The Purpose of This Movement is to Cleanse The Heart

Ratha-yatra Lecture--London, July 13, 1972

Prabhupada: ...nityanandasri-advaita gadadhara srivasadi-gaura-bhakta-vrnda

Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare / Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare

Ladies and gentlemen, I thank you very much for you coming here and participating in this great movement known as Hare Krsna sankirtana movement. This sankirtana movement was started five hundred years ago by Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu in India, in the state West Bengal, in the district of Nadia. His mission was that this Hare Krsna movement, or God consciousness, should be spread all over the world. As many town and villages as there are on the surface of the globe, this Hare Krsna movement would be spread all over.

His prediction is now being carried out by some of the devotees. And you may kindly take advantage of this movement.The purpose of this movement is to cleanse the heart. Ceto- darpana-marjanam bhava-maha-davagni-nirvapanam [Cc. Antya 20.12]. We have created so many problems in our life simply on the platform of misunderstanding. Therefore this movement is meant for cleansing the misunderstanding of the heart. Ceto-darpana-marjanam. What is that misunderstanding? The misunderstanding is that we are accepting this material body as the self. We are all living entities, spirit souls, encaged in this material body. We are transmigrating from one body to another.

There are 8,400,000 species of life, and this human form of life is the greatest opportunity for self-realization. Self-realization means to know that “I am not this body. I am spirit soul. I am part and parcel of God.” You have... Most of you must have read Bhagavad-gita. In the Fifteenth Chapter it is said that the living entities are part and parcel of God. God is by nature joyful. In the Vedanta- sutra it is said about the Supreme Absolute Truth, as anandamayo ’bhyasat, by nature joyful.

Therefore, as we are part and parcel of God, our aim of life is joy. We are searching after that joyfulness within this material world, but that is not possible. Just like a fish, if it is taken from the water and put on the land, in any condition the fish will never feel joyfulness. Similarly, we are spirit souls. Somehow or other, we have come in contact with this material world. Therefore in this material world we cannot have joyfulness. Anandamayo ’bhyasat. This material world is not befitting our spiritual self.

Spiritual self requires spiritual joy. That is beyond these material senses. Therefore this Krsna consciousness movement is meant for clearing or cleansing or purifying the senses. As soon as we purify our senses, then actually we can enjoy our spiritual sense enjoyment.In the material covering, the senses are not properly being used. The enjoyment which you are now having, it is simply a perverted reflection of our spiritual self. So this Krsna consciousness movement is meant for purifying our senses. In the Vedic literatures it is said, sarvopadhi-vinirmuktam tat-paratvena nirmalam [Cc. Madhya 19.170].

When we become free from the designation, at that time we become spiritually purified. At the present moment, on account of our ignorance, or in ignorance of our self- realization, we are thinking in relationship with this body. I am born in India, so I am thinking, “I am Indian.” You are born in England; therefore you are thinking Englishmen. Or other is thinking some other thing. But actually, we are neither Indian, nor Englishmen, nor Japanese, or nor German. We are spirit soul, part and parcel of God. Therefore that is self-realization.

Unless we realize our self, all activities that we are enacting, this is meant for our defeat.Therefore, practically we see that in spite of advancement of education, in spite of economic development, in spite of so many philosophical speculations, we are in the same problematic atmosphere. That is the defect of the present civilization, because they do not know what we are. We are spirit soul.

So we must realize. That is... If we want to realize, everything explained in the Vedic literature, which is summarized in the Vedanta-sutra and later on in the Srimad-Bhagavatam. And five thousand years, the Lord Himself, Lord Krsna, spoke the philosophy or the knowledge in the Bhagavad-gita. We are publishing all these literatures translated into English. If you want to read them, if you want to understand this scientific, spiritual movement through your scientific knowledge, philosophical speculation, we have got dozens of books. You can read them and you can understand them. Otherwise, it is very simple method.

You can simply chant this Hare Krsna maha-mantra. It is only sixteen words:Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare HareHare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare

So there is no expenditure. If you chant Hare Krsna mantra, there is no loss on your part, neither we are charging anything. We are distributing this maha-mantra free of charges, and anyone can chant. There is no difficulty.

We are spreading this movement all over the world. Not only in your country—whole of America, whole of Canada, Japan, Australia, New Zealand. Everywhere. We have got one hundred branches all over the world. And there is no difficulty. Even in Africa, the Africans are also chanting this Hare Krsna mantra.So our only request is that in whatever condition you may be, it doesn’t matter, please try to chant these sixteen words if it is possible, whenever you have got time. You have got enough time.

You can chant Hare Krsna mantra when you are walking on the street, when you are traveling in the bus, or when you are sitting alone. There is no loss, but the gain is very great. Therefore our only request is that you take this maha-mantra,Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare HareHare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare HareAnd we shall periodically remind you by such functions as we are holding today, the Ratha-yatra festival. This Ratha-yatra festival is very old. At least for 5,000 years.

Lord Krsna along with His elder brother Balabhadra, or Balarama, and His sister Subhadra came in a chariot from Dvaraka to Kuruksetra. We are commemorating this arrival of Lord Krsna with His family on this chariot. This function is held in Jagannatha Puri. Mostly you know. In India it is a great festival. And we are introducing this festival in the Western countries along with Hare Krsna movement because the original progenitor of this Hare Krsna movement, namely Lord Caitanya, He took very much active part in this Ratha-yatra festival.

So following His footsteps, we are also introducing this Ratha-yatra festival in the Western countries. Simultaneously as it is being observed in London, it is being held in San Francisco, Buffalo, and...

Devotees: Melbourne, Tokyo.

Prabhupada: Melbourne, Tokyo, and many other places. And India also, in Calcutta also. So this festival, taking part in these festivals means a step forward for our self-realization. Rathe ca vamanam drstva punar janma na vidyate. Simply by seeing the Lord on the chariot, one makes advancement for stopping the repetition of birth and death.So I am very glad that you have taken so much trouble to come here. Now will you chant Hare Krsna mantra along with the devotees and take part in honoring the prasadam? The prasadam is also one of the programs.

Our Hare Krsna movement is standing on three principal things: chanting, dancing, and eating prasadam. It is not very difficult. It is very enjoyable to chant, dance, and take prasadam. And if you like, you can hear a little philosophy of this movement. Or even if you do not understand the philosophy, even you do not read the books, simply if you take part in these three things, chanting, dancing, and taking part in eating the prasadam, your life will gradually progress in spiritual advancement of life. And if you continue this, then some day will come, even in this life it may come, that you will understand what is Krsna. And as soon as you understand Krsna, then after leaving this body you go back to home, back to Godhead, directly (?). This is stated in the Bhagavad-gita.

Those who have read Bhagavad-gita... Lord Krsna says,janma karma me divyamyo janati tattvatahtyaktva deham punar janmanaiti mam eti kaunteya [Bg. 4.9]Simply by understanding Krsna, Krsna’s appearance, Krsna’s disappearance, Krsna’s activities. This Rathayatra is one of the activities of Krsna. Therefore to take part in the Rathayatra festival means to associate with Krsna directly. So in this way, if we associate with Krsna’s name, Krsna’s pastimes, Krsna’s qualities, Krsna’s form, then, gradually, we transcend this material existence. Janma karma me divyam yo janati tattvatah.

If we simply try to understand about Krsna’s movement, then the result is, Krsna says, tyaktva deham: we have to give up this body. But if we give up this body after being elevated into Krsna consciousness, then Krsna says, tyaktva deham punar janma naiti [Bg. 4.9]. Then, after giving up this body, you haven’t got to accept another material body. Tyaktva deham punar janma naiti [Bg. 4.9]. Then where shall I go? Krsna says, mam eti: “He comes to Me.”There is planet beyond this material sky.

There is another sky. That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gita. Paras tasmat tu bhavo ’nyo ’vyakto ’vyaktat sanatanah [Bg. 8.20]. There is another sky, which is eternal. This sky is temporary. Just like your body, my body, or anything in this material world, they are temporary. They have got a date of birth, and they grow, they stay, they produce some by-products, then dwindle, and then vanishes. That is material nature. But there is another nature, which is called spiritual nature. Even when everything is annihilated, that nature stands. So that spiritual nature, or spiritual sky, is described in the Vedic literature, in the Upanisads, that there is no need of sunshine, there is no need of moonshine, there is no need of electricity.

That is another sky. So our only business is to transfer ourself from this sky to that sky, that illuminating sky. That is the Vedic injunction. Tamasi ma jyotir gamaya: “Don’t remain in this darkness, in this world of darkness. Come to the world of light.” So this movement is very important movement. We are trying to educate people how to transfer one from this world of darkness to the world of light, which is called Goloka Vrndavana. So I am very much thankful to you that you have given me your time. So we have got our books; our devotees are preaching. Take advantage of this opportunity and make your life successful.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Haribol! (end)