Ūrdhvam, higher planetary system. Madhye tiṣṭhanti rājasaḥ. Madhye, in the middle planetary system, those who are contaminated with the passion quality, they remain. And jaghanya-guṇa-vṛtti-sthā adho gacchanti tāmasaḥ. And those who are miscreants, jaghanya-guṇa-vṛtti-sthāḥ, most hatefully accustomed, these hatefully accustomed, illicit sex, meat-eating, gambling, intoxication... These are habits of hateful nature. So jaghanya-guṇa-vṛtti-sthāḥ adho gacchanti tāmasaḥ, they go down. Either become animals or... There are seven kinds of lower planetary systems: tala, atala, nitala, pātala, talātala, rasātala, like that. So ārya means must make progress. Anārya means one who does not know what is progress of life. They think there is no life after death. "So I have got this life now. Let me enjoy my senses to the best capacity." This is anārya, demon.
Gambling (Lectures)
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
Unnecessarily killing animals, that is sinful life. Intoxication, that is sinful life. Gambling, that is also sinful life. When this Kali was excused, he surrendered himself to Mahārāja Parīkṣit that "You have asked me to go out of your kingdom, but where is out of your kingdom? The whole world is your kingdom. So kindly give me some place where I can stay." So Mahārāja Parīkṣit gave him these four places, that "You can stay where illicit sex life is going on." That mean prostitution. "And unnecessary animals are killed, slaughterhouse." Striya-sūnā-pāna-dyūta (SB 1.17.38). "Where intoxicants are indulged in or gambling. In these four places you can stay." So at that time, Kali could not find out such place, throughout the whole world. So he was disturbed. So there was conspiracy to kill Mahārāja Parīkṣit because the Kali could understand that so long Mahārāja Parīkṣit would live, it is impossible to find out a slaughterhouse or a brothel or a drinking house or gambling place. No.
Kārpaṇya-doṣa means a miserly man, miserly man. He was conscious of the fact that he was a great hero, he was a great fighter, and, at the same time, the enemies were there. So his actual duty was to fight with the enemy. They were offering fight. For a kṣatriya there are some obligations. If somebody challenges that "I want to fight with you," a kṣatriya cannot deny. If somebody challenges, "Yes, I want to bet with you, gambling," a kṣatriya cannot deny. And for that reason, the Pāṇḍavas lost their kingdom. The other side, his cousins, offered them, that "All right, let us come to betting." So betting, the bid was they offered the kingdom. "Now, if you, if you," I mean to say, "defeated, if you are defeated, then you lose your kingdom." So they lost their kingdom.
In this way, when further development is done, then atha bhajana-kriyā, means the learning the process of devotional service. (break) ...gambling, no meat-eating. These are not wanted. In the beginning of life nobody smokes or nobody becomes intoxicated. It is learned by bad association. Similarly, it can be given up by good association. They are called anarthas. Anartha means unwanted bad habits. So when we are children, innocent, we have no bad habits, but as we grow and associate with bad company, we also acquire all these bad habits.
Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12), we are, by nature, we want blissfulness. But we do not know how to become actually happy and blissful. That is ignorance. In the material world, they also want to enjoy, everyone. They are thinking that this wine, woman, meat-eating, gambling, intoxication, these things will give me pleasure. So ātyantika-duḥkha-nivṛtti. The Bhāgavata says that ātyantika-duḥkha-nivṛtti, means ultimate solution of miserable condition, is in the fact that we realize God and we go back to home, back to Godhead.
So, the whole thing has topsy-turvied. Why? Because there is no good king. This is the cause. So the whole Battlefield of Kurukṣetra was arranged by Kṛṣṇa so that these irresponsible rogues, dressed as kings, should be all killed. That was the plan of Kṛṣṇa. Just like Duryodhana. Duryodhana, in the dress of a king, he was a rogue. He cheated the Pāṇḍavas by gambling. "You bet your wife, you bet your kingdom." In this way, they were devotees, simple, cheated them. So Kṛṣṇa wanted to see that these cheaters and rogues must be killed. That was His plan.
So, "All right, then you can remain in these four places." Striyaḥ sūnā pānaṁ dyūtaṁ yatra pāpaś catur-vidhaḥ. "Where illicit sex life, brothel, prostitute's house, you can remain there. Striyaḥ sūnā, slaughterhouse. Or unnecessarily where animals are killed, you can remain there." Striyaḥ sūnā pānam. "And intoxication. Where liquor house, you can remain there. And where there is gambling, you can remain there." So he could not find out a place where to remain. That means in those days these things were so much conspicuous by absence that is was difficult for the Kali to find out a place like that. But with the advancement of Kali, now Kali can find out his place anywhere, at any home, anyplace. These things are going on. This is the position.
That is "do not." But there is "do" also, that "If you want sex life, then get yourself married according to religious principle and get a wife and beget nice children." That is "do." And "No illicit sex," that is "do not." Side by side. "You do not take intoxicants"—that is "do not." But "You take Kṛṣṇa prasādam and be intoxicated with Kṛṣṇa's love"—that is "do." Similarly, "You do not indulge in gambling, but you indulge in gambling." What is that gambling? That gambling is "Dedicate your life to Kṛṣṇa and see the result." That is also gambling. That is also gambling, because everyone is engaged in his own business, but if he's advised, "You give up this business. You take to this Kṛṣṇa business," that is also gambling because he does not know what will happen.
The quality of goodness will (be) automatically there. Any person who is in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, his quality of goodness, namely, he does not indulge in illicit sex life, he does not smoke even or take tea or coffee even, he does not eat any forbidden foodstuff, neither he takes part in unnecessary gambling. So good character is immediately there. That is the test. How one is spiritually advanced will be tested how he has acquired all the good qualities. Not that a yogi talking with a cigarette in hand. There is a picture. (laughs) In our Back to Godhead somebody was talking with our representative. He cannot give up smoking even for a moment, chain smoker, and claiming, "I am God, I am spiritually advanced," (laughs) and so many nonsense thing.
So I do not wish to take very much time. I have got another engagement. My only submission is that you produce enough quantity of food grains. Don't waste your time by producing tobacco. Besides that, in the śāstra it is forbidden, striya sūnā pāna dyūta yatra pāpaś catur-vidhā (SB 1.17.38). Striya, avaidha, illicit sex, striya, sūnā, jīva ko hatya, killing the animals. Striya sūnā pāna... Pāna means smoking also. Drinking liquor and smoking. Dhūma pāna. This pāna is forbidden. Striya sūnā pāna dyūta, and dyūta means gambling. So these four things, they are considered as sinful activities.
Unless one is free from the sinful activities, he cannot be fully engaged in worshiping the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa. So these four principle of sinful activities, illicit sex, and animal-killing, and intoxication, including smoking and drinking tea, and gambling... Anyone who wants really benefit of life, human life, they must give up these four principles of sinful life.
So you have to become santa. If you remain always addicted to sinful activities, how you can see God? That is not possible. You have to give up these rascal, sinful activities. What are the sinful activities? Illicit sex, meat-eating, intoxication and gambling. That's all. You have to give up these. Yeṣām anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ janānāṁ puṇya-karmaṇām, te dvandva-moha-nirmuktāḥ. If you become leader, so-called leader, rascal leader, and you are addicted to illicit sex and intoxication and meat-eating, you must be si... If you are sinful, how you can lead persons? Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ (SB 7.5.31). Blind man is leading other blind men.
So God seeing is not very difficult, provided you are purified, you are pure. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is a purificatory process. Purificatory process. The first condition... We do not accept any rascal who is addicted to these four principles. We do not make cheap disciples. Our condition is first of all you must give up these things: illicit sex and meat-eating and intoxication, up to the drinking of tea and cigarette. You have to give up. And gambling. So these nice boys, they have given up. They were addicted to all these habits in their previous lives. But they have given up.
And jaghanya-guṇa-vṛtti-sthā adho gacchanti tāmasāḥ. Those who are tāmasāḥ, because they have got very abominable characters.... The abominable character is described in the śāstra, sinful life. Illicit sex, intoxication, meat-eating, and gambling. These are the four pillars of abominable life. Tamasi. The śāstra says, tamasi mā jyotir gamaya. So if we remain in this tamasi, then jaghanya-guṇa-vṛtti-sthā adho gacchanti tāmasāḥ. Adho gacchanti means lower planetary system or animal life , degraded life, abominable life, low grade life. We shall get.
Because Kṛṣṇa is the root. Kṛṣṇa... Bījo 'haṁ sarva-bhūtānām (Bg 7.10). Aham ādir hi devānām (Bg 10.2). Mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate, iti matvā bhajante māṁ budhā bhāva-samanvitāḥ (BG 10.8). So if you try to serve the root, water the root, automatically everything will be served. Just like this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is aiming at service. Aiming to serve Kṛṣṇa. That is the only aim. But automatically we are giving social service. Because as soon as one becomes Kṛṣṇa conscious, he gives up all kinds of intoxication, all kinds of illicit sex, all kinds of meat-eating, all kinds of gambling. Is it not social service? Best social service.
They have dedicated their life. They're doing everything for me. They could earn in their country thousands of dollars. Thousands of doll... Any man can earn any day twenty-five dollars minimum. And twenty-five dollars means two hundred and fifty rupees per day. So they can get so much money. Why they have sacrificed everything? They have sacrificed their money. They have sacrificed their intoxication habit. They have sacrificed their illicit sex life. They have sacrificed their gambling life. Why? Paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate. Because they have understood little trāyate mahato bhayāt.
So that Lord Rolandcey, he was very kind enough to become the president of that society my Godbrother organized in London. So Lord Rolandcey and that, my Godbrother, is talking. So Lord Rolandcey asked him, "Well, Swamiji, can you make me a brāhmaṇa?" "Yes, why not? Yes, why not? You can become a brāhmaṇa." "So what are the conditions?" My Godbrother said, "The preliminary four conditions." "What are these conditions?" "Now, striya-sūnā-pāna-dyūta yatra pāpaś catur-vidhāḥ: (SB 1.17.38) You cannot have any illicit connection with woman, you cannot have any intoxication habit, you cannot indulge in gambling or unnecessary sporting, and you cannot live on animal food." Lord Rolandcey replied, "It is impossible. It is impossible."
Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, karmaṇo hy api boddhavyaṁ boddhavyaṁ ca vikarmaṇaḥ. Vikarmaṇaḥ means forbidden work, "You should not do this." Just like we are forbidding our students, no illicit sex. This is forbidden. No intoxication. This is forbidden in the śāstra. Yatra pāpaś catur-vidhāḥ, four kinds of sinful activities. These are the basic pillars, four pillars of sinful activities: illicit sex life and intoxication, meat-eating and gambling. Striya-sūnā-pāna-dyūta yatra pāpaś catur-vidhāḥ (SB 1.17.38), the four kinds of sinful activities. So if we act sinfully, then we get a body which is result of sinful action.
Even ordinary students who are trying to make progress in spiritual life, they are not interested, āmiṣa-madya-sevā. They are not interested. This is practical. Even these European and American boys, they were accustomed to vyavāyāmiṣa-madya-sevā, keeping boyfriend, girlfriend, and drinking, and intoxication, and gambling, and meat-eating, everything. They were accustomed from the childhood. But they have given up. Pravṛttir eṣā bhūtānāṁ nivṛttis tu mahā-phalā. That is general tendency. The Vedic civilization tries to control.
Therefore common sense instruction given by Cāṇakya Paṇḍita, a great politician, tyaja durjana-saṁsargam. This is his first instruction, that "Don't associate with bad character." We are also doing that, that "Don't associate with the four principles of sinful life illicit sex, meat-eating, intoxication, and gambling. To tyaja durjana-saṁsargaṁ bhaja sādhu-samāgamam: "You associate with sādhus."
There is a, I mean to say, big list of vairāgya: "You cannot do this, you cannot do this, you cannot do this, you cannot do this..." And the whole list is summarized that "You cannot have any illicit connection with woman, you cannot eat any nonvegetarian dish, you cannot be addicted, any kind of intoxication, and you cannot take part in any kind of gambling." At least these four things... These four things include everything, all kinds of vairāgya. So we have to test how much we have been able to discard these things. Then vairāgya. Then I can control my mind. Controlling mind is not so easy thing that I go to the store and purchase something. No.
If you have got illicit connection with woman, oh, the mind will be always agitated. If we are intoxicated, oh, mind will be more agitated. If you don't take, I mean to say, foodstuff in the goodness, very strong and pungent and animal foodstuff, then our mind will be more agitated. And so far gambling is concerned, oh, sometimes we have to commit suicide. There are history of gambling clubs that when a person loses everything he commits suicide and he is thrown away. I have heard that in Europe there are many clubs. They go for gambling, and they lose everything, whatever, and they commit suicide. And the club proprietor throws him in the street. There is no law. I have heard. Of course, I do not know. You may know better than me.
The foolish person has no knowledge that "This boy is being trained up in higher science. Why he should be disturbed?" But they have no idea. Therefore imperfect. The intellectual persons, those who have got brahminical qualification... These boys are being restrained for being trained up as brāhmaṇa, brahmacārī. They don't take, I mean to say, meat-eating; they don't take part in intoxication; they don't take part in gambling; they don't take part in illicit sex life. So they are being trained as complete brāhmaṇa, the highest intellectual person, purified person in the society. If there is one brāhmaṇa in a family, or one society, the whole family, whole society becomes sanctified.
These things are there in the Bhagavad-gītā. One who is completely free from the resultant action of sinful activities, they can be engaged fully in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So these students are being trained how to become free from sinful activities. They are forbidden not to have illicit sex. These are four pillars of sinful activities: illicit sex life, meat-eating, intoxication and gambling. Yatra pāpaś catur-vidhā. These are exactly to the injunction of the Vedas. So if we purify ourself... In the Bhagavad-gītā, Arjuna appreciates Kṛṣṇa, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). How you can approach the pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān without being pavitra? So there is a process to appreciate whether Kṛṣṇa or God has form.
Just like they are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma... If you follow the bhajana-kriyā, then anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt. Anartha, unwanted things. Just like these four things of sinful activities—illicit sex and intoxication, gambling and meat-eating—these are anartha. Anartha means it is not necessary at all. It is not that without meat-eating, we cannot live. Thousands and thousands in India, eighty percent, they are strictly vegetarian. That does not mean they are dying. Here also, in Western countries, I have got thousands and thousands of disciples. They have given up all these things. That does not mean that they have become dead. No. It is anartha, unwanted. So if you take to bhajana-kriyā, then automatically this anartha also will disappear. Anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt.
These are the different stages. Initiation means that he must be free from all kinds of sinful activities. These four principles, the pillars of sinful activities, are four in number: illicit sex life, meat-eating, intoxication and gambling. Striya suna panabhi(?). So automatically they give. All these boys and girls who are sitting here, you know that they have given up automatically. They have been able, by association with Kṛṣṇa. It has become very practical and easy thing to give up all these four principles of sinful activities. Because without being pure, you cannot understand the Supreme Pure. God is the Supreme Pure. It is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, yeṣām anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ janānāṁ puṇya-karmaṇām.
This is our practical experience. They will submit, "Please let me be initiated." This is called bhajana-kriyā. Bhajana-kriyā means if he is serious about bhajana-kriyā, how to worship, then anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt. Anartha means we have learned so many nonsense things. They can be summarized in four items: illicit sex, intoxication, gambling, and meat-eating. So anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt. If you accept bhajana-kriyā, the activities of devotional service, then these things will be vanished. Then, when you are purified, as I have said, that sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam (CC Madhya 19.170), when he is free from all these material bad habits, he is mukta. He is liberated.
So this is the process of bhakti-yoga. You surrender and, in the past, whatever sinful activities you have done, that is squared up, now account closed. Now you begin a new life, devotional life, and if you stick to the principle as it is instructed, that do not have illicit sex life, do not have intoxicants, do not eat meat, do not play gambling, speculate, you promise before Kṛṣṇa and before the spiritual master, before the Vaiṣṇavas, so many witnesses, and if you violate, then you can understand what you are doing. You promise with..., before the Deity. Kṛṣṇa is not different, so when the initiation takes place we promise so many things.
That bhajana-kriyā, he is initiated, the activities begins officially. Then as he make advance in this bhajana-kriyā, or activities in devotional service, then anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt, then all the unwanted things—the so-called illicit sex life, meat-eating, drinking, gambling, even up to smoking and drinking tea—finished. Anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt. Then you become pure. When you are pure, then your attachment for Kṛṣṇa, athāsaktis. That is called āsaktiḥ, attachment. Then tato niṣṭhā, then firm faith; tato ruciḥ, taste; tataḥ saktiḥ, then attachment; tato bhāvaḥ: in this way you will come to the platform of loving Kṛṣṇa. Then your life is perfect. This verse explains that: how you can increase your devotional life, how you can become pefect, how you can know God perfectly, samagram; asaṁśayam, without any doubt. This is the process.
Therefore we recommend, who is joining Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, that "You should give up this habit: illicit sex, intoxication, gambling and meat-eating." These four things will keep me in the lower status of life, and it will not allow me to advance in spiritual understanding. Therefore these things should be given up. And chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, minimum sixteen rounds.
In this way you see practically, these European, American boys and girls, they are improving. They are not material attached. They do not go anywhere. They always keep in the temple and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, busy in Kṛṣṇa's service from morning three o'clock, early in the morning, up to ten o'clock. And they are also young men. They must have desires. But bhaktiḥ pareśānubhavo viraktir anyatra syāt (SB 11.2.42). Bhakti is so nice that now they hate any other engagement. This illicit sex, meat-eating, and intoxication and gambling, they hate.
So anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt. Then you become purified. Then you become... When anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt, when you are free from all these unwanted nonsense things—illicit sex, intoxication, gambling and meat-eating... This is anartha. Then you, being purified, then your faith in Kṛṣṇa becomes confirmed. Anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt. Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgo 'tha bhajana-kriyā anartha-nivṛttiḥ..., tato niṣṭhā (Cc. Madhya 23.14-15). Then you become firmly fixed up: "Yes, I shall continue, Kṛṣṇa." Niṣṭhā. How this niṣṭhā, artificial? No. Ruci, taste. You cannot do without Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Vikarma, akarma and vikarma. Vikarma means activities which are forbidden in the śāstra. Just like according to Vedic principles, at least a brāhmaṇa, a leader, a king should avoid these four principles of sinful activities. What is that? Meat-eating, illicit sex life, gambling and intoxication. At least, these four men, who is leading the public or who is a brāhmaṇa or who is a king, he must be very much cautious about... But just see what is the... Everyone, practically, they are addicted to these sinful activities. So therefore they are mad, pramattaḥ. Vikarma. These are forbidden in the śāstras, and they are doing that. Why? Because they are mad.
Similarly, when there is allowance for sex life or meat-eating or drinking in the śāstras, they are not meant for instigating that "You go on with this business as much as you can." No. Actually they are meant for restriction. Therefore, for spiritual advancement of life, one has to know these basic knowledge, how we have to lead our life in order to make advancement in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We have therefore these restrictions, that nobody can have illicit sex life; nobody can eat meat and fish or eggs, like that; nobody can touch any kinds of intoxication, including smoking cigarettes and drinking tea—they are also intoxicants; and nobody can indulge in gambling. So these things are necessary.
So by indulging in sinful life it is not possible to understand Kṛṣṇa. That is, Kṛṣṇa also says in various places in the Bhagavad-gītā. I have repeatedly informed you, yeṣām anta-gataṁ pāpam. One who is completely free from all sinful life... Janānāṁ puṇya-karmaṇām. This is puṇya-karma, not to indulge in illicit sex life, not to indulge in nonvegetarian diet, not to indulge in gambling, and not to indulge in intoxicants. So catur-vidhā bhajante māṁ sukṛtino 'rjuna ārto arthārthī jñānī jijñāsuḥ. Four kinds of men who are actually leading pious life, such persons... (applause) Hare Kṛṣṇa. Such persons, when they are distressed... Ārta means distressed.
And these are the four principles of sinful activities: illicit sex-life, intoxication, meat-eating and gambling. These are the four pillars of sinful activities. Why at the present moment people have become so godless? Even big, big swamis and yogis, all godless. Why? Because they are engaged in sinful activities. Kṛṣṇa, God, cannot be understood by sinful men. That is not possible. But Kṛṣṇa is so kind, if one takes shelter of Kṛṣṇa, immediately he becomes free from all sinful activities. Sins are there. A person in sinful activities cannot understand Kṛṣṇa. But if anyone voluntarily surrenders himself to Kṛṣṇa, he immediately become free from all reaction of sinful activity. Now it is up to me to make my choice.
So in India especially—not only India; everywhere—we have been especially encouraged to go on with these sinful activities. They do not like. In the American countries we see, while passing on the street, two sides of the road they're hoarding, advertising these things, either wine or cigarette or gambling or this or that, or some sinful activity. So our first propaganda is to not only give one Kṛṣṇa consciousness, but also to stop this sinful activity. Just like when you are treated by physician, he gives you some medicine and also ask you some restriction: "Do not do this," "Do not eat this, eat this."
Kṛṣṇa does not require your dress or coat. If you offer nicest food to Kṛṣṇa, it comes to you. Anyone can do. What we are doing in this temple, everyone can do at home. Where is the difficulty? No. They'll be engaged in sinful activities, these intoxication, meat-eating, gambling and this thing, that thing. They'll not accept. That is the difficulty. Otherwise, anyone who accepts this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, his life is successful. Very simple. Su-sukhaṁ kartum. To execute this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is very pleasing. And pratyakṣāvagamaṁ, and you'll understand directly how we are advancing. So where is the difficulty? The difficulty is dog obstinacy.
We wanted to imitate Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is the supreme enjoyer, so when we become envious of Kṛṣṇa, tān ahaṁ dviṣataḥ krurān (BG 16.19), the demons are envious. They want to become Kṛṣṇa. Therefore, you will find so many demons. They will say, "Why Kṛṣṇa is alone God? I am God, you are God, all of us, we are God." So they are demons. So demons cannot be allowed in the spiritual world. They are sent in this material world.
Just like in some places I've heard in Europe there are many places, where the gamblers and the drunkards, without any license, they can go on with their business. Is there any place like that? Huh?
So their time is now athāto brahma jijñāsā. Therefore from India, any rascal comes as yogi and sādhu and avatāra—they go. They are hankering after. We see practically this younger generation. They ask me sometimes that "Why so many younger, younger generation come to you?" Yes, they are frustrated. They are no more interested to live like their fathers and grandfathers. That is become... That has become hackneyed. The same things, same gambling, same meat-eating, same woman-huntering, and same intoxication—that has finished.
Even by common sense we can understand. It requires little cool brain. But that cool brain cannot act without giving us, giving up these four things, namely illicit sex, meat-eating, intoxication, and gambling. If your brain is congested always with all these four rubbish things, you cannot think of higher, finer things. That is not possible. Therefore we restrict, to make the brain clear to understand about Kṛṣṇa.
Just like money. Money you can utilize for duṣkṛtina and for sukṛtina. You can utilize your money for drinking wine, illicit sex, meat-eating and gambling. And you can utilize your money for Kṛṣṇa's service, for offering yajñas, for constructing temple, sacrifices, push on the saṅkīrtana movement, Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. So money is not good or bad. As you utilize it... Similarly, merit, merit also, there. You have got already merit better than the animals, but you have to utilize it for proper service. That is called Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Consciousness we have got, merit we have got. Simply we have to utilize.
At the initiation time we ask that "You don't touch all these things." Yes. That's all. See practically. Especially in the Western countries they are habituated to all these things, meat-eating, illicit sex, intoxication, gambling. How they give it up? Association. We are opening so many branches all over the world to give opportunity of association. It is not a business firm. Just to give spiritual association, chance. Why you are going the street saṅkīrtana? We are giving chance: "Come here, be saved." It is not business.
So it is very difficult. Therefore the pravṛtti-nirvṛtti, the Vedic rules have been formulated in such a way that if a man has got pravṛtti for meat-eating or drinking or for sex-life or gambling... So we know that gambling is allowed on the kālī-pūjā day. We know. Especially northern Indian people, mercantile people, they take it, advantage, gambling. And sex life is allowed married life. That is gradually nivṛtti, married life; otherwise they will become upstarts. The society will be lost. And meat-eating allowed also: "All right. Just offer a goat before Kali and take that." Not purchase from the market or slaughterhouse.
That Kṛṣṇa advised. Simply avyabhicāreṇa, pure devotional service. If you engage yourself in pure devotional service to Kṛṣṇa, then sa guṇān samatītyaitān brahma-bhūyāya kal... (BG 14.26), immediately you become elevated to the position of brahma. These things are described very nicely, explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. Our only propaganda is that you try to avoid these four principles of sinful life: illicit sex, meat-eating, gambling and intoxication. And chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and read Bhagavad-gītā—your life is successful.
Just like these European, American, boys. before coming to my shelter, they were doing everything. We prohibit illicit sex. We prohibit intoxication. We prohibit meat-eating. We prohibit gambling. So these boys and girls were accustomed to all these habits, pravṛtti. But they have now changed their pravṛtti because they want to become sura. They want to achieve the ultimate goal of life. One may not know what mode of life we should accept. One may not know what mode of life we should reject, but in the śāstra, in the teachings of great men, learned scholars, things are there.
And meat-eating. Meat-eating. Meats, fish, egg, everything. Āmiṣa. Āmiṣa-bhoja. Meat-eating. And intoxication. All kinds of intoxication. Not only liquor or LSD, but also tea, coffee, cigarette, everything. Illicit sex life, meat-eating, and intoxicant and gambling. These are the four pillars of sinful life. So we are advocating: "Please give up these four principles of sinful life and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, at least sixteen rounds." You become situated in the transcendental position, and you can understand what is Kṛṣṇa and what is Bhagavad-gītā. Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa.
Just like we are simply asking people, requesting people: "Kindly give up these four principles." What is that? Illicit sex and meat-eating and intoxication and gambling. Oh, it is very difficult. People find it very difficult. Even a person like Lord Zetland. He was proposed that... He, he inquired... One of my Godbrothers went to London, and he was talking with Lord Zetland, Marquis of Zetland. So Marquis of Zetland inquired, "Well, Swamiji, can you make me a brāhmaṇa?" "Yes, we can make you brāhmaṇa." "How?" "Now, you just give up illicit sex, meat-eating, intoxication and gambling." "Ohhh, it is impossible. This is our life. This is our life, to have boyfriend and girlfriend and drinking and meat-eating and gambling. If we give up all this, then where is our life?"
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
For example, another example can be given: just like the drunkard. The drunkards are given concession. There are liquor shops. The government gives some license to a person, that "You can sell liquor to the drunkards." But this liquor is not available in every shop. There is a particular shop. One has to purchase liquor from that particular shop. That means government is discouraging, but one who is obstinate, to give him some facility, this particular shop is established. Similarly, when there is allowance for sex life or drinking or meat-eating or even gambling, that is not encouraging; that is minimizing the tendency under discipline.
And if he is properly initiated and if he executes the order of the spiritual master, regulative principles, then anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt. Then things which are not wanted in our life, that becomes vanquished. Just like nobody will die without sex life. Nobody will die without meat-eating. Nobody will die without intoxication. Nobody will die without playing gambling. These are learned by association only. By bad association we learn how to drink, how to smoke. Similarly, by good association we can give up drinking and smoking. So this is called anartha. Anartha means which there is no gain, simply loss. Practically we can see. So a man who has learned to smoke, he's spending one pound or like that daily for smoking. At least we save that money. We don't smoke. So anartha. There is no necessity, still we have learned.
Or in the village, not in the village, in the forest. Therefore formerly all the sages and saintly persons they used to live in the forest. That is goodness. And if you live in the city that is association with passion. And in the city if you live in the brothel, the liquor shop, gambling, that is association with ignorance. Three kinds. But if you live in the temple, that is transcendence, that is Vaikuṇṭha. So in this way we have to detach ourselves from the association of the three guṇas. Kṛṣṇa advised Arjuna, traiguṇya-viṣayā vedā nistraiguṇyo bhavārjuna. "My dear Arjuna, just become transcendental to the three guṇas."
The kṣatriya means they are especially the... Yuddhe cāpy apalāyanam. A kṣatriya is never afraid of fighting; neither, if somebody challenges, "I would fight with you, I want to fight with you," the kṣatriya will never deny. If somebody comes forward to a kṣatriya, that "I want to play chess or gamble..." Gambling was allowed to the kṣatriyas. It is by gambling all the Pāṇḍavas, they lost everything. The Kauravas, his brother, they made a trick to challenge—because a kṣatriya cannot deny—that "We want to play games with you and betting." So they betted their kingdom, their wife, and their everything.
This is yama and niyama, that you don't have illicit sex life, don't eat meat, don't take intoxication, don't engage yourself in gambling, and observe ekādaśī fasting, janmaṣṭamī, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. So our method is very simple. Everyone can follow.
And guru means who is following sādhu and śāstra. The guru does not follow sādhu and śāstra, who does not follow Rūpa Gosvāmī, does not follow shastric injunction... Shastric injunction is that if one wants to become leader, if one is the spiritual leader or political leader or brāhmaṇa, he must give up four principles of sinful life: illicit sex life, intoxication, gambling and meat-eating, fish-eating. He must give up. This is called sādhu-mārgānugamanam. If you don't follow these principles, then how you are following sādhu? If you are intoxicated, if you are fond of smoking, drinking, gāñjā, biḍi, wine, even chewing pān... Pān is also intoxication. Drinking tea. These are all intoxication. So if you are addicted to these habits, how you can be sādhu? Sādhu-mārgānugamanam.
By bad association one becomes a smoker, one becomes a drunkard, one becomes a meat-eater, one becomes a gambler. These are anarthas. So everyone in this age, everyone is associated with these anarthas. But if he takes to kṛṣṇa-bhajana, bhajana-kriyā, then anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt. Practically you can see. These boys and girls, they are no more meat-eaters, they are no more taking any intoxicants, they are no more gambler. No more illicit sex hunters. No. Everything stopped. This is our prin... This is called mukti. This is called mukti. As soon as you get rid of these bad sinful activities, you are mukta. That is called mukti.
This is the result of bhajana-kriyā. Anartha. Anartha. Just like these things, as we prohibit—illicit sex, intoxication, meat-eating and gambling—these are anarthas. They are not required actually. But people are habituated to these things on account of bad association. So if you associate with a really sādhu, if you execute really devotional service, these anarthas will be vanquished. That is the symptom. No more illicit sex. No more intoxication. No more gambling. No more meat-eating, fish-eating, egg-eating. No. That is called anartha.
So these are the processes. So Bhāgavata recommends, tat śraddhā, śraddadhānā munayo jñāna-vairāgya-yuktayā (SB 1.2.12). There must be sufficient knowledge. Otherwise this kind of vairāgya has no meaning. I have, I've taken renounced order of life, but I've, privately I've got all these nonsense, illicit sex, intoxication, gambling—that is not required. Real knowledge means there must be renouncement of this nonsense. That is real knowledge. Jñāna-vairāgya-yuktayā munayaḥ paśyanty ātma... For him, it is not difficult to find out where is God. He can immediately find out God sitting within his heart. Immediately.
That, we have got very practical experience, that even one cannot give up drinking tea. It is very difficult. Nobody can give up drinking tea. Nobody can give up smoking. And what to speak of meat-eating and gambling and illicit sex. But Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so nice that even children, boys, young boys and girls, they give up very easily, simply coming to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So this is a fact: chindanti kovidās tasya, simply by hearing about Kṛṣṇa, simply chanting about Kṛṣṇa... There is no other medicine. There is no other magic or mystic power. So they are giving up. If we take sincerely Kṛṣṇa consciousness, all these things, entanglements, will immediately be vanquished. That's a fact.
Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He delivered Jagāi-Mādhāi. They were all this: addicted to illicit sex, meat-eating, drinking and intoxication, gambling. That was their business. So Nityānanda Prabhu went to deliver them, that "First of all, these rascals should be delivered." Therefore He went there. They were very angry. They hurt Him by throwing one stone on His forehead, and blood came out. Still, Nityānanda Prabhu said, "All right, I don't mind. Please chant Hare Kṛṣṇa." This is preaching, Nityānanda.
This is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. So those who are sinful, they cannot understand what is God. Therefore the whole world is godless. They are so sinful, their life, their civilization, has been made so much sinful, the four principles of sinful: illicit sex, intoxication, meat-eating, and gambling. The whole world is full of these four business. Therefore they are all sinful. He may dress like a very nice gentleman, but he's a sinful man. So he cannot understand. Therefore it is very difficult to convince these rascals about God. They say, "I am, everyone is God, I am God, you are God, God is dead." They are so dull. You see? Therefore our business is to cleanse their heart.
They have given up, on account of their attachment to Kṛṣṇa, they have given up all their nonsense, or abhadrāṇi. Abhadrāṇi. Abhadrāṇi. This, the principle abhadrāṇi means illicit sex, intoxication, meat-eating, and gambling. These are the four pillars of abhadrāṇi. So by Kṛṣṇa consciousness, Kṛṣṇa helps. Śṛṇvatām... When Kṛṣṇa sees that "This man, this living entity's now sincere to hear about Me," He helps. Hṛdi... Because He's there. You haven't got to find out somewhere else. You haven't got to go to Himalaya to find Him. He's here. Hṛdy antaḥ-stho hi. So He's also within. And my all dirty things are also within.
Immediately they have given up the cinema bill, the club bill, the intoxication bill, the gambling bill, and so many bills. And medical bill also. We don't pay very much medical bill. That's a fact. So actually Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is so nice that if one takes to it, immediately he reduces so many rascal anarthas which is not required. Does a man die without smoking? It is anartha, un..., unnecessary. They are habituated by bad association. Saṅgāt sañjāyate kāmaḥ kāmāt krodho 'bhijāyate. By bad association, they learn how to smoke, how to gamble, how to eat... Just like, in India, so-called gentlemen, they go to hotel to taste meat, cow's flesh, how it is tasting. I know, personally, some friends.
If one is actually advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then these two symptoms will be visible in his character: no more lusty, no more greediness. He should be satisfied with one wife or one husband. Why hankering after others? That is lusty. That means it is not on the stage of Kṛṣṇa consciousness; it is in the material platform. These are the test. Therefore we advise our students, "Voluntarily, you try or you become free from these things: illicit sex, intoxication, meat-eating, and gambling." Because indulging in these four things, you'll remain in darkness.
So we have to give up the association of rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa. Then there is question of progress. Otherwise it is simply a bluff. Therefore in our society we say, "Don't associate... Don't be infected by these rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa." This meat-eating and illicit sex life and drinking and gambling, they are rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. Kāma-lobha. You see? There is a big fairground. Gambling, tamo-guṇa. They are going there. Thousands and thousands of people are going there for gambling. This is tamo-guṇa. Why? Lobha: "I must get more money. I must get more money." Lobha, kāma. Kāma-lobhādayaḥ. So we have to get out of all this entanglement. Then there is spiritual life. Otherwise don't talk of spiritual life.
So manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye. This is the platform of siddhi. But nobody is interested to become a brāhmaṇa, qualified. Everyone wants to become a śūdra. Kalau śūdraḥ sambhavaḥ. Especially in this age nobody is interested. Just like we are asking people to take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness and give up the habit of illicit sex life and intoxication and gambling and meat-eating, and people laugh, that "What is this? This is the life. If we give up these things..." Especially in the Western countries, they think it is denying the primary necessities of life. They say.
If you remain in ignorance and passion, you cannot see, you cannot know. You can go on with your so-called rascaldom talks about God, but it is not possible. You cannot understand God, or Absolute Truth, by eating meat, drinking and having illicit sex and gambling. No, that is not possible. Then you'll have to remain in the darkness for good, and next life you'll again become cats and dogs, that's all. Because you are given the opportunity to come to the light, but if you neglect it, if you think that natural life, animal life, to become naked and do all nonsense, then "All right. You, next life you become a tree, naked. Stand up naked for ten thousands of years." You want to be naked? That's all right.
So sinful civilization. Therefore our first restriction is no meat-eating. It is a most sinful act. Meat-eating, or intoxication, drinking, gambling, and illicit sex. These are the four pillars of sinful life. So unless you stop, you break these four pillars, how you can think of God? God is not so cheap. The rascal says, "You can do whatever you like. I give you... I push your eyes and you see God. You push your nose, you see God." You see? These nonsense things are going on. But God is not so cheap. He is cheap, very cheap. He is very kind. But we want to remain sinful. Therefore we cannot see God.
During the time of Mahārāja Parīkṣit, the Kali-yuga could not enter. He was so strong king. Kali-yuga means these four principles: illicit sex, intoxication, gambling, and meat-eating. This is Kali-yuga. Before the beginning of Kali-yuga, there was no such thing in the world, all over the world. With the beginning of the Kali-yuga, these things have begun: illicit sex, intoxication... Now it is so spread that every home, every house, every country, is full of these four principles of sinful life.
You know the story. Their life was sinful. What is that sinful? That illicit sex, intoxication, meat-eating, and gambling. This Jagāi-Mādhāi. They were born in nice brāhmaṇa family, but due to bad association, they became drunkard, prostitute hunters, gambler, and meat-eater. So they were simply creating disturbance. So these people will create disturbance. The whole world is disturbed. Why? Because it is full of these sinful men: drunkards, woman hunters, gamblers, and intoxicants. The whole world. And they are expecting peace. Nonsense. Where is peace? First of all educate them to become sinless. Then you talk of peace. There cannot be peace.
For example, we can give, now how this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is disinfectant, that those who have seriously taken to it, they immediately stop the sinful infections, the four principles, regulative principles, illicit sex life, intoxication, gambling and meat-eating. How disinfectant it is. These four principles increases sinful activities. All other sinful activities will come one after another, one after another. Stealing, then cheating, then... So many other things will come if we follow these four principles. And if we stop these four principles, then the switch is off of committing further sinful activities. You must know that. It is... And how it can be maintained? By this disinfectant method, chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. Otherwise, it will not, simply by theoretical knowledge will not do.
At his command everything was there. If, if a man is rich, three things, four things will be at his command: wine, woman, gold and gambling. It is called. Yes. So therefore these are the places, I mean to say, allotted to Kali by Parīkṣit Mahārāja. Therefore a persons who is desirous of advancing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he should take care. So this Yāmunācārya later on became a great devotee. So he has got... He happened to be the spiritual master of Rāmānujācārya.
We are giving thread ceremony to our disciples to recognize him that he has got the brahminical qualifications. He has given up this meat-eating, illicit sex life, gambling and intoxication. He is chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. He is being purified gradually. He's trying to understand Kṛṣṇa. Therefore he's always pure. This is the recognition. This thread ceremony is recognition. But if we simply make it a show, that "Now I have got thread. I have become liberated. I may not do anything," and then again I fall down... The same principle is always going on, māyā and Kṛṣṇa.
So if we acquire these qualities... Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ (Brs. 1.2.234). The main basic principle is śuśrūṣamāṇe, śuśrūṣa, service. So service is very important thing. So śuśrūṣamāṇe munayo 'lpa-bhāṣiṇi, very grave. One should be very grave and refrain from unnecessary engagement. These things are possible when we detach ourself from the so-called material engagements. That is illicit sex, meat-eating, and intoxication, and gambling. These are unnecessary things. There is no need of these things, but we are accustomed. We have become accustomed to, on account of bad association. So we should refrain from all these things. This is called dānte.
In your country, America, there is immense economic development, but you could not get any happiness. That is not possible. Happiness will be possible when, first of all, you are situated in the brahminical position, sattva-guṇa, and to come to that brahminical position, you have to give up the activities of rajas-tamo-guṇa. The rajas-tamo-guṇa is that illicit sex, meat-eating, intoxication and gambling. That's all. So if you voluntarily give up, and be situated in the sattva-guṇa, then you'll be happy. Evaṁ prasanna-manasaḥ.
So you cannot become kṛṣṇa-bhakta and indulge at the same time in sinful activities. Then it will be spoiled. You must be very careful. We have selected, summarized the essence of sinful activities is illicit sex, meat-eating, intoxication, and gambling. This is the essence. If you save yourself from these four principles, then you become sinless. And unless you become sinless, there is no question of kṛṣṇa-bhakta. Rest assured.
There are four-legged beasts and two-legged beasts. Four-legged beasts are the animals—cats, dogs, tigers, etc. Cows, asses. They are four-legged beasts. And there are two-legged beasts, dvi-pāda-paśu. It is not manufactured; it is there in the śāstra. Dvi-pāda-paśu. Dvi means two, and pāda means legged. So any human being who is attached to this pravṛtti-mārga-sex, meat-eating, intoxication, gambling—he is dvi-pāda-paśu, two-legged animals. This is pravṛtti-mārga.
Therefore we shall be very, very careful about impious activities. Impious activities, we know the four legs of impious activities: illicit sex, intoxication, meat-eating, and gambling. So therefore we should be very, very careful about these impious activities. You cannot make any spiritual progress by simultaneously acting impiously and at the same time... It may... Not it may—it is sure it will go. But it will go very slow. Just like if you have got dry wood, then the fire ignites very easily. And if you bring wet fuel, it takes time. Of course, as soon as there is fire, the wetness of the fuel will dry. But it will require extra energy. And if you put dry fuel, then it ignites very easily. So in order to keep us dry without being wetted by the impious activities, then spiritual progress will be very quick. We should remember that.
Similarly, Draupadī. Draupadī also went with the Pāṇḍavas in the forest when they were banished, and Kuntī-devī also went with her sons in the forest. This is the system. Kuntī-devī had nothing to do with the gambling of Pāṇḍavas and Duryodhana, but because the sons were to go to the forest, the mother also followed and the wife also followed. This is Vedic system. Vedic system... Caitanya Mahāprabhu also had very nice beautiful wife at home and very affectionate mother. Both personalities are very good asset in family.
The sinful activities, the four pillars of sinful life, are illicit sex life, meat-eating, intoxication and gambling. So our students are advised..., not advised, they must follow; otherwise they will fall down. Because a sinful man cannot understand God. One side we should practice the regulative principles and the devotional process, another side we should avoid sinful activities. Then Kṛṣṇa is present, nd you can talk with Kṛṣṇa, we can be with Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is so kind. Just like Kuntī is talking with Kṛṣṇa as her nephew, similarly you can talk with Kṛṣṇa as your son, as your husband, as your lover, as your friend, as your master, as you like.
Therefore it is our request to everyone: Please do not commit these four kinds of sinful activities—illicit sex, meat-eating, gambling and intoxication. This is the preliminary qualification to understand God. Especially one must not kill animals. The Bible also.Therefore it is said, "Thou shalt not kill. You rascal, if you want to understand what is God, you must stop this killing art. Thou shalt not kill." But these rascals will not understand. This is the mis..., misfortune. And therefore God is always covered to their eyes. Kuntī Devī therefore said, māyā-javanikācchannam. Māyā-javanikācchannam ajñā. Ajñā means rascal, who has no knowledge, dull, dull-headed, mūḍhāḥ, ass. These words are used in the śāstra.
He does not know "Why I have got this first class body, human body, civilized body? What is my business?" Not for eating meat, and gambling, and intoxication. It is for self-realization, to understand what I am, what is God, what is my relationship with God, and what is the aim of my life. It is meant for that. But they donot know, and because they do not know, asses, mūḍhas Kṛṣṇa says, na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ they will not accept the existence of God, although God is inside and outside. This is the description of the mūḍhāḥ.
So Karṇa had attraction for Draupadī, and he remembered the insult also, that "Draupadī has insulted me, not to allow to take part in the contest." Now that old grudge, he wanted to fulfill. When Draupadī was lost in the gambling, so this Duryodhana and others, they are... They were very friendly to Karṇa. So he advised, "Now this woman is lost. We can use her as we like." So they decided, "Yes, why not? So make her naked in this assembly." So it was decided that they would see this woman naked, naked beauty. Therefore, asat-sabhāyāḥ. This assembly was not of gentlemen.
But at the present moment, in the Kali-yuga, dharma is practically nil. So according to Vedic calculation, the present human civilization, they are not even human being. Because there is no dharma. There is no religion. No morality. No pious activities. Do not care. Everyone can do anything without caring. Formerly there was morality, immorality, irreligious, religious. But with the progress of Kali-yuga, everything is being vanquished. It is stated in the Kali-yuga about eighty per cent people, they are sinful, all sinful. And we can practically see. The sinful list we have given, the four principles, illicit sex life, intoxication, meat-eating and gambling. These are the four pillars of sinful life.
Mūḍha. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ (BG 7.15). Simply rascal. They cannot be given any other title except this one title, mūḍhāḥ. Why they remain mūḍhāḥ? Why are they are not intelligent? They are being educated in the universities, getting so many degrees. Still, they remain mūḍhāḥ. Why? Duṣkṛtinaḥ, sinful, engaged in sinful activities, these sinful activities. Yatra pāpaś catur-vidhā. Every one of them, all these rascals, are... They're engaged in four kinds of sinful activities. They'll search after illicit sex, they will eat meat, and they will drink and they will play gambling. Just one after a... You just study. They cannot understand God because they are mūḍhāḥ.
Sūnā means violence. So we prohibit these four kinds of sinful life: killing of animals and illicit sex... Striya, sūnā, and... Pañca-sūnā. Yes... Striya-sūnā-pāna. Pāna means intoxicants, and dyūta means gambling. So these are four kinds of sinful activities. So out of that, sūnā is one. That is also divided in many divisions, at least five. Willingly, we are not going to kill anybody, but unwillingly... Therefore there is pañca-sūnā-yajña. You have to perform yajña every day to counteract the sinful reaction of your imperceptible killings of animals. That's it. This is Vedic life.
So restriction is required. Why? It is because it is bad. Nobody restricts that "You don't manufacture cāpāṭi." No. Because it is not bad thing. There is no such law, that "You don't manufacture nice foodstuff." No. That is very good. But when it is bad, then there is restriction. Therefore there is restriction of sex life, there is restriction of drinking wine, there is restriction of meat-eating, and there is restriction of gambling. Because these things are bad. You cannot become good by indulging in bad things. That is not possible. The same thing. Just like you cannot clear muddy water by putting another mud. That is not possible.
Meat-eating is there. That is for the lower class, not for the higher class. If anyone gives up meat-eating or the bad habits of lower class, illicit sex, meat-eating, intoxication, gambling, and if he's trained how to become a qualified brāhmaṇa, then he can be accepted. That is sanctioned in the Bhagavad-gītā. These rascals, they say that these mlecchas and yavanas cannot become brāhmaṇa. Because we are making brāhmaṇas from the mlecchas' and yavanas' section, they are protesting. Some of them are protesting that "Swami Bhaktivedanta is ruining Hindu religion."
So why you want to drive me away? You give me some place where I shall go if you don't like me." Then he gave him place: yatra pāpaś catur-vidhā, striyaḥ sūnāḥ pāna dyūta yatra pāpaś... "Where there are four principles of sinful activities, namely, illicit sex, intoxication, meat-eating and gambling, you can go there." So Kali could not find a single place where these things are going on. That is the during the reign of Mahārāja Parīkṣit. So he became very much distressed. Therefore, under his plan, he also wanted to drive away Mahārāja Parīkṣit so that he can advance his activities, Kali's activities.
He was going to kill Kali because he was trying to kill a cow in the kingdom of Mahārāja Parīkṣit. So he surrendered, "Sir, I am also your subject. This is my business, to act sinfully. So you give me protection. Because you are king, you have to give protection to everyone." So, of course king has to give. So King Parīkṣit Mahārāja said that "You have to go out." But he said that "Where is your kingdom? Where is that place where there is no kingdom, where is no supremacy of your majesty? Where shall I go?" So he gave him these four places: illicit sex and intoxication and meat-eating and gambling. "Where these four things are going on, you go there." That is the place of Kali.
And if you keep yourself in the association of the modes of ignorance, or foolishness, then you go down. Jaghanya-guṇa-vṛtti-sthā adho gacchanti tāmasāḥ (BG 14.18). Jaghanya-guṇa. Tāmasika means abominable character. The abominable character means these four things: illicit sex, intoxication, meat-eating and gambling. This is tamo-guṇa, exhibition of tamo-guṇa. So, if you continue to keep yourself in the association of the modes of ignorance, then you are going to become adhaḥ. Adhaḥ means down. Down means there are many other planetary system. Just like upper there are bhūr bhuvaḥ svaḥ, Jana, Mahar, like that, and down also: Tala, Atala, Vitala, Talātala, Pātāla, like that. There is system.
Therefore we say, "Stop these four pillars of sinful life: illicit sex, intoxication, meat-eating and gambling." These are the four pillars of sinful life. If you accept these four pillars, then your route, sinful life is very strong. Break this, from the very beginning. There will be no more sinful life. If you simply stop, where is the difficulty? If you do not smoke or do not drink, will you die? We have got so many devotees, they do not smoke, they do not drink. Are they dying? They do not play any gambling. Are they dying? They do not take meat. Are they dying? They do not illicit sex. Are they dying? It is artificial. Māyā's... Artificial. Just like so many cigarette package are advertised, although there is written on the, what is that?
Which friend helps me to keep me in this perpetual ignorance? These are illicit sex, intoxication, meat-eating and gambling, these four friends. You associate with these four friends, you will be very easily advancing under the influence of Kali-yuga. This is the fact. Kalinādharmeṇa. So formerly the kings, the government men... King means the supreme executive head of government. They could understand that "These things are now coming." Dṛṣṭvā, "seeing practically." Because as soon as people are addicted to these four principles—illicit sex, meat-eating, intoxication and gambling—when everyone can see, that means Kali-yuga. Dṛṣṭvā.
The proprietor of the body. So that is to be understood. So how it can be understood? Vidhūta-kalmaṣāḥ. Those who are washed off of the sinful act... Therefore we prescribe that "Don't be associated with sinful activities." What is that? Illicit sex, meat-eating, intoxication and gambling. One who is washed off of these, vidhūta-kalmaṣā sthānam, that sthānam, that place, is virajena ātmanaiva vidhūta-kalmaṣāḥ... Those who are washed of... Otherwise it is not possible. If you think that "I shall do this and do that," then do this, not that. That is finished. You go on doing this life after life, and remain in this material world. That is the point.
This is possible by Draupadī, not by others. So although she had five husbands, the Pāṇḍavas—Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, Bhīma, Arjuna, Nakula, Sahadeva—but at the time of retirement, they did not care what will happen to their wife. The same husbands, when they saw that their wife was insulted in the assembly of the Kurus... Draupadī was insulted because they lost Draupadī in gambling. Just see. Gambling is so dangerous. The bet was the wife. The Pāṇḍavas and the Kurus were playing on chess. And they lost their kingdom, they lost their wife, then they were ordered to be banished for twelve years and one year incognito.
So the kṣatriyas were very chivalrous. In every action there is fight. And this gambling was allowed for the kṣatriyas. If the opposite party challenges, "I want to play with you gambling," "Yes." The kṣatriya cannot deny. If somebody, opposite party comes, "I want to fight with you," "Yes, come on." Just like Jarāsandha. Jarāsandha was requested by Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna and Bhīma that "We have come to you to fight with you. Any one of us, you can select, and that is our request." Jarāsandha, he immediately accepted, "Yes." So he rejected Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna. He said, "Kṛṣṇa is a coward. I do not wish to fight. And Arjuna, Arjuna is less strong then me, so I don't wish to fight with him. Now, the only combatant is Bhīma. So I shall fight with him."
So she was only woman. So by the order of Kuntī, although Arjuna achieved the hand of Draupadī, by the order of mother, she was divided amongst the five brothers. Therefore patīnām. Patīnām. And when she was insulted, because she was lost in the gambling... Bet was that "This time if you lose, then your Draupadī should be lost." So she was lost in that way.
So Karṇa was refused to take part in the sporting, piercing the eyes of the fish, because Draupadī actually knew that "Arjuna is my real husband. So if Karṇa takes part in this sporting..." Karṇa was powerful. He would gain. But she did not like Karṇa. Therefore at that time she said that "This sporting is meant for the kṣatriyas, not for the śūdras." Karṇa was known at that time as śūdra. You will find all these stories in the Mahābhārata. Karṇa was also Yudhiṣṭhira's brother, born of Kuntī before her marriage. So Kuntī did not disclose that Karṇa was her son, but he was raised by a śūdra. People knew that he was a śūdra. So Karṇa had a grudge against Draupadī. Therefore he planned to place her in the gambling game.
The Kali begins with this animal killing. That is Kali-yuga. Meat-eating. Therefore, to avoid the influence of Kali we have to give up this habit. The four things are Kali's disciple, friends. We have already discussed this. So one friend is this meat-eating problem, the butchers, Kali's friends. And the liquor distiller, he's also Kali's friend. And the gamblers or the gambling house maintainer. And prostitute house maintainer. These are friends of Kali. Now you will find all over the world these things are very prominent-clubs and butcherhouse and liquor house and gambling house. Therefore the whole atmosphere is Kali.
So he became too much inclined to the prostitute, and he became a drunkard, he became a thief, he became a gambler, meat-eater, and debauch. All these qualifications he acquired, by the association of one prostitute. And in this age our only business is to mix with prostitute. Just see our position. How much fallen they should be. There is open market for prostitution. This is modern civilization. By the association of one prostitute... Ajāmila was a brāhmaṇa's son, very regulated, following all the rules and regulation. But as soon as he associated with a prostitute, he became fallen down. So this man remembered Nārāyaṇa.
So Mahārāja Parīkṣit, when he saw that the principles of Kali-yuga, meaning adulteration, prostitution, animal-killing, drinking, intoxication, gambling, these things are coming gradually... Because the age Kali-yuga, this is Kali-yuga. Just like before winter there is some wind, very cold. One can understand, "Now winter is approaching." So of course, you cannot stop winter, but you be careful so that you may not catch cold, coughing. You dress yourself nicely, have warm cloth. It is no use fighting with the seasonal changes. That is not possible. Just like it is raining. It is no use to fight with the cloud and rain, stop it. That is not possible. But you can take raincoat, umbrella, so that you may not be affected. That is your business. So Kali-yuga has entered. Kali-yuga has entered all over the world. Not now. Five thousand years ago, during the time of Mahārāja Parīkṣit. Gradually, people are degrading, only on these principles: illicit sex, animal slaughter, intoxication and gambling. These are the four pillars of the platform of Kali.
That is responsible king. Not that "They want to drink, and we can levy tax for drinking." Because by, I mean to say, encouraging people drinking... That we see in India now. Gandhi's started his movement on this basis. Nobody could drink even tea. At least amongst his associates, nobody could drink even tea. No cigarette. Gandhi was very strict. And of course, he could not prohibit, but he was also against illicit sex, drinking, gambling. But he prohibited.
So na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ (SB 7.5.31). And people, the blind leaders, are teaching everyone that "This is your interest: You eat whatever you like, you drink as much as you like, you go on gambling." If such leader is there, there is no restriction of eating. If such swamiji comes, that "No, no, you can eat everything," "Oh, a good swami." And "This swamiji is very conservative." Just like Allen Ginsberg told me, "Swamiji, you are very conservative." Because I restrict. But he does not know that actual benefit will be derived when you are actually conservative.
Now you try to understand what is your relationship with God. Now you practice yourself, how to go back home, back to home, back to..." This is the business of the human society. So unless the king or government looks after it, how people will be advanced? The government is advocating that "You drink, you eat meat, you have prostitution and gambling, and give me tax. Finished. My business is finished." So Parīkṣit Mahārāja was not like that. Parīkṣit Mahārāja is conquered all these places to serve Kṛṣṇa, to teach Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Therefore he conquered. Otherwise... That is the business of all devotees.
Just like not to go so far as to go to Parīkṣit Mahārāja. Even those who are neophytes, trying to be beyond the range of Kali-yuga, our members of the Kṛṣṇa society, because they have given up these four sinful activities, they can see how one is influenced by Kali. So this is the position. Therefore he could see. Now because the so-called leaders, so-called presidents, they are themself agent of Kali, how they can stop this illicit sex, meat-eating, gambling, and intoxication? They cannot do. So you have to take shelter of the śāstra, and then you will be able to avoid it. Otherwise, it is not possible.
So here it is mentioned that "Or are you in great anxiety because henceforward..." Henceforward means from that time the Kali-yuga has begun. Since these four principles of unlawful activities—illicit sex, meat-eating, gambling and intoxication—is freely allowed, that is Kali-yuga. So in this age, in this Kali-yuga, it is very, very difficult for persons who are interested in self-realization to remain free from sinful activities. It is very, very difficult. Māyā, or the influence of nature, in this age especially, it is very, very strong, and majority of people are therefore addicted to this sinful life: illicit sex, meat-eating, gambling and intoxication. But those who are interested in the matter of self-realization, they should voluntarily give up these sinful activities. Then, "Their sacrifices will be stopped. Demigods, they will not get their share."
So all these facilities given sometimes in the śāstras or by the government for drinking or for intoxication or for sex or for gambling, that is restricted. Gambling, kṣatriyas, they can gamble. They must have the sporting spirit. Otherwise when they are defeated they will succumb to death. So they have to... The gambling, I lose one hundred thousand dollars, "Never mind. It is sporting." Otherwise I will succumb to death. I have been... What? That is being done in gambling clubs. But if you do it in a sporting habit, then "Never mind. I gain or lose, it is nothing." That's all. Kṣatriyas are allowed because when they fight they will have to gain or to lose.
Unless you are free from the reaction of all sinful life, you cannot understand what is bhakti, what is Bhagavān. Therefore puṇya-karmaṇām. Janānāṁ puṇya-karmaṇām. We should act piously. Piously means we must first of all give up impious activities: illicit sex life, meat-eating, drinking and gambling. Then you can lead pious life. Then you can understand what is God. Mean... These things are... Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means training people to become pious to understand Kṛṣṇa and make his life successful.
That is required. Ādau śraddhā. First of all little faith: "Let us see." Then sādhu-saṅga. Sādhu-saṅga (CC Madhya 22.83). They are, the sādhus, the devotees, who are living in the temple, if you associate with them, talk with them about Kṛṣṇa, then you'll be benefited. Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgaḥ (Cc. Madhya 23.14-15). Then gradually bhajana-kriyā. Bhajana-kriyā. Actually engaged in service, officially being initiated to take service of the Lord, that is called bhajana-kriyā. And bhajana-kriyā means anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt. Then anartha, all these rascal habits, namely illicit sex, and intoxication, meat-eating, and gambling-nivṛtti, no more.
Not only ordinary man. I will tell you the story of one very big man, the Marquis of Zetland. The Marquis of Zetland was talking with one of my Godbrother. The Lord—they are called Lord—he asked, "Can you make me brāhmaṇa?" So the my Godbrother said, "Yes, it is not very difficult. If you give up these bad habits—intoxication, illicit sex life, meat-eating, and gambling—you can become a brāhmaṇa." So he said, "It is impossible." Yes. A very big man, he said, "It is impossible. This is our life." Actually, we have got experience in the Western countries, this is their life.
Where is the difficulty? No difficulty at all. Just there's Kṛṣṇa. Just give Kṛṣṇa nice foodstuff. Just chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Eat sumptuously and keep your health very good, nicely. Where is the difficulty? Mām eva ye... This very difficult? The only difficulty is that I cannot give up all these sinful activities. I cannot give up smoking. I cannot give up drinking. I cannot give up meat-eating. I cannot give up gambling. I cannot give up illicit sex. That is difficulty. Otherwise to serve Kṛṣṇa is not at all difficult. There is no difficulty. But I cannot give up the service of my sinful activities.
It is, therefore... Temple is called nirguṇa. Temple is called nirguṇa. In the śāstra the forest is sattva-guṇa, and city is rajo-guṇa, and the places like these four sinful activities are going on—illicit sex, intoxication, gambling... There are places. Every one of us aware of it. So they are called tamo-guṇa. So to live in such places where illicit sex or prostitution is going on, the place where drinking is going on, the place where meat-eating, hotels, restaurant is going on, and gambling going on, these places are tamo-guṇa. And ordinary cities and towns, they are called rajo-guṇa.
We are so much in this age engaged in sinful activities. The sinful activities are generally... The four pillars of sinful activities are illicit sex life, meat-eating, intoxication, and gambling. So this whole world is now full of all this business. There is regular gambling house, there is regulation intoxication centers, regular slaughterhouse, and regular prostitution. This is the whole world. Which are sinful life—illicit sex life, meat eating, intoxication, and gambling—that is prevalent all over the world. You will find organized by government. This is going on. And within this dangerous condition of the human society we have to push on Kṛṣṇa consciousness. How difficult it is! Just imagine. But still, it is going on.
And we are engaged in activities which are forbidden. Forbidden. Just like we are drinking. This is forbidden. We are eating meat. This is forbidden. We are having illicit sex. This is forbidden. We are having gambling. This is forbidden. This is called vikarma. But because we have become mad, we are, whole human civilization is meant for these four things: illicit sex, meat-eating, and intoxication, and gambling.
He inquired from my God-brother whether he can be made into a brāhmaṇa, brāhmaṇa. So our God-brother said, "Yes, you can be converted into a brāhmaṇa if you give up these habits, namely illicit sex, intoxication, meat-eating, and gambling." The gentleman's reply, Lord Zetland, "It is impossible." So that means he was not prepared to accept the tapasya. Voluntarily, abnegation. But here Ṛṣabhadeva says that the human life is meant for tapasya, and not for living like pigs, hogs, and dogs. Next he says tapo divyam (SB 5.5.1), because tapasya means to accept voluntarily some painful situation.
Just like we don't allow illicit sex life. We don't allow intoxication. We don't allow meat-eating. We don't allow gambling. Of course, these four things don't mean very severe things for the present population. But if anyone is serious about attaining eternal happiness, just like this patient in the hospital is following the physician's instruction—he has to follow it voluntarily. This is called austerity. Austerity means just like if I say, "Please don't smoke," but you are veteran smoker, and if you want to follow my instruction, "Don't smoke," you'll feel some difficulty in the beginning.
The living example is Jagāi and Mādhāi. What was the Jagāi-Mādhāi's fault that he's considered pāpī-tāpī? They were addicted to these four principles: illicit sex, meat-eating, intoxication, and gambling. They were addicted to these principles. They were born in high brāhmaṇa family, but by bad association they became drunkard number one, womanhunters, meat-eaters and gamblers and guṇḍās, like anything. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu delivered them. Caitanya Mahāprabhu's process was that He used to send daily His devotees to go and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and preach Hare Kṛṣṇa just like we are trying to do here. We are sending our devotees.
Prabhupāda: Ācchā. So, any question on these topics? Question means on the topics. Not other things, outside.
Śyāmasundara: What is gambling?
Prabhupāda: Gambling you do not know? You never played gambling?
Śyāmasundara: Yes.
Prabhupāda: They why do you...?
Śyāmasundara: (indistinct)
Prabhupāda: Yes, gambling means betting. That is gambling. People are betting. You put one dollar, and if you gain, you get ten dollars. Otherwise, you lose this one dollar. This is gambling. They're gambling in Christian churches also, in the Western countries. So gambling is considered sinful activity. I do not know... One Mr. Bhattacarya, a barrister, he was educated in England. So he told there is some island, Monte Christo? There is gambling?
Devotee: Monte Carlo.
Prabhupāda: Monte Carlo, yes. He said that there are gamblers, and one gambler loses everything, he commits suicide, immediately, and he'll go on. That's all. Nobody cares for him. He told me. It is a fact? So just see the gambling. They bring all their fortunes to stake and they lose everything. And then, out of frustration, takes revolver and shots himself, dies, and it is thrown on the street or in somewhere. Nobody cares. Just like cats and dogs. So there is free gambling in Monte Carlo?
Devotee: Very, very wealthy people, they (indistinct) there.
Devotee: There is free gambling in London.
Prabhupāda: Oh, everywhere. Any big city. In Calcutta, Bombay, everyone gambling. When you get money, then gambling. The horse race is also gambling. Horse race. This gambling, drinking, meat-eating, these things were all unknown in India. They did not know how to drink. These Britishers introduced. There is still a lane, a street, Porterly Street. There was a woman of suspicious character. She was supplied big bottles of wine, and she used to canvass rich men's son to take wine, and it was distributed free. In this way wine was distributed, and people began to drink, gradually. And I have seen a tea set committee. They... Advertising tea, preparing tea nicely. "You take this tea, you'll not feel hungry, you'll be cured from malaria...," and so many things. And people come and take tea in this way. Now any man is taking tea. In the morning they'll gather in the tea stall. You see. So people, they did not know what is gambling, what is drinking, what is meat-eating. So these things were introduced gradually. Still, no rigid Hindu house will allow meat cooking in the house, still. No. If you want to if you want to eat meat, you can go to hotel, but at home you cannot cook, meat-eating.
Yamunā: Guru Mahārāja, in our missionary work, if we're forced to live with (indistinct), should we just talk about that same topic or should we avoid the (indistinct) at all?
Prabhupāda: No. If we can find out a suitable place; but it is difficult nowadays. That we have to tolerate. What can be done? Let others do whatever they like. We can preach that "Do not do it," but you cannot force, because the whole world has gone in these four principles of life, this eating, meat-eating, drinking, gambling.
He approaches, "Kindly initiate me. Make me a disciple." Bhajana kriyā. This is called bhajana-kriyā. And if you actually perform bhajana-kriyā, then anartha nivṛttiḥ syāt. All these unwanted things which you have learned, you have become habituated, mainly illicit sex, meat-eating, intoxication and gambling, that becomes finished. Anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt. No more attachment for these things. Then niṣṭhā, firm conviction. Then ruci, taste. Then āsaktiḥ, attachment. Then bhāva, "Oh, Kṛṣṇa is so nice." Then prema. That requires... If you have developed your love for Kṛṣṇa, then you will see Kṛṣṇa twenty-four hours.
That depends on the student. Yes. If you can quickly can control... There are processes. Just like we are training here. They're American boys, but we are training them in that process. We don't allow our students to have illicit sex life. We don't allow our students to indulge in nonvegetarian diet. We don't allow our students for intoxication. And we don't allow our students for gambling. So these four principles they are practicing, they are chanting, and they are restraining. In this way, when one is trained as brahmacārī, then he can become a swami later on. Yes. The training is there.
But still, because the leaders are rascals, they have arranged for meat-eating, illicit sex, intoxication, and gambling. Advertise. Advertise naked woman and, what is called, beefeaters, and liquor. This is going on. Advertise cigarettes, just to pull them down again. Go to hell. Punar mūṣika bhava. They do not know what dangerous civilization this is dragging them. Therefore sometimes some saner section of the old men, they come to me, they offer their thanks: "Swamiji, it is a great fortune that you have come to our country." They acknowledge. Yes, that's a fact. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is a great fortunate movement. And especially in the Western countries, that's a fact.
Because he is a devotee, in spite of being harrassed by the other party... Wife was insulted, then kingdom was taken by betting, by gambling. In this way they were put into so many troublesome position. Still, when there was actual fight, because Arjuna was a Vaiṣṇava, devotee, he said, "Let them enjoy. I am not going to fight." This is Vaiṣṇava. Ordinary man would have taken very seriously, "Oh, these people have insulted like that. They have taken our... Yes, we must fight." So Vaiṣṇava by naturally, by nature, is not violent. But if it requires, if Kṛṣṇa directs that "You must fight," they fight. That is Vaiṣṇava. When Arjuna declined to fight, and then Kṛṣṇa had to instruct him about the whole instruction of Bhagavad-gītā just to induce him to fight.
But they are now pure, cleansed of all dirty things. In this movement throughout the whole world there are at least ten to twelve thousand devotees like that. And before this life they were addicted to all kinds of sinful life. We have summarized all sinful activities into four groups, namely, illicit sex, meat-eating, intoxication, and gambling. So all these ten to twelve thousand men who are now attached with this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, they are not committing these four pillars of sinful life.
So Śukadeva Gosvāmī says that niyama-kṛd, if you follow the regulation and rules of life, then śanaiḥ ksemāya kalpate, then very soon that dirty things of the heart can be cured. Just like we prescribe. Not prescribe—it is already there in the śāstras. Our students, those who are initiated specially, we say that "Don't have illicit sex life, don't take part in gambling, don't take foodstuff except vegetables, and don't take intoxicants." Four rules. So if these four rules are followed, gradually, gradually, one becomes free from the dirty things of the heart.
You produce food grains. Why you are producing so much unnecessary things—television and tools, and stool also, so many thing. Why? They are not necessary. Live in the village, produce your own food, your own cloth, and drink milk sufficiently—all economic questions solved. Then you become suśīla, well behaved. And if you go on killing animals and drinking wine and gambling, when you will be suśīla? You are always bad character.
So here it is said that dāsyāḥ saṁsarga-dūṣitaḥ. Being contaminated by the association of the prostitute, he lost his life of well behavior. And what is that? How did he lose his well behavior? Bandy-akṣaiḥ kaitavaiś cauryair garhitāṁ vṛttim āsthitaḥ. He accepted the profession of cheating, gambling. Bandy-akṣaiḥ kaitavaiś. Stealing, cauryaiḥ, and garhitāṁ vṛttim. Those are condemned profession. Now these condemned professions have become ordinary profession in the civilized society, but according to the Vedic civilization, these things are condemned things. Cheating or gambling, cheating and speaking lie, bandy-akṣaiḥ kaitavaiś. And stealing. These are condemned profession. But he adopted all these things because he was associated with a woman for illicit sex.
So illicit sex is so bad thing. This is the example. If we indulge in illicit sex life, then we won't care for all these abominable actions. That was the example by Ajāmila. We shall come to understand later on that he was married, but he left his legal wife, and he contacted a prostitute, and the association of this prostitute, he became a thief, a cheater, a gambler, a liar and so many nice things simply for maintaining the family. So we shall not take much of your time. This is a long story. We shall narrate again next week. Please come.
Now his profession was... When a man falls down, then he lives by this profession. What are these? Bandy-akṣaiḥ: gambling, cheating, and stealing. All these abominable activities they adopt. And he does not think that "I am doing something bad because I have no other means to maintain my family." He gives the reason that "What can I do? I have to maintain my family, so somehow or other I must get money." So there is a practical example in Patna high-court. I do not wish to name, but there was a big high-court judge.
But the māyā is so powerful that it induces again to commit sinful life. So we have to promise... Just like Jagāi Mādhāi. They were delivered by Caitanya Mahāprabhu. They were very sinful, their activities. Sinful means that has become ordinary things nowadays in Kali-yuga. They... What is that sinful? They were drunkards, illicit sex, meat-eater, and gambling. These four things, they were very much addicted, so they were rejected from the society. The society was so pure. Five thousand years before, Parīkṣit Mahārāja gave the Kali-yuga four places. First of all he wanted to kill Kali.
You can live there. And where unnecessary animal killing is going on, you can stay here. And where drinking, intoxication, is encouraged, you can stay there. And where gambling is there, you can stay there." So he could not find any place throughout the whole world where these things were going on. That is the kingdom of Mahārāja Parīkṣit. There was no chance. So it is the government's duty to see that people are very nicely ruled so that they become all pious. That is the duty of the government.
You are inclined to do something, so many things—intoxication, illicit sex and drinking and gambling and meat-eating. These are all śūdra qualities or less than that. Śūdras also, they abide by the Vedic orders. Śūdras also do not do whimsically whatever he likes. Śūdras, they are taken among the, in the Vedic society... Because śūdras also, they are last class, fourth class, they are eager to follow the orders or the orderly things as given by the brāhmaṇas. Therefore śūdras, up to śūdras, accepted as bona fide classification. And below the śūdras, they are called caṇḍālas, caṇḍālas, fifth grade. They are also mentioned, kirāta-hūṇāndhra-pulinda-pulkaśāḥ. Everything is analyzed.
So human civilization should be to raise the fourth-class man to the first-class man. That is human civilization. But there is no idea who is first-class man. Everyone is a drunkard, everyone is illicit sex hunter, and everyone is gambler, and everyone is meat-eater. Where is first-class man? There is no first-class man. All fourth-class man. And they are being taught simply how to manufacture big, big skyscraper, and every year, new model of car. Is that civilization? That is not civilization.
Prabhupāda: He was most debauched and therefore he wanted money, ten thousand rupees per month. And in spite of his position as a high-court judge and getting four thousand, five thousand salary, he could not check from his falldown. So this is natural. If you indulge in illicit sex life and naturally other things, intoxication, gambling, then there will be no limit of expenditure. And to meet all those expenditure one has to adopt cheating or stealing. These processes has to be.
Woman: (Hindi)
Prabhupāda: But... (Hindi) So by any means money wanted. So he adopted all disrespectful profession—cheating, gambling and stealing, any way to live.
These things are very much eulogized in the society, child's simplicity, mother's affection. They are necessary. But they are not qualification to raise one to the spiritual platform. Just like this debauch, Ajāmila. His character is abominable, but he's still very much affectionate to the youngest child.
That is stated here. In one place his character is described, that he used to live by cheating, by stealing, by gambling. This was his life's profession. But still, he was very much affectionate to the child, the youngest child.
Does not mind. But he does not know that this association will make him fall down to the lowest stage of human life. And that is stated next, that he used to live on these principles—beg, borrow, steal and gambling—and he was degraded. And how he was degraded? That will be explained. So people do not take care of their śāstras. They make their own interpretation and therefore India's position is so fallen. They are guided. The great ṛṣis and great sages, they have given them guidance. Vyāsadeva has given guidance. Lokasyājānato vidvāṁś cakre sātvata-saṁhitā. It is stated. "People are rascals, fools. In order to teach them nicely, this highest learned personality, Vyāsadeva, created the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam." Lokasya ajānataḥ. Ajānataḥ means rascals who has no knowledge.
And next business was gambling, dice playing, bandy-akṣaiḥ. Everything was there. It was... Of course, these historical incidences, and, some thousands and thousands of years ago happened. But because it is material world, these things were there at that time also. Now it has increased. Kali-yuga means it has increased. The same thieves, cheater, everything were there at that time. It was rare incidences. But now it has become daily affair due to the Kali-yuga. So his business was kaitavaiḥ.
Actually he will not die, but because he is practiced to so many nonsense habits, he feels difficulty to give it up. From the birth he is not a drunkard, from birth he is not a smoker, but by bad association, so-called civilized association, he becomes a drunkard, he becomes a smoker, he becomes a woman hunter, he becomes a gambler—sinful life. So to advance in spiritual life one has to give up all these sinful activities; otherwise it is not possible. Some rascal says that "You can do whatever you like. It has nothing to do with your religiousness." This is nonsense. Religious life means to approach God, and God is pure. As it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). Pavitra.
These are clear statements. And the pillars of sinful activities, that is also mentioned in the Bhāgavata. Striya-sūna-pāna-dyūta yatra pāpaś catur-vidhāḥ: (SB 1.17.38) "Four kinds of sinful activities: illicit sex, and intoxication, and unnecessarily killing of animals, and gambling." All the slaughterhouses of the world are being maintained unnecessarily. That is recruiting simply sins. They are eating sins, and therefore the world is in trouble. Simply committing. There is no necessity of killing animals. But here in India they are killing ten thousand cows daily, what to speak of Western countries. So people are so much addicted to sinful activities.
So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, following the footsteps of Lord Caitanya, we are also following the same principles under the authority of Lord Caitanya. When we accept somebody in our society as initiated member we put forward this obligation, restriction, that "No more illicit sex life, no more gambling, no more intoxication and no more animal food." That is necessary. If you accept spiritual life, at the same time go on committing sinful activities, then you will never be able to progress. That is not possible.
And if one is mature, then he wants to execute devotional service, bhajana-kriyā. And as soon as there is bhajana-kriyā, the unnecessary nonsense things will disappear. No more illicit sex, no more intoxication, no more drinking, no more gambling. Finished. When anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt, all these rascal habits are gone, then niṣṭhā, then firm faith, not to be agitated. Tato niṣṭhā tataḥ rucis. Then taste. You cannot live outside this camp. Taste has changed. Tato niṣṭhā tataḥ rucis, tathāśaktis, then attraction. Then bhāva. Bhāva means ecstasy: "Oh, Kṛṣṇa." Then there is love. There are different stage.
So grāmya-kathā should be avoided. The temple is specially meant for Kṛṣṇa-kathā. Here there is no other business than Kṛṣṇa. Therefore a temple is always transcendental, nirguṇa. Nirguṇa. If you live in the forest, that is sattva-guṇa. If you live in the city, that is rajo-guṇa. And if you live in the brothel or liquor house or gambling house, that is tamo-guṇa. But if you live in the temple, that is nirguṇa. Traiguṇya-viṣaya-vedā nistraiguṇyo bhavārjuna. This is advice of Kṛṣṇa. The whole world is complicated with the three modes of material nature, and you have to become above this material nature. Nistraiguṇyo bhavārjuna. So nistraiguṇya, how you can become? Sa guṇān samatītyaitān brahma-bhūyāya kalpate (BG 14.26).
And all the students, they are following strictly the Vedic principles. They do not indulge in illicit sex life, meat-eating, intoxication up to drinking of coffee, tea and smoking. They have given up. This is Vedic principles. And they do not take part in gambling. They regular chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare, sixteen rounds. In this way we are training. Not only we are training these young boys, but we are training their sons and children. We have got a very nice school in Dallas, Texas. From the very beginning they are being taught about Kṛṣṇa consciousness, how to rise early in the morning, how to take part in the maṅgala ārātrika, how to take prasādam.
A child can, because he is mixing with devotees, he's seeing the Deity, naturally his mind always thinks of Kṛṣṇa, naturally psychology. So man-manā, and they're coming to the temple, mad-bhakta, becoming bhakta. Offering obeisances to the Deity, to the spiritual master, to the Vaiṣṇavas, bhakta, they're becoming bhaktas. And little flower, fruits, offering to the Deity, mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru. It is so easy. And by practicing this, Kṛṣṇa says if you do this only, then mām evaiṣyasi, you come back. By doing these four things one can go back to home? Yes. Kṛṣṇa says asaṁśaya, "without any doubt." It is so nice. Not that it is gambling: "It may be or..." No. It must be. Anyone who is performing these four principles of devotional service...
We do not, I mean to say, take any intoxicants. We do not indulge in gambling. We do not indulge in meat-eating. Similarly, we are trying to form character and God consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So therefore it is not that this society is opened for exploiting others. This society is for giving good association to the, I mean to say, misguided people, this society, so that by association they will gradually develop godly qualities. The godly qualities are already within you. It is dormant. Not that Kṛṣṇa consciousness is being injected in you. Oh, that is not possible. You are more advanced in every way, you Americans. And because I have come from India with some poor knowledge, I am injecting something in your brain? No. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness is already there. I am simply helping you to revive it. That's all.
Jagāi-Mādhāi, they were zamindars and born of brāhmaṇa family, but because by bad association they became drunkard, gamblers and woman-hunters, they were condemned. They were taken as pāpī, sinful. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu's movement is to rescue them. That is the song by Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura: vrajendra-nandana yei, śacī-suta hoilo sei, balarāma hoilo nitāi, pāpī tāpī yata chilo, hari-nāme uddhārilo, tare sākṣī jagāi and mādhāi. Everyone wants evidence that how Caitanya Mahāprabhu delivered pāpī tāpī. Now, here is the instance. Tāre sākṣī jagāi and mādhāi.
Now we have got this nice human form of body, but if we associate with the low-grade qualities of this material world—means tamo-guṇa—then again we are going to become animal automatically. They do not know it. They are thinking, "I am enjoying life by eating meat and drinking wine and having illicit sex and gambling. It is very joyful life." But he does not know that he is associating with tamo-guṇa, and he is going to be an animal, cats and dogs and monkey. This is a fact.
It is very risky, very risky, because these foolish persons, they do not know how much risky it is to spoil the human life simply for eating, sleeping, mating, and gambling. This is very risky life. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is very scientific movement. It is trying to save the human society from risky life. Risky life means that if we are not cultured, if we do not take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness and properly trained up, there is every chance to become again cats and dogs next life. This is the understanding. Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13).
Nectar of Devotion Lectures
Automatically it will go away. That is the test. How one has properly utilized his initiation will be tested that he has no more attraction for these four principles: illicit sex, intoxication, gambling, and meat-eating. They will automatically go. There is no need of asking. Anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt. Then ruci. When one is freed from all these prohibitive principles, then he develops a taste, tato ruci. Tato niṣṭhā: then he's steadily confirmed. Athāsaktiḥ. Then attachment: he cannot go. He cannot go. Athāsaktis tato bhāvaḥ. Then ecstasy. And then he comes to the platform of love of Godhead. So when that platform is reached, then everything is successful. And if that platform is not reached, then everything is simply waste of time.
The jaghanya, the lowest. There are so many varieties of life. So those who are associating with tamo-guṇa, drinking, flesh eating, smoking, illicit sex, gambling... These are the association of tamo-guṇa. Yatra pāpāś catur-vidhā. Where there are four kinds of sinful activities. So intoxication is sinful activities. That is tamo-guṇa. Associating with tamo-guṇa. So jaghanya-guṇa-vṛtti-sthā adho gacchanti tāmasāḥ. Those who are associating with tamo-guṇa, their vṛtti, their habits, are very abominable. Jaghanya. Therefore adho gacchanti. They go downwards.
Acyutānanda: "For example, a Kṛṣṇa conscious boy, even if he is not very well educated by the university standard, can immediately give up all illicit sex life, gambling, meat-eating and intoxication, whereas those who are not in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, although very highly educated, are often drunkards, meat-eaters, sex-mongers and gamblers."
Prabhupāda: Yes, this is... There is a practical example in this connection. Lord Zetland. He was a great philosopher, and he was governor of Bengal, and many good posts he held. But sometimes one of our Godbrothers went in London to preach, and this Lord Zetland, Marquis of Zetland, he asked the Gosvāmī that whether he could make him a brāhmaṇa. So he said yes, he could be made a brāhmaṇa, provided he can give up these habits: illicit-sex, gambling, meat-eating and intoxication.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures
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 there will be no scarcity of ācārya, and people will understand Kṛṣṇa consciousness very easily. So make that organization. Don't be falsely puffed up. Follow the ācārya's instruction and try to make yourself perfect, mature. Then it will be very easy to fight out māyā. Yes. Ācāryas, they declare war against māyā's activities, that māyā instructing that "Here is wine. Here is cigarette. Here is that..." In your country these advertisements are very prominent, holding both ways, wine advertisement, cigarette advertisement, naked woman advertisements, and sometimes gambling also, advertisement.
Therefore they'll create more rascaldom to create so many Vedānta societies and they are the same rascals, still. For hundred years they are studying Vedānta-sūtra, and the same thing, the same bad habit—same illicit connection, same intoxication, same gambling. Everything is going on. And they're Vedānta-sūtra student? This is rascaldom. There must be change in life. Otherwise, what is the use of Vedānta-sūtra? Veda-anta. Vedānta means... Veda means knowledge, and anta means end, end of all knowledge. Everyone is searching after knowledge, but there must be some end.
Without being pious, nobody can approach Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is not so cheap. You may show yourself that you have become a great sannyāsī or Vaiṣṇava or whatever it may be, but so long you'll be engaged in sinful activities, there is no question of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That sinful activities means illicit sex and intoxication, gambling, and meat-eating. These are the pillars of sinful activities. So one must be purified. Janma-koṭibhiḥ. These... To purify oneself from the resultant action of sinful activities, it takes many, many births. Janma-koṭibhiḥ sukṛti. By counteracting the sinful activities, to engage oneself only in pious activities.
So this is called struggle for existence. Avidyā-karma-samjñānyā. They are trying to be happy. You'll find in the New York City, they are simply struggling. What is the aim? The aim is how to become happy. Somebody is drinking, somebody is gambling, somebody is going to the restaurant, somebody is going to the Times Square, and somebody is going here, there. Their real aim is how to become happy. But because in avidyā, ignorant, they are unable to become happy. That is the position.
Actually, they, I mean to say, indulge in anything which is not sanctioned by the Vedic knowledge or Vedic scriptures. Take, for example, that in our Vedic civilization, these four things are prohibited: illicit sex life, animal-killing, intoxication, and gambling. This is the preliminary understanding. Especially those who are higher caste—brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya—they are strictly forbidden. That is the Vedic injunction. But although we pose ourself followers of Vedic injunction, we indulge in these things.
As soon as we are transcendental to the three modes of material nature, that is called liberation. So just like there is injunction in the Vedic literature: to live in the city is rājasika; to live in the forest is sattvika, goodness. Sattvika quality means to live in goodness is to live in a forest. Therefore formerly, all the sages and saints, they used to live in a forest. Still there are many transcendentalists, they live in the forest, because forest is considered to be situation in goodness. Similarly, those who live in cities and villages, in society, human society, that is rājasika. And those who live in the liquor shop and similar, gambling shop and other, they are called tamasika.
In the Bhagavad-gītā, Tenth Chapter, you will find that Kṛṣṇa says, dyūtaṁ chalayatām asmi: "Amongst the all kinds of cheating professions, I am gambling." Kṛṣṇa says that "Amongst all kinds of cheating business, I am gambling." Gambling... There is in gambling... It requires some expert brain, how to play gamble. So that expertness, that part of expert endeavor, is Kṛṣṇa. So we should not think, "Oh, because Kṛṣṇa is gambling also, so let us engage and devote in gambling." No. Kṛṣṇa is everything. Kṛṣṇa is everything, but we have to select favorably, not unfavorably. Svalpaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma. Without Brahman, without Kṛṣṇa, nothing can exist.
Then go to hell. But if you want to serve Kṛṣṇa, there is every arrangement for you. There is every arrangement for you. If you want to cheat Kṛṣṇa, then Kṛṣṇa will also cheat you. Dyūtaṁ chalayatām asmi. Kṛṣṇa has said in His vibhūti-yogam that "Amongst all cheating process, I am gambling. I am gambling." There is cheating process. Wherefrom this cheating process comes? There is cheating process in Kṛṣṇa also because He is the origin of everything. Whatever there is, even cheating process, thieving process, what is condemned in this world, that is also there in Kṛṣṇa, but that is without any contamination. That is difference.
Festival Lectures
So for these last, lowest class of men, there is external energy. (break) ...class of men, they will not abide by the laws of the state. They'll repeatedly break it. Therefore, "All right, you go there and do whatever you like." That is not government's intention, that people go there and indulge in unrestricted gambling and there... That Mr. Bhaṭṭācārya told me that sometimes some rich man goes there with all his wealth and stake it, and when he's lost, he fires himself, and the gambling managers puts him down and throws him in the... There is no law for such killing or such homicide or anything. Do whatever you like. You see? So there is a class of men. Just like a liquor shop. Liquor shop is licensed by the government. Does it mean the government is encouraging, that "You become drunkard"? But government is giving this license because there is a class of men who must drink, and they will violate all... Say, "All right. Let them have it."
Therefore this nivṛtti means tapasya. If I am habituated to smoke, if I am habituated to illicit sex life, if I am habituated to intoxication and gambling, etc., this is my pravṛtti. But if we can stop it by practice, that is called tapasya. And human life is meant for tapasya. Tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena śuddyeta satyam (SB 5.5.1). Ṛṣabhadeva's instruction: "My dear sons, you practice tapasya." The human life is meant for tapasya. "I have got tendency to do this, but that will not help me, that will degraded me." So tapasya means instead of being degraded, be elevated. This is called tapasya. Tapo divyam.
Arrival Addresses and Talks
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.
Everything is explained there. But the mūḍhas, these duṣkṛtinas, the narādhamas, they cannot understand. Narādhama means lowest of the mankind. Why? Because cats and dogs cannot understand this philosophy. But a human being can understand. He has got the brain. Nature has given the fertile brain, but they are misusing it, duṣkṛtina, only for sense gratification. The brain was given to understand God, but the rascal is using for illicit sex, meat-eating, drinking, and gambling. This is the position of the whole human society.
So it was the desire of Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura that Europeans and Americans would come here and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. That prophecy is now being fulfilled, and that is my satisfaction. I tried my little bit to fulfill the desire of Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura. At my old age of seventy years, I just... It was a gambling also. I simply thought that "This was the desire..." Of course, my Guru Mahārāja, Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Prabhupāda, he also asked me to do this. Anyway, at least there is a place now when..., where these Europeans and Americans may come and live peacefully, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, and advance in spiritual understanding.
Initiation Lectures
Just like in diseased condition, one has to voluntarily accept the rules and regulations enforced by the physician: "You should not eat this. You should not do this. You should not go out. You should take rest. You should not, should not, should not," so many. Similarly, if we want to purify ourselves, then four principles of purificatory process, namely illicit sex life and intoxication, meat-eating, and gambling, these four things must be...
These four things are paraphernalia of your civilization. In the western... Not only western, eastern, everywhere. The Kali-yuga is spreading very rapidly, and wherever the Kali-yuga is very prominent, these four items are very prominent: unrestricted sex life, gambling, and meat-eating, and intoxication.
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.
Just like in our association we don't allow four kinds of sinful activities: illicit sex life, nonvegetarian diet, intoxication, and gambling. So by following the regulative principles one becomes freed from all these sinful activities. He does not any more indulge in illicit sex life, he does not indulge in nonvegetarian diet, he does not indulge in intoxication and he does not indulge in gambling. That is called anartha-nivṛtti. Unless one is above these four kinds of anartha, or sinful activities, one cannot be fixed up. When one is free from these four kinds of sinful activities, then he becomes fixed up.
Then the fourth stage will be, one who is initiated, if he follows the rules and regulation, and if he chants Hare Kṛṣṇa with a fixed-up counting, then gradually his all misgivings will vanish. What are the misgivings? We ask our students to refrain from that illicit sex life, nonvegetarian diet, and intoxication, and to take part in gambling. These four things. So ordinarily these four things are very prominent in the society, especially in the Western countries. But these students who take initiation and follows chanting, they very easily give up these four things without any difficulty.
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. But from tomorrow or immediately after this, no more sinful activities. Therefore this regulative principle, these four principles: illicit sex, meat-eating, and intoxication, and gambling. These four principles are the basic principles of all sinful activities. If you indulge in these four things, then you are prepared to do any nonsense. Therefore these four things should be immediately stopped; then there is no more chance of sinful activities. And chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, you keep yourself always purified. Māyā will not touch you and you shall be elevated to the eternal blissful life to enjoy like the gopīs.
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.
We have to accept the "do"s, not the "don't"s. Ānukūlyasya saṅkalpa, ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanam. We have to accept the favorable things. So if illicit sex life is unfavorable for my advancement in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, I must accept it. You cannot argue. That will not help you. Similarly, intoxication. Similarly, meat-eating. Similarly, gambling. Because these are the four pillars of sinful life: illicit sex, meat-eating, intoxication and gambling. The roof of sinful life is held by these four pillars.
Virāha dāsa. I am not asking individually about the four principles. I suppose you know this. But just I was explaining sat and asat. These two things are side by side. Just like there is darkness and there is light, you can see merging in the sunlight. You'll see, one side is light, and one side is dark. Similarly, sat and asat, they are existing side by side. If you don't remain this side, then you come to this side. So it is my choice. So this Hare Kṛṣṇa is the bright side, and the other things, material activities and sinful activities, meat-eating, intoxication, gambling, illicit sex, the dark side. So it is your choice. If you remain the bright side, then your progress is certain, and if you fall down again on the dark side, that is your misfortune. So you should always remember that. Come on.
So if you are actually serious, approaching Kṛṣṇa—He is paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramam (BG 10.12)—you have to cleanse yourself from all sinful activities. So therefore we request everyone to give up these habits: illicit sex, meat-eating, intoxication, and gambling. Then he becomes gradually purified. And if he chants Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra... Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12). One side, he should personally endeavor, and other side, he should chant, ceto-darpaṇa, the method of cleansing the heart.
Jagāi-Mādhāi means they were born in a very aristocratic brāhmaṇa family but by bad association they became illicit sex, woman-hunter, drunkards and meat-eaters and gamblers. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu, through the mercy of Nityānanda Prabhu, delivered them. And the only promise was that "You promise no more this sinful life. Then I accept you." So if we give up our sinful activity, immediately Caitanya Mahāprabhu takes you. There is no condition, because in this age everyone is addicted to sinful life, but he simply promises that "Henceforward I shall not act anything sinfully," these four principles. Then you go back to home, back to Godhead.
The basic principles of sinful activities are mentioned in the śāstra-striya, sūnā, dyūta, pāna. Pāna means intoxication, including chewing pan and drinking tea. Chaya pāna. So one has to give up this pāna. And drinking, smoking, drinking tea, chewing pan should be given up. Pāna. This is one of the pillar of the sinful activity. And meat-eating. Meat, fish, eggs, they should be given up. And gambling, dyūta, pāna dyūta (SB 1.17.38), that should be given up. And avaidha stri-saṅgi should be given up. In this way, if you become cleansed, then... Just like if we get dry wood, then the fire ignites very easily. If we get moist wood, then it takes some time.
Wedding Ceremonies
So I requested them that if you want to make progress in spiritual life, you have to refrain from four kinds of sinful activities, and these four kinds of sinful activities are illicit sex life, first; second, nonvegetarian diet; third, intoxication; fourth, gambling. Unless one is free from these four principal activities, one cannot make progress in spiritual life. Because God is pure, pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān, so no impure soul can approach Him. This body is the sign of impurity because soul has no material body. So anyone in this material world who has this material body is to be considered as sinful. But how to get out of this? To get out of it, everything, dovetailing with spiritual life. Nirbandhe kṛṣṇa-sambandhe yukta-vairāgyam ucyate.
But according to our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, we do not allow boys and girls living without any marriage bondage. Illicit sex life we don't allow. We prohibit four things: illicit sex life, intoxication, and meat-eating and gambling. Those who become our student, we prohibit first of all these four things. And if we find some of the girls and some of the boys, they are strictly following, and if they are agreeable, then we arrange for their marriage. So there are many instances of marriage like this. They were living very irresponsibly in the former life. Now they are preaching this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Some of my students, they are married couples, young men.
General Lectures
So it is recommended, kalau tad hari-saṅkīrtana, where God realization is only possible by this chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. Simple process. You come on. Sit down. It doesn't matter what you are, whether you are Indian or you are American, or Christian, or Hindu, or man, woman, black, white. It doesn't matter. You simply come, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and realize God. Because in this age very severe method cannot be followed. The people are so fallen that even four principles we have ordered, that "Don't take meat, don't have illicit sex life, don't participate in gambling, and don't," I mean to say... What is the other?
They chose to drink and get drunk. But these are men that are leading us back to God. The point is, you must have someone who is pure, who does not take any kind of intoxicants, does not smoke, does not gamble, no illicit sex. These are the qualifications. Look to Jesus for example. He was the perfect example. Look to Him, Lord Kṛṣṇa. Look to Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya for example. There are qualifications for a bona fide spiritual master just as there are qualifications for one who wishes to teach you any science that you take in this school. He must pass the examinations. He must be qualified. If his moral character fails, he gets booted out of the school.
Similarly, at the present age, this human society, although they are coming from the Aryan family, very nice family, but due to association the only environment is there's woman and intoxication, meat-eating, and gambling. That's all. So Jagāi-Mādhāi is the specimen sample of this population, and Lord Caitanya delivered them simply by this Hare Kṛṣṇa. So this chanting process, Hare Kṛṣṇa, will actually deliver all these fallen souls without any failure. It is not bogus propaganda. Anyone who will take to this chanting process, whatever, you don't consider about his past life. He will become saintly. He will become a pure Kṛṣṇa conscious person.
If everyone becomes like them, then what is the trouble? If you encourage them to indulge in illicit sex life, to become intoxicants, to gambler and eating everything, without any discrimination, then how you can expect to have very good men in this world? They are mad. So this question, that "Is this chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa the answer to living successfully in today's...?" What do you mean by "successfully living"? Successfully living does not mean that you work hard just like cats and dogs, and eat something and have sex life at night. That is not successful life. That successful life is there even in the cats and dogs and hogs.
Smoking is not a necessary thing, but you have learned it by society or by company. So it is not necessary. It is unnecessary. Similarly, gambling is also unnecessary. Simply... Similarly, illicit sex life is also unnecessary. Oh, all these things are unnecessary, but we have gathered by some association for company. Similarly, you can give it up also, by association. So ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nir... (CC Antya 20.12). And unless you purify yourself, you cannot understand yourself or the position of God.
They are also Americans. None of my students are Indian. But how they are controlling illicit sex life? How they are controlling not to drink, not to take any intoxicants? How they are controlling not to take part in gambling? No illicit sex, no meat-eating. You are born eating meat. How they have given up? Because they have come to the stage of this brahminical understanding—satya, śama, dama, titikṣa. Titikṣa means tolerance. Suppose any one of my students was practiced to all these habits and by my word, if they have given up, they may be feeling some inconvenience.
Similarly, if you take meat-eating, that is also opening the gate of sinful activities. Similarly, if you indulge in gambling or intoxication... These are the gates. As Ṛṣabhadeva has said, tamo-dvāraṁ yoṣitāṁ saṅgi-saṅgam. If you indulge in the process of... These are sense gratificatory process. Why a person eats meat? It is simply sense gratification. Now our students, they have given up eating meat. Are they dying? They are eating nicely, capatis, vegetables. So it is simply sense gratification, that "I like this." Why you like? This is not a liking thing. But we shall, for sense gratification we are prepared to enter into the darkest region of the hell. We should not do that. Therefore praśānta.
So we should know when to be angry. Not that for our personal interest we shall be. Generally, those who are devotees, they are not angry. Just like see the example of Arjuna. Arjuna was so much harassed, all the five brothers, by the opposite party, his cousin-brothers. They insulted their wife, Draupadī. They wanted to make naked Draupadī because they lost Draupadī in the gambling. Therefore gambling is so sinful, you see. The kṣatriyas are allowed to gamble. So the bet was... They made a trick: "Now bet your wife." So if a kṣatriya is challenged to bet something, they cannot deny it.
All of them appeared on the sacred land of Bhārata-varṣa. But the present Bhārata-varṣa has degraded so much that we have lost our Vedic culture. We are eating meat, we are eating..., drinking wine, and we are having illicit sex life, and indulging in gambling. This is India's position. It is due to this Kali-yuga. Otherwise the land is puṇya-bhūmi. Because the land is puṇya-bhūmi, therefore in spite of so much fallen conditions, still, you are anxious to hear about Kṛṣṇa. You ladies and gentlemen who have come here, sacrificing your time... Why? Because still the Vedic culture is twinkling within your heart.
They don't touch meat, egg, or fish, nothing of the sort. They have given up drinking habit or any kind of intoxications. They do not accept even tea, coffee and cigarette, and they do not take part in gambling, neither they have any illicit sex life. And they are observing ekādaśī days and other Vaiṣṇava festivals like Janmāṣṭamī, Śrī Rāma-navamī, and every temple, they are following the same principles. And gradually we are increasing the number. The Western boys and girls, my students, are all between twenty and thirty years old. You will find none of them more than twenty-five, twenty-six years old.
Animal killing should be avoided. Illicit connection with woman should be avoided. And gambling, speculation, Patavad(?), that should be eliminated, avoided. Then you get the chance of becoming pure. And without being pure, you cannot be engaged in the loving service of the Lord. The Lord is pure. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). So you cannot approach Lord being impure. Even I do not indulge in illicit sex life or meat-eating or very much moralist, still I am impure if I think myself "I am Indian," "I am American," "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim." These are also impurities.
You must give up meat eating, fish eating, egg eating, all this nonsense. You must give up gambling. You must give up all kinds of intoxication up to the point of drinking coffee, tea, and smoking. They give up. Therefore, they have taken seriously. Why seriously? These young boys, they have got so many desires in their heart, still they are taking to it, it is Lord Caitanya's mercy. It is Lord Caitanya's mercy because they are following the principles of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
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.
One cannot take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness unless he is completely washed of all sinful activity. So we forbid four things because they are pillars of sinful activities: illicit sex life, intoxication, meat-eating, and gambling. Unless one gives up these four sinful activities it is not possible to approach Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa clearly says in the Bhagavad-gītā, yeṣām anta-gataṁ pāpam. Pāpam means sin. One who has finished the sinful activity... And these are four pillars of sinful activity. So we have to voluntarily give up these habits.
We are eating, drinking wine, and we are having illicit sex life and indulging in gambling. This is India's position. It is due to this Kali-yuga. Otherwise the land is puṇya-bhūmi. Because the land is puṇya-bhūmi, therefore in spite of so much fallen condition, still, you are anxious to hear about Kṛṣṇa. You ladies and gentlemen who have come here, sacrificing your time, why? Because still the Vedic culture is twinkling within your heart and you are anxious to hear about Kṛṣṇa, to hear about Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Even somebody wants to cheat you, but because it is advertised in the name of Bhagavad-gītā, many people flock there.
You are already intoxicated by the influence of māyā. You should not be more intoxicated. This is immoral. You should not indulge in gambling. These are immoral. So as soon as you become Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then all these immoralities vanish immediately. That is the only. Yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā, sarvaiḥ guṇaiḥ tatra samāsate su..., harāv abhaktsya kuto mahad-guṇā. One who is not Kṛṣṇa..., he cannot have any good quality or any morality. That is the decision of the śāstra. So if you want to revive the morality of the society, you must take up this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then everything will come.
So we have to, I mean to say, mend our life in such a way that kṛṣṇera saṁsāra kara, chāḍi anācāra. We have to give up anācāra, forbidden things, sinful things. Striyaḥ sūnā pānaṁ dyūtaṁ yatra pāpaś catur-vidhaḥ. There are four kinds of sinful activities. Basic principle of sinful life is avaidha, illicit sex life. Avaidha stri-saṅga. Striyaḥ sūnā, unnecessary animal killing. Pāna, drinking intoxicant; and gambling. We have to give up these four principles. Then our life becomes pure. If we give up these four principles and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, then we become perfect.
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.
One Draft Board officer came to see in our camp: "So what is the facility that these boys have joined Hare Kṛṣṇa movement, whether it is very easier than the Draft Board?" But when he enquired he saw that these boys and girls are prohibited illicit sex, intoxication, meat-eating and gambling. He thought that it is harder than the Draft Board. Here, the Draft Board, they do not make any condition, but here are so many condition which is very, very difficult to follow. So this is called Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mercy-practical.
But because on account of our sinful activities, we cannot understand. Duṣkṛtina. Duṣkṛtina means always engaged in sinful activities, very intelligent person, but engaged in sinful activities. Nowadays... All the people are nowadays educated, but all of them, mostly, ninety-nine percent, they're engaged in sinful activities—illicit sex, meat-eating, intoxication, gambling. These are sinful activities and, in spite of advancement of education all over the world, these things are going on. Therefore they cannot understand Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is understood by a person who is no more engaged in sinful activities.
So he knew all this business. But he utilized his talent in fighting art for Kṛṣṇa. He did not want to fight. As a Vaiṣṇava, he is very kind. He said that "My brothers, my cousins, certainly they have insulted my wife. They have taken my kingdom by gambling and so many devices. I know that. Still, because they are my brothers, I don't wish to kill them." This is Vaiṣṇava's attitude. But Kṛṣṇa, His business is yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati (BG 4.7). When there is injustice, it must be faced with fighting. That is Kṛṣṇa's version. So Arjuna, as a Vaiṣṇava, did not like to fight. But Kṛṣṇa, as the supreme mediator... That is also good for everything.
I have asked them to refrain from four kinds of sinful activities: illicit sex, intoxication, meat-eating, and gambling. They are seriously following. They have no illicit sex. Caitanya Mahāprabhu was questioned by a gṛhastha devotee, "How we can understand a Vaiṣṇava?" So He summarily replied that "Vaiṣṇava, to become Vaiṣṇava perfectly..." Asat-saṅga-tyāga ei vaiṣṇava-ācāra (CC Madhya 22.87). This is the first principle. Don't associate with asat. Asato mā sad gama. So next line He described who is asat. Asat eka strī-saṅgī, kṛṣṇābhakta āra—finished. In two lines we can understand who is a Vaiṣṇava. So I have asked them. These people, European and American, they are ordinarily very much accustomed to these habit: illicit sex, gambling, meat-eating. But upon my word they have given up everything.
Philosophy Discussions
Prabhupāda: Yes. Prachurja(?). Just like Kṛṣṇa says, māṁ ca 'vyabhicāreṇa bhakti-yogena yaḥ sevate. Anyone who is engaged in devotional service, brahma-bhūyāya kalpate, he is Brahman. Kṛṣṇa says. Why? Because he is..., that material function has stopped. You are all..., brahma-bhūyāya kalpate because your material function, that illicit sex, meat-eating, drinking, gambling, these things are stopped now. It is working in a different way, therefore it is spiritual.
Prabhupāda: This is salvation, because they are saved from the four kinds of sinful life: illicit sex, meat eating, intoxication and gambling. Because they have got better engagement, they don't like to do this.
Śyāmasundara: He is referring here to art, poetry.
Prabhupāda: Yes, everything is there. Here is art—we are painting. Our students are painting nice pictures. Art. And poetry, all our Bhagavad-gītā and Bhāgavatam are full of poetries.
Prabhupāda: So we are therefore asking people to give up these base qualitative activities—illicit sex and meat-eating and drinking or intoxication and gambling. These are base qualities. So anyone gives up these qualities, he remains in the sattva-guṇa. And then if he is promoted farther, just like Socrates said that goodness is not all, that still you have to..., and that is bhakti. Then his realization is perfect. He becomes liberated, and then gradually he develops love of God, then he is in the original state. Bhaktir hitvā anyathā. As mukti, liberation, means that to be free from this all nonsense engagements.
Purports to Songs
So Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura's explanation says that in this age although people are drunkard, woman-hunter, meat-eater, and all..., gambler, all kinds of sinful actor, still, if they take to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, they'll be delivered, undoubtedly. This is the blessings of Lord Caitanya. Then Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura prays, hā hā prabhu nanda-suta, vṛṣabhānu-sutā-juta. "My dear Lord Kṛṣṇa, You are son of King Nanda, and Your consort Rādhārāṇī is the daughter King Vṛṣabhānu. So You are together here standing."
| Page Title: | Gambling (Lectures) |
| Compiler: | Matea |
| Created: | 19 of Oct, 2010 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=201, Con=0, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 201 |