself, there are Vedānta-bhāṣyas written by Vaiṣṇava ācāryas such as Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, Viṣṇu Svāmī, and Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa. Unfortunately, the Māyāvādī Vedantists do not care to read these Vaiṣṇava Vedānta-bhāṣyas. They simply read Śārīraka-bhāṣya and call themselves Vedantists.",
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"content": "\n Why do the Māyāvādī Vedantists read only one commentary? What is the reason for that?",
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"content": "\n The reason is that they want to read something that will confirm their illusion that they are God.\nThe Māyāvādī Vedantists cheat. Suppose I present some proposition. If it is a misconception, generally there are others also who can say something to clarify this misconception. For instance, in a court of law, there are two lawyers. One lawyer is speaking on one point of the law, the other lawyer is speaking on another point of the law. But if the judge listens to one side only, then how will he make a proper judgment? Similarly, the Vedantists are simply reading the Śārīraka-bhāṣya. They are not reading other bhāṣyas, such as the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, which is the natural commentary. And they are cheating people. That’s all.\nNow, the Vedānta-sūtra says, janmādy asya yataḥ: “The Absolute Truth is that from which everything emanates.” But this needs some explanation. One may ask, “Is that Absolute Truth personal or impersonal?” Therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā Kṛṣṇa clearly says, ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate: “I am the origin of everything; everything comes from Me.” So why don’t you Māyāvādī Vedantists take it? Why do you simply remain stuck at the point that the Absolute Truth is that from which everything emanates? When Kṛṣṇa, the Absolute Truth, comes before you and says, “I am the origin of everything – everything comes from Me,” why don’t you accept Kṛṣṇa as the Absolute Truth? Why do you take the impersonalist view only, that the Absolute Truth has no form? Here is the Absolute Truth speaking – a person. Why don’t you take it?\nOf course, if people want to be cheated, then who can stop them? In Bhagavad-gītā Kṛṣṇa also says, vedānta-kṛd … eva cāham: “I am the compiler of Vedānta.” Why do these rascals not consider who compiled Vedānta? Vyāsadeva is the incarnation of Kṛṣṇa. He compiled Vedānta. Why do these rascals not consider the original Vedantist, Kṛṣṇa? They approach a Māyāvādī instead. So how will they understand Vedānta?\nSuppose I have written a book. If you cannot understand something in it, then you should come directly to me for an explanation. That is sensible. Why go to a rascal who has nothing to do with my book? Similary, some rascal Māyāvādī may claim, “I am a Vedantist,” but why should I go to a rascal instead of the real compiler of the Vedānta-sūtra?\nThose who approach the Māyāvādī Vedantists for knowledge are also rascals. They are willingly being cheated. Let the Māyāvādī Vedantists and their followers accept the conclusions of Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Then they will understand Vedānta-sūtra. They’ll be real Vedantists. Otherwise, they will remain cheaters. So if you go to a cheater you’ll be cheated, and that is your business.",
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"content": "\nŚrīla Prabhupāda, are you saying that the Māyāvādīs have no knowledge at all?",
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"content": "\nOnce again,\n \nVedānta means “the ultimate knowledge.” And what is that knowledge? Kṛṣṇa explains in the Bhagavad-gītā [7.19]: bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate. “After many births, one who is actually in knowledge at last surrenders unto Me.” So unless one surrenders to Kṛṣṇa, there is no jñāna, no knowledge.\nTherefore the Māyāvādī Vedantists are all nonsense – they have no knowledge at all. The subject matter of ultimate knowledge, Vedānta, is Kṛṣṇa, God. So if one does not know who God is, who Kṛṣṇa is, and if one does not surrender to Him, then where is the question of knowledge? But if a rascal claims that “I am a man of knowledge,” what can be done?\nIn Bhagavad-gītā Kṛṣṇa goes on to explain: vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ. “When one understands that Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṇa, is everything, then that is knowledge. But such a mahātmā is very rare.” Before coming to this understanding, one has no knowledge. His so-called understanding is simply misunderstanding. Brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate: one may begin with understanding impersonal Brahman by the speculative method; then, in the secondary stage, one can understand the Paramātmā, the Lord’s localized aspect; and the final stage is to understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyam: by all the Vedas, Kṛṣṇa is to be known. That is the ultimate knowledge. But if you do not understand Kṛṣṇa, then where is your knowledge? Half-way knowledge is not knowledge. It must be complete knowledge.\nThat complete knowledge is possible, as it is said in the Bhagavad-gītā, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante – after many births. Those who are striving to acquire knowledge – after many, many births, when actually by the grace of God and by the grace of a devotee they come to knowledge, then such persons agree, “Oh, vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti: Kṛṣṇa is everything.” Sa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ: that mahātmā, that great soul, is very rarely to be found. Durlabhaḥ means “very rarely found,” but the word used is su-durlabhaḥ – “very, very rarely to be found.” So you cannot easily find such a mahātmā who clearly understands Kṛṣṇa.",
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https://vedabase.io/en/library/transcripts/701104r1-bombay/
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[
{
"content": "\n One of our relatives, long, long ago, he happened to be, as my grandmother..., my cousin's, oh, grandfather. He went to England in those old days, and he became a [indistinct] doctor, very... When he came home, the brāhmaṇas prescribed that \"You went to England, so you have to make this prāyaścitta and this and so many prescription, and unless you follow the prāyaścitta [atonement] you cannot live at home. Then your family will be extricated.\" So when these things were presented to him he said, \"Then I am going out of home.\" His mother and father, everyone requested that...\n[Hindi conversation about Christians and Muhammadana]\n[break] Go on.",
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"content": "\n \"[indistinct] Chicago had observed that he was a construction worker doing a śūdra's work. It would not become necessary to allot the three lower castes to the foreign converts according to their professions. This will not be an easy task. Talking of profession reminds me of a still graver problem—that of the occupation or profession of the white sādhus.\nIf I am not mistaken, the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement would turn out legions of new white sādhus in the West whose only aim in life would be to propitate [sic] their Lord Kṛṣṇa. They would be steeped in the bhakti-rasa and would not soil their hands with doing any work for such a mundane thing as earning a living.\"",
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"content": "\n They are not doing anything. Actually they are not doing anything. They are preaching only.",
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"content": "\n No, but he says that legions of such sādhus, such white men, persons from West, become sādhus, then who will do this job of earning a living?",
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"content": "\n Why he is crying? If he is hungry, let him come here. We shall provide him. Why he is crying for that? What business he has got to cry, \"What will they do?\" What they will, that they know. Why he is crying? What is his business for crying for this future? If he is hungry, let him come and we shall provide him. This is not... That is a childish conception. \"If everybody becomes sādhu, then what will be the nature of the society?\" That is..., never becomes. That never becomes.\nTo become sādhu and to become a Vaiṣṇava is not so easy thing. These idle questions, why they publish? I do not know. This is idle question. It never becomes. Lord Kṛṣṇa personally says that \"You simply surrender unto Me.\" How many have surrendered till now? Lord Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā that \"You give up everything and surrender unto Me.\" [Bg. 18.66] So how many have done that?\nSo this is a rascal question, \"If everyone surrenders, then what will happen to the world?\" But that will never happen. It is very difficult to surrender. That he does not know. [Hindi] It is not expected that everyone become sādhu. To become sādhu is not so easy thing, especially this nature of sādhu, pure. How many are there? We have given the prescription that \"Give up this, give up this.\" How many have given up this? So that is not possible, but still, these nonsense questions are raised.",
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"content": "\n I go on?",
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"content": "\n Hmm.",
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"content": "\n \"As in India, so in the West...\"",
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"content": "\n This class of question is answered..., now, criticized... [Hindi] There was a big market, because in the village there is haṭṭa every weekly. So in the village one old woman, she saw, \"Oh, how I shall provide all these men at night? Where they will sleep? So many guests has come. What can I do?\" She began to cry. So her son said, \"Mother, you don't bother. They will go away.\" \"No, no. How can I provide?\" So in the evening he brought the mother: \"Now see.\" So when she saw that nobody is there... Theoretically, she began to cry, \"Where shall I provide all, so many guests?\" And this class of question is like that. Simply on theoretical they are asking.",
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"content": "\n It goes on.",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n Yes.",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n \"As in India, so in the West the sādhus will have to live on alms given by others and will have to forego many of...\"",
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"content": "\n He does not know what is sādhu. He is not sādhu. He is gṛhastha. I have got many professors, engineers. So they are kṛṣṇa-bhaktas. Are they not sādhus? The rascal does not know; that sādhu means beggar, he knows. Arjuna became a sādhu. He was beggar? So he does not know what is sādhu. Sadhu's description is given, bhajate mām ananya... [Bg. 9.30]",
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"content": "\n This particular letter is written by a woman. It is unnecessarily putting the...",
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"content": "\n So it should be replied properly, that \"You do not know what is sādhu. You do not know what is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Why do you bother yourself?\" Just like one this Jain paper has published that \"Swami Bhaktivedantaji says that 'Kṛṣṇa is everything; Hinduism is nothing.' \" So anyone who says Kṛṣṇa is everything, he is not Hindu. Just see. [laughter] Such foolishness. Go on.",
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"content": "\n So... \"The sādhus will have to live on alms given by others and will have to forego many of their luxurious personal needs. The coming years are therefore going to create for Uncle Sam a national problem of magnitude...\"",
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"content": "\n You, already problem.",
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{
"content": "\n \"...the like of which he has not seen before.\"",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n What...? What they are doing for the hippies?",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n Pardon me?",
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{
"content": "\n In USA they have thousands of hippies. They are doing nothing. That problem is already there. Go on.",
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"content": "\n \"It will create a national problem of a magnitude the like of which he has not seen before. In fact, Western society is in for a great jolt. A. Karim Saikh.[?]\" Karim Saikh. Then two more letters.",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\n But the old woman's crying.",
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"content": "\n Now you want to hear the next letter? This is the second letter. \"I do not see why you devoted two full pages to the article on 'Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa,' November 8th. Wearing a plain white sari, applying sandal paste on the forehead and wearing nose-rings do not transform one. Churning milk gopī fashion is no way to attain spiritual bliss. The statements made by the devotees of the Hare Kṛṣṇa movement reflect an attitude of escapism.\"",
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"content": "\n Hmm. Anyway, we are getting publicity.",
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"content": "\n [laughs] They're angry. \"How can the chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa purify the mind? It only closes it to everything else. Purity of the mind lies in knowing all evil and yet abstaining from it. The escapist attitude of the devotees of the movement is reflected in the reply of Adhikārī when he bypasses the question of India's poverty by giving irrelevant answers. The poverty of our country is known to all of us. I am not an atheist, but I find it difficult to digest the sentimentalism in the article.\"",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\n What is that sentimentalism?",
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"content": "\n I didn't read the article. That was in the... Which paper? I think this was in a Bombay paper. What paper is this?\n This is Times of India.",
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"content": "\n Bombay.",
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"content": "\n It is published from Bombay and Delhi both.\n Yes. I think in Bombay there was a large article.",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\n What about? Favorable or unfavorable?",
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"content": "\n It was an interview with the devotees, if I remember, with Gurudāsa.\n That article, original article, was quite favorable. It was all praiseworthy and all that. That is why these two letters say that author of that article is unnecessarily being sentimental and this and that.\n That was the Sunday edition of Times of India.\n November 8th.\n The magazine section. Two-page article with nice pictures. You liked it very much.",
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"content": "\n Oh, oh. Yes, yes. I remember. She is envious, that \"Why two-page advertisement publicity has been...\" That's all.",
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"content": "\nThere's another letter. It says, \"Your leading article on the Kṛṣṇa cult makes interesting reading. A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, the Indian founder of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, ISKCON, and his American disciples repeatedly told K.R. Sundarajan, the author of the article in the Times Weekly, November 8th, 1970, during their brief stay in Bombay that theirs was not strictly a Hindu movement.\nThey explained to him that Kṛṣṇa was above all religions, the universal teacher, the supreme man, the purification of the Absolute Truth. If it is so, then why can't they go to Pakistan and China for chanting of Kṛṣṇa's name and ask them to vacate aggression? The soil of this land where the great master was born...\"",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\n Now, now, we have to serve the political, politicians. Eh? Because they cannot do, so they are asking us.",
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"content": "\n To do.",
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"content": "\n Such a nonsense. So we have to help these rascal politicians. You write that, that \"Do you mean to say that Kṛṣṇa consciousness means business is to serve the rascal politicians? We are going every country and when we find time we shall go to Pakistan.\"",
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"content": "\n Not for vacating the aggression, but for...",
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"content": "\n \"Not for helping the politicians who are very much eager to join Pakistan. Our joining is different. Even in India we have got so many enemies like this who are criticizing Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. So there are rascals everywhere, either in Pakistan or India. So we are not satisfy the rascals. We are meant for intelligent persons.\" Write that, like that.",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n [Hindi]",
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"content": "\n Then anything more?",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n I think that's it. Oh... [end]",
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] |
https://vedabase.io/en/library/transcripts/690613sb-new-vrindavan/
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[
{
"content": "\n\nom ajñāna-timirāndhasya jñānāñjana-śalākayā\ncakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena tasmai śrī-gurave-namaḥ\n[I offer my respectful obeisances unto my spiritual master, who with the torchlight of knowledge has opened my eyes, which were blinded by the darkness of ignorance.]\nśrī-caitanya-mano-'bhīṣṭaṁ sthāpitaṁ yena bhū-tale\nsvayaṁ rūpaḥ kadā mahyaṁ dadāti sva-padāntikam\n[When will Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī Prabhupāda, who has established within this material world the mission to fulfill the desire of Lord Caitanya, give me shelter under his lotus feet?]\nhe kṛṣṇa karuṇā-sindho dīna-bandho jagat-pate\ngopeśa gopikā-kānta rādhā-kānta namo 'stu te\n[O my dear Kṛṣṇa, ocean of mercy, You are the friend of the distressed and the source of creation. You are the master of the cowherd men and the lover of the gopīs, especially Rādhārāṇī. I offer my respectful obeisances unto You.]\ntapta-kāñcana-gaurāṅgi rādhe vṛndāvaneśvari\nvṛṣabhānu-sute devi praṇamāmi hari-priye\n[I offer my respects to Rādhārāṇī, whose bodily complexion is like molten gold and who is the Queen of Vṛndāvana. You are the daughter of King Vṛṣabhānu, and You are very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa.]\nvāñchā-kalpa-tarubhyaś ca\nkṛpā-sindhubhya eva ca\npatitānāṁ pāvanebhyo\nvaiṣṇavebhyo namo namaḥ\n[I offer my respectful obeisances unto all the Vaiṣṇava devotees of the Lord. They are just like desire trees who can fulfill the desires of everyone, and they are full of compassion for the fallen conditioned souls.]\nśrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya\nprabhu-nityānanda\nśrī-advaita gadādhara\nśrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda\n[I offer my obeisances to Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya, Prabhu Nityānanda, Śrī Advaita, Gadādhara, Śrīvāsa and all others in the line of devotion.]\nhare kṛṣṇa hare kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa hare hare\nhare rāma hare rāma rāma rāma hare hare\n[My dear Lord, and the spiritual energy of the Lord, kindly engage me in Your service. I am now embarrassed with this material service. Please engage me in Your service.]\natho mahā-bhāga bhavān amogha-dṛk\nśuci-śravāḥ satya-rato dhṛta-vrataḥ\nurukramasyākhila-bandha-muktaye\nsamādhinānusmara tad-viceṣṭitam\n[SB 1.5.13]\n[O Vyāsadeva, your vision is completely perfect. Your good fame is spotless. You are firm in vow and situated in truthfulness. And thus you can think of the pastimes of the Lord in trance for the liberation of the people in general from all material bondage.]\nEach and every word of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, full of volumes of explanation, each and every word. This is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Vidyā-bhāgavatāvadhi. One's learning will be understood when he's able to understand Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Vidyā. Vidyā means learning, not this science, that science.\nOne can understand Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam in true perspective, then he's to be understood that he has finished his all educational advancement. Avadhi. Avadhi means \"this is the limit of education.\" Vidyā-bhāgavatāvadhi.\nSo here Nārada says that akhila-bandha-muktaye: \"You should present literature for the people so that they can become liberated from this conditional stage of life, not that you should more and more entangle them in this conditional...\" That is the main theme of Nārada's instruction to Vyāsadeva: \"Why should you present rubbish literature to continue the conditional stage?\"\nWhole Vedic civilization is meant for giving liberation to the living entities from this material bondage. People do not know what is the aim of education. The aim of education, the aim of civilization, perfection of civilization, should be how people should get liberated from this conditional life. That is the whole scheme of Vedic civilization: to give liberation to the people.\nSo it is said, akhila-bandha-muktaye. Samādhinā, akhilasya bandhasya muktaye, akhilasya bandhasya. We are in conditional stage, perpetually bound up by the laws of material nature. This is our status. And Nārada is giving instruction to Vyāsadeva that \"Present literature so that they can become liberated. Don't give them more and more opportunity to continue this conditional life.\" Akhila-bandha. Akhila. Akhila means complete, wholesale. And who can give this contribution? That is also stated, that atho mahā-bhāga bhavān amogha-dṛk: whose vision is clear. Whose vision is clear.\n[about a child:] He should disturb.",
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"content": "\n Is he disturbing you?",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n Yes.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n Yes.",
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"content": "\n Clear vision. Unless one has clear vision, how he can do welfare activities? You do not know what is welfare. His vision is clouded. If one's vision is clouded, if you do not know what is the destination of your journey, how you can make progress? Therefore the qualification... Those who are prepared to do good to the human society, they must have clear vision. Then where is the clear vision? Everyone is becoming leader. Everyone is trying to lead people. But he himself is blind. He does not know what is the end of life. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum [SB 7.5.31].\n[Persons who are strongly entrapped by the consciousness of enjoying material life, and who have therefore accepted as their leader or guru a similar blind man attached to external sense objects, cannot understand that the goal of life is to return home, back to Godhead, and engage in the service of Lord Viṣṇu. As blind men guided by another blind man miss the right path and fall into a ditch, materially attached men led by another materially attached man are bound by the ropes of fruitive labor, which are made of very strong cords, and they continue again and again in materialistic life, suffering the threefold miseries.]\nSo therefore Vyāsadeva can do it, because he has clear vision. Nārada certifies. Nārada knows his disciple, what is the position. A spiritual master knows what is the condition. Just like a physician knows. By simply feeling the beating of pulse, a..., an expert physician can know what is the condition of this patient, and he treats him and gives him medicine accordingly. Similarly, a spiritual master who is actually spiritual master, he can know..., he knows the pulse-beating of the disciple, and he therefore gives him particular kind of medicine so that he may be cured.\nSo Nārada Muni knows what is the status of Vyāsadeva. He knows that he has got clear vision. Amogha-dṛk. Śrīdhara Svāmī says amogha. Amogha means... Mogha means sinful, and amogha means without any sin. Amogha. So long one lives sinful life, he cannot have clear vision. Diseased condition. How? \"Physician, heal thyself.\"\nHe cannot have clear vision. Therefore amogha-dṛk means he is liberated person. He can see. Amogha-dṛk. Dṛk means vision. Amogha-dṛk. And śuci-śravāḥ. Śuci-śravāḥ. Śuci-śravāḥ means whose śravāḥ, means aural reception, śuci. Śuci means pure, who has received knowledge by aural reception in pure heart, or from the pure source. Śuci-śravāḥ. Śuci means pure. Śravāḥ. Śravāḥ means hearing. Śuci...\nThese are the qualification of the person who can actually do benefit to the human society. Not that everyone can do. That is the mistake of the... Everyone is giving some idea and some theory that \"This way there will be peace, there will be nice thing in the world.\" But he does not know that he has to receive from the pure source by aural reception. One has to hear from the pure source what is actually benefit to the human society.\nThese are the qualification: śuci-śravāḥ. Then next word is satya-rataḥ. Satya means truth, and rataḥ means engaged: \"one who is engaged in the matter of the Absolute Truth,\" not relative truth. Absolute, satya-rataḥ. And dhṛta-vrataḥ. Dhṛta-vrataḥ. Vrata. Vrata means vow, and dhṛta means who has taken vow that \"I shall do this.\" These are the qualification.\nNow, when these qualifications are there, then Nārada Muni entrusts Vyāsadeva that \"You can liberate all the conditioned souls.\" How? Conditioned souls... Samādhinā anusmara tad-viceṣṭitam: \"Simply you try to contemplate, meditate, on the activities of the Supreme Lord.\" Samādhinā. This is samādhi. Yoga process means to come to the stage of samādhi, aṣṭāṅga-yoga. Yoga means there are eight different stages, and the last stage is called samādhi.\nThe first stage is yama, saṁyama, controlling the senses. Yoga indriya-saṁyama. The beginning of yoga system means you have to control your senses. This is the first beginning. It is not a plaything, that you do all nonsense and you become a yogī. No. These things are very clearly explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. You have to regulate your life. You have to stop sex life. You have to eat certain procedure. You have to sit under certain procedure. In this way, you have to follow so many regulative principles. That is called yama. And niyama. Niyama means regulative principles. Yama means controlling the senses.\nYama, niyama, then āsana. Then sitting posture. Generally, in these yoga societies in your country, they give some lesson on the sitting posture, and people become captivated that he is practicing yoga. No. First one has to follow regulative principles and control the senses, then practice the sitting postures. Yama, niyama, āsana, prāṇāyāma. And when your sitting posture is correct, then you can exercise breathing. Exercise. Breathing exercise means the nostril which is stopped breathing. You have to press that side and try to breathe from the other side. In this way, breathing exercise. Yama, niyama, āsana, prāṇāyāma. This is called prāṇāyāma.\nThen dhāraṇā, meditation. And what is that meditation? That meditation... Here it is recommended, tad-viceṣṭitam: \"meditation on the activities of the Supreme Lord.\" If the Supreme Lord is impersonal, then where is the question of activities? And how you can concentrate your mind something impersonal? Bhagavad-gītā says that kleśaḥ adhikataras teṣām avyaktāsakta-cetasām [Bg. 12.5]\n[For those whose minds are attached to the unmanifested, impersonal feature of the Supreme, advancement is very troublesome. To make progrese in that discipline is always difficult for those who are embodied.]\n\"Those who are trying to meditate on the impersonal feature, impersonal feature, their process is very troublesome.\" Kleśo 'dhikataraḥ. Adhikatara means greater.\nAny spiritual realization, without painstaking, without accepting some voluntary trouble... And nobody can very easily..., eating, drinking, merrying. No, that will... That is not spiritual advancement. One has to accept voluntarily some principles. That is called tapasya. So dhyāna. Dhyāna means meditation. So that dhyāna.\nThen dhāraṇā. Dhāraṇā means meditating, then the subject matter will be fixed up in your heart. It will not move. Not that every day I am meditating on some new subject. No. The meditation is viṣṇu-mūrti. Actually those who are yogīs, they meditate on the four-handed viṣṇu-mūrti. Mat-paraḥ. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, mat-paraḥ: \"unto Me,\" either Kṛṣṇa or Viṣṇu. That is meditation. Dhyāna, dhāraṇā.\nAnd one, when one is practiced meditating, first beginning from the lotus feet... These things are all explained in the Bhāgavata, Śrīmad-Bhāgavata, Bhagavad-gītā. Then gradually, when you are practiced to think of Kṛṣṇa's lotus feet or Viṣṇu's lotus feet, then you proceed—then the thighs, then the waist, then the chest, then the mouth, I mean the, face, then... In this way, one after another, one after another, you have to meditate. In this way, when your meditation is fixed up, that is called dhāraṇā. Dhāraṇā. It is not moving. Dhyāna, dhāraṇā.\nThen pratyāhāra. Pratyāhāra means that your senses have been withdrawn from material engagement. The example is just like the tortoise. The tortoise can wind up all these parts of the limbs of the body within, immediately. And when it is required, he can expand. So pratyāhāra means that you have to withdraw the sensual activities inside. Then when you withdraw your senses for inside activities, that is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.\nYou have to think of always how to satisfy Kṛṣṇa. Hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanam [Cc. Madhya 19.170].\n[“’Bhakti, or devotional service, means engaging all our senses in the service of the Lord, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the master of all the senses. When the spirit soul renders service unto the Supreme, there are two side effects. One is freed from all material designations, and one’s senses are purified simply by being employed in the service of the Lord.’]\nTherefore hṛṣīka, hṛṣīka means the senses, and hṛṣīkeśa means the master of the senses. Kṛṣṇa is the master of the senses. I am possessing my hand, but actually the owner of the hand is Kṛṣṇa. These things are very nicely explained in Bhagavad-gītā. Mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca [Bg. 15.15].\n[I am seated in everyone's heart, and from Me come remembrance, knowledge and forgetfulness. By all the Vedas am I to be known; indeed I am the compiler of Vedānta, and I am the knower of the Vedas.]\nSuppose you are writing with your hands. Though your memory must be acting; otherwise you cannot write. If your memory, if your brain, does not act, how you can write? Suppose you are typing. Your memory does not act, then what is the use of this hand or your leg?\nThen Bhagavad-gītā says, Kṛṣṇa says, sarvasya cāham hṛdi sanniviṣṭaḥ: \"I am sitting in everyone's heart.\" Mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam: \"The knowledge and memory is from Me.\" Therefore, when Kṛṣṇa gives you memorization, gives you knowledge, then you can write or do something. Therefore this hand is not yours; it is Kṛṣṇa's. And Kṛṣṇa consciousness means to know that \"This hand does not belong to me. It is Kṛṣṇa's.\nTherefore it must be engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service.\" Hṛṣīka, \"These indriya, the sense,\" hṛṣīkeṇa, by hṛṣīkeṇa, \"by these senses, Hṛṣīkeśa, the master of the sense, should be served.\" Hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanam [Cc. Madhya 19.170], \"service.\" Bhaktir ucyate: \"This is bhakti.\" Bhakti is nothing new or something extraordinary. Simply to know, to be conscious that \"All my senses, they belong to Kṛṣṇa.\"\nJust like I am sitting here. These boys who are conducting this New Vrindaban, they have kindly given me this seat. So this is an example. So this seat I am not... I am a sannyāsī. This seat does not belong to me, but I am sitting very comfortably, because they have given to me. Similarly, these hand, legs, all these senses, five knowledge-acquiring senses and five active senses, ten kinds of senses, and the mind is in the center—all these senses belong to Kṛṣṇa.\nSo,\nsarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ\ntat-paratvena nirmalam\nhṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-\nsevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate\n[Cc. Madhya 19.170]\n[“’Bhakti, or devotional service, means engaging all our senses in the service of the Lord, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the master of all the senses. When the spirit soul renders service unto the Supreme, there are two side effects. One is freed from all material designations, and one’s senses are purified simply by being employed in the service of the Lord.’]\nWhat is the bhakti, Kṛṣṇa consciousness? That one has to purify the senses. Ahaṁ mameti. Now I am claiming that \"This hand is my hand. This is mine.\" \"This is my. This is I,\" \"This is my. This is...\" This is the disease. Ahaṁ mameti janasya moho 'yam [SB 5.5.8].\n[The attraction between male and female is the basic principle of material existence. On the basis of this misconception, which ties together the hearts of the male and female, one becomes attracted to his body, home, property, children, relatives and wealth. In this way one increases life's illusions and thinks in terms of \"I and mine.\"]\nWhat is illusion? Illu... This is illusion: \"my and mine.\" Everyone. Everyone is claiming, \"It is my body,\" \"It is my wife,\" \"It is my child,\" \"It is my country,\" \"It is my society,\" My this.\" My, my, my. And \"I.\" Unless \"I,\" there is no \"my.\"\nSo ahaṁ mameti, this is the disease. And Kṛṣṇa consciousness is to cure this disease, this cure diseases, to cure this illusion. What is that? When I understand that \"I have no existence without Kṛṣṇa. I am part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. In that sense, I am Kṛṣṇa's,\" then my... That means to understand one's identification. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, jīvera svarūpa haya nitya-kṛṣṇa-dāsa [Cc. Madhya 20.108-109].\n[“It is the living entity’s constitutional position to be an eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa because he is the marginal energy of Kṛṣṇa and a manifestation simultaneously one with and different from the Lord, like a molecular particle of sunshine or fire. Kṛṣṇa has three varieties of energy.]\nBecause I am part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, then what is my duty? To serve Kṛṣṇa. There is no other duty. Any other duty I manufacture, that is illusion. That is māyā, any duty I manufacture. So under illusion, I am manufacturing duties. This is called conditional life.\nSo Vyāsadeva is advised that akhila-bandha-muktaye: \"People are under illusion, 'I' and 'mine.' So just try to get them liberated from this illusion.\" This is Vaiṣṇava's duty. Just like Nārada is advising Vyāsadeva; Vyāsadeva is advising his disciple Madhvācārya; he is advising his disciple. This is Vaiṣṇavism. They are not concerned for personal self.\nAkhila-bandha-muktaye: \"Just try to liberate all these conditioned souls.\" Just like Lord Jesus Christ. For himself... He was son of God. He had nothing to do. God consciousness, he was. He's perfectly... He knows everything. But why he was crucified? Because he wanted to work for others. That is Vaiṣṇavism.\nLord Caitanya advises, therefore, yāre dekha tāre kaha kṛṣṇa-upadeśa [Cc. Madhya 7.128].\n[“Instruct everyone to follow the orders of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa as they are given in the Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. In this way become a spiritual master and try to liberate everyone in this land.”]\nKṛṣṇa consciousness means whomever you meet... Suppose I practice some yoga practice. Suppose I become perfect. So that I make for myself. For myself. But Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so nice... Just like Vyāsadeva is advised, \"For others, just...\" Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, na ca tasmān manuṣyeṣu kaścin me priya-kṛttamaḥ [Bg. 18.69].\n[There is no servant in this world more dear to Me than he, nor will there ever be one more dear.]\nSo Nārada advises that \"You do this.\" What is that? Urukramasya. Each word is meaningful. Urukrama. Uru means uncommon. Uru. Uru means great. And krama. Krama means activities. So who is Urukrama? Urukrama is Kṛṣṇa, God. His activities are uncommon. Just see. This Pacific Ocean is just like in a cup, and it is floating in the sky. Is it not? We see: \"Oh, it is vast ocean.\" But what is the position of this? This vast ocean is in a cup, and it is floating in the sky.\nThat's all. Just see. This is called urukrama. This is God's activity. Can you float a cup of water in the sky? Is it possible? Let any scientist come and make any arrangement. They have discovered all this gravity of... What is called? Gravitation. So many things they have discovered. But let them fly a cup of water in the sky. Is it possible? Is there any scientist?\nTherefore wonderful activities means... The wonderful actor means Kṛṣṇa, Urukrama. Uru, urukrama... Just like Vāmanadeva. Vāmanadeva, He asked Bali Mahārāja to give Him land covering His three feet. So he said, \"My dear Sir, You are asking from me land. You ask something more. Your feet is so small. What you'll do with these three feet?\" No. He said, \"Yes, it is all right.\" So by the one feet, the whole universe became covered, upside. And another feet, the downside. And then there is no place to step the another feet. Therefore it is called urukrama. \nJust like Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa, at the age of seven years, He lifted the Govardhana Hill. Just like the children plucks out a flower like this, He immediately lifted. This is called urukrama, urukrama, uncommon, wonderful. Therefore Kṛṣṇa's name is, another name is, Urukrama.\nSo here it is stated that tad-viceṣṭitam. Whose? His activities. Whose activities? Urukramasya, \"who acts wonderfully.\" Not that somebody is meditating, his activities should be described. What wonderful things he has done? We are accepting anyone as God, but we do not test what..., what proof he has given to become God. Here is God: Urukrama. Here is God. We accept Kṛṣṇa as God. He has done from the very childhood uncommon, wonderful activities. We are not fool that we accept somebody, a nonsense having a great beard, and we accept God. No. We must see that he has wonderful activities. What is that wonderful activities? First of all test.\nSo here it is said, urukramasya. \"If you describe the activities of the Supreme Lord, who acts wonderfully, then...\" Samādhinā. That you can... That samādhi, yoga-samādhi. After passing all these stages, when one comes to the samādhi, fixed up—his concentration, meditation, fixed up on Kṛṣṇa and Viṣṇu, that is called samādhi—and in that samādhi, one can become liberated simply by thinking of the activities of the Lord. How it is so? It is described in the Bhagavad-gītā that,\njanma karma me divyaṁ\nyo jānāti tattvataḥ\ntyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma\nnaiti mām eti kaunteya\n[Bg. 4.9]\n[One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and activities does not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in this material world, but attains My eternal abode, O Arjuna.]\n\"My dear son of Kuntī, Arjuna, if somebody knows actually what are My activities, then simply by knowing what are My activities, he becomes liberated.\" Just see how Bhagavad-gītā and Bhāgavata is working. What is said by... This is called paramparā system, that the..., what is spoken in the Bhagavad-gītā by the Lord Himself is here also confirmed by Nārada. You don't find any contradiction. In the Bhagavad-gītā... Just like Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja [Bg. 18.66].\n[Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reaction. Do not fear.]\nAnd what we are saying? That \"You give up everything. Just become Kṛṣṇa conscious.\" The same thing. Therefore it is for liberation. What was spoken by God Himself directly, the same thing is spoken by Nārada, and same thing we are speaking also. So these are the points how one can spiritually make advance.\nurukramasya akhila-bandha-muktaye\nsamādhinā anusmara tad-viceṣṭitam\n[SB 1.5.13]\n[O Vyāsadeva, your vision is completely perfect. Your good fame is spotless. You are firm in vow and situated in truthfulness. And thus you can think of the pastimes of the Lord in trance for the liberation of the people in general from all material bondage.]\nTad-viceṣṭitam means \"His activities.\" Kṛṣṇa also says, janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ, tyaktvā deham [Bg. 4.9].\n[One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and activities does not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in this material world, but attains My eternal abode, O Arjuna.]\nAnd Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that\nyei kṛṣṇa-tattva-vettā, sei guru haya\n[Cc. Madhya 8.128]\n[“Whether one is a brāhmaṇa, a sannyāsī or a śūdra—regardless of what he is—he can become a spiritual master if he knows the science of Kṛṣṇa.”]\n\"Anyone who understands factually what are the activities of Kṛṣṇa, what is Kṛṣṇa, he is spiritual master.\" He is spiritual... Therefore Vyāsadeva... Nārada is spiritual master, Vyāsadeva is spiritual master, or anyone who knows by following their footprints, he is also spiritual master. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, yei kṛṣṇa-tattva-vettā, sei guru haya [Cc. Madhya 8.128]. And one who knows kṛṣṇa-tattva, he becomes immediately liberated. Because it is said here, akhila-bandha-muktaye, \"liberated from all conditions of material nature.\"\nSo a spiritual master means one who knows Kṛṣṇa. And as soon as one knows Kṛṣṇa, he's liberated. Therefore a spiritual master is liberated. Or a spiritual master or anyone who knows kṛṣṇa-tattva, he immediately liberated. Akhila-bandha-muktaye. Samādhinā, that \"This has to be meditated.\" Anusmara. This another word, anusmara. Anusmara means you don't manufacture your meditation.\nYou try to follow the footprints who have had actually meditated. So then your meditation will be... Not that you manufacture some process of meditation and you get perfection. No, anusmara. And again he says... What is the subject matter of meditation? Tad-viceṣṭitam, the activities of the Lord. So if we simply remember how Kṛṣṇa is teaching Arjuna, what He is speaking, and how Arjuna is receiving, that is meditation. That is meditation.\nJust like Caitanya Mahāprabhu approved one brāhmaṇa. He was illiterate. He could not know what is the Sanskrit alphabet or character, what to speak of reading. But when he was initiated, his spiritual master said, \"You read daily so many chapters of Bhagavad-gītā.\" The spiritual master knew that he is illiterate. And he also knew that \"I am illiterate. I cannot know what is alphabet, Sanskrit.\" Still, the order of spiritual master, that is... This is discipleship.\n\"All right, my spiritual master, I shall try to read.\" So how he was reading? He, he took the book, and he was seeing the book, and \"Ohhhh,\" like... That's all. His friends, who knew that this man is illiterate, and what he is reading: \"Mr. Such-and-such, how you are reading?\" Criticizing. He was silent, because he knew that \"I am illiterate. My friends are criticizing. That's all right. What can I do?\"\nThen Caitanya Mahāprabhu saw that these things are going on in the Raṅganātha temple. But He saw that \"This brāhmaṇa is very gentle and grave, and he's handling the book. That's all.\" So He inquired, \"My dear brāhmaṇa, what you are reading?\" He said... He could understand that \"He's not criticizing. He's a, mean, a great man.\" So he said, \"Sir, what can I say? My spiritual master asked me to read every day Bhagavad-gītā, so many chapters, but I am illiterate. I cannot read. Therefore I have taken the book, simply seeing. That's all. What can I do?\" \"But I see you are sometimes crying. You must be reading. Otherwise, how you are feeling and you are crying?\" \"Yes, I am feeling. That's a fact.\" \"How, what is that?\"\n\"Now, as soon as I take this book, Bhagavad-gītā, the picture of Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna comes before me. I see that both Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna are sitting on the chariot, and Kṛṣṇa is instructing Bhagavad-gītā. So I am appreciating how Lord is kind, that He has accepted the charioteer, to become a charioteer of His devotee. He's so kind. So when I feel this, that 'Kṛṣṇa is so kind that He become the servant of His servant,' that feeling gives me some ecstasy, and I cry.\" Caitanya Mahāprabhu immediately embraced him: \"Your Bhagavad-gītā reading is perfect.\"",
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"content": "\n Haribol!",
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"content": "\n Yes. So this is the thing, tad-viceṣṭitam. He's simply thinking of the activities of Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna. That's all. That is perfect reading of Bhagavad-gītā. It does not require to read Bhagavad-gītā by your academic education. If you simply hear from the authoritative source the instruction of Bhagavad-gītā, and if you simply meditate upon that speech, that instruction, \"Oh, Kṛṣṇa instructed like this. Arjuna received like this. He questioned like this. He answered like this,\" that is meditation, perfect meditation, and you become liberated. Tad-viceṣṭitam. It is not very difficult job. Simply you have to receive.\nTherefore satya-śravāḥ, śuci-śravāḥ. Śuci-śravāḥ. You have to hear from the pure source, give aural reception, and think of it, meditate upon it. Simply by doing this, you are liberated. These are not bluff. Here is the evidence. Simply receive the message from the right source and contemplate and meditate upon that instruction—you are liberated. Chanting and hearing. Hearing and..., śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam [SB 7.5.23].\n[Prahlāda Mahārāja said: Hearing and chanting about the transcendental holy name, form, qualities, paraphernalia and pastimes of Lord Viṣṇu, remembering them, serving the lotus feet of the Lord, offering the Lord respectful worship with sixteen types of paraphernalia, offering prayers to the Lord, becoming His servant, considering the Lord one's best friend, and surrendering everything unto Him (in other words, serving Him with the body, mind and words)—these nine processes are accepted as pure devotional service. One who has dedicated his life to the service of Kṛṣṇa through these nine methods should be understood to be the most learned person, for he has acquired complete knowledge.]\nFirst hearing, then chanting. Hear from the right source and discuss amongst yourselves, iṣṭagoṣṭhi. Then the perfection.\nSo, samādhinā anusmara tad-viceṣṭitam, śuci, śuddhyā, śravā, yaśa, satye rataḥ dhṛtāni ghṛtāni yasya bhavān, evaṁ mahā-guṇas tāvad atha urukramasya vidhitaṁ ceṣṭitaṁ līlā samādhinā citta, cittaika, aikāgrena[?]. This samādhi... Samādhi does not mean something artificial. Here Śrīdhara Swami says, citta aikāgrena. Citta means your mind, or heart, completely absorbed in Kṛṣṇa thought. That means Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is samādhi. Citta aikāgrena. Ekāgra,[?] without diverting your heart and mind to any other business, if you simply be engaged twenty-four hours in Kṛṣṇa's activities, that is samādhi. That is samādhi.\nSo by yoga process, one has to come to this platform of samādhi. That is the perfection of yoga. And this Kṛṣṇa consciousness is directly that stage. Therefore it is the perfect yoga system. One has to come to that stage, samādhi. And samādhi means without any diversion you have to think always of Kṛṣṇa. So even a... Just like this man, this brāhmaṇa. He was simply... He was illiterate. He did not know what is Bhagavad-gītā's character, what is written there. But there is samādhi. He was thinking of \"Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna, Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna, how they are talking, how they are sitting, how the chariot is going, how Kṛṣṇa is nice.\" This is thinking. That is samādhi. \nSamādhi is not an artificial thing, by pressing your nose, or this or... That is... These things are recommended for the third-class men, who cannot concentrate his mind in Kṛṣṇa, for the fourth-class, third-class men. It is not for the first-class man. A first-class man is automatically Kṛṣṇa conscious. So these things are to be studied very minutely and understood; then the things are very easy. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam [SB 7.5.23].\nNow, the samādhi, samādhinā. Śrīdhara... We have to take the comments of authorities, that here you see samādhinā citta aikāgrena. Actually, that is samādhi. Now, these sitting posture, these breathing exercise, controlling the senses and mind—everything means that you have to make your mind so nice that it will never deviate from Kṛṣṇa. So these are different types of exercise.\nJust like by exercise you can make your circulation of the blood nicely, you keep yourself healthy, similarly, the all these yogic process means to come to the stage of samādhi. Samādhi. And that is said also in the authoritative yogic literature. But what is that samādhi? Samādhi means not to deviate. The mind should always be absorbed in Kṛṣṇa thought, without any deviation.\nSo anyone who is chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, he is in samādhi. Anyone who is cooking for Kṛṣṇa, he is in samādhi. Anyones who is typing for Kṛṣṇa, he is in samādhi. Anyone who is working in the field for Kṛṣṇa, he is in samādhi. Because his consciousness is that \"I am doing here for satisfaction of Kṛṣṇa.\" Ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanam [Cc. Madhya 19.167]. \n[“’When first-class devotional service develops, one must be devoid of all material desires, knowledge obtained by monistic philosophy, and fruitive action. The devotee must constantly serve Kṛṣṇa favorably, as Kṛṣṇa desires.’]\nAnuśīlanam: cultivation of Kṛṣṇa knowledge favorably, not unfavorably. Then it is perfection. Bhaktir uttamā. Ānukūlyena. Anyābhilaṣitā-śūnyam [Brs. 1.1.11].\n[One should render transcendental loving service to the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa favorably and without desire for material profit or gain through fruitive activities or philosophical speculation. That is called pure devotional service.]\nWhen you cook, if you think, \"Oh, this nice thing is being cooked. I shall eat it very nicely,\" then it is not Kṛṣṇa. But while cooking, if you think, \"Let me do it very nicely so that Kṛṣṇa will taste it,\" it is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The same thing. Activities is the same, but the consciousness is different. That is samādhi.\nSo samādhi is not very extraordinary thing. One has to become simply serious and sincere to Kṛṣṇa. Then he is in samādhi. That is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā:\nyoginām api sarveṣāṁ\nmad-gatenāntar-ātmanā\nśraddhāvān bhajate yo māṁ\nsa me yuktatamo mataḥ\n[Bg. 6.47]\n[And of all yogīs, he who always abides in Me with great faith, worshiping Me in transcendental loving service, is most intimately united with Me in yoga and is the highest of all.]\n\"Anyone who is always thinking of Me within his heart and is engaged in My service, he's first-class yogī.\" So any person who is engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, who's acting simply for Kṛṣṇa twenty-four hours, he's in samādhi. Samādhinā tad..., anusmara tad-viceṣṭitam [SB 1.5.13].\n[O Vyāsadeva, your vision is completely perfect. Your good fame is spotless. You are firm in vow and situated in truthfulness. And thus you can think of the pastimes of the Lord in trance for the liberation of the people in general from all material bondage.]\nAnusmara: \"That meditation should not be manufactured by you, but under the direction of the representative of Kṛṣṇa.\" Therefore it is called anusmara.\nCittaga..., akhilasya bandhasya muktaye. Then again, Śrīdhara Svāmī says that \"This process is for giving liberation from all kinds of material bondage.\" Akhilasya bandhasya muktaye tam anusmara smṛtya varṇayata[?]. And again Śrīdhara Svāmī gives note herewith that \"Not only you meditate, but you preach. That will help your meditation.\" Just like I am speaking to you. I am meditating simultaneously. Unless I remember, how can I speak to you?\nUnless my attention is concentrated without any diversion in Kṛṣṇa subject matter, how can I speak to you? So that is also samādhi. Don't think that one who is simply sitting, he is in samādhi. One who is preaching, he's also in samādhi, because he's thinking of Kṛṣṇa. Otherwise, how he can talk of Kṛṣṇa if he does not think of Kṛṣṇa? Śrīdhara Swami gives... Tam anusmara smṛtya varṇayata. Varṇayata means \"describe also,\" \"preach.\" Ity artha. Etac ca vakhyantaram iti madhyama-puruṣa-prayogaḥ.[?]\nSo this preaching, śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam [SB 7.5.23], simply hearing of Kṛṣṇa and chanting of Kṛṣṇa, preaching of Kṛṣṇa, is samādhi.\n[Prahlāda Mahārāja said: Hearing and chanting about the transcendental holy name, form, qualities, paraphernalia and pastimes of Lord Viṣṇu, remembering them, serving the lotus feet of the Lord, offering the Lord respectful worship with sixteen types of paraphernalia, offering prayers to the Lord, becoming His servant, considering the Lord one's best friend, and surrendering everything unto Him (in other words, serving Him with the body, mind and words)—these nine processes are accepted as pure devotional service. One who has dedicated his life to the service of Kṛṣṇa through these nine methods should be understood to be the most learned person, for he has acquired complete knowledge.]\nAnd this will make one liberated, akhila-bandha-muktaye, from all kinds of bondage, material bondage.\nThank you very much.\n[break] ...liberation, oh, she is canvassing me, \"Will you kindly take my service?\" Muktiḥ mukulitāñjali sevate asmān. We are devotees of Kṛṣṇa, oh, mukti is standing on my door and just trying to.., begging, \"May I serve you? May I serve you? What can I do for you? What can I do for you?\" Muktiḥ mukulitāñjali means the folded hand. Mukti is serving us always in folded hands. We are not very much anxious for mukti, or liberation. Liberation is at our door.\nThat means Kṛṣṇa... A bhakta, Kṛṣṇa devotee, Kṛṣṇa conscious, is already liberated. Liberated is very... Just like if a person is M.A., that means he has already passed all other examinations. Muktiḥ mukulitāñjali sevate asmān. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so nice. Try to understand and preach. Just like Śrīdhara Mahārāja: varṇaya, smṛtya varṇaya ity arataḥ. Don't simply be satisfied that you are simply thinking, but try to preach. That will make your life sublime. Go on. [end]",
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https://vedabase.io/en/library/transcripts/690401r1-san-francisco/
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"content": "\n \"So we want to see him [her] naked in this assembly.\" So she prayed Kṛṣṇa. Mahābhārata story is very nice, how Kṛṣṇa, protecting His devotee.",
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"content": "\n Swāmījī? Didn't Karṇa request Arjuna not to fight when he was lifting the chariot? Didn't Karṇa request Arjuna not to kill him?",
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"content": "\n Yes. Requested. But Kṛṣṇa said, \"No. You kill him. I say.\" Arjuna said, \"That's all right. [laughter] When You order me, 'Fight,' [chuckles] I don't care for any morality or discipline. Your order is 'Fight.'\"",
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"content": "\n Can you chant for us loudly? Can you chant from the Bhāgavata?",
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"content": "\n Yes, I'll chant. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Oh, thank you very much. All should be offered there, Jagannātha. The etiquette is nice. Everything should be offered to the..., through the spiritual master. That is the etiquette. No direct.\n[Prabhupāda chants the second chapter of First Canto]\n[02:02]\nsūta uvāca\nyaṁ pravrajantam anupetam apeta-kṛtyaṁ\ndvaipāyano viraha-kātara ājuhāva\nputreti tan-mayatayā taravo 'bhinedus\ntaṁ sarva-bhūta-hṛdayaṁ munim ānato 'smi\n[SB 1.2.2]\n[Śrīla Sūta Gosvāmī said: Let me offer my respectful obeisances unto that great sage [Śukadeva Gosvāmī] who can enter the hearts of all. When he went away to take up the renounced order of life [sannyāsa], leaving home without undergoing reformation by the sacred thread or the ceremonies observed by the higher castes, his father, Vyāsadeva, fearing separation from him, cried out, \"O my son!\" Indeed, only the trees, which were absorbed in the same feelings of separation, echoed in response to the begrieved father.]\nyaḥ svānubhāvam akhila-śruti-sāram ekam\nadhyātma-dīpam atititīrṣatāṁ tamo 'ndham\nsaṁsāriṇāṁ karuṇayāha purāṇa-guhyaṁ\ntaṁ vyāsa-sūnum upayāmi guruṁ munīnām\n[SB 1.2.3]\n[Let me offer my respectful obeisances unto him [Śuka], the spiritual master of all sages, the son of Vyāsadeva, who, out of his great compassion for those gross materialists who struggle to cross over the darkest regions of material existence, spoke this most confidential supplement to the cream of Vedic knowledge, after having personally assimilated it by experience.]\nnārāyaṇaṁ namaskṛtya\nnaraṁ caiva narottamam\ndevīṁ sarasvatīṁ vyāsaṁ\ntato jayam udīrayet\n[SB 1.2.4]\n[Before reciting this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, which is the very means of conquest, one should offer respectful obeisances unto the Personality of Godhead, Nārāyaṇa, unto Nara-nārāyaṇa Ṛṣi, the supermost human being, unto mother Sarasvatī, the goddess of learning, and unto Śrīla Vyāsadeva, the author.]\nmunayaḥ sādhu pṛṣṭo 'haṁ\nbhavadbhir loka-maṅgalam\nyat kṛtaḥ kṛṣṇa-sampraśno\nyenātmā suprasīdati\n[SB 1.2.5]\n[O sages, I have been justly questioned by you. Your questions are worthy because they relate to Lord Kṛṣṇa and so are of relevance to the world's welfare. Only questions of this sort are capable of completely satisfying the self.]\nsa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo\nyato bhaktir adhokṣaje\nahaituky apratihatā\nyayātmā suprasīdati\n[SB 1.2.6]\n[The supreme occupation [dharma] for all humanity is that by which men can attain to loving devotional service unto the transcendent Lord. Such devotional service must be unmotivated and uninterrupted to completely satisfy the self.]\nvāsudeve bhagavati\nbhakti-yogaḥ prayojitaḥ\njanayaty āśu vairāgyaṁ\njñānaṁ ca yad ahaitukam\n[SB 1.2.7]\n[By rendering devotional service unto the Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, one immediately acquires causeless knowledge and detachment from the world.]\ndharmaḥ svanuṣṭhitaḥ puṁsāṁ\nviṣvaksena-kathāsu yaḥ\nnotpādayed yadi ratiṁ\nśrama eva hi kevalam\n[SB 1.2.8]\n[The occupational activities a man performs according to his own position are only so much useless labor if they do not provoke attraction for the message of the Personality of Godhead.\ndharmasya hy āpavargyasya\nnārtho 'rthāyopakalpate\nnārthasya dharmaikāntasya\nkāmo lābhāya hi smṛtaḥ\n[SB 1.2.9]\n[All occupational engagements are certainly meant for ultimate liberation. They should never be performed for material gain. Furthermore, according to sages, one who is engaged in the ultimate occupational service should never use material gain to cultivate sense gratification.]\nkāmasya nendriya-prītir\nlābho jīveta yāvatā\njīvasya tattva-jijñāsā\nnārtho yaś ceha karmabhiḥ\n[SB 1.2.10]\n[Life's desires should never be directed toward sense gratification. One should desire only a healthy life, or self-preservation, since a human being is meant for inquiry about the Absolute Truth. Nothing else should be the goal of one's works.]\nvadanti tat tattva-vidas\ntattvaṁ yaj jñānam advayam\nbrahmeti paramātmeti\nbhagavān iti śabdyate\n[SB 1.2.11]\n[Learned transcendentalists who know the Absolute Truth call this nondual substance Brahman, Paramātmā or Bhagavān.]\ntac chraddadhānā munayo\njñāna-vairāgya-yuktayā\npaśyanty ātmani cātmānaṁ\nbhaktyā śruta-gṛhītayā\n[SB 1.2.12]\n[The seriously inquisitive student or sage, well equipped with knowledge and detachment, realizes that Absolute Truth by rendering devotional service in terms of what he has heard from the Vedānta-śruti.]\nataḥ pumbhir dvija-śreṣṭhā\nvarṇāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ\nsvanuṣṭhitasya dharmasya\nsaṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam\n[SB 1.2.13]\n[O best among the twice-born, it is therefore concluded that the highest perfection one can achieve by discharging the duties prescribed for one's own occupation according to caste divisions and orders of life is to please the Personality of Godhead.]\ntasmād ekena manasā\nbhagavān sātvatāṁ patiḥ\nśrotavyaḥ kīrtitavyaś ca\ndhyeyaḥ pūjyaś ca nityadā\n[SB 1.2.14]\n[Therefore, with one-pointed attention, one should constantly hear about, glorify, remember and worship the Personality of Godhead, who is the protector of the devotees.]\nyad-anudhyāsinā yuktāḥ\nkarma-granthi-nibandhanam\nchindanti kovidās tasya\nko na kuryāt kathā-ratim\n[SB 1.2.15]\n[With sword in hand, intelligent men cut through the binding knots of reactionary work [karma] by remembering the Personality of Godhead. Therefore, who will not pay attention to His message?]\nśuśrūṣoḥ śraddadhānasya\nvāsudeva-kathā-ruciḥ\nsyān mahat-sevayā viprāḥ\npuṇya-tīrtha-niṣevaṇāt\n[SB 1.2.16]\n[O twice-born sages, by serving those devotees who are completely freed from all vice, great service is done. By such service, one gains affinity for hearing the messages of Vāsudeva.]\nśṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ\npuṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ\nhṛdy antaḥ stho hy abhadrāṇi\nvidhunoti suhṛt satām\n[SB 1.2.17]\n[Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Personality of Godhead, who is the Paramātmā [Supersoul] in everyone's heart and the benefactor of the truthful devotee, cleanses desire for material enjoyment from the heart of the devotee who has developed the urge to hear His messages, which are in themselves virtuous when properly heard and chanted.]\nnaṣṭa-prāyeṣv abhadreṣu\nnityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā\nbhagavaty uttama-śloke\nbhaktir bhavati naiṣṭhikī\n[SB 1.2.18]\n[By regular attendance in classes on the Bhāgavatam and by rendering of service to the pure devotee, all that is troublesome to the heart is almost completely destroyed, and loving service unto the Personality of Godhead, who is praised with transcendental songs, is established as an irrevocable fact.]\ntadā rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ\nkāma-lobhādayaś ca ye\nceta etair anāviddhaṁ\nsthitaṁ sattve prasīdati\n[SB 1.2.19]\n[As soon as irrevocable loving service is established in the heart, the effects of nature's modes of passion and ignorance, such as lust, desire and hankering, disappear from the heart. Then the devotee is established in goodness, and he becomes completely happy.]\nevaṁ prasanna-manaso\nbhagavad-bhakti-yogataḥ\nbhagavat-tattva-vijñānaṁ\nmukta-saṅgasya jāyate\n[SB 1.2.20]\n[Thus established in the mode of unalloyed goodness, the man whose mind has been enlivened by contact with devotional service to the Lord gains positive scientific knowledge of the Personality of Godhead in the stage of liberation from all material association.]\nbhidyate hṛdaya-granthiś\nchidyante sarva-saṁśayāḥ\nkṣīyante cāsya karmāṇi\ndṛṣṭa evātmanīśvare\n[SB 1.2.21]\n[Thus the knot in the heart is pierced, and all misgivings are cut to pieces. The chain of fruitive actions is terminated when one sees the self as master.]\nato vai kavayo nityaṁ\nbhaktiṁ paramayā mudā\nvāsudeve bhagavati\nkurvanty ātma-prasādanīm\n[SB 1.2.22]\n[Certainly, therefore, since time immemorial, all transcendentalists have been rendering devotional service to Lord Kṛṣṇa, the Personality of Godhead, with great delight, because such devotional service is enlivening to the self.]\nsattvaṁ rajas tama iti prakṛter guṇās tair\nyuktaḥ paraḥ puruṣa eka ihāsya dhatte\nsthity-ādaye hari-viriñci-hareti saṁjñāḥ\nśreyāṁsi tatra khalu sattva-tanor nṛṇāṁ syuḥ\n[SB 1.2.23]\n[The transcendental Personality of Godhead is indirectly associated with the three modes of material nature, namely passion, goodness and ignorance, and just for the material world's creation, maintenance and destruction He accepts the three qualitative forms of Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Śiva. Of these three, all human beings can derive ultimate benefit from Viṣṇu, the form of the quality of goodness.]\npārthivād dāruṇo dhūmas\ntasmād agnis trayīmayaḥ\ntamasas tu rajas tasmāt\nsattvaṁ yad brahma-darśanam\n[SB 1.2.24]\n[Firewood is a transformation of earth, but smoke is better than the raw wood. And fire is still better, for by fire we can derive the benefits of superior knowledge [through Vedic sacrifices]. Similarly, passion [rajas] is better than ignorance [tamas], but goodness [sattva] is best because by goodness one can come to realize the Absolute Truth.]\nbhejire munayo 'thāgre\nbhagavantam adhokṣajam\nsattvaṁ viśuddhaṁ kṣemāya\nkalpante ye 'nu tān iha\n[SB 1.2.25]\n[Previously all the great sages rendered service unto the Personality of Godhead due to His existence above the three modes of material nature. They worshiped Him to become free from material conditions and thus derive the ultimate benefit. Whoever follows such great authorities is also eligible for liberation from the material world.]\nmumukṣavo ghora-rūpān\nhitvā bhūta-patīn atha\nnārāyaṇa-kalāḥ śāntā\nbhajanti hy anasūyavaḥ\n[SB 1.2.26]\n[Those who are serious about liberation are certainly nonenvious, and they respect all. Yet they reject the horrible and ghastly forms of the demigods and worship only the all-blissful forms of Lord Viṣṇu and His plenary portions.]\nrajas-tamaḥ-prakṛtayaḥ\nsama-śīlā bhajanti vai\npitṛ-bhūta-prajeśādīn\nśriyaiśvarya-prajepsavaḥ\n[SB 1.2.27]\n[Those who are in the modes of passion and ignorance worship those in the same category—namely the forefathers, other living beings and the demigods who are in charge of cosmic activities—for they are urged by a desire to be materially benefited with women, wealth, power and progeny.]\nvāsudeva-parā vedā\nvāsudeva-parā makhāḥ\nvāsudeva-parā yogā\nvāsudeva-parāḥ kriyāḥ\nvāsudeva-paraṁ jñānaṁ\nvāsudeva-paraṁ tapaḥ\nvāsudeva-paro dharmo\nvāsudeva-parā gatiḥ\n[SB 1.2.28–29]\n[In the revealed scriptures, the ultimate object of knowledge is Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Personality of Godhead. The purpose of performing sacrifice is to please Him. Yoga is for realizing Him. All fruitive activities are ultimately rewarded by Him only. He is supreme knowledge, and all severe austerities are performed to know Him. Religion [dharma] is rendering loving service unto Him. He is the supreme goal of life.]\nsa evedaṁ sasarjāgre\nbhagavān ātma-māyayā\nsad-asad-rūpayā cāsau\nguṇamayāguṇo vibhuḥ\n[SB 1.2.30]\n[In the beginning of the material creation, that Absolute Personality of Godhead [Vāsudeva], in His transcendental position, created the energies of cause and effect by His own internal energy.]\ntayā vilasiteṣv eṣu\nguṇeṣu guṇavān iva\nantaḥ-praviṣṭa ābhāti\nvijñānena vijṛmbhitaḥ\n[SB 1.2.31]\n[After creating the material substance, the Lord [Vāsudeva] expands Himself and enters into it. And although He is within the material modes of nature and appears to be one of the created beings, He is always fully enlightened in His transcendental position.]\nyathā hy avahito vahnir\ndāruṣv ekaḥ sva-yoniṣu\nnāneva bhāti viśvātmā\nbhūteṣu ca tathā pumān\n[SB 1.2.32]\n[The Lord, as Supersoul, pervades all things, just as fire permeates wood, and so He appears to be of many varieties, though He is the absolute one without a second.]\nasau guṇamayair bhāvair\nbhūta-sūkṣmendriyātmabhiḥ\nsva-nirmiteṣu nirviṣṭo\nbhuṅkte bhūteṣu tad-guṇān\n[SB 1.2.33]\n[The Supersoul enters into the bodies of the created beings who are influenced by the modes of material nature and causes them to enjoy the effects of these modes by the subtle mind.]\nbhāvayaty eṣa sattvena\nlokān vai loka-bhāvanaḥ\nlīlāvatārānurato\ndeva-tiryaṅ-narādiṣu\n[SB 1.2.34]\n[Thus the Lord of the universes maintains all planets inhabited by demigods, men and lower animals. Assuming the roles of incarnations, He performs pastimes to reclaim those in the mode of pure goodness.]\niti srimad-bhagavate maha-purane\nparamahamsyam samhitayam vaiyasikyan\nprathama-skandhe naimise upakhyane\nbhagavat anuvarnanam rama dvitiyadhyayah\n[Thus ends the second chapter in the First Canto of the \nŚrīmad-Bhāgavata\n \nMahā-Purāṇa\n, the \nPāramahaṁsa-saṁhitā\n spoken by the son of Vyasa, entitled 'the secondary description of the Bhāgavatam', which comes in the narration about Naimisharanya.]\n[08:52]\nOne chapter. Just play it.\n[break] ...heard the sound only. [laughs]\nThe explanation... I shall give you little explanation.",
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"content": "\n Isn't the sound, always good as the explanation?",
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"content": "\n Yes. Hearing is always good.",
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"content": "\n Although we don't know what it means, but just the sound.",
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"content": "\n Yes. Yes. Sound will act. Just like \"Kṛṣṇa,\" \"Hare Kṛṣṇa,\" is acting, similarly.",
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"content": "\n What chapter is this, Swāmījī?",
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"content": "\n This is Second Chapter, First Canto. Sūta Gosvāmī, before speaking to the audience, he is offering his respect to the spiritual master. To offer respect to anyone means to remember his qualification. Just like we sing... Just like you offer respect to your spiritual master. What is the meaning?\nnama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale\nśrīmad-bhaktivedānta-svāmin iti nāmine\n[I offer my respectful obeisances unto His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, who is very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa on this earth, having taken shelter at His lotus feet.]\nYes. \"I offer my respectful obeisances to Swami Bhaktivedanta, who is very dear to Kṛṣṇa, and has come before us to deliver.\" This is the meaning. So his qualification is described.\nSimilarly, here also Sūta Gosvāmī is offering respect to his spiritual master, Śukadeva Gosvāmī, and he is repeating the history of Śukadeva Gosvāmī. Śukadeva Gosvāmī, just after taking birth from the mother's womb, immediately he started, without staying for a moment. Just see the brahmacārī. The... Father, they are naturally affectionate. So father saw that \"This man, child, immediately after birth is going away? How is that? My dear boy, where you are going? Where you are going?\" [laughter] [laughs] So that is being ex...\nYaṁ pravrajantam anupetam apeta-kṛtyaṁ\n[SB 1.2.2]. \n[Śrīla Sūta Gosvāmī said: Let me offer my respectful obeisances unto that great sage [Śukadeva Gosvāmī] who can enter the hearts of all. When he went away to take up the renounced order of life [sannyāsa], leaving home without undergoing reformation by the sacred thread or the ceremonies observed by the higher castes, his father, Vyāsadeva, fearing separation from him, cried out, \"O my son!\" Indeed, only the trees, which were absorbed in the same feelings of separation, echoed in response to the begrieved father.]\nThe Śukadeva Gosvāmī, who was going without any ceremonial function... Because after birth there is ceremony, there is nāma-karaṇa, so many things to be done. But he didn't care for anything, any rituals. He immediately started. So it is specifically mentioned that he began to start without observing any formality, any rituals. Immediately started. Yaṁ pravrajantam anupetam apeta-kṛtyaṁ [SB 1.2.2]. Kṛtyaṁ means things which have to be done. Just like you are initiated, there are so many things to be done. So he didn't care for anything.\nDvaipāyano ciraha-kātara ājuhāva. Dvaipayana is father's name, Dvaipayāna Vyāsa. Kṛṣṇa Dvaipāyana Vyāsa, his father's name. So viraha-kātara, too much affected: \"The son born and immediately he's going?\" Just see how much he is... \"My dear boy, where you are going?\" Ājuhāva. He didn't care whether father or mother is cut. Putreti tan-māyātayā taravo 'bhinedus.\nAnd there was vibration. He was passing through the jungle, and the trees as he vibrated... He was asking, \"My dear son, my dear son,\" and the vibration, \"My dear son, my dear son.\" Like that. Taṁ sarva-bhūta-hṛdayaṁ munim ānato 'smi [SB 1.2.2]. So, \"I am offering my respect to that saintly person.\" That means his qualification described and offered respect.\nAnd then next qualification, what is that?\nyaḥ svānubhāvam akhila-śruti-sāram ekam\nākhyātma-dīpam atititīrṣataṁ tamo 'ndham\n[SB 1.2.3]\n[Let me offer my respectful obeisances unto him [Śuka], the spiritual master of all sages, the son of Vyāsadeva, who, out of his great compassion for those gross materialists who struggle to cross over the darkest regions of material existence, spoke this most confidential supplement to the cream of Vedic knowledge, after having personally assimilated it by experience.]\nAnd his other qualification is that he presented the gist, essence, substance, of Vedic knowledge for the persons who are eager to get out of the darkness of this material existence. Atititīrṣataṁ tamo 'ndham saṁsariṇaṁ karuṇayāha [SB 1.2.3]. And purāṇa guhyam. This Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is called the mahā-purāṇa, I mean to say, \"the greatest history.\" Purāṇa means history, old history; guhyam, very confidential.\nHe explained this great, confidential history for the people who are suffering the repeated birth and death. For their purpose he is so kind that he explained. Saṁsariṇaṁ karuṇayā. Karuṇayā means out of compassionate..., compassion for the persons who are suffering continually birth and death. Taṁ vyāsa-sūnam upayāmi guruṁ munīnām. So \"I offer my respect to that son of Vyāsa, who is spiritual master of many other saintly persons.\"\nnārāyaṇaṁ namaskṛtya\nnaraṁ caiva narottamam\ndevīṁ sarasvatīṁ vyāsaṁ\ntato jayam udīrayet\n[SB 1.2.4]\n[Before reciting this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, which is the very means of conquest, one should offer respectful obeisances unto the Personality of Godhead, Nārāyaṇa, unto Nara-nārāyaṇa Ṛṣi, the supermost human being, unto mother Sarasvatī, the goddess of learning, and unto Śrīla Vyāsadeva, the author.]\nNow after... This is the process. He... First of all, he offered his respect to his spiritual master, then Nārāyaṇa. Yes. Nārāyaṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Not first to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but first to the spiritual master, and then Nārāyaṇa. Yes. Just like he was asking.",
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"content": "\n Yes.",
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"content": "\n Through. Nārāyaṇaṁ namaskṛtya naraṁ caiva narottamam [SB 1.2.4]. Yes.",
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"content": "\n Oh, that's his master.",
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"content": "\n Thank you very much. Naraṁ caiva narottamam devīṁ sarasvatīṁ. Sarasvatī, the goddess of learning. And vyāsam, and then Vyāsadeva, who is the master of Vedic literature. One after another. This is... Vyāsaṁ tato jayaṁ udīrayet.\nThen he is... He was questioned by the audience that \"What is the most important religion in this age?\" That was their question. \"There are many types of religious principle, so what is the best one for this age?\" So he is replying that question. Munayaḥ sādhu pṛṣṭo 'haṁ bhavadbhir loka-maṇgalam [SB 1.2.5].\n[O sages, I have been justly questioned by you. Your questions are worthy because they relate to Lord Kṛṣṇa and so are of relevance to the world's welfare. Only questions of this sort are capable of completely satisfying the self.]\n\"You have put very nice question, because you have put the question that 'What is the best religion for the people of this age?' \" Yat-kṛtaḥ kṛṣṇa-sampraśno yenātmā suprasīdati. \"And you have..., you are very much anxious to understand the activities of Lord Kṛṣṇa. It is very nice. By this discussion everyone will become actually peaceful and satisfied.\"\nSo the answer, \"What is the best religious principle?\" he is answering. Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje [SB 1.2.6]\n[The supreme occupation [dharma] for all humanity is that by which men can attain to loving devotional service unto the transcendent Lord. Such devotional service must be unmotivated and uninterrupted to completely satisfy the self.]\n\"My dear brāhmaṇas...\" in that meeting all the audience were great learned sages and brāhmaṇas. So he is addressing them. \"That is the best form of religion which, performing, one becomes elevated to devotional service of the Lord.\" Not religious formalities. One has to test by the result. Phalena paricīyate.\nYou are Christian, I am Hindu, or he is Muhammadan. That's all right. You are very good, I am very good, he is very good. But what is the result of your following religion? Have you attained love of God? Simply I go to church, I go to temple, and I do all kinds of nonsense; I have no love for God, I have love for my māyā, and I go simply...,\" that is useless.\nReligious principle means... It doesn't matter whether you are Hindu or Christian or Muslim or anything. It doesn't matter. Just see Bhāgavata. Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo [SB 1.2.6]. \"That sort of religion is nice, best, by which you can develop love of Godhead.\" It doesn't mention that \"This religion is best,\" \"That religion is best.\" That religion is best which helps someone, the religionist, to develop love of God, Godhead.\nJust see. If you put to test all kinds of religion in this formula of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, you'll understand which religion is best. You haven't got to ask anybody. Simply by testing how much one has developed love of Godhead, how much one has learned to love Kṛṣṇa, or God. If, following any type of religion, if you get this result, then you have performed your religious principle very nicely. This is the answer.\nAnd what kind of love? Ahaitukī: without any cause. \"Oh, I love God because I want something from Him.\" Generally, as they love God, distress, they want something. \"My dear Lord, I am very unhappy. Please help me.\" That is also good. That is not bad. That is accepted in Bhagavad-gītā. But that is not pure love. Pure love means there is no reason. \"Why I am loving Kṛṣṇa? Oh, there is no reason. I love Kṛṣṇa. I want Kṛṣṇa.\" This is love.\nJust like Caitanya Mahāprabhu says... You have got this translation in my first book, that..., that Advaita has quoted that śloka in his sermon[?], that \"Whatever You do, You are my Lord. I don't mind whether You put me into distress or You put me into happiness, or if You don't help me in realizing You. It doesn't matter. Still I love You. Whether I am going to hell or heaven, it doesn't matter. But I love You.\" Just like Cowper said, \"England, with all thy fault, I love you.\" This is love. This is material, crude.\nAhaitukī apratihatā. Apratihatā means that business, \"I love Kṛṣṇa,\" cannot be stopped. \"I could not love Kṛṣṇa because I was busy in doing this thing or that thing, or because...\" So many reason we can put forward. No. Love of Kṛṣṇa cannot be stopped by any material reason. That is love. Nobody can say that \"For this reason I could not love Kṛṣṇa.\" There is no reason. There is no impediment for anyone. Any circumstances.\nSo any religious principle which helps a person to love Kṛṣṇa and God, in that way, without any reason, without any impediment... Just like flow of the river. There is no impediment in this world which can stop the flow of the river or the waves of the Pacific Ocean. There is no power in the material world which can stop the waves going on, going on, going on. You see? Similarly, that is the best type of religion.\nNow just see how Bhāgavata is liberal in the description of religion. Religion... You are religious, you are very pious man—how it will be tested? How much you have developed love of God. That's all. Without any reason, without any impediment. This is test of best religion.\nVāsudeve... [aside:] Guru dāsa, you can hear? Yes.\nvāsudeve bhagavati\nbhakti yogaḥ prayojitaḥ\njanayaty āśu vairāgyaṁ\njñānam ca yad ahaitukam\n[SB 1.2.7]\n[By rendering devotional service unto the Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, one immediately acquires causeless knowledge and detachment from the world.]\nNow, what is the purpose of religion? Why human society...? In human society, why there is some sort of religion? The animals, they have got no religion. Therefore if human society gives up the process of religion... Doesn't matter what religion he professes. It doesn't matter. If he doesn't care for religion, that society is no better than animals. That is animal society. Because animals, they have got no religion.\nSo human society, if they have no religion... Must have some religion. It doesn't matter whether Christian or Buddhism or Hinduism or anything, a human being must follow. That is civilized. That is the behavior of civilized world. At the present moment they are neglecting. But in every country, either there may be temples or churches or mosque, people were very religious-minded before this age.\nI was very much satisfied when I came to New York... No, not only New York. First of all, I went to Pittsburgh, Butler. In that Butler County there were at least one dozen churches, very nice churches. That's a small county. So I was very much satisfied: \"Oh, the American people are very religious. They have got these churches.\" And I saw on Sunday people were attending churches. And in New York also I saw. They may understand or not understand, but that religious spirit is there. You are responding to my appeal because you have got that spirit. Otherwise, why should you come and waste your time with me?\nSo religious principle must be there in the human society. And what is the purpose? Why? The religious principle means that this material life is not happy. And we are searching after happiness. So real happiness is not in this world. You take any, I mean to say, messiah. You take Lord Jesus Christ or Buddha or Lord Caitanya or Kṛṣṇa, or anyone you take, nobody says that \"You make adjustment here and live peacefully.\" No. Nobody says. You know that. So religious principle means to know that this is not the place to live happily. This is the principal aim of teaching religion. We are trying to live here, making things nicely adjusted, peace and prosperity. That will never be possible. This is foolishness.\nSo religion means..., religiously trained mind means he will know that \"This is not the place for me. I should [with]draw my attachment for this place, and I must know what is my necessity. I am a spirit soul. I am not this body. Therefore bodily necessities are not all my demands. I must have spiritual necessities also. So all this means that I must give up my attachment for this body and I must develop my spiritual needs.\" That is the purpose of religion.\nSo here it is stated that vāsudeve bhagavati bhakti-yogaḥ prayojitaḥ [SB 1.2.7]. All these religious principle can be achieved immediately if you place your love unto Kṛṣṇa. Vāsudeve bhagavati bhakti-yogaḥ. Bhakti-yogaḥ means devotional... If you try to serve, in devotional service, Kṛṣṇa, then all these principles of religions will automatically come. You will know that \"I am not this body; I am a spirit soul. I have... The material attachment is useless for me. My real business is spiritual advancement of life.\" Everything will be clear if you simply execute devotional service of Kṛṣṇa. Vāsudeve bhagavati. \nDharmaḥ svanuṣṭhitaḥ puṁsāṁ viṣvaksena kathāsu yaḥ\n[SB 1.2.8].\n[The occupational activities a man performs according to his own position are only so much useless labor if they do not provoke attraction for the message of the Personality of Godhead.]\nAgain, it is stated, one may execute very nicely his prescribed duties according to his religion—very good boy—but if he does not develop to hear about Kṛṣṇa, or God, this propensity... Just like you are sitting here to hear about Bhāgavata. Why? This is very nice symptom. You are developing to hear some things about God, or Kṛṣṇa. These tendencies. The temple, somebody comes to hear. Not all, because they have no development. Life is wasted.\nSo dharmaḥ svanuṣṭha... You may do your duty very nicely, you may be very moralist or philanthropist or so many they have manufactured. You may become everything. But if you have not that propensity to hear something about God, then all these are śrama eva hi kevalam [SB 1.2.8], simply laboring, laboring, laboring. That's all. That means wasting time.\nDharmasya hy āpavargyasya\n[SB 1.2.9]. \n[All occupational engagements are certainly meant for ultimate liberation. They should never be performed for material gain. Furthermore, according to sages, one who is engaged in the ultimate occupational service should never use material gain to cultivate sense gratification.]\nNow, people are generally inclined to execute religious principles to make economic development. Just like in your Christian religion they go to church and pray, \"O God, give us our daily bread.\" That is mean economic development. Not only here; in India also the temple go, \"My dear Kṛṣṇa, please keep my family well,\" or this or that. Economic problem. Generally, people, they become religionist...\nTherefore modern politicians, they say, \"Why should you...\" Just like the Russians. They say, \"Why should you go to church for begging, 'Give us our daily...'? Oh, you come to us. We shall give you sufficient bread.\" The Bolshevists, they make propaganda like this. They go to village to village and ask the village men, \"Oh, you pray to your church, pray, 'O God, give us our daily bread,' so have you got your bread?\" \"No, sir.\" \"All right. Pray to us.\" They have taken a truck full of bread, and... \"Take bread. Take bread. As much as you like, you take.\" \"So whom do you like?\" Oh, they will naturally say, \"I like you.\" [laughter]\nBecause they are not intelligent enough to answer, \"You rascal, wherefrom you have brought this bread, from your father's house?\" [laughter] \"Can you manufacture the bread in the factory, rascal? It is God's bread.\" But they have no intelligence. They cannot say like that. If they had presented to me, I would have at once said, \"Rascal, this is not your father's bread. It is God's bread. You have stolen the property.\" You cannot manufacture bread or wheat. It is sent by God. That answer we have to give to these so-called Communists and rascals, godless people, that \"You are not proprietor. You are all rascals. Everything belongs to God.\" That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.\nSo we have to present scientifically. We have to present by reason, by argument. Not that if we say somebody, \"You are rascals...\" No. You have to place the matter, that he is rascal. So that... Bhāgavata says that for economic solution... Religion is not meant for economic solution. Economic solution is there, either you be religious or not religious. In God's kingdom there is wheat, there is rice, there is water, rainfall, and the production. Everything is there. There is fruit, there is flower. So either you be religious or not religious, it doesn't matter. Your economic problem is settled already.\nJust like in the prison house, they are all criminals. That does not mean they will starve to death. The government has all arrangement to feed them. Similarly, although this material world is prison house—all criminals are here, revolt, to a person are here, those who do not care for God—but still, their fooding problem, their lodging problem is there by arrangement of God. Everything is there.\nSo Bhāgavata says, dharmasya hy āpavargyasya nārtho 'rthāyopakalpate [SB 1.2.9]: don't execute religious principles for making your economic problem solved. Then? \"We require some money.\" Yes. \"What for?\" Nārthasya dharmaikāntasya kāmo lābhāya hi smṛtaḥ. And even if you get money, that is not for your sense gratification. Nārthasya dharmaikāntasya. If you are religious, really, actually a man of religiosity, then your money is not for sense gratification, as we are teaching our boys. They are working hard, they are getting money, and they are spending for Kṛṣṇa. You see? Because they have understood that \"My energy spent for Kṛṣṇa's cause is really utilized. And if I utilize my energy for sense gratification, then I am cats and dogs.\"\nSo nārthasya. If you get money—you must get money—but it is not meant for sense gratification. \"Then what is the..., it is meant? We have got senses. We have to satisfy it.\" Yes. You have to satisfy it, but not for enjoyment. As far as you require it. You require fooding? Yes, for maintaining your bod, not for satisfying the tongue. \"This, I want to eat this, I want to eat that, I want to eat that.\" No. Eat something. Just maintain your body. That's all.\nYou sleep just to keep yourself fit to work. Not that sleeping for twelve hours, fourteen hours. No. Six, seven, utmost eight. That's all. Then eating, sleeping; defending—that's also required. Defend yourself. Not to encroach upon others' property. Just like people are sending soldiers in others' country. Why? You defend your own country. That's all right. You defend your home. That is not prohibited. The śāstra allows it.\nIf somebody comes to encroach upon your property, you kill him immediately. That is said. But not kill unnecessarily. Just like Arjuna was taught, \"Kill them. They have insulted your wife, they have encroached upon your property. They must be killed.\" That is allowed. But you don't be aggressive. So ahāra-nidrā-bhaya, and sex, sex life. Yes. Just get yourself married and have sex life only for children, not for other purpose.\nSo kāmasya nendriya-prītiḥ. Kāma means we have got some demands of the body. That is called kāma, or lust. So that does not mean that we have to gratify the senses. As far as necessary, we shall utilize it. Nendriya-prītiḥ. Then how to live? Now, kāmasya, that satisfaction of the senses should be allowed just to keep myself fit. I must live. Even if I become Kṛṣṇa consciousness, I must work. So that is allowed.\nBut what is my... What is your main business? Jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā nārtho yaś ceha kārmabhiḥ. Your only business is to understand what you are, what God is, what is this world, what is your relationship. This is your main business. This is your main business. Not that you earn money and employ it for sense gratification, as it is going on in this materialistic way of life. Nobody is inquisitive to know what he is. How can he? Very big businessman or very rich man or so-called advancement, can you say what you are? What is your duty? Nobody can say.\nSo that is the main business, that jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā nārtho yaś ceha kārmabhiḥ. By your... By the result of your activity... Or your main activity should be inquiring about your spiritual existence. So this should be our inquiry.\nI think we should stop here.\nYes. [break] [devotees offer obeisances]\nGovinda dāsī? Where is Govinda dāsī? You take these two fruits, offer, cutting, and distribute prasādam.",
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"content": "\n Thank you for chanting Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.",
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"content": "\n Śrīmad-bhāgavatam amalaṁ purāṇam [SB 12.13.18].\n[Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the spotless Purāṇa. It is most dear to the Vaiṣṇavas because it describes the pure and supreme knowledge of the paramahaṁsas. This Bhāgavatam reveals the means for becoming free from all material work, together with the processes of transcendental knowledge, renunciation and devotion. Anyone who seriously tries to understand Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, who properly hears and chants it with devotion, becomes completely liberated.]\nYou have got Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Read very carefully. All these things are already explained there.\n[aside:] Cut it into pieces and distribute.",
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"content": "\n Swāmījī? Should we read, like, one chapter a day or...",
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"content": "\n It is very nice if you read one chapter Bhāgavatam daily. It is very nice. You make it a point to read one chapter daily. That is very nice.",
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"content": "\n No more?",
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"content": "\n No, if you can do more, that's all right. Just like I ask everybody to chant sixteen rounds. But if you can chant sixteen hundred rounds, then who prohibits you? You can do that.",
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"content": "\n What I meant is that...",
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"content": "\nBut we should make a regulation of our life, that \"So many times I chant. One chapter I shall read. I shall go to the temple at this time.\" In this way we must have routine work. Then we'll get practiced automatically. Yes. And Gosvāmīns, the six Gosvāmīns, they were following routine work. Even they...\nSāṅkhyā-pūrvaka-nāma-gāna-natibhiḥ\n[Ṣaḍ-gosvāmy-aṣṭaka]. \n[I offer my respectful obeisances unto the six Gosvāmīs, namely Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī, Śrī Sanātana Gosvāmī, Śrī Raghunātha Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī, Śrī Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī, and Śrī Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī, who were engaged in chanting the holy names of the Lord and bowing down in a scheduled measurement. In this way they utilized their valuable lives and in executing these devotional activities they conquered over eating and sleeping and were always meek and humble enchanted by remembering the transcendental qualities of the Lord.]\nThey were doing regularly counting, just like you are counting sixteen rounds. Not only chanting in that counting, but they were offering obeisances also by counting, that \"Hundred times I shall offer my obeisances.\" You see? This is regular routine. Yes.",
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"content": "\n Swāmījī, can you tell me about what you said, going through the spiritual master, not directly to Kṛṣṇa; through the spiritual master.",
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"content": "\n Yes.",
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"content": "\n Can you just tell me something about it?",
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"content": "\n Spiritual master is the representative of God, or Kṛṣṇa. Just like if you work in some office, so there is one head man, representative of the proprietor of the company. You have to work under him. If you satisfy that person who is in charge of that department, that means you are satisfying the proprietor of the company. Is it clear? And he can give you direction how to work nicely because he's experienced. The boss.\nSo spiritual master is external manifestation of God. God is within and without. Within, He is Supersoul. He will give you... If you are sincere, He will give you good counsel, \"You do like this.\" You'll get dictation from within. That requires advancement of spiritual life. Then you get from within dictation. So God is helping from within and without.\nWithin, as Paramātmā, and without, as spiritual master. Both ways. As soon as you are sincere, then God will send you to somebody who is His bona fide spiritual representative. And if you take help from him, and help within and without... Just like a person going..., or a boy going to a school, he's getting training in the school as well as home, both sides. Then his chance is very good.\nSo we have to take both ways: from inside, from outside. You are doing some things in the service of the Lord. How you'll know that you are doing it properly or improperly? This you will know from the spiritual master. If he says, \"It is all right,\" then it is all right. If he says, \"It is not good,\" then it is not good. Just like the same way: the officer in charge, if he is satisfied [with] your work, that means you have satisfied the government or the supreme company, arranger, with whom you have no direct connection.\nYasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo.\n[By the mercy of the spiritual master one receives the benediction of Kṛṣṇa. Without the grace of the spiritual master, one cannot make any advancement. Therefore, I should always remember and praise the spiritual master. At least three times a day I should offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of my spiritual master.]\nTherefore it is said that if you satisfy your spiritual master, that means you have satisfied Kṛṣṇa. And yasya prasādād na gatiḥ kuto 'pi: and if you have not satisfied your spiritual master, then you must know that you are, what is called, there is no certainty about your whereabouts, what you are doing. Na gatiḥ kuto 'pi. Therefore, dhyāyan stuvaṁs tasya yaśas tri-sandhyaṁ vande guroḥ śrī-caraṇāravindam.\nSo spiritual master is necessary and his direction is necessary. That is the system of disciple succession. In the Bhagavad-gītā also, Arjuna is surrendering. He was Kṛṣṇa's friend. Why he surrendered himself, \"I am Your disciple\"? You see in the Bhagavad-gītā. He had no necessity. He was personal friend, talking, sitting, eating together. Still, he accepted Kṛṣṇa as spiritual master.\nSo that is the way. There is a system to understand. It is specifically mentioned, śiṣyas te 'ham: \"I am Your disciple now.\" Śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ prapannam [Bg. 2.7]\n[Now I am confused about my duty and have lost all composure because of weakness. In this condition I am asking You to tell me clearly what is best for me. Now I am Your disciple, and a soul surrendered unto You. Please instruct me.]\n\"You kindly instruct me.\" And then He began teaching Bhagavad-gītā. Unless one becomes a śiṣya, or disciple, it is prohibited, not to instruct. Not to inst... That instruction is useless. That is the system.\nWe are instructing in the class because there are few disciples who have taken vow to learn from me. Otherwise, I have no business to teach the public. The public may come, but actual interest is to teach my disciples. But that is secondary. For the public, secondary. But real business is to teach the disciples. Just like Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam was meant for Parīkṣit Mahārāja, Śukadeva Gosvāmī's disciple. But there were many others present; they also heard. Yes?",
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"content": "\n Well, how can we begin to serve you so that you'll be pleased?",
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"content": "\n [laughs] That I shall tell you later on. [laughter] Do you think I am not pleased?",
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"content": "\n I don't know.",
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"content": "\n Oh, you must know it. How can you say that I am not pleased? How you know it that I am not pleased?",
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"content": "\n Well, we cause you so much anxiety and everything.",
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"content": "\n Huh?",
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"content": "\n We cause you so much anxiety due to our faults.",
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"content": "\n [laughter] Therefore I am pleased with you. Why I have given up all my anxieties of the sons and daughters who is born by my body, and why I am taking anxieties for you? That means I am pleased with you. [laughter] I am... [indistict] [end]",
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https://vedabase.io/en/library/transcripts/661221bg-new-york/
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"content": "\n\nsamo 'haṁ sarva-bhūteṣu\nna me dveṣyo 'sti na priyaḥ\nye bhajanti tu māṁ bhaktyā\nmayi te teṣu cāpy aham\n[Bg 9.29]\n[I envy no one, nor am I partial to anyone. I am equal to all. But whoever renders service unto Me in devotion is a friend, is in Me, and I am also a friend to him.]\nThe Lord says that \"I am... Although I am equal to everyone...\" the God is nobody's enemy and nobody's special friend, just like the king, the government—nobody's enemy, nobody's friend. As you act, so you get result. Similarly, for common man, there is no special favor from God. Ye tu bhajanti māṁ bhaktyā. Ye tu. This tu means \"but.\" Here is a word, \"but.\" But means just like we sometimes say that \"I am such and such, but...\" \"But\" means there is something special. So this word is used here, tu. Tu means \"but.\"\nWhat is that \"but?\" Ye tu bhajanti māṁ prītyā: \"Anyone who is engaged in devotional service of Me, so for him I have got special attention.\" Ye tu mām..., ye bhajanti tu māṁ bhaktyā mayi te teṣu cāpy aham: \"As he is always, constantly engaged in My service, similarly, I am also engaged always in his service,\" the Lord says.\nHere one passage is quoted by a great commentator, Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa, that bhagavān bhakta-bhaktimān. Just like we become devoted, similarly, God also becomes devoted to us. You don't think that one-sided devotion. No. Just like love is never one-sided. Love is reciprocation. Reciprocation. Similarly, although God is great, He becomes a devotee of the devotee. He takes pleasure in that way. It is clearly stated that \"I also try to devote Myself for his service.\" As we take pleasure in serving God, similarly, God also takes pleasure by serving the devotee. That is reciprocation. Now, this śloka we have already discussed the last day.\nNext śloka is,\napi cet su-durācāro\nbhajate mām ananya-bhāk\nsādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ\nsamyag vyavasito hi saḥ\n[Bg 9.30]\n[Even if one commits the most abominable actions, if he is engaged in devotional service, he is to be considered saintly because he is properly situated.]\nSo now somebody may say that \"If a devotee is engaged in the service of the Lord, that's all right, but if his behavior is not up to the standard, then what happens to him?\" Of course, a devotee is naturally developed..., developing the twenty-six good qualities, but even if he does not develop those qualities... Of course, that very quality, that he is a devotee of Kṛṣṇa, that is sufficient. But still, if somebody is not up to the point, but he is unflinching, mean to say, not moving, he is perfect devotee of Kṛṣṇa, then Lord Kṛṣṇa says, api cet su-durācāraḥ. Api cet su-durācāraḥ. Durācāraḥ means his conduct is not good, and su-durācāraḥ means still further.\nSo api cet su-durācāro bhajate mām ananya-bhāk. Ananya-bhāk means \"Without deviating his attention to any other demigod or any other business, if one is simply cent percent engaged in My service, but his character is..., general activities are not so to the point, still,\" the Lord says, sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ. Sādhu means a pious man or a religious man. Sādhu means the honest man and all good qualities. Still, although he is found that he is not to the standard, but his only qualification is that he is acting in Kṛṣṇa consciousness sincerely...\nIt may be... Suppose I have got some bad character from the beginning of my life, but I have understood that \"Kṛṣṇa consciousness is very nice. I shall take to it.\" So I am trying, trying my best. But at the same time, because I am habituated to something, I cannot give it up. Although I know that this my habit is not good, but still, habit is the second nature; I cannot give it up. So Lord Kṛṣṇa recommends that \"Still, he is good. There is no question that he is not a sādhu or he is not an honest, he is not religious man. That simple one qualification, that he is Kṛṣṇa conscious, and he is acting sincerely, but failing sometime, but still, he is to be taken as sādhu.\" Sādhu means honest, religious, pious. Sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ [Bg 9.30].\n[Even if one commits the most abominable actions, if he is engaged in devotional service, he is to be considered saintly because he is properly situated.]\nAnd one may say that \"Yes, because he is devotee of God, devotee of Kṛṣṇa, we may call him sādhu, but not cent percent.\" But Kṛṣṇa says, \"No, cent percent sādhu. In spite of his that bad character, he is cent percent sādhu.\" So this is the recommendation. Why? Why is Kṛṣṇa stressing on this point, that \"Whatever he may be, still he is honest, he is sādhu, he is religious, he is pious\"? Why? That is to be understood in the next...\nSo this su-durācāraḥ... Su-durācāraḥ means that according to time, according to circumstances, according to so many... There are influences. Just like I have come to your country. So, so far rigid regulation and rules are concerned, in the beginning, of course, we do not find such opportunities to strictly follow. But still, we should not give so much attention for the regulation or strict rules and regulation. But we must see how much a person is advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That we have to see. And if we go on criticizing everyone, \"Oh, you are not doing this. You are not doing this,\" so many things according to Vedic culture... There may be so many things, but we are not concerned. As far as possible, people should be given chance to develop Kṛṣṇa consciousness.\nRūpa Gosvāmī, one of the big ācāryas, he says, yena tena prakāreṇa manaḥ kṛṣṇe niveśayet: \"The first business is somehow or other people should be Kṛṣṇa conscious.\" So far rules and regulations are concerned...\nyena tena prakāreṇa\nmanaḥ kṛṣṇe niveśayet\nsarve vidhi-niṣedhā syur\netayor eva kiṅkarāḥ\n[Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.2.4]\n[One should fix his mind on Kṛṣṇa by any means. All the rules and prohibitions mentioned in the śāstras should be the servants of this principle.]\nIf one takes to that line of activities, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then all things, all regulation, will follow, just like a servant follows a master. If the master starts, the servant follows. Similarly, these things, rules and regulation, that will follow automatically. In the next śloka the Lord says, kṣipraṁ bhavati dharmātmā: \"Because he has taken to that Kṛṣṇa consciousness, very soon he will be perfect pious man.\" This process will help him.\nDon't be too much anxious, \"Oh, I am not in such a way. I am not in such way.\" Whatever way you may be, you just take to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, very easy thing. If you take this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare / Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare very sincerely and regularly as far as possible, by following the rules and regulation, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness will help you to become a perfect and pious man very soon. Kṣipram. Kṣipram means very soon.\nJust like in the material world, suppose if you want to sit on the bench of a high-court judge, you will have to acquire so many qualifications. You have to be a very big lawyer, and government must recognize that you are good lawyer. Then there will be so many recommendation by the Bar Association, by the lawyers. Then you can be recommended. But here the process is just that any way you sit down on the high-court judge, then all education will come to you. Don't you see how nice it is? Any way, if somebody takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, naturally and generally it will be found that he is becoming gradually a perfect pious man, perfect honest man. That is the thing.\nKṣipraṁ bhavati dharmātmā śaśvac-chāntiṁ nigacchati. Śaśvac-chānti. Because he will relish. He will relish this Kṛṣṇa consciousness so nicely that he will give up all nonsense automatically: \"I don't like this, don't like.\" This is the process. He will give up automatically. Paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate [Bg 2.59]. \n[The embodied soul may be restricted from sense enjoyment, though the taste for sense objects remains. But, ceasing such engagements by experiencing a higher taste, he is fixed in consciousness.]\nParaṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate. The whole world is after sense gratification, but a Kṛṣṇa conscious person, just very soon he will find that \"All these nonsense, oh, there is no happiness.\" He will give it up. He will give it up. It is so nice thing.\nSome way or other, if you take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, your, I mean, reluctance for sense gratification will automatically come. Automatic... You haven't got to train yourself that \"How to stop my sense gratification?\" If you simply go on chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa sincerely. And what is that process? Chanting and hearing. When you chant, you hear, and you will enjoy. And you will enjoy so nicely that you will give up all that is not wanted in the advancement of his spiritual life. Kṣipram.\nThis is recommendation by Kṛṣṇa Himself, not that I am advertising— because I am preaching here Kṛṣṇa consciousness, therefore I am advertising, \"The candidate may take it.\" But Kṛṣṇa Himself says. Kṣipraṁ bhavati dharmātmā śaśvac-chāntiṁ nigacchati. Śānti means he very soon he attains that perfect eternal happiness. Perfect peaceful life, eternal life, blissful life, he very soon attains.\nAnd why? Kaunteya pratijānīhi. Pratijānīhi: \"My dear Arjuna, you can declare this to the world. You declare.\" Why Kṛṣṇa is not declaring? Kṛṣṇa is declaring through His devotee, because Kṛṣṇa has a promise that \"I shall protect My devotee.\" If a promise is there by the devotee, that cannot be violated. Kṛṣṇa can... Because He is God, He can violate His own promise because He is supreme. But He wants to protect His devotee; therefore He is trying to give the declaration through His devotee that \"It will be protected.\"\nI will give you one example how Kṛṣṇa sometimes breaks His promise. It is very nice story. Kṛṣṇa, when He joined Arjuna, He promised from His own side that \"Because the fight is between your brothers, so it is not My duty... Because both of you are My relatives, so it is not My duty to join one party and not to join another. But because I have divided Myself—Myself one side, and other side, My soldiers—but Duryodhana has decided to take My soldiers, not Me, so I shall join you. But I shall not fight. I shall not fight. I may take some work which may assist you.\" So Arjuna offered, \"Whatever work You like, You can take.\" So He said, \"All right. I shall drive your chariot.\"\nSo Kṛṣṇa's promise was that He will not fight. But at a time when Arjuna was perplexed by fighting with Bhīṣma... Bhīṣma was the greatest fighter, although he was very old man. Duryodhana incited him that \"Because the other side are your very pet grandsons, you are not fighting fully.\" That was the complaint of Duryodhana. So in order to encourage him, Duryodhana..., Bhīṣma said to Duryodhana, \"All right, tomorrow I shall finish all these five brothers. Tomorrow I shall finish. And I have got now special arrows for killing these five chivalrous brothers.\"\nSo Duryodhana was very intelligent. He told, \"All right, please keep these five arrows with me for the night. I shall deliver you tomorrow in the morning.\" \"All right, you take it.\" And Kṛṣṇa understood. Kṛṣṇa is, everything knows, past, present and future. Kṛṣṇa knew it that \"Bhīṣma has now promised. He will kill.\" So He asked Arjuna—this is also politics—that \"You go to Duryodhana. Do you remember that Duryodhana\"—Duryodhana is elderly than Arjuna—\"that he would keep some promise which he has offered to you?\" Duryodhana told him, \"Arjuna, whenever you want something, I shall give you.\" \"Now this is the time. You can go.\" \"And what is that?\" \"Now, he has got five arrows for killing you. You should take and come to Me.\"\nSo after fight, they were friends. So Arjuna went to the camp of Duryodhana, and he was well received. \"Well, Arjuna, come on. What do you want? Come on. Sit down. Do you want anything from me? If you want, I can stop this fight. I can return you this...\" Arjuna said, \"No. I have not come to you for begging my kingdom. Fighting will go on. But I want... You promised something.\" \"Yes. I know. I offer you. What do you want?\" \"Now, I want those five arrows.\" At once he delivered.\nAnd this information was carried to, I mean to say, Bhīṣma. Bhīṣma knew that \"Kṛṣṇa is very cunning also. He will save His devotee. So He has done this. All right, in spite of Kṛṣṇa... He has broken my promise, and tomorrow I shall see. If Kṛṣṇa does not break His promise, then His friend will be killed. I will fight in such a way.\"\nSo he was fighting in such a way that Arjuna became almost dead. Then at that time, Kṛṣṇa... The chariot was torn into pieces, and Arjuna fell down. And then Kṛṣṇa took up one of the wheel of the chariot and came before: \"Now, Bhīṣma, you stop this fighting; otherwise I will kill you.\" Bhīṣma at once gave up his arrow, and he offered, \"All right. Kill me.\"\nSo thing is that because Bhīṣma promised that \"I shall kill Arjuna tomorrow,\" and Kṛṣṇa also promised not to fight, just to save these two devotees, Arjuna and Bhīṣma—Bhīṣma also was a great devotee—just to show him that \"I am breaking My promise. Please stop...\" He wanted that \"Either I shall break My promise or you shall kill Arjuna. So better see that I have broken My promise.\" So in this way, sometimes, for devotee, He sometimes breaks His own promise.\nSo here Kṛṣṇa says, kaunteya pratijānīhi. \"You promise, so I shall protect your promise.\" And what is that? Na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati: \"Anyone who has taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he will be never destroyed. He will never be destroyed.\" Na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati. What is that destruction? The destruction is... Of course, a living entity is never destroyed so far his constitution is concerned. Na hanyate hanyamāne [Bg 2.20].\n[For the soul there is never birth nor death. Nor, having once been, does he ever cease to be. He is unborn, eternal, ever-existing, undying and primeval. He is not slain when the body is slain.]\nThe destruction of this body is not his destruction. The real destruction is that when we lose our spiritual consciousness, we lose our identity. That is destruction.\nThat is destruction, that now, in our material conception of life, we are practically destroyed because, destroyed in this way, because as spiritual being, I have got my eternal life, I have got my blissful life, I have got my knowledge, full knowledge, but here I am living in a wretched condition that my life is not eternal, I am not blissful, and I am not in full knowledge. So don't you think that we are already destroyed? We are thinking that \"I am very much advancing in civilization,\" but unless you revive your original life of eternity and full knowledge and bliss, you should know that you are not advancing; you are being defeated by the illusory energy. This is destruction. Destruction of my real life is materialism.\nSo here Kṛṣṇa says, kaunteya pratijānīhi: \"Please declare in the world that anyone who has taken to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness will never be destroyed. He will never go back again to that material life of sense gratification and pull on this material existence full of miseries. He will be taken out. He will be taken out sooner or later. As he has taken to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he will be never destroyed.\"\nOur destruction is... You always remember: our destruction means material existence is the destruction of our spiritual existence. Because destroyed does not mean that as spiritual being, I will be nowhere. No. This is my position, nowhere. I do not know. Just like I am being kicked like a football. I have no place. You have seen football playing. The football has no place. As soon as comes somebody's feet, he kicks. He goes to another body. He kicks. He's another body—kicking. His only situation is being kicked, football.\nSo we are just like football. We are being kicked up. Now I am American. Next time I shall be kicked up to China. And from China, I will be kicked up to India. And from India, I shall be kicked up to Burma or kicked up to another place. This is going on. We do not know how we are being kicked up like a football from one place to another, one place to another. This is all false notion. How long I shall remain here?\nTherefore this is the only way, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, to become perfect. Perfection means to attain spiritual life, eternity, blissful, and full of knowledge. That is waiting us. That is waiting us. Why should we refuse it? It is not a theory. Don't think that Bhagavad-gītā is something imaginary thing. No. People have taken to it. They have practiced. They have attained success. It is coming on since a very, very long time. It was first advised to the sun-god. Then, after many, many millions of years, again, five thousand years before, it was advised to Arjuna.\nSo it is coming down. It is accepted by all great ācāryas of India, and it is being followed, still being followed. So take it. Don't be destroyed. Take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and you will be saved. You will be saved from this destruction in the material...\nSuppose if I am thrown into the ocean, that is practically my destruction. I may be very good swimmer, but that is no hope. That is no hope of my life. Any moment, I can go down into the depth of the ocean. Similarly, we are struggling very hard in this material ocean of existence. Simply struggling. Just like a man is trying to save himself in the Atlantic Ocean, similarly, we are also trying here. This is not the process of getting yourself from the struggle-for-existence ocean. The thing is one must get you out from the ocean. Teṣām ahaṁ samuddhartā mṛtyu-saṁsāra-sāgarāt [Bg 12.7].\n[For one who worships Me, giving up all his activities unto Me and being devoted to Me without deviation, engaged in devotional service and always meditating upon Me, who has fixed his mind upon Me, O son of Pṛthā, for him I am the swift deliverer from the ocean of birth and death.]\nSo Kṛṣṇa promises—you will find in the later, Tenth Chapter, that \"Those who are in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, I promise I shall take him from this ocean of birth and death.\"\nmāṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya\nye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ\nstriyo vaiśyās tathā śūdrās\nte 'pi yānti parāṁ gatim\n[Bg 9.32]\n[O son of Pṛthā, those who take shelter in Me, though they be of lower birth—women, vaiśyas [merchants], as well as śūdras [workers]—can approach the supreme destination.]\nNow, somebody may enquire, \"Now, to become a Kṛṣṇa conscious person, is there any qualification required? Bhagavad-gītā was spoken by Lord Kṛṣṇa. He was..., He appeared to be a Hindu, and it was spoken in India. And all the ācāryas, they are very learned men; they have adopted. But how we can take to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness? I am not... I do not belong to such particular creed or, say, particular country.\"\nNow Kṛṣṇa says, \"No, that is not disqualification.\" Māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ. Pāpa-yonayaḥ... Of course, according to Vedic literature, there are mentions of pāpa-yoni. Yoni means species. Pāpa-yoni. Just like it is mentioned here, striyaḥ śūdrāḥ, striyo vaiśyās tathā śūdrās te 'pi yānti parāṁ gatim. Even the striyaḥ, even women, they are also classified amongst the pāpa-yoni. Pāpa-yoni means those who have got little facility for advancing themselves in spiritual life. So it is particularly mentioned here, striyaḥ, the woman class; śūdra—śūdra means the laborer class—and the vaiśya, mercantile class. Or less than that.\nBecause in India, according to the caste system, or varṇāśrama-dharma, the brāhmaṇa and kṣatriyas are considered to be the highest in the society, and the vaiśya, a little less than them, and śūdra, they are not taken into account. In the similarly, woman class, they are taken as śūdra. Śūdra. Just like the thread ceremony is given to the brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, but there is no thread ceremony for the woman class. Although the woman is born in the brāhmaṇa family, she has no that reformation. Because striyaḥ, woman class, are taken less intelligent, they should be given protection, but they cannot be elevated.\nBut here in the Bhagavad-gītā, He surpasses all these formalities. Lord Kṛṣṇa surpasses all these formalities. He is giving facility to everyone, never mind what he is. In the social structure, you may consider that woman is less intelligent or śūdra..., or less purified, but in spiritual consciousness there is no such bar. Here Kṛṣṇa accepts everyone. Either you become woman or you are śūdra or a vaiśya or whatever you may be, that doesn't matter. If you simply take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the Lord is there. He will give you all protection, all protection, and gradually He will help you. You are already... One who is in the Kṛṣṇa consciousness platform, he is already in the liberated platform. Simply kṣipram: it will take some time only, kṣipram, but very soon he will be all right.\nSo this is the proposal of Lord Kṛṣṇa, and this is the facility of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So we should take this advantage of being Kṛṣṇa conscious—never mind what we are—and that will help us in attaining the perfection of life. Māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ [Bg 9.32].\n[O son of Pṛthā, those who take shelter in Me, though they be of lower birth—women, vaiśyas [merchants], as well as śūdras [workers]—can approach the supreme destination.]\nThis is very clearly declared here. Never mind what he is or she is. Just take to this process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness and your progress and advancement of spiritual life is guaranteed.\nThank you very much.",
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"content": "\n Hare Kṛṣṇa.",
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"content": "\nAny question? [end]",
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https://vedabase.io/en/library/transcripts/690509bg-columbus/
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"content": "\n Bhagavad-gītā, chapter number four, \"Transcendental Knowledge.\"\nOne: \"The Blessed Lord said, I instructed this imperishable science of yoga to the sun-god, Vivasvān, and Vivasvān instructed it to Manu, the father of mankind. And Manu in turn instructed it to Ikṣvāku.\"\nPurport: \"Herein we find the history of the Bhagavad-gītā traced from a remote time when it was delivered to the kings of all planets. The royal order is especially dedicated to the protection of the inhabitants, and as such, its members should also understand the science of the Bhagavad-gītā in order to rule the citizens and protect them from the onslaught of material bondage to lust. Human life is meant for cultivation of spiritual knowledge, an eternal relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and the executive heads of all states and all planets are obliged to impart this lesson to the citizens by education, culture and devotion.",
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"content": "\n Hmm.",
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"content": "\n In other words...\"",
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"content": "\n Stop. So in this verse the exact Sanskrit word is,\nimaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ\nproktavān aham avyayam\nvivasvān manave prāha\nmanur ikṣvākave 'bravīt\n[Bg. 4.1]\n[The Blessed Lord said: I instructed this imperishable science of yoga to the sun-god, Vivasvān, and Vivasvān instructed it to Manu, the father of mankind, and Manu in turn instructed it to Ikṣvāku.]\nevaṁ paramparā-prāptam\nimaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ\nsa kāleneha [mahatā]\nyogo naṣṭaḥ parantapa\n[Bg. 4.2]\n[This supreme science was thus received through the chain of disciplic succession, and the saintly kings understood it in that way. But in course of time the succession was broken, and therefore the science as it is appears to be lost.]\nSo this Bhagavad-gītā, science of Bhagavad-gītā, is not a new presentation. Just from this verse we can understand that it was instructed to the sun-god. Sun-god, apart from what is the duration of age of sun-god, but from the Manu, because the next statement is vivasvān manave prāha... Vivasvān. The sun-god's name is Vivasvān.\nJust like your the chief executive head is called the president, similarly, there is a chief executive head also in the sun planet, president. And the present president's name is... Just like your present president's name is Mr. Nixon, similarly, the present predominating deity in the sun planet is known as Vivasvān.\nSo everything is in detail. This is called Vedic literature. Vedic literature is not concerned only with this planet. Vedic literature deals with all the universal planets. Just see, here is the statement. Kṛṣṇa says that \"In the beginning I explained this science of Bhagavad-gītā to the present predominating deity of sun planet, whose name is Vivasvān.\"\nSo do you think that Kṛṣṇa is playing joke or speaking something lie, that he said to Vivasvān, the present presiding deity? No, that is not possible. Actually He has spoken. And Kṛṣṇa... One... Others may think of Kṛṣṇa, avajānanti māṁ mūḍhāḥ [Bg. 9.11].\n[Fools deride Me when I descend in the human form. They do not know My transcendental nature and My supreme dominion over all that be.]\nRascals and fools may think of Kṛṣṇa as ordinary man. But in India the great ācāryas, just like Śaṅkarācārya, Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu—practically these ācāryas are guiding the whole destiny of the Hindu world—they have all accepted Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So whatever Kṛṣṇa is speaking, that is right.\nNow, you can understand that if Kṛṣṇa spoke to the sun-god, and the sun-god spoke to his son Manu, then how old is this science of Bhagavad-gītā. Apart from sun-god's duration of age, if we simply take the present age, Vaivasvata Manu... Vaivasvata Manu, the age of Vaivasvata Manu is seventy-one multiplied by forty-three hundred thousands of years.\nForty-three hundred thousands of years multiplied by seventy-one. It is a very long duration of life. Now, at the present moment the Vivasvān..., the Vaivasvata Manu's age is half-finished. That means the number, the numerical strength, forty-three hundred thousands of years into seventy-one, divide by two. So long years Bhagavad-gītā was spoken.\nSo Bhagavad-gītā is not a new thing, a new adventure. And the person who spoke Bhagavad-gītā to the sun-god, does it mean that He left something to be commented by some..., these mundane men to understand the meaning of the Bhagavad-gītā? Such a great personality, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He told something which is to be understood by the interpretation of a mundane scholar? Do you think it is reasonable? No. Whatever He spoke, that is all right. And that is clear. There is no question of interpreting in a different way.\nJust like here, \"The Blessed Lord said, 'I instructed this imperishable science of yoga to the sun-god Vivasvān.' \" What is difficulty there? Is there any word which you cannot understand? Is anyone here who cannot understand these lines? It is clear. \"The Blessed Lord said, 'I instructed this imperishable science of yoga to the sun-god Vivasvān.' \" Everyone can understand that Kṛṣṇa instructed this science of Bhagavad-gītā, or the yoga of Bhagavad-gītā, to the sun-god, whose name is Vivasvān. It is clear. How you can interpret?\nNow the thing is, unless I think of Kṛṣṇa that \"He is an ordinary man. How He could say to the sun-god Vivasvān?\" then the interpretation is required. But that sort of thinking is not bona fide, because if you want to study Bhagavad-gītā, you have to take the words of Bhagavad-gītā. The Blessed Lord... He is Lord. He can say.\nThe Lord is not like ordinary man, that \"Because we cannot say to the sun-god, therefore Kṛṣṇa cannot say,\" that is our foolishness. Why should we calculate Kṛṣṇa's activity with my activities? Therefore all the commentaries who think Kṛṣṇa as ordinary man, they are null and void. Such commentaries should not be accepted.\nWe have explained in our introduction that all the commentaries in the market, they are simply presentation of the particular commentator's personal view. That is not Bhagavad-gītā. If you want to understand Bhagavad-gītā, then you should understand as they are said. You don't interpret in your own way.\nNow, because there should be some doubt of the ordinary man, that \"How Kṛṣṇa could say to the sun-god?\" that is explained in the next verse. Because Arjuna was taking instruction from Kṛṣṇa, he knew Kṛṣṇa, what He is. Otherwise he would not have accepted Him as a spiritual master.\nBut because others would doubt, \"This is fictitious that Kṛṣṇa said to the sun-god. How it is possible?\" So you will find Arjuna said, \"The sun-god Vivasvān is senior by birth to You. How am I to understand that in the beginning You instructed this science to him?\"\nKṛṣṇa is taking our position, er, Arjuna. Persons who are thinking of Kṛṣṇa as ordinary person, so Arjuna is trying to clear that point, that Kṛṣṇa is not ordinary person; He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore he has put this question, that \"The sun-god Vivasvān is senior by birth to You.\"\nSun-god, Vivasvān, the sun planet, father of Manu... Manu's age we cannot calculate. About forty millions of years ago Manu was born, and his father, we do not know what is his age. So how it is possible, if Kṛṣṇa is ordinary man, He spoke to him? That is being cleared.\nSo what He answered? \"The Blessed Lord said, 'Many, many births both you and I have passed. I can remember all of them, but you cannot.\" That is the difference between God and man. That is the difference between God and man. We cannot remember. Even we cannot remember what I did at this time yesterday. That is our... Forgetfulness is our nature.\nTo commit mistake, to forget, to be illusioned, to be cheated, imperfection of the senses—these are our qualifications. Every one of us, anyone who is in this material world, they are subjected to these defects: he is sure to commit mistake—\"To err is human\"—he is subjected to be illusioned, and he has a cheating propensity. Just like a mundane scholar... I do not wish to name. A mundane scholar, he admits, his introduction, that it is very difficult to interpret Bhagavad-gītā in one's own way, it is so tightly fitted. Actually it is so. Unless you contradict yourself, you cannot interpret Bhagavad-gītā according to your own way.\nSo Arjuna is clearing that, and Kṛṣṇa is saying, \"The difference is that I take, I appear...\" As you will find later on, Kṛṣṇa says, yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata, tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham [Bg. 4.7]\n[Whenever and wherever there is a decline in religious practice, O descendant of Bharata, and a predominant rise of irreligion—at that time I descend Myself.]\nWhenever there is discrepancies in the procedure of religious function and there is predominance of irreligiosity, at that time God or God's representative comes to this world to make things nicely.\nSo Kṛṣṇa appears. Kṛṣṇa appears, and we also appear. But our appearance and Kṛṣṇa's appearance is different. We have accepted this body, we have appeared in this world, forced by our karma according to our past deeds. Just like we are sitting. Every one of us have different features of body. Why? According to different karma. The body is made according to karma.\nThat is the explanation of difference. So we cannot know. And we can understand that your mentality, my mentality, is different. You act in different way; I act in different way. That is the way, every one of us. Therefore we are forced to accept a certain type of body according to our karma. But Kṛṣṇa does not.\nWe change our body. Just try to understand. This forgetfulness means change of body. Just like we had some certain type of body in our previous life, but we do not know. Forgotten. Because I have changed the body, therefore I have forgotten. What to speak of my last birth? Even in your childhood, when you were, say, three or four years old, you did so many things. But do you remember them? No.\nBecause you have changed the body. That body is gone. Therefore we have forgotten. Forgetfulness means change of body. We are changing body every second, every minute. Therefore we are forgetting. And Kṛṣṇa does not forget. That means he does not change body. This is pure understanding of Kṛṣṇa.\nKṛṣṇa said that \"Many, many births both you and I have passed. I can remember all of them.\" Many, many. Thousands and thousands of times Kṛṣṇa appeared on this world, but He remembers everything. And I cannot remember about my childhood. So how can I become one with Kṛṣṇa? These Māyāvādī philosophers, they are declaring that \"I am God.\" How you can...? What is your qualification that you become God? God is not so cheap thing.\nPeople have taken it that \"Everyone can become God. Every one of us God.\" This is another illusion, another māyā, because we do not know what is God. Here is God. He says that \"Many, many millions of years ago I spoke to sun-god. I remember it.\" This is God. Simple truth. This is the proof that He is God.\nRead the explanation, purport. \"In the Brahma-saṁhitā...\" Read it.",
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"content": "\n Oh. \"In the Brahma-saṁhitā we have information of many, many incarnations of the Lord. It is stated there, 'I worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead Govinda, Kṛṣṇa, who is the original person, absolute, infallible, without beginning, although expanded into unlimited forms, still the same, original, the oldest, and the person always appearing as a fresh youth.\"",
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"content": "\nThe exact verse in Sanskrit word is,\nadvaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam\nādyaṁ purāṇa-puruṣaṁ nava-yauvanaṁ ca\nvedeṣu durlabham adurlabham ātma-bhaktau\ngovindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi\n[Bs. 5.33]\n[I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who is inaccessible to the \nVedas,\n but obtainable by pure unalloyed devotion of the soul, who is without a second, who is not subject to decay, is without a beginning, whose form is endless, who is the beginning, and the eternal \npuruṣa;\n yet He is a person possessing the beauty of blooming youth.]\nAdvaita. Advaita means Kṛṣṇa expands Himself. Kṛṣṇa can expand Himself. That is God. Just like I am sitting here, you are sitting here. Suppose you are wanted by your some relative at home, but if somebody inquires that \"Mr. Such-and-such is at home,\" so the reply will be, \"No. He's not at home.\" But Kṛṣṇa is not like that. Kṛṣṇa, goloka eva nivasaty akhilātma-bhūtaḥ [Bs. 5.37].\n[I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, residing in His own realm, Goloka, with Rādhā, resembling His own spiritual figure, the embodiment of the ecstatic potency possessed of the sixty-four artistic activities, in the company of Her confidantes [sakhīs], embodiments of the extensions of Her bodily form, permeated and vitalized by His ever-blissful spiritual rasa.]\nHe is present everywhere. It is not that because Kṛṣṇa was speaking with Arjuna in the battlefield of Kurukṣetra, therefore He was not in the Goloka or Vaikuṇṭha. Not only Goloka, Vaikuṇṭha—everywhere. You'll find in the Bhagavad-gītā Kṛṣṇa is here also, now. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe arjuna tiṣṭhati [Bg. 18.61].\n[The Supreme Lord is situated in everyone's heart, O Arjuna, and is directing the wanderings of all living entities, who are seated as on a machine, made of the material energy.]\nKṛṣṇa is in everyone's heart. In your heart there is Kṛṣṇa. In my heart there is Kṛṣṇa. Everyone's heart. So Kṛṣṇa is not like that. Therefore, advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam [Bs. 5.33]. \n[I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who is inaccessible to the \nVedas,\n but obtainable by pure unalloyed devotion of the soul, who is without a second, who is not subject to decay, is without a beginning, whose form is endless, who is the beginning, and the eternal \npuruṣa;\n yet He is a person possessing the beauty of blooming youth.]\nAnanta means unlimited—but one, advaita. There is no difference. Just like the electricity power. I give you a crude example. Unlimited factories are running in electricity. Different types of work is being utilized by electric energy, but the electricity is one. Similarly, God is one, but He can expand. That is His potency. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate [Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 6.8, Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport].\n[The Supreme Lord has multipotencies, which act so perfectly that all consciousness, strength and activity are being directed solely by His will.]\nIn the Bhagavad-gītā you will understand in the Thirteenth Chapter that Kṛṣṇa says, kṣetra-jñaṁ cāpi māṁ viddhi sarva-kṣetreṣu bhārata [Bg. 13.3].\n[O scion of Bharata, you should understand that I am also the knower in all bodies, and to understand this body and its owner is called knowledge. That is My opinion.]\nThe living entity... I am living entity; you are living entity, every one of us. I am living in this body; you are living in this body. We have got different bodies. So Kṛṣṇa said that \"The living entity is the proprietor or the knower of the particular body.\" But He says again, kṣetra-jñaṁ cāpi māṁ viddhi: \"I am also knower of this particular body,\" sarva-kṣetreṣu bhārata, \"in every body.\" Aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu-cayāntara-stham [Bs. 5.35].\n[He is an undifferentiated entity as there is no distinction between potency and the possessor thereof. In His work of creation of millions of worlds, His potency remains inseparable. All the universes exist in Him and He is present in His fullness in every one of the atoms that are scattered throughout the universe, at one and the same time. Such is the primeval Lord whom I adore.]\nHe is in every body, in every atom. That is Kṛṣṇa. Now, I am living in my body. If there is pain here, I can understand, \"Here is a pain.\" But if there is some pain in your body, I cannot understand. Therefore I am different from you. But Kṛṣṇa can understand what is pain or pleasure in my body and what is pain or pleasure in your body and everyone's body. That is Kṛṣṇa. Sarva-kṣetreṣu.\nThat is God, not that simply by claiming, \"I am God. I am the same God.\" And how you claim \"God\"? Can you tell what I was thinking? Can you tell what he is thinking? No. Then how... What kind of God you are? Don't accept a cheap God. These are the symptoms of God: advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam [Bs. 5.33].\n[I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who is inaccessible to the \nVedas,\n but obtainable by pure unalloyed devotion of the soul, who is without a second, who is not subject to decay, is without a beginning, whose form is endless, who is the beginning, and the eternal \npuruṣa;\n yet He is a person possessing the beauty of blooming youth.]\nHe has got ananta, unlimited... There are unlimited living entities. In the Vedas it is stated, nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām [Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13]\n[The Supreme Lord is eternal and the living beings are eternal. The Supreme Lord is cognizant and the living beings are cognizant. The difference is that the Supreme Lord is supplying all the necessities of life for the many other living entities.]\n\"There are unlimited living entities, unlimited eternals. But there is one, another, one supreme eternal, supreme entity.\"\nWhat is the difference between this, the unlimited number, or plural number, and one singular number? That is also answered. Eko hi bahūnāṁ yo vidadhāti kāmān: \"That singular number one entity is supplying the..., all the necessities of all the plural number entities.\"\nWe are plural number entities. The living entities, we are plural number, nityo nityānām. This nityānām is plural number, possessive case, in Sanskrit. And He is nitya. He is one, singular number. Eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān: \"That one is supplying the necessities of all living entities.\"\nDon't you see how God is supplying all the necessities of birds, beasts and everyone? Ours also. We don't acknowledge. Because we are civilized, we are..., we do not acknowledge. The birds, beasts also do not acknowledge—but because they are birds and beast. So we are just becoming like birds and beasts, denying the existence of God, denying the authority of God.\nWe are taking advantage. Vidadhāti kāmān. If Kṛṣṇa does not supply you this light, sunlight, you will die. But He does not charge anything. But because you are human being, you should try to repay: \"Oh, Kṛṣṇa is giving us so much facilities. Let me render some service unto Him.\" This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is to acknowledge, \"O God, You are so kind. You are giving us so many things. So I have collected this fruit. It is Your fruit, I know. Still, please accept.\" This is finish, your business.\nYou are a great devotee, you are a great Kṛṣṇa conscious personality, and Kṛṣṇa says, patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati [Bg. 9.26].\n[If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, fruit or water, I will accept it.]\nKṛṣṇa does not want you..., from you very nice thing. Kṛṣṇa is complete in Himself. He can produce many, many nice things. He is not begging from you, but still, He is expecting something from you, because He is supplying so many things to you. Is it not?\nSuppose if you have got a friend, you always give him. Don't you expect something: \"Oh, I give so many things to my friend. He does not offer me anything?\" Don't you feel, out of love? Father, mother, they do so many things for the children. If the children do not do anything for the father and mother, are they not happy? Are they happy? No. They are unhappy: \"My children is so ungrateful.\"\nAlthough He does not want—Kṛṣṇa is full in Himself—but if we supply something to Kṛṣṇa... Kṛṣṇa's goods is to be supplied to Kṛṣṇa. The fruit is not produced by you. Kṛṣṇa says, patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati [Bg. 9.26]:\n\"Anyone who offers Me a little fruit, a little water, and little leaf, oh, I accept.\" Tad aham aśnāmi, bhakty-upahṛtam: \"Because he has brought with the devotional love, I accept it.\" If Kṛṣṇa accepts your offering, then your life becomes sublime. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.\nSimply we should have to acknowledge. We are getting so many facilities from Kṛṣṇa. He is sitting in your heart, He is supplying you all necessities, He is giving you sunlight, He is giving you moonlight, He is giving you rainy..., seasonal rains, fruits, flowers, grains, and you are so ungrateful that you do not acknowledge?\nIn your Christian Bible also it is said. You go to church: \"O God, give us our daily bread.\" That's all right. Kṛṣṇa is supplying you bread. Otherwise wherefrom you are getting bread? You cannot manufacture bread in the factory, or wheat or rice. You can manufacture some iron tools, that's all, not eatable. But you cannot manufacture nice grains. That is not possible. It is supplied by Kṛṣṇa. Eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān [Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13].\n[The Supreme Lord is eternal and the living beings are eternal. The Supreme Lord is cognizant and the living beings are cognizant. The difference is that the Supreme Lord is supplying all the necessities of life for the many other living entities.]\nSo try to understand in this way Kṛṣṇa consciousness, God consciousness. Then your dormant relationship with God and Kṛṣṇa will be revived. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam [Cc. Antya 20.12].\n[“’Let there be all victory for the chanting of the holy name of Lord Kṛṣṇa, which can cleanse the mirror of the heart and stop the miseries of the blazing fire of material existence. That chanting is the waxing moon that spreads the white lotus of good fortune for all living entities. It is the life and soul of all education. The chanting of the holy name of Kṛṣṇa expands the blissful ocean of transcendental life. It gives a cooling effect to everyone and enables one to taste full nectar at every step.’]\nLord Caitanya says, \"By revival of Kṛṣṇa consciousness means the dirty things accumulated on our heart will be dissipated, immediately vanished.\" Then we shall see, \"Oh, this is my position. I am Kṛṣṇa's, and Kṛṣṇa is mine.\"\nSo although Kṛṣṇa is present everywhere, as it is stated here, advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam ādyam purāṇa-puruṣam [Bs. 5.33]. \n[I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who is inaccessible to the \nVedas,\n but obtainable by pure unalloyed devotion of the soul, who is without a second, who is not subject to decay, is without a beginning, whose form is endless, who is the beginning, and the eternal \npuruṣa;\n yet He is a person possessing the beauty of blooming youth.]\nĀdyam means the original personality. Kṛṣṇa is the original father. You will find in the Bhagavad-gītā, sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya sambhavanti mūrtayo yāḥ [Bg. 14.4]\n[It should be understood that all species of life, O son of Kuntī, are made possible by birth in this material nature, and that I am the seed-giving father.]\n\"In every species of life, all types of forms of life, their mother is this material nature, and I am the seed-giving father.\" The father is the seed-giving agent, and mother gives the body.\nSo this material nature is our mother. According to Vedic conception, the material nature, mother, is worshiped. There are seven kinds of mother, not one mother.\nādau-mātā guroḥ patnī\nbrāhmaṇī rāja-patnikā\ndhenur dhātrī tathā pṛthvī\nsaptaitā mātaraḥ smṛtāḥ\n[Nīti Śāstra]\n[One's own mother, the wife of the guru, the wife of a brāhmaṇa, the wife of a king, the cow, the nurse, and the earth are known as the seven mothers of a man.]\nĀdau-mātā, real mother, from whom I have taken birth, ādau-mātā. Guroḥ patnī, the wife of spiritual master. Ādau-mātā guroḥ patnī brāhmaṇī. Brāhmaṇī, the wife of a brāhmaṇa, learned scholar. Ādau-mātā guroḥ patnī. Why learned scholar? He is also guru, because from learned scholar you learn so many things, and guru teaches us so many things. Therefore he is father, and his wife is mother.\nĀdau-mātā guroḥ patnī brāhmaṇī rāja-patnikā. Rāja-patnikā means a queen. And now there is no king, queen, but formerly there was king and queen. So queen is also mother, because king is father. He is giving protection to the citizens. Ādau-mātā guroḥ patnī brāhmaṇī rāja-patnikā dhenuḥ, cow. Cow is our mother. Why? She is supplying milk. You are drinking milk. So you are killing cows? Oh, that's not good, killing mother. Ādau-mātā guroḥ patnī brāhmaṇī rāja-patnikā, dhenur dhātrī tathā pṛthvī. Pṛthvī, that material nature, is also mother, because by the material nature I got this body.\nSo if you study Vedic literature very nicely and if you try to understand, then your life will be sublime. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is trying to give you all the authoritative information from Vedic literature. They are not manufacturing anything. They are not empiric philosophers presenting something mental concoction. No. Therefore this Bhagavad-gītā, we have presented: Bhagavad-gītā As It Is.\nThis is our business, just like a post peon's business is to deliver the envelope as it is. And if there is good news, it is for you. If it is bad news, it is for you. But the peon's business is to deliver as it is. Similarly, our business is to present Kṛṣṇa's message as it is. Then you become spiritual master. Spiritual master does not become grown just like tree. No.\nIt is carrying the message from higher authorities, as it is stated: \"I told this message,\" Kṛṣṇa says, \"to Vivasvān, the sun-god. He told to his son Manu. Manu told to his son Ikṣvāku. In this way this is coming down. Now it is broken. Therefore I am saying unto you, Arjuna.\"\nSo there is no difficulty in administering this Vedic message to the world, provided we simply carry the same message as it was delivered by Kṛṣṇa unto you. That is not very difficult. Anyone can do it. You simply try to understand Bhagavad-gītā as it is and distribute it: \"Kṛṣṇa says this.\" That's all.\nYou haven't got to comment or add anything, something. But to present, you can speak something, but the central point should not be missed. Then people will be benefited. Then people will be benefited. They will receive the message as it is, and this is transcendental message.\nCaitanya Mahāprabhu says,\nāmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra' ei deśa\nyāre dekha, tāre kaha 'kṛṣṇa'-upadeśa\n[Cc. Madhya 7.128]\n[“Instruct everyone to follow the orders of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa as they are given in the Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. In this way become a spiritual master and try to liberate everyone in this land.”]\nLord Caitanya says that \"Every one of you become the spiritual master. Every one of you. Why one, two? Every one of you.\" \"Oh, spiritual master is very difficult job.\" No. No difficult job. Caitanya Mahā... Āmāra ājñāya: \"Just try to carry out My order. That's all. Then you become spiritual master.\" And if you interpolate, if you put something nonsense, rubbish, to show your so-called rascal's education, then it is spoiled. Immediately spoiled. And if you present as it is, then it is pure.\nSarpocchiṣṭa-payo yathā. Avaiṣṇava-mukhodgirṇaṁ pūtaṁ hari-kathāmṛtam [Hari-bhakti-vilāsa].\n[One should not hear anything about Kṛṣṇa from a non-Vaiṣṇava. Milk touched by the lips of a serpent has a poisonous effect; similarly, talks about Kṛṣṇa given by a non-Vaiṣṇava are also poisonous.]\nHari-kathā. This message of Bhagavad-gītā is hari-kathā. Hari means the Supreme Lord. His word. Therefore it is warned that \"Do not try to hear this message of Hari, or the Supreme Lord, from rascal nondevotee. Do not try to hear.\" Why?\nSarpocchiṣṭa-payo yathā. Just like milk is very nutritious food, but if a little milk is touched by the tongue of a serpent, whole thing is spoiled. A serpent, a very thin tongue, if he touches the milk, oh, the whole milk is spoiled. So if we take such milk, \"Oh, milk is very nice,\" no. Because it is touched by the serpent's lip, it should not be taken.\nSimilarly, any transcendental message, any Vedic literature, unless it is presented by a self-realized devotee, it is poison. You simply misunderstand the whole thing, and you do not get the benefit. Rather, you become a victim of misunderstanding.\nTherefore this paramparā system, evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ [Bg. 4.2]\n[This supreme science was thus received through the chain of disciplic succession, and the saintly kings understood it in that way. But in course of time the succession was broken, and therefore the science as it is appears to be lost.]\n\"The Blessed Lord said that 'I said to Vivasvān. Vivasvān said to Ikṣvāku. Ikṣvāku said to Manu. Manu said to his son.' \" In this way, rājarṣi. Rājarṣi. Formerly the kings were taken instructions, the head of the state, because they were responsible for the citizens' spiritual life, not only material prosperity but spiritual prosperity. That is the verdict of Vedic literature.\nThe father is responsible, the teacher is responsible, the king is responsible, the husband is responsible for development of spiritual life of their dependent. Bhāgavata says that \"If you cannot develop the spiritual life of your dependent, then don't become a spiritual master, don't become a teacher, don't become a father, don't become a husband.\" These things are restricted.\nSo it is very nice culture, this Vedic culture. Try to understand. And Bhagavad-gītā is the essence of such Vedic knowledge. And it is being spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself, Kṛṣṇa. Try to understand it as it is; then your life will be sublime. You will feel joyful always. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt [Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12].\n[By nature, the Supreme Lord is blissful.]\nAbhyāsāt: \"By nature we are joyful.\" But what is that nature? That spiritual nature, not this material nature. Material... Manaḥ ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi prakṛti-sthāni karṣati [Bg. 15.7].\n[The living entities in this conditioned world are My eternal, fragmental parts. Due to conditioned life, they are struggling very hard with the six senses, which include the mind.]\nIf we remain in the material nature, then our whole struggle for existence will continue. It will never stop. But if you take to the spiritual nature, Brahman nature, brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā [Bg. 18.54], you immediately becomes joyful.\n[And of all yogīs, he who always abides in Me with great faith, worshiping Me in transcendental loving service, is most intimately united with Me in yoga and is the highest of all.]\nSo everyone... [end]",
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https://vedabase.io/en/library/transcripts/680930le-seattle/
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"content": "\n [kīrtana] [prema-dhvanī] Thank you very much. [Obeisances]\n[21:14]",
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"content": "\n Would you like the window open a little?\n Do you want the window to be open?",
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"content": "\n Yes. [sings] Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **.\n[devotees respond] Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi. \ncintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa-\nlakṣāvṛteṣu surabhīr abhipālayantam\nlakṣmī-sahasra-śata-sambhrama-sevyamānaṁ\ngovindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi\n[Bs. 5.29]\n[I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, the first progenitor who is tending the cows, yielding all desire, in abodes built with spiritual gems, surrounded by millions of purpose trees, always served with great reverence and affection by hundreds of thousands of \nlakṣmīs\n or \ngopīs.]\n[devotees respond three times: govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi]\nSo our program is to worship with love and devotion Govinda, the original person. Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We are teaching people to love Kṛṣṇa, that's all. Our program is to love, to place your love in the proper place. That is our program. Everyone wants to love, but he is being frustrated on account of his love being misplaced.\nPeople do not understand it. They are being taught, \"First of all, you love your body.\" Then little extended, \"You love your father and mother.\" Then \"Love your brother and sister.\" Then \"Love your society,\" \"Love your country,\" \"Love the whole human society, humanity.\" But all this extended love, so-called love, will not give you satisfaction unless you reach to the point to love Kṛṣṇa. Then you'll be satisfied.\nJust like if you throw a stone on some reservoir of water, on a lake, there immediately begins a circle. The circle expands, and expanding, expanding, expanding, when the circle touches the shore, it stops. Unless the circle reaches the bank or the shore of the reservoir of the water, it goes on increasing.\nSo we have to increase. Increase. The increase means there are two ways. If you practice, \"I love my society, I love my country, I love my human nation,\" then \"living entities,\" go on... But if you directly touch Kṛṣṇa, then everything is there. It is so nice. Because Kṛṣṇa means all-attractive, includes everything.\nWhy everything? Because Kṛṣṇa is the center. Just like in a family, if you love your father, then you love your brothers, sisters, the servant of your father, the home of your father, the wife of your father, namely, your mother—everyone. The central point is father. This is crude example. Similarly, if you love Kṛṣṇa, then your love will be expanded everywhere.\nAnother example: just like if you love a tree, the leaves, the flowers, the branches, the trunks, the twigs, everything, you simply pour water on the root, then your loving affairs for the tree will automatically serve. If you love your countrymen, if you want to see that your countryman becomes educated, advanced economically and mentally, physically, then what you'll do?\nYou pay tax to the government. Don't hide your income tax. You simply pay tax to the central government and it will be distributed to the educational department, to the defense department, to the hygienic department, everywhere.\nTherefore... These are crude examples, but actually, if you want to love everything, then you'll try to love Kṛṣṇa. You'll not be frustrated, because that is complete. When your love is complete, then you will not be frustrated. Just like you have got complete feeding. If you are satisfied with food completely, then you say, \"I am satisfied. I don't want any more.\"\nSo this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is very simple. Very simple. It is inaugurated by Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu especially. Although it is very old, in the Vedic scripture, but still, taking from the historical point of view, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is since Lord Kṛṣṇa appeared on the surface of this planet five thousand years ago, and later on, Lord Caitanya, five hundred years ago, He expanded that movement, Kṛṣṇa consciousness.\nHis mission, Lord Caitanya's mission, is ārādhyo bhagavān vrajeśa-tanayaḥ [SB 1.3.28].\n[All of the above-mentioned incarnations are either plenary portions or portions of the plenary portions of the Lord, but Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the original Personality of Godhead. All of them appear on planets whenever there is a disturbance created by the atheists. The Lord incarnates to protect the theists.]\nIf you want to love, or if you want to be subordinate... Everyone is subordinate. This is false. Everyone wants to be independent, but nobody is independent. Everyone is subordinate. Nobody can say that \"I am independent.\" Can you say, any one of you, that you are independent? Is there anybody? No. Everyone is subordinate willingly. Not by force everyone becomes subordinate.\nA girl says a boy, \"I want to become your subordinate,\" willingly. Similarly, a boy says to a girl, \"I want to be your subordinate.\" Why? That is my nature. I want to be subordinate because my nature is to be subordinate. But I do not know. I prefer, I reject this subordination; I accept another subordination. But subordination is there. Just like a worker. He works here. He finds some better wages another place, he goes there. But that does not means he becomes independent. He is subordinate.\nSo Lord Caitanya teaches that if you want to be subordinate or if you want to worship somebody... Who worships somebody? Unless you feel somebody is greater than you, why shall you worship? I worship my boss because I think that he is greater than me. He gives me wages, salary, monthly six hundred dollars. Therefore I must worship him, I must please him.\nSo Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that you become a subordinate of Kṛṣṇa. Ārādhyo bhagavān vrajeśa-tanayaḥ [Caitanya-manjusā].\n[The Supreme Personality of Godhead, the son of Nanda Mahārāja, is to be worshiped along with His transcendental abode, Vṛndāvana. The most pleasing form of worship for the Lord is that which was performed by the gopīs of Vṛndāvaṇa. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the spotless authority on everything, and pure love of God is the ultimate goal of life for all men. These statements, for which we have the highest regard, are the opinion of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.]\nIf you want to worship, worship Kṛṣṇa. And next? Tad-dhāmaṁ vṛndāvanam. If you want to worship somebody, then love Kṛṣṇa or worship Kṛṣṇa or His place, Vṛndāvana. Because everyone wants to love some place. That is now nationalism—some country. Somebody says, \"I love this American land.\" Somebody says, \"I love this Chinese land.\" Somebody says, \"I love the Russian land.\" So everyone wants to love some land. Bhauma ijya-dhīḥ. Bhauma ijya-dhīḥ [SB 10.84.13].\n[One who identifies his self as the inert body composed of mucus, bile and air, who assumes his wife and family are permanently his own, who thinks an earthen image or the land of his birth is worshipable, or who sees a place of pilgrimage as merely the water there, but who never identifies himself with, feels kinship with, worships or even visits those who are wise in spiritual truth—such a person is no better than a cow or an ass.]\nPeople are naturally inclined to love some material land. Generally, where he is born he tries to love.\nSo Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that \"Because you are inclined to love some person, you love Kṛṣṇa. Because you want to love some land, you love Vṛndāvana.\" Ārādhyo bhagavān vrajeśa-tanayas tad-dhāma vṛndāvanam [from Śrīnātha Cakravartī's commentary on Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam]. But if somebody says, \"How to love Kṛṣṇa? I cannot see Kṛṣṇa. How to love Kṛṣṇa?\" then Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, ramyā kācid upāsanā vrajavadhū-vargeṇa yā kalpitā [Caitanya-manjusa].\n[The Supreme Personality of Godhead, the son of Nanda Mahārāja, is to be worshiped along with His transcendental abode, Vṛndāvana. The most pleasing form of worship for the Lord is that which was performed by the gopīs of Vṛndāvaṇa. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the spotless authority on everything, and pure love of God is the ultimate goal of life for all men. These statements, for which we have the highest regard, are the opinion of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.]\nIf you want to learn, if you want to know the process of worshiping Kṛṣṇa, or loving Kṛṣṇa, just try to follow the footprints of the gopīs. Gopīs. The gopīs, their love, the highest perfectional love. Ramyā kācid upāsanā.\nThere are different kinds of love, or worship, in the world. The beginning is, \"O God, give us our daily bread.\" This is beginning. When we are, I mean to say, taught to love God, we are instructed that \"You go to temple, go to church, and pray to God for your necessities, for your grievances.\" That is the beginning. But that is not pure love. Pure love, perfection of pure love, can be found amongst the gopīs. That is the example.\nHow? How they love Kṛṣṇa? They love Kṛṣṇa... Kṛṣṇa went to... Kṛṣṇa was a cowherd's boy, and with His friends, other cowherd's boy, He used to go with His cows in the pasturing ground the whole day. That was the system. Because people at that time were satisfied with land and cows. That's all. That is the means of solution of all economic problems. They were not industrial; they were not servant of anyone. Simply get production from the land and take milk from the cows, the whole food problem solved.\nSo Kṛṣṇa used to go to the pasturing ground, and the gopīs at home... They were girls or women. They... Women or girls were not allowed to work. That is the Vedic system. They should keep at home, and they should be given protection by the father, by the husband or elderly sons. They were not meant for going out.\nSo they kept themselves at home. But Kṛṣṇa was, say, miles away in the pasturing ground, and the gopīs at home thinking, \"Oh, Kṛṣṇa's feet is so soft. Now He's walking on the rough grounds. The particles of stones are pricking His sole. So He must be feeling some pain.\" In this way thinking, they used to cry. Just see.\nKṛṣṇa is miles away, and what Kṛṣṇa is feeling, they are simply thinking of that feeling: \"Kṛṣṇa may be feeling like that.\" This is love. This is love. They are not asking Kṛṣṇa, \"My dear Kṛṣṇa, what You have brought from Your pasturing ground? How is Your pocket? Let me see.\" No. Simply thinking of Kṛṣṇa, how Kṛṣṇa will be satisfied.\nThey used to dress themself, because..., and go before Kṛṣṇa with nice dress, \"Oh, He'll be happy to see.\" Generally, a boy or a man becomes happy to see his lover or wife nicely dressed. That is... Therefore it is the nature of the woman to dress nice. And according to Vedic system, a woman should dress very nicely just to satisfy her husband. That is the Vedic system. If her husband is not at home, then she should not dress nicely.\nThere are injunction. Proṣita bhartṛkā. There are different dresses of woman. By seeing the dress one will understand what she is. One can understand by seeing the dress that she is unmarried girl. One can see simply by the dress that she is married wife. One can see by the dress that she is widow. One can see by the dress that she is prostitute. So dress is so important. So proṣita bhartṛkā.\nSo we are not going to discuss about the social; we are discussing about love affairs of Kṛṣṇa. So gopīs... Kṛṣṇa and gopī, the relationship was so intimate and so unalloyed that Kṛṣṇa Himself admitted, \"My dear gopīs, it is not in My power to repay you about your loving affairs.\" Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He became bankrupt, that \"My dear gopīs, it is not possible for Me to repay your debts which you have created by loving Me.\" So that is the highest perfection of love. Ramyā kācid upāsanā vrajavadhū [Caitanya-manjusa].\n[The Supreme Personality of Godhead, the son of Nanda Mahārāja, is to be worshiped along with His transcendental abode, Vṛndāvana. The most pleasing form of worship for the Lord is that which was performed by the gopīs of Vṛndāvaṇa. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the spotless authority on everything, and pure love of God is the ultimate goal of life for all men. These statements, for which we have the highest regard, are the opinion of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.]\nI'm just describing the mission of Lord Caitanya. He is giving us instruction, His mission, that the only lovable object is Kṛṣṇa and His land Vṛndāvana. And the process of loving Him is the vivid example, the gopīs. Nobody can reach. There are different stages of devotees, and gopīs are supposed to be on the highest platform. And amongst the gopīs, the supreme is Rādhārāṇī. Therefore nobody can surpass the love of Rādhārāṇī. Ramyā kācid upāsanā vrajavadhū-vargeṇa yā kalpitā, śrīmad-bhāgavatam amalaṁ purāṇam [Caitanya-manjusa]..\nNow to learn this, all this science of loving God, there must be some book, some authoritative literature. Yes. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, śrīmad-bhāgavatam amalaṁ purāṇam. The Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, it is spotless description of understanding how to love God. There is no other description. From the beginning it is teaching how to love God. Those who have studied Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, the first verse in the First Canto is, janmādy asya yataḥ, satyaṁ paraṁ dhīmahi [SB 1.1.1].\n[O my Lord, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, son of Vasudeva, O all-pervading Personality of Godhead, I offer my respectful obeisances unto You. I meditate upon Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa because He is the Absolute Truth and the primeval cause of all causes of the creation, sustenance and destruction of the manifested universes. He is directly and indirectly conscious of all manifestations, and He is independent because there is no other cause beyond Him. It is He only who first imparted the Vedic knowledge unto the heart of Brahmājī, the original living being. By Him even the great sages and demigods are placed into illusion, as one is bewildered by the illusory representations of water seen in fire, or land seen on water. Only because of Him do the material universes, temporarily manifested by the reactions of the three modes of nature, appear factual, although they are unreal. I therefore meditate upon Him, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who is eternally existent in the transcendental abode, which is forever free from the illusory representations of the material world. I meditate upon Him, for He is the Absolute Truth.]\nThe beginning is that \"I am offering my unalloyed devotion unto the Supreme, from whom everything has emanated.\" Janmādy asya yataḥ. So it is a... You know, it is a great description.\nSo Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam... If you want to learn how to love God, or Kṛṣṇa, then study Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. And to understand Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, the preliminary study is Bhagavad-gītā. So study Bhagavad-gītā to understand the real nature or identification of God and yourself and your relationship, and then, when you are little conversant, when you are prepared that \"Yes, Kṛṣṇa is the only lovable object,\" then next book you take, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. And you go on.\nJust like Bhagavad-gītā As It Is is entrance. Just like students, they pass their school examination then enters into the college. So you pass your school examination, how to love God, by studying Bhagavad-gītā As It Is. Then study Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and... That is graduate study. And when you are still farther advanced, postgraduate, then study Teachings of Lord Caitanya.\nSo there is no difficulty. The fact is that we have to learn how to love Kṛṣṇa. So direction is there and method is there, and we are trying to serve you as far as possible. We are sending our boys in the streets and the town to invite you. And if you kindly take up this opportunity, then your life will be successful. Premā pum-artho mahān [Śrīnātha Cakravartī's commentary on Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam].\n[The Supreme Personality of Godhead, the son of Nanda Mahārāja, is to be worshiped along with His transcendental abode, Vṛndāvana. The most pleasing form of worship for the Lord is that which was performed by the gopīs of Vṛndāvaṇa. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the spotless authority on everything, and pure love of God is the ultimate goal of life for all men. These statements, for which we have the highest regard, are the opinion of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.]\nBecause this human form of life is meant for developing love for God. Because in all other life we have learned..., we have loved. We have loved our children, we have loved our wife, we have loved our nest in the bird's life, in the beast's life. There is love. There is no necessity of teaching a bird or beast how to love the children. There is no necessity, because that is natural.\nTo love your home, to love your country, to love your husband, to love your children, to love your wife, so on, you go on, all this love, more or less they are all in the animal kingdom also. But that sort of love will not give you happiness. You'll be frustrated. Because this body is temporary, therefore all these loving affairs are also temporary, and they are not pure. They are simply a perverted reflection of the pure love that is existing between you and Kṛṣṇa.\nSo if you want really peace, if you really want satisfaction, if you don't want to be confused, then try to love Kṛṣṇa. This is the plain program. Then your life will be successful. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is not something manufactured to mislead and bluff the people. It is a most authorized movement.\nVedic literature, the Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Vedānta-sūtra, Purāṇam, and many, many great saintly persons adopted this means. And the vivid example is Lord Caitanya. You see His picture, He is in the dancing mood. So you have to learn this art, then our life will be successful.\nYou haven't got to practice anything artificial and speculating and bother your brain and... You have the instinct for loving others. That is instinctive, natural. Simply we are misplacing love, and therefore we are frustrated. Frustrated. Confused. So if you don't want to be confused, if you don't want to be frustrated, then try to love Kṛṣṇa, and you'll feel yourself how you are making progress in peacefulness, in happiness, in everything that you want.\nThank you very much. [devotees offer obeisances]\nAny question?",
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"content": "\n Prabhupāda? Is it all right for us to read the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam after we've received your Bhagavad-gītā when it comes out? Or should we just completely devote all our time to studying the Bhagavad-gītā As It Is, and then we..., and then progress from there? Or should we continue our study of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam?",
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"content": "\n No. You should read Bhagavad-gītā As It Is, and... This is only a preliminary division. In the spiritual platform, everything is absolute. If you read Bhagavad-gītā, you'll find the same proposition as in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. It is not that because you are studying Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam that you haven't got to study Bhagavad-gītā. It is not like that.\nYou read these literatures and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, follow the rules and regulation and live happily. Our program is very happy program. We chant, we dance, we eat kṛṣṇa-prasādam, we paint nice pictures of Kṛṣṇa and see them nicely decorated, and we read philosophy. So what you want more? [laughs]\nYes?",
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"content": "\n How and why did we lose our awareness of our true love for Kṛṣṇa in the beginning?",
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"content": "\n Hmm?",
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"content": "\n How and why... How and why did we lose our love for Kṛṣṇa in the beginning?\n No, not the love. Just the awareness of the love, of our true love for Kṛṣṇa.",
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"content": "\n Our awareness is there. You love somebody. But you are meant to love Kṛṣṇa, that you have forgotten. So forgetfulness is also our nature. Sometimes we forget. And especially because we are very small, minute, therefore even I cannot remember exactly what I was doing last night at this time. So forgetfulness is not unnatural for us. And again, if somebody revives our memory, to accept that, that is also not unnatural.\nSo our loving object is Kṛṣṇa. Somehow or other, we have forgotten Him. We don't trace the history when we forgot. That is useless labor. But we have forgotten, that is a fact. Now revive it. Here is reminder. So take opportunity. Don't try to history why you have forgotten and what was the date of my forgetfulness. Even if you know, what is the use? You have forgotten. Take it. Just like if you go to a physician, he'll never ask you how you got this disease, what is the history of this disease, at what date, at what time you were infected. No. He simply feels your pulse and sees that you have got a disease and he gives you the medicine: \"Yes. You take it.\"\nSimilarly, we are suffering. That is a fact. Nobody can deny. Why you are suffering? Forgetting Kṛṣṇa. That's all. Now you revive your memory about Kṛṣṇa, you become happy. That's all. Very simple thing. Now don't try to find out the history when you forgot. You have forgotten, that is a fact, because you are suffering. Now here is an opportunity, Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Revive your memory, your love for Kṛṣṇa.\nSimple thing. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, dance, and take kṛṣṇa-prasādam. And if you are not educated, you are illiterate, hear. Just you have got natural gift, ear. You have got natural tongue. So you can chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and you can hear Bhagavad-gītā or Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam from persons who are in the knowledge.\nSo there is no impediment. No impediment. It does not require any prequalification. Simply you have to use whatever asset you have got. That's all. You must agree. That is wanted. \"Yes, I shall take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness.\" That depends on you, because you are independent. If you disagree, \"No. Why shall I take to Kṛṣṇa?\" nobody can give you. But if you agree, it is here, very easy: take it.",
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"content": "\n Maybe you've already answered this. I'm not sure; I didn't hear. But I have always been taught since I was a little kid to love God and then I will love everything. Is God Kṛṣṇa?",
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"content": "\n Yes. You have got any other God? Any other God than Kṛṣṇa?",
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"content": "\n Ah, what was the question again?",
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"content": "\n You said...",
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"content": "\nOh, no, no...",
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"content": "\n Just try to understand what is God.",
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"content": "\n I didn't know that God was Kṛṣṇa.",
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"content": "\n No, everything has got definition. Just like if I say \"This is watch,\" so it has a definition. Watch means it is round and there is a white dial and there are two hands, there are so many figures indicating time. Like that, I can give you some description. So anything, whatever you see or experience or try to understand, there must be some definition. So when you speak of God, do you know what is the definition of God?",
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"content": "\n Yes. I thought He was love.",
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"content": "\n Love is not definition; love is the action. Yes, love. I love God. Love is my activity. But there must be some definition of God. That also you know. You now forget. Now, in one word, they say \"God is great.\" So how do you test one's greatness? Next point. If you say that \"This man is very great,\" now there must be an understanding how you estimate that he is great. These are different stages of understanding.\nSo how do you understand that God is great? What is your calculation, that from..., on this point, God is great? Just like in your Bible it is said, \"God said, 'Let there be creation,' and there was creation.\" Is it not? Is it not statement? So here is greatness. He simply said, \"Let there be creation,\" and there was creation. Can you do that? Suppose you are very nice carpenter. Can you say, \"Let there be a chair,\" and at once there is a chair? Is it possible? Suppose you are manufacturer of this watch. Can you say that \"I say, 'Let there be watch,' \" and there is immediately watch? That is not possible.\nTherefore God's name is satya-saṅkalpa. Satya-saṅkalpa. Satya-saṅkalpa means whatever He thinks, immediately it is present. Not only God, but those who have attained yogic perfection, they cannot desire like God, but almost. Wonderful things... A yogī, if he has got perfection, if he desires something, that \"I want this,\" immediately it is there. This is called satya-saṅkalpa.\nIn this way, there are many examples. That is greatness. What I... Just like the modern scientists, they are trying to fly some space machine in the good speed so that they can go to the moon planet. So many scientists of America, Russia and other countries, they are trying. But they cannot. Their sputnik is coming back. But just see God's power. Millions of planets are floating just like swabs. This is greatness.\nSo any nonsense, if he says that \"I am God,\" he's a rascal. God is great. You cannot compare yourself with God. There is no comparison. But the rascaldom is going on: \"Everyone is God. I am God, you are God\"—then who is dog? You show the power of God, then you say. \"First deserve, then desire.\" What power we have got? We're all His dependent. So God is great, and we are dependent on God.\nTherefore natural conclusion is that we have to serve God. This is the whole problem[?]. Serving means with love. Unless... Now just like these boys, my disciples, they are serving me. Whatever I say, they are immediately executing. Why? I am an Indian, I am a foreigner. Two or three years ago I was not known to them, nor they were known to me. Why they are doing that? Because it is love. Serving means developing love.\nSo unless you develop your love for God, you cannot serve Him. Anywhere. Whenever you give some service, it is based on love. Just like mother giving service to the helpless child. Why? Love. So similarly, our life will be perfect when our love is perfect with the perfect Supreme Personality of Godhead. Then it is all right. You have to learn this. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness: in a relationship with Kṛṣṇa. Just like I am loving my disciples; my disciples are loving me. Why? What is the medium? Kṛṣṇa.\nYes?",
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"content": "\n Is Rāma synonymous with Jesus?\n Rāma. \"Is Rāma synonymous, the same as Jesus.\"",
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"content": "\n Synonymous..., not exactly synonymous, but identical. Synonymous cannot be said. Identical.",
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"content": "\n Oh, identical.",
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"content": "\n Yes. In the absolute platform everything is identical. In the relative world also. Just like anything you take, it is material. So material identity. Similarly, in the spiritual world everything is spiritual. So in the spiritual world God and God's son or God's friend or God's lover, anyone is the... They're in the same platform, spiritual. Therefore they are identical.",
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"content": "\n But doesn't Rāma refer to a man that was born..., I'm not..., in India or something, and Christ was born in Europe? Two different men, but still the same, the same...",
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"content": "\n Yes. The sun is every day born in India, born in Europe, born in America. Does it mean that he's Indian or American or Chinese?",
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"content": "\n No, that's not what I mean.",
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"content": "\n Then? Therefore it is like that. When... This is our limited knowledge. We have been taught in that way. But \"God is great.\" Just like the sun is great; therefore even the sun is seen in India or in America or China, anywhere, any part of the world, any part of the universe, the sun is one. Nobody can say, \"Oh, it is American sun\" or \"It is Indian sun.\"\nSo either Jesus Christ or Rāma or Kṛṣṇa, whoever comes from the kingdom of God, they are the same. There is no difference. But the difference is... Just like in your country temperature of sun is less, and in a tropical country the temperature of the sun is very great. Does it mean the sun's temperature is changed? It is according to the reception. The atmosphere of this country is so surcharged that you cannot receive the sunshine properly, but the sunshine distributes its shining everywhere the same.\nSimilarly, according to the country, according to the circumstances, according to the planet, God is manifested differently, but He is not different. You are wrapping your body with some winter clothes. Same time, telegraph in India, oh, they are running fan. Why the temperature is different? Therefore whatever Lord Jesus Christ says or whatever Kṛṣṇa says or what Rāma says, that is in terms of the place, in terms of the circumstances, atmosphere, persons, hearer. There is different.\nOne thing which I try to convince a child is not possible to teach the same thing to his father. Or a child cannot understand what is sex life, but a young man can understand. The same child, when he'll be grown up, he'll know. So you do not think that everyone can understand everything.\nSo Bible is spoken under certain circumstances; Bhagavad-gītā is spoken under certain circumstances. It is the difference of the circumstances. Otherwise, the principle is the same. In the Bible also it is said, \"Love God,\" and Bhagavad-gītā also says, \"Love God.\" There is no difference.",
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"content": "\n Prabhupāda, what is the nature of anger? How is anger...?",
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"content": "\n Anger means lust. When you are lusty and your lust is not fulfilled, you become angry. That's all. It is another feature of the lust. Kāma eṣa krodha eṣa rajo-guṇa-samudbhavaḥ [Bg. 3.37].\n[The Blessed Lord said: It is lust only, Arjuna, which is born of contact with the material modes of passion and later transformed into wrath, and which is the all-devouring, sinful enemy of this world.]\nWhen you are too much influenced with the modes of passion, you become lusty. And when your lust is not fulfilled, then you are angry, next stage. And next stage is that there is bewilderment. And then next stage is praṇaśyati, then you are lost. Therefore one has to control this lust and anger.\nThis controlling means you have to put yourself in the modes of goodness, not in the modes of passion. There are three modes of material nature: modes of ignorance, modes of passion and modes of goodness. Therefore if anyone wants to know the science of God, then he has to keep himself on the modes of goodness. Otherwise he cannot. Therefore we are teaching our students that \"You don't do this, you don't do this, you don't do this, you don't do this,\" because he has to keep himself on the modes of goodness. Otherwise he'll not be able to understand.\nKṛṣṇa consciousness cannot be understood on the platform of ignorance and passion. The whole world is under the influence of ignorance and passion. But this method is so simple that if you simply follow the four principles of restriction and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, you are immediately surpassing all the modes of material nature. So the anger is on the platform of passion.\nYes?",
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"content": "\n Can you explain subordination again?",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\n What is that?",
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"content": "\n Explain subordination again.",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\n Subordination, that... It is simple. You are subordinate. You don't understand what is subordination? Is it very difficult? Are you not subordinate to somebody?",
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"content": "\n Well, yes, I suppose you could say I was.",
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"content": "\n Yes. You must. Everyone. Everyone must be subordinate, in subordination.",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n Yes, in a spiritual sense though, I don't feel subordinate to...",
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"content": "\n First of all you understand what is spiritual life, then... In the spiritual sense also you are subordinate, because your nature is subordination. Spiritual..., what do you mean by spiritual and material?",
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"content": "\n Well, like, my body is in a particular place and time, and all of these [indistinct]. If I have a job, then I'm subordinate to my boss. But the real, my whole being, my real being, my inner being doesn't... I don't think that I am subordinate to my boss. I think that we would be more or less equal. In a temporary sense, we are...",
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"content": "\n Yes. This consciousness is very nice, that you are feeling dissatisfaction being subordinate to your boss. Is that not?",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n No, that's not right.",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n Then?",
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"content": "\n I don't especially...",
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"content": "\n Anyone.",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n I don't think that... Well, speaking about this specific incident, it isn't necessarily true that I wouldn't want..., that I would feel jealous of this guy because he was over me. But I just feel as beings we are more or less all equal. I mean, you know, it's kind of a philosophy that I have. I don't feel that I have to bow down to anybody, and I don't feel anybody should bow down to me.",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\n Why? Why? You do not bow down? Why?",
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"content": "\n Because I don't feel that I owe him anything or he owes me anything.",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\n So that is the disease. We are forced to bow down, and we think that \"I don't like to bow down.\" This is the disease.",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n He didn't force me to bow down.",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\n Yes.",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n He isn't forcing me to do anything. I'm just kind of there, and he's kind of there.",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\n No. Just try to understand. It is a very nice question. You say that \"I do not want to bow down.\" Is it not?",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n That's basically true, yes.",
"role": "user"
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{
"content": "\n Yes. Why?",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n Because I don't feel like I'm inferior to...",
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"content": "\n That is the disease. You have diagnosed your own disease. That is the disease of materialism. Everyone is thinking that \"I want to be master. I don't wish to bow down myself.\" Everyone is thinking, not only yourself. Just try...",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n Uh...",
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"content": "\n Let me finish this. This is the disease, material disease. First of all try to understand. It is not your disease or my disease or... Everyone's disease is this, that \"Why shall I bow down? Why shall I become subordinate?\" But nature is forcing me to become subordinate. Now who wants to meet death? Why people are dying? Can you answer this?",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n Why are people dying?",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\n Yes. Nobody wants to die.",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n I thought it was a biological...",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\n Just try to understand. Who is here... That means biological force. You are subordinate to biology. Then why do you say that you are independent?",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n Well, I feel that I'm...",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\n You are feeling wrongly. That is my point. That is your disease.",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n I'm feeling lonely?",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\n Yes, wrongly.",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n Wrongly?",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\n Yes. You are subordinate. You must have to bow down. When death is there, you cannot say, \"Oh, I don't obey you.\" Therefore you are subordinate.",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n I am subordinate to God, yes.",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\n No, no, don't... Forget God. Just now we are speaking common sense.",
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"content": "\n Kṛṣṇa... I don't...",
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"content": "\n No. Don't speak of Kṛṣṇa. That is far away. You just try to understand that you do not want to die, why you are forced to death?",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n Why am I forced to death?",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\n Yes. Because you are subordinate.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n Oh, yes.",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\n Yes. Then you understand your position, that you are subordinate. You cannot declare that \"I am free. I am not subordinate.\" If you are wishing that \"I don't wish to be subordinate, don't wish to bow down,\" that is your disease.",
"role": "assistant"
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{
"content": "\n What do you want me to... I mean, what...",
"role": "user"
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"content": "\n No, first of all try to understand your disease. Then we shall diagnose your medicine.",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n I'm feeling wrongly, okay, but... But who do I or what... What exactly do I bow down to? I mean...",
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"content": "\n You are bowing down to everyone. You are bowing down to death, you are bowing down to disease, you are bowing down to old age. You are bowing down to so many things. You are forced. And still you are thinking that \"I cannot bow down. I don't like.\" Because you are saying \"I don't like,\" therefore you are being forced. You have to bow down. Why you forget your position? That is our disease.\nTherefore the next process is that \"I am being forced to bow down.\" Now we have to find out where I shall be happy even by bowing down. That is Kṛṣṇa. Your bowing down will not be stopped, because you are meant for that. But if you bow down to Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's representative, you become happy. Test this. You have to bow down. If you don't bow down to Kṛṣṇa and His representative, then you will be forced to bow down something else, māyā. That is your position.\nYou cannot be free at any moment. But you'll feel... Just like a child is twenty-four hours bowing down to his parents. He's happy. He's happy. Mother says, \"My dear child, please come down, sit down here.\" \"Yes.\" He's happy. This is the nature. Simply you have to seek out where you have to bow down, that's all. That is Kṛṣṇa. You cannot stop your bowing down, but you have to see where you have to bow down. That's all.\nIf you artificially think that \"I'm not going to bow down anyone. I am independent,\" then you suffer. Simply you have to seek out the proper place where you have to bow down. That's all. All right. Chant. [devotees offer obeisances]\nGive them prasādam. They are going.\n[81:27]\n[kīrtana] [prema-dhvani] Thank you very much. [devotees offer obeisances] [end]",
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https://vedabase.io/en/library/transcripts/710220sb-gorakphur/
|
[
{
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"content": "\n The following lecture was recorded on the morning of February 20th, 1971, at Śrī Kṛṣṇa-niketana, Gorakhpur, U.P.",
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"content": "\n[prema-dhvani]\nte deva-siddha-parigīta-pavitra-gāthā\nye sādhavaḥ samadṛśo bhagavat-prapannāḥ\ntān nopasīdata harer gadayābhiguptān\nnaiṣāṁ vayaṁ na ca vayaḥ prabhavāma daṇḍe\n[SB 6.3.27]\n[break] So devotees, they are so exalted that as Kṛṣṇa's activities, pastimes, are transcendentally relishable, similarly, devotees' dealings with the Personality of Godhead is also relishable. Sometimes we find the gopīs, they accuse Kṛṣṇa, \"Ungrateful cheater,\" and so many things. Very strong words sometimes gopīs use.\nWhen Uddhava came, that they immediately accused Uddhava, \"Oh, you are coming from Kṛṣṇa? We know your Kṛṣṇa, how cheater He is. So you must be another cheater.\" You see? But these strong words used by the gopīs in connection with Kṛṣṇa, that is, it is stated here, te deva-siddha-parigīta-pavitra-gāthā.\nWhen these words are discussed even in the society of the demigods and the siddhas... Siddha means... There is a Siddhaloka. The inhabitants of that planet, they are automatically yoga-siddhi. All the perfection of yogic principles are there, yoga siddha. There are different planets of different vibhūtis. Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi-koṭiṣv aśeṣa-vasudhādi-vibhūti-bhinnam [Bs. 5.40].\nEvery planet is differently exalted. And the more you go in the upper planetary system, thousands and thousands of times better comfortable life than on this planet. I have several times explained. Vibhūti-bhinnam. All of them are differently situated. Not that all planets are of the same type. So there is a Siddhaloka. In that Siddhaloka, if anyone wants to go to another planet, he does not require any airplane or sputnik. He can go immediately. That is called Siddhaloka.\nSo ye sādhavaḥ. Te deva-siddha-parigīta-pavitra-gāthā. Pavitra-gāthā, varṇita pavitra-kathā. If they are discussed as Kṛṣṇa's pastimes... Śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ [SB 1.2.17]. As Kṛṣṇa's pastimes, Kṛṣṇa's activities, are puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ... If somebody hears and chants, if he does not understand even a farthing of it, still, he becomes pious. There is no need of understanding. Simply that holy sound will make his heart pure. Pavitra-gāthā. \nThis sound... Just like when kīrtana is going on, an animal is standing. He does not understand what is the meaning of that kīrtana, but that sound will purify him. There are many insects within this room, many small creatures, ants, mosquitoes, flies. Simply by hearing this holy name, transcendental vibration, they will be purified. Pavitra-gāthā. As soon as you discuss dealings of Kṛṣṇa with the gopīs... Because Kṛṣṇa's pastimes means there must be the other party. And what is that other party? That is devotee. Dealings.\nThere is a proverb like that. Some foolish persons were speaking that \"This year I have seen many boys were married.\" What does it mean? Many boys are married means there must be many girls also. Otherwise, how he's married? Similarly, Kṛṣṇa's pastimes means there must be devotee; otherwise, with whom Kṛṣṇa will play? Kṛṣṇa does not play with any other one unless they are devotees. Sādhavo hṛdayaṁ mahyam. As a devotee is always absorbed in thought of Kṛṣṇa, similarly, Kṛṣṇa is always absorbed in thought of His devotee.\nThe gopīs... Kṛṣṇa became absent from Vṛndāvana, so their mind was always absorbed in the thought of Kṛṣṇa. When Kṛṣṇa was present in Vṛndāvana, that time also. When Kṛṣṇa used to go the forest, the gopīs were thinking of Kṛṣṇa always: \"Oh, how Kṛṣṇa is walking on the rough field. There are so many stone chips. Kṛṣṇa's feet is so soft. How He is feeling?\" And feeling this, they were crying. That was their business, gopīs.\nSo therefore, as Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's thought, they are absolute, there is no difference... Therefore it is said Kṛṣṇa never goes a step forward from Vṛndāvana because gopīs have captured them. Kṛṣṇa cannot go out of Vṛndāvana on account of gopīs always thinking of Him. The gopīs will never cease to think of Kṛṣṇa; therefore it is not possible for Kṛṣṇa to go out of Vṛndāvana, although physically He may not be present.\nHe has no difference between physical or mental, or subtle or gross. He has no such difference. Kṛṣṇa is absolute any way. Similarly, if you also think of Kṛṣṇa, if you are also pure devotee, then Kṛṣṇa is always with you. That is the advantage. Otherwise, how Kṛṣṇa says, yoginām api sarveṣāṁ mad-gatena [Bg. 6.47]? The topmost yogī: those who are always thinking of Kṛṣṇa. Pavitra-gāthā. \nTe deva-siddha-parigīta-pavitra-gāthā ye sādhavaḥ samadṛśo bhagavat-prapannāḥ. Bhagavat-prapannāḥ sādhavaḥ. Sādhus, sādhavaḥ, bahuvacana, plural number. So only the bhagavat-prapannāḥ sādhus, not others. Sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ [Bg. 9.30]. Api cet sudurācāraḥ. Sādhu, there is a word, sādhu, means pious man. So pious man is he who is surrendered to Kṛṣṇa, bhagavat-prapannāḥ. They are sādhavaḥ. Sādhavaḥ sādhu-bhūṣaṇāḥ. Sādhavaḥ sādhu-bhūṣaṇāḥ. Ajāta-śatravaḥ... \nSuhṛdaḥ sarva-dehinām, titikṣavaḥ kāruṇikāḥ [SB 3.25.21]. These are the symptoms of sādhavaḥ, sādhus. The first symptom is titikṣavaḥ, very tolerant. In any condition they'll go on thinking of Kṛṣṇa, never mind what is happening externally. There may be so many dangerous things coming and going, but they cannot give up thinking of Kṛṣṇa. Titikṣavaḥ. And kāruṇikāḥ. Kāruṇikāḥ means very compassionate. Just like Gosvāmīs. Nānā-śāstra-vicāraṇaika-nipuṇau sad-dharma-saṁsthāpakau lokānāṁ hita-kāriṇau [Śrī Ṣaḍ Gosvāmy Aṣṭaka 3].\nThe devotee's business is he's always thinking of how to do good to the people in general, how they will accept Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Simply twenty-four hours thinking, making plan. Therefore kāruṇikāḥ. Although personally they are in so many inconveniences—tolerating. But that planning, Kṛṣṇa planning, is going on, kāruṇikāḥ: how the people of the world will be happy. Titikṣavaḥ kāruṇikāḥ. Why they are planning like...? Suhṛdam sarva-bhūtānāṁ. They are not selfish, \"Now I have become Kṛṣṇa devotee, that's all right. Let others go to hell.\" No. They want to see that everyone becomes a devotee of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore they are real friend. That is, he is real friend.\nLokānāṁ hita-kāriṇau. The Gosvāmīs, ideal. They left their comfortable position as ministers, went to Vṛndāvana and became a mendicant. Kaupīna-kanthāśritau. Tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīṁ sadā tucchavat. Because they were ministers, their associates, their friends, their companions were all rich men, aristocratic. Tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati. \nMaṇḍala-pati means great leaders of aristocratic family. He gave up. Gosvāmīs, Rūpa Gosvāmī, Sanātana Gosvāmī, they gave up this association of big aristocratic families. Tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīṁ sadā tucchavat. Tucchavat means \"There is no necessity. It is most insignificant. We don't want it.\" Tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa...\n[aside:] Why you are standing? Huh?",
"role": "assistant"
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"content": "\n This just came off the wall.",
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"content": "\n Tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīṁ sadā tucchavat. Just like you have got a piece of scrap paper, you throw it away, similarly, they gave up the association of aristocratic family just like: \"Oh, what is this? No need. Throw it away.\" Tucchavat. \ntyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīṁ sadā tucchavat\nbhūtvā dīna-gaṇeśakau karuṇayā kaupīna-kanthāśritau\nBeing compassionate with the poor souls. Poor souls... Who are poor souls? Anyone who is not Kṛṣṇa conscious, he's a poor soul. He may be outwardly very rich, but he's a poor soul. Dīna-gaṇeśakau karuṇayā kaupīna-kanthāśritau. \nTyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīṁ sadā tucchavat bhūtvā dīna-gaṇeśakau karuṇayā kaupīna-kanthāśritau, gopī-bhāva-rasāmṛtābdhi-laharī-kallola-magnau sadāḥ. And how they were living? Always thinking of the pastimes of the gopīs with Kṛṣṇa. That was their life substance: how Kṛṣṇa..., gopī-jana-vallabha. They are thinking of Kṛṣṇa as gopī-jana-vallabha. That is Kṛṣṇa's business. Rādhā-mādhava gopī-jana-vallabha. So how gopī-jana-vallabha was dealing, they were always thinking. In that ecstasy they were getting life.\nOtherwise, they had no comforts of the body. They gave up everything, living underneath a tree, and became a mendi... Kaupīna-kanthāśritau. Kaupīna means simply the two pieces of underwear, that's all. No gorgeous clothing, nothing of the sort. But they were rich in understanding the gopī-jana-vallabha.\nThey understood what is gopī-jana-vallabha. Gopī-bhāva-rasa. That is just like ocean. Rasāmṛtābdhi. There is a rasa, mellow, which they were tasting twenty-four hours, and therefore they didn't care whether they were living underneath a tree or there was no cloth, no food. That doesn't matter. Gopī-jana-vallabha.\nSo sādhavaḥ, they are... Apparently, it appears that they are living in a very..., in a poor condition. But they are very rich. Sādhavaḥ. Sādhavaḥ sādhu-bhūṣaṇāḥ. These are the symptoms of sādhu.\ntitikṣavaḥ kāruṇikāḥ\nsuhṛdaḥ sarva-dehinām\najāta-śatravaḥ śāntāḥ\nsādhavaḥ sādhu-bhūṣaṇāḥ\n[SB 3.25.21]\nThe first thing is they are very tolerant, titikṣavaḥ; kāruṇikāḥ, compassionate; and suhṛdaḥ, friend of all living entities. They are not like that... Just like politicians, they are friends only to the countrymen or to the party. But still, they are so much eulogized: \"Oh, he is our leader.\"\nBut this sort of leader cannot be compared with a sādhu, because a sādhu is leader for all living entities. They are thinking of the ant also, how it will be helped. Not only human society or own society, family members. There cannot be broader-minded than a sādhu.\nThat is real sādhu. Suhṛdaḥ sarva-dehinām. Friend of all living entities. Never mind whether it is an ant or whether he is Brahmā—he's friend of everyone. Ajāta-śatravaḥ. And because a sādhu is friend of everyone, there cannot be any conceivable enemy. But still, there are enemies. That is the nature of the world.\nSo here it is said, ye sādhavaḥ samadṛśaḥ. Samadṛśaḥ. Samadṛśaḥ means equally, equipoised. Not that \"I shall simply serve this, my brothers or my community or my society or my nation or the human society.\" Nowadays there is a hobby. Just like Vivekananda: \"daridra-nārāyaṇa-sevā,\" the human society, the poor men. And chāga-nārāyaṇa, the goat nārāyaṇa, they must be killed for this daridra-nārāyaṇa-sevā. This kind of discrimination of not for the sādhu. He's not a sādhu. Sādhu is equally disposed to all living entities—not only human society; animal society.\nIn the material atmosphere... Because the material atmosphere is envious one another. I am envious to you, you are envious to me. That is the position of the material world. So these so-called philanthropists or altruists, they take a section only, do good to them, but neglect others. Neglect others. Or others are enemies. But a sādhu is equipoised. He takes compassion for all kinds of living entities. Suhṛdaḥ sarva-dehinām. Ajāta-śatravaḥ śāntāḥ sādhavaḥ sādhu-bhūṣaṇāḥ.\nYe sādhavaḥ samadṛśo bhagavat-prapannāḥ. So without being surrendered soul to Kṛṣṇa, bhagavat-prapannāḥ, there cannot be any sādhu and there cannot be any man equipoised to everyone. [short Hindi conversation with a woman] But these are the description of sādhu. Bhagavat-prapannāḥ. Each and every word is so nice, perfect, in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, describing ye sādhavaḥ. Sādhavaḥ means those who are pious men. Who is a pious man? Samadṛśaḥ. Samadṛśaḥ, equipoised. And bhagavat-prapannāḥ.\nSo therefore the conclusion is the same thing as we repeat several times: without being Kṛṣṇa conscious, nobody can be a good man. That's all. We should not hate, that \"Oh, he's not a good man; therefore we have to hate.\" No. That is not our business. No. But this is the conclusion. And because the world is full of no good men, therefore we have to preach.\nSo we cannot hate, even he's not a good man. But this is a fact. One who is not a Kṛṣṇa conscious person, he's not a good man. But our duty is preach. Because the world is full of no-good men, therefore we have to preach. Otherwise what is the use of preaching? Therefore we should not be envious, although a man is not good man. That is the time. Samadṛśaḥ. \nJust like Gosvāmīs. Kṛṣṇotkīrtana-gāna-nartana-parau premāmṛtāmbho-nidhī dhīrādhīra-jana-priyau. Dhīra. Dhīra means sober, and adhīra means rascals. So dhīrādhīra-jana-priyau. They were priya, dear, both the rascals and good men, because they were distributing Kṛṣṇa consciousness.\nJust like Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Caitanya Mahāprabhu, just you saw in Benares. Not that all the men who joined the procession, they were all good men, from materialist's point of view. But this Caitanya Mahāprabhu is so kind, thousand of men joined Caitanya and they danced. Dhīrādhīra. Not that in the crowd only selected devotees were there. No. Most of them, ninety-nine percent, all nondevotees. Similarly, in your country you have seen. That Caitanya Mahāprabhu statue attracted so many people in Berkeley.\nDhīrādhīra-jana-priyau. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu and His servant, they are dear both to the sober and rascals. Dhīrādhīra-jana-priyau. Because in their mind there is no such discrimination that \"Here is a rascal. I shall not talk to him,\" or \"Here is only good man. I shall talk to him.\" No. Nityānanda Prabhu, He first of all selected, \"Oh, here is Jagāi-Mādhāi. All right, first..., My first business is with them,\" and delivered them. These are the examples. Sādhu.\nWhat is sādhu? Sādhu is not with a tilaka and in a secluded place chanting and not coming out and very..., imitating Haridāsa Ṭhākura. And as soon as the throat is dry, \"Oh, bīḍī. Give me bīḍī.\" You see? These imitations are going on. You see? Showing just like Haridāsa Ṭhākura, but chanting, chanting, the throat becomes dry, and immediately assistance of cigarette or bīḍī is required, or a gāñjā, [laughter] still more.\nWhat do you think, Muktānanda? Is it not? Did you practice this?",
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"content": "\n No, I have not... [laughter]",
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"content": "\n Thank you. Therefore you have come to us. Because... So sādhavaḥ samadṛśo bhagavat-prapannāḥ tān nopasīdata [SB 6.3.27]. These are the signs of sādhu. \"Don't approach there.\" Yamarāja says, \"Don't approach there. Be careful. You have no business to go there.\" Nopasīdata. \"Don't approach.\" Why nopasīdata? Harer gadayābhiguptān. You know, Viṣṇu has got club?\nImmediately that club will be used. Just like the Viṣṇudūta acted in case of Ajāmila as soon as they approached. Therefore warning, \"Don't do this again. One who's a devotee, don't do, don't go there. Otherwise... They are protected by the club of Viṣṇu, cakra. Immediately that will be used.\" Just see, everything is clearly said.\nSo simply become Kṛṣṇa devotee, your life is successful. That's all. You are well protected and you are very recognized. Your qualities, your everything becomes all transcendental, immediately. It is so nice. Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām [Bg. 18.66]: \"I'll give you.\" That is... These are things are stated.\nTān nopasīdata harer gadayābhiguptān\nnaiṣāṁ vayaṁ na ca vayaḥ prabhavāma daṇḍe\n[SB 6.3.27]. \n\"They are not our candidates, and neither we have got any power to punish them. Even he's in wrong, that is not our jurisdiction. That is Kṛṣṇa's jurisdiction. Kṛṣṇa will see to it what to do, even if he's wrong.\" That is called departmental punishment. That is Kṛṣṇa's departmental punishment, not outside. \"Kṛṣṇa may punish him or excuse him; that is Kṛṣṇa's business, not ours.\"\nTherefore a devotee knows, when he's fully surrendered to Kṛṣṇa, if there is some punishment from the side of Kṛṣṇa, they accept it as mercy of Kṛṣṇa. Tat te 'nukampāṁ susamīkṣamāṇaḥ [SB 10.14.8]. They have the eyes to see that \"This is mercy of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa has put me into some dangerous position. That is Kṛṣṇa's mercy.\" And actually it is so. By a little inconvenience, immediately he's rectified.\nSo Yamarāja says, naiṣāṁ vayaṁ na ca vayaḥ prabhavāma daṇḍe. Atas tān nopasīdata samipan api na gacchata.[?] Śrīdhara Svāmī says, \"Do not try to go their vicinity even, what to speak of going directly before them. Where they are sitting, don't go hundreds of thousands of years away's time.\" Vayaḥ kālo 'pi na prabhavati. Then the Yamadūta can say that \"We may not go, but the time factor will act on them.\" So that is also, \"No. There is no question of time factor for them.\" Such are the facilities.\nNow, Yamarāja is a mahājana. We have to take his statement how devotees are stated. Kṛṣṇa says summarily that \"I'll give you protection.\" And how they are protected you have to learn from the mahājana. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ [Cc. Madhya 17.186].\nThen next question will be: \"Then what is our business? Where to go? Suppose they're all devotee?\" Sometimes a rascal question is there, that \"If everyone becomes devotee, how this world will go on?\" That is their concern. If everyone becomes honest, how the prison house will go on? What is the use of prison house? If it is closed, that is good. Similarly, if the whole world becomes devotee and the business of the material world is closed for good, that is very good. But that will not happen. That is not possible.\nSo Yamarāja says, tān ānayadhvam. Tān ānayadhvam asato vimukhān mukunda-pādāravinda-makaranda-rasād ajasram [SB 6.3.28]: \"You simply approach to persons who are averse to the lotus feet of Mukunda, Kṛṣṇa. One who does not relish the honey in the lotus feet...\" Because in the lotus there is honey. So devotees, they take the honey in the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. One who is averse to this nice honey at the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, but how...? What they are tasting?\nThey are tasting: niṣkiñcanaiḥ paramahaṁsa-kulair asaṅgair juṣṭād gṛhe niraya-vartmani baddha-tṛṣṇān. Those who are not associating with pure devotees, niṣkiñcanaiḥ, one who has no other business than to taste the honey at the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa... The persons who are not associating, that means those who are not becoming Life Members of Kṛṣṇa conscious movement, [chuckles] Yamarāja is advising, \"Go there.\" [laughter] \"Go there.\"\nWhy? Why? Now, juṣṭād gṛhe niraya-vartmani baddha-tṛṣṇān. They are staying at home, which is the path to hell, and they are absorbed in unlimited desires. Gṛhe. Gṛhe. Gṛhe means staying at home, not going out for canvassing for Kṛṣṇa. Gṛhe niraya-vartmani. What is this gṛhe? Niraya means hell, and vartmani means path. Gṛhe means \"the path of going to hell.\"\nThat was also advised by Prahlāda Mahārāja. Gṛham andha-kūpam [SB 7.5.5]. Tyaktvā gṛham andha-kūpam. Andha-kūpam, this blind well. I saw one blind well in Ascot when I was at... What is his name?",
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"content": "\n John Lennon.",
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"content": "\n John Lennon's house. There was a blind pit, and it was covered with grass, and somebody fell. So this gṛham andha-kūpam, this family life is sometimes... Unless there is Kṛṣṇa, the family life... Without Kṛṣṇa, without Kṛṣṇa consciousness, family life is just like a blind well covered with grass. As soon as you go, and fall down. Prahlāda Mahārāja recommended that one should give up this blind well and go to the open forest.\nSo here also it is said, gṛhe niraya-vartmani baddha-tṛṣṇān. And why they are staying in that blind well? Baddha-tṛṣṇān: conditioned by material desires. Just see. Thinking that \"I am in family. My..., they are friends, they are my countrymen, they are my children, and they'll give me protection. What this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement will give us protection? They have no money. They are begging. So how they can?\" No. That is their idea, that \"This my family affairs, a nice situation, that will give me protection.\" But that is wrong.\nTeṣāṁ nidhanaṁ paśyann api na paśyati.\ndehāpatya-kalatrādiṣv\nātma-sainyeṣv [asatsv api]\nteṣāṁ pramatto nidhanaṁ\npaśyann api na paśyati\n[SB 2.1.4]\nThey think that \"This atmosphere will give me protection,\" without seeing that they'll be all destroyed by the laws of nature. So Yamarāja says, \"Those who are under this conception, that 'This secure home life will give me protection...,' \" but that is not the fact. Such security means security for gliding down to hell. That's all. Juṣṭād gṛhe niraya-vartmani baddha-tṛṣṇān.\n[reads commentary:] Ke tarhi daṇḍārtham anaya tat praha tan iti darbhyam asataḥ.[?] Asataḥ, duṣṭān. Asat means duṣṭān, rogues. Asato duṣṭān tan eva aha mukunda pādāravindayoḥ.[?] How one can distinguish that he's a rogue? That's what I say, that rogue you can understand immediately: who is not Kṛṣṇa conscious. He's a rogue. So tān evāha mukunda-pādāravindayo makaranda-rūpa-rasaṁ tasmād vimukhān.\nThose who are averse to taste the honey in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they are rogues. They are rogues. And the Yamarāja is advising, \"Go there. Bring them here, and I shall chastise them nicely.\" That is Yamarāja's... Duṣṭān tān eva āha mukunda-pādāravindayo yo makaranda-rūpa tasmād vimukhān. Kathām bhūtat? Niṣkiñcinair ajasram juṣṭād tesam jñāpakam aha niraya-vartmani sva-dharma-sunye gṛhe baddha trsnad ye tan.[?]\nSo what is their symptoms? Their symptoms we shall describe tomorrow.\n[break] ...the advantages of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Yes. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ [Cc. Madhya 17.186]. Yamarāja personally explains. He is mahājana. Anyone who is not Kṛṣṇa conscious, he's a candidate for Yamarāja.\n[aside] You replay it.",
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"content": "\n Replay?\n[break] ...incarnations are as unlimited as there are waves in the sea. As there is no limit how many waves are there, similarly there is no limit of Kṛṣṇa's incarnation. But some of the prominent incarnations connected with this world, they have been mentioned.\nNow this boy is advancing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness by this method. So Kauśalyā has transferred Kṛṣṇa consciousness to him?\n She's leaving today.\n But he's also leaving today. That means he has to transfer it to someone else. [break]",
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"content": "\n ...ādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ. We should not transfer our service to somebody. The more we serve, the more we understand Kṛṣṇa. We should follow this principle. Sevonmukhe hi... The only means of understanding Kṛṣṇa is service. There is no other means. [break]",
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"content": "\n Some day one person will do the floor, and the next day another person? Is that all right?",
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"content": "\n If one man can continue, that's nice. Why should we try for another man?",
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"content": "\n I was thinking that everybody could have an opportunity that way.",
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"content": "\n Well, that is very doubtful. [chuckles] The opportunity is neglected. That attitude, it is accepted that \"Here is an opportunity,\" that is very nice. But sometimes we try to transfer the opportunity, being compassionate with another devotee. [laughter] Himāvatī? [chuckles]",
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"content": "\nYes.",
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"content": "\n Devotees are very compassionate. [laughs] Kāruṇikāḥ. \"Please you take this service, and other service, I may take prasādam. [laughter] That I cannot neglect.\" And Kṛṣṇa is so kind, any service you do, still you are accepted. Either you take this service or that service, still you are accepted. [end]",
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https://vedabase.io/en/library/transcripts/690213bg-los-angeles/
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"content": "\n Chapter Six, Sankhya Yoga. Verse number one: \"The Blessed Lord said, 'One who is unattached to the fruits of his work and works as he is obligated is in the renounced order of life, and he is the true mystic, not he who lights no fire and performs no work.' \"\nPurport. \"In this chapter the Lord explains that the process of the eightfold yoga system is a means to control the mind and the senses. However, this is very difficult for people in general to perform, especially in this Age of Kali. Although the eightfold yoga system is recommended in this chapter, the Lord emphasizes that the process of karma-yoga, or acting in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, is better.\n\"Everyone acts in this world to maintain his family and their paraphernalia, but no one is working without some self-interest, some personal gratification, be it concentrated or extended. The criterion of perfection is to act in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and not with a view to enjoy the fruits of work.\n\"To act in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the duty of every living entity, because we are constitutionally parts and parcels of the Supreme. The parts of the body work for the satisfaction of the whole body. The limbs of the body do not act for self-satisfaction but for the satisfaction of the complete whole.\n\"Similarly, the living entity, acting for satisfaction of the supreme whole and not for personal satisfaction, is the perfect sannyāsī, the perfect yogī. The sannyāsīns sometimes artificially think that they have become liberated from all material duties, and therefore they cease to perform agni-hotra yajñas, fire sacrifices.\"",
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"content": "\n There are some yajñas to be performed by everyone for purification. So a sannyāsī does not require to perform the yajñas. So by stopping that ritualistic performance of yajña, sometimes they think that they are liberated. But actually, unless he comes to the standard platform of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, there is no question of liberation.\nGo on.",
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"content": "\n \"But actually they are self-interested, because their goal is to become one with the impersonal Brahman.\"",
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"content": "\n Yes. There is demand. The impersonalists, they have got one demand, that to become one with the supreme impersonal being. But a devotee has no demand. He simply engages himself to serve Kṛṣṇa for the satisfaction of Kṛṣṇa. They do not want anything in return. That is pure devotion. Just like Lord Caitanya said, na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye [Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4]:\n[O almighty Lord, I have no desire to accumulate wealth, nor do I desire beautiful women, nor do I want any number of followers. I only want Your causeless devotional service, birth after birth.]\n\"I do not want any wealth, I do not want any number of followers, I do not want any nice wife. Simply let me be engaged in Your service.\" That's all. That is the bhakti-yoga system.\nWhen Prahlāda Mahārāja was asked by Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva, \"My dear boy, you have suffered for Me so much, so whatever you want, you ask from Me,\" so he refused. \"My dear Master, I am not doing mercantile business with You, that I will take some remuneration from You for my service.\" This is pure devotion.\nSo yogīs or the jñānīs, they are demanding that they should become one with the Supreme. Why one with the Supreme? Because they have got bitter experience by the separation of material pangs. But a devotee has no such thing. The devotee remains, although separate from the Lord, he is fully enjoying in the service of the Lord.\nGo on.",
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"content": "\n \"Such a desire is greater than any material desire. But it is not without self-interest. Similarly, the mystic yogī who practices the yoga system with half-open eyes, ceasing all material activities, desires some satisfaction for his personal self. But the person...\"",
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"content": "\n Actually the yogīs want some material power. That is the perfection of yoga. Not perfection; that is one of the procedure. Just like if you are actually practicing the regulative principles of yoga, then you can get eight kinds of perfection. You can become lighter than the cotton swab. You can become heavier than the stone. You can get anything, whatever you like, immediately. Sometimes you can even create a planet. Such powerful yogīs are there.\nViśvāmitra Yogī, he did it actually. He wanted to get man from palm tree, that \"Why man should be begotten through the..., living ten months within the womb of mother? They'll be produced just like fruit.\" He did it like that. So sometimes yogīs are so powerful, they can do. So these are all material powers. Such yogīs, they are also vanquished. How long you can remain on this material power? So bhakta-yogīs, they do not want anything such.\nGo on. Yes.",
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"content": "\n \"But a person acting in Kṛṣṇa consciousness works for the satisfaction of the whole without self-interest. A Kṛṣṇa conscious person has no desire for self-satisfaction. His criterion of success is the satisfaction of Kṛṣṇa. And thus he is the perfect sannyāsī or perfect yogī.\n\"Lord Caitanya, the highest perfectional symbol of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, prays in this way: 'O almighty Lord, I have no desire to accumulate wealth, nor to enjoy beautiful women. Neither do I want any number of followers. What I want only is the causeless mercy of Your devotional service in my life, birth after birth.' \"",
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"content": "\n So a devotee does not want even salvation. Why Lord Caitanya says \"birth after birth\"? The salvationists, they want to stop; the voidists, they want to stop this material way of life. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu says \"birth after birth.\" That means He is prepared to undergo all kinds of material pangs birth after birth. But what He wants? He simply wants to be engaged in the service of the Lord. That is the perfectional.\nI think you can stop. Stop here.",
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"content": "\n Prabhupāda? You said that the spirit soul is one ten-thousandth the tip of a hair. In the spiritual sky, is the spirit soul still just that big?",
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"content": "\n Hmm?",
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"content": "\nThe spirit soul, when he goes back...",
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"content": "\n That is his constitutional position. Either in the spiritual sky or in material sky, he's the same. But as you develop in the material world material body, similarly, in the spiritual world you can develop a spiritual body. You follow? Your position is that small particle, but spirit can expand. This expansion in the material world is being done in contact with matter. And in the spiritual world, that expansion can be done in spirit.\nHere in the material world I am spirit soul. I am different from this body, because this body is matter and I am living. I am living force, but this material body is not living force. And in the spiritual world there is everything living force. There is no dead matter. Therefore the body is also spiritual. Just like water with water—water, that's all. But water and oil—distinction. Similarly, I am spirit soul; I am the oil. So I am in the water, so there is distinction. But if I am put into the oil, then everything's all right.\nSo the impersonalists, they do not develop body. They simply remain as spirit particle. That is their idea. But we Vaiṣṇava, we want to serve Kṛṣṇa; therefore we require hands, legs and mouth and tongue, everything. So we are given such body. As you are getting this body from the womb of the mother, similarly we get body in the spiritual world. Not from the womb of the mother, but there is process to get, you can get.\nViṣṇujana\n:\n That can't be done artificially, though. Nobody can do like a trick.\n Artificially?\nViṣṇujana\n: Yes, no one can develop a spiritual body just by His own whim, \"Oh, I shall develop spiritual body.\"\n This Kṛṣṇa consciousness practice is turning this material body into spiritual body. How it is done? The example I have several times given, that you put the iron in the fire. The more it is warm, it becomes fire. When the iron is red hot—that means when the iron has acquired the qualities of fire—you touch the iron anywhere, it will act as fire.\nSimilarly, this body, although it is material... There are so many examples. Just a..., a metal, electrified, the metal is not electricity, but when it is electrified, you touch the metal, you get electric shock immediately. Just like the electric wire. Copper, it is copper. But as soon as it is electrified, you touch it, you get electric shock. There are so many examples. Similarly, if your body is spiritualized, then the material action is no more. Material action means sense gratification. So the more one becomes spiritualized, the material demands become nil: no more material activities.\nSo how you can do that? The same example: You have to keep the iron constantly with the fire. You have to keep yourself constantly in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then even your this body, material body, is spiritualized. There is a Sanskrit grammatical law which is called māyāt..., māyāt-proktaya[?]. Māyāt means, there is a word, just like svarṇamaya. Svarṇamaya means golden. Golden can be called, when it is made of pure gold, that is also golden. And if it is made of something else but the coating is gold, large quantity of gold, it is also golden. Similarly, when this material body is full with spiritual activities only, this is also spiritual.\nTherefore saintly persons... Of course, in your country everyone is put into the grave after passing away, but in India, according to Vedic system, only very high personality, devotees, their body is not burned. It is considered spiritual. A sannyāsī's body is not burned, because it is considered spiritual. So how it becomes spiritual? The same example: When the body has no more any material activities, simply spiritual activity in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that body is spiritual.\nSo if this world is become full in Kṛṣṇa consciousness—nobody is working for sense gratification, only for satisfaction of Kṛṣṇa—this world becomes spiritual world immediately. This requires little time to understand. Anything used for Kṛṣṇa, simply for Kṛṣṇa's satisfaction, it is spiritual. Just like we are using this microphone for talking about Kṛṣṇa, then it is spiritual. Otherwise, what is the difference between this prasādam and ordinary food?\nWe are distributing prasādam. People will say, \"What is prasādam? The same fruit we eat, and you have simply cut into pieces, it has become prasādam?\" They can say that. \"How it is prasādam?\" But it is prasādam. You go on eating this prasādam, you become spiritualized. Actually it is prasādam. Just like the same example: if I take that iron, hot iron, if I say, \"It is fire,\" somebody may say, \"Oh, why it is fire? It is iron.\" I say, \"Touch it.\" [laughter] You see? These are crude examples, but that is the...\nWhen your activities... Actually, in higher sense there is no matter. There is no matter; everything is spiritual, because Kṛṣṇa is spiritual. Kṛṣṇa is whole spirit, and the matter is one of the energy of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore it is also spirit. But because it is being misused, not for the purpose of Kṛṣṇa, therefore it is matter. So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to spiritualize, respiritualize the whole thing—whole social position, political position, anything.\nIt is very nice movement. People should try to understand it. And if it will actually spiritualize the whole world... Of course that is not possible, but the ideal is like that. But at least if individually one tries this respiritualization method, his life become perfect. Yes?",
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"content": "\n Prabhupāda, it is written in the Bhagavad-gītā that we just read from about how you think that Kṛṣṇa will provide for us. And also further on in the Gītā it is said that God helps those who help themselves.",
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"content": "\n Yes.",
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"content": "\n Now, how should we determine what we should...?",
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"content": "\n Helping yourself means you put yourself under Kṛṣṇa; that is helping yourself. [laughter] And if you think, \"Oh I can protect myself,\" then you are not helping yourself. Just like this finger, so long it is healthy, working, if there is some trouble, I can spend thousands of dollars for this. But if this finger is cut off from my body, if you trample down with your feet this finger, I don't care for it. Similarly, to help oneself means to put oneself in the proper position, as part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. That is real helping. Otherwise how you can help?\nThe finger can help itself by putting itself in the proper position of the hand and work for the whole body. That is proper position. If the finger thinks that \"I shall remain separated from this body and help myself,\" it will die. So as soon as you think that \"I shall live independently without caring for Kṛṣṇa,\" that is my death. And as soon as I engage myself as part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, that is my life.\nSo helping oneself means to know one's position and work in that way. That is helping. Without knowing what is his position, how one can help oneself? It is not possible.\nYes?",
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"content": "\n We should always try to act discriminately and always try to serve Kṛṣṇa and not have Kṛṣṇa serve us. Always feel that we should try to serve Kṛṣṇa, and not say that we will do this and Kṛṣṇa will provide, Kṛṣṇa will help us.",
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"content": "\n You are serving Kṛṣṇa, that means you are doing. Serving means doing. What do you mean by serving? Actually when you serve somebody, are you not doing something? You are engaged in serving Kṛṣṇa how? You are going to preach Kṛṣṇa consciousness, you are cooking, you are cleansing, you are so many doing something. So helping Kṛṣṇa means doing.\nHelping Kṛṣṇa does not mean you sit down tightly. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness activities. Whatever asset you have got to work, utilize it for Kṛṣṇa. That is bhakti. Now we have got..., what assets we have got? We have got the mind. All right, think of Kṛṣṇa. We have got this hand—wash the temple or cook for Kṛṣṇa. We have got the legs—go to the temple of Kṛṣṇa. We have got this nose—oh, smell the flowers offered to Kṛṣṇa. So we can engage.\nSo Kṛṣṇa consciousness engage means working, activity. Arjuna, he was declining to act, and Kṛṣṇa was enthusing him to act. This is the whole Bhagavad-gītā. Kṛṣṇa consciousness does not mean that no work. To engage yourself in Kṛṣṇa consciousness means to work—for Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa does not say—of course in this chapter Kṛṣṇa will say something about—He never says Arjuna, \"My dear friend Arjuna, you don't care for this war. Sit down and meditate upon Me.\" Have you seen in this Bhagavad-gītā?\nThis meditation means to stop all nonsense work, sit down tightly? But those who are advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they have to work for Kṛṣṇa. Just like child, simply disturbing. The mother says, \"My dear child, sit down here.\" But if he can work nicely, \"Oh, yes,\" mother asks, \"My dear boy, you have to do this, you have to do that, you have to do that.\" So sit down tightly for the nonsense, not for the sensible. For the nonsense, the more he sits down, at least he does not commit any nonsense, that's all. Negation of nonsense. That is not positive. Here is positive activities.\nSo negation is no life. Positive life is life. \"Don't do this\" is no life. \"Do this,\" this is life. But in order to do rightly, there are some things \"don't.\" \"Don't\" is not life; \"do\" is life. The whole Bhagavad-gītā is \"do.\" \"Do fight for Me.\" There is nothing \"don't.\" Arjuna wanted, \"Don't induce me.\" And Kṛṣṇa did not like that. \"You are speaking like non-Āryan.\" Kutas te kaśmalam idam [Bg. 2.2]. \n[The Supreme Person [Bhagavān] said: My dear Arjuna, how have these impurities come upon you? They are not at all befitting a man who knows the progressive values of life. They do not lead to higher planets, but to infamy.]\nAnārya-juṣṭam. \"It is... This kind of words are spoken by the non-Āryans.\" He was accused of being non-Āryan. Anārya.\nSo Kṛṣṇa consciousness does not mean sitting idly. No. We have the whole pastimes of Kṛṣṇa is full of activities. When you go to spiritual world, Kṛṣṇa is always dancing. You have to twenty-four hours dance there and eat there. Where is sit down? There is no question of sit down. Have you heard anything about gopīs meditating? Sit down? [laughter] [chuckles] Have you heard? Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu? What is that, dancing, \"Hare Kṛṣṇa.\" You see? You are spirit soul. How you can stop yourself silent? That is not possible.\nArjuna refused. And you'll find in this chapter when Arjuna was recommended, \"My dear Arjuna, you meditate,\" he immediately refused: \"My dear Kṛṣṇa, it is not possible for me. It is not possible for me.\" That is actual fact. How it is possible for him? He was a householder man; he wanted kingdom, he wanted to rule over the country. Where is the time for his meditation? He flatly refused: \"My dear Kṛṣṇa, it is not possible for me.\"\nHe said that controlling the mind, vāyor iva suduṣkaram: \"It is as difficult as to control the air.\" That is a fact. You have to engage the mind in Kṛṣṇa. Then it is controlled. Otherwise, artificially you cannot control. It is impossible. Arjuna said, what to speak of others. Who is Arjuna? Personally talking with Kṛṣṇa. Do you think he is ordinary man? He said that it is impossible.\nVāyor iva suduṣkaram. This very example he has given. Cañcalaṁ hi manaḥ kṛṣṇa pramāthi balavad dṛḍham [Bg. 6.34]:\n[For the mind is restless, turbulent, obstinate and very strong, O Kṛṣṇa, and to subdue it is, it seems to me, more difficult than controlling the wind.]\n\"My dear Kṛṣṇa, You are asking me to control the mind. It is so powerful, and restless, I think to control the mind is as good as to control the air.\" If there is high wind, can you control it? He gives this example. You can control the mind when you fix up the mind in Kṛṣṇa's lotus feet. That's all. No nonsense can come within your mind; simply Kṛṣṇa. That is perfection of meditation.\n[break] ...activities?",
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"content": "\n What is recreation for a Kṛṣṇa conscious person?",
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"content": "\n Recreation? Dancing. [laughter] Come on, dance with us. Is it not recreation? And when you get tired, take prasādam. Do you want more recreation than this? What is your answer? Is it not recreation?",
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"content": "\n Yes. I think it is difficult for someone who comes from...",
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"content": "\n Why difficult? Dancing is difficult? Chant and dance?",
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"content": "\n It's easier for a devotee who lives in the temple.",
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"content": "\n Oh, but as you can come, anyone can come. Everyone is welcome. We don't charge anything for this dancing. You go to ball dance and so many other dances, you pay for it. But we don't charge. We simply..., our these students simply beg something, because we have to maintain.\nWe don't charge anything. So if you simply come and dance for recreation, it is very nice. Everything is there in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We want music—there is music. We want dancing—there is dancing. You can bring nice musical instruments—you can join. We distribute nice, palatable dishes.\nSo practically this is a system of recreation only. [laughter] Yes. If you seriously think, you'll find this system there is no labor at all; simply recreation. Su-sukham [Bg. 9.2]. \n[This knowledge is the king of education, the most secret of all secrets. It is the purest knowledge, and because it gives direct perception of the self by realization, it is the perfection of religion. It is everlasting, and it is joyfully performed.]\nThat is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā in the Ninth Chapter you'll find, su-sukham. Everything is pleasing and happy. Find out anything in our system that \"This is troublesome.\" Tell me practically, anyone, that \"This point is very troublesome.\" Just put your counterargument. Simply pleasing. It is simply recreation. That's all. You just point out, \"Swāmījī, your this point is not very recreation or not..., not very..., unhappy portion.\" Nothing.\nPeople want. That is their natural. Just like the children: when they see that boys and girls are dancing, their children also dancing. Automatically. This is spontaneous. This is life. And that is our real life in the spiritual world. There is no anxiety. Simple people are dancing and chanting and eating nicely. That's all. There is no factory, there is no labor, there is no technical institution. There is no need. These are all artificial. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt [Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12], the Vedānta says.\n[By nature, the Supreme Lord is blissful.]\nThe..., every living entity... God is ānandamaya, full of bliss and pleasure, and we are part and parcel of God, we are also the same quality. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt. So our whole process is to join the supreme ānandamaya, Kṛṣṇa, in His dance party. That will make us actually happy.\nHere we are trying to be happy by artificial means, and we are becoming frustrated. But if you actually be situated in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, simply you revive your original position, joyful, simply joyful. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt. These are the Vedānta terms. Because our nature is ānandamaya. People are..., everyone is trying to find out. In this La Cienega Avenue there are so many restaurants, so many things and so many signboards. Why? They are advertising, \"Come on, here is ānanda, here is pleasure.\" He's advertising. We are also doing like that: \"Here is ānanda.\"\nSo everyone is searching after ānanda, pleasure. But there is different standard of pleasure. The same thing. Somebody are trying to find out pleasure from the material point of view, somebody's trying to find pleasure from speculation, philosophy, poetry or art. And somebody's trying to find out pleasure in the transcendental stage. Everyone is trying to find out pleasure. That is our business only. Why you are working so hard day and night? Because you know at night, \"I shall mix with that girl\" or \"I shall be mixed with wife. I shall enjoy.\" The whole..., everyone is accepting all kinds of trouble to find out that pleasure. Pleasure is the ultimate goal.\nBut we do not know where is the pleasure. That is illusion. Real pleasure is in the transcendental form of Kṛṣṇa. You'll find Kṛṣṇa always jolly. There's so many pictures you see. And if we join, you become jolly. That's all. Have you seen any picture Kṛṣṇa is working with machine? [laughter] Huge machine? [chuckles] Or have you seen any picture He is smoking? [laughter] By nature, pleasure. You see? Pleasure. So you have to unfold yourself, unfold yourself in that way, and you find pleasure. Simply full of pleasure, that's all. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt [Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12]. \n[By nature, the Supreme Lord is blissful.]\nBy nature simply pleasure. Not by artificial means.\nĀnanda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhāvitābhiḥ. In the Brahma-saṁhitā you find,\nānanda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhāvitābhis\ntābhir ya eva nija-rūpatayā kalābhiḥ\ngoloka eva nivasaty akhilātma-bhūto\ngovindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi\n[Bs. 5.37]\n[I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, residing in His own realm, Goloka, with Rādhā, resembling His own spiritual figure, the embodiment of the ecstatic potency possessed of the sixty-four artistic activities, in the company of Her confidantes [sakhīs], embodiments of the extensions of Her bodily form, permeated and vitalized by His ever-blissful spiritual rasa.]\nĀnanda-cinmaya-rasa. Rasa means the taste, the mellow. Just like we try to taste a sweetmeat, a sweet candy, anything. Why? Because there is a very nice taste. So everyone is trying to have some taste from everything. We want to enjoy sex life. There is some taste. So that is called ādi—taste. So there are so many tastes. Here in the Brahma-saṁhitā, ānanda-cinmaya-rasa. That taste, material taste, you may taste it, but it will be finished immediately. Immediately finished; say few minutes. Suppose you have got very nice sweetmeat. You taste it. You get, \"Oh, it is very nice.\" \"Take another.\" \"All right.\" \"And another?\" \"No, I don't want.\" Finished. You see?\nSo material taste is finishable. It is not unlimited. But real taste is unlimited. If you taste one, then you cannot forget. It will go on, go on, increasing, increasing. Ānandāmbudhi-vardhanam. Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that \"This taste is simply increasing.\" Although it is oceanlike, great, still it is increasing. Here you have seen ocean. It is limited. Your Pacific Ocean is tossing, but it is not increasing. If it increases there is havoc. You see?\nBut by nature's law, by God's order, it does not come beyond its limit. Within the limit it is. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that there is an ocean of bliss, ocean of taste, of transcendental bliss, which is increasing. Ānandāmbudhi-vardhanaṁ prati-padaṁ pūrṇāmṛtāsvādanaṁ sarvātma-snapanaṁ paraṁ vijayate śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtanam. You'll get, by this chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, your pleasure potency increasing more and more, more and more.\nYes, what is your question?",
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"content": "\n Is Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu present in non-living entities, like rocks?\n [explaining] Is Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu present in non-living entities, like matter?",
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"content": "\n Yes, even in the atom.",
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"content": "\n In His four-armed form, like...",
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"content": "\n Oh, yes. Wherever He lives, He lives in His own paraphernalia. Aṇor aṇīyān mahato mahīyān [Kaṭha Upaniṣad 1.2.20]. \n\"Greater than the greatest, smaller than the smallest.\"\nHe's the biggest than the biggest, and He's the smallest than the smallest. That is Viṣṇu. Aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu-cayāntara-stham [Bs. 5.35]. \n[He is an undifferentiated entity as there is no distinction between potency and the possessor thereof. In His work of creation of millions of worlds, His potency remains inseparable. All the universes exist in Him and He is present in His fullness in every one of the atoms that are scattered throughout the universe, at one and the same time. Such is the primeval Lord whom I adore.]\nParamāṇu means atom. You cannot see even atom, how small. He is within that atom. He's everywhere.",
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"content": "\n Prabhupāda, you told us that wherever Kṛṣṇa is, that is Vṛndāvana. What I was wondering is, if Kṛṣṇa's present within our hearts, does that mean that within our heart is...",
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"content": "\n Yes. One who has realized, he is living in Vṛndāvana anywhere. A realized soul is always living in Vṛndāvana. Caitanya Mahāprabhu also said. One who has realized Kṛṣṇa, then he's always living in Vṛndāvana. He's nowhere. Just like Kṛṣṇa or Viṣṇu is living in everyone's heart, but He is living in the dog's heart also.\nDoes it mean that He's doggish? He's living in Vaikuṇṭha. Although He's living in the dog's heart, but He's living in Vaikuṇṭha. Similarly, a devotee may seem to be living in some place which is far from Vṛndāvana, but he's living in Vṛndāvana. That's a fact. [end]",
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https://vedabase.io/en/library/transcripts/670121cc-san-francisco/
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"content": "\n\n[sings] ...snapanaṁ paraṁ vijāyate śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtanam.\n[Cc. Antya 20.12]\n[Let there be all victory for the chanting of the holy name of Lord Kṛṣṇa, which can cleanse the mirror of the heart and stop the miseries of the blazing fire of material existence. That chanting is the waxing moon that spreads the white lotus of good fortune for all living entities. It is the life and soul of all education. The chanting of the holy name of Kṛṣṇa expands the blissful ocean of transcendental life. It gives a cooling effect to everyone and enables one to taste full nectar at every step.]\nharer nāma-ślokera yei karilā vyākhyāna\nsei satya sukhadārtha parama pramāṇa\n[Cc. Madhya 25.29]\n[Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s explanation of the verse beginning ’harer nāma harer nāma’ is not only pleasing to the ear but is strong, factual evidence.]\nSo one of the chief disciple of Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī, he very much appreciated Caitanya Mahāprabhu's presentation of Vedānta-sūtra and excellent presentation of harer nāma harer nāma harer nāma eva kevalam [Cc. Ādi 17.21]\n[In this Age of Kali there is no other means, no other means, no other means for self-realization than chanting the holy name, chanting the holy name, chanting the holy name of Lord Hari.]\nThat \"In this age there is no other alternative for self-realization than chanting this Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare / Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare,\" harer nāma, the holy name of God. So considering the fallen age at the present moment, God is so merciful and kind that He presents Himself as sound, sound vibration, which everyone can produce by his tongue and can hear, and God is present there.\nSo we have been discussing this... Śreyaḥ sṛtiṁ bhaktim udasya te vibho kliśyanti ye kevala-bodha-labhaye [SB 10.14.4, Cc. Madhya 22.22].\n[My dear Lord, devotional service unto You is the best path for self-realization. If someone gives up that path and engages in the cultivation of speculative knowledge, he will simply undergo a troublesome process and will not achieve his desired result. As a person who beats an empty husk of wheat cannot get grain, one who simply speculates cannot achieve self-realization. His only gain is trouble.]\nDon't waste your time simply, \"What is this? What is that? What is this? What is that?\" Just immediately take shelter of the Supreme Lord. That is your immediate necessity. Because we do not know when death will come.\nSo this is an opportunity. Suppose if you do something and if you are given ultimatum, the deadline, that \"Within five minutes you must finish,\" similarly, this spot of life, in the comparison of our eternal life, it is only five minutes. But if five minutes is wasted simply for eating, sleeping, and for a little comfort of this body, and our mission is forgotten, oh, it is simply suicidal policy.\nTherefore Bhāgavata says, bhaktim udasya. Giving up the devotional service, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, if one is foolishly simply engaged in understanding, \"What is this? What is that...?\" That will be understood. Yasmin vijñāte sarvam etaṁ vijñātaṁ bhavati [Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad 1.3].\n[If one can understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the controller of all controllers, one can understand everything else.]\nIf you understand Kṛṣṇa, if you understand the Supreme Absolute Truth, then there will be nothing unknown. Everything will be known because He is everything. Teṣāṁ kleśala eva śiṣyate nānyad yathā sthūla-tuṣāvaghātinām [SB 10.14.4, Cc. Madhya 22.22].\nSuch persons who are simply wasting time, \"What is this? What is this? What is this?\" their profit is simply labor of love, that's all.\nye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninas\ntvayy asta-bhāvād aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ\n[SB 10.2.32]\n[[Someone may say that aside from devotees, who always seek shelter at the Lord's lotus feet, there are those who are not devotees but who have accepted different processes for attaining salvation. What happens to them? In answer to this question, Lord Brahmā and the other demigods said:] O lotus-eyed Lord, although nondevotees who accept severe austerities and penances to achieve the highest position may think themselves liberated, their intelligence is impure. They fall down from their position of imagined superiority because they have no regard for Your lotus feet.]\nThere is another verse from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Tenth Canto, Second Chapter, twenty-sixth verse [SB 10.2.26].\n[The demigods prayed: O Lord, You never deviate from Your vow, which is always perfect because whatever You decide is perfectly correct and cannot be stopped by anyone. Being present in the three phases of cosmic manifestation-creation, maintenance and annihilation—You are the Supreme Truth. Indeed, unless one is completely truthful, one cannot achieve Your favor, which therefore cannot be achieved by hypocrites. You are the active principle, the real truth, in all the ingredients of creation, and therefore you are known as antaryāmī, the inner force. You are equal to everyone, and Your instructions apply for everyone, for all time. You are the beginning of all truth. Therefore, offering our obeisances, we surrender unto You. Kindly give us protection.]\nIt is said there, ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa. God is addressed, Kṛṣṇa is addressed, as lotus-eyed. His eyes are very nice, so His another name is Aravinda, Aravinda-akṣa. Akṣa means eyes, and aravinda means lotus flower. So one devotee is praying: ye, persons those; aravindākṣa, O the lotus-eyed God. There are persons who, ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta... They are falsely thinking that \"I am now liberated. I have become one with God.\" Falsely thinking. It is just like on some purchasing matter that we have become one with God. Bhāgavata says, \"What, fool, you have become one with God? You are being kicked by the laws of nature. Why do you think foolishly that you are one with God?\"\nSo ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninaḥ [SB 10.2.32]. Vimukta-māninaḥ means they are thinking that \"I am now liberated. I have become one with the Supreme.\" Te, aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ. Their intelligence is not purified. In other words, it is very gentlemanly said, \"Their intelligence is not purified.\" That means they are in the darkness of knowledge, or grand fool, in other words. So these grand fools, they think that \"I have become liberated.\" They are being kicked every second by the laws of nature; still, they think that \"I am liberated.\"\nSo such persons... He aravindākṣa, \"O the lotus-eyed,\" āruhya kṛcchreṇa, \"to become one with You, they perform severe austerity.\" That requires, of course. Śaṅkarācārya recommended monism. Oh, nobody can follow his strict principles. So we simply say that \"We are follower of Śaṅkarācārya.\" You cannot approach even the shadow of Śaṅkarācārya, he was so strict and so disciplinary. He would... They are...\nAccording to Śaṅkara-sampradāya, everyone must take first of all sannyāsa. Sannyāsa means this renounced order of life. There is no question, those who are enjoying this material life, for them to understand Śaṅkara philosophy. It is another foolishness. Śaṅkara does not recognize anybody who has not accepted sannyāsa. That is his first principle.\nSo Śaṅkara-sampradāya, they perform very austere penance and principles. They take three times bath at least, three times. And no clothing; simply one loincloth, one... And their possession is one loincloth and one wooden water pot. That's all. Nothing more. And they will lie down on the floor. So they are strict, I mean to say, renounced order is very strict. So they perform austerity. So Bhāgavata accepts their austerity. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tata. By their severe penances and austerity they come to the supreme position.\nSupreme position means to come to the point of realization of Brahman. Impersonal realization of Brahman, that is not also a joke. It may be impersonal, but that position is very high. That is accepted. That Vaiṣṇavas, or the personalists, they also accept, \"Oh, their position is very high.\" But the difficulty is that Bhāgavata says, āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ [SB 10.2.32].\nAlthough they come to the almost nearer, but, anādṛtaḥ patanty adhaḥ. Anādṛta, if they have no shelter. Just like... It is not joke. If you go up by sputnik some few hundreds and thousands of miles, that is not joke. That is not to be ridiculed. But the danger is that if you do not have shelter, then you come down. If you have no shelter, then what is the use of going up? That shelter is Kṛṣṇa, that supreme abode or Vaikuṇṭhaloka, kingdom of God.\nSo because they have no idea that there is kingdom of God or God is person, you can reach there, you can talk with Him, therefore they have no shelter and their intelligence is not purified, because they have not still completed what is actual knowledge. Actual knowledge, it is stated in the Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā: bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate [Bg. 7.19].\n[After many births and deaths, he who is actually in knowledge surrenders unto Me, knowing Me to be the cause of all causes and all that is. Such a great soul is very rare.]\nThat is actual knowledge. When he comes to the point of understanding the Supreme Personality of Godhead and surrenders, \"My Lord, I have simply wasted my time in this way. Now I understand vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti, You are Vasudeva, Kṛṣṇa. You are everything,\" that is the ultimate end of knowledge.\nAnd so long one does not come to this point, it is to be understood that he has no shelter. And because he has no shelter, he has to come down again. Again. Again to the opening of hospital and giving medicine or so many things philanthropy, what the ordinary men are doing. What is the use of taking your sannyāsa, renouncing this world? Brahmā satyaṁ jagan mithyā.\n[The spirit soul is truth, and the external energy is untruth.]\nŚaṅkarācārya's first principle is this \"Give up this material world. This is all false, nonsense. Come to the Brahman platform.\" So if you go to the Brahman platform, why again you come to this nonsense platform? That means patanty adhaḥ. That means patanty adhaḥ.\nThere is a very big sannyāsī in India, his name is Karpatri. Karpatrijī. So he is very learned scholar. When he speaks about Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, he's such a learned scholar, thousands of people will come to hear him. Actually, he's a very great scholar. But he was very much respectable and he had many disciples, very, I mean to say, a man of position, a sannyāsī. Unfortunately, he has taken now politics. He's after to take back Pakistan and join it with India. That has become his mission. So he is going to jail even—because political movement. So everything he's doing; now his sannyāsa is finished. Now no more Brahman; now again India and Pakistan. That's all.\nSo this is sure. Vivekananda came here to preach Hindu religion. Before that, he had no idea of philanthropic work. And when he came back to India, \"Oh, this is your religion. Oh, so many Indians they are suffering. So many Indians they have no shelter. Oh, give them shelter. Give them hospital.\" Now he became... And collected fund. Vivekananda started new religion, daridra-nārāyaṇa. \nDaridra-nārāyaṇa means the poor, poverty-stricken Bowery men, they should be served, not Kṛṣṇa. That is their mission. The Ramakrishna Mission means to serve daridra-nārāyaṇa. \"Nārāyaṇa has become daridra.\" He has invented some words, \"Nārāyaṇa has become daridra.\" You see Viṣṇu. Viṣṇu, Nārāyaṇa, so opulent. According to Vivekananda, He has become poor now.\nSo these things are going on. These things are nothing. They are symptoms of falling down, nothing more. They are symptoms of falling down. They cannot do a bit of benefit to the humanity. The laws of nature is so strict that if you have to suffer, nobody can check you. That is realized of Prahlāda Mahārāja. There are so many evidences. Bālasya neha pitarau śaraṇam [SB 7.9.19].\n[My Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva, O Supreme, because of a bodily conception of life, embodied souls neglected and not cared for by You cannot do anything for their betterment. Whatever remedies they accept, although perhaps temporarily beneficial, are certainly impermanent. For example, a father and mother cannot protect their child, a physician and medicine cannot relieve a suffering patient, and a boat on the ocean cannot protect a drowning man.]\nSo there are children. There are children. Of course, here a different..., but there are many children, they have got their parents, but they are suffering. Actually, children who have got their parents, they take care. But in spite of their parents being present, they are suffering for want of foods, want of proper management. Therefore it is to be understood that father and mother is not actually the, I mean to say, responsible men to take care of children.\nThen, bālasya neha śaraṇaṁ pitarau nārtasya cāgadam. Ārtasya, those who are suffering, for them, those who are suffering from disease, medicine is not all. Suppose one man is suffering; you give him all treatment and medicine. There are many rich men, they can spend like anything. But does it mean that he'll be cured? No. He may not be cured. He may not be cured. The parents... Even in the presence of parents, the children may suffer. Udanvato, nauḥ.\nAnd suppose you have got very good, nice ship. Do you mean to say that you'll cross over the Atlantic Ocean safely? Oh, at any moment it can be drowned. There is no guarantee. You have got very nice jet plane, you are going to San Francisco. Oh, there is no guarantee that you shall reach there. So therefore, unless there is God's sanction, all these remedies, all these protection is useless. Useless.\nTherefore the best service to the humanity is to revive his Kṛṣṇa consciousness, God consciousness. That will save him. That will save him. Not this little hospital or this little foodstuff. No. That cannot save him. If God neglects one... There is a Bengali..., two lines: rakṣe kṛṣṇa māre ke, māre kṛṣṇa rakṣe ke.\n[If Kṛṣṇa wants to kill you, no one can save you; and if Kṛṣṇa wants to save you, no one can kill you.]\nIf Kṛṣṇa, if God, wants to kill somebody, oh, nobody can protect him. And if God wants to protect him, oh, nobody can kill him. If God wants to kill him, nobody can protect him. And if God wants to kill him, nobody can protect him. Both ways.\nOne Dr. Ghosh, he told me... Because I was in medical business. He went to see one patient. He explained that \"I went to see one patient. He's suffering from pneumonia, and he's so poor man, and he's lying in so unfavorable condition. So our medical science says he would have at once died. But don't see he's dying. He's not dying.\" I have tested this. One doctor at Gayā, he's a Muhammadan doctor. So I saw that many patients are, I mean to..., surrounding him.\nSo when I saw him, I congratulated, \"Doctor, you have got very good patients. Your practice is very nice.\" So his name was Suvahi. He's Muhammadan. So, \"Sir, it is not my credit. If you want my practical experience, I'll say you that with confidence I prescribe somebody some medicine, it fails. And without any confidence, just to take a chance, I prescribe some medicine, 'Oh, let me see if it...' Oh, it works nicely. So actually, I have no credit.\"\nSo that sir, he was honest man to admit, \"It is God's grace that so many patients are being cured in my hand, but I say I have no credit.\" This is really. So we should not take any credit. Everything is under the laws of the Supreme Lord, through the agency of this material, external energy. Just like a government is working under different departments, similarly, God is working under His different energies. That's all.\nHe's sitting with you, He's seeing everything, He knows everything. Vedāhaṁ samatītāni [Bg. 7.26].\n[O Arjuna, as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, I know everything that has happened in the past, all that is happening in the present, and all things that are yet to come. I also know all living entities; but Me no one knows.]\nHe knows your past, present, and He knows your mind. As you wanted to do something, He will remind you, \"My dear boy, you wanted to do this. Do it. And you wanted to place your hand on the fire. You've forgotten. Just place your hand on the fire and see. Test it.\" So this is going on. This is nature's law. And they are suffering. They are being kicked by the material nature; still, they have no sense. \"I am God. I am God.\" These fools, these rascals, has created havoc in the world. Godlessness.\nSo Bhāgavata says that \"They are,\" in a very polished language, that \"their intelligence is not,\" I mean to say, \"pure.\" Aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ [SB 10.2.32]. Buddha means..., buddhi means intelligence; and aviśuddha, not purified. Why not purified? Because they have no shelter. So in spite of their so much austerity, penance, Vedānta reading and jugglery of words, they come back again to the hospital. That's all. That is their business. So ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninas tvayy asta bhāvād aviśuddha... They are simply thinking they are liberated. This is not liberation. Liberation means to have Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is liberation.\n'brahma'-śābde kahe 'ṣaḍ-aiśvarya-pūrṇa bhagavān\ntāṅre 'nirviśeṣa' sthāpi, 'pūrṇatā' haya hāna\n[Cc. Madhya 25.33]\n[The word ’Brahman’ [’the greatest] indicates the Supreme Personality of Godhead, full in all six opulences. But if we take the onesided impersonalist view, His fullness is diminished.]\nThe Brahman, as explained by Caitanya Mahāprabhu—He's summarizing—Brahman means the greatest. Greatest means... How we can estimate greatest? \"Oh, he is the greatest rich man. He is the greatest strong man. He is greatest man of knowledge. He is greatest the man of beauty. He is greatest man of...\" That is God. That's all. You find out any person in this world who is greatest rich man—you won't find.\nTherefore nobody's God. You find out any man, he is the greatest strong man. There is no such thing. If you find me greatest strong, and after a few days you'll find, \"Oh, Bruce is stronger than Swāmījī.\" Then, if you conclude there, you'll find, \"Oh, Dvārakādhīśa is stronger than Bruce.\" You go on. You find stronger and weaker, both. You'll find weaker than you and stronger than you.\nEven if you find an elephant—he's supposed to be the strongest animal—oh, the lion is stronger than you [him]. If you think that lion is very strong, oh, you'll find gorilla is stronger than you [him]. So there is no limit who is the strongest. When you come to the limit... So śāstra says that īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ [Bs. 5.1].\n[Kṛṣṇa who is known as Govinda is the Supreme Godhead. He has an eternal blissful spiritual body. He is the origin of all. He has no other origin and He is the prime cause of all causes.]\nThere are so many īśvaras, gods, that's all right. But the Supreme Lord is Kṛṣṇa, because nobody is found greater than Kṛṣṇa. When Kṛṣṇa was actually present and He manifested as ordinary man like us, in the history we find that nobody was greater than Him. At least, we can find out the Bhagavad-gītā is spoken by Kṛṣṇa. There is nobody in the world who could speak more than Bhagavad-gītā, up to date. The man is so much advanced his knowledge, so-called, that they cannot put a literature like Bhagavad-gītā or they can understand fully. Even Dr. Radhakrishnan fails and other fails.\nSo God means the greatest. Caitanya Mahāprabhu explains on that line. Brahman means the greatest, the Supreme. And how we can estimate one's greatness? These are the symptoms of greatness. So how He can be impersonal? If the Brahman is the richest, if the Brahman is the most beautiful, if Brahman is the most learned, then where is the question of impersonality? Can any impersonal thing become learned? Can any impersonal thing can become richest? That is... Who can challenge this explanation?\nIf you say \"God is great,\" then how we estimate God is great? These are the symptoms. He must be great in richness. He must be great in strength. He must be great in beauty. He must be great in knowledge. He must be great in renunciation. These are the symptoms of greatness. How you can deny it? Where is the... Now, if you say, \"Our idea of great means the sky,\" oh, then God creates the sky, therefore sky is not great; God is great. Just like you see the sunlight distributed all over the universe. If you say, \"This is greatest,\" oh, the sun planet is creating the sunlight; therefore sun planet is greatest, not the sunshine.\nSo we are captivated, tribhir guṇamayī [Bg. 7.13], as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā.\n[Deluded by the three modes [goodness, passion and ignorance], the whole world does not know Me who am above the modes and inexhaustible.]\nWe are captivated by the greatness of the three qualities of nature or the energies of God, and we do not approach God. That is our difficulty. We are simply amazed by seeing the wonderful activities of God's energy. That's all. But we do not approach God. Therefore we are less intelligent. One who does not approach God, simply is captivated by the display of His energy, they are called śakta. Śakta means appreciating the strength or the energy of God. That's all.\nThank you very much.",
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"content": "\n Hare Kṛṣṇa. [end]",
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