The Only Way to Peace of Mind
Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.26.21
Bombay, December 30, 1974
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Prabhupada:
yat tat sattva-gunam svaccham
santam bhagavatah padam
yad ahur vasudevakhyam
cittam tan mahad-atmakam
[SB 3.26.21]
bahunam janmanam ante
jnanavan mam prapadyate
vasudevah sarvam iti
sa mahatma sudurlabhah
[Bg. 7.19]
This state, vasudevakhyam or cittam, always filled up with Vasudeva consciousness... Vasudeva, Krsna... Om namo bhagavate vasudevaya. So our present position of consciousness is polluted by the three modes of material nature: sattva-guna, tamo-guna and rajo-guna. Here sattva-guna, the mode of goodness, the brahminical qualification... Satyam samo damah saucam arjavam, jnanam vijnanam astikyam brahma-karma svabhava-jam [Bg. 18.42]. Still it has to be purified. That is called svaccham. Svaccham means completely crystallike clear. Just like we have got experience: If you go into the mid-ocean, you can see within the water very deep, twenty feet, thirty feet, very clear. Those who have gone through a sea, they have experienced. Very clear. So the citta, consciousness, must be clear. Vasudevakhyam: when one can clearly see Vasudeva or the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is possible. Simply we have to purify the citta.
That is the process given by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, how to cleanse the citta, consciousness. Ceto-darpana-marjanam [Cc. Antya 20.12]. Marjanam means cleansing, polishing. Ceto-darpana-marjanam. And as soon as the citta, or consciousness, you perfectly cleanse, then bhava-maha-davagni-nirvapanam, this bhava-maha-davagni... The material existence is compared with blazing forest fire. This is the right comparison because in the forest nobody goes to set fire, but it takes place. You cannot stop it. And when the forest fire is there, you cannot stop the fire also by your so many counteracting method, namely getting the fire brigade or buckets of water. That is also not possible. Therefore Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura has compared this material life as blazing forest fire, samsara-davanala-lidha-loka **.
This material world is blazing fire. Blazing fire means the forest fire. The forest fire... The example is very typical, because nobody goes to set fire in the forest, neither it is possible to extinguish the fire in the forest by your so many counteractive methods. This is very appropriate example. Similarly, in the material existence nobody wants any trouble, but automatically the trouble comes. Everyone has got experience: everyone is trying for happiness -- nobody wants for distress -- but distress comes here. You cannot stop it. Therefore those who are advanced in knowledge, they take it for granted that "I do not want distress. So the distress cannot be checked. It comes upon me. Then why shall I try for happiness? It will also come." This is very right conclusion. If without my endeavor distress comes upon me, so there are two things, distress and happiness, two counterparts. So if distress can come upon me without any endeavor, so the happiness also will come without any endeavor because this is another counterpart. So why shall I waste my time for this material distress and happiness?
That is the injunction of the sastra:
tasyaiva hetoh prayateta kovido
na labhyate yad bhramatam upary adhah
tal labhyate duhkhavad anyatah sukham
kalena sarvatra gabhira-ramhasa
[SB 1.5.18]
Tal labhyate duhkhavad anyatah sukham. Just like distress comes upon me without endeavor, similarly, according to my destiny... Destiny means to some extent we suffer, and to some extent we enjoy. Actually, there is no enjoyment, but we take it for enjoyment. The struggle for existence, the struggle for mitigating suffering, we take it as happiness. Actually there is no happiness in this material world. So anyway, even there is happiness and distress, two relative terms, the one can come without any endeavor -- the other also will come without any endeavor. That is a fact. Everyone is trying to become happy according to his own mental concoction or endeavor, but there cannot be any unalloyed happiness. That is the nature of this material world. The conclusion should be, therefore, "We are destined to suffer a certain extent of so-called happiness and certain extent of so-called distress." The distress is also so-called, and the happiness is also so-called. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gita, agamapayinah anityah tams titiksasva bharata: "The happiness and distress which comes and goes, they are anityah. They will not stay."
The example is given, sitosna-sukha-duhkha-dah. The winter season and the summer season, they come and go. To somebody, winter season is very nice, and to somebody, summer season is very nice. In the Western countries they like summer season very much, and in this tropical country they like winter season very much. So actually, summer and winter, they are neither distress nor happiness. It is due to the touch of the skin. Matra-sparsas tu. Matra-sparsah means it is due to the touching of the skin we feel like that, distress and happiness. Actually this material world, as certified by Krsna, it is place of distress. There is no happiness. Duhkhalayam asasvatam [Bg. 8.15]. It has been described in the Bhagavad-gita, "This place is place for miserable condition." Duhkha alayam. Alayam, so long you are not annihilated, this place is duhkhalayam. It is miserable condition. We have several times explained.
So we have to purify the consciousness. Then we shall be without any touch of this so-called distress and happiness. That is prescribed here: yat tat sattva-gunam svaccham. Here there is little happiness in the sattva-guna. But still, that sattva-guna can be contaminated by rajo-guna and tamo-guna. Rajo-guna, tamo-guna-directly distress. And sattva-guna, there is little taste of happiness, but that is not complete happiness. The complete happiness is that sattva-guna without any touch of rajo-guna and tamo-guna. That is transcendental. So here it is described that yat tat sattva-gunam... sattva-gunam does... Not this sattva-gunam: rajo-guna, tamo-guna, sattva-guna, but svaccham. Svaccham means cleansed, completely cleansed, without any tinge of material quality. Yat tat sattva-gunam svaccham santam. Santam. Everyone is seeking peace of mind. People come to spiritual societies or some other way. Everyone is searching after some peace, santam. Santi. The santi can be attained when this sattva-gunam svaccham, when the sattva-guna, your status will be on the sattva-guna and completely cleansed. Then you can get santi. Completely cleansed means... That is explained in the Bhagavad-gita, na socati na kanksati: "There is no lamentation, and there is no hankering." Then it is santi. As soon as there is some hankering, you cannot have santi. That is not possible. And as soon as there is some possession, you cannot be without lamentation. The two things material, they are ruling over us. We are hankering after something which we do not possess, and what we possess, if it is lost, then we are lamenting. So santi means no hankering, no lamenting. That is called santi.
So generally, whatever we may possess, but the hankering is there. That is rajo-guna. That is rajo-guna, always hankering, even up to the stage of so-called perfection. Just like the karmis. Karmis, they think that perfection of life is very, very high standard of life, very happy, comfortable. Just like in the Western countries, they think that to have nice roads, nice motorcar, and very high skyscraper building, and facilities, modern comforts... What is called? So that is the standard of happiness. And we Eastern people, we are also imitating them. But actually, ask them, who possesses all them, that "Whether you have attained the position of no hankering?" No, that is not possible. The hankering is there. What to think of possessing these material facilities, even one goes to the heavenly planet, that is also included within the happiness of the karmis. They want happiness in this world as well as after this world. After death also, they want to go to the heavenly planet, Svargaloka, where the duration of life is many, many thousands of years, and the standard of happiness is very, very high. There the place is very beautiful, the women are very beautiful, the gardens there... These descriptions are there. Nandana-kanana and apsaras there are. So this is also another higher standard of life, duration of life. That is the position of the karmis.
And the jnanis, they are hankering after to become one with the Supreme. They have experienced that even the standard of material happiness available in the heavenly planets, that also did not give them complete satisfaction. So they aspire to become one with the Supreme, that "That will give me happiness. I become one with..." Monist. Aham brahmasmi: "I am one with Brahman." So that is also hankering. Mukti. Mukti means liberation from this material unhappiness and come to the spiritual happiness, "I am Brahman. I am the same Supreme," thinking, concoction, like that. So there is also hankering. And siddhi, yogis, they want many perfection: anima, laghima, mahima, prapti-siddhi, prakamya, isita, vasita. There are eight kinds of yogic siddhi. You can become smaller than the smallest, you can become bigger than the biggest, you can become lighter than the lightest, you can get anything you like immediately. These are some of the yoga-siddhis. But this is also hankering. This is also hankering, not santa. Either karmi... What to speak of ordinary being? They are simply hankering. Even the so-called perfect karmis, jnanis, yogis, they are also not santa. They are hankering.
Therefore Caitanya-caritamrta karaca says, bhukti-mukti-siddhi-kami-
So these materialistic persons, the karmis, they are trying to be happy by material adjustment. That has been described in the Bhagavata, durasaya: "This kind of hope is never to be fulfilled. It will never be successful." But the karmis, they think they will be successful. They are struggling very hard. So durasaya ye bahir-artha-maninah. How? Now, bahir-artha. Bahih, bahih prajna, or external energy, or the material energy. The material energy is called external energy. So that is called bahih. Bahih means external.
na te viduh svartha-gatim hi visnum
durasaya ye bahir-artha-maninah
andha yathandhair upaniyamanas
te 'pisa-tantryam uru-damni baddhah
[SB 7.5.31]
Because they are thinking so, tied up by the rules and regulation of the stringent laws of material nature. But they are thinking... They are called karmis.
So they cannot be santa. By material activities you cannot be happy or peaceful. That is not possible. That is being explained here, that yat tat sattva-gunam svaccham santam. Sattva-guna. You have to come to the platform of the mode of goodness, and still it is to be purified. That is called vasudeva platform, or transcendental platform. As it is explained in the Bhagava..., vasudevah sarvam iti [Bg. 7.19]. That time, when you come to that platform, you will see everything godly. Vasudevah sarvam. Isavasyam idam sarvam [Iso mantra 1]. Everything God conscious. That is the platform of santi. Beyond that or before that, you cannot have. Either you become karmi, or you become jnani, or you become yogi, there is no question of santi. That is not possible. Therefore Caitanya-caritamrta karaca says that krsna-bhakta -- niskama, ataeva 'santa' [Cc. Madhya 19.149]. "A krsna-bhakta, a devotee of Lord Krsna, a person who is fully Krsna conscious, he has no such desire." He has no such desire. Just like Caitanya Mahaprabhu says in His prayer, na dhanam na janam na sundarim kavitam va jagadisa kamaye [Cc. Antya 20.29, Siksastaka 4]. This is the position of devotee. Generally karmis, they want something from God. They go to temple, they go to church, for begging something: "I am distressed. I have no money. Kindly give me some money." "I am hungry, give me my daily bread." "Give me," something "give me." So this so long we are on the platform of "give me," you will never be happy. You will get it. If you go to God and ask Him, "God, give me my daily bread," so it is not very difficult for God to give you bread. He is giving bread to everyone. Why not to you? He is giving bread to the elephants, He is giving bread to the ants, and what you can eat? That is not very difficult thing. But you should go to God not for begging something but for giving something. That is Vasudeva stage. Then you will get santi, when you will go to God not for begging material happiness or material liberation, mukti, bhukti-mukti, and not for any jugglery, magic things, just like yogis show some magic.
So if you want all these things, then you will never get happiness. You will be troubled. Therefore a devotee... Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's standard of devotion: nothing to possess. Na dhanam na janam na sundarim kavitam va jagadisa kamaye. Nothing to possess.
na dhanam na janam na sundarim
kavitam va jagadisa kamaye
mama janmani janmanisvare
bhavatad bhaktir ahaituki tvayi
[Cc. Antya 20.29, Siksastaka 4]
Bhakti. Bhakti means our relationship with God is bhakti, giving service. God is great, and we are most insignificant servant of God. Our business is to give service to God. When you come to this stage, then there will be santi. Otherwise there is no possibility of santi. Bhukti-mukti-siddhi-kami-
So if I give up everything that I may be doubtful, "Then how things will go on? How I shall live if give it?" No, you shall live if you believe in Krsna. Raksisyati iti visvasa palanam. If Krsna says that "I shall give you protection," so why shall I not believe it? This is called surrender, full surrender, that "Krsna, let me engage myself in Krsna's service as Krsna orders."
sarva-dharman parityajya
mam ekam saranam vraja
aham tvam sarva-papebhyo
moksayisyami ma sucah
[Bg. 18.66]
If we take this assurance from Krsna, then there is santi. Otherwise there is no santi. That is called sattva-gunam svaccham. "So I am taking to this worship of Deity, but at the same time let me have something privately so that in case of my distress, if Krsna fails to help me, this money will help me." That is not svaccham. Svaccham means clear. That is not... Therefore Caitanya Mahaprabhu advises,
niskincanasya bhagavad-bhajanonmukhasya
param param jigamisor bhava-sagarasya
sandarsanam visayinam atha yositam ca
ha hanta hanta visa-bhaksanato 'py asadhu
[Cc. Madhya 11.8]
So we, of course, we are not so advanced, but we have got many examples of advanced devotees. Still there are in India. You will find in Vrndavana and other places. Actually, they have no means -- simply depending. They take their bath in the Yamuna and sit down and chant Hare Krsna. There are still such devotees. But everything is going on. So that is santa, completely depending on God. That is the highest stage of devotional life. Vasudevah sarvam iti sa mahatma sudurlabhah [Bg. 7.19]. There are many stories and many incidences. And that's a fact, that, as it is said by Bhagavan,
bhoktaram yajna-tapasam
sarva-loka-mahesvaram
suhrdam sarva-bhutanam
[Bg. 5.29]
Suhrdam sarva-bhutanam. He is well-wisher, friend, of everyone. Suhrdam sarva-bhutanam jnatva mam santim rcchati. If we actually believe in Vasudeva, Krsna, that "He is friend of everyone. And why He is not my friend?" Everyone means I am included also. So this kind of faith, when there is this faith, then bhagavad-bhakti begins. When we take up this instruction of Krsna very seriously,
sarva-dharman parityajya
mam ekam saranam vraja
[Bg. 18.66]
vasudevah sarvam iti
sa mahatma sudurlabhah
[Bg. 7.19]
This is the beginning of mahatma. Sa mahatma sudurlabhah.
So mahatma's business is: ananyas cintayanto mam ye janah paryupasate. A mahatma has no other business than devotional service, sravanam kirtanam visnoh, always hearing about the Supreme Lord, always glorifying the Supreme Lord, sravanam kirtanam visnoh. Visnu is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. But that we do not know. Na te viduh svartha-gatim hi visnum [SB 7.5.31]. That we do not know. And because people, they do not know it, therefore this mission, Krsna consciousness, is there, just to make people enlightened, "Know it now. Know it now. In the other previous lives, cats, dogs, trees, and fishes and insects and all so many other -- there are eight million, four hundred... -- you could not know it. Now you have got this human form of body. Take advantage of this knowledge. Take advantage of the information given in the Vedic literature." Uttisthata jagrata prapya varan nibodhata. "You have got so much advantages. Now learn them. And you have got developed consciousness, human being. Try to understand them. And then your life will be successful."
To come to that state, here it is stated that you have to purify your citta, consciousness, svaccham, crystallike, crystallike, transparent, svaccham. And that santam bhagavatah padam, that is the stage of understanding Bhagavan. Evam prasanna-manaso bhagavad-bhakti-yogatah [SB 1.2.20]. This stage can be attained by bhagavad-bhakti, by devotional service. This devotional service begins simply by hearing and chanting. We have got all these books. Anyone can take advantage of these books. Now it is translated into English. Of course, we are getting very, very good, encouraging reports from Western countries. Our books are selling very nicely, beyond our capacity of supply, all over Europe, America especially. Especially in America, all libraries, colleges, professors, educationists, they are very with great respect receiving these books.
So these books are there to remind us: ataeva krsna veda-purana padila. Because we have forgotten Krsna, because we have forgotten God on account of restless mind, so we have to make it santa, calm and peaceful. Without becoming calm and peaceful, you cannot understand what is God. Ceta etair anaviddham sthitam sattve prasidati. When our heart will be no more attacked by the sattva-guna and rajo-guna, we come into the platform..., er, rajo-guna and tamo-guna... Nasta-prayesu abhadresu nityam bhagavata-sevaya [SB 1.2.18]. This class is held for understanding Srimad-Bhagavatam. Why? Just to cleanse the heart. Ceto-darpana-marjanam. Nityam bhagavata-sevaya. Not that we are almost free from all the contamination, but even little washed away... It begins immediately. As soon as you begin hearing and chanting of these literatures or chanting Hare Krsna mantra, immediately the cleansing method begins. And nasta-prayesu abhadresu. Almost cleansed, not that properly, cent percent clean. Nasta-prayesu abhadresu nityam bhagavata-sevaya. Daily. Not this Bhagavata-saptaha, official. No. Nityam. There is no such thing as Bhagavata-saptaha in any Vedic literature. This is another manufacture, concoction. The Bhagavata says, nityam bhagavata-sevaya: "You have to twenty-four hours engaged in bhagavata, in the service of bhagavata, the person bhagavata or the book Bhagavata." Bhagavata, there are two kinds of bhagavata. Person bhagavata is the spiritual master, and the book Bhagavata. So there is no difference, because the person bhagavata advises you read Bhagavata. And by reading Bhagavata, you understand what is Bhagavan, what is spiritual master.
So in this way,
nasta-prayesv abhadresu
nityam bhagavata-sevaya
bhagavaty uttama-sloke
bhaktir bhavati naisthiki
[SB 1.2.18]
This is the process to make the heart cleansed and gradually attain the perfection of complete peacefulness. And that complete peacefulness is the stage for understanding the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Thank you very much. (end)
© 2001 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International.
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