So, so far Pāṇḍavas are concerned, their son. Saubhadra... Saubhadra means Abhimanyu, Subhadrā's son. Because he was Subhadrā's son, his name was Saubhadra. Draupadī's sons, they are called Draupadeya. In Sanskrit, just like bhaginī, sister, bhaginī, her son is called bhāgineya, nephews. So there is link. As soon as we speak Saubhadra, that means Subhadrā's son. Subhadrā's son, he was only sixteen years old at that time. He was married with Uttarā, the daughter of Mahārāja Virāṭa. So they were all mahā-rathas, ordinary, not ordinary fighters. This Abhimanyu was killed by conspiracy by seven commander-in-chief. Bhīṣma, Karṇa, Droṇācārya, Aśvatthāmā, they all surrounded him, and they did not allow him to come out. They were very experienced commanders. So this is kṣatriya spirit. He was simply a boy, sixteen years old and he had to be killed by the combined efforts of very, very, big commander-in-chiefs. He was so great fighter, Abhimanyu. Abhimanyu-vāda (?). So Saubhadra, Draupadī... Similarly, Draupadī's sons also there. Sarva eva mahā-rathāḥ (BG 1.6). Mahā-ratha means one who could fight with one thousand chariots on the other side. They were called mahā-rathāḥ.
Combine (Lectures)
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Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
Pradyumna (leads chanting, etc.):
- tataḥ śaṅkhāś ca bheryaś ca
- paṇavānaka-gomukhāḥ
- sahasaivābhyahanyanta
- sa śabdas tumulo 'bhavat
- (BG 1.13)
Translation: "After that, the conchshells, bugles, trumpets, drums and horns were all of a sudden sounded, and the combined sound was tumultuous."
Prabhupāda: So there are mention of various types of musical instruments. Those instruments are no longer in use. But different types of bugles, drums, kettledrums, as they use in modern days. So the same principle. By musical instruments, the soldiers are kept alive so they can fight nicely. Sa śabdas tumulo 'bhavat: "When simultaneously all the instruments were sounded, it become tumultuous." Next verse. Tataḥ śvetair hayair yukte mahati syandane sthitau.
He said that paṇḍitāḥ, those one who is learned, he does not lament on this lump of matter. Actually, if you soberly analyze this body, what is this body? Actually, it is lump of matter. It is a combination of bone and blood, flesh, urine, stool, nails and hairs. Otherwise what you can find in it? Do you mean to say by combining these ingredients, bones and flesh and urine and stool, you can manufacture a very learned scholar? Is there any science that you can manu... Ingredients... If the bodily ingredients is the man, you take this. In a dead body you take all these ingredients, again manufacture a similar man. But that is not possible. That is not possible. So this is our ignorance. Therefore Kṛṣṇa said that "You are lamenting on a thing which is not at all subject matter. It is a dead matter. It was dead matter, and it will remain dead matter." Just like this apartment. I am living in this apartment; you are living in this apartment. I am not this apartment. When I vacate, when you vacate this apartment, the apartment remains. We go to another apartment.
There are three kinds of energies. He has got multi-energies—parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport)—but they have been summarized into three. The one energy is called spiritual energy, the other is called material energy, and the third is called marginal energy. The spiritual and material we can understand. At least we can feel when the, a living man and a dead man... A living man means spirit and matter combined. And a dead man means the matter is there; spirit is gone. So you can distinguish what is spirit and what is matter. So similarly, there is, as this is material world, there is another spiritual world. We living entities, we, by nature, we are spiritual, but because we have got the potency either to live in this material world or in the spiritual world, therefore we are called marginal. The real position is, because we are spiritual, we should live in the spiritual world. At the present moment we have lost our spiritual constitutional position; therefore we are in this material world. Just like a man is generally healthy, but sometimes he falls sick, so at the present moment our condition is sick. It is called bhava-roga. Bhava-roga. Bhava means to become, and roga means disease.
Just like this material world, this house. What is this house? Tejo-vāri-mṛdāṁ vinimayaḥ. Anything in this material world, what is that? Tejo-vāri-mṛdāṁ vinimayaḥ. An exchange of fire, water, and earth. Tejo-vāri-mṛdāṁ vinimayaḥ. Exchange. You take earth, you take water, mix them, and put it into the fire, it becomes brick, then powder it, it becomes cement, then again combine them, it becomes a big skyscraper building. So as this material world, anything you take, it is simply a combination of these three ingredients, plus air and sky for drying. Air is required for drying. So combination of the five elements. Similarly, this body is also combination of five elements. There is no difference. But because in the big skyscraper building there is no soul, it stands in one place, but the body has got the soul, therefore it moves. That is the difference. The soul is the important thing. But they do not know. Just like we have manufactured the airplane and there is no soul, but another soul means the pilot. He takes care of it. He drives. Therefore, it is moving. So without soul, there cannot be any movement. Either the thing must have soul or some other soul will take care of it. Then it will move. Therefore, the important is the soul, not this material body.
So 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. So 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. Can 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. So 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? All 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. Go on.
Devotee: "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 (BG 2.26)."
Prabhupāda: 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.
Devotee: "On the other hand, in modern science and scientific warfare so many tons of chemicals are wasted in achieving victory over the enemy."
Prabhupāda: 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.
So this is the opinion of the modern scientists or the Buddha philosophy, that soul, there is nothing like soul separately, but by combination of matter, at a certain stage, the living symptoms are manifest. And as it is combination of several chemicals, so it is also finished as soon as the body is finished. There is no, nothing as soul. That is their opinion. So for argument's sake, Kṛṣṇa says, "If you think like that, that the body is all in all..., by certain condition, the material elements combine, and again it is finished..." So Arjuna was declining to fight. So the, for argument's sake, Kṛṣṇa says that "If you think like that, the body's everything, so it will be destroyed automatically. So why you are so much afraid?" Suppose I have combined some chemicals and it is destroyed... Say, bottles of chemicals, some way or other, it is destroyed. So who laments for that? You can purchase another bottle. That is simply for argument's sake. Actually, that is not the position. Now, if you think that the combination of chemicals can produce living force, then why don't you do it in the laboratory? The chemicals are there. You can combine and just produce a small ant, moving. Then it is... Science means observation and experiment. So if you simply observe, and cannot make any experiment, practical, so then that is not science. That is only theory. That is not possible. No scientist has ever made any living entity by combination of chemicals in the laboratory. Nobody can do that.
This another theory, that voidism, that before our, this manifested life, there was void, and after this manifestation is over, still there will be void. Because according to voidism, everything is manifested originally void. So Kṛṣṇa puts forward this argument that before this manifested form of life there was void, and after this manifested life, there will be void, according to the void philosophy. Then where is the cause of lamentation? There is no cause of lamentation. It was void and it is going to be void. So where is the cause of lamentation? But actually that is... Originally, it was not void. That is a Bhagavad-gītā and Vaiṣṇava theory. Just like Kṛṣṇa said that there was "No such time when we did not exist." That means not there was... There was no void. There was life. And in future also, there will be life. But accepting the theory of voidism, this manifested body is combination of matter. Originally, void means the matters, elementary matters, were not combined. Just like here is an open land. Now, if you combine some bricks and stones and wood, it will appear a big skyscraper building. And if you dismantle, then again it becomes a vacant land. Similarly, in the beginning it was vacant land, and after finishing this body it will be vacant land. So where is the cause of lamentation? For argument's sake, Kṛṣṇa is putting this reason. Yes.
Keśāgra... Keśa means the hair, the upper portion of your hair. When it is divided into ten thousand parts... And just imagine. That one part is the spiritual atom. It is so small, it is so minute, that it is not possible to see with our material eyes. Even the material atom also we cannot see. When the material atoms are combined into six, then you can see floating in the air through the sunshine which is entering your room through the holes of a window. You can see some particles. That small particle, they are combination of six atoms. That particle, when it is divided into six, that becomes the atom. So you cannot see even the material atom, and what to speak of the spiritual atom.
So therefore the system in the, according to varṇāśrama-dharma, that not only by birth, before birth, when the father and mother is going to be combined to beget a child, there are cultural saṁskāras or reformatory measures. How much carefully these things are. They wanted first-class son, not sons like cats and dogs, first-class son. So there is some saṁskāra. There is some purificatory measures, which is called garbhādhāna-saṁskāra. Garbhādhāna means pregnancy, the cultural ceremony before making the mother pregnant. And it is enjoined, you will find in the Bhāgavata, that any family, the brāhmaṇas, the kṣatriyas and vaiśyas, if they give up this garbhādhāna-saṁskāra, birth-giving ceremony, then that family turns immediately to the classification of the śūdras.
So nowadays, at the present moment, this cultural program... I am speaking of India and everywhere. There is no such cultural program. That cultural program, that program to beget nice children, the whole program is, we must know, the whole Vedic system is to give the human life the greatest chance of self-realization and get free from these material miseries. That is the whole program. It is not... The Vedic culture does not mean that we shall be like cats and dogs, simply eating, sleeping, mating and defending. No. The human society is a systematic program to give everyone the chance of getting free from this material miseries.
That, you may question, "Then if He is so powerful, wise and cognizant, He must have learned it from similar..." No. We say that if he learns knowledge from somebody else, then he is not God. Svarāṭ. Automatically. He's self-independent. This is jñāna-yoga. The study what is the nature by just analyze what should be the nature of the supreme from whom everything is emanating. That is explained in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Therefore Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the supreme jñāna-yoga and bhakti-yoga combined. Jñāna-yoga process means to search out the Absolute Truth or to understand the nature of the Absolute Truth by philosophical way. And this is called jñāna-yoga. And our is bhakti-yoga. Bhakti-yoga means, the process is the same, target is the same. One is trying to reach the supreme ultimate goal by philosophical way, one is trying to concentrate his mind on the supreme and the other, the bhaktas, they are simply engaging themselves to serve the Supreme Lord so He reveals. One process is to understand by the ascending process. And another process is the descending process. Just like in darkness, if you try to understand what is sun by ascending process, by flying your very powerful airplane or sputniks, just go round over the sky, you cannot see. But the descending process, when the sun rises, you understand immediately. Ascending process—my endeavor, what is called inductive process. Inductive process. Just like my father says that man is mortal. I accept it. Now if you want to study whether man is mortal, you study, you see many thousands of men, whether he is immortal or mortal. That will take so much time. But if you take the knowledge from the superior authority, that man is mortal, your knowledge is complete.
So Bhagavad-gītā is that, religion combined with philosophy. If you simply take philosophy, it is dry speculation. No juice. Carvita-carvaṇānām: "Chewing the chewed." There is no benefit. And if you take, simply take religion without basis of philosophy, then it is fanaticism. That's all. So both should be combined. Religion based on philosophy and logic, that is religion. So that combination is Bhagavad-gītā. So here in the Seventh Chapter, beginning, opening chapter, it is said, bhagavān uvāca. You are searching after God. Now here is God Himself speaking. So recognized God by all sages: Vyāsadeva, Nārada, Asita. And later on by Rāmānujācārya, by Śaṅkarācārya, by Madhvācārya, by Viṣṇu Svāmī, by Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and then our Guru Mahārāja. So our method is very simple: evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). So we accept this paramparā system. I may not know what is God, but because my predecessors, ācāryas, confirm it, the "Here is Bhagavān," we accept it. That's all. We save so much trouble by mental speculation. We accept the paramparā system. Therefore... And we get the result. So that is the way.
Because it is a science. Religion means a kind of faith. It is not faith. It is a science. Science must be based on logic and philosophy. Science means that. And religion means sometimes sentiments. So religion without philosophy is sentiment, and philosophy without religion is mental speculation. Both must be combined. Then it is perfect. You cannot have religion without philosophy. That is sentiment, fanaticism. And if you simply take philosophy without religion, without sense of God, this is mental speculation. So religion must be on the basis of science and logic. That is first-class religion.
Translator: She would like to know if our religion can bring something more than the other religions.
Prabhupāda: There is one religion. One who knows God, he is religious. One who does not know God, that religion has no meaning. Religion means to understand the order of God. That is religion. But if you do not know what is God, and how you can hear His order? So religion without understanding God philosophically and logically is sentiment. And philosophy without understanding of God is mental speculation. So when philosophy and religious sentiments combine, that is called religion. Otherwise, it is not religion.
Bhagavān: Have kīrtana?
Prabhupāda: Yes. (end)
This is the fact. So Kṛṣṇa is the original puruṣa. Prakṛti, the material energy is also prakṛti, subordinate to Kṛṣṇa, and the spiritual energy, the living entities, they are also prakṛti, but they are superior prakṛti. Inferior, not... Inferior matter. Just like we are handling matter, we are getting matter. We are getting cement, we are getting bricks, we are getting iron and combining them, and making a very, very high skyscraper building. So the material energy is also Kṛṣṇa's, and the spiritual energy, the living entity, that is also Kṛṣṇa's energy. So..., but they are working for satisfying their senses. Therefore superior, jīva-bhūtāṁ yayedaṁ dhāryate... They are handling the material energy. The same living entity, when he understands his constitutional position, that "I am part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa," mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ (BG 15.7), then he'll work for Kṛṣṇa. Then the same energy spent for building skyscraper building will be utilized to build a nice temple for Kṛṣṇa.
Good chemists, they can understand how by combining different elements they can produce something. So these chemical products of this body is described by Kṛṣṇa very nicely, gross chemical and subtle chemical. But I am different from this. That is knowledge. I am different from this combination. But that we do not know. That is ignorance. I am thinking that "I am this combination," and I am thinking, "Wherefrom this combination has come into being, that is my place." That is described in the śāstras, yasyātmā-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke sva-dhīḥ kalatrādiṣu bhauma ijya-dhīḥ (SB 10.84.13). The chemicals comes from the earth. So everything in my body, they have come from these material elements and I'm identifying, "This place is mine because this body is born out of these elements." That is going on as nationalism. Bhauma iḍya-dhīḥ. Bhauma iḍya-dhīḥ. They'll not prefer worshiping Kṛṣṇa.
So Kṛṣṇa has explicitly explained that brahma-sūtra-padaiś caiva hetumadbhir. Hetumadbhir viniścitaṁ. The Brahma-sūtra is called therefore nyāya-prasthāna, with logic and reason, hetumadbhir, cause and effect, Everything. Because people like to understand on the basis of philosophy and reasoning everything. Yes, that is required.
Any understanding without philosophy, that is sentiment. And philosophy without religious conception is mental speculation. These two things are going on, not combined. All over the world there are many so-called religious systems, but there is no philosophy. Therefore the so-called religious system does not appeal to the modern educated persons. They are giving up religion, either Christian, Muslim, Hindu. Simply formalities, rituals, they do not like. They want to know everything on the basis of philosophy. That is Bhagavad-gītā.
So janmādy asya yataḥ, that is explained in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. What is that janmādy asya yataḥ, the original source of everything? What is that? It is a matter or a living being? But the two things, we have got experience. We see that everything is coming... Suppose this microphone, it has come from matter and... Actually it has not come from matter, it has come from the living being who has manufactured it. But we foolishly concluding that it is a combination of matter. Who has combined this matter to make it usable? So this is less knowledge, that this is combination of several parts of material things and it is working. But who has manufactured those different parts of the electronics and other things? It has not come out all of a sudden from the sky. It has been manufactured by some living entity. So this is knowledge.
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
Not everyone is all-attractive, but God is all-attractive. Therefore, He is called Kṛṣṇa. God appeared as the son of Vasudeva or Nanda Mahārāja, therefore He is called Yaśodānanda, Nandananda, Vasudevanandana. His relationship. Kṛṣṇa enjoys the company of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī, therefore He is called Rādhā-ramaṇa. Rādhā-Govinda. So God's name is there according to His pastimes, relationships. So Kṛṣṇa is the supreme name because it means all-attractive. Similarly, here it is name, God's name, Adhokṣaja. Adhokṣaja. Adha. Adha means defeated. Adha-kṛta. Subdued. What is that subdued? Akṣaja-jñānam. Akṣa. Akṣa means eyes, direct perception. We want... We say sometimes, "Can you show me God?" Akṣa. Or akṣaja means ah, the alphabet, and kṣa, beginning from ah up to kṣa. So all the letters are there. So we make words by combination of these letters. So akṣaja, so within our power, we make so many words by combining these alphabets, but God is beyond that. Akṣaja-jñānam. Either you are beyond the direct perception or beyond your word-making capacity. Therefore God's another name is Adhokṣaja. Adhaḥ-kṛta akṣaja jñānam jata. So adhokṣaja means beyond direct sense perception. That is also nice name of God. God is not understood by speculating our senses.
So vairāgya means no more working for sense gratification, that is vairāgya. That is renouncement. Only for working Kṛṣṇa, for the satisfaction of Kṛṣṇa, that is called vairāgya. And to attain this vairāgya, renouncement, one requires sufficient knowledge. That is called jñāna. So this knowledge and renouncement-two things required in human life. Just like in your country, some of the younger generation, they have renounced. That's a good qualification, but they have no knowledge. Renouncement and knowledge must be combined. Then your life is successful. Simply renouncement, you cannot stay. You renounce, again accept. Again accept. So these two things can be achieved very easily, that formula is given here, vāsudeve bhagavati bhakti-yogaḥ prayojitaḥ, janayaty āśu (SB 1.2.7). Āśu means very quick. Just like these American, European boys, especially I have mentioned. Four years ago they had no knowledge of God. Now they have got knowledge of God and they have renounced all nonsense. They have no illicit sex, no intoxication, no gambling, no meat-eating. This is renouncement. So this renouncement and knowledge can be acquired, simply this method of bhakti-yoga, what is that? Thinking of Kṛṣṇa, man-manā, to become His devotee, to worship Him, and to offer Him obeisances. Only four things. That is called bhakti-yoga, if you adopt it gradually you will understand God and your life will be successful. Thank you very much. (end)
Therefore any religion without scientific understanding through philosophy, it is simply sentiment. It is not religion. And philosophy without religious understanding is mental speculation. That is also useless. Philosophy which does not search ultimately what is truth, what is God, that philosophy is mental speculation. And the knowledge of God without philosophy is simply sentiment. They should be combined. To understand God, our relationship with God, our duty, everything should be understood, scientifically. Bhagavat-tattva-vijñānam. Therefore this word has been used, vijñānam. Viśeṣa-jñānam. Jñānam, ordinary knowledge, and vi, when the this word is added, vi, meaning viśeṣatā, particularly, for practical application... This vijñānam.
So there is judgment. So the small particle of the living entity, by the judgment, superior judgment, is transferred to the semina of a particular father. And the living entity is injected in the womb of the female, and both secretion combine, the living entity develops body. This is the science. If you use contraceptive, that means if you contaminate the emulsion, the poor living entity cannot take place. That is contra... You cannot kill the living soul, but you make the circumstances unfavorable for his staying, or... Then he has to be transferred to another womb.
Pradyumna: "When the rays of the two brahmāstras combined, a great circle of fire, like the disc of the sun, covered all outer space and the whole firmament of planets. All the population of the three worlds was scorched by the combined heat of the weapons. Everyone was reminded of the sāṁvartaka fire, which takes place at the time of annihilation."
Prabhupāda:
- saṁhatyānyonyam ubhayos
- tejasī śara-saṁvṛte
- āvṛtya rodasī khaṁ ca
- vavṛdhāte 'rka-vahnivat
- (SB 1.7.30)
- dṛṣṭvāstra-tejas tu tayos
- trīl lokān pradahan mahat
- dahyamānāḥ prajāḥ sarvāḥ
- sāṁvartakam amaṁsata
- (SB 1.7.31)
So the heat increased. Radiation heat increased. One weapon was released by Aśvatthāmā, another by Arjuna to counteract, and the heat was so terrible that dahyamānāḥ prajāḥ sarvāḥ, all the inhabitants of different planets, they felt the great heat produced by two brahmāstras. And sāṁvartakam amaṁsata. The sāṁvartaka fire is explained in the śāstra, that in the Kali-yuga... At the last there will be Kali-yuga. In the Kali-yuga there will be no rainfall. So everything will dry. Not this Kali-yuga, but at the end of the universal life there will be great fire all over the universe. That is called sāṁvartaka. And everything will be ablaze. This fire will take place on account of the heat increase of the sun. It is said that the present temperature of the sun will be increased twelve times, so naturally there will be fire.
This island might have changed, the name. Because there are so many islands. Just like the Java(?) island and Laksadvipa island, very small islands. Similarly, this Meru is also another island. Not only these small island, but according to Vedic culture, each planet is called island. Each planet. Just like this planet, earthly planet, is called Jambūdvīpa. Why it is called dvīpa? Dvīpa means island. Because actually it is island of the air. Just like there are so many islands in the sea, similarly, this vast air, outer space, and all these planets, are floating like island. Therefore they are called island, dvīpa, Jambūdvīpa. Here in this earthly planet, long, long ago, it is said in the Vedic literatures, sapta-dvīpa. Sapta means seven. So this earthly planet is of seven dvīpa, seven islands. These two Americas, north and south, they are islands. Africa, one island. And combined Asia and Europe, another island. The two poles, two islands. Australia, another island. You see? Sapta-dvīpa. So they say they discovered America. But this discovery was long, long, many, many millions of years, it was known. Where is the discovery? Their poor fund of knowledge. Because they have no knowledge in the Vedic literature, they think, "Now I discovered." Just like a child born, he thinks, "Now I've discovered the world. Before my birth, there was no world." This kind of knowledge called poor fund of knowledge.
That is also referred here that etāvān sāṅkhya-yogābhyām. Big, big sannyāsīs, they are discussing sāṅkhya-yoga, metaphysics. Or analyzing what is spirit, what is matter. Neti neti: "Not this." This is called sāṅkhya-yoga. And sāṅkhya-yoga, original sāṅkhya-yoga means bhakti-yoga. Because the sāṅkhya-yoga system philosophy was spoken by Kapiladeva, the son of Devahūti. That is purely bhakti-yoga. Later on, one atheist, he also assumed the name of Kapila and discussed sāṅkhya-yoga. That is materialistic analysis. The sāṅkhya-yoga system of philosophy is very much liked in Europe and Western countries because it is a system of metaphysics, analyzing the whole cosmic manifestation. There are twenty-four tattvas. Just like these five tattvas, elements, material: earth, water, air, fire, ether. Then ten senses: five senses for acquiring knowledge and five senses for enjoying. And the five, five, ten. And five elements, fifteen. Then five principles of enjoyment. They are called talk, touching, smelling, like that. Anyway, there are twenty-four elements, and mind, intelligence, ego, and the principal, soul. In this way there are twenty-four elements. The sāṅkhya yogis, they very much analyze this study. They are of the opinion that besides these twenty-four elements, there is nothing more. No. There is. The twenty-four elements, one who is combining and annihilating, that is the Supreme Lord, pradhāna, Viṣṇu.
One who desires good fortune should worship Durgādevī, the superintendent of the material world. One desiring to be very powerful should worship fire, and one who aspires only after money should worship the Vasus. One should worship the Rudra incarnations of Lord Śiva if he wants to be a great hero. One who wants a large stock of grains should worship Aditi. One who desires to attain the heavenly planets should worship the sons of Aditi. One who desires a worldly kingdom should worship Viśvadeva, and one who wants to be popular with the general mass of population should worship the Sādhya demigod. One who desires a long span of life should worship the demigods known as the Aśvinī-kumāras, and a person desiring a strongly built body should worship the earth. One who desires stability in his post should worship the horizon and the earth combined. One who desires to be beautiful should worship the beautiful residents of the Gandharva planet, and one who desires a good wife should worship the Apsarās and the Urvaśī society girls of the heavenly kingdom. One who desires domination over others should worship Lord Brahmā, the head of the universe. One who desires tangible fame should worship the Personality of Godhead, and one who desires a good bank balance should worship the demigod Varuṇa. If one desires to be a greatly learned man he should worship Lord Śiva, and if one desires a good marital relation he should worship the chaste goddess Umā, the wife of Lord Śiva.
Puruṣa, we living entities, because we have developed this consciousness somehow or other, that we don't want to serve Kṛṣṇa, but we want to become Kṛṣṇa, this prātikūlya, this icchā, and not to serve Kṛṣṇa, this dveṣa, two things combined... Icchā-dveṣa samutthena sarge yānti parantapa. They cannot... Just like I will give you very small example: just like the criminals. The criminals, they have got two things: icchā, dveṣa. Dveṣa: "Why shall I abide by the government law? I can do anything, what I like." This is dveṣa. And icchā means, "I shall work independently, without the law." So just like this icchā-dveṣa, the result is they are put into the jail. On account of these two things—icchā, that "I shall live independently without the control of the government. Whatever I like, I shall do," this icchā, and dveṣa, "I don't like to carry out the orders of law," dveṣa—this is very nice example—the result is that he will be arrested, and he will be put into the jail.
They are so callous, just like animal. They cannot think that there is possibility of not being slaughtered. When they are taken in the slaughter house, they agree to go because they know there is no other way. We have been made, meant for being slaughtered. Actually that is the position. The poor animals, they have no power to protest, neither combinedly they can give you fighting, to the human being. You will see one hundred cows are being driven by one boy or one man. They are so helpless. If they combine, with their horns they can immediately kill that man, but they have no intelligence. They do not know how to fight. Sometimes they fight, but this is position of the rascals and fools. Take the example, one cow or one bull is quite strong enough to kill ten men. He has got so much strength. But because he has no intelligence, because he is animal, hundreds of cows and bulls are being driven by one man to the slaughterhouse.
So we are being educated in that way, foolish education. And we shall select. When we come to the election we select a person like me. That has been described in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, that śva-viḍ-varāhoṣṭra-kharaiḥ saṁstutaḥ puruṣaḥ paśuḥ (SB 2.3.19). This election, we are selecting another person. He is also like me. I am a paśu. How can I select a person who is not paśu? Therefore if you want good government, then—this is democratic age—then you must be good. You must know who is good. Then you can elect: "Here is good man." Otherwise, śva-viḍ-varāhoṣṭra-kharaiḥ saṁstutaḥ puruṣaḥ paśuḥ. Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī has said that these so-called leaders, they are big paśu. I am paśu, and he's a big paśu. What can I select? I cannot find out Bharata Mahārāja, parama-bhāgavatam, bhagavaj-jana-priya. Hm? Bhagavaj-jana-parāyaṇam. Nobody likes bhagavaj-jana. "These people are always speaking of God. It is brainwash." This is the modern "It is brainwash." In Europe and America they are now combining to oppose this Hare Kṛṣṇa movement, that we are brainwashing him, controlling the mind by hypnotism. That is the charge against us. We are placed in the court also in many cases. So this is "What is this nonsense, bhagavaj-jana-parāyaṇam, Bhagavān, Kṛṣṇa? This is simply a sophistry," they say. Even a big scholar say. When Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66), a big scholar, he has remarked, "This is sophistry."
Pradyumna: "The mind is the root cause of lust, anger, pride, greed, lamentation, illusion and fear. Combined, these constitute bondage to fruitive activity. What learned man would put faith in the mind?"
Prabhupāda:
- kāmo manyur mado lobhaḥ
- śoka-moha-bhayādayaḥ
- karma-bandhaś ca yan-mūlaḥ
- svīkuryāt ko nu tad budhaḥ
- (SB 5.6.5)
So budha means one who is aware of everything, jñānī. Budhā bhāva-samanvitaḥ (BG 10.8). Such budha, intelligent person, will not accept these base qualities. Kāma, manyur means greediness, lusty; madaḥ—madness; lobha... Mada, mada? Kāmo manyur mada. What is mada? Madness? Mada—pride, yes. Kāmo manyur mado lobhaḥ—greediness; śoka—lamentation; moha—illusion; bhaya... Bhaya means when we are too much materially absorbed then there is bhaya. Āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunaṁ ca sāmānyam etat paśubhir narāṇām. So long we are interested in bodily concept of life, these things are manifested. And when we are spiritually identified, so there is no more kāma-lobha-bhaya-śoka-bhayādayaḥ. Śoka-moha-bhaya apahaḥ. Spiritual means, advanced means śoka moha bhaya, these things are not existing. These are the symptoms of karma-bandha. But if we devote ourselves in the bhakti-yoga, in the service of the Lord, then the face of these things will change. The face of these things will change.
But you cannot surrender to Kṛṣṇa without serving the representative of Kṛṣṇa. Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura said, chādiyā vaiṣṇava-sevā nistara paveche kebā: "Without serving the representative of Kṛṣṇa, nobody can approach Kṛṣṇa." It is not possible. It is not possible. There are many instances. Mahāt-pāda-rajo 'bhiṣekam. Niṣkiñcanānṁ, niṣkiñcanānām... There is one verse—just now I forget. The thing is that without being blessed by the representative of Kṛṣṇa, nobody can take interest into Kṛṣṇa. That is another secret. Yasya prasādaḍ bhagavat-prasādaḥ **. The Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura says that "By the mercy of the spiritual master, one can get the mercy of Kṛṣṇa." Yasya prasādāt, "by whose mercy, Kṛṣṇa is merciful." Niṣkiñcanānāṁ pāda-rajo 'bhiṣekam. So this is also stated here, that surrender to Kṛṣṇa means surrender to Kṛṣṇa's representative. If you surrender to Kṛṣṇa, then also Kṛṣṇa's first mercy is that He will send His representative. If anyone is serious to surrender to Kṛṣṇa, then Kṛṣṇa will help him from within and without. Within, as Supersoul, He will help, and He will dictate that "You go to this person." Guru kṛṣṇa kṛpāya pāya bhakti-latā-bīja (CC Madhya 19.151). When there is combined mercy, both Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's representative, then you are successful. Guru kṛṣṇa kṛpāya pāya bhakti-latā-bīja. Two things. Here also it is stated that one may practice, as the austerities, penances, brahmācārya, celibacy, but better position is to take to devotional service and surrender to Kṛṣṇa through His representative. This bhakti.
His another name is Svayambhū. Svayambhū means he was not created by father and mother. The father-mother... Ordinarily, a living entity take birth by the combination of father and mother. But Brahmā is called Svayambhū because he is not created by father and mother. Then again, you can argue that Brahmā was created by Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, so He is his father. But the argument can be defied that although He is the father, but he was not born of a mother. That is all-powerful Kṛṣṇa, Nārāyaṇa, Viṣṇu. You have seen the picture that Nārāyaṇa is lying down on the water of Garbhodaka, udaka, and Lakṣmī is massaging His lotus feet, and Brahmā in a lotus flower is born. So generally, when a father begets a son, he takes the advantage of his wife, the help of his wife. But here Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, although His wife is present, He did not take the assistance of the wife. A lotus sprouted from His navel, and there was Brahmā. That is all-powerful. Generally we understand that whenever there is birth, the man and woman must combine. But that is for ordinary entities or in this material world. But that is not possible in the case of God, or Viṣṇu. Therefore He is called sarva-śaktimān, all-powerful. He can do anything, whatever He likes.
This kind of hard labor for sense gratification little, it is done by the hogs and dogs. So to teach people to work day and night for simply eating purposes, sense gratification, that is hog civilization, according to śāstra. Nāyaṁ deha deho-bhājāṁ nṛloke kaṣṭān kāmān arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye (SB 5.5.1). Then what is the purpose of human life? Tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena śuddhyed sattva yena brahma-saukhyaṁ anantam. You are seeking after happiness. So this life is meant for tapasya, austerity. Not to indulge in sense gratification. That is done by the dogs and hogs. You are human being, you are meant for practicing austerity. "Oh, why shall I practice austerity?" Now, yato śuddhyed sattva. Your existence will be purified. You are suffering in this material world because your existence is not purified. Therefore you are accepting death. Who dies? The diseased man dies. Of course, everyone dies. Everyone is diseased here. But generally, we understand, one who is not healthy, he dies. So why we die? We are eternal. Everyone knows. Nityaḥ śāśvato 'yam na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). Then why I am dying? Why I am suffering from disease, from old age? This should be the human question, and they should try to solve this, and this opportunity is given by nature and God combined. God has ordered nature to give me this machine, human form of body. If we do not utilize it as human being, that is sinful. That is sinful.
So it is, not that a devotee has to take his birth in the devotee's family. That is not necessary. Ahaituky apratihatā. One man can become a devotee without any cause and without being checked. There is no such thing which will check to become a devotee. Anyone can become devotee in any condition, provided he is fortunate enough to associate with another devotee. That is the way. So Prahlāda Mahārāja says, "My dear friends, because you have been taught for sense gratification—eating, sleeping, mating and defending—so this is, this kind of happiness, is material happiness, sense enjoyment." So deha-yogena dehinām, two bodies combined or in connection with this body... Deha-yogena dehinām. Just like sex life. Sex life, it requires two bodies, one male or female. Deha-yogena. As soon as we say, yogena, that means extra something. Yogena. Yoga and viyoga. Viyoga means minus, and yoga means addition. So deha-yogena dehinām. The living entities who have accepted this material body, such kind of happiness, sarvatra labhyate. You can have anywhere, any life. Just like two bodies, male and female. It is not that in the human society two bodies, male and female, join and enjoy the pleasure. The dog also do that. The quality of happiness between a beautiful man and beautiful woman does not increase or decrease by other body. The hog also, they enjoy. It is not because they have got a nasty body therefore the enjoyment is less than human being, no. The feelings of enjoyment is the same, either of the dog or of the hog or of the human being, everyone. It is not... The quality does not change.
o these things are very nicely explained in Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and we are trying to explain the science of God or knowledge. If you like, you can take, and we are sure that your life will be successful. This chanting and combined with this hearing of this Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam will advance you in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or God consciousness. And as Prahlāda Mahārāja is instructing his class fellows that this is to be learned from the beginning of your life, but if you have missed the opportunity, but it is better late than never. Here is a process introduced by Caitanya Mahāprabhu. We can accept it immediately even though it is late.
Thank you very much. Any questions?
So Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura, he is offering his prayers to the Lord, haha prabhu nanda-suta, vṛṣabhānu-sutā-yuta: "My dear Lord, the son of King Nanda..." Kṛṣṇa's foster father's name was Nanda Mahārāja. So He is very much pleased when He is addressed as "the son of Nanda." (break) He is the original person. He has no father. But He accepts His devotee as His father. He accepts His devotee as mother. He is full in Himself, but still, He awaits the affection of father and mother. This is the beauty of Kṛṣṇa. So He takes pleasure when He is addressed as Nanda-suta, as Rādhā-ramana, like that. So Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura is addressing, "My dear Lord, the son of Nanda," and vṛṣabhānu-sutā-yuta, "and present with the daughter of King Vṛṣabhānu..." Rādhārāṇī's father was Vṛṣabhānu. He was also a king. So Kṛṣṇa and Rādhā is combined, and the devotee is addressing, "My dear son of Nanda, You are now united with the daughter of Vṛṣabhānu." Karunā karaha ei bāra: "Now You bestow Your mercy upon this fallen soul." Narottama dāsa kahe. This prayer is offered by Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura, a great ācārya of the Vaiṣṇava-sampradāya. He is saying for himself, "My dear Lord, don't kick me away." Narottama dāsa kahe, nā ṭheliho rāṅgā pāya: "Don't kick me away. Accept me in the service of Your lotus feet." Tomā bina ke āche āmāra: "I have no other shelter than Yourself." This is the sum and substance of all prayers. If you submit to the Lord that "I have no other shelter than Yourself," then He takes at once charge of you. But if you think that "My dear Lord," or "My dear God, I come to You for my daily bread, and as soon as You give me my daily bread, my business is finished with You..." No. That is also very good, but this is not love. This is business. The Kṛṣṇa wants lover not for any business.
Therefore, if you are intelligent enough, you take one ingredient of this body. One after another, one after another, one after another, you analyze. You won't find. Neither with that ingredient you can create life. That is not possible. This is analysis. You are very expert in analyzing things in the laboratory and charge fees, chemical analysis. But this is also composition of these chemical. But they say "chemical evolution." That's right, evolution. It has come, life. Then, when life is lost, why don't you combine these chemicals, bring life? That is not possible. Therefore, by proper analysis one must come to the conclusion that these ingredients are different from the living force. Then... That is called self-realization. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi: "I am not this matter." That is the first step of knowledge. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54). "Oh, I was so much busy with this lump of matter. Now I understand that I am spirit soul." Ahaṁ brahmāsmi. This is the first realization, self-realization.
Nectar of Devotion Lectures
Brazil. There is too much gold stocked there. And every nation is hankering, how to take it. That will be the effect. What is the struggle in this world? Struggle is the gold is there, the gold mine is there, and everyone is trying to exploit it, "How I can take or my nation can take." Nationality means expanded selfishness. They are very much fond of nationality, but that nationality is also selfishness—by combined effort. Our, in our country, Mahatma Gandhi is supposed to be the father of nationality. Not only in our country, in many other countries. But what is that nationality? Mahatma Gandhi wanted that "The Britishers must go away. My countrymen shall enjoy." So this is extended selfishness. In the beginning, I want to enjoy. Then if I, I extend my enjoyment, family-wise, community-wise or nation-wise, that does not change the quality of selfishness. People are going on in the name of nationality, big leaders, but from our point of view, that neither as nation or community or person you are the proprietor of things. Kṛṣṇa is the proprietor of... So if you expand your selfishness in the name of nationality—"I possess this land"—we do not approve. We say, īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (ISO 1). Everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures
Kṛṣṇa Caitanya is Kṛṣṇa. That was observed by Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya. He composed one hundred verses praising the glories of Lord Caitanya, but because Caitanya Mahāprabhu was playing the part of a devotee, He threw away the ślokas, because "This is not for Me." That was Caitanya Mahāprabhu's humbleness. But the devotees know that Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is Kṛṣṇa Himself. Śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya rādhā-kṛṣṇa nahe anya. Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa combination of Śrī Caitanya... Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu means Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa combined. In the beginning there is Kṛṣṇa, and then Kṛṣṇa divided into two, Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa. And then again combined, that is Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
- rādhā-kṛṣṇa-praṇaya-vikṛtir hlādinī śaktir asmād
- ekātmānāv api (bhuvi purā) deha-bhedaṁ gatau tau
- caitanyākhyaṁ prakaṭam adhunā tad-dvayaṁ caikyam āptam...
- (CC Adi 1.5)
So the Gosvāmī's siddhānta, that Kṛṣṇa is one. There is no rivalry with Kṛṣṇa. God is one. Eka-brahma dvitīya nāsti. There cannot be many Gods. So when God, Kṛṣṇa, wants to enjoy His pleasure potency, that is Rādhārāṇī. So He manifests Himself, manifests His energy... His energy and He, there is no difference. Śakti-śaktimator abhedaḥ. The śāstra says śakti and the śaktimat—means one who possesses the śakti (śakti means power, potency)—they are equal. There is no difference.
So in this way, if we try to understand that Pañca-tattva, śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu-nityānanda, śrī-advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda... This is Pañca-tattva: Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya, Śrī Nityānanda, Śrī Advaita, Śrī Gadādhara, and Śrīvāsādi. Śrīvāsādi means jīva-tattva. The jīva-tattva, śakti-tattva, viṣṇu-tattva, these are all tattvas. So Pañca-tattva. Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya is the supreme tattva, Kṛṣṇa. Śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya, rādhā-kṛṣṇa nahe anya. We are worshiping Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. So Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya is Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa combined. Śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya, rādhā-kṛṣṇa nahe anya.
- rādhā-kṛṣṇa-praṇaya-vikṛtir hlādinī-śaktir asmād
- ekātmānāv api bhuvi purā deha-bhedaṁ gatau tau
- caitanyākhyaṁ prakaṭam adhunā tad-dvayaṁ caikyam āptam...
- (CC Adi 1.5)
Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa... Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme. When Kṛṣṇa wants to enjoy... The enjoyer... Bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram (BG 5.29). He's enjoyer. So when He wants to enjoy, that is not material enjoyment. That is spiritual, superior energy, not material energy. Because Kṛṣṇa is the supreme, therefore He enjoys the superior energy. So Kṛṣṇa's... The Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa līlā is not material. One who understands Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa līlā as material, they are misled. Kṛṣṇa cannot enjoy anything material. He's supreme pleasure... If you say that "We are seeing daily that you are offering prasāda, the vegetable, rice. They are all material," no, they are not material. This is real understanding. How it is not material? That is acintya, inconceivable. Kṛṣṇa can turn material into spiritual and spiritual into material. That is Kṛṣṇa's inconceivable power, acintya-śakti. Unless you accept acintya-śakti of Kṛṣṇa, you cannot understand Kṛṣṇa. Acintya-śakti.
Enjoy to your best capacity." But He is witnessing. Witnessing means you want something, Kṛṣṇa is supplying. The material agent, Kṛṣṇa's prakṛti, or the material nature is supplying you ingredients. But Kṛṣṇa is sanctioning, and you are desiring. You are desiring, "I want this." Kṛṣṇa says, "No, you will not be happy," but you insist: "No. I want this." "All right. You take this." Kṛṣṇa's material energy is there; He is supplying the ingredients. "All right. Take these ingredients. What do you want?" "I want a three-hundred-story skyscraper building." "All right. Take it. Take it." The ingredients... The sky... You cannot create the ingredients. The ingredients is kṣitir-ap-tej-marud-van (?). You take earth, water, fire, air, and combine it and make a skyscraper building. But the ingredients does not belong to you. It is Kṛṣṇa's. Kṣitir-ap-tej-marud-van (?). Prakṛtir me aṣṭadhā. Bhinnā prakṛtir me aṣṭadhā. "They are My property. That is Mine. Actually it is Mine." You cannot create water, you cannot create fire, you cannot create earth. It is God's property. You take it and satisfy your senses. That's all. That's your business. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmaṇī sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). Prakṛti is supplying. But how prakṛti is supplying? How the material nature is supplying you ingredients? Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10). "Under My direction." So what is the difficulty? And how can you become God? How you can become greater than God? This is all foolishness. You are completely under the control. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). You are completely under the prakṛti, this material nature.
Arrival Addresses and Talks
Prabhupāda: Because I have taken sannyāsa. I have dedicated my life for Kṛṣṇa. That is the Vedic system, that certain portion of your life should simply dedicate for God. That is called sannyāsa.
Reporter: To do this, did you have to divorce?
Prabhupāda: No. There is no question of. We do not know what is divorce. In our country there is no divorce, at least in Hindu law. Yes. Wife and husband, once combined, that is for life. There is no question of separation, in all circumstances. Either in distress or in happiness, there is no question of separation. Now our modern politicians, they have introduced this divorce law. Otherwise, according to Hindu, Manu-saṁhitā, there is no divorce law.
Reporter: When did you renounce your family?
Prabhupāda: In 1959.
Reporter: How are they managing without you?
Prabhupāda: They are managing. My sons are grown up; they are earning. My wife is also rich man's daughter. She has got some property. So they have no problem.
Initiation Lectures
So by serving Kṛṣṇa, nobody becomes loser. This is my practical ex..., I mean, practical experience, nobody. So I am citing this example of my personal experience because... Just try to understand that before leaving my home was thinking that "I may be in great trouble." Especially when I left my home for your country in 1965 alone, the government would not allow me to take any money. I had only a few book and forty rupees, Indian forty rupees. So I came in New York in such condition, but by the grace of my spiritual master Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Mahārāja, and by the grace of Kṛṣṇa, everything happens by combined mercy of Kṛṣṇa and spiritual master.
In the Caitanya-caritāmṛta it is said, guru-kṛṣṇa kṛpāya pāya bhakti-latā-bīja (CC Madhya 19.151). There shall be combined mercy of Kṛṣṇa and guru. Then our mission of Kṛṣṇa consciousness will be successful. This is the secret. Kṛṣṇa is always within you. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe arjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). Therefore Kṛṣṇa knows everything of your purpose, and He gives you opportunity to work as you have decided. If you decide to enjoy this material world, Kṛṣṇa will give you intelligence how to become very nice businessman, nice politician, very nice cunning man so that you can earn money and enjoy senses. Kṛṣṇa will give you intelligence. So many people are becoming very great in the estimation of material life. From very poor man, they are becoming millionaires. How? They have got intelligence, certainly. Without intelligence they cannot improve. But that intelligence is also given by Kṛṣṇa. It 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: "By Me, there is memory and by Me, there is forgetfulness." So how Kṛṣṇa is giving forgetfulness, also memory? That means according to my desire. If I want to forget Kṛṣṇa and I want to enjoy this material world, He will give me necessary intelligence so that I can forget Kṛṣṇa for good and I can enjoy this material world very nicely.
Cornerstone Ceremonies
So very clear. Kurukṣetra is dharma-kṣetra still. In the Vedas it is stated, kurukṣetre dharmam ācaret: "One should go to Kurukṣetra and perform religious rituals." Therefore it is dharma-kṣetra from time immemorial. And why should we interpret it that "This Kurukṣetra means this body, dharmakṣetra, this body"? Why? Why mislead people? Stop this misleading. And Kurukṣetra is still there. Kurukṣetra station, railway station, is there. So try to understand Bhagavad-gītā as it is, make your life successful, and spread this message all over the world. You will be happy; the world will be happy. Of course, I am now very old man. I am eighty years old. My life is finished. But I want some responsible Indian and combined with other countries... Other countries, they are giving good cooperation. Otherwise, it was not possible for me to spread in so short time, only seven or eight years, to preach this cult all over the world. So I require the cooperation of the Indian, especially young men, educated men. Come forward. Stay with us. Study Bhagavad-gītā. We haven't got anything to manufacture. Nothing to manufacture. And what we can manufacture? We are all imperfect. Whatever is there, let us study it and practically apply in life and spread the message all over the world. That is our mission.
General Lectures
So here is an opportunity to get directly that post of great soul by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. So it is very scientific. We can present this formula to any person who wants to understand this movement scientifically, philosophically, logically. There is no dearth of all these things in this movement. We are not sentimental at all. Of course, there must be sentiment. Without sentiment, nobody can come to the stage of ecstasy. But that sentiment is transcendental sentiment. This is not ordinary sentiment. Sentiment, when religion or any faith is devoid of philosophy and logic, then it is material sentiment. And philosophy and logic without understanding of God is simply waste of time, mental... (break) So both should be combined, religion plus philosophy. One should understand the principles of religion with philosophy and logic. We are claiming college students, university students, because we are presenting religion on the basis of philosophy and logic. We are not blindly following. We have not dogmatism. We have got reason, philosophy, and everything, science. If you want to understand this Kṛṣṇa consciousness on the basis of philosophy, logic and science, we are prepared to present to you. But the ultimate goal is to surrender unto the Supreme. So although you will find some of the students joining us, they are not very great philosopher or great scientist or great educationist, but they have accepted the reality, Kṛṣṇa.
So try to read them. And we have got our magazines, Back to Godhead. We are not sentimentalists, that we are simply dancing. The dancing has got great value; that, if you dance with us, you'll feel. It is not that some crazy fellows are dancing. No. The most intelligent persons, they are dancing. It is so nicely made that even a boy like here, he is a boy, he can take part. Universal. Join, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and dance, and you'll realize. Very simple method. You haven't got to understand any high standard of philosophy or jugglery of words, this or that. Simple thing. What is simple thing? God is great, everyone knows, and we are part and parcel of the great. So when we are combined with the great, we are also great. Just like your body, a small part of your body, a little finger or toe, that is also the same value of the whole body. But as soon as that small part or big part is separated from the body, it has no value. It has no value. This finger, a very small part of your body. If there is any pain, you spend thousands of dollars. You pay to the physician to cure the pain thousands of dollars, and when the physician says that "This finger has to be," what is called, "dislocated or cut off, separated, otherwise the whole body will be infected," so when this finger is cut off from your body, you don't care for it. No more value. Just try to understand. A typewriting machine, a small screw, when it is missing, your machine is not working nicely, you go to a repairing shop. He charges ten dollars. You pay immediately. That little screw, when it is out of that machine, it has not a value even one farthing.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Oh, yeah. (soft laughter)
Prabhupāda: So, any other question?
Jāhnavā: Christ consciousness and Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the words are so similar. Please combine the words, explain how the words came to us.
Prabhupāda: 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? They'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 crucifixion. So what kind of class of men they were? The status of that society, just try to understand. Therefore 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.
Then what should be the purpose of life? This opportunity, this nice intelligence, nice education, nice beautiful body, nice economic condition—that should be utilized for tapasya. Tapasya means austerity, restriction. Restriction. Just like our students. We advise our students—and they follow—that "You don't have illicit sex life." Boys and girls, they are mixing, making friendship. That is nice. That is natural. A young boy is attracted by a young girl, or young girl is attracted by young boy. That is not unnatural, because it is in the Supreme Lord. That nice love attraction is Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is a boy, sixteen-years-old boy, and Rādhārāṇī is also a fifteen-years-old girl. Not even one year's... I think, fifteen days younger. So our worshipable object is that spiritual love, Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa. But the so-called love in this material world is only a perverted reflection. It is only lust. So you have, by austerity, you have to change that lust into love. If you love one girl, if you love one boy, that is very nice. That is natural. That is not unnatural. But don't change that love. Be combined permanently. Be combined. Not that "After few months I give up this girl," "I give up this boy," "I capture another." No. That is austerity. That is austerity. Oh, I purposely... Although I am a sannyāsī—I have no interest with family life, neither we are expected to take part in this man and woman relationship—but still, purposely I have married so many couples, boys and girls, just to see them happy. Without happiness, without being in good mood of mind, you cannot prosecute Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is also stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
So austerity means we are not imposing upon you that you go to the forest and live in a cave or you don't eat or don't see any human being—you just meditate for three hundred years. No. That is not possible. That is not possible. You cannot go to the forest, you cannot go to the mountain, neither you can meditate. All these are not recommended in this age. That is not possible. If somebody imitates or tries to imitate, he is simply wasting time. Only austerity is that don't have illicit sex life just like cats and dogs, because marriage is recommended in the human society. There is no marriage in cat society, dog society, hog society. Any human society you take, either in the Western world or in the Eastern world, or in Christian society, Hindu society, Muhammadan society—in every civilized human society there is a ceremony called marriage. And that is also Vedic system, that one should not have any illicit sex life, but one should be combined according to religious rite and live peacefully and execute Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This much austerity.
So I request all you ladies and gentlemen to take this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. It is not a sentimental movement. It is a very authorized, scientific movement. You are all educated, advanced ladies and gentlemen. I'll request you to understand this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. The American boys, it is already we are combining East and West socially, politically, religiously, philosophically, economically, everything. There is solution. But if you take it seriously. If you think this is a movement, sentimental move... It is not sentimental movement. It is a most scientific movement. Any scientist come to me. I can convince him that it is a scientific movement. I asked similarly to Professor Kotovsky in Moscow that "My dear Professor, what is the difference between your movement, communist movement, and my movement? You, you have selected Lenin as God. I have selected Kṛṣṇa as God. Where is the difference of principle? You cannot live without a leader or God. I cannot live without a leader or God. That's a fact. Then where is the difference? Now it is to be judged whether Lenin is good or Kṛṣṇa is good. That is another thing. But your position is that you have to accept one leader, either Lenin or Jawaharlal Nehru or Hitler or this or Lord (?) Churchill. You have to accept. You cannot work independently. Therefore you have got so many parties. So here is also one party, Kṛṣṇa party. So where is the difference in philosophy? There is no difference in philosophy. Now let us study whether Kṛṣṇa party is good or Lenin party is good. Then whole solution is there."
The supreme religious system is that which teaches the follower how to love God." That is supreme. It does not matter you learn to love God through Christianism or Hinduism or Muslimism, any "ism," but the result should be how much you have advanced in the art of loving God. Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6). Bhakti, this word, Sanskrit word is used, "devotion," bhakti. To render service to God, that is bhakti. We are rendering service to so many things. That is not bhakti. Bhakti means to render service to God. And adhokṣaje. There are many terminology of understanding God, but here in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, God is mentioned as adhokṣaja. Adhokṣaja means beyond your sense perception. Another word is used, avāṅ mānasa-gocaraḥ, "beyond the expression of your mind, words." Avāṅ gocaraḥ. And another meaning, literal meaning, adha: adha means subdued. Adhakṛta akṣaja-jñānam. Akṣa. Akṣa means eyes, or... In Sanskrit there are letters beginning from a, a, i and, at last, kṣa. So beginning from a to kṣa, a-kṣa, means we understand by combination of words. So you can combine so many words, but still, it is beyond that expression. That is called adhokṣaja. So God is realized... Not by vocabulary we can understand what is the nature of God, or, in one word, that God is beyond our this material sense perception.
Philosophy Discussions
Śyāmasundara: But does the monad of a, say, a hydrogen molecule, does that also create its own body? Does it only accidentally become part of a water molecule, or does it...
Prabhupāda: Nothing is accidental.
Śyāmasundara: It also desires to become a water molecule? Does the atom of hydrogen desire to combine with oxygen and become a water molecule?
Prabhupāda: He... The ultimate desire is of Kṛṣṇa.
Śyāmasundara: But does each atom, even of matter...
Prabhupāda: If you take it that way, Kṛṣṇa is within every atom. So Kṛṣṇa wants to be it; therefore He is willing to let these two things become one, and there is some creation, and again another creation, and another creation. The ultimate brain is Kṛṣṇa.
Śyāmasundara: Does the hydrogen molecule have an independent desire?
Prabhupāda: No, but within the hydrogen atom, there is Kṛṣṇa; therefore it is combining. Not this hydrogen atom as matter is combining, but because Kṛṣṇa is within that hydrogen atom existing. He knows that by combination this thing will come about, that will come out, that will come out...
Śyāmasundara: But the individual soul has a little independence to choose?
Prabhupāda: No, no.
Śyāmasundara: Because he says in matter there is also this kind of individuality.
Prabhupāda: That individual is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa knows that so many atoms will be combined, then another thing will be formed. It is not the individual soul but Kṛṣṇa directly.
Śyāmasundara: But when you come to the living entities, then the individual soul is also there.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Within the body. Both of them—Kṛṣṇa is also there, and the individual soul is also there.
Śyāmasundara: He says that the definition of substance is a being capable of action. Substance means to be capable of action, and that existence means action.
Prabhupāda: Substance is original. Other things are categories.
Śyāmasundara: So being capable of action, is that a good definition of substance?
Prabhupāda: Yes. Substance means the original cause, so He is completely able to act.
Śyāmasundara: Just like the body is acting, but the soul is independent. It's not really affected by the body.
Prabhupāda: Yes. That's all right. We agree.
Śyāmasundara: So they are like two clocks going at the same synchronization, but not together. They are separate.
Prabhupāda: But why two clocks? What is the relationship between the body and the soul? You cannot analyze separately. The body and the soul, they are practically combined. That example is not complete. They are two individual clocks. They are not combined. So therefore there is fallacy of analogy. If there is no common point, you cannot have analogy.
Śyāmasundara: The common point is that they say the same time. They have the same time.
Prabhupāda: But the same time, gradually one clock goes slow and the other clock goes fast. This analogy is not perfect. Similar point. Analogy means there must be a majority of similar points. Similar point is lacking because the one clock is moving, you'll start the other one moving, and one may go slow or one may go at higher speed.
Śyāmasundara: He says that thoughts without content are empty, meaning that the mind must have senses in order to fill its thoughts with content; and perceptions without exceptions are blind. In other words, sense impressions without thought are blind.
Prabhupāda: That thought comes from transcendental knowledge. Thought comes from higher authorities. That is called parokṣa. Then with your senses, when you try to understand, that is called aparokṣa. Then adhokṣaja. As I told you, there are five stages of acquiring knowledge: direct perception, pratyakṣa; parokṣa, receiving knowledge from higher authorities; then apply your senses, come to some conclusion, that is aparokṣa; then transcendental knowledge, adhokṣaja; then aprakṛta, spiritual knowledge.
Śyāmasundara: In other words, the thought content comes from higher authorities, then you apply your senses and the two combine.
Prabhupāda: To come to some conclusion. That is the source of knowledge which is beyond my senses.
Śyāmasundara: But I use my senses to come to some conclusion.
Prabhupāda: Just like a higher authority says that there is a spiritual world. Now, how do you come to this conclusion, "Yes, there is a spiritual world"? How, unless you apply your senses? Sense application is like this, that "I am combination of spirit and matter, that is a fact. So I cannot see the spirit at the present moment, but there is spirit. So I am a combination of spirit and matter. So if there is material world, why is there no spiritual world?" This is conclusion: by applying your senses and reason that there are two things, material and spiritual, so if there is possibility of material world, why is there not possibility of spiritual world?
Śyāmasundara: And if I see a dead body, I can understand that there is no life in that body, so there must be some source of life.
Prabhupāda: What does he say is the purpose, ultimate goal of life?
Śyāmasundara: The ultimate goal of life is to attain its own perfection, and to attain...
Prabhupāda: But he does not describe what is perfection.
Śyāmasundara: Perfection is happiness combined with virtue.
Prabhupāda: Happiness everyone thinks. Even a drunkard, he is feeling happiness. Is that happiness? The hog, by eating stool, is feeling happiness. Is that happiness?
Śyāmasundara: But it is not combined with virtue.
Prabhupāda: Why not virtue? If you get happiness, that is virtuous. That means he has no standard knowledge. Harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇā (SB 5.18.12). If a man is not a devotee of Kṛṣṇa, he has no good qualities. He may be a great philosopher, scientist, but he is a nonsense. Harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇā, mano-rathenāsati dhāvato bahiḥ (SB 5.18.12). By his mental speculation he is coming again and again on this material platform, that's all. He has no idea what is happiness, what is goal of life, the aim of life. He has no such idea. Vague. So therefore imperfect knowledge. (break) (end)
Hayagrīva: He writes that "Man alone can be regarded as nature's own end or highest product, because on earth only man is capable of complying with the categorical imperative, the moral law."
Prabhupāda: So it is accepted that nature creates man, and that is not very good philosophy. Nature creates man, then nature is supreme. There is no such thing. And nature is ultimate. Nature is dull matter. What do you call nature? Bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ: (BG 7.4) earth, water, fire. They cannot create. Nature cannot create. Otherwise the materialist scientist, they could do it by combining, combining this earth, water, air, fire. So nature is dull, lifeless. How nature can create life? What is the logic? What is the philosophy?
Hayagrīva: He wouldn't say that. He would say that man is nature's final end...
Prabhupāda: No.
Hayagrīva: ...because man's moral nature alone is worthwhile.
Prabhupāda: No, no. He is giving stress that nature has made man. That is our objection, that nature cannot do anything. Nature has given a body that..., just like a tailor can give me a set of dress, but the dress, when I put on, the dress looks like a man, with hands and legs. But dress is nothing; it is simply outward covering of a man, a living entity. Similarly, nature gives us this material body, outward coating. The inside is living entity, that..., not the creation of this material nature. That is creation of part and parcel of God. This (indistinct) knowledge is imperfect, that nature has created man. That is imperfect knowledge.
Prabhupāda: And every religion means connection with God.
Śyāmasundara: But he says that the highest form that the Absolute manifests itself, the highest mode, is in philosophy. He says that this combines art and religion and it synthesizes them so it is highest, philosophy.
Prabhupāda: Philosophy means that there is some order of God. Just like God says "Thou shall not kill." Now if you want to kill, then you must present your philosophy why you are killing, why you are violating the order of God, or why you are accepting the order of God. This is philosophy, not dry speculation.
Śyāmasundara: He says that philosophy is highest because it can...
Prabhupāda: It is highest. But now God says, "Thou shalt not kill." Then you stop killing. That's all right, be religious but did you understand?
Śyāmasundara: Oh, why I (indistinct).
Prabhupāda: Why I shall not kill. That is philosophy. Jñāna, vijñānam(?). Just like devotee, he accept Kṛṣṇa or God, that's all right. He's also devotee but one understands actually what is Kṛṣṇa, therefore he is very dear devotee. Madhyama-adhikārī. He is kaniṣṭha-adhikārī, the lowest stage of devotee. He's as good as the other devotees. He does not like to... Just like gopīs, they are not philosophers and they're, neither they knew that Kṛṣṇa is God, but they loved Kṛṣṇa, that is highest. Without any consideration. Caitanya Mahāprabhu, "Whatever you may be, I love you."
Śyāmasundara: ... the realization of the idea.
Prabhupāda: I know. Something concrete. (indistinct). Substance is concrete. The gold idea and... Just like you know gold, and you know a big mountain. So now you form an idea, the gold mountain. This is idea. But when you see actually gold mountain, that is substance. This is difference between idea and substance. But you have never seen gold mountain but you say gold mountain. You combine some idea. You are thinking, "There is gold. Now if I get the mountain, like gold." So that is idea. But when you actually find a (indistinct), "Here is a gold mountain." That is fact. That is substance.
Śyāmasundara: Hegel's idea is that there is idea, then there is substance but the synthesis is spirit. Spirit combines both idea and substance.
Prabhupāda: Yes, but spirit is, according to our philosophy, the spirit is realized in three phases, brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate (SB 1.2.11). The supreme spirit is realized in three phases. An example is given, just like you see from a distant place the mountain, you see just like a hazy cloud. You go forward, you will see something, substance, green, and if you enter it you'll see so many trees, so many animals. So you are seeing the same object but according to your understanding, somebody is saying, "Oh, it is a cloud." Somebody is saying, "It is some green (indistinct)," and somebody is saying, "No, it is very nice place." It is a question of where he is standing, to understand God. So those who are standing in distant place, for them imperson. Just like we are seeing the sunshine imperson, and the sun globe localized, and if you have got capacity to enter into the sun globe, you'll see sun god. Similarly, God is realized in three capacities, brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate (SB 1.2.11). Either impersonal Brahman, or localized Paramātmā, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead. But if you somehow or other approach the Supreme Personality of Godhead, it is Kṛṣṇa.
Śyāmasundara: You know the theory, not theory but practical proof, that the genes can be mutated by bombarding with cosmic rays.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes. That they prove by so-called... That's why the cancer... The example of that mutation is the cancer cell. They try to find out how cancer is caused in the body. They say that somehow the cell has been changed, and they say that it has been done by mutation, so they try to prove it in the laboratory by changing the structure of the cell, and that is called mutation. So they say why the cancer is formed because cancer is an abnormal cell, this is a normal cell. In answering why these elements are formed from these basic four chemicals-carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen and oxygen—they try, they say that somehow this nitrogen and hydrogen, they combine forming ammonia. That is called ammonia, from nitrogen and hydrogen. They say somehow this has formed, and somehow, by combination of hydrogen and oxygen, water is formed. And somehow by combination of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen, these so-called carbohydrates, or these are formed. But they say somehow these are formed, but they do not know how it is formed.
Śyāmasundara: But all that Darwin is interested in is in the evolution of species: how one type of body evolves to the other type due to the changing conditions, and that because he has evolved a certain body he is best adapted to survive in that condition so that his species survives. So the scientists have shown that by bombarding the cosmic radiation or radioactive elements, that a gene or cell can change, mutate, so a different kind of animal comes out. From one kind of mother a different kind of animal comes out.
Prabhupāda: But we say that different kind of animal is not beyond these 8,400,000 species.
Śyāmasundara: There are several theories in that book of yours. Where is that book about the origin of life? There are several theories how everything began. They are quite interesting.
Prabhupāda: That is theory, but we see practically that material things, material elements, ingredients, they cannot be combined automatically. There must be a living entity who will combine them.
Śyāmasundara: One of the theories is that everything comes out of energy.
Prabhupāda: Energy means somebody's energy. I am sitting here, I am pushing one button, the energy is immediately created, and it goes. Just like this telex machine. So somebody is pushing the button.
Karandhara: The energetic.
Prabhupāda: And then energy, immediately produced. Computer machine, the machine is doing nothing out of his own accord. Somebody is going and pushing the button. Then it will..., the energy is created. Similarly, according to our Vedic knowledge, as soon as God wishes, immediately the energy is set off, set into action, and then other things come automatically.
Prabhupāda: Sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam (Bs. 5.1). So our knowledge, Kṛṣṇa conscious people, our knowledge is perfect. We say everything is caused by Kṛṣṇa. That's all.
Śyāmasundara: Even if you study the way the sun and the rain and so on combined to make this fruit ripe, you still have the question, "Well, why is there fruit in the first place?" Why is there fruit? Why has fruit appeared on this planet? There's no cause, apparently. But God has a cause.
Prabhupāda: God has made the law so perfect that one after—one cause affects something, and that affects another thing, another thing, one after another, so many things, ultimately. So we do not know so many things. We see the fruit, but how the fruit is growing, under which law, we simply explain nature. But it is not nature. There is a law. It is not only growing, the apples are having this nice color outside the skin, they have been painted; everything is perfectly being done by the laws, by the energy of Kṛṣṇa. Just like if you want to make a beautiful fruit, you paint it yellow or red, you take so much time. You apply your energy. The same energy is being applied there. Otherwise why, wherefrom you get the idea that a nice fruit can be painted like this? God is dictating that "You want to make a fruit, paint, you do like this, do like that." So similarly He is doing. But my doing takes so much time, because my energy is so blunt and limited. But His energy is so perfect that immediately (indistinct). The same example, just like Telex. There are so many methods, now this is latest. Immediately type here, immediately there. So before that, one could not believe that how is it I type here and five thousand miles away the type striking. So there is a law. It is not that it is magic.
Prabhupāda: So that program is already there. But if you create your own program, you do not follow the standard program. That is the defect.
Śyāmasundara: This program, because Skinner himself believes in Judeo-Christian ethics combined with a scientific tradition. But he fails to answer how it is possible to accept those ethics without accepting something like an inner person with an autonomous concept. In other words, he says we can program society to be good to your neighbor, to love one another, to be honest, upright, like that. But he is still not sure how it would be possible without accepting a free will.
Prabhupāda: The defect is that these programs are being forwarded by some rascal. Therefore they are defective. If they would have been forwarded by perfect man, then you would have actual (indistinct). Now one rascal is forwarding some program, another rascal next time (indistinct) this is true. So this is going on in Western world. Because according to Bhāgavata we belong to the category of dogs, hogs, camels. So what is the benefit of a dog's program and (indistinct) by camel's program. If they are on the, basically there is nothing but dogs, hogs, camels and asses, then suppose dog has given some program and the camel says, "No. This program is better than this one." And the ass comes, he introduces another program, "This program is better than this program." So either of these programs, because they are made by dogs, hogs, asses and camels, they cannot be perfect. Take a program from a real human being. Then it is perfect. The defect is there. One philosopher is proposing something, another philosopher is proposing something... That is (indistinct) especially in the Western countries, they are doing so independence (?). But the Vedic civilization there is no independence. They must follow the Vedic injunction. As I have said several times, the Vedas says that the stool of cow is completely pure. They do not argue that "Formerly you say that the stool of animal is impure. Now you are saying that the stool of animal, cow, is pure. So how can we accept?" There is no such thing. The Vedas says, even it is stool, but the Vedas says the stool of cow is perfectly pure. Yes. No contradiction. Our presentation of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is like that. But Kṛṣṇa says, "(indistinct), as it is." There is no question of altering or changing according to circumstances. We know Kṛṣṇa is perfect. Whatever He has said, it is all right, in all conditions. That is our belief. We do not deviate. So similarly, if the direction is taken for training from the perfect, that is the best. And if the direction is taken from the process of (indistinct) philosophy, hogs, dogs, and asses, and camels how can you take? (indistinct) something, (indistinct) something, (indistinct) analysis something, so the whole society will be (indistinct).
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Śyāmasundara: ...there is a tiger. There is a real object in my consciousness.
Prabhupāda: And because it is real object, it is reacting on my physical life.
Śyāmasundara: He describes ultimate reality as space-time. Space and time. He says that time is an infinity of instants, single instants, and that the basis of infinity is a point, and that these two are combined and this is called reality.
Prabhupāda: Infinity of?
Śyāmasundara: Point.
Prabhupāda: Points and?
Śyāmasundara: Infinity of instants.
Prabhupāda: Instinct.
Śyāmasundara: Instant. Like a moment is an instant.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Hm.
Śyāmasundara: This Fichte actually comes to that conclusion because he borrows from Kant and develops this idea of the dialectic that there's thesis, the antithesis and it becomes combined in synthesis. He puts forward the idea that the ego, the subjective identity that the thesis has given and opposing that is the antithesis or material nature. Just like my body is the antithesis of my ego, so it is non-ego. So he says ego, non-ego, there's a continuous struggle.
Prabhupāda: When I think that I am this body, that is false ego. That is false ego. Because I am not this body. So those who are falsely identifying this body, (indistinct) they're animals. They're (indistinct).
Śyāmasundara: So he sees that the world is made up of a combination of continuous struggle of dialectic between the opposing elements of ego and non-ego. My subjective identity and the objective world are continually locked in struggle, endlessly, and this is the way things are going on.
Prabhupāda: Not endlessly, but if you understand that you are not this body, then this ignorance is ended, immediately. So you cannot say it is endless.
Śyāmasundara: He says that there is a gradual evolution towards self-realization if one uses his reason.
Prabhupāda: Yes, that is gradual process of evolution is from animal kingdom to human life. When one comes to the human form of life then the realization (indistinct) is there.
Śyāmasundara: So he seeks to combine these two types of reason, Kant set up. There's pure reason and practical reason or moral reason. In other words speculative reason and practical reason or moral reason.
Prabhupāda: Practical, practical reason is that if I think I am this body, then where is the difference between dead body and living? Living body means I am in this body, that is living body. As soon as I give up this body, I go and accept another body. Then it is dead body. So this is practical reason, that without the soul this body is a lump of matter. It is very practical. Therefore soul is different from this matter.
Śyāmasundara: He says that our progress towards this kind of understanding comes about because we unify our speculative reason, our theoretical reason with our practical reason or our moral reason.
Prabhupāda: This is practical. Anyone can understand that when the body is, does not contain any more the soul, then it is dead, dead body, lump of matter. So spirit soul is different from the matter. This is practical. If anyone cannot understand, then he's less intelligent. This is practical.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Yes, I am thinking. So if there is any difference between thinking, feeling and willing then thinking first.
Śyāmasundara: Will, willing something is more like desiring something, isn't it?
Prabhupāda: That desiring begins from thinking.
Śyāmasundara: Contemplating the objects of the senses one (indistinct). He says that if one combines rational thought with his will then this will help him towards self-realization.
Prabhupāda: What is that?
Śyāmasundara: If he combines rational thought with willing...
Prabhupāda: So wherefrom the rational thought comes?
Śyāmasundara: That is an a priori fact, that I think therefore I am.
Devotee: (indistinct)
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Hayagrīva: And in this book he defines religion. He says, "Religion leans on metaphysics for the justification of its conviction of the reality of its object, God. Philosophy leans on religion to justify it, and calling the possessor of Deity by the religious name of 'God.' The two methods of approach, that is philosophy and religion, are therefore complementary."
Prabhupāda: Hmm. That's right. Religion, when it is combined with philosophy, that makes sense, and religion without philosophy is sentiment. It has no practical value.
Hayagrīva: For Alexander, religion is like what...
Prabhupāda: We should say in this connection that Bhagavad-gītā is religion and philosophy combined together.
Hayagrīva: For Ale...
Prabhupāda: The religion is God worship, and everything explained there, just like immortality of the soul, that is philosophy. So it is combination of religion and philosophy that makes sense.
Hayagrīva: For Alexander religion is like hunger, and God is the food for that hunger.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Purports to Songs
To hear directly from Kṛṣṇa is there. The arrangement is there. Kṛṣṇa is situated in everyone's heart, and one can hear from Him very easily, anywhere and everywhere, but he must have the training how to hear. For that purpose one requires the help of the representative of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that one can achieve devotional service of Kṛṣṇa by the combined mercy of Kṛṣṇa and the spiritual master. Guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpāya pāya bhakti-latā-bīja (CC Madhya 19.151). By the grace of spiritual master, guru, and by the grace of Kṛṣṇa, one achieves the opportunity of serving Kṛṣṇa in devotional service. So in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta it is also said that spiritual master is the direct manifestation of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa comes before the devotee as spiritual master just like sun enters your room by the sunshine. Although the sun does not enter your room or your city or your country—he is so many millions and millions of miles away—still, he can enter everywhere by his potency, the sunshine.
| Page Title: | Combine (Lectures) |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, Mayapur |
| Created: | 17 of Aug, 2011 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=70, Con=0, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 70 |