Now we have got this human form of body, progressing from the lowest species of life in aquatics, then trees, plants, insects, birds, beasts, 8,400,000... Now I have got this civilized form of body. Then, the, my endeavor should be how to make further progress. The further progress is described in the Bhagavad-gītā, that you can go to the higher planetary system. Ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthāḥ (BG 14.18). Ūrdhvam, higher planetary system. Madhye tiṣṭhanti rājasaḥ. Madhye, in the middle planetary system, those who are contaminated with the passion quality, they remain. And jaghanya-guṇa-vṛtti-sthā adho gacchanti tāmasaḥ. And those who are miscreants, jaghanya-guṇa-vṛtti-sthāḥ, most hatefully accustomed, these hatefully accustomed, illicit sex, meat-eating, gambling, intoxication... These are habits of hateful nature. So jaghanya-guṇa-vṛtti-sthāḥ adho gacchanti tāmasaḥ, they go down.
In the middle (Lectures)
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
To part. This parting, this parting is also... There is some meaning. When the parting is here, in the middle, then that girl has her husband and she is coming from respectable family. And if the, I mean to say, partition is here, then she is a prostitute. You see? A prostitute cannot... There was king's ruling that a prostitute cannot (laughs) part here. And then again, when a girl is well dressed, it should be considered that she has got her husband at home. And when she is not well dressed, then it should be understood that her husband is out of home. You see? And a widow's dress... There are so many. There are symptoms. So similarly, this thread, sacred thread, is a sign that this person has accepted somebody as his spiritual master. He has got his... Just like this red mark symbolizes that "This girl has her husband," similarly, this sacred thread is the symbol that "This man has got his spiritual master." So there is a ceremony. You see? So according to Vedic system, one has to accept a spiritual master in order to make a solution of his life. In every step of his life the spiritual master guides him. He also makes question to the spiritual master and he guides him so that he will, his life, his progress of life, may be systematic.
So the process of hearing is very important. So our this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to propagate that "You hear from the authority, Kṛṣṇa." Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It is accepted in the present age and in the past age. In the past age, great sages like Nārada, Vyāsa, Asita, Devala, very, very great stalwart scholars and sages, they accepted. In the Middle Age, say 1,500 years ago, all the ācāryas like Śaṅkarācārya, Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, Nimbārka... Practically, Indian Vedic civilization, it is still existing on the authority of these ācāryas. And it is recommended in the Bhagavad-gītā: ācāryopāsanam. If you want to learn factually things, then you should approach ācārya. Ācāryavān puruṣo veda, "One who has accepted ācārya, he knows things as they are." Ācāryavān puruṣo veda.
Varieties of body, varieties of position, is due... Just like the same example: The poor man has got only rickshaw, and the rich man has got a Rolls Royce car because he has paid more. Similarly, if your work is nice, then you are promoted, promoted to higher standard of life, just like in the heaven—ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ—or in the Brahma-loka. But your, if your work is sinful and abominable, then you are degraded to cats and dogs. Ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthāḥ (BG 14.18). Those who are advanced in the... Because here everything is quality, everything. You go to purchase anything in the market; you will see the quality—first quality, second quality, third quality. Similarly, all living entities, all souls, they have got qualitative body. Qualitative body. So the first quality body you can get in the higher planetary system. The second quality of body means you have to remain in the middle planetary system. And the third quality body, you go down. Or... "Go down" means you become animals, trees, insects, birds, beasts, like that. This is going on.
Prabhupāda: ...believing in the existence of soul. So soul is eternal. So there is nothing, no cause for lamentation, because soul will remain. Even the body is destroyed, there is no cause for lamentation. And those who do not believe that "There is no soul; everything was void in the beginning,..." So in the beginning there was void and in the middle it is manifested. Then again it is void. So void to void, where there is lamentation? This is the argument Kṛṣṇa is giving. Both ways you cannot lament. Then?
Pradyumna: (purport) "Yet even if, for argument's sake, we accept the atheistic theory, there is still no cause for lamentation. Apart from the separate existence of the soul, the material elements remain unmanifested before creation. From this subtle state of unmanifestation comes manifestation. Just as from ether, air is generated; from air, fire is generated; from fire, water is generated; and from water, earth becomes manifested. From the earth, many varieties of manifestations..."
Prabhupāda: This is the process of creation. From ether, then sky, then air, then fire, then water, then earth. This is the process of creation. Yes.
Pradyumna: "Take for example a big skyscraper manifested from the earth. When it is dismantled, the manifestation becomes again unmanifested and remains as atoms in the ultimate stage. The law of conservation of energy remains, but in course of time things are manifested and unmanifested. That is the difference. Then what cause is there for lamentation either in the stage of manifestation or unmanifestation? Somehow or other, even in the unmanifested stage, things are not lost. Both in the beginning and at the end all elements remain unmanifested, and only in the middle are they manifested, and this does not make any real material difference. And if we accept the Vedic conclusion as stated in the Bhagavad-gītā (antavanta ime dehāḥ) that these material bodies are perishable in due course of time (nityasyoktāḥ śarīriṇaḥ) but that soul is eternal, then we must remember always that the body is like a dress. Therefore why lament the changing of a dress? The material body has no factual existence in relation to the eternal soul. It is something like a dream. In a dream we may think of flying in the sky or sitting on a chariot as a king, but when we wake up we can see that we are neither in the sky nor seated on the chariot. The Vedic wisdom encourages self-realization and the basis of the nonexistence of the material body. Therefore in either case, whether one believes in the existence of the soul or one does not believe in the existence of the soul, there is no cause for lamentation for loss of the body."
Prabhupāda: One point in this connection is that at night when I am dreaming I forget this body. This body, in dream, I am seeing that I have gone in a different place, talking with different men, and my position is different. But at that time I don't remember that actually my body is lying on the bed in the apartment where I have come. But we don't remember this body. It is everyone's experience. Similarly, when you come again, awakening stage in the morning after getting up from the bed, I forget all the bodies I created in my dream. So which one is correct? This is correct? This body's correct, or that body's correct? Because at night I forget this body, and in daytime I forget the other dreaming body. So both of them not correct. It is simply hallucination. But I am correct because I see at night, I see in daytime.
There is another very good example. Of course, that is not in your experience, but it is in our India we have got experience that on the riverside the boatman drags the boat with a rope. Have you got any experience like that here, in America? I don't think you have got. The boat is in the middle, middle of the river, and there is a big log in the middle of the boat, and that log is tied with a rope, and that rope is, I mean to say, snatched by the boatman, and the boat goes in the middle of the river. Now, while passing on the bank of the river, there are so many things which pains his, I mean to say, sole. So he is thinking that "When I shall be very rich man, then I shall cover this bank of the river with, I mean to say, soft pillows so that when I shall go by the pillows, dragging this boat, I shall have no pain." Now, our position is like that, that the foolish boatman, thinking that "When I shall be very rich man, still I shall be pulling on this business." He does not know that "If I at all become rich man, then where is the necessity of my pulling this boat in this way?" So similarly, we want to be happy in the same way, that "When I shall be able to cover the whole world with cushions and soft pillows to travel over it, then I shall have no pain of working like this." You see? This is our plan.
And in the middle of Mahābhārata, Bhīṣma-parva, this Bhagavad-gītā is inserted. Not inserted. Practically, in the battlefield of Mahābhārata this Bhagavad-gītā was spoken. And it is... You will be surprised. In those days television was in the heart, television. This, I mean to say, Battlefield of Kurukṣetra was television in the heart of Sañjaya. Dhṛtarāṣṭra, the father of one party, Duryodhana, and his secretary, Sañjaya, were sitting in the room, and they were discussing what happened after this. Just like you get television or radio message in the football ground what is going on by sound and picture, so the same thing was being reflected in his heart and he was in the room. He was explaining the activities of the battlefield. This is the story, like that. Sañjaya uvāca. Dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca.
And the leaders who are leading them in that way, what sort of leader they are? Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ (SB 7.5.31). Andha, just like a blind man. Sometimes you see a blind man is in this side of the street. He is asking somebody, "Kindly take me to the other side." But if another blind man comes, "All right, I will help you." So what he will help him? The man who wants help to go to the other side, he is seeking for help, and another blind man comes, "All right, I shall help you." So that help is that in the middle of the street they will be smashed. Both of them will be smashed. So similarly, our leadership is like that. Our leaders, they are compact by the laws of nature, and they are proclaiming that "I am leader."
Just like in India or... The late Prime Minister, Shastri, oh, he was leader. He went to, I mean to say, Russia for making compromise with Pakistan. But he did not know that while signing the peace agreement he would be expired. Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānās te 'pīśa-tantryām uru-dāmni baddhāḥ: (SB 7.5.31) "They are tied hand and feet by the laws of nature; still, they are claiming that 'I am the leader.' "
We are going to that path gradually, going to that path gradually, but in the middle, we are hampered because there is want of sufficient knowledge. When sufficient knowledge is there... You'll find in the Bhagavad-gītā. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate: (BG 7.19) "After many, many births, when one is developed in his real consciousness, he can understand." What? What he understands? Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ: (BG 7.19) "That Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme. He is all in all, so I have to surrender unto Him." That is the perfection of knowledge. This stage one has to reach. Never mind whether he is following a principle of philosophical research, whether he is following the yogic principle, or whether he is following philanthropic work or political leadership or... So many things are going on, but the whole thing is targeted toward Kṛṣṇa. How it is targeted? That is explained. I shall try to explain.
How do you know? Ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthāḥ (BG 14.18). If you act just like a qualified brāhmaṇa, sattva-sthā, sattva-sthā means brāhmaṇa—then you get your promotion in the higher planetary system ūrdhvam. Ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthāḥ. If you act like a brāhmaṇa, then get your promotion to the higher planetary system, Janaloka, Maharloka, Tapoloka, Brahmaloka, Siddhaloka. There are so many planets. The people do not know. There is no such education. But we have got this knowledge from the Vedic literature. Ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthā madhye tiṣṭhanti rājasāḥ (BG 14.18). If you have got the qualification of rajo-guṇa, creative energy, then you remain in the middle planetary system, Bhūr, Bhuvaḥ, Svaḥ. Those who are brāhmaṇas know gāyatrī-mantra, oṁ bhūr bhuvaḥ svaḥ.
Just like I was a child, you were a child, but that we have forgotten. But that does not mean I did not have. Similarly, in the past I had a body, in the present I have got a body, so why not in the future? This is common sense. In future you must have a body. Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). Kṛṣṇa says, authority. I may say, "There is no body," but Kṛṣṇa says, "There is body." And how this body is manufactured? Karmaṇā, by your work. If you work foolishly in the tamo-guṇa, then you get the body of ignorance, ugly body, abominable body, poor body, without any education, without any knowledge. These things are there. And if you work sattva-guṇa, then you get better body. And rajo-guṇa, then in the middle-class body. These are stated in the śāstra. You have to accept it.
So we have been discussing Bhagavad-gītā. In Second Chapter, the Lord has very elaborately explained the constitutional position of the living entity, and the whole first portion of the Six Chapter. The Bhagavad-gītā is divided into three portions. The first six chapter, the second six chapters and the third six chapters. Actually just like this book, there are two hard covers, and in the middle there is the substance, writing. So the first six chapters, they are just like two coverings. Karma-yoga and jñāna-yoga. And the middle six chapters, well-protected, that is bhakti-yoga. So at the end of the first six chapters, Kṛṣṇa concludes the yoga system.
There are higher planetary system; there are lower planetary system; there are middle planetary system. Therefore it is called tri-loka, three worlds. So we living entities, according to our different desires and different activities, we are being promoted to the higher, to the lower, or keeping ourself in the middle. This is going on perpetually. But we are not getting information what is the aim of life. Therefore śāstra says that we have traveled so many times—not only once—life after life, in so many forms of life, in so many different planets. But still, we haven't got the information what is the aim of life. We are simply changing one body to another and searching after something, happiness. But we have not received it. Simply we are wandering. So in this human form of life we should try to achieve that thing which we did not get, wandering so many times throughout the whole universe. Tasyaiva hetoḥ prayateta kovido na labhyate yad bhramatām upary adhaḥ (SB 1.5.18).
So Kṛṣṇa says, "Yes, you are trying to enter into the moon planet, or any other planet. That's all right. But you must remember..." What is that? Ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna (BG 8.16). Ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ. This, this universe of... They... The universe is divided into fourteen divisions of planetary system, fourteen divisions. We are just in the middle planetary system. There are fourteen. Caturdaśa-bhuvana. There are seven down and seven up. We are in the middle. So Kṛṣṇa says that ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ: "Oh, what to speak of moon planet or sun planet or Venus, if you even enter into the highest planet, which is called Brahmaloka, still, there is birth and death, punar āvartinaḥ, repetition of birth and death, repetition of birth and death." Punar āvartinaḥ means just like I have got this body. Now, say, I'll live eighty years.
We are all children of Kṛṣṇa. Many places in the Bhagavad-gītā it is stated. Aham bīja-pradaḥ pitā: (BG 14.4) "I am the seed-giving father of all living entities, in any form," sarva-yoniṣu. There are 8,400,000 forms. In water, on land, on the sky, so many different forms of living entities. Mṛti-ja(?). Deva-tiryaṅ-narādiṣu (SB 1.2.34). Deva means in the upper worlds there are demigods. In the middle we human beings, and lower than this, the animals. So we are in different forms of life. Soul is one—that is part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa—but according to karma, according to desire for material enjoyment, we have taken different dresses, and we are wandering all over the universe, according to our karma. Sometimes we are becoming demigods, sometimes we are becoming dogs—according to karma.
The best form of human life, the Aryans... Aryans. Aryans means those who are advanced. So the Aryan family, the history of Aryan family... From Central Asia, Caucasian ranges, they divided, the Indo-Aryans, Indo-Europeans. This is the history of mankind. So the Europeans, they belong to the Indo-Europeans, and some of the Europeans, not the uncivilized, the civilized, they came from that side, eastern side, when there was a threatening by Paraśurāma to kill the kṣatriyas. So most of the kṣatriyas, they came to Europe, and some of them settled in the middle, the border of Europe and Asia, Turkey, Greece. There is a big history, Mahābhārata. Mahābhārata means the greater history of India. So on the whole, the conclusion is that the Aryans spread in Europe also, and the Americans, they also spread from Europe. So the intelligent class of human being, they belong to the Aryans, Aryan family. Just like Hitler claimed that he belonged to the Aryan family. Of course, they belonged to the Aryan families.
Prabhupāda: Hitler or anyone, if he does not take advantage of this human form of life for going back to home, back to Godhead, he'll be put into again in the cycle of birth, maybe different forms of body.
Guest (1): I have another question. You were talking about the planets, the planetary systems. The planets in our solar system, are they in the middle planetary systems or the lower planetary systems?
Prabhupāda: What is the question about planetary system?
Gurukṛpā: This planet, where is it situated in the planetary system.
Prabhupāda: You cannot understand it? The whole planetary system is just like a big tree, and there are many fruits. So here, this planet is one of the fruits of the planetary system.
We see. Everything material, that has got a beginning, date of birth and date of death. And there are, in the middle, between the birth and death, there is disease and old age, deterioration. Old age means deterioration. Just like this body. When I was young man, child, I was also jumping. Now I have to go with a stick. The deterioration... This is called de... Deterioration. Deterioration means now it is coming to be finished.
Why Caitanya Mahāprabhu denied these social orders? Because He was to give immediately benefit to the fallen souls of this age. So He denied this system, not that He decried this system, but He knew that this system cannot be introduced strictly at the present moment in this age. So in this way, gradually, he presented jñāna-miśra-bhakti, devotional service with knowledge, renouncement of this material connection. In every step, Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, "Oh, this is not suitable. This is not suitable." Then at last... Not at last, in the middle, Rāmānanda Rāya suggested that jñāne prayāsam udapāsya namanta eva: "One should give up the false knowledge, false knowledge that 'I am God. I am God.' " This is false knowledge. So when this was recommended by Rāmānanda Rāya to Caitanya, that "One should give up this false knowledge..." Jñāne prayāsam udapāsya namanta eva. "One should be very meek and humble," namanta eva jīvanti, "and in that way if he lives," san-mukharitāṁ bhavadīya-vārtām, "and tries to receive knowledge from really self-realized persons..." The motto of life. He is describing the motto of life, that "One should not be falsely proud, one should be very much meek and humble, and try to receive knowledge from self-realized persons.
So to understand this knowledge one has to approach ācārya. Ācārya means one who knows the purpose of Vedic literature, śāstra. Āśṛṇoti yaḥ śāstram. And practices and teaches his disciple. He knows. Ācārya means knows. One who knows the purpose of Vedic literature, he practices in his life, and he teaches his disciple. He is called ācārya. So ācārya upāsanam. Before worshiping the Lord... Just like here Kṛṣṇa said in the beginning, ācāryopāsanam, and in the middle he says, mayi cānanya-yogena bhaktir avyabhicāriṇī. So before engaging yourself in devotional service to the Lord, you must first of all worship ācārya, ācāryopāsanam. One cannot become a devotee personally. Just like some rascals say, "What is the use of accepting guru?" Of course, they have got very bad experience.
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
What is that dharmasya glāniḥ. When people forget how to love God, that is dharmasya glāniḥ? Not that other. So He comes to teach, and ultimately He teaches... In the middle He also teaches, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). This is God's teaching, that "You simply think of God." Man-manāḥ. Mad-bhaktaḥ, "Become devotee of God, worship God." Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). You are coming here. Here is God. You are offering obeisances. It will go to your credit. Yes. This is called ajñāta-sukṛti. Those who are coming here, taking part in this ārātrika ceremony, dancing or offering some respect, everything goes to your credit. Everything will go to your credit. In this way... Just like if you make bank balance, one rupee, one rupee, one rupee, sometimes you will see, "It is now 100,000 rupees." Similarly, we are giving chance all over the world, opening this Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa temple, giving them chance to chant the glories of the Lord. That means it is going to their credit.
So if you are working in tamo-guṇa, then you are preparing a body of tamo-guṇa. If you are working rajo-guṇa, then you are preparing a body for rajo-guṇa. Similarly, sattva-guṇa. Everything is described in the Bhagavad-gītā. What is the different result? Ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthāḥ. Those who are working in sattva-guṇa, they will go to the higher planetary systems. There are Janaloka, Maharloka, Tapoloka, Brahmaloka, Satyaloka, Siddhaloka. You'll go there. Ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthā madhye tiṣṭhanti rājasāḥ (BG 14.18). And if you want to remain in the middle planetary system, then that is rajo-guṇa. And jaghanya-guṇa-vṛtti-sthā adho gacchanti tāmasāḥ. And those who are working in tamo-guṇa, jaghanya, most abominable behavior, they will go to the animal kingdom or the lower planetary system. This is the process. As you are contaminating, kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya sad-asad-janma-yoniṣu (BG 13.22). Sat and asat-janma. Why there are so many varieties of life? Cats, dogs, trees, aquatics, birds, beasts, human beings, demigods, civilized, uncivilized, so many. Why there are so many varieties? kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya. As he is associating with different types of qualities, he is getting a different types of body. This is going on.
So Kṛṣṇa knows past, present and future. Kṛṣṇa does not mean alone. Kṛṣṇa means there is another kingdom. Just like when we speak of a king, it means the king is not alone. There is queen, there is palace, there is bodyguard, there is secretary, there is commander in chief, so many things. Just like in England, there is Queen Elizabeth. It does not mean that Queen Elizabeth is alone. She has got so many paraphernalia. Similarly, when we speak of Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa means His name, His form, His quality, His activities, His pastimes, His friends, His mother, His father, His cowherd, cows, His Vṛndāvana... So many things. That is another variety. And here this material world, this variety, this variety is imitation of that variety. And that variety is eternal. This variety is created, maintained and destroyed. But in the middle, the point, Kṛṣṇa, He is ever-existing.
Upendra: "This part of the spiritual sky, called the mahat-tattva, is only an insignificant portion of the whole spiritual sky, and within this mahat-tattva there are innumerable universes. All these universes collectively is produced by the Kāraṇārṇavaśāyī Viṣṇu called also the Mahā-Viṣṇu who simply throws His glance only to impregnate the material sky to manifest." Text 2. Translation: "Another plenary part of the puruṣa is lying down within the water of the universe from the navel lake of His body which has sprouted the lotus stem (which is the body of the universe) and on the top, from the lotus flower Brahmā the master of all engineers of the universe, is generated." Purport: "The First puruṣa is the Kāraṇodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. From the skinholes of Him innumerable universes have sprung up. In each and every one of them the puruṣa enters as the Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. He is lying in half portion of the universe full with water of His body. And from the navel of Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu has sprung up the stem of the lotus flower the birth place of Brahmā who is the father of all living beings and the master of all the demigod engineers engaged in the matter of perfect design and working of the universal order. Within the stem of the lotus there are fourteen divisions of planetary system and the earthly planets are situated in the middle. Upwards there are other better planetary systems and the topmost system is called Brahmaloka or the Satyaloka. Downwards the earthly planetary system there are seven downwards planetary systems domiciled by the asuras and similar other most materialistic living beings. From this Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu there is expansion of the Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu who is the collective Paramātmā of all living beings. He is called Hari and from Him all incarnations within the universe are expanded."
Prabhupāda: Yes. This Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu is the father of Brahmā who has created all these innumerable planets. And in one of the planets there is Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. In that planet the ocean is of milk. There are different kinds of ocean, as we get information from Vedic literature. As we have got here the ocean of water, similarly there is ocean of milk, there is ocean of oil, there is... Just like you have got oil within earth, similarly in those planets there are oil ocean, milk ocean. So there is one planet within this universe which has got ocean of milk. And in that milk ocean there is another Viṣṇu, who is called Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. Kṣīra means milk and udaka means water.
So this is the beginning of Kali-yuga. Only we have passed five thousand years, but the duration of Kali-yuga is 432,000's of years. So only we have passed five thousand years. In this way... This is called sandhyā, junction. I have already explained that junction means day and night. Day passing, night is coming, that is called junction. Morning passing, noon coming, that is another junction, meridian. So early in the morning and during sunset and in the middle, joining of noon, morning and noon, these are called tri-sandhyā. Tri means three. Three kinds of junction. So everyone has got this tri-sandhyā of his life. Just like in our life. When we were babies, children, that is the beginning. Say, up to fifteen years, sixteen years, that is one portion, sandhyā, junction. Then another junction, youthhood; then another junction, old age. This is the nature's way. There must be three periods of anything material.
Just like Mahābhārata. That's a great epic. But there are politics. So many politics, sociology, fight, this, that, but in the middle there is a little glories of God, Bhagavad-gītā. So the book is not full of the glories of the... Kṛṣṇa is there, but that is a partial representation. Now Nārada Muni says that "Not as sidelight. Completely you have to write one book simply glorifying the Supreme Lord. Then you'll be satisfied." Not sidelight. Completely. Bhavatānudita-prāyam (SB 1.5.8). Here it is said, parāvareśa... Anudita-prāyam, anukta-prāyam. A sidelight. People take... Just like, "All right, yes, we accept God. But we cannot devote our whole time for God. We shall go weekly once or fortnightly once, or one hour in a day, partial. Our business is another. We want to enjoy sense gratification, and we shall go to church or temple just to ask God to supply our ingredients of sense gratification: 'Oh God, give me this. Give me this. I am poor man. I am this. I am this.
According to Vedic information, there are fourteen different spheres of planetary system, seven down and seven up. So we are in the middle. This is called Bhūrloka. Above this, there is Bhuvarloka. Above that, there is Svargaloka, heavenly. The moon planet and similar other planets in the orbit, they are called Svargaloka. Bhūrloka, Bhuvarloka, Svargaloka. Then Janaloka. In Janaloka... Great saintly persons, after death, they go to Janaloka or Maharloka. Then there is Satyaloka, or Brahmaloka. In this way there are seven planetary spheres. Similarly, down also: Tala, Atala, Vitala, Talātala, Rasātala, Pātāla. They are also named, down, down, down, down. The lowest down planetary system is called Pātāla.
Therefore Deity worship, temple worship, essential for the common general people. Simply by their coming, visiting and doing something, they'll be pious. So... And other pious activities—to hear about Kṛṣṇa. The sound vibration. Even one does not understand what is spoken here, but Kṛṣṇa... Just like I am speaking in English. Those who cannot understand English, they do not understand what I am speaking. But in the middle I am talking of Kṛṣṇa. So that Kṛṣṇa hearing is sufficient: "Kṛṣṇa." My Guru Mahārāja, when some article was presented to see whether he approved for publication, he would simply say, or see, how many times he has uttered "Kṛṣṇa" and "Caitanya Mahāprabhu." That's all. If he has uttered in his writing "Kṛṣṇa," "Caitanya," like that, so if he hears that many times he has written—"That's all right. That's all right." It is so nice.
The culture is so nice, simply by the dress one will understand that "Here is a woman; her husband is not at home. Here is a woman; she is widow. Here is a woman; she is prostitute." In this way, there are. "Here is a woman, she is not married." By dress, one will understand. That vermillion sign means she is married. When she is nicely dressed, oh, she has her husband at home. When she is in white cloth without any ornament, she is widow. When the sīmanta... What is called in English, sīmanta? This? Parting. If it is not in the middle, it is in side, she is a prostitute. So woman should dress in such a way that man will understand. And not married, she will not have this veil. It must be open. So anyway, these are social customs in the Vedic civilization.
He says that "If I forget You and take by birth as Lord Brahmā, I don't want it. I don't want it." What is the use of taking a birth like Brahmā? "But I shall like to take my birth as even a small insignificant insect, where a devotee is there." This is the ambition of devotee. "I shall prefer to become an insect." Because there are different varieties of living entities, beginning from Brahmā down to the insect, insignificant. In the middle, there are so many varieties—aquatics, trees, plants, demigods, and men, human being. So many thing. So this is the end and one end to another. Ābrahma-bhuvanāl... Kīṭa-janma, insignificant ant, nobody cares for, and Brahmā is very important, supreme person within the... So Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura says that "I will not prefer a birth like Brahmā if I forget You. But I will prefer to become an insect if I remain with Your devotee." Because if one remains with a devotee, he will not forget Kṛṣṇa. That is the advantage. Just like when you go, people address you, "Hare Kṛṣṇa." Oh, it is very great benefit. Automatically they chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. We have seen it all over the world. And when I was going from London to Nairobi, we stopped at Athens, the dead of night. We are in the..., what is called? That transit room.
Even in this planet, you cannot enter any country without being permitted. How you can enter other planets? Simply by force? No, that is not possible. You have to qualify yourself. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Yānti deva-vratā devān (BG 9.25). A person can go to the planets of the demigods, devān. There are many demigods: Indra, Candra, Varuṇa, Vāyu. Brahmaloka, Prajāpatiloka, Siddhaloka—they are in the higher planetary systems. This is... We are now situated in the middle, Bhūrloka. It is called Bhūrloka. Above this, there is Bhuvarloka. Above that, Svarloka, Janaloka, Maharloka, Satyaloka, like that, ūrdhvaloka. They are higher planetary... Then middle. And then lower planetary system. Ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthāḥ. If you develop sattva-guṇa, the quality of goodness, then according to your degree of goodness, you get promoted to the higher planets. Ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthā madhye tiṣṭhanti rājasāḥ (BG 14.18). If you are in the passion modes, then you stay here in this middle planetary system. And jaghanya-guṇa-vṛtti-sthā adho gacchanti tāmasāḥ. Those who are in the most abominable condition of life, adho gacchanti, they go down. Not only the down planetary system, but even to the animal kingdom, the beasts, birds, trees, plants, aquatics. You have to go.
So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is that medicine by which you can conquer over death. Therefore this is the best medicine. Bhavauṣadhi. It is said in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, bhavauṣadhi. Nivṛtta-tarṣair upagīyamānāt... (aside:) You can stand on the wall, not in the middle. Nivṛtta-tarṣair upagīyamānād bhavauṣadhāt (SB 10.1.4). This word bhavauṣadhi means the panacea for all material diseases. Bhavauṣadhāc chrotra-mano-'bhirāmāt. Parīkṣit Mahārāja says that this chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, it is chanted by whom? Nivṛtta-tarṣaiḥ, one who has finished his hankering after material pleasure. Nivṛtti. Nivṛtti means finished, no more. There are two ways: pravṛtti and nivṛtti. I want to smoke—that is called pravṛtti. And when I give up, that is called nivṛtti. Pravṛtti and nivṛtti.
Ah, just see. So that is predicted, that the moral or religious principle will gradually diminish. With the progress of this age Kali, four things particularly, namely duration of life, duration of life. Everyone knows. The actually standard of duration of life in this age is hundred years. But no. Who is living hundred years? Gradually decreasing. And it will decrease so much, as I have several times said, that when at the end of Kali-yuga or in the middle of Kali-yuga, the duration of life will be twenty to thirty years. Now it is sixty, seventy or fifty or... It is going on. But gradually, it will diminish. That is stated here.
If there is any doubt in understanding the Vedic literature, then you try to understand from the person who knows it, tattva-darśī, who has seen actually the truth. Upadekṣyanti te jñānaṁ jñāninas tattva-darśinaḥ. One who has actually seen the truth. And, how to approach him? Tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena. By surrendering, by giving service, and questioning. Question must be preceded and followed by..., preceded by surrender, and followed by service. In the middle, there may be question. Therefore, yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ **, we have to please the spiritual master by service and surrender, and then it will be very nice position. If the spiritual master sees that the disciple is a surrendered soul, and he's rendering service to his best capacity, then the answer will be very liberal and convincing, and he will be very glad to answer the question, if it is supported by these two things: surrender, and paripraśnena, and sevayā. Tad viddhi praṇipātena (BG 4.34).
Similarly, the bhakta-yogī, he does not like to stay in any one of the planets within the material world, because he knows from the authoritative description of Bhagavad-gītā and Vedic literature. Just like you'll find in the Bhagavad-gītā, Kṛṣṇa says, ā-brahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna: (BG 8.16) "My dear Arjuna, beginning from the Brahmaloka, the highest planetary system within this universe, down to any other, I mean to say, downwards planet, you can travel anywhere, wherever you like..." Ā-brahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ. There are fourteen status of planetary system within this universe. So we are in the middle. So ā-brahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna: (BG 8.16) even if you are transferred to the Brahmaloka, you have to come down. Punaḥ. Martya-lokaṁ viśanti. Kṣīṇe puṇye martya-lokaṁ viśanti (BG 9.21). Just like in modern days, especially your American scientists, they are going to the moon planet. But when their stock of, that machine, is finished, immediately they come down. Similarly, you may go to the heavenly planet or to the Brahmaloka... There are very large span of life and opulence you can enjoy. But as soon as like your bank balance is finished, you have to come down. Ā-brahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna (BG 8.16).
Who is trying for discomfiture? No, nobody's trying. Everyone is trying to be very happy, but why there are so many discrepancies? Somebody is very poor, somebody is very rich, somebody is in the middle. That means there is superior supervision. If you simply try to become rich, that is not possible. Therefore śāstra says, intelligent men, they should not bother about this so-called happiness and distress of the world.
- tasyaiva hetoḥ prayateta kovido
- na labhyate yad bhramatām upary adhaḥ
- tal labhyate duḥkhavad anyataḥ sukhaṁ
- kālena sarvatra gabhīra-raṁhasā
- (SB 1.5.18)
Distress and happiness, they're already destined, according to our body. We have discussed this point. Take, for example, you American boys and girls, you have got a body, by your previous activities. So your standard of living is better than other country. So actually I see that even if you go outside your country, your standard of living is maintained. Because you have got already the body. Deha-yogena dehinām.
He simply went on narrating. In the middle, there were some questions, intelligent questions, by Parīkṣit Mahārāja. Question is also required. If you simply hear, do not understand, just like dumb stone, that's not good. You should hear attentively, and as soon as there is some difficulty, you should question. Tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā (BG 4.34). In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that you should understand... First of all surrender. Praṇipāta. Tad viddhi praṇipātena. Praṇipātena means you must find out an able teacher, where you can surrender. So nobody wants to surrender, but if he sees that there is a greater personality than him, he surrenders. That is nature. So this praṇipāta word means that you do not go for understanding Bhagavad-gītā and Bhāgavata to a store-keeper. You should go to a person where you can surrender. Tad viddhi praṇipātena (BG 4.34). And paripraśnena. And inquiry. And sevayā. You should not take... You should not inquire gratis; you must give service.
Therefore the Kṛṣṇa's dealing with the gopīs have been described in the middle of Tenth Canto. And nine cantos have been devoted, describe, so that one may understand what is Kṛṣṇa. What is Kṛṣṇa. The beginning of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Begins, janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). What is this Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṇa? Janmādy asya yataḥ. "He the origin of everything." And we, if we take Kṛṣṇa as ordinary person and He's dancing with the gopīs just like ordinary thing, then what Bhāgavata he will understand? He will go to hell. He's deriding, taking Kṛṣṇa very insignificantly. Avajña. Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam (BG 9.11). "These rascals, because I observe My pastimes just like human being, they're accepting Me as human being, ordinary." Mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam. Paraṁ bhāvam ajānantaḥ. They do not know what is the background of Kṛṣṇa. The background of Kṛṣṇa is in the beginning said janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). The first aphorism of Vedānta-sūtra.
Tasyaiva hetoḥ prayateta kovido na labhyate yad bhramatām upary adhaḥ (SB 1.5.18). (aside:) Let them sit down. Upary adhaḥ. Upari adhaḥ. Upari means higher planetary system. There are seven planetary system. This is in the middle. We are in the Bhūrloka. Those who are chanting gāyatrī-mantra, oṁ bhūr bhuvaḥ svaḥ tat savitur vareṇyaṁ bhargo devasya dhīmahi... So there are fourteen planetary systems within one universe. So we living entities, we are wandering in different types of forms of body and in different planets. That we are... According to our karma, sometimes down, sometimes up, in this way we are wandering. Therefore śāstra says, "Just like you are wandering in this way, your business is how to become materially happy, how to satisfy your senses. But don't do that. Don't do that." Then? What shall I do? Tasyaiva hetoḥ. "How to understand Kṛṣṇa—for that purpose you should endeavor." Then how shall I eat? "No, that eating and sleeping, the business of the body, that is already arranged. That is already arranged. You don't have to work for it." Kālena sarvatra gabhīra-raṁhasā. Tal labhyate duḥkhavad anyataḥ sukham. Our endeavor is to achieve happiness. That is our struggle for existence.
So here Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa is present. Even a child comes and offers his respect, it is taken into account, that "Here is a devotee." He does not know anything. Simply by seeing the chanting and dancing—you'll see practically—even a small child, he dances, he claps, he enjoys. He takes part. So the temple means to give chance to everyone, even to the child, to advance one step to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. One step. Svalpam apy asya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt. Even little is accepted and is done, it becomes into account. Just like if you deposit even two annas in the bank, it is kept on your account. It will increase with interest. Similarly, devotional service even done very little, it is not lost. In the śāstra it is said that even it is lost... Not lost. Suppose some reason a man comes and joins this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, and in the middle he falls down, he does not make further progress because he falls down. But whatever he has done, that is permanent credit. That will never be lost. Even he stops, then from that point, again he will begin as soon as there will be chance. But whatever he has done, that is a permanent credit. That is the instruction of śāstra.
This universe is called fourteen different planetary systems, and we are wandering in these different planetary systems. If we are pious, then we are promoted to the higher planetary system, Svargaloka, Janaloka, Maharloka, Tapoloka, Brahmaloka, Satyaloka. There are so many... Siddhaloka. And if we are impious, then we are downtrodden. We go down more and more. Ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthāḥ (BG 14.18). If you are situated in sattva-guṇa, then you are promoted to the higher planetary system: adho gacchanti tāmasāḥ. Jaghanya-guṇa-vṛtti-sthā adho gacchanti tāmasāḥ. If you are infected with tamo-guṇa, then you go down, down, down, down. Madhye tiṣṭhanti rājasāḥ. And if we are infected by the modes of passion, then we keep ourselves in the middle. But Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna (BG 8.16). Even if you go to the highest planetary system—it is called Brahmaloka—where the duration of life is very, very long... That is described in the Bhagavad-gītā: sahasra-yuga-paryantam ahar yad brahmaṇo viduḥ (BG 8.17).
In our present eyes even Kṛṣṇa comes, but we have no eyes to see. Therefore for the kaniṣṭha-adhikārī... There are three kinds of devotees: kaniṣṭha-adhikārī, madhyama-adhikārī, and uttama-adhikārī. Uttama-adhikārī means first class, most advanced, and madhyama-adhikārī means in the middle stage, not very advanced, not very lower, and kaniṣṭha-adhikārī, just the neophyte, beginning. So for the beginners it is recommended that you see the Deity daily or always. Beginning from the lotus feet, as you are practiced, then go up to the smiling face. And hear also Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Simply if you try to see and if you don't hear, then it will not stay very much. Therefore we see practically in many temples, because there is no discussion about Kṛṣṇa, simply a Deity is there, people go for some time. Then gradually, especially those who are educated, so-called educated, they do not feel very much interested. And it has actually happened so. Many temples, they are not visited even by the devotees, because there must be also hearing about. Two things must go on: The Deity must be worshiped—this is called pāñcarātriki-vidhi—and to hear about the Supreme from Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Vedic literature, that is called bhāgavata-vidhi.
The example is given here: yathā apāṁ prakṛtiḥ parā. Just like the water, rains, fall from the sky. If you do not allow to touch the water, the ground, you take it in the middle, you will find crystal, distilled water. You will find. And as soon as it comes down on the ground, it becomes muddy, the purity lost. Muddy, opaque, you cannot see, agitated. Similarly, our original consciousness is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is svaccha, svacchatvam avikāritvam. In the original consciousness we do not know anything else than Kṛṣṇa. Avikāritvam. There is no change. Therefore in the Vaikuṇṭha planets, especially in the Goloka Vṛndāvana planet, that is exhibited. When Kṛṣṇa comes to show His dhāma-goloka-nāmni nija-dhāmni—that is His own abode. So Kṛṣṇa, when Kṛṣṇa comes, He brings everything with Him: His dhāma, His qualities, His place, His paraphernalia, His associates, His father, His mother, His friend, His consort, His trees, His water—everything He brings. That is Vṛndāvana. You will find in Vṛndāvana still—still you will find—people are all automatically Kṛṣṇa conscious. Eighty-four, curāśī crores, about 160 miles' area. So they are Kṛṣṇa conscious naturally. And if you go to Vṛndāvana, this area, wherever you go, you will feel Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So the example of purity is still there. And what to speak of in the original Vṛndāvana?
So tapasya means even at the inconvenience of my personal comforts, I must abide by the orders of my spiritual master. This is called tapasya. And who is spiritual master? He does not manufacture any rules and regulation. He refers to the śāstra. Therefore Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says, sādhu-śāstra-guru-vākya, tinete kariyā aikya. If you want to know who is a spiritual master, if you know who is a saintly person, then you should keep in the middle the śāstra, the scriptures, and you will corroborate. The saintly person, the spiritual master, and the śāstra corroborate if they are abiding one another. Yes. If spiritual master says something which is not in śāstra or scripture, that is not good. Of course, sometimes we do not..., we cannot understand, but that is the principle. Similarly, a saintly person also, a mahātmā also, cannot disregard the regulative principles of śāstra. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, yaḥ śāstra-vidhim utsṛjya: "A person who gives up obedience to the ruling of the scriptures," vartate kāma-kārataḥ, "and he acts in his own way, by his whims," na siddhiṁ sāvāpnoti, "he cannot attain perfection." These are the versions of Bhagavad-gītā. Na siddhiṁ sāvāp..., na sukham: "And at the same time, he cannot be happy." Na parāṁ gatim: "And what to speak of liberation?"
We do not know. We do not know even one universe. We cannot study even one universe. They are... They were—not are—trying to go to the moon planet, but that has become a failure. From śāstra we understand that the moon planet is situated 1,600,000 miles away from the sun, and the sun is situated in the middle of the universe. And the total diameter from one circumference to the other of the universe it is four billions of miles. So the sun is situated at the point of two billions of miles from the circumference of the universe, and above the sun planet, 1,600,000, there is the moon. And above that there is Venus, there is Jupiter, there is Mars—all difference of 1,600,000 of miles. So it is not possible to go to the moon planet. Because first of all the sun is a little... According to the modern scientists calculation it is 93,000,0000. Taking it, accepted as 93,000,000's from this earthly planet, then again add 1,600,000, that means 94,600,000 miles away from the earth there is the moon planet. It is not possible. Therefore they are now silent. They cannot go there; neither ever they went there. This is the conclusion.
At the end of the Fifth Chapter, Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī has given description of the hellish planets. You have seen in the sky. There are millions and millions of stars or planets, and they are divided into three groups. Everything is described in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. So as it is said in the Bhagavad-gītā, ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthāḥ (BG 14.18). (break) ...sattva-sthāḥ, meaning that those who are in the sattva-guṇa, modes of goodness, they are promoted to the higher planetary system. Madhye tiṣṭhanti rājasaḥ: "Those who are under the influence of passion, they remain in the middle planetary system." And those who are in the lowest grade of tamo-guṇa, adho gacchanti tāmasāḥ. So Parīkṣit Mahārāja, after hearing the pitiable condition of persons in the hellish planets, he became sympathetic. Therefore he is putting the statement before Śukadeva Gosvāmī. Adhuneha mahā-bhāga yathaiva narakān naraḥ: "My dear sir, you have described about the hellish condition of the suffering persons. Now kindly give me any enlightenment how they can be delivered."
If you do like this, you get birth like this." And in the Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā it is generally spoken, ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthāḥ (BG 14.18). Those who are in the modes of goodness... There are three qualities in this material world: the quality of goodness, the quality of passion, and the quality of ignorance. So in the Bhagavad-gītā it is stated that ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthāḥ. Those who are cultivating the quality of goodness, they can be promoted to the higher status of life in higher planetary system. Ūrdhvam. Ūrdhvam means higher. Ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthāḥ. And madhye tiṣṭhanti rājasāḥ. Rājasāḥ means those who are in the modes of passion. They remain either in this planet or some of them may be elevated to the heavenly planet. Heavenly planet is also in the middle of the universe. And adho gacchanti tāmasāḥ jaghanya-guṇa-vṛtti-sthāḥ. Jaghanya—very abominable characters. Jaghanya-guṇa-vṛtti-sthāḥ. Those who are situated not only ignorance... Out of ignorance, one remains in abominable condition.
Similarly, if you know the things right, you can know also "Where this man is going after death." How you gan know? That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthā: (BG 14.18) "Those who are situated in the modes of goodness..." There are three qualities in the material world: the quality of goodness, the quality of passion, and the quality of ignorance. So, if you know somebody that he is in the quality of goodness, then you can understand, ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthā (BG 14.18). Those who are in the quality of goodness, they are being promoted to the higher planetary system. Ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthā madhye tiṣṭhanti rājasāḥ (BG 14.18). And those who are in the modes of passion, they remain in the middle planetary systems. And jaghanya-guṇa-vṛtti-sthā adho gacchanti tāmasāḥ: and those who are associating very much abominable condition of life, they go adhaḥ, downward. So we can understand from the śāstras. Therefore people has to be taught to be situated in the modes of goodness. At least, he will be guaranteed to get a life in the higher planetary system, if not liberated. That is Vedic civilization.
This is the perfect way for our ultimate good, goodness, kṣema. Akuto-bhayaḥ: without any fearfulness. In any action you do, there is some fearfulness whether it will be successful or not: "If I fail, if..." But if you take to devotional service, then it is akuto-bhayaḥ. Akutaḥ means there is no fear, no fear, because any, anything material you do, unless you come to the perfectional point, whatever you have done, that is all gone to hell. Suppose you are trying to construct a nice factory. But if you do not come to the ultimate end, the factory cannot be started. If in the middle you have no money or somehow or other the factory construction is stopped, then whatever money you invested, that is gone to hell. But Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so nice that whatever you have done in this life—one percent, two percent, ten percent, fifty percent... If you can execute cent percent, then the whole life is perfect. But even if you do not come to the perfectional point, whatever you have done, that is your permanent asset. Next life you begin from that point.
So long the human history is there, there must be war. You cannot avoid it. Because it is material world, disagreement, misunderstanding must be there. You cannot avoid it. Because everyone is not of the same standard. That is not possible. Somebody is in the lower standard, somebody is in the middle standard, and somebody in the highest standard. That is division: goodness, passion, and ignorance. You cannot avoid it. So out of these three qualities, goodness, passion and ignorance, the ignorance and passion are base quality, and goodness is first-class quality. So the human life means we are born either in the base qualities... Nobody is born in the first-class quality. One who is born in this material world... May be somebody has taken his birth in the mode of goodness, but very rare. But maybe. Mostly they are born in the base qualities, ignorance and passion. But the śāstras are there. Anyone can be raised to the first-class quality by training. That is human civilization.
Woman devotee: Is it true when you said that the hill, there is cracks?
Prabhupāda: Why not?
Woman devotee: You said it cracked in the middle.
Prabhupāda: So therefore Arjuna said, sarvam etam ṛtaṁ manye yad vadasi mām (BG 10.14). This is devotee, that "I accept everything, whatever You say." This is devotee, not that I make some amendment and then I accept. And this is nonsense. You cannot... This is called ardha-kukkuṭī-nyāya. (Cc. Ādi-līlā 5.176) Ardha-kukkuṭī-nyāya means one man was keeping a hen and it was delivering every day a golden egg. So the man thought, "It is very profitable, but it is expensive to feed this hen. Better cut the head so I shall save the expenditure of feeing her, and I'll get the eggs without any charge." So these rascals, they take, accept śāstras like that. "Oh, this is not... That is very expensive. Cut this portion." And when Kṛṣṇa says that "Anyone who sees Me in everyone," "Oh, that is very palatable. That is very palatable." And when Kṛṣṇa says, "You give up everything. You surrender...," "Oh, that is not palatable." And this is ardha-kukkuṭī-nyāya. I accept things which are very favorable to my understanding, and other things I reject. This is called ardha-kukkuṭī-nyāya. So people accept śāstras in that way, the Māyāvādīs.
So this dvija, as soon as he contacted a prostitute... Prostitute, unchaste, puṁścalī. Another name is puṁścalī. Those who are, I mean to say, moved by another person, they are called puṁścalī. They become captivated by another person. So they, another name is prostitute. So this dvija, although he was initiated to make further progress to become brāhmaṇa and Vaiṣṇava, in the middle, he contacted one prostitute. Young man, he became a victim. Therefore kaścid dāsī-patiḥ, contacted and remained as husband, wife, or friend. So by the contact of this prostitute, the result was naṣṭa-sadācāra, he became lost of all gentle activities. Naṣṭa-sadācāra. Sadācāra means... Sat means gentle, and ācāra means behavior, gentleman's behavior. What is that gentleman's behavior? That we teach, that "You don't take meat, don't have illicit sex, no gambling, no intoxication, rise early in the morning, take bath, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, attend maṅgala-ārātrika." These are called sadācāra. So on account of his contact with this prostitute, although he was born in a brāhmaṇa family and he was reformed up to the point of initiation, he fell a victim. And as soon as he fell victim to that prostitute, naṣṭa-sadācāra. Dāsyāḥ saṁ... Why sadācāra, why he should lose? Dāsyāḥ saṁsarga-dūṣitaḥ. Because he is associating with this prostitute, therefore the next sequence is that he should be bereft of all gentle behavior.
So Caitanya Mahāprabhu immediately said, eho bāhya, āge kaha āra. In this age it is not possible, varṇāśrama-dharma. So āge kaha āra: "If you know something better than this, you say." So in this way Rāmānanda Rāya recommended that karma-tyāga, sannyāsa, so many stages. And Caitanya Mahāprabhu went on saying, eho bāhya āge kaha āra: "This is useless now. If you know better, then something, something." So then at last—not at last, in the middle—Rāmānanda Rāya said that jñāne prayāsam udapāsya namanta eva..., namanta eva, bhavadīya-vārtām, sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṅ-manobhiḥ. The purport is that all these processes recommended in the śāstra, varṇāśrama-dharma, acceptance of sannyāsa, or other, karma-tyāga, miśra, karma-miśra-jñāna... There are so many things.
Still a rat is never killed. If you kill a rat in Vṛndāvana, then so many people will come: "Oh, you are committing such sinful acts. You are killing a rat." That depends on the mentality of the person. You can take care of this animal, I mean to say, against the disturbance created by this animal, but you cannot kill them. That is not. But when it is unavoidable, we have to do like that. But as far as possible we should avoid. We have heard from our father that his elder brother in the village had a cloth shop, and there were rats. So at night he would keep a big bowl of rice in the middle of the shop, and the rats will eat whole night. They would not commit any harm to the cloth. They respect it. They are also hungry, they are also living entities. They have also right to live, to eat. Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (ISO 1). Everything. They are God's creatures. The food is not only meant for you, that you shall simply eat rice and not allow to the rats and cats. No. That is not Vedic injunction. You will find in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. You can take precaution. After all, they are animals. But you cannot kill.
We do not understand that this deha, this body, is always kleśada. Kleśada means giving pains. For the time being, we may feel some pleasure, but actually it is a reservoir of pain, not pleasure. The example is given in this connection... Formerly, this was done by the government servants to criminal, to take a man in the middle of the river and drown him, and catching his hair, and when he's almost suffocating, then they again draw from the water and he takes little rest and again put him into the water. So that was the system of punishment. Similarly, whatever little pleasure we are feeling, that is exactly similarly the man, when he's taken from the water, that's all. Again he's to be drowned. This material world is like that.
So Ajāmila was being trained up. He was sufficiently educated in Vedic literature, his character was very nice, and he was offering respects to the elderly persons, spiritual master. He was offering oblations daily to the fire, sacrifice. Everything is described. But all these qualities became nullified simply by illicit sex life. Just see how it is dangerous. How it is dangerous. Therefore it is the greatest pillar of sinful life, illicit sex life. Here it is clearly said, stated, that... Ajāmila's qualities were stated at the same time. In the beginning it is stated that kānyakubje dvijaḥ kaścid dāsī-patir ajāmilaḥ. Dāsī-pati. He was attached to a prostitute, dāsī-pati. A prostitute is called dāsī, and wife is called dharma-patnī. These are distinction. There are distinction of dresses also, according to Vedic way of life. The prostitute would separate the hair here, not in the middle. Yes, what is called?
These are explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. Ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthāḥ, those who are in the modes of goodness, even they are not spiritually very much advanced so that they can enter into the spiritual kingdom, they'll go in the upper status of planetary system, just like Siddhaloka, Janarloka, Maharloka. Ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthā madhye tiṣṭhanti rājasāḥ (BG 14.18). And in the middle planetary system... The middle planetary system, this earth is in the middle planetary system, heaven also. Bhūr bhuvaḥ svaḥ. You are chanting Gāyatrī mantra: bhūr bhuvaḥ svaḥ, these are within the middle. Then above this there was Mahar, Jana, Tapa, Satya, four. Three and four, seven up and seven down planetary system. So those who are in the modes of goodness, they are elevated to the higher planetary system. Ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthā madhye tisthanti rājasāḥ jaghanya-guṇa-vṛtti (BG 14.18)—they are elevated to the higher planetary system. Ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthā madhye tiṣṭhanti rājasāḥ.
So ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthāḥ (BG 14.18). You have seen in the Bhagavad-gītā: "Those who are situated in sattva-guṇa, they are promoted to the higher planetary system after death." Madhye tiṣṭhanti rājasaḥ: "And those who are in the rajo-guṇa, they remain in the middle planetary system." Jaghanya-guṇa-vṛtti-sthā adho gacchanti tāmasāḥ: "And those who are in tamasika, in the darkness, ignorance modes of material nature, they go down to the, down planetary system or animal life." So this is an opportunity, this human form of life, to decide where you want to go. Are you going to hell or heaven or back to home, or back to Godhead? That you have to decide. This is human intelligence, not like working like cats and dogs and dying like cats and dogs. That is not human life. Human life is meant for to decide where you want to go next.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures
There are three kinds of devotees: kaniṣṭha-adhikārī, madhyama-adhikārī and mahā-bhāgavata, bhāgavata, or those who are in the lower status, those who are in the middle status, and those who are in the highest status. Those who are in the lower status are beginners. Devotees, for them, the description is that,
- arcāyām eva haraye
- yaḥ pūjām śraddhayehate
- na tad-bhakteṣu cānyeṣu
- sa bhaktaḥ prākṛtaḥ smṛtaḥ
"In the lower stage, a devotee goes to the temple or to the church or to the mosque, with great devotion and faith offers prayers to the Lord, but he has no knowledge about other devotees," na tad-bhakteṣu cānyeṣu, "and he does not know the duty to others."
So Caitanya Mahāprabhu is stressing that to read Vedic literature, Vedānta, Upaniṣad—these are principal literatures in the Vedic knowledge—then Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, all these books should be studied from the direct meaning. Don't try to interpret. According to ordinary, I mean to say, dealings, suppose in the law court there are two parties. Two lawyers are fighting on the principle of one clause or section in the lawbook. One is interpreting in a different way, one is interpreting in a different way, and the judges give their judgment. Now, the opportunity for interpretation is there when the meaning is not clear. A very good example is given by the grammarians, or Sanskrit scholars, that gaṅgayaṁ ghoṣapali, that "There is a neighborhood which is called Ghoṣapali on the Ganges." Now somebody may ask, "How there can be a quarter on the Ganges? Ganges is water." So there is interpretation required. So somebody says, " 'On the Ganges' means on the bank of the Ganges." That makes it clear. "On the Ganges" does not mean that in the middle water there is a, I mean to say, residential quarter. No. "On the Ganges" means on the bank of the Ganges.
Then all the sannyāsīs, placing Caitanya Mahāprabhu in the middle... According to Indian system of dining... You are accustomed: they sit in a line. And Caitanya Mahāprabhu was requested to sit in the middle, and thus they took prasādam.
- tabe saba sannyāsī mahāprabhuke laiyā
bhikṣā karilena sabhe, madhye vasāiyā
- bhikṣā kari' mahāprabhu āilā vāsāghara
- hena citra-līlā kare gaurāṅga-sundara
So after taking prasādam, He came back to His place. And for Him it was a great victory that He conquered the mind of the Māyāvādī sannyāsīs by explanation of Vedānta-sūtra. So His, I mean to say, friend, Candraśekhara... Candraśekhara and Tapana Miśra and Sanātana Gosvāmī, they were very much pleased. Caitanya Mahāprabhu had only three or four followers at Benares. Of course, when He was on the street, hundreds and thousands of people gathered round Him. But actually, in His residence there were three, four followers only: Tapana Miśra, Candraśekhara Ācārya, Sanātana Gosvāmī, and one Maharastrian brāhmaṇa. They were very much pleased, naturally. Their Lord was victorious in that great assembly of sannyāsīs. And naturally, they were very much pleased.
Sri Isopanisad Lectures
Gargamuni: It's on page twelve, almost in the middle. The second paragraph. "The universe has its own time, fixed by the energy of the complete whole, and when that time is complete, this temporary manifestation will be annihilated by the complete arrangement of the complete."
Prabhupāda: Yes. Everything in this material world, it has got a fixed time. And within that fixed time there are six kinds of changes. First birth, then growth, then to stay, then to produce by-product, then dwindling, then vanish. This is the law of material nature. This flower takes birth, just like a bud, then grows, then stays for two, three days, then it produces a seed, by-product, then dries up gradually, then finish. (aside:) You sit down like this. So this is called ṣaḍ-vikāra, six kinds of changes. So you cannot stop this by your so-called material science. No. This is avidyā. People are trying to save themselves, and sometimes talking foolishly that by scientific knowledge man will be immortal. You cannot stop the process of the material laws. Therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). The process of material nature, which is composed of three qualities—sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa... Tri-guṇa. Another meaning of guṇa is rope. Just like you have seen rope, they're twisted in three process. First of all thin rope, then three of them, they are rolled, then again three of them rolled, then again three. It becomes very strong. So these three qualities, sattva, raja, tamo-guṇa, they are mixed up. Again they produce some by-product, again mixed up, again mixed up. In this way eighty-one times they're twisted. So guṇamayī māyā, binding you more and more. So you cannot get out of this binding of this material world. Binding. So therefore it is called apavarga. This process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness means nullifying the pavarga process.
Prabhupāda: Sings along with Govindam Prayers... Then recites Sri Isopanisad verses 1-12 with response from devotees.
Prabhupāda: Page.
Devotee: Page fourteen in the middle, almost the middle of the first paragraph. The Vedas are not known like that the Vedic knowledge was originally imparted into the heart of Brahma the first created living being and Brahma in his term disseminated the knowledge to his sons and disciples who have continued the process down thorough history.
Prabhupāda: Formerly the spiritual master, the disciplic succession, there are two ways. One is called śaukra and another is called sautra. Śaukra means succession from the seminal. Just like son. Son is born by the semina, and the disciple is born by Vedic knowledge. So the one familywise is called śaukra. Śukra means semina, coming from the śukra, and the other is sautra, by hearing. So spiritual master... In India still there are gotras. Gotras means coming from that great sage. Just like our family belongs to the Gautama gotra. Gautama Ṛṣi, from him the familywise gotra, and similarly disciplic succession is also gotra. There is no difference between putra and chatra. Putra means son, and chatra means disciple.
Festival Lectures
Now make your selection. If you want to go to the higher planetary system, you can go. If you want to remain here, in the middle planetary system, you can do so. And if you want to go to the lower planetary system, that you can do. And if you want to go to God, Kṛṣṇa, that also you can do. It is up to your option. Therefore, what is the difference between this material world, maybe in the higher planetary system or in the lower planetary system, and what is the spiritual world? The spiritual world means there is no material consumption. Everything is spirit, as I told you. The trees, the flowers, the fruits, the water, the animals—everything is spiritual. So there is no annihilation. It is eternal. So if you want to go to that spiritual world, then you can have this opportunity now in this human form of life, and if you want to remain in this material world, you can do so.
They cannot do anything, simply talking like nonsense. Last night some girls came, so they are students of botany. So I asked them, "Can you manufacture a seed which can give birth to a big banyan tree?" "No, sir, it is not possible." Then what kind of botany you are studying? Actually what is their science? They talk simply something which is going on in the middle portion. Where is the beginning and where is the end of knowledge, that they do not know. They are theorizing only in the middle. They do not know janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1), where is the beginning of this science. That is... Beginning is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says, ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo (BG 10.8). He is the beginning. Bījo 'haṁ sarva-bhūtānām (Bg 7.10). That seed, you scientist, you cannot manufacture. What chemicals are there that if you put in the earth and pour some water and it will grow a big tree? These scientists, they cannot explain what is the chemical composition is there. But there is. So that is in the hand of Kṛṣṇa.
The Prime Minister is not the horse, but he is enjoying taking his grandchild on the back and he was playing like a horse and the grandchild was, "Hut! Hut! Hut! Hut!" This was his engagement. So similarly, because he has become the horse of his grandchild, he is not horse, he is enjoying. That is enjoyment. Similarly when keśava dhṛta-śūkara-rūpa or kesava dhṛta-varāha-rūpa does not mean that He is varāha, or He is crocodile, or He is something like... No. He's everything. But that is not by karma. When we become crocodile, that is karma, punishment. We are now human being. It may be next life I become a crocodile according to karma, be forced by the laws of nature. Just like in Honolulu, Hawaii, we see so many young boys, they are enjoying, they are surfing in the middle of the ocean, struggling. So our karma, if you are practiced to that way, then at the time of death I shall think of just, in the middle ocean, swimming and struggling, then Kṛṣṇa will give opportunity to become a aquatic. Very easily we can remain within the water. That is the laws of nature. Yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran loke tyajaty ante kalevaram (BG 8.6).
Stop. Whatever you do not understand, you will ask later on, not in the middle. I could not understand that time. You see? It was... I talked with him in so many ways: "Who will hear your Caitanya's message? We are dependent country." At that time I was Gandhi's devotee. In 1920 I gave up my educational career and joined this Congress Movement. Because Gandhi's program was to boycott the university education and the British law court, so we took this opportunity and gave up education. You see? (chuckles) So then Dr. Bose, he was my father's friend. So he asked, "What this Abhaya is doing?" And my sister told him, "Oh, he has appeared in the B.A. examination, but he is not doing anything." So Dr. Bose was my father's friend. So he appointed me the manager of his laboratory. I did not know anything; still, he appointed me. So that was in 1921. In 1920 I gave up my education. Of course, I was married in 1918, and I got my first child in 1921. So in 1922, when I saw my Guru Mahārāja and when I was convinced about his argument and mode of presentation, I was so much struck with wonder. I could understand that "Here is the proper person who can give real religious idea."
Initiation Lectures
Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He said that "My spiritual master found Me a great fool (CC Adi 7.71)." Caitanya Mahāprabhu is not a fool, but it is the good qualification of a disciple to remain a fool before the spiritual master. Therefore he'll never, I mean to say, dare to argue or disobey. That is offense. Now, go on. That does not mean that when you cannot understand, you cannot question. Question must be there. That is stated in this Bhagavad-gītā, tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā (BG 4.34). Your relationship is to know from a spiritual master everything, but you should know that with three things. What is that? First of all you should surrender. You must accept the spiritual master as greater than you. Otherwise what is the use of accepting one spiritual master? Praṇipāt. Praṇipāt means surrendering; and paripraśna, and questioning; and sevā, and service. There must be two sides, service and surrender, and in the middle there must be question. Otherwise there is no question and answer. Two things must be there: service and surrender. Then answer of question is nice. Yes.
General Lectures
Yes, try to understand clearly this philosophy. Tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā (BG 4.34). These things are required. You should try to understand the transcendental subject. First of all surrender, praṇipāta. Then paripraśna. You cannot question if you are not surrendered. Just like the other day one rascal was asking—he is not a surrendered soul—"Swamijī, you know Kṛṣṇa consciousness?" Just see. So this is not the process of question. One must surrender. Otherwise, you have no right to question. Praṇipātena, paripraśnena, and sevayā. Sevayā means service. You must find out a suitable person where you can question and get the proper answer, a spiritual master. That means surrender. Then question. Question is not a challenge. Question is to understand. Which I could not follow, I may ask repeatedly to understand. So two sides: sevā, service; and surrender. And in the middle, paripraśna. So paripraśna is required. Otherwise how one can understand? So questions are required. But that question is not a challenge. You should not question any person by challenging spirit. You should simply question, being inquisitive to know. That is bona fide.
I understand that your, this society is known as International Student Society? Yes. There are many other international societies. There are international United Nations also. The idea is very nice, but we should try to understand—internationally or universally—what is the central idea. Just like if you throw a stone in the middle of water, it expands. It becomes, the circle expands, and the circle goes to the limit of the bank of the water. That is the way. The vibration, sound vibration also, radio message also. Similarly, the circle increases and you capture the waves and you understand. Similarly, international feeling can be extended also. In the beginning of our life, just like a child, anna-brahman: everything he wants to eat. A small child, whatever he captures he wants to eat. Personal interest. Then, when the child grows, he tries to participate with his other brothers and sisters: "All right. You also take little." This is increasing the feeling of fellowship. Then he grows again, he feels for his father, parents, society, then community, country, and at last, international.
Anyone can go anywhere very swiftly. You can go to London from Bombay within nine hours. So the world is not bounded anymore by "geographical limits to the particular countries or communities. Human society is broader than in the Middle Age, and the world tendency is towards one state of human society." There is already the United Nations. In New York, they have constructed a big organization, establishment, United Nations. But actually, when we pass through that road—I think it is First Avenue—instead of being united, the flags of the nations are increasing. They are becoming disunited. Just like in India, our independence movement was started by Mahatma Gandhijī for uniting all the different section of the people, but actually, the result was that instead of being united, India was partitioned. And the partition has become so poisonous that formerly there was only sporadic Hindu-Muslim riots in some place; now there is organized fighting between Pakistan and Hindustan. So although the tendency is to unite, but in fact, it is not being united; they are becoming disunited more and more—not only the Hindus and Muslims. Now in India, there are many provincial questions. Just like in Andhra the fight is going on for separation. Punjab is already separated. So actually, we are not being united. We are being separated. So the ideals of human society "is broader than in the Middle Age, and the world tendency is towards one state or one human society. The ideals of spiritual communism, according to Śrīmad-Bhāvagatam, are based more or less on the oneness of the entire human society, nay, on the entire energy of living beings."
So if you have prepared your life for going to the higher planetary systems, in the moon planet or sun planet or..., there are so many hundreds and thousands and millions of planets up, and similarly down, and similarly in the middle. Catur (indistinct), fourteen worlds. So, ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthā (BG 14.18). If you have developed sattva-guṇa then you will be allowed to go to the upper planets.
- ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthā
- madhye tiṣṭhanti rājasāḥ
- jaghanya-guṇa-vṛtti-sthā
- adho gacchanti tāmasāḥ
- (BG 14.18)
So, we have to see from the śāstras, therefore śāstras. So this is the position. Caitanya Mahāprabhu explains that sometimes you are elevated to the svarga-loka, sometimes you are going to the naraka-loka. In this way it is going on, but this is not our good business. Now, suppose I am in this good apartment, say for six months, and next if I cannot pay the rent, I have no means, then I go, what is called? Jopri? (?) Eh? There are jopris (?) also in Bombay.
Anyone can go anywhere very swiftly. You can go to London from Bombay within nine hours. So the world is not bounded any more by geographical limits to the particular countries or communities. "Human society is broader than in the Middle Age, and the world tendency is towards one state of human society." There is already the United Nations. In New York they have constructed a big organization, establishment, United Nations, but actually, when we pass through that road—I think it is First Avenue—instead of being united, the flags of the nations are increasing. They are becoming disunited. Just like in India our independence movement was started by Mahatma Gandhiji for uniting all the different section of the people. But actually, the result was that instead of being united, India was partitioned. And the partition has become so poisonous that formerly there was only sporadic Hindu-Muslim riots in some place; now there is organized fighting between Pakistan and Hindustan. So although the tendency is to unite, but in fact it is not being united. They are becoming disunited more and more. Not only the Hindus and Muslim. Now in India there are many provincial questions. Just like in Andhra the fight is going on for separation. Punjab is already separated. So actually we are not being united. We are being separated.
So "The ideals of human society is broader than in the Middle Age, and the world tendency is towards one state or one human society. The ideals of spiritual communism, according to Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, are based more or less on the oneness of the entire human society, nay, of the entire energy of living beings." This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is meant for not only uniting the human society but also all living entities. As it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ.
- vidyā-vinaya sampanne
- brāhmaṇe gavi hastini
- śuni caiva śva-pāke ca
- paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ
- (BG 5.18)
When one is actually paṇḍita, learned, he becomes sama-darśī. Vidyā-vinaya-sampanne: one learned brāhmaṇa, gentle brāhmaṇa. Vidyā dadāti namratā. Education means one becomes gentle, sober, cool-headed. Therefore it is said, vidya-vinaya-sampanne. When one is learned, advanced in education, he must be very gentle, not haughty.
Just like your part and parcel of the body, finger, that is of the same material as your whole body, the same blood, same skin, same bone. Similarly, we are already all Brahman. There is no mistake. Actually you want to be situated in His position. He knows that "I'm Brahman." Ahaṁ brahmāsmi. So 'ham. So 'ham means "I'm as good as Kṛṣṇa and God." That we know. Simply by our material understanding we cannot realize it. Actually we are Brahman. Therefore this Brahman realization is being explained by Kṛṣṇa. This is Brahman. Brahman means sanātana, eternal. "My dear Arjuna, you also existed, I also existed in the past, because we are Brahman." Otherwise matter does not exist eternally. Any matter, any material thing you take, it does not exist. It has got a beginning and it has got an end, and in the middle there are so many disturbances—six kinds of changes in the matter, ṣaḍ-vikāra. But spirit, soul, Brahman, it has no change. Avināśi tu tad viddhi yena sarvam idaṁ tatam. This is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. Avināśi, na hanyate, na jāyate na mriyate vā kadācit na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). These statements are there.
Prabhupāda: We have no objection. We want to be self-sufficient. That is our point of view. We have no objection with... It is not that we don't touch machine. We don't say like that. But we want to be self-sufficient. That is our point. We have not taken a vow that we shall not touch any machine. No, no. We're not like that.
Guest (6): Well, I think it's an admirable objective. Certainly it can be realized in small rural communities which acquire the necessary surface to have each member in the community to be self-sufficient. Like in the Middle Ages in this country the monks were more or less self-sufficient within the frame of their land. But outside this, the peasants were really always hungry.
Guru-gaurāṅga: He says that on a small level that may be valid like the monks who have their monastery and they made food enough, but for most people, especially where the climate is so unfavorable... He said that the Swiss people, they could not even stay on the land in the past, but they had to go away to find food because of the climate. So on the whole he does not see the practicality.
Prabhupāda: Well, after all, this is material world. The miserable conditions are there. But as far as possible, try to minimize. Our only aim is how to save time for spiritual cultivation. That is our main aim. So we have to find out the opportunity according to the time, circumstances. We, we do not reject anything. Whatever is favorable, we accept.
Means "Those who are associating with the modes of material nature goodness, they will be promoted to the higher planetary system. Those who are associating with the modes of passion, they'll remain in the middle planetary system."
Departure Talks
Rāmeśvara: Śrīla Prabhupāda, in the Madhya-līlā it describes Lord Caitanya taking His tour in the south of India. So I was thinking that there are so many photographs.
Prabhupāda: You can insert.
Rāmeśvara: In the middle of the book we will have an insert just of the places Lord Caitanya visited.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Rāmeśvara: It will be like a bonus for those books.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Temples in South India, yes. Kṛṣṇa will give you intelligence. As you want to serve, He will give you more intelligence. Buddhi-yogaṁ dadāmi taṁ yena mām upayānti te. Teṣāṁ nityābhiyuktānām. Bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam.
Rāmeśvara: It depends on Nitai working fast.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Philosophy Discussions
Śyāmasundara: He's concerned on a social level...
Prabhupāda: In the beginning, in the beginning you are in the matter. By evolution you have come to, again you are going to the matter. So why you bother in the middle so much. After all, you are matter. In the beginning you are matter and at the end you're going to be matter.
Śyāmasundara: He's concerned that the society can be made better by this understanding.
Prabhupāda: So why do you concern with the society? You are going to be (indistinct). It may be better or no, but it doesn't matter.
Śyāmasundara: He had a vague idea that societies or species would evolve toward something better, so he wanted to help that evolution.
Prabhupāda: That is a fact, but not that Mr. Darwin's foolish theory that he is going to be matter. He'll remain spirit but another species of life, another form of life. That another form of life will decide whether you are degraded or elevated.
Hayagrīva: Yes. This is, this is what he is saying.
Prabhupāda: Oh.
Hayagrīva: That God is the alpha, the beginning, and the omega, the end, depending on our point of view. He also says in the middle.
Prabhupāda: Not, not of the point of view. It is always there.
Hayagrīva: Oh.
Prabhupāda: But because we are imperfect, you are thinking like that, that individually we are imperfect. God is always there, and this cosmic manifestation is temporary creation. It is a chance to the individual soul to develop his consciousness, but if he does not take, again the annihilation, he remains in unconscious position, and when again there is creation he comes to consciousness. So this is going on.
Hayagrīva: ...intellectual and academic speculation.
Prabhupāda: ...speculation. That is our opinion. They are simply mentally speculating. It has no value. Unless you are directly in touch with the Supreme Personality of Godhead and assimilate the instructions given by Him, by all your reason, and then in practical life you execute it, then one can become guru, he can do good to others; otherwise not possible.
Hayagrīva: And on the other hand religion, the Christian religion which was understood in the Middle Ages, has become strange and unintelligible to the man of today.
Prabhupāda: It is because it is simply dogmatic. The preachers of the religion, they have no idea, clear idea, but officially they speak something. Neither he understands, neither he can make others to understand. But Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is not such big thing. It is clear in every respect. Therefore this is the expected movement as Mr. Jung wanted. So every sane man should cooperate with this movement and liberate the human society from the gross darkness of ignorance.
Hayagrīva: He characterizes the true religious man as one who is accustomed to the thought of not being sole master of his own house. He believes that God, and not he himself, decides in the end.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Naturally that is the position. What we can decide? That there is already controller over me, so how I can be Absolute? No. Therefore everyone should depend on the supreme controller. That is called, technical language, it is called śaraṇāgati, full surrender. Full surrender. That is called śaraṇāgati.
Hayagrīva: Well, new philosophy means to resolve this question. You can't possibly resolve it by setting it aside, if it's the major question. It's been the major question of all philosophers we studied. So how can you say let us just set it aside?
Prabhupāda: No. What the philosophers, the... Not all philosophers they denied the existence, but from our practical study we can see that take personal existence, that before I got this body, there was my father and mother. So how can I deny this fact? This whole cosmic manifestation is exactly like the manifestation of my body. Everything you take, there is practical experience. So far you take this spectacle, it is created by some spectacle..., spectacle manufacturer, and it will exist for some time, then it will annihilate. Similarly, the whole creation, annihilation. There is another crude example, just like earthen pot is made from the clay, earth. It is, it gets a shape, and it continues to exist for a certain time, and then it is broken. So when it is broken, again it is clay. So in the beginning the clay was there, in the middle there is a form, and at the end again clay.
| Page Title: | In the middle (Lectures) |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, Mayapur |
| Created: | 25 of Mar, 2012 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=85, Con=0, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 85 |