People with less intelligence, they consider the Supreme Truth as impersonal, but He is a person, a transcendental person. This is confirmed in all Vedic literature. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). So, as we are also persons, individual living beings, we are persons, we have got our individuality, we are all individual, similarly the Supreme Truth, the Supreme Absolute, He is also, at the ultimate issue He is a person. But realization of the Personality of Godhead is realization of all the transcendental features like sat, cit, and ānanda, in complete vigraha. Vigraha means form. Therefore the complete whole is not formless. If He is formless or if He is less in any other thing, He cannot be complete whole. The complete whole must have everything within our experience and beyond our experience. Otherwise He cannot be complete. The complete whole Personality of Godhead has immense potencies. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport). That is also explained in Bhagavad-gītā, how He is acting in different potencies.
Immense (Lectures)
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
"You are lamenting on your grandfather. He has got old body, but if he is killed in this battle, he'll have a new, fresh new body. So you should be joyful. Why are you lamenting?" So this argument was forwarded by Kṛṣṇa, that... Now, just like this child. This child can hope many things. He has got immense duration of life now beginning, and what hope I have got? I am now this old body, say five years or ten years more. So I cannot expect, hope anything more, than this child. So Kṛṣṇa is giving that "There is no question of lamentation for your grandfather. Your grandfather is going to have a new lease of life. Why should you be sorry?" So this argument He is forwarding, but nobody will agree to this argument. Yes. Go on.
And here is a prime gift. You can give all over the world. Your country will be glorified. They're anxious for this. Pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi grāma. Caitanya Mahāprabhu's prediction: "As many towns and villages are there on the surface of the globe, everywhere this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, or Lord Caitanya's name, will be celebrated." That is being done. There is immense field for introducing this Hare Kṛṣṇa cult all over the world. That is practical. Unfortunately, although Caitanya Mahāprabhu entrusted the matter to every Indian... Not that to the Bengalis, because He appeared in Bengal. He never said for the Bengalis. He said, bhārata-bhūmite manuṣya-janma haila yāra (CC Adi 9.41). "On this holy land of Bhāratavarṣa, anyone who has taken his birth as a human being, he should make his life perfect." Janma sārthaka kari'. You cannot preach without making your life first of all perfect. If I remain imperfect, I cannot preach. One must be perfect.
We can become free. Exactly the same example that when our eyes are covered by the cloud, we cannot see the sun, although the sun is there. So if some way or other... We have got very good experience nowadays by flying in the airship. As soon as the airship goes above the cloud, you have got immense sunlight. Immense sunlight. And practically, the jet planes, they go seven miles above the surface and there is no cloud. The cloud is down. Similarly, you can go also above māyā. You can transcend māyā and see Kṛṣṇa always. That is possible. How? Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te (BG 7.14). You simply surrender to Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa will arrange that you are no more under māyā. Simple process. You just become, as Kṛṣṇa demands, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). This is sanātana-dharma. Because we are, after all, servant of Kṛṣṇa, but artificially we are trying to become master of this material..., of this world. We are therefore sent here.
Now, this offering, offering of water, wherefrom the water is come? Oh, you have taken the water from the Ganges. You have not brought even the water from your house. You are taking the water from the Ganges, and you are again offering the same to the Ganges with some mantra. So similarly, the Ganges has got immense water. If you take one palmful of water out of it, the Ganges is not in loss. And again, if you offer a palmful of water on the Ganges, the Ganges does not gain anything. But utilizing the Ganges water and offering to the Ganges, you become a devotee of Ganges. Similarly, the offering to Lord... What you have got? Your body, it is also given by God. Your intelligence, it is given by God. The facility of work, it is given by God. Everything is given by God. Now, what do we work? Now, suppose I am writing books. All right. In which you are writing? On paper. All right, who has given you paper? Now, you make philosophical study.
Similarly, when one will have that spiritual sense, he won't feel... Rather, he will, he will feel disgusted to go to sleep, to go to sleep, "Oh, sleep has come just to disturb." See? He wants to lessen the time of sleeping. Then... Now, as we pray, vande rūpa-sanātanau raghu-yugau śrī-jīva-gopālakau. These six Gosvāmīs, they were deputed by Lord Caitanya to discuss this science. They have written immense literature about it. You see? So you'll be surprised that they were sleeping only for one and half hours daily, not more than that. That also, sometimes they forego. You see. Now, so much busy in spiritual activities, kṛṣṇotkīrtana-gāna-nartana-parau...
So spiritual life is so sublime and so invigorating that you won't feel fatigued. Won't. Once... You have to be engaged. And as you are engaged actually in spiritual life, you won't feel fatigued. You'll be fearless, and your life will be always blissful. These are the symptoms. So yogaḥ karmasu kauśalam (BG 2.50).
We simply change the body just like we change our dress. But we are eternal. But because we are under the spell of this material energy, we do not take seriously that "Why I shall agree to change my body life after life?" We have taken it as usual. This is our foolishness. We have got our eternal life, and in eternal life we have got immense measure of freedom, immense measure of power, almost equal to God. But we do not make any research in that part of our life. We are simply satisfied the..., to have a little more of the necessities of our, this present material life. Suppose I have got one, one hundred millions of dollars. I think, "If I get ten thousand millions of daughters, dollars, then I shall be happy." This is our foolishness. You cannot be happy with any millions of dollars, because you are not matter. You are spirit. You think like that, that "I shall be happy." No. Just like... I'll give you one example: A diseased man, a suffering man, suppose he has got severe headache. Now, he sometimes thinks, "Oh, I am suffering.
As soon as you come to the real point of understanding that "I am not this body," then the whole misunderstanding of material existence, bhava-mahā-dāvāgni... Bhava-mahā-dāvāgni means... Each and every word is very carefully selected in Sanskrit, and they have got immense meaning, full of meaning. Now, this, why this bhava-mahā-dāvāgni, this very word, I will try to explain. Bhava. Bhava means the situation in which we have to take repeated birth and we accept repeated death. That is called bhava. And that is a kind of mahā-dāvāgni. Mahā means great, and dāvāgni means forest fire. Forest fire. Forest fire, have you seen, any of you? Here you have got many forests, but I don't think you have seen any forest fire. I have seen. Forest fire takes automatically. Nobody goes to set fire in the forest, but by, I mean to say, cohesion of different dry bamboos or woods, fire takes, by electricity fire takes place, and the whole forest is ablaze. That is called dāvāgni.
Aiśvaryasya samagrasya vīryasya yaśasaḥ śriyaḥ (Viṣṇu Purāṇa 6.5.47). There are six kinds of opulences—means wealth, strength, beauty, knowledge, and renunciation. Renunciation is also considered as opulence. Somebody has got immense money, immense wealth, but at once he renounces everything and becomes a mendicant, for some cause, of course. There are many instances in political field. Somebody, for political emancipation, he gives up everything, all homely comforts, and everything renounces and becomes a very famous man in the political field. Similarly, there are men in the spiritual field also. They renounces everything for achievement of spiritual perfection. So renunciation is also one of the opulences. So wealth, strength, beauty, knowledge, renunciation—so these things are opulences. Now, Lord Kṛṣṇa, He says that "I have nothing to gain, all these opulences."
Because He is the prime one. He is supplying the necessities, He's giving you protection, He's giving you everything. You require sunlight. God has created sunlight for you. You require water, God has created immense water for you. You require air, there is immense air for you. So He is practically helping you. Eko bahūnāṁ yo vidadhāti kāmān. That one is supplying everything what we require.
You may think that you have to make improvement of your economic conditions, but actually the economic condition, what you have to enjoy, that is already there. You haven't got to endeavor. You see. Those who are not human beings, the animals, the birds, the beasts, and the worms, the trees, they have no economic problem. I see in India the sparrows, they were chanting and dancing and eating. Here also I see the same sparrows.
It is the best welfare activities to the human society. Because he has got, he has forgotten Kṛṣṇa, he's suffering and if you awaken his Kṛṣṇa consciousness then he will be happy.
Just like a rich man's son. He has forgotten that his father is very rich, or his father has left immense property. But forgetting his real position, he's loitering in the street, hungry. You can call him, "All right, you take some food." That is not real benefit, that is temporary. But if you awaken his real consciousness, that he is the son of a very rich man, his father has got immense property, "Why don't you go back to your father and be happy?" That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. That is stated here. Janma karma ca me divyaṁ yo vetti tattvataḥ (BG 4.9). One has to understand Kṛṣṇa, tattvataḥ, in truth. Not superficially. What is Kṛṣṇa? Kṛṣṇa is the supreme leader. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). supreme leader, perfect leader, without any mistake, without any illusion, without any cheating, and without any imperfection of the senses. We have to take direction from such a leader, then our life will be successful. And because we are taking direction from imperfect leaders, cheater leaders, therefore we are meeting with so many problems.
We request you, therefore, to chant the transcendental vibration, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. This is chanting. And for hearing about Kṛṣṇa, you can read our books. We have got about twenty books like this, as you are seeing in my front. So if you want to understand Kṛṣṇa through philosophy and knowledge, there are immense provisions for this philosophy and knowledge in these books. So if you are unable to read or if you have no knowledge, if you have no education, you can simply chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra. This is open to all. There is no secrecy.
So our request to all, we are requesting all over the world the same thing, "Please chant this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra and be cleansed of your consciousness and understand your spiritual identity." We are preaching this chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra all over the world, and people are accepting it. Even the child is accepting and chanting this mahā-mantra.
Therefore ye yathā māṁ prapadyante. Māṁ prapadyante.
Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's energy... Śakti-śakti-mator abhinnā. Kṛṣṇa's energy is also controller, Durgā. Sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya-sādhana-śaktir ekā chāyeva yasya bhuvanāni vibharti durgā (Bs. 5.44). Durgā is the śakti, external energy. She has got also immense power. Sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya-sādhana. The material nature is very strong, creating, maintaining and destroying. Sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya-śaktiḥ chāyeva. But she's acting under the direction of Kṛṣṇa. Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10).
Material energy is very strong, very powerful. You can know that. If there is a strong, a strong storm immediately, so many houses, so many trees and plants can be immediately uprooted. Material nature. If there is big storm in the ocean, it can inundate many cities, many towns. Material energy is very, very strong.
I say therefore, these Americans, that "You are born of this rich nation. That is also a result of pious activities." Because janma... Janmaiśvarya-śruta-śrī. And wealth also. The Americans have got immense wealth. That is also a result of pious activities. And janmaiśvarya-śruta, education. They have got the highest education. Now they are going, trying to go to the moon planet. Or they have gone. That is education, scientific education. And śrī, they're beautiful also. All Americans... We have seen so many boys and girls here. They're beautiful also. This is not ordinary thing. This is due to pious activities. Janmaiśvarya-śruta-śrī.
So therefore I request them that "Materially, you have got all benediction. Now utilize this benediction for developing your dormant Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then you are perfect. Then you become perfect." So anywhere where these facilities are there, janmaiśvarya-śruta-śrī, instead of going down to hell, let them utilize it for getting the favor of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is perfection.
Take for the present Lord Caitanya. Lord Caitanya is a great authority, a recognized, great authority. Oh, He is mad after Kṛṣṇa. He is mad after Kṛṣṇa. Then after Him, His six disciples, Gosvāmīs, the Rūpa Gosvāmī, Sanātana Gosvāmī, they have written immense literature, valuable literatures—especially Jīva Gosvāmī—volumes of literature on Kṛṣṇa. So... Then, under disciplic succession also, we have come to this point, and if you take past history, bygone, long, long ago, Vyāsadeva, who is known as Vedavyāsa, he has written book, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, on Kṛṣṇa. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is nothing but description of Kṛṣṇa. Vyāsadeva is also writer of Bhagavad-gītā. The Bhagavad-gītā was spoken by Kṛṣṇa and noted down by Vyāsadeva. And he has put this Bhagavad-gītā in the Mahābhārata. So Vyāsadeva accepts Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality. He has, in the Bhāgavatam, he has specifically mentioned, kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam.
Therefore Kṛṣṇa says one who thinks Him as ordinary human being, he is a mūḍhāḥ. Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum... (BG 9.11). "Because I appeared as a human being, mūḍhās, those who are rascals, they think Me as ordinary human being." No. Paraṁ bhāvam ajānanto. He does not know what is immense power behind. That Kṛṣṇa showed. Kṛṣṇa, when He was present, when He was seven years old, He lifted the Govardhana Hill. We have to accept that, not that we make some comment upon it, because we think Kṛṣṇa is ordinary boy, "How seven-years-old boy can lift?" But we forget that He is Kṛṣṇa. If Kṛṣṇa can throw so many innumerable planets in the sky, floating just like cotton swab, is it very difficult for Kṛṣṇa to lift a mountain?
So my request is that we Indians, we shall take this order of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu very seriously. People are suffering for want of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. There is immense field for preaching this philosophy all over the world. You can see the example, the European and American boys, how they have been attracted, how they are singing in ecstasy. They have taken it seriously. So in India I don't find all our young men are so serious about Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, but I invite that "Come and join this movement, make your life successful by understanding the Kṛṣṇa philosophy, and try to distribute it all over the world." This is necessity of the present day. It is not sectarian, or crooked philosophy. It is meant for my brother and my sister, not for anyone else. No. It is meant for everyone. And this knowledge can be distributed especially if the Indians take it seriously.
Therefore Kṛṣṇa says that "Anyone who can understand Me, about Me." Not "about Me," but "about Me." We can understand Kṛṣṇa by His activities, something about Him. Otherwise, He has immense potencies. It is impossible for us to understand. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport). There is unlimited energies of Kṛṣṇa; therefore He is called acintya-śakti. Acintya-guṇa. Acintya-śakti, "which is inconceivable." But anyone, if he somehow or other according to his capacity tries to understand in truth, then he becomes immediately liberated so that after quitting this body, he doesn't have to come again in this material world. Then where does he go? Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti (BG 4.9). "He comes to Me."
Then we have got Vedānta-sūtra. Then we have got Mahābhārata, Rāmāyaṇa, then Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and so many. And one book, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, it contains eighteen thousand verses. Mahābhārata contains hundreds of thousand verses. There are eighteen Purāṇas and 108 Upaniṣads and Vedānta-sūtra—immense literature for understanding what is brahma-saukhyam. So these literatures are meant for the human society, not for the cat society, dog society. The great sages of India, especially Vyāsadeva, he labored so hard and delivered so valuable literatures to us. There is opportunity. It was the duty of India to distribute this knowledge all over the world, this immense treasure of knowledge. Unfortunately... And as so far we have studied that persons who are great thinkers, they were expecting. They have still some respect for India's great treasurehouse of the spiritual knowledge. But unfortunately there is no arrangement for distributing this spiritual knowledge all over the world.
You have to take it scientifically, as they are described in the authoritative books, and test it by your reason and argument and knowledge, and follow it. It is science. It is not sentiment. Whatever we are doing here, the dancing, singing and everything, that is all scientific. Simply you have to understand it. Therefore jñānī, only a person who is in knowledge, who is in knowledge of the science of Kṛṣṇa, he can make an rapid advancement, and he is very dear to Kṛṣṇa. Because slow but sure, he is making sure progress. It is no sentiment. So jñānī. Priyo hi jñāninaḥ atyartham. Atyartham means very... Aham. Kṛṣṇa is very dear to the person in knowledge, and that man is also very dear to Kṛṣṇa. Reciprocal. If you love Kṛṣṇa, then Kṛṣṇa will love more than you. You can... What capacity you have got to love Kṛṣṇa? But Kṛṣṇa will love. He has got immense capacity. So that is a science.
Then you'll know what Kṛṣṇa wants and do accordingly. Ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanaṁ bhaktir uttamā. Then you are elevated to the first-class devotional service. You see? First-class devotional service. Everything should be anukūla. Anukūla means favorable.
So these things are there. It is a great science, and we have got immense literature for this. If we have got time, we can utilize. We can understand this science and prepare ourself for the supreme benefit.
So puruṣa... So in that spiritual planet, puruṣaḥ sa paraḥ pārtha, there is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In the spiritual planet there are... Just like you see here millions of planets or stars within this universe. This universe is a small particle only. There are many universes like this. And in the spiritual sky there are three... This is only one-fourth manifestation of the planets. There are other.
There are the four original Vedas, Sāma, Yajur, Ṛk, Atharva, and then the Upaniṣad, then the essence of Vedic knowledge, Vedānta-sūtra, then Rāmāyaṇa, Mahābhārata... Mahābhārata is the greater history of this planet, Bhārata. In this way immense literature are available. If we like, we can read them. We are presenting in English translation so many books. The purpose is people of the world may know the Vedic knowledge. So essence of Vedic knowledge is this Bhagavad-gītā. Not only that, it is being spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore it is said, śrī-bhagavān uvāca, so nobody could argue.
Vedic knowledge means you cannot argue. You have to accept authoritative. Just like the government literature, government regulation, when it is published, gazette, you cannot argue. Whatever the government has decided, you have to accept because government is the authority. Similarly, Vedic knowledge means you cannot argue.
"We shall die out of starvation if we do not make economic condition better." You do it, but you must know that food is already there.
As soon as you take your birth, the food is there. For example, when a child takes birth, a young girl gives birth, just a moment before the birth of the child, there is no milk in the breast, but as soon as the child take birth, immediately immense supply of milk. So who makes this arrangement? There is already arrangement.
This is the fact because we get it from Vedic information that nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān: (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13) "God is the chief living entity amongst all living entities. God is the most intelligent personality than all of us. He is supplying the necessities of life to everyone." These are the Vedic injunctions. That is the difference between God and ourself.
So anyone who thinks like that, he's described as go-khara. Go-khara means, go means cows and khara means asses. Those who are identifying with this body as the self... Yasyātmā buddhi-kunape tri-dhātuke. Kunape. This body is a bag of bones and flesh with urine and stool and blood and so many other things. But if you are scientist, advanced, then I can supply you immense bones, immense blood, immense urine, immense stool, manufacture one body if you are scientist. I give you ingredients. Immense, any quantity. But you just manufacture one ant. And still you are thinking that "science, science." You cannot do anything.
Prakṛteḥ kriyamānāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). Everything is done by prakṛti under the direction of Kṛṣṇa. This is the position. So there are so many thing. If you have got little brain, try to understand. Then knowledge is perfect. Even by studying, simply by studying these two or three lines in this thirteenth chapter, you can become a perfect knower. And if you follow Kṛṣṇa's instruction... He is giving you instruction. He's ready to give you instruction. From inside and outside also. Inside He's sitting. He's ready to give you instructions. Sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭo (BG 15.15). "I am sitting in everyone's heart."
Tasyaiva hetoḥ prayeteta kovido na labhyate yad bhramatām upary adhaḥ (1.5.18).
Therefore human life is simply meant for inquiring about the Absolute Truth, not for engaging oneself for this so-called economic development. That is already there by God's arrangement. Actually, I am wandering all over the world. There are immense space in this planet also. In Africa, in Australia, ten times of the population can be accommodated, and they can produce their food. But the īśāvāsya... We have forgotten that everything belongs to God. We are thinking "It is my land. You cannot come here. It is my land. You cannot come here." This mismanagement of the human society is the cause of all troubles, all problems. Therefore the human society must have Kṛṣṇa consciousness to solve all the problems of life. Thank you very much.
We have got... Dancing is not sentimental. It is spiritual ecstasy. It is not ordinary dancing. This dancing is not ordinary dancing. So anyway, if you think that this dancing is a sentimental caricature, you may think like that, but if you want to understand through philosophy and science, we can supply you immense literature.
So this is the duty. This is the duty of all responsible Indians, how to make his life perfect, utilizing Vedic knowledge, and then distribute it throughout the whole world. Because in other parts of the world they have no such advantage. Why these American boys are coming to us? Because they did not get the advantage of spiritual life, but they are seeking after spiritual life. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. They are fed up with this materialistic way of life. They want something spiritual. But because there is no such information, there is no such leader, they are becoming hippies, frustrated, confused. And because here is something substantial, they are taking it.
One means qualitatively one. A small particle of gold, you can call it gold, but it is not the gold mine, This is called dvaita-vāda, advaita-vāda. The rascals they think "Because I am gold, I am as good as the gold mine." No, That is not. Gold mine is very big, powerful, immense value. So we should not forget this.
Therefore it is said... Now, tri-vidhā bhavati śraddhā: "This śraddhā, this faith," Kṛṣṇa says, "there are three kinds." Tri-vidhā bhavati śraddhā. Tri-vidhā bhavati śraddhā dehināṁ sā svabhāva-jā. Dehinām. Always remember, dehinām means the possessor, the owner of this body. Therefore the owner is different from the body. Those who are under the conception that there is no owner, and the body is everything, they are less than tamo-guṇa. Actually animals. They have been described as being animal. Those who are thinking like the dog that "I am this body..."
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
So these sandarbhas are so philosophically discussed that throughout the whole world, there is not a single philosopher who can defy these Jīva Gosvāmī's six sandarbhas. Our, this Gauḍīya-sampradāya... We belong to Gauḍīya-sampradāya—Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, from the disciplic succession of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. We have got immense literature to understand God. One who wants to understand God through philosophy, science, argument, logic, so to supply them material, we have got immense literature, Vedic literature. So one of them is mentioned here, Kṛṣṇa-sandarbha, what is Kṛṣṇa.
In communist country the innocent village people, they go to church and ask for bread, and when they come out of the church, the communist leader ask them, "Have you got bread?" So they say, "Now ask bread from us." So they ask bread, "O, communist leader, give me bread." So they supply immense quantity of bread: "Take as much as you like." So then they ask, "Who has supplied you bread?" They say, the communist leader. In this way they propagate, "Now there is no use of going to the church for asking bread from God." And they also practically see that "We, in the church we asked for bread. There was no supply of bread. And as soon as I prayed bread from the communist leader, there are so many breads." But the innocent people, they do not know that this communist leader has supplied bread not from his father's stock; it is from the stock of God. So they are innocent people.
They are getting all their foodstuff supplied by God. This morning we were walking on the, in the park. We saw. So many fruits are thrown on the street. That means the birds have eaten them, and they have thrown so many. So God supplies immense bread or eatable things without any asking. In a African jungle there are hundreds, thousands of elephants. They eat, at a time, huge quantity of food. But still, they are supplied by God. Actually, even from practical point of view—I have traveled all over the world—there are immense place. We can produce foodstuff for supplying food, ten times of the whole world population. So therefore there is no need of approaching God with a motive for material supplies or material satisfaction.
This is called jñāna, knowledge, to know what is Kṛṣṇa, what is His energies, how they are working, how these wonderful acts are going on within this universe. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not a bogus movement. It is a very scientific movement. It is meant for human knowledge. There are immense knowledges, but if we are simply interested with the necessities of the body, just like the animals, then we are missing the chance. Āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunaṁ ca sāmānyam etat paśubhir narāṇām. "This eating, sleeping, sexual intercourse, and defense—these things are there in the animal life." Even a hog, he is working day and night to find out where is stool. He likes stool. He eats stool and becomes very fatty. He enjoys.
So this kind of endeavor, simply eating, sleeping, sex life and defense, that is common to the animals and to the human being. But human being has got a special prerogative.
The real disease is that he has forgotten Kṛṣṇa. That's all. Otherwise, there is no scarcity in the world.
As I have repeatedly told you, that... Especially I have seen practically in America, in Africa, in Australia, there are so much immense scope for producing food that ten times of the whole population of the world could be fed simply by utilizing the open land still available. So there is no question of scarcity. We have simply mismanaged. Due to lack of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, we have mismanaged things.
If bhakti-yoga is adopted unto the Supreme Personality of God, Vāsudeva, then very soon janayaty āśu... Āśu means very soon. Jñāna-va irāgyam ahaitukam.
The example you can see. These European and American boys and girls, how they have become vairāgī? They have got immense opportunity for material enjoyment. Material enjoyment means money and woman. That is the standard of material enjoyment. So these boys, these girls, they have got enough. The money is thrown on the street. And woman is loitering on the street. You can pick up as many as you like. You see. That is the Western countries. But they have left everything. That is vairāgya Why? Jñānam. They have obtained the real knowledge. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). As Bhavānanda Mahārāja said. They are firmly fixed up. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam, "Let us sacrifice our life for Kṛṣṇa."
The six thirty is going on. It is very easy to understand. The six-thirty or seven-thirty or eight, nine, whatever you take, that is going on. That is called nitya-līlā. Kṛṣṇa's līlā is going on. So just imagine how many universes are there.
So the spirit soul has got immense power, immense power. That is only fragment of Kṛṣṇa, part and parcel. Now, just you can imagine what is the power of Kṛṣṇa. A..., a small, fragmental portion of Kṛṣṇa... Mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ (BG 15.7). The living entity, he has got so much potencies. And what potency Kṛṣṇa has got, who is full of spiritual potency? So actually if we want to be happy, as part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, we must join Him. That is our value. This example I have given several times, that a small screw of a machine has got immense value when it is attached with the machine. The same small screw, when it is detached from the machine, it has no value. Not even a farthing. Similarly, we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, Vāsudeva.
"You take. But don't kill me. Let me live. I am eating only grass." Just see. And the civilized men killing them, killing them. And they want peace. Just see the fun. Without touching your foodstuff, the cow is eating the grass which is given by God, immense grass, and they are giving you the finest foodstuff, milk. Just after your birth you have only to drink milk, either mother's milk... Nowadays, mothers do not supply milk. That is also to be supplied by the cow. So from the very beginning of my life I am subsisting by the foodstuff given by mother, cow, and when I am grown up, I kill. This is my gratitude. Just see. And they are called civilized. Less than lowest animal, narādhama. They are called narādhama, lowest of the mankind. Those who are killing cows, maintaining slaughterhouse, they are lowest of the mankind. They are not human being. Less than animal. They have no gratitude.
So it is now quarter past, ten past eight. Now, we shall discuss this meeting of Parīkṣit Mahārāja and Śukadeva Gosvāmī continually, so you please come, even if you do not understand. You can understand because we invite questions and answers. So any human being can understand. But even if you do not understand, the action of hearing will be there. (break) They are purified or attracted simply by this sound vibration. It is so nice. So if we simply give our aural reception to this transcendental sound, then there is immense profit, immense profit. So we invite everyone to come here and take this advantage. Thank you very much. Any question.
The six Gosvāmīs... Rūpa Gosvāmī is the, is the head actually. But Sanātana Gosvāmī being his elder brother, he was treating him as his spiritual master. So Rūpa Gosvāmī, Sanātana Gosvāmī, and Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī, and Raghunātha Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī, and Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, and Jīva Gosvāmī. These six Gosvāmīs, they have given immense literature. And all of them established one temple in Vṛndāvana. You have seen, Kīrtanānanda Mahārāja, the Rādhā-Ramaṇa temple. Rādhā-Ramaṇa temple, that is Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī's.
So that Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī (is) teaching us how to preach. In this age, simply by fighting, argument, it is very difficult to preach. Better to become humble and meek. Just like Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī is teaching us: dante nidhāya tṛṇakam. In India there is a system to become humble. If you take one blade of grass in your, between your lips and approach somebody, it is to be understood that you are approaching with great humbleness. Therefore he said, dante nidhāya tṛṇakam.
That is Vaiṣṇava's demand, not for any other improvement, economic development or this improvement. No. Because economic... It is... It is a false idea that one will be satisfied or be happy simply by economic development. No, that is not possible, practically. In your country, America, there is immense economic development, but you could not get any happiness. That is not possible. Happiness will be possible when, first of all, you are situated in the brahminical position, sattva-guṇa, and to come to that brahminical position, you have to give up the activities of rajas-tamo-guṇa. The rajas-tamo-guṇa is that illicit sex, meat-eating, intoxication and gambling. That's all. So if you voluntarily give up, and be situated in the sattva-guṇa, then you'll be happy. Evaṁ prasanna-manasaḥ.
Still, it is so deadly weapon, brahmāstra. He was not working in a laboratory, finding out so many chemicals to make an atomic nuclear weapon. Simply water. You see. Here it is said, atha upaspṛśya salilam. Just like we do, oṁ apavitraḥ pavitro vā sarvāvasthāṁ gato 'pi. Then if we do it properly, then it has got immense potency. Immense potency. Don't think it is childish, it is formality. No. Just see here. Atha upaspṛśya salilaṁ sandadhe tat samāhitaḥ. This is wanted. Samāhita, completely in trance. This is the process. So these things are required, how to become samāhita, samādhi-stha, in trance. If we take it as childish play, formality, then it will act, but it will take long time. But if you do it properly, you'll be quickly successful. In one life you'll be successful. You don't require to wait. My Guru Mahārāja used to say that although this process is guaranteed, but don't wait for another life. Finish this business in this life.
Maybe I am given the chance of taking my birth in a good brāhmaṇa family or a rich family, but there is chance of again being spoiled. As we see, there are so many rich men's sons. They have got all the opportunity of chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. They have no economic problem. Father's property, immense property he has got. So he can, he has no anxiety for economic problems. That is a chance. To take birth in a rich family means he has no economic problem. Because for economic problem we see nowadays people are pulling on ṭhelā, a rickshaw, for two breads.(?) Because he is condemned to take such life, to work like an ass, like an animal. We see, practically. So one who is born in rich family, he should think that Kṛṣṇa... But he has no knowledge, he has no good advisor, he has no guru. So he is, he thinks that "I have got this money for nothing. Let me enjoy wine and women. Let me..." He becomes spoiled. So although he was given the chance, śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe (BG 6.41), janmaiśvarya-śruta-śrī (SB 1.8.26).
He takes pleasure to become a devotee's son. Ordinary men, they want God as father, but that is not very pleasing to Kṛṣṇa. Father means... To become father means always botheration: "Give me this, give me this, give me this." You see. Of course, Kṛṣṇa has got immense potencies to supply. Eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. He can supply everyone as much he wants. He's supplying food to the elephant. He's supplying food to the ant. Why not to the human being? But these rascals, they do not know. They're working day and night like ass to find out bread. And if he goes to church, there also: "Give me bread." They are only bread problem. That's all. Although the living entity is the son of the richest opulent person, but he has created his bread problem. This is called ignorance. He thinks that "If I do not solve my bread problem, if I do not drive my trucks day and night..."Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh. whoosh. Such a nonsense civilization.
Yes. This is bhakti. We are meant for... Kṛṣṇa is supplying... The servant and master. The servant is being supplied all the necessities by the master, but the servant's duty is to serve the master. That's all. Eko bahūnāṁ yo vidadhāti kāmān nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām... (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). These are the Vedic inform... Kṛṣṇa is supplying you immense..., all the necessities of life. There is no scarcity. There is no economic problem. You simply try to serve Kṛṣṇa. Then everything is complete. Because He's Hṛṣīkeśa. And so much... If Kṛṣṇa desires, there may be ample supplies. Just like in your country, there is ample supplies. In other country... I went to Switzerland: everything is imported. No supply. The supply is only, only snow. Take as much snow as you like. You see. Similarly everything is under the control of Kṛṣṇa. If you become devotee, then there is no snow supply—simply food supply. And if you don't become devotee, be covered with snow. That's all. Covered with cloud. Everything is under Kṛṣṇa's control.
This is God, sarva-jña. He knows where to find out. He gave him information that formerly, one king, by the grace of Lord Śiva, he got information of a big gold mine, or gold mine mountain. So that king used to manufacture so many things of gold. Especially in sacrifice he used to give immense dishes made of gold to the brāhmaṇas. So at that time, the brāhmaṇas were also not very greedy. So the king, during the sacrifice, gave them unlimited number of dishes of gold, made of gold. So they accepted it, but when they came out of the sacrificial arena, they thought, "Who is going to carry so much load? Throw it." Just see. This is opulence. As nowadays it is our system that the plate on which you eat, that should be thrown away... Formerly, people used to eat on golden plate, at least, the royal family, and after eating they used to throw away. Not for the second use. Just like India still, it is observed, earthen plate used, as here in your country, paper plate, in India, earthen plate-once used, then it is thrown away.
This is called ever conditioned. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says ei rūpe brahmāṇḍa bhramite kona bhāgyavān jīva guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpāya pāya bhakti-latā-bīja (CC Madhya 19.151). In this way, we are wandering from one species of life to another, one planet to another. In this way the brahmāṇḍa, this universe is very very big and there is immense opportunity. You become sometimes demigod, sometimes dog, sometimes cat, sometimes tree. In this way, we are wandering.
But this human form of life, especially those who are born in India... Now it is not limited within India. By the grace of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu... His prediction, pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi grāma. Now the Kṛṣṇa's, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mercy is being distributed all over the world, all parts of the world. That is the prediction of Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
Now, by the order of the Supreme, the restriction is there. Now they are howling, cowling. You see? So everything will rest, tasmin tuṣṭe jagat tuṣṭa. If you keep Kṛṣṇa satisfied, if you all become devotees, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, there is no question of scarcity. There is no question of scarcity. There is immense supply. Eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān.
We have seen it. You have also seen. Sometimes in season, there is so much mango supply that they rot on the ground. Nobody cares to take it. So supply is not in your hands. You cannot supply by factory. You can manufacture bolts and nuts, not rice or ḍāl or ghee or mango or fruits. So supply is... Eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. What is the difference between God and ourself? We are also living entities, God is also living entity. Nityo nityānām. I have several times explained this. Just like Kṛṣṇa, what is the difference of Kṛṣṇa? You have got two hands; He has got two hands. He has got two legs; you have got two legs. So the appearance, Kṛṣṇa is equal or in quality.
And what we shall hear about Him unless He has got activities? Just like you hear in the newspaper the activities of the general people. Similarly, if we have to hear something, there must some activities. That activities we find in the Vedic literatures-immense, unlimited activities. There are eighteen Purāṇas, you'll find activities of the Lord. There is Mahābhārata, you'll find activities of the Lord. There is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. We have published. It will come very soon. Kṛṣṇa... The... Full of activities of the Lord, in two volumes of four hundred pages. So simply if you read and hear the activities, either read or hear, both of them are śravaṇam. Activities of the Lord, you get liberation, simply by reading. You have got a tendency for reading book or hearing about somebody, but, generally, for our sense gratification we hear some man and woman making love affairs, and that is the subject matter of a drama or a fiction or a story.
In another place, in the Brahma-saṁhitā it is said, sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya-sādhana-śaktir ekā chāyeva yasya bhuvanāni bibharti durgā (Bs. 5.44). Durgā is the material energy, and she has got immense power. Sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya-sādhana-śaktiḥ. She is controlling this creation or this whole universe, sṛṣṭi, and sthiti, its maintenance, and pralaya. Three things she is controlling. She is so powerful. Sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya-sādhana-śaktir ekā chāyeva yasya bhuvanāni bibharti durgā (Bs. 5.44). The durgā-śakti, material energy, she is so powerful, but it is working chāyeva, just like shadow. Shadow has no independent capacity; it is dependent on the substance. Substance and shadow. So Kṛṣṇa is the substance, and the power derived from Kṛṣṇa, partially exhibited by the durgā-śakti. In the Upaniṣad also it is said, na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate na tat-samaś cābhyadhikaś ca dṛśyate. Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of God, He has nothing to do. Na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate na tat-samaḥ. Nobody is equal to Him. Kṛṣṇa also says in the Bhagavad-gītā, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcit: (BG 7.7)
"All different forms or species of life, as many living entities there are, they are all My sons." Ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā: (BG 14.4) "I am the seed-giving father," or "They are all My sons." This is our relationship. Actually, this is our relationship with Kṛṣṇa. And as the father and son relationship means the son may live at the cost of the father... Father has got immense property. They can enjoy. But they must remain very obedient to the father—very natural—then he is happy. If the father is very rich man, he has got all the resources, and if the son is obedient, then where is trouble? Is there any trouble? Father wants simply... Father is ready to give all the property to the sons. That is natural inclination. And the son's duty is just to become obedient to the father.
Agni does not move, but heat moves. That you have got experience. You have big fire in one place. The fire does not move, but you can feel the existence of fire by heat and light. Similarly, Bhagavān does not move. He has got immense power. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport). He moves by His energy. That is the difference between the Māyāvāda philosopher and Vaiṣṇava philosopher. Vaiṣṇava philosopher says the Bhagavān is staying in one place. Goloka eva nivasaty akhilātma-bhūtaḥ (Bs. 5.37). He is staying. In the śāstra we understand that Kṛṣṇa... Vṛndāvanaṁ parityajya na padam ekaṁ gacchati: "Kṛṣṇa does not leave even by a step Vṛndāvana." He always remains there. So in the Brahma-saṁhitā also, it is stated that goloka eva nivasaty akhilātma-bhūtaḥ. He is always living in Goloka Vṛndāvana. He does not require to move. That is His inconceivable potency. Suppose I am sitting here.
That is not devotional activities. Devotional activity is different from pious activity. By pious activities you can get material, so-called happiness, Janmaiśvarya-śruta-śrī (SB 1.8.26). You can get birth in very nice family, rich family, brāhmaṇa family, janma, and you can get immense wealth, born with silver spoon, and aiśvarya-śruta, education, nice education, material education, and śrī, beauty. Generally, you will find in aristocratic family, rich family, they are very beautiful, they have got education, they have got wealth and good family, aristocratic family. So these are result of pious activities.
So we should utilize the result of pious activities to become more pure. That is called svaccha. We have discussed this verse, svaccha. Yat tat sattva-guṇaṁ svaccham. That is... Just like you have got by, on account of pious activities you have got very nice surroundings, aristocratic family, wealth, beauty, education, but it may be polluted again by the other two qualities, means tamo-guṇa and rajo-guṇa.
So, why one commits suicide unless he feels bodily position very uncomfortable, mental condition very disturbing? So this is called adhyātmika, pertaining to the body and mind. There are many troubles. Every one of us, we have got that experience, that there are troubles. I may be very rich, I may have immense wealth, but if my body and mind is not in order, I am in trouble. So simply material opulence, material wealth will not satisfy us. We require bodily comforts. And if I have got millions of dollars and if I am diseased man, I cannot enjoy; I cannot be in happiness. So these are one type of miserable condition. Similarly, there are other types of miserable condition as adhibhautika. I do not wish to create any misunderstanding with a friend, but automatically there is some misunderstanding between friends, neighbors, nation, man to man, business friend. There are troubles. So this is called... And not only... If not human being, human being, but other, lower animals.
We do not know how much spiritual power we have got, but that is being suppressed by the material covering. Just like this fire. This fire, if there are too many ashes, the heat of the fire is not properly felt. But you move the ashes and just fan it, and when it is blazing, then you get the proper heat and you can utilize it for so many purposes. Similarly, we, as spirit soul, we have immense power. And God is the supreme spirit soul, so we cannot imagine how much power God has got. But even we, who are a simply minute particle... Just like... Comparison is just like the fire and the sparks. The fire and the sparks, both of them are fire. The spark even, wherever the spark will fall, immediately it will burn. Similarly, we have got all the qualities in minute quantity of God. God has the creative force; therefore we are also creating so many things. The scientists are creating so many wonderful things. That is wonderful for persons like us, because we do not know how much wonderful one can play. That we do not know.
Acyutānanda: If Kṛṣṇa has created the universe, then who has created Kṛṣṇa? How did He acquire such immense powers?
Prabhupāda: Hmm. This is foolishness. (laughter) That is explained of course. Janmādy asya yataḥ anvayād itarataś ca abhijñaḥ svarāṭ (SB 1.1.1). This word is used. Kṛṣṇa means janmādy asya yataḥ. Kṛṣṇa also explains ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate (BG 10.8). He is the origin of everything. But He's svarāṭ, there is no more origin of Kṛṣṇa. Sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam (Bs. 5.1). That is said in the śāstra: īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ, anādi (Bs. 5.1). He has no ādi. Anādi, ādi. He is the ādi origin of everything, but He has no ādi. That is God. That is God. Anādir ādir govindaṁ sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam (Bs. 5.1). He is the cause of all causes. Just like I have got my father, you have got my (your) father. Your father has got father, his father, his father, his father, go on. Kṛṣṇa is the supreme father, but He has no father. That is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa does not require any father. But he accepts a father amongst His devotees because the devotee wants Kṛṣṇa also as child. To fulfill the desire of the devotee He accepts Nanda Mahārāja as father, Vasudeva as father, just to give them pleasure. Kṛṣṇa as child, Yaśodā-mayī is enjoying the pleasure. Kṛṣṇa is playing as child. But he has no father, neither mother. He accepts the beloved devotee as father and mother. This is Kṛṣṇa.
Yes. Every living entity will multiply. That is another thing. I mean to say from cow you get milk. From milk you get butter and so many milk products. And from the fields you get sufficient grains and fruits. So your economic question is solved immediately. If you have got some land, the land is..., immense land is still lying vacant all over the world. Yes. But they have diverted their energy in a different way. That is the miscalculation of the present civilization. They have forgotten that the aim of human life is to advance oneself in spiritual realization. So time should be saved as much as possible, and that time should be utilized for spiritual realization. But we have encumbered our civilization in such a way that we have lost all simple living thing. We have manufactured in so many ways encumbered ways of life. Therefore we have neglected spiritual life. And because we have neglected spiritual life there is no peace. If you want really peaceful life, then you have to make your material necessities simplified and engage your time for spiritual cultivation.
This is practical proof how Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is effective. Before me, from India, many swamis came, but actually they could not induce the Westerners, especially the young generation, to any Indian cultural movement except this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. That's a fact, historical.
So my request to you all, those who are present here: try to understand the philosophy. You're educated, grown-up boys and girls, gentlemen, ladies. We have got books, immense literature, big, big voluminous book. If you want to understand this philosophy through books, we are not in scarcity. We can supply you volumes of books. These books, some of them are demonstrated, but, if you do not like to take so much trouble to read over the book, then simply come and chant and dance with us and take prasādam, go home happy.
We have to consult the Vedas. There are so many Vedic literatures: four Vedas, then Upaniṣad, 108 Upaniṣad, then philosophy, Vedānta-sūtra, all summarized. Then explanation of Vedānta-sūtra, or Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Bhāṣyaṁ brahma-sūtrāṇām **. Then there is Rāmāyaṇa, there is Mahābhārata, immense literature, full of Vedic literature. So one should try to understand this literature. They are meant for the human being. Veda-praṇihito dharmaḥ. If one wants to be religious... Religious means that is the beginning of human life. If one is not religious, then he is animal. Dharmeṇa hīnāḥ paśubhiḥ samānāḥ. So in order to make a person perfectly religious, there are so many Vedic literatures. So who is taking care of it? Nobody is taking care of. Therefore, at the present moment, kalau śūdra-sambhavaḥ. Śūdra means equal to the animal. Tulasī dāsa has classified, dhol guṇar śūdra paśu nārī, ihe sab sasan ke adhikārī.(?) So women will be sorry, but he has classified in that way. Anyway... So nobody is taking care of the Vedic literature.
They are employing four thousand, five thousand men, as master of so many servants... A devotee doesn't want this. He doesn't want any amount of money or any amount of followers. Na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitam. Very beautiful, attractive wife, sundarīm. This is material aspiration: "Let me have immense amount of money, a very good woman, wife or friend." This is the whole material activities. You'll see. Everyone is after money and women. This is material aspiration. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu is rejecting. Na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitaṁ vā jagad-īśa. Then what You want? Mama janmani janmanīśvare bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). "I don't mind where I get my birth. I am not aspiring to get my birth in a very aristocratic way, no." Anywhere. Mama janmani. "I may become a demigod in the heavenly planet or I may a cat, dog, or any insignificant. But I want this, that My devotion to Your lotus feet may not be forgotten." This is desirelessness. Anything beyond the..., we desire, that is material.
And He says personally that mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). "Dhanañjaya, Arjuna, just take it from Me. There is no other superior authority than Me." And that's a fact. So when Kṛṣṇa was present on this planet, He showed that nobody in the history of the world is superior than Kṛṣṇa. He showed as much as possible you can understand. Otherwise, still He has got immense power, unlimited power. So the point is Prahlāda Mahārāja is trying to convince his demon... The demons cannot understand that the God can be a person. That is demoniac. They cannot... Because they cannot understand, the difficulty is a demon tries to understand God, comparing with himself.
Dr. Frog, that the story of Dr. Frog. Dr. Frog is trying to understand Atlantic Ocean comparing with his three-feet well, that's all. When he is informed that there is Atlantic Ocean, he's simply comparing with his limited space. It may be four feet, or it may be five feet, it may be ten feet, because he is within the three feet.
So tomorrow, of course, Rādhāṣṭami, we shall have meetings in daytime. And... Of course, those devotees are present, please come tomorrow, Rādhāṣṭami. Try to understand the Rādhā's position in relationship with Kṛṣṇa. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is very nice. Try to understand it in so many ways. We have got immense literature. If lifelong we try to understand, there is sufficient stock. It is not hackneyed. You'll get nava-navāyaman. Newer and newer things you'll get, experience. Ānandāmbudhi-vardhanam. And the more and more you get relish in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, your transcendental pleasure becomes more and more appreciated. It is so nice. Ānandāmbudhi-vardhanam. Caitanya Mahāprabhu has said, ambudhi... Ambudhi means ocean. In the ordinary course, the ocean does not increase. If ocean would have increased, then there would..., so many towns would have been washed away. Sometimes it happens of course, temporarily. But anandāmbudhi.
So if Bhagavān wants to fulfill one's desires, who can check Him? Here Kṛṣṇa, Nṛsiṁhadeva, says, prīto 'ham: "I am now pleased." So this is the business, how to please Kṛṣṇa. If He is pleased, then what you want more? Everything is under your control. Yasmin tuṣṭe jagat tuṣṭam. Everything will be fulfilled. Riches? You can... If Kṛṣṇa is pleased upon you, He can give you immense riches, as much as you want. That is wanted. Instead of endeavoring yourself to earn money... People are engaged to earn money, working very hard day and night. So if there is such thing that simply by pleasing Kṛṣṇa you can get as much money as you want, then why shall I earn money?
So the foolish people, they do not know it. It is practical. Just like I went to your country with forty rupees, and now I am getting money, as much as I want. This is practical. No businessman can earn with forty rupees and within ten years forty crores. There is no instance in the history.
These are material. But Kṛṣṇa says, "These persons who are asking for material profit from the different demigods, it can be fulfilled. They are fulfilling." But antavat tu phalaṁ teṣāṁ tad bhavati alpa-medhasām (BG 7.23). These material gains, they will stay for a few days or few years. Because you are creating another body.
So in this body... Suppose you have got immense wealth, immense men under you, or very beautiful wife. How long you shall enjoy? Immediately, mṛtyuḥ sarva-haraś cāham: (BG 10.34) "You do not like Me. You like these things. All right. At the time of death I shall take away everything—finish." This is fact. After death where is your beautiful wife? Where is your wealth? Where is your followers? Everything finished. Now according to your karma, you have to accept the body of a dog. Nature's way. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa (SB 3.31.1). "You have infected doggish mentality. Now you become a dog." This is nature's way. Kāraṇaṁ guṇa-sango 'sya (BG 13.22).
Nectar of Devotion Lectures
Bhavānanda: "A pure devotee never cares for liberation. Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu prayed to Kṛṣṇa, 'My dear son of Nanda, I do not want any material happiness in the shape of many followers, nor immense opulence in wealth, nor any beautiful wife, nor do I want cessation from material existence. I may take birth many times, one after another, but what I pray from You is that my devotion unto You may always remain unflinching.' "
Prabhupāda: This is, I've already explained. Caitanya Mahāprabhu's prayer:
- na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ
- kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye
- mama janmani janmanīśvare
- bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi
(Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4)
This is pure prayer. So pure devotional service is another great science. One has to learn it. Then his life will be successful.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures
We should always know that we are energies of God, and because we are energies, we are, there are so many things qualitatively equal. Just the same example: The warmth and the illumination of the sunshine and the sun planet is practically the same, but the sun is never covered by cloud, but the sunshine is covered—sometimes, not always. Just like you see that the sunshine is..., the immense sunshine all over the universe, a part of the sunshine is covered, not all; similarly, a part of the energy, living energy, is covered by this māyā, and not all.
Therefore there are millions and billions of liberated souls above this material world, just like there is millions and billions of miles' sunshine above the cloud. You go by airplane above the cloud. Oh, the cloud is, appear to be very insignificant. But sunshine? Oh, so nice, sunshine. Similarly, when you are above this material world, jyotir gamaḥ... Jyotir gamaḥ. Tamasi mā. The Vedānta, the Vedas inform you that "Don't remain in this darkness. Just try to get out of it." Jyotir gamaḥ.
Oh, so nice, sunshine. Similarly, when you are above this material world, jyotir gamaḥ... Jyotir gamaḥ. Tamasi mā. The Vedānta, the Vedas inform you that "Don't remain in this darkness. Just try to get out of it." Jyotir gamaḥ. Similarly... Just like the same way, airplane. As soon as you penetrate the cloud and go to the sky, you'll see: "Oh, there is immense sunshine." But while you are in, within the covering of the cloud, you say, "Oh, there is no sunshine today." We see as soon as we go out, "Today is very bad." The day is very good, but you are in the cloud. Therefore you say, "It is very bad." So similarly, those who are in the clutches of māyā, for them, this world is very bad. You see? But those who are above this māyā, it is pleasant because it is Kṛṣṇa's kingdom. Ānandāmbudhi-vardhanam. So if you remain in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the cloud cannot touch you and if your former, your original... Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). You become always joyful. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati: (BG 18.54)
There are many, many workers, working very hard from very poor state. Just like Henry Ford, Mr. Rockefeller, they started life from a very humble state, but they accumulated immense wealth, and still, they were not satisfied. In our country also there are many Birlas and such, accumulating money, money, money. They are greedy because infected with the quality, modes of nature, ignorance and passion. Vaiśya means passion and ignorance, kṣatriya means passion, and brāhmaṇa means goodness. These are the different qualities. So one has to come to the platform of goodness. Then he has to transcend the platform of goodness, come to the pure transcendental platform, vāsudeva, sattvaṁ-viśuddham, sattva-guṇa. In this material world, sattva-guṇa is also sometimes mixed with rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa. That is the nature. So one has to transcend the platform of sattva-guṇa. Śuddha-sattva.
So if you want to study God, if you want to know God, then you must first of all study His energies. God is all-pervading by His energy. You study. Just the scientists, what they are studying? They are studying a portion of the energy of God, only a portion of the energy of God. That is also not perfectly. So the energy is so vast and immense that one cannot study even the energy. Therefore those who are studying about God, after finishing the study of the energies, they are at a loss to understand how so much energy can be emanated from the person. Therefore they cannot conceive any personal idea of God. The energy is so vast and immense that they are bewildered in the energy. And how such great amount of energy can emanate from a person they cannot conceive, because they compare with their own energy. Because I am limited... I have got this body, I have got my personality, but my energies are limited. But we cannot understand that the Unlimited has got unlimited energy.
We have fallen down in this material condition. But Kṛṣṇa never falls down in material condition. When He appears before us, don't think that "He is also fallen soul like me." The fools consider like that. Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā (BG 9.11). Mūḍhā means fools. The fools consider Kṛṣṇa as ordinary man. Mānuṣīṁ paraṁ bhāvam ajānantaḥ. The fools do not know what is immense potency, background, of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore they think Kṛṣṇa as like one of us.
So here it is said, sarva-ādi. Sarva-ādi means the primal. Primal. And sarva-aṁśī. Sarva-aṁśī means He is the original thing, and everything is part. We are also part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Mamaivāṁśa, in the Bhagavad-gītā. Aṁśī. Aṁśī and aṁśa. Just like this hand, It is called part, and I am, as whole body, I am the whole. So we can understand part and whole. So therefore He is whole, and everything is His part. He is the aṁśī; He is the whole. Sarva-aṁśī. Kiśora-śekhara. This very word, kiśora-śekhara, "the supreme boy." The supreme boy. His feature is just like a fresh boy, but the supreme.
Now, Kṛṣṇa has immense potencies, which are divided into three. What is that? Icchā-śakti, kriyā-śakti, jñāna-śakti. Icchā-śakti means His potency, whatever He wishes, that can be done, icchā. Kriyā-śakti: then activity, kriyā-śakti. And jñāna-śakti, knowledge, knowledge. In the Vedic literature it is said, parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport). Svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca. Just like one potency is working, producing flowers, producing flowers. We are seeing that a flower is being produced automatically, so nicely scented, so nicely colored. But because we are fools, therefore we think it is being produced automatically. No. It is produced by the kriyā-śakti, by the active potency of God, kriyā-śakti. Jñāna-śakti: and there is such perfect knowledge that nobody can see any defect. You see a butterfly, how it is nicely painted. You just see duplicate in both the wings. Just like an artist paint nicely, it is painted. So we think it is coming out of nothing. This is our foolishness. Here is, that it is coming out of the jñāna-śakti. But His jñāna is so wide that simply by His desire, simply by His will, it can be executed. These are the things to be studied. Because we cannot see something before our eyes, that does not mean there is no existence. There is existence, but we do not know how one is working, how one is working. Svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca. Svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā.
Sri Brahma-samhita Lectures
Whatever you want, it is present there. The tree will supply immediately. Prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa-lakṣāvṛteṣu. And surabhīr abhipālayantam. Kṛṣṇa is engaged in, as, a cowherds boy. He is herding cows. What sort of cows? Surabhiḥ. Surabhiḥ means that cow supplies you milk as much as you like, and as many times you can, you like, you can draw milk from that cow. Immense supply of milk, surabhīr abhipālayantam. Lakṣmī-sahasra-śata-sambhrama-sevyamānam, and the Lord is worshiped by many hundreds, thousands of goddess of fortune. The gopīs, here you see the picture. That is a little sample only. But in the transcendental kingdom the Lord is always served with all great respect and obeisances and devotion, many thousands of goddess of fortune. That goddess of fortune means they are most beautiful, and everything is complete, that such a place and such abode and such activities are described about Kṛṣṇa.
Festival Lectures
If we don't do that, we are missing a great opportunity. So our request to everyone is to understand this philosophy of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If anyone wants to understand this philosophy through philosophical angle of vision or scientific angle of vision, we have got immense volumes of books. You can read and try to understand what is this great movement, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. But you can also, without reading books, without taking any trouble, if you simply agree to chant this mahā-mantra, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, you get the same result. Even a child can join. Actually we have experienced that a child, a dog, an animal, everyone takes part in this movement. During the Lord Caitanya's movement, when He passed through a great forest known as Jharikhaṇḍa... Central India there is a great forest.
It is not a begging propaganda; it is giving propaganda. Because they are hankering after this substance, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. They have enjoyed enough of this material consciousness. The material consciousness means to enjoy sex life and drink and have sufficient money. These three items, they have got sufficient, immense. There are... So far material comforts, oh, there is no conception in India how they are materially comfortable. Their roads, their cars, their machines... You cannot imagine how American roads are there. There are freeways. In America, there are freeways: without any stoppage you can run your car in seventy mile speed, and four cars going up and four cars going down. And road just like velvet. (laughter) Our roads... So there is no comparison of their materially advancement. So I always... When I run in some freeway... These boys run our cars. And you'll be very pleased that in each and every temple we have got at least four cars, nice. Especially one car for me and two cars for carrying them for saṅkīrtana movement. Very good arrangement.
Arrival Addresses and Talks
They do not know. Na te viduḥ. They do not know. Whimsically everyone is manufacturing something, nonsense. Jāniyā śuniyā biṣa khāinu. What Kṛṣṇa says, we have to accept that. Then we are safe. Otherwise we are lost again. So fortunately you have got this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, so utilize your life properly. You have got immense literature. Read it. Digest it. Make your life perfect. That is my request. Don't spoil. At least you have come to the shore of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Ei rūpe brahmāṇḍa bhramite kono bhāgyavān jīva (CC Madhya 19.151). It is great fortune. Bhāgyavan jīva. Unless one is very fortunate, he cannot come to the shelter of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That's a fact. So don't misuse it. That is my request. I am very glad to see you, you are so enthusiastic. And you should be enthusiastic.
Initiation Lectures
A little dust, that's all. Don't be foolish in that way. Just be practical. If such huge amount of money, dollars, would have been spent in distributing this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement all over your country, then immense benefit would have been achieved. Anyway, we cannot say anything. Your money you can squander away. That is your business. But we request the authorities and the sane men that you take up this saṅkīrtana movement, especially in America, and expand this to other parts of the world, Europe, Asia. You have got already honor as the richest nation of the world. You have got intelligence. You have got everything. Just take up this movement, Hare Kṛṣṇa movement, with patience and with diligence and intelligence. It is very easy. You are already experienced. Do not stop it. Increase more and more. Your country will be happy, and the whole world will be happy.
General Lectures
Then why we chant Hare Kṛṣṇa? Because we are following the footprints of Lord Caitanya, and He chanted this holy name, we are chanting. So we shall request you most humbly that it is..., there is no loss on your part, but the gain is immense. If you take to this chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, then gradually your misconception of this life will be cleared off. You will understand your real identity and you will act in that way. And the technology is so nice that you may remain in your business, that doesn't matter. Simply you have to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Suppose you are walking on the street. If you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, nobody is taxing you, nobody is bothering you. But if by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, if you derive some benefit, why do you neglect it? That is our submission. So this movement is for making solution of the problems of life, and it can be easily done. And anyone can accept it. It doesn't matter whether he is Indian or American or Hindu or Muslim or Christian.
If you take to this movement, it is very simple. Just like our president, Brahmānanda, explained to you, that it is simply sixteen words: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. Simply to chant these sixteen words. We are simply requesting you to chant these sixteen words. There is no loss on your part, but there is immense gain. Why don't you make an experiment? It is not very difficult. These American boys, they are also chanting. Similarly, although it is written in Sanskrit words symbolically, but it is vibration. It is transcendental vibration. If you take to this vibration, then we become directly in touch with the Supreme Lord. That makes us purified. Just like if you go to the fire you become warm, similarly, if you be directly in touch with the Supreme Spirit, then our purification begins. So if you take to this movement, if you chant this Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, then this impure consciousness will be purified and you will know what you are.
"First of all make your life successful." You cannot distribute this transcendental message without making your life successful. Janma sārthaka kari. That means persons who are born in India, they have got the facility for making life successful. How? Because there is immense treasure-house of transcendental knowledge in India. It is known to everyone, in every part of the world. Unfortunately, we Indians, we do not know the value of our spiritual treasure-house. I have got one German Godbrother. He was formerly known as Mr. Hans Sulyea(?). He is now Sadānanda Swami. He is living in Sweden. And one of his disciples, Vāmana-datta... What is his German name?
This is the real purport. We chant this, that we are trying to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Govinda. Yasyājñayā bhramati sambhṛta-kāla-cakro. There are so many verses of this govindam ādi-puruṣam, the Brahma-saṁhitā. And Bhagavad-gītā also, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam also. So there is immense knowledge of understanding. It is a great science, science of God. So if anyone is interested about understanding the science of God, then he should take seriously this movement of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Now one may question, "Why should I be interested to understand the science of God? Why not to understand the science of so many material things? Why one should be..." No. This is the necessity. That is the Vedānta's injunction. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. This is the opportunity. This human form of life is the opportunity to understand the science of the Absolute. Either you say God or Absolute Truth or the Supersoul, the same thing. But this life is meant for understanding.
We have got volumes of books. I have translated six books, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and one book, Teachings of Lord Caitanya, one book, Bhagavad-gītā As It Is. Some of the books are there. You can see. So there are so many books, immense knowledge. So it is not very costly. We charging very low price, just to printing charges. If somebody wants to purchase, we have got our magazine, monthly magazine, Back to Godhead. But if one does not pay, the same thing we are repeating daily in our meeting. Also he can come and hear. God has given him the ear, and he can learn. So there is no cost. There is no official cost. (reading:) "How much does this course of study cost?" We don't charge anything.
(reading:) "What should one know about Kṛṣṇa consciousness? Is it something mystical?" No mystical. No bluffing. You are part and parcel of God. Who can deny it?
They give the magnitude of the living entity. They have different forms of body. How they are evolving one after another—everything is there. It is not a new thing. But people are giving stress only to the Darwin's theory. But in the Vedic literature we have got immense information of this living condition in this material world.
So apart from that, here it is said, deha-bhājām. Deha-bhājām means "those who have accepted this material body." That means there are some, not some... There are many who have not accepted this material body. But they have no experience who has not accepted this material body, in this material world. That is there in the spiritual world. These living entities, innumerable living entities in so many universes in the material world or material universe or material nature, they are only fractional portion of all living entities. Only a fractional portion. Because they are condemned.
It doesn't require a secluded place, a sanctified place, or so many rules and regulations. Anywhere you can chant. While you are walking on the street, you can chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. You are in meditation. While you are working, you can chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Nobody is going to tax you; nobody is going to bother you. You have no loss, but the gain is immense. So this Hare Kṛṣṇa movement is started, and it is easy, it is prescribed. If you at all want to get some spiritual benefit, you try to follow this prescribed method. Just like if you want at all to be cured, you must take the prescription of an experienced physician. Don't take any prescription who is a quack. If you take proper treatment, if you follow the instruction, then you be sure that you get the result out of it.
And similarly, the whole creation, material and spiritual creation, they are manifestation of the energy of the Supreme Lord. Just like the sunshine is the energy of the sun globe, similarly, there is a supreme planet which is called Kṛṣṇaloka, or Goloka. These things are mentioned in the Vedic literature, Brahma-sūtra, Brahma-saṁhitā. If you want, you can read them. There is immense literature for this information. So we are praying to the energy of the Supreme Lord and the Supreme Lord, "Please pick me up. Please pick me up. I am in this transcend..., the bodily concept of life. I am in this material existence. I am suffering. Please pick me up to the spiritual platform so that I will be happy." Because, as I explained just a minute before, brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā: (BG 18.54) as soon as you come to the transcendental platform, you become joyful, happy. Joy... That is the sign. It is not that simply you say that "I am in the transcendental meditation. I am a..." No. Actually you have to become happy. How you have to become happy? Na śocati na kāṅkṣati.
He says that "Whatever I possess." First thing his mind, mānasa. Just like Ambarīṣa Mahārāja. First of all we have to give our mind to Kṛṣṇa because mind is the creative force by which we become entangled. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that mind is the enemy or mind is the friend. If you can create your mind your friend, then there is immense profit Kṛṣṇa conscious. And if you create your mind enemy, the mind will drag you in so many things, you will forget your duty and responsibility of human life. Therefore yoga system, practicing yoga means controlling the mind. Controlling the mind. But the easiest process of yoga system is that you simply think of Kṛṣṇa always, then the perfection of yoga.
They take it as chance. There is no question of chance. There is no question of chance. When you become perplexed, you want to do something, Kṛṣṇa gives you the opportunity: "All right, do it like this." That is His mercy.
There is no question of chance. There is nothing like chance. This is foolish proposition. Everything... Just like this flower is coming. So there is immense manufacturing process. Suppose if you want to manufacture a flower like this, you have to secure so many things—the color, the ingredient, the paper, the brush, so many. Still, you cannot do like this. So if your nonsense, artificial flower takes so many instrumental assistance, brain, how do you think that this has come automatically? There is brain. It is not chance. You have no eyes to see. Therefore you call "chance." But a devotee, he sees. He does not see this flower; He sees the hand of Kṛṣṇa, how He is preparing, how He is preparing, Kṛṣṇa.
We are indebted to him. This is responsibility. Suppose if you take electricity, light, you are responsible for paying the bill. Similarly, you are taking so much advantage of the sunlight. You are also obliged to pay the debts, repay the debts. Deva ṛṣi. Ṛṣi means those who have given us the Vedic literature. Just like Nārada Muni, Vyāsadeva, they have given us... Vyāsadeva given us immense literature. Immense literature. He has written Mahābhārata. He has written the eighteen purāṇas. One of the purāṇas is the Bhāgavata Purāṇa. And he has written the Upaniṣads. Then he has compiled the Vedānta-sūtra. And each and every book, there are innumerable verses. In Mahābhārata there are 100,000's of verses. In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, 18,000 verses. And if you study one verse, it will take at least one week to understand. So grave thoughts. So therefore, we are reading all these Vedic literatures. Certainly, we are indebted to them.
The yogis, they sit down in one place and immediately transferred in another place. They take a dip in some river nearby here and they can get up in some river in India. They dip here and they rise there. These are yogic powers.
So we have got immense independence, but we are now conditioned by this body. Therefore in the human form of life it is an opportunity to get back our original independence. That is called Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Freedom. When we have got our spiritual body, without being covered by this material body... We have got our spiritual body within this material body. Very small. That is my real identification. Now I'm covered by two kinds of material bodies. One is called subtle body and the other is called gross body. The subtle body is made of mind, intelligence and ego, false ego, and the gross body is made of earth, water, fire, air and ether mixed together, this body. So two kinds of body we have got. And we are changing.
So for eating, sleeping, mating and defending, there is no need of education. Education means athāto brahma jijñāsā. That is education. How to know the Supreme Absolute Truth—that is education. But the university, they are educating people how to eat, how to sleep. Eh? They are manufacturing so many eatables, different types of eatables, although God has given immense foodstuffs for human society. Just like these fruits, they are made for human beings. They are not eatables for the cats and dogs. They are meant for human beings. So eko bahūnāṁ yo vidadhāti kāmān. Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, has supplied, He is supplying immense foodstuffs for all living entities. Tena tyaktena bhuñjīthā (ISO 1). But there is allotment for the pig—the foodstuff is stool—and for the human being, the foodstuff—fruits, flowers, foodgrains, milk, sugar. So as God has allotted, you use that for your eating. Eating is required. Then your life is successful. Tena tyaktena bhuñjīthā. Do not try to imitate others. Do not try to imitate the hog and the pig to eat stool.
We are not manufacturing anything by fertile brain. Everything is there in the Bhagavad-gītā. And we are presenting Bhagavad-gītā as it is, preaching the Bhagavad-gītā as it is. The Bhāgavata is also further explanation of Bhagavad-gītā, Vedānta-sūtra explanation.
So we have got immense literature. We have already published more than twenty books. If you want to understand the Absolute Truth by philosophy, by science, there are books. Otherwise, the easy method is chant Hare Kṛṣṇa: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. So God has given you the tongue, and it doesn't matter whether you are Indian or American or Englishman, German or African. Everyone can chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. That is actually being done. In Africa they are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. In Australia they are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. In Europe they are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. In Asia they are accustomed to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra.
So I will try to explain some of the verses from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. The Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is considered to be the essence of Vedic literature. Vedic literature means the four Vedas: Sāma, Yajur, Ṛg, Atharva, then Upaniṣad, 108 Upaniṣad, and eighteen Purāṇas, Rāmāyaṇa, Mahābhārata. It is an immense treasure-house of literature. So this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is one of the eighteen Purāṇas, and in this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam there are eighteen thousand verses. So I am just trying to explain one or two verses.
The Father Greene hinted the common platform of religion. Common platform is not very difficult to understand because religion means to know God and abide by the orders of God. That is religion. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is stated that dharmaṁ tu sākṣāt bhagavat-praṇītam. The... Religious system cannot be manufactured by man. No. Man-made religion is not religion. Religion means God-made religion.
We are sons of God. Let us enjoy God's property. The son has got right to use. But I should not encroach upon your property or my property, but everything belongs to... Just like in a family. Everything belongs to the father, and the children, whatever father gives, you eat and live peacefully. Similarly, there is immense prospect for produce food for the whole human race on this globe, earthly planet. But because somebody is encroaching God's property—"This is mine, sir. You cannot come here"—there is trouble. Otherwise... Just like your Australia. So much land, but you won't allow anybody to come. It is yours. Africa: so much land vacant. And "No, you cannot come. It is mine." And nobody is thinking that "It is God's and we are children of God. Let us produce." If we actually utilize the whole land of this earthly planet, we can produce ten times the necessity of the whole population. Where is the question of scarcity? But that understanding we haven't got.
Yes. God loves you so much that He sends His son to convince you, "Please come to Me." God Himself comes, Kṛṣṇa: "Please come to Me." And what we are doing, servant of God? We are requesting only, "Please be God conscious." So God's propaganda is going on in so many ways to recall all these, I mean to say, bewildered sons of God, those who have forgotten. Naturally... Just like the father. He loves the son more than the son loves the father. Because as father, if one son has gone out of home, madness, he wants to live independently of the father, so he may think like that, crazy. But father, he says that "This rascal has gone. Some way or other, bring him. Let him live peacefully here. I have got immense property. Why he goes outside to live independently?" So that is his mistake, the son's mistake. The father is always anxious to get the son back to home, back to Godhead.
So this is the verdict of all ācāryas. So our point is that this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is nothing like manufactured religious principle. No. It is authorized. There is great background, all these, supported by all the ācāryas and summarized by Caitanya Mahāprabhu. And we have got immense literature to support this philosophy of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. But anyone who is reasonable, they will accept this philosophy of Kṛṣṇa consciousness as very simple. And it is actually very simple, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66), to surrender unto Kṛṣṇa. And if you cannot surrender immediately, then... These things are explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. Caitanya Mahāprabhu has given you the easiest process, that you simply chant Kṛṣṇa's name, Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare, Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare. Then everything automatically will develop.
You can see that before me many Indians came in this Western world. They also preached about this Kṛṣṇa message or Bhagavad-gītā. Great scholars came. But you have to admit that before this, the Westerners never accepted this principle of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, because they could not deliver as it is. Now they are accepting. And there is immense potency. I have studied. There is immense potency of accepting. They are actually looking after this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the Western people. The other day I was talking with our Indian high commissioner. He also happens to be very nice, learned man. He said that "Swamiji, yes, they are looking after, like this." So, so far material advancement is concerned, they have seen enough of it. Therefore, these youngsters, they are no more interested in the material advancement. They have tasted it.
Philosophy Discussions
Prabhupāda: Therefore brāhmaṇas are called śukla. Brāhmaṇas are fair complexioned. Still it is said if a brāhmaṇa is black, then he is not a real brāhmaṇa born. Kalu-ban means black man. Black brāhmaṇa is to be understood that his father is not real brāhmaṇa. He is born of somebody else, but he is known as brāhmaṇa. Similarly a śūdra, if he is fair-complected, he is also not real. Kalba kata śūdra bete mussulman. Muslim, if he is a dwarf, he is not real Muslim, because Muslims from Afghanistan are very tall. And kaṅki chale, the son of a prostitute, and puṣṭi putra, adopted son, all of them are rascals. Puṣṭi putra, adopted son, he gets money because a rich man, when he hasn't got a son, he takes somebody else, adopted son, and he gets money for nothing and spends like anything. We have seen it in London. One Mr. Sil, he got immense money, and he died a penniless street beggar. And he was an adopted son. I have seen it. His only business was how to spoil his adopted father's money. And we have seen, he was such a rich man, died a street beggar. This I have seen.
Hayagrīva: He says, "All the new discoveries in astronomy which prove the immense grandeur and magnificence of the works of nature are so many additional arguments for a Deity according to the true system of theism," that is his natural, what he calls natural religion. In this way Hume rejects the necessity or desirability of miracles as well as the conception of a God transcendental to his creation. He says it's not the being of God that is in question but God's nature. This nature cannot be ascertained through study of the universe itself. However, if the universe can only be studied by imperfect senses, what is the value of our conclusion? How can we ever come to know the nature of God?
Prabhupāda: Nature of God, it can be explained by God Himself. That is our Vedic process. We know who is God, and He explains, "My nature is this." Just like He says, "I am the greatest principle," mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat (BG 7.7). "There is no more higher principle than Me." This is fact. If something is greater than God, then how one can become God? That is not possible. So greatest means He is great in everything. He is great in richness, He is great in reputation, He is great in influence, He is great in bodily power, He is great in beauty and He is great in renunciation. If we can find out somebody that He tallies with this greatness, then He is God. So that we find in Kṛṣṇa; therefore Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Lord, and what He says in the Bhagavad-gītā we accept as fact. And if we analyze His statements intelligently, pruriently, then we will find that what Kṛṣṇa says, that is fact.
Hayagrīva: Three, he speaks of, "An immense elation, or happiness, and freedom as the outlines of the confining selfhood melt down."
Prabhupāda: Yes. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ (BG 18.66). This material selfishness is māyā. Actually that is not selfishness. Real selfishness is to know the relationship with God. But persons who are engrossed with the spell of māyā, illusory energy, they do not know that. Mostly, 99.9%, they have vague idea of God, and how they will know the relationship? So, so that our actual business, first business is to have complete idea, complete sense of God and our relationship. That is the business of human life. Therefore in the Vedic process, the real business is realize God. Either you take yoga system or jñāna system, and bhakti is cent percent simply realization of God. That is the business of human life. He hasn't got to do any other thing. That is practical understanding of God. A perfect human being knows that "My necessities of life is supplied by God, so I have no business to improve the economic condition." That cannot be done also. Nobody is going to be very rich, all of them. According to the destiny he gets his position. So one who is self-realized, he does not want to improve the material condition of life, but he wants to improve the spiritual conception of life. That is human life.
Hayagrīva: He uses this metaphor. He writes, "The human body has unity because its various members are all made for specific functions in it, and it is bounded by a single soul. In the same way, it seems to me, the whole immense, gigantic world should be regarded as one being kept alive by God's power and logos, as by a single soul."
Prabhupāda: But single soul is created, he says. But that single soul, his spiritual identity is never created. That is the difference between matter and spirit. Anything material, that is created. Spiritual is never created.
Hayagrīva: At the same time...
Prabhupāda: (aside:) You go and wash your face with water, running.
| Page Title: | Immense (Lectures) |
| Compiler: | Mayapur, RupaManjari |
| Created: | 03 of Oct, 2011 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=97, Con=0, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 97 |