All the people of the world, they are claiming as proprietor. Now, just like this American land. American land, now you are claiming as the proprietor. But is it a fact? Actually are you proprietor? Eh? Now, say, some hundreds and hundreds years, when Columbus came, so there were no Americans here, and so you were not proprietor. The land was there. Now, when you shall go away, the land will also be there. So the land belongs to God, and everything... Now, we say that we have manufactured this typewriter. Now, this typewriter, the now ingredient, the iron, have we manufactured iron? No. Iron is received from the mines. It is given by God. Nobody can manufacture iron. Nobody can manufacture anything. They can transform from one thing to another. They can bring out the iron from the mine. They can melt, and they can transform the shape of the metal in a different way. So that they can do, but they cannot produce iron. They cannot produce anything—wood, iron, earth, anything, whatever.
Iron (Lectures)
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
If you do not know or know what is the quality of fire, it doesn't matter. If you touch fire, it will act. Similarly, if you actually chant the holy name of God, it will act. The example is: just like you put a iron rod in the fire, it becomes warm, warmer, and gradually, it becomes red hot. By the association of fire, the iron rod becomes fire. Iron rod is not fire. But by association with the fire, it becomes as good as fire so that when it is red hot, you touch anywhere, the iron rod will burn. Similarly, if you keep yourself always in touch with God, then gradually, you become godly. You do not become God, but you become godly. And as soon as you become godly, then all your godly qualifications will come out. This is the science. Try to understand. We are part and parcel of God, every living entity.
ust like this whole cosmic manifestation is created by the will of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but you will not find him here. Disinterested. Many millions of universes are working by His will, but He is not interested. The example is just like a big capitalist. He has got many factories, and if you go to the factory—there is a Tata factory, iron factory—you will find huge factories going on, but Mr. Tata is not there. Things are going on. Similarly, all cosmic manifestation going on, it is under the will of Kṛṣṇa. But He is not present here. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, mat-sthāni sarva-bhūtāni: (BG 9.4) "Everything is resting on Me." Any factory, every worker knows that the whole factory function resting on that supreme person. He knows that. So actually fact is that mat-sthāni sarva-bhūtāni nāhaṁ teṣu avasthitaḥ: "But I am not there. I am not there." Similarly, Bhagavān means that. Under His will, under His power, everything is working so nicely, systematically, but if you want to see God, Kṛṣṇa, you cannot see Him. He is not there. He is in Goloka Vṛndāvana, but His influence is so extensive that even without His personal presence, things are going on so nicely. This is called Bhagavān.
This body, when it is living condition... Living condition means so long the soul is there, it looks like very bright, beautiful, moving here and there. And when the soul leaves this body, then what it is? It has no value, a lump of matter. Just like a motorcar. So long it is moving, it is worth one lakh, and so long it does not move, it is simply lump of iron and copper and something. Who cares for it? It is thrown away. Same thing. The body has no value. It has value so long the soul is there. Otherwise suppose a big man... They are lamenting such, "A great man has passed away." But what is that such great man? He is lying on the floor, on the bed, the same man. So why you are seeing that he has gone? Then who has gone? You have never seen him who has gone. This is knowledge.
This is my body," there is no wrong because finger is also part of the body. But if you say that "The finger is body," that is also wrong. This is dvaita-advaita. It is simultaneously one and different. Similarly, the soul and the Supreme Lord, equal in quality. Kṛṣṇa says, mamaivāṁśa. The small particle of gold is gold. That is advaita. You cannot say, because it is small particle of gold, you cannot say, "It is iron." It is gold. That is advaita. But the gold mine and the gold earring, there is difference. You cannot say the gold earring is as good as the gold mine. That is dvaita. so in this way, as so far our spiritual existence is concerned, we are one. But so far our energies are concerned, that is different. That is dvaita-advaita.
Nityo nityānām. Nityānām means ever existing. Nitya means ever, always. So either Kṛṣṇa or we, every one of us are ever-existing, because we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore, if Kṛṣṇa is ever-existing, so we are also ever-existing. A particle of gold is gold, qualitatively. The value of gold mine and the gold earring may be different. Gold earring may be, say, hundred dollars, but a gold mine, millions of dollars. But both of them are gold, not that it is iron. Therefore, less value, no.
Just like if you put one iron rod in the fire, it becomes warm, warmer, warmer, and at last it becomes red hot. When it is red hot, it is fire. It is no more iron rod. Similarly, if you keep always in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, you become Kṛṣṇized. This is the process. Then everything becomes purified; then your spiritual life is manifested. Then your life is successful.
So the first beginning is... Here, as it is said by Kṛṣṇa, antavanta ime dehāḥ: don't be attached with this body. The body is material, but even this body is material, it can be spiritualized by the same process, by Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Spiritualized means when this body will forget the materialistic activities. This body, you can utilize for sense gratification. Just generally people are doing. Eating, sleeping, mating and drinking and so on. So you can utilize this body... That is material. But if you engage this body for the service of the Lord, it becomes spiritualized. As I have already explained, the iron rod, constantly in touch with fire, it becomes, at end, it becomes red hot. That is fire. At that time, it acts like fire. You touch that red-hot iron rod anywhere, it will burn.
This is the distinction of the soul being spirit. You take anything of this material world, they can be burned. It is the question of temperature only. Even iron is being burned, any metal, any hard thing, stone is being burned, everything is being burned. But here it is said that soul cannot be burned. So does it mean that it is stronger than iron and stone? But it is very fragmental, minute, atomic portion. But it cannot be burned. So all these symptoms... Cannot be burned, cannot be cut into pieces.
Everything is very clearly stated. The soul does not burn; neither it can be cut into pieces. Then: na cainaṁ kledayanty āpaḥ. Neither it is moistened. It cannot be wet in touch with water. Now in the material world we find that anything, however hard it is... Just like stone or iron, it can be cut into pieces. There is separated machine or instrument. It can be cut... Anything can be cut into pieces. And anything can be melted also. It requires a different type of temperature only, but everything can be burned and melted. Then anything can be moistened, can be wet. But here it is said, na cainaṁ kledayanty āpo na śoṣayati mārutaḥ: neither it can be evaporated. That is eternity. That means any material condition cannot affect the soul. Asaṅgo 'yaṁ puruṣaḥ.
It cannot be pierced by your arrows, it cannot be cut into pieces by your sword, or if you use firearms it will not burn." Nainaṁ dahati pāvakaḥ. This is the position of soul. Immutable, indestructible. Another... This is the negative description of the soul. Nainaṁ chindanti śastrāṇi. Is there anything in this material world which cannot be cut into pieces? Have you got any experience? Take wood, stone, iron, or anything. It can be cut into pieces. Therefore, the..., when Kṛṣṇa says nainaṁ chindanti śastrāṇi, that means it is nothing like anything material elements. It is different. It is different. Any material elements. There are earth, water, fire, air, and ether. You can prepare weapons from earth. Water, you cannot do now.
And can never be slain." Because it is already described that soul cannot be burned, soul cannot be moistened, soul cannot be dried up, soul cannot be killed, soul cannot be cut into pieces. So many things. Just opposite of matter. Any material thing you take, even stone, iron, it can be burned, it can be cut into pieces, it can dry up, and so many things, all applicable to the matter. But so far the spirit soul is concerned, it is just the opposite. Therefore the conclusion is there, na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). Even after this body is annihilated the soul remains eternal. Just like if somebody comes and drives us out of this room, that does not mean that I am finished. I shall go and take shelter of another room. Similarly, when the soul, when the body is killed or annihilated by nature or by force, the soul takes shelter of another body. That is the conclusion.
And what are the shackles of this prison life? The shackles of prison life... Just like in ordinary prison, prisoner... Of course, I do not know what is the case here of prison life, but I have seen. Sometimes in New Delhi I was invited to give some good lessons to the prisoners. So I have seen so many prisoners. They were shackled with iron chains, iron chains. So we are also chained up here, and what is that chain? That is our sense enjoyment. Yes. We are chained in this material world by sense enjoyment. That's all. So if we want to cut our prison life, then the first symptom will be to minimize this sense enjoyment or to regulate the sense enjoyment. Here the Lord says that yadā saṁharate cāyaṁ kūrmo 'ṅgānīva sarvaśaḥ.
You simply take it and transform the shape. That is your activity. Avidyā-karma-saṁjñānyā tṛtīyā śaktir iṣyate. (CC Madhya 6.154) In the Viṣṇu Purāṇa it is said that this material world is full of ignorance. Just like children, they make so many playthings from earth or clay and again break it. And this practice is very prominent in your country. I see in big cities like New York, Boston, very nice buildings, well-built with stone and iron, breaking it. And again some skyscraper. And it is suggested in your Almanac, World Almanac, that next hundred years they will break all these buildings and they will go underground. Yes. Because atomic age. So nobody will... I have read it in the World Almanac. The prediction is there that world, next hundred years, nobody will live on the surface of the earth. Everyone go subway. And when they want some pure air, they'll come out to see what is the surface of the world. It is suggested.
In your Christian Bible also it is said. You go to church: "O God, give us our daily bread." That's all right. Kṛṣṇa is supplying you bread. Otherwise wherefrom you are getting bread? You cannot manufacture bread in the factory, or wheat or rice. You can manufacture some iron tools, that's all, not eatables. But you cannot manufacture nice grains. That is not possible. It is supplied by Kṛṣṇa. Eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān.
So try to understand in this way Kṛṣṇa consciousness, God consciousness.
So as you make your progress, spiritually, as you become hot... Just like I have given several times the example. If a iron, iron put into the fire, it gets warm, warmer, warmer and becomes red hot, and as soon as it is red hot, it is no longer iron. It is fire. The iron, wherever it will touch, it will burn because it has got the quality of fire. Similarly, even if you are in these bodies, material body, if you advance yourself in spiritual consciousness or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, you will be spiritualized. Your body will be spiritualized. You'll be no more be affected by this material contamination. The more you make advance, you'll feel it. Pratyakṣāvagamaṁ dharmyam. It is not for future tasting, but you'll understand it, understand it. So we have to make our progress in that way.
The example I have several times repeated: just like you put an iron rod in the fire. It becomes warm, warmer, and gradually it becomes red hot. When it is red hot, it is transformed into the nature of fire. It is no longer iron. Similarly, if you constantly remain in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, you at once transfer yourself to the higher nature of Kṛṣṇa, and that is your liberation. And if we can die in higher nature, then this formula, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti... (BG 4.9). oh, he does not come back again to this material world. So we shall have to try, we shall have to practice this Kṛṣṇa consciousness in such a way, that we shall permanently exist in higher nature. And if we can die in that higher nature, then our place in the transcendental world is reserved. That is the whole thing.
So whole process is that the eternal has to get rid of this nonpermanent material contact. And he has to take leave for the spiritual world. So... (aside:) Come on. So the whole process is that during our present existing life we have to practice in such a way that we remain constantly on the higher nature, on the spiritual nature. Exactly in the same way: just like you put the iron rod in the fire and make it warmer, warmer, warmer, warmer, and so long it does not get red hot, so it becomes fire. This is practical. In the same way you have to put yourself in such a way that you are always in, constantly in, the higher nature, not that for one hour, two hour we make this association, we try to be in higher nature and after leaving this place we again turn to the lower nature. No. We should always, whatever we hear from here, from this place, we should try to understand clearly without any doubt.
Just like the same example, just like putting the iron rod in the fire, and the iron rod becomes hot, red hot, gets the nature of fire, similarly, if we constantly in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, being transcendental to these stages of bhaya, fear, and attachment, and krodha, anger, if we put ourself, completely under Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then it will be very easy to attain the superior nature of Kṛṣṇa. That is the formula given here, that superior, how to attain that superior nature. Vīta-rāga-bhaya-krodhā man-mayā mām upāśritāḥ (BG 4.10). Mām upāśritāḥ. That is the main thing. One has to take shelter of Kṛṣṇa. Mām eva ye prapadyante. This very thing, everywhere we will find, this Bhagavad-gītā, that Kṛṣṇa is stressing on His personal feature. Mām eva ye prapadyante: "Anyone who takes shelter of Me..." "Anyone who thinks of Me," man-manā bhava mad-bhaktaḥ... So these things are there. Simply we have to take up this thing, Kṛṣṇa. Then everything, the whole solution is there. (aside:) Why these boys are disturbing? They are not sitting, and talking.
But here is the perfect knowledge, that īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (ISO 1). We have to take everything as God's property, nobody's property. And we can use things which are available by the nature's product. Suppose there is iron ore, mine. So everyone has got the... Whatever iron he requires, he can take. But if somebody makes the, the iron mine as his own property, then he, according to Śrīmad-Bhāgavata and, it is, he becomes a thief. He becomes a thief, and he's punishable because that is God's property. Nobody can create the iron mine. We cannot create anything. Even in the economic laws, we cannot create anything. We can simply transform just like worker or laborer. That's all. Suppose we manufacture a very nice table, but the ingredients, the wood, and the instrument, iron, oh, this is supplied by God. You cannot manufacture iron. You cannot manufacture the woods. So how, why do you claim that it is yours? This is ignorance. This is ignorance.
Just like the elephant is eating hundred pounds. Oh, God is supplying. "Yes. Come on. Take hundred pounds." But he's not stocking. He's eating both times, hundred pounds in the morning, hundred pounds in the evening. He's supplied. Nature supplies. Come on. You know, gorilla. They are very big animals. And where gorillas are prominent in the African jungle, there is a tree which produces a nut which is stronger than the iron bullet. And the gorilla uses those as peas and chew it nicely. So there is food supply there even for the gorilla, for the elephant, and for the ant also. The ant requires one grain of sugar. And he's also struggling. So here is a struggle. But the supply is there. Supply is there. Supply is already fixed up.
So your struggle should be—human form of life—the struggle should be how to realize yourself, how to go to, to go back to Godhead, back to Kṛṣṇa. That should be your struggle, not for economic development. The economic solution is there.
Similarly, if you study yourself, "What I am?"—that is called meditation—then you can understand God, that "God is like me also. But He is profuse, unlimited. I am limited. But the same qualities are there." Same qualities. Otherwise how can you get it? The part and parcel of gold is gold, but that is not whole gold. The quality is gold. You cannot say it is iron. Even a small particle of gold, no chemist will say, "No, it is iron." It is gold, but not that whole gold. This is understanding.
That means everything will be transformed into spiritual. By Kṛṣṇa consciousness everything will be transformed into spiritual. Just like the iron rod, if you put into the fire it gets warm, warmer, and when it is red-hot, then it is no longer iron rod, it is fire, similarly, if we constantly engage all our energy in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then, even though we have increased the temperature to 107 degrees, that will be transformed into 107 degree of spiritual life. Yes. That is the secret of this Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
As we'll understand when we come to the Ninth Chapter, it is clearly stated that su-sukhaṁ kartum avyayam (BG 9.2). It is very happy to adopt this principle of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So instead of lamenting what has been done—that is useless. No use lamenting. We have to now go, make progress, advance by Kṛṣṇa consciousness and utilizing everything for that purpose, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then everything will be all right.
This Kṛṣṇa consciousness practice is turning this material body into spiritual body. How it is done? The example I have several times given, that you put the iron in the fire. The more it is warm, it becomes fire. When the iron is red hot—that when the iron has acquired the qualities of fire—you touch the iron anywhere, it will act as fire. Similarly, this body, although it is material—there are so many examples. A metal, electrified, the metal is not electricity. But when it is electrified, you touch the metal, you get electric shock immediately. Just like the electric wire. Copper, it is copper. But as soon as it is electrified, you touch it, you get electric shock. There are so many examples. Similarly, if your body is spiritualized, then the material action is no more. Material action means sense gratification. So the more one becomes spiritualized, the material demands become nil. No more material activities.
So how you can do that? The same example: You have to keep the iron constantly with the fire.
We are distributing prasādam, people will say, "Why is prasādam? The same fruit we eat, and you have simply cut into pieces it has become prasādam?" They can say that. How it is prasādam? But it is prasādam. You go on eating this prasādam, you become spiritualized. Actually it is prasādam. Just like the same example, if I take that iron, hot iron, if I say "It is fire." Somebody may say, "Oh, why it is fire? It is iron." I say, "Touch it." You see? These are crude examples, but that is the...
When your activities—actually in higher sense there is no matter. There is no matter, everything is spiritual because Kṛṣṇa is spiritual. Kṛṣṇa is whole spirit, and the matter is one of the energy of Kṛṣṇa.
So one must know how to connect Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is everywhere. This is Kṛṣṇa conscious movement. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. One must know how we can derive from these features of Kṛṣṇa's forms in wood or iron or metal... That doesn't matter. Kṛṣṇa is everywhere. You have to learn how to contact Kṛṣṇa with everything. That will be explained in this system of yoga. You'll learn it. So the Kṛṣṇa consciousness is also a yoga, the perfect yoga, the highest of all yogic systems. Anyone, any yogi may come, and we can challenge and we can say that this is the A-1 yoga system.
So life's aim is self-realization—Viṣṇu—not the skyscrapers. These are piling stones and woods. This is not very intelligent work. The woods and pile, stones and earth is there already—big, big mountain, hills. You do the business of a porter, carry it out, and high, I mean to say, heap, heap it in one place, it becomes a skyscraper building. And if you simply are proud of these heaps of stones and woods and iron, that is not civilization. That is not civilization. Civilization is that the living entity who is using these resources, what, to know what is the actual business. This piling of stones and wood is done also by the birds.
Similarly, when you go to the spiritual world, you'll accept a spiritual body. What is the difficulty to understand? Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti (BG 4.9). One should be qualified to enter into certain association, atmosphere. That... If you spiritually qualify yourself, then after giving up this body you get a spiritual body and you enter in the spiritual world. That's all. Very easy. You make yourself spiritualized in this life. That example is... Just like you put one iron rod in the fire; it becomes warmer, warmer, warmer, and at the end it becomes red hot. At that time it is no longer iron rod. It is fire. You touch that iron rod anywhere; it will burn. Similarly, by spiritual activities you can make this body spiritual so that there will be no more material activities. That is spiritual body. Just like in this body we are training our boys and girls... They are young boys and girls, but they are no more interested to go to the restaurant, hotel or cinema or dancing party. They are simply interested to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. How they have given up all these young men's demand? How it is possible? You can see. So when your material activities are stopped, that is spiritual body.
That is not very difficult to understand. Just like a living man and a dead man. Living man means the body is carrying the spirit soul, and dead man means the body is there, but there is no spirit soul. But as soon as the body is dead or the spirit soul is out of it, immediately it begins to decompose. The same body, as long as carrying the soul, there is no such thing. Therefore if you keep your body spiritualized, then there is no question of decomposition or diseases. Another example: just like if you take an iron rod and put into the fire, it becomes warm, warmer, and at the end, it becomes red-hot. When it is red-hot, it is no more iron rod, but it is fire. You touch that iron rod, red-hot, anyplace, it will burn. Similarly, if you make your body spiritualized by Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then there is no question of disease.
When we avoid that offenses, then it is pure chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. So even if we chant with offenses in the beginning—it cannot be free of offenses—still it will act. Just like you come near the fire, you can feel the warmth, and with direct touch it becomes red hot. So, we have to be in touch with the fire, then gradually we become warmer, warmer, warmer, warmer and red hot, red hot. Just like another example, just like you take a lead, iron rod, and keep in touch with the fire. It becomes warm, warmer, warmest, then gradually the iron rod becomes red hot. When it is red hot, then it is fire. You touch that iron rod anywhere, it will burn. The quality of fire is already acquired.
Now suppose if you construct a temple for Kṛṣṇa, the same spirit that as one, a karmī, is constructing a big skyscraper building, a bhakta is doing the same thing. He is also after the cement, after the iron, after the stone. Does it mean simply by handling this iron and stone and cement he becomes bhakta? No. He knows that cement is the property of Kṛṣṇa; it should be used for Kṛṣṇa. This is siddhi. He knows perfectly. The cement comes from Kṛṣṇa, iron comes from Kṛṣṇa. Bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhiḥ (BG 7.4). Everything comes from Kṛṣṇa. Yato vā imāni bhūtāni. Therefore it should be used for Kṛṣṇa. That is siddhi. That is siddhi. This secret, they do not know, and they claim they have become siddhas. No. Siddhi means that nirbandhaḥ kṛṣṇa-sambandhe yuktaṁ vairāgyam ucyate. Everything should be used for Kṛṣṇa. That is siddhi. That is known to the bhaktas. Not so-called karmīs, jñānīs, yogis, no. They are not siddhas.
So we do not neglect this bhūmir āpaḥ..., although it is separated energy, but when we reconnect in the service of the Lord, it becomes spiritual. It requires little time to understand. And the example, as we have given many times, that you put one iron rod in the fire. It becomes warm, warmer, warmer, warmer. Then, when it is red-hot, it is no longer iron rod, but it is fire. Similarly, everything in this material world, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ (BG 7.4), although it is separated from Kṛṣṇa, if you engage it in the service of Kṛṣṇa, it is no more material. It is spiritual. This is the philosophy of Vaiṣṇavas. Nirbandhaḥ kṛṣṇa-sambandhe yuktaṁ vairāgyam ucyate.
We are also Kṛṣṇa's energy, jīva-bhūta. That will be explained in the next verse. Apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parām. Another prakṛti, parā-prakṛti, spiritual energy. What is that? Jīva-bhūtāṁ mahā-bāho yayedaṁ dhāryate (BG 7.5). So both of us... The matter is also Kṛṣṇa's energy, and the spirit soul is also Kṛṣṇa's energy. And there is another, spiritual world. That is also Kṛṣṇa's energy. Everything is Kṛṣṇa's energy. So when the spiritual energy is engaged in the service of Kṛṣṇa, even this material energy, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ, that also becomes converted into spiritual energy exactly like that iron rod converted into fire.
So it requires intelligence. If you think how all things can be changed into spiritual world, that is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.
Thank you very much.
So Kṛṣṇa is the original puruṣa. Prakṛti, the material energy is also prakṛti, subordinate to Kṛṣṇa, and the spiritual energy, the living entities, they are also prakṛti, but they are superior prakṛti. Inferior, not... Inferior matter. Just like we are handling matter, we are getting matter. We are getting cement, we are getting bricks, we are getting iron and combining them, and making a very, very high skyscraper building. So the material energy is also Kṛṣṇa's, and the spiritual energy, the living entity, that is also Kṛṣṇa's energy. So..., but they are working for satisfying their senses. Therefore superior, jīva-bhūtāṁ yayedaṁ dhāryate... They are handling the material energy. The same living entity, when he understands his constitutional position, that "I am part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa," mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ (BG 15.7), then he'll work for Kṛṣṇa. Then the same energy spent for building skyscraper building will be utilized to build a nice temple for Kṛṣṇa.
So soon as you become Kṛṣṇa conscious, you become spiritual. Just like as soon as there is fire, immediately you become hot, warm. You touch the iron rod in the fire; it becomes warm, warmer, warmer, then it becomes red-hot. And when it is red-hot, it is no more iron rod; it is fire. You touch everywhere, the same iron rod will burn. Similarly, if you become fully Kṛṣṇa conscious, there is nothing material. Your body's spiritual, your mind is spiritual, your soul is already spiritual—everything is spiritual. Sarvaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So simply we have to bring Kṛṣṇa in every activities. Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is that for, for that purpose. And there will be no problems.
That means free from the contamination of the three modes of material nature. Therefore, as he becomes free from the contamination of the three modes of material nature, therefore he's not going to have next body of this material nature. Next body he's not going to have material... The same example: just the, if you put iron rod into the fire, it becomes gradually the fire. The nature of fire the iron rod attains. So when it is red-hot, there is no possibility of its being the iron, but it is fire.
This, these are the description of the Kṛṣṇaloka. Cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu: "The houses are made of touchstone." Touchstone. Perhaps you know touchstone. It's a... A small particle touchstone, if it is touched in the iron beam, it will at once becomes gold. Of course, I do not know if any one of you has seen this touchstone, but there is such a thing. So all the buildings are there of touchstone. Cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa (Bs. 5.29). The trees are desire trees. Whatever you like, can get. Here from mango tree, you get mango, and apple tree from, you get apple. But there any tree, anything you like, you can have. These are the some, some of the description of the Kṛṣṇaloka.
These are uttama-śloka. These ślokas, these description, are not of the material world. Just like this word, cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu. In the spiritual world, in the..., the houses are made of cintāmaṇi stone. Cintāmaṇi stone you cannot have here. Maybe, but we have no experience. But cintāmaṇi stone means touchstone. If you take that stone and touch in iron, it becomes gold. That is cintāmaṇi. So cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu. The vaikuṇṭha-loka, goloka vṛndāvana, is made of houses, there are. Nirviśeṣavādī, śūnyavādī, they cannot understand that in the spiritual world there are also houses, there are also gardens, there are also rivers, there are also cows. They cannot understand, because they are in the tamaḥ, in this darkness of material world. They are disgusted with this material world. They want to make it zero, nirvāṇa. They want to make it zero. No. Why zero? The Bhāgavata said, nirasta-kuhakam. Nirasta-ku... Satyaṁ paraṁ dhīmahi, janmādy asya. Actually, this material world is born out of the reflection of the spiritual world.
So suhṛt prabhavaḥ, development. You are trying to make economic development, but how we can develop economic development provided there is no material supplied by God? Can you manufacture, can you build, construct, a big skyscraper building without the materials being supplied by God? Can you manufacture wood? Can you manufacture stone? Can you manufacture lime? You cannot manufacture. Can you manufacture iron? You can work, labor. The materials supplied by God, by your labor, by intelligence, you can transform from one thing to another. Economic experts, they say like that, that man cannot manufacture anything. He can transform one thing to another. You cannot manufacture iron. You can transform the iron ores to a big iron factory. That you can do and waste your time, valuable time. That energy you have got. But you cannot produce iron.
Suppose a carpenter makes a very nice furniture, a nice closet, very beautiful. So will the carpenter shall be the proprietor or the man, the person who has supplied him wages, who has supplied him the wood, and he has made it? Who will be the proprietor? Very simple philosophy. Whatever we used...
Similarly, suppose you construct a skyscraper building, costly building. But who has supplied the material? The brick, stone, wood, iron—where you have got it? It is Kṛṣṇa's property. You cannot produce these bricks or the iron or the wood. It is Kṛṣṇa's property. Bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca (BG 7.4). These five elements of material ingredients... earth, water, air fire, all these things, even mind, intelligence... The mind... Unless you have got intelligence, you cannot manufacture anything with this material things.
Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra—it is very easy—at least sixteen rounds, and follow the regulative principle, and pray to Kṛṣṇa to help you. Everything will be all right. (break) ...books, everything is there. (break) ...Kṛṣṇa. Hare Kṛṣṇa is Kṛṣṇa personally. So if you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa, you associate with Kṛṣṇa. And if you associate with fire, you become warm. Similarly, if you associate with Kṛṣṇa, then you become gradually Kṛṣṇaized. And when you perfect... Just like you put one iron rod into the fire. It becomes warm, warmer, warmer, and at last, it becomes red hot. At that time it is fire because it has acquired the quality of the fire, although it is iron rod. So the process is to remain with the fire. Similarly, if you remain with Kṛṣṇa by chanting His holy name, then you will be purified and one day will come—you will be Kṛṣṇaized. The process is very simple: chant Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare, Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare. That's all.
Kṛṣṇa therefore says, mahā-bhūtāny ahaṅkāro buddhir avyaktam eva ca. Avyaktam means the total material substance. Just like when you construct a house there are heaps of materials, some stone, some cement, some woods, some iron, and you combine together... Tejo-vāri-mṛd-vinimayam. This whole world is exchange of three things: teja, fire, vāri, means water, and mṛt, means earth. So what is this Bombay city? The Bombay city is a heap of tejo-vāri-mṛd-vinimayaḥ. And... Here is one expert engineer, he knows how to mix these three things, tejo-vāri-mṛd-vinimayam, exchange. If there was no stock of tejo-vāri-mṛd-vinimayam, you could not build such a nice city. But who is supplying the ingredients? Can you create earth? No. Can you create water? No. You cannot create. You are simply working. You are simply working hard mixing them. That's all. Tejo vāri-mṛd-vinimayam. You cannot create. That is not possible. The creator is God. The creator is God. That is stated in the seventh chapter, prakṛtir me aṣṭadhā. Me, Kṛṣṇa says, "It is mine."
Therefore he's transferring from this eating to that eating, from this sleeping to that sleeping, from this sex to that sex, from this defense to that defense. Because he has no other idea. This is the difficulty. He's thinking that sex life from this person to that person will be nice. But that is not. Sex life by the dogs, by the hogs, or by the man, the same pleasure. As I have repeatedly said, that any nice tasteful eatable, either you keep it in the golden pot or in iron pot, the taste is the same. But he, rascal, does not know. He thinks that "If I put it in the golden pot it will be more tasteful." This is going on. The sex life is the same. He's thinking in the human form of sex in a very nice apartment, so many, so many, decorated, it will change the quality of the sex between dogs and dogs. No, that will not change. The same taste. But because he has no other engagement, better engagement, therefore he's trying to improve these things, the tendency for these things. That is his trouble. He's becoming entrapped. Sometimes he's enjoying as a man, sometimes he's enjoying as a hog, sometimes he's enjoying as a dog, as a demigod, but the enjoyment is the same. But that he does not know. He has to go beyond this, transcend this enjoyment, that information he has no. That is the difficulty.
So, "What do you want?" So he said, "Give me the best thing, so I shall be the greatest of all." That he said, "Oh, I haven't got such thing, but if you want, you go to Sanatāna Goswāmī." "Where is Sanatāna Gosvāmī?" "Vṛndāvana." So when he went there, so he had a touchstone. The touchstone was kept with the garbage, and he asked him, "All right, you take that. You are poor man. You take the stone, and if you touch this stone with iron, it will turn into gold. You take this. Find out in that garbage." So he took it and went away. So on the street he began to think that "Lord Siva advised me that 'He has the best thing. You go there.'
So anyone who is simply exploiting the resources of nature, the so-called industrialist, others, they are taking all goods from Kṛṣṇa. Now, suppose you are making some machine. In making machine, you want the iron. But have you produced the iron? Wherefrom you have got the iron?
Trivikrama: From the nature.
Prabhupāda: From the mine. So who has created mine? Your father has created this mine, that you are taking this iron? That means you are thief. You are thief. The iron is not your property. The iron is there already. If it is already there, you must conclude it is somebody's property. So you are taking it away without asking the proprietor. Then are you not thief? What is the meaning of stealing? If you take something without asking the proprietor, that is stealing. So the iron is there, you are taking from the mine iron. You may convert into various things. That is another thing. But the original iron, to whom it belongs? Kṛṣṇa declares in the Bhagavad-gītā, bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram: (BG 5.29) "I am the proprietor." So He is the proprietor. Sarva-loka, all planets. So in this planet, when you find this iron, then whose property it is? When you find it, you must know it belongs to somebody.
The so-called civilization, they are all set of thieves, rogues. And they are formulating rules and regulation for others' fraud, those who are devotees. They are themselves fraud. Everything belongs... Suppose you have got this iron, stealing from the mine Kṛṣṇa's property. Then if by some way or other, I take your iron and give it back to Kṛṣṇa, so I am fraud or you are fraud? You do not possess anything. But you are claiming that you are proprietor of this thing, that thing, which you have taken by stealing. And if your stolen property, I take it from you and return it to Kṛṣṇa, then who is fraud? You are fraud or I am fraud? Who is fraud? But they have made their own laws. They will steal, they will plunder, and still, they are honest gentlemen.
"There is another superior energy." What is that superior energy? Jīva-bhūta, the living entity. Jīva-bhūtāṁ yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat (BG 7.5). That is superior because this superior energy, living entity, he is trying to utilize this inferior material energy for his sense gratification. Dhāryate jagat. Whole world is going on just like a motor car. It is combination of gross material-iron, steel, copper, glass, like that, and cotton, and fiber. The car is combination of some material things, but it is operated or it is manufactured by the man. He is controlling this; therefore he is superior. Both of them are energies. The superior energy, living entity, is managing how to collect this iron, copper, this, that, and make nice car. And he is riding on. And this material supply is given by the material energy. The intelligence is given by Kṛṣṇa.
In the material stage we think that it is being controlled by the laws of material nature. That is also fact, but behind the laws of material nature there is Kṛṣṇa. The material laws of material nature is not working blindly. That is a fact. Combination of material thing, a big, nice airship, is moving. It is combination of material things. There are iron, aluminium, wood, and petrol, so many other things, the combination of material things. But this combination of material things, if it is kept in one place, in many thousands of years it will not fly. It will not fly—the petrol is here; everything is there—unless the pilot is there. When the pilot comes he pushes the button. Then it becomes.
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
Then grind it, so it becomes mortar and the brick, and you prepare a very big skyscraper and offer obeisances there. Yes. "Oh, such a big house, mine." Tri-sargo 'mṛṣā. But there is another place: dhāmnā svena nirasta-kuhakam. We are offering here obeisances to the bricks, stone, iron. Just like in your country especially—in all Western countries—there are so many statues. The same thing, tejo-vāri-mṛdāṁ vinimayaḥ. But when we install Deity, actually the form, eternal form of Kṛṣṇa, nobody offers obeisances. They'll go to offer obeisances to the dead. Just like in British Museum. They are standing in queue to offer obeisances to a dead body. It has no value, but they are wasting time there. But here, if they are invited, "Oh, they are worshiping idol. Why shall I go? Why shall I go there?" This is called illusion. They are actually doing that, obeisances, but not to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
There is Kṛṣṇa's planet. That planet is made of touchstone. We do not know whether anyone has got experience of this touchstone, but there is a touchstone which you touch on iron, it becomes gold. Touchstone. So in the spiritual world there are also houses like these trees, like this; there are cows, and the gopīs, Kṛṣṇa. So their description is given in the Brahma-saṁhitā. We should not think that we have imagined something artistic and created a Kṛṣṇa. No. It is completely supported by Vedic literature, Brahma-saṁhitā.
Prabhupāda: That is ācārya. Ācārya does not write any book of sex psychology, Freud's philosophy. That is not ācārya, that is rascal. Ācārya gives direction how one can make advance in spiritual consciousness, that is ācārya. Then?
Devotee: "Foreseeing the incompetencies of the people in this age of Kali, or the iron age of quarrel, the sages requested that Suta Gosvāmī give a summary of all revealed scriptures because the people of this age are condemned in every respect."
And actually it is so happening. People are endeavoring throughout the whole world for bodily comforts, for sense gratification, but they're not happy. There cannot be happiness. Because... The same example. Suppose you have got a nice coat. If you simply show the coat and iron the coat and keep it very nice, that does not mean you'll be happy. Because you are trying to get happiness from the coat or shirt. That is not happiness, that is not possible. Happiness is possible when you try to make happy the soul. Then happiness is possible. Another example is given—just like a bird within the cage. If you simply wash the cage and keep it very nice and don't give any food to the bird, then the bird will never be happy simply by polishing the cage. So this is the cage, this material body is the cage of the soul. Therefore material living being is called conditioned or encaged. That is the beginning of Bhagavad-gītā.
So the chanting process means to always think of Kṛṣṇa, twenty-four hours. Caitanya Mahāprabhu advises kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ (CC Adi 17.31). And what is the benefit? The benefit is, because Kṛṣṇa is the supreme pure, you become purified. Just like if you remain with the fire, you become warm, warmer, warmer, warmer. Just like in the fire you put one iron rod. It becomes warmer, warmer. At the end the iron rod becomes red-hot. And when it is red-hot, it is no more iron rod; it is fire. You touch everywhere; it will burn. The same process. If you remain with Kṛṣṇa always, you get Kṛṣṇa's quality. You have got the quality because you are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. If Kṛṣṇa is gold, you are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa; therefore you are also gold. But at the present moment, as the gold is covered by dirt, at the present moment we are spirit soul, we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, as good as Kṛṣṇa, but we have been covered by this material body. Therefore we have to take out ourself from this material body. That is called siddhi, that is called perfection.
That we do not know. This kind of change will not help, the capitalist thinking that "I am bhokta," or the laborer thinking, "I am bhokta." Nobody is bhokta. Bhokta is Kṛṣṇa. If we try to understand... We can understand because bhokta means the proprietor. So God is the proprietor, everything. You are manufacturing one big nice car, but who has manufactured this metal? Who has manufactured this wood with which you have manufactured a nice car? That is manufactured by a God. You have not manufactured. You are changing the shape from iron to iron seat, iron seat to another form. That's all... You can do that. You cannot manufacture.
A sputnik can run... Your mechanical can run, say, eighteen thousand miles per hour, but the air, that can run still more quicker. And the mind can run still more quicker. So here it is recommended that if one is seated not on the ordinary airplane, but the airplane of air... The yogis can do that. The yogis know how to rise on the aeroplane of air, and they can immediately transfer to any planet. Vāyoḥ. Vāyor athāpi. There were... There were planes made of air. Here... Just like now we have manufactured the planes, iron or aluminium, but there are planes of air, and similarly, there are planes of mind. You see?
So any way, if we try to associate, simply by chanting or hearing, that means we are associating with Kṛṣṇa. And the more we associate with Kṛṣṇa, the more we become purified. Just like more you remain with the fire, you become warmer, warmer, warmer. And one day you become so warm you exactly like fire. The example I have given that if you put an iron rod in the fire, it becomes warm, warmer, warmest, and then it becomes red. And when it is red, it is no longer iron. It is fire. Similarly, simply by chanting and hearing you spiritualize yourself. So a day will come when this material body also will be fully spiritualized. The... That fully spiritualized means there will be no more material activities; simply these spiritual activities will be there.
Everything is there. This is authority, śruti. Kṛṣṇa is very much fond of tending cows. Surabhīr abhipālayantam. Cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu. He has got His abode, Goloka Vṛndāvana, where the residential houses are made of cintāmaṇi, touchstone. Touchstone, we have heard the description. Touchstone means the stone which you touch to the iron and the iron becomes gold. So such touchstone, they're used as brick. Cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa-lakṣāvṛteṣu (Bs. 5.29).
And kalpa-vṛkṣa. This is Kṛṣṇa's abode. They are not like this. They are all spiritual. Here it is, everything is material, but there is spiritual touch.
This world is mithyā. This, any material thing, is mithyā." No. It has got some relationship with Kṛṣṇa. That is to be seen. What is that? What is this motor car? It is material. But what is this material? Bhūmir āpaḥ analo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca, bhinnā me prakṛtir aṣṭadhā. Where they have got this metal? This iron, wood, metal, everything, they have got from Kṛṣṇa. Therefore it has got relationship with Kṛṣṇa. Now, when it is manufactured, use it for Kṛṣṇa. That is yukta-vairāgya. So we do not hate anything, material advancement. We can utilize everything for Kṛṣṇa's service. Our only preaching is that "Don't forget Kṛṣṇa." That is our business. And if you have got a special talent, utilize it for Kṛṣṇa.
So how we can eat? Now when there is scarcity of foodstuff you cannot eat the Goodyear tires. But people's attention has been diverted in the industrial activities. They are given allurement, "Come here. I shall give you twenty rupees per day. You give up your agricultural activities. You come in the factory. Produce tire tube, iron stool," and so on so on. So we are violating the orders of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says that produce foodgrain. But we are producing unnecessary things. And therefore you are suffering. Kṛṣṇa is giving very good advice: annād bhavanti bhūtāni. You produce sufficient foodgrain, all over, not only here. Another anartha is this nationalism.
So Duryodhana, by the blessings of his mother, his whole body became iron-like solid. So by beating by the Bhīma, it was not easy. So the story is that Gāndhārī, the mother of Duryodhana, she was great chaste woman. Because her husband was blind, she used to remain as blind woman covering the eyes. But she had some power. Chaste woman, anyone who sticks to the regulative principles, he gets a power, spiritual or material. He gets power. A brahmacārī gets power if he follows brahmacarya. Everyone, if we follow the prescribed rules and regulations, automatically you become powerful.
So Gāndhārī had some power. So her eldest son, Duryodhana, was advised to see the mother naked. She advised, "My dear son, tomorrow morning when you come to offer your obeisances to me, you come naked. I shall see you and you will be solidified just like iron."
And when Gāndhārī saw, she saw that he was not fully naked, so she regretted, "O my dear son, I asked you to come before me naked. Why you have got this...?" "No, Kṛṣṇa advised." Then she began to smile, that "My attempt is failure." So Kṛṣṇa knew it, that part which was covered, that was not turned iron. The other parts turned into iron on account of seeing by Gāndhārī. So in this fight Kṛṣṇa hinted Bhīma that "You strike here. That part is not ironized." Although it is against the regulative principle to strike the opponent party below this waist, Kṛṣṇa advised that "Unless you transgress this law, you cannot kill him." So he was stroken below the waist, and he was not killed, but his waist was broken. Therefore it is said vṛkodarāviddha-gadābhimarśa. Then he died. This is mentioned here.
The animal killing is for the uncivilized man, one who cannot get the necessities of life by intelligence. Just like modern civilized man, they are getting, suppose, so many machines, say, motorcar, a very useful vehicle. But wherefrom it is obtained? From the land. What is the motorcar ingredients? It is a combination of matter: earth, water, air, fire. You get iron, put into the fire and melt it, and then get the wheel. Similarly so many things. Tejo-vāri-mṛdāṁ vinimayaḥ. Material civilization means tejo-vāri-mṛdāṁ vinimayaḥ—exchange of fire, water, and earth—that's all. It is just like you see nice doll. What is this nice doll? Tejo-vāri-mṛdāṁ vinimayaḥ. There is earth, water, fire. You mix the earth with water, and make it a nice doll, and put it into the fire and then color it. It will appear just like a very, very beautiful girl. But it is not the fact. Similarly the whole material world is nothing but an imitation of the spiritual world by intermixture of earth, water, and fire—and nothing else.
Ultimately. In this material world means sense gratification, because kāma, kāma means sense gratification. Kāma, the just opposite word is love. Kāma and..., kāma means lust, and love means loving Kṛṣṇa. So that is wanted. But here in this material world they are engaged in very, very hard work. They have invented so many factories, iron factories, melting the iron, these machinery, and it is called ugra karma, asuric karma. After all, you will eat some bread and some fruit or some flower. Why you have invented so big, big factories? That is avidyā, nescience, avidyā. Suppose hundred years ago there was no factory. So all the people of the world were starving? Eh? Nobody was staring. In, in, in our Vedic literature we don't find any mention anywhere about the factory.
He knows. But still he is busy to find out the food. So little business, little flying from one tree to another, he..., he sees in all, most, fruits, all the small or big, there are so many fruits they can eat. Similarly, for all the living entities, there is arrangement for food, food grains. Eating, sleeping, mating and defending, there is arrangement. Even in Africa there are some trees which produces fruits, those fruits are harder than the iron bullet. But these fruits are used by the gorillas. They collect those fruits, just like we chew some nuts, so they also enjoy chewing that nut. But it is so hard. I read in some book, so perhaps you also know, that the quarter of the jungle where gorillas live, God gives them fruit: "Yes, here is your food."
So Kṛṣṇa is the supreme pure. We are also pure, because we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Just like a small particle of gold is also gold. The value is gold. It is not iron or something low-grade metal. The same. Similarly, as Kṛṣṇa... Ajo 'pi sann avyayātmā. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said Kṛṣṇa is aja. He never takes birth. Bhūtānām īśvaro 'pi san. Although He is the Lord of all living entities, still, by His desire, He appears. Our appearance in this material world is also the same desire, but that is not independent.
d. Similarly, the Keśī demon came as a horse and Kṛṣṇa pushed His hand within the mouth of the horse. If you want to control horse, you have to control his mouth. Horse is controlled by the mouth. Therefore you have seen the harnesses are fit, fixed in the mouth, and the driver controls the mouth, and the horse goes. So Kṛṣṇa was a boy. How He knew it that "This demon has come in the shape of a horse. So if I have to control him, I will have to control his mouth." So He pushed His hand within the mouth of the horse, and the horse felt just like an iron bar and hot iron. So he died. Similarly, when Kṛṣṇa fought with that bull, what is that asura?
So therefore the..., at the present moment, the big, big factories, they are the activities of the asuras, ugra-karma. All the people are dragged in the city, industrial area, to engage them in the produce of iron bars, big, big iron bars, Tata iron industry, and so many other industry. Capitalists, they have drawn all the innocent people from the village. And they think that "We are getting fat salary." But what is the use of fat salary? One side you get fat salary; another side you have to purchase three rupees a kilo rice. Finish your salary. This is going on. Let them produce their own food. Let him have some land. Let him produce his own food. Let there be cows. Let cows become happy.
They think that we are advancing civilization , because the cats and dogs they are lying on..., on the floor and sleep, we have got 104-stories building and we lie down there. This is their advancement. But they do not understand that the sleeping, the enjoyment by sleeping, it is the same to the dog and to the man who is lying on the 104th planet, story. Similarly, sex life to the dog and to the man or to the demigod, the pleasure is the same. There is no difference. If you drink milk on a golden pot or an iron pot, the taste is the same. You cannot change the taste of the milk, or anything, putting into the golden pot.
But these foolish persons they are thinking that, that "Our material pleasure will be very much enjoyable when it is put into the golden pot instead of iron pot." Mūḍhāḥ. They are called mūḍhāḥ. (laughter) They do not know the..., our real business is how to get out of this material body.
So without understanding our real identification, if we remain intoxicated and wander within this wonderful universe... You cannot live. It is not that because you have settled up, "Now I am in America or India. Let me live here comfortably. I have got very good arrangement." But you will not be allowed to live, sir. You must have to change. You may make very good arrangement, but who is allowing to stay here. You will not be allowed to stay here. But they do not know. Intoxicated, because intoxicated. Everyone is thinking that "I shall stay forever. Let there be very big iron skyscraper building. I will be able to stay." But because intoxicated, he cannot understand that he will not be allowed to stay. You may simply spoil your energy. That's all. The energy which was given to you to understand God, you are spoiling that energy in skyscraper building, but you will not be allowed to stay. This is nature's law.
But the rascals, they do not know because they are intoxicated already by the nature's law, māyā, and they are still being intoxicated, more drink liquor, more drink liquor, and go to hell.
Thank you very much.
They give the explanation, "Nature." But nature is dull. Nature, material nature is dull. We do not find anything... Material nature... Just like this is a material thing. But it is being manipulated by a living being. This has... This iron or other metallic preparation, they have been turned into microphone by a living entity, not that the matter has come automatically and combined together and it has become microphone. Where is that instance? Nature, material nature, does not combine together. Therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, jīva-bhūtāṁ mahā-bāho yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat (BG 7.5). He is defining very nice.
"One man's food, another man's poison." So the stool is also a kind of food. Everything is a kind of food. Even the stone is also food. You know? The pigeons, they eat the stones particles. They can digest. For them, the hardest peas are supplied. So they can digest. Pāyarā-maṭara. It is called in India, pāyarā-maṭara. Pāyarā means pigeon. Pigeon's peas. They require such thing. Just like the gorilla. The gorilla animal, where they live in the African jungles... We have read book. There are trees, the fruits of that tree are so hard, harder than the iron bullet. You can hammer on the bullet; it may bend. But that fruit will not bend. So those fruits are taken by the gorillas, and they chew it just like you chew peanuts or something like that, yes. (laughter)
This is the description of the Goloka Vṛndāvana planet in the Brahma-saṁhitā. The first description is, "That planet is made of cintāmaṇi gems." Cintāmaṇi gem means... If you get by chance imitation cintāmaṇi gem, you can turn iron into gold. That is cintāmaṇi gem. So these things are there. One may believe or not believe, but we believe because we believe in the śāstra. So we have no botheration.
Naturally at the time of death you will think of Kṛṣṇa. Mad-yājino 'pi yānti mām (BG 9.25). That is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām iti kaunteya (BG 4.9). Such person, Kṛṣṇa conscious person, who knows Kṛṣṇa... If you think of Kṛṣṇa, naturally you know of Kṛṣṇa. You know of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is within your heart. So if you think of Kṛṣṇa, then gradually you become Kṛṣṇized. Just like you put the iron rod in the fire. Gradually it becomes fire. Warm, warmer, warmer, then red-hot. When it is red-hot it is fire. Whenever you touch, it will burn immediately. Similarly, if you think of Kṛṣṇa, the same example... Touching fire. So Kṛṣṇa will purify you. Śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ (SB 1.2.17). Just like you are being purified by hearing about Kṛṣṇa daily. Otherwise why you are coming here? We have no money to bribe you to come here. You are feeling, becoming Kṛṣṇized; therefore you are coming.
So the..., this is the aspiration of the karmīs, to elevate life to higher standard of life. As the world is going on... The struggle is going on for having a higher standard of life. But they are becoming implicated. Now, there was bull-drawn cart or horse-drawn carriages. Now they have got nice cars also, but the problem is petrol. So the karmī world is like that. You create one kind of happiness, but side by side you create another kind of unhappiness. This is called karmī-yoga. Just like if you want to raise one big skyscraper building, then you have to dig somewhere to get the earth to make the bricks and the iron. You cannot manufacture without taking help of the nature. So if you raise here, you must dig here. This is karmī-yoga. If you want to enjoy something extraordinarily, you must create another unhappiness extraordinarily.
Just like the drop of the ocean water, it has got all the qualities of the ocean. There is no doubt about it. Therefore, even if we take a little drop of ocean water, because the ocean water is salty, we taste the water salty. The salt is there also, but in minute quantity. The ocean has got millions and trillions of tons of salt, and here, in the drop of the water, there is a grain of salt. But salt is there. Another example: just like a little portion of gold. So that is also gold; it is not iron. So naturally, in our original position we have got all the good qualities of God. Now, due to the material contamination, the godly qualities are now covered. The godly qualities are there, but it is covered. That covering is possible due to our very minuteness, very small quantity. Therefore we are fallible, but Kṛṣṇa is not fallible.
Then from this life, the Kṛṣṇa-approaching body or the spiritual body will be formed. The more you become sincere servant of Kṛṣṇa, the more your body becomes Kṛṣṇized, electrified. Therefore advanced Kṛṣṇa conscious person is considered to have a spiritual body. The same example, as I have given several times: just like iron rod. You put into the fire, it becomes warmer, warmer. The more it is connected with fire, it becomes warm, warm, warm. And at last it becomes red hot, so that at that time, if that iron is touched to any other thing, it burns. It does not act as iron; it acts as fire. Similarly, by this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, continuous chanting, you will make your body spiritualized. At that time, wherever you go, wherever you touch, he'll be spiritualized. Similarly, the iron... Without being spiritualized, without being red hot, if you touch, it will not act.
So whole world is missing the point that he is not this body, the body is his encagement, and we are accepting sometimes golden encagement and sometimes iron encagement, and sometimes silver encagement and wooden encagement. He's thinking by changing the encagement, he will be happy. But he does not know this is encagement, or cages. So either you are put in the golden cage or iron cage or wooden cage or any cage-cage is cage. And so... So long you are not free... Just like the bird is kept into the cage. He's unhappy. He's unhappy. It may be golden cage. It doesn't matter.
The information is there. Simply, the inquiry should be there. The Vedānta-sūtra therefore, the first aphorism, athāto brahma jijñāsā. Jijñāsā means inquiry. "Now it is the opportunity for inquiring about the self." "Now" means this human form of body. A dog cannot. So therefore, Vedānta-sūtra begins, athāto brahma jijñāsā. This is the opportunity. But unfortunately, people are not given the opportunity, facility. School, college, they are simply giving "More become mechanics," how to deal with instruments, iron instruments. Big, big institutions for technological understanding. And where is this technology? Why a dead man is dead man? Why don't you give some mechanical power so that he can come out again? Where is that technology? You know the technology... When a motorcar is stopped, you know the technology how to start it again. But you do not know this technology. When this motorcar, this body motorcar will stop, you have no technology to start it again.
Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). Spirit soul. God is also blissful, and we part and parcel of God, we are also blissful. We want simply ānanda, pleasure. That is our nature. But that ānanda, pleasure, you cannot enjoy independently. That is not possible. You must enjoy with Kṛṣṇa. That is called rāsa-līlā. Kṛṣṇa and the gopīs, they assemble together. Similarly, we are part and parcel ... Just like part and parcel of big machine. They are assembled, then it works. If the part and parcel are scattered, oh, then it has no meaning. It is simply scrap of iron, that's all. But when they are assembled together, that is meaning. Similarly, we are all part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. So we must assemble together. Central Kṛṣṇa. Central Kṛṣṇa.
So here is one word, "steel-framed." Nowadays, the medical science is changing the heart, steel-framed. So this modern science is making steel-framed hearts, but we can understand that formerly, also, there were steel-framed hearts. Otherwise how this word comes? Tad aśma-sāraṁ hṛdayaṁ batedam. So just like stone or steel does not melt very easily, similarly, anyone's heart which does not change after chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra regularly, then it is to be understood that it is steel-framed, made of stone or iron. Actually, hari-nāma... Harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam (CC Adi 17.21). It is especially meant for cleansing the heart. That every... All misconception is within our heart, beginning from the wrong identification, that "I am this body." That is the beginning of all misconception. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12). So as you go on chanting, gradually the heart will be cleansed, and you'll be able to understand that you are not this body.
Otherwise everything is there. Where is the difficulty? Kṛṣṇa says that there is the owner of the body within the body and He has explained in so many ways, acchedyo 'yam adāhyo 'yam, distinguishing the quality that the soul is never to be cut into pieces, acchedyo 'yam. It cannot be burned into the fire. It cannot be moistened by water. That means everything matter, there is interruption. Any matter will be interrupted by another matter, but the soul is not anything of this material world. In the material world, any hard thing, the iron, the stone, can be cut into pieces if you have got the instrument. But Kṛṣṇa says the soul is acchedyo 'yam, it cannot be cut into pieces. So it is above all material action and reaction. Adāhyo 'yam, in material, even iron can be melted, even a stone can be melted, but adāhyo 'yam, aśoṣyaḥ 'yam, in so many ways. That means it is different from this material thing, the soul.
They have got houses, they are made of touchstone. Here it is made of bricks and stone, ordinary stone. But there is another stone which is called touchstone. If you touch it with the iron, the iron becomes gold. That is called touchstone, pareṣapatha (?). So the spiritual world, all the houses are made of this touchstone. You can take the Tata iron factory and touch it there. (laughter) It will be very profitable. (laughter) Yes. Or go there and bring some touchstone as these moon exploiters. They go and they have brought some stone, and some sand. But if you go to Kṛṣṇaloka you can bring some touchstone and make the whole Tata iron factory gold. (laughter) These informations are there. If you have got capacity, then you will go and bring it.
Yes, it is possible. Just like you put one iron rod in the fire. It will become gradually warm, warmer, warmer, then the iron rod will be red hot and if that redness you will touch anywhere, it will burn you. It is no more iron rod, it is fire. So you keep yourself always in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then even if you possess this material body, you will be in the spiritual world. This is called jñānam. Jñānam ātma-darśanam, jñānaṁ niḥśreyasāya.
So we have to come to this platform, spiritual platform. We are suffering on account of being on the material platform. So by keeping yourself always in the fire of Kṛṣṇa or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, you are transferred to the spiritual world. Very nice example, this iron rod, red hot.
Just like sex impulse. It doesn't require to, how to awaken sex impulse, natural; similarly, kṛṣṇa-bhakti is our natural inheritance because we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, or sons of Kṛṣṇa. Ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā (BG 14.4). It is the same example, that as the mother and the child has got natural affection, similarly, with Bhagavān we have got natural affection. Bhagavān has got natural affection for us, and we have got also natural affection for Bhagavān. And the external covering which checks this natural affection, this is called māyā. Just like touch... What is called, magnetic stone? Magnetic stone naturally attracts the iron, and iron is naturally attracted by the magnetic stone. Similarly, kṛṣṇa-bhakti is not something which is unnaturally taught or unnaturally gained, artificial.
Because this is the cause of all unhappiness, they are suffering, and they are making plan. Māyā-sukhāya. Māyā-sukhāya means the happiness which has no standing, false, illusory. For this purpose, bharam udvahato vimūḍhān, big, big adventure, big, big things, they are contemplating, planning. That is called ghora, ghora-rūpa. Here it is called ghora. Śānta-ghora. If you go to some industrial place in a factory, iron factory like Tata's, you will see how they are engaged in ghora activities, horrible activities—after all, you have to eat something—but they have planned a ghora activity, very fierceful, ugra-karma.
So at the present moment, the Kali-yuga, the śāstra says, almost everyone is a śūdra because nobody can live independently. Kalau śūdra-sambhavaḥ. Kalau means in this age, this iron age, almost everyone is a śūdra. It is very difficult to find out really brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya. Vaiśyas maybe there are. But mostly śūdras. Because the other three orders of life are missing, therefore at the present moment there is no peace. In every step there is fight, there is quarrel. Kali means disagreement and quarrel.
So unless one will come to the platform of self-realization, we are in the trouble, so long we are not self-realized. Parābhavas tāvad abodha-jāto yāvan na jijñāsata ātma-tattvam. Without self-realization, whatever we are acting, we are piling up the stones and woods and iron in such skyscraper building. So we may do that, but it is our defeat. It is not conquering; it is defeat. Parābhavas tāvad abodha-jāto yāvan na jijñāsata ātma-tattvam. If we don't inquire about ourself, "What I am? Why I am put into this miserable condition of life, birth, death, old age, and there are so many other things...?" Unless you come to question why, your human life is not perfect.
Now when the man visited the prostitute's house, she received the man. In India it is system that when you receive a gentleman or lady you must give him sumptuously to eat. So there was many palatable dishes served to the man, and each vegetable and each preparation was put in two pots—one in iron pots and one in golden pots. So he was eating. Now this man asked the prostitute, "Well, you have given me the same preparation in two pots: one in gold pot and one in iron pot. Why? What is the idea?" So she said that "First of all taste it. Then I shall disclose what is the idea." So he was tasting, eating. Then the prostitute asked him, "How do you like?" "Oh, it is very nice." "Then, is there any different taste in the golden pot?" "No. Same taste." "And the iron pot?" "Oh, the same taste." So she replied at that time that "You are so rascal that you want to gratify your senses, but you do not know that sense gratification in poor wife or rich wife is the same.
So one day Raghunātha Dāsa Gosvāmī's... At that time he was not Gosvāmī, Raghunātha, Raghunātha's mother was advising her husband or Raghunātha's father, "Why don't you shackle him?" As woman she was suggesting that better, just like in prison house they are locked up in iron chain, similarly you do for my son so that he'll not be able to go away. So the father was replying, "You mad woman, don't you see I have given such a nice wife, shackle, he's not attached at all. And what this iron shackle will do?" This was Raghunātha Dāsa Gosvāmī.
That is the only happiness, there is no secrecy. The people are working so hard, simply maithunyam agāram. It is a prison house, agāram. Agāram means packed up, shackled with iron chains, and the only happiness is maithunyam agāram. And this is only abominable, tuccham. Yan maithunādi-gṛhamedhi-sukhaṁ hi tuccham. So how he has accepted this lowest class of happiness as the aim of life? Ajñaḥ, rascal. The conclusion is ajñaḥ. So don't become ajñaḥ, be intelligent. And kṛṣṇa yei bhaje, sei baḍa catura. Don't be rascal, don't remain as... Thank you very much.
He is broad-visioned. Everything. Mayā tatam idaṁ sarvam (BG 9.4). In everything He sees Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa's hand, Kṛṣṇa's energy. Actually that is the fact. What is this microphone? This is also Kṛṣṇa because what is this? This is made of this material gross matter. Bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva (BG 7.4). Bhūmi... From earth the iron comes, the aluminium comes, the wood comes. So this is combination of bhūmir āpo analo vāyuḥ, Kṛṣṇa's energy. Therefore it is Kṛṣṇa. Śakti śaktimatayor abheda. There is no difference between śakti and śaktimat. Śaktimat is Kṛṣṇa, and śakti, the manifestation of His energy, of, I mean to say, gross energy Prakṛtir me bhinnā aṣṭadhā. Bhinnā... Just like I am speaking, and this is recorded in the tape recorder, but when replayed, you will find that I am speaking. But I am not there. Bhinnā prakṛtir aṣṭadhā. This is bhinnā, originally coming from Kṛṣṇa, but it is an energy where you cannot find Kṛṣṇa directly. But it is Kṛṣṇa's energy.
The cats and dogs, they are eating to their taste; the human being is also eating to their taste. The standard may be different, but the taste is the same. Either you have sex intercourse with beautiful wife or husband or as sex intercourse between the she-dog and he-dog, the enjoyment is the same. Just like if you have got a palatable food, either you put it into a golden pot or if you put it into iron pot, the taste is the same. The taste is not different. One may think that "I am eating in golden pot; therefore I am advanced." But a learned man will say that "Whether you have changed the taste?" Either you drink something palatable in a golden pot or in iron pot or paper pot, the taste is the same. So this is called pravṛtti-mārga. Pravṛtti-mārga means advancing in sense gratification.
These are very heavy tasks, but they are thinking, "It is very happiness." (laughter) They are thinking, "We are making progress, we are making progress. We are bringing stones and irons on head and putting together, and it is progress. We are very happy." (laughter) This is going on. This is called varāta māninaḥ(?). They are enamored by the external energy of the Personality of Godhead. These material things are products of the external energy of the Lord. Bhūmir āpo 'nalo vayuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca (BG 7.4). Bhūmi, the earth, the iron, stone, wood, they are nothing but transformations of earth. Similarly, apo, water. So whatever we are manufacturing here, they are simply combination of earth, water, air, fire, that's all. Nothing but. Tejo-vāri-mṛdāṁ vinimayam. Exchange of teja, fire. Teja means fire, vāri means water, and mṛd means earth. Just like the bricks. What is this brick? You take earth, you take earth and mix it with water and put it in the fire, it becomes brick. So whole thing, either earth, stone or iron, anything, they are simply mixture of these five elements.
When a person comes to this standard, to inquire "Why these things are there?" this is real intelligence. Intelligence does not mean you gather, like asses, all the stones and iron and put them together and be satisfied that "Oh, I am very happy." That is asses' business. Ass is very expert to overload his body with heavy tons of... You know that? Maybe you do not know, but in India there is washerman, he puts tons of cloth over the back of the ass, and it carries. It cannot move, still it carries it
So this universe is fully described in the Fifth Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. You will see it, where, which planet, where it is situated, what is the dimension, what kind of people live there. Everything is there. Similarly, there are description of the hellish planet, downwards. So that description of those planets when Parīkṣit Mahārāja heard it, that "These sinful men, they are suffering there; some of them being fried in boiling oil," this description is there. Some of them put into the river which is full of germs and mosquitoes, and some of them are forced to embrace a iron, hot iron man, a hot iron woman. In this way there are many description. And Śukadeva Gosvāmī concluded, "Mahārāja, I have described a few of them. There are many thousands and thousand kinds of suffering." So Parīkṣit Mahārāja is a Vaiṣṇava.
Good qualities means we are part and parcel of God, so God is good, so we are also good. Otherwise how can I be part and parcel of God? If God is gold, then I am gold. So why I become iron? I am not iron, but I am covered with dirty things. I look like iron. This is the position. Actually I am not iron; I am gold, because I am part and parcel of God. If God is good, then I am good. So because I am covered by the material dirty things, I look like not gold. So this is the test. As soon as you become God conscious, your original all good qualities will manifest automatically.
God has got unlimited strength. You have seen in Kṛṣṇa picture: Kṛṣṇa is killing so many demons. That horse demon? Kesi, Kesi. Kṛṣṇa simply pushed His hand in the mouth of the horse. Because to control a horse means he control his mouth; then you can control the whole big animal. So immediately the horse came before Him, He pushed His hand within the mouth of the horse, and the horse began to feel it is red-hot iron. So this is God. Aiśvaryasya samāgrasya vīryasya yaśasaḥ śriyaḥ.
So apart from we are not seeing personally, but we have heard it, but personally, at least, we can see one thing: how Kṛṣṇa is great. Because aiśvaryasya samāgrasya vīryasya yaśasaḥ śriyaḥ, jñāna. Śrīya, beautiful. No more Nobody can be more beautiful than Kṛṣṇa. Śrīya, śriya means beauty.
Similarly, we spirit souls, we are all parts and parcel of the Supreme Lord. Therefore, qualitatively we are one. If God is gold, then I am also gold. How can I be otherwise? Because I am part and parcel. If God is iron, then I am also iron. That is my position. But as I am carrying different airs by my association with this material nature, I am getting a different body. It is very simple to understand. We are getting different bodies, that's a fact. Even in our present life we have passed through so many different bodies: a baby's body, a child's body, a boy's body, young man's body. All those bodies are gone. Now I am undergoing in an old man's body. Similarly, when this body will be useless for any purpose, then I accept another body. This is called transmigration of the soul. So for another body, that will be created according to the mental situation we made here at the present body—just like the same air passing through rose garden and air passing through a toilet room.
That is intelligence. Nature is dead matter. It cannot... Just like this microphone. This is matter, material. What is that? Some iron, some other thing, some wood, some... But this iron-wood combination cannot take place and become a microphone. No. There is a life behind this iron and wood, and he has manufactured. Therefore it is working. But these rascals, they are thinking that combination of this iron and wood and something else, it has become microphone. No. It is a machine, but machine is manipulated and manufactured by life, not that automatically the iron-wood becomes a machine. No. So these rascals, they cannot understand that... The nature is working, that's all right, but how it is working? What is the background? That they do not know. That answer is in the Bhagavad-gītā. Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram: (BG 9.10) "Under My superintendence it is working," Kṛṣṇa says. That's a fact. You might have manufactured a very big machine. That is all manufactured by some light. Not that the iron and wood has come together, a skyscraper building—the bricks have come all together automatically.
ul and the matter. Matter, any matter you take, earth, earthly matter, even the hardest matter, namely the iron, it can be melted, it can be burned. But the soul is distinct from this matter. Therefore it is described, adāhyo 'yam. Any material thing can be dried up by the air. But soul, aśoṣyo 'yam: "It is not dried up." Any material thing can be moistened. So the soul cannot be. In this way every particular there is. So in the fire the soul cannot be adāhyo 'yam, it cannot be burned. And we get information, as there are worms in everything, earth, water, fire... In the fire there are worms.
Material means when the consciousness is not Kṛṣṇa. That is material. The same example, that iron rod, if kept to the fire, gradually it becomes warm, warmer, and at last it becomes red. When it is red, it is no longer iron; it is fire. Similarly, by spiritual association, your body gradually becomes spiritualized. And at the perfection stage, there is no more material activities, simply the activities of the fire. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā:
- māṁ cāvyabhicāriṇi-
- bhakti-yogena yaḥ sevate
- sa guṇān samatītyaitān
- brahma-bhūyāya kalpate
- (BG 14.26)
Some way or other, she arranged. Then, when the leper was at the house of the prostitute, the prostitute gave him very nice dishes of food but everything in two dishes, everything, one in the golden pot, another in iron pot. So while he was eating, so he inquired the prostitute, "Why you have given me in two pots?" "Now, because I wanted to know whether you will feel different taste in different pots." So he said, "No, I don't find any difference of taste. The soup in the golden pot and the soup in the iron pot, the taste is the same." "Then why you have come here?" This is foolishness. The whole world is going on like that. They are simply trying to taste the same thing in different pot. That's all. They are not detestful that "No more, sir. I have tasted enough." That is not fact. That is called vairāgya-vidyā, no more tasting: "It is all the same, either I take in this pot or that pot."
This is the law of nature. There was an instance, one muni, he was brought to Yamarāja's court and he was..., judgment was given that this man should be punished by śūla. Śūla means one iron rod pushed through the rectum and it will pierce through the head. But the man was condemned to death, and this is the punishment. So the, he was a sage, muni. So he asked the Yamarāja that "Throughout my whole life, I never did any wrong. Why you are punishing me in this way?" So Yamarāja replied that "You have forgotten. In your childhood you pierced one ant with a needle. You have forgotten. Therefore you are being punished." So of course, he became..., Yamarāja became Vidura because the sage also punished him, that "For my childhood criminality you are punishing me in this way. So I also punish you, that you have no sense, you have to take birth in a śūdra family." Anyway, either in childhood, or knowingly or unknowingly, if we do something wrong... There are many other instances. Just like some contaminous disease: either a child or a grown-up man, if he infects himself with that contaminous disease, some way or other, the disease will manifest and he has to suffer.
You'll get everywhere. Everywhere means either you are in human form of life or in a dog's form of life or hog's form of life. Everywhere you'll get. Don't think that the sex happiness is less in dog's life than the sex happiness in the life of human being. No. The pleasure of sex life, either in the hog's body or in the dog's body or in the man's body, it is the same. We have several times informed that if you put something eatable in a golden pot or in an iron pot, the taste will not change. The taste is the same. But it is our concoction only that if I put into the golden pot the taste will change. That is misconception. That's not the fact. So we are trying to be advanced civilized for changing the pot. That's all. But that will not change the quality. The quality will go on.
So birth is changed. Punar janma. So that is possible only by Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If one has to change his body without changing body... The body is changed, but we see that the same body..., but it is not the same body. It is cin-maya. The same example, that the iron rod put into the fire, it becomes red hot, so it is no longer iron; it is fire. Similarly, if we constantly keep ourself in touch with Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then the body is no longer material; it is spiritual. Therefore a spiritual body is not burned. They are kept, samādhi. Just like in Western countries they give samādhi to any, everyone, tomb, entombing. In India the tomb is offered to a very advanced spiritually person. You'll find many tombs in Vṛndāvana because their body is spiritual. No, no... This is the idea.
Actually, this material life is our bondage. It may be... Just like gold handcuff or iron handcuff. So handcuff is bondage. Either it is made of gold or iron, it doesn't matter. So we are in this material world handcuffed, imprisoned. Our aim of life is how to get out of this material bondage or prisonhouse. Prahlāda Mahārāja, in another place, when he was asked by his father what's the best education he had received from his teachers, so father asked him to explain, so the son, Prahlāda Mahārāja said that hitvātma-ghātaṁ gṛham andha-kūpaṁ vanaṁ gato yad dharim āśrayeta (SB 7.5.5). This is the best thing he has learned.
Therefore Absolute, everything is variegated, blissful. They do not understand. The sahajiyā means the blissful dealings, transcendental, spiritual dealings of gopīs and Kṛṣṇa, they take it as material. Therefore they are condemned. They are... It looks similar, but it is not the same, thing. One is gold; one is iron. A polished iron, a golden thing, golden color, does not mean it is gold. "All that glitters is not gold." So we should not mistake. Therefore one who cannot distinguish the spiritual lust and the material lust, they should avoid very strictly. They have no spiritual realization.
That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that "I'll serve Kṛṣṇa with this endeavor. I'll collect something." What you'll collect? It is Kṛṣṇa's money. Everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa. Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (ISO 1). So what you can collect? It is Kṛṣṇa's. Just like we are constructing this temple. We are feeling that "I am constructing. We are constructing," but actually it is Kṛṣṇa's. The bricks, the iron or the cement or anything that we are collecting, that is Kṛṣṇa's property. Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam. The brick is not your property. The earth is not your property. You are taking Kṛṣṇa's earth, and you are making it a brick. Still, it is Kṛṣṇa's property. But the endeavor, the energy which you are giving to Kṛṣṇa, that is taken into account: "Oh, he is working for Me. He wants to give Me something."
These word, mayāt-pratyaya, these are used when it is in great extent, in large quality. That is mayāt. And vikārāt. Vikāra means transformed. Just like gold. Pure gold, you transform into a finger ring—this is also gold. This is called vikārārthe. Gold has become now a ring. And another meaning is that suppose it is made of iron or other base metal, but it is covered with gold, large quantity. That is called adhikārthe because a quantity of gold is there. That is not all gold, but there is gold, covered. So in two meanings, the mayāt-pratyaya is there. So similarly, cinmaya. Cinmaya means if you cultivate spiritual knowledge in large quantity, then your body is no more material. It is spiritualized. Cinmaya. Therefore great saintly person's body, after demise it is not burned; it is buried, samādhi, because it is cinmaya. So adikārthe mayāt-pratyaya and vikārārthe... So a Vaiṣṇava, his body is cinmaya, is cinmaya body.
Surrender to Kṛṣṇa means to become spiritually active. Sometimes the Māyāvādī philosophers, they think that when we become Brahman realized, we become one with the Supreme; then all our activities stop. No, that is (not) the fact. The fact is we are now materially active, and when we finish our material activities, then our spiritual activity begins. You cannot make the living entity as inactive. That is not possible, because we are living; we are not stone. How I can be inactive? That is not possible. Inactivity is for the stones and irons. But we are not stones and irons. Nityaḥ śāśvato 'yaṁ na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). These Māyāvādī philosophers, they think to stop activity is the highest perfection. No. Our philosophy is stop foolish activities and begin real activities. That is bhakti. Bhakti is not stopping activity. Therefore we are engaging our devotees in so many activities. They are all spiritual activities. Spiritual activity is known as bhakti.
Because in this age it is understood that if you can keep hair, bunch of hair, not very nice, but simply hair will make him beautiful. Lāvaṇyaṁ keśa-dhāraṇam. Although he has no lāvaṇya—he has no beauty—still, he thinks, "I have become very beautiful by keeping hair." So this should be avoided. In this age, of course, this jaṭā is not possible. If you keep jaṭā, then when you go on the street for begging alms for guru, then perhaps you'll be chained (changed?) by so many animals here. So it is better to remain clean-shaved. It has no botheration, no taking care of the hair, no iron required.
Nectar of Devotion Lectures
This attraction for Kṛṣṇa can be developed in the association of devotees, satāṁ prasaṅgāt. Automatically, nobody's attracted for Kṛṣṇa. The whole world is like that. So the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means to give these people a chance to associate with devotees and thus become attracted to Kṛṣṇa. That is required. Mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha yogaṁ yuñjan mad-āśrayaḥ. Mayy āsakta, to become attracted by Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa means attractive, Kṛṣṇa. Akasatira-śakti. Kṛṣṇa means attractive. Just like magnetic stone, attractive, naturally the iron... But the iron, if it is rusty, it cannot attract. It cannot attract. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa is attractive, and we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. We are also attracted by Kṛṣṇa. But because we are now covered by the māyā rust, we are not attracted. This māyā rust has to be polished; then you'll be attracted. Otherwise Kṛṣṇa is attractive. Kṛṣṇa means attractive.
Similarly, without being purified of all material contamination, you cannot approach Kṛṣṇa. Hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa. How, what kind of hṛṣīka, senses? Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170). The senses are to be purified. Tat-paratvena. Tat-paratvena means being always attached with Kṛṣṇa. If you simply see Kṛṣṇa with your eyes, then your eyes will be purified and spiritualized. Because you are touching... Just like if you keep yourself always in touch with fire, you become warm. Warm, warm, warmer. If you put one iron rod in the fire, it becomes warm, warmer, warmer, and at last, it becomes red hot. When it is red hot, it is fire. It is not more iron rod. You touch that red hot iron anywhere, it will burn. Similarly, if you keep always in touch with Kṛṣṇa, you become Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇized, and you can appreciate what is Kṛṣṇa.
Thank you very much.
This world is not permanent. So even though it is not permanent, it can be utilized for the service of the Lord. Nirbandhe kṛṣṇa-sambandhe yukta-vairāgyam ucyate. That is our philosophy. We don't take the jagat as mithyā; we take it as fact, because it is emanation from the supreme fact. So just like gold earring is also gold—that is not iron—similarly, the, this material world is made of the external energy of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore we do not find anything here wrong. We try to dovetail everything in the service of Kṛṣṇa, because it is Kṛṣṇa's. Just like one's property must be enjoyed by the proprietor. Kṛṣṇa says that bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram (BG 5.29). He's the proprietor of this world. Therefore everything dovetailed in His service for His satisfaction, that is devotional service. That is the professional (perfectional?) stage of serving Kṛṣṇa. So we don't take the world as mithyā.
Because ordinary men will consider that gopīs were attracted by Kṛṣṇa in lusty desire. So Caitanya-caritāmṛta Kaja, Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī, he says that there is difference between material lusty desire and love of God. He has compared that love of God is just like gold, and lusty desire is just like iron. So the difference between lusty desire and love of God is: in the material world, which is going on as love, that is lusty desire. Because the party, both the parties are interested in individual sense gratification. But here, the gopīs, or any devotees, they want to satisfy the senses of Kṛṣṇa. That is the difference between material lusty desire and love of Godhead. Ātmendriya-prīti-vāñchā tāra nāma kāma (CC Adi 4.165). When one desires one's own sense gratification... In the material world, suppose a boy loves a girl and a girl loves a boy. That is personal sense gratification.
These are the resultant actions of sat-karma. And asat-karma means you become poor, ugly, without any education, no riches, always hungry. These are the results of asat-karma. So this is called karma-kāṇḍa. And jñāna-kāṇḍa means to try to merge into the existence of the Lord, which, even if we do, but because you are under the impression of impersonalism, you again fall down. So both by the action of karma-kāṇḍa and jñāna-kāṇḍa one is not secure. Therefore Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says, sakali viṣera bandha. Poison, either in a golden pot or in iron pot, it is the..., the effect is the same. So bhakti is neither for karma-kāṇḍa nor for jñāna-kāṇḍa. Jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam (CC Madhya 19.167). That is real bhakti.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures
So if you become more lusty by seeing the pastimes of Kṛṣṇa with Rādhārāṇī or hearing, that means you are not fit. Stop it. Stop it. Don't be foolish. So in the spiritual platform, the everything are there, but they are different in quality. Just like iron is also metal and gold is also metal, but the quality is different; similarly, don't take that Kṛṣṇa's loving affairs with Rādhārāṇī is exactly like our loving affair with our girlfriend. No. It is not like that. One is gold, and one is iron. Don't minimize the value. Therefore Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī has described that it is ahlādinī-śaktiḥ. Rādhā-kṛṣṇa-praṇaya-vikṛtir hlādinī-śaktiḥ.
So you have to select ruler from these two dynasties. Actually. Imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). You have seen the picture drawn by our artists, that Kṛṣṇa is instructing the sun-god. Imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam (BG 4.1). So Vaikuṇṭha-loka is there. There is no problem. But you can make this māyā-loka also Vaikuṇṭha-loka by spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the same quality. Just like iron is iron, but you can make it fire. How? Simply putting it into the fire. Gradually, warm, warmer, then it becomes red hot. At that time, the iron is no longer iron; it is fire. Similarly, if you can propagate Kṛṣṇa consciousness constantly, then, by spreading this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, you can make the whole world Kṛṣṇa conscious, and then it will be Vaikuṇṭha. The same example. You put the iron rod with the fire, and it becomes hot, hotter and then red-hot. When it is red-hot then it is no more iron rod. It is fire. Anywhere you touch, it will burn.
"Just like it is, in contact with the fire the iron becomes red hot and it become fire, similarly, in contact with Saṅkarṣaṇa, this material energy gets potency, and thereby the material manifestation is there."
- etau hi viśvasya ca bīja-yonī
- rāmo mukundaḥ puruṣaḥ pradhānam
- anvīya bhūteṣu vilakṣaṇasya
- jñānasya ceśāta imau purāṇau
In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, in the Tenth Canto, it is stated that "This Rāma and Kṛṣṇa"—Rāma means Balarāma, and Kṛṣṇa—"They are the root of this material creation. And both of Them enters into each and every universe and maintains that." Aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu-cayāntara-stham (Bs. 5.35).
So that is a very thankless task. She is discharging the duty entrusted to her by Kṛṣṇa, but everyone, especially the transcendentalists, oh, they are hating, "Oh, māyā, māyā, māyā." Nobody will like, transcendentalists, māyā. Either personalist or impersonalist. But she's engaged. Just like police. Police is engaged by the state, but nobody likes police. Everyone will criticize police. Thankless task. Because they, unless they become strict, unless they become red-hot iron (?) they cannot execute their duty. That is their way of punishing. But people do not like them. Nobody likes police. You see. Even a police comes all of a sudden here to sit down here to hear us, we'll suspect, "Oh, he has come with some purpose." (laughs) It is such a thankless task. Similarly, māyā is entrusted with thankless task. She cannot approach Kṛṣṇa, neither she is liked by the conditioned souls.
Sri Isopanisad Lectures
If you ask me, "Can you show me God," I show anything, whatever I like, "Yes, here it is, God..." Or why God? Suppose you go to a store. So you ask something, "Can you give me gold?" He'll give you a scrap of iron: "Yes, here it is gold. Take it." So what you will say? What will be the answer? Huh? If you ask... You go to a storekeeper. You do not know where to purchase gold, but you are in need of some gold, and you go to a storekeeper and ask him, "Have you got gold in stock?" So he'll immediately understand that here is a rascal number one, because he has come to purchase gold in a store, ordinary store. If one has to purchase gold, he must go where gold is sold. But he has come to ordinary store to purchase; therefore he's a first-class rascal. So therefore he'll try to cheat him: "Here is a gold." He gives a piece of iron. Then what he will say? He will accept that iron as gold? Huh? Why no? He does not know what is gold, and he has gone to a store to purchase it, and he gives him one piece of iron, "Here is gold." So he'll purchase it. He'll be cheated. Similarly, those rascals who say that "Can you show me God?" so they must know what is God; otherwise he'll be cheated. That is being done.
Sri Brahma-samhita Lectures
"I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who is the cause of all causes. He is in the cintāmaṇi-dhāma." Cintāmaṇi-dhāma means the place which is not made of earth and stone, but they are made of touchstone. Most probably you have heard the name of touchstone. Touchstone can turn iron into gold. So the Lord's abode is made of touchstone, cintāmaṇi. There are houses... As we have got our experience here in this world that houses are made of bricks, there, in the transcendental world, the houses are made of this cintāmaṇi stone, touchstone. Cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa (Bs. 5.29). There are also trees, but those trees are not like this tree.
So His spiritual world, this, His planet, is described that cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa-lakṣāvṛteṣu surabhīr abhipālayantam (Bs. 5.29). In His planet, there are many trees, many palaces, but they're all spiritual. Cintāmaṇi means spiritual. The houses, they're made of touchstone. Just like here the houses are made of bricks and wood; there the houses are also spiritual. The touchstone... It is described in the śāstra that if there is any touchstone in this material world, the touchstone can turn the iron into gold. So anyway, the houses... There are houses also. Big, big palaces, like here. Cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa. And the trees are kalpa-vṛkṣa. Kalpa-vṛkṣa means where you can get fruit, one kind of fruit from one tree, but there, any fruit you want, you can get any tree. That is spiritual world. Prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa. Kalpa-vṛkṣa means that. And surabhīr abhipālayantam (Bs. 5.29). And Kṛṣṇa is very fond of tending cows. And what are those cows? Surabhī. Surabhī means you can take as much milk as you like and as many times as you like. Here in this material world you have got cows, but you can take milk, limited quantity. And also once or twice. That is the difference.
There His place, His activities, His form, everything is there nicely given. So, this, this verse, it is, it is not first verse. This is the 34th verse of the Fifth Chapter. Cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa-lakṣāvṛteṣu surabhīr abhipālayantam. That, that place, cintāmaṇi ... Cintāmaṇi, a stone. In the transcendental world the, as we have got experience here, the houses are made of bricks, there the houses are made of cintāmaṇi stone. The cintāmaṇi stone is..., of course there is no exact translation, but it is understood it is something like touchstone. Touchstone means the stone which if it touches a iron, it transforms into gold.
So Prahlāda Mahārāja was very much sympathetic that "I am simply anxious for these rascals who have created a humbug civilization for temporary happiness," māyā-sukhāya. Māyā-sukhāya bharam udvahato vimūḍhān (SB 7.9.43). They have created ugra karma. This is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, ugra karma. Huge factory, day and night melting iron, and they are working, working. The special technologies, getting some money, they're happy. They do not know how they're wasting their valuable life. This is called māyā. Why so much work? Why you are working so hard? Do you think if you'll get hundred dollars per day you can eat more capātīs than myself? (laughter). Rascal does not know that he will eat the same number of capātīs, four or five or six, but he'll work so hard. So we are the best intelligent class. We don't work, but we get our capātīs. (laughter) Let the rascal work, but we get our capātīs. Māyā-sukhāya bharam udvahato vimūḍhan (SB 7.9.43).
So His spiritual world, His planet, is described that cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa-lakṣāvṛteṣu surabhīr abhipālayantam (Bs. 5.29). In His planet, there are many trees, many palaces, but they are all spiritual. Cintāmaṇi means spiritual. The houses, they are made of touchstone, just like here the houses are made of bricks and wood. There the houses are also spiritual. The touchstone, it is described in the śāstras that if there is any touchstone in this material world, the touchstone can turn iron into gold. So anyway, the houses... There are houses also, big, big palaces like here.
Festival Lectures
One who does not know its proper use, for them it is false. They are after something false. But those who know the value of this world... Hari-sambhandhi-vastunaḥ. Everything has got some connection with the Supreme Lord. Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (ISO 1). Everything is in connection or has relationship with the Supreme Lord. That is our philosophy. We don't say that this speaker, microphone, is false. Why it is false? The microphone is produced out of the energy of Kṛṣṇa. This matter, this iron, or this wood, that is a production of Kṛṣṇa's energy. If Kṛṣṇa is true, Absolute Truth, then His energy is also true. And anything produced of His energy, that is also truth. But as the energy is utilized for the energetic, similarly anything produced by Kṛṣṇa's energy should be utilized for Kṛṣṇa. That is our philosophy. So we don't say that false. We say reality. Therefore in Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement we accept everything, but accept everything for service of Kṛṣṇa. Nothing for my sense gratification. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We do not say that "This world is false.
So we should discriminate between lust and love. Love cannot be accepted unless it is reposed in Kṛṣṇa. That is love. And all other, everything, that is lust. It appears to be similar, but love and lust, there is so much difference of value. Just like gold and iron. Gold and iron. Real love is gold, and the so-called love, or lust, is iron. How you can evaluate gold and iron on the same level? It is not possible. So you have to learn real love. That is how to love Kṛṣṇa. Our whole process is training people how to love Kṛṣṇa. Just like this temple. For Kṛṣṇa we are all engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service, nice throne, Kṛṣṇa nicely dressed. But the atheist will say, "These people are foolish. They have taken a brass idol, and they are engaged." That is false. Actually, we are engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service. We are dressing Kṛṣṇa directly. We are offering flower, Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa has kindly accepted the arca-mūrti incarnation to be handled by me. Otherwise just like Arjuna saw the virata-mūrti, the universal form of Kṛṣṇa. He was tremble; he was afraid. He requested Kṛṣṇa, "Please become again just like my friend. This is very fearful."
That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Puruṣaṁ śāśvatam, therefore one has to keep himself very purified; otherwise you cannot touch Kṛṣṇa. That is not possible. It is fire, so you have to become fire. And how to become fire? Fire, you are also fire, but now you are covered fire, covered by this material body. Therefore you have to spiritualize this body by purificatory process. The same example, just like the iron rod, it is iron, but you put into the fire. It becomes warm, warmer, warmer, then red hot, then it is fire. Similarly, by this process, chanting process, by regulative process, you are becoming warmer, warmer, warmer, warmer. And when you fully become red hot warm, then your body is as good as Kṛṣṇa's.
Arrival Addresses and Talks
All, they are rascals, mūḍha. It is not our manufactured word. Kṛṣṇa says, na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15). So we have this test tube. If you see one has no information of Kṛṣṇa, then he is mūḍha. We haven't got to study more: whether he is Kṛṣṇa conscious, whether he has got any portion of his heart attracted, attached to Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa means attraction. So whether he has been attracted by Kṛṣṇa. That is our natural position—to become attracted by Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa means all-attractive. Just like the magnetic stone attracts the iron. It is natural. And if the iron is covered with dirt, then it does not become attracted.
Prabhupāda: You want to know? Do you know the meaning of the God? Then how you are asking what is God? If I say something wrong, how you'll understand if you do not know? Suppose you go to purchase something, "Give me gold," and if he gives you iron, then what you'll do? You do not know what is God, gold. You must know first of all what is God. Then you ask. If you do not know, then you'll be cheated. That is going on. That is going on.
Indian man (1): Mahārāja, but there must be somebody to say that "this is gold and this is iron."
Prabhupāda: Yes, that means requires a superior education. Yes. The father, mother should be responsible...
Indian man (1): So who can be a greater than your Divine Grace?
Prabhupāda: No, no. The father, father... The first thing is that why do you send your sons to the school? It is duty that he should know. So if the father is a rascal, then how the son can be subodha? (laughter) Therefore the śāstra says that unless you can train your son to overcome this process of birth, death, old..., you don't become a father. You remain a rascal. Don't beget children. This is contraception. Pitā na sa syāj jananī na sā syāt na mocayed yaḥ samupeta-mṛtyum. The real problem is mṛtyu.
Initiation Lectures
Therefore immediately, if we try to understand Kṛṣṇa by His picture, "Oh, Kṛṣṇa is embracing Rādhārāṇī or the gopīs," we shall mistake. Because unless our senses are purified, we shall accept Kṛṣṇa and Rādhārāṇī as ordinary young boy or girl and their dealings. But actually it is not. It is pure. Caitanya-caritāmṛta kar has distinguished that the loving affairs of the gopīs with Kṛṣṇa and the ordinary, these lustful dealings of human beings, there is a gulf of difference. He compares that the gopīs' love with Kṛṣṇa is gold, and our so-called love here is iron. As there is difference between gold and iron, similarly there is difference between the loving affairs of gopīs with Kṛṣṇa and these mundane, so-called lusty affairs between men and women or boys and girls. It is never equal.
But if you dedicate your life for the satisfaction of the Yajñeśvara, then no more you are going to accept any material body. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9). After quitting this body, he does not accept any more material body. The spiritual body is already there within this material body. So those who are engaged in Yajñeśvara's service, they are giving up this material body and developing a spiritual body. The example can be given: just like an iron rod. It, put into the fire, it become warm, then warmer, warmer, and at last, it becomes red hot. When the iron rod is red hot, it is no longer iron rod; it is fire. Similarly, if you practice this spiritual way of life, the same way, gradually you will become completely spiritualized. Completely spiritualized means that no more material activities. That is possible. If we follow the process, we can turn our life from material contamination to pure spiritual life. And that will help us going back to home, back to Godhead. That's all.
So those who are going to be initiated, they should understand that chanting of the holy name means directly associating with the Supreme Lord. So as I have given several times the example of the iron rod and the fire: if you touch the iron rod with the fire, it becomes warmer, warmer and then red hot. Similarly, when you chant offenselessly the holy name of the Lord, gradually you become purified, and when we chant holy name without any offense, then we immediately live at the shelter of Lord Kṛṣṇa. When we are almost free from contamination, then we become liberated, and when we chant purely the holy name, we are situated on the lotus feet of the Lord. And the more we go on chanting, we enjoy loving exchange affair between the Lord and ourself.
General Lectures
That is the thing, that you have to spiritualize, spiritualize these material sense, I mean to say, organs. And then, when you spiritualize, then you can have the spiritual vision and see God and yourself. The same example which I have recited many times: just like the iron rod. Iron rod, you put into the fire. It gets warm—warm, warmer, warmer. And when it is red hot, then it is no longer iron. Iron it is, but it does not act as iron, but it acts as fire. That iron rod which is red hot in association with fire, you can take that rod and touch anything; it will burn. That means it is no longer acting as iron; it is acting as fire. Similarly, if you associate with this transcendental incarnation, sound incarnation of God, then you will be gradually godly. You will be godly.
So our, this sound representation of the Supreme Lord constantly will make us... Just like our association with the fire, the, I mean to say, iron rod's association with the fire makes the rod equally qualified, exactly—not equally qualified, but almost the quality of burning it gets—similarly, by our constant association with Lord... Lord is not only incarnation in a sound form. He is incarnated in many other forms, in many other forms.
Spiritual in the sense... Just like... This example also I have given several times. Just like you put an iron rod in the fire. When it becomes warmer, warmer, red hot, it is fire. It is no longer iron. Similarly, when you are completely absorbed in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and service, you are completely spiritual. Your material activities... Because your material activities have stopped, therefore your body is no longer material. Materialism means... Just try to understand. Material..., what is materialism and spiritualism. Materialism means sense gratification, and spiritualism means to love God. That's all. Personal sense gratification. Here the relationship is just like a girl or a boy.
The glowing particles, molecules of the sunshine, is not equal in quantity with the sun globe, but in quality it is the same. Similarly, we living entities, we are minute particles of that supreme spirit soul, Kṛṣṇa or God. Therefore we are also shine. We are of the same quality. Just like a small particle of gold is gold. It is not iron. Similarly, we are spirit soul; therefore we are one. But because I am minute... Just like the same example. The marginal portion being very small, it is being sometimes covered by the water. But the large portion of the land, that is without any water. Similarly, māyā can cover the minute particles of the spirit soul, but māyā cannot cover the supreme whole.
So God is not created by such artificial meditation. God is God. Just like chemically you cannot produce gold. Gold is gold. Iron is iron. Law of identification. So His opulence, His strength, His reputation... His reputation, taking Kṛṣṇa as a great personality, I don't think any personality in this world is existing who is so reputed as Kṛṣṇa from historical point of view, five thousand years past. You may... "Kṛṣṇa was Indian. He is famous in India." No. Kṛṣṇa is famous in every country all over the world for His Bhagavad-gītā.
The oriental tale, or analysis, has it, however, that we have a good deal more time. The Kali-yuga, or age of heavy metal entanglement, iron age, lasts 432,000 years, and we're only five thousand years into it. So there is 428..., 427,000 years to go. In a conversation with Swami Bhaktivedanta today, I was inquiring more about the details of the mythology, which are found in a book called the Bhāgavata Purāṇa. He explained that according to Hindu analysis we are five thousand years into the descent from a lighter age, the age of brass, the disappearance of Lord Kṛṣṇa, an aspect of the Hindu Deity Viṣṇu, preserver, or perhaps the supreme form of the preserver aspect of the universe, of ourselves, or of Viṣṇu. The disappearance of Kṛṣṇa, mythologically or historically, is five thousand years ago. We're five thousand years into the age of iron, and we have ten thousand years in which to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, which is to say, repeating the name of the aspect of the preservation, hope, that particular vibration of dancing joy transcending our cosmopolitical words.
Another material body. But one who is liberated by understanding Kṛṣṇa, one who is fully Kṛṣṇa conscious, he also changes his body and he accepts immediately a spiritual body. And so long he lives, that is also spiritual body. That is spiritual body in the (this) sense because that body is engaged in spiritual activities only. There is no material activity; therefore that is spiritual. The same example: the iron rod, although it is rod, because it has become red hot it is no longer rod; it is fire. Similarly, this material body becomes spiritualized when one is completely Kṛṣṇa conscious, because he has no more activity of this material body. His actions are... The same example, try to follow. When it has become so hot, red hot, that it is no more acting as iron rod, it is acting as fire. Similarly, and when he changes this body also, he immediately... Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9). Then he does not come in material body. Immediately, a spiritual body develops.
Therefore by chanting this holy name of God, Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa... Hare is addressing the spiritual energy of the Lord, and Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Lord. So by being in touch with the Supreme Lord and His energy directly, we become purified. Exactly like if you take one iron rod, put into the fire, it becomes warner, warmer, and at last it becomes red hot. When it is red hot, it is no longer iron; it is fire. Similarly, if you constantly become in touch with the Supreme Lord by chanting His holy name, which is not different from the Supreme Lord, then you become spiritually purified. And as soon as you are spiritually purified, then all misunderstandings of this material world immediately vanquished.
hat is possible. Nirbandhe kṛṣṇa-sambandhe yukta-vairāgyam ucyate. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is so nice that it can transform the matter into spirit. How? Not transform, but the faith or feature is changed. Consciousness is changed. The same example as we have several times recited, that you take an iron rod, put into the fire. It becomes warm, warmer. But when it is red hot, it is no longer iron; it is fire. If you touch that rod, hot iron, in any place, it will burn. Similarly, Vaiṣṇava, by his spiritual advancement in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, makes the whole body spiritualized. Just try to understand the same example. By developing your Kṛṣṇa consciousness, you can make your body spiritualized, completely forgetting all material activities. Yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat (BG 7.5).
Now just like in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10). We are very much astonished to see the activities of the material nature wonderfully working. But we do not know that behind the material nature there is God. Under His direction the material nature is working. That is intelligence. Material nature, matter... Matter cannot act independently. That is not possible. Just like this microphone is a combination of material things—some iron, some other metals. But it has been adjusted, created by some living entity. Not that matter has automatically come into intermingling with this other and become a microphone. That is not possible. Take any machine. It may be very wonderful machine. Just like nowadays the wonderful machine is computer.
So it acts very wonderfully, but there must be a expert man to push the button. Otherwise, it will not act. Without that expert man, this wonderful machine is lump of iron. That's all. It has no value. Take any machine. Similarly, this huge, gigantic machine of cosmic manifestation where innumerable planets are floating in the sky just like cotton swabs, don't think that it is so acting automatically. No. There is direction behind it, or there is brain behind it. And that brain, that big brain, is God. God is also like us, a being, but He is Supreme Being. As we are being, we have got our brain, we have got our creative power, we can do something, we can manufacture something like airplane, sputnik, but God has got big brain. We may float one mechanic airplane in the air, but by the God's brain, millions and trillions of heavy planets are floating in the air. That is God's brain.
So as it is said that in the beginning was the word, that means before the creation there was the transcendental sound. So that word, or transcendental sound, is not like the material sound. If we associate with the transcendental sound Hare Kṛṣṇa, then we become purified to become transcendental. Just like we can have a crude example. You take one iron rod and put into the fire. The iron rod will be warm, warmer, and gradually it will be red hot. When it is red hot, then it is no longer the iron rod; it is fire. So how it has become fire? By association with the fire.
We are lacking in God consciousness on account of being impure. So by chanting, glorifying the Lord's name, you will be purified. The example is, just like you put one iron rod in the fire. It become warm, warmer, at last red-hot. When it is red-hot, it is no longer iron rod; it is fire by association with the fire. Similarly, if you remain always, constantly, in association with God, then you become godly, and you become purified. Then your vision will be clear. So God and God's name, the same, because God is Absolute. If you chant, glorify, God's name, that means you associate with God directly. And if we... Associate with God means you gradually become godly. This is the meaning of chanting the holy name of God.
Philosophy Discussions
Prabhupāda: Who made this mechanical? As soon as you bring the question of mechanical, there must be a brain who set up the machine. Mechanical means, just like your, what is that, telex is working. That is mechanical. That's all right. But behind this machine. there is a big brain who has made this possible. Now you are seeing at the present moment that by pushing one button you get your business done, mechanically, but who made this machine. That is important. This machine has not come out itself. There is iron and there is some, it is made of iron. So iron has not molded itself to that machine; there was a brain who has made the machine possible. Now when you are using, because you have no, if you have no knowledge... Just like in our childhood we used to think that there is a man within the gramophone box. This is childish. It is not mechanical. Everything has got a plan, design, and behind that plan and design there is a brain, big brain. What do you say, here is a scientific man?
Prabhupāda: The same example. Just like computer machine. They do not find that the machine is made by a brain which is different from this material. But he's trying to find out a brain from this. This is their childish... The brain is different from machine. The machine is lump of iron. And the one who is working with the machine is a different from the machine. That they do not know. That they do not know. That is their defect. Now what is this computer machine will do unless there is a worker in the computer room, highly salaried man?
Śyāmasundara: Unless it's plugged into the wall it doesn't work.
Prabhupāda: Lump of matter, iron, that's all. But that they do not know. They are so foolish and rascal. Then they're trying to find out... This is same childishness, that "I'm trying to find out the singer within the box, within the box." It is like that.
Prabhupāda: That is one (indistinct) that you cannot be happy in this material world, but if you are spiritually elevated, spiritually trained up, then you will be happy. The same example. Just like iron is not fire, but you put it in the fire, it will act like fire. Similarly, although there is no possibility of happiness in this material world, if you are spiritually trained up, if your consciousness is changed into Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then you will be happy.
Prabhupāda: Yes, ethics is the basic principle of purification. Unless one does..., knows what is moral and what is immoral... Of course, in this material world everything is immoral, but still we have to distinguish good and bad. That is called regulative principle. Simply by following the regulative principle, if he does not reach the ultimate goal of spiritual life, so that is also not wanted. The real aim is to come to the spiritual platform and become free from the influence of these laws of material nature. So passion is the binding force in the material nature. Just like in the prison house the prisoners are kept sometimes chained by some iron shackles and other method, so material nature has given the chain, shackles, of sex life, passion, rajas tamaḥ. Kāma eṣa krodha eṣa rajo-guṇa-samudbhavaḥ. Rajah-guṇah means the modes of passion. So modes of passion means kama, lusty desires, and krodha. When the lusty desires are not fulfilled, one becomes angry. But these things are the means of bondage in this material world. In another place it is said, tadā rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ kāma-lobhādayaś ca ye (SB 1.2.19). When one is afflicted with the base material modes of nature, namely rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa, then he becomes greedy and lusty. So ethics require to get out of the clutches of greediness and lusty desires. Then he comes to the platform of goodness, which will help him to go to the platform of spiritual life.
Prabhupāda: We say that the living entity is part and parcel of God, mamaivāṁśa. Under the circumstances he has got almost all the qualities of God, but partially, because God is great and we are minute. So even though we have got all the qualities of God—not all, certain percentage, say seventy-eight percent—in minute quantity. Just like God has creative power, we have got also creative power. We have created the 747 flying machine. All right, get credit for that, but you cannot create a flying ball like sun floating in the sky. That is difference between God and me. You can take credit that you are keeping suspension in the air a big machine, 747, but it is not in your power that you can float millions and millions of planets floating in the air. That is not possible. Therefore God is great; I am small. That is real Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And as soon as he says, "I am as good or as great as God," then He is a rascal. That is Māyāvādī. He is in māyā. Just like one man in India, he is showing some jugglery. He makes like this and creates some gold, a little gold, but foolish people are enamored. "Ah, he is God." But we are not enamored, but we know that he may create a small piece of gold, but God has created many millions of gold mines. So if creation of gold is the standard of becoming God, then why shall we accept this tiny man as God, who has created the mines, not only one mine, in this planet there are hundreds and thousands of gold mines and there are so many planets. There are, there is, I was reading this, Trikūṭa, Trikūṭa mountain, eight thousand miles high, eight thousand miles wide and long, and it has got three big, big peaks. One is of iron, one is of silver, and one is of gold. So the mountain, eight thousand miles high, peak gold, silver. So who can manufacture such gold? You cannot manufacture gold. That is not possible. So even you may so-called manufacture that, can you manufacture the peak of gold?
Purports to Songs
Not only eyes, but every part of our body, we have to spiritualize by the contact. By the contact of spiritual service in devotion of the Lord, we can gradually spiritualize our whole act of senses. Just like a iron rod put into the fire. Gradually the temperature rises. It becomes warm, warmer, warmest, very hot, then red hot. When it is red hot, then it is no longer iron; it is fire. Similarly, by our contact in devotional service of the Lord we can change the whole position of our material existence. And we have... If we have developed to that state of unalloyed love for God, then God can be seen twenty-four hours, not that once seen and again not seen. No. This is described here, that santaḥ, the great devotees, unalloyed devotees, who are liberated souls, have no connection with material activities or philosophical speculation, such unalloyed devotees, because their eyes are smeared with the ointment of love only, therefore they can see the Lord sadaiva, always, twenty-four hours.
So Caitanya Mahāprabhu appeared to save us from all these illusions. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Caitanya means living, not dead. If we have no spiritual consciousness, if we have not Kṛṣṇa's consciousness, then we are dead. This, what is this body? This body is dead. Alive or dead, so-called dead, it is already dead because it is matter. But because there is spirit soul, it is moving. The same example: the motor car, what is this? A lump of matter, some iron, some other metals or some rubbers and combination. And so long the driver is there—it is moving—it is important so long it is moving.
| Page Title: | Iron (Lectures) |
| Compiler: | Rishab, Mayapur |
| Created: | 24 of May, 2011 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=154, Con=0, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 154 |