Therefore in this age kalau śūdra-sambhavaḥ. In Kali-yuga, there is no brāhmaṇa, no kṣatriya. There are some vaiśyas. And all śūdras. Because they cannot live without being engaged by somebody else. And the whole civilization is going on, big, big factories, big, big… What is that? Śūdras. They are creating śūdras. “People should be dependent.” Unless you work… Therefore people are going fifty miles away, going… I have seen in New York. People are coming from the other side… What is that?
Haṁsadūta: Connecticut
Prabhupāda: No, no. Staten Island?
Haṁsadūta: Staten Island.
Prabhupāda: Crossing by ferry, one hour. Then waiting for bus, another hour. Then going to the office. Then after office, they’re coming back. Again going. Whole day, they’re dependent on everything. That is the condition in New York. It is to be supposed: the most advanced city. The same thing is everywhere. People are becoming dependent, śūdra, just like dogs. A dog, unless he gets a nice master, he’s not happy. So at the present moment, all the population, just like the cats and dogs, they’re dependent. They are not intelligent. Intelligence means he must be independent. That is intelligence. And people are struggling for independence. That is their motive. Everyone is struggling hard for independence. Because that is the culmination of intelligence. So our problem is that we do not know what we are. Neither we know how to get out of the miserable condition of life. Therefore we have no intelligence. We are like cats and dogs. This is the conclusion. What do you think? Am I right or wrong?
Guest (1): I couldn’t follow you.
Prabhupāda: Eh?
Guest (1): I haven’t followed you.
Prabhupāda: No, what is your opinion, my description of intelligence and not, no intelligence?
Guest (1): I think you’re right.
Prabhupāda: Thank you. (laughter)
Guest (1): But you know, my thoughts must be really not worth very much.
Prabhupāda: But we can give intelligence by which he can become independent. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.
Guest (1): How can we in a money-orientated world?
Prabhupāda: Hm?
Haṁsadūta: How can we become intelligent or independent?
Guest (1): In a money-orientated world?
Prabhupāda: Well, money you can get. That money does not mean independence.
Guest (1): No, I know.
Prabhupāda: They are, while working, they’re getting money, but they’re not independent.
Guest (1): No, I understand that.
Prabhupāda: Yes. So without money, if you become independent, that is intelligence.
Śrutakīrti: That was her question.
Prabhupāda: Ah. That, if you can get Kṛṣṇa, you’ll…
Guest (1): But how do you, what I mean is how do you, how can you…
Prabhupāda: That “how to,” that we shall teach, as we are teaching others. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is stated, yaṁ labdhvā cāparaṁ lābhaṁ manyate nādhikaṁ tataḥ yasmin sthito na duḥkhena guruṇāpi vicālyate [Bg. 6.20-23]
Yaṁ labdhvā. You get something, which getting, you will be satisfied: “I don’t want anything more.” That is highest gain. Yaṁ labdhvā cāparaṁ lābhaṁ manyate nādhikaṁ tataḥ. Cāparam. Another kind of benefit is not required. So yasmin sthitaḥ. If we remain in that position, then even there is hardest difficulty of life, he’ll not be disturbed. (pause) Where is Paṇḍitjī?
Devotee: I’ll get him. (pause)
Haṁsadūta: Should I put on the light, Prabhupāda?
Prabhupāda: Yes. Sit down. (pause) He gets such thing, when he gets it, he’ll consider that he doesn’t want anything more. That is the greatest profit. And the result is that when one gets that thing, even he is in the greatest difficulty of life, he’s not disturbed.
[Bg. 6.20-23] “Established thus, one never departs from the truth, and upon gaining this, he thinks there is no greater gain. Being situated in such a position, one is never shaken, even in the midst of greatest difficulty. This, indeed, is actual freedom from all miseries arising from material contact.”
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Some Conclusions—It is interesting that in this conversation Prabhupada is telling them and us that just the “simple living high thinking principle” (which most devotees at this time just don’t get) is not the ultimate in freedom. He is saying that without money you become independent and can live, that is intelligence..
So who would ever even consider this proposal? Yet this is what Krsna tells us in His BG. The greatest freedom is to be free from all material contact and in that position of total Krsna or God Consciousness, one is NEVER SHAKEN.
Personally, I was always been very attracted to this particular verse in BG. Even if one has the good karma to have good health, wealth, beauty, and knowledge, he still has to die and take birth over and over-unless this person is 100% Krsna Conscious. And even if one has to take birth again and again, if this person is 100% Krsna or God Conscious, then the material energy will not affect him one bit-as Krsna says-even in the midst of the greatest difficulty. This is indeed real freedom and the sign of the most intelligent person.
So getting to that point is no easy task, but it can be done if one follows the orders and instructions of the bona fide spiritual master.
Srila Prabhupada in other places points out some of these steps. The Bhagavad Gita is the best place to start. And the next step is to follow Prabhupadas direct orders of how to live in this world leaving the most minimal karmic footprints. The Karmis talk about carbon footprints and how they are bad for the planet, but here we are talking about Karmic footprints, which we don’t want and which lead to continual birth and death.
The entire principle of simple living and high thinking is one endorsed by the Supreme Lord Himself, repeated so many times by Srila Prabhupada and was the second phase of his mission on this earth.
Therefore if we want this never shaken by any material calamity consciousness then the instructions by the Maha Bhagavata Srila Prabhupada are not optional, but must be followed.
Hare Krsna
damaghosa das
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Garden video
