SB classes vol 9
NoD 7 Hearing and speaking Srimad-Bhagavatam is the religious process which elevates one to the platform of serving and loving the Supreme Personality of Godhead.”
750628SB.DEN Lectures 227240/530501 atah sri-krsna-namadi na bhaved grahyam indriyaih sevonmukhe hi jihvadau svayam eva sphuraty adah
Krsna, His name, His fame, His attributes, His activities… Sri-krsna-namadi na bhaved… Namadi means “beginning from the holy name.” So not possible… So if we keep ourself on the material platform, then for thousand years we may chant, it will be difficult. That is called namaparadha. Of course, holy name is so powerful that even by chanting with offense, gradually he becomes pure. Therefore we should not give up chanting. Any circumstances, we should go on chanting Hare Krsna. But the warning is that if we keep us on the material platform, then it will be not possible to understand Krsna, His holy name, His attribute, His form, His activities. It will not be possible.
760108SB.NEL Lectures 227271/530501 inquired from Arjuna, “What you have decided?” Arjuna replied, nasto mohah smrtir labdha karisye vacanam tava: “Now I am quite in knowledge. I shall execute Your order.” This is mukti. When we are prepared to execute the order of Krsna, that is the platform of mukti. Therefore it is said, kecit kevalaya bhaktya vasudeva-parayanah. Simply by executing the order of Vasudeva one becomes mukta. Just like master and servant. If the servant executes the order of the master, he is faultless. If the servant declines to execute the order of the master, however qualified he may be, he is useless. So therefore it is said, kevalaya bhaktya: “without any contamination, simply ready to execute the order of Krsna, or Vasudeva.” Therefore it is called vasudeva-parayana. Therefore it is, in the Bhagavad-gita it is confirmed, bahunam janmanam ante jnanavan mam prapadyate: “After many, many births of struggling, when one is actually jnanavan, wise, he surrenders unto Me.” So either you become karmi, jnani, or yogi, you are not mukta. Mukta means, I have already defined, mukti hitva anyatha rupam sva-rupena avasthiti. When you stay in your own original position to execute the order of Krsna, that is mukti.
760515SB.HON Lectures 227289/530501 he is liberated. One who has this fixed-up mind, that “How I shall render service to Krsna?” and if he tries his best, then he becomes immediately mukta unless he changes his decision. That is… Every time is possible. Even one is mukta, liberated, he can be also fallen down unless he is very strong in his determination. Maya is always there. Daivi hy esa gunamayi mama maya duratyaya. But if one is determined that “I shall stick to the service of Krsna,” maya will not touch. That is kevala bhakti. If sometimes it appears that he has deviated out of past habit, that is excused. Api cet suduracaro bhajate mam ananya-bhak, sadhur eva sa mantavyah. But not intentional. We should not fall down and deviate from our path of devotional service intentionally. That will not… That is very great criminality. We must try our best, kevalaya bhaktya.
760515SB.HON Lectures 227299/530501 So this is the only way. Otherwise in this age severe austerity, tapasya, celibacy, charity, and so on, recommended. Tyagena satya-saucabhyam yamena niyamena va. These are the methods, gradual process of transcendental life. But in this age, especially in this Kali-yuga, it is very, very difficult, almost impossible. So best thing is take to this Krsna consciousness, kevalaya bhaktya, simply this understanding, that “Krsna is my eternal master; I am Krsna’s eternal servant. So let us exchange our feelings of master and servant. Then I shall be perfect.” Thank you very much. (end)
760516SB.HON Lectures 227325/530501 The whole idea is that we are in this material world. That is miserable. Under the spell of illusion, we are thinking we are very happy. They do not know is actually happiness. What is happiness? But there is no argument for these rascals. They are thinking they are very happy. That is maya’s praksepatmika-sakti, covering energy. Just like you are seeing a hog eating stool, but he is thinking that he’s very happy. But you are seeing, “Oh, what abominable life. He’s eating stool.” So this is the position. Those who are advanced in civilization, for them eating of stool is unthinkable. But for the hogs and dogs, it is very palatable. This is the difference. Just like we are recommending, “No illicit sex, no meat-eating, no intoxication, no gambling.” So somebody is thinking, “Then what remains to enjoy? Everything is finished. Life is finished.” So according to different grades of person, the taste is also different. You cannot expect that the taste will be the same. “One man’s food, another man’s poison.” This is an English proverb. One man’s food is another man’s poison. Therefore the society is divided. That is scientific method, class. Catur-varnyam maya srstam guna-karma-vibhagasah. That is God’s creation, four classes, men. And the fifth class is almost rejected. Up to fourth class. First class, second class, third class, fourth class. And below fourth class, from fifth class, they are not human being. So taste of different classes are different. But one thing is that in whichever class we may belong, if you take to Krsna consciousness, then you’ll become one. People are wanting unity. There is United Nation organization, but so long we keep ourself on the material platform there cannot be unity. That is not possible. Only in the spiritual platform there can be unity.
750701SB.DEN Lectures 227383/530501 Ivapagah. So here is one significant word, sura-kumbham. Everything is washed very nicely. If you go to the river, you can wash very nicely. But just see how much infectious is liquor that the any pot or any bottle which was filled up with liquor, they cannot be purified. This is Vedic civilization. How much condemned is liquor! Because a pot was filled up with liquor, you cannot use it for any other purpose. It is lost. Even if you wash it very nicely, no, it will not be accepted. Finished. Similarly, there are many processes of purification; they cannot be as useful as bhagavad-bhakti. Bhagavad-bhakti is so nice that Krsna says that “You surrender to Me,” sarva-dharman parityajya, “and immediately you become immune from all reaction of sinful activity, immediately.”
dharmah svanusthitah pumsam visvaksena-kathasu yah notpadayed yadi ratim srama eva hi kevalam
So there are different varieties of religious system, but if you execute your particular type of religious system very perfectly but the result, if you do not become attached to Krsna, your love for Krsna is not awakened, then simply by performing such ritualistic ceremony or rules and regulation of your religious system, if you do not become develop yourself to love God, then it is all useless waste of time. It has no meaning. That is the test, how to become, how to advance in loving service of the Lord. That is the… Then you are religious, you are philosopher, you are great man, you are everything. Otherwise, if you do not awaken your dormant love for Krsna, or God, then all such labor is useless. Srama eva hi kevalam.
750701SB.DEN Lectures 227390/530501 or other. Do anything, but you remember Krsna. That is the instruction in the Bhagavad-gita also. Yudhyasva mam anusmara: “You fight; at the same time, you remember Me.” “How it is possible? I am busy, and I have to remember Krsna?” Sometimes this argument is put forward. But that argument is not strong. Rupa Gosvami has given a very nice example that a woman, if she is attached to some man and she has a fixed up time to meet the man at some place or at some hour, so she may be engaged in household affairs very busily, but she is expecting, “When that hour will come?” This is very factual example. The mind is there, “When that meeting will take place?” Similarly, you can remember Krsna. The… It is a crude example, but it is possible that you be busy in so many ways, but at the same time you can remember Krsna. That is wanted. That is Krsna conscious. We have no objection. You do business, you do this, you do that. But if you can always remember Krsna, then your life is successful. It doesn’t matter. Yena tena prakarena manah krsne nivesayet. And if you remember always Krsna, that means you are becoming purified. You are purified immediately.
750701SB.DEN Lectures 227394/530501 rules and regulation. And another complaint I was hearing that we are not taking prasadam, especially the grhasthas. No. That is not good. You should take prasadam. Krsna baro doyamoy, koribare jihwa jay, swa-prasad-anna dilo bhai, sei annamrta pao, radha-krsna-guna gao, preme dako caitanya-nitai. Krsna baro doya… Our tongue is the greatest enemy. Ta ‘ra madhye jihwa ati, lobhamoy sudurmati. The tongue is the greatest enemy, and if you can control the tongue, then you can control all the senses. Otherwise tongue will dictate, “Give me this kind of food, give me this kind of food.” And if you don’t take prasadam in the temple, then our tongue will dictate, “Now you can prepare some nice food. Let us take it.” That will not help us in our Krsna consciousness. Whatever Krsna…, krsna baro doyamoy, koribare jihwa jay. Krsna-prasada means to control the tongue. Our main enemy is the tongue. In another place it is said, sevonmukhe hi jihvadau svayam eva sphuraty adah: “God realization becomes by keeping the tongue engaged in the service of the Lord.” Sevonmukhe hi jihvadau. The tongue has to be first of all engaged, not the hands and legs. “I have to serve Krsna. So yes, I am ready. I am expanding my hands. I am going there.” But sastra says, “No, no, no. Not your hands and legs but your tongue. This is the one. First of all engage your tongue.” This is astonish: “How can I serve with tongue? If I have to serve, I have got my hands and legs, my eyes and I…” No. Sastra says tongue. This is very peculiar. Sevonmukhe hi jihvadau svayam eva sphuraty adah. If you engage your tongue… So how to engage my tongue? What is the business of my tongue? Two business only: to taste, or eat, and chant. Chant Hare Krsna with tongue and take krsna-prasadam–you will conquer Krsna. This is the program. Sevonmukhe hi jihvadau. So if you do not control your tongue, if you feel inconvenient in taking prasadam, that means you are not making progress. This is the… This is the formula. Sevonmukhe hi jihvadau svayam eva sphuraty adah. So in our other branches, all the devotees, they take together prasadam. That is nice. Why one should be not liking to take prasadam in the temple? What is the fault? No, this is not good. We should… Everyone should take prasadam. You see still if you go to Jagannatha Puri. Even outsiders who go there, they do not cook. Strictly, they do not cook. They purchase prasadam. And if you go there, one thousand men–because there are pilgrims, they are coming, there is no–you will get immediately ready prasadam, purchased from the the market, the Jagannatha Puri, still. And there is no such thing as infection. I am taking your prasadam remnants. Whatever you left, I am… He is taking. Even if you are outcaste, if you are not brahmana, still there is. Because prasada is transcendental. It is not material thing. So one must have faith that it is not material. It cannot be infected by any material things. In this way prasada should be taken. It is called prasada-seva, not “prasada enjoyment.” Seva means giving service. Prasada is as good as Krsna; therefore prasada should be respected as good as Krsna. As soon as one gets prasadam, immediately he touches on the head because it is Krsna, absolute. In this way we have to be trained up as it is prescribed in the sastras. So those who are attached to Krsna consciousness movement and those who are attached to the service, they should take prasadam, first-class prasadam. Everyone likes the taste of the prasadam. I used to go in my household life to take prasadam in the temples and pay them. I used to do that. And I used to go… Especially in Sri Ramapur, there are two temples, one of Jagannatha and one of Radha-Vallabhaji. So it was very nice. On Sunday I used to go to take prasadam. So you should be habituated to prasadam as far as possible unless you are very sick, you cannot take. That is different. Otherwise you should take it. Sevonmukhe hi jihvadau. Then we will remember Krsna, and that will keep us fit and immune from all infection of material miserable condition.
760518SB.HON Lectures 227403/530501 ayam loke panthah ksemo ‘kuto-bhayah. First of all we are so ignorant that we do not know what is the aim of life. The modern education, modern civilization, they are so much misled that they do not know what is the aim of… Ask anybody, very learned scholar, scientist, philosopher, or medical man, engineer, lawyer, that “What is the aim of life?” Nobody knows. They think aim of life–eat, drink, be merry, and enjoy, that’s all. This is aim of life. So that is not the aim of life. That eat, drink, be merry and enjoy, that is being done by the cats and dogs and hogs. So do you mean to say that this human form of life is also meant for that purpose? No. Human life is meant for understanding “What I am? What is God? What is relationship with God? Why I am here in this material world? Why I am suffering?” These are the questions for human life. Eating, sleeping, mating, that is wanted because we have got this body. So suppose there is car and a driver. So the petrol and grease, these things are required for the car. But you cannot eat petrol and grease and live. That is not possible. You have to eat something else. So we are thinking that the bodily necessities, petrol and grease, is my food(?). That is the mistake. So therefore they do not know what is the aim of life, and the nature’s law is, unless you come to the point of understanding what is the aim of life, the nature will go on punishing you in so many ways. Little mistake, you’ll be punished. Daivi hy esa gunamayi mama maya duratyaya. We have come to this material world, disobeying the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So just like police: as soon as you become outlaw, the police will take you and the police will go on punishing you unless you become lawful. This is the… So without understanding “Why I am put into the jail?” if I simply think that “It is all right. Let me remain here and suffer the punishment,” jail life is not for happiness. That is, everyone knows. Jail life is for punishment. Similarly, in this material world everything is punishment, but by the illusory energy you are thinking, “This is all right.” Every step there is punishment. Just study your life or my life. What is that? That beginning from the womb of my mother, when the body is formed, the soul, spirit soul, is injected in the womb of the woman, and then the formation of the body takes place. So the body grows. And now imagine when we are in the womb of the mother, how much difficult position packed up in a bag, airtight bag. If we, at the present moment, if I put into some airtight condition, within three minutes I shall die. Within three minutes. But similarly, just like packed the child remains within the womb of the mother. It is very, very painful. But by the grace of God he lives. He lives. Otherwise it is suffocating. Just imagine if you are put in a airtight box, tied up, hands and legs. How long you can live? So we remain in that condition, unconscious stage. Then, when the body is formed, we get our consciousness. Therefore at the age when the child is seven years, er, seven months old, it moves because he feels the pains. So in this way we have to remain within the womb of the mother. And when the body is formed, time is right, then by nature’s way the child comes out. But he forgets that “I was in such condition. Now I am relieved.” But he forgets. The mother or the father or the relative takes him. Bhaktivinoda Thakura has sung these different conditions. So we forget. That is spell of maya. Then, even in this childhood, there are so many pains. Just like our… Here are children. They are crying. There is some pain. But we cannot understand what is the pain. Suppose some bug is biting. He’s crying and mother is thinking that “He is hungry, so he’s not stopping. So just…” Our point is: just try to study this life, how much painful it is. This is the human body and what to speak of the dog’s body, cat’s body? You study very minutely. You’ll find, from the beginning of my life in the womb of my mother up to the death point, simply miseries. Simply miseries.
700115SB.LA Lectures 227414/530501 Maya has got two things: avaranatmika and praksepatmika. Avaranatmika means just like a dog or a hog, he is in a, encaged in a body, eating stool, living in a very filthy place, but still, the hog is feeling himself that he is happy, he’s happy. This is called avaranatmika-sakti. Any abominable condition we may live, but maya will cover our intelligence and we will think that we are living very nice. This is called avaranatmika-sakti. Otherwise he cannot live. If an animal or a dog or hog thinks that he’s in most abominable condition of life, then he cannot live. But he enjoys. A dog is chained up by the master, but he thinks that he’s very happy. He does not think that “I am completely dependent and I am chained up. I have no independence, I cannot freely move.” Even his chain is taken away, he wants to be chained. This is maya. In any condition of life, everyone thinks that he’s happy. But actually he does not know what is happiness. This is called maya.
700115SB.LA Lectures 227419/530501 So literatures also, there are different kinds of literature. For the crowlike men there are different kinds of literature. And for the swanlike men there are different kinds of literature. So swanlike men…, swan means hamsa. From nature’s study you can see. The swans, they have got a special qualification. What is that? If you give a swan milk mixed with water, the swan will take out only the milk portion, and the water portion will remain. That means those who are swanlike men, they take the essence, not the adulteration. Similarly, there are elevated persons who are also called paramahamsa. Paramahamsa. The same example of the hamsa, swan. Paramahamsa means they are interested with the essence of this world, not with the adulteration. What is the adulteration? The adulteration is matter and the essence is spirit. Just like this body. What is this body? This … So we have to utilize. The paramahamsa means they take the essence. What is the essence of this body? The essence of this body is the spirit soul. So one should try to understand what is science of that spirit soul. They are not interested with the adulteration. Just like the example is given: the swan. The swan takes out the active principle. The swans, they live in a very nice place where there is very clear water, nice garden, nice fruits, flowers, birds chirping. You will find, these white swans are there. When I was in London I saw there was a, there is a nice Regent Park. There are many swans. The park is mostly flower, rose flower, nice park. So they are living there. And the crows, where they live? They’ll go where you throw away all nasty things. They will go and enjoy there. You see, the crows. Why? Why the crows does not do like the swans, and the white swans do not do like these crows? These are the different qualities. The whole world is moving in different qualities. Therefore the quality of goodness, that has to be acquired in human form of life. This temple is meant for the persons who are in the quality of goodness, those who are after the essence of the world–paramahamsa. And this, our Krsna consciousness movement is also meant for the paramahamsas. Not for the crowslike men but swanslike men, those who are white swans, trying to live in a very nice place, clear water, nice tree, nice fruits.
… So this Krsna consciousness movement is trying to create a population of paramahamsa. That is our propaganda. We are not trying to create a class of men like crows or cats and dogs, but like the hamsas. Of course, it is very difficult. When you try to create some M.A., pass boys and girls, their number will be very little. Because anything valuable, the customer is very little. If you want to sell jewel, in the jewelry shop hardly you will find one customer in a day, or two customer in a day. But in a beef shop or a meat shop you will find hundreds of… You see? So as soon as a thing is valuable, the number of customer will be less. So don’t consider the quality of the good by estimation of the number of customers. The customer may be very little, but you should try to understand what is the quality of …this morning we had ceremony, initiation. The second ceremony will be for offering sacred thread. So one who has got this sacred thread, he is called dvijah, twice-born. Twice-born. Once born by the father and mother, and the next birth is given by the spiritual master and Vedic literature. Vedic literature is the mother and the spiritual master is the father. As in every birth the necessity of father and mother is there, similarly, in this birth also, spiritual rebirth, there is necessity of mother and father. The mother is this Vedic knowledge, and the father is the spiritual master. …also. So this man, Ajamila, contacted a prostitute. Dasi-patih ajamilah namna nasta-sadacarah dasyah samsarga-dusitah. And because, although he was born in a nice family, he contacted the association of a prostitute, his sadacarah, his well-behaved life, became lost. Well-behaved life… Sadacarah and duracarah. Sadacarah means those who are following the regulative principles, they are called sadacarah. And those who are not following the regulative principles, they are called duracarah. So here it is said that dasyah samsarga-dusitah. Being contaminated by the association of the prostitute, he lost his life of well behavior. And what is that? How did he lose his well behavior? Bandy-aksaih kaitavais cauryair garhitam vrttim asthitah. He accepted the profession of cheating, gambling. Bandy-aksaih kaitavais. Stealing, cauryaih, and garhitam vrttim. Those are condemned profession. Now these condemned professions have become ordinary profession in the civilized society, but according to the Vedic civilization, these things are condemned things. Cheating or gambling, cheating and speaking lie, bandy-aksaih kaitavais. And stealing. These are condemned profession. But he adopted all these things because he was associated with a woman for illicit sex. So illicit sex is so bad thing. This is the example. If we indulge in illicit sex life, then we won’t care for all these abominable actions. That was the example by Ajamila. We shall come to understand later on that he was married, but he left his legal wife, and he contacted a prostitute, and the association of this prostitute, he became a thief, a cheater, a gambler, a liar and so many nice things simply for maintaining the family. So we shall not take much of your time. This is a long story. We shall narrate again next week. Please come. Thank you very much. (end)
760519SB.HON Lectures 227500/530501 instruction is also absolute, Krsna’s pastimes absolute. Everything. That is Absolute Truth. There is no difference. In the material world the name and the thing is different. Suppose here is mango, so mango is the thing and mango is the name. So if I simply say “Mango, mango, mango,” there is no mango. There must be the thing, mango. That is duality. This is the world of duality. Absolute means the name mango and the mango thing is the same. Otherwise what is the… If they’re different, then what is the use of chanting Krsna? Krsna chanting means Krsna, this word, and Krsna the person, the same. Therefore by constant chanting means constantly associating with Krsna. Then we are becoming purified. Purified.
700115SB.LA Lectures 227425/530501 for offering sacred thread. So one who has got this sacred thread, he is called dvijah, twice-born. Twice-born. Once born by the father and mother, and the next birth is given by the spiritual master and Vedic literature. Vedic literature is the mother and the spiritual master is the father. As in every birth the necessity of father and mother is there, similarly, in this birth also, spiritual rebirth, there is necessity of mother and father. The mother is this Vedic knowledge, and the father is the spiritual master.
750704SB.CHI Lectures 227540/530501 Deity. This was still going on. Even one is very low in mentality, still, if he is challenged that “You are talking this false. Now speak before the Deity,” he will hesitate, “No.” This is India still. You cannot speak lies before the Deity. That is offense. Don’t consider that Deity is a marble statue. No. Svayam bhagavan. Just like Caitanya Mahaprabhu. As soon as He saw Jagannatha Deity, He immediately fainted. “Oh, here is My Lord.” Not like us: “Oh, here is some statue.” No. It is the question of appreciation. So you appreciate or not appreciate, the Deity is the Supreme Personality of Godhead personally. We should always remember. So we shall be very careful before the Deity, not to commit offense. In serving Him, in offering Him prasadam, in dressing Him, we should always think, “Here is personally Krsna.” He is personally, but due to our lack of knowledge, we cannot understand it.
750704SB.CHI Lectures 227542/530501 passion and ignorance, the ignorance and passion are base quality, and goodness is first-class quality. So the human life means we are born either in the base qualities… Nobody is born in the first-class quality. One who is born in this material world… May be somebody has taken his birth in the mode of goodness, but very rare. But maybe. Mostly they are born in the base qualities, ignorance and passion. But the sastras are there. Anyone can be raised to the first-class quality by training. That is human civilization.
janmana jayate sudrah samskarad bhaved divjah veda-pathad bhaved vipro brahma janatiti brahmanah
This is the process. When you take your birth, that birth is not significant–a sudra, fourth-class man. Everyone is born fourth-class man. So if you keep them fourth class and degrade them into fifth class, sixth class, then how there will be peace? How there will be peace? Therefore in your country, in America, they are now perplexed, “Crime, Why and What to Do?” Because you kept them fourth class, and they are going down to be fifth class, sixth class, how you can expect peace? It is not possible. If you do not elevate them… He is already born sudra, janmana jayate sudrah. Now you have to reform him. Samskarat. Samskara means reforming. You are born sudra. You are inclined to do something, so many things–intoxication, illicit sex and drinking and gambling and meat-eating. These are all sudra qualities or less than that. Sudras also, they abide by the Vedic orders. Sudras also do not do whimsically whatever he likes. Sudras, they are taken among the, in the Vedic society… Because sudras also, they are last class, fourth class, they are eager to follow the orders or the orderly things as given by the brahmanas. Therefore sudras, up to sudras, accepted as bona fide classification. And below the sudras, they are called candalas, candalas, fifth grade. They are also mentioned, kirata-hunandhra-pulinda-pulkasah. Everything is analyzed. So human civilization should be to raise the fourth-class man to the first-class man. That is human civilization. But there is no idea who is first-class man. Everyone is a drunkard, everyone is illicit sex hunter, and everyone is gambler, and everyone is meat-eater. Where is first-class man? There is no first-class man. All fourth-class man. And they are being taught simply how to manufacture big, big skyscraper, and every year, new model of car. Is that civilization? That is not civilization. You may be advanced in technology. So technology means technician. Suppose a man knows how to work in electricity, in so many things. Does it mean he is a learned man? No. Learned, first-class man, that is given in the Bhagavad-gita: samo damah satyam sucis titiksa arjavam jnanam, vijnanam astikyam brahma-karma svabhava-jam. These are the first class. There is nothing mentioned that “electrician” or a “motor mechanics” and a… (laughter) So you are misled. Therefore you are facing this crisis, that “Crimes, and Why and What to Do?” So unless you take to Krsna consciousness, how to create first-class man, you are doomed. You must know this. Therefore, those who have taken to Krsna consciousness, it is my request that you help your countrymen how to become… At least, there must be a section of men first-class so that people will see. They are appreciating. I know that. When I was going from Los Angeles
… So one Ajamila was delivered by chanting Narayana’s name, you can deliver many millions of Ajamila. The process is the same. The process has not changed. Therefore he is quoting that itihasam atra codaharanti imam itihasam puratanam. It is spiritual. It is not that now the mode has changed. No. What was potent millions of years ago, that is potent still. That is spiritual. It does not change. Therefore it is said, itihasam puratanam. Although it is very old, but the effect is the same, effect is the same. In the old times people used to eat and get satisfaction; the same satisfaction is now also.
760520SB.HON Lectures 227556/530501 duhkhalayam asasvatam. Duhkha means unhappiness; alayam means place. Duhkhalayam asasvatam. That is also temporary. Duhkhalayam asasvatam, napnuvanti mahatmanam samsiddhim paramam gatah. So this is place of duhkhalayam. Any commonsense man can understand that Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita… You may challenge, “Where is the unhappiness? We are very happy.” Madmen. Krsna points out, “No, it is not place of happiness.” Why it is not place of happiness? Now, janma-mrtyu-jara vyadhi-duhkha-dosanudarsanam. Why don’t you see the real unhappiness? This is real duhkha, or unhappiness. What is that? Janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi. You have to die. You have to take birth within the womb with so much risk that even your mother can kill you. Is it very happiness? At the present moment the mother… When the child sleeps very peacefully, that “I am on the lap of my mother,” now the time has come when the mother is killing the child. So is it very happiness place? That you cannot trust even your mother, what to speak of others. The time has come, degraded, that… Naturally a child, he thinks, “I am safe now with my mother.” But the Kali-yuga is so cruel that even with mother you are not safe. And still you say it is a place of happiness? This is called illusion. It is not place.
760521SB.HON Lectures 227596/530501 practical. Simply theoretical knowledge, no practical application–he is not brahmana. Therefore Krsna said, guna-karma. Only guna is not good. Guna and karma. Karma means some act. Suppose you are initiated as a brahmana. That is not finish, that “Now I am initiated. I have got sacred thread. I can do all nonsense thing.” No. You must act as a brahmana. Then you are brahmana. You always remember that. They are criticizing in India that I am giving a brahmana’s position to these mlecchas and yavanas. You should be very careful so that we may not be subjected to criticism. If there are so many foreign brahmanas in India and I am making brahmana in the Western countries, if they are still fallen, then what is this attempt? My attempt is futile. So kindly be responsible, those who are second initiated. If you fall down, then the whole movement becomes false. That is happening. So kindly rectify if that is happening, that guna-karma. You must acquire the qualities and must act accordingly. That is practical. Suppose one man is educated as medical man, but after taking his degrees he is playing football. So will anybody call him a medical man? He might have the qualification, medical qualification, but because he is not practicing as medical man he is useless. That is the sastra injunction. Yady anyatrapi drsyeta tat tenaiva vinirdiset. If one has acquired some quality but he practices differently, then he should be called by the name of that practice. A medical man, after passing medical examination–I am giving you crude example–if he is, he becomes a football player, then he will be called a football player, not a medical man. These are the sastric injunction.
760521SB.HON Lectures 227599/530501 The Vedic civilization, the brahmanas, they used to live in the forest, and the king would offer them some cows. So they will draw some milk. And in the forest there are fruits, so they will eat fruits and milk. And if the disciples go to the village, beg some food grain, then sometimes they cook some food grains. Otherwise the brahmanas used to live in the forest, drink milk and take fruit. That is sufficient. There was no need of jumping here and there. Anywhere you keep cows. And what cows to maintain? No expenditure. The fruits? The skin thrown away, and the cow will eat. And in exchange it will give you nice foodstuff, milk. Or it will eat in the grazing ground, some grass. So there is no expenditure of keeping cows, but you get the best food in the world. The proof is that the child born simply can live on milk. That is the proof. So anyone can live only on milk. If you have got the opportunity to drink one pound milk maximum, not very much–half-pound is sufficient; suppose one pound–then you don’t require any other foodstuff. Only this cow’s milk will help you. It is so nice. And it gives very nice brain, not pig’s brain. So it is so important thing. Other…, why Krsna says go-raksya? He did not say that “pig-raksya.” No. “Dog-raksya.” No. Now they are interested in dog-raksya instead of cow-raksya. This is the civilization. They’ll spend millions of dollars for dog, not for cow. So this kind of civilization will not bring any peace and prosperity. You have to take Krsna’s civilization if you want actually… That is human civilization. That is stated in the …Bhagavad-gita:
bhoktaram yajna-tapasam sarva-loka-mahesvaram suhrdam sarva-bhutanam jnatva mam santim rcchati
If you actually want santi, peace, then you try to understand only three things. What is that? Sarva-loka-mahesvaram: Krsna is the proprietor of everything. Just like we ask every day, “Who is the proprietor of the sea?” They do not know. Theories. But Krsna said, “I am the proprietor,” sarva-loka-mahesvaram, “not only of this sea.” This Pacific Ocean is only one, insignificant. There are millions of Pacific Ocean flying in the sky. So who is the proprietor? Sarva-loka-mahesvaram. Krsna says, “I am.” You are not proprietor. There must be some proprietor. So who is that proprietor? Krsna says, “I am the proprietor.” You have to know it, whether Krsna is not proprietor. He says, “I am proprietor,” but if you are doubtful, prove that He is not proprietor. But that you cannot do. Or bring another person who can claim like that, that “I am the proprietor.” … So let us (sic:) admission by Caitanya Mahaprabhu: krsnas tu bhagavan svayam. Yare dekha tare kaha krsna-upadesa. Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s, this Krsna consciousness movement propagana, what is this propaganda? He says that “Every one of you become guru.” He wants not rascal imitation guru but real guru. That He wants. Because people are in darkness, we require many millions of gurus to enlighten them. Therefore Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s mission is, He said, that “Every one of you become guru.” Amara ajnaya guru haya tara ei desa. You haven’t got to go foreign countries. Wherever you are, you teach; become guru. It doesn’t matter. Ei desa. He says, ei desa. If you have got power, you can go other country, but it doesn’t require. In whichever village, whichever country or town you are, you become a guru. This is Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s mission. Amara ajnaya guru haya tara ei desa. “This country, this place.” So, “But I have no qualification. How can I become guru?” There is no need of qualification. “Still I can become guru?” Yes. “How?” Yare dekha tare kaha krsna-upadesa: “Whomever you meet, you simply instruct what Krsna has said. That’s all. You become guru.” Everyone is very anxious to become guru, but rascal does not know how to become guru, a simple thing. So many gurus come from India in this country, all rascal, but they will not speak what Krsna has instructed. Maybe for the first time this has begun in Krsna consciousness. Otherwise all rascals, they instructed something else, some meditation, this, that, all cheating. Real guru is he who instructs what Krsna has said. It is not that you maufacture your teaching. No. That is Caitanya Mahaprabhu. There is no need of manufacturing. The instruction is already there. You have simply to say, “This is this.” That’s all. Is it very difficult task? Father said, “This is microphone.” A child can say that “Father said this is microphone.” He becomes guru. Where is the difficulty? The authority, father, has said, “This is microphone.” A child only can say, “This is microphone.” So similarly, Krsna says that “I am the Supreme.” So if I say, “Krsna is the Supreme,” where is my difficulty, unless I cheat others to become the Krsna or the Supreme? That is cheating. But if I say the simple truth, that “Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is the proprietor of everything. He is to be worshiped,” then where is my difficulty? So that is our mission. All of you who have come to Krsna consciousness movement, that is our request, that you, all of you, become guru but don’t speak nonsense. That is request. Simply speak what Krsna has said. Then you become brahmana. You’ll be guru, and everything. Thank you very much. (end)
750706SB.CHI Lectures 227728/530501 alternate day, not daily. One day starving, and the next day, a little butter. But he was observing his regulative principles, taking thrice daily bath and offering dandavat, what is called? Counting, numerical. Just like we count twenty-five rounds minimum, so Raghunatha dasa Gosvami was also chanting by counting. Similarly, he was offering dandavat. You offer dandavat, the same way. That is also counting. Sankhya-purvaka-nama-gana-natibhih. Sankhya-purvaka, keeping a strength, a numerical strength, just like we are advised at least sixteen rounds. So these things were going on. Not that because he was taking little butter alternate day, he lost his strength. No. The strength was all right. So the fasting means if you don’t feel weak, then you fast. Not that you imitate Raghunatha dasa Gosvami. That is not possible in the beginning. But it is possible if you practice, if you practice. Nidrahara-viharakadi-vijitau catyanta-dinau ca yau sankhya-purvaka-nama-gana-natibhih kalavasani-krtau. So everything is possible. But that is advanced spiritual life. It is no use imitating a higher authority, Haridasa Thakura. Just like he was chanting not sixteen rounds, but 164 rounds. So that is not possible. Gradually, sanaih sanaih, gradually, we have to practice.
750706SB.CHI Lectures 227729/530501 impersonal. Then, as you gradually increase, then Paramatma realization. That is meditation. That is meditation. Dhyanavasthita-tad-gatena manasa pasyanti yam yoginah. The yogis, by meditation, they observe the Supreme Personality of Godhead Visnu within the heart. That is yoga system perfection. And above that, there is personal realization, Bhagavan. So when you realize the Personality of Godhead, then you become a Vaisnava. This is gradual steps. …dasi-patih, contacted and remained as husband, wife, or friend. So by the contact of this prostitute, the result was nasta-sadacara, he became lost of all gentle activities. Nasta-sadacara. Sadacara means… Sat means gentle, and acara means behavior, gentleman’s behavior. What is that gentleman’s behavior? That we teach, that “You don’t take meat, don’t have illicit sex, no gambling, no intoxication, rise early in the morning, take bath, chant Hare Krsna, attend mangala-aratrika.” These are called sadacara. So on account of his contact with this prostitute, although he was born in a brahmana family and he was reformed up to the point of initiation, he fell a victim. And as soon as he fell victim to that prostitute, nasta-sadacara. Dasyah sam… Why sadacara, why he should lose? Dasyah samsarga-dusitah. Because he is associating with this prostitute, therefore the next sequence is that he should be bereft of all gentle behavior. 750706SB.CHI Lectures 227733/530501 whatever people will give, that’s all right. People used to give brahmana. So pathana-pathana yajana-yajana dana-pratigraha. A brahmana would receive… People were very honest, that “This man is teaching our children. He does not charge. This man is teaching me how to worship, how to become well behaved.” So they have no scarcity, enough. So he would simply use as much as he required; balance he will give in charity. Not that keep in stock for tomorrow. No. That is not brahmana’s business. Whatever is come today, I use it for my necessities of life, and balance, I give to the poor or somebody else, somebody else, somebody…, or make some festival. So pathana-pathana yajana-yajana dana-pratigraha. So we require some income for our maintenance. So this was the brahmana’s business. There is no question of doing some business or making some profession or going to the office or going to the factory. This is not brahmana’s business.
result. As you reap so you…, as you sow, so you reap. Therefore this movement is specially meant for making first-class, second-class men at least. Or even third class, fourth class. But what is this? You are producing sixth-class, seventh-class, tenth-class men, and you expect that there will be no crime, people will be happy, it will be peaceful? That is not possible. If you want to be happy, peaceful, then you must take this movement, Krsna consciousness, and try to create at least a group of men first class. Just like we are doing that. People will see their behavior, their character, their mode of life, and at least they will be attracted.
750706SB.CHI Lectures 227739/530501 Prabhupada: Anyway, so bandi. Bandi means now especially in the United States, nobody goes out at night. No gentleman goes out at night. In our Brooklyn temple nobody goes out at night. Just see. America is so advanced in civilization, and the result is that one cannot go on a street at night. In India it is so poverty-stricken. Still, even in villages, they are freely moving, man, woman, at dead of night. They know there is no danger. Still, although they are so poverty-stricken now… You will be surprised that in 1942 there was an artificial famine created by the government. People suffered starvation, and poor men, they died out of starvation. But there was no report of stealing. No report. One American gentleman went there, “If this is the condition in our country, there would have been revolution. And these people do not even steal others’ properties, dying starvation.” Lonely man is going. He will arrest him, “Give me whatever you have got. Otherwise I will kill you.” So this is bandi.
760522S2.HON Lectures 227752/530501 So this is moral education, and in the sastra it is also said that there are seven mothers:
adau mata guru-patni brahmani raja-patnika dhenur dhatri tatha prthvi saptaita matarah
Real mother and guru-patni, the wife of spiritual master or teacher. Adau mata guru-patni, brahmani, the wife of a brahmana, and raja-patnika, the queen, she is also mother, raja. Dhenu, cow. Dhenu, dhatri, nurse. Dhenur dhatri tatha prthvi, as well as the earth. Earth is mother because she is giving us so many things, fruits, flowers, grains for our eating. Mother gives for eating, cow gives us milk. This is sense. But if one becomes addicted to prostitute hunting then he will be fallen. That is the example. Then he’ll become thief, rascal, cheater, drunkard, and so on, so on, so on.
760522S2.HON Lectures 227760/530501 So we should be very serious. We should not fall down from the standard of Vedic culture. If you are actually serious about stopping this, manah sasthani indriyani prakrti-sthani karsati. This is struggle for existence. In this material world everyone is struggling to survive. But who is surviving? That way, materialistic way of life will not help you to survive. That is prakrteh kriyamanani. Nature is so strong that you must die. “I am very strong.” You may be very strong, that’s all right. There is a, I mean to say, joking story that one man thought how to avoid death–Hiranyakasipu. So he thought that the Yamaraja is the superintendent of death, he comes to take. So I shall make such policy that he may not come to me. What is that policy? “Bring some stool. I shall smear over my body, and out of bad smell he will not come.” So he began to smear stool on his body at the time of death. So this is going on. They are making body very stout and strong so they will survive. Nobody will survive, sir, unless he is Krsna conscious. Thank you very much. 760522SB.HON Lectures 227772/530501 Otherwise it is waste of time. That is not the Vedic system, simply waste of time. And if there is really talk between one philosopher to another philosopher… Just like Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya and Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya was a great scholar, and Caitanya Mahaprabhu…? Who can speak about scholarship? So Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya was defeated by Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He was elderly person. There may be talks on philosophy, but if one party is defeated, the defeated person, he must be disciple of the winning, victorious party. But at the present moment we’ll go on talking for years together, and nobody is defeated; nobody is going to be disciple. Then what is the use of talking like that? So this kind of things will not do. We have to follow the Vedic principle that either remain without guru… And if you want to make a guru, first of all be convinced that “He is fit to become my guru.” But generally people, they don’t want transcendental knowledge. They want some material profit. So if the guru can give him some gold, not all, then he accepts him guru or the God or something like that. So this way will not help us.
750707SB.CHI Lectures 227788/530501 So Sukadeva Gosvami, therefore, he remained within the womb of his mother for sixteen years. And as soon as he got out from the mother’s womb, immediately he left home. You will read in Bhagavatam. So father was going after. After all, father, that “This boy, going out. My dear son, come back. Where you are going? Where you are going?” He didn’t care. He didn’t care. He went away. There are persons like that. They don’t want to be attached to this material affection. Mayara vaibhava. These are expansion of the illusory energy. That is sense. That is first-class understanding. Actually, there is no need of this material world. Just like somebody says that “If all the prisoners become free, how the prisonhouse will go on?” And is it a very good proposal? The prisonhouse, as soon as it is stopped, as soon as it is closed, that is good for the society. Why there should be prisonhouse at all? But they want to maintain the prisonhouse and very anxious, “If people all are set free, then who will fill up this prisonhouse?” They question that, that “If all people go to back to home, back to Godhead, then how this world will go on?” (laughter) That is their anxiety. But we say the sooner you close this business and all of you go back to home, back to Godhead, then everything is very nice.
750707SB.CHI Lectures 227796/530501 So in the fire the soul cannot be adahyo ‘yam, it cannot be burned. And we get information, as there are worms in everything, earth, water, fire… In the fire there are worms. They are called agni-po(?). Where is the scientist? But we get this information from the sastra. Agni-po(?), worms within the fire. And Krsna says, above all–this is also Krsna’s statement–imam vivasvate yogam proktavan aham avyayam. There is kingdom. There is city. There is population. Otherwise, how Krsna went there long, long ago, forty millions of years, and He instructed this Bhagavad-gita to the sun-god? Vivasvan, his name, is also there. Not fictitious. This is the parampara system. Imam vivasvate yogam proktavan aham avyayam.
760522S2.HON Lectures 227759/530501 knows what is that struggle for existence and what is the platform of becoming fittest. Nobody knows. It is we are preaching. If you remain in this material world, then struggle for existence will continue. And fittest means one who has come to the spiritual platform. He is fittest to survive. What is survival? Who is going to survive? Do you mean to say that by cultivating health culture, big, strong, and you will survive? Nobody will survive. So who will survive? Only Krsna conscious. If he is strictly Krsna conscious, then he will survive. Tyaktva deham punar janma naiti mam eti. The Krsna conscious person who has studied Krsna only (?) perfectly, then he is fit. This body is also… This body is not permanent, that’s a fact. But tyaktva deham, after giving up this body, no more material body–spiritual body. Sat-cit-ananda-vigraha. So we should be very serious. We should not fall down from the
750708SB.CHI Lectures 227836/530501 you open a varnasrama college, there will be no student. Because they will think, “What is this nonsense, varnasrama? Let us learn technology. We shall get good salary. We shall earn money.” Yes. So Caitanya Mahaprabhu immediately said, eho bahya, age kaha ara. In this age it is not possible, varnasrama-dharma.
760524SB.HON Lectures 227852/530501 So everyone is engaged in so-called duties but forget the real duty. This is called maya. By the spell of maya we forget what is the objective of life, what is the aim of life. This is called maya. We are thinking this is our duty. No. Real duty in the human form of life is here is a chance whether you want to go to home to back to Godhead or again you want to go to hell, the repetition of birth and death. That is your choice. Otherwise why there are so many scriptures, religious system, all over the world? It is not only in India. According to the capacity of understanding, in every civilized human society there is a system called religion. It may be Hindu religion, Christian religion or Buddha religion–these are major religious systems–but the aim is how to make a solution of the problems of life. That… But because they do not seriously discuss nowadays the religious propensity, tendency of the human society decrease. It has become a also money-making business. The priestly order, they think that “As others make some money by working hard, by professional or by doing some business or working, so we shall also earn some money by showing the church or temple or the mosque.” They have taken it like that. Therefore people have lost faith in religion. This is the reason. Because those who are in charge of the religious department, the brahmanas, those who are in charge of religion, the priestly order or the maulanis (?) or the brahmanas, they’re the same order, their duty is to keep people enlightened in the real mission of life. That is their duty. But if they’re also doing the same thing, sense gratification, how long they can cheat others? Therefore people have lost faith in religion. This is the reason. But that is not good. Because the system of religion has become polluted, we should not give up religion. That is our prime duty. Karamayi tasya eka bhusesya (?).
760525SB.HON Lectures 227894/530501 So this is natural. Similarly, we have got a natural feeling for Krsna. If you study thoroughly, that is called meditation, that “Whom I love.” Say for the first time, I love my body. If there is some danger I try to protect myself from the danger. That means I love my body. So the next question will be: “Then why don’t you love a dead body?” Suppose your wife or husband, you love, because the husband and wife is in the body, dehino ‘smin yatha dehe. So I love the body because the spirit soul is there. This is right conclusion. Otherwise who is going to love a dead body? Nobody. Now if wife’s husband has died, son has died, he’s crying. You can say that “Why you are crying?” “Oh, my son is gone, my husband is gone.” “Nobody gone. It is lying here.” “No, no, no. He’s not.” So after death we understand that this dead body is neither my husband nor my son. Late experience. But in the beginning there is no such experience. That is called illusion. He’s understanding that this dead body is not neither my father, nor my husband, nor my son. He’s different from. That is practical example. Otherwise why not take the dead body of your husband or son and keep it? No. That is not possible. So it is clear that the soul is different from the body. But because we are fools and rascals, we learn it after death. That is foolishness. Not in the beginning. In the beginning the Bhagavad-gita says, Krsna says, that asmin dehe, “Within this body, the soul is there.” “No, no. I don’t believe.” Dull brain cannot understand. But after death, he sees, “Yes. The body’s not my son. The body’s not my husband.” So that is foolishness. The foolish person understands late, and the intelligent person understands very quickly. That is the difference. So I love my body. I love my husband’s body, my wife’s body. Why? The real husband, wife or son is within the body. Therefore we love. Then the conclusion is that the soul is important more than the body. Then the question will be that “Why you love the soul?” Then the answer will be “Because the soul is part and parcel of Krsna.” Krsna says, mamaivamso jiva-bhuta. So ultimately the conclusion is that I love Krsna and, because the soul is part and parcel of Krsna, therefore I love the soul. And because the soul loves within this body, therefore I love… There is no difficulty to understand. But so long one is under illusion, he’s under the bodily concept of life. Therefore sastra says that one who is in the bodily concept of life, he’s animal. He’s animal. Go-kharah. Go means cow and kharah means ass. I repeatedly say this. So unless we understand that I and you, we are not this body, there is no question of spiritual understanding or spiritual education.
750712SB.PHI Lectures 227934/530501 So we should utilize this time to make solution of the life that we are repeatedly dying and again accepting another body. So how they will understand unless they come to the proper guru? Therefore sastra, says tad-vijnanartham: “If you want to know the real problem of your life and if you want to be enlightened how to become Krsna conscious, how to become eternal, go back to home, back to Godhead, then you must approach the guru.” And who is guru? That is explained, very simple thing. Guru never manufactures idea that “You do this and give me money and you become happy.” That is not guru. That is another process of earning money. So here it is said, mudha, everyone who is simply living in the fool’s paradise, manufacturing his own ideas like Ajamila… Somebody has taken, “This is my duty,” somebody has… He is a fool. You must know what is your duty from guru. You are singing every day, guru-mukha-padma-vakya, cittete koriya aikya, ar na koriho mane asa. This is life. This is life. Guru-mukha-pad… You accept the bona fide guru, and what he orders you, carry out. Then your life is successful. Ar na koriho mane asa. You rascal, you do not desire …that. But if he makes addition, alteration, then he is finished. No addition, alteration. You have to approach guru–guru means the faithful servant of God, Krsna–and take his word how to serve Him. Then you are successful. If you concoct, “I am very intelligent than my guru, and I can make addition or alteration,” then you are finished.
760526SB.HON Lectures 227949/530501 friends, small children, but the girls are married early, so they go to their husband’s place, thirteen, fourteen years. But because they prayed to Katyayani when they’re not married, they prayed to Katyayani that “Krsna is so beautiful. Please give me Krsna as my husband.” Krsna is all-attractive, so Krsna fulfilled their desire, and that is vastranam. Of course, these things are not to be publicly discussed, but still you are little interested in Krsna.
760526SB.HON Lectures 227952/530501 wants apartment. Ato grha. Grha means apartment. So long he remains brahmacari there is no need of apartment. He can dine right out on the street. (laughter) But as soon as they’re joined together, immediately apartment, grha. Then how to maintain the apartment? Then he must have land. Because formerly there was no industry. Everyone must produce his own food by tilling the field. So to produce food he must have some land. So land was available, still available. One can produce. But they have left that process of livelihood. They are taking to industry.
701215SB.IND Lectures 227962/530501 So when he was just on the point of death, naturally he had affection for his son, so he was calling, “Narayana, Narayana, Narayana, Narayana, please come here, please come here.” That is natural. I know my father, when he was dying, so I was not at home. So he lived for one day to see me. He was always inquiring “Whether Abhay has come back, come back,” like that. So by the paternal affection he showed that. Similarly, the Ajamila was also calling, “Narayana, Narayana.” And in the Bhagavad-gita it is said, yam yam vapi smaran bhavam tyajaty ante kalevaram. This practice means at the time of death if one can remember Krsna, Narayana, then the whole life is successful. At the time of death. Because the mentality, status of the mind at the time of death, will carry him to the next life. Just like the flavor is carried by the air, similarly, my mentality will carry me to a different type of body. If I have created my mentality like Vaisnava, pure devotee, then I shall immediately transfer to Vaikuntha. If I created my mind as an ordinary karmi, then I will have to stay within this material world to enjoy the type of mentality which I have created. If I keep myself as a businessman, doing business… Naturally it is done so. One gentleman in Calcutta, he was a very big businessman, and he was dealing in shares. So at the time of death he was crying, “Kamahatti, Kamahatti shares.” Kamahatti shares at that time was very popular to the people. So at the time of his death the result will be that he might have taken his birth as a rat in the Kamahatti mill. It is possible. At the time of death, whatever you think, that will carry you to a type of body. Krsna is very kind. Ye yatha mam prapadyante. Anyone whoever begs from Krsna any any benefit, any type of benefit required from Krsna, Krsna gives him: “All right. You are thinking like rat, so you become a rat. You are thinking like a tiger; you become a tiger. You are thinking like a devotee, you become a devotee. You are thinking of Me, please come to Me.” That’s all. Simple truth. So by chanting Hare Krsna we have to mold our thinking power, always thinking of Krsna. If you always think… That is recommended
701215SB.IND Lectures 227969/530501 Actually sannyasa means to fully surrender. Nowadays in India there are so many sannyasis, some three million sannyasis. They are wandering all over the country. They have no food problem. Still, although India is considered to be poverty-stricken. Either sannyasi or grhastha, nobody has to have problem. You have created such… Simply artificially you have created such problem.
760527SB.HON Lectures 227976/530501 you think that “I’m the car…” The car is dead. The car is moving because you are alive. Similarly, this dead body, this body is dead, already dead from the very beginning, but it is moving on account of the soul. This is knowledge. It is dead from the very beginning. Therefore in the sastra it is said that… What is that? I am just now forgetting. Oh, apranasya hi dehasya mandanam loka-ranjanam. Apranasya hi dehasya. Deha, deha means this body. So either it is dead or alive, it has no life. Apranasya hi dehasya. Deha, he is not alive. It is always dead.
701217SB.SUR Lectures 228004/530501 So that practice is required. Simply by… Mahato bhayat. Here it is also said, nisamya mriyamanasya mukhato hari-kirtanam. The hari-kirtana is so glorious. If anyone at the time of death, mriyamana, mriyamana, one who is just dying… In a Bengali proverb it is said, parable, bhajan koro sadhan koro murte janle haya: “Whatever you do, spiritual activities, they will be tested at the time of death.” All your chants that you are practicing, this will be tested at the time of death. If you can remember Krsna, Hare Krsna, hari-kirtana, at the time of death, then you are successful..
701217SB.SUR Lectures 228012/530501 They saw that they were not ordinary men. With four hands. Because within this universe, four hands, only Lord Brahma has got four hands. Nobody has got four hands. But they were four-handed. So they understood that “They are not ordinary living entities. They must be some extraordinary demigods or some upadevata, almost like demigods.” Siddha-sattamah: “Or you are coming from the Siddhaloka.”
701217SB.SUR Lectures 228038/530501 Revatinandana: It will all be one thing(?), spiritual into material or material… Prabhupada: Material means when the consciousness is not Krsna. That is material. The same example, that iron rod, if kept to the fire, gradually it becomes warm, warmer, and at last it becomes red. When it is red, it is no longer iron; it is fire. Similarly, by spiritual association, your body gradually becomes spiritualized. And at the perfection stage, there is no more material activities, simply the
760528SB.HON Lectures 228084/530501 .. There is discussed in psychology also how this remembrance comes all of a sudden. The example is given just like in a lake all of a sudden you’ll find there is a bubble. So similarly, the mind is the subtle matter. That is described in the Bhagavad-gita, bhumir apo analo vayuh kham mano This gross is this land, bhumi, earth, straw. Water is a little more subtle. Just like in land you can stand, but in the water you cannot stand. It has become little subtle. Then fire, then air, and then ether. This is the position, from gross to subtle. And then mind. Still finer than the ether is the mind. And then intelligence. And then false ego, and then the soul. These are the different position. So we have to go to the platform of soul. That is spiritual education. But there are so many other stages. Somebody’s stopping in the mind. He’s thinking that this is the final. Philosophy, poetry, imagination, the mind mental… As we see that mostly your Western philosophers, they are stuck up on the platform of mind. That’s all. They’re thinking this is the final. So far I’ve studied only Socrates. He has reached up to the point of soul. Otherwise, all Western philosophers, they’re on the mental platform. So anyway, we have to go farther, farther. So the dreaming is the function of the subtle body, namely mind, intelligence and false ego. You’re not free, the subtle body. So those who have no knowledge how material things are acting, covering the soul, they utmost they can think of the mind, the activities of the mind–thinking, feeling, willing, psychology, or writing some books, some mental speculation philosophy. They think this is final. That is not final. You have to go farther to the intellectual platform, then egoism, then soul. That is described in the Bhagavad-gita:
indriyani parany ahur indriyebhyah param manah manasas tu para buddhir buddhes tu ya para sah
Krsna is giving all intelligence. That is, through gross understanding, this indriya, the senses. So those who are in the lowest stage of knowledge they are in the bodily concept of life–the indriya, the senses. Just like cats and dogs, they cannot think more than that. So, but Krsna advises, “No, don’t stop here.” Indriyani parany ahur. Bodily concept of life, sense pleasure, they think it is all. There is no more other. Those who are little above the bodily concept of life, they find pleasure in the mind. And farther, they find pleasure in intellectually. And in this way the thing is very complicated. It requires very cool brain to understand all these things. But those who are meat-eaters, they are very troubled. They cannot understand. For them the subject matter is very, very difficult. That is described in the Srimad-Bhagavatam,
nivrtta-tarsair upagiyamanad bhavausadhac chrotra-mano-‘bhiramat ka uttamasloka-gunanuvadat puman virajyeta vina pasu-ghnat
Pasu-ghna. Pasu means life, or living entity. Pasu-ghna, ghna means killer. So unless one who is killing himself or killing this animal… Both are killing. The killing of the animal in the slaughterhouse, that is gross killing. And another killing is one who is killing himself without knowledge. That is also killing. He got this human form of life, but without sufficient knowledge he’s killing himself. Mam aprapya. He cannot understand God. That is killing himself. This human form of life was given to him by nature’s way, that “Now you understand God.” But he’s wasting time by surfing in the water. You see? He got the chance of understanding God–he doesn’t care for that. He’s unnecessarily laboring whole day in the sea, so that he’s developing the mentality at the time of, you think of swimming in the water, and the subtle body will carry him to the fish journey.
750714SB.PHI Lectures 228099/530501 So he was calling his son, Narayana. So the parsadah, visnu-parsadah–parsadah means associates or attendants–they immediately came. Just like in your city, the police is wandering in the car, and if somebody calls for police, immediately he is present, similarly, the attendants of Lord Visnu, they are also wandering throughout the universe and searching out somebody who is engaged in chanting the holy name of the Lord. So if you chant holy name of the Lord, they are very much pleased and they immediately come. That happened to Ajamila. He did not mean Narayana. Maybe or may not be, but he was calling his son. But the attendants of Hari, or the order carriers, they took notice of the chanting only. That’s all. They did not care to know by “Narayana,” Ajamila, what he was meaning.
750714SB.PHI Lectures 228100/530501 So anyone who is chanting the holy name of the Lord, he is taken care of immediately by the attendants of the Supreme Lord, especially at the time of death, because that is the last moment. The account is taken at the last moment. If you practice Hare Krsna, naturally at the last moment you will be inclined to chant Hare Krsna. Yam yam vapi smaran bhavam tyajaty ante kalevaram. It is so nice. If we practice in this life chanting Hare Krsna mantra, then gradually my core of heart will be cleansed and everything will be manifest: my position, my duty, what is God. Everything will be manifest. It is so nice. Ceto-darpana-marjanam. Because we are filled up with so many rubbish dirty things, we cannot understand the science of God. But if you be practiced to chant Hare Krsna maha-mantra, then your heart will be cleansed and you will see things as they are. Ceto-darpana-marjanam. And as soon as we are able to see things as they are, then our material bondage is over. Because first of all I will see… People are making research work about the bodily cells, how they are working, and so many things, simply on the body. But as soon as you become cleansed of your heart, then immediately you understand, “I am not this body, so what is the use of studying the cells and atoms and this and that? I am not this body.” Immediately. “Actually, I am not this body. I am simply wasting my time in studying.” The same thing, example, that I am in the car, I am studying the machine only. I forgot my destination, where I have to go. I am busy with studying the car. What is the use? You must know. You have got a good car. You must know where is the destination, where you have to go. That is your business. The business… Of course, it is secondary. If you want to know what is the car, that is secondary; that is not your main business. The main business is how to utilize the car and go to my destination. That is intelligence.
760529SB.HON Lectures 228114/530501
So this is the benefit of chanting Hare Krsna maha-mantra. Both the order carriers of Yamaraja and order carriers of Lord Visnu, they’re everywhere, just like the police is everywhere. But as soon as you call them, from the police’s station they immediately inform the patrol police on the car, immediately he comes. If there is such material arrangement within the government, how much nice arrangement is there in the supreme government? So we have to practice this, that Hare Krsna maha-mantra. If we practice, there is chance at the time of death repeating the same thing, Hare Krsna maha-mantra. So immediately you are saved, not to go to the yama-mandira. The powerful name, holy name is as good as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. There is no difference–absolute. Absolute means… Just like here if I simply chant “mango, mango, mango,” there is no mango. Mango is different from the name mango. If I want to eat mango, the substance mango I must have. So there is difference between the name and its substance. That is material–duality. But in the absolute world there is…, means there’s no duality. The name mango and mango: the same. This requires advanced knowledge. So there is no difference between Krsna the name and Krsna the person.. There is no difference.
750716SB.SF Lectures 228137/530501 So this dasi-pati, this is also significant word, “the prostitute’s husband.” Prostitute means… They are, in Sanskrit, called pumscali. Pumscali means they are moved by other men, pumscali. There are three kinds of women: sairindhri, pumscali… In this way there are divisions. So some women, they are very easily carried by men. So that is not very good. Therefore I am instructing our GBC’s that “Let our little girls be educated to become faithful and chaste.” That is their qualification. No education required. And the boys should be trained up to become first-class men, samo damas titiksa, like that. And literary, Sanskrit and English, that will make them perfect. If the husband is first class and the wife is chaste and faithful, then the home is heaven. This is the formula. Dampatyoh kalaho nasti tatra srih svayam agatah.
murkha yatra na pujyante dhanyam yatra susancitam dampatyoh kalaho nasti tatra srih svayam agatah
Everyone is trying to become fortunate. Now, Canakya Pandita gives three things, formula, “If you want to be fortunate, then do these three things.” What is that? Murkha yatra na pujyante: “Do not give any credit to the rascal.” That is first qualification. Don’t be carried away by the rascal. Murkha yatra na pujyante. If you worship a rascal, then your life is spoiled. You must worship a really learned representative of God. That is very good. And dhanyam yatra susancitam: “Food grains, they are properly stocked.” Not that for your foodstuff, getting your food grain or earning your livelihood, you have to go hundred miles, fifty miles. No. At home, you produce your food grain and stock it. In India still, they work for three months during this rainy season, and they get their food grains for the whole year. You can save time so nicely. So these things are required for happy home….and the third thing, most important, dampatyoh kalaho nasti: “There is no disagreement between husband and wife.” If these three things are there, then you haven’t got to pray to the goddess of fortune, “Kindly be merciful.” She will automatically come. “Here is a very nice place. I shall stay here.” So this Ajamila, he was dasi-pati. He was a husband of a prostitute. So he was not happy. He was attached. Another thing is… That is also Canakya Pandita. He says, dusta-bharya. Dusta-bharya means this prostitute. Dusta, who is polluted by another man, he is called dusta. Strisu dustasu varna-sankarah abhibhavat. Therefore human civilization must be very careful that the women may not become polluted. Strisu dustasu. Dusta means she is not satisfied with husband. She wants new, new. That is called dusta. So Canakya Pandita says, dusta-bharya: “If the wife is dusta,” dusta-bharya satham mitram, “and friend is satham, hypocrite, talking very friendly, but he has got something, design…” That is called satham mitram. Satham means hypocrite. So “If somebody’s wife is dusta and friend is hypocrite,” dusta-bharya satham mitram bhrtyas ca uttara-dayakah, “and bhrtya, servant, does not obey, he argues with the master…” Master says, “Why did you not do?” “Oh, I am this…” No argument. Bhrtya should be very silent. Then he is faithful servant. Sometimes master may be angry, but bhrtya should be silent. Then master becomes kind. But if he replies on equal level, oh, then it is very bad. Dusta-bharya satham mitram bhrtyas ca uttara-dayakah, sa-sarpe ca grhe vasah: “And you are living in a apartment where there is a snake.” So if these four things are there or one of them, not all the fours, then mrtyur eva na samsayah: “Then you are doomed.” You are doomed. Your life is spoiled.
760530SB.HON Lectures 228159/530501 So you have to understand from the sastra, sastra-caksusa. The Vedas say that you have to see through the sastra, through the authoritative sastra. With these blunt eyes what can you see? You’re so much anxious. Everyone says, “Can you show me God?” What you can see? What is the power of your eyes? You cannot see even your eyelid. The eyelid is attached to the eye. Can you see? So how you can see God? You’re so imperfect. Just like if there is some particle within the eyelid, we become embarrassed. But the eye is attached. Why not see and take it away? This is practical. So what is the power of your eyes? You cannot see the nearest and you cannot see distant place. You cannot see in darkness. So many conditions. So you’re always under the conditions, and you declare “Independent.” How foolishness it is. Your senses are all imperfect. No senses are perfect. You can use the senses under certain condition only. I’m claiming “This is my hand,” and as soon as there is some nervous disability it is paralyzed, finished. So actually we are claiming that “This is mine,” but you have no right to claim it. You’re dependent. Suppose if you live in a rented apartment, you cannot claim that this is your apartment. It belongs to the landlord. You’re allowed to stay here under certain conditions. You’re not proprietor. Similarly, this body is Krsna’s. What is this body? Bhumir apo analo vayuh kham mano buddhir… It is constituted of these things: earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence and ego. And Krsna says, bhinna me prakrti astadha: “These are Mine, My things.” You cannot create water. You cannot create earth. You cannot create fire. You cannot create ether. Nothing. So this body is pancabhuta, five elements. So you have not created. Krsna has created. So how it is your body? It is Krsna’s body. He has given you the concession that you can live. “You can live peacefully. You can enjoy the products which are given to you. I have given you food grains. I have given you fruits, flowers. Or, even if you want to eat meat, that also I have given you.” You cannot produce an animal. So everything you are eating, given by God. Your body is given by God. Your mind is given by God. And you, you also the soul, you’re also part and parcel of God. So what is your independent existence? There is no independent existence. This is knowledge. Not only that. Because you have forgotten that everything belongs to Krsna, He is also sitting within you. Isvarah sarva-bhutanam hrd-dese ‘rjuna… Sarvasya caham hrdi sannivis… Again He says hrdi, “in the heart.” Sarvasya caham hrdi sannivista, mattah smrtir jnanam apohanam ca. Everything is there.
701216SB.SUR Lectures 228203/530501 are not this, not this. We are eternally… Just like Caitanya Mahaprabhu immediately says, gives to you the highest philosophy, jivera svarupa haya nitya krsna dasa. Tatastha-sakti jata acintya bhedabheda-prakasa. In two lines He has given the whole idea of jiva-tattva. Jivera svarupa haya nitya krsna dasa. You can explain in so many books these two lines. The real identity of the living entity is that he is eternal servant of Krsna.
750718SB.SF Lectures 228274/530501 like if you want to swim in the water, you have to learn it; you have to practice it. But within the sea or water even a small fish, he can very expertly swim, a born qualification. You cannot go against the current of the sea or the water of the river, but a small fish takes pleasure going against the current. Tulasi dasa has said that to go against the current is very difficult. Even an elephant is washed away. But a small fish, because he has taken shelter of the ocean, he can go against the current. This is the… So if we take shelter of Krsna, then even the current is against, we can go because… The same example: the fish has taken shelter of the ocean. Although very small animal, he can go against the…
…pita-kauseya-vasasah. In Vaikuntha, people, they also dress with yellow cloth, pita-kauseya, or this saffron color. This is Vaikuntha dress. Kauseya, pita, the dress, garments. Kiritinah: “with helmets.” Kundalinah: “with nice earring.” Kiritinah kundalino lasat-puskara-malinah, “and very nice flower garland.” This is Vaikuntha dress. Lasat-puskara-malinah, sarve ca nutna-vayasah: all young men. In Vaikuntha there is no old age, although they are eternal. That is the real form of the spirit. The old age is due to this body, material body. Material thing is born and stays for some time, and then it is annihilated. So up to the time of annihilation, it becomes so old, nasty, bad-looking. But in the Vaikuntha there is no such thing. Nityah sasvato ‘yam.
… The Vaikuntha planet, because that is spiritual body, that is nityah sasvatah. Never it become… Just like Krsna or Narayana or Visnu. They are not old. You will find all these pictures of Narayana, Visnu, Krsna–all young men. So they are also… The inhabitants of Vaikuntha on the spiritual planet, they are also exactly of the same feature. You everything get exactly like God. This is Vaikunthaloka. The opulence is also like that. Sarsti. There are five kinds of mukti, liberation. One is sayujya, to merge into the existence. That is also mukti. But Vaisnava does not like such kind of mukti. They think to merge, to become one with the Supreme and lost our individuality, that is, Vaisnava thinks, as hell. Kaivalyam narakayate. Why? We shall keep ourself, our individuality, the body exactly like Krsna. In the Goloka Vrndavana they keep exactly like two-handed Krsna. In the Vaikuntha they also keep themselves four-handed as Visnu, Narayana. So the Vaisnavas are very intelligent. They want to keep themself in as good as God. Sometimes more than God, Vaisnava. That is very intelligent. What is the use of becoming one? I lose my individuality. So that is jnani’s aspiration. But the bhaktas, they want to keep association with Krsna or Visnu in the same opulence, same prosperity, everything, bodily features the same, everything.
750718SB.SF Lectures 228278/530501 dhanuh, bow; dhanur-nisanga asi, the arrows and the sword; gada, club; sankha, conchshell; and cakra, disc. As Visnu has Sudarsana… Sankha-cakra-gada-padma. There are fourteen different forms of Visnu according to the position of the weapon in different hand, beginning with sankha-cakra-gada-padma, then cakra-gada-sankha-padma, in this way. These description are there in the Caitanya-caritamrta. And according to the change of the weapon, the different names are there. One visnu-murti is called Vamana; one murti is called Govinda. In this way there are twenty-four forms of Visnu, sankha-cakra-gada-padma, according to Their placing in different hands.
750718SB.SF Lectures 228280/530501 That is not possible. Living entities are everywhere. Even in the fiery planet like the sun, there are. But we are rascals. We think everyone is rascal like us. Atmavat manyate jagat. If one is rascal, he thinks all other rascals also. That is nature. He cannot think that “Somebody is more intelligent than me.” He thinks, “I am rascal; therefore everyone is rascal.” Atmavat manyate jagat. This is the formula. You will find the example: just like a deaf man. He speaks very slowly. He thinks the other man is also speaking slowly. No. He is deaf. Other man is crying, but he is hearing very slow. Therefore a deaf man speaks very slow. He thinks that he is speaking slow. So atmavat manyate jagat. This is the nature. So because we cannot live in the fire, it does not mean that there is no such living entity whose body is made of fire. Because I cannot live in the water, don’t think there is no living entity. Huge, big, big living entities are there within the water. Why should you think there is no living entity? Similarly, the watery living entities, they
701219SB.SUR Lectures 228340/530501 So markata-vairagya is not necessary. Real vairagya. We do not indulge in so-called sannyasi or brahmacari. If one is unable, he must become a grhastha, live like a grhastha, and not that “I pose myself as a brahmacari or a sannyasi, but I have got illicit sex life secretly.” This is markata-vairagya. Markata-vairagya is not wanted. Real vairagya. Real vairagya means one who can sacrifice everything for Krsna. That is vairagya. Karma-phala-tyaga–that is karma-yoga. One should give up the result of his fruitive activities to Krsna. That is karma-yoga. Anasritah karma-phalam karyam karma karoti yah. Anasritah karma-phalam. One who is not desirous to enjoy the fruits of his activities, fruitive activities, anasritah karma-phalam, but does it as a matter of duty… “Krsna wants it. Krsna will be satisfied by doing this.” Karyam: “It must be done.” Just like Arjuna. Arjuna, for his personal interest, he was not willing to fight. But when he understood that “Krsna wants this fighting,” then he took it as karyam: “It must be done. It doesn’t matter whether I like it or not, but Krsna wants it. Therefore I must do it.” That is called anasritah karma-phalam karyam karma karoti yah, sa sannyasi. He is sannyasi. Na niragnir na cakriyah. Niragnir and akriya. Akriya means they are freed, all kinds of fruitive activities. So they are not sannyasis, they are not yogis, but a yogi is he who gives away the result of his activities to Krsna. Anasritah karma-phalam karyam karma karoti yah.
701219SB.SUR Lectures 228361/530501 elevate them? For elevating them, this…, not the Vedic system is to be followed but Pancaratriki. Pancaratriki… Just like we are trying to elevate these Europeans and Americans according to Pancaratriki-vidhi. Everyone should be followed. It is not that Indians should not follow; only the others will. No. It is for everyone, Pancaratriki-vidhi. The Pancaratriki-vidhi means that if anyone has got little tendency for being elevated to the sreyah platform, he should be given chance. That is called Pancaratriki-vidhi. Just like diksa, initiation. Sudras are not given initiation. A sudra cannot be initiated. Only the brahmanas can be initiated, or dvija, or the vaisyas and the ksatriyas, the higher caste, not the sudras. But according to Pancaratriki-vidhi, even the sudras or less than the sudras, kirata-huunandhra-pulinda-pulkasa, everyone can be initiated by a bona fide representative of Krsna, not by others. That is the system.
Syamasundara: Does one become elevated by following the karma-yoga principles only? Prabhupada: It will take a long, long time, and failure is possible. In this age, nothing is possible for the fallen people.
harer nama harer nama harer nama eva kevalam kalau nasty eva nasty eva nasty eva gatir anyatha
This is the injunction. If you want to be elevated to the perfectional stage of life, then you must chant this Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare. That will help you. No other method, measures, will help you. You can try for it, but there is every chance of failure. But if you follow this path, as enunciated by the sastras and elaborated by Lord Caitanya, then there is chance. And actually we are seeing that is being done.
Prabhupada: No, that is not for the advanced stage. Those who cannot… Just like the materialistic persons, they cannot understand why we are worshiping Deity. They are puzzled. They think, “Why these fools are taking one brass doll and worshiping as God?” They laugh. You see? They cannot understand. They are hard… What is called? It is impossible for them. Therefore they have been recommended that “You think of God, the universal form.” That they like, their meditation, that universal form. They cannot understand or concentrate on this form, krsnas tu bhagavan svayam, dvi-bhuja-muralidhara, Syamasundara form. They cannot. But by this arca process we are giving chance to everyone. But for the materialistic person it is difficult. They think that they are idol worshipers. But actually, the Vaisnavas, they are not so fools that they will worship an idol. Therefore they have been recommended to concentrate on the universal form.
Revatinandana: We always encourage chanting Hare Krsna, is that so? Prabhupada: Yes. That is the only method in this age. By chanting Hare Krsna, one’s… The reservoir of understanding will be cleared. And then you, he can receive, he can receive the spiritual knowledge. Without cleansing the heart it is very difficult to understand and receive spiritual knowledge. All these reformatory measures–brahmacari, grhastha, vanaprastha–they are simply the cleansing method. And bhakti is also a cleansing method, vidhi-bhakti. But by engaging oneself in this Deity worship, he also becomes cleansed. Tat-paratve… Sarvopadhi… As he becomes enlightened or advanced in understanding that he is eternal servant of Krsna, he becomes purified. He becomes purified. Sarvopadhi means he doesn’t… Sarvopadhi. He tries to eliminate his upadhi, his designation, that “I am American,” “I am Indian,” “I am this,” “I am that.” So in this way, when you become fully eliminated of this bodily concept of life, then nirmalam. He becomes nirmala, uncontaminated.
properly, not like that. Sa bhaktah prakrtah smrtah. Arcayam eva haraye… Even in this process, when they are engaged in Deity worship, arcayam haraye yat-pujam sraddhayehate, with great devotion doing, but na tad bhaktesu canyesu, but he has no sympathy with others or he does not know what is the position of a devotee, then sa bhaktah prakrtah smrtah: “He is called material devotee, material devotee.” So we have to elevate ourselves from material devotional stage to the second platform when one can understand what is a devotee, what is a nondevotee, what is God, what is atheist. These discriminations are there. And in paramahamsa stage there is no such discrimination. He sees everyone is engaged in service of the Lord. He does not envy
Revatinandana: You must be higher than the paramahamsa stage, Prabhupada. Prabhupada: I am lower than you. I am lower than you. Revatinandana: You are so beautiful. You are paramahamsa, but still, you are preaching to us. Prabhupada: No, I am lower than you. I am the lowest of the all creatures. I am simply trying to execute the order of my spiritual master. That’s all. That should be the business of everyone. Try best. Try your best to execute the higher order. That is the safest way of progressing. One may be in the lowest stage, but if he tries to execute the duty entrusted upon him, he is perfect. He may be in lowest stage, but because he is trying to execute the duty entrusted to him, then he is perfect. That is the consideration. (break) Back to
701219SB.SUR Lectures 228374/530501 are eating sins, and therefore the world is in trouble. Simply committing. There is no necessity of killing animals. But here in India they are killing ten thousand cows daily, what to speak of Western countries. So people are so much addicted to sinful activities. How they can be happy? They are condemned. Only this movement, Krsna consciousness, if they take to this movement, they can be saved. Otherwise, there is no saving.
701219SB.SUR Lectures 228385/530501 the nondevotees are taken. Those who are devotees, they are not taken. That is… You will find in the Bhagavata, Srimad-Bhagavatam, Yamaraja especially instructs that “Those who are Vaisnavas, you should not go there. You should offer your respect to them.” Somebody asked me that “Swamiji, why these tulasi beads in your neck or your devotees’ neck?” So I replied, “Just like a pet dog has got a collar, similarly we are pet dogs of God. We have got this collar. And Yamaraja will understand that ‘He is God’s dog. He should not be shot down.’ ” (laughter)
701219SB.SUR Lectures 228397/530501 Devotee (3): Prabhupada, you said that the greatest offense is to chant thinking that “My sins will be washed away” and commit sins, or wants to.(?) So what is the result that that person gets if he dies in that condition? Prabhupada: He dies a sinful. Because he does not want to go back to Godhead, he wants to make some profit, so he dies sinful, and he has to be punished for that reason, in spite of his false this tilaka and false mala. He’ll be punished. Yes?
750719SB.SF Lectures 228417/530501 So the question is, they are challenged, “What is dharma and what is adharma? If you are servant of Dharmaraja, you must distinguish what is dharma.” So even though the Yamadutas, they are not very good-looking as the Visnudutas, still, this question was put to them to explain. They are not very much civilized, you may say. Still, they are expected to know this distinction. Just see. Even the Yamadutas were how much advanced, and how we are advanced? We do not know what is dharma, what is adharma. We don’t make any distinction. Dharma is… We have repeatedly said: dharma means to surrender to Krsna, simple. And adharma means everything except this. If you don’t surrender to Krsna, then whatever you are doing, that is adharma, means nonreligious. Therefore in the Srimad-Bhagavatam it is said, dharmah projjhita-kaitavah atra. Kaitava means cheating, false, (sic:) pretendous. So all kinds of cheating religion is kicked out. Cheating religions, they are teaching that “We can create God. As we can create television, similarly, we can create God.” They are teaching, “This is dharma.” Just see how degraded they have… And these things are going on as dharma. Bruta dharmasya nas tattvam. Tattvam. Tattvam means truth. “Don’t talk nonsense. Don’t waste time.” Tattvam: “In truth, what is dharma?” Bruta dharmasya nas tattvam yac ca adharmasya laksanam: “And how you distinguish from adharma, nonreligious thing?” Knowledge means you should know both things, not one side. You must know what is religious system and what is not religious system. Simply one side is not full knowledge. Upayam ca cintayet prajna, apayam ca cintayet(?). Just like if you want to do some business, you have calculated that “I shall invest so much money, and I shall get so much profit. So let us do this business. It is very nice.” But sastra says, “No, you have simply calculated the profit, and you also calculate no profit, not one-sided.” Similarly, to know dharma, you must know adharma also, the opposite side. If you know white, you should know what is black. Otherwise the knowledge is not… Relative. This world is… If you know the father, then you must know the son. Or if you know the son, then you must know the father. So in the religious system, if one knows the son, the further improvement is to know the father. That is required. Otherwise incomplete. If you simply know the son of God, then it is incomplete. If you know the father of the son of God, then it is complete.
760604SB.LA Lectures 228446/530501 This is very nice challenge. Suppose if somebody, if you say that “We are Krsna conscious persons.” So one may challenge you, “First of all, explain what do you know about Krsna?” That is quite natural. If you do not know about Krsna, you have no right to say that “I belong to the Krsna consciousness movement.” You have not right to say. So your position is like that, simply if you have a tilaka and a kanthi, that does not mean that you belong to the Krsna consciousness movement. Any cheater can do that. You must know the philosophy. If one challenges, you must reply. Therefore Bhaktivinoda Thakura has sung a song indicating these cheaters. He says, ei oto ek kalir cela(?). “Here is a servant of Kali.” What kind of cela? Na te tilal golai mala (?). “He has got a tilaka and golai mala, bas, that’s all.” He does not know what is the philosophy. If you do not know the philosophy of Krsna consciousness, if you simply mark your body with tilaka and kanthi, then you are not proper servant, you are not qualified. So tilaka, mala, is necessary. Just like a policeman. A bogus man, if he dresses like a policeman, he is not a policeman. He must know what is the police law, criminal law, who is to be punished, who is not to be punished, what is criminality, what is innocence. All these things he must know.
760604SB.LA Lectures 228451/530501 This morning I was asking that why there is Sunday first and Monday second? Who can answer? Is there anyone in this meeting who can answer my, this simple question? Why, all over the world, the, everyone accepts Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Sambar, Mangalbar, Bhurbar, the same thing? There may be different language. And Saturday is last. Why this arrangement? Who can answer? Is there anyone? I’ve asked this simple question to so many. Even Svarupa Damodara, our doctor Ph.D., he has not yet answered. And I’ve asked this question to Dr. Wolfe also. He’s not present here? Devotee: “Someone has an answer.” Prabhupada: You have got answer? Caitanya-simha: Because Sunday is God’s day. Sunday is Krsna’s day. Prabhupada: That is your sentiment. Speak scientifically. Nowadays, the scientific days, you have to speak scientifically. Devotee: The order of the planets. Prabhupada: Yes, that is the answer.
760605SB.LA Lectures 228502/530501 Truth means how to see. Pasyanti jnana-caksusa: by the eyes of knowledge. Pasyanti jnana-caksusa. Sastra-caksusat. Not that if somebody challenges that “Have you seen God?” “Yes, I have seen.” “How?” “Through sastra, through sastra.” God reveals. You cannot see, even God comes before you… Just like Krsna was present… Here is God before you. But you cannot understand. Unless we are advanced in Krsna consciousness, we’ll think, “What is this, a statue of stone? He is God?” Yes, He is God. Otherwise, why we are spending so much money, wasting time? No, here is God. But how you can see God? Premanjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena. You have to make the eyes to see God. Otherwise, God is everywhere. So they may ask that “If God is everywhere, why you are worshiping an idol?” He’s not idol, He is God, but he is seeing idol. Unless he has developed love for God, he cannot see. But it is, God is there. But because our eyes cannot see the spirit, at the present moment, our dull material eyes… Just like you are spirit soul, I am spirit soul, your father is spirit soul, your mother is spirit soul–but are you seeing the spirit soul? When the spirit soul goes away, you’re crying, “My father is gone, my father is gone.” Why father is gone? He’s lying on the bed. You have seen the coat, pants, hands, legs, that is there. Why you say gone? “No, he’s gone.” So we cannot see the spirit soul even of our father and mother; how can you see God, the Supreme Spirit? Therefore God comes before you just like stone, which you can see. It is to favor you. God is everything. So, in this way, we have to understand God, Krsna. And if anyone understands, then he becomes immediately fit for going back to home, back to Godhead. Tyaktva deham punar janma naiti mam eti kaunteya. Janma karma ca me divyam yo tattvatah. So therefore we require good association. Adau sraddha tatah sadhu-sango ‘tha bhajana-kriya tato ‘nartha-nivrttih syat tato nistha tatah rucis tato bhavas sadhakanam ayam premnah pradurbhave… You cannot develop love of Godhead in one second. You can, provided you are so sincere and God is very much pleased upon you. He can give you. He can give you immediately. That is possible. But that may be some rare cases. Ordinarily, this is the process. Adau sraddha tatah sadhu-sango. Just like we have come here in this temple. You have got some faith, all of us. That is called sraddha, adau sraddha. There are many hundred thousand in this quarter. Why they are not coming? This is the beginning. You have got some faith, sraddha. You have come. Adau sraddha tatah sadhu-sango. And if you continue… What we are doing? We are making the association to take lessons from these Vedic literatures. This is called sadhu-sanga. In the drinking shop we make one kind of association, in the restaurant we make one association, in the club we make some association, different places. So here is a place, here is also association. It is called sadhu-sanga, association with devotees. Adau sraddha tatah sadhu-sango. And if one is mature, then he wants to execute devotional service, bhajana-kriya. And as soon as there is bhajana-kriya, the unnecessary nonsense things will disappear. No more illicit sex, no more intoxication, no more drinking, no more gambling. Finished. When anartha-nivrttih syat, all these rascal habits are gone, then nistha, then firm faith, not to be agitated. Tato nistha tatah rucis. Then taste. You cannot live outside this camp. Taste has changed. Tato nistha tatah rucis, tathasaktis, then attraction. Then bhava. Bhava means ecstasy: “Oh, Krsna.” Then there is love. There are different stage.
701221SB.SUR Lectures 228530/530501 So smrti is not without Veda. Or Purana… Sometimes people do not accept the Puranas as Vedic. No. Here it is said by Rupa Gosvami, sruti-smrti-puranadi. They are all Vedas. Purana means supplementary. Just like the Vedic knowledge is described in the Mahabharata. It is in the form of history. But actually the Vedic knowledge is there. That is also stated in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, stri-sudra-dvija-bandhunam trayi na sruti-gocarah. Stri, woman, sudra, and dvija-bandhu… Dvija-bandhu means a person who is born in brahmana family but he is not advanced in spiritual knowledge. He is called dvija-bandhu. He is not called a brahmana. Stri, sudra. And they are classified along with stri and sudra. Stri-sudra-dvija-bandhunam trayi na sruti-gocarah. For these persons it is very difficult to undertand the Vedic injunctions. Therefore the Vedic injunctions are sometimes made into historical stories. The stories, they are not fiction; they are fact.
701222SB.SUR Lectures 228567/530501 Malati: (break) …that Lord Buddha, he adopted a new type of religion, but those who were strict followers of Vedas, they would not accept him. Does that mean that there were still people who were following those beliefs, scriptures, at his time, or did he convert all of India? Prabhupada: Yes. Lord Buddha was patronized by the then emperor, Ashoka. And anything patronized by the state, it becomes very popular. Yad yad acarati sresthah lokas tad anuvartate. So Lord Buddha converted Ashoka, Emperor Ashoka, to this religion. Therefore whole India became Buddhist. And later on, when Buddhism was driven out of India, the Jainism and similar other religious principles became visible. Ahimsa paramo dharmah. Lord Buddha… Ahimsa paramo dharmah is also Vedic religion, but they stressed especially on ahimsa. In the Bhagavad-gita you will find: amanitvam adambhitvam ahimsa ksantir arjavam. These are the different steps of progressing in knowledge and religion. The first thing is amanitvam. Amanitvam means very humble. Very humble. And therefore Caitanya Mahaprabhu teaches that trnad api sunicena, “Just become humbler than the straw in the street or grass.” To become religious means… Lord Jesus Christ also, he taught like that–“The humble and meek will attain the kingdom of God.” Is it not said like that?
701222SB.SUR Lectures 228577/530501 Prabhupada: That is natural. If the state is after some religion… Just like Christian religion spread in India because there was Christian government. The Muhammadan religion spread because there was Muhammadan government. That is natural. If the state is following a certain type of religion, then naturally… And that is said in the Bhagavad-gita: yad yad acarati sresthah. Just like in India, at least in Bengal, we have got the history that educated persons, they saw that “In Christian religion one can drink, one can eat meat. So why not become Christian?” So the drunkards and meat-eaters, they became Christians. Similarly the Muhammadans also, they thought a clue to deviate from the Vedic principles, and they turned themselves. Just like Aurangzeb enacted the lidia(?) tax, that all the Hindus will have to pay this tax. So the untouchables… Because Hindus made these untouchables, so untouchables, they thought that “Why shall I pay the tax? Better become Muhammadan.” So so many people, they became Christians. Similarly the Muhammadans also, they thought a clue to deviate from the Vedic principles, and they turned themselves. Just like Aurangzeb enacted the lidia(?) tax, that all the Hindus will have to pay this tax… So a state controls anything, if the state… Now the state is secular, atheist. The people are becoming atheist. They are teaching that “Throw away these scriptures. You eat everything. What is the wrong in eating flesh, eating meat, eating chickens?” They are advertising, “Eggs are available here.” When the state supports, so people follow.
…701222SB.SUR Lectures 228585/530501 a father. If he does not take care of his son to be a man of character, he becomes a debauchee. That is natural. So according to Vedic principles, the kings were very much highly trained to see how the people are advancing in the spiritual knowledge. Just like one king… You will find in The Nectar of Devotion. There was law that… He said that, (chuckles) “If I do not find any one of my citizens with tilaka, then I shall punish him.” So everyone, out of that fear, they used to have this tilaka. And they were looking all Vaisnavas. (laughs) Although they had no very much faith in Visnu, but out of fear of the state orders, they were having tilaka. So sometimes authority orders are accepted in that, out of fear.
760606SB.LA Lectures 228620/530501 And what is Vedas? Vedo narayana saksat. Absolute. Narayana, spiritual world, absolute. Nonduality. Narayana, Narayana’s words are the same. There is no difference. Just like we are reading Bhagavad-gita. Why we’re interested? Because Bhagavad-gita and the speaker of Bhagavad-gita, Krsna, they are identical. So you cannot change the words of Bhagavad-gita. That is foolishness. Anyone who changes the orders and the words of Bhagavad-gita, they are rascal, they’ll not get any benefit. Because you cannot correct Krsna, what Krsna says or God says. That is not in your power. So these rascals, they want to interpret, “This is like this, this is this, I think it is this.” No. Krsna did not leave for you, for your thinking rascally. No. Krsna is completely learned. Whatever He has said, it is perfectly in order. You cannot change.
760607SB.LA Lectures 228637/530501 So when we speak of Vrndavana, it is not imagination. In the sastra, there is description, how Krsna is there, what He is doing. Especially it is mentioned: surabhir abhipalayantam. Krsna has got this hobby. Just like our hobby–dog–abhipalayantam. We keep, every one of us, especially in the Western countries, a dog. So why not Krsna keeping so many cows? What is the difficulty for Him? So He, intentionally, He becomes a cowherd boy. That is His pleasure. Just like here, we, a minute particle of God, we have got so many hobbies. So He has … Because nothing can be present here without being in Krsna. Therefore Krsna says, aham sarvasya prabhavo. Whatever is there in this material world, bad or good, similar things are there in the spiritual world. The difference is here everything, bad, and there everything, good. That is the difference. Here we have made bad and good; it has no meaning. Caitanya-caritamrta kaja, Kaviraja Gosvami, he has explained the conception of bad and good in this material world. He says, ‘dvaite bhadrabhadra-(jnana,) sakale sama ‘ei bhala, ei manda’, sab mano-dharma. In the world of duality… This is the world of duality. So the absolute… There is absolute world. That is spiritual world. But here there is duality, bad and good. You cannot understand bad without having some conception of good, and you cannot understand good without having some conception of bad. You require the opposite. So in the spiritual world, this duality conception is absent. Everything is absolute. We have to understand this theoretically at the present moment. But there, everything is cintamani. Everything is alive, spiritual.
701223SB.SUR Lectures 228695/530501 Devotee (5): Prabhupada, you mentioned a person who commits sins because he is in ignorance. Prabhupada: Yes. Devotee (5): What if the person knows what he is doing is wrong, and he knows what the ultimate result of his doings is also wrong, but he still commits? Is that still ignorance? Prabhupada: Yes. That is ignorance-rooted, ignorance, heart, rooted in the heart. That can be… Therefore Caitanya Mahaprabhu recommends ceto-darpana-marjanam. You have to cleanse your heart. Then, when your heart is cleansed, then you will say, “No, no. No more I am going to do this. I have suffered so much. No. No.” That is real knowledge. Unless your heart is cleansed, then, even though you know that “By committing theft I will be punished,” you will commit, because the heart is not clear. Even though one knows that “By doing this, I will suffer,” still, he will do that. That distinction is always there. Therefore the only method is this cleansing process in this age, Hare Krsna maha-mantra.
701223SB.SUR Lectures 228702/530501 Prabhupada: No. Goodness is a chance. If you acquire… Just like if you become a graduate, there is chance of becoming a lawyer. But if you do not become a lawyer, you remain only graduate. That’s all. But without becoming graduate they cannot enter to be a lawyer. Similarly, goodness is the qualification of a brahmana. A brahmana has a chance. When you are qualified, you are following the regulative principles, qualified, you have got the chance of being promoted to become a Vaisnava. That is the advantage. But in this age… Again, the same thing. Even one is not a brahmana–he is in the category of candala–still, if he chants this Hare Krsna mantra, he becomes elevated to the position more than a brahmana. Yes.
750723SB.LA Lectures 228718/530501 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. Krsna says, aham mrtyuh sarva-haras 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, Krsna. 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 Krsna 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. Therefore we should never think, arcye visnu sila-dhih, the worshipable Deity, Krsna, Visnu, as made of stone. In the higher sense, stone is also Krsna, because Krsna’s energy. Just like if you go to the street, you may see the sun in the sky, but when you are within the room, you may not see the sun in the sky directly. But because it is daytime, therefore we can understand there is sun on the sky. Similarly, we do not require to see God directly. We can see Him through His energy. Just like in a telephone hanger, as soon as somebody speaks, immediately see him. How it is possible? By his word, immediately see him. You are in a closed room, somebody knocking, and you say, “Who is it?” He says, “I am.” So immediately by his voice, you can see him. So why do you want to see directly? We can see anything by his energy. Just like if you feel heat here, then immediately you becomes alert, “Oh, there must be some fire.” If there is some smoke, immediately you can understand that there is fire. So by intelligence and by the energy of God, you can see God. That is intelligence. So Krsna says,
bhumir apo ‘nalo vayuh kham mano buddhir eva ca ahankara iti me bhinna prakrtih astadha
“It is My energy.” So stone is also energy of Krsna, but you have not eyes to see Krsna in the stone. That is your defect. Krsna says that “This is My energy.” Just like you can see, by energy, you can see the energetic, similarly, by seeing Krsna’s energy, you can see Krsna. Therefore those who are advanced devotee, for them, there is nothing material; everything is Krsna. Sthavara-jangama dekhe na dekhe tara murti. Actually, a Vaisnava is factually monist because he does not see anything except Krsna. Anything he sees, he will think, “This is Krsna’s energy.” So why it is not Krsna? So Krsna also says in the Bhagavad-gita, maya tatam idam sarvam: “I am expanded everywhere.” Avyakta-murtina. Avyakta means not manifest. He is in the fire. He is in the water. He is in the land. He is in the sky–everywhere. He is in the mind. He is in intelligence. He is soul. He’s part and So Krsna is everywhere; simply you have to make your eyes how to see Him. That is required. That is prema. Premanjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santah sadaiva hrdayesu vilokayanti. Those who are santah, saintly person, they always see Krsna. Why? Premanjana-cchurita, because he is in love with Krsna. Just like you have your beloved child. Although he is out of sight, you can see him in his shoe, in his cloth, in his toy: “Oh, it is my child.” That requires prema. Similarly, if you have knowledge, theoretical knowledge even, that everything is Krsna’s energy and if you have love for Krsna, with reference to the context, whatever you see, you see Krsna. That is Krsna consciousness. Perfection of Krsna consciousness. You cannot see anywhere where there is no Krsna. This is for the devotee. For the ordinary person these are the description, that the surya, the sun is also Krsna, the fire is also Krsna, the sky is also Krsna, the air is also Krsna, the moon is also Krsna, the evening is Krsna, daytime is Krsna. Then how you can avoid Krsna? Krsna says that “I am…” Mattah smrtir jnanam apohanam ca. Krsna is everywhere. You cannot avoid Krsna. Simply on account of your foolishness, maya is covering your eyes to see Krsna. So mam eva ye prapadyante mayam etam taranti te. If you surrender to Krsna, then maya’s curtain will be taken away and you will see Krsna, Krsna, Krsna, Hare Krsna. That’s all. This is required. Then you become perfect as soon as you learn how to see Krsna everywhere. This is the art, transcendental art, spiritual art, how to see Krsna. Then you become perfect. That is wanted.
750724SB.LA Lectures 228764/530501 Nitai: “The candidates for punishment are those who are confirmed by these many witnesses to have deviated from the prescribed regulative duties. Everyone engaged in fruitive activities is suitable to be subjected to punishment according to his different sinful activities.” … Everyone is deserving to be punished, beginning from Lord Brahma down to the ant, every living entity. Dandam arhanti. And the final dandam… Danda means punishment. The final danda is death.
750724SB.LA Lectures 228772/530501 jiva bhoga vancha kare, pasate maya tare japatiya dhare. The living entity, forgetting his real position as maidservant of God or servant of God, when he wants to enjoy this material world, that is maya. Maya tare japatiya dhare. Immediately. That is sinful. So this disease is there even in Lord Brahma down to the small ant. Everyone is trying to enjoy this material… The whole material civilization means everyone is trying to enjoy this world, that civilization. So many cars are running here and there, but what is the purpose? The purpose is everyone is trying to enjoy. That is sinful. That is sinful, because you cannot enjoy. Enjoyer is Krsna.
750724SB.LA Lectures 228776/530501 So every living entity who has forgotten Krsna, trying to imitate Krsna, that is sinful. So these sinful activities we are doing in ignorance, in lower grade of life. Just like cats and dogs and birds and trees and the…, they do not know, there is no capacity.
.. 750724SB.LA Lectures 228777/530501 but nrloke, in the human society, the body which you have got, or the person who has got this human form of body, kastan kaman na arhate, for such animal, having this material body, human body, it is not meant for working so hard. That is first-class civilization when people are not working very hard, living very peacefully, and getting their necessities of life. That is first-class civilization, not that to work day and night like hogs and dog, and get a cup of tea and little morsel of bread. That is not civilization. Therefore sastra says, nayam deho deha-bhajam nrloke kastan kaman arhate vid-bhu… This kind of hard labor for sense gratification little, it is done by the hogs and dogs. So to teach people to work day and night for simply eating purposes, sense gratification, that is hog civilization, according to sastra. Nayam deha deho-bhajam nrloke kastan kaman arhate
…750724SB.LA Lectures 228777/530501 opportunity is given by nature and God combined. God has ordered nature to give me this machine, human form of body. If we do not utilize it as human being, that is sinful. That is sinful. So there are so many witnesses, as we have already discussed.
760609SB.LA Lectures 228794/530501 them to understand what is God, what is devotion. So therefore Lord Buddha propounded the philosophy, “Make all your nonsense activities zero, so much. First of all make zero, then positive we shall say.” That is zero movement, sunyavadi. At least, if a rascal children is always doing something nonsense, then first of all stop him. Make him zero. Then good lesson: “Come. Do this.” So this Buddhist movement means to make their atheistic activities zero. At least that is good. It is better not to… Maunam, silent. Instead of talking all nonsense, better be silent; don’t create disturbance. So… And the other movement, nirvisesa-vadi, are giving little hint, Sankaracarya, Mayavada, that “Yes, this zero is not sufficient. There is positive.” Brahma satyam jagan mithya. His movement was that “This material world is false; make it zero. But there is a positive thing which is Brahman.” What is that Brahman, he did not disclose.
750726SB.LB Lectures 228863/530501 all, he is a living being–that “There are some Vaisnavas. So let me go with them if they will give us shelter.” That is the purpose. He was coming. You were making, “Hut!” (laughter) But he wanted some master, because a dog without master, his position is very precarious. Without master… So we are all servant. Every one of us, we are all servants of maya. Maya means we are servant of our desires. We are servant of our different desires. Somebody is thinking, “I shall be happy in this way”; somebody is thinking, “I shall be happy in this way.” In this way we have got different desires, and we are servant of the desires. So servant of desire means just like the street dog. He is also desiring: “If these gentleman will accept me as his dog?” But he is going there, and he is driven away: “Hut! Hut!” He is going to some house, moving his tail, “My dear sir, will you give me some food?” “No, no. Go away.” We are also going also: “My dear sir, will you give me some service?” “No vacancy. Get out.” This is our position. Hana mayara dasa kori nana abhilasa. Because we are constitutionally servant of God, but we have given up that service, we have now become the servant of maya. Therefore our life is frustrated, because you do not know “What is my actual position.” Caitanya Mahaprabhu teaches, jivera svarupa haya nitya krsna dasa. Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s teaching, that “Why you are going door to door like a dog: ‘Will you give me some food, give me some duty? I am prepared to serve you,’ and refusing, nana abhilasa, and desiring again and again, this way, that way?” But I do not know what is my real destination, how I shall be happy. That information is given by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, that “You are suffering in this way for a permanent service to become happy. Why you are going here and there? You are servant of Krsna. Go there. Then you will be happy.”
750726SB.LB Lectures 228866/530501 So we are, at the present moment in different conditions of life on account of our different activities, pious and impious, dharma, adharma. So pious activities means to be controlled by Krsna, and impious activities means to be controlled by maya. We have to be controlled. Our position is such that we cannot become controller. That is not possible. If we want to become controller, that is my artificial desire. And the resultant action we will have to suffer. First of all you must understand this, that we are controlled. Either you agree to be controlled by Krsna or you agree to be controlled by maya, but you cannot become controller. Is there anyone here who can say that “I am controller”? Is there anyone who will answer this? So I may think that “I am controller,” but I am controlled by drugs, by sense gratification, desires–kama krodha lobha moha matsarya. So there is no question of the living entity’s being independent. That is not possible. He is dependent. But if he becomes dependent on Krsna, then life is successful. Exactly the position, the dog. The dog is loitering without being controlled by somebody, he is seeking, “Somebody may control me.” He’s seeking position. But if he does not get anybody to control him, his life is very precarious; he is not happy. Therefore, if you want to be happy, then we must return to our own original position: to be controlled by Krsna. This is perfection of life.
750721SB.SF Lectures 228600/530501 Similarly, you cannot manufacture any religion. Narayana saksat. Narayana, God, He can make. You cannot make at your home, “I have manufactured a type of religion.” No. That you cannot do. Nowadays this is going on. Yata mata tata patha: “You can manufacture your own religion.” This is going on. “You are okay, I am okay.” “I manufacture my religion. You manufacture your religion. Don’t fight. Let us become brother.” This is going on. So how you can be brother? The dog remains a dog. How they can become brother? It is not possible. Therefore so many religious systems, they are all rascaldom. One religion: that is the order of God. That is religion. If you want one religion, then you must know who is God and you must abide by the order of God. That is religion, very simple thing. You cannot manufacture, concoction. That is not religion. Therefore Bhagavata, it is said, dharmah projjhita-kaitavah: “All these cheating type of religion is rejected, kicked out from Srimad-Bhagavatam.” What is that religion there? Param satyam dhimahi: “The Supreme Truth, the Absolute Truth, we are accepting.” This is religion.
701222SB.SUR Lectures 228549/530501 So we were speaking this verse yesterday morning. So vedo narayanah saksat. That is to be understood–why Vedas are given so much importance. Here it is explained that Veda means directly Narayana. Why? Because Narayana is absolute, God is absolute; therefore the words of God are also God. You cannot make any differentiation. Saksat, directly. So this is to be understood, that God–His form, His quality, His pastimes, His entourage–everything of God is God. Even sometimes… Why sometimes? Always, the devotee of God is also God. Just like we chanted this mantra, saksad-dharitvena samasta-sastraih, that “In every scripture the spiritual master is identified as directly God.” Saksad-dharitvena samasta-sastraih. Visvanatha Cakravarti said, not that any section sastra, but all sastra, all scriptures, they admit that the spiritual master is God directly. Saksad-dharitvena samasta-sastrair uktah: “It is said. It is mentioned. Authoritative sastra, actually bona fide sastra, it is said.” Saksad-dharitvena samasta-sastrair uktah: “It is said.” And saksad-dharitvena samasta-sastrair uktas tatha bhavyata eva sadbhih: “And that is accepted by all strict followers of transcendental science.” Not that somebody admits or somebody does not admit. No. Everyone, sadbhih. Sadbhih means “by the transcendentalists, those who are actually making progress in transcendental science and those who are…, objective is to reach the Supreme.” They are doing. Then again, Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura says, kintu prabhor yah priya eva tasya. Why the spiritual master should be accepted directly as Narayana and God? The Mayavada philosophers, they say, “Yes, spiritual master is God and I am God, you are God–everyone is God.” No. That is rectified. Everyone is not God. God is God, and living entities are living entities. In the Vedas it is…, nityo nityanam cetanas cetananam: “He is the prime entity of all entities.” So there cannot be two Gods. One God. As such, if God is one, there cannot be two religion also, because religion means to understand God, to love God. That is religion. And religion means the words of God, just as it is said. So why there should be two religions? There cannot be two religions. There may be some difference according to climate, country, population. There may be some difference in the execution of religion. But on principle there cannot be two religions because God is one and religion means the words of God. So how there can be two religions? We have made two, three, four, five, six, increasing the number of religion. Just like in New York we have seen the United Nations organization. It is said they are united, but there are thousands of
750726SB.LB Lectures 228870/530501 life–there are so many varieties of birds, beginning from the eagle. There is a big eagle bird. We have no information. They are very big bird. They are flying in the sky, and their rest is from one planet to another. Just like here you find the birds, they are flying from one tree to another. Similarly, there are so big birds… They are called garuda. So garuda, these birds, they start their flying from one planet and sits in another planet. Just try to understand what is their flying. Not only that, they also lay eggs while flying, and the eggs, while falling down, it becomes another bird. And these birds can pick up elephants for eating. So this is God’s creation. So if you want to become such a big bird, you can become. (laughter) Yes. Ye
750727SB.SD Lectures 228892/530501 Pratyaksa, anumana, and sruta. According to Vedic principles, there are three different types of evidences. Everything must be proved by evidence. So these are primarily three evidences. Pratyaksa, direct perception, pratyaksa; anumana; and sruti. Anumana means I cannot see directly, but by the symptoms I can imagine. That is anumana. Just like I have seen that in the month of April, May, June, we can get mangoes. That is our direct experience. So similarly, we can say, in the month of January, we can say that “In the month of April, May, June, we shall have mangoes.” In the January there is no mango. But because I know, I experienced in my last April, May, June, so similarly, this intuition is nothing but experience of my last life. That is called intuition. The rascals, they say that there is no experience. Whatever life we have got just now, here experience. No. The intuition… Just like a dog’s cub born, it is also trying to find out milk from the body of the mother, and exactly in the same place putting his mouth. Or human child also. This is last experience. That proves that life is continual. Just like I came here about two, three years ago? So I immediately, while getting down, I immediately understood, “Oh, the same house.” So this is called intuition, means past experience.
750729SB.DAL Lectures 228931/530501 So my real problem is how to become again eternal, not accepting any more birth, death, old age. That is my real business.” But because I am infected with the material modes of nature, we are making different plans. Everyone is busy. Everyone is busy in different plans, forgetting his real business. This is called maya. Maya means…, ma means not; ya means this. Therefore maya means when you understand, “This is not my business,” then you are out of maya. “This is not,” ma-ya.
750729SB.DAL Lectures 228932/530501 Jaghanya, they do not know how to live, just like animal, less than animal. Animal has got also sense. The modern civilization is less than animal. Animal does not kill its own son. The human being is killing his own son.
Just like a pig. It is very much fond of eating stool. So if you want to ask, “Why this animal is fond of eating stool?”… So dharma adharma jnapaka, because in the past life this living entity practiced tamo-guna, no discrimination of eating… Tamo-guna means no discrimination. Eating… We have got four businesses in this life, so long we have got this material body: ahara-nidra-bhaya-maithunam ca, eating, sleeping and sex and defense. These are primary business of the body. So why there are different types of eating, different types of sleeping? Why different types of mating, sex intercourse, and
750729SB.DAL Lectures 228935/530501 So these are all due to different infection of the guna. Tamo-guna means shameless, tamo-guna. Rajo-guna means lusty desire. And sattva-guna means knowledge, to see things as they are. So just like here in the temple, we are cultivating sattva-guna, or more than that, above sattva-guna. Above sattva-guna. It is said in the sastra that to live in the forest is sattva-guna. Sattva-guna, people have got tendency to live in a secluded place, solitary place, without any disturbance. That is sign of sattva-guna. And to live in the cities, big, big cities, skyscraper building, this is rajo-guna. And to live in the brothel, in the liquor shop, in the slaughterhouse, this is tamo-guna. Sattva-guna, rajo-guna, tamo-guna. But to live in the temple is transcendental. Transcendental. It is above sattva-guna, rajo-guna, tamo-guna, to live in temple. Therefore we are introducing this Krsna consciousness movement so that the persons who are in Krsna consciousness, living in the temple according to the regulative principles, they are above all these sattva-guna, rajo-guna, tamo-guna. That is wanted. Nistraigunya. Traigunya means three gunas, and nih means negative. Nistraigunyo bhavarjuna. That is our aim, that although we are in this material world, by this Krsna consciousness process we shall live above these three gunas. These three gunas cannot touch me. That is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita: sa gunan samatityaitan brahma-bhuyaya kalpate. Who? Mam ca vyabhicarini bhakti-yogena ya sevate. Anyone who is engaged in pure devotional service avyabhicarini, not mixed up, whimsical, regularly, as they are ordained, as they are prescribed. So if anyone is engaged in such transcendental loving service of the Lord, then his position is: he is above the three gunas. He is not…
750729SB.DAL Lectures 228936/530501 .. Any person who has studied sastra, and he is in the sattva-guna, to him it is…, everything is there. He can understand what is this man, what he is going to be and what he was, past, present, future, everything. Why? How one can understand past, present, future? Through the sastra. Sastra-caksusah. There are still astrological calculation in India called Brghu-samhita. If you consult Brghu-samhita, immediately they will give you your past, present and future. Immediately they will give. The astrology science is so perfect. What you were in the past life, what you are at the present and what you are going to be, these three things they can be known.
760613SB.DET Lectures 228956/530501 So, so far the Kali-yuga is concerned, the future is very dark. There, everything is described in the Srimad-Bhagavatam. The future of this Kali-yuga, as it will advance, Kali-yuga… We have only passed five thousand years out of thirty-two hundred thousands of years. We have only passed five thousand years, and the miserable condition, situation, will degrade more and more, more and more. So if you have to take again birth in this material world, then we’ll have to suffer more and more. Best thing is that let us finish our business of Krsna consciousness and go back to home, back to Godhead, so that we haven’t got to come again to this nonsense material world. That is wanted. Yad gatva na nivartante tad dhama paramam mama. This should be the aim of life, that we are not going to take advantage of this so-called advance of material civilization. We have no business. Ara nare vaka (indistinct). We should make it a determination that we have enough of this material civilization; we are not any more concerned about it. We are interested in Krsna, how to go back to home, back to Godhead, Krsna. This should be the determination. And if we think, “Let me taste this also and taste that also…” In Bengal it is said durakhai tanakakai (indistinct). Not like that. … For a person who is going back to home, back to Godhead, he should be niskincana. Niskincana means no more any material necessities. Niskincana. Niskincanasya bhagavad-bhajanomukhasya. One side, this is nirvana, finished. And the other side positive. Negative side, no more material, and positive side, Krsna. Bhagavad-bhajanonmukhasya. How to go back to home, back to Godhead to serve Krsna–this is one side. And one side–nil, we don’t want any more anything. Niskincana. For such a person, visayinam sandarsanam atha yositam ca. For such a person, if he has become captivated by the material attraction, means money and material comforts… Woman and material comforts. This is material civilization. Everyone is after woman. Woman or men, the… It is not … So we have… This is the idea. So we must be serious. It is not that in one day we, all of us, we become paramahamsa. That is not possible. Don’t try to imitate, but follow the rules and regulation with vow that “This life I shall go back to home, back to Godhead, with determination.” Then Krsna will give you intelligence. That is promised by Krsna in the Bhagavad-gita. Tesam nityabhiyuktanam bhajatam pritih, satata-yuktanam bhajatam priti-purvakam dadami… If you are serious, then Krsna is within everyone’s heart, He’ll give you intelligence. But we must be very serious. Then past, present, future will be clear before us, and because Krsna is personally directing, buddhi-yogam dadami. So what knowledge is wanting there when Krsna…
750801SB.NO Lectures 229007/530501 Here there is difference between the man, woman, cows, or trees, or flowers. No. In the spiritual world there is no such difference. The flower is also devotee, living. The flower wants to serve Krsna as flower. The calf wants to serve Krsna as calf. The gopis want to serve Krsna as gopi. They are all the same, but according to the varieties–yesterday I was speaking of the variety–varieties of desires to serve Krsna… So that is spiritual world. And material world? The same varieties are there, imitation, but everyone wants to satisfy sense gratification. There is no desire for serving Krsna. That is the difference between material world and the spiritual world. In the spiritual world all the varieties are there, and they are all spirit. There is no touch of matter. They are all conscious. When the flower is there in the hand of Krsna, in the lotus hand, he is conscious. He is enjoying that “I wanted to serve Krsna as flower; now I am enjoying.” That is spiritual. They are all conscious. So in this way we shall keep ourself always Krsna conscious. Then, even though we fall down just like Bharata Maharaja fell down, became… He lost one birth. He became too much attached to that animal. He forgot his daily routine work. And the description is there in the, I think, which canto? What? …750801SB.NO Lectures 229010/530501 rascals are suffering. Let them have some idea about Krsna.” That is wanted. This is Krsna consciousness movement. So I am very glad that you are seriously interested, and Krsna is pleased upon you. And that you are sincerely trying, I can understand from these tulasi plants. Yes. This is the practical demonstration. Unless there is bhakti, this tulasi plant will not grow. We must be very much thankful to our Govinda dasi. She first of all cultivated the tulasi plant in Hawaii. And now our tulasi plants are distributed. So she has done a great service. I think I gave her the seeds, and she very nicely done it. Now everywhere we see tulasi plant. It is very pleasing. So the same thing–Deity worship and watering the tulasi plants, chanting sixteen rounds at least, and observing the rules and regulation, regulative principle… Then your life is successful. Don’t neglect. Very seriously continue. And in this one life you are going back to home, back to Godhead. It is sure. I am not flattering you. Krsna says, man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru, mam evaisyasi asamsayah. Asamsayah, “Without any doubt, simply following these rules and regulation,” mam evaisyasi, “you come back to Me.” So take these words of Krsna, guru-Krsna. The guru will also…, the same thing, what Krsna has said. And follow the principles. Your life is successful. Now, this place I see, although I have not seen all, is a nice place. And the grhasthas may come here, have some small cottage, and grow your own food grains, vegetables, and have your cow’s milk. Get nice foodstuff, save time. Why should you go in the city, hundred miles in car and again hundred miles come back and take unnecessary trouble? Stick to this spot and grow your own food, your own cloth, and live peacefully, save time, chant Hare Krsna. Very nice program. This is actual life. What is this nonsense life, big, big cities and always people busy? If he wants to see one friend, he has to go thirty miles. If he has to see a physician, he has to go fifty miles. If he has to go to work, another hundred miles. So what is this life? This is not life. Be satisfied. The devotee’s life should be yavad artha-prayojanam. We require material necessities as much as it is required, no artificial life. That is spiritual life. Simply increasing artificial life, even for shaving, a big machine is required. What is this? Simply wasting time. Devil’s workshop. Make life very simple. And simple living, high thinking, and always conscious to go back to home, back to Krsna. That is life. Not this life, that simply machine, machine, machine, machine.
760615SB.DET Lectures 229027/530501 We do not understand that this deha, this body, is always klesada. Klesada means giving pains. For the time being, we may feel some pleasure, but actually it is a reservoir of pain, not pleasure. The example is given in this connection… Formerly, this was done by the government servants to criminal, to take a man in the middle of the river and drown him, and catching his hair, and when he’s almost suffocating, then they again draw from the water and he takes little rest and again put him into the water. So that was the system of punishment. Similarly, whatever little pleasure we are feeling, that is exactly similarly the man, when he’s taken from the water, that’s all. Again he’s to be drowned. This material world is like that.
…and inquire from the spiritual master that “Why I am in this condition of life, always suffering?” Tri-tapa yatana. But we have become so dull, like the animals. The animals, they cannot question. They are suffering. Everyone knows animal life is full of suffering, but they cannot realize. But a human being can realize. And when the question comes, when he becomes intelligent enough that “Why I am suffering?” then his human life begins. Otherwise, he is animal. The animal cannot inquire. An animal is being taken to the slaughterhouse, but he cannot question or inquire that “Why I am taken by force in this slaughterhouse?” That is animal. But if you take one human being to be killed, if he understands, he’ll make a great noise, that “This man is going, taking me. Why I am being…,” so on, so on. Yes. That is human life. That is the distinction between human life and animal life, that one can understand that “Why I am put into this condition of suffering?” This is called brahma-jijnasa. That is the beginning of Vedanta philosophy. Athato brahma-jijnasa. Then we understand, one after another. So we should take advantage. Not that we shall live like animal, without any inquiry, without finding out the remedy, how to stop this miserable condition of life. We are actually trying. Everyone is working so hard, struggle for existence. He is trying. Why one is trying to get money? Because he thinks that “If I get money, then the distressed condition in which I am suffering, it can be mitigated.” So the struggle for existence is going on. Everyone is trying to become happy. But that is not in the material way. Material way, we are trying to get happiness, that means sense gratification. That is not happiness. Happiness means spiritual happiness. That is happiness. This material happiness is temporary. That is not happiness, but perverted happiness. It is exemplified just like we are trying to find
750803SB.DET Lectures 229045/530501 So nasta-jan… I do not know. I do not know means I cannot remember what I did in my past life and what is going to happen in the next life, in ignorance, tamasa. Ajnas tamasa upaste. This is tamo-guna. The present life as it is, we try to enjoy–that’s all–without caring for the next life, or without understanding what was my past life. But human being should be intelligent enough that “Why…? I am enjoying or I am suffering. The other person, he is differently enjoying or suffering differently. Why the differences are there?” This is intelligence. Why not one kind of enjoyment? Why not everyone millionaire? Why not everyone pauper, or poor? There are varieties. So they do not consider it. They are so fool, they… They should, that “Why I am put into this condition? Why he is put into another condition? Why the other is put in another condition?” That is called tamasa. They do not care to know also. Tamasa. Tamase ca.
750803SB.DET Lectures 229051/530501 So this Krsna consciousness movement means to deliver people from this ignorant ignorance platform and bring him to the light platform, or…, and knowledge platform, so that one can understand what is his constitutional position, how he can stop the sufferings of life, and how one can become eternally blissful life of knowledge. (break) …ness. Caitanya Mahaprabhu, He has given us the Siksastaka. Ceto-darpana-marjanam. By chanting the Hare Krsna mantra… (break) In the Bhagavata says tapasa. Tapasa means “by undergoing severe austerities, penances.” Tapasa brahmacaryena samena damena va. This is the instruction in the sastra. One has to become perfect by tapasa, by austerities. Tapasa brahmacaryena. And becoming brahmacari, celibate. What is called? Celibate life? Eh? Jagadisa: Celibacy. Prabhupada: Celibacy, yes. Life of celibacy, controlling the sex desire. This is tapasya. Tapasa brahmacaryena samena damena va. These things are education. And what is this nonsense education how to become a big mechanics of motorcar parts? This is not education. This is sudra, sudra education. It is not education. It is called silpa. Silpa-vidya, brahma-vidya. Vidya means brahma-vidya. Therefore, in the Vedic society, education was meant for the brahmanas. Education was not meant for the sudras. Education was meant for the brahmanas, and partially of the ksatriyas, neither of the vaisyas nor of the sudras. What education? Vaisyas livelihood is, or his occupational duty is, how to produce food, how to give protection to the cows, and if there is excess stock, how to trade with it. So anyone can learn by seeing only. It doesn’t require any high education. If the father is tilling the field, the son can learn it by seeing it. If the father… Just like in Vrndavana, we… Krsna… Krsna was going to tend the cows and calves of Nanda Maharaja. There was no education. It can be learned simply by seeing others doing that. So at the present moment education means many Indians are coming to America to learn how to polish motorcar parts or how to create technology. So this is not education. This is not ed… But the Europeans and Americans, they are going to India for learning brahma-vidya. That is education. The Europeans and Americans, when they go to Vrndavana and Mayapur, they do not go there to see how we have manufacturd cycle and machine for sewing. They have seen enough of this. We may be very proud in India: “Now we are manufacturing cycle and sewing machine or some motor parts, advanced.” This is not advanced. Education means how to make one brahmana, how to teach him how he become sense controlled, sama, dama, mind control, how to become truthful, how to become clean, how to become simple, how to become full of knowledge, how to apply knowledge in practical life, how to know God. This is education. This is education. So the present situation of the human civilization is very, very dark, tamasa. They want to live in the city without working for producing their food. And there are butchers, they kill innocent animals. And in the city they eat the meat, and to digest they drink and work like hogs and dogs whole day and night. This is civilization. This is not civilization. This is darkness, darkness of life. So we
…750803SB.DET Lectures 229057/530501 Krsna made condition. Krsna is personal Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself. He came to show His mercy, and therefore He left Bhagavad-gita to be read by common… Any common man can understand. But the rascals are so rigid that they will misinterpret. Krsna left it for reading it by everyone. Any common man can understand. Dharma-ksetre kuru-ksetre samaveta yuyutsavah. This is the beginning. Any common man can understand. The Kuruksetra is still there, and it is dharma-ksetra. Still people go there to take bath in the Brahma-kunda during lunar and solar eclipse. It is a great dharma-ksetra. But they will interpret, “Dharma-ksetra kuru-ksetra means this body.” Where they get this meaning? Where is the dictionary? No, because he is scholar, he has invented some meaning. This is going on, and people are misled. So the time is very, very, bad, and even there is attempt to deliver them, they are so rigid and so stubborn, dog obstinacy, they want to remain in the doggish condition of life. It is very, very difficult. But Caitanya Mahaprabhu is so kind. Krsna said in the Bhagavad-gita,
760616SB.DET Lectures 229077/530501 Therefore our business is… “Artificially, I shall not see anything.” Now how it is possible? You’ll see in the mind. Suppose you close your eyes, but there are so many impressions, they will come within the mind. Even if you close your eyes. The so-called meditation means he has closed his eyes but he’s thinking of his beloved or his business or something like, something like that. So is not possible. First of all, you have to fix up your mind in Krsna. Always think of Krsna. That is advised by Krsna. Man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru. These four principles guarantees, Krsna says. Mam evaisyasi asamsayah. If you simply execute these four things, then Krsna guarantees, asamsaya, without any doubt you are coming back to me, back to home, back to Godhead. It is so nice. So mind engaged in Krsna. Always think of Krsna. We are seeing Krsna here so nicely dressed, decorated, and immediately there is impression with the mind and you can think the whole day. And Krsna says he is first-class yogi who,
760616SB.DET Lectures 229087/530501 janma naiti mam eti. That is success. That after giving up this body… This body means the combination of the so many, twenty-four elements. So long we’ll be entangled within this network of twenty-four elements, it is called conditioned life. And mukti, liberated, means no more entanglement. Muktir hitva anyatha rupam. We are now entangled in these twenty-four elements, and mukti means we are not entangled. Muktir hitva anyatha rupam. Because we are entangled, we are thinking otherwise. “I am American,” “I am Indian,” “I am this,” “I am that,” “I am that,” “I have got so many duties.” These things. But when one understands that these so-called duties and entanglement of these twenty-four elements of matter, “I do not belong this. I am aloof, I aloof,” this understanding is called brahma-bhutah prasannatma. At least theoretically if we understand, then our duty changes. Prasannatma, fixed up. That whatever I am doing now, I am doing with this material, for the benefit of this material, not for my personal benefit. I am not these twenty-four elements. This is called mukti.
750805SB.DET Lectures 229116/530501 So this principle they do not know, that this human life, actually the desire is like that, that “Let me earn some money. Then I shall go in a village or in a secluded place I shall live very peacefully.” And those who have got money, at the weekend they go out for peaceful living. So that is the tendency, not to work hard, but live peacefully. That can be done. Everyone can do that, provided he lives in the village, he lives in the village and produces his own food, little labor, vegetable, food grains. Anyone can produce. This is human civilization. Therefore… Not that all, everyone has to do. The third class… First-class men, they should cultivate knowledge to guide the human society, brahmana. Sama dama titiksa… They should learn, ideal men. Under their advice… Brahmana is considered to be the guru of other sections: ksatriya, vaisya, sudra. So anyone can live very peacefully without any hard labor. What is this civilization? For getting foodstuff one has to go hundred miles away from home, daily passengers. And some of them are going in the foreign countries also. Recently there was news that in Africa, Uganda, that, the President Amin, he asked some very respectable English gentleman to carry his palanquin just to insult them. But the Englishmen, now they are in a precarious condition. The British Empire is now finished. Now they had to carry this man. And under protest they could not go away because they have got business. So why one should go so far distance? Everyone can produce his foodstuff at home. Nature’s arrangement is so nice. If not, little trade. So it is not meant for so much hard labor. Sastra says, “This kind of laboring hard simply for satisfaction of senses is the business of the hog and pig. It is not the business of the human being.” Nayam deho deha-bhajam nrloke kastan kaman arhate vid-bhujam ye. So human society, they should rectify their mode of civilization by taking this Krsna consciousness movement. Then they will be happy.
750814SB.BOM Lectures 229195/530501 There are two words still current in the Hindu society: suci and muci. Muci means cobbler, dealing with skin. “I am this skin,” “I am white skin,” “I am black skin,” “I am American skin,” “I am Indian skin”–this understanding means muci. And muci is skin expert. “This is cow skin. This is goat skin. It is lamb skin.” This is… He is called muci, skin expert. Modern technology has given the title “tannery expert.” So this “tannery expert,” if you become tannery expert, then you are muci. So there is a Bengali proverb, muci haya suci haya, yadi krsna bhaje. Every one of us, we are all tannery expert and we have created so many “isms” on the basis of becoming a tannery expert. Therefore they are called muci. So muci haya suci haya. And suci means brahmana, pure. He has no such sense of becoming a tannery expert. He is brahmana, brahma-vit. One who knows Brahman, he is called brahmana. He is suci. He is not more tannery expert. So therefore, it is said, if from the muci platform if you want to become suci, really brahmana, purified, then you have to take to Krsna conscious. Muci haya suci haya, yadi krsna bhaje. If one becomes Krsna conscious, then from the platform of becoming a muci, one becomes suci. Therefore we have no caste distinction because our process is to elevate the muci to the platform of suci, this Krsna consciousness movement. Actually that is the fact. We are unnecessarily becoming tannery expert. That is not the aim of life. The aim of life is to become suci, to become brahmana, or the person who is aware of Brahman. Brahma janati iti brahmanah. This is the philosophy. But nobody is interested to become a brahmana. Everyone is interested to remain a muci and tannery expert. That is not the aim of life. So this is training. Muci haya suci haya. One can be trained up to become a suci from the platform of muci. And even though one is born of a suci family, if by practice he is not Krsna conscious, then he automatically becomes a muci. Suci haya muci haya, yadi krsna tyaje. If one gives up Krsna consciousness, even though he is born in a brahmana family or even though he has practiced brahmanism, still, on account of his not accepting Krsna consciousness, he is accepted as muci. Suci haya muci haya, yadi krsna tyaje. And muci haya suci haya, yadi krsna bhaje: if one is Krsna conscious, then he is suci. This is
710103SB.SUR Lectures 229211/530501 devotee of Lord Siva; still, he was a asura. Hiranyakasipu, he was a great devotee of Lord Brahma, but he was considered asura. So anyone who is not devotee of Lord Visnu, he is asura. That is the verdict. Asuras tad-viparyayah. And this pinda-dana is offered oblations to the Visnu. So if any man becomes a Vaisnava, he is offering oblations to Visnu every moment, so his forefathers are delivered without any trouble. Without any trouble. If one’s son becomes a Vaisnava in the family, he can deliver fourteen generations, up and down. That is the verdict. Not only verdict, this is the version in the Srimad-Bhagavatam. …dasi-patir ajamilah. Dasi-pati. He was attached to a prostitute, dasi-pati. A prostitute is called dasi, and wife is called dharma-patni. These are distinction. There are distinction of dresses also, according to Vedic way of life. The prostitute would separate the hair here, not in the middle. Yes, what is called? Guest (1): Part. Prabhupada: That is… A prostitute should, I mean to say, comb her hair in that way so that people can understand she is prostitute and she is chaste woman. And this sindura, the red, red lead, these were the signs. A vidava(?), one who has no husband, they should wear without any skirt, sari without any skirt, vidava, without any bangles. So people will understand, “This woman is without husband,” “This woman is prostitute,” “This woman is chaste woman,” “This woman is not married,” “This woman’s husband is away from home.” So different dresses. Prosita-bhartrka. Prosita-bhartrka. The name was… A woman whose husband is away from home, she should not dress very nicely. She should not comb her hair. That is the system. There are so many systems.
710103SB.SUR Lectures 229219/530501 should be very secretly done. Everyone knows that a husband, wife, have sex intercourse. But not like cats and dogs. That is human civilization. Not that on the road the boy or the girl is embracing, kissing, and having sex life. This is animal life. This is animal life. Simple they are educated to prostitution. Now, at the present moment, father, mother, sends the daughter for prostitution: “Find out a suitable man. Attract a suitable man. Don’t marry abruptly. Just test this man, this man, this man, this man, this man. Then marry.” So father-mother, they are teaching daughters prostitution. This is the condition of the society. How there can be peace? And they are after peace. They are making conference–“peace.” By conference and passing resolution there can be peace? And the result is Naxalites,
710103SB.SUR Lectures 229253/530501 Prabhupada: He was not in devotional service. Devotee (1): He was not serving Visnu? Prabhupada: He was trained… Visnu worship is not always devotional service. Caitanya Mahaprabhu, when He was presented by Ramananda Raya about Visnu worship, He said, “No, no. This is not the right description. You go further.” You’ll find in the… Yes. “You go further.” Eho bahya age kaha ara. Because unless they understand what Visnu…, simple official Visnu worship will not help. One has to become real devotee. Anyabhilasita… Generally goes to Visnu for asking something, or any other demigod, they go. People are very much addicted to material enjoyment. Either he goes to suddha-bhakti… This bhakti means suddha-bhakti. Anyabhilasita-sunyam. That, that is transcendental platform. There are viddha-bhakti. Viddha-bhakti. So one who goes to worship Visnu for some material bene… Just like Dhruva Maharaja went. That was bhakti, but that was viddha-bhakti, adulterated. Dhruva Maharaja went to gain his father’s kingdom. That is artharthi. Artah artharthi. Catur-vidha bhajante mam. Four kinds of men goes to worship Visnu: arta, those who are distressed; artharthi, those who are in need of money or material benefit; jijnasu, those who are inquisitive; and jnani–these four kinds. Out of these, jijnasu and jnani are better than the arta and artharthi, the distressed and need of money. So even the jnani and jijnasu, they are not on the pure devotional service because pure devotional service is beyond jnana also. Jnana-karmady-anavrtam. Just like gopis, they did not try to understand Krsna by jnana, whether Krsna is Bhagavan. No. They simply automatically developed–not automatically; by their previous good activities–acute love for Krsna. They never tried to understand Krsna, whether He is God. When Uddhava tried to preach before them about jnana they did not hear it very attentively. They simply absorbed in thought of Krsna. That is the perfection of Krsna consciousness. Never mind Krsna worship, but one loves Krsna. And that is wanted. That is spontaneous. Real love means that. A lover does not consider what he is, the opposite party, what he is, whether he is rich man, whether he is educated man or educated… There is no such consideration. Love is spontaneous. That is an example also. Similarly, love for Krsna, that should be simply spontaneous, without any consideration. Aslisya va pada-ratam pinastu mam: “Either You trample down under Your feet or embrace me, still, I love You.” That is love, that kind of love. Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna… Hamsaduta: Prabhupada? Prabhupada: Yes. Hamsaduta: If someone is engaged in devotional service and he commits an offense at the feet of a pure devotee, whatever he has done up until that time is not lost? Or he, in his next life he gets…? Prabhupada: No, if he thinks that he has committed offense, he should ask pardon, excuse, that’s all. Hamsaduta: What if he just goes on and he never asks pardon? Is he finished in…? Prabhupada: Then that he should. That he should. That he should. Hamsaduta: He should ask. Prabhupada: Yes. “Please excuse me. I have done…” Hamsaduta: But suppose he doesn’t ask and he just… Prabhupada: That is obstinacy. Why should he not? If he thinks that he has committed offense, why should he not ask excuse? Hamsaduta: Well, he may not think so. He may just find himself falling down. Prabhupada: Then fallen down, what can be done? To save from this fallen down she should ask or he should ask, “Please excuse me. I have done…” That’s all. Finish it. And a devotee is always prepared to excuse. Why should he not ask? Yes. One should be very cautious, and if it happens so, then he should ask to be excused. That’s all. Yes. Devotee (2): That’s the cause of all falldown, committing offenses at the feet of a pure devotee? Prabhupada: There are many causes. One should be cautious, that’s all. … 710103SB.SUR Lectures 229279/530501 Revatinandana: That service to mankind is service God? Prabhupada: That is nonsense. Guest (3): Doctor. For doctor, I mean. Prabhupada: Well, that is another thing. When doctor gives service to man, he does not give service to the man; he gives service to the money. (laughter) Revatinandana: Srila Prabhupada, hearing(?) from Hamsaduta’s question,
750828SB.VRN Lectures 229302/530501 said, kalau sudra-sambhavah: “In the Kali-yuga the population is all sudra.” There is no brahminical culture. Brahminical culture means sama, dama, controlling the mind, controlling the senses. A real brahmana will never agree to embrace the opposite sex in public way. No. That is not brahmana’s business. He has been trained up how to become controller of the mind, controller of the senses. That is the first business of a brahmana. Sama, dama, satyam. He is truthful, saucam, clean, thrice taking bath. So you should always… You are given the chance of becoming brahmana. You should not become again sudras or mlecchas or candalas. Be careful. This is brahmana business. If we again come back to candalas or sud… Candala means less than the sudras. Even sudras, they eat meat under control. But candalas, they eat meat without any control. So just like in the Vedic society, although there are meat-eaters, they would eat meat after offering …the brahmana… Not exactly qualified; otherwise he would not have fallen. He was on the neophyte stage. Therefore we restrict, “No illicit sex.” Completely forbidden. Otherwise it will be very difficult to keep oneself in the brahminical standard and make spiritual progress. Without being in the platform of brahmana, you cannot make any spiritual progress. That is not… A sudra, a vaisya… But they can be trained up. Therefore Krsna said,
mam hi partha vyapasritya ye ‘pi syuh papa-yonayah striyo sudras tatha vaisyas te ‘pi yanti param gatim
In Krsna consciousness, a sudra, a candala, the lowborn, he can be elevated to the highest stage of Vaisnava. Vaisnava is higher stage than brahmana.
750828SB.VRN Lectures 229313/530501 So hrd-roga-kama, this hrd-roga, hrc-chaya, is a heart disease. It is very, very difficult to avoid unless one is fully Krsna conscious. And that is stated by Yamunacarya:
yadavadhi mama cettah krsna-padaravinde nava-nava-rasa-dhamany udyatam rantum asit tadavadhi bata nari-sangame smaryamane bhavati mukha-vikarah sustu nisthivanam ca
This is the test. Yadavadhi krsna-padaravinde. “Since I have learned how to take transcendental bliss from the lotus feet of Krsna…” He is explaining. He was an emperor. He had ample opportunity of enjoyment, material enjoyment. He was enjoying it. But he said, “Since I have become Krsna conscious and I am taking pleasure in Krsna consciousness, from that time,” bata nari-sangame smaryamane, “whenever I think of enjoying with woman, I spite on it.” This is the test. This is the test, how I am becoming advanced. You do not require any certificate from anyone. You can learn yourself. Just like when you are eating, you do not require any certificate from others, “Whether I am feeling all right?” Eating means you are hungry, so if you eat, you will feel satisfied. Your hunger will be satisfied. You will be getting strength. These are the symptoms that have eaten. Similarly, when you’ll no longer be attracted by this sex desire, then you should understand that “I am now making progress in Krsna consciousness.” This is the test. So this boy became victimized. Although he was under training, he was not completely fit. Therefore he fell victimized by seeing this affair, lusty affairs. So at that time might be one or two cases. Now the whole world is full with all of these lusty desires, especially in the Western country. Here also now it has come. No more they are following the Vedic principles. But it is not so deteriorated as in the Western countries, and so we should be very, very careful. Not only… Simply becoming careful will not. We must advance in Krsna consciousness, and that is very easily done by chanting Hare Krsna mantra. If you keep yourself always engaged in chanting Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, then it will be… Ceto-darpana-marjanam. This is hrc-chaya-vasam. The lusty desire is a disease of the heart. It is… Practically it has no value. So therefore Caitanya Mahaprabhu says, ceto-darpana-marjanam. They cleanse the heart with all dirty things. Ceto-darpana-marjanam. How? Param vijayate sri-krsna-sankirtanam. This is confirmed in Bhagavatam, kirtanad eva krsnasya mukta-sangah param vrajet. Simply by chanting, you can keep. If you follow the rules and regulation and chanting, then you will not be victimized. You’ll make your progress without any fear. Thank you very much. Hare Krsna. (end)
750829SB.VRN Lectures 229322/530501 seven to half past eight. So mano madana-vepitam. Cupid is always disturbing. This material world means this Madana, Cupid, whole material world. Yan maithunadi-grhamedhi-sukham hi tuccham. Grhamedhi means those who have decided to prolong this body for sense enjoyment. That is going on. Everyone is trying so hard. In big, big cities they are working so hard like hogs and dogs, not for… They say that “We are hungry. We must work very hard.” But that is not the fact. The real fact is that “We want to enjoy sex.” So far hunger is concerned, you can control, but sex desire, it is very difficult to control. So this material world means that maithunadi. Maithuna means sex intercourse. That is the beginning of material life. You know very well how strong is sex desire in the Western countries. Even old man, going to die, he has also. Although he cannot enjoy sex, still, he is trying his best by medicine, by other means, by intoxication, by stimulant. So that is the only happiness of this material world.
750901SB.VRN Lectures 229373/530501 There are three kinds of women: kamini, svairini, and pumscali. Pumscali. Svairini means free, freedom. Nobody is controller. That is called svairini. And kamini means to attract, very much attract. And another, pumscali–living with woman, er, man for some time; giving up; again another; again another. That is exemplified by the lightning. You have seen the lightning–immediately, within a second, from this cloud to that cloud, that cloud to that cloud. So they are called svairini. So three divisions. Similarly, there are divisions of men also.
750902SB.VRN Lectures 229382/530501 became sinful immediately. Therefore we stress on marriage. They cannot understand why this association stresses so much for marriage, not to live… They live as friend. That is sudra. There is no legal marrige. Sudra and sudrani. Just like he was living with the sudrani–he was not married–as friend. So even sudra’s marriage there is. For the sudra there is one asrama–that is grhastha asrama. And for the brahmanas, four asramas: brahmacari, grhastha, vanaprastha, sannyasa. This is for the brahmanas. For the ksatriya: brahmacari, grhastha, and vanaprastha. For the vaisyas: brahmacari and grhastha. And for the sudras: no brahmacari, only family life, and that also sometimes without marriage. This is the low-grade, first-grade, second-grade. So now to live as friend, a sudra, that is now current all over the world. Now marriage is being forgotten. That is also written the sastra, that “There will be no more marriage. One man and woman should live together by agreement.” That is going on now in Kali-yuga. Svikaram eva hy udvahe, it is stated. Simply agree: “Yes, you become my bedfellow; I become your bedfellow.” That’s all. Finished. Svikaram eva hy udvahe. That is marriage. No more that ceremonial marriage. That is being forgotten. This is Kali-yuga now. Dampatyam eva hi… Ratim eva hi dampatye: “And their so-called unity, man and woman, means sex.” There is no other meaning. Dampatye, union of man and woman, means sex. There is no other religious system, that husband, wife, live together; they should cooperate for advancing in Krsna consciousness. These things are being forgotten. So Kali-yuga, these things are very common, but in the previous yuga, Satya-yuga, they were not very common, but rare. This combination of the brahmana and the sudrani, this is accidental. It is not common. So anyway, accidental or organized, it doesn’t matter. One
750903SB.VRN Lectures 229396/530501 Degradation. The first degradation is undesirable association, the first degradation; then no more respect for scriptural injunction, second degradation; and then the third step, aghayur asucih, you become infected with the low-grade quality. Jaghanya-guna-vrtti-stha adho gacchanti tamasah. The first grade qualification is sattva-guna, second rajo-guna, and the third, tamo-guna. So they believe in the evolution. Now, in this human form of life, what is further evolution? The further evolution is that if you are keeping in sattva-guna, in goodness, then you can be promoted, elevated, to the higher planetary system. Urdhvam gacchanti sattva-sthah. And if you keep yourself in the rajo-guna, then you will keep within this Bhurloka. And if you are infected with the tamo-guna, then you again go to lower grade life, again animal life, plant life. This is the nature’s process. You cannot avoid it. You may be very much proud falsely, but after death, after giving up this body, you are completely… You are already completely under the regulative principle of nature. You cannot violate even. But if you foolishly violate, then you are preparing your next life according to your karma. Karmana daiva-netrena.
710106SB.CAL Lectures 229430/530501 So this dictation of Krsna comes through the disciplic success, and if we follow the instruction of acarya, or spiritual master, then we are directly following the orders of Krsna, and thus I become a bhagavad-duta. No more I am the duta or the follower of the dictation of my senses. And one who is bhagavad-duta, he is called gosvami, just like Rupa Gosvami, Sanatana Gosvami. Whose life is dedicated to follow the dictation of Krsna, they are gosvami. Gosvami is not a caste title, just like it has become in India. Gosvami… Rupa Gosvami was a minister. He was rejected by the brahmana society, but Caitanya Mahaprabhu made him gosvami. He is the original gosvami. Why? Because he gave up the dictation of Nawab Shah but he followed the dictation of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Therefore he became gosvami, prabhupada. He became prabhupada. Prabhupada means the title or the respect which is given to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is called… Prabhu means master and pada means maryada, or the respect or the distinction. So bhagavad-duta, those who are strictly following the dictation of Krsna under strict disciplinary chain of disciplic succession, he is Krsna’s representative and he should be given all the respect. Saksad-dharitvena samasta-sastraih. That is the verdict of all sastras.
750906SB.VRN Lectures 229490/530501 This is the… Narayana is so kind that although the name of Narayana was called by Ajamila, meaning his son, still, because he has chanted the name, holy name of Narayana, it was immediately taken seriously by Lord Narayana, and His order-carriers, the Visnudutas, were sent to save this man. Svalpam apy asya dharmasya trayate mahato bhayat. So this process of Krsna consciousness is so nice that svalpam apy asya dharmasya, even slightly executed in due time… Because the process is we are educating people to chant Hare Krsna to practice, so in due time, Hare Krsna at the time of death especially, if we can chant this holy name of God, Hare Krsna, then our life is successful. So unless we practice, how it will be possible to chant at the time of death? Because at the time of death the whole system, anatomical-physiological system, becomes disturbed, in bewilderness, in coma, in unconsciousness. But still, if one has practiced, there is possibility of chanting the holy name of the Lord, Hare Krsna, Narayana. Then that is success of life. In a Bengali there is a proverb, bhajana kara sadhana kara murti janle haya(?), that “Whatever you are executing as a bhajana, sadhana, that’s all right, but it will be tested at the time of your death.” It will be test. Just like a parrot is chanting, “Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna,” but when some cat comes in, “Kaw, kaw, kaw.” No. Then missing. So parrot life will not help you. You must be really chanting without any offense. Then it is possibility that at the time of death….
750909SB.VRN Lectures 229551/530501 So we have to engage our senses. It is not our senses; it is Krsna’s. We have forgotten it. I am seeing with my eyes. I am very much proud I can see. But why you cannot see when you are blind? The eyes are there. Because the master has withdrawn the sight power. You can be happy with your decoration of the eyes, but you cannot see. So actually I do not see. Just like I have got this spectacle. The spectacle does not see; I am seeing. Similarly, with my eyes I am not seeing; Krsna is seeing. Because Krsna is seeing, therefore I am seeing. This is the Vedic version. You will find in Upanisad. Because the Supreme Brahman is seeing, therefore we are seeing. Because the Brahman is walking… There are many evidences. Just like this ear. Now I am hearing with this ear. You are also hearing. But when I am unconscious, this ear is there, and you call me, “Mr. Mo…, Mr. Sir, Mr. Sir,” but I cannot hear. The machine is there. Why you cannot hear? Therefore the Brahman is withdrawn. So sarvam khalv idam brahman. Everything is working because the Brahman is there. Otherwise it will not work, simply machine. This body, because the Brahman, the soul, is there, it is working. And as soon as the soul is out of this body, it is lump of matter. They are thinking the brain is working. The brain is not working. Brain is a machine. Just like typing. You are typing. The machine is not typing. You are typing. Unless there is touch of Brahman, nothing can work. So when we realize this, that is called brahma-bhutah prasannatma, when we understand that “I am simply instrumental.” That is also explained in the Bhagavad-gita. Bhramayan sarva-bhutani yantrarudhani mayaya. Actually we are under the direction of Krsna, and he has given us this machine, this body, and we are wandering throughout the whole
…government? There is a Bengali poetry by a Bengali Vaisnava: kaname janame sabe pita mata paya, krsna guru nahi mile bhajaha e aya.(?) As soon as you take birth, there is father. Either you take birth as a snake or you take birth as a human being, without father and mother there is no question of birth. So father and mother you will get in every birth. But krsna guru nahi mile bhajaha e aya(?): Krsna and guru will not be available in every birth. That is very important thing. You cannot get Krsna in the form of a snake or a cat and a dog, but you can get Krsna in the form as a human being.