Now they are eager to wash off this social system. They want classless society. But in the material world there cannot be any classless society. It is not possible. Classless society can be established in the spiritual world. Just like we are propagating this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. This is classless society. Here you will find Europeans, Americans, Indians, Africans, Hindus, Muslims, Christians, but they have forgotten that they are Hindus, Muslims or Christians or Americans or Indians. They are all identifying, "We are all servant of Kṛṣṇa." This is classless society. This is classless society. There is no distinction. Here a Hindu coming from very respectable brāhmaṇa family and another man is coming from the dog-eater's family. It doesn't matter. As soon as one becomes Vaiṣṇava he is classless society. Therefore it is forbidden, vaiṣṇave jāti-buddhiḥ. Arcye viṣṇau śilā-dhīr guruṣu nara-matir vaiṣṇave jāti-buddhiḥ, nārakī. Just like we should not consider this Deity before us as made of some metal or wood. No. Arcye śilā-dhīḥ. No. Here is the Supreme Personality of Godhead standing. We should take it like that. Otherwise, does it mean that we are offering our obeisances to a metal doll? We have become so fool? No. We take it, "Here is Kṛṣṇa personally standing." That is the, that, if one cannot feel like that... The śāstra says you should feel like that. Arcye śilā-dhīr guruṣu nara-matiḥ. Guru, a spiritual master, should not be considered as ordinary human being. Guruṣu nara-matiḥ. The Ganges water, one should not think that it is ordinary water. Or caraṇāmṛta. These are forbidden. Similarly, vaiṣṇave jāti-buddhiḥ. One should not think, "He is American Vaiṣṇava, he is brāhmaṇa Vaiṣṇava, he is African Vaiṣṇava, he is black Vaiṣṇava, he is white Vaiṣṇava." No. Vaiṣṇava is Vaiṣṇava, servant of God. Just like in the Ganges water. There are so many... In Calcutta I have seen so many mill water coming, sewer ditches' water is coming. But when it falls down on the Ganges water, it is no more any other water. Everything is Ganges water. Practically we accept it. In Calcutta there are many rigid Hindus, brāhmaṇas. They are taking bath in the Ganges, but even stool is floating there, they set it aside and take bath. Ganges water. Actually, you see chemically, although so many unclean water is coming there, it is still pure. Similarly, Vaiṣṇava, he may come from any family, it doesn't matter. He becomes immediately transcendental.
Wood (Lectures)
Expressions researched:
"wood"
|"woodcut"
|"woodcutter"
|"wooden"
|"woodfree"
|"woodland"
|"woodlike"
|"woodman"
|"woods"
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
Of course, by hearing, it will be purified. We have to help. Help means to avoid the offenses, ten kinds of offenses. So in this way we shall help the purificatory process. Just like if I want to ignite fire, so I must help the igniting process by drying the wood. It will very soon get fire. Similarly, simply chanting, that will help us also. It will take time. But if we avoid the offenses, then it will be very quickly purified. The action will be there.
So the land belongs to God, and everything... Now, we say that we have manufactured this typewriter. Now, this typewriter, the now ingredient, the iron, have we manufactured iron? No. Iron is received from the mines. It is given by God. Nobody can manufacture iron. Nobody can manufacture anything. They can transform from one thing to another. They can bring out the iron from the mine. They can melt, and they can transform the shape of the metal in a different way. So that they can do, but they cannot produce iron. They cannot produce anything—wood, iron, earth, anything, whatever.
Therefore Buddha philosophy is also same thing, that you finish this body, nirvāṇa, nirvāṇa. Nirvāṇa means... Their philosophy is that your feeling of pains and pleasure, it is due to this body. They also accept. Now what is this body? This body is combination of matter. Combination of earth, water, air, fire, ether, mind, intelligence, ego—eight material elements, five gross and three subtle. This body is made of that. So the Buddha philosophy is that you dismantle this body, nirvāṇa. Just like this house is made of stone, brick and wood and so many.
They're expansion of God. Just like the earth. And then, from earth, you find trees, wood. And then, in the tree, you can set fire. It becomes smoke. Then comes out the fire. When you get the fire, you can take your work from the fire. So the, everything is one, but... Just the same example: from earth, the wood; from wood, the smoke; from smoke, the fire. But if you have to take business, then it is required the fire, although the, all of them, are the one. Similarly, there are demigods, Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Maheśvara. So if you have to take business, then you have to go to the fire, Viṣṇu, sattama, sattva-guṇa. This is the process. Although they are one, but your business can be completed with Viṣṇu, not with others. What is my business? My business is to get out of these material clutches. So if anyone is eager to be free from these material clutches, then he must take shelter of Viṣṇu, not others.
Just like the whole material world, innumerable planets, they are existing on the sunshine. The sunshine is impersonal effulgence of the sun globe, and there are millions of planets resting on the sunshine. Everything is happening on, on account of the sunshine. Similarly the Brahman effulgence coming out, the rays coming out from the body of Kṛṣṇa, and everything is resting on that Brahman effulgence. Actually, different types of energies. Just like from the sunshine there are different types of colors, energies. That is creating this material world. Just like we can experience practically. When there is no sunshine in Western countries, when there is snow, all the leaves of the tree immediately falls down. It is called fall, the season. It remains only wood, piece of wood only. Again, when there is spring season, the sunshine is available, all at a time, they become green. So as the sunshine is working in this material world, similarly the ultimate bodily rays of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the origin of all creation. Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi (Bs. 5.40). On account of the Brahman effulgence, millions and millions of brahmāṇḍas, or universes, are coming out.
So here it is said, Arjuna might be thinking that "Kṛṣṇa says this body is different from the soul. The soul is within. So now suppose when I place my sword on the body of my grandfather or my kinsmen, the body will cut, and, in the meantime, the soul is within the body. It may be cut because the soul is there. By accidentally, he may be cut." Therefore Kṛṣṇa says very distinctly; nainaṁ chindanti śastrāṇi, that "Soul cannot be cut. Any weapon. It cannot be pierced by your arrows, it cannot be cut into pieces by your sword, or if you use firearms it will not burn." Nainaṁ dahati pāvakaḥ. This is the position of soul. Immutable, indestructible. Another... This is the negative description of the soul. Nainaṁ chindanti śastrāṇi. Is there anything in this material world which cannot be cut into pieces? Have you got any experience? Take wood, stone, iron, or anything. It can be cut into pieces.
This another theory, that voidism, that before our, this manifested life, there was void, and after this manifestation is over, still there will be void. Because according to voidism, everything is manifested originally void. So Kṛṣṇa puts forward this argument that before this manifested form of life there was void, and after this manifested life, there will be void, according to the void philosophy. Then where is the cause of lamentation? There is no cause of lamentation. It was void and it is going to be void. So where is the cause of lamentation? But actually that is... Originally, it was not void. That is a Bhagavad-gītā and Vaiṣṇava theory. Just like Kṛṣṇa said that there was "No such time when we did not exist." That means not there was... There was no void. There was life. And in future also, there will be life. But accepting the theory of voidism, this manifested body is combination of matter. Originally, void means the matters, elementary matters, were not combined. Just like here is an open land. Now, if you combine some bricks and stones and wood, it will appear a big skyscraper building. And if you dismantle, then again it becomes a vacant land. Similarly, in the beginning it was vacant land, and after finishing this body it will be vacant land. So where is the cause of lamentation? For argument's sake, Kṛṣṇa is putting this reason.
Devotee: To renounce his place as a warrior and to go off into the woods and be a mendicant or whatever he wanted to do.
Prabhupāda: Who said?
Devotee: Arjuna.
Prabhupāda: So that is his cowardice. That is being condemned by Kṛṣṇa, that "It is not your business to give up fighting and go away from the warfield and go to the forest for meditation. It is not your business."
Just like Brahman means all-pervading. All-pervading. So the sound is all-pervading. You'll find sound... Beginning from the sky to the earth, you'll find sound, all-pervading. In the sky, there is sound. You have got experience. In the fire there is sound, in the air there is sound, in the earth there is sound, every metal, wood. You take everything, there is sound. So Brahman means all-pervading. But this transcendental sound... Just like your radio message, television sound, they cannot go beyond this earthly planet, at most. But there is sound which can penetrate the whole universe and go to the spiritual world. Sound is all-pervading, that is a fact, scientific fact. If that sound is potent, then it can penetrate even this material sky and go to the spiritual sky and go to Kṛṣṇa directly. That sound is Hare Kṛṣṇa.
He not only took, accepted spiritual master, but He took all the risk to go into the jungle to bring wood for the spiritual master. Fuel wood. One day it so happened the whole day they were in the forest, and Sudāmā Vipra and He, they both of them were entrapped. There was heavy rain, they could not come out, and the whole night they remained within the forest. So not that because He was Kṛṣṇa, He did not accept any spiritual master or work for him. He took so much risk. He went to the forest. Otherwise who will accept spiritual master if He does not show us the way? He comes to teach us. Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati (BG 4.7). "When there is discrepancies in the discharge of Vedic rules and, abhyutthānam adharmasya, and irreligious principles are too much rampant, then I appear." That is stated. So He teaches us how to acquire knowledge, how to behave. That is Kṛṣṇa, the purpose of His mission. He does not act any way which will be followed by somebody and he'll go to hell.
The facility of work, it is given by God. Everything is given by God. Now, what do we work? Now, suppose I am writing books. All right. In which you are writing? On paper. All right, who has given you paper? Now, you make philosophical study. "Well, paper I purchased from the market." Market, how does it supply paper? "It is manufactured in mills." Oh, it is manufactured in mills. Where they get the raw materials? "Oh, from the wood." How the wood is produced? Oh, then you come to the God. You cannot produce the wood. You simply bring wood from the forest and get it to chemically purified and make a plaster, and the paper is made. So no raw material you can manufacture. Raw material has to be taken from God's stock. Now, if the raw material is taken from God's stock, then how the paper becomes yours? This is God consciousness. Everything we'll find that nothing is our.
In the morning we are studying that portion. Mr. Paul was reading that portion, that how much nature was giving. So nature can give you anything. After all, it is the nature that supplies your necessities, not the industry. Industry simply transformed in a different way, and a certain class make profit out of it. Industry does not mean really economic improvement. Real economic improvement means what you produce from the land. That requires God help. Without raw materials, even your industry cannot go on. Just like I have cited the example of paper. Nowadays paper is made from wood. Now, if there is no sufficient... Now you have got in your America sufficient wood, so you can make, produce paper in large quantity. But suppose the woods are finished. Then industry will be finished.
As soon as you come to the real point of understanding that "I am not this body," then the whole misunderstanding of material existence, bhava-mahā-dāvāgni... Bhava-mahā-dāvāgni means... Each and every word is very carefully selected in Sanskrit, and they have got immense meaning, full of meaning. Now, this, why this bhava-mahā-dāvāgni, this very word, I will try to explain. Bhava. Bhava means the situation in which we have to take repeated birth and we accept repeated death. That is called bhava. And that is a kind of mahā-dāvāgni. Mahā means great, and dāvāgni means forest fire. Forest fire. Forest fire, have you seen, any of you? Here you have got many forests, but I don't think you have seen any forest fire. I have seen. Forest fire takes automatically. Nobody goes to set fire in the forest, but by, I mean to say, cohesion of different dry bamboos or woods, fire takes, by electricity fire takes place, and the whole forest is ablaze. That is called dāvāgni. So this material world, nobody wants. Everyone wants peaceful life. But the nature of the material world is that automatically there is fire. Automatically there is.
So they are, simply it is going on under the name of "yoga," but actually, nobody is following the principles. That is difficult. That is not possible in this age. Now suppose if you have to perform haṭha-yoga in a secluded place, in a sanctified place and alone. Who is fulfilling these three conditions? Ekākī yata-cittātmā. Ekākī. Ekākī means alone. Śucau deśe. Śucau deśe means very sanctified place. Samaṁ grīvam. This body and the, I mean to say, neck, and the śiraḥ, śiraḥ means this head—they should be in a straight line. And you cannot close your eyes fully. You have to half-close and see the top of your nose. In this way, you sit down always. Never go to sleep. I have seen in my childhood yogi in Calcutta, Kālīghāṭa. He was twenty-four hours sitting. When he was feeling uncomfortable, he had a wooden cot,(?) like that. But he was never sleeping. That is yoga practice. Who is going to do that? It is very difficult. Therefore Arjuna said, "Kṛṣṇa, You are recommending this yoga practice, but it is impossible for me to do." Five thousand years ago, a person like Arjuna declined, "Oh, it is not possible for me." And so many rascals they are trying that yoga system. That is not possible.
So in one way it is very difficult. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu instructs that who can become in Kṛṣṇa consciousness? Kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ (CC Adi 17.31). Who can chant Hare Kṛṣṇa very nicely? Tṛṇād api sunīcena. Tṛṇād api sunīcena means who thinks himself lower than the straw in the street, I am lower than. Humble, very humble. Tṛṇād api sunīcena taror api sahiṣṇunā. Tolerant more than the tree.
You know the trees are very much tolerant. They are giving you shelter, they are giving you shadow, and they are giving you protection from birds(?) and so many things, giving you fruits. You are taking woods, leaves, flowers, but the trees do not make any protest. They are standing silently. Therefore they are very tolerant. The example of toleration is trees. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that one has to become humbler than the grass or straw in the street, tolerant than the tree, and amāninā, and refusing all kinds of respectful addresses from others, but offering all respect to others. He's not prepared to accept any respect from others, but he is prepared to give all respect to others.
When you realize that "Supreme is the Supreme Brahman, Para-brahman, I am part and parcel of the Supreme, I am also Brahman, but I am not the Supreme Brahman, therefore my business is to serve Para-brahman." That is real spiritual life. That is the beginning of spiritual life.
- brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā
- na śocati na kāṅkṣati
- samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu
- mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām
- (BG 18.54)
Parā bhakti. Parā-bhakti, that is real spiritual life. Parā aparā, aparā bhakti means on the material platform. Generally, the Deity worship. This is the beginning, but as you go on worshiping the Deity you realize your spiritual identity. Then you do not see the Deity as made of stone or wood. You see directly the Supreme Personality of Godhead and you can talk, you can receive an inspiration. This is the beginning.
This is yajana yājana. Śrī-vigraha. This is Śrī-vigraha, Kṛṣṇa's arcā-mūrti. Kṛṣṇa has taken, advented, as avatāra, arcā-avatāra. Arcā-avatāra means made of stone, wood, metal, jewel, or coloring, painting. There are eight kinds of arcā-avatāra. So Kṛṣṇa has consented to descend before us to accept our service in a manner which we can do. If Kṛṣṇa remains in His virāḍ-rūpa, then it will be very difficult to capture Him. Kṛṣṇa remains in virāḍ-rūpa, but He becomes arcā-vigraha, a small deity, so that everyone can worship Him at home. It does not take much time, it does not take much place. To make dress of Kṛṣṇa you can utilize little cloth. Kṛṣṇa is agreeable to accept your service. And offering? Patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati (BG 9.26). At any means you can worship Kṛṣṇa, and that is the business of brāhmaṇa and Vaiṣṇava.
A brahmacārī, from the very beginning of his life, he is trained to act only for guru. That is brahmacārī. It is enjoined that a brahmacārī live at the shelter, at the care of guru just like a menial servant. Kṛṣṇa also, although He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, when He was living as brahmacārī at His guru's house, Sāndīpani Muni, He was collecting wood, fuel, from the jungle. He was going daily. It is not that because He was Personality of Godhead, therefore He should not go. No. You will find in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Kṛṣṇa Book, that when Sudāmā Vipra met him, he was talking with Him about His childhood stories. Kṛṣṇa reminded him, "Sudāmā, do you remember that one day we went to collect fuel for our Guru Mahārāja, and there was storm and rain, and we could not get out of the forest. We had to live overnight there. Then on the morning Guru Mahārāja came with other disciples and they recovered us from the jungle. Do you remember?" So Kṛṣṇa had to do this. This is training.
If you give up desire, then you are a dead man. A stone has no desire. Do you like to become a stone-like? No. Desire cannot be less. That is not possible. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam (CC Madhya 19.167). Abhilāṣitā-śūnyam, anya. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam: "Except Kṛṣṇa, any other desires should be given up." That is anyābhilāṣa. Abhilāṣitā-śūnyam, the ācārya, Rūpa Gosvāmī, does not say. That is not possible. I must have desires because I am living entity. I am not a stone. I am not a wood. So this is a false philosophy, to become desireless. That is not possible. To become desireless—other desires. Other means except Kṛṣṇa.
Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam (CC Madhya 19.167). Uncovered, coverless, without any covering of jñāna and karma. Jñāna and karma. Because here it is said, jñānāgni-dagdha-karmāṇam. One is engaged in the material activities when he's not enlightened by knowledge. Therefore they are called mūḍhas. The karmīs who are working for sense gratification day and night, they have been called as mūḍhas. Mūḍhas means asses. The ass works very hard, the washerman's cloth loaded on the back of the ass to the greatest extent so that he cannot move. But what does he get in exchange? A morsel of grass. That's all. He knows it, that in exchange of... "None of the cloth belongs to me; still, I am carrying so much burden, and in exchange I'll get a few pieces of grass," which is available anywhere. But he's thinking that "This washerman will supply me grass." This is ass, ass-mentality. Therefore they are called mūḍha.
So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is all pervading. Either you take socially, politically, religiously, scientifically, philosophically—any way you take. Just like sandalwood. Sandalwood you rub it on the stone in any way the pulp will be flavored. It is not that if you rub the wood on the stone in this way then the pulp will come flavored.
"Just like in the fire if you put anything, whatever, it will go on burning. Everything it will burn into ashes. Never mind, either wood or any dirty things, whatever you will, it will turn into ashes. Similarly, if we get this Kṛṣṇa science, if we understand this Kṛṣṇa science, then all our reactions of sinful activities, what we might have done in our past life, that will be all burned into ashes. Burnt into ashes."
But here is the perfect knowledge, that īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (ISO 1). We have to take everything as God's property, nobody's property. And we can use things which are available by the nature's product. Suppose there is iron ore, mine. So everyone has got the... Whatever iron he requires, he can take. But if somebody makes the, the iron mine as his own property, then he, according to Śrīmad-Bhāgavata and, it is, he becomes a thief. He becomes a thief, and he's punishable because that is God's property. Nobody can create the iron mine. We cannot create anything. Even in the economic laws, we cannot create anything. We can simply transform just like worker or laborer. That's all. Suppose we manufacture a very nice table, but the ingredients, the wood, and the instrument, iron, oh, this is supplied by God. You cannot manufacture iron. You cannot manufacture the woods. So how, why do you claim that it is yours? This is ignorance. This is ignorance.
Madhudviṣa: Thirty-seven: "As the blazing fire turns wood to ashes, O Arjuna, so does the fire of knowledge burn to ashes all reactions to material activities (BG 4.37)."
Prabhupāda: Yes. I may be very seriously sinful, but when I get the knowledge of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, all my sins will be burned into ashes. Just like if you have... You have got a small fire. You bring tons of wood. Go on putting it. Go on putting it. Gradually everything will become ashes. This example. Tons of wood, you go on putting in that small fire. May not be immediately, but you go on putting, day after day, hours after hours; all wood will be burned into ashes. Very nice example.
So Kṛṣṇa is everything. The atheist will say, "Oh, they have installed some wooden forms and they are worshiping as gods." Atheistic. And one who knows the Kṛṣṇa science, he'll understand that "Kṛṣṇa is everything; therefore He can appear in everything." If electricity current is everywhere, so wherever you touch current you'll feel, "Here is current." Similarly, the Kṛṣṇa current in impersonal form is everywhere. It is the technician who knows how to use that current. That's all. So... Just like we get telephone connection. We simply inform the person, deposit our money. They come immediately. They find out where the connection can be done and he does his work. We do not know. He knows the technique, how to join telephone wire. Within a few seconds he joins and he, oh, "kling, kling," you are ready.
So one must know how to connect Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is everywhere. This is Kṛṣṇa conscious movement. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. One must know how we can derive from these features of Kṛṣṇa's forms in wood or iron or metal... That doesn't matter. Kṛṣṇa is everywhere.
So life's aim is self-realization—Viṣṇu—not the skyscrapers. These are piling stones and woods. This is not very intelligent work. The woods and pile, stones and earth is there already—big, big mountain, hills. You do the business of a porter, carry it out, and high, I mean to say, heap, heap it in one place, it becomes a skyscraper building. And if you simply are proud of these heaps of stones and woods and iron, that is not civilization. That is not civilization. Civilization is that the living entity who is using these resources, what, to know what is the actual business. This piling of stones and wood is done also by the birds. They also pick up, according to their strength, some twigs, and they make a nest. That intelligence is there. The rat also, he makes subway. (laughter) You see, So this is not very intelligent work, to imitate the rats, the birds, the cats, the dogs. That is not civilization.
So human civilization does not mean this piling of woods and stones. No. That is not human civilization. Human civilization means brahma-jijñāsā, inquiry. These are the inquiry. "Why? Why I am forced to do this?" These things are taught regularly in the varṇāśrama system. One is made brahmacārī, celibacy, spiritual. One is made a very decently, family life, gṛhastha. One is made retired life, sannyāsī. Very systematical. So if we don't follow the varṇāśrama-dharma, then we are not even human beings. They are cats and dogs. So therefore Rāmānanda Rāya proposed this varṇāśrama... Varṇāśramācāravatā. He quoted from Viṣṇu Purāṇa. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, "Oh, this is rejected." He immediately rejected. Now, so scientific institution of varṇāśrama-dharma system, coming from very early age, Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, "This is external. Say something better." So in this way, Rāmānanda Rāya was putting some better proposal than varṇāśrama-dharma. Then varṇāśrama-tyāga. Tyāga means renouncing, renounced order. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu's speaking, "No, no. It is ... It is not very important.
Idol worship, that is not idol. Just like if you worship your leader in some picture or some statue, that is not idol worship. That is actually fact. You show your respect to your leader. Similarly, when we worship the Deity of the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa, it is not idol worship. It is worshiping Kṛṣṇa. The difference is, as we have already discussed, Kṛṣṇa is Absolute. In the ordinary case the picture of your father and the father is different because it is material body. But Kṛṣṇa, being absolute, His form, Deity form, and He, there is no difference. It is Kṛṣṇa's mercy that He comes before you in the Deity form made of so-called wood or stone because we cannot see at the present moment except wood and stone. We cannot see. Just like I was explaining we cannot see even our father, the spirit soul. And how we can see the supreme spirit? So when we worship Deity, it is not idol worship. It is worshiping Lord Kṛṣṇa, and the Deity is not different from the person. This is the idea. We have to understand. It is a science.
So here Kṛṣṇa says that first of all our material conception of life... We are in the material world. We see everything as stone and wood and earth and water and fire and everything. We have got the capacity to see all these things. Here Kṛṣṇa says that this bhūmi, this earth; āpa, this water; anala, this fire; vāyu, air; kham, the sky, ether; mana, mind... That is still subtle. Up to ether, you can see, but the mind, which is still finer than the ether, mana, that you cannot see. Mind, everyone knows you have got mind, I have got mind, but you cannot see the mind, neither I can see your mind. Here is the subtle. First gross: bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ, up to ether. Ether also we cannot see, but we can understand here is ether by (claps) sound. As soon as there is sound, this is the understanding of ether. Ether, vāyu, you can touch, but you cannot see. Then fire, you can see. And then water, you can see also, and then earth—gross. From the finer, we are coming to the gross. Begins from the finer.
So far body is concerned, you get all things supplied by you, er, supplied by God. You have got enough grains. You have got enough fruit. You have got enough milk. You have got everything enough. You eat it, live peacefully. Because what is my want of this body? Āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunaṁ ca. Oh, you can eat. Āhāra means eating. So you can eating suffi..., you can eat sufficiently. Nidrā. You can make shelter. God has given you so many wood, so many, I mean to say, planks you can get. Make your home. That's all right. Sleep there peacefully. And āhāra-nidrā-bhaya. And you can defend as far as possible. Then you want sex life? All right. There are so many women. Get them married. Live peacefully and culture God consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That arrangement is there. Why don't you do it? Why do you want more and more, more and more, more and more? This is foolishness.
We cannot see beyond wood. And wood and stone is also not beyond Kṛṣṇa. That is also Kṛṣṇa. So Kṛṣṇa has given us the facility to worship Him in the way as we can understand. It is not that Kṛṣṇa.... Kṛṣṇa is stone, because Kṛṣṇa says bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ. He can take service from this, any form. There are eight kinds of forms. Either you paint, either you make a form from wood, from stone, from jewels, and according to Vedic system there are so many different types of Deities. So Kṛṣṇa can accept your service in any way. That is Kṛṣṇa's omnipotency. He has got omnipotency. But we can handle. If we simply, if we want to worship the gigantic virāṭ-rūpa of Kṛṣṇa, if you want to dress Him with cloth, where is such..., where is there such amount of cloth? How you can do it?
If we have got sufficient devotion, that image also will speak with me, because God is everywhere. Mayā tatam idam sarvam: "I am spread all over, impersonal." But if we make His personal form from anything, either from the stone or from earth or from wood or from anything, or if we create an image of God within myself... There are eight kinds of images recommended in the śāstra, in the Vedic literatures. So any kind of images can be worshiped because God is everywhere.
Now, you can say that why God should be worshiped in images, not in His original form, spiritual form? Yes. That may be a question. But I cannot see spiritual form. That is my difficulty. My senses are so imperfect that I cannot see God immediately in His spiritual form. Therefore, out of His causeless mercy, He appears before you as you can see you, Him. We cannot see just now with our material eyes except stone, earth, wood, something tangible. Therefore He becomes... These forms are called arcāvatāra, incarnation of arcā, conveniently presented by the Supreme Lord so that we can actually see. But the result will be that in the image, if you concentrated your energy, and if you love and offer your, I mean to say, devotion, this will be responded, even from that image.
"Now, all this paraphernalia for sacrificing a yajña, for performing a sacrifice—the fire, the butter, the clarified, the wood, and the mantra and other paraphernalia—everything is Myself. Everything I am." That's true, because everything is produced by His energy. Anything, whatever you take, that's a transformation of energy. Parasya brahmaṇaḥ śaktiḥ sarvedam akhilaṁ jagat: "Whatever you are seeing in the universal manifestation, they are simply manifestation of the different energy of the Supreme Lord." Just like in this room, this illumination is the energy of this light. Therefore we are seeing each, one another. Similarly, as the fire is placed in one place, but it distributes its heat and light, similarly, although the Lord is in His supreme abode, His energy is acting. The same example: just like the sun planet is far, far away, but its energy, sunshine, is all-over distributed, over the manifestation, material manifestation. So He's everything.
So suhṛt prabhavaḥ, development. You are trying to make economic development, but how we can develop economic development provided there is no material supplied by God? Can you manufacture, can you build, construct, a big skyscraper building without the materials being supplied by God? Can you manufacture wood? Can you manufacture stone? Can you manufacture lime? You cannot manufacture. Can you manufacture iron? You can work, labor. The materials supplied by God, by your labor, by intelligence, you can transform from one thing to another. Economic experts, they say like that, that man cannot manufacture anything. He can transform one thing to another. You cannot manufacture iron. You can transform the iron ores to a big iron factory. That you can do and waste your time, valuable time. That energy you have got. But you cannot produce iron. You can manufacture glass and live in a very comfortably, all side, but where is the glass? Glass is, means, a stone is melted with some chemicals, and it becomes glass.
So ādau śraddhā, how to increase. That is given direction by Rūpa Gosvāmī. This faith, ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅga (CC Madhya 22.83). If you have little faith don't try to demolish it. Try to increase it. Just like if there is little spark of fire, if you fan it, it increases. Increases. And you have several times... In this temple, when there is yajña performance we ignite fire. So we take a little small piece of wood and ignite it. Then gradually it becomes blazing fire. Similarly, this faith is just like little fire, and you have to fan it very nicely.
How? Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅga (Cc. Madhya 23.14-15). If you have got this faith, then don't give up this connection. Please try to come here and try to understand us. Why you should try to understand us? Because we are speaking here about God, nothing else. No business, no politics, no nonsense. Therefore you should come here. Sādhu-saṅga. This is called association with sādhu. Who is a sādhu? If somebody says "A man with red dress or a great beard or something..." There are so many conceptions of sādhu. But sādhu is described in the Bhagavad-gītā by the Lord Himself, who is sādhu. He said api cet su-durācāro bhajate mām ananya-bhāk, sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ (BG 9.30). Sādhu is one who is unflinchingly engaged in loving service of the Lord. He is a sādhu. That is the test, who is a sādhu.
You don't think material nature is blind. Material nature has got her intelligence, and she is taking intelligence from the Supreme Lord. And according to that she is supplying food or grains and everything, because you get everything from the earth. Either you take metal or this wood or water or food grains, whatever you are taking, using, you are exploiting the resources of material nature, but material nature is the agent of God. Material nature is an energy of God. So if God does not wish to supply you, however you may bring tractor and anything.
Suppose a carpenter makes a very nice furniture, a nice closet, very beautiful. So will the carpenter shall be the proprietor or the man, the person who has supplied him wages, who has supplied him the wood, and he has made it? Who will be the proprietor? Very simple philosophy. Whatever we used...
Similarly, suppose you construct a skyscraper building, costly building. But who has supplied the material? The brick, stone, wood, iron—where you have got it? It is Kṛṣṇa's property. You cannot produce these bricks or the iron or the wood. It is Kṛṣṇa's property. Bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca (BG 7.4). These five elements of material ingredients... earth, water, air fire, all these things, even mind, intelligence... The mind... Unless you have got intelligence, you cannot manufacture anything with this material things.
Kṛṣṇa therefore says, mahā-bhūtāny ahaṅkāro buddhir avyaktam eva ca. Avyaktam means the total material substance. Just like when you construct a house there are heaps of materials, some stone, some cement, some woods, some iron, and you combine together... Tejo-vāri-mṛd-vinimayam. This whole world is exchange of three things: teja, fire, vāri, means water, and mṛt, means earth. So what is this Bombay city? The Bombay city is a heap of tejo-vāri-mṛd-vinimayaḥ. And... Here is one expert engineer, he knows how to mix these three things, tejo-vāri-mṛd-vinimayam, exchange. If there was no stock of tejo-vāri-mṛd-vinimayam, you could not build such a nice city. But who is supplying the ingredients? Can you create earth? No. Can you create water? No. You cannot create. You are simply working. You are simply working hard mixing them. That's all. Tejo vāri-mṛd-vinimayam. You cannot create. That is not possible. The creator is God. The creator is God. That is stated in the seventh chapter, prakṛtir me aṣṭadhā. Me, Kṛṣṇa says, "It is mine."
Then don't think that here "These people are worshiping a stone," as the atheist will speak. Arcye śilā-dhīr guruṣu vaiṣṇave jāti-buddhiḥ nārakī... (break) ...in the śāstra that "Don't think the worshipable Deity is made of stone, made of metal." Because in the wood there is Kṛṣṇa and because Kṛṣṇa is omnipotent He can accept.
But a man with poor fund of knowledge, they cannot understand that without material body, how there can be possible of possessing a body. Because we are accustomed to see the material things, we have no eyes to see spiritual, ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ (CC Madhya 17.136), therefore Kṛṣṇa, to benefit us, to become merciful upon us, He appears in this form, arcā-vigraha, so that we can see Him. Because we have learned to see wood, stone, earth, some solid materials. We cannot see subtle things.
Just like everyone knows you have got mind, I have got mind. But you cannot see my mind, I cannot see your mind. Because it is subtle. I have got my egotism, you have got your egotism, but we cannot find out what is that egotism. Even the material subtle things we cannot see, what to speak of spiritual things. Spiritual... Spirit is still more subtle.
Therefore śāstra says arcye śilā-dhīr guruṣu nara-matir vaiṣṇave jāti-buddhiḥ. One should not... One should avoid these things. When arcā-mūrti, the Deity worship in the temple, if one thinks it is made of stone, it is made of wood, that is very offensive. One should not think like that. God is omnipotent, all-powerful. He can accept your service even in this form, but because He has assumed this form, don't neglect it that "It is stone." Then it will be offensive. It is to show you mercy, arcā-mūrti.
Otherwise all the great saintly persons, just like Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, all big, big ācāryas who were actually controlling the Vedic civilization still, they established thousands of temple and mūrtis, especially in South India. Still Raṅganātha temple, Tirupati temples, visited by hundreds and thousands of people. So does it mean they have all become fools? They go to see some stone? No.
Therefore one has to become a devotee. Because only devotee can understand that "Here is the Supreme Personality of Godhead personally standing before me." That devotee. Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena (Bs. 5.38). Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu, when he visited Jagannātha temple, He was very anxious to see the Deity, Jagannātha temple. And as soon as He entered the Jagannātha temple, immediately He fainted, "Oh, here is My Lord." And others are seeing, "What is this foolish man? Here is a wooden form of Jagannātha and this man has fainted." But that is the difference between this man and you. Unless you develop your devotional attitude, you cannot see God.
So because you cannot see Kṛṣṇa otherwise, therefore Kṛṣṇa has appeared before you just like a stone statue. Because you cannot see Kṛṣṇa, without His becoming a stone statue or wooden statue. That is Kṛṣṇa's mercy. But that does not mean Kṛṣṇa is stone. Kṛṣṇa is everything. So mad-yājinaḥ. To accept your worship, Kṛṣṇa is here. Don't consider that "Here is a stone Deity." No, He's Kṛṣṇa. He has agreed. Because mad-yājinaḥ. Kṛṣṇa say "One who worships Me..." Now, ordinarily, where is Kṛṣṇa? We don't find. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is available in this form. Kṛṣṇa is so kind, that "You take Me. You offer Me service." Mad-yājinaḥ. "I will accept." We should worship Kṛṣṇa in that spirit, not that "We are worshiping a stone. He cannot see. Let me do all nonsense in the Deity room." No. He is seeing. Don't be so much cunning. He's more cunning than you. You see. He can see.
The same thing, this house. This house is a house. The next door is a karmī's house, and this house is a temple. What is the difference? The difference is: in this house everyone is engaged to fulfill Kṛṣṇa's desire, and the other house, everyone is engaged in fulfilling his own desire. Therefore it is temple, and that is house. Otherwise, from the external feature, where is the difference? The same stone, the same wood, the same plants, the same land, the same kitchen—everything is same, and the business is the same. But here the business is to satisfy Kṛṣṇa, and the other houses, the business is to satisfy one's own senses. That is the difference between kāma and prema. When you try to fulfill the desires of Kṛṣṇa, that is prema. And when you want to fulfill your own desires, that is called kāma. There is no other.
"The material things..." Prapañcikā means material. So this house is material. It is made of wood, stone. So we are giving up all material connection. Then why shall we live in this house? This is material. So prapañcikā. Prapañcikā means considering something as material. Hari-sambandhi-vastunaḥ. Vastu means substance or thing which has connection with Hari. This stone, wood, air, fire, water—five gross elements—it has connection with Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vayuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca, bhinnā me prakṛtir aṣṭadhā (BG 7.4). These eight kinds of material elements, five gross and three subtle, namely the earth, water, air fire, sky—these are gross elements—and the subtle elements, mind, intelligence, and ego... So these are subtle. Mind is also material, and intelligence is also material, and ego, the false ego that "I am this material body," that is also material. And above this, that is spiritual.
In the material stage we think that it is being controlled by the laws of material nature. That is also fact, but behind the laws of material nature there is Kṛṣṇa. The material laws of material nature is not working blindly. That is a fact. Combination of material thing, a big, nice airship, is moving. It is combination of material things. There are iron, aluminium, wood, and petrol, so many other things, the combination of material things. But this combination of material things, if it is kept in one place, in many thousands of years it will not fly. It will not fly—the petrol is here; everything is there—unless the pilot is there. When the pilot comes he pushes the button. Then it becomes.
There are three guṇas. We should always remember. The material nature is working under three guṇas, three divisions. Just like... The example is that the fire, smoke and the wood, Wood... there is fire. Everyone knows that from wood, fire will come out. And when you ignite wood, there is smoke first of all. And then the blazing or the flame of the comes out. So one may say... They are saying like that, that "After all, from... It is wood. So there is fire, there is smoke and there is no smoke—it is wood. It is all one." No. Although it is one. Still, you require the flame, not the smoke, neither the wood. If you want work, then... "Now I have got the wood. My work is finished." No From the wood, when you get fire flame, then you can work. You can cook; you can get heat; you can get light, so many things. So that is required, not that "Because I have got the wood, I have got everything." This is rascaldom. You have to ignite fire, blazing fire, flame, And that is sattva-guṇa.
Now, to come to the real knowledge, real platform of knowledge, the cultivation is required. So cultivation is required. Suppose somebody has said, the same example, that there is fire in the wood. So if you simply remain satisfied with the wood—"There is fire"—that is called tamo-guṇa, not developed. Again, when there is smoke, that is another platform. But when one appreciates the flames of (the fire), that is sattva-guṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says here, tri-vidhā bhavati śraddhā dehināṁ sā svabhāva-jā. If one is cultivating his life like hogs and cats and dogs—the behavior is also like that and remaining in that position—so his faith and one who is advanced, who is worshiping Deity, and having three times bath, and chanting mantras, Hare Kṛṣṇa, they are not equal. That is not possible because one is situated in the sattva-guṇa and the other is situated in tamo-guṇa, although the tamo-guṇas, the persons who are in the darkness of knowledge, they have got their faith. It is not that they have no faith. They have got faith. But that faith is in the lowest status of life. That faith will not help him for spiritual realization. Therefore Kṛṣṇa said, tri-vidhā bhavati śraddhā dehināṁ sā svabhāva-jā. Svabhāva-jā means natural. Because his body is not yet purified, therefore he remains in the status of tamo-guṇa or ignorance.
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
Therefore he begins from the first aphorism of Vedānta-sūtra, janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1), athāto brahma jijñāsā, jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā. Jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā, jīva, those who are conditioned souls, their only business is to enquire about self-realization. The piling of woods and stone is not advanced civilization. My Guru Mahārāja used to say, kāṭh pāthare mistri. If you are simply engaged how to have a skyscraper building, then we become craftsmen only, how to handle woods and stones, that's all. So much success but what we'll do with this woods and stones? You are spirit soul. Woods and stone will not give you any pleasure. That is not possible. You are not wood and stone, you are spirit soul, you must have spiritual food. Therefore in America especially, despite all material opulences, there you are becoming confused and frustrated and disappointed. Because woods and stone will not satisfy you. You must have spiritual food, that is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
God, the description of God, is given there that "He is also living entity like us. He is also eternal like us." Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām. But what is the difference between Him and us? That is described, eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān: "That one God is supplying all the necessities of these many." So we should not approach God for economic satisfaction or for bread or for wood or for anything necessary for our life. God has arranged food for everyone, the aquatics, the birds, the beasts, the trees, the elephants or the other, four-legged animals, and why not for human being? Human being also, those who are uncivilized, still living in the forest, they have no arrangement for economic development, or they do not know, but they have got also food.
Every part of His body has got the potency of other part. That is Kṛṣṇa. Aṅgāni yasya sakalendriya-vṛttimanti paśyanti pānti kalayanti ciraṁ jaganti (Bs. 5.32). Why? Ānanda-cinmaya-sad-ujjvala-vigrahasya. Because His body is not this body, this material body. Ānanda-cinmaya. Therefore don't think that "Here is Kṛṣṇa, stone." No. Because stone is also part of His body. So this is the philosophy of Kṛṣṇa. One has to learn. Aṅgāni yasya sakalendriya-vṛttimanti. So this is not stone worship. It is Kṛṣṇa, personally present. We should worship Kṛṣṇa, as He is personally present. Not with... If you think that it is stone, then it is aparādha, offense. Arcye śilā-dhīr guruṣu nara-matiḥ. To think of the Deity, worshipable Deity, as stone or wood, to think of the spiritual master as ordinary human being, these are not allowed. Then he is not making progress.
The dāvānala is used because this material world is always blazing, always problem. Nobody can deny it. Simply problem. Just like fire. Fire is a problem. And especially in America we see in every city, every ten minutes or fifteen minutes there is a fire brigade: dung dung dung dung dung dung dung dung. Why? The fire is blazing always. So as we practically see that there is always fire, and the fire brigade is ready... Nobody goes to set fire. But by accident, by manipulation, fire takes place. The comparison is therefore with the forest fire. Forest fire takes place without anyone's attempt. Simply by collision of two dry wood, there is friction, electricity is produced, and the dry leaf immediately catch hold of the electricity and it becomes fire. So this material world, everyone is trying to be peaceful, happy, tranquil. No. There must be fire. Exactly like that. The fire brigade is always ready because they know that at any moment there will be fire.
Everything is Kṛṣṇa's energy. Kṛṣṇa is spiritual, so His energy is also spiritual. But in the spiritual energy there is the possibility of forgetting Kṛṣṇa. That is called material energy. So if we remember Kṛṣṇa, that is not material energy. A man, stone, wood, brick and constructs a big, high skyscraper building; that is material energy. But the same stone, same wood, same cement, you construct a very nice temple of Kṛṣṇa, that is spiritual energy. Now, the question is how the woods and stones which is matter, becomes spiritual. Is not that the question? We say one man is constructing big skyscraper building with woods and stones, we say this is materialism. But they can also challenge you that "You are also interested in woods and stones and constructing a big church or temple. Why is your idea spiritualism?" Now, you can compare. This is spiritualism means in this stone and earth and woods you remember Kṛṣṇa, "I am constructing something for Kṛṣṇa." Therefore it is spiritualism.
Our present senses are blunt, imperfect. They are defective with so many faults. Everyone can understand that I am very much proud of my eyes, I want to see God, but I cannot see my eyelid. When I block my eyes, I cannot see what is this little fragment of the skin, and still I am proud, I want to see God. Just see. You have to qualify yourself, then you can see God. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu, when (He) entered the Jagannātha Temple, He immediately fainted, "Oh, here is My Lord." And other person says, "What is this nonsense. A wooden, not even very beautiful form, and He is..." So because he hasn't got eyes. One who has got eyes to see God, he does not see anything except God. Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti (Bs. 5.38). You have to anoint your eyes with love of God, then you will see that God is present everywhere. God is present in the tree, God is present in the animal, God is present in you, God is represent in your family, in your You cannot say Actually that is the fact.
So God is the proprietor, everything. You are manufacturing one big nice car, but who has manufactured this metal? Who has manufactured this wood with which you have manufactured a nice car? That is manufactured by a God. You have not manufactured. You are changing the shape from iron to iron seat, iron seat to another form. That's all... You can do that. You cannot manufacture.
So original proprietor is Kṛṣṇa. He says, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca. Bhinnaṁ me prakṛtir aṣṭa... (BG 7.4). Me, "My." The earth, water, fire, air, sky, mind, intelligence... Even your intelligence is Kṛṣṇa's. With your intelligence, with ingredients of Kṛṣṇa, if you manufacture something, the proprietor is Kṛṣṇa. Because the... Just like a carpenter. You give the wood, the instrument, these labor charges.
Here it is, also, it is said, śreyāṁsi tatra khalu sattva-tanor nṛṇāṁ syuḥ. If we want our ultimate goal, ultimate success, then we should accept the sattva-guṇa form of the Lord. The rajo-guṇa form and tamo-guṇa form are there, Lord Śiva and Lord Brahmā. But śreyāṁsi, if we want our real benefit of life, then it is better to take shelter of the form of sattva-guṇa. That will be explained in the next verse: pārthivād dāruṇo dhūmas tasmād agnis trayīmayaḥ. Just like earth, from the earth the tree grows. So tree grows means wood. Now, if you ignite the wood, first of all there is smoke, then there is fire. So my necessity is fire, neither the wood, nor the earth, nor the smoke. Similarly, for getting out of these material clutches one has to take shelter of Viṣṇu—not of Lord Brahmā nor Lord Śiva. It is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā: kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñānāḥ yajante anya-devatāḥ (BG 7.20). Anya-devatāḥ means Lord Śiva and Lord Brahmā and others. There are many, thirty-three crores of different demigods. Indra, Candra, Varuṇa, so many. So the chief of them is Lord Brahmā and Lord Śiva. Lord Śiva is therefore called Mahādeva. He is above all these demigods. And Lord Śi... Brahmā is called pitāmaha. Pitāmaha means he's the father of all demigods. He's the father of Lord Śiva also.
Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.)
- pārthivād dāruṇo dhūmas
- tasmād agnis trayīmayaḥ
- tamasas tu rajas tasmāt
- sattvaṁ yad brahma-darśanam
- (SB 1.2.24)
Translation: "The firewood is the transformation of the earth, and smoke is better than the raw wood, and fire is still better, because by fire we can derive so many benefits by superior knowledge, or Vedas. Similarly, rajas quality of matter is better than tamas quality, but sattva quality is the superior quality by which one can realize the Absolute Truth."
Prabhupāda: (aside:) Here the translation is different. So the example is given here, that... The translation is... (break) Anyway, pārthivād dāruṇo dhūmaḥ. Pārthivāt. Suppose you want fire. So there are so many stages. Earth, then there is wood. Wood is produced from earth. From wood, there is, first instance there is smoke, and then comes the fire. But you require the fire. When you get fire, you can get so many things done through fire, electricity. All industry is going on through fire. Your household affairs, cooking, that is also, you require fire. For your living condition you require fire, heat. So fire is necessity, not the earth, neither the wood, nor the smoke. Similarly, although Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Maheśvara, they are one, from Kṛṣṇa—they are different incarnation of different modes of material nature—but actually, Viṣṇu is required. Brahman, brahma-darśanam. If you want to see the Absolute Truth, then neither Brahmā nor Śiva is required, but Viṣṇu is required.
The example is: just like if you want to have your work done, then fire is required. The wood is also another stage of fire; the smoke is also another stage of fire. But as fire is necessity, similarly, to come to the platform of goodness, that is necessity, especially in this human form of life. In other forms of life, they're mostly in the ignorance. Just like the earth. The earth has got potency to produce wood, trees and plants, but there are some earthen plot of land, it is not producing anything, desert. It has got the potency. If you pour water, it has got the potency to produce wood, but, in that... Similarly, the mode of ignorance, those living entities, those who are in the mode of ignorance, they cannot have any knowledge of the Absolute Truth. That's not possible. Therefore it is gradual evolution, from mode of ignorance to mode of passion. And passion, there is little activity. Just like animal, they have got activity. Just like a dog, we have seen, in the beach and other places, running very swiftly here and there, but there is no meaning. A monkey is very active. You have not seen monkey in your country. In our country there are monkeys. Unnecessarily creating disturbance. But they are very active. But human being, they are not so active, but they have got brain, they're working with brain.
Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.)
- pārthivād dāruṇo dhūmas
- tasmād agnis trayīmayaḥ
- tamasas tu rajas tasmāt
- sattvaṁ yad brahma-darśanam
- (SB 1.2.24)
Translation: "Coal, firewood, is better than raw wood, and fire is even better, for fire is the soul of Vedic sacrifice. Similarly passion, or rajas, is better than ignorance, or tamas; but goodness, sattva, is best because by goodness one can come to realize the Absolute Truth, or Brahman."
Prabhupāda:
- pārthivād dāruṇo dhūmas
- tasmād agnis trayīmayaḥ
- tamasas tu rajas tasmāt
- sattvaṁ yad brahma-darśanam
This is gradual process of evolution. Pārthivād dāruṇaḥ. Just like raw wood. Then, when it is dry, then it is fit for igniting fire. Then, when you ignite fire, first there is smoke, and after it is mature, the flames come out. And agnis trayīmayaḥ. And when the flame is there... Just like we generally perform fire sacrifice. Unless the flame comes, we do not chant the mantra or pour the ghee and the grains. Because that is the beginning of yajña. Trayīmaya. Trayī means Vedic yajñas. So our point is to come to the platform of performing yajña.
So for living condition, improving the living condition, does not mean brahma-darśanam. Brahma-darśanam is another thing. Improving the living condition, improving the eating condition, improving the sex life condition, or improving the defending condition. Just like human civilization, they're discovering so many laser weapons, atomic bomb, so many things. So it is improving the defending condition. But modern civilization is in the opinion that if they can improve their material condition of eating, sleeping, mating and defending, that is advancement of civilization. But that is not advancement of civilization. Advancement of civilization means brahma-darśanam. That is advancement. Because so long we do not come to the platform of understanding that "I am spirit soul, I am part and parcel of the Supreme Spirit," we are in the ignorance—in different forms. The example is given very nicely. Just like raw wood, just from the trees, you cut the trees, it is raw, it is not immediately fit for burning. But when it is little dried you can ignite fire, and, igniting fire, immediately there is no flame, there is smoke. Then, after the smoke, there is flame. And that flame is required.
Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.)
- yathā hy avahito vahnir
- dāruṣv ekaḥ sva-yoniṣu
- nāneva bhāti viśvātmā
- bhūteṣu ca tathā pumān
- (SB 1.2.32)
Translation: "The Lord, as Supersoul, pervades all things, just as fire permeates wood, and so He appears to be of many varieties, though He is the absolute one without a second."
Prabhupāda:
- yathā hy avahito vahnir
- dāruṣv ekaḥ sva-yoniṣu
- nāneva bhāti viśvātmā
- bhūteṣu ca tathā pumān
The Supreme Personality of Godhead Kṛṣṇa is residing along with the living entity within the heart. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe arjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). This is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā, that Īśvara, the Supreme Personality, is residing in everyone's heart. In another place it is said, kṣetra-kṣetrajña chapter, kṣetra-jñaṁ cāpi māṁ viddhi sarva-kṣetreṣu bhārata. Kṣetrajña means the knower of the body. I, you, every one of us, we are individual living entities. We are also kṣetrajña.
The example is given: yathā hy avahito vahnir dāruṣu. In every wood, there is fire. A small wood, there is small fire; in big wood, there is big fire. The fire is the same, but according to the different size of the wood, fuel, the, the, what is, the flames of the fire appears to be different. The flame of the fire appears to be different because the living entity is different, of different types. They have got different desires, according to the contact of the material quality. Kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgaḥ asya sad-asad-janma-yoniṣu. This is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. Why they are different? Because kāraṇam, the cause, is—kāraṇam means cause—is guṇa-saṅgaḥ asya. Asya, or this living entity, he is associating, contacting different qualities. There are three qualities: sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa; and again, if you mix these three qualities, then three into three, it becomes nine. Then again mix it: nine into nine, it becomes eighty-one. Therefore there are 8,400,000 species of life, different qualities. Nāneva. Nāneva bhāti. And in every living entity, within the heart of every living entity, the Viśvātmā, the Supersoul, is there.
So He's not different. As like the dāruṣu, as the fuel wood are different, and therefore the flame appears to be different, similarly although Viśvātmā, the Supersoul, is one, because He's acting with individual soul different according to his different association, mentality, desires... Every account is kept.
So we have become, instead of becoming servant of Kṛṣṇa, we have become the servants of our, these enemies. Practically they are enemies-kāma eṣa krodha eṣa rajo-guṇa-samudbhavaḥ. Or in other words, we are servants of the three material modes of nature. But we are servant. That we cannot deny. So the whole Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is that instead of becoming servant of these three modes of nature, you become servant of Kṛṣṇa. That is your original position. You cannot give up your position as servant. In the Bengali proverb there is a ḍheṅki. Svarga gela dan bange.(?) Means a ḍheṅki, that machine, that wooden machine, which... Husking machine? So if you send it to the heaven, then what he'll do? The same business. It does not mean the ḍheṅki, while it is promoted in the heaven, he can become soul or anything else. No. Similarly, we living entities, we have desire to enjoy this material world, but our position is servant. We have not changed our position. We revolted to serve Kṛṣṇa. That is all right. But what is your position here in the material world? That is also servant. Just like I told Professor Kotovsky that "Your Communism, what is the difference between your Communism and our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement? You have selected Lenin as your leader, or master, and we have selected Kṛṣṇa as our leader, master. So on the principle, where is difference?" The professor could not answer.
God is neither father nor... He is father. Actually He is father, because He is the origin of everything. Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). Kṛṣṇa also says, ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā (BG 14.4). Pitā means father. So actually, God's position is father. He is father of everything. Not... All living entities, all material energy. As... If you discover something, it is called "the father of this scientific discovery." So He has discovered everything, material and spiritual both. Therefore He is original father of everyone. Not only of the living entities, but also stones, woods, earth, water, fire, everything. He has created. Bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva..., prakṛtir me aṣṭadhā, bhinnā prakṛtir me aṣṭadhā (BG 7.4). In the Bhagavad-gītā. So He has created everything. He is actually the father. But out of love, the devotees, they accept the father as son, to give more service. Father is obliged to give service to the son. He has given birth; therefore he has obligation to maintain the son, to give service.
So ekonaviṁśe. Eka ūna. Ūna means less. Eka means one. And viṁśa means twenty. So this is the way of Sanskrit literature: ekonaviṁśe, "less than one of twenty." That means nineteen. Ekonaviṁśe viṁśatime. And next, twentieth. So Balarāma first appeared, and then Kṛṣṇa appeared. Ekonaviṁśe viṁśatime vṛṣṇiṣu, in the family of Vṛṣṇi, Vṛṣṇi dynasty. Kṛṣṇa's another name is Vārṣṇeya because He appeared in the Vṛṣṇi family. Just like sandalwood. Sandalwood is known as "Malayan sandalwood." Malaya. There is a country, you know. East Asia, Malaysia. Now it called Malaysia. So formerly they were growing sandalwood in large quantity. Now they are growing rubber, no more sandalwood. They are not interested with the sandalwood. They are now interested in rubber wood. Because you have got motorcars, you require motor tires. So formerly these Malaysian sandalwood was very famous. So sandalwood can grow anywhere, but because in Malaysia sandalwood was very largely growing, therefore sandalwood was generally known as malayaja-candana. Malayaja, in Sanskrit. "The sandalwood of Malaysia."
So we should not take anything neglectfully. Neither we should be careless to take care of Kṛṣṇa's property, Kṛṣṇa's living being, Kṛṣṇa's house, Kṛṣṇa's temple, Kṛṣṇa's business, Kṛṣṇa's... Everything Kṛṣṇa's. Kṛṣṇa. Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvaṁ yat kiñca jagatyāṁ jagat (ISO 1). If we think like that, then that is perfect Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Man-manā bhava mad-bhaktaḥ (BG 9.34). We may think, see varieties of things. It doesn't matter. But if we know that the original cause of this thing is Kṛṣṇa, that is perfection. We are seeing this table. It is wood. But if we know... It is a fact. You know or not know, that doesn't matter. The original cause is Kṛṣṇa. The microphone, the original cause is Kṛṣṇa. These karatālas, the original cause is Kṛṣṇa. This pitcher, original cause is Kṛṣṇa. Everything. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And it is fact. Not that we are imagining. Just like... Take, for example, these material things. Material things, this table. It is... How it is caused by Kṛṣṇa? Kṛṣṇa says, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca (BG 7.4). Bhūmi, this earth... Bhinnā prakṛtir me aṣṭadhā: "That is My energy." So, so bhūmi, the earth, is the cause of the tree, wood, and the wood is the cause of this table. Therefore, originally, Kṛṣṇa is the cause of the table. There is no doubt about it. Anything you take. Either you take this wood or you take this water or this ether or chemical, the original cause is Kṛṣṇa.
Now, to be ascertained, education, that why it is called Kṛṣṇa is the origin. That is research work. How it has been...? Just like I give you the hint of research work that, Kṛṣṇa says that "The earth is my energy, separated energy." And earth is the cause of the wood. And wood is the cause of the fire. Fire is the cause of melting... So many, so many. You can go. So idaṁ hi puṁsas tapasaḥ...kavibhir nirūpitaḥ. Describe the attributes of Kṛṣṇa. You can write. Just like you can write volumes of books on this table. If you are intelligent enough, you can make research work on the table. But in that research work, conclude that Kṛṣṇa is the origin. A carpenter can, he can write about Kṛṣṇa, if he's thoughtful. Anyone. Therefore it is said, yad-uttamaśloka-guṇānuvarṇanam. Whatever your profession is there, you know that the original cause is Kṛṣṇa. Now make research work and find out how Kṛṣṇa is the original cause. That is education. That is wanted. Am I right?
"Because it is material advancement, I therefore... Brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā. This world is mithyā. This, any material thing, is mithyā." No. It has got some relationship with Kṛṣṇa. That is to be seen. What is that? What is this motor car? It is material. But what is this material? Bhūmir āpaḥ analo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca, bhinnā me prakṛtir aṣṭadhā. Where they have got this metal? This iron, wood, metal, everything, they have got from Kṛṣṇa. Therefore it has got relationship with Kṛṣṇa. Now, when it is manufactured, use it for Kṛṣṇa. That is yukta-vairāgya. So we do not hate anything, material advancement. We can utilize everything for Kṛṣṇa's service. Our only preaching is that "Don't forget Kṛṣṇa." That is our business. And if you have got a special talent, utilize it for Kṛṣṇa.
Therefore we shall be very, very careful about impious activities. Impious activities, we know the four legs of impious activities: illicit sex, intoxication, meat-eating, and gambling. So therefore we should be very, very careful about these impious activities. You cannot make any spiritual progress by simultaneously acting impiously and at the same time... It may... Not it may—it is sure it will go. But it will go very slow. Just like if you have got dry wood, then the fire ignites very easily. And if you bring wet fuel, it takes time. Of course, as soon as there is fire, the wetness of the fuel will dry. But it will require extra energy. And if you put dry fuel, then it ignites very easily. So in order to keep us dry without being wetted by the impious activities, then spiritual progress will be very quick. We should remember that.
So He became son. So He must play perfectly, that Yaśodāmāyi may not understand that "Here is the Supreme Personality of Godhead." Then the feelings of mother and son will disappear. Kṛṣṇa is playing exactly like a little child. So that is Kṛṣṇa's mercy. This is Kṛṣṇa's mercy. Similarly, to us. We are not so elevated like Nanda Mahārāja or Yaśodā Mahārāja (māyi). We're just beginners. So we do not know what is Kṛṣṇa. We cannot see Kṛṣṇa, either His virāḍ-mūrti or this mūrti. So what we can see? We can see stone, wood, or material things. So when Kṛṣṇa appears to be seen by you and He appears like a stone statue, He's not stone statue. Don't think. Therefore we must learn how to see Kṛṣṇa. So we should not think that "Here is a stone statue." As soon as we think of stone statue, then our, this feeling, bhāva, will be lost.
Everyone knows that it was, these vigrahas were ordered from Jaipur and it is now installed. But why people are coming in thousands to see the vigraha? They do not know that it is made of stone? Everyone knows. Maybe one or two may be coming, sentiment. In every temple... Just like Jagannātha Purī everyone knows that Jagannātha is made of wood. Then why lakhs of people are going there to see? Similarly, Bālajī. Everyone knows He's made of stone. But thousands of people are going to see. So this is the system. This is not artificial. This is the system. One... As the vigraha... Vigraha means the form of the Lord. There are eight kinds of the forms of the Lord. They are made of stone, they are made of wood, they are made of jewels, and sometimes they are made of painting, and metal. So many. There are eight. All these vigrahas are to be worshiped. That is mentioned in the śāstras. Painting also. If there is painting or even if you think of the form of the Lord within the mind, that is also vigraha.
So as the Deity of the Lord, vigraha, should not be considered as made of stone, wood, similarly, guru also should not be accepted as ordinary human being. He should be given all respect as we give to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is being explained by even one woman. That is Vedic culture. Draupadī is explaining the importance, and she has said, sa eṣa bhagavān droṇaḥ. She's quite right when she's accepting Droṇa as bhagavān. Sa eṣa bhagavān droṇaḥ prajā-rūpeṇa vartate. And he is present by his prajā. So these things should be taken very seriously instruction. Therefore śrīmad-bhāgavatam amalaṁ purāṇam. This is pramāṇa. Pramāṇi-grantha. Pramāṇi-grantha means śabda-pramāṇa. Śabda-pramāṇa, anumāna pramāṇa, and anumāna... Just like a sound is going on. One who knows, that's all right.
So you have to associate with Govinda. Here is, also, it is said, govindāya namo namaḥ: "I offer my respectful obeisances to Govinda." So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is so nice—you become directly in contact with Govinda. This Deity worship is also directly in contact with Govinda. Śrī-vigrahārādhana-nitya-nānā-śṛṅgāra-tan-mandira-mārjanādau **. This vigraha, the Deity of Kṛṣṇa, that is also Kṛṣṇa's mercy. Because Kṛṣṇa is alakṣya, invisible, He has become visible for your facility, as you can see. Still... It is not that Kṛṣṇa is stone or Kṛṣṇa is wood or Kṛṣṇa is metal. Kṛṣṇa is always Kṛṣṇa. But He appears... Because you cannot see except wood, stone and metal, He appears like that, wood, stone or metal. But He's not wood, stone or metal. You'll get the same facility as Kṛṣṇa personally if you associate, when you associate. You will associate with Kṛṣṇa. But at the present moment, because Kṛṣṇa is invisible, therefore He has very kindly taken a form which is visible by you. This is Kṛṣṇa's mercy. Do not think, "Oh, here is Kṛṣṇa, stone Kṛṣṇa." Kṛṣṇa is everything. Kṛṣṇa is everything. So Kṛṣṇa is stone also, but He's not that stone that cannot act. Kṛṣṇa can act also in the stone form also. Kṛṣṇa act also in metal form also. And you will perceive that. Svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ. The so-called stone also speaks with you. There are many instances like that.
Just like I give some carpenter some wood, some implement, and salary. And he makes a very nice, beautiful closet. To whom this closet will belong. To the carpenter, or the man who has supplied the ingredients? To whom it will belong? The carpenter cannot say that: "Because I have transformed this wood into such nice closet, it is mine." No. It is not yours. Similarly, who is supplying the ingredients, rascal? That is Kṛṣṇa's. Kṛṣṇa says: bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva... prakṛtir me aṣṭadhā (BG 7.4). "This is My property." You have not created this sea, the land, the sky, the fire, the air. It is not your creation. You can transform these material things, tejo-vāri-mṛdāṁ vinimayaḥ, by mixing and transforming. You take earth from the land, you take water from the sea and mix it and put it in the fire. It becomes a brick. And then you pile up all this brick and make a skyscraper building. But wherefrom you got this ingredient, rascal, that you are claiming this skyscraper yours? This is intelligent question. You have stolen the property of God, and you are claiming that it is your property. This is knowledge. This is knowledge.
Akiñcana means na kiñcana. Kiñcana means "something." So na kiñcana means "one who has nothing to possess." He is called na kiñcana. Or one who is fully convinced that "Nothing belongs to me," he is akiñcana. Here, in the material world, it is just the opposite. Everyone is thinking that "I have got something." I have seen long, long ago, maybe fifty years ago in Howrah station. I was going somewhere. So one man, his luggage was the half-burned some fuel wood and some rejected things. He was carrying as luggage half-burned fuel wood. He thought that "This is my possession. I have saved this." So he was taking to his home. That means everyone, even though it is very insignificant, still, everyone thinks that "I have got something." This is the material disease.
So we should not imitate, but at least we must be very careful to complete the sixteen rounds, the minimum. Nāma-gāne sadā ruciḥ. We have to increase our taste for singing and chanting. Nāma-gāne sadā ruciḥ prītis tat vasati tale(?). And we should increase our inclination to live in the place where Kṛṣṇa is living. Kṛṣṇa is living everywhere—that is, that is the vision of the higher devotees. Actually He's living, but still, because we are in the lower condition, we should know that here is Kṛṣṇa in the temple. Kṛṣṇa is everywhere, but for us, because we have no such vision to see Kṛṣṇa anywhere and everywhere, therefore we should come here in the temple and see Kṛṣṇa, "Here is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa has kindly appeared here in a manner in which I can see Him. That is Kṛṣṇa's mercy." That is temple. We cannot see... Kṛṣṇa has completely spiritual body, but we have no eyes to see what is that spiritual body. Sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha (Bs. 5.1). We are accustomed to see this material, jaḍa, gross things. We can see stone, we can see metal, we can see wood. We can see all these material elements. But Kṛṣṇa is everything. Therefore to be visible to our imperfect eyes, Kṛṣṇa has appeared in the stone form, but Kṛṣṇa is not stone. It is not that we are worshiping stone; we are worshiping Kṛṣṇa. But because we cannot see except stone, therefore Kṛṣṇa has kindly appeared in the form carved from the stone. This is the conclusion.
So here is the... If you simply carry Kṛṣṇa within your heart always in a very devotional service, exalted devotional service, and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, and think of Kṛṣṇa, wherever you will go, you will purify the whole place. Svāntaḥ-sthena gadābhṛtā. It is fact. It is confirmed in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Try to remain in your position as devotee, and as far as possible teach these rascals who are simply attracted by the glaring material stones and woods, and let them have some knowledge and do benefit to your countrymen, to your society, to your family.
We are worshiping Kṛṣṇa. But that they do not know. Kṛṣṇa has appeared before us. Because at the present moment, we cannot see except stone and wood, therefore, suitable for our vision, He has appear in such a way. Otherwise how we can appreciate? Here... They are searching after what is God, but here is God. Here is God. Therefore in the śāstra it is forbidden, arcā, arcye viṣṇau śilā-dhīr guruṣu nara-matir vaiṣṇave jāti-buddhiḥ. It is forbidden that when you worship Deity, you should not think that it is made of wood or stone or something else material. No. What is this material? Material is... Matter means energy of Kṛṣṇa. Just like the sunshine, or like the illumination of this light. It is the energy of this lamp. So it is not different. Similarly, as Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ (BG 7.4), this earth, water, air, fire, anything material, that is expansion of His energy.
Now here, the same thing is repeated: Arjuna, who directly heard from Kṛṣṇa. Sometimes some people say that "Arjuna heard directly from Kṛṣṇa, but we don't find Kṛṣṇa in our presence, so how can I accept?" It is not a question of direct presence, because you have no idea of the absolute knowledge. Kṛṣṇa's words, Bhagavad-gītā, is not different from Kṛṣṇa. It's not different from Kṛṣṇa. When you hear Bhagavad-gītā, you are directly hearing from Kṛṣṇa because Kṛṣṇa is not different. Kṛṣṇa is absolute. Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa's name, Kṛṣṇa's form, Kṛṣṇa's quality, Kṛṣṇa's instruction, everything Kṛṣṇa's, they're all Kṛṣṇa. They're all Kṛṣṇa. This has to be understood. They're not different from Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa's form here, He's Kṛṣṇa. He's not a statue. "He's a marble statue." No. He's Kṛṣṇa. He has appeared before you because you cannot see Kṛṣṇa. You can see stone, wood; therefore He has appeared in that form. You think that it is stone and wood, but He's not stone and wood; He's Kṛṣṇa. This is called Absolute Truth. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa's words are also not different from Kṛṣṇa. When Kṛṣṇa's words are there in the Bhagavad-gītā, it's Kṛṣṇa.
So although Kṛṣṇa is master, but He became a servant. Just like Kṛṣṇa, when He was playing as a child of Mother Yaśodā, so He was taken with stick, "Kṛṣṇa, if you become again very naughty, then see the stick." So Kṛṣṇa used to cry. There are very nice verses in the Kuntī's prayer, that "The whole universe is afraid of Kṛṣṇa, and Kṛṣṇa is afraid by the stick of Mother Yaśodā." (laughter) Just see. This is Kṛṣṇa. This is spiritual world. When Kṛṣṇa was a little boy playing, Nanda Mahārāja, father of Kṛṣṇa... Yaśodā and Nanda Mahārāja, they are foster father and mother. Real mother, father, is Vasudeva and Devakī. So Nanda Mahārāja came within the house and saw little Kṛṣṇa, "Yes." He was playing. So Nanda Mahārāja challenged Yaśodāmāyi, "Your Kṛṣṇa can do something work." "Oh, yes, why not? He can do anything." Immediately Yaśodā-mātā, Mother Yaśodā, ordered Kṛṣṇa, "Just carry the wooden slipper of Your father and go there." So Kṛṣṇa immediately took the slipper on His head and brought it to Mahārāja Nanda. Then Nanda Mahārāja said, "Oh, your Kṛṣṇa is very good. Come on, come on, come on." These were, that, the childhood pastimes of Kṛṣṇa was enjoyed by the foster father and mother.
So whole world is missing the point that he is not this body, the body is his encagement, and we are accepting sometimes golden encagement and sometimes iron encagement, and sometimes silver encagement and wooden encagement. He's thinking by changing the encagement, he will be happy. But he does not know this is encagement, or cages. So either you are put in the golden cage or iron cage or wooden cage or any cage-cage is cage. And so... So long you are not free... Just like the bird is kept into the cage. He's unhappy. He's unhappy. It may be golden cage. It doesn't matter. Similarly, we cannot be happy with this encagement. We must be free from the encagement. Freedom. That is called liberty, mukti. That is required. So the Māyāvādī philosophers, they do no know that "Suppose, even I get free, so where shall I go?" He thinks, "I shall be free in the sky." Just like impersonalism. Sky is impersonal.
This Delhi city is important. Why important? Because the jīva-bhūta, the living entities, they are handling this material, cement and stone and wood and so many other material things. And they are constructing buildings. And therefore the importance of this Delhi city is there. If all the people, all the living entities, leave this Delhi city, it is not even one-farthing worth. Jīva-bhūtāṁ mahā-bāho yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat (BG 7.5). In Calcutta, in 1942, when there was bombing and all the Calcutta was vacated, a house at that time which was rented at two hundred rupees, they were asking, "Give me twenty-five rupees," because the living entities vacated. Similarly, the importance of this material world is there because we living entities are there. And we have come here. Kṛṣṇa-bahirmukha hañā bhoga vāñchā. All the living entities, they have come into this material world to enjoy material enjoyment. Therefore this material world has value. Otherwise, if all the living entities go back again, back to home, back to Godhead, this matter has no value.
Just like in this house, we are living. And (in) the next house, they are also living. So what is the difference? The difference is here, Kṛṣṇa is center. That's all. Therefore it is temple. And the next door, a house. That is the difference between house, ordinary house, and temple. There is no difference. It is also made of bricks and stones and wood, that is also made of bricks and stones. They are also live, they also cook, they also eat. Everything is the same, practical. But the difference is there is no Kṛṣṇa, here is Kṛṣṇa. That is the difference. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So when I walk on the street and go anywhere, I simply think how these nice bungalows, house, but still, they're not satisfied. It is "For Sale." Why? There is no Kṛṣṇa. Aprāṇasyeva dehasya maṇḍanaṁ loka-rañjanam. Just like a body, beautiful body, lying down on the street, dead. Nobody cares. Because the life is not there. The spirit soul is not there. Nobody cares. Similarly, bhagavad-bhakti-hīnasya jātiḥ śāstraṁ japas tapaḥ.
This is the process of Deity worship. If you have no such feelings that "Here is Kṛṣṇa personally present and He has given me the chance, in a way by which I can approach Him," and if I think, "He is stone, He is wood, I can do anything, He cannot speak," then He will be, you will worship only stone and wood, not Kṛṣṇa. Not Kṛṣṇa. If you are not fully Kṛṣṇa conscious, if you do not know who is He, then your effect will be touching the stone and wood of... That's all. So every one of you must be very careful that "Here is Kṛṣṇa personally present." Not that wood and stone, as atheists think. Atheist will think, "Oh, they are worshiping a wood, a stone statue." Because they have their ideas, worshiping of great man. They make also statue, but place them in the open air, and their worship is by the stools of crows. Worship him. So if... The crows take it a place of passing stool on the head of your leader. (laughter) That is their method of worship. They are respecting president George Washington, keeping a statue and honoring him with the stool of crows.
They know it is stone. It is stone. Therefore it has been forbidden, arcye viṣṇau śilā-dhīr guruṣu nara-matir vaiṣṇave jāti-buddhiḥ. If anyone, the Deity in the temple, thinks, śilādhīḥ, stone and wood; vaiṣṇave jāti-buddhiḥ, if anyone considers a Vaiṣṇava under certain particular race or caste; guruṣu nara-matiḥ, if one considers guru as ordinary human being, then he is hellish. These are forbidden. We should know the arcā-vigraha, the worshipable Deity, is Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself, present. He is not wood and stone, but because we cannot touch except wood and stone, therefore He has appeared as wood and stone. He is not wood and stone. He is all-powerful. So to show me favor...If somebody says, "Here is Kṛṣṇa standing," but I have no eyes to see Kṛṣṇa. Spirit, I cannot see even your spirit, my spirit. Spirit is there. But I have no eyes to see the spirit, what to speak of touching. Therefore Kṛṣṇa, although He is spirit... In connection with Him, He is stone also. Because everything is Kṛṣṇa.
Therefore, their philosophy, that "Any form you like, you can concentrate. Because after all, there is no form. But for your present facility, you can imagine some form." But there is also mistake on their part, because they say "Imagine any form." Generally, they prescribe the form of Lord Śiva, the form of Lord Viṣṇu, the form of Durgā, the form of the sun, and the form of Gaṇeśa. Pañcopāsanā. These five forms. But ultimately, you become "form-less." The example given by them is that you rise up to a upper place with a wooden stair, and as soon as you reach there, you throw it away, so that you'll not be able to come back again. Similarly, their philosophy is: "With some imagination of form, you worship, and as soon as you realize Brahman, throw it away. No more." These are all imagination; actually there is no fact. They do not know the actual position of spiritual life; therefore they are personally misled, and they mislead others also. Here it is particularly mentioned, liṅgāni viṣṇoḥ, the form of Viṣṇu, not of this rascal imagination of Durgā, Kālī, or Lord Śiva.
One bhāgavata is this book Bhāgavata, another bhāgavata, the person bhāgavata. Who lives on the book Bhāgavata, he is person bhāgavata. Two kinds of bhāgavata. So we have to learn Bhāgavatam from the living bhāgavata. Caitanya Mahāprabhu's secretary, Svarūpa Dāmodara, he advised one brāhmaṇa. One brāhmaṇa wrote something about Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. There were many poets and writers used to come and visit Caitanya Mahāprabhu when He was at Jagannātha Purī, and they would present some writings, but these writings would not be presented before Caitanya Mahāprabhu unless it was sanctioned by His secretary Svarūpa Dāmodara. That was the system. So one brāhmaṇa, he wrote one poetry that... The purport of the poetry was that "Jagannātha is Kṛṣṇa. But He cannot move. He's wooden Kṛṣṇa. And Caitanya Mahāprabhu is also Kṛṣṇa, but He is moving Kṛṣṇa." That means he distinguished between Jagannātha and Caitanya Mahāprabhu. So this is not siddhānta.
You cannot stop old age. And disease. You can manufacture nice medicine, but you cannot stop disease. So we have become steel-hearted, steel-framed heart. We do not consider all these things. These are practical. And still, we are under the impression that we are advancing in material civilization. So we are advancing in the art of cutting stone and wood. That's all. This is our advancement. Just like in your country, within two months they can build one wood house. Means expert in cutting wood. This is advancement. Wood-cutter, stone-cutter. But we are not meant for cutting wood and stone. We are meant for understanding our spiritual identity.
There are many birds, the wood-cutter birds. So that is not very expert manifestation of our intelligence.
If God is everywhere, why not in the temple? These are the atheistic proposal. If God is everywhere, so why not in the temple? In the temple I can see God, at least. The form of God, it is being worshiped, offered prasādam. So there is a spiritual atmosphere. So why shall I not go to the temple? So actually God is everywhere. That's a fact. But so long I am not purified, I have to see God as they are prescribed in the śāstra. Here the Deity, He is God, but because I have no power to see God, therefore I see that "Oh, it is made of wood. It is made of metal." That is my imperfect senses (perception?). But God is there also. God is everywhere, so God is here also. Why you are talking of metal and wood? From reasoning, argument, if God is everywhere, why not He is in the metal or wood? In your eyes it is metal, but we see God. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu, as soon as saw Jagannātha, He fainted.
Devotee: People get little relief from their misery and they say, "Oh, I am happy now."
Prabhupāda: Yes. From the miseries, Mr. John is happy by becoming naked and having fireplace. He is bringing the wood personally, putting there. And Yoko is very happy. Japanese wife. She was talking philosophy with me.
Śyāmasundara: Now he has made one song, "I don't believe in Hare Kṛṣṇa."
Prabhupāda: Who?
Śyāmasundara: John.
Sudāmā: "He is me."
Prabhupāda: That's all right. So our Hare Kṛṣṇa will be advertised. (laughter) People will be inquisitive, "What is this Hare Kṛṣṇa?" at least. One who does not know. That is good.
The brahmacārī goes to householders' place for begging alms. The system cannot be introduced here. It is very difficult. Otherwise, another business of these children were to go door to door and knock and ask some alms: "Give us some alms." So in India they have got sufficient stock of rice, flour, ḍāl. They keep at least one month provision in every house, even in poor's man. As soon as he gets his money, he purchases the whole month provisions—rice, ḍāl, āṭā, ghee—and keeps it. So when the brahmacārī goes there, a little rice or little ḍāl, they contribute. In this way by collection of these alms from the neighboring householders, practically the āśrama's eating problem is solved. Brahmacārī is supposed to live in gurukula at the place of guru just like a menial servant. Even Kṛṣṇa, He also lived as a menial servant. His teacher asked Him to bring some fuel from the jungle, and He went with Sudāmā Vipra, and while collecting these dry woods there was a storm and there was heavy rain, and they became lost in the jungle, Kṛṣṇa and Sudāmā Vipra. Then his teacher, Sāndīpani Muni... With the assistance of other boys, they were rescued. So this is the position of the brahmacārī, that they go to collect alms, all kinds of, for gurukula.
So the arcā-vigraha is also Kṛṣṇa. Therefore, adhokṣajam. Adhokṣajam, adhah-kṛtaṁ akṣajaṁ jñānam. Our knowledge is what we see. We can see stone. We can see metal. We can see other material elements, wood. So Kṛṣṇa has appeared as we can see Him. Because we cannot see more than stone, wood, metal, therefore Kṛṣṇa has appeared as stone statue. But He is not stone statue. That we have to understand. He is Kṛṣṇa, but He is so kind that He has appeared before us as we can see Him. This is the philosophy, not that stone is Kṛṣṇa. Stone is also Kṛṣṇa in the ultimate sense because stone is the expansion of energy of Kṛṣṇa, material energy.
But actually, the human life is meant for not enjoying the senses. That is called tapasya. To deny. That is human life. That is Vedic civilization. First of all, the brahmacārī system, how to deny sense gratification. That is the first training. Even the, even Kṛṣṇa, He had to go to the forest to collect dry wood for the spiritual master. The, that is mentioned in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Kṛṣṇa was talking with Sudāmā Vipra, how both of them went to collect dry wood, and there was storm and rain. They became stranded in the forest. Then next day their teacher and other students rescued them. So the brahmacārī was trained up, tapasya, not to enjoy. They would have to go beg door to door, brahmacārī: "Mother, give us some alms for our āśrama." So they were trained from the very beginning to address any woman as "Mother."
He has assumed this arcā-vigraha. Kṛṣṇa, this vigraha-don't think it is stone. Even it is stone you think, but Kṛṣṇa can become visible before you like a stone, because you cannot see beyond stone. That is Kṛṣṇa's mercy. Because your eyes or senses are so imperfect that you cannot see Kṛṣṇa present everywhere in His original spiritual... We have got difference between spiritual and material. We have got because we are imperfect. But Kṛṣṇa has no such distinction. Because He is Absolute, He can become spiritual, He can become material, as He likes. That does not make any difference of Kṛṣṇa. Then how Kṛṣṇa is almighty, all-powerful? He can change matter into spirit, spirit into matter. That is Kṛṣṇa. So don't think that, as the atheist class men, they think, that "They are worshiping an idol." Even it is an idol, still Kṛṣṇa. That is absolute. That is absolute nature of Kṛṣṇa. Even you think it is stone, it is metal, it is wood, still, He is Kṛṣṇa.
So if you want something, material happiness, from Kṛṣṇa, it is not very difficult for Kṛṣṇa. He can give you mukti even. But to ask from Kṛṣṇa anything else than bhakti is foolishness. That is foolishness. My Guru Mahārāja used to give this example: just like if you go to a rich man and he says, "Now whatever you like, you can ask from me. I shall give you," then if you ask him that "You give me a pinch of ash," is that very intelligent? Similarly, to... There is a story, that one old woman in the forest... I think it is in Aesop's Fable or somewhere. So she was carrying a big bundle of dry wood, and somehow or other, the bundle fell down. It was very heavy. So the old woman became very much disturbed, "Who will help me to get this bundle on my head?" So she began to call God, "God, help me." And God came, "What you want?" "Kindly help me to get this bundle on my head." (laughter) Just see. God came to giving benediction, and she wanted to "Give this bundle again on my head."
So this is Vaiṣṇava principle. Vaiṣṇava principle means everything accepted as Kṛṣṇa's. The Māyāvādīs, they say—at least they say—that brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā. Mithyā: "This is false." But Vaiṣṇava says, "No, it is not false. It is the by-product of Kṛṣṇa's energy. If Kṛṣṇa is true, how it can be false?" So they do not take this world, material world, as false. It is temporary, but they know how to utilize this material world for devotional service. Bhāvanaṁ brahmaṇaḥ sthānam. You can utilize the same energy of constructing something out of bricks and stones and wood into a nice temple. That was the Vedic culture. Still in old cities you will find in lanes and streets, there are so many temples. I have seen, especially in Kanpur. Even within the lane there are so many temples, Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa temple, Viṣṇu temples, Śiva temple. So all over India you will find the temples. People were so spiritually advanced, even Muslim. They are also. They have constructed so many mosques. So that should be utilized. If we have got the tendency for making a house or construction of some building with stones and bricks, let it be utilized for constructing temple of the Supreme Brahman.
So unless one will come to the platform of self-realization, we are in the trouble, so long we are not self-realized. Parābhavas tāvad abodha-jāto yāvan na jijñāsata ātma-tattvam. Without self-realization, whatever we are acting, we are piling up the stones and woods and iron in such skyscraper building. So we may do that, but it is our defeat. It is not conquering; it is defeat. Parābhavas tāvad abodha-jāto yāvan na jijñāsata ātma-tattvam. If we don't inquire about ourself, "What I am? Why I am put into this miserable condition of life, birth, death, old age, and there are so many other things...?" Unless you come to question why, your human life is not perfect.
The spiritual conception of life is that everything belongs to God. That is the fact. Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (ISO 1). Everything belongs to God; the land, water, sky. It is said, bhūmir āpo analo vāyuḥ. This is expansion of the energy of God. So what is the use, claiming God's property as my property? That is mistaken. Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape. This body is also God's property. Everything God's property because Kṛṣṇa says, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca (BG 7.4). This microphone, what it is? It is made of some earthly metal, wood, but the material belongs to God. I may have taken advantage of taking this material and manufactured something. That does not mean it is mine. If a carpenter makes a good furniture and the wood is supplied by somebody else and the carpenter is paid his wages, when the nice furniture is made, to whom it will belong? To the carpenter or to the person who has supplied the ingredients? It is very commonsense question.
So before the next step comes, complete your Kṛṣṇa consciousness." This is the business. Kaumāra ācaret prajño dharmān bhāgavatān iha (SB 7.6.1). Where is that education now? This is misleading civilization. They do not know the value of life. They are simply wasting time for sense gratification. That's all. No. This is not. The Bhāgavata-dharma means children should be taught from the very beginning of life. That is Vedic civilization. The children should go... Even Kṛṣṇa, although He's God, He was also sent to gurukula, and He was collecting dry wood from the forest for guru, learning how to serve guru. The guru must be also bona fide. Therefore it is recommended, mahat-sevā. mahat-sevāṁ dvāram āhur vimukteḥ (SB 5.5.2). That is the Vedic civilization.
So Kṛṣṇa is present here in this temple. This temple is meant for this purpose, that you come here, see Kṛṣṇa, and become attached to Him. Then you will see Him twenty-four hours. This is the process. Not that, I have several times explained, that this Kṛṣṇa is marble statue. No. This is nārakī-buddhiḥ. Arcye viṣṇau śilā-dhīr guruṣu nara-matir vaiṣṇave jāti buddhir, nārakī buddhiḥ. Nārakī buddhiḥ. This is warned. Kṛṣṇa is here. Kṛṣṇa is here in the temple, but He has come mercifully to be seen by you. Otherwise you are blind; you cannot see Kṛṣṇa. But He has appeared as arcā-vigraha so that You are accustomed to see wood and stone, so He appears in your visible form, but He is Kṛṣṇa. You will understand He is Kṛṣṇa present when you have got enough love for Him.
We should understand that what is our position. But they have become so dull, just like a stone or a tree. You cut it; it does not respond, does nothing. But if there is life, little pinching—immediately, "Why you are pinching?" That is the difference between life and dead body, or jada and cetana. So long one is not conscious, he's as good as the stone or the wood. Therefore sometimes Vaiṣṇava poets say that amāra lid pasanta bolo na, pasan hole bolo yato(?). We have created such a strong heart of material existence that it does not respond even after suffering so much. This is our position.
So Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means to bring him to the right position of consciousness. Consciousness we have got. The more it is covered, dull, it cannot respond. But it can be brought into the proper existence, and the process is hearing, hearing. Go on hearing, hearing. Kṛṣṇa has given us one chance, this ear. If we properly use it... Therefore Vedic knowledge is to be heard, hearing. Listen. It is therefore called śruti. The Vedic instruction has to be gotten from the right person through aural reception.
Actually that is the fact. What is this microphone? This is also Kṛṣṇa because what is this? This is made of this material gross matter. Bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva (BG 7.4). Bhūmi... From earth the iron comes, the aluminium comes, the wood comes. So this is combination of bhūmir āpo analo vāyuḥ, Kṛṣṇa's energy. Therefore it is Kṛṣṇa. Śakti śaktimatayor abheda. There is no difference between śakti and śaktimat. Śaktimat is Kṛṣṇa, and śakti, the manifestation of His energy, of, I mean to say, gross energy Prakṛtir me bhinnā aṣṭadhā. Bhinnā... Just like I am speaking, and this is recorded in the tape recorder, but when replayed, you will find that I am speaking. But I am not there. Bhinnā prakṛtir aṣṭadhā. This is bhinnā, originally coming from Kṛṣṇa, but it is an energy where you cannot find Kṛṣṇa directly. But it is Kṛṣṇa's energy.
So the saṁsāra dāvānala-līḍha-loka **, these eight stanzas of Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura is very important. We sing daily. That's very good. This world is dāvānala. Just like Ṛṣabhadeva, He wanted fire, He did not require any matches. No. Fire can be... By His will there will be fire. Formerly yajña fire was also ignited. What is that wood? Araṇi, yes. Not with matches. So it is ordinary thing, the friction of the bamboo, electricity. It creates electricity by friction. The electricity is also friction. Similarly, fire is created and the dry leaves of bamboo tree, they set in fire. Then, gradually, the whole forest is in blazing fire. And especially the snakes, they are the first sufferers. Because they remain on the ground and there are dry leaves and it takes fire very quickly, so they cannot fly away. Other animals, they can... Nobody can escape, but they can try because they can go fast. But the snake... Similarly, when there is catastrophe in the world, the persons like snakes, cruel, envious, they suffer first like a snake. Cāṇakya Paṇḍita has said, sarpaḥ krūraḥ khalaḥ krūraḥ. There are two envious living entities, very dangerous. What are they? One is snake. And another? The man whose habit is like snake. Without any fault he will bite. Without any fault.
Deity means Kṛṣṇa's Deity. Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's Deity is not different. The whole idea, spiritual knowledge, means to understand God. So vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyam (BG 15.15). That is the purpose of Vedic knowledge. So just to favor you... You cannot see now God. So Kṛṣṇa has come in Deity form to accept your service. And we have to render service. Not that it is a doll or stone, no. He is Kṛṣṇa. Because you cannot see at the present moment except stone and wood, He has accepted this form like stone and wood so that you can see and render service. This is the purpose of Deity worship.
So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is trying to educate men that "After all, you are servant. You have to serve somebody. You are now serving your senses. Now just divert your service to Kṛṣṇa, or God, and you will be happy. That's all." The service, constitutional position, will not change. That is my position. In Bengali there is a proverb, dheki svarge gelo dhana bhange.(?) The dheki, that's a wooden machine for husking grain. So I do not know whether it is used in your country. It is a big... It is peddled by the legs, and the grains are taken away the skin. So if this dheki, this machine, is sent to heavenly planet, what he will do? The same business: "Dag! Dag! Dag!" That's all. So either you go to the heavenly planet or you remain here or you remain in animal kingdom, your... Even the trees, they are standing—they are giving service. They are giving you fruits, they are giving you flowers, and if you want his service, by the wood, by the body, you cut; it will not protest. "All right, you take my body." So that is the way to understand that we must render service to somebody higher. So why not go to the Supreme, the great—"God is great"—and render service? This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then we'll be happy. You can go on giving service in this material world under so many designation, but you will never be happy, and the person to whom you are giving service, he will be not happy. This is material world. Try to understand.
Even in the human form of life they are also trying for the same thing, as cats and dogs are trying. The cats and dogs, they are also trying to find out where it is, food, where sleeping comfort, where sex life, and where defense. If the human form of life is also utilized for this purpose, pravṛtti-mārga, then it is, as I was talking in the park, it is just like using sandalwood for burning fuel. There is distinction even in wood. There are so many jungle wood, we can use it for cooking. But if the sandalwood, which is so valuable, if we do not know what is the value of sandalwood, if we use it for cooking and burning... Similarly, if we use this human form of life exactly like the cats and dogs, simply for sense gratification, then we are committing suicide.
Bold means they will come and they have no tactic. You are eating and they'll enter. Something he will take away. Therefore there are... Just like here, two sets of doors, one net, the railing door. So one door is closed, wooden; another is railing. So railing door must be closed always. Otherwise you cannot eat, you cannot live very peacefully. They may... Monkey will come.
They suffer in great calamities, and still they cannot see that "I am suffering." Just like when you pass through the streets of Australia, we go daily, morning walk, big, big skyscraper buildings have been constructed, and people are making plans, designs, working very, very hard, lifting so many heavy things. These are very heavy tasks, but they are thinking, "It is very happiness." (laughter) They are thinking, "We are making progress, we are making progress. We are bringing stones and irons on head and putting together, and it is progress. We are very happy." (laughter) This is going on. This is called varāta māninaḥ(?). They are enamored by the external energy of the Personality of Godhead. These material things are products of the external energy of the Lord. Bhūmir āpo 'nalo vayuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca (BG 7.4). Bhūmi, the earth, the iron, stone, wood, they are nothing but transformations of earth.
So this is called material civilization, that we do not know that these things will be finished today or tomorrow or hundred years after. It will be finished. And I am living soul, I am eternal, and I have been engaged in these material activities without knowing my progress of life, or without knowing my transmigration from... Suppose I spent all of my energy in this piling of stone and wood in this life, and next life if I become a rat or cat in this house, then what is the profit? (laughter) And there is possibility. There is possibility, because after death you cannot say that "I am going to be like this." That is under the hands of nature.
That is promised. How can I break it?" This is tapasya. "I have taken vow before the Deity, before fire, before my spiritual master, before the Vaiṣṇavas, 'No illicit sex, no meat-eating, no drinking or intoxication, no gambling.' I have promised it. If I am gentleman, how can I break my promise?" This is called jñāna. With knowledge one has to respect. That is called tapasya. With knowledge. Otherwise, to become attracted, that is not unnatural. Caitanya Mahāprabhu used to say... He was sannyāsī. He said that "Even if I see a doll made of wood, a beautiful woman, My mind becomes agitated." So what to speak of us? So this is the example. Caitanya Mahāprabhu giving some... To be agitated in the mind, that is not unnatural, but if you practice, then you'll not be agitated anymore. If you practice by your knowledge, then you'll not be agitated. That is called dhīra. Dhīras tatra na muhyati (BG 2.13). You have to become dhīra.
Laws of nature means laws of God. They accept, "By nature it is..." But they do not know who is behind this nature. That is intelligence. Nature is dead matter. It cannot... Just like this microphone. This is matter, material. What is that? Some iron, some other thing, some wood, some... But this iron-wood combination cannot take place and become a microphone. No. There is a life behind this iron and wood, and he has manufactured. Therefore it is working. But these rascals, they are thinking that combination of this iron and wood and something else, it has become microphone. No. It is a machine, but machine is manipulated and manufactured by life, not that automatically the iron-wood becomes a machine. No. So these rascals, they cannot understand that... The nature is working, that's all right, but how it is working? What is the background? That they do not know. That answer is in the Bhagavad-gītā. Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram: (BG 9.10) "Under My superintendence it is working," Kṛṣṇa says. That's a fact. You might have manufactured a very big machine. That is all manufactured by some light. Not that the iron and wood has come together, a skyscraper building—the bricks have come all together automatically. They say, "By chance." What is this nonsense? By chance these bricks have come and piled and become rooms? Just see. These things are going on, rascals. Therefore andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ (SB 7.5.31). (aside:) Let him sleep somewhere.
We are limited. I am sitting here; I'm not in my apartment. But Kṛṣṇa is not like that. Kṛṣṇa is in His abode, Goloka Vṛndāvana—He doesn't leave that place any moment—but you'll find Kṛṣṇa everywhere. Goloka eva nivasaty akhilātma-bhūto (Bs. 5.37). Don't think that "Kṛṣṇa is not here." Kṛṣṇa is here also. You see, personally, Kṛṣṇa is present here. Don't think that it is not Kṛṣṇa, it is some stone statue. No. He's Kṛṣṇa. But because you cannot see Kṛṣṇa, He's appearing just that you may see. Because you cannot see without stone and wood. Therefore it is called arca-vigraha, arca-avatāra. Arca-avatāra.
Therefore: arcye viṣṇau śilā-dhīr guruṣu nara-matir vaiṣṇave jāti-buddhiḥ nārakī. Forbidden, that never think the vigrahaḥ, the form of the Lord, as stone or wood. Arcye viṣṇau śilā-dhīr. One who thinks like that..., guruṣu nara-matir, and the spiritual master as ordinary human being.
You have all come here early in the morning, and... So does it mean that you are all fools? You have come to see a brass idol is being worshiped here? So anyone who considers the Deity as arcye śilā-dhīḥ, made of stone, made of brass, made of wood, that is nārakī-buddhiḥ. Arcye śilā-dhīḥ. Śilā. Śilā means stone. So those who are unaware of the Vedic knowledge, they consider that this is idol worship. It is not idol worship. It is directly worshiping the Supreme Lord. The Supreme Lord has, by His mercy, descended to accept your service. If you want to dress the Supreme Lord, if you take His virāḍ-rūpa, universal form, where is your cloth and how you can dress? Eh? You haven't got so much cloth. In spite of having so many mills, you cannot dress the virāṭ form. Therefore Kṛṣṇa, by His omnipotency, He becomes a smaller just to be handled by you. That is His mercy.
So anyone who has accepted this body, daihyasya, and whatever he is doing, it is all being witnessed by so many witnesses. How can you avoid? How you can do something very secretly? That is not possible. Everything is being noted. And so punishment or reward, you will have to accept because you are not independent. We foolishly say independent. "We don't care for anybody. There is no God." But there is death. That you have to believe. So that death is God. Kṛṣṇa says, ahaṁ mṛtyuḥ sarva-haraś ca. One who does not see God during lifetime, so he will see God at the time of death. So there is no question of not seeing God. Here is God, Kṛṣṇa. He is standing. He is so merciful. He has come to this temple so that we can take the advantage of seeing Him, But we are seeing Him still idol or something, stone or wood. He does not know that because we cannot see now at the present moment without being wood or stone or something material, so Kṛṣṇa has very kindly come to me so that I can see Him in a form which I can see. That is His mercy. We have repeatedly said this.
Once upon a time, he was passing through the forest to collect flowers, dry wood, by the order of his father for performing sacrifices, worshiping the Deity. He asked his son, "Please collect all these things and bring it." Ekadāsau vanaṁ yātaḥ pitṛ-sandeśa-kṛd dvijaḥ. He is explained as dvija. Dvija means twice-born. So this dvija He was a brāhmaṇa, dvija. He was initiated for the second time, dvija. So about his going to the forest for collecting all these things he was going. Yes. Ādāya tata āvṛttaḥ phala-puṣpa-samit-kuśān. In this way he collected all the things required for sacrifice, yajña. Sacrifice, yajña is It doesn't require any money.
Prabhupāda: ...of Brahman. You are also Brahman. So your manifestation and Lord Śiva's manifestation is not the same. So there are different grades of manifestation. We have to know that. Although the thing is one but there are different manifestation, not that because everything is one, that everyone is the same. No. Hare Kṛṣṇa.
Haṁsadūta: Hare Kṛṣṇa. Prabhupāda just gave a wonderful example which I will repeat. He said that everything is one, just like wood. Wood in the primary stage is wood, and then in the smoking stage it's also wood. And then in the fire stage it is also wood, but fire is required. So in three stages... So similarly, the Supreme Lord is manifest as Brahmā, Śiva, and Viṣṇu. So it is compared to the wood.
I know you are very good man, but don't be after me. You will not be happy. And I shall elevate you to become the king of this country. Don't be after me." Now, if anyone... He was Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, a strong devotee. If any other person would have been addressed like that, he would be immediately puzzled: "How this man is talking about me, that I am Kedāranātha Datta, I am magistrate and...?" So he would not do anything. But Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura was so strong, he said, "Yes. Thank you very much, that I shall become king. So why don't you go to Jagannātha Purī and stay there? That is a nice pilgrimage, and you can stay there. Many holy men go there. Why you are in this village?" He wanted to drive him away from that village. "Oh, what is that Jagannātha? That is wood. I am Viṣṇu." As soon as he said, Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura became fire. "Oh, this rascal is like that."
God is everywhere. Eko 'py asau racayituṁ jagad-aṇḍa-koṭim yac-chaktir asti jagad-aṇḍa-cayā yad-antaḥ aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu-cayāntara-stham (Bs. 5.35). God is everywhere. Even within the atoms. But we have no eyes. The part of God, mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ (BG 15.7). The little portion of God is there in you and me. The living force. But we cannot see that. So we haven't got eyes to see God. We cannot eyes to see my father, mother. We are seeing the body. When the father dies, we cry, "My father has gone." Where your father has gone? Here he's lying. But he has not seen ever who is his father. Therefore our present eyes are not fit to see spiritual thing. We are fit to see stone, wood, like that. Therefore Kṛṣṇa, out of His great kindness, He has appeared before you. You are thinking it is stone. It is not stone. Kṛṣṇa. But because you cannot see except stone, He appears like stone. This is called Deity worship. Kṛṣṇa is so kind that because you cannot see anything except stone and wood or something material.
There are two words, gṛhamedhi and gṛhastha. Gṛhastha means that is only for twenty-five years, not more than that. That is gṛhastha. And those who are gṛhastha up to the point of death, or unless he is killed, that is gṛhamedhi. Gṛhamedhi means he has made his center the wife and family. Just like one cow is, I mean, tied with the rope and with a fixed up wood, and he is going round this way, and he is thinking that he is going round the world. Yes. So gṛhamedhi means he has fixed up his center, the wife and children, and going round throughout the whole life, no ending. They are called gṛhamedhi. And gṛhastha means gṛhastha-āśrama. Gṛhamedhi-āśrama nei. Gṛhamedhi, only gṛhamedhi. And gṛhastha-āśrama. Gṛhastha-āśrama means it is as good as other āśrama, sannyāsa-āśrama, gṛhastha-āśrama. If he lives according to the regulative principle, that is āśrama. That is also not for all the time, only for twenty-five years.
And He says, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). This is the instruction. This is the substance of all instruction. Believe Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality. Here is Kṛṣṇa. Believe that there is Kṛṣṇa. Innocent child will believe, but our brain is so dull, we will inquire, "Whether the Deity is made of stone or brass or wood," because we are not innocent. We are thinking that this Deity is something made of brass. Even it is brass, a brass is not God? Brass is also God. Because Kṛṣṇa says, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir..., apareyam..., bhinnā me prakṛtir aṣṭadhā (BG 7.4). Everything is Kṛṣṇa. Without Kṛṣṇa there is no existence. So why Kṛṣṇa cannot appear as He likes? He can appear in brass. He can appear in stone. He can appear in wood. He can appear in jewel. He can appear in painting. Any way He can... That is all-powerful. But we have to take it that "Here is Kṛṣṇa." Don't take it that "Kṛṣṇa is separate from this Deity, and here we have got a brass form Deity." No. Advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam (Bs. 5.33). Advaita. He has multi-expansion, but they're all one.
So similarly, He is represented in His name. Abhinnatvān nāma-nāminoḥ (CC Madhya 17.133). When you are chanting the holy name of Kṛṣṇa don't think this is sound vibration and Kṛṣṇa is different. No. Abhinnatvān. Nāma-cintāmaṇi-kṛṣṇaḥ. As Kṛṣṇa is cintāmaṇi, similarly, His holy name is also cintāmaṇi. Nāma-cintāmaṇi-kṛṣṇaḥ caitanya-rasa-vigrahaḥ. Caitanya, full consciousness, nāma-cintāmaṇi-kṛṣṇaḥ. If we associate with name, that you must know, that Kṛṣṇa is fully conscious of your service. You are addressing, "He Kṛṣṇa! He Rādhārāṇī! Kindly engage me in Your service." Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra means, Hare Kṛṣṇa, "He Kṛṣṇa, he Rādhārāṇī, he energy, kindly engage me in your service." Ayi nanda-tanuja patitaṁ kiṅkaraṁ māṁ viṣame bhavāmbudhau. This is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's teaching. "O my Lord, Nanda-tanuja..." Kṛṣṇa becomes very glad when you associate His name, His activities, with some devotee. He's not impersonal. Kṛṣṇa has no name, but when He deals with His devotee, there is a name. Just like Kṛṣṇa dealing with Nanda Mahārāja, that Nanda Mahārāja's wooden slipper... Yaśodāmayī asked the child Kṛṣṇa You have seen the picture—"Can you bring the slipper of your father?" "Yes!" Immediately took on the head. You see? This is Kṛṣṇa. So Nanda Mahārāja became very pleased: "Oh, your son is very nice. He can bear such a load." So this is dealing.
Although the atheist class of men may think that they are engaged in idol worship, it is not idol. Those who are atheist, they may see idol, stone. But those who are devotees, they see sākṣād brajendranandana hari. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu, when He entered the Jagannātha temple, as soon as He saw Jagannātha, immediately fainted, "Oh, my Lord, here You are." So it is a question of vision. Somebody is going to Jagannātha temple, he is seeing a wooden carved statue, that's all. And he is surprised, "Why for this wooden carved statue so many people are coming?" Because they are not devotee, they cannot understand. But one devotee, thousands and millions of devotees are going every year. Are they going to worship an idol? So this is the difference between the devotee and the nondevotee. A devotee knows that everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa and everything is the manifestation of Kṛṣṇa's energy. Therefore, they want to employ everything to the service of the Lord, and they remain always blissful, transcendental. Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa.
Ugra-jāteḥ, just like in Europe and America, we see, they are very much fond of ugra-karma, just like big, big factories, big, big bridges, wonderful. Long, long ago when the Britishers came here, they constructed big, big bridges, railway line. People thought, "It is wonderful." There is a song composed in Bihar. So when the Calcutta, the floating bridge made of wood, wooden bridge, floating bridge was constructed, connected Calcutta proper and Howrah, so there was big, wonderful song: ki apana banaylay sahat campani (?). There is song, ki apana banaylay sahat campani upara me ami cale, and..., just like that, nīche me pāni (?).
If you are always situated on the sattva-guṇa, then everything is clear to be done. Sattva-guṇa means prakāṣa. Everything is clear, full knowledge. And rajo-guṇa is not clear. The example is given: just like the wood. There is fire, but the first symptom of fire, wood, you'll find smoke. When you set fire in the wood, first of all smoke comes. So smoke... First of all wood, then smoke, then fire. And from fire, when you engage the fire for fire sacrifice, that is the ultimate. Everything coming from the same source, from earth... The wood is coming from wood, the smoke is coming from smoke, the fire is coming... And fire, when engaged in fire sacrifice—svāhā—then it is proper use of fire. If one stays in the wood platform, that is completely forgetfulness. When one stays in the smoke platform, there is little light. When one is staying in fire platform, then full light. And when the light is engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service, that is perfect. We have to understand like that.
Just like Ajāmila. The story of Ajāmila is that he was a son of a brāhmaṇa, and he was very nice boy. He was married, and he was acting just like a brāhmaṇa boy. One day he went to collect some flowers and some wood from the forest for his father's worship. His father was worshiping Deity, and he was helping. On the path he saw that one śūdra and his wife, without any shame, they were embracing and kissing. This young boy became attracted. Therefore this system, that loving exchange or affairs should not be exhibited on the street. This is not very civilized form. In India it is not at all allowed. It is calculated indecent.
This is foolishness. Don't become envious of somebody who is getting Kṛṣṇa's favor. Kṛṣṇa is favoring him because he has served. You serve; you'll get favor. This is God. Kṛṣṇa has no discrimination that one is getting more opulence, more success; another is rotting. That is not Kṛṣṇa's; it is your discrimination. You wanted some rotten things; you get it. You wanted some stone and wood, you take it. But if somebody wanted to serve—"I have given Him service"—all right, you serve. This is parāvara... Not parāvaratvam, it is foolishness, that "Kṛṣṇa has favored him so much. I not favored." You become just eligible to be favored, then you'll be favored. This is the process. Na parāvaratvam. He has no such discrimination. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ (Brs. 1.2.234).
Puṣṭa-Kṛṣṇa: "...authorized Vedic knowledge one can see the cause and effect of the cosmic manifestation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, because the cosmic manifestation is also His energy. Both of them are different energies of the Lord and nothing else. The wise man can see how the fire is spread within the wood by consideration of cause and effect. Similarly, persons engaged in devotional service understand, O my Lord, how You are both the cause and effect."
Prabhupāda:
- rūpe ime sad-asatī tava veda-sṛṣṭe
- bījāṅkurāv iva na cānyad arūpakasya
- yuktāḥ samakṣam ubhayatra vicinate tvam...
In this book it is vicinate. I think that other book, vicikṣate?
At the same time, because it is Kṛṣṇa's book, if somebody purchases, if he pays something, he'll look at it, something, that "What this nonsense has written? Let me see." Then he will get some idea. And if he reads one line, he comes hundred times forward to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is the idea. If you want... Svalpam apy asya dharmasya trāyate mahato. This is preaching. And a layman, he does not know anything about... (break) ...the wood. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa is everywhere. Aṇḍāntara-sthaṁ paramāṇu-cayāntara-stham. Any wood you take, there is fire undoubtedly. Everywhere is Kṛṣṇa, but sevonmukhe hi svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ. If you engage yourself in service, then you'll see the fire, Kṛṣṇa, there, in everywhere. Sarvatra sphurāya tāra iṣṭa-deva-mūrti. That stage one can..., that whatever he'll see, he'll see Kṛṣṇa. "Here is microphone. Here is loudspeaker. Where is Kṛṣṇa?" Yes, here is Kṛṣṇa because we are speaking about Kṛṣṇa through this microphone. He is there.
So this is discipline and hardship, voluntary hardship. The brahmacārī may come from the royal house... Just like our Kṛṣṇa is actually son of Vasudeva, and He was brahmacārī. And when Sudāmā Vipra... Kṛṣṇa was supposed to be kṣatriya and Sudāmā Vipra was brāhmaṇa, so brāhmaṇas and kṣatriyas are especially meant for going to the gurukula and live very strictly according to the principle of gurukula. So Kṛṣṇa and Sudāmā Vipra went to collect dry fuel from the woods. When Sudāmā Vipra came to Kṛṣṇa's house, He reminded, "My dear Sudāmā, do you remember that day that both of us, we went to the forest and there was cyclone and rain, we could not come out?" So that means so much painstaking for the matter of guru. One cannot refuse, that "I am coming from very rich family. Why should you ask me to go to collect some... I can purchase it. I have money." No. If you have to... Here it is said that brahmacārī gurukule vasan dānto guror hitam, ācaran dāsavan nīcaḥ. Even if you are coming from the royal family, even if you are coming from the very respectable brāhmaṇa family, when you are under the control of guru you should act like servant. And what kind of servant? Menial servant, nīca. Not that "I am very rich man's son. You are asking me to do this? No, I cannot do it." No. This is called tapasya. Tapasā brahmacaryeṇa (SB 6.1.13).
Nectar of Devotion Lectures
Just like we are worshiping the form of Rādhā-Govinda, Rādhā-Mādhava, Rādhā-Dāmodara. So this form, atheists will say that "This is statue." But a theist person, who knows Kṛṣṇa, he will see this form of Kṛṣṇa not different from the original person, Kṛṣṇa. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu, when He entered the Jagannātha temple, He immediately fainted, "Here is My Lord." Others who are going in the Jagannātha temple, they are seeing something made of wood. Therefore śāstra forbids, arcye śilā-dhīr guruṣu nara-matir vaiṣṇave jāti-buddhir sa eva narakaḥ. Arcye śilā-dhīr. Arca-mūrti, the form worshiped in the temple, if somebody thinks it is made of wood, it is made of stone, that is nārakī-buddhiḥ. No devotee will say. Only the nondevotee, atheist class of men will say it, that "They are worshiping wood. They are worshiping stone." But a devotee knows that His worshipable Lord is present here personally. It is a question of revising, of reforming this perception. The whole Kṛṣṇa consciousness process is reforming or purifying the senses.
When you give up, become brahma bhutaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54)—"I am nothing of this; I am eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa"—when you come to this consciousness, you will see Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is always there. (break) ...Kṛṣṇa. A devotee's seeing factual Kṛṣṇa, and nondevotee's seeing a brass doll. That's all. Kṛṣṇa is here. Why they say, "Where is your Kṛṣṇa?" Here is Kṛṣṇa. Just like Hiraṇyakaśipu, he challenged Prahlāda Mahārāja, "Where is your Kṛṣṇa? All right, let me kill you. Let your God come and protect you." So the atheist class, they say like that. But one who has got training in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he has got eyes to see Kṛṣṇa always. If here is not Kṛṣṇa, then all the ācāryas, they installed Deity in so many millions of temples, they're all fools and rascals? They ask us to worship some stone and wood? No. Kṛṣṇa is there, but we haven't got eyes to see. That is the difference. Caitanya Mahāprabhu, as soon as He saw Jagannātha at Purī, Jagannātha at..., immediately fainted: "Here is My Lord." Fainted.
If I become interested in some party, that is not... Sometimes people criticize these American and European devotees, that they think that "They are American devotee; we are Hindu devotee. There is difference." This is not bhakti-mārga. This is upādhi. Why you should think yourself as Hindu? Why you should think of others who have come from America as American? That is less intelligent. Kṛṣṇa-bhakta... Vaiṣṇave jāti-buddhiḥ. If one thinks of Vaiṣṇava as belonging to this class, this nation, he has no vision. Nārakī. That is called nārakī-buddhiḥ. Vaiṣṇave jāti-buddhiḥ arcye śilādhīr guruṣu nara-matir vaiṣṇave jāti-buddhiḥ. If we think the Deity as made of stone and made of wood, arcye śilā-dhīr; guruṣu, nara-matiḥ, if we accept spiritual master as ordinary human being; vaiṣṇave jāti-buddhiḥ, and if we take a Vaiṣṇava as belonging to America or Europe or India... No. They are transcendental.
So the example is that the, in the fire, you go on giving fuel perpetually, it will burn into ashes. Similarly, it doesn't matter. To become sinful... Without Kṛṣṇa consciousness, everyone is sinful. So to become sinful is not disqualification, because everyone is sinful. But if one takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness is just like the fire, and the sinful activities are just like wood. But when the wood is in touch with the fire, so the fire would burn all the woods, fuel, into ashes. But we should not... Once we take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, we should stop the pillars of sinful activities. Whatever we did in our past life, that is excused, but if we take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and if we go on with our sinful activities, that will not help us. Just like the same fire: you take the fuel and add to the fire, it will burn into ashes. But, at the same time, if you pour some water also, then it will be useless. Similarly, our past sinful activities, that can be burned into ashes provided we don't add any more. Don't take it: "Now it will burn into ashes. So go on, this business and that business." No. That business means pouring water into the fire. It will not burn.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures
So tṛṇād api sunīcena taror api sahiṣṇunā. And He has given the example, "tolerant than the trees." The trees are standing in one place. Scorching heat and cold and rains, they are all suffering, and the people taking their leaves, taking their branches, woods, cutting them, taking fruit, and still, the trees give you shelter. This is the example of tolerance. So tṛṇād api sunīcena taror api sahiṣṇunā, amāninā mānadena. Everyone in this material world is very much fond of getting honor. Although he's not honorable, still, he wants to get honor. Although he is unfit, still, he wants. That is the material propensity. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that "You give them honor. Don't ask for yourself any honor, respect, but others, you give them." That is the process of Caitanya Mahāprabhu's preaching.
He does not accept this mayic body. Etad īśanam īśasya. That is the, I mean to say, power, omnipotency of Kṛṣṇa. Even He accepts this material body, it does not mean that He is material. Just like we see the Deity, the Deity, Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa Deity, in our front. Everyone will say, "Oh, this is a Deity made of brass, material." But no, it is not material. You have to study in that way. Arcye viṣṇu śilā-dhīr guruṣu nara-matiḥ. These are nārakī buddhi. Vaiṣṇave jāti-buddhiḥ. The Deity as material, śiladhiḥ, considering as metal or stone or wood, and guruṣu nara-matiḥ, and guru as ordinary human being. Vaiṣṇave jāti-buddhiḥ: a Vaiṣṇava, to consider, "Here is American Vaiṣṇava and here is a brāhmaṇa vaiṣṇava." No, Vaiṣṇava is Vaiṣṇava. This is absolute.
That is up to you. We... (break) ...vaiṣṇave jāti-buddhiḥ, arcye śilā-dhīr. Everyone knows in the temple... Just like Jagannātha. Everyone knows Jagannātha is made of wood, or, in other temple, made of stone. But people, do they come to see wood and stone? So if anyone thinks... Sometimes the atheist class, they think that "These foolish men, they are going to see a piece of wood." This is nārakī-buddhi. Similarly, arcye viṣṇau śilā-dhīr guruṣu nara-matiḥ. Those who are acting as guru according to the description, if somebody thinks that "This man is ordinary person," and vaiṣṇave jāti-buddhiḥ, similarly caraṇamṛta, Gaṅgajala, if somebody thinks ordinary water, so "he's nārakī." So these Europeans, Americans who are properly initiated according to Vaiṣṇava system, according to Caitanya Mahāprabhu's indication, if somebody thinks their jāti, angrej jāti or American jāti, he's nārakī. What can be done?
So one may say that "If three of them are incarnation of the Supreme, why particularly to Viṣṇu? Why not Lord Śiva and why not Brahmā?" That is described in the Bhāgavata. Just like I require fire. So fire, the fire, there is. Just like wood is produced from the earth, and fire is produced from the wood, similarly, although it, production, the source of production, is the same, but still, I require fire. I cannot have fire from the earth or from the, just tree. I have to take the wood, fuel. This example is there. Although the source is one, still, unless I get fire, my purpose will not be served. Similarly, this Viṣṇu and Śiva and Brahmā... From, I mean to say, gross earth the wood is produced like tree, and from tree we take wood, and from wood there is fire. So when we get fire, then we can serve our purpose. Similarly, although these three avatāras are there in the material world, we have to take shelter of the Viṣṇu-avatāra, goodness.
Brahmā is the secondary creator. First of all, the everything is, the principle, the material principle ingredients and the guṇas and the everything is created by Viṣṇu. Then, the secondary creation, with those ingredients, all these planetary system, everything, is created by Brahmā. So Brahmā is also a secondary creator. And then Viṣṇu maintains. Just like to a carpenter you give wood and planks and materials and screw and other thing, and the carpenter makes a very good cabinet, and you maintain that, similarly, this brahmāṇḍa, the secondary creation, is Brahmā, and Viṣṇu is the maintainer, and when it is to be destroyed, it is destroyed by Lord Śiva. These three guṇāvatāras. Brahmā, viṣṇu, siva-tāṅra guṇa-avatāra. They are incarnations of Kṛṣṇa's guṇa. So in other words, it is to be understood that these three guṇas, they are also coming from Kṛṣṇa, three guṇas. So therefore, for Kṛṣṇa, there is no such distinction.
The first thing is that avatāra, incarnation, He hasn't got this material body. The first symptom is... And still, the avatāra appears before us. Because, so far our senses are concerned, we can see the material objects. We can see a stone. We can see, I mean to say, wood. We can see water. We cannot see even air, the finer material things. We cannot see mind. We know that mind is there in every soul, every body. Every one of us has got mind, but we cannot see. We cannot see the sky. So the..., in the material world also, there are so many finer things which we cannot see. And what to speak of spiritual? So that spiritual, Supreme Spirit, when He appears before us, seeable, so that we can see, so that is His mercy. That is His mercy. Because we cannot see even the soul within ourself; we are seeing only the body. So what to speak of the Supreme Spirit? That is not possible. Yasyāvatāra jñāyante śarīriṣv aśarīriṇaḥ. Therefore it is the inconceivable power that the incarnation of God appears before us.
So we simply say that "We are follower of Śaṅkarācārya." You cannot approach even the shadow of Śaṅkarācārya. He was so strict and so disciplinary. He would... They are... According to Śaṅkara-sampradāya, everyone must take first of all sannyāsa. Sannyāsa means this renounced order of life. There is no question, those who are enjoying this material life, for them to understand Śaṅkara philosophy. It is another foolishness. Śaṅkara does not recognize anybody who has not accepted sannyāsa. That is his first principle. So Śaṅkara-sampradāya, they perform very austere penance and principles. They take three times bath at least, three times. And no clothing; simply one loincloth, one... And their possession is one loincloth and one wooden waterpot. That's all. Nothing more. And they will lie down on the floor. So their strict, I mean to say, renounced order is very strict. So they perform austerity. So Bhāgavata accepts their austerity. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ (SB 10.2.32). By their severe penances and austerity they come to the supreme position.
Sri Isopanisad Lectures
Prabhupāda: No, I wanted that śloka, kurvann eva. That is 2, yes. That's all right. So anyone will explain this,
- kurvann eveha karmāṇi
- jijīviṣec chataṁ samāḥ
- evaṁ tvayi nānyatheto 'sti
- na karma lipyate nare
So you should try to read the explanation, these word meanings. So kurvann eveha karmāṇi jijīviṣec chataṁ samāḥ. Samāḥ means years. You can live hundreds of years if you understand the philosophy of life. Otherwise, what is the use of living? The trees are also living for five hundred years, for thousands years. There is one tree in San Francisco... What is that wood?
Devotee (1): Redwood.
Prabhupāda: Redwood. No. There is some wood, I forget. Crossing bridge. Anyway, they told me that this tree is standing for seven thousand years. So the trees are also living, and you are also living. You are trying to live. Whenever there is question of death, you resist. That means you do not want to die. That is natural sequence. So here it is said that why should you live? Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says, ke lāgi āche, āchi...: "Why I am living? I could not achieve love of Godhead. Then what is the use of my living?" He's lamenting. Narottama dāsa kena na lāgilā māriyā. Kena vā ahcaya prāṇa kichuka lāgiyā (?). He said, "Why I am living? What is the purpose of my living? What is the ultimate happiness?"
Sri Brahma-samhita Lectures
If you hide income tax, then you are criminal. You can say, "I have earned money. Why shall I pay income tax, government?" No. You must pay. And there is a limit, that if you have earned so much money, practically the whole money will be taken as income tax, super tax. So as everything you earn, it is the property of the government, similarly, why not everything, whatever you got, it is Kṛṣṇa's or God's? Is it very difficult to understand? Actually it is so. Suppose you have constructed a very nice building. So the building requires so many stone, wood, earth. Wherefrom you have got it? You have not produced the wood. It is God's property. You have not produced the metal; you have taken it from the mine. That is God's property. The earth, also, the bricks also, which you have made you have simply given your labor. That labor is also God's property, because you work with your hand, but it is not your hand; it is God's hand. If it is your hand, then when it is paralyzed, you cannot use it. When the power of using your energy of the hand is withdrawn by God, you cannot work.
So His spiritual world, this, His planet, is described that cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa-lakṣāvṛteṣu surabhīr abhipālayantam (Bs. 5.29). In His planet, there are many trees, many palaces, but they're all spiritual. Cintāmaṇi means spiritual. The houses, they're made of touchstone. Just like here the houses are made of bricks and wood; there the houses are also spiritual. The touchstone... It is described in the śāstra that if there is any touchstone in this material world, the touchstone can turn the iron into gold. So anyway, the houses... There are houses also. Big, big palaces, like here. Cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa. And the trees are kalpa-vṛkṣa. Kalpa-vṛkṣa means where you can get fruit, one kind of fruit from one tree, but there, any fruit you want, you can get any tree. That is spiritual world. Prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa. Kalpa-vṛkṣa means that. And surabhīr abhipālayantam (Bs. 5.29). And Kṛṣṇa is very fond of tending cows. And what are those cows? Surabhī. Surabhī means you can take as much milk as you like and as many times as you like. Here in this material world you have got cows, but you can take milk, limited quantity. And also once or twice. That is the difference.
So His spiritual world, His planet, is described that cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa-lakṣāvṛteṣu surabhīr abhipālayantam (Bs. 5.29). In His planet, there are many trees, many palaces, but they are all spiritual. Cintāmaṇi means spiritual. The houses, they are made of touchstone, just like here the houses are made of bricks and wood. There the houses are also spiritual. The touchstone, it is described in the śāstras that if there is any touchstone in this material world, the touchstone can turn iron into gold. So anyway, the houses... There are houses also, big, big palaces like here. Cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa. And the trees are kalpa-vṛkṣa. Kalpa-vṛkṣa means... Here you can get fruit, one kind of fruit from one tree. But there, any fruit you want, you can get, any tree. That is spiritual.
Festival Lectures
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."
So Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura first of all said, "Sir, you are such a great yogi. Why you are in the village? Why don't you go to Jagannātha Purī? There is temple and Lord Jagannātha is there. Better you go there and see the Lord and be happy. Why you are in this village?" "Oh, Jagannātha? Ah, that is made of wood. I am personally the Supreme Lord. That is made of wood." Oh, then Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura—he was a devotee—he became fire. (laughter) He was insulting. Arcye śilā-dhīr guruṣu nara-matiḥ. According to śāstra, if somebody thinks... Just like here is Deity. If somebody thinks, "Oh, it is made of stone..." It is stone to the eyes of the nondevotee, but it is personally Supreme Personality of Godhead to the devotees. It requires the eyes to see. So devotee sees in a different angle of vision. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu, when He entered Jagannātha temple immediately He fainted: "Oh, here is My Lord." And the nondevotee is seeing: "It is wood, a lump of wood." Therefore, to the nondevotee, He remains always as wood, but to the devotee He speaks. That is the difference. Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena (Bs. 5.38). If God is everything, why wood, through wood and stone, God cannot manifest? If God is everything? According to Māyāvāda philosophy... That's a fact. God, omnipotent. He can express Himself even through wood and stone. That is God's omnipotency. That is called omnipotency. Not that God is unable to express Himself through wood and stone. Then how He's omnipotent? Omnipotent means His potency can be expressed through anything. Because anything, everything is the expansion of God's energy. Parasya brahmaṇaḥ śaktis tathedam akhilaṁ jagat. The whole world is manifestation of different energies of God. Therefore... Just like through the energy of electricity the electric powerhouse, although far, far away from this place, was expressing. There is electricity. Through this glass, through these wires, the power can be expressed. There is a process.
So Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura became very much... Because a devotee cannot tolerate blaspheming another devotee or God. So as soon as he said that "Why shall I go to Jagannātha Purī to see the wooden Jagannātha? I am personally Viṣṇu," Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura immediately ordered his constables, "Arrest him. Arrest this rascal." So he was arrested. And when he was arrested... He had some yogic mystic power. All the constables, Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, and his family members became affected with high fever, 105 degrees fever. So when he came back, his wife became very much disturbed that "You arrested Viṣṇu, and we are all going to die. We have got now high fever." Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura replied, "Yes, let us all die, but this rascal must be punished." This is the view of pure devotee. So he was put into the custody.
Therefore do not think that we have installed a marble statue. The rascals will say "They are heathens." No. We are worshiping Kṛṣṇa personally. Kṛṣṇa personally, Kṛṣṇa has kindly assumed this form just... Because we cannot see Kṛṣṇa, the gigantic Kṛṣṇa, or Kṛṣṇa is everywhere... Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ (CC Madhya 17.136). Our imperfect senses cannot see Kṛṣṇa immediately. But Kṛṣṇa is so kind, as we can see... We can see stone, we can see wood, we can see earth, we can see water, we can see color. Therefore, Kṛṣṇa comes before us just quite suitable for our vision. But He's Kṛṣṇa. 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.
Vāmanadeva: ...making furniture, working with wood. I'm learning a lot so I can make nice thrones.
Prabhupāda: (laughs) That's all right. So any question?
Woman: Is there anyone similar to Joan of Arc in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam?
Prabhupāda: Hmm?
Woman: Are you familiar with Joan of Arc? She was a saint.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Arrival Addresses and Talks
The atheist will say, "They are worshiping some idol." No. That is not fact. They do not know that here is Kṛṣṇa personally. He is accepting the devotees' service in a manner in which we can serve Him at the present moment. If Kṛṣṇa shows you the virāṭ-rūpa, then you cannot serve Him. Where you'll get the dress of the virāṭ-rūpa? The whole world's cloth factory will fail you. (laughter) Therefore Kṛṣṇa is accepted, a four-feet-small Deity, so that you can acquire Kṛṣṇa's dress within your means. You can put Kṛṣṇa within your means. That is Kṛṣṇa's mercy. Therefore it is forbidden, arcye viṣṇu śilā-dhīḥ. If any rascal thinks that in the Viṣṇu form, as stone, as wood..., vaiṣṇave jāti-buddhiḥ, devotees considered as belonging to certain nation, caste, these are nārakī-buddhi. This is not to be done. It is fact that here is Kṛṣṇa. Very kindly, just to show me favor, He has come in this form. But He's Kṛṣṇa; He's not stone. Even it is stone, that is also Kṛṣṇa, because there is nothing else but Kṛṣṇa, anything. Without Kṛṣṇa, there is no existence. Sarvaṁ khalv idam brahma. So Kṛṣṇa has got the power that even in his so-called shape of stone, He can accept your service. That is Kṛṣṇa.
Initiation Lectures
So you may be called Rukmiṇī devī. And some day you may be kidnapped by Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa kidnapped Rukmiṇī. Rukmiṇī was very beautiful, qualified, Lakṣmī. So his (her) father liked that Rukmiṇī should be given to Kṛṣṇa. And his (her) brother liked that she should be handed over to another boy. So Rukmiṇī sent one letter to Kṛṣṇa, that "Although I've not seen You, but I've heard of Your activities. So I am attached to You. Now some nonsense is coming to marry me." (break) Just see, how nice it is (laughs). And we eat Kṛṣṇa prasāda, we enjoy the Kṛṣṇa. What is this nonsense, ahaṁ brahman, Brahman? "I am stone." What is the difference? If somebody thinks, "I am stone," and if somebody says, "I am Brahman. I am void," so what is the difference between stone and void? The same thing. Why should we become stone and wood? We shall, we should reciprocate loving affairs with Kṛṣṇa. Mādhavī-latā? How many pictures you have done? You have seen Mādhavī-latā's picture? That picture is painted by Mādhavī-latā. Yes, she is good painter. You chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Why you have stopped? Yes, always chant. Chant loudly. (fire sacrifice continues) All bow down. (devotees offer obeisances) Now chant. "Govinda Jaya Jaya." Chant. Chant and dance.
Prabhupāda: Ten kinds of offenses, they are mentioned in the paper. You should avoid, and follow the regulative principles. Just like if you ignite fire, if the wood is dry, then the fire very quickly takes place. And if it is moist, wet, then it takes time. So, so avoiding these ten kinds of offenses and following the rules and regulation will quickly ignite the fire of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Otherwise, the chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra is powerful, even one is contaminated, but it will accelerate if you follow the rules and regulations and avoid the offenses. Therefore... So what are these ten kind of offenses? What is the first, first offense?
Devotee: Blaspheming the Lord's devotee?
Prabhupāda: Yes. Those who are engaged in preaching the glories of the Lord, they should never be defamed. That is the greatest offense.
You are spirit soul. Woods and stone will not give you any pleasure. That is not possible. You are not wood and stone. You are spirit soul. You must have spiritual food. Therefore, in America especially, despite all material opulences, they..., you are becoming confused and frustrated and disappointed. Because wood and stone will not satisfy you. You must have spiritual food. That is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
Thank you everyone. Hare Kṛṣṇa.
Just like without high temperature, nobody can enter into the fire, similarly, God is the topmost temperature. We must acquire that temperature; then we can enter into the kingdom of God. So if you want to increase the temperature, you cannot pour water again on it. Just like if you have got wet wood, you cannot burn it very nicely, but if you collect dry wood, you can ignite very easily. So our material life is now saturated with all kinds of sins. The four pillars of sinful life are these: illicit sex, meat-eating and intoxication and gambling. So if we stop these voluntarily, this is called austerity, austerity, tapasya. Austerity means voluntarily accept some painful condition.
So one has to give up this pāna. And drinking, smoking, drinking tea, chewing pan should be given up. Pāna. This is one of the pillar of the sinful activity. And meat-eating. Meat, fish, eggs, they should be given up. And gambling, dyūta, pāna dyūta (SB 1.17.38), that should be given up. And avaidha stri-saṅgi should be given up. In this way, if you become cleansed, then... Just like if we get dry wood, then the fire ignites very easily. If we get moist wood, then it takes some time. So voluntarily we should give up these sinful activities. Then spiritual advancement of life will be very quick. And those who are being first-initiated, they must chant at least sixteen rounds. Saṅkhyā-pūrvaka-nāma-gāna-natibhiḥ. The Gosvāmīs, they showed us the way. Saṅkhyā-pūrvaka. So many rounds we must chant, at least. Haridas Ṭhākura was chanting three hundred thousand times. We cannot do that. That is not possible.
General Lectures
So this sound, this Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, is the sound representation of the Supreme Lord. The sarvaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma. The whole thing, either material or spiritual, whatever we have got experience, nothing is separated from the Supreme Absolute Truth. Nothing is separated. Everything has emanated from the Absolute Truth. (aside:) Come on. Sit down. But just like... The example... Just like earth. Earth, then from earth, you have got wood, fuel. From fuel, when you get fire, first of all there is smoke. Then, after smoke, there is fire. And the fire, from fire, you can take work. Now, beginning from earth, from earth there is wood; from wood there is smoke; from smoke there is fire. There is a link between the fire and the earth. But the work of the fire, the benefit of the fire, can be had at the last stage, when there is real ignition of fire. Similarly, there is link. The whole material cosmic situation, manifestation, what we see, it is just like the smoke. The fire is behind it. That is spiritual sky. But still, in the smoke, you can feel some heat also. So similarly, this sound vibration of the spiritual world is here so that even in this material world, where there is a scarcity of that spiritual fire, we can appreciate, we can feel, the warmth of that fire.
If you say there is no blood-oh, that is not very difficult thing, blood, a red substance. Do you mean to say something red injected within this body will bring back the life? No. If redness is the cause of life or consciousness, then modern chemical can make immediately by chemical combination the whole thing red. Or take example: there are many natural stones, they are by nature red. If you say that "This artificial redness cannot give life; the natural redness is the cause of life," then you take the stone. It has got natural redness, but there is no life. But there is no life. So redness is also not the cause of consciousness of life. That is a wrong theory. That is a complete... Consciousness is completely different thing, qualitatively different. Nothing is different from one to another, just like I have explained already that the earth, wood, then smoke, then fire—everything is linked up, but everything is also different from one another.
So this is a science. You see. Although we find that "This form of the Lord... The Hindus, they have established one statue in the temple, and they are worshiping as the Lord? How is that? Is it Lord is a stone? It is wood?" But he does not know that because it is authorized, because it is authorizedly worshiped, therefore even it is stone or wood, it can act. It can act. Just like the authorized post office, although seemingly it is a box which I can prepare, but it is acting because it is authorized, similarly, the authorized, authorized symbol or representation of God is also God. He's not different from God. Then why God is like that? It is His mercy. Because I cannot see God with my these eyes—I can see stone and wood and material things—therefore God is kind enough (to appear) in a form suitable to my seeing and accept my service. It is His kindness. And besides that, if everything is God, because everything has link with the God, with the Supreme Truth, then God, being omnipotent, why He cannot represent Himself in everything? If everything is God, everything is emanation of God, then God has got the power to manifest Himself in everything. That is His omnipotency. So these are consideration.
Actually, God is proprietor of everything. Now, take for example this house. This house is made of wood, stone, clay, sand, and everything, materials. But who is the proprietor of this wood, sand, clay? God is the proprietor. You cannot produce wood. You cannot produce sand. You cannot produce clay. You can simply work as a laborer to bring the clay, to bring the wood, to bring the stone and collect them and stand, make, construct a very big skyscraper house. But actually, the proprietor is God. This land, this land, America, it was lying before you came from Europe, before you colonized. And it may be, some days after, it will be lying here, and you shall have to go. Therefore who is the proprietor of this land? God is the proprietor. In this way, if we study that "Everything belongs to God.
Young man (4): The sādhus in India who have long hair and wander in the woods and stuff, I guess, do they have spiritual teachers? The sādhus in India. The ones who live in the forest and places like that? You know? Wander around...
Prabhupāda: Of course, those who are living in the forest, there is no barber. Naturally they have got long hairs. But why the sādhus in the city imitate them? There is no meaning. If a man is living in the forest, there is no facility of the barber. So he can keep long hairs. Why in the city?
Young man (4): No, I didn't mean the hair. I meant does a sādhu who lives in the woods, does he have a spiritual master or...
Prabhupāda: Oh, yes.
Young man (4): How does he live in the woods without a spiritual master and learn?
Prabhupāda: No. In the woods also there are many saintly persons. People go there, accept spiritual master, and live with the spiritual master. But that is not very much convenient in this age. So in this age nobody is going to the forest to find out spiritual master, but the spiritual master has to come and canvass from India to New York. (laughter) This is a different position.
Then I will entrust the whole thing to you. So let us cooperate in this movement very nicely, and here in this spot, New Vrindaban, the woman's business will be to take care of the children, cooking cleansing, and churning butter. (laughter) And those who have the knowledge of typing can help in typing also. No other hard work. That's all. This is for woman. And for men, hard work, field work, taking care of the cows, of the animals, to go to collect wood, to construct building. In this way cooperate. The girls who are here, they should prepare nice prasādam so that the boys, in time they can get their prasādam, timely. This is the duty. And they must be given timely breakfast, lunch prasādam. They will work hard. And the churning business is for the girls. That will keep your health very nice.
So Kṛṣṇa can accept your service through everything. Don't consider that "This is metal." The metal is also Kṛṣṇa. Therefore we should know bhūmi..., bhūmi... Metal, what is metal? Metal means earth. Kṛṣṇa says, first of all says, bhūmir āpo analo vāyuḥ: "They are My all energies." So from argument's point of view, Kṛṣṇa is everything. Therefore Kṛṣṇa can accept service through everything. So this Deity, vigraha, either made of wood, made of stone or earth or metal or painting, they are not different from Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa has got the potency to accept your service through this medium. So they are not pictures or they are not ordinary idols. You should never... Similarly, a sound vibration. Kṛṣṇa is present through sound vibration because the five elements, ākāśa, the sky... Sky, within sky, there is sound. So from argumentative point of view also, nobody can deny that this chanting of the holy name of Kṛṣṇa is not identical. It is identical. Because identical... Everything is identical.
When you are worshiping this Deity, exactly, just like you are posting your letters in the mailbox, it is accepted by Kṛṣṇa. Don't think that you are worshiping some doll. No. As the post office kindly places a box before your house to facilitate your business, similarly Kṛṣṇa, goloka eva nivasati, He is living in the Goloka Vṛndāvana, but He expands Himself as Deity to accept your humble service. Never consider that the Deity is made of stone or brass or wood or like that. Brass, wood, stone—everything is Kṛṣṇa because everything is Kṛṣṇa's energy. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca, bhinnā me prakṛtir aṣṭadhā (BG 7.4). Me, "It is Mine." So everything is Kṛṣṇa's, and from everything, Kṛṣṇa can appear and accept your service. This is the philosophy. He can appear Himself through stone because stone is His energy. Just like if the electric power is running on, from anywhere you can take electricity, energy. Similarly, his energy is running on everywhere, and you can take the facility of His energy from anywhere, provided you know how to take it. Electric, where insulation is there, but one who knows... I have seen in your country. The telephone man immediately comes and joins telephone. But he knows how to do it. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa can be manifested from anywhere, everywhere, from anything, provided you know how to do it.
The Brahma, Viṣṇu, Maheśvara are called guṇa-avatāras of Kṛṣṇa, incarnation of the material qualities. Brahma is incarnation of the material quality passion, rajo-guṇa, and Viṣṇu is incarnation of the quality sattva-guṇa, and Lord Siva is the incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead in tama-guṇa. So the example is explained in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam also, what is the difference between Lord Siva, Lord Brahma and Lord Viṣṇu. The difference is they are one but they are different manifestations. Just like firewood. In the wood there is fire. So in the beginning there is no fire, but when there is little fire, there is smoke, then there is ignition, flame. But we are concerned with the flame, neither with the wood nor with the smoke. Similarly, although Lord Siva, Lord Viṣṇu and Lord Brahma are different manifestations of the same thing, Absolute Truth, still we are concerned with the fire of Viṣṇu, not with the wood, nor with the smoke. This is the conclusion of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
Philosophy Discussions
Prabhupāda: Similarly, matter also, we see, just like the tree is growing. The tree is wood. Wood is also matter. Stone is also growing. So how is it growing?
Śyāmasundara: Well, strictly materially speaking, I could say, well, there are some material reasons...
Prabhupāda: Just like my material body, it has grown. There was no existence, but combination of father and mother, the body is made and it grows, and again it is vanquished. That is the nature of matter. It takes birth at a certain moment, it grows, then it makes by-products, then it dwindles, then vanquishes. This is the nature of matter, any matter, anything you take. This material world is also like that. All these trees, they have grown up, and when they are grown up, you take the wood, you make houses, you make boxes, you make bedsteads, and so many things. But it is a fact that the trees have grown up from the seed. And wherefrom the seed comes?
Śyāmasundara: From the father tree.
Prabhupāda: Because there is a real table, therefore I am considering this table. This is not table, this is wood. Somebody (may say), "This is not wood, but it was tree." All right, it is tree. Then what? It is not tree, it is seed. All right it is seed. No, it is not seed, it (indistinct) You see. Therefore it is perverted reflection. But there is a real table.
Śyāmasundara: Oh, I see.
Prabhupāda: There is a real table. Therefore the whole material creation is a perverted reflection and people are enamored by it. People are taking, "This is real table. This is real body. This is real happiness. This is real country. This is real society."
Prabhupāda: If you have got material idea, then it will... (break) ...so the fire makes it warm, warm, hot, red hot. When it is red hot, you cannot say it is iron, it is actually burning. You touch that red hot iron, you know it is iron rod but it is acting as fire. Similarly, when everything is acting for Kṛṣṇa's (indistinct). It has no other business. Just like in this dictaphone and all these things, you don't use for any other purpose, therefore it is spiritual. Prachurja(?), it is called prachurja. Prachurja means this original function is stopped. That gold. Just like this is wooden, but if you cover it with gold plate, everyone will say, "Golden." (indistinct). It is called prachurja. That means his wooden quality is covered. Therefore it is gold. And another is that when it is completely made of gold. So both ways it is gold. Both ways. Prachurja te and (indistinct), you transform gold into table or you cover it with only gold, they are both ways (indistinct) golden.
Śyāmasundara: When we were discussing Plato, Plato has this idea also that the ideal precedes the physical representation and you said yes, that the ideal was in spiritual realm, it exists in the spiritual realm. Because of that we are able to conceptualize some idea.
Prabhupāda: Not that that idea is like this. Just like we have found that in the spiritual world and this is perverted reflection so in the śāstra we hear, cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu, the houses are made of touchstone. So we have never seen touchstone, neither you have seen a house made of touchstone. We have seen house made of bricks or wood. So this is, this may be an idea but that idea comes by hearing from authority. Not that we manufacture that spiritual world must be made up. Like this.
Hayagrīva: Dewey was an American writing in the early part of the twentieth century, and he writes, "Logic demands that in imagination we wipe the slate clean and start afresh by asking what would be the idea of the unseen." In other words, he feels that it's time to set aside the orthodox, what he calls superstitious religions, and create a new religion. In other words, we must define God and religion anew.
Prabhupāda: Yes, that is required. Because in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is also accepted that except a Vedic religion, all others are cheating religion because they have no perfect knowledge. It is clearly stated that cheating type of religion is rejected from the Bhāgavata religion. Bhāgavata... The sum and substance of Bhāgavata religion is accepting God as the supreme controller. Satyaṁ paraṁ dhīmahi. This is beginning. And what is that Absolute Truth? Janmādy asya yataḥ, itarataś ca artheṣu abhijñaḥ svarāṭ: (SB 1.1.1) that there is a principal, Brahman, from whom everything has come. So unless you find out what is the ultimate source of emanation, the knowledge is perfect, hum, imperfect. But you must have to admit, from your experience, that everything has a source of emanation. Anything has. You cannot go beyond your experience. You see this table. This table has got a history. Somebody has collected the wood and he has made into a shape.
Śyāmasundara: So, for instance, the ring may be gold under one set of conditions...
Prabhupāda: Yes. It is gold under certain conditions, but the original cause is Kṛṣṇa. Everything. Under certain conditions something is wood, something is gold, something is metal, something is this, something is... These are different conditions. I am also conditioned. Under certain conditions I am talking that "I am human being." Otherwise animal, he is under certain conditions, he is an animal. So everyone is under conditions. Who is not under conditions? Everything is under conditions. Therefore this world is called conditioned world or relative world. Nothing is absolute.
Śyāmasundara: He says that a proposition is a...
Prabhupāda: It is gold, gold means it is a metal, a combination of metals. There are eight types of metals, and gold is combination of tin, copper and mercury.
Śyāmasundara: But that's what happens in Russia. The managers, they don't get much more than the workers, so that everyone only can have a certain income. Just like Himavati's relatives,they sent their relatives in Russia some gifts for Christmas. The relatives sold the gifts and used the money to buy wood to add a room to their house, and because of that they were greatly punished, severely punished, by the state. But they should have given that money to others, they should have distributed it equally, that was the state's theory because anything that I use for my own benefit is wrong.
Prabhupāda: So my tendency is to (consider) everything as my own, but by the taking of the state I am forced to avoid(?). So how long will this work? By force how you can change one's mind? It is not possible. Therefore we say these things are only nonsense proposition. It will never happen because anyone who is in this material world, he has the prime tendency that I shall become the Lord. (indistinct) pratiṣṭhā. The material world means everyone is seeking after some profit, everyone is seeking after some adoration, and everyone is seeking, I mean to say, some position. This is the material world. So, if everyone, seeks profit, adoration and position, so how you can make equal by force?
Śyāmasundara: ...but the mind, and the mind merely arranges it. It doesn't create anything new.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Just like the economic law says that you cannot create anything. You simply transform. Just like this table is nothing but wood. So wood is not my creation. Wood is there, but I have transformed the wood into a state which is called a table.
Prabhupāda: Our philosophy... We see that one ultimate creator, Bhagavān. And jīvātmā, subsequent creator. God has created wood; I create a table and chair. I am subsequent. I am not ultimate creator. So jīvātmā is subsequent creator. Both the creators are eternal. And because the creation has got time connection, past, present, and future, so time is eternal. Time is eternal and jīva is eternal and prakṛti.
Prabhupāda: That is his defect. The nature is dead body, matter. So how it can be rational? Just like this table is a dead wood. How it can be rational? That is nonsense. The carpenter is rational, who has made the wood in the shape. So he says the nature is rational. Nature is dead matter. How it can be rational? Therefore there is a rational being behind the nature. That is God. This, the wood, is dead. The wood, out of its own accord, cannot become a table. The carpenter is shaping the wood into table. That is rational. Therefore behind the dead nature, the rational being is God. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. I think Mr. Huxley is supposed to have read..., understand he has given some comment on the Ramakrishna Mission Bhagavad-gītā, but he has not studied Bhagavad-gītā thoroughly.
Purports to Songs
That is the process of jñāna vairāgya, knowledge and renunciation. The example is given, just like wood, firewood. If you somehow or other, you can ignite fire, then the fire will vanquish the wood. The blazing fire will consume the whole wood. Similarly, you have got the fire of spiritual consciousness. If you can evoke that spiritual consciousness, this material consciousness will be burnt up. It will come out from this material body, but when it comes out, then it will vanquish the material body. Very good, good example. The fire, there is..., in the wood there is fire, everyone knows. So you ignite fire, and if you make it dry, then the fire takes place very quickly. And when it is blazing fire, then the wood becomes vanquished. There is no more existence of the wood. Similarly, if you can invoke your spiritual consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, when it will be very nicely going on, then your material existence will be finished. This is the process. Durlabha mānava-janama sat-saṅge taraha e bhava-sindhu re. In this way, just get on the other side of this ocean of nescience.
So everyone should desire like Govinda dasa. Śravana kīrtana, these are the devotional processes: hearing; chanting; remembering; arcana, worshiping the Deity; vandana, offering prayer. There are nine kinds. So human life is meant for this purpose. By this process, gradually we ignite the fire of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or spiritual consciousness. Then, by that fire, as by blazing fire the wood itself becomes burnt into ashes, so our, all of our covering... The spirit soul is covered by matter, by ignorance. So this covering and ignorance will be burnt into ashes, and you'll become free and go back to home, back to Godhead. This is the purport of this song.
| Page Title: | Wood (Lectures) |
| Compiler: | Rishab, Mayapur |
| Created: | 05 of Jun, 2011 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=175, Con=0, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 175 |