In the gross material concept of life we are under the impression that "I am this body." Therefore we are concerned with the senses. If our senses are gratified, we think we are now satisfied. So this is the gross type of existence, I mean to say, existence of ignorance. Illusion. Māyā. When one is under the thought that "I am this," this is illusion. Illusion means you accept something, something is presented as reality, and you accept it. Just like the example is given water in the desert. Mirage. There is no water, but a, an animal is hankering, is running after water in the desert. That is practical, that due to sunshine there is a reflection, it appears in the desert. Sometimes you might have seen—not here, in India we have seen several times—that exactly there is a vast water, and it is reflecting, the reflection. That is called mirage. There is not a drop of water, but the animal, when he is thirsty he..., it thinks that "There is water." He jumps into the desert and the water is going ahead, going ahead, and he is running after it and then dying. So this illusion, that "I am this body." So we are after this sense gratification. Body means the senses. So that is mirage, illusion. Just like the animal is running after water in the desert.
This is practical (Lectures, BG)
Expressions researched:
"that is practical"
|"this is a practical"
|"this is also one practical"
|"this is our most practical"
|"this is our practical"
|"this is practical"
|"this is scientific and practical"
|"this is showing the practical"
|"this is the practical"
|"this is very practical"
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
You can become immediately out of the scope of māyā if you always remain surrendered to Kṛṣṇa. Māyā will not touch you. Just like if you remain always in the sunshine, there is no question of night. Nowadays it is very easy. If you simply drive your plane on the western side, you'll never get night. You just round about. Yes. Just like it is materially possible. You drive your plane simply on the western side. Start your plane in the morning and go to the western side and don't stop it. You go on for three, four, as many days as you like. You'll never get night. This is practical. Similarly, if you keep always with Kṛṣṇa, you are guḍākeśa, you will never get darkness. Or māyā will not touch you. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So try to become Guḍākeśa.
The next verse. Kṛṣṇa Hṛṣīkeśa. So He knew the sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭaḥ (BG 15.15). Kṛṣṇa is there. Kṛṣṇa knows what is your purpose, what you want to do, what is your past, future. Everything Kṛṣṇa knows. Everything Kṛṣṇa knows. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. Vedāhaṁ samatītāni; (BG 7.26) "I know everything." So Kṛṣṇa, sthāpayitvā, rathottamaṁ sthāpayitvā. As soon as Arjuna asked Him, senayor ubhayor madhye rathaṁ sthāpaya me 'cyuta (BG 1.21), immediately He carried out the order and He knew why he wants. He wanted to see, "With whom I have to fight, my friends and relatives." He's hesitating. So why this ignorance of Arjuna, the question may be. Arjuna is guḍākeśa. He is above this material world. How he is being affected by his so-called relatives and kinsmen? He was hesitating to fight on this principle, that "They are my relatives. They are my kinsmen. They are my family members." He was always thinking. Therefore Kṛṣṇa knew it. So he has become so family-wise infected. But he is guḍākeśa. How it is possible? He is above all these things. Yes, he is above all these things. By Kṛṣṇa's desire, he is playing like that, ordinary man.
Prabhupāda: Very good.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: ...when he's walking the street.
Prabhupāda: So he is devotee.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He said he was smoking two and a half packs of cigarettes. Now he only smokes three or four. Soon he will stop.
Prabhupāda: (laughs) You see? How practical. Yes. This is practical. One of my Godbrothers, he narrated his life history, that he was distilling wine for drinking. And he said that all kinds of intoxicants he has passed. He is graduate of all kinds of intoxication. (laughs) But when he came to Guru Mahārāja, he left everything. He has not even smoking a biḍi, cigarette. Pāpī tāpī yata chilo, hari-nāme uddhārilo, tāra sākṣī jagāi mādhāi. The witness is Jagāi and Mādhāi. So you accept it.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He'll have to call me. He said he would call tomorrow.
Prabhupāda: Very good.
Dayānanda: Well, did he donate it?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No. We'll have a phone by tomorrow.
Dayānanda: You said he came to the other temple.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Remember the Indian people came that night? I'll tell you who he is.
Dayānanda: With the twelve-year-old boy?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No. He came with his wife that night.
Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. Certainly.
Woman: ...saints and more people...?(?)
Prabhupāda: Certainly. Certainly. Certainly. Therefore the place itself has got some magnetism. You see?
Woman: Yes. And when...
Prabhupāda: Just like at Vṛndāvana, at Vṛndāvana... That is practical. Now here I am sitting, New York, a very great, the world's greatest city, so magnificent city, but my heart is always hankering after that Vṛndāvana.
Woman: Yes.
Prabhupāda: Yes. I am not happy here.
Woman: Yes, I know.
Prabhupāda: I shall be very happy to return to my Vṛndāvana, that sacred place. "But then why you are...?" Now, because it is my duty. I have brought some message for you people. Because I am ordered by superior, my spiritual master, that "Whatever you have learned, you should go to the Western countries, and you must distribute this knowledge." So in spite of all my difficulties, all my inconveniences, I am here because I am in duty. I, I... That is my personal convenience, if I go and sit down at Vṛndāvana, I shall be very comfortable there. And I'll be, I'll have no anxiety, nothing of the sort. You see? But I have taken all the risk in the old age because I am in duty-bound. I am in duty-bound. So I have to execute my duty in spite of all my inconveniences. That is the idea.
Now, how the soul is transmigrating? Suppose after this life, I get better life, that's nice. But if I get lower life, then what is the condition? Suppose next life I get the life of a cat or dog or cow. Suppose you get again birth in America. But if you change your body, then whole circumstances change. As human being, you are given all protection by the state, but as soon as you become another body, either tree or animals, the treatment is different. Animal is going to the slaughterhouse; trees are being cut out. There is no protest. So this is the condition of material life. Sometimes we are getting better condition of life, sometimes we are getting lower condition of life. There is no guarantee. That will depend on my work. That is practical. In this life also, if you become educated, then your future is very nice. If you are not educated, then your future is not so bright. Similarly, this human form of life, we can make a solution of this repeated birth and death. And that is the only business of human form of life, how to get out of these material conditions of life: birth, death, old age, and disease. We can make solution. And that solution is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. As soon as we become Kṛṣṇa conscious... Kṛṣṇa conscious means Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme, He, Lord, God. We are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Simply to understand that... Just like you understand your father, and your brothers and yourself. You are all sons of the father. So it is not difficult to understand. As father maintains the whole family, similarly, Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Lord, or God, He has many innumerable sons, living entities, and He is maintaining the whole body, whole family. What is the difficulty? Then next duty is to become developed consciousness. Just like a good son, when he feels that "Father has done so much for me. I must repay it, or at least I must accept obligation what my father has done for me," this much feeling is called Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So to become Kṛṣṇa conscious, we require to understand three things only:
And if I concentrate my mind, meditation, so am I this body? Then if I am not this body, where I am in this body? Then if he analyzes, he'll find himself within this heart. Within this heart the soul is also there, and the Supersoul is also there. Kṛṣṇa is also there. So the perfectional stage of yoga is to see the Supersoul and understand oneself that "I am individual soul." So that perfectional stages we are immediately offering, that you try to see Kṛṣṇa always, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The yogis are trying to reach a platform after so much exercise of the body. We are giving that thing immediately, that "Be Kṛṣṇa conscious." You are eternal part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, and Kṛṣṇa is the Supersoul. Why should you take so much botheration to find Him within? He's without also. He's all-powerful. He can accept your offerings, and you can take prasādam. This is practical yoga. So we are not beginning from the gross stage. The Bhagavad-gītā, although it is ABCD of spiritual instruction, it begins from that stage, which stage the jñānīs, the philosophers and the yogis, they are trying to reach. But we have no time. In this age by yoga practice, to come to this stage, that "I am not this body"... Ask any student who are practicing yoga, so-called meditation, they are inclined to this body. They are trying to exercise this body and they think that this is the final. No. Simple truth, very simple truth. Kṛṣṇa, as the supreme authority, presenting very simply, that dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā (BG 2.13). As in this body there are different changes, similarly the ultimate change is called death. But the spirit soul, as he's existing within this body in spite of all changes, similarly the spirit soul will continue to exist even after the final change of this body. This simple truth. Try to understand this. This is the basic principle of further progress. If one does not understand this point of view, there is no progress. This is ABCD, that "I am not this body." Read on.
Madhudviṣa: "Rather he should rejoice at their changing bodies from old to new ones."
Similarly, this body you'll change. You will get another body." And who says? Kṛṣṇa says. The most superior authority, he says. I may not understand, but when He says... This is the process of our knowledge. We accept knowledge from the perfect person. I may be fool, but the knowledge received from the perfect person is perfect. This is our process. We don't try to speculate. That may or may not be successful, but if you accept knowledge from the perfect authority, that knowledge is perfect. Just like we are speculating, "Who is my father?" You can speculate who is your father, but that speculation will not help you. You will never understand who is your father. But you go to your mother, the supreme authority. She'll immediately, "Here is your father." That's all. And you cannot know father in any other way. There is no other way. This is practical. You cannot know your father without the authoritative statement of your mother. Similarly, things which are beyond your perception, avan mānasa-gocara, you cannot think of, you cannot speak of. Sometimes they say, "God cannot be spoken. God cannot be thought of." That is all right. But if God Himself comes before you and says, "Here I am," then where is the difficulty? Where is the difficulty? I am imperfect. I cannot know. That's all right. But if God Himself comes before me...
"Know that which pervades the entire body is indestructible. No one is able to destroy the imperishable soul." (Prabhupāda recites verse in Sanskrit)
Now it is very clearly enunciated, the nature of the soul. Any sensible man can understand. This is practical. Formerly, all the verses, they were more or less theoretical: dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā (BG 2.13). This is, it may be taken theoretical. Not theoretically, but actually the fact, but still less intelligent cannot understand that there is a soul within this body. But here it is explained very clearly. Avināśi tu tad viddhi. Tat—that thing which is spread all over the body. Avināśi tu tad viddhi, tad—that, avināśi—imperishable. So what is spread all over the body? Consciousness. That is spread all over the body. Everyone can understand that if I pinch any part of my body or your any part of the body, you feel pain. Or similarly, if you get some other facilities, pleasure, so pains and pleasures are felt so long there is consciousness. Any man can understand. And as soon as the consciousness is not there, sometimes we are made unconsciousness by drugs, by chloroform and other anaesthetic medicine, or by nature, unconscious stage.
According to the instruction of the Vedas: Harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam (CC Adi 17.21). Repeatedly, in every Vedic literature. And practically, Caitanya Mahāprabhu introduced practically. And He asked every Indian to go outside India and preach this cult, Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. But we are not doing that. We are going outside our country to beg only. Not to give. And here is a prime gift. You can give all over the world. Your country will be glorified. They're anxious for this. Pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi grāma. Caitanya Mahāprabhu's prediction: "As many towns and villages are there on the surface of the globe, everywhere this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, or Lord Caitanya's name, will be celebrated." (CB Antya-khaṇḍa 4.126) That is being done. There is immense field for introducing this Hare Kṛṣṇa cult all over the world. That is practical. Unfortunately, although Caitanya Mahāprabhu entrusted the matter to every Indian... Not that to the Bengalis, because He appeared in Bengal. He never said for the Bengalis. He said, bhārata-bhūmite manuṣya-janma haila yāra (CC Adi 9.41). "On this holy land of Bhāratavarṣa, anyone who has taken his birth as a human being, he should make his life perfect." Janma sārthaka kari'. You cannot preach without making your life first of all perfect. If I remain imperfect, I cannot preach. One must be perfect. That is not very difficult. We have got direction of great sages and saintly persons and God, Kṛṣṇa, Himself.
So this is a great science, what Kṛṣṇa is—Kṛṣṇa science. It is simply a synopsis; Bhagavad-gītā is only a synopsis of the science of God, and it is more explicitly given in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavata. But after all, it is a great science. If we study it very seriously, then we can understand... We should not take so cheaply that "Here is a God, here is a God, here is a God." No, no. God is not so cheap. God is one, and He is great. "God is great," as in your English language it is said, and nobody can be greater than Him or equal to Him. That is the position of God. Now here, Arjuna, he accepts Kṛṣṇa and he says that "You are Paraṁ Brahman." Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma (BG 10.12). Dhāma means in which everything rests. We are resting, everything is resting. Just like... This is scientific and practical, you know, that the innumerable planets that the, that you can see at night as, I mean to say, luminaries, stars in the sky, each and every one of them, more or less, they are all different kinds of planets. But do you know how they are floating in the space? They are floating on the sunshine, on the sun rays. They are floating. That you can see. Similarly, the sunshine is the imitation of the brahma-jyotir that is coming out of the body of the Supreme Lord. So everything is resting on the shine of the Supreme Lord. Therefore He is called paraṁ dhāma. Paraṁ dhāma means "everything resting on You." Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitram (BG 10.12). Pavitram. Pavitram means uncontaminated. Because we, although we are Brahman, now we are contaminated by this material body. But the Lord has no contaminated body of this material existence. We have already noted, īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda...
If living, I mean to say, human beings, including all civilized, uncivilized, any, any number of whatever, Indian, American, and European, anything, take altogether, they will be four, four parts, and all other living creatures, they'll be eighty parts. The proportion is so big. But in the human society you'll find that we have got some occupation for our livelihood. Either one is doing business or one is working or one is engineer, one is a lawyer, or one is a daily worker, some way or other, we are doing all these things for having our livelihood. But, but we are these only four. But in the creation of the Lord there are other eighty—they have no such engagement. Neither they are lawyer, neither they are engineer, neither they have any business, neither they have occupation, neither they make any agriculture, nothing of the sort. But they are happy. They are having their foodstuff. This is a practical thing. Not only that, even particular, a particular animal, what he likes, that particular foodstuff is supplied to him.
Just like children. A child born, immediately it cannot take anything in the world except the mother's milk. The girl, the first child born to a girl... Before the childbirth there was no milk in the breast, but as soon as there is child, oh, there is milk supply in the breast. You see? This is nature's law. This is God's law. So practically, we have nothing to bother; simply we have to work according to the direction of the Supreme. You, you... So far the animals are concerned, they are called... They are also working. They are also working, but working with the help of the nature. But we go beyond the nature. Because we have got better intelligence, we are not satisfied with the nature's product, but we are endeavoring to turn the nature's product by industry into some other thing, and the result is my high intelligence is being used only for the satisfaction of the body without any culture of spirit. That is the whole mistake of civilization, that I have got better understanding, I have got better intelligence than the animals. But how I am utilizing it? In the same principles of eating, sleeping, fearing and mating. So my energy is being... (break) "...not make you happy. You just try to... (break)
The affection is there. What is that affection? Due to this body. That's all. Because I am thinking that "My body is Indian, and here, there is another body whose body is also Indian. Oh, let me have some talks with him." This is affection. Similarly, all our affection. There are thousands and millions of women loitering in the street, but there is one woman, oh, with whom I am very much intimately connected because I have got bodily relation. Leaving aside all the women, I call one particular one, "Oh, he's my, she's my wife." Or the wife says, "She's my husband." Why? This bodily relation. So this bodily... One who does not identify with this body, therefore his bodily affection also diminishes. His bodily affection also diminishes.
Now, the stage of sannyāsa, just like we have adopted, this is a practical example how much one has been able to become free from bodily affection. This is a chance. This is a chance given. Just like at home I have my wife, I have my children, I have my grandchildren, everyone, I have my daughters and everyone, but somehow or other, I have thought that "What is this relation?" Therefore I have been able to live aloof from these bodily rela..., relatives. And actually, in this old age, one should desire to live within the family with wife, with children and there are so many comforts. But no. This should be... The development of one's consciousness is that he should voluntarily, voluntarily try to, I mean to say, become free from this affection. Why? This affection is not bad, but this affection will lead me again to have another body. My whole process is that how to get out of this bodily relation, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9). The whole human activities should be concentrated to get rid of this bodily, material bodily connection. Then I shall be happy really. Real happiness, real freedom. That is real freedom. For want of this spiritual knowledge, we do not know how much free we are.
And if you live your life for sacrifice, sacrifice of yajña, then you will never be unhappy. You'll never be in want. We become unhappy for want of things which we require. This is practical. This is practical. Anyone... You will be surprised.
I have taken practical information. In 1942 there was a manufactured famine in Bengal by the manipulation of the then government. It is for the first time we experienced that India... In our childhood, when we were children, at that time the first-class rice was selling three dollars for 82 pounds. Can you imagine? Three dollars. Not three dollars, I mean to say, dollar is exchange. Say, for less than one dollar, three-fourth dollar. Three rupees. Three rupees. The exchange of dollar and rupees is: five rupees make one dollar. Now, it was selling at 3.8. So about, I mean to, 75 cent. 75 cent for 82 pounds of best rice. I have seen it in my experiencing of life. When I was a boy in India it was selling. Can you imagine that? But that rice all of a sudden rose in 1940, ten dollars. Now, just imagine if something, the price of something, is raised from 75 cent to ten dollars, how difficult it becomes for the public, for general mass of people. So so many people were in difficulty, and so many people died for want of food, diseases, famine, because when there is want of food... But you will be surprised... I inquired in 1942. Persons who were in our line, I mean to say, engaged in devotional service... I also purchased at the same time. I had... In my family life at that time, I had some responsibility: my self, my wife, my five children, servant, and so many, about ten people. And I was purchasing rice. So anyway, management was going on. But so many people died. But you will be surprised. Those who were in some way or other in touch with the devotional service, I inquired from them individually, and I was satisfied that they were not in difficulty even in that famine circumstances.
When I was a boy in India it was selling. Can you imagine that? But that rice all of a sudden rose in 1940, ten dollars. Now, just imagine if something, the price of something, is raised from 75 cent to ten dollars, how difficult it becomes for the public, for general mass of people. So so many people were in difficulty, and so many people died for want of food, diseases, famine, because when there is want of food... But you will be surprised... I inquired in 1942. Persons who were in our line, I mean to say, engaged in devotional service... I also purchased at the same time. I had... In my family life at that time, I had some responsibility: my self, my wife, my five children, servant, and so many, about ten people. And I was purchasing rice. So anyway, management was going on. But so many people died. But you will be surprised. Those who were in some way or other in touch with the devotional service, I inquired from them individually, and I was satisfied that they were not in difficulty even in that famine circumstances. Even from the villages I inquired that "Were you in difficulty?" They replied, "No, we have no difficulty. Some way or other, we are managing." So this is practical. Anyone who is engaged in the devotional service, whose life is dedicated for service of the Supreme, you will see practically that there will be no want, there will be no unhappiness. This is a fact. This is a fact.
Just like when we initiate, give Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, he is supposed to be above the all material modes of nature. And when he has practiced, we offer him the sacred thread. This is the prescription of this age. Otherwise, you cannot select who is brāhmaṇa, who is śūdra, who is kṣatriya. It is very difficult. Only one who takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he comes to the transcendental platform, and he's above the brāhmaṇas. He is no longer a śūdra, kṣatriya. He's above the brāhmaṇas, a Vaiṣṇava. So this is the only process to raise a person from the lowest position to the highest standard. And that is factual.
Now, take a brāhmaṇa who has come from India and compare his character and the character of our student, how he has become more than a brāhmaṇa, the so-called brāhmaṇa. This is practical. The so-called brāhmaṇas, they have come here, they are doing all nonsense, not following any rules and regulation. But still, they are claiming that they are brāhmaṇas. Brāhmaṇa is not meant like that. Kṛṣṇa says cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). "The four castes, they are introduced by Me according to quality and work." There is no question of birth. Kṛṣṇa never said birth. Otherwise He would have said cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ janma-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ. No. He says guṇa-karma. Guṇa means quality, and karma...
Just like if you have achieved the quality of a medical practitioner, then your work shall be a medical practitioner. Similarly if one has achieved the quality of a brāhmaṇa or Vaiṣṇava, then his activities should be like that. If I become Kṛṣṇa conscious and if I work as a butcher, that will not be. You have to work just like a Vaiṣṇava. So guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ. You have to acquire the qualities and work like that. Then it is perfect.
We have got this body, that body, this body, under the direction of the prakṛti, material nature. So therefore intelligence is that "If I am eternal..." Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). You are not dying. Hanyamāne śarīre.
That you can experience practically, daily. How is that? When you sleep at night, then you dream, means subtle body. So these activities of this gross body stop. You again work in the subtle body. You dream that you have gone to somewhere or in the forest or somewhere, somewhere, somewhere. But you forget that "My real body is lying in this bed." You do not remember. This is practical. So I change this, myself. I am soul. I change from this gross body lying on bed in a very nice apartment, skyscraper building, but I have gone to the forest, and I am affronting a big tiger and I'm crying. In this bed I am crying. The friends say, "Why you are crying?" "Tiger, tiger, tiger." Where is tiger? This is called subtle body. So you are changing daily at night from this gross body to the subtle body. And again the dream is over, from the subtle body, again to the gross body. Every one of us has got this experience.
You also took, many times, but you have forgotten." That is the difference. Tāny ahaṁ veda sarvāṇi na tvaṁ vettha parantapa. You cannot remember. Actually, we do not remember. What I was in my last birth, I do not know. Death means forgetfulness. Death means to forget everything.
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.
"As sure as death." But nityasyoktāḥ śarīriṇaḥ. Śarīriṇaḥ means the spirit spark which is occupying this body. That is nitya; that is eternal.
So whole process is that the eternal has to get rid of this nonpermanent material contact. And he has to take leave for the spiritual world. So... (aside:) Come on. So the whole process is that during our present existing life we have to practice in such a way that we remain constantly on the higher nature, on the spiritual nature. Exactly in the same way: just like you put the iron rod in the fire and make it warmer, warmer, warmer, warmer, and so long it does not get red hot, so it becomes fire. This is practical. In the same way you have to put yourself in such a way that you are always in, constantly in, the higher nature, not that for one hour, two hour we make this association, we try to be in higher nature and after leaving this place we again turn to the lower nature. No. We should always, whatever we hear from here, from this place, we should try to understand clearly without any doubt.
Just like Lord Kṛṣṇa says here, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9), that anyone who understands Kṛṣṇa's appearance, disappearance and activities, all these transcendental things, he goes back to the kingdom of Godhead after leaving this body. Now this fact should be clearly understood. So I am trying to make you understand it clearly, how it can be possible. This is possible in this way, that you have to think of Kṛṣṇa always, "How is that that Kṛṣṇa appears in His transcendental body and how He disappears?" So everything, scrutinizingly we have to understand.
Now, suppose you are working, you are getting, say, hundred dollars. You give it to Kṛṣṇa. That is service. The practical example is that these European, American boys, they are all qualified, but they have dedicated their life to Kṛṣṇa. They are working, and we are collecting also thousands and thousand of dollars daily, but we are spending for Kṛṣṇa. This is service. You can see by their practical example. They can earn daily hundreds of dollars, but they are not demanding any very comfortable place to sit down or to lie down or to have some palatable dishes. Whatever is Kṛṣṇa's prasādam, they are accepting, and they are living in any condition of life. So far I am concerned, I am Indian. I am coming from a poor country. But they are not coming from poor country. From their childhood they are accustomed to all comforts of life. How they have sacrificed everything for Kṛṣṇa? That is practical example. So the point is when one learns how to love Kṛṣṇa, how to serve Kṛṣṇa, immediately he becomes detached from all material comforts. That is explained, vīta-rāga-bhaya-krodhā man-mayā mām upāśritāḥ (BG 4.10). If you accept Kṛṣṇa... We are serving. We cannot do without serving. But we are serving our senses. So instead of serving our senses, if we serve the senses of Kṛṣṇa, that is perfection of life. So you learn how to serve the senses of Kṛṣṇa, you'll be happy. That's all. All right, any other question? (pause) Then let us chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Oh, there is question. One question, all right.
We can give an example. Just like we take care of our body. We want to keep body very fit, healthy and beautiful, very nicely kept. Why? Why we take care of our body? Because I, the spirit soul, part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, I am living in this body. Therefore I take care of my body. Nobody takes care of the dead body. This is a fact. Either I take care of my body, or my family's body, or my wife's body, or my children's body.
Why? Because the part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa is there. The soul is there. And as soon as the soul is gone, the part and parcel is gone from the body, the body has no value. Throw it away. The same body. This is practical. Therefore I love my body because the part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa is there. Or you love your body. I love your body. Only for the reason, jīvanaṁ sarva-bhūtānām—the part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa is there. Then why the part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa is taken care of? Because it is part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore ultimately, my love goes to Kṛṣṇa, all-attractive.
So everyone is seeking for happiness, but they are misled. Although they are trying to approach Kṛṣṇa, they are misled. One can directly come to Kṛṣṇa, but they do not want. They indirectly. So indirectly and directly, everyone is seeking Kṛṣṇa. Mama vartmānuvartante manuṣyāḥ pārtha sarvaśaḥ.
Prabhupāda: No. These people are not talking. They are realized. Talking is the beginning but there is realization. Just like when I did not come to your country I was talking that "America is like this." But now when I have come to America I realize what is America. So talking is theoretical understanding and when you realize that is practical understanding. One is called jñāna, other is called vijñāna. So jñāna and vijñāna both things are there, theoretical and practical.
Young Woman: So how to realize Kṛṣṇa?
Prabhupāda: You have to adopt the process. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Young Woman: Say that again?
Prabhupāda: You have to adopt the process. Ādau śraddhā. If you are inquisitive to understand that is your first stage of faith. That is called śraddhā. Ādau śraddhā. In the beginning your inquisitiveness that "I want to understand," that is faith. Then next stage is association of persons who know, sādhu-saṅga (CC Madhya 22.83). Then initiation. Then disappearance of all misgivings. Then steady faith. Then attachment. And then ecstasy. Then realization. These are stages.
So if you are anxious to know then please come to our classes. We are discussing simply this subject matter so you'll kindly, if you kindly come, gradually you'll be able to understand. It is not very difficult. All my students, they are all American boys and girls. I have not brought with me any Indian or Hindu but they are understanding. Just talk with them. They will be able to explain how they are understanding. So similarly you will also be able to understand. It is not very difficult subject. But you must be sincere to understand. That is the only qualification required. That's all. Yes?
Only the bhaktas can understand Him. Therefore Bhagavad-gītā was spoken to Arjuna, bhakto 'si, "You are My devotee." So Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa's name, Kṛṣṇa's form, Kṛṣṇa's attributes, Kṛṣṇa's pastimes, they can be understood by the bhaktas only, not the nondevotees. Nondevotees cannot understand that na māṁ karmāṇi..., this process, that Kṛṣṇa is not bound up by any material laws.
The example is given by Śukadeva Gosvāmī to Mahārāja Parīkṣit: tejīyasāṁ na doṣāya (SB 10.33.29). Tejīyasām. Just like the sun. The sun is evaporating the urine from the street. But that does not mean sun is infected. Although sun is evaporating the urine, the stool, or any contaminated place... Rather, he is, sun is sterilizing that process. This is practical. If sunshine is anywhere, even the most contaminated place, the sun does not become contaminated, but the place becomes purified. Is it not a fact?
Similarly, Kṛṣṇa... Kṛṣṇa was very beautiful. So gopīs became attracted with Kṛṣṇa. As it is natural, a young boy is attracted with young woman or young girl is attracted... That is natural. Yuvatīnāṁ yathā yūnaḥ.(?) It is natural. So the gopīs, they were attracted by Kṛṣṇa's beauty. And therefore they went to Kṛṣṇa. But the result was that the gopīs became purified; Kṛṣṇa remained uncontaminated. This is understanding of Kṛṣṇa. Some way or other, if one reaches Kṛṣṇa, he becomes... Kamāt krodhād bhayāt. Either by lusty desire or by anger or bhayāt... Just like Kaṁsa. Kaṁsa was always thinking of Kṛṣṇa, that "Kṛṣṇa is coming. So how shall I kill Him? How shall I kill Him?" Bhayāt, out of fear. So he also got salvation. Kṛṣṇa killed him. He got salvation. So gopīs approached Kṛṣṇa out of lusty desire, but they became purified. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, ramyā kācid upāsanā vraja-vadhū-vargeṇa yā kalpitā. So even one approaches Kṛṣṇa with impurity, he becomes purified. Now, Kṛṣṇa does not become impure. Don't think like that.
This is the general tendency of anyone who is in the material world. And in the Western world it is very prominent. In our country it was not prominent, but now the program is "Make it prominent. Eat more meat, drink wine, and work very hard." This is the program, going on. The leaders are recommending. So actual, there is tendency already. Āmiṣa madya-sevā, vyavāyāmiṣa-madya-sevā, and if we encourage them more, then they become entangled more and more. The Manu-saṁhitā says, pravṛttir eṣā bhūtānāṁ nivṛttis tu mahā-phalā. That is general tendency. But it has to be minimized, because in the spiritual position there is no such thing.
Even ordinary students who are trying to make progress in spiritual life, they are not interested, āmiṣa-madya-sevā. They are not interested. This is practical. Even these European and American boys, they were accustomed to vyavāyāmiṣa-madya-sevā, keeping boyfriend, girlfriend, and drinking, and intoxication, and gambling, and meat-eating, everything. They were accustomed from the childhood. But they have given up. Pravṛttir eṣā bhūtānāṁ nivṛttis tu mahā-phalā. That is general tendency. The Vedic civilization tries to control.
Similarly, you will find that these boys and girls acting in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, what they are doing? They have rented a nice house which is called temple. They are cooking there, eating there, dancing and singing. The outsider they will say, "What is this Kṛṣṇa consciousness? They are living in the nice house and they are eating very nicely, dancing, singing. What is the difference? We also do that. We go to the club and eat very nicely and dance also. What is the difference?" There is the difference. What is that difference? The one milk preparation causes disorder, another milk preparation cures. This is practical. Another milk preparation cures you.
If you go on dancing in the club and eating in the club gradually you become diseased materially. And the same dancing and same eating here you become spiritually advanced. So nothing has to be stopped. Simply it has to be changed by the direction of an expert physician. That's all. The expert physician gives you yogurt mixed with some medicine. Actually medicine is just to bluff the patient. Actually the yogurt will act.
So similarly we have to do everything but because it is mixed up with that medicine of Kṛṣṇa consciousness it will cure your material disease. That is the process. Because it is mixed up with some medicine which is called Kṛṣṇa consciousness therefore your dancing, your eating, your loving affairs—all, whatever you want there is but it is well-treated. It will not entangle you. It will give more and more enlightenment of spiritual understanding. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Yes.
Māyāvādī philosophers, they do not know that there is relationship that the Para-brahman and Brahman can be engaged in loving transaction. That they do not understand. They think that Brahman, when merges into the existence of Para-brahman, then business is finished. No. Business is not finished. Because we are individuals. It is not possible to remain without any activity. That is theory, that without any activity we can remain. That is not possible. And if we have no information of the spiritual activity, then we have to come back again to this material activity. That is practical example. There are many sannyāsīs. They so-called merging into Brahman, but they come back in material activities, in politics, in sociology and so on. So therefore these instructions are very valuable. nirāśīr yata-cittātmā tyakta-sarva-parigrahaḥ śārīraṁ kevalaṁ karma. Śārīra, just to maintain your body. Be satisfied. Whatever is supplied by Kṛṣṇa, be satisfied. Don't aspire more and more. Save time for advancing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.... (break).... so that you can, with great enthusiasm, you can make progress in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Śārīraṁ kevalam. Not for sense gratification.
You have to eat. These things are eatable: food grains, vegetables, fruits, milk, sugar. That's all. Why should we eat nonsense things? This will keep your health very nice. Sāttvikāhāra. And you can prepare so many nice preparations within this jurisdiction. Why should you go and kill animals for the satisfaction of the tongue? That is not allowed. Then you will be again entangled. Otherwise, to keep your body in nice condition, you eat all these things which is meant for the human being. Then you will keep fit and save time for advancement in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And if you become always engaged for sense gratification, go on working, working, working, then go to the restaurant, eat, drink and make your body agitated, then find out liquor and woman, what is this life? This is not life. This is animal life.
Eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. So there is no such question. God is supplying food to everyone—to the birds, beasts, ants, insects, aquatics. There is no such question that "I have to feed them." If you have to feed them, just try to give them kṛṣṇa-prasādam. Prasāde sarva-duḥkhānāṁ hānir asyopajāyate. This is the policy.
So if a person becomes Kṛṣṇa conscious, that "I am part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa." As Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ (BG 15.7). We are actually part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. And Kṛṣṇa is providing food for everyone. Avaśya rakhibe kṛṣṇa viśvāsa pālana. Kṛṣṇa is providing everyone.
Just like in our society.... This is practical. We have got about hundred branches, and each branch, we have got not less than twenty-five men, up to two-hundred-fifty. But we have no, I mean to say, provision store. Every day we depend on Kṛṣṇa. If food comes.... This is called ākāśa-paḍi.(?) The food must be dropped from the sky. This is called ākāśa-paḍi.(?) And Kṛṣṇa will send. If Kṛṣṇa sends, then we eat. But you will be surprised that we have to spend not less than $80,000 per month, but Kṛṣṇa is supplying. Eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. Why Kṛṣṇa will not supply? If Kṛṣṇa is supplying to the elephant in the forest, and those who have dedicated their life to Kṛṣṇa, they will not be supplied with the necessities? Why not?
Viśvāsa pālana. This is called faith. One should know, "If Kṛṣṇa is supplying food to the elephants in the jungle and to the ants in the hole of my room, what we have done that He will not supply food?" This is common sense. That is called yadṛcchā-lābha-santuṣṭaḥ. But he must be satisfied, whatever Kṛṣṇa gives. If Kṛṣṇa gives luci, puri, that is also all right, and if he gives śuṣka cāpāṭi, that is also all right. Yadṛcchā-lābha-santuṣṭaḥ. Because we are depending on Kṛṣṇa. Whatever Kṛṣṇa gives, we should be satisfied. We should never be dissatisfied, "Oh, Kṛṣṇa, today is giving only śuṣka canna." No, whatever Kṛṣṇa gives.... That is devotee. Yadṛcchā-lābha-santuṣṭaḥ.
One should have not only theoretical knowledge, but practical knowledge. Practical knowledge. Simply understanding that "I am not this body, I am not body," then I am doing all nonsense of this body. I am discussing... There are so many societies. They are very seriously discussing Vedānta philosophy and smoking, with wine glass, and very enjoying life. You see. So that sort of jñāna, that sort of knowledge, is not necessary. You see? So jñāna-vijñāna. One should have knowledge perfectly, and it must be demonstrated. Demonstrated in practical field. Yes. But that means one who has actually felt himself that "I am not this body," then naturally his bodily necessities will be reduced to the minimum. Will be reduced to the minimum. That is practical. If I am going to increase the demands of my body and I am simply theoretically thinking that "I am not this body," oh, that is not required. Jñāna-vijñāna-tṛptātmā.
A man, a person, will be satisfied when there is jñāna, knowledge, and science side by side. Jñāna-vijñāna, practical knowledge. Kūṭastho vijitendriyaḥ. Then he's conquered over the senses.
"If somebody offers Me flower, fruits, vegetables, milk, with devotional love, I accept and eat." Now how He's eating, that you cannot see in the present—but He is eating. That we are experiencing daily. We are offering Kṛṣṇa, according to the ritualistic process, and you see the taste of the food is changed immediately. That is practical. He eats, but because He is full, He does not eat like us. Just like if I give you a plate of foodstuff, you finish. But God is not hungry, but He eats. He eats and keeps the things as it is. Pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya pūrṇam evāvaśiṣyate (Īśo Invocation). God is so full, that He can take all the foodstuff that you offer, still it remains as it is. He can eat with His eyes. That is stated in the Brahma-saṁhitā: aṅgāni yasya sakalendriya-vṛttimanti. Every part of the limb of the body of God has got all the potencies of other limb. Just like you can see with your eyes. But you cannot eat with your eyes. But God, if He simply sees the foodstuff you have offered, that is His eating.
So these things cannot be understood at the present moment. Therefore this Padma Purāṇa says that only when one becomes spiritually saturated by the transcendental service to the Lord, then, are the transcendental name, form, quality and pastimes of the Lord revealed to you. You cannot understand by your own endeavor, but God reveals to you. Just like if you want to see just now the sun, it is now darkness.
The neck and the skull and the body should be in one straight line. Samaṁ kāya-śiro-grīvaṁ dhārayann acalam. And should not move. Sit down like this. Samprekṣya nāsikāgram. And one has to see the top portion of the nose. Not that one has to close his eyes completely. No. Then you cannot see. Samprekṣya nāsikā agram. You have to see the upper portion of the nose. That means if you... I have seen in some of the yogic societies, they close the eyes completely, and some of them, about fifty percent of them are snoozing, or sleeping, regularly. Because as soon as you close your eyes, and if you have no subject matter to think, and you have been posted to meditate, you do not know to what to meditate, then the next result is sleeping and nothing more. That is practical. So one has to sleep very hard. Somebody was inquiring here... (chuckles) Of course, some of the students, they were sleeping so he was sarcastically (asking) that "Are they sleeping or meditating?" So I (said), "Yes, they are meditating by lying down." Yes. So sometimes meditation goes on in sleeping. No. That is not the process. You cannot close your eyes completely. Then you will invite the queen. Sleep and she will capture you. Whole process will be like that.
You haven't got to do anything. Simply fix up your mind. Sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayor vacāṁsi vaikuṇṭha (SB 9.4.18)—if you talk, talk of Kṛṣṇa. If you eat, eat of Kṛṣṇa. If you think, think of Kṛṣṇa. If you work, work for Kṛṣṇa. So in this way, this yoga practice will be perfect. Not otherwise. And that is the perfection of yoga. Devoid of all material desires. If you are simply desiring for Kṛṣṇa where is the scope of material desire? Finished, all material desire finished. You haven't got to try for it artificially. "Oh, I shall not see any nice girl. I shall close my eyes." That you cannot do. But if you fix up your mind in Kṛṣṇa consciousness you are dancing with so many beautiful girls. That's all right, as brother and sister there is no question. This is practical perfection of yoga. Artificially you cannot do.
Simply in Kṛṣṇa consciousness all perfection is there. Try to understand it. All perfection. Because that is spiritual platform. Spiritual platform is eternal, blissful and full of knowledge. Therefore there is no misgivings. Yes, go on.
Similarly, in this chapter the process of yoga practice is recommended, how you have to do it. So that means if you execute these prescribed methods, then you become freed from material contamination. Then you are actually situated for linking up, for making connection with the Supreme. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Our method is directly to connect you. That is the special gift of Lord Caitanya. Immediately to contact him with Kṛṣṇa. Because ultimately you have to come to that point, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So here this method is that directly, immediately. And it is practical also. Those who have no qualification, they simply by coming in contact with the society they have become highly advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is practical. So in this age we have to give chance to the people, direct contact. No slow process method will help them because the life is very short, they are not very much fortunate and the association is very bad. Therefore, direct contact—harer nāma (CC Adi 17.21). Simply Kṛṣṇa is presented in the form of His transcendental name and you contact Him immediately by hearing. You have got natural instrument, hearing. You simply hear "Kṛṣṇa" and you become uncontaminated immediately. Go on.
Therefore sādhu-saṅga (CC Madhya 22.83) means to associate with devotees, those who are devotees of Kṛṣṇa. That is sādhu-saṅga. Caitanya Mahāprabhu, in another place, says: sādhu-saṅga sādhu-saṅga sarva-śāstre kaya, lava-mātra sādhu-saṅga... Sādhu-saṅga sādhu-saṅga sarva... lava-mātra sādhu-saṅge sarva-siddhi haya (CC Madhya 22.54). Sādhu-saṅga is very important. If we can associate with real sādhu, means real devotee, unadulterated devotee, anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam (Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.1.11), then the recommendation is that simply by associating with sādhu all perfection will come. By simply associating... Sādhu-saṅga sādhu-saṅga sarva-śāstre kaya, lava-mātra sādhu-saṅge sarva-siddhi. So this is very practical. We have got little experience how sādhu-saṅga is powerful. So ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgaḥ. First thing is faith.
- ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgo 'tha bhajana-kriyā
- tato 'nartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt tato niṣṭhā rucis tataḥ
- athāsaktis tato bhāvas tataḥ premābhyudañcati
- sādhakānām ayaṁ premṇaḥ prādurbhāve bhavet kramaḥ
- (Cc. Madhya 23.14-15)
These are the steps, krama. Krama means one after another. So our, this Kṛṣṇa Consciousness Movement is enacted just to create little faith. In Kṛṣṇa. Then the person whom we are trying to help, his business is to associate with sādhu. Satāṁ prasaṅgān mama vīrya-saṁvido bhavanti hṛt-karṇa-rasāyanāḥ kathāḥ (SB 3.25.25).
You haven't got to exercise your body. Suppose you are weak or you feel some tiredness, but in Kṛṣṇa consciousness you won't feel. All our students, they are simply anxious to be overloaded with work, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. "Swamiji, what shall I do? What can I do?" They are actually doing. Nicely. Very nice. They don't feel tired. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. In the material world, if you work for some time, then you'll feel tired. You'll require rest. Of course, I am not, I mean to say, exaggerating myself. I am an old man of seventy-two years. Oh, I was ill. I went back to India. I have come again. I want to work! I want to work. Naturally, I would have retired from all these activities, but I don't feel... So far I can do, I want work. I want to..., day and night. At night I work with dictaphone. So I am sorry... I become sorry if I cannot work. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. One must be very much anxious to work. It is not that it is an idle society. No. We have got sufficient engagement. They are editing papers, they are selling papers. Just simply find out how Kṛṣṇa conscious can be spread, this much. This is practical.
So if you want really peace, if you want to be happy, take to this philosophy, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And the beginning is how to develop attachment for Kṛṣṇa. So the process which we have prescribed, this chanting before the Deities and offering prasādam, this will make you gradually advanced. So we shall talk later on further on this subject. If there is any question, you can inquire.
So similarly, theoretical knowledge that we have got a particular type of relationship with God, that you cannot deny. Anything, whatever you have got in your possession, you have got some particular relationship. Suppose you are Americans, we are Indian. So we have got some particular relationship with the state. I am Indian citizen, you are American citizen. So relationship must be there. You are sitting here. There is some relationship. Suppose my students, they have got relationship with me. I am their teacher, they are my disciples. Or if you are not my disciple then you are audience, I am speaker. Must be there some relationship.
So similarly, if with everything we have got some relationship, why not with God? There is. That is practical relationship, but we have forgotten. We have forgotten our relationship. And yoga means to connect, to reconnect that relationship again. That is called yoga. Yoga is not a mental speculation or for health's sake. Oh, for health's sake you may not go to the yoga system. If you simply adopt the practice of Sandoz exercise you can become very healthy, very strong. There is no need of... Yoga is different thing. Yoga means concentration of the mind towards God, God, Paramātmā, which we have forgotten now.
At the present moment, although we remember sometimes there or the material energy, we have forgotten. So we have to establish, reestablish our forgotten relationship. It is not that you have no relationship with God and we are artificially forcing something, relationship with God, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. No. You have your relationship. Simply by hearing, by cultivation of this knowledge, you revive your relationship, that's all. Just like in the matches there is fire. You simply rub it for some time, for a few seconds, oh, the fire will come out. Similarly, your relationship with Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, is there within you. Otherwise, how could you accept the Kṛṣṇa consciousness? "I've imported Kṛṣṇa from India," that is also a mistake. Kṛṣṇa is not for India or America. Just like the sun. This is same sun which I have seen in India, the same sun is in your America. So nobody can claim, "Oh, this is Indian sun and this is American sun." Sun is one. It is our miscalculation that we say, "This is American land, this is American sun, this is American atmosphere." No. Everything in relationship with God. That is jñānam. That is knowledge. And vijñānam. And practical also.
Yes. Impersonal... Just like sunshine and the sun disc and the inhabitants of the sun globe. In one sense, they are one unit. You cannot separate sunshine from the sun disc or the sun disc from the inhabitants or the predominating deity of sun planet. They are all in light, but still there is difference. Sunshine is coming within your room. Although the sun disc and the sunshine is not different, still, when you realize what is sunshine, that does not mean you realize what is the sun disc. This is very practical. To understand what is sunshine does not mean to understand what is sun disc. You can have some idea: "The sun disc is also light, and it has got heat. It is illuminating." These ideas you can get, but not exactly what is the temperature of that sun disc, how you can live there. There are so many things to learn. Therefore, impersonal Brahman, understanding of impersonal Brahman, is not perfect knowledge.
Exactly... Knowledge of sunshine is not perfect knowledge of sun. That you can understand very easily. Suppose daily you are having sunshine within your room. Does it mean you know what is sun disc or what is the inhabitants of the sun globe? No. Nobody knows. Similarly, impersonal knowledge of the Absolute Truth is like that. That is not complete knowledge. Although it is light, sunshine is also light, sun disc is also light and the inhabitants there, they also must be light. Otherwise, how can they live? They also must be fiery. Because the inhabitants there, they are also fiery, without being fire how you can live in fire? Sun is fire; everyone knows it. The temperature is very high. So one, without having a body suitable to that temperature, how they can live there? But there are living entities. That we have got. Because you cannot live in the water, that does not mean there is no living entity in the water.
So that is Vedic injunction. Just like from lawbook when you give evidence before the Justice, it is accepted law. That is in the law. Similarly, whenever there is reference in the Vedic literature, we have to accept. And practically we have seen people did not know the name of Kṛṣṇa three, four years ago, they are mad after Kṛṣṇa, the European, American. This is the practical fact. Therefore through the grace of Lord Caitanya, through the method given by Lord Caitanya, if we approach Kṛṣṇa it becomes very easy. That was the..., detected by Rūpa Goswāmī. Namo mahā-vadānyāya kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te (CC Madhya 19.53). Kṛṣṇa-prema. To attain Kṛṣṇa, to understand Kṛṣṇa is very difficult. Kṛṣṇa Himself says so.
- manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu
- kaścid yatati siddhaye
- yatatām api siddhānāṁ
- kaścin vetti māṁ tattvataḥ
- (BG 7.3)
So one does not understand what is Kṛṣṇa, then what to speak of loving Kṛṣṇa? If you don't understand somebody, how you will love him? But through the method given by Lord Caitanya, if we accept, it becomes so easy that even mlecchas and yavanas, who never heard of Kṛṣṇa, they are dancing in ecstasy for kṛṣṇa-prema.
At home there is no such facilities. Here you will get the facilities. Here the devotees, they are actually following the instruction of mad-āśrayaḥ, one who has taken the shelter. They are rising early in the morning. And at home you will think, "Oh, what is early in the morning?" (laughter) "Let me enjoy sleep."
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.
So here it is stated by Kṛṣṇa, mayy āsakta-manāḥ. How we can become attached to Kṛṣṇa? You have to think over. Kṛṣṇa's different features, His name, His quality, His pastimes, His form, His entourage—so many things—you can simply think over. That is practical and actual meditation. If you study Vedic literature, you get so many information about Kṛṣṇa. And all these will be revealed to you. Svayam eva. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ (Brs. 1.2.234). We cannot understand Kṛṣṇa by our speculative knowledge. If we try to do that, then we can approach up to the impersonal Brahman feature of Kṛṣṇa. Brahmeti. That is not full Kṛṣṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa's partial realization. Brahman realization means Kṛṣṇa's partial realization. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, brahmaṇo 'haṁ pratiṣṭhā: "The Brahman, the all-pervading Brahman, impersonal Brahman, is situated in Me." That's a fact. That is also stated in the Brahma-saṁhitā:
"After finishing this body, everything is finished." Just see. No. 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.
This is intelligence. Kṛṣṇa is saying, He's not bluffing. So why not take Kṛṣṇa's word as truth and immediately, mam prapadyate, immediately surrender? "Kṛṣṇa, I do not know anything. I simply surrender unto You. Please protect me." That's all. Finish business. Very simple thing, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Everyone can take. Doesn't require to become very highly, scientist, philosopher and something like that. Simply accept Kṛṣṇa's words and see the result. And the result is happening also. Those who are accepting Kṛṣṇa in that way and trying their best to please Kṛṣṇa with this human form of life, how much they are happy, how they are enjoying life.
So this is practical. So our request is that everyone should try to understand the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement and be happy. Thank you very much. (break) Yes. Yes. What is that?
"I am speaking to you a process of knowledge, jñānam." Jñānam means knowledge. Te: "unto you." Ahaṁ sa-vijñānam. Sa-vijñānam means... Jñānam is theoretical, and vijñānam means practical. Just like in scientific knowledge, the student has to pass both theoretical knowledge and practical knowledge. Theoretical... "Combination of this chemical and that chemical makes this chemical," this is theoretical knowledge. But when you mix these two chemicals or three chemicals and produce that object, that is practical. Recently, I may say, in California University, one learned professor came there to speak about the evolutionary theory of chemicals, and he said that life is produced, perhaps you know, from four chemicals. But when one student he said that "If I supply these four chemicals, whether you can produce life?" In answer to this, he said, "That I cannot say." That is imperfect knowledge. If you say, "Life is produced from chemicals," then you must make experimental demonstration, by mixing those chemicals, you produce life. That is called vijñānam, practical demonstration. Otherwise it is not perfect. Scientific knowledge means observation, then experiment. If you fail in your experiment, that is not scientific knowledge. It must be experimented.
That is samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu. Not artificially you can make samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu. Artificially it is not possible. There will be some distinction, must be, bodily. So therefore, on the bodily platform, they are trying to become united. The United Nation is trying for the last forty years, but there is no unity; it is not possible—on the bodily platform. But on the spiritual platform there is unity. Just like in our movement, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, you'll find all different nations, all different colors, all different religion, all different sex. They are all united in chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. This is united nation. There is no distinction. And this is not artificial, this is practical. So the people are trying to become united, oneness. That is not possible on the bodily platform. So this bodily concept of life can be vanquished, can be, I mean to say, rejected on the spiritual platform.
So here Kṛṣṇa says that first of all our material conception of life... We are in the material world. We see everything as stone and wood and earth and water and fire and everything. We have got the capacity to see all these things. Here Kṛṣṇa says that this bhūmi, this earth; āpa, this water; anala, this fire; vāyu, air; kham, the sky, ether; mana, mind... That is still subtle. Up to ether, you can see, but the mind, which is still finer than the ether, mana, that you cannot see. Mind, everyone knows you have got mind, I have got mind, but you cannot see the mind, neither I can see your mind. Here is the subtle. First gross: bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ, up to ether. Ether also we cannot see, but we can understand here is ether by (claps) sound. As soon as there is sound, this is the understanding of ether. Ether, vāyu, you can touch, but you cannot see.
So by the association of God in this way, by consciousness, that "Here is God, here is Kṛṣṇa. In sound there is Kṛṣṇa, in the taste of the water there is Kṛṣṇa, in the illumination there is Kṛṣṇa," so how you can avoid Kṛṣṇa? Every step you can remember Kṛṣṇa. And if you can remember in that way, then your association is permanent, twenty-four hours, your association with Kṛṣṇa.
So association with Kṛṣṇa means just like association with daylight, sunshine, there is no question of contamination. If you get sunshine always, oh, you will never be..., ultra violet rays... That is scientific truth. If you are always in the sunshine, there will be no disease. This is a practical point. This is a practical fact, that modern medical science, they approve a disease incurable. They recommend, "Just lie down on the sunshine." Yes, it is a fact. And Vedic rules, one man who is diseased, he worships sun. That means he has to come into the sunshine, and naturally his disease will be cured. Similarly, as you associate with sunshine, you are cured of all diseases, similarly, if you associate with Kṛṣṇa always by consciousness, there is no trouble. There is no material trouble. Try it. Simply by sounding Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare. Not only sounding, this is also going on at the same time, this consciousness: "This water is Kṛṣṇa. The taste of the water is Kṛṣṇa. The sound is Kṛṣṇa. This illumination is Kṛṣṇa." In this way you have to practice.
So one should be devotee first of all. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). We must approach a bona fide guru in order to understand the science of Kṛṣṇa. Abhigacchet. This I have explained several times. So anasūyave. If you want to learn Kṛṣṇa, then you should be very much humble and submissive to Kṛṣṇa and His devotee, anasūyave.
Jñānaṁ vijñāna-sahitam. Jñāna, this knowledge, most confidential knowledge, it is not sentiment. Vijñāna-sahitam. It is science. Just like in scientific knowledge you must know theoretically and practically. Not only that, you simply know that so much oxygen, so much hydrogen produces water by mixing... That is theoretical. You have to make water by mixing these two chemicals—that is practical. So in the B.A.C. examination they take examination, test, theoretical and practical. So theoretical is,, Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). But when you really surrender, that is practical science. That is practical. If you decide to surrender—that is called śaraṇāgati—then you have to learn the science how to become surrendered. That is vijñāna. Jñāna means theoretical knowledge and vijñāna means practical knowledge. So we have to do it practically, not that "I have read Bhagavad-gītā and Bhāgavata. So I have become a devotee." No. You should practically demonstrate in your life that you are actually devotee. That is called vijñāna-sahitam. Jñānaṁ vijñāna-sahitam.
And yaj jñātvā. If you learn this science, yaj jñātvā mokṣyase aśubhāt, the result is you become liberated from this aśubha, inauspicious condition of life, aśubha. What is that inauspicious condition of life?
Oh. These are only primary principles. They are available even in animal life. But in this age even these primary principles... No one has got shelter, no one has arrangement for eating nicely, no one has got the mating or wife, and everyone is afraid of "When there will be war declared, and I'll have to go to the warfield?" This is the position.
Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyāḥ (SB 1.1.10). Unfortunate. And upadrutāḥ: "In spite of all this, he's always disturbed with diseases and so many other things." This is disturb. This is the position. Therefore Lord Kṛṣṇa, He thought that if these people are allowed, if they have to come to the point of liberation under the regulative process, it is impossible. So out of His causeless mercy, He came as Lord Caitanya, Lord Caitanya, and distributed this highest perfection of life, ecstasy, spiritual ecstasy, by chanting this Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare, Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare. This is practical. This is practical. It does not depend whether you are now liberated or non-liberated, what is your position, what is your condition. Doesn't matter. Just come and take part in it, and you'll feel spiritual ecstasy. Therefore it is called rāja-vidyā rāja-guhyaṁ pavitram. Pavitram: "It is very pure." Anyone who takes to this process, he becomes immediately purified. Or the purification process begins immediately. Immediately. Pavitram.
To reestablish the religious system. Yuge yuge sambhavāmi, "I come." He comes. So, or He sends His representative, His son or His devotee. His servant. In this way, Kṛṣṇa is trying to enlighten the whole human society.
So we should take advantage of it. If you don't take advantage of it, aśraddadhānāḥ, no faith, no interest... Aśraddadhānāḥ puruṣāḥ, the human being. This is a chance of human form of life to accept the system which is offered by God Himself. That is our duty. But if one is not interested, then the result is that aprāpya mām. "He cannot get Me." Aprāpya mām. So if we don't get Kṛṣṇa, then what is the wrong there? Very, very wrong. That Kṛṣṇa says: nivartante mṛtyu-saṁsāra-vartmani, (BG 9.3) then he remains in the cycle of birth and death. That is not very pleasing job. We are making material efforts to make nice road, nice cars, nice skyscraper building, nice other facilities of life. But why I am doing this? This is practical. If I am called by death. How, we are not very happy, "Oh, I am attempting to build this and now I am dying," this is very painful. Sometimes at the time of death, they cry, that "I could not finish my business."
If you work in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that is real intelligence. And if you work against Kṛṣṇa, that is foolishness. That is the distinction between intelligent and foolishness. Jñānam. Jñāna means knowledge. Now, so far knowledge is concerned, here is a key packet. If you want to make research who has made this packet, who has discovered it, in which country first it was introduced, in what material it is made, oh, you can write volumes of books. You can speculate in any damn thing, and you can write volumes of books. That does not mean that you are a man of knowledge. There are so many.
I'll give you one very nice example. This is practical. In my youthhood I was manager in a big chemical firm. So there was a sulphuric acid chamber. There was some defect. It was not working well. In that chamber sulphur is given, and it is fused, and then acid comes out. So it was not working. So there were many scientists. They were sitting, consulting books: "Oh, why it is not working?" Then the managing director, Dr. Bose... He was very intelligent man. He at once went to another firm. They were also chemical. He knew there was an ordinary worker; he was very experienced. So... He was Muhammadan. He called him at once, "Just come and see what is defect there." And he at once came and manipulated some machine—at once acid transformed. All the theoretical scientists, they sat down. So this kind of experience you'll find even an ordinary man.
And even in bird you'll find. They have got some sort of specific intelligence or knowledge. That is not knowledge. You'll find even in animals there are some wonderful activities which we cannot perform. That is not knowledge. Knowledge means to understand spirit and matter. That is knowledge, what is spirit, what is matter. Just like after intellectual research you find that there is something within this body which is working without which this body is useless. Then, when you come to knowledge that this is this and this is that, when you understand that this is spirit and this is matter... Matter is working due to the touch of the spirit.
The fact is that within this body there is the owner of the body. That is called soul. Dehino 'smin yathā dehe (BG 2.13). This is not the cause of our intelligence, but it is given by Kṛṣṇa, less or more intelligence. That is your position. But that knowledge, where you get? Not in the university, but you get from the Bhagavad-gītā. Therefore our request is, our only propaganda is, "Be Kṛṣṇa conscious. Try to understand everything, all problems." Then the solution is there in the Bhagavad-gītā.
The present problem is food problem. It is not simply talking on this platform or that platform. Yesterday some news reporter, "Sir, what is your view of the Bhagavad-gītā, dvaita-vāda, advaita-vāda?" The dvaita-vāda, advaita-vāda—that we shall consider later on. Come to the practical field. Now, suppose there is scarcity of food. So Kṛṣṇa does not say that this problem of scarcity of food will be solved by dvaita-vāda philosophy or advaita-vāda philosophy. Kṛṣṇa says practical way: annād bhavanti bhūtāni (BG 3.14). Annād. You have, you must have sufficient food grains for the living entities, animal or man. This is practical. There is no question of talking. What is he talking of advaita-vāda philosophy or dvaita-vāda philosophy when you are needy, you require anna? That is practical solution given by Kṛṣṇa. Annād bhavanti. He never says that your food problem will be solved by philosophizing advaita-vāda or dvaita-vāda. Here is practical. Annād bhavanti bhūtāni. You must find out sufficient grains. Annād bhavanti bhūtāni parjanyād anna-sambhavaḥ. Parjanyāt. When there is sufficient rain, then there will be food grains, not by your advaita-vāda philosophy or dvaita-vāda philosophy. These are practical solution.
"They are My separated energy." So this whole earth is creation of these five elements, gross elements. So it is Kṛṣṇa's property. How we can claim, "This is our property?" That is illusion. We are claiming, "This portion is American," "This portion is Indian," "This portion is Pakistani," but we do not know that no portion belongs to us; everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa.
For practical purpose, even if we accept that the whole world belongs to Kṛṣṇa, God, and we are sons of God, we have got right to use the property of father, so you can use. But the difficulty is that we are claiming that "This portion is mine, this portion is mine." But if we don't claim like that, everything belongs to God, that is practical communism. If we accept the whole world as the property of God, make God-centered communism... The Russians, they are making the state-center communism. But if you make God center... That is Īśopaniṣad, īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam: (ISO 1) "Everything belongs to God." And everyone has, that is stated in the śāstra, that everything belongs to God, everything is property of God, and we can utilize. We can use that. Yāvad artha-prayojanam. As much as we require, we can take.
Just like the birds and beasts. They are living on nature's condition. The bird will go to a tree and eat some fruit, but not more than he requires; neither he will take the fruit at his home to stock for next day or for making black market. No. We have created all this nonsense situation by claiming God's property as ours. This is the mistake. But the rascal leaders, they do not know what mistake they have committed in the beginning.
And if you do not supply food, you cannot say that the fingers, if they capture a nice sweetmeat and if he cooperates, "No, I shall not give to the stomach. I shall eat." He cannot eat, the fingers cannot eat. It must give to the stomach and take the prasādam energy. Then the fingers and eyes will work, so we must serve.
Therefore, in the Bhagavad-gītā the last instruction is that "You surrender to Me. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). So if we surrender to God and if we serve God, because we are part and parcel, then we shall be happy. The energy will come from the central.
Just like the energy is coming from the heart. Because, this is practical medically, and scientifically. The energy is coming. As soon as the heart fails, everything stops. And the energy is there because īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe arjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). Hṛd-deśe, it is there, the īśvara, the Supreme Lord as Paramātmā, is situated within your heart. Now you find out, if you have got means to see. But the situation is given, described in the śāstra.
Therefore yogis they try to find out God within the heart. Dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena manasā paśyanti yaṁ yoginaḥ (SB 12.13.1). Yogi, those who are yogis, transcendentalists, they are trying to observe the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Dhyānāvasthita, by meditation. That is real meditation, to focus the mind to see the Supreme Personality of Godhead within the heart. But who can see? That is also described in the śāstra. Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu (Bs. 5.38), again hṛdayeṣu, hṛdayeṣu. Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ, santaḥ, saintly person, being developed in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, in love of Kṛṣṇa...
That is not possible. Therefore we have to go abhayaṁ sattva-saṁśuddhiḥ. This process is recommended. Kṛṣṇa says, and Kṛṣṇa says also this. So actually, Kṛṣṇa says ultimately, sarva-guhyatamam, "The most confidential knowledge I am giving you: sarva dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇam (BG 18.66). This is the most confidential." So, so long we are not able to come to the platform of thinking the gold and the stone on the equal value, we have to follow these rules and regulation. But that is the highest consideration. Just like Sanatāna Goswāmī, he didn't care for this touchstone. Not for the ordinary man. The ordinary man cannot make that all of a sudden; therefore it is not for him. So what was the purpose of saying that Gītā says sama-loṣṭrāśma-kāñcanaḥ? Why did you raise this question? What is the purpose? We can not raise, ordinary man, but why did you raise this question? What is the purpose?
Guest: I think this is practical for a householder.
Prabhupāda: But I don't think. Then what is the difference? Therefore, household luxury is allowed up to fiftieth year in order to learn, pañcaśordhvaṁ vanaṁ vrajet. That is Vedic system. Not to remain householder until you are fired, you see, or you are taken by death. Just like our big leaders. They won't give up their householder's life unless he is fired to death, or death takes him away. That is not very good proposition. My Guru Mahārāja used to say that this householder life means it is a concession for sense gratification. That's all. But our position is that we should not continue sense gratification for all the life. The sense gratification process is going on by the hogs and dogs throughout the whole life, but we should not be like hogs and dogs. We should cease at a certain time. Pañcaśordhvaṁ vanaṁ vrajet. So far, no more. That should be our model. Not that continue. That, that is Vedic way of life. Pravṛttiṁ-nivṛtti. So long pravṛtti, attraction for household life, and next nivṛtti, "Now I shall be detached." But the asuras, as it is said, pravṛttiṁ ca nivṛttiṁ ca na vidur āsurāḥ janāḥ (BG 16.7). And if you continue simply pravṛtti-mārga, then you'll remain asura; you don't become deva. The whole process Vedic system is, even if you are asuras, gradually by practice, by good association, by following the principles of śāstra, we can become deva. So our, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, actually we're doing that. These boys, they are so..., according to our śāstras they are born in asura families, but they are coming deva. And they have become devas. So that is not impossible. It doesn't matter, janmana jāyate śūdraḥ saṅskarād bhaved dvijaḥ. Anyone can be born of lowborn, śūdra-born, or lower than śūdra born, but by this process, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, kirāta-hūṇāndhra-pulinda-pulkaśā ābhīra-śumbhā yavanāḥ khasādayaḥ ye 'nye ca pāpā (SB 2.4.18)—more than, still lower born—śudhyanti prabhaviṣṇave namaḥ. That is the wonderful, I mean to say, power of the Supreme Lord.
| Page Title: | This is practical (Lectures, BG) |
| Compiler: | MadhuGopaldas, RupaManjari |
| Created: | 12 of Apr, 2013 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=52, Con=0, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 52 |