You have to do something. So if you engage yourself twenty-four hours in pious activities, pious activities in goodness, that is also tainted. But when you actually engage yourself in the devotional service of Vāsudeva, as we were discussing this morning, the verse, vāsudeve bhagavati bhakti-yogaḥ prayojitaḥ, janayaty āśu vairāgyam... (SB 1.2.7). So even if we are accustomed to sinful activities on account of bad habits, still, we can engage ourself in devotional service of Vāsudeva. So those who are sincerely devotee of Vāsudeva, sometimes due to their past habits, may commit something sinful, not knowingly, but habituated; that is excused by Kṛṣṇa. Api cet su-durācāro bhajate mām ananya-bhāk. But not wilfully. Wilfully, if we commit some sinful activities, that can be excused once, twice, but not thrice. then you'll be punished. Therefore a devotee should not commit wilfully any sinful activities in order to keep himself always fit in devotional service. He should try to keep himself steady, without committing any sinful actions. The primary sinful activities are described, and we try to follow. And if we chant sixteen rounds and keep ourself always aloof from the sinful activities, then it is certain, niścayāt, utsāhān dhairyāt, niścayāt tat-tat-karma-pravartanāt, sato vṛtteḥ sādhu-saṅge ṣaḍbhir bhaktiḥ prasidhyati.
Committing sins (Lectures, Other)
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Lectures
Nectar of Devotion Lectures
So those who are sincerely devotee of Vāsudeva, sometimes due to their past habits, may commit something sinful, not knowingly, but habituated; that is excused by Kṛṣṇa. Api cet su-durācāro bhajate mām ananya-bhāk. But not wilfully. Wilfully, if we commit some sinful activities, that can be excused once, twice, but not thrice. then you'll be punished. Therefore a devotee should not commit wilfully any sinful activities in order to keep himself always fit in devotional service. He should try to keep himself steady, without committing any sinful actions. The primary sinful activities are described, and we try to follow. And if we chant sixteen rounds and keep ourself always aloof from the sinful activities, then it is certain, niścayāt, utsāhān dhairyāt, niścayāt tat-tat-karma-pravartanāt, sato vṛtteḥ sādhu-saṅge ṣaḍbhir bhaktiḥ prasidhyati.
If you want to advance in devotional service, then you should be enthusiastic, utsāhān, dhairyāt, with patience, and niścayāt, you should be assured that "Because I'm following strictly the direction of my spiritual master and śāstras, certainly I shall meet Kṛṣṇa." Tat-tat-karma-pravartanāt. By following the rules and regulations, sato vṛtteḥ, always trying to be honest and sādhu-saṅga... (CC Madhya 22.83).
We should be very much respectful to Vṛndāvana-dhāma; otherwise we'll be offender. Dhāmāparādha. Dhāmāparādha. If we remain in Vṛndāvana we should know that we are living with Kṛṣṇa. And how much we should be cautious, how much we should be careful if we are actually understand what is dhāma. Dhāma is also Kṛṣṇa. If in the dhāma we commit sinful activities, then we are, what is called, suiciding, committing suicide. It is a fact.
You know the story of Yamala-arjuna. So they were given the place in the dhāma, Vṛndāvana-dhāma, as a tree, but they had to waste time for so many hundreds years. Although there is guarantee, anyone who is in dhāma, he'll get the shelter of the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, but not... Why should we waste your time to become a tree or a monkey or a hog or a dog? Don't waste. You should be very careful. Don't commit any offense in the dhāma. Then one life is sufficient to go back to home, back to Godhead. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaun... (BG 4.9). If you actually live in Vṛndāvana carefully, without committing any offense and sinful life, then in this life you are going to Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says, janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ.
So those who are living in Vṛndāvana, they should try to understand Kṛṣṇa tattvataḥ. That is their business. Not that take advantage of Vṛndāvana and make some anyābhilāṣa, jñāna-karma. No. That means we are wasting time. You'll get the chance because you have come to Vṛndāvana. Vṛndāvana's so powerful. But if we commit offense and sinful activities, it will be delayed. My Guru Mahārāja used to say that "Don't waste time. Don't wait for another life. In this life, finish this business, to understand Kṛṣṇa, and go back home, back to Godhead." That is required. If one is businessman... Just like in business they want to execute business free, finish the business very quickly, similarly, because we see that such a devotee like Bhārata Mahārāja, because he was little attached to a calf, a deer calf... What is called?
Then your business is successful. Nāmnad balād yasya hi pāpa-buddhiḥ. If somebody thinks that "I am living in Vṛndāvana. I am chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. So if I do something sinful, what it will do...?" Eka nāma, kṛṣṇa-nāme yata pāpa kare, pāpi haya tata pāpa karite nāraya (?). "So what sinful I am doing? A little sinful..." Yes, little sinful will be excused. But if it is done not willingly, but if you commit sinful activities willingly, daily, then you'll be punished. That is laws of nature. Even if you are bhakta. You'll be given chance, but you'll have to be punished. So therefore we must be very careful. We are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra means dealing with Kṛṣṇa directly. Therefore we must be very careful, cautious, respectful. Then it is nice, it is success. Read. Next.
Yes. As Rāvaṇa and Kaṁsa was thinking of Kṛṣṇa as enemy, similarly, if we think of Kṛṣṇa that "He'll wash my sinful activities," that means you are thinking like Rāvaṇa and Kaṁsa. Kṛṣṇa should be thought favorably. Ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanam. Na prātikūlyena. No. You cannot think of Kṛṣṇa and commit sinful life at the same time. That is prātikūla. Kṛṣṇa does not want that you shall remain sinful, because you cannot approach Kṛṣṇa without being free from sinful activities. Yeṣām anta-gataṁ pāpam. Kṛṣṇa is pavitra, paramam. Apāpa-viddham. These are the description. Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Pure. You cannot approach the Supreme Pure being sinful and make Kṛṣṇa your order-supplier, that you go on committing sinful life and Kṛṣṇa will wash it. Kṛṣṇa washes it—once, twice, thrice. But if you consciously go on, continue the sinful life, then you'll have to be punished. So we should not think pervertedly, like Rāvaṇa and Kaṁsa. Kaṁsa was always absorbed in thinking of Kṛṣṇa. Also he got salvation. But not as associate, but he merged into the Brahman effulgence.
Pradyumna: (reading): ...from page number two. " 'Relief from Material Distress.' In the Bhagavad-gītā, the Lord says that one should surrender unto Him, giving up all other engagements. The Lord also gives His word there that He will protect such surrendered souls from the reaction of all sinful activities. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī says that the distresses from sinful activities are due both to the sins themselves and to sins committed in our past lives."
Prabhupāda: Now, "Relief from Material Distress." There are two kinds of activities, pious activities and impious activities. Generally we understand by performing impious activities, we suffer, and by performing pious activities, we enjoy. But actually, in the material world there is no enjoyment. Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī explains that dvaite bhadrābhadra sakali samāna. In the material world, in the world of dualities, either we think "This is pious" or either we think "This is impious," they are practically on the same platform. We take it as pleasure. Just like several times I have explained, people here in this material world, they are working very hard all day and night. And, when they gain some material profit, after working so hard, they think that "This is profit. This is happiness."
So devotional service is the only way. Karmī, karmī means they are working very hard for their personal benefit. Not for Kṛṣṇa's benefit. Similarly, jñānīs, they are also trying for personal benefit, mukti. He wants mukti, liberation, nirbheda-brahmānu-sandhana. And similarly, yogis also, they want personal benefit, some material power, aṣṭa-siddhi-yoga, aṇimā-laghimā-siddhi. Bhukti-mukti-siddhi-kāmī sakali aśānta. Caitanya-caritāmṛta Kaja says except pure devotee, who only wants to satisfy Kṛṣṇa, everyone is working for his personal benefit, karmī, jñānī, yogi. But Kṛṣṇa says, "Pure devotional service..." Not... Rūpa Gosvāmī says, "Pure devotional service is the only means to attract Kṛṣṇa." Now... But ignorance is no excuse. Go on reading. Next. "Generally, one commits sinful activities..."
Pradyumna: "...due to ignorance. But ignorance is no excuse for evading the reaction—sinful activities."
Prabhupāda: Yes. Generally we commit sinful activities knowingly; if not knowingly, unknowingly. Just like we are walking on the street, we are killing so many ants, unknowingly. So that is also sinful activities. You do not know, you do not want to kill the ants, but still, unknowingly, you are killing. When you take water from the jug, there are so many animals encircling the water jug, and when you take water some of them die. When we make paste on the pestle and mortar, spices, so many small insects die. That is going on. So knowingly or unknowingly, we are committing sinful activities. So how to save? That is replied in the Bhagavad-gītā: yajñarthe karma anyatra loko 'yaṁ karma-bandhanaḥ (BG 3.9). If you do not act, or if you do not engage yourself in Kṛṣṇa consciousness business, then you are becoming implicated with so many sinful activities. That is sure. Therefore one has to take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness without fail. Otherwise he'll be entangled, karma-bandhanaḥ. Even if he's doing pious activities, he's becoming entangled in karma-bandhanaḥ, in bondage. He has to take birth. Pious activities means he has to take birth in nice family, rich family. That is also bandhana. He has to enter into the womb of the mother and live there for ten months, in compact, air-tight, compact bag. That is not very good living condition.
That is also bandhana. He has to enter into the womb of the mother and live there for ten months, in compact, air-tight, compact bag. That is not very good living condition. But we forget all these things, neither we do not care for all these things. But actually fact is, knowingly or unknowingly, we are becoming implicated. But if we simply take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness and if we engage ourself in His unalloyed devotional service, if we try to understand Kṛṣṇa, His activities, His form, His name, His quality, His paraphernalia, then the result will be, as Kṛṣṇa says, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti (BG 4.9). There is no question of reaction. Because Kṛṣṇa says... Even we are doing... That we are bound to do, as I have already explained, that, knowingly or unknowingly, we are committing sinful activities. But Kṛṣṇa gives His assurance: ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi (BG 18.66). So if he ... Of course, a devotee never does anything knowingly sinful, but unknowingly, he's doing. But Kṛṣṇa is taking charge of him. Ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi. So there, there is no question of grief.
Kṛṣṇa takes charge of you. Kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati (BG 9.31). His devotee will never be vanquished. Just like Arjuna. Arjuna was considering how he could kill his kinsmen, his familymen, his nephew, his brother, his grandfather, on the other side. Actually, this killing business is not very good. It is sinful. But the same thing he committed after understanding Bhagavad-gītā. He agreed: kariṣye vacanaṁ tava (BG 18.73). "Yes, I shall fight." So does it mean...? In the beginning he was considering about the sinful effects of his activities. Why did he engage himself in the same business although he knew this is sinful? No. If you... Even it is acted so-called sinful activities, for Kṛṣṇa, under the order of Kṛṣṇa, for pleasing Kṛṣṇa, then that is also devotion. It is very difficult. We should not manufacture such concoction. But the fact is that, if actually one is acting for Kṛṣṇa, there is no question of sinful reaction. That's a fact. "Relief from material distress." And material distress means it is due to sinful activities. In another place, also, in the Brahma-saṁhitā it is said, karmāṇi nirdahati kintu ca bhakti-bhājām (Bs. 5.54)?
Ambarīṣa Mahārāja was very responsible emperor of the world, but he fixed up his mind on the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa and he engaged his words simply: vaikuṇṭha-guṇānuvarṇane, simply describing the qualities, the transcendental qualities of Kṛṣṇa. He used his eyes to see the Deity, he used his legs to go to the temple, he used his hands for cleansing the temple, he used his nose for smelling the flower and tulasī offered to Kṛṣṇa, he used his tongue for tasting Kṛṣṇa-prasādam. In this way, he engaged all his senses in the service of the Lord. So there was no chance of committing sinful activities by his body. It is, it can be done by everyone. Everyone can install Deity at his home and regularly worship the Deity according to the injunction of the śāstras and spiritual master and eat prasādam and hear Vaik..., Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, chant and speak Hare Kṛṣṇa. This is simple life. And one can become immune from all sinful reactions. The simple thing. Go on.
One who is engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and devotional service has without doubt become freed from all contaminations of material sinful activities. Devotional service therefore has the power to actually nullify all kinds of reactions to sinful deeds. A devotee is nevertheless always alert not to commit any sinful activities; this is his specific qualification as a devotee. Thus the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam states that by performing devotional service a person who was born even in a family of dog-eaters may become eligible to take part in the performance of the ritualistic ceremonies recommended in the Vedas. It is implicit in this statement that a person born into a family of dog-eaters is generally not fit for performing yajña, or sacrifice. The priestly caste in charge of performing these ritualistic sacrifices, ritualistic ceremonies recommended in the Vedas, is called the brāhmaṇa order. Unless one is a brāhmaṇa, he cannot perform these ceremonies.
Kūṭa-stha-bīja, prārabdha... Like that. This is, these are the... Our effects. Just like we can understand in the modern... Just like if you infect some disease, it becomes immediately kūṭa-stha. Kūṭa-stha means stocked. In due course of time, it will come out, manifest. Similarly, we are acting so many sinful activities. Sometimes they complain that "This man is committing so many sinful activities, but he's happy." But actually he's enjoying the effects of his past something pious. Now he's happy, but that effect of the impious activities, that is in stock. It will come out in due course of time. That is called kūṭa-stha. Kūṭa-stha phalonmukha, prārabdha. These are the Sanskrit language. That is being explained here. Go on.
And one has seen that a person who is a thief was arrested and was punished. Everything he knows, but still, he commits stealing. Why? Therefore Bhāgavata says through Śukadeva Gosvāmī that prāyaścittaṁ vimarśanam. Simply official prāyaścitta will not help a man ceasing from sinful activities. Official. In Christian religion also, they accept, confess their sinful activities, and again they commit the same sinful activities. So Śukadeva Gosvāmī recommends that prāyaścittaṁ vimarśanam. Unless one understands his constitutional position, unless he's convinced that why should he commit sinful activities simply for this body, which does not belong to him... It is a foreign. Actually, he has no connection with the body. Vimarśanam means cultivation of knowledge. So one has to cultivate knowledge. Then he can be stopped from sinful activities.
People, generally, they identify this body as self, and for bodily interest, he commits so many sinful activities, simply for satisfaction of the senses. But if he's cultured, if he's given proper knowledge that "Bodily concept of life is not your interest.
In ignorance—means in bodily concept of life—we commit sinful activities, but if we actually come to the platform of knowledge, jñāna, then naturally there is vairāgya, renunciation. Renunciation means renunciation of sinful activities. Renunciation does not mean renunciation of devotional service. Renunciation means that unwanted things, anartha-nivṛttiḥ. That is renunciation. Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅga atho bhajana-kriyā, tato anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt (Cc. Madhya 23.14-15). If one is actually advanced in spiritual life, execution of regular spiritual life, then automatically anartha-nivṛttiḥ, things which are not required, that becomes automatically stopped. Anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt. So that anartha-nivṛttiḥ is possible by śraddhā, sādhu-saṅgaḥ, bhajana-kriyā, then anartha-nivṛttiḥ, then niṣṭhā, ruci, asakti, bhāva. In this way, we develop our Kṛṣṇa consciousness, love of Godhead. Go on.
The elephant... Hasti-snāna, hasti-snāna. This is very practical example. The elephant takes bath in the lake, very profusely throws water on his body, and becomes cleansed, and as soon as he comes on the shore, he takes again dust and spreads over his body. So these are natural examples. Similarly, there are different processes for getting out of the reaction of sinful activities, but you..., we take it. But if we again commit those sinful activities, then what is the use of such penance or prāyaścitta? Hasti-snāna. The example is given as hasti-snāna. Take, for example, it is said by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra one is released from all sinful activities immediately. Eka hari nāma yata pāpa kare, pāpī haya tato pāpa kari bare nare. It is a fact. Just like Ajāmila. His whole life was full of sinful activities, but at the time of death, because he uttered the holy name of Nārāyaṇa, he became immediately released. That's a fact. But if we commit again sinful activities, then what is the use of chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra? Nāmno balād yasya hi pāpa-buddhiḥ. This is one of the ten offenses. If anyone thinks that "I am chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. It is reacting all the effects of my sinful life. Then again I can commit and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. It is very good business..." No. That is great offense. Nāmno balād yasya hi pāpa-buddhiḥ. One should not indulge in such a way. Jagāi-Mādhāi was accepted by Lord Caitanya only on the promise that they would not commit any more any sinful activities. Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mercy is there for everyone. He can accept everyone. One who is sinful, that is not disqualification.
One who is sinful, that is not disqualification. Because in this age, Kali-yuga, more or less, everyone is sinful. Then nobody can be claimed to be liberated by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra will give you, give you relief from all sinful activities, provided you don't commit it again. Otherwise, it will be like hasti-snāna, the example of the elephant, and it will be a great offense. If on the strength of chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra we continue to commit sinful activities, that is great offense. We should not do that. The idea is by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, we become free from the reaction of sinful life, but that does not mean we shall again indulge in sinful life and counteract it by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. No. Not like that. Once you take to Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, you should make rapid progress, without committing any sinful activity, and retard the progress. Don't do that. Go on.
In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam the, the process of prāyaścitta, atonement, is discussed, and Śukadeva Gosvāmī has recommended that this process of prāyaścitta, ritualistic ceremony... After committing some sinful activities to counteract it, there are, in every śāstra there is some counteracting formulas. The people generally follow that. In Christian religion also, there is confession, atonement. A sinful man goes to the church and confesses. Similarly, in every religion, there is such atonement process, but Parīkṣit Mahārāja refused to accept this atonement process. He protested that a man commits sinful activities and executes some atonement process—again he commits the same thing. Then what is the use of this atonement? So Śukadeva Gosvāmī understood it because he was a serious student. And Śukadeva Gosvāmī was also a serious teacher. So he then said, "No. Atonement process cannot rectify one. Only prāyaścittaṁ vimarśanam. One must be thoughtful. One must be in knowledge. Then he can give up sinful activities." So he recommended the process of knowledge. Tapasā brahmacaryeṇa tyāgena yamena niyamena (SB 6.1.13). These are the processes.
Those who are actually engaged in pure devotion, their senses are purified. Without purified senses, you cannot approach. With ordinary material senses, you cannot approach. Therefore we have to follow the regulative principles. Regulative principle and sinful activities. Otherwise, how we can approach Kṛṣṇa? Yeṣām anta-gataṁ pāpam. By the senses we commit so many sinful activities. Therefore sin, without being free from sinful activities, nobody can approach Kṛṣṇa. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). Kṛṣṇa is pavitraṁ paramam, the supreme purified. So how we can approach Kṛṣṇa without being purified? Therefore the four principle, regulative principles must be followed. Otherwise, there is no chance of advancing. There is no chance. They are relatively cooperatively helpful, chanting, but one must be willing that "I must be purified to approach Kṛṣṇa." Otherwise he becomes sahajiyā. So "I am approaching Kṛṣṇa. I can smoke bidi. I can take marijuana. I can..." No. Must be purified. Go on.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures
Apahṛta-jñānā means that although they have got university degrees, although they are called civilized, advanced in material civilization, but māyayāpahṛta-jñānā. Their degrees, because they do not know Kṛṣṇa thoroughly and therefore do not surrender to Kṛṣṇa, which Kṛṣṇa is canvassing personally, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja... (BG 18.66). He's personally canvassing. Because these rascals and fools, they are in darkness—they do not know what is the goal of life—Kṛṣṇa is so kind that He is canvassing, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja. This is the philosophy. So still, they are not doing so. Why? Narādhamāḥ. Because the lowest of the mankind, narādhama. How they have become narādhama? Now, duṣkṛtina, always committing sinful life. What is sinful life? Illicit sex, meat-eating, intoxication, and gambling. Because they are addicted to these things they are duṣkṛtina and narādhama, lowest of the mankind. And whatever knowledge they are acquiring by so-called education, that is false knowledge. Māyayāpahṛta-jñānā. This is the position.
So Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya and Nityānanda, They came, descended again, being merciful, same Kṛṣṇa. Vrajendra-nandana yei, Śacī-sūta hoilo sei. Same Kṛṣṇa. In a different way they canvassed the same principle. (aside:) You can sit down there. You are sleeping. Don't sleep. Don't show that sleeping.
So one should be pious and without any motive, not only pious. Pious is the first condition, who can approach God; otherwise he does not. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15). These classes of men, duṣkṛtina, miscreants, always committing sinful activities, duṣkṛtina; and mūḍha, rascals, fools; and narādhamāḥ, lowest of the mankind; māyayāpahṛta-jñānā, whose knowledge has been taken away by māyā—such demonic person do not surrender to God. But pious man who has got background, pious activities, such person, when they are distressed, they approach God. They know that God is friend of all living entities. Suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānām (BG 5.29). Actually, He is the friend. As friend, He is living with the soul as Supersoul. That is stated in the Vedas, that two birds are sitting on the same tree. The tree, this is the tree. This body is tree, and one bird is the individual soul, and the other bird is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Supersoul. So God is always accompanying the individual soul to turn him back to home, back to Godhead. He is so nice friend. Suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānām. So if we want peace, then we should understand that "Here is my friend, the supreme friend."
Then what did they do?" This is the simple... But the nonsense rascals, they are eschewing some meaning, "Oh, kuru-kṣetra means 'body,' and dharma-kṣetra means this and this... Pāṇḍava means 'the five senses.' " So many nonsensical... Even Gandhi has done this. What Gandhi? Gandhi's nothing. You see? So they are, these rascals are doing and misleading persons. I've recently written one written to Dr. Radhakrishnan that "You are going to retire. Now join this Kṛṣṇa conscious movement. You have written your Bhagavad-gītā, and you don't believe Kṛṣṇa as Supreme Lord, God. Therefore by reading your Bhagavad-gītā people have become godless. So you better rectify your mistake. Now join this." I've written state letter to Dr. Radhakrishnan. "So if you want to, I mean to say, compensate the greatest sin you have committed in your Bhagavad-gītā, then you join this Kṛṣṇa conscious movement and rectify yourself." "Not to Kṛṣṇa."
"Any way, bring money; never mind what is the process." Or not that always they get money. But they aspire after material happiness by so many... Just like in Calcutta. The party, Naxalite, they are committing so many sinful activities thinking that by that way they will be happy and they will get the political supremacy. They are called duṣkṛtina. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15). Four class, the four classes of men who are pious, whose background is piety, they go to worship Kṛṣṇa. Similarly, there are four classes of men who are called duṣkṛtina, very sinful, simply miscreants, and mūḍha, rascals, no knowledge, completely in ignorance, almost like animals, mūḍha. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ, and narādhamāḥ, lowest of the mankind. Because lowest of the mankind and highest of the mankind, what is the difference? The highest of the mankind means one who knows what is the value of life. And the lowest of the mankind is one who does not know the value of life. Na mam duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ, māyayāpahṛta-jñānā. And there are so-called learned scholars also, whose knowledge has been taken away by the influence of māyā. They're supposed to be very learned scholar, but they do not know that what is the aim of knowledge. They are called māyayāpahṛta-jñānā.
What is that? Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇam (BG 18.66). "This is the secret of life. Don't bother yourself in this way and that way. That is the secret. You simply become surrendered unto Me." Ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi: "I am giving you guarantee. You have committed so many sinful activities life after life, and you'll suffer life after life. But if you surrender unto Me, I give you protection, guaranteed." Mā śucaḥ: "Don't be worried." Why don't you take this path? This is the way. Viṣṇu-śakti. We are visnu-śaktis, parā, para-śakti, cit-śakti. But we are not śaktimān. Śaktimān is Kṛṣṇa, and we are śakti. And when we consider that "I am śaktimān; I can do something," that is avidyā. That is avidyā.
There is another śakti, avidyā, avidyā-śakti. That avidyā-śakti is for these living entities, not for Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is never covered by avidyā. Just like I... (break) ...the cloud has covered your eyes. You say, "The cloud has covered the sun." That is nonsense. Sun is very, very, very, very big. What is the cloud? Maybe hundred miles' spread. But the sun globe is fourteen lakhs... (break) ...that correct?
So if we want to become out of this ignorance, then we have to take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Otherwise there is no possibility. And if we remain in ignorance, then we shall go on committing sinful activities and entangle ourselves in the karma-cakra. Asann api kleśada āsa dehaḥ (SB 5.5.4). If you don't give up this ignorance of bodily concept of life, and if you go on continuing this bodily concept of life, then we are becoming entangled in the laws of nature. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa jantor deha upapatti (SB 3.31.1). And then we'll create another situation for another body. And another body means another period of suffering. This is going on. Asann api kleśada āsa dehaḥ, na sādhu manye yato ātmano 'yam. Atma is sac-cid-ānanda, but on account of being bodily covered, encaged in this body, we are suffering. We are suffering. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says that tāṁs titikṣasva bhārata: "Bhārata, O the son of Bhārata dynasty, Bhārata..."
Those who are devotee, for them special care. So here we are careless. Nobody is taking... The materialistic persons, they are working in their own capacity, that "I shall become happy in this way, I shall become happy in this way," and therefore entangling, committing so many sinful activities. And he's not becoming happy; more and more unhappy. Karma-bandha. Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says, sata sanga chadi khainu, asate vilāsa, te karane lagile mora karma bandha phansa. So if we don't take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, if we act independently, then the result will be that we shall be entangled in the laws of karma. Laws of karma means karmana daiva-netrena jantor deha upapatti (SB 3.31.1). By karma we are creating another body, next body. That we do not know. Karma, according to my karma. Karmana daiva-netrena, supervised, decided by the higher authorities: "You have done like this; you must get this body." Automatically. Automatically. Karanam guṇa-sango 'sya sad-asad-janma-yonisu (BG 13.22). Everything is going on. Prakṛteḥ kriyamanani guṇaiḥ karmani (BG 3.27).
His theory was that ṛṇaṁ kṛtvā ghṛtaṁ pibet: "Just beg, borrow or steal. You must eat butter. Never mind." Ṛṇaṁ kṛtvā ghṛtaṁ pibet, yāvan jīvet sukhaṁ jīvet: "So long you shall live, you must live very comfortably." Then one may say, "Oh, beg, borrow, steal, and who'll suffer the sins? If I borrow, if I cannot pay? If I commit sins? If I commit burglary? Oh." The Cāṇakya, the Cārvāka Muni replied, bhasmī-bhūtasya dehasya kutaḥ punar-āgamano bhavet: "Well, when your body will be burnt into ashes, who is coming here and who is going to be responsible? Don't think all these." So this is atheistic theory. They don't believe that there is transmigration of the soul. He has to take another body and he has to take body according to his work, and there are 8,400,000's of different kinds of bodies, and human body is the most benefactory. So they do not know all these things. So this is called āvaraṇātmikā, covering influence.
Sri Isopanisad Lectures
Yes. This is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, Fourth Chapter: yajña-śiṣṭāśinaḥ santo mucyante sarva-kilbiṣaiḥ. Our, this conditioned life is so situated that in every step we are committing some sins. In every step, without knowing, ignorance, because we, we are born ignorant. Therefore Bhāgavata says, parābhavas tāvad abhodha-jātaḥ. Abodha-jātaḥ. Abodha-jāta means every living entity is born fools. Therefore there are so many educational institutions. If the man born... May be in very high family or in high nation, but he is a fool. Otherwise, what is the necessity of so many educational institution? It is a fact. So that foolishness, when it is come to light... That is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Parābhavas tāvad abodha-jāto yāvan na jijñāsata ātma-tattvam. This foolishness will continue so long as he does not come to the platform of understanding self-realization. Otherwise, all these universities and institution for imparting knowledge, they are continuation of that same ignorance and foolishness.
We cannot purchase things from the market and eat. No. That is not possible. We cannot eat. We can simply eat such things which are offered to the Deity, Kṛṣṇa. That is yajña-śiṣṭāśinaḥ. Even if we have committed some sin, by eating this prasādam we counteract it. Mucyante sarva-kilbiṣaiḥ. Yajña-śiṣṭa. Aśiṣṭa means the remnants of foodstuff after offering yajña. If one eats, then mucyante sarva-kilbiṣaiḥ. Because our life is sinful, so we become, I mean to say, freed from the sinful activities. How it is? That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi: (BG 18.66) "If you surrender unto Me, then I'll give you protection from all sinful reactions." So if you make it a vow that "I shall not eat anything which is not offered to Kṛṣṇa," that means it is a surrender. You surrender to Kṛṣṇa, that "My dear Lord, I shall not eat anything which is not offered to You." That's vow. That vow is surrender. And because there is surrender, you are protected from the sinful reaction.
This is called threefold miseries. But under the spell of māyā we are thinking that this kicking of māyā, this slapping of māyā, this thrashing of māyā is very nice. You see? This is called māyā. And as soon as you get into Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then Kṛṣṇa takes care of you. Ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ (BG 18.66). Kṛṣṇa, as soon as you surrender, Kṛṣṇa's immediate word is, "I take care of you. I save you from all, from all sinful reaction." There are heaps of sinful reaction in our life, for so many life after life in this material world. And as soon as you surrender to Kṛṣṇa, immediately Kṛṣṇa takes care of you and He manages how to adjust all the sinful reactions. Ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mā śucaḥ. Kṛṣṇa says, "Don't hesitate." If you think that "Oh, I have committed so many sinful activities. How Kṛṣṇa will save me?" No. Kṛṣṇa is all-powerful. He can save you. Your business is to surrender unto Him, and without any reservation dedicate your life for His service, and thus you'll become saved.
Sri Brahma-samhita Lectures
So māyā-sukhāya bharam udvahato vimūḍhān (SB 7.9.43). Therefore Śukadeva Gosvāmī is recommending that happiness, material happiness also, is due to pious activities. Unless you are pious, you cannot be happy, even materially. And if you simply commit sins, Rūpa Gosvāmī has analyzed—you will read in the Nectar of Devotion—that distress is due to ignorance, simply ignorance. The distress and happiness... Actually you can see those who are not educated fairly, they cannot get any good job. Therefore it is, his distress is due to less, poor fund of knowledge. So actually our distress is due to ignorance and in ignorance only, we commit sinful activities. Therefore our topics began that, prāyaścittaṁ vimarśanam. We are trying to remove the ignorance of the people, therefore we are giving the best service to the human society. We are simply trying to remove the ignorance. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12), we are trying to polish or cleanse the heart. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇam. As soon as the heart is cleansed, the heart that... Now I am indifferently conscious. I am thinking that "I am American," "I am Indian," or "I am this," "I am that." "I have to work, I have got business." So many you have created.
He gives me fruits, flowers, grains, whatever I want, God is supplying. Eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. You cannot manufacture. So Kṛṣṇa, God is so kind, that He is supplying food to the atheist also. But the atheist has no knowledge that where from I am getting my foodstuff. That is ignorance. So therefore they are committing so many sinful activities. It is due to ignorance, nothing but ignorance. Atheist means in gross ignorance, that's all. Otherwise any person who is honest, he can see God everywhere, always.
Just like Kṛṣṇa says, try to understand Me, try to under... Try to see Me everywhere. How? Now, first of all He says, raso 'ham apsu kaunteya, I am the taste of the water. So when you are thirsty, you require a glass of water, drink it, and when you feel happy you understand that this quenching power of this water is Kṛṣṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa realization. Raso 'ham apsu kaunteya prabhāsmi śaśi-sūryayoḥ (BG 7.8). So as soon as there is sunrise, you see Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says "I am the sunshine, I am the moonshine." So why don't you try to see Kṛṣṇa? In the Bhagavad-gītā, it is said, there is a big list. Just like Kṛṣṇa says "I am the Lion amongst the animals."
Festival Lectures
And Monday you again do the same thing. So you become again contaminated. And, say, on Tuesday if you die, then you are dying with sins. Is it not? Then what is your condition? If the God or Christ excused you of your sinful life, that's all right. But when you come back, you don't commit again sin. Then you are all right. But we have taken it as a business that we go to Sunday, neutralize our sins, and come back again and do the same thing. So from logical point of view, suppose you do the same sinful activities, and if you die immediately, then you die with sinful activities, go to hell. What benefit you derive by confessing in the church? This business is going on. "Now I have seen Jagannātha. My liberation is guaranteed. Now I can do anything." That's all. This mentality. This mentality will not give you liberation. You have seen Jagannātha, your sinful activities are now neutralized, but don't commit again. Now make progress. Then your liberation is guaranteed. Is it clear?
Now I can do anything." That's all. This mentality. This mentality will not give you liberation. You have seen Jagannātha, your sinful activities are now neutralized, but don't commit again. Now make progress. Then your liberation is guaranteed. Is it clear?
Nāmnāṁ balād yasya hi pāpa-buddhiḥ. In every initiation we teach this, that chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, once chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, is sufficient to make us pure from all sinful activities, reaction. But if we commit sin again in the hope that "Because I am chanting, this will be neutralized," that is the greatest sin. So one side, you should chant always Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra so that you may not fall down; another side, you should be careful: "Now no illicit sex life, no intoxication, no meat-eating." In this way, if you carefully make progress, then your liberation is guaranteed. Just like doctor. If you go to a doctor for treatment of a disease, he gives you medicine; at the same time, he prohibits you, "Don't do this." So you take medicine and don't do this. Follow this instruction. You are cured, guaranteed.
They have given warning that it is not good for health. Warning is there in every cigarette package, packet, but because he has become mad after that bidi and cigarette, he kurute vikarma. Although it is forbidden, he's still taking advantage of it. Just see how Bhāgavata writes frankly: nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma (SB 5.5.4). Pramattaḥ. These mad persons, persistently committing sinful activities, nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma. Why? Yad indriya prītaya āpṛṇoti, simply for the satisfaction of sense. Not for the satisfaction of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa's satisfaction is that "You give up all this nonsense. Simply surrender unto Me." But instead of surrendering to Kṛṣṇa, he has surrendered to bidi and cigarette. Yes. This is going on. Nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma yad indriya-prītaya āpṛṇoti (SB 5.5.4). Ṛṣabhadeva said, "This is My proposal." Na sādhu manye. "My dear friends, you are doing wrong." Na sādhu manye yata ātmano 'yam asann api kleśada āsa dehaḥ. Ātmanaḥ, the spirit soul, ātmā, is pure, but because you wanted to smoke bidi and cigarette, you have got this body. Otherwise, spirit soul is pure.
So you have already got this body at the present moment. And that is kleśa-daḥ, always giving misery. Everyone has got experience. So again you are committing sinful activities to get another material body. This is not good. This is not good. Na sādhu manye yata ātmāno 'yaṁ kleśa-daḥ. You, you have already got experience, by your past mischievous activities, you have got this body which is always full of miseries and painful. Still, you are committing the same sinful activities so that you'll get another body to enjoy. Kṛṣṇa will give you; so long you have a pinch of material desire, Kṛṣṇa will give you opportunity: "All right, you take another body and enjoy." But we foolish people, we do not know acceptance of material body is the source of all miserable conditions. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, "You simply try to understand." Janma karma me divyam. Simply try to understand Kṛṣṇa. Then the result will be tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9). No more material body. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. We want to stop these nonsense habits of the people. No illicit sex, no intoxication, no gambling.
So suppose he does not know, he drives the car on the left side and incurs some accident, and he is taken by the police custody. And if he says, "Sir, I did not know that here the car is driven from the right side," that does not make him excused. The law will punish him. So ignorance is the cause of breaking the law or sinful activities. And as soon as you commit some sinful activity, you have to suffer the result. So the whole world is in ignorance, and due to ignorance he's complicated in so many actions and reactions, either good or bad. There is nothing good within this material world; everything is bad. So we have manufactured something good and something bad. Here... Because in the Bhagavad-gītā we understand this place is duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15). This place is for misery. So how you can say, in miserable condition, how you can say that "This is good" or "This is bad." Everything is bad. So those persons who do not know—the material, conditional life—they manufacture something, "This is good, this is bad," because they do not know everything here is bad, nothing good. One should be very much pessimistic of this material world. Then he can make advance in spiritual life. Duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15).
Arrival Addresses and Talks
The modern men, they have got merit. Especially the Western people, they have got nice merit. Just like while passing through the city, we saw very nice buildings. So to construct such buildings, it requires merit, undoubtedly. But what for this building? Duṣkṛtina, only for committing sinful life. Therefore it is called du, duṣkalya. Meat-eating, illicit sex, intoxication, and gambling. Meritorious, they are undoubtedly for constructing this building, but what is the purpose? The purpose is sinful activities. These things are going on. Therefore, they are called duṣkṛtina. And mūḍha. Mūḍha means they cannot understand what is God. It is very simple thing. Anyone can..., a child can understand. Take for example your body, my body. What is the important thing in the body? The soul. Without the soul, you may be very big man, even Napoleon Bonaparte, but as soon as the soul is gone, it is useless. The whole world is useless. Anyone can understand.
Initiation Lectures
And to him he gives instruction from within. Teṣāṁ satata-yuktānām (BG 10.10). Satata means always. Twenty-four hours, one who is engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, to him He gives instruction from within because he's qualified. Others, instruction He's giving, but other is not obeying the instruction. Just like a man is ready to commit some sinful activities. He thinks, "Shall I do it?" From within, "No, no. Don't do it." Again he says, "Why not? Let me do it." In this way, when he insists, oh, then He says, "All right, do it. Do it." So the word that "Nothing can happen without the sanction of God," that is a fact. Nobody can act anything... Then the question is why a man acts sinfully? Why...? Does God give sanction for sinful action? Yes. When one insists that "I shall do it." "All right, do it. And suffer the consequences."
Because it is said that as soon as you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa you become freed from all sinful activities. There is no difference between Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa name. Absolute. So if somebody thinks that "I am chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, therefore I can continue committing all kinds of sinful activities," that is the greatest... Nāmnād balād yasya hi pāpa-buddhir. Anyone who commits sinful activities... I have already explained the four kinds of sinful activities you should avoid. But if you think that you are chanting, therefore there will be no reaction of sinful activities, that is the greatest sin. Greatest offense. Never. Don't commit any sinful activities. And sāmyaṁ śubha-kriyā api pramādaḥ. This is another great offense. That don't accept this chanting as something auspicious activity. It is transcendental to auspicious and inauspicious activities. It is a vibration from the spiritual sky which will attract you gradually to the spiritual sky, beyond this material sky.
'Vyakto 'vyaktāt sanātanaḥ. Paras tasmād tu bhāva anya. As you get information from the Bhagavad-gītā, there is another nature which is called spiritual nature and the devotees are trying, all the transcendentalists... Some are trying to merge into the spiritual existence only, and we devotees, we want to keep individuality and want to become associate with the Supreme Personality of Godhead Kṛṣṇa.
So nobody should interpret any other way. This is direct meaning. Nāmna artha-vādaḥ. Or to imagine some meaning. No imagination. It is all direct interpretation or direct meaning.
Then, nāmno balād yasya hi pāpa-buddhiḥ. One should not commit sin. The four principle sins, we have several times repeated. Again we are repeated, that all sins are based on four principle headings: illicit sex life, and nonvegetarian diet, gambling and intoxication. It is very scientific. If one can avoid these four principles of sinful activities he becomes pure. He hasn't got to do much. If these four principles are followed, he will never touch any sinful activity. But if somebody thinks that "Because I am chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa and by chanting I become free from all sinful reaction, therefore let me do all nonsense," no, that is the greatest sin. Nāmnād balād yasya hi pāpa-buddhiḥ. That is to be avoided.
Madhudviṣa: "Number six: Committing sin on the strength of chanting."
Prabhupāda: Yes. Now this initiation, from this day your account, past life, all sinful activities, is now what is called, adjusted. Closed. It is finished. Now because by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa you can finish your sinful activities' reaction, that does not mean that you will repeat: "Oh, I shall commit sinful activities and I shall chant. It will be adjusted. The balance will be nil." No. Not like that. Don't commit that. Whatever is done is done. No more. Now there should be pure life. No illicit sex life, no intoxication, no gambling, and no meat-eating. Finished now. It is not that "Oh, I am chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. Let me go to the hotel and take some meat." No. Then it will be a great sin. Don't do that. Then the chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa will not fructify if you commit offense. Next?
Madhudviṣa: "Number seven: Instructing the Lord's name to the unfaithful."
Prabhupāda: Yes. No interpretation in the holy... Just like Kṛṣṇa, the Māyāvādī philosophers may... Just like Gandhi has written, "Pāṇḍava means the senses; Kurukṣetra means this body; Kṛṣṇa means the mind." No such nonsense interpretation. Kṛṣṇa is Kṛṣṇa. Yes. Go on.
Revatīnandana: "The sixth offense is committing sin on the strength of chanting."
Prabhupāda: Yes. Now we have explained the mantra that as soon as one chants Hare Kṛṣṇa, immediately, bahyābhyantaraḥ śuciḥ, he becomes purified. Now if one takes advantage of this holy name, "Let me commit sins..." Just like sometimes in the Christian church they take advantages that by confessing sin one becomes free from sinful reaction. So go to church and confess, and again come out and do all sorts of sins, and again confess. This sort of (laughs) minimizing is nonsense. It is fact. When you confess before the church, before God, you are free from all sinful action. That's all right. But if you commit again, then next confession will not be accepted. They do not know this. You cannot... Suppose a child has committed some mistake. Father says, "All right, don't do this." If he again does it, there is no excuse. They do not know that. They think, "We shall commit sin and go to church and confess and finish. So let us do this balancing business." Yes. Similarly, don't do this balancing business, that "Because chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa will wash off all my accounts of sinful activities, so in the morning, from morning to night, let me do all kinds of sinful activities, and at night, at bedtime, let me chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Then finish."
All right. Second day I can also excuse. The third day also, I can excuse, but fourth day I'll not excuse. Don't make it official business. Just like go to the church every week and confess and... Confessing your sinful activities before Lord Jesus Christ or his representative, surely your sinful activities are squared up. But does it mean, very nice, that every week, the whole week you shall commit sinful activities, and at the end of the week you shall go and confess? Does it look very well? You are not ashamed that "Every week I commit these sinful activities, and on the seventh day I confess"? This process should not be adopted, that because God's name, God's remembrance actually squares up all of our sinful activities. That's a fact. But how it is that we shall go on committing sinful activities and square it up by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa or by confessing? No. This is the particular point. One should carefully note. Just like Jagāi-Mādhāi. Jagāi-Mādhāi, they were the greatest sinful men during Caitanya Mahāprabhu's time.
One should carefully note. Just like Jagāi-Mādhāi. Jagāi-Mādhāi, they were the greatest sinful men during Caitanya Mahāprabhu's time. So when they surrendered to Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu with confession, "My Lord, we have committed so many sinful activities. Please save us," that Caitanya Mahāprabhu asked them that "Yes, I will accept you and I'll save you, provided you promise that no more you shall commit such sinful activities." So they agreed, "Yes. Whatever we have done, that's all right. No more we are going to do it." Then Caitanya Mahāprabhu accepted them and they became great devotee and their life was successful.
The same process is here also. This initiation means that you should, everyone should remember that whatever sinful activities one might have done in his past life, that is now account closed. Debit and credit closed. Now, from this day, no more sinful activities. What are those sinful activities? That is simple. We have mentioned. You should take it note. No illicit sex life. Beyond marriage, there is no sex life. No intoxication. Even drinking tea, coffee, they are also intoxication-cigarette smoking. No intoxication.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "One: Blaspheming the Lord's devotee. Two: Considering the Lord and other demigods on the same level or assuming there are many gods. Three: Neglecting the orders of the spiritual master. Four: Minimizing the authority of the Vedas. Five: Interpreting the holy names of God. Six: Committing sin on the strength of chanting."
Prabhupāda: This is very dangerous thing. By chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra you become released from all sinful reaction. But because Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra nullifies all sinful reaction, that does not mean he shall continue. It is not like that, you go to church and you confess your sins and it is all adjusted or nullified—again from the next week you begin fresh sinful activities. No. That is not allowed. That is not allowed. Kṛṣṇa we should not make an agent for nullifying our sinful activities. Then it is not service. Then we make Kṛṣṇa as our servant. We are at liberty to commit all kinds of nonsense, and God becomes an agent to clear it—what is this nonsense? That is not allowed. You may, by mistake or some way or other, you may commit something wrong, but by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, from this day everything is apavitraḥ pavitro vā, everything is finished.
He knows that stealing is not good, but he wants to satisfy some sense; therefore he is committing stealing also. Therefore he is mad. He knows that "If I am arrested for this stealing or committing this offense, I'll be punished. I may be hanged or..." There are so many things. But still, because he is mad after some sense gratification, he commits such sinful activities. This is practical. Nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma (SB 5.5.4). Vikarma means the actions which we should not have done. Why? Yad indriya-prītaya āpṛṇoti. Indriya, indriya means sense. Prītaya means satisfaction. Simply for the satisfaction of the senses. If one is philosopher, he can understand, "Why we should be so much busy for sense gratification?" Now we can give one example. Everyone is trying, working hard for his sense gratification. Nobody is trying... Suppose if I say that "I want to satisfy my senses in this way. Will you kindly work for it?" Nobody will... "Oh, why I shall work for you? You can work for your own satisfaction." Nobody will.
Devotee: Committing sin on the strength of chanting.
Prabhupāda: Yes. On the strength of chanting, committing sin. Because as Dayānanda explained to you, that this is a purificatory process. So if we think that "We are chanting. It is... I am being purified, so let me become contaminated by acting some sinful activities. I'll purify by chanting," this motive is very bad. This is the greatest offense. Once purified, that's all right, but don't commit again sinful. Sinful life should be stopped. From this day of initiation these four pillars of sinful life—illicit sex life, intoxication, meat-eating, and gambling—they should be broken. Not that "Let me do it. I have go the mantra machine, instrument for counteracting." No. You should not..., no more commit any sinful activities. Once you are purified, no more. Then, what is that?
Devotee: Instructing the glories of the Lord's name to the...
Prabhupāda: Yes. We (are) therefore cautious. Unless one is recommended by the president... If he is eager, he is, I mean to say, accept brāhmaṇa, then we see that how he is attending our classes, how he is becoming little interested. Then we offer this first initiation. Otherwise, if we see that he is unmindful, then we should not canvass. Let him come. Just like Kṛṣṇa says Arjuna that sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja: (BG 18.66) "You just surrender unto Me." He's saying.
So there are ten kinds of offenses. That is described. And the most important point is the committing sin on the strength of chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. This is a fact that as soon you chant Kṛṣṇa, all your resultant action of sinful activities immediately nullified. But if we again commit that sins, that is up to you. So we should not make it a business that "Let me go on committing sins, and it will be counteracted by chanting." No. This is not good. This is the greatest offense. Sometimes in Christian Church there is confession, and again they go and commit the same sin, and next time, again confession. Not like that. That is not good. One confession admitting, excused. But not that you commit sins over and over again and it will be excused. Similarly, you cannot commit sins on the strength of chanting. That is the greatest offense.
So such person who remembers, chants the name of the lord, puṇḍarīkākṣam, sa bahya... Bahya means external, and internal, abhyantaram, śuciḥ. Śuciḥ means purified. Śrī viṣṇu śrī viṣṇu śrī viṣṇu. So simply by remembering the holy name of the Lord, Viṣṇu, one is purified in any stage of life. That is a fact. It is said, there is a Bengali verse which says, eka kṛṣṇa nāme yata pāpa hare, ai haya tati pāpa karibare nare (?). "By chanting once the holy name of Kṛṣṇa, the sinful man can vanquish so much volumes of sinful activities, reaction, that he's unable to perform." A sinful man is very expert to commit sinful activities, but the holy name of Kṛṣṇa is so strong that he will be unable to commit so much sins as can be extinguished simply by uttering once the name of Lord Viṣṇu or Kṛṣṇa. This is a fact. But unfortunately, we, by chanting, vanquish all kinds of sinful activities. That's all right. But the next moment we again begin. So that is the defect. Just like I have taken some poison. Now you go to a doctor, he gives you medicine. The poisonous effect is finished or gone. You are now free. And just after coming from the doctor's house, again you take poison, and again go to the doctor.
That's all right. God can counteract anything, or God's representative can do that. But again just coming from the church again I begin the same thing? It is the gravest type of sinful act. That is the Vedic injunction. Nāmno balād yasya hi pāpa-buddhiḥ. Anyone who commits sin on the strength of chanting the holy name of Viṣṇu, oh, his sinful activities cannot be vanquished even by so much attempt performing sacrifices or penances. No it is not possible. He's condemned. Just like you have committed some criminal act, and you are presented in the court, and you say, "My lord, I did not know this act. I have committed this. I may be excused. I'll not do this." Then you are excused, there is a... "That's all right." But if you are excused and again come back and again do the same sinful activities, criminal activities, and if you are again arrested, then you'll be very, very severely punished. It is a common sense. How people think that "Because I chant Hare Kṛṣṇa or I take the holy name of God or I go to church, therefore I can commit so much sins, never mind.
"Because I chant Hare Kṛṣṇa or I take the holy name of God or I go to church, therefore I can commit so much sins, never mind. It will be counteracted next week or next moment when I shall chant." This is one of the gravest offense in chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. You should always remember. By this initiation, by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, your sinful activities will be counteracted, undoubtedly. But don't commit again. Then it will be the gravest offense. There are ten kinds of offenses. You should be careful. You have got those printed papers? Ten kinds of offenses? Yes, you take. This is a fact. Yaḥ smaret puṇḍarīkākṣaṁ sa bahyābhyantaraḥ śuciḥ. As soon as you chant the holy name of Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, you become relieved from all reaction of sinful activities.
Every one of us, anyone who has come to this material world, beginning from Lord Brahmā, what to speak of ourselves, down to the small ant, everyone is, to some extent we have committed sinful activities; therefore we are in this material world. This is a fact. Now, in this materialist world there are different stages, different species of life.
So being afraid, he wanted to be saved by his youngest son. Naturally we, anyone we love... But because the youngest son had the name Nārāyaṇa, the original Nārāyaṇa took notice of him, and he was saved, and he was immediately taken to the kingdom of God because he chanted the name of Nārāyaṇa. So those who are always chanting the holy name of God, they are in safety position. Safety position means next life, he is going back to home, back to Godhead. So this is an example that such a sinful man, if simply by chanting once at the time of his death—that was also desiring his youngest son—he could get so much benefit, those who are chanting always the holy name of God, they should be always in safe condition. Māyā, or the material contamination, cannot touch him. But one thing, those who are being initiated, they are being freed from the resultant action of past sinful life. But they should be careful not to commit again sinful activities. Then they are safe. That's all.
The marriage is for producing nice children, Kṛṣṇa conscious children. Because at the present moment the population is not being produced very nicely; therefore there is disturbance of peace all over the world. But if there are Kṛṣṇa conscious children, they'll grow up and they will possess all good qualities. So peace automatically will come if people become Kṛṣṇa conscious, because they become highly qualified, without committing any sinful activities. If such population is there in the world, there is no question of disturbance. Everyone will be peace, peaceful and happy. So our marriage, Kṛṣṇa consciousness institution encouraging marriage, on this ground: not to produce cats and dogs, but to produce highly qualified devotees. So you should always remember that. And there is no... Once married, there is no question of divorce or separation. That you should remember. We don't allow any divorce and separation. The husband and wife, there may be sometimes disagreement, but according to Vedic literature, when there is fight or disagreement between husband and wife, it should be neglected. Nobody take it seriously.
There is English word like that. So that we may not fall a victim of sinful activities, you shall go on always chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa (devotees complete chanting), not that after committing sin, you'll utilize Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra to counteract it. Don't do that. Then you'll give it up. Just to keep yourself aloof from sinful activities, you chant always Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, but don't utilize Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra to counteract your sinful activities. "So I am, I have got an instrument, Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, let me do all nonsense and I shall chant in the evening Hare Kṛṣṇa and it will neutralized." Actually, they are doing. There are so many rascals, they are committing this offense, on the strength of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. That is the greatest offense. They will never make any progress in spiritual life if I utilize Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra for my material purpose. Go on.
And, śruti-śāstra-nindanam, and to decry the Vedic literature. And third, to interpret the holy name in different way according to our own whims. This is also offense. And the most dangerous offense is namnaḥ balād yasya hi pāpa-buddhir. Anyone who thinks that "I am chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, so I am becoming free from contamination of sinful life, therefore let me commit sinful life and counteract it by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa," this is the greatest offense. We should not commit offenses on the strength of chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. And then considering the different names of the demigods, they are independent—no. The Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa's name, Viṣṇu's name, is Supreme; it cannot be equalized with other names. And, in spite of chanting he holy name, if one is attached to material enjoyment, that is also offense. And to instruct about the glories of the name to a person who is out of the jurisdiction of devotional service. Of course, sometimes we have to do this, but that is for preaching sake. But generally we should not do that. I think these ten kinds of offenses are there. Anything more?
General Lectures
Just agree to serve Me. Then I take charge of you." That's all. Ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ. Because by the dictation of the senses we are committing sinful activities life after life; therefore we are in different grades of bodily presentation. Don't think that everyone is of the same standard. No. According to one's own work he gets a type of body. So these different types of bodies are due to different grades of sense gratification. So sense gratification is there in the hog's life also. Why he has been offered a body of the hogs? So much sensuous that it has no discrimination who is mother, who is sister, or who is this, or who is that. This is practical, you'll see. The dogs and hogs, they are like that. In human society also there are many who don't care who is mother, who is sister, or who is this. The senses are so strong. And this is our cause of all miseries, try to understand. The threefold miseries that we are suffering, that we are trying to make a solution, is due to this dictation of the senses. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is there. Kṛṣṇa is there. His name is Madana-mohana.
In our last meeting we were discussing. Why people are forced to commit sinful activities? This point is also discussed in the Bhagavad-gītā. Arjuna inquired from Kṛṣṇa, "What is that thing which forces a man to commit sinful activities?" Just like the same example that one man is seeing practically that one who has committed something criminal, he is punished. And he has heard it also from authorities, from lawyers or from respectable gentlemen, that "If you commit such and such sinful activities... If you steal, then you will be imprisoned for six months. If you cheat, you'll be imprisoned for such and such period. If you commit murder, then you'll be hanged." These things are taught some way or other. Either in religious scripture or by lawbooks or by morality or ethical principle, they are taught to the human, civilized human society. And he sees also practically that "This man has committed this kind of criminality, and he is punished." And again why does he commit? That is the problem. So kāma eṣa krodha eṣa rajo-guṇa-samudbhavaḥ. Kāma and krodha. Kāma means desire, lust. Kāma.
Goodness. Prakāśa. Just like at night we cannot see, but in daytime we see. But seeing is not all. Unless I am convinced of something, even seeing... Just the same example: one man is seeing that a criminal person is punished; still he is committing criminal act.
So Śukadeva Gosvāmī's question is that suppose a man commits some sinful activities and he executes some atonement. In atone... This atonement is prescribed in every religion... (child sounds in background) (aside:) This is disturbing. Attention is diverted. Yes. So just like in the Christian church, they have the atonement process, confession. So suppose if you go weekly in the church and confess your sinful activities and it is excused, but again, next week you again commit the same sinful activities. Then what is the use of that confession and atonement? If you make it a business that "The whole week I shall commit sinful activities, and on Sunday I shall go to church and confess it, then everything will be balanced, squared-off account," that is all right.
"The whole week I shall commit sinful activities, and on Sunday I shall go to church and confess it, then everything will be balanced, squared-off account," that is all right. Then again from Monday you begin the sinful activities. So is that very good business? So Parīkṣit Mahārāja's question is that, that the atonement is there. But if one commits atonement and again commits sinful activities, then what is the use of such atonement? It is just like... He gave the example, kuñjara-snānavat. The elephant takes bath very nicely in the water, and as soon as he comes on the land, he takes dust and throws over, all over the body. So what is the use of taking bath? Similarly, if I am accustomed to commit sinful activities and for that reason I confess and make some atonement, then what is the use? That is the question of Parīkṣit Mahārāja. He's very intelligent. If I do again and again and again the same thing and make some atonement... So in every religion there are processes of atonement, prāyaścitta.
Please excuse me." "All right. Excused." The father says, "Don't do it again." Second time, again he commits the same thing. The father or the teacher says, "Oh, again you have committed?" "Yes. Please excuse me. I shall not do it again." "All right. Excused." But if on the third time again he commits the sin, what the father and the teacher will do? He will slap him. Yes. Just to teach him, "Nonsense. I have warned you twice, thrice, and again you are doing that? No more excuse. Now punishment." This is natural. So if I go to God, if I go and confess, "Father, God, Supreme Father, I have done these sinful activities. I am confessing," "All right." The father excuses. If you make it a business, that "I shall do it and confess," then what will be the result? The result will be punishment. That is natural consequence. So people should come to the understanding that "These sinful activities I shall not do." But he is forced to do, impelled by the quality of passion and ignorance. That is answered in the Bhagavad-gītā.
He makes you free. But you should be conscious that "I shall not commit any more." Caitanya Mahāprabhu, when He accepted Jagāi-Mādhāi, great sinful brothers, He simply asked them, "You simply promise that 'Henceforward we shall not commit any sinful activities.' Whatever you have done I am taking. I am absorbed." That is the process. So the Lord or the spiritual master absorbs. But we should be conscious that "We shall not commit any more sinful activities so that my spiritual master or Kṛṣṇa will have to again accept them on my behalf." We should be conscious. The Christian process, that going to church, confession, that is very nice. You confess. And God or God's representative is quite able to excuse you and to make you free from all sinful reaction. But why should you commit again? Why should you commit again? This is not good. Lord Jesus Christ... The Christians believe that he has taken the reaction of everyone's sinful activities and he has suffered by crucification. That's all right. But why should you commit again the same sins for which Lord Jesus Christ suffered? This is less intelligent.
We are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. So we are, I mean to say, becoming free from the sinful reactions of our past activities. But if we think that "Because I am now..., I have got a machine of chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, so I shall commit as much sin as possible and it will be counteracted by this process," oh, that is the greatest sin. You cannot do that. You cannot make Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra as agent of nullifying your sinful activities. Similarly, you cannot make God or His agent or His representative as a machine for counteracting your sinful activities. You should stop. Therefore niḥśeṣa-mano-rathāntaraḥ. Niḥśeṣa. You must cease all kinds of sinful activities. We prescribe to our students that "You should not do this, you should not do this, you should not do this." That is a warning that these are the different gates of sinful activity. If you indulge in illicit sex life, then you open the gate of sinful activities, and you go deeper and deeper. Similarly, if you take meat-eating, that is also opening the gate of sinful activities.
They think that "If chanting is so powerful, I shall chant sometimes." But he does not know that after chanting, he is again falling down by willingly. This is willing, I mean to say, willful disobedience. Willful disobedience. Because I know that "I have chanted the holy name. Now my all sinful reaction of my life is now vanished. Then why shall I commit again sinful activities?" That is the natural conclusion. But if one concludes like this: "Now I have chanted, I have confessed my sinful activities in the church. Let me go now again, begin my sinful activities," such kind of willful negligence is very, very dangerous. Nāmnād balād yasya hi pāpa-buddhiḥ. He's the greatest sinner, one who utilizes the holy name as a means of counteracting or neutralizing the sinful effects. They are very willful sinners. That should not be done. It is a fact that as soon as you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, your all sinful reaction of life is immediately neutralized or vanquished. But you should not do again. That is the idea.
One can avoid volumes of miserable condition of life simply by chanting. Anudinam idam ādareṇa śṛṇvan iti. When it is stated anudinam ādareṇa, with great care and attention one should chant. Not that we should utilize the chanting of holy name for my sense gratification, that "I commit sin, and again I chant, and it will be counteracted. So again I chant, again I commit." No. That is not allowed. Anudinam. Śrīdhara Swami... Anudinam idam ādareṇa śṛṇvanti. Or śṛṇvan ādareṇa, with great care. Because the name, the holy name, and the person Kṛṣṇa—Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's name—they are identical. So one should be so much careful and, I mean to say, faithful that as soon as you are chanting, you should know that "Kṛṣṇa is dancing on my tongue." Therefore how much careful and respectful we should be. It is very responsible(?).
Our sufferings are due to our sinful activities. We cannot surpass the vigilance of material nature by committing or by executing sinful life. That is not possible. Therefore in our movement we ask everybody, especially our serious students, to refrain from four kinds of sinful activities: illicit sex life, intoxication, gambling and meat-eating. These are the pillars of sinful life. If you think that you are enjoying life by indulging in these four kinds of sense gratification, that means you are implicating yourself. The chance of human body which you have got now to develop Kṛṣṇa consciousness, if you misuse it and indulge in sinful life, then next life is waiting as cats and dogs. That is nature's law. But if we forget the nature's law, if you simply become puffed-up by false education, that is another thing. You can do that. But real fact is this: vāsāṁsi jīrṇāni yathā vihāya (BG 2.22).
Nanda Mahārāja was the king of Vraja, vrajendra, and his nandana, his son, that means Kṛṣṇa. Vrajendra-nandana yei śacī-suta haila sei. "That Kṛṣṇa has appeared in this age as the son of mother Śacī." Lord Caitanya's mother's name was Śacī-devī. Balarāma haila nitāi. "Balarāma, the same Balarāma who appeared as Kṛṣṇa's elder brother, he has appeared as Nityānanda, Gaura-Nitāi." So what is Their business? Pāpī-tāpī yāta chila harināme uddhārila. Their business is... There are two kinds of people within this material world. Another one is committing sin and the other is suffering the sinful reaction. Pāpī-tāpī. That is our business. In this life, I am suffering the resultant action of my past impious activities, and I'm creating another set of impious activities so that I shall suffer next life. This is our position. Pāpī-tāpī yāta chila. Therefore there are two kinds of activities. Pāpī-tāpī yāta chila, harināme uddhārila. But all these people can be delivered simply by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare.
In India, go to a village and you ask him that "What you are?" He will say: "Sir, I am suffering or enjoying according to my past karma." Means: "I was living in the past. So according to my action, I am suffering or enjoying the reaction in this life." He believes in the transmigration of the soul. He believes in the future life also. He is very cautious to commit sin because he knows that "If I commit sin in this life, I'll have to suffer next life." This is Eastern life. And in the Western country, I talked with so many big, big professors, especially in Moscow. I talked with Professor Kotovsky. He said: "Swamijī, after death, then everything finished. After death, everything finished." This is the difference, East and West. In the Eastern country, especially in India, a common man will understand the existence of soul. And in the Western countries, a topmost man, professor, he does not know what is soul. That is the difference.
So many, by natures, imposed by the natures. Flood. So there are three kinds of sufferings in the material world, and everyone is suffering either by one, two or three or..., but nobody can say that "I am completely free from suffering." That is not possible. And why this suffering? Due to ignorance. I do not know. I am committing sinful life, I am committing mistakes; therefore I am suffering. Therefore guru's business is first to rescue his disciple from ignorance, ignorance. Ajñāna-timirāndhasya. Everyone is suffering out of ignorance; therefore guru's business is to... Just like we go to a school. We go to a school, we send our children to a school. Why? To save him from suffering; to get education. "If my son does not get education, he'll suffer in the future." The same process: to get him out of ignorance, to get him relieved from the suffering. Therefore, guru's business is ajñāna-timirāndhasya jñānāñjana-śalākaya. So sufferings is due to ignorance. Ignorance is compared with darkness. So in the darkness how you can save one?
That is also cintāmaṇi-dhāma (Bs. 5.29). These two dhāma, places, are not ordinary places. Don't make dhāma-aparādha. As there are offenses against chanting the holy name, similarly, there are offenses in dhāma, that in the dhāma one should not perform any sinful activities in the dhāma. In the dhāma, if you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, then it increases thousand times. Similarly, in the dhāma, if you commit offenses, it increases thousand times. So dhāma, one should be very careful not to commit any sinful activities. Illicit sex, or intoxication, meat-eating and gambling—these are the sinful activities. So Vṛndāvana-dhāma, aprākṛta dhāma. Those who are attached to viṣaya, sense gratification, they cannot see what is Vṛndāvana. They cannot see what is Vṛndāvana. They cannot understand what is Kṛṣṇa and Rādhā, those who are viṣayī. Viṣaya means āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunaṁ ca. This is viṣaya, material objectives. They cannot.
Formerly He was Brajendranandana." Brajendranandana. Brajendra is Mahārāja, Nanda Mahārāja. And He accepted father-Nanda Mahārāja. Nandanandana. "Same Nandanandana has now become Śacīnandana." Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mother's name is Śacīdevī. So brajendra-nandana jei śacī-suta hoilo sei. "Who was formerly Brajendra-nandana, He has now become Śacīnandana. And formerly who was Balarāma, He has become Nitāi." Brajendranandana hei śacī-suta hoilo sei balarāma hoilo nitāi. So why They have come again? Now, pāpī tāpī yata chilo harināme uddhārilo: "They have come to deliver all kinds of sinful men, suffering humanity, just allowing to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra." Pāpī tāpī jata chilo, harināme uddhārilo. So what is the evidence how papi tapi were delivered? Tāra śākṣī jagāi and mādhāi.
So there is no hopelessness. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Nityānanda Prabhu is there. If we take shelter of Their lotus feet, there is no hopelessness. But we should not commit any more sinful activities. Then They will deliver us from these clutches of māyā.
Philosophy Discussions
"No meat-eating": the state can immediately do it, "No slaughterhouse." If somebody says that it is enforcement for a person who wants to eat meat and the state has stopped, no. State at least can do this, that state is not going to maintain slaughterhouse. If you want to eat meat, you can kill an animal at your own house, but state is not going to commit these sinful activities, statewise. That is changed in every respect. No more breweries. State cannot maintain the manufacturing of liquor. If anyone individual wants, he can prepare for himself, but he cannot sell, he cannot induce others to take. He can for his personal (indistinct), he can take. In that case, state is giving liberty, "If you want eating meat, so do." But that is not encouragement; that is discouragement. That is Vedic injunction. Vedic injunction is that yes, you can have sex, but get yourself married properly like gentlemen and ladies do. But sex will not be allowed unrestricted intermingling of men and women and prostitution, brothels. That state has to stop. In this way whole thing can be revolutionized, and the society will be completely in human civilization and God consciousness. That is wanted.
In Bombay. It was prohibited area. So Gandhi made this prohibition as far as possible. Now they are lifting. Because simply prohibition will not help you. Unless you have got a better engagement, this prohibition will not help you. By law you can say, "Don't do this," but if you have no better engagement, this order of the law, "Don't do this," will not act. Will not act. Just like government, your government is trying to stop this intoxication. They could not. It is increasing. But so far our society is concerned, anyone who is coming here, immediately there is no intoxication. That means he gets something better. Therefore he voluntarily checks himself. And it is possible to check. So unless you give better thing, simply by prohibition you cannot check. That is not possible. The same example again, just like a thief, he knows the prohibitive order that you shall not steal. He knows the prohibitive order even in śāstra, that if a man is a thief he will suffer this kind of hellish condition. So he has heard it from the lawyer and from the śāstra that stealing is not good and he has seen it that a thief is arrested and is punished but still he does it. But a Kṛṣṇa conscious person will not do it. That is the difference. So by law or by pressure you cannot make anyone moral. That's not possible. He has to be given something which is better than morality, then he will stop committing all kinds of sins.
Śyāmasundara: They say that it's a paradox, that... They say that it's a paradox or an apparent contradiction that the Transcendental came into the material world and appeared to suffer for men, but actually he does not suffer because He is God, that He only appeared to suffer to save us from our sins and remind us always not to sin.
Prabhupāda: But why the Christians are committing sins still? They have given contract to Jesus Christ that "You suffer for us and we go on committing sins." Very good philosophy.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What is their concept of God?
Śyāmasundara: Well, going on now, he says that these life stages or these three levels that we talked about are the levels of attaining selfhood. That is, that selfhood is an achievement, not that it is a given human nature, but that it is an achievement. Not that a self-realized soul is simply that way because that is his nature, but because he has achieved that stage through... He's developed to that stage through consciously...
Prabhupāda: Without any endeavor he'll achieve?
Prabhupāda: Christianity believes in the immortality of the soul?
Śyāmasundara: Yes. So for Christians, suicide is no answer to escape their sinning or their despair. So he says...
Prabhupāda: You have committed so many sinful activities, and simply by killing you are trying to escape. In that way you are committing another sin. You are committing another sin. Therefore these persons who commit suicide, they become ghosts.
Śyāmasundara: So he says that we must live as if at any moment we may die, so that at the last moment we must be fully absolved of all sins. We must be fully authentic at the last moment. So he says that we must live as if we were going to die at any moment.
Prabhupāda: That is not possible. If you don't practice, it is not possible to understand at the last moment.
Prabhupāda: But provided I have got consciousness to understand the words of the priest.
Devotee: Even if you commit sinful activities all your life, if he is there at your deathbed then you can be saved from your sins.
Prabhupāda: That is quite possible, you see, because he can remind you. But at the time of death, when everything is stopped, the functions of the body, kapha, pitta, vāyu, therefore Kulaśekhara says that "Let me die immediately." Actually, natural death means I will be encumbered with so many things, natural disturbance of this body, the disturbance, they'll be choked up, and cough, mucus, so many things. So unless one is practiced, it is not possible. Therefore practice is required from the very beginning-austerity, penance, brahmacārī, celibacy, like that. These things have to be practiced.
Śyāmasundara: He says that faith is the self willing to be the self, willing to be itself—the self willing to be itself. This is faith, or authenticity.
Prabhupāda: What is this willing to be itself?
Prabhupāda: This is the (indistinct), that the thief has learned from the lawbooks, from the religious books, that stealing is bad. If one steals he'll be punished. Because in the human society the scriptures that they have got. No scripture will say that you should steal, for example, neither the lawbook will say that you steal. So if you have heard from scriptures and from lawbooks that stealing is criminal, and by committing this sinful activity I shall be punished, and if you have seen also that anyone who has violated this law and stolen others' property has been arrested and policeman has taken him to the jail, he has seen, he has heard, he has completely experienced, but still, why does he steal? What is the answer?
Devotee: Impelled. Because (indistinct) as a human being. He has a tendency because of the four defects of a human being.
Prabhupāda: Then the question arises, how to rectify these defects?
Śyāmasundara: He says by changing the social environment. By changing the social environment.
Prabhupāda: But he cannot do.
Now we have to suffer. So similarly, unconsciously or consciously, we are acting so many things sinful. Just like when you are walking on the street, you have no desire to kill animals, but on account of your walking, so many ants are being killed. So you are responsible for that. Therefore that vyādha, that hunter, he was jumping. He knows. He has become devotee. So he knows that "Any creature may not die." So he was jumping. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. A Kṛṣṇa conscious person knows that "I cannot kill even an ant." But unconsciously or consciously, we kill. Suppose we are drinking water. There are so many germs we are killing. And when you rub the spices, there are so many germs are killed. When you ignite fire, so many germs are killed. Therefore Vedic injunction is that pañcasuna-yajña. You must perform yajña daily so that you may be saved from the sinful activities you have committed unconsciously. So that cannot be saved. But Kṛṣṇa says that "Just surrender unto Me and I will give you protection from the resultant action of any kind of sinful activities, consciously or unconsciously." And why the people are not taking advantage of it?
So that means he wants to listen somebody's dictation. That is, as soon as you say "listen," then somebody is speaking, you listen. So that is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe arjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). God is situated in everyone's heart, and He is dictating. Even He is dictating to the thief that "You are going to steal. It is not good. If you are arrested you will be punished." That dictation is there, but he disobeys the dictation and he steals, commits sin. That is sin. So the dictator is there, we admit that. Kṛṣṇa, or God, is there within the heart, and He is giving dictation, but you disobey. But if we accept that dictation, then you become devotee. Dictation is already there; otherwise this thief is going to steal at night? Dictation is there that "You don't go at the daytime. You will be captured and be punished." "All right, I shall go at night, when everyone is sleep." So dictation is there. Dictation is there in two ways—from the heart and from the representative. God's representative, saintly person, spiritual master, is dictating, "My dear boy, do not do this; you do this." Outside dictation. And inside dictation. But he is disobeying. Regularly he is disobeying. Then how he can be happy?
Hayagrīva: Pascal believed in the doctrine of original sin. That doctrine holds that at one time man fell from grace by committing some sin or other, and that fall from grace accounts for his present position between the demigods and the beasts. In other words, that original sin accounts for man's engagement, or encagement, in matter.
Prabhupāda: Yes, this is our...
Hayagrīva: What was this original sin?
Prabhupāda: To disobey the order of Kṛṣṇa, or not to serve Kṛṣṇa. Just like some servant, he tries that "Why I am serving this master? Why not become a master." The, sometimes psychologically it comes. A man is working in the office, he is seeing the managing director is sitting and is taking all the money, and sometimes the worker... Just like a capitalist and the worker. Why it is Communist movement? That they are thinking that "We are working, and the capitalist is taking the money." So they revolt, they make strike, and they form a society that "We have the..., we must have this money." That is communism.
| Page Title: | Committing sins (Lectures, Other) |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, RupaManjari |
| Created: | 17 of Aug, 2011 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=81, Con=0, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 81 |