the ultimate bondage is sex life-but constantly getting a higher taste it can be conquered–SP

NY BG April 27 1976

So here it is said, rasa–varjaṁ raso ‘py asya paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate[Bg. 9.59]. One who is forcibly refrained from material enjoyment, oh, that sort of forcibly material enjoyment cannot last. Cannot last. There are many examples. There was a great muni, great sage, whose name was Viśvāmitra Muni, Viśvāmitra. He was formerly a very powerful king. Now, in his later life he gave up everything and he wanted to be a transcendentalist and great meditator, great meditator in the yogaprinciple of life. He was a yogi, great yogi. Now, this Viśvāmitra was performing meditation in the forest very supremely. So the… Now,Indra, the King of heaven, he became frightened: “So, this man is performing so much penance. So he might come. He might ask from God and claim my seat. So just wake him, wake him. Just detach him from this purpose.” So he had many beautiful women at his control, one of whose name was Menakā. So Menakā was ordered that “You go there and try to induce him to have your association.” Because in this world our real bondage is this… Either for man or woman, this is the real bondage, the sex life. So the Menakā was sent to Viśvāmitra, and Viśvāmitra was meditating, but his eyes were closed.

So that woman made some sound of his (her) bangles, and Viśvāmitra thought, “Oh, in front me, a very nice beautiful woman, very young.” Now, that woman was sent for that purpose, so he became implicated in that woman, and a girl was born out of that combination. That girl’s name is Śakuntalā. Perhaps… That’s a famous name. There is a book of Śakuntalā. That is the daughter of that combination. Now, here is the example, that he was a great meditator, a great yogi. But the inner implications of enjoying sex life or material enjoyment, that did not go. That was by force. By force it was submerged. That sort of forcing, forcing our senses not to act, that will not be suitable. We have to see something more beautiful than this material life. Then we can be refrained, acting material; otherwise not. Otherwise it is not possible.

So we have to learn that thing, that how we have to see the beauty of spiritual life. Then, naturally, we shall be refrained from material activities. Just like a child, a boy. He is all day mischief-making and playing, but if he is given some good engagement… There are now so many devices by the educational department, kindergarten system or this system or that system. But if he’s engaged, “Oh, form ‘A,’ form ‘B.’ ” So he learns at the same time ABC, and at the same time refrains from his mischievous activities. Similarly, there are things, kindergarten system of spiritual life. If we engage our activity in that spiritual activities, then only it is possible to refrain from these material activities. Activities cannot be stopped. Activities cannot be stopped. Just the same example, that the Arjuna… Rather, before hearingBhagavad-gītā, he became inactive, not to fight. But after hearingBhagavad-gītā, he became more active, but transcendentally active. So spiritual life, or transcendental life, does not mean that we are free from activity. Simply artificially, if we sit down, “Oh, no more I shall do anything material. I shall simply meditate,” oh, what meditation you will do? Your meditation will be in a moment broken just like evenViśvāmitra Muni, he could not continue his meditation. We have to always, cent percent, be engaged in spiritual activities. That should be the program of our life. Rather, in spiritual life you will hardly find any time to get out of it. You have got so much engagement. Rasa–varjam.And that engagement can only be possible when you find some transcendental pleasure in it.

So that will be done. That will be done. Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu–saṅgaḥ [Cc. Madhya 23.14–15]. Spiritual life begins, first of all, śraddhā,some faith. Just like you are coming here kindly to hear me. You have got little faith. This is the beginning. Without faith, you could not spare your time here because here there is no cinema playing, there is no political talks, nothing of the… It may be, to some it is very dry subject. Very dry subject. (chuckles) But still, you come. Why? Because you have got some little faith, “Oh, here is Bhagavad-gītā. Let us hear it.” So the faith is the beginning. The faithless cannot have any spiritual life. Faith is the beginning. Ādau śraddhā. Śraddhā. And this faith, faithfulness, as much as it is intensified, you make your progress far. So this faith has to be intensified. The beginning is the faith. And now, as you make your faith intensified, so you become progressive in the spiritual path.(?) (life?) Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu–saṅgaḥ [Cc. Madhya 23.14–15]. If you have got some faith, then you will find out some sādhu, sādhu or some saint, some sage, who can give you some spiritual enlightenment. That is called sādhu–saṅga [Cc. Madhya 22.83]. Ādau śraddhā. The basic principle is śraddhā, and the next step is sādhu–saṅga, association of spiritually realized persons. That is called sādhu… Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgo ‘tha bhajana–kriyā.And if there is actually association of spiritually self-realized persons, then he will give you some process of spiritual activities. That is called bhajana–kriyā. Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu–saṅgaḥ atha bhajana–kriyā tataḥ anartha–nivṛttiḥ syāt. And as you are more and more engaged in spiritual activities, so, proportionately, your material activities and affection for material activities will diminish. Counteraction. When you engage in the spiritual activities, your material activities diminishes. But just mind that. Material activities and spiritual activities, difference is that… Suppose you are engaged as a medical man. You don’t think that “If I become spiritually engaged, then I have to give up my profession.” No, no. That is not. You have to spiritualize your profession. Just like Arjuna, he was a military man. He became a spiritualist. That means he spiritualized his military activity.

So these are the techniques. So ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu–saṅgaḥ atha bhajana–kriyā tataḥ anartha–nivṛttiḥ syāt [Cc. Madhya 23.14–15].Anartha means… Anartha means that creates my miseries. Material activities will continue to increase my misery. And if you adopt spiritual life, then your material miseries will be gradually decreased, and practically it will be nil. And when we are actually free from material affinity, then your real spiritual life begins. Athāsakti. You become attached. You cannot give up any more. When your anartha–nivṛtti, when your material activities are completely stop, then you cannot give up. Athāsakti. Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgo ‘thabhajana–kriyā tato ‘nartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt tato niṣṭhā [Cc. Madhya 23.14–15]. Niṣṭhā means your faith becomes more firm, fixed up, steady. Tatoniṣṭhā tato ruciḥ. Ruci. Ruci means you will simply hanker after spiritual things. You won’t like to hear anything except spiritual message. You won’t like to eat anything which is not spiritualized. So your life will be changed. You won’t like to do anything except spiritual activities. iṣṭhā athāsaktiḥ. Then attachment, then bhāva. Then you will be transcendentally, I mean to say, ecstaticized. There will be some ecstasy. And that is the… These are the different steps for highest platform of spiritual life. Tato bhāvaḥ. Tato bhāvaḥ. Bhāva, that bhāva stage, is the right platform from where you can directly talk with the Supreme Lord.

NoD 35 Neutral Love of God 175614/530501

Without worshiping the arca-vigraha, the form or Deity of the Lord,

one cannot understand such literature as Bhagavad-gita and

Srimad-Bhagavatam.

751030SB.NAI Lectures 223477/530501

So the temple worship is essential. So those who are against temple

worship, Deity worship, they are not very intelligent class of men,

foolish, mudha.

Adi 7.76 Lord Caitanya in Five Features 93075/530501

To chant the holy name of the Lord, one need not depend upon other

paraphernalia, for one can immediately get all the desired results of

connecting or linking with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It may

therefore be questioned why there is a necessity for initiation or

further spiritual activities in devotional service for one who engages

in the chanting of the holy name of the Lord. The answer is that

although it is correct that one who fully engages in chanting the holy

name need not depend upon the process of initiation, generally a

devotee is addicted to many abominable material habits due to material

contamination from his previous life. In order to get quick relief

from all these contaminations, it is required that one engage in the

worship of the Lord in the temple. The worship of the Deity in the

temple is essential to reduce one’s restlessness due to the

contaminations of conditioned life. Thus Narada, in his

pancaratriki-vidhi, and other great sages have sometimes stressed that

since every conditioned soul has a bodily concept of life aimed at

sense enjoyment, to restrict this sense enjoyment the rules and

regulations for worshiping the Deity in the temple are essential.

Srila Rupa Gosvami has described that the holy name of the Lord can be

chanted by liberated souls, but almost all the souls we have to

initiate are conditioned. It is advised that one chant the holy name

of the Lord without offenses and according to the regulative

principles, yet due to their past bad habits they violate these rules

and regulations. Thus the regulative principles for worship of the

Deity are also simultaneously essential.

751027SB.NAI Lectures 223428/530501

So these are all facts, that Krsna is everywhere, Krsna is within

your heart, Krsna is within the atom. Andantara

stha-paramanu-cayantara-tham. That’s a fact, but where is your

realization? Therefore you have to begin realization by arcana. That

is very essential. Then more you become expert in arcana, ye yatha mam

prapadyante, the more you become realized, then more you become

advanced. So therefore, for kanistha-adhikari, he has to raise

himself.

CONCLUSIONS– the process of becomming happy in this age is to daily chant Hare Krsna maha mantra-AND after one has become accustomed to this simple practice, one should daily worship the Supreme Lord in his of her home by the authorized system of Deity Worship. In this way, one gradually becomes purified of all material contamination and get the taste for spiritual life and then can give up all material affinities.These are the instructions of our Acarya, Srila Prabhupada.

Hare Krsna

Damaghosa das