681110SB.LA                    Lectures

Similarly, the scriptures, the sages, the saintly persons, the

devotees, the representative of Krsna, God, they’re very much anxious

to take us back to Godhead, back to home. That is nihsreyasaya. That

is the ultimate benediction. To be  enamored by the

temporary society, friendship and love. And it has become a thankless

task for the saintly persons, devotees of God, to drag them: “Oh,

please come here. Please chant Hare Krsna. Please be Krsna conscious.

Please be God conscious.” Nobody likes it. They think it botheration,

“Why Swamiji comes here and bothers us?” But it has become the

business. Therefore the qualification of a saintly person is

titiksava, very tolerant, very tolerant. Just like Lord Jesus Christ,

he was crucified. Still, he was so tolerant he, at the time of

crucification, he’s praying to God, “My Lord, these people do not know

what they are doing. Please forgive them.” Just see how much tolerant.

Titiksava. This is the first qualification of saintly person or God’s

servant or God’s son. Very tolerant. They have to push on their Krsna

conscious movement or God conscious movement through so many odds.

Through so many odds. Because they are just like the child; he’s

attracted with playthings.

741114SB.BOM                   Lectures

This is the statement of sastra, that with our these blunt material

senses it is not possible to appreciate or to understand

sri-krsna-namadi, Krsna, His name, His form, His quality, His

pastimes, His paraphernalia, His abode, so many things. Krsna is not

alone, but Krsna begins from the name. Then there is form. Generally,

for the beginners, neophytes, these two things are essential: to hear

the name, to hear the qualities, and see the form of the Lord, to

offer worship. That is the instruction of Krsna personally. Man-mana

bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru.

741114SB.BOM                   Lectures

It is no longer possible to revive the perfect system, varnasrama.

Although we are trying to revive, it is not possible. It is very

difficult. People are so fallen. Mandah sumanda-matayo manda-bhagya hy

upadrutah. They are so disturbed, manda-bhagyah, unfortunate, and

upadrutah, always disturbed. Especially anavrsti, durbhiksa and

kara-pidita. The people of the Kali-yuga will be very much, I mean to

say, harassed by these three things. There will be no rainfall, and…

There will be no rainfall, and there, food scarcity and taxation by

government, income tax. Income tax is to plunder. If you have got some

money, this is the means. So this is all stated in the

Srimad-Bhagavatam. ..Recently we have seen one big industrialist, he has committed

suicide. So people will do that. They’ll be so much harassed. This is

Kali-yuga.

741114SB.BOM                   Lectures

all sinful reaction of life. So you may say that “It will take some

time. If I have to get free from sinful reaction, then I’ll have to

take some time.” Krsna says, “No, no time. Immediately.”

“I will immediately do that. You just do this business. Surrender unto

Me, and I take guarantee.” Then your life begins.

■TLK Vs 17    Self-realization means seeing one’s proper identity as the

infinitesimal jiva. At the present moment, we are seeing the body, but

this is not our proper identity. We have no vision of the real person

occupying the body. The first lesson we receive from ▼Bhagavad-gita

(2.13) informs us that the body and the owner of the body are

different. When we can understand that we are not the body, that is

the beginning of self-realization, and that is called the brahma-bhuta

stage. Aham brahmasmi. I am not this material body, but spirit soul.

741118SB.BOM                   Lectures

it is diseased condition. Similarly, when we are unable to serve

Krsna, or we do not serve Krsna, we serve… Serving we are. That is a

fact. We cannot become master. Nobody… Can anyone say that he is

master? He’s not serving anyone? Everyone is serving. That’s a fact.

Either you are serving your family or society or country or office or

so many service. If anyone hasn’t got to serve anything, then he picks

up a master, a cat and dog, and serves him. Because service is my

nature. But we are missing where to put the service. That is Krsna.

741119SB.BOM                   Lectures

Bhakti means spiritual activities. There is activity… It is

not… The Mayavadi philosophers, they think that “Stop material

activities.” Brahma satyam jagan mithya. “Why you are engaged…” The

Buddhist philosophy also, they say nirvana, “Stop this material life.”

The Buddhist philosophers, they do not give more information. “We are

suffering on account of this material combination.” That is their

philosophy. Because this body is nothing but combination of earth,

water, fire, air, mind, intelligence and ego, so if you separate it,

let the earth go to the earth, let water go to the water, let fire go

to the fire, then you become zero. If you dismantle just like we

dismantle some house, so there are so many things coming out. So let

the doors be taken, somebody windows, somebody the bricks, somebody

and…, rubbish somebody. Then there is no house, zero. This is called

nirvana theory. No more existence. We are suffering pains and

pleasure… Pains. There is no pleasure. Pleasure means accepting

another type of pain. I am suffering… Just like there is boil on

your body. This is suffering. And to cure it, another suffering,

surgical operation. So it is going on like that. Actually, there is no

pleasure. There is only pain.

   So the Buddhist theory is to dismantle this construction, and then

there is no more sense of pains and… The Mayavadi theory also like

that, that “Activities, because they are material activities,

therefore there are sufferings. So the material activities, they are

false. You simply understand yourself, that you are Brahman, and no

more activities, stop all activities, Brahman realization…” Their

example is given that if you take an empty pitcher and you put into

the water, so long it is not filled up, there will be some sound:

“bud-bud-bud-bud-bud-bud.” And as soon as the pitcher is fully filled

up, there is no, no more sound. So all these Vedic mantras and

other…, they’re only means. So when one is completely Brahman

realized, then there is no more chanting, hearing or Vedic hymns.

Everything stop. The same theory. Buddhist theory and Mayavada theory

is almost practically the same. They are saying, “Make it zero,” and

they are saying, “It is mithya, false. Stop it.” Brahma satyam, brahma

satyam jagan… Brahma satya means Brahman realization, “I am Brahman.

I am the same Supreme… So ‘ham.” But that will not help you. That is

simply theoretical. Practical is bhaktya bhagavaty akhilatmani.

741120SB.BOM                   Lectures

So if we actually want to be free from the bondage of material

existence… Bhutva bhutva praliyate… A common sense. Because we

have lost our common sense. Suppose we are sitting here. If somebody

says, “Now get out! Sit down he… Sit down here.” And again, a half

an hour, if he says, “No, no, come here.” So shall I like it? “No, I

am not sitting here. I’ll go.” Similarly, here the life is, the

materialistic way of life means bhutva bhutva praliyate. You accept

one body, you’ll not be allowed to remain in that body permanently.

You must have to give it up. Again accept another body. Again you have

to give it up. What is this business? But they are so rascal, they do

not know that how much miserable condition we are in. We are simply

accepting one body and again… Bhutva bhutva praliyate. Tyaktva

deham. We are… We do not know that “I am not this body.”

   So we are in such darkness, and the whole world is in such

darkness. Yasyatma-buddhih kunape tri… They are taking this body as

themselves. There are so many things… So Krsna consciousness

movement will give them enlightenment and give them liberation, and we

therefore request everyone to take advantage. Now, Krsna consciousness

means… The simple thing is that you chant Hare Krsna. But if you

think yourself as very learned, thoughtful man, and you want to

understand through science and philosophy, all right, come on. We have

got books. Learn it. Two ways. We have got three dozen books like

(sic:) you. You cannot finish it even in your whole life. Come on.

Otherwise, if you are not so learned to read all these books, chant

Hare Krsna. Two things are there. Take advantage, any one of them, and

be liberated.

Thank you very much. (end)

741122SB.BOM                   Lectures

.. Therefore Bhagavad-gita is the

preliminary study of spiritual life. If you can understand

Bhagavad-gita, then you can begin Srimad-Bhagavatam. If you have not

understood Bhagavad-gita, it is useless. You cannot understand

Srimad-Bhagavatam.

Just like Bhagavad-gita ends with the assertion of the Lord:

sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja. Sarva-dharman. We

have created so many dharmas. But dharma cannot be so many. Dharma is

one. Or religious system… What is that, religious system? The all

religious system, the author of religion, author of religion… Just

like author of law is government, similarly author of religion is God,

Krsna. Dharmam tu saksad bhagavat-pranitam. You cannot manufacture

dharma, just like you cannot manufacture law at your home. That will

be not feasible. That will be not useful for anyone. You can make

thousands of laws: “I think this should be done…” That is the

fashion now. Everyone thinks in his own way. That is not philosophy.

That is not law: “I think…” “We think…” No. You cannot think. What

is your value? You are imperfect. Your senses are imperfect. How you

can think perfect things? No, that is not possible. Therefore we have

to…You have to take knowledge from the tattva-darsi, one who has seen the

truth. Otherwise, you’ll be frustrated. Similarly religion. Religion

you cannot manufacture: “This is our religion. This is this religion,

that religion, that religion.” So that is not religion. Religion is

this: sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja. Mayy ananyena

bhavena bhaktim. This is religion. Anything else, that is cheating.

That is not religion.

Therefore if one can understand Bhagavad-gita perfectly and he

takes to this system of religion, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam

saranam vraja, then he can understand Srimad-Bhagavatam. Because where

Bhagavad-gita is ended, Srimad-Bhagavatam begins from that point.

741122SB.BOM                   Lectures

.. Just like in Bengal, C.R.Das, he had fifty thousand rupees’

income in those days, and he gave up everything and joined Gandhi’s

movement. He died within one year, because he could not tolerate. So

without spiritual engagement, one cannot give up this material

engagement. That is the real fact. One must… Tyaktva turnam

asesa-mandala-pati… They gave up this material enjoyment. That’s all

right. How they lived? Gopi-bhava-rasamrtabdhi-lahari-kallola-magnau

muhuh. They dipped into the ocean of the transcendental loving affairs

of the gopis with Krsna. That was their asset. Therefore they lived

very peacefully and very happily.

So we have to… We, we cannot simply give up. As it is said that

tyakta-karmanah, give up everyone, engagement, and

tyakta-svajana-bandhavah,… You’ll become mad if you give up all

these things, unless you have got staunch faith in Krsna. Then you

cannot give up. It is not possible. Param drstva nivartate. If you

find Krsna’s association is so nice, then you can very easily give up

your opulent position, svajana, bandhavah, family, business and

everything. If you… That requires sadhu-sanga, sadhu-sanga, to

associate with sadhu, devotees. Then you can develop such thing when

day will come you’ll be able to give up everything and you become

liberated person, quite fit for going back to home, back to Godhead.

Unless you are completely free… If you have got a tinge of

attachment for material enjoyment, Krsna will give you chance: “All

right, you enjoy. You enjoy, to the fullest extent.” Because we have

come to this material world for enjoying sense gratification.

741123SB.BOM                   Lectures

Generally, people, they are suffering. There is nobody in the

world, those who are materially engaged, can say boldly that “I am not

suffering.” Is there anybody? I challenge anyone. Can anyone say that

“I am not suffering”? So everyone must be suffering. Now, why these

Anacin tablets are advertised, “pain-killer”? Because they are

suffering. And not in this country, but in the Western countries,

America, one takes at least one dozen tablet daily for mitigating

suffering–tranquilizer, this, that, so many. They are advertised, and

they take. At last, for sleeping. Because they are more advanced. We

are less advanced; therefore we are satisfied only one tablet, Anacin.

(laughter) But they are not satisfied with one tablet. They have

dozens of tablet. I have seen it. It is advertised in the subway

trains. So many tablets are advertised. Suffering must be there.

Anyone who has got this material body has accepted suffering. That’s a

fact. But foolish people, they cannot understand. He thinks, “I am got

very fatty and beautiful body.” He is satisfied…

So one has to… Tapanti vividhas tapah. Vividhah, multi. Vividhah

means many. Tapanti vividhas tapa na etan mad-gata-cetasah. Those who

are Krsna conscious, they… We cannot say that they are not

suffering. They are suffering, but no so acutely. They know. Therefore

we have begun this sadhu’s symptoms, titiksavah, tolerant. Everyone is

tolerant. One has to tolerate. But a sadhu’s toleration and ordinary

man’s toleration is different. Sadhu’s toleration is not so acute

because a sadhu knows that he is not this body. There is a Bengali

Vaisnava song, deha-smrti nahi yara, samsara-bandhana kahan tara. If

we understand properly that “I am not this body,” then, although there

is suffering, you will not feel very much, although we are now

absorbed with this body, bodily sufferings are there. Just like the

example that you have got a car, and there is some accident. So one

who is too much absorbed with the thought that “This is my car” or “I

am car,” he suffers more. But if one knows that “I am not this car.

All right, there is some accident. It can be repaired or it can be…

That doesn’t matter.” It is a question of absorption of the thought.

741123SB.BOM                   Lectures

So this devotional service, this line of action, is so nice that if

we practice, if we make advance, then even in this material world,

staying, there will be no more suffering. That is called jivan mukta.

Jivan mukta means although he is in this body, but he is not suffering

the bodily miserable condition. It is a question of (sic:) absorption

of thought. I have read in some paper that Mr. Stalin, the communist

leader, he had to undergo a surgical operation of operating on the

belly. But doctor wanted to, what is called, chloroform, but he said,

“No, there is no need. You can go on with your operation.” So even in

ordinary life it is possible. Because the mind is absorbed in a

different way, even a surgical operation does not disturb a man.

Similarly, what to speak of spiritual life, if your mind is always

absorbed in Krsna thought, Krsna consciousness… That is stated

mad-gata-cetasah, always thinking of Krsna. And Krsna advises also.

What is His advice? Man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru:

“You always think of Me.”

►741124SB.BOM                  Lectures

This was the beginning, how to become uncontaminated. We have got some

attachment to the material modes of nature. That is the cause of our

bondage. Now, if we want to be free from this bondage, uncontaminated,

then the same attachment should be transferred to the sadhu. Sa eva

sadhusu krtah, the same attachment. Everyone has got attachment.

Nobody is free of attachment. The Mayavadi philosophy, they say that

“Stop this attachment.” The Buddha philosophy says that “Make this

attachment zero.” This is also a little advancement, but it is not

possible to make our attachment zero. That is not possible. Therefore

Bhagavan says in the Bhagavad…, param drstva nivartate. Just like a

child has got attachment for playing, and gradually, his attachment

should be transferred for reading, going to school, education. But if

you stop his attachment, then he will become mad. You must give

something. Param drstva nivartate. Just like we … given up

meat-eating. So you must give something more palatable. Then

detachment will be possible. First of all nullify the attachment, and

then give him better attachment. Then he will forget. Param drstva

nivartate. You cannot force a living entity by force. Gradually… The

same example: a child has got attachment, but by some system, its

attachment is turned over.

   So similarly, our consciousness is there. Somehow or other, it is

now contaminated. So gradually, this contaminated consciousness has to

be purified, and then Krsna consciousness automatically will arise,

will be awakened, because the Krsna consciousness is original

consciousness. Somehow or other, it is now covered by material

attachment. So how to give up this material attachment and become

attached to Krsna, developing Krsna attachment? The process is

sadhu-sanga..

741124SB.BOM                   Lectures

There is an instance

during Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s time. Devotees from Bengal were going to

see Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and on the way a dog also began to follow

them. So the leader of the party, Sivananda Sena, he was also giving

food, prasadam, to the dog, and they had to cross one river, and the

boatman would not take the dog. Sivananda Sena paid him some more

money, that “You take the dog.” This is Vaisnava, that “This dog has

taken our company. He is going with us. How I can leave him behind?”

So he paid more money: “Please take this dog.” This is called suhrdah

sarva-dehinam. And the dog was emancipated. He went to Caitanya

Mahaprabhu, and he was sitting as dog, and Caitanya Mahaprabhu was

eating something and throwing it to the dog. In this way, the dog got

Vaikuntha. This is Krsna consciousness movement, that this

consciousness, this sympathy for everyone, can dispatch even a dog to

Vaikuntha. Suhrdah sarva-dehinam.

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