Prabhupāda: Maya means insanity. Another meaning of māyā means insanity. Just like when a man becomes insane, that is false. It is expected that he should not be insane. By treatment he is brought again to his original consciousness. Similarly, māyā means insanity, forgetfulness of God. And by Kṛṣṇa consciousness treatment he comes to the original consciousness. He becomes a cured man. Actually māyā means which has no existence. Māyā has no existence. But sometimes it is there. Just like the sky's cover. This covering is not reality. The reality is this sky, clear sky, but somehow it is now covered. You cannot see the clear sky. So there is temporary, temporary illusion. Now, if I see the cloud only and if I say, "Oh, there is no sun. There is no illumination," or "There is no clear sky," that is insanity. Because I cannot see-under certain circumstances, I deny it—that is my insanity. Therefore you have to approach to a man who knows that there is sunlight, there is sun, there is clear sky... If you go there... You require all this education, knowledge. By knowledge one transcends māyā, or material existence.
Illuminate (Conv. & Letters)
Expressions researched:
"illuminate"
|"illuminated"
|"illuminates"
|"illuminating"
|"illumination"
|"illuminations"
|"illuminative"
|"illuminator"
|"illumine"
|"illumined"
|"illumines"
|"illumining"
|"illuminous"
Conversations and Morning Walks
1969 Conversations and Morning Walks
1971 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: Whenever there is sun, there is sunlight, immediately. Where there is light, immediately there is illumination. Just like a drop of poison. You just take a drop of poison as soon as it touches the tongue immediately it expands all over the whole body and it make the whole blood, water, dead. How it expands, a small grain of potassium cyanide? Simply a grain immediately (indistinct). If a material thing can have so much effect, immediately, the spiritual atom cannot do that? That is called science. Similarly, the biggest spiritual identity, Kṛṣṇa, He can become all-pervading. We are particle spiritual, spark. We have got limited power. (indistinct) Yena sarvam idaṁ tatam, "I become immediately expanded throughout My body." And He is unlimitedly big. So how much His consciousness is distributed all over the world? Sarva-jña. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is not abhijña. Svarāṭ. Janmādy asya yato 'nvayād itarataś cārtheśv abhijñaḥ svarāṭ (SB 1.1.1). This example is nice. A grain of potassium cyanide is sufficient. There is no taste.
1973 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: But that's all right. Everyone wants that. But what is the process?
Yogeśvara: ...by praying, courage, by faith. A serious movement, a serious order would never guarantee instantaneous illumination.
Prabhupāda: No, that also we say. But we must have the program. Just like he say that "Who am I?" So at least one must know who he is. If this vague reply is "I am what I am..." If I ask you, "you come," so "Who are you, sir?" then if he says, "I am what I am," is that the proper answer? (laughter) This is nonsense answer. If I ask you, "Who are you?" If he says, "I am what I am," is that the proper answer?
Yogeśvara: He would tell you his name, Mr. Belfiore. (break)
Guru-gaurāṅga: ...that forms his identity is Maurice Belfiore, but the interior, that reality, is different. (break) If we all join up here now in silence and we enter into ourselves and create one person, then we will know who we are from that silence.
Prabhupāda: But how it is possible to become silent?
Prabhupāda: Reflection. I, in morning walk, the sun was reflected in a glass exactly it is brilliant as sun. So I showed him: "This is called māyā, illusion. There is no sun, but it appears like sun. Exactly. And it is illuminating also." Reflection of the moon. So one who is less intelligent, he'll see: "Oh, here is a sun, another sun." So he's a madman. One who sees the sun reflection in the glass as sun, he's illusioned. He's mad. So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is also psychiatrist movement.
Dr. Hauser: Is that a...?
Haṁsadūta: Psychiatric.
Paramahaṁsa: Psychiatric movement.
Dr. Hauser: Oh, yes, yes. In a way... I... Yes.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Yes. We are taking away a person from the illusionary stage to the real stage of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Prabhupāda: We don't find anything in the Bhagavad-gītā that "You should concentrate, meditate in darkness." We take it as bogus. No religious system, even in Christianity, there is no such thing as darkness. Christian churches are very much illuminated. They pray. Prayer is there. The necessity. Why in darkness? That is his invention. Neither in Hinduism, neither in Buddhism, there is such recommendation that "You pray in the darkness." Therefore it is bogus. Not standard. Why darkness? Naturally, if you make this room dark, you will feel sleepy. That is natural tendency.
Lady: (indistinct) meditation?
Prabhupāda: The meditation you can do, just like we are also doing meditation, chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra. But meditation as it is, to absorb the mind fully in God's vision, that is very difficult nowadays, at the present moment. People's mind is very disturbed. They cannot actually meditate. Therefore in this age, meditation, chanting the holy name of the Lord, that is recommended, congregationally. Just like we do, Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare, Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma... So there is no need of dark room. Just like this boy. He is also a responsible officer in New York. He is also chanting.
Prabhupāda: No, it's inconceivable by them, not by us. Therefore we call them fools. It is not inconceivable by us. But so you know the Truth from the Truth, Absolute Truth. A layman or a foolish boy does not know where..., which side the sun will rise. His father can say, "This side it will rise." That is the difference. Because he knows how to suggest which side, because there is reddish, how do you say? Illumination. He knows that "This side it will rise," by the symptom. Both of them, the foolish man and the intelligent man, just at present do not see that where is the sun. But the intelligent man knows "Here is the sun," although the sun is not visible both to the intelligent and foolish man. That intelligence means he knows how to find out where is sun. That is intelligence. And this is not discovery. I am intelligent speaking "This side is sun." It is not my discovery. I have heard from authority that from the eastern direction the sun rises, so I know it.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Here is only one sun planet, and in Vaikuṇṭha all the planets are like sun. Therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā it is stated, na tad bhāsayate sūryo na śaśāṅko na pāvakaḥ (BG 15.6). There is no necessity of electricity or moonlight or sunlight. Here it is necessity because here only glowing planet is the sun. But in the Vaikuṇṭha, each and every planet is glowing. Therefore there is no need of sun. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Na tad bhāsayate sūryaḥ. There is no necessity of illumination of sun, moon or electricity.
Prajāpati: Spirit soul, it is also luminous like that?
Prabhupāda: Yes. (break) ...is luminous, how it is keeping your body warm? As soon as it goes away, immediately cold. Immediately cold. Finished, all temperature finished. These are the evidences.
Prabhupāda: Oh. Inner light, not outward light. Then he is not absolute. He is relative. He is relative. He is not absolute. So God is absolute. But you are relative. Therefore you are not God.
Hṛdayānanda: Kṛṣṇa illuminated the house of the gopīs.
Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa, he does not accept Kṛṣṇa. That is rejected. Now we are talking about him. If he is light, why does he use electric light? If he says, "The inner light," then you are relative. You see only inner side, not outside. Therefore you are relative. Therefore you are not God. God is absolute. Antar-bahiḥ. One has to see light inside and outside. That is real light. If the light is checked by some material condition, that is not absolute light. That is electric light. As soon as you come to the condition, then it is relative. It is not absolute. (break) A man can be changed from barking to chanting, but dog cannot be. (break) ...is so powerful that as soon as there is sunrise, immediately darkness gone. Similarly, if the absolute light is there, if there is need of electricity, what kind of light it is? Even the relative light is so powerful that immediately darkness gone. So you are not as powerful as the relative light. So what kind of light you are?
1974 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: No, the residents also, they are bright.
Puṣṭa-kṛṣṇa: Yes, illuminating.
Prabhupāda: Just like in the sun planet, all the inhabitants, they are fiery body. (French)
Jyotirmayī: They said that they told me before they came that they could stay only one hour, so now they to take...
Prabhupāda: Ācchā? One hour we have passed? Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Thank you. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Distribute this flower. Come on.
Yogeśvara: Bring the chair so that she can sit. (some guests leave)
American man: I would like to ask you what you think of the Hebraic Kabbalaḥ. I would like to ask you what you think of the Hebraic Kabbalaḥ.
Prabhupāda: I do not know. What is that?
Vedavyāsa: We are speaking of the gradual process of self-realization, first adopting these brahminical qualities and going further and further. So he asks if he's missing, if it's not possible to become illuminated at once by God's grace, to become converted without undergoing these...
Prabhupāda: Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. That will do. Yes, you haven't got to undergo this or that. Simply chant and it will..., you'll become perfect. So easiest. But still they will not accept. That is the difficulty. When you give the easiest way they won't accept. Easiest way is we are recommending the chant the holy name of God. Do it. (German) Not that you chant the name of Kṛṣṇa. You have got your name of God, you chant that. Begin that. (German) (break) Then how can I help you? There is (indistinct). You do not know. So our recommendation is, not my recommendation, from the Vedic literature, authoritative recommendation and the Bhagavad-gītā, satataṁ kīrtayanto māṁ yatantaś ca dṛḍha-vratāḥ (BG 9.14). Everything is there. You begin. Therefore I said in this age so many things is impossible to be done. But you begin chanting the holy name of God. Where is the difficulty?
1975 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: But one law... When he was president, he was powerful than the government. When he resigned from the presidency, then he became less important. This is a crude example. The another example is that the sunshine is universally spread, and the sun globe is situated in one place. So which is important, the sun globe or the sunshine? And just like this light is situated in one place and the illumination is spread. So what is important, the illumination or the lamp? The fire is one place, and the fire light and heat is expanded, so the fire is localized, and the light and heat is expanded many miles. So which is important, the fire or the heat and light? Therefore, God is person, but He is not a person like you and me. But His personality is expanded just like the heat and light of the fire is expanded. Similarly, whatever we see, that is the expansion of God's energy. Just like there are many big businessman. The man is person, but he is conducting hundreds of factories, big, big area. The factories are important or the man is important? If an ordinary person in this material world becomes so important and personal, you can just imagine how the person of God is important in spite of unlimited expansion of this material world. So what is his idea? The person is ultimately important. The impersonal feature is there, just like the impersonal feature, sunshine, but the sun globe, and within the sun globe there is sun-god.
Prabhupāda: So that is our propaganda. If one man can understand what is Kṛṣṇa philosophy, then my preaching is successful, that's all. We don't want many millions of stars with no light. What is the use of millions of stars with no light? That is Cāṇakya Paṇḍita's advice, varam eka putra na chavur kasatan api (?). One son, if he is learned, that is sufficient. Na chavur kasatan api (?). What is the use of hundreds of sons, all fools and rascals? Ekaś candras tamo hanti na cittara sahasras. One moon is sufficient to illuminate. There is no need of millions of stars. Similarly, we are not after many millions of disciples. I want to see that one disciple has understood Kṛṣṇa's philosophy. That is success. That's all. Kṛṣṇa says, yatatām api siddhānāṁ (BG 7.3), kaścid vetti māṁ tattvataḥ. So, first of all, to become siddha is very difficult job. And then, yatatām api siddhānām (BG 7.3). There is still difficult job. So, Kṛṣṇa philosophy is little difficult to understand. If they are understanding so easily, that is not understanding. It is easy, it is easy, if you accept Kṛṣṇa's words, it is very easy. That is the difficulty. Kṛṣṇa says, man-manā bhava mad-bhakta, mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru, always think of Me. So where is the difficulty? You have seen Kṛṣṇa's picture, Kṛṣṇa's Deity, and if you think Kṛṣṇa, where is the difficulty?
Prabhupāda: Yes, but there are snakes which has got jewel on the head. That light keeps them illuminated.
Madhudviṣa: But does that light also keep them healthy?
Prabhupāda: Huh?
Madhudviṣa: Like the sun gives us, keeps us healthy.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Madhudviṣa: So the jewels from the snakes can also provide that nutrition?
Prabhupāda: Oh, yes.
Devotee 1: So those snakes are very important. (break)
Prabhupāda: ...plans. They had to work very hard to find out, "What is this? What is this?" So that is described in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Kliśyanti kevala-bodha-labdhaye. "Working hard simply to know." Kliśyanti. Kliśyanti means working very hard, labor. Kevala-bodha-labdhaye. Simply to understand. But they are not kliśyanti to understand God. Kliśyanti kevala-bodha-labdhaye. This kind of knowledge is compared with beating the bush. That's all.
Guru kṛpā: The all-American family. If the moon is illuminating the earth at night, then how come you have brought back dull pieces of rock. They should have also been shining.
Prabhupāda: Yes. That is a common sense.
Devotee (2): Did they actually land on the moon, Śrīla Prabhupāda?
Prabhupāda: No, they cannot go there. What is the question of landing? They cannot go there. It is far, far away. What you calculated? 1,600,000 miles away, up the sun planet. 1,600,000 miles above the sun. According to your calculation, the sun is away from this planet by 93,000,000 miles. And above that, 1,600,000 miles. Then you go to the moon. How it is possible?
Guru kṛpā: How is the moon behind the sun?
Prabhupāda: Not behind, above.
Prabhupāda: Yes. And there is fire, blazing fire, just like the sun. But it is surrounded by cool atmosphere. Therefore it is pleasing. Heat coming through cool atmosphere, it is pleasing. This is the statement. What do they know? They cannot explain why it is so brilliant. We explain, "There is firelike flames; therefore it is brilliant." They say that every planet looks like that. That's not a fact. Then all the planets together, why they cannot illuminate this earth at night? Only the moon is required.
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Well, they give the excuse that all the other stars are so far away that the light doesn't shine bright enough.
Prabhupāda: There are no other, nearer planets?
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Yes. There are other planets like Venus and Mars, but they say these planets are much closer than the sun.
Prabhupāda: That means... So why they do not look so bright?
Prahupada: So why it is not reflecting to other planets, only to the moon? Why special advantage to the moon? They have no reason. All rascals' philosophy. Why particularly to the moon? Why not others? Simply theories and mental speculation. They have no scientific. And the śāstra definitely gives the distance of the moon from the sun planet-1,600,000 miles. Then similarly (sic:) 1,600 million up, the Mars, then Venus, then..., everything. And moon is specifically mentioned that "It is so brilliant because there is fire, blazing fire. And the blazing fire is so illuminating that even at night it looks white, bright." This is reasonable because... Not that it is being reflected by the sun. The sun can reflect other planets, but it is there, fire. Just like sun there is fire, similarly, moon there is fire. The sun is not covered by cool atmosphere, but the moon is covered by cool atmosphere. Therefore it is pleasing. When there is sunshine and breeze, it is very pleasing. And no sunshine, simply breezing—it is not pleasing. And only sunshine, there is no cool atmo... That is also painful. But sunshine and breezing is very pleasing. So there is, like sunshine, blazing fire and surrounded by cool atmosphere. Therefore the moon is so pleasing.
1976 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: They have brought some dust, but this is not bright.
Trivikrama: They say it's reflected light.
Prabhupāda: That's all right. What is the material that makes it so bright so that whole universe is illuminated?
Haṁsadūta: There's no comment on that point.
Pṛthu-putra: They don't know that.
Prabhupāda: They have brought some dust, but that is not bright. They have said.... The other scientists, they said, "This kind of dust can be available here." Just see. Now, how it is bright?
Pañca-draviḍa: Well, they say that from space the earth would be bright also, Śrīla Prabhupāda.
Prabhupāda: The nonsense may say anything. But our common sense that if the, there is some ingredient in this moon which makes it bright, so they have brought the dust, but other scientists say that this dust can be available here.
Prabhupāda: Faster, fast..., it is fast also. But because on the head. The speed is the same. You cannot say...
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: One point is there, though, Śrīla Prabhupāda. If the moon is illuminating—it gives off its own light—then why can we only see half of the moon now?
Prabhupāda: Hm?
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: If the moon is illuminating, why can we only see half of the moon?
Prabhupāda: They say there is half of the illuminating.
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Yes, because it's reflected from the sun.
Prabhupāda: The shadow, then there is shadow. It is being shadowed.
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: If it's reflection.
Prabhupāda: No, reflection we do not accept.
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: It's illuminating.
Prabhupāda: It is Illuminating.
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Giving off light.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Prabhupāda: Well, we are progressing very slow because the subject matter is so difficult that even big, big scientists, big, big professors, they are puzzled. So you cannot expect. But those who are fortunate and.... They are understanding. So this progress, we cannot expect a mass people will understand immediately, but if one person understands, he can act very tremendously to educate the people on this matter. Just like the example is that to illuminate the sky it does not require millions of stars. One moon is sufficient.
Mike Barron: What is the biggest obstacle for people to overcome?
Prabhupāda: Their dullness. They are not being educated, but they are putting into the darkness of ignorance more and more. That is going on in the name of education.
Mike Barron: But some people are confused by the number of false gurus.
Prabhupāda: So why you bring guru? You try to understand yourself. If you are fool, then what guru will do?
Prabhupāda: Yes, like that. Why should you bring your material ideas to the spiritual world? There is no relativity. Everything absolute.
Rāmeśvara: There is no day or night. Everything is self-illuminating.
Prabhupāda: There is, but there is no need. What is this penguin? No, penguin? Literature?
Rāmeśvara: It's a bird found in the South Pole, penguin, lives in the south, bottom of the earth.
Prabhupāda: Bottom of the...?
Rāmeśvara: It's called Antarctica. Are there seasonal changes, Śrīla Prabhupāda? Rain and different seasonal...?
Prabhupāda: Everything is there, but there is no necessity.
Prabhupāda: Full of these souls. They have no forms. Just like sun. Sunshine means small illuminating sparks. (break) (out of car:) Flowers, they are good medicine for dysentery. (break)
Hṛdayānanda: ...surrounded by mountains, but normally the air is so dirty, it's not possible to see them, but today it's so clear.
Prabhupāda: (break) ...bluff subject.
Rāmeśvara: The edge of the cliff, there may be some rockslide.
Hari-śauri: Just like the path used to go there, but it fell through.
Prabhupāda: Path may slide? That is a warning?
Prabhupāda: That is God's greatness. You'll have to spend so much money, labor, to bring a few buckets of water from other place. Beyond that, you cannot do anything. But God is so powerful, so great, that within a twinkling of, within a few minutes only, immediately He can overcast with cloud and overflood the whole tract of land. That is God's greatness. You have to understand God's greatness in that way. If the sinful, number of sinful men are great, God immediately starts one war, and within few years, all finished. Russia finished, America finished, everyone. That is greatness of God. In this way try to understand how God is great in every activity. In mercy He's great, in cruelty He's great. If He wants to show cruelty, He's the greatest cruel. No discrimination, all finished. Never mind women, children or cats, dogs—all finished. That is cruelty, greatness of cruelty. Then there is greatness of mercy. So that is greatness. So you study, in God, the greatness, how great He is. At night you have so many lights for illuminate your city, home, and so many electric powerhouse going on, and God is so great that one sun-immediately, all light. There is no need of powerhouse, there is no need of matches, there is no need of this light, that light. Take sunlight.
Prabhupāda: And why there is no life in moon planet? Some scientists say the temperature is two hundred degrees less than the zero.
Hari-śauri: Yes, at night when they said, because there's no atmosphere.
Prabhupāda: But why these rascals say it is full of dust, and how from the dust so much light is coming, illuminating the whole universe? What is their logic? They have already brought the dust. That dust does not illuminate.
Hari-śauri: Well, they say just like when the sunlight hits the earth, then the earth appears very bright from outer space. It appears very illuminating.
Prabhupāda: Who says?
Hari-śauri: This is the scientists' excuse. They showed some pictures taken from outer space that shows the earth glowing very brightly, like the moon. So they say in the same way when the...
Prabhupāda: Why the glow of the surface of the earth does not illuminate? It does not come between illumination?
Prabhupāda: Why the glow of the surface of the earth does not illuminate? It does not come between illumination?
Hari-śauri: Just like when the sun is here everything is bright.
Prabhupāda: That's all right, when the sun is there.
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: The moon is actually illuminating.
Prabhupāda: Why it does not illuminate?
Hari-śauri: They only say it reflects the sunlight.
Prabhupāda: Kick their face with shoes. That is the only reward for them. And foolish persons accepting. Just like sun is illuminating. It doesn't require illumination from any other planet. Similarly, if earth is also illuminating, why does it require moonlight in darkness? This common sense does not come into the brain of these rascals who believe that?
Prabhupāda: What is their scientific reasoning? Talking like fools and rascals? If something is illuminating, why extra illumination required to illuminate.
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Their theory is that there's a dark side of the moon that we've never seen.
Prabhupāda: Huh?
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Their theory is that there's a dark..., that actually the moon is reflecting the sun's light. So there's a dark side of the moon.
Prabhupāda: So far the world is, where is the dark side and the bright side? If you compare like that, then so far this globe is concerned, which one is dark side, which one is bright side?
Hari-śauri: No, they say the earth is spinning on its own axis, so all parts of the earth at one time or another receive sunlight.
Prabhupāda: The moon does not do that?
Prabhupāda: One, the origin of life, and the other, planetary system. There is no knowledge. They are simply speculating.
Rākṣana: It is correct that the illumination of the moon is caused by the movement of the vegetation on the surface?
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Rākṣana: So it should be fairly easy for scientists to prove, Svarūpa Dāmodara and such, that.... I know they can't prove there is illumination caused by the deserts.
Prabhupāda: That is the point. Therefore it is doubtful whether they have gone there.
Devotee (1): Did they go to some other planet, Prabhupāda?
Prabhupāda: That is different question. But they did not go to the moon planet.
Prabhupāda: Yes, that petrol. But what was the purpose? The purpose was little sense gratification, "I shall see something illuminating." What was other purpose? No purpose. Simply to satisfy the eyes, to see something illuminating. That is one sense, eyes. Then there are other senses. They also want satisfaction. There are hands, there are legs, there are tongue, eyes, ears, nose. So every one, every one of these senses, they are engaged for sense satisfaction. So this is the life. But that sense satisfaction is differently exhibited for different bodies. Just like this firework, it was interesting to the human being. Human being has got a particular type of body, so it is interested to see the firework. But the cats and dogs, they are not interested. They do not know what is fireworks. They, while we are interested to see the firework, a hog may be interested to eat stool. If he gets some stool somewhere, he'll be interested, than to see the firework. So because he has got a different body, he's interested differently. We are human beings, we are interested differently. Therefore Prahlāda Mahārāja rightly said, deha-yogena dehinām.
Prabhupāda: They have brought some sand. Such a brilliant planet which is illuminating the whole universe and they brought sand. All bluff.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: They've studied this very carefully.
Prabhupāda: All bluff.
Yadubara: According to the Bhāgavatam, the sun is also 93,000,000 miles away from the earth?
Prabhupāda: That is we shall see later on. It is about. The whole diameter is 4 billions. And sun is situated almost in the middle. It is my firm conviction that they did not go to the moon. Neither they'll be able to go to the Mars as they have planned it.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: But their scientists would be mad...
Prabhupāda: They are mad already, they're talking all nonsense. Already they're mad.
Prabhupāda: So similar, then atmosphere cannot be dissimilar. It is common sense. And this is also bogus, that such a brilliant illuminating planet, it is full of rocks and sand.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: The moon?
Prabhupāda: Yes. It is so brilliant that it is illuminating the whole universe.
Devotee: They say the moon is a reflection.
Prabhupāda: Whatever it may be. Why reflection not come in our Sahara desert? Why you don't see such reflection in the Sahara desert so that the whole world may be illuminated?
Svarūpa Dāmodara: This is also going to be very critical.
Prabhupāda: Which one?
Prabhupāda: No, the formula is all given in this Bhagavad-gītā.
Dr. Sharma: I find your Bhagavad-gītā most illuminating as compared to other Gītās I have read, the translations.
Prabhupāda: We are presenting Bhagavad-gītā as it is, that's all.
Dr. Sharma: How can we best serve the movement? By joining it? I have joined it in a...
Prabhupāda: Prāṇair arthair dhiyā vācaiḥ: "By life, by money, by intelligence, by words." Either four or three or two, at least one. Then it will be all right.
Dr. Sharma: I'll be writing...
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Dr. Sharma: ...about the movement in scientific journals.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Prabhupāda: And they will advertise that these descriptions in the śāstras, they are all mythology. Of course, this kind of bluffing cannot go because suppose this Mars expedition becomes a failure, like that, the same... It will be failure. So next time, if they propose, I think people will be hesitant to allow them to. Simply bringing people rocks and sands, without any utility, after spending so much money. How long they can repeat this, "Yes, we went to this planet, rocks. We went to this-rocks." So we see variety. Is the so many luminaries, simply rocks and sands? The moon is full of rocks and it's so illuminating? Whole universe is illuminated so nice, moonshine. So many stars illuminating and they're rocks and sand? We have to believe it?
Prabhupāda: That tendency is here. Because we are very small fragment of spiritual identity, that tendency is there. The example is given, just like fire and spark of the fire. The fire and the spark, the spark is very small, but it is fire. And the big fire, together they look very beautiful. With the fire, when the sparks come-sput sput—so many sparks, it looks very beautiful. But the sparks sometimes fall down from the original fire. Then it is no more fire. It is fire, but it's extinguished. The illumination is over. So we are small particles of God. God is big fire; we are small particles of God. So we are playing with the big fire very nice, but there is chance of falling down. That chance is there. The big fire does not fall. The big fire is always blazing. But the small fire, although it is possessing the same quality of fire, it may fall down. So we are small particle, very, very small, atomic portion God. Therefore we have got the tendency to be separated from the big fire, and then we begin our material body. Just like another crude example, just like a very rich man's son, he's enjoying life. Sometimes he thinks, "Why not independently live? Why dependent of father?" He goes out and he becomes a hippie.
Prabhupāda: Could not illuminate. Remain in darkness. Effulgence in darkness. And such a shameless man. He is giving effulgence in the picture. (break)
Gargamuni: ...see that this society is replacing the Ramakrishna Mission there.
Prabhupāda: Huh?
Gargamuni: We can see practically that this society, your society, is replacing this Ramakrishna Mission more and more.
Prabhupāda: Why Ramakrishna Mission? We are far above the Ramakrishna Mission.
Gargamuni: Yes. As far as the people go. They are all saying Hare Kṛṣṇa and... They don't even mention... Sometimes they ask us, "Do you know who Ramakrishna is?" And we say, "No, we have never heard of him." They go, "You have not heard of Ramakrishna?" We say, "No. We only know Prabhupāda and Lord Caitanya. Everybody knows that, and nobody knows who is Ramakrishna."
Jayapatākā: They do not know what to say.
Prabhupāda: Impersonal Brahman is resting on the personal God, exactly that illumination of light is resting on the bulb. Not that the bulb is resting on the illuminated light.
Pradyumna: Exactly like illumination of light is resting...
Prabhupāda: On the bulb, electric bulb. Not the bulb is resting on the illumination. Besides that, we learn from Bhagavad-gītā, Second Chapter... Find out that verse. "It is not that we were..."
Pradyumna: Na tv evāham?
Prabhupāda: Ah.
Prabhupāda: I am very glad to see you. So I wish that you may spread real Vedānta. That is essence of Vedas. Vedānta means the essence of Vedas. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ (BG 15.15). Light is, of course there is light in the sunshine and there is light in the sun-globe, but the source of light is coming from the sun-god. Just like electric bulb, thousand power. So the illumination is also light and the source of illumination, the bulb, that is also light. And what is that? Filament within? That is also light. But what is the anta light? Not this illumination. Similarly Kṛṣṇa is the original source of light. Yasya prabhā prabhavataḥ (Bs. 5.40). It is confirmed in The Brahma-saṁhitā. So Brahman knowledge is partial Kṛṣṇa knowledge. Paramātmā knowledge, partial Kṛṣṇa knowledge. And Kṛṣṇa knowledge is perfect. So partial knowledge is also knowledge but Vedānta means full knowledge. So unless you come to that point it is not Vedānta. The another example is just like from a distant place you see one mountain. You'll see just like something cloud. It is not cloud.
1977 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: So He is the pratiṣṭhā. Just like in this room there is illumination. The illumination is spread all over the room. (Hindi—"Please hear") So the illumination is important or the light is important? What is important?
Guest (2): The original light. Source of the light. Isn't Brahman the source of the light?
Prabhupāda: No, first of all try to understand. Just like the sunshine. The sunshine is important or the sun is important?
Guest (2): The original sun.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Similarly, this impersonal Brahman illumination or effulgence, that is the bodily rays of Kṛṣṇa. Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi (Bs. 5.40). So ultimately Kṛṣṇa is important, not this impersonal Brahman illumination. Brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti sabdyate (SB 1.2.11). You see practical example and learn here in the śāstra. You'll understand Kṛṣṇa is the origin. Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo (BG 10.8), personally says. Mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate. So Brahman also pravartate. But if you don't believe Kṛṣṇa and śāstra, that is different thing.
Prabhupāda: And the rascals who cannot see behind there is God, they simply see this nature: "The nature is working automatically." It is not the fact. That is also explained in the Bhagavad-gītā: mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛti suyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10). There is adhyakṣana. Yasyājñayā bhramati sambhṛta-kāla-cakro. Even the sun planet, such big illuminative, powerful, it is also rotating by the order of God. So similarly, we are addressing the potencies of the Lord. We cannot jump over God, because potencies are so important. They are actually helping hand to God. So if they are pleased, then God will be pleased automatically. Why we address, "Hara"? "Hare Kṛṣṇa." The Kṛṣṇa's potency, Rādhārāṇī; Rāma's potency, Sītā... Therefore, first of all, Sītā-Rāma; Hare Kṛṣṇa; Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa; Lakṣmī-Nārāyaṇa. We address the first, potency. So if I request your wife, "Mother, give me this help," and if she gives that "This man is very nice," you cannot refuse. You cannot refuse. So this is the process, the appealing to the potency of Kṛṣṇa, "So now I am so much harassed. Kindly lift me and engage me in Your service. Hare Kṛṣṇa." This is Hare Kṛṣṇa.
Prabhupāda: No. You can introduce in such a way that they will become devotees. Suppose in big, big factories we shall introduce this prasāda distribution and chanting. They'll immediately be popular. Everything will be... Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12).
Jagadīśa: In order for us to get power, by that time the illumination and knowledge of Kṛṣṇa consciousness will be widespread.
Rāmeśvara: That's what I'm wondering. I was thinking that it wouldn't be. There would be...
Jagadīśa: Otherwise how can we get through? What is the use of having one politician?
Rāmeśvara: Many revolutions have been victorious with a very small minority of people behind them because they're so well organized. Russia, Germany, all these revolutions.
Prabhupāda: That's a fact.
Prabhupāda: That is fact. Because we are part and parcel of God, therefore there is illumination.
Hari-śauri: But what they describe is that as they were hovering on the subtle platform, this being came to them, and, it describes, it showed them their past activities during their lifetime. But he discounts the...
Rāmeśvara: Here's the description of that. "The initial appearance of this luminous being and his questions are the prelude to a moment of startling intensity, during which this luminous being presents to the person a panoramic review of his life. It is obvious that this luminous being can see the individual's whole life and he doesn't need the information," but he is getting the dead man to reflect on his past life. It says that "The remembrance is extraordinarily rapid. Everything appears at once and can be taken in with one mental glance. Yet despite its rapidity, all the..."
Prabhupāda: That is happening in dream also. So many remembrances come together; it becomes topsy-turvied. Therefore we see all of a sudden: "Oh, it is done long, long ago."
Prabhupāda: Again you have the same disease. Attention, you attend, draw there. Don't do that. Very bad habit. Immediately you sit down, you do it. You cannot check it. So actually this is our punishment. This is māyā. That example I have explained this morning, very nice verse, that the moon in the sky is reflected in the water, in hundreds of pots of water, and the wind is agitating the water, and the moon is also agitated—sometimes round, sometimes long, sometimes... The moon is fixed up, but the reflection in the pot making him different. Similarly, I am spirit soul, and I have been captured or I have voluntarily surrendered to this material world, and it is being agitated by the mind, so I am taking this shape, that shape, that shape, this shape, eight million four hundred... That is my trouble. My nature is to be fixed up, always illuminating, but circumstantially I am being agitated by mind, and working with my mind, I am accepting this body, that body, this body, that. So this is very troublesome. Those who have no knowledge, no brain, they are satisfied with this material condition, agitated condition, and driven by the thinking, feeling, willing of the mind. This is very dangerous. We want to get out. This is psychology.
Prabhupāda: Jaya Prakash Narayan. Morarji Desai, Indira Gandhi, and... What they'll do? Churchill and this and Napoleon, Hitler. Simply misguiding, whole history. Simply mis... They are rascals. They do not know what is what, and they lead. Gandhi... All rascals. Vivekananda and Sai Baba, this, that, so many... They should be stopped. That is real philanthropic activities. Where is...? Now we are going to show this planetarium. These rascal scientists: "All desert. All rocks and desert." Simply this planet, for his father's property. This is now happening. "The moon planet is a desert." And from the desert such brilliant light is coming that is illuminating at night the whole universe. And we have to believe it because they are spoken by scientists. You see? All rascals, fools, rogues, thieves, they are leading. And our determination is to stop these rascals. That is our... It is not that "Let the rascals go on with their... Let us make our salvation." Prahlāda Mahārāja said, "No, no, no, I don't want. I don't want. If there is salvation, I must take them also." This is Vaiṣṇava. "I don't want such salvation for my personal..." This is Vaiṣṇava, para-duḥkha-duḥkhī. Para-duḥkha-duḥkhī kṛpāmbudhir yas tam ahaṁ prapadye (CC Madhya 6.254). Naturally a Vaiṣṇava will be unhappy. Śoce tato vimukha-cetasa indriyārtha-māyā-sukhāya bharam udvahato vimūḍhān (SB 7.9.43).
Correspondence
1968 Correspondence
I am so glad to receive your letter dated June 10, after a long time, and I have gladly noted your activities in that part. I think your chanting of Hare Krishna regularly is being responded by Krishna and He is giving you good sense how to make preaching propaganda on behalf of His Lordship. It is confirmed in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, as you might have seen it, that one who hears about Krishna, for him, Krishna helps in various ways and the first thing is that He cleanses the mind of all dusty matter and by continuing such chanting and by reading regularly Srimad-Bhagavatam, one becomes gradually freed from the influence of passion and ignorance, and thus becomes situated in goodness. In such platform one can engage oneself in serious devotional service, and thus one becomes illuminated with the transcendental knowledge of Krishna. This stage is called liberated stage, and at this time one becomes freed from all doubts and material bondage, and thus his life becomes successful. Please try to follow this principle, and I am sure you will be happy and successful in your execution of this Krishna Consciousness movement.
1969 Correspondence
Is it a question of the receptivity of different planets?" We can see one sun only. So it is simply speculation whether there is one or more suns. But we get from authority of Sastra that there is one sun, in each universe, and the stars and moon reflects the light of this sun. There is one sun in the daytime, and it illuminates so nicely that all darkness is gone. But at night, you may argue, if these stars are so many suns, then why the darkness is still there??
Your ninth, "You once said that in case of a strong rush of sex desire to think of the Gopis, the Dearmost to Lord Krishna. Is there another help in case of anger or harshness?" Yes, think of Krishna, how He was angry on Hiranyakasipu and nobody could pacify Him, even Brahma with beautiful hymns. In anger also we can think of Krishna.
Just like a child is taught to make a particular type of sound, and thus he learns the name of father, mother and other relatives. That is the beginning. So in the beginning, Om is the right vibration of transcendental sound, and the meaning is to address the Supreme Lord. Our business is directly with the Supreme Lord. Impersonal feature of the Lord is just like the illumination of the lamp. The lamp is the more important thing. You will gradually understand all these features of the Absolute Truth if you read Bhagavad-gita and adhere to the regulative principles. If there is difficulty in understanding, you consult with Brahmananda, or still further you send your inquiry tome. Thank you very much for your letter.
1971 Correspondence
Krishna says in Bhagavad-gita: "I become the moon, and thereby supply the juice of life to all vegetables," and in another place "among the stars I am the moon." So, directly or indirectly, Krishna is supplying all benediction to everything and everyone, just like the moon gives life to vegetables, without which nothing can exist, and also that moon keeps the great oceans from overcoming the land and destroying everything. Similarly, Lord Caitanya's Sankirtana movement gives spiritual life to all living entities by dint of its transcendental radiation, and also it prevents the demonic class of men from overwhelming the pious class of men, and thus in every way it bestows all benediction, just like at night the moon illuminates everything.
1972 Correspondence
(7) 1st Boar Incarnation is not different from Varaha. Lord Brahma was seeing from his plane.
(8) In Ch. 31, the progress from subtle to gross elements is just like sometimes a rocket is thrown in the sky, bursts, and so many lights & illuminations come. Exactly how, that is artist's work.
(9) Baby in the womb prays to 4-handed Narayana. Actually, the baby remains with hands folded as if praying until he is born. Narayana is inside.
(10) Time mixes with the material energy just like a flower bud: in due course of time the bud fructifies and comes into flower, or like a time bomb: in due course it bursts out.
(11) Greed is potential, lust is an active outburst.
1973 Correspondence
If he likes, he will give, but he is such a rich man he can pay for both.
I am glad to learn that you are preaching nicely. It is very important business. Unless our men understand thoroughly the philosophy, how will they be able to preach? After fencing, you can make one big electric light post to illuminate the temple ground. So you replace my Rs. 30,000/- personal deposit, and when you've done it, please let me know.
Regarding Mohanananda I have already written to Satsvarupa that Mohanananda may remain in Bombay for at least three months. I think you can keep him to assist you so you can go for collecting, and he can manage locally. Gradually he will also collect, but now India is foreign to him. But you should know that Krsna has sent him, so keep him nicely.
1976 Correspondence
Regarding the scientists, we have entrusted our own three scientists namely Svarupa Damodara, Sadaputa, and Madhva and we leave the matter to them, we do not say anything ourselves, but are leaving it to them. But there are many common men who do not believe that they have gone to the moon planet. So as common men we can simply say, how can dust and rocks reflect so much of light as to illuminate the night, like the sun at day. It is simply bogus to say that the moon is full of dust and rocks. Such a beautiful soothing planet is full of dust and rock with no living beings there is simply unbelievable. You are a learned scholar, do you think it is believable that dust and rocks can illuminate the whole universe at night. It is so soothing and beautiful. I shall be very glad to receive further enlightenment in this connection from your good self.
| Page Title: | Illuminate (Conv. & Letters) |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, RupaManjari |
| Created: | 19 of Jul, 2011 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=41, Let=7 |
| No. of Quotes: | 48 |