We Hindus, we accept Him the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but others, even not accepting Him the Supreme Personality of Godhead, they accept it as, at least, that He was a great personality. Therefore, besides the Hindu community, others, they are also consulting the knowledge. Now, my point is that when such a great personality, and when a..., we accept Him as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then His version is right. What He says, that from our practical experience we can conclude that every individual persons who were in the past individuals, they are also individuals at the present, and they'll continue to be individuals, and this is by our common sense, but it is confirmed by Śrī Kṛṣṇa, whom we call the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and He is accepted as a great personality. He says, na tu eva ahaṁ jātu nāsam: "Don't think that I was not in existence." That means "I was in existence," not that "Just now I have come before you as God, as Śrī Kṛṣṇa. I was Śrī Kṛṣṇa in the past also, and I am Śrī Kṛṣṇa at the present. So also yourself, and so also others—all individuals. So and at the present we are." Na caiva na bhaviṣyāmaḥ: "And don't think that we shall not remain." Sarve. This sarve means "we all," not that... Sarve is plural number. Janādhipāḥ is plural number. "So they are all individual souls." So the individual soul continues. That is the version.
Our practical experience
Srimad-Bhagavatam
SB Canto 3
It is confirmed here that the concept of the Lord's all-pervasiveness is due to His illumination everywhere. We have experience that the sun is situated in one place, but the sunlight is diffused all around for millions and millions of miles. That is our practical experience. Similarly, although the supreme light is situated in His personal abode, Vaikuṇṭha or Vṛndāvana, His light is diffused not only in the spiritual world but beyond that. In the material world also, that light is reflected by the sun globe, and the sunlight is reflected by the moon globe. Thus although He is situated in His own abode, His light is distributed all over the spiritual and material worlds. The Brahma-saṁhitā (5.37) confirms this. Goloka eva nivasaty akhilātma-bhūtaḥ: He is living in Goloka, but still He is present all over the creation.
SB Canto 5
As stated in Caitanya-caritāmṛta (CC Madhya 22.54):
- "sādhu-saṅga", "sādhu-saṅga"—sarva-śāstre kaya
- lava-mātra sādhu-saṅge sarva-siddhi haya
It is a fact that if one takes shelter of a pure devotee, one attains all perfection, even if the association is a short one. A sādhu is a pure devotee of the Lord. It has been our practical experience that the first instruction of our spiritual master infused us with Kṛṣṇa consciousness so that now we are at least on the path of Kṛṣṇa consciousness and can understand the philosophy. As a result, there are many devotees engaged in this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. The whole world is revolving under the bodily conception; therefore there must be devotees all over the world to deliver people from the false bodily conception and fully engage them in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
SB Canto 6
It is our practical experience in this material world that the same person who is one's friend today becomes one's enemy tomorrow. Our relationships as friends or enemies, family men or outsiders, are actually the results of our different dealings. Citraketu Mahārāja was lamenting for his son, who was now dead, but he could have considered the situation otherwise. "This living entity," he could have thought, "was my enemy in my last life, and now, having appeared as my son, he is prematurely leaving just to give me pain and agony." Why should he not consider his dead son his former enemy and instead of lamenting be jubilant because of an enemy's death? As stated in Bhagavad-gītā (3.27), prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ: factually everything is happening because of our association with the modes of material nature. Therefore one who is my friend today in association with the mode of goodness may be my enemy tomorrow in association with the modes of passion and ignorance. As the modes of material nature work, in illusion we accept others as friends, enemies, sons or fathers in terms of the reactions of different dealings under different conditions.
SB Canto 7
One who is in Kṛṣṇa consciousness understands that there is no difference between the animals and the innocent children in one's home. Even in ordinary life, it is our practical experience that a household dog or cat is regarded on the same level as one's children, without any envy. Like children, the unintelligent animals are also sons of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and therefore a Kṛṣṇa conscious person, even though a householder, should not discriminate between children and poor animals. Unfortunately, modern society has devised many means for killing animals in different forms of life. For example, in the agricultural fields there may be many mice, flies and other creatures that disturb production, and sometimes they are killed by pesticides. In this verse, however, such killing is forbidden. Every living entity should be nourished by the food given by the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
SB Canto 9
When Mahārāja Ambarīṣa, in his dilemma, consulted the brāhmaṇas about whether he should break the fast or wait for Durvāsā Muni, apparently they could not give a definite answer about what to do. A Vaiṣṇava, however, is the most intelligent personality. Therefore Mahārāja Ambarīṣa himself decided, in the presence of the brāhmaṇas, that he would drink a little water, for this would confirm that the fast was broken but would not transgress the laws for receiving a brāhmaṇa. In the Vedas it is said, apo 'śnāti tan naivāśitaṁ naivānaśitam. This Vedic injunction declares that the drinking of water may be accepted as eating or as not eating. Sometimes in our practical experience we see that some political leader adhering to satyāgraha will not eat but will drink water. Considering that drinking water would not be eating, Mahārāja Ambarīṣa decided to act in this way.
The material body is a combination of earth, water, fire, air and ether. There is already fire within the body, and our practical experience is that the heat of this fire sometimes increases and sometimes decreases. The fire within the bodies of the sons of Sagara Mahārāja became so much hotter that all of them burned to ashes. The fire's increased heat was due to their misbehavior toward a great personality. Such misbehavior is called mahad-vyatikrama. They were killed by the fire of their own bodies because of insulting a great personality.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta
CC Adi-lila
Material nature is inert, and as such it cannot be the cause of matter, neither as the material nor as the efficient cause. Seeing the wonderful arrangement and management of the cosmic manifestation generally suggests that a living brain is behind this arrangement, for without a living brain such an arrangement could not exist. One should not imagine that such an arrangement can exist without conscious direction. In our practical experience we never see that inert bricks can themselves construct a big building.
To emphasize something to an ordinary person, one may repeat it three times, just as one might say, "You must do this! You must do this! You must do this!" Thus the Bṛhan-nāradīya Purāṇa repeatedly emphasizes the chanting of the holy name so that people may take it seriously and thus free themselves from the clutches of māyā. It is our practical experience in the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement all over the world that many millions of people are factually coming to the spiritual stage of life simply by chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra regularly, according to the prescribed principles. Therefore our request to all our students is that they daily chant at least sixteen rounds of this harer nāma mahā-mantra (CC Adi 17.21) offenselessly, following the regulative principles. Thus their success will be assured without a doubt.
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
Just like daytime and nighttime. Nighttime also, when we sleep, we forget all our business in daytime. We have got everyday experience. We are different person at night. We are dreaming something, dreamland, somewhere I have gone, and forget that I have got a body which is lying on the bed, I am the father of such and such sons, I am the husband of such and such... No, you forget everything. And again, in the daytime, you forget everything, what you dreamed. This is our practical experience.
Similarly, we had our last birth, but we have forgotten. But Kṛṣṇa does not forget. That is the difference between Kṛṣṇa and the living entities. I have explained already. We forget because we change body. Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). Dehāntara-prāptiḥ, we do not know what kind of body I had in my last life or what kind of body I am going to accept next life, but there is the law: tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ. But Kṛṣṇa does not forget. He knows. That is perfect knowledge. And because we are imperfect, we do not... When we'll be perfect also, we'll remember. But that is, means, spiritual life, no more material body. That can be also possible.
Rich means human being. And brāhmaṇas means intelligent class of men. So you get your birth in a family where your parents are very intelligent, very advanced in philosophical knowledge, in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. You get chance.
From our practical experience we can say we got this chance. We got this chance. We got very nice parents. And I was born in a family, a very pure family. And, of course, in those days they were rich also. We had Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa mūrti-sevā. So from the childhood I was taught... Not taught. I asked my father, "Give me this Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa mūrti. I shall worship." And father encouraged me. I was performing this Ratha-yātrā festival. My father encouraged. So this means that I got this chance again.
Bhagavān. There is definition of Bhagavān. Not that any rascal advertises himself Bhagavān and he becomes Bhagavān. No. Parāśara Muni, father of Vyāsadeva, gave us what we mean by Bhagavān. Bhaga means opulence, and vān means one who possesses opulence. Just like we have our practical experience. Anyone who is very rich, he's attractive. He becomes attractive. Many men go to him for some favor. One who is very influential, he becomes very attractive. One who is very famous, he becomes attractive. One who is very learned, wise, he becomes attractive. One who is very wise, he becomes attractive. And one who is in the renounced order of life Renounced order of life means one who possesses everything but renounces, does not use it for his personal benefit. Just like a person who is very charitably disposed, he gives everything to the public. He's also very attractive.
So there is no such facilities at home. Therefore this institution is started. If you are serious about Kṛṣṇa consciousness, if you are serious about increasing attachment for Kṛṣṇa, then you should come and live with the devotees. Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgaḥ (Cc. Madhya 23.14-15). And atha bhajana-kriyā. The sādhu-saṅga... (CC Madhya 22.83). Now they are chanting, they are having maṅgala-ārati, they are decorating the Deity, and so many things. Everyone who will associate, you will see. And then he will be inclined to be initiated. This is our practical experience. They will submit, "Please let me be initiated." This is called bhajana-kriyā. Bhajana-kriyā means if he is serious about bhajana-kriyā, how to worship, then anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt. Anartha means we have learned so many nonsense things. They can be summarized in four items: illicit sex, intoxication, gambling, and meat-eating. So anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt. If you accept bhajana-kriyā, the activities of devotional service, then these things will be vanished. Then, when you are purified, as I have said, that sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam (CC Madhya 19.170), when he is free from all these material bad habits, he is mukta. He is liberated. Then ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgo 'tha bhajana-kriyā, tato 'nartha-nivṛt..., tato niṣṭhā (Cc. Madhya 23.14-15). Then your faith... Beginning was the faith. This faith becomes established. You can... Nobody can move you.
The spiritual knowledge begins when one is perfectly aware that "After finishing this body, I am not finished." That is perfection. Not that those who are in this concept of life, that with the finishing of this body everything is finished. That is nonsense. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). Kṛṣṇa teaches. Na jāyate na mriyate vā kadācin..., nityaḥ śāśvato 'yaṁ purāṇo na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). "This ātmā is never born and he never dies." Na jāyate mriyate vā. Nitya, eternal; śāśvata, ever-existing, śāśvata. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre. "Don't think that because the body is finished, therefore he is finished. No." In another place Kṛṣṇa says, tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). As we are changing body from babyhood to childhood, childhood to boyhood, boyhood to youth-hood, youth-hood to grown-up and old age—this is our practical experience, I have several times explained—similarly, this old body, when I give it up, I shall accept another body. What is that body? That will be given to you by the laws of nature according to your mentality. As you create your mentality, yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran loke (BG 8.6), absorb your thought and mind at the time of death, then you are given a particular type of body, either in the womb of a human being or a cat or a dog or a demigod or a tree or so many.
These are simple Bengali poetries by Vaiṣṇavas that as soon as you desire to enjoy your senses... That enjoyment of senses will not give you happiness. That is our practical experience. Anybody, call anybody who is engaged in sense gratification, ask him, "Are you happy?" He'll never say. They are... We have practically seen. These Europeans and Americans, they have enough sense gratification. Sense gratification means money and women. So they have got enough of it. Why they are after me, rejecting this? Because sense gratification will never give you satisfaction. That is false satisfaction. Real satisfaction is when you satisfy Kṛṣṇa. That is satisfaction.
For our happiness we require cooperation of some friend. That is our practical experience. But if we make Kṛṣṇa as our supreme friend... He is supreme friend. He's so supreme friend that... You'll find in the Bhagavad-gītā, everything is explained. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). Sarva-bhūtānām. Of all living entities, within the core of the heart, Kṛṣṇa is sitting there along with the living entity. The living entity is also within the heart and the supreme living entity, Kṛṣṇa, is also sitting by him.
That is our practical experience. We are changing our body. In the mother's womb we were very small. In the first night after sex the two seminas, they mix up and then it becomes a form of a pea. Within that pea form, substance, the living entity takes shelter and gradually grows. Then there are nine holes, and then the hands and legs and everything becomes complete, and when, if he can sustain, then nature's law push him by the air, and he comes out of the mother's womb, and then again grows in different types of bodies and then he becomes old man. Then, when the body is no more usable, then the body is finished and the soul again enters another mother's body. This is called transmigration of the soul. This is going on, but this is not very happy thing. Today you may have Australian body or American body or Indian body, but when this body is finished, what is the next body you are going to get? You must have information. You are human being. But that education is not there. There is no education throughout the whole world how the soul is being transmigrated from one body to another, what body we are going to get next. This will be happy or distressful?
Now, here is nice formula presented by Kṛṣṇa Himself, that one should understand the position of Kṛṣṇa. What is the position of Kṛṣṇa? Ajam, unborn. And anādi, without any cause. Everyone, we have got experience that we are born and we have our cause. The father is the cause of our birth. This is the distinction between myself and Kṛṣṇa. Now, if somebody poses himself that he is God, he has to prove himself that he is unborn and he is not caused. We are... This is very simple thing. Our practical experience is that I am born and I am caused because the father and mother is the cause. So Kṛṣṇa is not caused, neither He is born. So one has to understand this. Understanding of God, or Kṛṣṇa, is that one should be firmly convinced that God is never born, nor He is caused by anything. He is the cause of all causes. But He is not caused by anything. This is the difference.
Now, what to speak of Kṛṣṇa, you can, if you think of yourself... This material body, how it has developed, such big body? Because the living spark is there. The gigantic material thing grows on the basis of spirit soul. We can understand that. The spirit soul is the basis. Our body, very small particle, spiritual particle, takes shelter in the womb of the mother, and gradually the living spark develops this body. That is our practical experience. And if, some way or other, the living spark is gone... Suppose a dead child is born. It will not grow. It will not change. So this is very simple thing, that on this living being the matter grows, not from matter living being comes in. So we have written a small pamphlet, and in German language it is already published. People are very gladly accepting, reading this book.
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
Because we have got experience of this material world. We cannot see anything subtle. Gross things we can see. Therefore we can understand by our thoughts what kind of form God has got. Sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1). Sat means eternal, cit means knowledge, and ānanda means blissful. So if we compare with our body, then we can understand what is sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1). Sat means eternal. So if we compare with our body, this body is not eternal; it is destructible. It has got a history, it is produced at a certain period, it exists for a certain period, it grows, it gives some by-product, then it becomes older and older, and then vanquished, no more. That is our practical experience, we know. But God's body is eternal. Therefore He hasn't got a body like this. This body is not eternal. Everyone can understand. But His body is eternal. Another symptom, sat, cit. Cit means knowledge. So we have got also knowledge, but not full knowledge. That has been described in the beginning of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, what is the nature of God. Nature of God is described, janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). Nature of God means He is the supreme source of everything. Whatever, janma... Janmādy asya (SB 1.1.1). Janma ādi. Ādi means "beginning with janma."
Now lover and beloved, one is anxious to see the other. If the lover sees the beloved, he becomes happy. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that "If You make Me unhappy for many thousands of years by Your disappearance, but by not being present before Me, I don't mind." Just see. "I don't mind." Āśliṣya: "You either embrace Me, or You trample Me down with Your feet, You are at liberty, whatever You like." Lampaṭa. Lampaṭa, just like a debauched husband sometimes entreats the good wife and the good wife tolerates. There are many instances, such thing, India still, but that is diminishing. Of course, if we say so many stories, it will take... But there are many examples. I have got personal experience of my youngest sister, you see. She is dead and gone. Her husband was a first-class debauchee. (break) ...she could understand, after her marriage. But she was so tolerant that when I used to go to her house, I used to enquire about my brother-in-law and she would reply, "Oh, he has gone just now out." She would never say that her husband never comes home. So in order to hide the secrecy... And later on I saw—this is our practical experience—that debauched husband become a faithful servant of my sister, simply by her toleration. This is practical experience I have seen. So the same thing, sometimes it is happen that a man, man has got a, I mean to say, spirit of controlling.
So this human form of life is meant for understanding God and scientifically, with full knowledge. That is described in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Therefore we are preaching this Bhāgavata discourse. In the beginning of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam what is the nature of God? That has been described, janmādy asya yataḥ anvayād itarataś ca artheṣu abhijñaḥ svarāṭ (SB 1.1.1). God, God is cognizant, He knows everything. He is a sentient being. Not that a dead stone. If God is not sentient being, if God is not a person, how so many powerful persons, sentient persons coming from Him? If the father is not intelligent, how the sons and daughters can become intelligent? A dog cannot give birth to an intelligent person, a person who is intelligent, he can give birth to intelligent children. This our practical experience. Therefore this description of God, aiśvaryasya samagrasya vīryasya yaśasaḥ śriyaḥv, we should try to understand what is God. If you can find out a person who is superior in everything, in wealth, in strength, in beauty, in fame, in knowledge, in renouncement, He is God. Don't capture any fourth-class God. If you are intelligent, try to understand what is the meaning of God and try to understand.
The sun is so big, fourteen hundred thousand times bigger than this earth, and so powerful, blazing fire. You know, those who are scientific men, they know, the sun has got his orbit, and little deviation from the orbit can turn the whole world into snow, and turn the whole world into blazing fire. Where is our scientist friend? Is it not a fact? (Svarūpa Dāmodara makes reply) Yes. It is running under certain orbit exactly, because a little deviation from the orbit will create havoc, catastrophe. Immediately. Either fire or snow. So under whose order the sun is so strictly following the demarcation? Such a big body. Our, in our practical experience, if he has got heavy body, he moves like this. He's not steady. But such a huge body is exactly... According to astronomical calculation, they calculate, some one ten-thousandth part of a second, in this way.
O rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ. There are three stages, you know: sattva, rajas, tamas. The material world is conducted by three modes—the modes of goodness, modes of passion, and modes of ignorance. Therefore we find varieties of men. So one has to come to the platform of the modes of goodness. Just like illiterate, uncultured, animal-like man is trained up to come, to become civilized. By training, it is possible. Just like, by training, even cats and dogs and tigers, they are also become obedient. That is our practical experience. The tiger in the circus, they play obediently to the orders of the master. So by training, it can be possible. But there are two kinds of training process. One process is scheduled: tapasā brahmacaryeṇa śamena ca damena ca (SB 6.1.13). Undergoing tapasya, austerity, brahmacaryeṇa... Brahmacaryeṇa means controlling sex indulgence or sex impulse. Brahmacarya means practically no sex life. Tapasā brahmacaryeṇa śamena, damena (SB 6.1.13), by controlling the senses, by controlling the mind. Tyāgena, by giving up in charity. So there are gradual process, but there is another process. Another process means this Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Now, this material creation is possible when the Supreme Spirit enters into it. This is a problem to the modern scientist, how creation was possible. They cannot understand that without spiritual touch, there cannot be any creation. That is their poor fund of knowledge. The Darwin's theory, development, process of evolution, they are childish. They are concentrating on the matter: matter is evolving. Matter does not evolve; matter is dead. It is due to the presence of the spirit soul it evolves. That they do not understand, although actually we are seeing. Just like a child born. If the child is born dead, it is simply dead matter. It does not grow. It is our practical experience. But if the child is living, or the spirit soul is within that body, then it develops. Similarly, the whole cosmic manifestation, this big universe, unless there is, in the center, the Supreme Spirit, how it develops? It cannot develop. Either you take this body or take this universal body—without the spirit being entered within it, there cannot be development. The modern scientists, they have no knowledge. They cannot understand this. They are so poor fund of knowledge.
So here Draupadī is reminding that, yad-anugrahāt śikṣito bhavatā: "You are neglecting his, satisfying him. Do you think if you kill his son he'll be satisfied? Maybe his son is a criminal from all points of view; still, ultimately, if you kill his son he'll be aggrieved. That is natural. That is natural." There was... In Allahabad, it is our practical experience. Two brothers, all of a sudden, they became angry. They fought one another. One brother was killed. The anger is so dangerous. So naturally, in the court he was ordered to be hanged. Then the father appealed to the court that "My one son is already killed, and the other remaining son, if he is also killed, then what will be my condition?" So court considered this proposal, and the boy was ordered to be killed, he was saved. Yes. So this consideration is there even in ordinary way. And actually, these sons were rogues. They fought, one is killed, another is going to be killed. But this old man will be finished. The court considered it, and he was saved. He was not hanged. He was given some long duration of imprisonment. That we have seen. The same thing, the affection is everywhere. So Draupadī is giving the best instruction, that "By the mercy of Droṇācārya you have learned this art, and now this art you are going to use for killing his son? What is this logic?" Very good argument.
Kṛṣṇa said that "This philosophy, this Bhagavad-gītā yoga system, I first of all explained to the sun-god, whose name is Vivasvān." He spoke the same principle to his son Manu, and Manu also spoke the same principle to his son, Ikṣvāku. So Ikṣvāku came from the sun planet. He happens to be the grandson of Vivasvān. So how you can say that in the sun planet there is no possibility of life? We get the history. And if you say that "In fire how one can live?" No. As we see that in water some other living entities can live, similarly, I may not be able to live in the fire, but there are other living entities who can live there. That should be the right conclusion. Because fire is as good another material element as the water is. As water is also one of the material elements, fire is also one of the eight material elements. So if we can see by our practical experience, there are living entities in the water, so why not living entities in the fire? And in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that living entity, this spiritual spark, is not affected by material influence. In the Vedas also it is..., asaṅgo 'yaṁ puruṣaḥ. It has nothing to do with this material condition.
The whole creation is... Just like real existence is the sun. Try to understand, very easy. Sun, but when it is covered by the cloud, it is called darkness. Or it is covered by another planet, then we find darkness. Actually, there is always light. If you go through the cloud, you come to the sunshine. Everyone has got the experience. Down, when you start your plane, it may be very dark, and then, when you go beyond the sky, seven miles above, then you see there is sunlight. And again, if you start your plane in sunlight, in the morning, in daylight, so in the morning, and go to the western side, you will find never night. You will find never night, always light, always light. Sometimes we have got experience. We start from a place, say, at ten o'clock, and going western side. Then, after few hours, we see it is still ten o'clock, and the light is there. This is our practical experience.
Nitāi: "With the progress of the age of Kali, four things particularly, namely, the duration of life, mercy, the power of recollection, and moral or religious principles will gradually diminish."
Prabhupāda: This is the symptom of Kali-yuga. We have got our practical experience. When I first came in New York, one boy, Nelson, he told me that "Here, even in your front, somebody is being killed. Nobody will take care." I was surprised, how is that? Is that a fact?
Yes, immediately after giving up this body. The example is given in the śāstras that if, when you walk... Just like the steps, like this. So this step is secure, the another step, when you feel it is secure, then you get up, get up this step. This is our practical experience. Similarly, unless our next birth is fixed up, we do not leave this body. At the time of death, by superior authority, what body I'm going to take next, that has to be decided. Then, when it is decided, if he takes little... Because that is for the most sinful person. And for the devotee, it is already decided. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9)— immediately transferred to the spiritual world. Immediately. There is no question of decision; it is already decided. Kṛṣṇa's decision. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti (BG 4.9). Therefore it is said, "A devotee..." Jīvo vā māro vā: "A devotee, either you live or die, the same thing." Why? "You are living, you are serving Kṛṣṇa. When you die, you go to serve Kṛṣṇa. That's all."
So ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhasya. We are now vimūḍha. Now when you say that "These mūḍhas," they become angry. But actually, this is the verdict of the śāstra. So long you are within the time factor, within the material nature, you are vimūḍha. We are all vimūḍha. Ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhasya. And the same thing is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā: ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā kartāham iti manyate (BG 3.27). Nobody is kartā. Here the prakṛti is kartā. Just like when you are under the influence of some contaminated disease, at that time, that disease infection is kartā. You are not kartā. That is our practical experience. When you are in high fever, then your so-called mastership is gone. You are under the mastership of the feverish condition. Similarly, we spirit soul, although we are better in quality than the material element... That is described in the Bhagavad-gītā, apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parām, jīva-bhūtām: "The jīva, living entities, they are better quality than the material elements." But still, on account of his viparyayo 'smṛtiḥ, forgetting God—we are leading a different type of civilization or different type of life—therefore we have been subjected to the influence of time. This is Kṛṣṇa's, or God's, influence.
The first criminal action is that when we forget Kṛṣṇa and our relationship with Him Our relationship with Kṛṣṇa is that Kṛṣṇa is the enjoyer; we are eternal servant. This is our relationship. Just like a big man, rich man: he is the enjoyer and he has got many servants. That we practically see. The capitalist, he starts some business, big factory. Ten thousand men are working, but the capitalist is not working. It is our practical experience. He is aloof from the factory. In a nice place, in a nice bungalow, garden house, he is enjoying. Similarly, God, Kṛṣṇa, He is the enjoyer. You will find, therefore, Kṛṣṇa here in this temple, He is enjoying. He is standing with His elder brother, enjoying in the forest, sporting with His cowherd boy friends, His cows, calves—enjoying in the forest. The description is there in the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam. And those who are playing with Him, those who are associates of Kṛṣṇa in Vṛndāvana, they are also not ordinary persons.
Nectar of Devotion Lectures
This is the transmigration of the soul. The soul is transmigrating form one body to another. That is a fact. But the gross, gross materialists, they cannot see the subtle body. They simply see the gross body. Therefore they say, "When this body is finished, this gross body's finished, everything is finished." No, that is not. Within the gross body, there is subtle body, made of mind, intelligence and ego. So that is... Just like in every day we have got experience. The gross body is lying on the bed, but the subtle body goes out of the bed, out of the room, goes on the top of a hill or somewhere. It works. That is our practical experience. Similarly, when this gross body is finished, no more usable, the subtle body carries the soul to another womb of the mother. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa jantor deha upapattaye (SB 3.31.1). Through the semina of the father, the living entity is injected within the womb of the mother, and the two secretions becomes emulsified, and it becomes just like a small pea, and within that pea the soul is there, and it develops. This is the process of transmigration of the soul from one body to another.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures
They do not see who is behind this explosion. That is their ignorance or poor fund of knowledge. We have got practical experience that no explosion takes place without the touch of a human being. Similarly, even there was explosion going on, but there is a touch of the Supreme Being. That is the statement in the Bhagavad... Mayādhyakṣeṇa (BG 9.10). We are seeing the explosion. Just like child sees the explosion. He does not know that there, behind the explosion, there is a management of a superior being. This is childish observation. Because in śāstra we see that behind everything the hand of the Supreme Being is there, and by our practical experience also, we see that matter does not act automatically without being touched by a living being, so how we can accept this argument, that the explosion is going on automatically? What is the evidence? There is no evidence.
Ke āmi: "Who am I?" Now, suppose I am sitting here, you are all sitting here. Some fly comes and disturbs. We have got daily experience. And he'll disturb. I want to get him out, and he comes again, stops on his mouth and creates some disturbance. A fly, a small fly, not a very big man. So, but after all, this is disturbance. I don't like it, but the fly will come and disturb me. So there is no question that "Why this fly is coming and giving me disturbance? I do not want it." This is sane man's inquiry. But there is no inquiry. I do not want... There are three kinds, jāre tāpa-traya, three kinds of miserable condition. One is called ādhyātmika, another is called ādhidaivika, another is called ādhibhautika. Ādhyātmika means pertaining to the body and mind. All of a sudden my mind is not in order. Suppose a friend has come to talk with me, so I refuse to talk, I am not in mood. We have got this experience. "I cannot talk with you, mind is not in order." This is happening daily, every moment. This is called ādhyātmika. I did not want it, but it has come. All of a sudden I am feeling some headache. I did not want it, but it came. This is our practical experience.
So if in our practical experience we see to obey the order of the Supreme is morality, standard of morality, don't you think to obey the supermost supreme, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, to obey Him, that is morality. That is morality. So if you stick to the mundane principle, then it will not be. Therefore the astrologer advises the poor man,
- pūrva-dike tāte māṭi alpa khudite
- dhanera jhāri paḍibeka tomāra hātete
In other words, that if you take this process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, devotional service, a slight attempt will give you the treasury house of that wealth. A slight attempt. Sv-alpam apy asya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt. This is the only, only path. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ (BG 18.55). In the Bhagavad-gītā you will find that if you actually want God, then you will have to follow this process, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and transcendental loving service to the Supreme Lord. That will make you successful.
Sri Isopanisad Lectures
Therefore less intelligent class of men, they cannot understand how this material energy is being controlled by the Supreme Lord. The godless men, those who are of opinions that this material energy is working automatically, they are fools. That is the explanation of Īśopaniṣad. Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (ISO 1). Everything is being controlled by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And therefore, because He is the supreme controller, therefore He is the supreme proprietor. We can see in our practical experience, the man who controls the whole establishment, he is proprietor, or the president. Similarly, if it is being controlled by some superior person, then He is God. That is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā: mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10). Kṛṣṇa says, "Under My superintendence, this material energy is working, and all these animate and inanimate objects are being produced."
Festival Lectures
There are hundreds and thousands of incarnations. Advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam (Bs. 5.33). Just like you cannot count the waves of the river, it is going on continually. Similarly, the incarnation of Kṛṣṇa is going on eternally, so many. If you take the opportunity of hearing-śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ visnoḥ (SB 7.5.23)—about Viṣṇu's līlā activities... And if you simply stick to the nirakāra Brahman, what we shall hear? Therefore they fall down, these Māyāvādīs who simply take seriously the impersonal feature of Kṛṣṇa, because there is no līlā. "Brahman brahman ahaṁ brahman brahman," then how long it will go on? It will be hackneyed. But when we take to Kṛṣṇa's personal activities, then are newer, newer, newer, and multi and many... Then we get the opportunity of hearing Kṛṣṇa. Then you stick. Otherwise, if I simply become understood about the Brahman feature, it will be hackneyed, we want seek ānanda, pleasure. So in the impersonal feature there is no pleasure. Just like in the sky, even if you take a very nice airplane, and simply fly in the sky, you'll be very much displeased. That is our practical experience. If you go in the sea and for months together remain in the sea, you'll be very much sick. We want pleasure. We want pleasure, varieties. That is Kṛṣṇa's desire. He also discover..., varieties of pleasure, and if we join with Him, we also enjoy the varieties of pleasure eternally in the spiritual world. That is success of life.
General Lectures
So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to engage the mind, the senses, the intelligence always in Kṛṣṇa. Then there is no chance of materially being contaminated. Just like if you keep yourself always in the sunlight there is no chance of coming down into darkness. The darkness cannot penetrate light. Light can penetrate darkness. This is our practical experience. You cannot make sunlight dark, but your darkness can be lighted by sunlight. Similarly, if you keep yourself in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, there is no chance of coming māyā and attack you. No. That is not possible. But if you forget Kṛṣṇa, then māyā immediately will catch you. Just like side by side there is darkness and light. If you keep yourself light, there is no darkness, and if you keep yourself in darkness... So you have to use your intelligence. God has given you intelligence, mind, senses, and you have to utilize them. If you utilize, then you become free from these clutches of māyā or being covered by the three modes of material nature, ignorance, passion, even goodness. Even you become a very good man, moralist, that is also a bondage. That is also your bondage.
When you come to the supreme controller, that He is not controlled by everyone but He controls everyone, that is Kṛṣṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1). This is our definition of God. God means controller. So everyone is controller. In that sense everyone is god. But everyone is not supreme God, supreme controller. Suppose I am controlling some of my students. But I am being controlled by somebody else. Similarly, he is also controlled by somebody else. That is our practical experience. But the supreme controller means who is not controlled by anyone, but He is controller of everyone. That is God. Nowadays it has become a cheap business, to see so many Gods. But you test this, whether he is controlled by anyone. If he is controlled by somebody, then he is not God. If He is simply controller, then you can accept Him as God. That is the definition of God, a very simple definition.
Philosophy Discussions
Prabhupāda: So the pushing is so perfect that all other things come automatically in perfect order. But foolish people, they are thinking that things are coming automatically out of it, without any background. They don't think there is God. They think that nature, there was a chunk, and the creation was there. And wherefrom the chunk came? That is imperfect observation. Perfect knowledge is you take Bhagavad-gītā. Kṛṣṇa says, mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ: (BG 9.10) "under My superintendence." And that is our practical experience. When I manufacture this table, the raw materials, matter, is there, but it has not automatically become table. I have made it by instrument, by my brain. Similarly, this cosmic manifestation has not come out automatically; it is the brain of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore He is the creator. That is nature. Nature is instrumental. Just like the potter: his wheel is going around and the clay is making a pot, but the original cause is the potter. He has given force to the wheel. After the wheel is running, then so many pots are coming out. So nature... Foolish people are seeing that the wheel is moving. They do not see that behind the movement of the wheel there is a potter who has given force. So there is no question of nature. Everything is God, Kṛṣṇa.
Prabhupāda: That's, what is called, that is the nature. First, first of all something is created, then it develops, it stays for some time, then it becomes old, dwindling, and then finished. This is called six changes of sarvika (?), of anything material. But a spirit soul is not material. He is not subjected to all these changes. This is our practical experience. The body is changing but spirit soul is the same. He remembers that "I had this body, a child's body. I have this young boy's body." He remembers; therefore he is eternal. The change is taking place of the body, so therefore the soul has nothing to do with the bodily changes. He has got his perpetual duty, perpetual activity—that is devotional service. So he has to be trained up in that perpetual duty, then he will stop this process of bodily changes, he will remain in his eternal body, spiritual body. That is going back to home, back to Godhead.
Prabhupāda: Yes. We call it māyā. So that can... The body and soul in the material world is there, and therefore the aim of life is how to separate this soul from material body and remain in his original, spiritual form. That is the whole ideal objective for human life, because as long as he remains attached to the body, and... But he has to change the body. That is our practical experience also. We are changing always the body, one after another, and if we give up our attachment for this body, then we are liberated. That is called mukti, to remain in a spiritual body. That is possible only by always thinking of God. That is meditation. That is actual meditation. Man-manā bhava mad-bhakta, always thinking of Kṛṣṇa. To become Kṛṣṇa's devotee, to become worshiper of Kṛṣṇa, and always offering obeisances: "My Lord, I am Your eternal servant. Kindly keep me engaged in Your service"—that much prayer; nothing more. Then he remains always in.
Conversations and Morning Walks
1973 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: When one is too much affected with the rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa, passion and ignorance... What is this kāma? Lusty and greediness. These are the symptoms of rajas-tamo-guṇa. So then therefore we see that all people are lusty and greedy. So as soon as he becomes cleansed, come to the standard of goodness, these two qualities cannot affect him anymore. Tadā rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ kāma-lobhādayaś ca ye (SB 1.2.19). One has to take the process. And it is simple process. Simple... And that, that is actually happening, in our practical experience. They say, they say... They are all rascals, fools. They can say anything and everything. Pāgale kim abole chāgale kiṁ na khāoyā. In the Bengali it is said: A madman, what does he not speak? He speaks any nonsense. And a goat, what does he not eat? So if you keep a madman... They are keeping them mad... That is our protest, that why you are keeping all people mad, crazy, nonsense? And you are also teacher, university? They have no knowledge that what is the aim of life. That you have to protest.
1976 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: No. That is another nonsense. Because you cannot see, practically, the mother and father is the same person. That is not..., father is different.
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Why doesn't life come from the concrete then?
Prabhupāda: No, apart from that, mother and father cannot be one, they must be two. Our practical experience. So how can I accept a rascal like you that father and mother the same?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: But we see that Lord Brahmā is born from the same father and mother.
Prabhupāda: Huh?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Lord Brahmā, he has no mother.
Prabhupāda: But he has a father, and the mother is that lotus flower.
Prabhupāda: Because, just like anything, creation means the mother, the father and the children. That is our practical experience. Without mother, we are nowhere. We are given birth by the mother. So the material nature is the mother. From the material nature, material elements, everything is coming. From the water the fishes are coming, from the land the grass, the worms, and then human being, they are coming. From the air also living entities are coming. So therefore material nature is the mother, and we have come out of the material nature, therefore we are children. Then there must be father, because without father, simply mother cannot give birth. This is science. You cannot deny the existence of God simply by a false argument. This is real argument. The mother is there, material nature, and we are children there. There must be father.
| Page Title: | Our practical experience |
| Compiler: | Labangalatika, Serene |
| Created: | 20 of Oct, 2009 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=6, CC=2, OB=0, Lec=35, Con=3, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 46 |