Hearing Srila Bhaktisiddhanta

10 Dec 76 , Hyderabad

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Prabhupada: "...simple expression of reverence and love. The disciple, Abhaya Charan Dasa, was to become His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, founder-acarya of International Society, Krishna Consciousness." So whatever I appreciated forty years ago, the same principle is going on. We have no change. What I understood my spiritual master... Practically I met him in 1922, and this poetry was written in 1936. That means fourteen years before writing this poetry, I met my Guru Maharaja in 1922. At that time I was quite a young man, twenty-five years old only, and I was posted in a very responsible position and as the office manager of Dr. Bose's laboratory. And I was fond of in those days, of Gandhi's movement. In 1922 I joined Gandhi's movement, and I gave up my educational career because one of the Gandhi's program was to boycott the universities. That's a very long story. And many students gave up their educational career and joined this Gandhi's movement, and I was one of them.

So Dr. Bose, Kartik Chandra Bose, he's a very important man. At that time he was managing director of Bengal Chemical Company. Now there is a street in the central Calcutta, Dr. Kartik Bose Street. So he was very important man, and he was our family physician and my father's very intimate friend. So when I gave up my education and I was joining Gandhi's movement, at that time Dr. Kartik Chandra Bose asked me to join him. So with the permission of my father, I joined. So I was fond of, at that time, this Gandhi's noncooperation movement. And then, when I joined Dr. Bose's laboratory, of course, I was dressed in khadar. So Dr. Bose liked that dress, khadar dress. He told me one day that "Out of your whole Gandhi's movement, I like this khadar only." Dr. Bose said. And why? "No, because this will give impetus to industry. This hand spinning will gradually give impetus to India." Actually that happened. He was himself an industrialist. Actually in India the chemical industry was given birth by Dr. Kartik Chandra Bose. He was very important man. He started this Bengal Chemical.

So 1922 I met my Guru Maharaja through the exigency of my intimate friend, Mr. Narendranath Mullik. And I would not go. He told me information, "There is a nice sadhu. Let us go and see." I did not like very much these sadhus in those days, national spirit. So I said, "I have seen many sadhus. They come at my father's care. I was not very much pleased with their behavior." So he dragged me forcibly: "No, I have heard this person is very exalted." So I went. And his first opening version was that "You are educated young men. Why don't you preach Caitanya Mahaprabhu's gospel in the Western countries?" I did not know. So this was his blessing in the first meeting. I did not know, but because we belonged to a Vaisnava family we were very much worshiper of Lord Caitanya and Nityananda, our family Deity. So I was very much pleased that "Here is a personality who is going to preach Caitanya Mahaprabhu's gospel." I was very much pleased.

So anyway, from 1922 to 1933 practically I was not initiated, but I got the impression of preaching Caitanya Mahaprabhu's cult. That I was thinking. And that was the initiation by my Guru Maharaja. Then officially I was initiated in 1933 because in 1923 I left Calcutta. I started my business at Allahabad. So I was always thinking of my Guru Maharaja, that "I met a very nice sadhu." Although I was doing business, I never forgot him. Then, in 1928, these Gaudiya Matha people came to Allahabad during Kumbhamela. As the Kumbhamela is going to be held this year, a similar big Kumbhamela was held in 1928. In those days they came to open their branch in Allahabad, and somebody recommended that "You go to..." At that time I was running on my big pharmacy and I was very well known man in Allahabad as the proprietor of the pharmacy. So somebody recommended them that "You go to Abhaya Babu. He is a very religious man. He'll help you." So when they entered my shop I was very much pleased that "These men I met in 1922, and now they have come." In this way I became reconnected. And in 1933 I was officially initiated, and my only qualification was when I was introduced to my Guru Maharaja for initiation, so Guru Maharaja immediately said, "Yes, I shall initiate this boy. He is very nice. He hears me very patiently. He does not go away." So that was my qualification. The high standard of philosophy which he was speaking at that time, practically I could not follow what was, he was speaking, but still, I liked to hear him. That was my hobby. Whenever... I was asking that "When Guru Maharaja will speak?" So he took it very seriously.

And then, in 1936-it's a long history-during this Vyasa-puja day, this Vyasa-puja day, whatever I studied about our relationship with my Guru Maharaja, I expressed in this poetry, and since that day my Godbrothers used to call me "poet." And Guru Maharaja also very much appreciated this poetry. Now somehow or other you have found it. (laughs) I thought the poetry is lost, but I do not know how it was found out by some of our disciples. I think it was found out in London museum or somewhere else by Guru dasa. They had a stock of Harmonist, and from the Harmonist, my Guru Maharaja's paper, this poetry was found. Otherwise I thought it was lost. So anyway, this poetry is "Adore, adore ye all the happy day, blessed than heaven, sweeter than May." So I heard that the month of May is very pleasing in the Western countries, so I compared the happiness of this day with the May Day. They call May Day?

Devotees: Yes.

Prabhupada: Yes. "When he appeared at Puri, the holy place, my lord and master, His Divine Grace." So Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura appeared as the son of Bhaktivinoda Thakura, his fourth son. Bhaktivinoda Thakura, he was family man. He has several children, sons and daughters. So Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, known in his previous life as Bimala Prasada Datta, son of Kedaranath Datta... His father, Bhaktivinoda Thakura, his name was. He was magistrate and he was manager also, the managing board of Jagannatha Puri. The system is, the local magistrate becomes the official manager of the managing board of Jagannatha Puri. So at that time he was situated in Jagannatha Puri, and Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura appeared at Puri. And the Ratha-yatra, the Ratha-yatra ceremony takes place, and sometimes the big ratha stops at interval. So the house in which Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura appeared, in front of that house the ratha stopped. So his mother took the advantage and... Because Bhaktivinoda Thakura was magistrate, so the son, the little baby, was brought before the ratha, and the pujaris allowed him to bring the child before the Deity, and the child was placed before the Deity and a garland was offered by Jagannatha. So that was the first sign of his becoming the acarya. In this way there are many incidences.

So therefore his birthplace is mentioned, "the holy place, my lord and master, His Divine Grace." "O my master, the evangelic angel, give us thy light, light up thy candle. Struggle for existence, a human race, the only hope, His Divine Grace." So actually we are in a very precarious condition, the modern civilization, I mean to say, manipulated by the Western people. It is a soul-killing civilization, this civilization. By nature the chance is given after many, many evolutionary process. Jalaja nava laksani sthavara laksa vimsati. The evolutionary theory is there in the Padma Purana. It is not Darwin's theory. Darwin stolen it from Padma Purana, and he presented in a distorted way of his own imagination. Otherwise the Darwin's theory is not the original. The theory... It is not theory-fact. Jiva-jatisu. It is wandering within the cycle of jiva-jati, different species of life. Tatha dehantara praptih [Bg. 2.13]. This is Vedic knowledge, this evolutionary process. It is not Darwin's theory.

So by that process, lower animals and then the chronological order is there... First of all aquatics, jalajah. Jalajah means aquatic. Then sthavarah, trees, plants. Then flies, then birds, then beasts, then human being. In this way, bahu sambhavante, after many, many millions of years we get this opportunity of human life to realize God. And this civilization is denying, refusing the opportunity to the human society to understand God -- such a soul-killing civilization. It is a fact. They are denying "What is God? There is no God. Everything is science," although they cannot explain science. They cannot do anything, simply talking like nonsense. Last night some girls came, so they are students of botany. So I asked them, "Can you manufacture a seed which can give birth to a big banyan tree?" "No, sir, it is not possible." Then what kind of botany you are studying? Actually what is their science? They talk simply something which is going on in the middle portion. Where is the beginning and where is the end of knowledge, that they do not know. They are theorizing only in the middle. They do not know janmady asya yatah [SB 1.1.1], where is the beginning of this science. That is... Beginning is Krsna. Krsna says, aham sarvasya prabhavo [Bg. 10.8]. He is the beginning. Bijo 'ham sarva-bhutanam [Bg 7.10]. That seed, you scientist, you cannot manufacture. What chemicals are there that if you put in the earth and pour some water and it will grow a big tree? These scientists, they cannot explain what is the chemical composition is there. But there is. So that is in the hand of Krsna.

So this knowledge means to understand the original source. That is philosophy, find out the original source. That is knowledge. So the vedais ca sarvair aham eva vedyo. Actually the knowledge terminates when you understand Krsna. He is the source of everything. So there is a "struggle for existence, a human race, the only hope, His Divine Grace." So we got this information from His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, and that knowledge is still going on. You are receiving through his servant. And in future the same knowledge will go to your students. This is called parampara system. Evam parampara prap... It is not that you have become a student and you'll remain student. No. One day you shall become also guru and make more students, more students, more. That is Caitanya Mahaprabhu's mission, not that perpetually... Yes, one should remain perpetually a student, but he has to act as guru. That is the mission of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. It is not that because I am acting as guru, I am no longer student. No, I am still student. Caitanya Mahaprabhu taught us this instruction that we shall always remain a foolish student before our Guru Maharaja. That is the Vedic culture. I may be very big man, but still, I should remain a foolish student to my guru. That is the qualification. Guru more murkha dekhi' karila sasana [Cc. Adi 7.71]. We should be always prepared to be controlled by the guru. That is very good qualification. Yasya prasadad bhagavat-prasadah **. Ara na kariha mane asa **. So we should become always a very obedient student to our guru. That is the qualification. That is the spiritual qualification.

So recently... I am very pleased to say that our Harikesa, I ordered him to go immediately to Poland, and he thought that he was being punished. That was... No. I was thinking that "Here is a very very intelligent boy. If he is given chance to preach he'll come out very successful." So I see the glimpses that he has got now post. He's a very good organizer. That's a chance. At that time he might have thought that I was separating him. No. My good will was there that he should be given chance for better opportunity. So I am very much happy that he is doing there very nice. So this should be the attitude. My Guru Maharaja wanted me to preach in the Western countries, although I was at that time a ordinary manager in a chemical firm. I never thought, but I took it seriously. So from that 1922, in 1965 it was fruitful. How many years?

Devotee: Forty-three.

Prabhupada: Forty-three years. So it is better late than never. Yes. So he desired me. I thought, "Now I am a family man. Let me adjust things." I would have accepted immediately, but I was not so intelligent at that time. I thought "My responsibility to family is there. Let me wait." But still, Guru Maharaja was so kind to me that when I was grhastha, I was seeing him in dreaming and I was... He asked me, "You come with me." So I was going, and after that, I was thinking, "Oh, I will have to take sannyasa and go with him?" So it appeared to me very horrible. I was not very much inclined to take sannyasa, but Guru Maharaja is so kind that he ultimately forced me to take sannyasa and do this work. So it is all his kindness. So this is the memory of his kindness.

So forty years ago I remember the same thing as it is in 1922, and still the same thing is going on. There is nothing new. We have nothing to do, new. Simply let us present as it is; it will be successful. There is no... You see. The spirit of my writing is the same. "Misled we are, all going astray." This soul-killing civilization is misleading us. We must know this, this very misleading civilization. Our real aim of life is to understand our spiritual identification and search out our relationship with God, Krsna. That is our real business. But this modern civilization is misleading us in different ways. So I wrote this, that "Misled we are, all going astray. Save us, lord, our fervent pray. Wonder thy ways to turn our face, adore they feet, Your Divine Grace." So this portion he very much appreciated.

So we have to find out ways how to turn the current. The current is sense enjoyment. Material life means the current is sense enjoyment, and this current has to be turned-sense enjoyment of Krsna. Sense enjoyment is there, but the material civilization, the misled civilization, is that the sense gratification is taken personal. When this sense gratification will be turned towards Krsna, then our life is successful. Just like gopis. Apparently it appears that gopis, they were attracted by young boy, Krsna, and for their sense gratification they made friendship with Krsna. No. That is not the fact. The fact is that gopis used to dress themselves nicely because by seeing them, Krsna will be satisfied, not that for their sense gratification. Generally a girl dresses also to attract the attention of the boy. So the same thing is there but it is Krsna's sense gratification, not the gopis'. The gopis did not want anything. But Krsna will be satisifed. That is the difference between lust and love. Love is there, only possible, when it is diverted towards Krsna. That is love. And beyond that... Not beyond that... Below that, everything is lust. So we should always remember this. The senses are not stopped, but when the gratification of the senses is directed towards Krsna, that is bhakti, or love. And when the sense gratification is directed towards personal self, that is lust. This is difference between lust and love.

So Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura knew this art, how to turn our activities for the satisfaction of Krsna. This is Krsna consciousness movement. Therefore I... "Wonder thy ways to turn our face, adore they feet, Your Divine Grace. Forgotten Krsna, we fallen souls." Why we are fallen? Because we have forgotten. Our relationship with Krsna is eternal. Unless it was eternal, how you Western peoples could be devotee of Krsna? Artificially you cannot be a devotee of Krsna. The relationship is there eternally. Nitya-siddha krsna-bhakti. By the process it is now awakened. Sravanadi-suddha-citte karaye udaya. It is awakened. Love between young man and young woman, it is not artificial. It is there. But by certain circumstantially, environment, the love becomes manifest. Similarly, our love for Krsna, relationship with Krsna, is eternal. Jivera svarupa haya nitya krsna-dasa [Cc. Madhya 20.108-109]. But we have to create such situation -- that eternal relation should be awakened. That is the art. That is wanted.

So "Forgotten Krsna, we fallen souls, pay most heavy the illusion's toll." Because we have forgotten Krsna we are paying heavy, heavy toll, tax, taxation. What is that taxation? The taxation is nivartante mrtyu-samsara-vartmani [Bg. 9.3]. This human life is meant for understanding Krsna, but instead of understanding Krsna, we are understanding the so-called material science for sense gratification. This is our position. The energy which was given by nature to understand Krsna, that is being utilized how to manufacture something for sense gratification. This is going on. This is maya, illusion. Therefore it is, "Pay most heavy the illusion's toll." Toll tax. That we are paying because we have forgotten Krsna; therefore now we have manufactured the nuclear weapon -- Russia, America -- and you will have to pay heavily. They are already paying heavily. The armament preparation is going on. More than fifty percent of the income of the state are now being spent for this arm..., heavily. Instead of other purposes, it is being spent for military strength, every state. So that heavy toll we are paying. And when there is war there is no limit how much we are spending for this devastation. So why? Because we have forgotten Krsna. This is a fact.

So these people they have made the United Nation, unnecessarily fighting like dogs. So this will not solve the problems. The problem will be solved if they pass a resolution that the whole world, not only this world... Krsna says, sarvaloka mahesvaram. Krsna is the proprietor, so why not accept? Actually He is the proprietor. Who has created this planet? We have created or father created? No. Krsna has created, but we are claiming, "This portion is American, this portion is Indian, this portion is Pakistani." Unnecessary. What is the value of this claim? We may claim it for fifty or sixty or a hundred years, and after that, one kick: "Get out." Where is your claim? But they do not understand this philosophy. They are fighting. That's all, that "This is mine. This is my land. This is my land." They do not know. Krsna said tatha dehantara praptih [Bg. 2.13]. "You are American today. So tomorrow, even within America if you become an American cow or American animal, nobody will care for you. Nobody will care for your politics." But this art they do not know. This science they do not know. They are under illusion. They are thinking that "I shall continue to remain American, so let waste my time for American interest," so-called interest. There cannot be any interest. Prakrteh kriyamanani gunaih karmani sarvasah [Bg. 3.27]. Everything is being done by nature, and we are simply falsely thinking, ahankara-vimudhatma kartaham iti manyate. This illusion is going on. "Forgotten Krsna, we fallen souls, pay most heavy the illusion's toll." We are paying, paying. "Darkness around, all untrace. The only hope, Your Divine Grace." This message. Simply we are in darkness. So we shall discuss later on again. Now just... What is the time now? Hm?

Devotees: Quarter to nine.

Prabhupada: Yes. So we shall discuss again. So the same thing, it is chalked out by Krsna, and by parampara system we have understood this philosophy. Evam parampara praptam imam rajarsayo viduh [Bg. 4.2]. So keep this parampara system. This Vyasa-puja is parampara system. Vyasa-puja means to accept this parampara system. Vyasa. Guru is the representative of Vyasadeva because he does not change anything. What Vyasa-puja... What Vyasadeva said, your guru will also say the same thing. Not that "So many hundreds of thousands of years have passed away. Therefore I will give you a new formula." No. There is no new formula. The same Vyasa-puja, the same philosophy. Simply we have to accept it. Then our life will be successful. Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya! (end)

 

>>> Ref. VedaBase => His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada's Disappearance Day, Lecture -- Hyderabad, December 10, 1976

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© 2001 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International.

Mad Attachments in a Bad Age

Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.6.8
Vrndavana, December 10, 1975

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Harikesa: Translation: "Persons with uncontrolled mind and senses become more and more attached in family life on account of never satiable lusty desires, which are very strong. The balance ten years of life of such madmen is also wasted because they cannot engage themselves in devotional service."

Prabhupada:

durapurena kamena
mohena ca baliyasa
sesam grhesu saktasya
pramattasyapayati hi
 [SB 7.6.8]

So our lusty desires, sense gratification, cannot be satisfied even throughout the whole life. The account is being given of the whole life, hundred years. So out of hundred years, fifty years wasted by sleeping, twenty years wasted by playing like boy and young man, and twenty years as old man, diseased, invalidated, and balance ten years... Because ninety years he has been so much attached to materialistic way of life, naturally the balance ten years, sesam, he cannot utilize in any other way. He can simply engage himself in that lusty desire for material existence. Aduratmanena kamena. In this connection there is a very instructive story -- it is fact -- that the Emperor Akbar, he enquired from his minister... He had one very big minister; I forget just his name.

Devotee: Birbal.

Prabhupada: Birbal? Maybe. Yes. That "How long one remains in lusty desires?" This was Emperor Abar's question, and the minister replied, "Up to the last point of death." So Akbar did not believe it. Akbar said, "No, no. How it can be?" So the minister said, "All right, I shall reply, time." So one day, all of a sudden, he approached the emperor and said, "Sir, you immediately be ready to come with me with your young daughter." So Akbar, he knew that this minister is very intelligent; there must be some purpose. She went with him, and he took him to a person who was going to die. And the minister asked the emperor that "You kindly study the man who is going to die, on his face." So in the Akbar (indistinct), and his young daughter was entering, the dying man was seeing to the face of the young girl. So Akbar -- after all, he was emperor; he could study-he, that "Yes, Birbal, what he said, that up to the last point of death this desire is there to see the face of a young girl."

This is called durapurena. It is never fulfilled. This attraction of man and women in family life continues. The other day one devotee came to me, and he was almost crying, that "My wife is suffering, and she may not live. So kindly give me some blessings." Before the death of his wife -- because there was nothing serious -- the wife has said, "My dear husband, I may not live very long with you," and he is so disturbed that he is thinking that "My wife may die at any moment." So this is the position. This is not very extraordinary thing. This attraction of man and women, this is material bondage. Therefore it is said, durapurena kamena: [SB 7.6.8] this lusty desires is never fulfilled even up to the point of death. And what is this nature of this lusty desire? Moha, illusion. It is not fact. It has no substance, but it is there; that's a fact. The example is given just like in dream, somebody is cutting my head and I'm crying. Actually there is no man cutting my head -- my head is there -- still, I am suffering by such thoughts. This is called moha. Actually there is no fact, but on account of being entangled in three stages of pollution... The pollution is that intelligence. The intelligence is polluted in three ways: jagriti, svapna, and susupti. Jagriti means just like we are now awakened; we are not sleeping. This is one stage. And another stage, at night when you go to sleep, and you sleep with dream, that is another stage. And another stage is susupti, so deeply, just like when a man is intoxicated or chloroform during surgical operation, he does not understand that "Surgical instruments are being applied on my body." He remains silent. This is another stage. So these three stages are there for polluting our intelligence.

indriyani parany ahur
indriyebhyah param manah
manasas tu para buddhir
budhdhes tu ya para sah
 [Bg. 3.42]

The soul is beyond all these actions and reactions. But because this living entity's soul is covered by so many gross and subtle elements, he is unnecessarily suffering, although the suffering is temporary. All these sufferings are temporary. Nothing endures. But the suffering is there. Therefore it has been advised by Rsabhadeva, na sadhu manye yata atmanah ayam asan api klesada asa dehah. This whole world, people are suffering on account of these different circumstantial position, the three gunas and the mind being polluted by these three stages, jagriti, svapna, susupti, and so many things -- they are described, twenty-four elements. On account of this packing of the soul, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gita, asmin dehe, dehi... Dehi asmin yatha dehe: the real spirit soul is packed up within the body in so many coverings. So our so-called pleasure and pains in this material world, they're artificial. They are not factual, on account of being packed in so many material things. Therefore it is called moha, illusion. It is not fact.

So if one is serious about spiritual advancement, then he should not... First of all he must know "What is my position? How I am packed up with all these twenty-four elements?" Of course, due to our habit we are sometimes subjected to these pains and pleasure. Still, Krsna says, "You do not become disturbed by these so-called artificial pains and pleasures. Don't be disturbed." Sitosna-sukha-duhkha-dah. Agamapayino 'nityas tams titiksasva bharata. Matra-sparsas tu kaunteya, sitosna-sukha-duhkha-dah [Bg. 2.14]. Just like we are covering because it is cold, but actually as spirit soul, I am not affected. Asangayam purusa. In the Vedas it is said that the soul is unaffected with this material condition. I have several times given this example, that a person has got a good car, and it is somehow or another broken, and he becomes upset, because his car Although he knows that "I am not this car," but his thoughts being absorbed by the attraction of the car, when the car is broken somehow or other he becomes almost unconscious. So this is due to our attachment. So spiritual life means how to get out of this attachment. This is spiritual life. We are "No, what is the wrong if we are attached?" The wrong is that so long we remain attached to these temporary illusory things, you'll not be able to get out of it. That is the whole program. Therefore Krsna advises, matra-sparsas tu kaunteya. These pains and pleasure is due to this skin; it is not real. But because you are attached to the skin and bone, therefore you feel sometimes pain and pleasure. But that will not endure. Better tolerate it. Tolerate. That is spiritual, tapasya. That is called tapasya. When one can learn how to tolerate these temporary so-called pains and pleasure, then he is advanced.

So if one is simply attached to these pains and pleasures of material skin and bone, then how he can be free from the material condition of life? Therefore Prahlada Maharaja is describing. It has to be... Prahlada Maharaja's proposal is that spiritual life should begin from very childhood, kaumaram acaret prajno dharman bhagavatan. Otherwise that attachment will continue, and you'll never be able to give up this attachment, and the spiritual..., material condition of life, the accepting one body, bhutva bhutva praliyate [Bg. 8.19], accepting one body and accepting another body, this will continue. But the real business of human life is to end this materialistic way of life, that die and again take another..., janma, janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi [Bg. 13.9], to be implicated in these four things. Then our suffering will never end. This is spiritual life. Spiritual life means to end the sufferings of material existence. That is Prahlada... Dharman bhagavat..., durlabham manusam janma.

So in the human form of life the children should be trained up to spiritual life. That is the duty of the father and mother. Grhesu saptas. If one remains attached to family life, then grhesu saktasya pramattas. Pramattas means to remain attached to this family life means madness. Means madness. It is very difficult to understand this madness, especially in this age, Kali-yuga, because we have very little knowledge. Mandah sumanda-matayo, manda-bhagya upadrutah [SB 1.1.10]. The position of the people of the present age, Kali-yuga, they're all bad; nobody is good. Mandah, all very slow. They do not know what is the aim of life, how to fulfill the goal of life, mandah. And manda-matayo: and if somebody is interested, they will manufacture some rascaldom. Manda-matayo. And everyone is manda-bhagya, unfortunate. Unfortunate means that they got this opportunity, human life, to end all the problems of life, but they'll not take care of it. Manda-bhagya. And besides that, upadrutah, embarrassed by so many difficulties, especially these men in Kali-yuga will be harassed by insufficient supply of foodstuff, and taxation by the government. Durbhiksa-kara-piditah [SB 12.2.9]. This is the statement in the Srimad-Bhagavatam. Actually the food price is increasing daily. Nobody knows where it will end. This is called (indistinct). People will not get alms. Alms, to beg from door to door, and live on alms and begging, this will not be possible. Nobody will give alms. Suppose there is ten rupees' kilo rice, and if a sannyasi goes to a grhastha, "Give me some alms, rice," they'll consider in terms of price, "So much rice I have to give. This is two rupees' worth. Give him four annas, go away!" So durbhiksa, this is called durbhiksa. Even begging will be very difficult. Begging is the last stage of livelihood, but he'll not be able to beg even. This is the age of Kali-yuga. Durbhiksa-kara-piditah, gacchanti giri-kananam, acchinna-dara-dravina gacchanti... People will be so much embarrassed that Now they are not voluntarily giving up the family life, but he will be forced to give up. Acchinna-dara-dravina. Dara means wife and dravina means money. The whole world is going on on this basis, women and money, So dara-dravina, he'll be forced to give up. Acchinna-dara-dravina gacchanti.

So on the whole this age is very, very difficult to live peacefully. It is not possible. It is, material life is always full of difficulties, especially in this age, so people should be given instruction and training how to give up this materialistic way of life. The pramattah word is used in Rsabhadeva's instruction also: nunam pramattah kurute vikarma [SB 5.5.4]. Pramattah: everyone is madman. That's a fact. Some years ago one man was condemned to death, and he pleaded that "While I committed this murder I was mad." So he was examined. He was to be examined by the civil servant, and the civil servant, when he came to the court, he said, "My lord, so far my experience goes, everyone is mad. So why do you ask me to examine this man? If to become madman and be excused for being hanged, then you can do so, but my opinion is everyone is mad, more or less." So this statement is also confirmed by the Bhagavatam and all the sastras. In the Caitanya-caritamrta also it is said,

pisaci paile yena mati-cchanna haya
maya-grasta jiveri sei dasa upajaya

Maya-grasta ye, those who are in this material world and absorbed in materialistic way of thought, they are just like a man haunted by the ghost, pisaci paile yena mati-cchanna haya.

So all this materialistic way of life based on money and lusty desire is madness, nunam pramattah kurute vikarma [SB 5.5.4]. And on account of madness... Just like madman doesn't know what he's doing, similarly any materialistic person without Krsna consciousness is a madman. That is also said in Bhagavad-gita:

na mam duskrtino mudhah
prapadyante naradhamah
mayayapahrta-jnana
asurim bhavam asritah
 [Bg. 7.15]

One cannot understand Krsna consciousness because he is mad, he is rascal. Why? Duskrtina, on account of sinful activities. Therefore what is his position? Naradhamah, the lowest of mankind. Then, "He is educated?" Mayayapahrta-jnana: his so-called education has no value, because his real knowledge has been taken away. Real knowledge is -- that is given in Bhagavad-gita in the beginning -- real knowledge is that "I am not this body." But everyone is working on the bodily concept of life; therefore they are all mad. Pramattasya, grhesu saktasya. Because he is madman, therefore he is so much attached.

So we have to go to the opposite. Attachment... "Then I shall finish all my attachment?" No, you cannot give up your attachment, because that is the symptom of life. You cannot be free from attachment. But the attachment has to be turned to Krsna. Therefore Krsna advises in the Bhagavad-gita,

mayy asakta-manah partha
yogam yunjan mad-asrayah
asamsayam samagram mam
yatha jnasyasi tac chrnu
 [Bg. 7.1]

In the Sixth..., the Seventh Chapter, Krsna is giving lesson how to become unattached to this material world. Mayy asakta manah partha. If you increase your attachment for Krsna -- if you become perfectly Krsna consciousness -- then it is possible to be detached. Param drstva nivartate [Bg. 9.59]. Your attachment gets better engagement. Krsna consciousness means attachment for the best. We have got attachment. We have got attachment for our family, for our home, for our children, for our wife, for our society, for our nation, for our country, and so on, so on, so on, so on -- so many. Attachment is there. But with this attachment, grhesu saktasya, if you keep your attachment for these things, then you'll never be free from this material condition of life. Therefore you have to convert or divert your attachment to Krsna. That is Krsna consciousness movement. Krsna consciousness movement means we have got attachment, but we have got attachment for false things, temporary things. And if we divert our attachment, that is bhakti. Bhakti does not mean that you give up your living conscience. Attachment is the function of the living being. The living being is attached to his family, wife, children, because he is living being. So living being cannot give up attachment. But if we continue our attachment for this false and temporary materialistic way of life, then we'll never be free from this bondage of material condition. Therefore you have divert your attachment to Krsna. Mayy asakta manah. This is yoga: how to divert your attachment for Krsna. It is very easy. It is not difficult.

Therefore the training is, according to sastra and the instruction of the spiritual master, that (indistinct): rise early in the morning. Just like a man... Not one man, there are thousands and millions of men at the present moment, because he has got attachment for the family he rises at four o'clock and prepares himself to catch the train at six o'clock to reach Calcutta, Bombay at ten o'clock and attend the office. So from four o'clock to ten o'clock, he has taken so much changing. I have seen in New York also, they are coming in from the other island and waiting for the bus, waiting for the ferry steamer, and so many hours wasted to reach the office. And he works in the office for four or five hours, then again he takes this trouble of going so many miles away. Why he is taking so much trouble? Family attachment. Family attachment. So the people are... Not that he has no attachment. He has got attachment, but this attachment, the same four o' clock, rising early in the morning, for Krsna's mangala-arati. This is diversion, a better. But he'll not agree. When he has got to go to office for earning his livelihood, he will automatically rise up and go to the office, because the attachment is strong. But in the temple, the rule is that you must get up before four and prepare yourself, and we have to ring the bells three hundred times, and still you are sleeping. Just see.

So this has to be practiced. This has to be practiced if you want to divert your attention. The same process. But because we have no attachment for Krsna, we have to be forced. Never mind. Still we have to continue this, mayy asakta..., to increase attachment for Krsna, mayy asakta manah partha. We have to train our mind how to become attached to Krsna. This is bhakti process. The business is the same, but we have to be trained up for increasing our attachment for Krsna. Not that we have to bring a separate attachment. It has to be cleansed. That, how the attachment should be utilized, that is described in the Narada-pancaratra:

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

Now we..., our attachment is covered by designation: "I am the head of the family. I have to do this. I have to earn this money. I have to do that, I have to do that." This is upadhi. This is... Because upadhi means just like you are designated with some title, B.A., M.A. or some (indistinct ) or some (indistinct) -- there are so many designation. But that is designation. But real... That is not reality. Similarly, our this designation, that "I am the head of this family," "I am the brahmana," "I am the sudra," "I am American," these are all designation. Actually it has no reality. On account of material contamination... So we have to cleanse this designation. Then our original attachment for Krsna will automatically come. This is Krsna consciousness. Consciousness is there, attachment is there, but it is being covered by so many designations. So when you give up this designation, that is called mukti. Mukti does not mean that you get some extraordinary position. Mukti means to become free from these material designations. It is same attachment, diversion of attachment to Krsna.

So this Krsna consciousness movement means nothing..., everything is there; it has to be purified by diverting the same thing for Krsna. Just like we have got feelings for raising children, attachment. That is attachment. So what Mother Yasoda is doing? She is attached to Krsna, and that is Vrndavana. The same thing in otherwise... Vrndavana life means all attachment to Krsna. Mother Yasoda is attached to Krsna, Nanda Maharaja is attached to Krsna, the cowherd boys are attached to Krsna, the calfs and cows are attached to Krsna, Radharani is attached to Krsna, the trees are attached to Krsna, the flowers are attached to Krsna, the water is attached to Krsna... That is Vrndavana. Vrndavana means the central attachment is Krsna. That is Vrndavana. So if you can create that central attachment for Krsna, then it is Vrn... Then you can create Vrndavana anywhere -- any family, any society, any country. Just make the point of attachment Krsna, and it is Vrndavana. That is required. That is Krsna consciousness movement.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya.

 

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.6.8 -- Vrndavana, December 10, 1975

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Don't Take Krishna Lightly

Don't Take Krishna Lightly

Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.25.42
Bombay, December 10, 1974

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Nitai: "(It is because of My supremacy that the wind blows, out of fear of Me; the sun shines out of fear of Me, and the lord of the) clouds, Indra, sends forth showers out of fear of Me. The fire burns out of fear of Me, and death goes about taking its toll out of fear of Me."

Prabhupada:

mad-bhayad vati vato 'yam
suryas tapati mad-bhayat
varsatindro dahaty agnir
mrtyus carati mad-bhayat
 [SB 3.25.42]

The ultimate, mrtyus carati mad-bhayat . So bhaya, bhaya means fearfulness. Bhayam dvitiyabhinivesatah syat. In the previous verse the Lord Kapiladeva said that "If anyone wants to get out of this fearful situation..." Bhayam tivram nivartate. Atmanah sarva-bhutanam bhayam tivram nivartate. We are always fearful. Material life is not very happy life because we are always fearful. That's a fact. Nobody can say, "No, I am not afraid of anything." That is false. Everyone is afraid of something, everyone -- bird, beast, human being, everyone, bhayam dvitiyabhinivesatah syat -- because we have got absorption in the second category of life. Second category means this bodily conception of life, dvitiya abhinivesa. I am thinking at the present moment that "I am this body." Everyone is thinking. Therefore, when there is fear of destruction of this body, we become very much afraid, perplexed. We have seen in Los Angeles. There was earthquake, and all the neighborhood, women especially, began to scream, fearful, "Now death is coming."

So everyone is afraid. This is the material nature, ahara-nidra-bhaya-maithuna, four things, material wants: eating, sleeping, fearing, and defending. So Krsna said that if you want... Kapiladeva and Krsna the same. Krsna has many form. Kapiladeva is one of the form, avesavatara. There are many incarnation. Krsna is the original Personality of Godhead. In the Srimad-Bhagavatam there is a list of different avataras, and the conclusion... Lord Buddha's also name is there. Kikatesu bhavisyati, sura-dvisam. So Lord Buddha's name is there, and Jayadeva has also given his poem Dasa-vidha, Dasavatara-stotra. In that Dasavatara also, Lord Buddha's name is there: kesava dhrta-buddha-sarira jaya jagadisa hare. So Vaisnavas, they know, by the grace of Krsna, how many avataras are there. They do not accept therefore any bogus avatara. Some rascal will say that "I am avatara." The Vaisnava will not accept. Tasmat sastra-vidhanoktam. In the Bhagavad-gita it is said that sastra-vidhanoktam, karyakarya. We have to accept and reject according to the sastra, not that any bogus man comes and says that "I am avatara." That is not acceptable. The Vaisnava will not accept. A foolish man may accept; that is a different thing. So certainly, the Supreme Personality has got many avatara, but each avatara has, has been mentioned in the sastras, different avataras. So Kapiladeva is avatara. Therefore He is saying, "Me," mad-bhayat . Mad-bhayat.

So mad-bhayad vati vato 'yam. These are the very strong sources of fearfulness. If there is cyclone, it is very fearful. It is going on very nicely, but if it is a big cyclone, then it is fearful. So there is necessity of cyclone also. There is necessity of scorching heat. There is necessity of rainfall. So there are different directors and officers, and they are all servant of Krsna. Therefore Caitanya-caritamrta says, ekale isvara krsna ara saba bhrtya [Cc. Adi 5.142]. The only master, supreme master, is Krsna, and all others, they are bhrtya, servant. The demigods, the demigods, they are all servants of Krsna. Demigods there are: Surya, Candra, Vayu, Varuna, and Brhaspati, so many, thirty-three crores of demigods. They have got different planets. But all of them are servants of Krsna. Mayadhyaksena prakrtih suyate sa-caracaram [Bg. 9.10]. The modern so-called scientists, they say, "There is no demigod. There is no God. This is all natural function." That's all right. Nature is working. But nature is matter. Matter cannot work without the direction of the living being. You cannot say matter works independently. That is not possible. Everything is...

Just like here it is said... Now we have got experience in the beach. There is always big, big waves. That water is also dull matter, and the air pushing the dull matter, water, and there is big, big waves, and it is dashing on the earth. These things are going on. So they say it is nature's work. But nature is not independent. We get this information from authoritative sastra. Here Kapiladeva says that... There is high wind. That is due to the command, mad-bhayat vati vatah. High wind is there. Sometimes there is breezy, very nice, sometimes very high wind. So there is direction. You cannot say that it is automatically happening, no. There is direction. Krsna says that mayadhyaksena prakrtih suyate sa-caracaram: [Bg. 9.10] "Under My superintendence, prakrti, nature..." The scientists, they say nature is working wonderfully, but after all, nature is not under your control. That you have to accept. You may defy Krsna, or God, but you cannot defy the natural, nature's activities. You are subordinate. But because we do not know the background of nature, therefore we think that "Nature is working. There is no God."

But that is not fact. Nature is working under the direction. This is theism. One who knows. Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita that these natural, I mean to say, ingredients, prakrti, jada-prakrti, or material nature, five elements, ksitih, apam, tejas, marut, vyoma, this marut, vayu, and tejas, this sunshine, ksitih, apam, tejas, and water, the seas and oceans, the land, vast land, ksitih, apam, tejas, marut, vyoma, then sky -- they are different manifestation of Krsna's external energy. They are not independent. There are many sastras. Therefore one has to consult the sastras. In the Brahma-samhita it is also said, "The material nature is very powerful." Srsti-sthiti-pralaya-sadhana-saktir eka: [Bs. 5.44] "The material nature is so powerful that it can create, srsti, sthiti, it can maintain, and it can destroy also." Srsti-sthiti-pralaya-sadhana: "It is so powerful, it can do that."

Srsti-sthiti-pralaya-sadhana-saktir eka.

But how the material nature is working? Chayeva yasya bhuvanani bibharti durga [Bs. 5.44]. The material nature is working just like shadow. Shadow. If you have got this real hand and there is shadow, if you move your hand, the shadow of the hand also moves. Similarly, this material nature is working in touch with the spirit soul. Just like big pilot is flying in the sky -- we have got experience -- but it is not independently flying. There is the pilot. He is pushing the button, and it is flying. A big car, big machine, big factory -- without touch of spiritual touch, there is no question of moving. We have got this practical experience. Where is the evidence that, without the touch of spirit soul, that machine is moving? Is there any evidence? Then how you can say that without God, the whole universe is moving? There is no evidence. We have no such experience. Then how you can say that without the direction of God, the material nature can move? There is no such experience. And from the evidences of sastra... Here it is said, "The wind is blowing, the water is moving, the sun is giving scorching heat, everything, all under the direction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead." Not only that, direction, but it is said, bhayat . Bhayat . Bhayat  means if the respective directors or agent of different material elements, if they do not work properly, then he is punished as the master punishes the servant. Mayadhyaksena [Bg. 9.10].

When Krsna was present, there was Giridhari. Giridhari, He lifted the mountain, Govardhana Hill. Govardhana-dhari. So Nanda Maharaja was arranging to worship the Indra, Indra-yajna. There are different kinds of yajna. But Indradeva was little proud that he is all in all. Everyone thinks... If he is in power, then he tries to give some trouble to others. Similarly, all the demigods, they are, if they are not satisfied, they will give you trouble. Similarly, the Indra-yajna was there, but Krsna said to His father, "My dear father, there is no need of Indra-yajna. You better worship Govardhana Hill. He is symbolic representation of God because the cows, they get their food, grasses. So better you make this Govardhana-yajna." So first of all, Nanda Maharaja was not willing, but out of the affection of Krsna... That is devotee, that Krsna... Devotees of Krsna, they are acting always in love for Krsna. So Nanda Maharaja changed his idea of worshiping Indra. Rather, on the contrary, all the ingredients he collected, he worshiped the Govardhana Hill and stopped Indra-yajna. So Indra became very much angry, and he sent the vicious cloud, and whole Vrndavana was inundated by flood. And Krsna showed that "Your power is not even competent to compare with the finger of My hand." Therefore He lifted the Govardhana Hill with the finger of His left hand and saved all the people of Vrndavana. Then Indra came to worship Him. These things are there in the Srimad-Bhagavatam.

So everyone is servant. Everyone is servant. You do not... You, you can perform yajnas for ordinarily, but if you keeps, if you be simply under the shelter of Krsna, you do not require to perform different demigod yajnas, deva-yajna. That is not required. The example is given that if you pour water in the root of the tree, you do not require to pour water in the branches, in the twigs, in the flowers, in the fruits. It is automatically done. If you supply food to the stomach, then you do not require to feed the eyes, hands, legs, separately. There is no need; neither it is possible to give separate, I mean to say, food, materials for nourishing the different parts of the body. One place is sufficient. Similarly, if we worship Krsna, the source of everything, the root of everything... Aham adir hi yajnanam, devanam, deva-yajna.

So Krsna says that you don't require to perform different yajnas. That is not possible in this age especially. It requires large amount of wealth to perform such yajnas. Nowadays people are suffering for want of sufficient food grains, and in the yajna tons and thousands of mounds of food grains are offered in the fire. That is good. But there is no food grains; there is no ghee. That is not possible in this age. Therefore yajna is not possible. The... You can perform very easily the sankirtana-yajna. Then everything will be performed. Yajnaih sankirtana-prayair yajanti hi sumedhasah [SB 11.5.32]. Those who are intelligent person, they can perform yajna, sankirtana-yajna.

This is recommended in this age. Other yajnas is not possible. Krte yad dhyayato visnum tretayam yajato makhaih [SB 12.3.52]. Tretayam. Yajna performance was very prominent in the Treta-yuga, at that time. But at present moment it is not possible. Dhyana-yajna, dravya-yajna, jnana-yajna, and sankirtana-yajna. So in this age, sankirtana-yajna is recommended. Yajnaih sankirtana-prayair yajanti hi sumedhasah [SB 11.5.32]. Sumedhasah means those who have got good brain. And it is so easy, anywhere you can perform. Any part of the world, you assemble together. Sankirtana means bahubhir militva, by intermingling various persons. Just like we are doing here sankirtana-kirtana and sankirtana. Kirtana means alone, and sankirtana means in the assembly of many others. That is called sankirtana. So that is recommended, that many persons, you sit together. There is no need of even instrument, but because Lord Caitanya introduced this khol, karatala. Otherwise this clapping is sufficient. So it is very easy, sankirtana-yajna. You sit down familywise, all the family members. If you perform sankirtana, Hare Krsna maha-mantra, with the clapping of hands, that is sankirtana-yajna, very easy to perform. But people will not do that. Instead of performing sankirtana-yajna in the evening to become free from all fears of life, they will go to the restaurant, to the cinema and other places, talking unnecessarily in clubs, societies, waste their time. This is going on. This is modern education. This is modern civilization. They are not aware of the tivram bhayam, the most fierceful situation of birth, death, old age, and disease. This is the opportunity, the human life, how to get out of it. The means are there. But we are so fools. We are so foolishly educated in the name of modern civilization that we neglect all these things and we place ourself in the waves of the material nature. Mayar bose, jaccho bhese', Khaccho habudubu bhai. We are being carried away by the waves of this material nature, and we have submitted to the laws of material nature. And therefore we are subjected to birth, death, old age, and disease. And not only birth -- there is no guarantee what kind of birth next life.

So we should not misuse this... Labdhva sudurlabham idam bahu-sambhavante manusyam [SB 11.9.29]. We should not waste our this valuable life, human form of life. We begin our this evolution. First of all, the world is covered with water. Pralaya-payodhi-jale dhrtavan asi vedam **. Now, still, three-fourth of this earthly planet is covered with water. In the beginning, the whole earthly planet was covered with water. Gradually, the water is drying up, and the land is coming. Then we are calculating, "This is Asia. This is America. This is Europe." Land is coming out. And gradually land, land, land, land -- there will be only land, no water. That means destruction. When there will be no water and scorching heat, the whole earthly planet will be ablaze and everything will be burned into ashes. Then again there will be rainfall, and everything will be mixed up, and then again there will destruction. This is going on. Bhutva bhutva praliyate [Bg. 8.19]. And similarly, our position with this body. This will be also dissolved again. This nice form you have got, I have got, but when it will be finished, this is finished forever. We are not going to get any more. You will get different body, not exactly this body. It is bubble. One bubble lost, that is lost forever. That is lost forever. But we are so foolish, we are thinking, "This is permanent settlement, permanent settlement." This is called ignorance. There is no question of permanent settlement. Temporary under the... Prakrteh kriyamanani gunaih karmani sarvasah [Bg. 3.27]. Under the laws of nature we are getting different types of bodies, different types of opportunities. And it is going on. But we are spirit soul; we are not this material body.

So we must have sense and take shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead to save ourself from this material condition of life, repetition of birth, death, old age, and disease. And if you think, when Krsna says that "You surrender unto Me. I will give you protection"... So because we are foolish, we think Krsna as ordinary human being. Avajananti mam mudha manusim tanum asritam [Bg. 9.11]. Because we are mudhas, rascals, we think that Krsna is a person like us. Manusim. Krsna is very kind. He comes to be visible by us exactly in the same way as we are. Manusim tanum. But we think, when Krsna comes, "Oh, He is a man. He is a man like us. God is different." Avajananti mam mudhah. Because we are mudhas. Param bhavam ajanantah.

So they do not know what is Krsna. Therefore when Krsna demands, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66], we foolish people, we think, "Oh, it is too much. Krsna is so proud that He is commanding us that 'You surrender unto Me.' Oh, I am not so fool. I am not going to do that." This is the position. Mudha. Because mudha, they are taking Krsna as ordinary human being. Because He is so kind He comes as human being and gives you the right information, right instruction. But we are so rascal that we do not accept it, do not accept it. That is our misfortune. Those who are fortunate enough, they accept Krsna. Bahunam janmanam ante jnanavan mam prapadyate [Bg. 7.19]. That fortune comes not so easily -- after struggling, after associating with Vaisnavas, with devotees, after cultivating knowledge for many, many births.

So we should take this chance. We should not be foolish. Don't be foolish, mudha. Just surrender to Krsna and execute Krsna's service, what Krsna says. Do that; you will be saved. You will be saved from these clutches of maya, repetition of birth and death. Even if you fall down, if you do not be able to execute devotional service fully, still, you will get next change as a human being. Sucinam srimatam gehe yoga-bhrasto 'bhijayate [Bg. 6.41]. You will get again chance of this human body. But if you don't take Krsna consciousness, then there is no guarantee. You can become next life a cat, dog, tree, or anything, according to the infection and quality. But if you become Krsna conscious and if you give even little service to Krsna, your next life as human being is guaranteed. And that is not ordinary human life, but sucinam srimatam gehe. Tyaktva sva-dharmam caranambujam harer bhajann apakvo 'tha patet tato yadi [SB 1.5.17]. Narada Muni said that "If one engages himself in devotional service out of sentiment, it doesn't matter. Still, if he does some service to Krsna, then he is gainer. And one who is very practical, does not take to Krsna consciousness and take to material activities and thinks that he is very advanced, there is no gain." He is under karma. According karma, he will get body.

But a Krsna conscious human being, even though he is unable to execute properly, even if he falls down, his human life is guaranteed. His human life is guaranteed. And that life in a rich family and in very nice purified family, sucinam. Sucinam means purified family, nice brahmana, Vaisnava family. Or srimatam. Sri means opulence, those who are possessing opulence, means big mercantile family, big rich family, or big nice brahmana Vaisnava family. You get again chance. Just like the children of these Krsna conscious members, from childhood they are getting. Our this boy, Mr. West, he is getting chance to worship Krsna. So this is sucinam srimatam gehe [Bg. 6.41]. And how he is satisfied. There are so many children in our Krsna consciousness movement. From the very beginning of life they have got chance for chanting Hare Krsna, attending mangala-aratrika, taking prasadam, and reading the Srimad-Bhagavatam, Bhagavad-gita. Life is successful. Just see.

So we are after giving chance to the bewildered persons, mislead person, materialistic person, to take up this Krsna consciousness movement, and their success is guaranteed. Because Krsna says, aham tvam sarva-papebhyo moksayisyami [Bg. 18.66]. If you think Krsna is ordinary person, how? Therefore Krsna says that "Don't think Me that I am ordinary person. Under My direction the wind is blowing, the sea is working, the sun it heating, and the so many things are going on." Mayadhyaksena prakrtih [Bg. 9.10]. "Don't take Me so slightly." Everything is explained. Now it is our business to accept it or not accept it.

Thank you very much. (end)

 

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.25.42 -- Bombay, December 10, 1974

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"Hearing Srila Bhaktisiddhanta"

10 Dec 76 , Hyderabad

Prabhupada: "...simple expression of reverence and love. The disciple, Abhaya Charan Dasa, was to become His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, founder-acarya of International Society, Krishna Consciousness." So whatever I appreciated forty years ago, the same principle is going on. We have no change. What I understood my spiritual master... Practically I met him in 1922, and this poetry was written in 1936. That means fourteen years before writing this poetry, I met my Guru Maharaja in 1922. At that time I was quite a young man, twenty-five years old only, and I was posted in a very responsible position and as the office manager of Dr. Bose's laboratory. And I was fond of in those days, of Gandhi's movement. In 1922 I joined Gandhi's movement, and I gave up my educational career because one of the Gandhi's program was to boycott the universities. That's a very long story. And many students gave up their educational career and joined this Gandhi's movement, and I was one of them.

So Dr. Bose, Kartik Chandra Bose, he's a very important man. At that time he was managing director of Bengal Chemical Company. Now there is a street in the central Calcutta, Dr. Kartik Bose Street. So he was very important man, and he was our family physician and my father's very intimate friend. So when I gave up my education and I was joining Gandhi's movement, at that time Dr. Kartik Chandra Bose asked me to join him. So with the permission of my father, I joined. So I was fond of, at that time, this Gandhi's noncooperation movement. And then, when I joined Dr. Bose's laboratory, of course, I was dressed in khadar. So Dr. Bose liked that dress, khadar dress. He told me one day that "Out of your whole Gandhi's movement, I like this khadar only." Dr. Bose said. And why? "No, because this will give impetus to industry. This hand spinning will gradually give impetus to India." Actually that happened. He was himself an industrialist. Actually in India the chemical industry was given birth by Dr. Kartik Chandra Bose. He was very important man. He started this Bengal Chemical.

So 1922 I met my Guru Maharaja through the exigency of my intimate friend, Mr. Narendranath Mullik. And I would not go. He told me information, "There is a nice sadhu. Let us go and see." I did not like very much these sadhus in those days, national spirit. So I said, "I have seen many sadhus. They come at my father's care. I was not very much pleased with their behavior." So he dragged me forcibly: "No, I have heard this person is very exalted." So I went. And his first opening version was that "You are educated young men. Why don't you preach Caitanya Mahaprabhu's gospel in the Western countries?" I did not know. So this was his blessing in the first meeting. I did not know, but because we belonged to a Vaisnava family we were very much worshiper of Lord Caitanya and Nityananda, our family Deity. So I was very much pleased that "Here is a personality who is going to preach Caitanya Mahaprabhu's gospel." I was very much pleased.

So anyway, from 1922 to 1933 practically I was not initiated, but I got the impression of preaching Caitanya Mahaprabhu's cult. That I was thinking. And that was the initiation by my Guru Maharaja. Then officially I was initiated in 1933 because in 1923 I left Calcutta. I started my business at Allahabad. So I was always thinking of my Guru Maharaja, that "I met a very nice sadhu." Although I was doing business, I never forgot him. Then, in 1928, these Gaudiya Matha people came to Allahabad during Kumbhamela. As the Kumbhamela is going to be held this year, a similar big Kumbhamela was held in 1928. In those days they came to open their branch in Allahabad, and somebody recommended that "You go to..." At that time I was running on my big pharmacy and I was very well known man in Allahabad as the proprietor of the pharmacy. So somebody recommended them that "You go to Abhaya Babu. He is a very religious man. He'll help you." So when they entered my shop I was very much pleased that "These men I met in 1922, and now they have come." In this way I became reconnected. And in 1933 I was officially initiated, and my only qualification was when I was introduced to my Guru Maharaja for initiation, so Guru Maharaja immediately said, "Yes, I shall initiate this boy. He is very nice. He hears me very patiently. He does not go away." So that was my qualification. The high standard of philosophy which he was speaking at that time, practically I could not follow what was, he was speaking, but still, I liked to hear him. That was my hobby. Whenever... I was asking that "When Guru Maharaja will speak?" So he took it very seriously.

And then, in 1936-it's a long history-during this Vyasa-puja day, this Vyasa-puja day, whatever I studied about our relationship with my Guru Maharaja, I expressed in this poetry, and since that day my Godbrothers used to call me "poet." And Guru Maharaja also very much appreciated this poetry. Now somehow or other you have found it. (laughs) I thought the poetry is lost, but I do not know how it was found out by some of our disciples. I think it was found out in London museum or somewhere else by Guru dasa. They had a stock of Harmonist, and from the Harmonist, my Guru Maharaja's paper, this poetry was found. Otherwise I thought it was lost. So anyway, this poetry is "Adore, adore ye all the happy day, blessed than heaven, sweeter than May." So I heard that the month of May is very pleasing in the Western countries, so I compared the happiness of this day with the May Day. They call May Day?

Devotees: Yes.

Prabhupada: Yes. "When he appeared at Puri, the holy place, my lord and master, His Divine Grace." So Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura appeared as the son of Bhaktivinoda Thakura, his fourth son. Bhaktivinoda Thakura, he was family man. He has several children, sons and daughters. So Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, known in his previous life as Bimala Prasada Datta, son of Kedaranath Datta... His father, Bhaktivinoda Thakura, his name was. He was magistrate and he was manager also, the managing board of Jagannatha Puri. The system is, the local magistrate becomes the official manager of the managing board of Jagannatha Puri. So at that time he was situated in Jagannatha Puri, and Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura appeared at Puri. And the Ratha-yatra, the Ratha-yatra ceremony takes place, and sometimes the big ratha stops at interval. So the house in which Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura appeared, in front of that house the ratha stopped. So his mother took the advantage and... Because Bhaktivinoda Thakura was magistrate, so the son, the little baby, was brought before the ratha, and the pujaris allowed him to bring the child before the Deity, and the child was placed before the Deity and a garland was offered by Jagannatha. So that was the first sign of his becoming the acarya. In this way there are many incidences.

So therefore his birthplace is mentioned, "the holy place, my lord and master, His Divine Grace." "O my master, the evangelic angel, give us thy light, light up thy candle. Struggle for existence, a human race, the only hope, His Divine Grace." So actually we are in a very precarious condition, the modern civilization, I mean to say, manipulated by the Western people. It is a soul-killing civilization, this civilization. By nature the chance is given after many, many evolutionary process. Jalaja nava laksani sthavara laksa vimsati. The evolutionary theory is there in the Padma Purana. It is not Darwin's theory. Darwin stolen it from Padma Purana, and he presented in a distorted way of his own imagination. Otherwise the Darwin's theory is not the original. The theory... It is not theory-fact. Jiva-jatisu. It is wandering within the cycle of jiva-jati, different species of life. Tatha dehantara praptih [Bg. 2.13]. This is Vedic knowledge, this evolutionary process. It is not Darwin's theory.

So by that process, lower animals and then the chronological order is there... First of all aquatics, jalajah. Jalajah means aquatic. Then sthavarah, trees, plants. Then flies, then birds, then beasts, then human being. In this way, bahu sambhavante, after many, many millions of years we get this opportunity of human life to realize God. And this civilization is denying, refusing the opportunity to the human society to understand God -- such a soul-killing civilization. It is a fact. They are denying "What is God? There is no God. Everything is science," although they cannot explain science. They cannot do anything, simply talking like nonsense. Last night some girls came, so they are students of botany. So I asked them, "Can you manufacture a seed which can give birth to a big banyan tree?" "No, sir, it is not possible." Then what kind of botany you are studying? Actually what is their science? They talk simply something which is going on in the middle portion. Where is the beginning and where is the end of knowledge, that they do not know. They are theorizing only in the middle. They do not know janmady asya yatah [SB 1.1.1], where is the beginning of this science. That is... Beginning is Krsna. Krsna says, aham sarvasya prabhavo [Bg. 10.8]. He is the beginning. Bijo 'ham sarva-bhutanam [Bg 7.10]. That seed, you scientist, you cannot manufacture. What chemicals are there that if you put in the earth and pour some water and it will grow a big tree? These scientists, they cannot explain what is the chemical composition is there. But there is. So that is in the hand of Krsna.

So this knowledge means to understand the original source. That is philosophy, find out the original source. That is knowledge. So the vedais ca sarvair aham eva vedyo. Actually the knowledge terminates when you understand Krsna. He is the source of everything. So there is a "struggle for existence, a human race, the only hope, His Divine Grace." So we got this information from His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, and that knowledge is still going on. You are receiving through his servant. And in future the same knowledge will go to your students. This is called parampara system. Evam parampara prap... It is not that you have become a student and you'll remain student. No. One day you shall become also guru and make more students, more students, more. That is Caitanya Mahaprabhu's mission, not that perpetually... Yes, one should remain perpetually a student, but he has to act as guru. That is the mission of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. It is not that because I am acting as guru, I am no longer student. No, I am still student. Caitanya Mahaprabhu taught us this instruction that we shall always remain a foolish student before our Guru Maharaja. That is the Vedic culture. I may be very big man, but still, I should remain a foolish student to my guru. That is the qualification. Guru more murkha dekhi' karila sasana [Cc. Adi 7.71]. We should be always prepared to be controlled by the guru. That is very good qualification. Yasya prasadad bhagavat-prasadah **. Ara na kariha mane asa **. So we should become always a very obedient student to our guru. That is the qualification. That is the spiritual qualification.

So recently... I am very pleased to say that our Harikesa, I ordered him to go immediately to Poland, and he thought that he was being punished. That was... No. I was thinking that "Here is a very very intelligent boy. If he is given chance to preach he'll come out very successful." So I see the glimpses that he has got now post. He's a very good organizer. That's a chance. At that time he might have thought that I was separating him. No. My good will was there that he should be given chance for better opportunity. So I am very much happy that he is doing there very nice. So this should be the attitude. My Guru Maharaja wanted me to preach in the Western countries, although I was at that time a ordinary manager in a chemical firm. I never thought, but I took it seriously. So from that 1922, in 1965 it was fruitful. How many years?

Devotee: Forty-three.

Prabhupada: Forty-three years. So it is better late than never. Yes. So he desired me. I thought, "Now I am a family man. Let me adjust things." I would have accepted immediately, but I was not so intelligent at that time. I thought "My responsibility to family is there. Let me wait." But still, Guru Maharaja was so kind to me that when I was grhastha, I was seeing him in dreaming and I was... He asked me, "You come with me." So I was going, and after that, I was thinking, "Oh, I will have to take sannyasa and go with him?" So it appeared to me very horrible. I was not very much inclined to take sannyasa, but Guru Maharaja is so kind that he ultimately forced me to take sannyasa and do this work. So it is all his kindness. So this is the memory of his kindness.

So forty years ago I remember the same thing as it is in 1922, and still the same thing is going on. There is nothing new. We have nothing to do, new. Simply let us present as it is; it will be successful. There is no... You see. The spirit of my writing is the same. "Misled we are, all going astray." This soul-killing civilization is misleading us. We must know this, this very misleading civilization. Our real aim of life is to understand our spiritual identification and search out our relationship with God, Krsna. That is our real business. But this modern civilization is misleading us in different ways. So I wrote this, that "Misled we are, all going astray. Save us, lord, our fervent pray. Wonder thy ways to turn our face, adore they feet, Your Divine Grace." So this portion he very much appreciated.

So we have to find out ways how to turn the current. The current is sense enjoyment. Material life means the current is sense enjoyment, and this current has to be turned-sense enjoyment of Krsna. Sense enjoyment is there, but the material civilization, the misled civilization, is that the sense gratification is taken personal. When this sense gratification will be turned towards Krsna, then our life is successful. Just like gopis. Apparently it appears that gopis, they were attracted by young boy, Krsna, and for their sense gratification they made friendship with Krsna. No. That is not the fact. The fact is that gopis used to dress themselves nicely because by seeing them, Krsna will be satisfied, not that for their sense gratification. Generally a girl dresses also to attract the attention of the boy. So the same thing is there but it is Krsna's sense gratification, not the gopis'. The gopis did not want anything. But Krsna will be satisifed. That is the difference between lust and love. Love is there, only possible, when it is diverted towards Krsna. That is love. And beyond that... Not beyond that... Below that, everything is lust. So we should always remember this. The senses are not stopped, but when the gratification of the senses is directed towards Krsna, that is bhakti, or love. And when the sense gratification is directed towards personal self, that is lust. This is difference between lust and love.

So Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura knew this art, how to turn our activities for the satisfaction of Krsna. This is Krsna consciousness movement. Therefore I... "Wonder thy ways to turn our face, adore they feet, Your Divine Grace. Forgotten Krsna, we fallen souls." Why we are fallen? Because we have forgotten. Our relationship with Krsna is eternal. Unless it was eternal, how you Western peoples could be devotee of Krsna? Artificially you cannot be a devotee of Krsna. The relationship is there eternally. Nitya-siddha krsna-bhakti. By the process it is now awakened. Sravanadi-suddha-citte karaye udaya. It is awakened. Love between young man and young woman, it is not artificial. It is there. But by certain circumstantially, environment, the love becomes manifest. Similarly, our love for Krsna, relationship with Krsna, is eternal. Jivera svarupa haya nitya krsna-dasa [Cc. Madhya 20.108-109]. But we have to create such situation -- that eternal relation should be awakened. That is the art. That is wanted.

So "Forgotten Krsna, we fallen souls, pay most heavy the illusion's toll." Because we have forgotten Krsna we are paying heavy, heavy toll, tax, taxation. What is that taxation? The taxation is nivartante mrtyu-samsara-vartmani [Bg. 9.3]. This human life is meant for understanding Krsna, but instead of understanding Krsna, we are understanding the so-called material science for sense gratification. This is our position. The energy which was given by nature to understand Krsna, that is being utilized how to manufacture something for sense gratification. This is going on. This is maya, illusion. Therefore it is, "Pay most heavy the illusion's toll." Toll tax. That we are paying because we have forgotten Krsna; therefore now we have manufactured the nuclear weapon -- Russia, America -- and you will have to pay heavily. They are already paying heavily. The armament preparation is going on. More than fifty percent of the income of the state are now being spent for this arm..., heavily. Instead of other purposes, it is being spent for military strength, every state. So that heavy toll we are paying. And when there is war there is no limit how much we are spending for this devastation. So why? Because we have forgotten Krsna. This is a fact.

So these people they have made the United Nation, unnecessarily fighting like dogs. So this will not solve the problems. The problem will be solved if they pass a resolution that the whole world, not only this world... Krsna says, sarvaloka mahesvaram. Krsna is the proprietor, so why not accept? Actually He is the proprietor. Who has created this planet? We have created or father created? No. Krsna has created, but we are claiming, "This portion is American, this portion is Indian, this portion is Pakistani." Unnecessary. What is the value of this claim? We may claim it for fifty or sixty or a hundred years, and after that, one kick: "Get out." Where is your claim? But they do not understand this philosophy. They are fighting. That's all, that "This is mine. This is my land. This is my land." They do not know. Krsna said tatha dehantara praptih [Bg. 2.13]. "You are American today. So tomorrow, even within America if you become an American cow or American animal, nobody will care for you. Nobody will care for your politics." But this art they do not know. This science they do not know. They are under illusion. They are thinking that "I shall continue to remain American, so let waste my time for American interest," so-called interest. There cannot be any interest. Prakrteh kriyamanani gunaih karmani sarvasah [Bg. 3.27]. Everything is being done by nature, and we are simply falsely thinking, ahankara-vimudhatma kartaham iti manyate. This illusion is going on. "Forgotten Krsna, we fallen souls, pay most heavy the illusion's toll." We are paying, paying. "Darkness around, all untrace. The only hope, Your Divine Grace." This message. Simply we are in darkness. So we shall discuss later on again. Now just... What is the time now? Hm?

Devotees: Quarter to nine.

Prabhupada: Yes. So we shall discuss again. So the same thing, it is chalked out by Krsna, and by parampara system we have understood this philosophy. Evam parampara praptam imam rajarsayo viduh [Bg. 4.2]. So keep this parampara system. This Vyasa-puja is parampara system. Vyasa-puja means to accept this parampara system. Vyasa. Guru is the representative of Vyasadeva because he does not change anything. What Vyasa-puja... What Vyasadeva said, your guru will also say the same thing. Not that "So many hundreds of thousands of years have passed away. Therefore I will give you a new formula." No. There is no new formula. The same Vyasa-puja, the same philosophy. Simply we have to accept it. Then our life will be successful. Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya! (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada's Disappearance Day, Lecture -- Hyderabad, December 10, 1976