Because one who hasn't got Kṛṣṇa consciousness, with ordinary consciousness, material consciousness, he cannot think in terms of svajanam. "My kinsmen, all living entities," he cannot think. Actually, everyone is our svajanam, because if God is father, as Kṛṣṇa claims, ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā, if He is the supreme father... Not only He claims, at least, any fine religious system claims, "God is the original father." That's a fact. Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvam pravartate (BG 10.8). Everything has come from Him. He is the supreme father. So if Kṛṣṇa is the supreme father, He is father of everyone. Sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya (BG 14.4). In all species of life, in all forms of life, they are all our svajana, kinsmen. How it cannot be? Because Kṛṣṇa is the original father. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Therefore a devotee of Kṛṣṇa does not want to commit a little harm to any living entity. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Harm (Lectures)
Expressions researched:
"harm"
|"harmful"
|"harming"
|"harms"
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
Whether I shall eat or not eat,' better not eat." Sometimes we come to this point, "I am not very hungry, whether I shall eat or not eat?" The best course is not eat, not that you eat. But if you eat, then you can eat in the month of December, Pauṣa. Why? It is... In Bengal... Bengal is tropical climate, but when it is winter season, it is advised that "If you eat it is not so harmful because it will be digested." The night is very long, or the cold season, the digestive power, is nice. So when we are confused, "to do or not to do," jābo ki jābo nā yadi jāo tu śauce: "When you think, 'Whether I shall go or not?' better don't go. But when it is a question of answering the call of nature, you must go." Jābo ki jābo nā yadi jāu tu śauce, khābo ki khābo nā yadi khāo tu pauṣe. These are very common sense. Similarly, Arjuna is now perplexed, "Whether I shall fight or not fight?" That is also everywhere. When there is declaration of war between the modern politicians, they consider... Just like in the last Second World War, when Hitler was preparing for war...
That is, that was... The living force which was running this body was a different element, spirit. Nāsato vidyate bhāvo nābhāvo vidyate sataḥ. We have discussed this verse. That is living force. And Kṛṣṇa says, vināśam avyayasya asya. This consciousness has no annihilation. Vināśa. Nobody can kill this consciousness, or the soul. One can do harm to this material body, but not to the spirit soul and consciousness. Vināśam avyaya. Avyaya means which is never deteriorates. That is avyaya. Vināśam avyayasya asya na kaścit kartum arhati. Nobody can kill. Nobody can kill consciousness, nobody can kill the soul. Therefore it is said, na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). "The consciousness, or the spirit soul, is never killed, never annihilated, on the destruction of this body."
So we had concession rate for posting, and it was to be delivered to the postmaster. So the postmaster was talking with me about the paper, Back to Godhead. He raised the same question. He said, "If we do our duty nicely then what is the use of worshiping God? If we become honest, if we become moral, if we do not do anything which is harmful to anyone, in this way, if we act, then where is the...?" Because our paper's name was Back to Godhead. So he was indirectly protesting, that What is the use of propagating this philosophy of Godhead if we act nicely? The Arya-samajists view... They are called... There is a English name, what is called? I forget now. Moralists. The technical name there is. Anyway, this is their point of view, how to avoid God. So I replied that if one is not God conscious, he cannot be moralist, he cannot be truthful, he cannot be honest. This is our point of view. You study the whole world only on these three points, morality, honest, and dutiful. So many nice things are there.
Now in the Vedas it is said that if you touch the bone of an animal or human being, you have to take bath immediately to purify yourself. Now, this conchshell is also a bone of an animal. Now, it is kept in the Deities' room. Now, if you say, "The bone of an animal is impure. How it is that it is kept in the Deities' room?" So actually it is being done. Why it is being done? Because it is injunction of the Vedas. Similarly, all such injunctions we have to accept, but there is meaning. There is meaning, and that may not be understood immediately. That doesn't matter. So if, instead of red garment, if you take this saffron, what is harm to you? So you should accept the injunction.
One of them is worthless, is doing nothing. And if the other son says, "My dear father, this son, your youngest son, or this son, is worthless. He is doing nothing. Let us kill him," will your father agree? Because he is worthless, will your father agree? No, he will say, "No, no, no. You have nothing to do. He is not harming you. He is eating my, my subsistence. I am paying for his subsistence. Why you should kill him?" So similarly, in this material nature, all these living entities in different forms, they have come for material enjoyment and everything is being supplied by the Supreme Lord. We have no right to kill them. We have no right. According to God's law, if one is conscious... The same thing: Just like the father will never agree to kill a worthless child by the competent boy... No.
Prabhupāda: If I say that you can go to Santa Fe, what is the harm? What is the wrong there?
Guest: You can go to the sun planet by worshiping...
Prabhupāda: Anywhere, if Kṛṣṇa says that you can go to the sun planet, what is wrong there?
Guest: Well, I thought you'd go to Kṛṣṇa, along with Kṛṣṇa.
Prabhupāda: And if Kṛṣṇa desires that he should go to sun planet then he'll go. What is wrong there? There is nothing wrong. You have to act what Kṛṣṇa says. It doesn't matter what He says. You should not select Kṛṣṇa's order according to your choice. You should accept Kṛṣṇa's order by Kṛṣṇa's choice. If Kṛṣṇa says you go to hell, "Yes, I am going to hell." That's all. Svargāpavarga-narakeṣv api tulyārtha-darśinaḥ. For a Kṛṣṇa conscious person there is no distinction that this is hell, this is heaven.
You see? Why? Self-realized. So he has no prescribed duties. To him you haven't got to say, "Thou shall not kill." He will automatically not kill because he is self-realized. Self-realized person does not do any harm to anyone because he knows everyone in relationship with the Supreme. His central point is Kṛṣṇa. Neither he'll misuse anything. He makes everything proper use. "This nice foodstuff, it is given by Kṛṣṇa, let it be offered to Kṛṣṇa." That is not misuse; that is the proper use. "Here is nice rose flower, it is manufactured by Kṛṣṇa's energy, let it be offered to Kṛṣṇa." This is self-realization.
So one who has got this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he is self-realized. Everything dovetailing with Kṛṣṇa. So what he has got to follow any other prescribed?
Prabhupāda: Yes, these trees... We should know that the trees, they are also living entities, but they have been put in such awkward position that they are standing up in a position for thousands of years. They cannot move even. If somebody is cutting, it cannot protest. They have been put into such conditional life. If somebody is coming to do some harm, they cannot go away. So the most abominable condition of life is the trees. Go on.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "The covered mirror is compared to the birds and beasts, and smoke-covered fire is compared to the human being."
Prabhupāda: Yes. The birds and beasts, they can move. They can protect themselves from somebody who is coming to harm, but still, they have no knowledge. The same... A little better than the trees. Go on.
Fighting is not necessary. Fighting is not necessary. Peace, peace is necessary. But sometimes peace is disturbed. At that time, fighting is also necessary. You cannot, you cannot absolutely give up the process of fighting in this material world. That is not possible. Because there are persons who will create trouble. Just like we are experiencing. We are not going to do any harm to anybody. But sometimes they are coming and creating disturbances. So these disturbing elements are there, and this is always there. The material nature is like that. Therefore fighting cannot be abolished in the, when it is necessary, absolutely necessary. In the battle of Kurukṣetra, Lord Kṛṣṇa advocated this fighting because it was absolutely necessary.
This Durvāsā Muni traveled all over the universe and he went beyond the universe in the spiritual world. He saw Lord Viṣṇu personally. Still, he was defeated. There are many stories. Ambarīṣa Mahārāja. So these indriyas cannot be controlled. Durdāntendriya-kāla-sarpa-paṭalī. But these indriyas cannot do any harm to you if you take the poison teeth of this deadly snake, poison teeth. Indriya-kāla-sarpa-paṭalī protkhāta...
What is that? What is the process of taking away the poison teeth? That is bhakti-yoga. That is bhakti-yoga. That means sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170), hṛṣīkeṇa-hṛṣīkeśa means indriya-hṛṣīkeśa-sevanam. You cannot control the senses unless you engage your senses in the service of the senses of the Lord.
I do not know. I am thinking I am proprietor. That is nescience. That is ignorance, practical. Because I know, I do not know who is the proprietor, therefore I am doing whimsically. But I will have to... Suppose if I do not know who is the proprietor of this building, if I do something harm to this building, does it mean that because I do not know who is the proprietor, I shall be free from the punishable law? No. I may think that there is no proprietor, but actually there is proprietor. I do not know. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram: (BG 5.29) "I am the supreme enjoyer. I am the proprietor of all planetary system." Suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānām: "I am the friend of everyone. I am supplying the grains for all living entities. Why you are destroying it? You shall be punished."
So we should have by good association, by study of good books like Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, we should realize ourself. Otherwise, our mind will remain always an enemy, an enemy. And enemy, as the enemy is always prepared to do harm, so my mind will drag me to things which will make me entangled more and more in this material miserable life. Manaḥ ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi prakṛti-sthāni karṣati (BG 15.7). We are struggling very hard with this mind and six senses. So we have to make the mind our friend. Now, Kṛṣṇa is gradually making progress to explain to Arjuna how the mind can be made friend.
"Oh, you are born in such a nice family and you are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa? Hindu? You are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hindu's name? Then what is your explanation?" So Haridāsa Ṭhākura was... He could understand that he is now in dangerous position. So he replied, "Sir, many Hindus also have become Muhammadan. So if some Muhammadan becomes Hindu, what is the harm?" "Oh, you are arguing?" Means he was to be punished. Give the dog a bad name and hang it.
So he was ordered that this man should be caned. And in, at that time Navadvīpa had twenty-two marketplaces. So in each marketplace he should be taken and in the public he should be flogged. So that he was done. And the idea was that by flogging he would die. The magistrate's idea was like that. But fortunately Haridāsa Ṭhākura did not die, neither he cried even. He was as good as silent. So these persons who were flogging, they fell on his feet.
Actually, because Kṛṣṇa has got two legs, two hands, one head, therefore you have also got.
So God is great, and I am dependent. So my sense of love has to be developed. We must accept that God is great, He is supplying our necessities, why not render some service in gratitude? Is there any harm? Suppose somebody is always supplying you everything, don't you think in your gratitude to supply, to render some service to him? If you develop that sense of gratitude, that is further development, attachment, service. Now that service has again to be further developed. How it is to be developed? Just like service to your friend. A friend does not demand service. Just like master, he demands service: "You must do it." But friend does not demand service, but dear friend: "Yes, why not?" That means voluntary service. More intimately. That is further development. That friendly service... One sort of friendship is with awe and veneration.
Why you have come here? Why you have entered in our neighborhood? Please get out. Please get out." Not "Please." "Get out." (laughter)
So we are..., we have cultivated a nice human society that there are all, I mean to say, what is called? Dogs. The immigration department: "Why you have come here? How!" (laughter) "Yes, sir, I have come here not to harm you. I have to speak something nice thing." "How long you shall stay?" (laughter) "Oh, not more than one month." "All right." (laughter) So immediately watchdog. In every house, "Beware of dog." "Don't enter. Beware of dog." This is human civilization. You see. You cannot enter anyone's house, you cannot enter anyone's country. And if you do... This means this want of this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. But the Vedic culture says, gṛhe śatrum api prāptaṁ viśvastam akuto bhayam. Even if your enemy comes to your home, you should receive him in such a way that he'll forget that you are his enemy.
So avaiṣṇava-mukhodgīrṇaṁ pūtaṁ hari-kathāmṛtam, śravaṇaṁ naiva kartavyam. And it is forbidden, "Don't hear." Why? Hari-kathāmṛta, kṛṣṇa-kathā, the message of God, the words of God, Bhagavad-gītā? He may be anything, but the kathā is the same; so what is the harm to hear from an avaiṣṇava? Sanātana Gosvāmī gives the example: sarpocchiṣṭaṁ payo yathā. Sarpocchiṣṭaṁ payo yathā. Sarpocchiṣṭa... Just like milk, everyone knows, a very nice food, most nutritious food, but if it is touched by the life of a serpent, immediately spoiled. Immediately. Another place, Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, māyāvādi-bhāṣya śunile haya sarva-nāśa (CC Madhya 6.169). If we hear Māyāvādi-bhāṣya, commentaries by the Māyāvādīs, those who do not accept the Personality of Godhead... They called, they are called Māyāvādīs. Māyāvādī means they see everything māyā. Even Kṛṣṇa is māyā. That is called Māyāvādī. The Māyāvādī philosophy is that "When Kṛṣṇa comes, He comes with a material body."
Prabhupāda: So if you, if you get... Suppose you have heard the name of the..., "There is a president," but if you hear from somebody, "The president name is this," so what is the harm? You become advanced in knowledge. Suppose you go to a country. You know that that government has got a president. But if somebody says, "The president's name is this," then where is the wrong there?
Guest (3): Nothing wrong.
Prabhupāda: Then? You do not know the name of God, but if I give you the name of God, what is the wrong there?
Guest (3): Well, the point is, as I said before, that there is one God and that I suggest...
You will never be unhappy, you will never be in scarcity. That... It is guaranteed here. Teṣāṁ nityābhiyuktānāṁ yoga-kṣemaṁ vahāmy aham: (BG 9.22) "Those who are thus engaged always in thinking of Me..." Well, you can do your business and think of Kṛṣṇa, and what is your harm? And that thinking may be, I mean to, divert your attention, but if you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa, you will practice. And Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare, Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare. But you will not be deviated what you are doing, but at the same time, you will be able to hear this sound, transcendental sound vibration. So this is the formula given by the Lord Himself. Please try to follow it. Ananyāś cintayanto mām. Always, always chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. There is no rule, no regulation. Never mind what you are, what you are doing. Simply chant and hear. We are anxious that everyone may take up this simple thing.
This is going on. Now, if you want to stop this, then you have to surrender to the Lord. Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te (BG 7.14). Anyone who surrenders unto the Supreme, he becomes away from the stringent laws of nature. He becomes peaceful. He becomes happy. One who is in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he is happy. He is peaceful. He does not do any harm to anyone, not even to the ant. What to speak of other animals. He enjoys according to the direction of Kṛṣṇa. And enjoys very nicely. So his life becomes peaceful, happy and everything. That is desire of life.(?) He becomes qualified with all the good qualities. Yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā sarvair guṇais tatra samāsate surāḥ (SB 5.18.12). Anyone who becomes Kṛṣṇa consciousness, all the good qualities automatically develop. Develop, they develop. Harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇāḥ.
There is no doubt about it. So here the Lord says Himself that "I eat." So we cannot say that He does not eat. "He does not eat"—in favor of my conclusion, there is no evidence. But here is the evidence, accepted evidence, that God eats. If God eats, then why don't you offer Him to eat? Where is the harm? What is the harm? If your little fruits and flowers offered to God, He accepts it, why don't you offer it? You want to please so many. You flatter so many bosses by supplying good dishes and so many things, and why don't you try to please God? What is the harm? Is there any loss? You are eating every day, and before eating, if you offer to God, what is the harm there? Why people do not take this formula and see the result? If actually God eats from your hand, oh, how much advanced you become in spiritual life you do not know. He accepts your things from your hand. How much fortunate you are.
His duty is, that is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā in the last verse of the Ninth Chapter, that duty is man-manā bhava. You are thinking of something. Everyone of us, embodied, we think something. Without thinking, for a moment, you cannot stay. That is not possible. So this is the duty. You think of Kṛṣṇa. You think of Kṛṣṇa. You'll have to think something. So what is the harm if you think of Kṛṣṇa? Kṛṣṇa has got so many activities, so many literatures, and so many things. Kṛṣṇa comes here. We have got volumes and volumes of books. If you want to think of Kṛṣṇa, we can supply you so many literatures that you cannot finish with your whole life if you twenty-four hours read. So thinking of Kṛṣṇa, there is sufficient. Think of Kṛṣṇa. Man-manā bhava. Oh, I can think of you.
Those who are rascals, fools, if you speak something valuable for his life he'll not hear you. He'll become angry. The example is given, payaḥ-pānaṁ bhujaṅgānāṁ kevalaṁ viṣa-vardhanam. Just like if a snake, if you ask the snake that "I shall give you daily a cup of milk. Do not commit this harmful life, biting unnecessarily others. You come here, take a cup of milk and live peacefully," that he will not be able. He... By drinking, drinking that cup of milk, his poison will increase, and as soon as the poison is increased—it is also another itching sensation—he wants to bite. He'll bite. So the result will be payaḥ-pānaṁ bhujaṅgānāṁ kevalaṁ viṣa-vardhanam. The more they starve, that is good for them because the poison will not increase.
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
No. To the nondevotees also. Just like Kaṁsa. Kaṁsa was also attracted by Kṛṣṇa. He was attracted to Kṛṣṇa as enemy. There are two kinds of attraction. We can become attracted to somebody as friend as well as enemy. That is also attraction. If you think of some person that "This man is my enemy. I want to kill him, or I want to do some harm to him. How I shall do? How shall I capture him? He goes on the office, on the road. So I can capture him in that way..." So many. Just like in America the President Kennedy was killed. So the man who killed him, he made it a plan, thinking of President Kennedy always. That is attraction.
All-attractive means, therefore, that Kṛṣṇa is attractive to everyone, either one is Kṛṣṇa's devotee or nondevotee. The best example is Kaṁsa. Kaṁsa heard that the eighth son of his sister, Devakī, would kill him. Since that time, he became attracted to Kṛṣṇa. "Oh, somebody's coming in the name Kṛṣṇa, as my sister's eighth son. So He will kill me. So let me kill my sister, the source of Kṛṣṇa."
So he said, "All right, I shall show you." So he opened one box, and several hundred snakes immediately came out. And all the students, they became so disturbed. Some were crying, some were this way, that way... (laughter) Yes. And the charmer said, "Don't be worried. So long I am here they will not bite. And don't think that these snakes are without poison teeth." He took some of them and showed that "Here is a poison teeth. Not that the poison teeth has been taken away. The poison teeth is there. But by our mantra, we subdue it. He cannot do any harm." So the doctor students, medical students inquired that, "Can we not use this mantra?" Said, "No. You cannot." Because it has to be... (end)
Similarly, in Christian scripture, if you have got name... Just like Buddhists, they have got God or the Supreme—they accept Lord Buddha. Similarly, if you have got any other name of the Supreme Lord, you can chant. We are not insisting that you chant Kṛṣṇa. But if you have no specific name of God found in your authentic scripture, then what is the harm if you chant Kṛṣṇa? This is not very bad proposal. Any intelligent man... If you have, you chant. Our Lord Caitanya says that nāmnām akāri bahudhā nija-sarva-śaktiḥ, bahudhā nija-sarva-śak..., tatrārpitā niyamitaḥ smaraṇe. There are many names. As there are many potencies, there are many names also. Just like take for Kṛṣṇa. So Kṛṣṇa is not understood simply by uttering this word "Kṛṣṇa." Kṛṣṇa is understood if you call "Govinda." That is also Kṛṣṇa. If you call "Mādhava," He is also Kṛṣṇa. If you call "Vaṁśī-vadana," He's also Kṛṣṇa. So the aim should be that it is God's name or the Supreme Lord's name. If the name is different in vibration or form, it does not matter. (aside:)
The soul is migrating, transmigrating. There are 8,400,000 species of bodies; and you are transmigrating from one to another, another, another, in this way. They don't care for it. Even if you are Hindu... (break) ...he is informed, that if you are acting like this you are going to be a tree next life, "Oh, it doesn't matter, let me enjoy." You see. They say frankly, "If I become tree what is the harm? I shall forget." The people have become so rubbish that they have lost their self-interest. Just like if you say to a child that "You are always playing, you are not going to school, you are not becoming educated, you will suffer in your future life, you will have no position in the society." But if he says, "I do not care..." He may say that, but the risk is there. Similarly the modern human being, you inform him about the transmigration of the soul, and by his activities he is supposed to become next life very low grade animal, or aquatics, or reptiles. So if they are informed, if they do not care, that is not very good intelligence. This is a fact.
"Those who are My devotees, they come to Me," Kṛṣṇa says.
And what is the benefit of going to Kṛṣṇa? Mām upetya kaunteya duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam nāpnuvanti (BG 8.15). "If someone comes to Me, then he does not get any more this material body to come to this material world." What is the harm if I come to the material world? That duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15). This material world is full of miseries, and that also temporary. Even if you accept that I shall adjust my miserable condition of life, but still nature will not allow you to live there. You may think that "We are Americans, we have got enough money, vast land, resources, I shall live as American." But you can live as American, say for fifty years. You'll not be allowed to live as American or as Indian or this or that. Even as Brahmā you will be not allowed. Brahmā has got his one day millions of years. He will also not be allowed.
These are the... Anyone who does not surrender to Kṛṣṇa, he is within these categories.
What are they? First of all duṣkṛtina. Duṣkṛtina means simply engaged in sinful activities. Kṛti. Kṛti means meritorious. But duṣkṛti, badly meritorious. They are using their brain for something atrocious, simply planning how to do harm to others. That is called duṣkṛtina. For his own sense satisfaction he is plan... That is called asura. Āsuraṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ. Asuras, they are simply planning for his own sense gratification. And devotees, they are simply planning how to satisfy Kṛṣṇa's senses. That is the difference. How Kṛṣṇa will be satisfied. Both of them are planning, but one is planning for his own sense satisfaction and the other is planning how to satisfy the senses of Kṛṣṇa. This is the difference between asura and deva. There are two classes of men: deva and asura. Dvau bhūta-sargau loke 'smin daiva āsura eva ca (BG 16.6). Āsuras tad-viparyayaḥ. Viṣṇu-bhaktaḥ smṛto daiva āsuras tad-viparyayaḥ.
This is the injunction. Not that "Oh, here is Bhāgavata. Here is Bhāgavata. I must sit down." No. Sanātana Gosvāmī says no. Śravaṇaṁ naiva kartavyam.
Why? Hari-kathā. "He may be whatever he may be, but he's speaking Bhāgavata. What is the harm to hear from him?" One can argue like that. No, Sanātana Gosvāmī says, "Yes, sarpocchiṣṭaṁ yathā payaḥ. Milk is amṛta, nice, but as soon as it is touched by the tongue of a serpent, it is, it is poison." Sarpocchiṣṭaṁ yathā payaḥ. He has given this very example. Milk is very nice, undoubtedly. Everyone will agree. But as soon as it is touched by the lip of a serpent, you cannot drink it. Then you'll die. Now Caitanya Mahāprabhu has also warned like that, that māyāvādi-bhāṣya śunile haya sarva-nāśa (CC Madhya 6.169). If you hear from a Māyāvādī who misinterprets things according to their whims, so then you'll be spoiled.
Pradyumna: "The effect of devotional service becomes manifest by complete elimination of these effects of passion and ignorance. The devotee is fixed at once in the mode of goodness, and he makes further progress to rise up to the position of vasudeva, or the state of unmixed sattva, or śuddha-sattva state. In this śuddha-sattva state only can one always see Kṛṣṇa state, eye to eye, by dint of pure affection for the Lord. A devotee is always in the mode of unalloyed goodness; therefore he harms no one. But the nondevotee, however educated he may be, is always harmful. A devotee is neither foolish nor passionate. The harmful, foolish, and passionate cannot be devotees of..."
Prabhupāda: The... It is said, maṇinā bhūṣitaḥ sarpaḥ kim asau na bhayaṅkaraḥ. Snake. Some snakes are decorated with jewel on the hood. So this materialist, however qualified he may be, just like jewel on the head. The śāstra says, "Do you think that a snake coming to you with a jewel on head is not dangerous or ferocious?" He's as dangerous, as ferocious, as the serpent without jewel. Similarly, any materialistic person, however educated he may be, so-called educated, he is simply a snake, dangerous. That's all. He has no qualification. Harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇāḥ. One cannot have good qualities unless one is advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Read.
Pradyumna: "The harmful, foolish and passionate cannot be devotees of the Lord, however they may advertise themselves as devotees by outward dress. A devotee is always qualified with all the good qualities of God. Quantitatively, such qualifications may be different, but qualitatively, both of them are one and the same."
Prabhupāda: Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)
The whole scheme is that everyone, every living entity within this material world, they are infected. That we have discussed. The most inferior infection is the rajas-tamas. And the superior rajas, uh, sattva-guṇa, that is also infection, but it is less harmful, whereas the infection of rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa is very much embarrassing.
Tadā rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ kāma-lobhādayaś ca ye (SB 1.2.19). The whole material world is going on, impelled by rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa. Generally. Sattva-guṇa is very little. Especially in this age, practically there is no sattva-guṇa. Rajo-guṇa also, very little. Tamo-guṇa predominant. For this reason, śāstra says in this age most people are śūdras because there is scarcity of sattva-guṇa and rajo-guṇa. Brāhmaṇa-kṣatriya. Brāhmaṇas' activities and kṣatriya, practically nil. There is no protector. Kṣatriya means one who protects people from being injured.
Mṛtyu, they think, "All right, it is coming naturally. Let us die." But they do not know, after death, where he's going? "Never mind. I shall forget." People say like that. In Western countries, when I speak, these questions are raised and they are so callous, they say, "Never mind. Next time, if I become a dog, what is the harm? I'll forget that I was a man." Plainly they say. So many people have gone so much down that they cannot understand that low-grade life is not desirable. They do not make any distinction. In whatever life it may be, if there is sufficient arrangement for eating, sleeping, mating, then they are happy. Viṣayaḥ khalu sarvataḥ syāt. By God's grace, nature has sufficiently given opportunity for enjoying these things: eating, sleeping, mating and defending. Just like these monkeys, they have got enough facilities for eating, sleeping, mating, especially mating, they have got very good facility. Beginning from the morning, they are going on in sex matters. And defending also, they have got nails and teeth.
So they became very inquisitive. All of them went to that snake charmer—he was a Muhammadan gentleman. So he knew that "These students, medical students, they have come to see the fun how the snakes are charmed." So he (they) inquired, "What is the matter? What is the magic that you can catch up snake and the snake cannot do any harm to you?" So he said it is possible by mantra. By mantra it can be done. So they challenged, "Oh, your snakes, I think they are poisonless and they cannot bite. There is no poison. The poison teeth, the fang, is taken away." "No, no. They have got everything." So he took one and showed that "Here is..." So to make a fun... He had many snakes. He let them all come out from the box. And immediately all over the courtyard, just like courtyard, they began to run over, and all these medical students, they became afraid. They were fleeing this side, that side, that side. So the charmer said, "Don't be afraid. So long I am here they'll not bite you."
This is very significant, that you may have many enemies or many fighters, very powerful fighters, but if you remain at the protection of Kṛṣṇa, then nobody can do you anything, harm. Rākhe kṛṣṇa māre ke: "If Kṛṣṇa protects you, nobody can kill you." But if Kṛṣṇa kills you nobody can give you protection. That is this, rākhe kṛṣṇa māre ke, māre kṛṣṇa rākhe ke. This is the... If Kṛṣṇa desires to kill you, nobody can save you. Just like a big man, a rich man, is suffering from disease. All first-class physician, medicine, hospital, available for him, but still, he dies. That means Kṛṣṇa desires that "This man must die." So these things will not help you. The so-called protective methods that we have discovered, they will be useless if Kṛṣṇa does not desire that you should live. They will be useless.
Dayitaḥ means favor. Nobody is favored. Na yasya kaścid dayito 'sti karhicid dveṣyaś ca. And nobody is His enemy. But who can be His enemy, who can be His friend?
Suppose we create friends. We expect some benediction or some profit from the friend and enemy means we expect some harmful activities by the enemy. But Kṛṣṇa is so perfect that nobody can do any harm to Kṛṣṇa, neither anybody can give anything to Kṛṣṇa. So where is the necessity of friend and enemy? There is no necessity. Therefore it is stated here: na yasya kaścid dayito 'sti. He doesn't require anyone's favor. He's complete. I may be very poor man. I expect some friend's favor, somebody's favor. But that is my expectation because I am perfect. I am not full. I am deficient in so many ways. So I am in needy always. Therefore I want to create some friend, and similarly I hate the enemy. So Kṛṣṇa, His being the Supreme nobody can do any harm to Kṛṣṇa, nobody can give anything to Kṛṣṇa.
So everyone has got some distinction. But the caṇḍālas, they eat everything, up to the dogs. We have seen in Korea. And in China also, they eat dogs. Here, in India, Assam side, there are dog-eaters. So there are different kinds of flesh-eaters. And you'll find in Āyur Vedic dravya-gaṇa, there are so many different types of meats and fleshes described, and the eating such flesh, what benefit or harm is there, that is described. So formerly, how they were analyzed.
So Kṛṣṇa, although He's playing the part of human being, His activities are transcendental. Na māṁ karmāṇi limpanti na me karma-phale spṛhā (BG 4.14). That is the distinction between Kṛṣṇa and ourself. He is killing. He has killed so many demons; from the very childhood His one side is killing-Pūtanā killing, Aghāsura, Bakāsura, this asura, that asura, then Keśī, and so many asuras He killed. But His killing and our killing is not the same. Na māṁ karmāṇi limpanti.
And he is thinking in this way, that "The sinful activity which I have done in this connection by killing their husbands or sons or father, even if I give some donation as welfare..." Just like in your country there is welfare department. All these helpless girls are given some donation. He says, "That is not sufficient. That... By that way, I cannot compensate what harm I have done to them." That is... That is his con... "Even if I give some money, donation, they'll not be happy, because they have lost their protection." This is called responsible king. How much they are thinking. And similarly he was thinking for the children.
That is the definition of prajā. Prakṛṣṭa-rūpeṇa jāyate. Any living entity who has taken birth. Just like in America, there are so many jungles and trees. If outsider like me comes and begins to cut the trees, so will the American government tolerate? Immediately I shall be prosecuted. I can say, "What is the harm? It is a tree. I am cutting." "No, you cannot cut this tree because they are on the American land." So this conception should be prayed.
So Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja is not only thinking of the human being who were killed in the battlefield of Kurukṣetra. He is thinking of all the horses, elephants, because they are also living entities. They are also prajā, national. "National," this word, we don't find in the Vedic literature, "national." It is modern invention. So if we feel nationally, then we feel for every living entity (who) is born in that land. That is real Kṛṣṇa consciousness, not sectarian, that "I feel for this living entities, not for that."
He was suffering, "All right." But Kṛṣṇa never tolerated. "Oh, you have done so much. Now it is the time to kill him." This is the process. Kṛṣṇa will tolerate. Even you insult Kṛṣṇa, He will tolerate. But if you insult His devotee, He will never tolerate. Then you are finished. Then you are finished. Just like a big man. If you insult him, he may think "All right, let him." But if you insult or do something harm to his child, he will never tolerate. He will never tolerate. Similarly, a devotee who is dependent on Kṛṣṇa in everything, and if somebody does harm to him, insults him, Kṛṣṇa will never tolerate. That is explained in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta, vaiṣṇava-aparādha. Tāra madhye vaiṣṇava-aparādha hāti matta. So we should be very careful not to offend Vaiṣṇava devotees. Not to offend. This is greatest offense. Therefore it is said vipra-śāpa-vimūḍhānām. Vimūḍhānām. Those who are rascal, fools, they will want to try to insult real brāhmaṇa, Vaiṣṇava. Then they are finished. Of course, a Vaiṣṇava never curses. Tolerates.
They're first-class men. The second class, administrator, to see that the government is going nicely, people are not unhappy, people are not suffering from thieves and rogues. This is the first business. Good government means that people will think that they're secure, their property and person is secure. There will be no harm. Not very many years ago, say about hundred years ago, in India the native states, the rule was that if something is lying on the streets, valuable or invaluable, so nobody should touch it. The person who has lost or who has left that thing there, he would come and pick it up. You cannot touch. That was the law. And if one was caught, a thief, his hands will be cut off. In Kashmir state this was the rule. As soon as a thief is arrested and if he's proved that he has stolen, the only punishment is cut his throat, aḥ, cut his hands. Bas. Exemplary punishment so that nobody will dare to steal. So this is second class, administrators.
So I am also doing the same thing. So what is the difference between you and me?" So Alexander considered that "Yes, I am nothing but a big thief, that's all." So he released him, "Yes, I am no better than you." Just like dacoits. Nowadays there are many thieves who steal scientifically, legally. There are many lawyers, many scientists. They do harm, but legally. Legal murderer, legal cheaters, so many things. We have got experience, every one of us. If you can protect yourself under the cover of law and you cheat others, then it is nice. But you cannot cheat the supervision of the Supreme. That you cannot do. A thief may steal secretly, but there is no secret. There is no secrecy for God. It is said in the Bhagavad-gītā, sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭaḥ: (BG 15.15) "I am sitting in everyone's heart." So suppose you are planning to do something, mischievous activity. You can cheat the man-made law or the man-made police, but how you can cheat Kṛṣṇa? He is sitting within your heart. Sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭaḥ: "I am sitting in everyone's heart."
If you are doing something wrong, he's more anxious than yourself. He knows that you are... A child is going to capture fire. The father, parents says, "No, my dear child, don't touch it. It is harmful." That is the duty, natural. So this, in this material world, we have come here, we are sons of God, part and parcel of God, and doing all nonsense. So Kṛṣṇa is not happy; therefore He comes, avatāra, avatāra. He comes, "My dear child, why you are doing this?" And He advises, sarva-dharmān parityajya: (BG 18.66) "Give up all this nonsense business. Come to Me. I shall give you protection." But we are so foolish rascal that we are prepared to become servant of the most abominable activities of our senses, but we are not prepared to surrender to Kṛṣṇa and become His servant.
The specific utterance of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam in regard to "other animals" means that persons who are simply engaged in planning a better type of animal life consisting of eating, breathing and mating are also animals in the shape of human beings. A society of such polished animals cannot benefit suffering humanity, for an animal can easily harm another animal but rarely do good.
- śva-viḍ-varāhoṣṭra-kharaiḥ
- saṁstutaḥ puruṣaḥ paśuḥ
- na yat-karṇa-pathopeto
- jātu nāma gadāgrajaḥ
- (SB 2.3.19)
"Men who are like dogs, hogs, camels and asses praise those men who never listen to the transcendental pastimes of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the deliverer from evils." Purport by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Śrīla Prabhupāda. The general mass of people, unless they are trained systematically for a higher standard of life in spiritual values, are no better than animals, and in this verse they have particularly been put on the level of dogs, hogs, camels and asses. Modern university education practically prepares one to acquire a doggish mentality with which to accept the service of a greater master.
He immediately brought the case before the king: "Why it is?" This is called king. The king is responsible. In our Kṛṣṇa book you will find that one brāhmaṇa's sons were stolen, and he, every time he chastised the king. You have read that portion? Yes. So in Kali-yuga they are not actually functioning as king or president, but still, they are drawing high salaries and respect, doing harm to the people, and still, they are exploiting.
This is Kali-yuga, very abominable condition, precarious condition. You cannot get justice, you cannot get nice food, you cannot get nice treatment, your age is diminished, your power is diminished, everything is topsy-turvied. The best thing is to prepare yourself very quickly to go back to home, back to Godhead, and there you become one of them, like these Vaikuṇṭha persons. These are the description already there. So many ornaments. We do not see what is... If you ask somebody...
Dhūlī means dust, and bhavāmbudhi is water. So if you are thrown into the water, you may be a very big swimmer, but it is a struggle. It is. There is no peace. Therefore in this material world, however expert you may be to deal with this material world, it is simply struggle. You cannot live here peacefully. That is not possible. Even you become nonviolent, if you don't harm anybody... In our country the ideal man was Mahatma Gandhi. Still, he was killed. Just see. This is material world. This is material world. He was doing harm to nobody, but he was killed. So bhavāmbudhi, in this material world, or ocean, you may be very expert in swimming, but that does not mean you'll be peaceful. That is not possible. But if you are taken away from the water even one inch, you'll find peace. Therefore the prayer is tava pāda-paṅkaja-sthita-dhūlī-sadṛśam. Just as from the water, if you are taken one inch up, then you become, you feel relieved, similarly, some way or other, if you become one of the particles of the dust of lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, then you are liberated.
More or less, they observe in any human society. What is that? Brāhmaṇa. Brāhmaṇa means the most intelligent class of men of the society. Philosophers, scientists, astronomers, so many, intelligent class. So in every society there is a class of men who are very intelligent than ordinary men. Then kṣatriya. Kṣatriya means... Kṣat means harm. One who protects others from being harmed. Suppose I am trying to harm you. And the person who protects you, he's kṣatriya. And who protects you? The king or the government. Therefore, those who are engaged in governmental affairs or takes the administrative charge, they are called kṣatriyas. So the kṣatriyas, they are in every human society, the administrator class, politicians, diplomats. Next vaiśya, mercantile class. That is not to be explained. In your country there are so many mercantile class. And śūdras. Śūdra means neither intelligent nor administrator nor merchant. General laborer. Give them something, they'll work. They have no intelligence. So they are called śūdras.
Kṛṣṇa advised him to fight. He was, rather, because he was a Vaiṣṇava, he was not willing to fight, to kill. Vaiṣṇava does not like to kill. But if there is necessity... Just like Arjuna had to kill. That is by the order of Kṛṣṇa, not by his own will. By his own will, Kṛṣṇa did..., Arjuna did not like to kill, to fight. That is Vaiṣṇava's natural instinct. He does not wish to do harm or to kill anybody. But when a Vaiṣṇava knows that Kṛṣṇa wants it, he doesn't care for his own consideration. "Never mind." That is practical example, Kṛṣṇa.
So similarly, sva-karmaṇā tam abhyarcya (BG 18.46). Everyone has got his some particular duty, occupation. If, by executing your occupational duty, you worship Kṛṣṇa, then your life is perfect. That is the instruction given in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Naimiṣāraṇya.
After this life, everything is finished. So long this life is there, better enjoy. Let us enjoy." That is explained: yad indriya-prītaye. Nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma (SB 5.5.4). Oh, alas, these rascals, they have become mad, pramattaḥ. Pramattaḥ means mad. Mattaḥ means mad. And pra means prakṛṣṭa-rūpeṇa, still more, still more. A mad man, he's not so harmful. He is... Sometimes he becomes naked and goes to the street and talks nonsense. That much. But this man, although he's dressing like a gentleman, and talking of scientific and philosophy, but he is simply after this sex pleasure, pramattaḥ. He has no other... So therefore this word has been used—pramattaḥ. Prakṛṣṭa-rūpeṇa mattaḥ.
Nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma (SB 5.5.4). Vikarma means forbidden, criminal activities. There are three kinds of activities: karma, vikarma, akarma. Karma means prescribed duties. That is karma. Just like sva-karmaṇā. In the Bhagavad-gītā: sva-karmaṇā tam abhyarcya (BG 18.46).
So in the evening she saw everyone has gone. Similarly, in due course of nature's activities, prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27), everything will go nicely. You haven't got to be worried. You better be worried how to develop your Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Other things will go on. And what is the harm there? If all people become Kṛṣṇa conscious, and go back to home, back to Godhead, what is the harm there? Do you mean to say, to remain here in this material existence and suffer three-fold miseries, is that very good business? That will not happen. Don't be worried. Kṛṣṇa Consciousness is not so cheap. Only a few fortunate people will take it. Others will remain. Don't worry. (laughter)
Because he has come to become business and to make some loss. That's all. That is his business. Wherever he sits, he will move like this. (makes sounds moving arms back and forth) He is not at all silent. He is always active. But because he is monkey, monkey is a symbol of... Ass, they are symbol of ignorance. Therefore such kind of business is useless. It is simply harmful.
So when one comes to understand that "This is my business, this my goodness, everything, it is all useless. Unless I become attached, I am a devotee of Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṇa, all these attempts are simply futile attempts," that is enlightenment. When one understands, "Yes, my only business is to surrender to Kṛṣṇa, to love Kṛṣṇa," then he is to be understood, he is enlightened, educated. Ei rūpe brahmāṇḍa bhramite kona bhāgyavān (CC Madhya 19.151). That is fortune. Yadā na paśyaty ayathā guṇehāṁ svārthe pramattaḥ. He does not know his interest.
Who is making this arrangement, that one man is suffering from leprosy, another is not suffering, he's quite in good health? So unless there is some arrangement, how it is happening? They do not question. Jijñāsu. That inquisitiveness is absent, dull. Just like trees. They cannot inquire even that "Why you are cutting?" The tree. "Why you are doing harm to..." No inquiry. Just like stone and trees. This is the modern human civilization. Therefore whatever plans they are making, it is becoming baffled, useless after some time, parābhavaḥ. Because they do not know what plan they should make. Just like children, they are thinking that "If I play like this, it will be very nice." So becomes engaged in one type of playing. And then again changing, another type of playing, because they do not know what kind of plan should be made so that Children. Abodha-jātaḥ. Children's another name is abodha. So from abodha, one has to be brought to the platform of bodha.
What is my fault?" The Yamarāja explained that "In your childhood you pierced with a nail through the rectum of an ant. Therefore you must be punished like this." Just see. In childhood playing he pierced. Sometimes we have seen, the children do that. That is also counted. You cannot do any harm to any animal, any living being. You cannot do. But these rascals are regularly killing. Although they have got this human form of body, although they have got intelligence, scientific intelligence, and so-called, but they do not know how nature's law is working. They do not care to know. They say these are all mythology. But not mythology. It is not mythology. Na veda mūḍhaḥ. They do not know what is the law of nature, that ananta-duḥkham.
And by hearing only, he has become brahma-niṣṭham, without any doubt: "Yes, there is God. Yes." We have to approach such person who has perfectly listened to his... Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). So by śruti, by hearing oral reception. Just like there is practical example. Suppose you are sleeping, and somebody is coming to do you some harm, to kill you. But another person is warning you, "Please get up! Get up! Somebody is coming to kill you." But it will act, because while other senses are practically dead, the ear is working. By hearing, you can get up. This is practical.
So at the present moment we are sleeping, sleeping in the darkness. Therefore to get knowledge we have to use our ears. Śravaṇam. Therefore to enter into the devotional service one has to use this ear, śravaṇam. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṁ pāda... And śravaṇam about whom? Śravaṇam about Viṣṇu, śravaṇaṁ kīrta..., śravaṇam. They say that "You can hear anything." No.
So one can remain like that, without this gross body and subtle body, material. Just like in the Vaikuṇṭhaloka, that is... But in the material world, when one is not covered by the gross body but subtle body, they are called ghosts or pramathās. Those who are good, not harmful, they are called pramathās. And those who are harmful... As in this material world there are good men and bad men, similarly, amongst the persons who has no this gross body, they are sometimes called ghosts and sometimes they are called pramathā.
So in this way, varieties of life, beginning from the insects and the aquatics, animal, up to the point of Lord Brahmā. But they are all within this material world. It does not mean because the Gandharvas, Siddhas, they have got higher standard of life and power hundreds and thousands times more than our power, do not think that they are liberated persons. They are not liberated person.
So we should be very, very careful not to commit any offense at the feet of Vaiṣṇava. Vaiṣṇava does not take any offense. He does not care who is offender, but Kṛṣṇa takes care. Kṛṣṇa will never tolerate if a person is Vaiṣṇava aparādha. Mind that. Just like a big man. You can offend him, he doesn't mind. But if he does something harmful to his child, so he becomes very angry.
Similarly, here also, Lord Viṣṇu... Just see how much powerful was Durvāsā Muni that he could cross over the material universe and go to the Vaikuṇṭha universe and see the Lord personally. How much powerful yogi he was, just you can... There is no such yogi, at least at the present moment. He could see, but he was refused by Lord Viṣṇu, and he came back to Ambarīṣa Mahārāja, and Ambarīṣa Mahārāja was standing without aking any food, that "This brāhmaṇa came at my place. Somehow or other, unnecessarily he became angry and he has left. So unless he comes back, I cannot take any food." So he took only one year.
So you cannot get out the living entity, soul, by force from that body. Then you will be punishable. The living entity is never killed, but you have no right to get him out from that body. That is sinful. If you argue that "What is the harm if I kill one animal, because it is said, na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre: (BG 2.20) 'The living entity, soul, is never killed even after the annihilation of this body'?" that is all right. But you cannot force him. Just like if you get one person, by force, get out from his apartment—he is not dying, of course, but still, it is criminal because you are forcing to go out of the apartment. So that is the law of nature. You cannot force anyone to get out of the body. Then you are punishable.
That is first-class bhakti, ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu-śīlana, just to satisfy Kṛṣṇa. Just like Arjuna. He was not willing to fight or to kill the other party. That is very good. He is a Vaiṣṇava. Naturally he does not like to fight or pick up quarrel with others or do some harm to others. Vaiṣṇava is para-duḥkha-duḥkhī. He knows very well that "If something harmful is done to me, I am unhappy, so why should I commit the same thing to others?" So But in spite of his conviction that he should not fight, still, when Kṛṣṇa insisted up to the point that "Your this mercy upon them will not act because it is already My plan that they will have to die. So you have become very kind, but you cannot surpass My plan. That is not possible. I have come here..." Paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām (BG 4.8). "That is My true mission: to save the devotees and to annihilate the nondevotees. So here I have brought them all together in this battlefield, and it will be finished."
In the Bhāgavata also it is said, satāṁ prasaṅgāt mama vīrya-saṁvido bhavanti hṛt-karṇa-rasāyanāḥ-kathāḥ. When we hear from sad-vekti(?), or Vaiṣṇava, then we get real effect. So if one argues that "Hari-kathā is pure. Even a avaiṣṇava speaks, what is the harm there?" so Sanātana Gosvāmī said in connection with this that śravaṇaṁ na kartavyaṁ sarpocchiṣṭaṁ payo yathā. Just like milk: it is very nice food, but if it is touched with the lips of a snake, it becomes poisonous. Therefore it is concluded that we have to hear the transcendental message of Kṛṣṇa from a realized soul, a devotee.
This is our movement. We want to see that everyone is happy. That is the Vedic vision. Sarve sukhino bhavantu. This is human life. Human life means paropakāra. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission, to do others something auspicious. That is human life. The animal life means do..., "For my good, I will do harm to many others." That is animal life. So this is not life, the human life, that for our sense gratification, we are killing so many animals, we are doing so many mischievous things, we are cheating others. We can do that, but we are becoming more and more implicated. At the time of death the Yamarāja will come and take us to the hellish condition. Therefore foolish people they want to forget that there is next life. No, there is next life. We are discussing every day. Next life is there. We are every moment getting a different body. This is the scientific study. I do not know why they cannot understand. This is biology. Biology means we are, every moment we are getting a new body. This is biology.
There are philosophers. They are trying to negate these varieties. They are disgusted with the varieties. Everyone is disgusted. The same child, when he grows up, he becomes disobedient to the father and breaks. He goes away. The father is broken-hearted, "Oh, I loved this child and he became so unfaithful? He has done so much harm and he has gone away?" Broken-hearted. Broken-heart... That you will have to experience in the material world.
So the śūnyavādī and the nirviśeṣavādī, they want to make these varieties of enjoyment zero. That is called nirvāṇa philosophy, Buddha philosophy, that "These varieties of enjoyment is followed by painful condition, so you should make this variety zero." Just like sometimes one commits suicide. When these varieties become intolerable, social condition unbearable, then he commits suicide. So this śūnyavādī, māyāvādī, means it is spiritual suicide, because they have no information of the spiritual varieties. Anādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ.
That is not. But when it is unavoidable, we have to do like that. But as far as possible we should avoid. We have heard from our father that his elder brother in the village had a cloth shop, and there were rats. So at night he would keep a big bowl of rice in the middle of the shop, and the rats will eat whole night. They would not commit any harm to the cloth. They respect it. They are also hungry, they are also living entities. They have also right to live, to eat. Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (ISO 1). Everything. They are God's creatures. The food is not only meant for you, that you shall simply eat rice and not allow to the rats and cats. No. That is not Vedic injunction. You will find in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. You can take precaution. After all, they are animals. But you cannot kill.
"May be." Not assured. (laughter) Therefore they take it, "may not be." But we don't say "may be." We say "No intoxication," because it is actually harmful to the health and in every respect. We see so many places in airplane, "No smoking. No smoking." But the rascal will not stop that... Nobody can smoke, but allowed, "Now you can smoke." They say also. First of all write, "No smoking," then, as soon as the plane is running, they say, "Now you can smoke." So this is going on. This is education. This is education. And blind, simply blind rascals. I always say that, the strong word, rascal, because blind, ajñaḥ, anicchan. They hear that smoking is not good, "determined," but as soon as the cigarette packet is there, "Give me a cigarette." Necchan. This is called tapasya, that you have to beat your mind with shoes at least twice. My Guru Mahārāja used to say that "When you get up, your first business is to beat the mind with shoes. And when you go to bed, you have to beat the mind with broomstick." (laughter) Then you will be able to control the mind.
Taravaḥ kiṁ na jīvanti (SB 2.3.18) . You are trying to prolong your life by scientific method, but what is the use of such life? This material life, there is suffering. Just like the tree. It does not do any harm to anyone. Rather, it is very hospitable. It gives shelter to the people. They are taking fruits, they are taking branches, leaves, sometimes cutting. They are very harmless, but still, there is harm, suffering. Must stand there for five thousand years and scorching heat and pinching winter, storm, and sometimes fall down. The suffering is there. Even we become a nonviolent... Even Gandhi. He was nonviolent, very moralist. Still he was killed. Just see. This is material world. He was killed by bullet. So the material world means suffering. So what is the use of making a prolonged life? Prolonged suffering. Therefore it is said, aghāyuḥ. If you live for a moment as a devotee, your life is successful. And if you live for many thousands of years without any Kṛṣṇa consciousness—aghāyuḥ, useless life, useless. Aghāyur aśucir malāt, because the desire is there, kāma and lobha, greediness and lusty desire.
How they are protected? First they are protected from the hands of the enemies. Because there are many enemies. Don't think that because one has become Kṛṣṇa conscious there will be no enemy. Of course, Kṛṣṇa conscious person is always ajāta-śatru. There cannot be any enemy. There cannot be enemy in this sense—that no enemy can do any harm to them. Because they are always protected, no enemy can harm to them. Ajāta-śatru. As Kṛṣṇa is ajāta-śatru, no enemy can harm to Him, there are śatrus or enemies of Kṛṣṇa, as you will read from the Kṛṣṇa ... Thousands and thousands of the demons, from the very beginning of His birth there are enemies. When Kṛṣṇa is born... (aside:) Don't meditate. Just hear. These are important things. Kṛṣṇa, as soon as He is born, there is enemy present, Kaṁsa. As soon as He is grown little, two months, three months, there is enemy-Pūtanā, Agha, Baka. So even God, Kṛṣṇa, has got enemies, so why not of the devotees? The devotees' enemy... Just like Hiraṇyakaśipu.
Yes. Therefore when, by nature's way, one is starving, you should know that he is getting better. You should not be bothered about that thing. Suppose doctor advises some patient that he should starve. And if you become very compassionate and give him some bread, you will be doing harm to him. Your business is how to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. You should not be disturbed by nature's process. But if you want to help anyone, just try to help him in relationship with Kṛṣṇa. That will be real benefit.
People are very much attracted by humanitarian work, but there are so many institutions that improvement the world's, I mean to say, condition has not improved. Just like from India I was thinking that every American is rich man, but actually, when I come to America, there is economic problem. There is poverty problem here also, although not in comparison to India.
So we want to kill that child also." Nārada Muni immediately asked them, "No, no, no, no. He's not ordinary child. He's mahā-bhāgavata. So don't touch." So they agreed. Nārada Muni... This is devatā. Although did some mistake, as soon as Nārada Muni ordered them that "Don't try to harm. He is mahā-bhāgavata," immediately gave up. So Nārada Muni said, "My dear daughter, you come with me until your husband comes back." Hiraṇyakaśipu went to perform very severe austerities to defeat the demigods. This is demon's austerities. Hiraṇyakaśipu was engaged in very severe type of austerity. What is the purpose? Some material purpose. But that type of austerity, tapasya, is useless. Śrama eva hi kevalam (SB 1.2.8). The materialists, they take austerities. Unless they do that, they cannot improve either in the business field or in economic field or in political field. They have to work very, very hard.
Kṛṣṇa says, the Lord says, that "Those who are miscreants, always trying to do harm to the society, to the country, to the people, to the other animals, other living creatures..." They are called duṣkṛtina, miscreants. Miscreants. Na mām duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ. And fools. So miscreants, fools, and narādhamāḥ. Narādhama means the lowest of the mankind. Narādhamāḥ. And māyayāpahṛta-jñānāḥ: and one whose knowledge is taken away by the illusory energy. Who are they? So-called educated. The so-called educated persons, they are very much proud of their university degree, but if you ask some of them, "What you are? Wherefrom you have come to this world, and where you are going next?" Oh, they will say, "What is this nonsense? I am... I do not know wherefrom I have come, where I am going. I have no concern with that. I am concerned with the present life. That's all." But actually, we are not this present life. It is only a spot in our journey. (end)
"What nonsense this father is? He is a demon." So a preacher... Prahlāda Mahārāja is not, I mean to say, against his father. Otherwise, he would not have prayed to Lord Nṛsiṁha, "My dear Lord, kindly forgive my father." Just see. Because he addressed his father as "best of the demons," that does not mean he had no love for his father. Simply by flattering, if I do some, ultimately do some harm unto you, then what is the meaning of that flattery? Here the father and son in the material world, they are addressing very nicely, but the father is sending the son to the hell, and the son is also sending the father to the hell by materialistic activities. A father is teaching, "Eat, drink, be merry and enjoy. Eat meat and drink and associate with as many girls and... That is... This is enjoyment." That means, indirectly, he is sending his son to the hell. You see? There is no love. Actually, this is no love. If I help you in the matter of for your ruination, that is not love.
Suppose Hiraṇyakaśipu wants to hurt Kṛṣṇa. What he can do to Kṛṣṇa? So where is the cause of anger? He was angry not that Hiraṇyakaśipu was a demon or nondevotee. He was angry because that demon was teasing the devotee. For His personal account, He cannot be angry. What anyone can harm Kṛṣṇa? He is so powerful. Suppose a small ant comes and bites me. So is that the cause of my anger? No. What is that? That is nothing. Similarly, what Hiraṇyakaśipu can do so that the Lord should be angry? But then why then He was angry? He was angry for His devotee. Similarly, we also, if we are devotee, we shall be angry when God is insulted. When devotee is insulted, we should be very much angry. But if somebody insults me, I don't be angry. "All right, he insulted. I tolerate." But when you speak against God, when you say, "I am God," I shall beat you with shoes. I shall be so much angry. You see.
The snake is envious. Without any fault he bites. A snake is there on the street, and if you happen to pass by him he becomes so angry, immediately he bites. So this is the snake's nature. Similarly, there are persons like the snake. Without any fault they will accuse you. They are also snake. So Cāṇakya Paṇḍita says that "This black snake is less harmful than the man snake." Why? "Now, this black snake, by chanting some mantra or by some herb can bring him under your control. But this man snake you cannot. It is not possible."
So there will be. This Hiraṇyakaśipu is also described by Prahlāda Mahārāja as a snake. When Nṛsiṁhadeva is so angry so he will say later on that modeta sādhur api vṛścika-sarpa-hatyā: (SB 7.9.14) "My Lord, You were very much angry on my father. Now he's finished, so there is no more reason for Your remaining angry. Be pacified. Nobody is unhappy for killing my father. Be sure. So there is no cause of anguish. These all these demigods, Lord Brahmā and others, they are all Your servants.
A Kṛṣṇa conscious person is not at all anxious for his personal self, because he knows perfectly that he is protected by Kṛṣṇa in all circumstances. Just like Prahlāda Mahārāja. He was put to so much difficulties by his father, but still he is steadily fixed up in his position because he knew that "My father cannot do any harm. I am fixed up." And actually it so happened.
So those who have taken very seriously to this business of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they are already free. I was just going to explain the word īhā. Īhā means endeavor. This īhā has been explained by Rūpa Gosvāmī very nicely. He says, īhā yasya harer dāsye. Īhā means endeavor. One who has engaged... Everyone is endeavoring. Nobody is idle. Everyone is trying something, do something, endeavoring something for higher position or higher distinction. So many things. The endeavor is there. That is the symptom of life. A living entity means he is always active. Resistance and activity. These are the symptoms of life. So īhā, this activity, endeavor...
Nanda-kiśora: When a living entity becomes pure soul...
Prabhupāda: Oh, where is your neck...?
Nanda-kiśora: Oh, I...
Prabhupāda: (break) What is the harm? All right? Then?
Nanda-kiśora: When a living entity becomes pure, purified, he is called sac-cid-ānanda, he has perfect knowledge. And Kṛṣṇa is also sac-cid-ānanda. Is that knowledge the same?
Prabhupāda: No. A living entity is subjected to be deluded by māyā. But Kṛṣṇa is not deluded by māyā. That is the difference between Kṛṣṇa and living entity.
Nanda-kiśora: But the knowledge that a pure devotee has, that's not the... Even though it's perfect knowledge...
There(fore) Prahlāda Mahārāja said that "Nobody is unhappy on account of death of my father." He said, modeta sādhur api vṛścika-sarpa-hatyā: (SB 7.9.14) "My father was exactly like scorpion and snake, so killing of such animal, living entity, is pleasing to everyone, even sādhu. Even bhaktas, they also become pleased." They do not want anyone is killed or anyone is done something harmful. Bhakta never desires. But they also take pleasure when the vṛścika, the scorpion, and the snake is killed. You have got experience. There was a snake in my bathroom. So you all sādhus became very alert to kill it, (laughter) although you are sādhu. So that is natural. When there is snake, there is no question of sādhu or asādhu. Kill him. Sādhur api, very nice. Modeta sādhur api vṛścika-sarpa-hatyā.
So Prahlāda Mahārāja is Vaiṣṇava. He could understand that "Everything in this material world, even the possession of my father, will be finished. There is no doubt. So what is the use of possessing such thing which will be finished?"
And Mahārāja Parīkṣit saw this and immediately... The cow was trembling for being slaughtered. And Mahārāja Parīkṣit saw, "Who is this man, trying to kill a cow in my kingdom?" So immediately he took his sword. That is kṣatriya. Kṣatriya means that... Kṣat means injury, and trāyate—it is called kṣatriya. There are persons who want to do harm to others. It has increased now. But during the time of Mahārāja Parīkṣit's time, it was not allowed. The king is responsible. The government is responsible that any one of his subject, either animal or man, he is not disturbed, he feels secure of his property, of his person. And it is the duty of kṣatriya to save him, to protect. This was the system of government. So that's a long story.
So Parīkṣit Mahārāja was very pious. That was the system. A king, monarch is supposed to give protection everyone within the kingdom. It doesn't matter whether he is man or animal. Even trees.
That is increasing. That is increasing. But during Mahārāja Parīkṣit's time, nobody could do anything injustice. Therefore it is said in the śāstra that kāmaṁ vavarṣa parjanyaḥ (SB 1.10.4). Because everything was right, the nature's way of giving us all comforts, all necessaries of life, that was also complete. As soon as you become injurious or harmful or disobedient to the laws of the king or God... King is supposed to be representative of God. Therefore, in India the king is accepted as the representative of God.
So formerly the kings were trained up in such a way that one man is sufficient to govern the whole universe, whole..., at least one planet. That was the system. The king was so pious. There are many statement, I mean to say, statements about these king. Why they were pious? Because they were also governed. The kings were governed by first-class brāhmaṇas, sages.
Nectar of Devotion Lectures
The simple process. First of all, try, try to understand Kṛṣṇa and try to love Him. Your love will be distributed, not only in your family and community, but throughout the whole world. All animals, all insects, all trees. You'll never be inclined to do harm, even to an ant even. A tree is cut down—a Kṛṣṇa-bhakta becomes sorry. Others, they do not become sorry. They are so sympathetic. Nowadays, trees are being cut into pieces without any consideration. This is also sinful activities. They're also living entities. You cannot kill them unnecessarily. This is the law of nature. Go on.
Pradyumna: "In the midst of the ocean such volcanic eruptions can do very little harm. Similarly, those who are against devotional service to the Lord and who put forward many philosophical theses about the ultimate transcendental realization cannot disturb this great ocean of devotional service."
Prabhupāda: Go on.
Pradyumna: "The author of Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, very humbly submits that he is just trying to spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness all over the world, although he humbly thinks himself unfit for this work. That should be the attitude of all preachers of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, following in the footsteps of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī. We should never think of ourselves as great preachers, but should always consider that we are simply instrumental to the previous ācāryas, and simply by following in their footsteps, we may be able to do something for the benefit of suffering humanity."
Pradyumna: "In the midst of the ocean, such volcanic eruptions can do very little harm, and similarly, those who are against devotional service to the Lord and who put forward many philosophical theses about the ultimate transcendental realization cannot disturb this great ocean of devotional service."
Prabhupāda: That sometimes, everyone knows, there is volcanic eruption in the ocean. What does it harm to the ocean? It throws out some lava, some little island may come out, but what is the harm to the ocean? Similarly, these rascal may go on with their philosophy for killing Kṛṣṇa. That does not hurt Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. It will go on. This ocean will never be disturbed by these so-called philosophies. This will never be disturbed. Go on.
Rūpānuga. Therefore we are called rūpānuga. Anuga. Anuga means following. Going, following the footsteps of Rūpa Gosvāmī. So as the, Rūpa Gosvāmī is following his predecessor, Caitanya Mahāprabhu, so we have to follow our predecessor. Then we will be successful. There is no doubt about it. Nobody can do any harm. Kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati (BG 9.31). If you stick to the principle of following the footsteps of previous predecessor, evaṁ paramparā-prāptam (BG 4.2), don't add anything, don't subtract anything, present as it is and keep your spiritual strength intact, then the preaching will go on. Nobody can disturb you.
Yes. Anyway... So we Indians, why you are over gentlemen? They're also gentlemen, they're also Europeans. But why you are afraid, why you are ashamed to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra even on walking, even going on...? What is the harm? This is the purpose of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra movement, that anyone can chant. A child can chant. A old man can chant. A rich man can chant. A poor man can chant. There is no tax. But see the result. See the result. Kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ.
- tṛṇād api sunīcena
- taror api sahiṣṇunā
- amāninā mānadena
- kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ
- (CC Adi 17.31)
This is the Caitanya Mahāprabhu's order, that "Always chant Hare Kṛṣṇa." The śāstra says,
- harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalaṁ
- kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā
- (CC Adi 17.21)
In this age, especially, we cannot execute any other process of religious method. This is... We can, but at the present moment, it is very difficult.
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. Then?
Chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra is not caused by anything. Ahaituky apratihatā. It cannot be checked by any condition. Your chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra cannot be checked because one is poor. No. That is not a fact. Any condition, one can chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Now a poor man is suffering without chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. So what is the harm if he chants Hare Kṛṣṇa? There are many poor men, they're not chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. They're suffering. But, in that condition, if they're induced to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, what is the harm if there is some benefit?
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures
The same question was raised by Sanātana Gosvāmī that Why there should be struggle for existence? Why not easy life, peaceful life? Why some outer elements, they are giving us opposition? I want to be happy, but there is opposition. That is struggle for existence. This question should be there: Why? Even with a fly we have to fight. I am sitting, without doing any harm to the fly, but it attacks, bothering me. There are so many. Even if you sit down without any offense... Just like you are passing on the street, there is no offense, but from one house all the dogs begin to bark: "Why you are coming here? Why you are coming here?" There was no cause of his barking, but because it is dog, his business is "Why you are coming, why you are coming?" Similarly, we have no freedom to go from one place to another at present moment. There is immigration department: "Why you are coming? Why you are coming?" In many places we have been refused to enter. We have been refused from the airplane. "No, you cannot enter, go back." So I had to go back.
Sri Isopanisad Lectures
The rascal, blind leaders are leading to hell. Te 'pīśa tantryām uru-dāmni-baddhāḥ. All of them are tied up by the stringent rules and regulations of the material nature. And they have become leader. They do not like any authority. This is called māyā. This is called māyā. They are being misled; still they are following that. This is called māyā.
So try, some way or other, you have come in contact with Kṛṣṇa. So catch Him very tightly. Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te. If you catch very tightly Kṛṣṇa's lotus feet, then māyā will not be able to do any harm.
Initiation Lectures
I shall kill you," most extraordinary. But there are instances. So you should be careful. The only precaution is that you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Yaḥ smaret puṇḍarīkākṣam sa bahyābhyantaraṁ śuciḥ. Always. If you want to keep intact of transcendental position, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa sincerely. Then you will be kept. Nobody can harm you. Nobody can deviate you. Māyā will fly away. You see? Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). Māyā is very strong. You cannot conquer māyā by so-called meditation or this or that. No. Simply by surrendering to Kṛṣṇa. Mām eva ye prapadyante. Kṛṣṇa. Only He. Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te. He can overcome the stringent laws of māyā. So don't think that after finishing this ceremony you become all right. No. Māyā is always strong. Kṛṣṇa-nāma karo bhaya āra sab miche, palāivera path naya yo māche piche. The instruction is that you always chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Āra sab miche. Whatever except... Nāma vinā kichu nāhika āra, cauddha-bhuvana-majhe.
Ear should be engaged for hearing about Kṛṣṇa. Eyes should be engaged for seeing Kṛṣṇa beautifully dressed. These things are... In this way the temple worship means all these senses being engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, mind and senses. Then they can, cannot do any harm. They're already engaged. They cannot have any other engagement. And if you keep vacant the mind and the senses, then māyā will capture. Then eye will go to see the cinema and tongue will go to the restaurant, for rooster(?) (cocktails?), what is called? These things will be engaged. Yes. (continues japa)
Prāṇopahārāc. Just like offering foodstuff to the stomach. Then every indriya, every sense is satisfied. Two, two examples are given. One may argue, "Suppose I am watering. That is also nice. I water to the root, I water to the leaf also." The injunction is that there is no necessity of watering the leaves. You simply water the root. But if you argue that "What is the harm...? Suppose I... Root, offer water to the root, as well as to the leaves and twigs." Just like somebody says, "All right. Why we shall only worship Kṛṣṇa? Why not other demigods?" although it is not necessary. But the next example is given that, prāṇopahārāc ca yathendriyāṇām. Just like offering foodstuff to the stomach, the senses automatically become healthy, then now, if you say, in the same way... Just like offering to the root as well as to the leaves, that "Yes, I shall offer foodstuff to the stomach as well as to the ears and eyes." Then what the result will be? The result will be that your eyes and ears will be stopped functioning. Therefore this very example is given.
General Lectures
So this girl was married, but she was not very rich. But that boy was very rich and he was after her. He was always proposing her. And she became perplexed, that "He is rich man. If I don't agree, then he may do some harm to my husband, to me." So she made a plan that "All right. I agree to your proposal. You come to my house in such and such night. I'll be engaged with you." Oh, he was very... In the meantime, (s)he took some purgative pill, strong. So for six, seven days, she simply purged out all the beauty in vomiting and in passing stool. So those vomits and stools were kept in two pots. And naturally, if you pass stool for one day, your feature becomes immediately ugly. That is a fact. So she passed stool and vomiting seven days. Naturally, she became very ugly. So when the boy came, she was sitting there on the door. The boy was asking, "Where is such and such girl?" She said, "Yes, I am. I am here." "No, you are not her. Oh, she is so beautiful, and you are so ugly." "No, I am the same girl."
Similarly, tiger is my brother, but not that because originally he's my brother, I shall go and embrace. No. I shall be careful. But not that I shall kill. Why shall I kill? He's not coming to encroach upon my property. He's living in the jungle. Why shall I go and kill a tiger? This is all nonsense, lack of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. He has not done any harm to you. He is living in his own jurisdiction. He is uncivilized. He is ferocious. God has given him direction: "Oh, you live here. You don't go there." That's all right. And why should you go to kill a tiger? He's not coming to encroach him. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Why should I kill unnecessarily an animal? We have got so many nice foodstuff. Kṛṣṇa has given me grains, fruits, milk. The cows, they are supplying tons of milk, but they are not claiming, "It is my milk. I shall drink." No. It is giving to you, as mother gives. And we are killing cows, killing mothers. This is lack of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
So as it sometimes appears..., happens in the war, the wife of Hiraṇyakaśipu was captured by the demigods, and she was being taken away although she was pregnant. So Nārada Muni met on the way and he asked the demigods, "Oh, what you are doing this? You are taking away one pregnant woman? What is this?" So Indra replied that "We are not going to do any harm to the woman. But we are concerned with the child within his womb. Because that child is born of Hiraṇyakaśipu, he must be a greater demon. So as soon as the child is born, we shall kill it. Therefore, we are taking this woman." Then Nāradajī said that "This child is not an ordinary child. He is mahā-bhāgavata. So you do not try this attempt. Just release her. I will take her."
If you are after the knowledge, why should you stick to one particular place or...? If the knowledge is available in other places, you must have it. That is inquisitiveness, seriousness. But if you say, "No. We are Christian. We have studied Bible. That is all. We do not touch," I don't think that is very nice conclusion. You remain Christian, but what is the harm to study other literatures where more informations are there? That is quite reasonable. We are not asking you to become Hindus. We simply want to, everyone, that you become God conscious. That is our mission. Our mission is not that to convert. What is the use of converting? If my habits are the same... Suppose I am Hindu. I become Christian, but my habits are not changed. Then what is the use of becoming from Hindu or Christian or to Christian or Hindu?
Suppose you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, as I am teaching all these boys. I am also doing that. We have got our beads for chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare... Similarly, if you chant, what is the loss on your part? Is there any loss? But if there is benefit, why don't you take it? What is the harm? We are preaching this. We don't say that "You give us so much money; I give you some mantra, and you, within six months, you become God." We don't make this, all this bluff. We simply say, request, that "God has given you this tongue..." And this is the prescription: kalau doṣa-nidhe rājann asti hy eko mahān-guṇaḥ, kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya. When you become little advanced, you can also chant and dance, as the Gosvāmīs were accustomed to do. Kṛṣṇotkīrtana-gāna-nartana-parau. They were always... They were ministers. In Delhi, when we had our function, just like we are holding here, many, many good officers, big officers, they chanted and danced. Oh, what is the harm? We dance in the ballroom.
And of many such perfected men, hardly one knows Me in truth." So the material world is a very dangerous place. The living beings within the material world are kṣatram. They do not know the purpose of life. They are simply interested in their own advancement, somehow or other. So they engage in all kinds of destructive activities which cause harm to themselves and to others. So this is the condition of the material world. Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Prabhupāda has stated that this is no place for a gentleman. In the material world everyone is, just as we are observing... I was visiting the Kṛṣṇa consciousness farm in British Columbia, and on the road we were passing large herds of beef cows. We were discussing that the farmer thinks of these cows not as spirit souls but as commodities. He simply puts them in a field to eat, and when they get big enough, kills them and takes the money for his enjoyment.
Philosophy Discussions
Śyāmasundara: He says that the interest of the community would be the sum of the interests of the individuals in the community.
Prabhupāda: That is a compromise. That is not happiness, that "You don't harm me, I don't harm you, and we remain happy." That does not mean you are happy, I am happy. These are simply speculate.
Śyāmasundara: He says we can determine what is happiness for the whole by examining what is happy for the individual.
Prabhupāda: Happiness, happiness is... What is happiness, that is described in the Bhagavad-gītā. Happiness means absence of distress. That is happiness. So Bhagavad-gītā recommends that janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). You may think that you are very happy but this is not happiness. You have to see to your distressed condition because you have to take birth, you have to die, you have to suffer diseases and you have to suffer, janma-mṛtyu-jarā, old age. So where is your happiness. If the distresses are present, then where is your happiness? This is another ignorance. This is a... Nobody wants to die but death is there. Then where is your happiness?
Prabhupāda: Then why they are killing? The freedom of the poor animals, why they encroach on the freedom of others? Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvaṁ mā gṛdhaḥ kasya svid dhanam (ISO 1). Do not encroach upon others' freedom. That is Vedic injunction. That is nice. But why these people are encroaching upon the freedom of these animals? The birds, they are flying, freedom, the ducks. Why they kill? Encroaching upon other's freedom. Without any harm, the birds are flying, without... If you kill an aggressor then you are right. Suppose somebody is coming to kill you, then you kill first. That is good. But if somebody's not doing anything harm to you, and if you kill, then what is this philosophy? What is this philosophy? Give him some bad name, because I have to kill him. "Oh, he has no soul." You can attack, he has no consciousness, you have no soul. You can attack him. Why you are killing?
Śyāmasundara: Freud would say that this system of repression, by saying "Don't do this," is harmful to the child.
Prabhupāda: (indistinct) repression of course—his idea of repression is different. Our idea is different. Our repression is you must rise early in the morning, you must attend maṅgala ārati.
Śyāmasundara: It's with knowledge.
Prabhupāda: Knowledge will come later on. But in the beginning, "must"; otherwise he will not (indistinct). Even if there is no knowledge, if by the order of the spiritual master or superior, you must do it.
Śyāmasundara: Freud's idea, being as he came from the Victorian age, when there was straight restraint of sex desire by the social structure, was that if you tell a child, "Don't look at a woman. Don't look at a woman," that this will...
Prabhupāda: We don't say like that—"Don't look at a woman." Here is a woman sitting, I am looking. Does this mean immediately you become polluted?
Hayagrīva: He felt that sexual repression would be harmful, but sexual sublimation can often be beneficial. Sublimation, he says...
Prabhupāda: What is that sublimation? More sex? (indistinct) sex?
Hayagrīva: Sublimation is, well let me read, "The excessive excitations from individual sexual sources are discharged and utilized in other spheres, so that no small enhancement of mental capacity results from a predisposition which is dangerous as such." In other words, he didn't believe that..., in total sexual freedom as it's conceived today, but that a man would be better, instead of trying to totally deny the sex drive, to try to redirect it, oh, perhaps in artistic activity or in, in study, or in some other activity. Not to deny it.
Prabhupāda: That means, in one word, to divert his attention.
Hayagrīva: Yes.
Śyāmasundara: He's using the sense of free will in two senses. Just like I would drive down the right side of the road because I know that it's the law. So I want to obey the law. And then the other sense would be I want to drive down the right side of the street in order not to harm anyone and for so many other reasons, a higher type of use of free will. One is automatic, one is more thoughtful.
Prabhupāda: So automatic cooperation is bhakti, and forced cooperation is karma. That is the... It looks the same thing. Karmīs and the bhaktas are working... Just like we are working in the same way. Karmī is typing and a bhakta is typing. It looks the same thing, but karmī is typing under force. His master has ordered, "You work it; otherwise you won't get salary." And a bhakta is typing for pleasing Kṛṣṇa and for glorifying Kṛṣṇa. So the typing looks the same, but the bhakta's typing and a karmī's typing different.
Śyāmasundara: And he says that freedom of the will is relative, that in our higher level it becomes clear that the lower stage was actually determined, predetermined or directed by external forces.
Hayagrīva: He says, "If the souls remain in the intelligible or spiritual realm with the Soul, or Supersoul, they are beyond harm and share in the soul's governance. They are like kings who live with the high King and govern with Him and like Him do not come down from the palace. But if they wish to be independent, if they are tired, you may say, of living with someone else..."
Rāmeśvara: Śrīla Prabhupāda, excuse me. The sannyāsī...
Hayagrīva: So when the individual soul decides to withdraw, he becomes fragmented, isolated and weak, when he decides to withdraw from the, what he calls the palace of the King.
Prabhupāda: Withdraw, withdraw from the material world?
Hayagrīva: When he decides to withdraw from the spiritual realm, from the governance of the high King.
Prabhupāda: Spiritual wrong?
| Page Title: | Harm (Lectures) |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, RupaManjari |
| Created: | 06 of Nov, 2012 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=101, Con=0, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 101 |