Surrounded by many other foolish persons, this rascal Pauṇḍraka had actually concluded that he was Vāsudeva, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This kind of conclusion is certainly childish. When children are playing, they sometimes select a "king" amongst themselves, and the selected child may think that he is actually the king. Similarly, many foolish persons, due to ignorance, select another fool as God, and then the rascal actually considers himself God, as if God could be created by childish play or by the votes of men. Under this false impression, thinking himself the Supreme Lord, Pauṇḍraka sent his messenger to Dvārakā to challenge the position of Kṛṣṇa. The messenger reached the royal assembly of Kṛṣṇa in Dvārakā and conveyed the message given by his master, Pauṇḍraka.
False impression
Bhagavad-gita As It Is
BG Chapters 13 - 18
For one who is always expecting some honor in this material world, it is not possible to surrender to the Supreme Person. Pride is due to illusion, for although one comes here, stays for a brief time and then goes away, he has the foolish notion that he is the lord of the world. He thus makes all things complicated, and he is always in trouble. The whole world moves under this impression. People are considering the land, this earth, to belong to human society, and they have divided the land under the false impression that they are the proprietors. One has to get out of this false notion that human society is the proprietor of this world. When one is freed from such a false notion, he becomes free from all the false associations caused by familial, social and national affections. These faulty associations bind one to this material world.
Srimad-Bhagavatam
SB Canto 1
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is also a Purāṇa, but the special significance of this Purāṇa is that the activities of the Lord are central and not just supplementary historical facts. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is thus recommended by Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu as the spotless Purāṇa. There is a class of less intelligent devotees of the Bhāgavata Purāṇa who desire to relish at once the activities of the Lord narrated in the Tenth Canto without first understanding the primary cantos. They are under the false impression that the other cantos are not concerned with Kṛṣṇa, and thus more foolishly than intelligently they take to the reading of the Tenth Canto. These readers are specifically told herein that the other cantos of the Bhāgavatam are as important as the Tenth Canto. No one should try to go into the matters of the Tenth Canto without having thoroughly understood the purport of the other nine cantos.
SB Canto 3
Only one who is fortunate can have the opportunity to hear Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam in the association of pure devotees of the Lord. Under the spell of material energy, the living entities are entrapped in the bondage of many difficulties simply for the sake of a little bit of material happiness. They engage in fruitive activities, not knowing the implications. Under the false impression that the body is the self, the living entities foolishly relate to so many false attachments. They think that they can engage with materialistic paraphernalia forever. This gross misconception of life is so strong that a person suffers continually, life after life, under the external energy of the Lord. If one comes in contact with the book Bhāgavatam as well as with the devotee bhāgavata, who knows what the Bhāgavatam is, then such a fortunate man gets out of the material entanglement.
The demigods are assistants of the Lord in the management of material affairs. After the creation of the demigods, all entities are covered by the darkness of ignorance. Each and every living being in the material world is conditioned by his mentality of lording it over the resources of material nature. Although a living entity is the master of the material world, he is conditioned by ignorance, by the false impression of being the proprietor of material things. The energy of the Lord called avidyā is the bewildering factor of the conditioned souls.
SB Canto 4
As stated by Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu in His Śikṣāṣṭaka instructions, by the chanting of the holy name of the Lord—Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare—or by the process of hearing and chanting of the glories of the Lord, one's mind is gradually cleansed of all dirt. Due to our material association since time immemorial, we have accumulated heaps of dirty things in our minds. The total effect of this takes place when a living entity identifies himself with his body and is thus entrapped by the stringent laws of material nature and put into the cycle of repeated birth and death under the false impression of bodily identification. When one is strengthened by practicing bhakti-yoga, his mind is cleansed of this misunderstanding, and he is no longer interested in material existence or in sense gratification.
Other Books by Srila Prabhupada
Krsna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead
“In the bodily concept of life, due to false egotism one is attached to the offspring of the body, and thus everyone in conditioned life is entrapped by false relationships and false affection. The whole world is moving under this false impression and suffering material bondage. I know that neither of You is my son; both of You are the original chief and progenitor, the Personality of Godhead, the Puruṣa with pradhāna. But You have appeared on the surface of this globe to minimize the burden of the world by killing the kṣatriya kings who are unnecessarily increasing their military strength. You have already informed me about this in the past. My dear Lord, You are the shelter of the surrendered soul, the supreme well-wisher of the meek and humble. I am therefore taking shelter of Your lotus feet, which alone can give one liberation from the entanglement of material existence.
"For a long time I have simply considered this body to be myself, and although You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead, I have considered You my son. My dear Lord, at the very moment when You first appeared in Kaṁsa's prison house, You informed me that You were the Supreme Personality of Godhead and that You had descended for the protection of the principles of religion as well as the destruction of the unfaithful. Although unborn, You descend in every millennium to execute Your mission. My dear Lord, as in the sky there are many forms, appearing and disappearing, You also appear in many eternal forms and then disappear. Who, therefore, can understand Your pastimes or the mystery of Your appearance and disappearance? Our only business should be to glorify Your supreme greatness."
Sri Isopanisad
When Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa was present on this earth, the bhakti-yoga principles defined in the Bhagavad-gītā had become distorted; therefore the Lord had to reestablish the disciplic system beginning with Arjuna, who was the most confidential friend and devotee of the Lord. The Lord clearly told Arjuna (BG 4.3) that it was because Arjuna was His devotee and friend that he could understand the principles of the Bhagavad-gītā. In other words, only the Lord's devotee and friend can understand the Gītā. This also means that only one who follows the path of Arjuna can understand the Bhagavad-gītā.
At the present moment there are many interpreters and translators of this sublime dialogue who care nothing for Lord Kṛṣṇa or Arjuna. Such interpreters explain the verses of the Bhagavad-gītā in their own way and postulate all sorts of rubbish in the name of the Gītā. Such interpreters believe neither in Śrī Kṛṣṇa nor in His eternal abode. How, then, can they explain the Bhagavad-gītā?
Kṛṣṇa clearly says that only those who have lost their sense worship the demigods for paltry rewards (Bg. 7.20, 23). Ultimately He advises that one give up all other ways and modes of worship and fully surrender unto Him alone (BG 18.66). Only those who are cleansed of all sinful reactions can have such unflinching faith in the Supreme Lord. Others will continue hovering on the material platform with their paltry ways of worship and thus will be misled from the real path under the false impression that all paths lead to the same goal.
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
In the Bhagavad-gītā it is plainly said, mūḍha. Mūḍha means asses, rascal. He does not know his own interest. He is called mūḍha, ass. Just like ass. Ass is whole day working with tons of cloth on his back, but he does not... Not a piece of cloth belongs to him. This is ass. And he is working so hard only for a morsel of grass, which is available everywhere. But he is thinking that "This gentleman, washerman, is giving me food." This is ass. Such food can be available anywhere and everywhere, but he is thinking like that and working so hard. So karmīs are like that. He will eat two capātis or four capātis, but he is working day and night. If you want to see him, he will say, "Oh, I have no time." He does not think at any time that "I am interested to eat four capātis, which can be very easily available. So why I am working so hard?" But that sense does not come. He is working, working, working, "More money, more money, more money, more money, more money." The Bhāgavata says, "No, no. This is not your business." The four capātis is already destined to you; you will get, any circumstances. You don't waste your time simply under some false impression of economic development. Don't waste your time. You cannot get more, you cannot get less. That is already there. So you utilize your time for understanding Kṛṣṇa. That is your business.
Now, the Bhāgavata says that yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke: (SB 10.84.13) "If anyone, he's identified with this body made of water, air and fire..." And yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke. This is a body made of three things. Now... And sva-dhīḥ kalatrādiṣu: "And if one thinks the issues, the by-products of this body as his own kinsmen..." Just like my children, my wife, my relatives, my father, my mother, my brother, my nation, my society—everything is due to this bodily relation. And there are thousands of women loitering in the street of New York, and suppose I have got some ma..., bodily connection with you, I call you my wife. And because I have got bodily relation with you, all the children produced by you, they are my children. You see? So whole thing is... The basic principle is wrong, that "I am this body." Now, from the expansion of the body, the whole thing, the whole thing is false. Because I am not this body, so my expansion of body is also not I am. But whole world is going on on this false impression. The whole world is going on. The fight, the fighting between one nation and another nation—because due to this body. So yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke (SB 10.84.13). "One who is identified with this body, which is made of water, fire and, water, fire and air, and the issues from this body as kinsmen and own men..." Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhā.., sva-dhīḥ kalatrādiṣu: "And," I mean to say, "attachment, attachment for such issues..." And bhauma-ijya-dhīḥ: "And the land from which this body has grown up, that is worshipable." Now everybody is fighting for the land. "Oh, we are Indian." "We are Pakistani." "We are Vietnamese." "We are Americans." "We are German." The fighting, so much fighting is going on. The land, for the land. So land, land has become worshipable, so worshipable that one is sacrificed his valuable life for that land. You see? But the land is so dear, why? This body has become grown up from this land. So that is also there, the bodily connection.
So yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke sva-dhīḥ kalatrādiṣu bhauma-ijya-dhīḥ (SB 10.84.13). In the land... They have no meaning for God. Now, the Russian philosophy, they have no meaning for God, but they have every meaning for their land, for the land. So land has been identified as worshipable, and they're prepared to sacrifice anything for the land. So yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke: "One who is identified with this body and one who thinks the bodily offshoots as his own men, and the land from which the body has grown as worshipable," yat-tīrtha-buddhiḥ salile.
Our philosophy is that we prepare nice foodstuff and we offer to Kṛṣṇa, and after He has eaten, then we take it. That is our philosophy. We don't take anything which is not offered to Kṛṣṇa. So we are saying God as the supreme enjoyer. We are not enjoyer. We are all subordinate. So bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram (BG 5.29). And God is proprietor of everything. That's a fact. Now suppose such big ocean. Are you proprietor? We are claiming that I am proprietor of this land or this sea. But actually, before my birth, the sea was there, the land was there, and after my death, the sea will be there, the land will be there. When I become proprietor? Just like in this hall. Before we entered this hall, the hall was existing, and when we leave this hall, the hall will exist. Then when we become proprietor? If we falsely claim that sitting here for one hour or half an hour, we have become proprietor, that is false impression. So one has to understand that we are neither proprietor nor enjoyer. Bhoktāraṁ yajña... God is the enjoyer. And God is the proprietor. Sarva-loka-maheśvaram. And suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānām (BG 5.29), He's the best friend of everyone. He's not friend only of the human society. He's friend of the animal society. Because every living entity is God's son.
So this knowledge, Bhagavad-gītā knowledge, is so perfect for the human society. And Kṛṣṇa wants that this knowledge should be spread because everybody, sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya sambhavanti mūrtayaḥ... (BG 14.4). He's the seed-giving father. Father is naturally well-wisher that: "These rascals, they are suffering, prakṛti-sthāni. Manaḥ ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi prakṛti-sthāni karṣati (BG 15.7). Simply by, guided by mental speculation, manaḥ, and assisted by the senses, they are struggling so hard. And if they come back to Me they can live so nicely, as My friend, as My lover, as My father, as My mother, Vṛndāvana. So claim again, call them." That... Therefore, Kṛṣṇa comes. Yadā yadā hi dharmasya (BG 4.7). Because the whole world is running on under the false impression of sense enjoyment, therefore He comes and advises, sarva-dharmān parityajya: (BG 18.66) "You rascal, give up all this engagement. Don't be proud that you are scientifically advanced. You are all rascals. Give up this nonsense. Come to Me. I'll give you protection." This is Kṛṣṇa. How merciful He is. And the same business should be done by Kṛṣṇa's servant. Not to become a great yogi, magic player. No, that is not required. Simply speak what Kṛṣṇa says. Then you become spiritual master. Don't speak anything nonsense. Caitanya Mahāprabhu also said, yāre dekha tāre kaha 'kṛṣṇa'-upadeśa (CC Madhya 7.128). Simply you preach the instruction of Kṛṣṇa, whomever you meet. Then you become spiritual master. That's all. Very simple thing.
The Māyāvādī philosophers, they are thinking that "Being merged into the, existence of Brahman, I become Brahman." No, this is a wrong. You cannot become Brahman. You remain the same.
The example is given: just like a green bird enters into the green tree. It does not mean that the bird is mixed. No. The bird is keeping its independence as an individual. But it appears to others, those who do not see properly, that it has merged into the tree. It has actually not merged. And because it does not merge, therefore they fall down. They again come out. That is explained in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam that ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninaḥ... Vimukta-māninaḥ. They are thinking, "Now I have become one with the Supreme." But actually, that is a false impression. Māninaḥ. Māninaḥ means actually it is not fact, but he's thinking like that. Vimukta-māninaḥ.
Why he's thinking like that? Aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ. His knowledge is not perfect. Aviśuddha. Viśuddha means perfect, and aviśuddha means not perfect. Unnecessarily he's thinking that "I have become one with the..." I remain the same part and parcel. As Kṛṣṇa says, mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ (BG 15.7).
Just like a big bag of rice, and you put one grain of rice. It remains one grain, but it appears that it has become one with the bag. That is not possible. Therefore Bhāgavata says, "They think like that, but actually it is not the fact." And if you question why they are thinking like that—aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ, means intelligence is not very sharp. Ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninas tvayy asta-bhāvād aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ, āruhya kṛcchreṇa... āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adhaḥ (SB 10.2.32).
These Māyāvādīs, they undergo severe penances for becoming merged into the supreme effulgence, Brahman effulgence, sāyujya-mukti. It is also not easily obtained. It also requires... So therefore, āruhya kṛcchreṇa, by undergoing... Āruhya kṛcchreṇa, by severe penances and exercises... Just like the yogis, they also exercise. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa. Kṛcchreṇa means severe practices. So they reach, they realize Brahman, but after realization also, they fall down. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adhaḥ (SB 10.2.32). Because there is no shelter.
I have given several times the example. Just like if you go high in the sky, but if you don't get any shelter, then you come back again. Just like the people are going in the moon planet, but because they actually do not get any shelter, they are coming back again. So that is the position. Simply by worshiping impersonal Brahman, after severe penance and austerity, you can enter into it, but you cannot remain there because there is no ānanda. It is simply eternity.
The whole yoga system means to make the mind our friend. The mind in material contact, just like a person in drunkard condition. His mind is... There is a nice verse in Caitanya-caritāmṛta.
- kṛṣṇa-bahirmukha hañā bhoga vāñchā kare
- nikaṭa-stha māyā tāre jāpaṭiyā dhare
- (Prema-vivarta)
The mind, I am spirit soul, part and parcel of the Supreme Lord. As soon as the mind is contaminated, I rebel, because I have got little independence. "Why shall I serve Kṛṣṇa or God? I am God." It is simply a dictation from the mind. And the whole situation turns. He's under false impression, illusion, and the whole life is spoiled. And who has failed to do so, if we fail to conquer the mind, we are trying to conquer so many things, empire, but if we fail to conquer our mind, then even you conquer an empire, that is a failure. His very mind will be the greatest enemy.
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
If you know that "Everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa. I am not the owner. I am given the chance to use it," tena tyaktena bhuñjīthāḥ, whatever allotment is given to you, you can use. Prasādam. Kṛṣṇa... Actually, eatable belongs to Kṛṣṇa. So after eating, whatever He gives you, you also eat this. That is required. So one is trying to renounce this world by practice. Because unless you become fully conscious that anything you are possessing, that does not belong to you, that belongs to Kṛṣṇa, so long you will be allowed to enjoy it under the false impression, egotism, that "It is mine." Because you have come here to possess something as your property, so Kṛṣṇa will give you. Just like father gives children... They are fighting. So father gives some toy, "Now it is yours. So that's all right, play. Don't fight." So similarly... The toy does not belong to the child. It is purchased by the father. It belongs to the father. But the father give you, "No, it is yours. Don't fight with the other child," so they are satisfied. Similarly, we have been given by the supreme father, "Now this is your America. This is your India." But nothing belongs to the American or to the Indian. It belongs to the father, supreme father. So unless they come to the consciousness, that "The father has given me to enjoy that this is mine, but actually it belongs to father..." This is called Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Liberation means to become free from all false conception of life. That is liberation. Liberation does not mean that you have got now two hands, and, as soon as you are liberated, you'll have ten hands. No. Liberation means that you become free from all nonsensical, false conception of life. That is liberation. That is the definition given in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, what is liberation. Muktir hitvā anyathā rūpam. Mukti means to give up... Anyathā rūpam... As we are now living under some false conception, so when one gives up this all false conception, that is called mukti. Muktir hitvā anyathā rūpaṁ svarūpeṇa vyavasthitiḥ (SB 2.10.6). And when one is situated in his original, constitutional position, giving up all false notions, he's liberated. That is liberation. Liberation is not very difficult. Simply... There is another verse that by awakening knowledge, one becomes liberated immediately. But, but what is that knowledge? This knowledge is very simple: God is great; we are small. We are His part and parcel; therefore it is our duty to serve Him. Two lines—liberation. Instead of undergoing so much difficult processes, if simply you understand these two lines: God is great, I am very small. He is the Supreme Proprietor, or master, He is supplying us all necessities of life; therefore our duty is to serve Him. That's all.
Now, if anyone present here can challenge this statement? Is there anyone? No, you cannot challenge. This is the fact. Simply we are under false impression that "I am this; I am that." Lastly "I am God. I am God." What kind of God you are? If you get immediately little toothache, you go to physician-god, the dentist-god. This is called māyā. This is called māyā. There is a verse that
- piśācī pāile yena mati-cchanna haya
- māyā-grasta jīvera haya se bhāva udaya
Piśācī means ghost. When one man is ghostly haunted, he speaks so many nonsense. Similarly, when one is entangled by the illusory energy, māyā, he also speaks all nonsense. At last he speaks that "I am God." That is the last snare of māyā. So they are not, they cannot be liberated, because they are under the false impression still. Anyone who is under the false impression, or anyone who is attracted by false knowledge, he's under the clutches of māyā. When there is right knowledge, right conception of life, then one is liberated. That is called brahma-bhūta (SB 4.30.20). And Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā: brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54). As soon as you get right knowledge, you become jolly. First jolliness is due to "Oh, I was in such false notion so long. Oh, how fool I was." Then you become happy that "Now I am no longer fool. I was thinking that I'm God. But now I can understand that I am God's eternal servant." That gives him liberation and he becomes prasannātmā, jolly.
Initiation Lectures
Hṛṣīka means senses, and hṛṣīka-īśa..., īśa means ruler or master. So actually hṛṣīkeśa means Kṛṣṇa. He is the master of the senses. And bhakti means hṛṣīka..., hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate (CC Madhya 19.170). Our hṛṣīkeśa means if we be under the control of Hṛṣīkeśa, then these senses now being used for other purposes, upādhi, designations... Just like one is very busy in his national work. Means he is giving service to a designation, falsely thinking that "I am this body," "This body is American," "This body is Indian," "This body is this." So under this false impression he is giving service. This is one stage. And when we are freed from this, all these false impressions, and give service to Kṛṣṇa, that is our perfect stage.
Philosophy Discussions
Prabhupäda: Māyā means what is not fact. So by meditation, when he actually becomes a realized soul, he will understand that "Oh, I am servant. So why I am serving māyā? Let me serve Kṛṣṇa." That is perfection. So if his guide, spiritual master, engages him from the very beginning to serve God, then he becomes quickly perfect, because he is servant and he has to serve Kṛṣṇa. That is his perfection. He is falsely thinking that he is master. That is māyā. Here also they are simply serving. Just like President Nixon. He thought himself, "I am the master of America." But actually he is not. The master is the public. As soon as the public wanted "You come down immediately," he had to do that. So if the president of big state, he is under the false impression that although he is serving he is thinking master, then what to speak of others? Everyone is serving, but he is thinking master. So perfect knowledge is there that when he comes to the platform that "God is the supreme master, He is great, and we are servant." That is perfection of life.
Hayagrīva: Concerning the soul, Descartes concludes that...
Prabhupāda: Now in this connection, regarding the soul, if he has received the knowledge of soul from God, therefore at that time there is no chance of he is thinking. If, as soon as he thinks in his own way, then there may be mistakes, because he is imperfect, finite. But when Kṛṣṇa says directly that "Within this body the soul is there," so if we accept God's instruction, then immediately we understand that the soul is different from this body. Exactly just like if somebody inquires, "Where is Prabhupāda?" If somebody says that "He is in this room," it does not mean this room is Prabhupāda; Prabhupāda is within this room. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa says that this, the owner of the body, the soul, is within this body. So immediately the false impression that "I am this body," the fool's conclusion, immediately it is eradicated. The light is there, but he will not accept. He wants to continue to live as a fool and speculate and waste time and con..., give conclusion in so many ways, so many rascal jugglery, "The living force is like this, like that, like that." But Kṛṣṇa gives instruction immediately that the living force, soul, is within this body; he is not this body. And He gives complete instruction on this at... He says, na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre: (BG 2.20) "This soul is never killed even the body is killed." This is knowledge. In spite of this knowledge, if somebody sticks to his foolish theories, then he remains animal.
Hayagrīva: Huxley says, "This salvation of liberation from karma was to be attained through knowledge and by action based on that knowledge." The supernatural, in our sense of the term, is entirely excluded.
Prabhupāda: Yes. We are acting under certain designation, that just like Mr. Huxley said a few minutes before, that "We are Englishmen." So this is designation. So, so long you will work under designation, there is no freedom. Because under false impression that "I am Englishman," "I am Frenchman," "Let me work in this way," that means you are entangling himself, yourself into some other way, so that today you are Englishman, next day you may be Frenchman or dog's man, that you are entangling yourself. But when you give up this designation, that "I am no man, no other's man, but I am Kṛṣṇa's man," then you will save yourself. Otherwise... Therefore to become Kṛṣṇa consciousness, conscious, is actual platform of freedom from karma.
Prabhupāda: Darwin, he is all through. Everyone is more or less. Unless one has got the right knowledge... Why Darwin? Everyone is under false impression. Therefore our proposition is that you take right knowledge from the right person, Kṛṣṇa, then you are perfect. And if you go on speculating—you speculate in one way, I speculate in another way—it does not mean that we are intelligent person.
Conversations and Morning Walks
1969 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: We are kicked by māyā always, and we are thinking, "independent." This is insanity. He does not think, "Why I am independent? I am servant of my senses. I cannot remain, enjoying senses, for an hour, and I am thinking I am independent." That means insane. He cannot think properly. Where is his independence? Cannot be independent. He is born dependent because part and parcel of God. His constitutional position is dependent. Just like child. A child declares independence. What is the meaning of that independence? Danger. That's all. Simply inviting dangers. A child wants: "Oh, I don't care for my parents. I shall cross the road. I shall go everywhere." So if he is allowed to do that, that means he is simply inviting dangers. And if he remains under the protection of the parents, he is always safe. So this living entity's declaring independence means he is insane, different kinds of insanity. He cannot be independent. Let him think very deeply that it cannot be independent. He is thinking independent of God, but he is dependent on his sense pleasure. That's all. And some intoxication, a voluntarily accept dependence of something māyā. That's all. Who is independent. Is there anyone independent? Nobody is independent. To think of independence is māyā. Best thing is that "I am dependent, and let me remain dependent in properly. Then I am protected." That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So your question is answered? Material consciousness means thinking falsely independent. That is material consciousness. Falsely. He is not independent, but he is thinking falsely, "I am independent." This is māyā. Just like in dream he is falsely thinking there is a tiger. There is no tiger, but he is actuated by this false impression, "Oh, tiger is eating me. It has attacked me. Save me." So this material existence means because he is insane, he is thinking there are so many problems, "The tiger is there. He is attacking me. This, that, so many enemies, friends...," creating so many things. But they are all false. But he is attacked by that false hallucination. That's all. This is māyā."
1974 Conversations and Morning Walks
Guest (1): Mahārāja is teaching—you asked his teaching—these things are the same really, I, things that he's told me. But he said that the whole universe was God, and that you should never hurt anyone, that you should serve...
Prabhupāda: How you can serve whole universe?
Guest (1): I beg your pardon.
Prabhupāda: How you can serve whole universe?
Guest (1): How can you serve the whole universe?
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Guest (1): You love the beings that you find yourself...
Prabhupāda: You love? To whom you love?
Guest (1): Whoever you're with.
Prabhupāda: Huh?
Guest (1): Whatever, whatever...
Prabhupāda: That is... Suppose you love me. You love the whole universe? Why this false impression?
Guest (1): Well certainly every being in the universe is a part of me.
Prabhupāda: (indistinct). You can place your love to a particular person or particular community.
Guest (1): Yes.
Prabhupāda: Does it mean you love the whole universe?
Guest (1): No.
Prabhupāda: Just like, just like nationalism. You are American?
Guest (1: Yes.
Prabhupāda: So you have got your nationality. You love your country. But why you kill cows? Is that love of universe?
Guest (1): If I love America?
Prabhupāda: Yes. You love your men, but you kill your cows.
Guest (1): Acchā.
Prabhupāda: Why?
Guest (1): Through ignorance. Men...
Prabhupāda: Then how you love the whole universe, if you are in ignorance?
Guest (1): You do your best.
Prabhupāda: If you are ignorant, you do not know how to love.
Guest (1): That's true, of course. Ignorance is...
Prabhupāda: Then how do you speak of universal love? When you do not know how to love, how do you speak universe, big, big word. You do not know the art of love, and you are speaking universal love.
1975 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: False ego, you can say false ego. "I exist"; this is pure ego. I exist, that's a fact, and when we say "I exist for this life, I can finish it, there is no next life," that is not pure ego.
Dr. Patel: That should be the ego of God or the ego of you. (Sanskrit) Whether God's ego or your ego, there cannot be two egos.
Prabhupāda: Sama hi, sama hi. You are already sama hi. Sarvam kalv idam brahma. You are already in Brahman. There is no question of samai. The rascal cannot see. They say samai. Why samai? You are already there. You do not know. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, brahma-bhūta prasannātmā. I am already here, prasannātmā. If you have the false impression that "I am out of brahman," that is, there is question of samai. But if you know that you are already in brahman, then where is the question of samai? Prasannātmā. This is real explanation. Brahm-bhuta prasannātmā. Now we understand that I am aha brahmāsmi. That is real knowledge. I am not this body, I am not American, I am not Indian. Aha brahmāsmi...
Dr. Patel: "I am not this body."
Prabhupāda: Ah, that is real knowledge. But they are under the impression of this false knowledge. Therefore it is samai. Why samai? You are already there. Kṛṣṇa says mamaivāṁso jīva-bhūtaḥ (BG 15.7). When the sun is there, the sunshine is also there. Always. So you are sunshine and Kṛṣṇa is sun, so we are already together. But the cloud is there. We are thinking "I am not sunshine; I am cloud." That is misconception. But when we understand that the cloud is no more there, then aha brahmāsmi. Brahm-bhūta prasannātmā. That is wanted.
| Page Title: | False impression |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, Sheilla, Priya |
| Created: | 06 of Jul, 2010 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=1, SB=4, CC=0, OB=3, Lec=13, Con=3, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 24 |