The Supreme Lord has diverse energies, innumerable energies, which we cannot conceive. But great learned sages, liberated souls, they have studied and they have summarized the whole energies into three parts, into three headings. The first is... All the energies are viṣṇu-śakti. All the energies, they are different potencies of the Lord Viṣṇu. Now, that energy is parā, transcendental. And kṣetra-jñākhyā tathā parā, and the living entities, kṣetra-jña, they are also belonging to the group of that superior energy, as it is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā also. We have already explained. And the other energies, the material energy is tṛtīyā karma-saṁjñānyā (CC Madhya 6.154). The other energy is in the mode of ignorance. So that is material energy. So material energy is also bhagavad-(indistinct). So at the time of death, either we can remain in the material energy, or this material world, or we can transfer into the spiritual world. That is the criterion.
Group (Lectures)
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
So jñāna, or knowledge, is on the mental plane and karma is on the bodily plane. So somebody, some section of people, they are engaged in this bodily platform, and some section of people are engaged in the mental platform. Whatever religion and process of elevation of life we have manufactured, they can be grouped in two ways: mental and bodily. That's all. And Bhagavad-gītā is transcendental. Neither on the mental plane nor on the bodily plane. Therefore the last instruction of Bhagavad-gītā is sarva-dharmān parityajya. Dharma, you have created so many religious principles, so many concocted spiritual ways of life or material ways of life. Somebody are materialists and somebody are so-called spiritualists. So Kṛṣṇa says that you have to give up all this nonsense—on the mental platform and bodily platform. You have come to the transcendental platform. And what is that transcendental platform? To understand your relationship with Kṛṣṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Anyway, that is, that wa the system in the bygone ages, even one thousand years ago. And now that, just like Buddha, Buddha religion. Buddha religion is also Indian religion. Lord Buddha, He was Indian. He, just like Lord Caitanya began His propaganda from Bengal, Lord Buddha made His propaganda from Bihar. He was Indian. But the defect was that He did not acknowledge the authority of the Vedas. Therefore His philosophy was considered atheism. And this Śaṅkarācārya drove away all the Buddhists from the land of India. Therefore they took shelter in China, Japan, Burma. Outside India. So anyway, strict religionists they are followers of Vedas, and they are divided into two groups: one group led by Śaṅkarācārya and the other group is led by the Vaiṣṇavas, or generally Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya or Lord Caitanya. They are all the same, Vaiṣṇava. Now all these two groups, following the Vedic principles, they accept Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So far India's authoritative persons are concerned, there is no two opinions, that Kṛṣṇa is not God. Both of them accept Kṛṣṇa the Supreme Personality. So far we are concerned, Vaiṣṇavas, we accept. There is no doubt about it. There are four different parties of Vaiṣṇavas.
Everywhere the same divisions are there all over the world. This is very natural. Just like we can study from our own body, there is head, there is arm, there is belly, and there is leg, similarly, in the society there must be a class of men who should be considered as brain, another class of men should be there who will protect the society from danger, another class of men will be expert in producing food grains and give protection to the cows and make trade, so. And the rest class of men, namely who cannot work as brain neither can work as protector from danger, nor they can produce food grains or give protection to the cows, they are called śūdras—as you cannot avoid, to make your body complete, the brain department, the arms department, the belly department and the walking or working department.
So Arjuna belonged to the group of men who was meant for giving protection to the society. So when he was declining to fight, Arjuna, when he was declining to fight, at that time Kṛṣṇa gave him advice that "It is your duty to fight." So generally killing is not good at all, but when there is enemy, aggressor, then to kill the aggressor is not sin. So the other party in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra, they became aggressor to the Arjuna's party. Now, this is the set up of the Bhagavad-gītā. The real purpose is to instruct Arjuna about spiritual understanding.
So these two groups of cousin-brothers... Mahārāja Pāṇḍu had five sons and Dhṛtarāṣṭra had one hundred sons. So it is family, the same family, and it was understanding between them that when others beyond the family would come to attack them, they would join, 105 brothers, and fight. But when there was fight amongst themselves—one side, hundred brothers; one side, five brothers. Because a kṣatriya family, it is to be understood they must go on fighting. Even in their marriage there would be fighting. Without fighting, no marriage takes place in kṣatriya family. Kṛṣṇa had 16,108 wives, and almost in each time He had to fight, to gain the wife. It was a sporting. For kṣatriya to fight, it was a sporting. So he is perplexed whether this kind of fighting he should encourage or not.
So why not human beings? The fighting spirit is there. That is one of the symptoms of living condition. Fighting. So when that fighting should take place? Of course, at the present moment, by the ambitious politicians, they fight. But fighting, according to Vedic civilization, fighting means dharma-yuddha. On religious principles. Not by whims of political ideas, ism. Just like now fighting is going on on two political groups, the communist and the capitalist. They are trying to avoid only fight, but the fighting is going on. As soon as America is in some field, immediately Russia is also there. In the last fighting between India and Pakistan, as soon as President Nixon sent their Seventh Fleet on the India Ocean, Bay of Bengal, almost in front of India... This was illegal. But very puffed-up, America. So sent the Seventh Fleet, maybe to show sympathy to the Pakistan. But immediately our Russian friend also appeared there. And therefore, America had to come back. Otherwise, I think, America would have attacked on behalf of Pakistan.
Unbreakable, again. The Māyāvādī theory that it has broken parts by māyā. No. Unbreakable. That means eternally we are individual, separated. Just like we are sitting, all individual. This is our eternal position. Kṛṣṇa is confirming that "Arjuna, yourself, Myself, and all these people who are assembled here, they're all individuals. They existed in the past, and they'll continue to exist in the future." So this is a confirmed truth, that every living entity is individual and Kṛṣṇa is also individual. And that is also stated in the Vedas. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). He is the chief of all these individual living entities. That is the difference. He is the chief. Just like you have accept me the chief of your group. But that does not mean in all other respects we are all one. You have got the same feeling; I have got the same feeling. You have selected me, or I have got some extraordinary qualification, I am controlling you. Similarly Kṛṣṇa has got the extraordinary quality by which He can control the whole situation. Otherwise, He is as individual as we are. That's all. The supreme controller. We use this word. That's all. Kṛṣṇa is... Just like we are sitting face to face, Kṛṣṇa is like that. You can have that opportunity. Just like Arjuna had the opportunity. Similarly you'll have the opportunity. You have to take the opportunity. You'll see Kṛṣṇa face to face, talk with Him face to face, play with Him face to face. It is so nice, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Yes. Go on.
So actually it is very happy that Western countries, they are accepting Kṛṣṇa. Why not? Kṛṣṇa is for everyone. Kṛṣṇa is Go... Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He says, ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā, sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya: (BG 14.4) "In all forms of life, the living entities, they are My part and parcel. They are my sons. I am the father, original." Bīja-pradaḥ pitā. So why Kṛṣṇa will not be accepted? And actually that is happening. They are coming from different groups, but because every one of us is Kṛṣṇa's son, Kṛṣṇa's part and parcel, therefore simply it requires a little attentive hearing about Kṛṣṇa. Śravaṇādi-śuddha-citte karaye udaya. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adhaḥ (Brs. 1.2.234). In the Caitanya-caritāmṛta it is said, śravaṇādi-śuddha-citte karaye udaya. Kṛṣṇa is there, in everyone's heart. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānām (BG 18.61). But we do not know. But Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa consciousness can be awakened simply by hearing from the realized person. Satāṁ prasaṅgān mama vīrya-saṁvido bhavanti hṛt-karṇa-rasāyanāḥ kathāḥ (SB 3.25.25). Satāṁ prasaṅgāt. From the lips of devotees, when it is heard, then it becomes hṛt-karṇa-rasāyana. It becomes very pleasing to the ear and to the heart. Taj-joṣaṇāt, if one cultivates in that way, āśu apavarga-vartmani śraddhā bhaktir ratir anukramiṣyati. These are the formulas.
Just like we belong to the devotee group of philosophers. Then there are others who are impersonalists. But they, or both of them, they do not deny the presence of the soul, presence of the soul. The Buddha philosophy, they do not recognize the soul. They, according to them, that the combination of matter at a certain stage produces consciousness. But that philosophy, that argument, can be refuted that with matter, you cannot produce consciousness. Because... Take the example of a dead man. The dead man is there. All the elements, material elements, are all there present. But you cannot revise, you cannot revoke that man to consciousness. The elements are there, the ingredients are there. Now, if you think this ingredient has been decomposed or deteriorated, then replace that ingredient. Just like in a machine. In a machine some part is wear and tear. It is not working, stopped. You can replace that part into new part, and the machine will work.
So the whole thing is tāni sarvāṇi saṁyamya yukta āsīta mat-paraḥ. We should always remember that, that to attain to the spiritual life, it is a great penance. It is a great penance. But although it is very difficult, although it is very difficult... Perhaps you know that in, in the Purāṇas, in the Vedic literature, we have got information that there are sages who underwent penance for so many, many years. Why in the history or the Purāṇas? You can see from the examples of Lord Buddha, Lord Jesus Christ, Lord Caitanya, Śaṅkarācārya, who were recently within the limit of our historical knowledge. They attained spiritual perfection after undergoing penances for many, many years. So spiritual perfection is not very easy thing, that simply by attending a, a, in either of the so many groups and hearing something, nice lectures from a person. No. It is practical. It is practical. If we are ac..., if we are actually serious about attaining, so we must be in a spirit of sacrifice. In this age, by the grace of Lord Caitanya, the matter has been simplified. Matter has been simplified.
These two things, and the third thing is dharma-saṁsthāpanārthāya, and for the purpose of establishing the principle of religion. Now, in the last word He says that sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66), that "You give up all kinds of religion that you have manufactured. You simply surrender unto Me." So religious principle means to surrender unto God and nothing more. But that's all. That is the real principle of religion. Religion without God consciousness, that is no religion, at least according to Bhagavad-gītā. Without God consciousness, without establishing my relationship with the Supreme Lord, there cannot be any religious principle. You may go on advertising some new kind of religious principle, and every day and every moment they are being manufactured in all over the world, and there are so many groups of religious principle, but here, according to Bhagavad-gītā, real religious principle means to establish your lost relationship with the Supreme Lord.
No. Regular life... Just like Arjuna. Arjuna understood Bhagavad-gītā. So before understanding Bhagavad-gītā, he was a soldier. After hearing Bhagavad-gītā, he remained a soldier. He did not give up the battlefield—"Now, Kṛṣṇa, I have understood. I give up everything. I am now going to be sannyāsī." No. That is not required. You have to understand what Kṛṣṇa wants you to do. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That you can do in any position. It doesn't require. Karma-phala-tyāga. That is advised by Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya (BG 18.66). We have manufactured different types of religious system. And they can be grouped. Some of them are within the group of tyāga, and some of them are within the group of bhoga. Bhoga and tyāga. The karmīs, they are after bhoga, and jñānīs, they are after tyāga. Kṛṣṇa says that "You have to give up both of them, this bhoga and tyāga, both of them. You have simply to surrender unto Me." There is no question of bhoga and tyāga.
herefore from the very beginning it is to be understood one who is not a devotee of Kṛṣṇa, he cannot understand what is Bhagavad-gītā. Those who are not devotees... There are different classes of men. Some of them are karmīs, some of them are jñānīs, some of them are yogis, and some of them are bhaktas. The enlightened, cultivated persons, they can be divided into four groups. Those who are ordinary men, they do not know anything except to keep this body comfortably. They're materialistic more or less. In this life or next life they simply want material comforts. They are called karmīs. And jñānīs... Jñānīs means they are disgusted with this karma. Because there is a time, a point, when they become disgusted. Just like the American young men, they are now disgusted with this material civilization. So they are searching after knowledge. But unfortunately, the state is also not very enthusiastic, and there are many who are exploiting. But here is the knowledge. And that point comes, when the karmīs become disgusted, confused. Because the spirit soul, he wants spiritual life. He cannot be happy with any amount of materialistic life. In our childhood we read one poetry that a boy has brought one bird, and the bird is talking with the boy.
"In any species, any form of life..." Sambhavanti mūrtayo yāḥ: "As many forms are there..." Not only human beings, the animals, the trees, the birds, the aquatics, the insects, everyone, all living entities. Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya sambhavanti mūrtayo yāḥ: "In any species of life, as many forms are there," ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā, "I am their original father." Bīja-pradaḥ pitā, seed-giving father. So as father places the seeds within the womb of the mother, similarly the material nature is the mother and Kṛṣṇa is the father. The Kṛṣṇa impregnates the material nature, and we come out in different forms. Sveda-ja, pādapa-ja and jarāyu-ja, and aṇḍa-ja. Sveda-ja means by perspiration, through perspiration. Just like bed bugs. Bed bug... Because if you keep your bed nasty, do not keep it very clean, then by your perspiration, there is generation of these bed bugs. They are called sveda-ja, by perspiration. And aṇḍa-ja, through the eggs. Just like the birds, the living entity is coming through the eggs. That is called aṇḍa-ja. Sveda-ja, aṇḍa-ja, jarāyu-ja. Embryo. Just like we are coming from the embryo. Aṇḍa-ja, then jarāyu-ja. And pādapa-ja, coming from the seeds, the trees, plants. So within these four groups, all different living entities are coming.
Just like in the Vedas it is stated, apāni-pādo javano gṛhītaḥ. In the Upaniṣads it is said that "God has no leg, but He can run faster than any one of us." Now, this is superficially contradiction. If He has no leg, then how He can run faster than me? So the adjustment is that He has got leg because He runs. Just like in another place, "God has no hands, but He can accept whatever we offer." There are many such Vedic version.
Now, we have to understand in this way, that He has got His hands, He has got His leg, but not this limited hand or limited leg. In another place in Bhagavad-gītā you'll find. God says that "Whatever is offered to Me in the group of flowers, fruits, vegetables, I accept for eating." Now, if we think that God is far, far away, how He eats? I offer here. How He eats? That means His eating process is different. He can eat even from millions and millions of miles away. So these things are to be understood, that God has got a form, but that form is not exactly our form. If we try to understand God's form as limited as our form, then we'll misunderstand.
If you go to the forest there are societies of different animals: elephant society, tiger society, deer society, jackal society, wolf society. Even in the birds, you'll find, the birds of the same feather flock together. This is the natural way. You'll find that all the pigeons, they flock together, not the crows and the pigeons flock together. The ducks, they flock together. Similarly, this is the natural way, and there... In every group there is a leader.
So the Supreme Lord, He is called in the Vedic literature that He is the supreme leader. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām. Nitya means eternal, and nityānām, that means many other eternals. We are many other eternals. Eka, that one eternal... Eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. There are two kinds of eternals. We living entities, we are also eternal, and the Supreme Lord, He is also eternal. So far eternity is concerned, both of us equal on the qualitative nature. He is eternal, and we are eternal. Sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha (Bs. 5.1). He is also all pleasure, and we are also all pleasure because we are all parts and parcel of the same quality. But He is the leader.
This śloka, this verse, we discussed last Friday evening, and I tried to explain the supreme leadership of the Supreme Lord. By nature we are destined to follow a leadership. Nobody is independent. Even in the animal society, the animals, they have also got a group, and there is leader of the group. Perhaps you know it. So in every group... And we are trying to make some group according to the similarly of thought and propensities. There are association, you know, various association, mercantile association, bankers' association, lawyers' association, and there is a leader. That is the nature's way.
Now, the supreme leader is Śrī Kṛṣṇa. That we do not know. Supreme leader, the leadership is accepted, but we do not know that the supreme leader is the Supreme Lord, or Kṛṣṇa. So that is informed in the Vedic literature, and in the Bhagavad-gītā also, the same thing is confirmed, that ye yathā māṁ prapadyante: "Now, everyone is under My leadership, everyone. There is no exception." Especially He mentions the manuṣya. Manuṣya means the human being. The human being especially mentioned here because amongst all the human beings in this lower status of our existence, the human being is considered the highest perfectional stage of living condition. And especially human being has the prerogative to understand the supreme leadership of Śrī Kṛṣṇa. The animals cannot understand it, or the persons who are in the animal nature...
Just like you will find in the Seventh Chapter of Bhagavad-gītā.
Kṛṣṇa consciousness means to take everything Kṛṣṇa's. I am also Kṛṣṇa's. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Actually, that is the fact. Everything... Kṛṣṇa means God. Everything belongs to God. I also belong to God. Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (ISO 1). Everything belongs to God. That's a fact. But we do not not accept the fact. We take something illusory. Therefore, it is called māyā.
Just like the Americans. They are claiming this land is for the American group. Similarly, other nations, they're... but the land actually belongs to God. The land, the sky, the water, and the products in the land, in the sky, in the water, everything belongs to God. And we are children of God. We have got the right to live at the expense of father. Just like we live, small children. They live at the cost of father. Similarly, we also live by the arrangement of God. Why should we claim that this is our property?
This is the idea of spiritual communism. In Bhāgavata these things are stated, how to feel spiritual communism. In the spiritual communism... The present communists, they are thinking of the human being only. And the animals are being sent to the slaughterhouse. Although the human being and the animal is born in the same land... Actually, they are also nationals. National means one who's born in that particular land. So why not these animals, nationals? But because they have no Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they cannot think so broadly. They think nationalism means it is limited to the human being, not to the animals, not to the trees.
So this is a great science. People do not know how things are taking place, how there are so many species of life, how one is so-called happy, one so-called distressed. Why one is rich, one is poor. Why there are so many planets. Why some of them are demigods and some of them are human beings, some of them are animals. It is a great science. But there is no cultivation of this knowledge in the modern universities or educational institutions. Perhaps we are the only group of men, we are trying to propagate this science of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. But it is a perfect science to understand the position.
Now Kṛṣṇa says: catur varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). Now the... When we are animals... We had to pass through animal bodies. By evolution, we have come to this human form of body. Now it is an opportunity to get out of this cycle of birth and death. This is our real problem. But people, because they have no education, poor fund of knowledge... There is no educational institution how transmigration of the soul takes place. They do not know. Big, big M.A., Ph.D's. But they do not know what is the actual position of the living entity. But that is the real problem. They do not know the real problem.
So our request is that this movement at least it has come to your country in South Africa and you are welcome. So try to understand this movement, how much it is important. It is not a sentimental movement, neither a so-called... It is actually religious movement, but not so-called religious movement, simply some sentiments and formalities, no. It is practical application in life. And you see practically how by this movement all over the world different section of people from different nationality, different religious group, they are feeling one, oneness in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Just try to see the potency of the movement. So take it very seriously. Take it very seriously and...
You have to take it seriously; otherwise you are doomed. Otherwise you are doomed because you do not know how the laws of nature is working upon you. You feel that you are under the laws of nature. That you cannot avoid. That is not possible. But you do not know how the laws of nature is working. That is your ignorance.
There are different kinds of activities—karma, jñāna, yoga, especially. Everything, all activities are grouped under three headings. One is karma, fruitive activities. People are working to get some desired result for sense gratification. That is generally. Everyone is working to get some money, and money means to satisfy senses, my demands of the senses. This is called karma.
Then, out of many millions of such karmīs, or worker, one is jñānī, or a man in knowledge. When a man comes into the platform of knowledge, when he becomes frustrated by working hard and tasting all results of karma, when one is not satisfied, then he comes to the platform of knowledge. Knowledge means inquiry—"What I am? Why I am frustrated? Why I am confused? What is my position?" That is the platform of knowledge.
So actually, when one is situated in proper knowledge, one who is actually a yogi, for him, this distinction altogether disappears. Yogī yuñjīta satatam ātmānaṁ rahasi sthitaḥ (BG 6.10). Now, now here is the beginning of the yoga system, how one should perform yoga. Now, you will understand from the description of Bhagavad-gītā that what is yoga system. In your city, New York City, the yoga is very popular. Everyone is performing yoga. There are so many groups of yoga schools, but just see what the yoga system is. You just, you can understand from Bhagavad-gītā. What is that? The first is yogī yuñjīta satatam ātmānaṁ rahasi sthitaḥ. The yogi's business is always to remain alone in a secluded place. Alone and secluded place. Yoga cannot be performed in assembly. Just like we are in assembly. Here you are performing yoga, I am performing yoga in the yoga class, and somebody is teaching, "Do like this. Do like that. Do like that." That is not yoga system. At least, according to Bhagavad-gītā. Here it is clearly said that yogī yuñjīta satatam ātmānaṁ rahasi sthitaḥ. He should always be engaged in his, I mean to say, focusing his mind towards the Paramātmā. And that is possible, rahasi. Rahasi means in a secluded place. In a secluded place. It is not... I cannot concentrate my mind in the hubble-bubble of this society or in a big city.
In India there are some selected places, very sacred place, and the yogis, generally, they go there and sit there alone in a sacred place and as prescribed in the Bhagavad-gītā and perform there. Yoga-āsana cannot be executed in a public place, so that, in assembly. Now, so far this kīrtana is concerned... Just like we have performed just now kīrtana, this is called saṅkīrtana. Saṅkīrtana means: bahubhir militvā kīrtayati iti saṅkīrtanam. When we sit down, many people together... When Lord Caitanya was performing this kīrtana ceremony five hundred years before, He had in each group sixteen persons taking part in kīrtana, and thousands and thousands of people were singing with them. Now, this participation in the kīrtana is very easily possible. But so far the yoga system is concerned, that is required any very secluded and sacred place, silent. That is required. It is clearly said here that śucau deśe pratiṣṭhāpya sthiram āsanam ātmanaḥ (Bg. 6.11-12). One has to place himself in a sacred place, in a silent place; then yoga system is possible.
So this impersonalists and the voidists, they are of the same group, denying the existence of God. But that is not the fact. There is God. The devotees know there is God, and He is Bhagavān. God is called Bhagavān Therefore although it is said here... Bhagavad-gītā is spoken by Kṛṣṇa, everyone knows. But in some places in the Bhagavad-gītā it is described as bhagavān uvāca. Bhagavān and Kṛṣṇa—the same person. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). Bhagavān, there is a definition of the word bhagavān.
- aiśvaryasya samagrasya
- vīryasya yaśasaḥ śriyaḥ
- jñāna-vairāgyayoś caiva
- ṣaṇṇāṁ bhaga itīṅganā
- (Viṣṇu Purāṇa 6.5.47)
Bhaga, we understand the word bhāgyavān, bhāgya. The bhāgya, bhāgyavān, this word comes from bhaga. Bhaga means opulence. Opulence means riches. How one man can be opulent? If he has got money, if he has got intelligence, if he has got beauty, if he has got reputation, if he has got knowledge, if he has got renunciation—this is the meaning of Bhagavān.
So now here in the Bhagavad-gītā the Lord Kṛṣṇa says that bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate (BG 7.19). There are so many transcendentalists. That means those who are trying to realize the Supreme Absolute Truth. There are many different kinds of spiritual process. So they have been analyzed into three groups. Although they are many, still, they have been put into three groups. What are they? The first are the impersonalists, brahmavādīs. Impersonal Brahman. Just like the same example: In the sunshine your eyes are dazzled. You do not see. If you go little over this planet, earth planet, by aeroplane, and if there is full sunshine, you don't see anything except sunshine. But that does not mean there is nothing beyond sunshine. But my eyes are dazzled by the sunshine. Just like in during daytime you do not find the stars due to the dazzling sunshine, but you don't think that because you do not see the planets or stars during daytime, they are vanquished, there is nothing. No. Similarly, those who are trying to understand the Absolute Truth, they first of all realize that brahma-jyotir. In the Bhagavad-gītā you'll find, about that brahma-jyotir, brahmaṇaḥ ahaṁ pratiṣṭhā. Just like the sunshine.
And formerly, the Vedas were heard by the students from the spiritual master. Just like in the Bhagavad-gītā you'll find that Arjuna is hearing from Kṛṣṇa. He's not studying any Vedānta philosophy in the battlefield. He was simply hearing. So that is the process, hearing. You can hear at any place. Even in the warfield, you can hear from the authoritative source. So that was the process of acquiring knowledge, hearing. Hearing means receiving the knowledge, not manufacturing. There are two process of knowledge. There are some persons who think, "Oh, why shall I hear from him? Oh, I can think. I can speculate. I can manufacture something new of my own group." These are nonsense. This is not Vedic process. Vedic process is hearing, ascending process, er, not..., descending process. There are two processes of knowledge: ascending and descending. Ascending means trying to go high by your strength, and descending means the pure knowledge which comes from up, you receive it. Inductive and deductive process.
So conditioned soul is to commit mistake, to be illusioned, and the senses are imperfect. We are very much proud of seeing, but as soon as the light is put off, we cannot see. So our seeing is conditional. And similarly, all senses are conditional. So therefore imperfect. And there is another thing which is very nice. We have got a cheating propensity. I do not know anything, but I want to cheat others that I know everything. I don't... I am a fool number one, but I want to start a group of students and teach him foolish things. This is cheating. One must know from the authoritative sources and preach that thing. Just like Arjuna was taught by Kṛṣṇa, and that philosophy is going on. And those who are accepting the principle of Arjuna, they're real student of Bhagavad-gītā.
So therefore our attempt to understand the Absolute Truth by our faulty senses and experience is futile. We must hear. Śravaṇam. That is the Vedic process. The student used to go to the master and gurukula. It was known as gurukula. Every brāhmaṇa, every self-realized soul, every vipra, or expert in the knowledge of Vedic literature, he would be provided with some brahmacārīs, group of brahmacārīs. They will follow the rules and regulation of brahmacārī life and live with the spiritual master, and the spiritual master will teach them, from Vedic literature, real knowledge. That is the process. This is called śravaṇam.
Why one is put into one type of body, and why one is put in another type of body? One body is enjoying very nicely. Not enjoying, he is also suffering. He is enjoying for a limited time. He is also suffering. But he... Comparatively, one is situated in a very nice comfortable position, and the other is not. Therefore other is envious, that "Why this man is in a comfortable situation, and I am put into...? So let us become communist or revolt against this person or this group of person." In this way the struggle for existence is going on, and there is no solution.
How there can be solution because they are all uneducated, not educated? So if you want to be educated, make the solution of all the problems of the world, then you must take to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. This is the only solution. It will educate people the real identity, real position.
And as Arjuna is trying to understand what is prakṛti, what is puruṣa, what is kṣetra, what is kṣetra-jña, what is knowledge, what is knowable, these question are posed. Gradually we shall discuss.
People are searching after Īśvara, "Can you show me God?" "There is no God." "God is dead." So many philosophers and theories are there, but actually there is God. Here is God, Kṛṣṇa. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānandaḥ vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1). Ekale īśvara kṛṣṇa. In Caitanya-caritāmṛta it is said that "Only īśvara is Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme." Ekala īśvara kṛṣṇa, āra saba bhṛtya (CC Adi 5.142). "All others, they are servants." Nobody is actually īśvara. And we find it practically. Everyone in this material world, he may become an īśvara is his group, but he is also controlled by somebody superior. That is the position of this relative īśvara. But Kṛṣṇa is absolute īśvara. Nobody is īśvara above Him. That is Kṛṣṇa. So, everyone is trying to be īśvara. This is the material world. Everyone is trying to be īśvara.
He keeps them always put into this asuric yoni, everlastingly forgetting the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and suffer in this material world. So so long we remain in the asuric tendency, then we cannot understand Kṛṣṇa. That is also described by Kṛṣṇa in the Seventh Chapter,
- na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ
- prapadyante narādhamāḥ
- māyayāpahṛta-jñānā
- āsuraṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ
- (BG 7.15)
So we should generally conclude that anyone who does not take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they fall in the groups of duṣkṛtinaḥ, mūḍhāḥ, narādhamāḥ, māyayāpaḥṛta-jñānāḥ. So in the beginning we discussed nāpy ācāraḥ, sadācāra. So even one is short of sadācāra, Kṛṣṇa says, api cet su-durācāro bhajate mām ananya-bhāk, sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ (BG 9.30). Even one is not fully in sadācāra but if he has taken Kṛṣṇa consciousness fully, he is a sādhu. So to take to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness is made very easy during this Kali-yuga.
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
Our movement, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, is educating people how to become advanced in devotional service and how to go back home, back to Godhead. And this is not a very difficult task. It is very easy. If it is not easy how the Europeans, Americans, are now taking seriously? Because they, I think at least before ten years, before starting of this movement, most of them, they did not know what is Kṛṣṇa. Now they are all devotees of Kṛṣṇa. Even the Christian priests, they are surprised. In Boston, one Christian priest, he admitted that "These boys, they are our boys, coming from the Christian group or the Jewish group. So before this movement they did not take care even to see us or to ask any question about God or to come to the church. They completely neglected. And now, how it is they are mad after God?" They are surprised. "Why? Why have they become so...?" Because they have taken to the process. The process is important. Simply speculation... Bhakti is not theoretical. It is practical. Yato bhaktir adhokṣaje. If you want to take to the bhakti process, it is not speculation. You must actually engage yourself in the process.
So in the bodily concept of life there is a system of religion. That religion is different from your religion and my religion, because you possess a body. Suppose Hindu... I possess a body of Christian or Muslim; therefore I think, "You are different from me; I am different from you." But in the higher stage, when one is raised on the platform of spiritual understanding, there is no such a thing. Practically you can see. In our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement there are persons from every country or every religion, every cult. There are the devotees who have come from Christian group, the devotees who have come from Jewish group, from Muhammadan group, from Hindu group. You can see practically. We have got all types of devotees. But they have forgotten this bodily concept of life. Practically you see. They have, if not fully forgotten, very large percentage, they do not think. Otherwise these Americans would not have come here to take the trouble of preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness in India, after taking so much trouble. We cannot give them actually the real comforts which they enjoy in their country. Their standard of life, living, is higher than our standard of life. So why they have joined this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement? Because they have forgotten this bodily concept of life. They are no more proud that "I am American" or "I am European." Why...? You know in the British rule, the Britishers they were always maintaining the superior complex. They were thinking because they are European... Everyone thinks. If he is in position in the material world, he thinks like that. That is not fault. That is natural.
(SB 1.2.7) So yesterday we were discussing the, what is the first-class religious system. Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmaḥ yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6). The test is people are very much enthusiastic to fight, "My religion is better." "I am Hindu. Our religion is very good." Somebody says, "No, we are Christian, we are..., our religion is very good." Somebody Muhammadan, this fighting is going on. In European history there was fight, crusade between religious group. In our country, in India, there was fight between Hindus and Muslims. What is the meaning of this fight? Actually when one is God conscious, he knows God, that where is the chance of fighting? Yasya deve parā... Because one should be... If actually one is God conscious, yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā (SB 5.18.12).
Where does he get this information that he has become Kṛṣṇa? Where is that in the Bhagavad-gītā? But they are preaching Bhagavad-gītā reading means "I have become Kṛṣṇa." Where this nonsense ideas they get? I do not know. But we can take them what he is. We can take... As soon as he does not surrender, then I take him, we take him in three, four classes:
- na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ
- prapadyante narādhamāḥ
- māyayāpahṛta-jñānā
- āsuraṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ
- (BG 7.15)
Because I see this rascal has not surrendered to Kṛṣṇa, he must be one of these groups. What is that? Duṣkṛtina, in the group of sinful life. Duṣkṛtina. Mūḍhāḥ, in the groups of rascals. Narādhamāḥ, in the groups of the lowest of the mankind. "No, they are Ph.D.s." Māyayā apahṛta-jñānāḥ. They may be Ph.D.s, but he's a rascal because māyā has taken his real knowledge. He does not know Kṛṣṇa. What is the value of his knowledge? Māyayā apahṛta-jñānā āsuraṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ. Why this is so? Now, āsuraṁ bhāva, their only business is to discard, kill God. Just like asuras. Just like Kaṁsa. His only business was how to kill Kṛṣṇa. Āsuraṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ.
So one has to become free from all designations, as Caitanya Mahāprabhu taught:
- nāhaṁ vipro na ca nara-patir nāpi vaiśyo na śūdro
- nāhaṁ varṇī na ca gṛha-patir no vanastho yatir vā
- kintu prodyan-nikhila-paramānanda-pūrṇāmṛtābdher
- gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ
- (CC Madhya 13.80)
"I am not a brāhmaṇa, I am not a kṣatriya, I am not a gṛhastha, I am not a vānaprastha," everything, all the eight varṇāśramas, He denied. "I don't belong to any group." Then what You are? "I am the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant—one hundred times down the servant." Of who? "The maintainer of the gopīs, Kṛṣṇa." A pure devotee does not belong to any group, and he wants to become the lowest servant, not the first-grade servant. That is pure devotion.
So woman class, laborer class, and those who are born in higher family, but intelligence is very poor, they are called dvija-bandhu. And for these classes of men the Mahābhārata was compiled. That means Vedic knowledge explained in simple historical facts.
The Mahābhārata, the basic principle of Mahābhārata is the fighting between the two groups of royal family and on that politics, sociology, religion... But those who have read Mahābhārata, they will be surprised how elevated knowledge are there in Mahābhārata. But they were meant for śūdras and, I mean to say, less-intelligent class of men. So you can imagine how intelligent at that time people were that Mahābhārata was... Mahābhārata is even at the present moment they can(not) understand rightly Mahābhārata. Say, for Bhagavad-gītā. Bhagavad-gītā is part of Mahābhārata. But the philosophy is not understood properly even by the greatest philosophers. They commit mistake. So that means as the days are going, we are becoming less, less intelligent. Less, less intelligent.
This is the difference, how to calculate whether one is brāhmaṇa or not brāhmaṇa. Brāhmaṇa and brahma-bandhu, these two words are there. Just like if you are the son of a high-court judge, you can be called, you have got the right, that "son of a high-court judge." That is all right. But you cannot claim to become the high-court judge. That is not possible. Unless you are qualified, unless you are actually acting as high-court judge, you cannot be called a high-court judge. Simply by becoming the son of a high-court judge you cannot become the high-court judge. Similarly, simply by becoming the son of a brāhmaṇa, you cannot become a brāhmaṇa. A woman, vāma-svabhāvā, she can accept that "Because he's the son of a brāhmaṇa, he's brāhmaṇa." Therefore this word is used, vāma-svabhāvā. Because woman are considered less intelligent. In the Bhagavad-gītā... Their heart is very soft. Just like children, their heart is very soft. But their intelligence is not very sharp. That is the difference. Striyaḥ śūdrās tathā vaiśyāḥ. Kṛṣṇa says, striyaḥ śūdrās tathā... They have been put in one group: woman, vaiśya and śūdra. Because they are not very intelligent. They can be molded by another intelligent man to the proper channel. Therefore they require guidance. They require guidance.
So in the last verse, Kuntī accepted, vimocitā ahaṁ ca sahātmajā vibho: "My Lord, there were so many dangers, and You saved us, along with my sons." Muhur vipad-gaṇāt: "One after another, dangerous position." So some of them are being described.
Viṣāt: "from poison." The Dhṛtarāṣṭra group, Dhṛtarāṣṭra and his sons, they conspired to give them poison. They were transferred to a house. They were so obedient because Dhṛtarāṣṭra happened to be the superior in the house, and he took care of the Pāṇḍavas when they were small children because their father died at an early age. So it was the duty of the elderly members of the family. After all, they were very respectable kṣatriya family. So the elderly members means Dhṛtarāṣṭra and Vidura and Bhīṣmadeva. Bhīṣmadeva was the grandfather of the family, and Dhṛtarāṣṭra was the elder brother of Pāṇḍava, and Vidura was also brother, Vidura, also elder. Pāṇḍu was the youngest, the father of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira and... So it is, after all, a, what is called, varṇāśrama family, Vedic family. So the elderly people had the responsibility to raise the fatherless children. So Dhṛtarāṣṭra took charge as the eldest member. So māyā is very strong. He began to think that "Actually this kingdom belongs to me. I am the eldest son, but because I am born blind, therefore it was given to my younger brother. Now he is dead. Now he's dead, so the property belongs to me. Some way or other, it was transferred to my younger brother. Now the younger brother is dead. Then again I become proprietor. So at least I could not rule over the kingdom, why not my sons?" This was the beginning.
So whole thing is summarized in one word: "Kṛṣṇa," means all-attractive. He draws the attraction of Vasudeva. He draws the attraction of Yadu-kula. He draws the attraction of Arjuna. He draws attraction of everyone, all devotees. Mama vartmānuvartante pārtha sarvaśaḥ. The whole world, civilized world, they have got some religion-Christian religion, Muhammadan religion, Hindu religion, Buddhist religion, and many other subordinate religions. Under the groups of Christian, there are so many churches-Protestant, Catholic. In the Muhammadans, they have got Shiya, Suni, Sek,(?) so many. In Hindus also, Vaiṣṇavas and Śāktas and Sauras, Gāṇapatyas, so many. But Kṛṣṇa says that "All of them, seeking after Me." Mama vartmānuvartante pārtha sarvaśaḥ: "Everyone, they may go on under different religious systems, but the aim is how to approach Me." Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ (BG 15.15).
Nowadays it is very practical. Just like I am an Indian. I have my family. You are European, you are American. You have got family. But now where we are from, the family, we scattered. This is practical. We have no more any connection with our father, mother or children. No. We are now gathered in another group, Kṛṣṇa conscious society.
So this is māyā. Janasya moho 'yam ahaṁ mameti (SB 5.5.8). We gather exactly like the straws, and on account of māyā's influence, we become very much attached: "Oh, here is my son. Here is my wife. Here is my family. Here is my..." And this is the, what is called, entanglement. Our main business is in the human form of life how to get out of this material world. They do not know. They not only create family but also society, community, nation, In this way we are embarrassed. The so-called nationalism, socialism and communism—simply moha, moha, exactly the same way as the small, that insects, under some illusion, moha, they come to the light and sacrifice their life. I have told you many times. We have seen in 1947, partition days, Hindu-Muslim fighting. One party was Hindu, other party was Muslim. They fought and so many died. And after death, there was no distinction who is Hindu or who is Muslim. The municipal men, they gathered together in piles and to throw them somewhere. Exactly the same way, the same insects, they come to the light and die in the morning, and we gather them together and throw in the street.
You go on supplying a karmī; he'll never be satisfied. "More, more, more." You go to so many businessmen—they have got crores and lakhs—but if you want to talk something about Kṛṣṇa, they have no time: "Please take your money, contribution. Let us do business." Because their kāma is never satisfied. Therefore sarva-kāma. And another is mokṣa-kāma. Mokṣa-kāma means when they could not fulfill all the desires in this material world, they, at that time, want to become one with God, that "If I become God, then my all desires will be fulfilled." That is called mokṣa-kāma.
So śāstra recommends that either you belong to the group of akāma or to the group of sarva-kāma or to the group of mokṣa-kāma, tīvreṇa bhakti-yogena yajeta puruṣaṁ param (SB 2.3.10), you worship very seriously Paramaṁ puruṣam. Paramaṁ puruṣam means Kṛṣṇa. Bhakti-yogena. Kṛṣṇa cannot be worshiped by any other yoga system except bhakti-yoga. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti (BG 18.55). If you want to know Kṛṣṇa, it is not possible to any other means. There are many other means-karma, yoga, jñāna and bhakti—but if you want to know Kṛṣṇa, then you have to take the bhakti-yoga, no other. Neither... Kṛṣṇa never said that "By jñāna, by cultivation of knowledge, one can understand Me." They can do so. That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. By cultivation of knowledge, after many, many births, if that person, searching out the Absolute Truth, by cultivation of knowledge, if he comes in contact with a devotee, then he gets the chance of understanding what is Kṛṣṇa.
Of course, from the śāstras we can understand that śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe yoga-bhraṣṭo 'bhijāyate (BG 6.41). To take birth by a devotee is different little than another's. Because one who has dedicated to Kṛṣṇa, He is under Kṛṣṇa's control, direct. Ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi (BG 18.66). So that bhakti means he is sinless, spotless. So therefore there is no possibility of his taking birth in lower animal group. That is not. He will get birth; that is assured—śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe—either in a very rich family or in a pure brāhmaṇa's family. Because he will get another chance of developing his devotional service in a pure brāhmaṇa family or pure Vaiṣṇava family. Vaiṣṇava is greater than a brāhmaṇa. That is a great opportunity. Because the father, mother, they are engaged in devotional service. Just like these children who were born amongst our devotees, they are not ordinary children. Because from the very beginning they are getting chance of devotional service: dancing, chanting, seeing the Deity, offering a flower, offering obeisances to the spiritual master. These things will not go in vain. Don't think. Every account is kept. Every account.
So Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja is very advanced devotee. He says that paśyata ajñānam: "Just see my ignorance. I have killed so many soldiers simply for this body." Paśyata ajñānaṁ me hṛdi rūḍhaṁ durātmanaḥ: "And this ignorance is deeply rooted in my heart." People are... Every step, they are being baffled; still, they will do the same thing. Punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām (SB 7.5.30). No sense is coming. No sense is coming. Durātmanaḥ. Not mahātmanaḥ. Mahātmanaḥ means he is no more interested in this kind of business. That is called mahātmanaḥ. Those who are repeatedly engaged in this kind of business, they are called durātmanaḥ. Only for the body's sake working very hard. So if you analyze, the whole world is doing that. Durātmanaḥ.
Pārakyasyaiva dehasya bahvyo me akṣauhiṇīḥ. Now the akṣauhiṇī is mentioned here. One, what is the exact word, one group of soldiers?
Prabhupāda: Phalanx, another name?
Devotees: Regiment?
Prabhupāda: Regiment or something like..., composing. Just like in your country you have got. The Seventh Fleet or something like that was sent to India. They have got a group, so many ships, so many soldiers, so many... But formerly there was no ship, no aeroplane. They used to fight with horses, soldiers, elephants. So the estimation is there. You read the estimation.
Pradyumna: "A solid phalanx of 21,870 chariots, 21,870 elephants, 109,650 infantry and 65,000 cavalry is called an akṣauhiṇī. And many akṣauhiṇīs were killed on the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra."
Prabhupāda: So that's all right. Let us have kīrtana. (end)
So many people are going to the other side of the river, running very quickly to go there because the body is sold to that master who is paying for eating. Otherwise why he's taking the body there? So actually the body belongs to others. And spiritually the body belongs to Kṛṣṇa. But when we forget our relationship with Kṛṣṇa—the body belongs to somebody else; that's a fact—then we think that "The body belongs to my father and mother" or this and that... Sometimes we do not think that. So why, from material point of view, if the body does not belong to me, why shall I commit so many sinful activities for others?
So Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja is repentant that pārakyasyaiva dehasya bahvyo me 'kṣauhiṇīr hatāḥ: "Many hundreds and thousands of soldiers, horses, elephants, men we have killed." Akṣauhiṇī, there is a calculation 64,000 elephants, 64,000 horses and 64,000, like that. Exactly I cannot, but some of the items are 64,000. Chariots. One... Nowadays it is called exactly? A group of soldiers? What is called?
So it appears that how much strictly the cow protection was there so that the gāvaḥ, payasodhasvatīr mudā. They were... You'll see Kṛṣṇa. He is always with cows, and how the cows look very happy with Kṛṣṇa. And Kṛṣṇa is personally teaching how to protect cows. He became a cowherd boy. He was king's son, Mahārāja Nanda; but His business was to take the cows and the calves daily to the pasturing ground. And it was very sportive engagement with the cowherd boys. The cows were grazing, and the boys, they took their meals in a pot, tiffin carrier. Not tiffin carrier in those days. Some way or other. And they used to eat them, distribute amongst the friends. Sometimes a tiffin carrier was stolen by one boy, and he was searching, and then it was... So just like the boys do. This was the children's life, to take protection, to give protection to the cows, to the calves. The small children, up to six years, seven years old, they used to take care of the calves, and the elderly men, the used to take care of the... Or elderly boys, they used to take care of the grown-up cows. So the cows were fed very nicely. Vrajān. 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 there cannot be. That is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, that in the Kali-yuga, all the people will be rascals, śūdras. Simply by manipulation, if one gets vote, he captures the governmental power. Śūdra. He's a śūdra. He is not a kṣatriya like Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, trained up kṣatriya. He is a rascal, third-class man, fourth-class man. He gets the vote and we give vote. So how we can be happy? How we can be carefree or anxiety-free or disease-free? It is not possible. Therefore if the people in general, they become Kṛṣṇa conscious, they become trained up in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they understand the value of life, how to live, then they can send good representative. Kṛṣṇa conscious man. Then the government will be nice. Without becoming... Harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇāḥ. If people are not Kṛṣṇa conscious, their so-called qualification has no value. Kuto mahad-guṇāḥ. There cannot be value. There cannot be any good qualification of a person who is not Kṛṣṇa conscious, who is not a devotee. This is our conclusion. We have got some test tubes. We can study man. He may become a very good scholar, very good politician, very big minister, but we test whether he has got any sense of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If he's not, immediately I understand that "Here is a rascal number one." That's all. We have got test tube, how much he is advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If he's not, then he is grouped immediately in four groups: duṣkṛtina, means constantly committing sinful activities; mūḍha, rascal; narādhama, lowest of the mankind; māyayā apahṛta-jñāna, although educated with high degrees, his knowledge has been taken away; āsuraṁ bhāvam āśritaḥ, and demon.
- na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ
- prapadyante narādhamāḥ
- māyayāpahṛta-jñānā
- āsuraṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ
- (BG 7.15)
Immediately we classify, "Here is a rascal number one, lowest of the mankind," or "always engaged in sinful activities," or "whatever education he has got, that is useless, because his real knowledge..."
So why he should not believe? He knows that "I am (have) dedicated my life to Kṛṣṇa, and Kṛṣṇa is not so ungrateful that He will not give me protection. How it is possible?" But one who does not believe in Kṛṣṇa, he thinks that he will protect himself. Apaśyatām ātma-tattvaṁ gṛheṣu gṛha-medhinām (SB 2.1.2). Those who are not God-realized, they think that they will be protected by their society, friendship, love, country, nation, like that. But that is not possible. Just like you are flying in the sky, so many aeroplanes at a time. Sometimes in a bunch, a group they fly. But if one of the aeroplane is in danger, no other aeroplane can help him. He'll finish. So similarly, we are also flying as aeroplane in the open sky. The protection... You don't expect protection from your so-called society, friendship and love, materially. When there is question of danger, you have to protect with your own strength.
So that culture begins, civilized, in the Aryan families. Therefore they are called Aryans, "advanced." Aryan means advanced. People want to group themselves in the Aryan family. Just like Hitler, he declared himself only, "The Germans are only Aryans, and Jews are not Aryans," like that. You can manufacture. But real Aryan means one who is advanced in spiritual consciousness. He is Aryan. Not a class of men. Aryan means he's advanced in spiritual consciousness. The Aryan civilization is so eulogized because they..., in the Aryan civilization there was Vedic culture. That is Aryan. Otherwise ahastāni sahastānām, and that is apadāni catuṣ-padām (SB 1.13.47). This is going on, struggle for existence. In the primitive age that human being, so-called human being, naked, in the jungle, they eating animals. The animals have no leg... The Darwin's theory is that there was no civilized man, but gradually it has developed. It is not very clearly explained; he does not know what is the evolution. Evolution means to become civilized. That is evolution. Or to advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is evolution.
You become a spiritual master under my order, under His order. Don't manufacture yourself. Under the order of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. That is called paramparā system, one who is following in disciplic succession the order of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. And what is the order of Caitanya Mahāprabhu? Yāre dekha, tāre kaha 'kṛṣṇa'-upadeśa (CC Madhya 7.128). Don't (be) advising your rascaldom. Kṛṣṇa-upadeśa, what Kṛṣṇa has said, you just tell him. You become spiritual master. That's all. It does not become very difficult to become spiritual master. The rascals, they fail, because they do not say anything which Kṛṣṇa says. He manufactures something. He wants to take the place of Kṛṣṇa. This rascaldom will never make you happy. You have to follow as Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, yāre dekha, tāre kaha 'kṛṣṇa'-upadeśa (CC Madhya 7.128). Then you become guru. To become guru is not at all difficult, provided you follow the right instruction of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Then everyone can become, expand, expand. You have learned something about Kṛṣṇa consciousness, now you rightly distribute them, then you will increase your group. But if you want to manufacture something of your own concoction, that will not act. That will not... That will be gramophone.
The bondage is guṇamayī māyā, being wrapped up by the qualitative modes of nature. That is bondage. But if one is engaged in devotional service, he is not under this bondage because he knows things as they are. So... Just like I am foreigner and I am... So I have come to your country. So if I claim that "This country is mine," then there is trouble. But if I know that I have come as a visitor or as a foreigner I have come here, so there is not trouble. I can freely move. I can get all the facilities of the United States government. There is no trouble. Similarly, we come here as traveler, as visitor, within this material world, and if we claim that "This material world belongs to me," or a group of men, or group of nation, that is called ignorance.
So the Kali's friends... Just like a man is known by his company. So Kali-yuga is the age of irreligion. Therefore, quarrel and fighting. Quarrel and fighting, communal fighting. Unnecessarily they will form a community, a group, all rascals, another group, another group of rascals, and they will fight unnecessarily. Just like this nationalism. This is simply group of rascals. That's all. Why rascal? Because irreligious, therefore rascal. So "Big, big, men, big, big scientist, big, big... Still, they are rascal?' Yes. Still, they are rascal. Why? Because irreligious. They do not know what is God. Therefore they are rascal. This is the only test. "Whether you know God?" "No, sir." "Then you are rascal." That's all. No more test. One test is sufficient: "Whether you know God?" Because this human life is meant for knowing God. This temple is meant for human being, not for the cats and dogs. So if you (do not) know God, then you are a rascal. You are exactly like the cats and dogs. That's all. This is the verdict. Now you can fight. "Why you are calling me cats and dogs?" But this is the... We are talking, following Kṛṣṇa, the great authority. But what Kṛṣṇa says, that is right. If you scrutinize by your logic, argument, philosophy, science, you will find that Kṛṣṇa is perfectly right. Therefore we accept Kṛṣṇa.
So to become priya, very dear to Kṛṣṇa, is very easy. That is siddhi, perfection. Labdhvā harau bhaktim upaiti siddhim. Perfection, highest perfection: to become dear to Kṛṣṇa. That's all. You become dear to Kṛṣṇa. That is your perfection, highest perfection, supreme perfection. So such easy thing, and such highest perfection. Why people should not accept this? And it is practical. It is... Just last night I was talking with Śrutakīrti that this church, nobody was coming. Therefore they were obliged to sell it off, and we purchased. So the church is the same, building is the same, and you are all Americans. But you did not come before, so that it was to be sold. Now everywhere it is packed up. Why? Because Kṛṣṇa is there. This is practical. This is practical. There is no question of enviousness. It is practical. In Boston one Christian priest said frankly that "These boys, girls, they are our boys, our girls. Either coming from Christian group or Jew's group, they are, after all, Americans. So they did not care for anything about God. Now they are mad after God. What is this?" This is practical. There is no question of competition. It is practical. Because they are trying. They are trying. Our only business is, "Just become dear to Kṛṣṇa." That's all. Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means "You are trying to be dear to so many things." Somebody is trying to be dear to his father, to his mother, or to his family, children, or country, community, society, nation. Everyone is trying to be dear. "I will do such and such thing for you. Please give me vote. Please make me president." They are trying. And after all, the president also is not dear, neither people is not dear. The real fact becomes disclosed after a few days when the, what is called, face covering, aḥ, mask, is over. That's all.
So it is advised that nṛ-loke. Nṛ-loke means the human form of body, in the human society. We don't discard that "This is American society" or "This is European society," "This is Indian society..." No, all human being. All human being. It doesn't matter what he is. All human being. What to speak of civilized men, even uncivilized, anārya. They are also described in the Bhāgavatam. Kirāta-hūṇāndhra-pulinda-pulkaśā ābhīra-śumbhā yavanāḥ khasādayaḥ (SB 2.4.18). These names are there. Kirāta. Kirāta means the black, the Africans. They are called kirāta. Kirāta-hūṇa āndhra. Hūṇa, the nation or the community on the North Pole, above Russian, German, they are called hūṇa. There are so many we do not know. Khasādayaḥ, the Mongolians. Khasādayaḥ means who does not grow sufficiently mustaches and beard, this Mongolian group. Kirāta-hūṇāndhra-pulinda-pulkaśā ābhīra-śumbhā yavanāḥ khasādayaḥ. Yavana, the mlecchas, yavanas, means those who are Muhammadans and others. So they are also included. Nṛ-loke. Because it is nṛ-loka. Every human being. Superficially, externally, there may be, this nation is better than that nation. That is fact. The Aryans and non-Aryans. There are divisions: civilized, noncivilized; educated, noneducated; cultured, noncultured; black, white; this and that. There are... Externally these divisions... But that distinction is of the body.
Irresponsible government means, the Kali's government means, that these things will be irregular, not regularized. Just see. This is Vedic civilization. Aśana, eating—there must be regulative principle, not that like hogs and pigs you can eat everything, no. There must be control. Control is there already. Just like in government, when you open a restaurant, immediately there is control. You have to take license, that "You have to supply food like this or like that. You cannot supply anything rubbish." Is it not? Control is there, but because it is controlled by another rascal, group of rascals, so they allow everything to eat. Everything eat. Control is there, but they do not know what kind of control should be there. The control should be, as we are prescribing, Kṛṣṇa consciousness move..., "You cannot take anything without Kṛṣṇa's prasāda." That is real control. Then you'll be happy. Control is already there, but they do not know because they are being governed by kṣatra-bandhūn. Kṣatra-bandhūn means kṣatriya. Kṣatriya means the ruling class. Kṣat, kṣat means injure, and trāyate, one who gives you protection from being injured. He's kṣatriya. It is the duty of the government that every citizen, never mind whether human being or animal, he may not be injured by anyone. That is responsible government. It is not responsible government that one poor animal, because he does not know how to give him protection, although there is government, he is taken away to the slaughterhouse. This is not government.
Prabhupāda: Yes, if you become all devotee, it is very easy. Because nowadays, the "government of the people, by the people." So if the people are Kṛṣṇa conscious, naturally the government will be Kṛṣṇa conscious. And if you are fools and rascals, the government will be fools and rascals. Because government is the representative of the people. You have got the opportunity because nowadays, democracy, that "government for the people, by the people." Is not that? So if you are Kṛṣṇa conscious, naturally the government will be, because government is by the people, for the people. So not that kind of revolution. So if you make a revolution of this saṅkīrtana movement, everyone chanting and dancing, the government will be changed immediately. So push this movement.
Bali-mardana: Prabhupāda, there are certain groups saying that there's a comet in the sky and there's going to be some very inauspicious effects because of that. Do you know anything about that?
Prabhupāda: What is that?
Satsvarūpa: The comet.
Bali-mardana: There's a comet in the sky and they're saying that some very inauspicious...
Prabhupāda: And what is auspicity now? Eh? What is auspicity now? We are describing all inauspicity, even without the comet. (laughter) Where do you find the auspicity? One man said that "He has kicked me, he has beaten me with shoes, and again he has said that 'I shall insult you.' " Where is the scarcity of insult? If he is beaten by shoes and kicked by his leg, and still he's expecting some more insult? You are already in inauspicity. Why you are expecting more inauspicity by the presence of comet? We are already in inauspicity. And therefore these descriptions are there.
So as somebody, anything, they require four legs... Just like this platform, it has got four legs. Animal stands on four legs. Anything, it requires four pillars. So to remain steadily on the platform of dharma, these four legs required: dharma, artha, kāma... If I simply remain engaged in religious principles and nobody is engaged where to get food... Because food also is required. So therefore not only religious principle, there must be economic development attempt also. But not one-man show. We should divide our society in such a way that somebody, some group of men is engaged in studying the dharma principle and spreading it. Just like we have taken the principle, generally, to spread what is meant by real dharma. That is the business of the brāhmaṇa. And similarly, some group of men should be kṣatriya for ruling over. Unless there is discipline, ruling, everything will be chaos. The government must be there. The principle of directors must be there. So dharma, artha, kāma. And we must live peacefully. Our senses should not disturb us. Because we have got senses, they want satisfaction. So we must give food them also, senses. Dharma, artha, kāma, and mokṣa. But ultimate goal is how to get out of this material existence. This is four principles: dharma, artha, kāma, mokṣa. And mokṣa, by the impersonalists, their mokṣa and real mokṣa... Real mokṣa... Mokṣa means liberation. Liberation means to get out of this material existence.
So the Śukadeva Gosvāmī advised that "You hear about Kṛṣṇa. This is the most important subject matter." Therefore, he is discussing, śrotavyādīni rājendra (SB 2.1.2), "My dear King, rājendra," śrotavyādīni, subject matter for hearing. Nṛṇāṁ santi sahasraśaḥ, the human society has got many thousands varieties of subject matter to hear. Just like newspapers in every country, they are being published not only once, twice, thrice, four times in a day and they are giving news of the city and the subject matters are very important, say, for two minutes or five minutes, then the newspaper is thrown away, nobody cares for it. But people have got the tendency to hear. That is a fact.
Now, what subject matter you are interested to hear, that depends on your quality. Because the whole world is running on under three qualitative divisions. And under these three qualitative divisions, some of them are very intelligent class of men, some of them are administrator class of men, some of them are trader class of men, some of them simply worker. So this subject matter is also divided into three groups according to the quality of the readers or hearers. Here Śukadeva Gosvāmī says, "For ordinary general people, there are many thousands varieties of subject matter for hearing." Just like you have got, especially in your country, so many varieties of magazines. So some time ago I was seeing that there is a society, Diabetic Society. All the diabetic persons are members of the society and they have got magazine, and that is also distributed very widely. So that is nice division, different division. So that is the point not now, it was also in the past days.
Anyway, even though we are able to maintain a very nice group of family members, then I may be puffed up that "I am maintaining such a nice family," but that is also not very good situation. Dehāpatya-kalatrādiṣu. I am thinking, "Now I have got good home, good wife, nice children, nice bank balance. So I am safe now." No, sir, you are not safe. Dehāpatya-kalatrādiṣv ātma-sainyeṣu (SB 2.1.4). This world is struggle for existence. You should not think that because you have got nice wife, children, and nice nationality, or everything nice... Still, you are not safe. This is to be understood. Yes. Just like Napoleon in your country, he had many soldiers. He was fighting. He was conquering all over. And because he had very, very good military strength, he was thinking he was safe. But he was also defeated, and he had to die also, leaving all the opulences he created. So nobody's safe. You must always remember that. So here it is said, dehāpatya-kalatrādiṣv ātma-sainyeṣv asatsv api (SB 2.1.4). Although I know that this national strength, or this material strength, the bank balance strength and good wife and everything is there, but they'll not be able to save me. This is the intelligence. They'll not be able to save me because when death will come, nobody will be helpful to me. I'll have to go. I cannot say, "Now I have got my children, I have got so much duty, I have got this to do, this to do, this to do." No. Now your time is over. Your so-called arrangement for material happiness is now over. Now you must get out. Is it not?
Bank of America belongs to you? This is craziness. You cannot enjoy the Bank of America. If you go and try to enjoy, then you'll be criminal. And if you say, "I renounce it," then you are a madman. This is your position. But people are going on under two impressions. Somebody, the karmīs, they are thinking, "I am enjoyer. I am the lord of all I survey. This America is mine. You cannot enter." So this is the karmī's position. Falsely, they are claiming proprietorship, which does not belong to them. Thieves, rather; they are thieves, rogues. There is a story that a, a group of thieves, they plundered some booty, some property, somewhere, and then, out of the town, they were dividing. So one of the thieves was speaking, "Please divide the property morally." Now, the property's stolen property, and they are speaking of "morally." Devil recites scripture. Similarly, you Americans, you have come from Europe, you have stolen this property. Now you are speaking of morality.
Then adhidaivika. If there is no rain, there will be no food production, and the rice will go eight rupees per kilo. And you have to suffer. Durbhikṣa. Even people are not willing to give you bhikṣā. "Because the rice is so costly, how can I give?" That is called durbhikṣa. Durbhikṣa means when you do not get even bhikṣā. This is the most lowest profession. It is highest also. The sannyāsīs, they go door to door, bhikṣā. Brahmacārī go to door to door. Our Vedic civilization is that in the society there are four divisions: the brahmacārī, the gṛhastha, the vānaprastha, and the sannyāsī. Suppose there are hundred men in a village or in a place. The society is divided into four āśramas: brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha... So... This is material calculation. Suppose if there are hundred men, seventy-five men are to be considered brahmacārī, vānaprastha and sannyāsī. So these seventy-five men will live at the cost of the twenty-five men, gṛhastha. Gṛhastha has to give alms to the brahmacārī, to the vānaprastha, and to the sannyāsa. Just see how nice communism. The one twenty-five-percent group, they are earning, and they are maintaining seventy-five men. So they are living by bhikṣā. Brahmacārī will go door to door, "Mother, give me alms," and they'll give. The sannyāsī will go. So when this bhikṣā will not be available, that is called durbhikṣa, famine. This is adhibhautika. Adhibhautika, er adhidaivika. You have no control.
So there is the Supreme Person, Bhagavān. Originally, the... It is very common sense. Just like we require a leader. To organize some business, some nationality, any group of organization, it requires a leader. Without leader, you cannot organize anything. Nobody has got any such experience that without direction, without leader, anything has sprung up automatically, by nature. The foolish philosophers say like that, that the whole cosmic manifestation has come out of a chunk. They say like that. The rascals say like that: "There was a chunk." And wherefrom this chunk came? No, that is not fact. Fact is that there must be a good brain behind all this organization. This cosmic manifestation, there must be a leader. That is the information we get from Vedas. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). Nitya, we living entities, we are nitya. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). We do not die. Na jāyate na mriyate vā. Neither we take birth or we die. We simply change the body. Vāsāṁsi jīrṇāni yathā vihāya (BG 2.22). As old garments, old shirts and coats, we change, similarly, when this body becomes old enough, not to be used, we change to another body. Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). This is real knowledge.
So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is actually, factually the movement for unity of the whole world. And that is actually beginning. It is actually being happened. All classes of men, from all groups of men, all religious societies or nation, they are joining this movement. They are joining. Actually there is the possibility. The United Nations could not unite the nations, but if you push on this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, all people of different dimensions, of different nations, different religions, they will join. That is required.
o long the desires are there, it is not possible to bring the mind in complete peace and tranquillity. It is not possible because the saṅkalpa-vikalpa... Vartate-kāma-sambhavaḥ. So long there is desire, so it is not possible to bring the mind under control. Therefore Caitanya-caritāmṛta says, Kavirāja Gosvāmī, that even the pious actors, those who are acting very piously... Those who are acting impiously, sinfully, there is no question of peace of the mind. That is not possible. Even those who are acting very piously, that is also not possible. You cannot control even the mind in that way. Then those who are desiring to stop these material activities completely, pious or impious, they also cannot control the mind. And then the yogis... The first group, who are interested in pious activities, they are karmīs. And those who are neither interested in pious activities or impious activities—they want to stop all kinds of activities... Just like the Buddha philosophy says, nirvāṇa: "Stop the activities of the mind or desires." On that status also, it is not possible to control the mind, meditation. And... These mukti-kāmī. And then siddhi-kāmī, the yogis, they also cannot control the mind, what to speak of ordinary man who are neither interested in pious activities or in mukti or yogic perfection?
Therefore the king, Ṛṣabhadeva, is advising, instructing His sons... He was retiring. Why He was retiring? He could enjoy His kingdom. Just like at the present moment, either a king or a family man does not retire. Even a poor man living in with family with great difficulties, but if you ask him to retire, he'll not be agreeable. We have asked many old men. He's suffering, he's not happy within his family members, but if I say, "Why you are taking so much trouble with the family? Why not come and live with us in Kṛṣṇa consciousness society?" he'll not agree. Because he has no Vedic training. Up to the end of this life he'll stick to the family life. Many, many politicians... In our country we have seen many old politicians, seventy-five years old, eighty years old. Not only in our country, in other countries also. In your country, Great Britain, Mr. Churchill, unless he was forced to death, he would not give up politics. Our Gandhi, he was killed by another political group. Then he was forced to retire. When Gandhi attained independence, I requested him in a letter, "Mahatma Gandhi, now you started your struggle with the Britishers, that they should go and Indians should have their independence. Now you have attained independence and Britishers have gone. Now you preach Bhagavad-gītā. You have got some influence. You are known throughout the whole world a very great saintly person, and you also pose yourself that you are a great scholar of Bhagavad-gītā. Why don't you take up Bhagavad-gītā and preach?" There was no reply.
And as soon as I get a material body, immediately there are so many miserable condition. But I am... As spirit soul, part and parcel of God, I have nothing to do with all these things, but I have been forced to be working with these problems of life. This is human intelligence. Therefore he requires to live a saintly life. It is not possible, of course, that everyone should become saintly. That is not possible. Therefore in the Vedic civilization it is prescribed, varṇāśrama-dharma. Varṇāśrama-dharma. Varṇa means four classification of the society, and āśrama means four division of spiritual life. The society, it is not meant for any particular nation or particular community. It is meant for the whole human society. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā that cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). The human society should be divided into four groups. What is that? The first-class men. There are first-class, second-class, third-class, fourth-class men. We have got our experience. Not that everyone is equally intelligent. No. There is difference of classification or intelligence or genuineness. There are so many things, division. So here also you have got division, classification. That is natural.
So we have got many foodstuff in the vegetarian kingdom, and Kṛṣṇa asks you that patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati: (BG 9.26) "Anyone who is offering Me..." This is universal. Patram means a leaf. Just like a leaf. Puṣpam, a flower. And patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalam. Phalam means a fruit. And toyam means water. So any poor man can offer Kṛṣṇa. There is no need of, I mean to say, luxuriant foodstuff, but it is meant for the poorest man. The poorest of the poor men can secure these four things—a little leaf, a little flower, a little fruit, and little water. Any part of the world. Therefore He is prescribing, patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati: "Anyone who offers Me with love and devotion..." Tad ahaṁ bhakty-upahṛtam. "Because it is brought to Me with love and devotion," aśn āmi, "I eat." Kṛṣṇa is not hungry, neither He is poor. But the main thing is bhaktyā, devotion and love. So whatever you offer Kṛṣṇa with devotion and love within this group as prescribed by Him, Kṛṣṇa accepts it. So you can offer anywhere. It does not matter that you have to offer in temple. Kṛṣṇa is everywhere. So you offer and eat that. This cauliflower is also flower. This is also flower. (chuckles) And potato is fruit. Fruit, flower. Yes.
Nothing stands still. We are not karmīs. At least, we are not doing anything. We go and become guests of Pittieji and he does everything. We do not benefit. So you try to become Kṛṣṇa conscious, everything will be done automatically. You don't have to worry. Teṣāṁ nityābhiyuktānāṁ yoga-kṣemaṁ vahāmy aham (BG 9.22). Of course, you cannot stop karma. That is not possible. Not that everyone will become Kṛṣṇa conscious and your field of activities will be stopped. No. And Kṛṣṇa consciousness does not mean to stop the activities—some group of lazy people. No. We are the most active people, touring all over the world. Who can become a karmī like us? In this old age I am traveling all over the world. Can any karmī do that? So if you become Kṛṣṇa conscious, then karma, jñāna, yoga, everything becomes perfect. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Just like if you get one lakh of rupees, ten rupees is there. You haven't got to separately to acquire ten rupees. Similarly, karma, jñāna, yoga, they are ten rupees, twenty rupees, fifty rupees, like that. And Kṛṣṇa consciousness is one lakh of rupees. As soon as you get Kṛṣṇa consciousness, you'll get everything. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ (BG 18.66), you'll get everything there. It is confirmed.
If one is not Kṛṣṇa conscious, then he is either duṣkṛtina, mūḍhāḥ, narādhamāḥ, māyā-pahṛta-jñānā, āsuriṁ bhāvam āśrita. This is the test. Take this simple test. Just like test tube. A chemical analyzer examines chemicals in the test tube, a small nozzle, and he tests what it is. You can also test. Just like a big pot of rice boiling, you can test. Take one grain of the rice and press it. If it is properly boiled, then you can understand the whole thing is boiled. Similarly, there are, everything a test tube. So for us, Kṛṣṇa conscious people, there is a test tube. What is that test tube? If one does not accept Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then he should be rejected immediately. It is not sectarian. It is test tube. Kṛṣṇa says that if you do not find anyone fully surrendered to Kṛṣṇa, then he must belong to these groups. What is that? Duṣkṛtina, simply sinful. That's all. Always engaged Because nobody can become Kṛṣṇa conscious cent percent unless he's free from sinful life.
Now, why human society has created this problem? If 8,000,000 living entities can have no problem, why the 400,000 group, the human society, they will have problem? That is māyā. Actually, there is no problem. They have created problem. By their advanced intelligence they have created problem. Why? Because (the) advanced intelligence is not being properly used. They are being used for these lower-grade activities: eating, sleeping, mating, and defending. The human being, being advanced in consciousness, they should have used the advanced intelligence for self-realization. But that, they are... There is no such education in the universities. That... I raised this question in the Massachusetts Technical Institution when I was asked to speak, that "Where is your technical department where a man after death can be alive again, injecting some...?" Just like motor stops, so a mechanical technologist go and makes the, I mean to say, machine correctly. Then it again runs.
So this is going on. Therefore Kṛṣṇa has defined these rascals as rascals, mūḍha. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15). Anyone who is not Kṛṣṇa conscious or does not surrender to Kṛṣṇa, you can blindly classify him in four groups: duṣkṛtina, means most sinful; mūḍhāḥ—rascals; narādhamāḥ—lowest of the mankind. "No, he is M.A., Ph.D." Māyayāpahṛta-jñānā. "What is the fault?" Because he does not accept Kṛṣṇa—finish. So we are also like other fools and rascals, but we accept this Kṛṣṇa's word as final, that's all. Kṛṣṇa says that these are Those who have not surrendered to Kṛṣṇa, they are four classes, means most sinful, and rascal, lowest of the mankind, and although he has got university degrees, his knowledge is taken away by māyā. Āsuriṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ. This is āsuriṁ bhāvam. And there are two classes of men—the āsura and the deva. So deva means who accepts the authority of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is deva. Devata. Viṣṇu-bhaktaḥ bhaved daiva āsuras tad-viparyayaḥ. Even those who are devotees of other demigods, they are also āsuras, what to speak of atheist. Even Just like Rāvaṇa. He was a great devotee of Lord Śiva—everyone knows—but he was called a rākṣasa. Rākṣasa and āsura, the same thing. Hiraṇyakaśipu, he was a great devotee of Lord Brahmā. He is also called rākṣasa.
At the end of the Fifth Chapter, Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī has given description of the hellish planets. You have seen in the sky. There are millions and millions of stars or planets, and they are divided into three groups. Everything is described in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. So as it is said in the Bhagavad-gītā, ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthāḥ (BG 14.18). (break) ...sattva-sthāḥ, meaning that those who are in the sattva-guṇa, modes of goodness, they are promoted to the higher planetary system. Madhye tiṣṭhanti rājasaḥ: "Those who are under the influence of passion, they remain in the middle planetary system." And those who are in the lowest grade of tamo-guṇa, adho gacchanti tāmasāḥ. So Parīkṣit Mahārāja, after hearing the pitiable condition of persons in the hellish planets, he became sympathetic. Therefore he is putting the statement before Śukadeva Gosvāmī. Adhuneha mahā-bhāga yathaiva narakān naraḥ: "My dear sir, you have described about the hellish condition of the suffering persons. Now kindly give me any enlightenment how they can be delivered."
Therefore Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu has given His own version, ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇaṁ śreyaḥ-kairava-candrikā-vitaraṇaṁ vidyā-vadhū-jīvanam (CC Antya 20.12). The purport is—it is a long verse—that by chanting, paraṁ vijayate śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtanam. If we perform this Kṛṣṇa saṅkīrtana, then immediately our core of heart, which is filled up with all dirty things will be cleansed. For example, you can see practically all my disciples present there. They are coming from Western countries, Europe, America, or even in India, Parsis and other, Mohammedans, they are coming. But they are now pure, cleansed of all dirty things. In this movement throughout the whole world there are at least ten to twelve thousand devotees like that. And before this life they were addicted to all kinds of sinful life. We have summarized all sinful activities into four groups, namely, illicit sex, meat-eating, intoxication, and gambling. So all these ten to twelve thousand men who are now attached with this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, they are not committing these four pillars of sinful life.
So in this way everyone must have his means of livelihood. And I have already described that this is the way of livelihood. First-class man, this is livelihood. Second-class man, this is livelihood. And third-class man, this is livelihood. Fourth-class man... And below the fourth-class man, means fifth-class, the fifth-class man, the jungle man, by hunting, like that. But this class of man, that they do not accept any of these livelihood means, but they cheat you, cheat you. That we will find now, so many cheaters in big, big cities, and so many pickpockets, so many thieves, rogues, and now the present society is perplexed, "Crime, Why and What to Do?" You are maintaining sixth-class, seventh-class men. Your education is meant for that. Why you are afraid of crimes now? This is the result. Now enjoy the result. As you reap so you..., as you sow, so you reap. Therefore this movement is specially meant for making first-class, second-class men at least. Or even third class, fourth class. But what is this? You are producing sixth-class, seventh-class, tenth-class men, and you expect that there will be no crime, people will be happy, it will be peaceful? That is not possible. If you want to be happy, peaceful, then you must take this movement, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and try to create at least a group of men first class. Just like we are doing that. People will see their behavior, their character, their mode of life, and at least they will be attracted.
So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means to give them idea of real enjoyment. If... So real enjoyment means that when you are uncontaminated with this material body. Spiritual enjoyment. Now we are trying to enjoy with this body. The body is senses. Indriyāṇi parāṇy āhuḥ. Bodily enjoy means the sense enjoyment. Indriyāṇi parāṇy āhur indriyebhyaḥ paraṁ manaḥ, manasas tu parā buddhiḥ (BG 3.42). In this way we have to understand that this body is false; therefore the bodily enjoyment is also false. That they cannot understand. This is their misfortune. Therefore one who does not understand in the beginning of spiritual life that "I am not this body. I am different from body..." Then his spiritual life begins. Otherwise, cats and dogs and everyone is engaged with this bodily enjoyment. So long we shall be captivated by this bodily enjoyment, we are in the groups of animals. That's all.
- yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke
- sva-dhīḥ kalatrādiṣu bhauma ijya-dhīḥ
- yat-tīrtha-buddhiḥ salile na karhicij
- janeṣv abhijñeṣu sa eva go-kharaḥ
- (SB 10.84.13)
Animals. The whole world is going on in a way which is animal civilization. So if you want to be happy, you have to come to the spiritual platform, reality. That is wanted, thorough overhauling. They should know perfectly well that "We are after false enjoyment. We have to come to the platform of real enjoyment." Somebody is mistaking that "Real enjoyment, there cannot be any varieties. If there are varieties, then what is the difference between this and that?" So these varieties are different in quality. This is material quality, and that is spiritual quality. They have no distinction between matter and spirit. They cannot understand this exactly like cats and dogs.
In the Padma Purāṇa, Viṣṇu Purāṇa: parasya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport). God's energy are varieties. All those varieties are grouped into three divisions. Out of that... Three divisions means tatastha-śakti, antarāṅga-śakti, cit-chakti. Tatastha-śakti and this external, or this karma-śakti... The... Tṛtīyā śaktiḥ karma-saṅgā anyā. It is mentioned that the spiritual world is just manifestation of cic-chakti, and this material world is creation of material energy or karma-saṅgā, where everyone has to work. Without work, it is said, na hi suptasya siṁhasya praviśanti mukhe mṛgāḥ. That is very nice example. In the forest the lion is supposed to be the mightiest animal, and he is sometimes called the king of the animals, paśu-rāja. So in one place it is said that even the lion, who is the king of the forest, if he sleeps and he thinks that animals will come and enter in his mouth, that is not possible. He has to also find out how to eat. Na hi suptasya siṁhasya praviśanti mukhe mṛgāḥ. The lion is so powerful, but he cannot also dictate.
Of course, in India I have personal experience that many... Why in India? I have seen here also. In New York our boys wanted to purchase one house, and they had a few thousand dollars, and a group of lawyers, I mean to say, they made a plan to take out this ten thousand dollars from these boys, and... I know it personally. They are educated lawyers, but because they're acting on the mental plane, they are thinking that "By somehow or other, if we can grab this money and we shall divide amongst lawyers..." This is going on. The so-called educated persons, for want of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they can act less than even an animal. You see? So vidvān apītthaṁ danujāḥ kuṭumbaṁ puṣṇan sva-lokāya na kalpate vai. So they do not care for what is going in the next life. Tamaḥ prapadyeta yathā vimūḍhaḥ. They also fall into the darkness, the darkest region, or ordinary illiterate or ignorant persons also fall.
Prastha means "who has gone." Pañcaśordhvaṁ vanaṁ vrajet. Vanaṁ vrajet means to free from all family responsibility and prepare for going back to home, back to Godhead. But those who are too much attached to family life, na nirvidyate, being repeatedly frustrated, repeatedly they are put into trouble. Still. But if one wants regular advancement of spiritual life, he must retire at the age of fifty. That is Vedic civilization. Not that unless one is killed, he's not going to retire. Even great personalities like Mahatma Gandhi, he was seventy-eight years, and still he would not retire from this... Political life means greater family life. A family man is interested with his family members, and a political leader is interested with the whole, a group of family. The principle is the same. Ordinary family man, he's looking after three, four members of the family, and a political leader is thinking that he's responsible for so many millions of men. The idea is the same: the extended family. But extended or diminished family, sva-kuṭumba-rāmaḥ, he's thinking, "I have to do something for them." But when death comes, you are unable to do anything, you have to immediately leave the scene, and according to the laws of nature you'll have to accept a body according to your karma. This is the law of nature.
Just like in our country the great leader Mahatma Gandhi, he had to work very, very hard. Twenty years in Durban he spoiled his time, and thirty years in India. I shall say spoiled his time. What for? For some political purpose. What is his political purpose? "Now we are a group called by the name Indian. We must drive away the Englishmen and take the supreme authority." This is the purpose. So this is anyābhilāṣitā. What is this purpose? Today you are Indian; tomorrow you may be something else. Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). You have to change your body. So what is the next body? Are you going to be again Indian? No guarantee. Even if you have got very much affection for India, all right, according to your karma you'll get body. Even if you get the Indian body of a tree, then you will stand up for five thousand years. What is the benefit? Kṛṣṇa says tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ. He does not say that a human being is going to be again a human being. There is no guarantee. Some rascals they say that once getting this human body, he does not degrade. No. That is not the fact. The fact is that out of 8,400,000's of different species of life, according to your karma you'll get a body. That's all. No guarantee that you have And even if you get Indian body, who cares for you?
So this is the test. This is the test, that as soon as one is not Kṛṣṇa conscious, immediately he comes to the group of sinful activities, rascaldom, lowest of the mankind, māyayāpahṛta-jñānā, all knowledge taken away, and he's an asura, Hiraṇyakaśipu's family, Hiraṇyakaśipu's category. So this is not optional, that "If I don't take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that is my wish, my desire." No. If you desire in that way then you'll be punished. You become immediately... You cannot say, "It is my optional. I may become a thief; I may remain honest. That is my option." No. As soon as you become thief, you are punishable. Similarly, anyone who is not Kṛṣṇa conscious, he's immediately punishable. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). The punishment will go on in various ways. That is going on. Ei rūpe brahmāṇḍa bhramite kono bhāgyavān jīva (CC Madhya 19.151). The punishment... This is punishment. That is presented by Kṛṣṇa.
Now, Prahlāda Mahārāja begins his prayer, according to his capacity. So he first of all begins, brahmādayo vayam iva īśa na, na ca udvijantaḥ. He says, "My dear Lord, here all the demigods, headed by Lord Brahma, they are very nice people. They are not disturbing elements like us. Because we, I am born of the demon family." The demons are always disturbing. Their business is to nullify the existence of God. Therefore they're always disturbing. If there is a certain class of citizens, if they are simply after agitation that "This government is useless," that means they are disturbing. There are so many parties. They make agitation: "Oh, this government is nothing. We require a new government." Therefore in your country the communist movement has been statewise declared, "It is illegal." But in other countries the communist group will always decrying, "Oh, this government is nonsense. This government nonsense." So as the Communist Party is always disturbing to the government, similarly, the demons, the atheist class of men, they're always disturbing to God. How they can gain the benediction from God? They simply disturb Him.
So they do not know the peace formula. They are creating atheistic population and they want peace. How it is possible? Just like I remember, I read in a paper that Archbishop of Canterbury, he said in a lecture that "You want kingdom of God without God." So similarly, the world is after peace. There are so many associations, societies, United Nations. They are after peace, but they are all groups of atheistic people. Therefore the members of the United Nations, they are themselves fighting some way or other. How there can be peace, because they are themselves disturbing? How they can be in peace? You cannot expect any peace in atheistic society or animalistic society. So they must be made godly. God conscious, Kṛṣṇa conscious. Then there will be peace. God conscious and atheistic people, what is the difference? The difference is that atheistic person thinks "mine." "Everything mine. I am the lord of all I survey. I am the king. I am the leader. I am everything, and everything belongs to me." This is atheistic temperament. And godly persons? They think everything God's. That is the difference. The thing is there. Take anything, your country, your home, your wealth, anything. As soon as you say, "It is mine," then it is atheistic. And as soon as you say "It is God's," then you are godly. You are there, the things are there. Simply change of consciousness. That's all.
So these are the ways. You cannot understand by your erudite scholarship what is Kṛṣṇa. It is not possible. Then Kṛṣṇa would have instructed Bhagavad-gītā to..., finding out a very great Vedantist. No. Kṛṣṇa found Arjuna. What was Arjuna? Arjuna was a gṛhastha. Arjuna was a kṣatriya, and although a soldier... A soldier is not expected to become a Vedantist. We recruit soldiers not from the Vedantists' group. One who can fight, one who has got strength—we recruit soldier. So Arjuna was not very qualified in that way to understand Bhagavad-gītā or instruction, but Kṛṣṇa said, "Yes, I will speak, speak to you. This Bhagavad-gītā, the paramparā is lost, so I shall again speak the old thing to you." "Why to me?" Bhakto 'si priyo 'si me: (BG 4.3) "Because you are My bhakta. You are My priya." So by scholarship one cannot understand Bhagavad-gītā. That is not possible. One must become a servant of the servant of Kṛṣṇa (CC Madhya 13.80). Then one can understand what is Bhagavad-gītā. Otherwise it (is) not possible.
Nectar of Devotion Lectures
Just like about the Gosvāmīs, Rūpa Gosvāmī, who was executing his devotional service on this spot... They were ministers. And they gave up everything. Tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīm. Maṇḍala-pati. Maṇḍala-pati means leaders. The leader of the group, maṇḍala-pati. Just like there is rastra-pati. Similarly they were rastra-patis, maṇḍala-pati, but tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati... Because they were minister, their friendly circles were big, big zamindars, administrators. But they gave up their company. Tyakvtā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇ... Not one, two, but many. Tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīṁ sadā tucchavat. Very insignificant. "Oh, what is this? Give up." Bhūtvā dīna-gaṇeśakau karuṇayā kaupīna-kanthāśritau. Became very poor mendicants, accepted torn cloth. Sanātana Gosvāmī, Rūpa Gosvāmī, here, in Vṛndāvana, they were living underneath one tree, one night. Such vairāgya, renunciation. But how they were living? A very rich man, coming to the lowest standard of living...
Na māṁ prapadyante. As soon as we see a person who is not a surrendered soul to Kṛṣṇa or God, then what he is? He is duṣkṛtinaḥ, full of sinful activities. Anyone who does not surrender to God, or Kṛṣṇa, he is, what he is? He must be either of these groups: duṣkṛtinaḥ, always sinful; mūḍha, rascal, asses; na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15), lowest of the mankind; and māyayāpahṛta-jñānā. If you say, "There are so many educated persons. They're not surrendering to Kṛṣṇa, or God. They're godless. So they have no value?" No, no value, actually, because their actual knowledge has been taken away. Māyayāpahṛta-jñānā. Why? Āsurī-bhāvam āśritāḥ. Because they're following the philosophy of atheism. That's all. This is the root cause.
Anywhere there are intelligent class of men, God conscious men, they are called brāhmaṇas. Anywhere who are prepared for the right cause, administrator, kṣatriyas. Anywhere who are interested in business, trade, agriculture, they are called vaiśyas. And anywhere who are simply satisfied by serving others, he's called śūdra. So our principle is not to proselytize from Christian to Hindu or Muhammadan to Hindu. We are teaching simply how to revive his own constitutional position to become servant of Kṛṣṇa. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. So it is applicable anywhere and everywhere. It is not that it is monopoly of India or for the Hindus. No. And actually it is being accepted, practically. In all countries. Even from all religious sect. In our Society there are boys and girls, they are coming from Christian group, Jews group, Muhammadan group, but when they come here, all of them become the servant of Kṛṣṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.
Hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate (CC Madhya 19.170). Bhakti, devotional service, does not mean inertness. Not simply sitting down or meditate. It is activity, engaging all the senses. Hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanam. Hṛṣīka means these senses—not these senses, but purified senses. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam (CC Madhya 19.170). Just like pranair arthair dhiyaḥ vaca. Prana, life; artha, riches, money; dhiya, intelligence; and vaca, speeches. So everyone using... Just like for national cause people are engaging life, they are sacrificing life. So many, for attainment of independence in India, so many Indians gave up their life. Pranaiḥ. So many people gave up their everything. We know during national movement, Mr. C. R. Das, a great leader of the Congress group, he sacrificed everything. He was a big, very big lawyer, barrister. He sacrificed his profession, he sacrificed his life—everything. So as we are sacrificing everything for attainment of some so-called national independence, the same thing, if we sacrifice for Kṛṣṇa, then our life becomes successful. Prāṇair arthair dhiyā vācā śreya-ācaraṇaṁ sadā.
But at the present moment, we are engaging our senses, ourself, in designation. I am thinking, "I am American," I am thinking, "I am Hindu," I am thinking, "I am brāhmaṇa" or "I am sannyāsī." So many designations. Caitanya Mahāprabhu presented Himself, how to become designationless, sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam (CC Madhya 19.170). He said, "I am not a brāhmaṇa. I am not a śūdra. I am not a kṣatriya. I am not a brahmacārī." He denied. At last He said, gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayoḥ dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ (CC Madhya 13.80). This is our position. We are not Indian; we are not American; we are not Hindu; we are not Muslim. These are all designations. Therefore (the) Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to make people free from designation. Just like, actually, you see. Here are American, European boys and girls. They have forgotten that they are American or European or they come from Christian group or Jewish group. Similarly, we should also forget that "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," or "I am brāhmaṇa," "I am śūdra," "I am kṣatriya." No. This is the only platform, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, where we can unite on spiritual platform. We cannot be united by resolutions. Just like the United Nations: they are trying for the last thirty years to become united—simply resolution.
Therefore a bhakta, Vaiṣṇava, Vaiṣṇava should not be considered that he's coming from European group or this group or that group. No. Vaiṣṇave jāti-buddhiḥ. Vaiṣṇava should not be considered belonging to any jāti. Vaiṣṇave, arcye śilā-dhīr guruṣu nara-mati. Just like we worship Deity. Everyone knows that Deity is made of stone, but do we worship the stone? Do we construct so big, big temples for worshiping a piece of stone? No. Unless one has got this connection, that "Here is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sākṣād brajendra-nandana..." Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu saw Jagannātha Temple and immediately fainted. He saw sākṣād brajendra-nandana Hari, Kṛṣṇa, immediately. So we have to learn how to see Vaiṣṇava and Viṣṇu. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. That means we have to purify our senses. Then we can see Kṛṣṇa always.
So our purpose... The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is started with this summary idea, that nobody should think himself as belonging to certain family or sect or religion or country or nation. All these designations have created havoc in the world, these false designations. When I think that "This country is mine," it is a false designation. Country is not mine. I am a guest here. If I stay in a country, in a place, for, say, twenty years, fifty years, hundred years, does it, does it mean that it belongs to me? Because they have no Kṛṣṇa conscious idea, they are misled in thinking in that way. Some group of men are thinking that "This is our country. We are American," "We are Indian," "We are German." This is the false... Illusion. Actually, everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says, bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram (BG 5.29). He's the proprietor. But because people are not educated in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they are thinking, "I am the proprietor." Ahaṁ mameti janasya moho 'yam (SB 5.5.8). This ahaṁ mama, increasing the ahaṁ mama, is illusion. It is māyā. And that is going on.
Pradyumna: "At the present moment groups of people are engaged in welfare activities in terms of society, community or nation. There is even an attempt in the form of the United Nations for world-help activity. But due to the shortcomings of limited national activities, such a general mass welfare program for the whole world is not practically possible. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, however, is so nice that it can render the highest benefit to the entire human race. Everyone can be attracted by this movement, and everyone can feel the result. Therefore Rūpa Gosvāmī and other learned scholars agree that a broad propaganda program for the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement of devotional service all over the world is the highest humanitarian welfare activity."
Prabhupāda: Go on.
Pradyumna: "How the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement can attract the attention of the whole world and how each and every man can feel pleasure in this Kṛṣṇa consciousness is stated in the Padma Purāṇa as follows: 'A person who is engaged in devotional service in full Kṛṣṇa consciousness is to be understood to be doing the best service to the whole world and to be pleasing everyone in the world. In addition to human society, he is pleasing even the trees and animals because they also become attracted by such a movement.' A practical example of this was shown by Lord Caitanya when He was traveling through the forest of Jhārikhaṇḍa in central India for spreading His saṅkīrtana movement. The tigers, the elephants, the deer and all other wild animals joined Him and were participating in their own ways, by dancing and chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa."
Prabhupāda: Yes. When Caitanya Mahāprabhu was passing through the forest of Jhārikhaṇḍa, in central India, the, all the animals joined with Him. Of course, He's Kṛṣṇa Himself. But if one becomes purified, there is no question that... All animals, living entities, would join in saṅkīrtana movement. There is evidence. But one must be very sincere and powerful preacher. If we cannot preach in the, in the society of the animals, we can preach at least in the human societies, who are supposed to be uncivilized or very lower status of life. Actually, it is so happening. In Africa also, our men are going interior in the village. They are almost naked, these Africans—we have got pictures—with big, big earring. So they are also, their children, and they also dance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, in the Hare Kṛṣṇa chanting. This is the wonderful movement, that anyone can take part. We see the children take part, the dogs take part, the so-called uncivilized men, they also take part. This is the universality of Caitanya Mahāprabhu's movement.
Acyutānanda: "At the present moment, groups of people are engaged in welfare activities in terms of society, community or nation. There is even an attempt in the form of the United Nations for world-help activity. But due to the shortcomings of limited national activities, such a general mass welfare program for the whole world is not practically possible. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, however, is so nice that it can render the highest benefit to the entire human race. Everyone can be attracted by this movement, and everyone can feel the result."
Prabhupāda: Yes. Now the human welfare activities are now developed in the form of United Nations. They are tackling various subject matter, but still, it is not possible. They are trying for the last twenty years, but still, even the nations have not become united, what to speak of other welfare activities. It is just a comparison, a little comparison, but this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement was started, practically, from 1967. I went there in 1965, and for one year I could not do anything. In 1966 this movement was registered in New York, and from 1966 it is spreading. So within four or five years it has spread all over the world. We have got branches in every part of the globe. And at least, these people know there is a movement, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and we are welcome everywhere as Kṛṣṇa conscious people, "Hare Kṛṣṇa People." Our name is "Hare Kṛṣṇa People." So people may take note of it that within a short period, it has spread so widely. In comparison to United Nations, what we are? We have no money. We have no means. We have no influence. We have no government support. Nothing of the sort. But still, it is spreading.
So we take this formula. If... We test whether he has surrendered to Kṛṣṇa. If not, then he comes to the four groups: duṣkṛtina, mūḍha, narādhama, māyayā apahṛta-jñānā. We take it, immediately. He must be one of them, either duṣkṛtina or mūḍha or all, narādhama, māyayā apahṛta. He may be... Māyayā apahṛta-jñāna means he might be highly educated academically, but māyā has taken away his knowledge. Āsuri-bhāvam āśritāḥ. Because he has taken to the principle of atheism, all these educational qualifications, or sharp brain... Kṛtinaḥ... Duṣkṛtina means... Kṛtina means one who has got very sharp brain, sharp memory; he's called kṛti. But on account of association with māyā, his brain is utilized for doing something harmful to the human society. They, they cannot do anything good to the human society. That is not possible.
"These four types of devotees have been described in the Seventh Chapter of the Bhagavad-gītā, and they, they have all been accepted as pious. Without becoming pious, no one can come to devotional service. It is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā that only one who has completely executed pious activities and whose sinful reactions of life have completely stopped can take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Others cannot. The neophyte devotees are classified into four groups: the distressed, those who are in need of money, the inquisitive and the wise—according to their gradations of pious activities. Without pious activities, if a man is in a distressed condition, he becomes an agnostic, communist, or something like that. Because he does not firmly believe in God, he thinks that he can adjust his distressed condition by totally disbelieving in Him.
"Lord Kṛṣṇa, however, has explained in the Gītā that out of these four types of neophytes, the one who is very..., who is wise is very dear to Him because a wise man, if he is attached to Kṛṣṇa, is not seeking an exchange of material benefits. A wise man who becomes attached to Kṛṣṇa does not want any return from Him, neither in the form of relieving distress nor in gaining money. This means that from the very beginning the basic principle of attachment to Kṛṣṇa is, more or less, love. Furthermore, due to his wisdom and study of śāstra and scriptures, he can understand also that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead."
So every... Stenayor sa ucyate. Everyone in this material world, one who has no Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he's a thief, he's a rogue, he's a robber. Everyone. Just like the Americans. They occupied the land of America by killing the Red Indians, and now they are claiming proprietor, and there is immigration department: "Nobody can come here. It is our land." This is going on. The first thing is stolen property, everyone. There is another story. A group of thieves stolen some things, and when they were dividing, one of them: "Kindly, morally divide. Morally divide. Honestly divide." The thing is taken dishonestly, and they are dividing honestly. This is going on, whole world. Everything is taken dishonestly, and when there is question of division, the United Nations honestly divides it. The association of the honest men, United Nations. All plunderers, rogues, thieves, and they have made an association, United Nations. You see. Basically they're all rogues and thieves. As soon as there is opportunity, they'll commit all criminal activities. And they're doing. So this is not philosophy. So here happiness by material possession is the happiness of the rogues and the thieves. One who is happy by possessing some material things, he is no better than rogue and thief. And one who is renouncing, brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā, he is a fool. Because how, what you are renouncing? When did you possess it? If you possess something, then you can say, "I renounce it." But if you do not possess, then where is the question of renouncement? So both of them are wrong.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures
So there are three principles—the īśvara principle and the māyā principle and the jīva principle—these three principles. So Advaita Ācārya is īśvara principle. He belongs to the īśvara group. Even in communistic country, they call "classless society," but they are also creating a managerial class. They cannot do without that. They could not avoid it, managers. Why manager? Make classless society, all worker. That is not possible. There must be īśvara. Īśvara means controller. That is the beginning, from the creation, īśvara. So īśvara, there are innumerable īśvara forms, as it is stated in the Brahma-saṁhitā. Advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam (Bs. 5.33). Many, many, many millions and trillions of īśvara forms... It is stated in the Bhāgavatam that many... How many, how you can calculate? That is compared—just like in the river or in the ocean there are waves, but you cannot count how many waves are there. That is not possible. Can you count the waves of the ocean, going on, day and night, waves? Similarly, in big, big rivers... So God's incarnation, they are coming out, innumerable, just like the waves, but we can understand by the action that He is incarnation of God.
So this is our position. We do not know who is the actual architect behind all this nice material creation. That is Mahā-Viṣṇu, and His incarnation is Advaita Prabhu. Caitanya Mahāprabhu is directly Kṛṣṇa, or Kṛṣṇa's incarnation. Nityānanda Prabhu is directly incarnation of Baladeva, and similarly, Śrī Advaita Prabhu is incarnation of Mahā-Viṣṇu. So all of Them are on the equal footing. Śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu-nityānanda, śrī-advaita. They are on the same equal level. And then śakti-tattva, Śrī-Gadādhara and Śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda. Gadādhara is the internal energy, and Śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda, they are marginal energy. So Īśvara-tattva and śakti-tattva. So within this group, there is no this material energy because in the spiritual world there is no action of material energy, only spiritual energy. In the material world there is action of material energy. In the spiritual world there is no material energy. Therefore, in this Pañca-tattva, there is no mention of material energy because in the spiritual world there is no material energy. Māyā-gandha-hīna.
So as it is stated in all Vedic literature and spoken by Kṛṣṇa, we are all individual, all individual. Svayaṁ bhagavān ekale īśvara. But the difference is that He is the supreme ruler, īśvara. Īśvara. Īśvara means ruler. Actually He is ruler, and we are also ruler, but we are subordinate ruler . Therefore He is ekale īśvara, one ruler. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇa, in the Brahma-saṁhitā. Ekale īśvara. Īśvara cannot be many. That is not īśvara. The Māyāvāda philosophy that everyone is God, that is not very right conclusion. That is rascaldom. Kṛṣṇa says, mūḍha. Na māṁ prapadyante mūḍhāḥ (BG 7.15). One who does not submit to the supreme īśvara, the Supreme Lord, you should know it perfectly well that "Here is a mūḍha, rascal," because it is not that everyone, we can become īśvara. That is not possible. There is then no meaning of īśvara. Īśvara means the ruler. Suppose we are in a group, this, our International Society. If everyone becomes ruler or ācārya, then how it can be managed? No. There must be some head. That is the principle in our practical life. We follow our political leaders. We cannot say that "I belong to this party" unless I follow a leader. That is natural.
This is the meaning of religion. Religion does not mean that "My religion says this. Your religion says this. Your religion says this." Religion means whether you are properly executing the will of the Supreme. That's all. This is religion. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam. The nonsense rascals, they cannot manufacture religion. Religion cannot be... Just like ordinary citizens, they cannot make laws for the state. Suppose if you make a law. Who will care for your law? Don't take advantage of the innocent people and make your own religion and make a group and try to exploit them. This is all nonsense. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam. Dharma means the regulation of the Supreme. So we have to know. That is religion. So any religion which is directing to obey the Supreme Lord, that is bona fide. And anything minus or "Not to Kṛṣṇa but to me," this is a nonsense rascaldom. You see. So before studying Vedānta, we should understand this fact. Caitanya Mahāprabhu is therefore stressing on this point, that there is no cheating, there is no mistake, there is no illusion, there is no imperfectness. Then we can make progress. If we are doubtful: "Oh, Bhagavad-gītā is spoken by some Kṛṣṇa, somebody. He was learned man, philosopher. So I can point out my own point..." No. Not like that.
So this janmādy asya śloka has been interpreted in various ways, but the most important commentator is Vyāsadeva. He's the original writer of Vedānta-sūtra. Not only he's the writer of Vedānta-sūtra, he's the writer of all Vedic literature. Vedic literature means four Vedas: Sāma, Atharva, Yajur, and Ṛk. And from the Vedas, there are Upaniṣads. There are 108 Upaniṣads. And there are Purāṇas. Purāṇas means those who will not understand the Vedic aphorisms and the Upaniṣads, statement of the Upaniṣads, for them, for ordinary men, there are many stories. The stories are concluded with the Vedānta-sūtra. Then there is Mahābhārata. You have heard all these names. Mahābhārata, the history, history of Indian royalty. The Mahābhārata is the history of fighting between two groups of royal family, the Pāṇḍavas and the Kurus. And in that Mahābhārata you'll find all kinds of sociology, politics, religion, and military science. Everything is complete there. And in that Mahābhārata is put this Bhagavad-gītā. The Bhagavad-gītā is only a portion of the Mahābhārata. This was also written by Vyāsadeva. But at last, he was not satisfied. Or even after writing so many big literatures, he was not satisfied. So one day he was sitting very morose, and in the same time, his spiritual master, Nārada, came to see him. Because Nārada is not an ordinary spiritual master. He could understand that "My disciple is sitting morose. So I must go there and give him some encouragement because he's a great personality. He is giving human society so many nice things, but he's not very happy in his mood. So I shall go and give him some encouragement."
So this, the one, that... We should seek the shelter of the lotus feet of guru. Then everything... And vede gāya yāṅhāra carita. It is not that it is sentiment that one has to become very strong devotee of guru. Therefore Narottama dāsa Tha..., vede gāya yāṅhāra carita. Not that I am talking something nonsense. It is because... Śruti-pramāṇam. Whatever we talk, it must be supported by Vedic injunction. Then it is right. Just like we sometimes challenge these big, big scientists and others, and what is our strength? I am not a scientist, but how I can challenge? The Veda gāya. We have got evidence from the Vedas. Just like so many people are thinking that the moon planet is first. We are challenging, "No, moon planet is second." What is the strength? The strength is Vedic knowledge. We cannot accept it. So vede gāya yāṅhāra carita. Vedic knowledge is so perfect that you can challenge so many scientists. Yes. If it is not in accordance to the Vedic knowledge, then it is... We do not accept. If it is not to the Kṛṣṇa's instruction, we reject immediately. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15). As soon as we see that one man is not Kṛṣṇa conscious, then we immediately group him in four classes: duṣkṛtina, mūḍha, narādhama, māyayāpahṛta-jñānā. Finished, that's all. "No, I am learned, and you are nothing. You have not... You have no degrees of university. I have got degrees." "Yes, that is all right, but your degrees and knowledge have been taken away by māyā. You remain in darkness. Ye timire jeti (?). You remain in the darkness." That's all.
Now, we are grouped under the taṭasthā-śakti, and there are other two potencies, or energies. That is called spiritual energy and material energy, the spiritual world and material world. We have got experience of the material world not completely. We do not know even what are going on in the whole material world. We see the universe. We see at night so many stars and planets, but we have no idea. So we do not know even what is this material world perfectly, and what to speak of spiritual world. But the spiritual world is there, as there is this material world, and the living entity belongs to the spiritual world. Actually he belongs to the spiritual world. By chance or some way he has come to the material world. So when he goes back again to the spiritual world, then he gets his normal condition of life. Unfortunately, in the modern education there is no information of the spiritual world, the spiritual identity, and go on, our relationship with God—nothing. Simply they are working like cats and dogs under the influence of māyā and the suffering. To stop this suffering, one must take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness and understand the position of his life and be perfect.
Anyone who is not Kṛṣṇa conscious, anyone who does not understand Kṛṣṇa, he is within these groups. What are these groups? Duṣkṛtina. Duṣkṛtina means one has got merit, but the merit is utilized for sinful activities. You can use your merit two ways—for good purpose and for bad purpose also. Just like thieves and rogues, they have got merit. They know how to steal, how to cheat. It is not unintelligent. They are intelligent. But their intelligence, merit, is used for bad purposes. They are called duṣkṛtina. And mūḍha-purposefully they are trying to avoid. Every step they are being baffled, and still, they are trying to avoid the supreme controller. Therefore mūḍha. And narādhama, narādhama means the lowest of the mankind. In the animal life they could not understand Kṛṣṇa or God—that is not possible—and they have got this human form of life... In this life one can understand what is God, what is Kṛṣṇa. Just like we are trying. That is possible. But if we do not take advantage of this human form of life to understand what is God, what is Kṛṣṇa, then you are lowest of the mankind. So na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamaḥ māyayāpahṛta-jñānā (BG 7.15). And if we say that "There are so many doctors of philosophy, doctors of science, they are also hovering under this darkness, how is that? Then what about their education?" Yes, their education, certainly, but māyayāpahṛta-jñānā. The result of education, knowledge, that is taken away by māyā.
Sādhu, whose character is spotless, he's called sādhu. Śāstra means scripture, and guru, guru means spiritual master. They are on the equal level. Why? Because the medium is scripture. Guru is considered to be liberated because he follows the scripture. Sādhu is considered to be honest and saintly because he follows scripture. Sādhu-śāstra-guru-vākya. Nobody can become a sādhu if he does not accept the principles of scripture. Nobody can be accepted as guru, or spiritual master, if he does not follow the principles of scripture. This is the test.
- tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet
- samit-pāṇiḥ śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham
- (MU 1.2.12)
Śrotriyam, śrotriyam means one who has accepted the Vedic literature, the śāstra, scripture, as the guidance, he can be... Not a extravagant upstart, he makes some group and religious principle of his own and become a guru.
Therefore, all different interpretation... The Vedic literature, either take Bhāgavata or Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā, or any Upaniṣad, the meaning is very clear. It is sheer foolishness to understand that "The meaning is vague, now I am clearing. I am a great scholar. I can interpret in a different way." So... As if Vyāsadeva left the meaning to be cleared by some rascal. You see? He was not himself competent to clear the meaning, but he left the work to be done by some rascal. That is their interpretation. But actually it is not. In every śloka, if you know Sanskrit, you'll see the meaning is clear. Just like in the Bhagavad-gītā, dharmakṣetre kurukṣetre samavetā yuyutsavaḥ (BG 1.1). There was actual some fight between the two cousin groups, and they fought at the battlefield of Kurukṣetra. That Kurukṣetra is still existing. If you go to India that... There is a railway station, Kurukṣetra. It is about 150 miles from Delhi. And people go there for pilgrimage. Therefore it is dharmakṣetra, a place of religious rites. And in the Vedas, Sāma-Veda, I think... I don't exactly remember. But one of the Vedas it is written that kurukṣetre dharma yajayet. In the Kurukṣetra, that place, if anyone wants to perform religious rites, he should go to Kurukṣetra and perform there. It will have better effect. This is the indication in the Vedic literatures. Therefore Kurukṣetra is still accepted. Those who travel, wander in pilgrimages, they go to Kurukṣetra still. The system is going on. If there is a lunar eclipse, they go to Kurukṣetra to make some charities. So Kurukṣetra is accepted from the very, very long period in the Vedic age as the place of pilgrimage. So it is stated there, dharmakṣetra. How can I interpret that this Kurukṣetra means this body? In which dictionary he finds this meaning? But people are so foolish, because Mahatma Gandhi has interpreted, "Oh, it is right." So this is going on.
Sri Isopanisad Lectures
The example is just like fire. Fire has got many energies, especially heat and light. Wherever there is fire, there is heat and there is light. Now this heat is not different from the fire, and the light is not different from the fire, but still heat and light is not fire. The... From the fire, there is heat. So if you are heated, if you are getting warmth from the fire, fireplace, that does not mean you are sitting on the fire. But at the same time, that warmth of the fire, the heat of the fire, is not different from the fire. In this way you have to understand the whole universe. Nothing is different from Kṛṣṇa, but still, Kṛṣṇa is not everywhere. This philosophy... Therefore this very word is used here, vijānataḥ. Vijānataḥ means one who knows, knower of things, how they are manifested. When one understands that things are manifested in this system exactly like the fire, heat and light... Fire is the original cause of heat and light. Similarly, whatever we see within this universe, within material world and spiritual world, the spiritual world is expansion of Kṛṣṇa's internal energy, and this material world is Kṛṣṇa's expansion of external energy, and we living entities, we are expansion of marginal energy. So three energies. He has got multi-energies. All the multi-energies grouped in three headings: antaraṅga-śakti, bahiraṅga-śakti, taṭastha-śakti. Antaraṅga-śakti means internal energy, bahiraṅga śakti means external energy, and taṭastha-śakti means these living entities. We are śakti; we are energy.
Festival Lectures
So this Hiraṇyakaśipu wanted to become immortal, and he underwent penances, severe penances, so much so, the whole universe became trembled. So that Brahmā, Lord Brahmā, had to come to pacify him, "What do you want?" So he wanted to become immortal. Lord Brahmā said that "Although I have got very long duration of life,..." The duration of life of Brahmājī is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, sahasra-yuga-paryantam arhad yad brahmaṇo viduḥ (BG 8.17). Sahasra-yuga, one group of yugas-Satya, Treta, Dvāpara, Kali—it becomes about forty-three lakhs of years. And multiply these forty-three lakhs of years by one thousand, that duration of time is Brahma's twelve hours, one day. Sahasra-yuga-paryantam arhad yad brahmaṇo viduḥ. So that Brahmā who lives for millions of trillions of years—still, he has to die. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānu-darśanam (BG 13.9). Wherever you go within this material world, either in the Brahmaloka or in the Patala-loka, you have to die. That is the problem. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, "Real problem is janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi, birth, death, old age and disease." Just try to... So Hiraṇyakaśipu wanted to solve these in a materialstic way, but that is not possible. So in a negative way he wanted that "I shall not die on the (indistinct).
So my request to you, those who are feeling frustration or confused, please take to this maha-mantra, chanting, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. When I was coming, I was waiting there to see the procession, so many boys and girls, they are not within our Kṛṣṇa conscious group, they are outsiders, but they are also chanting this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra very feelingly. I was very much satisfied. Therefore my request is, I have specially come to you. I was not very feeling well to come here. But because I have come to San Francisco, I must give you the message. It is very important message. Those of you who are feeling frustration and confused, kindly take to this chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, that's all. You... There is no expenditure, there is no loss. We are not charging anything. It is not a business, that we are asking you to pay something because I am giving this information. No. It is freely distributed. You please chant this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra twenty-four hours. You can work, you can walk, and at the same time chant this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra.
Arrival Addresses and Talks
So our this principle of teaching is based on Bhagavad-gītā. (aside:) Give him the book. Perhaps you have heard the name of Bhagavad-gītā, and some of you might have read it, Bhagavad-gītā. Bhagavad-gītā was spoken in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra to groups of cousin-brothers. They were fighting to occupy the kingdom, and in that place Lord Kṛṣṇa, who is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, happened to be present as the chariot driver of one group, Arjuna. So Arjuna was trying to avoid the fighting because the other side, there were relatives, brothers. At that time he was lamenting his bodily relationship: "The other side is my brother, my grandfather, my nephews, my son-in-laws." So that was the platform of speaking Bhagavad-gītā. So first of all, Kṛṣṇa explained that "We are not this body."
No. Economy will not suffer, but economy will be simplified because we have made some artificial economy. Actually, in the Bhagavad-gītā we find the economic problem is solved by producing food grains. It is stated there, annād bhavanti bhūtāni: (BG 3.14) "By eating food grains, both the animals and the men, they become stout and strong." That's a fact. According to Bhagavad-gītā, economic problem can be solved anywhere. If you get, if you have some land, you produce your food grain and give it to the animals, especially to the cows, and she will give you in return milk. So if you get milk, fruits, vegetable and food grains, the whole economic problem is solved. We have already started this example in New Virginia. A group of men, we have got about five hundred acres of land, and we keep cows, and they work to produce some vegetable and food grain. So they don't go outside for solving economic problems. At the present moment—now I am coming from India—in Bombay there is strike, railway strike. People are in so miserable condition to go to their work fifty miles, forty miles, hundred miles, for earning their bread. This kind of economic situation has increased the problems of life. Rather, if we accept this economic problem solution, then anywhere, any part of the world, you live. You don't require to go outside, hundred miles, two hundred miles, five hundred miles. No. You produce your food there, keep animals, then everything is solved.
But we should not create such position, dangerous. It is already dangerous. Because Caitanya Mahāprabhu was also very cautious about spiritual life. Sannyāsīra alpa chidra bāhu kori mane. Others may violate the laws, and so many sinful activities they are doing, but nobody takes very serious care. But when a religious group or a sannyāsī commits little offense, it is magnified a thousand times. Therefore we should be very careful not to make anything which may be magnified to the eyes of the public. Because we are preaching. We are preaching, and there is always demonic party who want to put us in difficulty. That is natural. Even Hiraṇyakaśipu, being the father of Prahlāda Mahārāja, he was also putting him into difficulty. But if we remain sincere and go on chanting, these dangers will be over. Don't be afraid. Don't stop your regular regulative principles and regular activities, program. Go on with it. Depend on Kṛṣṇa, and gradually everything will be all right.
But when they live, the tendency is there. Naturally I want to love somebody. It is not unnatural. When that love is reposed to Kṛṣṇa, that is perfect. The Māyāvādīs, they are frustrated; therefore they want to make this love into zero. They cannot understand Kṛṣṇa's love with gopīs. They think it is another edition of this material... Oh, how are you, Hayagrīva prabhu? How are you? You look better. You are looking better, brighter than when I saw you in New Vrindaban last. You have got so much talents for serving Kṛṣṇa. Everyone has got. That I am speaking. We have to utilize it. From the very beginning I met you, I instructed to edit. That was the starting of our Back to Godhead. He is good typist also. You know that? (laughter) I think he is the best of all of our men. He can type very swiftly and correctly. I think in our group Hayagrīva prabhu and Satsvarūpa Mahārāja are very good typist. And Jayādvaita I think you are also, no?
Brahmānanda: There is proof of it just in Berkeley where we have our Ratha-yātrā. The police say that this... Or we have our parades there, and they are all peaceful, whereas other groups, they have parades, and they always...
Prabhupāda: "Window-breaking."
Brahmānanda: Yes, violent.
Prabhupāda: "Window-breaking crowd." We are not that. (break) Let them have this O'Hare Kṛṣṇa.
Brahmānanda: Yes, O'Hare Kṛṣṇa.
Prabhupāda: Suggest the establishment manager.
Śrī Govinda: That's the name of the airport,
Prabhupāda: What is that?
Brahmānanda: He said the name of the airport is...
Prabhupāda: Oh. O'Hare? (pronouncing as in Hare Kṛṣṇa)
Brahmānanda: O'Hare. (laughs)
Prabhupāda: What is this? This is airport O'Hare?
Brahmānanda: O'Hare (pronouncing as "hair").
Prabhupāda: Hare (as "hair") it is.
Brahmānanda: O'Hare.
Prabhupāda: O'Hare.
Now this progeny is bother. It is sense enjoyment, homosex. Progeny, they don't want. They're not interested. Only sense gratification. This is another sign of impotency. When after enjoying so many women, they become impotent, then they artificially create another sex impulse in homosex. This is the psychology. So people are degraded so much. Especially in the... Everywhere, not specially this or that. Everywhere. This is Kali-yuga. But thoughtful leaders, they are thinking, "What to do?" That's very good sign. And take advantage and give them program exactly to the direction of Bhagavad-gītā. Then the world will be saved. Otherwise it is doomed. It is a fact. This is the opportunity for preaching. You can take that paper and heading. There are so many headings. Each heading reply. We are the only persons who can give solution. There is no other group or any man in the world. We are only. So let them take advantage of our knowledge and apply in the society to the ben... That's all right. Now all the sannyāsīs have got the good opportunity to preach. So where is the key? Keep it. (end)
So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means to follow the instruction of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. And Caitanya Mahāprabhu's instruction is this, to preach kṛṣṇa-upadeśa. And this is kṛṣṇa upadeśa: na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15). This is not our manufactured words; it is kṛṣṇa-upadeśa, that "Anyone who is not surrendered to Me, duṣkṛtina, he is immediately classified into four groups." What are they? Duṣkṛtina, mūḍhāḥ, narādhamāḥ, māyayāpahṛta-jñānā, āsuraṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ. So it is a very simple thing. Who is a mūḍha? If one does not surrender to Kṛṣṇa, if one does not understand what Kṛṣṇa, he is either duṣkṛtina, means sinful; mūḍha, rascal; narādhama, lowest of the mankind; and māyayāpahṛta-jñānā, and his so-called education and degrees are useless because real knowledge is taken away from him. Māyayāpahṛta-jñānā. So there is no need of fighting by... But we can understand what are these people in general. They are within these four groups of men. So we have to face them. Our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is facing these rascals, these duṣkṛtinas, these narādhamas, and to request them to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. You cannot sit idly to show your gorgeousness in a secluded place, imitating Haridāsa Ṭhākura: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa. No. You have to preach.
Initiation Lectures
So I think Kṛṣṇa will be very... So initiation means this is the beginning. Now you have to follow the rules and regulations. What are the rules and regulations? Only four principles. Don't have any illicit sex life. Don't have any food besides prasādam or foodstuff offered to Kṛṣṇa. And Kṛṣṇa does not eat anything beyond the vegetarian group. Because in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati (BG 9.26). So you cannot offer Kṛṣṇa anything beyond this scope. So there is no question of nonvegetarian diet, including fish, eggs, even onions, and lentils, what is called? Lentils? That dahl, pulses? So you have got from your Godbrother, you will know. And you are eating here Kṛṣṇa prasādam. And no gambling and no intoxication, including smoking, tea taking, coffee taking. No gambling, no intoxication. These four principles. No illicit sex life, no nonvegetarian diet, no gambling, and no intoxication. These four principles have to be followed and in the beginning the offenses. Where is...? You read the offenses. You haven't got?
So all these yogis, all these karmīs, all these jñānīs, they are not peaceful because they are wanting something, wanting something. So long you will be wanting something, there cannot be any more peace. Mind that. When there will be no more demand, that is peace. And that is only for Kṛṣṇa bhakta, kṛṣṇa-bhakta niṣkāma (CC Madhya 19.149), because he has no demand. Ataeva śānta: "Therefore he is peaceful." All others, they have got some demand. So this is the process. By making progress in Kṛṣṇa consciousness means your demands will be nil. That's all. When you find in that position, that "I have no more any demand," svāmin kṛtārtho 'smi, "I am fully satisfied, Kṛṣṇa," then that is your perfection. So try to achieve that position.
Now you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Oh, first of all is marriage. Now you offer this girl. What is name? Where is garland? All these groups, give them garland. Who is in charge? All right. This garland was first touched there in Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa temple?
So my request to you all who are going to be initiated, that you keep always yourself in contact with this chanting and that will make you, I mean to say, able to be always purified, śuci. Material contamination cannot... And you avoid these four principles: illicit sex life, meat-eating, intoxication of all descriptions. Intoxication does not mean simply liquor. Intoxication means even tea-drinking. Tea is also intoxication, in slight degree. Tea, coffee, cigarettes—everything should be avoided. In India they chew pan. So these things are to be give up, intoxication group, and meat-eating group. Then you make very quickly progress, and by the grace of Kṛṣṇa, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9). After leaving this body, one hasn't got to take another material body and suffer. So long we have got this material body, we have to suffer the material pangs. There cannot be any adjustment. So if anyone is serious for ending all troubles... Everyone wants to live peacefully and happily. That is natural, because spirit soul is ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12), by nature joyful. He wants to keep himself joyful, but he does not know how eternal joyful life can be attained. That is spiritual life. You cannot become joyful by material adjustment. No. You may be joyful for the time being by drinking or by intoxication, but how long? So long the intoxication influence is there, you may feel something. That is artificially. But that is not actually the state of joyfulness. Real state of joyfulness is to be situated in spiritual life, and when you (are) actually in the spiritual kingdom, then you become sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha (Bs. 5.1), eternal life, joyful life, blissful life, with full knowledge.
Viṣṇujana: Door. (pause) Maṇḍaleśvara.
Prabhupāda: Maṇḍeleśvara. Maṇḍaleśvara means a leader, leader of a group. He is called maṇḍaleśvara. Not ordinary rogues' group but Vaiṣṇava group. Hare Kṛṣṇa. There are different kinds of groups.
Viṣṇujana: Naradevī.
Prabhupāda: Naradevī. Naradevī means queen, like Queen Victoria. Is that all right? (laughter-girl offers obeisances) Hare Kṛṣṇa. Queen Victoria was very popular in British Empire. Yes.
Trivikrama: Hṛṣīkeśa.
Prabhupāda: Hṛṣīkeśa. Hṛṣīkeśa means the same thing, master of the senses. Hṛṣīka means senses, and hṛṣīka-īśa..., īśa means ruler or master. So actually hṛṣīkeśa means Kṛṣṇa. He is the master of the senses. And bhakti means hṛṣīka..., hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate (CC Madhya 19.170). Our hṛṣīkeśa means if we be under the control of Hṛṣīkeśa, then these senses now being used for other purposes, upādhi, designations... Just like one is very busy in his national work. Means he is giving service to a designation, falsely thinking that "I am this body," "This body is American," "This body is Indian," "This body is this." So under this false impression he is giving service. This is one stage. And when we are freed from this, all these false impressions, and give service to Kṛṣṇa, that is our perfect stage. So Hṛṣīkeśa means Hṛṣīkeśa dāsa, to become the servant of the Hṛṣīkeśa. Kṛṣṇa is Hṛṣīkeśa, so your name is Hṛṣīkeśa dāsa. Come on. Hare Kṛṣṇa. All right.
So you are taking this pledge for serving in front of Kṛṣṇa, Vaiṣṇava, guru, and fire. So you shall be very much cautious not to forget your duty. You have got good opportunity. You are going to Africa to deliver these persons. Śukadeva Gosvāmī says, kirāta-hūṇāndhra-pulinda-pulkaśā ābhīra-śumbhā yavanāḥ khasādayaḥ, ye 'nye ca pāpā (SB 2.4.18). These groups of men are considered very fallen, kirāta, the black men. They are called niṣāda. Niṣāda was born of Vena, King Vena. So they are habituated to steal; therefore they have been given a separate place, African jungles. That is there in the Bhāgavatam. So, but everyone can be delivered. Kirāta-hūṇāndhra-pulinda-pulkaśā ābhīra-śumbhā yavanāḥ khasādayaḥ ye 'nye ca pāpā. These are known (as) sinful life. But Śukadeva Gosvāmī says, "There may be others which is not mentioned here." Ye 'nye ca pāpā yad-apāśrayāśrayāḥ: "If they take shelter of a Vaiṣṇava," śudhyanti, "they become purified." So you have to become very rigid Vaiṣṇava; then you will be able to deliver them. Śudhyanti. How they can be purified without taking another birth? Yes. Prabhaviṣṇave namaḥ. Because Vaiṣṇava is going to deliver them, by the power of Viṣṇu they become empowered. So practically we have seen last time when I went to Nairobi, so many, these Africans, they are making progress very nicely. They are making nice questions.
Wedding Ceremonies
Prabhupāda: No, no. Hand. Now you can sit comfortably. (devotees chant japa) Now take, you know, little, little, everyone. When I say "svāhā" three times, very little, little take. We'll have to continue. (responsively with devotees:) Namaḥ apavitraḥ pavitro vā sarvāvasthām... No, why you are not chanting? (devotees were responding softly, now more loudly) ...gato 'pi vā yaḥ smaret puṇḍarīkākṣaṁ sa bahyābhyantara-śuciḥ. Śrī viṣṇu śrī viṣṇu śrī viṣṇu. (continues prayers for fire sacrifice). Why not take a group photo of these newly married couples? It will be nice.
Guest: That'd be great. It'd be beautiful. Sure.
Himāvatī: Should they go behind or should they turn around?
Prabhupāda: As you like.
Guest: Could the wife be seated and the husband in back of her?
Prabhupāda: Just like they are sitting, left and right.
General Lectures
So either you call perfect knowledge or you call happiness, anything, what you call, if you want to know the ultimate goal of your life perfectly, you have to follow a different method. A different method. That method is called avaroha-panthā. There are... All methods of acquiring knowledge can be divided into two groups. One group is called āroha-panthā, or research, inductive process. And another method is called deductive process, or avaroha-panthā. The knowledge coming from the supreme source, that is called avaroha-panthā, and the knowledge which is being sought after by using our imperfect senses, that is called āroha-panthā. Ascending process and descending process. So by ascending process, we can never come to the real knowledge. That is not possible, because our senses are imperfect. How we can ascend? Just like people are trying to ascend to the higher planetary system, but the instrument, sputnik itself, is imperfect. How you can go there? You can go 25,000 miles, again come back. Punar mūṣiko bhava. So this is going on. Because we are imperfect in every respect, so therefore we have to receive knowledge from the perfect.
So in this way we are making progress. Sthāvarā lakṣa-viṁśati kṛmayo rudra-saṅkhyakāḥ. Reptiles and worms. Rudra-saṅkhyakāḥ means eleven hundred thousands. Then from reptiles, worms, the wings grow-birds. From wings grow... Then it comes to the bird's life. Pakśiṇāṁ daśa-lakṣaṇam: ten hundred thousands of birds. And then paśavaḥ triṁśal-lakṣāṇi, four-legged animals, there are thirty hundred thousand. So nine and twenty, twenty-nine, then eleven, forty, then birds, ten, fifty, beasts, thirty, eighty-eighty hundred thousands. And then... Eight millions—and four hundred thousand species of human life. Human life is not in large quantity. Out of that, mostly they are uncivilized, and very few Aryan families. The Aryan family—the Indo-European family, they are also Aryan—they are very few. The Europeans, they belong to the Indo-European group. The Americans, they also come from Europe. So this group of human society is very few. There are other, many uncivilized groups. Therefore Vedānta says, atha ataḥ: now you have got developed human form of life, civilized life, you have got nice arrangement for your comfortable life. Especially in America you have got all material comforts. You have got cars, you have got good road, nice food, nice building, nice dress, nice feature of your body. Everything God has given you very nice. The Vedānta advises, "Now you take to about the inquiry of Brahman." Athāto brahma jijñāsā.
o our request to you all who are present here or who are not present here, that you try to understand this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, and if you do not understand immediately, if you kindly associate with us, put your questions, try to understand... We don't say that you blindly accept it. Put your question, try to understand, read our literature, and you'll understand. There is no doubt about it. And you'll take to it. And if you take to it, you'll be happy. In other processes... Just like a political creed. Unless it is nationally accepted... Just like there are so many political parties in every country. Everyone is trying to bring in the forefront the party politics because the leader cannot be successful unless the whole country accepts his philosophy, his party. But Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so nice that it does not require that a community or a nation or a family or any group has to accept, then you will be happy. No. Individually, if you accept. If your family does not accept, if your community does not accept, if your country does not accept, it doesn't matter. You will be happy. But if your family accepts, if your community accepts, if your nation..., you will be more happy. So... Because it is absolute, independent, so any person takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness will be happy immediately. So we invite you. We have got classes, we have got different branches in different cities, we have got books, we have got magazines, and we try to convince you by our morning and evening classes. So my humble request to you all that you try to understand. Caitanyer dayā kathā karaha vicāra. We put for your judgment to understand. We put this Kṛṣṇa consciousness before you for your judgment. And if you scrutinizingly see and try to understand, then you'll feel, "Oh, it is so sublime. It is so nice." That is our request.
Our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is that: it is the postgraduate movement of all kinds of religion. We are inviting either Christian or Muslim or Hindus or this or that—we do not mind—"Please come with us and try to love God." This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. And the method is very simple. Method is very simple. You chant this holy name: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. All these, my students, all of them are Americans, and they come from Christian or Jewish group. None of them came from Hindu or India. But what is the process I have given to them? The process is chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. It is very simple method. By chanting this mantra... Mantra. Mantra means... The Sanskrit word mantra, man means mind, and tra means deliverance. Mantra means that which delivers you from the mental concoction or hovering on the mental plane. Every one of us is hovering on the mental plane. By mind we are creating so many things: "I shall be happy in this way. I shall be happy in this way. I shall be happy in that way." But mantra means when you are delivered from that concoction, speculative way of your mind, and you come to the transcendental platform. That is the effect of mantra. So this mantra, this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, is called the mahā-mantra. Mahā-mantra means the greatest of all mantras. And this is the only suitable mantra for this age. This age is called Kali-yuga.
Three into three into nine, nine into nine equal to eighty-one. There are so many mixture of qualities and different kinds of men, because they are within the material qualities. But as soon as you engage yourself in the transcendental loving service of the Lord, you are no more within these qualities; therefore you are freed from designation. Just like these boys, they are not thinking that they are American. I am not thinking "I am not Indian," "I am Indian." Actually, our platform is Kṛṣṇa. We are loving each other. So we have forgotten our designation. Otherwise, how they can work so nicely? Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam (CC Madhya 19.170). They are now thinking in terms of Kṛṣṇa, that's all. Similarly, if this consciousness is spread, so simple, then they will lose designation, there will be no more distinction, "Oh, I am Chinese," "I am Russian," "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am this," "I am that." The fighting is on the platform of designation. But if you say that Kṛṣṇa consciousness is also a designation, but that is not designation, because in the Vedic literature it is said that ahaṁ brahmāsmi. This is pure consciousness. Asmi, my identification, shall continue because I am an individual soul. That cannot be abolished. So when I am thinking that "I am God's," that is my designation-free stage. And when I think that I belong to this family, this country, this society, this group, so many things, then I am designated.
So he said that "My dear sons, this body, this nice body, beautiful body, this own flesh(?) body, is not meant for sense gratification like the cats and dogs and hogs." He says that kaṣṭān kāmān na arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye: "By hard labor, by hard work, culminating into sense gratification, simply for that satisfaction, if we spoil our life, oh, it is not very good." Take that instruction to your life also, that you are very nicely placed, but according to Ṛṣabhadeva's instruction, you should not spoil this beautiful life simply for sense gratification. Why? Ṛṣabhadeva answered, "That sense gratification process is there, viḍ-bhujām." Viḍ-bhujām means the stool-eaters. What animal is the stool-eater? The hog. This kind of sense gratification, working day and night hard, is available even in hog's life. Therefore... You have got so nice, beautiful body. You should not imitate the hogs. You see? I was surprised to hear from one of my principal disciples, Brahmānanda—I was walking in Central Park—that the groups of the hippies, they have begun to worship hogs. You can explain that, why they are doing. This is not very hopeful. You see? After having this nice body, nice country, nice civilization, nice education, the result is hog worshiping. Will you explain today. Still silent?
Brahmānanda: Yes. We have experience not only in New York City but many places around the country—I'm sure you're familiar—of worshiping hogs. Many places where we go chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, the Lord's name, we've experience of groups of young people chanting "hog, hog, hog." This is going on in New York City. And also they actually have parades where they parade with hogs and pigs. And they bow down before the pigs, and they worship the pigs. And they want the hogs to become... They want to run the hog for president, and they want the hogs to lead them. It's even gone to such lengths that at one be-in—this was in Seattle—there was a massive demonstration with hogs. There, boys and girls undressed themselves and got in the mud and they just played with the hogs. Dirty, just living like the hogs, which they worship.
Young man: You don't think there's some irony in that?
Prabhupāda: So anyway, this hog worship was anticipated long, long ago. Otherwise how they could be described in the Bhāgavatam, which was compiled at least five thousand years ago? Anyway, the idea is that beautiful life, beautiful education, beautiful situation, should be utilized for beautiful end, not degrade to the platform of hog worship. That is not very palatable thing at least. So Ṛṣabhadeva says, "My dear boys, the sense gratification process after hard work day and night is available in the hog's life. That is not a very important thing. This human form of life is meant for a different purpose." And that purpose he explains, that tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena sattva śuddhyed yasmād brahma-saukhyaṁ tv anantam: (SB 5.5.1) "This human form of life is meant for austerity and penance." You will find in the history of Vedic literature, there were many, many exalted emperors and kings.
Woman (4): It is motivation. It is just like policeman. He feels...
Prabhupāda: Yes. Just to make others know that he is a policeman. But his business does not depend on that dress. Similarly, our this dress may be advertisement to others that "We belong to the Kṛṣṇa consciousness group." That is another thing. But Kṛṣṇa consciousness does not depend on dress. Ahaituky apratihatā. Without any reason and without any impediment. Kṛṣṇa consciousness can be executed without any material condition. There is no material condition for advancing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. (aside:) Why you are late? (chuckles)
Devotee: Somebody gave him the wrong address.
Prabhupāda: Oh, thank you. It is better late than never. (laughter)
In other words, the indigenous, the importation of a very strange oriental form, almost a hard-shelled Baptist oriental form, in the sense of its traditionality and its fundamentalism, its reliance on ancient texts and interpretation of ancient texts by long tradition of teachers—it's strange it's so far-out and ritualized an Indian form should take root in the United States a little more naturally than the more Protestant Vedānta Society or the extremely rigorous Zen groups that have taken root. I think partly it's due to the magnanimity or generosity or the old-age charm, wisdom, cheerfulness of Swami Bhaktivedanta, his openness of heart, his willingness to come down on to the street, and his sense of his own divinity and the divinity of others around that it's been possible for the bhakti-yoga cult of India to be planted very firmly here in America so that now there are communes, or ashrams, functioning on the basis of the Kṛṣṇa rituals, which are, in some respect, a model for all those anarchists and political people who are interested in establishing indigenous American communes. The regulations on food, on sexual relations, which generally cause much confusion in mutual-living health pads, the regulations on sleep and thinking process, are like an interesting model to study for those who are interested in forming affinity groups or large family communes.
Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and dance. Can you not do this? Even a child can do it. What we are appealing? "Please come chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and dance." What did these boys? One year before they did not know anything. So they, along with their wives and children, they are now dancing and chanting. That's all. Is it very difficult process, to come and chant and dance? The easiest process in the world! Without any education, without any knowledge. Simply come, chant and dance. If... There is a realized practical example, these boys and girls. They began with this chanting and dancing. Now see their faith, their advancement, their knowledge, their temperament, their attitude. So much advanced. You cannot compare with any other group in this world. So easier. So take to this movement; your life will be sublime. Easiest process. There is no charge. There is no fee. We don't charge anything. We don't say that "I give you some secret mantra. You give me some dollars." No. It is open: "Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa." (end)
Oh, that is a very important thing. If you read Dr. George Bernard Shaw's book, You Are What You Eat, you see. So if you eat like human being, then you can increase your qualities of human being. If you eat like cats and dogs, you increase the quality of cats and dogs. That's all. So we must have discrimination what to eat. That is there in the human world. Eating is there, but everything eatable. Even stool is eatable by a certain kind of animal, but that does not mean that stool has to be eaten by human being. Human being must have discretion what kind of food will be just suitable for my health, for my intelligence, for my brain. So these things are prescribed. If we eat things which are in goodness... They are prescribed in the Vedic literature that wheat, rice, sugar, milk product, vegetables, fruits, these things are in goodness. So if you want to increase your quality of goodness, that is required for God realization. Unless you are situated in the quality of goodness, you cannot be promoted to the higher platform. So your eating should be arranged within this group: rice, wheat, sugar, milk product, vegetables, and fruits. In your country you have got enough nice grains, nice fruits, enough supply of milk, butter. So there is no question of accepting any other food. You can accept foodstuff within this group and become healthy and good brain, good conscience. You can engage yourself in God consciousness. That is possible. So therefore "Discrimination is the best part of valor." We should discriminate what kind of food we should eat. We cannot eat anything and everything. That discrimination must be there. Yes?
Violence? Kṛṣṇa does not sanction violence, but if there is absolute necessity, then violence is required. Yes. Kṛṣṇa wanted to mitigate the misunderstanding of two groups of cousin-brothers. So Kṛṣṇa personally induced, "All right, they are, your brothers are kṣatriyas. Kṣatriyas, they cannot do any business or take the profession of a brāhmaṇa. So you give them five villages. They will be satisfied." And they replied, "Oh, what do You call five villages? I cannot spare even that land which can hold the tip of this needle." Then Kṛṣṇa says, "You must fight." So Kṛṣṇa or Kṛṣṇa's devotees, they are not after fight, but if there is absolute necessity of fight, then they can fight also. Because they are prepared to do anything. Just like in Rāmāyaṇa also, the same subject matter. Hanumān. Hanumān is a devotee of Lord Rāmacandra. So he fought with Rāvaṇa not for his personal self, but Rāma wanted, that "He has kidnapped the queen of Rāma. She must be delivered." And there was fighting. That is the principle. When one does not agree to the religious principle or to the moral principle or any instruction, he is adamant, then there must be fight.
So our main business should be how to improve in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So far other things are required, bodily necessities, that is recommended by Rūpa Gosvāmī, anāsaktasya: "Don't be attached." Don't take food, don't eat simply for satisfying your palate. That is called sense enjoyment. But you, just to keep yourself fit, just to keep your body fit for giving service to the Lord, you can eat Kṛṣṇa prasāda. And so far Kṛṣṇa prasāda is concerned, it is not very bad; it is very good. We offer... Of course, those who are followers of Vedic principles of life, they know how nice foodstuff can be offered to Kṛṣṇa. There are hundreds and thousands of varieties of fruits. There is nice grains also, there is nice milk also, there is sugar also. So you can prepare nice foodstuff on these ingredients which are considered sattvika, sattvikāhāra. Fruits, grains, vegetables, and sugar, rice, wheat, they are considered as sattvikāhāra. So you can prepare. Kṛṣṇa also says that patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati (BG 9.26). Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Lord. He can eat everything. Just like we have evidences from His life, sometimes He ate fire. Blazing fire in the forest, He ate up. So He can eat everything because He is God. He has got the potency of accepting anything. That is a different thing. But when He demands from His devotees, He says, patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyam. So we have satisfy Him from these groups. Patraṁ puṣpam means vegetables, fruits, grains; and toyam, water or milk, like that. And you partake the prasāda.
It is stated by Lord Kṛṣṇa Himself that "First of all I spoke this Kṛṣṇa consciousness philosophy, yogam..." Imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam. And Vivasvān means sun-god. As there is one god in this planet, maybe the president of United States or some other president, the predominating deity, similarly, in every planet there is a predominating deity. And the predominating deity, or the person, in the sun globe is called Vivasvān. So Vivasvān, his son is Manu. Manu means the father of the mankind. Manuṣya. The Sanskrit word, the man, called manuṣya. That means "of Manu." Man or manuṣya, these words have come from Manu. This Manu happened to be the son of Vivasvān. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: manur ikṣvākave 'bravīt. Vivasvān manave prāhur manur ikṣvākave 'bravīt. And Ikṣvāku was the son. Mahārāja Ikṣvāku was the son of Manu. Therefore, the dynasty coming from Ikṣvāku Mahārāja, in which Lord Rāmacandra appeared, is called Sūrya-vaṁśa, because it is coming from the sun-god. The kṣatriya family, the royal family in India, there are two groups. One is coming from the sun-god, another coming from the moon-god. That is a long history, of course. But the point is that this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is not new, something manufactured, concocted. It is the oldest because it is coming from sun-god, and taking it from Manu, it comes to the calculation, about forty millions of years ago.
This is very clear. Dharma-kṣetre kuru-kṣetre. Kurukṣetra is a place which is still a place of pilgrimage. The Hindus, those who are followers of Vedic rites, they go there. They perform religious rituals. And there is Vedic injunction, kuru-kṣetre dharmam ācaret, dharma yajet, like that, that "If you want to perform some religious rituals, better go to Kurukṣetra." So Kurukṣetra is from the Vedic age. Millions of years, from time immemorial, it is a dharma-kṣetra. And still it is there. There is a station, railway station, called Kurukṣetra near Delhi, about hundred miles away from Delhi. So these are facts. Why there should be interpretation? These are facts. Why there should be... It is clear. Dharma-kṣetra is... Kurukṣetra is dharma-kṣetra, and historical fact is māmakāḥ pāṇḍavāś caiva yuyutsavaḥ (BG 1.1). Two groups of cousin brothers, they wanted to fight to settle up. Formerly the war was declared—the leader of the war, if he is killed, then the other party is victorious. Not that unnecessarily killing the civil citizens, no. This was nonsense. If there was fight between two kings, the citizens, they were unaffected, not that there is fight now between two parties, there is immediately siren, (imitates siren:) gaw, gaw, gaw, gaw, now bomb and the civil..., the most uncivilized way of war. In those days—those days means at least five thousand years ago—they selected a place, and "Let us fight and decide our fate," kṣatriyas. Why the public should suffer? So in this way Kurukṣetra was selected to fight between the two parties. And still it is existing. It is a great field. And dharma-kṣetre... Just try to understand that there is no need of our imperfect comments on the Bhagavad-gītā. That is my point.
Yuyutsavaḥ, it is called yuyutsavaḥ. So yuyutsavaḥ means when two parties are fighting, they are called yuyutsavaḥ, "Desiring to fight, they prepared." So actually these two groups of brothers, cousin brothers, they assembled there for fighting to decide their fate. So everything is clear. Dharma-kṣetre kuru-kṣetre samavetā (BG 1.1), assembled, yuyutsavaḥ, for fighting. And who are they? It is the question of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, the father of the Duryodhana, and he is asking his private secretary, Sañjaya. Sañjaya was relaying the fight in the battlefield, and Dhṛtarāṣṭra was blind. Just like television. So he was seeing the fight from the heart. It means there is still more finer science, that you don't require machine to see it by television, what is going outside. You can see within your heart. So this Sañjaya was seeing the battle, and he was relaying to Dhṛtarāṣṭra.
So this forest fire can be extinguished by a different process than the fire in the ordinary way extinguished. Just like in the city, if there is fire, you can take advantage of the fire brigade or you can take advantage of some volunteers carrying bucketful of water. But to extinguish the forest fire, neither you can take the help of the fire brigade nor the volunteer carrying bucketfuls of water. The forest fire can be extinguished when there is rainfall from the sky. Similarly, this misunderstanding of the world—although we are one, but we have divided ourselves in so many groups—this will create forest fire, and this forest fire can be extinguished. Therefore this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is just like falling of rain from the cloud. Yes. The cloud means a process which collects water from the sea and distributes all over the surface. And the same water again glides down through the river unto the sea. Similarly, this movement means taking mercy from the ocean of mercy of Kṛṣṇa and distribute it all over the world, so that again the merciful water goes down to the sea. So those who actually want peace or mercy of God, they should kindly try to understand the philosophy of Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. And even though you have no time to understand this philosophy through books of knowledge, you can simply join with us for chanting and dancing this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra.
So this man was suggesting, he wants sex life at least once in a month. Yes, that is allowed. That is allowed in the Vedic civilization. When the wife is in menstrual period, after five days of the menstrual period, the wife and husband can have sex life for begetting rightful children. And before be getting a child, one must go... If he is in the higher orders of society, one must accept the garbhādhāna-saṁskāra. Garbhādhāna-saṁskāra means that child born out of the sex life of the father and mother must come out a very nice child, not like the cat and dog. That is called garbhādhāna-saṁskāra. Those who are in the higher position of the society, they are obliged to observe ten kinds of purificatory processes, out of which, the first purificatory process is garbhādhāna-saṁskāra. So the parents, when they take to sex life for begetting nice children, there is garbhādhāna-saṁskāra, and if one does not observe this garbhādhāna-saṁskāra, he immediately falls down to the group of śūdra from brahminical position. These are the injunctions in the Vedic literature. Sex life is not denied, but one must take responsibility for sex life; otherwise, he becomes entangled in so many sinful activities.
Indian man: ...in the same way...
Prabhupāda: Same way, we, because we like this, to enjoy this material world; therefore we have to accept a material body.
Indian man: No, no. But you said that we have to search after that soul and that is a group service you are undertaking. But what's the way to do it?
Prabhupāda: What... That we are teaching. You become our student. You'll learn. (laughter)
Indian man: Teach us what is the actually ultimate object of life...
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Indian man: ...peace or knowledge? Is knowledge sufficient to cause peace, or we must find out some matter first some way? Anyway, without knowledge, whether peace can be had, without knowledge?
Prabhupāda: Yes, if you have got right knowledge, then you have peace. And because you do not have right knowledge, you do not have peace. Peace is dependent on right knowledge.
Indian man: We (indistinct) Indonesia welcome His Holiness to this temple (indistinct). We are very grateful that His Divine Grace has make time to come and see us here. Later, after we pray to God for (indistinct) prayers, welcome, we ask His Divine Grace to give us some message to our Hindus at Indonesia. Before that, we are going to recite Gāyatrī mantra, to pray to God. (group chants mantras followed by chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa kīrtana)
Prabhupāda: (chants praṇāma mantras) So I shall sing Jaya Rādhā-Mādhava. You can play with me? (sings Jaya Rādhā-Mādhava and chants praṇāma prayers) So somebody translate? Somebody translate my...
Devotee (1): A translator?
Prabhupāda: So Ladies and Gentlemen, I thank you very much. The Gāyatrī mantra, which you have chanted just now, we also chant the same Gāyatrī mantra: oṁ bhūr bhuvaḥ svaḥ tat savitur vareṇyaṁ bhargo devasya dhīmahi. So we have got Gāyatrī mantra general, as well as specific. Just like we have got Gāyatrī mantra for Guru-Gaurāṅga, then Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, that completes the Gāyatrī mantra. So this Gāyatrī mantra is also mentioned in the beginning of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. In the beginning of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam there is the statement, satyaṁ paraṁ dhīmahi (SB 1.1.1). Satyaṁ paraṁ dhīmahi, this dhīmahi mantra is in reference to the Gāyatrī.
So I shall try to discuss Bhagavad-gītā, Thirteenth Chapter, in which nature, the enjoyer, and consciousness is described. Śrī arjuna uvāca. Arjuna belonged to the royal family of the Pāṇḍavas, and he was friend of Kṛṣṇa. So there was a fight between two groups of cousin-brothers, the Kauravas and the Pāṇḍavas. So Arjuna... Kṛṣṇa was requested by both the parties to join either of them, but Kṛṣṇa decided not to take part in the fighting because both of them were equally related to Him. So after all, Kṛṣṇa divided His soldiers one side and Himself another side with the condition that if He joins, then He would not fight. So Arjuna preferred to take Kṛṣṇa on his side, and the other party, Duryodhana, he decided to take Kṛṣṇa's soldiers. So while just the fighting was to begin, Arjuna declined to fight because the other party were all his relatives, friends, brothers, brother's son, nephew, teacher and grandfather. So Arjuna took compassion, that "I don't want victory. Better not to fight." So that is the cause of describing the science of Bhagavad-gītā before Arjuna, just to induce him to act as a dutiful soldier. This is the background of Bhagavad-gītā.
And He has got form; He's a person. He's not imperson. Because as soon as you speak of controller, it cannot be impersonal. Controller must be a person. He must have brain, He must have desire, He must have capacity to give orders. So many things. So therefore the Vedic information is the Supreme Absolute Truth is a person. He's not impersonal. The impersonal realization of God is realization of His different potencies. Just like this material world, this is the manifestation of one of the potencies of God. He has got many potencies. So all the many potencies have been grouped into three: the material potency, the spiritual potency, then the marginal potency, between the material and spiritual. The spiritual potency we can understand. Just like I am speaking. I am speaking means I am spiritual being. I am speaking. This material body is my covering, just like shirt and coat. So the... Now I'm existing. Somehow or other, I've been encaged in this material body, but I am spirit soul. That is spiritual potency. And as this material world is made of material ingredients, similarly, there is another world. That information you can get from Bhagavad-gītā. Paras tasmāt tu bhāvo 'nyo 'vyakto 'vyaktāt sanātanaḥ (BG 8.20).
So this is Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu's preaching, that you live peacefully. Be gentleman. Realize God. Make your life happy in this world and the next world. This is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mercy. And He wanted to spread this cult in every town, every city, every village. So this group, Hare Kṛṣṇa movement, is just trying to serve Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. And you also see how much beneficial it is. Caitanyera dayāra kathara karaha vicāra. You don't be blind, but try to consider it a little liberally without any, what is called, sophistry? Without any bias, prejudice. Don't be carried by prejudice. Try to understand the philosophy of Caitanya Mahāprabhu and be happy.
So those who are narādhama they will escape this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Otherwise anyone who is intelligent, intelligent after many, many birth's experience, he'll accept. So we can understand by this crucial test or test tube(?) what is what. So anyway, our business is you Western boys and girls, you have taken this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement very seriously. I'm very much thankful to you. So try to make the people uttama, although at the present moment they are narādhama, without understanding Kṛṣṇa. So these are not exaggeration. This is stated in the śāstra. And our point is that anyone who is not taking to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he's among these groups-duṣkṛtina, mūḍha, narādhama, māyayā apahṛta-jñānā āsuriṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ. The basic principle is āsuriṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ. Asura. Asura means against God always. Rāvaṇa was asura. Hiraṇyakaśipu was asura. They are very learned scholar, son of a brāhmaṇa and very powerful. The only fault was they did not believe in God; therefore they are called asuras. So anyone who does not believe in God, he's asura. This is the verdict of the śāstra. And this asuric civilization is going on all over the world. So we are making little effort to make the asuras devotees. That's all. This is our business.
This is Kṛṣṇa's words, that anyone who is not Kṛṣṇa conscious, he must be in one of these groups. What are the groups? Duṣkṛtinaḥ-meritorious sinful person. A person is merit. He has got merit. Just like a thief, a rogue, a cheater. He has got merit undoubtedly. Without being meritorious, they cannot be expert thief or expert rogue or expert politician. (laughter) So they have got merit, but duṣkṛtinaḥ. Kṛti means merit, and duṣ means abominable. Merit is being used for bad purposes or sinful purposes. They are called duṣkṛtinaḥ. This is one group. Another group-mūḍha. Mūḍha means fools, rascals, or children, those who have no knowledge or one who does not know what is the purpose of life. They are called mūḍhas. And another group is called narādhamāḥ. Naradhāma means the lowest of the mankind. The highest of the mankind is one who is Kṛṣṇa conscious, and the lowest, one who does not know what is Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the lowest of the mankind. This human life, human form of life was given to him by laws of nature to understand Kṛṣṇa, or God, but he's not using it. Misusing it. They are called narādhama. And then, next group is māyayāpahṛta jñāna. You can say, "There are so many learned persons. They are not Kṛṣṇa conscious. They are after drinking and eating meat and... They are education." So then, He says that "They are educated. They have so-called educated, but their real knowledge is taken away." Just like one is rich man, but his money is taken away. So these four groups... So why this meritorious person or educated person, they do not take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness? That means dull brain. So in order to make the dull brain suitable for understanding Kṛṣṇa, these four principles of austerities is the first need: no illicit sex, no meat-eating, no gambling, no intoxication. Then his brain, the finer tissues of the brain, will develop to understand Kṛṣṇa. Otherwise, not possible.
Kṛṣṇa was engaged as the chariot driver of the chariot of Arjuna. And while the chariot was brought in the battlefield between the two groups of soldiers... Senayor ubhayor madhye rathaṁ sthāpaya me 'cyuta (BG 1.21). Arjuna requested, "My dear Kṛṣṇa..." Kṛṣṇa was his friend and Kṛṣṇa was familywise related both with the Kurus and Pāṇḍavas. Kṛṣṇa's father and the Pāṇḍavas' mother, they were real brother and sister. In this way there were family relationship, and Kṛṣṇa therefore denied to take part in the actual fighting. The whole world was divided. Some of them joined this party; some of them joined that party. Just like it actually happens when there is big war. Even nowadays, all the nations, they make a group. Some of them forming were forming one group; another some of them, they formed another group. Exactly the same thing was done. Now Kṛṣṇa was the charioteer, but when the chariot was brought in front of the two soldiers' party, Arjuna became little bit disturbed that "I have to fight. On the other side they are my brothers, they are my nephews, they are my gurus, Dronācārya, and they are my grandfather, Bhīṣmadeva. So what kind of fight this is that I have to fight with my friends and relatives and family members?" So he hesitated, that "Kṛṣṇa, what kind of fight this is? They are not my enemies; they are all family members. So I am not interested in this fight." So he practically decided not to fight. And Kṛṣṇa said that "What is this nonsense? You are a military man, and you have come to fight here, and you are My friend and My relative also, and if you decide not to fight, what people will say?" This is the beginning. Then, after some arguments, Arjuna thought it wise that "Actually, I am a military man and I have come to fight a decision that we shall fight. Now what I am trying to do, to avoid this fighting? Actually it is not my business. I am deviating from my duty."
No. Your question is that... We are living very opulently because we are surrendered to Kṛṣṇa. That is point. So if you come to us you will also live very opulently. Surrender. Do that by practical seeing. We have no anxiety. Do you know what is our expenditure? In New York we are spending twelve lakhs of rupees per month. Only in New York. Similarly, in Los Angeles we have got huge expenditure. And our income is also, daily, five lakhs. You can see. Take our account. Audit. People do not touch as soon as one hears, "Oh, it is a religious group." And we are selling religious books, this Bhāgavata and Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā, six lakhs of rupees daily. Can you imagine?
Philosophy Discussions
Śyāmasundara: He says that each state represents some phase of the absolute truth, that it expresses itself in the temporal events or the march of time.
Prabhupāda: We accept that without historical reference, we say unless one state or king is representative of God, that is not state. That is a group, that is not state. Just like even in aboriginals, they have also group. They have also group. That is not state. I think there must be some distinction...
Devotee: Tribe.
Prabhupāda: Yes, tribe and state.
Śyāmasundara: He says that the dominant nation in any epoch represents the dominant phase of the absolute idea during that time. Just like now America is the dominant nation in the world so that the dominant phase of the truth is being expressed through America.
Prabhupāda: Therefore Mr. Nixon supported Pakistan. (laughter) Everyone knew, all other nations knew that this Pakistan is creating havoc, genocide, they're killing innocent men in Bangladesh, and Nixon, Mr. Nixon publicly supported. And still he is angry about India because India is the richest country. He has withdrawn all help. So he is supporter of mischievous activities.
Śyāmasundara: Then he says that this absolute idea, the in and for itself manifests itself in the objective mind such as our laws, our ideas of morality, our social ethics. In other words the individual consciousness manifests itself as a group consciousness, as we have laws that govern the state. These are extensions of our own...
Prabhupāda: As soon as we accept a controller, all these things will come. The laws must come, the control must come, the morality must come, immorality, everything will come as soon as we accept a controller. The atheistic persons do not accept the controller, they do everything nonsense, immoral.
Śyāmasundara: He says that the free will develops in these three areas of experience of law, morality and social ethics.
Prabhupāda: That's nice. That is the field of free will activities. Unless you have got platform to execute your (indistinct), there is no meaning of free will. So that is the platform. There must be law, there must be system, morality. That is (indistinct). Just like Arjuna was advised by Kṛṣṇa, "Now, whatever you like, you do." That is free will. But He has explained to him, "This is this, this is this, now it is you have your choice."
Svarūpa Dāmodara: On the other hand, the so-called physicist... His name was Heisenberg. He produced the concept of the theory of uncertainty, and he found out that certain physical rules that govern certain parts of the so-called universal system of rules—why the planets are moving around the sun, and why they have a repeated course and so on. But he did not know what was the answer. So he named the title of the theory, the Theory of Uncertainty. Based on that, there are so many groups coming up, but they found uncertainty itself, that implies that there is some...
Prabhupāda: Basic principle is uncertainty, and they're building on big, big buildings.
Śyāmasundara: Darwin calls it the missing link.
Prabhupāda: That missing link, let them learn from us. We can give him the missing link.
Śyāmasundara: There's a corollary to his theory of evolution that our standards of morality have also evolved from primitive stages. For instance, in a group, within a group of apelike creatures who were normally fighting with each other for dominance, one may develop the quality of sympathy for someone else. So by that sympathy he cooperates with the other person and together they survive when the others die. So that evolution of sympathy, morality, love, compassion—the good qualities of the human being—have evolved due to necessity, evolution, survival of the fittest.
Karandhara: The thing is this whole perspective of evolution... There doesn't have to be a sequence, that one came before the other. They all were there.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Karandhara: Just like you take a ray of the sunshine that's in this room. It's come from the sun, but simultaneously it's occurring with the sun. It's not there as a sequential evolution of that particle...
Prabhupāda: The sunshine, sunshine... Just like sunshine. You can collect time according to the sunshine. The morning sun shining is called 6 a.m., and then 7 a.m., 8 a.m., 9 a.m., like that. The shine. But this 6 a.m. shining will be somewhere else also, although here it is 8 a.m.
Prabhupāda: The vital source of the soul can be temporarily covered by physical elements, but it is not belonging to the group of physical elements. That is our system.
Śyāmasundara: And he says that reason is only to explain the life process because reason is not...
Prabhupāda: Reason explain... He cannot explain because he does not know. The soul is a living force, and it has got little independence. So the supreme living force is God, and he is part and parcel of God, exactly like the spark of the whole fire. So this song, he has finished, bhuliya tomāre saṁsāre. So as soon as the soul receives his independence from (indistinct) become God Himself or wants to become enjoyer of the material nature, he becomes powerless, and he is subjected to the influence (indistinct) by the physical elements, and because he forgets his real identity, he thinks that he is body. Just like Darwin's theory. He is not this body. It is simply, circumstantially, a covering, a dress, and the living soul is different from the physical body.
Śyāmasundara: I've always thought cult meant something sectarian or...
Prabhupāda: Not sectarian. Cult means the natural occupation.
Revatīnandana: It usually means... A group with a common interest is usually called a cult. Some group with some common, agreed-upon interest.
Prabhupāda: Yes. That is I was explaining this, manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye (BG 7.3). So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not for everyone. It is meant for a certain group. Therefore you can take it as a cult, although it is meant for everyone. But generally we are accepted by the high-class intelligent men. Therefore we can call it cult.
Śyāmasundara: Same word, "cultivation" or "culture"?
Prabhupāda: Yes. Kṛṣṇanuśīlanam. The exact word is kṛṣṇānuśīlanam. Ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanam (CC Madhya 19.167). That is cult, cultivation of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Favorably. Not Kṛṣṇa consciousness like Kamsa, always thinking of Kṛṣṇa, how to kill Him. That is not ānukūlyena. That is not favorable. But you have to cultivate Kṛṣṇa consciousness favorably: How Kṛṣṇa will be satisfied. How Kṛṣṇa will be pleased. And that is required. This cult is required. Hṛṣīkeṇa-hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir uttamam (CC Madhya 19.170). When your senses will be purified and they will be engaged in serving Kṛṣṇa, satisfying Kṛṣṇa, that is bhakti. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Śyāmasundara: He says that man's actions or reality is the existence or his (indistinct). In other words, from the fact that I exist, I can find my..., that is my essence, that is my reality.
Prabhupāda: Yes. This should be done individually, collectively. Therefore there is group of nationality, therefore combined together should exist. The other group also, they are also thinking. So there are different parties. (indistinct) struggle, struggle for existence, survival of the fittest. If you exist killing me, then you are fit. And if I'll exist killing you, because you want to exist at my cost, I want to exist at your cost, so there is struggle. So if you can kill me, then you are fit, and if I kill you, then I am fit. Survival of the fittest.
Śyāmasundara: By this existence or (indistinct) that a man can choose himself or win himself by his own improvement, that he can realize himself. If I exist then I can realize myself, what I am, what is my essence. And there are two types of existence, he says: authentic existence and inauthentic existence. Authentic existence is what one feels when that existence is something of his own. (break) So he says there are two kinds of existence: authentic existence and inauthentic existence. So a man who is leading an authentic existence, then he is something of his own. But he is leading an inauthentic existence, then he is busy, excited, or preoccupied, what they say, when he has lost himself, when he loses himself. That is inauthentic existence. Thus authentic existence is when a man is always aware, self-aware, of his existence: "What I am doing now, what I am doing now, what am I doing now." So he says that an inauthentic existence is fallen existence, that a man falls into averageness or everydayness or what he calls publicness, where he lacks individuality and becomes the group self, and his personal decisions are not based upon a individual...
Prabhupāda: Everyone is living an inauthentic existence because... That is animal existence. He knows only the span of life from birth to death. That's all. That is inauthentic existence. When he knows that this is temporary... Just like suppose we are preacher, living in this apartment, say for a month. (indistinct). So this span of existence, one month or ten days or six months, this is inauthentic. But my preaching work, as preacher, I am (indistinct), that is my authentic existence. Is it not?
Śyāmasundara: He says that men have the tendency to fall into this not making their own decisions. Their decisions are not based upon a personal basis but upon group decisions, and just because someone else does something, I do it.
Prabhupāda: That is authentic decision.
Śyāmasundara: Yes.
Prabhupāda: Authentic decision. You must make your decision; therefore there is no... In any human society there is law, there is division, there is social etiquette, social obligation, so many things. So we are not independent to decide that we have to abide by the customs and etiquette.
Śyāmasundara: He would say also that every human being may draw a circle to represent something which is whole and complete.
Prabhupāda: That is religion. These four principles are similar to every living entity. But when you come to the human platform, there is religion. That is not in the animal. That is the distinctive function of the human being. So if human being (is) without any religious principles, he is similar to animal. Dharmeṇa hīna paśubhiḥ samānāḥ. Therefore in every group of civilized human society, there is some sort of religion. It may be Hindu religion, Christian religion, Buddhist religion, but tendency is to accept some religion. And religion means understanding of God and our relationship with Him. So the modern civilization, according to Darwin's theory, they are advancing to become animal. That's it. Therefore they are claiming their forefathers are coming from monkeys. That somebody said on the other day, Vivekananda was asked that "Why your Indian forefathers did not come, long years ago?" He answered, "Because your forefathers were jumping in the tree." (laughter) It is very nice answer. "Our forefathers did not come because your forefathers were jumping in the tree."
Śyāmasundara: So his idea is that if you present a certain idea to a certain group of people often enough, more and more...
Prabhupāda: That we are doing. We are repeatedly said that "You are controlled, you are controlled, you are controlled." (laughter)
Śyāmasundara: But what if you said... Like Mao Tse Tung might say, "I am the leader. I am the leader. I am the leader. I am the leader."
Prabhupāda: That is false. You are not leader.
Śyāmasundara: But they will accept it as true.
Prabhupāda: Why Mao becoming old? He is controlled. Is it that he will not die? Then he is controlled.
Śyāmasundara: He may die, but they will still accept him as the leader.
Prabhupāda: Well... Accept leader, a group of rogues and thieves accept another big thief as leader. (laughter) That is another thing. You see? That does not mean he is leader?
Śyāmasundara: So the nature of truth is not always derived from phenomenon. In other words, I can tell these people that this certain rock is God often enough so that they will eventually say, "Yes, this rock is God."
Prabhupāda: No, we don't say the rock is God. We say God is God. We are not so foolish that we say rock is God.
Śyāmasundara: In his time, 1880, 1890, everyone was very optimistic about the future of man. They thought, through scientific discovery, that everyone would become...
Prabhupāda: That is nonsense because they think, "Whatever we like, by nature's way we shall be promoted." Just like in some meeting in Mombassa somebody asked that, after... Some Aurobindo group, that... No, theosophist. That one man is there; he has no degree. So why not degree?
Śyāmasundara: ...then he goes back.
Prabhupāda: Yes. If he has got elevation, he has degradation. This is common sense affairs. If you become rich, you can become poor also. Why that once you become rich and there is no question of becoming poor? Is that guaranteed? These nonsense questions are asked even by so-called theosophist and so many there are. You see. They have no common sense even.
Śyāmasundara: His definition of God is that God is the source in nature to support and produce values. What is good, what is true, values, this is God, the source of these values.
Prabhupāda: Yes. So this is value. Kṛṣṇa says, "You surrender unto Me and all questions solved." So it has value. That we also admit. But it is up to me to accept that value or not. That independence God has given me. Otherwise, everyone would have been Kṛṣṇa conscious and surrendered to Kṛṣṇa. Why they are not doing that? Even God is value, to accept that value depends on me.
Hayagrīva: He uses this following metaphor. He says, "We are like a chorus grouped about a conductor who allow their attention to be distracted by the audience. If, however, they"—that is we, the individual souls—"were to turn toward their conductor, they would sing as they should and would really be with him. We are always around the One. If we were not, we would dissolve and cease to exist. Yet our gaze does not remain fixed upon the One. When we look at it, we then attain the end of our desires and find rest. Then it is that all discord passes. We dance an inspired dance around it. In this dance the soul looks upon the source of life, the source of the intelligence, the root of being, the cause of the good, the root of the soul. All these entities emanate from the One without any lessening, for it is not a material mass."
Prabhupāda: Yes. There is good sense, that God is individual and the soul is individual. As he has given the metaphor or analogy that the con..., parties of a concert party...
Devotee: Conductor and a chorus.
Prabhupāda: ...they are singing in the tune, sometimes attention diverted by the audience, it becomes out of the tune. Similarly we, when we divert our attention to the illusory energy, then we fall down, and although we remain the same part and parcel of the Lord, but the influence of the material energy covers us, and we identify with the covering elements, and life after life bodies changing, and we are identify with the covering, and this is our miserable condition of material existence. And therefore first education is that "I am not this covering." That is spiritual education. That is the beginning of Bhagavad-gītā instruction, that "You are not this body. Arjuna, you are not this body. Why you are taking this bodily concepts of life, your relatives, your family, so seriously? It is all foolishness. It is accidental. You are born in this family, and you have got so-called relatives. You are actually spirit.
Hayagrīva: He also said that this could be not only an individual but a group of individuals.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Group of individuals can remain, provided they are all devotees. But if the group of individuals, if they are all rogues and rascals, they cannot be representative of God. But either singular or plural, if all of them or single actually representative of God abiding by the laws... Laws means actual, dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19). For God said that is actual religion or law. And if we manufacture in our own ways, without reference to the God's program, it will be useless and failure.
| Page Title: | Group (Lectures) |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, Mayapur |
| Created: | 24 of Nov, 2011 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=162, Con=0, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 162 |