Yes. That everyone will say, one who is (in) knowledge. So if you follow Bible, you also get knowledge. That is knowledge. We are after seeing people, that he has got knowledge of God. It is not a question of Bible or Bhagavad-gītā. We want that you become God conscious. That is our movement. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam there is no such mention as Christian religion, Hindu religion, Muslim religion or Buddha religion. There are so many... No. Bhāgavata says, sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje: (SB 1.2.6) "That is first-class religion which helps one to love God." So we are propagating teaching people how to love God. That is our mission. We don't say that you become Christian or Hindu or Muslim or..., no. You become a lover of God. So comparatively, the process which we are recommending, that is the easiest process. That is admitted by one priest in Boston. He said that "These boys and girls are our countrymen or our boys. Before this movement, they did not come to the church, and now how they are mad after God?"
Muslim (Lectures, SB)
Lectures
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
That is the distinction between human society and animal society. There are eight million different species of life below the human society, but there is no question of God consciousness. In the human society, either they execute religious principles rightly or not, at least there is a symbol, in the civilized society. There are Hindus, there are Muslims, there are Christians, there are Buddhists and so many others also. Because it is in human society, there must be some idea or some principle of understanding God. That is called religion. But in the name of religion, there are..., so many things are going on. That is called kaitava, cheating. We don't want to discuss, but more or less, at the present moment in whichever category of religion one may belong to, nobody is following strictly the religious principles. That's a fact. That is called kaitava.
For example, just like water is liquid. This is the characteristic of water. That is dharma. Stone is solid. That is the characteristic of stone. That is dharma. So faith is different thing. Faith, I have got faith today in something; tomorrow I may have faith in some other thing. And actually we see. Sometimes a person called a Hindu, he is changing his faith to Muslim or Christian. Or a Christian is changing his faith to another way. So faith can be changed. But the characteristics cannot be changed. Just like water is liquid. The liquidity cannot be changed of water. So in Sanskrit language or in Vedic literature, dharma means the characteristics which cannot be changed. Now let us consider what is the characteristic of the living being. The characteristic is that every one of us is serving somebody superior.
These are the statement. Means "Whenever there is mismanagement of the word dharma, or pure characteristic, at that time I appear." So Kṛṣṇa appeared for reestablishing the real principles of dharma, or religion. So He did not come or did not appear for establishing the so-called religious system, Hindu religion and Muslim religion or Christian religion or this religion, that... Not that type. Real religion. Therefore He says, sarva-dharmān parityajya: (BG 18.66) "Give up all these. Simply surrender unto Me." So any religious system which is teaching to divert the attention of the follower to so many things, that is cheating religion. Just like in India, there is a class of men. They are called Māyāvādīs. They recommend that "You worship any demigod. The result is the same." This is false religion. Kṛṣṇa said that mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja: "Only surrender unto Me." Then one may ask that "In the Vedas there are... So many demigods' worship is recommended.
Our heart is filled up with dirty things. The dirty things is misunderstanding. The first misunderstanding is accepting, identifying oneself with this body: "I am this body," "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am Christian," "I am this," "I am that." This identification is one of the greatest misunderstanding, and when Kṛṣṇa began His teaching in the Bhagavad-gītā, He first... Because Arjuna accepted Him a his spiritual master. In the beginning he was talking like friend, but when the questions were not solved, Arjuna accepted Kṛṣṇa as his spiritual master, śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ prapannam (BG 2.7). At that time, when Kṛṣṇa was accepted by Arjuna as his spiritual master, He first of all chastised him. He said, aśocyān anvaśocas tvaṁ prajñā-vādāṁś ca bhāṣase (BG 2.11). Because Kṛṣṇa..., Arjuna was talking as a family man, so therefore He first of all chastised him that "You are talking from a low-grade platform, but you are talking just like a learned man. You are not learned." Gatāsūn agatāsūṁś ca nānuśocanti paṇḍitāḥ. "You are not talking like a learned man." That means Kṛṣṇa indirectly said that "You are a fool. You do not know what is your identification."
So these things are explained very nicely in the Bhagavad-gītā. Everyone in India knows Bhagavad-gītā, and not only in India, throughout the whole world Bhagavad-gītā is very well known and widely read book of knowledge. I have traveled all over the world. In every country there are different language, translations of Bhagavad-gītā, and in Japanese countries there is Bhagavad-gītā, in Muslim countries there is Bhagavad-gītā. So Bhagavad-gītā is the universal book of knowledge, and our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is based on this Bhagavad-gītā. We have not manufactured anything. The same thing, which is very, very old, at least from historical point of view it is five thousand years old, but from scriptural point of view it is more than forty millions of years old. So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is based on this Bhagavad-gītā, because it is full of kṛṣṇa-sampraśno. Here Sūta Gosvāmī says, yat kṛtaḥ kṛṣṇa-sampraśno loka-maṅgala. "The questions raised by you," bhavadbhiḥ, "by you, loka-maṅgala." The Bhagavad-gītā should be read very widely, and should be understood very widely.
Just like you are on a ship and it is in danger on the ocean, tottering. At any moment you can drown. But somehow or other, if you come to the land, you feel safety, "Now I am safe." Similarly, this bodily consciousness—"I am Indian," "I am American," "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am this," "I am that"—that is just on the tottering sea. But if you come immediately on the spiritual platform, then prasannātmā, "Now I am safe." Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati (BG 18.54). To Brahman realized soul, he has no more any hankering, nor any lamentation. So long we are on the bodily platform, we are hankering and lamenting. We are hankering for things which we do not possess, and we lament for things we lose. There are two business: to gain some material profit or lose it. This is bodily platform. But when you come to the spiritual platform, there is no more question of loss and profit. Equilibrium. So brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati, samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu (BG 18.54).
Dharma means which cannot be given up. The so-called dharma, or religion... Suppose I am Hindu and somebody is Christian. This is called faith. The dictionary meaning is: "Religion is faith." So faith can be changed. "I believe in Christian religion." So it can be changed next day—I accept Hindu religion or Muslim religion. But actually, dharma cannot be changed. The example is given: just like water. The characteristic of water is liquidity. So you cannot change this quality of water, liquidity. Similarly, stone is solid. You cannot change the quality of solid. This unchangeable quality is called dharma. That is really Sanskrit significance. Now, you can argue that water sometimes becomes solid, ice. That is conditional. Under certain conditions, the water becomes solid, but immediately it begins to become liquid. It melts. The tendency is to melt, not to keep solidity. So this consistency of keeping water in liquid form is called dharma.
Dharma, the Sanskrit word, it is translated into English as "religion," but this is not perfect translation. Dharma is different from religion. Religion is mentioned in the dictionary as "a kind of faith." So dharma is not like that. Faith can be changed. You can change your faith. Today you are Hindu; tomorrow you can become Muslim. Today you are Muslim; you can become Christian. So this kind of faith can be changed. So this is not actually dharma. Dharma means which you cannot change. That is called dharma.
Just like water is liquid. You cannot change water to become solid. You can say, argue, that water sometimes becomes solid, ice. But that is not its natural condition. That is artificial. By the temperature going down artificially, it becomes solid. But at the same time, it begins to become liquid. The ice does not remain solid. From the solidification, after refrigeration, it becomes to, become liquid because that is its natural state.
The Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, just to make it very clean from this cheating type of religious system It is written by Vyāsadeva, religion means that yato bhaktir adhokṣaje. This is religion. Here it is said. Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6). It doesn't matter whether you are Hindu or Muslim or Christian or Buddha or Jaini or so on, so on. There are so many, hundreds. But the test is yato bhaktir adhokṣaje, whether you have developed your love for God. That is wanted. It doesn't matter.
Just like if you want to be a mathematician, so you may pass from any university, Calcutta University or Delhi University or London University—any university. Mathematics two plus two equal to four everywhere. It is not that in Calcutta University two plus two equal to five, and in London University two plus equal to three. No. Everywhere two plus two equal to five, four. Similarly, dharma means obedience to the laws of God. That is dharma. Either you become Christian or Hindu or Muslim, whether you accept God as the supreme authority and whether you abide by the laws of God, then you are dharmic.
So how you can attain that dharma? Dharma means the occupational duty. Dharma is not a sentiment. Practically, nowadays people have taken dharma, religious means..., "religion" means a kind of faith. But that is not the description of the Vedic śāstra. Faith we can change. Today you are Hindu. Tomorrow you can become Muslim. Or today you are Muslim. Tomorrow you can become Christian. You can change your faith. But that is not religion. Change of faith or accepting some faith, that is not religion. Religion means which you cannot change. Even if you become from Hindu to Muslim or from Muslim to Christian, that your occupational duty, you cannot change. Take, for example, suppose you are a government servant. You are serving in the secretariat. But tomorrow you become Hindu or Muslim or Christian. But do you mean to say that your service in the government will be changed also? No. That will continue.
"After departure of Kṛṣṇa, the protection of dharma, how it is being maintained, or under whom, where it has gone?" So... "And what is actually dharma?" So here it is explained, sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmaḥ. Para means superior. Not this religion, Hindu religion, Muslim religion, Christian religion, or there are so many other religions. That is also dharma. That is temporary. But paro dharma means permanent dharma, eternal dharma, or sanātana-dharma. That is called para. Para means superior. So sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6). Adhokṣaja. Adhokṣaja means God. Adhaḥ. Adhaḥ means cut (curbed?) down. Akṣaja means direct perception. Adhokṣaja. You cannot understand God by direct perception. You have got your eyes, but if you want to see, "Where is God? Show me," that is not immediately possible. You have to prepare your eyes to see God. So therefore God's another name is Adhokṣaja. Adhah-kṛta-akṣajan jñānaṁ yatra(?). Not by direct perception you can understand God.
So to become free from sinful life, there is only simple method: if you surrender to Kṛṣṇa. That is the beginning of bhakti. Yato bhaktir adhokṣaje. Bhakti life begins when you fully surrender unto the lotus feet of God. That is the bhakti life. So here it is said that it does not matter whether you are a Hindu or Muslim or Christian or Buddhist. It doesn't matter. Your system of religion is first class if you can develop your general love for Kṛṣṇa or God, Adhokṣaja. That is the test. You may advertise yourself or I may advertise myself, "I am a great religious person," but the test is how much you have learned to love God, how much you have advanced in that process.
So here in this verse it is said that sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6). Then what will be my profit? Suppose I simply love God. I love. The loving propensity is there in me. I love some boy. I love some girl. I love my country. I love my family. I love my society. I love my country. The loving propensity is there. There is no doubt. Everyone, even cats and dogs, because he is living entity, he has got that loving propensity. A tiger also loves its cubs. But this love, when it will be applied to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, that is the perfection of life. Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6). What kind of love? Ahaitukī.
A drunkard, because he has mixed with the quality of drunkards, he thinks, "Drinking is my duty." When you mix with the hippies, then you become like the hippies: "Oh, it is my duty." Unless you cannot stay in the society of the hippies.
So these occupational duties, this is faith. He thinks that "This is my duty." "Oh, as Hindu, I have to do it." "As Christian, I must believe it." "As Muslim, I must do it." But here it is stated, sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6). Bhakti. This is real dharma. Except bhakti, they are all pseudo. Therefore in the beginning of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is said, dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavaḥ. All so-called cheating, pseudo-religious system is rejected. Dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavaḥ. Kaitava means cheating. Cheating... Just like Śrīdhara Svāmī says, dharma artha kāma mokṣa (SB 4.8.41, Cc. Ādi 1.90), these are gradually progressive life. First of all, dharma. Unless one takes to some religious principle, he's not a human being. Dharmeṇa hīnāḥ paśubhiḥ samānāḥ. He's not a human; he's animal. Some sort of religious system the human being must follow.
First of all, dharma. Unless one takes to some religious principle, he's not a human being. Dharmeṇa hīnāḥ paśubhiḥ samānāḥ. He's not a human; he's animal. Some sort of religious system the human being must follow. Therefore civilized man, either he's born in Western or Eastern country, he has got some religion. It may be Christian religion or Hindu religion or Muslim religion, Buddha religion. Any civilized man has some religion. That's a fact. (aside:) Don't sit like that.
So therefore dharma first. That is the beginning of humanity, human civilization. Otherwise animals. The animals, they don't say, "I am Christian," "I am Muhammadan," "I am Buddhist," "I am this." No. He's dog. He's cat. That's all. Finished. But a human being says, "I am... I belong to this religion. I belong to that religion." That is required first. They are rejecting religion. The churches are vacant. That means they are becoming cats and dogs. That is not improvement.
Therefore if civilization is based on religious life, it doesn't matter what religion he belongs to, he is elevated. Any religion. And therefore I ask the Christians that Lord Christ says that "Thou shall not kill," why you are killing? They give some vague explanation. But actually a real Christian is as good as a real Hindu, as a real Muslim—if he follows. No religion is bad. We don't say. But the first-class religion is that... That is explained here: sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6). Every religion teaches how to love God more or less. Why more or less? That is the only aim. How to learn how to love God. But they are rejecting God, what to speak of love. Rejecting. "What is God, this nonsense? I am God. God is dead. Finished."
Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke sva-dhīḥ kalatrādiṣu bhauma ijya-dhīḥ (SB 10.84.13). Bhauma ijya-dhīḥ, bhūmi, bhūmi means land. Ijya-dhīḥ, ijya means worshipable. So at the present moment it is very strong, the conceit that "I am this body," and "I am American," and "I am Indian," "I am European," "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am brāhmaṇa," "I am kṣatriya," "I am śūdra," "I am this, those...," so many. This is very strong and bhauma ijya-dhīḥ, that because I am identifying to a certain type of body, and wherefrom the body has come out, the land is worshipable. That is nationalism. So yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke sva-dhīḥ kalatrādiṣu bhauma ijya-dhīḥ (SB 10.84.13), yat-tīrtha-buddhiḥ salile, and tīrtha, place of pilgrimage.
We go, we take bath in the river, like the Christians, they take bath in the Jordan River, or Hindus, they go to Hardwar, take bath in the Ganges, or Vṛndāvana, they take bath. But they think by taking bath in that water, his job is finished. No.
So... But that is not pure devotion. Pure devotion is described here that, sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmaḥ. That is first class. Yato bhaktir adhokṣaje. You can adopt any means. There are different kinds of religious system all over the world. You can become Hindu, you can become Muslim, you can become Christian, you can become something else. But the test is how much you have learned to love God. That's it. Not that "I am Hindu. I have got such a big tuft and so much tilaka, and I take bath daily in the Yamunā, Ganges. I am strictly vegetarian," and so on, so on, so on. But the result? "I am simply attached to my family." That's all. (laughter) Finished. (Hindi) "I am doing all things, but my center of gravity is my family." Gṛhamedhī. Yan maithunādi-gṛhamedhi-sukhaṁ hi tuccham (SB 7.9.45). Gṛhamedhī, those who are attached only to the home life, their happiness is sex. That's all. And in order to protect that sense enjoyment, they take to dharma, artha, kāma, mokṣa (SB 4.8.41, Cc. Ādi 1.90); everything, whatever you call...
In the chemical laboratory when something is tested the characteristic is tested. "This is this chemical, it has got so many characteristics." So our characteristic, we living entities, we have got our characteristic. What is that characteristic, general characteristics? In this meeting we may be sitting, so many people, one may be Hindu, one may be... Because I am talking of Hindu, Muslim, Christian. Here the word is used, dharma. Sa vai puṁsām paro dharmo (SB 1.2.6). So dharma, we generally understand that I am Hindu, I am Muslim, I am Christian, I am Arya-samaji, I am this, I am that. That is generally taken as dharma. But according to Vedic principle dharma means characteristic. Just like chili—to become hot—the characteristic of chili. We test in the market when we go to purchase chili, we test how strong it is hot. If it is not very strong in its hottiness, then we reject. "No, no, it is not good chili." Chili must be very hot. That is characteristic, that is dharma. Sugar must be very sweet. That is characteristic, that is dharma.
Chili must be very hot. That is characteristic, that is dharma. Sugar must be very sweet. That is characteristic, that is dharma. Sa vai puṁsām paro dharmo (SB 1.2.6). So at the present moment, being entrapped by the material nature, we have accepted different types of dharmas. That is artificial. That is artificial. "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am Christian," "I am Buddhist," "I am this," "I am that." These are all in relationship with this body. Accidentally if I am born in a Hindu family, or Muslim family, or Christian family, I identify myself, "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am Christian." But real identification is, as I have already explained to you, ahaṁ brahmāsmi, I am Brahman. I am the spirit soul. So when you come to that platform of spiritual understanding then our characteristic should be manifested. What is that? That is explained here, sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6). Bhakti—to become devotee of the Supreme Lord. That is our real characteristic. To become devotee is already manifest.
Otherwise it was a jungle. Anything you take material, material thing has no value, it is inferior, but by the touch of the superior energy, the living entity, it becomes important. Therefore there are two nature—inferior nature and superior nature. Similarly, there are two kinds of dharmas. Hindu, Muslim, Christian, this, that or white, black, so many ways, according to the designation of the body you have created dharma or characteristics. That is inferior quality. But when you come to the superior quality of characteristics, of dharma, then you become happy. Anywhere there are two qualities always-inferior and superior. When you are attached to the inferior quality you don't get very much satisfaction, but when you come to the superior quality then you get satisfaction, happiness. So here it is said, dharma, religion, or the characteristics of human beings, there are so many, but sa vai puṁsām paro dharmo (SB 1.2.6), that is superior quality of religion or characteristic. What is that? Sa vai puṁsām paro dharmo, yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6). "Following which you become a devotee of the Adhokṣaja." Adhokṣaja means the Supreme Lord, God. God has got many names. Actually God has no name, but according to different calculation or different situation, He has got a name. Just like Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is the characteristic of the Supreme Lord. Kṛṣṇa means all-attractive. If God is not all-attractive... Not everyone is all-attractive, but God is all-attractive. Therefore, He is called Kṛṣṇa.
Don't go out now and come. They, that is the duty, dharma. Dharmeṇa hīnāḥ. Human civilization begins when there is religious conception of life. Therefore all over the world—it doesn't matter whether Europe, America or India or China, Japan—there is some kind of religion. There is some kind of religion—either Hindu religion or Muslim religion or Christian religion, Buddhist religion. These are the prime religions of the world.
Now, here in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, they are discussing about religion. Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmaḥ.
- sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo
- yato bhaktir adhokṣaje
- ahaituky apratihatā
- yayātmā suprasīdati
- (SB 1.2.6)
Everyone wants to be happy. Ātmā. Ātmā means body, ātmā means mind. Ātmā means ātmā, soul, also. So somebody is trying to be happy bodily. That is also ātmā. But that is very temporary. And somebody is wanting the peace and prosperity or tranquillity of the mind. That is also ātmārāma. Ātmārāma means everyone is wanting to remain happy and peaceful in his ātmā.
Yayā ātmā suprasīdati. Supra... Su means "very nicely"; prasīdati, "becomes satisfied." Everyone is trying to be satisfied, peaceful in his mind. But that is not being happen. How it will happen? The direction is given here in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmaḥ. That is first-class religion. It doesn't matter whether you are following Christian religion or Hindu religion or Muslim religion or any religion. It doesn't matter. Dharma means religion. That is English translation. But actually dharma means which you cannot change. Religion, the so-called religion, is a sentiment. Today you are Hindu; tomorrow you become Muslim. Or today you are Muslim; tomorrow you become Christian. That kind of conversion, change, is not religion. Because the man remains the same. Simply by his changing the rubber stamp, "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am Christian," that does not make any benefit. Therefore our movement is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We don't talk of any religion. The consciousness should be changed.
"I am Christian," that does not make any benefit. Therefore our movement is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We don't talk of any religion. The consciousness should be changed. The material consciousness should be changed into spiritual consciousness. That is our propaganda. It is meant for Hindu, Muslim, Christian, anyone. White, black, yellow, everything. Because it is the function of the soul. Soul is not black, white, yellow. Soul is spirit. So one has to realize that "I am spirit soul. I am not Indian nor American nor Englishman nor German nor white nor black. This is my bodily description. I am not this body." This is the beginning of spiritual understanding.
Therefore Sūta Gosvāmī says, "That type of religion which actually gives spiritual education, and by spiritual education one develops his forgotten love of Godhead." Love of Godhead is there in every one of us. It is now forgotten. We have to simply awaken it. Otherwise how these English boys, these American boys, the Canadian boys or gentlemen, they are taking to Kṛṣṇa consciousness so seriously? It is not something artificial. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness was there. It is being awakened under certain prescribed method. That's all. Śravaṇādi-śuddha-citte karaye udaya. This is the process. Nitya-siddha kṛṣṇa-bhakti. Caitanya-caritāmṛta says that "This Kṛṣṇa consciousness is there, dormant, in everyone's heart. It is already there."
Because we are not abiding by the orders of the Supreme Lord, and dharma means to abide by the orders of the Supreme Lord... Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19). You cannot manufacture dharma: "This is this religion; this is that religion." These are all bogus. Real dharma is sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). This is dharma. All bogus type of dharma—Hindu religion, Muslim religion, this religion, that religion—they are not dharma.
Therefore it is said here, sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmaḥ. Paraḥ means Supreme. What is that? Yato bhaktir adhokṣaje, "Wherein this is taught, 'Just surrender to the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa, that is first-class religion." All other religions, they are bogus. That is not religion. Just like good citizenship means to abide by the laws of the state, of the government. That is good citizenship. Similarly, a real religious person means who is abiding by the orders of the Supreme Lord. Unfortunately, they have no information of the Supreme Lord. Although the Lord, the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa, is present, still, they are thinking that Supreme Lord is nirākāra. Nirākāra means to avoid. How Supreme God can be nirākāra? If the Supreme Lord is the supreme father...
So Kṛṣṇa is open for everyone. And He is father of all forms of life. Sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya (BG 14.4). He is neither Indian nor Hindu nor Muslim. He is Kṛṣṇa. He is Supreme Person. So our only request is that you try to love Kṛṣṇa. Then your religious life will be perfect. Yato bhaktir adhokṣaje. Adhokṣaje, He is beyond the sense perception, akṣaja. Akṣaja-jñāna means sensual perception. He is beyond that, transcendental. But you have to love. So this loving process is the devotional service. First of all... (break) ...try to hear about Kṛṣṇa from Bhagavad-gītā as it is. Don't mal-interpret by your whimsical way. Then you will lose the opportunity. Don't follow these rascals who interpret Bhagavad-gītā. There is no question of interpretation. Take Bhagavad-gītā as it is. Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). Accept that. And the Caitanya-caritāmṛta kaṛacā says, kṛṣṇe bhakti kaile sarva-karma kṛta haya: "Simply by serving Kṛṣṇa you do all of your other duties." So such a nice thing, Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Take it very seriously and do the needful.
Go-khara. Go means cows, and khara means ass. Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke: "Anyone who accepts this bag of bones and flesh as self, he is animal." So in the animal concept of life, "I am Indian," "I am American," "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am Christian," because these are all bodily concept of life... Even if I say, "I am Hindu, I am distinct from Christian or Muhammadan," that means bodily concept of life. Even if I think, "I am brāhmaṇa," that is also bodily concept of life.
So in the bodily concept of life there is a system of religion. That religion is different from your religion and my religion, because you possess a body. Suppose Hindu... I possess a body of Christian or Muslim; therefore I think, "You are different from me; I am different from you." But in the higher stage, when one is raised on the platform of spiritual understanding, there is no such a thing. Practically you can see. In our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement there are persons from every country or every religion, every cult.
Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6). It doesn't matter what religious system you are following. Because actually religion means to abide by the orders of God. That is religion. Simply definition of religion. Just like good citizen means who abides by the state laws. He does not break the state laws. Similarly, any person, it doesn't matter whether he is Hindu, Muslim, Christian or this or that. It doesn't matter. If he is a devotee of the Supreme Lord, then his religion system is first class. Otherwise, śrama eva hi kevalam (SB 1.2.8). That will be stated. If you do not develop your... Generally, we have love for these material things. First of all myself, centered round my personal body, then extended in the family, then extended in the society, then extended in the community or nation. In this way we are extending. But these are all bodily concept of life. When we actually develop our love for God, that is real religion... That is first-class religion. Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmaḥ. It doesn't matter. The result... Phalena paricīyate. Just like a businessman. It doesn't matter what business he is doing. If he has got some money, then we say he is successful businessman. It doesn't matter whether he is this business or that business.
And this chapter is very important. We may discuss.
So dharma is actually under the protection of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. You cannot manufacture dharma. Because we do not know what is dharma. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19). Dharma means to abide by the orders of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It doesn't matter whether you are Hindu, Muslim or Christian. That is explained in the sixth verse. Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharma yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6). The verse, we read. Paro dharmaḥ. Paro dharmaḥ means the best, best, supreme dharma. Yato bhaktir adhokṣaje. It doesn't matter whether you are Hindu or Muslim. Whether you are interested to satisfy God? That is first-class religion. Otherwise, it is third-class, fourth-class or whatever... Whether your interest is to satisfy God. Then it is first-class. It doesn't matter. By the name it doesn't go away. Therefore we find, actually those who are advanced in religious principle, they are all devotee. (break) ...faithful. Just like Lord Jesus Christ-devotee.
It doesn't matter where that human form of life has happened. It doesn't matter. Either in America or in India or in Pakistan or anywhere, human life is human life. So their business is to inquire about the Absolute Truth. That is the injunction of the śāstra. Therefore we find a form of religion in the human society. It doesn't matter whether Christian society or Hindu society or Muslim society or any other society. Because they are human being, there must be a type of religion. And what is that religion? Religion means to understand God. This is the sum and substance. Religion means to understand God. In the śāstra it is said, religion means... Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19). Religion means the codes and the rules and regulations given by God. That is religion. This is the summary, short definition of religion. If somebody asks you, "What do you mean by religion?" the immediate reply is there in the śāstra, dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam na vai vidur ṛṣayo nāpi devāḥ: (SB 6.3.19) "The principles of religion is given by God.
He does not see "Here is a dog." He sees all living being part and parcel of God. That is called samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu. That equality is possible when you are brahma-bhūtaḥ. Samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu. Artificially you have opened this United Nation, but your conception is, "I am Indian," "I am American," "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim." So how it can be, there can be unity? It is not possible. That is not brahma-bhūtaḥ stage. That is prakṛta stage, identifying with this body. So long you identify with this body when you are in the material conception of life, there is no question of spiritual understanding, there is no question of joyfulness, there is no question of freedom from lamentation and hankering and there is no question of equality. It is all false show.
So therefore here is the explanation, sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmaḥ. Paro dharmaḥ. Here it does not say that "Hindu religion is the best" or "Christian religion is the best" or "Muhammadan religion is the best." No.
"My religion is better." "I am Hindu. Our religion is very good." Somebody says, "No, we are Christian, we are..., our religion is very good." Somebody Muhammadan, this fighting is going on. In European history there was fight, crusade between religious group. In our country, in India, there was fight between Hindus and Muslims. What is the meaning of this fight? Actually when one is God conscious, he knows God, that where is the chance of fighting? Yasya deve parā... Because one should be... If actually one is God conscious, yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā (SB 5.18.12). The Vedic literature gives us information that actually if one is a devotee of God...
God is one, God cannot be two. It is not that Hindus have got one God and Christians have got another God. No. God cannot be two. Then there cannot be any competition of Gods. "I am God." Just like nowadays it has become a fashion, so many gods, rascals are coming, "I am God." He says, "I am God," "I am God," "I am God."
This dharma, vaiṣṇava-dharma, rūpānuga-dharma, following the footsteps of Rūpa Gosvāmī, that is meant for paropakāra. All other dharmas, any dharma, they execute dharma for personal benefit. Just like in Christian religion, they pray to God... Everyone, not only Christians. Hindus, Muslims, they go to God to pray something for personal gain: "O God, give us our daily bread." So the same prayer is offered by everyone under different shape only. So in the calculation of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, such dharmas, system of dharma, which is meant for sense gratification, personal interest, that is called kaitava-dharma, cheating. Cheating... Dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavaḥ atra.
In this connection, Śrīdhara Svāmī has commented, artha mokṣavāṁś ca nirastham(?). Those who are aspiring after liberation, that is also rejected. Why? There are so many great saintly persons, jñānīs, philosophers; they're trying to get liberation. And it is cheating? Yes. It is cheating. Vyāsadeva says, kaitava, cheating.
Santa, those who are theistic, advanced in devotional service, they are called santas, saintly person, premāñjana, because they have developed love of Godhead. In the previous verse it has been described, sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6). That culture required. You may belong to any type of religion. It doesn't matter. You may become Hindu, Muslim, Christian, or brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya... Whatever you may be, it doesn't matter. But if you are a religious person, the test is how much you have developed love of Godhead. Then it is tested. "Yes, you are nice." Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmaḥ. That is the test. Otherwise it is useless. You may be Hindu, Muslim or... Whatever stamp you like, you can have it. But the real test is whether you have developed love of Godhead. That is wanted.
So that required. By love of Godhead you can see God every moment. Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva (Bs. 5.38). Sadaiva means twenty-four hours. People ask, "Whether you have seen God?"
That is the point. That is called tattva-jijñāsā. For this purpose the Vedic civilization is perfect. Vedic civilization is for everyone, but nowadays it is said that it is for the Indians or for the Hindus or... But actually, it is meant for everyone. Just like here it is said, jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā. It is everyone's duty to inquire about the Absolute Truth. Where is the question of Hindu, Muslim or this or that? Truth is truth. Two plus two equal to four; it is accepted by the Hindus, Muslims, Christians and everyone. Science is science. So therefore we should be interested about inquiring. This is the confirmation in every scripture, in the Bhāgavata also. This is also Bhāgavata.
In Bhāgavata, in another place, it is said, tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam: (SB 11.3.21) "Those who are actually inquisitive to know the value of life, the Absolute Truth, he must approach a guru." Here also, it is said, jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā. Jijñāsā means somebody in inferior position inquires from the superior man. Then there is jijñāsā. Just like a child inquires from his father.
Cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). Not that "Keep the śūdras or the mlecchas in the downtrodden position, and let me advance." No. Everyone should cooperate. Why the śūdras or mlecchas and yavanas should remain as such? Actually, India's falldown is meant by that process. Nobody cared. So many Muslims, they converted, but the higher caste, they did not care. "Oh, they have become Muslims. Reject them." Why reject? Kṛṣṇa says,
- māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya
- ye pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ
- striyo vaiśyās tathā śūdrās
- te 'pi yānti parāṁ gatim
- (BG 9.32)
Why these Muslims were neglected? Why they were not turned into Vaiṣṇavas, just like we are doing? This is the fault of the leaders. Therefore India is now divided, Pakistan and Hindustan.
He must understand whether by executing his... It doesn't matter whether Hindu or Muslim or this or that. Your duty is, by executing your religious principles, whether you are satisfying Kṛṣṇa. That is wanted. Tasmin tuṣṭe jagat tuṣṭam.
So the Kṛṣṇa personally says that "You surrender unto Me." That is the only business. There is no other business. Simply to see that "Whether I am satisfying Kṛṣṇa?" So that will be possible... Here it is said that naṣṭa-prāyeṣu abhadreṣu. Not completely. There are so many dirty things within our heart. If at once it becomes all cleared, then immediately we are liberated person. And that is not possible. Gradually. Gradually, you go on hearing, hearing, śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (SB 1.2.17). Gradually, all the dirty things will be cleansed. So naṣṭa-prāyeṣu, almost clean. Not purely, not completely clean. Even it is almost clean... Naṣṭa-prāyeṣu abhadreṣu. How it is cleansed? Nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā (SB 1.2.18). You serve your spiritual master, the representative of Bhagavān, bhāgavata, and you hear Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam—these are the two kind of Bhāgavatam—and you do it. Nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā. Naṣṭa-prāye... Almost, almost cle... Then what is that? Bhagavaty uttama-śloke bhaktir bhavati naiṣṭhikī. The result will be that you'll be fixed up in the devotional service.
Bhakti can be performed when you are purified. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuk... Upādhi. These are the upādhis: "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am black," "I am white." These are upādhis. This is the description of the skin, not for me. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi. I do not belong to the skin. I do not... Because I do not belong to the skin, then so many skin descriptions... Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that "I am not a brāhmaṇa. I am not a śūdra. I am not a sannyāsī. I am not a brahmacārī. I am not a kṣatriya." In this way, "not, not, not..." Then what You are? "I am gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ (CC Madhya 13.80)." When you understand that "I am eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa," that is purification. That is purification. You accept it blindly, or by the process of reading śāstra and Vedas, you have to come to the conclusion: vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ (BG 7.19). Then you become mahātmā and your life is perfect.
Therefore there is great necessity of spreading this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement to actually educate the human being to the highest perfect of life. That is required. It is not a religious system, competing with some other religion. Just like they are thinking that we are making Christians, Hindus. This is nonsense. We are not concerned with Hindus, Muslims or Christians. We are not... If these boys... They're educated boys; they have no business to come..., become Hindu from Christian. They have no business. They're... Many people before me, many swamis went there to make Christians, Hindu. They kicked there on their face. They did not become successful. Because they talked nonsense. Why one should, Christian become Hindu, Hindu become Christian? They should know what is God, what He is, what is his relationship with God. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is. It is not a movement for making Hindus to Muslim or Muslim to Hindus or Christian to Hin... This is not that movement. They clearly understand this.
That is not enjoyment. The..., it has to be uncovered. Then you'll enjoy. That is indicated: sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170). If you uncover the senses, upādhi... These upādhi... Because I am in bodily concept of life, therefore I am thinking, "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am black," "I am white," "I am man," "I am woman," "I am tree," "I am this," "I am that." This is covered. How you can enjoy with these covered senses?
So you have to uncover. You have to discover. That discovering process is devotional service. The more you are engaged in devotional service, the more your senses become pure or uncovered. And when it is completely uncovered, without any designation, then you are capable to serve Kṛṣṇa. This is apprenticeship. Vaidhī-bhakti, that is apprenticeship. Real bhakti, parā-bhakti, that is rāgānugā-bhakti. This rāgānugā-bhakti, we have to come after surpassing the vaidhī-bhakti. In the material world, if we do not try to make further and further progress in devotional service, if we are simply sticking to the shastric regulation process and do not try to go beyond that... Shastric process also regulation, that is required. Without shastric process you cannot go to that platform. But if we stick to the shastric process only and do not try to improve ourself... The shastric process is kaniṣṭha-adhikāra, lowest stage of devotional service.
Therefore Kṛṣṇa says that sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). That means the so-called faith, you should give up. It is a faith. "I am Hindu." "I am Muslim." "I am Christian." Or "I am this," "I am that." This is a kind of faith. You are neither Hindu, neither Muslim nor Christian; you are servant of Kṛṣṇa. That is real characteristic. And actually we are servant. We are serving. That is our characteristic. Either he may be Hindu or Muslim or Christian, but the real business is that everyone is serving. It is not that because I am Hindu, I don't serve. Or because one is Christian, he doesn't serve. No. Everyone is serving. But he's serving māyā. He's serving kāma, krodha, lobha, mātsarya. He's serving. In this material condition, we are serving our whims, kāma. Sometimes I become angry and I serve my anger—I beat others. That means I am serving anger. I am serving my lust. I am serving my greediness.
One has to become pure, completely. "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim." "I am Christian," "I am this," "I am that," these are all upādhis, designation.
So one has to become free from all designations, as Caitanya Mahāprabhu taught:
- nāhaṁ vipro na ca nara-patir nāpi vaiśyo na śūdro
- nāhaṁ varṇī na ca gṛha-patir no vanastho yatir vā
- kintu prodyan-nikhila-paramānanda-pūrṇāmṛtābdher
- gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ
- (CC Madhya 13.80)
"I am not a brāhmaṇa, I am not a kṣatriya, I am not a gṛhastha, I am not a vānaprastha," everything, all the eight varṇāśramas, He denied. "I don't belong to any group." Then what You are? "I am the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant—one hundred times down the servant." Of who? "The maintainer of the gopīs, Kṛṣṇa." A pure devotee does not belong to any group, and he wants to become the lowest servant, not the first-grade servant. That is pure devotion.
The four defects of the conditioned soul... One is sure to commit mistake. Anyone, any big man of this world, he must commit mistake. He is illusioned. He is accepting something for something. Every one of us, we accept this body as "I am," self. And we are fighting on this basis. "I am American, you are Indian," "You are Hindu, I am Muslim." Only on this bodily concept of life. But Bhāgavata says, as soon as we find a person on the platform of bodily concept of life, he is animal. That's all. Sa eva go-kharaḥ (SB 10.84.13). Go-kharaḥ. Go means cow, khara means ass. So anyone who is under the bodily concept of life, he is fool, rascal. That's all.
So these śāstras are written. Just like Vyāsadeva. Vyāsadeva is speaking that kīkaṭeṣu bhaviṣyati. Kīkaṭeṣu means the province of Gayā, still existing. Bhaviṣyati. When? Tataḥ kalau sampravṛtte. Kalau. This age is called Kali-yuga. Sampravṛtte: "just in the beginning." So Buddha appeared 2,600 years ago. So for thousands of years, it is beginning. Just like the sunset and the sunrise, there is an intermediate period.
One who does not believe in Christianity, they are called heathens. Similarly, in Muhammadan religion also, one who does not believe in the Muhammadan religion, they are called kafirs. So everyone has got manufactured some word. But so far our religion is concerned, we accept anyone, either he is a kafir or he is a heathen or he is a Hindu or Muslim or..., because Kṛṣṇa is for everyone. But here, Lord Buddha also, he is also for everyone. But he wanted to cheat, sura-dviṣām, sammohāya. Sammohāya, the sura-dviṣām, means those who are envious of the devotees, atheist class of men, just to cheat them. But when Kṛṣṇa or God cheats, that is also for the welfare of the people. So he wanted to stop animal-killing.
Nobody will accept. So similarly, this Kali-yuga is so dangerous that gradually we are becoming involved in more difficulties. That is the way of Kali-yuga. The symptom of Kali-yuga is disagreement, fight, quarrel. Kali means this quarreling, fighting, unnecessarily fighting. Just like recently in India we have seen. Formerly there was Hindu-Muslim riot, sporadic riot in some village. Say, some fifty men this side, some fifty men that side, they fought, say, for two hours, and it is finished. Again they are friendly. Now, since India has become independent, the Muslims have become Pakistan and the other part... They are not all Hindus. Suppose Hindus, they have become Hindustan. They organizedly fight. Now recently, last year, they fought and spent millions of dollars unnecessarily. This is going on. This is called Kali-yuga. Unnecessarily they will disagree, unnecessarily they will fight and spoil energy, spoil money. This is called Kali-yuga. The brain is so crazy that they do not consider that "Why you are fighting? Why you are spending money?"
The human life is meant for that, that here māyā is deluding us, yayā sammohito jīva ātmānaṁ tri-guṇātmakam. Ātmānam, I am self. I am spirit soul, part and parcel of God. I am eternal. I am ever illuminated. But I am thinking, "I am Indian," "I am American," "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am Christian," "I am man," "I am woman," "I am this and that," so on—designations. So bhakti means we have to become free from all these designations. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam (CC Madhya 19.170), this is called upādhi. Upādhi means designation. So the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means how to become free from these designations. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The whole trouble in the world is due to these designations. We are part and parcel of God. We're very much intimately related with God. But, on account of this designation, we are each other's enemies. Even in faraway countries the Europeans are there, the Indians are there, the Africans are there. But, on account of this bodily designation, separated-European quarter, Indian quarter, this quarter, that quarter, this designation.
So at that time Nārada Muni happened to come to him, and he chastised him that "You have written so many books, but they're not very useful." Because people are generally attracted to dharma, artha, kāma, mokṣa (SB 4.8.41, Cc. Ādi 1.90). They're attracted. Those who are civilized men, they are attracted with some sort of religion, system. It doesn't matter whether he's Hindu or Muslim or Christian. They have some sort of religious practice. That is the beginning of human civilization. When there is no religious practice, that is not civilized man. Just like in the jungle, aborigines, or the animals, they have no religious system. In the human society there is some religious system. Therefore when the human society becomes without any religious understanding, dharmeṇa hīnāḥ paśubhiḥ samānāḥ, immediately they're animals. They're not human beings. In civilized world...
Therefore Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is very essential to understand this fact, that samaṁ carantaṁ sarvatra bhūtānāṁ yan mithaḥ kaliḥ (SB 1.8.28). We have created so many religious system, so many religious system. And the Hindu is fighting with the Muslim, Muslim is fighting with the Hindu, that "My religion is better than your religion." Or any other, other countries also, the Jews fighting with the Christian; Christian, Jews; and the black fighting with the white; white fighting with the black. This Kali, that is the result of this material existence. Saṁsāra-dāvānala-līḍha-loka **. That is the work of this material nature. Even if you want to live very peacefully, you'll not be allowed to live. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā durat... (BG 7.14). It is not a place to live very peacefully. But if you think artificially that "We are very happy. We are advanced in material civilization and we have very comfortable life," where is comfort? There cannot be any comfort.
This is the education of spiritual education in the beginning—just see inside, introspective, not outward seeing. Those who are seeing outwardly, yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātu..., they are asses.
So one should be advanced by hearing the authorities, that God is equal to him. I say why there should be Hindu religion and Muslim religion or Christian religion? There cannot be. Just like gold is gold. And nobody can say, "This is Indian gold, this is American gold, this is Christian gold, and this is Muhammadan gold." Gold is gold. So actually one who is God conscious, for him, there is no such distinction, because he knows, samaṁ carantaṁ sarvatra bhūtānām: (SB 1.8.28) "God is present everywhere." Simply he has forgotten. That forgetfulness is applicable to anyone, either Hindu, Muslim or Christian. It doesn't matter. The, our business is to rectify that forgetfulness. Rectify. To remove that forgetfulness. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.
Just like proportionate. You put five upon ten, and five millions upon ten millions. The ratio is the same, half. Similarly, these big, big men, these big, big politicians, they are struggling exactly like the insect. The whole life, they struggle. And in the morning, at a certain time, they're heap, heaps of dead body. That's all. We have seen it in Calcutta. When there was Hindu-Muslim riot, they fought, and in Bhag Bazaar there were heaps of dead bodies. And when it is dead body, nobody could understand who is Hindu and who is Muslim. Simply it was to be cleared from the road. So our position is like that.
So we may be afraid of this fearful agent, but Kṛṣṇa is not fearful, afraid of fearful agent. We do... Because we should not. Therefore Kuntī is astonished, vimohayati, that "This is my astonishment, that how Kṛṣṇa is afraid of His mother? The... Everyone is afraid of Kṛṣṇa." That Kṛṣṇa, Kuntī admits that... Therefore it is called līlā. Everything, whatever Kṛṣṇa does, it is līlā. Līlā means He's enjoying that fearful attitude of Himself. Everyone prays Him as the Supreme Lord. He is adored, He's worshiped. Nobody can be fearful to Him. Nobody goes to Kṛṣṇa: "I have come to chastise You, Kṛṣṇa." That is not possible.
Mleccha-yavana, they are called, according to Vedic... So people are becoming meat-eaters nowadays. I have... There is no secrecy. Formerly, at least in India, the meat-eaters used to eat meat very secretly. We had seen in our childhood. If somebody will meat-eat, it was not allowed within the house. They, formerly, rich men, they used to keep Muslim servants as the caretaker of the horse or the carriage driver. So in the (horse)(?) stable(?) they would secretly cook some meat, and the so-called Babu, Zamindar, will eat. It was not allowed. And those who are not rich men—poor men, śūdra class—they would go to Kālī-ghāṭa, and get one goat, sacrifice there, and cook there and eat, then come back. Meat-eating was not at all allowed. The higher caste, especially the brāhmaṇas, they would never touch. Still in some provinces, in Maharastra provinces, in Madras... Of course, they are now taking.
So meat-eaters means mleccha. So now that is increasing, meat-eaters. So when wholesale population will be meat-eaters, mleccha, they'll not understand anything about spiritual matter—"Why it is forbidden?" because the meat-eaters, they cannot understand anything about spiritual matter. It is very difficult.
And if you are still more intelligent, then offer prayer. Either of these: yad-vandanaṁ yac-chravaṇaṁ yad-arhaṇam. The similar parallels(?), the arhaṇam. If you are expert, trained by your spiritual master how to worship, that is arhaṇam. And śravaṇam, the same thing. Yad-vandanam, offering prayers. Some way or other...
Therefore I say that the Christians, they're also Vaiṣṇavas; the Muslims, they're also Vaiṣṇava, very, mean, lower stage, because they're offering prayer. Yad-vandanam. They offer prayer: "O God, give us our daily bread." They do not know very much, but the beginning is there. Beginning is there because they have approached... Catur-vidhā bhajanti māṁ sukṛtino 'rjuna. That going to the church or going to the mosque, that is also pious activities. One day they'll come out pure Vaiṣṇava, one day. But that beginning is good. But atheism—"Don't go to church. Don't go to temple. Don't go to mosque"—this propaganda is very, very dangerous to the human society. Something do... Try to understand. That education, that a child is sent to school.
They not only create family but also society, community, nation, In this way we are embarrassed. The so-called nationalism, socialism and communism—simply moha, moha, exactly the same way as the small, that insects, under some illusion, moha, they come to the light and sacrifice their life. I have told you many times. We have seen in 1947, partition days, Hindu-Muslim fighting. One party was Hindu, other party was Muslim. They fought and so many died. And after death, there was no distinction who is Hindu or who is Muslim. The municipal men, they gathered together in piles and to throw them somewhere. Exactly the same way, the same insects, they come to the light and die in the morning, and we gather them together and throw in the street.
So long the life is there, everyone is thinking, "I have got this responsibility. I have got this responsibility. I have got this responsibility," and they are working very, very hard and doing all nonsense. Nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma (SB 5.5.4).
Just like nowadays so many dharmas have been manufactured. They are not dharma. Dharma means the order which is given by the Lord. That is dharma. Just like Kṛṣṇa said, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). We have manufactured so many dharmas: Hindu dharma, Muslim dharma, Christian dharma, Parsee dharma, Buddha dharma, this dharma, that dharma. They are not dharma. They are mental concoction, mental concoction. Otherwise, there will be contradiction. Take for example, the Hindus think cow-killing is adharma, and the Muslims think that cow-killing is their dharma. So which is correct? Whether cow killing is adharma or dharma?
So these are mental concoction. Caitanya-caritāmṛta kaṛacā says, ei bhāla ei manda saba manodharma, "Mental concocted." Real dharma is what is ordered by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is dharma. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja: (BG 18.66) "Give up your all manufactured dharma. Here is the real dharma." Śaraṇaṁ vraja. "Just become surrendered unto Me, and that is real dharma." Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19). Just like law. Laws can be manufactured or can be given by the government. You cannot make any law at your home. That is not law. Law means the order given by the government.
These Britishers created this religious fight between Hindus and Muslims. Before that, there was no in the history, religious fight, in the history of the whole India. The Mahābhārata, Kurukṣetra fight was... That was political fight. That was not a religious fight on the basis of that "You are Hindu. I am Muslim. Therefore we must fight." There was no such fight. In the material platform your interest, my interest, sometimes clash. There may be fight. But why fight on religious, mean God consciousness? If everyone is God conscious, where is the question of fight? So that's all right. You can take it. (end)
This is dharma. Dharmam. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19). Dharmeṇa means, religious principle means to act according to the order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is religious principle. It is not that you manufacture some dharma: "We are Hindus," "We are Muslims," "We are Christians." These are not dharmas. Nobody cares for God. Nobody carries out the order of God. Nobody knows what is God. Nobody knows what is relationship with God. So where is dharma? The, all bogus. Therefore Bhāgavata says: dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo 'tra (SB 1.1.2). This so-called cheating type of religious system is kicked out in Bhāgavatam. Real dharma. What is that real dharma? Paraṁ satyaṁ dhīmahi. Namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. This is dharma. Namo bhagavate vāsu... Beginning. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṇa, Vyāsadeva is offering respect. Why? Now satyaṁ paraṁ dhīmahi. He is the Supreme Truth. What is that Supreme Truth? Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). That Supreme Truth from whom everything emanates. And this is confirmed in the Bhāgavatam, uh, Bhagavad-gītā: mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate. Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ (BG 10.8). This is confirmed. The Vedānta-sūtra gives hint that the Absolute Truth, Brahman, is that which is the original source of all emanations. That is Absolute Truth. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. What is Brahman? Brahman means the original source of everything.
In what way Hindu religion is better than Christian religion? The followers of so-called Christian religion, they're also set of nonsense, and so are the Hindus. Why we should give preference to one class of rascals and fools than the other class of rascals and fools? We have no such idea, "The Hindus are greater than the Muslims or the Christians," or "The Muslims or the Christians..." We do not con... We want to see, test how much he's devotee of God, how much he has developed his God consciousness. Then we accept that he is, here is dharma. That is the test. Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6).
I told you sometimes, I think, in New York Airport. So seeing us, the sādhus, one young man came to me. So he introduced himself, "Sir, I am Christian. I faithfully discharge my religious principles." So I, I told him, "No, no. You do not faithfully discharge your religion." So he was surprised that without talking with him, immediately I charged that "You don't follow your Christian religion." "No, why do you say like that?" "Do you eat meat?" "Yes, sir." "Then you are not a Christian.
"No, why do you say like that?" "Do you eat meat?" "Yes, sir." "Then you are not a Christian. You are not a Christian. Because in the Christian religion the first commandment is 'Thou shalt not kill.' So you are encouraging killing. How you are a Christian? You are not a Christian." The actually everyone is very proud of becoming Christian, Hindu, Muslim, but nobody is following. Nobody's following. All bogus.
Because if they would have followed... We don't say follow this religion, that religion. If actually they would have followed, then the symptom would have been they had become devotee of God, lover of God. And as soon as he becomes lover of God, he becomes fully qualified with all good qualifications. Yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā sarvair guṇais tatra samāsate surāḥ (SB 5.18.12). This is the test. He hasn't got to be trained up how to become honest, how to become clean, how to become this, how to become that. If he becomes a lover of God, Kṛṣṇa, then all the good qualities automatically reveal. Just like when you are out of diseased condition, all your healthy symptoms are revealed, manifest. It doesn't require to bring them separately, to bring them separately. It is already there.
I was one year old or one and a half year old. I have seen what was happening, but there was plague epidemic. That I did not know. I, later on, I heard from my parents. So one bābājī, he organized saṅkīrtana, Hare Kṛṣṇa saṅkīrtana. When there was no other way, so he organized saṅkīrtana all over Calcutta. And in the, in saṅkīrtana, all people, Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Parsi, everyone joined. And they were coming, they were going road to road, street to street, entering in every house. So that Mahatma Gandhi Road, 151, you have seen. The saṅkīrtana party we received very nicely. There was light, and I was very small, I was also dancing, I can remember. Just like our small children sometimes dances. I remember. I could see only up to the knees of the persons who were joined. So the plague subsided. This is a fact. Everyone who knows history of Calcutta, the plague was subsided by saṅkīrtana movement.
Just like Prahlāda Mahārāja, and the Haridāsa Ṭhākura in this Navadvīpa area. He was a Muhammadan. He took to kṛṣṇa-nāma. The kazi called him, "You are Muhammadan. Why you are taking this kṛṣṇa-nāma?" "What is the fault, sir? There are many Hindus. They also become Muslim. So I like this." So he was punished. But he did not give up. He did not give up. One cannot give up. Prahlāda Mahārāja could not give up.
So that is explained, that sat-saṅgān mukta-duḥsaṅgaḥ. As soon as one associates with Kṛṣṇa's name, he associates with Kṛṣṇa. Therefore asat, māyā, cannot touch him. If he's purely chanting without any offense, māyā cannot touch him. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nir... (CC Antya 20.12). And as soon as māyā cannot touch him, then bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇam. The blazing fire of material existence extinguished immediately. This is the first gain by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra offenselessly, the first gain is mukti.
Why you are attached? Unless you are attached to Kṛṣṇa, you cannot sacrifice your valuable time in this temple or for preaching Kṛṣṇa's glory. You have developed a love for Kṛṣṇa. Otherwise nobody is so fool that he's wasting time. No. How it is possible? One may say that Kṛṣṇa is Indian, Kṛṣṇa is Hindu. So why the Christians are interested? Are they Hindu? No. Kṛṣṇa is neither Hindu nor Muslim nor Christian. Kṛṣṇa is Kṛṣṇa. And you are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. This understanding—"I'm Hindu," "I'm Muslim," "I'm Christian," "I'm American," "I'm Indian"—these are all designations. Actually I am spirit soul, ahaṁ brahmāsmi. And Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Brahman, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12).
So we have got intimate relationship with Kṛṣṇa. That is eternally fact. Simply we have to revive. Śravaṇādi-śuddha-citte karaye udaya.
"You rascal, you give up all these religion. Real religion is surrender to Me." This is religion. Otherwise why Kṛṣṇa says, "Give up all religion"? Sarva-dharmān parityajya (BG 18.66), He says in the beginning. Dharma-saṁsthāpanārthāya. "I come, I descend just to reestablish the principle of religion." Does it mean that He came to support Hindu religion, Muslim religion, Christian religion? No. He came to reestablish religion. People do not know what is that religion. They have created their own religion. And some rascal swami is supporting, yata mata tata patha. How you can create? Religion is personal? "You can create your own religion and be satisfied"? This is going on. In the name of religion, every rascal is creating his own religion and he is satisfied. He is satisfied, "I have got my own religion." But they do not know. These rascals, they do not know what is the meaning of religion. Religion means to abide by the laws of God, simple definition. Religion. That is religion, to abide by the laws. Now if you are religionist, you cannot deny God.
Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19). Religion is the law given by God. This is religion.
So what God is giving as law? The law is that "You give up all nonsense religion, simply surrender unto Me." This is religion. So a religious person, it does not mean whether he is Hindu or Muslim or Christian or Buddhist. He must accept God and surrender unto Him. This is religion. This is religion. Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati (BG 4.7), that means when religion becomes polluted, at that time Kṛṣṇa comes as bhū-bhāraḥ. Because as soon as... Religion means to abide by the laws of, to abide by the laws of God. So dharmasya glānir bhavati means when people do not abide by the laws of God. That is dharmasya glāniḥ, discrepancy in the matter of discharging religion. Just like when you begin to break laws, everyone, then government becomes very furious, arrest, punish, hang—these things are going on. But if you are abiding by the laws of government, there is no such question to harass you.
So nobody cares for Calcutta Ganges. But they go to Hardwar. The same Ganges. The Ganges is coming from Hardwar down to the Bay of Bengal, but people will like to go to Hardwar, taking so much hardship, to take bath there, because that becomes tīrtha. In every religion they have got tīrtha. The Muslims, they have got mosque. What is that? Mecca, Medina. The Christians, they have got, where? Jerusalem. Similarly, the Hindus. Then they must travel very long. That will be tīrtha. But actually tīrtha means tīrthī-kurvanti tīrthāni. Where there is saintly person, that is tīrtha. Not to go ten thousand miles and simply take a dip in the water and come back.
Then udaraṁ-bharatā svārthaḥ satyatve dhārṣṭyam eva hi, dākṣyaṁ kuṭumba-bharaṇaṁ yaśo 'rthe dharma-sevanam. Udaraṁ-bharatā. The interest. I was speaking of interest. Now, in Kali-yuga, the interest will be if you can eat some day very sumptuously, then your all interest is fulfilled. That's all.
Therefore it is said, viśuddha-dhiṣaṇāḥ pare. Those who are purified in their thinking process... Those who are thinking, "I am this body," they are third-class rascals. The present world is simply full with third-class rascals. Because everyone is thinking, "I am American," "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am white," "I am black," "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am Christian." So "I am this body." That's all. But they cannot. They cannot. Therefore it is said, virajena ātmanaiva. Virajena. Virajena means one who has become completely washed, cleansed, viraja. Raja. Raja means this material world, and vi means vigata, without. Virajenaiva. And it is very difficult to come to this position. Therefore it is said, avāpur duravāpām. It is very difficult to come to this stage of life, but the Pāṇḍavas, avāpuḥ, they got it. And for whom it is very difficult? That is also: asadbhiḥ. Asadbhir viṣayātmabhiḥ.
Here it is said that bhūri-dakṣiṇān. Bhūri means an unlimited amount. Bhūri means very great. So there is no money. Neither there is expert brāhmaṇa also who can conduct such sacrifices, because they must chant the Vedic mantra so perfectly that even a horse or a cow is put into the fire, he will come out with a new life. That is the test. This Chand Kazi, Muslim magistrate, he also challenged Caitanya Mahāprabhu. When Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, "What is your this religion? You are eating your father and mother?" Directly. Not that He was talking with a magistrate, He should be a little respectful. No. In spiritual matter, everything spoken frankly, no compromise. Just like we say, "You are not a Kṛṣṇa conscious person. Then you are a rascal. That's all." You may be the president. That doesn't matter. But because you are not Kṛṣṇa conscious, you are rascal. There is no compromise, "Oh, here is a big man. How he is speaking." We see everywhere. So many scientists come. I say, "You are rascal. You are demon." (laughter) I say it.
So what is that religion? That is also explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekam (BG 18.66). This is religion, to surrender to God. It doesn't matter what religion you profess. It doesn't matter. But you must learn how to obey the Supreme Lord. That is religion. Religion does not mean that you stamp some stereotype religion, "I am Christian," "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am Buddhist," and then fight. That is not religion. That is fanaticism. Religion means how one has become devoted to God. That is religion. Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6). You claim to be religious, or you claim to be Hindu or Christian or Buddhist. That's all right. But do you know what is God? Oh, everyone silent. Everyone, all nonsense rascals, silent. He does not know what is God. And what is his religion? If you do not know what is God, a vague idea, that is not religion. You must know what is God. Just like to become American citizen, it requires to know something of the history of America.
One, all four hundred pages, like this. We don't publish a book less than this volume. So just imagine how much we have to learn about our spiritual life. In no other system—religious system you may call, or cultural system—can give you so many books to read. There is no comparison. The Christians, they can present only one small Bible, and the Muslims they can present one little Koran. But here, the Vedic culture is so great that we can simply give you sixty volumes like this only for Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. And Bhāgavata is the eighteenth Purāṇa. So there are seventeen Purāṇas, still more, not yet touched. Beside that, there are 108 Upaniṣads. Then there is big Mahābhārata, the great history of India. Then Rāmāyaṇa. There are so many books. So we are trying to present all these books into English translation.
He'll suffer. He'll suffer. Anyone who does not... Kṛṣṇa conscious means God conscious. The human life is meant for realizing God. So every religious system is meant for giving education about God. That is the system. Either you take Christian religion or Hindu religion or Muslim religion, the idea is to understand God. So therefore, any religion you take, it doesn't matter. If you understand what is God and if you know what is your relationship with God, then you are perfect. (end)
So many fighting on account of this dress. So when you become dressless, that is the spiritual platform. When you become dressless. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170). When we are free from all this designation dress. We are now covered by this designation dress. "I am Indian," "I am American," "I am Englishman," "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am..." So many, we have created dress. Just like innumerable quantity or quality of dresses, similarly, these are all dresses. So the spiritual platform means sarvopādhi-vinir..., when we become free from all this designation and fixed up in the understanding that "I am eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa," that is our real position. Yes?
Yavana means meat-eaters. Yavana. It does not mean only Europeans are yavana, and Americans, not, Indians are not yavana. No. Anyone who eats meat, he's a yavana. Yavana means meat-eater. And mleccha means unclean. One who does not follow Vedic principles, he's called mleccha. Just like... As the Muhammadans say, kafir. One who does not follow Muslim religion, they are called kafir. That is religious point of view. And the Christians say "heathens." One who does not follow Christian religion, they are called heathens. Is it not? Similarly, anyone who does not follow Vedic principle, he's called mleccha. So time will come when nobody will follow Vedic principles of life. Therefore, mleccha.
So mleccha-nivaha, when all the people will become mlecchas, nobody following the Vedic principles, mleccha-nivaha-nidhane, at that time there is no more preaching, simply killing. Nivaha-nidhane kalayasi karavālam. In this age a very fearful, not feature, but action is very fearful. Mleccha-nivaha-nidhane kalayasi karavālaṁ dhūmaketum iva. Just like now they are apprehending the appearance of a comet. So Kṛṣṇa will appear just like a comet. Dhūmaketum iva, dhūmaketum iva, dhūmaketum iva. Kalayasi karavālam. So that is the end of Kali-yuga, that people will be so mlecchācāra, unclean habits, they, dull... Now they have already become, already become. They have no brain. Even big, big, so-called... (break)
That purificatory process is called devotional service, or bhakti. That is described in Nārada Pañcarātra: sarvopādhi vinirmuktaṁ tat paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170).
Now, how we have become the servant of our senses? On account of so many designation: "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am Christian," "I am this," "I am that"—so many designation. So if you... Designation means to become servant of the senses. Designation means to become the servant. So we have to forget our designation. From this initiation point of view, everyone should consider that "I am no more American," "I am no more Indian," "I am no more this or that"—"No, I am Hindu; he is Christian"—"I am servant of Kṛṣṇa." Then you become designationless—"I am servant of Kṛṣṇa, jīvera svarūpa haya nitya Kṛṣṇa dāsa (Cc. Madhya 20.108-109)." Then you become designationless, and immediately purified. Sarvopādhi vinirmuktaṁ tat paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170).
This human form of life is very valuable." Because in this life only you can become Kṛṣṇa conscious, not in the body of cats and dogs. That is not possible. Or trees.
Therefore Prahlāda Mahārāja advising, kaumāra ācaret prājño dharmān bhāgavatān iha. Dharma... "So we are, we are pursuing some kind of dharma, Hindu, Muslim or Christian." No, dharmān bhāgavatān. That dharma which teaches you how to love God. That dharma. That is first-class dharma. Otherwise, you stamp over "I am Christian," and do all nonsense; "I am Hindu," and do all nonsense. This will not help, simply by stamping. So many Christian gentlemen I meet. They cannot understand even Christianity that Lord Jesus Christ said, "Thou shalt not kill," and they are very busy simply in killing business. And still, they're Christians. First of all, let us see who is a Christian. Similarly, every religion, simply by rubber stamp, "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am Christian," but they do not know what is religion.
You'll be transferred to the spiritual kingdom. So we do not say that "This religion is good," "This religion is bad." In every religion there is some form of worship out of these nine. Just like in Christian church there is offering of prayers. We also offer prayer, and that is also recommended in the list: vandanam. Vandanam means offering prayers. Muslim also, they offer prayers in the mosque.
So generally prayers offered in every religious institution. But so far we are concerned, we not only offer prayers, but also hear about Him. And what we shall hear about Him unless He has got activities? Just like you hear in the newspaper the activities of the general people. Similarly, if we have to hear something, there must some activities. That activities we find in the Vedic literatures-immense, unlimited activities. There are eighteen Purāṇas, you'll find activities of the Lord. There is Mahābhārata, you'll find activities of the Lord. There is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. We have published. It will come very soon. Kṛṣṇa... The... Full of activities of the Lord, in two volumes of four hundred pages. So simply if you read and hear the activities, either read or hear, both of them are śravaṇam. Activities of the Lord, you get liberation, simply by reading. You have got a tendency for reading book or hearing about somebody, but, generally, for our sense gratification we hear some man and woman making love affairs, and that is the subject matter of a drama or a fiction or a story.
That is dharma. Sambandha, prayojana. Sambandha, abhidheya, prayojana. Caitanya Mahāprabhu prescribes this. The whole Vedic civilization is based on this, that you must know what is your relationship with God. It doesn't matter whether you are Hindu, Muslim, Christian or Buddhist. A civilized man must have some religious process. That is all over the world. Now we are giving up. We are giving up. Everyone is giving up. Therefore dharmeṇa hīnāḥ paśubhiḥ samānāḥ. Dharmeṇa hīnāḥ paśubhiḥ... When we give up the religious principle... Religious principle means to abide by the law of God. That is religion. But we do not know what is God and what is His order. We forget it. So at the present moment, dharmeṇa hīnāḥ paśubhiḥ samānāḥ, it is a civilization of cats and dogs, not human beings, because they have given up dharma.
One has to hear. It is not very difficult. But people have become so rascal, so foolish, they will not hear. They will not hear. We are requesting. We have not manufactured anything. It is all authorized, authorized books. Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavata, Vedic literature. We are simply inviting them. Now where is there, I mean to say, sectarianism? If we say to you, either you are Hindu or Muslim or Christian, if we say that "Please hear about God," where is sectarianism? Where is sectarianism, "Your life is meant for...," if we preach that "Your life is meant for hearing"?
Now, we are presenting Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. If you don't accept Supreme Personality of God, Kṛṣṇa, then what is your Supreme Personality of Godhead you present? Then you compare who is actually Supreme Personality of Godhead. What is the meaning of Supreme Personality of Godhead? Why you are taking? Why you are taking sectarian? Kṛṣṇa claims, sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya (BG 14.4).
I get another, new. Vāsāṁsi jīrṇāni yathā vihāya navāni gṛhṇāti naro 'parāṇi (BG 2.22). Everything is clearly stated. This is dress only. This body is dress. Therefore we do not give on the bodily dress. We give stress on the soul. We do not make any distinction that "This is Hindu dress, Muslim dress, Christian dress, white dress, black dress." No, no, we have nothing to do with the dress. We have to do with the soul within the dress. He is part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. He has forgotten Kṛṣṇa. Therefore he is suffering.
Therefore our movement is to revive this Kṛṣṇa consciousness and go back to home, back to Godhead. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, ante nārāyaṇa-smṛtiḥ (SB 2.1.6). So it is very important movement. Those who are very intelligent, they can take to it. Or you become intelligent or not intelligent, but know, at least, unless one is pious, he cannot take to this movement. But somehow or other, if you take this movement, then your this valuable life is successful. Janma-lābhaḥ paraḥ puṁsām.
Therefore this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is postgraduate position of all religions. It is not any sectarian religion. You accept Christianity—very good. You accept Muhammadanism, Islamism—very good. You accept Hinduism—that's all right. We have no quarrel with Hindus and Muslims or Christians or Buddhists. But our objective is that religion means there is connection, relationship with God. Take, for example, Christian religion. They accept God: "God created this," the beginning of Bible. That's a fact. So the God consciousness is there. "God is great," the God consciousness there. Now these Christmas holidays you have begun in your country. Throughout the whole month of December you'll observe nice festivals, festivities. Why? Where it began? God consciousness. Lord Christ he came to give you God consciousness, and in his relationship these festivities are going on. It may be degraded in another form. The beginning is God consciousness, but we have lost it.
And so long we are in the bodily concept of life, there's no question of spirituality. Spiritual education for whom? For the human being. Also very advanced human being, not ordinary human being. At least the civilized human being.
Therefore in the human society, in the civilized human society, there is acceptance of religious principle. Maybe it is Hindu religion or Muslim religion or Christian religion or Buddha religion, but there is some religion. A civilized society is not without religion. Without religion means animal society. The animals, they have no religion. Cats and dogs they have no church, no temple, that they have to go. It is for the human beings. Therefore śāstra says that dharmeṇa hīnāḥ paśubhiḥ samānāḥ. If in the human society there is no culture of religion, then it is animal society. It is not human society.
Then he's all right. So śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ (SB 1.2.17). And gradually, as you go on hearing about Kṛṣṇa, the all the dirty things within the heart will be cleansed.
The dirty things are that "I am a material body; I am American; I am Indian; I am Hindu; I am Muslim; I am this; I am that." These are all different types of covering of the soul. The uncovered soul is fully conscious that "I am eternal servant of God." That's all. One has no other identification. That is called mukti. When one comes to the understanding that "I am eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa, God, and my only business is to serve Him," that is called mukti. Mukti does not mean that you will have another two hands, another two legs. No. The same thing, simply it is cleansed. Just like a man is suffering from fever. The symptoms are so many, but as soon as the fever is not there, then all the symptoms gone. So our, this fever in this material world is sense gratification. Sense gratification. This is the fever.
Sama-sarveṣu bhūteṣu. India's education is not to distinguish that "Here is an Englishman," "Here is a German," "Here is a Christian," "Here is a Hindu," "Here is a Muslim." Samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu. Because India's realization of knowledge is brahmānubhūti, brahma-bhūtaḥ. Then, when one comes to the standard of brahma-bhūtaḥ knowledge, he'll be happy.
It is not possible, of course, to realize Brahman by everyone. That is not possible. But there must be an ideal institution. Unfortunately, at the present moment it is very difficult to find out where is that ideal brāhmaṇa, but there must be. Kṛṣṇa says. Our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement includes this, that cātur-varṇyaṁ māyā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). There must be division. There may be only a few number of brāhmaṇas, but there must be ideal brāhmaṇas so that people may learn that "Here is the first-class brāhmaṇa. Here is the first-class man. Let us take instruction from him, not from so-called politicians." This is Indian civilization. Don't think... Formerly even Lord Rāmacandra, who was the king... He is God Himself. Still, He used to consult learned brāhmaṇas, sages, saintly persons, for governmental duties. The division must be there.
Just like every year you hear. Now it is going on. Just like in Vietnam. The poor people, they are sometimes evacuating this place and evacuating... vacating this place, vacating that place. They are troubled. The politicians, they are making their own plan, and the poor people ... We have seen. When partition was made in India, all poor Hindus and Muslims, they were in trouble. And the leaders, they were in happy mood in their apartment, ordering and eating very nicely, butter and bread. That's all. This is going on. Therefore the only opportunity of becoming happy is that you preach this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement amongst the people, so if the people become educated in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and if they decide that "We shall vote for Kṛṣṇa conscious leader," then there will be happiness.
Just like Pṛthu Mahārāja, the king. We were discussing. So the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement comprehends all sides of life. It is not that a stereotype "churchianity," weekly going to the church and come back and do all.
Kṛṣṇa's appearance and disappearance is not ordinary thing. Yo jānāti tattvataḥ: "Anyone who understands in truth..." So what is the result? Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9). Immediately becomes liberated. Immediately he becomes eligible not to accept any more this material body. Tyaktvā deham. Everyone has to give up this body, material body. You cannot remain permanently Indian or this party or that party. You have to change your body. Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). So why should you waste your time in this way, that "I am Indian," "I am American," "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am horse," "I am cat," "I am dog"? There is no difference. If a dog is thinking that "I am dog," and if I am thinking "I am Indian," where is the difference? The mentality is the same: I'm identifying with the body. Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke.
Anyone who's identifying with this body as self, he's go-khara, animal. So this animal civilization is not meant for India's culture. India's culture is different. Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti (BG 4.9). This is India's culture. Why should we identify ourself as animal—"I am Indian," "I am American," "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am this"? It is wrong type of civilization, go-khara civilization.
So our little attempt is... We are not manufacturing anything. We are not manufacturer of religious system, neither it is possible to manufacture. Just like you cannot manufacture law. Law is given by the state. Similarly, dharma means dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19). Dharma means the law given by God. That is dharma. You cannot manufacture. Who cares for your manufactured system? Just like nobody cares for if you make some law, that "I have made some law," and go to the court, "Sir, I have made this law. Please accept." "He's lunatic. Drive him away."
Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānās te 'pīśa-tantryām uru-dāmni baddhāḥ (SB 7.5.31). Very tightly regulated by the laws of nature, and still, we are independently manufacturing religion. This is not possible. Give us this... Sarva-dharmān parityajya (BG 18.66). Actually this is dharma. Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6). It doesn't matter whether you are Hindu, Muslim, Christian, or any other sect. The test is how much you are advanced in understanding God. That is the... If you do not understand God, if you have no obedience to God, that is not dharma.
So the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is very important movement. It is neither manufactured nor unauthorized. It is authorized, the oldest. Yogaḥ proktaḥ purātanaḥ. Kṛṣṇa said to Arjuna that "I am repeating the same yoga, purātanam. Kṛṣṇa does not say that "I am manufacturing another system of yoga." No. "I am speaking to you the same yoga system."
This is human civilization. This is not human civilization, in one sense, because there is question of dharma. Dharma means religion. Religion... not exactly in the same way as we understand in English language: "a kind of faith." Dharma. Generally, people understand that "I have got my own dharma." "I am Hindu; I am Christian; I am Muslim; I am this; I am that." But in Sanskrit language, dharma does not mean like that, "a kind of faith." No. Faith is blind. Today you are Hindu, tomorrow you are Christian, today you are Christian. So this faith-changing is not dharma. Dharma means "which you cannot change." That is dharma. Not that whimsically I change. That dharma is service. Every one of us rendering some service to others. That is dharma. Every one of us. Jīvera svarūpa haya kṛṣṇera nitya dāsa. Caitanya Mahāprabhu gives us immediate information what is a living entity. He immediately gives the definition that a living entity means who is rendering service to the Lord. So we are rendering service.
Just like anyone who is coming to Kṛṣṇa consciousness in any country, they are forgetting their bodily consciousness. Just like in our society we have got members from different parts of the world. Especially in Africa we have seen. There is very much distinction between white and black. But in our society there is no such distinction. The Indians there, they hated with the Because the Africans are working as servant to Indians. So now this time they agreed to take prasādam, all in the same line. The Europeans, Americans, Indians, Africans, even brāhmaṇas, high caste, all. I also. We sat down to take prasādam. In our Māyāpur they are distributing prasādam. Perhaps it is for the first time that Hindus and Muslims are taking prasādam in the one line.
Yes. It is for the first, at least the first time. And Congress arranged during Congress session, Hindus and Muslims But that was not with heart. And after the Congress meeting was finished, they But here they daily, they are daily coming, taking prasādam. Why not? Prasādam is Kṛṣṇa's prasādam. So actually, the United Nations or united people can be possible only in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Otherwise it is not possible. The māyā. Everyone is under the influence of māyā, bahu-rūpayā. So long he is under the influence of māyā, he must think in terms of his own form. That is temporary, but he is attached to that temporary form. He must think that "I am this, I am that, I am..." So it is a very important verse. Read it again?
In other words, when one is transferred to the Vaikuṇṭha world there is no such distinction between sura and asura.
Why there should be? Everyone is engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service. So in other words, here also, anyone who is engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service, it doesn't matter whether he is born in mleccha family, yavana family or Muslim family or Hindu family or brāhmaṇa family. These distinctions are completely abolished because the real business... Everyone is mukta, liberated. He is engaged in real business, Kṛṣṇa's service. What is the purport?
We are not this body. Bhāgavata... This is realization, self-realization. That is Vedic culture. One must understand what he is. We should not keep ourself in ignorance like cats and dogs, thinking that "I am this body," "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am brāhmaṇa," "I am kṣatriya," "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," or so many designations. That is bodily designation. So when one comes to the spiritual understanding, that is called Brahman realization. Bhāgavata...
So we are all Brahman; simply we have to understand it. It is not that we are abrahman; by some practice we become Brahman, no. Just like gold is gold, but if it is covered with some dirt, the dirt can be removed, and the gold is gold; similarly, we are Brahman, spirit soul. Somehow or other we have come in contact with these material elements, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ (BG 7.4), and we have got this body, covered, and I am thinking, "I am this body." This is ignorance. This is ignorance.
That is dharma. Just like law means the order of the government, similarly, dharma means the order of the Supreme Being. That is dharma. This is the simple definition of dharma. So God is one; His order is one. How there can be different dharmas? It is not possible. That is ignorance. When we create different dharma, that is due to ignorance: Hindu dharma, Muslim dharma, Christian dharma or this dharma, that dharma... No. Gold is gold. Does it mean that if a Christian possesses some gold, it becomes Christian gold? Or Hindu possesses some gold, it becomes Hindu gold? No. Gold is gold. Either it is in possession of Hindu or Muslim or Christian, it doesn't matter. Gold is gold. So we are preaching that, that "Here is dharma, to surrender unto the Supreme Being." That is dharma. Sarva-dharmān parityajya (BG 18.66). This is bhāgavata-dharma. Everyone should be taught how to surrender to God.
So it is the system of varṇāśrama-dharma, pañcāśordhvaṁ vanaṁ vrajet. One who has passed over fifty years of age, he must give, leave home, and go to the forest, and completely devote his life for spiritual realization. That is the system, varṇāśrama-dharma. The name "Hindu" is a foreign name, given by the Muslims on the other side of the ocean. They used to say the inhabitants of this part of the world as "Hindu." Actually, you won't find this word Hindu in any Vedic literature. The Vedic literature you'll find: varṇāśrama-dharma. Civilized human being means who are following strictly the varṇāśrama institution, four varṇas and four āśramas. So four varṇas means brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, and four āśrama means brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha and sannyāsa. So for brāhmaṇas, the four āśramas should be followed. Brāhmaṇa should become a child born in brāhmaṇa family and trained up nicely as brahmacārī. Then he becomes a gṛhastha. Then he gives up the home. That is called vānaprastha. And after that he takes sannyāsa.
This illusion. You'll not be allowed to stay in these circumstances of ahaṁ mameti (SB 5.5.8). That's a fact. Everything will be taken away, but we are attached to this. This is material life.
Therefore Devahūti proposes, "Sir,..." Yaḥ avagrahaḥ. This false conception of life, ahaṁ mameti... (SB 5.5.8). "I am American,""I am Indian," "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am Christian..." Or "I am brāhmaṇa," "I am kṣatriya..." This avagraha... It is called upādhi, designation: "For the time being." Just like you become minister for five years or three years. Or president. Just like Nixon was president; now he's not president. So this is an upādhi. You are Indian, American, this, that—they are all upādhis. Therefore if we are attached, if we are attached to the upādhi, that is called avagraha. Ahaṁ mameti (SB 5.5.8). And according to the upādhi, I become attached to "me" and "mine"—"I am this," "I am that," and "It is mine, it is..." But actually, they are all illusion. Fact it is. If you suppose... Just like the president was five years very powerful.
That is recommended. One who is interested in Kṛṣṇa consciousness... It is said, sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170). Nirmalam means purified. You have to become purified. And sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam. Now we are in, covered, by this material body, means I am covered by so many designations: "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim." These are all coverings, material. So we have to get free, freedom from this covering. You should not think that "I am American" or "Indian" or this or that. As Caitanya Mahāprabhu advised, jīvera svarūpa haya nitya-kṛṣṇa-dāsa (Cc. Madhya 20.108-109). When you understand simply that "I am eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa," that is sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam (CC Madhya 19.170), nirmalam. And with that conception of life, hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate. Hṛṣīkeṇa means when your senses are now clean, without any covering, then with that senses, when you try to satisfy Kṛṣṇa, hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanam... (CC Madhya 19.170).
That is stated here: sva-bhṛtya-saṁsāra-taroḥ kuṭhāram, jijñāsayāhaṁ prakṛteḥ pūruṣasya namāmi sad-dharma-vidāṁ variṣṭham. Sad-dharma. Not sad-dharma. Asato mā sad gama. So sad-dharma required. The, in this material world the so-called dharmas, this Hindu dharma, Muslim dharma and Christian dharma and Buddhist dharma and so many... They are not sad-dharma. They are asad-dharma. "Because I am born in the family of a Christian, I am Christian." "Because I am born in the family of Hindu, I am Hindu." And next time I may (be) born in the family of a dog. There is no dharma. So these are not sad-dharma. These are all asad-dharma, for the time being. Asad means "that will not stay." You are Hindu. How long you are Hindu? Say, fifty years. Or you are Indian. How long you are Indian? Say, fifty, sixty, hundred years. But again you have to become something else. That we do not know. We are working very hard, "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am Indian," "I am American."
If he comes back..." So Kṛṣṇa thinks like that. Because we are sons of Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa is more anxious to get us back to home, back to Godhead. Therefore He comes and says, "You rascal, give up all these engagements." Sarva-dharmān parityajya (BG 18.66). "You have manufactured so many dharmas: deva-dharma, samāja-dharma, deśa-dharma, this dharma, that dharma, Hindu dharma, Muslim dharma, this... No! Simply surrender unto Me." That is dharma. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ek... (BG 18.66). Kṛṣṇa comes to teach us. Kṛṣṇa is very, very anxious.
- yadā yadā hi dharmasya
- glānir bhavati bhārata
- tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham
- (BG 4.7)
Kṛṣṇa comes Himself, Kṛṣṇa leaves behind Him His word. Vapu and vāṇī. Vāṇī means the words. That is also Kṛṣṇa. That is also... Just like we do not see Kṛṣṇa now. We can see Kṛṣṇa if we actually advance. Here is Kṛṣṇa. But they will say, "Oh, this is an idol. This is an idol. This is not Kṛṣṇa." But Kṛṣṇa, if you think that you have not seen Kṛṣṇa, so Kṛṣṇa is present by His word also, Bhagavad-gītā. That is vāṇī, kṛṣṇa-vāṇī.
And bhauma ijya-dhīḥ. And the land as ijya. Ijya means worshipable. Nowadays it is very prominent. I heard that for land there was a fight in somewhere near. So that is going on, nation to nation, community to community. So bhauma ijya-dhīḥ. They are thinking, "This land is mine. The land of my birth is mine." We have seen. There was fight between Hindu and Muslim during partition days: "This is my Pakistan," "This is my Hindustan." So bhauma ijya-dhīḥ.
Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke sva-dhīḥ kalatrādiṣu bhauma ijya-dhīḥ (SB 10.84.13), yat-tīrtha-buddhiḥ salile... Now, we go to tīrtha-sthāna, we go to Hardwar and Vṛndāvana and other nice holy places... And the Christians go to Jordan. So... Jerusalem. They take birth in the Jordan. So yat-tīrtha-buddhiḥ salile. Salile means water. Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke yat-tīrtha-buddhiḥ salile na karhicij janeṣv abhijñeṣu. But have no interest to understand his identification, spiritual identification, from the ācārya. Janeṣv abhijñeṣu. Abhijña means one who knows, ācārya.
So tadā puruṣa ātmānaṁ kevalaṁ prakṛteḥ param. Prakṛteḥ param. Now we are thinking, "I am the product of this material world. I am Indian." What I am Indian? Because my body is Indian, I am Indian? No. I am the spirit soul, hṛdayānanda. That is self-realization. The whole world is fighting: "I am Indian," "American," "I am Pakistani," "I am Hindustani," "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am brāhmaṇa." Dehātma-buddhiḥ. So one has to realize that "I am not this body." Kevalaṁ prakṛteḥ param. "I am beyond this body, far, transcendental to this material world." How it is possible? Tadā kāma-lobhādayaś ca ye. We have discussed this verse yesterday. Ahaṁ mamābhimāna utthaiḥ kāma-lobhādi, kāma-lobhādibhir malaiḥ. So long we have got the desire, lusty desire and greediness, for enjoying this material world, then it is not possible. We have to free, we have to become free from these lusty desires.
Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66)." This is dharma. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19). Dharma means the law given by God. That is dharma. You cannot make Hindu dharma, just like you cannot make any law. This is... Suppose the government is there. Now, you cannot say that "We Hindus, we have made this law," "We Muslim, we have made this law," "We Parsees, we have made this law." No. What all law is given by the government you have to accept, either you are Hindu, Muslim, or Christian and Hin... It doesn't matter. Therefore dharma means to accept the law of God. Not that you manufacture something. Therefore in the Bhāgavata it is said, dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo 'tra (SB 1.1.2). All cheating type of dharma is rejected, kicked out. Because real dharma is what is given by God. And what God says? Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekam... (BG 18.66). This is real dharma. This is real dharma.
So the more we are in bodily concept of life, the suffering is more. Nowadays new things have developed: nationalism, communism, communalism, so many things. Sufferings are more. We have seen in 1947 in Calcutta Hindu-Muslim riot—more suffering because one is thinking, "I am Hindu," one is thinking, "I am Muslim." But if one is advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then they will not suffer. They will not unnecessarily fight, "Because I am Hindi or because you are Muslim, therefore we have to fight." No. Because if both of them know that "I am not this body. Therefore I am neither Hindu nor Muslim. I am eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa," then where is the suffering of Hindu-Muslim riot? The understanding is missing. Because people are being educated to become more bodily conscious, therefore their sufferings are increasing. Sufferings are increasing. And if you reduce this bodily concept of life, then suffering also will be reduced.
Haridāsa Ṭhākura. Haridāsa Ṭhākura was a Muhammadan by birth. So he became a very good devotee and always chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. That was his fault. So the Muslim Kazi called him, that "You are Muhammadan. You born in a such great family, Muhammadan family, and you are chanting Hindu's Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra? What is this?" So he mildly replied, "My dear sir, there are many Hindus, they also have become Muhammadan. So suppose I have become Hindu. So what is the wrong? What is the wrong there?" So Kazi became very angry, that "You are talking before me? All right." So he was punished to be caned in twenty-two bazaar, in front of twenty-two bazaar. That means he was to be killed by caning. So it is understood, when he was beaten by the cane, Caitanya Mahāprabhu was on his back. So he did not feel any suffering. So there are many instances. A devotee had to suffer many sufferings, but they did not take it very much severely. They tolerated. And a devotee is educated to tolerate.
So these are the symptoms of sādhu, and Kapiladeva is summarizing, "Mother," ta ete sādhavaḥ sādhvi sarva-saṅga-vivarjitāḥ, "these symptoms are visible when one has no more any material attachment." Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam (CC Madhya 19.170). This is sādhu, no more designation, "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am Christian," "I am American"—these devotees, they have got no such conception. They are... Every one of them is thinking, "I am servant of Kṛṣṇa." This is called sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam. These are upādhi. Even this varṇāśrama, that is also... "I am sannyāsī," "I am gṛhastha," "I am vānaprastha." Caitanya Mahāprabhu has rejected all these things. Nāhaṁ vipro na ca nara-patiḥ: "I am neither brāhmaṇa, nor kṣatriya, nor vaiśya, nor śūdra." Then what You are? Gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ: (CC Madhya 13.80) "This is My position." This is called sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam (CC Madhya 19.170), no more designation.
Gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ: (CC Madhya 13.80) "This is My position." This is called sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam (CC Madhya 19.170), no more designation.
So if we become no more designation, then immediately the whole world becomes Vaikuṇṭha. We are fighting—"I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am Christian," "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am German." The whole disturbance is there. "This is my land. This is your land." The whole world is doing. As soon as they become Kṛṣṇa conscious, immediately this hellish world become Vaikuṇṭha, immediately, tat-kṣaṇāt. Simply one has to learn.
So such important movement we should take very seriously and try to spread it all world wide. That will be the best service to the human society.
Otherwise by nature we are pure spirit soul. asaṅgo 'yaṁ puruṣaḥ. This is the Vedic information. The puruṣa... Puruṣa means the living entity who has come here to enjoy. Asaṅga, he has no connection with this material world, but somehow or other he's thinking that "I am this matter. I have to enjoy this material world." "I am this Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am Indian," "I am American," "I am man," "I am woman," "I am cat," "I am dog," "I am tree," "I am hog..." In this way he's identifying with this material nature and enjoying or serving. You cannot enjoy. You can simply serve.
So this is the philosophy to understand. That asevayāyaṁ prakṛter guṇānām. We have to learn how to forget to serve this material nature. That is bhakti-mārga. It is forced because we have kṛṣṇa-bahirmukha hañā bhoga vāñchā kare. Somehow or other we have forgotten Kṛṣṇa and trying to enjoy this material world under different position. That we have to forget. This is not my business. When we understand this position, that is called self-realization, that "I am not servant of anyone.
So here also Devahūti is woman. Everyone is less intelligent before his guru, especially woman. Striyo śūdra tathā vaiśya te 'pi yānti parāṁ gatim, but God, or Kṛṣṇa, is open for everyone. It is not that Kṛṣṇa is open for the brāhmaṇas, the learned scholars or the Hindus or the Muslims or Christian, no, Kṛṣṇa is open for everyone. Striyo śūdra tathā vaiśyās te 'pi yānti param, māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ (BG 9.32), even pāpa-yonayaḥ. Pāpa-yoni means low class. Just like in our country we have got low class people, the cobbler muci, the caṇḍālas the dog-eaters. They are considered as low class. So Kṛṣṇa is open even for the low class.
This is universal movement, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, because it is concerned with the soul, consciousness. Therefore you have named the word consciousness. Consciousness belongs to the soul, that is the symptom of presence of soul. At the present moment because the soul is in the body, if I pinch your body then you will feel, consciousness, feel pains or pleasure. But as soon as the soul is gone out of the body, if I chop off your body with a dagger, you will not protest. The consciousness is gone. Yena sarvam idaṁ tatam avināśi tu tad viddhi, yena sarvam idaṁ tatam. Sarvam idam, this body. This body, wherever you pinch it you feel pain.
Different varieties of body. It is due to the body. So karmasu kriyamāṇeṣu. We do actually according to the body or according to the temperament. Karmasu kriyamāṇeṣu guṇaiḥ. And that is spelled by this material nature. And I am identifying myself in that way: "I am this," "I am that," "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am Christian," "I am brāhmaṇa," "I am American," "I am Christian," like that. Guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ. So this is our conditional life. Because Kapiladeva is speaking on the subject matter of ātma-darśana. So if we identify like that, that "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am brāhmaṇa," "I am kṣatriya," or "I am cat," "I am dog," then we shall continue this life, this conditional life by the material nature. We shall continue forever. Nitya-baddha. Forever. "Forever" means we cannot calculate how long we shall continue. That is... It is not nitya actually, but because I do not know from whence it has begun, neither I know when it will end, therefore it is called nitya-baddha. Nitya-baddha.
Bhayaṁ dvitīyābhiniveśataḥ syād īśād apetasya viparyayo 'smṛtiḥ. Everyone is thinking differently, all living entities. Somebody is thinking, "I am Indian." Somebody is thinking, "I am American," "Hindu," "Muslim," "Christian," "black," "white." So many ways we are thinking. Viparyayo 'smṛtiḥ. Our real identity is when we understand that "I am not Hindu, not Muslim, not Christian, nor American, nor Indian, but I am eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa." Then there is no more fear. That is fear... Bhajahuṅ re mana, śrī-nanda-nandana-abhaya-caraṇāra...
Therefore the Vaiṣṇava poet advises that "You take to the shelter of the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa." Abhaya-caraṇāravinda re: "Just be engaged in the devotional service of the abhaya-caraṇa, Kṛṣṇa's..." Then your existence will be purified and you will have no more fear. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54). You will be... This material life, so long we are conscious of this material existence, we are always fearful, full of anxieties. Tat sādhu manye 'sura-varya dehināṁ sadā samudvigna-dhiyām asad-grahāt (SB 7.5.5). The more we possess asat-vastu-asat-vastu means the material things—there will be more anxiety.
That is real awakened. Yā niśā sarva-bhūtānāṁ tasyāṁ jāgarti saṁyamī. This is not, this awakening stage, this is not real awakening. Real awakening comes when we understand, ahaṁ brahmāsmi. At the present moment we are not awakened, still sleeping, because we are thinking, every one of us, "I am this body," "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim." In this way we are conscious of the designation. So we have to get out of the designation, and when we shall understand our real identity, not this bodily identity but spiritual soul identity, that is called brahma-bhūtaḥ. Otherwise we are jīva-bhūtaḥ. So long we are identifying with this body, we are still sleeping. Kota nidrā jāo māyā-piśācīra kole. Just like a child sleeps on the lap of the mother, similarly, we are sleeping on the lap of mother material nature. This is our position.
That we do not know because we are sleeping. If a man is sleeping and somebody is coming to kill him, he does not know that "Somebody is coming to kill me. Immediately I will be dead." There are so many cases of murder while a man is sleeping. Similarly, in this sleeping state of ignorance, that "I am this body," "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am Christian," there is greatest danger. So somebody required. A man is sleeping, and another man is coming to kill him. A third person is required to awaken: "Mr. such and such, get up, get up, get up! The man is coming to kill you." So the ear is open, although the man is sleeping, all other parts of the body, limbs of the body are inactive. So the ear is open. So therefore the Vedic mantras are called śruti. We have to hear the mantra, Vedic mantra. Just like if a man is bitten by snake, he is caused to hear the snake charmer's mantra—still there are—so that he can become awakened. And it is said in the Cāṇakya Paṇḍita śloka, mantrauṣadhi-vaśaḥ sarpaḥ. Mantra is powerful still—by mantra, a snake-bitten person can be brought into life.
Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya (BG 18.66). This sarva-dharmān means everyone has got a particular type of occupational duty. That is called sva-dharma. Generally, the brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, they have got particular type of duties. And as Kṛṣṇa said, sarva-dharmān parityajya: (BG 18.66) "You give up your brāhmaṇa-dharma, or kṣatriya-dharma, or vaiśya-dharma or śūdra-dharma, or Hindu dharma, Muslim dharma, this dharma, that dharma." Sarva-dharma means everything. Sarva-dharmān parityajya (BG 18.66). If we are little inclined, that is called..., that is explained in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam: tyaktvā sva-dharmaṁ caraṇāmbujaṁ hareḥ (SB 1.5.17). He gives up all other duties: "I am no more any followers of any dharma. I am followers of Kṛṣṇa's lotus feet." If this determination is there, then everything is possible.
There is a verse, ārādhito yadi haris tapasā tataḥ kim: (Nārada-pañcarātra) "If you take the shelter of the lotus feet of Hari, Kṛṣṇa," ārādhitaḥ, "and worship it," ārādhito yadi haris tapasā tataḥ kim, "then there is no more necessity of austerities, penances, and so many other things. Simply this is required."
When we are firmly fixed up in devotional service, that is the highest transcendental form of religion.
There are so many religious system—Hindu religion, Muslim religion, Christian religion—but they are all material conception of religion. Material conception means that we are in this material world, and through a process or system we are trying to understand what is God. That is called religion. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19). The attempt to understand God and His laws, that is religion. So it doesn't matter whether it is executed through a system called Hindu religion or a system called Muslim religion or a system called Christian religion. If the objective is the same, Adhokṣaja, then that process is first-class religion. If we simply stick to a system without making any progress towards the goal of understanding the Adhokṣaja, then it is śrama eva hi kevalam.
It has no value. Therefore Bhāgavata says, "That is first-class religion system." It doesn't matter you call it Hindu or Muslim or Christian or Buddha. "That is first-class religion which helps you progressing in realization of the Adhokṣaja." Adhokṣaja, another name of Kṛṣṇa. Adhokṣaja means the subject matter which you cannot understand simply by mental speculation or by empiric knowledge, by exercising and empiric knowledge. That is called Adhokṣaja. Adhah-kṛtaṁ akṣa-jaṁ indriya-jñānaṁ yena.
So adhok... We have to approach that Adhokṣaja. There are different stages of knowledge: pratyakṣa, parokṣa, aparokṣa, adhokṣaja, aprākṛta. So we have to approach the aprākṛta, transcendental, above the material nature. Adhokṣaja is almost nearer than the lower grade of knowledge, pratyakṣa, parokṣāparokṣa. They are in the kaniṣṭha-adhikāra.
"Why shall I chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra? I belong to different religion. Why shall I chant this Hindus' Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra?" Then all right, you do not chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, but you try to understand God in your daily life. What is that? That satisfaction by drinking water. Raso 'ham apsu kaunteya (BG 7.8). Everyone drinks water. Either you become Hindu, Muslim, Christian, you have to drink water. And after drinking water, when you feel satisfaction, as it is said, tāpa apanodaḥ, the tiresomeness immediately annihilated, immediately diminished, satisfies, so that satisfaction is Kṛṣṇa, or God. Kṛṣṇa says. So you haven't got to search out Kṛṣṇa anywhere. Kṛṣṇa is within you, God is within you, but still if you are doubtful, then God says, Kṛṣṇa says, "You try to understand Me in this way, tāpa apanodaḥ, the water." Everyone drinks water, very easy. So raso 'ham apsu kaunteya. Then the beginning, if you do not do anything... Just I am trying to convince you about the easy process of bhakti-yoga.
When you develop your dormant love for Kṛṣṇa and you begin to serve Him, that is called bhakti.
So this bhakti is the first-class religion, Paro dharma. All other different kinds of religious systems, they are material. "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am Christian," "I am Buddhist"—these are all material designation. Actually, it is not dharma. Just like gold. Gold cannot be Hindu gold, Christian gold, Muslim gold. Gold is gold. There is no question of Hindu gold or Muslim gold. Similarly, dharma, dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19). Dharma means relationship with God. So human being in any society, any part of the world, there is a consciousness or sense of understanding God. The method may be different; that is another thing. But the idea is how to know God. Just like Christians, they say, "O God, give us our daily bread." So there is relationship. Muslim they say, allah akbar, "God is great." So in Hindu-conception generally say, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). So any sense you say, there is relationship with God. So unless you revive your relationship with God which is dormant, there is no śānti. There cannot be any śānti.
That was the Vedic culture. Still in old cities you will find in lanes and streets, there are so many temples. I have seen, especially in Kanpur. Even within the lane there are so many temples, Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa temple, Viṣṇu temples, Śiva temple. So all over India you will find the temples. People were so spiritually advanced, even Muslim. They are also. They have constructed so many mosques. So that should be utilized. If we have got the tendency for making a house or construction of some building with stones and bricks, let it be utilized for constructing temple of the Supreme Brahman.
Nirbandhaḥ kṛṣṇa-sambandhe yuktaṁ vairāgyam ucyate. We do not give up anything; everything Kṛṣṇa's. Prāpañcikatayā buddhyā hari-sambandhi-vastunaḥ. Hari-sambandhi-vastunaḥ. Hari means God, the Supreme Lord. So He has got sambandha, relationship, because everything is His energy. Therefore it has got some relationship. Earth, water, air, fire, sky—these are all different energies of Kṛṣṇa.
So you cannot compare with Kṛṣṇa potencies your potency. But as Kṛṣṇa, when you are out of this material conception of life, bodily concept of life, sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170), when you become purified by giving up these all designation...
Designation... What is that designation? "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am Christian," "I am African," "I am Indian," "I am European," "I am woman," "I am man," so many designations. So you have to give up these designation. You have to give up these designation. "Then, if I'll not remain African, then I'll become Indian?" No. That is also designation. "I am Hindu. I become Muslim?" No, that is also designation. You have to become purified. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam (CC Madhya 19.170). All kinds of designations. (child cries) (aside:) This child may be... All kind of designations. You have to give up this designation that "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am Christian," "I am African." No, no designation. Simply become pure Brahman, then pratijāne.
Go on chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. And the beginning will be ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam, because we have got our heart. Everyone—we are living entity—we have got heart that is full with dirty things. That dirty things is "I am this, I am that, I am that, I am that," that dirty things. So we have to cleanse these dirty things, that "I am European," "I am American," "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am this," "I am that." These are all dirty things. You have to simply think, "I am eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa." Jīvera 'svarūpa' haya-nitya kṛṣṇa dāsa (Cc. Madhya 20.108-109). When you think like that, that "I am eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa," then all these dirty things will automatically vanish.
That is brahma-bhūtaḥ stage. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54). As soon as you become realized soul, that "My position is that I am eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa." I am nobody's servant. But if one becomes Kṛṣṇa's servant, he becomes everyone's servant. That is the Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
This is the business. We are Hindu, Muslim, Christian, this, that. They are all third class, cheating religion. What is real religion? That is religion which teaches how to love God. That is religion. Yato bhaktir adhokṣaje. That is first-class religion. It doesn't matter whether it is Hindu religion, Muslim religion or Christian religion. If it teaches how to become lover of God, then it is first-class. And what for this love? Ahaituki: "without any cause." People love somebody else to get some return. No. Ahaituki: "without any expectation of return." Anyābhilāṣitā-śūṇyam (Brs. 1.1.11).
Just like these European, American or African boys. They have joined this Kṛṣṇa con... They have not come here for some material progress. No. They have not come here. Others may come. You can say, "The Africans are poor. They have come." No. Nobody has come for material profit. What about the Europeans, Americans? They are not poor. They have got enough money. Why they are after Kṛṣṇa consciousness, after me? I am not rich man. No. That is called ahaituki, without any motive. Nobody.
So that consciousness has to be changed. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170). One has to become clear. Clear. First that clearing. So sarva-upādhi-vinirmuktam, upādhi. We have got these designations, "I am Indian," "I am American," "I am brāhmaṇa," "I am Muslim," "I am Christian," "I am Hindu." These are all designations. So we have to become free from these designations, come to the spiritual platform. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam. Nirmalam means without any... Hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate (CC Madhya 19.170). When you come to that purest form of spirit soul, you don't think that your indriyas, or senses, are lost. No. Senses are there. At that time, if you enjoy your senses in cooperation with the Supreme, that is called bhakti, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
This bodily conception, agatāsūṁś ca. Gatāsūn agatāsūṁś ca. This body, dead or alive, is not the subject matter of study by learned scholars—this is the beginning of Bhagavad-gītā—dead or alive.
So actually we are concerned at the present moment with the body—either Indian, American, Hindu, Muslim, brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, they are all bodily conception of life. But śāstra says that those who are on the bodily conception of life, they are no better than the animals.
- yasyātmā buddhiḥ kuṇape tridhātuke
- sva-dhīḥ kalatrādiṣu bhauma-ijya-dhīḥ
- yat-tīrtha-buddhiḥ salile na karhicij
- janeṣv abhijneṣu sa eva go-kharaḥ
- (SB 10.84.13)
If on the bodily conception of life we take leadership, then the position is sa eva go-kharaḥ. Go means cows, animal, and kharaḥ means ass. So he is no better than the animals go and kharaḥ. So how he can take leadership? This is the difficulty at the present moment, that we take leadership of the society although we remain on the bodily conception of life. They cannot take leadership.
Acyutānanda: Question: I believe in Kṛṣṇa but please clarify the following doubts. Lord Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, so when Kṛṣṇa is the only God in the world, the creator of the whole universe, then why the existence of Jesus Christ and Allah? Why should not only one God for all? Why Christians and Muslims are not accepting Kṛṣṇa as God?
Prabhupāda: They are accepting God, but they did not disclose the name of God because the people are unable to understand. "Kṛṣṇa" means "the all-attractive." That is the meaning of Kṛṣṇa. So unless God is all-attractive, how He can be God? "Kṛṣṇa" means all-attractive.
So anyway, mahāntas, these are the symptoms. Sama-cittāḥ: they have no such thing, "Oh, here is Hindu, here is Muslim, here is rich man, here is poor man." No. He's kind to everyone. That is godly qualification. Kṛṣṇa says, māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ (BG 9.32). Sama-cittāḥ. This is explanation. Anyone who takes shelter of Kṛṣṇa's lotus feet, he is te 'pi yānti parāṁ gatim. He's eligible to go back home, back to Godhead. So Kṛṣṇa gives this liberty, open to everyone. Now who will act it? Who will induce people, even though he's born in low-grade family... Māṁ hi pārtha..., ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yoni. Pāpa-yoni means one who is born in pāpa-yoni, in low-grade family. They say caṇḍāla yavana mleccha in the, there... But Kṛṣṇa is giving liberty to everyone. Ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ. Ye 'nye ca pāpa, Śukadeva Gosvāmī said. Then who will do it? You are a big sādhu, very learned sādhu, and if you sit down, "No, no. I shall not go out of India. As soon as I cross the sea, immediately I'll become fallen."
This is the fact. We have got this yantra, machine. This body is a machine. That's a fact. But this machine, we are accepting as self—"I am this machine." This whole world is accepting—"I am this body." "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am Christian," "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am black," "I am white." No. Therefore Kṛṣṇa said in the beginning that "You are not this body." Dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā (BG 2.13). This change of body is different. That is on the body. At different times we are accepting different body. So we are not this body. But that is not possible for Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's body—the same. These foolish persons, they do not know. Therefore avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam (BG 9.11). These mūḍhas, these rascals, they think that Kṛṣṇa has got a different body. No. Kṛṣṇa hasn't got different body. We are given this body by māyā. Māyayā. Bhrāmayan sarva-bhūtāni yantrārūḍhāni māyayā (BG 18.61). We are sometimes getting a human form of body, sometimes a tree's body, sometimes a demigod's body, sometimes an insect's body. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa jantor dehopapatti (SB 3.31.1).
There are so many. Rūpa Gosvāmī, Sanātana Gosvāmī, they were liberated persons. Even Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He's God Himself, but still, to teach us, He was observing the regulative principles of a sannyāsī very, very strictly. These things, to teach us... Similarly, Haridāsa Ṭhākura, he's called Brahma-Haridāsa. Sometimes he is called Yavana-Haridāsa. Yavana means Muslim or those who are not in the Vedic principles, yavana, mleccha. Just like we have seen some temples. Our foreign devotees are not allowed because they have got the rules that mlecchas and yavanas, because they are very unclean, they should not be allowed. But that should not be applicable to the devotees of this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, because they have learned how to remain clean, how to follow the... At least, they are expected. They promised at the time of initiation, "Yes, I shall not do this. I shall not do this." So if he's actually following the rules and regulations, he is no more unclean—simply by chanting.
He advises that when a diseased man goes to a physician, the physician, after diagnosing the disease, he gives the suitable medicine. If the disease is very serious, sometimes very expensive medicine is recommended. There is some example in the Caitanya Mahāprabhu's time. One gentleman, he was a big zamindar, landholder. He was converted into a Muslim. In those days, five hundred years ago, it was not very difficult to convert a person into Muslim religion. If a Muslim would take some water from his water pot and sprinkle on the body of a Hindu, he would become Muslim. In this way, so many people were converted into Muslims. So I am quoting these instances in this respect because when in those days people would go to the brāhmaṇa to take advice for atonement they would give so severe type of atonement that it was impossible to perform.
The book is the same, but by hearing from the authorities, you get a better impression, better understanding. There are so many examples like this. Tarko 'pratiṣṭhaḥ śrutayo vibhinnāḥ. Now there are many scriptures in the world. The Hindus have got the Vedas; the Christians have got the Bible; the Muslims, they have got Koran. Now, if you read all these scriptures, you will find something contradictory. Just like animal killing. Animal killing, more or less, there are in every scripture, restricted or nonrestricted. There is none nonrestricted. Restricted. Even in the Koran, the animal killing is restricted. Animal is to be killed in the, in certain Bakri Eid ceremony and in the Masjid. Similarly, animal killing amongst the Hindus, they are to be done in the temple of Goddess Kālī. But no slaughterhouse is recommended. Anyway...
So if you read different scripture, you will be bewildered. In one scripture it is said... But there is adjustment. If you go to the authorized person, he can adjust.
"My dear King, one cannot get rid of the reaction of one's sinful activities unless he undergoes the counter-affecting means." In every scripture, there is a process of atonement. Just like in Christian religion, at the time of death, if somebody admits that "I have committed this kind of sin," it is supposed that he is forgiven. Similarly, in Muslim scripture there is also similar injunction, and in Hindu scripture there are many such injunctions. And as far as possible, they are followed by different followers. So the same thing is confirmed here: "My dear King, if somebody does not atone for his sinful activities..." Sinful activities function in three ways. Here it is stated. What is that? Mana-ukta-pāṇibhiḥ. Mana-ukta-pāṇibhiḥ: by mind, by activities of the mind, and by activities of our words, and by activities of our senses. And if I hurt you by harsh word, then that is also a sin. And when actually commit violence or do something with my hands or legs or something, that is certainly sinful. So we can commit sins in three ways: mind and words and karma, by action. Thinking, feeling and willing and acting.
Because Buddha philosophy was taught not amongst very intelligent person, atheist class of men. So that is punar... They are also trying for punar-janma-jayāya. The Christians, the Lord Christ, he also said that "Come to kingdom of God," not repetition of birth here again and again. That is the principle of all religious system. Punar-janma-jayāya. So it is not for the Hindus, Muslim, or Christian. Every human being should try his best, how to avoid to get another material body. This is the basic principle of civilization. But this can be attained only when you agree to live a regulative life. Just like we see one..., what is called? "Repent sinners." What is that? (laughter) Every day we go, see that. So one must be repentant for his sinful activities. One must know what are sinful activities. Apart from any other scripture, in Christian scripture it is said, "Thou shall not kill. Thou shall not covet. Thou shall not do this." These are sinful activities. Otherwise why it is forbidden, "Thou shall not"?
It is not that after we have..., our body is destroyed, we become destroyed. No. Na jāyate na mriyate vā. These things we have learned from Bhagavad-gītā. This is the position. We are many, and God is one. So if we accept one God, then where is the chance of different religious system? God is one. God is neither Christian nor Hindu or Muslim or... No. God is God. Just like gold. Gold is gold. Either in the Hindu community, or Muslim community, gold is gold. Because gold is there in some Hindu community, nobody says "Hindu gold." Does anybody say, "It is Hindu gold" or "It is Christian gold"? No. Gold is gold. Similarly, God is one. There is no "Hindu God" or "Muslim God" or "Christian God." This is mistake. "We believe God in this way...," that is nonsense. No. God is one, and you have to see what is the characteristic of God. Just like when it is gold, everyone wants to see whether it is actually gold or imitation gold. That we have to see. There cannot be Hindu gold, Muslim gold, Christian gold.
"Anyone who has no more designation and he is pure from material contamination." Upādhi means so long we think that "I am this body," that means I am decorated with this upādhi. So long we think that "I am Indian," "I am American," "I am brāhmaṇa," "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," we are decorated with upādhi. Upādhi-śūnya is described in the Vedas, when one understands ahaṁ brahmāsmi. So there are two Brahmans: Parabrahman and ordinary Brahman. Parabrahman is the Supreme, vibhu, and ordinary Brahman, they are anu. Parabrahman is all-pervading, and Brahman is not all-pervading. So Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā that kṣetra-jñaṁ cāpi māṁ viddhi sarva-kṣetreṣu bhārata. Kṣetra, kṣetrajña, when He was describing Kṣetra means this body, and kṣetrajña means the soul who knows about his body.
Out of many millions of persons, one is endeavoring to make his life perfect. But they do not know what is perfection of life. So yatatām api siddhānām. Siddhi means to understand that "I'm not this body. I don't belong to this material world." That is siddhi. Siddhi. Everyone is under the impression that "I'm this body." "I'm Indian," "I'm American," "I'm Hindu," "I'm Muslim," "I'm Christian"—bodily upādhi, designation. He does not become free from the designation. The other day we were talking on Mr. Huxley(?) I think. He was talking of philosophy, but He was thinking, "I'm Englishman. I do this like that." So this bodily concept of life is there although he's philosopher. What kind of philosopher? Philosopher begins when there is no more bodily conception. What is that? Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170). So this kind of philosophy has no meaning, because how a dog can become philosopher? That is not possible. A human being can become philosopher. So long I'm on the bodily concept of life, I'm in the line of cats and dogs.
"You worship Me." So we have created this temple. Come on, worship Kṛṣṇa. And māṁ namaskuru—and whoever comes to the temple, he offers obeisances. We teach how to offer obeisances as soon as we enter. That is our business. Where is the difficulty? There is no difficulty. Either you are learned or a fool or rich or poor or black or white or American or Indian, Hindu, Muslim, never mind—take this lesson, you become perfect. So human society should take advantage of this movement and do these four things only—man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru. Then what is the... Mām evaiṣyasi asaṁśayaḥ: (BG 18.65) "I guarantee you come back to home, back to Godhead, by this process."
The master is one, Kṛṣṇa or God. There cannot be two masters. That is not possible. Or two Gods. You cannot say, "In our faith, God is like this." That is nonsense. God is one. You cannot say, "In our country, gold is like this." No. Gold is everywhere the same. Either in your country or my country, it doesn't matter. Gold is gold everywhere. You cannot say "Christian gold," "Muslim gold," and "Hindu gold." No. Similarly, you cannot say "Hindu God," "Muslim God," "Christian God." No. God is one. Otherwise, there is no God. The definition of God is eka brahma dvitiya nāsti. There cannot be any competitor of God. Just like nowadays so many rascals are coming, presenting, "I am God." What kind of God you are? You must check before accepting one rascal as God, what is God.
The description of God is there in the śāstra: yasyaika-niśvasita kālam athāvalambya jīvanti loma-vilajā jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ (Bs. 5.48). That is God. By His breathing, millions of universes are coming with exhaling.
I have discovered such nonsense thing"? And they are going on as scientist. So be careful. They are like snakes with jewel on the head. That's all. So they do not know.
So here we must know what is dharma and what is adharma. Simply rubberstamp, "I am Christian," "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am this...," like the tilaka and mālā. No. You must know the science. And Caitanya Mahāprabhu recommends, ye kṛṣṇa-tattva-vettā sei 'guru' haya. Any person who knows about Kṛṣṇa perfectly well, he is guru. That's all. He is guru. So we have to learn this science, what is dharma, what is religion, what is irreligion, what is God. That is human life. Simply talking all nonsense, "There is no God and there is no creation," don't waste your time. Don't waste your time. The human life is very, very valuable. This is the time. In cat's and dog's life... We cannot invite the cats and dogs in this temple and take this lesson on Bhāgavata and Bhagavad-gītā. We invite human beings.
That child is coughing. So dharma means characteristic. So what is the dharma of the living entity? We are all living entities. What is the dharma? What is the characteristic? Common. Not that because I am Hindu, my characteristic is different from your characteristic. As living being, our characteristic is the same. Either you are Hindu or Muslim or Christian or white or black, never mind. What is that characteristic? That characteristic—to serve. The inferior must serve to the superior. That's all. This is characteristic. Find out all over the universe, the service.
That is explained by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu: jīvera svarūpa haya nitya kṛṣṇa dāsa (Cc. Madhya 20.108-109). That is his real charactertistic. He is eternal servant of God, or Kṛṣṇa. This is characteristic. So if you don't serve God, then you have to serve dog. But you have to serve. You see practically. So many godless persons, they have no family, no affection, no position, no home, nothing. But still he keeps a dog to serve.
That is to feel always, "Oh, without Kṛṣṇa, everything is vacant." Śūnyāyitaṁ jagat sarvaṁ govinda viraheṇa me. That is dharma, that is dharma. So the Viṣṇudūta is testing these Yamadūtas, whether he understands what is the meaning of dharma. Dharma, we cannot create. Dharma is neither Hindu dharma, Muslim dharma, Christian dharma, this dharma, that dharma. They may be some sectarian understanding, but real dharma means how we have learned to love God.
Kṛṣṇa said that sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). They are determined to preach this cult, that "You surrender to Kṛṣṇa." Therefore they are actual representative of Kṛṣṇa. Immediately they are liberated. So, so far liberation is concerned, there is. So far ahiṁsā, nonviolence, there is. So far love of God is there, there is. So combination of Hindu religion, Muslim religion... And Muslims also, they also say their bandeḥ.(?) They also pray in the mosque. I do not know, of course, all other religions. These principal things I know. They also accept "Allah akbar", "God is great." We are all bandehs,(?) all servants. So that is also... Vaiṣṇavism, that is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. "Kṛṣṇa is great."
So any highest principle of religion in any religion of the world you take, this is the summarization of all religions, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And that is accepted by Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam—sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje: (SB 1.2.6) "That is first-class religion which teaches how to love God, how to learn to love God."
In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, in the beginning also, it is described, janmādy asya yataḥ anvayād itarataś ca artheṣu abhijñaḥ (SB 1.1.1), abhijñaḥ. Now, God created this world. Everyone knows, those who are religious, either Hindu, Muslim, Christian, that God has created. Now, creation means He must be very expert. You do not see that this cosmic manifestation, the earth, water, air, fire, so nicely arranged, and they are being mixed up and so many other things are happening. Everything is perfectly, perfectly being done. So this perfect knowledge, how Kṛṣṇa or God received? Wherefrom He got this perfect knowledge? That is the difference between our knowledge and Kṛṣṇa's knowledge, God's knowledge. That is called abhijña: He knows everything perfectly, without going to anyone else. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport). This is the Vedic statement, that "The Absolute Truth is so perfect, He has got so many potencies, that everything is being done so perfectly." Just like one artist. If he wants to paint one picture, one flower, he has to give his attention is so many ways.
He cannot violate the laws. If he violates... All the books, laws, everything—education, culture, philosophy, science—it is all meant for the human being, not for the cats and dogs. So the human being must know what is the actual law. That is dharma. Therefore in the human society there is some form of dharma. Either you are Christian or Hindu or Muslim or Buddhist, throughout the whole world, any civilized nation, they have got some dharma or religious system. Why? Through it, you should understand what is the goal of your life. If you do not know that, then proportionately, as you are ignorant, fool, you will be punished. You will be punished.
So nature's way, evolution... The punishment is beginning from the aquatics. Then gradually, gradually, by evolutionary process, nature gives the chance that from aquatics you become plants and trees; then from plants and trees you become insect, reptiles; then from that, you become bird; then from that, you become beast; and from that beast, you become human being. In this way, by evolutionary process, you come to the platform of becoming a human being. Now, developed consciousness, you have to decide, "Where... Whom I shall serve now?
Mahātmā Gandhi made so many plans to get our independence. He was taking Bhagavad-gītā in his hand and publicly said that "I get solace from Bhagavad-gītā." He was very fond of Bhagavad-gītā. But unfortunately he could not make Kṛṣṇa as center. This is the unfortunate. Therefore whole plan failed. Gandhi wanted nonviolence—failed. Gandhi wanted Hindu-Muslim unity—failed. Why? Because he never said that Kṛṣṇa is the center. Find his lecture. He'll never say Kṛṣṇa. Missing. Kṛṣṇa is missing. Similarly, so many... One French professor has admitted, Aurobindo or Dr. Radhakrishnan, they have written Bhagavad-gītā, annotation, so many others also, but Kṛṣṇa is missing. They're faulty. Kṛṣṇa is missing. Through Bhagavad-gītā, they want to make the society Kṛṣṇa-less. That is their policy. So nothing has become... For the last two hundred, three hundred years, from India so many swamis, yogis came. But because they missed Kṛṣṇa, it was all useless. And now this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, because we are making Kṛṣṇa as the center, you see practically, thousands of devotees. Successful.
Therefore, at the present moment, everything is chaotic. They are degraded. Prostitution is allowed freely, bad association, and they are encouraging by opening liquor shop, brothel, restaurant, meat-eating. So how you can expect a very nice civilization? That is not possible. We are suffering the consequence of our own degraded life. So how we can protect ourself from degradation? The śāstra is there. Śāstra, the scriptures, are there. Never mind whatever scriptures you have got—Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Buddha, or any. Every religion has got scripture. Just like the Christians have got Bible, the Muslims have got Koran, and Hindus, they have got Vedas. They should abide by the injunction of the śāstra. Lord Kṛṣṇa also recommends that you must follow the sastric injunction.
That is the position now. This is called Kali-yuga. They have no other shelter. Now, these people are so frightened of their life and property; still, they cannot go to the... But it will happen in this age. Ācchinna-dāra-draviṇā gacchanti giri-kānanam. Due to this rascal government people will be so much embarrassed that ācchinna-dāra-draviṇāḥ: they will be separated from their wife, children, and money, and they will go to the forest. This will happen. They will go to the forest. Nobody wants to leave the company of wife, children, and property, but people will be forced. Just like we have seen already in the time of partition, the Muslims and Hindus. The Hindus were going away, and the Muslims were also going away. Nobody was happy, but the partition was made, and this was accepted as India's independence. This is called māyā. They are going to be more dependent, more and more, and still, it was accepted as independence.
You cannot manufacture religion, nonsense, give this dharma, that dharma, that dharma. No. Dharma is only one. That is bhāgavata-dharma. Otherwise there is no dharma. They are all cheating. Ahaṁ mameti (SB 5.5.8). The fight between different religious principles, religious followers—"I am Hindu," "You are Muslim," "I am Christian," "I am Buddhist," "My religion is better," "Your religion is bad"—these are all not religion. Real religion is bhāgavata-dharma. In any other religion there is para-hiṁsa. Para-hiṁsa. In the history you will find many instances. In our country I have seen fight between Hindus and Muslims. And in the history you will find Europe, the Prostestants, and the Roman Catholics, and the Crusades. So this kind of religion has no value. Religion means when one understands Kṛṣṇa, or God, he understands automatically that all living entities are Kṛṣṇa's part and parcels. Some way or other, they have been put into this māyā. Anādi bahirmukha jīva kṛṣṇa bhuli gela. They have forgotten.
Kṛṣṇa, or God, he understands automatically that all living entities are Kṛṣṇa's part and parcels. Some way or other, they have been put into this māyā. Anādi bahirmukha jīva kṛṣṇa bhuli gela. They have forgotten. Therefore a devotee tries to bring them back to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, back to home, back to Godhead. This is vision. He has no discrimination that "Here is a Hindu. Here is a Muslim. Here is a Christian. Here is an African. Here is a white. Here is a black." No. "Everyone is Kṛṣṇa's part and parcel. Let them revive their Kṛṣṇa consciousness and be happy." That is religion. All others cheating.
So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement we are pushing on. We have no such distinction. Samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu. Not that "They are Europeans. They cannot take to this religion." This is in the andha-kūpa, andha. Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānās te 'pīśa-tantrya uru-dāmni baddhāḥ (SB 7.5.31). Such class of men are subjected to the punishment by the Yamaduta. Otherwise, paṇḍitaḥ sama-darśinaḥ (BG 5.18). Paṇḍita, they should be equal. Kṛṣṇa says,
That is another ignorance. And in order to give them direction there are so many religious scriptures in human society. Therefore it is said, dharmeṇa hīnāḥ paśubhiḥ samānāḥ. If one is not following the principles of religious scriptures... It doesn't matter whether it is Hindu religion or Christian religion or Muslim religion. It doesn't matter. But human civilization, a civilized human being must follow some religious principles. That is the aim of human life. And anyone who does not follow any religious scripture, he is simply animal. That is the position of the present world. We may claim to be Hindu or Muslim or Christian, but nobody cares for religion. They are simply karmīs. Therefore they are all sinful.
Accepting as a matter of fact that every man is sinful, therefore in religious scriptures there are certain methods to purify them. But here the Viṣṇudūta says that these prescribed methods, although they are authorized and fact, but they cannot purify the heart of the follower of that religion. And you can see that as our Hindu-Muslim religion, even they perform the ritualistic ceremonies, they do not cease from committing the sins. Just like a rascal patient. He goes to the physician. The physician gives some medicine and gives some direction that "You take this medicine. Do not do this. You do not eat so many things. You eat like this." But he takes the medicine. For the time being he follows and again he commits the same mistake and again he goes to the physician and "Doctor, please give me medicine." This is going on.
So this is the special mercy for the unalloyed devotee. So unalloyed devotee means anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam, sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam (Brs. 1.1.11). Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam (CC Madhya 19.170). Upādhi means artificially. "I am the husband of this wife." "I am the father of these children." "I am the inhabitants of America." "I am American." "I am Hindu." "I am Muslim." "I am Christian." "I am brāhmaṇa." "I am fat." "I am thin." "I am white." "I am black." So many. These are all upādhis. So one has to become free from these upādhi. "I am not this. I am not that. I am not this." Then what you are? Gopī-bhartur pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsānudāsa. When one becomes like that... "I am the servant of the servant of the servant of Kṛṣṇa, gopī-bhartuḥ (CC Madhya 13.80)." This is called paramparā system. This is our real identification. Caitanya Mahāprabhu gave. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam (CC Madhya 19.170). So if you want to be happy, you cannot become happy by your so-called endeavor, by tidbits: "This I will do and I will be happy." No, this is all nonsense. You can be happy only when you fully surrender to Kṛṣṇa without any abhilāṣa.
That chanting may save him from the greatest danger. Therefore it is said, sāṅketyaṁ pārihāsyam. If somebody jokes... Sometimes they do that. "Hare Kṛṣṇa" means he is not seriously chanting, but he is trying to joke the other party who is engaged in chanting. And that is also good, pārihāsya. During Caitanya Mahāprabhu's time, the Muslims, they used to joke the Hindus, "Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa." So the practice made them chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. And the police officer was informed by the constables that "These Hindus are chanting 'Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa.' " The police officer asked him, "Then why you are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa?" By imitating, they became practiced to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. It is so nice, even joking, symbolic. Sāṅketyaṁ pārihāsyaṁ stobham. Or prema. Helanam eva vā. Without any care, "Hare Kṛṣṇa," any way, if you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, then vaikuṇṭha-nāma grahaṇam aśeṣa agha-haram. Agha. Agha means sinful activities.
That is the way. So pāda-sevanam. Then arcanam. Arcanam means the offering ārātrika, offering bhoga, cleansing the Deity room and dressing the Lord, changing the flowers. These are called arcanam. Vandanam. If you cannot do this, then offer prayers. Just like in Christian church they offers prayers. That is also bhakti, devotional service. The Muslims, they offer prayers. Any way. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam, arcanaṁ vandanam. Vandanam means offering prayer. Dāsyam. Dāsyam means to work as menial servant of the Lord. Dāsyam. Sakhyam, to make friendship with the Lord, just like Arjuna did. He treated Kṛṣṇa as his friend, and by making friendship with Kṛṣṇa he became liberated. Sakhyam. And ātma-nivedanam. Ātma-nivedanam means giving everything to the Lord, even his body, wealth, and everything, just like Bali Mahārāja did.
Similarly, it is confirmed in the Nārada-pañcarātra, sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170). We have to become first of all free from all designations. If I think I'm American, if I think I am Christian, if I think I am Indian, if I think I am Hindu, if I think I am Muslim, if I think I am this, I am that, these are all designations. When you are free from the designation, sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam And what is that freedom? "I am Kṛṣṇa's." That's all. I am not American, not Indian, not Hindu, not Muslim, not Christian. I am Kṛṣṇa's or God's. That is sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam. And as you are convinced that you are God's or Kṛṣṇa's, then engage yourself not in the designated service, but Kṛṣṇa's service. Tat-paratvena nirmalam. Then everything will be purified. Your eyes will be purified, your ears will be purified, your legs, everything, all senses will be purified. When your senses are purified, hṛṣīkena hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate (CC Madhya 19.170). When with that purified senses Hṛṣīkena means senses. Kṛṣṇa's name is Hṛṣīkeśa. Hṛṣīkeśa means the master of the senses. Govinda. Govinda also means the master of the senses. So the senses which you have got, this hand, leg, eyes, everything, I am not the proprietor. Practically the proprietor is Kṛṣṇa. So when you engage your all the senses in the service of the master of the senses, that is called bhakti.
So long we identify with particular society or nation or community, then we are not brahma-bhūtaḥ. This is called upādhi-bhūtaḥ, designation. "I am Hindu." This is designation.
Just like gold. Gold cannot be designation. Gold is gold. Because gold is in the hand of a Hindu, it does not become Hindu gold. Or the gold is in the hand of a Muslim; therefore it is Muslim gold. No. Gold is gold. Similarly, dharma is dharma. There cannot be any Hindu religion or Muslim religion or Christian religion. There is no possibility. As soon as you designate, then it is not dharma. It is cheating. That is rejected in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo atra: (SB 1.1.2) "All cheating type of religious system is rejected." That is required. So that bhāgavata-dharma, Prahlāda Mahārāja says that kaumāra ācaret prājño dharmān bhāgavatan iha (SB 7.6.1). From the very beginning, kaumāra.
So sometimes there is glāni, discrepancies in the matter of discharging the principles of dharma. At that time, Kṛṣṇa comes. Paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām (BG 4.8). Yuge yuge sambhavāmi. So this dharma, Kṛṣṇa did not come to reorganize the so-called dharmas: Hindu dharma, Muslim dharma, Christian dharma, Buddha's dharma. No. According to Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is said, dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo 'tra (SB 1.1.2). The dharma which is a type of cheating process, that kind of dharma is projjhita. Prakṛṣṭa-rūpeṇa ujjhita, means it is thrown away or kicked out. So real dharma is bhāgavata-dharma, real dharma. Therefore Prahlāda Mahārāja said, kaumāra ācaret prājño dharmān bhāgavatān iha (SB 7.6.1). Actually dharma means God and our relationship with God and acting according to that relationship so that we may attain the ultimate goal of life. That is dharma, sambandha, abhidheya, prayojana, these three things.
They are preaching now in India, yata mat tata path. "Whatever you accept, that is dharma." No. Dharma means bhāgavata-dharma. Whatever Bhagavān says or God says, that is dharma.
And God is one. There cannot be different Gods. If God has got competitors, then He is not God. There cannot be Hindu God, Muslim God, Christian God, or other conception of God. God is one. God cannot be Hindu, Muslim, Christian. So... And His order is also one. That is the instruction in the Bhagavad-gītā. Kṛṣṇa says, God says that sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). Real dharma is to surrender unto God. And surrender and to follow His instruction and become a lover of God. Then it is dharma. It is perfectly clear. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19). In another place it is said, sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6). That is first-class religion. What is that? By which one can learn how to love God. This is the definition. How to love God.
In another place it is said, sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6). That is first-class religion. What is that? By which one can learn how to love God. This is the definition. How to love God. We have learned to love so many things, but when we love God, that is real religion. And that is first-class religion. It does not matter whether you are Hindu, Muslim, Christian or this or that. There are so many dharmas. But the thing is whether you have learned how to love God. Then it is perfect.
Four or five years ago they did not know what is this bhāgavata-dharma, what is this Kṛṣṇa. Now you can see the result, that all over the world, not only in Europe, but in America, Australia, in Japan, in Canada, everywhere, we have got this type of devotees, and they are understanding what is God, what is our relationship with God. It doesn't matter, God is neither Hindu, Muslim, or Christian—God is God. So it is the duty of everyone. It is not that only Christians should understand God and the Hindus should understand nobody. No. Any human being. Any living entity in the human form of life must understand. Otherwise, he's missing the opportunity. So we have got to say many things about this thing. In short time, we cannot speak so many things, but we invite you to take advantage of this movement, try to understand the science of God and be benefited.
So, and man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). And "You offer my respect to Me." So these things... You may accept any type of religion; that doesn't matter. But think of God, worshiping God, offering obeisances God, that cannot be changed. Either you become Christian or Hindu or Muslim, it does not matter. These four things cannot be changed. Therefore, the principles of religion: thinking of God, worshiping God, offering obeisances to Him, and to become devotee of God, that cannot be changed. That is real religion.
And one who does not accept the authority of the Vedas, he is called nāstik. Āstik and nāstik.
According to Vedic civilization, one who does not follow the Vedic principle, he is called nāstik. Caitanya Mahāprabhu has explained about the Buddhist. Buddhists, they do not believe in the Vedic injunction, or the Muslims. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that veda nā māniyā bauddha haya ta' nāstika. Buddhists are called nastik, atheist. Why? Veda nā māniyā: he does not believe in the Vedas. Veda nā māniyā bauddha haya ta' nāstika. Vedāśraya nāstikya-vāda bauddhake adhika. But a person, hypocrite, who accepts the Vedas but he preaches atheism... Just like you are praying that śūnyavādi, nirviśeṣa śūnyavādi, pāścātya deśa tāriṇe. These two, very dangerous position, nirviśeṣa. The Buddhists, they say there is no God, śūnyavādi. "Everything, at the end, everything is zero. You have got this body. When this body is finished, then everything becomes zero." Because they do not believe in the soul, not in God. There are many nāstik.
We have seen practically in India. During the partition days, when the Britishers left India, they gave a parting kick by dividing Pakistan and India. So I have seen in my own eyes there was fighting between the Hindus and Muslims for at least one week in Calcutta, and heaps of dead bodies there were. So the fighting was between Hindu and Muslim, but when they died the body is piled up and it was taken for burning or to throw away. So the land remained there and these people fighting between themselves, that "This is mine, this is mine," they finished their life. The land remained where it was there.
So this is called illusion. Ahaṁ mameti (SB 5.5.8), "It is mine, it is yours." Janasya moho 'yam ahaṁ mameti (SB 5.5.8). Why they should think like that? Bhagavān, in the Bhagavad-gītā He says that sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya mūrtayaḥ sambhavanti yāḥ: (BG 14.4) "All the forms of different grades of life," sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya mūrtayaḥ sambhavanti yaḥ tāsāṁ mahad yonir, "the material world is the mother and I am the father." Very simply understanding.
They cannot distinguish the characteristics of the soul. Simply they see superficially and, identifying with the body, there is always trouble. "I am this nation", "I am Englishman," "I am German," "I am American," "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am brāhmaṇa", "I am this," "I am that," designation. So, one has to become free from this designation before one can understand what is spiritual life. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam (CC Madhya 19.170). Sarvopādhi... These are designations, superficial.
So Prahlāda Mahārāja says that etair dvādaśabhir vidvān ātmano lakṣaṇaiḥ paraiḥ. Paraiḥ means superior. You have to distinguish ātmā by superior characteristics, not by inferior characteristics. And by understanding the ātmā's real position, ahaṁ mamety asad-bhāvaṁ dehādau mohajaṁ tyajet. You should give up the bodily identification which is a production of illusion, mohajaṁ. Production of illusion. As soon as I think I am American, "Why American money should go to India?" Immediately he becomes disqualified to become a member of the (indistinct), immediately. Because the same demoniac principle—"I am this." Mohajaṁ. Mohajaṁ—this is the production of illusion. Prahlāda Mahārāja says tyajet, "You should give up these demonic principles," tyajet. Tyajet, this is (indistinct)—must, must.
Similarly, a highly developed Kṛṣṇa conscious person, at once he will hear about something of Kṛṣṇa, he will be in ecstasy. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu. There was a devotee of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. His name was Murāri Gupta. He was physician to the then Nawab, Muslim Nawab. Now, they were sitting. The Nawab was going some hunting excursion or something like that, but he was Nawab's physician. He was to accompany him. So they were sitting on the back of the elephant. In the meantime that Murāri Gupta saw one peacock, and as soon as he saw the peacock, the feather, he at once remembered Kṛṣṇa and at once fainted and fall down. This is called ālambana. This is called ālambana. Ālambana means anything to the context, immediately he remembers his Lord and becomes ecstatic. This is the first-class stage of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So there are many instances. Caitanya Mahāprabhu showed this manifestation in His life. We shall discuss.
That you are, that permanent, the consciousness. And what is that consciousness? That consciousness is, pure form, is Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that "I am servant of God." This is pure consciousness. So long my consciousness is designated, "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am Chinese," "I am Russian," "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am Christian..." These are all designations due to this body. But actually I am neither American, neither Indian, nor Christian, nor Hindu, nor Muslim, but I am eternally the servant of God. So Prahlāda Mahārāja is submitting that "If you are servant of God, eternally, then you find out your engagement, eternal engagement. That is the duty of your human form of life. Don't be misled by designation." Kṛṣṇa consciousness means to become free from all designations. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam (CC Madhya 19.170). You have to become free from all designations. Tat-paratvena nirmalam. And in connection with the Supreme Lord you have to become nirmalam. Nirmalam means without any contamination.
Similarly, dharma means the order given by God. That is dharma. Just like Kṛṣṇa says. He said, yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata, tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham: (BG 4.7) "When there is discrepancies, misuse of dharma, I appear." So He has appeared. He therefore said that "This is not dharma." You are declaring, "This is Hindu dharma," "This is Muslim dharma," "This is Jain dharma," "This is Christian dharma," "This is family dharma," "This is country dharma," so on, so on, so on. You have created so many dharmas. But Kṛṣṇa said, sarva-dharmān parityajya: (BG 18.66) "You give up all these dharmas." "Then what I..., shall I accept?" Mam ekam śaraṇaṁ vraja. That is dharma. Otherwise there is no dharma.
The Bhāgavata also says, dharmaḥ-projjhita-kaitavo 'tra: (SB 1.1.2) "The so-called dharmas, cheating process, is given up, kicked out." Projjhita. Prakṛṣṭa-rūpena ujjhita. That is called projjhita. Śrīdhara Svami gives his note in this connection: atra mokṣa-vāñchā api nirastam. Anyone who is desiring for liberation, that is also cheating.
Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170). The impurification is that upādhi, designation. I'm thinking "I am American," "I am Indian." This is designation. Actually, spirit soul is neither American nor Indian nor Hindu nor Muslim. So one has to get out of this entanglement, material entanglement. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170). And how one can become purified? Tat-paratvena, when he identifies himself, ahaṁ brahmāsmi, "I am servant of Kṛṣṇa. I am Brahman, I am pure self. I'm not matter. I'm not this body." This is the stage of purification. And when one is purified, then hṛṣīkena hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate. Hṛṣīka means senses. So mind is also one of the senses. There are eleven senses. Five senses gathering knowledge and five senses working, and mind is the center. So mind is also accepted as sense. So hṛṣīkena hṛṣīkeśa-sevanam (CC Madhya 19.170). When your purified senses are applied in the service of the master of the senses, Hṛṣīkeśa, that is called bhakti. This is the definition of bhakti. So mind required there. You are thinking that "I shall decorate Kṛṣṇa in such a way." That is a function of mind. And as soon as you think that "I shall decorate my such and such person in this way," that is māyā. So mind is there. Sometimes it is acting for māyā, and when it is acting for Kṛṣṇa then it is purified.
That has been taught by Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Caitanya Mahāprabhu teaches us how to pray. He says in His prayer, na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). Jagadīśa: "O My Lord of the universe." Jagat-īśa. Jagat means universe and īśa means Lord. So it does not matter whether you are Hindu or Muslim or Christian or anyone. It does not matter. But you must know that there is a supreme controller of this universe. How can you deny it? Therefore this word has been used very nicely by Caitanya Mahāprabhu: Jagadīśa. Jaya jagadīśa hare. It is universal. Now if you think that "My father is jagadīśa," that is your conviction, but jagadīśa is meaning the Supreme—no controller there. Everyone is controlled. As soon as you see that somebody is controlled, he cannot be the Supreme. So to find out the jagadīśa... The Brahma-saṁhitā gives us information who is Jagadīśa. And who is that Jagadīśa, or the Supreme? The Brahmā says, īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1). Jagadīśa, īśa, the same word, īśvara. Īśa means controller.
Therefore in every civilized form of human society there is some kind of religious activities. Unfortunately, religious activities have been misinterpreted. Just like any religious sect, either Hindu or Muslim or Christian or anyone, they go to temple or church to pray to God for some solution of problems. People generally think that "If I become religious person, then my economic condition will be very nice." In the Vedic way of thinking, in the material world, there are four stages of development. They are called dharma-artha-kāma-mokṣa (SB 4.8.41, Cc. Ādi 1.90), namely following the religious principles, economic development, sense gratification, and liberation. Just like in the Christian church, people go there to ask, "God, give us our daily bread." So dharma. People generally think that "If I become religious, then my economic condition must be very nice." And when one's economic condition becomes very nice, he wants to make economic condition very nice, he wants some monetary, financial adjustment. This financial improvement people generally want for sense gratification. Dharma-artha-kāma. Dharma means religion, artha means financial facilities, and kāma means sense gratification. And then, when one is baffled in sense gratification, he wants liberation.
Desirelessness is not possible. Because I am a living being, I must desire. Therefore desires may be purified. That is wanted. You cannot make the desires zero. That is not possible. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170). Now our desires are there according to my designated position. "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim. Why shall I take Kṛṣṇa consciousness?" Because I am designated, I have taken this designation, "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am Christian." Therefore we cannot take Kṛṣṇa consciousness. "Oh, this is... Kṛṣṇa is Hindu God. Kṛṣṇa is Indian. Why shall I take Kṛṣṇa?" No. "You have to be desireless" means you have to purify your this false understanding that "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am Christian," "I am Indian," "I am this." This has to be purified. One has to understand that "I am gopī-bhartur pada-kamalayor dāsa. I am the servant of the servant of the servant of Kṛṣṇa (CC Madhya 13.80)." That is purification. Then desire. Then you'll not desire anything except Kṛṣṇa's service. That is perfection.
You may be a very religious person—never mind you are Hindu, Muslim or Christian or anyone—or according to your religious principles, ritualistic ceremonies, you execute very nicely. Svanuṣṭhitaḥ puṁsām. But after doing all these things, if you do not become God consciousness, God conscious, or you do not understand what is God, then the Bhāgavata says that it is simply waste of time. Śrama eva hi kevalam.
So human life is meant for understanding the Supreme, our connection with the Supreme Being. That is real human life. Therefore the Vedas are there. So as soon as Brahmā was born... Because he is in charge of this universe... There are innumerable universes and innumerable Brahmās also. Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa koṭi (Bs. 5.40). Yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya jīvanti loma-vilajā jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ (Bs. 5.48). So Brahmā is jagad-aṇḍa-nātha. He's the chief person within this material world, in this universe. So he is in charge; therefore he was given the Vedic knowledge. And he got the Vedic knowledge, but at the same time, two demons known as Madhu-Kaiṭabha, they wanted to snatch away, take away the Vedic mantras from Brahmā. This is the attempt from the very beginning.
That is jñāna. So long I am identifying with this body, then my..., I am in ignorance, I am a go-kharaḥ. Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kunape tri-dhātuke, sa eva go-kharaḥ (SB 10.84.13). But unfortunately, these people are going under the identification of this body. "I am Indian," "I am American," "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am white," "I am black," "I am learned," " I am fool," " I am rich," "I am poor." All these designations are our ignorance. Therefore, Prahlāda Mahārāja says dehinām. Anyone who has accepted this body, tat sādhu manye 'sura-vārya dehināṁ sadā samudvigna-dhiyam. Because the living entity, although spirit soul, he has accepted this material body, asat. Asat means which will not exist. This body will not exist, but we forget that. This is the most wonderful thing in this material world. Everyone is dying every moment, still one who is living, he thinks that he will live forever. That is the most wonderful thing.
We have already studied the story of the vyādha. He was a hunter, and by the grace of Nārada, when he became a devotee, he was not ready to kill even an ant. In the beginning his profession was hunting. He was very much pleased to kill the animal half. Sometimes the Muslims, they kill the animal simply, and it throbs and sufficient blood come also. They like that. So the hunters, some of the hunters, they also kill the animal half. So they take pleasure. I have seen in my own eyes in Calcutta. One hotel man was cutting the throat of a chicken and half-cut, and the half-dead chicken was jumping like this, and the man was laughing. His little son, he was crying. I have seen it. He was crying. Because he's innocent child, he could not tolerate. He was crying. And the father was saying, "Why you are crying? Why you are crying? It is very nice." Just see. So without being devotee a man will become cruel, cruel, cruel, cruel, cruel, in this way go to hell. And devotee cannot tolerate.
These classes of men, yasya, whose life is bodily conception... "I am body." "I am a Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am brāhmaṇa," "I am Indian," "I am American," "I am..." The whole world is fighting on this because they are all crazy, not dhīra. This is the modern civilization. Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape. This is a bag of bones and flesh and blood, and they are thinking that they are, they are this body. So wherefrom the living force coming if you are this body? Because as soon as the living force is gone, the body is useless, a lump of matter. So do you think this lump of matter is giving life? But they are not dhīra. All rascals, they cannot understand. The word is very important. Dhīras tatra na muhyati. How the rascals will understand? Therefore our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to educate the rascals, that's all. Simple thing. We challenge everyone that "You are rascal number one. Try to understand Kṛṣṇa." This is our challenge. Come forward. We say, we challenge, "You are rascal number one. You take education in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and make your life perfect." This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Nobody is dhīra.
So the first training, how to create a brahmacārī... This is human civilization. Unless one comes to the platform of varṇāśrama-dharma... This Hindu dharma, this is not the proper word. Hindu, this word, is not found in the Vedic literature. It is a foreign word, from Sindu to Hindu. It is the word given by the Muslims. The other side of the Sindu, the Muslim countries begin. So the Muslim used to call this part, the other side of the river Sindu, "Hindu." So our real, this Bhāratavarṣa, real dharma, is varṇāśrama-dharma. Here it is not said, "Hindu dharma." Brahmacārī. Four āśramas-brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha, and sannyāsa. So the beginning of life is brahmacārī, how to remain a celibate. It is very scientific. People have neglected this culture and they are suffering. It is so essen... Because they do not know what is the aim of life, so in the Bhagavad-gītā all these people have been described as mūḍha, rascals. They do not know what is the aim of life.
At least, one should know what are the miseries. The miseries are three kinds of miseries. It is not the question of one religion or another religion. The miserable condition of life is for everyone, either he is Hindu or he is Muslim or Christian or Jew. It doesn't matter. Anyone who has accepted this material body has to undergo the miserable condition of material existence. That is a fact. And what are the miserable condition? There are three types: adhyātmika, adhibhautika, adhidaivika. Adhyātmika means pertaining to the body, mind. Everyone is experienced that "I'm not feeling today well due to some sickness of my body or some mental disturbance." This is called adhyātmika. And there are other miseries inflicted by other living entities, my enemies, some animal, some mosquito or some bug. There are so many living entities, they are also try to give me some trouble. This is called adhibhautika. And there is another type of misery, which is called adhidaivika. That is natural disturbance—severe cold, severe heat, some famine, some earthquake, some disaster, some hurricanes.
This bhakti means that we have to clear ourself from the designations. What is that designation? Everyone is thinking "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am European," "I am Australian," "I am cat," "I am dog, "I am this, "I am that,"—bodily. We have to cleanse this bodily conception of life that "I am not this body." Ahaṁ brahmāsmi: "I am spirit soul." This we have to realize. Then there will be no distinction that "Here is an American, here is an Australian, here is an Hindu, here is a Muslim, here is a tree, here..." No. Paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ (BG 5.18). Paṇḍitāḥ means learned, one who knows things as they are.
| Page Title: | Muslim (Lectures, SB) |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, RupaManjari |
| Created: | 09 of Sep, 2012 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=173, Con=0, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 173 |