Friday, October 24, 2014

Know And Do What Krishna Wants

Bombay, January 9, 1977
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Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada


Prabhupada: No. Kumbha Mela is sat-sanga. If you go to Kumbha Mela to find out a man of knowledge, then your Kumbha Mela is right. Otherwise, yad-buddhih salile sa eva go-kharah [SB 10.84.13]. If one thinks that this salila, the water, to take bath in the water, is Kumbha Mela, he is a go-kharah. But the real..., that "Now there are assembly of so many saintly persons. Let me take advantage of their knowledge." Then he is intelligent. [break] ...of highly learned saintly persons. People should take advantage.Dr. Patel: To bring people together on discussion there are different groups, no?
Prabhupada: Still, you can go to different groups of saintly person. Different groups means brahmeti paramatmeti bhagavan iti [SB 1.2.11]. There are some yogis, some jnanis, some bhaktas. They are of the same category, little difference. Otherwise...
Dr. Patel: By different ways they have reached the same goal.
Prabhupada: Yes. Brahmeti paramatmeti. Some of them are brahma-parayana; some of them paramatma-parayana; some of them are bhakta. It doesn't matter. But they're all spiritual. They have no interest in this material world. Tattva-vit. Tattva-vit. They know what is truth. They say that Kumbha Mela is... That spot is very sacred because Mohini-murti brought the nectar there.
Dr. Patel: But in India, Kumbha Mela...
Prabhupada: Kumbha, that kumbha, means the waterpot.
Dr. Patel: There are different places round the Nasi. Now the last year and...
Prabhupada: So might have been all these places.
Dr. Patel: Nasi and Ujjain and this, three places.
Prabhupada: How everything is nice. See the ap, sky, how visala (vast) and how nice by Krsna. Purnam idam. [break] The vrksa-yoni is condemned. By Krsna's arrangement the vrksas are also so nicely set up, it becomes beautiful.
Dr. Patel: They're all the representatives of Krsna's creation. This is perfect.
Prabhupada: Purnam. Purnam idam. Purnam adah [Isopanisad, Invocation].
Dr. Patel: It was a challenge to one scientist who taught nonsense...
Prabhupada: Well... What...?
Dr. Patel: One man challenged by me, a student, you know, "Sir, you said there is no God. Can you make a living cell even of a..., not of, much less animal, of a plant even?" And he looked with open mouth. "Can you make a single cell living? Cell of. Not of the whole tree." That is nature. That is God. That is Krsna.
Prabhupada: Andantara-stha-paramanu-cayantara-stham govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami [Bs. 5.35]. Andantara-stha-paramanu-cayantarastham. Paramanu. Anu. Then paramanu means smaller than the atom. Six paramanus makes one anu. Atomic dimension is the combination of six paramanus. So in that paramanu also the Lord is there.
Dr. Patel: He made it, and then He entered into it. That is what the Veda says.
Prabhupada: Yes. Antara-stha. Yac-chakti... There is verse. The Paramatma. Paramatma is there. The whole human life is meant for understanding all this and glorifying the Lord. And they are wasting the life by imitating the hog. Nayam deho deha-bhajam nrloke kastan kaman arhate vid-bhujam ye [SB 5.5.1]. Vid-bhujam. Vid means stool; bhuja means eating. Yac-chaktir esa... What is that? There is a verse. Eko 'py asau racayitum jagad-anda-kotim yac-chaktir asti jagad-anda-caya yad-antah, andantara-stha-paramanu... [Bs. 5.35].
Dr. Patel: Jagad-anda-koti.
Prabhupada: Ekah apy asya. Eko 'py asau racayitum jagad-anda-kotim. They create millions of universes.
Dr. Patel: But the standard of creation is the same, sir. That I believe of life. Wherever you see, it's the same. That is the greatness of God, that there is no change.
Prabhupada: So without that...
Dr. Patel: If you are an amoeba or a highest evolved man, the system of life is the same.
Prabhupada: Without...
Dr. Patel: That is the wonder of biology and science. That is why we wonder how great God has made the creation. That is where we feel the presence of God, or the real scientist. [break]
Prabhupada: They believe. Some rascals, they say there is no God.
Dr. Patel: This Khorana, our Indian scientist... He did this work and he felt aghast: "O God!" Because he had a background of...
Prabhupada: Hindu.
Dr. Patel: A religiosity there. Some fellows in America, they talk nonsense about this science: "It's all the chemicals." They believe in what we call that dialectical materialism: It is a material arrangement which produces consciousness. It is not the consciousness which governs the material. [break]
Prabhupada: ...the brain is conscious? [break] If you want subsidence of anartha, bhakti-yogam adhoksaje. Anartham upasamam saksad bhakti-yogam adhoksaje, lokasyajana... These rascals, they do not know. Ajanatah. Vidvams cakre satvata-samhitam [SB 1.7.6]. Therefore Vyasadeva made this satvata-samhita for these rascals and fools. Satyam param dhimahi, janmady asya yatah [SB 1.1.1]. This is the beginning of Srimad-Bhagavatam. The origin of everything.... Anvayad itaratas carthesv abhijnah sva-rat. Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna.... [break] There is a very big.... What is called? Conspiracy against us.
Dr. Patel: Here and America. Yesterday I read about that cutting paper.
Prabhupada: No, no. One secret letter they have... How they are making conspiracy.
Dr. Patel: By the church.
Prabhupada: Not by the church.
Dr. Patel: By the society.
Prabhupada: Now they are determined to cut down this movement.
Dr. Patel: They don't like their boys, I mean, getting a better understanding of the life and living a pious life. They want them to be...
Prabhupada: Not here!
Dr. Patel: Here it is different, sir. We can't compare India with those people. Here we see still there is some signs of...
Prabhupada: I wanted to start this movement. I requested so many friends, "Give me your one son." Nobody. "Swamiji, (Hindi)."
Jagadisa: What does that mean?
Prabhupada: "What will be benefit by this if I make my son a Vaisnava or a brahmana?"
Dr. Patel: No, but Vaisnavas are born in the family. They did not become sadhus. Why should they?
Prabhupada: No, no, they do not give much importance to the movement.
Jagadisa: Hamsaduta Maharaja was describing that while they were traveling kirtana, in one village one of the village boys wanted to join them. So he was living with them, and they were arrested by the village people and detained, and the boy was sent home, because of the same thing.
Prabhupada: Yes.
Jagadisa: Here in India also.
Dr. Patel: What is that conspiracy, sir, in America?
Prabhupada: They are planning how to stop this movement in so many ways.
Dr. Patel: By some sort of physical force or something like...
Prabhupada: Not physical, but... What is the idea?
Jagadisa: Propaganda.
Prabhupada: Propaganda.
Dr. Patel: The Americans, I mean, always doing like that. There are lot of bad persons.
Prabhupada: Well, there are good and bad every place. Most of them are... Manusyanam sahasresu [Bg. 7.3]. This is Kali-yuga.
Dr. Patel: But I have read some letters that some of the university professors of philosophy, many of them are in your favor.
Prabhupada: Oh, yes, many. All intelligent, they are in favor. They're also grouping to defend us. They are also grouping.
Dr. Patel: That is more important. The fools may say anything, and dogs may bark.
Prabhupada: One priest, very famous priest all over the world, is in our favor, Mr. Cox. Who is that?
Jagadisa: Cox, yes.
Prabhupada: He is determined to defend this movement.
Jagadisa: From Harvard.
Prabhupada: Harvard University.
Dr. Patel: In fact the Christianity is a bhagavata-dharma...
Prabhupada: No, it...
Dr. Patel: ...in a way.
Prabhupada: We have admitted. But Christianity has fallen. Here is the real religious system.
Dr. Patel: They have fallen into the trap. They have forgotten Christ's teachings. [break] What about me... You'll get up on horse? That is enlightenment... [break]
Prabhupada: Above your and our.
Dr. Patel: That's right. That is... All religious scriptures are above, undoubtedly.(?) It's meant for the humanity in general. And the Christianity is meant for humanity. Christ died for the humanity, not for a particular race... [break]
Prabhupada: Woman's nature is the same everywhere. In spite of your women being so elevated, Canakya Pandita has said, "You don't trust them." Visvaso naiva kartavyah strisu raja-kulesu ca. That means nature is the same.
Dr. Patel: It is a system of custom.
Prabhupada: And Urvasi was explaining Pururava about woman's nature...
Dr. Patel: That sanctity of fact, not to us.
Prabhupada: Fortunately, our men cannot have sex cult even up to the point of death.
Dr. Patel: What I mean to say is that we have...
Prabhupada: Our, if you say, "our," so if one is sticking to the sex cult up to the point of death, he's not "our."
Dr. Patel: Sex cult...
Prabhupada: Sex cult, yes, grhamedhi. Who stick into family life, that is sex cult. It has no other meaning. It is a concession of sex. To remain in household life means a concession of sex.
Devotee: So now you are sixty-five...
Dr. Patel: No, that is not sex. I am prepared to oppose you for hear.
Prabhupada: No, I don't hear you. I hear the sastra.
Dr. Patel: No, but this is also sastra. Please let me...
Prabhupada: Yan maithunadi-grhamedhi-sukham [SB 7.9.45]. No, maithuna, but maithuna products. You are attached to your sons and daughters. That is maithuna product.
Dr. Patel: That way we are attached to our bodies.
Prabhupada: Yes, that is... Either maithuna... Just like Gandhi. The same thing, a bigger scale. Bigger scale. Maithuna product.
Dr. Patel: Our body is also maithuna product.
Prabhupada: That's all right, but that is the first instruction: "Don't be attached to this body." So if we remain attached up to the point of death to the maithuna or maithuna product, then the same illusion. That is said.
Dr. Patel: So you have to leave the body consciousness and become soul conscious perpetually. It is...
Prabhupada: And that soul consciousness is Krsna consciousness. Yes. So... But in the soul consciousness...
Dr. Patel: Becoming brahma-bhutah, you have to worship Parabrahman Krsna.
Prabhupada: Jaya. Cent percent Krsna consciousness is liberation. Hitva 'nyatha...
Dr. Patel: Brahma-bhutah prasannatma [Bg. 18.54].
Prabhupada: That is beginning.
Dr. Patel: He gets the highest bhakti. Brahma-bhutah prasannatma na socati na kanksati, samah sarvesu... [Bg. 18.54].
Prabhupada: No, Brahma-bhutah... Where is that brahma-bhutah?
Dr. Patel: Then he mad-bhaktim labhate param. Then he gets the real... Otherwise body conscious people cannot do the bhakti without becoming brahma-bhutah.
Prabhupada: Brahma-bhutah. Everyone is sarira-bhutah.
Dr. Patel: That is what I was telling you. And everyone was sarire kunape tri-dhatuke.
Prabhupada: Yes. So unless one is brahma-bhutah, there is no question of advancing in spiritual life. [break] ...parihrtya kartam.
devarsi-bhutapta-nrnam pitrnam
nayam rni na kinkaro rajan
sarvatmana yah saranam saranyam
gato mukundam parihrtya kartam
 [SB 11.5.41]
Finished, no more duty: "I simply surrender to Krsna." He is liberated. Sarvatmana yah saranam saranyam gato mukundam parihrtya kartam. "I have no more duty." That is the brahma-bhutah stage, when one thinks, prasannatma, "Why I am suffering this unnecessary...?" [break] Devarsi-bhutapta-nrnam pitrnam [SB 11.5.41]. [break] Matir na krsne paratah svato va mitho 'bhipadyeta grha-vratanam. One, if he is grha-vrata, he goes to guru or not guru-he'll never be reformed. Grha-vratanam: one who has taken this vow that this home is everything, grha-vrata. Vrata means taken vow: "It is my only duty." Matir na krsne. He cannot place his mind unto Krsna, matir na krsne paratah svato va, either by good advice of guru or personal, svatah, na mithah, nor by meeting, sat-sanga, so-called sat-sanga, because the real disease is grha-vrata.
Dr. Patel: No, that is right, sir. But there are...
Prabhupada: Yes. So the grha-vrata... If we keep ourself grha-vrata, then either guru or personally or by sat-sanga, nothing will help us. Matir na krsne paratah svato va mitho 'bhipadyeta grha-vratanam. Why? Adanta-gobhir visatam tamisram punah punas carvita-carvananam [SB 7.5.30]. Chewing the chewed. [break] Na te viduh svartha-gatim hi visnum durasaya ye bahir-artha-maninah [SB 7.5.31]. If one is trying to be happy by material adjustment, that is durasaya. It will never be.... [break] Yavan na ghrnita mahiyasam pada-rajobhisekam. Yavan na ghrnita. Bhagavata sloka, each word, each line, concentrated. Vyasadeva's contribution, last thing; by Narada's upadesa. And this is the only means of anarthopasamam. You have created anarthas, and human life is meant for arthadam. But.... Hare Krsna. So therefore real Vedic civilization is that gradually we have to give up this grha-vrata position. At one time you must voluntarily give up. Although I do not like to give up, still, by the order of the sastra, one has to give up. Pancasordhvam vanam vrajet. Vrajet means compulsory. Just like we accept so many things compulsory, similarly, to give up family attachment after fiftieth year, that is compulsory. We therefore invite all the compulsory, what is called, renouncement. Of course, nobody can go to the forest. That is not possible. They are not trained up as a brahmacari. So this Hare Krsna Land -- "Come on." All the vanaprasthas, they can live in this land or Vrndavana, Hyderabad, simply for bhagavad-bhajana and no other purpose, anyabhilasita-sunyam [Brs. 1.1.11], making all other purposes zero. Anyabhilasita-sunyam jnana-karmady-anavrtam [Cc. Madhya 19.167]. Jnana and karma, these are bondage. Karmi, jnani, yogi -- they are especially bewildered. They want something, but still they say that "I am now renounced." So long there is want, he cannot be renounced. Renounced means no more want. Svamin krtartho 'smi: "I am fully satisfied now. I don't want any..." Yam labdhva caparam labham manyate nadhikam tatah. "I have got such a nice thing that I have no aspiration for getting any more." That is brahma-bhutah prasannatma [Bg. 18.54]. Svamin krtartho 'smi. So this is Vedic civilization, that at a certain stage one should forget that "I belong to this family, I belong to this society, I belong to this nation, and so on," there are. Sva-dhih kalatradisu. Sva-dhih: "My own men, my kinsmen." This is sva-dhih. And beginning from kalatradisu. Kalatra means wife. Wife is the beginning of expansion. From wife, child; from child to grandchild; grandchild to great-grandchild; and so on, so on. Stri means "which increases." Kalatradisu. (Hindi)
Indian man: Swamiji, I get two thoughts. Number one: having acquired a family, I am willing to renounce, but would I not be running away from the responsibility, in the name of Lord Krsna, for the bringing up and educating the children? And second thing...
Prabhupada: You cannot educate, neither you bring. This is maya.  Do you think... Do you think that only in your presence your children will be happy? There are... Just see here in the corner, the father, mother, and the child is always, twenty-four hours, crying. The father, mother, is there. They are poor men, they are taking care, but still, the child is unhappy; it is crying twenty-four hours. There are many you'll find. So does it mean that in the presence of father, mother, a child is happy? Everyone is being conducted by his destiny. The father, mother, may be there or may not be there; his destiny will go on. This is the law of nature. You see here. Do you mean to say, because that man is poor, he's not taking care of the child? Why the child is crying twenty-four hours? So if one child is made to cry by his destiny, even in the presence of his father, mother, he has to cry. Nobody can make him happy. So this is called illusion, that "I am doing." Ahankara-vimudhatma kartaham iti manyate [Bg. 3.27]. A rascal, he thinks like that. But it is not the fact. The fact is prakrteh kriyamanani gunaih. His destiny or her destiny is to suffer. So even though father, mother... Suppose a rich man's son is sick. He has engaged good physician, good doctor. Does it mean that he will guarantee life? Then what is the principle? Balasya neha saranam pitarau. Prahlada Maharaja said that "It is not a fact that when the children are under the protection of father and mother, he's secure." Tvad-upeksitanam: "If You neglect, that 'This child must cry; this child must die,' then even by the greatest care of the father and mother, he will die." So what is the use, saying that your duty...? Duty? That is maya.
Indian man: Second thing is...
Prabhupada: No, first of all you understand this. Then bring second thing. That you have no duty. Your only duty is to surrender to Krsna. Sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam [Bg. 18.66]. That is your only duty. But because you are under the mental platform, you are creating duties, so but that also must be finished after certain age. That is compulsory, that "You are very good, responsible man. All right, do your duty up to this. No more duty. No more duty." So this "duty, no duty," this is our creation. We are under fully control of the nature. But we have created our mental concoction: "This is duty. This is good. This is bad." That is our mano-dharma. Real dharma is sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66]. This is real dharma. And everything is mano-dharma, mental creation. Therefore the Bhagavata in the beginning it is said that dharmah projjhita-kaitavo 'tra: [SB 1.1.2] "This false dharma is rejected." These are all false dharmas. Real dharma is to surrender to Krsna. But it takes time. Therefore sat-sanga is required. But actually real dharma is to become Krsna conscious and do everything... Anukulyena krsnanusilanam [Cc. Madhya 19.167]. What Krsna wants, we must know it and do it. And this is real dharma.
Dr. Patel: How to know it?
Prabhupada: You can know from Krsna. Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita. It is open to everyone. If you cannot understand, then go to guru. He will explain to you. "And how to know it?" You cannot say. "Keep to the left" is there. You cannot say that "I did not know the law." You have deviated. Why you have gone to the right? The signboard is there, "Keep to the left." You have gone to the right; you are criminal, must be punished. So Krsna comes personally, and He is giving instruction. How can you say, "How to know?" This is criminal. This is criminal to say that you do not know what to do; you do not see God. God has given the law. There is no question how to know. Know it! Tad viddhi pranipatena [Bg. 4.34]. Tad viddhi. Know it! Why you are neglecting? Tad viddhi. Tad-vijnanartham sa gurum evabhigacchet [MU 1.2.12]. That, if you do not... What is called? Ignorance of law is no excuse. You cannot say in the court, "Sir, I did not know the law." Aiye. You know or not know; you have violated the law; you must be punished. Hare Krsna.
Trivikrama: Once you know, then everyone is benefited. Your family is not neglected.
Prabhupada: The ignorance of law... Why? Why this human form of life? To know. Why you do not try to know it? Then you must be punished. Krsna said, asraddhadhanah purusa. "If you are neglectful to know," dharmasyasya parantapa, "this dharma, this science, this duty, what I am giving..." Asraddadhanah: "Eh! Bhagavad-gita is..." Asraddadhanah. There is no sraddha. Rascals. "Then the result will be mam aprapya. He does not get Me." Then what is next? Nivartante: "He goes back." Where? Mrtyu-samsara-vartmani: [Bg. 9.3] "Again in the cycle of birth and death, birth and death." Again, after millions and millions of years, he'll come, again get the chance of human body, another chance to know. So this is the chance to know. You cannot expect the dog will know, the cat will know. You have got human being. You must know. The signboard, "Keep to the left," is meant for the human being. If the dog goes from right to the left, he is not to be punished, because he has no knowledge. This is common sense. But you cannot neglect. You are human being. You cannot say, "I did not see the signboard. I did not know the law. Therefore, by chance, I have violated." No. No "by chance." You must be punished. This is the responsibility of... Narottama dasa Thakura, therefore, sings, hari hari bifale, janama gonainu: "I have wasted my time." How? Manusya-janama paiya, radha-krsna na bhajiya: "I got this human form of life. I did not know what is Radha-Krsna." Janiya suniya visa khainu: "Knowingly, I have taken poison." A human being, if he does not become Krsna conscious, that means knowingly, he is taking poison, and he must die. Janiya suniya visa khainu. Sometimes I do not know what is poison. Just like child does not know. He may take. But he'll not be excused. Even a child takes poison, it does not mean the nature's law will excuse him. No. But.... What to speak of child, a human being, if he takes poison, janiya suniya, then what is to be...? So in the human form of life, you cannot neglect the instruction of Bhagavan. Then you'll be punished. Severe punishment. Tan aham dvisatah kruran ksipamy ajasram andha-yonisu [Bg. 16.19].
Dr. Patel: You are thrown in the lower yonis.
Prabhupada: Lower? Yes, yes. Lower... That is mrtyu-samsara.  Suppose next life I become dog. Then my becoming very big scientist, big lawyer, big this and that, everything finished. But that law is not in your hand. After death, you cannot say, "Mother nature, you are giving this body. I don't like it." No. "It is not in your liking. It is my liking." Karmana daiva-netrena [SB 3.31.1]. When you are criminal, you are under the grip of the magistrate. If he puts you in jail, you cannot say that "I don't like." No. You like or not; you must go. Who cares for your liking? Therefore mudha. Prakrteh. Prakrti, the laws of nature, is working in its own way. Nobody can change it. But ahankara-vimudhatma. Those who are rascal, they are thinking, "I am independent. Whatever I like, I can do. There is no God. There is no law." Kartaham iti manyate. That should be avoided, that I am independent. Means that knowledge is lacking at the present moment. "Whatever I think, I can do. It is private. Religion is private." And big, big swamis are supporting. "Yes, religion is your private."
Dr. Patel: Even the state says "Religion is your private..."
Prabhupada: Whatever... The rascal says. A rascal says. It is not private. No private-public. It is laws of nature. You have to abide by that. The nature's law is "Now winter. You have to cover your body." There is no second law. So that is wanting, that we are... The present defect is that every one of us under the laws of God or nature, whatever you say. And still, we are declaring independence. This is the defect. Prakrti-stho 'pi.
purusah prakrti-stho 'hi
bhunkte prakrti-jan gunan
karanam guna-sango 'sya
sad-asad janma-yonisu
 [Bg. 13.22]
Sad-asad-janma. Why? Karanam guna-sango 'sya. He's associating with the different modes of material of nature, infecting, and that is the cause one is born as demigod, one is born as dog, one is born as tree, one is born as human being. Karanam guna-sango 'sya. Therefore we should associate with sat-sanga. Sat-sanga chadi kainu, asate vilasa, te karane lagi more, karma bandha phansa. Because we have given up sat-sanga-om tat sat-Krsna's sanga, we are entangled in this asat-sanga. And that is the cause of my karma-bandha phansa. Sat-sanga chadi kainu, asate vilasa: "I wanted to enjoy with asat." Asato ma sad gamaya. Therefore I'm entangled.
Dr. Patel: Sat-sanga is continuously coming in contact with such gurus like you or, I mean, reading that sastras, also is a sat-sanga.
Prabhupada: But reading... By reading, you cannot understand. Tad-vijnanartham sa gurum evabhigacchet [MU 1.2.12]. That is also vidhilin: "In order to understand that science, he must go to guru."
Dr. Patel: But, sir, instead of reading no books of knowledge, if you read Bhagavata or Bhagavad-gita, it is a sort of a sat-sanga, and that develops. Someday he'll go to a guru. He'll find out.
Prabhupada: No, no, if he reads Bhagavata, he is not ordinary man.
Dr. Patel: He is on the way up.
Prabhupada: If he reads Srimad-Bhagavatam, Bhagavad-gita, he is not ordinary man.
Dr. Patel: He's a sat-sangi.
Prabhupada: Satam prasangan mama virya-samvido bhavanti hrt-karna-rasayanah kathah [SB 3.25.25]. Rasayanah kathah. Unless you discuss Bhagavata, Bhagavad-gita, with sat-sanga, devotees, it does not become relishable. Therefore he's not attached. Tad-vag-visargo janatagha-viplavah. In another verse.... Na yad vacas citra-padam harer yaso pragrnita karhicit [SB 1.5.10]. He may read one literature very decoratively written, very interesting, but there is no discussion about the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Yad vacah citra-padam, very decorative. Na yad vacas citra-padam harer yaso pragrnita karhicit: [SB 1.5.10] "But there is no glorification of the Lord." Tad vayasam tirtham: "Such kind of literature is enjoyable by such persons who are like crows."
Dr. Patel: Why?
Prabhupada: Crows.
Dr. Patel: Why crows?
Prabhupada: Crows will never come to a nice place. They'll go to the filthy place, where everything rubbish is thrown out. The crow will take advantage of it: "Oh, here is enjoyable thing." Tad vayasam tirtham. So we have been educated to become vayasa,  crows, useless black bird. There are other birds also, but these... Amongst the birds, these crows are most disliked by everyone. So our present literature and taste of literature is like that, crows. "Ka, ka, ka, ka." Even amongst the birds, they'll find swan, white swan. And they're black crows. Nature's division is so nice. Na yad vacas citra-padam harer yaso pragrnita karhicit tad vayasam tirtham usanti manasa [SB 1.5.10]. That is rejected by the manasa. Manasa means the birds who live in the mana-sarovara, just like ducks and swans.
Dr. Patel: Hamsas.
Prabhupada: Hamsas. They live in a very nice clean water, garden. Usanti manasa. They do not go there. Now they are making so much propaganda against our men, but these boys will never go to cinema. Usanti manasa. They are boys. They have no attraction, restaurant and cinema. You'll never find. Usanti manasa. They have rejected. And we see others -- they are making line, queue. Yes. Why? Vayasam tirtham. They like that. Crows like... They have been educated like crows.
Dr. Patel: They feed on the filth. This is one difficulty. All people are mad after the cinema.
Prabhupada: They will wait four hours, five hours, standing. Why cinema? I have seen in London the British Museum. Something came there. From morning there is a queue. Exactly like that, they were standing to go and see the museum. Something came. I... Three, four years ago I saw. They were standing. Just like here. For purchasing the cinema ticket they are standing and eating nampalli, just to see, eyesight. They will not come to see Deity in the temple. They'll not come. Mentality is different. It is a very dangerous civilization, soul-killing civilization. We should be very, very careful if we want success also. We shall go now? (end)
 
>>> Ref. VedaBase => Morning Walk -- January 8, 1977, Bombay
© 2001 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International.

Thursday, October 23, 2014

Friday, July 25, 2014

please don't kill the sacred cows!

please don't kill the sacred cow, the mother of mankind. dhenu dhatri tatha pritivhi

Friday, August 16, 2013

MAHANIDHI SWAMI’S LETTER AUGUST 13, 2013

Dear Devotees,
Please support our cause by sharing the petition with your friends.
Mahanidhi Swami has made an official statement in connection to his decision to resign from ISKCON. Below you will find it.
Mahanidhi Swami claims innocence and that the allegations are a false rumor.
We need your support now more than ever. Pressure is increasing on the GBC Executive Committee to be more transparent in it's dealing with Mahanidhi Swami. Help spread the word by sharing the petition.
=============
MAHANIDHI SWAMI’S LETTER AUGUST 13, 2013
Sri Sri Guru Gauranga Jayate!
Dear devotees and friends,
Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. For your consideration I offer the following explanation of the recent events of my life.
The Veda Purana says in Kali-yuga, disciples will become so antagonistic, envious and ungrateful that they will even kill their own Guru. Recently, a few disciples have accused me of improper behavior with a female devotee, and that was publicized worldwide.
Contrary to the thousands of false statements, distorted facts, wild exaggerated stories and complete lies, I have never had any illicit relations with a woman or man during my entire devotional life. Of course, this is only possible by the mercy of my Gurudeva Srila Prabhupada, Lord Gauranga and Sri Krishna’s Holy Names. And in no way have I left my eternal divine holy master Srila Prabhupada, and ran away with a woman or some other Guru.
Why did I resign from ISKCON, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness? By the 15th of June 2013, I observed that some antagonistic disciples had formed a conspiracy, and then forcefully spread slanderous allegations and completely false stories about my character to the disciples, and then throughout India and overseas. Not only was my name, reputation, disciple sanga, and preaching platform destroyed, but so to was all the wonderful preaching being done by the disciples. Seeing that permanent damage was already done, and feeling that the situation was hopeless, I accepted it as Bhagavan Sri Krishna’s sweet will.
Now it seems that time had come to change the focus, and concentrate on my personal internal spiritual development. At this time, I suddenly remembered some important shiksha Srila Prabhupada gave in 1972.
In that year, my Gurudeva Srila Prabhupada said, “Preach while you are young. When you are old, retire to Vrndavana and chant Hare Krishna. If you have preached sufficiently, you can retire to chant Hare Krishna.” (Prabhupada Lilamrta Vol 5 pg. 94: 1983 ed.)
I am sixty-three years old, and have spent the last forty years of my life in ISKCON actively preaching and publishing books to spread the science of Krishna
Consciousness around the world. Feeling that I have preached sufficiently, I thought now I can follow my Gurudeva’s siksha to retire in Vrndavana and chant Hare Krishna.
Thus, I resigned from the glorious preaching campaign of ISKCON to spend the balance of my life at Radha Kunda in Sridhama Vrndavana, chanting the sweet Holy Names of Sri Krishna, with the hope of someday attaining the most cherished goal of Radha-Krishna prema, pure love of God.
In closing, I want to take this opportunity to humbly beg forgiveness from any Vaisnava whom I may have offended during this most difficult time of my life. Also, I want to it to be clearly understood that I will always love and serve my eternal Gurudeva Srila Prabhupada, and maintain the deepest respect and gratitude toward ISKCON and all the devotees.
And if Bhagavan Sri Krishna blesses me, then in the future I may receive the good fortune to render a little service for the pleasure of the Vaisnavas.
Jai Jai Sri Radhe!
Vaisnavadasanudasa,
Mahanidhi Swami august 13, 2013

Thursday, October 18, 2012

The Real Formula For Peace


payasodhasvatīr mudā

SYNONYMS
kāmam — everything needed; vavarṣa — was showered; parjanyaḥ — rains; sarva — everything; kāma — necessities; dughā — producer; mahī — the land; siṣicuḥ sma — moisten; vrajān — pasturing grounds; gāvaḥ — the cow; payasā udhasvatīḥ — due to swollen milk bags; mudā — because of a joyful attitude.

TRANSLATION
During the reign of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, the clouds showered all the water that people needed, and the earth produced all the necessities of man in profusion. Due to its fatty milk bag and cheerful attitude, the cow used to moisten the grazing ground with milk.

PURPORT
The basic principle of economic development is centered on land and cows. The necessities of human society are food grains, fruits, milk, minerals, clothing, wood, etc. One requires all these items to fulfill the material needs of the body. Certainly one does not require flesh and fish or iron tools and machinery. During the regime of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, all over the world there were regulated rainfalls. Rainfalls are not in the control of the human being. The heavenly King Indradeva is the controller of rains, and he is the servant of the Lord. When the Lord is obeyed by the king and the people under the king's administration, there are regulated rains from the horizon, and these rains are the causes of all varieties of production on the land. Not only do regulated rains help ample production of grains and fruits, but when they combine with astronomical influences there is ample production of valuable stones and pearls. Grains and vegetables can sumptuously feed a man and animals, and a fatty cow delivers enough milk to supply a man sumptuously with vigor and vitality. If there is enough milk, enough grains, enough fruit, enough cotton, enough silk and enough jewels, then why do the people need cinemas, houses of prostitution, slaughterhouses, etc.? What is the need of an artificial luxurious life of cinema, cars, radio, flesh and hotels? Has this civilization produced anything but quarreling individually and nationally? Has this civilization enhanced the cause of equality and fraternity by sending thousands of men into a hellish factory and the war fields at the whims of a particular man?
It is said here that the cows used to moisten the pasturing land with milk because their milk bags were fatty and the animals were joyful. Do they not require, therefore, proper protection for a joyful life by being fed with a sufficient quantity of grass in the field? Why should men kill cows for their selfish purposes? Why should man not be satisfied with grains, fruits and milk, which, combined together, can produce hundreds and thousands of palatable dishes. Why are there slaughterhouses all over the world to kill innocent animals? Mahārāja Parīkṣit, grandson of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, while touring his vast kingdom, saw a black man attempting to kill a cow. The King at once arrested the butcher and chastised him sufficiently. Should not a king or executive head protect the lives of the poor animals who are unable to defend themselves? Is this humanity? Are not the animals of a country citizens also? Then why are they allowed to be butchered in organized slaughterhouses? Are these the signs of equality, fraternity and nonviolence?
Therefore, in contrast with the modern, advanced, civilized form of government, an autocracy like Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira's is by far superior to a so-called democracy in which animals are killed and a man less than an animal is allowed to cast votes for another less-than-animal man.
We are all creatures of material nature. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that the Lord Himself is the seed-giving father and material nature is the mother of all living beings in all shapes. Thus mother material nature has enough foodstuff both for animals and for men, by the grace of the Father Almighty, Śrī Kṛṣṇa. The human being is the elder brother of all other living beings. He is endowed with intelligence more powerful than animals for realizing the course of nature and the indications of the Almighty Father. Human civilizations should depend on the production of material nature without artificially attempting economic development to turn the world into a chaos of artificial greed and power only for the purpose of artificial luxuries and sense gratification. This is but the life of dogs and hogs.


 Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 1.10.6 Purport:
 To be nonviolent to human beings and to be a killer or enemy of the poor animals is Satan's philosophy. In this age there is enmity toward poor animals, and therefore the poor creatures are always anxious. The reaction of the poor animals is being forced on human society, and therefore there is always the strain of cold or hot war between men, individually, collectively or nationally. At the time of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, there were no different nations, although there were different subordinate states. The whole world was united, and the supreme head, being a trained king like Yudhiṣṭhira, kept all the inhabitants free from anxiety, diseases and excessive heat and cold. They were not only economically well-to-do, but also physically fit and undisturbed by supernatural power, by enmity from other living beings and by disturbance of bodily and mental agonies. There is a proverb in Bengali that a bad king spoils the kingdom and a bad housewife spoils the family. This truth is applicable here also. Because the King was pious and obedient to the Lord and sages, because he was no one's enemy and because he was a recognized agent of the Lord and therefore protected by Him, all the citizens under the King's protection were, so to speak, directly protected by the Lord and His authorized agents. Unless one is pious and recognized by the Lord, he cannot make others happy who are under his care. There is full cooperation between man and God and man and nature, and this conscious cooperation between man and God and man and nature, as exemplified by King Yudhiṣṭhira, can bring about happiness, peace and prosperity in the world. The attitude of exploiting one another, the custom of the day, will only bring misery.