Sunday, July 27, 2014

Other Religions -- No Knowledge


Denver, November 26, 1975
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Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Prabhupada: [break] If one is fool, where is the question of searching out? If he has got the right knowledge, why there should be searching? Searching means he is not in knowledge. [break]Harikesa: It may be true that we have no knowledge, but we don't think we need God to...
Prabhupada: "Maybe" means rascal. As soon as you say "maybe," you are a rascal, immediately. There is no other argument. As soon as you say "maybe," that means you are a rascal.
Harikesa: Well, definitely we don't know.
Prabhupada: Therefore rascal. (laughter) Therefore rascal. We definitely know Krsna, the origin of everything. That is definite, not "It may be." We don't say "Krsna may be." No. Definitely. Krsnas tu bhagavan svayam [SB 1.3.28]. Here is Bhagavan. Here is God. That is definite. Therefore our professor...
Hamsaduta: Svarupa Damodara?
Prabhupada: No, no. Who has written foreword to my Bhagavad-gita?
Harikesa: Dimmock.
Prabhupada: Dimmock. "Here is definitive..."
Hamsaduta: Version.
Nitai: "Definitive edition."
Prabhupada: "Definitive edition." That is the credit. Not "may be." No "maybe," sir. That is rascaldom.
Harikesa: In our social science we find that God is only necessary to define the unknown. Otherwise He has no purpose.
Prabhupada: No, our God is not unknown. Known. We know God's residence. We know God's father, God's mother, God's activities, God's friends. Everything we know. There is no "maybe."
Harikesa: Just like in the former days when the savages saw thunderbolts...
Prabhupada: The savage... You may be savage. We are not savage. You may be savage, but we are not savage. We are civilized.
Harikesa: Therefore we don't have so many unknown things, so we don't need God.
Prabhupada: Huh?
Harikesa: We're civilized, so we have so many things we know now, so we don't need God.
Prabhupada: No, we know everything. Who says we do not know? We know everything.
Harikesa: I'm playing the part... (laughs)
Prabhupada: We know everything. Yasmin vijnate sarvam idam vijnatam bhavanti. This is the Vedic statement. If you know God, then you know everything. Yasmin vijnate sarvam idam vijnatam.
Harikesa: The materialists think, though, that the less you know, the more you need God.
Prabhupada: Huh?
Harikesa: The less you know, the more you need God.
Prabhupada: Therefore we say they are rascal and fools. This is the... What is this "House of Soviet Culture"? So why don't you arrange a meeting here? Yes.
Aksayananda: A nice place for a meeting.
Prabhupada: Huh?
Aksayananda: That's the best place for a meeting.
Prabhupada: Yes. What is Soviet culture? We shall challenge them. Yes. We can challenge them because we know they are rascals. Mudha [break]
Harikesa: Religion is simply to keep people satisfied, that's all.
Prabhupada: Hm?
Harikesa: Religion is simply to keep people satisfied. It's the "opiate of the masses."
Prabhupada: That's all right, but you have no satisfaction even. Your culture is so bad that you are not satisfied even. Then you are better. Everyone is looking after satisfaction. So you have no satisfaction even. So you are less than animal.
Harikesa: Well, at least everybody is not satisfied equally, so there's no envy.
Prabhupada: Because you are, everybody is not learned, everybody is rascal. Therefore he is not satisfied. If one is in knowledge he is satisfied.
Harikesa: But religion is just sentimentality. There's no...
Prabhupada: You do not know what is religion. Therefore we do not accept sentimental religion. We say it is cheating. Such kind of religion, we say it is cheating.
Harikesa: You can't eat religion.
Prabhupada: Huh?
Harikesa: If you spend all your days just chanting, how can you eat? Religion means you go to the church and you just pray.
Prabhupada: And who says that religionists should not eat? Do we say...? We have ample prasadam to eat. It is already there. You are researching after food, starving dog. We don't research. There is food ready.
Harikesa: But we're just exploiting.
Prabhupada: Krsna bada day maya, karibare jihv jaya, sva-prasada anna dilo bhai. Krsna is ready. Take prasadam as much as you like.
Harikesa: The Communists will say we're just exploiting.
Prabhupada: The Communists may say, but we don't say. They are hungry people, they may say. We are not hungry. Our food is supplied by Krsna. Yoga-ksemam vahamy aham [Bg. 9.22]. He brings food. So why should the Communists? So we shall go further or return? Hm?
Hamsaduta: Which way?
Devotee (2): Do you want to go further, Srila Prabhupada?
Prabhupada: I can go. What is time?
Harikesa: Almost seven. [break]
Prabhupada: [break] ...road?
Devotee (2): This is Curzon Road.
Prabhupada: Curzon Road. [break] ...religion, we say "cheating religion." We don't accept sentimentally.
Harikesa: Well, the sentiment is the faith. The dictionary definition, sentimentalism is the faith.
Prabhupada: Yes. Faith is good, provided you have faith on the superior. That is good.
Harikesa: So faith in knowledge.
Prabhupada: Yes. Knowledge means received from the superior. Like the child gets knowledge from the father. That kind of faith is required. If the child does not believe the statement of father and mother, he cannot make any progress. If the child does not believe the statement of mother, he does not know who is his father. So there must be faith, faith in the right person. Then it is all right. If you have got faith in the person who has got eyes to lead you, then he will help you to cross the road. And if you put your faith to another blind man like you, then it will cause disaster. Faith is required, but to the right person. Then it will be all right. You know that one barber is honest: then you can make your neck like this and he is with a sharpened razor. But you have faith that "He will not cut my throat; he will shave me." This is faith. And if you do not know him and if you put your neck like this and if he is a rogue, he will cut your throat. That's all. The same faith, if you put it to the right person, you become cleansed, shaved, and the same faith put in the wrong person -- your throat is cut off. So you must know where to put the faith. So our Vedic injunction is: "Put your faith to the brahma-nistam, one who is God-realized." Tad-vijnanartham sa gurum evabhigacchet samit-panih srotriyam brahma-nistam: [MU 1.2.12] "One who has full knowledge in the Vedas and firmly fixed up in Brahman, God, you put your faith there." Otherwise there will be disaster. Right faith. [break] ...you call Prabhakara?
Tejas: I called him on the phone.
Prabhupada: He is here?
Tejas: Yes. I don't know why he didn't come.
Harikesa: So actually the one thing that makes Krsna consciousness different from other religious processes is the practical application of knowledge.
Prabhupada: Yes. Full knowledge, perfect knowledge. And other religious systems, they have no knowledge. They say of God something but they do not know what is God. We know what is God and who is God. That is the difference.
Devotee (3): But they have no pure devotee in which to put their faith.
Prabhupada: Huh?
Devotee (3): They have no one in which to put their faith.
Prabhupada: Whatever they may be, put because they do not know God, therefore it is cheating. Just see, India's capital and so dirty thing.
Harikesa: You were saying about Eisenhower and Nehru?
Prabhupada: Yes.
Harikesa: Nehru was trying to hide the villages.
Prabhupada: But any intelligent man can understand. Any foreigner who will come will understand how India is poverty-stricken by this picture. (?)
Harikesa: It seems like the strongest preaching point or platform is the presence of a pure soul.
Prabhupada: Huh?
Harikesa: The presence of a pure soul, someone who is wrapped up actually in love of God, is sufficient.
Prabhupada: Faithful servant of God. He can preach. He is authorized. He has got the power of attorney. Krsna sakti vin nahe nama pracara.
Harikesa: I was thinking on Juhu Beach, these men have been walking by now for four years, and actually none of them have heard you speak, or maybe a few, but now they are all coming and touching your feet.
Aksayananda: [break] ...two-year visas now, they must have more faith in you now, Prabhupada.
Prabhupada: Huh?
Aksayananda: They must have more faith in you now in India because they're giving us two-year visa. Faith must be improving...
Prabhupada: Yes.
Aksayananda: ...in the right person.
Prabhupada: They should have that knowledge, that we are doing the best service to the humanity. It is better late than never. [break] ...position so they may not lose their faith.
Aksayananda: Position should be pure.
Prabhupada: Yes.
Aksayananda: Remain pure.
Prabhupada: Earth teachers. (?) [break]
Harikesa: ...next conference.
Devotee (4): They're all trying to learn Russian here, Srila Prabhupada, for when the Russians come and take over their country. [break]
Prabhupada: ...the talk amongst the high-court judges. So when there was fierce fighting was going on between the Germans and the Allies, so during their relaxed hours, the judges were sitting. So one, the Chief Justice of Calcutta, he asked one Justice Mukherjee. So Justice Mukherjee was very... He was vice-chancellor. So he asked him, "Mr. Mukherjee, now the Germans are coming. What you will do when they come?" He said, "Yes, as soon as they come, we shall: 'Come on sir, come on sir, come on sir.' We shall receive them." "Why?" "Now, you have taught us like that. You British people, you have taught us. (laughter) Our business is to receive. Anyone comes, we shall receive him. That's all."
Devotee (4): And they will do the same with the Russians.
Prabhupada: Yes. [break]
Harikesa: It seems like they are preparing now by eating lots of meat and drinking a lot of alcohol.
Prabhupada: They cannot prepare us. That is the difference. Even they are preparing, but they cannot prepare us. That is the difference between fools and man with knowledge. [break] ...was existing? No. New temple.
Hamsaduta: I don't know. They're still in the process of building it.
Prabhupada: [break] Yes. Make samosa and halava.
Harikesa: For lunch?
Prabhupada: Yes.
Harikesa: For lunch. [break]
Hamsaduta: I couldn't follow the numbers. I just heard that so much for sleeping, so much for the toilet, so much... The noise of the machine... I couldn't follow the years.
Prabhupada: Out of hundred years, fifty years-sleeping. And fifty years balance twenty years-playing. And twenty years-old age, invalid. And ten years-frustration. Bas. (laughter)
Devotee (5): Prabhupada said Prahlada Maharaja said (unclear).
Prabhupada: Yes, yes. Hundred years finished and then become a dog. This is civilization. You got the hundred years for getting out of these material clutches, janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi [Bg. 13.9], but one will not do that. How spoiling civilization.
Gopala Krsna: In the Fifth Canto it is very nicely described how for each sinful activity a person goes to a separate type of hellish planet.
Prabhupada: But they do not accept this, such a foolish person.
Gopala Krsna: Any sane man, if he found out what the consequences will be, he would listen to the Srimad-Bhagavatam.
Prabhupada: They do not believe next life, that, to dismiss all these ideas. If there is no next life... Bhasmi bhutasya... Atheists, they do not believe next life. All big, big men in Europe, they say, "No, there is no life." Here also.
Hamsaduta: They will say, "We have no evidence, no evidence of..."
Prabhupada: Evidence is there. Still, you are so rascal. Evidence is you were a child. That is the evidence. Where is that body? A very simple evidence, but these rascals are so dull, they cannot understand.
Gopala Krsna: They accept what is good for their sense gratification, and what is not good, they won't accept.
Prabhupada: And where is sense gratification? [break]
Harikesa: Everything is unmanifest in the beginning, manifest in the middle, and unmanifest at the end. So why should I care for anything in this lifetime?
Prabhupada: Hm?
Harikesa: If it's all unmanifest in the beginning, it's only manifest in the middle, and it's unmanifest again at the end, why should I care about anything this life?
Prabhupada: Then why you are making so much arrangement for sense gratification?
Harikesa: Well, I can enjoy while I've got it.
Prabhupada: But why... If it is not manifested, what is the enjoyment?
Gopala Krsna: Harikesa?
Prabhupada: You know Bengali?
Devotee (4): No, Subhaga has spoken to me, Srila Prabhupada.
Harikesa: Well, it's better to enjoy than to suffer.
Prabhupada: And where is enjoyment? The thief also thinks like that: "Let me enjoy by stealing." Then, when he goes to the prison, then his enjoyment finished. If somebody gives you so many rasagulla, that "You take this rasagulla, and after finishing, I shall beat you with shoes," then will you take? (laughter) This is enjoyment. No sane man will like to enjoy like that. "Take this rasagulla, and after this, I will beat you with shoes, as many rasagulla you have taken." Will you take it?
Harikesa: Yes, but I eat rasagullas every day and nobody beats me with shoes.
Prabhupada: Why the other day you told me, "I am now not... I cannot see. My brain is..."? Is it not beating with shoes? (laughter) Eh? Don't you agree?
Indian man (5): (Hindi)
Prabhupada: Huh? Everyone, but they are so rascal.
Harikesa: One famous psychologist, psychiatrist, said there is a pleasure and pain principle, that everyone wants as much pleasure as possible and as little pain as possible. So because we have to suffer and enjoy, why not make enjoyment as much as possible and reduce the suffering? [break]
Prabhupada: They are vacant?
Hamsaduta: No, they look occupied.
Prabhupada: [break] ...big building.
Hamsaduta: Some kind of auditorium.
Harisauri: [break] Art.
Prabhupada: Art. Some art. Art, music
Harikesa: It's very enjoyable to hear music.
Prabhupada: Hm. [break] So why don't you come here?
Gopala Krsna: Haryana?
Prabhupada: Yes, and take information.
Gopala Krsna: Yes. I don't know if this is their offices. We'll check.
Prabhupada: Yes. Take immediately that. No, no, what is this?
Gopala Krsna: Come at nine o'clock.
Prabhupada: So near. You can come. [break] It is published, that the wood... Now it is no green leaves. Why? What is missing? If they are so expert, inject something and it will have green leaves like that. [break] ...I mean to say, trucks they are rejected in your country. We do not see such buses. What is this house?
Harikesa: It's a college. It's a girls' college.
Prabhupada: [break] How to kill child. This is education. Huh? Educated girl means how to divorce husband, how to kill child. Is it not? Educated, modern educated girl means how to become unfaithful to the husband, how to divorce and how to kill child.
Gopala Krsna: How to get equal rights.
Prabhupada: No, equal rights, that's all right. This is the education. The uneducated girls do not do this. [break]
Harikesa: This is very funny.
Prabhupada: What is that?
Harikesa: It says, "Invincible are the Korean people who are rallied firmly with one ideology and will under the brilliant rays of the immortal juch (?) idea of Comrade..."
Prabhupada: All ideals.
Indian man (6): This is South Korea or North Korea?
Harikesa: South, I think.
Prabhupada: Hare Krsna. Jaya. [break]
Harikesa: They are becoming very advanced, making big skyscrapers.
Gopala Krsna: It's a big hotel.
Prabhupada: Hotel? Oh.
Tejas: Hotel and office.
Prabhupada: Those who are not cooperating...
Gopala Krsna: They should be asked to leave.
Prabhupada: Yes. They must cooperate.
Gopala Krsna: [break] The problem that these foreign, some of these foreign devotees that have come lately, they have been such loose devotees that the temple presidents, they want to get rid of them; they are sending them to India. Three people came from Rupanuga's zone; and they were all useless devotees. They won't listen. They just ran away from Bombay. So I wrote a very strong letter to Rupanuga Prabhu. I said, you know, they should screen the devotees before they send them to India. What they are doing is they are sending their rejected devotees to India. If any devotee is not good in their zone they say, "Okay, we'll send them to India." But here we have such big projects that we need devotees who will follow the rules strictly and who will listen to authorities.
Prabhupada: So tell them. If they have rejected and you also reject them, where they will go? Hm?
Gopala Krsna: No, we will train them, but these devotees don't cooperate very much. (end)
 
>>> Ref. VedaBase => Morning Walk -- November 26, 1975, New Delhi
© 2001 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International.

Friday, July 25, 2014

Progress -- Die Quickly


Mauritius, October 2, 1975
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Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Prabhupada: ...that I shall be happy in this material world, he'll not be able to take Krsna consciousness. Hare Krsna.Cyavana: The slightest tinge of a material desire will force him to take another body. Is that it?
Prabhupada: Yes. Krsna will give him full advantage of enjoying this material world. Unless he is disgusted, he cannot. He'll not become disgusted. Therefore Krsna says, "Give up this." Personally, he is not going to be disgusted. maya. Therefore Krsna personally asks him, "Give up this business." Sarva-dharman parityajya [Bg. 18.66]. But we are thinking, "Eh! Why this man asking like this? Sarva-dharman parityajya. I shall give up my business, I shall give up my family, I shall give up my country and simply surrender to Him? Oh, it is too much. Sophisticated." What is called? "Sophistry." What is sophistry?
Pusta Krsna: Sophistry?
Prabhupada: Yes?
Pusta Krsna: Half wise, half foolish.
Brahmananda: Sophistry means some...
Prabhupada: Yes.
Brahmananda: ... philosophy that is not sound. Superficial.
Prabhupada: Yes, that is... That is the remark of Dr. Radhakrishnan, when Krsna said like that. That means "He... Too much," because he thinks, "Krsna is..., may be a very big man, but He's a man. Why He is asking like that?" [break] ...first business is to give him always miseries so that he may be disgusted. But he is so foolish, he is not becoming disgusted. Everyone knows this is very troublesome world, but nobody is disgusted.
Cyavana: He's like the horse who chases after the carrot. He never gets it, but still, he keeps trying for it. He never gives up. He keeps trying.
Prabhupada: There are many examples. Matir na krsne paratah svato va. Only for this fault, grha-vratanam -- "I shall be happy in this material world." In Delhi, we established that center. You had been there?
Brahmananda: Yes.
Prabhupada: Ananda...
Brahmananda: Ananda Niketan.
Prabhupada: Full of foreign embassies. So nobody came.
Brahmananda: They came the first night, and that was it.
Prabhupada: Nobody came.
Brahmananda: Neither were they very friendly.
Prabhupada: They thought that "We are living so nicely, embassy and ambassador, and living in such a nice house, comfortably. What is this nonsense, God?" All these embassies and the ambassadors, they are prized post. It has no use.
Pusta Krsna: They're what, Prabhupada?
Prabhupada: Prized post only. Governors, the embassies, this is... These are invented to satisfy the agitators, politicians, because the opposite party will agitate.
Brahmananda: So give them some house and some post.
Prabhupada: Yes. Give them some. That's all. It has no use. They do not do anything. Simply hold that post and get nice house, nice salary, servants, honor, and sometimes they are called and make some speech. That's all. And whatever nonsense he may be, if he is governor, then everyone will respect him. That's all. And as soon as the same man is not governor, nobody goes to kick on his face. I have seen so many governors. When they retire, nobody... (aside:) Where is that cap? Nobody cares.
Pusta Krsna: Is this desire for material happiness the cause of material attachment?
Prabhupada: Yes. Krsna bhuliya jiva bhoga vancha kare. When they forget to serve Krsna and wants to enjoy this material world... Don't you see that these Mayavadi philosophers are trying for liberation, and still, they are expecting to become God. That is another desire. Daridra-narayana. The high ambition, to become God or equal to God, that is going on, struggle for existence.
Pusta Krsna: What about these rascals like Sai Baba? They use Krsna's philosophy, and then they twist it in such a way that it becomes Mayavada.
Prabhupada: No, no. He's a cheater. People want to be cheated. They come to sadhu for some material benefit. Don't you see that people are so much anxious to touch the feet of a sadhu? What is the reason? Reason is that if he gets some favor of the sadhu, "Then I shall be happy materially." That's all. They have no idea, becoming servant of Krsna. Asirvada (Hindi).
Brahmananda: Swami(?) Deji(?) once told me he once wanted your asirvada. I didn't know what the word meant. He was shocked. "You don't know what asirvada is?" It was like I did not know anything because I did not know that. It means to take the benefit from the guru.
Pusta Krsna: But if he's a real guru, then the real benefit will be there.
Prabhupada: Yes.
Pusta Krsna: To be engaged in Krsna's service.
Harikesa: Do you want another cover, Srila Prabhupada?
Prabhupada: No. This is all right. [break] ...the male, that one.
Brahmananda: The red one?
Prabhupada: Yes. That is also male. [ ...for their family. Grha-vratanam. Wife, children, they are also enjoying. Visayah khalu... This wife and children and material happiness he will get in any form of life. So if the human life is also the same thing, then where is the benefit? But they are proud that "The... They are loitering on the..., without any home. We have constructed this home. Therefore we are advanced." This is their philosophy. The business is the same. "That's all right. But we are improved." This is advancement. Business is the punah punas carvita-carvananam [SB 7.5.30], the same sex, same eating, the same sleeping, same defending, but in an improved way. Even in the heavenly planet, wherever you go, the same thing, simply... Just like this country and Europe, the standard of living different, but the business is the same. And the... When they improve or so-call improve the standard of living, they think, "Now we are advanced." And what about your death? (aside:) Stop. The chicken is also dying; you are also dying. What is your improvement? That they cannot say. Real problem they cannot solve. Simply a little high standard of living, and they think this is advancement. And the Western civilization is influencing all other parts of the world in that way -- "Improve the standard of living." There is no improvement, but it is maya; they are thinking, "This is improvement."
Pusta Krsna: Progress.
Prabhupada: Progress, yes. The progress is that they have got motorcar, and they have progressed how to die quickly. This is the progress. At any moment he can die. As soon as he on the car, 70 miles speed, that means taking the risk of dying at any moment. This is the progress. Formerly people were going in bullock cart or horse carriage from one village to another. "That was primitive. Now we can go hundred miles away from home for earning money and taking risk to die at any moment. That is progress." Is it not?
Brahmananda: Oh, yes.
Prabhupada: Formerly they were satisfied by tilling the ground, getting food grains. Now they have started factories. At the cost of thousands of men's labor, some director is getting money and enjoying life. That is progress. And these rascals, laborers, they are thinking that "These men are getting the profit, cream of this business. We are working. Why not take ourself?" That is Communism.
Pusta Krsna: There is one small coal mining town we did sankirtana at, an Indian community. And they were thinking that "The coal mine is doing everything for us. They're giving us schools, they're giving us medicine, they're giving us... Without the coal mine where would we be?"
Prabhupada: Yes.
Brahmananda: Here they think it's sugarcane. The sugarcane is everything.
Prabhupada: Giving everything.
Pusta Krsna: Why can't people understand to depend on Krsna?
Prabhupada: There is maya.
Pusta Krsna: Just like air that we breathe.
Prabhupada: Yes. That is maya, no education. This Krsna consciousness movement means we are giving intelligence; therefore they are understanding. But there is no such propaganda. There was no such propaganda.
Brahmananda: One of those reporters yesterday was saying "Well, there's so many philosophies from India. Why have you started this one?" But actually no other philosophy has given this message.
Prabhupada: Therefore I said that "Why you are bringing India? The whole world is in darkness." (to passerby:) Hare Krsna. Good morning.
Pusta Krsna: There's a verse in the Bhagavatam, Prabhupada. Yenatma suprasidati: "By rendering devotional service to the transcendental Lord, one becomes completely satisfied." So what happens? These people in material life, they come to the temples and they chant a little bit. But they find that the standard of pure devotional service is so high that they're not able to grasp it. They don't feel the complete satisfaction. They're still attached to the material world.
Prabhupada: Yes. That is compared with the jaundice disease. Jaundice disease, for jaundice, sugarcane is the medicine. But they taste sugarcane as bitter. Sugarcane... One who is suffering in jaundice will taste sugarcane as bitter. That is the test. So that is the medicine. So he has to take the sugarcane. And by taking, when he is cured he will find, "Oh, it is very sweet."
Pusta Krsna: So then he has to recognize there is some problem living in this material world.
Prabhupada: No. He does not find any happiness on account of his too much materialistic mind.
Brahmananda: That is the disease.
Prabhupada: That is the disease. So it has to be cured by this bhakti-yoga. So in the bhakti-yoga, in the beginning, it will taste bitter. Therefore they do not come. But if they take to bhakti-yoga, then the material disease will be cured and they will find it is very sweet.
Pusta Krsna: Yes. So the more people try to enjoy materially, they become more and more unhappy.
Prabhupada: We are in the material world means everyone is diseased. [break] mayayapahrta-jnanah, duskrtinah [Bg. 7.15]. This is described. This is the material disease. I explained how they are committing sinful life: slaughterhouse, this liquor house and so many things, simply sinful. And they do not know they are going to suffer again in another body. He's going to be slaughtered next life. "Life for life." You are taking life, so many lives; you have to give so many times life. Take birth and become killed. Take birth and become killed." There is no knowledge.
Pusta Krsna: Sometimes people ask, Prabhupada, that if one falls down into lower species of life like plants or animals, how then do they come again to the human form of life?
Prabhupada: Yes. That is nature's way. Give them again chance to develop. From trees they become flies. That is the beginning of movement. Then from flies to birds, birds to beast, and beast to animal, er, human being. This is great chastisement. You cannot move even. Suffer torrents of rain, cyclone, scorching heat, pinching cold. Stand up for hundreds and thousands of years. Then, when the punishment is finished, then he becomes moving. If there is scorching heat he can move to some shelter. But he cannot move. They do not study all this science, why there are so many varieties of life, of different grades. Wherefrom they are coming?
Pusta Krsna: The living entity, then, in the tree is actually conscious of its condition of life.
Prabhupada: Eh?
Pusta Krsna: The living entity inside the tree is actually conscious of its condition of life.
Prabhupada: Not advanced consciousness, but he is conscious. He feels. He feels.
Harikesa: It shocked a lot of people when they made the test of bringing a scissor to a plant, and they put some electrodes on it and they found that the plant was reacting with fear.
Prabhupada: Yes. Yes. That machine has been discovered by Sir Jagadish Chandra Bose. He discovered this wireless telegram, radio. But Marconi took from him, and British government helped him.
Pusta Krsna: The British again.
Prabhupada: Britishers were advertising outside India that "Indians are uncivilized. Therefore we are making them civilized. Therefore we should stay there. Don't object." Because United Nations, they were asking, "Why you are occupying India?" So they used to forward this argument, that "These people are uncivilized. We are making them civilized." (laughter) Now, how there should be Sir Jagadish Chandra Bose? Therefore they used to suppress always. Everything Indian wanted to do, they would suppress: big businesses, this mining... They would suppress. This Morarji, Sumati Morarji, her father-in-law started that... He had to face so many impediments from the Britishers to start the shipping company. Formerly there was no shipping company, Indian. Now, before that, there was shipping, not shipping company, but navigation was there from India to Rome, Greece, Turkey, there was regular business of spices and fine cloth. Later on, this large-scale shipping industry, that was done by the Europeans. So when Indian wanted to start, they would supress. The Tata iron industry, he had to face so many difficulties. Formerly, even if you wanted to bring some iron frame, it would come from Sheffield.
Pusta Krsna: From where?
Prabhupada: Sheffield.
Pusta Krsna: Oh, England.
Prabhupada: England. So everything Indian required, they would supply, and they would govern and they would exploit. Therefore they became so rich -- simply by exploiting India. And Indian soldiers, they expanded empire-Africa, Burma. That's all, all Indian exploitation, Indian men, money, and exploitation. As soon as they lost India, they lost whole empire.
Cyavana: Now they are also suffering.
Prabhupada: Eh? That... That must be. They will be suffering more and more. They will be beggars. They have done so much sinful activities for expanding their empire. Now they will have to become beggars. And within two hundred years, everything finished. They started their exploitation from seventeenth, eighteenth century. And in the twentieth century, everything finished. The French people and the English people... This is also one of the examples. Both the nations came here to exploit. That was the competition in... The French people and the English people, they would go for colonization, fight, and establi... America was also that, Canada, everywhere. But because they were their own men, they were given dominion status. Almost free.
Pusta Krsna: Greedy. Very greedy.
Brahmananda: At one time all of Africa was controlled by the European nations. Completely.
Prabhupada: Yes. Mainly these French and...
Brahmananda: French, British, Germans, Portuguese, Dutch, Spanish.
Pusta Krsna: In South Africa, the British also tried to take over South Africa. There was a war called the Boer War.
Prabhupada: Yes.
Pusta Krsna: So during World War I and World War II many of the South Africans, they actually sided with the Germans because they were against the English so much.
Prabhupada: African means black Africans. No?
Pusta Krsna: No. South Africans, they were Europeans. The British started the first concentration camp. They took these "Afrikaners" as they call them, Europeans. They put them on an island called St. Helena. That was actually the first concentration camp, by the British.
Prabhupada: This is going on. Still, even the opposite party, they are not disgusted -- "This material life is not very peaceful." They are not disgusted.
Brahmananda: Now they are thinking, "We'll be independent..."
Prabhupada: Yes. That... They are trying to be independent. And India... Just like India has got independent, and now the position is "emergency." They do not think in this way, that "Independence or dependence, we are actually dependent under the laws of nature." That they do not think. They are thinking... The same example as I gave, that "This boil is here. Why not here? It is very painful," like that. They have no sense that so-called dependence or independence, he has to suffer. That he does not know. Mudha nabhijanati.
Pusta Krsna: In the Bhagavad-gita Krsna explains, vasudeva sarvam iti, that He is everything and that He is everywhere.
Prabhupada: Yes.
Pusta Krsna: So this verse, mudho 'ya nabhijanati, that the mudhas, they can't perceive Krsna. So actually it's simply that we're covered, isn't it? But Krsna is always there.
Prabhupada: Krsna is always there, but yogamaya-samavrtah. He does not know Krsna on account of being covered by the curtain of yogamaya. Naham prakasah sarvasya yogamaya-samavrtah [Bg. 7.25]. But we can make them all happy by Krsna consciousness, if they follow our instruction, even in this material world. Purnam sukhayate. Full happiness we can give them if they follow our principle.
Cyavana: They have so many doubts.
Prabhupada: What is the doubt? Doubt means they cannot drink, they cannot continue slaughterhouse, they cannot continue brothels. That's all. This is their doubt, that "How these things will be maintained? This is our life." That is doubt, and that is the difficulty. As soon as we say, "No this," oh, they are in danger. Even Marquis of Zetland, "Oh, it is impossible to give up. This is our life." There is the difficulty. Otherwise, there is no difficulty. They cannot think of, especially the Westerners, that without these things one can live. So many, our disciples, left. Rayarama left: "Oh, Swamiji is denying the preliminary necessities of life." This is the preliminary necessities of life: illicit sex, meat-eating, drinking, gambling. They cannot think that a man can live without these things. Therefore people are wonderful, that "How he is turning these Europeans, Americans to this standard?" That is their wonder. Nobody can think of, that these things can be given up and one can avoid it. It is dream. Your government, American government, is also surprised that "We have spent so much money for stopping this LSD, and this man by saying his disciples, they are giving up." Judah has also mentioned that. That is their surprise -- "How these things can be given up? It is impossible."
Pusta Krsna: You once said in Geneva that no one has died by giving up smoking.
Prabhupada: Yes. Actually that is the fact. You have given up these four bad things, and what is your wrong, harm? Rather, you have become bright-faced. But they will not give it up. They think, "It is impossible."
Brahmananda: They say we have just undergone some religious conversion and become fanatical, and therefore we have given up.
Prabhupada: No, why don't you become fanatical? (laughter)
Pusta Krsna: Although it says in the Bible even that one should praise the Lord's name with cymbals and drums...
Prabhupada: They have no concern with Bible and God and everything. They are simply after sense gratification. What is the use of quoting about Bible? They don't care for Bible. The Europeans, Americans, they have rejected, thrown away, kicked out Bible because (it is) unscientific. Actually they do not accept. Although they call themselves Christian, they do not accept anything of Bible. That is... Bible is finished. There is no meaning of Bible. Simply for their sectarian prestige, they say "Bible." But actually they have nothing to do with Bible. What do you think?
Pusta Krsna: Yes, it's true.
Prabhupada: They do not go to the church, but they come to us for arguing with Bible. Just see. What is the meaning? Their churches have closed, nobody goes, and they come to argue with us with Bible. That means "The Devil cites scripture." They are devils, and they are quoting from Bible.
Devotee (2): So many people who come to our program, they are Christians. There may be 75% who come. They are all Christians.
Prabhupada: That's all right. We don't discriminate whether he is Christian. We take everyone as human being, welcome. So what do they say? They also quote Bible?
Devotee (2): They say that their priests tell them, "You just listen to me and forget about the Bible."
Prabhupada: And who are you? Then I can say also, "You hear me. Forget about Bible." Anyone can say. Why the priest? Wherefrom the priest has come? Has he dropped from the sky? (laughter) That's it. Everyone can say, "My dear priest, you hear me. Don't talk of yourself. You hear me." Everyone can say. Then? How things will be adjusted? The priest is also a man; I am also man. If he can say like that, I can say like that. Then who will make adjustment? Who is correct? Hm? How it will be adjusted? If everyone will propose something, and who will say, "Now, out of so many proposals, this is correct." That means chaotic condition. If everyone says, "What I say, you hear." Then who will hear? Everyone will say only. Who will hear? That is going on actually. And rascal Vivekananda says, "Everyone's opinion is good."
Pusta Krsna: Yatha mat tatha path.
Prabhupada: Yatha mat tatha path. This is going on. Everyone will say something, and it is all right. However nonsense it may be, it is all right. Even Gandhi followed that philosophy. Therefore he invented one, another philosophy, nonviolence, which is impossible. When Hindus approached him, that "You have got so much influence over the Mohammedans, so why not stop cow killing?" he said, "It is their religious principle. How can I interfere?" Just see.
Pusta Krsna: Krsi-go-raksya. Krsna orders in Bhagavad-gita, go-raksya.
Prabhupada: And he is considered to be a great scholar in Bhagavad-gita, and when cow protection was requested, he said that "How can I do it? It is their religious principle." And he is a great big scholar in Bhagavad-gita. All nonsense, going on. Whole world is full of nonsense, mudhas, beginning from Gandhi to any rascal, all of them, rascals. Perhaps it is the first time we are detecting, "Here are all rascals." It is first time. Then we are enemy of everyone. We call everyone rascal-Gandhi rascal, Vivekananda rascal, Aurobindo rascal. So actually they are, but people are thinking, "These people say all big, big men rascals? Therefore they are rascals."
Cyavana: The average man doesn't have the intelligence to discriminate between an intelligent man and a fool. He will listen to anyone.
Prabhupada: No, we have got this from the standard test tube, Krsna. Anyone who is not Krsna conscious, he is duskrtina, mudha. That's all. We have no difficulty. Just like that urine test? We have got... One who has got that testing paper, red, yellow and so on, so on... So we have got this testing paper, Bhagavad-gita.
Pusta Krsna: [break] Prabhupada, Lord Caitanya's weapons were His associates. Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu's weapons were His associates.
Prabhupada: Yes. Sangopangastra-parsadam. Therefore Narottama dasa Thakura said, gaurangera sangi-gane, nitya-siddha kori mane: "All the associates of Lord Caitanya, they are ever liberated." Nitya-siddha kori mane. "Anyone accepts the assistants of Lord Caitanya as ever liberated -- he also becomes liberated, simply by accepting the associates of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu who is helping Caitanya Mahaprabhu's mission, simply by accepting this, the man who is accepting, he becomes liberated." Se jay brajendra-nanda pas. Gaurangera sangi-gane, nitya-siddha kori mane, se jay brajendra-nanda pas.
Cyavana: This is the way to go up.
Prabhupada: Yes. [break] ...this is a fact, that our Krsna consciousness is the topmost yoga, and preach it. This is a fact. Except we, Krsna consciousness, nobody knows anything -- all mudhas. Any association, any religion -- all mudhas. But you must prove yourself. Otherwise it will be bigotry. If you simply say that "We are only first class" without any knowledge... You have to defend yourself. There will be so many opposing elements. Then you become first class. Your position is first class, but you have to maintain it. Otherwise, they will say "religious fanatics." Any opposition party, you have to meet. That is required.
Pusta Krsna: Would you like to sit for some time here, Prabhupada?
Prabhupada: No. [break]
Pusta Krsna: [break] (Devotees have been teasing Pusta Krsna in background regarding his suggestion) He said, "Don't bring milk when water is required." I was just asking, you know.
Harikesa: Don't bring milk when water is required. You have given the example.
Prabhupada: Don't bring milk?
Devotees: When water is required.
Prabhupada: Oh.
Cyavana: But he was thinking that it would be very nice to sit there with Srila Prabhupada.
Pusta Krsna: No, no. No, I wasn't. I was thinking of Prabhupada's satisfaction. You're thinking what I'm thinking...
Prabhupada: You are right. He was right. That is service. Before wanting, that is... That is all right. "Now let the master refuse it." But service is: before he asks, the thing should be offered. That is service. After asking, offering something, that is second-class service. First-class service, before he wants, "Here is the thing, ready." That is first-class service. Now it is his liking. He may not like that. He may ask something else. But the service must be offered. And your example, milk and water, is not applicable here. I did not ask him either milk or water. (laughter) So your example is futile.
Cyavana: Perfect.
Prabhupada: So don't be discouraged.
Pusta Krsna: No, Prabhupada. I'll never leave your lotus feet. They asked you about other movements yesterday at the press conference...
Prabhupada: Yes.
Pusta Krsna: ...this movement and that movement. You said, "This is Krsna's movement." So this should be our line of argument, because especially amongst the Indian community, when they question us about this swami and that swami...
Prabhupada: They replied that in everything there is light. And yes, the light of, what is called, glowworm and the light of sun is not the same. Everything is light; that doesn't... We haven't got to accept so-called lights. Even there is light, when there is sunlight, why you should aspire after glow of light? (People chanting in background) Who is chanting Hare Krsna?
Cyavana: Everyone is saying Hare Krsna.
Prabhupada: Hare Rama Hare Rama. (laughter)
Devotee (2): So all those sinful activities of these people have been eradicted now by saying Hare Rama?
Prabhupada: Oh, yes. Immediately. That is the special advantage of this age. Kirtanad eva krsnasya mukta-sangah [SB 12.3.51]. Immediately becomes free, mukta-sanga. Without becoming mukta-sanga, they cannot chant even. Why others are not chanting, they are chanting?
Devotee (2): But the same... That means they will make more sinful activities?
Prabhupada: If he does, that is another thing. Otherwise, for the time being, he is freed from all the reaction of sinful, immediately. Sadyah savanaya kalpate. Sadya, immediately. Immediately he becomes brahmana.
Pusta Krsna: Is pious activity on the material platform?
Prabhupada: No, no. It is transcendental, above pious activity. By accumulation of pious activities one may be elevated to the transcendental position. Krta-punya-punjah [SB 10.12.11]. Punya means pious activities. After doing for many, many years simply pious activities one may be elevated to the transcendental platform. So pious activities cannot be compared with transcendental activities. But it may help in the long run. Therefore transcendental activities does not depend on pious activity. It is not dependent. Then it will take long, long years. But automatically he becomes pious, achieves the result of pious activities.
Cyavana: [break] ...the standard of morality, Arjuna's activity of killing was immoral.
Prabhupada: Morality, immorality, this is all creation of mind. Real purpose of life, to serve the order of Krsna, that is real morality.
Pusta Krsna: I think that we must all be krpa-siddhi, because by your mercy you have lifted us out of hellish conditions of life.
Prabhupada: Krsna's mercy. You have accepted Krsna's mercy. This is the... [break] This empirical policy was very good, provided it would have been done for Krsna. Then they could unite the whole world.
Brahmananda: They had very good managing talent.
Prabhupada: Oh, yes. But the whole thing was planned for their own sense gratification.
Brahmananda: Exploitation.
Pusta Krsna: If we ever had any kind of power like that and tried to do something like that, they would accuse that this is like the Crusades.
Prabhupada: Now, Crusades, even... If they could expand the ideas of Christian, love of Godhead, that was nice. But that was not the purpose. It is exploitation.
Pusta Krsna: Even by force?
Prabhupada: Yes. By force if you give some good medicine, that is good for him. In my childhood I would not take medicine. Exactly like this, now also. (laughter) So I was given medicine by force in the spoon. Two men will catch me and my mother take me on the lap and then force and I shall take. I never agreed to take any medicine.
Harikesa: Should we do that now, Srila Prabhupada?
Prabhupada: Then you'll kill me.
Harikesa: You would not go to school either.
Prabhupada: I don't like... Yes.
Harikesa: You were telling us last year, you wanted to play mrdanga.
Prabhupada: Yes.
Pusta Krsna: The bus is coming.
Prabhupada: [break] ...disagreement between my father and mother. My father would give me all independence, and mother was going that "You are spoiling the child by giving too much independence."
Harikesa: Just see.
Prahupada: That is going on. Just like mother Yasoda. She would chastise Krsna. But you will never find Nanda Maharaja is ever chastising. Rather, when Krsna was chastised, Nanda Maharaja would come back and take Him on the lap: "All right, I shall punish Your mother," and call him (her?), chastise. And then Krsna will stop His mouth: "No, no. Don't do this." It is natural that when the child is in the lower stage, minor stage, the mother takes more care. That is natural. [break] Such a big planet, sun, six months rotating on the northern side of the equator, six months on the southern side. It is never changed. Why?
Brahmananda: It's an accident. (laughs)
Cyavana: The sun doesn't change?
Prabhupada: No, the uttarayana. Now it is passing on the northern...
Brahmananda: Now it's on the southern?
Prabhupada: Southern side, daksinayana, yes.
Pusta Krsna: The scientists say that the earth is actually tilting back and forth like this, that the sun is not...
Prabhupada: Why it is tilting, rascal? Stop it.
Cyavana: No. Every time is perfect.
Prabhupada: That is my question. That is answered in Brahma... Yasyajnaya, by the order of Govinda it is being done.
Pusta Krsna: The seasons are changing.
Prabhupada: Yes. Yasyajnaya bhramati sambhrta-kala-cakrah. The orbit fixed up to the sun by the order of Govinda, that is being followed by him.
Devotee (2): Does the heat of the sun increase or decrease through the ages?
Prabhupada: Yes. Everything is in the hand of Krsna.
Pusta Krsna: But they are thinking He is just a historical figure.
Prabhupada: Therefore they're rascals. Why do you say like that?
Pusta Krsna: Avajananti mam mudhah [Bg. 9.11].
Brahmananda: All glories to Srila Prabhupada. (end)
 
>>> Ref. VedaBase => Morning Walk -- October 3, 1975, Mauritius
© 2001 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International.

Thursday, July 24, 2014

No Rain -- Chant


Bombay, November 24, 1975
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Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Prabhupada: Yes. The whole world is suffering on this misconception. The horse also. As soon as it gets on somebody on his back he become jubilant immediately. This is the nature. Jivera 'svarupa' haya-nitya krsna dasa [Cc. Madhya 20.108-109]. Hare Krsna. Jaya. Jaya. [ ...vantam eva caran nirantara prasanta-nihsesa-mano-rathantaram, kadaham aikantika-nitya-kinkara praharsayisyami sanatha jivitam. This is Vaisnava aspiration. Bhavantam eva caran nirantaram: "Twenty-four hours simply carrying Your orders." And you can do it. But it is not possible. The mind is checking. Prasanta-nihsesa mano-rathantaram. Unless one's mind is fixed up, he cannot become servant of God. Kadaham aikantika-nitya-kinkara. "In this way, when I shall be absolutely Your servant and live very joyfully, that 'I have got my master.'?" This is Yamunacarya's verse.bhavantam eva caran nirantaram
prasanta-nihsesa-mano-rathantaram
kadaham aikantika-nitya-kinkarah
praharsayisyami sanatha-jivitam
Dr. Patel: Sanatha-jiva.
Prabhupada: They are all anatha-jivita. Yes. Everyone is independence and anatha. There is natha, but he'll not recognize. Anatha-jivita. Bhavantam eva caran nirantaram prasanta... So we are educating people how to become sanatha-jivitam. Live on your master's... Everyone is living at the cost of master, but foolishly. Ahankara-vimudhatma kartaham iti manyate [Bg. 3.27]. They are living at the cost of the master, but they will not accept. This is the disease. [break] ...natural life, sanatha-jivitam. From the birth the child is sanatha, parents. Where is the possibility of living independently? That is not possible.
Dr. Patel: Yamunacarya was sisya or guru of Ramanujacarya?
Prabhupada: Ramanujacarya.
Dr. Patel: Ramanujacarya was guru or sisya?
Prabhupada: Yes, guru.
Dr. Patel: Guru. I think Visnu Svami was his sisya.
Prabhupada: No. Visnu Svami-sampradaya, different. That is Rudra-sampradaya. And Ramanujacarya is Sri-sampradaya. The Vallabhacaryas, they belong to Visnu Svami. We belong to Madhva-sampradaya. Four acaryas.
Yasomatinandana: Who was the originator of Sri-sampradaya?
Prabhupada: Hm? Laksmiji. Pada-sevanam. Sravana kirtana visno smarana pada-sevanam. Laksmiji is always engaged in massaging the feet of Lord Visnu.
Yasomatinandana: Ramanujacarya is the biggest in line?
Prabhupada: Yes. Hare Krsna. Jaya.
Indian man: (Hindi) (dogs barking) [break]
Dr. Patel: ...dog and the other. That is the bulldog and the Russian...
Prabhupada: Who is defeated? He is Russian dog?
Brahmananda: German.
Dr. Patel: They have crossed the dog with the, what you call, the bull.
Brahmananda: German shepherd.
Dr. Patel: So Germany is defeated, no?
Prabhupada: The bulldogs are English?
Dr. Patel: They are English. And Mr. Churchill is the representative of all the bulldogs. [break]
Prabhupada: ...thinking, "I am English dog," (laughter) and he is thinking, "I am..." And the man is also thinking like that. What is the difference?
Dr. Patel: Both are animals.
Prabhupada: Yasyatma buddhih kunape tri-dhatuke [SB 10.84.13].
Dr. Patel: That's right. We have got a dvija, dvija-karma kriya. Dvija-karma-kriya? What do you call it?
Prabhupada: Samskara.
Dr. Patel: All are born as animal.
Prabhupada: Samskarad bhaved dvijah.
Dr. Patel: Samskara, yes. Dvija-samskara. Second birth.
Prabhupada: That samskara is now stopped; therefore all of them are animals. Yes. [break] The murgis, [chickens] they are in the cowshed?
Dr. Patel: That man who is looking after cows, he must be keeping.
Prabhupada: For andha? [eggs].
Dr. Patel: For everything. They... Even the murgis. Nowadays this meat-eating has become very widespread in India. Even brahmanas are eating meat. I don't mean those who have gone to Europe or America and come back, but people who are staying here. Extremely common.
Prabhupada: That is the sign that in very near future there will be no food grains. That is the sign. There will be no rice, no wheat, main food grain.
Yasomatinandana: Already in Bombay it's about six, seven rupees per kilo, rice.
Prabhupada: Accha?
Dr. Patel: No, no. Now rice will be very much down. In Gujarat it is two rupees. I bought some land here and sown the rice. We are going to get about eight hundred or a thousand mounds of rice. And when we sown the field it was sixty rupees, rice. Today it is thirty-two rupees. It is coming down. The crop is very good everywhere, all over India this year.
Prabhupada: Because there was sufficient rain.
Dr. Patel: Very good rain, yes. Gujarat will be more than self-sufficient. It is already the richest part of this country.
Prabhupada: Parjanyat.
Dr. Patel: Parjanyad anna-sambhavah. Annad bhavati bhutani. It is...
Prabhupada: This is cycle. Perform yajna and everything will come. They have stopped yajna... Therefore hari-nama-yajna, this is the yajna.
Dr. Patel: Visnu... Visnur vai yajnah. Visnu Himself is yajna.
Prabhupada: Yes.
Devotee (1): [break] ...saying that it is because of our chanting twenty-four hours a day that there is more rain this year.
Prabhupada: Yes. In Hyderabad they also say. For six or seven years there was no rain. Now it is raining. This is practical. [break] ...yanti bhutani.
Devotee in distance: Haribol!
Prabhupada: Hare Krsna. Jaya.
Dr. Patel: Who is that? Old man?
Prabhupada: Yes. (Hindi) [break] ...has died. His grandson is maintaining.
Dr. Patel: [break] ...yajnah karma-samudbhavah.
Prabhupada: (Hindi) ...yajnah karma-samudbhavah. Not for sense gratification. Then you will suffer. But they are all working for sense gratification, not yajnarthe. Yajnarthe karmano 'nyatra loko 'yam karma-bandhanah [Bg. 3.9].
Dr. Patel: Tad artham karma kaunteya mukta-sangah samacara.
Prabhupada: Samacara.
Dr. Patel: But here, sir, parjanyad anna sambhavah. There, yajnad bhavati bhutani, yajnah karma-samudbhavah, karma brahmodbhava viddhi brahmaksara-samudbhavam. That means karma as ordained by the scriptures, brahmodbhavam.
Prabhupada: Yes. That is karma. Otherwise vikarma. But they are doing vikarma. Nunam pramattah kurute vikarma yad indriya-pritaya aprnoti [SB 5.5.4]. This is vikarma, anyone working hard day and night for sense gratification. That means sinful, vikarma.
Dr. Patel: And if you don't do the ordained karmas, it is akarma. No. It is akarma.
Prabhupada: Karma means according to the sastra's direction.
Dr. Patel: But if you don't do that, that becomes akarma.
Prabhupada: Vikarma.
Dr. Patel: (Hindi) Akarma means...
Prabhupada: Yes. Akarma means no resultant action. When it is done for Visnu...
Dr. Patel: Then it becomes akarma.
Prabhupada: Akarma.
Dr. Patel: Akarma. But akarma, this... This bhasya of Ramanujacarya, he says akarma means knowledge.
Prabhupada: Yes. Knowledge, that is knowledge, that "I have to work for Visnu." That is knowledge.
Dr. Patel: Akarma means knowledge.
Prabhupada: Hare Krsna. (end)
 
>>> Ref. VedaBase => Morning Walk -- November 24, 1975, Bombay
© 2001 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International.

Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Nationalism Irrationalism


Bombay, November 10, 1975
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Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada


Prabhupada: Deva-nagari. In the heavenly planets this language is... Heavenly planet the Sanskrit language is used. Therefore it is called deva-nagari. Nagara means town, and deva means demigod. This language is spoken in the heavenly planets, deva-nagara. But these rascals, they think there is no living entity in any other planet except this.Dr. Patel: Now the scientists have started saying...
Prabhupada: So what kind of scientists? They can change their opinion?
Dr. Patel: Then they are learning science.
Prabhupada: Rascals, say rascals. No, no, say... Learning means rascals.
Dr. Patel: (laughs) Then we are all rascals.
Prabhupada: No. We are learning not from rascal; we are learning from the perfect. We may be rascals, but learning is not rascal.
Dr. Patel: No, "we," I said, not learning.
Prabhupada: If they change... "Now the scientists are thinking that" -- that means they are rascals.
Dr. Patel: No, but as a matter of fact, they understand this thing from years back, that there should be life on other planets than earth.
Prabhupada: Oh, many scientists say. I was known to one doctor Shaha in Allahabad. He said there are life. There is no question of disbelieving.
Brahmananda: There's that article that Hayagriva sent. The title of the article was, "New Discovery Creates Turmoil Amongst Scientists." Some scientists have now discovered some new sub-atomic particles. This has completely created turmoil amongst the scientists. All of their theories now are all...
Dr. Patel: Those are elementary particle, smaller than the element, present elementary particles.
Brahmananda: Yes. And they found a lot of them, so now they don't know what to think.
Dr. Patel: Because they are trying to search it out by different matter. This ancient... I mean, the Aryans tried to search it out by different matter, by yoga-vijnana.
Prabhupada: Sruti, from the Vedas. Veda-pramana. Sruti-pramana That is pramana. And nonsense, speculative, that is not pramana. That is speculation.
Brahmananda: They make some theory, and they become very complacent, that "Oh, now, this is it."
Prabhupada: "Now we are advanced." And next year, again advanced. Next year again advanced.
Dr. Patel: Real scientists don't think that. You must not believe that. Real scientist says, "This may be like this."
Prabhupada: But who...
Dr. Patel: It is their opinion.
Prabhupada: How to know who is real and who is...?
Dr. Patel: They are learning, after all, they are learning. They have not reached that. They are not yuktas. They are in the process of getting it.
Prabhupada: So why they say there is no God?
Dr. Patel: Who says that there is no God? Scientists don't say so. Some of them may be saying. Jagadish Chandra Bose did say so? He was a great scientist. Did he say so? No. If a few scientists say there is no God, that does not mean all the scientists. We are practically all of us, scientists, this architect, this Mr. Joshi, myself. We don't say there is no God. So, sir, don't say that scientists say.
Prabhupada: Because you have become Vaisnava, that is the...
Dr. Patel: Not... Even before that.
Prabhupada: Unless one becomes Vaisnava...
Dr. Patel: A real scientist finds God's working in every cell, every atom, every molecule.
Prabhupada: No, no, our point is unless one has become Vaisnava, he remains a fool.
Dr. Patel: That is your saying.
Prabhupada: Yes. That is the statement of Krsna. Na mam duskrtino mudhah prapadyante naradhamah [Bg. 7.15]. So anyone who has not surrendered to Krsna, he is a fool, rascal. That' s all. This is the conclusion. We are fool, undoubtedly, but we take the words of Krsna. He is not fool.
Dr. Patel: (laughs) No, but He says, ye tu sarvani karmani mayi sannyasya mat-parah.
Prabhupada: The mat-parah, this is mat-parah. Whatever Krsna says, we accept it. That is mat-parah. Mat-parah means whatever Krsna says, accept it. That's all. That is mat-parah. And if I say, "I don't believe in Krsna, whether He was existing," that is not mat-parah.
Dr. Patel: That is different.
Prabhupada: That is different.
Dr. Patel: But Krsna says through so many things. Krsna says. Through every leaf, every atom...
Prabhupada: No.
Dr. Patel: ...every molecule and every living cell, He says what He is.
Prabhupada: So everyone, our...
Dr. Patel: That is what the scientists think.
Prabhupada: Scholars, they think like that, "Krsna is fictitious. This Bhagavad-gita was imagined," as if Krsna speaking and Arjuna hearing, and there was no war as Kuruksetra. This is their reply. There was no five thousand years.
Dr. Patel: Suppose, sir, it may be like that, as they say, but this is an acme of the knowledge. That's all. Even though it may be fabricated, it is the acme.
Prabhupada: Acme of the knowledge you are taking, but you don't believe the source of knowledge. You are so acme of the knowledge. You don't believe in the source of the knowledge, so where is knowledge? That is darkness. Tama and jyoti-two things are there. This material world is tama, darkness, because here actually there is no Krsna consciousness. It is almost absent. And jyoti means there is Krsna consciousness. That we were discussing last night. Tatastha-sakti. Tatastha... The jivas, they are in the marginal position between tama and jyoti.
Dr. Patel: Tamas is dark and jyoti is light.
Prabhupada: Yes. So the jiva is between these two things. Therefore they are called tatastha, marginal. Sometimes you may be in darkness and sometimes you may be in jyoti. That is your position. So those who are accepting Krsna's word, they are in jyoti. And those who are interpreting Krsna in darkness, they are in darkness. Unless one has accepted Krsna as He is, he is in darkness. Therefore Krsna describing him, mudha, naradhama. That man might have been in the jyoti, but he is losing the chance. Therefore he is mudha, naradhama. He had the chance of understanding Krsna, but he is neglecting willfully. Therefore mudha naradhama. Men so much learned? mayayapahrta-jnanah: [Bg. 7.15] That learning has no meaning. That is another darkness. A person, without being learned, he is thinking, "I am learned." That is another darkness. That is another darkness.
Dr. Patel: Abhimanam
Prabhupada: Abhimanam. A person without knowledge, when he professes to be very learned and intelligent, he is more in darkness.
Dr. Patel: But really, sir, very learned people are very doubtful about their learning, to tell the truth. I had my professor who was a Nobel prize winner in London, and he used to be very doubtful, everything, what he said. "It may be or may not be. Who knows? God only knows," he used to say. So we cannot say that all are in darkness.
Prabhupada: So if God knows, take the words of God.
Dr. Patel: That he must be taking I mean, in his own way.
Prabhupada: In his own way he cannot take. (laughter) That is another di... That is another foolishness. You cannot take... No.
Dr. Patel: There are many ways by which to know God, is it not?
Prabhupada: You must take God's word as it is. That is jyoti. The same example can be... Just like the sunlight. Sunlight is light. You have to take it as it is. If you want to know wherefrom the light is coming, what is there in the sun, that is beyond your jurisdiction. But light is there. Take it. That's all.
Dr. Patel: The scientists will analyze the light and call it...
Prabhupada: Scientist is a rascal. How can he go to the sun? How can he go the sun and study sun? Therefore he's a rascal. You simply take: "Light is there from the sun." That's all. You go there or not go there, the light is there. You take it. That's all. It finishes the business. This jyoti is called also Brahman. Jyoti. So when you understood, want to understand wherefrom this jyoti or light is coming, Krsna is replying, brahmano aham pratistha. Bas, your knowledge is perfect. Why don't you take it? Krsna says, "I am the source of this light."
Dr. Patel: Everything.
Prabhupada: No, everything means this also. And particularly, particularly He says, brahmano aham pratistha. So this is the easiest method to get knowledge.
Dr. Patel: Now, brahmano pratisthaham, brahma-bhutah prasannatma [Bg. 18.54]. How the atma becomes brahma-bhutah?
Prabhupada: Take the words of Krsna; you become Brahman.
Dr. Patel: That means he becomes Brahman. He realizes himself as Brahman.
Prabhupada: No, no. Brahman he is, but the rascal, he is thinking, "I am American," "I am Indian." That is rascaldom. He is Brahman. By origin he is Brahman, but rascal, due to his rascaldom, he is thinking that "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am Indian," "I am American." That is rascaldom. Otherwise he's Brahman. So when he gives up this wrong conception of life and accepts that "I am part and parcel of the Supreme Brahman," that is brahma-bhuta [SB 4.30.20]. Otherwise he is jiva-bhutah. (aside): Thank you. Jiva bhutah maha-baho yayedam dharyate jagat: [Bg. 7.5] "These living entities, jiva bhutah, they are conducting the whole universal affairs." Jiva-bhutam maha-baho yayedam dharyate. Without jiva what is the value? These buildings are constructed because the jivas have taken the material from the matter and done. So everything is like that. Why these trees are there? The jivas have taken the shape of this tree, and it looks beautiful. Jiva-bhutam maha-baho yayedam... Everything is like that. So that is jiva. So that jiva... In the material concept of life the tree is thinking, "I am tree," the dog is thinking, "I am dog," I am thinking, "I am Indian," you are thinking something else. So this is jiva-bhuta. And when he understands that aham brahmasmi, that is brahma-bhuta. Simple thing. Ekatvam. Ekatvam...
Dr. Patel: Anupasyati.
Prabhupada: Anupasyati. That ekatvam, when he actually becomes brahma-bhutah -- we understand that all these living entities, we are part and parcel of God, panditah sama-darsinah [Bg. 5.18] -- that is ekatvam, that "We are all servants." But the rascals are thinking,"I am master."
Dr. Patel: Samah sarvesu bhutesu...
Prabhupada: Yes.
Dr. Patel: Mad-bhaktim labhate.
Prabhupada: Samah sarvesu bhutesu means that every one of us, we are servant of God. That is ekatvam. Ekatvam anupasyati. Anu means always. Anu means following the authority. Hare Krsna. Jaya. [break] (Hindi) It is not that something, matter, becomes brahma-bhutah. No. He is Brahman.
Dr. Patel: He realizes that he is Brahman.
Prabhupada: Yes. That's all.
Dr. Patel: He was not realizing it then.
Prabhupada: Yes.
Dr. Patel: He was realizing he was body.
Prabhupada: So long he thinks himself as the body, he is jiva-bhutah.
Dr. Patel: You said very well yesterday.
Prabhupada: Yes. Jiva-bhutah. Mamaivamso jiva-bhutah [Bg. 15.7]. They are thinking, "Indian, American, brahmana, sudra, man, dog, cat, tree." This is jiva-bhutah. And when he understands that "I am not these things, I am Brahman," that is brahma... Therefore Caitanya Mahaprabhu begins from this brahma-bhutah stage. His teaching is completely on the spiritual platform. Therefore people misunderstand us. Because we are speaking from the spiritual platform everything, they cannot understand. It requires practice. Abhyasa-yoga-yuktena cetasa nanya-gamina [Bg. 8.8]. Hm? What is that?
Dr. Patel: Cetasa nanya-gamina, that you must have continuous fixing of your mind.
Prabhupada: No, that... No, I know that. But second line, abhyasa yoga-yuktena cetasa nanya gamina [Bg. 8.8], that "One can understand the param purusa."
Dr. Patel: Abhyasa-yoga-yuktena cetasa nanya-gamina...
Prabhupada: Upaiti purusam param, like that. So this bhakti-yoga means abhyasa-yoga, practice.
Dr. Patel: Sir,
brahma bhutah prasannatma
na socati na kanksati
samah sarvesu bhutesu
mad-bhaktim labhate param
 [Bg. 18.54]
Prabhupada: Yes.
Dr. Patel: Then he gets real bhakti.
Prabhupada: Yes.
Dr. Patel: He becomes real bhakta, when he realizes that he's soul and not body.
Prabhupada: Yes.
Dr. Patel: Till then he is not a bhakta.
Prabhupada: That is the beginning. Therefore Krsna, in the beginning of Bhagavad-gita, He says, dehino 'smin yatha dehe [Bg. 2.13]. Because everyone is rascal, he is thinking, "I am this body." Arjuna was also thinking, "How shall I kill my other side, my brother, my nephews?" Bodily. Therefore the beginning of spiritual education is to understand that "I am not this body; I am soul." That is the beginning. For so many years people are reading Bhagavad-gita, but still they are in bodily concept. That is the misfortune.
Dr. Patel: Mahamaya duratyaya.
Prabhupada: Yes. (aside:) Hare Krsna. Jaya. (dog barking) No, no, no, don't. Hare Krsna.
Indian man (1): Hare Krsna.
Prabhupada: Jaya. Jaya. [break]... concept of life means animals. So just see. In the whole world is going on, nationalism.
Dr. Patel: Bhramayan sarva-bhutani yantrarudhani mayaya [Bg. 18.61].
Prabhupada: Huh?
Dr. Patel: Bhramayan sarva-bhutani yantrarudhani mayaya.
Prabhupada: What is this nationalism? We said, there is no such thing as nationalism in the Vedic literature, no such thing.
Yasomatinandana: Nationalism?
Prabhupada: Yes. Nowadays nationalism is very prominent, and we don't find this nationalism.
Dr. Patel: Now they are going to rationalism.
Prabhupada: Rationalism is required, not nationalism. No. This nationalism... The Americans and the Russians, they are enemies and friend only on this principle. Prahlada Maharaja was astonished, "What is this enemy and friend?" because he is maha-bhagavata. This is materialism. This is materialism. (aside:) Jaya. Why one should be treated as enemy and as friend? Everyone is servant of God. [break] He is going on at night also?
Devotee (2): No, Srila Prabhupada. [break]
Prabhupada: Intelligence is above the mind. Intelligence controls the mind.
Devotee (3): And steady intelligence, that is acquired by hearing? We can keep our intelligence steady by hearing?
Prabhupada: Yes.
Devotee (3): But as soon as we stop hearing then the intelligence...
Prabhupada: Mind is disturbed.
Devotee (3): Then the mind will take over.
Prabhupada: Yes. If the mind is not controlled by intelligence, then it will disturb. Then the senses will be disturbed, agitated. Then you are bound up by karma. Unrestricted sense gratification means karma-bandhana, bound up by the laws of karma. And bound up by the laws of karma means repetition of birth and death in different species. Karmana daiva-netrena jantor dehopapatti [SB 3.31.1]. Different bodies means resultant action of karma. So if you want to save yourself from this resultant action of karma, then the first thing is to control the mind. That is yoga system, to control the mind. But one who has got intelligence, he takes to Krsna consciousness, and the mind is automatically controlled. Yoginam api sarvesam mad-gatantaratmana [Bg. 6.47].
Devotee (3): So the jiva is still higher than the intelligence.
Prabhupada: Hm? Yes.
Devotee (3): And if he is to control his intelligence by hearing...
Prabhupada: Hearing about Krsna.
Devotee (3): Hearing about Krsna.
Prabhupada: Yes.
Devotee (3): But if his desire is not steady. For instance, if he...
Prabhupada: If he hears about Krsna, everything will be done nicely. srnvatam sva-katha krsnah. Krsna will help. And that is natural position, to hear about Krsna, to act for Krsna, to think of Krsna. Then everything is all right. That is Krsna conscious. Therefore chanting of Hare Krsna is the easiest process and genuine, without any failure. Ceto-darpana-marjanam bhava-maha-davagni-nirvapanam [Cc. Antya 20.12].
Devotee (3): When you say "genuine," that means that it works...
Prabhupada: That is real spiritual activity. (aside:) Take it.
Devotee (3): So while one is chanting, he is automatically Krsna conscious.
Prabhupada: Yes. Chanting means hearing Krsna, and that is Krsna conscious. And then acting. The more he chants, his dirty things in the heart becomes cleansed, and he acts for Krsna's service.
Devotee (3): So the perfection, then, is to chant constantly.
Prabhupada: Huh?
Devotee (3): The perfection of chanting is to be chanting twenty-four hours.
Prabhupada: Yes.
Devotee (3): Constantly.
Prabhupada: Kirtaniyah sada harih [Cc. Adi 17.31]. That is the injunction, sada. Sada means always.
Devotee (3): Well, if one is not able to do that in the beginning... For instance, if during twenty-four hours...
Prabhupada: Therefore we are constructing temples. At least you will think, "We are constructing Krsna's temple." Because you are habituated to work, work for Krsna. Go to sell books. Print books. Type for Krsna. This is also the same thing. Because you are accustomed to all these things, so nirbandhe krsna-sambandha. When it is connected with Krsna it is as good as chanting. Therefore we are so much eager. Otherwise there is no need of temple; we can chant anywhere. But that stage is not so easy, like Haridasa Thakura we can sit down and chant anywhere. That is not possible. Then you'll sleep. Therefore these things are required. Everyone, we are working for this temple. Every one of us, we know that "This temple not for my sense gratification: This is for Krsna." So that is important. The police commissioner is thinking, "It is nuisance." Huh? Police commissioner is thinking it is nuisance. But we are not thinking it is nuisance. We are not so fool. The politicians, the police commissioner, they'll think of, "He is my enemy; he is my friend." That is their occupation. They'll never think of Krsna.
Yasomatinandana: Many people say... When we chant Hare Krsna they say, "We chant in our minds. You don't have to chant loudly. You don't have to show off. We chant in our minds. We're always thinking about Krsna."
Prabhupada: Hm. Yes.
Yasomatinandana: Even Dr. Patel when we sometimes tell him "Please chant."
Prabhupada: Dr. Patel is learning if he says. We haven't got to hear from Dr. Patel but from Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He says kirtaniyah sada harih [Cc. Adi 17.31], twenty-four hours' chanting.
Lokanatha: Is it possible to chant within one's mind?
Prabhupada: Chant means that your tongue must be engaged, "Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna..." That is chanting. Real chanting...
Brahmananda: Sevonmukhe...
Prabhupada: Yes.
Brahmananda: Sevonmukhe hi jihvadau.
Prabhupada: Yes. Jihvadau, yes. Chant means you must vibrate your tongue. That is chanting, Hare Krsna. It is never said, "You chant within the mind." Where it is said? These are their manufacture to avoid. That's all.
Yasomatinandana: Then, when we get into deep discussion, then they say, "Whatever I am working is for Krsna. Everything is Krsna." So ultimately they admit that actually it is not the person Krsna.
Prabhupada: No. In bhakti...
Yasomatinandana: But they are thinking themselves Krsna.
Prabhupada: That is not bhakti. Everything is going on for Krsna. That is fact. But that is not bhakti. Bhakti is different thing. Bhakti is anukulyena krsnanusilanam [Cc. Madhya 19.167]. Never says, "Whatever you do, it is everything is Krsna. Therefore it is all right." Never said. anukulyena krsnanusilanam. What Krsna accepts, that is bhakti. Krsna accepts... Everyone is thinking... That is not Krsna consciousness. Krsna says, man-mana bhava mad-bhakto. That is Krsna conscious. So "Everything is Krsna," that is all right, but when you think particularly of Krsna, that is bhakti. Krsna...
Indian man (4): Now it may say everybody had.
Prabhupada: Yes.
Indian man (4): Because those people, even trees have gone...
Prabhupada: Oh, yes.
Indian man (4): Krsna's (indistinct) to serve.
Prabhupada: Yes. They'll chant, such politician, "Jinna-bhai! Jhinna-bhai!" They will chant like that, (laughter) rascals. But as soon as you ask them, "Chant Hare Krsna," "No, it can be done within the mind." (laughter) Just see their rascaldom. For some "Jhinna-bhai," for a dead leader, "Jhinna-bhai," as if he will come to life. (laughter) You see, this nonsense is going on. And as soon as you, "Chant Hare Krsna," "We can do it within mind." Therefore they're all rascals, naradhama. [break] ...never do the right thing. Always commit mistake and suffer. [break] Guru-mukha-padma-vakya **. It is never said that "You can chant whatever you heard from all nonsense." Guru-mukha-padma-vakya, cittete kariya aikya, ara na kariha mane asa **. So repeatedly you are talking. [break]
Lokanatha: Prabhupada, why we have chosen this sixteen as a number to chant the rounds?
Prabhupada: Yes.
Lokanatha: Why not less or more?
Prabhupada: We have fixed up sixteen?
Lokanatha: We are chanting sixteen.
Prabhupada: No. We say "Minimum sixteen." Minimum.
Lokanatha: Why that sixteen minimum?
Prabhupada: If you can, sixteen thousand you can go. Sixteen rounds is the minimum. But if you are able to chant sixteen thousand rounds, that is welcome. We have got so much engagement. Still, we say, "We don't find engagement." This is our misfortune. Hare Krsna. Jaya. Haridasa Thakura was engaged in chanting and the prostitute came. She offered, "Let us enjoy." "Yes, let me finish. Let me finish this chanting." So much engagement, and still, we say, "No engagement." He refused to have sex with a beautiful young girl because he had engagement. "First of all let me finish my engagement," and we say we have no engagement. How unfortunate we are. [break] ...says, kirtaniyah sada harih [Cc. Adi 17.31]. Twenty-four-hours engagement He has given, and we see there is no engagement.
Lokanatha: Some devotees have fixed different number than sixteen. Some are chanting twenty minimum or twenty-five.
Prabhupada: Yes. It should be increased.
Lokanatha: Is it recommended for our...
Prabhupada: But don't decrease. Don't decrease; increase. Therefore one number is fixed. "At least this much I shall do." That is sixteen rounds.
Lokanatha: But you are recommending sixteen as a minimum, and some devotees are choosing twenty as a minimum.
Prabhupada: So who forbids? Who says that "Don't do it"?
Lokanatha: They can chant?
Prabhupada: Yes. That is wanted. But because you cannot do it, therefore we have fixed up this minimum. Sankhyata asankhyata Sankhyata means with vow, numerical strength. And asankhyata means there is no limit. [break]
Yasomatinandana: ...are higher than any other activities or they are on the same platform? Any activities in Krsna consciousness... Is chanting the most exalted or...?
Prabhupada: Everything is exalted. Therefore there are nine processes. sravanam kirtanam visnoh smaranam pada-sevanam, arcanam vandanam dasyam [SB 7.5.23], so many. They are all exalted.
Yasomatinandana: So why is it recommended, chanting in this age particularly?
Prabhupada: Suppose if you have no temple, so you cannot perform arcana. So this is common, greatest common. It is not that because you have no temple, therefore your devotional service is stopped. There are other processes. You can do. Hare Krsna. Jaya.
Lokanatha: Prabhupada? If we chant more than sixteen rounds, so how can we know whether we are imitating Haridasa Thakura or following his footsteps?
Prabhupada: Imitation is also good. If you imitate Haridasa Thakura, that is also your great fortune, even if you imitate. [break] imitating, it does not mean you are condemned. Even if you imitate, that is also good. [break] If you have some other business and if you say, "Now I am imitating Haridasa Thakura, I cannot do it," that is very bad. "I am busy in imitating Haridasa Thakura." That is not good. That is very bad. [break]
Brahmananda: If the devotees are asked for service they say, "Oh, I have to chant."
Prabhupada: "I am imitating." Yes. "I am imitating Haridasa. This is my first business." That is very bad. (end)
 
>>> Ref. VedaBase => Morning Walk -- November 10, 1975, Bombay
© 2001 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International.

Monday, July 21, 2014

Our Soul Necessity


Philadelphia, July 14, 1975
download  Players

Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada


Prabhupada: Both sides forest. [break] Now in America there is no sufficient men to live in all these places, to cut, clear it and make cottages and utilize the land for producing. There is no sufficient men, I think. And where there is overpopulation, why not invite them to come here? That they will not do. [break] ...has given sufficient land for all the people, but we have made artificial national area, will not allow.Guru dasa: In India this would all be utilized for living.
Prabhupada: Yes. These places also should be allowed to the people who are overpopulated. No visa, no immigration. The whole world is simply mismanaged for want of Krsna consciousness. Pramattah, the word used, pramattah, mad. Nunam pramattah kurute vikarma: [SB 5.5.4] "All people mad and engaged in misdeeds only for sense gratification." [break] ...this room?
Ravindra-svarupa: I don't know, Srila Prabhupada. Now it is just used for garbage.
Prabhupada: [break] ...all like this, jungle?
Ravindra-svarupa: Yes, all along this creek there's a forest like this. This has been done in Philadelphia all along the river, and this huge area of land has been set aside. It's like this. No one can use it except to take walks. [break]
Svarupa Damodara: The question that I wrote to Srila Prabhupada, the answer that Srila Prabhupada gave me was that the cells in the body and the jivatma that resides in the heart, they are different living entities. But my understanding was directed to the relationship between the two, the jivatma in the cells and the jivatma in the heart, how they are related, how they...
Prabhupada: They are separate identity.
Svarupa Damodara: But it looks like, though, in the material body the one cannot exist without another. They look like interdependent.
Prabhupada: That may be, but still, they are individuals.
Ravindra-svarupa: When the jiva in the heart dies, then all the other cells in the body also have to die.
Prabhupada: No.
Ravindra-svarupa: No, they don't. But when the body decays, doesn't everything...
Prabhupada: No. Dead body so many germs come out.
Ravindra-svarupa: Oh.
Prabhupada: How it comes?
Svarupa Damodara: But that is different, though. When a body dies, then there are many germs from outside that...
Prabhupada: Living entities within the body, they come out, hundreds and thousands. They have not died. Suppose in this jungle there are so many living entities. If I die, what has got to do with them?
Svarupa Damodara: But science tries to understand what is life and in order to do that they just want to understand what is cell. Because science tries to understand what is life, and in order to do that they just want to study what is the cell because cells are the smallest living units of life. That is their understanding. So once they understand what a cell is, then they know what life is. That is their aim. So if the cells and the jivatma within the heart, they are different and they are independent, then they cannot conceive of just having a jivatma in the heart.
Prabhupada: That... The particular jivatma who has been given this body, he is living in the heart.
Ravindra-svarupa: But according to the scientists, our body is made up of little cells just like a brick wall is made up of so many individual bricks. Each... Like in one piece of skin there is...
Prabhupada: That's all right. That is body. Just like I live in a house. The house is made of so many bricks. But I am not brick.
Ravindra-svarupa: But they say that...
Prabhupada: "They say!" They are foolish, we always say. Because I am living in a house consisting of so many bricks, it does not mean that I am brick.
Ravindra-svarupa: But is each cell an individual living entity?
Prabhupada: That I do not know. What do you mean by cell? But there are many living entities within this body. That we know.
Svarupa Damodara: That is different from the concept of cell. there are many living entities like germs...
Prabhupada: So concept of cell is the cell is just like bricks. Matter and spirit, two things are there. Either it must be matter or must be spirit.
Ravindra-svarupa: But it's seen that the scientists, they can take some skin from your body and by putting in different solutions can keep that skin itself alive for such a long time. They have taken the heart of a chicken out of the chicken's body and then kept it beating for so many hours even though that heart was away from the main chicken. Or they take some other tissue and keep it alive. So they say that each cell is an individual living being.
Prabhupada: So we have no objection.
Ravindra-svarupa: That is all right. So there is a spirit soul in every...
Prabhupada: No, no. All right or not all right I don't say. But if they say like that, we have no objection
Svarupa Damodara: So the understanding to find out what life is is just to study what a cell is. That is their... They say that cells are composed of these molecules.
Prabhupada: What is the position of the cells when the man dies?
Svaupa Damodara: The cells are dead. The cells that compose the body, they are dead. There are may be new living entities coming from different parts, but the cell that composed the human body is dead. They cannot reproduce anymore.
Prabhupada: So what is your proposal? That cell is life?
Svarupa Damodara: Yes.
Prabhupada: So can you develop life from the cells? As you said that you take the skin and you keep, so take the cells and develop into life.
Svarupa Damodara: That's called culturing of the cells. They can culture it.
Prabhupada: That's all right. Whether you have done it.
Ravindra-svarupa: Well, they have that process called cloning?
Svarupa Damodara: No, no, this is the culture. That means take a cell from a living tissue, and you culture it and you supply the sufficient nutrients. Then theoretically they will grow forever. They will divide. They will...
Prabhupada: So they will grow to a human being?
Svarupa Damodara: Not a human being, but the cells just divide.
Prabhupada: Then an ant, an ant?
Svarupa Damodara: No.
Prabhupada: Then what is this? (laughter)
Svarupa Damodara: (laughing) But the cell is still alive.
Prabhupada: But you said that as soon as the man dies, they also die.
Svarupa Damodara: That is what my question arose, how these, the relationship between the jivatma in cells and the jivatma in the heart.
Prabhupada: The jivatma... If the cells are living entities, then why do they not remain? Just like other living entities, they remain in the body and they come out. Even the man who has died, he is not there, but the other living entities are there.
Svarupa Damodara: So it seems that the cells are not independent. They are somehow controlled by the jivatma or the... Of course, Paramatma is controlling everything. But I know sometimes the cells that compose the body of a living body, it seems that they are not independent; they are dependent.
Prabhupada: That may be. But what about your cultivating living entities from the cells?
Svarupa Damodara: Yes, that can be done. That they have already done.
Prabhupada: "That can be done," you say everything. But you never done.
Ravindra-svarupa: They call it... You know that? They call it cloning?
Svarupa Damodara: Cloning is a different process, though. Cloning is just they take the life from the genes from different species and put this together and form a new species called hybrids of some living entity.
Ravindra-svarupa: The scientists say that the cells reproduce not by mating but by splitting in half...
Prabhupada: That is possible.
Svarupa Damodara: But once Srila Prabhupada told us, though, that I am in the heart and...
Prabhupada: I am an individual.
Svarupa Damodara: Yes.
Prabhupada: So that is my position. I live in the heart, and I go away. Other living entities may remain there.
Gurudasa: When a heart is transplanted does the soul stay in the heart?
Prabhupada: Yes.
Svarupa Damodara: I want to clarify another that Prabhupada told us that compared with the cells, I am a little bigger god, but the cells are smaller. Just like we are serving spiritual master. Similarly, the cells are serving. They have no choice in the...
Prabhupada: Yes. That is good idea. Yes.
Svarupa Damodara: So similarly, we were discussing with the Balavanta Prabhu one day about the... He was giving a nice example that in a kingdom where the king stays... Just like Srila Prabhupada's example: living in an apartment. Srila Prabhupada and disciples and many other living entities stay in the same apartment, but a person, an individual, who knows his position, is to serve the order of the head of the apartment. But somebody doesn't follow. He just goes away from the apartment. So Balavanta was asking what is the use of that? So similarly, when the cells... We can take out from one part of the body and can culture it, but what is the use? It produces, but actually it's not really behaving as it should. It has no value.
Prabhupada: Yes. They are just like machine parts. Parts and parcels, they are helping the whole machine work.
Svarupa Damodara: About Guru dasa prabhu's point, when the heart transplant, the soul stays in the subtle body. Is that sound?
Prabhupada: Yes. Soul is always staying in the subtle body, and the subtle body is left when he goes to God or kingdom of God.
Ravindra-svarupa: One thing I'm trying to understand is how is it that the soul wants different things and then the material body acts according to the desires of the soul? So there is a cause and thereis an effect. Normally all our cause and effect, we see one material thing causing another material thing to happen. But how is it the spirit causes? What is the connection that spirit causes matter to do so many things? The spirit is manipulating the matter, but how? How is that contact there?
Prabhupada: Contact? It is already in contact. You are in the material body. It is already in contact.
Ravindra-svarupa: But I don't understand how that contact is working.
Prabhupada: Contact is working under the direction of God. The individual soul desires, and God arranges to fulfill his desire with the help of prakrti.
Ravindra-svarupa: So when I want to move my hand, when I want to move this hand and so I will to move my hand, actually there has to be God involved in that action. Otherwise the hand won't move.
Prabhupada: Paralyzed.
Ravindra-svarupa: Paralyzed.
Prabhupada: When your hand is paralyzed what you can do?
Ravindra-svarupa: Do actually I don't directly do anything with matter. It is all Krsna's doing everything with the matter.
Devotee: "Man proposes, God disposes."
Prabhupada: Yes.
Ravindra-svarupa: Also I heard that also in every act of..., like if I want to blink my eyelid, also there is a demigod. What is the necessity of so many demigods? Why can't Krsna directly...
Prabhupada: That how you can know? You are not the director. Director knows how many assistants he requires. You cannot know... You are under the direction. You are not director. [break] ...not a mechanic he cannot understand why there are so many parts in the motor car. He is a fool. He doesn't know. But a mechanic knows that these things are required.
Guru dasa: If the soul cannot be burnt, why does the desire to be burnt in the material world there? Burnt, drowned...
Svarupa-damodara: Destroyed.
Prabhupada: He is not destroyed. When this body cannot work any more... Because this body is a machine. So a machine, if he does not move, then you, have to change to another machine.
Svarupa Damodara: The desire is not... Actually it is not burned; it just changed. The desire is changed to for a higher purpose. We have a choice between the subtle desires. Just change is the there from one to another.
Prabhupada: No, the same example: just like in a motor car you desire to go this side, but the machine is stopped, so you have to accept another motor car. It is like that, to fulfill your desire. After all it is a machine. Machine is matter. So it has got a time to work. When it is not working, then you change to another machine to fulfill your desire.
Guru dasa: If God, Krsna, desires the motor car to turn right, what makes the car turn left?
Prabhupada: Not Krsna desires. You desire. Krsna helps you. Krsna desires you give up all this nonsense and surrender to Him. Only He desires that. But if you don't do, you will desire so many things.
Svarupa Damodara: It remains a mystery to great thinkers that though the soul is pure by nature and transcendental, but somehow it is trapped in the subtle and gross body and...
Prabhupada: Because he desired. Krsna bhuliya jiva bhoga vancha kare. When he wants to enjoy this material world... In the spiritual world there is only one enjoyer. And in the material world everyone is a enjoyer. He is planning in his own way how to enjoy. That is material world. In the spiritual world the enj..., is Krsna, and all others is helping in His enjoyment. But in material world everyone is thinking, "I am enjoyer," and he is planning in his own way.
Devotee (1): Srila Prabhupada, modern philosophy is teaching that the forces of greed and lust and these things are greater than man, that actually... This concept that we are eternal, full of knowledge and bliss, they cannot accept that or understand that. They're thinking that the powers of evil are much greater, and we're just controlled by these things.
Prabhupada: Therefore they are fools. When a man's lusty desire is very strong, he commits, what is called, rape, and he becomes complicated in criminal activities. Kama esa krodha esa rajo-guna-samudbhavah. Why one is forced to do that? The cause is lusty desires, anger, greediness. So we are thinking we are master of this material world, but actually you are servant of these desires, kama, krodha, lobha, mohah. And that is maya. He is acting as servant, but he's thinking, "I am master." That is maya, which is not the fact. Just like yesterday we were discussing that the women, they are acting as instrument of men, and they are thinking, "We have equal rights." A man is utilizing her for his own purpose, and she is thinking "I am equal."
Ravindra-svarupa: I think you really surprised them when you told them that this women's liberation is just a trick by the men just to increase the class of prostitutes, available prostitutes.
Prabhupada: Free prostitutes. You go to a prostitute; you have to pay. Here they have arranged in such a way that free prostitute loitering on the street, and you can enjoy any one. This is their plan. They are rendered into beggar, and they are thinking equal rights.
Devotee (2): Srila Prabhupada, what does it mean that the soul is immovable?
Prabhupada: Immovable? Where it is?
Devotee (2): It states this in Bhagavad-gita.
Prabhupada: What is this? What is the verse?
Devotee (2): I don't know exactly. It's in the Second Chapter. Krsna's describing the nature of the spirit soul to Arjuna. Does anyone know that verse?
Nitai: Sthanur acalo 'yam...?
Prabhupada: Immovable in this sense: when he is fixed up in a certain body, then he is immovable from that body. Acalo 'yam sthanuh, sthanuh. Just like we're speaking of transplanting the heart. That does not mean you move the soul. That is immovable.
Devotee (3): Srila Prabhupada, the pure devotee's spirit soul is not trapped by the gross and subtle bodies?
Prabhupada: Yes, when he is liberated by devotional service. Sa gunan samatityaitan brahma-bhuyaya kalpate [Bg. 14.26].
Devotee (4): Prabhupada, when we try to explain to people that our philosophy of Krsna consciousness is authoritative and is coming from undisturbed men, learned men, that our spiritual master is not an ordinary man, what does it mean that he is not an ordinary man?
Prabhupada: He is not moved by the rascal scientist. (laughter) All rascals are moved by the so-called scientists.
Svarupa Damodara: Srila Prabhupada... (laughter)
Prabhupada: (laughing) The scientist is angry.
Svarupa Damodara: The soul is trapped as well as untrapped in the material body...
Prabhupada: Because he wanted to be trapped.
Svarupa Damodara: But sometimes it is also untrapped. But sometimes he is also free.
Prabhupada: No, by nature, he is not mixed up with these material things, but he is entrapped by his free will. Just like we are staying here. We are not bound to stay here, but we have come here. Nobody has forced us to come here.
Svarupa Damodara: So is that philosophy, simultaneously one and different...
Prabhupada: Yes.
Svarupa Damodara: ...that acintya-bhedabheda is also applicable in the case of...
Prabhupada: No, soul never mixes with the matter. Now I have come here, I am not mixed up with this jungle.
Svarupa Damodara: But it looks like it...
Prabhupada: It looks like. That is another thing. Asango 'yam purusah. The Vedic injunction is" "The purusa, the soul, is never complicated or mixed up with this." Because just like oil and water, it never mixes. The oil keeps its separate identity in water.
Svarupa Damodara: Yes. But if you put in a body, though they cannot be mixed, but they can stay together. Like in a chemical laboratory we take a test tube. In the test tube I can mix two solutions like, for example, mercury and water and oil. They will not mix, but they will stay in the same test tube. But a man who knows about the art of separating those three mixtures can do it very nicely.
Prabhupada: Yes. Similarly, soul does not mix with the matter and by this art, transcendental knowledge, you can become out of it.
Svarupa Damodara: So that's why we need a process and someone who knows the process of.
Prabhupada: The process is bhakti-yoga. Sa gunan samatityaitan: [Bg. 14.26] "Anyone who has taken to this bhakti-yoga," mam ca vyabhicarini bhakti-yogena yah sevate, "he immediately becomes free from the mixture of these three gunas." Sa gunan samatityaitan brahma-bhuyaya kalpate [Bg. 14.26]. "He again revives his Brahman nature." Aham brahmasmi. Brahma-bhutah prasannatma: [Bg. 18.54] Then he understands that 'I have no connection with these all nonsense things. I am brahma-bhutah.' "
 Devotee (4): Prabhupada, we're in this material world, in this human body, we're having to work with this intelligence, with mind, material things. So there is a group of philosophers that say that actually because we're a product, our mind, the way we're thinking now is a product of our upbringing and our past, that actually we have no free will, but we're forced to think and act in a certain way.
Prabhupada: Why you are forced?
Devotee (4): Because of conditioning.
Prabhupada: Then that you have to admit that you are conditioned by some authority. When you are put into jail, you cannot act independently. You have to act according to the jail superintendent's order.
Devotee (3): Prabhupada, is our desire to be eternal, blissful and full of knowledge...
Prabhupada: Now let me finish. You will never be able to understand if you jump over like that. Let one thing be understood.
Devotee (4): So he admits he's conditioned, but still, there's no free will. He says, "Yeah, so I'm in the prison. I'm imprisoned. I'm conditioned."
Prabhupada: No, no, no. Free will... Just like a man commits theft by his free will. But when he is put into jail, then no more free will. He has to act according to the jail superintendent. But his beginning of jail life is free will. Nobody asked him that "You go to jail." But why he has come? He knows also that "When I am put into jail, I will lose all my freedom." He knows that. Still, he comes. Why does he come? He knows that. That is called ajnana. Mudha. That is called mudha. He knows; still, he does.
Svarupa Damodara: He is taking a chance.
Prabhupada: Yes, that means he is becoming implicated.
Svarupa Damodara: He thinks that maybe he will be free, that..., if sometimes there's also a chance that he will be caught.
Prabhupada: That is ajnana. As soon as he, "may be," that means ajnana.
Devotee (4): So that's why we originally fell down?
Prabhupada: Knowledge must be solid. There is no question "of maybe," no. Just like if you touch fire, there is no question of "maybe." It must burn you. You may think, "It may not burn," but that is your foolishness.
Ravindra-svarupa: So they think that they can enjoy material nature but not be implicated.
Prabhupada: Yes. Not implicated. He is already implicated. There is no question of maybe. Must.
Devotee (5):. So when we fell down from the spiritual world...
Prabhupada: Then you must suffer. There is no question, "maybe."
Devotee (5): When we fell down we were thinking, we could enjoy like that, in the same way?
Prabhupada: Yes, that is foolishness. And we are making our plan how to enjoy. That is our foolishness. And Krsna says "You give up all these nonsense plans. Come to Me."
Devotee (5): Is this example proper, that a son is being well taken care of by the father, but sometimes he's thinking, "I can enjoy more some other way?"
Prabhupada: Yes. Yes.
Svarupa Damodara: Srila Prabhupada, can I change the topic? Last, day before yesterday, morning, Prabhupada said that plants are more highly developed than the fish or the aquatics. But someone may ask what about the dolphins and the seals. They are regarded as very intelligent and highly developed.
Prabhupada: Every living entity has a particular type of intelligence which is greater than the other.
Svarupa Damodara: No, in the evolutionary cycle. Talking about the...
Prabhupada: No, evolutionary, cycle, the body may change, but every living entity has got a special advantage upon the others.
Ravindra-svarupa: What is the advantage of a tree, Srila Prabhupada?
Prabhupada: You see how they are standing there for five thousand years. You cannot do it. You cannot do it even for five minutes.
Svarupa Damodara: Actually the trees are absolutely necessary for the survival of animals.
Prabhupada: That is another thing. We say nothing is necessary, simply Krsna is necessary. That is material conception: "This is necessary. This is necessary." But Krsna says, "Nothing is necessary." Sarva-dharman parityajya [Bg. 18.66]. You are simply planning and becoming entangled with so-called "necessary."
Svarupa Damodara: But that is on the spiritual platform.
Prabhupada: You can create spiritual platform immediately. Sa gunan samatityaitan [Bg. 14.26]. If you fully engage yourself in devotional service, immediately you are above this material conception.
Svarupa Damodara: So the concept that the three modes of material nature, they're working all species, so it's not the...
Prabhupada: They are directing. Just like in the jail there are different departmental management, similarly, this management is required because you are in the jail. If you don't go to jail, the management may be closed. But you are thinking, "If I do not go to jail, how it will exist?" That is your business, say that "If we all become liberated, how this world will go on?" They say like that, as if it is very necessary.
Devotee (3): Srila Prabhupada, is the subtle bodies in the subtle world, are they made up of subtle atoms?
Prabhupada: Subtle body means subtle atoms. So if we are in subtle body, so whatever there is in the subtle body, everything is there.
Devotee (6): Prabhupada, sometimes on sankirtana we say that the human form of life is the highest because in this form we can understand God, and they say, "Well, what about the dolphins? You know, they've been doing experiments with the dolphins, and they've been finding out that the dolphins have their own conversations and things like that."
Prabhupada: So what they have done with the dolphins? They are talking only. What they have done? Simply theorizing. [break]
Prabhupada: (in car) ...improved anything.
Ravindra-svarupa: No.
Prabhupada: They are going on ciram vicinvan. Forever they are simply thinking, and no improvement has done.
Ravindra-svarupa: Of course, they promise that they will be able to do so many...
Prabhupada: That everyone can, a child can also promise. That is another thing.
Ravindra-svarupa: [break] ...the cells because they say that the cells are the fundamental unit of life and if they can understand even a very simple cell, then they think perhaps they can find the principles to understand everything living.
Prabhupada: Well, this "perhaps..."
Ravindra-svarupa: But they can't understand the cell.
Prabhupada: Yes. So their "perhaps," "maybe," is going on. And that will continue.
Ravindra-svarupa: Why does the living entity wish to speculate in this way?
Prabhupada: He has been given a special advantage to think of God, but instead of thinking God, he is thinking all these rubbish things, which he will never be able to fulfill. Misusing. The thinking power he is misusing.
Ravindra-svarupa: So this mental speculation or this "perhaps" and "maybe" is a misuse of his specific power to understand God.
Prabhupada: Yes, yes. Athato brahma jijnasa. The life, human life, is meant for enquiring about God, and God is explaining Himself about God. Instead of studying Bhagavad-gita very scrutinizingly, they are wasting time. "The cells, this, that, atom." That's all, wasting time Just like we are driving this car. So we can utilize it for going from one place to another. So there is no need of studying how the car is moving, how many parts are there.
Ravindra-svarupa: But still, people seem to have always a curiosity about these things.
Prabhupada: Yes. That curiosity is explained in the Bhagavad-gita that it is a machine and there are many subtle parts of the machine. So you have been given this machine. You utilize it properly. Why you are busy in studying the different parts? The different parts are there undoubtedly. But you cannot actually understand.
Ravindra-svarupa: We're going to take a picture, Srila Prabhupada.
Prabhupada: All right. (end)
 
>>> Ref. VedaBase => Morning Walk -- July 14, 1975, Philadelphia
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