That is very horrible for them. That is very horrible to them. If they accept next life... They know their life is very sinful. Then what life they are going to get by the laws of nature? When they think of it, they shudder. "Better deny it. Better deny it." Just like a rabbit. Enemy is in his front, and he is going to die, but the thinks, "Let me close my eyes. I am out of danger." This is atheistic view, that they are trying to forget that there is... Therefore they deny, "There is no life." Why not? Kṛṣṇa says that "You had a childhood body. You had a baby... Now you have... Where is that body? You have left that. You are in different body. Similarly, this body you'll change. You will get another body." And who says? Kṛṣṇa says. The most superior authority, he says. I may not understand, but when He says... This is the process of our knowledge. We accept knowledge from the perfect person. I may be fool, but the knowledge received from the perfect person is perfect.
Closed eyes (Lectures)
Expressions researched:
"close her eyes"
|"close his eyes"
|"close my eyes"
|"close your eyes"
|"closed eyes"
|"closed her eyes"
|"closed his eyes"
|"closed my eyes"
|"closed your eyes"
|"closes his eyes"
|"closing eyes"
|"closing his eyes"
|"closing my eyes"
|"closing one's eyes"
|"closing your eyes"
|"eyes closed"
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
Just like Viśvāmitra Muni. There were many instances. He was a great king and he wanted to be yogi. 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 yogi, 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? So sense gratification, you cannot stop artificially. Nirbandhaḥ kṛṣṇa-sambandhe.
Who is fulfilling these three conditions? Ekākī yata-cittātmā. Ekākī. Ekākī means alone. Śucau deśe. Śucau deśe means very sanctified place. Samaṁ grīvam. This body and the, I mean to say, neck, and the śiraḥ, śiraḥ means this head—they should be in a straight line. And you cannot close your eyes fully. You have to half-close and see the top of your nose. In this way, you sit down always. Never go to sleep. I have seen in my childhood yogi in Calcutta, Kālīghāṭa. He was twenty-four hours sitting. When he was feeling uncomfortable, he had a wooden cot,(?) like that. But he was never sleeping. That is yoga practice. Who is going to do that? It is very difficult. Therefore Arjuna said, "Kṛṣṇa, You are recommending this yoga practice, but it is impossible for me to do." Five thousand years ago, a person like Arjuna declined, "Oh, it is not possible for me." And so many rascals they are trying that yoga system. That is not possible. Yes.
So this is only thinking. Actually they do not know what is God. Otherwise they would not have dared to say that "I am God." They do not know the meaning of God. You see. Therefore they are less intelligent. They are thinking, "I am merged into the..." Just like the rabbit. The rabbit when he is faced with some enemy he closes his eyes. He thinks, "Now I am safe." (laughter) The rascal animal thinks that he is safe now. "I cannot see the enemy."
Just like a child. When there is something fearful the child, it is nature, closes the eyes. I have practical experience. When I was young man I went to the zoo with my little son and as soon as there was a tiger cage, oh, the child closed the eyes. Yes. He could not bear the vicious sight. This is natural.
You do not require to shut your eyes. There are so many beautiful girls sitting. I 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?
So by force you cannot control the senses. That is not... This is... There are many instances. Even great yogis 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). Hṛṣīka 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. Therefore 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.
The neck and the skull and the body should be in one straight line. Samaṁ kāya-śiro-grīvaṁ dhārayann acalam. And should not move. Sit down like this. Samprekṣya nāsikāgram. And one has to see the top portion of the nose. Not that one has to close his eyes completely. No. Then you cannot see. Samprekṣya nāsikā agram. You have to see the upper portion of the nose. That means if you... I have seen in some of the yogic societies, they close the eyes completely, and some of them, about fifty percent of them are snoozing, or sleeping, regularly. Because as soon as you close your eyes, and if you have no subject matter to think, and you have been posted to meditate, you do not know to what to meditate, then the next result is sleeping and nothing more. That is practical. So one has to sleep very hard. Somebody was inquiring here... (chuckles) Of course, some of the students, they were sleeping so he was sarcastically (asking) that "Are they sleeping or meditating?"
That is practical. So one has to sleep very hard. Somebody was inquiring here... (chuckles) Of course, some of the students, they were sleeping so he was sarcastically (asking) that "Are they sleeping or meditating?" So I (said), "Yes, they are meditating by lying down." Yes. So sometimes meditation goes on in sleeping. No. That is not the process. You cannot close your eyes completely. Then you will invite the queen. Sleep and she will capture you. Whole process will be like that.
Here it is said that in order to keep yourself alive, you have to always see the upper portion of your nose. Samprekṣya nāsikāgraṁ svaṁ diśaś cānavalokayan. And you cannot see that who is coming there, "Oh, who is here? Some tiger is coming or something is coming?" No. No fear. Because you are put in a Himalaya, in a secluded place, and in a sanctified place. So you haven't got to, for any other reason, you haven't got to move your neck. That is not possible in the society.
Here it is stated that "One should hold one's body, neck and head erect in a straight line and stare steadily at the tip of the nose." Now here, you have to see. As if you close, meditation, you'll sleep. I have seen. So many so-called meditators, they're sleeping. (makes snoring sound) I've seen it. You see? Because as soon as you close your eyes it is natural that you'll feel sleepy. Therefore, half-closed. You have to see. That is the process. You have to see the tip of your nose, two eyes. Thus with unagitated mind. This process will help your mind to be fixed up, unagitated mind, subdued mind, devoid of fear. Yes. Because you have to, generally the yogis they used to practice in jungle and if he's thinking of, "Some tiger is coming or not, what is that?" (laughter) Or some snake is coming. Because you have to sit down alone in a jungle. You see. There are so many animals. Tigers and deers and snake. So therefore it is specially stated, "devoid of fear." The skin of deer is specially used in yoga-āsana because it has got some medical effect that snakes do not come.
So in this way, this yoga practice will be perfect. Not otherwise. And that is the perfection of yoga. Devoid of all material desires. If you are simply desiring for Kṛṣṇa where is the scope of material desire? Finished, all material desire finished. You haven't got to try for it artificially. "Oh, I shall not see any nice girl. I shall close my eyes." That you cannot do. But if you fix up your mind in Kṛṣṇa consciousness you are dancing with so many beautiful girls. That's all right, as brother and sister there is no question. This is practical perfection of yoga. Artificially you cannot do.
Simply in Kṛṣṇa consciousness all perfection is there. Try to understand it. All perfection. Because that is spiritual platform. Spiritual platform is eternal, blissful and full of knowledge. Therefore there is no misgivings. Yes, go on.
Yoga means indriya-saṁyama, to control the senses. If you allow your senses unrestrictedly and if you make a show of yoga practice, that is not successful. It will never be successful.
So you have to select a nice place, sacred place. Then you have to sit right angular and you have to close your eyes half, not full, and see on the tip of your nose. You cannot change your āsana. There are so many rules and regulations which is not possible at the present moment. What to speak of at the present moment, even five thousand years ago, when circumstances of the world was different... And a personality like Arjuna, who was talking with Kṛṣṇa face to face... Just imagine what is his position. Arjuna belonged to the royal family. He was a great warrior and intimate friend of Kṛṣṇa and constantly living with Him. He, after hearing this process of yoga, aṣṭāṅga-yoga, he said, "My dear Kṛṣṇa, it is not possible for me."
So jīvanaṁ sarva-bhūtānām: He is the life. He is the life. We can see in every step God. People say, "Can you show me God?" Yes. God is seen in so many ways. You just try to see. If you close your eyes, that "I shall not see God," then who can show you? But you can see God in every step. Jīvanaṁ sarva-bhūteṣu tapaś cāsmi tapasviṣu. Tapaś cāsmi, any kind of penance, any kind of perseverance, that is also God. Tapaś cāsmi tapasviṣu. Bījaṁ māṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ viddhi pārtha sanātanam (BG 7.10). And bījam. Bījam means seed. The seed is sanātana, that is eternal. Sanātana means eternal. There is a gigantic tree, but what is the platform, what is the background of this gigantic tree seed? That small seed, that mustardlike grain, seed. That is the background of this large tree.
Actually, we have to think of Kṛṣṇa... Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. Always thinking of Kṛṣṇa. Man-manā bhava mad-bhaktaḥ. Here is Kṛṣṇa's form. Therefore we have to worship Deity. Constantly, if we worship, then Kṛṣṇa's form is always impressed. I can see Kṛṣṇa any, any time. If I close my eyes, I will see Kṛṣṇa, how Kṛṣṇa is nicely dressed. I see Kṛṣṇa is very pleasingly eating what I have prepared with devotion, bhaktyā. Real thing is bhaktyā, not official. Not official. Patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati (BG 9.26). He does not accept anything even it is not offered with bhakti and by the bhakta. He does not accept. Why He shall accept? Is He hungry like me? No. He simply wants to see how you have learned to love Kṛṣṇa, bhakti, how you are eager to serve Kṛṣṇa. That is... Kṛṣṇa wants to see. Otherwise He does not require your service. Lakṣmī-sahasra-śata-sambhrama-sevyamānam (Bs. 5.29). He's always being served by hundreds and thousands of goddess of fortune. They are so much afraid.
These problems are there. What you can do?" That is learning: "Yes. Problems are not solved. The problems are there." That is learning. If you have got some problem, and... Just like the rabbits. The rabbits, when they face one hunter and it understands that "Now my life is in danger," he closes his eyes. He thinks that "The problem is now solved." (laughs) And peacefully he is killed. (laughs) You see? Similarly, the problems are there, but we are closing our eyes: "Oh, there is no problem. We are very happy." That's it. (laughter) So this is called māyā. The problem is not solved, but they are thinking their problem is solved by closing the eyes. That's all.
Now, here is the solution of problem, as Kṛṣṇa says in the fourteenth verse, Seventh Chapter of Bhagavad-gītā: "It is very difficult to surmount the problems offered by the laws of material nature, but one who surrenders unto Me, he overcomes." Therefore we are teaching this Kṛṣṇa consciousness to solve the problems of life. It is not sentiment or fanaticism or any sectarian religion. It is a fact that if you want to solve the problems of life, you have to become Kṛṣṇa conscious.
Just like our conception of eating, that we can eat through the mouth. Whatever eatables are offered to us, we pick them and put into the mouth. We know this is the process of eating. But Kṛṣṇa, because He is acintya-guṇa-svarūpam, His eating process is different from ours. That is also stated in the Brahma-saṁhitā. Aṅgāni yasya sakalendriya-vṛttimanti. He has the limbs of the body, different limbs of the body, they can work also for other limbs of the body. Just like with our eyes we can see. If I close our eyes, we do not see. But Kṛṣṇa, even He closes His eyes, He can see everything with His hand. Now, this is inconceivable. Acintya-guṇa-svarūpam. Therefore it is called acintya. Aṅgāni yasya sakalendriya-vṛttimanti. So the foodstuff is offered there to Kṛṣṇa. He is eating by seeing. He can eat through His eyes. Just like we can eat through our mouth, not with our eyes, but Kṛṣṇa can eat through His eyes simply by seeing. Then you may argue that "The foodstuff is offered. If He has eaten, why it is lying as it is, as it was offered in the beginning?" That is answered in the Upaniṣad. Pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya pūrṇam evāvaśiṣyate (Īśo Invocation). Pūrṇasya. Kṛṣṇa can take the whole plate, but still the whole plate remains. It is not finished. That is spirituality. Pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya pūrṇam evāvaśiṣyate.
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
Prabhupāda: Don't close your eyes.
Pradyumna: "...just seven days before the King's death. Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī was a liberated soul from his very birth. He was liberated even in the womb of his mother, and he did not undergo any sort of spiritual training after his birth. At birth no one is qualified, neither in the mundane nor in the spiritual sense. But Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī, due to his being a perfectly liberated soul, did not have to undergo an evolutionary process for spiritual realization. Yet despite his being a completely liberated person situated in the transcendental position above the three material modes, he was attracted to this transcendental rasa of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is adored by liberated souls who sing Vedic hymns. The Supreme Lord's pastimes are more attractive to liberated souls than to mundane people. He is of necessity not impersonal, because it is only possible to carry on transcendental rasa with a person. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam the transcendental pastimes of the Lord are narrated, and the narration is systematically depicted by Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī. Thus the subject matter is appealing to all classes of persons, including those who seek liberation and those who seek to become one with the Supreme Whole.
God can do that. He can see, eat also, through the eyes. Aṅgāni yasya sakalendriya-vṛttimanti. He can hear with eyes. He can eat with His ear. He can see with His tongue. That is God. Every part of the body is equally good as other part of the body. That is called Absolute Truth. Our, this body, is relative. I cannot see... I am, if I close my eyes, I cannot see with my hand. But Kṛṣṇa can do that.
So, when we offer Kṛṣṇa foodstuff, He eats. He says in the Bhagavad-gītā, aśnāmi.
- patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ
- yo me bhaktyā prayacchati
- tad ahaṁ bhakty-upahṛtam
- aśnāmi prayatātmanaḥ
- (BG 9.26)
Kṛṣṇa says that "My devotee, when he offers Me something eatable, with faith, love and devotion, I eat." Then is He speaking lies? No, He eats. But the atheist class of men, they do not know. They see that the plate is full. Sometimes, if He's forced, He can eat also, there are some incidences. Anyway, He, simply by seeing, He can eat. Simply by seeing. If you don't believe that He's not eating...
Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te (BG 7.14). Everything is explained sākṣāt, directly. Where is the difficulty to find out God? They are searching after God, making research, all nonsense speculation. This is our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, that "Why you are searching?" You say, "Can you show me God?" Why don't you see, "Here is God"? Why, just like the owl you have closed your eyes, not to see the sun? Sun is there. See. Open your eyes and see it. The whole world is going on that "There is no God" or "God is dead" or "Can you show me God?" And "I am God by meditation," "This way," "That way." This is going on. Whole world, especially at the present moment, it is a great disastrous condition, godless civilization. They won't accept the real God, and they'll create some artificial God and become God, "Everyone is God," like that. No.
He is very active because He is supervising the whole activities of the universe, but still, He has nothing to do. That is Kṛṣṇa. We have to understand that. Paśyaty acakṣuḥ. "He is seeing, but acakṣuḥ. Acakṣuḥ means... You may say, "Not seeing." Acakṣuḥ. He does not place His eyesight, but still, He's seeing. How it is? Now, He can see from any part of His body. Just like I close my eyes—I cannot see you. My seeing activities stop. But because, although I am, I have closed my eyes, but my hands are there. So Kṛṣṇa can see by hands, by nails. That is Kṛṣṇa. Aṅgāni yasya sakalendriya-vṛttimanti paśyanti... This very word is used, paśyanti. The limbs of the body of Kṛṣṇa, any part, He can see. Although He may close His eyes, but because other parts of the body are open, therefore He can see. Aṅgāni yasya sakalendriya-vṛttimanti.
Don't go all of a sudden to see the face of the Lord, just like the sahajiyās did. Their reading of Bhāgavata means rāsa-līlā. Rāsa-līlā is the smiling of Kṛṣṇa, where Kṛṣṇa is personally enjoying very sweet smiling. So you don't try to see the smiling of Kṛṣṇa immediately. First of all see, try to see, the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, padāmbujam. Then gradually rise. When you are accustomed to see, as soon as you close your eyes, immediately see Kṛṣṇa's..., then you go further. Go further. Go further. Go further. And that is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, First Canto, Second Canto, Third Canto, Fourth Canto. In this way, you have to go to the Tenth Canto. Then Tenth Canto means the head. And then, in the Tenth Canto, the chapters, Twenty-nine through Thirty-five chapter, that is smiling. Don't try to see Kṛṣṇa smiling immediately. Then you will be baffled. It requires qualification, and it requires time, but if Kṛṣṇa is pleased, He can show His plea..., I mean, smiling immediately. That is a special favor.
So Gāndhārī, she was the daughter of Afghanistan, Ghandahar. Still, the name is there Gandahar. Gandhar. Formerly the name was Gandhar. So Gāndhārī means the daughter of Gandhar country. So when she was informed that her would-be husband is a blind man—Dhṛtarāṣṭra was blind from birth—so immediately she practiced austerity. Voluntarily she closed her eyes with cloth that she would also live as blind. "My husband would be blind. So, although I'm not blind, I must live also as blind." This is the beginning of austerity, Gāndhārī. So Gāndhārī was so faithful, one of the most exalted chaste wife mentioned in the śāstras, Gāndhārī, that in all conditions she followed the husband. At last, when everything was finished in the Battle of Kurukṣetra, no Kaurava, none of the sons or grandsons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra was living, neither of the Pāṇḍavas, still, Gāndhārī was faithfully serving her husband. And Dhṛtarāṣṭra was living with the nephews, Yudhiṣṭhira and his brothers. They were keeping the uncle very comfortably as elder uncle, all respect.
Yudhiṣṭhira. Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira was conscious of his duty, and he at once hurried to the spot with Lord Kṛṣṇa and satisfied the begrieved Dhṛtarāṣṭra with kinds words both from himself and the Lord also. Gāndhārī was a powerful ascetic, although she was living the life of a faithful wife and kind mother. It is said that Gāndhārī also voluntarily closed her eyes because of the blindness of her husband. A wife's duty is to follow the husband cent percent, and Gāndhārī was so true to her husband that she followed him even in his perpetual blindness. Therefore in her actions she was a great ascetic. Besides that, the shock which she suffered because of the wholesale killing of her one hundred sons and her grandsons also was certainly too much for a woman. But she suffered all this just like an ascetic. Gāndhārī, although a woman..."
So nice thing for meditation. But why you are after zero? (laughter) Just see the rascaldom. Here is such nice object for meditation, and they are trying to meditate upon zero. Therefore Bhagavad-gītā says, kleśaḥ adhikataras teṣām avyaktāsakta-cetasām. Kleśa, that "Trouble is more." We can meditate upon Kṛṣṇa, immediately. We are constantly seeing Kṛṣṇa here. So as soon as I close my eyes, I see Kṛṣṇa. That is not very difficult. Anything you see, you'll be able to immediately have the form within your heart, immediately. So there is no difficulty, but they will create some difficult task. Therefore Bhagavad-gītā (says), kleśaḥ adhikataras teṣām. To fix up the mind on Vāsudeva, or Viṣṇu, that is also difficult. But those who are trying to fix up their mind on zero, their position is more difficult, adhikataram. Adhikataram means more.
It is very easy. Su-sukhaṁ kartum avyayam (BG 9.2). And once you get the impression of Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa for meditation, and if you increase, then life, you are success. Life is successful. Because as soon as you become little inclined to see Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa within your heart, that means you have developed His love. Just like if you love somebody, you want to close your eyes and see his face, his..., your child, or your lover. Similarly, as soon as you practice this, how to see, meditate upon Kṛṣṇa, that means you develop. Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti (Bs. 5.38). Then gradually it will increase, and you will be perfect. It is very easy. This process, Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so easy, and so pleasant, anyone can take. There is no difficulty. And if you become Kṛṣṇa consciousness, completely, always thinking of Kṛṣṇa, bahu anudhyānam, always, anudhyānam, thinking of Kṛṣṇa, thinking of Kṛṣṇa—anyone can do it—then you become perfect. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9). That is the problem. Our, what is that problem? Problem is that we are full of anxiety. Why you are full of anxiety? Because you have accepted this material body. So if you stop accepting material body, there is no anxiety. That can be done by vāsudeva-anudhyānam, constantly thinking of Kṛṣṇa.
So you haven't got to pay any price. You are not losing anything.
So jīva vā māra vā. Both ways they are benefited. And the hunter was said, mā jīva mā māra, "You don't live, don't die." What is that? "Now you are hunter, butcher. So nasty life you are living. It was better death. Better for you to death, die. But if you die, then you go to hell. Therefore don't die, don't live." So... (aside:) Don't close your eyes. So Parīkṣit Mahārāja's... This was blessing. Parīkṣit Mahārāja... Don't think that Parīkṣit Mahārāja lost everything. Because he has understood Kṛṣṇa, so according to the statement of Bhagavad-gītā, it is fact that he is going back to home, back to Godhead.
Therefore Parīkṣit Mahārāja... What is the value of this kingdom, of the wealth of this material world? They are temporary. Even if you have got very good kingdom, very nice wife, very nice society, very... How long? And if there is any mistake, next life you can get something else. But so Parīkṣit Mahārāja's life... Because he's born devotee. From the childhood, he's a devotee of Kṛṣṇa.
So water, we drink everyone, and there is rasa, that taste. That taste, if we simply think, "Here is Kṛṣṇa," very easy thing... Raso 'ham apsu kaunteya prabhāsmi śaśi-sūryayoḥ (BG 7.8). As soon as you see the sunlight in the morning, you can think. Kṛṣṇa says. Why do you say, "Can you show me God?" God is showing you Himself. Why don't you see it? If you close your eyes, how you can see God? He says, "I am this." According to our position...
Just like here it is said, śraddhā ratir bhaktir anukramiṣyati. Anukrama means gradually, not that all of a sudden you can expect to see God, but you become qualified to see God. This is the way. Śraddhā ratir bhaktir anukramiṣyati. Ādau śraddhā. Just like with śraddhā. Somebody is thinking, "This hari-kīrtana is nuisance." They are amongst those, duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ. Those (who) are thinking that this hari-kīrtana, hari-kathā, which we are trying to spread all over the world, and they are accepting all over the world... And in India, especially here in Bombay, they are sending complaints to the police that we are creating nuisance.
That is... Even after so much tapasya... There are many instances. Just like Viśvāmitra Muni. Viśvāmitra Muni was a king. He wanted to become a brāhmaṇa, and he practiced mystic yoga for many years. Still, he became a victim of a woman, Menakā. He was meditating, closing eyes, and Indra sent this woman, Menakā. And simply by hearing the sound of the bangles, ching, ching, ching, "Oh, there is woman. Yes, very nice," (laughter) all mystic yoga finished. Then he begot one daughter. That..., her name is Śakuntalā, the famous beautiful daughter. So that history is there.
So the root of our material enjoyment cannot be taken away, cannot be uprooted by... The first process is called karma, and the second process is called jñāna, and the next, it is suggested, bhakti. So he is suggesting that kecit. People are more inclined to take to the... Those who are absolutely in the rotten condition of life, not for then, but those who are little above the rotten condition...
Then how we can control the senses? You can control the senses by engaging all of them in Kṛṣṇa's service. Then it is controlled. Otherwise not.
Therefore our business is... "Artificially, I shall not see anything." Now how it is possible? You'll see in the mind. Suppose you close your eyes, but there are so many impressions, they will come within the mind. Even if you close your eyes. The so-called meditation means he has closed his eyes but he's thinking of his beloved or his business or something like, something like that. So is not possible. First of all, you have to fix up your mind in Kṛṣṇa. Always think of Kṛṣṇa. That is advised by Kṛṣṇa. Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru. These four principles guarantees, Kṛṣṇa says. Mām evaiṣyasi asaṁśayaḥ (BG 18.65). If you simply execute these four things, then Kṛṣṇa guarantees, asaṁśaya, without any doubt you are coming back to me, back to home, back to Godhead. It is so nice.
That is not the process. You'll find in the Bhagavad-gītā it is recommended to sit down in a sacred and secluded place. That is called dhyāna. And sitting in a right-angle posture and the eyes half-closed. Not fully closed. If you fully close then you will sleep. I have seen so many yogis snoring, sleeping. Yes. Naturally, if you close your eyes and you have no subject matter to think, what will be this, you will sleep, that's all. That is not yoga system. You have to sit down in a secluded place, in what is called, yoga-āsana, straight body and not sleeping, half-open eyes and looking over the tip of the nose. There are so many methods. That is called meditation. But this kind of meditation is very, very difficult in this age. If one can perform, it is welcome, but it is very difficult. In the Kali-yuga, if I sit down to meditate upon, then I shall think of my family, my business, my friend, so many things. It is not possible.
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: "O my Lord, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, after annihilation, the creative energy is kept in Yourself, but the energy being put within Yourself, it appears that You are sleeping with half-closed eyes. Actually, there is no sleeping like an ordinary human being. You are always in the transcendental stage, beyond the creation of the material world, and You always feel in transcendental bliss. In this way, You, Kāraṇodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, remain in Your transcendental status, but although it appears that Kāraṇodakaśāyī Viṣṇu is sleeping, it is not that; (it is) sleeping distinct from sleeping in ignorance."
Prabhupāda:
- nyasyedam ātmani jagad vilayāmbu-madhye
- śeṣetmanā nija-sukhānubhavo nirīhaḥ
- yogena mīlita-dṛg-ātma-nipīta-nidras
- turye sthito na tu tamo na guṇāṁś ca yuṅkṣe
- (SB 7.9.32)
This is the position, transcendentally. How we use this word transcendental, that is explained here, what is transcendental. Turya. Turya, the fourth dimension. Here, in this material world, there are three dimensions: length, breadth and height. And spiritual world, beyond that, not within the measurement of length, breadth and height, that is called turya. (aside:) Child...
This is called pastime. He is not obliged, but he takes pleasure. Just like sometimes we take pleasure in a swimming pool, lie down and closing our eyes. Who expert swimmer, they're lying down. Why it is not possible for the Supreme Lord? What is the difficulty? Sukhānubhavaḥ. We take that pastime for pleasure, for pleasure, lying down on the water, closing eyes. So when we speak, "The Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu lying down in the Causal Ocean," these rascals, fools, they sometimes criticize, "And how it is possible?" How it is not possible? If a ordinary man can take pleasure lying down on the water, closing and lying for hours—we have seen it—so what is the difficulty for the Supreme Lord? You have got this tendency to lie down on water, half on the water, and close your eyes. So where your tendency has come? Your tendency has come because the same tendency is there in the Supreme Lord. This is the explanation. Yato vā imāni bhūtāni jayante. Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). This is the Vedic...
Nectar of Devotion Lectures
So as soon as you drink water, the taste of the water is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says, "I am this." Kṛṣṇa has described Himself in so many ways. "Amongst the trees, I am this. Amongst the aquatics, I am this. Amongst the nonmovable, I am this." So why not see God in that way? The atheist class of men, they say, "Can you show me God?" So why don't you see God? Why you close your eyes? If you have got eyes to see, you can see God everywhere.
Those who are saintly devotees, they are seeing God, Kṛṣṇa, in every moment. Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti (Bs. 5.38). If you become saintly person by your austerities, penances, then you can see God in every step. Otherwise, if you think that "I cannot become saintly person," yes, nobody can become saintly immediately. It requires time. But so long you are material person you can see God also in the water. You drink water. You can see God. You can see sunshine. God is there. Prabhāsmi śaśi-sūryayoḥ. So who has not seen the sunshine?
The same thing, as it is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā: brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54). The Bhāgavata says, evaṁ prasanna-manaso bhagavad-bhakti-yogataḥ, bhagavat-tattva-vijñānam (SB 1.2.20). Bhagavat-tattva, the science of God, is a vijñāna. It is a science. It is not sentiment. Sentiment: I close my eyes and shed some tears, and then I go for smoking cigarette. That sentiment will not help us. It is a science. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu said: yei kṛṣṇa-tattva-vettā sei guru haya (CC Madhya 8.128). Yei kṛṣṇa-tattva-vettā. One who knows the science of Kṛṣṇa, he can become guru. Pṛthivīṁ sa śiṣyāt. He can make disciples all over the world. Pṛthivīṁ sa śiṣyāt.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures
The Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa, Govinda, His bodily, different, I mean to say, limbs of His body, or different senses, they are so perfect that every sense organ can act the, I mean to say, work of the other senses. Just like we can see with our eyes. Simply we can see. But if I close my eyes, I cannot see. But my... I can hear only by my ears, but I cannot see. If I close my eyes, I cannot see with my ears. But about the Supreme Personality of Godhead it is said that He can see with His ears, He can see with His hand, and He can hear with His hand. He can do anything from any part of His body. That is spiritual. He can do any part of His body. Just like, this is the philosophy. Now, we offer something to Kṛṣṇa. That Kṛṣṇa, I mean to say, Deity is not different from original Kṛṣṇa because absolute. Everything is Kṛṣṇa. Why this Deity should not be Kṛṣṇa? This is quite reasonable. If Kṛṣṇa is everything, why not this Deity Kṛṣṇa?
This is called yama-niyama. And then, after controlling, after sitting, then one has to sit nicely in a secluded place, in a sanctified place, and sit straight with your neck, head and body in one straight line. Then you have to see the tip of your nose without closing your eyes and not opening your eyes. If you open your eyes, then all this material manifestation will disturb you. And if you close your eyes, then you snap. (snores) I have seen. So many yogis are doing that, sleeping. (laughter) Yes. So these are the process. Then dhyāna, then concentration of the mind. Then what is the purpose of concentrating the mind? Just to find out myself, where I am within this body, and then find out where is Lord. This is the perfection of yoga. Simply that I am doing all nonsense whole day and night, and I am attending yoga class, paying five dollars to the class, and I am thinking, "Oh, I am a great yogi"—this is all nonsense. Yoga is not so easy thing. You see? So simply this...
Sri Brahma-samhita Lectures
Your question is meant for persons who are too much bodily conscious. One who is thinking that "I am this body," for him, this yoga system is prescribed, so that he can control the senses. Yoga indriya-saṁyamaḥ. By controlling the senses... Because we are disturbed by our senses. So there is process, how to come to the platform of prāṇāyāma. You have to find out a secluded place, and you should sit down there alone in perpendicular stature, you cannot close your eyes fully, half, then you'll have to see the tip of the nose. In this way, you have to concentrate your mind on Viṣṇu or Kṛṣṇa. This is prāṇāyāma. So... But actually when one becomes already attracted to Kṛṣṇa by devotional service, then the prāṇāyāma process is already there. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā:
General Lectures
And the only way you can do it is by listening very carefully, everybody, So give your attention to these words: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. Now, if everybody will do this, and stand up, close your eyes very tight, put your hands up in the air and sing this song, so you really learn the words, and you can go home and teach it to your brothers and sisters and your mother and your father, and tell them what you learned today. You have to say you learned something. So if you teach them this song, that would be very nice. But you must learn it by listening. So listen to the words. Then get up, close your eyes and just sing. And you'll find it's a very nice song. But unless you try it, you won't learn it. Just like all the other songs you learn in your class. So try it. So I'm going to say the words, and then you say the words after me. We're going to practice it once.
Young man (2): What do you do with your eyes? Close your eyes?
Prabhupāda: Yes, eyes are one of the senses. Mind is the general sense, and under the governor general, there are particular commissioners or subordinate officers. So the eyes, the hand, the leg, the tongue, ten senses, they are working under the direction of the mind. So mind is expressed, manifested through the senses. Therefore unless you engage your senses in the same way as your mind is thinking, feeling, there is no perfection. There will be disturbance. If your mind is thinking of Kṛṣṇa and your eyes are seeing something else, there will be disruption or contradiction. Therefore under the... You have to first of all fix up your mind in Kṛṣṇa, and then all other senses will be engaged in the service of Kṛṣṇa. That is bhakti.
Verse number thirteen and fourteen, it is said, "One should hold one's body, neck and head erect in a straight line." This body, this body, this head, this neck, and the body, whole body, trunk, should be erect in a straight line, and stare steadily at the tip of the nose. Just like you have to sit like this and you have to look, not closing your eyes but half-closing your eyes, and you have to look on the point of your nose. "One should hold one's body, neck and head erect in a straight line and stare steadily at the tip of the nose. Thus, with an unagitated, subdued mind, devoid of fear, completely free from sex life, one should meditate upon Me," the Lord says. Before that, the primary prescriptions, how one should practice this transcendental meditation, that one has to restrict especially sex life... One has to select a very solitary place and a sacred place, and he should sit down alone. This meditation process is not practiced in a place like this, where many men are gathering.
This is Kali-yuga. So, for spiritual salvation, for transcendental realization, it is said when... Kṛte yad dhyāyato viṣṇu. When people were cent percent pure, at that time, the process of meditation was successful, because this meditation requires fully purification of the body. Otherwise, simply closing your eyes, if you meditate and sleep... I've seen, practically. They are meditating (snores). I have seen. Perhaps you have also seen. Yes. Because it is naturally. If you close your eyes and you have nothing to do, oh, naturally you'll be, feel sleepy. And you'll feel sleepy and go on. You see? So this is not possible. Therefore śāstra says, kṛte yad dhyāyato viṣṇu. The meditation of Viṣṇu was possible in the Golden Age when everyone, cent percent, people were pure. Then next age, tretāyāṁ yajato makhaiḥ. Makhaiḥ means sacrifice, performing great sacrifices.
Everyone is thinking in transaction that "I have cheated that man very nicely. In business transaction I have gained; he has lost." And of all the deficiencies, most important deficiency is that our senses are imperfect. We say, "I want to see God," but we forget that our eyes are so imperfect that I cannot see in the nearest eyelid. As soon as I close my eyes, I do not see the eyelid. This is the power of my seeing. Therefore we should not be so much proud of our seeing power that we'll say that "I want to see God. Can you show me God?" This is not possible.
So these four deficiencies of conditioned soul are there; therefore we cannot have perfect knowledge by our mental speculation. That is not possible. We have to receive knowledge from authorities. That is the process. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186). If we receive knowledge... Our process is that we are trying to receive knowledge from Kṛṣṇa, the greatest mahājana, the greatest authority, and if we follow the instruction of Kṛṣṇa, then we are perfect.
There is mechanical process of sitting which will help you; concentration of the mind, āsana. Then praṇāyāma, concentration of the mind. Then meditation. So meditation is not so easy thing. Unless you practice the preliminary necessities of meditation, you cannot concentrate. Even if you sit down closing your eyes, either you will sleep or you will think of other things which are more important, you think, more important in your life. So the yoga system is practically not very helpful. Helpful means we cannot execute this system very nicely.
So this paramparā system, the subject I was discussing, that how I become the representative of Kṛṣṇa, it is not very difficult. Everyone can become a representative of Kṛṣṇa provided he exactly presents what Kṛṣṇa says. That's all. Just like a peon, he is also representative of the postal department, ordinary peon.
So people have no information, no education, no culture. They are put into the darkness and working so hard without knowing what is going to happen next. A civilization of complete darkness, very dangerous. Next life they do not believe, because if they believe, then they are horrible. "Better not to believe. Close your eyes. Don't see what is the danger in front." It is like that.
So those who by fortune have come in contact of this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, so they are supposed to be intelligent. So try to understand the whole situation, the whole universal position, very minutely, that this material world is very, very, very dangerous for you. You may believe or not believe. Nature's work will go on. Nature doesn't care for your belief or not belief. What you are? So don't be foolish, mūḍha, narādhama, because one who does not take care of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they have been described as duṣkṛtino mūḍhā narādhamāḥ.
Departure Talks
You can dress Him. You can give Him for eating. You can... To give you facilities. But Kṛṣṇa is here, and Rādhārāṇī is here. So He says, personally, that man-manā bhava mad-bhakto: "Always think of Me." So you are seeing Kṛṣṇa, and the impression is within your mind. As soon as you will close your eyes, you will see Kṛṣṇa within your heart. Kṛṣṇa, Rādhārāṇī is here, and if you see constantly, naturally the impression will be within your heart. So either you are in temple or outside the temple, you'll be able to see Kṛṣṇa always—if you practice. Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu (Bs. 5.38). Those who are saintly persons, on account of love for Kṛṣṇa, they see always Kṛṣṇa within his heart. So this practice is not very difficult. It doesn't require M.A., Ph.D. education, or to become very rich or opulent. Nothing is required. Simply try to think of Kṛṣṇa. That's all. This is one item. It is not very difficult. And become His devotee. That you are practicing. Devotee means to hear about Kṛṣṇa, to chant the glories of Kṛṣṇa, to think of Kṛṣṇa, to offer fruits and flowers to Kṛṣṇa. In this way, this is called devotional service.
Philosophy Discussions
Prabhupāda: Yes. It is a fact. Sa vai puṁsām... Sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayoḥ vacāṁsi vaikuṇṭha-guṇānuvarṇane (SB 9.4.18). That is Ambarīṣa Mahārāja, the great saintly king. About him it is described, sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayoḥ. He engaged completely, twenty-four hours, his mind unto the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. And vacāṁsi vaikuṇṭha-guṇānuvarṇane, and he engaged his talking simply on Vaikuṇṭha, on the subject matter of Vaikuṇṭha, Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Prahlāda Mahārāja also speaks like that: tad vijñā, tad vijñā sa (indistinct). Glorifying, he is very (indistinct). So they have no conception of God, and whatever you believe, (indistinct). So God is imperson, He is not a person, so where is the (indistinct)? So they come to the (indistinct), scientist, another politician, another this, (indistinct) and they want to become a hero eventually, "I am a great philanthropist," "I am a great nationalist," "I am greatest philosopher." That... And when they finish their talks, then become (indistinct). No more talks—finished. (Hindi) Prahlāda Mahārāja says that (indistinct). He says that śoce tato muni vimukha-cetasa(?): "I am simply thinking of these rascals who are without God consciousness." Tato muni (indistinct): "They are averse to God. I am thinking of them." Śoce tato vimukha-cetasa, māyā-sukhāya bharam udvahato vimūḍhān (SB 7.9.43). These rascals, simply for māyā-sukha, temporary happiness, they are busy, always running here and there for constructing hundred and fifty-stories' house, and bring your money for that. Very busy, very busy. Just like Mr. Birla, he's always busy, (he) cannot see (you). They do not know that "What happiness I am creating?" (indistinct) Just at the end of my life (indistinct). As soon as I close my eyes and I go away from this body, all these things that I have created will be finished.
Prabhupāda: And that is not possible. This is, this is simply a lack of knowledge. Just like the same philosophy, if there is danger before me I cannot protect me from the danger, I simply close my eyes, "Ahh. There is no danger." It is like that. The danger remains there. He thinks by closing the eyes, he thinks, "Now I am out of danger". That is his foolishness. You know? The small animal, rabbits or monkeys, they close the eyes. There was..., I do not know, I heard that there was an artistic competition, prize distribution, that one has to paint a picture, that the..., before the mother the son is being killed. So the artist has to paint the facial expression of the mother. So, so many artists paint so many ways. And one artist painted the mother closed the eyes. He got the first prize. Because this kind of suffering cannot be expressed. The best thing is closed.
| Page Title: | Closed eyes (Lectures) |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, RupaManjari |
| Created: | 11 of Nov, 2012 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=45, Con=0, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 45 |