Something Tangible

29 Jan 73 , Calcutta

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Prabhupada: Sri Gosvamipada, Mr. Mohinath(?), Ladies and Gentlemen, I thank you very much for your kindly inviting me in this meeting to serve you to some extent according to my capacity. This Krsna consciousness movement is not a new movement, started by me, but this movement was started by Krsna Himself, five thousand years ago. I need not explain about this movement. Krsna, in the Battlefield of Kuruksetra, instructed Arjuna the Krsna consciousness movement. The, in the Ninth Chapter it is said, man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru [Bg. 18.65]. This is Krsna consciousness movement. "Always think of Krsna," man-mana. Bhava mad-bhakto: "Just to become devotee of Krsna." And mam namaskuru: "Offer obeisances unto Me." Krsna instructed, mam eva ya prapadyante mayam etam taranti te. Krsna instructed that He's the Supreme Personality. Mattah parataram nanyat kincid asti dhananjaya [Bg. 7.7]. Krsna instructed to surrender. Sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66]. So this Krsna consciousness movement is teaching this instruction of Krsna. That's all. That is the order of Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He is Krsna Himself. Krsna-caitanya-namne.

Sri Rupa Gosvami said:

namo maha-vadanyaya
krsna-prema-pradaya te
krsnaya krsna-caitanya-
namne gaura-tvise namah
 [Cc. Madhya 19.53]

When people understood Krsna wrongly... Sometimes big scholars say "Sophistry," that "Krsna wants full surrender." Others, they say, "Why you should fully surrender to Krsna? We have got our own gods." Therefore Krsna again came. As Gosvami Prabhupada said: radha krsna-pranaya vikrtir, sri caitanyakhyam prakatam avyayam. Radha and Krsna, combined together, advented as Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu to distribute Krsna-prema. Because the mission of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu is to teach people how to develop love for Krsna. As it is quoted by Gosvami Prabhupada from Srimad-Bhagavatam:

sa vai pumsam paro dharmo
yato bhaktir adhoksaje
ahaituky apratihata
yayatma samprasidati
 [SB 1.2.6]

Actually that is first-class religion. We do not say that Vedic religion is first-class or Christian religion is last-class. We do not say that. We say that religious system is first class which teaches the followers how to become lover of God. That is first-class religion. Ahaituky apratihata: without any cause, and without being impeded. Caitanya Mahaprabhu's philosophy is like that, which is explained by Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura: prema pumartho mahan aradhyo bhagavan vrajesa tanayas tad-dhama vrndavanam.

So we are preaching this philosophy to the Western countries by the order of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He desired,

prthivite ache yata nagaradi grama
sarvatra pracara haibe more nama

That is His prediction. It is nothing wonderful that we are doing. Simply we are trying to fulfill the prediction of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. But another order is there by Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu that,

bharata-bhumite manusya janma haila yara
janma sarthaka kari' karo paropakara
 [Cc. Adi 9.41]

So that is lamentable. Now Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's mission is being spread all over the world, but our Indian brothers are not joining it, although it is the order of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Bharata-bhumite manusya janma haila yara. He requested to the humankind who has taken birth in this land, in this punya-bhumi, Bharatavarsa. Not to the cats and dogs, but to the human beings. That time has come now. If you want to prove that you are actually human being in this land, then you must take seriously the mission of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and spread all over the world. That is the order of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. And it is not very difficult. Caitanya Mahaprabhu says,

amara ajnaya guru hana tara sarva desa
yare dekha tare kaha 'krsna'-upadesa
 [Cc. Madhya 7.128]

To become guru, or spiritual master, is not very difficult task. Simply you have to follow the order of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, as he said. He accepted Krsna: the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Aradhyo bhagavan vrajesa tanayoh. We have to simply preach that "You are searching after God, you great scientists, theologists, theosophists, mental speculators. You are searching after God, the Absolute Truth. Here is God, Krsna." Krsnas tu bhagavan svayam [SB 1.3.28].

isvarah paramah krsnah
sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah
anadir adir govindah
sarva-karana-karanam
 [Bs. 5.1]

So our task is very easy. Everything is there. Our Vedic literature is so full, so treasure of knowledge, great treasure of knowledge, we haven't got to make research, search out where is the truth. Truth is there and is explained in the Srimad-Bhagavatam: satyam param dhimahi [SB 1.1.1]. Why don't you take it? The whole world is suffering for want of this knowledge. Before me, many swamis went in the Western countries, but they did not give the actual pure Vedic culture. They invented their own ways. Therefore it was not very fruitive. It was not very satisfactory. People did not accept. Still there are so many yogis, the so-called yogis, are going there, exploiting the people, and coming back. But our Krsna philosophy is taken very seriously in the Western countries. We have got now hundred and two branches all over the world. Only in America, we have got fifty branches. And other countries they have got fifty-two branches -- in America, in Canada, in England, in France, in Germany, in Switzerland, in Japan, in Australia, in New Zealand. All over the world. So now we want some of the young men to come forward to become really brahmanas, Vaisnavas. Our Vedic culture is divided into four varnas: brahmana ksatriya vaisya sudra. Unfortunately we are simply manufacturing sudras, not brahmanas. That is the defect of modern education. Sudra, sudra means paricaryatmakam karyam sudra karma svabhava-jam [Bg. 18.44]. After education, every (indistinct) is hankering after a service. That is sudra karma svabhava-jam. This is not perfect education. There must be brahmanas who are independent. Canakya Pandita, whose name is still, still celebrated, he was prime minister of Maharaja Candragupta, but he was not accepting a single paisa as salary. That was the, formerly, although there was monarchy, still there was a council of learned brahmanas and sages. They used to advise the king. The brahmanas did not take part in politics, but they gave advice, instruction to the kings, rajarsi. Imam rajarsayoh viduh. The rajarsi used to understand what is the values of life under the instruction of brahmanas, and they execute the order of the brahmanas. The people were happy. And because at the present moment such system is lost, people are confused and they are in frustration.

So this Krsna consciousness movement is all-embracing. It can solve all the problems of the world -- political, social, economical, religious, everything. It is all-embracing. So my request is that I am working now with my American disciples and European disciples. Why not Indians? I think in this meeting there are many young men, educated, learned scholars. Join this movement and, according to the order of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu,

bharata-bhumite manusya janma haila yara
janma sarthaka kari' karo paropakara
 [Cc. Adi 9.41]

This is the time to do welfare activities for the whole world. They are merged into confusion, everywhere. You know that in the Western countries, the hippy movements. What are the hippies? They're also educated, coming from very rich family also, but they do not like the way of envelopment as their fathers and grandfathers liked. They have rejected. So this is the golden opportunity to preach the Krsna cult all over the world. You are lamenting because a few yards of land has been taken away from your country as Pakistan, but if you spread this Krsna consciousness movement, the whole world will become Hindustan. There is such potency; I give you my direct perception. People are hankering after it. So long I am in India, practically I am wasting my time. Outside India, this reception is taken so seriously that every part of my moment is properly utilized.

So I have come to this university with a hope that some of you become really brahmana. The Sanskrit department is meant for brahmanas. Pathan pathan yajana yajana dana pratigraha. A brahmana is called pandita. Why? Because a brahmana must be learned. Brahmana is not called a fool. So this department, Sanskrit department, is meant for the brahmanas. So I wish that some of you must join this movement, go to the foreign countries, preach this sublime cult of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Prthivite ache yata nagaradi grama. There is great need. We have, of course, established so many temples, but still we require to establish temples, Radha-Krsna temples, Caitanya Mahaprabhu's temple, in every village, every town of the world. Now from each and every of our centers, we are sending devotees in buses. They are going interior, into the villages of Europe and America, and they are very much well received. England especially, they are going village to village. They are very much well received. This cult is so nice. Even Christian priests, they are surprised. They are surprised. One of the priest in Boston, he issued pamphlet that "These boys, they're our boys, from Christian and Jews. Before this movement, they did not care to come to the churches even. Now they are mad after God." They are admitting. The Christian priestly class, they are not against us. Those who are saner class, they're admitting that "Swamiji's giving something tangible." Their fathers and forefathers come to me. They bow down. They say, "Swamiji, it is a great fortune for us that you have come to our country." So I am alone working, and the movement is being appreciated. And if persons, scholars from this University come forward and teaches this movement, it is meant for that. Brahmana's business is that, preaching. Brahma janati. One must know Brahman, and distribute the knowledge of brahma-jnana. That is the business of brahmanas.

So I wanted to recite some stanzas from Srimad-Bhagavatam, but there is no very much time. Long, long years ago, the father of Maharaja Bharata, under whose name this planet is called Bharatavarsa, so he instructed: nayam deho deha-bhajam nrloke kastan kaman arhati vid-bhujam ye [SB 5.5.1]. Here is the Fifth Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam. Nayam deho deha-bhajam nrloke kastan kaman arhati vid-bhujam ye. This human form of life, ayam deha... Ayam deha nrloke: "in the human society." This is not meant for working very hard like the dogs and hogs. Kastan kaman arhati vid-bhujam ye. Simply by working hard, day and night, for sense gratification, this is done by the dogs and hogs. This is not meant for the human society. But, but at the present moment, people are being instructed in such a way... I've seen so many -- especially in Calcutta -- so many educated boys and girls, they are hankering after service. Day and night they are working. This is not the effect of education. The effect of education should be peaceful mind, peaceful living. That is the duty of the parents, of the guardians, of the government. When there is monarchical government... We see from the reign of Prthu Maharaja. He was seeing that every brahmana is engaged in his occupational duty, every ksatriya is employed, is engaged in occupational duty. Similarly vaisya. There was no question of unemployment. That is the first duty of the government to see. Neither there is division of the brahmanas, ksatriyas, vaisya, sudra, although it is made by Krsna Himself: catur-varnyam maya srstam guna-karma-vibhagasah [Bg. 4.13]. There have been so many anomalies in the society for want of this Vedic culture. Now here is the opportunity. People are accepting Krsna consciousness movement very nicely. You can introduce this Vedic culture throughout the whole world. They're receiving.

So the human form of life is especially meant for tapasya. Tapo divyam. Here it is said: tapo divyam putraka yena sattvam suddhyed yasmad brahma-saukhyam anantam [SB 5.5.1]. We are hankering after happiness, but happiness cannot be enjoyed so long our existence is not purified. So for purification of our existence we have to undergo tapasya. So we are introducing this tapasya in nutshell. We are asking our students four principles, four regulative principles. No illicit sex life. Beyond marriage life, there is no sex. No intoxication, up to smoking and drinking tea. No meat-eating. No eggs, no fish. And no gambling. We are... And chanting this Hare Krsna mantra. These five principles we are teaching. These four regulative principles, refraining from sinful activities. These are the basic pillars of sinful activities: illicit sex, intoxication, meat-eating, and gambling. These are the four pillars of sinful life. That is... We get from the sastra. Pariksit Maharaja, he enunciated that Kali Yuga. He was... He ordered Kali Yuga, Kali, to live in these places. When he was ordered to go out of his kingdom, he said, "My dear Lord, everywhere is your kingdom. Where shall I live?" So he ordered him that "You live in these places, striyah suna panam dyutam yatra papas catur-vidhah."

So if we want to elevate the social condition, we shall teach people to become purified. Without being purified, simply so-called performance of religious system will not help. Srama eva hi kevalam [SB 1.2.8]. Svanusthitasya dharmasya samsiddhir hari-tosanam [SB 1.2.13]. We should teach people how to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is the injunction given by Suta Gosvami in Naimisaranya, the assembly of great brahmanas, learned brahmanas.

atah pumbhir dvija-srestha
varnasrama-vibhagasah
svanusthitasya dharmasya
samsiddhir hari-tosanam
 [SB 1.2.13]

This is the philosophy. So we are teaching this philosophy all over the world. They are being accepted. But I am doing it single-handed. But if some of you come and join us, it will be increased, and people will be very, very happy.

Thank you very much. Hare Krsna. [break] That is my reply. Otherwise, I have not come to teach you something invented by me. I have come to teach you about Krsna consciousness. And if you are not interested in Krsna consciousness, then you must be amongst these four classes of men: duskrtinah mudhah, naradhama, mayayapahrta-jnana. This is my first reply. So far economic condition is concerned, then I may say, eko yo bahunam vidadhati kaman. God supplies you everything. God is supplying food to the elephant who is eating at a time forty kilos of food, and He's supplying to the ants also. So your anxiety for food, that is not humanly. Even the cats and dogs, they are not anxious for their food. Even the birds, they rise early in the morning, they are also not anxious for the food. God has arranged for food, everyone. Tal labhyate duhkhavad anyatah sukham. As you do not try for getting distress, it comes upon you according to your karma, similarly the so-called happiness also will come upon you without any endeavor. But because you have no faith in God, you are thinking that you will die out of hunger. That is not the position. Tasyaiva hetoh prayateto kovido. Our only business is how to become advanced in Krsna consciousness. There is no other problem in human life. Athato brahma jijnasa. This is the human life. But you have been deviated from that high standard of life. You are now questioning in this way. That is my reply. Thank you very much. (end)

 

>>> Ref. VedaBase => University Lecture -- Calcutta, January 29, 1973

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Three Kinds of Happiness

Three Kinds of Happiness

73/01/29 Calcutta

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Bhavananda: (reading:) "As has been stated before, there are three kinds of happiness: material, spiritual and devotional. Devotional service and the happiness due to its execution are not possible so long as one is materially affected. If someone has desire for material enjoyment or for becoming one with the Supreme, these are both considered material concepts."

Prabhupada: Yes. Three kinds of happinesses, bhoga, tyaga, and bhakti, seva. Bhoga tyaga seva. The karmis, they are after bhoga, sense enjoyment. And the jnanis, they are after another side of negation of sense enjoyment. When one is fed up with sense enjoyment... Just like in your country, the young boys, they are practically fed up with the way of sense enjoyment as their fathers and grandfathers had done. So in the name of tyaga, renunciation, they have taken another kind of sense enjoyment -- intoxication, unrestricted sex. So this is also another sense enjoyment. Bhoga and tyaga. Real enjoyment is devotion. There is a very practical example. Just like if you get all of a sudden a certain amount of money, say, one hundred rupees note lying on the street, if you get... Or lying here. So if you take it, your conscience will beat, because that does not belong to you. You have picked up. You'll always think, "Oh, I am taking somebody's money. Whose money it was? I'm doing some sinful." In this way, your mind will disturb. So that is the taking. And similarly, if you don't take, if you leave it there, then you'll also be disturbed. You'll think, "Somebody has left this money here. So I did not collect it. Somebody will collect it, and he'll take it away. This is not nice." The best thing is that you pick it up and, if you deliver to the person who has lost the money or who has left that money. Three things. The one thing is bhoga, if you take yourself. And if you don't take, that is tyaga. And if you pick it up and deliver to the right person, that is devotion.

So everything belongs to Krsna. Krsna says, bhoktaram yajna-tapasam sarva-loka-mahesvaram: [Bg. 5.29] "I am the supreme proprietor, Maha-isvara." Maha isam paramesvaram. So everyone, isvara, but nobody is Maha-isvara or Paramesvara. Maha-isvara is Krsna. Sarva-loka-mahesvaram. Maha-isvara. Maha means the great. So everything belongs to Krsna. This is unknown to the nondevotees. The karmis also do not know. The karmis think that the resources of the world, that is given by nature for our enjoyment. This is the modern theory of economic development. Everyone is thinking like that, that by nature we have got the gold mine, so we shall take it and use it and enjoy. This is karmi's view. And... But there are many karmis. Everyone is... Just like what is that land where there is too much gold, in South America?

Devotee: Brazil.

Prabhupada: Brazil. There is too much gold stocked there. And every nation is hankering, how to take it. That will be the effect. What is the struggle in this world? Struggle is the gold is there, the gold mine is there, and everyone is trying to exploit it, "How I can take or my nation can take." Nationality means expanded selfishness. They are very much fond of nationality, but that nationality is also selfishness -- by combined effort. Our, in our country, Mahatma Gandhi is supposed to be the father of nationality. Not only in our country, in many other countries. But what is that nationality? Mahatma Gandhi wanted that "The Britishers must go away. My countrymen shall enjoy." So this is extended selfishness. In the beginning, I want to enjoy. Then if I, I extend my enjoyment, family-wise, community-wise or nation-wise, that does not change the quality of selfishness. People are going on in the name of nationality, big leaders, but from our point of view, that neither as nation or community or person you are the proprietor of things. Krsna is the proprietor of... So if you expand your selfishness in the name of nationality -- "I possess this land" -- we do not approve. We say, isavasyam idam sarvam [Iso mantra 1]. Everything belongs to Krsna. Why you are claiming yourself, as nation or individual or community? That's not proper. Just like pickpocket and a gang, gangsters, organized rogues, thieves. It does not change the quality. There was some talk, you know, between Alexander the Great and the robber. The robber proved that "You are a greater robber. That's all. Why you are trying to punish me?" Alexander the Great arrested one robber, and he was going to punish him. So the robber explained that "Why you are punishing me? You are also a robber. You are going under the name of conqueror, and because I am not as great as you are, therefore you are trying to punish me. So why you are...?" So Alexander the Great, he was very, mean, highly advanced in... He immediately released him. "Yes. I am also a robber. Why shall I punish you?"

So every... Stenayor sa ucyate. Everyone in this material world, one who has no Krsna consciousness, he's a thief, he's a rogue, he's a robber. Everyone. Just like the Americans. They occupied the land of America by killing the Red Indians, and now they are claiming proprietor, and there is immigration department: "Nobody can come here. It is our land." This is going on. The first thing is stolen property, everyone. There is another story. A group of thieves stolen some things, and when they were dividing, one of them: "Kindly, morally divide. Morally divide. Honestly divide." The thing is taken dishonestly, and they are dividing honestly. This is going on, whole world. Everything is taken dishonestly, and when there is question of division, the United Nations honestly divides it. The association of the honest men, United Nations. All plunderers, rogues, thieves, and they have made an association, United Nations. You see. Basically they're all rogues and thieves. As soon as there is opportunity, they'll commit all criminal activities. And they're doing. So this is not philosophy. So here happiness by material possession is the happiness of the rogues and the thieves. One who is happy by possessing some material things, he is no better than rogue and thief. And one who is renouncing, brahma satyam jagan mithya, he is a fool. Because how, what you are renouncing? When did you possess it? If you possess something, then you can say, "I renounce it." But if you do not possess, then where is the question of renouncement? So both of them are wrong.

There, there are three kinds of so-called spiritual happiness, brahma-sukha, brahmananda... Three kinds of ananda, jadananda, brahmananda. Jadananda means material. As karmis are trying to possess more and more, more and more -- "Let me possess, let me possess" -- this is jadananda. Today I have got, say, one lakh of rupees. Idam adya maya labdham imam prapsye punar dhanam. This is stated, the asuric vicara. "Today I have got so much money. And tomorrow I am going to increase it to so much." Ko 'sti adhyo 'yam. "I am the richest." This is karmi's conception. And jnanis, because they're fed up, so they say, brahma satyam jagan mithya: "This world is false." Grapes are sour. You know the story, jackal? He wanted to take the grapes, jumping, jumping, jumping. When he could not get it, he says, "Oh, grapes are sour. I have no necessity. I have no necessity." Similarly these rascals, they renounce the world. What renouncement? What you had? You are renouncing? This is also wrong. The real happiness is seva. "This is Krsna's, and it must be used for Krsna's purpose." That is real happiness. Actual, that is the fact. The same example: If you pick up one hundred rupees' note, if you pocket it, then you are a thief. If you don't touch it, then it will be lost; somebody will take it. You pick up and give to the original proprietor, that will be satisfaction. That is Vaisnava philosophy. We do not say anything bad. We do not say. That is Rupa Gosvami's formula. That is Vaisnava formula.

prapancikataya (buddhya)
hari-sambandhe-vastunah
mumuksubhih parityago
phalgu vairagyam kathyate

Phalgu vairagya. Mumuksubhih, those who are after liberation, nirbheda brahmanusandhana, their giving up this world, becoming sannyasi, Mayavadi sannyasi, brahma satyam jagan mithya... Rupa Gosvami says, phalgu vairagya. Why phalgu? Phalgu means insignificant, and phalgu means there is a river, Phalgu, in the Gaya. Those who have gone to Gaya... There is a river. The Gaya city is situated on the river Phalgu. This river is got Phalgu because on the bed you'll find only sand. But if you push your hand within the sand, you'll find water. Similarly phalgu vairagya means the so-called sannyasis, they have taken the dress of renounced order, but within the heart they have got all desires to fulfill. Within the heart. If you push your hand within his heart, you'll find he has got all desires for material enjoyment. That is called phalgu vairagya. On the surface there is no water; sand. But within, oh, there is flow of water, going on. So this phalgu vairagya wallas, Mayavadi sannyasis... Jagan mithya. They give up this world, so many sannyasis. But at heart there is the desire: "I shall become God. I shall become God." Just see. We are trying... The karmis are trying to become minister, and he's trying to become God. So how much great desire he has got. And outwardly he appears to be renounced.

So brahma, nirbheda brahmanusandhana. But a devotee, his happiness is different. Just like Caitanya Mahaprabhu said: na dhanam na janam na sundarim kavitam va jagadisa kamaye [Cc. Antya 20.29, Siksastaka 4]. We do not want this. Mama janmani janmanisvare bhavatad bhaktir ahaituki tvayi. A Vaisnava does not desire even liberation, what to speak of dhanam, janam, rupavati bharya. That is real Vaisnava. He wants simply Krsna, to serve Him. That's... Anyabhilasita... So that happiness is perfect happiness. That is real santi. Real santi. Caitanya-caritamrta therefore says, bhukti-mukti-siddhi-kami sakali asanta. Bhukti means karmis, simply wanting, possess. That, that possessing labor is also another asanti, to struggle to possess. So he's asanta. Mukti, he wants to become God, one with God. And krccha sadhana, austerities, penance, so many things he has to do -- meditation -- just to become God. So that is also troublesome. Where is santi? Yogis, they're also practicing pranayama, so many asanas, dhyana dharana, asana, pranayama. So where is santi? He has to keep his head down and, what is called? Sirsasana. That is also another asana. Then he has to show magic. Otherwise he'll not be recognized. He has to prepare a rasagulla by magic. These are all troublesome things. So bhukti-mukti-siddhi. Bhukti means karmi, mukti means jnani and siddhi means yogi. Bhukti means siddhi kami sakali asanta. Their process is asanti. Krsna-bhakta niskama ataeva santa [Cc. Madhya 19.149]. Krsna-bhakta does not require to possess anything or to renounce anything or to show some magic power. No. He has nothing to do all these things. Krsna-bhakta does not want that "I shall show some magic and people will be attracted." If one is Krsna-bhakta, he attracts thousands without any magic. The only magic is krsna-bhakti. That's all. He doesn't require to show any yogic magic. It is so nice thing.

Therefore one should concentrate upon devotional service. Everything is there. Sarvarhanam acyutejya. If you..., one is devotee of Acyuta, everything is complete there. And he's santa. He does not require it. He does not endeavor for it. But because he's Krsna-bhakta, everything follows him. Everything follows him. That ananda is nice. There is no need of showing magic or renouncing this world or accepting this world. These things are not required by Krsna-bhakta. Because if he accepts, it is for Krsna. If he rejects, that is for Krsna. Anukulyasya sankalpa pratikulyam vivarjanam. We advise, "Give up this habit. No illicit sex, no intoxication, no gambling, no meat-eating." So this is tyaga. Why tyaga? For Krsna. Krsna wants this. Krsna does not want to see us debauchees. Therefore we must give it up. And Krsna says, man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam... [Bg. 18.65]. We accept it. So our business is to accept by which Krsna is pleased, and reject by which Krsna is pleased. Our central point is how Krsna is pleased. So we have nothing to do with acceptance and rejection. We have to see whether Krsna or His representative is pleased. Yasya prasadad bhagavat-prasado yasya prasadan na gatih kuto 'pi **. That is our practical... And if we live in that way, then we shall be happy. That is called happiness by devotional service. Go on.

Bhavananda: "Because the impersonalists cannot appreciate the spiritual happiness of association and the exchange of loving affairs with the Supreme Personality of Godhead..."

Prabhupada: Because they have no conception of Godhead. Nirakara. So nirakara, where is the loving affairs with nirakara? I cannot love the air. If I want to love, if somebody says, "You love this air, nirakara," oh, where is my love? Love must be there. Just like here we have got Krsna. We can love. We cannot love this sky. So they have no conception of God; therefore their love of God is all fictitious. Just like Rabindranath Tagore, he has written Gitanjali, "Tumi." Who is that tumi, he does not know. All the poetry's "tumi, tomara," and who is that rascal, tumi or tomara? But that he does not know. This is going on. Now if I say, "My husband, tumi," I know, he's my husband. Or his form is like that. Then I can say. But he does not know who is that tumi. Everyone... The impersonalists will pray, tam eva mata tam eva pita. But who is that mata, who is that pita? That he does not know. We say, "Here is your mata, pita, Krsna. Here is Krsna." That is tangible. Fact. Not fictitious. Go on.

Bhavananda: "Their ultimate goal is to become one with the Lord. This concept is simply an extension of the material idea. In the material world..."

Prabhupada: Our concept is also to become one with God, but not that I become one with God; I agree with God. Krsna says, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66]. I agree, "Yes, Sir. So long I was foolishly conducted. Now I surrender unto You."

manasa deha geha yo kichu mora
arpilun tuya pade nanda-kisora

This is surrender. That is oneness. "Now I have surrendered to You everything." Marabi rakhobi yaiche tanhara. This is oneness. "Whatever You like, You can do, You kill me or protect me." Ya iccha tanhara nitya dasa prati tuya adhikara: "Because I am Your eternal slave, You can do whatever you like." Aslisya va pada-ratam pinastu mam marma-hatam karotu va, yatha tatha va vidadhatu lampato [Cc. Antya 20.47]. "Whatever You like, You can do." Mat-prana-nathas tu... "Still You are my prana-natha." This is oneness. I keep my individuality, but I am so surrendered that I have nothing to disagree with Krsna. This is oneness. Not that I mix up, I lose my individuality. I have got individuality. I must go on with individuality. And even individuality's never stopped. In the Bhagavad-gita it is said that "All these kings, you and Me, all of us, we existed in the past, we are now existing, and in the future also we shall exist." There is no question of intermingling the individuality. The individuality's there, but individuality sacrificed, full agreement. Full agreement. That is oneness. Just like in our Society, I am the head. So everyone is in agreement with me. That is oneness. Not that my disciples, my students, have lost their individuality. They're using their individuality to improve the Krsna consciousness movement -- but sanctioned by me. That is oneness. That is oneness. Similarly, our devotional service is like that. We, varieties of work we are doing, but we must see whether Krsna is satisfied. That's all. Svanusthitasya dharmasya samsiddhir hari-tosanam [SB 1.2.13]. This is our philosophy. Svanusthitasya dharmasya. Everyone has got individual capacity to do something, but we must see whether that is satisfactory to Krsna or His representative. Yasya prasadad bhagavat-prasado **. Just (like) in the office, the clerks are working. The office master, superintendent, if he's pleased, then the proprietor is pleased. The clerk hasn't got to show a separate endeavor for pleasing the proprietor. If the man in charge is pleased, then proprietor is pleased. Similarly, we have to please our spiritual master. And if he's pleased, it is to be supposed Krsna is pleased. And my only aim is, my only success is to see if Krsna is pleased. Svanusthitasya dharmasya samsiddhir hari-tosanam [SB 1.2.13]. Others may be displeased or pleased -- it doesn't matter. One has to be assured whether Krsna is pleased. Then it is all right. That is oneness. Oneness does not mean I lose my individuality. That is not oneness. Go on.

Bhavananda: "In the material world, everyone is trying to be the topmost head man amongst all his fellow men or neighbors. Either communally, socially or nationally, everyone is competing to be greater than all others in the material concept of life. This greatness can be extended to the unlimited, so that one actually wants to become one with the greatest of all, the Supreme Lord. This is also a material concept, although maybe a little more advanced."

Prabhupada: This kind of conception, that "I shall become God," or "I shall declare myself God," this is also material conception. This is not spiritual conception. Spiritually, nobody can become God except God. But he has no knowledge of God. He's thinking that he's God. Vimukta-maninah. Tvayy asta-bhavad. Ye 'nye 'ravindaksa vimukta-maninah. Maninah means taking for granted that "I've become liberated. I have become God." And I advertise, and some foolish people, they adore me: "Oh, here is God. Here is Bala-yogi incarnation, God." So such cheap God, we don't accept. We want to see that Krsna, at seven years old, He lifted Govardhana Hill. So if you are actually God, then show me that you can lift a hill, you can kill a Putana. Then I can accept. What sort of God you are? We don't accept such cheap God. Go on.

Bhavananda: "However, the perfect spiritual concept of life is complete knowledge of one's constitutional position, and thus one knows enough to dovetail himself in the transcendental loving..."

Prabhupada: This is called atma-jnana. Atma-jnana. Parabhavas tavad abodha-jata yavan na jijnasata atma-tattvam. This is atma-tattvam. "I am spirit soul," that is partial knowledge. And I am eternal spirit soul, but unless I know that I am part and parcel of the Supreme Atma, Krsna, my knowledge is not perfect. Simply brahma-bhutah, to know that I am spirit soul, that is not perfect knowledge. You have to still go further. Therefore in the Srimad-Bhagavatam it is said, dharmah projjhita-kaitavo atra [SB 1.1.2]. Sridhara Swami says that kaitava. When one thinks artificially that he becomes, he has become liberated, one with the Supreme, that is also kaitava, cheating. He's not. How he can be one with the Supreme Lord? Then how he has become insignificant creature if he's Supreme Lord? Therefore this kind of conception, that "I have become God now," this is also cheating, another cheating. He's cheating, self-deception. He's cheating himself. And what to speak of others. So this kind of oneness, or to become God, they're imperfect knowledge. Go on.

Bhavananda: "One must know that he is finite and that the Lord is infinite. Thus it is not possible to actually become one with the Lord even if one aspires for this."

Prabhupada: Yes. Simply desiring... Tvayy avisuddha-bhava. Ye 'nye 'ravindaksa vimukta-maninah. Maninah. Maliya (Hindi) Ne.  Not like that. Go on.

Bhavananda: "Therefore anyone who has any desire or aspiration for satisfying his senses by becoming more and more important, either in the material sense or in the spiritual sense, cannot actually relish the really sweet taste of devotional service. Srila Rupa Gosvami has therefore compared possessing these bhukti (material) and mukti (liberation) desires with being influenced by the black art of a witch. In both cases, one is in trouble. Bhukti means material enjoyment, and mukti means to become freed from material anxiety and to become one with the Lord. These desires are compared to being haunted by ghosts and witches, because while these aspirations for material enjoyment or spiritual oneness with the Supreme remain, no one can relish the actual transcendental taste of devotional service.

 

>>> Ref. VedaBase => The Nectar of Devotion -- Calcutta, January 29, 1973

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