Philosophy discussions-Srila Prabhupada about Bergson-with Symasundar
Śyāmasundara: So someone can understand, someone can know what the life force is going to do in the future, how it will manifest itself in the future?
Prabhupāda: The future, because he is eternally servant of God, so now he has forgotten. He wants to become master, and the material nature is kicking him, life after life. So one day he’ll come to his senses and become again, renovate himself to become servant of God.
Śyāmasundara: So we can predict that everyone will…
Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. Everyone will be. Somebody sooner, somebody later.
Śyāmasundara: So that the purpose of the life force then is to eventually go back…
Prabhupāda: Just like when a man becomes a prisoner, he will be freed, he’ll be a free man at the end of his term, and within this term he is simply kicked by the police, so that he may not come back again to prison house.
Śyāmasundara: But we can’t predict that the process of punishment will have permanent effect, can we? Can we predict that? Many prisoners leave the prison, but some come back.
Prabhupāda: No, there is no permanent effect because we have got little independence. There is nothing as permanent. You can misuse your independence at any time.
Śyāmasundara: And come back.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Otherwise there is no meaning of independence. Independence means you can do this, you can do that. “All right. Whatever you like.”
Chanting in the Process- to be effective
Feb 25 1977
Prabhupāda: No, no. They may chant, but they must understand that the chanting process, that will be more effective. That they must know. Chanting is open. Anyone can chant, but they must know it, that “If I chant in the proper process, then it will be effective.”
Rāmeśvara: We want then to chant more.
Prabhupāda: Yes. But we must… They must know the science also.
Rāmeśvara: Just like this Alice Coltrane. She has done her small part. She made this record album with Govinda Jaya Jaya and Hare Kṛṣṇa.
Prabhupāda: That is… That will be a good thing. But when he (she) does it properly it will be more effective, because there is… If one does not chant in the process, then gradually it degrades. The offense will increase. There is chance.
Srila Prabhupada’s Room Conversation — April 27, 1976, Auckland, New Zealand
So mantra is not ordinary sound vibration. So we have to keep
the mantra in potency, potent, by offenseless chanting, by remaining
pure. If you pollute the mantra, then it will lose its effect.”
NBS 13 Narada-bhakti-sutra
If a diseased person is being cured of the symptoms of his disease
but does not care for the principles of healthy living, there is every
possibility of a relapse. Similarly, the neophyte devotee serious
about advancing in devotional service must carefully follow the
principles of regulative devotional service; otherwise there is every
possibility of his falling down. Strictly speaking, if a devotee
ignores the regulative principles and acts according to his whims–if,
for example, he does not eat krsna-prasadam but eats anywhere and
everywhere, such as in restaurants–there is every possibility of his
falling down. If he accumulates money without spending it for
devotional service, there is every possibility of his falling down. If
he applies his energy not in the service of the Lord but in some
material activity, there is every possibility of his falling down. If
the devotee does not engage himself always in hearing and chanting the
topics of Krsna and His activities but instead indulges in idle talk,
there is every chance of his falling down. If a neophyte devotee does
not follow the orders of the spiritual master and simply officially
sticks to the principles, or if he does not strictly follow the
principles, there is every possibility of his falling down. To become
greedy is another cause of falldown. And to associate with persons who
but does not care for the principles of healthy living, there is every
possibility of a relapse. Similarly, the neophyte devotee serious
about advancing in devotional service must carefully follow the
principles of regulative devotional service; otherwise there is every
possibility of his falling down. Strictly speaking, if a devotee
ignores the regulative principles and acts according to his whims–if,
for example, he does not eat krsna-prasadam but eats anywhere and
everywhere, such as in restaurants–there is every possibility of his
falling down. If he accumulates money without spending it for
devotional service, there is every possibility of his falling down. If
he applies his energy not in the service of the Lord but in some
material activity, there is every possibility of his falling down. If
the devotee does not engage himself always in hearing and chanting the
topics of Krsna and His activities but instead indulges in idle talk,
there is every chance of his falling down. If a neophyte devotee does
not follow the orders of the spiritual master and simply officially
sticks to the principles, or if he does not strictly follow the
principles, there is every possibility of his falling down. To become
greedy is another cause of falldown. And to associate with persons who
are not in devotional service is the last word in maya’s allurements
for causing a devotee to fall down.
for causing a devotee to fall down.
Dec 12 1970
Therefore, anyone who wants to make progress in spiritual life, he must be sadācāra. His behavior must be very regulated. Asadācārī, unclean, nonregulated, you cannot make any progress. If somebody says that “Whatever you like, you can do. There is no difference. You can imagine your own way…” This is going on nowadays. “Whatever you like, you can do. You can imagine your own way of self-realization.” But that is not recommended in the Vedic literatures. One must be sadācāra. This is the beginning of sadācāra, to rise early in the morning, to cleanse, then chant, or chant the Vedic mantras or, simplified as in the present age, Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, mahā-mantra. This is the beginning of sadācāra. So sadācāra means to become freed from sinful reaction. Unless one follows the regulative principles he cannot be freed. And unless one is fully freed from sinful reaction he cannot understand what is God.
SB 2.9.31 purport–
Therefore, one cannot understand the Personality of Godhead unless one becomes a devotee and discharges devotional service. This mystery is love of Godhead. Therein lies the main qualification for knowing the mystery of the Personality of Godhead. And to attain the stage of transcendental love of Godhead, regulative principles of devotional service must be followed. The regulative principles are called vidhi-bhakti, or the devotional service of the Lord, and they can be practiced by a neophyte with his present senses. Such regulative principles are mainly based on hearing and chanting of the glories of the Lord. And such hearing and chanting of the glories of the Lord can be made possible in the association of devotees only. Lord Caitanya therefore recommended five main principles for attaining perfection in the devotional service of the Lord. The first is association with devotees (hearing); second is chanting the glories of the Lord; third, hearing Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam from the pure devotee; fourth, residing in a holy place connected with the Lord; and fifth, worshiping the Deity of the Lord with devotion. Such rules and regulations are parts of devotional service.
Some Conclusions-these above things may seem difficult, but it is not at all difficult, if one is just a little serious about his life . Any sane person who has a family and or a job gets up every day and dutifully performs all the necessary things to keep the family intact, protected, prospering, and happy. Similarly with spiritual life, we can easily do all the things necessary to succeed and be happy in our constitutional position as servants of God, Krsna,which is our REAL life, and not the illusory one based on a temporary body and a very temporary situation.
Hare Krsna
damaghosa das
