The feminist agenda doesn't wish to empower anyone. Women included. The feminist agenda actually degrades women from their power position of Mother, nurturer and feminine provider.
The feminist ideology seeks to destroy the family entirely. First by denying men their manhood, then by allowing women to kill their own children in the womb, and finally by taking away what makes a woman great; motherhood.
Feminists don't want to see any display of masculinity whatsoever. Their goal is to make all men homosexuals, and see the birthing process reduced completely to artificial insemination. A masculine male who provides for his family and takes care of his children is a threat to the feminists who wish to see the family unit completely destroyed.
Feminist thought, feminism is a product of Zionism, the evolution of Talmudic thought. The Zionist agenda is to reduce all non Jewish races into slaves of Zion... The only way this is possibly is to break up the family unit of the 'gentile' races. Thus the introduction and promotion of feminism by the Jewish controlled media and Jewish controlled government.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Saturday, January 15, 2011
"One Should Spend All Energy"
66/04/05 New York, Bhagavad-gita 2.49-51
Prabhupada: Now Lord Sri Krsna is just trying to place Arjuna in the platform of working on pure consciousness. The... We have already discussed for so many days that we are not this dull body, but we are consciousness. Now, some way or other, we are in contact with this matter. Therefore our freedom is checked. As spiritual beings, we are free, free to act, free to have anything, pure, no contamination, no disease, no birth, no death, no old age, and besides that, we have got many, many other qualifications in our spiritual life. So unfortunately, because we are in contact with this matter, we are hampered in so many ways. This we should understand, and this is the opportunity; this human life is the only opportunity. If we miss this opportunity, then it may be that in our next life we may not have again this nice, civilized human form of life according to our karma. But one thing is sure. You'll be glad to hear that once begun, this process of spiritual realization, one is guaranteed to have next life as human being. You'll find in the Bhagavad-gita that sucinam srimatam gehe yoga-bhrasto 'bhijayate [Bg. 6.41]. You'll find in course of this discussion with Arjuna and Krsna when Krsna will describe about the yoga system, how to act it. This is also yoga system, yoga-sthah kuru karmani. This is karma-yoga. This is karma-yoga.
So any yoga, either karma-yoga or dhyana-yoga or jnana-yoga, any system of yoga, once begun in this life, that will continue. That will continue. Yoga-sthah kuru karmani. The Bhagavata says, Srimad-Bhagavata says, tyaktva sva-dharmam caranambujam harer bhajann apakvo 'tha patet tato yadi yatra kva vabhadram abhud amusya kim ko vartha aptah, aptah abhajatam sva-dharmatah [SB 1.5.17]. This is speech by Narada to his disciple, Srila Vyasadeva, that "You should try, people, to connect them in spiritual life, in conducting spiritual life. It doesn't matter even if he fails to complete the course; still, he's not loser. Still, he's not loser. He..." The whole system of Vedic knowledge, especially the Krsna philosophy... Krsna philosophy -- the whole philosophy. Vedic philosophy means Krsna philosophy. Vedais ca sarvair aham eva vedyam [Bg. 15.15]. The all Vedic knowledge, all Vedic wisdom means to understand Krsna philosophy. That's all. Nothing else. The Krsna philosophy in different ways all over the world, they have been described according to the time, place and people, but you must know the whole thing is Krsna philosophy. Krsna philosophy is... When we speak of Krsna, you don't take this word, Sanskrit word, Krsna, in a sectarian meaning. Krsna means the Supreme, the highest pleasure, highest pleasure.
So now, yoga-sthah. In the previous verse we have been advised to work, continue work, being situated in yoga. And in the next sloka Lord Krsna says,
durena hy avaram karma
buddhi-yogad dhananjaya
buddhau saranam anviccha
krpanah phala-hetavah
[Bg. 9.49]
Durena. Durena: "By force..." Just like unwanted things which we don't like, we throw it aside. Suppose something is given to me in my, during my dinner which I don't like... Sometimes we throw it, "Oh, I don't want it." You see? So similarly, our discrimination... "Discrimination is the best part of valor." Simply we have to learn how to discriminate whether we are working on material platform or on the spiritual platform. That's all. Just like Arjuna. Arjuna was being advised to work on the spiritual platform. That's all. The whole instruction of Bhagavad-gita is based on this principle, that Arjuna was perplexed with material thoughts. And Lord Krsna wanted to pose him, or to place him in the spiritual platform. That's all. So now, from Arjuna's activity, you can understand that what is spiritual platform and what is material platform.
Now, those who have studied Bhagavad-gita up to the end, and I hope some of you have already read Bhagavad-gita... Arjuna was a military man, and Krsna was trying to induce him to his duty as military man, that "You must fight." But Arjuna was declining that "I cannot kill my relatives, my friends, my brothers, my teacher, my grandfather." That was his consideration. Now, this consideration is material platform. When we think of in relation with this body, that is material platform. Anything done in consideration of this body... This body means senses. The body means the senses. That means anything which we do for sense gratification, that is material. And anything which we do for the satisfaction of the Supreme, that is spiritual platform. That's all. So we have to discriminate "Whether I am working for sense gratification or whether I am working for the satisfaction of the Supreme?" If this art we can learn, then our life becomes spiritualized. Spiritual life does not mean that we have to change something of these activities which we are, already we are engaged, or our form of the body will change to something extraordinary. Nothing. The same body, the same feature, the same activity, same engagement -- everything same. But we have to know the art, "Whether these activities are being done from the spiritual platform or from the material platform?" If we can discriminate in that way, as Lord Krsna advises to Arjuna, durena hy avaram karma buddhi-yogad dhananjaya: "O Dhananjaya..." Dhananjaya is another name of Arjuna. "My dear Dhananjaya, buddhi-yogat, by your intelligence..." And as we have explained, buddhi-yoga means devotional service to the Lord. So on the criterion of buddhi-yoga, on the criterion of devotional service to the Lord, you have to do everything. That is the, I mean to say, technique. That is the technique. Durena hy avaram karma buddhi-yogat, buddhi-yogat. You have to use your intelligence, "Whether I am doing this on the platform of pure consciousness or on the platform of this body?"
Now, in the beginning you require a guide. Without guide, it is not possible. Anything which you want to learn in the beginning, any art or science, you require a guide. Without guide... Just like a small child, when he begins to walk, he requires the help of his elder brother or sister or father or mother to catch, and one step, one step, one step, one step... But when he begins to walk independently, then he doesn't require any help. Similarly, to learn this art, "Whether I am acting on the spiritual platform or on the material platform," you require a spiritual master, guide. And this is called dvija, or the second birth. When you catch hold of a bona fide spiritual master just to guide you to act on the spiritual platform, then your second life begins. It is called dvija. So this life is so important that one must begin it. One must begin it. There is no alternative. If a man is intelligent enough, if at all he wants to make his life successful, this must he do. That is the injunction of the Vedas. The Vedas says, tad-vijnanartham sa gurum eva abhigacchet [MU 1.2.12]. This abhigacchet is the form of verb which is imperative, "You must." Abhigacchet. This, this form of verb is used when the sense is "You must." So the Vedic Upanisad directs that tad-vijnanartham: "In order to be situated, or in order to learn how to act on the spiritual platform, you must seek out a bona fide spiritual master who can guide you." So Krsna, Arjuna has selected Krsna as the spiritual master. We have already explained that Krsna, Arjuna surrendered unto Arjuna (Krsna). And Narada says that "Even after, I mean to say, neglecting..." Tyaktva sva-dharmam caranambujam hareh [SB 1.5.17]. Now, Narada says that "If somebody neglects all other duties, all other duties..." Tyaktva sva-dharmam. Sva-dharmam means every particular man has got some particular form of duty. Every particular man. You have got some duty, I have got some duty, everyone. Nobody is dutiless. Now, Narada says, "Even sacrificing the so-called duties, if one takes absolutely unto the spiritual life, then he is not loser. He's not loser. On the contrary, one who does not take up this important path and remain engaged in the so-called duties, he's a loser. He's a loser." It is a very important point.
Now, Bhagavad-gita also confirms that, once begun, this spiritual life, then he's not loser in the sense that his human life is guaranteed in the next birth. In the ordinary duty, you do not know whether you'll have again this human body or not. There is no certainty. That will depend on your quality of work. But here, if you begin your spiritual life, sacrificing all other duties, then your next life as human being is guaranteed, guaranteed. You'll find in Bhagavad-gita that sucinam srimatam gehe yoga-bhrasto 'bhijayate [Bg. 6.41]. Bhrasta. Bhrasta means one, yoga-bhrasta, one who is prosecuting the yoga system... The yoga sys... Yoga system I have already explained. Yoga system means the transcendental process by which we realize ourself, we link up our life with self-realization. That is called yoga. Now, now, somebody begins this yoga of self-realization, but for unfortunately he cannot prosecute the task in a nice way, and sometimes he falls down, falls down from the path. Still, there is encouragement that "You are not loser. You are not loser. Because you will be given a chance next life, and that next life is not ordinary next life." That next life is sucinam srimatam gehe: "You'll have your birth next life either in a very rich family, or in the family of very highly advanced, educated father." Sucinam srimatam. Sucinam means... I have explained to you the, the life of a brahmana, brahminical culture. Suci means brahmana. Brahmana means one who knows spiritual life, how to conduct. And he has got other qualifications. Then he's called suci. And the, the, the opposite word of suci is called muci. So we need not explain what is muci, but suci, sucinam means highly cultured brahmana. And srimatam. Sri means wealth, sri means wealth, opulence, beauty and all these things. That means very aristocratic family, very aristocratic family. So he's given chance to get his birth in two places. One who is, I mean to..., not successful. The successful, oh, what to speak of him! The successful goes back to Godhead directly. And even one is unsuccessful, half-finished, then he is given chance to take his birth in two kinds of family. One set is srimatam. Srimatam means very well-to-do, rich family. And other is very well polished, cultural brahmana family.
Why? Now, there is the chance. There is the chance of spiritual culture, very nicely. Of course, here, in your country, aristocratic family, just like Rockefeller family, or Ford family... There are many rich families here. I do not know what are their activities, but in India, the aristocratic family, they have got particular spiritual function. Each and every aristocratic family has so many temples, so many temples. And I have already informed you that one of the aristocratic family in India, Sir Padampat Singhania, he's a very big. He's as equal to your Rockefeller family. And I wrote him that "I want to start here one Radha-Krsna temple and I want your help." He has immediately agreed, "Swamiji, I shall spend for a nice architectural, Indian pattern temple in New York if I get exchange sanction." You see? So my putting you, putting this statement is that even up till now, Indian aristocratic family, they are so much religiously inclined that immediately on my proposal he's agreed. He's agreed, "Yes. I shall construct a temple." So that aristocratic family has the facility. In every Indian aristocratic family you'll find they have got their particular temples and temple worship, and they go, they offer their respect, and do their business as it is. There is no harm. So by, side by side with material activities, they have got the chance of spiritual... Now, this particular family I am speaking to you, Singhania family, you'll be very glad to learn that how they are family arrangement... They have got a temple, Dvarakadhisa, a Radha-Krsna temple, just like this picture. They have got a very nice temple, and that temple has got some property. And the, that property, out of the property, one of the land is leased out to this Singhania Organization business. So they pay rent to the Deity. You see? Similarly, the Deity has large income. And they spend also in so many ways. If we have got the chance of starting a temple here, we shall also let you know how to spend for spiritual consciousness. Yes. Now their family duty is that they are, this Singhania, Sir Padampat Singhania, they have got four or five brothers, and the mother is still living. And the order is that each and every family member must go every day and pay respect to the Deity. And if somebody is absent one day, then he must be fined. A fine is imposed. The, the big brother, Sir Padampat Singhania, if he's absent one day to pay respect to the Deity, he's fined ten rupees, or ten dollars. You see? And, and next day the brahmana, or the pujari, the worshiper engaged, he goes to collect the fine. He presents, "Yes, yes. I am sorry. Yes. Here is my fine." (laughs) So of course, this is self-imposed, but the idea is that they are spiritually conscious in this way. "Oh, I did not go yesterday to offer my respect to the Deity, Krsna. So I must pay fine." This is also spiritual consciousness. This is also spiritual consciousness.
So the whole thing is that life should be molded, molded in such a way that in every step or action, we shall feel the presence of the Lord. That is spiritual life. That is spiritual life. You need not change your present occupation. Just like the example, this Singhania family, they do not change. They are doing just like ordinary... But they are always spiritually conscious. The aim is, aim is toward Krsna. That is very nice example. It is very ordinary. Everyone will understand it. Now, suppose a man or woman is in love, and the man is a third person, beyond the husband of the wife, beyond the, of the woman. Now, it is a, it is a example given in scripture that the woman who is fallen in love, the woman of man with other woman, other man, opposite sex. So he may be engaged in so many duties, but his mind is always to that point when he or she will meet his lover. With all his duty, or her duties, during the daytime, she or he always thinks, "Oh, when that moment will come when we shall meet together?" That means the mind is always there. The example is said because when there is ecstasy, when there is ecstasy of love, even within our, within the midst of our multifarious duties, we can remember that thing always. Similarly, God consciousness, we shall have to mold our life in that way that in the midst of our very grave duties, serious duties, we shall always remember the Supreme, the Supreme, in every step. That discrimination, that much love, we have to develop. And therefore we require guide, how to develop. How to develop that, we require guide. We haven't got to change anything. Let us, let us remain our, in our position, but at the same time, simultaneously, side by side, let us have spiritual culture. Just like we are holding this class. This is also spiritual culture, sravanam kirtanam [SB 7.5.23]. With your multifarious duties you come here thrice in a week and try to understand. This is also spiritual culture. This will not go in vain. This will give you impression. Even you stop coming here, that impression will never go. I tell you the that impression will never go. It is such a thing. But if we take it up very seriously and go on molding our life in that way, then it becomes quickly successful.
Now, suppose even there is no loss by falling down from this path, that does not mean that we should neglect it. No. Formerly, in Medical College of Calcutta the students who failed in the final examination, they were given some title, L.M.S., "License in Medical, Medicine and Surgery," L.M.S. And those who passed, they were given the title M.D. or M.D., just like that way. So even by failure, they would get some title and allowed to practice as medical man. But that does not mean that we may try to fail also. No. The aim should be to become successful, not to fail, not to fail. Even though we are in failure, still, there is profit undoubtedly, but we should not aim to that objective. We should, we should be determined that in this very life we must have a spiritual realization perfectly so that, as you'll find in the Bhagavad-gita, tyaktva deham punar janma naiti mam eti kaunteya.
janma karma ca me divyam
evam yo vetti tattvatah
tyaktva deham punar janma
naiti mam eti kaunteya
[Bg. 4.9]
"He Kaunteya, Arjuna..." Arjuna's another name is Kaunteya because his mother's name is Kunti. Therefore he's sometimes addressed by Krsna as Kaunteya, "the son of Kunti." Kaunteya means the son of Kunti. So, "O My dear son of Kunti, anyone who knows perfectly about the Lord's incarnation, why does He come, what are His activities, and what is His original constitution, form, etc., the science of God -- if anyone knows, simply by knowing, simply by knowing..., the theoretical knowledge..." What is his profit? Simply by knowing... Now, tyaktva deham punar janma naiti: [Bg. 4.9] "Then for him the profit is that after giving up this body, he hasn't got to take birth again in this material form." Tyaktva deham punar janma naiti mam eti: [Bg. 4.9] "He comes directly to Me." Simply by knowing. Just like you are coming here. Apart from doing any practical work... If you do some practical work, oh, it is very, very nice. Even if you do not know any practical work, simply you give your reception, aural reception, submissive aural reception, and understand that what is the nature of God, what is the nature of our self, what is the relation between God and myself, what is this world, what is my relation with this world, so many things, simply if you hear and have an idea, then, even then, you'll be free from this material bondage. Tyaktva deham punar janma naiti mam eti kaunteya [Bg. 4.9].
Therefore, as Lord Krsna says that,
durena hy avaram karma
buddhi-yogad dhananjaya
buddhau saranam anviccha
krpanah phala-hetavah
[Bg. 9.49]
"Don't be miser. Don't be miser." Miser... We have already explained in our last meeting what is the miser and what is a brahmana. The opposite word is brahmana. Miser means this valuable body, who does not properly utilize it; simply they utilize this body for sense gratification and nothing more. They are krpana. Krpana means miser. Miser, who does not utilize the asset given to him, he's a miser. Miser. He's not liberal. One should be liberal.
There is a pandita, learned man. His name is Canakya. If you, some of you, had been in India, in New Delhi, where foreign ambassadors are settled, in New Delhi, capital of India, there is a quarter which is called Canakya Puri. Canakya Puri. This Canakya Puri has been named due to the name of this gentleman, Canakya. He was a great politician and prime minister during the reign of Emperor Candragupta. Long, long years before. He was a great politician. So his politics are studied in higher, M.A. class, and so he has got some, he has got a book which is called Canakya Sloka and some principles of morality, some principles of morality. So we, in our childhood, we had to study that small book, Canakya Sloka. So in that principles of morality even Canakya Pandita says that sannimitte varam tyaga vinase niyate sati. Vinase niyate sati: "Oh, this body, this body is destined to be destroyed. You cannot protect it. It is to be destroyed." Sannimitte varam tyage vinase. Vinase means it is sure to be destroyed. "As sure as death." There is nothing sure as death. Therefore this body should be utilized, sannimitte, for purpose of spiritual realization. Before it is finished... In all the sastras, this is the advice. This is the advice. The dog's body will be finished, and the man's body will be finished, but what is the difference of dog and man? The dog does not know how to utilize his body, but we are given instruction in so many books of knowledge, how to utilize this body. So Canakya Pandita says that sannimitte varam tyaga. You have to give up this body. Why don't you give it up for the highest cause? Highest cause. This is the highest cause, spiritual realization. Somebody's offering his body for country's cause. Somebody's offering body for the society's cause. Or somebody's offering body for theft case or some murdering case. We have, everyone has to offer his body at the end. But the man who sacrifices this body for the purpose of self-realization, he's the most intelligent man. Sannimitte varam tyaga vinase niyate sati. You'll have to meet death, undoubtedly, but before meeting death... [break]
...as fully spiritualized. This is the instruction given. Buddhau saranam anviccha krpanah: "Don't be miser. Don't misuse this great opportunity."
buddhi-yukto jahatiha
ubhe sukrta-duskrte
tasmad yogaya yujyasva
yogah karmasu kausalam
[Bg. 2.50]
Yogah karmasu kausalam. Kausalam means expert trick, expert trick. Just like there are two men working. One man is very expert; another man is not so expert. Even in machinery. There is something wrong in the machine. The, the man who is not very expert, he's trying whole day-night, how to adjust it, but the expert comes and at once sees what is the defect, and he joins one wire, this way and that way, and machine becomes start. Hrzum, hrzum, hrzum, hrzum, hrzum, hrzum. You see? Just like sometimes we, we find difficulty in our, this tape recorder, and Mr. Carl or somebody comes and rectifies this. So everything requires some expert knowledge. So karma, karma means work. We have to work. Without working even our, this body and soul cannot go. It is a very misconception that for one who is a..., for spiritual realization he hasn't got to work. No, he has got to work more. Persons who are not for spiritual realization, they may be engaged in work for eight hours only, but those who are engaged for spiritual realization, oh, they are engaged twenty-four hours, twenty-four hours. That is the difference. And that difference is... You'll find that on the material platform, on the bodily conception of life, if you work for eight hours only, you'll feel fatigued. But spiritual purpose, if you work more than twenty-four hours... Unfortunately, you haven't got more than twenty-four hours at your disposal. Still, you won't feel fatigued. I tell you. This is my practical experience. This is my practical experience. And I am here, always working, something reading or writing, something reading or writing, twenty-four hours. Simply when I feel hungry, I take some food. And simply when I feel asleep, I go to bed. Otherwise, always, I don't feel fatigued. You can ask Mr. Paul whether I am not doing this. So I take, I take pleasure in doing that. I don't feel fatigued. Similarly, when one will have that spiritual sense, he won't feel... Rather, he will, he will feel disgusted to go to sleep, to go to sleep, "Oh, sleep has come just to disturb." See? He wants to lessen the time of sleeping. Then... Now, as we pray, vande rupa-sanatanau raghu-yugau sri-jiva-gopalakau. These six Gosvamis, they were deputed by Lord Caitanya to discuss this science. They have written immense literature about it. You see? So you'll be surprised that they were sleeping only for one and half hours daily, not more than that. That also, sometimes they forego. You see. Now, so much busy in spiritual activities, krsnotkirtana-gana-nartana-parau...
So spiritual life is so sublime and so invigorating that you won't feel fatigued. Won't. Once... You have to be engaged. And as you are engaged actually in spiritual life, you won't feel fatigued. You'll be fearless, and your life will be always blissful. These are the symptoms. So yogah karmasu kausalam [Bg. 2.50]. So Lord says that the, that this spiritual platform is the karmasu kausalam. Kausalam means expert service, expert, kausalam. Kusala. Kusala means auspicious, and from kusala, it comes to kausala. That means if you learn the trick, how to work on the platform of yoga, then that is the highest technique of doing work. Buddhi-yukto jaha... And result of that work, what is that? Now, buddhi-yuktah. When you work from the spiritual platform with your intelligence, then jahati iha ubhe sukrta-duskrte. Sukrta-duskrta. Now, for ordinary work, if you do good work, then you have to take good result. And if you do bad work, or sinful work, then if you have, you have to take the effect of such bad and sinful work. Sukrta and duskrta. But one who works from spiritual platform, he hasn't got to take the result of good work or bad work. Because he is transcendental. He has no good work and no bad work. Everything transcendental work. Everything transcendental work. That... Just like take the example of Arjuna. He was thinking that "Fighting of this nature is not good for me." That was his problem. And...because he was thinking on the bodily platform. The same Arjuna again took to fighting. Does it mean that by understanding Bhagavad-gita he took to bad work? No. Just try to understand. He declined to fight. He thought that "Fighting for me with my relatives is not good." That was his conclusion. And actually, from material platform... Suppose two brothers, we are. We are going to fight for something, and if a third person comes, if he advises that "You are two brothers. Why you are fighting? Just have it and it can be settled," that is good actually. But the Arjuna, from practical point of view, or from the materialistic point of view, he was good that he was declining to fight. And Lord Krsna was inducing him to fight. So does it mean that Lord Krsna was inducing him to the bad course? No. He was inducing him to a course which is beyond good and bad, transcendental. In the... From the material platform, even if you do good work, that is also not good. That is also not good.
Now, now according to scripture, now, one who does good work only, no sinful work, then what is the result of his good work? Oh, he gets birth in a good family, in a higher planet, or very rich man, or very educated man, very beautiful man. These are the result of good work. Janmaisvarya-sruta-sri [SB 1.8.26]. Four things are obtained by good work. You get very good birth, high parentage, janma. You get very good wealth in wealthy family, or you earn millions and millions dollars. You don't think that simply by laboring, one can earn millions and millions dollars unless he has got in the background very good work. You see? Otherwise, everyone is trying to earn millions and billions, but somebody's earning very quickly, without any effort, and somebody, whole life working, he does not get even sufficient for the maintenance. So these are the result of good work and bad work. So janma-aisvarya-sruta. High education, to become very highly learned man, that is also due to good work. And to be very beautiful, that is also result of good work. Janma-aisvarya-sruta-sri. Sri means beauty. And bad work is just opposite. Now, good work or bad work, now, when you take your birth in a good family, when you are very much educated, very much beautiful, but still, you have to accept the, I mean to say, triple miseries of material existence. That you cannot avoid. That you cannot avoid. Because you are very rich man, you cannot avoid your death. You cannot avoid your disease. You cannot avoid your old age. Similarly, as the man who is poor man, he is also cannot, he also cannot avoid old age, he cannot avoid death, he cannot avoid disease. Similarly, the troubles of material existence is there, both in good life and bad life. But when you work transcendentally, neither good nor bad, for the sake of the supreme consciousness, transcendental position, you don't get this material birth at all. Therefore that is real good. You are above this birth, death, old age and so many troubles, miseries of life.
So Lord Sri Krsna says that buddhi-yukto jahati. If you work from the transcendental plane, or spiritual platform, then you get rid of all the results of good work and bad work. Don't be attached by, either by good work or bad work. That is the technique. A transcendentalist who wants to work from spiritual platform, he has no botheration, "Whether I am doing good or bad?" He has only to see, "Whether I am doing, acting on the platform of spiritual consciousness or material consciousness?" That's all. Even a apparently bad work by such person on the spiritual consciousness, is also good, supreme good. Not only good, but supreme good. Just like you see the example of Arjuna. From material point of view, he was right that "It is not good to fight with my brothers." That is right from material point of view. But when he learned Bhagavad-gita, he fought with the same brothers. With the same brothers. That means that after learning Bhagavad-gita, after taking lessons of Bhagavad-gita, he did not become a bad man. No. He become a transcendental man. Transcendental man. Because that fighting, he accepted on the instruction, on the desire of the supreme consciousness, Krsna. That is the technique. So similarly, when we mold our life in such a way that we have to act on the direction of the supreme consciousness, then our life becomes sublime, spiritual.
Now, as I have already explained to you, that we require a guide. We require a guide. That guide should be the representative of Krsna. Otherwise, he cannot be guide. Just like Krsna was the guide of Arjuna directly. Now, here we haven't got Krsna directly, but how to have a guide? That guide means he must be a representative of Krsna, representative of Krsna. How one can become representative of Krsna? That means one who follows the instruction of Krsna. Just like you take a, take for example a lawyer. What do you mean by lawyer? One who understands the lawbooks very nicely. He's a lawyer, a representative of law. Similarly, here in the Bhagavad-gita, there are instructions of Krsna, and a person who understands these instructions rightly... How to understand that instruction rightly, that is also in this book. You haven't got to seek elsewhere how to understand Bhagavad-gita. The how to understand Bhagavad-gita is already prescribed here. That I shall explain to you, when you go to the Fourth Chapter. Now we are on the Second Chapter. When you go to the Fourth Chapter, how to understand Bhagavad-gita, that is also mentioned there. So according to that process, if somebody understands Bhagavad-gita and in his life he practices in that way, just like a lawyer who has passed the law examination... Similarly, one who understands Bhagavad-gita as it is, without any wishful interpretation for his own purpose... No. Bhagavad-gita as it is, as it is instructed to Arjuna. If there is somebody who understands Bhagavad-gita in that way, he is the representative of God. He is the representative of Krsna, and one should accept such representative of Krsna for his guide. Then, actually, as much as Arjuna was guided by Krsna, then similarly, that person who takes the shelter of the guidance of a person who is fully, I mean to say, aware, fully conversant with the science of Krsna, he can guide you nicely and for your spiritual life as Lord Krsna has guided Arjuna for his spiritual life.
Thank you very much. Any questions? (end)
>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 2.49-51 -- New York, April 5, 1966
Prabhupada: Now Lord Sri Krsna is just trying to place Arjuna in the platform of working on pure consciousness. The... We have already discussed for so many days that we are not this dull body, but we are consciousness. Now, some way or other, we are in contact with this matter. Therefore our freedom is checked. As spiritual beings, we are free, free to act, free to have anything, pure, no contamination, no disease, no birth, no death, no old age, and besides that, we have got many, many other qualifications in our spiritual life. So unfortunately, because we are in contact with this matter, we are hampered in so many ways. This we should understand, and this is the opportunity; this human life is the only opportunity. If we miss this opportunity, then it may be that in our next life we may not have again this nice, civilized human form of life according to our karma. But one thing is sure. You'll be glad to hear that once begun, this process of spiritual realization, one is guaranteed to have next life as human being. You'll find in the Bhagavad-gita that sucinam srimatam gehe yoga-bhrasto 'bhijayate [Bg. 6.41]. You'll find in course of this discussion with Arjuna and Krsna when Krsna will describe about the yoga system, how to act it. This is also yoga system, yoga-sthah kuru karmani. This is karma-yoga. This is karma-yoga.
So any yoga, either karma-yoga or dhyana-yoga or jnana-yoga, any system of yoga, once begun in this life, that will continue. That will continue. Yoga-sthah kuru karmani. The Bhagavata says, Srimad-Bhagavata says, tyaktva sva-dharmam caranambujam harer bhajann apakvo 'tha patet tato yadi yatra kva vabhadram abhud amusya kim ko vartha aptah, aptah abhajatam sva-dharmatah [SB 1.5.17]. This is speech by Narada to his disciple, Srila Vyasadeva, that "You should try, people, to connect them in spiritual life, in conducting spiritual life. It doesn't matter even if he fails to complete the course; still, he's not loser. Still, he's not loser. He..." The whole system of Vedic knowledge, especially the Krsna philosophy... Krsna philosophy -- the whole philosophy. Vedic philosophy means Krsna philosophy. Vedais ca sarvair aham eva vedyam [Bg. 15.15]. The all Vedic knowledge, all Vedic wisdom means to understand Krsna philosophy. That's all. Nothing else. The Krsna philosophy in different ways all over the world, they have been described according to the time, place and people, but you must know the whole thing is Krsna philosophy. Krsna philosophy is... When we speak of Krsna, you don't take this word, Sanskrit word, Krsna, in a sectarian meaning. Krsna means the Supreme, the highest pleasure, highest pleasure.
So now, yoga-sthah. In the previous verse we have been advised to work, continue work, being situated in yoga. And in the next sloka Lord Krsna says,
durena hy avaram karma
buddhi-yogad dhananjaya
buddhau saranam anviccha
krpanah phala-hetavah
[Bg. 9.49]
Durena. Durena: "By force..." Just like unwanted things which we don't like, we throw it aside. Suppose something is given to me in my, during my dinner which I don't like... Sometimes we throw it, "Oh, I don't want it." You see? So similarly, our discrimination... "Discrimination is the best part of valor." Simply we have to learn how to discriminate whether we are working on material platform or on the spiritual platform. That's all. Just like Arjuna. Arjuna was being advised to work on the spiritual platform. That's all. The whole instruction of Bhagavad-gita is based on this principle, that Arjuna was perplexed with material thoughts. And Lord Krsna wanted to pose him, or to place him in the spiritual platform. That's all. So now, from Arjuna's activity, you can understand that what is spiritual platform and what is material platform.
Now, those who have studied Bhagavad-gita up to the end, and I hope some of you have already read Bhagavad-gita... Arjuna was a military man, and Krsna was trying to induce him to his duty as military man, that "You must fight." But Arjuna was declining that "I cannot kill my relatives, my friends, my brothers, my teacher, my grandfather." That was his consideration. Now, this consideration is material platform. When we think of in relation with this body, that is material platform. Anything done in consideration of this body... This body means senses. The body means the senses. That means anything which we do for sense gratification, that is material. And anything which we do for the satisfaction of the Supreme, that is spiritual platform. That's all. So we have to discriminate "Whether I am working for sense gratification or whether I am working for the satisfaction of the Supreme?" If this art we can learn, then our life becomes spiritualized. Spiritual life does not mean that we have to change something of these activities which we are, already we are engaged, or our form of the body will change to something extraordinary. Nothing. The same body, the same feature, the same activity, same engagement -- everything same. But we have to know the art, "Whether these activities are being done from the spiritual platform or from the material platform?" If we can discriminate in that way, as Lord Krsna advises to Arjuna, durena hy avaram karma buddhi-yogad dhananjaya: "O Dhananjaya..." Dhananjaya is another name of Arjuna. "My dear Dhananjaya, buddhi-yogat, by your intelligence..." And as we have explained, buddhi-yoga means devotional service to the Lord. So on the criterion of buddhi-yoga, on the criterion of devotional service to the Lord, you have to do everything. That is the, I mean to say, technique. That is the technique. Durena hy avaram karma buddhi-yogat, buddhi-yogat. You have to use your intelligence, "Whether I am doing this on the platform of pure consciousness or on the platform of this body?"
Now, in the beginning you require a guide. Without guide, it is not possible. Anything which you want to learn in the beginning, any art or science, you require a guide. Without guide... Just like a small child, when he begins to walk, he requires the help of his elder brother or sister or father or mother to catch, and one step, one step, one step, one step... But when he begins to walk independently, then he doesn't require any help. Similarly, to learn this art, "Whether I am acting on the spiritual platform or on the material platform," you require a spiritual master, guide. And this is called dvija, or the second birth. When you catch hold of a bona fide spiritual master just to guide you to act on the spiritual platform, then your second life begins. It is called dvija. So this life is so important that one must begin it. One must begin it. There is no alternative. If a man is intelligent enough, if at all he wants to make his life successful, this must he do. That is the injunction of the Vedas. The Vedas says, tad-vijnanartham sa gurum eva abhigacchet [MU 1.2.12]. This abhigacchet is the form of verb which is imperative, "You must." Abhigacchet. This, this form of verb is used when the sense is "You must." So the Vedic Upanisad directs that tad-vijnanartham: "In order to be situated, or in order to learn how to act on the spiritual platform, you must seek out a bona fide spiritual master who can guide you." So Krsna, Arjuna has selected Krsna as the spiritual master. We have already explained that Krsna, Arjuna surrendered unto Arjuna (Krsna). And Narada says that "Even after, I mean to say, neglecting..." Tyaktva sva-dharmam caranambujam hareh [SB 1.5.17]. Now, Narada says that "If somebody neglects all other duties, all other duties..." Tyaktva sva-dharmam. Sva-dharmam means every particular man has got some particular form of duty. Every particular man. You have got some duty, I have got some duty, everyone. Nobody is dutiless. Now, Narada says, "Even sacrificing the so-called duties, if one takes absolutely unto the spiritual life, then he is not loser. He's not loser. On the contrary, one who does not take up this important path and remain engaged in the so-called duties, he's a loser. He's a loser." It is a very important point.
Now, Bhagavad-gita also confirms that, once begun, this spiritual life, then he's not loser in the sense that his human life is guaranteed in the next birth. In the ordinary duty, you do not know whether you'll have again this human body or not. There is no certainty. That will depend on your quality of work. But here, if you begin your spiritual life, sacrificing all other duties, then your next life as human being is guaranteed, guaranteed. You'll find in Bhagavad-gita that sucinam srimatam gehe yoga-bhrasto 'bhijayate [Bg. 6.41]. Bhrasta. Bhrasta means one, yoga-bhrasta, one who is prosecuting the yoga system... The yoga sys... Yoga system I have already explained. Yoga system means the transcendental process by which we realize ourself, we link up our life with self-realization. That is called yoga. Now, now, somebody begins this yoga of self-realization, but for unfortunately he cannot prosecute the task in a nice way, and sometimes he falls down, falls down from the path. Still, there is encouragement that "You are not loser. You are not loser. Because you will be given a chance next life, and that next life is not ordinary next life." That next life is sucinam srimatam gehe: "You'll have your birth next life either in a very rich family, or in the family of very highly advanced, educated father." Sucinam srimatam. Sucinam means... I have explained to you the, the life of a brahmana, brahminical culture. Suci means brahmana. Brahmana means one who knows spiritual life, how to conduct. And he has got other qualifications. Then he's called suci. And the, the, the opposite word of suci is called muci. So we need not explain what is muci, but suci, sucinam means highly cultured brahmana. And srimatam. Sri means wealth, sri means wealth, opulence, beauty and all these things. That means very aristocratic family, very aristocratic family. So he's given chance to get his birth in two places. One who is, I mean to..., not successful. The successful, oh, what to speak of him! The successful goes back to Godhead directly. And even one is unsuccessful, half-finished, then he is given chance to take his birth in two kinds of family. One set is srimatam. Srimatam means very well-to-do, rich family. And other is very well polished, cultural brahmana family.
Why? Now, there is the chance. There is the chance of spiritual culture, very nicely. Of course, here, in your country, aristocratic family, just like Rockefeller family, or Ford family... There are many rich families here. I do not know what are their activities, but in India, the aristocratic family, they have got particular spiritual function. Each and every aristocratic family has so many temples, so many temples. And I have already informed you that one of the aristocratic family in India, Sir Padampat Singhania, he's a very big. He's as equal to your Rockefeller family. And I wrote him that "I want to start here one Radha-Krsna temple and I want your help." He has immediately agreed, "Swamiji, I shall spend for a nice architectural, Indian pattern temple in New York if I get exchange sanction." You see? So my putting you, putting this statement is that even up till now, Indian aristocratic family, they are so much religiously inclined that immediately on my proposal he's agreed. He's agreed, "Yes. I shall construct a temple." So that aristocratic family has the facility. In every Indian aristocratic family you'll find they have got their particular temples and temple worship, and they go, they offer their respect, and do their business as it is. There is no harm. So by, side by side with material activities, they have got the chance of spiritual... Now, this particular family I am speaking to you, Singhania family, you'll be very glad to learn that how they are family arrangement... They have got a temple, Dvarakadhisa, a Radha-Krsna temple, just like this picture. They have got a very nice temple, and that temple has got some property. And the, that property, out of the property, one of the land is leased out to this Singhania Organization business. So they pay rent to the Deity. You see? Similarly, the Deity has large income. And they spend also in so many ways. If we have got the chance of starting a temple here, we shall also let you know how to spend for spiritual consciousness. Yes. Now their family duty is that they are, this Singhania, Sir Padampat Singhania, they have got four or five brothers, and the mother is still living. And the order is that each and every family member must go every day and pay respect to the Deity. And if somebody is absent one day, then he must be fined. A fine is imposed. The, the big brother, Sir Padampat Singhania, if he's absent one day to pay respect to the Deity, he's fined ten rupees, or ten dollars. You see? And, and next day the brahmana, or the pujari, the worshiper engaged, he goes to collect the fine. He presents, "Yes, yes. I am sorry. Yes. Here is my fine." (laughs) So of course, this is self-imposed, but the idea is that they are spiritually conscious in this way. "Oh, I did not go yesterday to offer my respect to the Deity, Krsna. So I must pay fine." This is also spiritual consciousness. This is also spiritual consciousness.
So the whole thing is that life should be molded, molded in such a way that in every step or action, we shall feel the presence of the Lord. That is spiritual life. That is spiritual life. You need not change your present occupation. Just like the example, this Singhania family, they do not change. They are doing just like ordinary... But they are always spiritually conscious. The aim is, aim is toward Krsna. That is very nice example. It is very ordinary. Everyone will understand it. Now, suppose a man or woman is in love, and the man is a third person, beyond the husband of the wife, beyond the, of the woman. Now, it is a, it is a example given in scripture that the woman who is fallen in love, the woman of man with other woman, other man, opposite sex. So he may be engaged in so many duties, but his mind is always to that point when he or she will meet his lover. With all his duty, or her duties, during the daytime, she or he always thinks, "Oh, when that moment will come when we shall meet together?" That means the mind is always there. The example is said because when there is ecstasy, when there is ecstasy of love, even within our, within the midst of our multifarious duties, we can remember that thing always. Similarly, God consciousness, we shall have to mold our life in that way that in the midst of our very grave duties, serious duties, we shall always remember the Supreme, the Supreme, in every step. That discrimination, that much love, we have to develop. And therefore we require guide, how to develop. How to develop that, we require guide. We haven't got to change anything. Let us, let us remain our, in our position, but at the same time, simultaneously, side by side, let us have spiritual culture. Just like we are holding this class. This is also spiritual culture, sravanam kirtanam [SB 7.5.23]. With your multifarious duties you come here thrice in a week and try to understand. This is also spiritual culture. This will not go in vain. This will give you impression. Even you stop coming here, that impression will never go. I tell you the that impression will never go. It is such a thing. But if we take it up very seriously and go on molding our life in that way, then it becomes quickly successful.
Now, suppose even there is no loss by falling down from this path, that does not mean that we should neglect it. No. Formerly, in Medical College of Calcutta the students who failed in the final examination, they were given some title, L.M.S., "License in Medical, Medicine and Surgery," L.M.S. And those who passed, they were given the title M.D. or M.D., just like that way. So even by failure, they would get some title and allowed to practice as medical man. But that does not mean that we may try to fail also. No. The aim should be to become successful, not to fail, not to fail. Even though we are in failure, still, there is profit undoubtedly, but we should not aim to that objective. We should, we should be determined that in this very life we must have a spiritual realization perfectly so that, as you'll find in the Bhagavad-gita, tyaktva deham punar janma naiti mam eti kaunteya.
janma karma ca me divyam
evam yo vetti tattvatah
tyaktva deham punar janma
naiti mam eti kaunteya
[Bg. 4.9]
"He Kaunteya, Arjuna..." Arjuna's another name is Kaunteya because his mother's name is Kunti. Therefore he's sometimes addressed by Krsna as Kaunteya, "the son of Kunti." Kaunteya means the son of Kunti. So, "O My dear son of Kunti, anyone who knows perfectly about the Lord's incarnation, why does He come, what are His activities, and what is His original constitution, form, etc., the science of God -- if anyone knows, simply by knowing, simply by knowing..., the theoretical knowledge..." What is his profit? Simply by knowing... Now, tyaktva deham punar janma naiti: [Bg. 4.9] "Then for him the profit is that after giving up this body, he hasn't got to take birth again in this material form." Tyaktva deham punar janma naiti mam eti: [Bg. 4.9] "He comes directly to Me." Simply by knowing. Just like you are coming here. Apart from doing any practical work... If you do some practical work, oh, it is very, very nice. Even if you do not know any practical work, simply you give your reception, aural reception, submissive aural reception, and understand that what is the nature of God, what is the nature of our self, what is the relation between God and myself, what is this world, what is my relation with this world, so many things, simply if you hear and have an idea, then, even then, you'll be free from this material bondage. Tyaktva deham punar janma naiti mam eti kaunteya [Bg. 4.9].
Therefore, as Lord Krsna says that,
durena hy avaram karma
buddhi-yogad dhananjaya
buddhau saranam anviccha
krpanah phala-hetavah
[Bg. 9.49]
"Don't be miser. Don't be miser." Miser... We have already explained in our last meeting what is the miser and what is a brahmana. The opposite word is brahmana. Miser means this valuable body, who does not properly utilize it; simply they utilize this body for sense gratification and nothing more. They are krpana. Krpana means miser. Miser, who does not utilize the asset given to him, he's a miser. Miser. He's not liberal. One should be liberal.
There is a pandita, learned man. His name is Canakya. If you, some of you, had been in India, in New Delhi, where foreign ambassadors are settled, in New Delhi, capital of India, there is a quarter which is called Canakya Puri. Canakya Puri. This Canakya Puri has been named due to the name of this gentleman, Canakya. He was a great politician and prime minister during the reign of Emperor Candragupta. Long, long years before. He was a great politician. So his politics are studied in higher, M.A. class, and so he has got some, he has got a book which is called Canakya Sloka and some principles of morality, some principles of morality. So we, in our childhood, we had to study that small book, Canakya Sloka. So in that principles of morality even Canakya Pandita says that sannimitte varam tyaga vinase niyate sati. Vinase niyate sati: "Oh, this body, this body is destined to be destroyed. You cannot protect it. It is to be destroyed." Sannimitte varam tyage vinase. Vinase means it is sure to be destroyed. "As sure as death." There is nothing sure as death. Therefore this body should be utilized, sannimitte, for purpose of spiritual realization. Before it is finished... In all the sastras, this is the advice. This is the advice. The dog's body will be finished, and the man's body will be finished, but what is the difference of dog and man? The dog does not know how to utilize his body, but we are given instruction in so many books of knowledge, how to utilize this body. So Canakya Pandita says that sannimitte varam tyaga. You have to give up this body. Why don't you give it up for the highest cause? Highest cause. This is the highest cause, spiritual realization. Somebody's offering his body for country's cause. Somebody's offering body for the society's cause. Or somebody's offering body for theft case or some murdering case. We have, everyone has to offer his body at the end. But the man who sacrifices this body for the purpose of self-realization, he's the most intelligent man. Sannimitte varam tyaga vinase niyate sati. You'll have to meet death, undoubtedly, but before meeting death... [break]
...as fully spiritualized. This is the instruction given. Buddhau saranam anviccha krpanah: "Don't be miser. Don't misuse this great opportunity."
buddhi-yukto jahatiha
ubhe sukrta-duskrte
tasmad yogaya yujyasva
yogah karmasu kausalam
[Bg. 2.50]
Yogah karmasu kausalam. Kausalam means expert trick, expert trick. Just like there are two men working. One man is very expert; another man is not so expert. Even in machinery. There is something wrong in the machine. The, the man who is not very expert, he's trying whole day-night, how to adjust it, but the expert comes and at once sees what is the defect, and he joins one wire, this way and that way, and machine becomes start. Hrzum, hrzum, hrzum, hrzum, hrzum, hrzum. You see? Just like sometimes we, we find difficulty in our, this tape recorder, and Mr. Carl or somebody comes and rectifies this. So everything requires some expert knowledge. So karma, karma means work. We have to work. Without working even our, this body and soul cannot go. It is a very misconception that for one who is a..., for spiritual realization he hasn't got to work. No, he has got to work more. Persons who are not for spiritual realization, they may be engaged in work for eight hours only, but those who are engaged for spiritual realization, oh, they are engaged twenty-four hours, twenty-four hours. That is the difference. And that difference is... You'll find that on the material platform, on the bodily conception of life, if you work for eight hours only, you'll feel fatigued. But spiritual purpose, if you work more than twenty-four hours... Unfortunately, you haven't got more than twenty-four hours at your disposal. Still, you won't feel fatigued. I tell you. This is my practical experience. This is my practical experience. And I am here, always working, something reading or writing, something reading or writing, twenty-four hours. Simply when I feel hungry, I take some food. And simply when I feel asleep, I go to bed. Otherwise, always, I don't feel fatigued. You can ask Mr. Paul whether I am not doing this. So I take, I take pleasure in doing that. I don't feel fatigued. Similarly, when one will have that spiritual sense, he won't feel... Rather, he will, he will feel disgusted to go to sleep, to go to sleep, "Oh, sleep has come just to disturb." See? He wants to lessen the time of sleeping. Then... Now, as we pray, vande rupa-sanatanau raghu-yugau sri-jiva-gopalakau. These six Gosvamis, they were deputed by Lord Caitanya to discuss this science. They have written immense literature about it. You see? So you'll be surprised that they were sleeping only for one and half hours daily, not more than that. That also, sometimes they forego. You see. Now, so much busy in spiritual activities, krsnotkirtana-gana-nartana-parau...
So spiritual life is so sublime and so invigorating that you won't feel fatigued. Won't. Once... You have to be engaged. And as you are engaged actually in spiritual life, you won't feel fatigued. You'll be fearless, and your life will be always blissful. These are the symptoms. So yogah karmasu kausalam [Bg. 2.50]. So Lord says that the, that this spiritual platform is the karmasu kausalam. Kausalam means expert service, expert, kausalam. Kusala. Kusala means auspicious, and from kusala, it comes to kausala. That means if you learn the trick, how to work on the platform of yoga, then that is the highest technique of doing work. Buddhi-yukto jaha... And result of that work, what is that? Now, buddhi-yuktah. When you work from the spiritual platform with your intelligence, then jahati iha ubhe sukrta-duskrte. Sukrta-duskrta. Now, for ordinary work, if you do good work, then you have to take good result. And if you do bad work, or sinful work, then if you have, you have to take the effect of such bad and sinful work. Sukrta and duskrta. But one who works from spiritual platform, he hasn't got to take the result of good work or bad work. Because he is transcendental. He has no good work and no bad work. Everything transcendental work. Everything transcendental work. That... Just like take the example of Arjuna. He was thinking that "Fighting of this nature is not good for me." That was his problem. And...because he was thinking on the bodily platform. The same Arjuna again took to fighting. Does it mean that by understanding Bhagavad-gita he took to bad work? No. Just try to understand. He declined to fight. He thought that "Fighting for me with my relatives is not good." That was his conclusion. And actually, from material platform... Suppose two brothers, we are. We are going to fight for something, and if a third person comes, if he advises that "You are two brothers. Why you are fighting? Just have it and it can be settled," that is good actually. But the Arjuna, from practical point of view, or from the materialistic point of view, he was good that he was declining to fight. And Lord Krsna was inducing him to fight. So does it mean that Lord Krsna was inducing him to the bad course? No. He was inducing him to a course which is beyond good and bad, transcendental. In the... From the material platform, even if you do good work, that is also not good. That is also not good.
Now, now according to scripture, now, one who does good work only, no sinful work, then what is the result of his good work? Oh, he gets birth in a good family, in a higher planet, or very rich man, or very educated man, very beautiful man. These are the result of good work. Janmaisvarya-sruta-sri [SB 1.8.26]. Four things are obtained by good work. You get very good birth, high parentage, janma. You get very good wealth in wealthy family, or you earn millions and millions dollars. You don't think that simply by laboring, one can earn millions and millions dollars unless he has got in the background very good work. You see? Otherwise, everyone is trying to earn millions and billions, but somebody's earning very quickly, without any effort, and somebody, whole life working, he does not get even sufficient for the maintenance. So these are the result of good work and bad work. So janma-aisvarya-sruta. High education, to become very highly learned man, that is also due to good work. And to be very beautiful, that is also result of good work. Janma-aisvarya-sruta-sri. Sri means beauty. And bad work is just opposite. Now, good work or bad work, now, when you take your birth in a good family, when you are very much educated, very much beautiful, but still, you have to accept the, I mean to say, triple miseries of material existence. That you cannot avoid. That you cannot avoid. Because you are very rich man, you cannot avoid your death. You cannot avoid your disease. You cannot avoid your old age. Similarly, as the man who is poor man, he is also cannot, he also cannot avoid old age, he cannot avoid death, he cannot avoid disease. Similarly, the troubles of material existence is there, both in good life and bad life. But when you work transcendentally, neither good nor bad, for the sake of the supreme consciousness, transcendental position, you don't get this material birth at all. Therefore that is real good. You are above this birth, death, old age and so many troubles, miseries of life.
So Lord Sri Krsna says that buddhi-yukto jahati. If you work from the transcendental plane, or spiritual platform, then you get rid of all the results of good work and bad work. Don't be attached by, either by good work or bad work. That is the technique. A transcendentalist who wants to work from spiritual platform, he has no botheration, "Whether I am doing good or bad?" He has only to see, "Whether I am doing, acting on the platform of spiritual consciousness or material consciousness?" That's all. Even a apparently bad work by such person on the spiritual consciousness, is also good, supreme good. Not only good, but supreme good. Just like you see the example of Arjuna. From material point of view, he was right that "It is not good to fight with my brothers." That is right from material point of view. But when he learned Bhagavad-gita, he fought with the same brothers. With the same brothers. That means that after learning Bhagavad-gita, after taking lessons of Bhagavad-gita, he did not become a bad man. No. He become a transcendental man. Transcendental man. Because that fighting, he accepted on the instruction, on the desire of the supreme consciousness, Krsna. That is the technique. So similarly, when we mold our life in such a way that we have to act on the direction of the supreme consciousness, then our life becomes sublime, spiritual.
Now, as I have already explained to you, that we require a guide. We require a guide. That guide should be the representative of Krsna. Otherwise, he cannot be guide. Just like Krsna was the guide of Arjuna directly. Now, here we haven't got Krsna directly, but how to have a guide? That guide means he must be a representative of Krsna, representative of Krsna. How one can become representative of Krsna? That means one who follows the instruction of Krsna. Just like you take a, take for example a lawyer. What do you mean by lawyer? One who understands the lawbooks very nicely. He's a lawyer, a representative of law. Similarly, here in the Bhagavad-gita, there are instructions of Krsna, and a person who understands these instructions rightly... How to understand that instruction rightly, that is also in this book. You haven't got to seek elsewhere how to understand Bhagavad-gita. The how to understand Bhagavad-gita is already prescribed here. That I shall explain to you, when you go to the Fourth Chapter. Now we are on the Second Chapter. When you go to the Fourth Chapter, how to understand Bhagavad-gita, that is also mentioned there. So according to that process, if somebody understands Bhagavad-gita and in his life he practices in that way, just like a lawyer who has passed the law examination... Similarly, one who understands Bhagavad-gita as it is, without any wishful interpretation for his own purpose... No. Bhagavad-gita as it is, as it is instructed to Arjuna. If there is somebody who understands Bhagavad-gita in that way, he is the representative of God. He is the representative of Krsna, and one should accept such representative of Krsna for his guide. Then, actually, as much as Arjuna was guided by Krsna, then similarly, that person who takes the shelter of the guidance of a person who is fully, I mean to say, aware, fully conversant with the science of Krsna, he can guide you nicely and for your spiritual life as Lord Krsna has guided Arjuna for his spiritual life.
Thank you very much. Any questions? (end)
>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 2.49-51 -- New York, April 5, 1966
Friday, January 14, 2011
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
"Matter Grows on the Platform of Spirit"
73/08/31 London, Bhagavad-gita 2.30
Devotee:
dehi nityam avadhyo 'yam
dehe sarvasya bharata
tasmat sarvani bhutani
na tvam socitum arhasi
[Bg. 2.28]
"O descendant of Bharata, he who dwells in the body is eternal and can never be slain. Therefore you need not grieve for any creature."
Prabhupada: Dehi nityam avadhyo 'yam dehe sarvasya bharata. Dehe, dehe means body, within the body. This topic began, dehino 'smin yatha dehe kaumaram yauvanam jara [Bg. 2.13]. Deha, dehi. Dehi means one who possesses the body. Just like guni. Asthate in prata.(?) The grammatical. Guna, in, deha, in, in prata.(?) Dehin sabda. So the nominative case of dehin sabda is dehi. Dehi nityam, eternal. In so many ways, Krsna has explained. Nityam, eternal. Indestructible, immutable. It does not take birth, it does not die, it is always, constantly the same. Na hanyate hanyamane sarire [Bg. 2.20]. In this way, again he says nityam, eternal. Avadhya, nobody can kill. In the body, he is there. But dehe sarvasya bharata. This is very important. Not that simply in human body the soul is there and not in other bodies. That is rascaldom. Sarvasya. In every body. Even within the ant, even within the elephant, even within the gigantic banyan tree or within the microbe. Sarvasya. The soul is there. But some rascals, they say the animals have no soul. This is wrong. How you can say the animal has no soul? Everyone. Here the authoritative statement by Krsna: sarvasya. And in other place, Krsna says, sarva-yonisu kaunteya sambhavanti murtayah yah: [Bg. 14.4] In all species of life, as many forms are there, 8,400,000 different forms of life, tasam mahad yonir brahma. Mahad yonir. Their source of body is of this material nature. Aham bija-pradah pita: "I am the seed-giving father." As without father and mother there is no offspring, so the father is Krsna and the mother is material nature, or spiritual nature.
There are two natures. That is explained in the seventh verse. The material nature and the spiritual nature. Or the superior nature or inferior nature. Just like in our body there are inferior parts and superior parts. Body is the same. But still there are different parts of the body. Some of them are considered as inferior and some of them are considered superior. Even two hands. According to Vedic civilization, right hand is the superior hand, and left hand is the inferior hand. When you want to give somebody something, you must give it with the right hand. If you give it by the left hand, it is insult. Two hand are required. Why this hand is superior, this hand...? So we have to accept the Vedic injunction. So although both the nature, the spiritual nature and material nature, is coming from the same source, Absolute Truth... Janmady asya yatah [SB 1.1.1]. Everything is emanating from Him. Still, there is inferior nature and superior nature. What is the difference between inferior and superior? In the inferior nature or the material nature, God consciousness is almost nil. Those who are in the modes of goodness, they have little God consciousness. And those who are in the modes of passion, they have got less degree; and those who are in the modes of ignorance, there is no God consciousness. Completely absent. Degrees.
Therefore, this body, although this is material, coming from the same source, still it is inferior. So when the dehi, or the spirit soul, although by nature it is superior than the material nature, but still, because he's encaged within the material nature, he's forgetful of Krsna. This is the process. But, as it is stated here, that dehe sarvasya, sarvasya dehe, the same spirit is there. Therefore, those who are not rascals, those who are intelligent and in complete knowledge, they do not find any distinction between a human being or an animal. Panditah sama-darsinah. Because he's pandita, he's learned, he knows that the spirit soul is there. Vidya-vinaya-sampanne brahmane [Bg. 5.18]. Within the first-class learned brahmana, there is the soul, the same quality soul. Vidya-vinaya-sampanne brahmane gavi, in the cow, hastini, in the elephant, suni -- suni means the dog -- candala, the lowest kind of human being, everywhere the soul is there. It is not that simply in human being there is soul, or in higher demigods there is soul, and poor animals have no soul. No. Everyone has got... dehe sarvasya bharata. So whom we shall accept? The statement of Krsna or some rascal philosopher or some so-called religionist? Whom we shall accept? We shall have to accept Krsna, the supreme authority, the Supreme Being. He says sarvasya. Many places, Krsna says. Therefore, those who are learned, they do not make such distinction, that it has no soul. Everyone has got soul. Tasmat sarvani bhutani. Again, He says, sarvani bhutani. Na tvam socitum arhasi. It is your duty. Krsna is simply stressing on the point that the soul is eternal, it cannot be killed. In so many ways. The body is perishable. "So it is your duty now to fight. The body may be killed, body may be destroyed. But na hanyate hanyamane sarire [Bg. 2.20]. But even after the destruction of this body, the soul exists. He gets another body, that's all." Deha, tatha dehantara-praptih [Bg. 2.13]. Dehantara-praptih. You must get another body. And this will be explained in the next verse also.
For a ksatriya who are engaged in fighting, in religious fight... Fight must be religious fight. The cause must be right. Then the fighting is all right. So ksatriya killing in the religious fight, he's not responsible, he's not sinful. That is stated. Just like brahmana. He sacri... He puts in sacrifice some animal. That does not mean he's killing. Similarly, ksatriya, when he's engaged in killing, he's not sinful. This will be explained in the next verse. "So it your duty. Don't be worried that you are killing your kinsmen or your grandfather. Take it from Me, assurance, that the dehi, avadhya, you cannot kill, he's eternal." Now, dehe sarvasya bharata, this important point you should note it that every living entity, the body has grown on the platform of the spirit soul. The body may be very gigantic or very small, it doesn't matter. But... Therefore matter is produced or grows on the platform of spirit. Not that a spirit comes into existence, or living force come into existence by the combination of matter. This is scientific point. Matter is dependent on spirit. Therefore, it is called inferior. Yayedam dharyate jagat. Dharyate, it bears. The spirit is there; therefore, the gigantic universe is resting on the spirit. Either the supreme spirit Krsna, or the small spirit. There are two kinds of spirit. Atma and paramatma. Isvara and paramesvara.
So the matter is explained by Krsna, apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakrtim param yayedam dharyate. Jiva-bhutam maha-baho yayedam dharyate jagat [Bg. 7.5]. So spirit is bearing. Everything is explained in Bhagavad-gita. The gigantic big, big planets, why it is floating weightless in the air? That is also explained. Gam avisya aham ojasa dharayami. That, just try to understand. A big 747 airplane taking five hundred, six hundred passengers is floating, flying in the sky without any difficulty. Why? Because the pilot is there. Not the machine. Don't think that it is gigantic machine; therefore it is flying. No. The pilot is there. Machine is there also, but the floating is depending not on the mechanical arrangement, but on the pilot. Is there any disagreement? If the pilot is not there, the whole machine immediately will fall down. Immediately. Similarly, the statement in the Bhagavad-gita, gam avisya aham ojasa. Krsna enters into the gigantic planet. He is within the... Andantara-stha-paramanu-cayantara-stham. It is stated in the Brahma-samhita.
eko 'py asau racayitum jagad-anda-kotim
yac chaktir asti jagad-anda-caya yad-antah
andantara-stha-paramanu-cayantara-stham
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami
[Bs. 5.35]
Without Krsna's entering into the matter, nothing can work. Andantara-stha. Within this universe, He is there as Garbhodakasayi Visnu. Therefore the universe exists. Andantara-stha. And within the universe there are so many material, I mean to say, identities, entities. Even this atom. The sastra says even within the atom, He, as Paramatma, He is within the body of everyone. Not only within the body of living entities, but He is within the paramanu, the atom. They are studying now atomic energy. Still they are finding difficulty. Dividing, dividing, dividing. Because they cannot find out that there is God, there is Krsna.
So without Krsna's, I mean to say, presence, nothing can exist. Therefore, one who is advanced Krsna conscious, he sees only Krsna. Not the outward covering. Because without Krsna nothing can exist. In the Caitanya-caritamrta, it is said: sthavara-jangama. There are two kinds of entities: moving and not moving. Moving means sthavara and... Moving means jangama. Sthavara-jangama. And sthavara means not moving. So there are two kinds of entities. So you can see these two kinds of entities, some of them are moving, some of them are not moving. But a maha-bhagavata sees both the entities, moving and not moving, but he does not see the moving or not moving. He sees Krsna. Because he knows that the moving means living force. So living force, that is also Krsna's energy. And the nonmoving is material. That is also Krsna's energy.
So in everything he sees only Krsna. Premanjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santah sadaiva hrdayesu vilokayanti [Bs. 5.38]. Sadaiva. They sometimes inquire, "Have you seen God?" Those who are actually devotees, advanced devotee, he's simply seeing Krsna, nothing else. Premanjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santah sadaiva hrdayesu [Bs. 5.38]. Sadaiva means always. Hrdayesu vilokayanti. Yam syamasundaram acintya-guna-svarupam govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami **. So this is... More you advance in Krsna consciousness, you'll simply see Krsna. And if you become practiced to see Krsna always, sada tad-bhava-bhavitah... Yam yam vapi smaran loke tyajaty ante kalevaram [Bg. 8.6]. Yad yad bhavam. So if you always think of Krsna... That is Krsna's instruction also. Manmana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru [Bg. 18.65]. "Always think of Me." That is the first-class yogi, who thinks of Krsna always. Yoginam api sarvesam mad-gatenantar-atmana bhajate yo mam sa me yuktatamo matah [Bg. 6.47]. He's first-class yogi. And devotee is. We already... Otherwise, why he should think of Krsna? Man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji. One, only bhaktas can think of Krsna always. Man-mana bhava mad-bhaktah. "Because you are My bhakta your duty is to think of Me always." Is it very difficult task? You are seeing Krsna in the temple. The more you see Krsna, Krsna, Krsna, Krsna, twenty-four hours engagement in Krsna consciousness means you'll be practiced to see Krsna always. This is Krsna consciousness movement. You cannot forget Krsna even for a moment. And that is the instruction. Man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru [Bg. 18.65]. These four things. When there is Deity in the temple, you see and you get the impression. When out of the temple also you can see within you heart, if you have developed love for Krsna. Otherwise, officially, you come to the temple and as soon as... "Botheration, let me forget it." That is another thing. But the whole process is meant for developing love for Krsna. Sa vai pumsam paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhoksaje [SB 1.2.6]. Bhaktir adhoksaje. That is first-class religious system. This is first-class religious system. This Krsna consciousness is the first-class, topmost religious system. Why? It is educating people to think of Krsna, the Supreme Lord, always. Loving. Not only thinking. We cannot think of anyone unless we love him. If you love somebody, then you can think of him always. Just like both lover and beloved. Say one boy, another girl. So they are in love. So both of them think of both of them always. "When we shall meet again, when we shall meet again?" So similarly, man-mana bhava mad-bhaktah. You can become a devotee of Krsna, you can think of Krsna always, provided you have developed love for Krsna. Premanjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena [Bs. 5.38]. By bhakti, you can develop your love for Krsna. That is required.
So in the lower stage of animal life, Krsna is there. As He says, dehe sarvasya bharata. In another place, Krsna says this dehi or ksetra-jna, the owner of the body is there, and there is another ksetra-jna, another owner. That is Krsna. Ksetra-jnam capi mam viddhi sarva-ksetresu bharata [Bg. 13.3]. As the individual soul is there within the body, similarly, the Supersoul, Krsna, is also there. Both of them there. Both of them there. So He is the owner of all bodies. All bodies. Sometimes Krsna is accused by the rascals, that "Why He danced with other's wife?" But actually He is the proprietor. Dehe sarvasya bharata. I am not proprietor; He is the proprietor. So if the proprietor dances with his, I mean to say, maidservants, or devotees, what is the wrong there? What is the wrong? He is their proprietor. You are not proprietor. Dehe sarvasya bharata. He is... The individual soul is in every body and the Supersoul, Supersoul is the real proprietor. Krsna says that bhoktaram yajna-tapasam sarva-loka-mahesvaram [Bg. 5.29]. Mahesvaram, He's the supreme proprietor. Suhrdam sarva-bhutanam. He is actual friend. If I have got some lover, I am friend, I am not friend. Actual friend is Krsna. Suhrdam sarva-bhutanam. As it is said, tasmad sarvani bhutani. Krsna is the real friend. So if the gopis dance with the real friend, what is the wrong there? What is the wrong there? But those who are rascals, who do not know Krsna, they think it is immoral. It is not immoral. That is the right thing. Right thing. Krsna is the real husband. Therefore, He married 16,108 wives. Why 16,000? If He married sixteen trillion, billions wives, what is the wrong there? Because He is the real husband. Sarva-loka-mahesvaram [Bg. 5.29].
So one who does not know Krsna, rascals, they accuse Krsna as immoral of woman-hunter, like that. And they take pleasure in this. Therefore, they paint pictures of Krsna, His affairs with the gopis. But they do not paint picture how He is killing Kamsa, how He is killing the demons. They do not like this. This is sahajiya. They, for their debauchery, for their business of debauchery, they like to be supported by Krsna. "Krsna has done this." "Krsna has become immoral. So therefore we are also immoral. We are great devotee of Krsna, because we are immoral." This is going on. Therefore, to understand Krsna, it requires a little better intelligence. Better intelligence. Bahunam janmanam ante jnanavan [Bg. 7.19]. Jnanavan means the first-class intelligent wise. Mam prapadyate. He understands what is Krsna. Vasudevah sarvam iti sa mahatma sudurlabhah. Such kind of intelligent mahatma... You can find out rascal mahatma, simply by changing dress, without Krsna consciousness, declaring himself as God or Krsna. Kick on their face. Krsna is different from all these rascals. But if you understand Krsna, if you are so fortunate -- ei rupe brahmanda bhramite kona bhagyavan jiva [Cc. Madhya 19.151]. Only the most fortunate persons can understand Krsna, what is Krsna. Ei rupe.
There are many, many millions and trillions of living entities within this universe. And they are rotating in different species of life, 8,400,000 -- in this way, unfortunate. Simply repetition, birth and death, birth and death in different... Out of them, if one is the greatest fortunate, he is given the chance, guru-krsna-prasade paya bhakti-lata-bija. By the mercy of guru and Krsna, he gets the seed of devotional service. And if he's intelligent, unless he is intelligent, otherwise how he gets the seed? That is initiation. And if he waters... Just like if you get a nice seed, you have to sow it and pour little, little water... Then it will grow. Similarly, anyone who by great fortune has come into Krsna consciousness, the seed of devotional service, he should water it. And what is the water? Sravana-kirtana-jale karaye secana. This is watering. This hearing and chanting about Krsna. This is watering. Don't be absent from the class. This hearing and chanting is watering the seed of devotional service. If you make it official and be absent from hearing... This is most important thing. Sravanam kirtanam visnoh [SB 7.5.23]. This is most important thing. To hear. Sravanam kirtanam does not mean hearing and chanting of any other entity. No. Visnu. Sravanam kirtanam. The rascals, they have manufactured "kali-kirtana".Where is there in sastra there is kali-kirtana, siva-kirtana? No. Kirtana means glorifying the Supreme Lord, Krsna. That is kirtana. Not any other kirtana. But they have manu... competition, kali-kirtana. Where is in the sastra kali-kirtana? Durga-kirtana? These are all nonsense. Simply Krsna. Sravanam kirtanam visnoh smaranam pada-sevanam [SB 7.5.23]. Krsna should be worshiped, Krsna should be heard, Krsna should be chanted, Krsna should be remembered. In this way, you'll advance Krsna consciousness.
Thank you very much. Hare Krsna. (end)
>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 2.30 -- London, August 31, 1973
Devotee:
dehi nityam avadhyo 'yam
dehe sarvasya bharata
tasmat sarvani bhutani
na tvam socitum arhasi
[Bg. 2.28]
"O descendant of Bharata, he who dwells in the body is eternal and can never be slain. Therefore you need not grieve for any creature."
Prabhupada: Dehi nityam avadhyo 'yam dehe sarvasya bharata. Dehe, dehe means body, within the body. This topic began, dehino 'smin yatha dehe kaumaram yauvanam jara [Bg. 2.13]. Deha, dehi. Dehi means one who possesses the body. Just like guni. Asthate in prata.(?) The grammatical. Guna, in, deha, in, in prata.(?) Dehin sabda. So the nominative case of dehin sabda is dehi. Dehi nityam, eternal. In so many ways, Krsna has explained. Nityam, eternal. Indestructible, immutable. It does not take birth, it does not die, it is always, constantly the same. Na hanyate hanyamane sarire [Bg. 2.20]. In this way, again he says nityam, eternal. Avadhya, nobody can kill. In the body, he is there. But dehe sarvasya bharata. This is very important. Not that simply in human body the soul is there and not in other bodies. That is rascaldom. Sarvasya. In every body. Even within the ant, even within the elephant, even within the gigantic banyan tree or within the microbe. Sarvasya. The soul is there. But some rascals, they say the animals have no soul. This is wrong. How you can say the animal has no soul? Everyone. Here the authoritative statement by Krsna: sarvasya. And in other place, Krsna says, sarva-yonisu kaunteya sambhavanti murtayah yah: [Bg. 14.4] In all species of life, as many forms are there, 8,400,000 different forms of life, tasam mahad yonir brahma. Mahad yonir. Their source of body is of this material nature. Aham bija-pradah pita: "I am the seed-giving father." As without father and mother there is no offspring, so the father is Krsna and the mother is material nature, or spiritual nature.
There are two natures. That is explained in the seventh verse. The material nature and the spiritual nature. Or the superior nature or inferior nature. Just like in our body there are inferior parts and superior parts. Body is the same. But still there are different parts of the body. Some of them are considered as inferior and some of them are considered superior. Even two hands. According to Vedic civilization, right hand is the superior hand, and left hand is the inferior hand. When you want to give somebody something, you must give it with the right hand. If you give it by the left hand, it is insult. Two hand are required. Why this hand is superior, this hand...? So we have to accept the Vedic injunction. So although both the nature, the spiritual nature and material nature, is coming from the same source, Absolute Truth... Janmady asya yatah [SB 1.1.1]. Everything is emanating from Him. Still, there is inferior nature and superior nature. What is the difference between inferior and superior? In the inferior nature or the material nature, God consciousness is almost nil. Those who are in the modes of goodness, they have little God consciousness. And those who are in the modes of passion, they have got less degree; and those who are in the modes of ignorance, there is no God consciousness. Completely absent. Degrees.
Therefore, this body, although this is material, coming from the same source, still it is inferior. So when the dehi, or the spirit soul, although by nature it is superior than the material nature, but still, because he's encaged within the material nature, he's forgetful of Krsna. This is the process. But, as it is stated here, that dehe sarvasya, sarvasya dehe, the same spirit is there. Therefore, those who are not rascals, those who are intelligent and in complete knowledge, they do not find any distinction between a human being or an animal. Panditah sama-darsinah. Because he's pandita, he's learned, he knows that the spirit soul is there. Vidya-vinaya-sampanne brahmane [Bg. 5.18]. Within the first-class learned brahmana, there is the soul, the same quality soul. Vidya-vinaya-sampanne brahmane gavi, in the cow, hastini, in the elephant, suni -- suni means the dog -- candala, the lowest kind of human being, everywhere the soul is there. It is not that simply in human being there is soul, or in higher demigods there is soul, and poor animals have no soul. No. Everyone has got... dehe sarvasya bharata. So whom we shall accept? The statement of Krsna or some rascal philosopher or some so-called religionist? Whom we shall accept? We shall have to accept Krsna, the supreme authority, the Supreme Being. He says sarvasya. Many places, Krsna says. Therefore, those who are learned, they do not make such distinction, that it has no soul. Everyone has got soul. Tasmat sarvani bhutani. Again, He says, sarvani bhutani. Na tvam socitum arhasi. It is your duty. Krsna is simply stressing on the point that the soul is eternal, it cannot be killed. In so many ways. The body is perishable. "So it is your duty now to fight. The body may be killed, body may be destroyed. But na hanyate hanyamane sarire [Bg. 2.20]. But even after the destruction of this body, the soul exists. He gets another body, that's all." Deha, tatha dehantara-praptih [Bg. 2.13]. Dehantara-praptih. You must get another body. And this will be explained in the next verse also.
For a ksatriya who are engaged in fighting, in religious fight... Fight must be religious fight. The cause must be right. Then the fighting is all right. So ksatriya killing in the religious fight, he's not responsible, he's not sinful. That is stated. Just like brahmana. He sacri... He puts in sacrifice some animal. That does not mean he's killing. Similarly, ksatriya, when he's engaged in killing, he's not sinful. This will be explained in the next verse. "So it your duty. Don't be worried that you are killing your kinsmen or your grandfather. Take it from Me, assurance, that the dehi, avadhya, you cannot kill, he's eternal." Now, dehe sarvasya bharata, this important point you should note it that every living entity, the body has grown on the platform of the spirit soul. The body may be very gigantic or very small, it doesn't matter. But... Therefore matter is produced or grows on the platform of spirit. Not that a spirit comes into existence, or living force come into existence by the combination of matter. This is scientific point. Matter is dependent on spirit. Therefore, it is called inferior. Yayedam dharyate jagat. Dharyate, it bears. The spirit is there; therefore, the gigantic universe is resting on the spirit. Either the supreme spirit Krsna, or the small spirit. There are two kinds of spirit. Atma and paramatma. Isvara and paramesvara.
So the matter is explained by Krsna, apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakrtim param yayedam dharyate. Jiva-bhutam maha-baho yayedam dharyate jagat [Bg. 7.5]. So spirit is bearing. Everything is explained in Bhagavad-gita. The gigantic big, big planets, why it is floating weightless in the air? That is also explained. Gam avisya aham ojasa dharayami. That, just try to understand. A big 747 airplane taking five hundred, six hundred passengers is floating, flying in the sky without any difficulty. Why? Because the pilot is there. Not the machine. Don't think that it is gigantic machine; therefore it is flying. No. The pilot is there. Machine is there also, but the floating is depending not on the mechanical arrangement, but on the pilot. Is there any disagreement? If the pilot is not there, the whole machine immediately will fall down. Immediately. Similarly, the statement in the Bhagavad-gita, gam avisya aham ojasa. Krsna enters into the gigantic planet. He is within the... Andantara-stha-paramanu-cayantara-stham. It is stated in the Brahma-samhita.
eko 'py asau racayitum jagad-anda-kotim
yac chaktir asti jagad-anda-caya yad-antah
andantara-stha-paramanu-cayantara-stham
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami
[Bs. 5.35]
Without Krsna's entering into the matter, nothing can work. Andantara-stha. Within this universe, He is there as Garbhodakasayi Visnu. Therefore the universe exists. Andantara-stha. And within the universe there are so many material, I mean to say, identities, entities. Even this atom. The sastra says even within the atom, He, as Paramatma, He is within the body of everyone. Not only within the body of living entities, but He is within the paramanu, the atom. They are studying now atomic energy. Still they are finding difficulty. Dividing, dividing, dividing. Because they cannot find out that there is God, there is Krsna.
So without Krsna's, I mean to say, presence, nothing can exist. Therefore, one who is advanced Krsna conscious, he sees only Krsna. Not the outward covering. Because without Krsna nothing can exist. In the Caitanya-caritamrta, it is said: sthavara-jangama. There are two kinds of entities: moving and not moving. Moving means sthavara and... Moving means jangama. Sthavara-jangama. And sthavara means not moving. So there are two kinds of entities. So you can see these two kinds of entities, some of them are moving, some of them are not moving. But a maha-bhagavata sees both the entities, moving and not moving, but he does not see the moving or not moving. He sees Krsna. Because he knows that the moving means living force. So living force, that is also Krsna's energy. And the nonmoving is material. That is also Krsna's energy.
So in everything he sees only Krsna. Premanjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santah sadaiva hrdayesu vilokayanti [Bs. 5.38]. Sadaiva. They sometimes inquire, "Have you seen God?" Those who are actually devotees, advanced devotee, he's simply seeing Krsna, nothing else. Premanjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santah sadaiva hrdayesu [Bs. 5.38]. Sadaiva means always. Hrdayesu vilokayanti. Yam syamasundaram acintya-guna-svarupam govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami **. So this is... More you advance in Krsna consciousness, you'll simply see Krsna. And if you become practiced to see Krsna always, sada tad-bhava-bhavitah... Yam yam vapi smaran loke tyajaty ante kalevaram [Bg. 8.6]. Yad yad bhavam. So if you always think of Krsna... That is Krsna's instruction also. Manmana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru [Bg. 18.65]. "Always think of Me." That is the first-class yogi, who thinks of Krsna always. Yoginam api sarvesam mad-gatenantar-atmana bhajate yo mam sa me yuktatamo matah [Bg. 6.47]. He's first-class yogi. And devotee is. We already... Otherwise, why he should think of Krsna? Man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji. One, only bhaktas can think of Krsna always. Man-mana bhava mad-bhaktah. "Because you are My bhakta your duty is to think of Me always." Is it very difficult task? You are seeing Krsna in the temple. The more you see Krsna, Krsna, Krsna, Krsna, twenty-four hours engagement in Krsna consciousness means you'll be practiced to see Krsna always. This is Krsna consciousness movement. You cannot forget Krsna even for a moment. And that is the instruction. Man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru [Bg. 18.65]. These four things. When there is Deity in the temple, you see and you get the impression. When out of the temple also you can see within you heart, if you have developed love for Krsna. Otherwise, officially, you come to the temple and as soon as... "Botheration, let me forget it." That is another thing. But the whole process is meant for developing love for Krsna. Sa vai pumsam paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhoksaje [SB 1.2.6]. Bhaktir adhoksaje. That is first-class religious system. This is first-class religious system. This Krsna consciousness is the first-class, topmost religious system. Why? It is educating people to think of Krsna, the Supreme Lord, always. Loving. Not only thinking. We cannot think of anyone unless we love him. If you love somebody, then you can think of him always. Just like both lover and beloved. Say one boy, another girl. So they are in love. So both of them think of both of them always. "When we shall meet again, when we shall meet again?" So similarly, man-mana bhava mad-bhaktah. You can become a devotee of Krsna, you can think of Krsna always, provided you have developed love for Krsna. Premanjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena [Bs. 5.38]. By bhakti, you can develop your love for Krsna. That is required.
So in the lower stage of animal life, Krsna is there. As He says, dehe sarvasya bharata. In another place, Krsna says this dehi or ksetra-jna, the owner of the body is there, and there is another ksetra-jna, another owner. That is Krsna. Ksetra-jnam capi mam viddhi sarva-ksetresu bharata [Bg. 13.3]. As the individual soul is there within the body, similarly, the Supersoul, Krsna, is also there. Both of them there. Both of them there. So He is the owner of all bodies. All bodies. Sometimes Krsna is accused by the rascals, that "Why He danced with other's wife?" But actually He is the proprietor. Dehe sarvasya bharata. I am not proprietor; He is the proprietor. So if the proprietor dances with his, I mean to say, maidservants, or devotees, what is the wrong there? What is the wrong? He is their proprietor. You are not proprietor. Dehe sarvasya bharata. He is... The individual soul is in every body and the Supersoul, Supersoul is the real proprietor. Krsna says that bhoktaram yajna-tapasam sarva-loka-mahesvaram [Bg. 5.29]. Mahesvaram, He's the supreme proprietor. Suhrdam sarva-bhutanam. He is actual friend. If I have got some lover, I am friend, I am not friend. Actual friend is Krsna. Suhrdam sarva-bhutanam. As it is said, tasmad sarvani bhutani. Krsna is the real friend. So if the gopis dance with the real friend, what is the wrong there? What is the wrong there? But those who are rascals, who do not know Krsna, they think it is immoral. It is not immoral. That is the right thing. Right thing. Krsna is the real husband. Therefore, He married 16,108 wives. Why 16,000? If He married sixteen trillion, billions wives, what is the wrong there? Because He is the real husband. Sarva-loka-mahesvaram [Bg. 5.29].
So one who does not know Krsna, rascals, they accuse Krsna as immoral of woman-hunter, like that. And they take pleasure in this. Therefore, they paint pictures of Krsna, His affairs with the gopis. But they do not paint picture how He is killing Kamsa, how He is killing the demons. They do not like this. This is sahajiya. They, for their debauchery, for their business of debauchery, they like to be supported by Krsna. "Krsna has done this." "Krsna has become immoral. So therefore we are also immoral. We are great devotee of Krsna, because we are immoral." This is going on. Therefore, to understand Krsna, it requires a little better intelligence. Better intelligence. Bahunam janmanam ante jnanavan [Bg. 7.19]. Jnanavan means the first-class intelligent wise. Mam prapadyate. He understands what is Krsna. Vasudevah sarvam iti sa mahatma sudurlabhah. Such kind of intelligent mahatma... You can find out rascal mahatma, simply by changing dress, without Krsna consciousness, declaring himself as God or Krsna. Kick on their face. Krsna is different from all these rascals. But if you understand Krsna, if you are so fortunate -- ei rupe brahmanda bhramite kona bhagyavan jiva [Cc. Madhya 19.151]. Only the most fortunate persons can understand Krsna, what is Krsna. Ei rupe.
There are many, many millions and trillions of living entities within this universe. And they are rotating in different species of life, 8,400,000 -- in this way, unfortunate. Simply repetition, birth and death, birth and death in different... Out of them, if one is the greatest fortunate, he is given the chance, guru-krsna-prasade paya bhakti-lata-bija. By the mercy of guru and Krsna, he gets the seed of devotional service. And if he's intelligent, unless he is intelligent, otherwise how he gets the seed? That is initiation. And if he waters... Just like if you get a nice seed, you have to sow it and pour little, little water... Then it will grow. Similarly, anyone who by great fortune has come into Krsna consciousness, the seed of devotional service, he should water it. And what is the water? Sravana-kirtana-jale karaye secana. This is watering. This hearing and chanting about Krsna. This is watering. Don't be absent from the class. This hearing and chanting is watering the seed of devotional service. If you make it official and be absent from hearing... This is most important thing. Sravanam kirtanam visnoh [SB 7.5.23]. This is most important thing. To hear. Sravanam kirtanam does not mean hearing and chanting of any other entity. No. Visnu. Sravanam kirtanam. The rascals, they have manufactured "kali-kirtana".Where is there in sastra there is kali-kirtana, siva-kirtana? No. Kirtana means glorifying the Supreme Lord, Krsna. That is kirtana. Not any other kirtana. But they have manu... competition, kali-kirtana. Where is in the sastra kali-kirtana? Durga-kirtana? These are all nonsense. Simply Krsna. Sravanam kirtanam visnoh smaranam pada-sevanam [SB 7.5.23]. Krsna should be worshiped, Krsna should be heard, Krsna should be chanted, Krsna should be remembered. In this way, you'll advance Krsna consciousness.
Thank you very much. Hare Krsna. (end)
>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 2.30 -- London, August 31, 1973
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Ritvikism: another face of Mayavada
Josh Hawley 2011-
Ritvik is Mayavada. Those who proclaim themselves disciples by post departure proxy initiation of the physically departed Acharya Bhaktivedanta Swami, (who is known, and glorified, for combating nirvisesha and sunyavada) are unwittingly placing themselves in direct opposition and contravention to the mission, and philosophical premise of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.
Ritvik is Mayavada. Those who proclaim themselves disciples by post departure proxy initiation of the physically departed Acharya Bhaktivedanta Swami, (who is known, and glorified, for combating nirvisesha and sunyavada) are unwittingly placing themselves in direct opposition and contravention to the mission, and philosophical premise of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.
Sunday, December 26, 2010
"Rain Depends on Krishna"
72/26/11 Hyderabad, Bhagavad-gita 2.22
Prabhupada:
vasamsi jirnani yatha vihaya
navani grhnati naro 'parani
tatha sarirani vihaya jirnany
anyani samyati navani dehi
[Bg. 2.22]
So this verse we discussed last morning. That this body is just like dress. This is not our real identification. I am thinking "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am African," "I am Russian," "I am brahmana," "I am ksatriya," "I am sudra," "I am Andhra-pradesh," "I am Bengali." These are all nonsense. But on this nonsense idea the whole world is going on. So how there can be real knowledge? The basic principle of knowledge is ignorance. Andha. The man who is leading, he is blind. How he can lead? This is the position. Andha yathandhair upaniyamanas te 'pisa-tantryam uru-damni baddhah [SB 7.5.31]. They are trying to make advancement of civilization, but the basic principle is wrong. They are accepting... This is called illusion, accepting something as something else. The... Just like this... If I identify myself with this coat and shirt, the basic principle of my identification is lost.
So here it is clearly said that vasamsi jirnani. Before this,
vedavinasinam nityam
ya enam ajam avyayam
katham sa purusah partha
kam ghatayati hanti kam
Anyone who knows that the living entity, soul, is avinasi, indestructible, then where is the question of killing? But that does not mean the Bhagavad-gita is encouraging killing. No. That is not the purport. Killing is prohibited. But when we see that a brahmana is killing one animal in the sacrifice, it is not killing. Therefore we have to see with the eyes of Vedic knowledge. Not with these eyes. What is the value of these eyes? It has no value. We are very much proud: "Can you show me?" What is value of your seeing? Even if I show you, the value of your seeing power is nil. It sees only under certain conditions. That's all. If there is a light, you can see. What is the value of your eyes? Therefore the real seeing is through Vedic knowledge. That is seeing. Sastra-caksus. Real knowledge, real seeing power, should be through the sastras. And sastra means infallible, not theory. Not theory. Just like a conditioned soul writes some book on some thesis. What is the value of it? It has no value. Because the man who is putting forward the thesis, he is blind. He's imperfect. So how you can get perfect knowledge from him?
So our proposition is that to receive knowledge from Krsna, the perfect person, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. We accept sastra, means which is infallible. There is no mistake. Just like when I was walking near the cowshed, heaps of, piles of cow dung was there. So I was explaining to my followers that if such heaps of animal, I mean to say, man stool was heaped up here, nobody would come here. Nobody would come here. But the cow dung, there are so much heaps of cow dung, still, we find it pleasure to go through it. And in the Vedas it is said, "Cow dung is pure." This is called sastra. If you argue, "How it can, it has become pure? It is an animal stool." But the Vedas, they... Because the knowledge is perfect, that even in argument we cannot prove how animal stool becomes pure, but it is pure. Therefore Vedic knowledge is perfect. And if we take knowledge from the Vedas, we save so much time for investigating, or researching. We are very much fond of research. Everything is there in the Vedas. Why do you waste your time?
So this is Vedic knowledge. Vedic knowledge means which is spoken by the Supreme Lord. That is Vedic knowledge. Apauruseya. It is not spoken by common man like me. So if we accept Vedic knowledge, if we accept the fact as it is stated by Krsna, or His representative... Because His representative will not speak anything which Krsna does not speak. Therefore he's representative. The Krsna conscious persons are representative of Krsna because a Krsna conscious person will not speak anything nonsense, beyond the speaking of Krsna. That is the difference. Other nonsense, rascal, they will speak beyond Krsna. Krsna says, man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru [Bg. 18.65], but the rascal scholar will say, "No, it is not to Krsna. It is something else." Where you get this? Krsna directly says, man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru [Bg. 18.65]. So why do you deviate? Why do you say something else : "It is something within Krsna"? You'll find... I don't wish to name. There are so many rascal scholars. They interpret like that. Therefore in spite of Bhagavad-gita being a book of knowledge of India, so many people are misguided. Big... Due to these rascal scholars, so-called scholars. Because they simply misinterpret.
Therefore we are presenting Bhagavad-gita as it is. Krsna says, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66]. We say, we are preaching this cult: "Be Krsna consciousness. Just become a devotee of Krsna. Offer your respects..." You have to offer your respect to anyone. You are not supreme. You have to flatter somebody to get some service. That is an... Even if you get nice position, you have to flatter. Even if you get a president, become president of the country, you have to flatter your countrymen: "Please give me vote. Please... I shall give you so many facilities." So you have to flatter. That is a fact. You may be very big man. But you have to flatter somebody. You have to accept some master. Why not accept Krsna, the supreme master? Where is the difficulty? "No. I shall accept thousands of masters except Krsna." This is our philosophy. "I shall accept thousands of teachers except Krsna. This is my determination." Then how you can be happy? The happiness can be achieved only by accepting Krsna.
bhoktaram yajna-tapasam
sarva-loka-mahesvaram
suhrdam sarva-bhutanam
jnatva mam santim rcchati
[Bg. 5.29]
This is the process of santi. Krsna says that you accept that "I am the enjoyer. You are not enjoyer." You are not enjoyer. You may be president or you may be secretary; you may be whatever you may be. But you are not enjoyer. Enjoyer is Krsna. One should know it. Just like in your... I have come, coming, just replying one letter from the Andhra Relief Committee. What this relief committee will do if Krsna is not satisfied? Simply by raising some funds? No, that is not possible. Now there is raining. Now you'll get benefit. But that raining depends on Krsna, not on your fund-raising capacity. That is... Yajna, yajnad bhavati parjanyah [Bg. 3.14]. (aside:) Find out this verse.
Devotee: There's no Bhagavad-gita.
Prabhupada: You said there is.
Devotee: Bhagavad-gita.
Prabhupada: So yajnad bhavati parjanyah: [Bg. 3.14] If you perform yajna, then there will be regular rainfall. If you avoid yajna, there will be restriction, and what your plan and fund-raising capacity will help? Now there is sankirtana-yajna and rain is falling. This is a fact. So if you continue performing yajna, then there will be no distress, no unhappiness. That is the plan. Just like the birds and beasts. They have no problem. Because they are less than human being, they are working according to the prakrti's, nature's ways of life. So their foodstuff is ample. Their foodstuff is ample. So the... Yajnad bhavati parjanyah parjanyad anna-sambhavah [Bg. 3.14]. If there is no rain, how you can produce food? And this.... And the rain is possible when there is yajna. This is described in the Bhagavad-gita, that when there was creation, it was the advice of Brahma to perform yajna.
So we have given up all kinds of yajna. Although performing yajna at the present moment is very difficult because we cannot get pure ghee... The yajnas, or the sacrifices mentioned in the Vedas, it requires tons of ghees. But that is not possible to obtain at the present moment. But there is another yajna. Yajnaih sankirtana-prayair yajanti hi su-medhasah. There is another yajna recommended in this Kali, Kali-yuga.
krsna-varnam tvisakrsnam
sangopangastra-parsadam
yajnaih sankirtana-prayair
yajanti hi su-medhasah
[SB 11.5.32]
In this Kali-yuga it is recommended that this sankirtana-yajna should be performed. Then you'll be happy. So what is the difficulty? In every village... The government has raised so much fund. Why not engage all the people to perform this sankirtana-yajna? Every village, every house, every home, just perform this sankirtana-yajna: Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. Simply you sit down, all family members. Where is the difficulty? Husband, wife, children, friends. Sit down together. There is no need of instrument. Simply clap and chant Hare Krsna. Then you'll see the face of the world is changed. That is recommended... But we have no faith. We do not believe. Although there is no expenditure, there is no loss, still, we shall not do. We shall make plan by raising fund. So after raising fund, what is done, we know everything. So that will not relieve. Take this yajna process. Yajnad bhavati parjanyah [Bg. 3.14]. If you are in scarcity of rain, perform yajna, the sankirtana-yajna. There will be regular rain, and if there is regular rain, there is ample food production. There is no question of overpopulation. God can supply you more than you want, provided you become God conscious, Krsna conscious. That is the way.
So we have to accept this... vasamsi jirnani. You don't be misled by the proposition of the so-called blind leaders that you are this body. The leaders are misguiding us by identification with this body. There is fight always. "I am American." "I am Indian." "I am Russian." "I am Pakistani." "I am Hindustani." And there is fight. Advancement of civilization means advancement of fighting. That's all. When there was no Pakistan, there was some sporadic Hindu-Muslim fight. Now there is nation, Pakistan, and nation, Hindustan, and there is organized fight every year. This is advancement? So don't follow this foolish advancement. Take to Krsna consciousness and be happy. This is not an ordinary movement. People are suffering actually for want of spiritual life, spiritual understanding. So the basic principle of spiritual understanding is to know one's self. Aham brahmasmi. Aham brahmasmi. That, to come to that point, Krsna is explaining that this body is like the dress, and the person who is dressed, that is within the dress. Dehino 'smin yatha dehe [Bg. 2.13]. Here also, it is said, tatha sarirani vihaya jirnany anyani samyati navani dehi. Very simple thing. There is no difficulty. But the so-called scientists, philosophers, educationists, they will not believe that there is soul. They, they'll not believe. They'll simply argue. They cannot establish the real fact, how this body is moving. There are so many theories. But, except, accept, they will not accept that the..., actually, because the soul is within this body, everything is happening. And without the soul, immediately this body, so nice body of such and such great personality, becomes a lump of matter. Not that the body is working... They are finding out the brain substance, how it is working. But the brain substance is already there in the dead body. Why don't you work with that? No. That is not fact. The fact is the brain substance is a machine, but the man, or the person, is within the body. He's working with the brain substance. Just like you have got a nice machine. But it must be worked by somebody. At the present moment, the computer is a very subtle machine. But this computer cannot work without an experienced mechanic who pushes the button and it works. These people, they cannot understand that without spiritual touch, matter cannot work.
So brain may be a, a combination of nice matter, but it cannot work without the spirit soul. We should clearly understand this. And if we accept this body as the everything... Just like the other day, I told you, I met one big professor, Russian professor, in Moscow. He said, "Swamiji, after this body is finished, everything's finished." This is the atheistic theory. This is not new. In India there are many atheists, followers of Carvaka. According to Carvaka Muni, his theory is: bhasmi bhutasya dehasya punah kutah punar agamano bhavet rnam krtva ghrtam pibet yavad jivet sukham jivet. Rnam krtva pibet. "Just live joyfully, merrily..." "No, I have no money." "All right. Take, beg, borrow and steal. Some way or other, get money." That is going on. "Get money some way or other and live." That is Carvaka theory. Hedonism. "Get money..." So this is going, this civilization is going on. "Somehow or other, get money." Because without money, you cannot get woman, you cannot get nice palatable food, nice dress, nice apartment, nice car. "So bring money, somehow or other." Everyone is coming forward as very philanthropist leader. The aim is how to get money. That's all. That is their philanthropism. They, they speak so many nonsense things, but the real idea is how to get money.
So this is going on. At the present moment, they are after the sense gratification. They do not know that there is another life beyond sense gratification. They have no... That life is being taught in the Bhagavad-gita, that "You are trying to advance your civilization for keeping this body fit, but you are not this body. Why you are wasting your time in that way?" Yasyatma-buddhih kunape tri-dhatuke. Yasyatma-buddhih kunape tri-dhatuke [SB 10.84.13]. Anyone who is thinking that "I am this body," sva-dhih kalatradisu. And sva-dhih means "My men, my own kinsmen." Who? "My children, my family, my society, my country," kalatradisu. Sva-dhih kalatradisu bhauma ijya-dhih: "And the land where these things have grown up, my body and my other relatives in relationship with this body, that is pujya." Sva-dhih kalatradisu bhauma ijya... Nationalism: "My country. I shall die for this land. I shall sacrifice everything." Sva-dhih kalatradisu bhauma ijya-dhih, yat-tirtha-buddhih salile. And those who are little advanced, pious, they go to places of pilgrimages, take a bath in the Ganges, and come out. They think that water is tirtha. No. Tirtha is saintly persons. Tirtha-padam. You have to meet saintly persons to take lesson from them. Yat-tirtha-buddhih salile na karhicij janesu abhijnesu. You have to meet self-realized persons, those persons who do not care for these things. And in the bodily concept of life, they have been described in the sastra: go-kharah, "cow and asses."
So the Bhagavad-gita is the only book in the world which teaches to educate these cows and asses to human life. This mass of cows and asses are to be trained with these teachings of Bhagavad-gita. It is the beginning, that vasamsi jirnani yatha vihaya navani grhnati naro 'parani [Bg. 2.22]. This vasamsi, this body, can be changed. Suppose now you are very much a great enemy of Pakistan. Take, for example... I am not... Or Pakistan is thinking "Oh, India, Hindustan, is our great enemy." What is this Hindustan and Pakistan or Russia? This is this body. Next life, you can take birth in Russia, or you can take birth in... There is no certainty. Yam yam vapi. But according to Bhagavad-gita, you can understand, at the, at the time of death, if you are going on thinking, "Oh, Pakistan, my, is my enemy, enemy," then you get a birth in Pakistan. (laughter) Yes. Yam yam vapi smaran bhavam tyajaty ante kalevaram [Bg. 8.6]. Because I shall get my next body according to my mental condition at the time of death. So just like our women are taught to become very chaste. Why? That is a process to give her a chance to become a male next life. A, a woman, if he's, if she is educated to become chaste, attached to the husband, then naturally at the time of death, she'll think of the man, and she gets immediately... That is promotion. That is promotion. Similarly, if a man is very much attached to his wife, he'll think at the time of his... He becomes woman. These are the science. Where is the cultivation of this science? Simply all fools. And they are making research work. What is the research work? Can you go beyond the laws of the prakrti? It is not possible.
prakrteh kriyamanani
gunaih karmani sarvasah
ahankara-vimudhatma
kartaham iti manyate
[Bg. 3.27]
Ahankara-vimudha. These rascals, they are under the full control of this material nature, and they are thinking, "We are independent." This is foolishness.
So if you want to stop this foolish kind of civilization, animal civilization of cows and asses, you have to teach Bhagavad-gita as it is. That is essential. That is the duty of every Indian. Caitanya Mahaprabhu orders that. Bharata-bhumite manusya-janma haila yara [Cc. Adi 9.41]. Anyone who has taken birth, he must be very pious, must have been very pious in his last life. Therefore he has got the chance. So janma sarthaka kari'. Janma sarthaka kari' means "Make your life successful by taking advantage of so many Vedic literatures stocked by the great saintly persons, spoken by God Himself." You are not taking advantage of these facilities, natural facilities. You are misled by so-called material civilization, and you are doomed. Andha yathandhair upaniyamanah [SB 7.5.31]. If you are led by blind leaders, you are all doomed. That is going on. That is my appeal to the Indians. Don't be doomed. Take Krsna, accept Krsna as the leader. Then you'll be happy. As Krsna says... Not only India. India, especial, I say. Because Krsna is so kind. Of course, for Krsna, there is no such thing as India and America. Just like the sun. The sun is neither Indian sun nor American sun. Sun is sun. But if you say, if you think that because now in India, the sun is visible, therefore "Indian sun," that is your concoction. That is your mental concoction. Sun is neither Indian nor American. Similarly, God, Krsna, He's neither for Indian or for... He is for everyone.
sarva-yonisu kaunteya
murtayah sambhavanti yah
tasam brahma mahad yonir
aham bija-pradah pita
[Bg. 14.4]
He's the father of everyone, not only human beings, but in the animals, the trees, the aquatics, everyone, all living entities. Mamaivamso jiva... [Bg. 15.7]. This is universal. This is... This Krsna consciousness movement is therefore universal, real universal.
So there are so many potencies out of this Krsna consciousness movement. Those who are intelligent... Krsna yei bhaje sei bada catura. Anyone who becomes Krsna conscious, he must be very, very intelligent. Otherwise, one cannot become Krsna conscious. Krsna yei bhaje sei bada catura. So anyone who has taken to Krsna consciousness, he must be very intelligent man. Without being very intelligent man, one cannot take to Krsna consciousness. It is a... Caitanya-caritamrta says, krsna yei bhaje sei bada catura. And Krsna Himself says, bahunam janmanam ante jnanavan mam prapadyate: [Bg. 7.19] "After many, many births of struggling, if one actually becomes jnanavan, then he surrenders unto Me." Vasudevah sarvam iti sa mahatma sudurlabhah [Bg. 7.19]. Om namo bhagavate vasudevaya. Janmady asya yatah [SB 1.1.1]. These are the Vedic information.
So vasudeva-parayana, vasudeva-para makhah. These are the sastric injunctions. So a person can take intelligence from studying Bhagavad-gita. And Krsna says, bahunam janmanam ante jnanavan mam prapadyate [Bg. 7.19]. After many, many births... Because foolish rascals, they will have to transmigrate from one body to another, and there are 8,400,000's of different forms of body. And he has to go through the cycle of this birth and death. Bhutva bhutva praliyate [Bg. 8.19]. Take birth once, and becomes, defy God: "I don't care for God." And when Yamaraja comes, "All right. Whatever you like, you do." Mrtyuh sarva-haras caham [Bg. 10.34]. These atheist class of men, who defy the authority of Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, they'll meet Krsna. When? At the time of death, when Krsna will take him, take everything, his body, his society, his country, his family, his bank balance, his house. Everything will be taken away. Mrtyuh sarva-haras caham. Mrtyuh. Krsna is appearing to the atheist class of men as sarva-harah. Sarva-harah means "Taking everything." I am very much proud. "Oh, I have got so much bank balance. I am the leader of this country. I am the father of so many children. I have got so beautiful wife and so..." So many things I am thinking, puffed-up. "I don't care for God. I am God." All right. At the time of death, are you God? Are you God at the time of death? God means controller. Can you control your death? Then how you are God? God, isvara... Isvara means controller. Are you isvara? Are you controller? Can you control birth? Can you control death? Can you control disease? Can you control old age? Then what kind of God you are? The foolish, foolish person, mudha. They are called mudha. Avajananti mam mudhah [Bg. 9.11]. "The rascals only, avajananti, defy Me."
So our, this Krsna consciousness movement is only to request you... It is your country's literature. Try to understand Bhagavad-gita, Krsna. You'll be liberated. Janma karma me divyam yo janati tattvatah, tyaktva deham punar janma naiti [Bg. 4.9]. Simply by understanding Krsna, you get liberation. Punar janma naiti. The whole activities, human society's activities, should be targeted how to get rid of this repetition of birth and death. That is real civilization. Not that "Let me live like a cat and dog and die like a cat and dog, and never mind what is happening next." This is a civilization of ignorance. This is not a civilization of knowledge. They are... Here is knowledge, that "I am trying to protect my body, this dress. I am every day soaping my garment, but I am not taking any food. How shall I... How long shall I live with this nice dress?" So one should understand this verse very seriously. Vasamsi jirnani yatha vihaya navani grhnati naro 'parani [Bg. 2.22]. It has been especially mentioned: nara. Nara means human being. The cats and dogs, they are changing their body, the same process, but they cannot understand. But here especially mentioned: nara. Human beings should understand this scientific knowledge that "Your, this body is just like a dress. It is changing." And we are changing... Just like according to price, we have a dress. If you go to a garment store, you can have nice dress if you pay more. And if you get less, you get a third-class dress. Similarly, there are eight million species or forms of life. Somebody is in the cat's body. Somebody's dog's body. Somebody's in human being's body. Somebody is in demigod's body. These bodies are offered by prakrti according to price you pay. This is called karma. This is karma. If you perform good karma, then you get good body. Janmaisvarya-sruta-srih [SB 1.8.26]. This is the janma. You get good birth, you get money, you get education, and you become beautiful by pious activities. And by impious activities, just the opposite. So either you get this or that, after all, it is birth and death. [break] ...how to stop the cycle of birth and death. Otherwise it is animal civilization.
Thank you very much. Hare Krsna. [break]
Indian: ...om bhagavate fails. (?)
Prabhupada: (Hindi for a few minutes, then:) Everyone has prema, love. This propensity to love others. That is... There is, everywhere. But that prema, that love, is originally for Krsna. Nitya-siddha krsna-bhakti. That is the original prema. But because we are illusioned, that prema is being applied or used for so many maya. Prema I have got. I have got my love. That is a fact. But I do not know where to repose that love. That is my misfortune. Therefore Krsna says that sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66]. "You have got prema. You apply it to Me. Then you'll be benefited." Prema is already there. You are simply misusing it. Therefore you are not happy. This is the process. Prema, you have got. But you are misusing it. But if you take Krsna's word, that "Give your prema unto Me..." Man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru [Bg. 18.65]. This is the beginning of prema. "Always think of Me." I think of my son. I think of my child. I think of my wife. Because there is prema. So if you think of Krsna, then you will increase your prema for Krsna. This is the process. Prema is not you have to get it outside. It is already there. Just like a young boy, young girl. As soon as they meet, there is natural attraction. That is already there. It is not that he has brought this attraction from, purchased from some shopkeeper. No. It is already there. Simply by combination, it becomes aroused. That's all. Similarly, krsna-prema is there. Nitya-siddha krsna-prema sadhya kabhu naya [Cc. Madhya 22.107]. It is not that by artificial means we are getting krsna-prema. It is already there. But just like the attraction for young man and young woman, it comes at a certain stage, similarly, if you develop this sravana-kirtana, then that krsna-prema will be aroused, automatically. It is already there.
Devotee: (reading question) The question: First, what are the senses, to control. Then, what are the things to be done? And the next question he asks is, "What are your views about meditation on one's own self..."
Prabhupada: Take it here. I cannot follow.
Devotee (2): What are the senses?
Devotee (1): "What are the senses, how to control the things to be done?"
Prabhupada: Senses, everyone knows. You see. How we are seeing? Through the sense of eyes. These are senses. Sense organs. You can touch with the hand. These are sense organs. You can hear about some knowledge. That is sense organ. You can taste one fruit. These are senses. Is it very difficult to understand? You have got these senses. By some senses, you are acquiring knowledge, and some senses you are working. There are five senses for acquiring knowledge, and five senses for working. These are senses.
Devotee (1): "How to control them? What are the things to be done?"
Prabhupada: Yes. Control. It is very difficult. To control. But if you put it under the control of the Supreme, it will be controlled. You want to see very beautiful thing. But if you engage your seeing power on the most beautiful, Krsna, then you forget, other things. This is sense control. You are going to restaurant to enjoy your tongue, but if you take krsna-prasadam, then you'll forget going to restaurant. This is sense control. Sense control means to engage the senses in the service of Krsna. Hrsikena hrsikesa-sevanam bhaktir ucyate [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. Simply we have to purify the senses. The senses must be there. Otherwise, I am not a living being. I am stone. But at the present moment, I am misguided. I am using my senses for other purposes than Krsna's. Therefore I cannot control. And as soon as you apply your senses for satisfying Krsna, then they are controlled, automatically.
Devotee(1): (reading question) "What are your views about silent meditation on one's, in one's own self, and this japa, gayatri-mantra?"
Prabhupada: Yes. Simply by mechanical japa, we'll not be ha... We have to hear from the sastra what is self. Of course, those who are actually following the rules and regulation of gayatri-mantra, they'll be, gradually come to the spiritual understanding. But not as official chanting. That will not help. "Because I have got gayatri-mantra, oh, om-burble bura burra..." (makes sound) Finish. Not like that. Don't cheat yourself. Try to understand.
Indian: (Hindi)
Prabhupada: (Hindi for several minutes, Hindi, back and forth, then:)
krsnotkirtana-gana-nartana-parau premamrtambho-nidhi
dhiradhira-jana-priyau priya-karau nirmatsarau pujitau
sri-caitanya-krpa-bharau bhuvi bhuvo bharavahantarakau
vande rupa-sanatanau raghu-yugau sri-jiva-gopalakau
nana-sastra-vicaranaika-nipunau sad-dharma-samsthapakau
lokanam hita-karinau tri-bhuvane manyau saranyakarau
radha-krsna-padaravinda-bhajananandena mattalikau
vande rupa-sanatanau raghu-yugau sri-jiva-gopalakau
Krsna-kirtana. Krsnotkirtana-gana-nartana-parau. All the six Gosvamis, they were always engaged in chanting, utkirtanam. Utkirtanam. Not this professional kirtana. Utkirtanam. Udgata-tamah. Transcendental kirtana, transcendental vibration. Krsnotkirtana-gana-nartana-parau. So they were engaged in singing and dancing and chanting. Krsnotkirtana-gana-nartana-parau premamrtambho-nidhi. Merged into the ocean of love of Godhead, premamrtambho-nidhi. Dhiradhira-jana-priyau priya-karau nirmatsarau pujitau. So by Krsna-kirtana, one can become dear, very dear, both for the dhira and adhira. Dhira means sober. And adhira means rascals. So krsna-kirtana is so nice that you can become favorite both for the gentle and the rascal. It is so nice. That is actually happening. So dhiradhira-jana-priyau priya-karau nirmatsarau. Because those who are chanting, krsna-kirtana, they are nirmatsarau. They are not envious. Krsna consciousness movement is not limited therefore in India. It is for the whole world. We are not envious we only see Indians will learn it. No. We have no such program. Tri-bhuvane manyau. It should be honored all over the world. This is krsna-kirtana. Go on. (end)
>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 2.22 -- Hyderabad, November 26, 1972
Prabhupada:
vasamsi jirnani yatha vihaya
navani grhnati naro 'parani
tatha sarirani vihaya jirnany
anyani samyati navani dehi
[Bg. 2.22]
So this verse we discussed last morning. That this body is just like dress. This is not our real identification. I am thinking "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am African," "I am Russian," "I am brahmana," "I am ksatriya," "I am sudra," "I am Andhra-pradesh," "I am Bengali." These are all nonsense. But on this nonsense idea the whole world is going on. So how there can be real knowledge? The basic principle of knowledge is ignorance. Andha. The man who is leading, he is blind. How he can lead? This is the position. Andha yathandhair upaniyamanas te 'pisa-tantryam uru-damni baddhah [SB 7.5.31]. They are trying to make advancement of civilization, but the basic principle is wrong. They are accepting... This is called illusion, accepting something as something else. The... Just like this... If I identify myself with this coat and shirt, the basic principle of my identification is lost.
So here it is clearly said that vasamsi jirnani. Before this,
vedavinasinam nityam
ya enam ajam avyayam
katham sa purusah partha
kam ghatayati hanti kam
Anyone who knows that the living entity, soul, is avinasi, indestructible, then where is the question of killing? But that does not mean the Bhagavad-gita is encouraging killing. No. That is not the purport. Killing is prohibited. But when we see that a brahmana is killing one animal in the sacrifice, it is not killing. Therefore we have to see with the eyes of Vedic knowledge. Not with these eyes. What is the value of these eyes? It has no value. We are very much proud: "Can you show me?" What is value of your seeing? Even if I show you, the value of your seeing power is nil. It sees only under certain conditions. That's all. If there is a light, you can see. What is the value of your eyes? Therefore the real seeing is through Vedic knowledge. That is seeing. Sastra-caksus. Real knowledge, real seeing power, should be through the sastras. And sastra means infallible, not theory. Not theory. Just like a conditioned soul writes some book on some thesis. What is the value of it? It has no value. Because the man who is putting forward the thesis, he is blind. He's imperfect. So how you can get perfect knowledge from him?
So our proposition is that to receive knowledge from Krsna, the perfect person, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. We accept sastra, means which is infallible. There is no mistake. Just like when I was walking near the cowshed, heaps of, piles of cow dung was there. So I was explaining to my followers that if such heaps of animal, I mean to say, man stool was heaped up here, nobody would come here. Nobody would come here. But the cow dung, there are so much heaps of cow dung, still, we find it pleasure to go through it. And in the Vedas it is said, "Cow dung is pure." This is called sastra. If you argue, "How it can, it has become pure? It is an animal stool." But the Vedas, they... Because the knowledge is perfect, that even in argument we cannot prove how animal stool becomes pure, but it is pure. Therefore Vedic knowledge is perfect. And if we take knowledge from the Vedas, we save so much time for investigating, or researching. We are very much fond of research. Everything is there in the Vedas. Why do you waste your time?
So this is Vedic knowledge. Vedic knowledge means which is spoken by the Supreme Lord. That is Vedic knowledge. Apauruseya. It is not spoken by common man like me. So if we accept Vedic knowledge, if we accept the fact as it is stated by Krsna, or His representative... Because His representative will not speak anything which Krsna does not speak. Therefore he's representative. The Krsna conscious persons are representative of Krsna because a Krsna conscious person will not speak anything nonsense, beyond the speaking of Krsna. That is the difference. Other nonsense, rascal, they will speak beyond Krsna. Krsna says, man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru [Bg. 18.65], but the rascal scholar will say, "No, it is not to Krsna. It is something else." Where you get this? Krsna directly says, man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru [Bg. 18.65]. So why do you deviate? Why do you say something else : "It is something within Krsna"? You'll find... I don't wish to name. There are so many rascal scholars. They interpret like that. Therefore in spite of Bhagavad-gita being a book of knowledge of India, so many people are misguided. Big... Due to these rascal scholars, so-called scholars. Because they simply misinterpret.
Therefore we are presenting Bhagavad-gita as it is. Krsna says, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66]. We say, we are preaching this cult: "Be Krsna consciousness. Just become a devotee of Krsna. Offer your respects..." You have to offer your respect to anyone. You are not supreme. You have to flatter somebody to get some service. That is an... Even if you get nice position, you have to flatter. Even if you get a president, become president of the country, you have to flatter your countrymen: "Please give me vote. Please... I shall give you so many facilities." So you have to flatter. That is a fact. You may be very big man. But you have to flatter somebody. You have to accept some master. Why not accept Krsna, the supreme master? Where is the difficulty? "No. I shall accept thousands of masters except Krsna." This is our philosophy. "I shall accept thousands of teachers except Krsna. This is my determination." Then how you can be happy? The happiness can be achieved only by accepting Krsna.
bhoktaram yajna-tapasam
sarva-loka-mahesvaram
suhrdam sarva-bhutanam
jnatva mam santim rcchati
[Bg. 5.29]
This is the process of santi. Krsna says that you accept that "I am the enjoyer. You are not enjoyer." You are not enjoyer. You may be president or you may be secretary; you may be whatever you may be. But you are not enjoyer. Enjoyer is Krsna. One should know it. Just like in your... I have come, coming, just replying one letter from the Andhra Relief Committee. What this relief committee will do if Krsna is not satisfied? Simply by raising some funds? No, that is not possible. Now there is raining. Now you'll get benefit. But that raining depends on Krsna, not on your fund-raising capacity. That is... Yajna, yajnad bhavati parjanyah [Bg. 3.14]. (aside:) Find out this verse.
Devotee: There's no Bhagavad-gita.
Prabhupada: You said there is.
Devotee: Bhagavad-gita.
Prabhupada: So yajnad bhavati parjanyah: [Bg. 3.14] If you perform yajna, then there will be regular rainfall. If you avoid yajna, there will be restriction, and what your plan and fund-raising capacity will help? Now there is sankirtana-yajna and rain is falling. This is a fact. So if you continue performing yajna, then there will be no distress, no unhappiness. That is the plan. Just like the birds and beasts. They have no problem. Because they are less than human being, they are working according to the prakrti's, nature's ways of life. So their foodstuff is ample. Their foodstuff is ample. So the... Yajnad bhavati parjanyah parjanyad anna-sambhavah [Bg. 3.14]. If there is no rain, how you can produce food? And this.... And the rain is possible when there is yajna. This is described in the Bhagavad-gita, that when there was creation, it was the advice of Brahma to perform yajna.
So we have given up all kinds of yajna. Although performing yajna at the present moment is very difficult because we cannot get pure ghee... The yajnas, or the sacrifices mentioned in the Vedas, it requires tons of ghees. But that is not possible to obtain at the present moment. But there is another yajna. Yajnaih sankirtana-prayair yajanti hi su-medhasah. There is another yajna recommended in this Kali, Kali-yuga.
krsna-varnam tvisakrsnam
sangopangastra-parsadam
yajnaih sankirtana-prayair
yajanti hi su-medhasah
[SB 11.5.32]
In this Kali-yuga it is recommended that this sankirtana-yajna should be performed. Then you'll be happy. So what is the difficulty? In every village... The government has raised so much fund. Why not engage all the people to perform this sankirtana-yajna? Every village, every house, every home, just perform this sankirtana-yajna: Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. Simply you sit down, all family members. Where is the difficulty? Husband, wife, children, friends. Sit down together. There is no need of instrument. Simply clap and chant Hare Krsna. Then you'll see the face of the world is changed. That is recommended... But we have no faith. We do not believe. Although there is no expenditure, there is no loss, still, we shall not do. We shall make plan by raising fund. So after raising fund, what is done, we know everything. So that will not relieve. Take this yajna process. Yajnad bhavati parjanyah [Bg. 3.14]. If you are in scarcity of rain, perform yajna, the sankirtana-yajna. There will be regular rain, and if there is regular rain, there is ample food production. There is no question of overpopulation. God can supply you more than you want, provided you become God conscious, Krsna conscious. That is the way.
So we have to accept this... vasamsi jirnani. You don't be misled by the proposition of the so-called blind leaders that you are this body. The leaders are misguiding us by identification with this body. There is fight always. "I am American." "I am Indian." "I am Russian." "I am Pakistani." "I am Hindustani." And there is fight. Advancement of civilization means advancement of fighting. That's all. When there was no Pakistan, there was some sporadic Hindu-Muslim fight. Now there is nation, Pakistan, and nation, Hindustan, and there is organized fight every year. This is advancement? So don't follow this foolish advancement. Take to Krsna consciousness and be happy. This is not an ordinary movement. People are suffering actually for want of spiritual life, spiritual understanding. So the basic principle of spiritual understanding is to know one's self. Aham brahmasmi. Aham brahmasmi. That, to come to that point, Krsna is explaining that this body is like the dress, and the person who is dressed, that is within the dress. Dehino 'smin yatha dehe [Bg. 2.13]. Here also, it is said, tatha sarirani vihaya jirnany anyani samyati navani dehi. Very simple thing. There is no difficulty. But the so-called scientists, philosophers, educationists, they will not believe that there is soul. They, they'll not believe. They'll simply argue. They cannot establish the real fact, how this body is moving. There are so many theories. But, except, accept, they will not accept that the..., actually, because the soul is within this body, everything is happening. And without the soul, immediately this body, so nice body of such and such great personality, becomes a lump of matter. Not that the body is working... They are finding out the brain substance, how it is working. But the brain substance is already there in the dead body. Why don't you work with that? No. That is not fact. The fact is the brain substance is a machine, but the man, or the person, is within the body. He's working with the brain substance. Just like you have got a nice machine. But it must be worked by somebody. At the present moment, the computer is a very subtle machine. But this computer cannot work without an experienced mechanic who pushes the button and it works. These people, they cannot understand that without spiritual touch, matter cannot work.
So brain may be a, a combination of nice matter, but it cannot work without the spirit soul. We should clearly understand this. And if we accept this body as the everything... Just like the other day, I told you, I met one big professor, Russian professor, in Moscow. He said, "Swamiji, after this body is finished, everything's finished." This is the atheistic theory. This is not new. In India there are many atheists, followers of Carvaka. According to Carvaka Muni, his theory is: bhasmi bhutasya dehasya punah kutah punar agamano bhavet rnam krtva ghrtam pibet yavad jivet sukham jivet. Rnam krtva pibet. "Just live joyfully, merrily..." "No, I have no money." "All right. Take, beg, borrow and steal. Some way or other, get money." That is going on. "Get money some way or other and live." That is Carvaka theory. Hedonism. "Get money..." So this is going, this civilization is going on. "Somehow or other, get money." Because without money, you cannot get woman, you cannot get nice palatable food, nice dress, nice apartment, nice car. "So bring money, somehow or other." Everyone is coming forward as very philanthropist leader. The aim is how to get money. That's all. That is their philanthropism. They, they speak so many nonsense things, but the real idea is how to get money.
So this is going on. At the present moment, they are after the sense gratification. They do not know that there is another life beyond sense gratification. They have no... That life is being taught in the Bhagavad-gita, that "You are trying to advance your civilization for keeping this body fit, but you are not this body. Why you are wasting your time in that way?" Yasyatma-buddhih kunape tri-dhatuke. Yasyatma-buddhih kunape tri-dhatuke [SB 10.84.13]. Anyone who is thinking that "I am this body," sva-dhih kalatradisu. And sva-dhih means "My men, my own kinsmen." Who? "My children, my family, my society, my country," kalatradisu. Sva-dhih kalatradisu bhauma ijya-dhih: "And the land where these things have grown up, my body and my other relatives in relationship with this body, that is pujya." Sva-dhih kalatradisu bhauma ijya... Nationalism: "My country. I shall die for this land. I shall sacrifice everything." Sva-dhih kalatradisu bhauma ijya-dhih, yat-tirtha-buddhih salile. And those who are little advanced, pious, they go to places of pilgrimages, take a bath in the Ganges, and come out. They think that water is tirtha. No. Tirtha is saintly persons. Tirtha-padam. You have to meet saintly persons to take lesson from them. Yat-tirtha-buddhih salile na karhicij janesu abhijnesu. You have to meet self-realized persons, those persons who do not care for these things. And in the bodily concept of life, they have been described in the sastra: go-kharah, "cow and asses."
So the Bhagavad-gita is the only book in the world which teaches to educate these cows and asses to human life. This mass of cows and asses are to be trained with these teachings of Bhagavad-gita. It is the beginning, that vasamsi jirnani yatha vihaya navani grhnati naro 'parani [Bg. 2.22]. This vasamsi, this body, can be changed. Suppose now you are very much a great enemy of Pakistan. Take, for example... I am not... Or Pakistan is thinking "Oh, India, Hindustan, is our great enemy." What is this Hindustan and Pakistan or Russia? This is this body. Next life, you can take birth in Russia, or you can take birth in... There is no certainty. Yam yam vapi. But according to Bhagavad-gita, you can understand, at the, at the time of death, if you are going on thinking, "Oh, Pakistan, my, is my enemy, enemy," then you get a birth in Pakistan. (laughter) Yes. Yam yam vapi smaran bhavam tyajaty ante kalevaram [Bg. 8.6]. Because I shall get my next body according to my mental condition at the time of death. So just like our women are taught to become very chaste. Why? That is a process to give her a chance to become a male next life. A, a woman, if he's, if she is educated to become chaste, attached to the husband, then naturally at the time of death, she'll think of the man, and she gets immediately... That is promotion. That is promotion. Similarly, if a man is very much attached to his wife, he'll think at the time of his... He becomes woman. These are the science. Where is the cultivation of this science? Simply all fools. And they are making research work. What is the research work? Can you go beyond the laws of the prakrti? It is not possible.
prakrteh kriyamanani
gunaih karmani sarvasah
ahankara-vimudhatma
kartaham iti manyate
[Bg. 3.27]
Ahankara-vimudha. These rascals, they are under the full control of this material nature, and they are thinking, "We are independent." This is foolishness.
So if you want to stop this foolish kind of civilization, animal civilization of cows and asses, you have to teach Bhagavad-gita as it is. That is essential. That is the duty of every Indian. Caitanya Mahaprabhu orders that. Bharata-bhumite manusya-janma haila yara [Cc. Adi 9.41]. Anyone who has taken birth, he must be very pious, must have been very pious in his last life. Therefore he has got the chance. So janma sarthaka kari'. Janma sarthaka kari' means "Make your life successful by taking advantage of so many Vedic literatures stocked by the great saintly persons, spoken by God Himself." You are not taking advantage of these facilities, natural facilities. You are misled by so-called material civilization, and you are doomed. Andha yathandhair upaniyamanah [SB 7.5.31]. If you are led by blind leaders, you are all doomed. That is going on. That is my appeal to the Indians. Don't be doomed. Take Krsna, accept Krsna as the leader. Then you'll be happy. As Krsna says... Not only India. India, especial, I say. Because Krsna is so kind. Of course, for Krsna, there is no such thing as India and America. Just like the sun. The sun is neither Indian sun nor American sun. Sun is sun. But if you say, if you think that because now in India, the sun is visible, therefore "Indian sun," that is your concoction. That is your mental concoction. Sun is neither Indian nor American. Similarly, God, Krsna, He's neither for Indian or for... He is for everyone.
sarva-yonisu kaunteya
murtayah sambhavanti yah
tasam brahma mahad yonir
aham bija-pradah pita
[Bg. 14.4]
He's the father of everyone, not only human beings, but in the animals, the trees, the aquatics, everyone, all living entities. Mamaivamso jiva... [Bg. 15.7]. This is universal. This is... This Krsna consciousness movement is therefore universal, real universal.
So there are so many potencies out of this Krsna consciousness movement. Those who are intelligent... Krsna yei bhaje sei bada catura. Anyone who becomes Krsna conscious, he must be very, very intelligent. Otherwise, one cannot become Krsna conscious. Krsna yei bhaje sei bada catura. So anyone who has taken to Krsna consciousness, he must be very intelligent man. Without being very intelligent man, one cannot take to Krsna consciousness. It is a... Caitanya-caritamrta says, krsna yei bhaje sei bada catura. And Krsna Himself says, bahunam janmanam ante jnanavan mam prapadyate: [Bg. 7.19] "After many, many births of struggling, if one actually becomes jnanavan, then he surrenders unto Me." Vasudevah sarvam iti sa mahatma sudurlabhah [Bg. 7.19]. Om namo bhagavate vasudevaya. Janmady asya yatah [SB 1.1.1]. These are the Vedic information.
So vasudeva-parayana, vasudeva-para makhah. These are the sastric injunctions. So a person can take intelligence from studying Bhagavad-gita. And Krsna says, bahunam janmanam ante jnanavan mam prapadyate [Bg. 7.19]. After many, many births... Because foolish rascals, they will have to transmigrate from one body to another, and there are 8,400,000's of different forms of body. And he has to go through the cycle of this birth and death. Bhutva bhutva praliyate [Bg. 8.19]. Take birth once, and becomes, defy God: "I don't care for God." And when Yamaraja comes, "All right. Whatever you like, you do." Mrtyuh sarva-haras caham [Bg. 10.34]. These atheist class of men, who defy the authority of Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, they'll meet Krsna. When? At the time of death, when Krsna will take him, take everything, his body, his society, his country, his family, his bank balance, his house. Everything will be taken away. Mrtyuh sarva-haras caham. Mrtyuh. Krsna is appearing to the atheist class of men as sarva-harah. Sarva-harah means "Taking everything." I am very much proud. "Oh, I have got so much bank balance. I am the leader of this country. I am the father of so many children. I have got so beautiful wife and so..." So many things I am thinking, puffed-up. "I don't care for God. I am God." All right. At the time of death, are you God? Are you God at the time of death? God means controller. Can you control your death? Then how you are God? God, isvara... Isvara means controller. Are you isvara? Are you controller? Can you control birth? Can you control death? Can you control disease? Can you control old age? Then what kind of God you are? The foolish, foolish person, mudha. They are called mudha. Avajananti mam mudhah [Bg. 9.11]. "The rascals only, avajananti, defy Me."
So our, this Krsna consciousness movement is only to request you... It is your country's literature. Try to understand Bhagavad-gita, Krsna. You'll be liberated. Janma karma me divyam yo janati tattvatah, tyaktva deham punar janma naiti [Bg. 4.9]. Simply by understanding Krsna, you get liberation. Punar janma naiti. The whole activities, human society's activities, should be targeted how to get rid of this repetition of birth and death. That is real civilization. Not that "Let me live like a cat and dog and die like a cat and dog, and never mind what is happening next." This is a civilization of ignorance. This is not a civilization of knowledge. They are... Here is knowledge, that "I am trying to protect my body, this dress. I am every day soaping my garment, but I am not taking any food. How shall I... How long shall I live with this nice dress?" So one should understand this verse very seriously. Vasamsi jirnani yatha vihaya navani grhnati naro 'parani [Bg. 2.22]. It has been especially mentioned: nara. Nara means human being. The cats and dogs, they are changing their body, the same process, but they cannot understand. But here especially mentioned: nara. Human beings should understand this scientific knowledge that "Your, this body is just like a dress. It is changing." And we are changing... Just like according to price, we have a dress. If you go to a garment store, you can have nice dress if you pay more. And if you get less, you get a third-class dress. Similarly, there are eight million species or forms of life. Somebody is in the cat's body. Somebody's dog's body. Somebody's in human being's body. Somebody is in demigod's body. These bodies are offered by prakrti according to price you pay. This is called karma. This is karma. If you perform good karma, then you get good body. Janmaisvarya-sruta-srih [SB 1.8.26]. This is the janma. You get good birth, you get money, you get education, and you become beautiful by pious activities. And by impious activities, just the opposite. So either you get this or that, after all, it is birth and death. [break] ...how to stop the cycle of birth and death. Otherwise it is animal civilization.
Thank you very much. Hare Krsna. [break]
Indian: ...om bhagavate fails. (?)
Prabhupada: (Hindi for a few minutes, then:) Everyone has prema, love. This propensity to love others. That is... There is, everywhere. But that prema, that love, is originally for Krsna. Nitya-siddha krsna-bhakti. That is the original prema. But because we are illusioned, that prema is being applied or used for so many maya. Prema I have got. I have got my love. That is a fact. But I do not know where to repose that love. That is my misfortune. Therefore Krsna says that sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66]. "You have got prema. You apply it to Me. Then you'll be benefited." Prema is already there. You are simply misusing it. Therefore you are not happy. This is the process. Prema, you have got. But you are misusing it. But if you take Krsna's word, that "Give your prema unto Me..." Man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru [Bg. 18.65]. This is the beginning of prema. "Always think of Me." I think of my son. I think of my child. I think of my wife. Because there is prema. So if you think of Krsna, then you will increase your prema for Krsna. This is the process. Prema is not you have to get it outside. It is already there. Just like a young boy, young girl. As soon as they meet, there is natural attraction. That is already there. It is not that he has brought this attraction from, purchased from some shopkeeper. No. It is already there. Simply by combination, it becomes aroused. That's all. Similarly, krsna-prema is there. Nitya-siddha krsna-prema sadhya kabhu naya [Cc. Madhya 22.107]. It is not that by artificial means we are getting krsna-prema. It is already there. But just like the attraction for young man and young woman, it comes at a certain stage, similarly, if you develop this sravana-kirtana, then that krsna-prema will be aroused, automatically. It is already there.
Devotee: (reading question) The question: First, what are the senses, to control. Then, what are the things to be done? And the next question he asks is, "What are your views about meditation on one's own self..."
Prabhupada: Take it here. I cannot follow.
Devotee (2): What are the senses?
Devotee (1): "What are the senses, how to control the things to be done?"
Prabhupada: Senses, everyone knows. You see. How we are seeing? Through the sense of eyes. These are senses. Sense organs. You can touch with the hand. These are sense organs. You can hear about some knowledge. That is sense organ. You can taste one fruit. These are senses. Is it very difficult to understand? You have got these senses. By some senses, you are acquiring knowledge, and some senses you are working. There are five senses for acquiring knowledge, and five senses for working. These are senses.
Devotee (1): "How to control them? What are the things to be done?"
Prabhupada: Yes. Control. It is very difficult. To control. But if you put it under the control of the Supreme, it will be controlled. You want to see very beautiful thing. But if you engage your seeing power on the most beautiful, Krsna, then you forget, other things. This is sense control. You are going to restaurant to enjoy your tongue, but if you take krsna-prasadam, then you'll forget going to restaurant. This is sense control. Sense control means to engage the senses in the service of Krsna. Hrsikena hrsikesa-sevanam bhaktir ucyate [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. Simply we have to purify the senses. The senses must be there. Otherwise, I am not a living being. I am stone. But at the present moment, I am misguided. I am using my senses for other purposes than Krsna's. Therefore I cannot control. And as soon as you apply your senses for satisfying Krsna, then they are controlled, automatically.
Devotee(1): (reading question) "What are your views about silent meditation on one's, in one's own self, and this japa, gayatri-mantra?"
Prabhupada: Yes. Simply by mechanical japa, we'll not be ha... We have to hear from the sastra what is self. Of course, those who are actually following the rules and regulation of gayatri-mantra, they'll be, gradually come to the spiritual understanding. But not as official chanting. That will not help. "Because I have got gayatri-mantra, oh, om-burble bura burra..." (makes sound) Finish. Not like that. Don't cheat yourself. Try to understand.
Indian: (Hindi)
Prabhupada: (Hindi for several minutes, Hindi, back and forth, then:)
krsnotkirtana-gana-nartana-parau premamrtambho-nidhi
dhiradhira-jana-priyau priya-karau nirmatsarau pujitau
sri-caitanya-krpa-bharau bhuvi bhuvo bharavahantarakau
vande rupa-sanatanau raghu-yugau sri-jiva-gopalakau
nana-sastra-vicaranaika-nipunau sad-dharma-samsthapakau
lokanam hita-karinau tri-bhuvane manyau saranyakarau
radha-krsna-padaravinda-bhajananandena mattalikau
vande rupa-sanatanau raghu-yugau sri-jiva-gopalakau
Krsna-kirtana. Krsnotkirtana-gana-nartana-parau. All the six Gosvamis, they were always engaged in chanting, utkirtanam. Utkirtanam. Not this professional kirtana. Utkirtanam. Udgata-tamah. Transcendental kirtana, transcendental vibration. Krsnotkirtana-gana-nartana-parau. So they were engaged in singing and dancing and chanting. Krsnotkirtana-gana-nartana-parau premamrtambho-nidhi. Merged into the ocean of love of Godhead, premamrtambho-nidhi. Dhiradhira-jana-priyau priya-karau nirmatsarau pujitau. So by Krsna-kirtana, one can become dear, very dear, both for the dhira and adhira. Dhira means sober. And adhira means rascals. So krsna-kirtana is so nice that you can become favorite both for the gentle and the rascal. It is so nice. That is actually happening. So dhiradhira-jana-priyau priya-karau nirmatsarau. Because those who are chanting, krsna-kirtana, they are nirmatsarau. They are not envious. Krsna consciousness movement is not limited therefore in India. It is for the whole world. We are not envious we only see Indians will learn it. No. We have no such program. Tri-bhuvane manyau. It should be honored all over the world. This is krsna-kirtana. Go on. (end)
>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 2.22 -- Hyderabad, November 26, 1972
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Harmony – Real and Apparent
Krishna Talk 118 - Harmony – Real and Apparent
by Swami B.V. Giri
View online:
http://www.gosai.com/writings/harmony-real-and-apparent-0
Take a precursory look at the news and it is obvious that we live in a world
of discord. War, religious strife, terrorism, racism, social upheaval and
discrimination are everyday events and have been since time immemorial.
Whenever any of the above scenarios rear their ugly heads, it is not long
before a chorus of voices cries out for peace and harmony.
Even in the Vaisnava world today we hear calls for harmony. Due to various
reasons, the devotee community is divided into many, many missions – some
small, some large, some popular, some not so well known, some with one
acarya, some with many. Amongst these various groups there are some devotees
who desire to bring all these institutions together under one umbrella in
order to work harmoniously to spread Krsna consciousness. At first glance
such an idea seems very noble and laudable – but what is their concept of
harmony?
WHAT IS HARMONY?
Etymologically, the English word ‘harmony’ is derived from the Greek word
harmonia, meaning ‘to join’. Similarly, in Sanskrit the word for harmony,
samanvaya, also means ‘to join’. Samanvaya can be broken down into two
words – sam +anvaya. Sam means ‘to join together’ and anvayah means
‘to put things in an order.’ Another Sanskrit word that is frequently
used to denote harmony is samarasa, Samarasa literally means, ‘to have the
same taste’. Although samanvaya and samarasa may seem to be the same, they
are not. Samanvaya means to join together in order to methodically engage in
a common pursuit. Samarasa implies something of a non-discriminatory nature
and carries with it the connotation of accepting all points of view without
discrimination.
Harmony/samanvaya does not infer that one must abandon all discrimination.
Yet some advocates of harmonious Vaisnava dealings are prepared to throw
discrimination to the four winds and ignore all philosophical divergences,
only emphasizing the external aspects of Krsna consciousness that are common
to all. That is not samanvaya – that is samarasa.
Real harmony does not lie in homogenizing everything based upon the common
traits shared by all denominations of Vaisnavas. Real harmony does not mean
picnicking together or having a few bhajanas in the name of inter-Vaisnava
relations. To engage solely in these activities is not real harmony. Real
harmony lies in cultivating the correct understanding of Vaisnava siddhanta.
This was the reason why Sri Jiva Gosvami originally established the Visva
Vaisnava Raja Sabha at the Radha-Damodara temple in Vrndavana.
Sri Jiva attracted the most advanced souls of that time through the teachings
of Srila Rupa Gosvami Prabhupada. Radha-Damodara Temple was not a playground
for misconceptions and superficial pleasantries amongst divided dysfunctional
groups of devotees. The Visva Vaisnava Raja Sabha was an assembly of
exemplary devotees who taught according to the Sat-Sandarbhas of Sri Jiva and
the bhakti-sastras of Sri Rupa and Sri Sanatana.
In 1936, on the disappearance day of Thakura Bhaktivinoda, Srila
Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada explained that the purpose of
the Visva Vaisnava Raja Sabha was to spread the message of the
bhaktivinoda-dhara (the philosophical line of Bhaktivinoda):
"The only way is through the bhaktivinoda-dhara. The bhaktivinoda-dhara must
be kept alive by the kirtana of srauta-vani (the instructions of the
scriptures and acaryas). If kirtana of the truth is stopped, then we will be
severed from the bhaktivinoda-dhara."
When Sarasvati Thakura reestablished the Visva Vaisnava Raja Sabha in 1919,
he did not extend an open invitation to all groups of Vaisnavas. The Sabha
did not include Vaisnavas of different sampradayas, nor did it include those
who were opposed to the teachings of Sri Caitanya, Mayavadis, Sahajiyas and
other such aparadhis. The Sabha only consisted of his own disciples and
followers. This was because the various Vaisnava societies at that time were
permeated with apa-siddhanta and did not represent the pure ideals of
Bhaktivinoda and the Visva Vaisnava Raja Sabha.
However, today the situation is very different and much more complex. Many
philosophical misconceptions have become deep-rooted and widespread within
some of the branches of our very own parampara. Therefore the need of the
hour is not to see how many Vaisnava groups we can get together under one
roof – the real necessity is to try to propagate the concepts of
Bhaktivinoda and Sarasvati Thakura within our very own line.
Such words may not be palatable to hear, but we are not advocates of satyam
bruyat priyam bruyat (speak the truth, but only speak it when it is
palatable). This maxim is for those that are worldly, not for those that
speak the absolute truth.
"According to social conventions, if you want to speak truth, you must limit
yourself to truths that are palatable and flattering. Don't speak unpalatable
truths. But we are not meant to merely follow social conventions. We are
preachers and servants of God." (A.C. Bhaktivedanta Svami Prabhupada, Bombay,
January 3rd 1977)
Rather, we should speak plainly. As Canakya Pandita says, spasta-vakta na
vanchakah (one who speaks plainly is not a deceiver). Srila Sarasvati Thakura
has clearly explained that a loyal servant of the truth must speak plainly,
even if his words create controversy:
"The truth (satya) is propagated in a twofold way – positively or by the
method of direct support and negatively by the method of opposition. The
truth cannot be made sufficiently known by the positive method alone. The
positive method by itself is not the most effective mode of propaganda in a
controversial age like the present. The negative method which seeks to
differentiate the truth from non-truth in all its forms, is even better
calculated to convey the directly inconceivable significance of the Absolute.
It is a necessity which cannot be conscientiously avoided by the dedicated
preacher of the truth if he wants to be a loyal servant of Godhead. The
method is sure to create an atmosphere of controversy in which it is quite
easy to lose one’s balance of judgment. But the ways of the deluding energy
are so intricate that unless their mischievous nature is fully exposed it is
not possible for the soul in the conditioned state to avoid the snares spread
by the enchantress for encompassing the ruin of her only too willing victims.
It is a duty which shall be sacred to all who have been enabled to obtain
even a distant glimpse of the Absolute." (The Harmonist, Vol. 29)
THE NECESSITY FOR DIVERSITY
Some years ago, our Guru Maharaja was asked the question, “How can we unite
all the Vaisnavas?” His reply was thus:
"I am not for the Unitarian Krsna Conscious Church – I am for the church of
variagatedness and difference. Based on that, I choose my association. I
think that variagatedness breeds a very strong and healthy spiritual
environment. We are not followers of the ‘Rodney King philosophy’ –
there was a man in America called Rodney King who was beaten up and then
there was a riot in Los Angeles. So he went on TV and said, “Can’t we all
just get along?” Well the answer is, “No Rodney, we can’t!” We
can’t because there are differences. Everyone is not the same; therefore we
can’t all live the same. Why isn’t everyone wearing sannyasa-vesa?
Because everyone can’t do it. Or why is it that everyone isn’t a
brahmacari? Why doesn’t everybody become a householder? Because it is not
‘one thing for everybody’. There doesn’t have to be hatred in
diversity. There should be harmony and appreciation – but there is
diversity and we can’t erase that. There’s life in diversity. "(Hungary,
August 2nd 2006)
Diversity is at the very heart of Gaudiya Vaisnavism and that diversity is
called rasa. Within the spiritual realm there is unity and diversity – all
the denizens there are united in pleasing the transcendental senses of
Govinda, but in order to fulfill that, diversity is a prerequisite. There are
diverse rasas and within each rasa there are divisions, sub-divisions and
sub-sub-divisions. By nature, each division is diverse, but all divisions
share the common goal of serving Sri Sri Radha-Krsna. In this regard Srila
Sridhara Maharaja says:
"Yasoda is always afraid of Devaki and Vasudeva: “What? They’ll come and
claim our child as their own? How can that be?” And Radharani’s camp
thinks hat Candravali’s group are anti-parties. So in all rasas there is
harmony in discord. It is the necessity of the nature of lila. Bifurcation.
Thesis, antithesis and synthesis. Synthesis means there are many antitheses.
Harmony means many. Plurality must be there. In the Upanisads it is said
that, neha nanasti kincana – “There is no plurality.” But this means no
nana – not many, in the sense that all are harmonized into one common
interest. ‘Not many’ means not many different independent interests, but
rather that are all meeting for a common cause."
FIGHTING IS LIFE!
In order to achieve real harmony, fighting against misconception is
necessary. Yet some devotees will shun any type of philosophical discussion
in the name of retaining harmony. The kanistha-adhikari will shun any type of
controversy, thinking that such talks will create obstacles to their
spiritual advancement. This mentality goes against the advice of Srila
Kaviraja Gosvami:
siddhanta baliya citte na kara alasa
iha haite krsne lage sudrdha manasa
Do not be lazy in your mind when it comes to discussing siddhanta. Through
such discussions, your mind becomes firmly fixed upon Krsna. (Cc. Adi 2.117)
Srila Sridhara Maharaja was once approached by a despondent devotee who
lamented that he could not understand why there were so many differences
between different Vaisnava groups. Why couldn’t “they all just get
along?” Srila Sridhara Maharaja responded:
"So many things are to be understood. Krsna is the cause of Kuruksetra
fighting, do you know that? In His presence the whole Yadu-vamsa was finished
and He was a sightseer. What is that? Can you understand this? How can you
adjust? What is the difference between Krsna and Balarama? Why does Balarama
side with Duryodhana and Krsna sides with the Pandavas? Why? They are almost
one and the same! What is your answer? All is bogus?
Fighting is life! Fighting is life! I must turn and preach this. Until and
unless I can change my understanding, Physical oneness is not one. To
maintain physical peace is lack of vitality. We must be true to our own
understanding. You want to crush everything – jumble everything together
into one mass. But that is all stone, fossilized. Do you want to see a
fossilized unity? What is the conception of harmony? Harmony means
independent thinking.
There are different rasas – Krsna is not representing only one feature. He
is of infinite features to accommodate infinite possibilities. That is
Akhila-rasamrta-murti – there are different groups and in the same group
there are so many different arrangements. Radharani and Candravali are
fighting – two camps fighting to satisfy Him. We have to understand how it
is possible. With humility we have to try to follow how it is possible. The
opposition party is there in the parliament to enhance the work of the main
party. In this way direct and indirect makes everything complete. And if that
is distributed everywhere, then there will be no difficulty to understand the
differences there.
Sankara and Buddha preferred that the ultimate goal is undifferentiated,
unknown and unknowable. All harmonized into death. That is brahma-nirvana or
prakrti-nirvana. Their brain went so far, but the final piece – no
differentiation, no trouble – all bathed in eternal slumber. If you prefer,
you can follow that school. (Navadvipa, 28th May 1983)
We are not opposed to harmony, but harmony must be understood in the right
context and not as an external show of saccharine smiles, hugs and honeyed
words. Let the Vaisnavas be diverse in their approaches to preaching and let
them be united in siddhanta. If devotees truly desire real unity and harmony,
this can only be achieved through following bhaktisiddhanta-vani.
"Variety meets unity in different planes of movement. That is harmony. This
applies everywhere, including the plane of color and the plane of sound. Many
branches meet together in the trunk of a tree, the trunk harmonizes the many
leaves, this is the movement of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. We must see a common
master, and work around the will of that master or conductor." (Srila
Sridhara Maharaja)
As members of the sarasvata-parampara, the ‘common master’ that we all
share is Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Prabhupada and it is our duty to
follow his will and his precepts attentively. Any other process we concoct to
unify the fragmented Vaisnava world will simply be temporary, superficial and
futile. If we neglect or adulterate bhaktisiddhanta-vani in the name of
harmony, we will “stop the kirtana of truth.” Then, in the words of
Sarasvati Thakura, “We will be severed from the line of Bhaktivinoda.”
by Swami B.V. Giri
View online:
http://www.gosai.com/writings/harmony-real-and-apparent-0
Take a precursory look at the news and it is obvious that we live in a world
of discord. War, religious strife, terrorism, racism, social upheaval and
discrimination are everyday events and have been since time immemorial.
Whenever any of the above scenarios rear their ugly heads, it is not long
before a chorus of voices cries out for peace and harmony.
Even in the Vaisnava world today we hear calls for harmony. Due to various
reasons, the devotee community is divided into many, many missions – some
small, some large, some popular, some not so well known, some with one
acarya, some with many. Amongst these various groups there are some devotees
who desire to bring all these institutions together under one umbrella in
order to work harmoniously to spread Krsna consciousness. At first glance
such an idea seems very noble and laudable – but what is their concept of
harmony?
WHAT IS HARMONY?
Etymologically, the English word ‘harmony’ is derived from the Greek word
harmonia, meaning ‘to join’. Similarly, in Sanskrit the word for harmony,
samanvaya, also means ‘to join’. Samanvaya can be broken down into two
words – sam +anvaya. Sam means ‘to join together’ and anvayah means
‘to put things in an order.’ Another Sanskrit word that is frequently
used to denote harmony is samarasa, Samarasa literally means, ‘to have the
same taste’. Although samanvaya and samarasa may seem to be the same, they
are not. Samanvaya means to join together in order to methodically engage in
a common pursuit. Samarasa implies something of a non-discriminatory nature
and carries with it the connotation of accepting all points of view without
discrimination.
Harmony/samanvaya does not infer that one must abandon all discrimination.
Yet some advocates of harmonious Vaisnava dealings are prepared to throw
discrimination to the four winds and ignore all philosophical divergences,
only emphasizing the external aspects of Krsna consciousness that are common
to all. That is not samanvaya – that is samarasa.
Real harmony does not lie in homogenizing everything based upon the common
traits shared by all denominations of Vaisnavas. Real harmony does not mean
picnicking together or having a few bhajanas in the name of inter-Vaisnava
relations. To engage solely in these activities is not real harmony. Real
harmony lies in cultivating the correct understanding of Vaisnava siddhanta.
This was the reason why Sri Jiva Gosvami originally established the Visva
Vaisnava Raja Sabha at the Radha-Damodara temple in Vrndavana.
Sri Jiva attracted the most advanced souls of that time through the teachings
of Srila Rupa Gosvami Prabhupada. Radha-Damodara Temple was not a playground
for misconceptions and superficial pleasantries amongst divided dysfunctional
groups of devotees. The Visva Vaisnava Raja Sabha was an assembly of
exemplary devotees who taught according to the Sat-Sandarbhas of Sri Jiva and
the bhakti-sastras of Sri Rupa and Sri Sanatana.
In 1936, on the disappearance day of Thakura Bhaktivinoda, Srila
Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada explained that the purpose of
the Visva Vaisnava Raja Sabha was to spread the message of the
bhaktivinoda-dhara (the philosophical line of Bhaktivinoda):
"The only way is through the bhaktivinoda-dhara. The bhaktivinoda-dhara must
be kept alive by the kirtana of srauta-vani (the instructions of the
scriptures and acaryas). If kirtana of the truth is stopped, then we will be
severed from the bhaktivinoda-dhara."
When Sarasvati Thakura reestablished the Visva Vaisnava Raja Sabha in 1919,
he did not extend an open invitation to all groups of Vaisnavas. The Sabha
did not include Vaisnavas of different sampradayas, nor did it include those
who were opposed to the teachings of Sri Caitanya, Mayavadis, Sahajiyas and
other such aparadhis. The Sabha only consisted of his own disciples and
followers. This was because the various Vaisnava societies at that time were
permeated with apa-siddhanta and did not represent the pure ideals of
Bhaktivinoda and the Visva Vaisnava Raja Sabha.
However, today the situation is very different and much more complex. Many
philosophical misconceptions have become deep-rooted and widespread within
some of the branches of our very own parampara. Therefore the need of the
hour is not to see how many Vaisnava groups we can get together under one
roof – the real necessity is to try to propagate the concepts of
Bhaktivinoda and Sarasvati Thakura within our very own line.
Such words may not be palatable to hear, but we are not advocates of satyam
bruyat priyam bruyat (speak the truth, but only speak it when it is
palatable). This maxim is for those that are worldly, not for those that
speak the absolute truth.
"According to social conventions, if you want to speak truth, you must limit
yourself to truths that are palatable and flattering. Don't speak unpalatable
truths. But we are not meant to merely follow social conventions. We are
preachers and servants of God." (A.C. Bhaktivedanta Svami Prabhupada, Bombay,
January 3rd 1977)
Rather, we should speak plainly. As Canakya Pandita says, spasta-vakta na
vanchakah (one who speaks plainly is not a deceiver). Srila Sarasvati Thakura
has clearly explained that a loyal servant of the truth must speak plainly,
even if his words create controversy:
"The truth (satya) is propagated in a twofold way – positively or by the
method of direct support and negatively by the method of opposition. The
truth cannot be made sufficiently known by the positive method alone. The
positive method by itself is not the most effective mode of propaganda in a
controversial age like the present. The negative method which seeks to
differentiate the truth from non-truth in all its forms, is even better
calculated to convey the directly inconceivable significance of the Absolute.
It is a necessity which cannot be conscientiously avoided by the dedicated
preacher of the truth if he wants to be a loyal servant of Godhead. The
method is sure to create an atmosphere of controversy in which it is quite
easy to lose one’s balance of judgment. But the ways of the deluding energy
are so intricate that unless their mischievous nature is fully exposed it is
not possible for the soul in the conditioned state to avoid the snares spread
by the enchantress for encompassing the ruin of her only too willing victims.
It is a duty which shall be sacred to all who have been enabled to obtain
even a distant glimpse of the Absolute." (The Harmonist, Vol. 29)
THE NECESSITY FOR DIVERSITY
Some years ago, our Guru Maharaja was asked the question, “How can we unite
all the Vaisnavas?” His reply was thus:
"I am not for the Unitarian Krsna Conscious Church – I am for the church of
variagatedness and difference. Based on that, I choose my association. I
think that variagatedness breeds a very strong and healthy spiritual
environment. We are not followers of the ‘Rodney King philosophy’ –
there was a man in America called Rodney King who was beaten up and then
there was a riot in Los Angeles. So he went on TV and said, “Can’t we all
just get along?” Well the answer is, “No Rodney, we can’t!” We
can’t because there are differences. Everyone is not the same; therefore we
can’t all live the same. Why isn’t everyone wearing sannyasa-vesa?
Because everyone can’t do it. Or why is it that everyone isn’t a
brahmacari? Why doesn’t everybody become a householder? Because it is not
‘one thing for everybody’. There doesn’t have to be hatred in
diversity. There should be harmony and appreciation – but there is
diversity and we can’t erase that. There’s life in diversity. "(Hungary,
August 2nd 2006)
Diversity is at the very heart of Gaudiya Vaisnavism and that diversity is
called rasa. Within the spiritual realm there is unity and diversity – all
the denizens there are united in pleasing the transcendental senses of
Govinda, but in order to fulfill that, diversity is a prerequisite. There are
diverse rasas and within each rasa there are divisions, sub-divisions and
sub-sub-divisions. By nature, each division is diverse, but all divisions
share the common goal of serving Sri Sri Radha-Krsna. In this regard Srila
Sridhara Maharaja says:
"Yasoda is always afraid of Devaki and Vasudeva: “What? They’ll come and
claim our child as their own? How can that be?” And Radharani’s camp
thinks hat Candravali’s group are anti-parties. So in all rasas there is
harmony in discord. It is the necessity of the nature of lila. Bifurcation.
Thesis, antithesis and synthesis. Synthesis means there are many antitheses.
Harmony means many. Plurality must be there. In the Upanisads it is said
that, neha nanasti kincana – “There is no plurality.” But this means no
nana – not many, in the sense that all are harmonized into one common
interest. ‘Not many’ means not many different independent interests, but
rather that are all meeting for a common cause."
FIGHTING IS LIFE!
In order to achieve real harmony, fighting against misconception is
necessary. Yet some devotees will shun any type of philosophical discussion
in the name of retaining harmony. The kanistha-adhikari will shun any type of
controversy, thinking that such talks will create obstacles to their
spiritual advancement. This mentality goes against the advice of Srila
Kaviraja Gosvami:
siddhanta baliya citte na kara alasa
iha haite krsne lage sudrdha manasa
Do not be lazy in your mind when it comes to discussing siddhanta. Through
such discussions, your mind becomes firmly fixed upon Krsna. (Cc. Adi 2.117)
Srila Sridhara Maharaja was once approached by a despondent devotee who
lamented that he could not understand why there were so many differences
between different Vaisnava groups. Why couldn’t “they all just get
along?” Srila Sridhara Maharaja responded:
"So many things are to be understood. Krsna is the cause of Kuruksetra
fighting, do you know that? In His presence the whole Yadu-vamsa was finished
and He was a sightseer. What is that? Can you understand this? How can you
adjust? What is the difference between Krsna and Balarama? Why does Balarama
side with Duryodhana and Krsna sides with the Pandavas? Why? They are almost
one and the same! What is your answer? All is bogus?
Fighting is life! Fighting is life! I must turn and preach this. Until and
unless I can change my understanding, Physical oneness is not one. To
maintain physical peace is lack of vitality. We must be true to our own
understanding. You want to crush everything – jumble everything together
into one mass. But that is all stone, fossilized. Do you want to see a
fossilized unity? What is the conception of harmony? Harmony means
independent thinking.
There are different rasas – Krsna is not representing only one feature. He
is of infinite features to accommodate infinite possibilities. That is
Akhila-rasamrta-murti – there are different groups and in the same group
there are so many different arrangements. Radharani and Candravali are
fighting – two camps fighting to satisfy Him. We have to understand how it
is possible. With humility we have to try to follow how it is possible. The
opposition party is there in the parliament to enhance the work of the main
party. In this way direct and indirect makes everything complete. And if that
is distributed everywhere, then there will be no difficulty to understand the
differences there.
Sankara and Buddha preferred that the ultimate goal is undifferentiated,
unknown and unknowable. All harmonized into death. That is brahma-nirvana or
prakrti-nirvana. Their brain went so far, but the final piece – no
differentiation, no trouble – all bathed in eternal slumber. If you prefer,
you can follow that school. (Navadvipa, 28th May 1983)
We are not opposed to harmony, but harmony must be understood in the right
context and not as an external show of saccharine smiles, hugs and honeyed
words. Let the Vaisnavas be diverse in their approaches to preaching and let
them be united in siddhanta. If devotees truly desire real unity and harmony,
this can only be achieved through following bhaktisiddhanta-vani.
"Variety meets unity in different planes of movement. That is harmony. This
applies everywhere, including the plane of color and the plane of sound. Many
branches meet together in the trunk of a tree, the trunk harmonizes the many
leaves, this is the movement of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. We must see a common
master, and work around the will of that master or conductor." (Srila
Sridhara Maharaja)
As members of the sarasvata-parampara, the ‘common master’ that we all
share is Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Prabhupada and it is our duty to
follow his will and his precepts attentively. Any other process we concoct to
unify the fragmented Vaisnava world will simply be temporary, superficial and
futile. If we neglect or adulterate bhaktisiddhanta-vani in the name of
harmony, we will “stop the kirtana of truth.” Then, in the words of
Sarasvati Thakura, “We will be severed from the line of Bhaktivinoda.”
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