Classless Society-Impossible

7 Sept 73 , Stokholm

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Prabhupada:By quality and by work, there is, or there must be four divisions of the social structure. Catur-varnyam, first-class, second-class, third-class and fourth-class. That is very natural. Just like in your body, my body is divided into four divisions. The head, head department. In every, I mean to say, unit, there is head department, the first-class department, the second-class department. So we can understand from our own body, there is head department, there is arms department, there is belly department and there is the leg department. So head is first-class. Because if the arms, belly and legs are there and head is cut off, then everything is useless. If the head is there, arm is cut off, you can go on with your business. So there is four divisions everywhere. Krsna says:

na tad asti prthivyam va
divi devesu va punah
sattvam prakrti-jair muktam
yad ebhih syat tribhir gunaih

Krsna says that either on this planet or in other planets in the outer space, or anywhere, the three qualities or three modes of material nature is working. The modes of goodness, the modes of passion, and the modes of ignorance. Everywhere, you'll find these three classes of living entities. Not three classes, four classes. The first-class, goodness. Second-class, passion, third-class, mixed passion and ignorance, and fourth-class ignorance. And below the fourth class, all fifth class, pancama.

So according to these three modes of material nature, there must be division of the society. The first class men are called brahmana, most learned scholar. Learned scholar means, as I was explaining, one who has complete knowledge of God, that is learned scholar. Otherwise, to know how to eat, how to sleep, how to have sexual intercourse and how to defend, this, these knowledge is also there in the animals. They know how to eat. There is no need of university for teaching how to eat or how to sleep or how to have sex life or how to defend. These are animal necessities. But actually human being should be still more advanced in knowledge. That knowledge is not comprising only eating, sleeping, mating and defending. That knowledge is to understand the Absolute Truth, God. That knowledge.

Therefore, the Vedanta-sutra philosophy, that begins with the word athato brahma jijnasa. Now, this life, this human form of life, is meant for inquiring about the Absolute Truth. Athato brahma jijnasa. Brahma means the Absolute Truth. So, that should be the subject matter for studying in human form of life. So Bhagavad-gita is the right book to understand about that brahma, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead, or the Absolute Truth, whatever you call. The Absolute Truth is known in three phases: Brahman, Paramatma and Bhagavan.

vadanti tat tattva-vidas
tattvam yaj jnanam advayam
brahmeti paramatmeti
bhagavan iti sabdyate
 [SB 1.2.11]

The Absolute Truth is one, but it is realized from three angles of visions. Some of them are realizing the Absolute Truth as impersonal Brahman, some of them are realizing the Absolute Truth as the localized Paramatma, and some of them are realizing the Absolute Truth as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Absolute Truth is one, but because we are under different modes of material nature, we are understanding the Absolute Truth in three modes of material nature.

So Krsna says that these three modes of material nature is current all over the universe. Even in the topmost planet down to the lowest planet. Therefore he says: na tad asti prthivyam va divi devesu va punah. Prthivyam means on this earth. Or in the other higher planetary system or even the heavenly planets. Everywhere. Sattvam prakrti-jair muktam. Nowhere, anyone is freed from the influence of these modes of material nature. Sattvam means existence. Sattvam prakrti-jaih. Prakrti-jaih means by the material nature, gunaih, means the modes, this goodness, passion, and ignorance. Yad ebhih syat tribhir gunaih. Everything, everywhere, even amongst the plants life, beast life, there these three gunas are working.

Just like some trees, they're useless. Neither produce any nice fruit nor flower. That is third-class, in ignorance. In animals also. Just like cows, they are first-class animal, in the modes of goodness, supplying so valuable nutritious food, milk. But the cats and dogs, they are third-class animals. This is the calculation of the three modes of material nature. Either human being or animals or trees, birds, everywhere Krsna says, or in the higher planetary system, everywhere, these three modes of material nature is working. Therefore, in the human society, because there are three modes of material nature, the classification should be made scientifically according to these three modes of material nature. And that is explained by Bhagavan, Sri Krsna, in the Bhagavad-gita, catur-varnyam maya srstam: [Bg. 4.13] four classes of men. Brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya and sudra. Brahmana means the most intelligent class of men who can understand even up to the knowledge of Brahman, brahma janati iti brahmana. And the second class are the ksatriyas or the administrative class of men, and the third-class are the mercantile class of men, industrialists, traders, agriculturalists. Everything will be explained. And the fourth-class men means workers. They have no intelligence, but they find out some good master and get some money. That's all. So there are four classes. So here Krsna says,

brahmana-ksatriya-visam
sudranam ca parantapa
karmani pravibhaktani
 svabhava-prabhavair gunaih

According to the modes of material nature, the brahmana should be selected, the ksatriya should be selected, the vaisyas or the mercantile people should be selected, and the sudras, the worker class, should be selected.

Then Krsna says, that how the brahminical class should be educated. This should be taken very seriously by educational department of all countries. And it is the duty of the government to see that every man according to his quality is working, is employed. Not that... Secular state does not mean they should be callous about the quality and work of the citizens. There must be department of practical psychology to see the students, in which class he belongs to. Either he belongs to the first-class, brahmana class, or second-class, the ksatriya class, administrator class, and the third-class, mercantile, or business man, and the fourth-class, sudras, worker. If education is given according to the quality and position, then there will be complete system in the whole human society. Take the same example. Just like your body, if your head is working nicely, if your hand is working nicely, if your stomach is working nicely, if your leg is working nicely, then the whole body is to be considered as healthy and working nicely. If any part of this body, either head, leg, or arms or belly, does not work nicely, then the whole body becomes diseased. So that is the instruction of Krsna, Bhagavad-gita. That... Not that...

Now there is a hobby that classless society. Classless society cannot be. That is not possible. So long you are in the material world there must be classes. By nature, there is. Just like even in birds, there are a class of birds known as the crows and there is a class of birds which are called the swans. The swans will try to reside in a place where there is very clean water, flowers, good trees, nice arrangement parking. So they will flock there. Birds of the same feather flock together. And the crows, the will flock... In your country you don't find many crows, but in India there are many crows. They go to the place where all garbages are there. They'll enjoy there. So there is division actually, taste. But one thing is, that the human form of body, although there is natural such division, but one can be raised to the higher position by this Krsna consciousness movement. So far material body is concerned, you cannot change the quality. This is already. One has got the particular type of body by nature's arrangement according to the quality. According to the quality. Now, if you want to change him to the better quality, then you have to accept this Krsna consciousness. Because Krsna consciousness is on the spiritual platform. It has nothing to do with the material platform. From the material platform, you cannot change anyone's quality.

For example, I can tell you, practical example, in United States, America, the government is spending millions of dollars to stop this intoxication habit, LSD habit. Many responsible government officers, they have given us certificate. But they could not control. But in our Krsna consciousness movement, anyone who is coming, even though coming from the LSD-addicted society, still, as soon as he comes to our society he gives us not only LSD or any intoxication, he gives up even drinking tea, coffee and smoking cigarette. You can at once check. Because our principle is: anyone who wants to join seriously this Krsna consciousness movement, just like these boys, they have joined, our first condition is that one must give up these four prohibited things: no illicit sex, no gambling, no meat-eating, no intoxication. So that is being possible. Although they are habituated to all these things from their very beginning of life, but as soon as they take to Krsna consciousness activities, they give up these habits very easily.

So if, practically, the world wants classless society, then one has to take this Krsna consciousness movement. Then there will be classless society. We have got in our society boys and girls from various parts of the world. There are Africans, there are Indians, there are Canadians, Englishmen, American, Australian, but they have forgotten that he is Englishmen or American or Australian or black or white or Indian. No. They have forgotten. They are simply interested in Krsna consciousness. This is the importance of the movement. If you want classless society, actually pure, without any contamination of these material modes of nature, then this Krsna consciousness movement is the prime movement. That is the definition of Krsna consciousness movement, sarvopadhi-vinirmuktam tat-paratvena nirmalam, hrsikena [Cc. Madhya 19.170], anukulyena krsnanusilanam bhaktir uttama [Cc. Madhya 19.167]. Bhakti, devotional service, first-class devotional service can be achieved when one is freed from all designations. So long one feels designated that "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am Englishmen," "I am German," "I am black," "I am white," and, no. You have to feel yourself. Not feeling, practically, training that I am spirit soul, I am eternal part and parcel of the Supreme Lord. When you come to this position, this is called sarvopadhi-vinirmuktam [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. Freed from all designation. These are, the bodily identification is designation.

Just like you are sitting here, so many boys and girls in different dress. Some is dressed in black coat or some in white coat or red coat. If I ask you what you are, if you say "I am black coat," or somebody says, "I am white coat," that is not your identification. Similarly, we living entities, we are neither American or Indian nor African nor Englishman. We are all spirit soul. That is our position. Aham brahmasmi. This is perfect knowledge. Aham brahmasmi, I am spirit soul. When you come to this understanding, aham brahmasmi, sarvopadhi-vinirmuktam [Cc. Madhya 19.170], then your position will be different from this material understanding. Brahma-bhutah prasannatma [Bg. 18.54]. Prasannatma means jubilant. You'll find all our boys and girls, they're always jubilant. Unless they are jubilant, they cannot dance in this way. It is not dancing dogs. They are not dancing dogs. They're feeling jubilant, and therefore they are dancing. This is the position of brahma-bhutah prasannatma [Bg. 18.54]. Prasannatma, unless one is very satisfied he cannot be jubilant. He should be morose, he cannot dance, he cannot chant. That's a fact. So this is sign of brahma-bhutah. Without any material designation. Brahma-bhutah. Everything is there in the Bhagavad-gita. If you study carefully you'll understand everything. Brahma-bhutah prasannatma na socati na kanksati [Bg. 18.54]. How one is jubilant? When one is freed from all anxieties. What are these anxieties? Anxieties mean if I lose something, then I will lament, and if I haven't got anything, something, then I hanker after it.

So far we are concerned, we have no business, we have no profession. We do not know what we shall eat tomorrow. Or in the evening. We are in such a position. But we have no anxiety. You can see practically. We have no anxiety that "what shall I eat in the evening, what shall I eat tomorrow, there is no bank balance, there is no money." No. There is no anxiety. We know certain that as soon as we go, chant Hare Krsna, Krsna will send us everything. That is actually a fact. If you study our activities, you'll see practically it is so. Na socati na kanksati. We have no hankering, no lamentation. Suppose we have got thousand dollars, and somebody takes away. It happens so. Somebody comes and mixes with us and takes away some money. So we are not very much sorry for that. We think: Krsna gave us, and Krsna has taken away. It doesn't matter. Na socati na kanksati. Brahma-bhutah prasannatma na socati kanksati samah sarvesu [Bg. 18.54]. Equal to all living entities. Our philosophy is not like that, that we give protection to the human being and send the cows to the slaughterhouse. No, that is not our philosophy. Samah sarvesu bhutesu. We think on this subject matter, that if a man is killed, as he's put into so difficult position for being killed, the animal also. They also feel. It is nonsense to think that animal has no soul, no. Everyone has got soul. There are 8,400,000 species or forms of life. Everyone has got soul. Even the ant has got soul, or the elephant has got soul, what to speak of other animals. Everyone, even the trees, birds, beasts, plants, everyone has got soul. And in the Bhagavad-gita Krsna says

sarva-yonisu kaunteya
murtayah sambhavanti yah
tasam brahma mahad yonir
aham bija-pradah pita
 [Bg. 14.4]

The part and parcel of Krsna or God, the soul, is there everywhere. Don't think that simply human being has got soul. This is not very good philosophy, that the animals have no soul. They have got soul. You can practically examine. What is the symptom of possessing soul? First of all try to understand. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gita: avinasi tu tad viddhi yena sarvam idam tatam: The presence of soul can be perceived when there is consciousness on the body. This is the proof. When you pinch my body, I feel pain, when I pinch your body, you feel pain, when I pinch an animal's body, he also feels pain. Even I pinch even the tree's body he feels pain. It is scientifically proved. Sir Jagadish Candra Bose has proved by machine that when you cut a tree, it feels pain and it is recorded in this statistic machine. So everyone has got the soul. So how you can think...?

When you take the animal to the slaughterhouse for killing, he cries. Why? Because he's feeling pain. He knows that "I'm going to be killed." So there is soul. Soul is there. You don't think that soul is not there: soul is there. Therefore, a Krsna conscious person who has realized God, he is samah sarvesu bhutesu, he's equal to all living entities. He'll feel pain even for cutting a tree. He'll feel pain, he'll feel pain even he traverses over an ant. There is a story that one hunter, he was killing in the forest all kinds of animals and he was killing them half. So they were suffering too much severe pain. So Narada Muni was going in that way. He saw that these animals have been half killed, and they are so much suffering. Who is doing that? So he searched out the hunter. He requested, "Sir you are killing the animals, why don't you kill them all at a time? Why you are killing half? They are suffering. You'll have to suffer in that way." The hunter did not know that killing animals is sinful and he has to suffer again. So he said, "Sir, I am trained like this by my father. This is my profession. I do not know what is sin, but this is the first time I am hearing from you that killing this animal, especially in this way, is very much sinful."

So because he saw a saintly person, he got his sense. He asked him that "How I can get rid of this sinful life?" So Narada Muni suggested, that "I shall give you the way how you can become free from this sinful life." So he made him a disciple and asked him to chant this Hare Krsna mantra and sit down on the bank of the Ganges, and the hunter said, "Sir where shall I get my food?" Narada Muni said, "I'll send you, don't bother. I'll send you food." So the village people, when they understood that the hunter has become a saintly person, so everyone used to come and see him. Somebody was bringing some rice, somebody wheat, somebody some sweets, some fruits, some flower. So huge quantity of foodstuff was coming. So in this way, he became a perfect saintly Vaisnava.

Later on, when Narada Muni came to see him, he was coming to receive the spiritual master jumping over the road. So when the hunter, now he becomes Vaisnava, so Narada Muni and his friend, Parvata Muni asked "Why you are jumping?" He said, "Sir, there are so many ants, so I was trying to save their life." The same hunter who was killing animals one time half-dead and was enjoying, is no more interested to kill even an ant. This is called saintly life. Samah sarvesu bhutesu. Samah, equal to all living entities. Not that simply protection should be given to the human being.

And the Communist philosophy also, there are so many defects. They also think of equal rights for everyone but why not for the animals? What right you have got to kill the animals? Similarly, the animal also kill you. So this is not organized society. The organized society should be that there should be first-class men, brahmana. They would give advice to the second-class men, the administrators. And the administrator class of men, they will see that everyone is following the religious principles. And the third class men or the mercantile class of men, they should produce food. Krsi-go-raksya-vanijyam vaisya-karma svabhava-jam [Bg. 18.44]. You'll find here, I'll read it. So, in this way, there must be classification. Not that everyone is one. No, that cannot be. By nature's division... Just you try to understand from your body. The nature's division is there. Why nature has not made only the head? No leg, no arms. No. They are required. But they should not cooperate. It doesn't matter that one is brahmana, one is ksatriya, one is sudra. Just the same example of the body. The head is there, very important department of this body. But the leg is not unimportant. Although the leg is not as important as the head, still leg is also required. There is necessity. You cannot avoid the leg. Similarly, there should be first-class intelligent men, administrative class of men, mercantile class of men and the worker class of men, but they should cooperate.

Just like in this body, the head, the arms, the belly and the legs, they are cooperating for the proper upkeep of the bodily health. Similarly, if we actually want the human society should be organized, then the intelligent class of men, the administrative class of men, the mercantile class of men, and the worker class of men, they should cooperate for understanding Krsna, or God. Then there will be harmony in the human society. Without God consciousness, everyone will think "I am very important, others are not important. I should be given only protection, not others." No. As soon as you become Krsna conscious, as soon as you become brahma-bhutah, then you'll see samah sarvesu bhutesu. Samah, samah means equality to all kinds of living entities. Not only human being.

How many human beings are there out of 8,400,000 species of life? A few only. Only 400,000 species. This information we get from the sastras, Vedic literature. Bhagavad-gita is the summary of all Vedic literature. Therefore, it is advised here that how the first-class of men should be trained up. How the second-class men should be trained up, how the third-class men should be trained up and how the fourth-class men should be trained up. Not that everyone should become first-class. Even everyone is not first-class, because there is cooperation, there is no distinction between first-class and third-class or fourth-class, the same example. Just like if there is some disease on my leg, it does not mean that I shall neglect, I shall take care of the head only. No. I spend more money to cure the disease of the leg. May not be I don't spend any money for the head. So no part of society is unimportant provided there is cooperation. But there must be division, first-class, second class, third class, fourth-class. There must be division. Without division, as there is division anywhere you go, in office, there are the head department, the directors, they are working in a different atmosphere. There must be division, there is already division, you cannot avoid it. Because the material nature is working in three modes of material nature. So anyone who is in the modes of goodness, he's not equal to the person who is in the modes of ignorance. That is not possible. There is difference, but they should be trained up in such a way that they can cooperate to understand the (this) Absolute Truth. That is first-class society. That is real perfect human society. So here it is said

samo damas tapah saucam
ksantir arjavam eva ca
jnanam vijnanam astikyam
brahma-karma svabhava-jam
 [Bg. 18.42]

If you want to train the first-class men then they should be qualified like this. Samah, samah means controlling the senses. Controlling the senses, samah. Damah, controlling the mind. These are very disturbing elements, our senses are very disturbing elements. My eye is dictating, "Please take me to see that naked dance," Yes. "Yes, come on, I'm going." So, the eyes are dictating some way, the tongue is dictating some way, the ear is dictating some way. Therefore, one should be trained up not to be dictated by the senses, but he must be master of the senses. That is called samah. And damah, mind is dictating something. You should not be carried away by the dictation of the mind, but mind should be carried by your dictation. That is called damah. These are the qualities of the first-class man. Not that because I have got some degrees and I'm dictated by my mind and senses. He is not first-class man. He's not first-class man. Because he's the servant of the senses. How he can be first-class man? One must be the master of the senses. Then he is first-class man.

In our, there is one Canakya Pandita, he was a great politician. Perhaps those who have gone to India, New Delhi, there is Canakya-puri where all the ambassadors and foreign diplomats are situated. That Canakya Muni, Canakya Pandita, he was a great learned brahmana and politician. He gave his instruction. So he gives the formula, "Who is a learned scholar?" Who is a learned scholar. He has given three formulas. What is that?

matrvat para-daresu
para-dravyesu lostravat
atmavat sarva-bhutesu
yah pasyati sa panditah

Who is a learned man. He said, "A person who can see all the women of the world, except his wife, as mother." Matrvat-para-daresu. Para-dara means other's wife. If one has learned this art how to see other's wife as mother, and para-dravyesu lostravat, and other's riches, possessions, as garbage in the street. Just like you don't touch the garbage. Similarly, other's property, other's riches, one does not touch or even see to it. And he thinks all woman as mothers except his own wife. And atmavat sarva-bhutesu, and treating everyone equally, as he wants to be treated himself. If by pinching your body or giving pain to your body, if you feel pain, you should not give pain to any living entity. If one has learned these three things: matrvat para-daresu para-dravyesu lostravat atmavat sarva-bhutesu, then he's is learned scholar. It is not that one has got this degree from this university, then he has got. That degree will not help us. Unless one is God consciousness, he cannot have any good qualification. That is the Vedic injunction. Yasyasti bhaktir bhagavaty akincana sarvair gunais tatra samasate surah [SB 5.18.12]. As I have given the example of the hunter: before becoming God conscious, he was a cruel hunter, and after being God conscious, he was not ready to kill even an ant. This is the result. Samah sarvesu bhutesu mad-bhaktim labhate param [Bg. 18.54]. Then he's entered in the devotional service of the Lord. Not abruptly one can become devotee. The symptoms must be there, the qualities must be there. Suppose if somebody comes and says, "I am very rich man." So I shall have to see his symptoms, whether he has got a nice car, nice dress, or, there are so many symptoms. Similarly, simply by speaking that "I am God conscious" will not do. These are the symptoms:

brahma-bhutah prasannatma
na socati na kanksati
samah sarvesu bhutesu
mad-bhaktim labhate param
 [Bg. 18.54]

Bhaktya mam abhijanati yavan yas casmi tattvatah [Bg. 18.55]. The God can be realized only by the devotees who have got all these good qualities. These good qualities already mentioned, samah sarvesu bhutesu. That is God consciousness. God consciousness does not mean that I shall be protected, I shall be happy, and let others be unhappy. Let them go to hell. Never mind. No. That is not God consciousness. Therefore, in order to become perfectly God conscious, the first-class men must be there in the society. And that first-class man is described here, samo damas tapah: he is able to control the mind, he is able to control the senses, tapah, he has undergone austerities, tapah. Saucam, he is always clean, outside and inside, saucam ksantih, always peaceful, arjavam, simplicity, and jnanam, full of knowledge, vijnanam, practical application of knowledge in life, jnanam vijnanam astikyam, and firmly convinced about the existence of the Supreme Lord. These are the qualification of the first-class man. Brahma-karma svabhava-jam. These are the qualities.

So there should be educational department to create first-class men by all these qualities. How to become controller of the mind, how to become controller of the senses, how to become cleansed, bahyabhyantaram, inside clean and outside clean. Saucam, titiksa, how to become tolerant, tolerant. One should be not agitated by a single cause. Tolerant, and similarly, simplicity. He should be so simple. It is said simplicity: even the enemy inquires from him some secret thing, he'll say, "Yes, it is like this." Simplicity. And jnanam full knowledge. Full knowledge, what is this world, what I am, what is my relation with this world, what is God, what is my relation with God. Everything full knowledge. And vijnanam, vijnanam means completely application of the knowledge of life. And astikyam, astikyam means full faith in transcendental literature, that is called also astikyam, and full faith in the existence of the Supreme Lord. Astik... These are the brahminical qualifications. So those who are claiming to become first-class, learned men in the society, they must have all these qualifications. This is Bhagavad-gita's teaching. The second-class man, what is that?

sauryam tejo dhrtir daksyam
yuddhe capy apalayanam
danam isvara-bhavas ca
ksatram karma svabhava-jam
 [Bg. 18.43]

Administrator class. Ksatriya, ksatriya means those who are in the governmental power. They should be sauryam, very powerful, and very influential. Sauryam tejah. Nowadays, without seeing these qualifications, a third-class, fourth-class man is voted, and therefore we find out that Mr. Nixon, he's attacked now so many... Because he has no ksatriya qualification. These are the ksatriya qualification, administrator. Saucam, sauryam tejo dhrtih. He must be determined, daksyam, he must very expert, yuddhe capy apalayanam, and he should not flee away from fighting. When there is... Nowadays, when there is... the politicians and diplomats, they sit down very safely in their room and poor people, they are, by force, sent to fight. This is not ksatriya, this is not administration. The ksatriya is, he must come forward first of all. Then others will follow. Yuddhe capy apalayanam. And danam, he must be very charitable. That is another qualification of the administrator. Isvara-bhavas ca, and the governing spirit. These are the ksatram karma svabhava-jam. Similarly, this is second class.

The third-class means krsi-go-raksya-vanijyam vaisya-karma svabhava-jam [Bg. 18.44]. Third-class means mercantile traders. They should produce food, enough krsi, agricultural products, and go-raksya. Now we see instead of go-raksya... Go-raksya means protection to the cows. Instead of protection to the cows, they are killing the cows. How you can have perfect society? Cows must be protected. It is so important animal. It is giving the you nectarean food milk, and from milk, you can save your children, you can save your diseased persons. And how it is that you take the cow's milk and send it for slaughterhouse. Oh, this is not, not at all human civilization. Here it is said go-raksya. You should give all protection to this important animal. Krsna does not say that you should protect the pigs and hogs or other animals. He especially meant the cows because cow is very important animal to the human society. If there are meat-eaters, they can kill other animals, but they should not kill the cow. This is, if you want actually perfect society. Krsi-go-raksya-vanijyam [Bg. 18.44]. And these persons, they let them produce enough food grains, and where there is no, there is scarcity of food grain, let them supply there. That is called trade. Vanijyam. Vanijyam.

But at the present moment, there are so many countries, they can produce profuse quantity of food grain. Sometimes they do it and throw it in the ocean for what is called, economic balance. This is not good. Everyone should produce enough quantity of food grains, and if there is shortage, they should send there. In this way, the whole world should cooperate. There is United Nations, but what they are doing? Let them study Bhagavad-gita, how to make United Nations. That will be perfect. Not these short-sighted men, with politics and diplomacy in the heart, they can bring all the nations united. That is not possible. Let them discuss Bhagavad-gita. Let them discuss how perfect society can be established. Then there will be peace. And vaisya-karma svabhava-jam.

And paricaryatmakam karma sudrasyapi svabhava-jam [Bg. 18.44]. And those who are not intelligent, to be trained up as a brahmana or a ksatriya or a vaisya. The fourth class men, let them work these three other classes, let them work. Paricaryatmakam karma sudrasyapi svabhava-jam. In this way the human society should be divided into four divisions, they should cooperate, and they should be trained up. Not a single man should remain unemployed. He must be engaged in some employment as a brahmana, as a ksatriya, as a sudra or as a vaisya. Otherwise, idle brain will be devil's workshop. Therefore, in spite of so much educational propaganda in the Western countries, the young men are coming to become hippies. Because there is no proper training. Here is the hint, Bhagavad-gita gives you. You train the students in that way, then there will be perfect society. Thank you very much. Hare Krsna. (end)

 

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 18.41  -- Stockholm, September 7, 1973

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Save Your Dependent

Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.2.3
Vrndavana, September 7, 1975

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Prabhupada:

...am pitaro ye ca
sastarah sadhavah samah
yadi syat tesu vaisamyam
kam yanti saranam prajah
 [SB 6.2.3]

So yesterday we discussed that aho kastam dharma-drsam adharmah sprsate sabham. Just like in the court, court of justice, if there is adharma, then it is very painful situation. That is happening now in this Kali-yuga generally. Big, big court justice, magistrate, they are giving favorable judgment, being bribed. This is Kali-yuga. But sastra says, "No. Justice must be given very honestly." That is the rule.

So about this Ajamila, these Yamadutas, they came to take him away to Yamaraja, but the Visnudutas said, "No. He is not to be taken away. He is now cleansed of all sinful activities. You do not know that; therefore you are not giving him justice." So yatradandyesv apapesu dando yair dhriyate vrtha: "One who is not punishable, if he is punished, that is injustice. So you should not take him away. He is not punishable." Yamaraja is there for punishing the sinful men. So all of them are not sinful. There are many pious men. Sinful men, they are of small number. So one must be very cognizant of justice. Just like in the prison house the number of prisoners are not greater than the number of free persons. That is natural. Although this material world is mixed -- sinful men and pious men -- still, at least formerly, there were sinful men, less. It is said in the sastra that in Satya-yuga there was no sinful men at all. All pious men. Then, in Treta-yuga, one-fourth sinful and three-fourth's pious. And then, Dvapara-yuga, half and half. And now, in the Kali-yuga, one-fourth pious and three-fourth's sinful. And that will also gradually diminish. And when everyone will be sinful, then there is no more preaching. There is Kalki avatara, simply cutting the head. That's all. What is that verse? That Kalki avatara... Kesava dhrta-kalki-sarira jaya jagadisa hare.

So at the end of the Kali-yuga people will be so sinful that... It is already becoming. Only five thousand years we have passed, and the number of sinful men is already greater -- three-fourth's sinful men, one-fourth pious men -- and it will increase, and gradually it will become zero. Everyone shall be, at that time, end of Kali-yuga. That will take four lakhs and 27,000's of years. We have passed only five thousand years. Since the Battle of Kuruksetra, or since the demise of Maharaja Pariksit, the Kali-yuga has begun, and that is five thousand years. And the total duration of life of Kali-yuga is 432,000's of years. That means there is a balance of 427,000's of years to finish this Kali-yuga. And gradually, with the advancement of Kali-yuga, people's duration of life, memory, mercifulness, religious propensities, in this way eight items -- they are described in the Srimad Bhagavatam -- will reduce. We can see practically at the present moment. People are not very strong in body. They are lean and thin. And not only in India -- we are poverty-stricken -- but in Europe, America, also I see. The Europeans and Americans are no more as tall men or very stout men, very... So reducing their bodily strength and memory. That is also fact. We cannot memorize very sharply. People are becoming more and more dull. No more very brilliant scholars are coming out, philosophers, mathematicians. And duration of life, everyone knows it is reducing. In India the average duration of life is thirty years. So this will reduce. And dharma, sense of religiosity, that will also reduce and become more and more punishable by the Yamaraja. Yamaraja is there.

But this Ajamila was cleansed of all sinful activity because at the time of his death he chanted the holy name of Narayana. That's a fact. When we chant the holy name of Narayana, Krsna, Rama, the holy name of God, we immediately become free from all sinful reaction. That's a fact. It is said, eka hari-nama yata papa hare, papi haya tata para kari bare nare(?). This is statement of sastra: "By once chanting the holy name of the Lord, you become free from all sinful reaction of life." That's a fact. But the difficulty is that we become free; again we commit sinful life. That is the... Otherwise one chanting in life is sufficient. But that we do not do. We chant and again do the sinful activities. Namnad balad yasya hi papa-buddhih. This is the greatest offense, that "I am chanting Hare Krsna; therefore I can continue to commit sinful activities. It will be adjusted. Balance will be zero." No. This is the greatest offense. Greatest offense. Namnad balad. Out of ten offenses, this is the greatest offense. Namnad balad yasya hi papa-buddhih. So this should not be done.

So Ajamila did not do that. He was sinful, but he never utilized Krsna to counteract his sinful life. Aparadha-sunya, without any offense -- that was his qualification. He did not know what is the value of chanting the holy name. He... Fallen down, he became a rogue, rascal. That's all right. But he never utilized the chanting of name for counteracting his sinful activities. No, he never did. He was affectionate to his youngest son, whose name was Narayana. So, very much affectionate, youngest son -- "Narayana, please come here. Take your food. Please drink this milk. Come here. Sit down" -- so he was addressing Narayana, his son, but it was taken into account by Narayana. Therefore it is the system in Hindu families to keep children's name as Narayana dasa, Krsna dasa, Govardhana dasa, so that one may be able to chant the holy name of the Lord somehow or other. This is the way. So that is the example of Ajamila. Simply by loving his son of the name Narayana, his account was credited in so many times.

So these Yamaduta, they did not know. So they came to arrest him. But Visnuduta came to save him: "No, no. He is no more sinful. He is free from all sinful life. Don't do injustice." So for They are regretting that aho kastam dharma-drsam adharmah sprsate sabham. "Justice must be done very nicely." Prajanam pitaro ye ca sastarah sadhavah samah. Prajanam, children, or the citizens, praja Praja means who has taken birth, national. Prajanam pitaro. Pitaro means father or anyone who takes the care of the children or the citizen like father. The government or the king -- formerly there was king, now government -- their position is just like father. As the father's duty is to see that the children, the son, is raised very nicely so that in future he may be very happy. This is the duty of the father, to see, not that simply to feed him and make him fatty. No. In the sastra it is said, pita na sa syat. One should not become a father. This is contraceptive. Pita na sa syat janani na sa syat: "One should not become a father, one should not become a mother, one should not become a guru, one should not become a relative, one should not become a caretaker, one should not become the king..." Who? Na mocayed yah samupeta-mrtyum: "One who cannot protect the dependent from the clutches of death." This is sastric injunction. So how much the father and the government or the guru should be strong so that he can save his dependents from the clutches of death.

So how it is possible? Harim vina na mrtim taranti. Without becoming Krsna conscious, nobody can be saved from death. This is the law. Harim vina na mrtim taranti. You can have other benefits from the demigods. There are sastric... There is injunction that "If you want a beautiful wife, you can worship Uma. If you want to be free from disease, you worship the sun-god. If you want to be very learned, you worship Brahma, Sarasvati." There are... That is the injunction, that "If you want this benefit, particular benefit, then you worship this particular." Yanti deva-vrata devan [Bg. 9.25]. There is injunction. The demigod worship, there is injunction that "You do this." But for whom? For the less intelligent person. Kamais tais tair hrta-jnanah yajanti anya-devatah: [Bg. 7.20] "Except God, the Supreme Lord, when the other demigod worship is allowed, that is for the person, hrta-jnanah, one who does not know his ultimate goal of life, for them." But one who is interested to stop the cycle of birth and death, they must come to Krsna. Otherwise it is not possible. Harim vina na mrtim taranti. Krsna, Hari, also says, Krsna also says, mam ca yo What is that? What is that verse? Tyaktva deham punar janma naiti mam eti kaunteya [Bg. 4.9]. Janma karma me divyam. Krsna says that "I appear." Yada yada hi dharmasya glanir bhavati [Bg. 4.7]. "I take birth as the son of Devaki, or I am raised as the son of Mother Yasoda. So one should understand that ajo 'pi sann avyayatma: I am aja, I never take birth, but why I come and take birth as a child of Devaki or Yasoda?" If we simply understand this fact, janma karma me divyam, janati yo tattvatah, if anyone understands, then he becomes free from the cycle of birth and death. Tyaktva deham punar janma naiti mam eti [Bg. 4.9].

So this is possible. Therefore the government, the father, the guru and the guardian -- the everyone should try to make his dependent how he becomes Krsna conscious. This is the duty. Therefore the Krsna consciousness movement is so important, because the human life is meant for stopping the cycle of birth and death. Na mocayed yah samupeta-mrtyum. This is the only process. You cannot stop... But they do not know that this birth and death can be stopped. They are so rascal, they are so foolish, that they do not believe, neither they believe in the next birth, neither they have any idea how to stop death or stop next birth. No education. Throughout the whole world there is no education, there is no science. They are callous. Therefore in the Bhagavad-gita it is said, mudha.

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

This asuri-bhava: "What is God? I don't believe in God. There is no God. Every one of us we are God. Why you are finding God anywhere, in the temple? You do not know that in the street there are so many gods, loitering, daridra narayana?" This is going on. This is going on, all full of ignorance. Therefore we have to push on this Krsna consciousness movement at very difficult position.

manusyanam sahasresu
kascid yatati siddhaye
yatatam api siddhanam
kascid vetti mam
 [Bg. 7.3]

Simply by knowing Krsna, one can become free from the clutches of cycle of birth and death. That's a fact. But manusyanam sahasresu kascid yatati siddhaye, yatatam api siddhanam [Bg. 7.3]. It is very, very difficult.

So we have taken a very difficult task, to convince people to take to Krsna consciousness. But that is the only benefit, or the supreme goal of life. Krsna personally comes to teach this science. Why Krsna left Bhagavad-gita? Out of His compassion, that "After My disappearance people would take advantage of this Bhagavad-gita. As I instructed My dear friend Arjuna, they will also take advantage and become free from the clutches of death." This is the purpose of Bhagavad-gita. Bhagavata-dharma. Unfortunately, people have become so rascal that they do not care for this Bhagavad-gita instruction. And if anyone poses himself to be a very good scholar of Bhagavad-gita, he interprets in his own way, he misleads himself and misleads others also. This is the position. Therefore my request to you all who are in Krsna consciousness movement -- do not be a bluffer. Behave in your life how to become Krsna conscious and teach others. Then the whole world will be benefited, and the Yamaduta will not come to them.

Thank you very much. (end)

 

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.2.3 -- Vrndavana, September 7, 1975

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Horrible Civilization-Going to Hell

Horrible Civilization-Going to Hell

Srimad-Bhagavatam 5.5.1-2
Stockholm, September 7, 1973

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Prabhupada:

rsabha uvaca
nayam deho deha-bhajam nr-loke
kastan kaman arhate vid-bhujam ye
tapo divyam putraka yena sattvam
suddhyed yasmad brahma-saukhyam tv anantam
 [SB 5.5.1]

mahat-sevam dvaram ahur vimuktes
tamo-dvaram yositam sangi-sangam
mahantas te sama-cittah prasanta
vimanyavah suhrdah sadhavo ye
 [SB 5.5.2]

So uktam evaha rsabham iti. We are discussing about the instruction of Lord Rsabhadeva to His sons. Tad uktam upayinona bhagavata upasanam upadesa upadeksamana vairagyam vina upadesto 'pi bhakti-yoga na samyak pratitisthati tad utpadaye kaman nindati nayam etad dvayam. This is a note given by Bhiraghavacarya. He belongs to the Ramanuja sampradaya. We have got four disciplic succession: Madhvacarya's sampradaya or succession, Ramanujacarya, Visnu Svami, and..., what is the other? Nimbarka. So Bhiraghavacarya belongs to the Ramanuja disciplic succession. He was a very famous man, acarya. So he says that bhagavata upasanam upadeksyamana vairagyam vina upadisto 'pi bhakti-yoga na samyak pratitisthati. We may give instruction for many years, but unless one practices vairagya, renunciation, vairagya vina...

This bhakti-yoga, another name is vairagya-yoga. That is pointed out by Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya. When he offered his prayer to Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu he said,

vairagya-vidya-nija-bhakti-yoga-
siksartham ekah purusah puranah
sri-krsna-caitanya-sarira-dhari
krpambudhir yas tam aham prapadye
 [Cc. Madhya 6.254]

He said that this Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu is the same Lord Krsna. Krsna advised, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66]. This sarva-dharman includes all our material activities. So, but people could not understand. The instruction is still standing, Krsna said, sarva-dharman parityajya, "Just simply surrender unto Me." But nobody is doing that. God says that, "You surrender unto Me; I shall give you all protection." There is assurance. But we are so unfortunate that we cannot believe or cannot be assured on the words of God also. We do not believe. "Oh, God cannot give us protection. Let me try my own technology. I shall protect myself." This is the world(?). That means he's not detached with these material activities. Krsna says also that "You give up..." Just like we are also saying. There are so many proposals. They come, philanthropists: "People are starving. We have to see first of all." The Communists say, "Then we can discuss about spiritual... There are so many people starving," as if they have taken contract for feeding them. But these are only simply big, big words. They cannot do anything. Neither they are willing. They are simply after their own sense gratification. Otherwise, why so many people all over the world, there is voluntary starving? Just like the hippies. Why they are lying down on the street, on the park, no fixed-up program for eating, sleeping? They are not poor men's sons.

So, nature's way will work. You cannot stop them. But because they cannot give up attachment for these material activities, they put some manifesto, that "We are not working for this. After finishing this task, then we shall take to the consideration of spiritual life." So this is called will o' the wisp. What is that, will o' the wisp? There is a fire, and the fire goes ahead, and the man follows. It is something like that. They cannot do anything. Actually, they have got attachment for these material activities, and they put forward different types of manifesto. But if one is serious about going back to home, back to Godhead... First of all, they have no such information that there is a place where God lives. They think it is all fictitious. (So) why it is fictitious? If you accept there is God, why, what is the objection to accept a place for Him? We have got our place, we have got our residential quarter, and God has provided us all these facilities, and He has no facility? He is impersonal? He has no place? Just see.

So, these things cannot be understood by the materialistic person. Therefore, one has to practice vairagya, renunciation. That is pointed out here. Bhagavata upasanam upadeksyamana vairagyam vina upadisto 'pi bhakti-yoga na samyag pratitisthati iti. Side by side we have to practice, voluntarily, to be detached from material activities. Then we can make progress in devotional service. Tad utpataya kaman mindati. This is our voluntary work. If we want to be detached... Because Krsna is so kind, if you have got even a little pinch of attachment for this material world, you are not allowed to enter into the kingdom of God. You must be completely free. Therefore, bhakti-yoga is enunciated by Rupa Goswami: anyabhilasita-sunyam. Anyabhilasita-sunyam [Brs. 1.1.11]. Sunyam means zero. All kinds of material desires should be made into zero. Anyabhilasita-sunyam jnana-karmady anavrtam [Cc. Madhya 19.167]. Jnana, speculative method for understanding the Absolute Truth, as the Mayavadis, they are speculating, "This is not, this is not, this is not." Neti neti. This is jnana.

And karma means they are not struggling hard to enjoy the fruitive result, as we see generally everywhere, they are working so hard. Big, big buildings, big, big factories, big, big roads, cities, so many things. They are trying to be happy by such advancement of material opulence. They are called karmi. Some of them are trying to be happy within this material, within this world or within this life, and there are others also, they are also performing big, big yajnas, charities, so that next life they may also take birth in very nice family or may be elevated to the higher planetary system where the standard of life is thousand times better than here. There is all arrangement. So they are trying for that. Not only to become very bodily happy in this life, but also next life. But as there is difficulty... Suppose if you want to be happy materially, then... You see how they are working very hard. They have no time. In the morning, at half past five, we go for morning walk, we see, workers are going. At night... You Europeans, you know better than me how they are working very, very hard. What is the idea? To become happy. To satisfy the senses. Similarly, there are others who know that there is life after death. So they are also preparing how "Next life also we'll be happy, we may take birth in very rich family, in higher planet, in heavenly planet."

So this hard labor is going on. So Rsabhadeva says that this hard labor should be stopped. There is no need of so much hard labor. Why you should work so hard? This such kind of hard labor is seen amongst the animals. There are animals, just like we saw one jackal was passing on the street. So they come out in the night, some of the animals, especially ferocious animals. They come out at night for their food. Everyone is working hard; they also come. So animals also, they (are) also working very hard. That is given example, the hogs and dogs. That is restricted. If you go on working for better standard of life, then you'll be attached to this work and your mind will be absorbed in such work. And if the mind continues to be absorbed in working so hard, then after giving up this body, you'll have to accept another body to fulfill such desires within the mind. Krsna will give you full facility. Therefore it is said, deha-bhrtan madhye (ja) nr-loka manusyah tasmin sattvayam manusyah deha kastan krcchran sampadyamanam ata duhkha-rupam kaman yajnadini. Yajnadini prati na hati. Kaman anubhavitum narhati ity artha.

Rsabhadeva says that simply for sense gratification, don't work so much. Actually, we haven't got to work. Everything is there. We have repeatedly discussed. Just like in the morning the birds get up, they do not work very hard. They know that "We shall go in some, upon some tree, and there is food, there is some fruit, and we shall eat." There is no, no good prob..., very great problem. The animals also, they are assured, everyone is assured. And even human being, just like sannyasis, they are also assured. Just like when I came to your country, there was no friend, there was no relative, but assurance was there that "I am going for Krsna's business. So there is some provision, never mind where it is." That much faith we must have. Actually, for even one is not Krsna conscious, one is not devotee of Krsna, he has also provision. That provision is there. Why should we work so hard? Our business is to save time how to become advanced in Krsna consciousness. But people cannot understand this.

Now, how to become detached from this habit of hard working, that is suggested here. It is said, mahat-sevam dvaram ahur vimuktes. Mahat-seva, saintly persons, if you associate with them, if you serve them, try to serve them, that practice is still in India. If a sannyasi, you'll find from Caitanya-caritamrta, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is going from village to village, but any village he goes... Generally, the sannyasi goes to a temple because temple is meant for the traveling sannyasi. And as soon as one sannyasi... Still this custom is prevalent in India, as soon as somebody sees a sannyasi has come in a temple, somebody from the village, not somebody, but many will come, "Sir, you can take your lunch at my place." So there is no scarcity. Many people will come to invite you still. Therefore many pseudo or phony swamis, they have taken this profession because there is no difficulty getting food. So, mahat-seva. The... What is the idea? The idea is the grhasthas, they know that "We are simply engaged in the matter of sense gratification. If we invite some saintly person at home, if he eats at my place, then, we commit so many sinful activities, we'll be saved." This is the process. Therefore, a sannyasi is advised to accept prasadam in the house of a brahmana, because a brahmana is supposed to be, become very pious. If you take foodstuff from impious men, then that means you are taking share of his impious activities. But a saintly person, they can digest, but if (they) cannot digest, then you have to suffer. This is the process. Then he has to suffer. Therefore the safety principle is to accept luncheon in a pious family, where there is Vaisnava family or brahmana family. Not that anywhere we can accept cooked food. Sometimes we have to do it, but that is against principle. We should not accept food anywhere and everywhere, unless he is pious. The brahmanas are supposed to be pious; therefore, a sannyasi is advised to accept food, luncheon in the brahmana family. And brahmana family, still, not all, a few families still in India, they worship regularly Narayana-sila, salagrama-sila.

Therefore one should be anxious to give some service to the saintly persons. Mahat-seva dvaram. If you engage yourself how to serve a saintly person, then your door for going back to Godhead will gradually become open. Mahat-sevam dvaram ahur vimuktes. This human body is a junction. You can go this way or you can go that way. This way means mahat-seva, liberation. But people do not understand what is liberation. They are so dull. They have been... Their education system is so rubbish that they do not know what is liberation. Just like cats and dogs, they do not know what is liberation. Liberation means to get out of this false conditional life. I'm thinking I'm this body, which I'm not, and therefore I'm acting on the bodily concept of life and becoming entangled more and more so that I have to accept another body, another body, another body. This is my conditional state of life, and there is so much risk to accept another body. As it is said in the Bhagavad-gita, tatha dehantara-praptir. You have to accept another body. And what kind of body I'm going to get, that I do not know. Now suppose if I get another body in the plant life, a tree. A tree can stand for thousands of years. And if we get that sort of life, how much risky it is to accept another body. It is also possible. Those who are performing big, big yajnas, charity, they can expect to be transferred to the heavenly planet. But those who are not doing anything, living like cats and dogs, oh, their life is very risky. Very risky. But they do not know. There is no such education. But here it is recommended, that, mahat-sevam dvaram ahur. If you associate with saintly persons then there is possibility of your door being opened for liberation. Dvaram ahur vimuktes.

(So) we are opening many centers all over the world. Why? To give people chance of having this association of a Vaisnava, mahat, mahatma. Therefore those who are in charge of such centers, they must be ideal mahatmas. Mahatma means devotees. Mahatmanas tu mam partha daivim prakrtim asritah bhajanty ananya-manaso [Bg. 9.13]. Mahatma means whose atma, whose soul is enaged in the service of the Supreme Lord. He's mahatma. Otherwise ksudratma. God is all-pervading. So whose atma has become attached to the all-pervading Supersoul, he's called mahatma. Otherwise, ksudratma. If we are, our heart is attached to limited circle of my friends, wife, children, home, country, then I am ksudratma, because that is limited. Ksudratma or duratma. The opposite is mahatma. Mahan, great. So we have to associate with mahatma. Mahat-seva. How associate? Tad viddhi pranipatena pariprasnena sevaya [Bg. 4.34], to associate. Therefore, it is the custom whenever one goes to see one saintly person, he gives something for service, either fruits or something presentation. That is necessary. Mahat-seva it is said. Seva means service. Maha-seva. Not that I go to see one mahatma, saintly person, and talk with him with all rascal proposal, and waste his time and his own time also. That is not association of the mahatma. Mahat seva. You must approach a saintly person to give him some service. This is the beginning. Spiritual advancement of life means you have to give some service. That service begins when we serve the representative of Krsna, mahatma. He's spiritual master or saintly person.

So mahat-sevam dvaram ahur vimuktes. And just the opposite number is, mahat-sevam dvaram ahur vimuktes tamo-dvaram yositam sangi-sangam. Yosit. Yosit means enjoyable, female, or prakrti. The nature has made in such a way that the male form, or female form, that attracts, that is called yosit. There are so many things for our attraction, not that simply woman is attractive. No. Woman is a form. Rupa, rasa, sabda, gandha, sparsa, this is called the tan-matra, enjoying... We have got senses, so there must be object of enjoyment of the senses. The eyes, they have got also the object of sense gratification. The eyes want to see very beautiful forms. Eyes, rupa. Rupa means form. And the tongue, it wants to enjoy very good taste, tasty food. So that is also enjoyment. Not that simply woman is for enjoyment. Any palatable foodstuff which attracts my tongue, that is also enjoyment.(?) Mahat-sevam tamo-dvaram yosita... These are yosit. A nice beautiful woman or man which attracts, a nice foodstuff which attracts my tongue, rupa, rasa, sabda, nice singing which attracts my ear... Rupa, rasa, sabda, gandha, smelling, which attracts my nostril. Rupa, rasa, gandha, sabda, sparsa, touching. So these are all subject matter for my enjoyment, objectives. So tamo-dvaram yositam sangi-sangam. Those who are attached only, the general public, they are attached to all these things. They are going to cinema, they are drinking wine, they are going to restaurant for satisfaction of the tongue, clubs, and talking, so many things. So those who are attached to all these things for sense gratification, if we associate with such persons, then our door for going to hell is open. Two doors. You have to make selection. Whether this door for becoming liberated from this entanglement of repetition of birth and death and go back to home, back to Godhead, this is one door. Another door, for sense gratification. Adanta-gobhir visatam tamisram [SB 7.5.30]. The more we indulge in sense gratification, then more, more, more... Just like a drunkard. From the very beginning he's not a big drunkard. He takes little, then big, big bottles, big, big bottles. It is simply... Smoking, when the child learns from bad association to smoke, then he become a chain smoker, one after another, one after another, one after another.

So if we indulge in sense gratification, then it will increase, it will increase. And more we increase the process of sense gratification, we go down, deeper, deeper, into the hellish condition of life. Just like the other day I was talking with Mr. Berman, he's a mining engineer. So I talked with him that "You have spent so much time being educated as mining engineer..." It is very good technology he has learned. "But do you ever consider that what is your position? After taking so much education, learning technology, your place is in the dark mines, your place. Whole day you have to work within this darkness. And you are considered to be very expert, and you are getting good salary, but your place is in the dark mine. Why don't you...?" Similarly, his wife, she's a qualified gynecologist. So what is her business? Her business is how to kill the child within the womb -- abortion. Just see. Both are experts. One expert is engaged in the hellish condition of the mine, in darkness; another expert is engaged in killing small babies within the womb. You see? Therefore the result will be that they are going to hell. Adanta-gobhir visatam tamisram. Punah punas carvita-carvananam [SB 7.5.30]. Again doing the same thing, again going to the hellish condition of life. This is called tamo-dvaram, ignorance. Tamo-dvaram yositam sangi-sangam.

Therefore, to make advancement in spiritual life one must be serious to practice vairagya. Tapasya, that is tapasya. If you practice vairagya, deny, "No, I shall not eat these things, I shall not drink these things, I shall not do like this," abnegation -- that we have to practice. That we have to practice. But although it is very difficult, so far we are concerned, we have made the things very concise. Simply, just observe the four regulative principles -- no illicit sex, no gambling, no meat-eating, and no intoxication. This much we have to practice if we are actually serious to go..., advance in spiritual life. This is vairagya, voluntarily. What is the difficulty? You want sex life, why don't you live, husband and wife, married? Sex life is not denied, but not outside the marriage. That is denied. A little vairagya. But we have made such a civilization that no responsibility for marriage. Let the girls become prostitutes and enjoy and go away. Horrible civilization. They are going towards hell, punah punas carvita-carvananam [SB 7.5.30]. But they do not know. Neither do they care. It is very serious situation of the present civilization. If we think... One who does not know, he's in darkness, that is a different thing. But especially in the Western countries I see that poor girls are being advertised for prostitution. What is that? Topless? Yes. Topless, bottomless and so many things. You see. Purposefully, poor girls are being utilized for sense gratification. So horrible condition. And when there is pregnancy, then abortion, then further entanglement, further...

So this is the way to go to the darkest region of hellish condition of life. Sense gratification. So one has to avoid this. Mahat-sevam dvaram ahur vimuktes, and the tamo-dvaram yositam sangi-sangam. Not only you directly make all these thing then you are condemned to go to the hellish condition; if you associate with such person, then also you'll be liable. If you associate. Just like some rascals they say, "Yes, we are eating meat, but we are not directly killing. We purchase." They think that "Let me enjoy meat-eating. Those who are killing in the slaughterhouse, they will be responsible. I am free." No. Because you are associating with such persons, according to Manu-samhita when an animal is killed, eight persons become condemned with murdering charges. Eight persons. One who kills, one who orders, one who purchases, one who cooks, one who eats -- so many. That is the law. Just like one man is murdered. That murdering is committed by one man, but if has got many associates who has induced him, who has supplied him the weapon, or giving, so many assisted -- all of them are arrested. This is the law. As we have got law here, here we can escape man-made laws, but you cannot escape God-made laws. That is not possible. Man-made laws sometimes we escape because everything made by man, that is insufficient, imperfect. So you can escape sometimes. That is not escaping. But you cannot escape God's law. Isvarah sarva-bhutanam hrd-dese 'rjuna tisthati [Bg. 18.61]. God is situated within your heart. He's seeing everything and recording. Anumanta upadrasta, you cannot escape.

So these things are very important thing if we're actually serious about becoming disentangled with this material world and go back to home, back to..., then this instruction of Rsabhadeva is very important. We shall discuss again.

Thank you very much. (end)

 

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 5.5.1-2 -- Stockholm, September 7, 1973

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Horrible Civilization Going to Hell

Horrible Civilization Going to Hell

Srimad-Bhagavatam 5.5.1-2
Stockholm, September 7, 1973

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Prabhupada:

rsabha uvaca
nayam deho deha-bhajam nr-loke
kastan kaman arhate vid-bhujam ye
tapo divyam putraka yena sattvam
suddhyed yasmad brahma-saukhyam tv anantam
 [SB 5.5.1]

mahat-sevam dvaram ahur vimuktes
tamo-dvaram yositam sangi-sangam
mahantas te sama-cittah prasanta
vimanyavah suhrdah sadhavo ye
 [SB 5.5.2]

So uktam evaha rsabham iti. We are discussing about the instruction of Lord Rsabhadeva to His sons. Tad uktam upayinona bhagavata upasanam upadesa upadeksamana vairagyam vina upadesto 'pi bhakti-yoga na samyak pratitisthati tad utpadaye kaman nindati nayam etad dvayam. This is a note given by Bhiraghavacarya. He belongs to the Ramanuja sampradaya. We have got four disciplic succession: Madhvacarya's sampradaya or succession, Ramanujacarya, Visnu Svami, and..., what is the other? Nimbarka. So Bhiraghavacarya belongs to the Ramanuja disciplic succession. He was a very famous man, acarya. So he says that bhagavata upasanam upadeksyamana vairagyam vina upadisto 'pi bhakti-yoga na samyak pratitisthati. We may give instruction for many years, but unless one practices vairagya, renunciation, vairagya vina...

This bhakti-yoga, another name is vairagya-yoga. That is pointed out by Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya. When he offered his prayer to Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu he said,

vairagya-vidya-nija-bhakti-yoga-
siksartham ekah purusah puranah
sri-krsna-caitanya-sarira-dhari
krpambudhir yas tam aham prapadye
 [Cc. Madhya 6.254]

He said that this Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu is the same Lord Krsna. Krsna advised, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66]. This sarva-dharman includes all our material activities. So, but people could not understand. The instruction is still standing, Krsna said, sarva-dharman parityajya, "Just simply surrender unto Me." But nobody is doing that. God says that, "You surrender unto Me; I shall give you all protection." There is assurance. But we are so unfortunate that we cannot believe or cannot be assured on the words of God also. We do not believe. "Oh, God cannot give us protection. Let me try my own technology. I shall protect myself." This is the world(?). That means he's not detached with these material activities. Krsna says also that "You give up..." Just like we are also saying. There are so many proposals. They come, philanthropists: "People are starving. We have to see first of all." The Communists say, "Then we can discuss about spiritual... There are so many people starving," as if they have taken contract for feeding them. But these are only simply big, big words. They cannot do anything. Neither they are willing. They are simply after their own sense gratification. Otherwise, why so many people all over the world, there is voluntary starving? Just like the hippies. Why they are lying down on the street, on the park, no fixed-up program for eating, sleeping? They are not poor men's sons.

So, nature's way will work. You cannot stop them. But because they cannot give up attachment for these material activities, they put some manifesto, that "We are not working for this. After finishing this task, then we shall take to the consideration of spiritual life." So this is called will o' the wisp. What is that, will o' the wisp? There is a fire, and the fire goes ahead, and the man follows. It is something like that. They cannot do anything. Actually, they have got attachment for these material activities, and they put forward different types of manifesto. But if one is serious about going back to home, back to Godhead... First of all, they have no such information that there is a place where God lives. They think it is all fictitious. (So) why it is fictitious? If you accept there is God, why, what is the objection to accept a place for Him? We have got our place, we have got our residential quarter, and God has provided us all these facilities, and He has no facility? He is impersonal? He has no place? Just see.

So, these things cannot be understood by the materialistic person. Therefore, one has to practice vairagya, renunciation. That is pointed out here. Bhagavata upasanam upadeksyamana vairagyam vina upadisto 'pi bhakti-yoga na samyag pratitisthati iti. Side by side we have to practice, voluntarily, to be detached from material activities. Then we can make progress in devotional service. Tad utpataya kaman mindati. This is our voluntary work. If we want to be detached... Because Krsna is so kind, if you have got even a little pinch of attachment for this material world, you are not allowed to enter into the kingdom of God. You must be completely free. Therefore, bhakti-yoga is enunciated by Rupa Goswami: anyabhilasita-sunyam. Anyabhilasita-sunyam [Brs. 1.1.11]. Sunyam means zero. All kinds of material desires should be made into zero. Anyabhilasita-sunyam jnana-karmady anavrtam [Cc. Madhya 19.167]. Jnana, speculative method for understanding the Absolute Truth, as the Mayavadis, they are speculating, "This is not, this is not, this is not." Neti neti. This is jnana.

And karma means they are not struggling hard to enjoy the fruitive result, as we see generally everywhere, they are working so hard. Big, big buildings, big, big factories, big, big roads, cities, so many things. They are trying to be happy by such advancement of material opulence. They are called karmi. Some of them are trying to be happy within this material, within this world or within this life, and there are others also, they are also performing big, big yajnas, charities, so that next life they may also take birth in very nice family or may be elevated to the higher planetary system where the standard of life is thousand times better than here. There is all arrangement. So they are trying for that. Not only to become very bodily happy in this life, but also next life. But as there is difficulty... Suppose if you want to be happy materially, then... You see how they are working very hard. They have no time. In the morning, at half past five, we go for morning walk, we see, workers are going. At night... You Europeans, you know better than me how they are working very, very hard. What is the idea? To become happy. To satisfy the senses. Similarly, there are others who know that there is life after death. So they are also preparing how "Next life also we'll be happy, we may take birth in very rich family, in higher planet, in heavenly planet."

So this hard labor is going on. So Rsabhadeva says that this hard labor should be stopped. There is no need of so much hard labor. Why you should work so hard? This such kind of hard labor is seen amongst the animals. There are animals, just like we saw one jackal was passing on the street. So they come out in the night, some of the animals, especially ferocious animals. They come out at night for their food. Everyone is working hard; they also come. So animals also, they (are) also working very hard. That is given example, the hogs and dogs. That is restricted. If you go on working for better standard of life, then you'll be attached to this work and your mind will be absorbed in such work. And if the mind continues to be absorbed in working so hard, then after giving up this body, you'll have to accept another body to fulfill such desires within the mind. Krsna will give you full facility. Therefore it is said, deha-bhrtan madhye (ja) nr-loka manusyah tasmin sattvayam manusyah deha kastan krcchran sampadyamanam ata duhkha-rupam kaman yajnadini. Yajnadini prati na hati. Kaman anubhavitum narhati ity artha.

Rsabhadeva says that simply for sense gratification, don't work so much. Actually, we haven't got to work. Everything is there. We have repeatedly discussed. Just like in the morning the birds get up, they do not work very hard. They know that "We shall go in some, upon some tree, and there is food, there is some fruit, and we shall eat." There is no, no good prob..., very great problem. The animals also, they are assured, everyone is assured. And even human being, just like sannyasis, they are also assured. Just like when I came to your country, there was no friend, there was no relative, but assurance was there that "I am going for Krsna's business. So there is some provision, never mind where it is." That much faith we must have. Actually, for even one is not Krsna conscious, one is not devotee of Krsna, he has also provision. That provision is there. Why should we work so hard? Our business is to save time how to become advanced in Krsna consciousness. But people cannot understand this.

Now, how to become detached from this habit of hard working, that is suggested here. It is said, mahat-sevam dvaram ahur vimuktes. Mahat-seva, saintly persons, if you associate with them, if you serve them, try to serve them, that practice is still in India. If a sannyasi, you'll find from Caitanya-caritamrta, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is going from village to village, but any village he goes... Generally, the sannyasi goes to a temple because temple is meant for the traveling sannyasi. And as soon as one sannyasi... Still this custom is prevalent in India, as soon as somebody sees a sannyasi has come in a temple, somebody from the village, not somebody, but many will come, "Sir, you can take your lunch at my place." So there is no scarcity. Many people will come to invite you still. Therefore many pseudo or phony swamis, they have taken this profession because there is no difficulty getting food. So, mahat-seva. The... What is the idea? The idea is the grhasthas, they know that "We are simply engaged in the matter of sense gratification. If we invite some saintly person at home, if he eats at my place, then, we commit so many sinful activities, we'll be saved." This is the process. Therefore, a sannyasi is advised to accept prasadam in the house of a brahmana, because a brahmana is supposed to be, become very pious. If you take foodstuff from impious men, then that means you are taking share of his impious activities. But a saintly person, they can digest, but if (they) cannot digest, then you have to suffer. This is the process. Then he has to suffer. Therefore the safety principle is to accept luncheon in a pious family, where there is Vaisnava family or brahmana family. Not that anywhere we can accept cooked food. Sometimes we have to do it, but that is against principle. We should not accept food anywhere and everywhere, unless he is pious. The brahmanas are supposed to be pious; therefore, a sannyasi is advised to accept food, luncheon in the brahmana family. And brahmana family, still, not all, a few families still in India, they worship regularly Narayana-sila, salagrama-sila.

Therefore one should be anxious to give some service to the saintly persons. Mahat-seva dvaram. If you engage yourself how to serve a saintly person, then your door for going back to Godhead will gradually become open. Mahat-sevam dvaram ahur vimuktes. This human body is a junction. You can go this way or you can go that way. This way means mahat-seva, liberation. But people do not understand what is liberation. They are so dull. They have been... Their education system is so rubbish that they do not know what is liberation. Just like cats and dogs, they do not know what is liberation. Liberation means to get out of this false conditional life. I'm thinking I'm this body, which I'm not, and therefore I'm acting on the bodily concept of life and becoming entangled more and more so that I have to accept another body, another body, another body. This is my conditional state of life, and there is so much risk to accept another body. As it is said in the Bhagavad-gita, tatha dehantara-praptir. You have to accept another body. And what kind of body I'm going to get, that I do not know. Now suppose if I get another body in the plant life, a tree. A tree can stand for thousands of years. And if we get that sort of life, how much risky it is to accept another body. It is also possible. Those who are performing big, big yajnas, charity, they can expect to be transferred to the heavenly planet. But those who are not doing anything, living like cats and dogs, oh, their life is very risky. Very risky. But they do not know. There is no such education. But here it is recommended, that, mahat-sevam dvaram ahur. If you associate with saintly persons then there is possibility of your door being opened for liberation. Dvaram ahur vimuktes.

(So) we are opening many centers all over the world. Why? To give people chance of having this association of a Vaisnava, mahat, mahatma. Therefore those who are in charge of such centers, they must be ideal mahatmas. Mahatma means devotees. Mahatmanas tu mam partha daivim prakrtim asritah bhajanty ananya-manaso [Bg. 9.13]. Mahatma means whose atma, whose soul is enaged in the service of the Supreme Lord. He's mahatma. Otherwise ksudratma. God is all-pervading. So whose atma has become attached to the all-pervading Supersoul, he's called mahatma. Otherwise, ksudratma. If we are, our heart is attached to limited circle of my friends, wife, children, home, country, then I am ksudratma, because that is limited. Ksudratma or duratma. The opposite is mahatma. Mahan, great. So we have to associate with mahatma. Mahat-seva. How associate? Tad viddhi pranipatena pariprasnena sevaya [Bg. 4.34], to associate. Therefore, it is the custom whenever one goes to see one saintly person, he gives something for service, either fruits or something presentation. That is necessary. Mahat-seva it is said. Seva means service. Maha-seva. Not that I go to see one mahatma, saintly person, and talk with him with all rascal proposal, and waste his time and his own time also. That is not association of the mahatma. Mahat seva. You must approach a saintly person to give him some service. This is the beginning. Spiritual advancement of life means you have to give some service. That service begins when we serve the representative of Krsna, mahatma. He's spiritual master or saintly person.

So mahat-sevam dvaram ahur vimuktes. And just the opposite number is, mahat-sevam dvaram ahur vimuktes tamo-dvaram yositam sangi-sangam. Yosit. Yosit means enjoyable, female, or prakrti. The nature has made in such a way that the male form, or female form, that attracts, that is called yosit. There are so many things for our attraction, not that simply woman is attractive. No. Woman is a form. Rupa, rasa, sabda, gandha, sparsa, this is called the tan-matra, enjoying... We have got senses, so there must be object of enjoyment of the senses. The eyes, they have got also the object of sense gratification. The eyes want to see very beautiful forms. Eyes, rupa. Rupa means form. And the tongue, it wants to enjoy very good taste, tasty food. So that is also enjoyment. Not that simply woman is for enjoyment. Any palatable foodstuff which attracts my tongue, that is also enjoyment.(?) Mahat-sevam tamo-dvaram yosita... These are yosit. A nice beautiful woman or man which attracts, a nice foodstuff which attracts my tongue, rupa, rasa, sabda, nice singing which attracts my ear... Rupa, rasa, sabda, gandha, smelling, which attracts my nostril. Rupa, rasa, gandha, sabda, sparsa, touching. So these are all subject matter for my enjoyment, objectives. So tamo-dvaram yositam sangi-sangam. Those who are attached only, the general public, they are attached to all these things. They are going to cinema, they are drinking wine, they are going to restaurant for satisfaction of the tongue, clubs, and talking, so many things. So those who are attached to all these things for sense gratification, if we associate with such persons, then our door for going to hell is open. Two doors. You have to make selection. Whether this door for becoming liberated from this entanglement of repetition of birth and death and go back to home, back to Godhead, this is one door. Another door, for sense gratification. Adanta-gobhir visatam tamisram [SB 7.5.30]. The more we indulge in sense gratification, then more, more, more... Just like a drunkard. From the very beginning he's not a big drunkard. He takes little, then big, big bottles, big, big bottles. It is simply... Smoking, when the child learns from bad association to smoke, then he become a chain smoker, one after another, one after another, one after another.

So if we indulge in sense gratification, then it will increase, it will increase. And more we increase the process of sense gratification, we go down, deeper, deeper, into the hellish condition of life. Just like the other day I was talking with Mr. Berman, he's a mining engineer. So I talked with him that "You have spent so much time being educated as mining engineer..." It is very good technology he has learned. "But do you ever consider that what is your position? After taking so much education, learning technology, your place is in the dark mines, your place. Whole day you have to work within this darkness. And you are considered to be very expert, and you are getting good salary, but your place is in the dark mine. Why don't you...?" Similarly, his wife, she's a qualified gynecologist. So what is her business? Her business is how to kill the child within the womb -- abortion. Just see. Both are experts. One expert is engaged in the hellish condition of the mine, in darkness; another expert is engaged in killing small babies within the womb. You see? Therefore the result will be that they are going to hell. Adanta-gobhir visatam tamisram. Punah punas carvita-carvananam [SB 7.5.30]. Again doing the same thing, again going to the hellish condition of life. This is called tamo-dvaram, ignorance. Tamo-dvaram yositam sangi-sangam.

Therefore, to make advancement in spiritual life one must be serious to practice vairagya. Tapasya, that is tapasya. If you practice vairagya, deny, "No, I shall not eat these things, I shall not drink these things, I shall not do like this," abnegation -- that we have to practice. That we have to practice. But although it is very difficult, so far we are concerned, we have made the things very concise. Simply, just observe the four regulative principles -- no illicit sex, no gambling, no meat-eating, and no intoxication. This much we have to practice if we are actually serious to go..., advance in spiritual life. This is vairagya, voluntarily. What is the difficulty? You want sex life, why don't you live, husband and wife, married? Sex life is not denied, but not outside the marriage. That is denied. A little vairagya. But we have made such a civilization that no responsibility for marriage. Let the girls become prostitutes and enjoy and go away. Horrible civilization. They are going towards hell, punah punas carvita-carvananam [SB 7.5.30]. But they do not know. Neither do they care. It is very serious situation of the present civilization. If we think... One who does not know, he's in darkness, that is a different thing. But especially in the Western countries I see that poor girls are being advertised for prostitution. What is that? Topless? Yes. Topless, bottomless and so many things. You see. Purposefully, poor girls are being utilized for sense gratification. So horrible condition. And when there is pregnancy, then abortion, then further entanglement, further...

So this is the way to go to the darkest region of hellish condition of life. Sense gratification. So one has to avoid this. Mahat-sevam dvaram ahur vimuktes, and the tamo-dvaram yositam sangi-sangam. Not only you directly make all these thing then you are condemned to go to the hellish condition; if you associate with such person, then also you'll be liable. If you associate. Just like some rascals they say, "Yes, we are eating meat, but we are not directly killing. We purchase." They think that "Let me enjoy meat-eating. Those who are killing in the slaughterhouse, they will be responsible. I am free." No. Because you are associating with such persons, according to Manu-samhita when an animal is killed, eight persons become condemned with murdering charges. Eight persons. One who kills, one who orders, one who purchases, one who cooks, one who eats -- so many. That is the law. Just like one man is murdered. That murdering is committed by one man, but if has got many associates who has induced him, who has supplied him the weapon, or giving, so many assisted -- all of them are arrested. This is the law. As we have got law here, here we can escape man-made laws, but you cannot escape God-made laws. That is not possible. Man-made laws sometimes we escape because everything made by man, that is insufficient, imperfect. So you can escape sometimes. That is not escaping. But you cannot escape God's law. Isvarah sarva-bhutanam hrd-dese 'rjuna tisthati [Bg. 18.61]. God is situated within your heart. He's seeing everything and recording. Anumanta upadrasta, you cannot escape.

So these things are very important thing if we're actually serious about becoming disentangled with this material world and go back to home, back to..., then this instruction of Rsabhadeva is very important. We shall discuss again.

Thank you very much. (end)

 

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 5.5.1-2 -- Stockholm, September 7, 1973

HOME

© 2001 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International.