In the Bhagavad-gītā it is plainly said, mūḍha. Mūḍha means asses, rascal. He does not know his own interest. He is called mūḍha, ass. Just like ass. Ass is whole day working with tons of cloth on his back, but he does not... Not a piece of cloth belongs to him. This is ass. And he is working so hard only for a morsel of grass, which is available everywhere. But he is thinking that "This gentleman, washerman, is giving me food." This is ass. Such food can be available anywhere and everywhere, but he is thinking like that and working so hard. So karmīs are like that. He will eat two capātis or four capātis, but he is working day and night. If you want to see him, he will say, "Oh, I have no time." He does not think at any time that "I am interested to eat four capātis, which can be very easily available. So why I am working so hard?"
Grass (Lectures)
Expressions researched:
"grass"
|"grasses"
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
So these things are described very vividly in Upaniṣad, how guṇa-sanga acts. Just like a fire. There are sparks. The sometimes the sparks fall down from the fire. Now there are three conditions of the fire spark falling down. If the spark falls down on dry grass, then it can immediately ignite the grass, the dry grass. If the spark falls down on ordinary grass, then it burns for some time, then again it becomes extinguished. But if the spark falls down on the water, immediately extinguished, the fiery quality. So those who are captured by the sattva-guṇa, sattva-guṇa, they are intelligent. They have got knowledge. Just like brāhmaṇa. And those who are captured by the rajo-guṇa, they are busy in material activities. And those who have captured tamo-guṇa, they are lazy and sleepy. That's all. These are the symptoms. Tamo-guṇa means they're very lazy and sleepy. Rajo-guṇa means very active, but active like monkey. Just like monkey's very active, but they're all dangerous. You'll never see inactive.
They have got some sentiment. But meat-eating is also there in the Hindu society, but that is only by goat's meat or lamb's meat, generally goat. Generally goat. Now, these goats are sacrificed before a goddess Kālī, Goddess Kālī. So I have seen it, that one animal is being killed, slaughtered, and the, another animal, which will be slaughtered next, he's... It has been given some grass, and it is standing there. You see? It has no knowledge that "My next turn is mine," so it is not going away. So this is animal. This is animal. A human, human being, is not so fool. If there is sign that "Next time my killing is to be taken up," then he... At least he will protest or try to go away, something like that. But there is no such thing.
Because in the beginning the whole planet was covered in water. The water is drying up and gradually land is coming out. So therefore in the beginning the aquatics, jalajā nava-lakṣāṇi. So the aquatic animals, they are 900,000 species. Jalajā nava..., sthāvarā lakṣa-viṁśati. Then trees and plants and herbs and grasses and so many, they are 2,000,000 forms. Then kṛmayo rudra-saṅkhyakāḥ. Then insect life, reptile life, 1,100,000. Then pakṣiṇāṁ daśa-lakṣaṇam, then birds, varieties of birds, 1,000,000. Then paśu, four-legged animals, 3,000,000 types. Then mānuṣāḥ catur-lakṣāṇi. Then human form of life, uncivilized and civilized, that human form of life 400,000. So in comparison to the lower species of life, we are very small quantity. Together there are 8,400,000 species of life, living entities. The evolution process is from one body to another, another, another. In this way, when you come to the human form of life, it should be utilized for full knowledge about our eternal life.
Now, in, in the city, you can know that "I have come so far" because the streets are numbered and the, you have got the location and there are some symptoms, this house or that house. But in the country, everything, every, every place is of the same similar nature, the same jungle, the same field, the same grass. We do not know where I am going. Or in the sea. Or in the sea. I have got experience. Have you ever traveled in the sea? No. But when I was coming from India, so everywhere I see a round only, round of water. I do not know which way the ship is proceeding. You see? But they have got a chart. They have got a chart. By latitude, longitude, by time and by chart, they are calculating. Now, I was asking the Captain, "Where we have come?" He was saying, in the Mediterranean Sea, "Oh, we are so many miles from Italy. We are so many miles from..." Like this. "Tunisia. Now we are coming to Gibraltar." Like this. But I was seeing all vast of water only. I was seeing, "Just after ten miles I shall reach," but it never reaches.
Therefore Kṛṣṇa advises, tāṁs titikṣasva bhārata: "My dear Arjuna, the good descendant of Bharata Mahārāja, you try to tolerate this." Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu has advised, therefore, just to advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, how one should be tolerant. He has said, tṛṇād api sunīcena: "Just you become humbler than the grass." Just like one grass so many people are trampling over. It does not protest. Tṛṇād api sunī..., taror api sahiṣṇunā: "And tolerant more than the tree..." Just like tree. Somebody is taking his branches, somebody is snatching its fruit, sometimes cutting it, but still, the tree is giving you shelter, fruit, and leaves and fruits and flowers. Very good example. So anyone who is desiring to go back to home, back to Godhead, he has to learn to be tolerant and forbearing. That is the instruction of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, tṛṇād api sunīcena taror api sahiṣṇunā, amāninā mānadena: "For himself, one should always think that he has no respect.
So Kṛṣṇa consciousness, you just imagine how important movement it is. It is the best welfare activities for the human society. They are all fools and rascals, and they have no knowledge, ignorant of their constitutional position, and they are unnecessarily working hard day and night. Therefore they have been said, mūḍha. Mūḍha means ass. The ass works day and night for the washerman for little grass. Grass is available everywhere, but he, still, he thinks that "If I do not work for the washerman, very hard, I'll not get this grass." This is called ass. Therefore, when one becomes intelligent after cultivating knowledge, one becomes intelligent by and by. First of all brahmacārī. Then, if one cannot remain a brahmacārī, all right, take a wife, gṛhastha. Then give up, vānaprastha. Then take sannyāsa. This is the process. The mūḍha, they'll work day and night for sense gratification. Therefore, at a certain period of life, that stupidity should be given up and taken sannyāsa. No, finished.
When your puṇya, it is also limited thing, when it is finished, you have to come back. It is said that when they come back on this planet they come through the water, showers, and they fall down on this earth. Again they begin their life as grass and something like that, evolution. Kṣīṇe puṇye martya-lokaṁ viśanti (BG 9.21). Therefore this elevation to the higher planetary system, Kṛṣṇa condemns them. Ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna (BG 8.16). "My dear Arjuna, even if you go to the higher planetary system, Brahmaloka, to live for many millions of years, still when your asset of pious activity will be finished, you'll have to come back here." But He again said, mad-dhāma gatvā punar janma na vidyate, that "If you try to come back to My place, then you'll not come back."
They are also killing. The law is that a living entity lives by killing other living entities. That is the law. Those who have got hands, they are killing those who have got legs. Just like man is killing animal. The animal is eating the grass, those who have no legs. So this is the law. But our thing is that we have to offer yajña. Killing of animal does not mean that if a man kills a cow or goat for eating, he is killing, and those who are vegetarian, they are not killing. They are also killing. A vegetable has also got life. So it is not the question of killing. It is the question of offering yajña. It is the question of offering yajña.
The grains are meant for the human being. The fruits are meant for the dogs. The fruits are meant for the human being. The milk. The milk is produced by the cow, but it is not meant for the cow. It is meant for the human being. If you offer the milk, 30 pounds of milk, after milking the cow, and if you offer to the cow, it will refuse. It will refuse, "I don't want it." Give it dry grass? Oh, it will be very glad. It will be very glad. So everything is organized by the nature.
Now, there are so many scientists. They are discovering vitamin value from foodstuff. Now, what is the vitamin value in the dry grass? Can any scientist say that this is the vitamin value in dry grass? If there is no vitamin value in dry grass, how the cow is producing so much milk, who is full of vitamins A and D? How, from dry grass, vitamins coming out? Nowadays the physician prescribes some artificial vitamins for maintaining your body. Now, what is the vitamin there in the dry grass so that the cow is eating dry grass and giving you nice milk full of vitamins A and D, essential for your life? So these are all wrong theories, that "This contains this vitamin.
Rain is falling on the sea and the ocean also. So there is purpose. Under certain constellation of the star, if the rain falls on the sea, it produces pearls and jewels. We have got this information from Vedic literature. So everything is produced, whatever you require.
Now, pasturing ground for the cows—the grass is produced by rains, and the animals, they eat the grass, and they produce milk. You require milk. So everything, the main source of supply is the rainfall from the sky. That is not under your control. So Bhagavad-gītā says, parjanyād anna-sambhavaḥ. Without rain, you cannot have any production. Nothing can be produced without rain. And without production you cannot live. But rain, regular rain, and regulative rain and useful rain will fall when you perform sacrifices, yajña. Yajñād bhavati parjanyaḥ (BG 3.14).
The whole day's business was that he would go to a householder. Because in India still the system is a householder keeps at least, in the village, at least ten to twelve cows. But he hasn't got to pay anything for keeping these. The cows go to the pasturing ground and in the evening comes back. And some grass, dry grass which is by-product of the grains, that is offered to her, and instead of, in place she offers milk. So milk in the village, still it is available very easily, without any expenses.
Now Śukadeva Gosvāmī, because his whole day's business was just to stand before a householder's door because every householder milking. And people know that this swamiji or this sage has come to take some milk. "Oh Bābā, whatever you want you take." So what? Say one pound or less than one pound drinks and goes away. The whole day was finished business. So Śukadeva Gosvāmī was doing like that.
Prahlāda Mahārāja says, "These rascals, unnecessarily they are working so hard like an ass just to get a morsel of food." That's all. Unnecessarily. Everyone is eating four cāpāṭis, but he's working so hard, like an ass. Well, ass also can get his share of foodstuff anywhere. The ass is so fool that he can get grass anywhere. It is for a few pieces of grass only, he's loading on his back so much burden from the washerman. He thinks that "The washerman is giving me this morsel of grass." He's so foolish that he can see there are grasses so many here and there. Still, he has agreed to take the burden. Therefore, he's an ass. Similarly, the karmīs, you see in Bombay. There are so many karmīs. They are working so hard. What is that? He's also eating less. Four cāpāṭis, that's all. But he does not think that "Four cāpāṭis, why I am working so hard and wasting my time?"
The life is meant for understanding what is my relationship with God.
You are taking woods, leaves, flowers, but the trees do not make any protest. They are standing silently. Therefore they are very tolerant. The example of toleration is trees. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that one has to become humbler than the grass or straw in the street, tolerant than the tree, and amāninā, and refusing all kinds of respectful addresses from others, but offering all respect to others. He's not prepared to accept any respect from others, but he is prepared to give all respect to others.
So all these things are explained. That means in other words, I completely refuse to become anything of this material world. Suppose somebody insults me, "You are rascal. You are such and such man." But if I know that I am (not) this body, I have nothing to do with this body, then you may call me "rascal" or "your lordship," it is the same thing for me, because I am not this body.
Therefore they are called mūḍhas. The karmīs who are working for sense gratification day and night, they have been called as mūḍhas. Mūḍhas means asses. The ass works very hard, the washerman's cloth loaded on the back of the ass to the greatest extent so that he cannot move. But what does he get in exchange? A morsel of grass. That's all. He knows it, that in exchange of... "None of the cloth belongs to me; still, I am carrying so much burden, and in exchange I'll get a few pieces of grass," which is available anywhere. But he's thinking that "This washerman will supply me grass." This is ass, ass-mentality. Therefore they are called mūḍha.
That means we are human being, we have got hands, and we are eating animals. They have got only legs; they have no hands. So sahastānām ahastāni: "Those who have got hands, they are eating the animals which have no hands." And apadāni catuṣ-padām: "Those who have no legs, they are being eaten by the four-legged." Just like a cow eating grass. So grass cannot move. It has life, but it cannot move. So and... phalgūni tatra mahatām. Phalgūni, "those who are weak, they are being eaten by the..." Just like we find lizards. In your country you don't find lizards. In India we have got many lizards in the walls. They are eating small ants. Phalgūni mahatāṁ tatra. And in the snake, snake kingdom, you will find the small snakes are being by the big snake. Similarly, in sea water also, you will find small fishes are being eaten by the big fishes.
The example is given: Just like fire, big fire, and the sparks are coming out from the fire. That is natural. Similarly, the big fire is Kṛṣṇa, and we are small sparks. So the sparks sometimes fall down from the original fire, "phut! phut!" falls down. So falls down... When the fire sparks falls down on the dry grass, it creates fire. And if it is fallen down on the land, it keeps the fiery element for some time. But if it falls down on the water, immediately it is extinguished.
Similarly, when we fall down from Kṛṣṇa's association, the fire, big fire and the sparks, if we be in touch with the modes of goodness, then we keep some Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Just like the brāhmaṇas. The quality of satyaṁ śamo damas titikṣā. And if we fall down on the ground, then we keep sometimes the fiery quality. That is passion. Three qualities, goodness and passion.
So this is simply my false identification with the dress that I become angry. Actually if I am self-realized, self-disciplined... Self-discipline means not to identify with this body. That is self-discipline. It requires training of course. Caitanya Mahāprabhu teaches therefore, tṛṇād api sunīcena. That a smaller than the smallest grass. Actually if I realized what is the spiritual dimension, actually my dimension, length and breadth you cannot measure because I am actually a very small spiritual particle. You cannot measure one ten-thousandth part of the tip of your hair. That is my measurement. So if I am smaller than the grass, that's a fact. I am still smaller, smaller, I do not know how smaller but I am thinking of this body. An elephant is thinking that "I am so big," or a man is thinking, "I am so big," ant is thinking, "I am so small." This smallness, bigness is due to this body. Therefore in Bhagavad-gītā you will find, paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ (BG 5.18).
Therefore he sees the elephant and the ant on the same level, on spiritual vision, not on this external vision. This is called self-realization.
Self-realization you have heard so many times. What is that self-realization? Self-realization means I am not this body, I am spirit soul. That is self-realization. So if I am smaller than the grass then if somebody says that "You are lower than the grass," or "You are smaller than the grass," that's a fact. So sometimes this insulting words may come from others but if you are self-realized you know that I am not this body. So let him insult. Let me tolerate. Caitanya Mahāprabhu teaches that taror api sahiṣṇunā. Toleration like the tree. Best example. You cannot find any tolerant living entity than a tree because it is standing day and night in scorching heat, in severe cold, there is wind, there is rainfall, it does not not make any protest—standing tolerant. People are taking leaves, flowers, fruits, cutting, and never protests.
This is a symbol of toleration. Caitanya Mahāprabhu recommends that you become tolerant than the tree and smaller than the small grass on the street and you give all honor to others and don't expect any honor. Because people do not know how to honor me. Real honor is that you are servant of Kṛṣṇa. That is real honor. And if I say, "Your majesty, your honor, your lordship," they are all false. Real honor is when I call you that you are servant of God or servant of Kṛṣṇa. That is real honor.
So self-discipline and constantly endeavoring for perfection. This is the perfection. Always be situated in self-realized condition that I am not this body. This is perfection. Actually it is. But due to my ignorance I am identifying with this body, therefore I am now self-realized. So constantly endeavoring.
Prabhupāda: This is the prescription how to practice yoga. In your country, the yoga practice is very popular. There are many so-called yoga societies. But here is the prescription given by the Supreme Lord how to practice yoga. Go on.
Devotee: "One should go to a secluded place and should lay kuśa grass on the ground and then cover it with a deerskin and a soft cloth. The seat should neither be too high nor too low and should be situated in a sacred place. The yogi should then sit on it very firmly and should practice yoga by controlling the mind and the senses, purifying the heart and fixing the mind on one point."
Prabhupāda: The first prescription is how to sit and where to sit. Sitting posture. You have to select a place where you shall sit down and practice yoga. That is the first prescription. Go on.
Similarly, there are different kinds and different grades of living entities. Their standard of feeling happiness and miseries are also different grades. Animal. In the animal kingdom, they have no sense. One animal is being slaughtered. The other animal is seeing because he has no knowledge the next turn is he is being turned..., being slaughtered, but he is chewing some grass. He is happy. He is thinking that "I am happy." Next moment it will be slaughtered, but he does not know. So these are all different grades of happiness. But the highest standard of happiness is described here, sukham ātyantikaṁ yat tad buddhi-grāhyam atīndriyam (BG 6.21). Buddhi-grāhyam atīndriyam. Buddhi means intelligence. One has to be intelligent. If you want to enjoy life, then you must be intelligent also. Just like the animals, they are not intelligent enough. Therefore they cannot enjoy life as a human being can, standard. So here, in the Bhagavad-gītā also, it is said that buddhi-grāhyam atīndriyam.
Unnecessary working. The ass... The example is given, the ass, because ass has no sense. He works very hard. The... You have got experience. The washerman's ass, it is loaded with three tons of cloth and takes it to the ghāṭa and again brings it. And what is the result? He gets little grass. That's all. But he has no sense that this grass, I can get anywhere. Why I am so working hard for this washerman? Therefore it is ass. I'll take four cāpāṭis, but I am working so hard. There is no limit of my working. And one day Kṛṣṇa comes. Please get out. Finished. So we are all asses. Therefore Kavirāja Gosvāmī says: kṛṣṇa yei bhaje se baḍa catura. Only intelligent man is he who is Kṛṣṇa conscious. Otherwise all asses.
No. That you cannot do. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). Duratyayā means it is very difficult. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu, when He was informed this statement of Brahmā, that one should give up the speculative method, that he can create something... These nonsense habits should be given up. He must become very humble. Humbler than the grass. Just like we trample over the grass; it does not protest. "All right, sir, you go." That type of humble. Tṛṇād api sunīcena taror api sahiṣṇunā. Taru means tree. Tree is so much forbearing.
So Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, jñāne prayāsam udapāsya namanta eva... "Or then I, I give up the speculative process and I become humbler, as you advise. Then what is My next duty?" Next duty is: namanta eva, being humble, san-mukharitāṁ bhavadīya-vārtām, you should approach a person who is a devotee, and you should hear from him. Sthāne sthitāḥ. You remain in your place. You remain American. You remain Indian. You remain Christian. You remain a Hindu. You remain black.
One has to become tolerant like the grass. Tṛṇād api sunīcena. Sunīcena. Just like we are trampling over the grasses. So many people are going on: no protest. Trees—we are cutting trees. We are taking their leaves, their fruits, taking shelter of the trees, when there is sunrise, is very scorching. And still we are cutting. Tolerant. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu has given these two instances: taror api sahiṣṇunā, tṛṇād api sunīcena. And amāninā mānadena. For one's self, for personal self, don't claim any respect, but you give respect to all others. Amāninā mānadena kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ (CC Adi 17.31). If you can situate yourself in this position, then you can chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra very peacefully. You'll not be disturbed. If you chant, if you begin chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, then your friends will criticize. It is very easy job, but for the fear of criticism from my friends, "I do not like to chant. I do not like, like to take the beads. I can carry a trans..." What is called? That?
Big snake is eating small snake. There is a verse in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, apadāni catuṣ-padām. Those who are two-legged, they are eating the four-legged. And the four-legged animals, they are eating who cannot walk. Apadāni catuṣ-padām. Those who cannot move, just like grass, plants, tree, they cannot move, they are being eaten up by the four-legged animals. And the four-legged animals are being eaten by the two-legged animals, human beings. Just try to understand how the weaker section is serving the stronger section. That is the law of nature. Jīvo jīvasya jīvanam. One living entity is the food or living means for another living entity, by nature's law. So the conclusion is that we must render service to the strong. This is nature's law.
There are, we have several times explained, many types of living entities. Jalajā nava-lakṣāṇi sthāvarā lakṣa-viṁśati. The aquatics, they are also living entities. There are 900,000 forms of body within the water. They are also living entities. And... Jalajā nava-lakṣāṇi sthāvarā lakṣa-viṁśati. Sthāvarāḥ means living entities who cannot move—trees, plants, herbs, grass. They cannot move. So they are two millions. So in this way you come to the human being. They are also living entities. There are 400,000 different forms. We can see here. We are human being, but we have got different forms, different color.
They are called caṇḍālas. Caṇḍālo 'pi dvija-śreṣṭho hari-bhakti-parāyaṇaḥ. Even if a caṇḍāla... Caṇḍāla means the dog-eaters. So these animal-eaters, they are also animal, describing, animal with two hands. Ahastānāṁ sahastā... Ahastāni sahastānām. Apadāni catuṣ-padām. Apadāni means those who have no legs, like plants, trees, the grass. They have no legs. They are standing. They have got legs, but they have no moving power. They are called pāda-pa. Pāda-pa means they have got legs for eating. We are eating with mouth; they are eating with legs.
So everything, analytical study is there in the śāstras very minute, senses and power, who has got. The fish, they have got very good sensation power. Means two miles away, they get sensation there is enemy, "Somebody's coming to eat me." These are all described in the Bhāgavatam. The frogs, they can become in samādhi, situated in samādhi, for many, many years. So these things are not very great things, to have samādhi, to have yogic principles. Even in the animals you will find.
A similar mūḍha means the ass is generally engaged in service by the washerman. The washerman loads the ass with tons of cloth, and whole day he works for the washerman, carrying tons of cloth. But at the end of the day he is offered a morsel of grass, and he is satisfied. And by eating that grass, when he is sexually impulse, he goes to the she-ass, and the she-ass kicks on his face. And still, he runs after the she-ass. The karmīs, they are also like that. Therefore they have been called as mūḍhas. They are working whole day very hard, but they are eating sometimes two cāpāṭis. That's all. Earning one crore of rupees per day, but eating two cāpāṭis only. Therefore they are mūḍhas. He has no sense that "Only for two cāpāṭis I am working so hard. And for sex life I have to bear so much expenses at the order of my wife." These are facts. We should not be sorry. Because Kṛṣṇa says. When we, I mean to say, deliberately discuss on śāstras, there is no question of compromising. We must face the bare facts.
You cannot say, "But why shall I go through guru or through Vaiṣṇava to Kṛṣṇa? I can go directly. I am so qualified." No, you are not qualified. If you jump over like that, that is not... That is... In Bengal it is said, honar din ke ghaska (?). There is grass before the horse. If you think that I shall jump over the horse and eat the grass, that is not possible. So one should be devotee first of all. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). We must approach a bona fide guru in order to understand the science of Kṛṣṇa. Abhigacchet. This I have explained several times. So anasūyave. If you want to learn Kṛṣṇa, then you should be very much humble and submissive to Kṛṣṇa and His devotee, anasūyave.
If you dig earth, you'll find many living entities. If you make a study of the air, you'll find many living entities. If you go deep into the water, you'll find living entities. So all over the universe there are full of different types of living entities. And He has divided all these living entities into two classes. Some are moving and some are not moving. Just like trees, plants, grass, they cannot move. Stone. Stone has also life, but it is not developed conscious. It is too much covered, stone life. Similarly, a person, even in human body, if he does not understand his position, he's almost stonelike. So these are stones, trees, grass and so many others. They are "not-moving" living entities. And there are moving entities just like aquatics, beasts, birds, reptiles, human being, demigods, oh, celestial angels, so many. There are moving. So out of the moving entities, very small number are human beings. There are 8,400,000's of species of life. Out of that, only 400,000 species of life are this human body.
We have got this experience. Because although it is small, but it is fire. Therefore it burns. Similarly, we are a small particle, part and parcel of God. Just like the spark, it falls down from the fire. There may be three conditions. The spark may fall down on the ground, the spark may fall down on the water and the spark may fall down on some dry grass. So if the spark falls down on the dry grass, then it may, again, makes another fire. And if the spark falls down on the water, then it is completely finished. And if it falls down on the ground, then it may continue as fire for some time, then it becomes extinguished.
Anyway, in these three conditions... So when we fall down in this material world... The material world is of three modes of material nature, goodness, passion and ignorance. So if we acquire the quality of goodness, there is chance of enlightenment, knowledge, so that again fire can be generated. But if we fall down on the water, practically it is finished. Ignorance. So sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa.
So many things you can go on studying. That is also, one sense, studying the sun, but not sun also.
So pṛthaktvena and viśvato-mukham. Viśvato-mukham means the universal form. Just like it is stated in the śāstras, the hills, oh, they are bones of God. The trees and grass and, I mean to say, vegetation, vegetation, they are just like hairs on the body of the Lord. So the, the ocean is the navel of God. In this way there are description. The highest planet, Svarga, Brahmaloka, oh, that is the head of God. The lowest planet, Pātālaloka, that is, I mean to say, sole of the God. These things are described, the whole universal form. So somebody prefers the universal form, somebody prefers that "All, everything, whatever we see, it is God," and somebody prefers that "I am God."
So the process is very simple, man-manā bhava mad-bhaktaḥ, and all other things, they will come automatically. Actually Kṛṣṇa is supplying everything. Kṛṣṇa is supplying this grass. The animal will eat. And the animal will supply you milk. You'll drink the milk. So Kṛṣṇa is supplying. Everything is being supplied by Kṛṣṇa, actually, but because we do not know Kṛṣṇa and do not love Kṛṣṇa, cannot understand. But supply is being made by Kṛṣṇa, yoga-kṣemaṁ vahāmy aham (BG 9.22), even for the nondevotees. So what to speak of the devotee? It automatically comes. This is the way. So the point is there is no difficulty to become Kṛṣṇa conscious, and the result is so big that mām evaiṣyasi asaṁśayaḥ (BG 18.68). Yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama (BG 15.6). So for such great benefit of life, if you simply think of Kṛṣṇa and become His devotee, why shall I lose this opportunity? What is that intelligence?
Just like the animals, they cannot know, they do not know, what is unhappiness. When there is a slaughterhouse, they'll be slaughtered next moment. They are standing and eating grass because, due to ignorance. They do not know. Similarly, when human society becomes thrown (?) into ignorance, they do not know what is unhappiness. Their struggle for existence and therefore, therefore they are in unhappiness. They are never satisfied, full of anxiety. In spite of having all these things, the foolish man says, "Yes, we are advancing in civilization." This is their ignorance and foolishness.
So Kṛṣṇa conscious person, if they want to serve Kṛṣṇa, if they want to render some service to Kṛṣṇa, their first business is to dispel this ignorance of the humans. That is the best service.
Rather, on the contrary, it supplies you fruits, flower, and gives you shelter. So tree is the nicest example for tolerance. So Lord Caitanya teaches us that we should become tolerant just like a tree. And tṛṇād api sunīcena, and forbearance just like a grass. Just like you trample over grass. It does not protest. Tṛṇād api sunīcena taror api sahiṣṇunā, amāninā.
And you should not be puffed up with your artificial honor. "Oh, I am this. I am that." This, that, that belongs to this body. You are apart from this body. Suppose you are king in this body. So you have no connection with that body. And suppose you are the poorest man. You have no connection with that body. So why do you identify yourself that "I am poor" or "I am king"? You are neither king, neither poor. You are spirit soul. Therefore amāninā. You should not be hankering after these temporary honors of this material world.
Nine hundred thousand forms of body in the water, jalajā nava-lakṣāṇi.
The botanists or the expert scientists, they cannot say how many forms of lives are there in the water. Sthavarā lakṣa-viṁśati. The botanists there are, but they do not know how many forms of vegetable, trees, and plants are there. But in the śāstra it is said, sthavarā lakṣa-viṁśati: "Two million types of bodies, trees, plants, grass, two millions." Everything is specifically mentioned. In this way, there are insects also, kṛmayo rudra-saṅkhyakaḥ. There are birds, pakṣiṇāṁ daśa-lakṣaṇam, one million types of birds.
Then human being, manuṣyāḥ catur-lakṣāṇi, only four hundred thousand forms of human life, of which the civilized form of life, especially those who are born in India... To take birth in India, Bhārata-varsa, is a great fortune. Unfortunately, we are neglecting this facility given by nature. Because in India there were so many saintly persons, so many great sages...
There are eight million four hundred thousand forms of living entities. Jalajā nava-lakṣāṇi. In the water there are nine hundred thousand forms of living entity. Then, jalajā nava-lakṣāṇi sthāvarā lakṣa-viṁśati. Sthāvarāḥ means the living entities who cannot move, just like the trees, plants, grass, vegetables. They are standing in one place. They are also called "having no leg." Ahastāni sahastānām apadāni catuṣ-padām. This is nature's law, that the living entities which have no hands, they are eatable for the living entities who have hands. Ahastāni sahastānām apadāni catuṣ-padām. And the living entities which cannot move, they are the food for the living entities which has got four legs. Phalgūni mahatāṁ tatra jīvo jīvasya jīvanam.
In this way the weak is the food for the strong. This is the law of nature, that one living entity is the food for another living entity. So when a person eats another living entity, it is not unnatural. This is nature's law.
That also can be counted, maybe hundred, two hundred different types of forms of human beings. But there are four hundred thousands. Four hundred thousand. That is the human race.
And eight millions other forms. Eight millions. The aquatics, the trees, these plants, the grass and the insects. We have experience how many different types of insects are there in Māyāpur. During night, so many different types of insects come to the fire, to the light. This is another illusion. These insects, they are coming, being attracted by the beauty of the light. The electric light, it is not open. Otherwise, these insects come in the burning fire and die. Beauty. Captivated by the beauty of the fire. So actually it is going on. We are attracted by the beauty of māyā and exactly we are falling to the fire and dying.
There are three kinds of influences, you must always know, material influences.
Just like the example is given that there is fire and the sparks are dancing, but some of the sparks fall down, from the fire falls down on the ground. So one spark falls on the water, one spark falls on the dry grass, and one spark falls on the wet grass. These are three conditions. So when we fall down from the spiritual world... As part and parcel we are in the spiritual, our position in the spiritual world. But when we fall down within this material world, we fall down in such way; some is fallen down on the water, some is fallen down on the dry grass, some is fallen on the wet grass.
So dry grass means although he has fallen, he has no material desire. That is sattva-guṇa. There are men, who... Just like devotees. The devotees are also wandering, moving in Bombay, but they have no such desire to enjoy Bombay.
Some of them are in touch with the material modes of goodness, some of them are in touch with the material modes of passion, and some of them are in touch with the material modes of ignorance. So those who are in ignorance, they are just like fallen in the water. As the fire falls on the water, it extinguishes completely. And the dry grass, if a spark of fire falls, taking advantage of the dry grass, the fire ignites. It becomes again fire.
Similarly, those who are in the modes of goodness, they can easily awaken their Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Because in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, yeṣāṁ tv anta-gataṁ pāpām. Why people are not coming to this temple? Because the difficulty is some of them are in gross ignorance. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhaḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15).
So the śāstra says, ahastāni, "The animals who hasn't got hands, they are food for the animals with two hands." Ahastāni sahastānām and apadāni catuṣ-padām: "And the animals or the living entities which cannot move, apadāni..." Pada means legs.
Just like the trees, plants, grass. They cannot move. They have no leg. They have got leg, but they cannot move. They are eating through the legs. Therefore they are called pada-pa, means "collecting waters through the leg." Just these trees. They are drinking water from within the earth with their legs. Therefore they push their roots very deep to find out where is water. And if you put little water on the root of the tree, they live. They drink water. They are standing on the river side drinking water and becoming very flourished. But although they are drinking the same water, still, they are differently constituted with different fruits, different flowers. This is God's creation, we have to understand that.
This is God's creation, we have to understand that.
So apadāni sapadānām, apadāni catuṣ-padām. Apadāni means those who cannot move, these trees, plants, grass, they are eatables for the four-legged animals, catuṣ-padām. Catuḥ means four. Similarly, phalgūni mahatāṁ tatra. Those who are weak, they are food for the strong. That is going on. "Might is right." In the human society also. Just like you Europeans, Americans... Europeans they have come. You come this land of America. Because you are strong, you have eaten up all the original inhabitants. (laughs) So this is going on. This is called struggle for existence.
Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, tat kṣetraṁ yac ca yādṛk ca. Why we find so many varieties of life? How it has come into being? It is... Everything will be explained by Kṛṣṇa. He says, tat samāsena me śṛṇu: "From Me you hear."
These are false pride. So actual knowledge is that "I am smaller than the straw in the street." That is the instruction of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that tṛṇād api sahiṣṇunā: one should be tolerant. One should be humbler than the straw in the street. Sunīcena. One should think himself as smaller than the grasses on the street. And tṛṇād api sunīcena taror api sahiṣṇunā. And one should be tolerant like the tree. Amāninā, without claiming any respect from others. Amāninā mānadena, but one should give all respect to others. Mānadena kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ (CC Adi 17.31). In that stage one can chant Hare Kṛṣṇa very nicely. Of course, it is very difficult, but Kṛṣṇa will help us.
Now, this tṛṇād api sunīcena, one may think, "Oh, it is artificial to think that I am smaller than the grass in the street." But actually, it is not artificial. It is actually the fact. Why? From the Padma Purāṇa, Vedic literature, we understand that the form of the soul is one ten-thousandth part of the upper portion of the hair.
Actually, we are very small. That small particle of soul is within the ant and within the elephant. It is a bodily expansion only that we are, we appear..., the elephant appears to be the biggest animal, and the ant or the germ appears to be the smallest. But actually, these are bodily expansions. The soul as it is is really smaller than the grass or straw on the street.
So Vedic aphorism says that ahaṁ brahmāsmi. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi. So ahaṁ brahmāsmi sometimes mistakenly is understood that "I am the Supreme God." Ahaṁ brahmāsmi means "I am Brahman." Brahman means spirit. "I am spirit soul." This conception, this identification, is right. This is the right identification. As soon as I think that "I am elephant" or "I am ant," that is not my identification. That is my misidentification. My real identification is that "I am neither ant nor elephant, but I am spirit soul." But sometimes by identifying myself with the spirit soul, sometimes I falsely claim that "I am the supreme soul."
Demonic characteristic is already there. Just like dambhaḥ. A dog has also pride: "I am this dog, grr." (laughter) "I am fox terrier. I am this. I am that." So dambhaḥ is there even in the dog, even in the lower animal, even in the cat. But the divine characteristic, "Oh, I am so low," Tṛṇād api sunīcena, "I am lower than the grass. I am lower than the grass"... This is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's teaching. What is this dambhaḥ? Why I should be pride? What is this pride? So that is ignorance, due to ignorance. When one man is unnecessarily proud, that means it is due to ignorance. And Caitanya-caritāmṛta author, he describes himself that "I am lower than the worms in the stool."
Nine lakh species in the water, and trees and plants, there are two million species. Similarly, insects, sthāvarā lakṣa-viṁśati. Jalajā nava-lakṣāṇi sthāvarā lakṣa-viṁśati, kṛmayo rudra-saṅkhyayaḥ. Eleven lakhs species, 1,100,000 species of insects, serpents, snakes, like that, gradually developing from water, fish, to... As the water dries up, then they come out as grass, as vegetables. Then grow, different types of trees, plants, creepers. Then gradually develops to become insects, flies. Then develops to serpents.
So for them this is the best formula. What is that? Hitvātma-pātaṁ gṛham andha-kūpam. He should give up this so-called family life which is just like a dark well. Hitvātma-pātam. The dark well... In the paddy field or in agricultural field they are. Formerly they used to dig wells, and sometimes they are covered with grass, and one man cannot know that there is... (break) ...and he should go to forest. Vanaṁ gataḥ. Then what will be the benefit? Now, harim āśrayeta: "Just take shelter of Kṛṣṇa." Instead of taking shelter of these lusty desires, you take shelter of Kṛṣṇa. Then your life is successful. Thank you very much. (end)
There are sparks, fire sparks, with the blazing fire. Now, the sparks sometimes fall down outside the fire. So take the fire as spiritual world, and the spark is in the spiritual world, within the fire, but sometimes it falls down. Now, when it falls down it comes in the material world and... Now what kind of falldown it is? Now, the spark may fall down in dry grass. As soon as it falls down in dry grass, there is chance of igniting fire in the dry grass—sattva-guṇa. That is sattva-guṇa. And if the fire spark falls down on the ground, then for some time it looks like fiery, but again it becomes extinguished. That is rajo-guṇa. And if the fire sparks falls down in water—immediately finished, no more fire. So that is the distinction, the tamo-guṇa, rajo-guṇa and sattva-guṇa. So those who are in the tamo-guṇa, they are hopeless. They can do something, waste time, but being in the tamo-guṇa, just like the spark being in the water... Water and fire, they are two opposite. So if one remains in tamo-guṇa, he has no chance of coming out to become fire again. There is no chance.
Just like Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī said, dante nidhāya tṛṇakaṁ padayor nipatya. He was a great devotee of Lord Caitanya. Caitanya and Kṛṣṇa, the same. So he says, "I have taken a grass on my mouth." That is a Indian system, you know. To accept a grass, that means to become very humble. Dante nidhāya tṛṇakaṁ padayor nipatya. "And falling down on your feet," kāku-śataṁ kṛtvā cāhaṁ bravīmi, "I am flattering you hundred times. I am just appealing to you one thing." "What is that?" He sādhavaḥ: "You are a very great man. You are a very pious man. But I request you: 'You give up everything. Whatever you nonsense, you have learned, please give up.' " "Then what I have to do?" Caitanya-candra-caraṇe kuruta anurāgam: "Just become a devotee of Lord Caitanya."
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
These dark well are sometimes there in the paddy field. I have seen one dark well. In your country when I was guest in John Lennon's house in 1969 we saw in the garden there was a dark well. Dark well means a very deep ditch, well, but it is covered with grass. You cannot know that there is a deep well, but while walking, you may fall down within it. And it is already covered with grass, and it is very deep. If you fall down and you try to get out of it, because it is lonely place, nobody is there, nobody may hear you, and you may simply die without any help.
So this materialistic way of life, without any knowledge of the outside world, or without any knowledge... Outside world means just like we are within this universe. It is covered. The round thing which we see in the sky, that is the covering. Just like a coconut shell. A coconut shell, within and without. Within the coconut shell it is darkness, and without it is light. Similarly, this universe is just like the coconut.
So that we may come to our sense, if there is any possibility of making a solution of this miserable condition of life... But we are so callous, just like animals. They do not know. The animals are kept in the room for being slaughtered. They do not know. They are eating grass and very happy. Not happy. Some of them know that "We are going to be killed." They cry. But there is no escape. What can be done? But human life is not like animals. They must know that "We are in threefold miserable condition of life, adhyātmika, adhibhautika, adhidaivika. And we do not want these all miserable condition. We want to be happy. We want to be peaceful. How to do it?"
That is clearly stated in the Bhagavad-gītā:
Therefore he's ass. Ass does not enjoy life, but works very hard. We have got... Several times explained. In India, the washermen keep an ass, and the ass bears ten tons of loads on the backside and goes to the ghāṭa, for washing ghāṭa. And he is let loose there, and a morsel of grass, a little, few pieces of grass. And he's eating there, standing, for again returning with ten tons of load. He is given freedom. He does not think that "Why shall I work so hard? This grass is available everywhere. I can go. Why I am working for this washerman?" But he has no sense. Therefore he is called ass. Similarly, all these karmīs, they are working so hard, but they are eating, say, two pieces of bread and a cup of tea or milk. That's all. Or something else. They have been collared.
In the Kali Yuga, the working will be more harder and harder. Just like an ass. Ass, the example is given always, ass. How much hard work it carries on. Tons of cloth, carrying on the back, going to the ghāṭa. What for? Simply little grass. That's all. Therefore it is called ass. The ass is working simply for a morsel of grass. Grass, there are so many. You can get. But it is because it is ass, he's thinking that "The washerman is my master. He'll give me the grass." Just see.
This is ignorance. It is a very good example of foolishness. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa has provided everything. Kṛṣṇa is giving food to the elephant. In Africa, there are millions of elephants, and each elephant is eating at least eighty-two pounds at a time. But who is supplying the food? They have no economic problem. They have no bank balance. How they are eating? This is to be studied. This is called nature's study.
That is, that is the only business of the human form of life and not working hard like asses and cows. Sa eva go-karaḥ. These examples are there in the... I was giving the example while coming. Who was there? That this ass... Ass, one ass was going. So the ass, he can eat grass anywhere. There are so many grasses. But he's thinking that "Unless I work very hard, the washerman will not give me grass." You see? This is ass intelligence. Everything is there. Why ass? There are elephants. In Africa there are millions of elephants. They're eating at the, at one time, at least eighty-two pounds, but they are supplied food.
So there is no question of... This is all political propaganda: "There is no food. There is increase of population." Nothing. Everything, Kṛṣṇa can provided. Eko bahūnāṁ yo vidadhāti kāmān nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13).
The whole world, this rascaldom is going on. I have traveled over many countries, all over the world. In Africa there are so much vacant land. In Australia there are so much vacant land. But nobody is producing food grains. They, they have kept some cattles, these cows. They are automatically maintained. There is grass. And when they are fatty, take them and send to the slaughterhouse and eat. But the land is lying vacant. The land is lying vacant.
So therefore people are not following the rules and regulations given by God or by nature's own way. They have invented their own way of living condition. Therefore they are suffering. Now we see in Calcutta or any other... Now it is a problem. Everywhere the problem will be food shortage and fuel shortage, power shortage. This is the prediction of many, many great scientists. Because people are committing so many sinful life, they must starve. That is the punishment. That is the punishment.
They cannot understand. Mūḍha. Less intelligent means mūḍha. The symbol of less intelligence is ass, mūḍha. The ass... Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura has described the karmīs as mūḍha because they work very hard. Although the necessity of life is very little, still they work very hard, day and night. The ass is the symbol because the ass eats only a morsel of grass, but for the washerman, he works so hard. So mūḍha. Because the people are mūḍhas, they cannot understand Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Where is the stoppage of laboring? " No. That you cannot stop. Your progress means you simply work hard. And because you are illusioned, that hard-working, you are thinking progress, happiness. That's all. This is called māyā. He is working just like an ass. The ass, ass, ass is working whole day and night for the washerman for a morsel of grass. But ass, why it is called ass? He can, the ass can have grasses anywhere, but he, for that, he's working very hard for the washerman. Therefore he's ass. He has no sense that "Why I shall work for this washerman so hard? I can get this morsel of grass anywhere." But he'll work.
So ass politician, ass family man, ass community leader. So... All asses, mūḍhāḥ. Na māṁ prapadyante mūḍhāḥ. All asses. They'll not surrender to Kṛṣṇa to get relief. They'll work like ass. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, na māṁ prapadyante mūḍhāḥ duṣkṛtino narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15). They have no brain, alpa-medhasaḥ. No brain substance.
I have nothing to do with your activities, but I can see..., I am seeing what you are doing. So He is upadraṣṭā. And anumantā. Anumantā means the individual soul cannot do anything without the sanction of the Supersoul. Either you may do something good or bad, but it has to be taken sanction from the Supersoul.
Just like there is a English version, that "Not a grass moves without the sanction of God." So without sanction of God, we cannot do anything. You may say that when we do something bad, why God gives us sanction? God does not give us sanction, but we force Him to give us sanction. Therefore He gives us sanction. Otherwise, He does not give sanction. But because we want to do it persistently, so God gives us sanction: "All right. You can do it. And you have to enjoy or suffer the result."
The ass loads on the back tons of clothes of the washerman, and he carries it to the place where they wash, and again carries back. But he is satisfied with a little grass. The ass does not know that "I can get this little grass, there are thousands and thousands of tons of grass on the outer field. Why I am engaged in the service of this washerman and doing this?" He has no sense. He thinks that carrying the tons of clothes for the washerman he has responsibility in business, so many things.
So actually the modern men, without being properly civilized, without being properly educated, they are exactly like dogs, hogs, camels and asses. We take it like that, they are no better than. So what is the votes of them? What will they choose? They will choose another big camel or big cat or big dog, that's all, because he doesn't know. If you are human being, you know who is another human being. But if you are dog, camel and ass, how can you understand who is a human being?
We kill animals, but the animals do not come to the..., to us, that "We are starving. Give us food." Never. By nature, there is arrangement, foodstuff. The cows, the other animals, they are eating grass. There is profuse growth of grass. So they are not eating your nice foodstuff, sandeśa, rasagullā. You are making sandeśa, rasagullā from the milk which they deliver. They are eating grass and delivering you nice foodstuff, milk. And from the milk, you can make hundreds and thousands of nice, nutritious, full of vitamin foodstuff. But no. We are so fool that instead of utilizing the milk, we are utilizing the blood. You see?
These rascals, the scientists, they do not know that milk is nothing but transformation of the blood. That everyone knows. So if you want to... That is nature's way, by God's will, that a cow gives forty pounds, fifty pounds milk daily, but it does not drink. Although it is her milk, no, it gives you, human society: "You take. But don't kill me. Let me live. I am eating only grass." Just see. And the civilized men killing them, killing them. And they want peace. Just see the fun. Without touching your foodstuff, the cow is eating the grass which is given by God, immense grass, and they are giving you the finest foodstuff, milk. Just after your birth you have only to drink milk, either mother's milk... Nowadays, mothers do not supply milk. That is also to be supplied by the cow. So from the very beginning of my life I am subsisting by the foodstuff given by mother, cow, and when I am grown up, I kill. This is my gratitude. Just see. And they are called civilized. Less than lowest animal, narādhama.
So the example is given... I think I have several times recited this example. When the spirit soul is separated from God... Just like a small sparks is separated from the whole fire, (knocking sound) falls down... What is that sound? So the sparks falls down on the ground. So there are three possibilities. If the sparks falls on dry grass, then immediately there is little fire, because grass is dry. And if it falls down on the green vegetation, then it is not immediately extinguished. There is little heat. But if the sparks falls down in the water, then immediately extinguished. So as soon as we are separated from God... We are all parts and parcel of God. Separation means when I want to imitate God. I want to become exactly... Because enviousness, due to enviousness... Icchā-dveṣa samutthena (BG 7.27). When we become envious... "Oh, God is enjoyer, so why not I become an enjoyer?" "Yes," God says, "you become enjoyer." So then he falls down in this material world.
So if he falls down or contacts the mode of goodness, that is considered the fire spark falling on dry grass. Dry grass means... Goodness means one who is situated almost on the spiritual platform. Just like the brahminical qualification: truthfulness, controlling the senses, controlling the mind, simplicity, full of knowledge, practical application of knowledge in life, and completely faith in God. That is brahminical qualification. Satyaṁ śamo damas titikṣā ārjavam, jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyaṁ brahma-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.42). And passion means strong desire to enjoy this material world. Generally, the kings, the politicians, they are very much passionate to encroach upon other's property, other nations, like that. And ignorance means they are neither passionate nor good. "All right, let me eat something and sleep." That's all. That is ignorance. They are satisfied if they get good opportunity for sleeping. That's all. That is ignorance.
This is māyā. Simply at the end he will eat some grains or some this or that, little. And by whole day... Therefore they are called mūḍha. According to Bhagavad-gītā, they are rascals, mūḍha, ass. Just like ass, the beast of burden. He takes washerman's load, three tons, four tons. Whole day working, but eating a morsel of grass, that's all. He has no knowledge that "I take a morsel of grass only, I live. And why whole day I bear these so much tons of clothing of the washerman?" You have no experience of the ass, ass's business. In India the washerman loads the ass three tons and he goes to the waterside and the washerman washes all these clothings in some bank of river or reservoir of water. Again evening, the ass brings back the clothing.
Mūḍha means asses. The example of mūḍha, just like in our vernacular language, we condemn some person who is useless, gādhā. So gādhā, that is mūḍha. Gādhā, why he is condemned? Because he does not know his interest. He works under one washerman and loads tons of cloth on the back, and the washerman gives a morsel of grass. And he stands the whole day, again carrying back the big tons of cloth. But why he is gādhā? This grass can be had anywhere, but he is thinking, "The washerman is supplying me grass; therefore I must carry his burden." Therefore he is gādhā, ass. (laughs) He can get grasses anywhere, but he is thinking that "This Mr. Washerman is so kind that he is giving me grass, so I have to bear his cloth." So the karmīs, they are like that. They are thinking that "Unless we work, we cannot get our grass." Therefore they have been described in the śāstra as asses, mūḍha. Mūḍha. Mūḍho 'yaṁ nābhijānāti (BG 7.25).
That example is here in Vṛndāvana. At least, as we get information of Vṛndāvana from the śāstras, from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, how spontaneously the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana—the gopīs and the cowherds boys and the birds, beasts, the calves, the animals, the trees, everyone, even the flies, the bees, the insect, even the dust, the grass—everyone is..., they are all cinmaya, spiritual. They are not material. But they are attracted to Kṛṣṇa in different varieties. (break)
...varieties are not of matter. Here in this material world the varieties are of material external energy, bahiraṅga. Bahiraṅga-śakti. There are three manifestations of Kṛṣṇa's energy. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport). That is the Vedic injunction, that the Lord's energy is manifested in varieties—not impersonal. If we study very intelligently, then we can understand how Kṛṣṇa's energy is working in varieties. You study even one flower, you'll see how varieties of color and arrangement of the petals, everything. Don't think as the rascals, they say "nature."
The same example: the spark, when it is with the fire, it is illuminating and burning, but when the sparks fall down, they may fall down on the ground. There are three chances. One chance is the spark falls down on dry grass—then there is fire. As soon as the spark falls down on the dry grass there is fire for some time. And when the spark falls down on the ground, it is extinguished. And when the fire, spark, falls down on the water, then it is not only extinguished; it becomes no more inflammable. Very difficult to inflame. Similarly, when we fall down from the fire, spiritual world, we associate with three qualities. Puruṣaḥ prakṛti 'stho hi bhuṅkte prakṛti-jān guṇān (BG 13.22). This is the statement of Bhagavad-gītā. Prakṛti-jān guṇān. In the prakṛti, in this material world, there are three modes of material nature: sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa.
When you fall down, you can fall down anywhere. This example, the same example. A spark falls down from the original fire, so it can fall down on the dry grass, it can fall down on the water, it can fall down on the ground. There are three chances. Similarly, when the living entity, originally part and parcel of God, the same quality... Not the same quantity. Just like spark and fire, they are same quality but not same quantity. Fire is very big; therefore the big fire is acyuta. It is never degraded. But the small fire is degraded.
So when Kṛṣṇa comes, big fire comes, He is not degraded. He's acyuta. He is... Don't think that because Kṛṣṇa has come in this material world, so He is also affected by the material qualities. No. In Bhāgavata it is said, etad īśanam īśasya.
Within a second. That is called yoga-siddhi. But even if you go to the sun planet or moon planet by yoga-siddhi or material science, what is the profit? There is no profit. Kṛṣṇa says, ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna: (BG 8.16) "Even if you approach the topmost planet, Brahmaloka, you have to come back again." Again come back, again become grass and again be eaten by cows, and again somebody drinks milk, and he gets the semina, again gives you birth in the womb of woman. These subtle laws they do not know, how things are happening in the subtle ways.
Therefore Arjuna knows, but for our education he's asking Kṛṣṇa that "Wherefrom this high temperature is coming?" Kim idaṁ svit kuto veti deva-deva na vedmi. We cannot understand. It is not possible. So many things are there even in this material world we cannot understand. We cannot get full information. But if we take Kṛṣṇa's instruction... He's giving personally the instruction in the Bhagavad-gītā.
He says, gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa... Gopī-jana-vallabha. Gopī-jana-vallabha is Kṛṣṇa; pada-kamalayoḥ, one who has taken shelter. Don't try to become gopīs. No. Rather try to become the dust of the lotus feet of the gopīs. Gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ (CC Madhya 13.80). Just like Uddhava. Uddhava wanted to become one grass in Vṛndāvana because the gopīs will trample over it. This is the highest perfection. So liberation... Liberation means gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ. The more you become servant of the servant, servant of Vaiṣṇava, then your perfection is there (CC Madhya 13.80). That is perfection. Our, the Vedic injunction is just try to understand yourself, ahaṁ brahmāsmi. That is a fact.
So here also she continues her humbleness. This humbleness is very good in devotional service. Therefore Caitanya, Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu teaches us: tṛṇād api sunīcena taror api sahiṣṇunā. One should be tolerant than the trees and humbler than the grass to make progress in spiritual life. Because there will be so many disturbances. Because māyā... We are living... Just like if we are in the ocean. So you cannot expect very peaceful situation in the ocean. It must be always tilt, what is called, tiltering, tilting. Even, even a big ship, it is also not very fixed up position. At any moment there may be tumultuous waves. So in this material world you should always expect danger. You cannot expect very peaceful life within this material world. Padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadām (SB 10.14.58). Śāstra says in every step there is danger. But if you become a devotee, then you escape. Māyām etāṁ taranti te (BG 7.14).
There is no mention that slaughterhouse is flourishing, industry is flourishing. No such mention. There are all nonsense things they have created. Therefore problems are there. If you depend on God's creation, then there is no scarcity, simply ānanda. If the trees are full of fruits, if you have got sufficient grains and... Because there is sufficient grains, there is sufficient grass also. The animals, the cows, they will eat the grass. You'll eat the grains, the fruits. And the animal will help you, the bulls will help you to produce grains. And he will partake little, what you throw away. The animal will be satisfied. You take the fruits, inside of the fruits; you throw away the skin, the animal will be satisfied. You take the grains and throw away the grass. The animals will be satisfied. From the trees, you take the fruits. They are satisfied with the vegetables.
He stocks the animal in some bush and takes little, little. So he has become very powerful. People wants, "I want to become like tiger" or "I want to become like lion." But that is not very good position, because you won't get food daily. That's a fact. And you have to search out food with great labor. But if you become a vegetarian, you get daily. Anywhere there are grass, you can eat. The animals are eating. Now, in every city, there are slaughterhouses. Does it mean the slaughterhouse can supply all the meat? Suppose you don't take any other food, grains or vegetables. Can you live simply by eating meat? There is no supply, sufficient supply. Here... You have to eat the grains and the fruits and the vegetables along with a slice of meat, you take. Still, for that slice of meat, you are killing so many poor animals. How much sinful it is.
Yoga-kṣemaṁ vahāmy aham, teṣāṁ nityābhiyuktānām (BG 9.22). If one is actually dependent on Kṛṣṇa, there is no question of scarcity. That is the Śukadeva Gosvāmī's instruction, kasmād bhajanti kavayo dhana-durmadāndhān (SB 2.2.5). He says to the saintly persons to become independent. So he advises that "Why you are anxious for bedding? There is very nice grass. And you have got pillows, this hand, arms. You can lie down here. And where is... What is the necessity of keeping a waterpot?" Because a sannyāsī, even giving up everything, he keeps one waterpot. So Śukadeva Gosvāmī criticizes, "What is the use of keeping waterpot? You have your palms. You can take water from the river and drink." Cirāṇi kiṁ san..., pathi na santi. And old cloth, thrown away... Formerly, gṛhasthas, in different ceremonies, after taking bath, they would throw away their garments, their..., so that poor people, they can take it and use it. And new. Every religious function... In our childhood also we have seen. As soon as there was a new function or pūjā, there was new cloth.
Therefore original supplier is God. Eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. He's person. He has got brain. He knows that all of them will require everything, such and such thing—heat, light, water. Without water you cannot produce foodstuff. Even the animal eaters, without God's arrangement, how he can eat animal? The animal also must be provided with food, with grass; then you can take it to the slaughterhouse by your expert intelligence. God is supplying food. Still you are creating a rebellious condition. That's an avani-dhruk. These rascals who are going against the law of God, they're rebellious. So they're rebellious. The king's duty is to see as representative of Kṛṣṇa, as representative of God. Otherwise he, what right he has got to take so much honor from the citizens? He has no right. And because the kings, formerly every country there were kings, monarchy, they violated, they rebelled against God, they became themselves God, that "I have got so much property, kingdom. I am God. I am the Lord of all I survey."
If you work for your own thing, there is some sense. But if you are working for others only, you have no claim, and day and night, hard work, then what is that intelligence? That is ass's intelligence. Ass. Ass just like works very hard, not for himself. He works for the washerman, for carrying tons of cloth on his back and for a morsel of grass. So in the actual sense also, if you go to see a gentleman, busy gentleman, businessman, ask him that "We want to talk with you something about Kṛṣṇa consciousness." "Oh, I have no time. I have no time, sir." "Why?" "I am very busy." "Why you are busy?" "For business." "What is this business for?" "For maintaining my family." So in this way, ultimately, he is thinking he is working for himself, but he is working for others.
"Now I have become a Vaiṣṇava, I'll not be violent. I shall tolerate. Caitanya Mahāprabhu has taught us to be tolerant like the tree or the grass. So I shall become tolerant. Let him do." Just like Gandhi used to say. Somebody questioned him that "If somebody comes and violates the chastity of your daughter in your presence, what will you do?" He said, "I shall remain nonviolent." But that is not śāstric injunction. This is foolishness.
If somebody is aggressor, he must be killed immediately. Dharma-yuddha. Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja is thinking that "Although there was fight, the fight was between our own men, my brother, my nephews, my grandfather. So they are family members. I have killed them for my kingdom." He is thinking in that way. He is a pious man. Violence is required. We don't say nonviolence.
So they are family members. I have killed them for my kingdom." He is thinking in that way. He is a pious man. Violence is required. We don't say nonviolence. Just as Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He gave us the instruction, tṛṇād api sunīcena taror api sahiṣṇunā: "One should be tolerant, forbearing like the tree, like the grass." Amāninā mānadena: "One should give respect to others. In this way one should chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra." Because in chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, there will be so many aggressors. The nature is so cruel. Just like Prahlāda Mahārāja, a five-years-old boy. His only fault was that he was chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, and the father was aggressor, giving him trouble so many ways. So we must be prepared.
Therefore Vṛndāvana is called Vrajabhūmi, "where there are many cows." It is called Gokula. Gokula. Go means cows, and kula means group. Gokula. Govardhana. Govardhana Hill. Because the cows were grazing on the hill, and profuse grass was being grown, and they are enjoying. So there should be arrangement. Just like here we see, there are so many open fields and the cows are grazing. But they cannot be happy because they know that they are simply raised for being killed. They cannot be happy.
So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is not a sentimental movement. It takes care of all-round social organization. It is not something like religious sentiment. Everything should be take care of. Therefore we say cow protection, cow protection. Here it is said, kāmaṁ vavarṣa parjanyaḥ sarva-kāma-dughā mahī (SB 1.10.4).
Sarva-kāma-dughā mahī. Sarva-kāma, whatever you want. Actually we are getting... Just like this Western civilization has created so may slaughterhouse for eating purposes. But wherefrom they are getting? From mahī, from the land. If there is no pasturing ground, grazing ground, wherefrom they will get the cows and the bulls? That is also... Because there is grass on the land and the cows and bulls eat them, therefore they grow. Then you cut their throat, civilized man, and eat, you rascal civilized man. But you are getting from the mahī, from the land. Without land, you cannot. Similarly, instead of cutting the throat of the cows, you can grow your food. Why you are cutting the throat of the cows? After all, you have to get from the mahī, from the land. So as they are, the animal which you are eating, they are getting their eatables from the land. Why don't you get your eatables from the land? Therefore it is said, sarva-kāma-dughā mahī. You can get all the necessities of your life from land. So dughā means produce. You can produce your food.
Ah, bhavanti bhūtāni. Annād. Anna means food grains. Either animal or man, they must eat sufficiently. Either you eat grass or you eat rice or wheat or oats, or..., something must be... So they are are called anna. In Sanskrit language it is called anna. Anna means foodgrains. So annād bhavanti bhūtāni (BG 3.14). Every living entity lives. Nowadays there are scarcity of foodgrains. Even the human being cannot eat sufficiently. But formerly the kings, they used to maintain elephants. They were supplied very nice cāpāṭis. Do you know that? Still there are kings, they have elephants. Therefore elephant can be maintained by very rich man. If suppose, if somebody comes, he says, "Take this elephant, I give you free," will you take?
Annād, annād bhavanti bhūtāni. Bhūtāni means embodied, those who have taken, accepted, the living entities. They live by eating anna, either animal or human being. You require anna. Produce foodgrains. Foodgrains or grass or anything, as the animals eat and man eat, you must produce. And that production is there on the ground, not you factory. Not in the Birmingham factories. There are many factories in Birmingham? You cannot produce foodgrains there. Therefore it is said, annād bhavanti bhūtāni.
So we have to eat Kṛṣṇa prasādam. Although animals are meant for eating by the man. That is stated in the (indistinct). Ahastāni sahastānām apadāni catuṣ-padām. Ahastāni, they haven't got hands(?). Ahastāni. (indistinct) sahastānām, they are food of the human being. So ahastāni sahastānām apadāni catuṣ-padām. Just like the creepers, grass, and vegetables. Catuṣ-padām. They're food for the four-legged. Phalgūni jīvo jīvasya jīvanam.
So, in this way, there is order that one life is meant eaten by another. That is nature's law. But we should use discrimination what kind of foodstuff, what kind of living entities we shall eat. That Kṛṣṇa... (?). We have taken vow to eat only Kṛṣṇa's prasādam. There is something. Whatever Kṛṣṇa orders. So that is a fact that each and every living entity is meant for another living entity for eating. When we get human form of life, the animals, they, just like, another eat vegetables. Similarly, the cows. Nature's law is there.
There are different kinds of friends. But suhṛt is a friend who always thinks of his friend, how he will be happy. That is called suhṛt. That is... This description is given about the devotees also. Suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānām (BG 5.29). A devotee is always thinking how whole world will be happy. Suhṛdaṁ sarva... Not only human being, but animals, birds, trees, beasts, everyone. A devotee does not like to see even a grass is unreasonably cut. That is devotee vision. That is the...
Therefore Vaiṣṇava... What is that? Vaiṣṇavānām? Vaiṣṇava is happy. Just like, take Prahlāda Mahārāja. Prahlāda Mahārāja said... Prahlāda Mahārāja was praying Lord Nṛsiṁha-deva to pacify Him. So the commentator says that Prahlāda Mahārāja might have been very much afraid of this ferocious feature of the Lord, Nṛsiṁha-deva. So he assured Nṛsiṁha-deva, "My dear Lord, don't think that I am afraid of Your this feature. No, no." Naivodvije. "Neither I am afraid of this materialistic existence." Naivodvije para duratyaya-vaitaraṇyās tvad-vīrya-gāyana-mahāmṛta-magna-cittaḥ (SB 7.9.43). "
That is false enjoyment. So therefore it has been described as the camel. And ass. Ass means fool number one, because he works very hard. He carried the washerman's load of cloth, two tons of, but not a single cloth belongs to him. Not a single cloth. And he will agree to carry so big burden. What is the profit? The profit is that the washerman will give a little morsel of grass, and he is satisfied. This rascal does not know, "I can get grass anywhere. Why shall I be employed by this washerman?" And another ass's qualification is that when he goes for sexual intercourse, the lady ass kicks on his face. Fut! Fut! Fut! Fut! You have seen it? (lots of laughter) So these karmīs, they are like ass. They will eat two breads, pieces of bread, and the lady karmī will kick on his face at the time of sex intercourse, and he is very happy. And for this purpose he has no time: "Sir, I have no time." He is very busy. You go into a karmī office, he will say, "Oh, I cannot see you. I cannot talk. I am very busy." So what is the result of your business?
The citizens were fully qualified, so qualified that they did not suffer even from disease, excessive heat, excessive coldness, no. Very peaceful. Supply was properly... Sarva-kāma-dughā mahī. Everything was being supplied. Whatever you want, that is supplied through the earth, throughout the earth. Even if you take meat, that is also coming from the earth. The grass is there, the animal is eating, the cow or the goat. Then you are able to eat the animal. So sarva-kāma-dughā mahī. But a human being is not meant for eating animals. Although the nature is that one animal eats another animal, that is the nature, but you have got discrimination. God has given you... When you are in the jungle, you are a tiger, you can eat animals. But when you are civilized, when you can produce nice foodstuff, so many nice grains, fruits, and milk, why should you eat meat? That means you are misusing your advanced intelligence improperly. Therefore you must suffer. You are using your intelligence...
They are simply doing mischief. Therefore they are duṣkṛtina. Duṣkṛtina. Mūḍha. Mūḍha means rascal. Ass. Because nobody knows what is the aim of life. They're exactly like the ass. He does not know what is his interest. Unnecessarily he is carrying three tons of cloth of the washerman. Therefore he is called ass. His gain is a little morsel of grass. He can get grass anywhere. Still, he is thinking, "I am obliged to this washerman. Because he is supplying me grass, therefore I must have three tons of cloth on my back." This is ass. This is ass. He has no interest. Not a single cloth belongs to him, and he is carrying, oh, three tons of cloth. Therefore the ass. Ass means one who does not do know his interest, and he works unnecessarily and wastes his time.
They do not touch. Every, every animal has to live by destroying or killing another animal. That is nature's law. Jīvo jīvasya jīvanam. Either you eat vegetable or you eat meat, it doesn't matter. Vegetable has also got life. But there is allotment. Just like the cows or other animals, they do not eat meat, they live on grass. Grass has got (also) life, but because they eat grass life, therefore they will eat meat? No. The allotment. Similarly, human being should be also... There is allotment. For human being, God has given us the foodgrains, the fruits and... Patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati (BG 9.26). In the Bhagavad-gītā you'll find. Kṛṣṇa is saying that "Anyone who is supplying Me this patraṁ puṣpam..." Patram means leaves, vegetables, and puṣpam means flowers. Patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalam, fruits. Toyam, and milk. So why? He is speaking in the human society. He's not speaking in the animal society. Therefore it is already described what kind of foodstuff we shall take. So patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalam. This is our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.
"What are you, nonsense? You are killing my citizen." This is good government. This is good government. Why the cow is not national? He's also, she's also born in the land; so she's as important a national as you are. Kṛṣṇa has given her the grass to eat. She's not interfere, interfering with your food. Why? What right you have got to kill? You have got your own food. The cow has got the grass for her food. You have got food grains. You have got... Cow is giving you milk, just to give her protection, that "You take my blood, turn into milk. Please do not kill me." So why these things are happening? Because there is rascal government. Kalinā upasṛṣṭān. Rascal government. So one should lament that this, "We are under this rascal government, under the rascal guru, rascal father. But who are meant for giving protection, they are all rascals. This is our position." This is called Kali-yuga. This is Kali-yuga.
Devotee: (leads chanting, etc.)
- kā vā saheta virahaṁ puruṣottamasya
- premāvaloka-rucira-smita-valgu-jalpaiḥ
- sthairyaṁ samānam aharan madhu-māninīnāṁ
- romotsavo mama yad-aṅghri-viṭaṅkitāyāḥ
- (SB 1.16.35)
Translation: "Who can, therefore, tolerate the pangs of separation from that Supreme Personality of Godhead? He could conquer the gravity and passionate wrath of His sweethearts like Satyabhāmā and others by His sweet smile of love, pleasing glance and hearty appeals. When he traversed my (the earth's) surface, I would be immersed in the dust of His lotus feet and thus would be sumptuously covered with grass, which appeared like hairs standing on me out of pleasure."
Prabhupāda: Kā vā saheta virahaṁ puruṣottamasya. Puruṣottama. Puruṣa and prakṛti, there are two words. Prakṛti means "enjoyed" or "the energy," and puruṣa means "the enjoyer" and, or "the powerful." So we are prakṛti, we living entities, we are prakṛti. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: prakṛteḥ hi me parām vidhi, apareyam itas tu prakṛti me...
Everything must be either in the past or at present or in future. So this is past, present and future. And there are moving and... Just like we. We are, animals or man or birds and beasts and insect or aquatics, we are moving. And there are not moving, just like the hill, stones, the trees, plants, the grass. They do not move. But we are moving. So moving, unmoving. And we exist past, present, future. And there is biggest, bigger than the biggest, the whole universe. Although you have got airships, you cannot go, neither others. So many machines have been discovered, but go and see the... They cannot go even to the moon planet, what to speak of others. Therefore it is very big for us. When we speak of universe we cannot think of. They simply calculate, the scientists, by light year, and this year, that year, the speed. But we cannot approach even in this material world, and what to speak of Kṛṣṇa? Kṛṣṇa is in the spiritual world. We cannot calculate the length and breadth of this material world.
So that was sufficient for them. To have some milk from the cow and get the fruits from the trees in the jungle, that was sufficient. That is sufficient still. Anywhere, any part of the world, you can live without any economic problem, provided... There is no question of "provided." Anywhere, you can keep a cow. There is no expenditure. The cow will go out and eat some vegetables and grass, so you haven't got to spend anything for the cow. And when she returns, she gives you milk, nice milk. We are trying to introduce this system in our New Vrindaban scheme. We are keeping there cows, and that place is in Virginia, Moundsville. It is about three miles away from any city or any citizen approach. But they are living very nicely, depending on some vegetables, fruits, and cow's milk. So actually, a man can live very peacefully and healthy life. Not only peacefully. If you are healthy, if your mind is equilibrium, then naturally you are peaceful. So that was a system for the sages and hermitages, hermits, that they used to live on cow's milk and fruits.
Milk is nothing but blood of cow. But we know the art, how to drink the blood of cow without killing. That is civilization. That is civilization. Medically, they say the cow's blood or bull's blood is very effective, and that is accepted. But you must know the art. It is the arrangement of God that cow's milk... Cow's own milk, she does not drink. She eats grass. That means God's arrangement is like that, that "Let the human being drink the milk of cow, and the cow may eat grass." Because they haven't got good brain... Foodstuffs should be given, nice foodstuff given, should be given to the particular person for developing nice brain. Milk is a foodstuff which can develop your finer tissues of the brain so that you can understand higher philosophy.
Or little milk or little... Not that he has earned 1000 dollars every day and he will eat it. No. He will eat, out of that 1000 dollars, he will eat fifty cents, and balance will be eaten by others.
You see. But still, he is working hard. And the example is ass. The ass takes a morsel of grass. It is worth nothing. The ass can get anywhere the morsel of grass. But still, he thinks that the washerman is feeding me. So he remains there. And in Mexico you found some asses, carrying loads. So they are carrying loads, very heavy loads, tons, for that morsel of grass, which he can get anywhere. But he thinks, "Oh, I will die. If my master does not give me a morsel of grass, I will die. So let me remain here and carry all the big loads." You see. Similarly, the karmīs, they remain at home. They think that "My wife, my children, my family—without them, I shall die. So I have to work to maintain them like an ass." That's all. The karmīs, they are working, accumulating bank balance, more, more, more, more, more, more.
Ass means fool. Whenever one man is called, "You are ass," that means he's a fool. So this human form of life, so valuable...
To realize Kṛṣṇa and go back to Him, that should be our main business. But these karmīs, they do not know what is the mission of this human form of life. They are busy working hard, day and night, for a morsel of grass. That's all. Yan maithunādi-gṛha... There are many other verses. Yan maithunādi-gṛhamedhi-sukhaṁ hi tuccham (SB 7.9.45). So śāstra, intelligence, knowledge, means one should study everything very critically, "What is my position? What is my duty?" We should not be like the animals. Śva-viḍ-varāhoṣṭra-khara. Now we have got our great personalities, leaders. They are praised, eulogized, our, these political leaders. "Our Hitler," "Our Gandhi," "Our Churchill," "Our Nixon." But śāstra says these leaders, those who are not spiritual leaders, those who cannot give our life, they are worshiped by these classes of animals, animals. These so-called leaders, politicians, they are eulogized very much by whom?
'Why I should be subjected to repetition of birth, death, old age and disease?' "He has become so fool. Mūḍha. Therefore they have been described: mūḍha, ass. Ass... Just like ass does not know why he is loading so much, so many cloths of the washerman. What for? He has no profit. None of the cloth belongs to him. The washerman gives a little morsel of grass, which is available everywhere. If the... But the ass thinks that "This morsel of grass is given by the washerman. Therefore I must carry the heavy load, although not a single cloth belongs to me."
This is called karmīs. The karmīs, all these big, big karmīs, big, big multimillionaires, they are just like ass, because they are working so hard. Not only these big-small also. Day and night. But eating two cāpāṭis or three cāpāṭis or utmost, four cāpāṭis. But he's working hard, so hard. These three-four cāpāṭis can be had easily even by the poorest man, but why he's working so hard?
They have no brain that this material body is kleśada, is simply miserable. So dull brain. That is tamo-guṇa. Tamo-guṇa means completely darkness. Just like animals. You take one animal, you cut its throat. Another animal is standing and eating grass. He does not know "The next time, next term is mine." This is animal life.
So people have become... Especially in this Kali-yuga. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyā hy upadrutāḥ (SB 1.1.10). But this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is trying to give these rascals little sense, that "Don't remain animal. Become human being." This is the propaganda.
If one is interested to advance by chanting, then Caitanya Mahāprabhu advises that you should be humbler than the straw or grass and tolerant than the tree. Tṛṇād api sunīcena taror api sahiṣṇunā, amāninā: Without feeling oneself becoming very proud of intelligence, he should give respect to others and in this way one can chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra offenselessly.
So Devahūti, although mother of Kapiladeva, because she is woman, not only woman, because she is going to be disciple or the student, she is presenting herself as very humble student, not that superior mother, no. Tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā (BG 4.34). One has to learn. The first condition is praṇipāta. Prakṛṣṭa-rūpeṇa nipāta, complete surrender. Praṇipātena. Then paripraśna.
Similarly, all the demigods, they are, if they are not satisfied, they will give you trouble. Similarly, the Indra-yajña was there, but Kṛṣṇa said to His father, "My dear father, there is no need of Indra-yajña. You better worship Govardhana Hill. He is symbolic representation of God because the cows, they get their food, grasses. So better you make this Govardhana-yajña." So first of all, Nanda Mahārāja was not willing, but out of the affection of Kṛṣṇa... That is devotee, that Kṛṣṇa... Devotees of Kṛṣṇa, they are acting always in love for Kṛṣṇa. So Nanda Mahārāja changed his idea of worshiping Indra. Rather, on the contrary, all the ingredients he collected, he worshiped the Govardhana Hill and stopped Indra-yajña. So Indra became very much angry, and he sent the vicious cloud, and whole Vṛndāvana was inundated by flood. And Kṛṣṇa showed that "Your power is not even competent to compare with the finger of My hand."
We are, according to our desire, conditioned. We are affected by the different modes of material nature. It is described in the Vedic literature just like the fire and the spark. The fire is always blazing, but the sparks coming out of the fire, they sometime fall down. And this falling down is described that if the spark falls on some dry grass, then immediately the grass is also ignited into fire. That is sattva-guṇa. And rajo-guṇa means on the ground. It gradually, the ignition, the fire of the spark, becomes finished. And if the spark falls down on some water, then immediately it is extinguished. Similarly, when we come down from the spiritual world on account of desire, icchā-dveṣa samutthena sarge yānti parantapa (BG 7.27), by our icchā, Kṛṣṇa gives us to fulfill our desires. So as we contact with the different modes of material nature, we are situated either in sattva-guṇa or rajo-guṇa or tamo-guṇa, and our different characteristics are visible.
He is patita-pāvana. He is the deliverer of all the fallen souls. He has given us this much tapasya prescription. Tapasya must be there. And that is very easy to be done by us. It is not very difficult. One has to become very humble. That is the first qualification. Tṛṇād api sunīcena. Sunīcena means lower than the grass. Just like we trample over the grass; they do not protest. Tṛṇād api sunīcena taror api sahiṣnunā. And tolerant, humbler than the grass and tolerant than the tree. A tree gives us all benefit, but in return we give the tree so much trouble. We snatch away the twigs, we snatch away the leaves. Sometimes for our fuel we cut down. But there is no protest. So these things have been taught by Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Tṛṇād api sunīcena taror api sahiṣnunā amāninā mānadena. Nobody should think himself that he is very prestigious person, falsely. Nobody is prestigious. Everyone should be humble. So these three, four things we should learn, and that is tapasya.
So this life should be engaged for that purpose, not to fight like cats and dogs. That is not very credit. Credit means ruining one's life. If one fights like cats and dogs, he becomes cats and dogs. Nature's law is very strict. Therefore we should be very careful not to become like cats and dogs but to become very humble—humbler than the grass and tolerant than the tree. Amāninā. Everyone wants that "I am very honorable man, prestigious man. And you should respect me." That is our material disease. "I do not want to respect you, but you should offer me respect." This is the position. Therefore our system is to call another Vaiṣṇava as prabhu. "Sir, you are prabhu, you are master." But we call prabhu, but I think, "No, you are not prabhu; I am prabhu. You are servant." This cheating process will not help us. Actually, we should believe that he is prabhu. "He is servant of Kṛṣṇa; therefore he is my prabhu." This is Vaiṣṇava mentality. Gopī-bhartur pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsa-dāsa-dāsānudāsa.
Ārādhya bhagavān vrajeṣa tanaya tad dhāma vṛndāvanam. As vrajeṣa tanaya, Kṛṣṇa, is ārādhya, worshipable, similarly His dhāma, His place, this Vṛndāvana, is also worshipable, as good as Kṛṣṇa. What to speak of temple—whole Vṛndāvana. Whole Vṛndāvana. Just like Uddhava. Uddhava, when he came to take Kṛṣṇa to Mathurā, he immediately fell down on the grass of Vṛndāvana, that "These grasses are so fortunate that over this grass Kṛṣṇa and the gopīs and Kṛṣṇa's friends, they trample over." This is vaiṣṇava-vicara. Not that he's thinking grass is insignificant than Kṛṣṇa. No. Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa's name, Kṛṣṇa's fame, Kṛṣṇa's form, Kṛṣṇa's qualities, Kṛṣṇa's paraphernalia, Kṛṣṇa's associates—everything is Kṛṣṇa. And you should treat like that. That is tapasya. And following the footsteps, mahājana yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ. Sādhu mārgānugamanam. These things we should learn. Sādhu mārgānugamanam. Just like sādhu... Akrūra is a sādhu. How he respected even grass of Vṛndāvana.
Cheese is milk preparation. You can eat. And offer it to Kṛṣṇa, that "Kṛṣṇa, these things are supplied by You. Kindly You taste it, then I'll take." You can do that everywhere. Kṛṣṇa is everywhere. At least we should acknowledge that everything is sent by Kṛṣṇa, or God. That is a fact. Kṛṣṇa's laws or nature's law is so nice that a cow is eating grass and producing milk. Now, if you think that grass is the cause of milk, then you are mistaken. It is the laws of Kṛṣṇa that transforms grass into milk. If you eat..., you eat grass, then you'll die. But the cow, she is eating grass... That also not supplied by your factory. The grass is produced by nature's way. And she is eating that grass and supplying the most nutritious food—milk—and in exchange you are cutting throat. How you can be happy? Such an innocent animal. She is eating grass supplied by God, and instead of grass, if you think that "She is eating grass from the land, American land or my land. She must give me something," she's supplying milk. What reason there is?
So at least in the human life, these senses should be there. Cow protection is recommended in the Vedic literature because it is giving the most valuable foodstuff, milk. Apart from other sentiments, it is supplying, and in exchange of nothing. She simply eats some grasses from the ground. That's all. You don't have to provide cows with foodstuff. The things which you refuse, you take the grain and you supply the skin. You take the fruit pulp, you supply the skin. You take the, I mean to say, from paddy. You take the rice. You supply the straw and she delivers you a very nice foodstuff. And I have discussed all these points in my Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, that human economic problem can be solved simply by having some land and some cows. That's all.
We have to become tolerant than the grass on the street and forbearing more than the trees. In this way we have to tolerate whatever is going on in this material world. Tolerate does not mean unnecessarily we shall suffer. As far as possible, let us struggle, but we should not forget our real business. That is human life. Real business is that I am part and parcel of God. Mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūta (BG 15.7). Some way or other, I am fallen in this material condition. There is a Bengali poet, he has sung, anādi-karama-phale paḍi, bhavārṇava-jale, tarivāre na dheki upāya. "Somehow or other I am fallen in this material ocean and struggling for existence." Caitanya Mahāprabhu therefore prayed... He does not pray for any material benefit.
Pradyumna: "Of the two energies manifest, spirit and dull matter, beings possessing living force, that is vegetables, grass, trees and plants, are superior to dull matter, or stone, earth, etc. Superior to nonmoving plants and vegetables are worms and snakes, which can move. Superior to worms and snakes are animals that have developed intelligence. Superior to animals are human beings, and superior to human beings are ghosts because they have no material bodies. Superior to ghosts are the Gandharvas, and superior to them are the Siddhas. Superior to the Siddhas are the Kinnaras, and superior to them are the asuras. Superior to the asuras are the demigods, and of the demigods, Indra, the king of heaven, is supreme. Superior to Indra are the direct sons of Lord Brahmā, sons like King Dakṣa. And supreme among Brahmā's sons is Lord Śiva. Since Lord Śiva is the son of Lord Brahmā, Brahmā is considered superior, but Brahmā is also subordinate to Me, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Because I am inclined to the brāhmaṇas, the brāhmaṇas are best of all." (break)
Prabhupāda: What is that?
- ...uduttamā ye
- sarīsṛpās teṣu sabodha-niṣṭhāḥ
- tato manuṣyāḥ pramathās tato 'pi
- gandharva-siddhā vibudhānugā ye
- devāsurebhyo maghavat-pradhānā
- dakṣādayo brahma-sutās tu teṣāṁ
- bhavaḥ paraḥ so 'tha viriñca-vīryaḥ
- sa mat-paro ahaṁ dvija-deva-devaḥ
- (SB 5.5.21-22)
So Mahārāja Ṛṣabhadeva analyzing the different grades of living entities. Bhūteṣu, anything which is generated. Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). Everything is generated from Kṛṣṇa, Para-brahman. Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo (BG 10.8). From Kṛṣṇa everything is generated. But according to consciousness, they are divided into two energies: the superior energy and the inferior energy. The more the consciousness is developed, one comes to the platform of superior energy. So the dull stone, dull matter, they have no consciousness, but there is life.
The smaller than proton, electron, and so many things, still, still, still... So there is life even within the atom. But scientists, because they are materialistic person, they cannot understand wherefrom the energy, the life energy, is emanating. Otherwise life energy is there even within the atom. So the life energy begins, vīrudbhya. The plants, the grass, there is life symptom. Gradually there are different grades.
- jalajā nava-lakṣāni
- sthāvarā lakṣa-viṁśati
- kṛmayo rudra-saṅkhyakāḥ
- pakṣiṇāṁ daśa-lakṣaṇam
In this way, this is evolutionary growth, one after another. The evolution takes place. Evolution means gradual evolution or manifestation of consciousness. That is evolution.
Because satyaṁ bruyad na bruyat satyam apriyam. You have to speak the truth very cautiously. Otherwise they will be angry. Murkhayopadeṣo hi prokapāya na śāntaye: "If you give good instruction to a rascal, he'll be angry." Therefore Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī is teaching us how we should present our case. Dante nidhāya tṛṇakam: "Sir, I have come to you, taking this grass in my teeth." This is a symbolic representation of becoming very humble in India. They take a grass. Dante nidhāya padayor nipatya: "And I am falling down on your feet." Kāku-śataṁ kṛtvā: "And I am flattering you. You are very grand. You are very nice. You are very learned. You are so on, so on." If you flatter, people become puffed-up. So, dante nidhāya tṛṇakaṁ padayor nipatya kāku-śatam kṛtvā cāham: "I have one submission." "What is that?" No... He sādhavaḥ: "You are a great learned sādhu. My one request is that whatever you have learned, please forget. Whatever nonsense you have learned, please forget.
They are all animals. The animal which has no hands... Just like goats and others: they have only legs. So they are food for the animals with hands. Ahastāni sahastānām. That is the law of nature. Apadāni catuṣ-padām. The animals which has no leg—that means which cannot move... The plants, the grass, the trees, they cannot move. They have got leg, but they cannot move. Their legs are made for eating. As your mouth is made for eating, the trees... Therefore they are called pada-pa. They drink water by the leg. This is God's creation. You cannot think that how it is possible to drink water by the leg, but it is God's creation. You see. You pour water on the leg of the tree; it becomes very luxuriant, healthy. So different. And so far God is concerned, He can eat with legs; He can see with hands; He can eat with eyes. That is God. That is God. Añgāni yasya sakalendriya-vṛttimanti paśyanti pānti kalayanti ciraṁ jaganti (Bs. 5.32). Añgāni, that is transcendental. He is not under any rule. He is not under any rule.
Why? Because the cows know that "These people will not kill me." They are not in anxiety. Suppose you are engaged in some work, and if you know that "After seven days, I will be killed," can you do the work very nicely? No. Similarly, the cows know in the Western countries that "These people giving me very nice grains and grass, but after all, they will kill me." So they are not happy. But if they are assured that "You'll not be killed," then they will give double milk, double milk. That is stated in the śāstra. During Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira's time, the cows milk bag was so filled up that in the pasturing ground they were dropping, and the whole pasturing ground became moist, muddy with milk. The land used to be muddy with milk, not with water. That was the position. Therefore cow is so important that we can get nice food, the milk. Milk is required every morning. But what is this justice, that after taking milk from the animal and kill it? Is that very good justice? So it is very, very sinful, and we have to suffer for that.
Ass is very expert to overload his body with heavy tons of... You know that? Maybe you do not know, but in India there is washerman, he puts tons of cloth over the back of the ass, and it carries. It cannot move, still it carries it. And it goes to the washing ghāṭa, washing place, and it stands there whole day eating little morsel of grass. He's thinking that "Unless I overload my back with this cloth, I cannot get this grass." Although he sees there are so many thousands and thousands of grasses all over, still he'll serve that washerman. Therefore it is called ass. (devotees laugh) You see? Ass. (more laughter) No intelligence, simply working for others, and eating a morsel of... I've seen in New York, very big publisher, he's very busy, but he's eating a few slice of bread and cup of tea and nothing more, that's all. You see? There are so many big, big men, they cannot eat much but they work more than us, all day and night. Therefore they are called asses. Karmīs, they are called asses.
Now he is giving very nice example. Veṇu-gulmam ivānalaḥ. Just like in the dry season there are so many dry grasses from the field, and if you have to clear the field, you simply set fire on the field and everything automatically becomes cleansed. Similarly, deha-vāg-buddhijaṁ dhīrā dharmajñāḥ śraddhayānvitāḥ. Those who are intelligent enough, dharmajñāḥ, one who knows what is real religious principle, and śraddhayānvitāḥ, and who is faithful, he can get out of all kinds of sinful activities by an intelligent method. What is that intelligent method?
Vāsudeva means Kṛṣṇa. One who is devoted to Kṛṣṇa, simply by that devotional process, and always being in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, agham dhunvanti kārtsnyena. one can get out of all sinful reactions. How? Nīhāram iva bhāskaraḥ. Nīhāram means dews. You have seen in this season, so many dews are on the grass, on the tree. As soon as there is sunrise, everything finished. Everything finished. It is very nice example. So if you bring forth the sun of Kṛṣṇa... These are all products... These sinful activities is due to ignorance. Ignorance is darkness, māyā, and Kṛṣṇa or Kṛṣṇa consciousness is just like the sun. Now this is night; everything is dark. If some way or other there is sunrise, then immediately the darkness is finished. So Śukadeva Gosvāmī says that kecit. Kecit. Kecit means it is not possible for all, but some fortunate men do like this instead of going to so many details how to get out of this sinful reaction, simply by Kṛṣṇa consciousness and devotional service, vāsudeva-parāyaṇāḥ, those who are devotees of Lord Kṛṣṇa, agham...
So they are food for the animals which has..., who has got hands. We are animals with hands, and there are animals without hands. So ahastāni sahastānām. Sahasta means hand, with—hands animals, they're eating others which has no hand. Apadāni catuṣ-padām. "And those who have no legs, they are food for the animals, four-legged." Just like grass. This is also living entity, but it has no leg to move. It has leg, but it is fixed up. It cannot move. They're condemned, that "You cannot move." A tree is standing for seven thousand years. It cannot move. So they are food for moving animals. Just like cow eats grass. The goat eats grass. So apadāni catuṣ-padām. Phalgūni mahatāṁ tatra. In this way the world is being exploited. The weaker section is being exploited by the stronger section. Phalgūni mahatāṁ tatra jīvo jīvasya jīvanam: "One life is meant for being exploited by other life." This is nature's law. So we have no quarrel with persons who are meat-eating. But our propaganda is to make people God conscious. That's all.
In the previous verse Śukadeva Gosvāmī gave the example that "The dried leaves of creepers beneath a bamboo tree may be completely burned to ashes by a fire, although the creepers may sprout again because the root is still in the ground." You have seen practically. On the field the grass is dried up, and sometimes fire is set and it becomes all burned into ashes. But as soon as there is rainy season, again they sprout and become green. The idea is that you may perform the religious, ritualistic ceremonies, but if your heart is not cleansed, simply by performing these ritualistic ceremonies you'll not be purified. So we have got two desires: pious desire or impious desires. So either you become desirous of doing pious thing or you desirous of doing impious things, the sufferings of this material world will continue.
So these four-legged animals is the food for the two-legged animals. Ahastāni sahastānām. Uncivilized men means two-legged animals. They are animals, but two-legged. There are four-legged animals; there are two-legged. Ahastāni sahastānām apadāni catuṣ-padām: "And living entities who have no legs, just like the vegetables, grass, plants, trees..." They have no legs. They cannot move, but they are living entities. They are food for catuṣ-padām, for the animals who have got four legs. Ahastāni sahastānām apadāni catuṣ-padām, phalgūni mahatāṁ tatra: "And the weak is food for the strong." Phalgūni... Jīvo jīvasya jīvanam. This is the law of nature, that one life is meant for maintaining another life. That is going on. So sometimes they put forward this argument that "You are also eating vegetables. They have got life. Why you object that nonvegetarians who are eating four legged animals...?" No. We are not going to infringe to the laws of nature. That is not our business.
Evolution, many births. Therefore this life is meant for rectifying all mistakes that we had committed in our previous life or in this life. How? By this process. Kṣipanty agham. Agham means the resultant action of sinful life. Mahad api. Although it is very great, mahad api, how? Veṇu-gulmam, veṇu-gulmam ivānalaḥ. Just like if you set fire to unwanted grass and creepers in the field. You set fire, and they will be all burned. Similarly, by this process, tapasā brahmacaryeṇa (SB 6.1.13), you can liquidate all of your sinful activities of life and you become purified.
So the next process, another alternative process is being suggested by Śukadeva Gosvāmī.
Otherwise it is useless. Śrama eva hi kevalam (SB 1.2.8). It is simply laboring for nothing. So this is the recommended, that treatment. That is also not sufficient. In the last, Śukadeva gives an hint that "This kind of purification, by tapasā brahmacaryeṇa (SB 6.1.13), is like veṇu-gulmam ivānalaḥ." Veṇu-gulma, veṇu-gulma means the dried creepers and grass. You can set fire. In India or here also—I have seen in London—they set fire, and all the dried creepers and grass become... But what is the purpose of saying veṇu-gulman ivānalaḥ? Veṇu-gulmam ivānalaḥ means that superficially we see that now it is burnt into ashes, but the root remains there. As soon as there will be rain, waterfall, they will come out again. So the whole process is how to become detached from this material world. So this, even if you practice this tapasya, it is not completely able to finish these attachments. Therefore it is said, veṇu-gulmam ivānalaḥ.
So persons who observe the principles of tapasya, austerities; brahmācārya, celibacy; controlling the mind; controlling the senses—these are practiced—this is called yoga system. Then, mahad api agham. Even he is subjected to the resultant action of great sinful life, he can vanquish it. The example is given just like to set fire in the field and all the dry plants and grasses immediately become burned. So by austerity, tapasya, brahmācārya, celibacy, these regulative principles can burn out the sinful reaction, not by the root. The example is given the dry vegetables or plants, they are burned from outside, but the root remains. The root is not burned. And the root remaining within the earth, as soon as there is favorable condition, there is some rain—again they come out. In other words, by tapasya, by austerity, by celibacy one can superficially get out of the sinful reaction, but because it is not rooted out, as soon as there is some opportunity, favorable conditions, again they come out.
A series of practice. Then the brain will be clear. So this process also—not very safe. The example has been given that kṣipanty aghaṁ mahad api veṇu-gulmam ivānalaḥ. It is something like burning, setting fire into the dry grass. And superficially it appears that all the grasses are now burned into ashes; there is no possibility of coming out. No. Therefore this very word is there, iva analaḥ. Although superficially, outside, it appears that everything is burned, but the root remains there. The root remains there, and as soon as there will be facility or there will be rainy season, the same grasses and twigs and other things will come out again, new growth. That is... Even after so much tapasya... There are many instances. Just like Viśvāmitra Muni. Viśvāmitra Muni was a king. He wanted to become a brāhmaṇa, and he practiced mystic yoga for many years. Still, he became a victim of a woman, Menakā.
Otherwise the brāhmaṇas used to live in the forest, drink milk and take fruit. That is sufficient. There was no need of jumping here and there. Anywhere you keep cows. And what cows to maintain? No expenditure. The fruits? The skin thrown away, and the cow will eat. And in exchange it will give you nice foodstuff, milk. Or it will eat in the grazing ground, some grass. So there is no expenditure of keeping cows, but you get the best food in the world. The proof is that the child born simply can live on milk. That is the proof. So anyone can live only on milk. If you have got the opportunity to drink one pound milk maximum, not very much—half-pound is sufficient; suppose one pound—then you don't require any other foodstuff. Only this cow's milk will help you. It is so nice. And it gives very nice brain, not pig's brain. So it is so important thing. Other..., why Kṛṣṇa says go-rakṣya? He did not say that "pig-rakṣya." No. "Dog-rakṣya." No.
And he does (not) know that "I am loading so many tons of cloth on my back, and what interest I have got with it? Not a single cloth belongs to me." So the ass has no such sense. Ass means he has no such sense. He is thinking, "It is my duty. To load upon me so much clothing, it is my duty." Why it is duty? Now, "Because the washerman gives you grass." So he has no sense that "Grass I can get anywhere. Why I have taken this duty?" This is the... Everyone is anxious about his duty. Somebody is politician, somebody is householder, somebody is something else. Because he has taken up some false duty and working hard for it, therefore he is an ass. He is forgetting his real business. Real business is that death will come. It will not avoid me. Everyone says, "As sure as death." Now, before death, I have to act in such a way that I may have a position in Vaikuṇṭha, in Vṛndāvana, and I may have permanent life to live with Kṛṣṇa. This is our real duty.
We do not know what is our self-interest. And we are hoping against hope, "I shall be happy in this way. I shall be happy in this way." Therefore this word is used, mūḍha. They do not know what is actually his happiness, and he is trying one chapter, another, one chapter, another, "Now I will be happy." The ass. The ass. Sometimes the washerman sits on his back and takes a bunch of grass and puts in front of the ass, and the ass wants to take the grass. But as he moving forward, the grass is also moving forward. (laughter) And he thinks, "Just one step forward, I shall get the grass." But because he is ass, he does not know that "The grass is situated in such a way that I may go on for millions of years; still, I will not get the happi..." This is ass. He does not come to his senses that "For millions and trillions of years I may try to be happy in this material world. I will never be happy."
In the Bhagavad-gītā you will find: amānitvam adambhitvam ahiṁsā kṣāntir ārjavam (BG 13.8). These are the different steps of progressing in knowledge and religion. The first thing is amānitvam. Amānitvam means very humble. Very humble. And therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu teaches that tṛṇād api sunīcena, "Just become humbler than the straw in the street or grass." To become religious means... Lord Jesus Christ also, he taught like that—"The humble and meek will attain the kingdom of God." Is it not said like that?
So about his going to the forest for collecting all these things he was going. Yes. Ādāya tata āvṛttaḥ phala-puṣpa-samit-kuśān. In this way he collected all the things required for sacrifice, yajña. Sacrifice, yajña is It doesn't require any money. You can collect. Just like flowers you can collect, leaves you can collect, kuśa, a kind of grass, you can collect, and nobody will object. Even you collect from a nice garden nobody will object. So while he was coming back home with all these things, what happened? Dadarśa kāminaṁ kañcic chūdraṁ saha bhujiṣyayā. Kāma, a lusty ś\ udra. There are four classes—brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, and śūdra. So he saw one lusty śūdra, fourth class. Dadarśa kāminaṁ kañcic chūdraṁ saha bhujiṣyayā. What he saw? That this śūdra was embracing another śūdrāṇī, woman śūdra. So nowadays it has become a fashion—young man is kissing another young woman on the street.
Garbage. So nobody should touch others' property. Nowadays the education is how to make friendship with others' wife and how to take away others' money by tricks. This is not education. The education is here: Mātṛ-vat para-dāreṣu para-dravyeṣu loṣṭra-vat, ātma-vat sarva-bhūteṣu. Sarva-bhūteṣu: in all living entities... There are 8,400,000 different forms of living entities. The grass is also a living entity, and Brahmā is also a living entity. So a paṇḍita accepts everyone as living entity, and he deals with them-ātma-vat: "What I feel, pains and pleasure, I must deal with others by the same sentiment." Therefore modern days' nationality means human being. But actually the animals, they are also national. National means one is born in the same country according to their definition. The "national" word is never found in the Vedic literature. This is modern invention. So here ātma-vat sarva-bhūteṣu. It doesn't matter whether one is national or outsider national. Sarva-bhūteṣu. Here is also... It is said, sarva-bhūta-suhṛt. Suhṛt, friend, well-wisher, sarva-bhūta.
For offering daily worship fruits, flowers, and samit, the kuśa, grass, everything is required for... His father ordered him, "Just bring all these things." He went in the forest to collect all these things, and while coming back he saw one śūdra was in embrace with a prostitute, and he happened to pass that way and he stood there and saw, attracted. Young man becomes attracted. Therefore these things should be very secretly done. Everyone knows that a husband, wife, have sex intercourse. But not like cats and dogs. That is human civilization. Not that on the road the boy or the girl is embracing, kissing, and having sex life. This is animal life. This is animal life. Simple they are educated to prostitution. Now, at the present moment, father, mother, sends the daughter for prostitution: "Find out a suitable man. Attract a suitable man. Don't marry abruptly. Just test this man, this man, this man, this man, this man. Then marry." So father-mother, they are teaching daughters prostitution.
...humbler than the grass and tolerant more than the tree. Tṛṇād api sunīcena taror api sahiṣṇunā, amāninā mānadena. We have to give all respect to everyone. Even one has no respect, he should be also offered respect. In this attitude one can make advancement by chanting this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. That is the instruction of Lord Caitanya. (aside:) I was expecting you earlier because I speak in English for them. (speaks in Hindi with Indian man) So one who cannot understand English, they can hear that. (Hindi) Every one is requesting to have a temple here. Some police officers, they are very much appreciating. (Hindi) So Śrīdhāra Swami is very nicely explaining the omnipotency of chanting the holy name. So he says, tasmād idam upapannam iti tatrāha etāvad iti. If one takes shelter of the transcendental holy name of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he hasn't got to go through the dharma śāstras or abiding by the rules and regulation of different kinds of religious scripture. Etāvat. Etāvad iti. Simply by surrendering to the holy name. So this is applicable in all ages, but especially in this age because nobody can perform the ritualistic ceremonies of any religious principle. The people are so fallen that they cannot.
So, but they become captivated: "Oh, here is a yogi. He can manufacture immediately." In Calcutta I was passing in a street, Cornwallis Street, and there was some crowd, and I entered that crowd, long ago, when I was young man. So I saw that he was a Muhammadan (indistinct). He was giving everyone some pieces of grass, straw. So he gave me one. So I saw it is raisin, kismis. You see? So I immediate threw it away and went away. So some yogi can show. He'll press his beads, and there milk will come. So there are so many yogic fantasies. But that does not mean that he knows God. Or a great philosopher like Dr. Radhakrishnan, that does not mean he knows God.
His father became enemy, what to speak of others? Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu has said, taror api sahiṣṇunā. You will have many enemies, many envious persons, when you become pure devotee, but you should tolerate. Taror api sahiṣṇunā. Be tolerant just like a tree and be humble just like a grass. Tṛṇād api sunīcena taror api sahiṣṇunā. Don't be afraid of our enemies because Kṛṣṇa will protect you, but in order to stop more misunderstanding, better become tolerant, as Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that... Envious persons, automatically... Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu's time, Śrīvāsa. Śrīvāsa was chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, and his neighborers became enemies. They wanted to insult him in so many ways. These are described in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta. So that is natural. But we should always remember that "Let there be enemies. Let there be envious persons. I will be protected by Kṛṣṇa and His associates." And even I am not so accustomed, so I should learn to tolerate.
Kīrtanīyaḥ. If you want to make advancement in the chanting process, then you should be tolerant than the tree and humbler than the grass. And anyone who hasn't got any respect, give him all respect: "Oh, you are so wonderful," and go on with your business, "Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma..." (chuckles)
John Lennon's house. There was a blind pit, and it was covered with grass, and somebody fell. So this gṛham andha-kūpam, this family life is sometimes... Unless there is Kṛṣṇa, the family life... Without Kṛṣṇa, without Kṛṣṇa consciousness, family life is just like a blind well covered with grass. As soon as you go, and fall down. Prahlāda Mahārāja recommended that one should give up this blind well and go to the open forest. So here also it is said, gṛhe niraya-vartmani baddha-tṛṣṇān. And why they are staying in that blind well? Baddha-tṛṣṇān, conditioned by material desires. That's all. Thinking that "I am in family. My..., they are friends, they are countrymen, they are my children, and they'll give me protection. What this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement will give us protection? They have no money. They are begging. So how they can?" No. That is their idea, that "This, my family affairs, a nice situation, that will give me protection." But that is wrong. Teṣāṁ pramatto nidhanaṁ paśyann api na paśyati.
Why there are different types of living entities, different types of bodies? That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. Kāraṇam, the cause, the reason is, guṇa-saṅgaḥ asya. Guṇa saṅgasya. So we are gold, but some gold has fallen in the mud, some gold has fallen in the water, some gold has fallen on the grass. These are examples. They are very much nicely explained in the Vedic literature. Sometimes the living entity is considered as the spark of fire. You have seen the sparks of fire. So the fire, original fire, is never covered by māyā or darkness. But the small particle of fire, which are called sparks, they, as soon as come out of the fire, they are extinguished. No more, I mean to say, sparking. So this is our position. Although we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, sanātana, eternally... Manaḥ-ṣaṣṭhāni indriyāṇi prakṛti-sthāni karṣati. Because on account of our material mind... Material mind means the mind is absorbed in the thought of enjoying this material world. This is the beginning of our material disease.
We are in the cycle of birth and death. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma (BG 4.9). Tathā dehāntara-prāptir. After death we shall get another body, but we do not know what kind of body we are going to get. There are 8,400,000 different types of body and the life begins from the grass, from the ground. We have seen so many grass. And gradually the grass is eaten by some animals or insects, and then there is semina. Then the same semina becomes insect. From insect to bird, bird to beast, from beast to animals. It takes millions and millions of years to come to the form of human being. This is evolution. They do not know it. But that is the process. Therefore Prahlāda Mahārāja says durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma. You must understand that this human form of body you have got after many millions of years. Don't waste it like animals. If we utilize this human form of body just like cats and dogs, what is the difference between my life and dog's life?
Daivāt: by the superior arrangement. Superior arrangement means that the hog, because he has been given, daiva-netreṇa, the body of a hog, he must eat stool. That is daiva. He must eat stool. So daivāt. Daivāt means all arrangement is there. You'll find amongst the animals, they have got a particular type of food. Just like cows, goats, these four-legged animals, they eat grass. They'll never eat meat. And then the tigers, dogs, cats, they'll not touch even grass. They'll want meat. Deha yogena-dehinām. The standard of eating, standard of happiness, is already fixed up. They cannot be changed. But in the human form of life they can be changed if they take to bhāgavata-dharma. Just like, practical example, these European, American boys. They have changed their habits. How it is possible? Because they have taken to bhāgavata-dharma. That is the only way. Otherwise it is not possible. In America, the authorities accepted that "We are spending so many millions of dollars, we could not stop the intoxication habit, LSD habit.
He says that sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya mūrtayaḥ sambhavanti yāḥ: (BG 14.4) "All the forms of different grades of life," sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya mūrtayaḥ sambhavanti yaḥ tāsāṁ mahad yonir, "the material world is the mother and I am the father." Very simply understanding. Everything is grown from the material nature. Our life is also from there. The grass is growing, and the grass is eaten by the animals, and then animals beget another animal, or vegetables we also eat and by eating we live. Then by eating we get our semina. Then we beget another children, another child. So actually we are born, every one of us born and nourished by this material nature. This is a fact, one can see. So who is the father? The mother is there, material nature, and we are children there. There must be father.
The struggle for existence you'll find everywhere. Ā-brahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ. Therefore a devotee is not interested anywhere within this material world, however very opulent it may be. There may be roads and instead of the stone—diamonds, coral. That does not attract. They are not interested. They are interested to go to Vṛndāvana and become a grass there. This is devotee. Just like Uddhava, as soon as he entered Vṛndāvana, he immediately fell down on the road thinking that "On this street Kṛṣṇa has walked, His friends have walked, there are footprints." So this is the ambition of a devotee. They are not interested for diamond roads or pearl roads. No.
So Prahlāda Mahārāja says that "If you, my dear daitya friends..." He was talking with his friends. They were born of daitya families. Daitya family means, daityeṣu saṅgaṁ viṣayātmakeṣu. Daitya means those who are materially attached, simply for sense gratification. They, that is the distinction between the daityas and devas. The devas, they are also in sense gratification, but they are devotees at the same time.
So Prahlāda Mahārāja suggests the remedy, how to become free from anxieties. He says hitvātma-ghātaṁ gṛham andha-kūpaṁ. Ātma ghāṭam. Ātma means the soul, and ghāṭam means killing. Hitvātmā-ghāṭam gṛham andha-kūpaṁ. Andha-kūpa means blind well. Blind well... I do not know whether you have got experience. In India there are several old wells on the paddy fields and they are covered with grass. Nobody can understand that there is a well underneath this, underneath this grass. And if by mistake one comes there, he falls down, say hundred feet down. And it is covered with grass. Even if he cries, "Please save me, save me," who is going to save him? Sometimes cow and animals and men fall down in that way. If he's fortunate enough, somebody comes and rescues. Otherwise, generally, there is no rescue. Who is going to know that there is a man or there is an animal? So hitvātmā-ghāṭam andha-kūpaṁ. This material world is just like that blind well. If somebody falls down in it, it is very difficult to get out of it. Therefore it is ātmā-ghāṭam. Ātma-ghāṭam means killing the soul.
"Why you are kicking? Why you are kicking?" "Yes, I shall kick you because you are not Kṛṣṇa conscious. I shall make you Kṛṣṇa conscious by kicking, kicking, kicking. That's all. That is my business." Our business is to implore, tṛṇād api sunīcena. Our preaching method is not kicking. Our preaching method is, dante nidhāya tṛṇakam, by taking a grass in the teeth, padayor nipatya, falling down on the feet, and kāku-śataṁ kṛtvā ca ahaṁ bravīmi, and flattering you hundred times, I'm just submitting one thing: "Become Kṛṣṇa conscious." That is our process. And Māyā, his process different. (S)he'll say, "Why you shall become Kṛṣṇa conscious? You just enjoy and I shall kick you very nicely. That's all." And he accepts, "Yes, you kick me and let me enjoy, but I am not going to these Kṛṣṇa conscious persons." (laughter) You see? Practically, Māyā's business, our business is same, but her process is different, our process is different. The people like her process. (break) (end)
Somebody may say, "Oh, you are devotee? Why you have become so angry?" Now, why not? Here is the question of God and His devotee. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu taught us that "You become tolerant than the tree and humble than the grass." But when Jagāi-Mādhāi insulted Lord Nityānanda, oh, He immediately became so angry, "Oh, bring My cakra. I shall kill these persons." Did He become a tolerant like the tree, "All right, Nityānanda insulted. Let Me become tolerant"? (laughs) No, no. Try to understand. You see? We should not be impotent. Arjuna, he was declining to fight, not that he was impotent, he could not fight. He was a great warrior. But he was refusing, "Oh, what for this personal interest is to kill them?" But when he saw that "Kṛṣṇa wants this," oh, he showed his potency.
One has to become humbler than the grass and tolerant than the tree. Then he can become perfect Vaiṣṇava. Because as soon as you become a Vaiṣṇava, your father will be your enemy. Just like Prahlāda Mahārāja. What was his fault? Five-years-old boy. Simply he became a Vaiṣṇava, Kṛṣṇa conscious, and his father became enemy. This is the position.
So Vaiṣṇava has to tolerate in order to make progress in spiritual life so many enemies, Even at home, father will be enemy. So don't be hesitant and don't be agitated by such circumstances. Prahlāda Mahārāja had to suffer so many things. Still, he remained Kṛṣṇa conscious, and ultimately he saw Lord Nṛsiṁha-deva and had the privilege of offering prayers. We shall discuss later on.
He was also served with poison, he was thrown amongst the serpents and he was thrown from the hill, he was put under the feet of elephant. In so many ways put... Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu has instructed us that "Do not be disappointed. Kindly forbear." Tṛṇād api sunīcena taror api sahiṣṇunā. Be tolerant more than the tree. I mean to say, one shall be meek and humble more than the grass. These things will happen. In one life if we execute our Kṛṣṇa consciousness attitude, even there is suffering little, don't mind. Go on with Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Don't be disappointed or hopeless, even there is some trouble. That is encouraged by Kṛṣṇa in Bhagavad-gītā: āgamāpāyino 'nityās tāṁs titikṣasva bhārata: "My dear Arjuna, even if you feel some pain, this bodily pain, it comes and goes. Nothing is permanent, so don't care for these things. Go on with your duty." This is the instruction of Kṛṣṇa. Prahlāda Mahārāja is the practical example, and our duty is to follow the footprints of such person like Prahlāda Mahārāja.
So this question does not come, that "I am eternal. I do not die after the annihilation of the body. Why I am subjected to this tribulation?" Nobody thinks; therefore mūḍhā. Just like animal. Animal, in the slaughterhouse, one animal is being killed, and the other animal is eating grass. He's thinking that "I am safe." He does not know that "Next moment I'll be killed." This is animal life. The human life means if somebody is being killed, so he should be immediately warned, taking warning, "Oh, my turn is coming. Let me go away."
There is one story in this connection. Not story; these are facts. A hunter spread his net. So some little birds, they fell down in the net and they are crying. They are crying. So the father, mother, when they came, they saw that their children are in danger: "It is caught by the net of the hunter." So mother immediately jumped over it to save the children, and she was also captured.
Pradyumna: "The brahmacārī should carry in the hand pure kuśa grass, dressing himself regularly with a belt of straw, a deerskin garment, a bunch of hair, a staff and waterpot, as well as the sacred thread."
Prabhupāda:
- mekhālajina-vāsāṁsi
- jaṭā-daṇḍa-kamaṇḍalūn
- bibhṛyād upavītaṁ ca
- darbha-pāṇir yathoditam
- (SB 7.12.4)
So description of brahmacārī is going on here, the dress. The dress should be as simple as possible. So the ajina means the deerskin. That is very essential because formerly the brahmacārīs used to go to guru-grha. In those days the guru-gṛha was not palatial building. Now if you haven't got palatial building, nobody will come. The different stage. But actually brahmacārī, the guru also, they were living in the forest, and brahmacārī used to go that guru-gṛha.
Nectar of Devotion Lectures
So out of such millions of fools who are working hard... They have been described just like asses. The asses work very hard for..., for the washerman, not for himself. He does not work for himself. Therefore the karmīs are called asses, mūḍhāḥ. The ass is satisfied with a morsel of grass and working very hard for the washerman. This is ass's qualification. The śāstras, they have selected some animals: śva-viḍ-varāha-uṣṭra-kharaiḥ saṁstutaḥ puruṣaḥ paśuḥ. The... Generally, population, general population, they are just like dogs, śva; viḍ-varāha, the stool-eater, hog. Śva-viḍ-varāha-uṣṭra, camel. And kharaiḥ, and ass. They have been selected. So... Just like... Why they are compared with the dog? Because the dog is searching after a master. Without master, he cannot live. So those who cannot live independently, they are just like dogs. (indistinct) so many things, explanation. Viḍ-varāha. Viḍ-varāha means no distinction of eating. Anything.
This is the nature of material life, that he will work very hard and he will think, "That is my life." This is material life. But actually, if you are actually happy, then why you have to work so hard? But that is nonsense. He is nonsense. He does not know. Therefore the karmīs are called mūḍhas, asses. The ass works hard for the washerman, and the washerman gives him a morsel of grass and he thinks, "I am happy." This is ass mentality. He has worked very hard, but getting that little bunch of grass. He can get it anywhere, but he thinks that "This washerman gives it. Therefore I have to work..." Or he does not know that "I'm working for it." This is ass mentality.
So actual life is that there should be no work. Why?
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures
So actually the original person for material creation, Mahā-Viṣṇu, through the agency of māyā, He has created. Māyayā sṛjaty adaḥ. All this cosmic manifestation is created in that way. Those who are not devotee, they cannot see that over the chunk, total material energy, there is the vision of Mahā-Viṣṇu. That they cannot see. Just like you'll find on the ground, so many flowers and grasses are coming up. How? By the sunrise, the glance of the sun. Where there is no sunshine, there the vegetables do not grow. We have got practical experience. Similar... Therefore the field or the earth is not exploding with the vegetation. It is due to the sunshine. Therefore it is coming out. It is the real cause. Similarly, accepting that chunk, the total material energy, it is agitated by the glance of Mahā-Viṣṇu. Then it explodes and things are coming out. We can accept that in that way, but not that automatically there was explosion. That is not fact. Therefore to the foolish person, the power behind the explosion is not visible. Nāhaṁ prakāśaḥ sarvasya yoga-māyā-samāvṛtaḥ (BG 7.25).
"How stone can float?" Why stone cannot float? If this big, big lump of matter, earthly planet and other planets, they are floating in the air, why the stone cannot float? If God likes, it will float. That is God desire. It is God's plan. Now, you can see that a ship on the ocean with 50,000 tons, it is floating. And take a grass and put it, or take a, I mean to say, a small needle. Put it on the ocean; it will go at once down. It is simply question of arrangement. A small needle will go down immediately to the depth of the sea, and a ship with 50,000 tons of loading, it is floating. So if a man can make such arrangement by some way or other that he can float a 50,000 tons of ship floating on this, I mean to say, ocean, is it not possible for God to float a stone on the ocean? Is there any reason to disbelieve it? There is no reason. And we can see. By God's energy these big, big lumps of planet, they are floating in the air. So as He likes... That is called omnipotency. If He likes, one thing will float. If He does not like, it will go down.
"How is that, that one place you say that stool of animal is impure, and again one place you say cow dung is pure?" That is not contradiction. That is actually the fact. And modern scientists have analyzed cow dung, and he has found it is full of antiseptic properties. It is God's wish. Now, take for example cow. What cow eating? Grass, dry grass. And what it is producing? It is producing the nicest thing, milk, full of vitamins. Now, if you think, "Oh, then a dry grass and straw contains all vitamins. Let me eat," you will die. You will die. It is God's arrangement. The cow can produce the most vitaminous foodstuff by eating the dry grass. It is God's desire. The cow will eat at least twenty pounds of grass, and how it can eat the grains? It is not possible. So just like elephant—it will eat hundred pounds of thing. He must eat all these branches and twigs. So everything is God's arrangement. We have to accept that. Sattvena sāttvikatayā prabalaiś ca śāstraiḥ.
You see? So that is possible. Even the father become enemy. Prahlāda Mahārāja, a five-years-old boy, and because he was chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, his father became enemy. So you'll have enemies. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu gives us, warning us, that tṛṇād api sunīcena taror api sahiṣṇunā: "You just become humbler than the grass." Just (as) you trample over the grasses, it does not protest. Not only you, so many people are going on the grasses, but they tolerate. So tṛṇād api sunīcena taror api sahiṣṇunā. And He has given the example, "tolerant than the trees." The trees are standing in one place. Scorching heat and cold and rains, they are all suffering, and the people taking their leaves, taking their branches, woods, cutting them, taking fruit, and still, the trees give you shelter. This is the example of tolerance. So tṛṇād api sunīcena taror api sahiṣṇunā, amāninā mānadena. Everyone in this material world is very much fond of getting honor.
He says... This is the process of preaching: "My dear sir, I am falling down on your lotus feet and with folded hands and am flattering you thousand times, and I have taken one grass in my mouth to show my humbleness. So you kindly hear my one word." "What is that?" He sādhavaḥ, "You are very great sādhu, but you have learned so many things," he sādhavaḥ sakalam eva vihāya dūrāt. "This is my request, that whatever you have learned, so many things, kindly forget. Kick them out." "Then what shall I take?" Caitanya-candra-caraṇe kurutānurāga: "Just become a servant on the lotus feet of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. This is my request." So we have to preach like that. Just flatter him, but request him that "You forget all these bogus things. Simply take to Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Your life will be successful," as it is... We have already... Tāṅhāra caraṇāśrita, sei baḍa dhanya: (CC Adi 7.2). He's glorified because he receives...
So Kṛṣṇa's pastimes in Vṛndāvana with the cowherds boys and with the gopīs, they are all spiritual. They are not material. But Kṛṣṇa manifests, exhibits the līlā, coming here personally so that you may hear about Kṛṣṇa and you may be attracted: "So how I can go and play with Kṛṣṇa? How I can go and dance with Kṛṣṇa?" Or "How I can become a, in paternal affection with Kṛṣṇa? How I can become a tree, a grass, in Vṛndāvana, so that Kṛṣṇa may trample over me?" This is called Kṛṣṇa-prema. So Kṛṣṇa practically demonstrates, for the facility of the conditioned soul.
"Variety is the mother of enjoyment." Enjoyment, ānanda means enjoyment. Enjoyment cannot be impersonal; there must be varieties. That is enjoyment. You have got experience that when there is a bunch of flower of different colors it is very enjoyable. And if there is only rose only, although rose is very nice flower, it is not so pleasing. With rose, some green foliage, some grass, inferior quality, it looks very beautiful. So when there is question (of) ānanda... Because Kṛṣṇa has got form, sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha (Bs. 5.1), eternal, cit, full of knowledge, and full of ānanda, bliss. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt, Vedānta-sūtra says. The Lord is ānanda-mayo. This māyā-prātyaya, there is controversy between the Śaṅkarites and the Vaiṣṇavas. They say that māyā-prātyaya... This prātyaya, from Sanskrit verbal root, is affixed in two cases—when there is excess and when there is transformation.
When you live in the material energy, then your the illuminating quality, because you are fire, part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, that is extinguished almost. Therefore, we are forgetful of Kṛṣṇa. Our relationship with Kṛṣṇa is practically extinguished. And again, the fire, spark, if he falls down on a dry grass, then gradually, the grass becomes blazing. So even if we are... Because in this material world there are three modes of material nature. If we are associated with the goodness quality, then our spiritual energy again becomes blazing fire. From the modes of goodness, purity, knowledge, the brahminical quality... Satya śama dama titikṣa (BG 18.42). When you are put into that..., the dry grass... Although this satya śama dama, truthfulness or controlling the senses, or controlling the mind, knowledge, toleration, these qualities, they are all material qualities. They are not spiritual qualities. Don't think that if one is... One man is very truthful; that does not mean that he has attained spiritual quality. The spiritual quality is different thing.
The spiritual quality is different thing. But these material qualities, satya śama dama titikṣa, all these, they can help you. They can help you to be situated in the transcendental, spiritual qualities. But don't think that they are themselves spiritual qualities. No. That is another.
So we, the sparks of the supreme fire, when we fall down in the dry grass, the spiritual quality or the fiery quality is there still, but it may also extinguish. Therefore, our transcendental position is śuddha-sattva. We have to always keep ourself in transcendental position by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, always being engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service. Then we are brahma-bhūyāya kalpate (BG 14.26). That is our Brahman situation. Simply realization of Brahman is not all. You have to be always engaged in Brahman activities. Then there is possibility of remaining in the Brahman platform. The Māyāvādī philosophers, as soon as they realize that ahaṁ brahmāsmi, they think that they are liberated. But no. That liberation is theoretical. That is not practical.
Then sevā, to serve the spiritual master; yasya prasādād, to gain his favor. Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo **. This is the process. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu... Sanātana Gosvāmī's teaching how to approach guru, so, very humbly... Dante tṛṇa lañā. In India the system is that to... Symbolic representation of humbleness is to take one piece of grass in the mouth. Then it is to be understood that he is coming very submissively. Now this system is not current, but formerly it was. So Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī also said like that, dante nidhāya tṛṇakaṁ padayor nipatya kṛtvā cāhaṁ kāku-śatam ahaṁ bravīmi. He was a devotee of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and he also taught us how to preach Kṛṣṇa consciousness, becoming very humble, humbler... Caitanya Mahāprabhu has also instructed us,
- tṛṇād api sunīcena
- taror api sahiṣṇunā
- amāninā mānadena
- kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ
- (CC Adi 17.31)
This time, Kali-yuga, is very, very fallen. People are very, very much fallen. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo (SB 1.1.10). Practically cent percent of the population at the present moment, they're manda.
Samit-pāṇiḥ, taking that short grass, kuśa. In Sanskrit it is called kuśa. So Sanātana Prabhu approached Him very humbly. That is the way. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said,
- tad viddhi praṇipātena
- paripraśnena sevayā
- upadekṣyanti tad jñānaṁ
- jñāninas tattva-darśinaḥ
- (BG 4.34)
We must approach a bona fide guru for enlightenment. And samit-pāṇiḥ śrotriyam: one who has received knowledge by hearing, not by speculating. Nowadays it has become a fashion to speculate. The Vedic injunction is, "No. By hearing." You have to approach the right person and hear. Therefore the whole Vedic literature is called śruti. One has to learn very intelligently by hearing from the authority. The same example we find in Bhagavad-gītā. In the battlefield, where time is very valuable, still, Arjuna is hearing from Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is instructing, and Arjuna is hearing.
Whatever we see in this creation, the plants, the trees and living entities, and we are speaking especially of the living entities, and there are 8,400,000 different forms, they are coming from earth. That we can see. It doesn't require great intelligence. Any boy can understand that it is coming out of these five elements—means earth, water... The grass is coming out of earth, the fish is coming out of the water. So we have got experiences in two elements. But we have got experience also that living entities coming out of air. So earth, water, air... There are living entities in fire also, but because our knowledge is limited, we do not see. We cannot conceive that in the fire also there can be living entities. And why not? There are five elements, matter. So if earth is producing life, if water is producing life, if air is producing life, why not fire? What is the fault there? Everything is producing life. So the mother produces children. So many children are coming out of the... Tāsāṁ mahad yonir brahma. Yoni, yoni means mother.
Sri Isopanisad Lectures
When he is on the land, not on the water, then there is something, heat. Similarly, when the living entity is in the rajo-guṇa, the quality of passion, there is some hope. And when the living entity is in goodness... Just like the same spark, if it drops on the grass, dry grass, then the same spark of fire ignites another fire, another blazing fire. Similarly, if one is in goodness, then he can create a spiritual association. Just like the same example, that the small spark of fire, if it falls in favorable circumstances, or in dry grass, then it can ignite fire.
Sri Brahma-samhita Lectures
That is imperfect.
But in the Vedic scripture you have got perfect knowledge, how a living entity is developing different types of body. Jalajā nava-lakṣāṇi. First of all, nine lakhs' species of living entities within water. In the water, the living seeds are there. The other day I was showing our other devotees how from the stone the grass is coming. There is a crack in the stone, and the grass is coming out. How it is? Nobody has gone to put some seeds within the cracking of the stone. How the grass is coming? The grass is coming because the water penetrates within the crack, and as soon as it gets in touch with the earth, it sprouts. That means within water there are seeds of living entities. Some of them fall down from the higher planetary system. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: kṣine puṇye martya-lokaṁ viśanti (BG 9.21). As soon as their period of enjoyment is finished, they are again brought down on this earthly planet.
So our proposition: If you inquire, "Then why you restrict, "No meat-eating'?" The answer is that actually we do not make any distinction between the meat-eaters and the vegetable eaters, because the cow or the goat or the lamb has got life, and the grass, it has also got life. But we follow the Vedic instruction. What is that? Now, īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvaṁ yat kiñcit jagatyāṁ jagat, tena tyaktena bhuñjīthā: (ISO 1) everything is the property of the Supreme Lord, and you can enjoy whatever is allotted to you. Mā gṛdhaḥ kasya svid dhanam. You cannot touch others' body, others' property. You cannot touch. That is Vedic life. So in all scriptures it is stated that man should live on fruits and vegetables. Their teeth are made in that way. They can eat very easily and digest. Although jīvo jīvasya jīvanam: one has to live by eating another living entity. Jīvo jīvasya... That is nature's law. So the vegetarian also eating another living entity. And the meat-eater, they're also eating another... But there is discretion.
Festival Lectures
If you want to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, then you have to take this principle, tṛṇād api sunīcena. You have to become humbler than the grass. Grass, it is lying on the street. Everyone is trampling down. Never protests. In the lawn you are... Everyone is trampling the grass. There is no protest. Taror api sahiṣṇunā. And tolerant than the tree. The tree is giving us so much help. It is giving us fruit, flower, leaves, and when there is scorching heat, shelter also. Sit down underneath. So beneficial, still, we cut. As soon as I like, I cut it down. But there is no protest. The tree does not say, "I have given you so much help, and you are cutting me?" No. Tolerant. Yes. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu has selected, taror api sahiṣṇunā. And amāninā mānadena.
God is father, supreme father of everyone. If we simply study this verse from the Bhagavad-gītā, that the mother nature is the mother of all living entities and God is the supreme father of everyone... We can study these two lines very carefully. On the earth we can see so many living entities are coming out, beginning from the grass, then so many insects, reptiles, big trees, then animals, birds, beasts, then human beings. They are all coming from the earth, and they are living at the expense of earth. The earth is supplying food to everyone. As the mother gives life or maintains the child by the milk of her breast, similarly, the earth mother is maintaining all different types of living entities. There are 8,400,000 different forms of life, and the earth, mother earth is supplying food. There are thousands of elephants in the African jungle, they are also being supplied with food.
The meaning is the preaching, very easy. Dante nidhāya tṛṇakam. According to Indian system, if you put a grass on your mouth, it is a sign of that you have become very humble. If you approach a person with a grass in your mouth, he'll immediately know that you are coming there with very, very great humbleness. Therefore dante nidhāya. This was the system. Dante nidhāya tṛṇakam, and touching his feet. Immediately, touch his feet. Immediately, even if he's enemy, he'll be a friend. Even if he's your enemy, it is so nice process. Take a grass on your mouth and immediately fall on his feet, padayor nipetya, and with folded hands, much flattering. Dante nidhāya tṛṇakaṁ padayor nipatya kaku-śataṁ kṛtvā ca. All flattering words. Ahaṁ bravīmi. So immediately he will agree, "Yes, what you say I'll hear. I'll hear." Immediately, convert to hear you at least.
Ha. Bhuñjate prakṛti-jān guṇān. So long the living entity is in this material world, he has to associate with the different modes of material nature. The same example. Just like the fire spark falls down on the ground. So ground, they have got different situation. One situation is dry grass, one situation is wet grass, and one situation is simply ground. So similarly, there are three position: sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. So sattva-guṇa means if the spark falls down on the dry grass, then it ignites the grasses. So in the sattva-guṇa, prakāśa, this fiery quality is demonstrated. But if it falls down on the water, wet ground, then it is completely extinguished. Three stages. Similarly, when we come down to this material world, if we associate with the sattva-guṇa, then there is some hope of spiritual life. And if we are rajo-guṇa there is no hope, and tamo-guṇa, there is no hope. Rajas-tamaḥ. Rajas-tamo-bhāva kāma-lobhādayaś ca ye. Rajas-tamaḥ.
General Lectures
Similarly, what we have got to offer Kṛṣṇa? Everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa. Now we have offered these fruits. Do the fruits belong to us? Who has produced these fruits? Have I produced? Is there any brain of the human being who can produce fruits, grains, milk? They're very great scientist. Now let them produce. The cow is eating grass and delivering you milk. So now, by scientific process, why don't you transform grass into milk? Still the rascals will not agree that there is God. You see? They have become so rascal: "Science." And what is your science, nonsense? You see the cows are eating grass and delivering you milk. Why don't you give to your wife and take milk? Why do you purchase? But if you offer this grass to a human being, she will die. So everything, the law of Kṛṣṇa, or law of God, is working, and still they say that "God is dead. There is no God. I am God." You do this like that. They have become so rascals and fools. Why they do not come to this meeting? "Oh, the Swamijī is speaking of God, old things. (laughter) Let us discover something new." You see?
You have no power. Therefore we are, in all respect, we are dependent. That we have got very nice experience. This hand is moving, but if the power is withdrawn, I cannot move my hand. Therefore I am not independent to move my hand. So upadraṣṭā anumantā. We cannot do anything without being sanctioned by the Supreme Lord. There is an English word, that not even a grass moves without the sanction of the Lord. So that is a fact. So how one is doing nice thing and how one is doing evil things if He is the order giver? That is our independence. We can take sanction from the Lord. If we want to do something evil, I cannot do it without the sanction of the Supreme. Or even if I do something very nice, that also I cannot do without the sanction. So how the Lord gives such sanction? The sanction is like this: just like a child is crying to get something from the parent, and the parent, being disgusted, gives him something, "All right. Take it." Such kind of sanction.
"Come on." And we teach him this brahminical qualification—to become brahmacārī, not to indulge in illicit sex life, don't take nonvegetarian diet. We recommend not exactly nonvegetarian diet. We are vegetarian diet, we restrict from nonvegetarian diet, but we recommend Kṛṣṇa prasādam. We have no quarrel with the nonvegetarians, because vegetable also has got life. The plants, the grass, the trees, the fruits, the flowers, they have also life. They are not dead. So simply becoming vegetarian is no great qualification. Somebody is taking meat and somebody is taking vegetable, it does not make any difference. But we are taking vegetables not as vegetarian.
Everyone is eating another life. That is the law of nature. That is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, that sahastānām ahastāni. The animals, animal who has got hands, he eats the animal who has no hand. That means four-legged animals. Ahastāni sahastānām apadāni catuṣ-padām. And the animals or living entities who cannot move, they are foodstuff of the moving. That means the grass, plants, they are the foodstuff for the cows and other animals. Nūnaṁ mahatāṁ tatra. And the big animal eats the small animal. Just like we see a big serpent is eating a small serpent, a big fish eating a small fish. So this is the law, that nūnaṁ mahatāṁ tatra jīvo jīvasya jīvanam. So one life is meant for maintaining another life. This is the law of nature. But Upaniṣad says that īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam: (ISO 1) everything belongs to the Lord. Just like in a hotel there are many kinds of foodstuff, but they all belong to the hotel keeper. And you can take only on your table what is offered to you.
That is the law of nature. Jīvo jīvasya jīvanam: "One living entity is the life of another living entity." That is a fact. Just like sahastānām ahastānam. Those who have got hands—that means men—for them, ahastāni, means the animals who have got no hands. And apadānanaṁ catuṣ-padām: "And the four-legged animals, they eat the grass, who cannot move." So grass has got life, as the animal has got life. We have got life. So this is... Nūnaṁ mahatāṁ tatra: "The strong is eating the weak." So this is the law of nature. We are eating the grains and fruits. They have got also life. It is not that those who are vegetarians, or eating grains and fruit, they are not eating life. They are also eating life. But the bhakti-yoga process is that, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, that the devotees, they take prasādam. We have got arrangement of distributing prasādam in every Sunday. Prasādam means the foodstuff which is offered to Kṛṣṇa and then you take. So what Kṛṣṇa wants, that is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati (BG 9.26).
We do not know what is my identity. We do not know wherefrom we have come in this place, where we have to go. Neither they have any information whether there is life after death. Very gross understanding, just like animals. Animal is standing, eating some grass. Although next moment he'll be taken to the slaughterhouse and he'll be killed, but he has no information. He is very happy eating the grass. And even if it is informed, "My dear Mr. Ox, you are eating grass here very happily. Just half an hour after you will be taken to the slaughterhouse. You go away from this place," but he has no knowledge. The grass-eating is very palatable to him than to take protection from being killed. So this is called ignorance, ignorance, sleeping state. Therefore the Veda is crying, uttiṣṭham jāgrata prāpya varān nibodhatam, kṣurasya dhārā niśitā duratyayā: "You have got now this human form of life, a great boon, not like animal.
Nobody wishes to die, but he has to die. Nobody likes disease, but he has to suffer from disease. So these are the problems. If you don't think they are not problems, then you are less intelligent. You have to become more intelligent. The animals, they don't care for death. Now, here is a slaughterhouse. Another animal is being killed, and this animal, little grass, oh, he is happy. He does not know that "Next moment I am going to be killed." This is ignorance. Ignorance means animal life, and knowledge means human life. Therefore there is so much educational system in every human society. Why? Knowledge means human life, and ignorance means animal life. So why should we be ignorant of these four problems, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9), the problems of birth, death, old age and disease? Why you set aside these problems and think you are happy? That is animal life. They don't care for the problems, and eating grass. That is animal life. Yes?
When they are diseased they think, "All right, I am diseased. Let me go to the doctor and he will give me some medicine, it will be cured." But he does not take seriously that "I did not want this disease. Why this disease is there? Is it not possible to make me free from the disease?" He never thinks. That means the intelligence is very low grade. Just like animal. Animal is suffering but it has no strength(?). It is brought before the slaughterhouse. If the animal is seeing that another animal is being slaughtered before him, but still he is satisfied with a morsel of grass. He will stand there eating this grass. This is animal.
That is possible. Therefore, the devotees are so much austere, so much, I mean to say, penanceful, that "This life we shall attain this position." One is hoping to be Kṛṣṇa's friend, one is hoping to be gopī, one is hoping to be friends of Yaśodā. So everything is possible, pañca-rasa, the five rasas in Vṛndāvana. One is hoping to be a tree there, a grass there, a flower there.
So this is possible. So... And Kṛṣṇa says, mad-yājino 'pi yānti mām. Yānti deva-vratā devān pitṟn yānti pitṛ-vratāḥ mad-yājino... (BG 9.25). "Those who are cultivating Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they come to Me. They come to Me." So where is the difficulty to understand the whole philosophy of Kṛṣṇa consciousness? It is very simple. Everything is there. We have to understand, and we have to be very serious and sincere. The thing is there.
So answer is that it is not the question of living being. Every living being has to eat another living being. That is the law of nature. Jīvo jīvasya jīvanam. Those who have got hands, they are eating the legless. Just like the vegetables. Just like cows, goats, or other animals, they are eating grass. The grass is also a living entity, but it has no legs. It is being eaten up by another animal which has got legs. Similarly, we are also a kind of animal with hands. We are eating another animal which has no hands. Similarly, those who are strong, even in animal kingdom or vegetable kingdom, those who are strong, they are eating the less strong. In this way the whole world is maintained by one animal is eating another animal or one living entity is eating another living entity. That is the law of nature. Jīvo jīvasya jīvanam. So you (we) are not interfering with the right of the living entities. A tiger has got the right to eat another animal.
There will be disturbances. One who is going to engage himself in devotional service, he may be disturbed because that is the way of this material world. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that tolerate. How toleration? Tṛṇād api sunīcena, humbler than the straw on the street or grass. Everyone is walking over the grass, but it does not protest. Tolerates. Tṛṇād api sunīcena taror api sahiṣṇuna. Prahlāda Mahārāja was typical example of this Caitanya Mahāprabhu's śikṣā. This Hiraṇyakaśipu father tortured Prahlāda Mahārāja in so many ways, but he tolerated. He tolerated. There are many other examples. Lord Jesus Christ, he was crucified. The only fault was that he was preaching God consciousness. Ṭhākura Haridāsa, he was Muhammadan, but he took to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement and the Kazi... At that time, there was Muhammadan government.
One who has got the brahminical qualities by work and actually in life, satya, śama, dama, titikṣa, ārjavam, jñānaṁ-vijñānam āstikyaṁ brahma-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.42). So he can understand. Brahma jānāti iti brāhmaṇaḥ, he can understand, so how, what is my relationship with the Supreme Lord. So similarly, one who is in the rajo-guṇa, the example is given. There is a spark. When it falls down on dry grass, the dry grass becomes blazing. Although the spark is fallen, it causes the atmosphere lighten(?). And if the spark falls on the wet ground, then it is, the sparking, the glowing quality may remain for sometime, but it will be extinguished. And if it falls down on the water, it is extinguished. Similarly, when the living entity comes to this material world, if by chance he is in the association of the goodness, he keeps God consciousness. And if he is in the association of passion, he is materially busy.
Tṛṇād api sunīcena. Just like grass. Everyone is trampling over the grass. The grass does not protest. Therefore humbler than the grass. And tolerant than the tree. In this way we shall have to keep our position in this material world and advance in spiritual consciousness. If we become disturbed, then we cannot make progress. Suppose we are prohibiting so many things. Especially in the Western world, this is very painful. But you have to tolerate. If you want to get out of this body, you have to tolerate. Actually it is not painful. If you are in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then it is not difficult. It is very easy. It is not very. So any other question?
Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). The soul being within the body means it is changing the body from babyhood to childhood, childhood to boyhood, boyhood to youthhood, like that. And if the child is born dead—no more change of body. That is the proof that there is soul. Soul means the living force which is moving the body. That is soul. How you can say the animal has no soul? Everyone has soul. Even the grass has soul, because it is growing, changing body. (break) ...simple thing. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12). Because all dirty things are within our heart. On account of dirty things we are thinking that "I have got soul, and the animal has no soul." This is due to dirtiness of the heart. So if you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, the heart will be cleansed. Just like a mirror with a dust, you cannot see, but if this dust is cleansed, then you can see your face very nicely. Similarly, because on account of material contamination our heart is unclean, we cannot see things as they are, but the chanting process will cleanse your heart, and then you will see everything in order.
Kṛṣṇa is claiming. Actually, that is the fact. If you study only this verse, sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya sambhavanti mūrtayaḥ yāḥ. There are so many forms of life, beginning from grass. That is also life. The grass is coming from the earth, the trees are coming from the earth, the animals, four-legged animals, they are eating grass, they are forming semina, they are discharging the semina, and the animal species of life are coming. We are eating, either eating the animal or the vegetable, we are also begetting children. The origin is from the earth. Tāsāṁ brahma mahad yonir. Mahat-tattva. So we can see practically that these things are there, so many different varieties of life. Jalajā nava-lakṣāṇi sthāvarā lakṣa-viṁśati kṛmayo rudra-saṅkhyakāḥ. They are all living entities. Aquatics, nine hundred thousand forms of life within the water, jalajā nava-lakṣāṇi, everything accurate.
So this is the position of the Kali-yuga. And they are not living also very many days. Still, they are against Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is the position. They are suffering, but still, they are... Dog's obstinacy. This is the position.
So still, we have to do our business. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu has advised that "Be humbler than the grass." The grass, we are trampling over the grass; there is no protest—"All right, go on." And tṛṇād api sunīcena taror api sahiṣ... And trees, very tolerant. You cut the tree, it will not protest. So you take fruits, flowers from the tree. Take all advantages and again cut. Just like they are taking last drop of milk from the cow and after exacting everything, then send to the slaughterhouse. So the whole world is engaged in sinful activities. You cannot expect from them any concession for Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is not possible. Therefore we have to become humbler, tolerant, because real Kṛṣṇa consciousness means good-bye to this material world.
Kṛṣṇa says, ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā, sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya: (BG 14.4) "I am the bīja-pradaḥ pitā, the seed-giving father." He says that sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya sambhavanti mūrtayo yāḥ. There are different types of body, and we can see that all types of living entities, they are coming from the earth. So everything is coming out of the earth, beginning from the grass to the big, big animals or other thing. Therefore this pṛthivī, or the earth, is our mother. Everything is coming from the earth. So mātā is there, mother is there, and the offsprings or children are there—there must be father. Without father, mother cannot beget any children. So when you see so many varieties of life, the mother is the... We say dhātrī-mātā. We have got seven mothers. One of them is the earth.
Philosophy Discussions
Prabhupāda: But one thing is that when rocks were thrown on the sea by Lord Rāmacandra's will, they began to float. Therefore the Supreme Will is the ultimate cause. Supreme Will wants that the rock may go down in the water, then it goes; if He does not wants, then the rock floats. Therefore rock is not independent. The Supreme Will of God is independent. There are so many other examples. The same example as I cited the other day, that the cow eats the dry grass and it gives so nutritious, full of vitamins milk. But the same dry grass, if a woman eats, she will die. Therefore the plan of the Supreme that the cow, by eating dry grass, she can deliver nicely. It is not on the dry grass she is producing milk; it is the will of God that is producing it. Similarly the stone falling. Because the will of God is there, therefore "You stone, go down in the water!" But when God wills that it floats, it will float. So that in that case the monad theory did not act.
Śyāmasundara: He is saying that there is no such thing as cause and effect.
Prabhupāda: Just like we say that kṛmayo rudra-saṅkhyakāḥ pakṣiṇāṁ daśa-lakṣaṇam. From the insect life the bird's life developed. That we see practically. One have becomes flies, butterflies. In the grass, worm becomes a butterfly. That is, there is evidence.
Śyāmasundara: But at that time were there only insects existing?
Prabhupāda: No. Everything was existing.
Karandhara: That's not evolution of the species, it's evolution of the soul through the existing species.
Prabhupāda: Transmigration from one body to another. The bodies are already existing.
Prabhupāda: Therefore our śāstra says these classes of men, no better than cows and asses. Sa eva go-kharaḥ (SB 10.84.13). Go means cows and asses. We take them like go-kharaḥ, cows and asses. They may speculate, but we take them, "You are no better than asses and cows."
Śyāmasundara: They work very hard for a little morsel of grass.
Prabhupāda: Yes. That's right. Some fools will give them credit, and that credit is given by such class of men: dogs, hogs, camels and asses. No good men. Kṛṣṇa conscious men will never give them anything. But men like dogs, hogs, asses and camels will give them. Samstutaḥ puruṣaḥ paśuḥ, this they are. Śva-viḍ-varāhoṣṭra-kharaiḥ saṁstutaḥ (SB 2.3.19). Saṁstutaḥ means eulogized. This class of men will be eulogized by whom? By dogs, hogs, camels, and asses. No Vyāsadeva will give them credit; no Nārada will give them credit; neither Kṛṣṇa will give them credit, nor followers of Kṛṣṇa consciousness will give them credit. Because they have a criterion to know what kind of man he is. They have got śāstra, and from the śāstra it is understood one who is accepting this body as the self, he is no better than cow and ass.
Prabhupāda: Dissatisfaction is a good thing if it is for better advancement. That is wanted. Dissatisfaction. Just like the karmīs, they are also dissatisfied with 100,000 of dollars. That means they want to make one million thousands of dollars. So that kind of dissatisfaction for the karmī is good, because he can increase further assets. Similarly, if I am dissatisfied spiritually or I am not making advance, I am still on the material platform. That is good. That dissatisfaction is... Socrates also. Yes. And ass, cats, dogs, they are satisfied with a morsel of grass, that's all. You see? A little stool, what is the value of that satisfaction? What is the value of that? That is our philosophy. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu is dissatisfied. What is that? Kadā tava-nāma-grahaṇe bhaviṣyate.
Prabhupāda: But our point is that we do not know genuinely. What we know, that is foolishness, that is asses' knowledge. Just like ass knows that "I am this body. I am the servant of this washerman." So this knowledge, like this. So he has made the decision. The ass has made this decision that "I shall take a morsel of grass and whole day I shall carry tons of cloth of this washerman." He has made this decision, that's all. Then is it that the decision is very nice? This is asses' decision, that's all.
Śyāmasundara: They say that rather than indulge in unrestricted sense gratification or spend our life speculating about...
Prabhupāda: So why not unrestricted sense gratification, if one makes that decision?
Śyāmasundara: Just because it becomes boring.
Prabhupāda: God is there giving him. God is, gives us instruction that we will advance, human being. We refuse, but they do not refuse.
Hayagrīva: You've said that anything that grows has a soul. The grass has a soul, has soul.
Prabhupāda: Yes. In dormant state.
Hayagrīva: Dormant.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Just as child has soul, but it is not yet..., the body has not yet developed. According to the body, according to the circumstances, the soul acts.
Hayagrīva: But he equates the mind and the higher mental processes with the soul.
Prabhupāda: No.
| Page Title: | Grass (Lectures) |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, RupaManjari |
| Created: | 26 of Jun, 2012 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=190, Con=0, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 190 |