So this higher nature has to be developed. This association, this transcendental association, is meant for developing that higher nature, higher nature. We must understand that higher nature that as it is recommended in the Vedas, that tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet samit-pāṇiḥ śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham (MU 1.2.12). And again in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavata also it is said that tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam (SB 11.3.21). In all the scriptures this is said. Without approaching a person who can teach you of the higher nature, you cannot develop. It is not possible to acquire. You have got the higher nature but to invoke that higher nature it requires the assistance of a person who is in the higher nature. That is recommended.
Invoke (Lectures)
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
And if you do that... Suppose you hear something of the Bhagavad-gītā, and it appeals to you, or even does not appeal to you. Just try to think over: "What Bhagavad-gītā says? How Swamiji has discussed this matter?" Apply your arguments. Apply your logic. Don't take it as a sentiment or as a blind faith. You have got reason; you have got arguments; you have got sense. Apply it and try to understand it. Neither it is bogus. It is scientific. Then you will feel... Taj-joṣaṇād āśv apavarga-vartmani śraddhā ratir bhaktir anukramiṣyati. You will gradually develop your attachment for hearing it, and devotional service will be invoked in your heart, and then, gradually, you will make progress.
But one thing. It is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, once you begin, even one percent you can realize, that will never be lost. That will remain a permanent settlement. Now suppose if you are trying for BA examination, or you have passed your B.A. examination. Now, with the end of this body, that, your qualification as graduate of Columbia University or any university, is finished. Now your life begins in another body, and you have to acquire knowledge again to become qualified to graduate. But this knowledge is not like that. Because it is spiritual knowledge, absolute knowledge, it goes with you, your spirit. That you will find, explanation. And another chance is that one who tries to assimilate this knowledge, even if he is not, I mean to, perfect, so there is no harm. Because whatever he has learned, that remains an asset, and you get another chance of human body to begin from where you have ended in this life.
The last word of the Śrīmad-Bhagavad-gītā is that sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja: (BG 18.66) "You give up everything. You just surrender unto Me," Kṛṣṇa said. One who accepts this philosophy—"I accept Kṛṣṇa as vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ" (BG 7.19)—then for him Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the postgraduate study.
And śrīmad-bhāgavatam amalaṁ purāṇaṁ prema pum-artho mahān. Now we are searching. We are searching our self-interest. Everyone is busy of his own interest, but they do not know what is real interest. They do not know what is real interest. The real interest is to invoke the dormant love of Kṛṣṇa. That is my real interest. That dormant love for Kṛṣṇa is there in every one of you.
Don't think that because I am born in India, therefore I have got love of Kṛṣṇa within my heart dormant or manifested. No. That dormant love of Kṛṣṇa is within you also. Kṛṣṇa is neither foreign to you or foreign to me. He is for everyone. Therefore love of Kṛṣṇa is there permanently, but it is covered. Simply it has to be invoked.
And what is this process of invoking? This is the process. Just like we are discussing, we are chanting, and we are reading Bhagavad-gītā, we are reading Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. This association will help us. This association will help us to invoke that dormant Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
We are, by nature, we are not matter. We are Brahman. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi. The propaganda of Śaṅkarācārya was mainly based on this understanding, that "We should not think that we are the products of this material nature." We are not products of material nature. It is by some accident, by freaks of nature, by misfortune or some way or other, we are now in contact with it. But actually I am spirit, Brahman. So that Brahman nature has to be invoked, has to be...
We are... Actually, just like a diseased person, he has to be brought into the healthy condition of life, to cure the disease. So just a man, when he's diseased and when he's healthy, from external feature, the same. Just like I am now healthy. So my external feature—I have got two hands and two legs and face and so many things—the same body, when I am in the diseased condition, you'll find the same hands, the same legs and mouth and everything, but the condition is different. I'll speak something nonsense because the condition has changed in the diseased condition. Similarly, in our diseased condition... This material life is our diseased condition.
So this is the process of ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12), to cleanse the material dust from the mirror of our mind. The whole process is to dust out the dirty things which we have accumulated by our material association and therefore to revive our spiritual consciousness, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness. From Bhagavad-gītā we are studying about the process of life by which we can revive our Kṛṣṇa consciousness. There is no need of external help for reviving Kṛṣṇa consciousness. You have got Kṛṣṇa consciousness dormant in yourself. It is the quality of the self. So the, we have simply to invoke by this process.
Kṛṣṇa-bhakti nitya-siddha sādhya kabhu naya. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness is an eternal fact. It is nothing that by this organization we are imposing upon you something extra. No. It is within you. It is within every living entity. Any living entity—never mind whether he is human being or animal... When Lord Caitanya was singing this Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare, He was passing through jungles, forests, and the tigers, the elephants, the stags, and all, I mean to, forest animals, they joined. They joined. It is such a thing. Of course, it depends on the pure-hearted chanting. As we become... This is the process. As we become advanced in this chanting method, similarly, our heart becomes freed from all the dirty things of material contact. So even the animals can be captivated by this chanting, what to speak of human beings.
So in our practical life Kṛṣṇa advises how to invoke this Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
I am liberated person. This is Kṛṣṇa... You, you'll have the same money under your custody. It doesn't matter. But as soon as you think that "I am the proprietor of this wealth," then you are under the influence of māyā. And as soon as you think that "Kṛṣṇa is the proprietor of all these things," then you are free.
So kāma-saṅkalpa-varjitāḥ, jñānāgni-dagdha-karmāṇaṁ tam āhuḥ paṇḍitaṁ budhāḥ: "One who thinks like that, one who is situated in that consciousness," paṇḍitaṁ budhāḥ, "he is learned, and he is actually a man of knowledge." This is the whole process. Tam āhuḥ. Tam, he is known as the paṇḍita. Paṇḍita means one who knows things as it is, not to take a thing wrongly. So that consciousness has to be invoked, not only individually, but also community-wise, society-wise, nation-wise, all over the world. Then there will be peace. If you want real peace.
"Where is my place?" If we know or do not know, then we prefer: "All right, whatever it may be, inferior or superior, let us remain here and rot." So Bhagavad-gītā gives you information of the superior nature: yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama (BG 15.6), na tad bhāsayate sūryo na candro na pāvakaḥ.
So we have to become Kṛṣṇa conscious by scrutinizing, studying, this authoritative book, Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā, without having fashionable interpretation, as it is. What Kṛṣṇa says, He says for all the time. It does not change.
Just like the verse which we are just now discussing, He says that "It does not matter in whatever occupation you are. Simply you have to change your consciousness. You are now guided by the consciousness of self-interest, of sense gratification." Self-interest. Not exactly self-interest because we do not know what is our self-interest. Rather sense interest, not self-interest, but sense interest. Whatever we are doing, we are doing for satisfying the senses. This consciousness has to be changed. We have to satisfy Kṛṣṇa. That consciousness has to be invoked and then our life will be successful. Thank you very much. If there is any question, you can put. Yes.
Just as we have got a few students here, sincere students, both boys and... They are developing. If not complete, but they are developing, Kṛṣṇa. Otherwise, why they shall waste their time in chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa? They are developing. And it can be developed. You can develop love for anything if you try for it. But Kṛṣṇa development, Kṛṣṇa conscious development is very natural because Kṛṣṇa is not a thing belonging to a particular type of religion or sect or society. Kṛṣṇa claims that "I belong to everyone." Therefore, originally, you are all connected with Kṛṣṇa. Simply you have forgotten.
So this process of chanting is to invoke your remembrance for Kṛṣṇa. That's all. It is not that we are implementing something artificially in you. No. Kṛṣṇa is already connected with you. You have forgotten, and we are trying to give you the process how you can revive your original consciousness. So mayy āsakta-manāḥ. So when you come to this place, temple, this is the beginning. This the beginning of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If you see Kṛṣṇa or Kṛṣṇa's devotees, if you chant "Kṛṣṇa..." Kṛṣṇa is not different from the name because He's absolute. He is not different. The word "Kṛṣṇa" and the person Kṛṣṇa, or God Kṛṣṇa, is not different, because everything is Kṛṣṇa. The oneness, the philosophy of monism or pantheism, is perfect. When that oneness comes in understanding Kṛṣṇa, that is perfection. If Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Absolute Truth from whom everything is emanating, then everything is Kṛṣṇa.
So many. They're all... Kṛṣṇa claims, ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā. "The material nature is the mother of all these forms, and I am the bīja, seed-giving father." So Kṛṣṇa is not only for Indians or for the Hindus or for the brāhmaṇas. Not like that. Or for the śūdras. No. Kṛṣṇa is for everyone. That is... Therefore because Kṛṣṇa is for everyone, therefore these Americans, the Europeans, Canadians, Africans, they're taking to Kṛṣṇa. The same thing, as I begun, because our relationship is father and son, how it can be disconnected? One might have forgotten, but as soon as the forgetfulness is removed, immediately understands: "Oh, I am Kṛṣṇa's." That this is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. We are trying to invoke the dormant Kṛṣṇa's love in every human being. And this is the duty of the Indians. Caitanya Mahāprabhu prescribed this duty:
- bhārata-bhūmite haila manuṣya-janma yāra
- janma sārthaka kari' kara para-upakāra
- (CC Adi 9.41)
Caitanya Mahāprabhu, within these five hundred years, He inaugurated the saṅkīrtana movement, Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, from Bengal. You know.
So if He is the origin, if He is God, and if He is all-powerful, He can give you shelter. Don't... Don't disbelieve Him. He is not a man like me. If I promise you something, it may be broken because I am not all-powerful. But here is a promise by the all-powerful.
So best thing is... So, sattva-saṅga. So this mentality develops by this association. Satāṁ prasaṅgān mama vīrya-samvidaḥ. If you associate with Kṛṣṇa consciousness society, then the benefit will be that your dormant, I mean to say, relationship with Kṛṣṇa will be invoked. We have got, every one of us, we have got our eternal relationship with God. And the foolish people, they say that "I don't believe God." Just like an upstart son says, "I have no connection with father." How can you disconnect your father? Similarly, there is no question of disbelieving in God. It is simply foolishness, simply foolishness.
So that dormant relationship is there. Nitya-siddha kṛṣṇa-bhakti. You want to serve Kṛṣṇa, but it is now covered. You want to revoke (invoke) your relationship with Kṛṣṇa. Just like a good son, if he is not mad, he is not crazy, natural affection is there for father. Natural affection is there, father. As soon as the father, the parents, call, they go. So similarly, we have got this dormant relationship with Kṛṣṇa. Simply by the spell of illusion we are thinking that "We have no connection with God or Kṛṣṇa. Let us act independently and do all foolish things and be happy." So we are unhappy; so we are frustrated; so we are full of anxieties. This is our position.
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
"Oh, eagerness? I have got eagerness." "Oh, it is not so easy." Tatra laulyam ekalaṁ mūlyaṁ janma-koṭi-sukṛtair na labhyate: "This eagerness cannot be achieved even by pious activities for millions of births." If you simply go on doing pious activities... Because without being pious, you cannot approach Kṛṣṇa. So if you go on doing simply pious, janma-koṭi-sukṛtaiḥ... Sukṛti means pious activities, simply pious. Still, this eagerness is not awakened.
So this eagerness is very important thing. But it can be awakened by the association of devotees. Therefore we are giving chance to everyone to invoke that eagerness. Then you will see God eye to eye. It is not difficult. Tac chraddadhānā munayaḥ. Those who have developed that eagerness, faith, that "I must see Kṛṣṇa in this life..." This life is meant for seeing Kṛṣṇa. It is not meant for becoming dogs and hogs. Unfortunately, the whole civilization is going on, they are being trained to become dogs and hogs. It is the only institution that is teaching people how to see Kṛṣṇa. This is the only institution, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. It is so important. Tac chraddadhānā munayo jñāna-vairāgya-yuktayā (SB 1.2.12). By eagerness, automatically you will be enriched with knowledge and detachment. Knowledge does not mean, "Now we have discovered this atomic bomb." That is not knowledge. What knowledge this is?
Through literature, of course, we are very hopeful. Our literatures are selling. In London also, they sell at least $200, er, pounds, in the street. Similarly, in New York, in Los Angeles, every city we are selling about thirty-to forty thousand rupees' worth books daily. People are appreciating. But if the publishers and the book sellers also help us in this movement, then people will be very much benefited. That is our request. We have come to this, I mean to say, bookseller's office to request... Of course, we have no means to advertise very much, but our advertisement is the saṅkīrtana movement. We go from city to city, street to street, to invoke, invoke the spiritual consciousness of that. There is already there. In the Caitanya-caritāmṛta, it is said,
- nitya-siddha kṛṣṇa-prema 'sādhya' kabhu naya
- śravaṇādi-śuddha-citte karaye udaya
- (CC Madhya 22.107)
It is simply awakened. This spiritual consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, is already there in everyone. Otherwise how this European, American, and other foreign country boys and girls, they are taking? It is already there. Simply it has to be awakened by this transcendental vibration.
In London also, they sell at least $200, er, pounds, in the street. Similarly, in New York, in Los Angeles, every city we are selling about thirty-to forty thousand rupees' worth books daily. People are appreciating. But if the publishers and the book sellers also help us in this movement, then people will be very much benefited. That is our request. We have come to this, I mean to say, bookseller's office to request... Of course, we have no means to advertise very much, but our advertisement is the saṅkīrtana movement. We go from city to city, street to street, to invoke, invoke the spiritual consciousness of that. There is already there. In the Caitanya-caritāmṛta, it is said,
- nitya-siddha kṛṣṇa-prema 'sādhya' kabhu naya
- śravaṇādi-śuddha-citte karaye udaya
- (CC Madhya 22.107)
It is simply awakened. This spiritual consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, is already there in everyone. Otherwise how this European, American, and other foreign country boys and girls, they are taking? It is already there. Simply it has to be awakened by this transcendental vibration.
So Pārvatī was engaged to worship the genital of Lord Śiva. Certainly there was touching by young girl, but he was not agitated. So Kālidāsa said, "Here is a dhīra. Here is dhīra." We become excited by seeing one beautiful girl. But the most beautiful girl, young, she was touching the genital of Lord Śiva, still there was no disturbance.
So here is the example of dhīra. Dhīra means who are not sexually disturbed, even there is cause, even there is cause of disturbance. A young woman... Therefore the woman's name is kāminī. Kāminī...Kāma means lust. So they invoke one's lust. Therefore by nature, women are beautiful, they dress themselves beautifully. This is nature, to invoke the lusty desire of man. So according to Vedic civilization, woman, when she is dressed nicely and she is beautiful, she must invoke lusty desires. Therefore Vedic civilization does not allow a woman to be nicely dressed unless she is before her husband, unless she is before her husband. Because if she, I mean to say, agitates the lusty desires of all others, that is not very good. So woman is allowed to dress herself very nicely when her husband is present. Otherwise she will not dress.
So the service mood is going on everywhere. But the highest perfection of service is when we learn to serve the Supreme Absolute Lord. That is called bhakti. And that bhakti execution of service to the Lord is ahaitukī. Just like we have got some little examples. This mother is serving the child not with any expectation. She loves to serve the child. She wants to see the child is in comfort, the child does not feel any discomfiture. That is her pleasure. There is no reason why she is loving. That is natural. Similarly, when we invoke our natural love for God, that is the highest perfection of religious principle. Ahaituky apratihatā. Apratihatā means it cannot be checked by any material condition. Just like we want to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa; this is service. This is the beginning of service, chanting the glories of the Lord, or praying the Lord, "Hare, O the energy of the Lord, Kṛṣṇa, O Lord, please engage me in Your service." This is the prayer. Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare, repeatedly, "Please engage me. Please engage me." But God can give you many things. Whatever you want, He is giving. Ye yathā māṁ prapadyante (BG 4.11). He can give you even salvation, but very rarely He gives you the chance of serving Him.
The animal life, they are also busy for eating, sleeping, mating and defending. So if we human beings, we are also similarly busy, then what is the difference? So this sort of civilization, simply making nice arrangement for eating and sleeping and mating and defending, that is not practically human civilization. The human civilization is meant for searching out God. Na te viduḥ. They do not know, unfortunately. They have forgotten. But by good association, they can remember. Therefore this meeting of Kṛṣṇa Consciousness Society's meeting is just to give people chance to associate with the Society and invoke their lost relationship with God. That is the missionary activities of this Society.
So that is the highest gift to the human society. There are so many welfare activities in the human society. People open hospitals, schools, colleges, charitable institution. They are nice. But the best contribution to the human society is to revive his lost relationship with God. Just like a rich man's son. Someway or other he has left his father's home and he's loitering here and there. Somebody finds him: "Oh, you are Mr. such and such. You are the son of such and such gentleman. He's very rich man. Why you are suffering? Come, come with me. I shall take to your father." So this is one kind of welfare activity.
He said that the living entities are wandering in such a way, in different species of life, in different planets, lower and higher. In this way, if he is fortunate enough, he comes in contact with a bona fide spiritual master under the grace of Lord Kṛṣṇa. That means if anyone is fortunate, he comes in contact with guru and Kṛṣṇa, a bona fide spiritual master and Kṛṣṇa. And what is the benefit? The benefit is guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpāya pāya bhakti-latā-bīja (CC Madhya 19.151). The benediction from the bona fide spiritual master and Lord is that his sense of devotional service is invoked. That is the gift. He does not give anything material opulence. Of course, if one is advanced in spiritual consciousness, material happiness is not very rare for him. That is automatically there. But the gift of Kṛṣṇa and spiritual master is to inject him. Not inject him... The devotional service, love of Godhead is there, but to invoke it. This devotional service is not artificial. In every one of you there is dormant devotional service, as I have already explained, but they are exhibited in a different way. Instead of loving God, that devotional service is diverted in loving a dog. But the love is there.
You may put him on the throne; that's doesn't matter. But the doggish quality, you cannot change. Similarly this svabhāva. Svabhāva means the material nature, material nature. We have acquired so many material nature, by association of the three modes of material nature, sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. So our habits are formed on account of our association with the three different qualities of material nature. But if we can disassociate ourself from the three modes of material nature, then our real nature, means spiritual nature, becomes invoked. That is the process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If you remain Kṛṣṇa conscious, then there is no chance of your associating with the three material modes of nature. That is the secret. Therefore you'll find our students, those who are habituated to so many bad things previously, they are able to stay in a platform where there is no such contamination.
That was the reply. He could ask any benefit... (aside:) On the side. He could ask any material benediction from Lord Nṛsiṁha-deva, but this is not pure devotee. They were pure devotees. By worshiping Lord, one should not ask for any material benediction. Why they should? That is not the proper... That is not pure devotion. Pure devotion means anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam (Brs. 1.1.11), no material desire, anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam (CC Madhya 19.167), without any coverage of fruitive activities and speculative knowledge. Because the real purpose of successful life is to invoke your dormant love for Kṛṣṇa. That is the perfection of life. Caitanya Mahāprabhu... Premā pum-artho mahān. That is the highest perfection. Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6). That is first-class religion, pursuing which one can develop his dormant love for God. That is first-class religion.
Bhāva-yoga... Bhāva-yoga and bhakti-yoga, the same thing, as Śrīdhara Svāmī has explained. Bhāva. Bhāva means the previous state of pure love for God. Tato bhāvas tataḥ... After bhāva, when we are always absorbed in thought of Kṛṣṇa in ecstasy, that is the immediate previous stage of love of Godhead, love of Kṛṣṇa. And bhakti-yoga means to invoke our dormant love for God, the same thing. Therefore bhāva-yoga and bhakti-yoga—the same thing. And another name of bhakti-yoga is buddhi-yoga. Actually yoga means bhakti, but because yoga system has been used in so many other ways, therefore buddhi-yoga, bhāva-yoga, and bhakti-yoga, these terms are used. Budhā bhāva-samanvitāḥ. Without bhāva-yoga, nobody can worship Kṛṣṇa. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā:
- ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo
- mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate
- iti matvā bhajante māṁ
- budhā bhāva-samanvitāḥ
- (BG 10.8)
Bhajante. Bhajante means engaged in devotional service. Why? Now, budhā bhāva-samanvitāḥ: "Because he is situated in the bhāva." What is that bhāva? That bhāva is vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ (BG 7.19). One who is always absorbed in thought, one who sees Kṛṣṇa's energy in everything, that is called bhāva. Budhā bhāva-samanvitāḥ. How that bhāva comes?
The living entity is one spirit soul, but according to his body he is claiming. Just like you have got American body, you are claiming that "I am American." I have got Indian body, I am claiming, "I am Indian." This is by bodily designation. Similarly, a cat has got a body of cat. He is thinking, "I am cat." A dog has got a dog's body; he's thinking that "I am dog." So there are 8,400,000 species of life. They are claiming "I am this and that." Actually, he is spirit soul. He is spirit soul and eternal servant of the Supreme Lord. That is his constitutional position, but he has forgotten. Some way or other, he does not know. And in order to invoke that original knowledge, which is called Kṛṣṇa consciousness, one should approach a bona fide spiritual master. That is the way. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam (SB 11.3.21). Why one should approach a spiritual master unless one is inquisitive to understand if there is anything beyond this material world? Otherwise there is no need of seeking a spiritual master. A spiritual master should not be sought after to fulfill one's sense gratification. No. One should be very much eager to understand, to know the science of Brahman, which is beyond this material existence, and then he should very seriously seek after a spiritual master.
Nectar of Devotion Lectures
I'll have to accept another gross body. But if you begin Kṛṣṇa consciousness, it will not be finished, because it is the business of the soul. Kṛṣṇa consciousness means the original consciousness, "I am Kṛṣṇa's. I am God's, part and parcel of God," this consciousness. At the present moment, being illusioned by different material designations, we are thinking in different way: "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am brāhmaṇa," "I am śūdra," "I am this," "I am that." These are all designations. And Kṛṣṇa consciousness means "I am Kṛṣṇa's." Ahaṁ brahmāsmi. So 'ham. "I am as good as Kṛṣṇa," or "I am Kṛṣṇa's. I am eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa." This consciousness is required to invoke. That is the prime objective of human life. Now we are in different consciousness. So bhakti means sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170). One has to become freed from all these designations: "I am this," "I am that," this bodily concept of life. Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke (SB 10.84.13). I am identifying myself with this body. This is condemned in the śāstra. Sa eva go-kharaḥ. One who identifies himself with this body, he's no better than the cows and the asses. Sa eva go-kharaḥ.
They are offering ārātrika. They're offering dress, offering garland. These are the items of arcana. Hearing about Him, chanting about Him. This devotional service is the pushing process. Pushing process. And as soon as the energy comes, then automatically: (makes noise) clak clak clak. No more pushing. Automatically. This pushing process is required.
So just to invoke or revive the dormant Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Therefore this bhakti process has to be... And Kṛṣṇa also says: bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ (BG 18.55). If we, because the simple process is: if you understand Kṛṣṇa tattvataḥ, tattvataḥ, in truth, then your life is successful. As soon as you understand Kṛṣṇa tattvataḥ, then tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9). You don't, won't have again in this material world. Don't get any material body. You go back home, back to Godhead. And this tattvataḥ, to understand Kṛṣṇa, tattvataḥ, you have to take to the devotional service. This jñāna process or the karma process or the yoga process, it can push you little further. But... Just like if you push the car little farther, but unless the energy of the car comes into action, this car will not go. Simply pushing is not sufficient. The car must come to his energy automatically. Then it will go. So that process is bhakti. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ (BG 18.55). All right. We shall discuss tomorrow. (break)
That treatment is to invoke your dormant love for God. That is the treatment. We have got love for God. We want to love somebody, either man or woman, even animals. You'll find between the two dogs, there is love. They are jumping over one another, playing very nicely. Sometimes the mother dog is pretending to bite the cub, but it actually it is not biting.
So this loving propensity is there, living entity. Every living entity—it doesn't matter whether he is man or animal—the love is there. But at the present moment, it is being pervertedly reflected. Just like love between Kṛṣṇa and Mother Yaśodā, that love is reflected here also between the mother and the child, the same love. Because unless there is love in the Absolute, there cannot be any exhibition of love in the relative world. The Vedānta-sūtra says, janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). The, everything is emanating from the Absolute. So there is love. Just like Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa love, Kiśora-kiśorī, young Kṛṣṇa, young Rādhārāṇī. This love is pervertedly reflected in this material world which is in the name of love, but it is lust; therefore it is called perverted reflection. Lust because the, a young boy, a young girl mix together, they love together, but a slight disagreement, they separate. Why? Because that is not love. That is lust.
Therefore we have to invoke our love for Kṛṣṇa. Then our loving propensities will be actually satisfied. Otherwise we'll be frustrated. Otherwise, we'll be frustrate... That is going on. We may admit or not admit, but this frustration of love affair is going on. So if we... That same thing we repose in Kṛṣṇa. If I want to love my son, if I accept Kṛṣṇa as my son... Just like Yaśodāmayī accepted. Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but by devotional service, He agrees to become a son. Just like Yaśodāmayī and Nanda Mahārāja, in their previous lives they underwent severe austerities, and their aim was that "We shall have a son like God, like Kṛṣṇa." So after their performance of austerities for many thousands of years, when Kṛṣṇa appeared before them, "What benediction you want?" so they proposed that "We want a son like You. Then we enter into family life. Otherwise not." So Kṛṣṇa said that "Why shall I get a son like Me? I shall become your son." This is the fact. Therefore, although Kṛṣṇa took His birth as the son and, sons of Devakī and Vasudeva, immediately ordered Vasudeva to transfer Him to Vṛndāvana to Yaśodā. So the pleasure of having son was enjoyed by Yaśodā and Nanda Mahārāja, not Devakī and Vasudeva, although they really gave birth to... And when Kṛṣṇa was grown up, then went to His real father, Vasudeva, and Devakī.
Still I love you unconditionally." Mat-prāṇa-nāthas tu sa eva nāparaḥ. That is real love. And that love is existing in everyone's heart. Nitya-siddha kṛṣṇa-bhakti. That is not awakened. So by this devotional process, ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgaḥ, that love... Sādhakānām ayaṁ premṇaḥ prādurbhāve bhavet kramaḥ (Cc. Madhya 23.14-15).
There are stages, or steps, one after another, if we practice. Sādhu-saṅge, sato vṛtteḥ ṣaḍbhir bhaktiḥ prasidhyati. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī says that potent love for Kṛṣṇa can be reinstated again, invoked again, by the prescribed method. Sādhu-saṅge sato vṛtteḥ ṣaḍbhir bhaktiḥ prasidhyati. Utsāhān dhairyāt niścayāt. When you get little taste of love of Kṛṣṇa... Just like we are sitting here. We have got little taste for loving Kṛṣṇa. Otherwise, why we should waste our time in this way? This is called śraddhā. So this śraddhā is also invoked by association with sādhu, devotees. Then, if we little become enthusiastic... Just like you have become. Utsāhān. You have left your country, everything, and you are going everywhere, coming with me. Not for any material profit, but for increasing your Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is called utsāhān, enthusiasm. Our whole Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is depending on this enthusiasm. Just like I went to your country.
So this kind, this kind of so-called happiness will never satisfy us. The real happiness which is within, our love, loving propensity for Kṛṣṇa, that has to be revived. Nitya-siddha kṛṣṇa-bhakti sādhya kabhu naya. It is not by artificial means one becomes a devotee of Kṛṣṇa. That is not possible. Nobody can become a lover or devotee of anyone else by artificial means unless there is some natural tendency. So that natural tendency for, to love Kṛṣṇa is there in everyone's heart. So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is how to invoke that natural tendency to love Kṛṣṇa. That is our business. And how it is possible? The śāstra, śravaṇādi-śuddha-citte karaye udaya. Śravaṇādi-śuddha-citte. Śravaṇādi means this process. Just like you have come here; you are hearing about Kṛṣṇa. This is the process. You may be illiterate, you may be rich, or you may be poor. Whatever you may be, it doesn't matter. Please come, sit down and hear. But in the hearing process, there is so many impediments, māyā. Just like people are coming here to hear, but there has been impediment: "Oh, sir, our lift if being to much used. The electric supply will cut off." Māyā is always there. They will, I mean to say, spend electric energy in so many ways, that is not loss.
If one is Kṛṣṇa devotee, he can deliver Kṛṣṇa: "Take Him. Here is Kṛṣṇa." That is the special prerogative of devotee. Kaunteya pratijānīhi. Vaiṣṇava... Kṛṣṇa is advising Arjuna, because he's devotee, that "You declare, na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati." So He could declare Himself. No. He wants to declare everything through His devotee. Nimitta-mātraṁ bhava savya-sācin. He want to see that Arjuna becomes victorious, although He was conducting, actually He was doing this victory also, war. So in this way, kṛṣṇa-bhakti, nitya-siddha kṛṣṇa-bhakti, if we simply invoke our kṛṣṇa-bhakti, that is success of life. Some way or other. Therefore Rūpa Gosvāmī says that yena tena prakāreṇa manaḥ kṛṣṇe niveśayet. Somehow or other, just be absorbed within your mind about Kṛṣṇa. Sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayor (SB 9.4.18). Some way or other. It doesn't matter which way. And another place Rūpa Gosvāmī says, kṛṣṇa-bhakti-rasa-bhāvitā matiḥ krīyatāṁ yadi kuto 'pi labhyate. Purchase this kṛṣṇa-bhakti-rasa-bhāvitā matiḥ, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, if it is available somewhere. Tatra laulyam eka mūlyam, na janma koṭibhiḥ sukṛtibhiḥ labhyate.
Pradyumna: "Invoking auspiciousness: Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the cause of all causes, the reservoir of all rasas, or relationships, which are called neutrality, or passive adoration, servitorship, friendship, parenthood, conjugal love, comedy, compassion, fear, chivalry, ghastliness, wonder and devastation. He is the supreme attractive form, and by His universal and transcendental attractive features, He has captivated all the gopīs, headed by Tārakā, Pālikā, Śyāmā, Lalitā, and ultimately, Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī. Let His Lordship's grace be on us so that there may not be any hindrance in the execution of this duty of writing The Nectar of Devotion, impelled by His Divine Grace Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Prabhupāda."
Prabhupāda: So Kṛṣṇa is described as akhila-rasāmṛta-sindhu. So there are different rasas, five primary rasas. Rasa means the mellow or the taste which we enjoy in every activity. That is called rasa. Everything is done with some taste. Whatever you do, you must enjoy some taste out of it. So there are twelve rasas, out of which five rasas are primary and seven rasas are secondary. They are described here.
Pradyumna: (reading:) "Invoking auspiciousness: Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the cause of all causes, the reservoir of all rasas, or relationships, which are called neutrality, or passive adoration; servitorship; friendship; parenthood; conjugal love; comedy; compassion; fear; chivalry; ghastliness; wonder; and devastation. He is the supreme attractive form, and by His universal and transcendental attractive features, He has captivated all the gopīs, headed by Tārakā, Pālikā, Śyāmā, Lalitā and, ultimately, Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī. Let His Lordship's grace be on us..."
Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa is the reservoir of all rasas. Rasa is a very peculiar word. Rasa, it may be translated into English as "taste," as "mellow," or as "humor." So our relationship with Kṛṣṇa, there is some taste. Without taste, we cannot continue our relationship with anyone. There must be some taste. So these rasas, or tastes, are twelve kinds. Primary rasa is the relationship between inert things and our... Just like I am sitting on this chair. So the comfort I am feeling, that is the rasa, taste. We want very nice cushion, sitting position. So that tasting, that "I am now comfortably seated," this is called śānta-rasa. Then above the śānta-rasa, there is dāsya-rasa. Dāsya-rasa... Just like my students, my disciples, they want to serve me, and I want to take service from them. This is also an exchange of rasa, a taste. Śānta, dāsya. Similarly, next advanced stage is sakhya-rasa. Sakhya means friendship.
He's Kṛṣṇa Himself, but He has appeared in the form of Kṛṣṇa Caitanya. Therefore, whatever He says, that is fact. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam. The more we hear the vibration, the transcendental vibration, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, without any offense... Even with, mixed with offense... There are three stages of chanting this vibration: offensive chanting, and almost offenseless chanting, and offenseless chanting. Offensive chanting may give you material pains and pleasures, and almost offenseless will give you liberation, will place you in the transcendental platform. And when it is offenseless, then immediately you'll invoke love of God, Kṛṣṇa-prema. So even in offensive stage, if you go on chanting and try to be, try to become safe from offensive condition... Daśa-vidhā-nāma, ten kinds of offenses, if we avoid, that is the process of auspicity. But even we are not in the platform of offenseless chanting, still, we must go on chanting. It will gradually make our heart cleansed and we'll be offenseless. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇam (CC Antya 20.12). So the Kṛṣṇa consciousness, awakening of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, is required. That is called ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam.
Devotee: "There are certain prescribed methods for employing our senses and mind in such a way that our dormant consciousness for loving Kṛṣṇa will be invoked as much as the child, with a little practice, can begin to walk. One who has no basic walking capacity cannot walk by practice. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa consciousness cannot be aroused simply by practice. Actually there is no such practice. When we wish to develop our innate capacity for devotional service, there are certain processes which by our accepting and executing them will cause that dormant capacity to be invoked. Such practice is called sādhana-bhakti."
Prabhupāda: Sādhana-bhakti, rāga-bhakti, prema-bhakti—these three divisions. So first of all we have to accept sādhana-bhakti. Means practicing. Go on.
Devotee: "Every living entity under the spell of material energy is known to be in an abnormal condition of madness. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is said, 'Generally the conditioned soul is mad because he is always engaged in activities which are the causes of bondage and suffering.' Spirit soul in its original condition is joyful, blissful, eternal and full of knowledge. Only by his implication in material activities has he become miserable, temporary and full of ignorance. This is due to vikarma. Vikarma means actions which should not be done.
Pradyumna: "There are certain prescribed methods for employing our senses and mind in such a way that our dormant consciousness for loving Kṛṣṇa will be invoked, as much as the child, with a little practice, can begin to walk."
Prabhupāda: The Gosvāmīs, or in the Pañcarātra system, in the śāstras, the regulative principles are so made that, if we practice it, gradually our dormant Kṛṣṇa consciousness will be awakened. Therefore these prescribed rules and regulations, as it is given in the śāstras and confirmed by the ācāryas... Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says, tāṅdera caraṇa-sevi. We have to follow the footprints of the ācāryas. Ācārya means paramparā. One ācārya is following the previous ācārya. An ācārya does not manufacture anything, something novel. He follows the previous ācārya. And therefore he, he's ācārya. And one who follows... Ācāryavān puruṣo veda. Ācārya upāsanam. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said. So we have to accept the principles laid down by the ācāryas. Tāṅdera caraṇa-sevi-bhakta-sane vāsa.
Pradyumna: "Actually, there is no such practice. When we wish to develop our innate capacity for devotional service there are certain processes which, by our accepting and executing them, will cause that dormant capacity to be invoked. Such practice is called sādhana-bhakti."
Prabhupāda: Hmm. The practice, following the rules and regulations of śāstra and ācārya, direction of the spiritual master, that is called sādhana-bhakti. That, every, anyone can do, provided he's serious. Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅga atha bhajana-kriyā (Cc. Madhya 23.14-15). This bhajana-kriyā means sādhana-bhakti. So if our bhajana-kriyā is proper and in the line, then anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt, then all the anarthas, unwanted things, bad habits, that will be immediately vanquished. After anartha-nivṛttiḥ, tato niṣṭhā tato ruci athāsaktis tato bhāvaḥ. If this way, we shall increase our attitude of devotional service, ultimately getting shelter of the lotus feet of the Lord.
Pradyumna: "Every living entity under the spell of material energy is held to be in an abnormal condition of madness. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is said, 'Generally, the conditioned soul is mad because he is always engaged in activities which are the causes of bondage and suffering.' Spirit soul in its original condition is joyful, blissful, eternal and full of knowledge."
Sri Isopanisad Lectures
How we are misusing? We have forgotten that, although I am superior energy than the matter, but still, I am subordinate to God. That he is forgetting. The modern civilization, they do not care for God because people are superior than matter. They are simply trying to exploit matter in different way. But they are forgetting that we, either we may be American or Russian or China or India, we are all subordinate to God. This is the mistake. Kṛṣṇa bhuliya jīva bhoga vāñchā kare. They have forgotten Kṛṣṇa, and they want to enjoy this material world. This is their disease. Now our duty is to invoke their Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that "You are superior." That's all right. But you are subordinate to Kṛṣṇa. You cannot enjoy, but you can... Just like we have decorated this temple not for our sense gratification. What is the difference between our students and ordinary man? They are also decorating their apartment very nicely. We are also doing the same. But the purpose is different. We are doing the same, but the purpose is different.
Festival Lectures
Somebody is thinking of the suffering of the humanity from bodily conception of life. Somebody is trying to open hospital to give relief to the diseased condition. Somebody is trying to distribute foodstuff in poverty-stricken countries or places. These things are certainly very nice, but actual suffering of the humanity is due to lack of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. These bodily sufferings, they are temporary; neither they can be checked by the laws of nature. Suppose if you give some distribution of foodstuff in some poverty-stricken country, that does not mean that this help makes solution of the whole problem. The real beneficial work is to invoke every person to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. As soon as he comes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness... The same example, as I have given several times, that a rich man's son is loitering in the street, forgetting his father's opulence and property. And somebody, out of sympathy, giving him some food. But other person comes to him and says, "Oh, my dear boy, I know you. You are the son of such and such rich man. Why you are loitering in the street? Come on, I shall take you to your father." So if that gentleman takes that loitering boy to his father, the father is glad, and the boy inherits his father's property, and his whole problem of life becomes solved. This is a crude example.
General Lectures
Generally, Vaiṣṇavas worship the form of Kṛṣṇa, Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, and Lakṣmī-Nārāyaṇa. In our conditional stage, we cannot worship Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa-sevā is for them who has developed spontaneous love for God. For them. Spontaneous. The spontaneous love... The example is given: just like a young man, young girl, without any acquaintance, when they see each other, there is some loving propensity. That is called spontaneous. Not that one has to learn how to love. Simply very sight will invoke some loving propensity. That is called spontaneous. When we are advanced in the matter of loving God, so much so that as soon as you see or remember anything about God, immediately you become ecstatic, that is spontaneous. Just like Lord Caitanya, when He entered the temple of Jagannātha, as soon as He saw Jagannātha, immediately fainted: "Here is My Lord." So this spontaneous love, those who have developed this spontaneous love, there is a stage. By practice, one will come to that stage. Because that spontaneous love is eternal. It is not artificial. We have got, but it is now covered by our material association. So it has to be uncovered. And when you come to that stage, spontaneous, without any paraphernalia... Here we are trying to love Kṛṣṇa with so many paraphernalia.
We are trying to dovetail you. That's all. Nitya-siddha kṛṣṇa-bhakti sādhya kabhu naya (Hari-bhakti-vilāsa). This is not an artificial imposition on you. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness is there. The living example you can see, that I have got now branches, twenty branches in Europe and America. They are neither Hindus nor Indian. How they are accepting Kṛṣṇa consciousness? In our society, International Society for Krishna Consciousness, perhaps I am the only Indian. Perhaps I am the only Indian. Perhaps it is fact. But why, how they are taking it? Because it is there, Kṛṣṇa consciousness is there, within you, within me, everyone. Simply we have to invoke it. That's all. And that invoking process is the saṅkīrtana movement. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12). If you chant this simple process, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, you'll very quickly clear up your heart and you will understand, vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ (BG 7.19). You'll understand that Kṛṣṇa, Vāsudeva, is everything. So this movement is neither manufactured nor bogus nor bluff, but it is genuine. It is authorized and it is natural, constitutional. Try to understand this philosophy.
Everyone will die. The cats and dogs and human being, everyone will die. But the Garga Upaniṣad says that if one dies after understanding the science of God, then he is perfect. He is brāhmaṇa. His life is broader, mahātmā. And if one dies without understanding this, he is kṛpaṇa. Kṛpaṇa means miser. Miser means... Suppose if you have got millions of dollars. If you cannot utilize it, if you simply waste it, then you are kṛpaṇa, miser. You do not know how to spend money. Similarly, we have got this body which is worth..., not millions-trillions and more than that, because we can realize in this life what is our relationship with God, what is God. We can understand. But if we don't do that, simply we waste our time in sense gratification, then we are kṛpaṇa, miser. We are losing our opportunity. So these things are there. So in whatever way you like, either this evangelistic way or this way or that way, try to understand what is God and what is your relationship with God and try to invoke your dormant love of God. Then your life will be perfect. That is our mission. If you have got your own method, that's all right. You take it. Otherwise we are giving this method, very simple. You take it. Your life will be sublime. That is our request. Yes?
The problem can be solved, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te, when one surrenders unto God, Kṛṣṇa. Then he can surpass this onslaught of material nature. So that is the real remedy. Unfortunately, people does not take that process. But if anyone accepts this process, his problems are solved. That is the fact. That is the fact. But we do not expect that everyone can accept this process. But if anyone can accept this process, at least his personal problems will be solved. But it is the duty of such God conscious persons to distribute the message. If anyone likes, he can take, he can solve his problems. And if he does not take, that business is the own business. What can I do? But any material method, either this Russian method or American method or Indian method, anything, materialistic method, that cannot solve the material problems. That is a fact. If you want to solve all the problems, then you have to invoke your dormant love for God. That is the solution. There is no other solution. Yes.
So, not that because one is in Bombay, he is always in the skyscraper. He may be in jopri (?) also. So, everyone wants. So this is going on, (indistinct) narake. Sometimes in the heavenly planet, sometimes in the hellish planet, this is going on, but this business is not good. Na sādhu manye. Even if you get the body of the heavenly planet, what you get? There is also janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9). You have to die there. Even Brahma dies. Ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna (BG 8.16). So this is the process going on. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, sādhu-śāstra-kṛpāya yadi kṛṣṇonmukha. Our only business is how to become Kṛṣṇa conscious, how to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. That can be done simply by the mercy of sādhu. Therefore sādhus' business is, "Go from door to door and enlighten them." Mahad-vicalanaṁ nṟṇāṁ gṛhiṇāṁ dīna-cetasām. The sādhu's business is that he goes from door to door and tries to invoke Kṛṣṇa consciousness, dormant Kṛṣṇa consciousness. In everyone's heart there is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It is in a sleeping state. Just like these European and American boys, unless there was Kṛṣṇa consciousness dormant, how it could be invoked? It is not sentiment. It was there. Our business was to, just to arouse. Śravaṇādi-śuddha-citta koro ei udaya.
Similarly, this movement means taking mercy from the ocean of mercy of Kṛṣṇa and distribute it all over the world, so that again the merciful water goes down to the sea. So those who actually want peace or mercy of God, they should kindly try to understand the philosophy of Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. And even though you have no time to understand this philosophy through books of knowledge, you can simply join with us for chanting and dancing this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra.
So I am very glad that you are joining with this movement, and the more you come to us and chant with us and dance with us, your spiritual life will be invoked. That spiritual consciousness, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, is there in everyone's heart, dormant. It has simply to be awakened. Just like the European and American boys who have come to your country, four years ago they did not know what is Kṛṣṇa. So now they are dancing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Not that we have bribed them to dance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Their dormant Kṛṣṇa consciousness has been awakened.
You have got all experience about these things. God says from within, "Don't do it," but we do it. That is the defect of without being Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Just like a thief. He knows that for his criminal activities he'll be punished. He has seen it, that a thief is arrested and he's taken to the prison house. And he has heard from the śāstra and from lawbooks that committing theft is not good. Why does he commit it? He knows and he has seen it. Why does he do it? Can you answer? He knows that it is not good, and he has heard it from śāstra and from learned lawyers. But why does he do it? This is the influence of nature. As he associated with the nature, ignorance, dark ignorance. He cannot check it. Therefore the best service to humanity is to give him knowledge. Because everyone is in ignorance. Parābhavas tāvad abodha-jāta yāvan na jijñāsata ātma-tattvam. Everyone is being defeated out of this ignorance. Therefore one should come to the platform of inquiring about the self. That is the best service, athāto brahma jijñāsā, To revive, invoke people to inquire about Brahman, and that will solve all the questions.
So why this love is not invoked or awakened in us? Because we are covered by this material energy, and we have become conditioned by the material energy. Therefore, to purify ourself we require certain process. That process is called varṇāśrama. Varṇāśrama. Varṇa means four divisions of the society: brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra. And this varṇāśrama is created by Kṛṣṇa so that one day one may become devotee of Kṛṣṇa. The whole project is, Vedic project is, Vedic civilization... Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyam (BG 15.15). Vedic civilization means that to understand Kṛṣṇa. That is Vedic civilization. Vedānta-vid vedānta-kṛd cāham. So the Vedantist means to understand Kṛṣṇa. Veda means knowledge, and anta means the last. That Kṛṣṇa explains, Vedānta explains. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate (BG 7.19). This is Vedānta. One who understands Kṛṣṇa, he is Vedāntist. Not the Pukkar(?). No. The so-called Vedāntists, they want to get out of Kṛṣṇa. They'll never accept Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme. That is not Vedāntist. Real Vedāntist is here: bahūnāṁ janmanām ante. Jñānavān means one who has actually knowledge. Jñānavān. So real knowledge is to understand Kṛṣṇa. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyam (BG 15.15). This is knowledge.
Purports to Songs
Similarly, you have got the fire of spiritual consciousness. If you can evoke that spiritual consciousness, this material consciousness will be burnt up. It will come out from this material body, but when it comes out, then it will vanquish the material body. Very good, good example. The fire, there is..., in the wood there is fire, everyone knows. So you ignite fire, and if you make it dry, then the fire takes place very quickly. And when it is blazing fire, then the wood becomes vanquished. There is no more existence of the wood. Similarly, if you can invoke your spiritual consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, when it will be very nicely going on, then your material existence will be finished. This is the process. Durlabha mānava-janama sat-saṅge taraha e bhava-sindhu re. In this way, just get on the other side of this ocean of nescience.
Then, one may say that "If I associate with the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, then how my family affairs will go on? Who will look after my wife and children, society, friendship, love? I have got so many business." There, therefore he says, śīta ātapa bāta bariṣaṇa ei dina jāminī jāgi re: "My dear mind, you are working so hard." Śīta ātapa. "
| Page Title: | Invoke (Lectures) |
| Compiler: | Mayapur, RupaManjari |
| Created: | 08 of Oct, 2011 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=46, Con=0, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 46 |