Our Natural Consciousness
Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.26.22
Bombay, December 31, 1974
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Nitai: "After the manifestation of
the mahat-tattva, these features appear simultaneously. As water in its natural
state, before coming in contact with earth, is clear, sweet and unruffled, so
the characteristic traits of pure consciousness are complete serenity, clarity,
and freedom from distraction."
Prabhupada:
svacchatvam avikaritvam
santatvam iti cetasah
vrttibhir laksanam proktam
yathapam prakrtih para
[SB 3.26.22]
In the previous verse we have discussed that yat tat sattva-gunam svaccham. Svaccham means transparent, clear. Now that svacchatvam is explained, what is the meaning of clarity, clear-uncontaminated. These are the symptoms: svacchatvam avikaritvam, without any change. "Freedom from all distraction." Just like here there are many mothers sitting, and the natural affection for the child and the child's complete dependence on the mother's mercy is visible. There is no need of explanation. That is natural. If the mother is taking care of the child, it is not artificial. And if the child is feeling uncomfort without being on the lap of the mother, that is also natural. This is called avikaritvam, natural affection between the mother and the son. Similarly, we have got our natural affection for Krsna.
That is explained in the Caitanya-caritamrta:
nitya-siddha krsna-bhakti sadhya kabhu naya
sravanadi-suddha-citte karaye udaya
Just like sex impulse. It doesn't require to, how to awaken sex impulse, natural; similarly, krsna-bhakti is our natural inheritance because we are part and parcel of Krsna, or sons of Krsna. Aham bija-pradah pita [Bg. 14.4]. It is the same example, that as the mother and the child has got natural affection, similarly, with Bhagavan we have got natural affection. Bhagavan has got natural affection for us, and we have got also natural affection for Bhagavan. And the external covering which checks this natural affection, this is called maya. Just like touch... What is called, magnetic stone? Magnetic stone naturally attracts the iron, and iron is naturally attracted by the magnetic stone. Similarly, krsna-bhakti is not something which is unnaturally taught or unnaturally gained, artificial. This...
Another vivid example is this: These foreigners, Western boys and girls, how they became attracted with Krsna consciousness unless it is natural? Their forefathers or they also, even four, five, six years ago, they did not know what is Krsna, neither they cared to know. But now they are almost mad after Krsna. Otherwise, why they are coming here? They have not come here in India to see your skyscraper building or industry. They are not at all interested. They have seen all these things in their own country. They have enough. So why they have come here? They are after Vrndavana. They are after Mayapura. They are after me. What is the attraction? The attraction is Krsna. They are not interested with anything else. They do not go to see your skyscraper building in New Delhi or in Bombay. They have seen it enough. So why it is so? Because it is natural. Krsna-bhakti, Krsna consciousness, is natural. That is the original consciousness.
The example is given here: yatha apam prakrtih para. Just like the water, rains, fall from the sky. If you do not allow to touch the water, the ground, you take it in the middle, you will find crystal, distilled water. You will find. And as soon as it comes down on the ground, it becomes muddy, the purity lost. Muddy, opaque, you cannot see, agitated. Similarly, our original consciousness is Krsna consciousness. That is svaccha, svacchatvam avikaritvam. In the original consciousness we do not know anything else than Krsna. Avikaritvam. There is no change. Therefore in the Vaikuntha planets, especially in the Goloka Vrndavana planet, that is exhibited. When Krsna comes to show His dhama-goloka-namni nija-dhamni -- that is His own abode. So Krsna, when Krsna comes, He brings everything with Him: His dhama, His qualities, His place, His paraphernalia, His associates, His father, His mother, His friend, His consort, His trees, His water -- everything He brings. That is Vrndavana. You will find in Vrndavana still -- still you will find -- people are all automatically Krsna conscious. Eighty-four, curasi crores, about 160 miles' area. So they are Krsna conscious naturally. And if you go to Vrndavana, this area, wherever you go, you will feel Krsna consciousness. So the example of purity is still there. And what to speak of in the original Vrndavana?
So from Srimad-Bhagavatam you will find the vrndavana-lila -- the cowherds boys and the cows, the calves, the trees, the plants, the flowers, the water. The description is there that everyone is Krsna conscious. They do not know that Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. They do not know it; neither they care to know it. What is Supreme Personality of Godhead, what is Brahman, what is Paramatma, they do not care to know these things. But they have unalloyed, unflinching love for Krsna. This is Krsna consciousness. Yasodamayi is seeing wonderful things in Krsna, but she never thinks that "Here is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna." She thinks that "Krsna is my child. This wonderful thing has happened due to providence." She thinks that "The Supreme Lord or the Absolute Truth is different, and here Krsna is my child." So as I have already said, the love for the child of the mother is natural. So that is Vrndavana atmosphere. Everyone loves Krsna. Everyone is overwhelmed with love of Krsna. When they cannot find Krsna, they become mad. Although they do not know that Krsna... When they see some wonderful activities of Krsna, they think, "Some demigod might have come here. Otherwise, how this wonderful thing is possible?" So this is pure love. This is pure love, without any knowledge of the supreme powerful, almighty. That is svacchatvam, no contamination-pure love.
So the mission of human life should be how to clarify this consciousness again into that pure consciousness of Krsna, Krsna consciousness. That is the mission of human life. The consciousness is impure; therefore there are so many varieties, material varieties, and we are captivated by these material varieties. But that is not giving us any happiness. We are especially very much unhappy on account of janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi [Bg. 13.9]. So if we want to get relief from the miserable condition of this material life... This place is described in the Bhagavad-gita, duhkhalayam asasvatam: [Bg. 8.15] "This place is meant for miseries." Do not try to become happy here. That is foolishness, mudha. Nabhijanati mam ebhyah param avyayam. "The mudhas, these rascals, they do not know that here he cannot be..., one cannot be happy, because real happiness is when he comes back to Me." Mam ebhyah param... Tyaktva deham punar janma naiti mam eti [Bg. 4.9]. That is real happiness. Sukham atyantikam yat tad atindriya-grahyam [Bg. 6.21]. Everything is explained in the Bhagavad-gita.
So everyone is very, working very hard, struggling for existence, but they do not know how they can actually become happy. Na te viduh svartha-gatim hi visnum [SB 7.5.31]. That they do not know. So it is our humble attempt only, this Krsna consciousness movement. At least, we inform people that "This is the way of happiness." Sukham atyantikam yat tat [Bg. 6.21]. "Don't be carried away by temporary so-called happiness. That is not happiness. This is called maya." Maya-sukhaya bharam udvahato vimudhan [SB 7.9.43]. Krsna says, mudha, and Prahlada Maharaja says, vimudhan -- not only mudha, but again added with word vi, visista. Visista-prakarena mudha. Vi, therefore vimudha.
So Prahlada Maharaja says, soce tato vimukha-cetasa maya-sukhaya bharam udvahato vimudhan [SB 7.9.43]. That is the thankless task of the devotees, to turn these vimudhan from this maya-sukha to real sukha. This is the business of the devotees. They have no other business. Their business is not for making money. Money, they have got enough, and Krsna supplies all their money. So there is no such problem for a devotee of how to secure money. Their only problem is how to turn these rascals to Krsna consciousness, all rascals, vimudhan. We say clearly, "If you are not Krsna conscious, you are rascal number one." "No, I am M.A. Ph.D." "Still, you are rascal." That is our verdict. "We don't care for your Ph.D. I know that you are a rascal because you do not know Krsna." Just a few minutes before, one gentleman came to see me, and he advertised himself that "I have read Vedas, I have read the Puranas, I have seen Dr. Radhakrishnan, but I do not get peace of mind." So I asked him, "You have studied so many literatures. Do you know who is God?" And the God who has created this, what is His name, what is the address -- that he does not know. Yes. This is going on. Vimudhan. They are proud of education, proud of learning, advancement, everything, all right, complete. But real knowledge -- "Do you know God?" -- that he cannot explain. That he cannot explain. He will explain something hodgepodge. This is the disease. Therefore they are vimudhan.
Real knowledge means to understand God. That is real knowledge. Vedais ca sarvair aham eva vedyah [Bg. 15.15]. What is the Veda, Vedanta? To know Krsna, or God. Krsna and God, the same. If one knows God but does not know Krsna, his knowledge of God is incomplete. His knowledge of God is incomplete. When he knows that krsnas tu bhagavan svayam, then his knowledge is perfect.
ete camsa-kalah pumsah
krsnas tu bhagavan svayam
indrari-vyakulam lokam
mrdayanti yuge yuge
[SB 1.3.28]
And Krsna said that aham sarvasya prabhavah [Bg. 10.8]. The Vedanta says, janmady asya yatah: [SB 1.1.1] "God, or Absolute Truth, means the source of everything." And the source of everything is coming down before you and in His original form, Krsna. Dvi-bhuja-muralidhara, Krsna. Here He is standing, and He is preaching, aham sarvasya prabhavah: "I am the source of everything." Mudho nabhijanati. But the rascals, they do not understand that God is speaking in everyone's presence, aham sarvasya prabhavah, "I am," aham "like this," aham. Mattah sarvam pravartate. Still, the rascal will not. Just see how much rascals we are.
Therefore Prahlada Maharaja said that vimudhan, maya-sukhaya. They are trying to be happy within this material existence-maya-sukhaya bharam. Bharam means gorgeous arrangement, very gorgeous arrangement, very big, big road, big, big skyscraper building, and big machine, big industry, and so many big, big things, big, big words, big, big politician, and big, big political activities. But so mudha that he does not think for a moment, "How long these big, big things will be enjoyed by me? I have... Certainly there is credit for creating all these big, big things, but maya will not allow me to enjoy these things. At any moment I shall be kicked out. And what insurance and guarantee I have made, just I can enjoy this?" Therefore it is called maya-sukhaya: wasting time making gorgeous arrangement. Not only the sukha, but this whole thing can be finished within a second. If there is a big earthquake, everything will be finished. We have got experience many times -- anything will be finished. This Bombay can be turned into sea, and the Bombay can be pushed in an island within the sea. Material nature is so strong. Daivi hy esa gunamayi mama maya duratyaya [Bg. 7.14]. And under her spell we are trying to become happy. Maya-sukhaya bharam udvahato vimudhan [SB 7.9.43].
And the devotees, the Krsna conscious persons, they know that this is all false -- not false: temporary, simply bewildering. On account of contaminated consciousness, people are trying to be happy in this way, but devotees know that this kind of endeavor is simply bewildering, simply waste of time. Real business is how to purify my consciousness, come to the original Krsna consciousness. That is real business. Svacchatvam avikaritvam. That is our real business. Caitanya Mahaprabhu's preaching is that our only business is how to revive our original consciousness. That is Krsna consciousness. That is wanted. Without this, whatever we are doing, in the words of Srila Prahlada Maharaja, "It is all maya-sukhaya bharam udvahato vimudhan, maya-sukhaya [SB 7.9.43]."
Therefore these are the symptoms of Krsna consciousness: svacchatvam, avikaritvam, santatvam. Santa I have already explained last night several times also, that santatvam, santi... Just like I told you that many people coming: "Oh, I do not get any peace of mind." How you will get peace of mind? Here in the material world you cannot be endowed with the peace of mind. It is not possible. Why? Because here everything is maya. Bharam udvahato vimudhan. Asad-grahat, sada samudvigna-dhiyam asad-grahat [SB 7.5.5]. Asat. Asat means that which will not stand. The material nature is like that. It will not stand. This body we have got at a certain date, and it will continue up to certain date, then it will vanish. You will get never again this body, finished. So this is called asat. Asato ma sad gama. This is Vedic instruction: "Don't remain in the asat, temporary." Sad gama: "Come to the platform of eternity." Asato ma sad gama.
So santi cannot be attained so long we are attached to this asat. Asad-grahat sada samudvigna-dhiyam. Tat sadhu manye 'sura-varya dehinam sada samudvigna-dhiyam asad-grahat. We are... All people in this material world, we are always samyag udvigna, samudvigna. Udvigna means anxiety, always full of anxieties. Sada samudvigna-dhiyam. Why samudvigna-dhiyam? Krsna consciousness means this, svacchatvam avikaritvam santatvam, these three things, Krsna consciousness: clear understanding; no change, no change from Krsna consciousness; and santatvam, peaceful. Just like a man -- ordinarily we perceive -- a gentleman, after working very hard, if he gets some bank balance and nice house, nice wife, and some children, he thinks, "I am very happy." This is also maya. He thinks, "But I am happy." What kind of maya? Pramattah tesam nidhanam pasyann api na pasyati. He is in maya, mad, illusion, pramatta. He does not see that these things will be also finished. Tesam nidhanam. Dehapatya-kalatradisu atma-sainyesu asatsu api [SB 2.1.4]. Asatsu api. He knows that this position, nice position, very good atmosphere, nice children, nice wife, nice house, nice bank balance, nice relative, nice position, everything, prime minister and everything -- very all right. But it will be finished in no time. But he, although knows, he does not care for it. This is called vimudhan. He knows that "This will finished. It will not stay, I will not stay, these things will not stay. I will have to change. They will have to change." It is just like straws gathered together by the whims of the waves, and again it is scattered.
So we are going on the waves of maya. Bhaktivinoda Thakura, therefore, says, mayar bose, jaccho bhese': "You rascal, you are going, floating under the spell of maya." Khaccho habudubu bhai: "And sometimes you are drowned and sometimes in the up by the tricks of the waves. Why you are leading such life?" Jiv krsna-das, e biswas, korle to' ar duhkho nai: "You come to Krsna consciousness and try to understand that you are eternal servant of Krsna; you are being carried away by the whims of maya. So that will make you happy." Therefore Caitanya-caritamrta, er, Caitanya Mahaprabhu teaches us, patitam kinkaram mam visame bhavambudhau: "My Lord," ayi nanda-tanuja, "O the son of Nanda Maharaja, Krsna, I am Your eternal servant. Somehow or other, I am now fallen in this ocean of nescience." Patitam kinkaram mam visame bhavambudhau. Bhava ambudhau. Ambudhi means sea, ocean. "So how to save myself?" Krpaya tava pada-pankaja-sthita-dhuli-
This is our only business. This Hare Krsna means, "O Krsna, O Hara, Krsna's energy, Radharani, Hara..." Hari Hara. So this addressing, "O Krsna, O Krsna's internal potency..." Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare, chanting, addressing: "O Lord Krsna, O the internal energy of Krsna." So They will respond that "Why you are calling Me, or Us?" You have to submit, "Please again accept me as Your eternal servant." This is the only prayer, not that "Give me this money, this me that, this me that. Give me that." No. That is not pure devotion. That is devotion, but it is mixed. Catur-vidha bhajante mam sukrtinah. That is pious life. When we ask from Krsna anything other than devotional service, that is pious activities. That is not devotional activities. Devotional activity is different from pious activity. By pious activities you can get material, so-called happiness, Janmaisvarya-sruta-sri [SB 1.8.26]. You can get birth in very nice family, rich family, brahmana family, janma, and you can get immense wealth, born with silver spoon, and aisvarya-sruta, education, nice education, material education, and sri, beauty. Generally, you will find in aristocratic family, rich family, they are very beautiful, they have got education, they have got wealth and good family, aristocratic family. So these are result of pious activities.
So we should utilize the result of pious activities to become more pure. That is called svaccha. We have discussed this verse, svaccha. Yat tat sattva-gunam svaccham. That is... Just like you have got by, on account of pious activities you have got very nice surroundings, aristocratic family, wealth, beauty, education, but it may be polluted again by the other two qualities, means tamo-guna and rajo-guna. Then you are finished again. Naturally they become polluted. But they do not know that "By dint of pious activities, I have got this position" and misuse the position by tamo-guna and rajo-guna, and therefore they again go to hell. This way we are wandering all over the universes, ei rupe brahmanda bhramite [Cc. Madhya 19.151]. We are sometimes rich man, sometimes poor man, sometimes demigod, sometimes dog, sometimes this, sometimes that. This is going on. That is called maya-sukhaya bharam udvahato vimudhan [SB 7.9.43]. They do not know the ultimate happiness is Krsna consciousness, but wandering in this way.
So therefore this is the best welfare activity to the human society, to awaken them to Krsna consciousness so that they will again revive their original svaccha consciousness, and they will be santa. Svamin krtartho 'smi varam na yace [Cc. Madhya 22.42]. Just like Dhruva Maharaja, he was pious, born in a very pious family, and by family quarrel he went to worship the Supreme Lord Visnu in the forest, aspiring material opulence. He was a child. He thought that "My stepmother has insulted. I shall go to God and take from Him such opulence which is many, many millions times better than my father's." That was his ambition. But when he actually saw Lord Visnu standing... He was meditating Visnu. All of a sudden he saw the Visnu is missing within the heart. Then his meditation broke, and he saw Lord Visnu is present before him. So this is not very difficult for Lord Visnu. He is always within your heart, and if He likes, He can come outside and become visible by you. That is not very difficult. So when he saw Visnu and Visnu offered, "My dear boy, what do you want? Take benediction," so he said, svamin krtartho 'smi varam na yace.
This is perfection: "I am fully satisfied." Svaccha, santa, no demand. No demand. That is position, no demand. Svamin krtartho 'smi varam na yace. This is the highest perfection. That is called svacchatvam avikaritvam santatvam. And this santatvam cannot be attained unless you become pure devotee and fully dependent on the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is the standard of santatvam or vasudeva-sabditam. Svacchatvam santatvam. Everyone is hankering after santatvam, the whole world, because in the material world you cannot be on the platform of santatvam. Only on the spiritual platform and when you are engaged in the service of the Lord, then you will get this position, svacchatvam avikaritvam santatvam. Iti cetasah vrttibhir laksanam proktam. How one has become Krsna conscious, there are, these are the symptoms, the brahma-bhutah prasannatma na socati na... [Bg. 18.54]. We have to understand by the symptoms. If somebody says, "I am very rich man," so generally we want to see the symptoms: "Oh, he is very rich man. Oh, he has got this car. He has got this house. He has got this..." Then we can understand he is rich man. But if these symptoms are not there, how we can understand that he is rich man? Similarly, Krsna consciousness means these are the symptoms: svacchatvam avikaritvam santatvam. When you attain these three stages, these symptom, then you are perfectly Krsna conscious.
Thank you very much. (end)
© 2001 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International.
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