"Predominator To Predominated"

Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.8.27
Los Angeles, April 19, 1973

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Devotee:

namo 'kincana vittaya
nivrtta-guna-vrttaye
atmaramaya santaya
kaivalya-pataye namah

"My obeisances are unto You, who are the property of the materially impoverished. You have nothing to do with the actions and reaction of the material modes of nature. You are self-satisfied, and therefore You are the most gentle and are master of the monists."

Prabhupada: So namah akincana-vittaya. Materially impoverished. This is the first qualification of a devotee. One who does not possess anything of this material world, he simply possess Krsna. That is akincana-vitta. Akincana means one who has lost everything of material possession. Because if you have got a, a small tinge of idea that "I want to become happy materially in this way," so long you have to accept a body.

The nature is so kind that in whichever way you want to enjoy this material world, she will give you a suitable body under the direction of the Lord. Because Lord is situated everyone's heart. So He knows everything, that you still want something material. He will give you. "Yes, you take it." Krsna wants that you get full experience that by material gain, you'll never be happy. This is Krsna's business. It's full freedom. Although we have got minute quantity of freedom, because we are part and parcel of Krsna. Krsna has got full freedom, but the freedom quality is there in me because I am part and parcel of Krsna. The chemical composition. The drop of sea water has got a drop of salt also. Although it is not comparable with the salt containing in the sea water. But the salt chemical is there. This is our understanding. Janmady asya yatah [SB 1.1.1]. Whatever we have got in minute quantity, the same thing, in fullness is there in Krsna. In fullness. Just like Krsna says: mrtyuh sarva-haras ca aham.

Now we have got a propensity to take other's thing. You can say it is stealing. We have got that propensity. Why? Now Krsna has got. Krsna is known as the Butter-thief. The beginning, thiefing, stealing. So unless that stealing propensity's there, how I can get? But Krsna's stealing and my stealing is different. Because I am materially contaminated, therefore my stealing is abominable. Whereas the same stealing in the spiritual absolute platform is so nice that enjoyable. Mother Yasoda enjoying the activities of stealing by Krsna. That is the difference. Material and spiritual. Any activities spiritual, that is all good, and any activity, material, that is all bad. This is the difference. Here, the so-called morality, goodness, they're all bad. And in the spiritual world, so-called immorality is also good. That you have to understand.

Just like to dance with others' wives at dead of night, this is immoral. Everyone knows. At least in the Vedic civilization, it is not allowed. A young woman is going to another young man at dead of night to dance with him. This will never be allowed in India. Still it is prohibited. But we find that all the gopis as soon as they heard the flute immediately they came. So from material conception it is immoral, but from the spiritual conception, it is the greatest morality. Just like Caitanya Mahaprabhu says: ramya kacid upasana vraja-vadhu-vargena ya kalpita. "Oh, there is no better mode of worship than what was conceived by the vraja-vadhus, the damsels of Vrndavana." Caitanya Mahaprabhu was very strict about women. In His family life also, He never played any joke with women. He was very joking. But all, all with men. He never played any joke with women. No. Perhaps only once He played joke with His wife, Visnu-priya. When Sacimata was searching after something, she, He simply played a joking word: "Maybe your daughter-in-law has taken it." That is the only joking we find in His whole life. Otherwise, He was very strict. No woman could come, when He was sannyasi, could come hear Him to offer obeisances. They would offer obeisances from a distant place. But He says: ramya kacid upasana vraja-vadhu-vargena ya kalpita. He says that there is no conception of worshiping better than what was conceived by the vraja-vadhus. And what was the vraja-vadhus' conception? That they wanted to love Krsna, at any risk. So this is not immoral. That we have to understand. Anything in relationship.

Just like Prahlada Maharaja. Prahlada Maharaja is standing, and his father is being killed. Is it moral? Would you like to see your father being killed in your presence and you stand. You don't protest. Is that moral? Nobody will approve it, that this is moral. But actually it so happened that Hiranyakasipu was being killed... The picture is here. And Prahlada Maharaja is trying to garland -- the killer. "My dear Lord, Killer, You take this garland. You are killing my father. You are very good boy." You see. This is, this is spiritual understanding. Nobody will sanction that you, if you cannot protect your father, you must protest, you must cry that: "Here is my father is being killed. Come on, come on, come on. Help..." No. He's prepared with the garland. And when he was killed, he said to Nrsimhadeva: "My dear Lord, now my father is killed. So everyone is happy. You now wind up Your angry mood." Nobody is unhappy. He said this very word. Modeta sadhur api vrscika-sarpa-hatya. Modeta sadhur api. A sadhu, a saintly person never approves that one should be killed. Never. Even an animal. A sadhu does not approve. Why animal should be killed? That is sadhu's business. But Prahlada Maharaja says: modeta sadhur api. A sadhu, a saintly person, is also pleased... When? When a scorpion or a snake is killed. They're also living entity. A sadhu is never satisfied seeing another living entity being killed, but Prahlada Maharaja says "Even a sadhu is pleased when a snake is killed or a scorpion is killed. So my father is just like snake and scorpion. So he's killed. Therefore everyone is happy." Everyone was... Such demon, who simply troubles the devotees, such demon, a very dangerous demon. So when such demon is killed, even saintly persons are satisfied. Although saintly persons, they do not want anybody should be killed. So Krsna is akincana-vitta. One who has lost everything materially, for him, Krsna is the only solace.

So Krsna is so kind that if anyone wants material prosperity, and, at the same time, wants to become a devotee... That is stated in the Caitanya-caritamrta that: "Somebody wants Me. At the same time, he wants material prosperity. He's a fool. He's a fool." Therefore people are very much afraid, coming to Krsna consciousness. "Oh, my material prosperity will be finished." Because they want, don't, do not want that. They want to stick to... Generally, they go to church, go to temple for material prosperity. "God give us our daily bread." This is material prosperity. Or "Give me this, give me that." But they're also considered as pious because they have approached God.

The atheist class, they do not approach. They say: "Why shall I approach God? I shall create my wealth, by advancement of science, I shall be happy." They are duskrtinah, most sinful, one who says like that, that: "For my prosperity, I shall depend on my own strength, my own knowledge." They are duskrtinah. But one who thinks that "My prosperity depends on the mercy of God," they're pious. They're pious. Because, after all, without sanction of God, nothing can be achieved. That's a fact. Tavad tanur idam tanupeksitanam(?). That is also statement of That we have discovered so many counter-acting methods for diminishing our distressed condition, but if it is not sanctioned by God, these counteracting proposition will fail.

The example is... Just like you have discovered nice medicine, very qualified physician. That's all right. But when a man is sick, ask the physician: "Can you guarantee the life of this patient?" He'll never say: "No, I can do so. I cannot do that. I try my best. That's all." That means the sanction is in the hand of God. "I am simply instrument. If God does not like that you should live, then all my medicines, all my scientific knowledge, medical knowledge, will fail." The ultimate sanction is Krsna's. They, the foolish persons, they do not know. They are, they are, therefore they are called mudha, rascals. That whatever you are doing, that is very good, but, ultimately, if it is not sanctioned by God, by Krsna, this will be all failure. They do not know that. Therefore they are mudhas. And a devotee knows that: "Whatever intelligence, I have got, I may try to become happy, if Krsna does not sanction, I'll never be happy." This is the distinction between devotee and nondevotee.

So Krsna says that: "Anyone who is trying to approach Me, to become Krsna conscious, at the same time, he wants to become materially happy, he's not very intelligent." That means he's wasting his time. Our main business is how to become Krsna conscious. This is the main business of human life. But if we waste our time for material improvement, and forget chanting, then that is loss, great loss. So such mentality, Krsna says: ami vijna ei murkhe visaya kene diba. "So this rascal is asking some material prosperity from Me by discharging devotional service. Why shall I give him material prosperity? Rather, whatever he has got, I shall take it away." Yes. (laughter) It is not laughing. When it is taken away, we become very morose. But that is the test. That is stated by Krsna Himself to Yudhisthira Maharaja: yasyaham anugrhnami harisye tad dhanam sanaih.

Yudhisthira Maharaja indirectly inquired from Krsna that: "We are completely dependent on you, and still we are suffering materially so much, that our kingdom is taken away, our wife is insulted, we were attempted to be burned in a house." So Krsna said: "Yes that is My first business." Yasyaham anugrhnami harisye tad dhanam sanaih. "If I specially favor anybody, then I take away all his sources of income." Very dangerous. Yes. I have got my practical experience in this connection. Yes. That is Krsna's special favor. I do not wish to narrate, but it is a fact. It is a fact. My Guru Maharaja ordered me when I was twenty-five years old that: "You go and preach." But I thought: "First of all, I shall become a rich man, and I shall use that money for preaching work."

So that's a long history. I got good opportunity for becoming very rich man in business. And some astrologer told me that: "You should have become like Birla." So there was some chances, very good chances. I was manager in a big chemical factory. I started my own factory, the business was very successful. But everything was dismantled. I was forced to come to this position to carry out my order of my Guru Maharaja. Akincana-vittaya. When everything was finished, then I took Krsna, that: "You are the only..." Therefore Krsna is akincana-vitta. When one becomes finished of all his material opulences

And now I am realizing that I have not lost. I've gained. I've gained. That's a fact. So to lose material opulences for Krsna's sake is not loss. It is the greatest gain. Therefore it is said: akincana-vitta. When one becomes akincana, nothing to possess, everything finished, then Krsna becomes the only riches for such person. Because he's devotee. Just like Narottama dasa Thakura says:

ha ha prabhu nanda-suta, vrsabhanu-suta-juta
karuna karaha ei-bara
narottama-dasa koy, na theliha ranga pay
toma bine ke ache amara

This position, that: "Krsna, except Yourself, I have nothing to claim. I have nothing, no possession. So don't neglect me because You are my only possession." This position is very nice. When we do not depend on anything material, simply depend on Krsna. That is first-class position of Krsna consciousness. Therefore Krsna is addressed: akincana-vittaya. "When one becomes impoverished materially, You are the only wealth." Akincana-vittaya. Namah akincana-vitta,... nivrtta-guna-vrttaye. "The result is that when one takes You as the only possession, immediately he becomes free from the activities of this material nature." That means immediately he's posted on the transcendental position of the Absolute. Akincana-vittaya nivrtta-guna-vrttaye, atmaramaya. "At that time, he becomes happy with You, as You are Krsna, You are happy with Yourself..."

Because Krsna has no difference between body and self. He's simply self, spirit soul. So we have got now this body and self. I am self, but I possess this body. Then when actually we become dependent on Krsna, as Krsna is self-satisfied, similarly we can e also self-satisfied with Krsna. Kaivalya, kaivalya-pataye namah. The Mayavadi philosophers, they, monists, they want to become one with the Supreme. As Supreme is self-satisfied, they also want to be self-satisfied by becoming one with the Supreme. Our philosophy is also the same, kaivalya. But we depend on Krsna. We do not become one with, one with Krsna. That is oneness. If we simply agree to abide by the order of Krsna, there is no disagreement, that is oneness.

These Mayavadi philosophers, they think that: "Why shall I keep my individual, separate existence? I shall become merged into..." That is not possible. Because we are created, not created, from the very beginning... We are separated part and parcel. We are separated parts and parcels. therefore Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita: "My dear Arjuna, you, Me, and all these persons who have assembled in this battlefield, we were in the past individuals. We are, at present, individuals, and in the future, we shall continue to remain as individuals. We are all individual." Nityo nityanam cetanas cetananam. He's the Supreme nitya, Supreme Living Force amongst many, innumerable living forces. We are jiva, innumerable, ananta. There is no counting how many we are. Sa anantyaya kalpate. So this ananta, innumerable living entities, and Krsna is also a living entity, but He's the chief. That is the difference. Nityo nityana...

Just like there is leader. Leader is one, and followers, there are many. Similarly Krsna is the Supreme Living Entity, and we are subordinate, dependent living entities. That is the difference. Dependent, we can understand, if Krsna does not supply us food, we starve. That's a fact. We cannot produce anything. Eko yo bahunam vidadhati kaman. So Krsna is maintaining, and we are being maintained. Therefore Krsna shall be the predominator, and we shall be predominated. That is our natural constitutional position. Therefore if we want to become predominator falsely in this material world, that is illusion, That we must give up. That we must give up. We shall always try to become predominated by Krsna. That is successful life.

Thank you very much. (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.8.27 -- Los Angeles, April 19, 1973

"Engaging In Devotional Service"

66/04/19 New York, Bhagavad-gita 2.55-56


Prabhupada:

prajahati yada kaman
sarvan partha mano-gatan
atmany evatmana tustah
sthita-prajnas tadocyate
[Bg. 9.55]

Now, we have been discussing for the last few days about consciousness being dovetailed with the supreme consciousness. That is the perfectional stage of life. We are, at the present moment, in our material conditions, we are manufacturing ideas, and being baffled also because it is the business of the mind to create something and again reject it. Mind will think something, "Yes, let me do this." Again it will decide, "Oh, better not to do this." Yes. This is called sankalpa-vikalpa, deciding and rejecting. And this is due to our unsteady condition in the material platform. But when we decide to act according to the supreme consciousness, at that stage, there is no such duality that "Let me do it" or "Let me not do it." No. There is only one thing, "Let me do it. Let me do it because it is sanctioned by the superior consciousness." The whole Bhagavad-gita is based on this principle of life.

Now, the beginning. In the beginning of the Bhagavad-gita, Arjuna, in the battlefield, he was perplexed whether to fight or not to fight. That was his problem. First of all he thought that "My cousin-brothers, they have given me so much trouble. They have usurped my kingdom. So I must fight with them and retake my lost kingdom." That is determination. Again, when actually in the battlefield he saw his brothers and his friends... Because it was a family quarrel, so in both the sides all the friends and relatives, they joined, either to this party or that party. But the beauty is that Arjuna became compassionate, that "Why should I fight simply for the kingdom? How long I shall remain in the kingdom? Let me not to, not fight, let me not to fight. I'll not... I shall not fight." That was his decision. Because he was a devotee of the Lord, this good compassion came into his mind. The other party, they did not consider it. The other party was determined to fight. Now, Arjuna was hesitating, and therefore the Bhagavad-gita was explained. The Lord first of all tried to engage him in the battle in the ordinary way, and when he, when it was not possible and there was some arguments between Arjuna and Krsna in favor and in, against the fighting... But at last Arjuna decided that "Let me appoint Krsna, the best amongst us, to advise me what to do and what not to do." Then the Bhagavad-gita was begun. That is the history. You have already discussed it, and you know it.

Now, here the supreme consciousness... Krsna is supreme consciousness. And Arjuna is individual consciousness. About consciousness, I have explained several times that we are all consciousness, but we are not supreme consciousness. Supreme consciousness is the Supreme Lord. That we have to understand first, that supreme consciousness... We are consciousness undoubtedly, but we are not supreme consciousness. If we falsely claim that "I am also the supreme consciousness," that will be a false claim. We are not actually the supreme consciousness. Qualitatively, we are one. Qualitatively, we are one. The supreme consciousness and my consciousness is qualitatively one. But quantitatively, the supreme consciousness is different from individual consciousness. Individual consciousness is limited, and the supreme consciousness is unlimited. That... Just like you can think of your consciousness within this body... Whenever there is something painful or something itching in any part of my body, I am conscious of it. I know it, where and how it is being done. I do not know how it is being done, but I know where it is. So that consciousness, as I am conscious in any part of my body, but I am not conscious of your part of your body. Therefore my consciousness is limited. Similarly, you take the whole cosmic manifestation and the external body of the supreme consciousness. Therefore supreme consciousness is, I mean to say, conscious of anything which is taking part in any part of the conscious, supreme, I mean, manifestation. And you'll find in the Bhagavad-gita that the supreme consciousness knows the past, present and future, but we, we are not, I mean to say, conversant in that way, that I know the present, past and future. That is my deficiency.

Now Arjuna declined to fight, and after hearing Bhagavad-gita, after understanding Bhagavad-gita, he agreed, "Yes, I shall fight. Yes." Krsna inquired, "Now I have explained to you everything about knowledge, about yoga, about fruitive activities, about devotional service, everything. All-round Vedic wisdom, I have explained to you. Now it is up to you to do or not to do." Mark this. The Supreme Lord can give us instruction. We are individual persons, individual living entities, infinitesimal. The Lord is infinite, and we are infinitesimal. So Lord can advise the infinitesimal to act in a certain way, but the infinitesimal, because it has got infinitesimal independence, it can reject it also. It can accept it or it can reject it. That we have got. That individuality, that independence... [break] "...that all other occupations you please surrender unto Me. You just try to follow Me. Then I take charge of you so that there will be no reaction of your work, and do not hesitate." Ma sucah. This very word. Ma sucah means "Do not hesitate. Do accept it. Do accept." That is the clear declaration of the Lord. You see. This is not for Arjuna only, but every one of us because we are all in the Arjuna's position. Arjuna is a living entity, individual living entity. So we are also, every one of us, a living entity. And the supreme entity -- nityo nityanam. In the Vedic literature you'll find this hymn, nityo nityanam cetanas cetananam (Katha Upanisad 2.2.13). Description of the Supreme. The Supreme is nityah nityanam. Nityanam means... Nitya means eternal. So we are all eternal. That we have already discussed.

We are soul, spirit soul. We are eternal. Na hanyate hanyamane sarire [Bg. 2.20]. We do not die after the annihilation of this body. We simply change the body just like we change our dress. But we are eternal. But because we are under the spell of this material energy, we do not take seriously that "Why I shall agree to change my body life after life?" We have taken it as usual. This is our foolishness. We have got our eternal life, and in eternal life we have got immense measure of freedom, immense measure of power, almost equal to God. But we do not make any research in that part of our life. We are simply satisfied the..., to have a little more of the necessities of our, this present material life. Suppose I have got one, one hundred millions of dollars. I think, "If I get ten thousand millions of daughters, dollars, then I shall be happy." This is our foolishness. You cannot be happy with any millions of dollars, because you are not matter. You are spirit. You think like that, that "I shall be happy." No. Just like... I'll give you one example: A diseased man, a suffering man, suppose he has got severe headache. Now, he sometimes thinks, "Oh, I am suffering. If this, instead of headache, if there would have been some other pain in the hand or feet, then I would have been glad." It is like that. Our thoughts are like that. We don't want to get rid of the pains.

There is another very good example. Of course, that is not in your experience, but it is in our India we have got experience that on the riverside the boatman drags the boat with a rope. Have you got any experience like that here, in America? I don't think you have got. The boat is in the middle, middle of the river, and there is a big log in the middle of the boat, and that log is tied with a rope, and that rope is, I mean to say, snatched by the boatman, and the boat goes in the middle of the river. Now, while passing on the bank of the river, there are so many things which pains his, I mean to say, sole. So he is thinking that "When I shall be very rich man, then I shall cover this bank of the river with, I mean to say, soft pillows so that when I shall go by the pillows, dragging this boat, I shall have no pain." Now, our position is like that, that the foolish boatman, thinking that "When I shall be very rich man, still I shall be pulling on this business." He does not know that "If I at all become rich man, then where is the necessity of my pulling this boat in this way?" So similarly, we want to be happy in the same way, that "When I shall be able to cover the whole world with cushions and soft pillows to travel over it, then I shall have no pain of working like this." You see? This is our plan.

So this plan has to be rejected. The Lord says that "Your plan, so many plans, foolish plans, you should reject." Prajahati. Now, He says... What... Arjuna inquired that "What is the sign of a person who has already dovetailed his consciousness with the supreme consciousness, sthita-prajnah. Sthita-prajnah means steady, steady in consciousness. So what are the signs? Now, those signs are being explained by the Lord like this. Now, prajahati yada kaman sarvan partha mano-gatan. Now, we plan like that boatman. For our happiness, we make multi-plans, that "I shall do this. Then I shall be happy. If I shall have it, then I shall be happy." In this way. But all... We do not know that "I am pure consciousness. Any amount of my plan on this bodily conception of life, I'll never be happy." He does know it. He does not know it. He simply makes plans. You see? Because the platform on which you are standing, that platform itself is tottering, is tottering. You cannot make it stop tottering. This, this body... We have already discussed that all the miseries of our life, it is due to this body. Matra-sparsas tu kaunteya sitosna-sukha-duhkha-dah [Bg. 2.14]. Matra-sparsas tu. All the distress and happiness that we feel in this material world, that is due to the skin, this body. Otherwise, the things as they are, they are neither miserable nor source of happiness. The example is given: just like water. Water now, in this season, the summer season, you will find very pleasant. The same water, in the winter season, it becomes pinching. So water as it is -- neither pinching nor the source of pleasure. But it is due to this body -- under certain circumstances, it feels pleasure, and under certain circumstances, it feels distress. So pleasure and distress, these dual forms of our existence, is going on. Now, if we want to transcend above this material plane, then our, we'll have to completely reject the bodily conception of life. We have to stand on the spiritual consciousness of life. That is being taught.

So whole scheme of Bhagavad-gita is like that, that we have to stand on the spiritual consciousness of life. And what is that spiritual consciousness of life? Now, some philosophers... Just like Sankaracarya. There are many philosophers in the world. I, we may cite some of the authorities. Just like Lord Buddha. Then Sankaracarya. Then Ramanujacarya. Lord Caitanya. They're all big stalwart authorities, authorities. They have given different views. Lord Buddha's views is that you can be happy only when you are free from this consciousness. Lord Buddha says that consciousness is a production of this combination of matter. So therefore if, if you dismantle this material body, then there will be no consciousness and thus there will be no feeling of distress or happiness. That is called nirvana, stopping, stopping the feelings of... It is just like a patient suffering from some disease, and the doctor gives him some pill so that he dies and there is no more feeling. Oh. Then he sees it is all right. If by stopping feeling like that, that a... "Doctor, my son is having hundred and seven degree temperature." "All right. I stop it. Give him some injection, poisonous." The child dies. Now there is no fever. Now the father says, "My child does not move." "Oh, whether this fever is stopped or not?" "Yes, there is no fever also." "That's all right. My business finished." That sort of foolish doctor will not do. (laughs) We should not stop consciousness. No. That is the... That is the, I mean to say, secret of philosophy. If my consciousness is stopped altogether, then what do I gain? That means my death. My whole existence finished. No. Then comes... I am shortly giving the substance of different philosophers.

Then comes Sankaracarya. Sankaracarya preaches that "No, you are the consciousness only. You are the consciousness only, and this body is false." Brahma satyam jagan mithya. Mithya means false. So you should always know that "I am Brahman, or the consciousness," and you should always reject that "I am not this body." That is another philosophy. Now, suppose, if I think for years together that "I am consciousness. I am consciousness. I am consciousness," do you think you shall be happy? Simply by understanding that "I am not this body. I am consciousness," will that help you? That will also not help you. Because if you simply theoretically say that "I am not this body," and because your consciousness is now attached with the body, you..., the consciousness is always active. So the consciousness must act through the body, and therefore your senses, you have to gratify your senses certainly. That is the real philosophy. You see? You cannot stop consciousness acting. It is very simple thing to understand it. Just, just think over, that the activity of my body is due to my consciousness. I am speaking because I am conscious that I am speaking. You are hearing because you are conscious that you are hearing. As soon as this consciousness is gone, neither you can hear, neither I can speak. So any activity, either hearing or speaking or moving or eating or seeing -- anything. We have got different senses. We are active. Active means we are active with our senses. Mind, mind is the central point of activitizing the senses. That is our life. Life means the acting of the senses. And that, beyond, beyond that mind, there is consciousness. So if consciousness is gone, then what remains? Nothing remains. Therefore you cannot... Simply by thinking that "I am consciousness," oh, that will not also solve your problem. You have to engage your consciousness in the matter of the supreme consciousness. You cannot keep your...

Just like, I'll give you one example. A naughty boy, creating some mischievous things. The father calls him, "My dear boy, can you do this?" "Yes, father, I can do it." So he turns his attention from that mischief-making to something good. Because they want to be active. Children, they want to be active. You cannot stop them. You cannot say that "Stop and sit down here." How he can...? Artificially, you can do. By the fear of the father or the mother, he can sit down for a moment. But that is not possible. That is not possible. You must give him some engagement, good engagement. I, I have got my personal experience. My eldest son, when he was about two years old, very much naughty, always doing some mischief. So my friends who used to visit me, he would call my son. His name was Paccha(?). "Paccha, if you sit down for one minute silently, I'll give you this thing." So the boy failed. He could not sit down, even for one minute. So that is not possible. This is the nature. How can you stop your consciousness working? That is not possible.

So either to think that "Stop consciousness altogether," that is also not perfect, and either to accept simply consciousness, that "I am consciousness," without any conscious engagement, that is also not perfect. You have to understand that you are consciousness, not this body; at the same time, you have to engage your consciousness to the supreme activities. Unless you do that, your life will not be perfect. So Lord Sri Krsna says that,

prajahati yada kaman
sarvan partha mano-gatan
atmany evatmana tustah
sthita-prajnas tadocyate
[Bg. 9.55]

Sthita-prajna mea... Sthita-prajna means one who is steadily situated in the platform of consciousness. Prajna means consciousness, and sthita means steadily fixed up. So this is the only..., that you have haven't got to create mental concoction to become happy. You have simply to dovetail yourself with the supreme will. There will be activities. There will be activities because your consciousness cannot be inactive. But there will be activities. That activity will be standard and without any mistake, without any flaw, because it is dictated by the Supreme. Just like a fa..., a child is given instruction to write "A." So he does not write, does not know how to write. He's doing this way, that way. The teacher says, "My dear boy, kindly do this, this way, this way, ‘A.' " So, if he does it, he's nice. It is nice. Similarly, we have to engage our consciousness... There is a supreme plan, supreme plan, all over the creation of the world, supreme plan. Everything is going on under some plan. Don't you see how the sun rises exactly at the right time, how the moon rises exactly at the right time, how the seasonal changes come exactly at the time? Eh? Everything is going on under the control of the supreme consciousness. [break] ...C, A, T, cat, C, A, T, cat, C, A, T, cat. Now, that required. Now, if somebody says, "Oh, ‘cat,' he has once said ‘cat.' What is the use of again saying ‘cat'?" No. When we will learn something, we have to repeat it, even in material things. And what to speak of spiritual? You see.

So dovetailing ourself, dovetailing ourself, dovetailing our consciousness with the supreme consciousness. I give you a small example which is also from the Bhagavad-gita. I'm not giving any example outside the purview of this Bhagavad-gita because we are speaking on the Srimad-Bhagavad-gita. Now you'll find in the Bhagavad-gita that

patram puspam phalam toyam
yo me bhaktya prayacchati
tad aham bhakty-upahrtam
asnami prayatatmanah
[Bg. 9.26]

The Lord says that patram puspam phalam toyam. Patram means a leaf. And puspam means a flower. And phalam means a fruit. And toyam means some liquid, water. Last word, last word, water. "If some devotee offers Me these four things with devotion and with love, oh, I accept them. I accept them. Not only accept, I, I eat them, eat them." You see. Now, just see that here is an example that God desires to eat something from your hand. He's not poor man like me that He wants some contribution for eating. No, no, no. He's not poor man like me. He is feeding everyone. His name is Bhuta-bhrt. Bhuta-bhrt. Bhuta-bhrt means one who feeds every living being. Perhaps you know it. You can practically see it. Now, besides human beings, there are innumerable living beings. If you take votes, then the number of human beings will be very small all over the world. It is four to eighty. If living, I mean to say, human beings, including all civilized, uncivilized, any, any number of whatever, Indian, American, and European, anything, take altogether, they will be four, four parts, and all other living creatures, they'll be eighty parts. The proportion is so big. But in the human society you'll find that we have got some occupation for our livelihood. Either one is doing business or one is working or one is engineer, one is a lawyer, or one is a daily worker, some way or other, we are doing all these things for having our livelihood. But, but we are these only four. But in the creation of the Lord there are other eighty -- they have no such engagement. Neither they are lawyer, neither they are engineer, neither they have any business, neither they have occupation, neither they make any agriculture, nothing of the sort. But they are happy. They are having their foodstuff. This is a practical thing. Not only that, even particular, a particular animal, what he likes, that particular foodstuff is supplied to him.

Just like children. A child born, immediately it cannot take anything in the world except the mother's milk. The girl, the first child born to a girl... Before the childbirth there was no milk in the breast, but as soon as there is child, oh, there is milk supply in the breast. You see? This is nature's law. This is God's law. So practically, we have nothing to bother; simply we have to work according to the direction of the Supreme. You, you... So far the animals are concerned, they are called... They are also working. They are also working, but working with the help of the nature. But we go beyond the nature. Because we have got better intelligence, we are not satisfied with the nature's product, but we are endeavoring to turn the nature's product by industry into some other thing, and the result is my high intelligence is being used only for the satisfaction of the body without any culture of spirit. That is the whole mistake of civilization, that I have got better understanding, I have got better intelligence than the animals. But how I am utilizing it? In the same principles of eating, sleeping, fearing and mating. So my energy is being... [break] "...not make you happy. You just try to... [break]

...Me. You just try to dovetail your consciousness with My supreme consciousness. That will make you happy." The same thing. As Arjuna did not, wanted to fight, Krsna said that "I desire that you should fight." But he did not agree in the beginning. But at the last moment, when Arjuna was inquired, "Now what is your decision," he said that nasto mohah smrtir labdha tvat prasadan mayacyuta karisye vacanam tava: [Bg. 18.73] "My dear Lord, now my misgivings, my misunderstanding, is now gone by Your mercy. Now I have decided to fight because You desire." That is the summum bonum of learning. That one should decide what God desires. That's all. That will make his life perfect. He should not desire anything. He should not desire anything. His desiring capacity should not be stopped. Somebody says, "Don't desire; become desireless." It is nonsense. Nobody can be desireless. How he can be desireless? Desireless. Desire is the symptom of my, my life. How can you stop it? It is not possible. Desireless, I cannot be, but I must desire, I mean to say, purely. That's all. I should not desire impurely. If I desire from the bodily platform of my life, then my desires will be impure. And when I shall desire as the desire of the Supreme Will, then my desire is pure. So desire has not to be cut or stopped. It has to be purified. That's all. The whole thing explained in a verse which is called Narada-pancaratra. That definition of this dovetailing consciousness with the supreme consciousness is nicely described in two lines:

sarvopadhi-vinirmuktam
tat-paratvena nirmalam
hrsikena hrsikesa-
sevanam bhaktir ucyate
[Cc. Madhya 19.170]

Sarvopadhi-vinirmuktam. Now, we are... This body means a designation, this body, designation. What are you? "I am Mr. Such and such." What is your nationality? "Oh, I am American." What do you do? "I am doing this." These are all my designations due to this body, designation. So Narada-pancaratra says that "One should be free from the designations." That means pure consciousness. As soon as I understand that "I am not this body; body's acting through my consciousness," if I am firmly convinced, if I stand steadily on this conviction, that "I am consciousness," then all my designations at once go. So sarvopadhi-vinirmuktam tat-paratvena nirmalam [Cc. Madhya 19.170].

Now, simply to become free from the bodily conception of life is not... But that consciousness should be made purified, purified. Just like to, just to stop the symptoms of fever or decreasing the degree of fever is not all. Suppose a man is suffering from fever. Doctor gives him medicine. Now the fever decreases and he comes to normal temperature. That is not all. That diseased man must get up from that bed and engage himself in the healthy activities. Then that is the real cure of disease. Simply, therefore, to understand that "I am not this consciousness, I am not this body; I am pure consciousness," that will not cure. You must have to engage your consciousness in pure activities. Sarvopadhi-vinirmuktam tat-paratvena nirmalam, hrsikena hrsikesa-sevanam [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. Hrsikesa. Hrsikesa is the name of the Supreme Lord. Hrsika means the senses, this. And isa means the Lord. So hrsikesa, combined together, this is called sandhi, combination. So Hrsikesa. Hrsikesa means the Supreme Lord. We should understand that our senses, these senses which we are using, this hand, this leg, this eye, the ear, this is all rented just as you have a rented car. This, this senses actually belongs to the Supreme Lord. Because He sees, therefore we can see. Just like in the Vedic literature you'll find that

yac caksur esa savita sakala-grahanam
raja samasta-sura-murtir asesa-tejah
yasyajnaya bhramati sambhrta-kala-cakro
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami

Now the sun is described here, yac caksur esa savita sakala-grahanam raja: "Now, this sun planet is the king of all planets." But what it is? "It is the eye of the Supreme Lord." Now, just imagine: we have got eyes, but unless the Lord sees with eyes of the sun, our eyes have no meaning. No meaning. If there is no daylight, then all eye, our all pride of having a two, one pair of eyes, finished. Everything finished. We must have light. And that is, that light is by the Lord. So in every respect... Therefore Lord is called Hrsikesa. Our senses, they are actually the property, property. I think, "Oh, I have got this hand. I move this way. All right. So I move this way. This is my hand. I can do this way or that, as I like." No. You cannot do it. As soon as the hand is paralyzed, you cannot do anything. You claim your hand, that "This is my hand," but when your hand is paralyzed, you cannot move it. Your, that individual consciousness, is unable to do anything.

So therefore we must know even the senses which we have got for which we are so much proud and by the enjoyment of the senses we are trying to be happy, those senses belong to the Supreme Lord. Therefore the best thing is we should apply the senses in the service of the proprietor. We should not apply the senses for our individual satisfaction. That is the difference between material plane and spiritual plane. That's all. You haven't got to stop your senses, stop your desires. No. Simply, simple thing is that instead of supplying them for your personal desires, you should dovetail it to the supreme desire. That's all. That is our perfect life. That is our perfect life. Just like the same example which I was trying to give you. Now, the Lord says that

patram puspam phalam toyam
yo me bhaktya prayacchati
tad aham bhakty-upahrtam
asnami prayatatmanah
[Bg. 9.26]

"Now My devotee..." Now, this patram puspam phalam toyam has been specifically mentioned by the Lord because it is universal. It is universal. If a man says that "All right, Lord wants to eat from me. But I am poor man. What I can give Lord for eating?" No, no, no. Even if you are a poor man, the poorest man, oh, these four things you can collect, one leaf, little water, one fruit, and one flower. Any, any poor man. Of course, in the city like New York, it is very difficult, (laughs) but in India it is not at all difficult. Because mostly they live, ninety percent of the population, they are villagers. So any villager, if he goes to another villager, "Sir, I want some flowers for worshiping God." "Oh, take it!" Immediately. Nobody will... In your country also, nobody will deny that. But here in the city there is no flower at all. Where to collect? If you go to the florist then I have to pay. That's a different proposal. But actually, in ordinary course of life, nobody is bereft of these four things.

But one thing: When we stand on the supreme conscious..., I mean the, in my consciousness platform, you must know, this consciousness platform and the dovetailing of consciousness to the supreme consciousness -- the whole thing based on love, love, pure love. Just like a, a small child offers his broken biscuit to the father, "My dear father, you just taste; it is very nice." Oh, father... "Oh, it is very nice? All right. Give me it." But a small part, particle of biscuit is nothing for the father, but the father sees, "Oh, my child is so loving that he has tasted it good, and offering me." This is the consideration of love, exchange of love. So God is not poor, neither He's wanting for you. He's self-satisfied. He's satisfying many, many living creatures like me. So He does not require anything from me. It is for your sake. It is for your benefit that you should offer like that. Now, this is dovetailing. "Oh, God's wants to eat from me. Now, why shall I not give Him to, give Him something to eat?" Is it very difficult? Similarly, in every sphere of your life, you can dovetail. You can dovetail. Instead of thinking of that "I shall eat," if you think that "God shall eat," so your eating process will not be stopped. But that simply by thinking that God shall eat, you shall dovetail your desire with the Supreme. You will... God wants to eat from you, and you want to give Him eating. So your desire and God's desires is dovetailed. You become perfect. Similarly, in every step we can change our present activities, dovetailing our present consciousness, dovetailing with the supreme consciousness, and the result will be, if you go on practicing like that, then what will be the result? Now, the result is,

karma-jam buddhi-yukta hi
phalam tyaktva manisinah
janma-bandha-vinirmuktah
padam gacchanty anamayam
[Bg. 9.51]

If you practice in your life, while you are human being, you, if you utilize your life in that way, then at the end, when you give up this body, you go back to Godhead for eternal life, eternal bliss, eternal knowledge, and live happily, without any material miseries. That is the result. It is very difficult to dovetailing our consciousness with the supreme consciousness? Not at all. Not at all! No sane man will say that "It is very difficult problem. Oh, it is not possible." You eat. "Yes. Eh?" So God wants to eat something. Why don't you offer it first to God? Then you eat. "No. If God takes it away, then how shall I eat?" No, no, no. God will not take it. We are offering daily. After preparing our foodstuff, daily to Krsna, there is witness, Mr. Paul. We offer Krsna, but Krsna does not take it. Whole thing, we eat. You see. He does not regard... He eats! But because His spiritual eating is such that even after His eating, the whole thing is there. Purnasya purnam adaya purnam evavasisyate. So we shall not suffer a pinch if we dovetail our desires with the Supreme Lord. Simply we have to learn the art, how to dovetail. That's all. And some of the instances I have already cited to you... Just for the matter of eating. Similarly...

Now, it is not only eating. The fighting also. Fighting also. [break] ...the fight! He was a fighting man. But after, after getting instruction of Bhagavad-gita, he changed his attitude, oh, that he shall not, he should, he would not fight. He said, "Yes, I shall fight." Now this is dovetailing. He, the fighting man, remained. The fighting man did not change into artist, or a musician. No. You need not change. You are fighting man; you remain a fighting man. If you are musician, you remain a musician. If you are a medical man, remain a medical man. Whatever you are, you remain, but dovetail it. Dovetail it.

So the whole perfection, whole perfection is that we are all active in some department. That is a fact. Now, if our activities become dovetailed with the supreme desire and He is satisfied, then samsiddhi, that is our perfection. Svanusthitasya dharmasya samsiddhir hari-tosanam [SB 1.2.13]. A very nice... Svanusthitasya dharmasya samsiddhir hari-tosanam. Everyone is engaged in some sort of occupation, a particular type of occupation. Nobody's free from occupation. Everyone. But what is the perfection of that occupation? Now, samsiddhir hari-tosanam [SB 1.2.13]. If by that activity the Lord is satisfied, that is perfection. If by my eating, the Lord is satisfied, then that is my perfection. If by, by my fighting the Lord is satisfied, then that is my perfection. So every sphere of life, we have to know whether Lord is satisfied. That's all right. That technique we have to learn. Otherwise, it is as easy as anything. We have to stop creating our own thoughts and own plans. We have to take the plans, perfect plan, from the Supreme Lord, and then execute it. Then that becomes the perfection of our life.

Thank you very much. Now if there is any questions you can ask. (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 2.55-56 -- New York, April 19, 1966