Surrender Now

Mayapura, February 26, 1976

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Prabhupada: ...ago Bengali culture was very much adored all over India. Even one big politician, Gandhi's guru, Goke, Gokule, he remarked, "What Bengal thinks today, other provinces will think tomorrow." He said like that. And actually all big, big movements started from Bengal. The national movement also was started from Bengal. Whatever we may criticize Vivekananda, when... He's a Bengali. He went first for preaching Indian religion. Rabindranath Tagore, he's a Bengali. All big, big...Jayapataka: Aurobindo.
Prabhupada: Aurobindo is a Bengali.
Devotee (2): Paramahamsa Yogananda is also a Bengali.
Prabhupada: Yes. You know him?
Devotee (2): I don't know him... (laughter)
Prabhupada: No, no...
Devotee (2): I've heard of him.
Prabhupada: Bengali culture was very much adored. Surendranath Bannerjee started the political movement, and he was so well known. Even in Parliament, the Englishmen, English M.P.'s, he... They were speaking of Surendranath. They used to say "Surrendered not." "Here is a person who is not 'Surrender not.' He'll never surrender. 'Surrender not.' " Actually, the British Empire was startled by the agitation of Surendranath Bannerjee. The Congress was started by Surendranath Bannerjee, this one Congress. Two Bengali and one Englishman started this Congress sometimes in 1887, 1867, like that. So in our childhood we used to see that Surendranath Bannerjee was being elected president of Congress almost every year. And Gandhi came into prominence when Surendranath Bannerjee surrendered. Formerly he was not surrendering. But the government gave him the first ministership, that "You become minister." So he became a government man. Then Gandhi came in prominence. Surendranath Bannerjee was the first minister in India. [break] ...in our childhood, if he would speak, thousands, thousands men will gather in Calcutta. [break] ...Surendranath Bannerjee Road.
Jayapataka: Yes, very prominent road.
Prabhupada: Yes. Where my nephews have shop, Surendranath Bannerjee Road.
Jayapataka: They did not knight him... [break]
Prabhupada: His father was also very big man, Dr. Durgacaran Bannerjee. My sister hus..., Durgacaran Bannerjee, that is Surendranath Bannerjee father. He was a medical man.
Jayapataka: It's a smaller road.
Prabhupada: Eh? Doctor's land, Dr. Durgacaran Bannerjee Road, they belonged to very respectable family of that quarter, Bannerjee family. And Surendranath Bannerjee was the first I.C.S. I.C.S. He passed I.C.S. examination, Indian Civil Service, but he did not accept it. Aurobindo Ghosh was made by Surendranath Bannerjee. He was born in London. Aurobindo Ghosh's father, Manmohan Ghosh, he was a medical man in London. He was born... He's English birth. Well, later on, he became English-hater.
Jayapataka: French-lover.
Prabhupada: Eh?
Jayapataka: Lover of the French.
Prabhupada: He?
Jayapataka: Aurobindo?
Prabhupada: No, who says?
Jayapataka: He always had some French people with him?
Prabhupada: No, no. That... One French girl entrapped him. That woman spoiled him. He was actually practicing yoga very nice. After his release from political entanglement, actually he became a yogi, but this Frenchwoman, who became later on "Mother," she spoiled her ca..., his career. He became a bhogi then. (laughter) Instead of yogi... Otherwise, he was becoming yogi. You'll find from his photo. In the beginning, he was very lean and thin, and later on, when he died, he was very fatty. Means bhogi. [break] ...yogi bhogi, rogi. There are three.
Devotee (3): Rogi.
Prabhupada: Rogi means diseased, and bhogi means flourishing, and yogi means transcendentalist.
Hrdayananda: Rogi.
Hari-sauri: What is...? A yogi passes stool once a day, a bhogi twice and a rogi more.
Prabhupada: Who told you. Eh?
Hari-sauri: That's what we were told when we first joined the temple to stop us over-eating.
Jayapataka: Some devotees were holding their stool for the next day to be a yogi, (laughter) the second time coming. And getting stomachache.
Prabhupada: Is it a fact?
Jayapataka: Yes.
Prabhupada: Accha?
Jayapataka: I heard... They thought that was the criterion.
Prabhupada: This is called maksi manda kanani. (?) A clerk was making a fair book from the rough book. So he went to the toilet room and he was... Like this. So all of a sudden his boss came: "What you are doing here?" "Sir, I am trying to capture one fly." "And why?" "No, I am making the fair copy of the book, but in the original book, there is a fly smashed. (laughter) So I have to paste one fly." There are such fools. Maksi manda kanani. "There is a fly, paste. So in the fair copy, there must be a fly, paste." [break] Yes. Unless there is pujari, what is the meaning of temple?
Jayapataka: Separate?
Prabhupada: Yes. That is actual temple.
Jayapataka: Well, they'll be so many brahmanas being made.
Prabhupada: Hare Krsna.
Jayapataka: Everything... Even he includes Buddha and Kalki.
Hari-sauri: All the incarnations as well.
Jayapataka: I... In the last...
Prabhupada: Dasavatara.
Jayapataka: Fifty-three avataras.
Prabhupada: Fifty-three?
Jayapataka: Yes, I don't..., he..., fifty-three, know why.
Prabhupada: How many avataras are there mentioned in the Bhagavata?
Hari-sauri: About twenty-six or something like that.
Jayapataka: Twenty-five, twenty-six.
Hari-sauri: Twenty-five or twenty-six. And then all the Visnu expansions.
Jayapataka: They needed twenty-four Visnu expansions and then the incarnations in the Bhagavatam.
Prabhupada: Twenty-six? That is Vaikuntha. Anyway... [break] Yes, planetarium...
Devotee (4): Temple and planetarium.
Prabhupada: Yes.
Devotee (4): "World's largest planetarium and Temple of Understanding."
Prabhupada: No "Understanding" simply Vedic "Temple of Vedic Planetarium," That's all. We shall show the Vedic conception of planetary system within this material world and above the material world. [break] We are going to exhibit the Vedic culture throughout the whole world, and they'll come here.
Jayapataka: The whole world will be coming here to...
Prabhupada: Yes.
Jayapataka: ...visit.
Prabhupada: Just like they come to see the Taj Mahal...
Hrdayananda: Yes.
Prabhupada: ...the architectural culture, they'll come to see the civilization culture, the philosophical culture, the religious culture by practical demonstration with dolls and other things.
Jayapataka: And we'll be advertising that all over the world.
Prabhupada: Yes.
Hrdayananda: It is a perfect plan.
Prabhupada: Yes.
Jayapataka: There can be a model of that temple in every temple all over the world.
Prabhupada: Yes.
Jayapataka: So then people can... Then advertising, "Come here."
Prabhupada: Oh, yes. Actually it will be an unique thing in the world. There is no such thing all over the world. That we shall do. And not only simply showing museum, but educating people to that idea.
Hrdayananda: Preaching.
Prabhupada: Right. With factual knowledge, books, not fictitious. (end)

 

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Morning Walk -- February 27, 1976, Mayapura

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Suffering Is Your Creation

New Delhi, March 25, 1976

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Prabhupada: ...means ahankara-vimudhatma. The more we get material possession, our false egotism increases. "I have got this. I have got this. Who is more powerful than me?" Adhyo 'bhijanavan asmi ko 'nyo 'sti sadrso maya. These are described in the Sixteenth Chapter. What is the meaning of this ahankara? Because vimudhatma, that "I have got this motorcar. I have got this property," but within a second it can be finished. There is another, superior law. That he forgets. He sees actually, but he forgets. That is called vimudhatma. He is seeing, everyone. Of course, our time and nature's time, little different. So many Hitlers, so many Napoleons, so many Gandhis, so many Jawaharlal came and went. But they do not see. Pasyann api na pasyati. They are seeing actually; still they do not see. Blind. In India the Mohammedans came. They ruled over. Where is the Moghul? The Englishmen came. Where they are? Everything gone. Pasyann api na pasyati. This is called vimudhatma. That is going on. The material civilization means ahankara-vimudhatma. By false egotism they are bewildered and rascals. Bhaktivinoda Thakura has translated this, that jada-bidya jato, mayara vaibhava: "All this material advancement of civilization is the paraphernalia of maya." Because you cannot enjoy it, but you are thinking, "I possess so much. I possess so much." You'll not be allowed to enjoy, but still.... Therefore all these material possessions are the paraphernalia of maya. So what is the wrong there? Now, wrong is this, jada-bidya jato, mayara vaibhava, tomara bhajane badha. They are hindrances for advancement of Krsna consciousness. That is the aim of human life. That, you forget that. So tomara bhajane badha, anitya samsare, moha janamiya. The result is that he becomes more attached to this temporary world and remains the rascal. Because without being rascal, nobody comes in this material world to enjoy. As soon as anyone has come to this material world, he's a rascal. Krsna-bahirmukha hana bhoga vancha kare, nikata-stha maya tare japatiya dhare (Prema-vivarta).Cyavana: Srila Prabhupada? In some parts of the Bible it describes how things were being carried out, and they say that the activities were going on according to the will of God. Does that mean that there was a God conscious civilization then?
Prabhupada: Activities? These activities are going on. The sun is rising by the will of God; the moon is rising, will of God. You are being punished by the will of God. He is the Supreme.
Cyavana: But they described that people were worshiping and that children were being born...
Prabhupada: Eh?
Cyavana: Children were being born according to God's will.
Prabhupada: Yes...
Cyavana: It's described in certain parts of...
Prabhupada: Children will be born.... If you are.... If the child is sinful, then it will go to the womb of a mother who will kill him. That's all. By the will. By the.... That he should be punished. One who has used contraceptive and abortion method, by the will of God he will enter another mother, and the mother will kill him.
Cyavana: But the Bible, it indicates...
Prabhupada: Now, now, you see, try, understand. You are very good Bible quoter, but try to understand each and everything. Simply you go on quoting, but understand what is that quotation. It is by the will of God. You have committed sinful life by contraceptive method. Now you enter in the womb of another mother and be killed. That is Bible.
Cyavana: So what is described there was not actually God consciousness or...
Prabhupada: No, it is God consciousness if you understand it, that "I am now being punished by the will of God. I have done sinful activities." That is God conscious.
Guru dasa: God gives what everyone wants.
Prabhupada: Yes.
Guru dasa: If they desire that, they get that.
Prabhupada: :You wanted this punishment; therefore you get it.
Pusta Krsna: People are thinking that the punishment is something worse than this, that "This is very nice. We can live here and be happy, and the punishment is in hell."
Prabhupada: No, no.
Pusta Krsna: "Here we live happily."
Prabhupada: That.... No, no. That is the nature of the living being, that he is happy by nature because he is part and parcel of Krsna, sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah [Bs. 5.1]. So ananda is nature, but he is finding, trying to find out nature in sinful life. Therefore he is being punished. That he does not know.
Guru dasa: So that's his ignorance.
Prabhupada: That is ignorance. His nature is to become happy. He is happy, happy. Just like our natural position is we are healthy. Nature has made this body. But we create such situation that we become ill, sick. And at that time we see, "Oh, I am..." What is that? "I am infected. I have been contaminated." Go to the doctor, injection. But the natural life is no disease.
Guru dasa: Yes.
Prabhupada: But you create a situation; therefore become diseased.
Guru dasa: Otherwise it wouldn't be called "diseased," because it would be normal to be sick. But disease means...
Prabhupada: Normal life means no sickness.
Guru dasa: Yes.
Prabhupada: And as soon as there is sickness, that means punishment. So if you want to be punished, then violate the hygienic laws. You can see that there is hospital and medical treatment and medicine -- for whom?
Pusta Krsna: Sick people.
Prabhupada: No, for the human society. Not for the birds, beasts. But they follow nature's law. But this rascal violates nature's law and suffers.
Yadubara: What about for the devotees, Srila Prabhupada? Sometimes they are very sick, have so many...
Prabhupada: Devotees.... To become devotee is not so cheap thing. You don't think that because you have got a tilaka you have become devotee. Why do you think like that?
Pusta Krsna: Jaya Prabhupada.
Prabhupada: That Bhaktivinoda Thakura, eita eka kalira chela, nake tilaka, galaya mala:(?) "Here is another follower of Kali. He has got tilaka and mala." Sahaja bhajana kacen mamu, sanga laiya parera wala (?): "He is worshiping, bhajana, taking another's wife." Sahaja bhajana kacen mamu, sanga laiya parera wala, ei ta eka kalira chela: "Here is a servant of Kali. Simply he has changed his dress with tilaka and mala." Bhaktivinoda Thakura says. If you take tilaka and mala and do all nonsense things, then you are not a devotee. You are Kali-chela. To become a devotee is not so easy thing.
Atreya Rsi: Devotee means perfect.
Prabhupada: Oh, yes. Certainly. Devotee means sa gunan samatityaitan brahma-bhuyaya kalpate [Bg. 14.26]. He is above these material laws. That is devotee. Brahma-bhuyaya kalpate. He is in the Brahman stage. That is devotee. If you take.... That means sahajiya. "Because I have got a tilaka and mala, I have become devotee." This kind of cheating will not do.
Atreya Rsi: And in this modern age, this cheating is very prominent...
Prabhupada: No, no. Modern or old, anyone who is a conditioned soul, he has got cheating propensity, four defects. One of them is the cheating propensity.
Atreya Rsi: Yes. But the mental stage in this age is very strong, mental. They think mentally they have found a solution.
Prabhupada: That they can do.
Atreya Rsi: But they...
Prabhupada: Within mind you can think, "I have become emperor of the world." That you can do. Who can check you? But that is not the actual fact.
Atreya Rsi: That is the characteristic.
Prabhupada: Yes. That is mental concoction. Within mind you can think, "I have become the proprietor of the banks, all the banks." Madman that is. He's a madman.
Atreya Rsi: They have so many philosophies, but it's all mental.
Prabhupada: All mental. We say, therefore, don't say "philosophy." We say "mental speculation."
Atreya Rsi: Jaya.
Prabhupada: Philosophy means tattva-darsinah. That is described, tattva-darsinah. One has seen the truth, he is philosopher. And who is hovering in the mental concoction platform, he's a rascal. "I think." This is.... Their all European philosophy is...
Atreya Rsi: "I believe."
Prabhupada: "I believe," "In my opinion." He's a rascal, and he is giving his opinion.
Cyavana: Prabhupada, are the laws of karma written?
Prabhupada: Laws of karma is you touch fire, your finger will be burned. This is laws of karma. You cannot avoid it.
Cyavana: They are so complicated, though. Are they actually written?
Prabhupada: That is another.... This is the law of karma. If you do something which is forbidden, then you suffer. This is laws of karma. Or you enjoy. Both good and bad. That is laws of karma. Either you take the result good or the bad.
Atreya Rsi: To a devotee it is very clear, the laws of karma. He sees how that God, Krsna, is just.
Prabhupada: Yes. Devotee means tattva-darsi. He has seen the real truth. Devotee means who follows Krsna. So Krsna is giving the real truth. If you take, then you are devotee. If you don't take, you are nondevotee.
Pusta Krsna: What is the role of mercy if one takes or doesn't take?
Prabhupada: Mercy means.... Suppose you are a devotee. Unknowingly or by some bad habit you have done something wrong. That is excused. But if you intentionally do, that "I am devotee; Krsna will excuse me," then you are rascal.
Gopala Krsna: That's the greatest offense.
Prabhupada: Yes. Cheating. Cheating Krsna. Cheating Krsna is no business. That is to be punished. You cannot cheat Krsna. But if by accident, knowingly or unknowingly you have done something which is not good, that is excused. Sva-pada-mulam bhajatah priyasya. If you are actually, because you have given so much service to Krsna, you have become very dear to Him, so unknowingly you have done, committed sin -- excused. Bhajatah priyasya. This word is used. You must have to become very dear to Him. Then if you accidentally commit some sin, that is excused.
Guru dasa: What does "unknowingly" mean, Srila...
Prabhupada: Unknowingly means..., suppose you are a smoker. So now you have given up everything. But in the association of some smoker you incline, "All right, let me smoke." Then you regret, "Oh, I have done this." It can happen. So that is excused. But if you think, "Now I am a devotee of Krsna. I can smoke like anything, and everything will be excused," then you are a rascal.
Atreya Rsi: Also, Srila Prabhupada, we are knowing that we are so sinful and we're so rascals, but having the opportunity of association of pure devotee and Krsna, that's also mercy...
Prabhupada: Yes. Yes, yes.
Atreya Rsi: Because we can see that we are..., our hearts are not clean, and we are constantly thinking of maya...
Prabhupada: Education, education.
Atreya Rsi: This is mercy. This is greatest mercy.
Prabhupada: Just like you are being educated. Not that cent percent mark you are getting, but because you are trying to be educated, so that is also good. That is also good.
Devotee(1): Therefore the association is most important.
Prabhupada: Oh, yes, very important, so that if I commit some mistake, I'll regret: "Oh, my other associate, he is not coming to act in that..." That chance he'll get.
Atreya Rsi: So we pay a little attention to Krsna, but Krsna gives us a lot of attention.
Prabhupada: Oh, yes.
Atreya Rsi: That is mercy.
Prabhupada: If you give.... If you go forward, Krsna, one step, He comes forward ten steps.
Atreya Rsi: He runs.
Prabhupada: Yes. That is His mercy.
Atreya Rsi: That is mercy.
Prabhupada: Yes.
Hari-sauri: I just read on one of the pages of that Bhagavatam where you said in a purport that Krsna desires that we go back home a lot more strongly than we desire to go back home.
Prabhupada: Yes. Yes. Therefore He comes. He is very anxious to take back His sons, back to home, back.... Just like father. If he sees, "My son is suffering there, leaving home," he tries to get him back.
Atreya Rsi: Unfortunately we don't even desire.
Prabhupada: And therefore you are madness.
Devotee: But the materialists will say...
Guru dasa: Therefore you have come.
Devotee: ...Srila Prabhupada, that if God is, if He is actually wanting us to go back, then why is He causing suffering?
Prabhupada: Eh?
Devotee: If He wants us to come to back home to Godhead...
Prabhupada: But, you rascal, you are suffering. He says, "Come back." You don't go.
Atreya Rsi: Because He has given you freedom and this is...
Prabhupada: He says, "My dear boy, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66]" But you don't do. You must suffer. It is your creation, suffering. You must suffer.
Devotee: They say, "If He is all-loving, why is He...?"
Prabhupada: Loving, but.... You are.... I love you. I say, "Do this." If you don't do it, then...?
Devotee: It's reciprocal.
Prabhupada: Yes. You must suffer.
Yadubara: So the suffering is His mercy also.
Prabhupada: Yes. Suffering means he'll be purified. Suffering is the process of purification.
Atreya Rsi: And part of His laws.... It's within His laws.
Prabhupada: You have infected some disease. You suffer. Then the enviousness(?) of Krsna will go away by suffering.
Guru dasa: So the pure devotee is sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah [Bs. 5.1].
Prabhupada: Yes.
Atreya Rsi: So this question of freedom of jiva and control of Krsna, that there is freedom but at the same time there is no freedom, is a very fine line between the two that sometimes we do not understand.
Prabhupada: But why don't you understand? Just like you belong to a free nation, the American. Does it mean you are free to do anything and everything?
Atreya Rsi: With your limited freedom.
Prabhupada: Yes.
Atreya Rsi: There's a fine line between this freedom.
Prabhupada: When you say, "I belong to this free nation," then yes, you are free. But that does not mean that you can do anything and everything.
Pusta Krsna: Take that example of the habit, if someone is smoking out of habit. So again. So is he free in that smoking, or is it..., has he completely surrendered his freedom?
Prabhupada: No, no.... These things are very common. Just like in your country the government has written on the cigarette box, "It is harmful to health." But if you still smoke at your risk, do it.
Atreya Rsi: So freedom.... You can smoke, but you cannot avoid suffering from the result.
Prabhupada: Yes, from the result.
Atreya Rsi: You have to suffer.
Prabhupada: Yes.
Atreya Rsi: This is the law.
Prabhupada: Yes. This is the law.
Atreya Rsi: And you cannot smoke outside the laws. You cannot smoke a cigarette...
Prabhupada: This is.... Already warning is there that "You smoke; you suffer." And if you still do that, suffer. What can be done? Common thing.
Gopala Krsna: The freedom is always there, minute independence.
Atreya Rsi: Minute.
Guru dasa: Freedom with responsibility.
Prabhupada: Yes.
Guru dasa: Just like they say that you have the freedom to yell "There's a fire" in a theater, but you don't do it.
Prabhupada: So many examples are there. Freedom is there, but you are not absolutely free to do whatever you like.
Guru dasa: Because of the stringent laws of nature.
Prabhupada: Because you are small. Just like children. He has got freedom, playing. But when he is doing something wrong, father, "You don't do this. Don't do this. Don't do this." But if he does it, even he is children, even he's child, he'll suffer. He cannot say, "I am child. I did not know, father." Then that does not matter. You must suffer. You must suffer, even though you are child.
Atreya Rsi: And, Srila Prabhupada....
Prabhupada: Father takes care, "My dear child, don't do this. Don't touch fire." But still, he touches; he must suffer. The fire will not excuse because he is child. That is not possible. Nature's law will act.
Pusta Krsna: This idea of freedom and independence, is it possible for anyone theoretically to surrender to Krsna at any time?
Prabhupada: Yes.
Pusta Krsna: So let's say someone is in a very degraded condition of life, modes of ignorance, passion. Their mind is always disturbed. Is surrender to Krsna.... Is it possible that it can be independent even of the mind?
Prabhupada: Hm?
Pusta Krsna: In other words, let's say someone's mind is...
Prabhupada: You are independent of mind always. It is your mind. You are not mind.
Pusta Krsna: Yes.
Prabhupada: Then you are independent of mind always.
Pusta Krsna: So even a person merged in the mode of ignorance can by some good fortune surrender to Krsna.
Prabhupada: No good fortune. God, Krsna, says, "You do it"; you do it. Here immediately you become fortunate. There is no question of waiting for becoming fortunate. You become fortunate immediately. Suppose if I say, "Take this bag, 100,000 dollars." You can take it. Immediately you become rich man. Why don't you take it?
Guru dasa: How does krpa-siddhi work, Srila Prabhupada?
Prabhupada: Hm?
Guru dasa: Krpa-siddhi. How does that work?
Prabhupada: Krpa-siddhi means that you are not willing take this bag. I say, "Take it, take it, take it." (laughter) "No." That is krpa-siddhi. Even you are unwilling, I give you in your pocket, push it. That is krpa-siddhi. (laughter)
Gopala Krsna: We should not wait for that.
Yadubara: All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
Atreya Rsi: Individual's freedom, when he is ignorant, it is not really freedom because it's completely under the control...
Prabhupada: And when he gets the money, and he spends it, and he sees, "My poverty is gone," then he becomes thankful. "Oh, it is so merciful that he has given me this thing."
Atreya Rsi: The individual freedom, when he is in the mode of ignorance, is completely under the laws of material nature. When the individual makes spiritual advancement...
Prabhupada: Individual freedom means.... We should always know our freedom is limited.
Atreya Rsi: Limited. Yes. But...
Prabhupada: So we are not.... Because the Absolute, so how you can..., your freedom can be absolute?
Atreya Rsi: So the karmi thinks.... His freedom is limited to thinking "Am I going to eat this meat rare or well done?" That is the sort of freedom he is getting.
Prabhupada: No, you have to...
Atreya Rsi: Completely ignorance.
Prabhupada: Just like a thief. He also has got the conscience, "Why shall I steal?"
Atreya Rsi: "This or this."
Prabhupada: "This or this." But he knows that "If I do it, I shall be punished."
Atreya Rsi: Yes. But when an individual spirit...
Pusta Krsna: Is that actual freedom, though? Is that freedom?
Prabhupada: No, I have already said that you cannot have absolute freedom.
Pusta Krsna: No, but is the spirit soul implicated in that decision in any way, or is it just the modes of nature working, "Well, I'll take this instead of that."
Prabhupada: What is that?
Pusta Krsna: Is the spirit soul implicated in that decision, or is it...
Prabhupada: What is that decision?
Pusta Krsna: Let's say, "I'll go to the cinema, or I'll go to the restaurant." So is the spirit soul implicated in that decision in any way, or is it simply the three modes of material nature working?
Atreya Rsi: The three modes.
Prabhupada: I do not follow what is your...
Pusta Krsna: There's a situation. Either I'll go to the cinema or I'll go to the restaurant. So is the spirit soul...
Prabhupada: Both of them are sinful.
Pusta Krsna: Yes. So how is the spirit soul involved in it? Is the spirit soul choosing, or is the decision already made by his karma?
Prabhupada: Karma, karma... You can make your kar... You are doing that. Karma you are creating every moment by desire. Karma is.... What is that? Thinking, feeling, willing. You think of something; then you do it. That means you create your karma. You are thinking that "I shall go to the cinema"; then you go. That is karma.
Atreya Rsi: The question is choice.
Prabhupada: Yes. That is...
Atreya Rsi: Choice.
Prabhupada: That is desire. Therefore bhakti means you shall not desire anything except to serve Krsna. Then you are safe. Because you are desiring so many things for your sense gratification, you are becoming implicated.
Atreya Rsi: Yes. So the point is that if a...
Prabhupada: Just like a good child. He has decided, "I shall do only what my father says." Then he is safe. And as soon as he misuses his indep..., little independence, he is complicated. So decide like that, that "I shall not do anything which is not ordered by Krsna." Then it is all right. Otherwise you'll suffer. Anyabhilasita-sunyam [Brs. 1.1.11]. Make it zero. Then you are safe. Anukulyena krsnanusilanam [Cc. Madhya 19.167]. Simply do, act, what Krsna says; then you are safe. Why don't you do that? That is also independence. You are misusing independence. You are misusing. Then you must suffer. The government says, "Do according to the law." Then you are safe. Government will give all protection. And if you violate law, you must suffer.
Devotee: So take it that there is a man, Srila Prabhupada, who is not very learned in sastra, but he only simply does what his guru tells him.
Prabhupada: What is learned? What is learned? A child, does he require learning. When the father says, "You do it," does it require any university education?
Devotee: No.
Prabhupada: "He is my father." That's all.
Guru dasa: Nara-priya(?) do not know sastras. They know unalloyed devotion.
Prabhupada: No, that is the nature. A child generally abides by the order of the parent. They are playing. The parent says, "Don't do it! Sit down!" Immediately sit down. That is the nature. So why don't you break your nature, that "My duty is to carry out the order of the supreme father?" Then you are safe.
Atreya Rsi: And when you carry out that order -- you fully surrender -- then you enjoy full freedom.
Prabhupada: Yes. That is full freedom.
Atreya Rsi: That is the freedom.
Prabhupada: Yes, that is freedom.
Atreya Rsi: That is absolute freedom.
Prabhupada: Full freedom means to be under the order of the Supreme. That is full freedom. That is full freedom.
Atreya Rsi: The cinema or restaurant is not freedom. It's completely conditioning under the laws of material nature. But fully surrendered soul is fully free.
Prabhupada: No, no, if you simply, even if you want to go to a cinema...
Pusta Krsna: He's still responsible for going.
Prabhupada: If you ask, "Father, I wish to see cinema," if father says, "All right, we'll go," that is not sinful. But you go in your own whims -- that is sinful. Tena tyaktena bhunjitha [Iso mantra 1].
Cyavana: Sometimes it's difficult as devotees for us to know whether we're doing the right thing or whether we're just speculating.
Prabhupada: And therefore you have to consult your guru.
Cyavana: Yes.
Atreya Rsi: It's because we are not surrendered.
Cyavana: But even in small things, just day-to-day activities...
Prabhupada: There is no small thing. Everything big thing for a devotee.
Sudama: I've discovered, Srila Prabhupada, the way to do that, of course, is to read your books.
Prabhupada: Yes.
Sudama: By reading your books, then all of the...
Prabhupada: Therefore the books are there.
Sudama: Even practical, everything...
Atreya Rsi: But without attitude of devotion, nothing will work.
Prabhupada: Hm?
Atreya Rsi: Attitude of devotion must be there.
Prabhupada: The attitude, devotion, is there. Otherwise why one should come to our camp? But it must be properly utilized. It should not be misused. If you go to school and if you don't read books, you'll fail in the examination.
Guru dasa: But the attitude of devotion should be there every moment, so everything...
Prabhupada: Yes.
Guru dasa: ...is very meaningful. Everything is a big thing. When we go out we should realize we're doing it for Krsna.
Prabhupada: That is said, man-mana. Think of Krsna; He'll guide you. Very easy thing. Man-mana. Always think of Krsna, then there is no question of falling down. Man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru [Bg. 18.65]. These four things, if strictly done, he is safe. He is safe. Always think of Krsna, become His devotee, offer Him obeisances and.... Man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji, and worship Him. This is Deity worship. That will engage in always in thinking, in offering obeisances. And if we strictly follow only these, these four principles, mam evaisyasi satyam te: "You are coming back to Me without any doubt." But instead of thinking Krsna, we are thinking something else, planning something, misusing independence.
Gopala Krsna: Bhimasena, I was speaking to him two days ago. He says that he'll turn over that temple to us. He wants to meet you, so I'm going to call him to come and see you.
Prabhupada: Yes.
Gopala Krsna: He's a big talker, but I was flattering him, and I said, "If you transfer it over to..." (laughter) He said, "I'll do it when Prabhupada comes." So I'll tell him to come and see you today and.... I told him if he transfers it over to us, then we can build better on the top. He has already built something downstairs, and we can make it a very beautiful temple.
Prabhupada: Oh, yes.
Gopala Krsna: We'll call it Bhimasena.
Prabhupada: Yes.
Gopala Krsna: He wants to become famous, so I said, "Everybody will know that you built a temple there."
Prabhupada: So it is good idea.
Gopala Krsna: Yes, the location is very good. It's right in the center. And they have Radha-Krsna Deities there, plus they have Rama, Sita, Laksmana, Hanuman, which we can also worship.
Prabhupada: Oh, yes.
Gopala Krsna: Only problem is they have Durga.
Prabhupada: Durga, so we can worship, giving Durga the prasadam of Rama or Krsna. That's it.
Gopala Krsna: Yes, something can be worked out.
Prabhupada: Not directly. His prasada. If we can worship ordinary human being, why not Durga? But we give prasadam. We shall give. So don't tell all these things now.
Gopala Krsna: No, I didn't tell him anything.
Prabhupada: We do not say that we do not believe in the demigods. No, we believe in. But they are servants. That's all. We cannot make the servant and the master on the equal footing. That is all. We worship Durga, srsti-sthiti-pralaya-sadhana-saktir eka chayeva yasya bhuvanani vibharti durga [Bs. 5.44]. Now, what is the function? Icchanurupam api yasya ca cestate sa govindam adi... She is acting by the desire of the Supreme Lord, Govinda.
Guru dasa: Better than we are and should be worshiped.
Prabhupada: Eh?
Guru dasa: Better devotee than we are and should be worshiped.
Prabhupada: Oh, yes.
Atreya Rsi: As a devotee.
Prabhupada: Yes, she's a devotee. Just like we say "prabhu." Prabhu means your master. So "Because you are devotee, we accept you as master." Master means "I am ready to serve you because you are devotee. I am your servant." Dasa-dasa-dasanudasah [Cc. Madhya 13.80]. "Because you are devotee, I am prepared to serve you. Otherwise not."
Cyavana: Do the demigods sometimes forget their positions?
Prabhupada: Why you are serving me? If I had been an ordinary person, why...? You would have not.... Because you accept that "You are devotee," therefore you serve. So as soon as we find a devotee, immediately serve him. Chadiya vaisnava-seva, nistara payeche keba. Without serving a devotee, who can be elevated? It is our duty. So we can serve the devotee.
Pusta Krsna: Srila Prabhupada? Why is...
Prabhupada: Prahlada Maharaja was offered, "Whatever you like, you take." He said, "No, no, I don't want anything. Please engage me in the service of Your servant." He rejected everything. He simply said, nija-dasya-yogam: "Kindly engage me in the service of Your servant." That is wanted.
Pusta Krsna: Srila Prabhupada, Prahlada Maharaja...
Prabhupada: He did not want even direct service. "Engage me in Your service," he did not say.
Guru dasa: No.
Prabhupada: He said, "Engage me in Your servant's service."
Guru dasa: So if we see people in the world as potential devotees, we should also serve them so they can become good devotees.
Prabhupada: That is not service. That is mercy. One who is potential devotee, to show him mercy, develop him to become a devotee, that is mercy. That is not service. Service can be rendered to the higher person. And to the lower person you can show your mercy.
Guru dasa: Oh, that's a good distinction.
Hari-sauri: That's said in Upadesamrta...
Prabhupada: Yes. One who is lower than you, he requires your mercy. You give him mercy. And who is higher than you, you give him service. Not that Vivekananda did, that everyone service. No, service to the higher person. And to the lower person? Mercy.
Guru dasa: Someone asked me the other day if I knew Swami...
Prabhupada: And equal person? Friendship.
Guru dasa: Yes.
Prabhupada: With equal, friendship. With higher, service. And with lower, mercy.
Guru dasa: And envious, ignore.
Prabhupada: Yes, ignore. Neutral: "You go to hell. We don't mind."
Guru dasa: Somebody asked me the other day if I knew Swami Vivekananda. I said "Viveka-who?" He said, "Vivekananda is very famous in the West. Do you know him?" I said, "Viveka-who? I have never heard of him."
Prabhupada: (chuckles) So he was little surprised.
Cyavana: They made some propaganda, that's all.
Atreya Rsi: That's Guru dasa's trick.
Hari-sauri: Srila Prabhupada, if one serves the higher devotees and shows compassion to less advanced devotees, then where is the question, say, for a position of an advanced devotee who is feeling himself to be the lowest? So is that distinction still there of higher and lower? If he is feeling himself to be the lowest?
Prabhupada: He does not feel lowest. He takes sympathy that "Here is a person. He can be a devotee. So let me raise him to the standard." He does not think that he is lowest. Devotee always thinks that he is lower than the worm. But it is the duty. It is the duty. It does not mean that he is thinking, "I am higher." No.
Guru dasa: That's again mercy.
Prabhupada: Mercy.
Pusta Krsna: In other words, he doesn't consider that he's advanced and that therefore he is showing mercy to lower.
Prabhupada: Yes. Yes. He is always thinking, "I am lower than the worm, but Lord Krsna wants, so let me do some service. That's all."
Guru dasa: That is our occupation, to show mercy to others.
Prabhupada: Yes.
Atreya Rsi: And amongst devotees, Godbrothers, an advanced devotee is one who sees that "Everybody is serving Krsna so nicely..."
Prabhupada: Yes.
Atreya Rsi: "...so let me assist them."
Prabhupada: Yes.
Atreya Rsi: "Let me facilitate their service."
Prabhupada: Yes. Therefore we say prabhu. Prabhu means "You are my master. Please order me. What can I do for you?" That should be the attitude. [break] ..."Guru dasa Prabhu, please come here and brush my shoes." (laughter) What kind of prabhu? He should say, "Guru dasa Prabhu, can I brush your shoes?" That is real Vaisnava, not that "Guru dasa Prabhu, come here and brush my shoes." Other devotees, they do not come for morning class?
Gopala Krsna: For the walk?
Prabhupada: Not for walk. At least we shall hold morning class or not?
Gopala Krsna: Oh, yes, Prabhupada, please. A few devotees are staying at the hotel here.
Pusta Krsna: There is a program tonight if you'd rather.... There is a program this evening, going out, the Rotary Club. So if you would rather just give class this evening.
Prabhupada: No, no, regularly we hold morning class anywhere. So.... So that morning class is not going to be held here?
Gopala Krsna: In the temple we have it. They had it this morning, but.... (end)

 

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One Should Give To Temple

Mayapura, March 12, 1976

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Pancadravida:...are also engaged in serving Krsna. They give flower, and they're offering: "Take this flower. Offer to Krsna." This is service, dedicating. This is explained by Krsna to Balarama while going through the Vrndavana forest, that "Just see how the trees are welcoming You, how the birds..." You have got that picture?Hrdayananda: Yes.
Prabhupada: Krsna is seeing that, how everyone is ready to serve. Similarly, Krsna-bhakta also sees how everyone is eager to serve Krsna. [ ...engage them rightly, that is leadership. Yes. Otherwise andha yathandhair upaniyamanah [SB 7.5.31]. As a blind leader is leading other blind men, this whole world is going on like that. They do not know how to properly lead the people. Misleaders. [break] ...grains, cows, all they should be very properly taken care of and the products offered to Krsna. Everyone should be engaged as Krsna's servant. That is Vrndavana. In Vrndavana everyone is engaged how to please Krsna. That is Vrndavana. [break] ...business to study Vedanta. In Vrndavana life we see they were not interested to know what is Brahman. They were interested how to please Krsna, how to see Krsna smiling. That is Vrndavana. Huh? Is it not? From Vrndavana picture you see they are simply busy to see how Krsna is smiling. They didn't care for studying. What they will study? They were all village girls born in the ordinary class, and they did not know. [break] That is the... Aradhito yadi haris tapasa tatah kim: [Narada-pancaratra] "If Krsna is served, then where is the necessity of tapasya?" No more tapasya. Tapasya is meant for the third-grade men to come to the stage of serving Krsna. And one who is, with heart and soul is serving Krsna, he has finished all tapasya. Tepus tapas te juhuvuh sasnur arya [SB 3.33.7]. They have already finished all this tapasya. Therefore they have come to this stage. Krta-punya-punjah [SB 10.12.11]. What is called? Piling.
Revatinandana: Heaps of pious activities.
Prabhupada: Ah, heaps of, yes. [break] ...Mahaprabhu, He immediately gives how to love and serve Krsna, because this Kali-yuga, they will not be able to follow the regulative principles and become elevated. So He is therefore maha-vadanyaya. He is giving a process-immediately, if followed, he becomes a lover of Krsna and His service, immediately. Namo maha-vadanyaya krsna-prema-pradaya te [Cc. Madhya 19.53]. [break]
Revatinandana: ...circumambulating you, Prabhupada, paying respects.
Prabhupada: Of course, their vision, maha-bhagavata... Hare Krsna. Hare Krsna. (laughs) That is very beautiful.
Revatinandana: You mean the music?
Prabhupada: No, no. That black.
Revatinandana: Yes, it's very nice. He has blue eyes and big black body.
Devotee: Blue eyes?
Revatinandana: Yes. It's amazing. If you look closely you will see...
Pancadravida: The gopis, they didn't like very much being instructed by Uddhava?
Prabhupada: Yes. Yes. That was dry for them. They asked Uddhava, "Bring Krsna. We don't want you any more..." [break] What is his name? That...? Tapomaya. Tapa... He never sees whether it is watered. He is in charge of agricultural department? Where is Jayapataka? He never sees. One man should be in charge to see things are being done.
Pusta Krsna: Each... What was that, Srila Prabhupada?
Prabhupada: Each flat.
Pusta Krsna: Each floor?
Prabhupada: Yes, each floor. Yes. But Tapomaya, he does not see even that the water is... He is in charge of agriculture?
Jayapataka: Yes.
Prabhupada: Similarly, it can be understood how he is seeing, he is managing. He does not see.
Jayapataka: Right now we only have about four or five men here that are managing everything. He is also purchasing all the things for the festival. The GBC's have been requested to give some men...
Prabhupada: That means he has no time. Then why he says that "I am in charge." He is not in charge.
Jayapataka: He is trying to... [break]
Prabhupada: After all, they are boys. They are not grown up. [break] ...your Calcutta program?
Jayapataka: They're going tomorrow morning. [break]
Bhavananda: ...matha, and then we went to Madhava Maharaja's matha. So Acyutananda gave a very strong lecture at Madhava Maharaja's matha that in order to make devotees who are chanting the holy name, it takes more than any material calculation or business sense, that you have be infused with the potency of the Supreme Lord. All of the sannyasis and brahmacaris were standing out on the balcony and hearing Acyutananda glorify Your Divine Grace. All the devotees went in.
Prabhupada: [break] ...small card. So one card is put into the shoes, and one card is in his hand. That's all. Number. Suppose twenty shoes duplicate, so one twenty card is put into the shoe and one number twenty in his hand. So a man can see that it is his shoe.
Yasodanandana: Instead of requesting ten paisa, they may be requested to offer something to the Deity.
Prabhupada: Why? Nothing. Let them come and see. That's all.
Yasodanandana: [break] Our Deity is not beggar.
Prabhupada: No. He is bestower. He gives everything. If anyone voluntary gives, that's all right. You should not ask. [break] ...instead of doing this. (Bengali) He said like that. "By showing the Deity to earn livelihood is condemned. Better become a sweeper, municipal sweeper, and sweep the road and earn money." He said like that. That is better, honorable. He is working and getting money, instead of making a good show of Deity and earn money. This is not required. If you want to earn money, go, work according to your capacity and earn money. Don't cheat people. That is Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati.
Pancadravida: There was a big fight or difference of opinion, wasn't there?
Prabhupada: Huh?
Pancadravida: There was trouble in Nabadwip, wasn't there, when he advised the pilgrims not to pay money to go into the temples?
Prabhupada: Yes. He was fight against it. All, Nabadwip, Vrndavana. Vrndavana is not so... But still, they have got rate. One thing, it is a question of heart, that a man should come and visit the temple -- he must give something. Why he is to be asked? Voluntarily he should give that.
Yasodanandana: Yes. We were reading in Nectar of Devotion this morning. Your Divine Grace is writing that it is customary in India that whenever one visits the Deity or a saintly person to offer something, even one grain of rice.
Prabhupada: Yes, that is the system.
Lokanatha: But encouraging is not recommended?
Prabhupada: Huh? What is that encouraging?
Yasodanandana: Requesting should not be done.
Prabhupada: No.
Lokanatha: It is voluntary.
Prabhupada: Encouraging means your behavior should be so nice that he voluntarily gives. That is encouraging, not that begging and "Put something here. My belly is empty." (laughter) ...that is nice, that "Here is an institution. You kindly become a member. Help us." That is another thing. But why should you earn by showing the Deity? You work so nicely they will become voluntarily member, contributing. That is nice. But not that "Now we have got Deity. He's starving. Please give me something." No. That is not good prac...
Pancadravida: You showed the example when you came to New York. You were cooking capatis and everything.
Prabhupada: Yes. Otherwise who would cook at that time? [break] ...apartment. So I was cooking, and he liked. He thought that "Without any payment, I have got a cook."
Revatinandana: Dharmadhyaksa dasa used to be one of his disciples before he joined your, he became your disciple. And he said that he was talking to Dr. Misra, and Dr. Misra still talks about your cooking. He said, "Oh, Swamiji, he saved my life." He said, "He taught me how to eat properly." He still talks about you.
Prabhupada: [break] ...improved his health. He says still?
Revatinandana: Yes. Yes.
Prabhupada: Oh.
Revatinandana: Dharma was telling me.
Prabhupada: [break] ...to rise early in the morning and do whatever is needed. Then, at nine, half-past nine, I will go his apartment and begin cooking. Then, after finishing, I'll take my bathing, and then we shall eat together. And then, after eating, I will go to the Fifth Avenue for loitering.
Pusta Krsna: Fifth Avenue.
Prabhupada: Yes. So I was cooking once only, that's all.
Yasodanandana: Your loitering was very fruitful even.
Prabhupada: I was studying Americans, how they are walking, how they are shopping, like that.
Satsvarupa: One time you said you were happier then, maintaining yourself, than having thousands of disciples.
Prabhupada: Yes. There was no chance of finding fault. (laughter) Now I have to find fault.
Madhudvisa: [break] ...New York now named Jaya Nimai Nitai. When you were first in New York, he was a musician. He used to write music, and he used to get inspired by looking down from his apartment down to the street. And every day he said he used to see this little Indian man walking by, and it was you, Srila Prabhupada. And he couldn't figure out what was going on, this man walking by on the street every day.
Prabhupada: Yes, I was having morning walk regularly, alone.
Madhudvisa: He said you used to walk very fast. [break] (Indian band playing)
Madhudvisa: Entrance? [break]
Radhavallabha: ...ISKCON temples, ISKCON activities, ISKCON temples, ISKCON Deities... [break]
Prabhupada: ...people will know there is exhibition? There is no signboard. Who will know that here is...?
Radhavallabha: We'll have to put up signs today showing the entrance. There will also be a BBT and the scholars' quotes.
Prabhupada: Where is this?
Ramesvara: That is near Atlanta.
Prabhupada: All right. [break] ...He taught them to steal then: "Mother is not giving. You steal." That picture is going on. [break] Juhu is so small?
Radhavallabha: Yes, we should have made it bigger.
Ramesvara: The size of the cart is restricted.
Pancadravida: What year is that?
Ramesvara: Recently.
Revatinandana: It was this past year or the year before last when we had it. Two years ago it was full.
Prabhupada: They want to stop it. That is their... [break] A new temple?
Jayatirtha: Old temple, Srila Prabhupada. [break] Who was talking about casting?
Pusta Krsna: That was in Australia, Adelaide. Cittahari.
Prabhupada: This is very nice. This murti should be standard.
Pusta Krsna: Geneva.
Prabhupada: Yes... No, anywhere.
Pusta Krsna: Oh, and drop it(?) like this.
Prabhupada: They are casting. [break] ...this title.
Revatinandana: Srila Prabhupada, would it be good to have these titles in Bengali as well as English, the titles on the pictures?
Guru-krpa: They'll understand. Always one or two guys will explain to the crowd.
Prabhupada: Yes, they will understand. [break]
Radhavallabha: Some of the Bengalis saw this picture yesterday, and they were very surprised.
Prabhupada: There were some Bengalis?
Radhavallabha: Just a few were coming through while we were putting the display up. They were very much astonished that we have such a big building.
Prabhupada: [break] ...light arrangement?
Ramesvara: We're going to put lights up today, fluorescent lights.
Pusta Krsna: There's a wire run through the middle of the...
Ramesvara: This is about one half the display, right?
Radhavallabha: One half.
Ramesvara: The other half is...
Prabhupada: We can make all these pictures into album that can be sold.
Radhavallabha: What is it?
Ramesvara: Prabhupada said we can make a photo album of all these pictures. [break]
Prabhupada: ...ISKCON temples all over the world.
Ramesvara: You told us to make one book also.
Prabhupada: Yes. Little description and...
Pancadravida: That would be very good for preaching.
Prabhupada: Oh, yes.
Ramesvara: With our equipment, we can make these photos in any size.
Prabhupada: Oh, yes. So do it. [break] ...Auckland?
Radhavallabha: Madhudvisa?
Pusta Krsna: Is the same house in Auckland and, New Zealand?
Radhavallabha: Gribblehurst Road.
Prabhupada: Where I went?
Ramesvara: Yes, I can see it. Gribblehurst Road. Same house. This is the old temple in Houston. They're buying a new one.
Prabhupada: Oh. Boston, oh, it is very nice.
Ramesvara: This is one of the best neighborhoods in all of Boston.
Prabhupada: They are framework or brick?
Satsvarupa: It's called brownstone.
Prabhupada: Oh, brown... Stone it is. That is nice. [break] ...new temple? No.
Radhavallabha: That's Ottawa, Canada.
Prabhupada: Canada.
Ramesvara: That is the capital city of Canada.
Prabhupada: Yes. Johannesburg. That is wonderful. [break] Stockholm, yes.
Radhavallabha: People will wonder when they see all these pictures. You are in half of them.
Pusta Krsna: Actually, he's in all of them.
Prabhupada: Virginia. Here I did not go.
Ramesvara: It's near Washington, D.C.
Prabhupada: Baltimore.
Pusta Krsna: The new Miami temple, Srila Prabhupada.
Prabhupada: Oh, very nice.
Satsvarupa: There are ten acres. That's just a tiny bit.
Ramesvara: They have nice mango trees?
Satsvarupa: Oh, yes, they have many, many, a whole orchard with irrigation pipes.
Radhavallabha: This sign on the door of the Tokyo temple says, "Hare Krsna Temple."
Prabhupada: So make arrangement that people may come. They should be given direction. Otherwise how they will know there is such thing?
Harisauri: Mexico.
Radhavallabha: This is only half of the temple pictures. The other half will go up today.
Ramesvara: And all the professor quotes will be up by tomorrow morning.
Prabhupada: Very good.
Ramesvara: They'll fill the entire wall on the other side.
Prabhupada: Do to your best capacity and Krsna will help.
Pusta Krsna: There should be some border over here so that people don't accidentally fall into the box. Really. We have all kinds of kids coming around. (end)

 

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Maya Will Give Another Body

Vrndavana, April 8, 1976

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Pancadravida: ...went to America, what was your idea of what would be your program when you got there?Prabhupada: This idea: I shall speak to don't eat meat, and they'll immediately kick me out. (laughter) That was my program. And I was going to say that "Don't eat meat. No illicit sex," and immediately they will kick me out. "All right." I never thought that you would accept it. That is the idea of my poetry. That is sung, no? You have got that?
Pusta Krsna: Yes.
Prabhupada: And I was asking Krsna, "I do not know why You have brought me here. As soon as I will say these things, they will kick me out. What is Your program, I do not know." (chuckles)
Aksayananda: Everybody knows in their heart that actually these things are wrong.
Lokanatha: You are so expert. For one year you did not mention those rules and regulations, I heard.
Prabhupada: No, I simply said, "Come and join and chant."
Lokanatha: And when they developed higher taste, then you said, "Now no more meat-eating." [break]
Prabhupada: ...simply man looks after the animals, that he's strong and happy, they'll get food grains, the cooperation, and both of them happy. But they're not looking to that. They are trying to sell the grains and get more money, and purchase wine and enjoy. And when the animal will be unable to work, sell him to the slaughterhouse and get money. And for these sinful activities, they are suffering.
Hari-sauri: Their idea is just to exploit.
Prabhupada: Hah, yes. Everyone is trying to get more, and nature's order is that you take only to maintain your body and soul together. That's all. If you take more, then you are thief, you'll be punished by the laws of nature. This is going on. Laws of nature are so fine that by material activities you'll never be satisfied, and at the time of death, he'll lament that "I could not satisfy my desires. Let me take..." "All right, take another body. Satisfy." This is nature's punishment. Karmana daiva netrena jantur dehopapattaye [SB 3.31.1]. Simple things. We desire, and nature will give you another body. maya-yantrarudhani. He'll give you, "Ride on this car, you wanted, on this body." And this... This is creation of maya. Isvarah sarva-bhutanam hrd-dese... [Bg. 18.61]. Krsna is there, orders maya, "He wants to enjoy life. Give him this body." "Come on, here is a hog's body, eat nicely, stool. Come on." He did not like to eat prasadam. He wanted something rubbish. "All right, come here. Take this stool." These things are going automatically. The same way, as you infect some disease, immediately the disease is there. You haven't got to manufacture diseases. Because you have infected yourself with the disease germ, "Take this disease." Therefore it is warned, anyabhilasita-sunyam [Brs. 1.1.11], "Don't desire anything except Krsna's service." Then you are immune. Otherwise you have to take birth. The Mayavadi philosophers, they take the Absolute Truth void, so they have no good desires, again they come to material desires.
Lokanatha: They want to be desireless.
Prabhupada: That is not possible.
Madhudvisa: If the Mayavadis don't believe in the difference between the soul and the Supersoul, then how can they... What is their explanation of reincarnation?
Prabhupada: They say that this is not incarnation, it is maya. Just like the sky is covered in a pot, and as soon as the pot breaks, the sky mixes with the big sky. That's all. That is their theory.
Madhudvisa: So therefore they say God is covered.
Prabhupada: Not God. You are covered.
Pancadravida: But you are God, they say.
Prabhupada: So you are God, but you are covered by this body. So as soon as the body is finished, you mix with. Just like you take one pot and you take water. The water is there, but if you break this pot, the water comes and mixes with.
Pancadravida: Then what is their reason for not becoming the biggest rascal? Why not become the biggest rascal? The pot's going to break anyway. What difference does it make? Why not become a big rascal and enjoy?
Madhudvisa: Because the Mayavadis, they also perform some austerity and tapasya.
Prabhupada: Just to break the pot. That is their (indistinct)
Madhudvisa: But what is the breaking of the pot?
Lokanatha: The pot doesn't refer to the body but the illusion. They want to get rid of not the body but the illusion.
Prabhupada: No, illusion in this sense, that I am covered by the pot, it will break or I shall break, and when it is broken then there is no more pot. I become one with the sky.
Madhudvisa: So why should you endeavor for it? It's going to happen anyway.
Prabhupada: To break it as soon as possible. (laughter)
Pancadravida: That doesn't make any sense. "Crackpot philosophy."
Madhudvisa: If there's no individuality, I can't understand how can there be any desire for...
Prabhupada: No, there is individuality, but these people do not understand it, because... In the Bhagavad-gita, acchedyam. It is not that part is taken. The accedya. Because spirit cannot be cut into pieces, and while it is in piece, either you take it in part or something else, that is eternal. It is not that by the maya we have become piece. Yes. That is not maya. It is piece. All right, sanatana, mamaivamso jiva-bhutah sanatanah [Bg. 15.7], eternally that piece.
Lokanatha: They did not take that to mean the constitutional position of the living entity.
Prabhupada: Yes, they do not know. Therefore they are less intelligent. They are individual, but artificially they are thinking, "I shall become one."
Pusta Krsna: Srila Prabhupada, the karmis may argue that to become desireless is against the natural order. Because we see that right from the beginning of our life we're desiring so many things.
Prabhupada: Desireless. When he will desire less, you convince. They're always desiring.
Pusta Krsna: Oh, yes.
Prabhupada: Then where is desireless?
Pusta Krsna: But we're saying anyabhilasita-sunyam jnana-karmady anavrtam [Brs. 1.1.11].
Prabhupada: Anya, anya means anyatha. You are servant, you should always desire how to serve Krsna. That is your natural. And if you don't want to serve, that is anyatha. Anyabhilasa. That is anyabhilasa. Anya means other, abhilasa means desire. So everyone has got desire, but that desire should be natural, according to position. But if you desire something else, nonsense, then you suffer. That... Caitanya Mahaprabhu said jivera svarupa haya nitya-krsna-dasa [Cc. Madhya 20.108-109]. You are eternal servant of Krsna, so you desire only how to serve Him. Why you are desiring otherwise? They will suffer. We are desiring, "I shall become God," "I shall become one with God," "I shall become this, I shall become..." So many hundreds and thousands. So that you have to stop. Because you are servant, you should desire how to serve Krsna. That is your natural... Eh? Just like in your country the women, they are thinking of equal rights. Eh? And how you can equal rights? You have to become pregnant. So you become pregnant and take care of the child; that is your duty. In India still, you'll find they are happy. And now they are, "No, we shall be equal with the men." And how you'll stop your pregnancy? And that they do not think. So they're thinking that "We shall not be pregnant, and if we become pregnant we shall kill, and we shall have equal rights with the men." This is going on.
Madhudvisa: They say they may become pregnant and have children, but the men should take care of the children, equally.
Prabhupada: Why? Why you should take? You are meant for taking... The child does not go to the father for being taken care. It goes to the mother. Even animals. There are so many chicken, hens, they go after the mother.
Hari-sauri: They get milk from the mother, not from the father.
Prabhupada: Yes. How to stop it?
Lokanatha: How could father feed even the child?
Prabhupada: Just see, in all there are so many husbandless girls, and the children have not gone with the husbands, to the man. They are after the mother. How you'll have equal rights? They cannot. At this your heart will cry, "Oh, I have left my children, I am unhappy." That is... Just like our Hari-sauri's grandmother's advice to his mother to kill him. He said. And she refused. This is natural inclination. How... Artificially they are thinking like that, violating nature's law. Therefore they must suffer. As soon as you break ahankara-vimudhatma kartaham iti manyate [Bg. 3.27]. These rascals, on account of being misled by misconception of life, ahankara, false ahankara, kartaham, I can do everything. Any little pinch of nature's law, if you break, you'll suffer. Daivi hy esa gunamayi mama maya duratyaya [Bg. 7.14]. You cannot escape. But still they're thinking, "We're independent." That is ahankara-vimudhatma, by false prestige, by false identification. He is (indistinct) and he's thinking so many nonsense. Ahankara-vimudhatma. Everything will be explained in Bhagavad-gita. So try to explain. That is Caitanya Mahaprabhu's order, yare dekha, tare kaha, 'krsna-upadesa [Cc. Madhya 7.128].' Bas, finished, "You become a guru." The trouble(?) is there. You haven't got to manufacture your ideas. Just like I'm quoting from Krsna's preaching.
Lokanatha: They take objection when we preach. They say, "Have you seen God or Krsna?" We haven't seen God, how could we speak about God? Sometimes they take objection.
Prabhupada: Very good. You have not seen your grandfather, why do you take his will? To inherit the money. You have not seen your grandfather. You rascal, you are very much anxious to take his money, according to his will. What is the answer? You have not seen your grandfather, so why you take his will? Eh? What is his answer? Rascal while taking money: "I will take my grandfather's will." Just see. You have to learn how to capture the rascals. [break]
Jayadvaita: ...living here for nine years but he doesn't know who God is.
Prabhupada: This is direction?
Jayadvaita: Yes.
Passer-by: Hare Krsna.
Prabhupada: Hare Krsna. Jaya, jaya. This is the difference: he is living here nine years, he does not. And here, cultivator, he knows how to offer obeisances. Where he is living?
Jayadvaita: I'm not sure exactly. I met him on Gopinath Bazaar. He's living with some gentleman. He said that he came to Vrndavana nine years ago and he met this gentleman and took up studying with him. And he's reading all Vedic books, Atharva Veda, Yajur Veda, like that, but he doesn't know...
Prabhupada: What is God.
Madhudvisa: Has he seen our books?
Prabhupada: How he is wasting his time.
Jayadvaita: Yes.
Lokanatha: Vedesu durlabham.
Prabhupada: Adurlabham atma-bhaktau. If he would have approached a devotee, he'd have known this long ago. That man must be Mayavadi, with whom he is associating.
Pancadravida: They cannot give anything.
Prabhupada: Mayavadi-bhasya sunile haya sarva-nasa [Cc. Madhya 6.169], finished -- his spiritual progress is finished if he associates with a Mayavadi.
Madhudvisa: It says in the Caitanya-caritamrta, even if we look upon the face of a pasandi, we should jump in the river with all our clothes on to become immediately purified, what to speak of giving any aural reception to them. But then again we see that Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu listened, you know, attentively for so many hours to Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya and also Prakasananda Sarasvati. How is it can we understand...?
Prabhupada: Just to see how the animal is jumping. (to passers-by:) Hare Krsna. Jaya, jaya. (chuckles) Just like a fish is given freedom, even if he's caught up by the trap. It is like that.
Madhudvisa: So Lord Caitanya had him on the line all the time.
Prabhupada: Lord Caitanya was waiting, "Let the rascal go on speaking. How long he can speak?" (laughs)
Hari-sauri: He just waited till he dried up.
Prabhupada: Jaya. He's foolish. He knows that he has got some limited stock; it will be finished very soon, so "Let him finish, then I shall capture." That is Caitanya Mahaprabhu's policy.
Madhudvisa: But should we take that example or...?
Prabhupada: Yes. Why not?
Madhudvisa: We can also listen to the Mayavadis and then defeat them like that?
Prabhupada: If you are so qualified like Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
Madhudvisa: (laughs) Otherwise we should...
Prabhupada: Otherwise you will be captured.
Madhudvisa: Otherwise we shouldn't listen.
Prabhupada: No.
Jayadvaita: In America that's called giving someone enough rope to hang himself.
Prabhupada: Mm.
Pancadravida: In South India, when we were down there, we had to do that. We listened to them first and then took their money.
Madhudvisa: But we also should defeat them.
Pancadravida: Taking their money is defeating them.
Lokanatha: Srila Prabhupada, what is the position of vrajavasis, those who are living in Vrndavana now? What happens to them next life?
Prabhupada: Yes. Simply by living, if they do not commit any sinful, they'll go back to home. Simply by living. Without committing any sinful activities. Always remember Krsna, this is Krsna's land, man-mana bhava mad-bhakto. That will deliver them.
Madhudvisa: They don't need a spiritual master?
Prabhupada: Yes. Spiritual master is always needed. Chadiya vaisnava-seva nistara payeche keba. Without abiding by the orders of spiritual master and serving him, nobody can be. Otherwise rascal. He has accepted one rascal spiritual master, and he cannot understand what is God, nine years, because he did not accept spiritual master.
Hari-sauri: So all these local vrajavasis, they all accept...
Prabhupada: No, vrajavasis, they are... Generally, naturally, they are Krsna conscious. Otherwise how is this illiterate farmer, he is offering? This is natural.
Pancadravida: But he has no spiritual master.
Prabhupada: Eh?
Pancadravida: He has a spiritual master?
Prabhupada: No, no, he has a spiritual master, yes. And even without spiritual master they have already elevated to Krsna consciousness.
Pancadravida: So they will go back home?
Prabhupada: Oh, yes, because spiritual master is within, caitya-guru.
Lokanatha: You said one time Krsna is there.
Prabhupada: Mm. Krsna-guru-krpa. (end)

 

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Morning Walk -- April 8, 1976, Mayapur

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Laziness Is Less Than Demonic

Mayapura, February 12, 1976

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Prabhupada: ...I am your friend, I am God, so you sleep, I shall do everything. In Russia like that. When Arjuna refused to fight He chastised him like anything. What is the anarya-justam? He's just like non-Aryans, talking foolish. People should clearly understand that we don't encourage laziness. We never encourage. According to your capacity, guna-karma-vibhagasah [Bg. 4.13], you must work. Sarira yatrapi te na prasiddhyed akarmanah, Krsna says, "By not working, even if you cannot put on your body and soul together." Krsna says like that.Dayananda: Isn't laziness one of the demonic qualities, Srila Prabhupada?
Prabhupada: It is less than demonic. Demonic qualities, they have some activity and laziness is ignorance, darkness. Therefore too much sleeping is very, very bad. That is another part of laziness. Nidrahara-viharakadi-vijitau **, one has to conquer over this sleeping and laziness. Eating, nidra, ahara, vihara, sense gratification, vihara means sense gratification. One has to minimize these things up to the point of nil, that is perfect. When there is no more sleeping, no more eating, no more mating, and no more fearing, that is perfection of spiritual life. And that is not possible, but as much as possible. [break] ...they cannot sleep more that the culture (?) is very great gain, profit.
Hrdayananda: Consider a rich man. A rich man can sleep, a poor man must work.
Prabhupada: Oh.
Hrdayananda: They're always making agitation to reduce what they call the work week. Formerly they were working so many hours per week, now they want to reduce it down to forty, thirty, twenty hours per week.
Prabhupada: So why they're inventing machine? Machine means no work.
Hrdayananda: They think this is progress, everyone can lie down and the machines will work.
Prabhupada: Yes, machine, inventing machine means one machine can work for fifty men. The banks are using this, what is that, computer?
Hrdayananda: Yes, everyone is using computers.
Prabhupada: To save money. Machine means unemployment for many. Tractor, they're using, they're unemployment for bulls and plowmen and then they, bulls have to be killed. This is going on. Unemployment, then kill them. Vietnam, send all the men to fight and kill them. As soon as there is overpopulation, they declare war so that people may be killed.
Hrdayananda: Sometimes the soldiers became so disgusted that they would shoot their own officers.
Prabhupada: Yes.
Hrdayananda: But they would do it in such a way so it appeared to be accidents. Sometimes they would take little bomb and throw it into the tent of the officers and they would all be killed.
Prabhupada: What was the reason?
Hrdayananda: Well, because the officers, they were not qualified. They were simply foolish. They were directing them in such a way that they were all in danger.
Prabhupada: Oh.
Hrdayananda: And they could not understand why they were there. It was a foreign... They were used to America and so they had to go to the jungle but they were, they could not see the point of fighting...
Prabhupada: Mm. (indistinct)
Hrdayananda: So many times they would become so disgusted they would simply kill their own officers, shoot them or throw a bomb. Also in Vietnam, the majority of the soldiers were fighting intoxicated, marijuana and different drugs.
Dayananda: Also I think people have no respect for authority any more.
Prabhupada: No.
Dayananda: There's... All over the world people are not respecting any kind of authorities.
Prabhupada: No.
Dayananda: There are so many false...
Prabhupada: Especially the students. That means chaotic condition. [break] ...type of civilization, this material world.
Dayananda: Tagore (?) is so nice that your divine grace was presenting the perfect authority, Krsna.
Prabhupada: Yes. And one who follows His instruction, he also perfect. That we are pushing (indistinct) Krsna conscious, everything will be all right. Everyone is fallen, I asked this question to Kotofsky. "Sir, you have got a leader, we have got a leader, so where is the difference?" And then I said, "Only you have got a fool leader, we have got intelligent leader." Otherwise you cannot avoid leadership, authority. That is not possible.
Dayananda: They want to avoid but they... Impersonalists are catering to that desire, they want to avoid authority and so the impersonalists are encouraging that. So they are rascals, the...
Prabhupada: No, it is not possible to give up authority. That is not possible.
Hrdayananda: Your interview, those articles that you had spoken about, against Communism, are very, very brilliant. Actually we were struck with wonder to see the different arguments. Very, very important for South America because there the Communism is popular among the young students.
Prabhupada: They read it?
Hrdayananda: Yes, we just published it in our magazine.
Prabhupada: Oh. So they like that argument?
Hrdayananda: Yes, the argument was so intelligent that no one has ever thought of such intelligent arguments against Communism. Also the article on Freud, I think that book is very, very important. It will actually satisfy the students. No one else would dare to call these people fools. (laughter) (end)

 

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Morning Walk -- February 12, 1976, Mayapura

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Science Makes Everybody A Fool

Mayapura, February 4, 1976

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Prabhupada: Then, in the morning, it rises reddish. So why it does not look reddish always if it is fixed?Harikesa: Well, the material scientists say it's because of the atmospheric condition. It refracts the light in such a way that it becomes reddish. That's what they say. Because it's thicker atmosphere. You have to look through more atmos...
Prabhupada: Then how it comes so high? After few hours it goes so high.
Harikesa: Well, there is less atmosphere to look through. Why it goes up there?
Prabhupada: So that means move?
Harikesa: No, no. Because we're moving this way. The earth is rotating.
Prabhupada: You are moving, but why you say sometimes this position and sometimes that position?
Harikesa: Because the earth also moves like this. It's going around the sun, and then every day it rotates once.
Prabhupada: Hm?
Harikesa: It rotates on an axis like this. So therefore the sun seems to go around, but actually it's the earth that goes around.
Prabhupada: Now, if you measure when this sun and when it comes meridian distance, so do you think the earth is moving so quickly? It is... According to their modern science, the earth is moving twenty-five thousand miles only throughout... No, within twenty-four hours.
Harikesa: That's around the sun.
Prabhupada: Huh? Then is it possible...
Jagadisa: Twenty-four-hour day, twenty-five thousand miles circumference.
Prabhupada: So how earth has gone so quickly round that it is seen, the different position of the sun? This means sun is not fixed. Sun is moving. And in the Bhagavata it is said that it is moving at the rate of sixteen thousand miles per second. I think I have calculated that. Sixteen thousand miles.
Hrdayananda: Prabhupada? Does that mean that the sun is going around the earth?
Prabhupada: Hm?
Hrdayananda: Is the sun going around the earth?
Prabhupada: Sun is going around the whole planetary system.
Tamala Krsna: The scientists think the whole planetary system is going around the sun.
Bhavananda: Srila Prabhupada, earth is also moving?
Prabhupada: Hm?
Bhavananda: Earth planet is also moving?
Prabhupada: Along with all other stars. That you can see at night.
Tamala Krsna: They are all moving around the polestar.
Prabhupada: Yes.
Hrdayananda: So that means that the more we learn material education, (we're) just becoming more and more foolish.
Prabhupada: Yes. Material education means mudha. This is also material education, the movement of the sun. But they are not perfect.
Bhavananda: Srila Prabhupada, if the earth is moving so fast, why isn't everything blown off?
Prabhupada: Huh?
Bhavananda: Why are we not blown off the surface of this planet? Now it's moving so fast. How are we able to remain here and not be blown off?
Prabhupada: I do not follow.
Bhavananda: The planet is moving...
Harikesa: He's saying, "We're moving, so therefore the wind should blow everybody off, the speed."
Hrdayananda: Why is everything so peaceful if we're moving so fast?
Prabhupada: Which is moving so fast?
Hrdayananda: Well, Bhavananda said...
Bhavananda: Planet, this planet is moving so fast, but it doesn't appear to be moving at all.
Prabhupada: Suppose a small ant is on some big wheel, does it feel anything, movement? A big wheel and a small ant. What he will feel? This is called relativity. Law of relativity. Why you are thinking that relatively you are very big? That is your foolishness. You are nothing, insignificant. Therefore you are surprised when Krsna appeared as Varaha-murti, to take the whole earth on His nose. Who will say it is mythology? You do not know how great Krsna can become. Mahato mahiyan. Anu... What is that?
Hrdayananda: Anor ani...
Sastriji: Anor aniyan anusmared yah.
Prabhupada: Anor aniyan mahato mahiyat. So He is greater than the greatest. Yasodamayi thought that "My child are eating earth? So show." She saw all the planetary system within His mouth. So she thought, "What is this? All right, don't do this." (laughs)
Hrdayananda: So to accept a spiritual master means that one has to learn everything again.
Prabhupada: What is that?
Hrdayananda: That to accept a spiritual master means that we have to learn everything over again. Practically everything we learned was incorrect.
Prabhupada: It is correct to some extent but... Just like you can see to some extent, but that does not mean you can see everything. You have got limited potency. This is called unlimited and limited. We are limited.
Harikesa: Actually I think it makes much more sense, because when the scientists say that the earth spins around this way very quickly, then his point is valid. Why we don't fall off or why we don't feel good?
Prabhupada: It is not quickly. It is only...
Harikesa: But when the Bhagavata says the whole thing moves, then there is no friction.
Prabhupada: Yes.
Harikesa: Therefore it is still. It's not rubbing against everything because everything is moving.
Prabhupada: Yes. Just like this earth also. According to them it is going around the sun. But we don't feel anything. According to them. And according to..., it is running at the rate of twenty-five thousand miles, and if you, in airplane, it is going six hundred miles per hour, and still there is so many jerking. That is your creation, tiny machine. And God's creation, it is moving. Even it is moving, you cannot understand. That is perfect creation. Purnam. The word is purnam idam, everything perfect. Purnam idam purnam adah purnat purnam udacyate [Iso Invocation]. Because God is all-perfect, whatever He has created, they are all-perfect, relatively, all perfect. Just like this earth. It is all-perfect. Whatever you want, you inhabitants of this earth, they are all there. You want air, water, light? Everything is there. Purnam idam. Purnat purnam udacyate, purnasya purnam adaya. So you are using so much water, so much light; still, it is perfect. Just like the cultivation. Every year you are taking so much production. Still, again you can take. This is purnam idam, perfectly done. That is God's creation. This is body, you see. You have to capture something. You require some solid thing here. It is there. If it is..., it was soft, only skin, then you could not catch this. How perfectly it is done. It is required here, not the whole finger. This is called perfect creation. The sensation of sex is in a particular position, not everywhere, because if that sensation were not there, then nobody would feel sex, and there would be no creation. This is called perfect creation. The same sensation could have been here, there. No. That particular sensation is there to induce him. Similarly, everything is going on. How to fix it? Every body is made... Every body is made according to the work it has to do. You see? The pig, it has to eat stool. His mouth is made in a different way. The tiger has to eat meat; his mouth is made differently. This is called perfect creation.
Hrdayananda: And also among human beings, different human bodies are made differently.
Prabhupada: Oh, yes. According to... Karanam guna-sango 'sya sad-asad-yoni-janmasu [Bg. 13.22]. So according to the guna he's infecting, the body is made. If you infect some disease, smallpox, then you must get the disease. There is no excuse.
Hrdayananda: So a devotee... It is said in Bhagavad-gita that a devotee is above the modes of nature.
Prabhupada: Hm?
Hrdayananda: It is said in Bhagavad-gita, sa gunan samatityaitan [Bg. 14.26]. So when a devotee becomes very advanced, does that means that he should not feel a particular, an inclination to do a particular work but simply want to serve Krsna?
Prabhupada: Yes. Otherwise how they can give up sex life? Unless he is liberated, how he can give up sex life?
Harikesa: That's something which puzzles all the materialists.
Prabhupada: Mater... They are rascals, mudhas. Their only title is "mudha," ass. Visvanatha Cakravarti has described the karmis as mudhas. Karmis are lowest grade of mudhas. And above them the jnanis. And above them, muktas, liberated. And above them, bhakta. And above all bhaktas, krsna-bhakta. This is the graduation. So karmis, they are all mudhas.
Bhavananda: There are other kinds of bhaktas other than krsna-bhaktas?
Prabhupada: Huh? Yes. Narayana-bhakta, visnu-bhakta. They are all Krsna, but above all of them is krsna-bhakta.
Bhavananda: Many people in India, they say they are siva-bhaktas.
Prabhupada: They are all in the material world, karmis. Karma-kanda, ritualistic ceremonies. Prahlada Maharaja has described them. What is that very word used? And meaning is "one who cannot control their senses." Avijita-indriya. Ajitendriyanam, ajita, "one who could not conquer the senses," they are called karmis. Ajitendriyanam. So all these penances, silence, meditation, then studying the Vedic literature, and so many things are there. Prahlada Maharaja, in one word he says, "They are meant for ajitendriyanam, one who could not conquer over the senses, for them." And for a devotee, one who is actually pure devotee of Krsna, he is sa gunan samatityaitan [Bg. 14.26]. Not that a tiny devotee can claim that he has overcome the influence of this world. No. This is called paramahamsa. Sa gunan samatityaitan [Bg. 14.26]. Not that because you have taken to devotional..., you have become immediately. The process has begun immediately, curing process. But we should not think that we have become perfect. That is wrong. Yajna-dana-tapah-karma na tyajyam. Therefore you must follow the regulative principles. As soon as you become a rascal -- "Now I have become advanced. I don't require to chant sixteen rounds. I can do whatever I like" -- then he has gone to hell. Upstart, immediately he becomes paramahamsa. He's a rascal. He was given the path of becoming paramahamsa. One is admitted in the school, he must learn, and one day he will become M.A. But simply by entering in the school, if he says, "I am M.A.," that is rascaldom. This is a chance. To become jitendriya is very difficult task. But it is easy if he immediately becomes a pure devotee. Anyabhilasita-sunyam: [Brs. 1.1.11] "Everything make zero, all desire, except Krsna consciousness." That is wanted. But that does not become very easily done. One has to try very rigidly; then he'll be paramahamsa. Therefore amongst the devotees, there are three grades: kanistha-adhikari, madhyama-adhikari, and uttama-adhikari. So if the kanistha-adhikari thinks that "I have become uttama-adhikari," then he's a rascal. He's a rascal. If he wants to imitate the uttama-adhikari, then he's a rascal.
Hrdayananda: Is that cheating propensity?
Prabhupada: Not cheating. Foolishness. It may not be cheating, but he does not know. Arcayam eva haraye pujam yat sraddhayehate... What is that? Na tad-bhaktesu canyesu...
Hrdayananda: Bhaktah prakrtah.
Prabhupada: Sa bhaktah prakrtah smrtah. The beginning is arca, arcana. And because he was given the chance of arcana, if he thinks that "I become paramahamsa," then he's a foolish. It will take time. The process is there. Therefore preaching is madhyama-adhikari. One should take to preaching work gradually. When the preaching... Preachers, they have got discrimination, "Here is abhakta; here is bhakta." But in the paramahamsa stage, uttama-adhikari, he sees "Everyone is devotee. I am not devotee." That is uttama-adhikari. Just like Kaviraja Gosvami said, purisera kita haite muni se laghistha [Cc. Adi 5.205]. Sanatana Gosvami said that "I am born in low-grade family. My work is low grade." [break] ...issued that complaint? "I am the counterpart."
Sastriji: Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati.
Prabhupada: The laborers have not come yet? [break] ...Bhagavad-gita verse? Punyo gandhah prthivyam ca? What is the full sloka? Punyo gandhah prthivyam ca. That this flavor of the rose...
Tamala Krsna: "Original fragrance of the earth"?
Prabhupada: Yes. Out of that, most fragrant flavor, Krsna says, "I am directly that." So if you are Krsna conscious, having this flavor, he'll understand, "Here is Krsna." This is Krsna consciousness. Punyo gandhah prthivyam ca. This flavor is there all over this earth, but you cannot see it. That does not mean there is no God. But He is there.
Visvakarma: It would be easier for them if they didn't live in the cities, because the cities make it so hard for anybody to understand there is a God.
Prabhupada: After all, understanding... Therefore they are mudhas. They have to understand. If they do not understand, they remain mudha. That is human life. The human being should understand that "I am mudha, so I'll have to learn." And the Vedas says, "Then go to guru." Tad-vijnanartham sa gurum evabhigacchet: [MU 1.2.12] "You must go if you want to learn." And if he remains mudha and speculates, then he remains mudha. He never gets the enlightenment. He remains continually... Mudha janmani janmani mam aprapyaiva [Bg. 16.20]. He cannot get God. Life after life, he will go on like that, mudha. Asurisu-yoni. Asurika-yoni. He'll remain completely ignorant about God, what was his function, only function to understand God during this life of human form of life. And so-called science wants to keep him rascal and mudha, that's all. Therefore we fight so much with these rascals, big rascals. They want to keep them. He is mudha, he is blind, and he's trying to lead other blind men. Andha yathandhair upaniyamanas te 'pisa-tantryam [SB 7.5.31]. Rascal does not know that he is hand and bound..., hand and leg, bound up by the laws of material; still he denies, that "I am independent. I can think independently. I can avoid God," and so many things. Therefore they are mudhas. He cannot do it. In every inch he is bound up, and still he is thinking, "independent." That is the first-class mudha. Mudho 'yam nabhijanati loko mam ajam avyayam [Bg. 7.25]. Every... Dark, darkness. He keeps himself in darkness. This life was given to him by nature to become liberated by understanding God, but he does not take care of. He is making plan: "We shall be happy like this. We shall be happy like this. We shall be happy like this." Therefore they are mudhas. That will not help him. He does not know that. And if he simply tries to understand Krsna, he becomes immediately liberated. Janma karma me divyam yo janati tattvatah tyaktva deham punar janma naiti.. [Bg. 4.9].. Everything is there. But he will do so many plans, and nothing will be successful. He'll avoid Krsna. This is the first-class mudha. Athato brahma jijnasa, the Vedanta philosophy's first instruction: "Now you inquire about God. This is the only chance. As cats and dogs you cannot do that. Now, atha, atah. You have enjoyed your senses so much as cats, dogs, tigers, so on, so on. Now you devote to understand, inquiry." Athato brahma jijnasa.
Tamala Krsna: It's about five minutes to seven, Srila Prabhupada.
Prabhupada: We shall go? No.
Tamala Krsna: If you like. It's a little early still. You could walk out to the front gate today and see how they are painting.
Prabhupada: Yes, yes. Yes. So let us go. [break] ...says, uttisthata jagrata prapta-varan nibodhata.(?)Bhaktivinoda Thakura says, jiv jago, jiv jago. Still he will sleep in this human form of life and remain animal, cat and dog. A simple word, jiv jago, jiv jago. This is Vedic instruction. Uttisthata jagrata: "Get up. Be awakened. You have got this body. Try to understand God." That they will not do. They'll come to fight: "Oh, you are playing mrdanga at four o'clock and disturbing my sleeping?" This is going on. "Let me go to the police. You are trying to awaken me from my sleeping? You are trying to make me intelligent? Let me remain fool. Why you are disturbing me?" Maya's influence. Kota nidra jao maya-pisacira kole. Simply wasting of time. Nidrahara-viharakadi-vijitau **. The Gosvamis, they conquered over sleeping first, nidra, then eating. Nidrahara-viharakadi-vijitau. What is this?
Bhavananda: It says, [break] "...when not in use."
Prabhupada: What is this?
Tamala Krsna: It's for the gate.
Prabhupada: So why it is like that? People may fall down.
Tamala Krsna: In other words, it should be up there in the day.
Prabhupada: [ ...again mudha.
Sudama: [break] ...speaking about how they are complaining that we are waking them up. A very interesting story... In Hawaii for one year every day this one man living next door to us every morning would call the police force at guru-puja. So many cars would come, three, four police cars. So finally, after one or two weeks' coming, they would come very happily, and they would take prasada. So they came because he called, they had to follow his complaint, but they told me personally, "We are coming not to arrest you or complain. We like your activities. Please give us some prasadam."
Hrdayananda: Also in Caracas many, many police cars come to the temple for prasadam.
Prabhupada: Yes.
Tamala Krsna: Prabhupada, I think your dhoti is pulling...
Hrdayananda: [break] ...that the people against us were trying to prove that we're not actually a real religion. So the judge became very angry at the other lawyer and stood up on his bench. The judge stood up and said, "Are you trying to say that these people are not a bona fide religion?" And the lawyer said, "No, your honor. No." (laughter)
Hari-sauri: In Sydney they spent ten thousand dollars, the council, compiling a case against us. Every day they used to come and film us and take names. And we didn't contest the case but just carried on sankirtana, and the judge threw them out of court. They spent ten thousand dollars -- it was a big scandal -- and lost the case. The judge said, "Why not let them go on the streets? They add a lot of color to the city."
Hrdayananda: [break] People are always asking about you, Srila Prabhupada.
Prabhupada: Hm. [break] No, I shall go now. Is it direct flight? No.
Hrdayananda: It is very far away. Everyone is... Even the guests, everyone is always asking about Srila Prabhupada.
Tamala Krsna: I was wondering whether -- I was speaking with Sudama Maharaja -- whether it would be possible for him to come and be in the boat program with Sudama Maharaja. (end)

 

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Morning Walk -- February 4, 1976, Mayapura

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