Real devotee, santaḥ, saintly persons, their eyes are purified by the ointment of love of Godhead. Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti (Bs. 5.38). They are seeing Kṛṣṇa or his worshipable God... Kṛṣṇa has many forms. Rāmādi-mūrtiṣu. Kṛṣṇa has His form as Lord Rāmacandra, as Varāha, as Kūrma, as Nṛsiṁha. Ananta-koṭi. Innumerable forms He has got. All of them are Kṛṣṇa. So a devotee, on account of his eyes being smeared with the ointment of love of God, he sees Kṛṣṇa twenty-four hours within his heart. That is the vision of the devotee. Atheist class will say, "Where is God?" Because he has no eyes to see the God. But a theist class or a devotee, he sees God, or Kṛṣṇa, twenty-four hours. He does not see anything else. In the Caitanya-caritāmṛta it is said, sthāvara jaṅgama dekhe nā dekhe tāra mūrti (CC Madhya 8.274). A devotee, mahā-bhāgavata, highly advanced devotee, he sees trees, but he does not see the tree. He sees Kṛṣṇa. How? Has he gone mad? No. Actually he sees. But what is this tree? The tree, outwardly, is Kṛṣṇa's energy. Your body, my body, the trees's body, the dog's body, the cat's body. What are these bodies? The bodies are made of the external, material energy. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca, bhinnā me prakṛtir aṣṭadhā (BG 7.4). The material elements, they are simply Kṛṣṇa's external energy. So as soon as a devotee sees anything material, he sees immediately the energy of Kṛṣṇa, and along with the energy of Kṛṣṇa, he sees immediately Kṛṣṇa. Reactory. He actually. With reference to the context.
Twenty-four hours (Lectures, Other)
Lectures
Nectar of Devotion Lectures
There are many other instructions in the śāstras. Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ (CC Madhya 17.136). That I explained. Kṛṣṇa is not approachable by our these blunt senses, material senses, with designation. Unless one is freed from all designations. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu instructs, "I am not a brāhmaṇa, I am not a śūdra, I'm not a kṣatriya, I'm not a brahmacārī, I'm not a gṛhastha, but I am the servant of the servant of the servant of Kṛṣṇa, who is the maintainer of the gopīs." Gopī-bhartur pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsānudāsa (CC Madhya 13.80). So Kṛṣṇa is not visible to the atheist class of men. Kṛṣṇa's only visible to the devotees. And the devotee sees Kṛṣṇa and nothing but Kṛṣṇa, and twenty-four hours. It is not that Kṛṣṇa is... A devotee sees Kṛṣṇa while he's worshiping only, and other times, he's not seeing. No. He's seeing twenty-four hours. But the atheists, they ask, "Can you show me Kṛṣṇa? Can you show me God?" The reply is, "Have you got the eyes to see Kṛṣṇa?" It is not so easy, Kṛṣṇa. In the Brahma-saṁhitā it is said,
- panthās tu koṭi-śata-vatsara-sampragamyo
- vāyor athāpi manaso muni-puṅgavānām
- so 'pyasti yat-prapadya-sīmny avicintya-tattve
- govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi
- (Bs. 5.34)
Govinda. Panthās tu koṭi-śata-vatsara-sampragamyo. Pantha means road. If you walk over the path of Kṛṣṇa... Suppose Kṛṣṇa, there is Kṛṣṇaloka. Above this material universe, there is another spiritual sky, paravyoma. It is called paravyoma. That is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā, paras tasmāt tu bhāvaḥ anyaḥ 'vyakta 'vyaktāt sanātanaḥ (BG 8.20).
Prabhupāda: Uh.
Gurudāsa: He wants you to describe what it is.
Devotee (1): And how should we observe it,
Prabhupāda: Ūrjā-vrata, you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa twenty-four hours one month (laughter) That's all.
Gurudāsa: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa...
Prabhupāda: Yes. Don't sleep, don't eat. This is ūrjā-vrata. Can you execute?
Devotee (1): I don't know. (laughter)
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Devotee (2): Śrīla Prabhupāda, I may have missed a point about the atheist. He sees God at the time of death. Does he see the form of Kṛṣṇa at the time of death?
Prabhupāda: No. As the form of death. Kṛṣṇa has many forms. So death is also Kṛṣṇa's form. Ye yathā mām prapadyante tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham (BG 4.11). One who has become inimical to Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa appears as enemy. Just like He appeared as Narasiṁhādeva to Hiraṇyakaśipu. So Hiraṇyakaśipu was very great personality. He was father of Prahlāda Mahārāja. Ordinary man, they fear the death. That fearful death, meeting with the fearfulness is their meeting with Kṛṣṇa. All right. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)
So we have to give up these things to accelerate our promotion to devotional service. We cannot go on doing this and that at the same time. It is something like that, you ignite fire and pour water. It will be useless attempt. If you want to burn the fire blazing, don't put water on it. Keep it dry. Similarly, if you want to advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then you cannot indulge in sinful activities. And when you are proved that you are no more sinful, yeṣām anta-gataṁ pāpam, one who has become freed from the reaction of sinful life, yeṣām anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ janānāṁ puṇya-karmāṇi...
You have to do something. So if you engage yourself twenty-four hours in pious activities, pious activities in goodness, that is also tainted. But when you actually engage yourself in the devotional service of Vāsudeva, as we were discussing this morning, the verse, vāsudeve bhagavati bhakti-yogaḥ prayojitaḥ, janayaty āśu vairāgyam... (SB 1.2.7). So even if we are accustomed to sinful activities on account of bad habits, still, we can engage ourself in devotional service of Vāsudeva. So those who are sincerely devotee of Vāsudeva, sometimes due to their past habits, may commit something sinful, not knowingly, but habituated; that is excused by Kṛṣṇa. Api cet su-durācāro bhajate mām ananya-bhāk. But not wilfully. Wilfully, if we commit some sinful activities, that can be excused once, twice, but not thrice. then you'll be punished. Therefore a devotee should not commit wilfully any sinful activities in order to keep himself always fit in devotional service. He should try to keep himself steady, without committing any sinful actions. The primary sinful activities are described, and we try to follow. And if we chant sixteen rounds and keep ourself always aloof from the sinful activities, then it is certain, niścayāt, utsāhān dhairyāt, niścayāt tat-tat-karma-pravartanāt, sato vṛtteḥ sādhu-saṅge ṣaḍbhir bhaktiḥ prasidhyati.
"The first-class yogi is he who is always seeing Me within his heart." Yoginām api sarveṣāṁ. There are different types of yogis. The first-class yogi is he who can see Kṛṣṇa within his heart constantly, without any cessation. Smartavyaṁ satato viṣṇuḥ vismārtavyaṁ na jātucit. This is the process. One has to observe Viṣṇu within the heart always. Smartavyaṁ satato viṣṇuḥ vismartavyam na... This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. One has to think of Kṛṣṇa or see Kṛṣṇa within the heart twenty-four hours. That is perfection of yoga. Yoginām api sarveṣāṁ mad-gatena āntarātmanā.
But the atheist class of men, they do not see. They do not like to see. Just like Hiraṇyakaśipu and Prahlāda. Prahlāda is the son of Hiraṇyakaśipu; a great devotee. And the father is atheist. That is the struggle. This struggle between the atheist and theist, always existing. But God, Hiraṇya, I mean to say, Nṛsiṁha-deva appeared. Nṛsiṁha-deva appeared for the solace of the devotee, Prahlāda, and for the death of the atheist. Both of them saw. Prahlāda saw Nṛsiṁha-deva as the most worshipable Deity, and Hiraṇyakaśipu saw the same person as death. Therefore God can be seen by everyone, atheist or theist, but they see in a different way. The, the theist, the devotee, sees God... Just like these devotees are worshiping the Lord, Kṛṣṇa, that "Here is Kṛṣṇa, Rādhārāṇī, and let us offer Him respect by offering ārātrika, prasādam." They're seeing also. The atheist will say, "What this nonsense? Some idol they are worshiping." The atheist will see, "What is this non...?" But that atheist will see God at the time of death, when He'll come as Nṛsiṁha-deva: immediately finished. All his assets, finished. With the body, the, everything he has possessed, the family or the house, the bank balance, this or that, everything is finished. Now he begins another chapter.
So Kṛṣṇa also says, mad-bhakta-pūjā abhyadhika. Kṛṣṇa is satisfied more when a devotee worships His devotee. Kṛṣṇa says, "If one is worshiping Me and one is worshiping My devotee, then the person who is worshiping the devotee, he's more important than the person who is worshiping Kṛṣṇa."
Therefore in, in the Gurvaṣṭaka by Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura, it is said there: yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo. Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo yasya aprasādād na gatiḥ kuto 'pi **. The best devotee is the spiritual master. Unless one is devotee, pure devotee, how he can be spiritual master? Spiritual master means representative of God. So who can become representative of God. Unless he is twenty-four hours engaged in the service of God, Kṛṣṇa, how he can be spiritual master? This is also explained by Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstraiḥ. The spiritual master is described as good as Hari, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Because the, the spiritual master is representative of Kṛṣṇa because he's most confidential servant of Kṛṣṇa. Kintu prabhor ya priya eva tasya. Yasya pra... Sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstrair uktas tathā bhāvyata eva sadbhiḥ **. The spiritual master is worshiped as good as the Supreme Person. Sākṣād dharitvena. This is not artificial, but in all the śāstras, this is recommended. Sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstrair uktas tathā bhāvyata eva sadbhiḥ **. Those who are learned devotees, advanced devotees, they also accept this that spiritual master should be treated as good as Hari, the Supreme Person. Why? Now...
You have left your country, everything, and you are going everywhere, coming with me. Not for any material profit, but for increasing your Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is called utsāhān, enthusiasm. Our whole Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is depending on this enthusiasm. Just like I went to your country. At the age of seventy years, nobody goes out of home. But there was enthusiasm, "Yes, I must go." And because I went, there is something. You have got the information. Similarly, enthusiasm is the basic principle, ādau.
Utsāhān dhairyāt. By patience. Not that "I am working so hard for Kṛṣṇa, but I'm not getting any impetus." No. Don't be impatient. Kṛṣṇa will give you chance. He's giving chance always, twenty-four hours, imperceptibly. But we cannot appreciate very much. Kṛṣṇa sees. As far as we are able, according to our strength, He gives responsibility. But we must be... Rest assured, when we have taken shelter of the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa fully, without any reservation, Kṛṣṇa must be pleased; maybe it will take some time. This is called niścayād, certainty, assurance. Utsāhān dhairyāt niścayād tat-tat-karma-pravartanāt. You have to execute the routine prescribed duties. Tat-tat-karma-pravartanāt. You cannot go against the principles of devotional service. With patience, you must execute. Tat-tat-pravartanāt. Sato vṛtteḥ. Sato vṛtteḥ means dealings must be very honest. No duplicity. Very frank, plain. Sato vṛtteḥ, sādhu-saṅge, and in association of devotees. Ṣaḍbhir bhaktir praṇasya..., uh, prasidhyati. In this way, our propensity for, of love for Kṛṣṇa will increase.
Similarly, there are other six methods. Prajalpa niyamāgraha.
No. He sees everything vacant. Why? Due to love. Similarly, when we'll come to that position, we shall see everything vacant without Kṛṣṇa. Then that is the proper position to see Kṛṣṇa. Śūnyāyitaṁ jagat sarvaṁ govinda-viraheṇa me. Lord Caitanya says that "I am not a devotee of Kṛṣṇa." "Now, Sir, You are crying always for Kṛṣṇa." "That is simply to show, make a show that I am a great devotee of Kṛṣṇa." Then? "No, how we can understand that You are not...? We know You're..." "No. Because I am still living without Kṛṣṇa, that means I have no love for Kṛṣṇa. I should have died long, long ago." Caitanya Mahāprabhu says. So this much ecstasy, this much eagerness, when we come, then can see always. Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilo..., santaḥ sadaiva. Twenty-four hours, he can see Kṛṣṇa. He cannot see anything but Kṛṣṇa. Just like the sunrise. As, as soon as the sun rises, you start your aeroplane, and you go on, towards the eastern, western side, you'll find always day. A practical... There will be no sunset. We have seen it while coming from Paris to London. Was it not? There was sunshine. We started from Paris at twelve o'clock and we reached London at three o'clock.
The same example. Just like six-thirty, sunrise, as soon as it passes from India, the six-thirty in another country. And as soon as it passes that country, six, six-thirty in another country. So six-thirty always there. Similarly six-thirty, twelve-thirty, three o'clock, all the times, twenty-four hours, always present in some, somewhere or other. Similarly Kṛṣṇa's līlā, from His birth up to the disappearance, that is always existing. Disappearance means disappearance from my eyes. Kṛṣṇa does not disappear. Just like formerly people used to think, after the sunset, the sun is dead. Huh? Who were the persons that used... Sometimes, you...? They thought like that: "Sun is dead now"? Some philosophers or the Christians, they used to think like that. Similarly sun... (break) ...no birth and death because you are Kṛṣṇa's part and parcel. But we disappear. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, tathā dehāntaram-prāptir dhīras tatra na muhyati (BG 2.13). One who is sober, he knows that "This man, he's not dead." Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). "He's not dead. He has simply passed from this body to another body." Just like a mother, when the child from baby's body comes to a boy's body, the mother does not cry, "Oh, where is my son, that baby?" She knows that baby has come to this body. Similarly, a person who is in the knowledge of the transmigration of the soul, he knows that "My father, my brother, he's not dead. He has simply changed his body." Dhīras tatra na muhyati. One has to become dhīra, sober, to understand the things as they are. Tathā dehāntaraṁ-prāptir dhīras tatra na muhyati.
Because our suffering is due to association of the three guṇas. Kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya sad-asad-janma-yoniṣu (BG 13.22). We are getting different types of body, either as a king or as a dog. Sat, asat. We think, "The king's body is very nice. Dog's body is not good." But whatever body we get, material body, that is not very good. Na sādhu manye yata ātmano 'yam asann api kleśada āsa dehaḥ (SB 5.5.4). Any body, any type of body you get, you must suffer. It doesn't matter, European body, American body or Indian body or this body or that body. If we think, "Now we are Americans. We are very happy. You are Indians. You are poor..." No. Either poor or happy, it is all unhappiness. Kāraṇaṁ guṇa saṅgo 'sya sad-asad. That is, means association with the modes of material nature. But if you engage yourself twenty-four hours in Kṛṣṇa consciousness business, in devotional service, then sa guṇān samatītyaitān brahma-bhūyāya kalpate (BG 14.26), immediately you are on the brahma-bhūtaḥ position, liberated position. So just like one man is suffering from disease. Some way or other, if he comes in the, what is called, convalescent stage? Means freed from the diseased condition. But if he keeps that convalescent stage rightly, he do not, what is called, again...?
Prabhupāda: Yes, Caitanya Mahāprabhu offered this Kholāvecā Śrīdhara, wanted to benedict him with any kinds of benediction he wanted. But he said, "I am quite happy." Go on reading.
Pradyumna: "Śrīdhara informed the Lord that he did not want any material opulence. He was quite happy in his present position and wanted only to gain unflinching faith and devotion unto the lotus feet of Lord Caitanya. That is the position of the pure devotees. If they can be engaged twenty-four hours each day in devotional service, they do not want anything else, not even the happiness of liberation or of becoming one with the Supreme. In the Nārada Pañcarātra it is also said that any person who has developed even a small amount of devotional service doesn't care a fig for any kind of happiness derived from religiousness, economic development, sense gratification, or the five kinds of liberation."
Prabhupāda: Hmm. Dharmārtha-kāma, kāma-mokṣaḥ samaya-pratīkṣāḥ muktiḥ mukulitañjali sevate asmān. For a devotee, mukti is not a thing aspirable, because, as it is stated by Bilvamaṅgala Ṭhākura, mukti is trying to serve the devotee with folded hands. Because a devotee is already liberated. Sa guṇān samatītyaitān brahma-bhūyāya kalpate (BG 14.26). A pure devotee, who is constantly engaged in devotional service, māyā cannot touch him. He's already liberated. So what he has got to ask from the liberty? He hasn't got to ask. Anywhere a devotee lives, he's liberated. That is the statement of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, īhā yasya harer dāsye karmaṇā-manasā vācā: "Anyone who is simply engaged in the devotional service of the Lord by his activities, karmaṇā, by his mind, and by his words, such person is always liberated in any condition of life." Īhā yasya harer dāsye. Simply we have to engage ourself in the devotional service of the Lord, then māyām etāṁ taranti te (BG 7.14). One who has surpassed the boundaries of māyā, he's liberated. He's liberated. He's already liberated. Why he should aspire after liberation? He's already liberated. Go on.
Prabhupāda: Yes. This is our prescription, that "Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra without any stop." And even death comes... Death may come at any moment, but if at the time of death, somehow or other, you can utter "Kṛṣṇa" or remember Kṛṣṇa, as soon as you utter the name of Kṛṣṇa, you remember Kṛṣṇa's form, Kṛṣṇa's pastimes, everything. So let us chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra twenty-four hours. There is no, I mean to say, impediment. Anyone... Ahaituky apratihatā. Nobody can check it. If you are determined that "I shall always chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra," nobody can check. But we do not feel so much attached to the chanting. Therefore it is checked. So therefore we have fixed up a certain rounds. Just like we have given to you sixteen rounds. At least, as a regulative principle, you must chant. Then gradually we may increase and automatically chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. That will be very good approach. Go on.
Devotee: "In the statements of Śukadeva Gosvāmī it is said that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Śukadeva recommends that one should always hear about Kṛṣṇa. He does not recommend that one hear and chant about the demigods. The Māyāvādīs (impersonalists) say that you can chant any name, either that of Kṛṣṇa or those of the demigods, and the result will be the same. But actually this is not a fact. According to the authorized version of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, one has to hear and chant about Lord Viṣṇu (Kṛṣṇa) only."
Prabhupāda: Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ, it is specially mentioned. Not that as the Māyāvādīs say, that you can chant any name. No. Śāstra says, śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ.
Yena tena prakāreṇa manaḥ kṛṣṇe niveśayet. The practice means somehow or other, you fix up your mind on the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, as Mahārāja Ambarīṣa did. Sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayor (SB 9.4.18). Practice in such a way that you'll be able to think of the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa twenty-four hours, without any stop. That is the first-class yoga. Immediately you become a first-class yogi. You don't have to practice the meditation, samādhi, dhyāna, dhāraṇā, āsana, praṇāyāma, this aṣṭāṅga-yoga. Without practicing aṣṭāṅga-yoga, you simply practice the one simple thing, simply thinking of the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa always; then you become a first-class yogi. It is not our statement. Kṛṣṇa's statement.
- yoginām api sarveṣāṁ
- mad-gata āntarātmanā
- śraddhāvān bhajate yo māṁ
- sa me yuktatamo mataḥ
- (BG 6.47)
He's first-class yogi. Who? "Who is always thinking of Me within his heart." Śraddhāvān. "With faith and love, he's always thinking of Kṛṣṇa." He's first-class yogi. So our, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is so nice that, if we take it seriously, then immediately, on the first stage, we become a first-class yogi. Immediately, without any bodily endeavor, mystic exercise. No need. In the Kali-yuga it is not possible. The yoga practice, in your Western countries, it is very popular; but that is a farce. Yoga practice is very difficult, especially in this age. Kṛte yad dhyāyato viṣṇum (SB 12.3.52). Yoga practice was being done in the Satya-yuga. People were very strong; they used to live for many, many years. They could practice yoga. Here we do not know when we shall die. There is no, I mean to say, fixed-up time. At any moment, we can die. Padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadām (SB 10.14.58). We are simply in the midst of dangerous condition. At any moment. Just like when you were coming from that Mr. Choudhuri's house, immediately there would have been a motor accident in this Vṛndāvana. Immediately. So padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadām. Here, especially in this Kali-yuga, the time is very bad. At any moment there can be any turmoil and we can die at any moment.
The people do not know that, what is Vṛndāvana life. So devotees are so exalted. Rādhārāṇī orders, "Don't allow Kṛṣṇa to come here." Kṛṣṇa cannot come in. He flatters the other gopīs: "Please allow Me to go there." "No, no. There is no order. You cannot go." So Kṛṣṇa likes that. But the Māyāvādīs, they cannot understand that the Supreme Absolute Truth can be controlled by the devotee. They want to become one. But here the Vaiṣṇava, pure Vaiṣṇava, they become so exalted that there is no question of becoming one. Daivena phalati divya-kiśora-mūrtiḥ, bhaktis tvayi sthiratarā yadi bhagavān syād, Bilvamaṅgala Ṭhākura says. Daivena phalati divya-kiśora-mūrtiḥ muktiḥ mukulitāñjali sevate asmān. "Mukti, oh, she's standing with folded hands, 'What can I do for you, sir?' " Dharmārtha-kāma mokṣa samaya pratīkṣāḥ. They're just like attendants, servants. Dharma-artha-kāma-mokṣa (SB 4.8.41, Cc. Ādi 1.90). So for a devotee, the position is so exalted. They don't care for all this dharma, artha, kāma, mokṣa. They simply absorbed in thoughts of Kṛṣṇa. Always thinking, satato, smārtavyaḥ satato viṣṇu. Kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ (CC Adi 17.31). Always, twenty-four hours. Even in sleeping. That is perfection. Always thinking of Kṛṣṇa. Go on.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures
As Brahmā, the first created being, had to undergo tapasya to get information from the Supreme... The Supreme Lord is within you. He's there. But He will advise. When you are fixed up by tapasya, determined with vow, then He will talk to you. He's ready to talk, but you require to acquire the qualification to hear Him. And what is that qualification? This Kṛṣṇa consciousness, devotional service. As it is said in the Bhagavad-gītā, teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam (BG 10.10). Such persons... (aside:) Don't do it. Teṣāṁ satata-yuktānām. Satata means always, twenty-four hours, not that five minutes I meditate and rest of the time I live like cats and dogs. No. This kind of meditation will not help you. Kṛṣṇa says, satata. Satata means twenty-four hours. You have to mold your life in such a way that twenty-four hours you'll think of Kṛṣṇa. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If you think, "Now I have chanted my sixteen rounds. Now I've finished my business. Now I can do whatever nonsense I like," no. Kṛṣṇa says no. Satata. Therefore we have to plan our life in such a way that we haven't got any other engagement than service of Kṛṣṇa. This is required. Teṣāṁ satata-yuktānām. Satata means twenty-four hours. Yukta means engaged. What for? What is that engagement? Bhajatām. Bhajatām, bhaja sevayam: to serve Kṛṣṇa. Bhajatām. How? Prīti-pūrvakam. Not that "Oh, Kṛṣṇa has said. All right, let me do." No. With love and affection. Then you'll get attachment. Unless you develop love for Kṛṣṇa, you cannot be engaged twenty-four hours. That is not possible. Therefore it is said, prīti-pūrvakam: not officially, but with love. If you acquire this qualification, then you will talk with Kṛṣṇa who is within your heart. Then you'll talk. He is ready to talk, but He does not talk with rascals and fools. One must acquire the qualification to talk with Kṛṣṇa. Then you'll be able to talk with Deity. Within your heart Kṛṣṇa is situated there. Anywhere you go, Kṛṣṇa is within you, and He'll give you intelligence. Talking with Kṛṣṇa means buddhi-yogaṁ dadāmi tam. Teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam: (BG 10.10) "Those who are engaged, those who are qualified like this, then I give him intelligence."
Therefore Kṛṣṇa is coming as Caitanya Mahāprabhu, along with His associates Nityānanda Prabhu, Advaita Prabhu, Gadādhara Prabhu, just to teach us the same process: how to surrender to Kṛṣṇa. So our real business is that, how to surrender to Kṛṣṇa. And if we take shelter of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu, along with His associates, then the task becomes very easy. Yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair yajanti hi su-medhasaḥ (SB 11.5.32). Very easy; not at all difficult. Caitanya Mahāprabhu's method for approaching Kṛṣṇa is very, very easy. Now we have got this center, Māyāpur center. We have got hundreds of centers, but this is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's birthplace. You have come from very, very distant places all over the world. So here, you simply take prasādam, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa twenty-four hours, then your life is successful. It is not at all difficult. But we are so stubborn that we do not take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is our misfortune. But still, as we struggle against misfortune, to become fortunate in the material world, similarly, we have to struggle against misfortune. Māyā is very strong. But the way is also there, how to get out of the clutches of māyā. Pāsate māyā tāre jāpaṭīyā dhare. Māyā has captured by embracing, just like if you capture somebody very tightly, it is very difficult to go out. Hands and legs are all caught up. Similarly, we are under the clutches of māyā in that way. But māyā's business is just to punish, but as soon as we surrender to Kṛṣṇa, immediately māyā lets loose. Yes. Māyām etāṁ taranti te (BG 7.14). Very easy thing.
So our only request is that take shelter of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, chant always śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu-nityānanda śrī-advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda, and Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. (devotees chant also) Thank you. So it is not very difficult task. Anyone, just like the children, the boys, two years, three years old, they are also doing the same thing. Where is the difficulty? Young man can perform the same thing; old man can also perform; everyone can perform, it is so nice.
So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means this satatāṁ kīrtayanto mām: (BG 9.14) twenty-four hours we have to glorify. Kṛṣṇa is unlimited, God is unlimited. So we have to chant, glorifying His qualities, unlimitedly. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī says that "How I shall glorify the Lord by chanting His name and pastimes? I have got only one tongue. If I could possess millions of tongues and trillions of ears, then it was possible to glorify the Lord to some extent." This is our business. You'll be surprised that my Guru Mahārāja, Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura... Sometimes Paṇḍita Madanmohan Mahalabhya (?), a great politician, well-known political leader, he came to see him. So he inquired from my Guru Mahārāja, "What are your activities?" So in describing his activities he said that "We have got six magazines, and out of them, one is daily, Nadiya Prakash." Those who are resident of this place might know. So he was publishing one paper daily, Nadiya Prakash. So Madanmohan Mahalabhya inquired that "You are publishing daily one paper about spiritual subject?" He said, "Yes, why not?" Now, he explained that this universe is only one of the millions universes. This small universe is one of the many, many. Many, many... We get information from the śāstra, yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭiḥ (Bs. 5.40). Jagadānda means this universe. And there are koṭis, unlimited. In Caitanya Mahāprabhu's dealing, one devotee, Vāsudeva Datta, he pleaded to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, "My dear Lord, You have come, You take away all the inhabitants of this earth, or within this universe, and if You think that they are so much sinful that they cannot be delivered, so You can transfer their sinful resultant action, sinful activities, unto me. I shall suffer." This is Vaiṣṇava philosophy, that "Let others be delivered, and if they are unfit, sinful, all their sins may be transferred to me." So Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that "You do not require to take their sinful reaction, but even without your transferring they can be delivered. But this is only one universe." And He compared that this universe is just like a grain of mustard in the mustard bag. Say, hundred kilos, kg., mustard bag, and there is one mustard seed. So this universe is like that.
"This universe is only just like a grain of mustard seed among millions and trillions of universes, and in each and every universe there are millions and trillions of planets, and this earthly planet is one of them, and in this planet, the earthly planet, there are so many cities, and in each city there are so many daily papers, and each daily paper has got so many editions. So this is only one-fourth exhibition of God's creation. If in one city there are so many news, people can read, so from the three-fourth creation of the world, Vaikuṇṭha-jagat, we can give so many news that we can overflood them with news. Unfortunately we have no customer." That is...
So this is the position. Kīrtana. Kīrtana, we can glorify the Lord twenty-four hours. Twenty-four hours we have got at our disposal. We have got (not) only twenty-four hours, but unlimited. Ekāṁśena sthito jagat (BG 10.42). This is only one-fourth part manifestation of the whole creation. There is no limit of kīrtana. That is unlimited. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu's instruction is that "Glorify the Lord continuously." Tṛṇād api sunīcena. And as soon as you begin kīrtanīyaḥ, real kīrtana of Kṛṣṇa, then you'll have many enemies. Caitanya Mahāprabhu personally had many enemies. You know that in this spot there was persecution, religious persecution, by the then magistrate, Chand Kazi. His samādhi is still there. So, and we are also experiencing. Our only fault is that we are preaching the saṅkīrtana movement, and there are so many enemies. You see? So that is possible. Even the father become enemy. Prahlāda Mahārāja, a five-years-old boy, and because he was chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, his father became enemy. So you'll have enemies.
Here Rūpa Gosvāmī says that "You price..., you purchase at any price." But what is that price? Tatra laulyam ekalaṁ mūlyam. Laulyam, eagerness. That is price. That is the only qualification. You must be very, very eager to see the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa in this very life. You must be very eager to talk with Kṛṣṇa in this very life. But not to become sahajiyā. By service. Kṛṣṇa talks with the devotee, but not with nondevotee. He says in the Bhagavad-gītā, teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam (BG 10.10). Only persons who are always engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service. He has no other business. Satata. Satata means twenty-four hours. He has no other business. Teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ bhajatām. And the bhajatām. Bhajatām means in service. You must find out always some opportunity how to give, render service to Kṛṣṇa. That is the qualification. It doesn't matter what you are. You may be this or that. It doesn't matter. But this eagerness for service can be acquired by anyone simply by sincerity. That is the price. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu... Rūpa Gosvāmī says, tatra laulyam ekalaṁ mūlyam. "So that I, I have got too much eagerness." But no. Immediately Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī warns, na janma-koṭibhiḥ sukṛtibhir labhyate. This eagerness to achieve Kṛṣṇa's mercy, to approach the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa in this life, determination, "I shall do anything. I shall sacrifice anything," this kind of determination is not very easily obtained. Na janma-koṭibhiḥ sukṛtibhiḥ. Sukṛti means pious activities. Without being pious, nobody can approach Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is not so cheap. You may show yourself that you have become a great sannyāsī or Vaiṣṇava or whatever it may be, but so long you'll be engaged in sinful activities, there is no question of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That sinful activities means illicit sex and intoxication, gambling, and meat-eating. These are the pillars of sinful activities. So one must be purified. Janma-koṭibhiḥ. These... To purify oneself from the resultant action of sinful activities, it takes many, many births. Janma-koṭibhiḥ sukṛti. By counteracting the sinful activities, to engage oneself only in pious activities. So pious activities means brahmacarya... Śamo damo titikṣa. The brahminical qualifications. But it is very difficult nowadays to practice. Tyāgena śamena damena vā.
Go to a bona fide guru, try to understand the problems of life, what is the aim of life, how actually we can become happy. This is called brahma-jijñāsā. The Vedānta-sūtra philosophy, therefore, the first instruction is athāto brahma jijñāsā. Kena Upaniṣad. Why? And that is human life. If you remain silent, never ask "Why I am suffering?" then you are in the category of cats and dog. And when this inquiry begins, athāto brahma jijñāsā, then your human life begins. Otherwise you remain in the category of cats and dog. If you are satisfied with all miserable condition of life... In this country, the Western country, they present television, simply presenting problems. That's all. You have got experience. And they are making plans how to solve these problems. This is going on. Whole day and night, and twenty-four hours. But actually, we are in a place with problems only. And intelligent man must inquire how to solve these problems. But they are inquiring, some of them, but not in the right channel. That should be in the... Just like Arjuna had problems, whether to fight or not to fight. So he approached Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa, śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ prapannam: (BG 2.7) "Kṛṣṇa, I know that the problems, You can make solution." Arjuna knew that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. "Although He's acting as my friend..." But he knew what Kṛṣṇa is, and therefore he asked. So we are in face of so many problems. Why not approach Kṛṣṇa? What is wrong there? And take Kṛṣṇa's instruction and be happy. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. We are opening centers everywhere. Take advantage of this movement and be happy.
He is foolishly thinking that he is master. But he is always... Twenty-four hours, he is being kicked by the laws of nature. But the foolish man cannot understand. Therefore they have been called mūḍha. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15). They... He does not come to the sense that "Where I am master? I am servant of the dictation of māyā, the rules and regulation of material nature. Where is my mastership?" This intelligence does not come. He is thinking still he is master, he can control the nature, he can control everything, he is God, he is this, he is that. That is the misconception. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu, in the very beginning of His instruction He is saying to Sanātana Gosvāmī that "You inquired from him what is your position," ke āmi, " 'What I am?' You are servant of Kṛṣṇa." This is the first impression.
- jīvera svarūpa haya kṛṣṇera nitya-dāsa
- kṛṣṇera taṭasthā-śakti bhedābheda-prakāśa
- (CC Madhya 20.108)
This is the great philosophy. Acintya-bhedābheda. Just like... I have already explained now. So 'ham, ahaṁ brahmāsmi. This is bhedābheda-prakāśa, I am the same quality of Kṛṣṇa, I am the same Brahman also, but I am not the Para-brahman. Para-brahman is Kṛṣṇa. When Arjuna... He is Brahman. When he realized Kṛṣṇa, he addressed Him, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). He never claimed equal with Kṛṣṇa.
One must at least understand that we are in a... Everyone understands that, but māyā covers, does not allow him to understand properly. Here in this material world we are trying to become happy. Just like in your country is supposed to be most advanced in material civilization. They are trying to be happy. But we can see even in this New York City, nobody wants, still, twenty-four hours there is blazing fire: "gan-gan-gan-gan-gan-gan-gan-gan-gan." Stop this. Why there is blazing fire? Nobody wants it. But there must be, because you are in the material world. However big, big skyscraper building you may have, you have to suffer. But these dull brain cannot understand, because madmen.
So this dull brain has to be cured. All rascals, mūḍha. It is a fact. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15). Duṣkṛtina means simply unnecessary wasting time adjusting things materially. This is miscreants. They do not know that "For one type of advantage, I have to create hundred times disadvantage." This is the fact. We are coming from New Vrindaban. They are living very comfortably in open space. There is no such disturbance, twenty-four hours, "dung-dung-dung-dung-kah-kah-kah-kah-kah." No. (laughter) No disturbance. But you have created some advantages to live in the skyscraper building. There are so many disadvantages also. So therefore sometimes the Indians are accused that "Believe in destiny." But that is actual fact. You cannot improve a single inch than you are destined. That is not possible. That is not possible. If you want to increase your so-called happiness, then you simply waste your time. That is Prahlāda Mahārāja's instruction. Na tat prayāsaṁ kartavyam. "I am not in a good position economically. Let me try to improve it." That you cannot. Otherwise in New York City, so opulent, so materially advanced, why we see so many men in the Central Park lying on the bench? Why? They do not belong to the poor nation or poor city.
So Brahman activities means bhakti, Brahman activities. So these devotees who are engaged in devotional service of Kṛṣṇa twenty-four hours, they are not only realized soul, brahmaṇubhūti, but they are muktas and they are engaged in Brahman activities. Brahman activities. That is bhakti. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati, samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu (BG 18.54). Therefore devotee has no distinction between this man or that man. Samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu. A devotee does not distinguish that "Here is American, there is Indian, and here is cat, here is dog." No. Paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ (BG 5.18). A devotee knows that every one of them, all these living entities in different forms... It is not difficult to understand. Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya sambhavāmi mūrtayo yaḥ, tāsāṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā aham (BG 14.4). Kṛṣṇa is the supreme father. So a devotee knows that the dog is also part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, living entity, but he is in a different dress, dog's dress, and a learned paṇḍita, he is also the same spirit soul, but he is dressed as a learned scholar.
Just at this moment it is now eight, eight o'clock in New York. In India it is night. There is no sun. But here it is, sun present. Similarly, in your country also, if you go more farther eastern, western side, somewhere the sun is already there somewhere, somewhere the sun is not there. So similarly, the sun is there, but it is the particular time and place where people can see and cannot see. So Kṛṣṇa is there always, everywhere, but it is the power of seeing where Kṛṣṇa is or Kṛṣṇa is not.
So indrāri-vyākulam... He is, by His one plenary portion, He is in either of the all universes. So in this universe, when He comes... Just like when sun appears in your country it takes round of twenty-four hours, similarly, when Kṛṣṇa comes on this universe, it is only in one day of Brahmā, that is, some millions and millions of years after, He comes. He has got a scheduled time also, to appear in this universe. We get information from authentic scripture. Indrāri-vyākulaṁ lokaṁ mṛḍayanti yuge yuge. So He is... Just like sun is rotating, or we are rotating, similarly, Kṛṣṇa is there. At a certain interval of time we see Him in this universe. He is present always, but at a certain interval... Just like the motorcar passes... It is going on. But when it is in front of my storefront, I can see. That's all. Not that because the motorcar has passed away, out of my sight, there is no motorcar. No. It has passed away from your sight. That's all. It is going on. It is going on. Similarly, incarnation, representation of Kṛṣṇa, is always going on. When we can see, then it is... Kṛṣṇa we can see. That is His omnipotency.
Now to understand that Kṛṣṇa... Already said that bhakti, only devotional service, can help you in understanding that Supreme Kṛṣṇa.
You have asked me?" "Yes. I have not seen you for so many times, so many days, so I have called you." So they came, thousands and millions of Brahmās came, and offered obeisances, and they went away. And this Brahmā, four-headed Brahmā, remained in the corner, "Oh, what is I am?" So this is Kṛṣṇa's creation.
So here it is stated that yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya (Bs. 5.48). "Only just abiding by the breathing period of Mahā-Viṣṇu"—there are millions of Brahmās—"they are living." And each Brahmā's period... That you have read in the Bhagavad-gītā: sahasra-yuga-paryantam arhad yad brahmaṇo viduḥ (BG 8.17). The Brahmā's one day means 4,300,000's times 1000. That is Brahmā's twelve hours. Similarly, twenty-four hours, one day. Now calculate one month, such one years, such hundred years. So that hundred years of Brahmā is only a breathing period of Mahā-Viṣṇu, just like we are breathing, our inhalation and exhalation is going on. So during the breathing period, when the breathing is out, all these brahmāṇḍas become created, and when it is inhaled, all, they are closed, account closed. So this is going on. And such Mahā-Viṣṇu is the part, one of the fourth part of Kṛṣṇa's expansion. That is stated. Lord Caitanya is giving evidence from Brahma-saṁhitā:
- yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya
- jīvanti loma-vilajā jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ
- viṣṇur mahān sa iha yasya kalā-viśeṣo
- govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi
- (Bs. 5.48)
"I worship that Kṛṣṇa, Govinda, whose fourth dimension, fourth expansion, is Mahā-Viṣṇu, in whose breathing period all these Brahmās, or the principal head of each brahmāṇḍa, they live."
How you can save yourself? Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te. If you persistently simply adhere to the devotional service of Kṛṣṇa, there will be no more strength of this illusory nature to drag you. No more. There will be no more power to get you into this province of sense gratification. Material nature means the jurisdiction of sense gratification. That's all. Simply people are engaged by sense gratification like cats and dogs. That's all. This is material atmosphere. And in the spiritual atmosphere there is no sense gratification; there is only activity for satisfying the Supreme, Kṛṣṇa. That is the difference.
So if you adherently be always engaged in some sort of service, twenty-four hours in the service of the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, there is no power in the world who can drag you into this sense gratification province. You at once become nirguṇa. This is the process. So we have to stick to this principle: "How I can serve Kṛṣṇa always, always?" Īhā yasya harer dāsye. If you cannot do, if you simply think, "How can I do? How can I do? How can I do?" simply this, if you practically cannot do, but if you simply think that "How can I do?" oh, then also you become liberated. Then also you become liberated. And what to speak of when we actually serve. This is such a nice thing, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So if you want to save yourself from this material turmoil, then always stick to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness persistently. Yes.
And whatever He creates, that is also complete. The actions and reactions of sun planet to diffuse heat all over the universe is complete. By Lord's grace, by Lord's creative power, energy. That is also inferior energy. This is not superior energy. This is inferior energy. So still it is complete.
So... So He is giving example as the planets, sun planet, moon planet and other planets, are moving in their orbits, similarly, kṛṣṇa-līlā has got a orbit, and the līlā is going on. As the sun is moving or the planets, the earth planet is moving exactly at the same time. Just after twenty-four hours it will be meridian, and at 12 o'clock, just twenty-four hours. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa's līlā, exactly after certain millions of years, it will be seen in this planet. Similarly, there are innumerable universes, and it is moving from this, that, this, that... Now, just like kṛṣṇa-līlā, just Kṛṣṇa born at, at the prison house of Kaṁsa... Vasudeva, father, and Devakī, mother. Immediately, as soon as the child is born, the next, the next universe, there is birth. So same very thing. Just like now it is quarter to eight according to sun calculation. Immediately, you'll find some other place quarter to eight. Immediately you'll find quarter to eight in other place. Immediately... So quarter to eight you cannot change. Quarter to eight will exist within this movement of the sun planet or earthly planet. Anywhere, somebody, somewhere must be there quarter to eight. At any time. Even at 12 o'clock at night you inquire, "What is quarter to eight of the sun planet?" you'll have. Is it not a fact? This is called nitya-līlā. How nicely Caitanya Mahāprabhu has described.
So Kṛṣṇa-līlā is always going on like that. Kṛṣṇa's birth, Janmāṣṭamī... We observe Janmāṣṭamī. But that Janmāṣṭamī is going on every moment. Janmāṣṭamī is going on. Kṛṣṇa's nitya-līlā. Kṛṣṇa-līlā-nitya, jyotiścakra-pramāṇe. Jyotiścakre sūrya yena phire rātri-dine. Now here it is also, in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta, it is said that here sūrya is also on the orbit. Sapta-dvīpāmbudhi laṅghi' phire krame krame. Sapta-dvīpa. Now, according to Vedic calculation, this earth has seven, I mean to say, islands. Just like crossing the sea, we have come to your country from India. The crossing the sea means there are different islands. Now you can calculate the Asia, Europe, America, and, and, how many?
Now Caitanya Mahāprabhu is submitting His knowledge in astronomy. Astronomy. And He's dividing the whole day and night into sixty daṇḍas. According to Vedic calculation of time, the whole day and night... Just like, according to Western system, the whole day and night is divided into twenty-four hours, they have divided into still further... Sixty daṇḍas. They are called daṇḍas. Tina-sahasra... Rātri-dine haya ṣaṣṭi-daṇḍa-parimāṇa. The whole day and night is divided into sixty parts. Tina-sahasra chaya-śata 'pala' tāra māna. And these daṇḍas are again subdivided into three hundred and sixty palas. They are called pala. Daṇḍa and pala. Sūryodaya haite ṣaṣṭi-pala-kramodaya. And the sun rises in every sixty pala. We can, we can see sun is rising, but not all of a sudden we can see. But gradually. That gradual, I mean to say, elevation of the sun planet is..., takes sixty pala times. Sei eka daṇḍa, aṣṭa daṇḍe 'prahara' haya. Prahara means three hours, and that is aṣṭa daṇḍa.
- eka-dui-tina-cāri prahare asta haya
- cāri-prahara rātri gele punaḥ sūryodaya
The whole day is divided into four praharas. So at the end of the day, of the four praharas, the Sūrya, this sun planet sets. Cāri prahara rātri gele... And similarly, four praharas, when passed at night, again the sun planet is seen.
Prabhupāda: Three thousand?
Devotee: Three thousand, six hundred.
Prabhupāda: Three thousand, six hundred seconds in one hour. Then what are the twenty-four hours? (laughs) Just see.
Devotee: A pencil and paper...
Prabhupāda: No. No. Just imagine that 360 seconds in one hour, so in one day we have got 24 hours. So 360 into 24, that becomes the seconds in one day. Then you multiply it into 30. That means in one month. Then you multiply it by 12. Then it comes to one year. Such 125. So you can calculate. At least you can imagine who many universes are there—by that calculation of second, and if you go further detail.
So God's creation is wonderful. Nobody can... Everything is unlimited. He's unlimited. His creation is unlimited. His pastimes are unlimited. His forms are unlimited. Everything unlimited. Everything. His incarnations are unlimited. Everything. Just like see, even in your own body, can you count how many hairs are on your body and head? They are unlimited. I am claiming "This is my body," but I do not know how many hairs are there. But you ask Kṛṣṇa, He'll tell you. Especially Howard cannot say how many hairs are there... (laugh) Who can say? Howard cannot say. So this is Kṛṣṇa's creative energy. You see. And He is aloof. All things, all these wonderful things are going on, but He's aloof. He's aloof. Nāhaṁ teṣu avasthitaḥ.
I mean to say, hanger, we could immediately hear him. If by material ways we can be touch in so swiftly, just see how much spiritual potency has Kṛṣṇa. Although He's not present before us, He can be present in so many ways. He can be present by His name. Otherwise, all these great ācāryas, Caitanya Mahāprabhu, would not have bothered themselves simply by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare. There is actually presence of Kṛṣṇa. If you take any material thing... Suppose a very nice thing, a rose flower. "Rose flower, rose flower, rose flower"—how long you can chant "rose flower"? Say thrice, four times, ten times, twenty times. Any more, you'll become disgusted. This is the test. But Hare Kṛṣṇa you can chant twenty-four hours, you'll not feel tired. That is the test of absolute and relative.
So relative name and absolute name. Kṛṣṇa, if you always keep Kṛṣṇa in your presence, then where is the possibility of ignorance and delusion? No, there is no possibility. And this is the shortcut way of keeping Kṛṣṇa always with you on your tongue—Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma... And if you are rigidly in this chanting process, you must understand that Kṛṣṇa is with you and there is no danger, there is no illusion, there is no māyā. Kṛṣṇa can be present by His fame. Just like we read something, we discuss something about Kṛṣṇa's activities—"Oh, He was present in the Battle of Kurukṣetra. He became the charioteer and He delivered the lectures on Bhagavad..." These discussions, that is also presence of Kṛṣṇa. Then His pastimes. Just like His līlā in Vṛndāvana or with any other devotees. There are many līlās. Then Kṛṣṇa's associates, those who are devotees of Kṛṣṇa. If you speak about them, that is also a presence of Kṛṣṇa. If you talk about Nārada Muni, if you talk about Vyāsa Muni, if you talk of Lord Caitanya, if you talk Rūpa Gosvāmī—those who are, I mean to say, unalloyed devotees of Kṛṣṇa—if you discuss about them, then Kṛṣṇa is there. He is present by His name, He is present by His fame, He is present by His pastime, He is present by His associates. Anything in Kṛṣṇa connection, that makes Kṛṣṇa present in that spot. This is actual fact. One has to realize it, that's all.
Sri Isopanisad Lectures
Because anywhere else he'll not have the opportunity. His life is being spoiled. The modern civilization is like that. It is a killing civilization, ātma-hā. Ātma-hano janāḥ. All these people are killing themselves because they do not know what is life; simply like animal or living. The animal does not know what is life, but he is under the laws of nature, evolution, going on. But when you get this human form of life, there is responsibility. You have to chalk out. Here is a chance you can become Kṛṣṇa conscious and make your life solve all problems. If not, then again go to the cycle of birth and death again, 8,400,000. It will take many, many millions of years again to come back. Just like the sunshine you will see after twelve hours, twenty-four hours, morning. Everything is a process. Process. So if you lose this opportunity of elevating yourself, then again you come to the process. Nature's law is very strong. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī (BG 7.14). The sooner you surrender to Kṛṣṇa, mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te. Such person is able to overcome this process of material nature.
So here it is said the universe has its own time, fixed by the energy of the complete whole. Universe is also big gigantic body, material body. That's all. Just like your body; everything is relative. Modern science, the law of relativity. An atom, a small particle, small ant, so it has got a relative life, you have got relative life. Similarly this gigantic body, it may be many millions of years this universe will exist, but it will not exist forever. That is a fact. Because it is very gigantic, therefore it may remain for some millions of years, but it will end. That is the law of nature. And when that time is complete, this temporary manifestation will be annihilated by the complete arrangement of the complete, the supreme complete. When your time will be complete, no more, sir, in this body. Nobody can check. The arrangement is so strong. You cannot say, "Let me remain." Actually it happens. When I was in India, Allahabad, one of our, an old friend, he was very rich man. So he was dying. So he was requesting the doctor, "Can you not give me at least four years to live? I have got some plan, you see. I could not finish it." You see. Āśā-pāśa-śatair baddhāḥ. This is demonic.
Therefore it is here said that pūṣann apāvṛṇu. "Please uncover the covering. Then I can see You."
So that seeing power is the bhakta's, the devotee's, because Kṛṣṇa certifies, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti (BG 18.55). Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti (Bs. 5.38). Those who have developed love of Godhead by that ointment, prema, ointment... Just like sometimes... In India it is very... They have got some... What is called? Surma? Ungent, surma. Yes. If you apply that surma your sight becomes bright immediately. So if you smear your eyes with love of Godhead, then you will see God always. Santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti. Yes. So devotion. So this is the way of understanding God. By service, by enhancing love... This love can be increased only by service. Otherwise there is no possibility. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau (Brs. 1.2.234). The more you increase your service spirit, the more you increase your dormant love of God. And as soon as you are in the perfectional stage of love of God, you see God always, every moment. Twenty-four hours you can see.
Sri Brahma-samhita Lectures
If he's not fortunate to come here and to see Kṛṣṇa, take prasādam, and dance in ecstasy, then let his unfortunate condition be diminished by seeing Kṛṣṇa in water, in sunshine, in moonshine, in this and that.
Kṛṣṇa is visible, but Kṛṣṇa is visible to the devotees. Nāhaṁ prakāśaḥ sarvasya yoga-māyā-samāvṛtaḥ (BG 7.25), I am not exposed to everyone, yoga-māyā-samāvṛtaḥ, covered by the curtain of yoga-māyā. But those who have developed love of Kṛṣṇa, for them, premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti (Bs. 5.38). One who has developed love of Kṛṣṇa, he can see Kṛṣṇa within his heart twenty-four hours. So it is very nice proposition, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Please take to it. We are canvassing. We are sending our devotees to the street, begging, "Please come to our temple, be Kṛṣṇa conscious." That is our business. Caitanya Mahāprabhu wanted it. Go door to door, even at the risk of life, and ask these rascals to come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Māyā-sukhāya, because they're, they're thinking, "Oh, we are very happy." Illusion. The happiness will be finished within a second. As soon as death will come, finished. But one can say that "Death will come to you also." "Yes, that's all right." "Then why do you distinguish my death and your death?" "Yes, because you do not know where you are going, but I know where I am going, that is the difference." How do you know? Kṛṣṇa says. What does He say? Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti. One who has understood Kṛṣṇa, one has served Kṛṣṇa sincerely and seriously, he is not going to come again to take any material body. Then where does he go? Oh, mām eti, he comes to Me.
Festival Lectures
Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā that "I am not exposed to everyone. There is a curtain of yogamāyā." The yogamāyā will not allow to see God. Just like we have our condition that if anyone wants to see here in the temple, we ask him that "First of all take your shoes." Just like a little condition. Similarly, to see God, there must be some condition. That condition is that unless you become a lover of God, God is not exposed to you. Otherwise God is there, always. Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu (Bs. 5.38). Sadaiva means always. Not that simply when we come to the temple we see God. No. God is always visible to the devotee. Sadaiva. Sadā. Sadā means always, twenty-four hours. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The same example which I gave you, that the woman who has got a lover, and she's very busy in her duties, but she is always thinking of the lover, "When I shall meet him." This is an example given by Rūpa Gosvāmī that her mind is always engaged in the form or the activities of the lover. If that is materially possible, when you develop your love of Godhead, at that time you'll see God everywhere, always, twenty-four hours. That was the position of Prahlāda Mahārāja. He was seeing always God, Kṛṣṇa, but his father was not seeing because he was atheist. He was asking, challenging, "Where is your God? You are talking of so many times God. All right, I shall teach you a lesson today." So he took his sword and wanted to kill his own son. Atheist is so unkind, cruel, that he is prepared to kill his own son, beloved son, five years old. That is atheism. And theism, the father who tortured him so much. So after the death of his father, he's praying to Nṛsiṁha-deva, "Please excuse my father." This is theism. So that is the difference between Kṛṣṇa consciousness and ordinary consciousness. They're very kind, everyone. Vāñcha kalpatarubhyaś ca kṛpā-sindhubhya eva ca. You utter this prayer, krpa-sindhubhya eva ca. Vaiṣṇava is the ocean of mercy. There is no end. As you cannot, I mean to say, draw all the waters from the ocean, it is not possible. Similarly, a Vaiṣṇava, a devotee, ocean of mercy. You can draw from it as much mercy as you like; still, it is full.
So he was crucified, but he never agreed that there is no God. So that should be our motto. This is following. Either you be Christian or be Hindu or be any, but be God conscious. Kṛṣṇa conscious means God conscious. And in any circumstances do not forget. That is called śaraṇāgati. That is surrender.
So Prahlāda Mahārāja is protected by Nṛsiṁha-deva, and... Now, it is a fact that an atheist like Hiraṇyakaśipu, who denied the existence of God, so he was shown God at his last stage of life. Yes. So the atheist will see God, but when he will see, his life is finished. That means death. Atheist will see God in the form of death. And theist, Kṛṣṇa conscious devotee, will see God twenty-four hours within his heart. That is the difference. Nobody can avoid death. So atheist will see God. If he denies God, but he will see God in the form of death. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, that every moment our things are being taken away by time. It is not difficult to understand. Just like my age, seventy-four years, seventy-five, that means seventy-four years from my whole duration of life is already taken away. Therefore everyone of you should think that every moment, whatever asset you have got, the most valuable asset is the life, duration of life. That is being taken away. That is the law of nature. And the last taking away is death. So Kṛṣṇa says that mṛtyuḥ sarva-haraś cāham (BG 10.34). Mṛtyu, death, takes away everything. Your education, title, M.A., Ph.D., D.A.C., your bank balance, millions of dollars, your good name, your house, your family, your friends, your country—all taken away. All taken away. So for atheist, this is God. When He'll take away everything, he'll understand, "Yes, there is God." Yes. Just like a civil disobedient person, when he's arrested and he's put into the bars and given severe punishment, then he understands, "Yes, there is government. There is government." So government is there. For a nice citizen, government is there. He's taking all advantage offered by the government and he's obeying the laws of the government. No trouble. But one who says "I don't care for the government. I am free. I shall become naked..." Just like that John Lennon. (chuckling) He exposed himself naked, and government stopped immediately, that "You cannot do this."
I was not very feeling well to come here. But because I have come to San Francisco, I must give you the message. It is very important message. Those of you who are feeling frustration and confused, kindly take to this chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, that's all. You... There is no expenditure, there is no loss. We are not charging anything. It is not a business, that we are asking you to pay something because I am giving this information. No. It is freely distributed. You please chant this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra twenty-four hours. You can work, you can walk, and at the same time chant this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra.
So this Ratha-yātrā Festival is a mass movement for enlightening people to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. We have got many other festivities in Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. We have got Janmāṣṭamī, Śrī Rāma-navamī, Dola-yātrā, Jhulana-yātrā. So there are twelve months, but we have got twenty-four festivals as big as this Ratha-yātrā Festival. So if you kindly take to them, then as advised by Lord Caitanya, kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ (CC Adi 17.31), you will always be in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and there will be no scope of your frustration and confusion. For this purpose especially, I came in this meeting, that you kindly accept this humble instruction that wherever you may be, in whatever position, in whatever condition, you kindly chant these sixteen names (everyone chants), Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. Chant again, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. Again, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. Thank you very much. (end)
Kṛṣṇa says, those who are constantly, twenty-four hours engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service... Just like these students, the member of Kṛṣṇa Consciousness Society, you'll find them twenty-four hours engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service. That is the, I mean to say, significance of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. They are always engaged. This Ratha-yatra ceremony is one of the item, so that at least, one day, all of you will be able to be engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So this is only practice, and if you practice throughout your whole life, then at the time of death, if you can fortunately remember Kṛṣṇa, your life is successful. That practice is required. yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran loke tyajaty ante kalevaram (BG 8.6). We have to give up this body, that is certain. But at the time of death, if we remember Kṛṣṇa, immediately you are transferred to the abode of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is everywhere, but still Kṛṣṇa has got a special abode, which is called Goloka Vṛndāvana. You can understand that our body, body means the senses, and above the senses there is the mind, which is very subtle, which is controlling the senses, and above the mind there is intelligence, and above the intelligence there is soul. We have no information, but if we practice this bhakti-yoga system, gradually we understand what I am. I am not this body. This, generally even big, big scholars, big, big philosophers, scientists, they are also in the concept of this body. Everyone is thinking, "I am the body," but that is mistake. We are not this body. Just I explain. Body means the senses, but the senses are controlled by the mind, and the mind is controlled by the intelligence, and the intelligence is controlled by the soul. That you do not know. There is no educational system throughout the whole world how to understand the existence of soul, which is the prime necessity of understanding for the human being. A human being is not meant for wasting his time like animals, simply eating, sleeping, mating and defending. That is animal life. The extra intelligence of human beings should be utilized how to understand "I am... What I am? I am a spirit soul." If we understand that "I am spirit soul,"' that this bodily concept of life, which has played havoc in this world... On the bodily concept of life I am thinking "I am Indian," you are thinking "American," he's thinking something, something. But we are all one. We are spirit soul. We are all eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa, Jagannātha.
And it is not very difficult. We don't charge anything for selling Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. We are chanting everywhere. That you saw, this Ratha-yātrā. Now, our only means is chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. And these thousands of men are following simply by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. So you can understand what is the potency of this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. We do not pay anything, you ladies and gentlemen, to follow us. But we simply chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. So it is very potential. Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura, a great ācārya of Vaiṣṇava sampradāya, he has sung, golokera prema-dhana, hari-nāma-saṅkīrtana. This Hare Kṛṣṇa movement, or chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa, it is not anything material. Therefore you will never feel tired chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. You see practically. You go on chanting twenty-four hours; you will never feel tired. Therefore it is said, golokera prema-dhana. This chanting vibration is coming from the spiritual world. Just like you receive material sound vibration in the radios or television from distant place, there is another machine which can receive the vibration in the spiritual world. So that vibration is Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra.
- golokera prema-dhana, hari-nama-saṅkīrtana,
- rati nā janmilo kene tāy
"Oh, I am so unfortunate that I did not get any attachment for chanting this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra." Saṁsāra-dāvānale, dibā-niśi hiyā jwale. The saṁsāra, this material world, is very uncomfortable place. Everyone is always full of anxiety. However rich you may be, however powerful you may be, but the anxiety must be there. You can understand, your president Nixon, how much anxiety he had when all people wanted him to come down. So this material world means in whichever position you may be situated, it doesn't matter. It is full of anxiety. This is called blazing fire, always burning the heart. So if you want to get relief from this uncomfortable position of anxiety, then you must take to this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra.
He is first-class yogi." So we are teaching our students to become the first-class yogi. Not these yogis to reduce fat. No. That is not required. Yogi means who is always seeing Kṛṣṇa within the heart. Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). This is first-class yogi, bhakta-yogī. Twenty-four hours, satataṁ kīrtayanto māṁ yatantaś ca dṛḍha-vratāḥ (BG 9.14). Satataṁ kīrtayanto mām: you have to fix up your mind in Kṛṣṇa by the process of chanting His glories, satataṁ kīrtayanto mām (BG 9.14), not otherwise. Mām, Kṛṣṇa.
So people do not understand this, what he should do, what he should not do. Pravṛtti, nivṛtti. Because he cannot distinguish, therefore he is asura. Asura-demons, or atheist. So if you analyze the modern... (break) This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is so nice that it is invented..., not invented; it is there in the Vedic literatures. Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He has given us this process of realizing Kṛṣṇa and becoming expert in understanding what we should do and what we should not do, pravṛtti nivṛtti. And therefore if we know that we should not do this, we should do this, then we become immediately devatā. And if you do not know what we should do and what we should not do, then we remain asura. It is not that because one is asura, he cannot become a devatā. The asura can become devatā, provided he knows these two things: pravṛtti and nivṛtti.
So this Deity worship, those who are in charge of Deity worship, they never should think that here is a statue. No. Here is Kṛṣṇa. The honor, the respect, the samra (indistinct), means with great honor... You must always think that here is Kṛṣṇa personally. Don't think that it is statue. Kṛṣṇa personally. So you should honor and think also and be cautious so that you may not commit offense. Kṛṣṇa worship, if you neglect the process, then it will be offensive. There are sixty-four kinds of offenses. You have seen it in The Nectar of Devotion. So not very much... You should be very much clean, first thing is. Cleanliness is next to godliness. Very much clean, rise early in the morning, take your bath and perform maṅgala ārātrika, then chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, then read scriptures. In this way remain twenty-four hours engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service. This is the purpose of installing Deity. Not that after few days you think it is a burden. No, then it will be great offense. It is not burden. It is a great opportunity to serve Kṛṣṇa. As the gopīs are serving in Goloka Vṛndāvana. Kṛṣṇa is so kind. He has come here to accept your service in a manner in which you can handle Him. You can dress Kṛṣṇa, you can offer prasāda, you can chant His glory. In this way, always remain engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and gradually you'll find how you are advancing in spiritual life. Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)
The Gosvāmīs are coming. (laughs) Hare Kṛṣṇa. So these Gosvāmīs were chanting and dancing, kṛṣṇot-kīrtana-gāna-nartana-parau. So we are creating the descendants of Gosvāmīs here in the Western countries. You are also chanting and dancing, following the footprints of the Gosvāmīs, kṛṣṇotkīrtana-gāna-nartana-parau. And they were chanting and dancing, not dry. Premāmṛtāmbho-nidhi, dipped into the ocean of love of Kṛṣṇa. You cannot chant and dance for a long time unless you are dipped into the ocean of love of Kṛṣṇa. That is the specific qualification of the dancer and chanter. If you ask somebody to chant and dance for one hour, he'll get tired. But this chanting and dancing is so nice that these Gosvāmīs, they can go on chanting and dancing for twenty-four hours. Premāmṛtāmbho-nidhi. Because they were dipped into the ocean of love of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇotkīrtana-gāna-nartana-parau premāmṛtāmbho-nidhi dhīrādhīra-jana-priyau. Dhīra, dhīra means gentle, and adhīra means ruffians, not gentle. So they were affectionate and popular both to the gentle as well as ruffians, these Gosvāmīs. Everyone liked them. Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so nice that unless one is a staunch atheist, everyone will like this Kṛṣṇa conscious movement. As an evidence, people are receiving these boys who are chanting and dancing. Out of their love they are contributing something, they are purchasing magazines. So this is sympathy, sign of love. So they are not, of course, very big business magnate or politicians; they are common men. But it is appealing to the common people. There is no doubt about it.
Arrival Addresses and Talks
So it is very simple method, and you are all intelligent boys and girls in the Western country, and I am very, happy that you have taken it seriously. And continue this. You'll never be unhappy. And not only here but also, as Kṛṣṇa said, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65), if you simply practice these four principle—always think of Kṛṣṇa, man-manā, or become Kṛṣṇa's devotees and offer Kṛṣṇa obeisances and worship Kṛṣṇa—these four... We are teaching these four principle in the temple, how to worship Kṛṣṇa how to serve Kṛṣṇa, how to become Kṛṣṇa's devotee, and how to think of Kṛṣṇa twenty-four hours. And if we do this, there is guarantee. Kṛṣṇa says, mām eva eṣyasi asaṁśaya: "Without any doubt, you will come to Me. You will go back to home, back to Godhead."
So do not be slackened. And it is not difficult. Su-sukhaṁ kartum avyayam (BG 9.2). This devotional service is so nice. It is... To execute the devotional is also very pleasing. Su-sukhaṁ kartum avyayam. And whatever you do, that is your permanent asset. It will never be lost. In the material world, suppose you have got some money. So that is not permanent. But anything, material possession, that is not permanent. Especially after death, everything is finished—another new chapter. That we do not know. But devotional service, it is guaranteed. It is permanent asset, even you cannot finish in this life. But that does not mean you should be neglectful. Try to finish the completely to become Kṛṣṇa conscious in this life. Do not keep in abeyance. That is not intelligence. But even if it is not finished, then the next life a human life is guaranteed, and you begin where you ended. These are the sastric... So execute this devotional service very sincerely, seriously. Even there is little inconvenience, tolerate it. There is no inconvenience. But if you think it is inconvenience—that is our mental concoction—still, you should not be neglectful in the discharging your duties in devotional service.
Anyone who is engaged very seriously, satata-yuktānām, twenty-four hours, thinking, "Kṛṣṇa, how can I serve you...?" This is the only business. Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). Four things: Always think of Kṛṣṇa... This Hare Kṛṣṇa means "O the energy of Kṛṣṇa, O Kṛṣṇa, please engage me in Your service. I have given service to this material world so much, but I could not satisfy the master, neither I am satisfied." Everyone is serving society, friendship, love, family, country, but none of them are satisfied. None of them sat... Even your President, he could not satisfy you. You had to drag him down. Neither he could satisfy himself. Even Gandhi could not satisfy his countrymen. Although he gave so much service, he was shot dead. So this is the material world. You cannot satisfy anyone, neither you become satisfied, materially engaged. This is called material world. We may show some artificial satisfaction, but there cannot be satisfaction in the material world. First of all, you have to take it as axiomatic truth that there is no happiness and there cannot be any satisfaction in this material world. Then you'll make, spiritually advance. If you have got little faith still that "I can be satisfied; I can be happy materially," then that is māyā's influence. That is māyā's influence. There is no possibility.
So if you want satisfaction, then you have to take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Compulsory: "You must." There is no other alternative. Therefore Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura sings, hari hari biphale janama goṅāinu: "My dear Lord Kṛṣṇa, I have simply wasted my time." Actually, anyone who has not taken Kṛṣṇa consciousness—simply wasting time. This is fact, scientifically true. But they do not know it. Māya-mohita. Mohitaṁ nābhijānāti mām ebhyaḥ param avyayam (BG 7.13). Being covered by the illusory energy, they do not know the background of this gigantic cosmic manifestation. That is Kṛṣṇa. So intelligence means to find out Kṛṣṇa. In the Īśopani..., Īśo, it is stated that "My dear Lord, please wind up Your, these dazzling rays so that I can actually see Your face." Within brahma-jyotir the Kṛṣṇa is there. So Kṛṣṇa can be seen only by service. You cannot challenge Kṛṣṇa, "Kṛṣṇa, come here. I shall see You." No. That is not possible.
Caitanya Mahāprabhu has voluntarily come to deliver the fallen souls. Little service, He will be satisfied. He will be satisfied. But do not neglect. Because He is very kind and compassionate, that does not mean we should forget His position. He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So we should offer Him very great respect, and as far possible... But the advantage is that Caitanya Mahāprabhu does not take any offense. And to worship Him, to please Him, is very easy. Yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtanaiḥ prāyair yajanti hi su-medhasaḥ. Simply you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra and dance, and Caitanya Mahāprabhu will be very pleased. He introduced this dancing and chanting, and this is the easiest process for God realization. So as far as possible... If possible, twenty-four hours. If that is not possible, at least four times, six times, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra before Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and you will get success in your life. This is a fact.
So I am very glad that you are worshiping Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Nityānanda Prabhu. So continue to do this. There is no need of installing Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa at least at the present moment. When you become more advanced in spiritual consciousness, you can establish. But even if you do not establish, it doesn't matter. Caitanya Mahāprabhu is sufficient. Śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya rādhā-kṛṣṇa nahe anya. Caitanya Mahāprabhu is combination of Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. In one place you worship Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa. So I see this place is very nice, and you are also very nice. Take advantage of this opportunity, and go on chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, and worship Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He will bless you sufficiently to become successful in getting shelter of the lotus feet of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa.
Rāmeśvara: The devotees at the Press will not feel nice until all your books are published.
Prabhupāda: Hm. That's nice.
Jayatīrtha: They are working now night shifts also.
Prabhupāda: Oh.
Rāmeśvara: Twenty-four hours.
Jayatīrtha: Twenty-four hours on the composers so that we can take full advantage of the machines.
Prabhupāda: And Hayagrīva prabhu, how many papers you are finishing? You can finish fifty papers at least.
Hayagrīva: I am trying. One hour a tape.
Rādhā-vallabha: Hayagrīva finished editing Volume Six of Madhya-līlā today.
Prabhupāda: Oh, Volume Six, Caitanya-caritāmṛta?
Rādhā-vallabha: Yes. Out of nine volumes, Hayagrīva has finished six of Madhya-līlā.
Prabhupāda: Altogether there will be nine volumes?
Rāmeśvara: Of Madhya-līlā.
Jayatīrtha: Madhya-līlā, all nine volumes.
Rādhā-vallabha: And four volumes Antya-līlā.
Initiation Lectures
Not to all. Samo 'haṁ sarva-bhūteṣu (BG 9.29). God is equal to everyone. That is a fact. So far eating, sleeping, mating, these four principles are concerned, God is giving everyone. Just like government provides maintenance, provision, even in the prison life. That is not very important thing for government. But education department or other higher cultural department, that is not for all. Similarly, although God is equal to everyone, he's especially inclined to the devotees. Ye tu bhajanti māṁ prītyā teṣu te mayi. Those who are engaged in devotional service, He's specially inclined to him. And to him he gives instruction from within. Teṣāṁ satata-yuktānām (BG 10.10). Satata means always. Twenty-four hours, one who is engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, to him He gives instruction from within because he's qualified. Others, instruction He's giving, but other is not obeying the instruction. Just like a man is ready to commit some sinful activities. He thinks, "Shall I do it?" From within, "No, no. Don't do it." Again he says, "Why not? Let me do it." In this way, when he insists, oh, then He says, "All right, do it. Do it." So the word that "Nothing can happen without the sanction of God," that is a fact. Nobody can act anything... Then the question is why a man acts sinfully? Why...? Does God give sanction for sinful action? Yes. When one insists that "I shall do it." "All right, do it. And suffer the consequences."
Of course, by chanting, gradually everything will be cleared, but still, we must be very cautious. Even we fall down, that, Kṛṣṇa will save us if we are sincere.
So these ten kinds of offenses should be avoided and at least sixteen rounds you must chant. All the Gosvāmīs in Vṛndāvana, they had a limited, not limited, a number, fixed, that "So many times I shall chant." So we are offering only minimum of sixteen rounds. That, it will take, sixteen rounds, it will take about, utmost, three hours. So you should... Out of twenty-four hours, you should engage at least three hours for chanting. So then this is the beginning of initiation, and those who have chanted at least for one year, then the next initiation is to offer him Gāyatrī mantra. Some of the students, boys and girls, will be offered this Gāyatrī mantra. And when the Gāyatrī mantra is offered men, they are offered also sacred thread, and girls, they are not offered sacred thread. If their husband is a brāhmaṇa, she automatically becomes brāhmaṇa because wife is considered to be the half, better half. She is the better portion. So she automatically becomes better brāhmaṇa (laughter). So better brāhmaṇa does not require any thread. There is a Bengali proverb, ya va nauket poiyete darkana naya (?). The proverb is that in India if one has got sacred thread, he is immediately understood that he must be belonging to the higher caste, brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, or vaiṣya. But if somebody knows that he is brāhmaṇa or kṣatriya, he doesn't require to show the sacred thread. Similarly, the wives of brāhmaṇa is already known that he (she) is brāhmaṇa, so she does not require to show the sacred thread. So don't be sorry because you will not be offered the sacred thread. That's all right.
He says that the Canadians, they want real religion. That's very good, encouraging. Anyone, if he is anxious to have real religion, for him this is the best thing, this kṛṣṇa-kīrtana-gāna-nartana. So without religion, human society is nothing but animal society. It is simply polished animalism. So these Gosvāmīs, they made so many books to guide us. You have read Rūpa Gosvāmī's Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu. That is the first direction in the line. So they always worked very hard, day and night. Their business was writing books or chanting and dancing. And other necessities, eating, sleeping, mating and fearing, they practically abolished. There was no question of mating, there was no question of fearing. And sleeping, they used to sleep utmost one and a half hour daily in twenty-four hours. And eating, that is also practically nil. When they felt hungry they would go to some householder's home and beg one capati or two capatis. That's all. Finished. So nānā-śāstra-vicāraṇaika-nipuṇau sad-dharma-saṁsthāpakau. Why? Lokānāṁ hita-kāriṇau. The mission of saintly persons is simply to think how this suffering humanity will become happy by spiritual consciousness. That is their business. They are not for exploiting. The whole material world is trying... One man is trying to exploit another; one nation is trying to exploit another nation; one society is trying to... This is struggle for existence. They have invented this law that "Might is right." You struggle, and if you are powerful... Just like there is now struggle between Russia and America, or China and America. This is going on. So everyone is suffering. The struggle for existence means a condition of suffering. And these saintly persons, devotees of Kṛṣṇa, not only devotees of Kṛṣṇa, any devotee of God, they are, their business is to see how people become happy. Lokānāṁ hita-kāriṇau. Therefore, tribhuvane mānyau. The devotees are worshiped not only in this planet but in other planets also—wherever they will go.
That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Jīvera svarūpa haya nitya kṛṣṇa dāsa (Cc. Madhya 20.108-109). Real consciousness, as it is recommended by Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, that He identifies Himself as eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and this is liberation, and this is mukti. If you simply stick to this principle, gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ (CC Madhya 13.80), that "I am nothing except the eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa," then you are in the liberated platform. Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so nice. You keep yourself. And for keeping yourself in that consciousness, the simple method is this chanting, Hare Kṛṣṇa. You keep yourself chanting as many hours, twenty-four hours. Why as many hours? Twenty-four hours. Kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ (CC Adi 17.31). Lord Caitanya says, "This is to be practiced twenty-four hours." And that you can do. It requires simply practice. Even in sleeping you can chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Even in sleeping. And there is no bar. In sleeping, in eating, in going to the toilet room, there is no restriction. You can go on, "Hare Kṛṣṇa." You see. That will keep you in your svarūpa, in your real identification, and you'll never be attacked by māyā. Just like if you keep yourself vaccinated and if the period... What is called? Active. Then there is no fear of being infected. That is practical. If you get yourself vaccinated of certain type of infection and you keep yourself active... Just like doctors, they go, treat patients suffering from infectious disease, but they keep themselves always unaffected. They know the remedial measures, antiseptic, prophylactic processes. So this prophylactic antiseptic process is Kṛṣṇa-kīrtanam. Paraṁ vijayate śrī-kṛṣṇa-kīrtanam. That is Lord Caitanya's blessing. Paraṁ vijayate. All glories to the saṅkīrtana, śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtana. Kīrtana means Kṛṣṇa-kīrtana. Not any other kīrtana. The Māyāvādī philosophers, they introduce so many other kīrtanas. No. Kīrtana means Kṛṣṇa-kīrtana: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma...
Therefore it is said hṛdā. Sometimes we get education, instruction from hṛdā. That hṛdā, Kṛṣṇa, sitting in everyone's heart, instructs everyone. But those who are not devotee, they cannot understand what is the dictation. They deny. But those who are devotees, they can understand that "Here is the dictation from the Lord." Buddhi-yogaṁ dadāmi tam.
So therefore to hear from the Lord which is situated within our heart, that requires a qualification, a certain stage. Just like in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, buddhi-yogaṁ dadāmi tam: "I give instruction to them." To whom? Not all. Of course, He's giving all. But to a devotee, teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam: (BG 10.10) "Those who are twenty-four hours, constantly engaged in My service." Satata. Satata means twenty-four hours. Teṣāṁ satata-yuktānām: engaged. Those who are engaged twenty-four hours, bhajatām. How engaged? Bhajatām: in devotional service. How devotional service can be done? Prīti-pūrvakam, in love. They must enjoy. Here is an opportunity of serving Kṛṣṇa. The more they engage in service, the more they become pleased. That is spiritual service. There is no retirement. Material service, you'll get tired, fatigued: "Oh, I have worked so much now." In the spiritual service you'll get more energy: "Let me serve more, serve more." To such devotees, the Lord, sitting in the heart, gives instruction: "Do like this," so that he'll very soon come to Him. "Do like this." And to the others? Yes, others also He gives instruction. What instruction? "You wanted to do this. Do it now. Here is opportunity. You wanted to steal. All right. Here is the opportunity. Steal." Because everyone's heart, Kṛṣṇa is there. Sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭo (BG 15.15). In the Fifteenth Chapter: "I am situated in everyone's heart." Mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca: "From Me, there is remembrance, knowledge and forgetfulness." Forgetfulness is also coming from Him.
The first engagement should be that mind should be always absorbed in thoughts of Kṛṣṇa. Always engaged. These boys, they are always engaged. Just like in offering arcana to the Deities from early morning up to ten o'clock at night, and then they go to rest. Again rise early in the morning. So somebody is engaged n cleansing the temple, somebody is engaged in dressing the Deity, somebody is engaged in cooking for the Deity, somebody is engaged going in Tokyo city for distributing literature, somebody is performing kīrtana here, somebody is reading our various books. In this way we have got twenty-five hours engagement instead of twenty-four hours. So mind cannot go outside Kṛṣṇa. That is called Kṛṣṇa conscious. We don't allow the mind go out of Kṛṣṇa's service. And this is sannyāsa. Practically anyone who is engaged in this Kṛṣṇa consciousness business, he is a sannyāsī. Never mind what is his dress. He may be in a dress of a family man, householder, or he may be in the dress of a sannyāsī—everyone is engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service. Therefore in the essential sense, everyone is sannyāsī. That is described in the Bhagavad-gītā, anāśritaḥ karma-phalaṁ kāryaṁ karma karoti yaḥ, sa sannyāsī (BG 6.1). The Lord Himself is giving the definition of sannyāsī. What is that? Anāśritaḥ karma-phalaṁ. Karma means action. Whatever you do, there must be some reaction. Whatever you do. You do something very pious or do something which is vicious, there will be some resultant action. But if you don't take shelter of the resultant action, anāśritaḥ karma, karma-phalaṁ. Karma-phalaṁ means resultant action of your activities. You don't take shelter of that action, good or bad... Kāryam: "It is my duty." Kāryam karma karoti yaḥ: "In this way, one who acts..." Sa sannyāsī. Everyone is trying to enjoy the result of his action. Suppose you are doing some business, and you get very huge profit. So you take the profit for enjoyment. But one who does not take the profit, he is sannyāsī. He may be engaged in business. He may make profit, thousand dollars per month or more than that, but he does not take even a paisa or even a cent out of it—he is a sannyāsī.
General Lectures
Time is eternal. There is no past, present, and future. It is my calculation, according to... That is relativity. That is the modern scientific proposition by Professor Einstein. Your time and my time, he has also stated that the time factor in the higher planets are different. In the higher planet the time factor—our six months makes their one day. Just like our so many yugas makes twelve hours of Brahmā. So time is according to the different object. But time is eternal. Actually, there is no past, present, future, or limitation. This is understanding of time. So God, living entity, material nature, time, and the activities. What are these activities? The activities are not eternal; they are temporary. You have got this temporary American body. You are thinking American. You are busy twenty-four hours as American. I am Indian. Or these boys... The boy's activities are different, the woman's activities are different, man's activities are different, the Russian's activities are different, and American's activities, different. All different activities. So therefore activities are temporary. Temporary, according to the time, according to the atmosphere, according to the body, the activities are... Just like the dog, unnecessarily running this side, this side. He thinks that "I am very busy." He is very busy. He is businessman. But you are calling, "A nonsense dog is running here and there." Similarly, all these activities by your motorcar, they may think it is very important, but those who are in higher status, they are thinking like dog is going this side, that side, this side, that side. So the activities are temporary.
This Brahman understanding, or to stand on the Brahman platform, is purity. How one can attain that platform of purity? Kṛṣṇa says that "One who is engaged in devotional service to Me without any deviation," that means twenty-four hours in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, "he is pure." He is pure. If you can keep yourself always, constantly in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, always thinking of Kṛṣṇa, then you are pure. Otherwise... Kṛṣṇa consciousness or God consciousness, it doesn't make any difference. So just like if you keep always in touch with fire you are warm—there is no possibility of being cold—similarly, some way or other if you always keep yourself in Kṛṣṇa consciousness or God consciousness, then you are pure. Therefore we advise our students, "Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa." As soon as you chant this sound, Kṛṣṇa, immediately you are in touch with Kṛṣṇa. Therefore you are, you keep yourself pure. Is that clear? Yes. So try to keep yourself in Kṛṣṇa consciousness without any deviation. Then you remain pure. That is also confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā, daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī... (BG 7.14). (break) It is very difficult to get out of the clutches of this māyā, contamination. Very difficult. Mām eva ye prapadyante: "But one who keeps touch with Me, with full surrender," māyām etāṁ taranti te, "he's out of these clutches of māyā." So just like there is antiseptic, what is called, vaccination, to keep yourself from the contamination... There is epidemic, and under government order everyone is vaccinated, that "You take this. So you shall keep your..." This is material way of keeping oneself from contamination. Similarly, if you keep always yourself in spiritual understanding of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, you remain pure. Yes?
Yes, past, future, present is according to the different kinds of relativity. That is a scientific proof. Professor Einstein has proved it. Just like your past is not past of Brahmā. Your present is not the present of an ant. So past, present, future-time is eternal. It is according to the different dimension of body relativity. Time is eternal. Just like a small ant. In twenty-four hours he has twenty-four times past, present and future. In the sputnik, in the Russian sputnik, circumambulated round this earth in one hour, twenty-five minutes, or something like that. They, I mean to say, went round the earth for twenty-five times. That means within one hour, twenty-five minutes, the sputnik man saw twenty-five times day and night. So in the higher atmosphere the past end present is different. So this past, present, future is relative according to your body, according to circumstances. Actually, there is no past, present, future. Everything is eternal. You are eternal, nityo śāśvato 'yaṁ na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). You do not die. Therefore... The people do not know that I am eternal. What is my eternal engagement? What is my eternal life? They're simply captivated on the spot life: "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am this," "I am that." That's all. This is ignorance. So one has to search out this eternal engagement with Kṛṣṇa. Then he'll be happy. Thank you. (devotees offer obeisances) Chant, Upendra, chant. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Chant. (kīrtana) (end)
You are bowing down to so many things. You are forced. And still you are thinking that "I cannot bow down. I don't like." Because you are saying "I don't like," therefore you are being forced. You have to bow down. Why you forget your position? That is our disease. Therefore the next process is that "I am being forced to bow down." Now we have to find out "Where I shall be happy even by bowing down?" That is Kṛṣṇa. Your bowing down will not be stopped, because you are meant for that. But if you bow down to Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's representative, you become happy. Test this. You have to bow down. If you don't bow down to Kṛṣṇa and His representative, then you will be forced to bow down something else, māyā. That is your position. You cannot be free at any moment. But you'll feel... Just like a child is twenty-four hours bowing down to his parents. He's happy. He's happy. Mother says, "My dear child, please come down, sit down here." "Yes." He's happy. This is the nature. Simply you have to seek out where you have to bow down, that's all. That is Kṛṣṇa. You cannot stop your bowing down, but you have to see where you have to bow down. That's all. If you artificially think that "I'm not going to bow down anyone. I am independent," then you suffer. Simply you have to seek out the proper place where you have to bow down. That's all. All right. Chant. Give them prasādam. They are going. (kīrtana) (end)
"Bannerji, can you make us brāhmaṇa?" Bannerji said, "Why not? Yes, we can make you brāhmaṇa. Then you have to follow the rules, these four principles of rules. Then you can become a brāhmaṇa." He said, "Oh, it is impossible." He said. You see? Such a big personality, he is interested in philosophy, he holds some position, responsible man, he flatly denied, "Oh, it is not possible to give up these habits." But our student, hundreds of students who are coming to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they are giving up very easily. They don't feel any inconvenience. This is spṛśaty anarthāpagamo yad-arthaḥ. Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the first test is that in the beginning, from the very beginning, all misgivings will go on. Will go on. Our student can twenty-four hours sit down before a Deity and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Bring any student of any yoga society, let him sit down for five hours. He'll fail. They are so restless. Simply official fifteen minutes, half an hour, by closing the eyes and murmuring something, meditation. These boys are twenty-four hours engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
So Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so nice. That is the test. All these boys, any man can come and ask them how they are feeling. Unless they feel some spiritual satisfaction, how they can give up everything and be engaged in this Kṛṣṇa conscious chanting? Therefore this is the test. Naiṣāṁ matis tāvad urukramāṅghrim. Matis tāvad. Matis tāvad urukramāṅghrim. Urukramāṅghrim. Urukrama, Kṛṣṇa's another name is Urukrama. Urukrama means... Uru means very difficult, and krama means steps. Just like Kṛṣṇa in the Vāmana-avatāra, He forwarded His steps up to the sky. His name is therefore Urukrama. So one cannot fix up his mind on the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa unless mahīyasāṁ pāda-rajo-'bhiṣekaṁ niṣkiñcanānāṁ na vṛṇīta yāvat. This is not possible so long he has not the opportunity of touching the dust of the lotus feet of a personality who is niṣkiñcana, who has no material hankerings; mahīyasām, and life is dedicated only for Kṛṣṇa. As soon as one comes in touch with such personality, by his grace, this thing, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness can be achieved. Not by any other method.
Prabhupāda: Ekaś candras tamo hanti na ca taraḥ sahasrasaḥ. If we can, I mean to say, raise one person Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that means we have successfully preached our mission. One moon is better than millions of stars. Hare Kṛṣṇa.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We can have kīrtana and soon the prasādam will be ready.
Prabhupāda: Huh?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Can we have kīrtana, then serve prasādam?
Prabhupāda: Yes. Kīrtana have, twenty-four hours. Kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ (CC Adi 17.31). Always.
Revatīnandana: Did you mean from seven to eight every evening, Prabhupāda?
Prabhupāda: Yes. You can repeat that, replay, the tape.
Govinda dāsī: Āratika?
Prabhupāda: Yes. You... (end)
And Śukadeva Gosvāmī also confirms here that apaśyatām ātma-tattvam: (SB 2.1.2) because they do not know what is the goal of his soul. That they do not know. Apaśyatām ātma-tattvam. And because they have not engaged themselves in the spiritual culture or cultivation of self-realization or advancement of the self, their business is simply on these four principles of life, eating, sleeping, mating, and defending.
So how they are spending, spoiling their life? That is stated by Śukadeva Gosvāmī: nidrayā hriyate naktam. We have got at our disposal twenty-four hours, say, twelve hours night and twelve hours day. So how these twenty-four hours is being spoiled by persons who are simply interested in sleeping, eating, mating and defending? So Śukadeva Gosvāmī says, nidrayā hriyate naktam. At night they sleep. Nidrayā. Nidrayā means by sleeping; hriyate, spoiling. Spoiling the time of night by sleeping. Nidrayā hriyate naktaṁ vyavāyena ca vā (SB 2.1.3). Or by sex life. Two businesses. One has no opportunity... One who has no sex opportunity, he's sleeping. Or enjoying sex life. Then what about day? Divā cārthehayā rājan. And the whole day is being spoiled, "Where is money? Where is money? Where is money?" All right, you take money. Here is money. He gets, say, one thousand dollar, earns the whole day. Then? Divā cārthehayā rājan kuṭumba-bharaṇena vā (SB 2.1.3). Then shopping. As soon as you get money there are nice shops, all advertising, "Come here. Take this garment. Take this. Take that. Take that car." Always advertisement. Anyone who has got his money in the pocket, he's immediately spending. So for earning money and to spend them or to sleep at night or to enjoy sex life at night. So this is the engagement of a materialistic man throughout the whole day and night. So dehāpatya-kalatrādiṣv ātma-sainyeṣv asatsv api (SB 2.1.4).
My dear boys and girls, I thank you very much for participating in our saṅkīrtana. It is very simple, chanting the sixteen words Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. Actually there are only three words: Hare, Kṛṣṇa, and Rāma. It is not difficult. Everyone can immediately, within a second, can chant these three names, Hare, Kṛṣṇa, and Rāma. But to make it still easier and suitable, they have been arranged in two lines of eight words each line. That is very rhythmic, and one feels immediately transcendental pleasure to chant. It is not hackneyed. We have chanted about exactly half an hour, but if we chant even twenty-four hours, you'll never feel tired. That is the significance, practical. You will feel more and more enthusiastic to chant. Our boys and girls do that. In the beginning, of course, you may not understand, but you take to this practice of chanting, you'll feel immediately transcendental pleasure. I saw, although some of you could not join us in dancing and chanting, but you were, from your seat, you were trying to dance. That I have seen. It is practical. We have seen even children, they immediately take to this dancing and chanting. So it is not very difficult. The most easy process of transcendental realization. We don't ask you to press your nose, or put your head downwards, or make some gymnastic. No. In whatever condition you are, it doesn't matter. You simply chant these sixteen names. There is no secrecy. We are not charging any fees, that "You pay me so many dollars, I'll give you a secret mantra, and you chan..." No. It is open. It is distributed freely. Simply you have to take it. That's all. The result will be, oh, great. Make an experiment. You have no loss. You haven't got to pay anything. But if you take this, the result will be very, very great, which has no comparison in this world. That is practical.
That is our natural condition. Just like the child is crying, restless. But as soon as the mother takes the child on the lap, the child is immediately pacified. Why? Because the child wants that. She cannot express what she wants. She is crying. But she has no language to express, but she can express her feelings. As soon as she is on the lap of the mother, she understands, "Now I am fully satisfied." You can also understand. So even there is no language, there is a stage of satisfaction. That stage is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. As soon as one comes to the stage of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he'll be satisfied. And unless he comes to that stage, he'll always be disturbed, full of anxieties.
Therefore our prayer should be how we shall be twenty-four hours engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Bhavantam evānucaran nirantaraḥ praśānta-niḥśeṣa. I'm just trying to explain the word praśānta, pacifism, how one can be pacified, fully satisfied. Just like Dhruva Mahārāja, a boy. He wanted the kingdom of his father and he underwent severe penances to see God, Nārāyaṇa, so that he may ask His benediction to be, I mean to say, seated on the throne of his father. That was his desire. He went to forest to undertake severe penances to see Nārāyaṇa so that he can ask from Him the benediction that he should have..., seated on the throne of his father. Because by the intrigue of his stepmother, he was rejected by his father. He wanted... That material desire we, every one of us in conditioned state, we want. Sometimes we compete. We become very much obstinate, that "I must have this," and we work very hard. Just like in Europe, that Hitler, he wanted supremacy over Europe, and he fought very valiantly. But at the end he became vanquished. Similarly, in the material world we have got so many desires and we want to fulfill it—and for which we work very hard. But at the end it becomes frustrated. That is the nature of the material world. You cannot have anything here permanent, however hard you work...
Śikṣa means instruction, and aṣṭaka means eight. He has given us eight verses to understand this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, and I shall try to explain. Please hear attentively.
The first instruction is, the Lord says, ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12). I think I have explained this several times. Again, repeatedly, just like we chant Hare Kṛṣṇa repeatedly. There is no, I mean to say, tiredsomeness. These boys, they can chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra twenty-four hours, they will never get tired. They will dance and they will chant. And you also, if you try it you will never get tired. Because it is not material. In the material world if you chant anything, any favorite name for three, four, or ten times, you will get tired. Yes. That's a fact. But because it is not material, if you chant this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra you will never get tired. The more you chant, your heart will be cleansed from all material dirty things. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇam (CC Antya 20.12). And the problems of your life within this material world... These are simple words, but it requires lots of explanation. What is the problem of our life? That you do not know. The modern education never gives enlightenment what is the problem of life. That is indicated in the Bhagavad-gītā, that those who are educated, advancing in knowledge, they should know what is the problem of life. The problem of life is, as stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). One should always feel the inconvenience of taking birth, janma; mṛtyu, inconvenience of death; jarā, inconvenience of old age; and inconvenience of disease. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi.
Kṛṣṇa's pastimes, Vṛndāvana-līlā, or as Kṛṣṇa manifested His different pastimes when He was present, that is going on eternally. As soon as He leaves this universe, in another universe His līlā becomes manifest. Kṛṣṇa is born... Kṛṣṇa is born here at Janmāṣṭamī, and as soon as Kṛṣṇa is taken to Gokula by Vasudeva, Kṛṣṇa is seen in another universe, born again. Just like our sun. As soon as it rises at six o'clock or, say, five o'clock... So as soon as here five o'clock finished, in another place five o'clock begins. But it is going on. Ananta-cakra. The five o'clock is permanent. Anywhere, there must be some five o'clock. Anywhere, there must be six o'clock. Anywhere, there must be seven o'clock. Just like the twenty-four hours is going on. You cannot say that the sun's rising at five o'clock, because it is finished within your view, it is finished. No. It is not like that. The five o'clock is permanent to the sun. If it is so possible to a material thing, why not Kṛṣṇa? Therefore it is called nitya-līlā. Nitya-līlā means eternally Janmāṣṭamī is going on. Eternally everything is going on, eternally. So one who is liberated from this world and he is given the spiritual body, he's immediately transferred to the place where Kṛṣṇa's līlā is going on. Just like in Vṛndāvana, when Kṛṣṇa was present, all the Vṛndāvana-vāsīs, they were not ordinary men; they were liberated. They transferred to associate with Kṛṣṇa, practice. And after this complete practice, they were transferred to the Goloka Vṛndāvana. So therefore, Śukadeva Gosvāmī says about the boys, cowherd boys, playing with Kṛṣṇa, kṛta-puṇya-puñjāḥ. Kṛta-puṇya-puñjāḥ. "Oh, how much these boys have accumulated their pious activities! Now they are transferred here to play with Kṛṣṇa." Kṛta-puṇya-puñjāḥ.
He is already Brahman realized. Kṛṣṇa says, "Anyone who is engaged in My devotional service, avyabhicāriṇi, without any deviation, twenty-four hours..." We are teaching these boys and girls... This function is meant for engaging them there twenty-four hours in Kṛṣṇa's business. They are going to outside for securing advertisement. It may seem equal that another man has got to secure advertisement and they have also got securing advertisement, but there is gulf of difference. They have gone for Kṛṣṇa, and others, they have gone for sense gratification. That is the difference. In this way you can mold your life in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, twenty-four hours engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and you live in brahma-bhūtaḥ. You haven't got to try for becoming brahma-bhūtaḥ or you have to realize Brahman separately. You are already in brahma-bhūtaḥ stage. Sa guṇan samatītyaitān brahma-bhūyāya kalpate (BG 14.26). Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati (BG 18.54). These statements are in the Bhagavad-gītā.
So in the Bhagavad-gītā it is taught what is God, what is nature of God and who is God, and what are these living entities, we living entities, and what is our relationship. These things are taught in the Bhagavad-gītā.
He does not give intelligence... He gives others intelligence in a different way, as we want. Everyone, because we are free, so as we want. Because without sanction of Kṛṣṇa, we cannot do anything. Therefore one has to take sanction from Kṛṣṇa for doing anything. So for others He gives sanction, "All right. You do it." Because He will see. Kṛṣṇa does not say that you do it because He perceives that I must do it. So Kṛṣṇa gives the sanction. That is one sanction. But there is another sanction, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. That is sanction for the devotees. Teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam (BG 10.10). Teṣām. "For those who are twenty-four hours engaged in My service." Satata-yukta. Satata means always, without any deviation. Simply in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, thinking everything in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. He is seeing one flower. You'll be surprised... This little girl, the other day we were walking in hanging gardens, and this little girl, as soon as she saw some flower, immediately she expressed her opinion that these flowers should be taken and made into garland for Kṛṣṇa. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. She is being taught from the very beginning of her life how to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. So it is not difficult. It depends only on training. Even in this old age, and especially in this age this method is very simple. Simply we have to agree to accept it. That's all. Otherwise Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the simplest form of self-realization and advancement in spiritual life.
So Kṛṣṇa, as I was talking, that Kṛṣṇa is sitting in everyone's heart. And as soon as one is inclined to serve Him, He is also ready to respond immediately. Teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam (BG 10.10). One who is engaged twenty-four hours in His service, in Kṛṣṇa's service, bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam , not as a matter of routine... Of course, we have to begin as a matter of routine. But when you develop gradually love for Him, that is called prīti. Just like this Deity worship. Our students, first of all they are engaged in a matter of duty of devotional service. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam arcanam (SB 7.5.23). This is called arcanam.
Ladies and gentlemen, I thank you very much for your kindly participating in this movement of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Perhaps this meeting will be ended tomorrow and we shall have a nice procession to Chowpati at 4 p.m., and I hope you will all join us as you are usually doing. Actually, according to Caitanya Mahāprabhu and according to the Vedic instructions, this movement should be continued in every city for twenty-four hours. Kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ (CC Adi 17.31). Caitanya Mahāprabhu does not say that it should be occasional, temporary. He says that kīrtanīyaḥ sadā. Sadā means always. Similarly, Śrīmad-Bhāgavata says also, nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā. Naṣṭa-prāyeṣu abhadreṣu nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā (SB 1.2.18). One has to cleanse all the inauspicious things within our hearts. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says also the same thing, that ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12). We have to cleanse the dirty things accumulated in our heart since time immemorial. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura said, anādi-karama-phale, pori' bhavārṇava-jale. We do not know when we have begun this conditioned life in this material world. You cannot trace. That is impossible, because this life is not only in this creation, but it is coming from another creation. Suṣupti. Now the creation is going on since the birth of Lord Brahmā, and it will continue for so many millions of years. Again it will be annihilated. As you will find in the Bhagavad-gītā, bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). This creation takes place exactly like your body, my body. The creation of this body takes place at a certain date. That is the beginning of history. But time is immemorial, I mean to say, eternal. It is all relative truth. The history is relative. Just like my life begins, this body begins somewhere in 1896—something like that—and it ends somewhere. That time limit is relative to my body. Similarly, there is Brahmā's body.
That is the beginning of history. But time is immemorial, I mean to say, eternal. It is all relative truth. The history is relative. Just like my life begins, this body begins somewhere in 1896—something like that—and it ends somewhere. That time limit is relative to my body. Similarly, there is Brahmā's body. That relative time is long, long duration. As you'll find in the Bhagavad-gītā, Brahmā's life is described by Kṛṣṇa, sahasra-yuga-paryantam arhad yad brahmaṇo viduḥ (BG 8.17). This Satya, Tretā, Dvāpara, Kali, four yugas, it comes to about forty-three lakhs of years. So combine together, if you multiply it by one thousand, that is the duration of one day's life of Brahmā. Similarly, he has got night. This is only daytime, twelve hours. The similar period, night, that makes twenty-four hours. Then again one month, thirty days and nights. Similarly, one year, twelve months. Similarly, one hundred years. So his duration of life is also one hundred years, but because it is a different person, that truth is relative according to that person. That is scientifically admitted: everything is relative truth, nothing absolute truth.
Teṣāṁ satata-yuktānām. Satata means twenty-four hours. Not that I meditate for fifteen minutes and do all nonsense twenty-four hours. No. Satata-yuktānām. One should be engaged twenty-four hours in the business of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is possible. It is not that it is impossible. You can engage yourself in Kṛṣṇa consciousness twenty-four hours without any cessation, but you have to know how to do it. That is being taught in Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. But you can do it. And as soon as you take to it, teṣāṁ satata-yuktānām bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam (BG 10.10). Kṛṣṇa should be worshiped with prīti, love, not officially. Of course, in the beginning, we have to be officially. In the beginning, we have to act by the direction of the spiritual master, by the direction of the śāstras. But when you practice it by the direction of guru and śāstra, sādhu guru śāstra vā, then gradually you become attached to it.
Yes. But He summarizes the yoga processes in the Sixth Chapter, last verse, yoginām api sarveṣāṁ: (BG 6.47) "Of all the yogis, one who always thinks of Me with faith and love within himself," yoginām api sarveṣāṁ mad-gata āntarātmanā, "within the heart, within himself, always think of Me, Kṛṣṇa," śraddhāvān bhajate yo mam, "engaged in devotional...," sa me yuktatamo, "he is the highest, topmost yogi." He has described different process of yoga system. That's a fact. But He concludes that one who is thinking of Kṛṣṇa always within himself with faith and love, he is the topmost yogi. So we are teaching our disciples to think of Kṛṣṇa always, twenty-four hours. This Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, if you chant and hear the word "Kṛṣṇa," then you become the topmost yogi. And simplest method—anyone can practice it. God has given you the tongue, and you can chant "Kṛṣṇa." Actually they are chanting everywhere, in all parts of the world, very easily, even a child. So this yoga system is recommended especially for this age because other yoga systems are very difficult processes for the present age. The haṭha-yoga system, to sit down in a sacred secluded place, straight right—angular, and looking towards the end of the nose, this is not possible for everyone. Therefore the topmost yoga system is to chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. And actually it is happening. Now our students all over the world, simply by chanting this holy name of God, Hare Kṛṣṇa, they are quickly advancing in spiritual knowledge, that's a fact. Now stop. (end)
He's first-class yogi. He's always seeing Kṛṣṇa within the heart. And he can see, premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti (Bs. 5.38). Prema, if you develop love for Kṛṣṇa, then you'll see Kṛṣṇa within your heart, always, twenty-four hours. Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena, when your eyes are smeared with the ointment of love of God. You realize (indistinct), see God. You see God. This morning I have (indistinct), you see God. It is not very, I mean to say, impossible. It is possible by everyone, even by child, what to speak of grown-up. Simply you have to follow the instructions. Just like Kṛṣṇa says how to see Him, how to practice to see Him:
- raso 'ham apsu kaunteya
- prabhāsmi śaśi-sūryayoḥ
- praṇavaḥ sarva-vedeṣu
- śabdaḥ ke pauruṣaṁ nṛṣu
- (BG 7.8)
Kṛṣṇa says that "If you find difficulty to see Me, then try to see me in the water, or any liquid thing." That's all. In every liquid, the water is there, (indistinct) liquid, there is some water. Now you taste. That is (indistinct). Even the drunkard, they have developed a kind of rasa, a kind of taste in the wine. So Kṛṣṇa says, "All right, when you taste wine, (indistinct) taste Kṛṣṇa, I am (indistinct)." So who cannot see Kṛṣṇa? Everyone can see. Even greatest drunkard can see Kṛṣṇa, what to speak of a devotee. Kṛṣṇa says, raso 'ham apsu kaunteya. If you are tasting something... It is just like the drunkard, they take wine, "All right, that taste is Kṛṣṇa." To practice this, not to speak of the ordinary man, they're drinking water, but those who are drinking wine... If you think, "Now I am drinking wine, I am tasting, it is very nice taste. This is Kṛṣṇa." Then one (indistinct) a great devotee. So where is the difficulty? To see Kṛṣṇa there is no difficulty. Raso 'ham apsu kaunteya (BG 7.8). That Kṛṣṇa is so nice that every (indistinct) of life, if you practice Kṛṣṇa consciousness your life will be sublime. (break) ...(indistinct) padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadām (SB 10.14.58). Just like (indistinct) to hear about Kṛṣṇa, that is the only thing.
So we are opening centers all over the world. In America we have got about fifty centers, and in your Europe we have got about half a dozen or more than, dozen centers, including France, Germany, Amsterdam, England, and Ireland, Scotland. So this is a new center opened by us. This house has been very kindly given to us by George Harrison. He is a nice boy. He is taking to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So you have got good facilities now to understand what is this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. So we shall simply request you to take advantage of this center. We are not charging anything. You haven't got to pay anything. If you come in the morning and take part with us, we hold class. We are engaged twenty-four hours in this temple, but especially we hold class in the morning from seven to eight, and other classes, ārātrika also. We perform six times ārātrika, bhoga. We have got twenty-four hours engagement. So at any time you can come. We have got books. Our program is for publishing sixty books. Now we have already published about twenty books, big, big books, four hundred pages. So if you understand, if you want to understand this movement through philosophy, science, and good logic, argument, we have got sufficient stock to convince you how this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is important. But suppose you are not interested in reading or you cannot read, cannot understand philosophy, we have got a very simple method: chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra—Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare.
What is that? Anyway. Vande guroḥ śrī-caraṇāravindam. And the spiritual master is always thinking of the pastimes of Kṛṣṇa. Śrī-rādhikā-mādhavayor apāra: with Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī, His consort, and the gopīs. That is always his thinking. Sometimes he's thinking about His pastimes with the cowherds boys. That means that he's engaged always thinking of Kṛṣṇa, engaged in some kind of pastime. Śrī-rādhikā-mādhavayor apāra-mādhurya-līlā-guṇa-rūpa-nāmnām pratikṣaṇa asvādana lolupasya. Pratikṣaṇa, twenty-four hours, he's thinking. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. One must be engaged twenty-four hours in thinking of Kṛṣṇa. You have to make your such program. Just like we have, at least, made such program. All these boys and girls, those who are engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, they are engaged twenty-four hours. Not officially, once in a week, they meditate or go to some temple. No. Not like that. Twenty-four hours. Twenty-four hours. They have got engagement twenty-four hours. Ask anyone how they are engaged. You can ask.
That is called yoga-māyā. The same māyā Just like the same government laws acting in the prison house differently, and acting in the university differently. But the potency is the same. If we take protection of the civil laws, then you are happy. And if we take protection of the criminal laws then you are unhappy. That's all. So Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is that you have to take shelter of one of the potencies of Kṛṣṇa. Better take the shelter of the spiritual potency. Then you become happy. You cannot be free. That is not possible. Just like you cannot defy the government laws. That is not possible. If you defy civil laws then you become subjected to the criminal law. You cannot say that "I defy government." That is not possible. Similarly, you cannot defy Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's potencies. Better you take shelter of Kṛṣṇa's spiritual potency and be happy. Mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ (BG 9.13), that is mahātmā, who takes shelter of the spiritual potency of Kṛṣṇa. And what is the sign? Bhajanty ananya-manaso. That is mahātmā. He has no other business than to serve Kṛṣṇa twenty-four hours. Then he is immediately mukta. That is not difficult. So any other question?
If you constantly, twenty-four hours remain Kṛṣṇa conscious, man-manā, then—Kṛṣṇa is there within your heart—He will give you instruction, "Do like this." So Bhagavān is not far away from you. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe arjuna (BG 18.61). He is staying within the core of your heart. But if you qualify yourself as devotee, He'll speak with you. But if you commit offenses, thinking Kṛṣṇa as ordinary man, then Kṛṣṇa will never give you instruction.
So our request is, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, that you study Bhagavad-gītā. You don't require... Because Bhagavad-gītā is the essence of all Vedic knowledge. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyam (BG 15.15). Vedas means if you are actually a student of Veda or Vedānta, Veda-Vedānta, then the ultimate goal is to understand Kṛṣṇa. And if you cannot understand Kṛṣṇa, however big Vedāntist you may be, you remain a fool. This is the conclusion of Bhagavad-gītā.
Thank you very much. (end)
So the saṅkīrtana movement, Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, the more you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, your, the heart disease, material enjoyment, that will decrease, and then you will understand what is your position and you will be gradually attracted by Kṛṣṇa. Bhaktiḥ pareśānubhavo viraktir anyatra syāt (SB 11.2.42). This is the test of bhakti, that if you engage yourself twenty-four hours in devotional service, then immediately you become liberated. Bhaktiḥ pareśā... Liberation means to become detestful to material enjoyment.
So Kṛṣṇa attachment is so nice that... Dhruva Mahārāja, he was in the beginning attracted by material enjoyment. He wanted a kingdom more than his father, and he went to the forest for meeting the Supreme Personality of Godhead to get this benediction. So Dhruva Mahārāja actually, when he saw the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he refused to accept any benediction. Svāmin kṛtārtho 'smi varaṁ na yāce (CC Madhya 22.42). This is the benefit of Kṛṣṇa āsakti. If you actually become attached to Kṛṣṇa, then you'll think yourself completely filled up. There is no more asking for any material benefit.
That is not possible. Therefore we have to become humbler, tolerant, because real Kṛṣṇa consciousness means good-bye to this material world. We are no more interested with your, these big, big street, big, big buses or anything, whatever you think that is improvement, advancement.
So Kṛṣṇa conscious person are no more interested. Why not interested? They are disgusted. Why disgusted? No, because it is full of danger. Padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadām (SB 10.14.58). Here everything appears to be very nice, but every step there is danger. So the Kṛṣṇa conscious person knows it, that although it is decorated very nicely. The New York is a big city. Twenty-four hours, "dungdungdungdungdungdung-guggugguggugguggug"—fire, always fire. Every minute there is a fire case. Saṁsāra-dāvānala-līḍha-loka **. Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura's description of this material world as blazing fire... We see big, big cities in America, always in blazing fire. Still, they like this kind of life. But one who is advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they are no more interested, no more interested. They are interested back home, back to Godhead. Back to Godhead. Therefore our magazine is Back to Godhead. They are no more interested in front. They are going back to... (laughter) Therefore this name was given, Back to Godhead. They are trying: "No more we are so foolish. To go forward, material civilization..." And where you'll go? You are packed up within this universal atmosphere. Just like they are running for the moon planet, for the Mars planet. And where the rascals running, they'll come back.
Philosophy Discussions
Hayagrīva: Close? Oh, all right. Bergson maintained that God's reality can only be intuited by mystical experience. The creative effort is of God, if it is not God Himself. Knowledge of God leads to activity not passivity.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Knowledge of God is activity. Just like bhakti, we are twenty-four hours active, not that we are meditating on. So it is service. God says that anyone who preaches this message of Bhagavad-gītā, that is activity. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's order, that you, all of you, become guru. To become guru means activity, to train the disciples. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is full of activity for giving, rendering service to God, Kṛṣṇa. It is activity.
Hayagrīva: The word..., the word "mystic" is not a very clear word. It can mean so many different things. When he says God's reality can only be intuited by mystical experience, one doesn't really know what this means.
Prabhupāda: No, mystical... One who does not know God, for him it is mystical, but one who knows God, he takes orders from God. This is defined, ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanam (CC Madhya 19.167), means favorably working for satisfaction of God. But if one's idea of God is not clear, he thinks it is mystical, but one who has got clear idea of God, clear order from God, then it is not mystical but it is practical.
Hayagrīva: He believed that mystics—he uses the words "mystics," not-mystics participate in God's love for mankind and aid the divine purpose.
Prabhupāda: Yes, that is the...
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Hayagrīva: ...if it shoots, grows and ripens without ceasing, then why or how could the personality or the individual jīva soul return to a lower life-form? That is to say, how could a greater experience regress to a lesser experience?
Prabhupāda: The..., everything is calculated at the time of death. That is nature's process. That I was talking in the morning, that these boys, they are too much addicted to these water sports. Twenty-four hours they are indulging in this water sport. They are creating a mentality to become aquatic animal. So naturally, at the time of death, he will think of all these things and nature will give him a body. Yes. That you cannot check. After death you are completely under nature's control. You cannot dictate. That these rascal do not understand. Therefore they, "Finish this business. There is no life after death. That's all."
Hayagrīva: Now how was it that a great personality like Indra, with his mind, intelligence, and ego all intact, how is it he could become a toad?
Prabhupāda: Yes, you can become. So long you are materially existing, your thoughts are under the modes of material mature. So sometimes the thoughts are in the modes of goodness, sometimes the thoughts are in the modes of passion, and sometimes they are in the modes of ignorance and act accordingly. So up and down it is going on. So in order to keep yourself on the standard platform, one should engage himself in devotional service. That is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā:
Prabhupāda: Yes. So one has to keep himself on the Brahman platform, then there is no difficulties.
Hayagrīva: No..., no karmic regression.
Prabhupāda: Therefore we are trying to keep everyone twenty-four hours engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Hayagrīva: That, that would be what Bergson would call creative evolution.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Hayagrīva: He saw, he saw change as maturation. He says, "We are seeking only the precise meaning that our consciousness gives to this word 'exist,' and we find that, for a conscious being, to exist is to change, to change is to mature, to mature is to go on creating oneself endlessly."
Prabhupāda: So, you want..., you are struggling, creating for the highest position, but Kṛṣṇa is giving you the idea. This is the highest position, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66), that "You give up your so-called positions, you simply surrender unto Him..., Me, and I shall give you all protection." This is the idea. But he denies, and that because he thinks Kṛṣṇa is ordinary human being, "Oh, how He can give me the topmost position?" So he goes on, he..., with his plan-making, so that... But this plan-making, if he is actually advancing, then after many, many births he will come to that conclusion that everything is Kṛṣṇa. Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ (BG 7.19). But this happens after he is struggling for many, many births. So best thing is that instead of waiting many, many births, if we take Kṛṣṇa's instruction immediately, we become perfect. Why you should continue in ignorance, unsettled, and making plan? That is another foolishness.
Hayagrīva: The bond. It's the bondage of habit.
Prabhupāda: Huh?
Prabhupāda: No, no, no. We don't accept that. If there would have been accident, so many planets are rotating in, and so forth... There is no collision. There is no accident. But in your motorcar there is so many accidents, and people are dying.
Śyāmasundara: He sees in our human conduct that we have the choice to make certain decisions, certain...
Prabhupāda: Decision means because you are imperfect, human beings are imperfect, so their machine, these motorcars, there are so many accidents, so many killing. But because God is so perfect, although all the planets are rotating in their speed, just like this earth is rotating... What is the speed? At least in twenty-four hours it is completing 25,000 miles. That means its speed is about 1000 miles at least. And similarly, other planets are also moving, similarly. And the sun planet is moving at 16,000 miles per minute or second, calculated. But all these planets are moving in this way, so much speed, but they are not colliding. The perfect arrangement is there, and they are floating. How it is possible? This is accidental? Do you think this is accidental?
Śyāmasundara: Well, he says it like this, that there are alternative courses of action. For every possibility there are several other possibilities. So that for instance a man can make a decision, a choice, to take different, alternative way. So he says that nature works in that way also.
Prabhupāda: Hm, yes. You can find out that verse.
- yoginām api sarveṣāṁ
- mad-gata āntarātmanā
- śraddhāvān bhajate (yo māṁ)
- sa me yuktatama...
- (BG 6.47)
He is first-class yogi who does not cease to think of Kṛṣṇa, or God. So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is that we keep always in the thought of Kṛṣṇa, twenty-four hours. Then we do not fall down from the yogic principle. That is our...
Hayagrīva: Such mystical states, as James points out, have been also experienced momentarily and artificially through drugs such as ether. William James himself took ether...
Prabhupāda: These are all artificial thing. This is not sustained.
Hayagrīva: LSD and these...
Prabhupāda: Another artificial names. Artificial things cannot sustain, but if you engage yourself in the devotional process, śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevā (SB 7.5.23), always hearing a about Kṛṣṇa, always talking about Kṛṣṇa, always remembering about Kṛṣṇa, always engage in some service in the temple—there are so many services—or distributing literature about Kṛṣṇa, in this way, if you keep always engaged in Kṛṣṇa's business, that is perfection of life.
Hayagrīva: James, after analyzing all of these religions, different religious experiences, he gives his own conclusions, and he concludes his book in this way. He gives five basic conclusions. The first-one—"That the visible world is part of a more spiritual universe from which it draws its chief significance." (break)
Prabhupāda: Yes. Material world means it is existing in the spiritual effulgence of the Lord. Just like all the planets they are resting, living within the sunshine, but by geographical position, when it is back side, the sun is not in the front but in the back, then it becomes dark. Similarly, everything is existing in the spiritual effulgence, rays of the Lord, and when you forget, this is called material world. So the material world is in that piece of spiritual world, but forgetfulness of God is material. So when we..., our revival of consciousness, God consciousness, then there is no more material world. For such person who is advanced in spiritual consciousness or God consciousness, there is nothing material; everything is spiritual.
Śyāmasundara: He says that in a way because he said that at this stage one stands transparently before God, and this is his integrity, when he realizes his...
Prabhupāda: Transparently before God means to be engaged in His service. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is teaching that way. They are always engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service, twenty-four hours; therefore they are self-realized. They are standing on their self. That is mukti. That is liberated. And those who are, these karmīs, the jñānīs, the yogis, they are not engaged in the self. They are trying to realize self. Therefore all these students, or the disciples of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, they are liberated persons, because they are acting as such. So everyone should join this movement and become liberated, immediately. You preach like that. Try to understand and preach.
Śyāmasundara: They say that this is an authentic position, that it...
Prabhupāda: This is authentic position. We are serving Kṛṣṇa. This is authentic position. My position is part and parcel, to serve Kṛṣṇa. So actually I am engaged in service of Kṛṣṇa. That is my authentic position. This authentic position is at the present moment a little confused. But that now I am liberated, healthy, so if I continue healthy, that is my real position. Then I will keep always my self healthy. That's all. There is no change.
Śyāmasundara: And also this word integrity is there. It means integrated, or complete.
Śyāmasundara: You said (indistinct) just the opposite. You said, "Keep me talking. That is my life."
Prabhupāda: Yes. It is a fact. Sa vai puṁsām... Sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayoḥ vacāṁsi vaikuṇṭha-guṇānuvarṇane (SB 9.4.18). That is Ambarīṣa Mahārāja, the great saintly king. About him it is described, sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayoḥ. He engaged completely, twenty-four hours, his mind unto the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. And vacāṁsi vaikuṇṭha-guṇānuvarṇane, and he engaged his talking simply on Vaikuṇṭha, on the subject matter of Vaikuṇṭha, Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Prahlāda Mahārāja also speaks like that: tad vijñā, tad vijñā sa (indistinct). Glorifying, he is very (indistinct). So they have no conception of God, and whatever you believe, (indistinct). So God is imperson, He is not a person, so where is the (indistinct)? So they come to the (indistinct), scientist, another politician, another this, (indistinct) and they want to become a hero eventually, "I am a great philanthropist," "I am a great nationalist," "I am greatest philosopher." That... And when they finish their talks, then become (indistinct). No more talks—finished. (Hindi) Prahlāda Mahārāja says that (indistinct). He says that śoce tato muni vimukha-cetasa(?): "I am simply thinking of these rascals who are without God consciousness." Tato muni (indistinct): "They are averse to God. I am thinking of them." Śoce tato vimukha-cetasa, māyā-sukhāya bharam udvahato vimūḍhān (SB 7.9.43). These rascals, simply for māyā-sukha, temporary happiness, they are busy, always running here and there for constructing hundred and fifty-stories' house, and bring your money for that. Very busy, very busy. Just like Mr. Birla, he's always busy, (he) cannot see (you). They do not know that "What happiness I am creating?" (indistinct) Just at the end of my life (indistinct). As soon as I close my eyes and I go away from this body, all these things that I have created will be finished. I cannot remember, you cannot remember what was in your past life. But you are eternal, tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). So suppose I was a king in my last life, I was another Birla, or Birla's servant, (indistinct). Suppose I was Jawaharlal Nehru, or Gandhi. So what benefit I am deriving now? Who is respecting me as Gandhi or Jawaharlal Nehru? (indistinct) Even I do not know that my photograph or statue is being worshiped. I do not know that. Such foolish persons.
Purports to Songs
And that, that eye, is called devotional eye, devotional. We have to... Not only eyes, but every part of our body, we have to spiritualize by the contact. By the contact of spiritual service in devotion of the Lord, we can gradually spiritualize our whole act of senses. Just like a iron rod put into the fire. Gradually the temperature rises. It becomes warm, warmer, warmest, very hot, then red hot. When it is red hot, then it is no longer iron; it is fire. Similarly, by our contact in devotional service of the Lord we can change the whole position of our material existence. And we have... If we have developed to that state of unalloyed love for God, then God can be seen twenty-four hours, not that once seen and again not seen. No. This is described here, that santaḥ, the great devotees, unalloyed devotees, who are liberated souls, have no connection with material activities or philosophical speculation, such unalloyed devotees, because their eyes are smeared with the ointment of love only, therefore they can see the Lord sadaiva, always, twenty-four hours. (Sings Brahma-saṁhitā, verses 38, 39, 29, 40, 41.) (end)
| Page Title: | Twenty-four hours (Lectures, Other) |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, RupaManjari |
| Created: | 15 of Nov, 2012 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=83, Con=0, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 83 |