"How service begins from the tongue?" Yes. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayaṁ sphuraty adhaḥ. So the tongue is very good instrument for developing devotional service. If we don't use this tongue in devotional service, then it is compared with the tongue of the frog. Jihvā dārdurikeva. Why? Why? "My tongue is so nice. Why it is compared with the tongue of a frog?" Now, because the frog, crowing, (imitates frog sound:) "caw a kronh, caw ka kronh," that means inviting the snake. The snake cannot see where is the frog, but by hearing the sound, crowing sound, the snake can understand, "Here is my food." So his crowing sound will be stopped as soon it is swallowed up by the snake. Similarly, we have got this tongue, human body. It is not the cat's tongue or dog's tongue or tiger's tongue or hog's tongue. It is the human being tongue. So this should be engaged for Kṛṣṇa's service by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare... This is... The tongue is being used.
Why it is (Lectures, Other)
Expressions researched:
"Why it is"
Lectures
Nectar of Devotion Lectures
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures
The senses are just like venomous serpent, always agitating. And as soon as one sense touches another sense, then the spiritual life is finished. Just like the serpent, if he touches even little, immediately your life is finished, similarly, our senses are very strong, just like as strong as the serpent, uncontrollable. So why it is so dangerous? Because it has got the fang. He has got fang, poison. But there are physicians, in the Āyurvedic physician. They know. They capture snakes and they take away the fang for making medicine. They are also used as medicine. So if the poison teeth is broken, then it is not more dangerous, no more dangerous. It may have very big hood, but one knows that his poison teeth is taken away, he is not afraid. It may be very fearful to the children, but a grown-up man who knows his poison teeth is no longer there, he is not afraid. In Bengal he is called viṣṇai kulama cakra (?): "There is no poison, and you have got a very big hood."
These three potencies I have described many times. Cit-śakti, the spiritual potency, is a manifestation of the spiritual world, and material potency is a manifestation of this material world, and the marginal potency, we are, we living entities. We are marginal potency. Why it is marginal? Because although we belong to the spiritual potency, but we have got tendency to come into contact of this material potency. Therefore it is called marginal, "this way or that way." That a slight independence which is there in every living entity, he can use that, and he may select either to live in the spiritual potency or in the material potency. Therefore the living entities are called marginal potency. So parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport). Although the energies of the Supreme Lord are innumerable—nobody can count or measure—but they are divided into three.
We want to everything make limited because we are all limited sense, limited understanding, limited... Everything is limited, and God is unlimited. That we do not understand. We try to understand God with our limited means. That is our folly. Therefore we don't believe. "Oh, God is doing like that? Oh, God is lifting hill? How it is possible? This is story." How? Why it is story? God is omnipotent, and God cannot lift a hill? He is floating so many planets in the air, weightlessness, and He cannot lift a hill? Because I do not believe He is God. Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā: (BG 9.11) "Foolish rascals, they consider Me as ordinary man: 'Not Kṛṣṇa, but me. You offer your respect to me. I am God. I am competitor Kṛṣṇa.' " So these are foolishness. He is unlimited; His everything, He is unlimited.
This is also confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā: bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate (BG 7.19). Simply by knowledge is not liberation. Otherwise, why it is stated bahūnāṁ janma? Janma means that is not liberation. If you have again to take birth in material body, that means you are not liberated. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is specifically stated, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante. That means after many, many births. So their acceptance of material body will continue. But when he understands that vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti (BG 7.19), when he comes to that point, that "God is everything. Kṛṣṇa is everything," then his perfection is there. Cid-ānanda kṛṣṇa-vigraha māyika kari māni ei baḍa pāpa. This is a great offense, sinful conclusion, that God is imperson.
Sri Brahma-samhita Lectures
Just like Kṛṣṇa went to beg something from Bali Mahārāja in the shape of a Vāmana, a dwarf brāhmaṇa. So He is the sarva-loka-maheśvaram (BG 5.29). He's the proprietor of all the planets. And still He's saying that dadāsi yat kuruṣva mad-arpaṇam: "Whatever you are giving in charity, please give it to Me." Why? It is for your interest, because the sooner you return Kṛṣṇa's money to Kṛṣṇa, you are better situated. In, in, of course, it will not be very palatable to hear, but actually we are all thieves. We have stolen God's property. That is material life. Anyone who has got anything without sense of God, it is to be understood that he has stolen the property. If you very cool-headed think over this matter, that you are... If we do not understand God, if we do not understand whose property we are using, and if you come to the real knowledge: without Kṛṣṇa consciousness, whatever we possess, that is stolen property, stolen property... Stena eva saḥ ucyate (BG 3.12).
Why it is so? Ānanda-cinmaya-sad-ujjvala-vigrahasya. Vigraha, His form is not like our form. When in the Vedas it is stated, "formless," that means His form is not like our form—not that He is formless. The form is of different quality.
- aṅgāni yasya sakalendriya-vṛtti-manti
- paśyanti pānti kalayanti ciraṁ jaganti
- ānanda-cinmaya-sad-ujjvala-vigrahasya
- (Bs. 5.32)
These are possible when the body is made of ānanda-cinmaya-rasa. This body is material. It is not ānanda-cinmaya-rasa. The material body is different from the spiritual body. That they do not know. So when the Vedas says nirākāra, "formless," that means He has no material form; He has got spiritual form. That spiritual form means full of bliss, ānanda. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). Vedānta-sūtra. By nature ānandamaya. There is nothing nirānanda. That is spiritual world, always full of bliss, full of knowledge, and eternity. That is spiritual. You live eternally and full of knowledge.
That also will not be allowed. You cannot stay. You cannot stay. You will be kicked out. You make your good bank balance, skyscraper house, and wife, children, cigarette, wine, liquor, I am living very peaceful. That's all right, but one day comes, please get out. (laughter) "Why? It is my house, I have got bank balance, I have got everything, I have got factory, why shall I get out?" "Yes, you get out. Don't talk, get out." (laughter) That day he sees God. "I did not believe in God, now here is God, making everything finished." Everything finished. Sarva-haraś cāham, Kṛṣṇa says, that "I am God for the demons when I take away everything from them at the time of death." "You do not believe God, all right, here I am. Today I am here. I have come to you to take away everything, whatever you have got. Now get out!" They will see God on that day.
Festival Lectures
So one who is fixed up in this conclusion, that "We shall become happy with this materialistic way of life," they cannot take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And they do not know also that our ultimate goal of life is Kṛṣṇa, Viṣṇu. Then why it is so? Now, andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānās te 'pīśa-tantryām uru-dāmni baddhāḥ (SB 7.5.31). They have become blind. They are blind themselves, and they are also led by blind leaders. The leaders, at the present moment, leaders, they say that "Why you are going to church? Why you are going to temple? If you want your bread..." Just like in Christian religion you go to church, "O God, give us our daily bread." But the atheist class, they are propagating, "For bread, why you are going to church? You make industry, you make business, and you get bread." But actually... We were just talking that there are so many unemployment. Our Karandhara prabhu was... No. Who was talking?
Everything has got some connection with the Supreme Lord. Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (ISO 1). Everything is in connection or has relationship with the Supreme Lord. That is our philosophy. We don't say that this speaker, microphone, is false. Why it is false? The microphone is produced out of the energy of Kṛṣṇa. This matter, this iron, or this wood, that is a production of Kṛṣṇa's energy. If Kṛṣṇa is true, Absolute Truth, then His energy is also true. And anything produced of His energy, that is also truth. But as the energy is utilized for the energetic, similarly anything produced by Kṛṣṇa's energy should be utilized for Kṛṣṇa. That is our philosophy. So we don't say that false. We say reality. Therefore in Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement we accept everything, but accept everything for service of Kṛṣṇa. Nothing for my sense gratification. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We do not say that "This world is false. Give up." Why?
So in spite of this knowledge, broadcast of this knowledge, if a person does not take advantage of this movement, then it is to be understood that knowingly he's drinking poison. Jāniyā śuniyā viṣa khāinu.
So why it is so important? Golokera prema dhana. Because it is coming from Goloka Vṛndāvana. This transcendental sound, Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, they are coming from Goloka Vṛndāvana. Just like you receive through radio machine news from distant place, thousands and thousands of miles away. Now the instruments have improved. They are trying to get information from other planets also. That's nice. But there is another machine which can give you information of the Goloka Vṛndāvana. That machine is nothing manufactured by the material scientists. But there is a machine. What is that machine? That machine is this guru-paramparā. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayoḥ viduḥ (BG 4.2). If you receive the message by the guru-paramparā... The first guru is Kṛṣṇa. Next guru is Lord Brahma.
So this is the beginning. Therefore you require pravṛtti and nivṛtti to understand how you should think, how you should live, how you should eat, how you should sleep. This training is required. Why it is required? Because to get out of this material bondage, where the birth, death, old age and disease is compulsory. If you want to avoid this, because you are eternal, na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20), why don't you think that "If I am eternal, why am I accepting birth, death, old age, and disease?" This is intelligence. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. This is Vedānta-sūtra. Now we should enquire how we can get out of this material entanglement.
Arrival Addresses and Talks
Otherwise how it is happening that this place was a church and nobody was coming, so much so that they had to sell it to others? We purchased it. When I first came here to see this church, there was nobody. The place is the same. The people is the same. I have not brought men from India. Why it is crowded now? This is the proof that in everyone's heart Kṛṣṇa consciousness is there. Nitya-siddha kṛṣṇa-bhakti sādhya kabhu naya. It is not artificial way of taking something sentimentally. Otherwise how in my absence all these boys and girls are maintaining the status quo very nicely? I am very glad. That is required. This is the proof that in everyone's heart there is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Woman Reporter: I know you are very much aware of all the other gurus, especially that have been coming to the United States in the recent years, and I wondered if you could explain why it is that you believe that you have the truth rather than someone else.
Prabhupāda: Explain?
Brahmānanda: She wants to know that there are many other gurus, and why do you feel that you have the truth?
Prabhupāda: Because we speak the truth. We don't give bluff that "I am God. I am this. I am that." We don't give. We are... Actual position: God is great, and we are all servants. This is our actual position. How can I say, "I am God"? So we do not give bluff. We say the real truth; therefore it appeals. And if I say something humbug, it will not appeal. It may act for some time, but it will not endure.
Indian man (1): Our approach is so wrong that people take it as...
Prabhupāda: Immediately we can pass in a sectarian.
Indian lady: That is why it is necessary to have this as a part of social studies like you have other subjects in schools. If it is not given any more...
Prabhupāda: But then, as soon as you say "Bhagavad-gītā," immediately, "Hindu."
Indian man (1): What sister wants to know is that how can we add in innumerable, rather, uncountless schools and colleges? The management will be most willing, I mean, the progressive management will be most willing to introduce classes where such laws of nature and such-on scientific line, without giving it a Hindu or religious name. That should be taught. A curriculum should be drawn up. Because we control some of the schools.
Prabhupāda: That is my program. I am writing all books just only on this point; therefore they are coming. Otherwise, what is the use? They were Christians and Jews. What is the use of becoming Hindus? So anyone wants to understand what is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, they can understand easily if he joins Hare Kṛṣṇa, chant. That is all right. If he wants to understand scientifically, there are eighty-four books. Come on. Which way you want?
Initiation Lectures
Prabhupāda: Rob. So your spiritual name is Revatīnandana. R-e-v-a-t-i, Revatī, nandana, n-a-n-d-a-n. Revatīnandana means son of Revatī. Revatī was one of the wives of Vasudeva, Kṛṣṇa's stepmother. And Balarāma was his son. So Revatīnandana means Balarāma. Revatīnandana dāsa brahmacārī, your name. Chant beginning from here and then so on. Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. Then next. In this way, you come this side, again begin from here. Your Godbrothers will teach. Bow down. Bow down. (boy responding:)
- nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale
- śrīmate bhaktivedānta svāmin iti nāmine
Now take your beads. Begin. Chant. (japa) What is this made of? Metal? Why it is so weighty, this?
Young man: It's a seed, Swamijī.
Prabhupāda: Oh, it is seed? What is that seed?
Young man: I don't know. A big seed.
Prabhupāda: It is very weighty. Just like bullet. Kṛṣṇa bullet. (laughter) (japa) So your spiritual name is Śrīmatī dāsī. Śrīmatī. S-r-i-m-a-t-i. Śrīmatī dāsī.
So in this way we have to increase our attachment for Kṛṣṇa, and if we increase our attachment for Kṛṣṇa, mayy āsakta manāḥ pārtha yogam... This yoga system... This yoga system, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, is the topmost yoga system. Why it is topmost? Because it teaches how to increase your attachment for Kṛṣṇa; therefore it is topmost. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Yoginām api sarveṣāṁ (BG 6.47). There are different kinds of yogis. "Of all the yogis..." Yoginām api sarveṣāṁ. Sarveṣām means "of all." Mad-gata āntarātmanā: "One who is always thinking of Me." You can think of one if you are attached to him; otherwise, artificially you cannot do. That's not possible. If you love somebody, then you will always see his picture, his form, always. These are simple yoga. And it is said...
Bhavāmbudhir vatsa-padaṁ paraṁ padam. Bhavāmbudhiḥ, the great ocean, becomes just like a water spot in the hoofprint of a calf. There is hoofprint, and there is some water. So there is no difficulty to cross over it. So the bhavāmbudhiḥ becomes like that. Duranta-pāram. Why it is duranta? Tama, darkness. So mukundāṅghri-niṣevaya. Mukunda means Kṛṣṇa. Muk means liberation, mukti. So Mukunda, "one who gives liberation." That is Kṛṣṇa's name. Mukundāṅghri. Anghri means His lotus feet.
So this is our life. Everyone should take sannyāsa. But because it is Kali-yuga, it is restricted because it is very difficult. But as far as possible, we have to preach the Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So although it is little difficult, so we should practice it, especially those who are in Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, and for preaching work should take sannyāsa, particularly of our Guru dāsa. Now he is Guru dāsa Swami, his name is. So his particular life is: since the beginning of Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, he is my faithful disciple, and from 1965 or '6, he is with me. And he is very innocent boy, and I got him married. His wife is also great devotee, you know, Yamunā.
General Lectures
A very nice example. Just like you have taken a large quantity of milk. So there is some disorder in your bowels. You go to a physician. At least, according to Vedic system of..., they will offer you a preparation which is called yogurt. That is milk preparation. That yogurt with little medicine will cure. Now your disease was caused by milk, and it is cured by milk also. Why? It is directed by the physician. Similarly everything. In the higher sense there is no existence of matter; it is only illusion. Just like this morning I was giving the instance of the sun and the fog. The fog was there; the sun could not be seen. The foolish person will say that "There is no sun. It is simply fog." But intelligent person will say that "Sun is there, but the fog has covered our eyes. We cannot see the sun." Similarly, actually, everything being energy of Kṛṣṇa, there is nothing material. Simply our, this mentality that we want to lord it over, that is false, illusion. That is covering our relationship with Kṛṣṇa.
It is real. How can I say it is false? This flower, it is designed by God so nicely, it is colored so nicely. It has got its use. There is variety. Even there is greenness... There is so many things varieties. There is color display, sometimes a dark red, sometimes it is light red. So nicely created by Kṛṣṇa, and I shall say it is false? Why it is false? It is Kṛṣṇa's creation. Let me take it and offer it to Kṛṣṇa. This is called bhakti. This is called Kṛṣṇa consciousness. I don't enjoy it; it is Kṛṣṇa's creation. It must be offered to Kṛṣṇa. And after offering to Kṛṣṇa, you'll enjoy. After offering nice prasāda, Kṛṣṇa is full, Kṛṣṇa is not eating. You'll enjoy. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Don't reject anything. This tape recorder we don't reject. We don't say, "Oh, it is material. We shall not touch." Bring any scientific invention, we shall engage in the service of Kṛṣṇa. That's all.
He's so much impatient, "No. I cannot tolerate. Please kill me." So this Buddha philosophy, Māyāvāda philosophy is like that. Kill him "Kill me, please. Make me zero, void." So much frustration. So much disturbance that they want to make it zero. But our philosophy is life, real life.
But it is difficult to understand this philosophy, Kṛṣṇa philosophy. Why it is difficult? That is explained, gṛha-vratānām. Gṛha-vratānām. Gṛha means "house." So vrata means "vow." Just like everyone, common man, anywhere, they are interested with these bodily comforts, nice apartment, nice country, nice state, confident, nice bank balance. These things are their aspiration, no more. Nothing more. First of all this body, gṛha. Gṛha means "house, living place." So I am the soul, I am living, and this body is my first living place. This is also gṛha. I am not this body. Just like I am living in this apartment, I am not this apartment. Similarly, I am living in this body, but I am not this body.
So, (reading:) "Is the chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa the answer to living successfully in today's world?" Oh, that is the only successful living in this, today's world. So long people do not understand it, they are still in the darkness. This is the only. Why it is the only? Just see these boys, these girls. I have not imported from India. I came here single-handed with seven dollars. I have got hundreds of students like that. How they have changed, their character, their behavior. I have given them life. Some of them are married. They are living very nicely. They have got children, and they have given up their all bad habits. You see? They are not, I mean to say, eating meat. They have no illicit sex life. They are strictly vegetarian. They are preparing nice foodstuff from vegetable and grains. They do not take part, intoxication.
Therefore he requires a spiritual master like Kṛṣṇa or His representative. But he has got the potency to accept it. And because he has got little independence, he can reject it. So it is not natural evolution. You have to accept the principle as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Why it is said, yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata (BG 4.7)? If it is actually evolutionary, then why there is dharmasya glānir? Tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham: "As soon as there is discrepancies in the discharge of real duties, I appear." So it is natural. If we keep ourself in natural life, it is natural. But because we are developed consciousness, we do not keep in natural life. We accept so many unnatural things. Therefore our knowledge becomes covered by unnatural material nature. So that has to be cleared by superior instruction.
That is natural. If a child, even of an Indian, if a child is born in your country he gets immediately the citizenship. That is the law. So the conclusion is that anyone who is born in this land, he gets nationality. But why we should refuse nationality to the poor animals? This is called ignorance. He is also... But we have made concoction, law, that "Animal has no soul." Why it is, it has no soul? What is the difference between you and animal? You eat; the animal eats. You sleep; the animal sleeps. You have sex life; the animal has sex life. You also try to defend yourself and the animal also tries to defend himself. So āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunaṁ ca, eating, sleeping, mating, and defending, these four principles, bodily demand, are similar to the animal and to the man. So why the animals should be denied nationality? It is not that because they are less intelligent they should be denied nationality. No. Just like a father has got four boys. Not that everyone is of the same intelligence.
It is said here that that is first-class religious system. It does not say Hinduism, Muslimism or Christianism. General definition: "That is first-class religion..." Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo. Why it is said, para? Para means the supreme, not ordinary thing, supreme. "The supreme religious system is that which teaches the follower how to love God." That is supreme. It does not matter you learn to love God through Christianism or Hinduism or Muslimism, any "ism," but the result should be how much you have advanced in the art of loving God. Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6). Bhakti, this word, Sanskrit word is used, "devotion," bhakti. To render service to God, that is bhakti. We are rendering service to so many things. That is not bhakti. Bhakti means to render service to God. And adhokṣaje. There are many terminology of understanding God, but here in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, God is mentioned as adhokṣaja. Adhokṣaja means beyond your sense perception. Another word is used, avāṅ mānasa-gocaraḥ, "beyond the expression of your mind, words." Avāṅ gocaraḥ. And another meaning, literal meaning, adha: adha means subdued. Adhakṛta akṣaja-jñānam. Akṣa. Akṣa means eyes, or... In Sanskrit there are letters beginning from a, a, i and, at last, kṣa.
Philosophy Discussions
Prabhupāda: That is already discussed: why it is so, probability, who takes it, who makes it not possible, how it happens. Sun is rising, and sun may not rise, stop. How it is? Accidentally or by somebody's will?
Śyāmasundara: He would say that it's accidental.
Prabhupāda: That is nonsense. Nothing is accidental. Everything is symmetrical. Therefore, we have to admit that supreme direction, and that is Kṛṣṇa, as stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: "Under My direction everything is going on." The sun is rising on His direction, and when He orders, the sun will not rise. But it is not accidental.
Śyāmasundara: He says that there is no such thing as a cause-and-effect relationship. Just like, for example, we associate friction with heat, but he says that it's a mistake to assume that friction causes heat or possesses any power which must inevitably produce heat. He says that it is a mere repetition of two incidents, so that the effect habitually attends the cause, but it is not necessarily a consequence of it.
Prabhupāda: No. Nature is not final end. Nature is only instrument. Just like I beat you with a stick. The stick is not beating you; I am beating you. Stick is in my hand. So from nature when you get tribulation, pains, that is designed by God, and nature is instrument. Śītoṣna-sukha-duḥkha-dāḥ. The change of season we find nature, but why it is systematically changing unless there is brain behind nature? In such and such month there will be winter. And by accident or by some other ways the month of April does not become winter; the month of December becomes winter. So there is adjustment. So therefore there is brain behind these natural changes and activities. That is confirmed, mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10).
Hayagrīva: He says this can be intuited, but not known.
Prabhupāda: There are two sides. There are two kinds of people are going. The same man, he is giving charity for feeding poor man or giving relief to the distressed man, but at the same time he's encouraging animal-killing. So what is the ethics? What is the ethical law in these two contradictory activities? One side... Just like our Vivekananda. He is advocating daridra-nārāyaṇa sevā, "Feed the poor," but feed the poor with mother Kālī's prasāda, where poor goats are killed. Just like, another, one side feeding the poor, another side killing the poor goat. So what is the ethic? What is the ethical law in this connection? Just like people open hospitals, and the doctor prescribes, "Give this man," what it is called," (Hindi), ox blood, or chicken juice." So what is this ethic? And they're supporting that "Here is chicken juice." Just because animal has no soul, so they can be killed. This is another theory. So why the animal has no soul? So imperfect knowledge. So on the basis of imperfect knowledge this ethic or this humanitarian, what is the value? We do not give any value to all this understanding. Where is the ethics? If you protect the human life by giving him something by killing—there are so many medicines, but the killing is very prominent—then next point should be that if you say that the human life is important, so nonimportant animal-killing can be supported to save the important. Then the question will be, "Why it is important? Why consider the human life is important and the animal life is not important?" These are the questions of ethical law. Where are these discussions on the ethical laws?
Prabhupāda: Then why he is mad? We have got experience that there are madmen, but there is hospital also for treating the madmen. Similarly, the world may be mad, but there is hospitalization. That he does not know. From practical experience we see there are many madmen. At the same time there is a hospital, lunatic hospitals also, so treatment is there. So he does not see that. He has no knowledge where is the hospital, how he'll get and be treated. This is accepted, the world is mad, that's all right. But there is treatment also. Because in our experience practically we can show whenever there is disease, there is some treatment of it. But he does not know what is the treatment. He is speaking of sinful life, what he was saying, just like, but he does not accept who is the judge to give me resultant action of my sinful life. The world is mad, but he does not know where the treatment of madman is done. He does not know. Therefore his knowledge is imperfect, and still he is philosophizing. That is the defect. Our proposition is that unless one is perfect, we cannot take knowledge from him. That is our proposition. Therefore our authority is Veda. Veda means knowledge, perfect knowledge. Veda means knowledge, perfect knowledge. Why it is perfect? Because it is given by God. Tene brahma hṛdā ya ādi-kavaye (SB 1.1.1). The Vedic knowledge was imparted to Brahma within the heart. So the perfect knowledge is coming from the supreme perfect. When you take that knowledge, then your knowledge is perfect. Otherwise you can go on. You can become Dr. Frog, that's all.
Prabhupāda: Suppose I say it is gold. What he will say? What is his proposition?
Śyāmasundara: He'll say that first of all you must give us a list of conditions to determine why it is gold, under what conditions it is gold.
Prabhupāda: That is everything. That he is speaking also, that is another condition.
Śyāmasundara: There must be certain conditions met before...
Prabhupāda: But how he is speaking is also fact, that he is speaking under certain conditions. Everything in this material world, that is on condition. So his philosophizing is also under condition. So everything is conditioned. Why does he not understand first of all himself, instead of trying to understand what is gold? Everything is conditioned.
Śyāmasundara: By studying the appearance of the leaf, the phenomenon, its nature or its essence will become self-evident—why the leaf is structured in a certain way, what is the...
Prabhupāda: (indistinct) How you can know the structure of this leaf, why it is green some portion, why it is yellow, why there are stem, how it comes...? Do you mean to say that these things should automatically come if I speculate on this?
Śyāmasundara: That is his contention.
Prabhupāda: Then it is nonsense. It will not come. We have to go to a botanist to study.
Prabhupāda: Well, simply understanding green is not complete study of the leaf. The main questions are why it is green? Why the other leaf is yellow? That is real enquiry. Why this flower is red and that flower is white? And why the leaf is green? This is the real enquiry, "Why?"
Śyāmasundara: That isn't possible to understand...?
Prabhupāda: How it is possible? You explain how is it possible.
Śyāmasundara: Well, you were just saying before that if someone analyzes everything scrutinizingly, they will find out that it is part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. But unless they are able to make that analysis, then what is the point of analyzing? Shouldn't we have the freedom to analyze something?
Prabhupāda: Suppose that when he says to analyze, analyze. When he will not take help? (indistinct) analyze.
Hayagrīva: He says, "This is probably why earthly life is of such great significance and why it is that what a human being brings over at the time of his death is so important. Only here in life on earth can the general level of consciousness be raised. That seems to be man's metaphysical task." So since consciousness survives death it must therefore be elevated while man is on earth.
Prabhupāda: Yes. That consciousness should be developed automatically. Paurva-dehikam in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said. What is that verse? In the Sixth Chapter, paurva-dehikam.
Prabhupāda: No. The idea... Actually he has the quality of becoming massive. The same thing we can... Just like the active principle which develops the body within the womb. He may not accept it as soul or something, but without that active principle, simply cohabit of the male and female and combination of secretion does not develop the body. The active principle must be there. So as soon as the active principle is there, the combination of male and female secretion acts, and it develops into body, mass body. You can develop into an ant or you can develop into a big hill. That is the difference. Just like a seed, a small seed, that is active principle. So from that seed a big tree develops. So this existence of the big tree depends on that small seed. That is the active principle. Why it is nothing? That is nonsense.
Śyāmasundara: Well, that's pretty unlikely because they consider that reality is composed of what appears to our senses.
Prabhupāda: That is not reality. Then why there is revolution? If it is reality, then why it is being changed? So in this material world there is a vague idea, reality. Nothing reality. Everything false. Śaṅkarācārya therefore says, jagat mithyā: "It is false." There is no reality. What is reality? What is definition of reality?
Śyāmasundara: What appears to our senses.
Prabhupāda: Huh?
Śyāmasundara: What appears to our senses.
Prabhupāda: Well, your senses are not reality.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Therefore we find a student in school is very intelligent and less intelligent. Otherwise both of them of the same age, why one is more intelligent, he grasps the matter very quickly, and why the other is not so intelligent? This is everything that putra-janma dṛḍhaṁ vidyā putra-janma dṛḍhaṁ dhanam. (indistinct) The two things especially, knowledge, education and money, they are earned in the previous birth, not that all of a sudden one has become rich, all of a sudden one has become very learned man. No. It is continuous. So if one man is extraordinarily learned, it is to be understood that it is the result of his previous culture. Similarly, if anyone is extraordinarily rich, it is to be understood it is due to his past pious activities. Janmaiśvarya-śruta-śrī (SB 1.8.26), these four things are achieved on account of previous pious activities: good birth, good opulence, aiśvarya, and good education, and good beauty. These are the results of pious, good activities. So you can see practically in your country between the black and white. The white men are more advanced in everything, and the black man, although he has got the same facilities, they are in inferior position. Why? It is putra-janma dṛḍham. That is the proof of past life.
Prabhupāda: No. The king is also under the law. King, as we understand from Bhagavad-gītā, Kṛṣṇa instructed the law to Sun-god, and he followed the laws. Therefore he is, to the common man, he is the supreme. The king is supposed to be representative of God in the state. So "above the law" means because king is perfect by abiding the laws of Kṛṣṇa, he cannot be subjected to any subordinate laws. But his perfection is there only when he follows Kṛṣṇa's order. Therefore monarchy, the law, king's order, is final. There cannot be any... Just like king's mercy. Even one is condemned to death, but if the king's mercy is there that he should be excused, he should be free, nobody can check. So why it is? Because king is representative of Kṛṣṇa. Imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam (BG 4.1). He first of all said the laws, the Bhagavad-gītā, which is so important for the human civilization millions of years, at least forty millions of years it was spoken to the sun-god, and sun-god gave it to his son Manu, Manu, and his son Ikṣvāku inherited from Manu.
Prabhupāda: Huh?
Hayagrīva: He says reason is by nature equal in all men. Now isn't reasoning power different in different men?
Prabhupāda: Yes. Otherwise why it is called "This man is intelligent," other man is called "You are ass." So when, on this reasoning platform, when one comes to the conclusion that the living force within the body is different from this lump of matter, then he is on the human platform. And if he keeps himself that this life means combination of these material things, then he remains an animal. This is the reasoning. Where is the life? You analyze beginning from the breathing up to the urine and stool—where you will find life? That is human reasoning. Human civilization is now advanced in analyzing things in the chemical laboratory. So if we analyze this breathing, it is air.
Prabhupāda: To disobey the order of Kṛṣṇa, or not to serve Kṛṣṇa. Just like some servant, he tries that "Why I am serving this master? Why not become a master." The, sometimes psychologically it comes. A man is working in the office, he is seeing the managing director is sitting and is taking all the money, and sometimes the worker... Just like a capitalist and the worker. Why it is Communist movement? That they are thinking that "We are working, and the capitalist is taking the money." So they revolt, they make strike, and they form a society that "We have the..., we must have this money." That is communism. So similarly, when the living entity—he is eternally part and parcel of God; to serve God, that is his real position—but when he thinks that "Why I shall serve God? I shall enjoy myself," that is the beginning of falldown. So what is your question? When the... This was your question, that "When the sinful life begins?"
Purports to Songs
| Page Title: | Why it is (Lectures, Other) |
| Compiler: | MadhuGopaldas, RupaManjari |
| Created: | 16 of Jun, 2013 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=42, Con=0, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 42 |